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[25] Machinations
They think they’re so smart.
Nick’s steely gaze followed the bulky figure of an undercover agent from behind a newspaper as the man left the window bar of the coffee house where he’d been idly staring at his phone and picked up his order at the counter.
Three cups in the drink carrier for the second day in a row. That answers that question, he thought, shifting in his seat so he could confirm the license tag on the agent’s vehicle as the man entered it. It was the same as the one he’d seen follow Teri’s white SUV from the hospital to Erickson’s house the afternoon he’d returned to Moab and happened upon her there.
His gaze flicked to the coffee house employees behind the counter, recognizing one immediately. The assistant manager, a twenty-something stoner he’d treated more than once in the ER for mountain biking and skiing injuries, the
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Good morning, Gorgeous.”Jim leaned over Teri and kissed her temple sweetly, dropping a handful of Estelle’s magic morning sickness candy cures on the bedside table where she could reach them and she sighed gratefully. “Good morning. And thank you.”Reaching for one, she unwrapped and popped it into her mouth, eager to have done with the nausea.“I’m walking Zoe over to Patrick and Abby’s. Abby’s going to take her to school with Beth.”Rolling to her back, Teri stared up at him. “What did our oh-so pleasant escort have to say about that?”Shoving his hands in his jean pockets, Jim shrugged, wearing a lopsided grin. “Not much. They were less pleased to find out I’m going out to the airfield.”Teri’s brows lifted inquiringly, promp
Antiquarian's Precious Find [27] Fox and Hounds
Oh, sweet submissive Teri! Nick almost groaned aloud.Timid as a hare, she shambled towards him with hesitant steps, much to his delight, her slim hand still clutching her phone, holding it like a magical weapon between them, her face drawn in a frightened grimace. When she was close enough to grab, he snatched the device, tossing it towards the lifeless contractors.With another trembling whimper, she tried to bolt away, and thrilled with how perfectly Teri fed him his every desire, he gave chase. Through he tripped over the dog doing it, Nick caught her by the slim ankle, bringing her crashing to the ground with a hard whump and pained cry.Releasing the shotgun to catch at her with both hands, he half-dragged half-crawled up her petite body, pressing his crushing weight down on her and pinning her scrambling hands behind her neck.“Attempt to do that again and I’ll kill the next person I see. Do you understand?” he snarled at her ear and beneath him her delicate body trembled fierce
Antiquarian's Precious Find [28] Crosshairs
Jim had hoped to be home before Teri left for work, but the location of one of the undocumented sites had been mapped for them incorrectly by the reporting individual. Unwilling to chance when there’d next be a break in the weather, he’d spent several frustrating minutes searching from the air, circling at decreasing elevations around the given landmark before he’d spotted it.Making a wide circle, he angled the plane northeast towards Moab and the airport, his thoughts wandering. It needled him, what Teri’d done, setting up her own defenses above and beyond what the FBI had. Okay, so it wasn’t that she’d felt she’d needed to, even if that did mean neither of them had much faith in the FBI and other local authorities, he acknowledged mentally. It wasn’t even that she hadn’t told him.It wasn’t any of that.She’d designed her a
Antiquarian's Precious Find [29] Hunted
Nick had considered himself fit and healthy, but this was a supreme physical effort for which he was unprepared. Besides that he’d been up nearly twenty-four hours straight in preparation for snatching her, lugging even Teri’s petite body over his shoulders for miles and juggling two backpacks and the shotgun was making it difficult to manage passage on the rough terrain. Especially without leaving much of a discernable trail.Plus, he still had another miserable mile to go just to reach the canyon’s end. Though the climb out was traversable, it was still over steeply sloping topography, slippery with loose rock, pebbles and sand. Over such treacherous ground, he’d be unable to carry the unconscious woman. Since there was absolutely no way he was leaving his prize behind, the sooner Teri woke the better.He’d seen Erikson attempt to land the small aircraft and have to take off again, bu
Antiquarian's Precious Find [30] Providence
“We need shelter.” Crouching next to Jim with Teri clutched against his chest, Marcus glanced around, then contacted Frank Shepard. “This is Agent Leigh,” he shouted over the whining wind. “I’ve recovered Teri Munro.”Above the noise, Shepard replied, “Where’s Johansen, Marcus?”“Dead. He fell over a cliff at my current coordinates. I’ll give you the details later. How far are we from an extraction point?”Hearing that question, Jim lifted his head, alert for the answer.“Mile and a half. As the crow flies,” Shepard’s garbling voice grated over the radio. “It’s the closest we can get a vehicle.”“Not in this.” Jim shook his head. “None of us are dressed for it. Tell h
Antiquarian's Precious Find [1] Trojan Horse
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Teri tucked the last of her daughter’s lunch into her lunchbox, glancing at the time on her cellphone. Seven-twenty-four. “Zoe! Get your stuff together! We’re late!” It wasn’t true, but usually it was the only way to get her perpetually tardy daughter to school on time.Touching the email icon on her phone’s menu, she leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping her coffee as it loaded. Down the hall came a thundering ruckus, terminating when Zoe stormed into the kitchen, frustratedly tossing her dangling backpack onto one shoulder only to have it slip and fall down her arm again.“I’m getting my shoes!” Zoe snapped moodily, dropping her backpack to the floor with a heavy thunk and taking a seat at the table.Unperturbed, Teri ignored the behavior, carrying the lunchbox to the table as she skimmed the new email contacts from her website. T
Antiquarian's Precious Find [2] Remote Sensing
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- Antiquarian's Precious Find [1] Trojan Horse
- Antiquarian's Precious Find [30] Providence
- Antiquarian's Precious Find [29] Hunted
- Antiquarian's Precious Find [28] Crosshairs
- Antiquarian's Precious Find [27] Fox and Hounds
- Antiquarian's Precious Find [26] Concoctions
- Antiquarian's Precious Find [25] Machinations
- Antiquarian's Precious Find [24] Prey
- Antiquarian's Precious Find [23] Predator (**trigger warning--rape mentality**)
