Part 6 (2/2)
”And I have not murdered,” he told her.
She turned slowly to look at him. ”What does this mean?*
”We're pro's, Evita. We make war, not love, not murder not love, not murder. That's all it means. When I mentioned Juan and Rosalita I was only thinking of that very innocent and special fairyland that you and I have left forever. Would you like to trade places with Rosalita, Eve? Would you, if you could?”
She moved her head in a slow negative, her eyes pinned to Bolan's. ”Would you like it better if I did?”
He grinned and shook his head. ”I wouldn't know what to do with a Rosalita.”
”You call me Eve,” she whispered. ”Do you know what to do with an Eve?”
”The original Eve wanted truth,” he reminded her. ”She picked the forbidden fruit of knowledge.”
”Yes?”
”Yes.”
”And found love?”
He shook his head again, soberly. ”She found war. And h.e.l.l. And d.a.m.nation. And eviction from fairyland.”
”Adam, also? He found all this?”
”Yes.”
They were fools, this Adam and Eve,” she declared bitterly.
”Where would this world be, Evita,” he quietly asked her, ”without fools hike these?”
She understood. ”Thank you,” she said huskily.
He gathered her into his arms and pulled her close. ”I left out the most important point of the story,” he said.
Her arms went tightly about his neck and she clung to him. Her breathing was a bit ragged and he had the taste of tears on his lips as she said, ”You did?”
”Yes,” he replied, finding a bit of difficulty with his own breathing. ”Through it all, Adam and Eve found each other.”
”Oh Dios Dios, Mack!” she cried. ”Find me me, please find me!”
He found her, and was glad, understanding in that Jarring moment of truth that each had desperately needed to find the other at just that point in time and s.p.a.ce.
Even a couple of war-hardened pro's needed a trip through fairyland from time to time.
The war faded, h.e.l.l wavered, and even d.a.m.nation lost its sting as Bolan and the law traded points of reality, and merged them, and expanded them into that all-consuming flame which is known only to those who live largely, love largely, and fully expect to die in the same manner.
For those who live to the point, Bolan decided, there are very special rewards.
The sun had become quite low in the sky when Bolan stirred and gently disentangled himself from that sweet press.
”Let us die here now, like this,” Evita murmured lazily.
”We just might,” he told her. He rubbed her thigh and said, ”Come on, rise and s.h.i.+ne, time to hit the firing line. The enemy could have brought a battalion in here on us and we'd have never known it.”
”I have been listening to your heart beat,” she said, ”in all the world there has been no other sound. The war drums have fallen silent. Anyway, the battalions would never find us here.”
”Don't be too sure of that.” He rolled onto his knees and knelt there for a moment, studying her. Then he smiled and said, ”I like this hat.”
”Sombrero? Por la cabeza?-the head? I do head? I do not not wear the hat.” wear the hat.”
”Figure of speech,” he explained. ”Por la senorita de amor.”
Her eyes glowed at him and she replied, ”Yes, I also like this hat.”
”Let's put the other one back on for a minute,” Bolan suggested, regretfully. ”You told me that Triesta overheard you making a phone call.”
”This is true.”
”It was an official call?”
”Official, yes. I was reporting the events at Gla.s.s Bay.”
”In English?”
Her eyes fell. ”Yes.”
”Why not in Spanish? You said it's the official language here. Wouldn't it have been safer to use the native tongue? Did Triesta know Spanish?”
”The man... my contact... he does not know Spanish.”
Bolan sighed. ”I'd feel much better, Evita, if you'd level with me. The whole story.”
She sighed also. ”Some things, Mack Bolan, I can not___”
”No games,” he said firmly. ”I have to know.”
The interrogation was becoming an ordeal for Evita. ”You have heard... the expression... strike forcer strike forcer He nodded. ”Feds. Does Was.h.i.+ngton have men here?”
She hesitated, then replied, ”Yes. Officially, these are special advisors. At the moment their greatest concern seems to be for... for Mack Bolan.”
”I see,” he said quietly.
”They were expecting you in Puerto Rico.”
”And you confirmed their expectations.”
<script>