Page 78 of Protector Unmatched

Daphne opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat. Moments later, she heard Enya and Pearce sitting down, one in the passenger seat next to her, the other in the back seat.

“I’ll hot-wire the car,” Pearce said, his voice now a little louder, since nobody could hear them inside the car.

Daphne felt his hands and arms brushing her legs as he fumbled underneath the steering wheel.

“Put your foot on the brake.”

She followed his command. A couple of seconds later, the engine roared.

“We’re good to go,” Pearce said.

She wanted to make a comment, how impressed she was at both Enya’s and Pearce’s skills at grand theft auto, but Pearce had instructed her not to talk while he and Enya were invisible, so that nobody would find it strange when they saw her lips move as if she was talking to herself.

Orienting herself quickly on her cell phone’s app, she left the old Mision San Francisco Santa Clara behind her and drove toward the freeway. There was relatively little traffic as she drove across the bridge leading to Miami Beach. As soon as she reached the island Miami Beach was located on, she took the exit to the Nautilus neighborhood and turned into the street running parallel to the beach facing Miami.

“Two or three more blocks,” Enya said from the back seat. “It’s a beachfront property, by the looks of it.”

“Pull over here for a second,” Pearce said.

“Behind the moving pod?” Daphne asked.

“Yes, sorry. I keep forgetting that you can’t see me.”

She pulled over and stopped the car. “Now what?”

“Okay, nobody around.” Suddenly Pearce appeared in the passenger seat.

Daphne gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. “Damn, you startled me. Not sure I’ll ever get used to this.”

Pearce grinned. “You will.” Then he pointed to the street ahead. “Continue to the address. Park right in front of it. You and I will go and speak to the owner, and Enya will remain visible. Should the owner give us any trouble, Enya will go inside and find the dagger. Are we all good?”

“Works for me,” Enya said.

“Okay,” Daphne said, and drove another block before parking in front of the property. “How do I switch off the engine?”

Pearce bent toward her and reached underneath the steering wheel. The motor died. “Like this.”

She rolled her eyes and reached for the door handle. “Let’s go, Agent Glaser.”

“I’m on your heels, Agent Soul.”

Daphne crossed the street with Pearce by her side. “Wow, it’s humid here. I should have worn something different.”

“We won’t be here for long.”

They walked to the front door of the large two-story house with the modern façade. Pearce pressed the doorbell. Daphne reached into her jacket pocket, ready to whip out her fake FBI ID. A few seconds stretched to a minute. Pearce pressed the doorbell again, and Daphne could clearly hear the bell ringing inside the house. Yet nobody came to the door.

“You think he’s not here?” Daphne asked.

“Enya can check.”

“I’m going in,” Enya said from Daphne’s left, sending another shiver down her spine.

“You guys have to stop doing this.”

~ ~ ~

Pearce chuckled. “Trust me—”