--
"Colby, what does that mean? Zoe's fine? If she's fine, why can't we see her?" Hannah fretted. Her anxious eyes met his when he tilted her chin up to press a gentle kiss on her lips.
"It means she's alive," he told her gently. Colby knew from her indignant frown that the platitude didn't ease her worry. "I don't know anything, Hannah. And even if I did, I can't always tell you everything."
Her eyes clouded with worry, "Eleanor's been worried sick, thinking that it's all because of her." She seemed to plead for reassurance when she touched his arm, "Is it? Is it because of Eleanor?"
"Not as far as we know." His gentle hands cupped her face as he drew her into his embrace. "I think Carter's got his hands full at MI-5. None of which may even have anything to do with Eleanor."
"We're only here for another two weeks, Colby. What will Eleanor do after we leave?"
Colby's heart ached at the tremor in Hannah's soft voice. He knew she was worried for her friend. "We'll just have to wait and see, sweetheart." He held her close, rocking her till she fell asleep in his arms. He pressed soft, gentle kisses on her forehead and temple, breathing in her soft fragrance, and enjoying the feel of her cradled against him. Colby wondered how Don felt, knowing that there was a threat to Eleanor's life. Knowing too, that he only had two weeks left to spend with her. He felt sorry for Don, as he remembered how he had felt when the hostage call came over the wire, listing the address of Hannah's jewelry store. He also remembered how he felt when he thought he would never see Hannah's smile again. He drifted off to sleep with Hannah in his arms, pondering the future of his friend and fellow agent.
--
Don watched Eleanor pace around the room. She was nibbling on her lower lip, worrying it, as she worried out loud about the situation she found herself in.
"Zoe's situation, was I the cause of it, Don?"
"Eleanor." Don's voice was gentle as he took her hands in his, and guided her into his lap. "Danny didn't say. But I don't think so. Colby and I are still here, we'll protect you. Braden and Jensen have said that they would find someone else for the training classes if necessary."
She looked him in the eye for a moment, then sighed and whispered, "But how much longer will you be here?"
The soft words stabbed Don in the gut, causing him pain like no other he'd ever felt.
"Nothing's going to happen to you, Eleanor, I promise you that much."
Eleanor got up and walked away from him, "I notice you're not promising that I won't get hurt."
--
Worried by Zoe's situation, and unable to get comfortable with the officers who had replaced Zoe and Danny in their protective detail, Hannah and Eleanor spent the next day at the Embassy. There was no argument from Don or Colby. Both were relieved that neither had to insist on it.
The two men had finished up an uneventful day training their third set of students and joined the ladies in their little office. They were discussing plans for the evening when Adam Carter showed up at the office door.
"What happened?" Don demanded, taking in Carter's appearance. His eyes were red-rimmed, his skin splotchy, his clothes were in disarray, and he smelled of gasoline. The total opposite of the confident, dapper man they'd met at the Embassy dance.
"Danny's dead." Adam said, the stark words far more shocking for its unexpectedness. He slumped into a seat, and his head drooped into his hands. "And Fiona almost died too. A terrorist named Ahmed took them hostage today, and demanded that we withdraw from Iraq. Suffices to say that we foiled this particular attempt. Though at a great loss to the service." He paused and heaved a deep sigh.
"What's with the gasoline, Adam?" Colby sniffed the air.
"Ahmed doused Fiona with petrol," Adam raised his head to meet Colby's eyes. He was hoarse with the fear that he'd wrestled with all day. "He was just about to set her on fire when we got there."
"I'm sorry," Colby said quietly.
Adam shook his head, "Fiona's fine. That's all that matters to me. But we need to be on the lookout. Ahmed's failure may spark Samrat Bairan to move up whatever he's planning for Eleanor." He looked at the two women. "I'm sorry."
"Danny's dead? Zoe's gone? And Fiona barely escaped with her life?" Eleanor whispered. "What's the world coming to? What should I do now?"
"We have a few leads from this situation. I'm heading over to meet with Jensen and Braden, see what we can come up with." Adam glanced over to Don and Colby. "I imagine they'll brief you tomorrow. But I think the best thing tonight is for you to go about your business like nothing's happened. We don't want to spook Bairan anymore than we already have."
When Adam left, Don looked around at the others. A faint smile crossed his face when he saw Colby's arms already wrapped protectively around Hannah. "Dinner at home?" He wasn't surprised to see nods of agreement all around.
"Hannah and I will stop and pick some things up for dinner, Don. You and Eleanor just head on to the flats."
--
Eleanor picked desultorily at her salad, but very little of it made it past her lips.
"You should eat your salad, Eleanor, not play with it."
She looked up at Don's words, and felt guilty when she saw the worried look on his face. "I'm sorry, Don. I'm just not very hungry." She looked around. "It doesn't look like anyone had much of an appetite."
"Danny's death," Colby's voice was quiet, nevertheless, the words made Eleanor flinch. "It's something we push to the backs of our minds. We have to, or it would drive us crazy. But it doesn't affect us any less when it happens to a fellow law enforcement officer. He might have worked for another country, another government, but he's still a brother-in-arms."
Don's fingers caressed Eleanor's cheek. "We'll attend Danny's funeral, get some closure on his death at least." He glanced over at Colby, "Then we go after Bairan. One way or another, we're going to settle this."