“Okay. I bet it’s easier to explain what you’re doing at a tricked-out mansion in the middle of BFE. Better yet, maybe you can explain why we’re here.”
“Lemme tackle those one at a time, huh?” Cheyenne gestured at the front door at the top of the wide, curving staircase behind her. “This is—”
The black SUV shifted and wobbled from side to side. The door behind the driver’s seat opened, and the huge ogre Jamal unfolded. He backed away from the car, stared at the massive estate in front of them, and grunted.
“Hey.” Cheyenne nodded at the agent, who recognized her and responded with another grunt.
The goblin woman Payton climbed out after him. She slammed the door, making Yurik grimace, and headed around the car to join her fellow agents.
“Payton.” Cheyenne nodded.
“Crazy-ass halfling.” Payton tilted her head. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Yeah, I can say the same about you. How long have you guys been up and back on assignment?”
Payton rolled her good eye. Jamal grunted and shifted the massive black dampening vest draped over his shoulders. “Few weeks.”
Grinning, Yurik slapped a hand on the ogre’s shoulder, which was even more muscular than his own. “Nothing a little healing juice can’t fix right up. Too bad they couldn’t fix your head, though, huh?”
Jamal stared at the beefy goblin until Yurik lowered his hand with a shrug. “I’ll say this, halfling,” he muttered, turning his yellow eyes back to Cheyenne. “Next time I hear you screaming to step away from something, that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
“Fuck our orders,” Payton added without any expression.
“Well, thanks.” Cheyenne gave them each a small smile. “Wish I could say we’re done with boobytraps and explosions, but I honestly can’t promise anything at this point.”
Bhandi cracked up and shook her head, her scarlet braids flying around her shoulders. “Goddamn boobytraps, man.”
Tate and Yurik stared at her. When she noticed the warning glances, she shrugged.
Tate gestured at Jamal and Payton. “Dude, they’re standing right here.”
The troll woman flipped him the bird. “They’ll laugh about it eventually.”
Neither of the magical agents who’d been more than severely injured by the Crown loyalists’ exploding bomb-riddled construction site cracked so much as a smile.
Bhandi snorted and turned back to Cheyenne. “You were about to explain some shit, Goth drow.”
Cheyenne smiled at the nickname and pointed at the house again. “Bianca Summerlin’s house.”
Yurik’s eyes widened. “No shit.”
“Who the hell is that?” Bhandi asked, shooting the muscular troll a surprised frown.
“Big name in politics. Kinda.”
“Man, why the fuck are you into human politics?”
“Hey, when we’re off-duty and runnin’ around town with masks on, you think human politics don’t apply?”
Bhandi shook her head, looking confused. “I don’t give a shit what humans do.”
“Well, you should. What’s the point of—”
“Okay, assholes.” Tate nodded at Cheyenne. “She’s been trying to tell us what’s up for the last five minutes. Let her finish a sentence before you try to kill each other, huh?”
“Yeah, and about that.” Bhandi pointed at the halfling. “We get a call from Rhynehart to get our asses out here in the middle of nowhere, and nobody else could tell us shit about this assignment. It’s not even in the ASS.”
“The ASS?” Cheyenne licked a smile off her lips. “Please tell me that’s an acronym like the BITCH.”
Tate chuckled. “Assignment Safeguard and Surveillance. Cheesy as hell, but we’re not the ones naming shit on base.”
At least Sir and Rhynehart are keeping this off the record. If loyalists show up at this house too, I’ll know exactly who fucked us over. Sir has to know that too.
“All right.” Cheyenne gazed at the agents looking at her for an explanation. “Nothing’s in the system ‘cause I asked for you guys personally.”
“No shit.” Bhandi grinned. “Goth drow’s running her own ops for the FRoE now, huh?”
“Dude, shut up.” Tate punched the troll in the shoulder.
“Fair question, asshole.” She punched him right back. Yurik met Cheyenne’s gaze and shook his head.
“Not exactly.” Cheyenne waited for Tate and Bhandi to give her their full attention again. They’re not half as bad as Byrd and Lumil. At least there’s that. “I wanted you guys up here, off the ASS, ‘cause this is kind of a delicate situation.”
Yurik smirked. “Delicate’s not in our handbook, Cheyenne.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” She looked at Jamal and Payton, who watched her intently and didn’t seem anywhere near as interested in why they were here. “Feel free to ask Rhynehart why this whole thing is undocumented. I’m kinda tired of explaining it at this point. Bottom line, I trust you guys, and I’m pretty sure you trust me.”
“Damn straight.”
“Bhandi.”
The troll woman nodded at Cheyenne and ignored Tate’s warning stare.
“And I wanted to be the one to tell you guys what you’re about to step into,” Cheyenne continued. “’Cause this isn’t just a FRoE thing anymore.”
Tate rubbed his bald and tattooed purple head and frowned. “Then what is it?”
“Well, it’s kinda personal for me. It’s a drow thing.”
The agents exchanged confused glances.
Let’s try this one more time. Cheyenne nodded at the house. “This is my house too.”
“Ha!” Bhandi snorted. “The halfling’s bringin’ the hammer down, huh?”
“No, I mean literally. Bianca Summerlin’s my mom.”
Yurik’s mouth fell open.
“And L’zar Verdys is sitting out back.”
“What the fuck?” Tate stepped sideways in a fruitless attempt to peer around the corner of the massive mansion. “Does Rhynehart know?”
“Oh, yeah. Not that he’s happy about it.”
“No shit.” Bhandi turned to look at her fellow agents. “And we’re up here to what? Bring him in?”
“Not even a little. This is bigger than L’zar breaking out of Chateau D’rahl again. Trust me. You’re up here to help him. Help us.”
“Us as in L’zar and you?” Yurik pointed at the halfling.
“And a few other magicals who follow him, yeah.”
“No fucking wonder this isn’t in the ASS.” Tate shook his head.
Cheyenne looked at each of the agents and shrugged. “Look. Sir approved it. Rhynehart approved it. Guess I better ask right now if this is gonna be a problem for anyone.”
“L’zar Verdys is always a
