Or she might not get another chance.

* * *

Tanner was sitting just outside the cockpit as he watched Mallory stride toward him down the aisle. “Mission accomplished?”

“You tell me.” He dropped down in the seat next to him. “How long have you been sitting there eavesdropping? Is there anything I can still fill you in on?”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just wanted to get out of the cockpit.”

“And away from her file while you had Jordan next to you seeing how it affected you. Not pleasant reading, was it? How angry did it make you?” He was scanning Tanner’s expression. “Ah, the great poker face. That much, huh?”

“Stop trying to get a reaction,” he said coolly. “She’s a job that I have to do and I’ll do it. I have to know everything I might contend with. Kaskov probably gave me that file for a reason, and I won’t let him manipulate me. He used Sandrino to tip the balance, and I’m going to hold him to it no matter what else he throws at me.”

“Of course you are,” Mallory said. “I don’t doubt that for a minute. But I’m glad you read the file. I don’t want to be the only one who feels the need to kill both those bastards.” He got to his feet. “Well, I’ll go back to the cockpit and keep Jordan company. I wouldn’t want him to feel insulted because we both deserted him.”

“By all means,” Tanner said dryly. “You’re pushing it, Mallory.”

“I feel like pushing it.” He glanced back to where Lara was sitting. “When you were eavesdropping, did you hear her talking about Maxim, her piano teacher?”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping,” Tanner said. Then he met Mallory’s eyes. “Yes, I heard it.”

“Good. Since I trust your acumen and ability to read both situations and odds better than anyone else on the planet, I have a question to ask you: What do you think happened to Maxim?”

“I don’t have all the facts.”

“What happened to Maxim?”

Tanner shrugged. “Either her father or Volkov killed him after he left her that day. Her mother covered it to shelter Lara as much as she could.”

“Anything else?”

“Lara probably knows it happened, but she doesn’t want to admit it to herself. Sometimes you can take only so much pain.”

“Damn,” Mallory said. “That’s not what I wanted you to say. I was trying to be an optimist.”

“Then you shouldn’t have asked me. And you shouldn’t have given me that file to read.” He shrugged. “Serves you right.”

“It was worth it. I didn’t want to be alone in this.” He made a face. “I didn’t want her to be alone. Now I’ve thrown it into your court and I feel much better about it.” He opened the cockpit door. “Though I do feel bad about Maxim.”

“Then make up your own story about him. Maybe I’m wrong.”

Mallory sighed. “That hardly ever happens.”

He closed the cockpit door.