Page 35 of Agent Zero
“Help what?”How is there any helping this?
“I don’t know if they’ve liquidated the program itself or just me.Either way, they’re going to look for me, and for you, too.Those target files mean they have deep pockets and access to all the systems any government uses to keep track of people.Probably running grids and cores right now?—”
Grids?Cores?“Can you please slow down and use English?”
Reese took a deep breath, his hands tightening on the steering wheel.“It means that if we stay in the country, sooner or later they’re going to catch us.I want you safe, so we’re going over the border.”
Nice to know you’re concerned.“Aren’t I safer if you just drop me off?They’ll question me and figure out I don’t know anything, then?—”
“That’s not the way they see it.”
“How do they see it?”And who isthey, really?Government?This is just...She couldn’t find a word that fit.
“You’re a liability, one they’re willing to suffocate in her own bed.They don’t know what I’ve told you.They don’t know what I might do.”
“Since they tried to…” No euphemism would work here.“To kill you.”
“Yeah.”
Holly waited for him to add more.He didn’t.So she took another tack.“What about going to the police?The media?I mean, if you go public theyhaveto leave you alone?—”
“God, you’re naive.”Now he was smiling, which pretty much transformed his profile from near-ugly to almost-handsome.“It’s pretty adorable.”
Holly’s jaw dropped.She stared at him, clutching the Gatorade bottle.Liquid sloshed.“I don’t think I?—”
“You’re what’s referred to as emotional noise.”The smile vanished.“Keeps an agent from thinking clearly, makes things messy.Maybe that’s why they wanted to retire me, I don’t know.I’ll figure out more when I can, but right now all I’m concerned about is getting us over the state line and finding someplace to sleep.Collecting you was a high-risk maneuver, running with a civilian in tow is a tall order even for a program agent.I’ll tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it.Clear?”
Holly dropped her gaze, stared at the bag in her lap.Emotional noise.What did that even mean?“You could have just left me there.”I wouldn’t have known the difference.“Why didn’t you?”Because all that stuff about Ernie wasn’t a reason.It wasn’t even an explanation.
Maybe that was one of the questions she wasn’t supposed to ask.Reese’s knuckles were white.He was squeezing the wheel like it had personally offended him.
The silence stretched out, thinner and thinner, a balloon filling with dangerous gas.She busied herself with tidying up the ravaged remains of groceries, every rustle of the bag now incredibly loud.The song of tires against blacktop was familiar, but this time it failed to soothe her.
“Forget it,” she finally said to her feet, arranging the bag carefully between the pair of blue trainers he’d produced in her size.New shoes, their bottoms barely touched with grime.“I’m just glad to be alive, I guess.This is pretty weird.”And that’s the understatement of the year.What would Dad think about this?It hurt to think of her father, an old familiar pain.
Reese said nothing.Holly settled back in the seat and stared out the window as miles rolled away.
TWENTY-FOUR
She driftedinto sleep a little later, her soft breathing evening out, pulse nice and strong.Reese kept his eyes on the road.
Why didn’t you?Was she serious?
The freeway dipped slightly, rose, dipped again.Once they were out of an orbiting belt of suburban sprawl the strip of pavement would be arrow straight, heading for the horizon.
Lots of time to think while following that line.Lots of time for her to get accustomed to him.
And lots of goddamn time for things to go wrong.
That smell of hers was so, so distracting.He shouldn’t have told her she was emotional noise.Things just fell out of his mouth the wrong way whenever he thought he was finally making some progress.Still, she’d end up falling his way eventually.
She’d have no choice, now that it was survival.
He glanced over, just to make sure.Still there, still in the seat next to him.Breathing deeply, a real sleeping beauty.He checked the rearview, frowned slightly.
It wasn’t time to worry just yet.The cop car three units back was simply pacing traffic, looking for a wrong note.Reese tasted a little adrenaline, exhaled softly.Control of autonomic functions wasn’t perfect, but it was a damn sight better than a civilian’s.
If he could get close enough to Holly, if he didn’t wilt when the time came...well.The thought raised a pleasant hint of sweat at the small of his back, a tightening all through him.Stand down, soldier.You’re not out of the hot zone yet.
