Daughter of Zeus ✔

6.4

An iron grip came down on her arm as she reached for the bag.

"Wait," Kressick repeated.

She shook his hand off.

"Trust me," he insisted.

"Crazy old man." But she relented.

Their turn came up at the booth, and for the first time in months, she was unsure what to do or say. Kressick gestured for her to remain silent. She calmed a bit.

There's no great harm in allowing his experiment. Worse comes to worse, I'll fry the agent.

The Statie wore the standard gray jacket and slacks. From the holster, a gun glinted under the glare of the streetlights. His lips pulled back into a grin, which Ada found off-putting.

"Greetings, citizens."

"Greetings, sir," Kressick loudly intoned.

"What brings you to Georgia?"

"Vacationing at my condo."

He reached past Ada, holding out his interface. The agent passed a handed device in front of the clear screen, downloading their verification forms to his screen.

The Statie nodded, reading through the forms like a list. "Deed of ownership, property taxes, proof of income, and religious affiliation." He pointed in Ada's direction. "Where's this young lady's information?"

Her mouth fell open to speak, but Kressick interjected. "She quit her job months ago after the death of her husband. We're vacationing to help her move on."

She waited for the Statie to ask for her husband's death certificate, but he didn't. She waited for him to ask about her relationship to Kressick, but he didn't.

Instead, he broke into a grin. "Have a blessed night, citizens."

Ada forced a nonchalant look on her face to mask her shock.

"Goodnight." Kressick all but tipped his imaginary hat at the guy.

As they drove away from the checkpoint, she asked, "Why didn't he search us?"

"They only have a certain number to randomly search, then they stop."

Ada drummed her fingers on her seat, shooting him a look he didn't acknowledge. She recognized bullshit, but wouldn't call it just yet.

Kressick had gotten them into Georgia, and she was grateful.

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