Romy wasn’t sure what she wanted, not with Stone toying with her emotions, while flying in the air.Either way, the rush was addictive.
But she wasn’t a cop, supposedly closing in on the criminals.‘Don’t you guys need warrants to visit places, or park up your helicopter like this?’
‘Nah, under the Livestock Act, we can enter non-residential properties without a warrant—as long as we have reasonable grounds.Suburban houses may be a different story.But out here, on rural land, we have the authority when it comes to livestock.The Duchess can you show the clauses.She even gave us printouts in case we need to show them to landowners.’
‘So, you’re the real deal?’
‘I don’t know about that.This whole four-man Stock Squad is on trial—you could say we’re the test dummies.’
‘Why test a federally funded program out here?’
‘Shortcake, I did tell you before that this is the heart of cattle country.’
‘Doesn’t the Northern Territory Police have their own stock squad?’
‘Nope.They’ve reduced it to an email address on a website.’
‘Why?’
‘Funding, I guess.And not many cops have stockman’s skills these days—but the stock still gets flogged.So Finn made it happen.He’s the man with the plan, and he’s the real deal.’Stone pointed at Finn’s vehicle flying across the terrain.
Stone spun the helicopter around, as if to find the perfect position to land.
‘We’re going in, aren’t we?’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll keep you back from the action.I don’t want to risk you getting hurt.’
‘I won’t break, Stone.I’m not some fragile princess.’She squeezed his forearm as he manned the controls.‘I know how to play it safe.My biggest worry is, do you?’
Thirty
‘What have we got?’Finn carried a heavy duffel bag as he approached with Amara and Craig, slipping on their official vests markedFederal Stock Squad.
As Stone slipped on his own vest, Romy’s eyes widened, as if realising it was a bulletproof vest.‘Don’t worry, shortcake, you’re staying right here, close to the chopper.’Stone wasn’t letting her get anywhere near the action.He checked his handgun, holstered on his hip.He wasn’t going in naked, like last time.
‘What’s going on in the shed?’Finn dumped his heavy bag with a thud before taking a knee and checking the load on his sidearm.
Beside him, Craig did the same, armed with a handgun, but with a stock whip on his hip.
‘The third vehicle has just arrived.You won’t believe who’s inside?’
‘Griffin and Lenora?’Finn unzipped the duffel bag, revealing weapons, knives, boxes of bullets, and other lethal goodies, and pulled out a set of binoculars.
‘And Bastion.’Stone tapped on the drone’s controller that held a screen bigger than Amara’s tablet.Stone didn’t care about Griffin or Bastion, it was Lenora and what she’d done to her family that bothered him the most.
‘Where’s the drone?’Craig tilted his head at the screen.‘It’s so clear a picture, it must be close.’
‘Romy parked it on the roof, right on the edge of a broken skylight panel.And she’d used the noise of the third vehicle to conceal the drone’s noise.’He was so proud of her skill.
‘That’s some fancy flying,’ Craig said to Romy, who even got the nod from Finn.It was enough for that rose colour to brush her cheeks.
‘But it gets better.Check this out.’Stone turned the dial on Romy’s small speaker—who was such a genius, he could kiss her.
Voices crackled over the small speaker.
‘That’s Lenora and Griffin’s voices.’Stone’s smile fell at not only seeing but hearing Lenora Rowntree was part of this.
‘Are you taping the audio on this conversation?’Amara crouched down beside Romy.
