Hank knelt and examined the burnt remains of his partner. It had been a horrific ordeal she’d gone through, but it was over now. The wind blew across the dusty earth, partly covering up a pen that had somehow survived the explosion. Espionage, Hank thought to himself, is too hazardous for people like Natalie. She hadn’t deserved this, and it’s my fault she got into this mess.
What in God’s name could he do now? What would he tell the boss? Hank gathered up what he could of Natalie, the gravity of each one landing in the plastic bag weighing him down with renewed guilt. He knew it would be a burden that would be with him for life. The good news is, he thought, that my life is likely to end soon anyway. Lucky break, that.
Holding the top of the bag closed between his hands like a bouquet of flowers held by a mourner, Hank stepped back to the waiting helicopter. As soon as he was in, it rose up into the air with the smoke of the burning building. He, too, would soon be gone like smoke, vanished.