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Diana had been told that Rand found Kira unconscious in one of the incomplete storage rooms. She’d been taken to a hospital.
Both Gardners were also headed to a hospital, but both would be under guard and once stitched, headed to a federal lockup pending charges. Given their wealth, they were a huge flight risk. It was hard to imagine a judge granting bail, especially not after seeing the video of Mason killing Jamal.
Now Diana had her walking boot back on and was being questioned as she leaned against the toes of the Sphinx, while Chris was walking the agents through the slot canyon, explaining it was a replica of the one in Jordan where she’d first been held.
The agents questioning him waved Diana and her interviewer over, and she crossed the room to join the tour.
Chris moved to stand next to her, taking her hand in his. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
They hadn’t had a moment alone yet. She was desperate to hold him and to be held, but first they had to make certain the Gardeners wouldn’t be able to buy their way out of this.
“I never had a chance to explore the canyon beyond crawling through a tunnel,” she said in response to an agent’s question. “But I studied the maps when I was in the hospital in Germany, so I knew the general layout, and that area”—she pointed toward a small open section—“is where the Bedouin tents were. It’s just a much smaller scale than the real thing.”
Rand approached, his face tight. “I’m done here and want to head to the hospital.”
Diana turned to the agent conducting the interview. “Can we wrap this? I want to go to the hospital to see Kira too.”
“We’re almost done,” the woman said.
They walked through the events one more time, ending in the area where Diana had cut Mason. The blood on her person and the floor was nothing compared to the stain where Jamal had died. Chris’s arm went around her shoulders as she stared at the crimson pool.
At last they were released, and she walked with Chris and Rand to where their vehicle had been moved at the front of the construction site.
Chris looked at the other SEAL and said, “Give us a minute?”
Rand gave a sharp nod, but she could tell he was desperate to get to the hospital.
Chris walked her around the vehicle, giving them a modicum of privacy, and pulled her to his chest. She melted into his arms. His coat was open, and he wrapped it around her, cocooning her in warmth and his scent.
“I’m sorry I wouldn’t talk to you last night,” she whispered. “I hated doing that to you.”
“I was mad, but I understood. And you weren’t wrong. I would have tried to talk you out of doing this. And you were right. To do this, I mean. It was the fastest way to find Kira and get inside the perimeter without a warrant.” He stroked her back as he squeezed her tight. “You were amazing. I’m in awe of what you managed to do.”
“Thank you. And thank you for having my back. Again.”
“Always.” He placed a finger under her chin and raised her gaze to meet his. “I mean that. Always. I’m in love with you, Diana.”
Tears spilled from her eyes once again, but this time it was because she felt hope and alive and a rush of joy that she’d once believed she’d never be able to feel again. “I love you too.”
He leaned down and kissed her, and she felt the same pulse of excitement she’d had during their first kiss. Euphoria and bliss. Better than any drug.
When he ended the kiss, she smiled up at him and asked, “Do you think we’ll ever sleep in the same bed and have sex?”
He let out a soft laugh. “Why don’t we give that a try tonight? After we finish decorating our Christmas tree.”
Epilogue
Chris’s fingers closed around Diana’s as they rode the elevator to FMV’s offices. It had been ten days since Rafiq and the Gardners had been arrested, and Diana no longer lived in fear of being extradited.
They still didn’t know who in the Intelligence Community and/or State Department had been paid off by the Gardners, but the investigation had only just begun.
Non-gory still images of Mason and Dennis Gardner with a man who’d once been number four on the FBI’s Most Wanted list had been released to journalists, along with descriptions of their collusion to steal artifacts from the Middle East so they could sell replicas to the masses. The story had been covered nearly nonstop for several days, gaining even more steam after Mason was charged with first degree murder.
Overnight, protesters planted themselves in front of every Historie store in the country. Class action lawsuits were being filed by customers who were appalled that their purchases had put money in terrorist coffers.
Rafiq was in FBI custody and faced relentless questioning. As the head of the terrorist network, he knew all the players. Triangular cell structure didn’t work when the captive was at the top of the pyramid and knew the names and locations of many of the people who worked beneath him.
But today’s field trip to FMV wasn’t about Rafiq or the Gardners.
