High Alert

CHAPTER 42

The hospital on the Russian base was small and old, but well equipped because of the fighter pilots stationed there. General Alexei Vysotsky stood by Valentina's bedside. Dull winter light seeped through a window on the other side of the room, splaying across a worn linoleum floor that had been laid down in the time of Brezhnev.

Earlier that morning a Russian surgeon had removed the Chinese bullet from Selena's thigh. An inch to the right, and the round would have cut the femoral artery and killed her. She lay sleeping. Nick sat nearby, thinking about what the doctor had told him.

At the other end of the ward, Vysotsky was talking to Valentina. The side of her face was black and purple, swollen and bandaged. Her jaw had dislocated when Vasiliev's rifle struck her. The doctors put it back in place and bandaged it to limit movement. She could barely talk.

Vysotsky looked at his protégé and shook his head.

"President Orlov wants me to tell you that you are in his prayers."

Valentina snorted and winced in pain.

"Tha's nish. Oo's e pay'ng to?"

"You really must watch what you say, Valentina. One of these days it will get you in trouble."

He held up his hand. "You don't need to talk. Major Carter told me what happened. When you are able to speak clearly again, you can tell me yourself. For now, I will assume Carter's report is accurate."

Valentina grunted in assent.

"Vasiliev's helicopter went down over water. There is no convincing evidence we were involved. Our president has also asked me to give you his congratulations. Yun's plan is stopped and his weapon destroyed. The mission is a success. You will be getting another medal on your tunic."

"Don' care."

"No, but President Orlov seems to think it's a good idea."

Nick paid no attention to Vysotsky's voice on the other side of the room. He was still coming down, exhausted from the aftermath of the adrenaline high. His body ached.

And now this.

She's pregnant. Why didn't she tell me? She wouldn't have been here if I'd known..

He was having trouble wrapping his head around it. Nick listened to her quiet breathing as she slept and thought about what it would mean to have a child.

Years before, when he'd been engaged to Megan, they'd wanted children. They'd joked about having an average American family of two and a half kids. Then Megan had died and part of him had died with her. He'd left his heart in the blackened wreckage of her plane, shut down his emotions, and thrown himself into his job as a Marine.

Then he'd met Selena. Without knowing how it happened, he'd allowed himself to love again. The danger they'd shared had bonded them together in a way few couples ever achieved. He'd never revealed to her the depth of his fear that she'd be killed on one of their missions.

Now she was pregnant with their child. Another hostage to love, another potential loss to face.

The thought terrified him.

Selena opened her eyes. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit with a bus."

"They took the bullet out. I saved it for you."

Nick reached in his pocket and took out a lump of metal.

"I thought you might want it for a souvenir."

He paused.

"What's wrong?" Selena asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell when something is bothering you. What is it?"

Nick looked away, then back again. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you're pregnant."

"Oh. That."

Nick was silent.

"Is the baby all right?" Selena asked.

"The doctor said it was fine."

"I was going to tell you when we got back. I didn't want to worry you before the mission."

"Damn it, Selena…"

"I only found out right before we left. I didn't know how to tell you."

"You should have told me."

"I know."

"How far along are you?"

"I'm not sure," Selena said. "I think about seven weeks."

"I should've figured it out," Nick said. "In hindsight, it's easy. The way you’ve been sick in the mornings."

"That part's not much fun," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know how you'd react." She paused. "I want this baby."

It was the first time she'd admitted it to herself. She really did want this child. Besides, abortion wasn't an option she was willing to consider.

"And you were afraid I wouldn't," Nick said.

"Yes." What's he going to say?

"I guess we have a problem."

Selena's heart began pounding.

He took her hand. "What are we going to name him?"

The emotion that swept through her came out of nowhere. She began crying.

"Hey," Nick said. "Hey, it's okay."