“Yes, it is.”

“How do you make that all right?”

“It’s better for Valerie, it’s better for you. And it’s better for Blair.”

“That’s the bottom line, isn’t it? Blair.”

Cam regarded her steadily. “Yes.”

“No apologies? No elaborate rationalizations or arguments?”

“No.”

“Clear and simple,” Diane whispered to herself.

“Not clear and not simple,” Cam said. “Necessary. Valerie will understand.”

“And you’re sure that this is the best thing for Valerie?”

“As sure as I can be,” Cam said. “You have to trust me on that one.”

Diane laughed harshly. “It seems that we all have to trust you for quite a bit, Cam. That’s asking a lot, don’t you think?”

“Diane,” Blair said from the doorway. “Cam knows what she’s doing. There’s no one better to make these decisions.”

“I hope you’re right.” Diane rose and strode abruptly toward the door, then paused to look back at Cam. “Because if something happens to Valerie because of this, I’ll never forgive you for using me against her.”

As Diane hurried from the room, Blair said, “She’s just upset. I’ll go talk to her.”

“It’s okay. She deserves to be angry. I didn’t handle it well.”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Cameron. You’re not responsible for everyone, and she happens to be wrong.”

Cam’s lips twitched. “Thank you for coming to my defense. I think.”

Blair grasped Cam’s chin in her hand, and kissed her, a deep probing kiss. “I know how you get. I’m not letting you beat yourself up about this. You did the right thing even if your timing sucked.”

“You don’t usually complain about my ti—” Cam broke off as her cell phone rang. “Roberts.” She held Blair’s gaze as she spoke. “Where…? Tell them to intercept, but do not… I repeat… do not use deadly force. Alert Stark to secure the house. I’ll be right there.”

“What is it?” Blair asked anxiously.

“Intruder on the beach. I have to go.”

“Let Tanner’s people handle it. Cam—”

“Stay here, Blair. I’ll be fine. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Damn it, Cam—”

Cam ran toward the back of the house, punching in Felicia’s number on her cell. “I need back up. I’ll be on the path to the dunes.”

“Roger, Commander. Savard?”

Cam pushed through the back door. It was dark with only moonlight to guide her, but she knew the route by heart. She issued orders as she ran, phone in one hand and weapon in the other. “No. Savard’s not mobile enough. Tell her to take a position behind the guest house. No one approaches the rear of the compound except on my orders. Call Stark—red alert.”

“Copy that.”

Cam hit the beach running and saw a flurry of activity, dark shapes converging from multiple directions, a quarter of a mile up the strand.

Hearing muffled shouts, she closed the phone and shoved it into the pocket of her pants. As she drew closer, she saw three of Tanner’s agents pointing assault rifles at a figure kneeling in the sand, arms outstretched. A slender figure with short blond hair in a dark jacket and pants. Cam skidded to a stop a few feet away and holstered her weapon.

Valerie looked up at her. “Hello, Cameron.”

“Are you okay?”

“Perfectly, thank you.”

Cam motioned the others away. “I’ve got this. Thank you. You can return to your posts.”

Valerie rose and brushed sand from her pants.

“That was risky,” Cam said. “They might have shot you.”

“I knew your people would be better trained than that.”

“Pretty trusting.”

Valerie smiled softly. “I’ve always trusted you.”

Cam wondered how long the trust would last. “Come up to the house,” she said. “We’ve been expecting you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“I take it the newspaper item was fabricated?” Valerie asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the guards.

Cam grinned briefly, not surprised that Valerie had been suspicious of the cover story. Agents indoctrinated to clandestine work understood how often and to what extent the media was used to subvert the truth. Cam had hoped that Valerie would not take a chance on ignoring the report, even though she might not completely believe it. “Most of it was an embellishment.”

“Is Diane all right?”

“Yes, she’s completely fine.”

“But there was some kind of an incident.”

“Yes,” Cam said, unwilling to discuss any further details until she had a better sense of Valerie’s agenda.

As if understanding, Valerie didn’t pursue it further. “I expected the guards to call Stark when they intercepted me,” she said. “Are you running Blair’s detail again?”

Cam shook her head. “No, but this entire operation is an OHS matter, and that puts me in charge.”

“And you’re going to take on the Company?”

“If need be.”

“The Company’s been around a long time,” Valerie said. “Homeland Security is so fresh most people don’t even know what it is.”

“They’ll find out soon enough.”

“I guess we all will.” Valerie pushed her hands into the pocket of her jacket and hunched her shoulders against the wind. “God, this is going to be a mess until people sort out their turf.”

“Probably for a lot longer than that.” Cam realized Valerie was shivering. “How far did you walk?”

“Four or five miles—I wanted to be sure to flank your guards so they’d have a good look at me as I came up the beach. I didn’t want to come out of nowhere right on top of them and have them shooting at shadows.”

“You said you thought they were too well-trained for that.”

“Let’s just say I prefer the odds to be solidly stacked in my favor when I’m unarmed in hostile territory.”

“Sound procedure,” Cam agreed. She’d find out soon enough just how Valerie had penetrated far enough into the island to get around the guards. She sensed movement in the shadows off to her right and slid her hand over her weapon just as Felicia stepped out of the cover of the dunes. Beside her, Valerie tensed.

“All clear, Commander?” Felicia asked.

“Yes. You can let Savard and Stark know to stand down.”

“Yes ma’am.” Felicia relayed the orders by radio, then regarded Valerie as the trio climbed the path toward the compound. “Good to see you.”

“Thanks,” Valerie replied. “I feel the same.”

“You and Savard should take some down time while you can, Davis,” Cam said. “We’ll brief again at 0600.”

