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Wyatt nodded, but Juliette could see that he wasn't entirely sure what to make of this young woman.
"So, what's your background?" Juliette asked, curious to learn more about her skills.
"I'm a hacker," Sierra said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I specialize in breaking codes and systems, and I'm an expert at finding information where it's not meant to be found. I graduated very early, at twenty, and I'm now twenty-one. I've been working in the field for about two years now part-time, and I've been involved in some pretty big cases, some while I was at the university. I'm studying further and so my FBI connection recommended I join this team because I'm very flexible, and I have experience with French technology and systems. I’m not a French speaker but I can understand enough to get by."
Juliette felt a surge of admiration for the young woman before her.
"I’m sure you'll be an invaluable part of the team," Juliette said, smiling.
Sierra smiled back, and Juliette could see the determination and strength that lay beneath her youthful exterior.
She could sense Wyatt's skepticism, but Juliette was sure that this was a valuable asset for the team. She was young, but seemed super sharp, and having tech expertise was always a huge advantage in an operation. However, the rest of the operation would depend on her skills and Wyatt’s as well.
With their coffees finished, it was time to get going. Their flight to Paris was in forty-five minutes' time.
Going through security was always a fast exercise when you were FBI and carrying a weapon. The three of them bypassed the queue, and after examining their paperwork, the security officials let them through. Passport control was similarly seamless, and then they were power walking to the boarding gate - where, Juliette knew from experience - armed agents boarded first.
They'd been booked into business class on the Air France flight, and Juliette took her seat with a feeling of relief.
She longed to be one of those agents who could survive on two hours' sleep a night, and was able to doze off anywhere, anytime. But the opposite was true.
She loved her sleep! If she didn't get eight hours, most nights at least, she felt like a zombie. And, contrarily, she found it exceptionally difficult to sleep on airplanes. For her to get sufficient shuteye, she had to be lying down. How she wished she was one of those wide awake superhumans.
Sinking back into the seat, knowing she could stretch out as soon as the takeoff was done, Juliette had the relief of knowing that when they landed in Paris, she'd at least feel well rested.
With a seriously devious killer to catch, and a partner who had no filter, she needed all the help she could get.
"What's on the menu?" Wyatt asked the flight attendant with a grin. "We got American food on this flight, or is it French only?" Perusing the menu, he frowned, and she could see that it wasn't to his liking.
"What is this? Shrimp? Asparagus? Zucchini caviar? Look here, can you just do me a plain cheeseburger? And I don't see Budweiser on this drinks menu. Any chance you can find me one?"
"Certainly, sir," the flight attendant replied, pasting on a smile.
Juliette had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She had the feeling that for this case, she'd need to draw on diplomatic as well as detective skills. And meanwhile, Goldenface was at large in Paris - a city with endless nooks and crannies, twists and turns, a place that not even a local Parisian could say he knew intimately.
If he'd chosen a city where he could disappear easily, while preying on victims that suited his type, Juliette had to reluctantly admit he'd chosen well.
As soon as they landed, the hunt would begin. And Juliette promised herself, this time, he wouldn't escape their net.
CHAPTER FOUR
What would happen next? Where would they go first? When she’d turned her phone off for the flight, Juliette still had no idea of the logistics. She hoped she could hit the ground running, but knew this was such a rushed decision that plans were still being made. They hadn't yet received a message about who would meet them, or what would happen next.
But all too soon, the bad news landed. As soon as she got a signal, she looked at her messages.
Ebury had texted,"There's a complication. French authorities are insisting on being fully involved and fully in charge. Team meeting you at airport. I have to approve this, because they won't budge."
It was frustratingly vague. She wished she had more information on what this involvement would mean, but guessed that if Ebury had known more, he would have said more. But the insistence on being in charge was a red flag. It might make it harder for them to work the way they needed to.
"We're going to have to meet up with the local police immediately," she told the others. Wyatt was sitting diagonally opposite her, and Sierra just behind her.
"What?" Wyatt was instantly suspicious. "Why?"
Already, Juliette's diplomatic skills were being tested. Now, she felt like she was the filter between her team, Ebury, and the unknown Parisian police contingent.
She couldn't let Wyatt get angry about this. That, she saw immediately. If he was angry, she guessed he would head into Paris like a charging bull, and that might damage relationships right from the get-go.
"It's their jurisdiction, and the French police are the ones who initially investigated the crime," she said. "So of course there has to be collaboration. They'll hopefully guide us and help us. They must have lots of information. We need to respect their protocols and stick to them."
