“How are you here?” she asked.
Tim lifted a shoulder. “You just happen to be hitching a ride on one of our routine transports. We’re heading back to our base in Virginia.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, then glanced around. These didn’t look like normal soldiers or sailors or whatever. They had a look about them. Just like the Israeli commandos who’d rescued them had. She had a feeling she was the reason this particular unit of men happened to be in Israel in the first place.
“Is that the truth?” she asked him.
He grinned. “It’s the only truth you’re gonna get from me.”
Tim finally sat in the seat next to her and stopped making her have to strain her neck to look up at him.
He leaned forward. “So, do you like my friend Pete? Because I have to tell you, I’m not going to be happy if you break his heart.”
As the level of craziness on this flight increased, she angled as much as she could in her seat to face him. “I do like him. But I hate to have to tell you this, but you’re wrong. After only knowing him for a week before I left for Greece, I wouldn’t dare assume I’d even have the power to break his heart.”
Peter’s friend laughed. “Oh, sweetie. Trust me. You do. You definitely do.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was almost a four-hour drive to the Navy airfield in Virginia from D.C., but that didn’t matter. Peter would have driven all night and a thousand miles to meet Marty’s flight.
When the FBI had allowed him to leave, and after he’d finally been willing to go home to shower and sleep because the hostages were finally safe, and after he’d gone to work to see if he could salvage his job, the oddest thing happened—and given the past week, that was saying something.
A telegram arrived at his desk. It contained a date and a time and the name of an airfield in Virginia. It had been signed with nothing more than a T but that was enough. Peter knew who it was from and guessed—make that hoped—what it was. The arrival information for Marty’s flight.
He didn’t try to get inside and onto the airfield. He’d pushed his luck enough already this week by using his connections, ID and a few—make that quite a few—lies.
Instead, he’d pulled off the road and parked the car in view of the runway. Getting out, he walked until he hit the perimeter fencing and waited. He might not be on the tarmac to greet the plane, but he was there to see it land.
Peter was pressed right up against the fence, his fingers gripping the chain link, when the plane touched down just before sunset. He saw the ground crew push the steps up to the aircraft. He saw the bulkhead door swing open. Saw a few sailors exit, and then, finally, a lone female slowly descended the stairs.
There was no doubt in his mind it was Marty. Her blonde hair whipped around her face from the wind. Even after what she’d been through she held herself tall, with confidence.
His heart pounded at the sight of her, even from this distance. He watched a uniformed sailor on the ground walk to meet her at the bottom of the stairs.
She and a few men loaded into a vehicle and then that was it. She was gone from his view.
Shaking, he turned and leaned back against the fence. He wasn’t even angry he’d driven three and a half hours to see Marty for about thirty seconds. It had been worth it.
Sighing, he pushed off the fence and crossed the strip of dry scrubby grass, heading for his car.
Maybe he’d find a payphone and try calling Tim while he was here. Thank him for the tip. See if he wanted to grab a bite or a drink. He could sure use one.
With that plan in mind, he glanced down at the keyring in his hand and jostled the keys to find the one for the ignition. When he looked up, it was to see a military vehicle pulling up beside his car.
He braced himself for a reprimand for parking there and prepared to whip out his senate ID and throw the senator’s name around one more time to get out of a ticket, when the door of the vehicle swung open and Tim stepped down. Followed by Marty.
The air whooshed out of Peter’s lungs. Surprise had him momentarily frozen by the trunk of his car. But Marty starting toward him knocked Peter into action.
He strode to meet her halfway, catching her as she jumped and threw her arms around his neck. He held her tight, relishing the feel of her against him. Something that, over the past week, he feared he’d never feel again.
She was soft. Warm. Wonderful.
He felt her shaking and set her feet down on the ground, leaning back far enough to see her face. Her tears had his own eyes getting misty.
Brushing one hot wet drop off her cheek with his thumb, he bent low and pressed a kiss to her mouth.
He leaned back and swallowed the emotion from his throat, trying to find words. He failed.
All he managed to get out was her name.
She drew in a stuttering breath. “They tell me my family is here. Waiting somewhere inside. So I have to go. They’ll probably want to take me home. To Maryland.”
“Okay.” He fought the disappointment he wouldn’t be taking her home with him.
But she was safe. Alive. And at first glance, unscathed. At least physically.
And he’d gotten to see all that firsthand. He had to be grateful for that, not disappointed he couldn’t have more.
“I’ll be back in D.C. tomorrow. The next day, at the latest. I’ll call you.”
He nodded. “Please do.”
Christ, he sounded like a girl, begging a guy to call before sitting around waiting for him to do it.
“I will. I promise.” She turned to glance over her shoulder.
Peter followed her gaze to where Tim stood, hovering close but far enough away to give them at least some illusion of privacy.
He met his friend’s gaze and mouthed, “Thank you.”
Tim tipped his head and then very pointedly opened the passenger door.
It was time for her to go.
She turned back to Peter and wrapped her arms around him for one last hug before she moved back a step. “See you.”
“Yeah. See you.”
She climbed up into the high vehicle and disappeared from his view. Tim delivered a small, quick wave and got in after her.
Then they were gone and Peter was alone on the side of the road with nothing but the turmoil of emotions to keep him company.
He arrived back at his apartment sometime after midnight and barely got his clothes and his glasses off before he was sound asleep. Exhaustion could finally take over now that he knew Marty was safe. That was all he needed, even if she wasn’t there with him.
Morning came too soon and in a daze he got himself to the office on time. Early actually.
He’d be toeing the line for a while to make up for his extended absence.
Thank God the senator had been out of the office traveling for the entire time Peter had been missing in action.
As for the rest of the staff, he’d made his excuses to them, peppered with a liberal amount of lies and half-truths.
Most were too busy to question him or care. Or maybe they were just happy he was back and promising to work extra hours to get through the mounting workload.
He didn’t mind the overtime. He didn’t have anything else to occupy his time while he waited for Marty’s call. He needed to keep busy so he wouldn’t think. Because when he had time to think, he considered how it would be when she did call, if she did call.