Free Deliverance by Dakota Banks Page A

jewelry was already paid for—a gift from Jake.
    Very thoughtful. He’s keeping tabs on me. She couldn’t help thinking about the red laser sight appearing on Abiyram’s forehead.
    Her final preparation was to put on a dead woman’s fingerprints.
    Maliha had a large supply of prints from a time before they were widely used for identification. She’d foreseen the use and had been collecting fingerprints from unclaimed corpses starting about eighty years ago. Amaro used them to set up her fake identities, and she had them made into “skins,” thin sheaths that covered her fingertips. They were very responsive to body heat, and in a minute were smooth, undetectable, and sealed to her skin.
    Maliha went to the dining room. It was a large space with tables around a dance floor, and a glass dome over all. She scanned the room quickly.
    He’s not here.
    The maître d’ approached. She requested a table for two. Heads turned as she made her way to the table. Fifteen minutes later, a waiter led Amaro to her table.
    “About time,” she said, after the waiter left.
    “Do you have any idea how much a fucking tuxedo costs in this place? You better have a damn good reason for pulling me off that cruise.”
    “You’re the only one who could do this with me.”
    “Is that like I’m the only ship in the quadrant or something?” His voice was starting to get loud.
    “Shush. Yanmeng’s off somewhere meditating, and Hound can’t dance. Not on this dance floor, anyway, because he only dances naked.”
    Amaro rolled his eyes. “Too much information. So Yanmeng’s daydreams are more important than my cruise?”
    “Some cruise. It was a sex romp.”
    “We had ports of call with archaeological interest. It was educational.”
    “I’ll bet it was. Did you have the pole installed in your cabin?”
    He crossed his arms and looked petulant. “No. And Hound shouldn’t have said that. That was guy talk.”
    “We shouldn’t be looking like we’re having an argument. We’re supposed to be a romantic couple.”
    Amaro forced a smile on his face, leaned forward, and took her hand in his.
    “Is this better? What’s the mission?”
    “We’re retrieving a shard. It’s in the hotel’s safe.”
    Amaro’s eyes lit up. “Robbery?”
    Maliha shook her head, and then blew him a kiss.
    “Mayhem at least?”
    “I hope not. I’m planning to use good old deception. But if things go wrong, you may get your mayhem.”
    “I’ve never been on a field op before. I’m always at home base working on a computer.”
    “That’s another reason you’re here. In case of mayhem, I’ll need you to destroy some computer records.”
    She explained her plan and the two made a show of flirting while eating a fine dinner. They danced a few slow dances under the dome that showed a velvety black sky with stars scattered by an otherworldly hand. They left, his arm around her waist, and headed for the hotel’s front desk. Everything she had planned led up to this moment.
    Mr. Eliades was behind the counter talking to the night clerk.
    Doesn’t he ever sleep?
    “How may I be of service, Ms. Winters?”
    “I’d like to put my jewelry in the hotel safe. Sweetie, do you mind waiting a few minutes?” she said to Amaro.
    “Each guest area is equipped with a locking safe.”
    “Into which I will put my pocket change. The hotel safe, please.”
    “Yes, of course. I’ll have to get a key made for you.”
    She had been counting on his cooperation, and he came through. He took Maliha into a small room where she had her fingerprint scanned and her photo taken. A few minutes later, a guard handed her a key, then gave her a slip of paper with her safe box number on it. She memorized it and he threw the paper into a shredder.
    “No one else can use this except you. Let’s go try it out.” They went to the vault room, where there was an armed guard posted.
    “I’m impressed with the security here,” Maliha said. Mr. Eliades beamed.
    I hope I