Page 64 of Nixon’s Promise

“What’s wrong?” she asked instead of answering Nix.

“I’m pissed at myself I didn’t make sure shit was squared away before I left.”

“I just had to throw some feed over the fence. Besides, it’s no big deal.”

“Babe, it is. Next time I’ll check with you before I leave,” he told her.

“Nixon—”

“Straight up, McKenna, I don’t want you outside this late, freezin’ your ass off. I should’ve done it. Next time I will. I called about your text.”

“Um, what about it?”

“You don’t know where we’re headed?” he asked.

He waited, and when she hadn’t answered, he prompted, “Babe?”

“I know where I want this to go,” she whispered.

“We talked about this,” Nixon reminded her.

“Not really. I mean, we started to, but we were interrupted.” McKenna was right, they had been, but Nix had thought enough had been said that they were straight on the direction of their relationship.

Nixon relaxed in his bed and stared at the ceiling and thought he’d rather have this conversation face-to-face, not over the phone like some teenage kid.

“Straight out, I like where we’re at and I like where we’re headed. I want to keep movin’ in that direction, but this is a discussion I want to have with you when I can look at you.”

“I like it, too, Nix.”

“Okay, babe, I’m gonna let you go. Did you lock up?”

“I did,” she sighed.

“Good. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Night, Nix.”

“Night, baby.”

Nix disconnected, tossed his phone on the bedside table, and turned out his light. He did this thinking he needed to make his intention clear. He also needed to talk to Zack about him spending the night over there and get a read on whether or not he and Mandy were ready for an overnight guest.

Because Nixon was more than ready.

Alec had shown up at eight AM on the dot, carrying a cardboard box full of intel. Honest-to-God paper files. Nix was well-versed in operational security and the need for certain files and reports to stay off-line, but he’d been surprised the DHS was treating a group no one had heard of with such care.

After handshakes and pleasantries were out of the way, Alec hadn’t delayed in passing out nondisclosures. Once he had the men’s signatures, he allowed the team to start rummaging through the intel.

“These are doomsday preppers,” Holden sneered. “Seriously?”

“They were, but their message changed. Keep looking,” Alec encouraged.

Silently, the team meticulously went over every document Alec had presented, which wasn’t much. On the surface, they did look like a bunch of preppers, at least that’s what the website represented. But there was a message board advertised on the home page. Once there, the feel of the organization changed. They encouraged their followers to stockpile guns and ammunition. There was talk of taking out national landmarks around Center City, Philadelphia.

“You need an office or at least a kitchen table and some chairs. My back’s fuckin’ killing me,” Chasin complained.

He was sitting on Nix’s couch, bent forward and looking at a map that was laid out on the floor in front of him. He’d also been staring at the map of Philly for the last hour.

“Would’ve, if I had more than forty-eight hours to pull this shit together,” Nix replied.