The moment of reprieve passed, and silence fell again for almost twenty minutes. Julie finished her beer and placed the bottle on the chair beside her. She wiped away the small ring of moisture from the arm of her own chair, where she had been resting the cold drink.
“Ray, can I ask you something?” she said.
Collins had been sitting quietly with his eyes closed, resting without sleeping. He opened them, blinking hard to clear his vision. “Go for it.”
“This place we’re going to visit, Mama’s Bakery. How do you know about it again?”
He smiled uncomfortably. “As I said, Jules, we all had a life before the Big G, ya know.”
“Ray…”
He sighed. “Fine. Ya remember Patty?”
Julie’s mind flashed back to Patty Velasquez, standing in the port of Nova Scotia, pointing a gun at them all almost eight months ago.
“How could I forget?” she said dryly.
“Well, ya know me and her were… ya know…”
“Yes…”
“Before I was on the straight and narrow, I worked with her. She was on the up, building her reputation and establishing herself. I was her go-to guy for… well… for things I ain’t all that proud of.”
Julie shrugged. “You were a merc, Ray. It’s okay. We’ve all done questionable things in our time. You’ve put that life behind you, and now you’re with the good guys. It’s admirable.”
“Aye. Well, you ever needed work, you went to see Mama. She was the in to the true underworld. The world Adrian Hell ruled as King before walking away from the life. If Herrera’s assassination was a contract, Mama would know about it. Trust me.”
Louise appeared from behind her curtain. She pointed at the large screen mounted on the wall of the cockpit, which currently showed their flight path.
“Guys, you have a video call coming in,” she said.
They spun in their seats to face the screen as it flickered with static. A moment later, Jericho’s face appeared, looking down into the camera on his phone. The sky behind him and what was visible of his surroundings bounced around as he walked.
“It’s me,” he said. “Where are you?”
“On a plane, flying to New York,” said Julie. “Where are you?”
“In the courtyard of the presidential palace.”
“Well, could you stop walking? You’re making me dizzy.”
He stopped, smiling briefly. “Sorry.”
Julie smiled back. “Thanks. How’s it going?”
“It’s… interesting. Just had a confrontation with the Palugan military.”
“Aren’t ya stuck in there with the Palugan military?” asked Collins.
“Colonel Ramirez is essentially running the part that was loyal to Herrera,” said Jericho. “The people who came knocking are loyal to the general.”
“Ah, got ya.”
“What did they want?” asked Julie, concerned.
“They wanted in. They had orders from the general to relieve us of our post.”
“Sounds like it’s escalating out there. What did you do?”
Jericho shrugged. “I explained his orders don’t mean shit to me. They left to crawl back to their general.”
Julie and Collins both laughed.
“That’s my boy,” said Julie. “How are you holding up?”
“Good… now. We have a lead on the shooter.”
“You do? What? How?”
“There’s a sewer network beneath Maville that leads out to a secluded alcove on the coast. One of the tunnels ran directly beneath the building the shot was fired from. We used our satellites and local surveillance footage and saw a speedboat approaching the tunnel entrance before the shooting. We saw someone with a bag come and go.”
“Can ya ID ’em?” asked Collins.
Jericho shook his head. “No, but we tracked the boat to Uruguay. We’re working to see where the shooter went afterward.”
“That’s great work, Jericho,” said Julie. “Keep me posted.”
“I will.” He spun around and took a seat in the shade on the steps leading up to the palace entrance. “What about you? What’s in New York?”
“Hopefully, a lead of our own,” she explained. “One of Ray’s old contacts from his pre-GlobaTech days was a fixer.”
“Aye,” added Collins. “If this was a professional job, she’ll know.”
“Worth a shot,” said Jericho.
They all fell quiet for a moment. Julie and Jericho looked at each other awkwardly on the screen. Collins noticed and was quick to decipher the silence.
He got to his feet. “Thanks for the update there, Jerry. I’m… ah… I’m just gonna… ya know… stand over there or something.”
He walked to the back of the plane and stepped behind the curtain, where Louise stood working on a laptop. She turned as he appeared, looking confused. He smiled apologetically and gestured to the curtain with this thumb.
“Just giving the two lovebirds a moment of privacy,” he said. “All this shit going on ain’t easy on any of us, but those two have it extra tough.”
Louise smiled back, relaxed. “Aren’t you considerate?”
He shrugged. “I have my moments. I’m not just the devilishly charming, handsome rogue ya see before ya.”
She rolled her eyes. “Have you ever met a woman who likes you as much as you do?”
He laughed. “A few have tried, love. They just can’t handle me.”
She turned away from her laptop to face him. “Is that right?”
“Aye. I reckon you might be able to handle me a bit too much.”
She stepped closer to him, tracing a manicured finger over his lapel. “You know, you handled yourself well before. Not many men stand up for themselves like that. Most are intimidated by me.”
He chuckled awkwardly. “Aye, well, that’s on account of ya being so damn scary, I guess.”
She moved even closer, so they were mere inches apart. In her low heels, she was almost the same height. Their lips were almost touching.
