Congress to raid El Tariq.” He held up his hand as she started to speak. “I know. It doesn’t make any more sense than anything else about the raid. We both wondered why the CIA wanted the Pair when we got orders to go after them. But like dutiful drones, we obeyed orders.”
“There’s nothing dutiful about you.”
“On the contrary, I consider doing my job well an irrevocable duty. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have asked questions after I had possession of the horses.” He shrugged. “But I didn’t have the chance. Everything was blown to hell. I wasn’t in a position to pursue the matter for a number of years.” He paused. “But I never forgot, Grace.”
No, he wouldn’t forget, and he would be relentless in getting what he wanted. “And Congress just changed their minds about Marvot?”
“Probably with the help of a stupendous increase in bribe money. All Donavan found out was that there was a final shift for Marvot’s benefit at the time. Then a few years later there was 9/11 and everything was in turmoil. I’m slowly putting the pieces together. I’m sure North thought that if he showed Congress a fait accompli they’d go along with him. It didn’t happen. We failed. So Marvot was allowed to continue at El Tariq and keep his fingers in a dozen dirty international pies.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“It’s the truth. Ask North. Though I’m not sure how much truth he’d be allowed to tell you these days.”
“It couldn’t be the truth. Crane wanted to set me up as bait for Marvot.”
“Then Crane may be Marvot’s man and wanted to turn you over to him. Or he doesn’t know how strong the congressional lobbies are that could topple him from his job.” Kilmer shrugged. “Either way I couldn’t let him get his hands on you again.”
“Let? It’s my choice, Kilmer.”
“No, I leave you free choice where Frankie’s concerned.” He made a face. “Though I’m finding it increasingly difficult. You have no choice whatsoever about whether the two of you are going to live or die. I’ll fight you tooth and nail on that score. You’re going to live.” He moved toward the door. “I’ve waited too long to be cheated now.”
“What the hell do you think you’re—”
He was gone.
And she was shaking. Anger? Indignation? Shock? Her reaction was a mixture of all three. All these years she’d thought the CIA had protected her because they were responsible for her being on the run from Marvot. That it was because a deal had been struck with Kilmer came as a shock. She didn’t want to be beholden to him for anything, dammit. And he had no right to think he could step in and run her life. She’d accepted his protection for Frankie, but there would be no—
She drew a deep breath. Calm. Kilmer had always been able to arouse a response no one else could. She couldn’t allow that to happen again. She had to think clearly about the content of his words. If what he said was true, then she couldn’t trust the CIA even if she made a deal with them.
And she didn’t doubt it was the truth. Kilmer had never lied to her. It was one of the attributes she’d admired the most about him. She could always count on blunt honesty if she asked for it. It had once made her feel secure to know that honesty was a rock she could cling to in the violence that surrounded them.
“Is that for Frankie?” Robert stood in the doorway, looking at the plate. “Would you like me to go get her?”
Grace shook her head. “I’ll go myself.” She paused. “Well, did you find any wolves in those hills?”
“Only the four-footed kind. And I saw those at a distance. Kilmer didn’t really expect anything else. He’s just being careful.”
“And you’re taking his orders. Doesn’t that bother you?”
He thought about it. “No. He’s polite and he knows what he’s doing. He paid me a whopping big bonus to come over to his team. He’s got a right to give the orders.” He tilted his head.
“There’s nothing dutiful about you.”
“On the contrary, I consider doing my job well an irrevocable duty. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have asked questions after I had possession of the horses.” He shrugged. “But I didn’t have the chance. Everything was blown to hell. I wasn’t in a position to pursue the matter for a number of years.” He paused. “But I never forgot, Grace.”
No, he wouldn’t forget, and he would be relentless in getting what he wanted. “And Congress just changed their minds about Marvot?”
“Probably with the help of a stupendous increase in bribe money. All Donavan found out was that there was a final shift for Marvot’s benefit at the time. Then a few years later there was 9/11 and everything was in turmoil. I’m slowly putting the pieces together. I’m sure North thought that if he showed Congress a fait accompli they’d go along with him. It didn’t happen. We failed. So Marvot was allowed to continue at El Tariq and keep his fingers in a dozen dirty international pies.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“It’s the truth. Ask North. Though I’m not sure how much truth he’d be allowed to tell you these days.”
“It couldn’t be the truth. Crane wanted to set me up as bait for Marvot.”
“Then Crane may be Marvot’s man and wanted to turn you over to him. Or he doesn’t know how strong the congressional lobbies are that could topple him from his job.” Kilmer shrugged. “Either way I couldn’t let him get his hands on you again.”
“Let? It’s my choice, Kilmer.”
“No, I leave you free choice where Frankie’s concerned.” He made a face. “Though I’m finding it increasingly difficult. You have no choice whatsoever about whether the two of you are going to live or die. I’ll fight you tooth and nail on that score. You’re going to live.” He moved toward the door. “I’ve waited too long to be cheated now.”
“What the hell do you think you’re—”
He was gone.
And she was shaking. Anger? Indignation? Shock? Her reaction was a mixture of all three. All these years she’d thought the CIA had protected her because they were responsible for her being on the run from Marvot. That it was because a deal had been struck with Kilmer came as a shock. She didn’t want to be beholden to him for anything, dammit. And he had no right to think he could step in and run her life. She’d accepted his protection for Frankie, but there would be no—
She drew a deep breath. Calm. Kilmer had always been able to arouse a response no one else could. She couldn’t allow that to happen again. She had to think clearly about the content of his words. If what he said was true, then she couldn’t trust the CIA even if she made a deal with them.
And she didn’t doubt it was the truth. Kilmer had never lied to her. It was one of the attributes she’d admired the most about him. She could always count on blunt honesty if she asked for it. It had once made her feel secure to know that honesty was a rock she could cling to in the violence that surrounded them.
“Is that for Frankie?” Robert stood in the doorway, looking at the plate. “Would you like me to go get her?”
Grace shook her head. “I’ll go myself.” She paused. “Well, did you find any wolves in those hills?”
“Only the four-footed kind. And I saw those at a distance. Kilmer didn’t really expect anything else. He’s just being careful.”
“And you’re taking his orders. Doesn’t that bother you?”
He thought about it. “No. He’s polite and he knows what he’s doing. He paid me a whopping big bonus to come over to his team. He’s got a right to give the orders.” He tilted his head.
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