#TeaserTuesday - Fortunate Son

 

Fielding buzzed the window down, and a man-shaped shadow detached from the gate and drifted over to lean down to their level.

The dash lights illuminated the square face of a strongly-built young man with close-shaved dark hair and a prominent, but straight nose. “Chief,” he greeted. His gaze flicked across the car, and his eyes blew wide when he spotted Alex. “Shit, is that–”

“Dr. Bonfils, yeah,” Fielding said. “He’s here to help.”

The kid shook his head, half-bewildered, half-refusing. “I dunno…he’s…shit, he’s a…” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Fed.”

Alex bit back a sigh. He understood the hesitance – the fear, even – just as he understood that none of them were going to believe a word he said, and he hadn’t the faintest idea how to go about proving himself, or setting any of them at ease. He said, “I don’t have my gun, and I’m not wearing a wire. You can search me, if it makes you feel better.”

The Lean Dog made a face, mouth scrunched to the side.

“We need to talk to Ratchet,” Fielding pressed. “Who’s running things inside? Walsh? Radio in and ask if he’ll see us.”

The Dog made an unhappy noise, but straightened. Alex heard the squawk and crackle of a radio, a blurred voice from the other side, then the Dog leaned down and waved them on. “Go straight in the front door. We’ll search him.”

Alex couldn’t say he blamed them, but he’d hoped they wouldn’t take him up on the offer.

“Right,” Fielding said. “Thanks, Boom.” He rolled up the window and pulled forward.

Parking was scarce. Alex recognized Ava’s black Expedition.  

Fielding killed the engine, placed both hands on the wheel, and turned to him.

“Right,” Alex said, and didn’t bother swallowing his sigh this time. “Last warning?”

“Don’t be a smartass,” Fielding said, seriously, and Alex sobered. “I don’t know what you’re expecting – what you’ve read about, or seen in movies, or think you know. These people in here” – he pointed through the windshield, where two guys were going in the front door – “aren’t half as uncivilized as you’re thinking. And they’re twice as dangerous as they’ll let you see.”

Something about his expression, the way it was haunted at the edges, and resolved in the center, told Alex he wasn’t speaking lightly, and wasn’t merely trying to intimidate him. He’d not felt it before, at first, or on the ride over, but suddenly, it seemed that he and Fielding were in the same boat, struggling with the same internal war.

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Watch yourself,” Fielding cautioned, and popped his door.