Chapter Five
Kelly woke just as dawn was shedding light through the big picture window. She felt Rick between her legs, his tongue lapping slowly at her body, already in a state of arousal.
“Ohhh,” was all she could say as she arched her hips up to him.
“I agree,” he murmured against her flesh, and then returned to tasting every slick inch of her.
“Are you sure you should be doing this? In your condition?” She really wanted to say don’t stop, don’t stop.
“I’m sure my condition will be a lot worse if I don’t do it. Relax, pretty girl. I’m a lot better.” He thrust his tongue inside her, scraping it against her sensitive walls.
Heat shot through her, nerves firing and electricity crackling through her veins. She could already feel the quivering of her inner muscles and the insistent throb of need pounding harder at every pulse point. She wanted him inside her. Now. But he was teasing her the way she’d played with him the night before.
“Please,” she begged, and heard his soft chuckle.
“Turnabout and all that,” he told her, and pulled hard on her clit with his lips.
She bucked up at him, sensation jolting her. When he moved up her body and positioned himself at her entrance, she wanted to cry with relief. She had only a second to notice that he already wore a condom before he lifted her with his hands, took a deep breath, and plunged into her with one hard thrust.
Oh, God, yes! That was what she wanted.
She opened her eyes to see him watching her with heat sizzling in his own. And then he began the ride, plunging harder and faster, leaning at just the right angle so his groin rode over her clit with each powerful thrust. As ready as they both were, the explosion came in seconds, whirling them off the top of a mountain into fiery space. They shuddered together, rocked by intense spasms, breath seesawing in and out of their lungs. Her heart pounded so hard Kelly was sure he could hear it.
It seemed forever before the intensity faded along with the aftershocks and she lay limp beneath him, sweaty and satisfied.
“For a man with two cracked ribs,” she told him, breathless, you seem to be doing okay.”
He winked. “I have a great nurse.”
“You have to go,” she said at last. “They’ll be here soon, right?”
“Unfortunately.” He kissed her softly, his tongue tracing a lazy path inside her mouth before he pulled out of her body and rolled off the bed. “Come shower with me. Just a shower,” he warned. “That’s all we have time for. Besides, the dogs will be demanding attention soon.”
“Don’t remind me,” she groaned. “I’m not even sure I can move.”
He laughed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of bed.
She made coffee while he finished dressing, handing it to him when he came into the kitchen.
“Great service here.” He winked. “I may have to come here more often.”
“The door is always open,” she whispered, brushing her mouth against his.
“No problem there,” he assured her.
“Maybe I should change my mind,” she told him. “Go with you on this delivery run.”
“Not on your life. It was a dumb idea to begin with.”
“But—”
“No buts. I’ll be fine.”
She waited on the porch with him while the helo landed. Pasted a smile on her face before she gave him a last, hard kiss. Nodded when he said, “I’ll call you the minute I get back.”
“Just come back safe.”
She waved to him as the helicopter took off, then went inside, slammed the door, and indulged in a good cry.
*****
Loading the Hercules C-130J was a tedious process. The gray of dawn had barely been dissipating when vetted drivers had picked up the arms and the Humvees that morning in specially designed trucks, each driver accompanied by two armed guards. Fortunately the munitions dealer was on the outskirts of town, so they were able to avoid traveling through the city to reach the airfield. The fewer eyes that registered the convoy, the better.
On the trip back from Maine, they had all agreed that, just to be safe, Rick’s visibility needed to be nonexistent. When they returned from the abortive trip to Kelly’s farm, he’d heeded everyone’s warnings and stayed in an anonymous condo Phoenix owned. It was one they used when they needed to hide high-profile people. If anyone had to go in or out, sneaking through the basement garage was easy enough. So he’d coordinated everything with Mike and Ed from the condo, chafing at the bit to get this over with and wondering whether he was just chasing shadows.
He wished he could dig around in his brain and find the puzzle piece he was trying to remember. Maybe it was nothing, but he didn’t think so. He had a feeling that if he could pull it out, it could be the key to unlocking the mystery.
He’d also had more time than he wanted to think about Kelly, to remember her standing in the wash of the rotors, waving good-bye to them. He’d never thought about any woman this long. Not ever. There was something indefinable that made her so attractive. Just as he and Xena had formed a link, so had he and the lithe redhead. One he fully intended to take to the next level just as soon as he got this business in Iraq over and done with.
