"This started as an investigation to find out who murdered a few good men. Maybe I don't deserve an explanation. But, the families of those men do."

"Even if it compromises national security?" Justin asked.

"Save the doubletalk for the press conference. If that compromises national security, we'd better update our passports, and get the hell out of America before the ethnic cleansing begins. If the government can't be honest about matters like this, then I'm afraid we're just one generation away from the ascension of the next Stalin."

"Do I look like Stalin to you?" Justin Knight smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

"What's that mean?"

"That means, you're a real pain in my neck. I will forward you as much of my report as is permissible. Give me your fax number. Will that do?"

"No, I want you to tell his mother what happened to her son. That's all I want. Go over to their house, and give them the official results of the investigation."

"Why is this so important to you?"

"You've never met his family, have you? Or you wouldn't have to ask." Glenn stood a little straighter. "A man died. Five men. So what? More people than that die in traffic accidents every day. But, these men were our representatives, our ambassadors in another country. The way we treat them, and their memory will do more to determine the future of America than any political policy, or economic theory. This goes to the fiber of who we are as a nation."

"You know what you are? An old fashioned, red-white-and-blue patriot."

"If I didn't think you were, too, I wouldn't be asking you to do the right thing."

"First, I'm Stalin, now, I'm a patriot?"

"You're someone who's seen more than his share of lives laid down for king and country, I suspect. And," she wet her lips, "I believe, in the end, you will do the right thing."

"And, if I don't handle this your way, what do you intend to do about it?"

"You're the one who's going to be kept awake at night by guilt. I've had my say. My conscience is clear." She stuck her hand out, and shook Commander Knight's.

"Follow this hallway down to the end, and wait. Someone will meet you. We'll be keeping an eye on you. You won't be bothered. We'll be in the background, like elevator music, until we're sure all the loose ends are tied up. Then we'll disappear, and you'll be on your own. Merry Christmas."

"You too. C'mon, Geoff. We've got some celebrating to do."

Justin Knight watched them go down the corridor, then turned to his secretary.

"What's the news from the front, Tina?"

"Kind of quiet." She shrugged. "No news is good news?"

"Not in this case." He stood with his hands on his hips.

"She's something, huh?" Tina asked.

"Our Miss Prentiss?" He shook his head, and chuckled. "Yeah, she's one of the more interesting people on the planet."

Tina narrowed her eyes, lifted the desk phone off the hook, and handed it to him. "You're the only one who can keep her that way."

"What way?"

"On the planet."

20.

Glenn put her finger against Geoff's lips. "Be patient. All will be revealed."

Geoff kicked an imaginary pebble across the concrete tunnel. "Hey," he said. "Why don't you look happier? You just got your life back."

She frowned at the toe of her shoe. "Claustrophobic. I won't relax until I feel the wind on my face."

"You're afraid to let yourself believe that you're really okay."

"Damn straight. Think about it. Mr. Knight-in-Shining-Armor had a vested interest in getting us this far safely. He had the questions, and we had the answers. But, now what? He has his answers, and we've got squat. I don't find that terribly reassuring."

"Is the glass always half empty for you?"

"I certainly ain't no pie-in-the-sky optimist like you. I can't pretend the game is over when I haven't heard the final score."

"And, you said you weren't a football fan. What's got you so bugged, anyway?"

Glenn shrugged. "I can't really say right now." She put her hands in her pockets. "Aw, no." She pulled out the gingerbread man, broken in two across the waistline.

"What's that?"

Glenn laid the crippled man in Geoff's hand. "Brianna gave it to me. Now he's dead."

"I can fix him."

"It must have happened when I dove into the van."

"If this is all that happened, we got off cheap. You know, not bragging or anything, but I'm awfully good with my hands." His eyes lifted over her head. "I think that's our ride."

A golf cart was coming toward them, driven by Dave.

"Sorry to make you wait, but I wanted to drive you, and I just got word on Lou. I don't understand medic talk, but it sounds like he's going to recover."

Geoff put his arms around Glenn. "How's that glass of water looking now?"

She climbed into the back of the cart with Geoff. "How fast can you make this thing go?"

