Chapter 31
The conference room is tight, a sleek mix of modern design and harsh fluorescent lighting that makes it feel more like a bunker than a meeting space. Quinn is at the head of the table, laptop open in front of him, listening with half an ear as Carrie outlines to Saul and Dar the options they'll present to the National Security Advisor for the upcoming talks with the Israeli Defense Minister. His thoughts keep drifting.
He hasn't seen Lily since early this morning—he woke her just to say goodbye and remind that she wasn't to leave the hotel without her security detail. He smiles inwardly as he remembers her reaction; she just rolled her eyes and went back to sleep. He's feeling anxious about her presence in—well, a fucking war zone—but he knows she's safe at the hotel, tucked in under tight protection.
She'll be fine.
Tonight, they'll have dinner together. They'll talk about their anniversary, and then—after dinner—he'll ask her. It's crazy how something so simple—so perfect—has him this worked up. He's been sure about her for months, but now that he's actually planning the moment, it feels like everything is on the line. Is she ready? Is he? He reaches down to touch his pants pocket and feels the reassuring outline of the ring box—it's still there. Of course it's still there, where would it have gone in the five minutes since you last checked it?
"—Quinn thought Option 2 would address those concerns," Carrie's voice breaks through his internal monologue, pulling him back into the room.
Quinn blinks, takes a breath, and focuses on the discussion again.
"How will that play with the prime minister," Saul asks, "if the president raises it?"
"Probably won't be well-received," Quinn concedes. "They won't fall back without a clear plan to protect the northern border."
"Which we don't have," Saul adds dryly.
Dar, who's been quiet for most of the meeting, looks up, his expression hard. "What we need is for Egypt to fix their leaky border to give Israel some comfort that Hamas isn't just constantly re-arming."
The tension in the room rises as they go another round on what's the least awful option of a host of bad options. Quinn feels it, but his mind keeps circling back to Lily. Having her with him is amazing—not having to go back to an empty hotel room and an empty bed with her 6,000 miles away from him, again.
But the other part of him—which is taking up disproportionate share of his mind space right now—wants her 6,000 miles away from the line of fire. Ramat Gan, a neighboring city, was hit by Hamas rockets overnight. He's told her she'll be fine, that she's not in danger, but the part of him that's always prepared for the worst keeps gnawing at him. She's too close to the edge of it all.
Saul's voice cuts through his thoughts, pulling him back into focus. "So then we're settled?"
Quinn rubs the back of his neck, trying to push the worry out of his mind. She's fine, he tells himself again. He forces himself to lock into the conversation.
He meets Saul's eye and nods.
"Good," Saul says. "I think we're done here for now."