4. Chapter 4
Chapter 4
It’s okay if you disagree with me; I can’t force you to be right.
“That’s all you’ve got on her?” Cell phone up to his ear, Chance leaned back on his couch as he eyed the street through the slightly parted curtains. He was keeping the lights in his rental place off tonight for the most part, and all the security he’d set up when he’d moved in was on. If any of the bikers tried anything, he’d have enough warning to get out of here. “She’s not connected to an old enemy or anything?”
“Nope. Not that I can find. You gave me a first name and an address so you should be impressed with what I’ve got. She works as a PI for a security company that handles personal security for wealthy people. Their website is bare bones, but they’ve got a decent client list. The house you were at with her isn’t under her name, it’s under a corporation. If she’s trying to keep her identity undercover, it makes sense. Who is this chick?” Hot Shot, aka Evander, asked.
“No one.” Not true, but he wasn’t going to get into the whole thing.
“Some woman you’re banging?”
“Jesus, Evan, shut it.”
“Oooh, Evan, is it? You like this woman.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like? What the hell have you been up to? Seriously, you get out and then just cut and run, act like none of us exist?”
He straightened slightly, looked away from the window. “It’s not like that. I still respond to the text threads.”
“Responding with GIFs is your argument?”
Chance scrubbed a hand over his face. “It’s been hard since I got out, that’s all. I just need time.”
Evan was silent for a long moment. “That’s fair. But we all miss you. We’re not trying to cut you out.”
“I know.” If anything, his former unit reached out more than he’d expected. Every other day it seemed.
“Are you in trouble?”
“No.”
“Okay, you paused.”
“There was no pause. I’m just…” He didn’t want to bring Evan or any of the team into any of this. They could all be shipped off at a moment’s notice. And besides, this was about his brother. Something he didn’t want anyone else involved in. Especially the gorgeous PI who’d barreled her way into his life. “I’m good, promise.”
Evan sighed long and loud. “You’re a liar, but fine. If you need anything, just reach out. We’re all here. And for the record, we’re getting together next month and you’re invited. Nothing big, just a camping trip. Spouses and kids are invited. Bring your chick.”
“She’s not my…okay, fine. I’ll try to be there,” he lied, knowing full well he wouldn’t be there. Seeing his old unit was too damn hard. In one moment, he’d had his future ripped away from him and now he was floundering. At least he had a purpose for the time being, but after he found his brother… He didn’t even want to think that far ahead.
“I’ll send you the details for the trip.”
After they disconnected, Chance forced himself to get up. Even though he knew he should get some rest and reset after the day, he put on his headset and logged into one of his normal gaming chat rooms.
And yes, he was hoping Berlin would be there. He still wasn’t sure if he trusted her, but if she was on, it might give him some insight if she was the real Moonlighter. They’d always used voice modulators—his for security reasons. He never wanted anyone to have recordings of his voice, especially with what AI could do now.
She wasn’t in the chat room, which he hadn’t really expected, so he logged into one of his favorite games. To his surprise, she was already logged in.
The game itself was a full-body, multiplayer game where the players battle the undead with swords and other weapons. He loved the combat aspect and it was one of the few places where he still felt like himself.
“Venom Reaper,” Moonlighter said in greeting as he approached. Her avatar was a bulky swordsman that looked nothing like her. But she’d dropped the voice modulator tonight. “I was hoping you’d drop in.”
“Want to hit the crown room together?”
She grinned at him. “Let’s do it.”
For the next hour, it was like everything else fell away. Not truly, because he was still worried about his brother, but fighting together back-to-back calmed the buzzing tension inside him. And every time she yelled “quack” for him to duck, he couldn’t help but laugh. It was something she’d started years ago in lieu of telling him to get low to avoid an incoming attack. It felt like it was their thing and if he’d had doubts about her real identity as Moonlighter, they were smaller now.
Finally he said, “I’m done. I need a break.” In the past, he could have gone for hours, but after busting his knee, he couldn’t do full-body VR for hours and hours.
