Death Echo

were equally light on their feet.
    Equally deadly.
    Even Harrow moved well. For a desk flyer, he kept himself fit. He had put on a blue wool blazer before leaving the boat, but hadn’t fastened it. The gun in his shoulder harness flashed in and out of view. As he approached, Mac saw the telltale crease in his smooth hair that indicated he was wearing a nearly invisible com unit.
    Like a street walker jiggling her assets, Mac thought sardonically. Letting everyone know who has what.
    â€œYou’re late,” Harrow said to Emma.
    â€œChasing electrons eats time,” she said.
    â€œIf you don’t believe us, ask your tech specialist,” Mac offered. Harrow gave him a sweeping look, then concentrated on Emma. “Our locator says you’re still in Discovery Harbor, Campbell River.”
    â€œYour locator is. We aren’t.”
    Harrow’s blue eyes narrowed. “One of your problems, Cross, is that you’ve never been as funny as you think you are.”
    â€œCould be your sense of humor,” Mac said.
    Harrow shot him a cold look. “Your problem, MacKenzie, is that you don’t have a sense of humor at all.”
    â€œYeah, I never learned to laugh at the sight of blood and flying body parts.”
    â€œWhere is Blackbird ?” Harrow demanded of Emma.
    â€œWhy do you care?” she asked.
    â€œDon’t fuck with me.”
    â€œNo worries,” she drawled. “I don’t like sloppy seconds.”
    Color blazed along Harrow’s high cheekbones.
    Mac discovered his sense of humor. He laughed out loud. Then he bent and brushed a lover’s kiss along Emma’s neck.
    â€œEase up, babe,” he said too softly to be overheard. “He’s going to stroke out on us.”
    â€œI’ll savor the possibility.”
    â€œYou still don’t get it, do you, Cross?” Harrow said with icy calm. “No matter how you swing that sexy ass, at the end of the day I’m still boss. You aren’t.”
    â€œYou missed the part where you tell her that she’s in trouble and all you want to do is help,” Mac said.
    Harrow shot him a surprised look.
    â€œI took Advanced Interrogation 101,” Mac said. “The first rule is that it’s never your cock on the line. Just the opposition’s. Otherwise you lose control of the interrogation.”
    Harrow took a slow breath and nodded curtly. “I’m glad you’re on our side.”
    â€œWon’t work,” Emma said. “He graduated Divide and Conquer at the head of his class.”
    â€œYou always were too—” Harrow began.
    â€œQuick for you,” she finished. She looked at Mac. “Tim and I have radically different views of the world and the people in it.”
    â€œTalk to me,” Mac said.
    â€œThat’s just one of the many things I love about you,” she said. “You listen. Tim, however, is ‘on’ all the time, a handsome icon of the modern warrior diplomat, with skills and instincts that are both smooth and honed. We dated for a time, were engaged for two weeks. Then I walked in and found him polishing his desk with an associate’s naked ass.” She shrugged. “We got un-engaged real quick.”
    â€œNo harm, no foul?” Mac asked, cutting across Harrow’s attempt to talk.
    â€œPretty much. I was mad for, oh, half an hour. Then I was relieved.”
    â€œSo Harrow is a walking, talking nation,” Mac said. “He doesn’t have friends, he has interests.”
    Emma laughed with delight. “Nailed it. And him.”
    â€œIf you’re finished with the lame comedy routine,” Harrow said, “we’ll go aboard the Solstice, get comfortable, and talk.”
    â€œNo,” Mac and Emma said as one.
    â€œThis fly ain’t strolling into no spidery parlor,” she added.
    â€œWe could be overheard out here,” Harrow said impatiently.
    â€œIf you’re worried about somebody lurking on that little islet over there with a parabolic microphone, forget it,” Mac said. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “The sound of the cascade trumps any listening device.”
    Harrow put his fists on his hips, bringing the shoulder harness into full display as he got in Mac’s face.
    The shadow wearing a wind jacket and an Uzi drifted closer.
    â€œListen, ass clown,” Harrow said, “I don’t have time for this. I don’t even have