CHAPTER NINE
Chaz:
Pete Laskin leaned over his laptop, thick bangs tousled on his forehead, his pale skin blue from the monitora€?s glow. He cleared his throat, typed in a few more keys, long fingers looking almost ghostly as they flew in a blur. He glanced over at me, dark circles beneath haunted eyes.
a€?Wherea€?d ya gets this?a€? he asked.
We both focused on the marker, still inside the plastic bag.
I shrugged.
He shook his head, then leaned back. a€?No, man. You gots ta tell me. I gotsa€”I mean, this herea€”wea€?s in way too deep here.a€?
I peered over his narrow shoulders, tried to figure out what all the numbers on his screen meant.
a€?Look, Chaz. I promises I wona€?t tells nobody, but you gots to be honest with me.a€?
a€?I took it off one of the Stringers,a€? I said finally.
a€?It was your Newbie, wasna€?t it?a€?
I just stared at him. The less he knew, the safer he was.
a€?This herea€?s a government job, boss.a€?
I frowned. a€?What do you mean? Since when does the government put markers in Stringers?a€?
a€?Is she in there?a€? he asked, gesturing toward Angeliquea€?s room. The door was closed.
Outside, New Orleans fought against the inevitable. Fringes of black clung to the horizon, stale fluorescent light sputtered from spindly streetlights, and a steamy haze hung over the broken skyline. Somewhere in the invisible distance daylight crouched, like a golden panther ready to leap across the heavens.
Angelique would be waking up soon.
I nodded. I didna€?t say anything but I couldna€?t help wondering how he knew my Newbie was a woman.
Petea€?s mouth slid into a short-lived, sardonic grin. a€?Okay, so you dona€?t wants to talk about your current assignment, but it seems likes somebody is pretty interested in her. Or him. Or whoever they was before they jumped.a€?
a€?We were followed last night.a€? I took a sip of coffee, glanced at Pete from the corner of my eye. Wea€?d been best friends since we were nine, but I still wasna€?t sure how much I should tell him.
I could almost see the gears shifting in his blue eyes, thoughts processing through the motherboard in his brain. a€?Has you been tailed before?a€?
I shook my head.
Just then I realized that Pete wasna€?t looking at me anymore. He was staring at something behind me. I turned and saw Angelique standing in the doorway, wearing a T-shirt that barely covered her thighs. Her long hair hung in a Rapunzel tangle, a glittering mass of gold and silver. Somehow she was even more beautiful without makeup. She yawned.
a€?Do I smell coffee?a€? she asked.
a€?In the kitchen.a€? I pointed toward a short hallway.
She ambled away on long sinuous legs. Poetry in slow motion.
Pete raised his eyebrows. a€?Man, I dona€?t ever wants to hear you complaining abouts your job again,a€? he whispered.
a€?Ita€?s not what you think.a€?
a€?Trust me,a€? he said as he stood up. a€?You gots no idea what Ia€?m thinking. And you should probably puts that thing away.a€? He gestured toward the marker. a€?My opinion is ya gots ta tell Russell. Forget about all the crap you two gots going on in your personal life for a few minutes and deals with this.a€?
He paused at the door, ready to leave, laptop folded up like a sheet of paper and tucked into his shirt pocket. a€?I dona€?t wanna scares you, boss, but that thing is trouble. The governmenta€?s been wanting to gets their paws on your company for ages.a€? He lowered his voice, forcing me to lean closer to hear him. a€?And it looks like they finally gots a way to do it.a€?