Page 125 of Once a Hero

“You’ll see when she comes in.”

“Then she goes home?”

Stella nodded. “First thing in the morning.”

“Yeah?” Jake felt relieved.

“Yep. She got the information out of him like a charm, and she’s done. All in one evening’s work.”

“Not really,” Jake corrected her. “She’s been in town for four days.”

“And you’ve been hovering around her like you’re her hero or something.”

Am I her hero?“I wasn’t hovering.”

“You were too. You attended every workshop she went to.”

That was true. Jake had rearranged his schedule at the conference to be with Beatrice.

“Didn’t you have a good time?” Stella asked.

Jake had to admit he did. And he didn’t have to pay a dime for it. “Well, I don’t think I got much out of the workshops. Most of it went over my head.”

Stella laughed as the hotel room door clicked.

Her hand flew to her holster.

Jake stepped back.

Beatrice entered the room and locked the door behind her. In her hand was a small bag.

She looked surprised to see him.

“Are you okay?” Jake asked.

“I need a shower.”

“I bet.”

“Talk to me afterwards.” She grabbed some clothes from the closet and headed for the shower. She took her small bag with her into the bathroom.

As the shower ran, Jake turned his attention to the suddenly quiet Stella.

“This can’t be.” Her eyes were still on the screen. “I thought they took care of Benghazi.”

“What?” Jake was curious now.

“819A said he wanted to take Beatrice to Libya—specifically to Benghazi.”

“Because?”

“He said he wanted her to see the desert where his family came from.”

“819A is Libyan?”

“Oxford educated, he left Libya as a baby. However, this is just now coming to light.”

“Okay.” Jake waited.

---