“I’m on my knees. I lean in closer. I hear him wheezing for breath, see blood bubbling on his mouth. He knows he’s dying, his breath is failing, but he’s hanging on, desperately. He’s looking directly at Mike, manages to pull him closer, presses something into Mike’s hand. ‘The guard knew where I was headed, came out of nowhere. Someone told them. Langley? The field office? Take this flash drive to Washington, deliver it only to someone you trust completely.’ Hashem’s choking on his own blood, shivering violently, but then he manages to whisper, ‘Missile guidance components—not Chinese or Russian, they’re French. You have to stop them.’ He pulls his hand from Mike’s and leaves the flash drive in Mike’s hand, tries to close his fist over it. His blood is on it. He whispers, ‘Tell my wife I love her.’ He seizes and then he’s gone, just gone, and for an instant I can’t believe he’s dead, don’t want to accept it. Then I hear Andi yelling to me for more ammo, and I jump up and run to her and Higgs, lay down more fire, but Mike stays with Hashem.

“Higgs yells, ‘RPG!’ Then there’s nothing.” Olivia jerked her head, heaving. Savich squeezed her hands, felt her slowly calm. He looked over at Dr. Hicks, who whispered, “And yet she survived. Amazing.”

Savich nodded. “She was told Mike carried her out, and Andi and Higgs brought out Hashem’s body.” He leaned close to her again. “Olivia, did Mike visit you in the military hospital in Balad?”

“Balad? Yes, a nurse told me he did.”

“Remember Balad, Olivia. You’re sedated, you’re confused, but do you hear Mike talking to you? Do you remember what he said?”

She shook her head back and forth. “His voice, I love his voice, all deep and scratchy. He smoked until he got smart and quit, when he was twenty-two, he told me. Yes, he’s with me, close. I can feel his breath on my check, and he’s kissing me, smoothing my hair.”

Olivia was quiet, frowning. “He’s saying he has to leave me, he won’t see me again until I get back home. He wishes I could come with him because there’s no one he can trust, except me. Then he kisses me again. I don’t want him to go, but I can only lie there.”

“And you haven’t heard from him since that day in Balad?”

She slowly shook her head, swallowed. “I’m so afraid for him. They’ll want to kill him, they’ll want him dead.”

Savich wanted to tell her Mike wasn’t going to die on his watch, but he remained silent, nodded to Dr. Hicks. “Olivia, on the count of three you’re going to wake up. You’ll feel refreshed and relaxed, and you’ll remember everything you told us.”