Chapter 6 #2
I mentally kick myself for calling the guy by the nickname I coined in my mind. “Yeah, that guy on the end. He held his breath and looked into the face of death like a soldier. Well, he spit in the face of death. That’s more accurate.”
“He didn’t die?”
I shake my head and notice when she seems to breathe a sigh of relief. I thought she was thrown off by the nickname, but in reality, she was only concerned with his fate. Something is definitely off here.
She grips the zipper and lowers it, completely unaware that I’m beginning to suspect her. And that’s good. If I want to discover whatever it is Jim wants me to discover, she needs to think I’m on her side.
“Here, let me help you with that.” I step closer to her. “Hold on to me so you don’t fall. The fabric kind of clings to your legs.”
She unfastens the straps securing the pants around her ankles, then stands and grips my shoulders. I’m a fairly tall man, and she’s a fairly short woman, but never in my life has a woman seemed so delicate and small as she stands before me. Like something I need to protect.
Fiercely.
Then she nibbles her bottom lip as she tries to pull her legs free, and I have to look away. When she does cute shit like that, it makes me want to protect her even more. And something tells me that’s a horrible feeling to have.
If she’s a cop—or worse—then I need to keep a safe distance.
Once she’s out of her spacesuit, we start down the hallway. Most everyone has already undressed and headed toward the food, but a few people still struggle with their suits. I don’t recognize any of them, and my suspicion grows as I study each face. How many “soldiers” did Jim let into our midst?
“Ah, Maverick! Just the man I wanted to see,” Jim shouts as he spots us coming down the hall.
He leaves his post beside the dining room door and comes toward us, grabbing Frankie’s hands as he reaches us.
“Dear girl, I hate that you missed the grand finale of the first event. We’ll have to do better next time, hmm? ”
Frankie smiles up at him, completely unbothered by his little jab. “Sorry about that. I have a tiny bladder, even for a woman, and I have to listen when nature calls.”
“It’s okay, dear. Just hurry inside and find your seat, and we’ll be along shortly.” He smiles and rocks on his heels, holding his hands behind his back as he waits for her to walk away.
She looks back at me, and that’s when I know that she sees me as her lifeline. Which is exactly what Jim intended.
“He’ll be seated right beside you, not to worry,” Jim says with a smile when he notices her hesitation.
Frankie’s head jerks back toward the dining room, and then she hurries inside. I go to follow her, but Jim grabs my arm.
“Just a moment. A word, if you will.” With his grip still firmly fastened around my bicep, he drags me away from the doorway. We don’t stop until we’re far enough that not even a listening device could hear us. “You have a special mission on this retreat,” he whispers.
“So I’ve heard.”
“Oh, don’t be annoyed with me. Isn’t it more fun this way?”
I raise an eyebrow. “No, not really.”
Jim scoffs and folds his arms over his chest. “Would you prefer I give the assignment to someone else? I’m sure Ice Pick would be more than happy to trade rooms.”
“No, I can do it.” My agreement comes a little quickly, so I dial it back. “I’m not happy about it, but I can do it. It would be helpful if I knew what it was, however.”
“I knew you’d see sense.” He clamps his arm over my shoulder and leans closer. “All you have to do is convince the girl that we aren’t so bad.”
“So I’m correct to assume that she’s part of some sort of legal agency that could bring everything crashing down around us?”
“Yes, son. You have the long and short of it, as it were. She’s a fed, but I don’t just want you to keep an eye on her. I want you to convince her that we aren’t worth the paper our warrants would be printed on.”
“Feds? As in multiple?”
Jim nods.
“How many?”
“The exact numbers aren’t important, but?—”
“How many, Jim?”
He drops his arm from my shoulder, shakes his head, and sighs. “Five of the Cattle, four of the Sinners, and one of the Normies.”
“Ten total?” My eyes widen.
“Eleven, when you count your little stowaway.”
“You want us to convince eleven federal agents that serial killers aren’t so bad ? Jim, have you lost your fucking mind?”
Jim looks around as if someone might have heard me, but we’re the only people in the hall now. “Keep your voice down, and no, I don’t expect the others to be convinced of anything. Only Frankie. The rest are for the Sinners to find and dispose of.”
“This is insanity.”
He smiles. “Isn’t it glorious?”
“No, not really. How do you expect me to convince her we’re the good guys? You just put one of her people on stage in front of her, and I’m pretty sure she knew it.”
“She has to know the truth of who we are, Maverick. She can’t be convinced with tricks and deception. If she’s going to accept us for who we must be, she has to know exactly what we do.”
“Why? Why this woman?”
“Just keep her safe and bring her around to our way of thinking. That’s your mission, and this is your final chance to hand it to someone else.”
I stuff my hands into my pockets and stare down at the black carpet. Keeping her safe won’t be an issue, but am I really the person to convince someone that murder is okay?
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
Jim claps his hands together. “That’s my boy! After dinner, we’ll participate in our first activity. Make sure she’s in your group.”
Before I can ask anything else, he starts toward the dining room, leaving me in the hallway, alone and confused.