Page 26 of Close Pursuit

“Catherine?”

“You want to name a baby after a violent, dead queen?”

“Fine. You come up with a name you like!”

“Katrina.”

“Sounds a little gown up for a tiny baby.”

“She won’t be a tiny baby for long. And you can call her a nickname like Kat or Trina in the meantime.”

“Teeny Treeny?”

He groaned under his breath. “Call her Dawn. The sun will be coming up soon.”

She actually liked the symbolism of a new day after the darkness of night. Goodness knew, this child had been born under the blackest of circumstances. And she couldn’t think of any horrible nicknames other kids might come up with for it. “Dawn it is.”

“Speaking of dawn, we’ll need to take cover soon,” he commented.

“Why?”

“Given the size of last night’s battle, I expect more drones will be patrolling the area today.”

“Isn’t the U.S. the only country in this part of the world with attack drones? Why would the good guys come after us?”

He responded sharply, “Since when is the United States presumed to be the good guy?”

Her jaw dropped. She’d been raised among soldiers dedicated to country and service…to the death. It was anathema in the McCloud house to suggest anything other than the United States was right and good and decent.

Alex huffed. “Don’t get me wrong. Democracy is a hell of a lot better than most of the alternatives. But spare me the religious fervor for mom, apple pie, and the Stars and Stripes.”

“What the hell did Uncle Sam do to pee in your Wheaties?” she demanded.

Pain. Grief. Rage. Desolation. The emotions flitted through his eyes so fast she could barely register them, let alone catalogue them.What the?—

“Not on the list of approved topics for conversation between us,” he bit out. He turned around and stomped off without waiting to see if she followed.

“If there’s a list of approved topics, how come I didn’t get a copy?” she called after him.

A mumbled retort floated back over his shoulder, “Above your pay grade.”

Her eyes narrowed. She wasn’t about to let him get away with blowing her off. But first she had to catch him, and he was practically running toward the head of the narrow valley, now. She’d always hated it when her brothers used their superior size and strength to ditch her. In retrospect, she’d probably been an annoying pest more often than not, but she’d just wanted to be included. To this day, she hated being left behind.

Her brother’s cryptic request to watch for signs of something weird going on with Alex resonated in her head. What wasupwith this guy?

“Slow down!” she finally had to call to Alex.

Nada.

“Please!”

That did it. He stopped without turning around and waited until she panted up behind him. The altitude was a killer when added to a strenuous hike. As soon as she drew within arm’s length of him, he took off again, but thankfully at a more reasonable pace.

In a few minutes, he murmured, “Keep an eye out for movement on that slope ahead. We’re getting close to Ghun.”

Mostly, she was occupied staring at the ground so she didn’t twist an ankle or break her neck. She glanced where he indicated and saw a steep rock face looming. She groaned under her breath.

“I see caves up there,” Alex commented. “It’s too early in the year for shepherds to have brought their flocks up here, though, so they ought to be empty. No grass, yet.”

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