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“You keep using that word. Why?”
“Shit?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I don’t know what else to call it. Stuff?”
“That’s better than shit.”
“As I was saying, I never believed in stuff like this.”
“Like what?”
“This kind of love.”
“That, I understand. I didn’t either.”
“I used to think it was a load of…nonsense. Then I watched it happen to men I believed felt the same way I did.”
“And you changed your mind?”
“Not exactly. You’re responsible for changing my mind.”
“What’s that?” she asked, hearing the same noise continually repeating.
Gunner jumped out of the tub, grabbed a towel, and rushed from the room.
Raketa got out too, wrapped herself in a robe, and went in search of Gunner. Where had he gone? She was right behind him. It was dark outside, with enough cloud cover that she couldn’t see. She didn’t hear him either, which didn’t mean much. He could be right behind her and she might not hear him.
—:—
“We have a code black,” said Kade when Gunner returned the phone calls he’d missed.
“Talk to me.”
“Sergei Orlov.”
“He’s dead.”
“He’s alive.”
“What? Razor said he was shot between the eyes.”
“Evidently United Russia wanted us to believe he was.”
Gunner wondered whether Raketa knew. If she did, wouldn’t she be more worried about him than Topor?
“Tell me why Orlov is a code black.”
“Shiv received intel that he’s headed in Merrigan’s direction.”
“Jesus. Okay, Doc, What can I do?”
“Eighty-eight and I are at least twenty-four hours out, and I don’t want to ask Razor to leave Ava.”
“You don’t need to justify calling on me, Doc.”
“What’s Raketa’s ten-thirteen?”