He still carried the marks of the accident, and his ribs still ached. But he was improving every day. Troy had replaced the soft cast with a tight bandage so he could maneuver his hand better. He’d been injured worse than this before. He’d just have to get past it.
Now he stood just inside the hangar where the plane was waiting, watching as load after load of arms was checked off on two clipboards and rolled into the vast open space of the plane’s belly. The three Humvees, roofs modified to provide access for turret machine guns, were the last to be loaded. They contained seats only for the driver and the shotgun rider, plus two more seats in the back, one of which was for the machine-gun operator. Each day they would escort the construction convoy to one of three sites where Grainger Caldwell was working and provide extra cover while the workers plugged away at their jobs.
“And pray they don’t meet up with an IED or suicide bomber,” Rick muttered under his breath. Improvised explosive devices were scarier than anything because you never knew when you were going to run into one.
Ed and Mike were both doing their preflight checks for the third time. Everyone had picked up on Rick’s unsettled feeling. His so-called accident hadn’t helped any, so, as Mike said, they were making damn sure everything was zipped up from their end.
They’d chartered this particular model of plane because it was newer and faster and could climb higher if need be. It also had an advanced, two-pilot flight station with digital avionics, state-of-the-art GPS, navigation systems, and just about anything else you could think of. Grainger Caldwell was footing the bill, and Charlie Grainger had told them to get the best.
“There’re millions of dollars riding on these contracts,” he told Rick for perhaps the hundredth time. “I can’t afford to have the workers getting hurt. That’s why we did the big security thing. That’s why I’m paying the big bucks for the load you’re ferrying over there.”
“Everything will be fine,” Rick assured him, quieting his own uneasy feelings. “Have I ever let you down yet?”
“I trust you with my life,” Charlie said. “Now I’m trusting you with everyone else’s. And with the future of this company. Don’t let me down, okay? I just don’t trust the whole situation over there. I’ve got this weird feeling something’s not right.”
“We’ve got it handled. No problem. And Greg’s set up on his end to receive the goods. I’ll be there for about a week to make sure everything works the way we set it up.”
“I appreciate that. And it will be reflected in your fee.”
Rick had grinned. “Always good words to hear.”
So call him a Nervous Nellie. He just wanted to keep his word to Charlie. And come out of this in one piece.
The last items to be loaded were their provisions—the coffee and sandwiches that would keep their bodies fueled during the long trip. The plan was to leave as early as possible. Flying time was approximately twenty hours, which meant Ed and Mike would trade off in the left-hand seat. Rick, who had his license but seldom used it, would sit in the right one when needed to give someone time to rest.
They would be landing first for refueling at a civilian airfield that Grainger Caldwell had access to for its European operations, then launching from there to Baghdad. But the stop would be a short one. Iraq was eight hours ahead of Maryland, and they wanted to land early in the morning.
“Almost ready,” Mike said, moving over to where Rick was standing.
“I’m set on my end. Let me just sign off on these guys so they can get their checks, and we’re good to go.”
As he stood in the shadow of the hangar door, completing his paperwork, he could have sworn he heard a dog barking loudly. Frowning, he peered outside at the runway and the surrounding area, but there wasn’t an animal to be seen.
A chill chased itself over his backbone.
*****
“I’m telling you, he was nowhere to be found.” Gabir was sweating profusely as he clutched his cell phone. Fear was making his heartbeat accelerate.
“Excuses, excuses,” Zarife said. “The plane is getting ready to take off. I’m looking at it right now.”
“But that’s impossible. It won’t leave without Latrobe.”
“Latrobe is in the hangar, you idiot. Wherever he’s been, they snuck him in this morning. I just watched the goods being loaded. They should be taking off shortly.”
“What can I say?” Gabir was tripping over his words. “What can I do?”
“Nothing,” Zarife snapped. “I will have to take it from here. Go home and stay there and pray I need you again. Otherwise you become a disposable nuisance.”
The call disconnected, and Gabir was left holding a silent phone and praying.
*****
Kelly sat cross-legged on the bed, still holding the phone in her hand. Funny little tingles were racing over her body, and she wished she’d recorded the call so she could hear his voice over and over.
