License to Thrill by Elizabeth Cage Page A

trouble, I just need to confirm the day and time he checked out for his expense report.”
    â€œVery well, Ms.—Carey, was it?” the clerk said.
    Caylin smiled confidently. “Yes. C-a-r-e-y. And while you’ve got the file handy, could you check and see if he made any calls? He never writes any of this stuff in, it’s a bloody mess, and I’m left to sort through the fallout.”
    The clerk laughed. “My boss is like that, too.”
    Caylin heard the sound of computer keys clicking and crossed her fingers.
    â€œLet’s see,” the clerk said, “he checked in yesterday at nine p.m. and out this morning at seven forty-five a.m. And there were four calls, all to the same international number.”
    â€œWhat country?” Caylin asked, hoping she wasn’t pushing her luck. “I have to file them under different codes, you know.”
    â€œHold on just a moment, please,” the clerk said. “I’m looking that up for you.”
    Caylin held her breath.
    â€œMs. Carey?” the clerk asked. “That international country code indicates the call was placed to Laqui Bay.”
    Caylin stifled a gasp. “Ta,” she said in shock before she hung up the phone.
    â€œAny luck?” Jo asked halfheartedly.
    â€œYou’re not going to like this one bit,” Caylin began, her heart pounding. “But the call was made to Laqui Bay.”
    â€œWhat?” Jo shrieked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
    â€œNo way.” Theresa shook her head. “This is incredible! You mean the Laqui Bay?”
    â€œLike there’s another one?” Caylin quipped with a snort. “Listen, if there was a different island called Laqui Bay, they should be searching for a new name double quick.”
    â€œSeriously,” Theresa breathed. “I mean, it’d reek tobe mistaken for the place responsible for bombing that jet last year—”
    â€œOr for taking all those hostages in that awful subway incident—remember?” Jo added.
    â€œOr for threatening world security by claiming possession of nuclear missiles,” Caylin suggested with a serious nod.
    â€œThat’s right!” Theresa snapped her fingers. “Hey, maybe that threat was just wishful thinking. Maybe it was jumping the gun—”
    â€œUntil they got their hands on the warheads list,” Caylin finished. “Well, if they think it’s that easy, they’ve got another thing coming.”
    â€œI don’t know,” Theresa said, glowering. “If we think we can take on Laqui Bay, I’d say we’ve got another thing coming.”

NINE
    â€œGet out of my office and never come back!”
    â€œWhat?” Caylin screeched, terror coursing through her veins as the brick solid figure of Jonathon Nicholson confronted her after one single baby step into his office.
    â€œYou heard me—out. From now on I’m doing my own cleaning.” He stormed over to the door and held it open. His dark eyes shot sparks at her, virtually daring her to protest.
    â€œWhat’s your bloody problem?” she asked, hoping to get at least one tiny morsel of information out of him. If he was busting her, anyway, what would it hurt to push?
    â€œIt’s none of your bloody business,” he hollered with a sarcastic, mimicking tone. “Now get out and stay out.”
    As Caylin followed his orders her head spun with worry. If he had finally realized she was the babe with the bugs,he could blow the mission—and possibly the entire world—sky-high. Either that or he’d just knock her off himself. Either way she was one dead dame.
    At lunch Caylin ran to the Ritz to see if Uncle Sam had been in contact. The following message was in the laptop’s incoming mailbox:
    J.N. office transmitters discovered this morning 8 a.m. followed by suite 8:15. Static received on all stations. Lay low until video conference tonight.
    â€”Uncle