“Never.”

“Well, you do.”

“I love you, Marci.”

“Love you, too.”

Outside, the wind howled from the north, promising fierce weather. She closed her eyes and slept without dreams for the first time in a month.

THE NOTE ARRIVED in her in-box the next morning. Rashid was supposed to use e-mail only to set up meetings. Instead he’d sent a full report — his first tradecraft mistake:

I have met our mutual friend. He is quite sick. In America, he would receive a pacemaker immediately. Unfortunately, I do not know where he is or how you can find him. They did as you suggested they would. I told them that to be searched in such a way was humiliating and unnecessary, but they insisted. This was in Peshawar. They even poured out my medicines and looked them over. They allowed me to keep the pills and bottles, but nothing else. They gave me new clothes, a robe and sandals. They put me in a van and blindfolded me and drove for hours. Then moved me to another vehicle.

When the second car stopped, I was led into a building. My blindfold was removed. I found myself inside a concrete room, no windows. I heard cars passing. After a minute my guards escorted me into another room with a long wooden table. They searched me again. This time they allowed me to keep on my clothes. We waited together — I don’t know how long. Finally, a car stopped outside. A minute later, our friend walked in, with four guards. He looked me over and said, “He has been checked?” and my guard said, “Completely.” He dismissed the guards, and I examined him. With the results I have already reported, I cannot do much for him here. Again as you suggested, his guards picked two pills at random from the bottles of medicine I’d given him and forced me to take them. I did not argue.

This meeting took place ten days ago. Until yesterday, I was confined at the house. They told me that they wanted to be sure the medicine “worked.” I told them that I was loyal and didn’t like being treated this way. Also that I wanted to consult with a specialist in heart failure to see if I could improve his treatment. Finally, they let me go. But I am sure they will bring me back to see him again.