Chapter Eight

"How long do you think we'll have to stay here?" Christine asked, snuggling into Oscar's arms. (They'd given up the pretense of using separate bedrooms in the safe house within mere hours.)

Oscar kissed her and gazed intensely into her eyes. "We don't have to stay here. I do...but the last thing I want is for you to feel trapped."

Christine smiled. "I can't imagine being anywhere other than in your arms, so if you're here then I am, too."

"We'll only be here as long as is absolutely necessary," he assured her. "I trust Steve implicitly -"

"With your life?"

"Absolutely. Now....where were we....?"

----

"All right – keep me posted," Hansen ordered. He hung up the phone and turned to Steve (who had been deemed in perfect health once the knockout gas wore off). "I've got a blanket APB on Hiller. If he pops up anywhere in DC or the tri-state area, we'll get him."

Steve nodded. "Look, Jack, about today -"

"You were only doing your job," Hansen acknowledged.

"Thank you – and I realize that you were, too. Can't say I agree with your tactics, but -"

"Tell you what," Jack proposed, "we'll make a deal. I think both of our agencies would be stronger if there was a little more back-and-forth communication – especially when we're working on the same objective."

"You've got it," Steve agreed, shaking his hand.

"How's your wife?" Hansen asked. "Have you heard any more from Rudy Wells?"

"She took a pretty good knock to her head; she's got a nasty concussion but she was supposed to be on bed rest for another 48 hours anyway, so now he's gonna make sure she stays there. She should be fine."

"Good." Hansen looked up at the sound of the newly-repaired elevator. "Gregory," he said, greeting his second-in-command. "Any news for us?"

"Not yet," the inspector told them. "But I do have something I need to follow up on. I thought maybe the Colonel here could answer it for me." He turned to Steve. "What can you tell me about the woman who's with Goldman?"

"What woman?" Steve bluffed. (How, he wondered, did the NSB know Christine was with Oscar? Did that mean they knew where he was? Because that location was one bit of info he'd be damned if he'd share with them.)

"Oh, come on, Colonel – let's not be coy. He's with her every minute that he's not in this office....and since I don't see Goldman here, I assume that wherever he is, they're together."

"News to me," Steve shrugged.

"I'm concerned that she may be a danger to him," Gregory persisted. "How well do you know her, this Christine Solomon?"

"Well enough to know she's not a threat!" Steve snapped.

"You're sure?" Hansen interrupted. "He could be onto something, Steve. Maybe this woman isn't who she says she is. She could be using Goldman...."

"She could be getting paid to infiltrate the highest levels of National Security," Gregory suggested, "and Goldman doesn't even know he's sleeping with the enemy."

"Ridiculous. Anything else I can do for you today, Mr. Gregory?" Steve said, making it clear by his tone that the inspector was not a welcome part of any further conversation.

Gregory glared and turned on his heels. "If I think of anything, I'll come back."

"You do that." Steve waited until Gregory was gone, then turned again toward Hansen. "One thing I'll give the guy," he said casually, "is that he has excellent timing."

"How so?"

"Well, that security brief today – with most of your staff – he had this place crawling with suits when we needed help."

"Yeah, I guess he did. Wait a minute....what security briefing? I didn't arrange any meeting for today."

"Maybe they were looking for you," Steve suggested, thinking something else entirely. He was already breaking his promise to share information and leads....but there was no way Steve was sharing this suspicion – at least, not yet.

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