“I kinda liked it when you called me She-Hulk,” she said softly.
Collins eyes widened as a grin crept across his face. “Aye? That right?”
“Mm-hmm.” She glanced at the curtain. “Those two will be a while, right?”
“I reckon so…”
She stepped into him, pressing her lips firmly against his. When they parted, she grabbed a handful of his collar and pushed him back against the restroom door. She reached behind him to open it and navigated them both inside. The door closed to the sound of giggling. Just above it, the ENGAGED sign illuminated.
* * *
“So, basically, we hit a dead end,” said Julie, having just updated Jericho on the investigation into the bullet.
“Damn,” he replied. “Can you believe this? Any of this?”
She shook her head. “It’s a new one for me. Have you spoken with Buchanan?”
“Not since he told me about the U.N. meeting. How’s he holding up?”
“He isn’t. But you know him. He won’t ever admit it.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
He smiled as she gave him the finger.
“Where is he now?” he asked.
“Washington. He’ll be tied up in Senate hearings for the foreseeable. Honestly, these anti-monopoly charges are bullshit. Basically, it means we’re too big to be controlled and they don’t agree with it. I think they want to either disband GlobaTech and split it into several smaller, more manageable companies… or shut us down completely.”
“Can they do that?”
Julie shrugged. “Apparently, they can try. That’s partly why we decided to start in New York. We’re closer to Washington, should Buchanan need us.”
Jericho nodded. “Good idea. What was the alternative?”
“That place in Des Moines where we found Roachford a couple of weeks back.”
“Hmm. Ray’s sounds more hopeful, to be fair.”
“Yeah, I
reckon so.”
There was a long pause.
“How are you doing, Julie?” asked Jericho.
“I’m okay…” she replied a little too quickly.
“Uh-huh. So, how are you doing, Julie?”
She smiled and rolled her eyes. “I’m… I’m fine. I don’t know. What do you want me to say? I’m focused on the job. It’s distracting me from all the personal reasons why I’m not fine, which is about the only good thing to come out of this.”
“I wish I could be there with you.”
“I do too.”
“Is Ray looking out for you?”
Julie smiled. “He is.”
“Where’d he go, anyway?”
Julie glanced over her shoulder, straining to listen over the noise of the plane. She looked back at the screen with a sheepish smile on her face.
“Sounds like he’s apologizing to the stewardess as only he can,” she said.
Jericho laughed. “Christ. What did he do?”
“Oh, I’ll tell you over a beer when all this is over. You’ll love it.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Listen, watch your six out there, okay? The moment you inject politics into a warzone, it gets complicated.”
“Tell me about it,” said Jericho with a sigh. “But we’re good. So far, it’s been about as peaceful as we could hope for. Our guys are sitting tight and keeping to themselves. The general’s taking administrative pot shots from a distance but nothing serious. The colonel and his men are good people. I trust him. We’ll keep the peace as long as we have to, whether the U.N. say it’s our job to or not.”
“Damn right.” Julie cleared her throat, shifting awkwardly in her seat. “Jericho, when all this is over, do you think we could… I don’t know… get away somewhere together?”
“What, like a vacation?”
“Yeah. Just me and you. A quiet beach somewhere. Cocktails. No guns, no work. Just spend some time. I know I need it. I imagine you will after being there. And honestly, I think we need it, y’know?”
Jericho smiled. It was about as warm a smile as he had ever done. “That sounds great, Julie. Honestly. I’m looking forward to it.”
Julie laughed only to hide the tear that formed in the corner of her eye and the emotion that threatened to crack her voice.
“That’s great. That’s… really great. Thank you, Jericho.”
“No need to thank me,” he said. “You’re paying.”
They laughed together as she flipped him off for a second time.
He got to his feet, making the video feed shake once again. “I’d better go. We still have work to do. Keep me posted about New York?”
Julie nodded. “Of course. Be safe.”
“You too.”
He smiled as he clicked off the call. Julie sat back in her chair, trying to ignore the low, muted moans of pleasure coming from the restroom on the other side of the curtain.
She closed her eyes again and smiled to herself.
“Jesus, Ray…”
16
The jet landed at JFK without issue, and a car was waiting for them when they stepped onto the private runway. Collins winked and smiled at Louise as he descended the steps.
The air was crisp without being cold. The night sky was clear. The hustle and noise of the main airport was audible despite their distance. Julie and Collins climbed into the back of the dark gray Suburban. The driver and passenger were both GlobaTech operatives, stationed at one of the facilities in New York.
Without a word, they set off on the thirty-minute drive to Brooklyn. After a few minutes of navigating the slow-moving flow of airport traffic, they turned onto North Conduit Avenue and settled into a steady cruise.
“How’s Jerry doing?” asked Collins. They hadn’t spoken since he had emerged from the restroom as the plane was beginning its descent.
Julie shrugged. “He’s Jericho. Part of him wishes he were here. Part of him relishes being there.”
Collins smiled. “Aye, sounds about right.”
“When all this is over, I think we’re going to take some furlough time and get away somewhere. Just the two of us, y’know.”
