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"Hi, Joe," Nina said "If you and Kurt throw your bags in the back, we can be on our way"

As the two men tossed their duffels behind the cab Zavala whispered with unveiled ade this one?"

Austin grunted noncoot in the cab, and the truck joined the traffic leaving the airport As they turned onto Tucson Boulevard heading north Nina said, "I really should explain things I really do have a new assign with you and your team on this project"

"I'm pleasantly surprised I'm just curious why you didn't "

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Zavala chuckled "Welcome to the weird and wacky world of NUMA"

Nina went on "He said you had been out of the picture for a while, and he wanted to introduce you to as going on one brushstroke at a ti and was afraid youwith you"

Austin shook his head Sandecker could always be expected to do the unexpected "He's right, I would have been totally distracted"

She sive the project an authentic ring He asked me if I would help I said yes It was the least I could do"Her voice hardened "I want to catch these people, whoever they are"

"I can understand your feelings, Nina, but we don't knoe're dealing with: This could be dangerous"

"I considered that possibility very carefully and at great length The adave me every chance to pull out"

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but did it ever occur to you that the admiral asked you to be part of this for reasons other than your technical expertise?"

Nina glanced at hiray eyes "He made it very clear from the outset"

"Then you know you're being used as bait"

She nodded "It's the main reason I'm here, to try to draw the people who killed Dr Knox, Sandy, and the others I want theht to justice whatever the cost Besides, there's no certainty that they're even interested in e for weeks, and theI've encountered is the traffic around Harvard Square Nobody in a black suit has juuards to protect me, and I'm still alive"