Chapter 13: The Devil’s Reward: Chapter 12

It’s odd being back on base again. Some things are still the same; the guards at the gate checking IDs and ensuring you’re supposed to be where you are. Unfortunately for me, people still know who I am. More than a few snap into a salute when we walk by. I barely restrain myself from saluting in return, the training still ingrained, but I do nod my head at them.

“Damn, that shit is weird after all these years,” I mutter as I follow Crypt to his room. The memories pile on as we walk down the sterile hallways. Of all of us racking out after we got back from a mission to finally get some sleep. Of the times that Sam would tease me not to forget to lock my door so I didn’t accidentally sleepwalk right into her room.

I have to push those thoughts out of my mind as Crypt opens up the door and reveals the sparse room where two duffle bags and a box sit on the bed. “Not much stuff,” I remark, looking around quickly. I note that there are no pictures on the wall, nothing to show that the space belonged to someone.

Not even pictures of his family or his teammates. Though, I suppose he could have them packed away in his bag already.

“Don’t need much,” Crypt answers with a shrug.

“Makes things easier to get you set up at the clubhouse. Alright, well, let’s get out of here.” I grab the box and he grabs the duffle bags. He reaches the door before I do and I drawl, “Sure you don’t want to say one last goodbye? You know, get all those tears out?”

Crypt looks over his shoulder at me and gives me a droll look. “Get right on that.” Then he keeps on walking as I chuckle behind him.

We walk out of the building, nodding at people along the way, until we make it to his truck. “You ready to say goodbye?” I ask him, giving him a sideways glance when he looks around.

He turns his head and gives me a blank stare. “Goodbye to what?”

I shrug. “Well, this is the last time you’re going to be on base. Big moment for you, isn’t it?”

His eyes are penetrating as he stares at me. “That what you did? Said goodbye before you left?”

Not like I had a chance, I think to myself. Instead of saying that, I roll my eyes. “Fine, you made your point. Let’s get out of here. I got some work for you to do before I take you to the clubhouse.”

As we head off base, with Crypt ahead of me in his truck and me on my bike, we head towards the office, and I try not to think too much about the place we just left. The last thing I need is more memories. I spent most of my night tossing and turning, trying to banish the memories that plagued me. Dreams bordering on nightmares.

Images of Sam and Quinn kept blurring together, and when I woke up, I was in a piss poor mood. Still, I brushed it off, because I have far too much to do today. Mostly getting Crypt set up. Viper is working with Syn on arranging the search tonight, and I want to make sure I’m around for it.

When we reach the office, I show Crypt around and then get him started filling out paperwork. He sits at the desk we had put in for him this morning, and quickly and efficiently completes the task, ignoring everything else around him. Though, the only other people in the office right now are Viper, myself, and Hulk, who is typing up a report on the other side of the room.

Hulk isn’t one for paperwork, and his scowl makes clear that he hates this part of the job. I definitely feel the same. I gave Rose my ad this morning, so hopefully we’ll get some suitable candidates. I’ll need to make sure they have clear background checks, but that shouldn’t be too hard. If Cryos is busy, Crypt can tag in. Good way to break him into the scene.

I head into my office, not even bothering to look behind me when Viper follows me in. I take my seat and look up at him expectantly, folding my hands over my stomach.

“We’re all set for tonight,” he tells me in a low voice. “You coming for that?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” I reply softly. “Syn bringing both dogs?”

“She is, but she’s only going to deploy one at a time. She’ll have Loki start , and then have Ebony do the second half of the search.”

“You set up grids for them to work?” I ask curiously.

Viper pulls some paper from his back pocket and hands it to me. It’s a satellite image of the compound. Viper has already marked it, showing what is priority, and has drawn a line to indicate where the dogs should switch. We own a lot of land, but we’re only focusing close to the compound for now. Especially since most of the acreage is forested.

“We’re going to start here,” Viper explains, pointing at a spot closest to the fence by one of the outbuildings. “She’ll come from the fence side. That way, we don’t alert anyone. She’s going to walk over so we don’t arouse any suspicion with engine noise. If you’re going to be there, we’ll probably have to switch off working with her. One of us holds the dog that isn’t working, that kind of thing.”

I nod. “That’s fine. You want to work with her on the first part or the second?”

“I’ll take the first part. She also assured me that if the dogs find anything, their alert is to sit or lie down; they won’t bark.”

“Good, less chance of people waking up and spotting us,” I mutter, looking at the map again. “You marked which one is being used for Torque and Izzy’s project?”

“Shit, forgot about that one. I’ll mention that to Syn when I text her later. Torque will kill me if we scratch that car,” he chuckles.

I snort. “I think it’s Izzy who will kill you, brother. Torque told me she would gladly marry that car instead of him, so I’d say she’s the one you don’t want to piss off.”

“I’m sure I could charm my way out of it,” Viper smirks. I roll my eyes at him. “I have another copy, so you can keep this one. Mark which one is Torque and Izzy’s spot and I’ll do the same on mine. I’ll show Syn tonight when she arrives. Don’t want any electronic versions rolling around.”

