Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
“Is something going on?” I asked under my breath.
He shook his head subtly, indicating now wasn’t the time, and we reached the elevators.
I hoped the time was right once Alex was out of here, because I wanted to know.
The only reason Beckett would ship Alex and his mother off was if it’d become too dangerous for them here.
Right?
I did my best to give Alex my attention on the way upstairs. She was excited to see how Auntie Kat and her cousins had settled in on the West Coast. Well, not in those words. She wanted to see their new house, and apparently they had a big trampoline in the backyard.
Alex giggled and went on. “Uncle Eric bought it so my cousins would stay outside more and not bother the grown-ups with all the moving boxes.”
The elevator doors opened, and I answered absently. “I’m sure you’ll have a blast, Lemon.”
We didn’t have to walk far into the lobby to spot who I presumed was Beckett’s mother. She was in her late sixties or so, and she had three pieces of luggage with her. Also, poor her for giving birth to men like Beckett. She couldn’t be more than five feet tall, and she looked kinda frail.
She sighed with relief the moment she saw Beckett and Alex. “You said two minutes, son. You were gone for at least seven.”
“Sorry, Ma.” Beckett picked up two of the rollaboards. “This is Leighton, by the way. He’s been watching Alex a lot.”
Mrs. Beckett smiled politely and extended a hand, so I shook it. “Of course—Alex has spoken fondly about you.”
I smiled too. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Beckett.”
Alex had mentioned her more than once too. Grandma used to be “sad much more before,” but now she was starting to improve. Having supper once a week together had morphed into two or three times a week, plus going out for ice cream a couple times.
“I’m just gonna say this now, okay?” Beckett said. “When you land in LA, a man named Crew Finlay will meet up with you and drive you all the way down to Kat and Eric’s. He might also go by Crew Mercier. I’m not sure. But don’t go wander off, all right? If he’s late, you’ll wait for him—and he’ll show you an ID badge from JATE Shield. It’s our sister agency on the West Coast.”
Mrs. Beckett shifted her purse from one shoulder to the other. “Aren’t you driving us to the airport?”
“I have work, remember? But Em’s gonna take you—you know him. He’s waiting in the garage in the next building. And you won’t be alone. You’ll have two junior operators on the plane.”
Mrs. Beckett suddenly looked worried. “You’re sure nothing is wrong? It’s a lot of safety measures for a visit to the West Coast.”
Beckett pulled off a smile so charming that even I almost bought his bullshit. “Ma, if something was wrong, don’t you think I would’ve told you? When could I ever keep a secret from you? You’re just hitching a ride because we have people flying out anyway.”
Damn, he was good.
It worked on his mom. She lost the tension in her shoulders, and she grabbed the last rollaboard. “You’re right. Unlike your brother and sister, you always came to me with your troubles.”
What a load of crap. It made me curious about what she knew. I mean, with Beckett’s brother and all… There wasn’t a chance in hell she knew all the ins and outs of that operation.
“There we go,” Beckett said. “This is just me taking advantage of a situation. Plus, the world’s fucked. We can’t be careful enough.”
Alex gasped and stared accusingly at him.
“The world is screwed,” Beckett amended. “The world is screwed—there is no gosh darn future. All hope is friggin’ lost.”
Wonderful things to tell an eight-year-old.
“Do you need a hand?” I offered.
He shook his head. “I’ll meet you in the cafeteria later. Mouse—say bye-bye, Leighton.”
“Bye-bye, Nugget!” She waved to me.
I waved too, though it suddenly felt shitty to say goodbye. This wasn’t a vacation. I had no idea when I’d see her again, and I didn’t know what to do with my free time now either. Watching her two, three hours every day wasn’t chump change.
After going back to the shooting range to make sure my stall was ready for the next person, and returning my gun to my room, I headed to the cafeteria, where the weekend staff greeted me with food I wasn’t supposed to eat much of.
Leaving the Army had been good for my stomach, ’cause fuck the DFAC’s gray stews and meat pucks that’d either given me diarrhea or constipation, but this might cause problems too. With fewer Hillcroft staff around, the kitchen crew went the extra mile for those suckers who had to work. Today was Thai food, and I was here for it.