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His lip curled up, like it was all he could do to not stand up and smash Cooper’s head into the TV. Cooper didn’t know what to say.

Blackmon continued to babble, but Cooper wasn’t paying any attention. He used the remote to turn the TV off. “Dude, just take it easy, okay?”

Jeff’s lip returned to normal. He blinked a few times. The hate left his eyes.

“Oh, wow, man,” he said. “Sorry about that. This bug has me in a s.h.i.+t-a.s.s mood, I guess.”

Cooper shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.” He felt a wave of relief — for a second, he’d thought his best friend was going to get out of that bed and come at him.

Jeff rubbed at his face. “No, it’s not okay. I can’t talk to you like that. Sorry.” He looked up and forced a smile. “So that s.h.i.+t they were talking about on TV, that medicine. When do we have to take whatever it is they’re pa.s.sing out?”

“I don’t know,” Cooper said. “You want me to turn the TV back on?”

“No. Whatever it is, it’s not going to be here in the next six hours. I’m going to get some more sleep. Really awesome vacation in the Windy City, eh?”

“My kind of town. Old Blue Eyes was full of s.h.i.+t, if you ask me.”

Jeff laughed, which quickly turned into a heavy, ripping cough that curled his body into a fetal position. Cooper plucked a pair of Kleenex from the box and offered them. Jeff had his left hand over his mouth, but reached out with his right to take the tissues. He pressed them to his mouth as the cough racked him again. He rolled to his back.

“Aw, f.u.c.k, Coop — that s.h.i.+t hurts.”

Jeff pulled the Kleenex away from his mouth and looked at it. Amid a glob of greenish-yellow were bright streaks of red.

“Dude,” Cooper said, “that’s not good.”

Jeff balled up the Kleenex and tossed it away. He waved a hand as if brus.h.i.+ng away Cooper’s thoughts.

“Ain’t the first time I’ve coughed up a little blood, bro. Don’t worry about it.” He rolled to his side, rested his head on the pillow. “I’m going back to sleep. Turn off the lights, man. If you make any more noise, I’m going to hurt you.”

Cooper froze. Was Jeff joking, or threatening? It didn’t sound like a joke. Cooper stared for a moment, once again suddenly aware of the size difference between them. Jeff was bigger, stronger … and Jeff knew how to fight.

Cooper slowly reclined on the bed, careful not to make too much noise. Maybe he didn’t feel like he’d been face-f.u.c.ked by a rabid buffalo, but he sure as h.e.l.l didn’t feel like singing and dancing, either. He was exhausted; sleep would be good.

And maybe when he woke up, Jeff would be back to normal.

GUINEA PIG

Paulius Klimas sat at the SPA’s conference table. He stared at a blank screen, waiting for a call. Once the call began, he’d get one minute. Even that much was a blessing, a courtesy done for him by Murray Longworth.

Paulius had lost men before. Five so far, all on missions that had never been announced, never been recorded. Every one of those deaths had been hard. Each time he’d questioned his leaders.h.i.+p abilities, wondered if he could have done something different to bring that man home alive.

But this was the hardest of all.

Longworth had needed a volunteer. Since Levinson couldn’t fight, Paulius gave the man first dibs. Levinson understood that if he didn’t go, another SEAL would go in his place.