“Yes ma’am.” Felicia veered off the path toward the guesthouse. “Goodnight, Commander.”

Cam stopped midway between the guesthouse and the main house at a point outside the visual range of the perimeter guards stationed at the rear of the house. She faced Valerie, who looked thin and pale in the moonlight. “Blair is inside. So is Diane. I know Tanner’s men already frisked you, but I need to do it myself.”

“Of course.” Valerie unzipped her jacket, then held her arms out to her sides at shoulder level and spread her legs.

“Unbutton your blouse and unzip your jeans,” Cam said. “I’m sorry it’s cold out here.”

“Just get it done, Cameron.”

“I’ll be quick.”

Wordlessly, Valerie opened her clothing.

Cam swiftly checked for weapons, which she hadn’t expected to find, and then more carefully skimmed her fingers inside the cups of Valerie’s bra, over the bare skin of her abdomen and back, and underneath the top of her jeans in front and back looking for a microphone, which she hoped she wouldn’t find. She didn’t. “Thanks.”

Valerie redressed. “Can I see Diane?”

“Yes, but just for a minute. You and I need to talk.”

They resumed walking.

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

“For the record,” Cam said, “I’m glad you finally got your ass here.”

Valerie sighed. “I’ve done things I regret, Cameron, but I would never willingly have betrayed you. I didn’t know how the intelligence I passed on was going to be used. I know it’s not an excuse—”

“I know how the game is played. I know you didn’t have any choice. We’re okay on that.”

Valerie briefly squeezed Cam’s hand. “I’m glad.”

“Let’s get inside so you can warm up.”

They climbed the stairs to the rear deck, and Cam nodded to Stark, who stood with her back against the kitchen door, an assault rifle held loosely in her arms. “All clear, Chief.”

“Do you need me inside, Commander?” Stark asked.

“Not at the moment. Standard shifts tonight should be fine. We’ll brief tomorrow.”

Stark glanced at Valerie and stepped away from the door. “Yes ma’am.”

Cam led Valerie inside. The kitchen was empty, as she knew it would be. Stark would have moved Diane and Blair to the center of the house as soon as she realized security had been breached. “Diane is probably in the living room with Blair. I’ll wait for you here, if you want to tell Blair where I am.”

“Thank you.” Valerie met Cam’s eyes. “I know you don’t have to do this, any of this. I’m sure you were told to just turn me over to whoever’s on top of the security heap at the moment.”

Cam smiled grimly. “That would be me.”

“I hope it stays that way.” Valerie’s tone was wistful. “Thank you, Cameron. I’ll be right back.”

“Oh God,” Diane whispered, rising slowly to her feet as Valerie stepped into the room.

Blair hesitated for a second, then rose and gave Diane a quick hug. “I’ll see you later.” She left Valerie and Diane alone in the dimly lit room.

Neither moved at first.

“Were you ever coming back?” Diane asked.

“I wanted to.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Valerie shivered. “I was afraid you’d get hurt.”

Diane lifted a log and laid it on the ones already burning. “Come over here by the fire. You’re cold.” When she felt Valerie beside her, she turned to touch her face. “Are you all right?”

“A little tired.” Valerie caught Diane’s hand and brushed her lips across the palm. “I missed you so much.”

“I don’t know what to do first,” Diane confessed. “I want to feed you. You look too thin. I want to hold you. Your hands are so cold. I want you to hold me. I feel…so empty.”

“First things first.” Valerie pulled Diane firmly into her arms.

Diane gave a small cry and slid both hands under the back of Valerie’s jacket, then buried her face in Valerie’s neck. “I don’t care what happens after this, but you are not disappearing again.”

Valerie caressed Diane’s hair, sifting the sleek blond strands through her fingers. “I’d promise you that, if I could.”

A tremulous smile countered the sadness in Diane’s eyes. “Blair says you and Cam are the best at what you do. So the two of you should be able to figure something out.”

“Cam’s waiting to talk to me.” Valerie couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Diane again, especially knowing that it could be hours before she could return. And hours was the best she could hope for. Agents whose loyalties were in question had been known to be sequestered for weeks. Sometimes months. She had to believe that Cam would not do that to her, and she wagered everything that mattered to her on that belief. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

“She’s not going to take you away, is she?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why did you come? Was it because of the newspaper article? I didn’t know—”

“When I first read it,” Valerie said, instinctively pulling Diane closer, “I thought you were hurt and I nearly went crazy. I spent half a day frantically making calls and tapping into some old sources, but no one could find an accident or police report involving you. So I realized the article was phony, but I was still worried in case it was a half truth. I had to know you were okay.”

“I’m so sorry,” Diane said. “Cam didn’t tell me what she’d done, or I would have found a way to call you.”

Valerie smiled. “That’s why she didn’t tell you.”

Diane’s eyes darkened. “You’re not angry at her?”

“I figured she had probably planted the article. Either that, or someone else trying to flush me out had.” Valerie sighed and leaned in to Diane, more tired than she’d realized. “I was running out of options. It seemed like the time to come in. Besides, I missed you.”

“Cam said you would understand what she’d done and why, and even though I don’t approve of being used to trick you, I’m so very glad you’re here.” Diane brushed her fingers through Valerie’s hair. “And I’m not letting Cam or anyone else take you away from me again.”

“I need to go talk to her.”

“I’ll be upstairs. The last door on the right. Come to me.”

“Are you sure?”

Diane put her arms around Valerie’s shoulders and kissed her, a soft lingering kiss. “Never, ever more certain.”

“Scotch?” Cam closed the kitchen door after Valerie. “There’s a good bottle in the cupboard over there.”