Page 48 of Maverick

“Alright. But whether you felt that or not, I did. I’m not a child, Patrick. Stop treating me like one before someone else figures it out.”

He stood on the path, waiting until she’d disappeared inside the cottage and all her lights were out. When he turned, he bent at the waist, sucking in deep breaths.

“Fuck!”

CHAPTER THIRTY

“Have I ever told anyone how much I hate this place?” asked Irish, looking around at the massive crowds, crazy rides, characters dressed in ridiculous costumes, and more smells than his nose could pick up on. “I mean, like, I seriously hate this place.”

“That’s because it’s humid as fuck. Their bugs could transport a grown man down the road, and everything bites, stings, or kills. It’s like living in Australia,” frowned Rush.

They’d brought a large team to ensure that Katelyn was safe and Bruloni was captured. With Irish and Rush were JB and Tobias. Standing behind the Frontier Trading Post were Abe, Dan, Rett, and East. Near the line of Alladin’s Magic Carpet Ride were Leif, Brax, Pax, and Fitch. And in the shade of the treehouse stood Katelyn with Mav, Sor, CJ, and Garr in the actual tree.

“Katelyn, if you can hear me, honey, just nod and smile,”said Mav. He watched her smiling, turning her head, and randomly nodding.“We’ve got you in our sights. You’re okay.”

She nodded again, smiling at the children who were racing from one ride or store to the next, begging for ice cream or a stuffed toy. Parents were exhausted, holding onto children for dear life, some in strollers, some on leashes. A father was seated on a bench with mouse ears cocked sideways on his head, an armful of jackets and toys, bags tied to his back. He looked like he’d just returned from war.

Then it hit her. They were surrounded by families with small children. If Bruloni decided to shoot, he’d kill dozens of innocent people. Her panicked expression was easily seen by the others.

“Katelyn, it’s me, Irish, hun. Nothing will happen. We’ve got this, and he will never even get his weapon drawn if he was even able to get it into the park. Just stay with us. We see and hear it all. You got me?”

She nodded again, happy to hear a voice of reason. Mav looked at his friends. Garr reaching for his shoulder.

“We’ve got her, brother. She’s going to be okay. Brave as fuck is what she is, and she’s going to go home and have lots of babies with you. I can tell.”

“How the fuck can you tell?” chuckled CJ.

“I’m taking lessons from Claudette and Mama Irene.”

“Heads up,”said Rett.“We’ve got our mark coming toward her at three o’clock. And what the fuck is he wearing? Seriously? Bermuda shorts and a duck t-shirt?”

“No accounting for some people’s fashion tastes,”smirked Leif. “Let’s go, boys. We need to be ready.”

“Katelyn Smith. So lovely to finally meet you in person,” he said, standing next to her beneath the shade of the tree house.

“I assume you’re Enzo Bruloni.” She kept her sunglasses on, worried that her anxious eye movements might give something away.

“You assume correctly. I’m surprised you’re alone.”

“How do you know I’m alone or not?” she asked nervously.

“I’m with the CIA. We know these things.”

“Youwerewith the CIA. You were fired, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s a warrant out for your arrest.”

“That no longer matters. Where is it? Where is the blueprint for this amazing, never before seen device that will change the world?” he smirked at her, waving his hands in the air.

“I want some questions answered first,” she said.

“Babe, what are you doing? Stick to the script.”

“You’re making demands of me? That’s interesting. I didn’t have you pegged for someone who would be so brave. Perhaps your training has worn off.” That pissed Katelyn off, and the men knew it.

“You’re right. I don’t follow orders well any longer. What were those schools for? Why were they built?” He smiled at her, pointing to the empty bench.

“This might take a minute. My father and grandfather knew that to have a superior race of people, a superior military, you had to create superiority. Geniuses are rarely born. Newton, Freud, Einstein, those were flukes. We see genius in their own arenas, Van Gogh, Beethoven, but they don’t venture out of their lanes. It’s a shame, really. You have to create genius. So, we asked for donations.”

“Donations? Human donations you mean. You bought children?”

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