The space was designed more of as a lounge, complete with three different television screens, two different seating areas, and a bar that had nothing to do with serving alcohol. While they hadn’t tried to hide the appearance of the hangar, everything that I’d seen was state of the art.
Maybe I should have asked what they knew about me, but what good would that do? At this point, I couldn’t give two shits.
“Listen up, ladies and gentlemen. We have a rookie.”
The crew whistled and taunted my arrival from the get-go, which I’d expected.
“Yeah, yeah. Settle the fuck down. Viper Locke. The rest of the assholes and idiots otherwise known as the Zullies.”
Half raised their fists, hollering as if some battle cry.
“Why Viper?”
I counted to ten before I answered just for the dramatic effect. “Because I’m deadly.”
Half groaned, the other throwing their hands out. One guy had his eyes pinned on me and if he could drive me straight into my grave he would.
“We don’t give a shit about prima donnas here,” the guy said with a bite in his tone.
I was about to answer with a nasty comment when the captain glared at me briefly before turning his attention on the smokejumper. “I suggest you give him credit where credit is due, Axe. The man is a sharpshooter and for all you girls out there, that means he could shoot a peanut off your head at three hundred and fifty yards. He’s the real deal so I suggest you not piss him off.”
The collective ‘whoa’ was not necessarily appreciated.
Definitely not by Axe, who turned and walked away.
A few of the guys acted as if they were going to break rank, but all the captain had to do was give them a dirty look. At least I noted the captain had tight control over the group.
I was already on edge and that was usually not the best place for me to be.
“Now that we have that out of our system, time to do some damn laps around the track. Don’t you think, boys?”
The group grumbled, but it wasn’t my damn fault.
“Dante, otherwise known around here as Raptor, when he’s ready, show Viper around including his locker.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Viper. Grab one of the seats to fill out the paperwork. Shouldn’t take you too long. We have almost everything already. Whenyou’re done with the tour, Landen will get your equipment assigned.”
“Got it, sir.” I moved toward the sofas, ignoring the jeering looks. The captain was right in that given how I’d come to them, the paperwork from working within the prison system program had been forwarded. All I had to do was to put my new address and phone number.
Well, shit. Yeah, I’d memorized where Grace lived, but how the hell was I supposed to put her address down? What choice did I have? Hopefully, no one on the team knew her.
When I was finished, I dropped off the file in the captain’s office and Dante was waiting for me.
“Dante. Right?”
“Most people call me Raptor,” he answered.
“Should I know why?”
“I have an uncanny ability to see victims.”
Huffing, I looked away. “I don’t wish that on anyone.”
“Let’s head to the locker room first so you can put your stuff away.”
“Fine by me.”
