Page 85 of Zeus

"The house we found is fucking fine if you're using it to sell dope, but if it's to process new friends or introduce clients to these new friends, then it won't work. The floor plan only includes one bedroom and one bathroom, and the rest of the house has a severe open floor plan," I explain. "Lots of room for junkies, but less privacy than I think you'd like if you had other intentions with the property."

"We can keep looking if you want us to," Zayne urges when Bobby is silent for a long moment, suggesting that the house might not suit his needs and that he's trying to figure out how to handle his disappointment.

"It sounds perfect," Bobby answers. "No need to keep looking."

With my hands in my lap, I squeeze my fists tight once again, the pain it causes radiating up my arms.

Using it as a trap house doesn't get us any closer to helping the women here, and the disappointment I feel knowing this case will continue to eat at me from the inside out.

I knew taking this job, infiltrating this group, would take time. Why I let myself hope we could take these bastards down in less than a week, I don't know.

"I'll get with the girls in supply to make sure that you have everything you need to stock the place and get it ready for our new guests," Bobby says. "They'll have it all ready and loaded before dinner, so you guys can take it in the morning. Good work."

"Nice," Zayne says as he begins to stand.

"Actually," Bobby says. "Hold on just a minute."

He lifts the top on his laptop, and we wait several long minutes as he searches for something, grumbling cuss words under his breath, before he finds what he's looking for.

What I wouldn't give for Casper to have access to that piece of equipment. If they have a board detailing the jobs they'll have this week, I have no doubt there's enough information on it to take down this whole fucking group. I make a mental note to see if we can't get something from Cerberus to clone that computer.

A small printer whirs into action, printing two pages.

It's at least got Bluetooth, but that doesn't guarantee that it has internet. I'm not a computer expert on any level, but it makes me think accessing his network might be fairly easy if we could get our hands on that damn thing.

"Take that list," he tells Zayne, pointing to the printer. "Give it to the girls at the supply house. They'll get you all lined out."

"You got it," he says.

I stand, walking toward the door without another word, but thinking I'll be given the opportunity to walk away without Bobby getting the last word is a mistake.

"Hey, Lyle," the man says as I step into the doorway to leave.

I turn back to face him.

"Thank you for being so direct. I need more men like that on my team."

There's a suggestion of pride in his tone that makes me hate the man even more.

But if I were someone who ached for even the smallest hint of praise, I could see how his approval could leave others wanting more of it. It doesn't take much to make people feel good, to make them keep wanting to impress someone, and that's how easy it is to get someone to do your bidding.

His words feel more psychological than he may even intend, but he has to have learned, from basic cause-and-effect, what works with the people he assumes have loyalty to him.

I dip my head in acknowledgment as Zayne walks toward me.

"Curtis," Bobby says. "Take a few pointers from your cousin."

And that's how he controls the other part of those in his grasp.

Disappointment from the leader can be just as powerful as praise, but it can also breed hatred and infighting in the group, and I think he understands there's purpose in that as well.

If everyone got along and trusted each other fully, then they might come up with a plan to overthrow him, and he can't have that.

He needs discordance to stay in power, and he doesn't seem at all hesitant to feed it even between two people he believes are family. He wants us to fight among ourselves, build a few walls between the two of us, all the while I fight for more praise, and Zayne fights to impress him.

It's a strategic move, and one that might not be analyzed as closely if we were actually members struggling to find our place in The League of Liberty.

"Yes, sir," my partner says as he walks past me out the door.