Page 100 of A Second Dawn

“Yes. I figured Tiero wouldn’t monitor Nana’s mail, and even if he did, a postcard from Norway wouldn’t raise suspicions. Obviously, if they examined the post stamp, they might have found a clue, but I truly counted on Nana being a safe bet.”

“Looks like Rhia worked it out though,” I mutter, still in disbelief. “Let’s just pray she was the only one who saw this card, and that she took enough precautions not to be followed.

“What was Rhia thinking coming here? She knows she’s under surveillance.”

I have a bad feeling about this. Ella and Rhia’s friendship and their need to be close might just prove our downfall.

“We need to think through the next steps. There is no room for mistakes.”

I pace along the shore. How do I best approach this?

“We’ll drive the RV to the village. If this turns out to be a trap and De Marco is here, we have at least a getaway vehicle.”

“And if it really is Rhia?” Ella interrupts me, her expression full of hope.

“Then we talk to her and send her home.”

“What?” Ella places her hands on her hips, her chest heaving. “You can tell you don’t know Rhia well. There’s no way she’ll agree to go home right away… nor do I want her to.”

I let out an exasperated sigh. “We’ll deal with it if it comes to that.”

“Fine. Let’s take it one step at a time,” she acquiesces.

“I suppose I can’t convince you to stay here and go back up the mountain?”

“Nope. Not a chance,” she replies, determination marking her tone.

“That’s what I thought,” I mumble.

Resting my forehead against hers, I breathe in her scent. Ella weaves her hands into my hair and holds me close. An instant calm washes over me.

This isn’t how I saw the rest of today unfold.

But I have Ella by my side, and we’ve taken a giant leap forward in our relationship; I’ll hold on to that in the midst of whatever shitstorm is about to land on our doorstep.

The twenty-minute trip to Joseph’s café is quiet. Both Ella and I are lost in our thoughts.

Ella’s legs bounce up and down, and she keeps rubbing her hands together unconsciously until I take one of them and place it on my thigh. Her touch is soothing and I relax a little. I have no idea what awaits us when we get to the café, but I have to be prepared for everything.

I’ve got my work gun and Ian’s rifle with me, but there’s only limited ammunition.

“Could Rhia really have found us from the post stamp alone?” Ella asks and then answers her own question. “I once made the mistake of underestimating her. She can be so resourceful.”

“I don’t doubt it. I’m more concerned about how good she is at making sure De Marco didn’t follow her. He’s not an amateur.” I don’t addlike Rhia is.

I park the RV behind a building a few houses away from the café. The entrance is visible, as are some tables by the large window.

We both lean forward to see if we can spot a redhead, but the tables are empty except for an older couple I’ve seen around town a few times.

Pulling out my phone, I call Carl, updating him on the situation. Should something go wrong, we’ll need backup pronto. Then I check my gun is loaded and easily accessible.

Ella watches me carefully, her expression one of hope and fear.

She takes a deep breath and is about to say something, but I cut her off.

“You are going to stay here.” My tone is stern, brooking no opposition.

Still, Ella opens her mouth to argue, but I hold up my finger.

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