>SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE CLARKSBURG, WV
>JUL.19.2019
>1300...///

The old faded red Camaro rolled over hot asphalt, windows  down and music cranked up. The muscle car roared and belched black smoke as it topped a hill, sun flashing off the windshield as it came cruising down the empty road. AC/DC squawked from the ancient speakers thumping and shrieking over the rattling the car made when pushed around a curve too fast. The driver with a cigarette burning between his lips framed by a full brownish beard, his grown out dark blonde hair blown back by the wind. 

Resting his tattooed arm on the door frame, Queen grinned around the smoldering menthol as they made rapid time to Clarksburg, to the location Tex had given them. His white trash persona was in full blast from the old muscle car to his Molly Hatchet t-shirt and can of beer snugged against his crotch as he drove.

Beside him was Ghost, dressed the same as always, brown cargos and dark gray shirt, biceps bulging and testing the seam strength. His red brown beard obscuring his features along with the ball cap and Oakley shades. Their long guns were carefully stashed but both were strapped, not unaware they were bound to find trouble. 

Queen figured they would but for now he enjoyed hauling ass through the West Virginia hills, heading to find this team UMBRA. A bunch of Feds weak on fire power, investigation nerds like himself but they were soft and new. He grinned, glancing at Ghost, "How'd you think they'll like us?"

"I'm sure you'll be everybody's favorite," Ghost grunted. He watched the passing scenery, feigning nonchalance. In reality he was nervous. He hated meeting new people, working with new teams. Teams of [i]normal[/i] people. He hated having to play the chameleon, to try and blend in among the sheep. He was out of practice; with THUNDER it didn't matter. THUNDER already knew he was a wolf. 

The big Operator shifted in his seat, feeling his Glock dig a little. The low slung car wasn't conducive to appendix carry. "You gonna let your dick cause trouble?"  

Queen scoffed, pushing his own sunglasses up as they slid down his nose. "My dick causes good times," he grinned, taking a drag of the Kool then shot a glance at Ghost. He was stone face, more than usual when they were alone. 

He sniffed, trying to lighten the mood of his teammate, "Don't you worry, probably a buncha stuffy academics and stiff neck Feds. You can have me all to yourself."

"Yeah, yeah," Ghost snorted, shaking his head. "I just wanna get this done. You know I'm not big on… interdepartmental cooperation." 

Queen, unable to resist, chuckled as he glanced at the t-shirt pulled tight across the older man's defined chest, "That's the only thing you're not big on. It'll be alright, you'll be the goon to cover their asses and maybe get to kill commies and Nazis in one mission. See, a bright side?"

Ghost gave one of his rare genuine smiles, the gesture taking almost a decade off his weathered face.

"Hard to get any more American than killin' Nazis and communists," he said. "If we can throw in a few Muslims it'll make it a perfect little vacation." 

Queen could see the smile and rather than relax him it made his gut tighten. What was a flippant joke to normal people was reality for Ghost, the display of teeth more shark than man. "Yeah...hey, who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky. Uh...check the GPS, I think the turn off is coming up."

Ghost chuckled again at the thought of scoring the Holy Trinity of kill streaks. He checked the GPS and nodded, his smile fading. 

"It's this one coming up," he said. They were just a few minutes out, and he felt his mirth fade, replaced by the gnawing nerves. 

The neighborhood was run down, faded and peeling, with big mongrel dogs in yards and most cars were a decade old or more. Except one and Queen whistled, "Someone's slumming it. What do you think? Horny housewife or she looking for a score. Probably both."

He gestured to the bright brand new teal Prius then looked at the address of the rundown yellow house it sat outside. "Christ, it's ours. Well...civilians, am I right?"

Queen revved the engine a few times as if to rid himself of the taint of the Prius then spotted a familiar figure on the porch, smoking. 

The Chevy Camaro rumbled to a stop, [url=https://open.spotify.com/track/57bgtoPSgt236HzfBOd8kj?si=5KzrBEn9QbSTBtBOko_NQQ]music cranked up[/url] at white trash levels and parked behind a big Ford truck with Texas plates. 

Ghost dismounted almost immediately, stepping behind and then around the truck. His eyes swept the area, side to side, a quick peek into the Ford before moving on. They finally settled on Donnelley and Ghost approached the porch. 

"Tex," he said, giving him a small nod. He stopped short about ten feet out; this was Donnelley's turf, not his. There was nothing wrong with asking permission before you entered another man's territory. 

Donnelley could feel something in the air change when he heard the car, before he could see it. When it rumbled into view and out hopped Ghost and Queen, he didn’t know whether to be happy or distrusting. Maybe a little of both. Donnelley took a long, slow drag of his cigarette and blew it out, “Ghost.” He returned the nod, and a small smile crept onto his face as he looked Queen up and down, “They give you an inch and you take a fuckin’ mile, boy. I’m surprised y’aint got a goddamn Dixie flag on that hood.”

Queen had none of Ghost's qualms about territory and casually walked towards the house as if belonged there. He flashed a big smile on his bearded face, his grown out hair hanging in lank strands held back as he pushed his sunglasses up. "Hell, you know me, I go just far enough."

He reached to shake Donnelley's hand, pulling him into a quick embrace and he whispered, "I'll keep an eye on Ghost, make sure he don't scare anyone."

“Best keep the other one on your dick, make sure it don’t find itself anywhere we don’t need it, partner.” Donnelley chuckled, giving Queen a few pats on his back before letting him go.

He looked to the door, to Ghost and Queen. His old team meeting the new. His old pack meeting his family in there. If anything popped off, he trusted Queen, and he trusted Dave and Jason to keep them if he couldn’t. He put his hand on the doorknob and twisted, pushing the door open and taking a step through, “Everyone, meet two of our guardian angels.” He said, “This is Queen and Ghost.”

Queen rolled his eyes slightly but the mischievous grin was still on his lips when reminded again of his troublesome dick. He hitched his faded denim vest made from an old jacket over an even older baseball t-shirt with the ridiculous as only a 70s band from Florida could be album artwork emblazoned across his chest. He was right behind Donnelley, leaving Ghost to bring himself along.

Ghost filtered in behind the other two, pulling the door shut behind him. His sheer mass filled the space, especially when compared with Donnelley and Queen. He played his eyes around the room and bolted on a smile, consciously focusing on arresting the tension he seemed to bring into every situation. 

From behind the back of a recliner facing away from the door, Ava tentatively poked her head out. Her bright blue eyes peered out through her large round glasses at the newcomers with a mixture of curiosity and the usual nerves she felt meeting new people. 

Her eyes played over the large, intimidating man behind Donnelley. He looked like a professional soldier, not unlike Jason and though it was hard to make out his face beneath the hat, sunglasses and beard there was a friendly smile on his face. She looked next to the leaner man beside Donnelley, distinctly handsome even beneath his own beard and long hair. She spied the shirt peeking out from beneath his vest and smiled a bit at the absurd, faded art she could make out.

