Page 20 of A SEAL's Protection
My gaze sweeps over the rusty pickup parked outside the general store and the two motorbikes outside the diner.
A black cat lies sprawled in the shadow of the general store, flicking its tail lazily. The green eyes regard us with disdain as we approach, but as far as I can tell, they’re the only eyes on us.
Allegra, dusty but determined, marches to the general store. I trail behind, my gaze sweeping the town out of habit.
The past two days have passed without incident. By day we hike, stopping to collect samples, which Allegra records meticulously. At night we huddle in the sleeping bag, Allegra breathing softly as she sleeps, and me ignoring the way my body reacts to her warm one pressed against mine. It’s hard to focus on the missionwhen her swath of blonde hair trails over my makeshift pillow every night. At least she’s where I can keep an eye on her.
I enter the general store two beats behind Allegra. While she heads to the counter to collect her supply box, I pace the store, checking every row for customers. A middle-aged woman in the candy aisle peers at me curiously, and I give her my best harmless tourist grin.
“G’day.” If in doubt, play an Australian backpacker. “Beaut spot you’ve got here.”
She nods at me, all suspicion dropping off her face. They must be used to hikers here, and the bloody Aussies get everywhere.
A commotion at the counter has me marching over to find Allegra scowling at the small man with glasses behind the counter.
“That’s impossible. It has to be here.”
“Problem?” I ask, trying to keep my voice relaxed even as my gut clenches.
I scan the shop, but it’s still only us, the woman buying chocolate, and the clerk who’s making a show of scanning the shelves behind him, which definitely don’t have anything larger than a letter on them.
“My supply box isn’t here.” Allegra frowns. “I mailed it myself a week ago. It should be here by now.”
The clerk turns back to her. “I’m sorry, there isn’t anything in your name.”
He looks as confused as Allegra, and I lean on the counter and give him my best grin. “Is there a chance someone picked it up already?”
Allegra gives me a confused look, and I rest my arm on hers in a silent plea not to cause a scene. The last thing we want is to be memorable.
The man shakes his head. “I man the shop during opening hours, and no one’s come in to pick up a supply box this week.” He shrugs. “Perhaps it got lost in transit.”
I give him a breezy smile. “Thanks, mate. Must have done.”
Packages don’t just get lost in transit. I lead Allegra outside, and we crouch in the shade of the store and shrug our packs off.
Allegra folds her arms across her chest. “I mailed it myself. I got the address right.”
There are too many coincidences, first the solar panel and now this. Her trip is being sabotaged.
“Who else knew your route?”
Allegra frowns. Then her eyes go wide. “You think someone did this on purpose?” She shakes her head. “That’s impossible. Dad’s the only person I gave the route plan to.”
And he emailed it to me. It could be a data breach in his systems.
“It wasn’t the detailed one anyway. I didn’t give Dad all the waypoint details.”
I step closer. “Who saw the detailed route?”
Allegra frowns. “It was in my PhD submission. Part of the paperwork for the board. Not that it did any good,” she mutters. “They probably didn’t even look.”
Somehow, someone got ahold of that route plan, which explains the intermittent sabotage. They know the sample points, but not all the camping spots.
“I think it’s time we called it quits.”
Allegra’s eyes spark dangerously. “I’m not giving up on this.”
“I’m sure whatever it is you’re doing is important, but we’re down a tent, a sleeping bag, and now supplies. Someone is doing this, Allegra. I can call my men and have us picked up this afternoon.”
