Jack sat in a stunned silence as his brain flashed random thoughts and images like a remote control changing channels at hyperspeed. The Russians ... not too late ... Laura can do it ... Jade ... the others ... someone has to get them out ... I’ve been caught at something ... what?

“Cat got your tongue, Taggart?”

Jack stood and walked toward the exit, feeling like he was still in a trance. He looked back at his desk and the rows of filing cabinets that he had invested much of his life into filling. Laura looks like she is going to cry ... hope she doesn’t quit. Don’t let the bad guys or the assholes win ...

“By the way,” said Quaile, “did you really believe that I fell for that fake call from Ottawa? For your information, I just played along to see what you were really involved in.” Quaile glanced at his watch and said, “You’d better hurry. I bet the longer you keep Inspector Schaff waiting, the farther north you’ll be sent.”

Jack heard Quaile’s voice behind him as he headed down the corridor. “As for you, Secord, consider yourself on notice! You’re only here still because I know Taggart was a bad influence on you, but ...”

Linh felt the car come to a stop and she heard the overhead garage door close. She clasped her hands in anticipation, waiting for the lid to open.

Will the first face I see be Hang? I think so!

The trunk opened and she saw only Mister Dúc and a big man standing beside him. She smiled politely and tried to hide her disappointment.

“Hello, Linh. I’m Pops,” the big man said, while reaching down to help her out of the trunk.

Linh was too excited to accept help and scrambled out on her own.

“Hello, Mister Pops,” she said, extending her hand.

Pops smiled and shook her hand.

“I am happy to meet you,” she said, pleased that she had memorized the phrase correctly. “Where is Hang?” she asked, breathlessly.

“We’ll talk about that in a moment,” replied Pops. “Come inside.”

Linh followed Pops to the door leading into the house, pausing only to smile politely and wave to Mister Dúc as he left.

“We’ll put your stuff in your bedroom,” said Pops. “Then we will sit in the living room and talk.”

Linh was awed by the sight of her bedroom. She picked the stuffed bear up off the bed and on impulse, gave it a hug before resting it back down with its head on the pillow.

“Are you hungry?” asked Pops. “It is almost lunchtime.”

Linh smiled and said, “Hang is in school!”

Pops stared at her a moment before taking her by the hand and leading her to the living room where they sat on the sofa. “I have some terrible news,” he said.

Linh felt the dread in her heart. “Hang?” she whispered.

“Yes. It is about Hang. She died in an accident. She stepped out from behind a truck parked on the street and was hit by a car. I am so very sorry.”

Linh burst into tears and felt Pops’s arm around her shoulders. She turned and clung to his sweater, burying her face into his chest.

“It happened six weeks ago,” said Pops. “We called your dad to tell him, but you had already left to come here. I feel so bad having to tell you the news. My wife wanted to be here when you arrived, but her mother is in hospital and is very sick.”

Linh continued to cry softly for an hour, before a combination of stress and fatigue allowed her to doze off as she snuggled close to Pops.

“What happened?” asked Laura, as soon as Jack returned.

Jack tried to smile and said, “It’s not all that bad. Lower Mainland Traffic Services in Burnaby. I’m supposed to start Monday.”

“Highway Patrol! This is already Thursday—how can Quaile do that?”

“He couldn’t, which means the big guy wants me out.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I think I’ll take a couple of days’ leave. I’m lucky. It’s not a physical move so it won’t interfere with Natasha’s work.”

“Jack ... I’m sorry. Oh, man,” she said in frustration. “I meant what I said before. I’m giving Staffing a call right now. There’s no way I can work for someone like this. I’d end up putting on coveralls and calling you in the night to bring a shovel.”

“Laura, no,” said Jack. “Please don’t, at least not yet. We’ve come too far on this thing with the Russians to let it drop now. We’re close.”

“You’re the one who is already in with Giang. What can I do by myself? I need—”

“I’ll still be handy to help out when I’m not writing tickets. I could still do the UC on Giang and introduce you, or maybe someone from VPD. The important thing to me is that we finish what we started. I also plan to get our friend in the massage parlour out of there when things do go down.”

“How do you do that without jeopardizing her family? You heard her. If they think she ran away or came to us ... people will die.”

“I figured out a way, but—”

“Exactly!” said Laura. “You’re good at this stuff. I can’t do it on my own!”

“You won’t be on your own all the time. I told you I’d help. Promise me you’ll stay on and fight this battle.”

Laura was quiet for a moment, staring down at her desk. When she looked up, she said, “Okay, but then I’m out of here as soon as Moustache Pete and the Fat Man are in jail ... or dead.”

Jack chuckled in spite of how he felt. “Maybe I have been a bad influence on you. You know, there was a time, before I met Natasha, when I would have gladly arranged for these two guys to die. But now I feel like my own life is worth something. I don’t want to lose what I have. I’ve been doing my best to do the right thing. You should, too. Promise me you won’t take any unnecessary risks. Catch these guys by the book. If you were to screw up, I would always blame myself for having started you down that path.”

Laura sighed and reached across and put her hand on top of Jack’s. “I feel awful about all this, but don’t worry about me. I love my husband and I want to be a mom someday. I’ll leave the shovel in the trunk.”

“Good, it’s settled. I’m going to call Natasha,” he added, reaching for his telephone.

“Honey, I’m sorry,” said Natasha, after Jack relayed the news to her. “You were afraid this was going to happen. I guess you were right.”

“It’s okay,” said Jack. “Really. Sure, I’m not exactly ecstatic about it, but just think ... regular shifts. No informants calling in the middle of the night—or when we’re ... you know. I’ve been doing this for seven years. The change may do us both good. Also won’t have to figure out what to wear each day. Hope you love a guy in uniform.”

“I don’t care what you wear,” said Natasha, “as long as you’re the same man underneath.”

“Ah ... you love me naked. That part won’t change.”

“I meant you. What’s in your heart. Which will change if you’re not happy.”

“You’re in my heart. It’s you that makes me happy.”

Natasha remained silent.

“We’ll talk over dinner,” said Jack. “I’ll cook something special, maybe chicken cordon bleu. I’ll pick up a bottle of wine as well. We’ll look at this as a celebration of a more stress-free lifestyle.”

“Better make it two bottles,” said Natasha. “I’m going to have to be really drunk if you expect me to swallow the bullshit you’re feeding me.”

It was three o’clock in the afternoon when Pops gently awakened Linh.

“It’s a good time for you to call your dad,” he said. “He will be worried and will want to know you arrived in the States. You can talk to him for as long as you want. I understand you have a grandmother too?”

Linh nodded.

“Talk to her as well, if you like. With what has happened, I am going to figure out how to bring them both to America. Wouldn’t it be nice if you were all together?”

Without Hang, that is not possible, decided Linh.

Between crying spells, Linh talked for over an hour.

Bien felt that his heart was already broken, but the sound of Linh’s tears and being unable to hold her made him realize that his heart still had room for much pain. He asked Linh to be strong and to remember that they only had to look to the sky to know that Hang would be watching and waiting to see them some day.