Page 12 of Death Wish

“Yep. Dump half of them in this omelet.”

Soon, Jesse plated the omelets, hung up the dishtowel he’d used to dry the dishes and utensils, then joined Simone at the small table.

She set a small glass of juice in front of him and poured another for herself. “Hope apple juice is okay. I’m not a fan of orange juice.”

“I’m not picky.” Couldn’t afford to be on missions. You never knew what you’d have to eat or drink when the rations ran out.

When they finished their meal, Jesse and Simone washed the last of the dishes and utensils and set them on the drainer to air dry.

“This way,” he said, leading Simone along the short hall to the main bedroom. He turned on the light and stepped aside so she could enter the room. “What do you think?”

“I’ll let you know in a minute.” She went straight to the bathroom, turned on the light, and walked inside. Seconds later, she returned to the room. “This works.”

“Good. Get some rest, Simone. No one will bother us tonight. We’re safe.”

She frowned. “How do you know? You’ve been with me since we arrived.”

Jesse smiled. “Two members of Shadow unit are outside, keeping watch. They’ll let us know if we have a problem. I’ll also be setting up more security inside the house before I sleep.”

“Want help?”

He shook his head. “I’ve got it. Won’t take me long. If anything makes you feel uneasy, I’ll be in the room across the hall, and my door will be open. See you in the morning.” Jesse would give anything to kiss her goodnight. He couldn’t, though, so he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

In his room, Jesse unzipped his Go bag and pulled out the portable security devices he’d brought to Mexico with him. Small but mighty, these little gadgets would do the job of warning him if anyone tried to enter the premises without his knowledge. Didn’t see how a person could slip by their Fortress backup, but things happened you didn’t expect all the time. Better to be safe.

Minutes later, he finished the work and got ready for bed in the hall bathroom. Jesse climbed into bed and dropped into a light sleep. In a few hours, their job would begin. He hoped Simone could maintain her cover without a slipup.

No matter the cost to himself, Jesse would keep her safe. No question, he was the muscle on this operation. Simone was the key partner. Everything hinged on her.

CHAPTER FOUR

SIMONE COULD BARELY contain her excitement as they drove up to the guarded gate of the Dragon Alley campus. Hard to believe she was really here, the place where she’d dreamed of working for years. And here she was. Undercover, perhaps, but an official employee of DA.

Too bad she’d never be able to tell anyone about this opportunity. What a boost to her reputation that would be. Ah, well, if she needed to find another job in the future, dropping the name of Fortress Security would also add some weight to her work history.

Jesse lowered the driver’s side window. “Porterfield and Kenyon reporting for work.” He handed over their identification.

The well-armed guard retraced his steps to the guard shack and entered something into the computer. He returned and handed back their identification. “Employees park at the back of the main building straight ahead. The spaces are numbered. You and Ms. Kenyon are assigned to number 242. Report to the front desk. The receptionist will tell you where to go. Have a good day.” He opened the gate for them.

“Why does this feel like a prison camp?” Simone said as she looked at the campus. “Razor wire on top of the fence? Who does that?”

“You’d be surprised,” Jesse murmured.

“I know their programs are sought after worldwide, but this is ridiculous.”

“Consider where they’re located. Sayulita has two terrorist groups working in tandem to control the drug and weapons trade in the area. The Federales enforce laws the terrorist groups want enforced. This isn’t a safe place to live or work.”

“You wouldn’t live here?”

“No way. I’d never try to raise a family in this area.”

That said something, didn’t it? Simone eyed the razor wire with more appreciation. “I should look at the over-the-top security as a protection measure to keep the terrorists out rather than keep the workers inside the facility.”

“Maybe. We’ll see once we’re inside.”

Yeah, see, that didn’t help her feel better about the situation. Simone hated feeling penned in. She’d had enough of that with her former boyfriend who had now turned to her current stalker. The Jerk. One good thing about being in Mexico. Trevor White wouldn’t know where to find her.

Jesse parked in their assigned space and came around the hood to open the door for Simone. “Remember, we’re on the stage as of right now.”

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