I nod in agreement. If the mole is someone electronically inclined and tracking us there, we don’t want to tip them off. “Hopefully we hit paydirt tonight.”

Viper nods. “Syn said she can help again tomorrow if we need to sweep the clubhouse. If we do, she’ll bring in both dogs, and we’ll allow them to bark; it shouldn’t matter since no one will be around.”

“We figure out what to do about the cameras?” I ask him.

He glances at the doorway and then back at me. “I noticed the kill switch in Cryos’s space at the clubhouse earlier. I’ll turn them off from there. He’s going to be pissed, especially since it will probably mess up a bunch of his shit, but we’ll deal with it.”

I chuckle softly. “You sure he won’t just shoot us?” It’s an unspoken rule of the club that we touch nothing of Cryos’s. The man is fiercely protective of his gear. Still, I don’t give a shit, because if he is the mole, I’ll rip every damn wire out of every damn wall and strangle him with them. If he isn’t, Bullet can deal with the fallout. Perks of being President.

Viper shrugs. “If he does, we’ll see him coming.” Then he gives me a quick salute and heads out the door.

I try not to let my anxiousness and anticipation get the better of me. I need to keep a calm head. So, I put my head towards answering emails and filling out more dreaded paperwork. A new receptionist can’t come fast enough.

Mid-afternoon, I’m tired and in desperate need of some coffee. Words on my screen are a blur, which means it’s time to get out of here and get some fresh air. I push away from my desk and stalk down the hall. Hulk and Crypt are both still at their desks, though they don’t look cross-eyed.

“I’m heading over to the convenience store,” I tell them.

“Thank fuck,” Hulk groans, standing and stretching his huge arms over his head. “I’m going with you.”

“We’re heading out?” Viper asks, coming out of his office.

“This is not a field trip,” I grouch.

“You sure about that, Mr. Chapman?” Viper snickers.

I flip him off. “Fine, let’s go.” I look over at Crypt, whose attention hasn’t moved from the screens, engrossed in the task I assigned him. “Crypt, let’s go,” I tell him.

He barely glances back at me. “I’m good,” he replies.

“Not a request, soldier,” I tell him easily. “Can’t leave any classmates behind.”

“You know, when I was in school I couldn’t tell my teacher to fuck off, but I don’t think I need to worry about that with you,” Crypt remarks coolly.

I smirk at him. “Oh, I don’t know, I might have a cell around here. I can call that your detention.” His eyes are blank as he stares at me, obviously uncaring about my threat. “Just get off your ass and let’s go.” He eyes me for a minute before getting up to follow us.

We’re all quiet as we make our way down the street. Behind Viper and I, Hulk and Crypt are silent, even as we enter the store. I nod at the clerk when we walk in. Mr. Diaz nods back at me from behind the counter before returning his attention to his magazine – or rather, , since everyone knows he’s actually got porn tucked between the dog eared pages of that sports magazine.

I make my way down the aisle to the coolers in the back and grab a bottle of soda. I want coffee, but I’ve had enough for now, so this will have to do. I ignore the way Viper jokes with Hulk about his choice of a healthy bottle of water, while Crypt grabs himself an energy drink. I turn around to head back towards the register, but freeze when I see the woman walking thru the door.

The same woman that haunted my dreams last night.

She glances my way, and her gaze stops on mine, and I feel a burn in my chest ignite almost instantly as our eyes collide. Her eyes flash with recognition, and her face flushes with a blush. She gives me a quick nod and moves to grab some gum and a candy bar from the display to her left.

I stand behind her as she gets to the counter. She briefly glances back at me and gives me a shy smile before she faces forward again. I glare at Mr. Diaz when he gives her an appreciative look, and he quickly looks away while he rings her up. Mr. Diaz isn’t much of a problem normally, but I don’t want him trying anything with Quinn.

“Thank you,” Quinn says shyly as she finishes her transaction. “Have a good day.”

“Hold on a second,” I tell her as I toss some cash on the counter to pay for mine. She looks at me in shock before her gaze slides away, and her face heats even more. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so endearing. Mr. Diaz’s eyes light up when I gesture for Quinn to follow me outside, leaving him the change as a tip. A very good tip, since I gave him a twenty and my bill would have only been a few bucks.

I catch Viper’s eye to let him know where I’m going, and he grins at me and nods. Outside the store, Quinn stops a few feet away from me, and glances up at me before shifting her eyes away. Hmm, I guess she is shy. “Is, um, is, this, uh, about Macy and the chip thing?” she asks, nerves clear in her voice. “I can pay you for them.” She reaches for her purse, but I stop her quickly.

“No, nothing to do with that. I just wanted to say thank you for contacting me about Crypt. And let you know we moved him off base today; he’s going to be staying at our clubhouse for the time being,” I explain. Hopefully Crypt won’t have my ass for telling her this, but I have the uncontrollable urge to talk to her. To see just how different, and alike, she is to Sam.

