cover up, and you aided and abetted it. You understood what Flagstaff was about.”
She nodded.
“And you know they want to kill—to murder—Kyle Mercer, to keep him quiet.”
“I’m not sure about—”
“We work for the Criminal Investigation Division, Maggie, not Murder Incorporated.”
“Don’t lecture me.” She looked at him. “You’d put a bullet in him if you couldn’t kidnap him.”
“I would not.”
“We’ll never know. But what do you think the Army is going to do with the map coordinates we give them of Mercer’s camp? Drop a copy of the Code of Conduct on him?”
He ignored that, and continued, “Do you also understand that Trent and his friends must have known before we did that Kyle Mercer was not in Caracas? They gave you that device because they wanted to see if we left Caracas, and where we went.”
“I guess I did wonder why I needed the Garmin in Caracas, where I could text and make a cell phone call to… anywhere.”
“Well, now you know. Trent’s colleagues suspect or know that Mercer is somewhere out of Caracas, and if you and I were lucky enough or smart enough to get a lead—which I did—you and your Garmin would tell them where we were, in real time, right down to the grid coordinates.”
“I… understand that.”
“And did it also occur to you that you, like Kyle Mercer, know too much?”
“I was never threatened with harm. I was threatened with exposure.” She added, “I’ve kept their secret, but if we ever get back, I’m ready to tell CID everything I told you.”
“You’re not paying attention. You and Captain Mercer could be sharing the same fate.”
“That’s… I don’t believe that.”
“That is why you’re here. The wet stuff is done on foreign soil.”
“You’re trying to frighten me. I’m frightened enough.”
“I’m a little worried too, Maggie, being so close to you.”
“Scott—”
“You should never have gotten involved with Black Ops people.”
“I got involved with Trent.”
“And he played you like a harp.”
“I don’t want to hear that.”
“You stepped in quicksand, Ms. Taylor, and every move you make gets you deeper. How many times have you seen this in criminal cases?”
“I’ve said all I have to say. I confessed to you. You can do what you want with the information. I’ll even give you the Garmin device for evidence.”
“If you’d given it to me back in Caracas, I could be more sympathetic—”
“We were in Caracas when you gave me a pass on this instead of reporting it to Dombroski. And if I’d slept with you, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. In fact, you’re angry, but I want you to forgive me—and trust me—for the right reasons, not because we were having a business trip romance.”
He thought about that and concluded she had some valid points, but she was also distracting him from the central issue of her betrayal and lying. If he had duct tape, he would have used it on her.
“Don’t get angry, Scott. Get even. Help me make this right.”
“You’ll need to resign.”
“All right…”
“And give testimony.”
“I’m ready to do that.”
“What is your current relationship with Trent?”
“Mutual blackmail. Same as our relationship.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning you failed in your duty to report me to Dombroski in a timely manner. Do you want me to include that in my report?”
“No good deed goes unpunished.”
“Look, Scott… you didn’t do anything wrong—you tempered justice with mercy. I owe you for that. And I never really did anything wrong—I just didn’t do the right thing. I stayed silent, when I should have blown the top off Operation Flagstaff. Innocent civilians were killed, and even the guilty deserved better justice. My grandma dragged me to church every Sunday, and I paid attention in church and CID training, and I know right from wrong, and lawful from unlawful. And I’m not going to blow smoke up your butt, soldier, and tell you I like you, because I don’t. You’re an asshole. But… I could like you… well, maybe I’m attracted to you—in a physical way. Which is probably mutual. So… let’s continue the mission. Do the best we can, try to see that justice is done, and not hurt each other.” She added, “We could have a future.”
Well, who’d disarmed who? He tapped the gun in his pocket to make sure it was still there. “You done?”
“I am.”
“Let’s finish this and get out of here. Unless you want my Swiss Army knife to carve our initials in a heart on this tree.”
“Total asshole.” She unwrapped the line from the tree and used a paddle to push off.