Page 50 of Fatal Mistake
Their expertise impressed Tara, but then their many skills already awed her.
Cal tapped the clipboard. “So we’re agreed. We have three locations to scout.”
“Affirmative.” Rick stepped back. “Let’s get it done.”
A southern accent she’d caught the slightest hint of before today threaded through his tone, and one corner of his mouth turned up a fraction. Rick liked weapons. He made that more than clear. As he was the team’s ballistics expert, it also made sense.
Cal grabbed a bag labeled with Kaci’s name in black letters. “Kaci is the smallest person on the team, and she’s already agreed to let you wear her gear.” He pulled out an army-green vest and dropped it over Tara’s shoulders.
She stood so he could help fasten the tabs, and the heavy weight threatened to buckle her knees. “Odd that this is smaller than the one I wore yesterday, but it feels heavier.”
“First, you were fueled with adrenaline yesterday, making it seem lighter. And second, Kaci is a pack rat and has the vest jammed with stuff. Let me lighten the load a bit.”
He removed ammunition mags from pockets, a first aid bag, and various tools clipped on the outside. “Sorry, the ceramic plates alone weigh about ten pounds, but they’re needed to protect against high-caliber ammo. If you get tired, let me know, and we’ll take a rest.”
“Thank you,” she said, wondering if Oren actually was up in a tree ready to shoot her.
She wouldn’t worry. She’d remember Shane’s words from last night instead and believed Oren wouldn’t dare attack with the swarm of agents in the area.
Cal settled a helmet on her head. Adjusting the chin straps, he brushed his fingers against her skin, firing off her nerves. She forgot all about the weight of the vest and the heat the helmet instantly trapped next to her scalp and focused on his face.
He met her gaze and lingered, and her heart rate kicked into a higher gear.
He suddenly dropped his hands to step back. “I’m sure you can take care of the strap.”
How did she allow him to do this to her? Worse, she let him see the effect his touch had on her. She needed to control her emotions. Better yet, she had to keep from letting him touch her again.
He grabbed icy-cold bottles of water and loaded the backpack. “In this heat you need to stay hydrated, so don’t hesitate to ask for water breaks.”
She nodded, and he handed her the GPS device where he’d entered their first coordinates and a map displayed the targeted location.
“Follow me.” She set off.
“Hold up.” Cal caught up to her and took her arm. “Remember we go together. Side by side or we don’t go at all.”
“There are some spots on this route that are too narrow for side by side.”
“When that happens, we’ll assess the threat and go from there. Until then, you need to pretend we’re connected at the hip.”
His words brought a crazy image to mind, and she laughed.
“I’m serious,” he growled at her.
“Don’t worry, I get it,” she assured him.
With Cal at her side, Tara crossed the road, and Rick took up the rear. She stepped into knee-high grass that tangled around her feet and ankles, making the trip forward difficult.
“Clearly, this is the easy way.” The sarcasm she’d come to expect from Rick wove through his voice.
“You should live by Cal’s motto.” She turned and smiled up at Rick. “The only easy day was yesterday.”
Cal broke out in unexpected laughter, and Rick chuckled, too. She’d never heard Rick laugh, but she only cared about the cheerful sound coming from Cal. His unusual lighthearted stance gave her a glimpse at the man he did his best to hide.
She swallowed hard to ignore the way his good mood sent her pulse beating fast and gestured ahead. “It’ll get easier once we reach the actual path.”
Despite the moisture-wicking lining of the helmet, perspiration quickly covered her head. The skies continued to threaten rain, and if the heat wave didn’t break under the rain, the highs were expected to reach one hundred degrees by afternoon. It would be a good ten degrees cooler in the shaded forest, but wearing the vest and helmet would soon sap her strength.
She slipped under low-hanging branches and moved to the right a few feet where the trees opened up to a narrow path.
