by Cara Carnes
“Sounds like a great program.” Jarold looked around. “Nice, big setup here.”
“The Arsenal is expanding quickly.” Viviana motioned toward the large cafeteria area where someone had set up a salad bar, complete with sandwich fixings. Soups were on the end. “If nothing on the salad bar looks good, there’s plenty of food in the refrigerators and freezers. Help yourselves to whatever you’d like.”
The woman flitted about in the kitchen a bit, then whirled around. “Jarold, you and Viviana have a seat. I won’t be long. This is such a lovely set up.”
Vi smothered her smile as she and Jud’s father sat at a nearby table. He talked about the weather, the trip over and how polite Dallas was. He asked a few questions about The Arsenal, but didn’t seem too interested in the details. He’d likely learned not to ask too many prodding questions long ago. Within no time Jenna appeared with three heaping plates. Bacon and eggs with french toast. Vi’s stomach rumbled. A few men looked at them curiously as they passed by.
“I’ll be right back,” Jenna commented as she rose.
Jarold chuckled. “She’ll be cooking all day. She loves nothing more than making meals for people, says it’s a hug for the stomach.”
A hug for the stomach. Huh. Vi admitted her stomach could use a couple hugs. She dove into her plate, then realized they needed something to drink. She flip-flopped over to the beverages and snagged a couple bottles of water and headed back. Jenna was at the restaurant-sized stove in the midst of fixing enough food for an army, quite literally. The doors opened and Momma Mason entered.
Oh boy.
Vi sat at the table and watched as the two women introduced themselves to one another. It was as though they’d been separated at birth. She watched, enthralled as they started yanking enough food out of the fridges to feed the entire state. She covertly pulled her phone out and texted Riley.
“Calling in an intervention?” Jarold asked with a smile.
“Something like that,” she replied honestly. “Momma Mason is a lot like your wife. They mean well, but I don’t want them doing too much. It’s easy to overstep and do more than you should. I’m learning that lesson myself.”
“It’s always better to do too much than not enough,” he offered.
She nodded and continued eating. Jacob and Cord entered, along with Mary and Dylan. The latter looked at Vi and chuckled as they spotted the two older women in the midst of a cooking frenzy. Vi breathed a small sigh of relief. Cord and Dylan would stage an intervention if needed. So far, the people in the cafeteria didn’t seem to mind all the strangers fussing over them. Jacob raced to the table and embraced his grandfather, then raced into the kitchen.
“I haven’t seen him smile that big in a long time,” Jarold commented.
“He’s glad to see you and your wife,” Vi replied.
“I’m thinking we both know it’s more than a couple old geezers showing up. I’ve put two and two together and am suspecting you’re Viviana Chambers, aka Quillery.”
Vi’s gut clenched. She swallowed the bit of french toast in her mouth and took a sip of water. She offered a brief nod, scanning the cafeteria. Where the heck was Jud?
“I’m not asking to put you on alert. I suspect Jenna put it together, too. I can see you have a lot going on. My son wouldn’t have brought us here if it wasn’t a life-threatening level of importance, the kind that makes conversations about the past wait.” He forked some egg and chewed. Swallowed. “No matter the threat level, I’ve gotta say I admire the hell out of what you do. You gave our grandson his father back. Twice now.”
“I wish I could’ve done more,” Vi whispered sadly.
Jarold took her hand. “I can tell you’re a woman with a deep soul, the protector. You’ve done more than most people would have. I’m proud to have finally met you and get a chance to thank you personally for what you did. You’ll never know how much of an impact you’ve had on our Jacob.”
She nodded and got back to eating her eggs and bacon. Her eyes burned slightly. She forced a couple deep breaths. Was this what a normal parent was like?
“This isn’t working. He’s sealed tighter than a nun,” Dallas muttered in disgust.
Jud chuckled and crossed his arms. Viviana and Mary had been working the computers, pulling any information they could on Jian and his operations based on the take down. Jian wasn’t a lightweight though, he’d played with The Collective long enough to know the strength found in silence. If he talked, he died. It was that simple.
