NAC & The Holly Group - Box set: Alpha Team

by Chelsea Handcock

  She enjoyed working with his team, but it also scared her. Getting the answers they needed involved a lot of risk on her part. She had helped them quite a few times over the years, dealing with some extremely sensitive information she had dug up on the dark web. She did so by hacking databases and alphabet agencies, but her contact with the team was limited, and she always thought it would remain that way. It was easier, it meant fewer possibilities of getting stabbed in the back. If they didn’t know her, they couldn’t turn on her. She was starting to think maybe that wasn’t the right way to look at things any longer.

  Peyton was torn. As much as she desired to be included in a larger part of Bastian's life and was elated he had finally asked her to, she couldn’t dismiss the odd tone she detected in his voice. He was asking, but was also holding back. It was hard to explain, but there was an edge to his voice she hadn’t heard often.

  Realizing she was nodding her head and Bastian was still waiting for a reply she stated, “I would like that to happened someday, but why are you acting so weird?”

  “I’m not acting weird.”

  Peyton could picture him raking his hands through is hair. It was a nervous habit he’d had for as long as she could remember. She didn’t know if she was going to like what he had to say next.

  “It’s just, remember me telling you about Ryleigh and all the data we need to get through? She asked if you would be willing to come here to help out. There’s too much for us to handle and continue with everything else that’s going on. And before you say you can’t because of the dogs, Jacks told me you could bring them.”

  Wow! Something terrible must be going on. Not only was he asking her to come, but it seemed like he had let his team know who she was and what she did for a living, most notably, what service she had provided to them. That wasn’t like him. It was agreed early on that because of the sensitive nature of the side work she did for him and his job at the NAC, it was best for her identity to remain anonymous. Remain a hacker with no name.

  Bastian worked for NAC, a security company which helped find women and children who had been taken, held for ransom, or worse, and recovered them. Peyton had done her research and knew the NAC was large with lots of connections, which meant lots of scrutiny. She wasn’t quite sure she was ready for that, given the nature of her past.

  “I don’t know, Bastian. You know I don’t like people to know about my computer skills. If I just keep to the dogs, no one asks any questions. Not to mention, not everything I do is exactly legal. NAC has government contracts which could be placed in jeopardy if any of that came to light. There would be some significant consequences. It’s one thing for you or your buddy to turn a blind eye when you’re not really sure where I get my information. If I’m there and doing the same, it will put not only you, but your company at risk as well. I won’t do that to you or NAC. You guys do good work. I refuse to taint it.”

  “Sis, give me some credit. I’m not stupid and neither is my team. We know exactly where you get the information we ask for,” Bas barked.

  Peyton had never heard that tone of voice when he talked to her. It was almost as if he was mad she didn’t immediately agree with what he was asking, and it put her off a bit. Lost in her own thoughts, Peyton was surprised to hear his tone change again. This time he was softer, calmer.

  “Please, just think about it. I would like to see you more than only twice a year.”

  Bastian was saying all the right things, but he was also leaving a lot out. The one thing she counted on from him was honesty. Even though she was pretty sure he wasn’t lying to her, he was omitting a hell of a lot. Something had happened or was going on. She knew he would never out her without a good reason. That same foreboding she had felt on the porch was back, only this time tenfold. All the tiny hairs on her body were standing on end. Deciding to evade so she could do some digging, Peyton answered by saying the only thing she could think of.

  “I’ll think about it, but, Bastian, I really don’t believe it’s a good idea. What we’ve been doing has worked out well for all of us. Plus, I don’t know how much time I could devote to helping Ryleigh out, right now. I just got done with the adoptions, so I need to concentrate on the next batch.”

  She hated lying to him, but what choice did she really have? She’d been training a local, Cathy, to help train the next batch. The woman was ex-military, and her skills and commitment to the dogs mirrored Peyton’s. Maybe she’d been, unknowingly, planning a move longer than she had thought.

  “Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated, Peyton. Please, think about it.” With a little sarcasm in his voice, he said, “What, don’t you miss me?”

