“Already did.”
Peter barked a laugh. “Is there something you actually need from me, or did you just come here to make me feel useless?” He leaned back in his chair to look at Skull. His own weariness was reflected in the younger man’s face. Skull looked like he hadn’t slept in days, his eyes darker than usual, his face covered in lines that hadn’t been there a week ago.
He scratched his shaved head. “I wanted to take the rest of the night off.”
“To sleep, I hope? It’s…” Peter glanced at his watch, “ten o’clock now. You’ve got ten hours. Make them count.” He spread the papers on the desk and put on his glasses, when his phone rang.
Peter cursed under his breath and pushed the button. “Yes?”
“Post Zero, Martin here to see you.”
“Send him in.”
He regretted the words the moment they rolled off his tongue but told himself it would be quick, and stacked the papers, covering the map with a blank sheet.
“Any idea why Martin’s here?” he asked Skull, since he still hadn’t left.
“No. I can stay.”
“No, no. You go. You can’t stand the man anyway.”
Skull turned to the door with a nod. “He’s like an evil twin from the future. Creeps me out.”
Peter chuckled, watching him go.
A few seconds later, the door flew open and Martin strode in, his heavy coat nearly sweeping the floor. Peter watched him come up close and lean over the table, his hands braced against its smooth top.
Martin stared him in the eyes. “A little birdie told me you found the Commandos’ base and didn’t even call me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re doing it on purpose, making me come down here. You must be really fond of my company, ain’t you?”
Peter gave him a long, flat stare. “At last, a chance to confess my true feelings.”
Martin straightened up with a quiet growl. “Where is it? Don’t play with me, Peter. I’m already pissed off.”
“Oh, so you were being serious? You really expect me to report to you every time we find something? Well, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint—”
“Don’t,” Martin cut him off. “Don’t lecture me about how this works, the whole alliance thing and my part in it. You can sit here and plan and scheme for another year, but I can’t wait any longer. I gotta find the Commandos now.”
His frantic look made Peter pause his absent shuffling of papers and lean back, giving Martin his full attention.
The man was hiding something. He was trying to cover it with anger, but there it was, the despairing look that certainly hadn’t come from losing a couple of men to the Commandos. They had taken something from him, something he didn’t want Peter to find. And it was driving him nuts.
“Let’s make a deal,” Peter said once he was done studying Martin. “You tell me what the Commandos have done to get under your skin like that, and I tell you where to find them.” He was bluffing, and not doing a very good job at that, but he wasn’t really trying. The reaction he got from Martin, that’s what mattered.
Irritation flashed in Martin’s eyes, and his scarred lips twisted. He put his hands on his hips and stared Peter down.
“You know what they did,” he said. “They got my men, and it’s been too damn long for me to wait any longer.”
“What are their names?” Peter asked, catching the flash of confusion in Martin’s eyes.
“Who?” he barked, his scowl deepening.
“The men who were abducted, of course.”
A moment passed, too long for Peter to believe anything that would come out of Martin’s mouth next, and Martin snorted. “Why do—”
“Okay, enough,” Peter cut him off, realizing there could be another explanation to Martin’s obnoxious behavior. “I wasn’t going to give you the Commandos’ location, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind. You’ll just have to wait like everyone else, until we finish our investigation and call a meeting.”
Martin ground his teeth, the muscles in his jaw working. “Careful now,” he growled. “I haven’t really forgiven you and Michael for stealing my son from me, but I’m giving you a chance to make up for that, which you don’t seem to realize. Just give me the location, and next time you need help, I might just offer it without a question.”
“Wow.” Peter put on his best judgmental tone. “Marco really doesn’t mean that much to you, if you think it’s that simple, does he?” He watched the fire flare in Martin’s eyes, his stare turning murderous. Peter didn’t care. If he was right about why Martin was so anxious to know what he knew about the Commandos, angering him was essential to the next step in Peter’s new plan.
You think they could be involved in whatever’s going on? Luke’s voice echoed in his head like it was years ago, not days. He had dismissed the suspicions, but with everything the Commandos knew about the skyfolk, who knew how much of it could’ve been orchestrated?
He’d be giving away their best lead, but if it meant weeding out a rat in their midst, it was worth it.
“Besides, it’s not stealing if your son hates you so much that he runs from you with nothing but a few coins in his pockets,” Peter said, adding fuel to the fire. “In fact, you should be grateful we took him in, and he didn’t end up gutted in some alley because he was too drunk to defend himself.”
Peter dropped his gaze only for a second, pretending to focus on the papers he was stacking, and it was enough.
In a flash, Martin was before him, lethal as a panther, his fists tight.
Peter pulled back, holding his gaze. “Do it,” he said with a half-smile. “I’d