They drove through the honeycomb, traveling to the end of T-shaped tunnels and making quick turns. Glenn was lost within minutes. The one thing she knew was that they went further getting out than they did coming in.

She leaned over to Geoff. "We're underground, aren't we?"

He placed a finger against her lips. "All will be revealed."

When they stopped, Dave helped them into a black limousine with black windows. "Where do you want to go?"

"Good question," Glenn said. "What do you think? My house?"

"We should pick up my car first, then I can drive you to your house."

Dave said, "Your car is in the impound. We'll repair it, and return it to you."

Glenn said. "We should go see Shane first. Don't you think?"

"Shane Singleton's house?" Geoff asked Dave. "In Bethesda?"

"I've got the coordinates," Dave said, and slammed the door.

It was a top-of-the-line limo with an entertainment center, and wet bar. Glenn checked the 4-ounce bottles, turning each over, and reading the labels. They were all of the soft variety. Geoff twisted the cap off a ginger ale, and handed it to her.

"Take it easy with this. It takes a little getting used to. Small sips, and you should be fine."

"Very funny."

"Wait a minute. Let me open mine, and we'll toast. Let me think. To?"

"I know." She pointed her bottleneck at his. "To Robert Burns Duncan. Rest in Peace."

There was a barrier between them, and the driver, and they could see nothing out the windows. It was like being inside a cardboard box on wheels. They sat back, and sucked on their sodas.

"I wonder how long it will take to get there. Where are we anyway? You can tell me."

"I gave my word." He started laughing. "I'm a terrible liar. I can't tell you because I don't know."

"How could you not know? You were riding up front."

"I was blindfolded. He wanted me there in case we ran into anything, but in the meantime he made me wear these wrap-around shades. It was like this window glass. It looks like you should be able to see out of it, but you can't. Some sort of space-age science."

"I thought he trusted you."

"I could have whipped the glasses off, but he trusted me not to do that. We made up that lie so in case you asked me-which I knew you would-I'd act like I couldn't tell you. But, I can't lie to you, even for a joke. I'm pathologically honest."

She wrapped her lips around the emerald bottle top, and swallowed. Then, she held it against her chin, and blew until she coaxed a flute sound from it.

"I wonder who it was. On the motorcycle."

Geoff shrugged. "Do you think he's the one who killed Bleetz?"

"Or she."

"What?"

"He, or she. They were covered from head to toe in that suit."

"Yeah, it could have been a woman."

"Or, one of those guys we ran into in the alley. The one who cut you."

The limo came to a stop, and Glenn looked for a button to lower the screen to the driver. There wasn't one, and in the process of looking for it, she realized the smoothly padded interior door panel had no handle or window crank, more like a squad car than a limo. The door beside Geoff opened, and Dave leaned inside.

"Thought you might like to have this back."

Glenn craned her neck forward. "My camera." Geoff ducked aside, as she threw herself across him. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Next stop, Bethesda." The door slammed with a solid sound.

Glenn pulled the bag onto her lap, and opened it. She handed Geoff the soft drink.

"Why the weird look?" she asked.

"I was just feeling left out, and a little jealous."

"Jealous? Of what?"

"That look of true love you gave your camera. How can you be so attached to an inanimate object?"

She frowned. "Aren't you happy for me? I was afraid I'd never see it again."

"This means they were in my dorm room."

"We already knew that."

"And, now we know that they spent time there, searching it, going throughmy personal things. Who knows what else they removed?"

"All I want to do is make sure nothing is missing. You know? Nothing . You know. All the lenses, and film, andeverything . Forget it." She flipped the camera bag open, and went through every pouch, pocket, and zippered compartment. "Gone. The key."

"Oh." He nodded.

She lowered her voice. "The picture, too. See? Your things were not the only things violated. Probably confirms that we are well, and truly out of this. At least, they got what they wanted."

"They also got your insurance."

"Yeah, my policy has been canceled." She made a fist, and stamped the palm of her hand. "You aren't really jealous, are you?"

"Of your camera? Why?"

"I don't know," she said. "I had begun to think that you really were different."

"Different than what?"

"You know. Different. I've known guys who pretend my work is neat, and all that crap, but it's just a line to get into my pants. They're acting. But, not you. I mean, you didn't even get impatient with me when I took your picture in the dorm."