Page 14 of Lethal Sins

Mason stepped back, wiping sweat from his brow. “It’s not pretty, but it should do the job.”

Fenn helped Graham and Bridger maneuver Cody’s unconscious form into the dingy van. They settled him on the floor, surrounded by their hastily constructed signal shield. The team piled in after them, squeezing along the edges.

“Alright, where to, Mace?” Fenn asked, sliding into the driver’s seat.

Mason furrowed his brow, obviously mentally cycling through his extensive list of safe houses. “Give me a second,” he muttered, fingers tapping against his thigh.

“We need somewhere isolated,” he thought out loud. “The luxury bunker near Red Rock is too close. The compound outside Boulder City might be compromised ...”

“Tick tock, genius,” Graham grumbled from the back. “We’re not exactly inconspicuous here.”

“What about the compound?” Tai suggested hesitantly. “Redemption Creek’s only three hours away.”

The team exchanged glances, a moment of longing for their home base passing between them. Paige shook her head firmly. “If the Consortium is onto Cody, that’s the first place they’ll look. We can’t compromise our home turf.”

“Agreed,” Graham nodded grimly. “So, any other bright ideas, Mace?”

Mason shot him a glare before his eyes lit up. “Cerro Flaco. I bought an old mining town in the mountains east of San Diego. It’s four hours south by car.”

Tai blinked hard. “You bought a ghost town? I know you’re into the cowboy scene, but isn’t that a little ... on the nose?”

“That’s the beauty of it,” Mason insisted. “It’s an abandoned silver mining settlement. I bought the whole place through a shell corporation and renovated the old saloon and a couple of houses. State-of-the-art security disguised as rundown buildings, fully stocked, and the old mine watchtower gives us a great vantage point.”

“None of which is going to help if the Consortium finds us before we get there,” Paige reminded them.

“Agreed.” Bridger clapped his hands. “Let’s saddle up.”

Tai groaned, which made Paige smile.

She hoped she’d have more reasons to do so soon, though she very much doubted it.

Graham jerked a thumb in the direction of Cody’s limp form. “Probably we don’t need him knowing where we’re heading.”

Tai shot her a look before nodding. “Copy that. We should give him another injection,” he added, sounding unusually tentative.

Bridger watched her quietly.

They had a point. Until she knew which side Cody was really on ...

She nodded sharply. “Makes sense.”

“All righty then.” Mason cleared his throat. “I’ll dose him up.”

Less than five minutes later, Paige settled onto the floor of the van next to the unconscious Cody. The familiar planes of his face were both comforting and unsettling. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his story than met the eye.

“What’s going on in that brilliant mind of yours, Paige?” Graham asked softly, noticing her intense focus.

She gestured at Cody’s slack face. “I’m going to figure out what he’s really up to. This whole situation ... it doesn’t add up. The Cody I knew wouldn’t have joined the Consortium willingly. There’s something we’re missing.”

Tai leaned in, concern etched on his face. “You think he might still be on our side?”

Paige drummed her fingers on her knee, her brow furrowed. “It’s like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube in the dark. Every time I think I’ve got a side figured out, the whole thing shifts.”

“So what’s your plan?” Mason leaned forward, his voice low. “You’re not exactly known for letting puzzles go unsolved.”

Paige’s lips quirked into a half-smile. “Oh, I’m going to solve it alright. But I might have to break it apart first.”

A small, determined smile played at the corners of her lips. She’d do what she did best, analyze every inconsistency in his story. When he regained consciousness, she’d be ready.

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