Cliff Ryder - The Ties That Bind

"No," he said. "But I don't think that I can leave you here and expect to come back and find you alive. The fashionable route didn't work for Chris. Something tells me that he's not going to give up on this as simple as that." He thought for a moment, then added, "He and Giles and that other guy…what was his name?"

"Troy Keelut," she said. "He's a local."

"Those three seemed pretty tight. We already know Chris is involved in the smuggling operation."

"You think Giles and Troy are working for the smugglers, too?" she asked.

"Well, let me ask you this. What did you do with that crate of weapons we brought in?"

The light dawned in her eyes, and she gritted her teeth. "I took them…"

"To Giles," he finished for her. "And he said he'd look into it or take care of it. Am I right?"

She nodded in defeat. "You were right. We should have tossed them all in the ocean. So what are you suggesting we do?" she asked.

"To use the bad cliche, I think it's time for us to get the hell out of Dodge." He gestured vaguely. "More specifically, I mean you."

"What about the sub and all of the guns? You're not just going to let them get away with what they're doing, are you?"

He shook his head. "Look, Tina, this mission is turning into a disaster, and if things keep going like they are, you're going to wind up dead!"

"You're telling me you never had a civilian die when you were working before?" she asked.

"Sure, I have," he said. "Casualties happen, but only a fool continues an operation when there has been so much exposure."

"Let me ask you this, then," she said. "If you leave now, what are the odds that you'll get the information you need about either the sub or the weapons?"

Jason stood staring at his feet for a moment, then he looked at her and said, "Slim, but that has nothing to do with it."

"I'd say it has everything to do with it. You're the one who keeps talking about the mission. Plus, I think you're forgetting something. Sure, I could leave and go with you now, but I'd never be able to come back. This is my home and I would always be in danger here. Unlike you, I happen to give a damn about whether or not I see my family and friends again."

Tina clenched her hands at her side. Jason wasn't sure if he should hit her or kiss her.

"What are you suggesting?" he asked.

"I'm suggesting that I stick with you until this is…"

"Impossible," he said flatly.

"Why?"

"You could get hurt."

"That's different because…" Her voice trailed off.

"It's different because then I'm putting you in harm's way."

"You've threatened to kill me yourself," she said, chuckling. "Besides, I have great faith in your ability to keep me safe."

"You're not getting it, Tina," he said, once more finding himself caught between exasperation and fondness for her stubborn streak. "I can keep me alive just fine. That's what I've been doing my whole life. But when bullets start flying, I can't make you do what you need to do in order to stay alive."

"Well, I don't see a whole hell of a lot of other options. You leave and I'm in danger. You stay and I'm in danger. I leave with you and I can't come back. At least if we stick together we have a shot at making it out of all of this alive and getting the information that you need."

Tina stuck her hand out. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Let's meet again," she said, smiling. "Supersecret spy Tina, at your service."

Jason shook his head, laughing ruefully, then reached out and shook her hand.

"Apparently not so super or secret spy Jason, at yours," he said. "You know, you may not live to regret this."

"You won't get rid of me that easily. I'm tougher than I look," she said.

Tina ran around her cabin gathering a few items. Jason watched her, feeling more uncertain about a mission than he ever had in his life. It was just before dawn, but she didn't seem tired. He knew she hadn't really slept, but it was something that he was used to. Most people wouldn't have been at their best this early in the morning, especially on little to no sleep.

Jason watched her struggle with pulling open a drawer. His curiosity got the better of him and he stepped forward and pulled it open for her. She reached in and stunned him silent as she removed a Russian GSh-18 model handgun and a box of 9x19 mm armor-piercing rounds.

"Not involved?" he said.

She laughed. "I told you I'm not involved in the smuggling, but I also told you we are kind of on our own up here. I bought this back before I went to New York, and I didn't ask a lot of questions."

"Mind if I take a look?" he asked.

She handed him the weapon and he checked it over. "It's a little dated," he said, "but a perfectly functional weapon." He loaded the clip, checked the action, then handed it back to her.

"Dated?" she asked.

He nodded. "This model came out in the late nineties," he said. "It received mixed reviews, but overall, it's a solid piece. Have you fired it much?"

"Just a couple of times, back when I bought it," she admitted.

"Well, the trigger pull is a little stiff, but it's consistent. The sights are okay. If you have to use it, just take your time when you fire. The feel will come back to you quickly."

"Got it," she said.

"Oh," he added, "and one other thing." He pointed to the box of shells. "Those are armor-piercing rounds, but don't count on them being able to do the job against the body armor in use today. They might, they might not, depending on the distance and the armor. Make sure before you get too close to someone you think is dead, okay?"

She nodded.

"Good," he said. "Now, let's go over this one more time."

"I do exactly as you say, when you say, and I never go anywhere you haven't told me to go, and if the shooting starts I keep my head down until it's over," she recited by rote. "And — I'm guessing here — I'm not to use this weapon unless I have no other choice."

"Right on all counts," he said. "And if something should happen to me?"

"I take any information that we've got and call this number…" she held up a slip of paper, then slipped it into her jewelry box "…and tell them you sent me and wait for instructions."

"Good. Let's go."

Jason looked out the window, and then headed for the door. The coast was clear as they headed for where the quads were parked. Jason climbed onto his quad, and Tina got on behind him. They drove out to a different waiting spot for the Scorpion, on the other side of the cove. The ride on the ATV was becoming commonplace, and the terrain familiar, but he was still careful to watch for spotters as they moved along the shore.

He climbed off his quad and pulled out his handheld, then quickly typed in a code, summoning the Scorpion to their location.

"How does it know where to find you?" Tina asked.

"I've mapped this entire area with grid coordinates," he said. "My handheld sends out a homing beacon of sorts — a signal, with the grid coordinates encoded. It will automatically follow the signal that it receives, so long as the coding is correct."

A small ripple of water was the only indicator that there was anything beneath the shimmering black. Jason smiled as she peered into the depths trying to discern when it had arrived. Tina jumped back as the machine made its way up the shore. Jason typed in the code on the door and waited for it to open. Tina looked inside and then at him.

"There isn't room for both of us," she said.

"Not yet."

Jason typed a new command onto his PDA and he could see the astonishment on her face when the interior adjusted to hold another person, shifting the cargo it was carrying.

"That's amazing," she whispered.

Jason was a little impressed himself. "Yeah, us superspies get all the cool toys," he said, helping Tina climb in, and then following.