Page 180 of Assassin

They all held their breaths.

Well, except for Boone. He was pretty sure he knew who it was going to be, but before he could warn them it was likely Reaper, they were already taking this system for a spin.

Maybe it was good to see what Area Fifty-Two could do.

“MATE, unblock them,” Merry said, knowing what Mate could do. She’d been playing with the toys. “Pixilate the picture so we can get an ID.”

The system hummed.

When MATE got through it, they saw a very familiar face.

It was Reaper.

“What is he doing here?” Jagger asked, as everyone calmed down. The man couldn’t just show up like a normal human being. He had to always creep in.

Like a Spider.

Boone raised his hand.

“He mentioned he was heading this way after he contacted Elizabeth.”

Jagger stared at him.

“And you neglected to tell us that? We could have shot him.”

Boone laughed.

“One, it’s Reaper, and shooting him is the least of your problems. Two, I was curious to see if we were really secure here. We had a test run. This was testing a hypothesis, in a way. The place is secure. You’re welcome.”

Well, the man was right.

“Let him in, MATE.”

She warned them.

“He has explosives on him,” MATE admitted. I’ve scanned him, and he’s carrying something.”

Jagger didn’t like this, but he knew that Lewis was their friend. He wouldn’t betray them. When he glanced over at Boone, he shrugged.

“If he’s carrying bombs in his pocket, get him an eval. It might be the ones that had been planted at Chartres.”

That was probably a good idea.

Spiders were loco.

“Again, MATE, let him in,” Maura said.

As soon as Maura made the call, both Snakes moved closer to their husbands to protect them.

Spiders and Snakes didn’t play in the same location for a good reason.

They were too much alike.

MATE unlocked the doors, and Reaper must have thought it was his skill because he crept in. They could see him on the camera ducking behind the vehicles.

“MATE, go scare the bejeezus out of him,” Maura said. “Hologram him so he pisses himself. That’s his punishment for breaking and entering.”

That was all she had to hear. MATE curtseyed and disappeared.

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