The Barter System Companion: Volume One

by Shayne McClendon

  She hadn't been able to put herself first and she’d paid for her weakness again and again. As of today, she learned the lesson.

  A child wasn’t going to pay for her mistakes.

  This baby was more important than the false promises he made her, bigger than the I love yous that fell from his lips while he deliberately hurt her, and stronger than his efforts to get her back in his bed every time he was caught.

  His bed was too crowded. It was time for him to get the hell out because she had an entire list in her head of things to do.

  Like packing his shit.

  Lateral Move

  West Africa - June 2010

  Leonard Keir tried to relax. Having the woman who handled their inventory sucking his cock wasn’t helping. He was exhausted and there was a buzzing in the back of his brain making him nauseous.

  After a double rap on his door, it swung wide and Sylvia Truing leaned against the frame with her arms crossed. “Concussion, idiot!” She gave a sharp whistle and the woman between his legs released him with a pop. “Dress. Get out. He needs a medic.”

  “You’re such a bitch, Sylvia. He’s fine.”

  The blonde sighed heavily, pushed herself away from the door, and approached the bed. Reaching down, she grabbed a fistful of his date’s hair and hauled her screaming to her pile of clothing.

  “When I give an order, I don’t give a single fuck if you have nice tits. Dress and leave or I toss you naked into the hall.” Standing between the end of the bed and the woman, she went to attention and waited. “Five.”

  “I can see why they call you Valkyrie. Weren’t they man-haters and shit?”

  “Four.”

  “Give me a break, Vi!”

  “Three.”

  She started racing to get into her clothes. “You haven’t even been together in a year. Jesus…”

  “Two.”

  “Raging cock-blocking bitch.”

  “One.” As Vi uttered the word, she lunged, grabbed the woman around her upper chest, and spun her into the hall where she bounced into the opposite wall. She wasn’t wearing pants and screamed in fury when Vi slammed the door in her face.

  Turning to him, she put her hands on her hips and waited.

  He didn’t move. He was still stunned.

  “Get dressed. I’ll wait outside.”

  She reached for the door and he said, “Vi, wait. I…”

  Without turning, she said, “Shut the fuck up, Leo. You got your bell rung pretty bad and you’ve been shaky on your feet since we exited. You need a medic. I intend to see you get one. I’ll wait outside.”

  Then she left.

  His Valkyrie was always leaving these days. Since the day he broke her heart, she didn’t stay in one place long. They never worked together anymore and he knew it was by her design. He’d been shocked when she was assigned to head up this particular extraction.

  Awkward didn’t begin to describe a bad breakup when you were the kind of people they were. She could kill him. He could kill her. They had raging tempers and were stubborn at expense to their own safety and happiness.

  It was a Molotov cocktail of crazy.

  Thirty seconds later, she banged on the door. “Move it, Leo.”

  Aching, dizzy, and feeling like he really wanted to puke, he climbed from the bed and dressed. It seemed to take forever.

  Stepping into his boots but not lacing them, he made his way across the room. She escorted him to the medical pod and stood at attention outside.

  “You’re not coming in?”

  “I’m your CO. You’re a grown ass man. I think you can give me a report.”

  “You don’t want to come in?”

  Ice blue eyes met his as she turned her face with a small growl. “I’m not your girlfriend and you ensured I couldn’t be your friend so…no, Leo. I’m responsible for my assigned team. You’re a man on that team. Go inside for medical attention. Update me when you’re done. I’ll file a report and get some sleep.”

  “Vi…”

  “Our conversation is wasting time. My time and yours.”

  “We need to talk.”

  She laughed and turned to him. “We don’t need to do shit and any words that left a mouth currently covered in cheap ass red lipstick wouldn’t exactly be the most credible. Seek medical attention or don’t but us talking doesn’t have a goddamn thing to do with anything.”

  Returning to attention with her arms crossed at her back, she stared at nothing and ignored him.

