Page 79 of Surge

“Sorry about getting into your duffel,” she said. Not that she’d done anything wrong, but they were teammates. Making peace was right.

Caldwell shrugged. “It served its purpose—if you hadn’t, you and Bear wouldn’t have recognized the plastic outside. Violation of property forgiven.” He pointed at his laptop on the coffee table. “I’ll have oversight from her and will have eyes on you at all times. Comms are short range, but you should be fine at the market. Check the map and get familiar with the location.” He pulled up the map on his phone and showed it to her.

“Thank you.” And she stuck the earpiece in her ear.

Garrett picked up his SAT phone from the table next to him, held it out. “Of course, there’s Surge’s tracking device.” He stuck it in his pocket. “We’ve got your six, Thompson.”

Feeling a tremor in her hands—nerves—Delaney glanced away from the men. She wasn’t going to freeze. Just wasn’t going to. Good thing she happened to have put on her olive green jacket and her soft black jeans this morning—the clothes she’d had on when Heath had made her an official trainer at ABA.

She threw out a prayer.Don’t let me freeze up, God. Fearlessness, please?

She centered her attention back on the team. “Okay, anything else?”

Garrett gave a slight shake of his head, but there seemed something more in his expression. Like . . . worry.

No. He was confident, the plan-maker. The team leader.

“Okay, then . . .”

“Just get in, get out.” He squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll do great. Just another walk in the city with your dog, okay?”

“Right.” She took Surge’s lead and clipped it on. She hoofed it out of the safe house, working hard to feel the boldness Garrett saw in her. She was with Surge anyway. They would find the shoes and confirm them positive for Sachaai lipids. Call in the team. Just do it. Get in and out.

It was only a half mile from the safe house to the marketplace, and she stopped shy of it, awareness springing through her that she was alone.Not alone. I have Surge. And the guys in comms.“I’m at the marketplace,” she whispered.

“Copy that—we can see you,” came Garrett’s calm, smooth reply. “Remember, get in and out. You’ve got this, Rogue.”

Firming her grip, she smiled at how much his confidence in her fueled her own. Nudged her into action. Garrett wouldn’t have trusted her with this at the beginning of this mission. But he did now.

No hiding in a store aisle. No freezing in fear. Not today.

“Okay, Surge,” she said to her gorgeous Malinois as they strode past the first stall. “Let’s make Garrett proud.”

A voice cleared in her comms.

Mortified she’d forgotten the others could hear every word, she cringed.

“Make yourself proud, Rogue.”

Man, the guy knew what to say, didn’t he?

Drawing up her courage, she kept moving. Smiled at Surge, who hauled in big draughts as they navigated around a vendor with meat and rice. More than once, he diverted toward some of the trash lining the narrow street that housed the marketplace, but she didn’t let him stop to linger.

A lady bumped into her as a motorcycle weaving around the throng of people jostled her. “Saya mintamaaf,” she said, pressing her hand to her heart.

Delaney didn’t know Indonesian, but she could see the apology.

“She’s just saying sorry.” Caldwell’s voice came through the comms.

With a smile, Delaney accepted the woman’s apology and watched as she disappeared into the crowd. And that’s when she spotted tables lining the street market with everything from chilies to T-shirts and sarongs. Just what she could see from the entry.

This is your chance.

“I think I found where they probably got the shoes.” Bending to pet Surge—and to hide her update with the team—she rubbed the thick fur around his neck.

“Doing good, Rogue. Slow and steady wins the race.”

Having him in her ear was an anchor in the chaos. She felt Surge nudge her hip, as if telling her to get moving. “Okay, okay. Let’s go shopping.”

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