Fallon and Gage both entered the observation room and leaned against the door.
“Now what?” Fallon asked.
“Now I have a go,” Jud said as he looked over at Jacob. “Go get my backpack, bud. There’s a kit, rolled up brown leather. Bring it and a bottle of water.”
Viviana and Mary looked at one another. Marshall glowered from behind them. Jud wanted this mess with Jian done so the two women could do whatever else they needed. Viviana had enough on her plate with her asshole parents in the mix. Making Jian talk would be a fucking pleasure.
He didn’t bother waiting for their assent. He exited the observation room and slowly walked toward the hallway leading to Jian’s door. Since all the chambers and hallways on this floor were see-through, bulletproof glass, he knew Jian tracked his progression like the scared little piss ant he was. But Jud didn’t watch. He paused, knocking on the tempered glass.
The Arsenal had a very sweet setup.
“Sound proof?” Jud asked, knowing the room picked up all sounds via mics positioned along the hallway and in all the rooms.
“Yes,” Mary returned.
Jud entered the cell and took a couple steps in as the door sealed shut. Jian’s widened gaze was on him. He stood with his back in a corner and his hands in front of him.
“Jian, it’s been a while.” He smiled and motioned toward the bed. “Sit. You want some water? Staying hydrated is important.”
Jian gulped and shook his head. “I’m good.”
“You sure?”
As if on cue, Jacob entered with a bottle of water and the rolled up kit. He set the latter on the floor beside a chair and held out the water. “Drink.”
Jud sat in the seat, the back to his front and watched as Jian gulped the bottle down like a good pet. He truly loathed interrogating people. It was a pain in the ass when they were stubborn bastards.
“My parents are here, haven’t seen them in a long time, Jian. I’m more than a bit annoyed I’m down here with you instead of upstairs with them.” He established eye contact, held it firmly. “You fucked up.”
“I-I can explain.”
“Oh? You took Danny. You can explain that?”
“No.” Jian shook. His entire body trembled. “I can’t. That was a fuck up, a huge one.”
“You pissed me off, Jian. I’ve gotta admit I’m not sure what to do with that. I don’t get pissed easily.” Jud widened his stance, slamming his booted feet down.
Jian jumped. “I’ll make amends, Jud.”
“Well, I’ve got six million reasons amends isn’t going to cut it. You have any idea what a pain in my ass you created? I told you the Quillery Edge was off limits. You didn’t listen.”
Jian shook his head.
“Here’s how it’s going to go. You and I are going to spend some quality bonding time down here. Alone. All nice and soundproofed. Nice and warm room. Sanitary. Excellent conditions for what I have planned. Then, after I’m done I’ll consider whether you’ve earned the right to share what you know.” Jud sneered as the man trembled harder. “Remember Rome, Jian?”
“No, please. I’ll talk. I’m sorry. Whatever you want. D-don’t.” Urine streamed down the man’s shorts.
“I’m disappointed, Jian. You know better than to break that fast. What’s Marla going to think? Did she tell you to take Danny?” Jud reached down and unrolled his kit. Jian’s gaze locked onto the tools he hadn’t used in a few years.
Rumors within the shadowy underground he
operated within were rampant. Rome was the most talked about, the reason he’d become the infamous executioner for The Collective.
“We needed a way to encourage you to take the contract. It was business,” Jian whispered quickly. “She though that’d be the best way.”
“The Collective issued the contract on the Quillery Edge?” He reached down and grabbed the first tool, a long, thin blade. He scraped it across the chair. The sound echoed in the room.
Jian shriveled into the corner.
“The contract, Jian. Let’s focus.”
“She was pissed. Most of The Collective’s board didn’t want it to go through, but someone with bigger balls than brains demanded it be done. The Quillery Edge was a threat before, but they were curtailed at Hive.”
