Sean’s way on leaving, the look of abject misery on the man’s face. Crippled, scared and carefully insulted, he would prove an easy pick-up for Tartarus’ crews.
“Uh nope . If you wanted him to stop killing, then we probably should have decided on a more permanent solution. But the damage is done. His rep will deflate. Ours should balloon.”
Torcher sat back, massaging her brow. She had long grown used to dealing with Lancet’s sort: cocky, tough and too clever by half. The only thing they ever responded to was a good murdering. And she’d always been happy to oblige.
But what she attempted now was covert, manipulative and subtle - decidedly outside her comfort zone. Specifically the part where she needed to let some of them live.
Precisely why I need his expertise , his... varied skill-set...
“ But you reckon he’ll gab?”
“Unceasingly” Rook assured her.
“A bout us?” She stipulated,
“Exclusively.”
She looked gaunt and pale, cheekbones sharpened by weeks of stress and overworking. Had Rook not known better, he’d have doubted the fires within. He’d have seen a tired, severe woman approaching middle age and scrambling to tie together the strands of her machinations.
But Rook knew better.
Everyone knew better.
“He’s bound to put a spin on it.” Torcher argued, always second guessing, always double checking. Rook tried to reassure her,
“Of course he will . I would.
But after losing eight of their own, no-one in that prison is going to be in a hurry to repair him. And it’ll be hard to take seriously the bluster of any half-job that mangled. Plus there’s the evidence. Videos are bound to leak sooner or later.”
“Sooner. Ron set them live before he turned in for the night...I watched the footage by the way. We all did. You spooked most of my kids.”
“Really?” Rook asked, sceptical.
“Badly. And mine are not easily frightened pups. The way you toyed with him - It was not pretty.”
He crossed his ankles, throwing his arms behind his head with a coy wink,
“And here I thought you approached me for my looks!”
Her expression darkened, any cinder of fatigue or vulnerability immediately doused.
“ Rook, I already have pretty people. I have an analytical genius asleep in his bed. I have a prodigy of violence so disillusioned by the best this world can muster, he’s considering taking up knitting.
I need you as my consultant because, famously, you have the unparalleled ability to annoy people. I need that candour. I need your objections, experience, advice, strategies and tactics. But mostly I need your belligerent persistence.
When I start seeing only trees, I need you to point out the woods.”
“Otherwise we’ll have a forest fire?” He shot her a wry grin,
“ Aye, and not just metaphorically. We need to be straight with one another. Starting now: So... how are you?”
Genuine confusion seeping in, Rook nodded, pointing out,
“Better than Lancet. Why?”
“ Why?! Because you fight like a bloody sadist, is why!
In my experience this level of spite is usually reserved for miserable auld sods trying to drown themselves in booze or the psychologically... unwell .
W arm, sunny gits who flirt with my XO, whip my entire intelligence team into a love-struck tizzy and have Lebanese giants weeping on their shoulder don’t tend to be that sadistic.”
“Maybe you’ve been hanging out with the wrong sadists?” Rook argued defensively,
“Probably.
Listen, I can appreciate putting on a brave face for the team. Hell, I expect it of you. But this work, it takes a toll, even on the best of us.
I know you don’t need the lecture. You’ve been at this game longer than most. But even I get bone weary sometimes. And you’ve just had a very long day.”
“ Which, I might add, was meant to be spent relaxing in an armchair.”
“All the more reason to spit it out” Torcher’s smile was thin, threadbare, but mysteriously reassuring.
Rook knew the Boss
“Uh nope . If you wanted him to stop killing, then we probably should have decided on a more permanent solution. But the damage is done. His rep will deflate. Ours should balloon.”
Torcher sat back, massaging her brow. She had long grown used to dealing with Lancet’s sort: cocky, tough and too clever by half. The only thing they ever responded to was a good murdering. And she’d always been happy to oblige.
But what she attempted now was covert, manipulative and subtle - decidedly outside her comfort zone. Specifically the part where she needed to let some of them live.
Precisely why I need his expertise , his... varied skill-set...
“ But you reckon he’ll gab?”
“Unceasingly” Rook assured her.
“A bout us?” She stipulated,
“Exclusively.”
She looked gaunt and pale, cheekbones sharpened by weeks of stress and overworking. Had Rook not known better, he’d have doubted the fires within. He’d have seen a tired, severe woman approaching middle age and scrambling to tie together the strands of her machinations.
But Rook knew better.
Everyone knew better.
“He’s bound to put a spin on it.” Torcher argued, always second guessing, always double checking. Rook tried to reassure her,
“Of course he will . I would.
But after losing eight of their own, no-one in that prison is going to be in a hurry to repair him. And it’ll be hard to take seriously the bluster of any half-job that mangled. Plus there’s the evidence. Videos are bound to leak sooner or later.”
“Sooner. Ron set them live before he turned in for the night...I watched the footage by the way. We all did. You spooked most of my kids.”
“Really?” Rook asked, sceptical.
“Badly. And mine are not easily frightened pups. The way you toyed with him - It was not pretty.”
He crossed his ankles, throwing his arms behind his head with a coy wink,
“And here I thought you approached me for my looks!”
Her expression darkened, any cinder of fatigue or vulnerability immediately doused.
“ Rook, I already have pretty people. I have an analytical genius asleep in his bed. I have a prodigy of violence so disillusioned by the best this world can muster, he’s considering taking up knitting.
I need you as my consultant because, famously, you have the unparalleled ability to annoy people. I need that candour. I need your objections, experience, advice, strategies and tactics. But mostly I need your belligerent persistence.
When I start seeing only trees, I need you to point out the woods.”
“Otherwise we’ll have a forest fire?” He shot her a wry grin,
“ Aye, and not just metaphorically. We need to be straight with one another. Starting now: So... how are you?”
Genuine confusion seeping in, Rook nodded, pointing out,
“Better than Lancet. Why?”
“ Why?! Because you fight like a bloody sadist, is why!
In my experience this level of spite is usually reserved for miserable auld sods trying to drown themselves in booze or the psychologically... unwell .
W arm, sunny gits who flirt with my XO, whip my entire intelligence team into a love-struck tizzy and have Lebanese giants weeping on their shoulder don’t tend to be that sadistic.”
“Maybe you’ve been hanging out with the wrong sadists?” Rook argued defensively,
“Probably.
Listen, I can appreciate putting on a brave face for the team. Hell, I expect it of you. But this work, it takes a toll, even on the best of us.
I know you don’t need the lecture. You’ve been at this game longer than most. But even I get bone weary sometimes. And you’ve just had a very long day.”
“ Which, I might add, was meant to be spent relaxing in an armchair.”
“All the more reason to spit it out” Torcher’s smile was thin, threadbare, but mysteriously reassuring.
Rook knew the Boss
Similar Books
