with disbelief. “You aren’t the fat girl any more, Sarah. Women like you go for way more than that on the black market. If you were mine, I wouldn’t part with you for any less than a cool million and a hard fight.”
Her heart warmed. Jason wasn’t normally a demonstrative guy, but the look in his eyes as he watched her told her he really meant that. Other women would be offended, but when your job is sleeping with bad guys for secrets, you like knowing your rate is a good one.
Not one to be serious for long, Jason rolled his eyes. “Now put your inflated ego away and help me fold this mother."
Sarah took a deep breath and set to work. Time flew as they loaded ammunition and gear into the Blackhawk. The physical work helped Sarah to feel productive, like they were getting closer to finding Vince.
Jason stretched. "How about some chow?"
Sarah looked up from the ammunition she was loading into the chopper. "Who, me? Always."
He smirked in his Cheshire cat way. "We can't go into an operation with low blood sugar now, can we?"
They walked through the tunnel and back into the basement where Brian and Guinea were packing bags of war gear. Tactical vests, bulletproof vests, belts, and holsters were counted and packed into big black canvas bags.
Will and Chris were in the office checking maps, coordinates, and schedules.
Jason poked his head into the armory. "Who's cooking tonight?"
Sarah knew full well he who asks gets the task and suspected it was a rhetorical question on his part.
Guinea looked up. "I put some cold cuts in the fridge this morning. There are some sandwich buns on the kitchen counter."
"Cool, come on, Sarah. Let's go make some sandwiches."
Sarah followed Jason up the stairs.
"Stevens!"
Sarah stopped at the sound of Will's voice but didn’t turn around on the stairs. "Yeah?"
"Telephone."
Sarah hot footed down the stairs. Will handed Sarah the handset attached to the secure line in the office. "It’s Buffy Davidson. They want a face-to-face."
Sarah realized Mark Davidson would be under constant surveillance due to his position as a political attaché. The only way they could do a face-to-face meeting was with Buffy. It made sense for her to meet with a woman rather than raise suspicions by meeting with a man. Sarah wondered why they had to do a face-to-face at all when they had a secure telephone line and Nikolai’s people were already on the lookout for Sarah. "Hello?"
"Sarah, it’s Buffy. We gave all the details to Will. You and I are going to meet for a shopping trip."
"Thanks, Buffy, but the last thing I want to do is shop. Can't you just give us the intel we need right now? We aren't here on vacation."
Buffy's voice was terse. "I realize that, Sarah."
Sarah’s patience slipped away like sand through an hourglass. "We can't expect Nikolai to just keep Vince as a houseguest. Do you understand that lives are in the balance here? What if it were Mark? Wouldn't you want to handle it quickly?"
"Sarah, you misunderstand. Of course, I would want to handle it quickly, but more importantly, I'd want to do it right. Just meet me in Dubai ."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sarah observed Buffy from across the table. She appeared so plain in the abaya without makeup or her lovely, long blond hair showing. Sarah realized that was the point. They were both in abayas and with all the glamorously clad women milling about, two women in traditional garb blended into the background just as well as two palm trees might.
Buffy's eyes were intent as she spoke in hushed tones. "Two women go in and out of Nikolai's compound daily. One is the cook and the other is the maid. They always travel together. They live in the nearby village. Their family name is Al Han'ah."
Sarah didn’t waste time asking where the information came from. Buffy wouldn’t risk the meeting if the Davidsons didn’t believe
Her heart warmed. Jason wasn’t normally a demonstrative guy, but the look in his eyes as he watched her told her he really meant that. Other women would be offended, but when your job is sleeping with bad guys for secrets, you like knowing your rate is a good one.
Not one to be serious for long, Jason rolled his eyes. “Now put your inflated ego away and help me fold this mother."
Sarah took a deep breath and set to work. Time flew as they loaded ammunition and gear into the Blackhawk. The physical work helped Sarah to feel productive, like they were getting closer to finding Vince.
Jason stretched. "How about some chow?"
Sarah looked up from the ammunition she was loading into the chopper. "Who, me? Always."
He smirked in his Cheshire cat way. "We can't go into an operation with low blood sugar now, can we?"
They walked through the tunnel and back into the basement where Brian and Guinea were packing bags of war gear. Tactical vests, bulletproof vests, belts, and holsters were counted and packed into big black canvas bags.
Will and Chris were in the office checking maps, coordinates, and schedules.
Jason poked his head into the armory. "Who's cooking tonight?"
Sarah knew full well he who asks gets the task and suspected it was a rhetorical question on his part.
Guinea looked up. "I put some cold cuts in the fridge this morning. There are some sandwich buns on the kitchen counter."
"Cool, come on, Sarah. Let's go make some sandwiches."
Sarah followed Jason up the stairs.
"Stevens!"
Sarah stopped at the sound of Will's voice but didn’t turn around on the stairs. "Yeah?"
"Telephone."
Sarah hot footed down the stairs. Will handed Sarah the handset attached to the secure line in the office. "It’s Buffy Davidson. They want a face-to-face."
Sarah realized Mark Davidson would be under constant surveillance due to his position as a political attaché. The only way they could do a face-to-face meeting was with Buffy. It made sense for her to meet with a woman rather than raise suspicions by meeting with a man. Sarah wondered why they had to do a face-to-face at all when they had a secure telephone line and Nikolai’s people were already on the lookout for Sarah. "Hello?"
"Sarah, it’s Buffy. We gave all the details to Will. You and I are going to meet for a shopping trip."
"Thanks, Buffy, but the last thing I want to do is shop. Can't you just give us the intel we need right now? We aren't here on vacation."
Buffy's voice was terse. "I realize that, Sarah."
Sarah’s patience slipped away like sand through an hourglass. "We can't expect Nikolai to just keep Vince as a houseguest. Do you understand that lives are in the balance here? What if it were Mark? Wouldn't you want to handle it quickly?"
"Sarah, you misunderstand. Of course, I would want to handle it quickly, but more importantly, I'd want to do it right. Just meet me in Dubai ."
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sarah observed Buffy from across the table. She appeared so plain in the abaya without makeup or her lovely, long blond hair showing. Sarah realized that was the point. They were both in abayas and with all the glamorously clad women milling about, two women in traditional garb blended into the background just as well as two palm trees might.
Buffy's eyes were intent as she spoke in hushed tones. "Two women go in and out of Nikolai's compound daily. One is the cook and the other is the maid. They always travel together. They live in the nearby village. Their family name is Al Han'ah."
Sarah didn’t waste time asking where the information came from. Buffy wouldn’t risk the meeting if the Davidsons didn’t believe
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