Page 164 of Seven Deadly Sins

He showered quickly, dressed, then headed for the kitchen. They’d both need a good breakfast for another long day.

How long until they swarmed the compound? Set up camp right outside the gate? No one knew how long Robert and his followers could survive without going into town for supplies. Liam’s guess was that the place was well stocked. Thompson wouldn’t have let something that important slide. He would know law enforcement would come.

Soon, he had bacon sizzling in a cast iron skillet and whipped eggs in a bowl. “Ever have a French omelet?” He turned and smiled as Harper entered the room.

“No, I don’t think I have.” She headed straight for the coffee pot. “What is it?”

“Smooth eggs with a cream cheese and herb filling. You’ll never want omelets cooked any other way once you’ve had this.”

Cup filled, she leaned back against the counter. “And how did an FBI agent learn to make such a thing?” She arched a brow.

“TV cooking show.” His grin widened, then he turned his attention back to the stove.

“My father enjoyed cooking shows. Said it helped relax him after a long day at work. I guess an oncologist would need downtime like a cooking show.”

Liam nodded. “I’m sure most medical fields are stressful.” As rough as some days of being FBI? His grandfather had never complained about being a general practitioner. When he’d passed, the small church where his service was held had been standing room only.

He sighed. Now, a madman wanted to kill the grandson that had nothing to do with said madman’s father’s death.

“Why the sigh?”

“All…” he waved the spatula. “This. I’m sure there are people behind bars that would love to see me dead, but I’ve never actually had one say so.”

“Me either.” She sat at the table and sipped her coffee. “I’m fairly new to being a detective, and being one in a small town, did not prepare me for something of this magnitude. I feel very incompetent.”

“That’s only because we don’t have a clear path.” He set her omelet and three slices of bacon in front of her. “If we did, if we had the authority to enter that compound ourselves and ferret out Thompson, this would be over. One way or the other.”

“Thanks.” She eyed the food in front of her. “Looks different.” She dug her fork in. “What’s keeping us from doing exactly that? What’s the worse that can happen other than being killed? Losing our badge? I might be willing to risk that in order to save lives.” She put the bite of omelet into her mouth. “Oh, wow. This is delicious.”

Her idea halted him in his tracks. Could he risk his career that way? His gaze landed on the top of Harper’s head as she ate. For her…yes. If they could think of a way to enter the compound and get rid of Thompson without losing Harper, he would do so in a heartbeat. “What do you have in mind.”

She straightened, an evil gleam in her eyes. “Robert Thompson isn’t the only one who can wear a disguise. We change our appearance, slip inside, and blend in until we locate him.”

“It can’t be that easy.”

“Probably not, but I’m willing to try.” She set down her fork and picked up a slice of bacon. “After we lose our jobs, you should take up being a chef.”

He laughed. “How about a mall security guard?”

“That’s my next career choice.” Her smile faded. “I’m just really tired of this. Not of being a detective, dealing with this case. We’ve been nothing but puppets on Robert’s string since the very first text.”

He carried his plate to the table, glad she hadn’t waited for him. A cold omelet never tasted good. “We’d need wigs.”

“There’s a thrift store in town. We can run over during our lunchtime. I’ll dress as a man—”

“There’s no way anyone could mistake you for a man.”

“Why not?”

“You are far too gorgeous to be anything but a woman.” He winked. “If you can look like one, you’ll have my undying admiration.”

“Watch me and be amazed.” She laughed and carried her plate to the sink. “Some Halloween makeup, a wig, a hat, bind my womanly parts, and I’ll be a very realistic thin man. Overalls will help.”

He widened his eyes. “You’ve been thinking about this.”

“All night long.”

He stood and faced her. “What if I hadn’t agreed to go along with your plan?”