Page 88 of Protecting Bree
Feeling like an idiot for not even considering that someone on the roof might have a phone, he asked Bree, “You good?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I’ve memorized a few landmarks, and if we start out now, while the sun is up, that’ll help a lot.”
Smiley grabbed her hand, then took a few steps away from the edge of the roof. “Okay?” he asked. “Your legs feel good?”
“Yeah. The nap helped a lot. Thank you.”
Shaking his head, Smiley wanted to tell her that she never had to thank him for giving her what she needed, but he was too focused on what he should’ve done way sooner. Circling around to the front of the woman’s makeshift shelter, he stopped. Shit, how did he ask for what he wanted?
“I took Spanish in college,” Bree said softly. “What do you want to ask her?”
Once again, Bree was saving his ass. “She has a cellphone. We can use it to call Kevlar.”
Bree’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, that would be much better than walking all the way back to the coast.”
She turned and asked the woman what her baby’s name was.
Smiley understood that much Spanish, and while he didn’t know why she wasn’t asking about the phone, he trusted her to do the right thing.
As Bree and the woman had a stilted conversation, considering Bree’s rusty Spanish and the woman’s obvious mistrust of the foreigners, the hair on the back of Smiley’s neck prickled. Looking around, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but experience had taughthim not to discount the uneasy feelings he got while on a mission.
“We need to go,” he told Bree.
She nodded, and her voice changed as she spoke with the woman. Got softer, as if she was pleading for something. They said a few things back and forth, then Bree turned to Smiley. “She wants to know what we’ll exchange for the use of her phone.”
Smiley didn’t hesitate. He ducked his head and removed the small bag he’d been carrying and held it out to Bree. “There’s a couple bottles of water left. A candy bar, another loaf of bread and two cans of vegetables.”
Bree’s eyes widened. “You have a candy bar?”
He felt like shit for not giving it to her earlier. “Yeah. But I figured you needed something more nutritious first. Then you fell asleep and…” His voice trailed off.
“You’re never going to live this down,” she muttered, as she took the bag and turned back to the woman.
Smiley watched Bree negotiate, and once again was struck with pride. She was still probably starving, and yet she didn’t hesitate to offer up all they had in order to use the phone.
“She wants the rifles too,” Bree said, biting her lip as she looked up at him.
“No. Not negotiable. We need to get going, Bree. It’s important.” Urgency was hitting Smiley hard. They needed to get off this roof before they were cornered.
Apparently, they’d called the woman’s bluff, because within twenty seconds, she was clutching their bag and Bree was holding the cellphone.
Smiley took it and quickly dialed Kevlar’s number. He might not be the best navigator, but he had a knack formemorizing numbers. He knew all of his teammates’ digits by heart.
“What?”
Smiley couldn’t help but grin at his team leader’s greeting.
“Hey, if you aren’t busy, I could use some assistance,” he said.
“Smiley? Holy shit! Where are you? Are you all right? Is Bree with you?”
“No clue, yes, and yes.”
“Figures you’re lost. Asshole, I’m putting your ass in the beginners navigation courses the second we’re home. Give me something to work with here.”
“I take it my tracker is busted?”
“Yeah. Tex is pissed. Said it wasn’t transmitting for some reason.”
