Page 21 of Bastard

For a minute I wasn’t sure what was about to happen. Spades and Rocket hadn’t stared me down in years. This was a full flex, but it ended when the rumble of approaching bikes filled the air.

“Just do your job,” Rocket sneered.

Riddick and I both checked our guns and retreated into the shadows. “Jesus Christ, Jace. That’s why you haven’t spoken in all these years? These assholes threatened Sam?”

Outside the bikes parked and went silent. We listened as everyone performed the song and dance of acting like they liked each other when we all know fucking well we all hate each other.

“All this time I just thought you didn’t want her near the Chubbies because they’re disgusting assholes.”

“Yeah well.” I counted four. Two came on Harleys, two came in a van that backed up to the warehouse with its backdoors open so we could see it was empty.

“When you said we need contingencies…you mean this too. If the Chubbies get a full hard-on and do something stupid.”

“Danger is everywhere,” I muttered because this wasn’t a safe space to talk specifics.

After the Chubbies deal was done and we parted ways, Riddick and I took a ride through the state park and found a nice quiet place to talk. It was swampy and hot, but we were alone, pulled off in a picnic area near a pond and a ditch.

Riddick was wound up so I let him start the talking. “What more do they want? They control everything on this coast. The drugs, the guns, fuck, half the bars. They’re rich and have even more money coming in.”

I didn’t bring up Todd’s request to get into bed with the Feyereisens. “Oh, they’ll always want more money. There will never be enough of that.” I used to think there was a number that would be the golden number. I realized now how naive that was. “It’s control and power. It will always be about control and power for them. Todd gets hard from twisting me up. You saw what just happened. They did that because they could.”

Riddick kicked a rock into the ditch. A gator slithered into the water after it. Probably thought it was a turtle or something. Beyond him a great blue heron stared at us. “I hope your great plan comes together sooner than later. If it takes much longer I may just murder all the mother fuckers and end our misery once and for all.”

“If they could get near her, they’d do something to Sam.” I very rarely let myself think about this, so I had to numb my senses a little. “Extort her for money, hide her for a while just so they could watch me panic, shit like that.”

“Why does he hate you so much?”

“Todd?” I shrugged, suddenly fascinated by the patience of the heron. “It’s probably something symbolic. Like he hates himself so he takes it out on me. Who the fuck knows. It’s been this way for as long as I can remember. Pretty sure I didn’t do anything as a baby worth this kind of hate.”

Riddick kicked another rock. This time the bird decided to get out of Dodge. “Why do men like this always get powerful positions?”

This was an answer I knew. “Because they take it and then bet that no one is ruthless enough to push them out.” That was the bet I’d been working all this time. Todd wouldn’t see me coming until I had him off his throne and behind bars.

I ditched my Harley outside one of our many bars and took a stroll down the sidewalk. It was the lunch rush so there were lots of people on the sidewalks, diving in and out of shops and restaurants, and driving down the streets. I stopped at my favorite sandwich shop and got a Cuban sandwich to go. After that I browsed a men’s suit shop where I got stared at pretty hard since I actually looked like a member of Devil’s Wrath in my cut and boots. Then I finally ducked into a side door to the movie theater. At least that’s what it’s supposed to look like. In reality it was another of Agent Steel’s secret rooms.

“You bring me lunch?” He sat in the corner wearing a suit for no real reason. He was here alone. Who cared what he wore.

“Fuck no.” I threw myself into the open chair and pulled out my sandwich. “What do you want?”

“An update would be nice.” Steel was the perfect name for him. He had steely eyes and no personality at all. My mentor was a colossal prick, but what was new? I worked with him because he was my superior and because without him I wouldn’t have finished college or the Academy. I wouldn’t be an undercover agent in the position to destroy my enemies.

“Why can’t you just let me work?”

“Why can’t you send in regular updates?”

I stopped before I took another bite. “Do you know what undercover even means? I’m not some fucking regular agent tracking down information. I’m living my job and every fucking time you message me or pull me in for a ‘chat’ you risk this whole thing falling apart and getting me killed.”

“I’m the one who led your training. I’m the one who mentored you. Everything you know is because of me,” Steel sneered.

Great. Another ego to sooth. Fuck this shit. “Funny. I could have sworn I learned quite a few things from agents not named Steel.”

He stared me down. Apparently it was the day of staring. First the Chubbies now Steel. I sure hope Sam was in a good mood when I got home.

“Your update?” he finally said.

“The same as before? You’ve got everything you could possibly need to take down Todd. What new evidence can I bring you on that front? Nothing. Sam’s not deep enough into the Roark side of the business for me to have anything useful for you yet.”

“Did you hack her computer?”

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