Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 682(@200wpm)___ 546(@250wpm)___ 455(@300wpm)
Cooper’s head shook, and he pulled Zach in for a manly hug. “I know that. She doesn’t really want to hurt you either. She’s worried about Devi and some of the shit we’re hearing about Huisman. Come on. And Lacey was not in the house when we went in, so I would bet she saw us coming and ran. Probably thought we were cops or something.”
Zach hugged him after a moment’s hesitation. She could feel her Dom’s relief as he passed the rope to Cooper.
Lou ran out to help TJ.
Devi did not because her brother could use the cardio. He ate a lot. The only way to counter the insane amount of food he ate was cardio.
“Lacey wouldn’t have left.” She was worried now.
Zach stepped back and let Cooper handle his wife. He got the rope from around her, and Kala managed to stand up with the chicken in her arms. Miss Rachel looked around as though approving of her suddenly heightened position. A couple of the other chickens were clucking like they were jealous.
“No, she wouldn’t have,” Zach agreed and reached for her hand. He threaded their fingers together.
“Who is Lacey? I don’t want some cover. Who is she really?” Kala asked, brushing off her tactical pants with her free hand. “She’s certainly not some sweet animal activist. Though you should know I do approve of the attack goose. It’s kind of evil. Build a sanctuary for animals and train them all to be your army.”
One of the big mastiffs lumbered up and walked to Devi, looking for a pet. She used her free hand. “Yeah, see, so brutal. Lacey didn’t mean to get involved in international espionage. She just wanted to save a bunch of animals. And the planet. Her mom is active in…well, activism. And you should meet Arthur. He’s the vet. Also involved in animal rights.”
Kala sighed and turned. She was covered in mud but calmer now that she had something to pet. “Well, good for them. I would like to meet them. I can’t find pictures of these people. She has no socials and no trace of her on the web. Lou can’t find her. That tells me one of two things.”
“It should tell you she’s smart,” Zach replied. “Do you think I haven’t vetted her?”
“How can you vet her, Zach? How do you vet someone who doesn’t exist?” Kala asked.
Devi didn’t see the problem. “I mean you don’t exist. Like your construct thingee does, but I was told they scrubbed you from existence. Your birth certificate doesn’t exist.”
And yet here she was.
“Of course my birth certificate exists.” Kala frowned. “I mean I think my mom has it somewhere. What doesn’t exist is any real information on me anywhere except in the records of the Agency. Which is precisely why I want to meet Lacey.”
Zach looked worried for the first time. He was always so sure of Lacey. “She’s been more than helpful. She’s saved my life a couple of times. I don’t think she’s spying for some foreign agency. She’s managed to work her way into Disrupt Europe. She’s looking for Huisman, too. Now tell me what you did with her because if you didn’t kill her, she would be here.”
“She wasn’t there,” Kala said with a stare. And then she grinned, watching as TJ ran past the cows, goose still in full pursuit. “That’s a Highland cow. Lou went on and on about them. Shaggy cows. Cute.”
There were two things that could distract her cousin. Cooper and cute animals. Lucky for her they were both here. “Aren’t they the best? Lacey names all the animals. That’s Mel and Cass. And Lacey went into that room I’m not supposed to know about. She said she picked up some intel in town and might be a while. She wasn’t sure she would have time to cook dinner, so I offered to make a salad or something.”
Zach dropped her hand. “She’s in the comms room. It’s also a safe room. You need a code to get in and out. Fuck. You also need power. Did you turn it off, Kala?”
“I didn’t. Lou did,” Kala admitted. “It was the only way she could cut the phone and Internet, too. She said it’s all wired weird. Or wired by paranoid spies.”
“She’s not a spy,” Zach insisted as he started to move. “Not the way you think. I’m going to get the power back on and let her out and try to explain why my whole team is here.”
Zach strode away.
Lou was a bit out of breath when she rejoined them. “TJ might be lost to us now. I’m going to be honest, when I read Jane Austen and dreamed about running around moors in the UK, there was never a goose involved.”
“Should I follow him?” Cooper asked. “Zach, I mean. Obviously TJ made bad choices. I don’t think I need to, but we did come here to look for him.”