His instincts were telling him no, she hadn’t done any of those things, but in the absence of a better explanation, doubt continued to creep in.
“Kilbourne. Malin. Twenty-six. Graduated first in her class from the University of Virginia. Recruited before graduation. First job was at Langley, but you already know that part.” Razor rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure if you want to hear this part.”
?
?What?”
“You were it for her, man.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, you weren’t her first, or anything like that, but before you, she hadn’t been involved with anyone since high school. No one after you either.”
“Fuck,” Dutch muttered.
“I don’t see it, though.”
“What’s that?”
“There is a million-mile divide between ‘Dutch Miller broke my heart’ and ‘I’ll hook up with the Islamic State and see if I can get my revenge on him that way. And coincidentally, the woman he left me for just happens to be in Islamabad, so what the hell, I’ll take her down too.’”
“What’s your take, then?” asked Doc.
“We can find out more once we get back to Bagram.”
Chapter 30
Mantis and Alegria
“Heard from Doc, he wants everyone to meet back at Bagram,” said Striker, joining him outside.
Mantis spun around. “We’re abandoning her?”
Striker grasped Mantis’ shoulder. “Settle down, man. Of course we aren’t abandoning her. We’re eliminating risk.”
“What about her father?”
“Already on his way.”
“What the fuck?”
Striker’s grip on his shoulder tightened. “We don’t answer to you, Cassman. We make decisions at the time they’re needed. Not that you asked, but I’m with Doc on this one. If Alegria and her father had been at Bagram, none of this would be happening.”
“Don’t blame her.”
“Jesus Christ,” Striker muttered. “Pull your head out of your ass, Mantis. You aren’t making sense. You keep this up, and I’ll recommend you get taken off this mission.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Of course I can, and you know it.”
Mantis was about to say he’d go it alone then, but that was the point Striker was trying to make. The fact that he and then Alegria had gone it alone, was what turned everything into a clusterfuck in the first place. Even Dutch had to a certain extent. If he’d communicated, the way he was supposed to, they’d all probably be back in the States right now.
“I hear you,” Mantis conceded.
“Good. Now let’s move.”
When they returned to Bagram, Dutch, Doc, and the rest of that crew were already back, but he’d only seen Doc and Monk.