Slaughter (The Agency: Young Guns Book 5), page 13
“What are the other things you do, ma’am?”
Annie shoved a non-disclosure form towards Lenny.
“I’m an operative, Lenny. I report to D.C. I have my own team but what I don’t have at the moment is personal protection and a personal assistant. I need a guy with me all the time. I have a lot of enemies from jobs I’ve done in the past and every time I leave the ranch, it’s iffy.”
“Can I ask what kind of ops?”
“The removal of certain gang leaders, heads of cartels, bad people that threaten the security of our country, a mixed bag.”
Lenny smiled. “Wet work, ma’am?”
“How’s your spotting, Lenny?”
“Pretty good, ma’am. Done quite a bit of it over in the sandbox.”
“Are you interested in being my right hand, Lenny?”
“I am.”
“Personal bodyguard position pays five K per month plus room and board, medical, and all expenses covered. The five K is yours to bank. You’ll get a raise to six K in three months.”
“Jesus, will I need a raise if I’m not spending a nickel?”
“This is not a risk-free job, Lenny. Some days are quiet here on the ranch, and when I’m secure in the compound, not scheduled to go out, those will be your days off. Other times we’ll be elsewhere—where we’re needed.”
“Yep.”
“You can think it over, Lenny. If you choose not to take my offer, I’ll squeeze you in on the squad. But you are high quality and I’m hoping you’ll move here to the ranch.”
“I believe the position would suit me perfectly, ma’am. I’ve always enjoyed black ops.”
Annie smiled. “Fantastic. Scribble a signature on the paper in front of you and after you do that, anything you and I discuss or talk about privately is just that. Private.”
“Understood. What alphabet are we attached to?”
“Attached to none. I’ve worked for most of them. Homeland, National Security Agency, DOJ. DEA. ATF. They have my number and they call when they need me. Or I’ll get a call from the oval office and the man will tell me who is currently up his ass.”
Lenny’s eyes widened. “The president has you on speed-dial?”
Annie laughed.
“How many on our backup team?”
“Currently six, can be up to eight.”
“Uh huh.”
“All highly skilled vets. Explosives, recon, heavy artillery, chopper pilot. They’ve got the goods. I call my team the Creed. You’ll meet them when it’s time.”
“I’m hyped for this, ma’am. I had no idea this was a possibility when I applied. This job is so much more than I’d anticipated.”
“You can call me Annie. We’re going to be living together.” She laughed. “In a way.”
“I’ll have to make a trip to San Antone to get my stuff.”
“Sure. Let me show you your room and when you get back tomorrow, we’ll get you settled in.”
Lenny was grinning as they walked down the hall and Annie showed him his room.
“The room is pretty fancy.”
“I’m across the hall but if something is cooking, you might have to sleep on the pullout in my suite. It happens sometimes although the compound is pretty secure.”
“Got it.”
Annie walked him out to his truck. “If you need more time to give notice to your employers, let me know. I can wait, although now that I’ve met you, it will be hard.”
He laughed. “No one has ever wanted me this bad before. I might get a big head.”
Chapter Twelve
Tuesday, June 6th.
Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange.
“I got us a new bodyguard, Dec.” Annie plunked down on the stool beside him.
“Wonderful. When is he starting?”
“Today. He had to go to San Antonio to get his gear. He also works two jobs currently and he has to terminate them and wind things up.”
“I’m pleased, darlin. I’ve been worried every time you leave the ranch.”
“I’m fortunate nothing happened. The danger is always on my mind. Have you checked on Tyler this morning?”
“I have and he’s not improving. There has been no change in his condition.”
“Jesse mentioned calling Scarlett to see if she would come to the hospital.”
“That might be helpful,” said Declan.
“I’ll call Jesse later and see if she’s coming. It’s worth a try.”
“Definitely,” said Declan.
The Blackmore Agency. Austin.
“Guess what, Daddy?” Forest ran into Blaine’s office in his pajamas and closed the door behind him. His new habit when he had something to tell his father in secret. Something he didn’t want his mother to hear.
He ran over to Blaine’s desk and Blaine pulled the little guy onto his knee. “What Forest? Did you see something you want to tell Daddy about?”
Forest whispered and Blaine could barely hear him. “I heard Mommy say she was looking for the police car.”
“Uh huh. She said it was in a dark place but she didn’t know where it was.”
The door opened and Misty walked in. Forest jumped off Blaine’s knee and ran. He zoomed past his mother and was gone.
“What did Forest say, Beb?” Misty’s green eyes flashed.
“Nothing, sweetheart. He started to tell me something about the police car but he didn’t finish telling me.”
“Were you encouraging him?”
“I wasn’t. I was working when he came in and you came in one minute later.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
Misty left and Blaine was annoyed. “Damn it. If Forest knows where that fucking squad is, I want to know.” Before Blaine had a chance to find out, Calhoun called him in for a meeting with the feds.
“Meeting this morning, son. The profiler is ready to present her profile on Malcolm Lewis and she’s going to tell you how to catch him.”
“Right,” said Blaine. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”
Ross Harley-Davidson. East Austin.
