Havapopulas held his cool until things quieted down. He directed his comments to Sam, whose neck and face were pink with heat at being the center of attention. “Then what are you doing here? What would be your suggestion, Rainford?”

“Some kind of parachute to assure a safe landing. If we’re unfortunate enough to get caught,” Sam said succinctly. “You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t find any comfort in what you’ve said so far. Mr. Donovan and Mr. Mateo come to mind. Considering my washout status at the FBI, taking them down was like taking candy from a baby.”

The murmurings grew louder, the two front rows sounding like they were more on Sam’s side than on the side of the man standing in front of them. This whole thing is a mistake, a big mistake, Sam thought.

Havapopulas’s dove gray eyes grew steely as he eyed Sam. He looked like he was weighing his next words. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to say this in front of an audience, but you’re leaving me no other choice, Rainford. Donovan set you up. He clued in Mateo. We wanted to see how you’d react. You came through magnificently, I might add, confirming that our faith in you wasn’t misplaced.”

The heat in Sam’s neck climbed to her cheeks. For one intense minute she almost believed him. She looked across at the others sitting in her row. All four women were shaking their heads.

Olivia was on her feet in a heartbeat. “Setup my foot! We took them, pure and simple.” Kayla, Slick, and Zoe jumped to their feet, too, then Hawkins, team player that he was. Sam remained in her seat for another second.

“No, we weren’t set up. Your man was asleep at the switch. Admit it, and we stay. Stick with your story, and we’re outta here,” Sam said.

The man called Pappy clenched his jaw so hard it looked like it was going to crack. His eyes were cold and hard, like slivers of ice. “How about this, we discuss the parachute before training begins. Let’s get through the orientation and go on from there. I promise to work with you.”

Sam nodded, and the others sat down.

“Good going, Rainford,” Hawkins whispered in her ear. “I’m glad you’re on my side.”

Somehow, some way, Sam knew she was going to pay for her comments. She felt cold, all the way to her toes.

Chapter Five