Page 113 of Casualties of War
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“Going somewhere,Nicolás Escobedo?”
The question came out of the dark night, startling Nick. He gripped the hawser that ran around the edge of the white, clean deck and looked up at the dock. “Chloe?” he asked the silhouette standing there. The hair and general shape was hers. “What the hell are you doing, sneaking around in the dark at two in the morning?” He wound up a sheet and dropped it over its cleat. Adánwould be pissed if he messed up his boat.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Chloe said.
“You’ve never heard of night sailing?”
“No, I haven’t,” she said. “People who take off in a boat in the small hours of the morning don’t do it for pleasure.”
Nick weighed up his options. How could he get her to go back to the house? “I saw the satellite photos you printed out, today,” he said, making itsound casual. “Is it true you can focus on a single person, if you pull the camera in tight enough?”
“If I had control of the camera, sure. When you hack your way into the feed, though, you get to sit and watch and shut up about what it’s pointing at.” She said it as indifferently as he had. She shook her head. “It won’t work, Nick.”
“Hacking a satellite? Seems to have, so far.”
“Trying todistract me and make me want to go back into the house and study more feeds. Trying to make me feel useful and wanted. That’s what won’t work.”
Nick resisted tightening his shoulders or holding his breath. Either of them would make him appear tense and defensive. “Are you out here to meet someone?” he asked. “It’s a good night for it.”
She laughed. “And now he shifts the subject to sex. Wow.You’re good, Nick, but you’re being way too obvious.”
Nick sat on the striped cushion behind the wheel and blew out his breath. “I’m tired,” he admitted and pushed his hand through his hair. “What do you want, Chloe?”
“Is that an attempt to evoke my pity for you? Are you hoping I’ll leave you alone to sulk, so you can get on with your nefarious plans undisturbed?”
Nick gripped the wheel. “Well,it was worth a try,” he admitted. “And Iamtired,” he added.
Chloe bent and put her hand to the edge of the jetty, then sat with her feet dangling over the edge. Her sneakers swung a bare inch above the deck of the boat. Her movement let him spot the backpack on her shoulders.
His gut tightened.
Chloe looked over her shoulder at the backpack. “That? Oh yeah.” She shrugged out of the pack anddropped it onto the deck of the boat.
Nick shook his head. “No.”
“Yes.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “I was standing at the window twenty minutes ago. I watched you carry a rifle bag into the cabin, along with other boxes and bags that didn’t look like luggage. From the length of the rifle bag, I’m guessing it’s a sniper rifle.El Leopardo Rojois heading to Vistaria, to do what hedoes best.Andyou’re taking me with you.”
He crossed his arms. “You’re right. I’m going to Vistaria. Only, I’m trained in more ways than you can possibly imagine. While you’re….”
“I’m not stupid. I know what’s over there. I’ve been staring at the damn photos for three days. I know how to be sneaky.”
“Vistaria is not an Internet cafe. People are dying. No one is a civilian, not according tothe Insurrectos. There’s fodder and there are soldiers. Your Spanish sucks and you don’t look like a local. If they see you, they’ll shoot you. They won’t stop to ask questions. You won’t get a phone call.”
She swung her feet, considering him. “You’re going to get Calli, aren’t you?”
Nick waited for the spike of tension to pass before he answered. “I’m going to kill Serrano,” he said. “Whichmeans I’m heading for the heart of the lion’s den. You really don’t want to come with me.”
“You’re going to kill Serrano so you can get Calli back. Yes or no?”
“Yes,” he said heavily.
“Nick, you don’t look any more local than I do. You think every Insurrecto hasn’t got standing orders to shoot red-headed men without question?”
“’At night, all cats are gray’,” he quoted. “Which is why I needyou to pick up your pack and move. If I don’t start now, it’ll be dawn before I get there.”
She moved. Nick sighed as she stretched her legs, planted her feet on the deck and straightened. She put her hands on her hips. “I’m not stopping you. So don’t stop me. You’re going for Calli. I’m going for Cristián. You’re right about the Insurrectos. We’reallsoldiers now. So let’s get going.”
