Quintus: #7 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas) Read online

  Chapter Five

  Allison flipped open her laptop and quickly typed in what little she knew about the people up the mountain, which wasn’t really much at all.

  Nothing. They had no web page or social media presence. The Azilians, in contrast, had a slick modern web page that would be the envy of any major corporation. Quintus and his friends might as well not exist, other than a few deeds and documents associated with a holding company that barely seemed to exist.

  It seemed strange that in the day of the internet that there was nothing about them from anywhere else. Didn't everyone have a trail? A few embarrassing pictures?

  She couldn’t seem to eat a burrito without everyone and their brother knowing where she’d been.

  Something about the men just bothered her. It just felt like they must be hiding something. The lack of information on them screamed cover-up, and she was hardly an expert, but people who were trying to hide often were dangerous or connected to someone dangerous, like the mob.

  The idea of them being survivalists even seemed less likely now. Most of the groups like that she’d encountered seemed fond of long internet manifestos talking about the tyranny of the government.

  These guys were obviously trying to fly under the radar. She just needed to figure out why.

  The only way to really learn the truth was to talk with them. Maybe she would be able to get more info when Quintus came to work for her.

  She might be a small-town mayor, but that still meant she was a politician. She could be slick when she needed.

  And, yeah, it was all about information. It had nothing to do with seeing muscles coated in sweat as he worked under the hot sun, maybe straining against a t-shirt. She hadn’t thought about that at all.

  Well, just a little, but not a lot. Maybe.

  A soft knock came at the door, startling her from her erotic thoughts. Allison looked up to find Celine stepping into the room with a strange look on her face.

  Celine closed the door behind her and stepped quickly over to Allison’s desk.

  "The next appointment is here," she said, and fidgeted with the hem of her blouse. She reached up and adjusted her glasses. Though at least she’d stopped her habit of playing with her shoulder-length curly hair when she was nervous.

  Allison liked Celine. Although the strawberry blond woman could be a bit anxious at times, she worked hard and did her job well. Both things that Allison appreciated in an employee.

  "What's the problem?" Allison asked, cutting to the chase.

  Celine glanced back at the door. And then back to her. "I just have a feeling about this woman," she said. “Your next appointment.”

  Allison rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "We've talked about this before," she said. "I can’t conduct town business just on the basis of feelings.”

  Celine frowned at her. It was clear she disagreed but wasn't going to say anything. Which suited Allison just fine. Despite her little speech, she didn't want to think about the fact that Celine's feelings tended to match her own feelings at times. More than enough to be comfortable.

  “I’ll keep your thoughts in mind though,” Allison added.

  "Then I'll send Ms. Anderson in right away," Celine said, her voice more clipped than it had been before. She was clearly hurt by her dismissal.

  Perhaps Allison had been a bit too rough. She just wanted Celine to understand that they had to keep things professional or people would walk all over them.

  "Celine,” she called out, but the small woman had already slipped through the door.

  Allison placed her hand against her for head and rubbed again. The lack of sleep was making her bitchier than usual. Maybe she'd take Celine out for lunch as an apology. All she had to do was get past this last meeting for the morning, and they were home free.

  The door opened wide, and Allison was more than a little surprised at the woman who entered her office.

  Celine hadn’t been wrong. There was something strange about this woman. It was one of those things Allison couldn't quite put her finger on but would know the moment she found it.

  Ms. Anderson wore an all-white pencil skirt and matching white jacket. Her hair was so blond it was almost an unnatural translucent color, and her makeup didn't quite match the tone of her face.

  But it was her red lipstick that struck Allison the most. It stood out brazenly against her pale face and hair.

  She didn’t want to distrust someone because of poor makeup skills, but just the way the woman stood unnerved her.

  Ms. Anderson’s sharp brown eyes landed on Allison, and for a moment she felt the same confusion she had when she stared at Quintus. As if the woman’s deep brown eyes didn't quite match her face. It was an odd thing to think twice in one day, but the feeling was still there.

  Allison shook herself. Now wasn't the time to be judging somebody's appearance. She had a job to do.

  She held out her hand and was surprised when the woman clasped hers with her white glove still on.

  Maybe she was a germaphobe?

  "It's so nice to meet you," Allison said with her best mayor face planted on.

  She sat back down in her seat and gestured to the chair across from her.

  Ms. Anderson sat down with a wry smile on her face. "Likewise.”

  Allison cleared her throat. Her first instincts had been right. This woman was strange.

  There was even a hint of something unsettling in her voice. Arrogance mixed with something else, like she held on to some secret.

  "So I understand that you are buying the old mill on the other side of the mountain," Allison said, looking at the papers in front of her.

  "Oh, yes, I have many plans for the mill," the woman said. "I would like to get settled in as quickly as possible.”

  Allison nodded. "The sale will be between you and the bank,” she said. “But the permits are a different story. There are a few things we’ll need before you’ll be able to get the place up and working again in any capacity."

