Page 77

“You entered voluntarily.”

“Under protest.”

“Still voluntary.”

She made that same sound again, somewhere between disbelief and irritation.

I had not yet determined which.

With Talia, the distinction was often small.

We reached the lower exit.

I stopped.

She nearly walked into my back.

“What?”

“Quiet.”

This time, she obeyed instantly. No argument. No sarcasm.

I listened.

No movement beyond the door. No vehicle. No footsteps. No mechanical vibration except the underground ventilation system. I opened a surveillance slit in the panel. Clear.

The secondary transport remained where I had left it months ago in a recessed service bay at the base of the ridge.

I opened the door.

Talia leaned close enough to see past me. “You have another transport?”

“Yes.”

“How many places have you hidden things?”

“Enough.”

She gave me a look. “That still isn’t a number.”

“It was not meant to be.”

We crossed the exposed ground quickly.

The sun had dropped lower since our arrival. Red-gold light struck the mountain face, turning the surrounding stone almost black by contrast.

Talia climbed into the passenger compartment without being told.

She was learning.

I loaded the case behind her.

Before taking the controls, I opened the portable terminal.

She leaned toward the screen. “What are you doing?”

“Determining whether the first transport was tracked.”