“Why do we need to be wired?” Brett asked.
“Evidence,” Dominic said. “Brady wants whatever information you can get to be recorded in case they need some of it.”
“Makes sense,” Felix said.
They entered Sec HQ, and Felix grabbed the wires from the cupboard before getting Brett to strip off, much to his own delight. Brett’s mouth curved as Felix took his time, his fingers sliding over his skin.
“You do that for much longer, we’re going to need to use the cupboard for storing something else entirely,” Brett growled.
Felix shivered and finished. “There you go.” He quickly attached his own wire, and then they were ready. “Are we taking weapons?”
“Yes, she wouldn’t believe us if we didn’t. She’d know it was a setup. If we have weapons on us, she can see that we drop them, should she ask. Or she might be too cocky and not care,” Brett said.
Once they were ready, they headed for the car, Brett driving again.
“We’ll have eyes on you all the way,” Dominic said.
They headed for the field, the journey taking around twenty-five minutes, but neither said anything. They knew each other well enough to understand what they would do in any given circumstance, and their newfound psychic connection would hopefully help. Felix smiled to himself at the thought. What he wouldn’t give to know what Brett was thinking at any given moment.
Brett parked the car, and they climbed out. Both scanned their surroundings before heading to the fence separating them from the road. Jumping over it, he saw Venus standing in the centre, nobody around her. They paused, checking around them once again before heading towards her.
When they got within fifty feet, she called, “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, brother?”
Her hair was a lot wilder than when Felix had seen her at the chapel and in photos. She wore her military uniform with the sleeves rolled to the elbows. On her hip sat her gun. They moved a little closer, stopping around twenty-five feet away. “Venus,” Brett said.
Felix turned slightly to the side to keep an eye behind them. As his father said, he wouldn’t put it past her to play dirty.
“I’m glad you could come. I can’t wait to see you turn to my side of the game.”
“Game? Is that what you’re calling this?” Brett said.
“Of course it is, but I’m mightily disappointed by how you’ve played it. Very slow. It’s been over a year since this started.” She shook her head and tutted. “I thought you were taught better than that.”
“Well, some things I’m glad to have forgotten. Now what do you want, other than to set bombs off throughout the nation to create a martial law scenario?”
Venus’s eyes widened before she laughed, throwing her head back, her hand going to her chest. “God! I can’t believe you remember that. We were, what, eleven at the time? Good memory. But no.”
Felix didn’t believe her denial. Something about her posture and expression made him think that Brett had hit the nail on the head, but she was trying to pretend it was something else. If it was true, they needed someone to look into it as soon as possible. Hopefully, if it was true, she hadn’t set timers for them yet.
She glanced at Felix. “Do you like the location, Felix? Does it bring back memories?”
“It does, actually. It’s where I learnt my sniping skills.”
Venus smiled. “Good times, huh? I’m sure you would love to be able to use them today, wouldn’t you?”
“Don’t you know it. But I don’t need to worry.”
Venus raised her eyebrows, the expression so similar to Brett’s that it caught him off guard for a second. “Oh, why’s that?”
“Because I can shoot you just as well at twenty-five feet.”
She chuckled again, not seeming to care about that truth. “Good point.”
“Enough. You’re talking in circles, Venus.” Brett asked, his impatience shining through. “I know you want to tell me everything. How clever you’ve been. Now is the time. Why kill Cameron Deighton?”
“Collateral. End of.”
“Where did you get the tech to hide the roses in the chapel?”