Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
“What if they take them out?”
Shadow shook his head. “You think they would? Why go to the trouble of putting in long-lasting trackers if they can’t leave them in? While they may take out one, assuming it’s the explosive kind, they won’t likely take out the other one. Putting trackers on the cars is merely a precaution. And to make sure we can find the bastards again if they need to die.”
Millie thought about it for a long time, studying the layout once more while she thought. Shadow respected that. She really took her time to turn all situations over in her mind. She didn’t just run into anything or insist on something simply because she wanted instant gratification. “I agree. Is best plan.”
“Good. Then we’ll deliver the little magnetic disks to the cars out front, then come back here to watch and wait.”
“Your Giovanni is monitoring?”
“Continually. He has Alex’s wife, Merrily, assisting. She’s nearly as good as him.”
“Ah,” she said, visibly relaxing. “There’s woman on duty. I feel much better.”
Shadow let out a bark of laughter before covering his mouth. Last thing they needed to do was be made because he got mouthy. “Yeah. I like you, little Lyudmila. When this is over, I’m askin’ you on a date.”
She snorted. “Yeah. Let me know how that works out for you.”
“I’m suave and smooth. It’ll work out fine for me. You’ll be charmed, and I’ll get lucky.” He winked at her.
“Venus will have fit. So, I doubt you’ll be taking me anywhere. Let alone getting lucky.” She checked her gun, chambering a round before standing. “Let’s get this done. I’ll feel better when Giovanni has good signal on cars.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
* * *
Placing the trackers took some work, but Millie managed to roll under each car and place the small disks on different parts of the undercarriage. In both cases, she chose nooks toward the center of the vehicle where they couldn’t be immediately seen. She kept to the shadows and was quick. Shadow was close, but grudgingly agreed she was quicker and smaller and therefore better able to get the job accomplished and get out with a better chance of success. He seemed on edge the entire time while they waited for the right opportunity. He even growled occasionally before catching himself and shaking his head.
“You get in. Then out. You don’t get distracted. I don’t care if you see Katya herself walking toward you, you do not deviate from the fuckin’ plan. You fuckin’ got me?”
She’d wanted to snap a salute and say, “Sir, yes, sir!” just to piss him off, but she refrained. He sure wasn’t acting like himself. At least, not like the person he’d presented to her so far. It was like his protective instincts had come out in full force, and he couldn’t rein them in.
When she’d finished, Shadow practically dragged her back up the hill to their lookout spot. The overhang she’d spotted had several bushes that gave them adequate cover to sit back and watch until it neared dawn. The night was cold, and she was chilled to the bone. All she wanted was to curl up under an electric blanket and sleep for a fucking week. Instead, they lay in the bushes and watched their target.
They’d have to move back up to the Hummer before daybreak. Their ride had safeguards that would alert them through Shadow’s phone if someone found it, and the thing would self-destruct unless he aborted the feature. Which she thought hilarious given that he’d refused to let her drive under the pretext of him not wanting it damaged.
“I think you’re afraid of my driving,” she said as they both gazed through the infrared field glasses at the house. It was a boring task, but one they needed to be careful about. She didn’t take her eyes from the scope.
He was quiet for a moment, not moving. Millie was beginning to think he either was asleep in that position or was just not going to answer her when he finally responded.
“Why would you say that?”
“Hummer has self-destruct action you deliberately set to go off if someone finds it and you don’t deactivate it within ten seconds. That just smacks of fear to me.”
“Fear we’ll compromise ExFil. That vehicle is owned by them.”
“Yeah? If that’s only reason you won’t let me drive, why not just take a nondescript Chevy that makes less noise in woods. Eh?”
Again, he was quiet for a while.
“This is more reliable.”
“Not if someone finds it and you destroy it.”
“You ain’t gettin’ me to admit I’m scared of anything related to you, sugar.”
“No? Then I’ll stab you in leg on way out and I’ll drive.”
That got a snort of laughter before he tried to cover it with a cough. “You do, little girl, I’ll spank your ass when we get back to Poland.”