“Just bring her back. Jack Ryan is about to board the Russian sub,” he mutters painfully.
He smiles and nods. “We won’t be but a moment.” He escorts her out of the ward and into the hall. “That’s a good thing you are doing,” he nods approvingly as they glide to a stop.
“I got bored in my room. I thought they could use some company. You’re back sooner than normal.”
“We have a lead on your father. I meet with the contact in just over an hour. I came back to get ready.”
“Let me go with you,” she begs.
“Out of the question,” he says firmly. “Not only is it too dangerous, I am to meet the contact alone.”
She can feel her blood run cold. “Ryker…”
“Don’t worry. I told you. I’m hard to kill. Plus we are putting some backup nearby.” He takes a quick look around. Other than the security camera, no one will see. He bends down, takes her face in his hands and kisses her gently on the lips for a moment before turning her loose. “It will be okay.”
“But…” Ronnie begins, then stops. So far as she knows this is the only lead they have had since the explosion at the apartment. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
Ryker begins to chuckle. “I sense a certain lack of confidence in my abilities.”
She smiles and looks down, avoiding his gaze. “No. But I have seen what you are willing to do first hand. I don’t want you to have to do that again. Not for me. Not for my father.”
“Don’t worry, Ronnie. This is just a meet in a restaurant. Nothing is going to happen.”
“Then why the backup?”
Ryker smiles. “Because I’m not stupid. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”
She looks back to his face. “Just be careful.”
“I will.”
She smiles softly, then steps in and holds him tight. “See that you are.”
He smiles and surrounds her with his arms, taking her into a loose embrace. While he would like nothing better than to stand there and hold her forever, he pushes her gently away after only a moment. “The Marines are waiting to find out what happens to Jack.”
Ronnie steps back and smiles sadly. “I should go. It’s not nice to leave them hanging like that.”
“No.”
“Come see me the moment you get back. I will be right here.”
Ryker smiles. “Count on it.”
Ryker doesn’t know who the fire teams are so he can’t tell if they are in place as he walks into Hanaii at 5:20. “Table for two. On the patio.”
“Right his way,” the host says, picking up two menus and escorting him to the patio. The patio is unoccupied save for one table.
The host begins to seat him near the occupied table. “Something a little more private, please,” Ryker says when the host places the menus on the table.
“Certainly,” the host replies before turning and offering a table at the opposite end of the patio.
“Perfect,” Ryker says, taking the chair that places his back to the wall and allows him to see the door. He settles in to wait and watch. The restaurant is nearly empty, as it is too late for lunch and too early for dinner. He watches the man and woman dining at the other table rise to leave. He stiffens, preparing for trouble, but they leave without a backwards glance, leaving him alone on the patio.
At 5:45 Ryker has about decided the “friend” is going to be a no show. The host approaches, probably once again to prompt him to order, so he stands to leave. “I’m sorry. It looks like my friend has stood me up.”
“Are you Ryker Evans?” the host asks.
Ryker blinks in surprise then slowly sits back down. “Yes. That’s me.”
“I have been asked to take your radio and your weapon,” the man says, obviously uncomfortable with the request.
“No.”
“Very well,” the man says, backing away.
“Wait! Wait a minute,” Ryker says thinking quickly. He
He smiles and nods. “We won’t be but a moment.” He escorts her out of the ward and into the hall. “That’s a good thing you are doing,” he nods approvingly as they glide to a stop.
“I got bored in my room. I thought they could use some company. You’re back sooner than normal.”
“We have a lead on your father. I meet with the contact in just over an hour. I came back to get ready.”
“Let me go with you,” she begs.
“Out of the question,” he says firmly. “Not only is it too dangerous, I am to meet the contact alone.”
She can feel her blood run cold. “Ryker…”
“Don’t worry. I told you. I’m hard to kill. Plus we are putting some backup nearby.” He takes a quick look around. Other than the security camera, no one will see. He bends down, takes her face in his hands and kisses her gently on the lips for a moment before turning her loose. “It will be okay.”
“But…” Ronnie begins, then stops. So far as she knows this is the only lead they have had since the explosion at the apartment. “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
Ryker begins to chuckle. “I sense a certain lack of confidence in my abilities.”
She smiles and looks down, avoiding his gaze. “No. But I have seen what you are willing to do first hand. I don’t want you to have to do that again. Not for me. Not for my father.”
“Don’t worry, Ronnie. This is just a meet in a restaurant. Nothing is going to happen.”
“Then why the backup?”
Ryker smiles. “Because I’m not stupid. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”
She looks back to his face. “Just be careful.”
“I will.”
She smiles softly, then steps in and holds him tight. “See that you are.”
He smiles and surrounds her with his arms, taking her into a loose embrace. While he would like nothing better than to stand there and hold her forever, he pushes her gently away after only a moment. “The Marines are waiting to find out what happens to Jack.”
Ronnie steps back and smiles sadly. “I should go. It’s not nice to leave them hanging like that.”
“No.”
“Come see me the moment you get back. I will be right here.”
Ryker smiles. “Count on it.”
Ryker doesn’t know who the fire teams are so he can’t tell if they are in place as he walks into Hanaii at 5:20. “Table for two. On the patio.”
“Right his way,” the host says, picking up two menus and escorting him to the patio. The patio is unoccupied save for one table.
The host begins to seat him near the occupied table. “Something a little more private, please,” Ryker says when the host places the menus on the table.
“Certainly,” the host replies before turning and offering a table at the opposite end of the patio.
“Perfect,” Ryker says, taking the chair that places his back to the wall and allows him to see the door. He settles in to wait and watch. The restaurant is nearly empty, as it is too late for lunch and too early for dinner. He watches the man and woman dining at the other table rise to leave. He stiffens, preparing for trouble, but they leave without a backwards glance, leaving him alone on the patio.
At 5:45 Ryker has about decided the “friend” is going to be a no show. The host approaches, probably once again to prompt him to order, so he stands to leave. “I’m sorry. It looks like my friend has stood me up.”
“Are you Ryker Evans?” the host asks.
Ryker blinks in surprise then slowly sits back down. “Yes. That’s me.”
“I have been asked to take your radio and your weapon,” the man says, obviously uncomfortable with the request.
“No.”
“Very well,” the man says, backing away.
“Wait! Wait a minute,” Ryker says thinking quickly. He
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