“Um, hi.” She said, lifting her hand in a small wave. She picked up her laptop and set it to the side before standing up and approaching the two men. There was a polite, if slightly nervous smile on her face as she held out her hand for either of them to shake. “I’m Ava, welcome to UMBRA.”

Ghost stepped forward, pushing past Queen before he could say something ridiculous, get distracted, and trap him in a fatal funnel. He took Ava's hand and gave it a gentle shake.

"Ghost," he grunted, trying not to loom and not quite managing it. Behind Ava Dave stepped into view, an almost protective stance to him as the large Operator hovered over her.

Dave extended his own hand and watched as Ghost eyed it, then him, seeming to evaluate him for a few heartbeats. 

"Hey man, I'm Dave. Dave MacCready."

Ghost nodded once and gave his hand a quick squeeze, seemingly dismissing him before moving off to the side and out of the doorway.  

Queen gave a delighted smile when Ava approached, waiting until Ghost rumbled his greetings. His keen eyes watched the subtle interaction, how the man, Dave, instantly hovered over the little redhead. Hell, he would, too. His mind was already turning to how easy it would be to hook Ava's legs over his arms and...

He shook his head and then put his hand out, "I'm Queen. Pleasure to meet you, Ava. Thanks for the welcome."

His eyes glittered with joy and lust which did not fade at the sight of Dave.

Dave's grin almost faltered, first from the swift dismissal he received from Ghost, then at the unnerving light in Queen's gaze.

"Er...Howdy," he said, giving the tattooed man a nod. 

Ava continued to smile as she shook Queen’s hand. “Of course.”

Laine glanced up from the couch where she was still tucked in and working on her own laptop. She stood up, though still dressed in casual black jeans at least she had put on makeup and black form fitting t-shirt. Her dark green eyes scanned over the pair, they certainly looked like men Donnelley would know. 

"I'm Dr Laine," she introduced herself, her husky southern California voice suddenly feeling distinct with the drawling accents of Dave and Donnelley. "I'm with the Bureau, Behavioral Analysis."

She offered her hand towards the lean tattooed man, ignoring his traveling gaze, it wasn't the first time. 

"Howdy, Doc," Queen grinned, his blue gaze licking over her then back to Ava and Dave.
 
She nodded, then shot a glance at Donnelley before turning to Ghost. The man was huge, about Jason's size but older, even with the rich chestnut beard and sunglasses obscuring his face. Laine held her hand out to him, her eyes on her own reflection from his dark tinted Oaklies. Somewhere in a corner of the room, a pair of blue eyes narrowed. Donnelley’s jaw set despite himself.

"Ghost? Thank you for your help, I'm Dr Laine, BAU."

"Behavioral Analysis." There was a hint of genuine interest in Ghost's voice, something he for once didn't have to fake. She was a good looking piece, for one. That helped. But she was also a wizard, and people who dealt with psychology always interested Ghost. She'd bear watching. "Well, I'm just Program. But pleased to meet you. Doctor." 

"Nice to meet you as well, I do profiling serial killers to put it simply," she elaborated, hearing the interest. Laine tilted her head slightly, "No day job?"

Ghost glanced up and caught Tex's eye. He held his gaze, then gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment. The barest tilt of his head. 

"This is my day job." He released her hand and stepped to the side, moving further into the room. 

Pari set down her laptop on the bed and made her way through the safehouse to introduce herself.  Since the earlier morning briefing, she'd applied a touch of makeup at least, but still wore the same jersey and cosy sweatpants. She moved quietly until she came to the front room. Her soft gaze fell on the two newcomers, an incredibly robust looking man - like an absolute bastion of ultra-masculinity. She was reminded of the action heroes of movies - this man would fit right in to them.

Beside him was yet another rugged man. He seemed rougher around the edges, and yet refined at the same time. She glanced to both Laine and Ava, hoping they might catch her too. Another day, another set of muscle through the doors, she thought to herself. Her intuition was trying to tell her something. The two men had intense auras about them, that was for sure.

With a smile, she spoke out into the quiet.  "Hello there,” she announced to the room. “Good afternoon to you both, I'm Parinaaz Bhatt, FBI.” Pari spoke with a nod of her head. “It's nice to meet you both." She reached her hand out to the more refined at first, the larger had seemed to escape through the room to the furthest corner, but she gave him a friendly wave.

Queen dragged his eyes away from Laine's ass as she had turned her back to him and looked up as another female voice was heard. He grinned, arching his brows in interest as certain parts bounced under the basketball jersey. 

"Queen, DEA," he said, deciding to join the normal people giving off their day jobs. It might make him less intimidating and less like the unreadable mass that was Ghost. "[I]Namaste[/], Agent Bhatt. A pleasure for us to join, y'all."

He took her hand to shake, giving it a gentle squeeze, his eyes focused on her dark gaze, "I'm even willing to forgive a Boston jersey."

"Ah," Pari smiled with a twinkle in her eyes as she gave a polite bow of her head. "Namaste Khush Raho, Queen," she chuckled. "As long as you aren't repping the Heat, we'll get along," she added with a laugh and without any real malice to her comment. 

Biting his lower lip slightly Queen looked her over then gave her a sheepish smile, "I live in Miami, you might have to fight me now."

The woman laughed again, this time bringing a hand up to her chest. “You’re funny,” Pari remarked. “Let’s let our teams fight it out though.”


He chuckled, tucking his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans, "We can...care to make it interesting?"

Queen ran his tongue along his back teeth, watching her expression, his pale eyes a shade of something that hovered between blue and green but never lost their sly gleam.

“Oh? Are you talking about a wager?” Pari asked, tilting her head to the side. Her posture relaxed, and she placed a hand on each hip. “Interesting how?”


"That's generally what I mean, a bet," he said, then looked her over, glancing back at Donnelley. "I dunno yet... it'll have to be something. Something you value, yet wouldn't mind losing."

Queen raised his brows at her, then scratched his bearded cheek with his thumb, his smile returning, "What do say, think about it?"

“Hmmm,” Pari mused. She narrowed her eyes and glanced across into the middle distance, thinking about what sort of object would meet the criteria, and eventually she decided it was vague enough for her to be comfortable with it. A smirk played on her lips, and she looked back up at Queen, meeting his eyes with her own - holding her stare confidently against his, noticing the colours that danced around his irises - like seafoam. “You’re on, Queen.” She replied playfully, raising a brow at him as she folded her arms over her chest. “No getting upset when we thrash you though, eh?”

Queen shrugged playfully, then flashed a lascivious grin, "I'm flexible, I don't mind getting thrashed."

Ava jumped as her phone in her back pocket started buzzing silently. She fished it out and gave a quick look at the screen. “Oh, Donnelley.” She said, holding up her phone and pointing to it. “This is the guy.” She said, before sliding her thumb across the screen to answer it. “Hello?” She answered, looking back at Donnelley as she headed for the kitchen so they wouldn’t disturb the others.

