Code Name: Nanny (SEAL and Code Name #5)(77)

“Gray pants, light shirt.”

“Caminos. Federal Highway Patrol. Okay, that’s good.” Gabe’s voice was low, soothing. “Take three bills out of the envelope beneath the front seat and hold them under your hand just outside your window. No need to say anything.”

Still smiling, Summer palmed the bills, exposing them as the officer walked toward her.

A new torrent of Spanish followed. Summer felt a cold stab of fear to see the man frown, then trigger his walkie-talkie and step back from the car. What had she done wrong?

A second man sprinted across the road. Short and stocky, he fingered the rifle slanted over his shoulder as his partner’s walkie-talkie buzzed harshly. He looked at the car, then walked a few steps away, complaining angrily.

“This one is the boss,” Gabe whispered. “He gets the first cut of any bribe. Just keep smiling, honey.”

Summer kept her mouth stretched in a tight smile as the new arrival pulled the three bills from her hand, then studied her in the dim light.

Summer lowered her head as if shyly avoiding his eyes, befitting a modest young woman in difficulty.

“Americano.” The man said something meant for his companion, who nodded and laughed vigorously.

Summer was sure her smile was starting to crack. Why didn’t they just leave now that they had their money?

She moved her foot, feeling her purse on the floor. There was a Colt in the outside pocket, but the way things were going, she wouldn’t have time to reach it. Shooting a Mexican Federal Highway officer wouldn’t help her FBI performance rating, either.

The two men stared at her, laughing and making no move to leave. Summer felt her palms start to sweat.

Without warning, their walkie-talkies exploded in noise, and the older man spun around, headed back toward his van, with the second officer close behind.

“What’s going on?” Gabe whispered.

“The older one took the money. Then his walkie-talkie started to chatter.” Summer swallowed hard, rubbing her sweaty palms. “All clear, thank God.”

As the van roared away, Gabe pulled back the blanket and raised his head. “Nice job.”

“Ditto.” Izzy appeared from beneath the poncho.

Summer managed a laugh. “Yeah, except I’m drenched in sweat.” She looked back at Gabe. “What did the boss say when he was laughing with his friend?”

Gabe’s eyes darkened. “He was speculating on your, er, figure. Trust me, you don’t want to know the details.”

Summer drove past a row of buildings that looked like offices, with small balconies beneath elaborate Mediterranean tiled roofs. Next to them was a parking area dotted with cars and a few small trucks.

Abruptly, a flashlight beamed down from the top of the wall.

Gabe glanced at his watch. “Guard rotation, right on time. Underhill’s lab is inside a fireproof facility straight down that path, about thirty yards to the north. What do you think, Izzy?”

“No sign of guard activity.”

“Slow down, Summer.” Gabe rose slightly, scanning the darkness.

“Nothing in sight,” Izzy muttered. “So what’s your call?”

Gabe put down his night-vision glasses and stared into the darkness. “Let’s do this thing and get the hell out of Dodge.”



Izzy arranged his earphone and rechecked his heavy backpack. “The tree is about twenty feet from the car, right through that row of bougainvillaea bushes. I can set up a temporary power outage for the electric fence, but it can’t be longer than ten seconds or they’ll go on alert. Short problems with power are the norm here, so we should be okay.”

“Ten seconds is all we need.” Gabe adjusted his black tactical vest over his black shirt, checking his attachments and D rings for secure fit. He slid a long knife into its holster, then clipped the holster to his belt and looked at Izzy. Both men wore dark balaclavas, hiding their features. “Ready to party?”

“Bring it on.”

Gabe checked the street, then opened his door. “See you in ten minutes,” he said to Summer.

“Break a leg. And, Gabe, don’t go for any fertility tests without me,” she said sweetly.

His chuckle drifted back to her through the darkness, and then he was gone. A few seconds later, the lights in the clinic compound flickered, and Summer saw the tree leaves sway above the wall.

They were over.



It had been six long minutes since the men had left the car. One small truck blasting disco music had passed Summer, but the driver paid no attention to anything but the woman with her arms locked around his neck.

Suddenly Summer saw the tree branches shake. Gabe loomed up out of the darkness.

“Change of plan. Our blueprints were wrong. The lab access has been upgraded with new insulation, and I can’t fit through the damned ventilation hole.”

“What about Izzy?”

“No go, either. It’s the shoulders.”

Summer realized what he wasn’t saying. “But I could fit.”

He nodded, his face hard.

She didn’t waste time with questions, stripping off her cardigan and pulling on a black nylon jacket. “Where’s Izzy?”

“He’ll stay in place near the wall until we’re through. After you let me in, Izzy will bring you back here, while I hit the ventilation shafts down to the lab.”