"Don't they feed FBI agents?" Annie asked. She fumbled with the buttons on the bed, bringing herself to a sitting position. "My God, I am so hungry." She rummaged in the bag, and soon a piece of chicken was on its way to her mouth as she reached for the malt.

Sarah grabbed a piece of chicken, and the other malt, and joined the feeding frenzy with a happy sigh. Finally, with greasy hands and slurping malts, both sat back and looked at one another. Annie patted her stomach and gave a discreet burp.

"I don't think I've ever had an eating experience quite like that,"

Annie said, hitching her body up in the bed. She peered down into the bag. "There's only three pieces left. We'd never make it as chicken farmers."

"I'm glad you like it," Sarah said, heading toward the bathroom to wash her hands and face. "Do you want a washcloth? By the way, I'm still driving your car." She splashed hot water on her face and scrubbed her hands. "Annie," she asked again, "do you want a washcloth?"

Not hearing an answer, she peeked out the door. Annie was bent over, holding her stomach, head on her knees. Sarah grabbed the wet cloth and went to the bed. "Annie, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, just give me a minute," Annie choked out, shaking her head.

"It's something, or you wouldn't be doing this. Are you going to a 174 a throw up? Shall I call a nurse?" She put her arms around her, holding her tightly.

Annie shook her head, finally easing back into Sarah's arms. "I'm sorry," she said, "the pain pills. I'm not supposed to eat for a while. I forgot." Annie looked up. "That chicken was worth every bite." She pulled Sarah's head down, kissing her on the forehead. "Mmm, you smell like the outdoors and fried chicken."

Sarah bit her bottom lip. "Annie," she mumbled and leaned closer, unable to stop herself. A sudden knock on the door made them jump, and Sarah let go of Annie, turning as a nurse came into the room with a tray.

"I need you to leave for a few moments," she said, looking at Sarah, who was blushing to the tips of her fingers. "Are you okay?" she asked as Sarah fled.

Sarah stood outside, pushing so hard against the wall that it hurt.

"What the fuck was I doing?" she said, heart thumping hard. A familiar voice said her name and she turned to see Hannah and James Booker walking toward her. Sarah stared at them, certain they both knew exactly why she was blushing.

"The nurse is in there," she said.

"Yes?" Annie's dad asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Are you feeling all right?" Hannah asked, feeling Sarah's forehead. "Well, no fever, just a case of the blushes, huh?" She raised her eyebrows. "Why don't we go to the doctor's lounge and let James have a few moments with Annie? I need to talk with you." Sarah followed her to the room at the end of the hall, collapsing into one of the comfortable chairs.

"Kilie said she looked at the stitches," Hannah said.

"She said you should have taken up surgery."

"She lied." Hannah gave a short laugh. "Have you found out anything more about what you and I talked about last week?"

"Did Annie say something?"

"Sort of. I mentioned therapy this afternoon, and she did something I haven't seen her do in years. She threw a little temper tantrum, complete with some pretty explicit swearing. She said she'd had all the counseling she could ever use three years ago." She looked expectantly at Sarah. "If you can't talk about it, I understand, but I could use a little help here."

a 175 a Sarah looked down at her boots. "I brought the chicken, and we had just finished eating when the nurse came in. The food made her sick to her stomach."

"I forgot about that. You can't eat for a while after that medication.

Did she actually vomit?"

"No, but I thought she was going to."

"Well, that's a miracle, and speaking of that, the assault kit came back negative."

"We do have some concerns about the DNA that we collected last night, Hannah, but confirmation will be slow. When I give you information, I want to make sure it's correct." Sarah gave her the look she would give her own mother. "Hannah, I was hiding something when you and Mr. Booker walked up, but I need to talk with Annie first. Is that a good enough answer for right now?"

"You have the same look on your face that my kids get when they don't want to talk."

"If I ever need a psychiatrist, you're my doctor," Sarah said, relaxing and grinning. "We have some leads but are nowhere near answers right now. We need more information and evidence."

A man stood beside the bed with his back to them, talking to Annie and her father as Sarah followed Hannah around the bed. Annie introduced Bill Simpson, her network producer from New York City, and he stared at Sarah for a moment. "FBI?" he asked.

Annie's eyes caught Sarah's and wouldn't let go, patting a spot on the bed beside her. Sarah hesitated and then finally sat next to Annie. A warm hand soon covered hers as the conversation flowed around them, but Sarah could barely concentrate. When the producer finally looked at her again, Sarah could see that he was angry, and she didn't blame him.

