Page 51 of Eyes in the Shadows

“So, enter the three Musketeers?”

He tilts his head back and laughs with his whole body. “Oh, I like that. New group chat name.” He pulls a phone out of his pocket and bends his head over it. “Though, unlike the Musketeers, we do have an employer—someone we answer to. A handler, they call it.”

“You’re assassins.” That feels weird to say out loud.

“Hitmen. Yes. Paid killers. Though, personally, I like to think of myself as more of a Batman figure—the genius, rich, dashing, heroic type with a preference for vigilante justice.”

I turn back around to ponder that under the guise of stirring the onions.

As tempting as it is to embrace the comic book mindset—if for no other reason than it’s so much easier—I know real people are more complex than that. No one is wholly good or bad. And while I understand Wesley’s point about the injustices and imperfections in our systems, vigilante justice has never quite sat right with me, not when normal people so often become collateral damage.

But at least they’re doing something about the corruption and injustices. Something most normal people would never be able to do. Am I just judging from the safety of the sidelines? The high and mighty convictions of someone who’ll never have to live with the guilt and psychological damage of taking another life?

Seems to me people don’t just do this kind of thing for no reason. Maybe I haven’t given Mac enough of a chance to explain himself. If the why is important, too, maybe I should ask for his.

“So, if you’re Batman, that makes Mac… like, Hawkeye, I guess?”

Wes tilts his head, thinking. “A dead shot from afar. Yes, I see where you’re going with that.”

“And Dimitri is… the Hulk? But, like, only the green version.”

Wes starts laughing again. “I’ll be quite generous and say part team leader, part green Hulk. He is organized and an ace in a jam.”

“So, like, Captain Hulk.”

“I like it.”

“Well, it does help to think of it that way, I guess. I just hope that doesn’t make me civilian casualty #4,” I mutter.

“I wouldn’t be too worried about that. That’s the thing about Mac—he’s always watching, always protecting. Once you’re in his inner circle, he’ll do everything he can to keep you safe. And from what I’ve seen, you, my dear,arethe inner circle.”

I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I get the gist.

I think I’m starting to understand their dynamic, so the superhero metaphor is good for one thing, at least. Dimitri is kind of like the leader, even with his anger problems, and would be fighting in the thick of it. Wes takes care of the complexities of the technological side of things, and likely packs his own punch if he needs to. Mac watches over them, covers their asses—he’s the backup plan, and the element of surprise.

No wonder he was so upset when I interrupted that night. Dimitri was probably the one who got shot.

When dinner is finished, Wes grabs a plate and squirrels it away to his office. I graze on it, kind of wanting to wait for Mac, but not knowing when he’ll be back. Dimitri comes into the kitchen, sniffs the air, glowers at the chicken in the pan and starts removing raw ingredients from the fridge. I take that as my cue to leave.

19

Mac

Yeah, darlin’. It’s dangerous. But so am I.

Wes

That’s it. I’m marrying her

He sends a text with a picture of his dinner. I know he’s just trying to goad me, but there’d better be some of that left for me when I get back. I swallow the knee-jerk possessive response.

What makes you think she’d marry you?

Wes

Blackmail. Obviously.

Dimitri has left the chat.

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