Page 64 of Play the Game

PART6

THE SPARKSEN JOB

CHAPTER 23

Jason

Back at Chicago’sHEAT headquarters, it was 4:00 a.m. by the time we finished up the after-action reports. Penn had completed Tam’s report for her after writing his own, then, at Bond’s insistence because he looked like hell, had trudged off to the medical bay. Pasco was there, as well. Given the night he’d had, he was probably passed out cold, but just in case, I popped my head into the room. Pasco’s bed was elevated, and he looked wrecked, but he wasn’t yet asleep.

“Thought you’d be down for the count,” I said.

“I will be soon.” He nodded toward the IV. “I’m having some trouble falling asleep, so the doctor just gave me something to help.”

“Mild sleeping pharmaceutical,” Bond said, looking up from her desk along the wall.

“Can I go now?” Penn asked.

“Yes.” Bond stood. “I need to stop by Sparks’s room to see whether she’s still bouncing off the walls, too.” Bond stopped beside me and spoke pointedly. “And I need to remind her that she needs her rest.”

“Post-mission adrenaline,” I explained to Pasco.

“And everyone needs their rest,” Bond repeated.

She wasn’t going to let it go until I agreed. “Roger that, Doc,” I said.

She nodded, then brushed past me.

Penn stood slowly.

I winced. “How are the ribs?”

He glared at me. “Two more on the other side. Bruised, though, not broken, so that’s great.” From the scowl on his face, it obviously wasn’t.

“Thanks for the save,” I told him. “Obviously, we didn’t need it, but thanks.”

“Five fucking ribs, Jensen. And just so we’re clear, I blame you.”

I nodded and worked hard not to smile. I knew, deep down, he loved me like a brother. Deep, deep down. “That’s totally fair.”

On his way to the door, he stopped beside me and dropped his hand onto my shoulder. He smiled. “Be good to her,” he said quietly. He tightened his grip. “Because if I have to kill you, I’ll make it hurt.”

“Friend of yours?” Pasco asked as I pulled up a chair beside his bed.

“Believe it or not, yes. You don’t want to meet my enemies.” I sighed. “Then again, maybe you already have.”

“You mean me?” He shook his head. “No way, man. We’ve had our beefs, but on some level, you’ve always been my boy.”

“Same.”

“And now that you’ve saved my life, we’re even.”

“I knew it.” I grinned. “I fucking knew it. You were the one that sent the FBI down some rabbit holes when they were looking for me.”

“Never said that. But if someone did that for you, it raises an interesting question. Why didn’t you get the hell out of the country while you still had time?” He lifted his arms to indicate the HEAT building. “Unless this was your plan all along.”

I shook my head. “It absolutely was not. I was pretty sure I was going to federal prison. This was literally my get-out-of-jail card.”

“And now it’s your raison d’être.” He leaned back. “At first, I thought it was just about your woman, but you love this whole damn team. And the shit you get to do!”

---