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I’d do it if I were Benson, Rhett thought as he braced himself. And he’ll do it because in the end Benson isn’t so different from me. He’s a snake like the rest of us, maybe worse. Letting his action-hero Delta lose control gives Benson a better ending to the game, final and decisive. It’s the obvious choice, the only choice.
Benson made his choice.
“Give me your gun, Ice,” Benson said, his voice crackling with authority, his eyes blazing silver with decisiveness. “Trust me, kid. I understand how you feel, but this isn’t the way. I was prepared to do it myself, but I’m not prepared to let you do it. Hand over the weapon, then tell your brother we’re leaving, party’s over. Come on, kid. You have a woman to think about now.”
Rhett blinked rapidly, exhilarated surprise rushing in when he realized Benson had just passed up a chance to finish this for good, finish Rhett while coming away clean. It might have even saved Benson and Kaiser's own asses, because if Diego saw that Rhett was dead, he might have decided not to blow the car and expose himself. Shit, Benson had the entire game for the taking. All he had to do was let an expendable action-figure soldier take the fall. But he couldn’t do it, the soft-hearted sentimental old fool couldn’t fucking do it.
Benson you toothless dumb shit, Rhett thought contemptuously even as relief washed through him when he saw Ice swallow thickly, reach into his cargo flap, pull out a Sig Sauer 9mm, hand it barrel-down to Benson. You had your chance and you blew it.
Now you and old man Kaiser are going to blow sky-high.
If you can’t make the hard decisions, you can’t expect to win this sort of game.
You don’tdeserveto win this sort of game.
Rhett watched in stoic silence as Indy collapsed into Ice’s arms, buried her face into his chest. She clearly understood what a close call this had been.
Ice made his way to the stairs now, Indy still wrapped around him. “Get your ass down here, Jack,” he called. “We’re leaving.”
Heavy footsteps sounded above them. Moments later Jack was stomping down the stairs, Kaiser behind him.
Fist-bumps between the brothers, a quick introduction of Indy, hushed conversation between Benson and Kaiser.
Then they were all walking out the front door, Rhett ordered out first, followed by Benson, then Ice and Indy, with Jack and Kaiser bringing up the rear.
The group gathered on the sidewalk. Rhett glanced at Benson’s car, then took a step back, gesturing with his head towards his Chevy Suburban on the next block. “I’ll head home and grab my CIA-issued tech gear, turn it in to Langley later tonight,” he said, injecting a good dose of sullen grumpiness in his voice. “You’ll have my resignation letter within the hour, Martin.” He forced a rueful grin, stuck out his right hand. “Well played, Martin. And good luck.”
Kaiser glanced at Rhett, looked down at his hand, didn’t shake it. He waited silently for Rhett to begin walking to his Suburban, then said something to Indy that made Rhett hesitate.
“Why don’t you ride back to Langley with us, Ms. O’Donnell,” Kaiser was saying. “You’re still a CIA employee, and I’d like to debrief you while everything is fresh in your mind.”
“Negative,” came Ice’s interjection. “I’m taking her to the hospital for a brain MRI.”
“You hit your head on something?” Benson sounded concerned.
Rhett slowed his walk down to a crawl as the back-and-forth continued behind him.
Then Rhett stopped when he heard Indy insist she was all right, that she’d rather get the debrief over and done with ASAP, that she’d ride with Benson and Kaiser to Langley.
In Benson's car.
“All right,” came Ice’s reluctant agreement. “Jack and I will follow Benson's car in the Jeep.”
“Great,” came Benson’s voice. “Saddle up, you sad clowns. Let’s take this circus to Kaiser’s big-top.”
Mild laughter rippled through the night air as panic ripped up Rhett’s spine.
He heard Benson’s key-fob gochirp-chirp.
The door-locks slid openclick-click.
It was the moment of truth.
All Rhett had to do was turn around and say something.
It would save his daughter, but it would bury him.
The deal would be off. They’d find the explosives. Rhett would go down for attempted murder of the CIA Director.
