Tom Clancy's Net Force 6-10 (218 page)
She looked at Jay.
“Why are you here? You’re not a field guy.”
“I didn’t want to miss it,” he said. “It was the least I could do.”
“What if I’d just shot you without a second thought when I opened the door?”
“General Kent tells me the ceramic and spider-silk armor I have on under this poncho will stop anything you could have carried to the door. It ought to, it’s heavy enough.”
She shook her head. Damn.
Damn.
EPILOGUE
Fine Point Salle d’Armes
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
There were half a dozen new faces in the gym. Thorn had put the word out that he was expanding, and Jamal’s success had helped bring in a few more students. It would grow further, he knew, now that he had the time to put into it.
He and Marissa stood off to one side, watching Jamal demonstrate the guard position, the first simple parries, and the basics of footwork.
“He’s a good kid,” she said.
“I think he’s gonna do fine. He’s smart, talented, disciplined. He learns from his mistakes. And I think helping teach these new kids will be very, very good for him.”
“And this is what you want, Tommy?” She gestured around them at the ratty old gym, refurbished but still run-down.
“It won’t always be like this,” he said. “But right now, it fits. And, yeah, this is what I want. Well, as long as you’re a part of the package, but you knew that already.”
She smiled, but then grew serious again. “You’ve officially resigned from Net Force?”
Thorn nodded, still watching Jamal’s retreating back. “There’s no reason for me to stay. We caught Lewis, and they’ll put her in a room so deep it’ll take daylight a week to get there. Nothing else on my plate.”
He sighed, then turned to look at her. “I’m not a military man, Marissa, and I don’t want to be one. My position isn’t really necessary in the new chain of command, but then most of the people who work for Net Force aren’t necessary. There’s too much duplication of effort. Kent commands a Marine unit, though. They can at least find a place to stick him and his troops, those who want to stay. Or he could retire as a general, get a job in private industry, if he wants. Jay probably won’t stick around unless they offer him something he can’t get elsewhere, which they can’t. General Hadden knew all along, I think, that I would be leaving. Sooner or later, it would have come to a pissing match, and I’d have lost. Better to retire a winner in your prime than hang on and get knocked out by some young and hungry fighter on the way up as you are going down.”
He paused again, then asked her, “So, are you okay with this?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t want you to quit for the wrong reasons—ego, mostly—but you make good points.”
“Now and again, even a blind squirrel finds an acorn.” He paused. “You heard that Abe Kent is getting married?”
“No, really?”
“His guitar teacher.”
“Wow, seems like everybody is getting married, doesn’t it?”
He took her hand. “Everybody important, anyhow.”
She smiled at him. “So, Tommy, are we going to live happily ever after?”
He reached up and touched her cheek with his other hand. “Believe it,” he said softly.
And kissed her.
Other titles by Steve Pieczenik
THE MIND PALACE
BLOOD HEAT
MAXIMUM VIGILANCE
PAX PACIFICA
STATE OF EMERGENCY
HIDDEN PASSIONS
MY BELOVED TALLEYRAND
BLOOD HEAT
MAXIMUM VIGILANCE
PAX PACIFICA
STATE OF EMERGENCY
HIDDEN PASSIONS
MY BELOVED TALLEYRAND
For more information on Steve Pieczenik,
please visit
www.stevepieczenik.com
and
www.strategic-intl.com
.
please visit
www.stevepieczenik.com
and
www.strategic-intl.com
.
Books by Alexander Court
ACTIVE MEASURES
ACTIVE PURSUIT
ACTIVE PURSUIT
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