Chapter 31
Bolo
“Take it out,” OD growled at the boys.
“You won’t even miss it,” Ryan argued.
“Yeah, we hardly took any,” Teddy added.
“I miss it,” Flir barked.
“Well, yeah, okay,” Ryan said with a roll of his eyes. “Of course you would miss it. But no one else would even know.”
Flir crossed his arms over his chest, scowling at the boys while OD held his hand out.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“These two thought they’d borrow some money,” Flir replied, his scowl deepening.
I forced my lips not to twitch into the smile that was trying to break free. We had to be role models to these kids. Not sure who thought that was a good idea, but we were stuck in the position now. “You sure it was them and not Kilo?”
“He’s a zombie,” Flir told me. “No way he got in here, got the money out, and all without me noticing. He hasn’t exactly been running at full capacity since his kid was born.”
Ryan shot me a grateful look, then smirked at OD. “Good point. You’re accusing us without proof. How do you know it wasn’t any of the others?”
“What are you, a lawyer?” OD asked, glowering first at Ryan, then at me. OD gave me a look that I recognized very well.
Shrugging, I grabbed both teens by the backs of their shirts and lifted them off the ground. If my VP wanted to search them, it was no skin off my nose. A bill fluttered down onto the floor, having fallen out of Teddy’s waistband.
The ‘oh shit’ look on Teddy’s face said he knew what was coming next. I started shaking them both. When more bills fluttered to the ground I let go of Ryan and grabbed Teddy by the ankles, hauling up into the air upside down.
“Ahhhh!”
I started bodily shaking him. He looked like a damned cartoon character, money just pouring out of his clothes.
“Ooof!” Teddy grunted as I dropped him. He looked up and gave me a sheepish grin.
Shaking my head, I told him, “We need to work on your skills, Kid.” I turned to Ryan, who smiled innocently and stepped to the side.
Magically a pile of bills had appeared on the ground next to him. “Good call,” I said.
“How about we teach them not to be thieves. And don’t teach them how to potentially get out of being in trouble,” Flir said, giving OD a meaningful look when OD remained silent.
“Oh, right. Don’t teach them any of that shit,” OD told me since I’d been the one who’d suggested that it might not have been the kids who’d taken the money.
I chuckled. “Sure thing.”
The boys groaned in disappointment as Flir started scooping up the money.
“How is he not in The Collective?” Ryan asked, crossing his arms over his chest with a grumpy look on his face.
Teddy nodded at his friend in agreement.
Flir’s head snapped up and he glared at them.
“The Collective? Are you questioning my loyalty to the club?” It was impressive—for Flir anyway—that he managed to sound pissed, offended, and horrified all at the same time.
I didn’t realize he was capable of that much emotion all at once. Or any emotion other than frustration.
“No, not that Collective,” Teddy replied with a roll of his eyes. “He means the Borg.”
Flir looked as confused as I felt. “What the hell is the Borg?” I asked.
OD groaned, but before he could explain, Ryan started talking. He was excited and was talking so fast he was nearly tripping over his words. “The Borg Collective?”
Flir and I exchanged glances just to confirm that neither of us had any clue what he was saying.
“The Borg Collective.” It wasn’t a question this time. Ryan sighed in disappointment. He started moving in a slow robotic motion, "Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.” He and Teddy grinned at us while OD rubbed his hand over his face in exasperation.
“They haven’t seen Star Trek, guys,” OD told them. “Most of us aren’t sci-fi nerds like you two.”
Teddy scowled at him. “Come on, you said the show was great.”
“Yeah, and Flir, well, he’s not even human. I’m sure he’s downloaded some episodes right into his head,” Ryan added, barely holding back a snicker.
“You forced me to watch it. And I said it was alright. Not great. Alright.”
Teddy rolled his eyes again. “The Borg are-”
“No, no, no,” OD said with a shake of his head. “There’s no time to explain.”
“They basically take humans and make them into robots. Or give them robot parts anyway,” Ryan said, still speaking quickly so OD couldn’t cut him off. “And then they work like a hive mind with all the other Borg.”
“And you’re saying he’s a Borg because-”
“Because look at him! He’s basically a robot,” Teddy confirmed, cutting me off and shooting Flir a smug grin.
“Meanwhile you and Ryan were actually a part of The Collective for a while there,” Flir pointed out. “So wouldn’t the two of you be more robot than me?”
They both narrowed their eyes as they thought about that. “They clearly didn’t assimilate us. Besides, we didn’t know we were a part of The Collective,” Ryan countered. “We just worked for Carrick. How were we supposed to know he was Collective?”