  The woman looked over the forms Allison handed her. For a moment, Allison thought she might have detected a bit of irritation in the other woman’s face, but it was quickly squashed.

  “Once you get all the requested information,” Allison said, “it’ll take two to four weeks to process.”

  "It seems like a few of these may take a while to get the necessary information, as well," Ms. Anderson said. “I suppose things won’t happen as quickly as I wanted.”

  Allison nodded again. It wasn’t uncommon to find people from outside of town surprised with the pace of things in their sleepy mountain town. Anything that took less than a month around there wasn't very long in the opinion of the locals.

  But Allison could understand people from outside might find that strange.

  "Is there any way we can speed this up a bit?" Ms. Anderson said.

  Allison shook her head. “I'm afraid that's just the process of the whole thing. If I bent the rules for you, I’d have to do it for everyone. And in a small place like Eagle Ridge, word will get out. I’m sure you can understand.”

  The woman scowled at her. It seemed she didn’t understand.

  “I understand, even if I’m disappointed.”

  Ms. Anderson gathered her things, taking the papers Allison had handed her.

  "I'll be in touch soon," the woman said.

  Allison stood to shake her hand again, but before she could even stick her hand out, the other woman was through the door and out into the waiting room, faster than she would have thought possible.

  What a strange day.

  Celine peeked her head in front of the door. Allison gave her a small smile.

  "How about some lunch with some cake at the end?" Allison said.

  Celine smiled brightly at her. Allison knew it was the one good way to win back her employee as well as clear out the pissy attitude that had built up.

  Cake was always a good idea, no matter the situation.

  Chapter Six

  When Quintus
arrived at the compound, Atticus and Vitus had just finished their patrols. Neither looked concerned. He wondered if that was necessarily a good thing. They needed to find their enemy.

  He headed toward the gathered hybrids.

  "Any signs of the Glycon pack?" Nero asked.

  Vitus shook his head. "They must be hiding somewhere in the mountains, and that’s assuming they aren’t hiding their scents.”

  Quintus considered that. It made the most sense considering the hybrids had been over nearly every square inch within the city limits. But searching the mountains was far too difficult with the dangerous terrain and the snow still covering the northern parts.

  It didn’t help that for all the hybrids knew, there could be anything from a few more Glycons to dozens of the things.

  “Lots of movement with the Azilians,” Vitus said. “More shipments than normal, and they have several more men standing guard. I’d say they are up to something, but they are always up to something.” He shrugged. “Maybe something big is coming up.”

  Quintus frowned. Despite their occasional helping of the hybrids, the Azilians had already proven they were ruthless, and seeing movement like that with them when there was all sorts of crazy already going on didn’t really sit well with him, and he’d bet Rem would feel the same.

  He wasn’t sure how Rem felt about the Azilians, but Quintus still wondered if they weren’t setting up the hybrids in the long run. The cult’s leader, besides being strange and something more than human, obviously had some sort of plan that probably didn’t end with everyone living quietly and in harmony.

  The behavior of a fanatic could be harder to predict than that of a hired killer or beast.

  Atticus grunted loudly. "This whole thing is bullshit." He scowled. "We’re waiting to get taken out. We should've left the moment we found even one Glycon near us. I don’t give a shit if they aren’t controlled by the Group. The Group obviously made them, and if they are loose, the Group’s probably looking for them. We stay, the Group will find us, if they haven’t already.”

  Atticus wasn't the only one feeling that way. Many in the community were afraid the Horatius Group might gain access to them once again. The Group had stolen the early parts of their lives and taken their memories. They’d changed them into the hybrids they were now for their own purposes. And if caught again, the Group would likely enslave them once again, if not kill them. outright.

  “And go where?” Nero asked. “It’s not like it was easy to find a place like this. Seclusion isn’t something you find much of these days, and that would be dooming most of the hybrids to lives without their other half.” He shrugged. “If anything, running again might make it easier to find us.”

  Atticus grunted again, but this time with less force. What Nero was saying made sense. There wasn’t a place to run off to.

  Before their move to Eagle Ridge, Rem had carefully prepared a place where they could hide. If they left, they would be leaving with the clothes on their backs, and there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t be found at their next location. Making it work was the best option at the moment.

  Quintus also wondered about fate. Their move had brought them close to the Azilians, and several Vestals. He wasn’t sure how much he believed about ancient Atlantean gods controlling their fates, but it very well might be they were exactly where they needed to be.

  "Rem knows what he's doing," Quintus said.

  Their leader was cunning if anything. He seemed to know what the next step was before they even thought of it themselves.

  His methodology might not be the most open, but Quintus knew that Rem had their best interest at heart. He’d taken huge risks with his own life to free them.

  Atticus rolled his eyes. "Not this shit again," he said. "Can't we just focus on the fact that we know there's a problem and have an opportunity to fix it?"

  This time it was Vitus that scowled. “Can’t you just have a little faith it will all work out?”

