A test? “LeFusil à Répétition modèle F2. Sometimes a Hécate II.”
She hovered long, slender fingers over the dials on the instrument panel, eyes narrowed, following their path. Not taking chances, even though the blades had just stopped spinning. Overkill, but he’d tolerate that in a pilot. “That’s the FR-F2, right? Sniper rifles.”
“You know them?”
“Those don’t sound like US military issue. So...what? You’re a mercenary? Sorry, I meansecurity contractor?”
“In a sense,” he said. “Just not a well-paid one.”
“Isn’t that the whole point of selling out—making money?”
“Not for me. I’m a legionnaire.”
She gave him that sideways look again, pulling on her headset and handing him his. “What, like the French Foreign Legion?” Her voice boomed through the intercom.
“Oui, Légion Étrangère, mademoiselle.”
“You are so full of shit you could be a long-drop at a campground in January.”
“No idea what that is, but it sounds bad.”
She checked the panel above their head, again following her fingers with her eyes, and adjusted a lever. “Seriously? You’re a legionnaire?”
“Yes, ma’am.CaporalCody Castillodu groupement des commandos parachutistes du 2e régiment étranger de parachutistes de Calvi.”
She did a three-sixty check through the windows, and engaged the starter. “Commandos parachutistes,” she repeated disdainfully. “A parachute commando?”
“You know, most people are impressed by that.”
“You’ll never catch me jumping from a perfectly good aircraft.”
“Afraid of heights?”
“Only of falling from them, which is totally rational and something you should be grateful for right about now.”
“Yes, ma’am. That I am.”
“Are you for real with that ‘yes, ma’am’ thing?”
“Habit. Myabuelawould have me over her knee if I didn’t show respect to women.” Okay, so he might be hamming it up there. His grandmother controlled the family fortune from a laptop, not a rocking chair. Why haul your grandson over your knee when a withering stare was plenty scary?
As Tia worked the controls with deft fingers and sharp eyes, a muted whine filtered through the headset and the shadow of a blade glided across the ground in front, slowly pursued by another.
“Vous parlez très bien français,”she said.
“So do you.”
“Expensive education—and that’s about all I remember. But you had anabuela?”
“My family’s from Mexico.”
“And you’re not?”
“Texas—born and raised.”
She gave a sharp laugh. “Right, so you’re a legionnaire commando fromTexas.”
“Now, what have you got against Texas?”
