Homecoming (8 page)

“These aren’t my friends.” The man between them shouted.

The guy in the chair laughed. “Not you.” His eyes pierced Will. “You.”

“He’s my associate.” James said. “He offered to help me tonight.”

Mr. Sopranos shifted his attention to James. “You know I don’t like surprises.”

“Yeah, and neither do I, but this hardly seems the time to discuss this.”

The man laughed. “Very true. If you’ll kindly wait outside, we can discuss it out there.”

James looked at Will, and shifted his eyes to the entrance as he moved toward the door. When they were outside, James paced next to his car. “You were smart to wear gloves handling his keys.”

“I’m not a total idiot.”

James paused to look at Will and roll his eyes. “That remains to be seen.” He resumed his pacing. “When that guy comes out here, he’s liable to offer you a job. What are you going to do?”

Will laughed. “I’m going to turn it down.”

James stopped and released his breath. “Thank God.”

“Shit, I’m not working for this guy. I’ll work freelance. I suspect there’s more money and I hope to hell I can work in a warmer climate.”

“Are you a fucking idiot?”

“No, I’m smart. You yourself said that I’d spent my entire life training to be a soldier. I’m more than qualified to do this.”

“This is not being a soldier. And this is not about being qualified. This is being a criminal. Worse than that. It’s being a lackey for a criminal. Besides, you got lucky tonight.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but I’ve learned things the last four years that could be very beneficial to this line of work.”

 “And what might those be?” Mr. Sopranos appeared in the doorway and walked toward them.

Will had seen men like him in Iraq. Cocky assholes that thought they owned entire towns. And they did. Until Will and his men came in and stole their power. This man might frighten James, but he didn’t scare Will. But then again, Will had nothing to fear but the nightmares in his head. “I have a special skill set, seeking out intelligence and apprehending high-ranking terrorists.” Will gave him a cocky grin. “I’m ruthless.”

The man glanced from James back to Will. “Since Buckner’s taken his leave of absence, I’ve had a hard time finding a replacement for him. I’d like to bring you onto my team. After a background check. Of course.”

Will shrugged. “And while I thank you for your offer, I’m going to have to pass.”

James swore under his breath.

The man laughed for several seconds. “You’re arrogant.” He studied Will. “I like it.”

“I’m still not available as your staff employee. However, I 
am 
available for freelance work.”

The man laughed again. “Most men shake in their shoes in my presence. You’re not afraid of me?”

Will wanted to laugh. This guy was a joke. “I’ve faced worse men than you.”

“Do you think so? I once had a man’s tongue cut out. Are you frightened now?”

“Should I be?”

The man shook his head with a grin. “Deal. I’ll accept your generous offer.”

Will winked. “There’s nothing generous about it. You’ll pay me well.”

The man glanced at James. “You said he’s your friend?”

Cringing, James nodded.

“I like him.”

Reassured, James squared his shoulders. “I want out. I don’t want you calling me again.”

The man nodded. “I’m good with that. But I’ll need your friend’s contact information.” He tilted his head toward Will. “Mr…?”

“Smith. You can call me Mr. Smith.”

The man laughed. “Well, Mr. 
Smith
. I’ll need a way to contact you.”

“You can e-mail me at the address I provided this afternoon.”

The man put his hands on his hips. “I look forward to working with you again.”

Working with this man was the last thing Will wanted to do, but his empty wallet said otherwise. “Likewise.”

Will moved to into James’s car, wondering if he’d just lost the last decent part of him.

The screams coming from the warehouse told him he had.

***

Homecoming
 is the third short story in 
The Chosen Short
 series, the prequels to 
Chosen
. The first two are 
Emergence
 and 
Middle Ground
.

About the Author

 
Denise lives in Lee's Summit, Missouri. She has six children, three dogs, and an overactive imagination. She can be found dancing in her kitchen with her children, reading or writing her next book. You will rarely find her cleaning. After living in the South for seven years, her biggest disappointment was her lack of an acquired Southern accent.

You can find out more about Denise at 
http://www.denisegroverswank.com/
or email her at [email protected] Be sure to sign up for newsletter on her website to find out her newest releases.