In the far corner of the room Jason watched the greeting silently, arms squeezed over his broad chest and leaning against the wall. He eyed Ghost first but was getting distracted with Queen’s flair as he made his way around the room. It didn’t occur to him until then how uncomfortable he felt not being the biggest one in the room. He never consciously recognized it, nor was he one to measure up to anyone in the room, but Ghost’s curtness and bulk had Jason’s back tensing between his shoulder blades. It wasn’t just a size thing, either, but he tried not to dwell on it. 

He rocked himself from the wall and threw his hand out at Queen with his best playing nice smile, “Jimenez. DIA.”

Queen had drifted from the playful conversation with Pari to study the room again, especially without Donnelley bird dogging him. That was until the large handsome Latino man made himself known. 

The smaller man grinned, a flash of interest in his pale eyes as he reached for Jason's hand, "Queen. DEA. Too bad, just one letter off and we could be best friends."

Jason gave a hearty chuckle at the quip. “Seems the only friends you guys can make, anyway.”

His tattooed hand gripped him, giving a short shake and Queen made a quick study of Jason's olive skin and unusual freckles the dark brown eyes that held a wariness he saw more often than not in his line of work. 

Letting go of his hand, Queen hooked his thumbs in his front belt loops, asking, [I]¿Acere, qué bolá?[/I]

Jason cocked his head as he made sense of the dialect, one he wasn’t too familiar with but swore he had heard before. 

“Todo es un [I]revolú, broki[/I],” Jason replied in Puerto Rican slang. “¿y tu, hermoso?”

Queen's grin grew, his sea colored eyes twinkling with delight, "[I]Boriqua! Soy de Florída, mano. [/I]"

He was genuinely tickled by another to speak Spanish with to keep his skills sharp. Queen glanced at Ghost, remembering how he didn't like when he couldn't understand the language. He shrugged, then replied in English, mostly, "It's going much better now."

His keen gaze caught brooding in the man, not that it wasn't appealing in some manner but he felt compelled to reach out to Jason, [I]"Que, paso? La Pinché?"[/I]

“Figured everyone doing this would feel the same,” Jason replied. He glanced at Ghost for a moment, then looked back at Queen. “Agency woes. Get me liquored up and I’ll be your chatty Cathy. Had a close call recently.”

Queen rubbed the new beard growth and cocked an eyebrow, "Yeah, you get used to it or you learn to uh...deal. DIA bullshit? Intriguing, [I]mano[/I]... I'll bring the liquor after we finish our business tonight."

He smiled, his gaze flicking over the big man with a glint of appreciation. "I'm gonna go grab my bag from the car, it's nice to meet you, Jason."


[hr]

Donnelley entered the kitchen, footsteps quiet as if the person on the other end would see him there. A moment after, a smiling Avery traipsed in after him, “What’re we doing?”

“Shut up.” Donnelley shushed Avery, nodding at Ava and then continued looking at her with one part expectation and another part hopefulness.

Ava looked over to him with a frown and a slight shake of her head. “Yes, I know what clearance I am.” She said, glancing away to focus on the phone call. “How can I not be high enough to request the records of a past agent?” She asked, a slightly frustrated note entering her softly spoken voice.

The teeny voice answered and whatever it was they were saying, made her frown deepen and a crease form in her brow. She looked back at Donnelley and shook her head, covering the speaker with her hand. “He’s just spouting a lot of jargon at me and not giving me a straight answer.”

“Let me see it.” Donnelley beckoned for the phone, almost letting the irritation from the person on the other end of the line make him snatch it from Ava’s hand.

“Ma’am, whatever clearance you have is irrelevant. You need to submit the proper forms with the proper signatures-“

“This is Joseph Donnelley, Office of Operations.”

“Uh Huh.”

“I’m the Team Lead on this case. I’m going to put in a formal request with my Case Officer’s signature on it, and if it gets approved, I’m going to find you.” Donnelley seethed, almost unexpectedly feeling a fire being stoked, “You’re on thin ice. And when it breaks, son, I’ll be under it.”

He disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Ava, thankfully having the restraint not to slam it against the counter top. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, eyes screwed shut, “I need me a drink.”

Ava tucked her phone into her back pocket again, frowning up at the man. “I’m sorry that didn’t work.” She said, leaning back against the counter with her arms crossed over her chest. “Do you think going through Foster will get us the information?”

“If there’s one thing the Army taught me it’s that every bureaucratic bullshit problem can be fixed.” Donnelley shrugged and snorted, “Even if you’re sitting at a goddamned Four-Star’s desk by the end of it.”

“Baughman’s files are too important a lead to let die.” He rolled his jaw, shaking his head a bit, “Almost like someone doesn’t want us to see the things.”

Ava arched an eyebrow, her frown deepening with worry. “That can’t be...right? Why would someone do that?” 

Donnelley chuckled, trying to be reassuring after his words put a frown on her face, “Just one of my crackpot theories,” He smiled, “Let’s hope it stays that way. At least we got the BLACKBOX.”

“We did.” Ava said, perking up slightly with a small smile. She glanced over in the direction of the living room and then back at Donnelley, the smile still on her face. “Ghost and Queen seem nice, how long have you known them?” She asked curiously. “And, I’m guessing those are their codenames? Or nicknames?”

“Yep.” He nodded, taking his own look at the living room. Ghost brooding in the corner behind his Oakleys and Queen being Queen and ogling everyone. He looked back at Ava. “Just keep everything professional with them. We ain’t gotta be friends, just work together well enough. You remember all them rumors about Working Groups and Operations Officers kept you up at night?”

He left it unsaid, raising his brows and nodding at the two in the living room, “They’re some of the best at what they do. I’d know, I did it with them.”

Ava’s eyes widened behind her glasses. “Oh.” She said with a downward tilt of her lips and a concerned crease forming between her eyebrows. “Should I...I don’t…Okay.” She said, shifting on her feet as she considered the unspoken insinuation hanging in the air. “I’ll keep that in mind and try to stay out of their way.” She added, folding her arms back over her chest, holding herself as a new wave of nerves fluttered in her chest.

“We’re all in agreement to stay in our lanes. Nobody’s gonna mess with your work.” He nodded and smiled, hopefully reassuring Ava. The last thing he needed was some nerves about teammates fucking things up, “We’ll all get along, trust me.”

“Right, Avery?” He turned to the younger man, still waiting next to the fridge. The other man smiled and held a thumb up.

Ava smiled both at Donnelley and Avery. “Alright, I trust you.” She said to Donnelley, unfolding her arms and bracing them back against the counter she was leaning against. “Speaking of work, since the files didn’t pan out, what can I do next?”

“I’d like it if you researched what you could on the River Valleys Retreat. They have to have some sort of paper trail online if they’re still in operation in the Twenty-First Century.” Donnelley nodded, “You and Queen can try to find out who this Renko guy is. Maybe he’s an asset, maybe he’s an obstacle.”

