“Am I missing something?” I asked, gesturing in the direction of the building with the explosives. “You two are acting like there isn’t a basketball-sized bomb in there just waiting to blow.”
Melody shrugged. “If Kevin thought there was a real risk, he’d grab me and move me to a place he feels is safe. He doesn’t feel there’s a large risk, so it’s fine. He’s the head of my detail.”
Enlightenment struck me hard, and it left me with an uneasy, uncomfortable feeling in my chest. The evidence of my eyes claimed someone on the inside was a threat, but she trusted her agent absolutely.
I considered Kevin, and I wondered what would happen if he turned on her.
Kevin met my gaze, and his smile was grim. “I look forward to training you in RPS methods despite the strong possibility you’ll be unsuitable for being hired—or unsuitable for remaining hired. Your heritage would make your hiring questionable, but should Her Highness decide you’re a viable candidate, you would have your own detail rather than being part of a detail. Should Her Highness manage to restrain herself for a few weeks, I think I can give you a better understanding of what you already suspect.”
“Are you a mind reader?” I asked, unable to keep from frowning.
“No. I’m not. I just recognize a smart man when I see one, and I made some assumptions on your current state of mind. Let me ask you this: were you wondering what would happen if an agent turned coat? More importantly, were you wondering what would happen if I turned coat?”
Melody scowled. “Kevin.”
“It’s an important question, Your Highness. You know the reality of this situation as well as I.”
“Yes,” I admitted. “I was wondering what would happen if an agent turned coat.”
I didn’t want to think about what would happen if Kevin turned coat, not when Melody trusted him so much.
Melody sighed. “I’m sorry, Kevin.”
I didn’t understand what Melody was sorry about, but I expected I’d find out if I kept my mouth shut and listened.
“Your past is not your fault, and it’s my job to ensure you can trust me. And this is something he needs to know and understand. Mr. Alders, at my suggestion, I speak with His Royal Majesty of Montana once a week to confirm my loyalties to Her Highness. She witnesses the calls, and it puts her at ease. Everyone who works directly with her, which is currently three pairs, myself, and my partner, does this. My partner is one of the men in the hangar overseeing the bomb threat. You’ll be introduced to him later. With Her Highness, we have one visible agent on duty and someone else nearby who is less obvious. We have done this since I became the head of her detail. Her Highness is very observant, and while she isn’t an empath and lacks the ability to form an empathic bond with someone, she’s a good judge of character. She has reason not to trust RPS agents, unfortunately.”
“Did an agent betray you in the past, Melody?” I asked, and while I hoped that wasn’t the case, I expected it.
“I was ten, and one of my agents sold out. He was paid a million dollars to hand me over to a mafia operation; the crime lord had a sick family member with a rather lengthy criminal record. My original head of detail was killed during the kidnapping trying to protect me. Because of that traitor, it took the RPS a month to find me.”
“Please tell me that agent is dead.” If he wasn’t, I’d consider killing him myself.
“He escaped with his million dollars.” Melody sighed and shrugged. “I was lucky. I was treated well that month, and I was young enough I wasn’t really aware how serious the situation was. I don’t even blame the man who hired him; I saw the black market request, and it was clean—it wasn’t even for a kidnapping. It was for a skilled medical mage who could do work under the table. It was a mess, but the man was honorable and paid out—and I was also paid despite that not being what was actually offered. He asked for help, and well, I was at the age where I lived to help anyone who asked. The crime lord’s family member had severe kidney stones, and that’s something we’re taught how to address early because they’re rarely dangerous but exceptionally painful. He thought it was something more serious than it was. It’s easy enough for us to break down the stones with our talent and encourage them to pass relatively painlessly. So, I cleared out the stones. The patient was in a great deal of pain, so I couldn’t just let him suffer.”
I could easily see her helping someone who’d hurt her just because she could. Two wrongs didn’t make a right. It bothered me they’d taken a child, however. “What happened to the crime lord?”
