I've never flown by cargo plane for obvious reasons. It is not particularly comfortable for passengers strapped as we are to the sides of the plane with the truck secured in the middle. Hopefully, it will stay there. Sophie and the crew are huddled in one corner discussing possible plans and our client is sitting on the other end of the plane. I don't know what compels me, but I unstrap myself and move, rather wobbly, to his side and drop myself on the seat near him.

"You don't need to babysit me in my own plane, Mister Wilson."

"I am not much of a planner, Chief, so I decided to pass the time with conversation since we cannot indulge in a chess game on this height."

"And what do you desire to converse about?"

I go straight for the forbidden topic. Hopefully, he won't be able to weasel out of it if I ask directly. "What happened in Dubai?"

"Hm… took you long enough to ask… How to summarize it… Well, I asked the crew to retrieve technology that was to be used by terrorists, however, my real objective was for them to be the distraction while I retrieved… something else. I betrayed them by leaving them there and escaping with my precious cargo. Conmen don't like to be conned."

Backstabbing… Now that's a clear motivation for the overflowing animosity. "I doubt anybody likes to be used in such a way… What could be so important for you to turn on people who agreed to come with you across the world?"

"You would've understood, Mister Wilson."

Maybe I would've, but the Chief doesn't elaborate. Should I try to pry it out of him as exercise? Or-

"You have been with the crew close to two years, Mister Wilson?"

How does he know that?! "About two years, yes."

"And how long did it take for her to get her pretty claws into you?"

"Excuse me?! What could you possibly-"

"It must be already an ingrained instinct for Sophie Devereaux to bring any man she meets to his knees. Admittedly, I understand the appeal." Is he talking from experience? "And the answer to the question all over your face is 'no'."

"As is mine. Sophie and I have a purely professional relationship."

"I know that, Mister Wilson. Doesn't mean your heart doesn't desire something completely different. And before you vehemently deny your feelings… It is obvious for anybody with eyes: the way you melt every time she calls you Harry instead of 'Mister Wilson', how you hover over her every time she seems in distress, how you are pretty much on her every beck and call… Not to mention, how you are still with the crew… And you can sing praises to their ways of liberating money from the rich and finding justice for the exploited little man, but, Mister Wilson… Nothing can make a man change his life course in a way that a woman does. What I wonder is why doesn't she see it? Hardison and Parker are too wrapped up in each other and Spencer just keeps out of people's personal business, but how does Sophie Devereaux fail to read a genuine emotion that is right in front of her on a daily basis? Was she out of the game for too long?"

"Sophie is a great leader and grifter of the highest caliber! There is nothing she can't do!" How dare he even think such things?! And I am just admiring her talents and versatility… and beauty and her smile- Let's not think about things one shouldn't.

"And yet, Mister Wilson, she does not see your affection for her. And you hide it, rather clumsily I might add. Why is that?"

"The woman has just lost her husband!" I look over to the other corner to make sure that nobody, particularly Sophie, heard my outburst. I must tread very carefully now. If the Chief and Sophie do not have any personal history, why is he dragging this topic to the surface? Surely not purely to satisfy his desire for gossip!

"That was close to three years ago. And she does not wear the ring anymore. Although I have to agree, Nate Ford does cast an enormous shadow."

"You knew Nate Ford?!" So their past goes that far back…

"Yes, I did. We had a complicated relationship. But I understand he was a much better husband the second time around. You do know that Sophie and Nate's marriage was second for them both?"

"Yes, I am aware."

"Losing a loved one, particularly so unexpectedly, is a heavy burden to carry, but it does turn lighter with time, especially if there are people to lighten it."

"Nobody has told me the details. Was it an accident?"

"No. Cancer. It was very rapid, just four months. At least they had time for farewells."

Somehow I feel that Chief's experience did not include proper goodbyes. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because, Mister Wilson, I see you as a man of integrity and high values. You understand the preciousness of having a family and what happiness and pain it may bring into one's life. It's been such a long time, but you still feel like an outsider even if you do everything to fit in and try to maintain a precious balance between your relationships with every member of the crew. You don't want to upend this precious balance by attempting to take the place of Nate Ford, the man every person in the crew highly admires. You are afraid that if you dare to do something so sacrilegious (especially when you feel so inadequate in comparison), your new family will push you out and after your divorce and losing your job and completely uprooting your life, you won't be able to get onto your feet again, you will have no place to belong."

How?! "Are you a grifter too?" He just couldn't read me this well otherwise.

"God no! But I was in your shoes once. And I didn't handle the situation well. My advice to you… Do not try to be another Nate Ford and do not be intimidated by his shadow. If you do love her… Just love her. It won't be easy, but true love never is. Frankly, I think, she must be as afraid as you are if she is blocking her acknowledgment of your feelings. … Ah, we are descending. Just think about my words when all this is over. And, hopefully, there will be no need for body bags."