Free Target by Lisa Phillips

sighed. “It’s not that herbal crap, if that’s what you’re asking. I buy these pyramid shaped tea bags from the specialty store. Try it, it’s really good. A proper English cup of tea.”
    Andrea smiled, but it didn’t brighten her eyes any. “Thanks.”
    “No problem. It’s not much, just tea.” What more could she do? She wasn’t really good at this part of her job. Caisey was better at running down leads and getting answers when people underestimated the short blond chick, never imagining she was packing a gun and a badge.
    On the fridge behind Andrea was a collection of papers. A weights and measures conversion chart, a menu for the local Greek restaurant and a magnet with a Bible verse on it.
    She looked at Andrea. “You’re a Christian?”
    Andrea nodded. “Not a very good one.”
    Caisey smiled. “Me either. I go to church, but there seems to be a disconnect between my life and how it is for other people who go there. The super-spiritual types, you know?”
    “I had a friend in college who went to all the meetings and Bible studies. I like the sentiment, peace and joy. Freedom. I just never seemed to be able to get it to sink in enough that I actually felt free.”
    “And then in the unlikeliest of places, you meet someone who feels exactly the way you do.” Caisey paused. Andrea’s face said she knew what Caisey meant. “Who else could that be, but God? I don’t believe in coincidences, or magic, or destiny, or any of that. Life is just too…raw.”
    Andrea took a sip of her tea and placed the cup back down. “I can’t live with no hope, that’s all I know. There has to be something good and it isn’t us. We’re too capable of awful, ugly things to be the source of goodness in the world. There has to be something more under the surface that we’re not seeing. Otherwise, what’s the point? There’s no way all of our trying to do good and pay it forward, or whatever, outweighs the atrocity even one single person is capable of.”
    Caisey studied her face, marveling that someone who had never seen half of what she’d seen could understand that there was no way the good in the world outweighed the bad. Unless there really was a fundamental good behind everything. Otherwise they were all lost, waiting for something more, something that would explain the whole confusing, ugly beauty of the world. Which made no sense, but it was what it was.
    Caisey didn’t get it any more than that. If there was something more to fall back on, something bigger than people or even the heights of goodness or even true love that so often failed, then it meant that—even for a second—she could let go and trust more than just herself. It had saved her life more times than she could count.
    Andrea took a deep breath and sighed. “Let’s talk about something else.”
    Caisey was willing to concede that, even if she was having an existential moment. People didn’t always appreciate it. “Sure. What do you want to talk about?”
    “Why don’t you tell me about Liam?”
    Caisey grinned. “Boy, do I have a story for you.”

Chapter 10
     
     
    LIAM HEARD THE laughter before he even opened the front door. He juggled the sacks of Chinese food and got the door unlocked without dropping wonton soup all over Andrea’s entry mat. When he got to the living room, Caisey and Andrea were both doubled over laughing. Andrea sat up and swiped a tear from her cheek.
    Liam couldn’t move. He stood there while she laughed—her face completely open for the first time. She was beautiful.
    “Liam.” Andrea shot to her feet, an endearing blush staining her cheeks.
    He cleared his throat and glanced at Caisey, only to find she was giving him a look. Liam turned and strode to the kitchen. The last thing he needed was his partner giving him grief about Andrea. She knew it wasn’t appropriate when this was their assignment, so why did she persist in throwing them together? If she didn’t push, maybe he’d be able to spend