Face the Music

Chapter 17

"So what do we do now?" Ella asked, swallowing the last bite of her burger that Collins had brought.

"I suppose we figure out how to keep you safe," I said.

Collins cleared his throat. "Uh, Ben? Can I speak to you for a moment?" He didn't wait for me to answer, but just stood and stalked out of the room. I could tell I'd pissed him off. Rather than fight the inevitable argument, I just stood and following him through the kitchen door.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Have you lost your mind?" He hissed, keeping his voice low so Ella wouldn't hear. "Jesus Christ, Ben, we ain't here to protect that girl. We're here to catch Loretto and get out. You know that!" He lowered his voice even farther. "Hell, we don't even know if we can trust her. Maybe she is working for dear old dad. Feeding information back to him, ya know?"

I felt my face morph into an expression of rage.

"Collins. Since I have been working this job, I've been doing what someone else tells me to do. I follow orders that some fat, rich asshole relays to me from an office somewhere. I don't complain, I don't question those orders, but right now, I know that the scared girl in that room needs my help, and I'm going to do everything I can to keep her from getting hurt."

Collins was staring at me, his eyes full of something that resembled disappointment. "But are you sure it's the right thing? I know that you have feelings for her, but you can't think clearly when she's involved! You're not looking at this objectively anymore! You're making it personal!"

I growled in frustration. "It's been personal since Miami, since Kelly. He took something of mine that night, and I'm going to make him pay. He should have paid for it back then. I screwed up in letting him get away, and I know that, but sooner or later, he's going to slip up, and I'm going to find him. He's going to spend the rest of his miserable life regretting that night. How I feel about Ella has nothing to do with the case. I can still do my job." I said it fiercely, and I wanted to believe it, but I wasn't sure.

Could I do my job if Ella was involved?

Collins looked just plain sad now. "I'm not the only one concerned. The agency has a lot invested in this case. I reckon they ain't wanting to see it fall apart. They don't want a rerun of what happened with Kelly."

"I'm not going to let that happen," I hissed. "And how do they even know about my relationship with Ella?" I asked. Collins looked guilty. "Did you call the damn agency to tattle on me, Collins?"

"I know it was rough, the thing with Kelly and all, but you were just getting back on track when you met that girl in there. You've been acting weird since then, and I need to be able to count on my partner," he said quietly. His face was drawn and serious, and his words hit me like a kick to the gut.

"You think you can't rely on me?" The insinuation stung. I never meant to make Collins feel like he couldn't trust me - that I wouldn't have his back in any fight, no matter the odds.

He shrugged at me. "I don't know if I can. That's why I called John."

John Brennan, the CIA director. The man who'd recruited me from the army.

I ground my teeth. "Call him back and tell him you're no longer concerned."

He winced. "Too late for that, I'm afraid. He flew in to LAX this morning. He wants to meet with us - both of us - tomorrow morning. Eight o'clock on the city hall steps. He said not to be late."

***

By the time dusk rolled around I was still pouting. I was slumped over in the rocking chair glaring out the window. I refused to speak to Collins the tattle tale.