“Because The Collective had Peter in their back pocket,” Jud said. “You aren’t telling me anything I didn’t already know, Jian. That’s…disappointing.”
He waited through the silence until Jian chanced a glance toward him.
“Remove your shirt, Jian. Lock your hands behind your back and face the bed.”
The man crumbled. He shook his head.
“You can’t do this. They’ll go after you,” Jian warned.
“Who will they send?” Jud laughed. “Really, Jian? That’s all you have to say. They can’t send a terrier after a hell hound.”
“What do you want?”
“Who issued the hit?”
“I don’t know. All she ever said was it came straight from the top and she couldn’t do anything but hope to hell it didn’t blow back.”
Son of a bitch. Jian didn’t know. Jud sat there a few minutes and let the man snivel in his own piss.
“I need names. Anyone and everyone high up in The Collective or associated with them.”
“You know more than I do,” Jian argued.
“You’re in a different circle than I am. Don’t piss me off by being a belligerent little bitch.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll give you what I have.” Jian raised his hands. “Are we cool?”
No. They were far from cool. Jud stood. “I’m leaving you be for now, but I want you to answer everyone’s questions completely and honestly. Don’t leave anything out. Give them anything that will help take The Collective down. If I hear you’re being stubborn, I’ll be back and it’ll be a much more painful experience, one that’ll make Rome look like a paper cut.”
“Okay. Okay. Okay.”
Jud left. He entered the observation room and ignored the tense silence unfurling at his entry.
“I’m seriously wondering what went down in Rome,” Gage commented.
“It’s about an eighth of what the underground says went down.” Jud shrugged and motioned toward Jian. “He’ll talk. If he doesn’t, I’ll carry through with the threat.”
“Which was?” Marshall asked.
Jud’s jaw twitched as he looked at Viviana, who watched silently. She chewed her lower lip, as if holding back the same question. “I’ve never professed to being a good man. I have skill sets most don’t, talents sharpened out of necessity more than a desire to do so. I moved away from that dark years ago.”
“Jian didn’t seem to think you’d moved on,” Mary commented.
“People see what they want.”
“Thank you,” Viviana replied. “Fallon and Gage will get what we can, but it doesn’t look like he has a name.”
“Do you?” Marshall asked.
“You have what I know.” Jud looked at Viviana. “I’ll see you later.”
16
Vi collapsed into her favorite chair in the living room and glanced at the door. All her friends were on their way. It’d been a crazy, busy day at The Arsenal in more ways than one. Families had been settled, which had taken all morning and into the early afternoon. Marshall tabled debriefing until the morning because she and Mary needed to let HERA catch up on processing everything on The Collective.
They’d used the time to question Jian. Fallon and Gage both took a go at the man, but he’d remained steadfastly silent.
Until Jud walked in the room.
The man spewed like a broken fire hydrant as long as Jud was in the room. It was almost funny if it wasn’t so pathetic and terrifying. She wanted to know what the hell went down in Rome to crumble a man that quick, but she was better off never knowing. That was a different time. A different Jud.
She believed him when he’d said as much.
She’d endured an awkward, downright stilted lunch with very little conversation with her parents and brother. Then she and the girls had all spent a few hours working with the information spewing from HERA. She’d opted to leave her family to their own for dinner and was now ready to call the exhaustive day done.
But her friends needed an escape, a debriefing of their little niche group. She hadn’t been the only one who’d had a rotten day. Laughter tumbled from outside the entryway. The Pentagon entourage entered. Their boisterous merriment felt a bit out of place for a few moments, especially when her gaze lit on Rhea. Her friend was having troubles and hoarding them, like a dragon afraid to leave the lair. That wasn’t good, but Vi didn’t have the mental energy to ferret out another problem, not now. Riley and Mary plopped down on either side of her. Her best friend had a smile twenty miles wide on her face and, for once, Vi suspected it was because of more than Dylan being awesome and life being better.
She took her laptop and click-clacked away as everyone claimed their spaces. Riley, Bree and Rhea huddled up on the sofa while Mary and Addy took the small loveseat.
