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They trooped out, Nikolai heading back to the Black Inc. office near Dupont Circle and the three of them to her apartment.
Black gave the wheel to Pierce, which sort of surprised her. Black seemed like the kind of guy who’d always take the wheel. But then she’d seen Pierce’s driving ability and didn’t doubt that if they were somehow spotted and chased, he’d manage. It spoke to Black’s intelligence that he didn’t pull rank and sit in the driver’s seat, just automatically rode shotgun.
Riley got in right behind Pierce. It wasn’t until they were halfway there that she admitted to herself it was so she could watch him without anyone noticing.
She was insanely stressed. Otherwise how to explain this fascination with watching him drive, even from the back? Everything she could see was a real treat. He had big, strong, very elegant hands and she stared at his right hand on the knob of the stick shift as he played it like a musical instrument. The ride was incredibly smooth, even in DC traffic, which was like the 7thCircle of Hell.
Not only his hand was fascinating. He’d rolled up his sleeves and his right forearm was riveting, too. Strong, lean muscles in play every time he switched gears. His shoulders were so broad they exceeded the width of the car seat, so she could watch that, too. Shiny, blue-black hair that shifted when he turned briefly to talk to Black. They were carrying on an intense discussion which she couldn’t quite make out, though she could distinguish the tones. Black’s voice was deep and rough, Pierce’s voice was just as deep but smoother. Every once in a while, she could catch a word, a phrase. Lines of sight. Shooting angle. Range. Drone.
She had a few ideas about this last thing, but that was for later.
Not being able to participate in their discussion, she fell into her own head and analyzed her situation. That was what she was good at. Analysis. Not action. But there was only so much to analyze beyond the fact that she was in the shit, so she simply sat back and watched the landscape, not taking anything in, not thinking at all.
A form of meditation.
Finally, Pierce pulled smoothly into a parking slot, on the street they’d agreed on, and killed the engine. The vehicle was so sound-proofed she couldn’t even hear the ticking of a cooling engine.
Riley stuck her head between the seats. “Can you give me the drone flight controller?”
“Sure,” Black answered, and handed her a ruggedized monitor, clearly meant for the battlespace.
“Okay. I’ll show you where we’re going.” She tracked a path through back yards and along alleyways to the side of her building. “If we stick to this path, there are no security cameras. And there are none on the side of my building.”
The men nodded.
“I imagine the drone can’t pick up audio, correct?”
Jacob Black sighed.
“As a side project, Hope and I are designing a sound sensor unit for drones that can be activated remotely. A simple add-on.”
“I’d buy that in a heartbeat,” Black answered immediately. “For whatever price you asked.”
“No price.” She looked at him, at that hard, authoritative face. “You can have it for free, as long as ASI can have it, too. I am very grateful for the help you and your company are providing. ASI, too. It would be an honor to let you have it.”
Black dipped his head, like a king accepting a tribute.
“Okay, your drone needs to hover without moving at all, close to the car with the two operators.”
Pierce frowned. “That would be hard since we won’t be able to guide it while running through backyards.” Black nodded his head.
It always amazed Riley that men never ran through their devices thoroughly.
“Here.” She took a lot of care not to sound condescending. She knew this stuff because basically she didn’t have a life. They were outward-directed and moved around in meatspace. She was inner-directed and lived inside her head and inside her devices. She found the almost hidden setting to stabilize the drone—who designed these things anyway?—showed it to them, then got out of the vehicle. She was quivering to get started.
The two men were still in the car, doors open, staring down at the monitor, slack-jawed.
“How did you—” Pierce began, but she interrupted.
“Comeon.”
They exchanged a glance and got out. Now that she was close to her apartment and her computer, she was in a fever of impatience. The two men seemed to be moving in slow motion. They were freaking SEALs and were supposed to be almost supermen. Superpowers included speed, right?
She didn’t say anything as Pierce hauled some stuff out from the back of the SUV. A backpack and three combat vests. He wouldn’t budge until she put one on.
It was huge, almost twice the size of her chest and cut into her thighs. Riley hated it, but she didn’t say anything about it. One thing she had to say to them, though, was how to behave.
“We’re going to be moving through backyards. Though we’ll be hidden by shrubbery most of the time, if you could hide your weaponry, that would be great. It’s one thing to look out the window and see two huge scary guys, and quite another to look out the window and see two huge scary guys with guns. Even if you’re with me and I’m not huge and scary. Okay, come on.”
