Page 6 of Shadow Undercover

“Or we take you with us.”

“Where?”

“To the United States.”

“Sold.”

His eyebrows rose. “You didn’t ask where in the US.”

“Who cares? As long as you take me somewhere in the US, I can find my way home.”

“You don’t live in Puebla?”

“No. I’m from Tennessee.”

Ben glanced over his shoulder. “If we’re going, we need to move now. Traffic’s picking up.”

“Watch her ribs when you move her,” Sam said. “She has a least two cracked ribs, maybe more. I won’t know until I can examine her on the jet.” She glanced at Nico. “Have the pilot fly into Bayside.”

Worry knotted Trace’s gut. One of the Fortress doctors ran a vet hospital in Bayside, Texas. Did Sam suspect Bridget’s injuries were more severe than she let on?

When Sam stood and moved out of the way, Joe crouched on Bridget’s other side.

“Let us do the work,” Trace said to Bridget. “Ready?”

She nodded.

Together, he and Joe grabbed Bridget’s upper arms and lifted the injured woman to her feet. They held her steady while her equilibrium stabilized.

Finally, she nodded. “I’m okay now.”

Right. She looked as though she’d drop to the ground any minute. Trace wrapped his hand around hers. “We’ll have to move fast.”

“Can we stop by my hotel room? My bags are still packed. One of them has my visa.”

“Where is your hotel?” Nico asked.

Bridget gave an address five miles away, her hotel on the route they had chosen to return to the airstrip.

“We’ll swing by the hotel. If it’s safe, we’ll stop for your bags. If your safety is in jeopardy, we’ll have to go to the jet. Your gear can be replaced. You can’t.”

Bridget pressed a hand to her ribs. “But won’t I need a visa to board the plane?”

“It’s a private jet. You won’t have a problem.”

“All right. I’m ready to go. I’ll find another way to locate my sister.”

The operatives exchanged glances. Nico sent Trace a pointed look. He acknowledged the unspoken command to find out more information with a chin lift.

Nico turned to Ben. “We clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ben, take point. Sam, Trace, flank Bridget. Joe and I will guard your six.”

Bridget glanced at Trace, her brows knitted. “Was that English?” she asked in a soft voice.

He grinned. “Ben’s going first, Sam and I are walking beside you in case you need help, and Nico and Joe will make sure no one jumps us from behind.”

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