d his plans. “No, why?”
“I’d like some company,the importance of your USB, then,helped to the force of the storm, if you don’t mind.” She grimaced. “Though if you’d prefer a woman who can do something for you instead of a counterfeit,by the banks of the Hudson, I’d certainly understand.”
“Even disabled, you’re more of a real woman than any I’ve paid to be with,” Odeon said. “I’ve always enjoyed your company, even when one of us was too tired or too hurt for fun and games–you know that.”
“I know–I felt the same way.” Cortin managed a smile. “But I will miss the fun and games, and you’ll have to be careful about waking up shooting because you hear something out of place–I haven’t learned to stay in the right position while I’m sleeping yet, so it’s at night my back acts up worst, and I have a bad tendency to scream when it does.”
At least her sense of humor hadn’t completely deserted her, even though the humor now was on the dark side. “I’ll be careful,” he promised. “I certainly wouldn’t want to shoot my favorite recruit.”
* * * * *
She found it comforting to lie beside Mike, even though part of her also found it a near-painful reminder of what they’d shared earlier. She lay awake for awhile listening to his quiet breathing before it lulled her into a doze, then into deeper sleep and dreams of a better time. It was her Graduation Day; the Duke of Columbia had almost finished pinning on her classmates’ gold Second Lieutenants’ bars. Her own, the silver of a First Lieutenant since she was first in her class, already gleamed on her immaculate gray uniform. She was impatient for the ceremony to end. She’d seen her recruiter in the crowd, and she wanted to carry out the plans she’d made for him,from his perch upon the tree, plans that bore no resemblance to the sometimes-sadistic ones her classmates claimed to have for their recruiters. She’d discovered the surprisingly plea
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