A couple of hours later, Collie eased the car into one of the sun-drenched VIP slots, rolling down the window as the staff waved them through.
A sigh of relief slipped out of her as she pulled the handbrake.
"Good thing we had this pass," she muttered, pulling the laminated tag from the dash and flicking it with a finger.
"Otherwise, we'd still be out there circling for half an hour. Maybe more."
The others murmured agreement, opening the doors as the heat and the faint dust of Indio's desert air met them.
Hori stretched both arms above her head as she stepped out, rolling her shoulders like she'd just shaken off a cramped nap.
"Feels like we've been sitting forever," she said with a grin.
Olivia didn't waste time.
She popped her bag open, rummaged briefly, and pulled out a plain black mask.
She handed it toward Izan with that look—half fond, half serious—that told him it wasn't really optional.
