“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” he said. “You’ll be the sole person to meet with Jade. I’ll be your silent six. Plus, I’ll provide the same cover for Jade should anyone crash the party.”
“I already decided to risk your involvement,” Keira said, “but no one else, please. The fewer people who know we’re heading for Bandera, the better. As for stopping in Bruer to pick up your rifle...” She grimaced. “By now, they know I’m with you. They could be staking out your house, waiting to see if you show up with me.”
“I have a safe in a storage unit in Leon Springs between Bruer and San Antonio, where I keep my spare sniper rifle. I pay for the unit with a credit card under another name. It can’t be traced to me.”
Keira raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that illegal?”
“Like you, we have to protect ourselves,” Rogue said. “Especially since we’ve disengaged from the government.”
“You don’t trust the government?” she asked.
His lips twisted. “I don’t trust that government data hasn’t been compromised. So, are we good? We’ll pick up my rifle. What about a vehicle?”
She frowned. “We have my motorcycle.”
“If Jade is on foot, we can’t all ride on the motorcycle.”
Keira’s lips curved. “I have a truck.”
Rogue’s eyebrows rose. “You do?”
She nodded.
“Where?”
“In the shed beneath the trees. I even have several license plates we can switch out, if needed. It has a full tank of gas and good tires.”
Rogue grinned. “Then we can take the truck.”
Keira shook her head. “You can take the truck. I’m going on the motorcycle. It gets around and away easier, faster and into tight places.”
Rogue stared at her for a long moment. He looked like he wanted to argue the point.
Keira lifted her chin, ready to defend her point.
Finally, Rogue nodded. “Okay. It might be good to have more than one vehicle available to get away in or use as a distraction. Though I’d rather be with you on the trip down.”
“You can follow me,” she said.
They made breakfast of scrambled eggs and peanut butter and jelly cracker sandwiches. Keira ate the eggs, knowing she needed the protein to keep up her strength. They had no idea what they were heading into, and for once, she was glad she didn’t have to go in alone.
Rogue fitted each of them with radio earbuds, insisting it was better to keep talk on cell phones to a minimum. Armed with handguns, hats and sunglasses, they took the backroads from the cabin in the Hill Country west of Austin, through Dripping Springs, Blanco and Kendalia. As they neared Bruer, Rogue took the lead and headed south at Bergheim to the north side of Leon Springs and the storage facility along the Interstate 10.
The storage unit looked like any other generic storage unit, one of a hundred units available. Rogue unlocked it and ushered her into the darkened unit stacked with cardboard boxes near the entrance. He closed the overhead door before he switched on a battery-powered lantern to reveal the safes lining the walls behind the boxes.
“How many weapons do you have in here?”
“A few. I’ve collected them over the years.” He worked the combination lock on a large, heavy safe until the tumbler clicked and he opened the door.
Inside was a gun case that looked like a long, narrow suitcase. He pulled it out and opened it. Inside was a specialized, military-grade rifle with a powerful scope. Rogue closed the case, grabbed six fully loaded magazines and fit them into a bandolier. He reached into a plastic storage container and pulled out two bulletproof vests.
“Who are those for?” Keira asked.
“You and Jade,” he answered.
Keira shook her head. “Too heavy. They’d slow us down.”
He frowned. “They’d also slow a bullet or a knife.”