The redhead nodded. “Right, I can do that. I also fiddled with that back door virus for the Sheriff’s station during the break. Just polished it up so it’ll be more effective when we eventually use it.” She didn’t know where to start tracking down Renko, but maybe Queen would have an idea. She tried to ignore the little anxious twinge she felt to be working with Queen already. [i]It’ll be fine.[/i] She told herself.

She pushed away from the counter and rubbed the back of her neck. “I guess I can get started on that now.” She leaned to the side slightly to see into the living room better, her eyes on Queen for a moment. “Or, maybe after a little lunch? Do you think the others are hungry? Maybe Avery and I can make something or go get some fast food?”

“Oh, do you guys think they have In-N-Out here?” Avery perked up, the Californian showing, “I haven’t had that since…” he frowned and looked off into the corner, “Like, ever.”

“I don’t know?” Ava answered with a curious frown. “We can look it up, but burgers sound really good right now. Worst comes to worse we can get Burger King or McDonalds.” She looked to Donnelley. “What do you think? You think everyone’s stomachs can handle that after last night?” 

Laine was heading to the kitchen to get the two new men a beer when she heard Avery's suggestion.

Poking her head in, she looked sharply at him, "Did you say In N Out Burger?"

She walked quickly to him, "Is there one here? I never thought to look, holy shit. Google it!'

Laine fumbled for her phone, "It's the best thing after a night of drinking." 

“Relax while you can. Me and the boys are goin’ to Benwood tonight.” Donnelley said, folding his arms.

Ava’s grin at Laine’s excitement faded as Donnelley made his announcement; the smile falling to a thoughtful expression. “Already?” She asked, arching her eyebrows in slight surprise. “Well, I’ve got some more information for you about the place, I’ll go print it out.” She said before she exited the kitchen.

Laine glanced up from her phone, her brow furrowing slightly at his announcement. There was not much she could offer other than moral support and taking care of her end of things. Once Ava left, Laine moved over to Donnelley, "Who are you taking?"

“Queen, Ghost,” He pursed his lips in thought, and after a quick bout of consideration, spoke again, “Dave. I’ll leave Jason with you.”

His eye caught on hers for a moment and the quick flashes of memory from Annie’s Diner rose from the back of his mind. He quieted them. He’d been the one fucking her hadn’t he? Not that brooding mound of man. And then he was ashamed to put it in such crude parameters. “He and Avery are an army of two, Huh?”

“Oh, dude, I love that game.” Avery smiled the wider.

“See?” He smirked at Laine.

Laine met his eyes, a slight smile appearing then said, "That's fine, we'll be well protected I'm sure. I've been wanting to pick Jason's brain for awhile, going back to the cabin and what we found. And I want to know what Baughman was up to, his connection to what's in the hills, it'll help us with Dulane."

“Sure will,” Donnelley nodded, “Still got no answers to why he was ever here in the first place.”

He shook his head, a small growl escaping his lips, “Request for the case files got blocked.”

Laine's smile faded and she gave him a puzzled look, "Blocked from us? Why would they do that, we were the team to clean out his apartment and found his cabin and...and his project."

She gave a slight raise of her eyebrows at Donnelley, not wanting to mention the undead Mrs Baughman in front of Avery. "And now they decide cut us out...what can we do?”

Ghost entered the kitchen and gave Donnelley a questioning look. He’d grown tired of standing around awkwardly eyeballing the big Mexican and the redneck and had decided to see if there was food to be had. He squeezed past the other occupants of the kitchen and headed for the refrigerator, leaning down to peruse the contents. 

“Who’s being cut out of what?” He asked. His deep voice carried its habitual edge and he made a conscious effort to relax that, smoothing his basso rumble for Dr. Laine’s benefit. “I only caught the end, sorry.” 

“Bureaucratic bullshit, you know how it is.” Donnelley clucked his tongue and sighed, “Fuckin’ idiot ridin’ a desk wants a signature before he’ll put it in [i]goddamn[/i] consideration. I don’t know how long it’s gonna take to get Foster to sign off on a fuckin’ paper for a ‘maybe.’”

"Hopefully as long as it takes him to realize it would help our investigation," Laine said, then looked over at Ghost in the fridge. "I can make some lunch, there is no need to go out for fast-food, we bought a lot of groceries."

“Gimme the address for his desk,” Ghost said, injecting a hint of humor into the statement. In truth it was only half a joke. He began taking out sandwich materials, closing the fridge with his boot. “So when do we go snatch up that Nazi prick?” 

“Tonight.” He said, smirking at Ghost’s eagerness, “It’ll be you, me, Queen, and Dave. Eat light, ladies, wouldn’t want you gettin’ a cramp.”

Laine glanced between them, narrowing her eyes slightly at the use of ladies as a slur but only said, "So, carbs? Is that what you need?"

“Maybe Tex needs carbs,” Ghost grunted. He began building a sandwich, heavy on the meat. “Protein...That’s what I’m after. If a cramp is what kills me I fucking deserved it.” 

She raised her brow slightly at the layers of ham between the slices of whole wheat bread, watching Ghost take a bite. "Protein, of course. Gotta feed all the muscles around here. Avery bought a bunch of chicken breasts, I'll start there.

[hr]

Once he wrapped up the brief conversation with Jason and people drifted off to go back to work, Queen stepped outside to grab a  smoke and fetch his bags. He stood on the porch, flicking the Bic with a tacky skull and roses printed on it and inhaled the menthol tobacco. Queen took a critical once over of the neighborhood, his dark sunglasses back in place. It was a low income and majority Caucasian block, families with multiple generations living in the houses. They would stand out only because they had no elderly or children but hopefully the neighbors would mind their own business. 

Queen took another drag and turned his attention when the door scraped open.

Ava peaked out of the cracked door for a moment, checking to see if the man she was looking for was out there. The smell of cigarette smoke got to her before she even saw the long haired Queen. She smiled politely as she opened the door and stepped outside. “Hi, um, are you busy?” She asked, shutting the front door so the cigarette smoke didn’t filter into the house.

Queen saw who it was and grinned, his inspecting gaze hidden behind his sunglasses. "Not at all, just burning a little off the end of my life. What can I do for you, Ava?"

He used her name, a reminder he had paid attention when they last spoke, a way of making that personal connection. A simple trick but one often overlooked. 

Ava returned his smile, her glasses darkening as she stood outside in the sunlight. She crossed her arms over her chest and shuffled on her feet for a moment. “Well, Donnelley wanted us to work together on tracking down someone and I just wanted to let you know. And maybe figure out a good place to start.”

Queen raised his brows, Donnelley doing him a solid for putting him with the cute ginger. "So you're the one that found Jay and his buddies? T... Donnelley mentioned that, hell of a nice job. Jay's a nice juicy peach of intel."

“Oh, yeah,” She said, her smile turning a bit shy as her cheeks flushed. “Thank you, I couldn’t have done it without the others.” 

"Sure, sure," Queen said, flicking his ashes. "Someone had to bring you coffee."

He chuckled, then looked at her, enjoying the sight of the blush under the freckles. The grin turned slightly wolfish, "You have to tell me how you did it, I'm always looking for new tricks."

