Part 25 (1/2)

”Oh,” Gabriel says indifferently, losing interest, and walks over to a metal table with various explosive devices lying on top.

”So, what's the job?” Porky is leaning against a long desk with various computer monitors and equipment hovering above. Wearing red basketball shorts and a white hoodie, he looks sloppy, but his hazel eyes are gleaming in antic.i.p.ation.

Brent fills him in, ”There are five targets, a gang of sorts, who specialize in illegally s.h.i.+pping guns made by Lead Dynamics to terrorists in the Middle East.”

”Lead Dynamics in Oakville? What are they s.h.i.+pping out, the Lead T3 MK6 Series weapons?” Porky questions us, excitement written on his boyish face.

”Yes and yes,” I answer, surprised he doesn't already know. Simon must have another one of the geeks gathering us information for this a.s.signment. ”They all live and work out of a large house on the beach down the coast from Sydney. Unfortunately, from what Simon says, they're a suspicious bunch and only deal with people they already know.” I smile ruefully and add, ”Only date women they already know.”

”So, you're going in blind?” Porky asks in disbelief.

I shrug one shoulder, unconcerned with the situation. ”It can't be avoided sometimes.”

Porky lets out a big breath before speaking, ”Well, I have everything you need. If one of you will help me, the rest can go relax in my game room.”

Brent and I decide to a.s.sist Porky since this is technically our a.s.signment. Jackson and Gabriel go out to play in the game room.

I chuckle to myself, thinking about how they're spending quality time together.

Chapter 30.

Gabriel ”I hardly ever play video games anymore,” I inform Jackson.

”Whatever, kid. Make all the excuses you want, but I'm still beating you,” Jackson says with a c.o.c.ky grin, killing my character again on the video game. ”Booya!” he shouts and jumps to his feet to point a finger at me. ”In your face, boy toy!”

Really, who even says 'booya' anymore? Dorks like Jackson, that's who. I toss my controller onto the cus.h.i.+on next to me. ”Whatever, I'm tired of this game. And you've obviously played it many times before.”

He looks at me in fake innocence. ”Dude, this is my first time playing it too. I can't help it that I have a gift.”

Mumbling some curses, I get up and walk away. ”Whatever, I'm going to go see what's taking them so long.” When I go into the 'weapons room', I see that Anna, Porky and Brent have been playing some games of their own. Alternative rap music has been blaring from there almost since I left the room.

”Again!” Brent orders a moment before Anna shoots him in the chest with the paintball gun.

He grunts, but manages to stagger back only one step before regaining his footing. If what Porky was saying earlier is true, Brent is going to be sporting some bruises. He's wearing a clear plastic disposable raincoat with neon pain splattered on it.

”Aim for the face,” I suggest, just trying to be helpful.

Anna turns her head to look back at me with a smile. ”Miss me, baby?”

I give her a sour look. ”Your brother cheats at video games.”

She laughs while placing the paintball gun on a nearby table and walking all s.e.xy-like over to me. ”Aw poor baby. Did Jackson beat you?”

”I'd like to beat him,” I mumble loudly. When she leans up to kiss me, all negative thoughts fly out of my head. d.a.m.n, I wish I had her alone right now. Unfortunately, the only places around here involving privacy also involve rust and caked dirt.

Pulling away from the kiss, I sigh woefully. From the look in her eyes, I can tell she knows exactly what I'm thinking. ”Tonight,” she whispers meaningfully. I can't wait.

I hear the sound of a zipper closing and look over to see Porky hauling two jumbo-sized duffel bags over to us. Brent, who's stripped off the raincoat, grabs one from him as he pa.s.ses by. When Porky reaches us, I grab the other one from him before Anna can.

She huffs in exasperation, ”I can carry that.”

Ignoring her, I ask Porky while using my free hand to point to a table against the far wall, ”What's up with the lab equipment?” On the table is an array of science equipment. Sitting on it is a microscope, beakers, test tubes with tubing and even a stack of Petri dishes.

He smiles while shrugging. ”It looks cool, huh?”

I give him a skeptical look. ”But, what's it for? Do you make your own explosives?”

”No way, man, that'd be too much work. I have a wholesaler. I just think all that equipment looks cool, like I'm a mad scientist or something. Makes me look smart,” Porky answers.

Anna laughs at him. ”But you are smart.”

He shakes his head. ”You just don't get it.”

Brent slaps him on the back. ”Don't worry, buddy, I get it. Now what kind of food do you have around here?”

Porky grins, grabbing a wallet from his computer desk. ”I know of a really great place on the way back to Sydney, my treat.”

Guy is probably starved for the company of other people. From what I understand, he spends most of his time in places like this, alone and hibernating. We agree to take him up on his offer, all sensing that the guy needs interaction with the outside world.

About an hour and a half later, as we follow Porky's vehicle into a restaurant parking lot, I ask Anna, ”Where the freak is he taking us?”

Following Porky in his burgundy SUV here was a lot more comfortable than the ride to Newcastle earlier today. Brent rode with Porky in his vehicle, so I got the whole backseat of this compact car from h.e.l.l to myself. The sign a mile or so back said that we're in Gosford, New South Wales. This city isn't too far from Sydney.

The restaurant that we're parking in front of is not exactly what I had in mind when Porky suggested dinner. The sign in front of the place says the name 'Romp and Stomp' in bright colors and there's a green dinosaur cartoon character next to the 'p' in 'Stomp'. This can't be right, he can't seriously mean for us to eat at this kiddie restaurant.

We park in the back of the parking lot next to Porky and climb out of the car. Jackson beats me to it, asking Porky, ”You can't seriously mean this place?”

”They have video games,” Porky says in an enticing voice to Jackson.

”Hey, I don't care what they have,” Brent says, ”I'm starving. No one told me it was going to take so long to get here.” Rubbing his hands together in antic.i.p.ation, he announces, ”Let's eat!”

Anna b.u.mps her upper arm against mine. ”Come on, baby. I'll win you a stuffed animal or something.”

”I want a squirt gun,” I joke with her.

”Okay babe, but if there's a pink one, Jackson gets it,” she says loudly enough for him to hear. Without turning around, Jackson gives her the finger over his shoulder.

Upon entering the place, I imagine that adding fire and brimstone would make this place my own personal h.e.l.l. There are kids screaming in both delight and tantrum, running around like maniacs and just acting all-around chaotic. d.a.m.n, I was in the mood for steak or ribs.

The scrawny teenage boy at the front door, wearing a red polo and baseball cap, asks if we have any kids with us. I guess so they can stamp our hands to prevent child abduction, like they do at Chuck E. Cheese's back home. I grab Jackson's wrist and hold his hand out for a stamp. He rolls his eyes, jerking his hand away and says his usual, ”Ha, ha, ha.” The teenager laughs and opens the velvet rope to let us in. No wonder Porky suckered us into coming here with him. Coming by himself would make him look like a pedophile.

We order our food at the front cash register, with all of us getting the salad bar and two large pizzas to share. I ask the girl who takes our order if they serve beer and she suggests root beer. Yeah, a steak and beer would have been nice after all that time cooped up in the car today. We find a booth at the back of the restaurant, Porky insists, and from the way he's eyeing the front of the restaurant where there's a wall full of windows, I'm wondering if he's waiting for us to get attacked or something.

Porky ”Pssts!” at Jackson and asks in a quiet tone, ”Did you see anyone following us?”