The young men with perfectly arranged uniforms were already waiting for her and looked a little apologetic about the process. There were reasons for all the security protocols, but even they knew it was a pain to enforce for everyone who came in.
"Hold that thought, soldier," said a voice from behind her. Niki turned quickly to where Speare, looking a little red in the face, jogged to where she was about to start her security clearance process.
"Mr. Speare," she said and stepped away from the metal detector. "I thought we were meeting at your office."
"Well, my wife has been getting on my case about spending less time on my keister. Something about wanting me around for the long haul and not dying of a heart attack or something. Anyway, I thought it might be a good idea for us to have our meeting while taking a walk. What do you say?"
Niki looked at the soldiers who were unsure of what to do and shrugged. "I…sure. I don't see why not."
"Don't worry. There will be security personnel following us to make sure no one tries to listen in on what we're saying. Shall we?"
She inclined her head and fell into step beside the man as they headed away from the massive building and out onto the streets beyond to one of the nearby parks.
"Was there anything in particular you wanted to talk to me about, Mr. Spear?"
He shrugged, still a little out of breath. "Not really. Your results have been fun to watch. You already know your success rate and your ability to work with others is more than enough to make us want to have you around for the long haul. Even Reardon had nothing but glowing words to say about you."
"Really? I was under the impression he didn't like me."
"I have no idea how he feels about you personally but professionally, his recommendation brought a smile to my face. I believe his exact words were 'the first time I'd seen a paper-pusher light a stick of dynamite, stick it in a monster's ass, and flip it off while it blew.' He also said that if any member of the team wanted to jump on board with his team to let him know."
"Wow. Well, I guess I will pass the word along. And I certainly appreciate the sentiment and the terminology."
Speare smirked. "I thought you might. Of course, I have a feeling you didn't ask for this meeting because you were interested in hearing what everyone around me has to say about you, Agent Banks. Feel free to see this as an invitation to speak your mind without any of the customary cameras and microphones around us."
"Are you saying there aren't any microphones or cameras on us?"
"No, merely not the usual ones."
That drew a smirk from her, but she refused to let it distract her. "The reason I wanted to talk to you is kind of personal and something that's weighed on my mind lately more than before. I appreciate the fact that working for the DOD gives me far more leeway than my work for the FBI, but even so, it's… The politics has begun to bother me—the red tape and the knowledge that anything I do at any point in time could possibly cause an international incident. That type of thing."
He nodded. "Believe me, nothing pisses me off more than the daily dick-measuring contests people call politics around here, and I'm sure you're aware that it’s changing for the worse. Election year means more keen eyes looking into everything we do, and that means more dick-measuring and more people involved, which always means more red tape."
"Well, I have to say that if anyone ever feels the need to start one of those contests with me, I'll point out that they probably started with the world's cruelest handicap." Niki slowed to let the man catch up with her. "But that's neither here nor there."
"Nor, indeed, is the fact that you started many of those competitions yourself—not that I give a shit one way or the other."
"Right."
Speare motioned for them to take a seat on a park bench.
"I thought you said your wife wanted you to have a more active lifestyle."
"Well, she'll have to settle for me getting more fresh air. Anyway, I have the distinct feeling that this conversation is leading up to a letter of resignation." He sat and looked at her through his glasses. "I'd hate to see you go, Banks."
Niki sat beside him. "And I'd hate to leave. My first thought about the process was how the teams would be able to handle the situation in my absence. I'm not saying they can't do it without me. Or…no…. I guess my question is whether you think my dropping out of the program would have any negative effects on the operation we're running here."
"Negative? Sure. We put considerable work into finding someone like you for the job, and it took even more work to get you on board as I'm sure you remember."
"You sold my little trip to Italy out to the FBI to get me fired, as I recall."
"Yes, well, I assumed you wouldn't mind that."
"It was a shitty move to make, Speare. You could have simply sent me a job offer."
He shrugged. "I needed it to be the proverbial offer you couldn't refuse."
"Fair enough."
"Back to your question, though. Yes, I think the people I already have would be able to step into your shoes. Maybe not as effectively, but they'd get the job done until we find someone with talents similar to yours."
She nodded. "That's good. I feel like the work we're doing here is important so I wouldn't leave if it meant that would be severely compromised."
"With that in mind, we will need someone to take your position over immediately to keep the operation running until we find the perfect fit—or as close to perfect as possible. My immediate thought would be Mr. or Mrs. Outside Hire, but if you have any recommendations, I'll take them into consideration."
Niki had expected the question and already had her response ready. "I think Jansen should take over. I've relied on him fairly heavily to gather intelligence and he has the right skills, fortitude, and tenacity for the job. On top of that, I've made sure he and Maxwell both have training and experience with the combat suits should he ever be in a position where a quick response time would be the difference between life and death. It was a real pleasure working with them."
Speare looked directly ahead for a few long seconds. "So, is this your final decision? You of all people should know there's no coming back from something like this. There’s no second-guessing this kind of decision."
