“No, you have full conversations with yourself.”
“It’s the most intelligent conversation I can have in this room, present company included.”
“Fuck you.”
Asher sighed. “You keep promising but you never deliver.”
Harry grumbled and walked out into the sun, opting to walk a few laps to get some kind of exercise. Even if it was wonky on his stabilising boot, even with the twinge in his ankle.
It had to be better than dealing with Asher and his sexual innuendos. Or maybe it was Asher’s way of flirting? Harry wasn’t sure. He hadn’t done anything of the sort for so long, he couldn’t even remember the last time.
He really had been alone for far too long.
Which was how he preferred it, if he was being honest. Alone, no one to annoy him, no one that never stopped talking. No one else to think about, worry about, and no one that made him irrationally angry, no one that he wanted to shoot several times a day.
The door to their room opened. Asher stood in the shadow and waved him in. Harry was just about to cuss him out some more—he’d only got in ten laps so far—but Asher’s expression told him something was up.
His brow was furrowed, his eyes studying the screen he was holding, and there was no smile.
Harry had gotten used to the stupid smile.
He walked back inside and closed the door behind him. “What’s up?”
“There’s a woman we need to see in Algeria,” Asher said, his tone flat and urgent. “We should leave tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes. We’ll wait until after midnight and head southeast. Cross the border before morning.”
“Who is the woman, where is she at, and why do we need to see her?”
“She has some information we need. She’s in Algiers.”
“See her? Or kill her?”
“Depends on her answers.”
Harry nodded. “Fair enough.”
“She’s an academic. I don’t expect her to be problematic. I can explain more on the drive there. How’s your ankle?”
“It feels fine. I’ve told—”
“We’ll need to do some walking. You up for that?”
Asher was all serious now, and if Harry had wondered how this smiling, sunshiny kind of guy had earned himself the reputation of being cold and calculating, he saw glimpses ofthatAsher here now. “Sure. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about you slowing me down.”
Harry bristled. “I won’t slow you down.”
“Good.” Then Asher studied the screen for a few long seconds before turning it around to show Harry. “We’ve also got two visitors. I think they’re friends of yours.”
Harry leaned in to see the image. It was grainy and by no means a great photo. Then a second photo, same two guys, different location. “Shit.” He didn’t want to believe it... If those two were on the ground looking for him, all arrows pointed to the likelihood that the order came from Harry’s boss.
Asher sighed, his full lips pressed into an unimpressed line. “You know them?”
“Hm.” Harry scowled. “When was that photo taken?”