"I can tell her..."

"No." Michael Taylor shook his head. "I'll tell her Sat.u.r.day afternoon. Just be ready."

"Alex, I didn't know we were staying here," Ca.s.sidy smiled.

"Yeah, well, Jane insisted. She figured we had been here so..."

Ca.s.sidy was relieved to be at the condo in Arlington again. This place had become a sanctuary of sorts after the congressman's automobile accident. The time she had spent here with Alex had some happy memories attached to it and she suspected that no matter what the agent said; Alex was responsible for the family being here now. Tomorrow was not a day that she was looking forward to. Alex had suggested that she invite her mother to travel with them, but Ca.s.sidy declined the offer. She needed to confront her own truth. There was very little that she did not share with her mother. Her indiscretion with John Merrow was one of those few things. "Thank you," Ca.s.sidy said.

"Why don't you go up and take a rest," Alex suggested.

"What about you?"

"Ca.s.s, Dylan is already exhausted and so are you. Go take a nap with him. I have a couple of things I want to do. I'll bring dinner back; all right?"

Ca.s.sidy was reluctant but she was tired and so was Dylan. She kissed Alex on the cheek and smiled sweetly. "Where are you going?"

"Just up the road."

"Alex..."

"Don't worry. Go rest. I'll be back in a couple of hours. You won't even know I was gone."

Ca.s.sidy closed one eye and twisted her lip. She touched Alex's cheek and planted a soft but firm kiss on the agent's lips. "I always know when you are gone," she said as she turned to make her way up the stairs.

Alex grabbed the keys to the rental car and made her way to the door. She turned back but Ca.s.sidy was already heading down the upstairs hallway. "I hope you know how much I love you," she said quietly opening the door.

"I do," Ca.s.sidy called back, soliciting a hearty laugh from the agent. "I love you too, Alfred. Don't forget dinner."

Alex walked up the winding hill that led toward the amphitheater. A small trolley pa.s.sed by and she studied the faces within it as they gazed out over a garden of white stone. It amazed her that this place was somehow a tourist attraction. For Alex, it was a place for solitude and reflection, for memory and for grieving. Tomorrow she would visit here again within a sea of cameras and politicians, military officers and dignitaries. She had visited this place many times with her friend John Merrow before he had become the president. Just before the amphitheater she turned to the left, but not before stopping to consider the scene unfolding over the rise to her right. She could hear the click of the heels in the distance. It was the honor of an unknown soldier, a face that would not be returned yet always remembered. Alex paused. In this place she felt like Lieutenant Toles once again; that young somewhat idealistic officer who lost a piece of her soul in a busy market place in Iraq. Just over the rise to the left she could see the busy scene of preparation. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was not supposed to be this way.

A few more paces found the agent ducking under a rope and standing under a tall oak tree. A few leaves were just beginning to peek out on the branches, but winter had left its mark and the mid-day sun filtered in long streaking patterns onto the ground surrounding her. She ran her hand over the top of the rough, white stone. "Jackson," Alex whispered as she traced the grooves in the lieutenant's name, Lieutenant Robert Jackson. "The colonel, I don't understand. It doesn't make sense." She looked out again to see the ropes being raised for what would be a somber event the next day. "What happened that day, Jackson? It was my fault. I should have known. There were so many signs. So many. All the chatter; why didn't I hear it? Now he tells me it was his fault...and he's gone. I don't understand. That day...why did you come with us? You never came. I don't understand R.J." Her thoughts trailed off momentarily. "Mutanabbi, Jackson; what is it about that bookstore?" Alex took in a deep breath and exhaled with some force, shaking her head as a slight chuckle erupted. "Now you will be looking out over him. Colonel, Jackson is watching over you," she laughed through some tears. "I wish you were here, Jackson. I'm tired of goodbyes. You know you said I needed to learn to love," she laughed. "I did. Took me some time. I wish you could see her R.J. And, Dylan? Crazy, he's so much like her; gentle, kind....and he's like his father." Alex closed her eyes tightly. "I'm sorry I haven't visited. I miss you. Just point me...point me there." The agent ran her hand over the stone one last time and stared at the scene just below. "Colonel," she whispered. "I don't understand."

