Page 36 of Snow

“Should we let the crew know about their arrival?”

“Might as well. That way, if the crew sees them walking around, they’ll know who they are.”

“Is there anything else?” Clint asked.

Brett shook his head. “No, I think that’s it.”

“All right. Well, I’m going to go prepare that room. If you need me, just call.”

Brett nodded. As soon as the door shut behind Clint, he picked up the phone and dialed Andre.

He hated to have to delay the test, but if he needed to, it was better to be safe than sorry.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Nova glanced at her watch as she pushed herself up from the chair. Her eyes widened when she saw the time. How in the hell was it already almost six in the evening?

She was exhausted, and her brain felt as if it were going to explode from the amount of information thrown at her throughout the day.

She had started the morning at Silverman’s headquarters, sitting in a conference room with Mr. Silverman and his in-house counsel, combing through contracts, financial reports, and operational files tied to the acquisition.

Then, around noon, Harry had driven her back across town to the warehouse, and the second half of her day had somehow been even more mentally exhausting than the first half.

Derek had gone deeper into what the government was actually investigating, and hearing about the unexplained spikes of radiological material and chemicals found in the water surrounding the rig had sent a chill down her spine. Then came the reports about the maritime incidents in the area—unexplained explosions, vessels drifting powerless offshore, people getting sick—and suddenly this entire situation felt far bigger and far more dangerous than she originally thought.

Despite the growing knot of anxiety in her stomach, Nova found herself strangely fascinated just sitting back and observing the team throughout the day. Watching them interact and the way they prepared and analyzed every possible scenario with calm precision had given her an entirely new respect for Navy SEALs and the way they operated. They weren’t reckless adrenaline junkies like movies made them out to be. They were calculated, observant, and frighteningly intelligent.

Snow had spent most of the day with an actual engineer, getting a crash course on what would be expected of him in his cover position once they got out to the rig. As Derek had put it, he was being taught how to convincingly poke around machinery without looking like he was poking around for a reason beyond machinery.

However, in the little time she got to spend with him, he had been cordial. She wouldn’t say he was exactly friendly. But he hadn’t been openly hostile either, which she considered progress. At least the times she caught him looking at her, she didn’t feel like his eyes would shoot ice daggers at her.

The rest of the guys, however, seemed determined to make up for Snow’s lack of charm. They included her in discussions and even asked for her opinion at times. They did their best to make sure that she felt included.

She had to admit that they were definitely a unique bunch of men. All of them had made her laugh at least once. Well, except for Jay Bird. He had barely spoken three full sentences all afternoon, and somehow, he still managed to be one of the most intimidating men she had ever met. Though he did teach her how to pick a lock, which was pretty cool, and according to all the guys, it was a good skill to have.

But right now, all Nova wanted was to get back to the hotel, grab something to eat, and collapse into bed, considering she had barely slept the night before while buried under acquisition contracts and legal reports, knowing she would be heading out to the rig tomorrow.

As she started gathering her things and putting them into her backpack, her phone pinged with a text.

“Christ on a cracker,” she mumbled to herself as she reached for the phone.

Rick and her mother had been blowing up her phone all day. Apparently, neither one liked being ignored.

When she flipped the phone over, she was shocked to see that the message was actually from her sister.

Sophia: Hey, Sis. I know you’re busy, but there is something you should see. Click on the link. But brace yourself.

Nova scrunched her eyebrows together. The phrase “brace yourself” wasn’t exactly comforting. In fact, it sent a knot of unease twisting low in her stomach. Sophia wasn’t dramatic by nature. So, if her sister sounded concerned, there was usually a reason.

Her thumb hovered over the link for half a second before she finally tapped it.

The link opened to an article from one of Salt Lake City’s largest newspapers. Right at the top was a polished campaign photo of Rick, standing in front of an American flag with his sleeves rolled up, as if he had personally built half the city with his bare hands.

Nova already knew where this was going. She skimmed through the article, her expression flattening more with every paragraph.

Dedicated public servant. Future of Utah politics. A voice for the next generation.

She actually snorted under her breath. The journalist practically wrote the piece as if Rick Montgomery were royalty. They discussed his growing popularity among younger voters, his strong moral character, and his commitment to family values. Nova rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. If these people only knew the truth.