Page 45 of Silent Comrade
“Besides make him impervious to Gonzo’sbeatdown?”
“Impressive, yes. But what about other newand interesting skills?”
“Hard to say. It was early in thetransformation.” The extra little … quirks … that sometimes camealong with the virus didn’t always appear right away.
“Does he have any antidote?”
A car door opened and closed. Ambientoutdoor noise ceased. “Didn’t stick around to make small talk andask.”
“The whole situation sucks.”
“Got that right. No idea what extra fixinshe’ll get with his dose.”
“We have to stop him.”
“That’s Hunt’s mission. It’s the team’smission. But at this time, it’s not your mission.”
“Good point.” Red glanced toward thebathroom door. “So. You’re my backup?”
“For as long as our lovely CO can spare me.Your wish is my command.”
He grinned at the bizarre image of Rodeo asa large, Black genie but with his signature cowboy hat. “Good. Ineed mandatory rest, but I can’t take a break if I’m on my own.There aren’t enough clones of me to stay one step ahead ofBritt.”
“That little gal too much for you?”
“Freakin’ never stops moving.”
“Could be fun, under the rightcircumstances.” Rodeo chuckled.
“It’s not like that.”
“Isn’t it?”Poke, poke. Rodeo’s mainpurpose on the team appeared to be the role of the irritatingyounger brother figure. The thing that made the guy happiest?Getting under the skin of his teammates until someone flipped out.If Rodeo didn’t have virally enhanced strength and reflexes, one ofthe Morpheus Squad guys would have flattened him and his big mouth.But Rodeo always pulled a “who me” and skipped away from conflicthe created.
“I need you to take over untilmidafternoon.”
“Roger. Can you transmit the camera accesscodes?”
He hesitated. “Yes. But keep itprofessional. No peep shows.”
“My, my.” He made a clicking noise with hismouth. “Want me to meet her? Show her my fashion sense? Maybe sheneeds a perfect model to dress and undress. A life-sized Kendoll!”
“Shit, Rodeo. Be a good covert operator andstay hidden.” A metal-tasting squeak of the faucet being shut offin the bathroom, the rough and soft swipes of towel over soft skin,combined with Rodeo’s charismatic drawl, triggered something primaland possessive in Red. He clenched his empty fist and swallowedhard. No, he sure as hell did not want Britt to meet Rodeo, thesuave and outgoing teammate that all the women fell for. By somemiracle, Red remained calm. “Can you tail her from the apartment ina half hour or so?”
“You know I love tail, bro.”
Red ground the heel of his hand into hisright eye until he saw stars. “Stay professional, man.”
“Always. I’m professional at everything Ido, especially when it comes to the ladies. Yelp reviews five outof five, all around.”
“Seriously.”
“We’re good. Don’t worry. Where’s my firstlocation?”
“Start at her apartment here, then coffeeshop for work. I’ll text you the addresses. Then whatever errandsshe runs. There’s no pattern to her never-ending activity. Goodluck. I’ll pick up after lunchtime at our class together. I’m stilla student here.”
“How’s Fashion 101 going?”
“About as well as can be expected.”
