Page 48 of Lars

As soon as she had her drink, Rachel cleared her throat. “I’d like to say a few words.”

The men all grew quiet.

“I was impressed today by everyone’s capability in the field… but there was one member of the Swedish team who didn’t make it back tonight, and his sacrifice is the reason I’m standing here right now. That, and because of the tremendous efforts of Lars Henriksson and the rest of the Swedish Special Forces to keep me alive.” She looked at me with grateful eyes. “Thank you.”

I nodded silently.

Gunnar and several of the other guys said Hear, hear.

Rachel kept my gaze as she raised her cup. “To Ingmar.”

“To Ingmar,” every person in the room said and drank in his memory.

29

The night started off somber, but became a bit less heavy by the third drink.

The other guys were laughing amongst themselves. Rachel, Gunnar, and I had broken off from the main group and were talking in private.

We finally got to a subject I’d wanted to ask her about from the very beginning.

“That’s an interesting last name you have,” I said.

“What – Bauer?”

“Yeah. Like Jack Bauer.”

I was referring to the television show 24 with Kiefer Sutherland. It had ended several years earlier, but it had been a hit all over the world – or at least in Europe. Jack Bauer was another one of those American Hollywood heroes who had made me want to join the military.

Rachel grinned. “That’s why I chose it.”

Both Gunnar and I did a double-take.

“You CHOSE it?!” Gunnar asked.

“So that’s not your real name, then,” I said.

“Nope.”

“What’s your real name?”

She just smiled.

“What, you can’t tell us because of MI6?” I asked.

“Pretty much.”

I looked at her sideways. “Is Rachel even your real name?”

She smiled some more.

I shook my head. “You’re an interesting woman, Rachel Bauer.”

“I try.”

“I wanna name myself something cool,” Gunnar said forlornly.

I poured him some more vodka. “Once you get out of the service, you can do whatever you want.”

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