Page 4 of Bonds of Shame, Bonds of Lust

I am not going to let the second one happen.

3 - THE TYGER

Derek

I was in her doorway at five-forty, like always.

She sleeps hard, flat on her back with both arms over her head like she's surrendering to something. Or not. Kid never surrendered to anything in her life. I stood there and counted. Eighteen in a minute. Bonds said I couldn't tell anything from it. I count anyway. I've counted her breathing in hotel rooms, in the back of the car, once in a tent. Sometimes I put my hand flat on her chest.

Eighteen. Fine.

I went down and started the coffee and my phone was already going on the counter.

"You know what time it is here?" I said. Like he didn't know I'd be awake.

"I do, and I don't care, because I have been awake for twenty-six hours and I have entered a state of grace." Aaron. Papers moving. "It cleared, Derek. Full amount. Program office signed Tuesday, money moved at four this morning, and I found out from a woman named Dana in contracting who I now love like a sister."

"Full amount." Almost shocking for this administration.

"Full. I made her say it twice. Then I said it back to her and she said, 'sir, yes, sir' and I said, ‘Dana, you don't know what you've done for me today.'" He laughed at himself. "How's my girl?"

"Eighteen."

"Then it's a good morning." He didn't miss a beat. "Tell her Uncle Aaron's coming in three days and he's bringing the bad kind of candy."

"She'll hold you to it."

"She'd better." Then his voice came down about a degree. "Two things and you're going to hate the second one, so I'm doing the first one fast. Kessler wants the debrief moved to Thursday and I already told him no. He asked what Thursday was and I said Thursday is unavailable. Genuinely one of the great minutes of my life."

"What's the bad thing?"

A chair creaked. "Halvorsen called my cell."

I set the pot down.

"Your cell. Mine's the one listed," I said.

"He didn't call it."

"Who gave him yours?"

"I've been on that for nine hours and I've got nothing, which you know I don’t enjoy saying." No laugh under it now. "He's standing a mission up for October. He wants us both.”

"No."

"You don't want to hear what it is?"

"No. I have a tattoo because of that fucker." I looked down at the dates on my forearm.

"Derek—"

"Say no. Don't be nice about it. Then find out how he got your number and tell me, and don't do anything else."

Four seconds of Aaron not talking, which for him is an event.

"You can't put Tiny all on Halvorsen," he said.

"I'm not doing this, Aaron. You have the answer."