Page 34 of Unraveling Connections

“Yeah, that could have been a misdirect though,” Rage points out.

Cash’s eyebrows raise slightly as he mulls the idea over, “Yeah, I suppose you could be right.”

“Mr R has just replied,” Trick interrupts the conversation, “he says that it should be fine and to give him a day to let the Cottage know that we are coming so we don’t get shot.”

Ever chuckles, “You know, it’s still really weird to me that he decided to name the new holding center for the prisoners the Cottage.”

Trick grins, “Well, if anyone hears us talk about it, no one would suspect it for what it is, and technically, it does look like a cottage.”

“With a giant expanded basement where they keep the worst of the worst for questioning before they get shipped to their permanent new abodes or buried,” Jensen mutters.

“It makes a lot of sense not to bring prisoners back to headquarters and instead take them to a different location that holds no important information. Especially after the mole and all that shit that happened.” Atlas comments, sipping his coffee.

“Yeah, it does. I have no idea why they didn’t do it any sooner,” Trick replies. “I’m actually wondering if Mr R is going to move Headquarters after we’ve dealt with Hunt and the majority of his people.”

“If he doesn’t, I think we should suggest it,” Ever says, “It’s compromised now. That means it is not safe; there are a lot of people who need it to be safe, agents that call it their home, and information and weapons of all sorts are kept there. It needs to be as secure as possible and it’s not.”

“It will be one hell of a task to move it, but it would make the most sense. You can’t compromise or get sloppy in situations like this. It costs lives,” Luc adds.

“You’re right. The more I think about it, the more surprised I will be if he doesn’t have a plan to move it.” Riot agrees.

Ever stands up and drains her coffee before saying, “I’m going to go and check on Pete; he hates it when Elijah’s gone.”

“Okay, Sweetheart,” Trick replies for all of us.

The rest of us finish up our breakfast and then everyone helps to clear up the table and get everything put away before they all go back to their rooms to shower or get changed if they want to. Personally, I'm going to stay in what I’m wearing. I have no desire to get dressed properly today, especially since I am going to be staring at my laptop screen for goodness knows how long, looking for tiny glitches that may or may not be there.

Everyone else leaves and I glance at my phone, Peter has been gone for only ten minutes if that, I nod, yeah, I have got the time to make some cookies. Ever, in particular, gets snacky when she is having to do anything to do with tech. She is not a fan of anything to do with technology, and to be honest, it doesn’t seem to like her very much either.

I imagine that we are all going to get sucked into it as well, wanting to get it done as quickly as possible so that we can get some answers. Which means we are either going to skip dinner or get to dinner really late so we’re going to need something to keep us going.

Plus, any excuse to make cookies, I’m taking it.

It doesn’t take me long to mix up a batch for all of us. I have made these cookies so many times now that I don’t even need to look at the recipe anymore. When they are in the oven I check my phone again, they’re most likely not going to be cool by the time Pete’s done but I will leave them cooling on the racks and people can help themselves as and when they want them.

Ever

Knocking on Pete’s door, well, the door of the room he is staying in, I yell, “Can I come in?”

“Of course,” he yells back, looking at me weirdly when I walk through the door, “since when do you bother knocking?”

I frown, “Huh, I’m not sure, one second.”

I hear his laughter follow me as I go back out of the room, shutting the door behind me. I then burst back through it with a grin.

“That’s better,” he chuckles.

“I was just coming to check to see if you are, okay?” I ask as I bounce on his bed before sitting my ass down.

“Yeah, I’m good. It’s always hard when he is gone and then I feel really stupid about feeling that way because we are fully grown adults now, and shouldn’t I be okay with my partner going away?”

“Fuck off,” I blurt, and then when he looks at me with his eyebrow raised, I backtrack, “What I'm trying to say is, who says that is the way it has to be? You know full well that I hate to beaway from my men; they are not just my partners but my best friends, too. It sucks. I think you handle it a hell of a lot better than I do or would, I am always a mess.”

Peter smiles and leans his head on my shoulder, “Thank you, Ever.”

“Anytime,” I reply, and then grin, “You know I’m not the only one. Lyric would be as bad as me, and Jynx, she likes to pretend she is the toughest out of us, but I reckon she would be the worse one if all of her men left her to her own devices for any length of time.” I shudder, “Can you imagine the carnage.”

Pete’s eyes widen, “Shit, you’re right. Can we get her men to sign something that makes them promise to never leave her all at once?”

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