Page 87 of Operation Protector
“I did. I’ll be there just about then. And I’ll have to play it by ear, but I may have something worth using.”
Quinn ended the call and turned to face Colby. “What did that mean, something worth using?” Colby asked.
“Knowing Gavin, it means something that could turn the tables completely. Just like he used to do at court. We’ll have to leave that to him,” Quinn said briskly. “It’ll probably be pushing an hour by the time everybody gets there and we get loaded up.”
“How many people can Wilbur carry?” Colby asked, trying not to leap on that bit about de Marco having something and chewing it to death.
“Five, plus the pilot.”
“Who I assume is you?”
“Yep,” Quinn said, looking nothing less than delighted at the fact. “So Hayley, Teague, Liam, Gavin, and you.”
“And Cutter?”
Quinn grinned at that. “Yeah, him too, but since he’s only about seventy pounds, we don’t worry about it.”
“That’d be one of Liz’s suitcases,” Colby said dryly.
Quinn laughed. “Hope you pack lighter.”
He did, grabbing up whatever clothes were clean, including some of his heavier work socks he was glad he’d grabbed, given the weather they were heading toward. Quinn apparently had a go bag ready at all times, because the only thing he grabbed was his laptop with all the details he’d just researched and a couple of heavy jackets off the rack by the door.
Thanks to the fact that his stay here was temporary, he didn’t have a ton of things to include, so was able to be ready only a couple of minutes after Quinn.
“What about Hayley?”
“She’s got her go bag in the car. Along with Cutter’s.”
“The dog has a go bag?”
“He does. Food, water, collapsible bowls and some of Liam’s gear we sometimes use with him.” Quinn grinned again. He was obviously looking forward to flying. “He’s even got a coat and some traction boots, so if that snow hits, he’ll be ready.”
Colby was still marveling at it all as they drove south to the small local airport Wilbur was hangared at. And his first look at the sleek little airplane had him, oddly, thinking better this to tackle the Rockies than the helicopter, although he suspected Quinn wouldn’t cringe at that, either.
All those thoughts vanished when Hayley’s SUV pulled up and two women got out. And only one of them had a backpack slung over her shoulder, looking ready to get on that plane and fly.
Ali.
Chapter 39
Ali let Hayley do the selling, since her opinion would carry more weight with Quinn. And hopefully Colby, who had seemed a bit stunned that she was there at all, let alone ready to roll.
“I’ll hate not being there, but Ali has some very good points,” Hayley was saying. “Seeing Gavin will worry her, especially now that she knows he’s working with Colby. And if she sees Liam she’ll connect him to Colby.”
“If she even remembers me at all,” Liam drawled. “Me being one of those peons, and worse, a country boy.”
“If she saw me,” Hayley went on, “she might wonder, but I doubt she even remembers me from our brief interaction. But seeing Ali appear out of the blue will shock and startle her, because she’ll have no idea what she’s doing there.” Hayley paused, then added quietly, “Maybe you won’t need that moment when she’s too stunned to react…but maybe you will.”
Quinn looked from his wife to Ali consideringly before saying slowly, “And Grace trusts you.”
“Yes, she does,” Ali said, thinking she was prouder of that truth in this moment than she’d been of almost anything in her life.
“You’re sure?” Quinn asked. “It could get messy.”
“I’m sure I don’t want Grace in her hands a moment longer than she has to be.”
“All right, then.”
