JACK ROLLED out of bed the next morning just as the sun broke the horizon. After years of getting up at five thirty for morning training, his body clock was well disciplined.
He crept downstairs as quietly as possible so he wouldn’t disturb Sean and Instructor Colson, who had taken a bedroom each and set up their computers and files and all their belongings. Jack had glanced into each of their rooms as he helped them lug their boxes and bags upstairs, though both rooms were so plain and impersonal, they told him absolutely nothing about his handlers.
The kitchen in his new home was compact and neat and surprisingly well stocked. Jack rummaged through cupboards and pulled out drawers until he found a frying pan and some plates, and then he raided the fridge and got to work. By the time Sean and Instructor Colson stumbled downstairs almost an hour later, Jack had prepared a breakfast of french toast, bacon, orange juice, and freshly ground coffee.
Sean’s eyes widened when he saw the neatly laid table. “I didn’t know you could cook,” he said, sitting down and helping himself to a heaping plate of food.
“Henry taught me,” Jack said.
He had worked with the senior agent on two extended missions, Henry posing as his father both times. With little else to do when they weren’t working the assignment, Henry spent hours teaching Jack how to look after himself, including the basics of cooking. Jack had really warmed to Henry, even though he had been absolutely uncompromising and had not hesitated to report Jack to the Center when he made even the smallest mistakes.
Instructor Colson took a seat and filled her plate. She took a bite of french toast and gave an appreciative nod. “This is really good. Thank you, Jack.”
“Would you like coffee, ma’am?” Jack asked politely.
She arched an eyebrow. “I think we can drop the formality while on this assignment. I’d love a coffee. But I’ll get it myself. Sit down. Eat.”
Jack sat down and fixed a plate, nodding his thanks when Clare brought over the coffeepot and filled everybody’s mugs. It had been a long time since he’d been part of a mission that called for a full family team. Though not what he was used to, there was something strangely comforting about it.
“Today we begin to establish our routines,” Sean said. “Clare and I are both starting our new jobs, and you’re going to the diner. Leo will fill you in on anything he thinks you should know based on what he’s seen over the past week. I want you to come straight back home tonight. We need to go over a couple of things.”
“You want me to start recon?” Jack asked.
“Negative. Spend the day with Matt and Leo. See if they’ve come up with anything useful. Report back this evening.”
An hour later Jack waved Sean and Clare off as they drove toward their new workplaces. He spent twenty minutes cleaning up the kitchen and loading the dishwasher, and then he pulled on a T-shirt, and after a quick glance in the mirror to ensure his weapon was properly concealed, he set off toward the diner.
There was little to distinguish one house from another as he walked several blocks to the edge of the subdivision. It seemed like a pretty quiet place, despite the rows and rows of uniform homes. A steady stream of cars passed him as he walked, all heading in the same direction into town.
The diner had a Closed sign in its window and all the blinds were pulled down, but the door was unlocked. Jack walked into the dim restaurant, pausing just inside to take a quick look around. He tensed slightly when the door to the back room opened, relaxing with a smile when Matt walked out.
“Hey, Jack. Glad to be working with you again.” Matt crossed the floor and pulled Jack into a hug. “How have you been?”
Jack returned the hug, happy that the operative he had worked with twice before, who had been a supportive and easygoing partner, was once again on his team.
“Fine, Matt. You?”
Matt shrugged. “I’ve been taking it easy for a while.” A frown creased his forehead. “Leo tells me you ran into some serious trouble in your last placement.”
Jack shrugged. “Yeah. It got a bit hairy. But it all worked out in the end. Leo’s coming in today?”
Before Matt could answer, the door to the diner opened and Leo slipped inside. His face lit with a smile when he saw Jack and a moment later, Jack found himself wrapped in Leo’s arms as soft lips planted a kiss on his mouth. Jack noticed the way Leo’s hand brushed against his knife holster, and in that instant he knew it was as much a pat down as a greeting. He took the opportunity to follow Leo’s lead, unsurprised to find a matching holster tucked against the small of Leo’s back.
“I see you two worked things out,” Matt said, smiling kindly.
Jack pulled away, feeling his cheeks warm.
Leo seemed totally unconcerned. “Have you brought Jack up to speed?” he asked.
“Not yet,” Matt replied. “I’m going to put on a pot of coffee. Ronnie will be here in half an hour. Why don’t you two grab a table and get started?”
“Cool,” Leo said. He led the way to one of the booths and slid into a seat, and Jack sat opposite him, his mouth quirking into a smile as he took in Leo’s appearance.
“I like the new look,” Jack said.
Leo laughed. “It’s not much of a disguise, but I got a few tweaks in case anybody looked twice.”
