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It was then she realized both of her feet were suspended in the air, and the mine lay disabled on the ground. She pulled back, her breath coming in short pants and her eyes wide with the shock of whatever had just happened.
“Why’d you do that?” she whispered, though she didn’t think to let go of his shoulders, and he didn’t set her feet on the ground.
“I figured if we were going to die we might as well enjoy ourselves on the way out.” His breath was just as erratic as hers, and she felt the heat of his fingers through the layers of clothes.
“This is a bad idea, Nate.” She pushed against his chest until he stood her back on her feet and then released her. It annoyed her that her legs were just a little unsteady—more so because of the kiss than the threat of the land mine, which was saying something about its potency.
His lips twitched with his normal good humor, but his eyes remained serious. “You have to admit, it was a good kiss. Being naked while doing it would probably be somewhere on the scale of spectacular.”
“The last time I was naked with a man, I ended up with three bullets in the chest. You can understand my hesitancy.”
“It’s a quandary. I’m trying to figure out a way around that so you’re not so skittish. I’ll let you know when I come up with something.”
“Unbelievable,” she said, shaking her head, though she had to laugh at his audacity. “You have a skull harder than rock.”
“Believe it or not, I’ve been told that before. You see this scar here,” he said, running his fingers along the side of his scalp. “It’s from a bullet. Went right in and bounced off my skull. You and me, Kane. We live charmed lives.”
“The thing about that is the charm eventually runs out and you die.”
“Which is why we should take life’s pleasures where we find them. I’ve got a little place down in Costa Rica. We should go when this is done. You can wear your bikini.”
“Yes, and horrify all the tourists with my scars. I’ll pass. Maybe we could worry about finding Salt before you start making vacation plans.”
“Okay, but it’s a private beach. Your scars don’t bother me, so if you wanted to go without the bikini altogether I’d be fine with that too.”
“You’re exhausting,” she said. “Did you not hear what I said about Salt?”
“Oh, I heard,” he said. “I was just trying to stall and figure out a way to ask why you didn’t bother to tell me that Salt andProteusare one and the same. I don’t know why I didn’t put it together before now. But it’s the only thing that makes sense.”
She’d known it wasn’t a secret she’d be able to keep forever, and she would’ve told him. Eventually. When she’d known for sure that she could trust him with that kind of classified information.
“He needs to die,” she said instead. “How many agents lost their lives because of him? How many innocent people?”
“You don’t have to convince me that he needs to die. But it would’ve been nice information to have going in all the same.”
“Now you know. And our goal is still the same.” She moved around him and headed back toward the sled.
“I don’t suppose there are any other pertinent facts you need to pass on,” he called out. “Now’s as good of a time as any.”
“You talk in your sleep,” she shouted back.
He narrowed his eyes and followed after her, and she turned around before he could see her grin. She wondered how long it would take before he asked her what he’d said, but he remained stubbornly silent.
“We’re going to have to go around,” he eventually said. “Salt wouldn’t have booby-trapped the entire perimeter. It’s too much land to cover.”
“You realize if we keep going, we’ll be walking right into his trap. There’s no place for cover around here. He’s going to be waiting for us now—watching.”
“So we shoot down all his little birds on the way.” Nate looked across the great white expanse. “Joe marked a spot on the map where another deserted gold mine is located, but it’s at least another fifty miles. It’s called Devil’s Mining Camp on the map.”
“Of course it is,” she said.
“Taking the perimeter to the End of the World is exactly what Salt wants us to do. Going off route to Devil’s Mining Camp will give us a chance to rest and fuel up. The End of the World will still be waiting for us. If we delay the timetable we’ll either piss Salt off, drive him out so he comes hunting us, or—”
“He’ll start blowing the targets,” she finished.
“That’s his plan either way,” Nate said. “There’s no negotiating at this point. Salt has every intention of blowing those tankers and lighting the world on fire. But he likes the game too much. He’s cocky. And he’ll want to see this play out. See if we can catch him. See ifyoucan catch him.”
“And what about the Russians?” she asked.
