She closed her eyes and smiled. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Eventful night, too.”
“Mmm.”
“Was it good like that?”
She opened her eyes and looked at him. God, she was so lovely in this light, half-awake, half-asleep. “You know it was,” she said.
“You know, you can tell me. If there are things you want to do.”
“I think it works better when you figure it out on your own.”
“Oh. Well, you could give me some hints.”
“You don’t think I have been?”
He couldn’t help laughing at that. “Oh, shit. I hate when I’m dumb.”
She smiled and touched his cheek the way he liked. “But apparently not ineducable.”
They were quiet for a moment. She said, “You going to sleep?”
“Yeah, in a few. I just like looking at you. I don’t get so many opportunities.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I mean . . . I’m too happy to go to sleep. I don’t want to waste it.”
“That’s nice.”
“Just the truth.”
“You know,” she said, “if you’re really going to be up, might be worth checking the secure site. It’s morning on the East Coast. Rain and Delilah have probably landed, and Kanezaki might have found something.”
“Yeah, that’s a good point. Tell you what. You doze off if you like, and I’ll lie here looking at you for another minute or so. Then I’ll check the site.”
She smiled and closed her eyes. “Wake me if there’s anything.”
He watched her for a little while longer. It would have been nice to just drop off lying next to her, but she was right: better to check the site first just in case.
He set up the satellite hotspot in front of the window and used a burner to log in. There was a message from Kanezaki: I know where they have Schrader.
Well, shit. So much for the rest of their idyllic night in the Silver Cloud Inn.
chapter
fifty-four
LARISON
Larison was dozing in a chair he’d carried to the corner of the room near the door, the Glock in his hand. He hadn’t wanted to alarm Diaz, but she’d taken the precaution in stride. In fact, after hearing his explanation, she’d dragged one of the mattresses off the box frame and onto the floor. “If someone breaches a room,” he’d told her, “you don’t want to be in the first place they look. Randomness can buy you a second. And if you don’t think a second’s a long time, you’ve never been in a gunfight.”
There was a soft tap at the door, and he was instantly awake. He stood, padded over, and looked through the peephole. It was Dox and Livia. He checked his watch. Not quite six.
He unbolted and opened the door. “Everything all right?”
“Fresh intel,” Dox said quietly. “Sorry to wake you.”
“I don’t sleep. Come on in.”
He closed and bolted the door behind them. Diaz was already awake and sitting up. “Is everything okay?” she said.
“Everything’s fine,” Livia said. “New information from Kanezaki. He located Schrader. We need to decide what to do about it.”
“Bunking down on the floor,” Dox said to Diaz. “I see you’ve been taking lessons from Mr. Larison. And let me tell you, you could do a lot worse for a teacher.”