She blushed a little more and rubbed the back of her neck with a nervous chuckle bubbling out of her chest. “I’d be happy to later.” She cleared her throat, trying to will the heat away from her face. “I hear you have intel gathering skills of your own though?”

Queen could see she was shy, self conscious and it made him want to scoop her up and put her on his knee. Instead he glanced down, pinching his cigarette in a classic Eastern Bloc manner as he thought on an answer.  He nodded, then said, "I do, it's my little niche in THUNDER. I'm a DEA undercover agent when I'm not moonlighting with the Program. Finding people and the naughty things they do and catching them doing it is my specialty."

He met her gaze through the sunglasses, just making out the blue under dark glass."Computers or leg work, whatever it takes, y'know. But I'm curious, what part of the alphabet soup did they pull you out of?"

“CIA.” Ava answered with a smile, her eyes widening slightly between her darkened glasses to learn he was an undercover agent. “I’m technically a contractor for Booz-Allen, but I don’t think the Program will let my contract expire any time soon.” She said with a light chuckle. “I, uh, like your shirt by the way.” She said, pointing to the absurd art on his baseball tee. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s great.”

Queen whistled, then grinned widely, "You're a spooky spook, I kinda like it. You're much better looking than most of the agents. But don't tell Donnelley I said that. He likes to think he's the prettiest ginger."

The blush returned to her cheeks at the compliment and she gently tugged her necklace out from beneath her shirt. “Ah, well, thank you.” She said, nervously fiddling with her pendant as she glanced down.

He gave a playful flick of the cigarette before taking a deep drag, letting out a stream of smoke as Ava pointed out his shirt. Her own shirt was of the same baseball three quarter sleeve variety only with pink sleeves and a cartoon turtle who seemed quite pleased with himself. 

Queen glanced down, in the open denim vest was the vintage tour shirt from one of the local rock heroes. "That's Molly Hatchet!" He exclaimed, tugging open the vest, proudly displaying the bizarre barbarian like figure emblazoned across his lean hard chest. "Have you heard them before?"

“Uh, no, I haven’t.” Ava said with a guilty frown and a helpless shrug, her flustered reaction from the compliment fading as the topic changed. “I’m sorry. I like the art though, very He-Man.” She added with a small smile. “What kind of music do they play?” She asked, now genuinely curious.

Queen laughed then snuffed out the cigarette in the ashtray next to the chair before pulling out his phone. "Just done good ole Southern rock and roll He Man music. Hold on, for your first experience I need to do this right."

He scrolled through his Spotify before finding the song then asked, "Come over to the car, it actually has nice speakers."

Queen started walking then paused mid stride, turning to look at her, his expression holding somewhere between amusement and challenge, "If you're down with it, Ava."

Ava blinked and tilted her head to the side. “I don’t mind, I’m curious about what kind of music goes with that album art.” She said, stepping down off the porch. She looked up and down the street as she put distance between herself and the safety of the house behind them. It was the middle of the day though, no one would go shooting up their temporary home and base of operations...Right?

She continued to fiddle with her necklace.

Queen waited for her, noting the little nervous gestures and smiled to himself. She reminded him of highschool and college, shy girls that still craved attention but could not be themselves to initiate. He opened the passenger side, hold it as she slipped into the old borrowed Camaro. After a glance at her ass as she got in, he closed the door and quickly got into the driver's seat, putting the key so he could lower the windows. 

"Alright, ignore the mess we were drivin' all night," he said, taking a beer can from the console and chucked it in the back. Queen glanced over at her, amused at how far back she was, Ghost used all the leg room he could get. 

"Hatchet is one of Florida's native sons, along with yours truly. Check it out," Queen hooked up the Bluetooth, then played the classic hit "Flirting with Disaster." https://youtu.be/_K_-D5B7DIg

He leaned back, his arm going up onto the back of the bucket seat Ava sat in, watching her as the song came on in all in its to the twangy, gravelly voice and guitar glory. Queen was genuinely curious at her reaction, she certainly wasn't southern nor seemed the classic rock type. His gaze traced her features, lingering on the cute pink lips and that lead him down other paths of thought.

Ava glanced around at the inside of the car, ignoring the mess and the faint smell of beer, cigarettes and hours old fast food. Well, not completely ignored it, but she was more interested in the dashboard and interior. The radio was new, but other than that the dashboard looked like the original and she grinned at how purely 80s it looked.

The music came on and Ava was bracing herself to dislike it, but was pleasantly surprised by the liveliness of the music. She smiled as the vocalist started to sing and she picked up the opening lyrics. “I like it!” She laughed, clapping her hands together as she looked at him, a little spark of mirth in her deep blue eyes. “It's perfectly fitting for this car. This is a 1985 Iroc Z right? These cars were made for going fast.”

Queen grinned crookedly, leaning in as his arm draped casually over the headrest of her seat and met her gaze. “Hell yeah, I like a girl that knows her cars and quality music when you hear it. And yes, it does fit the car. It fits me, don’t you think?”

His pale eyes showed more blue in the sunlight, a similar shade to the faded denim vest he wore as he searched her eyes. Queen laid a hand on the steering wheel, the wiry muscles moving under the heavily tattooed skin as he gripped the leather covering. “We should take a spin, see how fast you wanna go.” 

Ava blinked rapidly at him, nerves curling in her chest as he leaned in close, her mind flashing back to the words of warning Donnelley spoke to her. The space of the car suddenly felt too small, especially with his arm stretched out by her head. Her heart started to beat faster and her face pulled into a distressed expression, with wide eyes and paling skin, as anxiety from having such unfamiliar and intense focus on her kicked in. 

“Uh, no, no thank you.” She said, her voice shaking slightly as she reached for the car door handle behind her. It took her a moment to find it and push the door open as quickly as she could. “I-I have things to do. For the case.” 

Queen flinched back when she suddenly changed from enjoying herself to anxious. He furrowed his brow but made no move to reach for her or call her back. “Alright, I’m gonna burn another and bring my bag in. We can talk later about what Donnelley wants us to find.” 
 
He leaned back in the driver’s seat, reaching for the pack of Kools  and watched her, giving her a placid smile. 

“I-It’s alright, I’ve got it handled!” Ava said as she slid out of the car and quickly walked back toward the house, her arms wrapped tightly around herself and head ducked down; her long curly red hair twitching in the summer breeze. “Thank you!”

"Jesus fucking Christ," he muttered, lighting his cigarette clamped between his teeth before turning the car off and getting out.

He was reminded suddenly of the girls from St Anne's Catholic school in Jacksonville that he and his high school buddies from Finegan High would try and pick up. Those girls were always skittish, the temptation of sin outweighed by the threat of damnation for young Billy Patrick putting his hand under a plaid skirt. But that was half the fun, wasn't it? 

He watched her go through the door and sighed, blowing smoke through his nostrils. Queen pulled the duffel bag from the back of the car and slung it over his back, his thoughts moving in the direction of Jay and his neo Nazis shithead friends.

