Act of Terror

CHAPTER SEVEN

Quinn ended the call and returned the secure BlackBerry to his belt. He leaned back to stretch in the soft leather seat as the Canadair jet lumbered down the runway on its takeoff roll. It was the first opportunity he’d had to close his eyes since the attack, even for a moment.

The damp cold of Kim’s fuming across the narrow aisle pushed away any thoughts of sleep. He could feel her stare, heavy, like a pile of bricks dumped on his chest. He opened his eyes, glancing sideways without turning his head. He’d been right.

“Who are you, Jericho Quinn?” Her voice was hushed, pitiful.

Quinn pushed the button to raise his seatback. Some things you couldn’t take lying down.

Kim leaned across, whispering so as not to wake Mattie. “You know the worst part?”

Jericho sighed, defeated. “I can only imagine.”

“You’ve ruined me for any kind of relationship with normal guys.” Tears pressed from her lashes. It would have been funny had her words not been so deadly serious. “I tried to date Bryce Adams, the manager at the credit union,” she sobbed. “… but he bored me out of my skull.

He’d never been the particularly jealous type, but the thought of his ex-wife dating another man made Quinn want to kick Bryce Adams in the nuts and beat him over the head with an axe handle.

“And then it dawned on me-” Kim smacked herself in the forehead with an open hand. “I suddenly realized I’m only interested in cops and firemen… It’s like I have some sort of battered-woman syndrome

… but I’m the kind who goes for adrenaline junkies instead of bullies.” She sniffed, hanging her head. “What the hell have you done to me…?”

“Come on, Kimmie.” Quinn moved across the aisle. She stiffened when his hand brushed her shoulder. He was sure she would have pulled away but for fear of disturbing Mattie, asleep now in her lap.

Kim’s head suddenly snapped up, eyes probing like a CAT scan.

“I mean, seriously, Jer…” She threw up her hands. “What kind of OSI agent gets picked up in an unmarked jet and ordered back to Washington the same day someone tries to kill his family?”

“I-”

“Oh, please… just shut up.” Kim’s voice was a whispered hiss. “You’ll only lie. It was hard enough before-seeing that look in your eyes, only guessing how cruel you really were…” Her lips trembled as she spoke. “Now I’ve seen the things you’re capable of firsthand

… and so has Mattie.”

Quinn opened his mouth to speak, but Kim’s hand shot up, shushing him.

“Look,” she said with an air of clench-jawed finality that shocked even Quinn. “I know we owe you our lives. I know if it wasn’t for you, we would be dead…” Her voice trailed off, but her eyes grew cold and seething. “But, if it wasn’t for you, this never would have happened.”

Quinn wanted to explain, to tell her there had to be people like him in the world, but it all seemed too trite to say out loud. Instead, he just sat there and took it.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid…” Her chest began to heave with bitter sobs. “I… I don’t know what I was thinking, letting you back in.”

“Kim,” Quinn said softly, staring at her tiny hand. “Don’t…”

She turned away to stare toward the flight deck, sniffing into a tissue. He’d lived with her long enough to know that when she looked away like that no amount of talking would get through to her.

“I don’t know what it is you’re up to,” she whispered, still facing away. “I’m certain it’s something important-and I’m just as certain you’re good at it… But do me a favor and leave us out of it.”

She spun suddenly, her lips set in a tight line. “We’re divorced, Jericho. You need to start acting like it.”