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Chris reared back in shock. Not a lie. And he understood why she hadn’t been eager to share this truth.
She held his gaze. “Before you ask, yes, I’m certain. I even tried to convince myself I hadn’t seen him. But I know what—who—I saw.”
He got up and grabbed a second beer from the fridge and popped the top, then handed the full bottle to her. “Okay, then. Tell me everything.”
Dinner was less sexy, but still delicious after that.
“So you saw him more than a week ago and told no one?”
She grabbed the last shrimp from the surf side of the dinner box and dipped it in the garlic butter, then popped it into her mouth. He ignored the look of bliss on her face. “Mmmm. You’ll be shocked to know that the food they gave me when I was a prisoner left a lot to be desired.”
He gave her a fixed look.
She huffed out a sigh. “I couldn’t say anything. Do you know what happened when I was in Landstuhl?”
“You have to admit, it would be hard for a fifteen-year-old terrorist to get into a US military hospital. It’s difficult to get on base, let alone inside the medical building. I know. I’ve been there.”
Her eyes hardened. “He was there.”
“I didn’t say he wasn’t, I’m just saying there was reason to question your sighting.”
“I lived with him for six weeks. I know his posture. His gait. All his mannerisms.”
“And that’s why I believe you.”
She reached for a breadstick and tore off half, then took a bite. “Yeah, right.” Her mouth was full, and the words came out slightly mumbled.
He took her hand and directed the remainder of the breadstick into his mouth. His teeth might have nipped her fingers, but that wasn’t the point. He swallowed and said, “I do, Diana. I can see how Jamal could use his age to get past security. He’d still need a pass, but it’s easier to pose as someone’s kid, and he sure as hell has reasons to fuck with you. Same goes for him getting into the US. The right amount of money, the right connections, and his age is an advantage. He’s a harmless kid. So, what do you think his goal is?”
“Not harmless. He drew his finger across his throat, which is a mite telling. He wants revenge.”
“Does he know where you live?”
“Probably. It’s not like my address is a state secret. I’ve only seen him twice, both times on the Metro. I assume he would have to follow me to time it just right.”
He took the last sip of his beer as he considered the situation. He agreed with her take. The kid was following her, or he was tipped off on her schedule.
She’d been stationary in the hospital, in the same place for nearly a month, but the DC Metro system? It was busy as hell with six different lines. “You live on the Green Line?”
She nodded. “College Park.”
“And you usually change trains at Gallery Place.”
“Almost always. L’Enfant when I need Blue or Orange, but since I’ve been back, my doctor appointments are on Red.”
“So what do you want to do?”
She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. When she opened them again, he was reminded of her calm in the canyon that first night. He’d thought then that the woman didn’t rattle easily, but now he saw it was the opposite. She’d been deeply rattled when she got here. It was her ability to settle herself that was impressive. Inherent or training? He suspected a bit of both.
“I can’t avoid my condo forever. You said you’d like to help me. I’d like you to take me home and search the place. Maybe sleep on the couch tonight, until I figure out what to do?”
He nodded. “I can do that. I just need to gather my things. I was going to check out tomorrow morning anyway.”
It took him less than ten minutes to pack up. He retrieved his gun from the hotel safe, which he’d been permitted to carry in DC while in uniform. But out of uniform, he couldn’t carry, so he’d left it in the safe for the last two days.
They set out for the parking garage. Chris opted to drive through the city to College Park rather than skirting around via 295. Rain pelted his 4Runner in the stop-and-go traffic as they inched down New York Avenue. Finally, they crossed the border into Maryland and headed north.
Diana lived in a small building with just half a dozen units on three floors, hers being on the top floor. He circled the block, looking for any sign her building was being monitored. He found a street parking spot and studied the structure. An elevator was situated between the two units on each floor, while separate staircases zigzagged up the building in front of the left and right sides.
