Read Online In Sheep's Clothing by David Archer - Free Book Online

back seat and carried it inside.
    The package turned out to be a doll, one of the “Your Size” fashion dolls. The plastic girl inside was just barely taller than the skeleton they had made, and the front panel of the box was clear plastic.
    “I had one of these when I was a kid,” Sarah said. “I was pretty sure the big toy chains still sold them, and I was right. Our Santa Muerte will fit right inside, but we need to do something about the labeling on the box.” She opened a bag that she had carried in with the box and pulled out a small can of gold paint and a couple of brushes.
    Moose opened the box and removed the doll, and then he and Sarah began painting. The metallic gold paint covered the original lettering perfectly, and while it was obvious the box had been reused, it appeared to have been very nicely done.
    Neil used his portable inkjet printer to create a banner that read, “Gracias!” and Sarah stuck it directly to the paint in the upper left corner, so that it crossed the corner of the clear panel at an angle. The paint dried quickly, but it was still after seven PM by the time they finally had the skeletal figure tucked inside and ready to go.
    “I doubt any flower companies deliver at this time of night,” Noah said, “so we'll be starting first thing in the morning. Let's go find some dinner and then get some rest.”
    Instead of going out to eat, they decided to pick up pizzas and take them back to the hotel. They gathered in Noah and Sarah's room and found a movie on the television, a fairly recent film from the new Star Trek series.
    Neil pointed at the screen when Mr. Spock came on. “Look, Boss, you're on TV.”
    Noah looked at him and raised one eyebrow. “Fascinating,” he said. “When I was a kid, one of my best friends introduced me to the old Star Trek TV show, and told me I was like Mr. Spock. I used to watch that show every chance I got, just to see how he put up with all those humans around him. Personally, I don't think this new guy does the character justice. Leonard Nimoy was Mr. Spock, and that's all there was to it.”
    The movie ended, Moose and Neil went off to their room, and Sarah dragged Noah into the bed. She cuddled up close to him and just lay there for a moment.
    “What happens if the nanny doesn't cooperate and bring the kids out where we can grab them?”
    Noah looked her in the eye. “If I have to, I'll go take them right out of the house. I'm not going to let them be there when those explosives go off, and we need the abduction to give the cartel members a reason to gather.”
    Sarah's head was lying on Noah's shoulder, and his right arm was around her. She rubbed her face on his shoulder and then looked up at him again. “I always get scared,” she said, “the night before the mission gets heavy. This one sounds like it should come off pretty easy, but I'm not sure. We're adding in a kidnapping; that's like throwing lit matches into a box of firecrackers. Something's bound to blow up.”
    “We'll just have to play it by ear,” Noah said. “I'm just counting on you to get us off the radar as quickly as possible after we have those kids. That's the only place where I see any real potential problems. If the local police were to get on our trail, things could get pretty messed up.”
    Sarah sighed into his shoulder. “Then just make sure Moose gets me something that can move. There's nothing I hate worse than running from cops in a vehicle that doesn’t have the power or maneuverability it needs.”
    She tilted her face up for a kiss and Noah obliged her. A few moments later he heard her breathing slow as she drifted off to sleep. He relaxed and followed her after only a few more seconds.
    They rose at six, showered and then went out for breakfast. Moose had spotted a place that looked appealing the day before, and it turned out to have a terrific breakfast menu. All four of them went for the steak and eggs, even Sarah moaning with delight as she bit into