  For a long time, he simply stared at her profile. She was a beautiful woman. Almost six-feet tall with light blonde hair and blue eyes so pale they sometimes didn’t appear to have color. She was fit, strong, and highly trained. Her brain was sharp but not as razor-edged as her tongue.

  He missed her every fucking day and didn’t know how to tell her. He wasn’t certain she’d listen if he tried. He was tired and he felt like everything was pointless.

  “I’m sorry, Vi.”

  “You sure as fuck are. Get this over with so I can crash.”

  With a sigh, he walked inside and received the verdict he’d known he would. When he was done, he stepped out and she stood where he’d left her.

  “Concussion.”

  “Hmm. Taking you off duty for three days. Light duty after for two weeks. Don’t go over my head or I’ll assign you to audio screening and I know how much you hate that shit.”

  “Vi…”

  “Rest up, Leo. Goodnight.” She walked toward the women’s barracks.

  “Thanks.”

  She waved at him without turning. “Yup.”

  He watched her make her way across their base for the African continent and wanted to go after her, wanted to make her listen, to make her hear him.

  Instead, he returned to his room and laid in the dark for a long time. As light started filling the small space, he made a decision. He couldn’t stay near Vi and she shouldn’t be forced to live out her pain with his constant presence.

  It was time for him to find another job.

  Extraction Plan

  Seattle - March 2011

  Working their way through the underground tunnels, the team moved in silence.

  Hollow led them while Roar brought up the rear. Finn was in the middle, following a heat signature they’d been trying to pinpoint for two hours since given word she was being held.

  A glow appeared ahead and all of them extinguished the slightest light on their gear.

  Approaching cautiously, Hollow used a mirror to scope the space. He signaled there were cameras and Finn removed a small disc that he turned on. It would disconnect them from their base but it would also capture the last image and loop it, disrupting new recordings.

  They had two minutes.

  Entering the circular room, Hollow shot the two men tasked with both guarding and torturing their charge.

  The three of them growled low at the image of Mala Kauffman suspended from the wall by chains. Naked, emaciated, and covered in her own blood.

  Too much of the blood was fresh.

  In the corner of the chamber was a hose and water tank likely used to spray her down. A table held every manner of horrible thing that could be used by a sick imagination to torment another human being.

  Without a word, Roar removed bolt cutters from his pack and snapped the four chains through the iron cuffs on her wrists and ankles.

  Hollow lowered her to the floor and they wrapped her in thermal blankets from their packs before tying them snugly in place down her body with rope.

  They’d keep her warm and make her easier to carry.

  “Set the charge for five minutes. I’m taking her out of here.” Hollow lifted her carefully over his shoulder and started to run back the way they’d come.

  Roar placed the bombs while Finn opened a panel near a locked door. He knew it led to more hallways that eventually came out in the basement of a multi-million-dollar home. Inside were links to the cameras, security system, intercom, and random facility fu
nctions.

  Hooking up a small computer to the wires inside, he typed rapidly and smiled as he hit enter. It would take thirty seconds for the virus to infect their systems and then all evidence of it would be destroyed in the blast.

  “Charges set. Book it,” Roar said softly.

  They ran, following the small glowing symbols they’d left on their way in. Hollow wasn’t far ahead of them, making slower time with the woman.

  A hundred feet from the exit, the explosion in the torture chamber rocked the ground. The sound of tunnels collapsing behind them made Finn laugh.

  “Use some extra explosives, mate?”

  “Oh yeah.” Roar pumped his fist in the air as they worked their way under the iron gate along the river. “I wanted it to collapse them in all directions. Hurry up and get away from the opening.”

  As they trudged through the freezing water to the waiting boat, the gate behind them bowed out and a plume of smoke and debris shot from the opening.

  “Well done, ye crazy bastard. Good thing we run fast.”

  Hollow guided the shallow boat and they were silent for two miles. Their only light was the full moon.

