Page 7 of Rescued By the Operative
“How about I let you carry it and I’ll get it back from you after I prove to you that I’m just a lowly ranch worker?”
She looks at me skeptically but begrudgingly acquiesces, picking up the pickaxe and following me into the tunnel.
“Your hands are pretty full there, sweetheart. You sure you want to keep that gun pointed at me while I show you my silly little DIY project?”
“I’m fine, thanks.”
I keep up my bullshit story about the drain as we make our way westward underground.
“Tell me something, cowboy,” she says. “Why isn’t there any water down here if this is supposed to redirect the creek?”
“Good question. It’s, ah, not active yet. I’m just, uh, laying the groundwork until we can get permits…”
Her footsteps stop behind me.
I turn. “What is it?”
Her face is illuminated in the headlamp, and her pretty brown lashes blink against the direct light.
“You need to cut the crap.”
“So do you,” I say.
“You first.”
“No way.”
“Well, I’m the one with the gun and the pickaxe,” she says.
“One would think that would incentivize me, but in fact, having a gun pointed at me just makes me want to lie more to protect myself. If you tell me who you are, that’s more likely to disarm me, don’t you think?”
She stares at me for a long moment. Then holsters her gun. “You talk too much.”
To my surprise, she turns around and walks away, back toward the compound.
“Hey!” I call after her, though I don’t know why.
“Bye!” she says. “I’m not interested in playing your games. I’m tired. And I have a wall to fix.”
Curious and perplexed, I watch her walk away. I have to think fast. If I were in my right mind, I’d simply head back to the ranch, block off the tunnel, and wait for the bad guys to show up and shoot me for trespassing.
But I can’t make myself let this angel get away from me.
“Sure!” I call after her. “Much easier to walk away and pretend you don’t know how that tunnel got here. If they question you, it’s better if you don’t know what your neighbors are planning.”
She freezes. “What are you talking about?”
I rub my thumb over my lip.
“Play dumb. Play the part of a clueless sister-wife to keep yourself safe. If you get too curious about what I’m up to, the elders will figure out who you really are.”
She looks down at her front and adjusts something, then turns back to me. The flicker in her eyes gives her away. Damn. I’m right.
“What did you say?”
“If you were one of those sister-wives, you would have been on your knees praying to heavenly father, but you’re not. You haven’t invoked the big Sky Daddy, or the Angel Moroni.”
Her eyes flash. “You’re going straight to hell for talking like that. But fortunately for you, our Father is merciful, and there’s still time to repent.”