Queen reentered the Safehouse, spotting Donnelley in the kitchen and he called out, "So where ya boys gonna bunk?"

“There’s a door marked ‘Boys’ over there.” Donnelley’s voice from the kitchen. “Mine’s the one that says ‘Men.’”

"Thank you, Daddy," Queen called out playfully, then went to claim a bed. 

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Donnelley stepped out of the kitchen and smiled at Queen, his voice calling him Daddy bringing something out in him, “We’re goin’ out on the town tonight.”

Queen caught his eye, a mischievous smile touched his lips. "Time for our kinda party? Who's the special guest, does it start and end with a Jay."

Donnelley gave a wink, “Best believe.”

[hr]

>1415

A large pot of water on the stove and a variety of vegetables laid out on the cutting board marked the start of the process of making a late lunch/early dinner for the team. A duty Laine had taken on herself since the first safehouse. It was nice to cook for others, more than what needed to go on her lone plate. She caught sight of Donnelley coming back into the kitchen and asked, "Are you busy, I could use your knife skills."

Donnelley smiled at the opportunity to cook with Laine. Cooking and being in the kitchen had become a recurring theme in his life, it seemed. He wasn’t about to complain, lord knew if there was a time to play pretend and be domestic for a couple hours, it was now. They’d be running and gunning in short while. He pushed those thoughts away as he took the knife in a practiced chef’s grip.

“Sliced, diced, julienned,” Donnelley smirked at her as he stepped up to the cutting board, “What you need?”

"Onions and red pepper diced, carrots julienned, and the rest sliced," she said, setting out a couple of zucchinis and yellow squash, a head of broccoli. "We're getting all the vitamins."

Laine rolled a lemon over the counter, her palm pressing it. "The chicken should have been marinated but I got drunk. So I'll cook it with sauce."

She smiled a bit as he chopped, reminded of the time they spent together not a few days ago. "So, these two... friends of yours, they seem interesting. How long have you known them?"

“First mission together was 2016. Went to some third world toilet bowl and wagged our trigger fingers at some bad guys.” Donnelley chuckled, “We did not like each other one bit at first. Team Lead was an asshole, and uh… well, you know me.” He gave a smirking glance at Laine.

"You were the new asshole," she responded, the little smile now crooked. "But you ended up getting along with them, with your team leader? Or was UMBRA your way out?"

“I found some common ground.” Donnelley shrugged, remembering the nights with Queen and earning Ghost’s respect, bonding with Maui over family, “When Foster was lookin’ to start up a new team at his higher-up’s request, there was only one person he could find who wanted to step up.”

He looked at Laine and winked, “Moi.”

“Queen’s nice. Been a real good friend to me for a long time. I keep those close in this line of work.” He smiled, without really trying to, “Ghost, he’s good at what he does. Other’n that? I never knew much about him outside of it. Somethin’ ‘bout him makes you not wanna ask.”

He shook his head, “But, even then, he’s one of the few people I’d trust at my back when the chips’re down. Just gotta make him want to be at your back.” He nodded, “Back then, it was THUNDER against the world. Nothin’ else mattered outside of that.”

She whisked the lemon and melted butter, listening to him and watching his expressions. The description of Ghost caught her attention and she stored the information. "And now you've gone from carefree cowboy bachelor to family man."

Laine gestured in a vague circle to indicate UMBRA, then spoke softly, "Daddy..."

She chuckled, recalling Queen teasing earlier about the rooms.

Donnelley’s smirk turned to a devious little grin at Laine. He looked over at her and let his eyes roam freely for a few seconds, lip bitten, “Has its perks.”

Laine gave him a smoldering look before taking the bowl of sauce and chicken to cook together in a skillet. She washed her hands and went over to him, the urge to steal a kiss unhidden in her green eyes. "I bet it does, boss," she said.

He looked into her emerald eyes and what he found there was in his blue eyes too. He cast a glance around to see if anyone was watching and quickly wrapped his lips in hers, “It’s ‘Sir.’” He corrected cheekily as he pulled away.

Laine bit her lip slightly, savoring the illicit kiss and said, "Yes, sir ..."

She trailed off so she could check the blue flame under the pot of water, adjusting it. Laine felt herself warming after that exchange and rolled her eyes, there would be no time or place in the crowded Safehouse for anything more than the stolen kiss. 

"Where are you taking Jay and whoever else you pick up?" Laine asked, forcing herself to get away from the stray thoughts his single bedroom.

Donnelley glued his eyes to her ass as she turned away from him, thoughts of sneaking off somehow flooding his mind, memories of her naked body. “We, uh,” Donnelley shook his head and went back to slicing and dicing, “We gotta find some place to interrogate them. Give that asshole a reason to switch for us.”

"Some seedy motel room?" She suggested, turning back to help him finish the vegetables. Her eyes met his briefly and she added quickly, "For an interrogation. Those places that might be used to ignoring noises."

“Five guys go into a hotel room and then the gruntin’ and yellin’ starts.” Donnelley chuckled and shook his head, knowing what Queen would say, “Perfect deniability. You’re gettin’ good at this.”

Laine laughed, then she shrugged, "I'm trying to get into that sort of headspace, scratching out any sort of SOP I'm used to."

[hr] 

>1415

After the brief conversation with Donnelley, Queen entered the men's bedroom, a cramped affair that had four grown men pushed into a room made for one adult or at most a pair of children. He picked the unoccupied bed under the window, easier for him to smoke out of and left the bed facing the door for Ghost. The other two on opposite sides were clearly slept in, except one was made in the neat manner of a military man and the other by civilian. 

Queen left his bag on the bed, but not before taking his drug stash and tucking it into a vest pocket, buttoning it closed. He didn't trust that the other men might not be Nosy Nellie's and poke around his bags. His green pack of Kools and disposable lighter went into the other. 

Stepping out of the room, he closed the door and looked into the open room and spotted Ava working on her laptop. He stayed in the hall, debating for a moment on leaving it alone but he didn't like how she had been made anxious by him and it might affect their work. 

"Hey, there," he said, his sunglasses now dangling from the pocket with the cigarettes. He put his forearm against the door jam but went no further. "Watcha working on?"

Ava gave a small start at the voice from the doorway.She was seated on her bed, pillows stacked behind her back as she leaned back against the wall with her laptop balanced on the cat plushie Laine had gotten her in her lap. “Um, hey.” She said, her voice small and tinged with warriness. “I’m just getting ready to look into the Rivers Valley Retreat. Donnelley wanted me to look into that along with, uh, the other thing I told you about.”

Queen nodded, clearing his throat, "Look, uh...I wanna apologize if I made you feel upset or anxious. It wasn't intentional, Ava. I just got carried away, you're fun to talk to."

“Oh,” She straightened up slightly, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. “Thank you Queen, I appreciate that. I’m just not used to things like...that and it felt very sudden.” She reached up to rub the back of her neck, tilting her head to the side with a wine. “Though, looking back, there were some pretty obvious signs leading up to it I didn’t notice. So I guess I accidentally lead you on?” 

