Page 78 of Beyond Protection
"He's reading the runner," I said.
"Right. Which means—"
"The hole opens up."
"Exactly." Mac scrolled forward. The batter—younger Mac—slapped a ground ball through the vacated space. "I'm gone before the pitch. He can't cover both."
I watched him watch himself. Not admiring his swing, but analyzing the geometry.
"You play like you're planning an ambush," I said.
His mouth quirked. "Same thing. Different stakes."
"Most people think instinct gets you killed."
Mac met my eyes. "Not if you've trained it right."
The double meaning landed between us.
Rain hammered harder. The radiator clanged upstairs.
Mac closed the laptop. "This is what I love. Not the fame. Just the geometry. The moment you realize you know what's coming and you're already in position." He set the laptop aside. "You do it too. The way you walk through a room. Examining exits, reading people, and planning three moves ahead."
"That's my job."
"It's also who you are." Statement of fact. "You don't miss much."
"Neither do you."
The acknowledgment sat heavily between us.
"You're different when you talk about the game," I said.
Mac's laugh was soft. "You mean when I stop performing?"
"Yeah."
He pulled one leg up and rested his chin on his knee. Younger suddenly. "Baseball has rules. Clear ones. Everything else is just guessing what people want to hear and hoping you get it right."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It is." He was quiet for a moment. "You think you're the only one who runs scenarios? What happens if I say this wrong? What happens if they see through it? What happens if I let someone get close, and they only wanted the symbol?"
My heart found a new rhythm.
"I knew," Mac said quietly.
I looked at him. "What?"
"About her. The journalist." His voice was careful. Certain. "I knew before Michael called you. Before you came here. Before any of this."
The world tilted.
"How—"
"Michael sent me your file. Background check. References. I read it all. Saw the gap in your employment. Saw you went independent right after." He met my eyes. "Did my own research. Found the articles. Read about the investigation that cleared you."
My chest was too tight. "Then why—"
