As he lay in bed, memories of his time with Christine flitted through his mind until a knock on the door interrupted his reverie. He opened the door to find Khalila dressed in gym shorts and a sports bra.
“I’m going for a run. Want to come along?”
He considered her offer for a moment, his thoughts still filled with snippets of Angie, Maddy, and Christine. “Yeah, I could use a run.”
She stepped inside and waited while he changed into running clothes. After working closely together during their previous missions, she didn’t seem fazed as he stripped down and changed, and he didn’t mind her presence either. Although they had shared the same bed on occasion, she had made it clear each time that the sleeping accommodations were a “hands-off” arrangement, which suited him just fine, since he’d been married to Angie at the time.
“Do you have a route picked out?” he asked after he finished dressing.
“Along the base perimeter on the way out, then back along the waterfront. Five miles sound good?”
Harrison nodded.
Daylight had begun to fade by the time they began their run, with the temperature in the Middle East country easing below ninety degrees. He let Khalila set the pace, which was brisk for the average woman and provided a decent, but comfortable workout for Harrison. True to her usual aloof nature, she said nothing while they ran. His thoughts focused on Mixell, envisioning various scenarios where his former best friend would meet his demise in the most excruciatingly painful way possible.
Halfway through their run, they cut across the base toward the waterfront, then began their journey back toward their rooms. Khalila had previously proven to be a fast runner, almost keeping up with Harrison while chasing down a suspect in Sochi, Russia. As far as long-distance runs went, he didn’t know what speed she could maintain, but decided to find out.
He picked up his pace, pulling away from her. It wasn’t a blistering speed, considering the heat, at least not for a recently retired Navy SEAL, but there were few women, he reckoned, who would be able to keep up. A moment later, she pulled up beside him. When he glanced at her, he noticed a smile she quickly erased once she noticed his glance. She kept up, but he could tell she was straining. Only two more miles to go.
By the time they returned to the barracks, the sun had begun slipping below the horizon. They stopped at Harrison’s room, where he unlocked and opened his door, then turned to Khalila.
“I’m gonna jump in the shower, then grab a bite to eat. Want to join me?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll be ready in a half hour. You?”
“I’m ready now.”
Her response confused him for a second, then he figured she was comfortable heading out for a bite to eat still in her workout clothes, which meant they’d be hitting the base cafeteria rather than venturing out in town. Although Bahrain wasn’t as conservative as other Middle Eastern countries, it was still an Islamic nation with dress standards that residents and tourists were expected to observe. Her exposed shoulders and bare legs and midriff would not have been well received. Her next words, however, clarified her previous response.
“I said I’d join you, but I wasn’t talking about dinner. I was referring to the shower.”
She pushed Harrison backward, following him into his room, then closed the door behind her.
“I no longer have to keep you at arm’s length,” she said, “hiding my true identity from you. Plus, you’re no longer married. Our previous personal rules of engagement no longer apply.” She leaned back against the wall. “I can either leave or join you in the shower. Your call.”
Harrison was stunned by the sudden turn of events. Until this moment, Khalila had been clear that their partnership would remain purely professional. Now, she had unexpectedly offered to take their relationship to the next level.
But it was too soon.
Angie had been dead for only a few months, and becoming romantically involved with another woman so soon after her death felt like a betrayal.
Khalila seemed to read his mind. “I realize that your heart still aches for Angie. But at some point, you need to move on. One day, when you’re ready, you’ll find the right woman to spend the rest of your life with. Today, however, I’m the woman who wants to be with you, no strings attached.”
As Khalila leaned against the wall, he couldn’t keep his eyes from surveying her body. Six foot tall with an athletic build and attractive face, her beauty was undeniable.
And difficult to refuse.
“Stay.”
Khalila approached him and offered a passionate kiss, then kicked off her shoes and stripped the clothes from her body. She headed toward the shower.
“Don’t be long.”
It was dark when Harrison awoke. Khalila lay beside him beneath a thin bedsheet, her eyes open, staring at the ceiling. She eventually rose and he watched her sleek form, faintly illuminated by the waterfront lights, as she picked her bath towel up from the floor and wrapped it around her body, then sat on the window ledge. He watched her for a while, her knees pulled up against her chest as she stared into the darkness. He sat up and pulled on a pair of shorts, then stopped beside the window facing her, leaning against the wall. She seemed not to notice.
“Still wrestling with demons?” he asked.
Khalila nodded, then turned, her eyes locking onto him. “I thought things would be better after I killed the DDO. But nothing has changed.” She fell silent for a short while. “I fight for honor,” she finally said, “but whose honor? My family’s or my own? In my attempt to obtain redemption for the evil perpetrated by my family, I myself have done evil. I’ve killed many, hoping for resolution, but the guilt and shame remain. Yet I’ve seen you kill men time and time again without a flicker of remorse. How do you do it?”
“I fight for my country,” Harrison replied. “I think it’s as simple as that. I’ve committed evil, as you say, but good has come from every one of those evil acts. For people like us, I think what matters is — at the end, which way do the scales tip?”
She considered his words, then nodded subtly. “By the way, tonight was a one-time deal. If you recall, I don’t get attached to my partners. Besides, when I said that one day you’d find another woman to spend your life with, I lied. You’ve already met that woman.”
“Who’s that?”
“Tonight, you talked in your sleep. Chris. Is that Christine’s nickname?”
Harrison pulled back slightly, unsure whether he was more surprised that he talked in his sleep or that he had mentioned Christine. “There’s no telling what I was dreaming about when I mentioned her name. But what’s certain is that I want nothing to do with Christine.”
Khalila smiled. “I’ve known since the first meeting with you and Christine at Langley that there was something special between you two. You can deny it if you want, but you were still in love with her when you were married to Angie.”
Harrison looked away.
“Interesting,” Khalila said.
“What?” Harrison turned back toward her.
“You kill without remorse, but the fact that you were in love with Christine while you were married fills you with guilt and shame.”
“I moved on from Christine years ago. I loved Angie, and she’s dead because of Christine!”
“I didn’t say you didn’t love Angie. Only that you still love Christine.”