by Kathy Ivan
Felicia sputtered, covering her mouth with her hands to hold in her laughter. “I can picture it. You’ve always had a bit of a take no prisoner attitude. Bet he didn’t back down though, right?”
“Yep. Turns out he knows Henry. Apparently, Ridge is a security expert, and Henry asked him for a second opinion on upgrading my system. Only he didn’t bother telling me Ridge was coming.”
“Oh, a suspenseful first meeting. Doesn’t explain what he’s doing staying here, though. I saw his bag when I was cleaning, which means he’s planning on spending the night.”
Maggie drew in a deep breath before answering. “He’s going to be sticking around for a few days, while Henry’s out of town.”
“Well, I for one am glad he’ll be around for a few days.” Felicia swiped a kitchen towel across the peninsula’s top, a halfhearted gesture at best. “I don’t like the thought of you being out here alone. Even with all your fancy security, I can’t help worrying.” She grinned, her expression filled with glee. “Maybe I could stay for a few days. We could have a couple of days of lying around the pool in our bikinis, sipping margaritas, and watching Mr. Sexy do his thing.”
Maggie rolled her eyes at the suggestion. “Nope. You’ve got work, and I’m busy.”
Felicia sighed and tossed the kitchen towel at Maggie’s head. She caught it before it landed, and flung it back. “You’re always busy lately. I miss spending time with you. Shoot, we haven’t had a girls’ night out in forever.”
It was true. Maggie had dug herself in so deep in her secret project, she’d neglected everything else in her life. Walking over to Felicia, she gave her a hug.
“I’m sorry. I know I’ve been preoccupied. Honestly, I didn’t mean to make you feel like I was ignoring you. I promise, as soon as I can, we’ll do something. Maybe take a long weekend, and go down to South Padre Island, and lie on the beach and soak up some rays. Okay?”
“Promise?” Guilt swept through Maggie at the wistful appeal in her friend’s voice.
“My word of honor. Now, you’ve got to get to your class, and I need to see what Mr. Boudreau is up to.”
Felicia waggled her brows, making Maggie chuckle. “You sure you don’t want me to stick around? I’d love to help watch Mr. Boudreau work. I’m really good with my hands, ya know. I could assist him in all kinds of ways.”
“I’ll be sure to pass your offer along. Now, scoot. I’ll see you in a couple days.”
“Seriously, Mags, if you need anything, give me a shout. I can be back in around thirty minutes.”
“I know, and I appreciate it.”
Felicia walked to the closet by the front door and grabbed her purse hanging on the hook, and dug out her car keys.
Watching her friend go, Maggie smiled and headed toward her bedroom. She had a couple things she needed to check on, and while Ridge was working with the computer system in her office, now would be the perfect time. Especially since she didn’t want or need him butting into her private affairs. Things might get a little dicey with Henry out of the picture for a few days, but she could handle things on her own.
She’d been handling things on her own for a long time.
Ridge looked into the cardboard box containing the remains of the drone Maggie shot down, and decided to ship it off to Gizmo. Have him take a look at it, see if he could figure out where it came from, who it might belong to, since there were no markings he could see to identify it. The small engine was damaged. Obviously, Maggie was a darn good shot with that shotgun of hers.
Hearing a noise down the hall, he walked over to the doorway, and spotted Maggie heading out of her bedroom. She’d changed into a pair of jeans that hugged her curves, and a long-sleeved shirt with a high neck. Boots encased her feet, and he smiled, noting they were the prerequisite cowboy boots that everybody, man and woman alike, favored in Texas. Her hair was pulled back into a long tail, restrained at the back of her neck with a large clip.
Her purposeful stride away from him aroused his curiosity, and he couldn’t help wondering where she was headed. Following her felt like an invasion of her privacy, but he couldn’t afford to give her that luxury. The job took precedent over the illusion of freedom, and he quietly followed her, his footsteps soundless against the hardwood floors.