“That table full of girls looked more than twice,” Jack observed dryly. “You didn’t seem to mind that too much.”
“You’re jealous! That’s so sweet,” Leo said.
“Bite me,” Jack growled.
“No need to worry,” Leo said, his eyes twinkling. “I’m a one-man guy.”
Matt walked over and put a cup of coffee in front of each of them. “Leo, quit messing with him and report,” he said.
Leo’s grin grew wider before he relented, and his expression sobered.
“Not much to say, really. We’ll establish a routine of shifts at the diner. You and I will always work the same rotation so we can watch each other’s backs. We’ll probably work alongside Rhonda Chase. Ronnie’s legit. She’s worked here for almost four years and has a clean record. There are two short-order cooks who rotate shifts. Today you’ll meet Jimmy. He has a sheet. Just a little B and E three years ago. He did a year in county and has been straight ever since.”
Matt poured himself a cup of coffee and joined Jack and Leo in their booth. “We considered replacing all the employees while we run the op, but we decided it would look too suspicious if all the regulars suddenly vanished. Sean probably told you I’m posing as the owner’s cousin, taking over the place while he’s visiting his sick mother in Nevada.”
“Where is he really?” Jack asked.
Matt arched an eyebrow, and Jack threw up his hands. “Need to know?”
“You got it. Leo and I have scoped the town out already. We’ll know pretty quickly if we see anybody who looks out of place.”
Jack figured it was probably why this town had been so carefully chosen. Not so big that the sudden appearance of several strangers would be noticeable, but small enough that a crack team could cover the area easily.
“There are a couple of clubs on the outskirts that aren’t so fussy about who they let in,” Leo continued. “And there’s a movie theater one town over. Between that and a few coffee shops, it’s where most of the kids our age hang now that school is out for the summer.”
“There’s also a basketball hoop in the park. It seems to be where the more hardcore partiers gather,” Matt said. “I’m going to advise you to give the area a wide berth. Partly because Alex Sutherland wouldn’t hang around in a place like that, partly because it will be your ass if Sean finds out you’ve been anywhere near it.”
“We’ll stick to what’s mostly legal,” Leo said, grinning. “The great news is that I have my own car, and we’re supposed to become good friends. We’re going to have a blast!”
“The bad news is that Sean and Martin want you to stick close to town,” Matt put in firmly. “I don’t think either of you want to disobey those instructions?”
“You gonna tell on us, Matt?” Leo asked. From his tone, Jack could tell he was only half joking.
Matt’s expression changed subtly. “You know the chain of command, boys. You both answer to me while you’re at the diner. I report in to Sean. I have my orders too.”
It wasn’t as though Jack needed any confirmation, but it didn’t hurt to know where they all stood. Matt was warning them he intended to keep them in his sights, and he wasn’t going to let anything slide. Any hope that this would be an easy gig and Matt would be a pushover went right out the window.
“You don’t have to worry,” Jack said. “We’ll behave like perfect angels.”
Matt snorted his disbelief. “Ronnie’s due in five.” He turned his head. “Leo, show Jack where everything is and tell him the rules. Doors open in thirty.”
Leo was walking him through the schedule when the door opened and Rhonda Chase walked in. She was probably in her midforties and had seen better days. It was obvious she had once been pretty, in a bleach-blonde homecoming queen kind of way. She still looked good, though her face was beginning to show deep lines, and her dyed hair didn’t quite disguise her graying roots.
“Who’s this?” she asked, her green eyes raking Jack from head to foot.
“Jack, meet Rhonda Chase. Ronnie, this is Jack Elliot. He’s starting today.”
Ronnie smiled crookedly, her head tipping to the side as she continued to take Jack in. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” she said. “Jeez, Matty. You have a factory somewhere churning out these pretty boys?”
Jack knew he could control the flush that threatened, but he didn’t bother. It was more realistic if he allowed his cheeks to color at her suggestive tone.
“Jailbait, Ronnie,” Matt warned, coming out of the kitchen.
“He might be worth a few months in the slammer, honey,” she said. “Lord, when all those girls get a load of you….” She shook her head. “I can see I’ll have my work cut out for me. I’ve already got my hands full keeping them from tearing Leo to pieces.” She winked at Leo, and he smiled fondly.
“Show Jack the ropes, will you, Ronnie?” Matt asked. “And keep an eye on him when I’m not around.”
“It will be my pleasure.” She reached into a closet beside the kitchen door and pulled out an apron that she tied around her waist. Then she popped open the top button of her tight blouse.
