“You’re done.” He took two strides and was grasping her shoulders. “Just do what I told you to do. I’ve spent all night waiting to know if Gilroy was going to bring you back in a body bag and I’m sick of it. I want this over and you back at camp.” His grip tightened. “Is that too much to ask?”

“No, but it’s not reasonable. I should finish what I started.”

“I’ve already told you sometimes I’m not reasonable. But it’s also not reasonable for you to stay out here doing this idiotic cleanup when I can have it done quicker and more efficiently. Why would you do that?”

“Because I need to do it.” She lifted her eyes to meet his own and blinked back the stinging tears as she said fiercely, “Satisfied? Because if I keep busy enough, it helps me not to remember I had to leave Sasha back there in that tent. I always have to leave her. What if someone saw her last night? I know she’s careful, but all it would take would be—”

“Shit.” He pulled her into his arms, his hand cradling the back of her head. “Shut up. Nothing happened to her. You know it or you wouldn’t have left her. You wouldn’t have taken the chance. If she’s as smart as you say, she’ll do great.”

“She’s very smart,” she said. “But Baldwin frightened her last night. She’s just a kid. She said I should teach her karate so that he…” She drew a shaky breath. “And I’ve got to do that. It’s not as if I don’t still have time. You’re right. Nothing’s going to happen to her tonight. And it will be the last time. I swore I wouldn’t let her run another risk like this.” She pushed him away. “I’m sorry, I told you that I have a tendency to become emotional about Sasha. This has gone on too long, and every time I see her, I can see a change…”

He was silent, gazing at her. Then he shrugged. “No problem. I’m surprised you apologized.” His face was totally without expression. “When you also told me that you knew telling me about her couldn’t be a danger to you because I couldn’t touch that part of you—I’m sure that hasn’t changed.”

“No.” She cleared her throat. “I know you’re going to want to talk to Baldwin as soon as possible. You said you had to see if there was any way you could use him. Well, I did my part. I brought him to you. You’ve wasted enough time here with me.”