Page 45 of Covert Mission
“He’s an excellent guard dog.”
“He’s something.”
Another woman walks into the tent.
“Hello.” I wave her forward and offer her water and a snack. We talk for a few minutes. My broken Spanish has limited conversational range.
How are you?
Is your family safe?
Do you need food, water, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste… The basics.
My mathematical brain doesn’t like languages. Ask me to remember a sixteen-digit code, sure. Ask me to conjugate a verb in Spanish… maybe. With prayers.
“Gracias!” calls the small woman, as she wanders off with her supplies into the falling afternoon light.
I lean out of the tent and look toward the mountain that will soon cast the entire town in shadow.
Not that we haven’t had a shadow the shape of a grouch looming over us all day. Add that to the thunderclouds around his head, I’m surprised we didn’t need flashlights.
Belle raps her knuckles on her clipboard. “I have to admit, this day is going much better than I thought. Not a single person has been reported missing. The rescue crews have cleared almost all the buildings, too.”
I share her relief. “Everyone I spoke to is just curious about what we do.”
“Me too! It could have been so much worse. I’m really glad that things are working out.” She smiles for a few seconds, then scrunches her face. “Now, about the next issue. Where are we sleeping tonight?”
My good mood also flops. Leaning against the table, I fight to keep my hand by my side. My neck is tingling. I suspect I know the reason why.
Keeping my voice low, I say, “I don’t think we should stay in tents. It’s too risky. We have mosquito netting for the back of the truck, and the four of us could take turns sitting guard.”
She looks aghast. “Pembrook and Byran sitting guards? Right. That’s almost comedic.”
“They can alert us if they notice anything.”
“And we can do what? Charm our way out of being kidnapped and ransomed?”
Crap. The tingle on my neck turns to stinging bees. I look toward Beast and get my confirmation. He’s glaring like a bull. Damn, the man must have satellite dishes for ears if he heard what we are saying.
He gives me a tight lift of his chin.
Fiddlesticks.
“Um,” I cringe. “So, Beast says we’re staying in his team’scabinas. With them.”
Belle makes an exaggerated slow blink, as disbelief takes her eyebrows on an elevator ride. “Say what?”
“We’re going to be sleeping in one of their little houses. They rented some to use as their base in Santa Rosa for their mission.”
A hot glow starts to pulse around my cheeks.
“You’re staying withhim, aren’t you!” Belle hinges forward. The woman has the audacity to clap.
The urge to tackle her is real.
“NO!” I blurt. “I mean, yes. I don’t think I have a choice, but it’s not likethat. The man can barely stand me. He’s got an allergy to me or something. He gets all itchy and irritable at the sight of me.”
“Sweetie…first, that’s because he wants you and won’t let himself have you. Second, you need to remove that stick from your ass.”