Watching her pull that battered straw hat from the closet, he knew she planned on leaving the house. There was no way he was staying behind. Not when he had the perfect opportunity to see what she was up to, because there wasn’t a doubt in his mind Maggie had secrets. It was his job to uncover them.
Staying a few feet behind and out of sight, he followed. She never spotted him, never looking left or right, but headed straight for the huge garage. Within a couple of minutes, he watched an older Jeep pull out, and he silently cursed. He’d thought to follow her on foot, not realizing she meant to travel any great distance. Though he might be able to catch up to her in his pickup, there was no way she wouldn’t spot him.
Slapping his cowboy hat against his thigh, he walked back to the house. Might as well check in with Daniel and update him. At least the first part of their plan worked; he was staying in her house.
He headed for the office, and watched the monitors, scanning each covered location, hoping for a glimpse of Maggie’s Jeep. Curiosity roused, he couldn’t help wanting to know where she’d headed. Who she was meeting up with? Was it her contact with the cartel? His gut clenched at the thought of her being involved in this mess. There was an innocence about her, a sweetness of spirit that he couldn’t imagine being corrupted by the ugliness of drug runners and their dirty money, pedaling their deadly concoctions.
Eyes glued to the monitors, he pressed the button and dialed Daniel’s number.
“Boudreau, talk to me.”
“We’re in.”
“Excellent work. She bought your cover story?”
“Absolutely. I’m staying onsite and right now, I’m studying her security setup. I’ve got a good view of the house and the surrounding area, but I’m not seeing any video farther out than the back forty. I’ll have to spend some time exploring the wooded areas, look for the road the smugglers are using.”
“I was hopeful we’d be able to spot it from the security feeds. Can you add additional cameras?”
“Would take way too long. I’m going to open a link so Buckeye can monitor the system remotely. That way, we can keep eyes on the monitors that we do have twenty-four seven, without Maggie being aware of our presence.”
“Maggie?”
“Mary Margaret. She prefers to be called Maggie.”
Daniel sighed. “Boudreau, don’t get too chummy with the suspect. That’s a complication we can’t afford.”
“Look, I know how to do my job, and I’ll work whatever angle I need to take down these scum-sucking dealers and put their bosses behind bars, and get that crap out of the hands of kids. If that means getting…closer to Maggie White, it’s all part of the job.”
“Fine, fine. This is your op. What’ve you found so far?”
“Before we get to that, do you know anything about drones flying over the property? Did you authorize anything and forget to tell me?”
“Not recently. You know we did a few flyovers a couple weeks back, but the foliage is far too dense to get anything useful. Did some satellite surveillance too, but for the most part, that was a bust. Found a couple places where it looked like vehicles could drive through, but when we checked them out, they petered out to nothing but scraggly footpaths.” Daniel’s voice trailed off, before he sputtered. “Are you telling me somebody’s flying drones over her land?”
Ridge chuckled. His boss hated being in the dark about anything concerning an ongoing investigation. “It appears somebody has been flying low-level drones. Maggie managed to blow one outta the sky yesterday.”
“She what?”
“You heard me. I studied what remained after taking a shotgun blast, but I can’t find any markings to indicate who or where it came from. I’m gonna send it t
o somebody who might be able to get us answers.”
“I can pick it up, have it sent to—”
“Don’t bother. My guy can get me the answers faster and keep the information under wraps.”
“Does he have clearance? We can’t send anything out without authorization unless they’ve got clearance.”
“Trust me, Gizmo’s clearance is higher than mine or yours. We’re covered on that front.”
“Fine. What else have you got?”
Ridge explained about the security set up, not mentioning Maggie owning a copy of D28-Arrow. That information would send Daniel into palpitations. Instead, he explained what she had, the progress he’d made with gaining her trust, and the pros and cons of upgrading her system.
“Let the guys know I’m gonna call ’em in to do a couple of installs, once I convince Maggie they’re needed. They’ll keep her occupied, freeing me up to survey the lay of the land. I mean to find that pipeline and destroy it, Daniel.”