  “Low blow, brother dear. You know I miss you, Bastian, and I’ll think about it.”

  Peyton heard the dogs in the background. Zeus had given her the signal—three short barks. Someone was on the property. He would only give Peyton so much time before he confronted the stranger. Then she heard the banging at her door.

  “Hey, I have to let you go. Someone’s at the door. How about we talk about this more next week?”

  “Sounds good,” Bastian sighed.

  He wasn’t happy with her response. Peyton was pretty sure he had expected her to jump on the bandwagon, but she was anything but impulsive. The fact she felt like he was only giving her half-truths left a pit in her stomach as they said their goodbyes.

  “Bye, Bastian,” Peyton said, adopting a cheery tone to mask her real feelings, “stay safe. I’ll talk to you next week. Let me know if you need me to look into anything else for you. I’ll think about all you’ve asked and let you know my answer then. If I do come, I have so much I would need to do first. I hope you understand.”

  “Yeah, I do. Love you, sis.”

  She knew he was lying again. Bastian was a man’s man, expecting people to fall in tow when he commanded it. She never had, but it didn’t change his demeanor.

  Chapter 3

  Peyton hung up the phone and ran to the door. She didn’t want her dogs to freak out the UPS guy or the postman. They had once before when she wasn’t fast enough getting out of the shower, and it took her months to get her mail on time. Absently answering the door, Peyton was startled when she finally looked up. She was instantly transported right back to her childhood horror story. It was definitely not a delivery person. No, what stood before her now was the cause of her nightmares. The person in front of her disgusted her to no end. Shit, she scolded herself, she should’ve looked to see who was at the door before opening it. When would she ever learn? She took a deep breath in an attempt to lessen the tightening in her chest.

  “Hello Mother, what are you doing here? Better yet, how did you know where to find me?”

  Peyton wanted to scream. She never wanted to see her mother again and had taken every precaution to ensure that. But there she was, standing before her in all her 1980s glory. The woman was the epitome of white trash—big hair, bigger boobs, and lots and lots of makeup. Judy had always been skinny, but the years were catching up with her. Now she looked gaunt, almost hollow. Peyton could see the wrinkles and sagging skin which were surely the bane of her mother’s existence. Didn’t she know the overly thick makeup she always wore only made her look older? She doubted it. The woman would always play at trying to be in her twenties, something she left behind a couple of decades ago.

  Her clothes, or lack thereof, were skin tight spandex, showing off every dip and dimple. Peyton wanted to laugh because her choice of loud colors only added to the freak show. The neon-yellow mini dress with her stripper platform heels looked so out of place on Peyton’s property. But the one thing which remained the same with her mother was the cold, dark hatred Peyton had always seen in her eyes. She often wondered if there was ever a time Judy Carlson was anything but evil.

  “Oh please, you never were very smart. I know where all my cash cows are. Didn’t you learn anything from our time together, Peyton?”

  Her mother’s grating voice sent bile up Peyto
n’s throat. She sounded like a ten pack a day smoker, and it was a voice Peyton often heard in her nightmares. Would she ever get away from this evil woman? She had a choice, she could let her mother see the fear she always created in her, or she could act strong. The second option would likely piss her off even more. She chose the latter.

  “I learned a lot from our time together, Mother. Mostly how to dodge a punch, but that doesn’t answer my question. What are you doing here? We have an agreement. I deposit money in your account every month, and you never come near me again.”

  “You always were such a brat, Peyton. Our agreement was you would pay me at least forty percent of your income from those mutts you play with. Imagine my surprise when I found out those mangy things can get you over twenty-five thousand dollars apiece, and here I am, your loving mother, suffering with only twenty-five hundred a month. I really don’t think that’s fair, so I decided to come and check things out for myself. You’ve been holding out on me, Peyton. Maybe I should give good old Butch a call to teach you a lesson in respecting your mother.”

