Moriah blinked in surprise when Peanut startedpulling off the outer layer of his clothes, then relaxed when it became clear he had a T-shirt and shorts underneath. He handed her the sweats. “Here, put these on. This is where you become me, and I become you.”
At her uncertain look, he reached into one of the duffels and pulled out a wig—long, straight, auburn hair that matched hers closely enough to pass at a glance. She let out a small laugh as she took it in, pulling the sweats on over her clothes.
“Don’t worry,” Peanut said. “I brought my own outfit.” He grinned wildly before adding, "But I wouldn’t mind going through your unmentionables."
Her laughter grew, lightening the tension in the room for a moment.
KC growled. "If you do, I'll kill you myself."
His teammate smirked before pulling out more items from the bag.
When Moriah finished getting dressed, KC pulled the hood up and adjusted it around her face, making her features indistinguishable from a distance. She looked up at him, concern filling her Caribbean blue eyes. “Be careful, please.”
He brushed his thumb along her cheek, doing what he could to ease her worries. “I will. Now, let’sget you out of here. Tobias will take you up the beach to his truck and drive you to Dan’s. Stay out of sight until you hear from me.”
With a nod, she rose onto her toes to give him a quick kiss, and then she was out the door with T3 at her side.
KC watched her go before glancing at Peanut. A grin pulled at his mouth. No matter how many times he’d seen his teammate in disguise, it was still hilarious. But Peanut took the others’ ribbing in stride and never let it bother him.
Dressed in bright pink sweatpants and a zip-up jacket, he’d added enough padding under his shirt to give him the outline of a woman. It was convincing enough.
He headed toward the hallway bathroom with the wig in hand, ready to finish the job. Once it was in place and paired with a large set of women’s sunglasses, the resemblance would hold from behind and at a distance. It didn’t have to be perfect—just enough to keep eyes where KC wanted them.
When Peanut came back into the living room, he struck a pose and batted his eyes, pitching his voice higher. “See something you like, big boy?”
KC rolled his eyes. “Knock it off.”
It wasn’t long before T3 returned via the beachwith “Trouble” in tow. They’d stashed the ATVs between the dunes of an unoccupied house a few lots north.
Troy Mason stood six feet two and carried solid muscle without an ounce wasted. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a confident edge made him stand out, whether he wanted to or not. His reputation matched it. When asked about his nickname, the explosives expert usually gave the same answer. “Because I bring trouble down on the enemy before they ever see us coming.”
Once they were settled back inside, KC called the sheriff and had him pull beach patrol out of the area.
T3 pulled a handful of small cameras from one of the duffels, each no bigger than a matchbox. He moved through the house, placing them high in the corners of the main room and hallway, angling each one to cover the entry points.
After setting the last one, he handed KC a tablet and kept another for himself. “Live feeds. We’ll be able to see everything from the bedrooms.”
KC took it, watching as each camera came online. Clean angles. No blind spots. Good.
Now they were ready.
Sitting on the sand, Leo kept his attention on the house where they’d followed Special Agent Malone earlier, watching him meet with three other men and Moriah. The others were unknown, but one carried a weapon in a shoulder holster and didn’t look like someone who’d hesitate to use it. That had been enough to make Leo hold off for now. He still needed her alive long enough to find out where the money was.
The two morons he’d been stuck with were in the stolen truck on the road, watching the house from a distance. As much as he hated the sand clinging to his clothes, it beat being stuck in the truck with them and their insults and body odor.
Scowling, he shifted, trying to get comfortable on the uneven sand. He’d never been to a beach before, and he didn’t see the appeal. Earlier, he’d wandered down to where the waves rolled in, only to find clumps of seaweed and a few jellyfish washed up along the shore. It had been enough to turn him right back around. The air carried a faint fishy tang, the grit got everywhere, and there wasn’t a thing to do but sit and wait. It was dull, and patience wasn’t exactly his strong suit.
Movement to the north caught his eye. A truck with a lightbar on the roof came down the shoreline,tires cutting through the sand and kicking it up behind. As it slowed beside him, the Dare County Sheriff’s Department markings came into view.
He went still, his gaze flicking toward the path he’d used to get onto the beach. Close enough if he had to make a run for it.
Two uniformed men sat inside, and the driver rolled down his window. “Sorry, sir, but this is a private beach. Someone called it in. You’ll have to move along.”
Leo pushed to his feet but kept his distance from the vehicle. His gaze flicked toward the house Susan’s sister was in before returning to the driver. “Who made the call?”
“Don’t know. Dispatch didn’t say. There’s a public access about half a mile south if you want to head that way.”
“Yeah. Got it.”