“I know. It’s just as important to me, too. Keep me up-to-date, and let me know what this Gizmo person finds out about the drone.”
“Will do.”
Hanging up, Ridge leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, and wondered what secrets Maggie was hiding. He’d have to up his game if he wanted to catch Ms. Maggie in the act. A self-satisfied smile lifted the corners of his mouth.
“Let the games begin.”
CHAPTER SIX
Maggie sat inside the Jeep and studied the overhead canopy stretched out underneath the upper branches of the treetops. It was anchored in place on the four corners to each trunk, spreading it out to camouflage the area below from prying eyes. She’d taken the precaution after she’d discovered the satellite surveillance photos showed everything beneath the widespread branches was clearly visible to the prying electronic eye in the sky.
The netting was military grade, with lifelike leaf structures attached to blend seamlessly into its surroundings. Hanging the suckers had been a chore, one she’d done herself, because she hadn’t trusted anybody else with the job. Keeping this area hidden away from prying eyes was too important to leave in the hands of somebody who might talk—if the price was right.
The camo netting was anchored high off the ground, making it hard to spot unless you stood directly beneath it and looked up. Otherwise, it simply blocked out the light from below, and blocked the ground from view from above. So far, it was working.
She put the Jeep in park in front of the small trailer parked beneath the trees, in the area she’d had cleared months earlier, when she’d decided on her course of action. One she didn’t have a single regret about making. The tiny home was barely six hundred square feet, well self-contained for short-term usage, small enough for somebody to escape to for a few hours or a few days without anybody noticing.
On either side stood two identical tiny houses on wheels, painted in shades of tan, brown and green, helping them blend into their surroundings, much like the camo netting above them. Currently, all three were unoccupied, though that would change in a few days, when the truck came through.
Climbing the two steps, she went inside, her eyes scanning for any disturbance. Sometimes a critter or two managed to get inside, and she’d have to roust them. So far, so good. Opening the single upper cabinet above the tiny cook stove, she grabbed the small notebook from her back pocket, and began inventorying the supplies, noting what needed to be replaced. Having enough foodstuffs in each cabin and emergency supplies necessary for a comfortable survival, had been a learned response, one she never wanted to forget.
Checking under the sink, she noted she was low on bottled water and marked to pick up a couple of cases for each house. Since the houses didn’t have running water, making sure there was plenty on hand was not a luxury, it was a necessity. Composting toilets took care of other critical needs.
She needed to get a new mattress for the house on the left. This one was wearing thin and ragged in spots, but for now it would have to do; she didn’t have time to get one ordered. Walking back out to the Jeep, she grabbed the bucket with her cleaning supplies and headed into tiny home number one. It didn’t take long to do a fairly thorough cleaning, dusting and refreshing it until the surfaces sparkled. The other two followed in quick order, and before long she’d finished sprucing up all three.
Placing the supplies onto the floor of the Jeep, she climbed behind the wheel, and headed back home. Most of the time, she took different paths to get to the tiny houses. But today, she’d have to make a run into town to stock up on the depleted food supplies, and drove straight back to her house. Pulling into the garage, she climbed out of the Jeep and noticed Ridge standing in the garage door opening.
“Hey.”
“Have fun?”
There was something about the low growl, the way the words were deep and rough, that caused her to pause before answering.
“Something wrong, Ridge?”
He sighed. “No. Just frustrated. I worked on the drone for a bit, trying to figure out where it might be from, but no luck. If it’s okay, I’d like to send it to Gizmo. They might be able to get something off the motor to figure out where it was made, or a way to figure out who’s flying it over your property.”
“I’m okay with that. I’d like to know who’s spying on me.”
He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his chest. “Spying? That’s an odd choice of words. You have something to hide, Maggie?”
“Not really. I would like to know what they are searching for. They could simply call and ask me. Or knock on the door if it’s that important.”
