“I know that, Robie.”
“I’m thinking I have about another year of doing this and then I’m calling it a career.”
She looked surprised. “When did you decide that?”
“It seems like just now, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” He stretched his arm where the burned skin was. “Your little booby-trap on the Eastern Shore made me think about my life, I guess.” He smiled to show her he was kidding, but Reel did not return the look.
“I can’t tell you how awful I feel about almost killing you.”
“We were on opposite sides back then. It happened. I made it out. We’re okay.”
She looked at his arm and leg where she knew the burns were. “I’ll make it up to you somehow, Robie.”
“I think you already have.”
“How?”
“Well, most recently, North Korea.”
“Doesn’t seem like enough.”
“Trust me, it was,” he replied.
“Are you really serious about getting out?”
“I am very serious.”
“What will you do?”
He shrugged. “Who says I have to do anything? I’ve saved enough money. I live simply. I’ve seen the world, or at least the bad parts of it. I might just do…nothing.”
“You don’t believe that, Robie. Not for a second.”
“I might do nothing, for a while. And then I’ll figure it out.” He studied her. “What about you? You were all fired up to call it a career.”
“Yeah, but then you said we could continue our careers and have a normal life. You made me believe that was possible.”
“I still think it is.”
“But now you’re quitting,” said Reel in a tone that indicated she felt he was betraying her.
“I said I’m leaving in a year. In our line of work a year can be a lifetime. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“I know Evan Tucker had a private discussion with you. What did he say? That no matter how long it takes he’s going to bring you down?”
She let out a long breath and shook her head. “No, he basically apologized for all the stuff he’d done.”
“What?” said Robie, looking stunned.
“He said I was right and he was wrong.”
“Had he been drinking? Did his pupils look normal?”
“I think he knew exactly what he was saying, Robie.”
“Well, how the hell do you like that? I wonder what happened for him to change his mind like that.”
“He said he’d reviewed all the evidence and had given it a lot of thought. Plus you and I had almost gotten killed trying to stop the conspiracy Gelder and Jacobs were involved in. And you and I risked our lives in Syria and in North Korea. I guess it all added up for him.”
“So does that change things for you?” he asked.
“How so?”
“You going to stay on for a while?”
“I don’t know. Probably not. Especially if you’re not going to be around.”
He put an arm around her shoulders. “Well, you’ve got a year to think about that.”
“Yeah, if I live that long.”
Chapter
73
MIN HAD NEVER HEARD OF Halloween.
She had never worn a costume.
She still didn’t understand what Halloween was, though Chung-Cha had tried to explain it to her. But she now had on a costume and she had been given Halloween candy. They were at a small café on the main street of the downtown area that had been turned into a kids’ party room before the parade was to start.
Chung-Cha had taken Min, who was dressed as a frog, her face hidden behind the costume, only her eyes and mouth visible. Chung-Cha was in the costume of a pirate. The café was filled with children in a wide variety of outfits. At first Min had been terrified to have the frog costume on. But once Chung-Cha had shown her it was only plastic and cloth and couldn’t hurt her, she allowed Chung-Cha to dress her up.
At the front of the café, giving out candy, were the Cassions. When Chung-Cha saw this she panicked slightly. She had seen security people roaming outside, but she never thought that meant the first family would be handing out candy.
Min reached out and wrapped her arms around her. Chung-Cha returned her hug, fighting back the tears.
“I love you, Chung-Cha.”
“And I love you, Min.”
Fifteen minutes later Chung-Cha joined her team near the target location. They were all dressed in costumes.
Jing-Sang came up to her. “Ready, Comrade?”