If he survives this, he is going to get his head checked, or this irritating habit is going to drive him insane.
Sable whispers, “Isn’t that the owner of CHOICElover? I think his name is Res6?”
James studies the man in the cobalt suit from earlier who makes his way to the front of the room, followedby—
Oh look, Sable was right. It’s Viper!a melodic voice from overhead points out.
Fucking fuck.
“This is bad,” Sable mutters.
“Stay calm,” he urges, leaning closer to brush her shoulder reassuringly.
Viper’s platinum hair is down, brushing his shoulders. He’s also wearing a smug grin as he stares directly at them. That he sees them and doesn’t directly point them out confirms what James deduced about the man’s character. Like a total sociopath, he wants to draw out the spectacle of the investigation.
“Quiet!” the lead inspector booms. The murmuring in the room grinds to a halt. “It is each citizen’s duty to come forward if they become aware of NHOS violations. As most of you are aware, GROW is being investigated for . . .” the man continues speaking for several minutes, but James tunes him out.
Res6 scans the rows of employees, looking for someone. His gaze passes over James and as it pauses, it suddenly occurs to James where he saw the man. He was hovering behind the woman with the long black-brown hair and, most notably,frecklesin Z Quadrant before she darted into the hallway. A look of recognition is shared between them. The corner of Res6’s mouth twitches, though James isn’t sure if it’s to grin or frown.
Under his breath he tells Sable, “That man you say is Res6 . . . he’s a potential client. He brought a woman to a meeting with us, but they bolted.”
“The one with freckles you told me about?” Sable guesses, and he nods. “A trap?”
“I doubt it. The woman seemed genuinely frightened.”
“Hmm,” Sable hums.
Res6 leans over and converses momentarily with Viper, who nods vigorously, aggressively eyeing James. When Res6 glances back, Viper is scowling. Probably because he just confirmed their identity and Res6 is going to get all the credit for identifying them. James can only imagine the headlines.
MSP Citizen and CHOICElover founder identifies corruption at competitor GROW.
CHOICElover founder won’t stand for unethical business practices from competition.
NHOS discovers Citizen Hero in CHOICElover founder.
Res6 sees this as a marketing opportunity. Viper, instead of going directly to the authorities with his tip, must have sold it to him. Upon receiving such an opportunity, Res6 didn’t waste it. Clever—he has to give it to the man.
James tunes in to the inspector, who is finishing his monologue. “. . . going down the rows of employees to identify the perpetrator, who may or may not be in this very room.” More murmurs break out, but louder, and the inspector shouts, “Quiet, please! Both identifying the guilty and clearing the innocent from suspicion hold equal importance. Once you’ve been cleared, we ask you to exit the room and not speak of today’s proceedings, as this is an ongoing investigation. A notice from GROW detailing the status of your employment benefits during our investigation will follow.”
A petite blonde woman steps up to Res6. James reads her lips as she says, “Let’s begin with the first row.”
The blonde woman, Res6, and Viper make their way down the row, clearing GROW employees, who file out of the room. James can’t help but notice the spring in their steps and he wonders if, like his firstphone conversation with Jett months ago, this is an amusing break in the monotony of their lives.
His stomach twists as they move on to the second row, quickly making their way through it. Then the third, getting nearer and nearer to their position toward the back.
Shouting comes from outside the door, and he can barely make out the words, “I’m sorry ma’am, but this area is restricted to employees only.”
Has the dead reincarnate’s owner finally come for her? James shivers involuntarily.
Res6, Viper, and the inspector are one row away now. Sable shifts beside him, then his blood runs cold as he hears a familiar voice say, “But I still own him. I can pay—I have the funds!”
Sable reaches out, grabbing hold of his wrist, but as the men work their way down their row, she releases it. James risks a glance at Viper to see if he recognizes Kate’s voice. He doesn’t, moving steadily down the line, stopping before each employee to study them.
He leans over to Sable, whispering, “When they confirm it’s us, we run. Go straight to the bar Scraps in Z Quadrant. I’ll find you.”
From outside the room, someone calls, “Seize her. We can’t let her go in there while an active investigation is underway.”
Every fiber of his being hates Kate’s distress, but she might unknowingly provide the distraction they need to get away.