onathan Krause turned the folded paper in his hands several times before opening it again. He stared at the sheet and shook his head. "Oh, Ca.s.sie," he said quietly. "John, why didn't you tell me?" Again he surveyed the paper before folding it neatly and placing it in his jacket pocket. "How did we get here?" he asked aloud. A soft buzz startled him and he lifted the phone to his ear. "Viktor, ten o'clock. Meet me at the hotel." He hung up and closed his eyes again. After a deep breath, he silently walked across the room and made his way to pour a gla.s.s of straight scotch. He lifted his gla.s.s into the air and spoke. "To brothers. I promise, John. They'll stay safe. All of them." He brought the gla.s.s to his lips and downed the offering. "Brothers forever. You have my oath; just like my own son."

Friday, April 11th Alex turned the corner and saw Ca.s.sidy sitting on the bed with her face in her hands. She was wearing a simple yet elegant back dress and Alex paused to take in the sight. Even in the most trying moment, Ca.s.sidy was beautiful. "Ca.s.s," she called gently.

The small blonde woman removed her hands and lifted her sight to the tall agent. Alex looked amazing, regal, Ca.s.sidy thought. The agent stood tall in her Army dress blues with a low heel that elevated her already considerable height. Ca.s.sidy was stunned at the presentation of ribbons that graced her jacket. There was a quiet confidence about Alex that took the teacher's breath away. "You are beautiful," the teacher said simply. "And tall," Ca.s.sidy tried to joke.

"You ready?" Alex asked, gently caressing the smaller woman's shoulders. Ca.s.sidy let out a heavy breath. "The car will be here any minute," the agent said. "Do you want me to go get Dylan?"

"No. I'll get him. Meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

The agent smiled and walked from the room hand in hand with her lover. As Ca.s.sidy turned to enter the room Dylan was in, Alex spoke. "Ca.s.s, it will be all right. I promise."

"Dylan?" Ca.s.sidy called to the small boy who was sitting on the floor. "We need to get you ready, sweetie. Okay?"

He nodded and put aside his action figure. "Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Alex was crying this morning."

Ca.s.sidy sighed. "She was?"

"Yeah. I saw her."

"Well, Alex is sad. She lost someone she loved very much."

He thought about his mother's words. "You were crying too."

"Dylan, I love Alex. It makes me very sad to see her upset."

"Me too," he said hanging his head while his mother clipped the small black tie to his shirt. "Should I cry?" he asked honestly.

His mother smiled and straightened his tie. "You should do whatever you feel in your heart, Dylan. It's okay to cry and it's okay if you don't cry. You do whatever you feel." Ca.s.sidy smiled at her son as he slipped on his shoes and she retrieved the small jacket laying across the bed. "Come on, Alex is waiting for us." She offered her hand to her son who accepted it willingly. "I love you, Dylan."

Alex exited the car as the driver opened Ca.s.sidy's door. She looked up at the White House, disbelief coloring her thoughts. In just a short time they would make their way to the National Cathedral before heading to Arlington; John Merrow's final journey. Alex watched as Ca.s.sidy positioned Dylan in front of her. It was difficult for the agent to fathom all that she had lost and all that she had gained in such a short time. She smiled at the woman who held her heart and put out her hand. Ca.s.sidy accepted it with a loving smile of her own. Silence seemed an ally in this moment. Dylan reached for the agent and Alex guided him between them as they entered the White House. Just through the door a young woman stood talking to the new president. "Alex," she called.

"Steph," Alex smiled. Stephanie Merrow was John Merrow's eldest daughter. She was twenty-three and a striking beauty herself; tall, with long auburn hair and hazel eyes that always seemed to twinkle. Alex couldn't help but notice how much the young woman had grown to resemble both her parents. She came even with the young woman and stopped to regard the man beside her. "Mr. President," Alex greeted.

"Captain Toles," President Strickland returned her greeting. "Been a while." Alex nodded. "I am sorry to see you again under these circ.u.mstances," he added. Alex motioned for Ca.s.sidy and Dylan to move toward the group. "Ca.s.sidy," President Strickland extended his hand with a smile. "How are you?"