Collins smiled again, this time like a proud father. “That sounds grand, Jules. It really does. The pair of ya deserve it, especially after all this shite. Got anywhere in mind?”
She shrugged. “Not thought about it. Any suggestions?”
He thought for a moment. “There’s a lovely spot in Cuba I reckon ya might like. Cheap booze. Good vibes.”
Julie screwed her face up. “Yeah… I was thinking somewhere on the beach. Quiet, secluded…”
“Ah, got ya. In that case, I can’t help ya. Sorry. I like to go where there’s a little atmosphere.”
“I bet.” She shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable. “So, when we get to Mama’s Bakery, is she going to remember you?”
“Are ya kidding?” He feigned offense. “Who can forget me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Let me re-phrase that. Is she going to remember you favorably?”
Collins glanced away sheepishly. “Aye, well… admittedly, that is a whole different story, but yeah—she and I always had a good working relationship.”
“Good. I’d hate to have to deal with another woman from your past trying to kill me.”
Collins sighed. “One time… one time, that happened.”
She smiled to herself and looked out the window, watching the night lights form a thin orange line as they whizzed by.
They entered Brooklyn about twenty minutes later. They turned off Atlantic onto 4th and headed west, all the way down to 36th Street. The traffic was steady but not overwhelming. It took another fifteen minutes to reach their destination.
As they came up on 36 Street Station, Collins leaned through the gap in the front seats and pointed to the right.
“That’s where we wanna be, fellas,” he said. “Drop us anywhere here.”
The driver nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Collins sat back. Julie looked out at the bakery.
“That’s it?” she asked.
“Aye.” He smiled fondly. “Been a long time since I was here.”
“Not what I expected.”
The building was on the corner of 36th and 4th. The entrance had been designed to look like Greek pillars, despite being light gray concrete. A large window faced the sidewalk, showing a display of shelves filled with bread and pastries, lit from beneath by studio lights. There was no movement inside.
Julie checked her watch. “Is this place even open?”
Collins smiled. “Well, I doubt you’ll be able to buy a slice of pie, but if ya here on other business, Mama’s is always open.”
They pulled over to the curb outside the bakery.
“Want us to wait?” asked the driver.
Julie shook her head. “No, we’re good. Thanks. We’ll probably be a while. We got a hotel booked not far from here. We’ll sort ourselves out but might call tomorrow if we need a ride back to the airport.”
The driver nodded. “Not a problem. We’re here to help.”
The two of them got out. The vehicle moved away and was soon lost in the night traffic.
Julie and Collins stood side by side, looking in the window. Behind them, the noise grew as a stream of commuters ascended the subway station steps. They emerged onto the sidewalk as a busy crowd before dispersing in all directions.
“Lead the way, cowboy,” said Julie.
“Aye, follow me,” said Collins. He set off along 36th Street, past the bakery and toward the highway. “Entrance is around back.”
After a couple of hundred feet, they saw the alley on the right, which ran behind the bakery and the building next to it. A streetlamp nearby illuminated part of the path. The ground was covered in trash, despite there being a large dumpster on the left.
Collins walked on and Julie followed. The first door on the right was the service entrance to the bakery. It was painted red, with the logo in gold a
cross it. Empty delivery crates were stacked against the wall beside the lone step.
A few paces beyond was another door, which looked far less maintained. The wood was stained and chipped. The hinges were rusted, and the doorframe was rotten in places.
“This is it,” announced Collins, pausing outside.
Julie frowned. “So, do we knock, or…”
“We do. Just… let me do the talking, okay? She’s a great lady, honestly. A real grand ol’ doll, ya know. But she has trust issues. Ya don’t get to do what she does for as long as she has by letting just anyone through ya door. If she thinks we’re anything besides disreputable contractors, we won’t get a foot over the threshold.”
Julie shrugged. “Fine. Whatever. Do your thing, Ray. Just… y’know… clock’s ticking.”
“Yeah, yeah, all right.”
He cleared his throat, cracked his neck, and composed himself. Then he raised a hand to the door and knocked firmly, twice.
On the second one, the door swung open, gently hitting the wall inside.
Collins and Julie exchanged a confused look and shrugged.
He stepped inside. The air smelled musty, just as he remembered it. The carpet was threadbare; its original color was lost to time. The walls were also discolored and stained, and what remained of their original paint looked like something from the seventies. There were two doorways on the left but no doors. Stairs lay ahead along the right wall.
Julie followed him in and pushed the door closed behind her.
“This place always this untidy?” she asked quietly.
Collins chuckled. “Looks just like it did the last time I was here.”
“Which was… when, exactly?”
“Not sure. Maybe eleven years ago.”
“Christ. You would think she’d hire a cleaner or something.”
Julie stuck her head inside the first room. It was mostly empty, save for a random chair and an upturned table against the far wall.
Collins looked into the second room. It appeared lived in. A torn and stained sofa rested against the near wall, facing an old TV. A coffee table stood in the middle with rings from drinks adorning its surface.
Julie sighed. “If this Mama is as renowned as you say, you would think she could afford to spruce the place up a bit. It looks like a crack den.”
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