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“It’s better than dead.” His throat thickened.
“Yeah.” He sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there—”
Ned took a step toward him, and Fraser grabbed his outstretched hand and pulled him in for a quick hug.
“Glad you’re not dead,” Ned said quietly.
“Back at ya.” He pushed Ned away. “It took hours to get ahold of Moose. He’d gotten the crabbing boat, and that’s how I got out. But if I had been there—”
“No, bro. No shoulda-wouldas.”
Fraser’s mouth made a tight line. “Brought you this.” He held out Ned’s pack from Alaska. “Went the long way around.”
“How’d you find me?”
“Coco pinged your GPS.” He glanced past Ned to the facility in the valley below. “I’m afraid to ask.”
“They’ll trade Shae for the caesium-137.”
Fraser’s mouth tightened. Then he ran a hand over his mouth as if thinking.
“I have no choice.”
“Mm-hmm,” Fraser said, a noncommittal sound if Ned ever heard one.
“I can’t let—”
Fraser held up his hand, then took a step closer. “You’re going to use your security clearance to get in?”
“And then, hopefully, out.”
“And then where?”
“Lübeck Airport. My guess is that the Bratva has an aircraft there. The airfield is close enough to fly to Moscow or wherever they want to land.”
“And then the nuclear waste is back in Petrov hands, ready for use in a dirty bomb.”
“Not lovin’ the way you put that.”
“Just speaking the truth.” Fraser looked at him then with the barest hint of a smile. “Which is perfect.”
Ned frowned.
“Your guys still around here?”
“You mean my team? I dunno. I’ve been on leave—”
“Gimme your phone. I need to talk to Trini.” Fraser held out his hand.
Ned just looked at him. “Are you kidding me? The last thing I need is to pull my team into this. It goes south either way—they help me, they’re accomplices; they don’t, and someone gets hurt, because there is no way I’m walking away—”
“Calm down.” Fraser still had his hand out, waiting for the phone. “I’m on your team, Ned. I promise.”
Ned considered him. Then shook his head and walked away, back to his perch.
Silence, and then pine needles crunched behind him. “What’s going on?”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Ned said. “I mean—yeah, I’m glad you’re not dead, and I’d really like to know how exactly you’re not dead, but…this is my burden, my crime. I’m the one who screwed up.”