Ca.s.sidy returned his pleasantries. These were circles that she had long traveled in and circles that she missed very little. "Mr. President."

Stephanie Merrow looked at the teacher and then at the small boy. She and Ca.s.sidy had crossed paths a few times on the campaign trail. "Dylan, you grew," Stephanie offered.

Dylan beamed. "I'm seven," he said. All three women laughed.

John Merrow's daughter looked at Alex and took her hand. "I'm glad you are here," she said fighting back her tears. "And looking as I remember," she smiled at the uniform. "My mother is in the other room."

"How's she doing?" Alex asked.

The young woman shrugged. "Officer's wife, you know." Alex chuckled. Jane Merrow was a strong woman in her own right and she knew the role that she both needed and was expected to play. "Come on," Stephanie said as she excused the group and led them to the room where the remainder of the Merrow clan and friends waited.

Ca.s.sidy felt her stomach beginning to churn wildly. Noticing the apprehension on her face, Alex reached for her hand. Jane Merrow immediately caught sight of the group as they entered the room and a genuine smile swept over her expression. Deliberately and gracefully she walked over and took the agent into an embrace. "Alex," she said. "How he would love to see Captain Toles." Pulling back she looked at Ca.s.sidy whose face gave away her uneasiness. Ca.s.sidy had always liked and admired the president's wife and she had carried a great deal of guilt in her heart for her betrayal with John Merrow. Jane Merrow moved closer and put her hands on Ca.s.sidy's arms. "Thank you for coming with her, Ca.s.sidy." Ca.s.sidy just smiled weakly. The tall, elegant woman looked down at the boy standing between them and studied his face. "Well Dylan, look how big you have gotten."

"He's seven," Stephanie winked.

"Are you?" Jane Merrow asked the boy, receiving an enthusiastic nod. "Now, how did that happen?"

"I had a birthday," he said plainly.

"I know you did," the woman said looking back to Ca.s.sidy before returning her attention to him. "Alex tells me that you like superheroes?" He nodded. "I'll bet. Who is your favorite?"

"Batman," he said.

Jane Merrow's smile grew wider. "Batman is pretty cool."

"Yeah," he said looking proudly at the woman standing beside him in her uniform. "He has Alfred and I have Alex."

"Well, then," the woman said, "I would say you are both very lucky." She let out a small sigh and looked at Alex. "I'm glad you are here, all of you." Jane Merrow looked back at the small boy and then at his mother. "Alex has always been part of this family, and so are you," she said to Ca.s.sidy with a light squeeze of the younger woman's arm before turning back to the entourage seated around the room.

Christopher O'Brien climbed into the car beside his companion. It was a short ride to the cathedral and his mind was preoccupied now with seeing his ex-wife and her new partner; both with his son. He let out a sigh of frustration that prompted the woman beside him to take notice. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head and flashed a smile. "Nothing."

"You are thinking about her, aren't you?"

"I'm thinking about Dylan," he said.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it, Chris."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Why does it bother you so much?" Cheryl Stephens asked her lover.

"It doesn't bother me. I'm worried about Dylan."

Cheryl shook her head. She remained jealous of Ca.s.sidy O'Brien, but she did know that Ca.s.sidy was a good mother and a decent human being. She wanted to dislike the teacher, but in spite of her efforts it remained impossible for her to do so. Ca.s.sidy had never shown the congressman's new girlfriend anything but respect and kindness. Cheryl was relieved to see that the teacher had a new person in her life. "Well, I don't know why you would worry about Dylan. Ca.s.sidy would never do anything to hurt him."

"Maybe not deliberately," he said with a tone of malice.

"Maybe you should ask yourself what this is really about," she said sharply as she turned to look out the window.

"What does that mean?"

"Just what I said," she replied. "If you don't want Ca.s.sidy back and if you know Dylan is fine...well, I guess that only leaves one possibility."

The congressman shook his head. "I'm not the enemy, Cheryl."

"No. Not mine anyway."

The sound of the drum cadence as it filtered through from the outside of the car was deafening to Alex. The streets were lined with people watching the procession and she mindlessly shook her head as the car pa.s.sed them by. "I can't believe this," she whispered to herself. Ca.s.sidy looked over and put her hand on Alex's knee. "Ca.s.s, look."

