Page 46 of Unmade

I wasn’t gonna need any outings. During lunch, I sat on my own—because Beckett seemed busy eating with two other recruits—and I did some online shopping. I ordered a new watch, a few books, better headphones, and more underwear. I just knew I wasn’t gonna do laundry once a week, so I wanted to stock up on the essentials. Oh, and I did a grocery order for my little fridge. I was all fucking set for weeks of staying on the premises.

I left the cafeteria after devouring a bowl of beef stew that got a solid three stars in my book, and I made my way back to the stairs. I was done waiting for the elevators to go up or down a single floor, especially this time of day when everybody was at work.

“Leighton!”

I looked back just as I tapped my ID card, and I saw Beckett right outside the cafeteria.

“Are you busy now?” he asked.

I shrugged. “I thought I’d get a head start on tomorrow’s task.”

The first one had been easy, and not in a good way. We were supposed to list everything we knew about South American wildlife—obviously without books and the internet to make us look good.

“Follow me instead,” he said. “Operator Payne just got here with Alex.”

Oh. Okay, cool. Time to meet the niece.

“Doc wants to reschedule your session too,” he added. “He’s busy with our German friend.”

Why would that fucker need a psychiatrist?

Screw it, I wasn’t gonna question Doc’s strategies. My session was postponed, and that was all that mattered.

He observed me like he always did. “I can get you someone else if you need to talk, though.”

“Hell no.” I pocketed my card again and walked toward him. “I’d rather you give me a crash course in how to keep your niece from crying. I have zero experience with kids.”

“Then you’re all set, because I could say the same, and she loves me for some unknown reason.”

I could think of a few reasons. He was dangerously easy to talk to, and I was sure an eight-year-old girl loved that. To me, it was a downside. He also exuded stability and strength.

“By the way, you should make an effort to befriend some of the other recruits,” he told me. “You could’ve had lunch with any of the others just now, but you opted to sit by yourself.”

I scrunched my nose. I’d wanted to sit with Beckett…

I couldn’t fucking say that, and I knew he had a point. Furthermore, I was developing an attachment of some sort to him, but he was my mentor, instructor, and superior. The fact that he’d had lunch—and breakfast—with me before didn’t mean anything. Both he and Coach found ways to have one-on-ones with everybody.

“I’ll tell you what I told Miguel—it’s important to build a team,” he said. “Despite that our work tends to be lonely, it’s crucial that you can function well in a team when the situation calls for it, especially in the field. Because chances are you won’t get much practice before it happens.”

Ugh. Fine.

“I guess I can talk more with Tanner,” I muttered. “Oliver’s all right too.”

“Oliver dropped out.”

Whoa, what the fuck? I peered up at him, surprised.

He inclined his head and gestured for the elevators. “Both he and Monica talked to Coach after breakfast. They’re done.”

“Christ,” I mumbled. “I thought it’d be months before we saw the first one.”

“There’s always someone who drops in the beginning,” he answered. “But in the end, it doesn’t matter. They would’ve dropped for one reason or another later on.”

Fair.

I stood in front of the elevators and watched the numbers go higher and higher, and I had a feeling we’d be here a minute or two. “Why don’t we take the stairs?”

“Because you’re at the right age to start giving a fuck about your knees.” He didn’t miss a beat. “Going up is fine, but down is reserved for emergencies.”

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