by Larry Bond
“Hey,” said Zeus, pulling the stool out. “How you doing, Roth?”
“Same,” said Setco.
“Always Mr. Sunshine.”
“I smiled when I landed the plane, right?”
Zeus laughed. Setco had not only smiled, he had roared with laughter. He confessed that he had been exaggerating about his flying abilities, and had only landed twice before, both times with a flight instructor next to him.
Cringing the entire time, he claimed.
“Ready to go?” Setco asked.
“I’ll have a drink first.”
The bartender came over, refilled Setco’s glass, then got a beer for Zeus. They drank in silence.
“You hear from Kerfer?” asked Setco.
“Ric? Nah. We’re not exactly close.”
“No?”
“There’s nobody close to me, Murph.”
Funny, thought Zeus. “Murph” didn’t bother him anymore. Something about the way he said it had changed.
“I kinda thought we were friends,” Zeus told him.
Setco smirked at him, then extended his hand. They shook.
“I’m ready to go,” said Zeus.
Setco led him outside to the car he’d secured. The agency had assigned him to stay in the capital for a few days to “tie up loose ends.” What those loose ends were, Zeus could only imagine.
The city was relatively quiet, perhaps still not believing the war was truly over. Traffic moved slowly on the battered streets.
The closer they came to the embassy, the more nervous Zeus became. It had taken him the better part of two days to get in contact with Major Chaū. Anna was safe, the major assured him, and free. They had arranged to meet at the embassy this afternoon.
It had only been a few days since he saw her, but so much had happened — it was enough danger for several lifetimes. And now suddenly he couldn’t remember her face. He couldn’t remember anything about her, the way she looked or walked, her voice, her perfume.
What if she wasn’t as beautiful as he remembered? What if her touch didn’t heal?
The more he thought about it, the more overwhelmed he became — the more he didn’t want to face anything, or anyone, let alone her.
He folded his arms and lowered his head, exhausted, wanting to fall into a cocoon.
Setco stopped at the gate. Zeus’s heart jumped. The guards checked the IDs quickly and they were waved past.
Zeus lowered his head again. He couldn’t face her.
He couldn’t. It was just too much.
They stopped. “I’ll see you around, Zeus,” Setco told him. “I gotta go use the phone.”
“Thanks for the ride,” said Zeus.
He slipped out of the car.
She was there when he turned around.
“Zeus?”
She was every bit as beautiful as he remembered, every bit as inviting. And when their lips met, it was as blissful and energizing beyond anything he could have hoped.
And though there were no equations that took war and death and love, and put them into balance, and though there was no way to justify any number of chances he’d taken or things he’d done, and though there was no romance in risking your life for love, any more than there really was in war, her kiss reached deep into him, and for that moment, he felt peace.
It would be a moment that guided him for the rest of his life.
Authors’ Note
What’s in a name?
Some sharp-eyed readers have pointed out that the name of the destroyer in the South China Sea off Vietnam inexplicably changed from book two of the series to (some editions of) book three. They’ve wondered if it was indeed a different ship, some sort of action to confuse the Chinese, or a deliberate ploy to see how many readers are paying attention.
None of the above — it was a mistake on our part.
We’d started with one name and then, very late in the process, decided to change to another name for reasons that are now obscure. And for reasons that are even more obscure — no heavy drinking was involved, we promise — the original name apparently remained in book two. We should have checked when it was published and made everything conform, but alas …
We apologize for the confusion, but thank all the readers who have pointed it out (including those who have had a bit of fun at our expense). We’ve returned in this edition to the original name, hoping that it will create less overall confusion. We appreciate your support, and help.
About the Authors
Larry Bond is the author of numerous New York Times bestselling thrillers, including Vortex, Cauldron, and The Enemy Within. He previously worked with Jim DeFelice on the Larry Bond’s First Team series. A former naval intelligence officer, warfare analyst, and antisubmarine technology expert, he makes his home in Springfield, Virginia.
Jim DeFelice is the author of many military-based thriller novels and is a frequent collaborator with Larry Bond, Dale Brown, and Richard Marcinko, among other New York Times bestselling authors. His solo novels include Leopards Kill, Threat Level Black, Coyote Bird, War Breaker, and Brother’s Keeper. He lives in New York.
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