As the rain picked up, neither of them made a move to get into the car. In about a minute they were soaked, but they just stood there.
“I’m not sure I can live like that, Robie.”
“I’m not sure either. But I think we have to try.”
Reel glanced down at her pocket. She pulled out the Distinguished Intelligence Cross and looked at it.
“Did you ever in a million years think you would get one of these?”
“No.”
“We got this for killing a man.”
“We got this for doing our job.”
She dropped the medal back into her pocket and looked at him. “But this is not a job you walk away from.”
“There aren’t many who have.”
“I’d rather leave it all in the field.”
“From the look of the world right now, you might get your wish.”
She looked away. “When Gwen and Joe were alive I knew I had at least two people who would mourn me. Who were my friends. That was important to me.”
“Well, now you have me.”
She stared back at him. “Do I? Really?”
“Close your eyes,” he said.
“What?”
“Close your damn eyes.”
“Robie!”
“Just do it.”
She closed her eyes as the rain continued to fall.
A minute passed.
She finally reopened them.
Will Robie was still there.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To Michelle, for taking care of everything else in the way only you can.
To Mitch Hoffman, for always seeing the trees and the forest.
To David Young, Jamie Raab, Sonya Cheuse, Lindsey Rose, Emi Battaglia, Tom Maciag, Maja Thomas, Martha Otis, Karen Torres, Anthony Goff, Bob Castillo, Michele McGonigle, and everyone at Grand Central Publishing, who support me every day.
To Aaron and Arleen Priest, Lucy Childs Baker, Lisa Erbach Vance, Nicole James, Frances Jalet-Miller, and John Richmond, for always having my back.
To Anthony Forbes Watson, Jeremy Trevathan, Maria Rejt, Trisha Jackson, Katie James, Natasha Harding, Aimee Roche, Lee Dibble, Sophie Portas, Stuart Dwyer, Stacey Hamilton, James Long, Anna Bond, Sarah Willcox, and Geoff Duffield at Pan Macmillan, for leading me to number one in the UK.
To Arabella Stein, Sandy Violette, and Caspian Dennis, for being so good at what you do.
To Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy, for continuing to astonish me with your audio performances.
To Steven Maat at Bruna, for keeping me at the top in Holland.
To Bob Schule, for always being there for me.
To Janet DiCarlo, James Gelder, Michael Gioffre, and Karin Meenan, I hope that you enjoyed your characters.
To Kristen, Natasha, and Lynette, for keeping me straight, true, and sane.
And to Roland Ottewell for another great copyediting job.
the hit
David Baldacci is a worldwide bestselling novelist. With his books published in over 45 different languages and in more than 80 countries, and with over 110 million copies in print, he is one of the world’s favourite storytellers. His family foundation, the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization, works to eliminate illiteracy across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at www.DavidBaldacci.com, and his foundation at www.WishYouWellFoundation.org, and to look into its programme to spread books across America at www.FeedingBodyandMind.com.
Critical acclaim for David Baldacci’s novels
‘Baldacci inhabits the skin of his creations – tripping us up with unexpected empathy and subtle identification’
Sunday Express
‘As expertly plotted as all Baldacci’s work’
Sunday Times
‘Baldacci cuts everyone’s grass – Grisham’s, Ludlum’s, even Patricia Cornwell’s – and more than gets away with it’
People
‘As usual, Baldacci delivers the goods in fine style, with thrills and spills aplenty’
Independent on Sunday
ALSO BY DAVID BALDACCI
The Camel Club series
The Camel Club
The Collectors
Stone Cold
Divine Justice
Hell’s Corner
Sean King and Michelle Maxwell series
Split Second
Hour Game
Simple Genius
First Family
The Sixth Man
Shaw series
The Whole Truth
Deliver Us From Evil
John Puller series
Zero Day
The Forgotten
Will Robie series
The Innocent
Other novels
True Blue
Absolute Power
Total Control
The Winner
The Simple Truth
Saving Faith
Wish You Well
Last Man Standing
The Christmas Train
One Summer
First published 2013 by Grand Central Publishing, USA
This electronic edition published 2013 by Macmillan
an imprint of Pan Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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ISBN 978-1-4472-3801-0 EPUB
Copyright © 2013 by Columbus Rose, Ltd.
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