It was the first time in the history of his career with ARIES that Robert had to wait for Samuel Hatch to show up for a debriefing. He spent nearly ten minutes talking shop with Carla Juarez in the main office, filling her in on some of the things that had happened in Rebelia. Of course, Carla was a lot more interested in the mystery woman and one-year-old child he had returned home with. She’d been smiling from ear to ear by the time she’d shown Robert into Hatch’s inner sanctum—where he’d now been waiting for nearly ten minutes.
Restless, Robert rose from the sled chair opposite Hatch’s desk and strode to the credenza where the listless strawberry plant was struggling to remain upright, even though Hatch had added a plant light since Robert had been here last. A bag of potting soil sat at the edge of the credenza next to a small aluminum watering pail. Remembering Hatch’s determination to keep the threadbare plant alive, Robert smiled. If anyone could nurse that wretched-looking plant back to health, it was Hatch.
It had been four days since Robert, Lily and Jack had been airlifted from the Veisweimar Castle in Rebelia. Robert still couldn’t quite believe he’d found her after all this time. That she was alive. That she’d given him a son. He loved both of them more than life itself, and had no earthly idea how he’d survived all those months thinking she’d been killed.
Just thinking of her made his heart beat faster. He’d only been away from her for a little over two hours—just long enough to drive from his home near D.C. to ARIES headquarters in Virginia—and already he missed her. Already he missed Jack. A sweet ache pulsed inside him with every beat of his heart, as powerful as the need to take his next breath.
After what they’d gone through in Rebelia, Hatch had given them three days of leave in Paris, compliments of ARIES. Decompression time is what Hatch called it. Something deep cover operatives needed after a particularly intense operation. Robert called them the best three days of his life.
The office door swung open. Robert looked up to see Hatch stride in, a small bag in one hand, a tastefully wrapped gift in the other. “I was wondering when you were going to show up,” Robert said good-naturedly.
“Damn traffic.” Hatch strode to the desk and set the wrapped gift on top of his “out” box. Reaching inside the brown paper bag, he withdrew a small bottle of liquid plant fertilizer and turned toward the credenza. Robert watched as Hatch mixed a few drops of the fertilizer in the watering pail, then poured the mixture over the strawberry plant.
“It’s looking better,” Robert said, referring to the plant.
“Damn thing’s going to die on me.” Taking his chair, Hatch scooted up to his desk, pulled a manila folder from his drawer, then opened it. “The gift is for you and Lily,” he said without looking up.
Robert glanced at the tastefully wrapped box, noting the white paper and matching satin bow. Because he hadn’t been expecting a gift from Hatch, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Ah, thanks.”
“Pretty quick wedding,” Hatch said.
“We flew directly to Vegas once we arrived in the States from Paris.” Remembering that neither he nor Lily had been able to wait, Robert smiled. “We’re going to have another wedding in January. You know, with all the bells and whistles. You’re on the invitation list, by the way.”
Resting his hands on the file in front of him, Hatch shot Robert a canny look. “I didn’t know you were involved with her when I sent you over there.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry, Robert. I wouldn’t have put one of my operatives through that. It could have been dangerous and must have been hell for you finding out that she was alive the way you did.”
“Everything worked out.”
“How’s the boy?”
Robert thought of Jack, his precious son, and his chest swelled. “He’s doing great. The bone marrow transplant is scheduled for next week.”
“Let me know how it goes.” Hatch’s knowing gaze met Robert’s and held. “I’m glad everything worked out for you.”
“Me, too.” Because he wasn’t comfortable discussing his personal life with his superior, Robert cleared his throat and went quickly to the next topic on his mental list. “The only thing I regret is that I wasn’t able to bring Alex Morrow. We were so damn close.”
Something he couldn’t quite read flashed in the older man’s expression, and for an instant he looked older than his sixty years. “You confirmed the location of Dr. Morrow,” Hatch said. “You found out where DeBruzkya’s headquarters is located. Those two things are vital and, in my eyes, you did what you were sent over there to do. Operation PHOENIX was a successful mission.”
“Morrow’s still missing,” Robert pointed out.
“True,” Hatch conceded, then leaned back in his chair. “Luckily, I have an ace up my sleeve.”