Page 328 of Lodestar

“Seriously. She’s always been shit at sharing jobs. I used to think it was that ego of hers, but it’s more that she’s a control freak.”

“I have high standards,” I said with a sniff.

“The highest,” Troy agreed. “Even if it fucks you over.”

Ugh.“True.”

“Remember that job in Bangladesh?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled.

“Which job?” Conor inquired. And I just knew he was regretting starting our journey at the prospect of story time.

“Lodestar had to get in and out of a privatized hospital that was specifically for high-ranking officials of the government. She needed to move fast. Snag this computer and pass it onto?—”

When she faltered, I mumbled, “Grail.”

She clicked her fingers. “That’s it. Grail.”

“Like the Holy Grail?”

“Yup,” I said with a sigh. “She’d watched the thirdIndiana Jonesmovie so many times, she knew the script front to back. She got obsessed with Grail lore, had her own freakin’ diary like Sean Connery did in the movie as well.”

“Past tense?” Conor asked quietly.

“She’s not dead,” Troy answered. “Just crazy, changed her surname to Jones. Officially. Crazy. So PeytonJonesis an archaeologist now. Private.”

“She became a merc after she left the army, didn’t she?” I asked Troy.

“Yeah. She funds her own digs. Anyway, Star, here, was supposed to hand off this computer to Grail. Instead, she decides Grail’s no good?—”

“That’s not fair. She’d just lost her fucking dog and was crying all the time!”

“Yeah, but she was fit for work,” Troy argued. “Stop interrupting. I’m getting to the good shit. So, because Star thinks she’s an all-knowing, all-seeing benevolent being, she doesn’t hand it off and as she leaves, she gets caught with the computer on her person.

“Triggered a diplomatic incident until Dead To Me managed to put two bullets in the guards holding her.”

“Wow,” Conor breathed. “You do have control issues.”

My nose crinkled. “You knew that already.”

“Maybe. But not to that extent. I mean, I figured it was thanks to everything that happened with the Sparrows. But it’s not. It wasbeforethem. At work.”

“That’s justonejob, Conor. If she weren't so fucking good, they’d have fired her ass. Plus, our team was one of the best.”

“Your team was all women?”

She chuckled. “We had a few guys along for the ride from time to time.”

“Remember Chad?” I asked with a smile.

“Yeah. He had it hard for Dead To Me.”

“She had it harder,” I retorted. “I know she has feelers out on him.”

“Why?”

“He went missing after he came back Stateside. You know how the sandbox fucks with people’s heads.”

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