“Good. Makes more sense than running around in the dark here.”
“And Marielle, what do we do with her?”
“Do we have her passport?” At Dane’s nod, Mason said, “We’ll take her to San Diego and let the doctors check her over there.”
“Then we need to move fast,” Dane said. “If she goes to the hospital here it will be hours if not days before she’ll be released. We can hardly spring her free if we’re the ones who took her in the first place. And if we take too long, she could end up in serious trouble.”
“I’ll see if I can move that time forward. Departure was originally set for nine pm.”
Dane looked at his watch. “Try to reschedule for…how about right now.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Swede said from the doorway.
Mason headed back outside. “Do you think it’s safe to take her with us? To move her.”
“It think it’s safer than leaving her here unprotected.”
“Good point.”
Chapter 9
M ARIELLE WAS BUNDLED up in a blanket and packed out to the SUV like a little child. She woke at the beginning of the process. Her protests about being able to walk fell on deaf ears. Inside the car she watched the others split up into three vehicles and head out convoy style. She didn’t know if she was still considered a suspect or if they were being nice and protecting her or if now she was considered important for their case. She knew something had shifted.
It was hard to be unhappy about it. It appeared she was going to be leaving the country and going home. That suited her.
Then she remembered Masters.
She told Mason that with Professor Michaels gone someone had to help the cat. He just stared at her. “Not our problem.”
She glared at him. “We can’t leave him.”
“We can’t take him.” Final and clear.
“Not good enough. Someone has to know the owner of the house left a cat locked up inside.”
“We’re on a mission. We’re SEALs and that cat is not the mission.”
“You’re men sometimes, not always SEALs,” she snapped, feeling a punch in her gut at hearing they were part of that elite, elusive group. Her comment earned her a hard look. “And protecting those that can’t help themselves should be part of that mission, Masters included.”
Mason drove while she fretted. Dane had gone into a different vehicle. She hated that. Finally they pulled into a military base and papers were brought out. Including hers. She sat in the backseat wondering if she’d be allowed to fly. Did anyone know she was even at the house of the dead man? Did they care if she was?
The vehicle pulled forward and headed for a large hanger on the side. Inside was a military looking plane. As in this thing meant serious business. Organized chaos was going on inside. Nothing panicked but serious directed activity. She was good with that.
The vehicle pulled over and her door opened. Mason scooped her out and put her on a small luggage cart. He walked beside but she was driven to the plane. She felt ridiculous.
“Could’ve walked you know,” she muttered. “Feel silly.”
“You look like hell.”
That shut her up.
She was carried to a seat up front and tucked in out of the way. After that she sat and watched. With any luck she’d be stateside in a few hours. Like hell she was leaving home again anytime soon. Her head still boomed, but fatigue was the real problem right now. She just wanted to sleep.
Before long the plane was taxiing down the runway. It stopped for something. She didn’t know what the commotion was but shortly afterward, it geared up those powerful engines. And they were in the air minutes later.
Now that she’d managed to get this far, she curled up in her chair and slept.
Hours later she woke groggy and sore and feeling like a bus had dragged her around the block. She raised a hand to her head. The booming was still going on but in a background noise type of way. Another noise finally penetrated the fog. She shifted so she could look around and
“And Marielle, what do we do with her?”
“Do we have her passport?” At Dane’s nod, Mason said, “We’ll take her to San Diego and let the doctors check her over there.”
“Then we need to move fast,” Dane said. “If she goes to the hospital here it will be hours if not days before she’ll be released. We can hardly spring her free if we’re the ones who took her in the first place. And if we take too long, she could end up in serious trouble.”
“I’ll see if I can move that time forward. Departure was originally set for nine pm.”
Dane looked at his watch. “Try to reschedule for…how about right now.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Swede said from the doorway.
Mason headed back outside. “Do you think it’s safe to take her with us? To move her.”
“It think it’s safer than leaving her here unprotected.”
“Good point.”
Chapter 9
M ARIELLE WAS BUNDLED up in a blanket and packed out to the SUV like a little child. She woke at the beginning of the process. Her protests about being able to walk fell on deaf ears. Inside the car she watched the others split up into three vehicles and head out convoy style. She didn’t know if she was still considered a suspect or if they were being nice and protecting her or if now she was considered important for their case. She knew something had shifted.
It was hard to be unhappy about it. It appeared she was going to be leaving the country and going home. That suited her.
Then she remembered Masters.
She told Mason that with Professor Michaels gone someone had to help the cat. He just stared at her. “Not our problem.”
She glared at him. “We can’t leave him.”
“We can’t take him.” Final and clear.
“Not good enough. Someone has to know the owner of the house left a cat locked up inside.”
“We’re on a mission. We’re SEALs and that cat is not the mission.”
“You’re men sometimes, not always SEALs,” she snapped, feeling a punch in her gut at hearing they were part of that elite, elusive group. Her comment earned her a hard look. “And protecting those that can’t help themselves should be part of that mission, Masters included.”
Mason drove while she fretted. Dane had gone into a different vehicle. She hated that. Finally they pulled into a military base and papers were brought out. Including hers. She sat in the backseat wondering if she’d be allowed to fly. Did anyone know she was even at the house of the dead man? Did they care if she was?
The vehicle pulled forward and headed for a large hanger on the side. Inside was a military looking plane. As in this thing meant serious business. Organized chaos was going on inside. Nothing panicked but serious directed activity. She was good with that.
The vehicle pulled over and her door opened. Mason scooped her out and put her on a small luggage cart. He walked beside but she was driven to the plane. She felt ridiculous.
“Could’ve walked you know,” she muttered. “Feel silly.”
“You look like hell.”
That shut her up.
She was carried to a seat up front and tucked in out of the way. After that she sat and watched. With any luck she’d be stateside in a few hours. Like hell she was leaving home again anytime soon. Her head still boomed, but fatigue was the real problem right now. She just wanted to sleep.
Before long the plane was taxiing down the runway. It stopped for something. She didn’t know what the commotion was but shortly afterward, it geared up those powerful engines. And they were in the air minutes later.
Now that she’d managed to get this far, she curled up in her chair and slept.
Hours later she woke groggy and sore and feeling like a bus had dragged her around the block. She raised a hand to her head. The booming was still going on but in a background noise type of way. Another noise finally penetrated the fog. She shifted so she could look around and
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