“Colonel, Consider yourself in charge of the domestic investigation. General Brody,” McKay said, “involve the FBI quietly. Use their intelligence resources to assist in identifying what prison that Chief fellow served his time in, and to track down the wives of the Afghans.”

“I’d like daily reports directly from you on the progress of your task force, Colonel.” Brody added, handing Simmons a card. “Here’s my cell number. It will be on 24/7.”

“What about your home, your wife?” McKay asked.

“Now that we’ve decided a direction, I’ll bring her into the loop. She realizes there’s danger, but I’ve delayed giving her too much to handle. I don’t want her losing it.”

“I’ll coordinate our international activities with the FBI,” Brody said. “We’ll each know the other’s progress. You and Kaye decide where you want to live and we’ll take it from there. Neither of you can return to your home until this is over.”

Kaye wept, safely enfolded in her husband’s arms. She had listened intently as the Wine of Astonishment was poured out, trying to appear resolute. Her tears weren’t prompted by fear. They wet his shoulder because she knew the pervasive loneliness that haunted her when her beloved was away. She had always supported him during his assignments or when he was on a mission. It was who he was. That support had kept him comfortable on the way up, had freed his mind and his time. But no count of years had softened the sorrow that crept in each time he left, often within minutes of the door closing behind him. Secretly, she often felt she would have been happier if he had been no more ambitious than poor Potts, the man in the sad account he had related, but she would never have been attracted to an ordinary or unambitious man and she knew it. Life simply didn’t allow some women to have a simple man and respect him. In her younger days, the danger and intrigue surrounding his often mysterious assignments had thrilled her. His charisma arose from the aura of mystery and his special commitment. Had he been the homely sort, they probably would never have found each other. So though her heart ached within her chest, she was determined to tough it out, however difficult this most important of all assignments might prove to be. For her own part, she wanted the miscreants who had tried to take him from her to pay. He was still alive. At the root of her convulsed emotions, she felt fortunate to have him at all.

“How long do you think before this ends?” She asked with a searching stare. He squeezed her more tightly.

“I wish I knew, Kaye,” he said, wiping a tear from her cheek with the back of his finger and kissing the spot where it had been. “By Fall Equinox, maybe, if things go well.”

“You think so?”

“No. I don’t know what I believe or where I think this will all lead. But we can hope.”