“Tell me about the interviews,” said Adam.
“Sure,” said Laine. “Want our impressions?”
“Uh huh,” said Adam. “What are the new guys like?”
“All of them were good. Solid military training like Annie wanted. One of them—a guy named Lenny was head and shoulders over the other two—and Annie took him.”
“She needs him,” said Farrell. “The two guys the squad got are great too. Not a damned thing wrong with them. Danny and Robbie. You’ll like them, Adam.”
“Out of the four, was there one guy who didn’t get hired?”
“Nope. Turned out Georgie was a rider and he’s been trying to get on the Night Vipers. We can use him because of Sandos and his knee operation.”
Adam smiled. “That worked out well.”
“I’m more worried about my wedding dress,” said Laine, “than the new guys on the squad.”
“Go buy it today,” said Farrell. “Take Adam with you. We’re flying to Vegas on Friday night and Adam needs to be more mobile. I want him having fun in Sin City. Hustling babes and going wild.”
“I don’t know anything about wedding dresses,” said Adam.
“Think I do?” snapped Laine. “I just got out of the fuckin army and we didn’t wear dresses there.”
Adam was laughing and making Laine laugh when her cell rang. She had to suck in a breath and calm down to talk to her father. “Tell me the good news, Dad.”
Laine flipped her cell onto speaker so Farrell and Adam could hear.
“I’m flying to Vegas on Saturday. Best I can do, Lainey. I’ll grab a cab and meet you at the Mirage.”
“Fantastic. Don’t worry about a room, Dad. Farrell’s mother has rooms already booked for all of us on one floor.”
“Great. I’ll be in touch.”
“I’m so happy you’re coming, Dad. I miss you.”
“Same, Lainey. We’ll have a great weekend together.”
“Fantastic,” said Farrell. “Your father is coming to walk you down the aisle. We’re going to have a perfect wedding.”
Laine smiled. “I am kind of excited that he can come. I haven’t seen him for a while.”
Ranger Headquarters. Austin.
Blaine joined the meeting in the boardroom and sat down at the table. The feds were stone-faced staring at their computer screens. As far as Blaine could tell they hadn’t accomplished a damned thing since they’d arrived.
There was large coffee pot and a tray of pastries on the sideboard and since no one was talking to him, Blaine strolled over and helped himself.
He had just got back to the table when Labanovich started talking.
“Malcolm Lewis is a disturbed young man and he’s acting out. He was no doubt abused by a parent when he was a child and that’s why his victims are mature men. He hates his father and he’s trying to get even for the suffering inflicted on him.”
“I knew that already,” said Blaine. “Where is he?”
“I haven’t worked that out yet.”
“Is that it?” asked Blaine.
The Chief rolled his eyes.
Blaine picked up his pastry and left the coffee on the table.
East Arlington.
“I have to go to practice this morning but you should start getting ready for the weekend in Vegas,” said Neil. “Go shopping and buy a dress for Farrell’s wedding, and also pick up a couple of new outfits you want to wear while we’re in Sin City.” Neil laughed.
“Don’t you like my clothes?”
“Sure, but we’re going to Vegas for the weekend and we might be going out for dinner a lot and to the casinos. You might want to be more dressed up. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I definitely need a dress for the wedding. You’re the best man and I want to look good standing beside you for the pictures. Will there be a photographer?”
“I’m sure there will be. You always look good to me, sweetheart. Take my credit card and buy whatever you want. Go nuts. I don’t care.”
Montana smiled. “I don’t deserve you, Neil.”
“Sure you do. I love you, babe.”
Fisher Lake Trailer Park.
Travis drove to the trailer park with his newly painted bike in the back of his pickup. He needed both vehicles with him, so Lukas drove Tommy’s truck with Tommy in the shotgun seat resting his leg.
Lukas and Travis unloaded the bike from the back of Travis’s truck and Lukas checked the new paint.
“Jeeze, I wouldn’t want to see any scratches on the new paint job. This is a goddamned masterpiece.”
Tommy nodded his head. “Fuckin nice paint, Travis.”
Travis grinned. “I’ll throw my duffel inside and we’ll have a couple of beers, then you guys better shove off.”
“What’s your new name again?” asked Tommy.
“Spyder Stone.”
Tommy laughed. “Don’t fit you, but neither does your black hair.”
The boys went inside for a beer and looked around.
“This place is a shit hole,” said Tommy. “It’s worse than our trailer in Pecan Creek Park.”
“No, it’s not,” said Travis. “That was a crap can compared to this.”
“Not.” Tommy tipped his beer up and chugged it.
“Hey,” said Lukas. “Ain’t you taking pills?”
“Yeah. I’m careful.”
“Don’t look like careful,” said Lukas.
Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange.
It was almost dinner time when Lenny got back to the ranch from San Antonio. He had several bags of stuff to bring in and Annie helped him unload his truck.
“You don’t have to help me, ma’am. I can get it.”
“I don’t mind. We’ll get your gear inside and then we’ll have a beer before dinner.”
