Anna stood in the doorway and watched her husband go.
"Oh God why does this have to be like this?" She whispered, as she felt cold fingers of icy dread squeeze around her heart as she watched her lover disappear down the hall.
Maria stepped out of her room poised on top of the stiletto heels that the long plain ordinary trench coat failed to hide. She clicked her way up to Anna and shared her view of Tyre's departing back for a moment before she reached out her hand and squeezed Anna's shoulder.
Anna looked over at her not bothering to wipe the tears off her face.
Maria's face gentled in a way most people never saw, "Ever seen your man in action honey? I mean real action."
Anna shook her head, "No, not really, I guess." Anna said in response.
"Well, let me tell you, it's something to see! Did he ever tell you how he came to join the agency?" Maria asked.
"If you mean about Chantry shooting him and then nursing him back to life then, yes, he did."
Maria looked back at the departing Tyre for a moment, "Chantry once told me that hunting down Tyre was the hardest and most dangerous endeavor he had ever encountered in his life. Your man eats entire drug cartels for breakfast and while many men couldn't take down a rave hall packed with doped out gun rockers, he can! We call him the Iceman. Me and my girls will be there to make sure he doesn't get shot in the back, while he's taking out the trash. He'll come back Anna." Maria said, as she squeezed Anna's shoulder once more and then moved off down the hall after Tyre.
"Maria."
Maria stopped and turned back to Anna her face inquiringly curious.
"Come back yourself Maria!" Anna said.
Maria's white teeth showed in a smile of acknowledgment at Anna's caring for her.
Out of sudden curiosity Anna asked, "What do they call you when you're not around?"
One of Maria's dark eyebrows rose and her smile deepened, "I believe the term Ice Queen has been applied to me a few times."
She turned back around and was soon gone. Later Anna would go to the mobile control room that the agency had set up, but for now she would pray.
I stepped into the van that would take us to the rave hall. It was about 11 o'clock and things would be heating up in the rave hall by now. I heard a whistle before I saw its origin. It was Galloway.
He came up shaking his head with his usual goofy grin in place as his eyes took in my suit. He pulled one flap of my coat back to the side and glanced around to my back under the coat.