God, I’m acting like a fourth grader. No. A fourth grader has more dating skills than I do. Is that what I’m doing? Dating? No, much more than that. Obviously.
Oh, God, I hope I’m not deluding myself.
She lay back against her pillows. She’d slept fitfully since the day of the Phoenix visit. Xena was a nervous wreck, totally unlike her usual behavior. Kelly had tried everything to soothe the dog, even taking her on the long hikes she loved, but nothing would distract her.
At night Xena woke Kelly up, whining and nudging her, pacing the floor and trying to tug her out of bed. During the day, when Kelly worked with the dogs, unlike Xena’s usual habit of sitting quietly and watching, she raced from house to kennel and back, nose raised as if sniffing the air.
“What is the matter with you?” she asked over and over. “I can’t understand you, girl. You’re driving me nuts.”
Now she gave Xena a stern look as she pulled the covers over her. “We’re glad he called, aren’t we, girl. But now we need to get some sleep, or we won’t be worth spit in the morning.”
Xena lay down next to the bed, head on her paws, whining steadily.
“Fine. Whine if you want to. But I have to get some sleep tonight, so keep that in mind.”
It seemed she had barely rested her head on the pillow before the dream came. Rick, his face in shadow, raced toward her, weapon slung over his shoulder. Only it wasn’t Rick. He was tucked into a corner. The man turned and spotted him. Sharp cracks split the air, punctuated by loud barking. One more snap, and he tumbled forward, landing on her chest. She tried to push him off, her breathing constricted, but she couldn’t make him move.
She was gasping for breath when she woke, sweat running down her face, and Xena was lying on top of her.
“Off.” She pushed at her. “Get off me, you big lug. You’re suffocating me.”
She shook her head to come fully awake, but the terror of the dream wouldn’t leave her. Looking into Xena’s eyes, she realized that somehow in a state of sleep she’d connected with the dog’s thoughts, with what she was dreaming. Xena put her face close to Kelly’s and barked, twice.
“Okay, okay. I hear you. Let me up so I can reach the phone.”
She blinked and realized bright sunlight was coming in through the windows. Her bedside clock read nine o’clock. Oh, hell. She’d slept right through the alarm. Picking up the two-way radio on her nightstand, she pressed the button to call the kennel.
“We’re here,” came a cheerful voice. “We just thought we’d let you sleep in this morning. Everyone down here is okay.”
“Thanks. I’ll be down as quickly as I can.”
She stumbled to the closet to find the jeans she’d worn the other day. Digging in the pocket, she pulled out the slip of paper Mia Romeo had given her during the visit. She sat on the edge of the bed, phone in one hand, the slip of paper in the other. Xena barked again.
“Okay. All right. I’m calling. I just hope they haven’t left already.”
The phone on the other end rang several times, and Kelly was ready to hang up when a female voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Romeo?”
“Yes? Who is this?”
“This is Kelly Monroe.” This is stupid. Xena, what have you gotten me into? “You gave me a list the other day, and it had this number on it.”
“Yes. Kelly, of course.” She heard a voice in the background and Mia saying something back.
“I’m sorry for bothering you, but Xena wouldn’t take no for an answer.” She laughed nervously.
“It’s fine, Kelly. Really. I was just checking a catalogue for the museum. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Kelly swallowed hard. “This is going to sound really stupid, but you can’t let Rick get on that plane.”
There was a short silence. “Why not?”
“Please don’t think I’m joking, but I connected with one of Xena’s dreams, and she woke me up. If Rick goes over there, he’s in terrible danger.”
“Tell me exactly what you dreamed. Wait, let me get a piece of paper. Okay, go ahead.”
Kelly related as much of the dream as she could. “It wasn’t very long, but it was explicit. Someone’s going to kill him. You can’t let him get on that plane.”
“Hold on a moment, can you? Just a sec.”
Kelly waited. Then Dan Romeo’s voice sounded in her ear. “Kelly? This is Dan. Can you repeat what you told Mia?”
So she told it one more time, her heart thudding erratically. She was too late. She knew it. And so did Xena, pacing and whining.
“I hate to tell you this,” Dan said, “but Rick’s already left. The plane flew out of here this morning.”
Kelly’s stomach clenched. Xena skidded over to her and put her head on Kelly’s knees, her eyes looking at her with silent accusation.
