The last of the disorienting fog evaporated half an hour after sunrise. Sierra tossed her pack into the back of the big Foundation SUV that Dexter had provided and hopped up onto the passenger’s seat. North took the wheel and they got on the road, stopping briefly at the remains of the burned-out vehicle to retrieve the poisoned glasses. North tossed them into the lockbox in the rear of the Foundation SUV and got back behind the wheel. Sierra didn’t need any psychic talent to sense the prowling anticipation that electrified the atmosphere around him.
It was clear they were not going to talk about the adrenaline-fueled passion that had overwhelmed both of them a few hours earlier. Probably just as well, she decided. What could you say about that kind of elemental desire aside from the fact that it had been the most exciting sex she had ever had?
She reminded herself no promises had been exchanged. There had been no talk of commitment. No discussion of the future of their relationship. When it was over they had both fallen into an exhausted sleep.
This morning North was focused on his mission. She understood. They had a job to do before they could figure out their personal situation. She took comfort from a couple of the lines of the psychic poem her father had sent to her:
Hope and Love are better paths
For what ahead may lay.
It dawned on her that this was the first time she had been able to conjure some serious hope for a relationship. In the past she had tried to think positively at the start of each new affair, but deep down she had always known things would end badly. This time, however, she was not hearing the annoying little ping that whispered, Enjoy the moment. It won’t last.
She warned herself to keep the situation in perspective. She and North had shared a lot of tense, dangerous experiences lately. That kind of thing created a bond of sorts but not necessarily a permanent one. Nevertheless, this morning she had hope.
Unfortunately, hope was a fragile thing, a mirror easily shattered.
“You do realize that, in spite of the precautions and security Mr. Jones will provide, we have to assume Loring will try to cheat tonight,” she said when the silence in the front of the SUV became oppressive.
“Sure,” North said. “Just business as usual when you’re dealing with the bad guys.”