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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SEDONA, ARIZONA

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2023

12:30 P.M.

As the car service Escalade pulled up next to the CJ1 parked on the tarmac outside the FBO at Lindbergh Field, a uniformed co-pilot stepped up to open the door.

“Next stop Sedona?” he asked.

Nodding, Cami handed over her ID.

“I’ve never flown into SEZ before,” he said. “I understand it’s supposed to be the most scenic airport in the country.”

Set on a mesa on the outskirts of Sedona, the municipal airport was surrounded by the town’s signature bright red cliffs. Cami wasn’t looking forward to seeing the scenery. She was looking forward to being home.

“Most of your luggage had been delivered to the FBO before we arrived, so it’s already on board the aircraft. Is there anything else?”

“Nope,” she told him, pulling the cell phone out of the pocket of her day-old track suit. “This is all I have at the moment.”

Less than two hours after arriving at the airport in San Diego, the plane was on the ground in Sedona, and the only scenery Cami was interested in seeing was Mateo’s silver Subaru Outback sitting in the parking lot. He stood waiting on the tarmac as she deplaned. When she had called Mateo early that morning, he and everyone else at High Noon had already been briefed about what had happened the night before.

“I’m glad you’re home and glad you’re safe,” Mateo said, taking her into his arms and holding her close.

“That makes two of us,” Cami murmured into his chest.

“We’re supposed to stop by B. and Ali’s place on the way home,” Mateo told her. “Frigg has put together a dossier on your assailant.”

“My alleged assailant,” Cami corrected. “What if I was mistaken? What if I overreacted? What if the guy, whoever he was, had nothing at all to do with me?”

On the plane, Cami had read through Frigg’s report on Bogdan Petrov. He had been born in the city of Dobrich in Bulgaria in 1979. After finishing school he had joined the military. In the early 2000s, he had served in Iraq before being dishonorably discharged. He had done several stints in prison on drug charges. He was known to have associates in the world of human trafficking, although he himself was not known to have participated in that kind of activity. His website described him as a security consultant, but there was no hint about what kind of consulting was actually being provided. And how many consulting jobs like this did it take , Cami wondered, to pay for that custom-made suit?

But the other news from Frigg left Cami feeling uneasy. Petrov’s ID had come from the images captured on the video Cami had shot in the fitness center. Those were the only available images of him because the hotel’s video surveillance system had been wiped clean of data. Cami understood the kind of technical know-how required to pull off that kind of a hack, and she doubted that a one-man consulting firm would have had the financial wherewithal to make it happen.

At B. and Ali’s place, their majordomo, Alonzo Rivera, was back on duty, and the brunch he provided was a crusty egg, ham, and cheese casserole fresh out of the oven. The comfort food was sustaining, but Cami found the discussion that accompanied it troubling. Mateo, Ali, and B. were all convinced Cami had been targeted, but the more they talked, the more Cami found herself becoming less certain.

“What if I was totally mistaken about all this?” she asked. “I’d spent several days feeling as though someone was keeping an eye on me, but I never laid eyes on an actual tail. When I saw this guy, I panicked, but what if he had nothing to do with me?”

“And what if he did?” Ali countered. “Your instincts are usually on the money. Given what’s happened, I think you should cancel next week’s trip to the UK and not go there until we find out more about who this guy is and what he’s really up to.”

“Cancel it?” Cami echoed in dismay. “Are you kidding? I’m in sales. Seeing clients is my job—that’s what you pay me to do.”

“Not if it puts you in danger,” Ali said firmly. “And I also think that, for the time being, it might be best if you bunked at Stu’s place for a night or two instead of going home to Cornville.”

“No,” Cami declared. “No way in hell. Now that I’m here, I want to be home in my own place instead of camping out in Stu Ramey’s bachelor pad. If somebody is dumb enough to come after me there, you can bet I’ll have my Glock in hand and be locked and loaded.”

“Not in London you won’t,” Ali replied. “We both know you can’t take your Glock to the UK, and I still think you should cancel the trip until a later time.”

