Page 76 of Death Wish

“Not long. You’ll want a flat surface to sleep on in about 30 minutes.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Lovely.” Simone shuddered again.

Jesse pulled her closer and trailed a hand up and down her back. “We’ll return to the safe house soon. You need to sleep as much as you can. Tomorrow will be interesting.”

“Is that a low-key way to say tomorrow will be tough?”

“Caught me.” He gazed into her eyes. “You know what will happen when Daley realizes Allison and Beckett have disappeared.”

“He could turn to someone else in the division.”

“He’ll want the best. That’s you.”

“If he taps someone else in the division, we’ll be able to pinpoint the computer being used for the work.” She smiled. “Maybe I’ll get to practice my B & E skills.”

He laughed. “I should have known you’d see it as a challenge. Come on.” Jesse nudged her toward the living room. “I need to check on Allison before we leave.”

When they joined the others, Jesse crouched in front of Allison. “How are you feeling now?”

“A little shaky but glad to be out of the hospital.” She reached for Beckett’s hand. “Those guys meant to kill me, didn’t they?”

“Either that or they intended to take you as a hostage to force Beckett to finish the work.”

“What’s the next step?” Iona asked. “We can keep your friends under wraps while your mission is ongoing. However, that doesn’t solve the problem of what to do when we’re deployed again.”

Jesse stood. “I’ve already communicated with Zane. One of our jets will be at the airstrip before dawn. We’re sending Allison and Beckett to Nashville where they’ll be placed in another safe house with bodyguards until this operation is complete and they’re safe.”

“What about our jobs?” Allison asked.

“Do you really want to keep working for Dragon Alley?” Simone asked. “People who work for them are trying to hurt you.”

“Are you open to jobs with a different company?” Sawyer asked the couple.

“We want to work at the same place,” Beckett said. “Otherwise, we’re open to a change. Do you know of an employer needing to hire two computer geeks?”

He smiled. “As a matter of fact, I do. Let me make a call. No guarantees, but by the time you land in Nashville, both of you may have a job interview lined up.”

Minutes later, Sawyer, Jesse and Simone drove back to the safe house, again taking a circuitous route to make sure they didn’t lead the enemy to their doorstep.

“Do you think Allison and Beckett will be safe back in the states?” Simone asked.

“Zane has already asked Wolf Pack to watch over them,” Jesse said. “They’ll be fine. Jake Davenport is their medic. He’ll watch Allison to be sure she doesn’t have any problems physically.”

Simone relaxed. “That’s good. What about the job interviews?”

“Already arranged,” Sawyer said. “Brent and Zane will interview them late tomorrow afternoon.”

“Do you think Brent will hire them?”

“As long as they pass their security checks, he’ll offer them contracts. If he’s not satisfied with their background checks, Zane will offer them jobs at Game Theory. Don’t worry, Simone. They’ll land on their feet without a problem.”

“That’s great.” Even if neither of the job opportunities worked out, at least they would be alive which is more than Simone could say if they’d remained in Mexico, working for Dragon Alley. “Thanks for arranging the interviews, Sawyer.”

“Can’t let outstanding talent go to waste. Besides, Brent always needs more computer techs. While I don’t think Allison would be a good fit as the tech support for a black ops team, I think Beckett would enjoy the challenge.”

She hoped everything worked out for the couple. They deserved a break after the raw deal they got at DA.

So, what did that mean for her? No question, Griffin Daley would be desperate to find another programmer at the same skill level as Beckett. Hopefully, he’d give her the job so she could end this mission sooner than later. As much as she loved the weather and the people she’d interacted with in Sayulita, Simone hated working at Dragon Alley. Even though Jesse swept her work space for bugs and cameras every day, she still felt as though someone watched over her shoulder while she worked.

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