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Callum glared at the blue-haired woman who was half his size. “Do you know how to plan an attack? Can you fire a gun? Do you have any combat experience?”
“That’s not the point. It’s a sexist divide.”
“It’s a skill divide.”
“I have skills.”
“Not the right kind. Talk to me after you muster out of the army. Then I’ll let you have a say.”
“Nobody says muster anymore,” Elle snapped.
“Nobody knows we’re in Cusco,” Ed said as he came back into the room, grinning at Elle’s face off with Callum. “This hotel is very secure, and we’ll only be a couple of hours. I think the women would be fine alone. Plus, we need all our military experience to plan and pull this off. I think Joe needs to come with us.”
Julia stepped away from Joe. “I agree. We honestly don’t need a babysitter. No one knows we’re here; everyone still thinks we’re in La Paz or Lima. Joe doesn’t need to stay.”
Joe clearly was still unconvinced.
“I promise we won’t leave the suite,” Julia said. “We won’t even order room service. We’ll hide, quiet as mice, until you get back.”
Joe’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. He put a hand on each of Julia’s shoulders. “If there is even a hint of trouble, you run for the manager and call the cops. Got me?”
“Yes, sir.” She saluted again, making his lip twitch.
“You have the gun I gave you and I’ll have my cell phone. Don’t take any risks.”
“All we’re going to do is research and plan. What can go wrong?”
Joe covered her mouth with his hand. “Never, ever say those words. They jinx everything. Let’s hope the powers that be weren’t listening.”
When he lifted his hand, she smiled at him. “You worry me, Joe.”
His answer was a toe-curling kiss.
Chapter 21
Patricia was awake, but she was subdued and seemed far frailer than Julia had ever remembered seeing her. They snacked on packets of chocolate chip cookies and drank mugs of tea while they waited for the men to return. Patricia and Elle continued photographing the textiles and feeding the information into Elle’s laptop. Julia went over the notes she’d made on her iPad. And she didn’t like what she was seeing. Patterns were beginning to emerge. Patterns with terrible conclusions. The more she read, the more worried she became.
When the room phone rang, Julia was preoccupied when she answered, realising too soon that she should probably have let it ring.
“Hello?” she said cautiously.
“Señorita Collins?” a female whispered.
“Maria?” The hotel staff member from the chapel.
“Si. There are men here asking for you. Bad men. You must get out of your room right away. Now, señorita, hurry.” The line went dead.
Julia felt an unnatural stillness come over her and knew panic would follow later. “We need to get out of here. Now.” Julia spun on her gran. “Grab whatever is essential. Leave everything else. We need to run.”
“What is it?” Patricia said.
“Esteban’s men are downstairs looking for us.”
Elle was already stuffing her laptop into her daypack. “Passports. Cash. Phones. Everything else can be replaced.”
Patricia stood, flustered and hesitant in the middle of the room. “I can’t leave the mummy.”
“You have to.” Julia rushed over to her and grabbed her upper arms. “They will take you and kill us. Do you understand?”