Cami remained adamant. “I went to a lot of trouble to set up five and a half days of back-to-back appointments. Postponing and then rescheduling them is out of the question.”

With the two women seemingly at loggerheads, B. stepped into the fray. “You’re both right. We don’t have any proof that Cami was actually targeted, but we should probably proceed as if she was. However, Cami is also right in saying that canceling those previously scheduled appointments isn’t a good idea. I say she makes the trip as planned, but that we have Sonja provide her with a security detail while she’s there. All in favor?”

B. and Mateo both raised their hands at once. After a moment or two of reflection, Ali and Cami did, too. Then, for the next while, the four of them studied the detailed dossier Frigg had compiled on Bogdan Petrov. There was no sign of technical training in the man’s education or military background that hinted at his having any kind of cyber skill set. None of his readily accessible financial records indicated that he’d have the funds necessary to purchase that kind of assistance in the open market. So who was he? If Petrov wasn’t acting on his own, who was he working for? And was he targeting Cami individually or was High Noon itself caught in someone’s crosshairs?

For the next several hours, they examined everyone involved in Cami’s book of business, up to and including Dozo International. They looked at the customers she had brought on board, as well as at possibly disgruntled companies that had lost valued accounts when their business had moved over to High Noon. Nothing stood out, however, and nowhere was there any hint of a connection that led back to Bogdan Petrov.

“This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Cami said at last. “I’m ready to go home, change out of this damned track suit, and put my feet up.”

Cami and Mateo left the house a few minutes later, but once they were in his Outback, Cami began grumbling.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” she said.

“You needed one last night,” Mateo suggested mildly.

Cami glared at him. “I spotted a potential threat and took measures to counteract it.”

“True,” Mateo agreed. “But what if the next threat isn’t quite so obvious? Maybe having a countermeasure already on the scene instead of having to call one in isn’t such a bad idea.”

“Now you’re ganging up on me, too?” Cami demanded.

“I certainly am,” Mateo said mildly, reaching over and taking her hand in his. “As your boyfriend, that’s what I’m supposed to do. Now, what are your plans for dinner?”

“I don’t have any, why?”

“Mom made her world-famous green chili tamales. How about if I drop you off at your place for a while so you can unwind. Then I’ll come pick you up when it’s time for dinner.”

The fact that Mateo understood Cami’s need for alone time was one of the things she appreciated about him.

“Sounds like a plan,” she said. “Do you have to work tonight?”

“Nope, B. told me they have things covered.”

“So can you come back to my place after dinner and stay over?”

He grinned back at her. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Several hours later, as Mateo escorted Cami up the front steps to his place in Cottonwood, a smiling Olivia Vega was standing in the front doorway, waiting to greet them.

“ Bienvenida ,” she said, gathering Cami into a smothering hug. “ Eres una chica tan valiente .” Welcome. You are such a brave girl.

When it was just the three of them, they spoke only in Spanish.

“ Gracias ,” Cami replied, freeing herself from Olivia’s embrace. “ Más afortunado que valiente .” More lucky than brave.

“Afortunado y valiente ,” Lucky and brave, Olivia beamed back at her.

Cami had been raised by highly critical parents, both of whom were distant and aloof. Olivia Vega was neither. At first Cami had been uncomfortable around the older woman’s genial personality, but by now she was not only accustomed to it, she had come to appreciate it. And the fact that Cami was willing to speak Spanish in Olivia’s presence made the younger woman an all-around winner as far as Olivia was concerned.

Compared to outside, the interior of the house was toasty warm, and it was alive with the aromas of flavorful cooking. A stack of freshly made tortillas sat on a plate next to a platter of green corn tamales, while Olivia’s signature enchilada sauce simmered on the stovetop. It hadn’t been that long since breakfast at B. and Ali’s place. Nonetheless, Cami felt famished.

Over the scrumptious dinner that followed, Cami shared with Olivia some of the details of the previous night’s dangerous encounter. As she related the story, Cami was aware that just over twenty-four hours had passed since then.

Yes , Cami thought to herself. I was incredibly lucky then, and I’m incredibly lucky now, too.