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The hallway was empty, the building dead silent. Sam Grieco caught himself holding his breath as he moved slowly toward his destination. This was a meeting he was not looking forward to.
He rounded the corner and almost collided with Corrie Kovack, the tall, leggy blonde he’d been dying to ask out since she’d joined the staff six months ago. He’d approached her half a dozen times, but never quite mustered the courage.
“Oops. Sorry!” she said, flashing a wide smile. Her straight, white teeth and blue-green eyes sparkled.
“My fault,” Sam said, taking in an involuntary step backward. “Got my mind on other things.”
“A meeting with the Revenant will do that to you.” Her smile vanished as she flicked a glance back over her shoulder.
“The Revenant? Is that what we’re calling him now?”
“Not to his face,” Corrie whispered. Her expression grew serious. “What do you think happened to him?” she whispered.
“Looks to me like he got his throat slashed, but whoever did it didn’t press down hard enough. That and he’s obviously been burned.”
“I know, but all the reports said he was dead. And then he just shows up. No explanation.”
Sam shrugged. “Who knows? Probably discovered some new, crazy-ass pharmacological down in the jungle.”
Corrie looked back in the direction of the office door, then moved in close. Sam shivered. He could smell her perfume, feel her breath on his ear as she whispered.
“I heard he’s been dabbling in the occult. Something about a witch from some Central American cult.”
Sam doubted the man had been brought back by magic, but he wasn’t going to argue. This was the longest conversation he’d ever had with Corrie, and he wanted to keep it going.
“Nothing he does would shock me.”
“I know.” Corrie nodded. “I shouldn’t even be talking about this. But I can trust you, can’t I.” She winked, sending another shiver down his spine.
Sam wanted to come up with some witty reply, but all he could manage was, “Yes.”
“Good.” Corrie reached out and gave his arm a squeeze. “You’re one of the good ones in here.”
“That’s what she said,” he blurted, and immediately felt his cheeks burn. That was the best he could do?
To his surprise, she let out a genuine laugh. “That’s my favorite show.”
“Mine, too.” Before he could stop himself, he blurted, “Want to come to my place tonight? Order some takeout and binge-watch season three?”
“That’s the best season. Just email me your address and what time to be there.”
“Really? I mean, great!”
“See you tonight.” She flashed another dazzling smile and moved gracefully away.
Buoyed by his success, Sam virtually bounced the remaining steps to the office door. He rapped twice and waited.
“Come,” the voice on the other side barked.
As Sam stepped into the office, his joy began to dissipate. The old saying about “killing the messenger” echoed in his mind.
Don’t kill me. Not when I finally got a date with Corrie.
Sam hesitated, stared at the man on the other side of the desk. The figure stood with his back to the door, silhouetted in the afternoon light that streamed in through the picture window behind the desk. Silence hung between them, Sam’s heart drumming. Finally, he cleared his throat.
“Sir, I have a report from Norway.”
The man let out a long, tired sigh. “I can tell by your tone of voice that the news is not good.”
Alex Scano turned around slowly, rested his hands on his desk, and stared a hole through Sam. His brown hair had been cropped short. Red patches on his face and hands where he had been burned shone angrily in the bright light. A livid red scar traced a path across his throat.
How did you survive? Sam wondered.
“Sir, the mission failed.” He hastily sketched out the details, eager to leave before Scano lost his temper.
To his surprise, Scano remained calm.
“Maddock and Bonebrake, you say?”
“Yes, sir.”
Scano nodded slowly. “Very well.”
Sam was dumbfounded. He had expected Scano to rage, to fire him, even order him killed. But his demeanor was downright placid.
“You’re surprised,” Scano observed. ‘It’s all right. I know I have a reputation for being temperamental.”
Sam thought it best not to agree with the assessment, but to merely hold his tongue.
“I have plans already in motion to deal with Maddock and Bonebrake. This bump in the road will only make it all the more satisfying when they come to fruition.”
Sam nodded. “Is there anything else you need from me, Sir?”
“Not today. Why don’t you knock off early? I imagine you’ll want your place spic and span when Corrie comes over.”
Sam forced a smile to cover his sheer terror. How much had Scano heard? As the thought flitted through his mind, Scano reached inside his jacket.
Oh, God. He’s going to shoot me.
Rooted to the spot, Sam watched as Scano took out his wallet, withdrew three twenty-dollar bills, and slid them across the desk. “Dinner is on me. I like you and Corey. You’re dependable.”
“Thank you, sir.” Forcing his hand not to tremble, he picked up the bills and stuck them in his pocket. “We both enjoy working here.”
“Call me Alex. We’ll be working more closely together starting tomorrow. Have a good night.”
Sam knew he’d been dismissed. Relief flooding through him, he turned and headed for the door. He was almost out of the office when Scano spoke again.
“Sam? One more thing.”
Sam’s throat clenched, and an icy chill ran through him. The money, the compliments, had it been a mind game? He turned back toward Scano, now certain he would see a gun in his boss’s hand. Instead, Scano was smiling.
“Tell Corrie that I like the name Revenant. I might even keep it.”
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If you enjoyed Berserk, try Devil’s Face, A Dane Maddock Adventure
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