“Can you get hold of him?” she pleaded. “I’m sorry. I know this is so absurd, and I’m sure I sound like an idiot to you. But the thing is, I saw Xena’s dream. Rick is in very grave danger.”
She was glad Dan Romeo’s voice sounded calm and solid. “Take a deep breath, Kelly. I can call Rick on his satellite phone and pass this along. He can’t turn back, but at least it will make him more alert. Did the dream show you specifically where the attack would take place?”
She wrinkled her forehead, thinking. “No. Well, maybe. Inside or near someplace big. And it was just a vague impression.”
More mumbling on the other end.
“I should have gone with him.” She couldn’t keep the guilt out of her voice. “If anything happens to him, it’s my fault.”
“Kelly, listen to me. I want you to calm down and hear what I have to say. Rick has been doing this for years. Having you and Xena along would have given him an extra edge, but he’s operated a long time without it. And I have to say, I wasn’t too excited about taking an untrained civilian into a war zone.”
“I would have been fine,” she protested. “I can take care of myself. Xena takes care of me. And I can shoot.”
Dan gave a small chuckle, breaking the tension that hummed across the connection. “I think I’d have paid money to see the look on Rick’s face if he saw you pull out a gun. Listen. This should all be over and done by late this afternoon. I’ll give you a call as soon as I get the all clear from the guys. Okay?”
“Could you . . .” She bit her lower lip. “Could you call me back after you get him on the satellite phone? Let me know what he says?”
“Yes. I can do that.”
“Thank you.”
She replaced the phone and took Xena’s face between her palms. “I should have gone, no matter how absurd it sounded. If he gets killed I’ll have no one to blame but myself.” She leaned her face down to the dog’s. “Why did you have to pick someone like him for your second human?”
But the image of the tall, muscular man with the dirty blond hair and blue eyes that blazed with energy shimmered in her mind. A funny feeling had raced through her during that first meeting at the airfield. A sense of connection. Of shared energy.
Of sexual attraction. Say it, Kelly. That’s why you fell into bed with him so quickly. And the second time was even better than the first.
But it was more than just sex. A lot more. Something . . . special. Something she didn’t intend to let circumstances ruin. The invisible thread linking them was getting stronger every minute. Just as soon as he was back Stateside, if he didn’t call her, she’d contact him.
Sighing, she rose from the bed.
“Come on, Xena. I need coffee, then we have to check on what’s happening at the kennel.” She tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth and picked up the sheet of paper Mia had left with her. “Then let’s check out this website and see what this Lotus Circle is all about.”
*****
“I have failed miserably,” Zarife told his father. “Gabir and his friends are less than worthless. Bumblers. Idiots. Totally incompetent. The Latrobe man is still alive. He took off on the plane, and I could not stop him.”
“Did you tell your contact?”
“Yes. I explained everything to him, that it was impossible to get to him in time. If only Gabir—”
“Forget about Gabir. That’s only crying over spilt milk. What did the man say?”
“That he would handle things on his end. Someone would make sure Latrobe was taken care of.”
“Well, then,” his father said. “There you have it.”
“I hope so. In any event, it is all arranged. You only have to be ready to take his phone call and rendezvous with his people.”
“Fine. Then you have no worries.” He paused. “Did you transfer the money?”
“Yes. This afternoon.” Right after that voice that I hate called to tell me we were on target.
“And our seller knows that?”
“Yes, Father. We’re all set.”
“He’s right, you know,” the man said.
“About what?”
“We could not have pulled this off ourselves. It’s too big an operation. It’s only his planning that’s making it work. With our support.”
“If you say so.”
“I do. Now go to work and act as if nothing is wrong. We will talk again when the deed is accomplished.”
*****
The C-130J thundered across the skies, its engines reverberating through the cavernous body of the plane.
“Can you talk a little louder? I can hardly hear you.” Rick was sitting in the one extra seat behind Mike and Ed. He had a hand clapped to one ear, the satellite phone held tightly to the other. “This is like flying in a garbage can.”
“I said,” Dan shouted, “Kelly called and said I needed to warn you to be extra alert.”
“Why? Did she get a message from her dog?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
“Hey. I was just kidding.”
“No joke, Rick, my friend. Any more than Faith’s telepathy or Mia’s precognition.”
“So are you going to tell me what she said?”
