At the top of the portable staircase, she took a deep breath. The crisp air refreshed her.
The airport was smaller than the one in Charlotte and seemed to be built on a plateau. Everything from the control tower to the runways appeared brand new. Beyond the runways, the flat landscape gave way to foothills that led to rocky mountains.
Niko joined her on the landing. He motioned to a black limousine at the bottom of the stairs. “Our chariot awaits.”
Attached to the front of the car were two small blue and white flags with yellow emblems in the center, fluttering in the cool breeze. Uniformed guards with large guns stood nearby. A man in a black suit unloaded the luggage from a cart. He carefully placed her battered duffel bag into the trunk as if it contained fragile Faberge eggs, not th