Later, only Bill and Sarah were left, and he was getting ready to go. He told Annie that he was putting her officially on leave, not to worry about assignments and to just get better. He put his coat on and looked at Sarah and then Annie.

"Does she know your history with the prince?"

Annie looked at Sarah. "I understand Mary talked to you last night?

And Rebecca and Kilie today?" Sarah nodded, and Annie continued in a soft, tired voice. "Then it's done, and if I'd ever thought I'd see him again, I would have told you in the beginning. You should have had this a 176 a information." She lay back in the bed, her hand finding Sarah's again.

"Now what? Am I never going to get away from this person?" Annie's voice was angry and there were tears in her eyes. "Bill, think back, I was drugged the last time too, but the only person I can remember is the prince. What if it's not him? Or if he has a friend?"

Her grip on Sarah's hand had increased and Sarah looked across the bed at Bill. His face changed, and he leaned over, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbing at Annie's face. Sarah looked down to see tears on Annie's cheeks and repressed an idiotic urge to knock him away but got up instead. Bill straightened up with a look that felt like a gunshot, and Sarah unconsciously took a step back.

"Did I understand, Ms. Moore, that you had surveillance at that party last night?"

"That's correct."

"Bill, stop it. It's not Sarah's fault."

"Oh, yes, it is, Annie. This never should have happened, and she damned well knows it." His eyes were accusing and unflinching.

"Yes, I do," Sarah said but kept her eyes locked with his until he turned and looked at Annie.

"I'll see you tomorrow before I leave. Have a good night's sleep."

He kissed Annie on the cheek. Without looking at Sarah again, he left.

She leaned over and looked into Annie's wet eyes. "I think you know what I'm about to say," she said. Annie closed her eyes. "Your boss was right. It never should have happened, and I need to apologize."

"Not for that. I don't ever want to hear you say that, Sarah. For as long as you may know me, don't ever say that to me again. This is not your fault. I think you made him hurry and not do whatever else he had in mind. Bill is just angry at the situation. I chose this life, and it's my responsibility."

Annie looked genuinely angry, and Sarah leaned over the bed, cupping her chin. To hell with the rules, all of them.

"All right, take responsibility for your own life, but right now, I'm part of it, and I have to take my share." She bent down, gently kissing Annie's soft mouth. Sarah took a quick breath, shocked at what she'd just done, but she kissed her again. Then Annie's arms were around her, pulling her down and kissing her, hard.

They both stopped, looking at each other, surprised and trembling.

a 177 a "Annie, I have to stop, my legs are giving out." Sarah sat down abruptly on the bed, legs shaking. "My God." She let her head drop.

"I'm going to be struck dead for this."

Annie pulled Sarah's face up so she could see her.

"It's against agency rules, even my rules," Sarah said with a deep breath and then bent in for another kiss because she couldn't stop and because Annie tasted so good. "We'd better talk about last night, because I'm not going to stop kissing you."

"I'd rather talk about the last few minutes." Annie's face was so sweet that Sarah kissed her again.

"Oh," she whispered. She bit Annie's bottom lip softly, tasting her tongue and sliding her hands up the warm skin of Annie's back. She wanted to just lie down and put her arms around her, but somehow she sat up instead.

"All right," Annie said. "Since I can't lure you into my bed, then the very least I can say is thank you for almost shooting Mary last night, something I certainly have considered."

Sarah laughed. "I should be ashamed, and I shouldn't laugh, but I could hardly wait to tell you. You should have seen their faces."

Annie made her describe the whole scene, laughing, but finally, she lay back in the bed, looking genuinely exhausted. "Did you think to bring the beer?" she asked, the corners of her mouth turning up.

v Annie woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. It was the same dream, her nightmare, careening through her mind, but for the first time, Sarah appeared in the dream, trying to help. The hospital was still and dark, like a morgue, and she thought of Jack Keegan.

She had told Sarah what she could remember about the attack in the bathroom. Someone came up behind her as she closed the door, then the familiar smell of the drug and bits of memory of waking up in the basement. Someone had been fumbling with her clothing, and she had heard breathing close to her. But that was all she could remember until the hospital.

She took a drink of water and thought about asking for another pill, but then decided against it. Annie turned on her side and tried to look out the window. She thought about the hospital in Switzerland, the a 178 a depression and anger. I'm still angry, it still makes me cry, and here I am, back in a hospital, she thought. If you killed a person's spirit, would it be called murder?