  Mala Kauffman was unconscious, wrapped tightly in the blankets at the bottom of the boat.

  After what felt like forever, their CO said quietly, “We’re away from his property on the shoreline.”

  Increasing their speed, they pulled into a boat house situated off several streams and a small lake fed by the river less than an hour later.

  Jumping out, Finn secured them to the dock between a luxury fishing boat and a party barge.

  Roar joined him and Hollow handed them Mala’s unconscious form. “Take her into the room next door. Get her started on the IV’s and check her vitals. Vi is waiting.”

  Before leaving, Finn reached into his pocket and removed a portable drive. “I asked Vine for a relay. I wanted ta see if we could capture some of their data before the virus destroyed everything. She sent this with me and said ye’d know what ta do ta kill the source.”

  Hollow took it with wide eyes. “Well done, Finn. Go, I’ll handle this before we board.”

  They carried the former Marine, doctor, and unfortunate bride to a psychopath into a small room used to clean fish.

  Vi wasted no time. “Lay her here. Remove the blankets. I’ll wipe her down and get her dressed.”

  They worked fast and Vi hissed through her teeth when Mala’s body was revealed.

  “He’s a monster. I love killing monsters that walk the earth. Roar.” She handed him the IV pack and started wiping the skin of Mala’s arm. “Let’s try to keep her from going septic from whatever was in the room where she was held.”

  From the top of her shaved head to her battered feet, Vi cleaned her quickly and thoroughly. Finn helped dress their charge in soft clothes that wouldn’t irritate her raw and bleeding flesh. Roar started the IV as they slipped socks and slippers over her feet.

  “Fresh blankets in the cabinet. Grab a couple more bags of fluids.” Using an injection gun, she dosed Mala with massive amounts of nutrients and antibiotics. “That’s the best we can do in the field. Let’s go.”

  Roar protected the IV lines as Finn picked Mala up and strode for the door. Vi opened the back of an SUV parked outside.

  “Hooks for the bags there.” When she was settled on the mat, they covered her with thermal blankets. “Another dose when we’re in the air.”

  Hollow exited the boat house and paused. A man they all knew by reputation stepped from the shadows.

  Vi murmured, “Holy. Shit. The Destroyer.”

  Bright green eyes turned to her. “Sylvia Truing. A credit to your family.” Dismissing her, he returned his attention to their CO. “Hollow. Any problems?”

  “Never a problem when we move fast, Elijah. The plane?”

  “Fueled and waiting. Call me when you land.”

  “Naturally.” There was a long silence. “How did you know she was being held?”

  “One of his puppets alluded to it. Gave his apologies for her continued absence from local events. He said Mala was tied up and had been for several months.”

  “He loves his fucking games.”

  “I’ve been searching the tunnels for two days. Found the right one a few hours ago and decided substantial damage could be done during her rescue. I appreciate you moving quickly.”

  “I brought the team the moment you called. We wanted to be ready.”

  “She needs to be with you. Bury her deep, Hollow.”

  “There’s no way in hell she’ll agree to that. I’ve read her bio.” He sighed heavily. “I’ll do what I can to convince her.” With a cheerful smile that was clearly a lie, he added, “Give the fam my love.”

  With a wink, Hollow slid into the passenger seat of the vehicle and made a call.

  Finn, Roar, and Vi stared openly at a man who was a legend in their circles. A man who was underestimated in so many ways by too many people…until he killed them.

  Elijah crossed his hands at his back. “Protect the woman. Protect him.”

  In unison, they replied, “Yes, sir.”

  Without another word, Elijah walked into the deep shadows of the forest lining the lake.

  All of them were quiet during the drive to the airport.

  Finally, Finn couldn’t hold back his questions. “He searched those tunnels alone?” Hollow nodded. “He walked into the lair of the Devil without backup?”