Kevin chuckled. “That’s where this story becomes very weird.”
My brows rose. “It wasn’t already?”
The RPS agent grinned at me. “The crime lord paid a hefty fee to the royal family, paid Melody the one million as promised, and cut a deal with the RPS and Maine’s royal family. In exchange for ongoing treatments for their family members, and an agreement they wouldn’t participate in certain types of crimes, the royal family wouldn’t become involved with the mafia’s feud with law enforcement and the kidnapping count would be dropped. Law enforcement agreed to the arrangement because killing members of law enforcement was barred under the terms of the agreement. It’s become quite cordial, really. The mafia and law enforcement still feud, but non-lethally. It’s a huge improvement for everyone. The only downside was the rogue agent was also paid. For a crime lord, he was—and still is—a man of his word.”
I stared into Melody’s eyes and said, “Your life sounds insane, and if you wish to escape, I would be pleased to try to assist you with this. While I’m not a skilled pilot, I can fly most things in a pinch as long as someone can translate the instruments. I also have good survival skills.”
Laughing, Melody shook her head. “While I appreciate that, I am who I am, and this is my life. It’s not all bad. I get to help a lot of people right now.”
I jumped out of helicopters and braved treacherous waters, snowy mountains, and the worst the Earth had to offer to help others. We just helped in different ways. “I respect your dedication, Melody.”
“And I respect yours. It’s a rare man who will put his life on the line without question for another, and that’s what you do. I think we understand each other quite well.”
We did, and that worried me even more than the reality of a bomb in the hangar.
Chapter Eight
It took an hour for the bomb squad to disarm and remove the explosives, and Sparrow protested the delay with heart-wrenching meows and hisses. Her hisses amused me, as I could tell the devious little kitten was displeased her pleading mews weren’t winning her the freedom she desired. As soon as we were cleared to board the plane, I kept my promise, releasing the beast and restraining her with a tiny harness and leash.
Within moments of an RPS agent setting up a litter box for her use across the aisle and securing it to the seat so it wouldn’t become a hazard during the flight, Sparrow treated us to a toxic deposit that made me second-guess my decision to adopt her.
With watering eyes, I regarded the princess, who stood nearby talking with Kevin and another agent. “Please tell me this is not normal.”
“You’ll find out in a few weeks,” she replied before saying a few more soft words to Kevin and choosing the seat beside me. “We can find a diet that’s not as toxic to your sense of smell. It’s likely due to stress, however. Stress can upset a kitten’s tummy and lead to other unpleasantness.”
I wasn’t sure what I thought about Melody picking to sit with me despite there being more private seats available for her use. Then again, after the first few hours of the flight, I’d likely appreciate her company.
Sparrow spent at least ten minutes digging in the litter, and the sound of her scratching was loud compared to the soft murmur of conversation. Once finished, she bolted out of the box and pawed at my leg until I picked her up and set her on my lap. Within moments, she settled in for a nap.
I buckled my seatbelt, relaxed into the seat, and debated foll
owing her excellent example.
“I’ll wake you when it’s time for lunch,” Melody promised.
That decided it for me. I yawned, closed my eyes, and chased after sleep, doing my best to ignore the rumble of the jet engines. I failed at my endeavor until after the plane safely made it into the air, but the past few days caught up with me long before we reached altitude.
I woke to sharp kitten teeth gnawing on my knuckle, and Sparrow held onto my hand to ensure her prey didn’t escape. Fortunately for me, someone had trimmed her claws, which spared me from additional mauling. I made the mistake of stroking her with my free hand, which resulted in her tenderizing more of my flesh with her pointy teeth.
Melody laughed at me. “Feel better?”
“I’m a pin cushion,” I mumbled around a yawn, observing the kitten attempting to capture both of my hands at the same time. “How long was I out?”
