Quadruple Duty

“You got her?” I could hear Jason’s voice saying. “Murphy too? Everyone’s okay?”

“Everyone’s good,” I assured him, entering the big room. Then I stopped.

There were a ten or so people in there, including the two men and the woman who’d worked for Jason and were watching the grounds. But there were others here too. Others with guns.

At first I was scared… but then I realized not one of the guns was pointed at Jason Briggs.

“Well fucking finally,” spat Ryan. He stomped over to the man in the center of the room — the only man who was seated. The only man tied to a chair. “Look who slithered into the sunlight?”

“More like he was dragged,” said Dakota. “Just like this asshole.”

He kicked out with his leg, sending the red-bearded man falling next to the one in the middle. The man in the chair had his arms behind his back. I could see now that his wrists had been zip-tied.

What the…

I still had no clue what was going on. It was starting to freak me out.

“Jason, who the hell—”

“Say hello to Markus Ladrone,” Jason began. He kicked the chair hard. “Soldier, comrade, brother-in-arms.” At first the names sounded good to me. But as Jason circled the man in the chair, his face twisted. “Also a liar. A traitor. A thief.”

The man snarled but said nothing. He was thick-looking, with dark greasy hair and a dishonest face. At one time, he might’ve been handsome, and his body in much better shape. Unfortunately for him, those days were long gone.

“Not even a good thief,” laughed Kyle from behind me.

“And not even a good liar,” said one of the other men.

I stared from man to man. Many of the people in the small semi-circle were dressed like the one who’d attacked Kyle. They had their weapons out, but they weren’t trained on any of my boyfriends. They were trained downward… toward the enemy.

“Markus is the Commander of Di Spatia” Jason went on. “A once premiere mercenary company.” He leaned down into the man’s face. “Or should I say, ex-Commander...”

The man grunted loudly in reply. He had a fresh gash on his chin, all dark and red with blood. Otherwise he looked no worse for wear. Although he did appear… well… angry.

“Loyalty, Markus,” said Jason. “Fidelity. Allegiance. It’s the one thing you were always missing, the one lesson you never learned.” He pointed with his chin. “Your people are my people now. Your men are my men. All because of your betrayal. All because of how you treated them.”

Some of the men that stood in the room nodded. But all of them shifted uncomfortably in some way.

“This one even tried remaining loyal till’ the last,” said Jason. He tapped the man with the red beard. “Though I don’t know why. You obviously don’t deserve him. You don’t deserve any of these men.”

Jason motioned, and the red-bearded man stood up. A look passed between them. There was understanding in it.

“Maybe I have a place for him, too,” said Jason with a shrug. “That is, if he’s any good.”

“Kicked Kyle’s ass,” Ryan quipped.

The man stiffened into what was almost a salute. Kyle only shook his head.

“The point is, everyone knows what you did,” Jason said. “Everyone here has seen the files, the data, the requisitions. The transfer of monies. Everyone except the only person who matters: good old Uncle Sam.”

Markus still hadn’t said a thing, but his body language spoke volumes. I could see him shrinking away. Slumping so low in his chair, he might melt to the floor.

“Even worse, we have copies. All of us.” He turned to Kyle. “You have copies, don’t you Murph?”

“Yep.”

“Dunham? Bradley?”

Ryan nodded. Dakota even held up a tiny black object — a USB drive. “Affirmative.”