"I know," Ca.s.sidy acknowledged softly.

Dylan maneuvered himself onto the agent's lap and peered out the window. "Alex? How come all those people are watching?"

Alex sighed. "Well, Dylan, the president is an important person. In some ways he belongs to all the people and so they all feel they have lost him too."

"But they didn't know him," he observed.

"No. Not really," Alex said. "But sometimes you can love someone that you never really knew." He was confused and the agent smiled. "I know that doesn't make sense, does it?" He shook his head and Alex leaned over and kissed the top of it. "It's true, Speed."

Alex and Ca.s.sidy walked past the congressman and his girlfriend toward their seats at the front of the cathedral. Dylan looked over and gave his father a small wave, receiving a smile and a nod in return. Ca.s.sidy smiled at her ex-husband and gripped her son's hand a little tighter when she felt Alex's arm wrap around her waist. The congressman struggled to hide a surfacing cringe and he slipped his hand into his girlfriend's. Ca.s.sidy chuckled within. "He'll never change," she thought silently.

The procession through Arlington Cemetery seemed to last an eternity. Much like the streets from Pennsylvania Avenue to the Cathedral; the sides were lined more than ten deep with onlookers. Mothers held their children as men and women alike wept at the sight of the flag draped coffin pa.s.sing by. The car could not shield its pa.s.sengers from the sounds that echoed outside. The drum cadence, the sound of tears as they fell from thousands of eyes, the clipping of shoes as they hit the ground in an eerily timed rhythm; it penetrated Alex's soul and transported her to another time.

Ca.s.sidy watched Alex carefully. She felt as if her soul were somehow being scorched. She could see the deep pain coursing through her lover. Part of it, Ca.s.sidy understood, was this place. Late in the night Alex had been awakened by another dream and she confessed to Ca.s.sidy that this is where she had gone that afternoon. She had come to see a friend, before she had to leave another behind. There were parts of Alex Toles' life that Ca.s.sidy could only share through the agent's recollections and there was nothing that the teacher wished more than that she could have held Alex through it all. "Alex?" she called over as the car came to a stop.

The agent turned and offered her lover a solemn smile. "Let's go." Dylan followed his mother as Alex turned to meet her new family. She paused momentarily to look up the slight hill at the tall oak tree above. She had hoped it would be many years before she would hear that drum beat again in this place. The few short steps that they would travel to the president's final resting place seemed an endless journey for Alex. She stood a few feet behind John Merrow's family, listening to the clicks of cameras that filled the air and was amazed at how the lights from them eclipsed the midday sun. The words that poured from the minister's mouth ran over her, never making their way into her mind. She heard the sounds around her, but in her thoughts she could only speak silently to the man she considered her best friend. John Merrow had loved her beyond what was reasonable and she needed to understand why; why she was standing here now. "Colonel, why? What is this all about? You tell me these things and you leave...How can you do that now? What about Dylan?" She combed her silent thoughts for any reason.

To anyone, except Ca.s.sidy O'Brien, Alex Toles appeared the picture of confidence and control. She was Captain Alexis Toles and she emanated strength and power. The small, una.s.suming blonde woman who stood nearby could see every question rolling through the agent's mind. A bugle was raised and Ca.s.sidy watched as the rise and fall in Alex's chest became more rapid and shallow. John Merrow meant something to them both, in very different ways. It was over almost as quickly as it began. The time for goodbye had finally arrived. Dylan looked up and saw the tear that rolled over the agent's cheek. Alex did not change her stance, nor did she lift her hand to wipe it away. Straight and proud she stood as the trail of her tear continued. The small boy looked at the woman next to him and he reached for her hand, slipping his into hers as an innocent attempt at comfort. As the Merrow family began to turn, Alex lowered her gaze to his small eyes. His eyes conveyed without a single word how much he loved the woman holding his hand. She squeezed Dylan's hand gently and then lifted him to her hip. "Don't cry, Alex," he whispered. "I love you."