“The entire flight. You wouldn’t budge for lunch, so I’ll get something into you once we land, which will be within twenty minutes. I tried to wake you up, but Sparrow took offense to me disturbing you.”
“I have a guard cat instead of a kitten?”
“Maine coons can be territorial over their chosen human. You have been chosen. I took care of feeding her and letting her stretch while you slept. We’ll want to put her in her carrier for the landing. The weather soured since we’ve left, so it’ll be a bumpy landing.”
I had more experience with bad weather landings than I wanted to think about, and even the best pilots could run into issues with wind shear and sour conditions. “Unexpected blow?”
“Welcome to Maine. It’ll be a little rough, but it should be fine.”
I’d heard those words enough times from the search and rescue pilots to understand should be and would be were two very different things. “How rough are we talking about here?”
“It’ll be bad enough the pilots would circle if they thought the storm would pass, but they don’t think it’s going to pass, so they’re just going to suck it up and land. We have a betting pool going.”
“That’s so morbid.” I sat upright, careful to keep from dislodging my kitten. To make her hunt more entertaining, I wiggled my fingers for her. “They’re going to brush the wingtips on the tarmac but keep the plane upright,” I predicted.
Behind me, Kevin laughed. “I told you the search and rescue diver would handle the news well. He’s probably got more experience with touchy landings than all of us on board combined, and that’s including our pilots.”
“That’s what happens when we do most of our rescues in bad weather.” I stretched my legs, yawned again, and considered going back to sleep until after the landing. “What does the winner of the betting pool get?”
“Bragging rights and their choice for dinner tonight,” Melody replied. “I’m betting the pilots get a scare along with a crunched nose.”
I’d seen that happen enough times to know her prediction had a solid chance of being correct. “What are they crunching the plane’s nose on?”
“There’s a tree line after the runway, and a runaway plane can reach it if particularly unlucky. They installed a gravel pit to help slow any planes that get too far from the tarmac. If the pit does its job, the plane’s nose will be crunched as it slows and sinks into the gravel.”
“I know that works for transports on hills, but does it actually work for planes?”
“Beats the plane going through the trees and into the ocean.”
I couldn’t dispute that, so I didn’t. “Maine picked a shitty place for an airport.”
Melody laughed. “We did, but it’s close to the castle.”
“I’d rather drive an hour to get somewhere than land a plane near the ocean. Hasn’t anyone told you landing planes near water is dangerous?”
Kevin laughed harder. “It seems he has opinions, Your Highness.”
“I’d like to see him share those opinions with my father and uncle. I’ll sip a cocktail for the entire show.”
“At least airports near the ocean aren’t as bad as airports beside cliffs. I’ve been to Lukla more times than I care to admit, and I’ve been to Courchevel so many times I’ve become numb to the idea of a pilot flinging a plane off a cliff and hoping for the best. I don’t recommend either airport, for the record. Since those two weren’t bad enough, I’ve been to Narsarsuaq. If Maine has anything compared to those, I’ll buy your cocktail myself while tearing strips into anyone who thought having a competitor to those hellholes was a good idea.”
Melody stared at me, her eyes so wide they ran the risk of popping out of her head. “Lukla? Where’s that? Courchevel is in France, I think. I’ve never heard of the other one.”
“If you want to climb Mount Everest, you’re going to fly into Lukla. It’s dangerous on a good day, as the runway is ridiculously short, and missing it means you will crash. It’s unforgiving. Courchevel isn’t any better for the same reasons, as both are tucked in the mountains. If you make it through the mountains to the approach, landing requires perfection. Narsarsuaq is in Greenland, and it’s a hellhole airport because of the weather conditions. Don’t ask about the turbulence.”
“I won’t.”
“Gibraltar has an interesting airport. A street intersects it, and some drivers opt to ignore the red lights,” I added, unable to stop grinning. “Fortunately, I’ve never had to fly into Gibraltar.”
“You have got to be yanking my chain. There is not an airport with a road intersecting it.”
