Mind of Danger (Body of Danger #3) - Sidney Bristol Page 0,3

way or another, it was all connected to their boss. He didn’t have a typical way of doing things. For one, he didn’t give outright orders. There was no direction telling her to go to some place and do a thing. Instead, he suggested interesting options, mentioned what he’d like to do, and people jumped.

Four nights ago he’d come as close as ever to giving an order. And she’d gotten it on tape, so to speak.

In a crowded room, he’d gazed at an abstract painting of North America and said, “I’d like to have that technology by Christmas. I’d wager something like that would be worth a bonus.”

The message had been clear. And she intended to be the one to wrap this up.

She liked undercover work, but this was too much. She didn’t have the experience nor the support for a job like this. If her superiors weren’t going to get her out, she’d end the case herself.

Her phone vibrated.

She stared at the screen for a moment, stuck on the realization almost forty-five minutes had passed.

“You going to answer that?” Isaac grumbled.

“Get ready to move.” She clicked the answer button and a flurry of butterflies swarmed in her chest. “Hey.”

Damn her too breathy voice.

Elias’ voice was a comforting rumble. “Hey, so I’m out in the parking lot.”

“Do you see the employee entrance? The walk-through one?”

“Yeah.”

“Could you pick us up there? Right there, I mean?”

There was a pause, and Jo knew Elias had just caught on. She hated that this was how she was seeing him again. Granted, he probably didn’t think about her at all, which was fair. It wasn’t like she’d ever gone out of her way to get his attention. He didn’t know she’d nursed this silly crush all these years.

She didn’t want to use him. But he was on the short list of people she’d trust no matter the time or place.

“I’ll be there. I’m in the black Chrysler 300.”

“Wow.” The word popped out before she could stop herself.

“I know,” Elias groaned. “It’s a company car.”

“Okay. We’ll come out in a few. And... Elias?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

“Any time.”

The call ended.

She closed her eyes and mourned for what she was about to lose. Elias would have questions she couldn’t answer. She was very likely burning this bridge.

Jo had to.

It was that, or this job might very well kill her.

“Ride’s here,” she announced to Isaac.

“Fucking finally,” he muttered.

She ignored her irritable companion and crossed to the door.

The two cars were still out there, just as they’d been before. She could make out two people in the front seat of either vehicle. And now a third. A black Chrysler 300 cutting between them and the cars watching them.

Jo held her breath as Elias navigated the car so that it was as close to the entry as possible. At this hour there wasn’t much foot traffic. Of course she’d thought that would be a bonus when she made this plan, back when she assumed she was one of the first out of the gate.

She snatched her backpack up off the floor and glanced around. They’d been allowed to remain in the hangar after paying off some of the flight crew. Now it was time to make their move.

“Come on,” she said to Isaac.

“You first.”

She rolled her eyes and reached under her jacket, gripping her Glock.

One well-aimed shot and she’d be dead before she even saw Elias again.

“Stay close,” she said over her shoulder.

Jo darted out the side door. She stuck to the deeper shadows of the building and jogged toward the exit, doing her best to keep anything between her and those other cars.

The closer she got, the less stuff there was to hide behind until it was forty feet of asphalt.

She was beyond playing it safe.

Jo pushed forward, going from a slow jog to a sprint. Isaac was behind her, cursing and muttering to himself. He wasn’t abandoning her, that was for sure a good sign.

Thirty feet and so far it was clear.

Twenty feet and the car to the east turned its headlights on.

At fifteen feet, the other car lurched out of its parking space.

Jo threw herself forward, her mind blaring all the worst possible outcomes at her.

She clawed at the front door, yanked it open and collapsed into the car.

“Get out of here, man,” Isaac yelled from the back seat with one leg still hanging out of the car.

To Elias’s credit, he reacted immediately. One glance at her. One at Isaac. Then the car shot forward.

Jo knew she should be checking