Page 55 of Devlin

The moment she stepped outside, the hot Ugandan sun hit her skin, but the warmth did nothing to dispel the chill still gripping her spine.

The low rumble of an approaching vehicle pulled her attention up the lane. A Jeep kicked up a cloud of dust as it rolled toward her, with Devlin behind the wheel. He barely had a chance to slow before she climbed in, her movements quick, almost instinctive. He shot her a sharp look, his brow furrowed.

"Are you okay?"

Mia forced a smile, the kind she had perfected over years of working in crises. Calm. Controlled. Unshakable. She nodded. "Yes. Let’s head to the police station and talk to Moses."

Devlin held her gaze. He didn’t look convinced but didn’t push her to talk.

As he drove, Mia kept her hands clenched in her lap, her mind racing. She should tell him. Shouldn’t she? But his words were just words… not an admission of guilt or inside knowledge. Maybe he wasn’t even talking about her. Uncertainty twisted in her gut.

The Jeep rumbled over the uneven road, the tires crunching over the dry earth. Then suddenly, Devlin pulled to the side and killed the engine, and her stomach dipped.

He turned toward her, his gaze steady, unreadable. "Let’s have it."

She didn’t even try to feign ignorance. It was pointless. Devlin had always been able to read her… sometimes before she even understood what she was feeling herself.

Exhaling, she relayed everything about her conversation with Dr. München, his reasoning for speaking with Robert, his agreement to contact the Ugandan police. Then she hesitated before telling him the rest. The moment she had turned back… finding the door open… hearing his words.

"And those were his words exactly?" Devlin asked, his tone calm but edged with something harder.

She nodded. "This is so stupid, Devlin. Those words could be about anything or anybody. Yet I felt a chill run down me as though he was talking about me."

Devlin didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone and pressed a few buttons before bringing it to his ear.

"Todd? Have Sadie or Casper do a deeper dig into Dr. München. I know his bank and professional background look clean, but we just want to make sure."

He disconnected without another word, slipping the phone back into his pocket. Then he turned to her, his eyes searching. "Okay. You ready to go talk to Moses?"

Mia studied him for a moment. It wasn’t just what he had done—it was how he had done it. No hesitation. No dismissing her concerns as paranoia. Just action. It was such a simple thing, but it settled something deep inside her. Her lips curved slightly as she gave a nod. "Yeah, let’s go. Together."

Devlin restarted the Jeep, maneuvering it back onto the road. And as they rolled forward, she didn’t miss the faintest hint of a smile crossing his face.

22

When Devlin and Mia entered the camp’s security building, the air was thick, the only movement coming from a few fans creating a hot breeze. Moses and Enock stood at the center of it, handing out orders to their security personnel, their voices steady but firm. A few of the men nodded sharply before hurrying off, boots thudding against the worn wooden floor.

Enock spotted them first, his keen eyes assessing before he waved them over. "Did you need to speak to Moses?"

"Yes, please. As soon as he’s available," Devlin said.

"Absolutely. He’s almost finished. If you’d like, I’ll take you back to his office."

They fell in step behind him, weaving through the building’s narrow hallways until they reached the small, cluttered office Moses occupied when he wasn’t out patrolling the camp. The space was functional, filled with maps, reports, and a weathered wooden desk that bore the signs of constant use.

Enock had barely stepped out when he returned with Moses in tow. The security chief greeted them with a broad smile, though a sharpness in his eyes said he already suspected this wasn’t just a social visit.

"I would say this is a pleasure, but I have a feeling the two of you have news for me," Moses said, his gaze flicking between them.

Mia looked toward Devlin, her expression unreadable. It wasn’t like her to hesitate. She was direct, confident, and unafraid to take charge when needed. But he suspected she was still shaken by what she had overheard in Dr. München’s office.

So he took the lead. "Using the security cameras we installed, we identified one of the trucks that left the warehouse in the middle of the night, fully loaded with food. It drove to Sweswe, where itappearedto unload everything—but it didn’t." His tone was measured, but the weight of what they had uncovered pressed down on the room. "Farid is trying to find out who was in the warehouse last night, but some of the workers switch duties without always reporting the changes to him."

Moses’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Do you know which truck? Can we discern the driver?"

"Dr. München plans to speak to Robert and see if we can figure that out," Mia answered. "But Devlin has more to tell you."

Devlin didn’t waste time. "I had my people track the vehicle. It headed straight to Lake Edward. Crates were loaded onto boats and taken across to the DRC."

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