Ridge’s smile was instantaneous. “And would you greet them the way you did me, at the end of your shotgun?”
Maggie found herself smiling in turn. “Nope. You’re a special case, Ridge.”
His gaze immediately turned heated, and Maggie felt the blood rush into her cheeks at his perusal. “And don’t you forget that, Miss Maggie.” Reaching forward, he ran his knuckle softly against her cheek, and her eyelids lowered, shielding her gaze. “What have you been up to this fine morning?”
“Not much,” she whispered, swallowing to clear her throat. “Had a couple errands to run. I’m going to make a run into town soon. Anything you need?”
“Mind if I tag along?”
Her head jerked up. “Why? I thought you were working on the security issues.”
“I am. I’ve got a couple of things to pick up, and I’m meeting with one of my crew. He’ll be coming out tomorrow to begin installing those sensors I mentioned yesterday. He was able to find some in Austin, and he’s going to drive over there today and pick them up.”
“Oh. Sure, I mean…I’m leaving in about half an hour.” She walked past him, and then glanced back over her shoulder. “Don’t be late, or you’ll get left behind.”
“Don’t you worry, Miss Maggie, I’ll be here.”
With that parting shot, he walked around the corner of the garage and disappeared toward the back of the house. Maggie watched him walk away, felt the hitch in her breathing, and knew she was in so much trouble. Ridge didn’t seem to miss a thing, and keeping secrets from a man who made a living looking for loopholes might be her undoing.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Maggie pulled her car into the parking lot of the supermarket, and turned in the seat to face him. Ridge had let her drive, figuring she needed the illusion of controlling the situation. She’d seemed a bit off-kilter the rest of the morning before they’d headed into town, and letting her appear in charge of her portion of the world was such a minor thing. Following her lead might prove interesting, though he wouldn’t hang onto her coattails. He had Rabbit for that.
He’d worked a couple jobs with Rabbit before and been impressed. The guy was sharp, blended into the background like a chameleon, and he was fast. Like supersonic fast on his feet. The members of his DEA team were already assembled and assimilated into town. They’d shown up over the past couple of days, scouted out t
he lay of the land in and around the outskirts, and set up a basic command center at the largest hotel. It wasn’t anything fancy, one of those chain places where you tended to blend into the background. Part of the team was staying there, while the rest picked an innocuous motel, splitting the team between the two locations. No sense alerting anybody that a bunch of out-of-towners had hunkered down in their burb. A quick text before he’d left Maggie’s house had Rabbit ready to follow her wherever she went. Ridge meant to keep tabs on her without being too close. It wouldn’t do to rouse her suspicious, not when he had basically gotten free rein of her place.
“What’s the plan?”
She picked up her phone from the middle console, and swiped her finger across the screen. “I need to hit up the grocery store for some supplies. Shouldn’t take long.”
He nodded, staring out the windshield. “Great. I’m meeting up with a client. Text me when you’re ready to head back.”
“Alright.” She drawled out the word, like she’d been expecting something different from him. Good. Keeping her on her toes, trying to figure him out, seemed a good play. If he wasn’t nipping at her heels, maybe she’d slip up and reveal her plans via Rabbit’s surveillance. When he’d checked out the Jeep earlier, there’d been fresh mud caked on the tires, so wherever she’d headed off to in such a hurry hadn’t been on paved roads. The fact that she was hiding something, while suspicious, mostly aroused his curiosity. Nothing Ridge liked more than a good puzzle, and in Maggie he’d found the perfect riddle.
Climbing from the car, he gave her a quick wave and strode away, deliberately not looking back, though he felt her eyes watching his retreating form. In his hand, he carried the box containing the ravaged drone. He planned on meeting up with Daniel, and having him ship it to Gizmo. Daniel was also bringing him a couple of GPS trackers to place on Maggie’s car and her Jeep. He felt a bit guilty planting the bugs, but regrets wouldn’t get the job done and find the pipeline and the smugglers.
