Page 12 of Homecoming

“Oh, he definitely would have. I’m surprised that Blake didn’t shoot him as soon as he said it,” Alaric replies.

I shrug, “He wanted information.”

“Hang on,” Rage says, interrupting us. “Are you telling us that is all he told you? So, for the rest of the time, which was probably like what? Twenty? Twenty-five minutes? He just talked shit?”

I look at Alaric expectantly; I hadn’t actually thought of that.

Alaric nods, “Yes, that is exactly what fucking happened. I swear, I will never meet him again. I have always tried to avoid it, but now I will categorically refuse to meet him. Someone else can do it; I just can’t handle the talking. I know more about him and his family than I probably do about my own.”

His rant sets me and Rage off, and we both fall about laughing.

Once we have both calmed down Rage asks, “Can we get food before we go back?”

“Of course,” Alaric replies.

Rage

We have just picked up the food and are on our way again when my phone rings.

Atlas smirks, and I know what he is going to say before he even says it, “Who is calling you? You don’t have friends, only me.”

“I did not say that, you snarky fucker.” I reply with an amused smirk.

Atlas grins, “Seriously, who is ringing you?”

I glance down at my phone, and my eyebrows rise in shock, “Erm, D.”

“Probably wants you on a job,” Atlas replies as he takes a big bite of his burger.

“Hey, D,” I say as soon as I answer.

D’s voice is gravelly but full of warmth as he replies, “Rage. I have just had a chat with Jynx, and she told me that you were currently with Alaric?”

I nod, even though he can’t see me, and reply, “Yeah. We have just done a job with him. What’s up? Did you want to talk to him?”

Alaric’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror curiously.

“No. But I do need him to drop you off somewhere.”

“You have a job for me?” I ask, excitement spiking through me; I fucking love doing jobs for D. “Atlas too?”

“No, this one requires more of your skillset, and I only need one of you. It’s delicate. Because of that, I can’t give you as many details as I usually do. Are you interested?”

I am immediately intrigued, so, of course I reply, “Yes definitely, just tell me what you can.”

“You are going to be going undercover as a cop, a SWAT cop. You will be covered from head to toe, so no one is going to know that you don’t belong. You will be at the location they are raiding, and you will blend in and enter with them. Once inside, your only job is to take down one target. His name is Marvin, and I am sending you his picture to your phone; delete it as soon as you have memorized it. As soon as your job is done, you are to leave immediately and make your way to the pickup location, which will be outside the trailer park. They will drop you back at Blackbreak.” D explains as quickly as he can, “This job is riskier than the usual ones I send you on, but I needed someone that I could trust completely to carry it out. You need to use the confusion and activity of the raid to get the job done and then leave as quickly as you can, or you are going to get caught.”

“Understood,” I reply. My heart is pumping already, and I have a massive smile on my face. I love shit like this. I also feel incredibly privileged that he is trusting me with a job that is important to him.

“I’m sending an address to you, get Alaric to drop you off there and I will meet you and get you kitted up.” D says. “This job is sensitive, so the details need to stay between you and me.”

“Okay, I understand,” I reply.

“This is our only chance; we most likely won’t get another one,” D emphasizes the point again.

“I understand; I won’t let you down,” I say honestly, hoping that he can hear the sincerity in my voice.

He hangs up immediately like he always does. It is actually something that he has always done, and Alaric does it too. They both hang up without saying goodbye, and I have always thought that there is a reason behind why they do it, but I have never figured out what that reason is. Every time I think about asking either one of them, they have either already hung up, or it isn’t the right time.

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