He’d healed and he could still do most things he could in the past, but he would never have the stamina he’d had before. He hit a point where he had to stop or he’d pay for it later. He’d had one too many bone fractures and ligament tears.
“Me too. I swear you’re a machine,” she said, panting. Not all their VR games were so active, but this particular one might as well be marketed as an aerobic workout. “So, do you believe it’s me now?”
“I never said I didn’t.”
“Please, assface, I could read you. Okay, I actually couldn’t, but I wouldn’t have believed me either. Want to log into a chat room?”
“Yeah.” Otherwise they were going to have to keep fighting zombies.
Moments later they were both in a familiar room with high arching stucco reaching above them, a Mediterranean blue sky peeking through the open portico and softly swaying palm trees.
Berlin, still a giant, sword-wielding man who looked like he’d stepped out of medieval times lay down on the concrete and sighed. For some reason, the sight made him laugh. Maybe it was because he knew what she really looked like.
He lay down next to her, the rug of the rental soft underneath him as he cooled down. “It’s still hard to believe you want to help me for nothing.”
“I get why you’d question it. People suck.”
He snort-laughed.
“I think that’s even more reason to help people.”
“I can pay you, for the record.” He’d saved everything over the years, barely touching what he made.
She looked at him, expression dry. “I’m not taking your money.”
“Well you can’t work for free.”
“Wrong. I can do what I want.”
“You’re frustrating.”
“I hear that a lot. But I think the word you’re looking for is amazing. Incredible. Or even stupendous.”
Despite the low-level worry that had been buzzing inside him the last few weeks, he found himself laughing. “Have you found anything yet?”
“No, scan’s still running. I figured I’d burn off some steam and try to distract myself from…everything.”
“What’s everything? Your youngest sister?” They’d never given real names but she’d told him enough over the years.
“Okay, you’re good. And yes, but also no. Just…never mind.”
“No, don’t never mind me. What is it?” He stretched his knee, hid a wince as he slowly shifted up to a sitting position.
“She’s dating a loser, that’s all. And I’m worried about her. But that’s normal and I need to remind myself of that so I don’t get over involved in her business. She’s young and dumb and needs that time to grow.”
“Were you ever young and dumb?”
She paused, resting her arm under her head as she stretched out. “Yeah, but not like her. I was dumb in other ways. Ways that could have gotten me in a lot of trouble.”
He figured she meant hacking, but simply nodded. “Yeah, same. Sort of.” Because he’d been stupid too, jacking cars and other shit. He didn’t even recognize that kid anymore. But his world had been small back then and he hadn’t been able to imagine a life outside of the shitty town he’d grown up in. And his sister had been dying; he’d wanted to give her the little comforts he could. So he’d stolen shit. And he was lucky he’d never been caught. He shouldn’t have gone back to his hometown after getting out of the army, but his grandma had left him a house and… He was just making up excuses.
“So how’d you end up in your line of work?” They were alone in the chat room but he still kept things vague.
“Ah, luck more than anything. A really kickass woman saw my potential and basically told me I was working for her. Said I could help people and make a difference in the world if I wanted to. Though she wasn’t really asking. She sort of bulldozed me into it.”
“I don’t think anyone can bulldoze you into anything you don’t want to do.”
She grinned at him, the big avatar looking ferocious with the smile. “True enough. I’ve never looked back though. I like my job.”
He wanted to ask her more about her job, but knew better than to do it online.
“Hey, I’ve gotta run. I’m getting a call I have to take,” she said with what sounded like disappointment in her voice. “But I’ll reach out in the morning no matter if I find anything or not. We’re going to find your brother.”
“Okay.” He nodded as she winked out of the chat room, then slid off his headset.
He blinked a few times to get used to the dimness of the room, wishing he was anywhere but here. Not true, he wished he was with Moonlighter.
And that his life wasn’t such an epic mess.