  “He wanted to be certain she was there. He’d have taken her out alone but wanted their systems infected and all the tunnels collapsed. Both things he could’ve accomplished easily but she requires care and he can’t keep her at the estate.”

  “Fuckin’ brilliant.”

  “Yes.”

  “Ye go back a long way, then?”

  “Yeah. You could say we go all the way back.” Then Hollow involved himself with transmitting the data they’d captured to Vine back at headquarters.

  When they lifted the hatch at the small airport, Mala stared at them through glazed eyes. She couldn’t move. “Where am I?”

  Finn lifted her from the back as Vi explained, “Safe, Miss Kauffman. We’re getting ye out of Washington. Hang tight and we’ll explain everything.”

  “I’ll never be safe again…”

  Holding her more securely as he climbed the stairs into the plane, Finn tried to assure her. “Ah, lass. Don’t ye worry about any little thing. We’ll get ye patched up and ye’ll have yer life back again. Fresh start. Ye’ll see.”

  “You pretty Irishman. My life was forfeit the moment his mind fixed on me. It’s been over since the day he looked at me and saw a game to play.” She attempted to smile as she started to lose consciousness. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better.”

  They strapped her in, gave her another dose of nutrients, and added another saline bag to her IV.

  Vi settled in the seat immediately in front of her. Finn and Roark sat across the aisle.

  Hollow sat several rows away by himself.

  Finnan Brodie knew the day he joined Hollow’s organization that his days would be filled with death and destruction in an attempt to safeguard as many of the innocent as possible.

  All these years later, he was more committed than ever.

  He didn’t have much outside of a job that required more commitment than the priesthood. He didn’t miss the absence of a life in the slightest.

  Hours later, when they landed in New York and saw Mala settled at headquarters, his phone rang and he grinned when he saw the caller ID.

  “Gear. What trouble ye in, mate?”

  “Got a pretty lass here who’d love ta introduce herself properly. Has this particular fantasy I can’t fulfill on me own.”

  “Really? Sounds promisin’, boyo. Ye at the apartment?”

  His best friend laughed. “Where else would I be, mate? Hurry the fuck up.”

  Disconnecting, he walked through their base of operations and smiled when Savine stepped into the hall, s
topping in front of him. “Pretty girl. Excellent little hitchhiker on the virus.”

  “Thanks. You leaving?”

  “Yeah, uh…”

  “Ah. A lady. Again.”

  “Not sure the term applies, lass.”

  The girl was stunningly beautiful. She’d lived within these walls for several years, unable to leave alone or without a disguise lest she be recognized. He still remembered her as a child, barely twelve, the day Hollow brought her in. She’d never stopped impressing them with her computer skills.

  “Hmm. Then what a sad and unproductive use of your time. Have fun, Finn.”

  Turning, long hair in every shade of blonde brushed over his forearm and he had an almost overwhelming urge to take it in his hands.

  Without turning around, she told him, “I wonder when all the boys playing soldier in this organization will grow up. It’s hard to be the oldest some days.” Then the door to her combination apartment and computer room closed softly.

  “What the hell she mean by that?”

  The words echoed off the metal walls and Vi laughed a few feet away. “Finn. Don’t trouble your pretty head about it. You’re not on her level. Go fool around with the toy Gear scared up for your playtime.” She passed him and slapped his ass. “Run along now, darling.”

  In a daze, he walked to the stairwell and keyed himself out. “Women in this place have gone mental. Every bloody one.”

  He put his co-workers out of his mind and focused on the pleasure to be had.

  At the apartment he and Gear used for such occasions, he was surprisingly glad to see their date for the evening had long blonde hair. Not as pretty as…

  Never mind. Never mind that.

  Choice of Subjects

  Published Book

  South Florida - January 2012

  Riya O’Connell stared at months of focused research and more than a year of work. Her approach in the beginning was plagued by trial and error but she’d finally found her rhythm.

  Every page, every interaction, was saved. It was laid out on all available surfaces in her office, categorized by group.