Page 8 of Phoenix Rising

Next, Audria took him to gather the supplies they’d need. Since they were winging it on a private plane, they could take all the equipment they wanted without worrying about their bags being checked. She introduced him to Tank Hale, the man in charge of ordering supplies and keeping inventory, and they chatted like long-lost friends. Audria rolled her eyes. Was there anyone he couldn’t get along with? Then she remembered he hated her kisses and frowned.

Since they didn’t know what they would be dealing with once they landed in Arizona, Audria chose a broad range of gear. She glanced at Reese to see him wandering the aisles as happy as a clam. He looked up and caught her staring. “This place rocks!”

She smiled. It did.

Tucker processed their selections, and they left the building. Luca Russo was striding their way. He and Reese shook hands and did one of those bro-hug things, touching shoulders and clapping each other on the back.

“I heard you’re about to leave on a new mission. I’m sorry I can’t help you out.” Luca lifted his sling-covered arm, courtesy of a bullet wound sustained during their last op that Reese had been part of. “Doc Amelia would flail me alive.”

“Dr. Amelia Hollister is our official physician,” Audria explained.

“Let me know if there is something I can do from here to help.”

“We will. Thanks.”

Next, she took Reese back to her apartment so she could pack. Audria wouldn’t be able to wear her tactical pants and boots since they were undercover as a married couple. She’d never been to Sedona, but it seemed upscale, so she chose various outfits that would disguise the Kevlar vest she was required to wear on a mission. Even though she was alone in her bedroom, she glanced over her shoulder when she opened her underwear drawer. Then she eyed the selection and frowned. Her undergarments were built for activity and exercise, not seduction. Audria rolled her eyes. No one would see her skivvies, and she wasn’t seducing anyone, especially someone who despised her kisses.

Once her suitcase was full, she grabbed a purse from a shelf in her closet. She rarely carried one, but she would need a place to hide her weapons.

She opened the door and wheeled her bag out. Reese was lounging on her couch, watching television. “Ready?”

“Yep.” He stood, aimed the remote at the screen, and clicked it off. “Here, I’ll take your bag.”

When she stared at him, he dropped his arm and turned for the exit.

“Where is your luggage?”

“Downstairs.”

They gathered it on their way outside. Audria pointed out other buildings and the houses of many agents on their way to the airstrip. She’d already picked a plot and hoped to build a house someday, which she didn’t tell him.

Once airborne, a text came through, telling Audria to check her email. The tech crew had accessed Paige’s credit card statement. The last charge was for Aguas Tranquilas Resort and Spa. Audria did a quick search. “Good lord, Reese, rooms go for around a thousand a night.”

“Yeah, Paige has champagne tastes. She’s another trust fund baby. She went to the same private school as Gennie.”

“Where you attended as well?” He’d never told her. She’d done her research.

He slid her a sideways glance. “How did you know that?”

“I was a special agent, Reese. It was my job to know things.”

He grunted but didn’t dispute her claim.

Audria frowned. “There are no other charges on her card after the resort.”

“My guess is that she’s now using an alias and paying cash.”

“Makes sense, but why did she book the hotel in her name?”

“Good question. Maybe she’s using it as a home base. She would’ve had to carry a lot of cash to pay the daily bill.”

“That’s true, but it will make it hard to narrow down what she was working on with no charges,” Audria pointed out. “It’s a shame we can’t trace her phone since she uses a burner.”

“That would’ve helped,” Reese agreed.

“I’ve been thinking about this, and Paige had to have received a tip about whatever she was pursuing.”

“I agree, but digging up that lead would be nearly impossible. Without talking to her, there is no way to know how she received the tip.”

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