She smiled at Jack’s quizzical look. “They won’t all be here for you and Leo, honey.” She tapped the counter with a long red nail. “Here’s the most important thing you need to learn. We share tips equally. Anything they leave you, throw into the jar in back. End of the week, we tally it up and split the tips equally. That seem about right to you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jack said.
Her eyes widened. “Well, aren’t you the young gentleman! Hey, Matty. Where’d you find this one?”
Matt shot him a look of mild exasperation, and Jack felt like an idiot. At times like this, he silently cursed his sheltered life, shut up inside the formidable walls of the Center. Despite years of training, he sometimes thought he knew nothing about the basic behavior of the average teen.
Luckily the door swung open, and the final member of the day shift shambled in. Jimmy muttered a greeting when Matt introduced him to Jack, and then he disappeared into the kitchen, and a minute later the sound of machinery broke the silence.
“You done much waiting tables, Jack?” Ronnie asked.
“Some,” Jack replied carefully.
Ronnie shook her head. “Well, you’re about to get a crash course, honey. Believe me, it ain’t all about being eye candy.”
AS PROMISED, by the time Jack’s shift ended almost seven hours later, he had learned a whole lot more about waiting tables. He had been propositioned twice, had his cheeks pinched by a little old lady who sent him back to the kitchen three times because her omelet was too cold, had poured countless cups of coffee, and wiped up so many spills he’d gone through three dishcloths. His feet were sore, his face ached from dredging up endless fake smiles, and the muscles in his arms throbbed as though he’d spent the whole day working out in the gym with Evan.
As the evening shift drifted into the diner, Leo beckoned Jack into the back room. Jimmy was standing in the corner, shuffling his feet nervously, and Ronnie was perched on the edge of the desk with the tip jar upended beside her. She smiled when Jack walked in.
“Almost thirty bucks each,” she beamed. “You’re good for business, sweetie. So, we keep adding to the jar, and at the end of the week Matt takes all the coins to the bank and brings back some notes, and we divide the money up equally. Good for you?”
“That sounds great,” Jack said. It didn’t matter to him. He doubted he would see a dime once he’d handed all the money over to Sean.
“Are you going to take up any of the offers you got today, Jack?” Ronnie asked slyly. “Those were some pretty little things hitting on you.”
“Maybe later,” Jack replied.
“Keep ’em keen, eh?” she said, laughing. “How about you, Leo? You were certainly playing the field last week. Did you find anybody you liked?”
Leo smiled and shook his head.
“You boys are going to break so many hearts,” Ronnie sighed. “Just remember, that’s a lot of customers. Let them down gently.”
As Jack walked out of the diner with Leo, throwing a wave to Matt as he left, he turned his head and leveled a look at Leo.
“Playing the field, huh?”
Leo just shrugged. “I was sent here to recon. Checking out the locals is part of the job. Besides, Alex Sutherland made friends wherever he went. Jack Elliot is going to be expected to do the same thing.”
“You have anybody in mind?” Jack heard the sour note in his voice, and he winced at his own predictability.
“I didn’t see you having any trouble in that department today,” Leo said lightly.
They reached the end of Main Street, and Leo stopped. “Is this going to be a problem?” he asked bluntly.
“Absolutely not.” Jack felt like a fool, ragging on Leo just for following orders. “It’s just a job, right?”
“It will never be anything more,” Leo replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jack wanted to ask whether he could skype Leo later, but something about the look on Leo’s face made him change his mind. It was likely he already had a date lined up. Jack decided he was better off not knowing about it.
“Say hello to Martin for me,” he said instead.
“Ask Sean if you can come over tomorrow after work,” Leo said. “That should work with our cover stories.”
It was hard to turn his back and walk away from Leo, but Jack didn’t have any other choice.
LATER, JACK helped Clare set the table and then sat down to dinner with her and Sean.
“So, good first day, everybody. Nothing out of the ordinary?”
Jack and Clare shook their heads.
“Okay, then. For the next little while, we stay the course. We build a routine that’s easy to track, and we watch out for each other.” Sean glanced around the table. “Our operatives at the Center are working with Internal Affairs to dig into the lives of everybody at Witness Relocation to see if any of them have been compromised. In the meantime we run the shadow op according to the plans their team put into place. No deviations, no winging it.”
Jack was sure that last comment was aimed at him. He admittedly had a history of going off script while in the field. He met Sean’s gaze, but his handler’s expression remained impassive.
“I know it goes against training, but we make ourselves into sitting ducks,” Sean continued. “But the minute anything looks wrong, we’ll be all over it, and we’ll have a lot of backup close at hand.” He shrugged, and a smile twitched his lips. “For now let’s sit back and enjoy everything small-town life has to offer.”