Page 20 of Ricochet

CHAPTER TEN

One week later. One job later. Too many connecting flights later...Colin thought he might use his semi-new, almost-official position on Delta team to suggest that Titan Group run a carpool to Iowa with one of their jets. The amount of time the teams had logged into airports this week and last neared comical levels. Not that they didn’t normally spend time on airstrips—but notin the land of business travelers and vacationers.

The team had had a lively debate about where it was best to fly out of Washington—Reagan or Dulles with BWI thrown in for good measure. What none of them had initially considered until Parker had laughed, throwing a monkey wrench into their conversation, was that it wasn’t just Delta flying out. Titan Group had several members with significantothers and children. It wouldn’t take a jet— it would take a C-130 to fly everyone to Iowa at once.

Suddenly, Colin and the others had realized en masse that they were the vacationers others dreaded. They were the group travelers that would normally make them cringe—except they wouldn’t be those morons. They were all seasoned travelers, even most of the kids. Everything would go smoothly.

Right?

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Delta team had arranged transport to pick up everyone and drop them off at their airport of choice. Rental cars and hotel rooms waited for them on the other side. Colin nursed a coffee as Javier lugged down Sophia’s third bag from upstairs. He still hadn’t seen proof of life. “Tell me she’s awake.”

Javier side-eyed him. “Up before dawn.”

Colin groaned. Hissister wasn’t a quiet morning person. “Sorry.”

“I can hear you two.”

“She lives!” Colin called up the stairs. “Come on down before our ride shows.”

“We have two minutes.”

He pulled out his phone and saw the notification for missed call from his father that he’d purposefully sent to voicemail. After swiping away the notification, he saw Sophia had nailed it. “Someone’s studied the agenda.”

“Don’t be a smart aleck.”

“Finally, she graces us with her presence,” Colin teased as she appeared at the top of the stairs.

Javier opened the front door as a dark SUV pulled into the driveway. “If you two are going to be at each other’s throats the whole trip, I’m switching seats with someone.”

Sophia scowled. “Don’t you dare!”

“You know I wouldn’t.”

Colin grabbed bags to bring outside.“Did Dad call you this morning?”

“My cell’s in my purse, and Javier just grabbed it with my bags.”

Colin tried to recall Javier carrying a purse. “You sure?”

“Of course I’m sure.”

“Load up,” Javier called from outside.

Sophia swished by. “I’ll check my phone at the airport.”

“No big deal.” Besides, he didn’t want the stress of a Dad conversation before they were wheels up.

It took lesstime than they anticipated to load and leave, and they hit the highway, heading toward Dulles International, bantering about Mayhem and the wild two years it’d been getting to know the real people behind the news headlines.

“Son of a—” the driver mumbled, and Colin in the front passenger seat turned around to a sea of red brake lights forming quickly as they shifted lanes and dropped speed andstopped.

He raised an eyebrow. “Bet this does shit for the agenda.”

“Hang tight,” the driver offered and swiped his cellphone screen, sending a call that went into his Bluetooth earpiece. After a quick greeting and grumbling laugh, he agreed. “Yeah, you know that’s why I called.”

A few uh-huhs later, he ended the call. Colin feared there wasn’t much that could be done. Dulles had one way inand out once they hit the toll road. The only thing they’d find out was how bad the standstill would be.

“Not good, yeah?” Javier asked.

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