He watched Gold stare at the floor. Sleep deprivation gummed his thoughts; he could not concentrate on any line of logic. He still heard aircraft engines thrumming overhead from time to time, but the plane might as well have flown in another dimension. Parson saw no way it could help him now. Nothing registered clearly in his mind except fear and resolve, in that order. “What are you going to tell him?” Gold asked finally. “That I won’t do it.” “Good.” Gold looked squarely into his eyes. “Good.” “I’ve gotten enough people killed already.” “You didn’t kill them.” “Still. I won’t give him a helicopter crew,” Parson said. “Fucking raghead.” “At least we’ll go out doing the right thing,” Gold said. “No one will ever know it.” “Doesn’t matter.” “Do you believe in heaven, Sergeant Gold?” “Yes, I do.” She didn’t even have to think about that one, Parson realized. The window went from black to dark gray, the only indication of daybreak.
