Code Name: Camelot (Noah Wolf #1)(61)

Noah stood there and looked at him for a moment. “Have you told our bosses about this program, yet?”

Neil blinked again. “No, not yet. Why?”

“Do me a favor,” Noah said. “When you do tell them about it, don’t mention that part about destabilizing economies. If the wrong people got hold of that idea, you might disappear, and I don’t want to lose you.”

Neil opened and closed his mouth three times, but nothing came out. He dropped into a chair close to where Noah was prepping the grill. “Have I ever mentioned that you come up with some of the most unsettling notions? Do you really think I could be in danger over that?”

“I think there are people who would decide that was a useful program, and wouldn’t necessarily want its author hanging around. If you wrote the program, you could probably write one to defend against it, am I right?”

Neil nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“Seriously, dude, let’s just keep that part between us, okay?”

Once again, Neil only nodded.

Noah put him to work a few moments later, helping him to get the chicken cut up and marinating in a wine sauce. Noah put potatoes on to boil for potato salad after that, while Neil shucked a dozen ears of corn, coated them in butter and wrapped them in foil so they could go right onto the grill.

Sarah pulled in just a little after four, and volunteered to make coleslaw. By this time, she knew where everything was in the kitchen, so Noah simply nodded and got out of her way.

Moose showed up a half hour later, so Noah decided to move dinner up by an hour. The coleslaw and potato salad were already done, so he carried the chicken and corn out to the grill and started laying it all out, basting the meat with his own homemade barbecue sauce.

“So, I’m curious, but where on earth did you learn to cook like this?” Moose asked.

“One of the foster homes I lived in,” Noah said. “The lady who ran it had a grill, and in the summertime, she liked to cook on it about once a week. I was always the one who volunteered to help, so she taught me a lot about it.”

Moose nodded. “I want her name and address, so I can send her a thank you card.”

“Yeah, I wish I could send her one, too. Hey, you want to get us a beer? There’s a case in the fridge, and I could use one.”

“I’ll get them,” Sarah said, and she hurried inside. Moose had started to rise, but he settled back into his chair.

“So, is this just a social dinner, or is there more to this meeting than meets the eye?” Moose asked.

“Bit of both,” Noah said. “I met with Allison today, and found out we’re flying out of Denver tomorrow afternoon. We’ll be in El Paso tomorrow night, meeting with Mr. Jefferson.”

“What did I miss?” Sarah asked as she came back and passed bottles of beer around to everyone.

“That the balloon went up,” Neil said. “It seems it’s time for us to stop playing games and get down to business.”

Noah nodded. “I was just telling Moose. I found out today that we’re flying out of Denver tomorrow afternoon, and meeting Jefferson in El Paso tomorrow night. He’s supposed to have everything ready for us when we get there. I got our plane tickets. Our flight departs at twenty after four.”

Noah had the grill parked close to his patio table, so that he could watch it from his chair. The four of them were sitting at the table, looking at each other. The mood was somber, and each of them was lost in their own thoughts.

“Well, we knew it was coming,” Moose said. “It’s just like anything else; sooner or later, you have to pay the piper.”

Sarah nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “Jefferson had me driving around Hollywood in a Chrysler. He said it’s identical to the one I’ll have down there. I can drive anything, but it’s nice to be familiar with your vehicle.”

“I’m taking my own computer,” Neil said. “I might be able to use a different one, but mine already knows me. That’d be like cheating on a girlfriend.”

Moose laughed at him. “Neil, did you honestly just compare your computer to a girlfriend? Dude, we’ve really got to get you out more often. Have you ever even been laid?”

Neil rolled his eyes and sunk down into his chair. “Of course, you idiot,” he said. “Didn’t your mom tell you about us?”

Noah held up a hand. “Okay, that’s enough. Let’s try to have a good time tonight, just relax. I think if we all meet here around noon, we can be at Denver International in plenty of time to check in and go through security. That sound okay to everyone?”

“Fine by me,” Moose said. “I’m probably the only one that’ll have to drive over here anyway.”

Sarah grinned, and kicked him under the table, and Neil just rolled his eyes again. “I don’t have to drive anywhere, I just walk across the yard. On the other hand, since I have the biggest vehicle and plenty of room for all the luggage, why don’t we all ride to the airport together in mine?”

Moose looked at him for a moment, then shrugged. “Why not? Maybe you’ll kill us on the way; then we won’t have to put up with this mission after all.”

They talked about little things until the chicken was done, then Neil and Sarah brought everything else out from the house and set the table. It was a nice afternoon, and they decided to enjoy the weather. From everything they knew, it was likely to be hot in Juárez.