“That won’t work.” Olivia frowned.
Poppy waved a hand. “I’ll send the limo to pick them up and bring them to my rehearsal. They’ll like that, right?”
“Are you kidding? They’ll be over the moon,” Olivia said.
“And then, you two can join them at the stadium for the first night of the concert. Plan to arrive by six. After the concert, we’ll have a midnight dinner to celebrate.”
“We’ll have to make sure they know not to post anything that compromises our location,” Marielle mused.
“Relax, Elle. Even in the middle of a mission, it’s okay to take a breath. I promise,” Olivia told her.
“She’s right,” Poppy said. “Drink your champagne.”
Marielle shrugged. She might as well enjoy herself, there was nothing to be done until tomorrow. She raised her glass and sipped her champagne. As the bubbles fizzed on her tongue, she lowered her tense shoulders and allowed herself to soak in the luxury of the suite and the beauty of Paris lit up at night.
Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.
6
The Gulfstream touched down at Tipton Airport, halfway between Fort Meade and Baltimore-Washington International Airport, just after midnight local time. As they deplaned, a black SUV waited on the tarmac, lit up by the harsh glow of the security lights. Ryan Hayes stepped out of the driver’s seat to greet them.
“Welcome home,” he said, though his expression suggested there was nothing welcoming about the situation they were walking into.
They climbed into the SUV—Jake in front, Omar and Trent in back. Ryan was back behind the wheel and pulling out before they’d even buckled their seatbelts.
“Did you do a dry cleaning run?” Jake asked.
“Just like Leilah taught me. Nobody followed me.”
“Where are we headed?” Omar asked.
“Safe house in Annapolis. It’s secure, off the books, and close enough to the Naval Academy that we can move quickly when we need to.”
“Annapolis,” Trent repeated. “So we’re really doing this.”
“We’re really doing this,” Ryan confirmed. He glanced in the rearview mirror. “I have updates. Not all of them good.”
“Good news first. I could use some,” Jake said wearily.
“I found McCloud.”
Omar leaned forward. “Where?”
“Calgary.”
“Canada.” Trent frowned.
“How’d you locate him?” Omar asked.
“Last week, Cal’s ex-wife reported a credit card stolen after it was used to buy a one-way ticket to Calgary.”
“She helped him?” Trent asked.
Ryan shook his head. “She says no. Says she threw the card in a drawer and hasn’t used it for years. But she’s had the account since she and Cal were married. He could’ve accessed it.”
“Could be a coincidence,” Jake said.
“It’s not.”