Still shouting, Dan related what Kelly had told him. Rick just held the phone tightly to his ear and shook his head back and forth. He’d finally managed to adjust to Faith’s and Mia’s gifts, but this was getting to be a bit much. Yet hadn’t he believed it enough to make the trip to Maine? To ask Kelly to bring Xena to Iraq with him?
“She’s got to be talking about the warehouse,” he told Dan. “All right. I’ll talk to Ed and Mike and Greg when we get there and put a plan together. They won’t catch us with our shorts down.”
“Don’t get too cocky,” Dan warned. “We don’t even know when this is supposed to happen. And keep your eye on Greg. Just in case.”
“We’ll take care. I’ll call you back when we get there.”
“All right. I told Kelly I’d let her know I passed along her message.”
Rick was silent a moment, the air filled with the engine’s drone. “How is she?” he asked finally.
“I think feeling nervous and guilty,” Dan told him. “Better not get yourself shot, or you’ll ruin her day.”
Rick laughed. “Not half as much as it will ruin mine. Catch you later.”
He thought about trying to explain the call to Mike and Ed, then decided against it. Although they were good with Mia and Faith and accepting of the developing Psi department, of all the partners they were still the biggest skeptics in the agency. No, he’d just say Dan had called to tell them once again to be extra sharp on the job. Hopefully, that would take care of things.
*****
Kelly spent a busy day with the dogs, but Rick, the trip to Iraq, and her conversation with Mia were constantly on her mind.
That night, she willed herself to fall asleep, but no matter how hard she tried, it eluded her. She lay in bed with Xena stretched out next to her, feeling the thumping of the dog’s heart and the weight of her big head on her shoulder. Xena’s restlessness communicated itself to Kelly, leaving her in a state of agitation.
Rick’s image kept dancing before Kelly’s eyes, something else guaranteed to keep her from settling down. With her unhappy social history, she tended to keep her defenses up where all men were concerned, but Rick had somehow slipped in under them when she wasn’t looking.
Oh, had he ever. It must be Xena.
The dog’s extremely unusual, instant attachment to the man had somehow created a three-way link. What other explanation was there for the sudden reaction of her hormones, for the dry-mouthed sensation when she looked at him, for the latent longings of her body that she’d kept so well under control until now?
When the phone rang, she picked it up immediately. “Dan?”
“Sorry it took me so long to get back to you,” Dan Romeo apologized. “We had an emergency come up here that had us all scrambling.”
Kelly sucked in a breath. “Something to do with Rick?”
“No, things just got really dicey with another case we’re working on. Anyway, I got in touch with him and passed along your warning.”
“He thinks I’m crazy, right?” she asked, already regretting her impulsiveness.
“Not at all. Remember, psychic phenomena are continuing to work their way into our lives. And he had been more than agreeable to the suggestion that you and Xena go with him.”
“I should have gone,” she told him yet again.
“You’ve got to get past that and remember what I told you. Rick can take care of himself. And now he’ll be even more alert.” He paused. “He said to tell you to keep that door open.”
Warmth suffused her. “Will he call you when they get there? And when everything’s taken care of?”
“Yes, but I imagine it will be a couple of days before they’re ready to come back. He needs to make sure everything’s secure, something he’s still worried about.”
“Will you . . . Could you . . . I mean, would it be too much trouble to ask you to keep me up to date?”
“No. Not at all. I’ve got your number, and I’ll program it into my cell.”
“And let me give you my cell in case I’m out of the house or working with the dogs.” She rattled off the numbers to him.
“All right. Try to get some sleep. I know it’s been an upsetting time for you.”
Sleep. As if. “I will. And . . . thank you.”
She lay back down again, but she knew she’d had the last bit of sleep she was going to get until morning.
*****
Rick shifted in the improvised seat behind the flight station, rolled a thin blanket up, and tucked it behind his head. Knowing they had long hours of hard work ahead of them when they finally reached their destination, he tried to make his mind a blank and catch some sleep. But the moment his eyes closed and he dozed off, the image of a tall, slender redhead running through a field of wildflowers intruded on his thoughts. Her face was tilted to the sun, and her tempting lips were turned up in a smile. Running beside her, ears back, was a dog. If Rick didn’t know better, he’d think the dog was smiling, too.
