“Okay,” Faith replied.
Once again, David blinked in surprise.“Okay?Really?”
“No.Let me rephrase.I acknowledge that you’re going to ignore my good advice despite the fact that doing so will probably endanger your life.I will take steps to make sure that you’re incapable of endangering your life.Some of those steps will make you feel more like an unruly kid being babysat, which you will deal with until I get home.WhenI get home, we can talk about possibly working together and involving you in the investigation.There will be ground rules that youwillfollow, or I will have you literally locked inside of an FBI safehouse in Nevada under heavy guard, but I know better than anyone what it’s like to fixate on something and be unable to stop even when the people I love the most ask me to.So, I’m not happy about this, but I’m not going to fight with you about it.”
David wasn’t sure how to respond.He tried, “Thank you.”Then his brain caught up to what she said.“Wait, you said steps to make me incapable of endangering my life?”
“Michael’s coming down to visit, and he’s agreed to be your best buddy for the time being.”
The corners of David’s mouth pulled down.That’s why Faith sounded nervous.She had called a babysitter for David, one who was absolutely loyal to Faith and to whom all protests from David would fall on deaf ears.She knew how he would feel about that, and she was bracing for the fight that they were now about to have.“He’s going to what?Physically restrain me?”
Faith sighed.“Does he have to?”
David rolled his eyes.“No, he doesn’t.Faith, I’m fine being patient as long as I know you’re not going to stop me.You don’t have to—”
“Stop there.I liked that sentence.Let’s leave it at that and not make it an argument.Be patient.I won’t stop you.I’m just making you wait until I get back.Then the people actually trained to investigate will take over, and you will help in the ways you can help without pulling our energy away from investigating and to making sure you’re not murdered by a sniper.Sound good?”
A throbbing began behind David’s left eye, but he was too flustered and frankly exhausted to fight back right now.Anyway, this could be a good thing.If Faith ended up helping him out, then maybe they actually stood a chance of exposing the 93rd.“All right.”
“Good.I love you very much.So does Turk.Please keep that in mind, and please know that while we appreciate your desire to help other pups, we would like you to be alive and well when we come home.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and David felt another wave of guilt.“All right.”
“All right.Michael should be there tonight.He’s going to drive down after he finishes work today.Be nice to him, okay?He’s doing me a favor, so don’t take your frustration out on him.”
“I’ll be nice.Besides, I’m pretty sure he can kick my ass.”
Faith sighed.“No one’s kicking anyone’s ass.God, David.”
“Okay, okay.It was just a joke.I’ll be good.”
“You better.OrI’llkick your ass.”David heard a muffled voice behind Faith, and she said, “I have to go.Jessica might have a lead on the case.I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She hung up, and David sighed.He checked the time.He was six minutes late to see his next patient.Mary had left him two voicemails and sent four texts that he hadn’t heard because he was on the phone with Faith.He texted her back, then closed his files and left the office.
He’d try to wait.That was the best he could promise.But like Faith had said, he was obsessed now.He might finally have found a lead, and while there was little evidence to indicate that Martin Ramsey was right about any of his research, it certainly seemed like the 93rdTesting Brigade thought so.
He was on the cusp of figuring this out.He was sure of it.He just had to dig a little deeper.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Faith hung up and pressed her palm to her forehead.She took three deep breaths, trying to calm the pounding in her heart.Turk whined softly, but Faith couldn’t manage to put on a brave face for him this time.
“David do something dumb again?”
Faith jumped and remembered that Jessica had mentioned she might have a lead.The two of them were back at the hotel in Plano, and Faith was trying to convince herself that it wasn’t already four in the afternoon and they weren’t only a few hours from nightfall.
“Sorry.No, I don’t think so.I think he’s just trying to dig things up online.It would be better if he wasn’t, but you’ve got Rogers and Hammerton there, and Michael’s driving down from Philly tonight.That should be enough.”
She wasn’t nearly confident enough about that, but she hadn’t told Jessica about the CIA, and she thought it was prudent if she never did.She didn’t want to drag Jessica into this mess any more than she already had.
And on that note… “Tell me about the lead you found.”
Jessica didn’t answer right away.She bit her lip softly and looked down at her hands.Faith noted that they were folded together, her fingertips twisting anxiously.“Are you all right?”Faith asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jessica said.She smiled nervously.“I’m just afraid I’m about to piss you off.”
