Page 32 of Silent Target

He thinks I haven’t noticed.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You just did.”

I turn toward him. “Was that a joke?”

“No.”

“I’m fairly certain it was.”

He keeps his attention on the road. “I don’t joke.”

“Liar.”

There it is again.

The almost-smile.

Progress.

“How long have you been with Shadow Division?”

“A long time.”

“You know that isn’t an answer.”

“It is.”

“Not a useful one.”

“I wasn’t aiming for useful.”

I fold my arms. “I’ve read your file.”

“I figured.”

“It wasn’t very informative.”

“They never are.”

“It said you completed more classified operations than anyone else in your unit.”

He doesn’t respond.

“It also said you received medals that don’t officially exist.”

His hands remain steady on the wheel.

“And it said you always volunteered to stay behind.”

His fingers tighten.

Only slightly.

If I hadn’t spent years studying people for the agency, I would have missed it.

“I stopped reading after that,” I say.