tension begin to fade, leaving her drained. She said, “How’d you find me?”
“Taskforce phone. Did you forget they’re interconnected? I was tracking you the minute I hit El Paso. I was scared shitless when I saw it had been stationary for my entire flight, then I picked up your movement to the industrial park. I couldn’t believe it when you shut it down. The one thing that I could use, and you turned the damn thing off.”
She felt her face flush, only now realizing the phone had saved her life. She snaked her hand into his and said, “I couldn’t talk. It was giving me away. . . . I thought I was on my own. . . .”
Pike glared at her. “I
told
you that you weren’t on your own. I said we’d figure this out together. I still can’t believe you did this. Did it help your brother? I broke a shit-ton of rules getting here, tracking phones, and . . .”
Jennifer leaned back, turning to face him. “And what? I should have listened, but my brother is in real trouble. He’s been kidnapped. I’m sure of it. I have a video in my purse, and a picture of the house he’s in.”
She expected support but saw the beginnings of a sneer. He said, “So what now, you want the Taskforce to assault a place in Mexico? Is that it? Because you got a voice message from your brother? Jennifer, we’re not the damn A-Team. You just made me kill two men in Mexico to save your ass.
You
did that, whether you like it or not, and it didn’t do a damn thing for your brother. All it did was prove a point.”
She dropped his hand. “What the hell does that mean? My brother’s not worth it? He’s probably being beaten to death right now, by men just like the ones you killed!”
He said nothing.
She said, “Pike?”
“It means maybe I can’t see the forest for the trees anymore. Maybe I can’t separate our relationship from the job. Maybe this was just a bad idea.”
What?
She said, “Stop the car. Right now.”
“Screw that. We need to get away from the border. Get away from the damage.”
“Stop this car right now or I’m jumping out.”
He looked at her, trying for bravado, but she saw apprehension at what had slipped out of his mouth. He pulled over, letting the other cars pass.
She said, “Who talked to you?”
“Nobody. I’m just thinking. I mean, I need to keep my head, and I’m not sure I can with our relationship. I’m not sure it’s right. Listen, I left a site survey early, got to Atlanta, then caught the first flight to El Paso because of you. I shortchanged a mission because of you. I’m not sure I can do both anymore.”
She stared at him for a second, then said, “So you mean because we’re together in the Taskforce, we can’t be
together
? Are you asking me to choose?”
He looked out the window. “I don’t know. I don’t
know
. I’m making decisions out of emotion, and I can’t do that in this world. With our business.”
She smiled, relieved at his answer. “So Knuckles talked to you.”
He said, “No, nobody talked to me.”
“Liar. He talked to me before I flew. Before the stakeout. He suspected and gave me the same line of bull.” She took his hand again and said, “Look, I can’t answer how you would react in combat without me in the mix, because I don’t know what you guys did before I arrived. I
do
know that all decisions have a basis in emotion. Just because emotion is there doesn’t make it wrong. It’s only wrong if the emotion leads to a bad one.”
“Jennifer, I just
made
a bad decision! I misused Taskforce assets and funding to get here.
And
killed two men. Based on our relationship.”
“And that was a
bad
decision? I’ve seen you ‘misuse’ Taskforce assets before. All for the good.”
He looked out the window again, saying nothing. She said, “Answer me this: Would Knuckles have gone to Mexico for his brother? With the voice mail that I got?”
He said, “Knuckles doesn’t have a brother.”
She took a breath and exhaled. “Just
“Taskforce phone. Did you forget they’re interconnected? I was tracking you the minute I hit El Paso. I was scared shitless when I saw it had been stationary for my entire flight, then I picked up your movement to the industrial park. I couldn’t believe it when you shut it down. The one thing that I could use, and you turned the damn thing off.”
She felt her face flush, only now realizing the phone had saved her life. She snaked her hand into his and said, “I couldn’t talk. It was giving me away. . . . I thought I was on my own. . . .”
Pike glared at her. “I
told
you that you weren’t on your own. I said we’d figure this out together. I still can’t believe you did this. Did it help your brother? I broke a shit-ton of rules getting here, tracking phones, and . . .”
Jennifer leaned back, turning to face him. “And what? I should have listened, but my brother is in real trouble. He’s been kidnapped. I’m sure of it. I have a video in my purse, and a picture of the house he’s in.”
She expected support but saw the beginnings of a sneer. He said, “So what now, you want the Taskforce to assault a place in Mexico? Is that it? Because you got a voice message from your brother? Jennifer, we’re not the damn A-Team. You just made me kill two men in Mexico to save your ass.
You
did that, whether you like it or not, and it didn’t do a damn thing for your brother. All it did was prove a point.”
She dropped his hand. “What the hell does that mean? My brother’s not worth it? He’s probably being beaten to death right now, by men just like the ones you killed!”
He said nothing.
She said, “Pike?”
“It means maybe I can’t see the forest for the trees anymore. Maybe I can’t separate our relationship from the job. Maybe this was just a bad idea.”
What?
She said, “Stop the car. Right now.”
“Screw that. We need to get away from the border. Get away from the damage.”
“Stop this car right now or I’m jumping out.”
He looked at her, trying for bravado, but she saw apprehension at what had slipped out of his mouth. He pulled over, letting the other cars pass.
She said, “Who talked to you?”
“Nobody. I’m just thinking. I mean, I need to keep my head, and I’m not sure I can with our relationship. I’m not sure it’s right. Listen, I left a site survey early, got to Atlanta, then caught the first flight to El Paso because of you. I shortchanged a mission because of you. I’m not sure I can do both anymore.”
She stared at him for a second, then said, “So you mean because we’re together in the Taskforce, we can’t be
together
? Are you asking me to choose?”
He looked out the window. “I don’t know. I don’t
know
. I’m making decisions out of emotion, and I can’t do that in this world. With our business.”
She smiled, relieved at his answer. “So Knuckles talked to you.”
He said, “No, nobody talked to me.”
“Liar. He talked to me before I flew. Before the stakeout. He suspected and gave me the same line of bull.” She took his hand again and said, “Look, I can’t answer how you would react in combat without me in the mix, because I don’t know what you guys did before I arrived. I
do
know that all decisions have a basis in emotion. Just because emotion is there doesn’t make it wrong. It’s only wrong if the emotion leads to a bad one.”
“Jennifer, I just
made
a bad decision! I misused Taskforce assets and funding to get here.
And
killed two men. Based on our relationship.”
“And that was a
bad
decision? I’ve seen you ‘misuse’ Taskforce assets before. All for the good.”
He looked out the window again, saying nothing. She said, “Answer me this: Would Knuckles have gone to Mexico for his brother? With the voice mail that I got?”
He said, “Knuckles doesn’t have a brother.”
She took a breath and exhaled. “Just
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