Annie ignored her hurting head and put her hands to her lips, remembering Sarah's mouth. She wiped her eyes with the sheet. God, those surprising kisses, but at last, it felt like more. Annie realized that Sarah had looked surprised as well. She pulled the covers up to her chin, closing her eyes. Sarah's arms around her had made her entire body shiver, and she wished she were here, beside her now.

a 179 a a 180 a

ChAPTER TWENTy.

The phone was ringing as Sarah got out of the shower. Don Ahrens growled at her. "What the hell, Sarah? Where are you?

You missed our ten o'clock meeting this morning. Are you at home or at Ms. Booker's?"

"I came home last night. I was just too tired to go out to the other house. I'll check it out before I go anywhere else."

"Prints are back from Majer's house. Abdel's so-called mother, and the shooter's, are all over that basement room, plus Ms. Booker's, of course. Oh, and the boxes are the mother lode. This is the end for that group."

"Wait, is there any more information? Does the woman have a name? I mean, other than trying to pass herself off as the prince's mother?"

"Not yet. When I talked with Dr. Majer last night, he claimed he'd never met her before or seen her previously, but obviously, if she's his niece, he's lying. I had Josh Palmer check with the embassy in New York City, and no one there's heard of her, seen her. Nothing, nada.

But I think you're right. I believe him too about that crazy wall in the bathroom."

"I spent the night in Annie's hospital room. Her boss is in from New York. I want to give you a heads up because that guy's really angry at me. He's right. It never should have happened."

"I've already spoken to him this morning. Yeah, he's mad, but I think he's just angry at the situation. I took him through the whole evening. I even let him listen to a bit of our tape, especially when you a 181 a were waiting outside the bathroom for her. He backed off. He didn't know you'd been shot, and I'll bet Ms. Booker doesn't either."

"He was really angry last night."

"He talked about the beating, and I pointed out that drugs were used again. He didn't have much to say after that. He just feels bad, Sarah.

Those two have worked together a long time. He and Jack Keegan went to Switzerland when she was injured, did you know that?"

"Yes, and also her physician, Dr. Williams, the woman I spoke to yesterday. Don, check Annie's file and see what I've added. I also spoke to the woman who was the attending physician in Switzerland, and she's e-mailing me Annie's file from there."

Don was quiet, as if he was going to say something, but then he changed the subject. aYou know, I've never seen a hidden door like that. It's like something out of Sherlock Holmes. How in hell did you happen to think of it?"

"Ironically, Annie and her brother built two into her house, one that goes upstairs to the loft, her painting studio, and the other in her bathroom. That's new for me too."

"The mother and her two kids, the brother and sister, or whatever they are, all of this is going to take some sorting out. Whatever, you've done it by the book so far, so we're not going to talk guilt, right? Besides, it was my decision to have her at the party and still in town." There was a moment's silence as Sarah refused to respond. "I have people at the airport as well as the prince's hotel right now."

"You've located him?"

"Should have known, of course. He's at the DuMont, downtown.

If you'd been at the meeting, you'd have known this."

"Enough."

"Where are you headed now?"

"To Ms. Booker's house, then on to the hospital. She said they are going to release her today. Don, where do you want me?"

"Right where you're going. Stay close to Ms. Booker, but I'm thinking about paying the prince a little visit."

"If they do release her today, I'm taking her to Green Bay tomorrow, to Rosy's. There's no reason to keep her in town."

After she dressed she checked her e-mail. There was nothing new from Josh Palmer, and she leaned back in her chair, finally letting her mind remember Annie last night. She could still taste her mouth.

a 182 a She shut her eyes, rubbing both temples with her fingers. I've never broken this rule in over ten years, but I'll do it again if I get the chance.

Would they fire me over this, she wondered. "It was just a kiss," she said into the silence and then recognized the lie. It was a lot more than a kiss. She felt it to the bottom of her soul. "Damn," she said, knowing full well she couldn't keep her hands, or her heart, off Annie Booker.

Sarah rapped her hands lightly on the chair's armrests. Kilie Williams's conversation made her wish for time to think this through, but no matter what happened, the important thing was to make sure Annie was safe.

Everything else would have to be sorted out later. But still, the taste on her mouth lingered.

She pulled a box out of her dresser drawer. She sifted through letters, photos, odds and ends until she found what she was looking for.

Her bankbook. Two more years and the ranch would have her name on it. Then would come stock and horses. This was her retirement plan after the FBI. In about twenty years, if I live that long, she thought.

She'd never talked about this with anyone, not even her family. Sarah stared out space. When this was over perhaps she could take some of the vacation she had coming and show Annie the place. Unless, of course, Annie went back to Iraq.