me.”
“John and I have been through a lot,” said Bob. “He gave me my Indian name. Six Bears.”
I grinned. “Because you’re big and strong?”
“Because he snores like six bears,” answered John.
Bob reached into a cooler, handed me a beer. “First up, we drink away the filters. Then we talk honestly. Then we decide what we’re going to do.”
“Sounds fair,” I replied. “How’s Sarah?”
“Doing as well as you’d expect. She’s someplace safe.”
He didn’t tell me where. I’m sure he trusted me, but she was staying away on her terms, and she knew how to get hold of me if–no. When. When, I insisted– she decided she was ready, so there was no reason to tempt me with the knowledge of her whereabouts.
So I did understand why he didn’t tell me more than that. It hurt, but I understood.
“Before we get into the how, or even the what,” he said. “I need to know why we’re doing it.”
“Whatever it is,” added John.
“Now,” Bob forged ahead as though he hadn’t heard. “I like you. I know you did your best for Sarah, and I think you two were a good match. But if you’re doing this to win her back, I’m not sure that’s a good enough reason.”
I shook my head. “I’d love to get her back, but that’s not what this is about. And it’s not for me. I could vanish and leave these people wondering. I could be working a thousand miles away under a new name in a week. Go back into the service, or join one of these international ‘consulting’ organizations. I know enough about soldiering and emergency medicine, and I’ve done enough odd jobs and blended in enough places that I can go find somewhere safe without much effort. But what I don’t know is if they’d leave her alone, whether or not I stayed or vanished. I need to break them to make sure they can never endanger her again. Even if I never see her after it’s done, I need to know I did everything I could to make her safe.”
“Told you this guy’s OK,” Bob said to John.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I said. “I’d lie or cheat or steal if I thought it would make Sarah take me back. But it wouldn’t. She knows me too well for me to fool her, and if she doesn’t trust me, it won’t work. But I won’t run off and leave them to target her if they want to start chasing me.”
“Or use her to lure you back.”
I took a deep drink, nodded. “Or that. Because we all know it would work.”
“So if we do this thing, and make sure she never has to look over her shoulder again, and she still says things got too crazy and it’s not gonna work out, you really will just walk off into the sunset? Let her get over it and not make her life miserable?”
I thought about that. I hadn’t gotten that far. Occupational hazard. I tend to focus on surviving the crisis, not how to work the Happily Ever After. It’s never been on the table before.
“If it was the only way to let her find happiness, I’d move on tomorrow. There’s work for a medic anywhere.”
“You’d forget about her?”
“Never. But I’d do the only thing I know how to do.”
“Which is?”
“Keep on keepin’ on.”
“Gotta trust a man who can answer with a Dylan quote,” said John.
“All you need is three chords and the truth.”
“I thought Howard was talking about country music when he said that,” said Bob.
“Don’t go getting your facts all over my witty retorts,” I replied.
“So long as we’re not doing this just to impress a girl.”
“Wouldn’t be the dumbest thing we’ve done to impress a girl,” said John.
“We’re older and wiser,” Bob replied. “And slower.”
“Age and guile beats youth and skill, brother.”
“I get the feeling you two have known each other a while,” I said with a grin.
“Too long,” answered Bob. “Be careful. You hang around long enough and you’ll get your own Indian name.”
“I’ve started work on that already,” said John. “I’m feeling a ‘coyote’ vibe
“John and I have been through a lot,” said Bob. “He gave me my Indian name. Six Bears.”
I grinned. “Because you’re big and strong?”
“Because he snores like six bears,” answered John.
Bob reached into a cooler, handed me a beer. “First up, we drink away the filters. Then we talk honestly. Then we decide what we’re going to do.”
“Sounds fair,” I replied. “How’s Sarah?”
“Doing as well as you’d expect. She’s someplace safe.”
He didn’t tell me where. I’m sure he trusted me, but she was staying away on her terms, and she knew how to get hold of me if–no. When. When, I insisted– she decided she was ready, so there was no reason to tempt me with the knowledge of her whereabouts.
So I did understand why he didn’t tell me more than that. It hurt, but I understood.
“Before we get into the how, or even the what,” he said. “I need to know why we’re doing it.”
“Whatever it is,” added John.
“Now,” Bob forged ahead as though he hadn’t heard. “I like you. I know you did your best for Sarah, and I think you two were a good match. But if you’re doing this to win her back, I’m not sure that’s a good enough reason.”
I shook my head. “I’d love to get her back, but that’s not what this is about. And it’s not for me. I could vanish and leave these people wondering. I could be working a thousand miles away under a new name in a week. Go back into the service, or join one of these international ‘consulting’ organizations. I know enough about soldiering and emergency medicine, and I’ve done enough odd jobs and blended in enough places that I can go find somewhere safe without much effort. But what I don’t know is if they’d leave her alone, whether or not I stayed or vanished. I need to break them to make sure they can never endanger her again. Even if I never see her after it’s done, I need to know I did everything I could to make her safe.”
“Told you this guy’s OK,” Bob said to John.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I said. “I’d lie or cheat or steal if I thought it would make Sarah take me back. But it wouldn’t. She knows me too well for me to fool her, and if she doesn’t trust me, it won’t work. But I won’t run off and leave them to target her if they want to start chasing me.”
“Or use her to lure you back.”
I took a deep drink, nodded. “Or that. Because we all know it would work.”
“So if we do this thing, and make sure she never has to look over her shoulder again, and she still says things got too crazy and it’s not gonna work out, you really will just walk off into the sunset? Let her get over it and not make her life miserable?”
I thought about that. I hadn’t gotten that far. Occupational hazard. I tend to focus on surviving the crisis, not how to work the Happily Ever After. It’s never been on the table before.
“If it was the only way to let her find happiness, I’d move on tomorrow. There’s work for a medic anywhere.”
“You’d forget about her?”
“Never. But I’d do the only thing I know how to do.”
“Which is?”
“Keep on keepin’ on.”
“Gotta trust a man who can answer with a Dylan quote,” said John.
“All you need is three chords and the truth.”
“I thought Howard was talking about country music when he said that,” said Bob.
“Don’t go getting your facts all over my witty retorts,” I replied.
“So long as we’re not doing this just to impress a girl.”
“Wouldn’t be the dumbest thing we’ve done to impress a girl,” said John.
“We’re older and wiser,” Bob replied. “And slower.”
“Age and guile beats youth and skill, brother.”
“I get the feeling you two have known each other a while,” I said with a grin.
“Too long,” answered Bob. “Be careful. You hang around long enough and you’ll get your own Indian name.”
“I’ve started work on that already,” said John. “I’m feeling a ‘coyote’ vibe
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