Queen furrowed his brow, a puzzled expression that faded slightly into a smile. "Signs that I think you're cute and smart? Nah, you didn't lead me on, I made a move too fast, it wasn't cool. No hard feelings on my end. Hopefully, you can forgive me."

Her lips turned up slightly in a half smile. “I can.” She motioned to her laptop. “Especially if we’re going to find this guy. All I have right now is a name to work off of, Renko. With Jay I had his entire arrest record as a starting point.” She said, looking to her laptop with a frown as she rubbed her hand over her chin, her index finger rubbing her lips for a moment. “This is more of a challenge.”

"Renko? Hmm, sounds a little Ruskie to me," Queen said, leaning against the door frame. "Might start with prison nicknames if you haven't done that yet. Or known Russian mob aliases. DEA or FBI has database would have those records. I could help, if you want?"

“Ooh, that’s a good idea.” Ava said with a grin. “Sure, I’d love help on this.” She cleared her throat. “Especially since you’re DEA and that way I don’t have to go...borrowing the information from them without permission.” She said with a sheepish smile and a small shrug. 

He chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement and interest. "Is that how you found our boy, Jay? Poking around in Fed files?"

“Whaaat? Noooo.” She said slowly, looking down at her cat pillow and wiggling one of the stumpy paws. “I’m just an IT nerd that likes cute turtle shirts and cat plushies.”

Queen grinned, his teeth grazing his lower lip slightly. "Yeah, right, you're completely harmless and soft. "

He winked playfully, "Just a little angel on our shoulders, leading us to the bad guys."

She laughed, rubbing her hands together. “I do what I can.” She smiled. “So, uh, when do you want to work on this?”

"I have time now, a little bit," Queen said, checking his phone. "I could put in a request, I brought my work laptop. It's back in the room...uh, shit Donnelley is gonna want to brief me soon."

He scratched his beard thoughtfully, "I can at least get that done before prepping for the raid. If it gets a hit, then I'll reach out to some contacts I have that specialize in Russian mob."

Out of sudden curiosity, he swiped his phone open and typed in "Renko". "Huh," he said, furrowing his brow. "Try Googling Renko, it's a word for a Japanese financial chart."
 
“If this whole Renko thing turns out to be code for their finances, I’m going to be annoyed.” Ava said with a snort. “I doubt it, due to the context of the emails I read, but I guess anything is possible.” She adjusted the glasses on her face as they started to slip down her nose. “But, that’d be great. You do that and I’ll have the fun job of sifting through the area’s local social media.” She said, glancing suspiciously at her laptop. “I’m bracing myself for a lot of backwoods memes.”

"What was the context?" he asked, tucking his phone away.

“Oh, right, sorry.” She said with a frown and a shake of her head. “Renko is someone that Jay and the Russians hate about as much as us. He’s some kind of nuisance to them but why was never specified in the emails.” She scratched her head. “He must have some weight behind him that they’re afraid of or something since they haven't killed him yet. Or maybe he’s in hiding. Appalachia is a big place.” 

Queen thought it over, the playfulness finally stilled in his eyes. "Some kind of problem they can't just kill off. Probably local, prominent or connected to someone who they can't afford to piss off. You tell the FBIs about him?"

“Laine and Pari? Yeah they know.” She nodded, frowning in thought and leaning back against the pillows. “We were actually theorizing the same thing about the killer that brought us here. Since he’s bringing all this attention to Blackriver that they don’t want but for some reason they aren’t doing anything about it.”

She looked over at him with furrowed brows. “You don’t suppose that Renko might be the name of the killer?”

"There's a chance, sure. Hell, it's not my specialty and I'm not completely up to date on all the details but it's definitely making my Spidey senses tingle. If it is him, we'll be killing two birds with one stone. But we gotta find him first," Queen said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Picking up Jay hopefully will lead us to him."

“Definitely.” Ava agreed. “Especially if you bring me any of his electronics. The federal database is a good place to start, but it’s hard to beat information straight from the source.”

Queen grinned again, "I'll be sure to grab all phones and hard drives I can find. That's my usual job anyway, after we clear out the bad guys. You get first dibs."

She returned his grin with a smile. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” She said, glancing at her laptop for a moment. “Can I ask something? It’s unrelated to work but I’ve been curious since you introduced yourself.” She said, looking back over to him.

He stood up straighter, then nodded the grin fading to a small smile under his beard, "Sure, anything."

“Why do they call you Queen?” She asked curiously. 

Queen snickered and rubbed a hand over his hair, "It's because I rule."

She grinned and nodded her head slightly at him. “Fair enough. Do you also slay?”

Hooking his thumb on his belt loop, Queen raised his eyebrow  playfully, "Everyday, baby."

Ava chuckled, brushing a stray red curl behind her ear. “Good.” She said, stretching her arms out in front of her for a moment before picking up her laptop and the plushie to set to the side. “Here, I’ve printed up all the info I found about Jay and the residence.” She said, standing up and opening the drawer in the night stand by her bed; inside an orange pill bottle rattled around. She pulled out a manilla folder and shut the drawer, holding the folder out to him. “Since you’re the Intel guy for THUNDER, you might be able to make the best use of this.”

He watched her unobtrusively, noting the cute tight ass when she bent over her night stand. Queen could not miss the sound of pills but from his vantage point at the doorway he could not see what kind. He straightened up when Ava approached, the folder held out. 

"Appreciate it," Queen said, forcing himself not to look her over as she got closer. He took the file and flipped it open, his cheerful expression turning studious. "Hmm, buncha good old boys turned extreme racists, running drugs and guns. Just my favorite type of idiot, I'm going to enjoy us ruining their night."

“Me too, that bastard shot at us.” Ava said with a frown. “Shot Dave twice and got me in the stomach so this is my payback.” 

"Well, we'll definitely enjoy it a little more," he said, a bemused smile trying to emerge but he glanced down, tucking the folder under his arm. 

“Um, sorry.” She smiled nervously. “I guess I should have asked how up to speed you are on everything.”

"It's no problem, that's what briefings are for. But it's nice to get a headstart," Queen replied, then looked at her, sensing her nervousness, "So... we're ok, right?"

Ava smiled a bit more easily and nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” She bit her lip for a moment before saying, slowly, “Um, just for the sake of honesty, I’m not really... looking for anything, right now.”

Queen nodded, sighing softly before flashing her a smile, "No problem, I appreciate it. I'd be lying if I didn't admit disappointment but thank you for your honesty."

“Of course.” She smiled again, feeling relieved he understood and took it well. “I think we’ll work well together though, for however long you and Ghost are around.”

Dave rounded the corner into the hallway, a spring in his step as he headed for the men’s bunk. Word that he was supposed to go out with Donnelley and his buddies had finally reached him, and his nerves were singing with anticipation. With hours to go and nothing to do, he’d decided that the best way to spend his downtime (and keep himself sane) was to check on his gear. 