  “I just hope it wasn’t faith that put me in that hellhole in the first place," he said, and shoved past them toward his place. “It’s not like I’d even remember if it was.”

  Quintus opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. He'd never been any good at comforting people. It wasn’t something he was offered much of in the little of the impressions of his life before he could remember. He tended to always stay on the outskirts of things. Life was much easier to deal with when you didn’t have emotions getting in the way.

  "So, anything interesting happen?" Vitus said. He raised a brow toward Quintus as if he already knew the answer to his question.

  Quintus opened his mouth to answer but stopped. He still wasn't quite ready to share with the others about finding his Vestal, especially since they didn't know just where she stood in all of this.

  As much as he didn't want to be, Quintus was practical. If Allison proved to be a threat to their people, her being his Vestal wouldn't help much. He would put the safety of the hybrids ahead of his own needs.

  He glanced over to Nero, who he was sure knew just what she was, but he didn’t seem all that interested in talking about it. Either he just didn’t care or figured it was none of his business. Either way, Quintus was glad for it.

  Given Nero’s own complicated past, Quintus wasn’t surprised that the other hybrid didn’t seem interested in making things difficult for him.

  "The mayor agreed to the installation of Veronica’s devices," Quintus said. "I'll also be starting work at her house tomorrow."

  “Huh?” Vitus cocked his head to the side. "Work at her house?"

  Quintus nodded. "Rem said keep an eye on her, and it turned out she needed someone to do repairs. I convinced her to hire me.”

  The men grew quiet for a moment.

  "Is she hot?" Vitus said.

  Nero snorted. “And on that note, I’m out. Glad to see everyone’s so focused.” He spun on his heel and walked off.

  Quintus frowned slightly and shrugged. "What's it matter? This is about gathering useful intelligence.”

  Vitus broke out in a large grin. "Doesn't, but it doesn't hurt if she’s hot either."

  Irritation flared in Quintus. He had no real claim on her, and yet the animal in him screamed that she was his. No man could talk like that about what was his.

  He shook himself out of the thoughts. Nothing good would come of it. Nero was right. He needed to remember why he was going to her home.

  “I have a job to do, and that’s all I’m focused on right now,” Quintus said.

  “Whatever you say,” Vitus said.

  Quintus offered a quick wave and hurried to his place. For now, he’d just do his best not to think about Veronica as anything other than a information source.

  Chapter Seven

  “Oh my God, that cake is so good,” Celine said as she licked the last bits of chocolate off. “So good it should be illegal.”

  In a rare instance, Allison had been able to tear her sister Grace away from the grocery store. Her somewhat mousy sister was usually so busy it was hard to get her out.

  Allison always felt bad for her. Grace did a good job running the store, but the pressure of the store and her own personality made it hard for her to meet anyone.

  Not that Allison was doing much better in that department. Her heart picked up at the memory of Quintus. She quickly tried to push the thought of him out of her head.

  He was just someone she’d hired to help fix her house, not someone she was going to date. She just had to keep telling herself that enough times until she believed it.

  Timidly Grace ate the lemon tart in front of her and gave a small smile. The tiny expression change transformed her entire demeanor. She transformed from being a dowdy woman to a beautiful butterfly who just needed to learn to fly.

  Allison smiled back and shoved the last bite of her own carrot cake in her mouth. The sweet tang of the cream cheese frosting mixed with the moist cake was like a little bite of heaven. Better than chocolate e
ven.

  “So,” Celine said with a sly smile. “What was up with those beefcakes earlier? The ones who came in with that Veronica. Are they like her personal escorts?”

  Allison nearly choked as she swallowed the cake in her mouth. It took a drink of water to actually set things normal again. She’d finally managed to push Quintus out of her thoughts, and Celine had helped him reinvade.

  “You have beefcakes coming to visit you?” Grace asked with concern.

  Allison shot Celine the stink eye before looking back to her sister. “They’re from that group up the hill,” she said. “The ones that bought land near the Azilians. They came in with plans to help deter the animal or animals that have been killing. At least until we can catch this thing.”

  “I should hope you’d be doing more,” said an angry voice.

  The grating sound of a bitter old woman cut through the air, and Allison recognized the speaker without even looking.

  Doris. The local know-it-all busy body tended to make her life a living hell just for shits and giggles. Despite being a small town with not much reason to have painful politics, Doris had done her best to provide them anyway.

  It wasn’t even like Doris cared that much about Allison in particular. She always seemed to have a beef with half the town, for some slight, real or imagined. If the woman moved away, the entire town would end up happier.

  Allison turned to the older woman, her face plastered with the most congenial smile she could possibly muster. There was nothing she could do but try and defuse the conversation before things got out of hand.

  “I assure you, Doris, we are doing all we can.”

  Doris huffed loudly. The tightly curled hair on the top of her head bounced a little with her movements. “Tell that to my Poppy.”

  Poppy? Had another person gone missing, and she didn’t know it? There was a chance, she supposed. If it happened while they were at lunch. But she had no idea who Doris might be referring to.