Several of the men in the room shifted in their seats. Apollo didn't blame them. They had just finished talking about not trusting people, and then they accepted a known traitor like Rem right into their fold. The choice didn't seem very smart to Apollo, and he knew that many of the younger men Rem worked with weren't thrilled.
Still, he supposed they needed to learn from him, and this was the best way to get that information. And from the looks Jenna was giving him, at least somebody trustworthy wasn't afraid to shoot his ass if he stepped out of line.
He resisted a snort. The little secretary was the only one around there that had any real balls.
"We need any and all information," Titus continued. "If you have names or details of your time before, please see Jenna."
That's how they thought about their lives now, the time before Luna Lodge and the time after. Their lives were so divided by their tainted pasts.
"That's it for now," Titus said and stood. "I'll let you get to your tasks."
Apollo stood and started toward the door but stopped when Rachel placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'd like to talk to you if you have time," she said quietly.
Several of the men were still near, and despite her trying to be discreet, several turned and shot him an odd stare. It wasn't common knowledge yet. Apollo supposed he should have been thankful that she didn't expose him to the group. The fact that his chip was complicated still wasn't something he had processed fully. In fact, that he was the only complicated case in the group only seemed to annoy him more.
He should have been grateful, and yet he wasn't. Instead, he felt irritation. Like she held it over him to use at any moment. He tried hard to bury the feelings, but trust was a scarce commodity given recent events.
His mouth formed a hard line, as he stared at her, Marius close at hand.
"Not here," Apollo said finally and glanced at the clock. There was still twenty minutes before the tech was scheduled to show, but he didn't feel like doing this shit now. "I'll come in later. Lots going on right now," he said and pushed past. Before stepping out the door, he glanced over his shoulder. "And not with the muscle around."
He could hear the rumble from Marius as he made his way down the hall and chuckled. From numbers to muscle. They really were an odd bunch.
Chapter Three
Val sat in the cafe and sipped her hot cocoa. It was cold outside, and the idea of coffee made her stomach sour. The place was fairly slow, and she was grateful. There was a smattering of couples in the booths and a few at the counter. They ate quietly, and she became the invisible woman she knew she could be.
She'd spent all this time planning for today, and now that the time had come, she didn't even know if she could go through with what she needed to do. Working for the Luna Lodge hybrids could prove to be very dangerous. It wasn't like their facility was the safest place, and their enemies only seemed to be mounting. But it wasn't like she had much of a choice.
Of course, that's why they were going to hire her. Well, she'd helped with that a little by slipping into their system undetected and figuring out what sites they were using, so she could target those sites for advertising. She had to do what needed to be done in order to get in. And, in the grand scheme of things, it was one of the less illegal acts she'd committed over the years.
She wrapped her hands tight around the mug to stop the trembling that usually came from thinking about her darker days. It wasn't something she liked to dwell on, and she certainly wasn't going to start today. No, today she was on a mission to finally be able to silence the call.
Her eyes found the TV in the corner. The picture paused and distorted for a second, but no one seemed to mind. They needed to invest in some cable TV in her opinion.
"Another cup?" the friendly waitress asked.
Val shook her head and smiled. "I've got an appointment soon."
Being a small town, the woman leaned down and grinned, waiting for the bit of gossip that would likely make her day.
"You applying for a job in town?" she asked excitedly.
Val chewed the inside of her cheek, wondering whether to tell or not to tell. She sighed and gave in. It likely wouldn't matter in the end.
"I'm going to the Lodge," she said quietly.
All movement in the place came to a standstill. The room grew so quiet she could hear herself breathe. Every eye was suddenly on her and a chill rippled down her spine. The eerie light from the distorted TV only added to the mood.
"Oh, you don't want to go there," the waitress said. Her face had become so pale that Val could see each and every freckle on her face. Her eyes glassed over slightly, and Val wondered if she was going to be ill.