sitting,” he said around a forkful of food, “it doesn’t get any better. In fact, it’s exactly what we needed after our little river adventure.”
“You think they really bought into the show?” Her gaze darted to the window and then back to the table again, her expression still showing concern.
“Yeah. If they hadn’t believed we were dead, they’d have stayed to search the river. Although it won’t hurt to keep watch tonight. Just to be sure.”
“At least we’re on the Laos side. It should be safer over here.” She shrugged as she dug into her plate of rice and beans.
“For what it’s worth,” Avery said, the strength of his regret surprising him, “I really am sorry I got you into this.”
“Part of the job. And hopefully, in the end, it’ll all be worth it.” She tilted her head, studying him, waiting.
His first instinct was to duck the unasked question. But then he thought about her boat and the explosion, and just how easily she’d taken it all in stride. He figured he owed her an answer. A real one.
He reached for the water bottle, taking a long swallow, and then set it back on the table. “A few months back, we were sent on a mission to Afghanistan.”
She nodded without comment, sitting back, arms crossed. He liked the fact that she didn’t pepper him with questions, giving him time to tell the story in his own way.
“There was intel that suggested a village in the mountains was really a terrorist encampment. We executed a raid, but they’d evidently gotten word we were coming. Except for a lone sniper, the place was deserted. We scoured their headquarters and managed to come up with some pretty damning intelligence. Enough to help us thwart an attack on Manhattan.”
“You’re talking about the bombings in the city. And the assassination attempt.” They were statements, not questions. Sydney had apparently done her homework.
“Yes. Anyway, in addition to the other stuff we found, there was also a hard drive. Partially destroyed. Virtually unreadable. But my tech guru, Harrison Blake, is the kind that won’t give up on a puzzle, and so he kept at it. And finally, last week, he managed to pull something off the damn thing.”
“Something that led you here—to find Shrum.” Again, she was giving him an out. A way to keep his own council, and again he realized that in doing so, she’d actually convinced him she deserved the whole truth.
“Harrison found a picture of my wife.”
Sydney’s gaze shot to his empty ring finger and then to the gold band on his little finger, her eyebrows moving together in confusion.
“My wife died fourteen years ago,” he said, cutting to the chase. “Or at least that’s what I believed. Until I saw the picture.” He paused to take another sip of water, ordering his thoughts, then reached down to the bag at his feet, producing a copy of the image. “This is what he found.”
Sydney picked up the photograph, tilting it so that she could see it better in the lantern light. “That’s Shrum.” She frowned down at the picture, her eyes moving across it. “And I take it that’s your wife?”
Avery nodded. “Evangeline.”
“And you think this is real? I mean, these days it’s pretty damn easy to fake this sort of thing.”
“Agreed. But Harrison hasn’t been able to prove that it was manipulated. So at least some part of me has accepted that it’s real. It’s just that…”
“She doesn’t look like a captive,” Sydney said, finishing his thought. “And if she’s not being held against her will, then…” It was her turn to leave the sentence unfinished. “God, I don’t know what I’d do if I were in your shoes.”
“You’d come out here and try to find the truth.”
“Yeah, I guess I would.” She was still studying the photo. “Does she look older?”
“I don’t know,” Avery said, tilting back his head on a sigh. “I’ve stared at the thing so much now, I don’t even know what I’m seeing
“You think they really bought into the show?” Her gaze darted to the window and then back to the table again, her expression still showing concern.
“Yeah. If they hadn’t believed we were dead, they’d have stayed to search the river. Although it won’t hurt to keep watch tonight. Just to be sure.”
“At least we’re on the Laos side. It should be safer over here.” She shrugged as she dug into her plate of rice and beans.
“For what it’s worth,” Avery said, the strength of his regret surprising him, “I really am sorry I got you into this.”
“Part of the job. And hopefully, in the end, it’ll all be worth it.” She tilted her head, studying him, waiting.
His first instinct was to duck the unasked question. But then he thought about her boat and the explosion, and just how easily she’d taken it all in stride. He figured he owed her an answer. A real one.
He reached for the water bottle, taking a long swallow, and then set it back on the table. “A few months back, we were sent on a mission to Afghanistan.”
She nodded without comment, sitting back, arms crossed. He liked the fact that she didn’t pepper him with questions, giving him time to tell the story in his own way.
“There was intel that suggested a village in the mountains was really a terrorist encampment. We executed a raid, but they’d evidently gotten word we were coming. Except for a lone sniper, the place was deserted. We scoured their headquarters and managed to come up with some pretty damning intelligence. Enough to help us thwart an attack on Manhattan.”
“You’re talking about the bombings in the city. And the assassination attempt.” They were statements, not questions. Sydney had apparently done her homework.
“Yes. Anyway, in addition to the other stuff we found, there was also a hard drive. Partially destroyed. Virtually unreadable. But my tech guru, Harrison Blake, is the kind that won’t give up on a puzzle, and so he kept at it. And finally, last week, he managed to pull something off the damn thing.”
“Something that led you here—to find Shrum.” Again, she was giving him an out. A way to keep his own council, and again he realized that in doing so, she’d actually convinced him she deserved the whole truth.
“Harrison found a picture of my wife.”
Sydney’s gaze shot to his empty ring finger and then to the gold band on his little finger, her eyebrows moving together in confusion.
“My wife died fourteen years ago,” he said, cutting to the chase. “Or at least that’s what I believed. Until I saw the picture.” He paused to take another sip of water, ordering his thoughts, then reached down to the bag at his feet, producing a copy of the image. “This is what he found.”
Sydney picked up the photograph, tilting it so that she could see it better in the lantern light. “That’s Shrum.” She frowned down at the picture, her eyes moving across it. “And I take it that’s your wife?”
Avery nodded. “Evangeline.”
“And you think this is real? I mean, these days it’s pretty damn easy to fake this sort of thing.”
“Agreed. But Harrison hasn’t been able to prove that it was manipulated. So at least some part of me has accepted that it’s real. It’s just that…”
“She doesn’t look like a captive,” Sydney said, finishing his thought. “And if she’s not being held against her will, then…” It was her turn to leave the sentence unfinished. “God, I don’t know what I’d do if I were in your shoes.”
“You’d come out here and try to find the truth.”
“Yeah, I guess I would.” She was still studying the photo. “Does she look older?”
“I don’t know,” Avery said, tilting back his head on a sigh. “I’ve stared at the thing so much now, I don’t even know what I’m seeing
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