Page 36 of No Time Off (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #15)

THIRTY-SIX

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“I t’s time to call Candace,” I said, holding up Manny’s phone.

“Will she answer if it’s not your phone?” Lexi asked.

I nodded. “She will. There are just a few of us who have this number.”

Sweat trickled down the side of my face as I punched in the numbers and waited while the connection was made. I was hot and dehydrated, not a good mix when I needed to keep my head clear. I hoped Manny brought some water with him. Even though we were protected from the sun by the thick canopy of jungle leaves and branches, the tropical heat beat down through the leaves, making the air feel even hotter and thicker.

The phone rang at least five times before she answered. “Hello?”

“It’s me,” I said. “I’m free from the compound and I have the full recording of Jiang Shi’s plans. It not only links China to the coup, but it also shows Maivia, the acting prime minister, as complicit. It will blow this thing wide-open.”

On the other end, Candace’s brisk voice sounded concerned. “Thank goodness you’re safe. You’ll have to provide details of your escape later. Is your wife okay?”

“She is.” I glanced at Lexi, who was kneeling beside me, scanning the shoreline with a focused ferocity. Shi had made this intensely personal to both of us. We didn’t just want to push Shi off a cliff. We wanted him to hit every boulder and branch on the way down.

Candance exhaled a breath. “That’s good news. Whose phone is this?”

“An ally. It’s a long story.”

“I bet it is. I’ll say it was quite disturbing to discover Jiang Shi is alive, free, and operating in the South Pacific.”

“My feelings exactly.”

“You’ll provide a full debrief upon your return,” she said.

“I will,” I replied, my voice steady despite the tension in my chest. “And maybe even do one better. I’m not planning to make this easy for them. Still, the situation remains a bit…fluid.”

“Understood,” she said. “When are you sending the recording?”

“As soon we get to a secure location with a decent connection. When we get there, I’ll drop it in the usual spot for you.”

“Good. I’m standing by. The president has alerted the Indo-Pacific Command, and they’re preparing an aircraft and an away team at Hickam if we need to evacuate you or the prime minister.”

“Please thank the president on our behalf. We may find good use for that airplane. Right now, though, the Chinese control the airfield here. We’re working on a plan to change that.”

“Don’t expose yourselves unnecessarily. Shi is going to be very unhappy you’ve slipped through his fingers.”

I clenched my jaw. “He already is. He’s issued a shoot-to-kill order on us for allegedly trying to assassinate Maivia. Shi has seemingly abandoned his plan to take me to China and figures he’s better off just killing me when he can. I bet he now regrets not doing that sooner.”

“Damn it, listen to me. You do whatever you need to do to protect yourself. You have my full backing. Is that clear?”

“Yes.” I patted my pocket, where I still had the gun I’d taken from the Chinese guard. “I understand completely.”

“Good.” She paused for a moment and then continued. “I’ve distributed all you’ve sent so far within the NSA, the CIA, the State Department, and our regional allies in that area, including the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.” She tried to keep her tone businesslike despite the gravity of the conversation. “Do you know what you’re going to do next?”

“I’ve got a plan. I’ll outline it for you once we’re clear.”

“Make sure it’s a damn good plan,” Candace said. “And no heroics. You may be skilled at getting out of tight spots, but you’re a married man now. You have to think of your wife. So, be careful. The president is watching this situation closely, and I do not want to be the one to tell him something happened to you two.”

I smiled a bit at that. “I’m working on it. With a little luck, we should wrap this up in twenty-four hours—if we’re not shot first, of course.”

“Just keep me posted, funny guy,” Candace said firmly. “Get it done and stay safe.”

“Trust me,” I said with feeling. “It’s at the very top of my agenda.”