"I've put considerable thought into it, sir. I need to go into something I'm a little better suited for—something that would make me happy if that doesn't sound too cliché." She stared into the distance as well. "Maybe something like consulting."
He smirked and turned to look at her. "Maybe?"
"I won’t lie, I have my eye on a job at one company in particular, but I need to see if they're interested in hiring someone like me." She looked the man next to her dead in the eye. "I haven't talked to the owner about it yet."
"So you're making this decision without knowing whether or not something is waiting for you beyond your work with the DOD?"
"I believe the term for something like that is a leap of faith, sir. And at least this time, I'm not being blindsided by getting fired so someone else can hire me without the option of my being able to say no."
Her boss nodded. "I deserved that, I guess. Not to be pedantic or anything but this time, you're quitting to give a certain company owner no choice but to bring you on board with his little band of misfits."
"I'll be all right," Niki assured him. "If worse comes to worst, I already have the skills to head into the actual Zoo and make money that way."
Speare stared at her for a moment before he smirked. "I know you're joking but a small part of me would pay to see that. Even so, I'd appreciate it if you came to me before you decided to quite literally throw your life away like that."
"I'll do that," she answered, unable to contain a soft laugh. "I do appreciate that, through all this, you have kept your end of the bargain. And I honestly do think Jansen is a fantastic guy and a great fit for a leadership role."
"Don't say that like it's some kind of goodbye, Banks." He had an odd twinkle in his eye as he turn
ed his attention to the park in front of him. "I have a distinct feeling that you and I will work together again sometime in the future. And I'm paid a literal shit-ton of money because of how accurate those feelings are. You never know when I might need someone to shove a .45 up some well-connected asshole and not be afraid to pull the trigger."
"Hell, for that kind of work, I might consider doing it for free. I wouldn't consider it for long, mind you, but I'd have to pause and think about it."
He laughed and pushed from his seat. "I look forward to working with you again in the future, Banks. For now, though, I'm afraid I have a whole pile of paperwork I need to find someone else to do. I have a feeling we'll see each other again soon. Take care, Banks."
Niki smirked and waved carelessly. "You keep hoping and dreaming and we'll see if it comes true."
Speare tapped his nose before he walked in the direction they'd come and for a moment, she couldn't help the feeling that she needed to be somewhere, go someplace, or do something.
In that moment, she realized she didn't have anywhere to go and nothing that needed her immediate attention. She was, for all intents and purposes, a free woman.
"How fucking weird is that?" she muttered under her breath and finally stood. "I wonder if this is how Jennie felt. Or still feels."
It wasn't a long walk to where the SUV had been parked. Speare had made it clear that the meeting didn't require either of her bodyguards and essentially gave the two men the rest of the day off. They had taken advantage of the opportunity.
She wondered if she should have thanked them for at least leaving her a means of transport so she didn’t have to resort to a taxi.
As she climbed in, she wasn't sure where she would drive to. More to the point, she had no idea where she wanted to go. Maybe she’d meet Jansen and Maxwell later but for the moment, there was only one person she wanted to talk to. And, coincidentally, he was the one she needed to have a conversation with if she wanted to make any immediate decisions about her future. Niki quickly dialed a number she had already committed to memory.
* * *
"So, if I'm your spotter, does that mean your life is in my hands?" Vickie asked and looked at him.
Taylor scowled. "Well, yes, but it doesn't make me feel any safer when you say it outright like that. Keep an eye on how I'm doing and if you see me lagging in one of my reps, do what you can to help me get the weights up and put the bar on the hook."
"Because if I don't, you would die a slow and painful death under the weights you thought you could lift repeatedly, which might be a very solid representation of your ego?"
He narrowed his eyes. "You know, maybe I can call Bobby to help me."
"No, no, no, I'll be good, I promise. I'm only joking."
"Joking with my life."
"If you can do it, why can't I?"
"Because it's my life to joke with."
Before Taylor was able to start on his reps, his phone rang.
"Do you think you should get that?" Vickie asked.
"It'll give you some time to rethink your bedside manner as a spotter," he countered, picked the phone up, and checked the caller ID again to make sure he wasn't seeing things. It was a little early for Niki to call him for a job. Then again, since they were officially dating, maybe she simply wanted a quick chat or something like people who were dating did sometimes.
"Who is it?" Vickie asked.
"It's your cousin."
"Do you think it's because we have more work to do, monsters to kill, and that type of shit?"
"I won't know until I answer." He pressed the accept call button. "Hey…you."
"That was super-awkward," Niki replied by way of greeting. "Do you want to try that again?"
"I wanted to try something new, all things considered. A regular greeting didn't feel right. Anyway, what's up? I didn't think we would hear from you in a while. Is something the matter?"
"Not…well, not really. Maybe. I…uh, had a question for you."
"You'd better decide whether you have a question for me and soon too."
"Don't be an asshole. I need to ask you something. It's… Well, I'm not sure how to do this. I guess the question is…do you have any openings for a new employee?"
Taylor narrowed his eyes. "Do you know?"