Lenny glanced around. “Your ranch is beautiful. Nice place to live.”
“Nicer down the back lane where the Colorado runs through.”
“I’d like to see that.”
“We’ll take a ride tomorrow.”
“I haven’t ridden a horse in a while.”
“I raise Appaloosas. You’ll get to know the ranch and the kids and the cowboys who work here.”
“You have children?”
Annie giggled. “One boy, Jackson. All the rest are adopted or just live here. A huge family.”
Lenny grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
After dinner they went in to the office for a talk.
“Several things we haven’t discussed. Actually dozens of things, but we can’t deal with them all at once. Let’s deal with tonight first.”
“Okay, what’s tonight?”
“Boots. I own a roadhouse and I work the bar there several nights a week. Right now my partner is in the hospital and I’m working more than I want to.”
“So we’re tending bar tonight?”
“That’s it.”
“I’m good behind a bar. Lots of experience helping out at Cowboys.”
“While we’re there, I have to jockey the schedule around for the weekend because you and I will be in Vegas from Friday to Sunday for Farrell and Laine’s wedding.”
“Vegas? Never been to Vegas.”
“You’ll be there on Friday.”
“Any problems I should know about in Vegas?”
“Some. Two clubs there that hold me in contempt. The B-team and the Black Breed. We have to watch for them.”
“Okay.”
“If nothing happens, we’re just there to have a fun wedding weekend. Farrell and Laine will be staying for a week in my Vegas house for their honeymoon and I want it swept. Farrell will probably do it himself but you can make sure.”
“Yep. I can do a sweep. Do I need wedding clothes? I don’t have anything like that with me.”
“I’ll get you something to wear. I love to shop in Vegas.”
“I can buy my own clothes.”
“I love a man who can shop.”
Lenny laughed.
Sidewinders. San Angelo.
Travis felt good riding his bike with the fantastic new paint job. He’d easily slipped into his role as Dale Burden when he infiltrated the Houston chapter of the Black Breed and he figured it would be just as easy on the second time around to be Spyder Stone.
He parked next to a couple of guys wearing Devils’ cuts and they all walked in the back door of the bar together.
This time he hung out at a table much closer to the long table at the side of the barroom where the Devils sat.
Sawyer Kidd spotted him sitting alone, sauntered over and Travis bought him a pitcher.
“You up for sponsoring me into the club?”
“Why do you want to join?”
Travis shrugged. “Nothing else to do.”
“Move over to our table and you can talk to Santana. He has the say—who joins and who don’t.”
“Thanks,” said Travis.
Boots and Saddles Roadhouse. Giddings.
Annie started her shift at eight and before going behind the bar, she showed Lenny around the roadhouse and the pool hall.
“We have a live band Thursday to Saturday. Draws a big crowd. I sometimes sing a couple with the band.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Nice set up,” said Lenny. “The pool hall is the best one I’ve ever seen.”
“When I was doing the reno,” said Annie, “I made the rounds and looked at a lot of pool halls and decided to make mine better than the rest. Cost more, but I get the players.”
“Yeah, your tables are beautiful.”
“My dancehall is nothing like Cowboys. I’ve been there a few times and that’s a fun place.”
Lenny smiled. Cute guy with a nice smile. “Yeah, I liked working there.”
“You’d have your choice of a lot of pretty girls, Lenny. They hang out there in droves.”
“I dated a few of the regulars.”
“They’ll be missing you tonight.”
He laughed. “I doubt it.”
Annie worked the bar for a couple of hours and when her break came, she walked towards her office with Lenny beside her. As they passed through the pool hall there were raised voices and the argument turned physical. A fight broke out.
Mick was on the job and he seemed to be holding his own. He was between the two pool players and was breaking it up until two more guys jumped in.
“You’d better help Mick,” said Annie.
Lenny grabbed the shirts of the two guys butting in and knocked their heads together while Mick broke the original two apart.
After the four fighters cooled out, they were ejected.
“Thanks for helping Mick.”
“Hey, I have to earn my keep.”
“You will.”
Annie and Lenny sat in her office and had a coffee and a sandwich.
Pecan Creek.
“I don’t fuckin like Travis alone at Sidewinders,” said Lukas. “What if he gets into it and there’s nobody to fuckin help him?”
“Travis can hold his own,” said Tommy.
“Yeah, I guess,” said Lukas. “He doesn’t seem too worried.”
“Ever seen him fight?” Tommy tipped his beer up and finished it.
“Kind of. We were in a fight together helping Kidd, but I was busy not getting dead and I didn’t get to watch him.”
“He can handle himself,” said Tommy. “Good up to three or four on one.”
“Wish I was that good,” said Lukas. “One on one, I hardly ever lose.”
“I can help you get better,” said Tommy.
“You can show me some cop moves?” Lukas laughed.
“Not cop moves. Farrell taught me and Linc a lot of street fighting moves. Made us hard to beat.”
“I’m not sure about Farrell. He’s… I don’t know.”
“He’s your cousin and our kin. Best guy in your corner. I told you that once before. Nobody better.”
“Yeah, you said that.”
