Dangerous Mating (A.L.F.A., #3)(8)

She pulled out the packet Dir. Tumbel had handed to her at the office. Inside was information on different aspects of the mission. First thing was their tour schedule.

“Sheldon,” she asked, “what’s the plan with the touring agency?”

He looked up from his puzzle book. “We’re simply visitors with the group and will do everything they do. Except I won’t be there all the time. You will be my cover and alibi if needed. Basically, you just walk around. Easy.”

She looked at the agency’s brochure in her lap—ITA, International Touring Agency. This assignment was a bit of a letdown. She’d hoped to do exciting thing like hold a stakeout, spy on the enemy, transfer secret messages to HQ. Just like in spy movies. Kingsman and Bridge of Lies were her favorites.

“What wrong?” Sheldon asked. “You’re upset.”

She whipped her head toward him. “How do you know that?”

He pointed to his nose. “Remember, we can smell emotions.”

“Smell emotions?” she questioned. Uh-huh. Not falling for that.

“You’re right. Not really emotions,” he clarified. “Emotions cause the brain to secrete certain hormones that flow through the body. That’s what we smell coming through the skin.”

“That I’ll believe,” she said. Sounded logical.

“So,” Sheldon continued, “why are you upset?”

God, she felt stupid now, letting her romanticized image of spies affect her. “It’s nothing. Growing up, I always loved romantic spy movies. It’s one reason I wanted to work with the FBI. And I guess I just keep imagining this to be a movie. But I know it’s not. So it’s okay. I get it.”

Sheldon moved in his seat. “You’re right, this isn’t a movie, but we are going into a foreign place with possible hostile factions. It is still dangerous. No matter how light I make of it. Your life could be in danger.”

She took in a small gasp of air. Then saw his grin. He was trying to make her feel better. She appreciated that. But it was okay that she wasn’t being a real agent. Hell, she sat around in offices all day playing with words and numbers. How was she remotely qualified for something that required experience? That’s why her director thought of her for this assignment. He knew she would be safe. Just accept it and try to enjoy the trip.

“At the office,” Sheldon said, “you mentioned you’ve been to Cloustien.”

“Oh, not to it. Just saw a bit about it on the Travel Channel. The country is tiny, and their claim to fame is their underground tunnels. These tunnels were supposedly dug two thousand years ago. Researchers think the Germanic tribes in the area built them to hide and move around without the Romans killing them.

“Then in the 1930s, it’s rumored the Nazis used the tunnels to store artworks and treasure they stole from conquered lands, then set up booby traps to keeps others out until they returned after they ruled Europe.”

“But they lost,” Sheldon said. “What happened to all the stolen stuff?”

“That’s the cool part. Nobody knows,” Kari said. “Some have tried searching for it, but were never seen again. Most think it’s just a story made up like so many other lost treasure stories. No one takes it seriously.”

“That’s interesting. Maybe we can see some of the tunnels while we’re there.”

“Well, the government pretty much blocked all the entrances to keep people for going in and dying from getting lost. There is probably a museum with pictures and stuff, but not the real tunnels themselves.”

“We’ll check out all the museums before we leave.” Like usual, the silence turned awkward and she couldn’t think of a word to say. She never trusted herself to say the right thing, so she’d just keep her mouth shut.

He turned back to his puzzle book. She watched him write a number in a Sudoku board.

“You might want to try a different number there,” she said. Shit, she couldn’t believe she’d said that. Dammit, now he’d think badly of her, nosing in and acting all smart. She just told herself to keep her mouth shut. No trust in herself.

His brows scrunched. “Is it wrong?”

She had to continue with what she’d started. No telling what he’d think if she didn’t reply. Stick with the facts. Nothing else. She said, “Yes, you can’t put a three there because it has to go in the bottom square.”

Sheldon flipped his pencil and erased the number. “It goes down here?” He scratched it in. “So, what goes up here?”

“Four,” she said.

He pointed to another square and she gave the number for that box, then he did the same with another. He looked at her then his puzzle. “Do you have the numbers for this whole thing?”

Great, here came the “freak” part. How had this happened already? She hadn’t even had time to screw up anything. She shrugged. “Yeah, I figured it out a while back when you started the first one,” she said, scanning the back of the brochure, pretending like it was nothing. Hopefully, he’d drop it there.

He flipped the page to the five star grids, sixteen by sixteen. “How about this one?”

No, no, no. She stared at the page. She let her mind relax and do its thing. Numbers flashed in and out of each space, spinning through possibilities. The squares started to fill in, a few more in the middle row . . . done. “It’s not hard, really. You can do it.” She rattled off the first row and he checked the answers.