The Target

Chapter 72

Omigod, will, you can be Darth Vader,” said Claire as they were finishing up lunch at the house.

She next looked fixedly at Reel. “And you could be Maleficent.”

“Thanks,” said Reel dryly.

Eleanor pretended to look hurt. “Hey, I thought I was Darth Vader.”

Tommy put down his fork and said, “I don’t care about the rest of you guys, I’m going as Wolverine. He’s, like, the coolest.”

“What will you go as?” Reel asked Claire.

“Oh, I’m really too old for that stuff. I might just put on a wig and pretend I’m a TV character from like way back in the early 2000s.”

Eleanor looked at Reel comically. “Way back in the early 2000s? I have never felt so old.”

“What time is the thing tonight?” asked Claire.

“We go to the town hall first. I have offered us up to be sort of the parade’s grand marshals. So we’re having a little pre-parade meeting followed by a reception at the town hall. The mayor will be there along with a few others.”

“Meaning it will be really boring,” said Claire.

“Meaning it will not take that long and it will mean a lot to the folks here,” replied her mother briskly.

Robie looked at Reel. “You up for Maleficent?”

“I don’t have the costume.”

“I had them packed,” said Eleanor. “I knew we’d be celebrating Halloween up here. I was hoping the president could make it, but that’s apparently not going to happen.”

“What are you going to be, Mom?” asked Tommy.

“I think this year I’ll venture way, way back to the seventies and go as Cher.” She confided to Reel, who was seated next to her, “I’ve always loved all her different looks over the years. Especially her hair.”

“Share? Share what?” asked Tommy, looking confused. He had obviously never heard of the singer.

Eleanor said, “Need to know, and you don’t.”

After lunch was done Robie and Reel went outside.

“Town hall Halloween parade?”

“Yeah, sounds like a blast,” said Reel, without a trace of enthusiasm.

“I take it you never went trick-or-treating?”

“You take it correctly.”

“Well, you can make up for lost time.”

“I’m glad we’ll be leaving here soon; I’m starting to feel claustrophobic.”

“So no islands in your future?”

“I’m more of a city girl.”

“You had a cottage on the Eastern Shore in the middle of nowhere,” Robie pointed out.

“That’s why I’m a city girl now. I got sick of that.”

“I guess the Secret Service will scope out the town hall and the parade route.”

“Guess so. I’m sure they’re not too happy about this. Lots of people, in costume. Easy to conceal stuff, weapons, explosives.”

“No, they are not happy. At least the president’s not here. If he were I’m not sure they’d be doing the parade.”

“Are you really going to dress up?” she asked.

“Why not?”

“And I have to be Maleficent, huh?”

“Well, it does fit your personality,” said Robie.

She punched him in the arm.

“So when we get back to the mainland, what then?” he asked.

“Wait for the next call-up.”

“Doubtful it will be the both of us. They tend to send us out solo.”

“I know that, Robie.”

“I’m thinking I have about another year of doing this and then I’m calling it a career.”

She looked surprised. “When did you decide that?”

“It seems like just now, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” He stretched his arm where the burned skin was. “Your little booby-trap on the Eastern Shore made me think about my life, I guess.” He smiled to show her he was kidding, but Reel did not return the look.

“I can’t tell you how awful I feel about almost killing you.”

“We were on opposite sides back then. It happened. I made it out. We’re okay.”

She looked at his arm and leg where she knew the burns were. “I’ll make it up to you somehow, Robie.”

“I think you already have.”

“How?”

“Well, most recently, North Korea.”

“Doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Trust me, it was,” he replied.

“Are you really serious about getting out?”

“I am very serious.”

“What will you do?”

He shrugged. “Who says I have to do anything? I’ve saved enough money. I live simply. I’ve seen the world, or at least the bad parts of it. I might just do…nothing.”

“You don’t believe that, Robie. Not for a second.”

“I might do nothing, for a while. And then I’ll figure it out.” He studied her. “What about you? You were all fired up to call it a career.”

“Yeah, but then you said we could continue our careers and have a normal life. You made me believe that was possible.”

“I still think it is.”

“But now you’re quitting,” said Reel in a tone that indicated she felt he was betraying her.

“I said I’m leaving in a year. In our line of work a year can be a lifetime. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“I know Evan Tucker had a private discussion with you. What did he say? That no matter how long it takes he’s going to bring you down?”

She let out a long breath and shook her head. “No, he basically apologized for all the stuff he’d done.”

“What?” said Robie, looking stunned.

“He said I was right and he was wrong.”

“Had he been drinking? Did his pupils look normal?”

“I think he knew exactly what he was saying, Robie.”

“Well, how the hell do you like that? I wonder what happened for him to change his mind like that.”

“He said he’d reviewed all the evidence and had given it a lot of thought. Plus you and I had almost gotten killed trying to stop the conspiracy Gelder and Jacobs were involved in. And you and I risked our lives in Syria and in North Korea. I guess it all added up for him.”

“So does that change things for you?” he asked.

“How so?”

“You going to stay on for a while?”

“I don’t know. Probably not. Especially if you’re not going to be around.”

He put an arm around her shoulders. “Well, you’ve got a year to think about that.”

“Yeah, if I live that long.”