His mother looked at the pair beside her and immediately noticed the tear that was rolling over her son's cheek. His love for Alex was as great as hers. Jane Merrow looked back from her car and regarded the threesome. Alex's hand was tenderly taking hold of Ca.s.sidy's as Dylan began sliding down the agent's hip to come to rest between them, breaking their momentary affection with the grasp of each of their hands in his. Three pairs of eyes simultaneously saying only one thing; 'I love you.' "Oh John," she whispered before turning to her silent thoughts. "I wish you were here. How strange they found each other. It shouldn't have had to be this way." She slipped into her seat and smiled at her daughters. "So much lost and so much yet to be discovered," she thought. "I do you love you, John...still."

iktor, the admiral has things well in hand," Jon Krause said to his Russian counterpart. He had long regarded Viktor Ivanov as an impetuous man with antiquated views about the world. In Jonathan Krause's mind that made Ivanov a liability that needed to be controlled. He had little doubt that the Russian contingent of their group was the driving force behind the decision to a.s.sa.s.sinate John Merrow. That only served to increase the CIA agent's distrust of the man before him now. Ivanov was neither an agent nor was he a leader. He was, simply put, a businessman. That lowered Krause's respect another degree. Loyalty was not a word in Viktor Ivanov's vocabulary. Krause often mused that if Ivanov thought he could make more money; he would sell his own child.

"Be that as it may, Mr. Krause...You must understand that our vulnerability is much higher than yours," Ivanov said.

"Vulnerability?" Krause questioned.

"Da. Vy ne sidite ochen blizko s nashimi, kak mne skazat? C nashimi partnerami? (Yes. You do not sit so close to, how do I say? To our a.s.sociates?)," Ivanov explained.

"Which a.s.sociates are you referring to, Viktor?" Jonathan Krause's deliberate refusal to speak the native tongue of the man standing before him was a blatant and deliberate message of contempt.

"You do not understand the risks, Jonathan."

Krause let out a disgusted chuckle. "Viktor, this is not 1940 or even 1970. Risk is not a.s.sessed simply by one's geographic location. Killing a sitting president increases the risk to us all. The greatest risk."

"Kakoj risk moczet bit bolshe nashey bezopasnosti (What greater risk than to our safety)?" Ivanov snapped.

"Safety?" Jon Krause paced across the floor and shook his head. He considered the question a moment and turned. "Am I to understand you are concerned about the Russian people?" There was no response. "You are, of course, referring to retaliation. No?"

"Of course," Ivanov sputtered. "Pakistan...."

Krause cut him off abruptly. "Lines on a map do not exist anymore, Mr. Ivanov. They are not blurred. They have been erased. You seem to have missed that evolution." The CIA agent stopped his movement and glared at the man across the room. "Safety is an illusion. No one is safe. This is not a business made for safety. That is only its pretense."

"You are saying that...."

"I am saying," Krause continued, "That our efforts offer more security; strategically. They do not guarantee anyone's safety. I should think that would be clear."

"Legko dlia Amerikantsa (Easy for an American)," Ivanov mumbled.

Krause flew across the short distance that separated them and placed his forehead against the smaller man's. "Be careful, Viktor. Be very careful. Do not make any moves until and unless you are told. You want to know what matters right now? Security of our secrets. Exposure is our risk, and you my friend, have placed us in a very precarious situation." Ivanov attempted to be cool. Jon Krause was an imposing figure. The intensity in the lager man's gaze told Ivanov to tread lightly. "Now," Krause pulled back. "The transaction in France is set for next Thursday. I expect you will deal with our Pakistani friends."

"Prince Abadi will meet...."

Krause nodded. "Of course, our Saudi friends will handle this. Very well, Viktor. Strickland has arranged for Congressman O'Brien to meet Edmond. I am certain he will be point on the coming exchange."

"Your new president chose that man?"

For once Krause agreed with the Russian. "Strickland is not John Merrow."

Ivanov stretched his neck in frustration. "This...o...b..ien, is he..."

Krause laughed. "You should be careful what you wish for, Viktor. You want to know about O'Brien? Strickland? Who they are? Why they are in this?" He made his way to the door and put his hand on it. "Posmotrite v zerkalo (Look in the mirror)," he said as he took his leave.