Harry slides a wooden panel across, and I freeze. He punches a code into a high-tech pad, and a small wall slides open. Harry enters a small old-school gun room, and I double-blink.
Quickly selecting a large rifle, he gets a box of long, scary bullets, and he moves fast. As Harry walks out, he hits the panel, and the room is again locked.
Harry lays the powerful rifle on the round rose-arrangement table, and he takes off his suit. He tosses it on the table, now in his boxer briefs.
He is in some kind of mission state, completely in the zone.
“Honey,” I plead. “Honey, what can?—”
“Thermos, tea, honey, hot,” Harry says, pausing for only a second.
I see his eyes and feel his crushed spirit. Nodding, I run. After three minutes of fast hand work and careful pouring, I run back to the lobby.
Harry walks from the grand hall, the rifle on his shoulder. As he slips an old silver hipflask in his rain jacket’s pocket, a bottle of whisky goes into his shoulder bag.
He is now dressed in rugged old farm type clothes, matchinghis dark scowl. Harry walks outside fast, as if on some dark mission.
As William drives quickly up, I pause, unsure what to do.
He and Harry exchange a look, and I hand William the hot tea flask. He smiles at me, and I wipe my cheek. Rain is coming down faster now, and I try to understand the hard, older men.
“Need me to help, Sir?” William looks at Harry, and his face softens.
Harry shakes his head, and again, rain is dripping from his hair, chin, and nose.
“Harry?” I ask softly with my eyes big and my heart hurting for him.
The man turns, and it is not Harry anymore. It is some timeless warrior. A warrior with a horrible job to do. “Go inside.” I shake my head and try to take his hand. “Samantha, inside,” he says calmly.
I shake my head again. “No, Harry, please. Not alone!”
We exchange a look, and he can tell. He can tell I don’t want him to walk through hell alone. Tears stream from my eyes, and I sob.
Harry holds my wet face in his hands, and he yanks me into him. We hug tight in the cold rain, and I cry. I try to be stronger, but I can’t do it. I want to be stronger for him, but this is wrong. So fucking wrong.
All of it.
The rain comes down harder, and suddenly, Harry pulls quickly away from me. I stagger back a foot, and he looks up at the rain.
Harry feeds three long bullets into the rifle, then he throws it back on his shoulder and walks away.
As I watch my man head through the rain, more thunder rumblesin the heavens.
Across the lake, the tiger roars loudly, in pain, and lightning flashes, shaking me.
My world is burning, and it’s doing it right in front of my eyes.
I turn to William, and the kind old man exits the car. He holds me tight, and I let go. I cry in the pouring rain. My new life is breaking apart.Every piece of it.
39
HARRISON
There is only one person in the world who should do this job, and I owe it to my brother. We have known each other for his entire life.
Tusk is mine to protect, and that means from pain.
I must kill him to help him, and I have to kill part of myself at the same time. I will have no greater pain in my life.Ever.
