Chapter 19 #2
He doesn't speak as he holds the door open wider, indicating for us to walk inside.
I pull in a deep breath, praying the man doesn't hear how ragged it is before stepping inside.
Gene walks ahead of us, guiding the way, and as I suspected, the place is a lot nicer on the inside than it looks on the outside.
It honestly reminds me of the Cerberus clubhouse back in New Mexico.
Although they've made changes to the place since they fully shut it down to outsiders in recent months to make it more visually appealing, I saw old pictures while I was there.
The clubhouse started as a metal building much like this one, but stepping inside, you'd think it was designed and decorated by a top designer featured in magazines.
This place is cozy but efficient, and much smaller than the clubhouse.
Gene opens the door to another room, standing to the side and sweeping his arm like he's the butler of an English estate.
Similar to a conference room, there's a long table with leather chairs encircling it.
The chair at the head of the table is large and turned around so that the only part of the person sitting in front of it visible is the lower half of their legs.
I know immediately that the person sitting in that chair is quite possibly the top guy of the organization. We don't know how far this organization extends, but the person in that chair is, at a minimum, running this location.
As experienced as I am in situations like this, it doesn't stop the gasp from escaping my throat when the chair spins around, only to reveal fucking Bobby sitting at the head of the damn table.
"Motherfucker," Zeus mutters at the sight of the smiling man.
This can't be fucking good at all.
"Two things," he says as he points to the two chairs to his left.
We make our way across the room. I know how smart it is that he puts both of us on the same side of him rather than dividing us, where he'd have to protect both sides of his body if shit went south.
"One," he says, lifting a remote and turning on the television on the far wall.
To look where he wants us to, we have to put our backs to him, but Zeus pulls his chair out really far, keeping the man in his periphery. I turn and look, seeing Bobby's smile grow even wider.
"What is this about?" he asks as the screen comes to life, playing back a video of us from minutes ago when we first pulled up to the gate.
I watch as the video zooms in on us, looking through the windshield and taking it all in.
"I don't want to speak out of turn," I say.
"I insist," Bobby urges.
"There's a weakness in your line," I say, pointing at the lower right of the screen where part of the tin wall has separated.
I look back at the man to find him glaring at Gene, who is standing across the room. The look he's giving him says this has already been discussed, and it better be taken care of immediately.
"And two?" I ask, doing my best to look as cool as a cucumber even though the threat of bile is burning the back of my throat.
"I wanted to say thanks for leaving the bottle of water for me last night. My throat was on fire when I woke up this morning."
"Gotten high too many times. I know what it's like," Zeus says, the lie rolling easily off his tongue.
It's also a way for the man to get on better terms with the group, since he was a consolation prize in the package deal.
Bobby dips his head. There's no chastisement, no suggestion of how we could've handled the situation differently.
Unease washes over me, the conversation we had last night when he was passed out running through my head.
I don't doubt the guy was pretending to be higher, or at least acting like he was higher than he actually was, just so he could listen to our conversation.
It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to trick me, but I was so concerned about Zeus and how what they had done was affecting him that I wasn't even thinking.
Bobby doesn't mention any of it.
"I'd like to extend an official invitation to join The League of Liberty to both of you," Bobby says. Although I have a million and one questions, I simply let a smile spread across my face.
Joy, I don't really feel, comes out of me in a light chuckle, and I reach over to shake his hand. I know that someone like the man I'm portraying would be incredibly happy to be a part of this organization.
He accepts, then reaches past me to shake Zeus's hand as well.
"I have court in a few weeks," Zeus says. "I can't miss it."
Bobby nods in understanding. "Who's your attorney?"
I freeze, knowing there's a very good chance Zeus didn't take the time to read his fucking bio.
Zeus shrugs. "I've had so fucking many."
I'm still as a statue during the pause, wondering if our position in the group is going to be the shortest in their history.
"Can't remember his fucking name, but it's the guy with a big enough gap between his teeth that an NFL kicker could use it for fucking field goal practice."
Bobby sneers. "Roger fucking Goldberg. He's the biggest dick. Almost got ten because of his stupid ass. We'll get you someone better."
He sits back for a second, thinking, before leaning forward in his chair.
"Unless you want to be someone on the inside."
I know the man knows exactly what he's asking of Zeus, and I can't help but think it's another test. Do they expect him to go to jail to do their bidding from inside a correctional facility?
"I'd be of better use to you on the outside," Zeus assures him.
"I agree," Bobby says, and a wave of relief washes over me.
I know it does, Zeus, as well with the way his shoulders relax a little.
"You guys carried yourselves very well last night," Bobby praises. "Efficient. In and out."
It becomes clear very quickly that the way he was acting last night was a way for them to tell how we'd handle ourselves in that sort of situation, as if there's no need or expectation of violence unless necessary.
It doesn't mean they're good people. It's obvious that they aren't, but bringing extra heat because a robbery turned violent is the very last thing they want.
It speaks of their expectations and organization.
It makes it clear that they want to be around for a very long time and operate without too many eyes on them.
"The way you moved last night makes me think you have some sort of military experience," Bobby says to him.
Zeus shrugs, his face passive, although I know the scrutiny has to rattle him a little.
"I played a lot of Xbox, paintball, and shit when I was a kid. I think maybe I was born to be part of the military, but my criminal history at a young age put a pin in that shit."
"You wanted to defend your country?" Bobby asks, the twitch near his right eye giving away his feelings on the subject, but I know better than to look back at Zeus to see if he caught it.
Zeus scoffs. "Fuck no. I just wanted to kill people."
I know those words have to taste like acid on his tongue, but they come out as if they're a hundred percent the truth.
"That," he says, pointing at my friend. "May come in handy."
I allow a smile to spread across my face when Bobby turns his attention to me. "You're two years younger than your cousin, but you had some skills last night, too."
"Our dads taught us well. We learned at a young age that if we weren't willing to save ourselves, we'd die. There's no one coming to our rescue. We couldn't put that much trust in other people. If we wanted to survive, we had to know how to do it on our own."
Bobby nods in understanding, and I know he was probably raised exactly like that by a man who'd throw him in the deep end of the pool to teach him to swim and feel nothing but disappointment if he died.
A lot of the people I've come into contact with over the years shared that same ideology.
They didn't sugarcoat anything, and they sure as hell weren't going to raise men who were scared of anything.
"I have another job for you two tonight. Be at The Garage at midnight," he says before turning back around in his chair, and just that quickly, we're dismissed.
Zeus stands quickly, I know, in a rush to get the hell out of there, but I'm slower to rise, a hesitation in my steps as we inch closer to the conference room door.
I pause at the doorway and turn back. "Are there organizational accommodations for us?"
Bobby turns back around in his chair, a look of confusion on his face.
"We're month to month in that shitty house of ours, and three times now someone from the organization has made their way on the property without us knowing," I explain, knowing that a healthy dose of paranoia is always seen as a good thing for men like him. "I'd like to get a good night's sleep."
Bobby grins as if he loves the idea of us being here full-time. "We're full at the moment, but we have a few people leaving soon, and then we'll be able to get you home."
I hate thinking about what "leaving soon" means to this man. I doubt they have people transferring out, but there's not really anything I can do about that at the moment.
"Appreciate it," I say before turning to leave.
Zeus and I don't look at each other as we walk out of the building, escorted by Gene, of course.
"Be safe," the man tells us as we step outside. I swear there's an ominous tone to his voice, something that hints that bad things are to come for us, but we get in the truck and leave the compound without incident.