‘I know.’Finn wasn’t annoyed at her, because that’s why he had the black-and-white paperwork queen as part of his team, to remind him what they could and couldn’t do.
Stone picked up the bag of vehicle tags, cracked the seal, and gave a theatrical sniff.‘Smells like new car and Montrose’s attitude—sharp, expensive, and a little toxic.’
Amara didn’t look up from her tablet.‘You’d know toxic, Stone.You exhale it.’
‘Please, Duchess.I’m like an essential oil for fieldwork.A few drops of me and everyone’s mood improves.’
She snorted.‘Only because you’re not allowed to bring actual petrol fumes into meetings anymore.’
Stone leaned in with a grin.‘You’re just jealous I smell like success.’
Finn cleared his throat sharply, like a teacher stepping between bickering teens.‘Can we get on with it?’
Stone grinned, lifting his boot to rest on the troopy’s bull bar.‘So, what’s the play, Bossman?Tag and run?’
Fin nodded.‘We’ll go in after dark.Set up a few more cameras on the perimeter, and tag everything that moves—trucks, trailers, utes.’
‘Maybe a few cocky cowboys, if they stand still long enough,’ Stone added.
Amara said flatly, ‘Shame you never stay still long enough to qualify.’
Finn sighed, rubbing his temples.Running this crew was like herding cats—with flamethrowers.‘Who’s volunteering?’He had to ask.
‘Only if it gets me hazard pay,’ Stone said with a grin.‘Romy and I’ll keep eyes from above.’He then tapped on the map.‘Watch that bend near the quarry.It’s a blind spot behind the ridge.The place has got a few of them.’
Finn nodded as he studied the map.‘Stone, keep the bird low with that spotlight ready.Just close enough to blind anyone watching from the tree line, if we need it.’
‘Done.’Stone nodded, adjusting his headset.‘Romy’s going to use the thermal vision, it’ll tell us who’s getting curious in the compound.’
‘Good.We stay quiet.No contact unless it’s unavoidable.’
He looked to Amara, who was already loading trackers and small cameras into the pockets of her police vest.
‘You and me, we’ll tag the trucks, check the manifests, and get out.Quick and clean.’
Amara gave a firm nod.‘Yes, sir.I’ll start on the west side.’
‘Good, I’ll go east, and we’ll meet in the middle.’Finn started strapping on his own vest.
Of course, Stone took the silence as his cue to start tossing commentary around like confetti.‘You packing that granny holster again, Duchess?Or going rogue with a taser and some bad-boy attitude today?’
‘You’re one to talk,’ Amara muttered, checking her side-arm.‘Pretty sure that camera you dropped on that last op ended up in a cow paddock.’
‘Strategic placement,’ Stone shot back.‘Cattle intelligence is underrated.’
‘Right.Must be why that footage featured twenty minutes of a bull scratching its arse on a fence post.’
It had Finn glancing up from checking his side-arm, with one brow lifting.‘About time…’ Even giving the young constable a quiet nod.If Taryn had been there, she’d grin and mutter something smug like,Aww, the Tiny Titan finally grew claws.
Stone’s laugh was loud as he clapped Amara on the shoulder.‘Living with Porter is doing you some good, Duchess.’
Amara’s smile was full of young love for Porter, with some self-pride too, as she slid the last of the trackers into her vest pocket.
The young constable had come a long way in a short time.Hell, Finn could see her running the Stock Squad one day—if Taryn didn’t shut it down.
He exhaled slowly, the dry bush air catching at the back of his throat, thinking of Taryn still at his house, alone, buried in the Gaps File.Which is where he wanted to be.Answering her curious questions, talking over what-ifs, digging deeper on the bigger picture.
But he couldn’t bring the Fed out here.Not when he was about to bend the rules she was paid to uphold.‘Let’s go.’
