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I set down the last chair with the other three. “No.”
He’d gone to all that trouble of ambushing us and catching me off guard, showcasing his prowess, and with that one simple question, he put his vulnerability on display too. It didn’t matter he was making sure to look aloof; he didn’t want to be rejected. He’d invested too much time and energy in finding me.
I heard the approach of a vehicle and walked past him to trail down the porch steps as my truck came into view.
Reese parked a few feet away and killed the engine. Both twins climbed out, and Reese tossed me the keys.
“New plan,” I said. “I have an errand to run—”
“He’s gonna call his brother,” Danny laughed.
I threw him a glance over my shoulder. “Pipe down.”
He piped down and stayed on the porch.
I faced the twins again. “I’ll be back in two hours. I want dinner ready by then. Grab the groceries from the bed of the truck and make sure everything that needs to be refrigerated is sealed properly. You’ll find a crawfish cage behind the cabin. Put the groceries in there and lower it into the lake. The cooler with the ice block is for our beer. Steak and baked potatoes. I want mine medium-rare. Tinfoil and briquettes in the utility dresser right inside the cabin. But before I go, let’s do a pocket-litter check.”
“Yes, sir.” The boys came over to me and began emptying their pockets.
Danny took a couple steps down the porch.
I inspected Reese’s handful. Pocketknife, an old movie stub, matches, bubblegum-flavored gum, a receipt… I unfolded it, then nodded in satisfaction. Receipts were good. He’d bought milk, nail polish remover, and eggs. Perfect list for a kid running errands for Mum. Last but not least, a crumpled five-dollar bill and… Hm. A hockey trading card.
“The trading card is a bit much, but you pass,” I replied. “You don’t want it to look like you’re trying too hard. Great initiative on the receipt, though. That’s the sort of thing that will build up a profile. Good job. You can clear out the truck.”
“The receipt was River’s idea, but thanks.” He stuffed his pockets again and tore up the trading card on his way back to the truck.
I studied River’s pocket litter next. He also had a small folding knife. A pack of cigarettes. A receipt for just enough gas to stay within town limits for a day—excellent detail. We could find out a lot about people based on how much gas they put in their vehicles. Half-eaten Twizzler, a note that read… I tilted my head and smirked. Pick up Lily at five. Perfect.
“Good job.” I nodded firmly.
“Thank you.” He went to join his brother.
I turned to Danny and raised a brow. Let’s see how you react…
“Show me your pockets,” I requested. “Every knife on you too.”
He wasn’t surprised by the question, just annoyed. “I’m not prepared.”
“You’re supposed to be prepared around the clock. Let me see.” I motioned him closer.
He sighed and walked over to me.
I held out a hand, and he started dropping items into it. Lighter, multi-tool, a $200 folding knife, two batteries, wallet with his driver’s license and approximately four hundred bucks, the bloody Yarborough knife he kept in his belt…
I added my other hand too, because he wasn’t done.
Matches, a utility kit, first aid, fishing line, some quarters, a cell phone, boot knife, a small notebook, and a pen.
He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.
First time I’d seen him mildly embarrassed.
“If you wound up dead, the police would reach out to the nearest Army base,” I said. “Except—they wouldn’t have to, considering you’ve got all your identification on you.” I handed back all his shit, and he dropped his precious Yarborough knife in the process. “That knife alone screams Special Forces.”
Meanwhile, if the police—or an enemy—found River and Reese, dead or alive, they wouldn’t be so quick to figure out their background. They might think River had a little sister or a girlfriend named Lily. They might think Reese was picking up groceries for his mum. No matter what, their first guess would never be that the twins were private military contractors in the making, who sure as hell didn’t have any siblings—or parents, for that matter. As far as I knew, they only had a grandmother they cared for.
“I’ll be back in two hours,” I repeated. “Don’t kill each other.”
