Page 48 of Out of My Flocking Mind

Which again showed that Beth must have been pretty highly skilled and trusted. Given that leadership wasn’t passed down by bloodline, was she next in line for that position? Were they getting her ready to take over for Harrison one day? It didn’t seem possible, not with how young and sweet she seemed. She was sure a far cry from the current leader.

I stopped at a door down the hallway. Beth raised her hand, as though to knock, but before she could, I twisted the handle and opened it. “Don’t worry—no one’s here.”

She paused at the threshold, as though the idea of going in without an invitation bothered her. She really is sweet, isn’t she? “Whose office is this?”

I hiked a thumb at the nameplate on the desk. “Terry O’Campus.”

Her eyes widened as she took a step back. “We probably aren’t supposed to be in here then, right? I mean, the head of security for the Justice Department isn’t the sort of person who would want people just coming into his office.”

I strolled in as though it were my own office—mostly because I’d done this many times. “Like I said—coffee.” I drew my hand into a fist and hit it against the door of a cabinet against the wall, the action releasing the magnetic closure on the door so it swung open. Sure enough, inside sat a number of one-cup coffee makers, including lattes and espresso. A sink was on the main level, and a mini fridge sat below it. All in all? It was like a wet bar but for people who needed caffeine. “I found out about this little treasure my first week here.”

“How did you find it?”

“I was getting lectured, and Terry had to step out for a moment to get his temper back under control. What can I say? I get curious when I’m bored. As soon as I saw his set up, though, I knew exactly where I was getting my cup of joe.”

“And he’s okay with that?”

“Well, people are mostly okay with things they don’t know about.” I smiled, then opened the fridge to pull out the milk. Ah, whole milk, the good stuff. “You have a problem with caffeine?”

She shook her head, the gesture slower than normal, as though she really didn’t want to get caught in here.

“Stop worrying so much. Terry doesn’t come to his office often.” I poured the milk into the clear pitcher, then pushed it into its place. I picked out a small capsule, plopped it into the machine and pressed start. The thick scent of the espresso filled the office and made my mouth water, and the sound of the steamer heating the milk felt familiar and pleasant.

The first cup finished, so I poured the milk into the mug over the espresso, then handed it all over to Beth before restarting the process for my own. Once finished, I rinsed the milk pitcher and closed up the cabinet. If I made it too obvious that I stole coffee from him, it might not be here one day.

I sat at Terry’s desk, then waited for Beth to sit across from me.

“This is good,” she admitted after her first sip.

“Told you. You want to know the truth, though? It’s not just the coffee. Things that are stolen always taste better. It’s like a perfect seasoning for making anything tastier.” I took another slow drink, savoring the sweetness of the milk. After spending what felt like forever surrounded by men, it was rather nice to sit here with another woman, with someone who lacked most of the weirdness that existed in my relationships. “Did Harrison say why I needed a Mind here?”

She nodded. “He said that someone using Cloud had targeted you.”

“And you can stop that from happening?”

“I don’t know for sure. Harrison is much stronger than I am, but if nothing else, I can buy some time and make it more difficult.”

“You know, I appreciate that you don’t just say yes. That’s kind of reassuring. I’m used to people telling me they can do anything. Truth is a nice change.”

“Well, I’m just honest. I’ve never tried to stop someone on Cloud before, so I don’t know if it’s possible.”

“Harrison must think it’s possible if you’re here, though.”

“Minds are ranked by power. I’m considered a top tier Mind.”

“So you’re on par with Harrison?”

She set her cup down on the desk, shifting in her chair. “Technically, sure, but it’s like saying that two humans are both ranked equally in speed when compared to sloths. Even if they seem equal, it doesn’t change that there is a vast difference between the speed of a toddler and that of an Olympic athlete.” She let out a soft, quiet laugh. “In this case, I’m the toddler.”

“Is Harrison really that much more powerful?”

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t like to stick my nose into clan business. In fact, I’ve worked really fucking hard to stay as far out of it as possible. I know people have talked about Harrison being powerful, and he’s mentioned it himself, but I don’t know why he is or if it’s all just propaganda. Maybe it’s like those dictatorships, where someone claims the leader is a god and everyone else is just too afraid to argue about it.”

Beth shook her head and leaned forward. “It’s not propaganda. The elders for the Mind Clan, I spent time with them. All top tier minds do, to learn and receive training. They said that they have no records to show any Mind has ever been as powerful as Harrison.” She slouched forward. “Right now, I’m set to take over for him one day, but how am I supposed to follow someone like that?”

“Well, how did he become that way? Maybe there’s something you can do?”

---