"Know what?"
"You didn't hear?"
"No, and if you don't tell me soon, I'll travel to Vegas with the sole intention of strangling the truth out of you."
He grinned. "Well, I suppose that's one way to get your hands on me."
Vickie mock-gagged behind him and he picked his towel up and threw it at her. Even with his prodigious strength, it didn't fly that far and he opted instead to flip her off until she decided to go get some water.
"Okay, but you go first. Are you suddenly in need of new employees?"
"Maybe. Are you offering your services?"
Niki sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you. I maybe…uh…okay, most definitely find myself currently out of a job. That’s because I quit my last one and I don't have any others on the horizon yet. I thought I would float you an offer since I possess a very particular set of skills that I've acquired over a long career."
"I have the distinct impression that you're about to come and kill me to save Vickie for some reason."
"Never mind that. My point is that yours is probably the only company this side of the Atlantic that would be able to make use of those skills, hence the offer."
"But I thought… What happened at the DOD? Did you piss the wrong people off?"
"Didn't you hear me? I quit." Niki sounded oddly vulnerable and that made her sound annoyed and angry too. "Anyway, I have a little saved in the bank, so it's not like I'm destitute or anything, but I don't want to dig into my savings until another job comes along in the private sector. I guess Jennie could probably find something for me too, but I thought I would make you an offer first to see if I couldn't make a living off your scrawny ass."
"That's a hard, muscular ass, and I think you know that."
"Oh, fucking— Gag!" Vickie shouted from the water fountain.
"Fuck off!” Taylor shouted in response.
"Is that Vickie?" Niki asked.
"Yeah, your cousin and I were in the middle of trying to decide if she was any good at spotting me in a workout and she was supposed to give us some privacy while we talked. It seemed our banter annoyed her so much that she had to weigh in."
She sighed. "I'll deal with her later."
"Does that mean you guys are coming back to Vegas?"
"Not us guys. Only me. I quit, remember?"
"Yeah, and I don't think we discussed the whole why-factor of this quitting business."
"You're not tracking well in this conversation, are you?"
Taylor scowled. "I only…hold on, give me a second. I'll put you on hold." He muted her and turned his attention to Vickie. "Hey, how do I add Desk to this call?"
"I thought I was supposed to be busy fucking off."
"Well, you can get busy doing something else—hold on…" His phone suddenly buzzed with Desk's number asking to be added to the call. "Speak of the devil. Never mind."
"So should I go back to fucking off?"
He sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'll…buy you an ice cream or something."
"Make it a chocolate sundae and you have yourself a deal."
"Right. It sounds good." He punched the button to add Desk to the call. "Desk, nice of you to join us."
"My non-physical ears were burning. How can I help you?"
"Would you care to explain why the hell Niki still thinks she needs a job?"
"No."
"Well, you'll have to do it anyway. I thought I told you to move that three-point-two million into her savings account."
"Wait, what?" Niki asked. "What three-point-two million?"
"The amount you would have won if you’d bet on the fight instead of having a stick surgically implanted in your ass. Desk fessed up about how you
wouldn't bet on me because you felt it would make our relationship transactional somehow or…something."
She took a deep breath. "Desk, I thought I was very specific with you about what I would do to your servers if you told him. I was very explicit about it too."
"Well, yes, but given that you do not have access to the DOD server nor the FBI servers, I determined your threats to be rather ineffectual," the AI explained. "Besides, you are well aware that Taylor's strength is my weakness."
"You're a motherfucking AI!" she roared. "You don't have any weaknesses with regard to Taylor!"
"Well, we both know that's not true." Desk suddenly took on a motherly tone. "Anyway, he told me to wire you the amount you would have won had you placed the bet I suggested, and I couldn't say no to that face."
"I feel like I should be creeped out by that," Taylor muttered.
"Well, there's no fucking way in hell that I'll take his money," Niki stated firmly. "I don't care what you feel like you have to prove to me, but—"
"For the love of Einstein," the AI cut in, her tone exasperated. "Would the two of you please check your accounts? I anticipated this type of moral quandary between you and I found a solution I think you will both find most acceptable."
Taylor lowered his phone to check on his account balance. "I—hold on…wait. You didn't wire her anything. There's no deduction from my account for a transaction that large."
He paused and assumed Niki was doing the same thing.
"Holy fuckballs, that's a gazillion zeroes," she exclaimed finally. "Huh. Well, I guess I understand why you seemed confused about me needing a job. But wait—if it didn't come from his account, where did it come from? And please don't tell me you stole it."
"Only as far as Taylor's winning was such a sure bet that it felt like robbery," Desk replied. "When he gave me carte blanche on his account to bet as I saw fit, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to fill in for the bets Niki would have made. Therefore, I took a good amount from his account and bet it in her name, and when the winnings were returned, I transferred the amount that was put down into his account with his winnings, which left Niki only with the difference. This way, everyone is much richer than when they started. It’s quite ingenious if I do say so myself."
Monster In Me: Cryptid Assassin™ Book Eight Page 17
