Page 22 of What Remains

“What if part of that equation wasn’t a factor?”

“As in?”

“As in I don’t go on alone?”

Driver’s eyes narrowed. “Meaning?”

“What, you want me to draw you a picture? I’m asking if you’d consider a swap.”

“A swap.”

“Do you hear an echo?”

“Don’t get cute.” Arms akimbo, Driver took a step back—carefully, given the ice and the path’s slope—and favored John with a slow look up then down and then back again. “You want me to swap out Harvey for you.”

“Yeah. Harvey’s a medic. I’m a doc. Same diff in a combat situation. I mean, I’m not going to do brain surgery out in the field.” Though with Matvey’s knife and one of Parviz’s hammers, he bet he could perform a pretty decent frontal lobotomy. “I won’t even ask you to find out where Roni’s remains are before we start.”

“No preconditions?”

“Word of honor. I help you do whatever it is you’re here to do and then you find out from your people, who clearly have a line to Patterson or else we wouldn’t be standing here now…you ask them where we need to go to fulfillmymission. Then we get the hell out of this country. Really, it’s a win-win for you.”

“How do you figure?”

“Has the cold made you suddenly stupid? Erased your memory?”

“Careful.” The word came out mildly enough, but now the laugh lines at the corners Driver’s eyes smoothed. “Just because we loved the same woman doesn’t mean we’re buddies.”

For a fleeting moment, he wanted to break Driver’s nose.Get a grip. He’s goading you.

“You’re right. We’re not buddies,” he said with about as much inflection as if he were commenting on the weather. “We’re also not rivals anymore. I am suggesting a logical alternative, and you know it. I’m a doctor, I can function under stress, and oh yes, by the way, I know my way around a rifle.” He didn’t say he thought he was abettershot than Driver, but if the man jumped to that conclusion on his own, well…c’est la vie. “You know I can be counted on in a crunch—and frankly? You owe me. When youasked for my help to get those kids to the airport, I gave it. I went AWOL.”

“For which you received no disciplinary action.”

“Being unconscious and near death at the time, I assume Command thought that would be redundant. But, no, I wasn’t demoted. Actually, I was offered a promotion.”

“Yeah? To what?”

“Light bird and any posting I wanted.”

“In exchange for?”

My sanity?“What do you think?”

“Silence.”

He nodded. “And except for visiting your dad, I have kept it zipped.” He hadn’t even told his therapist at Brighter Days. “As soon as I was eligible to separate, which was PDQ, I did.” He paused a beat. “Do this, Driver. Take me with you. Is it so much to ask? I once helped you.”

“Not from the goodness of your heart,” Driver said, though his tone was mild. “You did it because you just couldn’t stand the idea of me being anywhere near Roni.”

Every word cut. “Say that’s even true,” he began then raised a finger as Driver opened his mouth. “Shut the hell up, okay? You had a chance to lob a grenade. Now it’s my turn.”

“Sure.” Again, that smug expression. “Go ahead. Be my guest.”

“Say I went along out of jealousy. But so the hell what, Driver? I helped. I went AWOL to help you and Shahida and those kids.”

“You want a medal?”

He brushed that aside. “What is more, I bought you guystime. Time to get those kids out. Time to get away. And don’t forget, when the chips were down, I camebackfor you. If it weren’t for me, you’d be worm food. So, cut the crap. It’s not like your motives are pure as the driven snow. Mac offered your teama lifeline, a way back into the Raiders, but onlyifyou helped Shahida.”

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