Behind me, Kevin snickered. “He’s telling the truth. Gibraltar’s runway does have a road intersecting it, and the RPS won’t use that airport unless it’s absolutely mandatory. It’s too much of a security risk. Honestly, we don’t fly our charges into any of the truly dangerous airports unless it’s absolutely mandatory. Your airport is about as dangerous as we’ll allow, and I’ve been considering filing to have it removed from the allowed list.”
“Kevin, you wouldn’t,” Melody complained. “The next nearest airport is over an hour away.”
“The first real close call and I’m doing it,” the RPS agent replied without even a hint of remorse in his voice.
“I’m with him,” I announced.
“Cruel and unusual punishment,” she countered. “We’d have to deal with Boston traffic!”
“I find it amusing that Maine’s castle is located in the state formerly known as Massachusetts.”
“Boston’s got the infrastructure Portland lacks,” she replied with a delicate sniff. “Our primary residence is in Portland.”
“While I’m not arguing with that, why wasn’t Maine named Massachusetts?”
“The royal family refused to be called a bunch of Massholes for all eternity.”
I blinked. “Pardon?”
“Massholes.”
“What on Earth is a Masshole?”
“An asshole from Massachusetts.” She grinned at me. “Once you see Boston traffic, you’ll understand. We learned the hard way you can’t get rid of the Massholes. One day, I’ll figure out why they’re so crabby.”
I could think of a few reasons why. “It likely has something to do with the climate, weather, and bad traffic.”
“Damn straight. Honestly, we only have a castle here because we have to come to the Boston area often. After I get you into the clinic for a checkup, we’ll be headed to Portland to the palace proper.”
“I bet Oregon loves competing with you over Portland.”
“We resolved our differences through untraditional means, and we won the bid to have our seat of power be Portland. As a result, there’s now some bad blood between us.”
“There is? Over what?”
“Baseball,” she replied, her tone solemn. “It’s a matter of pride now. We made a bet. If our team beat their team, we got to name Portland as our seat of power. We shut their asses out.”
I recognized a sports fanatic when I heard one. “Is it a problem that I’m not a sports fan?”
Melody cro
ssed her heart and muttered a prayer. “Kevin, we need to establish a treatment plan immediately. We’ll start with baseball. If he has not converted by winter, we’ll work him with hockey.”
“Noted, Your Highness. How intensive of a therapy regime would you like me to establish for him?”
“We’ll work sports into his physical therapy regime. Maybe he’s a good player and doesn’t know it. He’s competitive. That will help our cause. We’ll start him off with baseball, swimming, and football.”
“Only if you’re talking about proper football,” I countered.
Melody blinked at me. “Proper football?”
“The sport where you hit a ball with your foot throughout the entirety of the game is football. The one where you carry a leather egg around is rugby, and honestly, I’m not sure I’m man enough to play rugby.”
Kevin snickered. “You’ll have to forgive him, Your Highness. He’s been corrupted by the Europeans.”
“We do have a rugby team,” she muttered. “But we have an excellent football team, thank you! Of the American style, if you must know.”
I never would have guessed the pretty princess was a rabid sports fan. While I doubted my eyes would ever light up at the mention of sports, I enjoyed her enthusiasm. “Do you play or watch your sports of choice?”
“Both.”
“Dare I ask what an intensive therapy regime for sports involves?”
“Exercise,” Melody replied with a smirk. “A lot of exercise. And eating hot dogs in a stadium while cheering for the home team.”
I was doomed, and I worried Melody would make me like it.
The pilot clipped a wing tip on the tarmac but otherwise got the plane on the ground without serious incident. He even managed to keep the plane on the runway where it belonged. Sparrow hissed from her carrier, and as soon as we came to a halt, I retrieved her from beneath the seat in front of me to soothe her. I stuck my hand into the door and laughed when she pounced, grabbing hold of me with her front paws and marking her territory with her face. “You’re going to be so spoiled.”
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