  “I give you what I can and still be able to eat,” Peyton said defensively. “My dogs don’t get twenty-five thousand apiece after I pay for upkeep and housing. Not to mention, it takes years for a dog to be ready to go out for adoption. So, that figure is way off.”

  No way was she going to tell this horrid woman where she got the twenty-five hundred she sent her every month. If her mother knew she got paid for helping NAC, she would want a hell of a lot more. Peyton recognized the sneer on her mother’s face. She knew it all too well. She also knew the next words out of her mouth were going to cut, it was a matter of how deep.

  “I don’t know, Peyton, by the looks of it, you’re spending way too much money on feeding yourself. You’ve gained at least fifty pounds since the last time I saw you. It would be in your best interest if you cut back on your grocery bill and send that money my way. You need to drop a few pounds, anyway.” The bitch always went right for the jugular.

  “No, mother.” Peyton knew those were fighting words. No one said no to Judy Carlson. “That’s all I can afford. If you got the information on how much my dogs go for, then you also know who my dogs go to. I have built quite a nice little business here. You see, I work for the government, military, and various law enforcement agencies. Just think, it would only take one call from me to one of my very happy customers, advising them Judy Carlson is back in the open. What was the last scam you did before you went underground?” Peyton asked, putting her finger to her mouth like she was thinking. “Oh yeah, it was that Senator. And if I recall correctly, didn’t his wife get hurt in the process?”

  She expected the charge from her mother. What she didn’t expect was her mother stopping herself from actually making contact with Peyton. Peyton noticed her mother looked behind herself for a second before she spoke. Peyton didn’t know if it was because Zeus was sitting there or something else. Her boy had come to watch out for her, and it gave her a little more confidence. Still, she signaled him to stand down. She needed this to play out. Like the well-trained dog he was, he did just that. Peyton knew Hera and Brut were close as well, but staying out of sight and keeping quiet. That’s how she had trained them; Zeus took the lead and the others followed. If he attacked, so would they.

  “Why you little bitch, you wouldn’t dare,” Judy snapped, venomously. “Well, maybe you would. Did the little mouse grow a backbone since I’ve been gone? That would be surprising, but we both know I only have to make one phone call and all that sass you seem to have gotten will evaporate like the Twinkies I’m sure you are hiding. What do you say, how about a real family reunion? I’m sure Butch misses you!”

  Peyton hated this woman with every fiber of her being, but she hated Butch more. He was a filthy, disgusting human being who should be put down. The man preyed on people weaker than himself. He was also the first person Peyton had used her own unique form of justice on who wasn't job-related and had never regretted a minute of it.

  Looking beyond the situation at hand, she needed to keep her so-called mother’s taint from affecting her. In an attempt to calm down, she tried to focus on her surroundings—the forest, her home, this house—her sanctuary, her safe place. Peyton loved everything about it; the lush grass and abundance of trees, the cedar shake siding she had painstakingly hung piece by piece, even the porch she was currently standing on offered her a measure of peace. Weathered and worn, but it was hers. It was something she worked hard to get and even harder to keep. Thinking about her home gave her the boost of courage she needed. Judy needed to leave and soon.

  “Bring it on, Mommy Dearest. I’m not the same scared little girl I was back then. I’m sure good old Butch has a record a mile long by now.” He did because Peyton made sure of it. “Let him show his face here, I’d welcome the payback!”

  Peyton was trying to sound hardened and harsh, but the reality was the mere mention of the man’s name brought feelings of dread and fear. No way could she ever show that weakness to her mother because the woman would suck it up like the vampire she was. Peyton would never willingly give her any fuel. She had enough already.

  Whatever Peyton was expecting with her little revelation didn’t happen, and she knew her mother had another ace up her sleeve by the self-righteous little smirk she had on her overly painted lips.

  “Listen, you little bitch. I want more money and you’ll give it to me. If you don’t, I’ll have no choice, but to get it other ways. So, how is that stepbrother of yours, Sebastian, doing? He was always such a sweet and handsome boy. Even at thirteen-years-old, I could tell he was going to be quite the catch. Heard he went in the military and is working for some clandestine security agency now.”

