Page 109 of Red Line

“Out.”

“And they all lived happily ever after.” Red turned to Nomad. “Ties up with a nice neat little bow.”

They drove in silence, holding hands. Red felt the weight of the next few hours.

She roused from her thoughts when Nomad squeezed her hand. “Talk to me, I’m falling asleep.”

“Do you want me to drive?”

“In a bit. I’m good for another hour except in the silence. The radio is doing nothing for me.” They had the French news as background noise to hear if anyone said anything about missing tourists in the east. “What are you thinking about?” Nomad asked.

“Have you ever considered what you’ll do after you leave the military?”

“I have some friends who work for a group named Iniquus. That might be something I’d consider. I might like to go to university. Working for the State Department interests me.”

“Who are your friends at Iniquus? I know some of the operators working there.”

“My team’s K9 used to be handled by a guy named Tripwire. He left the SEALs because he contracted an illness that affected his lung capacity. He’s on Cerberus Team Alpha. We’re in regular contact with him to share updates and K9 antics. And then, back when I was a Green Beret, I worked with a guy named Ares in East Africa. He’s now head of Cerberus Team Bravo. I haven’t talked to him in a good while. I should catch up with him and see what he’s up to. He left to take care of his K9 after his dog was seriously injured during an op.”

“That’s unusual, isn’t it?” Red asked.

“His dog, Judge, dove off the vehicle Ares was driving because it wasn’t going fast enough to get to Ares’s fiancée, who was about to have her throat slit by a guy hopped up on khat and wielding a machete.”

“Woah!”

“The machete sliced down Judge’s side when Judge was destroying the man.”

“Did Ares fiancée survive?”

“She’s alive. As far as I know, the psychological damage was too much. She shut down, and their relationship is in the rearview. Still, Ares loved—loves Hailey and felt like he owed Judge. Last I heard, after rehab, Judge and Ares had that new gig, and they like it there.”

“You’re not a Green Beret, now,” Red said.

“I am not. I’m what you think I am.”

She nodded. “Iniquus is headquartered in Washington, D.C. Do you think you’d like to do that then? Private security?”

“I don’t think so. I know Iniquus is putting together Cerberus Team Charlie. Cerberus Teams are all tactical working K9s and their handlers. For the most part, their work is about getting people out of hot zones or pulling clients from mass disaster areas.”

“Wholesome.” Red smiled.

“Exactly. But I think I’d like to go to university. I have a lot of real-world experience under my belt. And a unique childhood that I think could be put to better use. I think working for the State Department makes sense.”

“With all your languages? I’d say they’d be lucky to have you.”

“What about you?” Nomad asked. “Is this where you’ll stay until you retire, or have you thought about other things you might like to pursue?”

“This whole assignment is not what I do. I’m a field officer. I’m trained for the tactical side, of course. I don’t enjoy the kind of work I’ve been called to do on this assignment. I’m a coffee and schmooze person. I manage my people. Yeah, I feel beat to hell by this last week.”

Nomad rubbed her arm. “Did you tell your team?”

“They know.”

“And what are they saying?”

Red turned toward the side window. “That I need to come in from the field for a bit. Take a rest.”

“What’s a bit?”

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