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"Why did they take her?"

"Besides the obvious?" His thumb brushed over my forehead in a tenderAnd I’ure it out, they’ll use her as a bargaining chip instead of getting rid of her and coain They’ve messed up twice They’ll be braced for retaliation this time"

Retaliation I looked at the clothes I had shredded froht and do his vengeance People were going to die--people already had--and there was going to be soto happen, but the as here I was involved I wasn’t going to hide this time

"What about the police?" I asked

"What about the? Or has that already been done?" Another question ca around his mouth, I held it back "What?"

"If the police are involved, that ated That means they’ll watch us That means we can’t do e need to do"

"So no one knows? Your men, Carter"

"My men will be traced to me, yes, but it’ll take them a while None of them are in the system They weren’t allowed to hold any identification, and anything they did have on theuns included, will be traced back to a shell coo to the fa forto be able to deal with this quickly, then go and tell the faet there first?"

"Then I’ll apologize to them for that injustice as well I can’t leave this war, not yet"

"I know," I told him

His hand slid back down the side ofso I could kiss the palm of his hand

"I want to help," I said

He pulled his hand away and sat up

The distance those words created between us was frightening I sat up as well, holding his gaze The sheet fell away fromHe couldn’t see any shadow of doubt in my eyes

"I mean it," I added

"No"

"Carter--"

He stood and reached for his pants "No"