Page 40 of Silent Threat
“Go ahead. I don’t want you to bust something by holding it in.”
She grinned. But then, too soon, she grew serious again. “Do you view yourself as a killing machine?”
“I was a sniper.”
“So here’s the thing.” She pushed her plate away, gearing up. “Back when machines were first invented, they replaced a lot of workers. Machines were just plain better, faster, and more efficient. The whole machine terminology—output, optimum performance, downtime, and all that—was soon applied to people. Especially in business. And then the military. A machine does what it’s told without asking questions. Produce, produce, produce. Or fight, fight, fight.”
“Sounds familiar so far.”
“But people are not machines.” Her gaze held sincere compassion that touched a cold spot inside his chest and warmed it. “You have an arm that doesn’t work the same as your other arm. You have trouble with hearing. You are still you. There is nothing wrong with you, even if you can’tproducelike someone else can right now. You can do other things. You are not measured in terms of output. You are an incredibly complex, unique, creative, and curious human being with a soul. Your value to the world cannot be measured in machine terms like units of production.”
Something inside him shifted. For the first time, he truly caught a glimpse of the world as Annie Murray saw it. And damn if he didn’t want to live in that world. She drew him. When her face lit up like this, she had a kind of ethereal beauty that made it impossible to look away from her.
“I’m guessing,” he said, “that ecotherapy principles are the opposite of the machine view?”
Her responding smile was radiant.
Cole didn’t have the heart to add any snarky remarks. For the first time, he actuallydidn’t haveany snarky remarks.
“I’m willing to consider there might be something to all this,” he said, wanting to keep that smile on her face.
“Does that mean you’re willing to go into our sessions with a completely open mind?”
“I’ll think about it. But I’m still not hugging a tree.”
Chapter Nine
COLE BROUGHT ANNIEback to Hope Hill after they’d bottle-fed the baby skunks their lunch. He went for his session with Dr.Ambrose, then for a full hour of therapeutic massage. Back in his room, he tried to get into the thriller on his nightstand, but he gave up after a few minutes. The restlessness that filled him wouldn’t let him sit still, let alone read.
Ten minutes later he was running around the track at the rehab center, appreciating the even ground. Now that one of his arms couldn’t move as it should, balance was an issue. People constantly pumped their arms as they walked and ran, balancing their bodies. But with his right arm hanging uselessly at his side, Cole was slightly less sure on his feet. Especially when he was running.
In the gym, he held on to the treadmill’s handlebar with his left. Out here, he had slightly more difficulty. Which was why he was out here. He needed to retrain himself, rewire his brain, and regain mastery over his body.
Annie was right. He wasn’t a machine. But he still abhorred weakness.
Trevor was the only other person on the track, working hard to catch up with Cole. Cole cut back on his speed.
The kid nodded a greeting with an expression that was half gratitude and half relief, as if he wasn’t sure whether Cole would want to talk to him again.
“Gonna rain any minute.” Trevor was gasping for air, so his lips were more difficult to read than usual.
Cole caught enough to respond. “A little rain never hurt anyone.”
Trevor flashed the kind of grin a kid would give an older brother he idolized. “I guess Navy SEALs aren’t much bothered by water.”
The comment didn’t require a response, so Cole didn’t give any.
“Ever done any high-profile missions?” Trev asked. “Like the Bin Laden thing?”
“Just average stuff.” He couldn’t talk about his missions. And Trev should know better than to bring any of that up.
“People are saying you were a sniper. Any high-value hits?”
“I don’t think about that life anymore. We have to leave the past in the past.”
They ran in silence for a minute or two before Trevor broke it again. “Big family back home?”
“Mother.”
