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Simona gasps. “How in the world?”
“They don’t call me Shadow for nothing.”
Her eyes brighten. “You’re going to have to teach me about these tricks you use.”
Wolf grins. “You’re keen on it, huh?”
I clear my throat and give Wolf my most threatening glare. Wolf’s face falls serious. “Maybe I won’t. I’m not having your surgeon there sizing me up for a lobotomy. Or a whatever ‘ectomy.’ I like keeping all my parts in place.”
Simona huffs and flashes murderous eyes at me. “Fine. I’m fine without your help.”
Wolf starts packing his gear, checking his vest, gun, and other tactical tools while Simona watches. I try to keep my eyes off the clock. But I suck at it because every second feels like we are getting closer to some cataclysm.
Wolf slings his backpack on his shoulder. “Alright. I think I’m ready, Mako. Let’s do this.”
Mako pulls his coat over his holster. “You two stay here on standby in case Wolf needs a pick up from some other location.”
Simona’s wringing her hands and pacing back and forth. “I can’t believe I have to stay here!”
Wolf reaches out to shake my hand. “See you in a bit, mate. Keep an eye on this one.”
Then he hugs her. “Take it easy, don’t wear a hole through to the floor below, Sprite.”
“Not funny. Be safe. I just met you. I have lots of things to pry from your brain, so hurry back.”
Mako opens the door and the two men step out into the hallway. When the door closes, I find Simona staring at me. She’s fuming. “This sucks.”
“This is safe.”
She flops onto the bed on her back. Grumbling something in Czech.
I pull back the curtain and watch Mako and Wolf cross the parking lot. As they reach the car, Wolf holds up his hand as he takes a call. He paces across the narrow pavement. Nodding. Saying something into the phone.
He must feel my eyes on him because he looks right up at me. He makes a slicing motion across his neck, then starts running toward the Inn.
Fuck. Something bad is happening.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Wolf and Mako storm back into the room.
With a hand in his short-cropped hair, Wolf says, “We have a problem. Fucking motherfucker. I knew this could happen. I have to go on deployment. I have to leave NOW. This mission is ultra time sensitive. I was hoping we could get this done before anything came up. But when command says I have to go, there’s no way out of it.”
Simona covers her eyes with her palms. “Oh. No! That’s not good.”
Mako slides his laptop across the desk and throws himself into the chair. “There’s not much time to figure out what we’re going to do.”
When Simona jumps up and exclaims, “I’ll go.” My head nearly explodes.
“Fuck no!”
She grabs Mako’s arm. “I’ll go. I can get in there and you guys and the rest of the Agile Team can take this guy out.”
Wolf looks at me with utter disbelief on his face. “Is she always this crazy?”
I clench my jaw so hard my neck cracks. “You’re only seeing half of the crazy right now.”
Simona waves a hand dismissively. “Just show up with me. Send photos of me too. Tell him you can only bring one at a time. It’s too much to manage us both. He can give you the money for the easy one first. Being that I’m a woman and all that you’ll be able to deal with me easier.”