She surprised herself with the question.
Peyton blew out a breath. “I don’t know, but it’s a very nice payday for a small amount of work. The client’s already arranged a cover for you and access codes, and I’ve verified them. I mean, it’s not as easy as carrying around a suitcase of boner powder, but it pays a hell of a lot more. He’s also got a little artifact to beat some of the magical security that he’ll loan you.”
“And there are no strange evil magical penguins waiting for me down there or some shit like that?”
“Nope. Like I said, it’s not even a secret place anymore, not in the way it used to be. You’d be traveling down with a group of scientists who are doing research. People won’t have any reason to suspect you. Given the place’s history, a lot of people still run experiments—both magical and otherwise—that they don’t want to talk about.”
“You’re saying I can tell people to mind their own damned business and they will?”
“Yeah, basically.”
Shay shrugged. “I could hide a lot of weapons in a parka.”
“You won’t even need any. That’s how well set up this job is.”
“Just when I think I don’t need any guns or knives, some asshole shows up with a machine gun and takes me down.”
Peyton laughed. “Just saying, but that doesn’t change the fact that I already set up all your equipment in Warehouse Three. That was the other reason I was late.” He pointed at himself and smiled. “See? Efficient. I know what I’m doing.”
“Fuck it, at least this way I can say I’ve traveled to every continent.”
“Take me with you. Peyton’s already said this one’s easy. It’s in the middle of bumfuck nowhere and it’s icy. As in cold as a witch’s… Just in case, take me with you.”
She hesitated for a moment. Why the hell not? She was going to have to field test Lily eventually if this experiment was going to get any traction. Hell, would Brownstone take a teenager out in the field? No, probably not but Shay was going to give it a try. Different ideas of parenting.
“Get the gear you’ve been practicing packing. Give her an ear piece, Peyton. When I get back, there’s something I want to show you.” Shay pointed at Peyton
“What?
Shay took a deep breath. “Another warehouse.”
“You mean there’s another one?” Peyton’s eyes became saucers, like a kid learning Santa was real.
“You’ll see, and I think you’ll be pretty damn surprised.” Shay winked.
Chapter Ten
Shay and Lily kept to themselves as the large truck carrying the scientists made its way through the icy wasteland. Shay’s transport was at the head of a convoy of three carrying scientists and supplies. A few of the others had tried to talk to them on the plane from Argentina, but Shay staring at them in silence made them shut up. Now they didn’t bother trying.
She wasn’t worried. It wasn’t like anyone expected her or Lily to be chatty, since her cover was a botanist specializing in tropical plants who had been “forced” to go to Antarctica along with a junior assistant. One of Lily’s better talents was staring sullenly at strangers.
It was amazing how a few background details could make things less awkward.
The tomb raider admired Peyton’s thoroughness in establishing her cover identity in such a short time. The client’s information had helped, but the researcher’s aid shortened the job from days of prep to simple execution. Annoying deliveries aside, Peyton had proven more useful than she ever could have guessed when she’d decided to save him from the hit.
He’d been a good investment. Hopefully, Lily would turn out to be the same.
Hell, he was even turning into something approaching a good friend.
Shay stared out the window. The endless ice and snow unsettled her. This wasn’t a place she’d want to spend a lot of time, but fortunately, they wouldn’t need to.
The pilot would be refueling and inspecting his plane, with a planned take-off in about six hours. He expected and was prepared to take a few outgoing staff and deliveries when he departed. All Shay and Lily needed to do after recovering the beans was make it to the plane with a bullshit explanation about how her junior assistant left behind some critical equipment. Once they got back to Argentina, they could take a supersonic flight back to LA with ease.
An easy job, just like the magical Viagra. Shay grinned to herself.
Thirty minutes passed before they arrived at the cluster of low and rugged buildings comprising the World Seed Repository complex. The other scientists chatted among themselves as a huge metal door lifted. The convoy pulled into a garage filled with trucks, both wheeled and tracked, along with several snowmobiles.
The driver cleared his throat. “Welcome to the World Seed Repository. You’ll have to badge in one by one. Sorry, that’s the policy. The alarm goes off otherwise, and it’s a big headache for everyone involved,” he muttered under his breath. “You can leave your things here for now.”
Everyone opened their doors and filed out of the vehicle. Shay waited until everyone else had gathered their things to step out and collect her backpack, nodding to Lily to follow her as Lily slipped on her own backpack.
The driver shook his head. “You don’t need to get that, Doctor.”
“I don’t go anywhere without my instruments.” Shay slipped the backpack over her shoulders.
Shay held her breath and fished out her fake badge. If Peyton or her client had screwed up, things might get messy. She didn’t plan to gun down a building full of scientists, but she was also in the middle of Antarctica. Escape might prove logistically more difficult than she was used to. She looked back at Lily to see if she was getting any divination, but the teenager shook her head. Nothing.
Yeah. Maybe I should be careful about taking jobs to the middle of nowhere?
She lifted the badge to the security pad…and the light turned green.
Huh. That
