Page 104 of Fixed Asset

“True story.”

We hit the valley, slowed to a walk, and Mason came up next to me.

“I can’t believe she actually followed orders.”

He was talking about Catarina.

“She’s not dumb. She knows Calista’s the mission.”

“Fuck you very much,” Mase huffed. “I wasn’t implying she’s stupid. I’m just surprised she left you under my protection.”

I snorted.

Mase finished, “But it’s good to know she trusts me to keep you safe.”

I hated to say it, but damn if I could shake this feeling.

“Something’s off,” I told Mase.

“What kind of something?”

I couldn’t answer that.

“Pete never called Tom back.”

“You think Tom fucked us?”

Did I?

He was the one who’d sent us to find Calista, but Shep had been the one to get us the intel.

“Calista didn’t know who broke into the hotel room and killed Carlos and Gloria. We don’t know who was driving the Toyota that hit the gas pump. We don’t know who was on the plane from the UAE to Mexico City. Too many unknowns. I have a bad feeling Pete did exactly what they wanted him to do.”

Mason didn’t need me to explain. “If I wanted to draw the enemy into an ambush, I’d give away my location and wait.”

Firing across the valley wasn’t an impossible distance if the shooter was a good marksman who understood bullet drop, crosswind, powder load, and a slew of other shit that made long-distance shooting an art form. That was not who had been shooting at us. And I knew because we were all still alive. A good marksman would’ve been able to pick us off.

But they got their desired outcome.

Pete had run toward the danger to eliminate it.

“Watch my back,” I said as I let my M4 go.

It caught on the sling, and I shrugged my pack off to get my phone out.

Thank fuck for dry bags.

As soon as I had my phone out, I was reminded Cat’s bag was still on the runway back on Cedros.

Motherfucking shit.

“Cat has no comms,” I mumbled, and scrolled to find Tom’s contact.

“I’m getting the woman a fanny pack,” Mase returned.

I was thinking more along the lines of asking Tom for another subcutaneous tracker.

The call went to voicemail. I disconnected and dialed again. I was getting ready to try again when Tom picked up.