Hidden Impact (Safeguard #1)(62)
“Might be. We need to get a closer look at the facility and get more intel on it.” Lizzy reached around Marc to pat Maylin on the shoulder.
“I’m betting it is.” Marc slapped his notepad on the counter. “If we’re right, it’ll save us days of recon. It’ll make a huge difference now that Edict knows we’re looking.”
Maylin froze. “Are we running out of time?”
Gabe turned on his stool as she settled back hard on her heels. He took her hands in his. “You’ve just won us back more time than anyone is expecting. Even if they try to move her, we’ll be watching in the right place now. We’ll see.”
“What do we do next?” Maylin meant the question for all of them, but she was looking at Gabe.
“We confirm with preliminary reconnaissance that the location is active, receiving the sorts of supplies to indicate the research we’re looking for, and bulked up enough on security to indicate our target is there. Then we start planning. This is going to move fast and we might have random questions for you.” Gabe gave her hands a squeeze. “It’s a lot of hurry up and wait.”
“Anything I can do.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Oh, Maylin.”
She paused at the front door as Marc popped his head out of the surveillance room.
“Thought you might want your smartphone back.” Marc strode toward her, hand outstretched. “I only used it once or twice while you were gone to make it look like you were checking your email. Didn’t check it at all once you two ran into Jewel in DC. Not much point since she and her team knew you weren’t here.”
Jewel wasn’t someone she wanted to think about right about now. But Maylin took the phone with a smile anyway. “Thanks.”
“It doesn’t hurt if you use it while you’re here. It’s pretty obvious you’re under our protection.” Marc flashed Gabe one of those male looks that wasn’t as indecipherable as they thought it was. “There’s probably a charger that fits it in the guest cabin.”
“I’ll show her.” Gabe sounded grumbly. He probably wouldn’t appreciate the description but to her, it was perfect.
The walk to the cabin was silent and awkward. When they reached the porch, Gabe came to a halt. “It’s going to be a busy afternoon for us, and probably a late night too.”
She nodded, clutching her phone to her chest to keep herself from fidgeting. “There’s plenty of noodles and soup left if you all get hungry later in the afternoon. And I can come up and make dinner.”
“Only if you want to.” Gabe shoved his hands deep into the front pockets of his jeans. “You should take the time to rest if you can.”
“I’m not going to get much sleep while we’re this close.”
“I know, but this kind of operation is something we need to prepare for in every way before we go in. Too many things can go wrong if we’re not ready, and these people—Edict at least and probably their sponsor too—they aren’t the type to have regrets if they end up killing people.”
Fear cut her breath short. For An-mei, for Gabe, for the people who’d so quickly become friends. “If there’s any way to do this without people getting hurt...”
“Being prepared will minimize the damage.” Gabe looked up, catching her in a fierce gaze. “We do what we do to ensure the best outcome. Believe that.”
Maylin swallowed hard. “I do.”
His expression softened. “Not like you’ve had much reason to believe me recently, but it’s true. We’re going to do everything we can to get your sister back safely for you. Let us do what we’re good at.”
She ached to hear his words. He was right, and she wasn’t going to lie to him or herself and say her faith in him had been completely restored. But it was rebuilding, and maybe he didn’t realize how much it had to do with him taking accountability for what he’d done, acknowledging how she’d felt and committing himself to rebuilding faith with her. Those things all mattered.
And most of all, she didn’t want things between them to be broken.
“Will you be coming back here at all?” The last few words came out in a whisper. She didn’t want him to feel obligated but she’d miss him.
His expression softened and yet his gaze intensified, heated. “There’s a lot of work to do. To be honest, if I come back here I’m going to be tempted to do all sorts of things to bring us closer together that have nothing to do with the mission or the team.”
She blinked, surprised by the answering heat coursing through her. Damn it, her nipples tightened.
“Shouldn’t play with temptation.” And she was going to have a nasty discussion with herself about priorities. Her body was distracting in the worst possible way and she wasn’t ready yet to give in that way again. Was she? She needed to edge them back towards steady ground. “Why don’t I come back up in a few hours and cook the kind of dinner you can grab and get back to whatever it was you were doing? The kind we can leave out on the counter for you all to snack on through the night.”
“Wouldn’t say no.” Gabe grinned at her and her breath caught to see it. “Entire team appreciates how you’ve been feeding us. We’re going to have to up our PT, though.”