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” she says, her face instantly transforming into a beaming smile. “I’m glad that he could get a job with you and find a place to stay. Are the accommodations at the clubhouse permanent?”

I shrug. “It’s up to him. He’s going to propsect for the club; if he likes it, and we like him, we’ll patch him in eventually which means he’ll always have a place at the club. If he doesn’t want to stay with the club, then we’ll set him up at his own place, but he can still work with me. One isn’t dependent on the other.” Fuck, I need to shut up. I don’t know what it is about Quinn, but I can’t seem to stop talking.

She nods, unconcerned. “It’s great that he already has so many sources of support. And thank you for giving him a chance with the job.”

“Anyone else, send them our way,” I tell her with a smile. She blinks at me, flushes some more and nods again. She stands there awkwardly as we lapse into silence, neither of us moving away. Finally, I force myself to say, “Oh, and we have another opening for a receptionist or admin person, if you have anyone that fits the bill.”

She straightens slightly and reaches into her purse to grab her phone. “Let me make a note of that. I have a couple more people coming to see me today, and I’ll keep this position in mind when I talk to them. Are you looking for anything specific in this person?”

“They need to keep their mouths shut,” I say honestly. She looks up at me in surprise. “The jobs we do involve sensitive, often highly confidential information. We do security work, bodyguarding, and sometimes, private investigation and reconnaissance; all of that is confidential. People in the forces are naturally good at keeping things hush-hush. Despite that, you can tell when people are the type to give a little too much information, by over sharing things with you in a general conversation.”

Quinn’s brows pull down into a little V of concentration as she quickly taps away on her phone. “Do you need them to have a clearance of any kind?” she asks.

“Not necessarily. We don’t work with the military or police or anything like that, but our clients have means and don’t want their business talked about.” I cock my head thoughtfully as I look at her. “Mostly, I want someone who doesn’t mind creating a schedule, is organized, and can handle paperwork. I hate that shit.”

She lets out a small chuckle, so soft I almost don’t hear it, but now that I have, I want to hear it again, but louder. Damn it, I don’t want this in my life right now. I don’t want her to captivate me. “I hate paperwork too,” she tells me. She puts her phone away and tucks a strand of copper hair behind her ear. “Thanks for telling me all this. I’ll definitely keep this in mind for my clients. How long are you accepting applications?”

“Until we hire someone. I put an ad up today, so there will be other applicants,” I warn her.

She nods. “If the position is filled by the time I send someone your way, then we’ll look elsewhere. Thank you, Mr. uh, I mean, Shadow. I really appreciate you being willing to work with me and my colleagues on this.”

“Anything I can do for fellow Vets,” I tell her truthfully.

I hear the door behind me open and glance over my shoulder to see the rest of the guys coming out. Viper gives Quinn a wide smile, and Crypt and Hulk both give her sober nods. “Hi, Crypt,” Quinn says shyly. “Shadow was just telling me you were hired and staying at the, uh, clubhouse. That’s fantastic.”

Crypt gives her a quick nod. “Do you need to follow up with me, Ms. Holt?” he asks her politely.

She shakes her head. “Only if you want me to. If you’re okay, then I’ll make a note to check in with you in two months. And call me Quinn. I’m not fancy.”

“Since this asshole isn’t going to introduce us,” Viper drawls, stepping forward with his hand out, “I’ll have to do it myself. I’m Viper, and I run the joint with Shadow here. Other guy is Hulk. Don’t worry, he’s a softy.”

Hulk huffs out a breath and glares at Viper.

Quinn shakes Viper’s hand quickly, looking up at him and Hulk with the same shy smile. “Nice to meet you. Quinn Holt. Well, I need to get back to the office. It was nice to meet you and, uh, good to see you again, Crypt. And, uh, you too, Shadow,” she adds, nearly tripping over herself to say goodbye before turning to hurry away.

I watch her retreat, her sensible flats eating up the sidewalk with purpose.

“She’s a skittish one,” Viper remarks. “Pretty too. I’d ask her out if I thought she’d actually accept.”

The idea of Viper taking Quinn out is not one I want to entertain. I have no business thinking of her at all, and the idea of her around constantly makes me feel things I don’t want to. “She’s not crazy enough for you,” I tell him as we head down the sidewalk in the opposite direction from Quinn. “You’d chew her up and spit her out, and that would ruin any kind of relationship for you.”

Viper sighs. “Yeah, probably. Still, I think she was looking at you awfully close.”

I ignore the bait he’s dangling in front of me. Instead, I tell him, “I told her about the reception position, so of course she was looking at me. She was taking notes on her phone and is going to send clients our way.”

Viper looks like he doesn’t believe me, but finally shrugs. “If you say so.”

As we continue walking back to the office, I resist glancing over my shoulder to see if I can catch another glimpse of Quinn. I need to forget about her and focus on the task at hand. We have a mole to catch.