  Yeah, that was a direct hit. In no way was Peyton letting Judy anywhere close to Bastian. She tainted everything and everyone around her, and Peyton was determined it would never touch her brother again.

  “You leave Sebastian alone. He got out. He doesn’t talk to his dad anymore, and he sure as hell wouldn’t want to speak to you. Your little Mrs. Robinson act made sure of that.”

  “Oh, you see, that’s where you’re wrong, but then again, you never were that bright,” the vile woman said, pulling out her trademark cigarettes from her bra.

  How she hid them there without crushing them Peyton would never know, but Judy was never without her smokes. Taking a long drag, her mother proceeded to blow it right into Peyton’s face. It took everything she had not to start coughing up a storm or worse, gag. Peyton hated the smell of cigarette smoke, it brought up too many memories. Peyton wouldn’t give the woman that much.

  “That boy wanted what I had to offer,” Judy said, rubbing her hands down her overly tight dress, making sure to stop and emphasize what she thought were her finer attributes. It only made Peyton’s stomach churn harder. After her little show, she waved her hand back like it was no big deal.

  “Harold was the jealous type,” Judy declared.

  Yeah, Peyton thought, trying to seduce a thirteen-year-old is no big deal. Nothing morally or ethically wrong with that, but then again, her mother was completely lacking in morals. Peyton was pretty sure the woman couldn’t spell, let alone think along an ethical line. God, how could she have come from this woman?

  This time when Judy charged, she didn’t stop. Thankfully she dropped her damn cigarette before the attack. Peyton knew personally how much those suckers burned. Her face came so close, Peyton could smell the nicotine on her breath. When her boney fingers came up and grabbed the side of Peyton’s shirt, pulling her closer to make sure that her talons scratched as deeply as possible, Peyton wanted to die a little. The abrasive physical contact with the person she hated most in the world had an instant effect on her.

  “Here’s the deal, you little beast. I want my allowance increased to ten thousand a month. If you don’t come up with it, then I might know some people who are willing to pay for Sebastian’s whereabouts.”

  The evil in this woman never e
nded. It was one of the reasons Peyton chose to live without ties to anyone. If Judy could find a weak spot, she would exploit it to her fullest advantage.

  “After all,” stepping back, Judy once again primping herself, “I do have a lifestyle I need to keep.”

  Again, Peyton was stuck with two choices; fold or fight. For Bastian, she would fight.

  “Okay mother,” Peyton laughed, “I’ll think about it, not! You don’t have any idea where Sebastian is so your threats won’t work with me. I believe it’s time to cut the cord. Since you decided to break our agreement and come to my home, consider yourself cut off, permanently. There isn’t anything you can do to me anymore, Mother, and you will never get close enough to Sebastian to cause him any harm.” Peyton turned to go back into the house and slam the door in her mother’s face, forever. It felt good, maybe she should have done it sooner. She couldn’t resist one more jab.

  “Goodbye Mother, I hope to never see you again.” Peyton went to close the door in her mother’s face, but Judy blocked it and held it with more strength than Peyton thought she was capable of.

  “Oh, stupid, naïve, little Peyton. You know full well I’m not your mother. You were baggage from a mark gone wrong. Don’t you think it’s about time you stopped using that term and drop the Judy shit while you’re at it? I’m Sara now. It means princess. I think that’s quite fitting, don’t you?” She had the nerve to push up her ginormous fake boobs and fluff her peroxide dye job, already teased to the hilt. God, the woman never stopped. Peyton shouldn’t have expected anything different, but damn.

  “Well,” Peyton couldn’t resist jabbing, “if you’re using the meaning of princess to show you feel you’re entitled to anything and everything, I guess that’s as good as any name. Personally, I would have gone with Haggatha, it's more fitting. I think it means crotchety old woman.” Score one for Peyton, Judy ruddy face was now almost purple with anger.