She came to stand next to Shane.
“You saved my life.”
His voice trembled when he replied, “I couldn’t let that woman shoot you.”
She kissed him on the cheek and touched Kelly’s hand. “How are you, Joe?”
“Better now,” he said, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
She seemed to read his mind. “I’m the same Caroline, you know. Well, maybe not exactly the same. I feel like I’ve grown more in the last few days than I have in all the years before that.”
Shane said, “I feel the same.”
Kelly nodded in agreement, then said, “You mentioned you had some ideas?”
Dawson perched on the side of the bed and took one of Shane’s hands and one of Kelly’s in each of hers. “This is our home. My dad wanted to move to France, but I never did. We grew up here. We’ve seen so many changes.” She paused. “And now so many people have died. Stuart, my dad, Walt, Liz, and all the others.”
Kelly said, “And something big went down over at the military base and at the drilling site, but Decker can’t tell us what.”
“My point is,” said Dawson, “that this town really needs us right now. Shane now owns pretty much everything. But the future of London depends on the investments and the decisions made now. We’re sort of at a crossroads. While the busts seem to be behind us, the world’s not going to live on oil forever. We need to do it right. Because doing it wrong is not an option.”
Shane said, “I came here in part to get Joe to help me run it. I just thought you were going to leave, Caroline, or else I would have asked you too.”
“Well, I’m not, I’m staying. For a lot of reasons.” She drew a long breath. “So I was thinking that we could work together to keep everything going. See, I’m betting on London, North Dakota, making the transition from just an oil town to a place where people want to live. And, well, I hope you feel the same.”
Shane said, “I never wanted any part of my dad’s business. But now that it’s mine to run, I’m thinking a lot differently. I know about fracking, but you know about everything else, Caroline. So working together seems like a great idea.” He looked at Kelly. “You in?”
Kelly squeezed Dawson’s hand. “Well, considering I might not be able to pass the physical to qualify as a cop again, and that you two were always my best friends, it’s a pretty easy decision.”
Dawson hugged first Kelly, then Shane. All three of them had fresh tears in their eyes.
“And we wish you the best of luck,” said Jamison, while Decker nodded.
Kelly said, “I hope I never need the FBI again, but if I do, I hope to hell they send you.”
Shane said, “Goes double for me.”
Dawson gave Jamison and Decker hugs. “Thank you, for everything.”
As Decker left with Jamison, he turned around to see three lifelong friends plotting how to change their little piece of the world for the better. Or at least the little part of it represented by London, North Dakota.
* * *
Blue Man had a government jet sent to take Decker and Jamison and Robie and Reel back to DC.
After the plane took off from the runway at the Air Force installation in London, Robie eyed Decker, who was sitting in his seat, obviously lost in thought.
“You did good, Decker,” he said. “Saved a lot of lives.”
“We all did good,” said Jamison. “And we wouldn’t be here but for you two.”
Decker said nothing to this. He just stared at the seatback.
“And Brad Daniels recovered and is living at a VA hospital,” said Robie. “Hear he’s loving telling stories from the past.”
As the plane leveled out, Robie got two beers from the bar up front, sat next to Decker, and handed him one. Reel and Jamison got up from their seats and sat at a table in the back with coffees.
Robie took a sip of his beer and looked out the window. “The folks Purdy was working with have been identified. Appropriate back channels have been opened to bring the hammer down on them and to make sure some people are punished. There will be consequences.”
“Right,” said Decker absently.
“No, there will be consequences. And Jess and I are going to be the tips of that spear. We volunteered.”
Decker eyed him closely. “That makes me feel better,” he said quite sincerely.
Robie glanced at him. “You know, every time I finish a mission I take a walk down by Memorial Bridge in DC late at night.”
“Why do you do that?” asked Decker, suddenly interested.
“Don’t know. Why does anyone do anything?”
“To think, maybe?”
“Maybe. A little quiet time before . . .”
“. . . going back to work?”
“Yeah.”
Decker drained half his beer. “Maybe that’s all we have.”
“Meaning work?”
“Meaning, what else?” answered Decker.
“You’re good at what you do.”
“So are you.”
“And I used to think that was enough,” said Robie.
Decker shot him a glance. “And now you don’t?”
“And now . . . maybe I don’t.” He paused and stared at his drink. “I read your file.”
“I didn’t have the opportunity to read yours.”
“I’ve never been married, Decker, never had kids. That would be tough for anyone. I’m sorry that happened to you.”
Decker didn’t respond; he shifted his gaze to look out the window, where it was dark.
“They’re getting ready to enter the bunker,” said Robie. “And clean out all the crap.”
“Good to know.”
“It’s not a bad thing for people to do from time to time. Clean out the crap.”
This caused Decker to look at the man. “You never struck me as being a philosopher.”
“Is that what you call it?”
“I don’t know. First thing that popped into my head.”
“I guess I can see that.”
“People often feel the need to give me advice,” said Decker, a bite to his words.
Robie nodded slowly. “I felt the same way, until I realized I had never followed any of that advice, and then suddenly I was in a place I didn’t want to be.”
“And are you out of that place now?”
“Not even close. But just think where I’d be if I hadn’t even considered other possibilities.” A few moments of quiet passed before Robie rose and said, “I’ll leave you to it.”
He headed to the front of the jet.
Decker called after him. “Going to Memorial Bridge after we land?”
“Always.” He glanced back. “Everyone needs a . . . place, right?”
NEARLY THREE HOURS LATER, the jet touched down in DC and rolled to a stop. After deplaning, the four said their good-byes.
Jamison shook Robie’s and Reel’s hands. “I hope this isn’t the last time we see you.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” said Reel, her eyes twinkling. “We usually only show up when the world is about to end.”