Suddenly they both stopped. The dog threw herself sideways, knocking the woman down. Then she turned so Rick could see her entire face and barked. Twice.
In his sleep Rick frowned. The dog was trying to tell him something, and he couldn’t make it out. There was an urgency in the animal’s eyes and in her bark.
Then the image faded, and Rick’s eyes popped open. Whatever that was, it left him with an unsettled feeling. He looked at his watch. Two hours to reach the refueling stop. He’d call Greg Jordan while they were there and make sure everything on that end was secure. And check in with Dan and Mark at the same time.
*****
Kelly felt as if she’d lived through a week in the past forty-eight hours. Her sleep had been sporadic, broken not just by weird dreams but also by Xena’s unusual behavior. Usually the dog slept on the floor next to her, but the past two nights she’d climbed onto the bed again, stretching out next to Kelly and whining in her ear all night.
This morning, Xena startled her by waking her with a growl and trying to push her out of bed. Grabbing the gun she kept on the bedside table at night, Kelly had shoved her feet into loafers, taken a thorough trip around the house, Xena padding along beside her, then checked the monitor for the outside security cameras. Living alone as far away from people as she did, that security system gave her as much peace of mind as her gun and Xena’s presence.
But she’d found nothing. Not even a sign that anyone was hanging around or had been there.
By the time the first rays of the sun chased the night from the sky, the dogs in the kennel were announcing their demands to be fed. Her two assistants would be arriving shortly, and she had a full training schedule for the day, so she showered, dressed, and began the day’s routine.
But both workers had commented on her apparent air of distraction and Xena’s unusual behavior. The Ovcharka ran back and forth in the training area, pulling at Kelly’s jeans with her teeth and disturbing the other dogs until, over Xena’s loud protest, Kelly had to put her in the house.
By the time the day was finally over, she was exhausted, both physically and mentally. When she went into the bedroom to strip off her clothes and throw on a robe, Xena bumped into her, hard, pushing her toward the bed, then knocked her cell phone off the bedside table where she’d placed it before undressing.
Sighing, she picked it up and flipped it open. Xena sat down on her feet, locking her in place.
Call. Right now. Something’s wrong.
Okay, okay. I’m calling. Give me a minute here.
We should have gone with him.
Shoulda, coulda, woulda, the truth is, we didn’t. I’ll check on him, okay? And maybe you’ll let me get some sleep tonight?
Go ahead and do it. I see things in my head I don’t like.
“Okay, okay. I’m making the call,” Kelly said out loud and sighed. “But you’d better not be wrong, or I’m going to feel like a fool and an idiot. And we won’t get invited to Maryland again.”
Taking a deep breath, she speed-dialed Dan Romeo’s cell number.
*****
“Troy called to say it’s pretty quiet at the office,” Mia told her husband as she poured him his morning coffee.
“Good. We could use a little lull in the action right about now.”
“Did you get back to sleep at all? I heard you get up.”
Dan carried his mug to the table. “I was too restless. I decided to do some research on the Ovcharkas and animal Psi.”
Mia raised an eyebrow. “Did you find anything more than we had the other day?”
Dan leaned back in his chair and stretched out his long legs. “You wouldn’t believe how much I found. This is the most amazing stuff. There are stories about things dogs with special abilities have done that would have you talking to yourself.”
“I really, really want to get Kelly down here,” Mia told him. “She could help us reach out to others who have dogs with the same abilities. And also help us plan a program to pair dogs and agents.” She frowned. “I wonder if there will be other examples of triple links.”
“I don’t think you’ll find a situation like Rick, Kelly, and Xena too often, but it’s possible. We can select a few of our agents to start the program with, purchase the dogs for them, and work with them the way Kelly has with Xena. If she’s as good with training as her reputation says she is, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get the program started.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I think I’ll give her a call and mention it to her.” She carried a plate of cinnamon toast to the table and set it between them. Breakfast was never a big meal in the Romeo household.
“I’d wait until Rick is back safe and sound before doing that,” her husband suggested. “Right now I think that’s foremost in her mind.”
“When do you think they’ll be back?”
“I’d say they’ll be there a week. Rick’s determined to make sure the security procedures they set up work and that everyone can handle the equipment properly. More than that, to make sure nobody tampers with the cargo.”
Mia sighed. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a long week.”