Page 70 of Fire and Ice

"You are confident we can reproduce this?"

"Yes, my chemist is flying in today. Gavlik can go to hell!" Reznikov declared.

***

Derek Lockwood stared at his friend, who was at the moment, looking very pissed and unhappy.

"I just broke the good news to you that MDI is on track to make two billion dollars next year from DoD contracts alone and you look like someone has just crashed your precious Camaro."

Jack glanced at his friend briefly and smiled faintly, "That's great, Derek."

"A little more enthusiasm, maybe?" Derek prodded.

Jack raked his hand impatiently through his hair and growled, "She drives me crazy. I don't fucking know what to do with her."

Derek released a breath of defeat. There was no way out of this. He was going to get caught up between his two bull-headed friends. This was not going to end well for either of them if Jack didn't let go or Maia didn't give in. And it didn't look to end well for him either.

"Jack, you do know the definition of temporary?"

His friend didn't answer but merely shot him a baleful look.

"Okay, that was uncalled for."

"Did she say anything to you about me, about us?"

Good Lord, Derek thought, his friend really had it bad. If it was any other woman he would be thrilled for Jack. But Maia was a walking relationship disaster.

"She mentioned that you kept changing the rules."

"Because she holds back too much! It's as if I'm trying to chisel through a damn concrete wall," Jack said in frustration. "I see her, Derek, when I make love to her, I see her and all the promise that could be between us. But afterwards, she shuts down on me."

Derek sighed. This was beyond bad, maudlin sentiments from Jack McCord were unheard of. That was why Derek had never slept with Maia. He knew he would fall in love with her and, whether his friend admitted to it or not, he was clearly on his way.

"I don't know what to say, Jack. I've warned you about this. Maybe you just need more time with her? You know, to work her out of your system."

"How?"

"You know I'm on vacation next week. But it's because Viktor needed someone to do active surveillance in Baltimore. If you agree to provide some of the equipment from our advance surveillance line, I may be able to get you in as a tag-along. Viktor owes you for keeping Maia safe, I don't think he'll deny this request. Besides, he could use men of your calibre on this operation."

"Do it."

"Maia won't be pleased."

"I don't fucking care. I'm not letting her out of my sight."

Derek decided to play devil's advocate. His friend had to face a few facts, Viktor would not appreciate a repeat of the Mike Callahan debacle.

"For how long do you think you can keep an eye on her?"

Jack scowled.

"I'm just being practical here," Derek continued. "Are you going to ask her to quit the AGS? Are you going to be another Mike Callahan? Remember him? Didn't I tell you how spectacularly that ended?"

Instead of answering, Jack pulled out a folder and tossed it at him.

"Did you know she has nightmares. She speaks Russian in her sleep," Jack said.

Derek opened the folder and frowned.

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