Page 10 of Death Wish

Her head whipped in his direction. “You worked a mission with them before?”

“More than one. We’ve been backup for them twice, too. They didn’t need us to intervene. We got paid to work on our tans on those missions.”

“What do you know about them?”

“Not much,” he admitted. “Brent kept them under wraps until the last year. They still keep to themselves a lot. Most of the other teams have heard about them but wouldn’t know the faces of Artemis if they passed the women on the street, a deliberate move on the boss’s part. Some teams believe the rumors of an all-female team are a myth.”

“Did you like working with them?”

He thought about that. “I appreciate their skills and their ability to blend into any environment. Their skills are lethal. I wouldn’t want to go up against them if they decided to go rogue.”

“You have that much respect for these women?”

“Definitely. You will too once you meet them.”

“Where will they stay while they’re watching over us?”

“Another safe house close by. Two of them will watch the house at night so we can sleep.”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to stay with us?”

“We can’t afford for them to stay in the same house. If we’re followed to our safe house one night and our tail spots Artemis, that would compromise their identities. Their presence would also compromise our story. No one will believe I’d tolerate a house full of women when I’m supposed to be persuading my girlfriend to marry me.”

“Marry you?” Simone’s voice rose. “Brent and Zane didn’t mention that part of our cover story.”

Jesse chuckled. “We have to make it believable. Besides, you can sell a refusal to be rushed to the altar.”

“I don’t have a ring,” she protested. “Who’s going to believe we’re engaged without you shoving a ring on my finger to warn off other men who might be interested?”

“It’s in my Go bag.”

“You can’t be serious. We were never apart at Fortress headquarters. When did you get a ring?”

“Zane slipped it into my identification packet. The ring also has a GPS tracker embedded in it.”

“Of course it does. Good grief, Jesse. How much money does Fortress spend on trackers every year?”

“A lot,” he admitted. “They’re worth every penny.”

He steered the SUV around a large curve. “Let’s go over our cover story again.”

“I’m tired. Can’t this wait?”

“It’s the perfect time to see if you remember what we’ve been memorizing on the flight.” He quizzed Simone on her story first, then had her do the same to him. They both passed their tests. Now if they could do the same under pressure and in everyday conversation with their coworkers, they’d have a better shot at getting out of this with their skin intact.

“Well, Jesse, did I pass muster?” Simone teased.

“You were great. Just remember to stick to the story unless we’re inside the house, and only after I’ve confirmed no bugs or cameras were planted in our absence. To survive in undercover assignments, you live and breathe your persona every minute. Less chance of slipping up that way.”

“You don’t trust anyone much, do you?”

“Never. Only my teammates and their wives.” Jesse glanced at her. “And now you.”

Minutes later, he parked at the back of a small house outside of Sayulita. “Home sweet home, Simone.”

She said nothing for a moment. “It’s kind of small, isn’t it?”

“Small is good. We’ll have an easier time spotting things out of place if we see the same spaces all the time.”

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