She said it louder. Again, nothing. What should she do? Steeling herself, she yelled his name. His eyes snapped open, wild with anger. Gritting his teeth, a growl escaped his lips. He jumped to his feet and assumed a low fighting stance, his hand clutching an invisible knife.

“Nathan, it’s me.”

His eyes darted around the room and returned to hers. Her instincts told her to back away, but she held perfectly still. His expression changed to recognition. She rushed around the sofa and wrapped him up in her arms, ignoring the sticky feel of his skin. They held each other without speaking for several moments.

His voice cracked. “What time is it?”

“Just after four in the morning. You okay?”

“I’m really thirsty.”

“I’ll get you some water.” She returned a few seconds later and handed it to him.

He downed it in a single pull. “The moths came for me again.”

They settled onto the floor facing each other.

“Moths?”

“In Nicaragua, my interrogator put a bright light in my face at night. The moths were attracted to it. My hands were tied. I couldn’t bat them away.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Thanks for the water.”

She could see he was still trembling.

“I’m okay.”

But he wasn’t okay. An echo of terror still etched his face. She reached over and held his hand.

He half chuckled. “I wasn’t kidding when I said my picture was next to baggage. I’m sorry you had to see that. I was hoping for the night off.”

“Hey, there’s no need to apologize about anything.”

He looked down at himself. “I think I need a shower.”

“Come on.” She led him down the hall to the guest bathroom. “You want some company in there?”

“Is there a mustache in Mexico?”

She laughed, hardly believing how good it felt. “I’ll take that for a yes.”

* * *

She dropped Nathan off at the Hyatt just before five in the morning. “I’ll make sure Harvey has a copy of the tape before six.”

“You’ve got another long day ahead of you,” he said.

“Will you keep me informed of your progress?”

“You know I will.”

“Nathan… About this morning. ”

“It’s okay.”

She smiled. “I’ll call you later.”

“Stay safe, SAC Simpson.”

She smiled again and pulled away from the curb. He waved when she looked in her mirror, then strode through the lobby to the elevators. Harv would already be up, so he knocked quietly on his door. He saw the peephole darken just before the door swung inward.

“Mornin’, partner,” Nathan said, passing through the threshold. “Get much sleep?”

“A few hours.” Harv grinned. “You?”

“None.”

“Attaboy.”

“Hey, it was all in the line of duty.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Holly just dropped me off, she’s heading over to the office to make sure you have the tape by six.”