The two boarded the plane, with Hilda in the co-pilot seat—she was tasked with keeping Eddie safe.
Jill, who'd been tagging along, had gone to help her daughter Kailie with a few things; a couple's world didn't need to be lived every single day—too much of it and things turn cloying.
"Agent Kathy, I'll be counting on you this time," Eddie said, offering his hand.
Kathy smiled and shook it. "Don't mention it. If anything, I'm the one imposing on you."
"You look a bit down. Want to talk about it? I only dabbled in psych, but I know sharing a worry usually helps." Eddie grinned.
Kathy shook her head. "No need—thanks."
"I hate it when teammates bring emotions to the job; it kills efficiency. So, out with it. Our mission this time is deep-cover work—no walk in the park." Eddie produced a bottle of beer.
Kathy blinked. Weren't they on the clock? Drinking felt borderline derelict.
Chapter 552: Eddie's Poaching Plan
Eddie clinked his bottle against hers. "Trouble at the office? Men slip sometimes; a bit of play-acting is fine as long as you own up to family."
Kathy shook her head. "Not that. I don't believe in pre-marital flings. My ex-fiancé, Norton, latched onto a rich beauty to shave years off his climb. I saw him for what he was—lucky escape."
Eddie's face twitched; he almost burst out laughing. Carla had been merciless, turning Norton into a good-for-nothing cheat and leaving Kathy utterly disillusioned.
"Are you mocking me?" Kathy frowned.
Eddie chuckled despite himself. "No, just… reminiscing. Had a similar run-in. Never thought a guy would pull that—usually it's women chasing tycoons."
Kathy perked up. "Sounds like you've got skeletons too?"
"Nothing shameful. Liked a girl who ignored every man—thought she was pure. Turned out she was some mogul's mistress, shameless for cash. That's when I learned—" He offered her a cigarette.
Kathy flicked a lighter for him. "Learned what?"
"Money's a bastard, yet everyone needs it. So I hustled. With cash I could have any woman, anything I wanted!" Eddie blew smoke, eyes wild.
A tale—storytelling's easy. Women are emotional; hit the right chord and even a stone heart melts.
Kathy stroked his hair gently. "Don't be like that. Plenty of women worth cherishing exist, just as not all men are bad—some are devoted family men."
"Long live freedom—cheers!" Bottles clinked; they smoked, drank, no words needed. In two hours strangers had become soulmates.
Two hours later the trio hit the border and switched planes.
Mexico's vast forest-farmland once grew maize; now it's rows of illicit crops.
Kathy gazed down. "Eddie, see? Corn fields turned to contraband. Know why?"
Eddie exhaled smoke, arm round Hilda's shoulder. "Simple—local inaction. If maize paid the bills, no one would switch. No governance. Following an armed boss beats honest farming. Ironic, but that's the reality—outsiders just don't see it."
Admiration flashed in Kathy's eyes. "Smart. No wonder media keep digging dirt on you—they're jealous."
Eddie wagged a finger. "More than that. I'm famous; curse Eddie for grubbing money and you go viral. Truth? Who cares—only cash counts."
"You get it. Life must be sweet for any girl with you." Kathy smiled, turning to face him.
"Join my crew if you want that sweetness. Heard you hold a master's in energy science—why become an Agent?" Eddie asked.
Kathy fell silent for a moment. "Because energy science doesn't pay, and being a BSAA Agent comes with a hefty stipend—just to get by. Of course, fighting bioweapons and wiping out a bit of evil is rewarding too."
"I'm about to launch an energy-development project—create a new, clean power source. I have the concept, but not enough hours to dig deep; I need a professional in the field to help me."
"Once it's finished, every industry will be revolutionized! Kathy, I think you're the one." Eddie flashed a grin, opened the tablet and handed it over.
Curious, Kathy took the device. On the screen was a ring-shaped electromagnetic torus, vaguely like a fusion reactor yet different. "You're developing this for a dream?"
"For my own dream—not to save humanity. If I'm doing well and have something left over, then I'll give back. People are greedy; before that, I want to protect myself and quietly finish what I started." Eddie laid out his life view, his values.
It wasn't grand or heroic—almost petty-bourgeois. Yet Kathy found it honest, human. Selfless saints belong in heaven; on earth, people have flaws.
Studying the schematics, her eyes lit up as though she'd discovered a new continent. "This could actually work! You're only missing a few parameters—if we nail the elemental formulas and operating mode, it might succeed."
"Told you you're the one. Interested in joining?" Eddie extended the invitation.
Kathy shook her head. "Sorry, not yet. I'm not in the headspace right now—sorry."
Eddie closed the tablet, giving a sunny smile. "No problem. I'm sure there'll be another chance."
One failure just means the next attempt. And Eddie had already thought of another trick—shameless, but effective.
What trope works best? The hero saving the beauty, of course—especially with a promise-keeping woman like Kathy.
A bit like "a gentleman can be coerced by his own code"—using her values against her.
Once the rice is cooked, she'll have no room to argue; add a kid—where could she run?
Chapter 553: The Mysterious Beauty Maria
The Verdi Farmland Zone, sprawling with illicit crops, is a notorious cultivation belt. Even the local warlords won't send troops—too many palms greased, and the firepower here is fierce; any raid would just feed the graveyard.
Eddie and Kathy are lying low; the area is hosting a trade fair, with merchants arriving to swap goods—exactly what kind, only the parties involved know.
Plenty of young girls weave through the gathering, striking secret deals with traders before slipping away.
Eddie glanced around; besides narcotics, there was a brisk arms trade as well.
In a corner he spotted an old acquaintance—white-haired Nikolai, puffing away in silence.
The mercenary's as hard to kill as a cockroach; wherever he shows up, chaos follows, yet he always walks away unscathed—except for that time gathering Nemesis combat data left him a eunuch. Otherwise, his record's solid.
Now Nikolai seemed to be waiting for someone, only two bodyguards behind him. Despite the heat he wore an Arab robe with the hood up—if he sweated himself a hemorrhoid, it'd be hilarious.
Soon a tall, obese man approached, trailed by a woman whose golden hair swept over her right eye—slim, statuesque, radiating that distinct Caucasian allure. Thigh-high boots gave her a whip-cracking dominatrix vibe.
"Hey, Nikolai, I presume? Pleasure. Call me Diago—I run this area." Diago beamed, decked in a suit, leather shoes, and tailored shorts—sharp as they come.
"I'm Nikolai. We need eight hundred kilos of powder—can you supply? Price is no issue." Nikolai flicked his cigarette away and stood.
"Of course. I can double that. Cash only—no transfers." Diago kept his smiling-tiger expression.
Eddie whispered to Kathy, "Pretend we're a couple; something feels off over there."
Kathy frowned. "Why a couple?"
"Because I want to hit on you—good enough reason?" Eddie grinned, half-serious.
Kathy looked at Nikolai, suddenly put something together. "All right, I'm in."