Page 94 of S.O.S. Perk

She didn’t care at this point, who saw.

When Perk ended the brief buss, she could tell he was pleased with her PDA.

“I’ll see you in a little while,” he told her, kissing her quickly again. He then turned and gave a quick salute to the rest of the group before he trotted away to his Volvo.

Sloane watched, her stomach roiling as he started the car and drove off.

Sucking in a breath, she turned to regard the rest of the team.

Del and Director Baskins in particular were grinning like fools as they walked her way.

“Why so glum?” Del asked with a chuckle. “It looks to me like you two might finally be owning your connection.”

Sloane felt like her head was about to explode. “Yeah, but… I’m having a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling, Del,” she managed. “Chief?” She turned to her boss. “I can’t explain it, but—”

“No need,” Baskins cut her off abruptly. “You know we’ve all felt it before. What do you think is triggering it?”

“No clue,” she admitted. “But my inner alarms have been screaming for the last ten minutes,” she revealed. “I have to factor in that they might be skewed. Perk and I…” How did she put this? “…obviously have something starting between us.”

“Starting,” Baskins repeated with a scoff. “Vessers, you and that guy have been headed down that road for months. It’s just that, up until this point, you’ve lined that winding highway with booby-traps. I’m just glad you’re finally disarming the land mines and daring to take the drive.” He cleared his throat after waxing uncustomarily poetic. “Now, regarding your trepidation. I don’t think you’re imagining things. You’re too good of an operative for that. Which means we need to go do our job.”

Without additional conversation, Baskins put his fingers to his mouth and emitted a shrill whistle. “Listen up, everybody. I want that house surrounded and everyone in place within the next ten minutes. Be ready to infiltrate on my command. Do I make myself clear?”

There were choruses of agreement while everyone scrambled for the two cars they’d agreed to share, which would give them a smaller footprint when leaving them in a public place.

Their readiness would at least be something.

Five minutes later, the pair of black vehicles rendezvoused in back of a local mom and pop grocery store they’d previouslyscoped out. It was such a busy little place, nobody would think twice about their cars being left there.

Wasting no time—and once there were no prying eyes watching—they gained the cover of the nearby woods that lay between the store and the Nelsin place.

Making sure they were all armed and ready, each person took off on foot to reach their designated positions.

Sloane began picking up Perk’s voice and that of Mrs. Nelsin as soon as she came within sight of the house.

“…missed having you around.”

Clearly that was a come-on. The smarminess in the woman’s voice was cloying.

“I, uh, had a good vacation,” Perk responded, obviously trying to steer the conversation. “Very productive, actually.”

It was a blatant hint for Nelsin to talk about her part in all things illegal.

“I’m glad,” she simpered. “It’s always nice to visit old friends. But nicer, yet, to make new ones.”

Jennifer didn’t bite; instead returning to her flirting.

One track mind, hussy.

Sloane tried to keep her imagination in check, but she couldn’t help but picture the purring woman sidling up to Perk, her hands roaming freely over his body.

“Yeah,” Perk responded evenly. “I’m really gladJeremyand I have found some interests in common.”

“Oh, I thinkwemight have a lot in common, too, if you’d just let yourself loosen up,” Jennifer continued breezily.

Was she talking sex, or was she talking her money-grabbing scheme?

“Well,Jeremyand I definitely do.”

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