“Do the humans who get…assimilated…by the Borg know what’s going on while it’s happening?” Flir shot back.
Confusion filled the boys’ expression. “Well, no. Not usually. They just become part of the hive.”
“So you’re the Borg. I’m one of the good guys. Glad we cleared this up.”
“That’s not at all how-”
“Out of here,” OD ordered them. “And stay out. We don’t have time to be tracking you down.”
“But-” Teddy started, ready to defend his position on why Flir had it all wrong.
“Later,” OD told him. “Learn to pick your battles, Kid.”
“Fine,” Ryan sighed as they slunk out of the room.
Flir smirked at their backs. “Teach them to call me a fucking robot.”
OD and I glanced at each other and I shook my head. I didn’t bother to point out that the kids hadn’t been all that far off. It would just get Flir going on a tangent and we didn’t need that right now.
The boys waved at Devyn as they trotted past her. She waved back, then shot me an amused look. “This is what you get, you know,” she told OD.
He frowned at her. “What? What does that mean? None of this is my fault.”
Her eyebrows shot up and she put her hands on her hips. “You’re telling me these boys aren’t learning all this from you?”
“I’m blaming Kilo,” he muttered. “Besides, I really don’t watch Star Trek.”
“Uh huh.” She shook her head. “I meant stealing the money.”
“Oh right, that.” Holding my hand out to her, I linked our fingers as she came over to my side. “It’s a bit of a story,” I said, nodding toward the massive piles of cash.
“I can’t wait to hear it.”
“When you’re done, we could use your help loading it all up,” OD said.
“Sure,” I replied.
“Or guarding it,” Flir muttered. “Those hooligans are going to be back before we finish up, guaranteed.” He turned toward the door and then sighed. “No! Out!”
I chuckled as Norman froze during the act of slinking toward Flir.
“Take your dog with you,” Flir told OD as our VP left the room.
He hurried after OD, cursing as Norman clung to him like a shadow.
“Damn kids… And damn dog.” His words floated back into the room, though there didn’t seem to be as much irritation in them as when he thought we could hear him.
Flir didn’t want us to know, but all of us could see how much both the kids, and the dog, were starting to grow on him.
Grinning, I turned toward Dev and started the story from the beginning.
* * *
“The Collective isn’t our only problem,” I said, as Ruck started up church a couple hours later.
We’d loaded up all the cash, equipment, and most of the guns we’d taken from The Collective and Merc, Hype, and Code were dropping it off in its new hiding spot until we decided what we’d do with it all.
The storage unit was rented under a false name with a fake paper trail that wouldn’t lead back to us.
We didn’t need those assholes stealing it all back.
“What now?” Ruck asked with a frown.
I quickly ran down the issue with Bowers. “He’s gotta be watching Dev’s every move.”
“Which means he knows she’s staying here,” Relay said, eyes narrowing.
I nodded. “Which means he at least suspects that we’re somehow involved in the fire and the apartment complex. He pretty much hinted to her that he knew.”
“Damn. This is getting complicated fast,” Strike said.
“Last thing we need is the cops on our asses right now,” OD said in agreement.
“We’re getting close to me needing to call for a lockdown,” Ruck said, giving me a meaningful look.
Rue and Camila already knew the score and would stay put when Ruck put the order out. It was Devyn who was the unknown right now.
“Devyn’s already agreed to stay home for a few days. She doesn’t want Bowers to catch her at the firehouse again. The more he digs, the more she might accidentally slip up and give him some piece of information that he could use against us,” I told them. “She doesn’t want that to happen.”
“Probably better that way anyway,” Drifter added. “The less stress, the better for her and the baby. How’s all that going by the way?”
“It’s going alright. The meds are keeping her blood pressure under control. Dr. Natalie is keeping a close eye on her. Thanks for sending us her way. Dev really likes her.”
“No problem,” Drifter said with a grin.
“Dr. Natalie?” Flir asked. “Who’s that?”
“The OBGYN who’s looking after Devyn,” I replied.
“And Drifter’s…friend,” Relay added with an arched brow. “Don’t think you’re going to get away without an explanation for that.”
Drifter scowled at him. “Sure, just as soon as you answer a few questions I have for you.”
Both men glared at each other silently while the tension mounted. Ruck watched with interest to see if either of them were willing to give up answers before he needed to put a stop to it.
Kilo wasn’t willing to wait. The bags under his eyes had their own luggage, but he was completely focused on Drifter now. He had his own questions. “Why the fuck didn’t you offer up this Dr. Natalie when me and Camila were looking for an OB?”