Page 4 of The Wolf and the Monarch

She shrugged a shoulder. “The whole thing is suspicious, don’t you think? Why couldn’t they give us the IP address? Why is this computer located in some fucking bunker in Philly? If it’s so important, why aren’t people guarding it? Why are you going in alone?”

“The gas leak,” he mentioned. “No need to endanger all of us. I’m the fastest anyway.”

Andi immediately snorted. “Bullshit.”

“Hm?”

“It’s bullshit and you know it,” she shook her head. “I think we should refuse this whole thing. Either they give us the IP address or we dip.”

Benji didn’t disagree with her on that, however. And he did find it rather odd that they didn’t have it. But he wasn’t sure about it all being bullshit. It’s a weird thing to lie about. And honestly, he was kind of excited about being able to show what he could do now. He felt like he deserved that opportunity. “Well, I don’t know if we can just back out. Dad already agreed and you know how he is. ‘Always follow through with the things you say you will’.” It was something their dad would always tell them.

“I know. But we shouldn’t follow through with something when it obviously reeks of shit.”

He frowned a bit and turned his gaze towards the window beside him as they pulled into the drivethru. “So, what? Do you think it’s someone setting us up?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, could be.”

“Like who?”

“Anyone, Benji. We have so many enemies. Every single one of us does.” That was true. They all did. But out of all of them, Andi had garnered the most attention from people, which was fascinating because she was never on the field. He wasn’t even sure if anyone knew what Andi looked like. However, out of all the Madison’s, she was the one that messed with people the most with her hacking and information gathering.

“I mean, yeah, but they don’t know anything about you. You’re literally a ghost to everyone. So it would have nothing to do with you.”

“And I intend to keep it that way.” Andi shook her head and rolled down her window so she could order everyone at the office a sausage biscuit, hashbrowns and a coffee before she pulled around to the window. Their conversation paused while she paid and gathered the food before she pulled back into the street to begin their drive back to the office. “I’m just saying, Benji. This whole thing isn’t right. I don’t trust it and I don’t think we should do it.” She turned her head towards him. “You shouldn’t do it.”

He sighed. She made a lot of valid points, there was no denying it. “Dad had to have gone through all of that though. You know he doesn’t just make these decisions without investigating every single thing.”

“I know, that’s why I’m so surprised he’s okay with the whole thing. How doesn’t he see it’s clearly a bunk job?”

Benji ran his fingers through his hair then folded his arms across his chest. It was starting to sound like Andi wasn’t trusting their dad. And that was unheard of. Those two were two peas in a pod, practically. “Shouldn’t we trust that it’s not bullshit then?”

“I want to, Benji,” she chewed on her bottom lip and shook her head. “It’s Dad. He knows what he’s doing… That’s why I’m so confused.”

“Well, I guess we’re gonna talk to him, huh?” He said, more or less rhetorically. “We’ll ask him his train of thought and if that doesn’t put you–” Benji paused. “Us at ease, then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

Andi glanced over towards her brother and nodded her head, smiling just a bit. If there was one thing the twins could always depend on, it was each other. Even if one of them didn’t fully subscribe to what the other was saying or thinking, it didn’t matter. They implicitly had each other's backs. If Andi thought something was wrong, then Benji was on board. They’d figure it out one way or another. “Thanks, Benji,” she sighed softly as she parked her car back at the base. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” he smiled and grabbed the bag of food while opening up his door. “Now, let’s feed our uncles like the gremlins they are and have a chat with Dad.”

Andi nodded her head and hopped out of her SUV, following after her brother.

Chapter Three

Benji

The twins walked back into the office with the meals in tow. Benji had already made a bet with Andi on what Travis was going to say when they passed out the coffee to everyone. Something along the lines of how rude it was to go out and buy new coffee when he took the time out of his busy morning to make a pot for everyone. It wasn’t the first time he had said something like that and it certainly wouldn’t be the last unless he would figure out how to properly make a pot of coffee. But that was a long shot, apparently.

“We’re back.” Andi announced while she walked over towards the table in the center of the office and opened up the bag. She began to divvy out the food for everyone while Benji walked around and gave everyone a cup.

“What’s this?” Travis asked.

Benji smiled. “Coffee.”

“What the fuck,” his uncle began and pointed over towards the coffee pot. “I made a pot already!”

“Well, we bought everyone a cup anyway.”

“You know, it’s extremely rude to go out and buy coffee for everyone when I took the time to make a pot for everyone,” he paused. “A good pot too,” another pause. “Plus, it’s extremely wasteful.”