He pulled up short when he spotted Queen leaning against the doorway to the women’s room, coming to a slow stop. The flamboyant man had struck him as a bit friendlier than the hulking Ghost, and Dave gave him a tentative smile. 

“Hey, man, what’s up?” he said, nodding. He walked over and peeked around the corner, visibly brightening when he spotted Ava. “Oh, hey sugar! They already got you busy?” 

“Hi Dave.” Ava beamed as his handsome scruffy face appeared in the doorway. “Yeah, you know how it goes. Good work begets more work.” 

Queen glanced over as Dave approached, giving him a brief once over then smiled, noting the reaction and nickname. "She gave me some homework to brush up on about this asshole, Jay. Said y'all both got shot. I'm sure you're looking forward to getting your hands on him. And thanks to our guiding angel here, we'll get the chance."

He winked at Ava and tapped Dave in the chest with the file before stepping back out of the doorway.

Daves smile became slightly strained when Queen tapped him with the file, then returned to normal. “Yeah, my vest stopped the one, other hit me in the arm. Ain’t a big deal.” He looked over at Ava and his voice grew serious. “Gonna get that motherfucker for shootin’ you, though. Don’t worry ‘bout that.” 

“I appreciate it Dave, but please be careful.” She said with a frown of genuine concern, looking at him and then to Queen. “All of you. Jay might be some backwoods gun runner, but who knows what else he might have from dealing with these Russians.”

Queen nodded and looked down at the tattooed marks on his knuckles before glancing at Dave then back to Ava, "It won't be my first time going up against the [I]vor v zakone[/I]. The Bratva we're facing don't fuck around, but with luck we'll surprise Jay and his boys before they can call their friends. This is what our team does. This why Donnelley wanted us here."

“Well, I’ll do my best to keep up,” Dave said. “I ain’t what you’d call a professional, but… I did okay in the last big throwdown they brung our way.” He paused. “Hope there ain’t any civilians there. I don’t want anybody hurt who don’t deserve it. Wouldn’t sit well with me.” 

Queen raised his brows, "Jay ain't exactly dressed like the Waffen SS. We'll do our best to apprehend the ones on the list, if anyone tried to stop us...well, they stop being neutral, don't they?"

Dave shrugged. His earlier discomfort was gone, replaced by steely resolve. “If they ain’t armed, I ain’t doin’ more than buttstrokin’ ‘em. Ain’t like an unarmed man is that hard to take down, ‘specially for somebody like Ghost.” He grinned. “You scared of a scrap?” 

Queen faced Dave, his pale eyes scanning over his posture, his expression then he grinned slyly, "I'm not opposed to some buttstroking from you."

Ava’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly as she stared at Queen, stunned. She then shifted her gaze to Dave to see his reaction.

Dave blinked, his mind slowing down as he processed the statement. Then his eyes widened. 

“Oh. Oh!” He shook his head. “I uh... Nah, man. I’m good.” 

Queen chuckled at both of them, almost an impish giggle as he crossed back into the men's bedroom. He sat on his bed, thumbing through the folder Ava had given them.

Ava peaked out the doorway to look at the men’s room as Queen disappeared inside. She looked up at Dave. “If it makes you feel better, he was pretty forward with me too.” She said with a small shrug.

Dave’s eyebrows furrowed and he glanced over his shoulder. 

“Huh.” He grunted. “Well...I guess…” He sighed. “I dunno what I guess. I still ain’t got a read on these guys. Seems, uh… Pretty talkative though, huh? On the friendly side?” 

“He’s definitely friendly.” She agreed, scratching her head as she stepped back over to her bed. “But, he’s funny and he knows his stuff about intel gathering. He’s going to help me with tracking down Renko and already gave me some ideas and will be able to access to the DEA database.” She sat down on the bed and pulled her plushie back on her lap then put her laptop on top of it.

"Well that's good," Dave said. "I guess I'll leave you to it. I gotta get my gear ready so we can go get that bastard. Keep doin' what you're doin'!"

He gave her a wave and a final smile and headed for the men's bunk.  

Queen clocked Dave's entrance but continued reading, starting up a little whistling tune as he did. He sat back on his bed, against the wall under the window, his gear beside him.

Dave crossed to his rack and sat, picking up his gear from its place by the head of the bed. He turned the SLR over in his hands, checking the sights, pulling the magazine and checking the chamber before reseating it. He handled the AK variant with easy familiarity, clearly comfortable with the model. 

"So uh," he began, glancing briefly at Queen. "Sorry if I came across a little… You know. If you're into dudes or whatever that's cool, just wasn't expectin' it." 

Queen snorted and laughed, glancing over at the other man. "I'm into all sorts of things," he said, tapping the papers together, a grin growing under his beard. 

He set the folder aside and clasped his hands in his lap. "But I should be apologizing to you, it was only a joke because you set me up so well. I couldn't resist. The look on your face though..."

Queen chuckled, then shrugged, looking over at Dave with an enigmatic expression.

Dave nodded along, continuing to fiddle with his rifle until Queen fell silent. As the pause lengthened he looked up at the other man, frowning a little. "What?" He asked. 

Queen glanced up, "I understand why you were trying to make us...well me, look bad. She's very sweet. But I couldn't let that go...'buttstroke'."

He snickered to himself, studying the pictures of the suspects.

Dave's frown deepened and he lowered the rifle. "Look hoss, I ain't tryin' to make anybody look bad. That was just a joke. Sorry if you felt that way. The way you was talkin' in there with everybody I thought maybe you're just a kidder."  

Queen furrowed his brow, looking at him. "I'm quite the kidder, the word is funny but you weren't joking about the civilians and what might happen if they're caught up. How long have you been in the Program?"

"Well no, that bit I wasn't jokin' about, just the bein' scared of a scrap part. But I've said the same thing to Donnelley," Dave said. "This is my second round with UMBRA. He already knows I ain't hurtin' innocent people. I'll pack my shit and go home first."  

He nodded, then replied in a passable imitation of Dave's accent, "Well, I ain't as big as y'all but I've been scrappin' all my life. I ain't afeared."

Switching back to his Florida drawl he naturally spoke with, "Second run? Well...we were all innocent once."

He went back to attempting to memorize features of the suspects. 

"Yeah, run your mouth," Dave grumbled, looking over his plate carrier. Satisfied that it was in order, he left it and the rifle sitting on his bed as he stood to leave. He paused in the doorway. "I've already shown I can hang. Donnelley wouldn't be bringin' me along if I couldn't. But...Man, if you ain't in this to help people, why the fuck even bother with it?"

He shook his head and then left heading down the hallway for the back door. 

"I trust Donnelley," Queen said, but to the rest he did not have an answer. Maybe once he did, a conviction against the darkness, the fight for another sunrise. Hell, he used to fight the war on drugs unironically. He watched him leave and waited a few moments before getting up to shut the door and then dug out his stash. 

Queen saved the cocaine for later but popped a couple of Oxys, reminding himself to raid the kitchen for some coffee filters to wash his opioids.