Undercover Hunter(119)
“Civilians?” Micah asked. “I may need a couple with the right background. A few SEALs come to mind. Say Nate Tate’s son, Seth Hardin, for one.”
Gage looked at DeeJay and Cade. “Your asses are going to be hanging out and we called you for your expertise. What do you think?”
DeeJay spoke. “I’ve had a lot of dealings with Special Ops. Mostly Rangers, but some SEALs, too. If Micah has people he trusts to observe secrecy and do this job, go for it.”
Micah nodded and straightened. “I’m on it. I’m going to need one of the choppers to overfly the Sweet ranch today for a terrain check, and I’m going to have a team ready early tonight.” He looked at DeeJay and Cade. “It may go against your instincts, but let me handle this part. I’ll be in touch when we’ve got a plan and fully brief you.”
“Micah?” Gage spoke. “Remember, we don’t have enough for a warrant. One crisis hotline phone call isn’t enough to prove probable cause to a judge. Lots of people call the hotline, and lots of them talk to Calvin Sweet without getting into trouble.”
“I get it. The primary thing is to be ready to act if he tries to harm either of these agents. I’ll have us ready. They won’t be alone for long.”
* * *
Later, Cade and DeeJay walked along the streets of Conard City. For some reason Cade reached out and took DeeJay’s hand. Well, they were supposedly married, and she didn’t feel the least urge to pull away from the touch.
“The waiting is going to drive me nuts,” she said.
“I hear you. So you think these guys can do it?”
“I’ve had the privilege of seeing Special Ops in action more than once. It’s even more amazing than what they let you see on TV. If I have to put my life in someone’s hands, they’re it.”
He nodded. “Okay then. This goes against my grain.”
She gave a mirthless laugh. “Mine, too. Action, that’s me. But our turn comes in the morning.”
“Yeah.” He gave her hand a small squeeze. “Maybe we should stop and take a picture from time to time. I don’t know much about being a travel writer, and the folks around here probably don’t know much, either, but I doubt that we’d just be taking a stroll if we were working.”
“Good idea.” She pulled out her cell and snapped a photo of the shops along the street. “You know, this place has some real charm. Worn-out charm, but real. I hope the improvements the resort plans don’t ruin it.”
Overhead, one of the rescue choppers flew, the whop-whop of the blades loud.
“There they go,” Cade remarked.
“I guess Micah’s moving fast.”
“He needs to.”
She took a few more photos, and when they resumed their stroll, he again took her hand. She found his touch comforting, something she desperately needed right now when she felt cut out of the operation, with no input of any kind. She wasn’t used to that.
“It’s killing me that I can’t be in on the planning,” she admitted. “I want to be in the war room.”
“Did you used to be, in the army?”