“You all okay?” she asked.
“Well, after you left, things in the lobby of The Arsenal got mighty interesting,” Mary commented. “I watched with Dylan and the guys. You’ve gotta check this out.”
“Maybe this isn’t the smartest idea,” Riley said. “He was really intense with her parents.”
Jud. She’d wondered how things went with him and her parents after she left, but she hadn’t found the time or the willpower to find out via the recorded surveillance.
“Really?” Bree asked excitedly.
“Show us,” Addy ordered.
Vi’s chest tightened as Mary took her computer and pulled up the feeds. Surveillance footage from the visitor’s lobby filled her laptop screen. Jud stood there, his gaze intent and focused on her as she wandered down the hall in all her flip-flop glory.
“Wow, I wish I had a man look at me like that,” Bree commented.
“Like what?” Vi asked.
“Like you’re dessert and he hasn’t eaten in a year,” Rhea returned quickly.
The warmth spread, deeper and more intense than before. She delved into the intensity wafting from him as he turned, focused on her parents. “You don’t know me, so I’ll be polite this one time. This is a one-sided conversation where I set you straight. Then one of these guys, whichever can stand to be around you any longer, is going to escort you to your room and you two are gonna sit in there with your drunk son and think on what I said.”
“You don’t.” Her father froze as Jud took a menacing step forward.
“Shut it,” he growled. “You will never speak to Viviana like that ever again. I don’t give a damn if she comes in wearing a dress made of bubblegum and her hair is a ratty mess, you will say nothing. You will never, ever demean her and talk down to her the way I just heard you do.”
Jud looked back at the guys.
“Thinking they may not know what that means,” Dallas commented.
“Right. I’ll be specific. You don’t ever talk about her making mistakes and not being normal. Every single man in this room, fuck, this entire compound, probably owes their lives to her and her brilliance for one reason or another. I know one man who wakes every morning and thanks God for being touched with her brilliance. She pulled him and his entire convoy out of hell and gave him hope that his boy, who was blessed with the same brilliant light as your daughter, could be like her one day. Then fifteen years later, she guided these good men
around you back into another hellhole and did it all over again. She led eight teams on a mission so large and damn near impossible, I doubt anyone on this planet could’ve done better than her and her partner. I’d crawl through the bowels of hell to protect her and I’m pretty sure every person in this compound would as well.”
A couple of the girls gasped at the declaration. Vi’s eyes watered.
“I have no idea how Viviana managed to come out of a rat’s nest like your world and be so beautiful, brilliant and perfect in every way. I don’t know your daughter anywhere near as well as I want to, but I can tell you this. For this last mission alone I’d put a bullet in anyone’s brain stem for half the shit you said to her today. I don’t know what twisted world you live in that makes her less of a person than the waste of drunk space in the corner, but I do know this. Had I known you’d come into her world, one where every second of her time is so precious she sacrifices her own health and sleep to keep us breathing, and disrespect her like you just did, I would’ve left you to the vultures.”
Oh. My. Wow.
Vi sat there stunned as the silence ticked by through the feed a little while. One of Dylan’s brothers whistled.
“Now, to make sure I make myself perfectly clear, you’re going to keep breathing because your daughter has made this the safest place on this Earth bar none. Whatever issues you might think you have with her died at the entry to this compound if you want to keep breathing. If that’s a problem for you, then I’ll take you back to the airport myself. I’m half a mind to do it anyway, because I doubt very much you can keep those viperous tongues in your mouths.” He closed in another step. “Since you apparently forgot to pack your manners, I’ll kindly request you keep your mouths sealed shut if you can’t be civil around my parents. If you think I’m being an asshole right now, you don’t want to see what I become if they get even a taste of what you gave your girl today.”
Jud turned and stormed out the door.
Mary clicked off the feed and wiped her eyes. “Holy crap. That was so hot.”
“Wow.”
Addy nodded in approval.
