Page 12 of Zeus

"It doesn't matter," Lark says. "What's done is done."

"That's what I said," I add when Casper scoffs and walks away.

"Maybe we should have designated days off so the guy can get laid without it being a girl next door."

"The criminals wait for no one, my new friend. Come look at this disgusting couch I found. You're going to love it," Lark says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and guiding me deeper into the basement of the cabin like we've been friends for years.

The familiar stench of used furniture hits me right in the face when we walk into the movie theater in my cabin. It's filled with supplies, used furniture, and a small cache of weapons. On the table to the right are several boxes of military-grade packaged meals, a staple in any paramilitary organization.

I'm looking through a box of clothes when Lark speaks.

"Casper hooked up with one of the girls next door."

A chuckle runs through the group of guys, and I refuse to look up at the familiar laugh, even though I never heard it very often when we were young. Frankie didn't have much to laugh about in those days.

"Someone from the divorcée group?" Jersey asks from the far side of the room.

"How does everyone know who they are?" Casper mutters as he types something into his tablet.

"We don't live in a cave," Jersey answers. "You should get out more."

"Can we just go through this stuff so we can get it loaded up?" Casper asks, trying to divert everyone's attention.

"Was it the redhead or the blonde one with the really big—" Lark asks, holding his hands out in front of his chest to indicate breasts.

"The brunette," I answer with a grin, trying to fit in and feel like one of the guys.

"The one with the little butterfly tattoo right here?" Echo asks, pointing to the corner of his lower stomach.

Silence fills the room as we all stare at him.

"What?" Casper asks, slowly lowering his tablet to the table.

"Pretty smile, bright blue eyes?" Echo continues.

Casper tilts his head slightly, as if sizing up the other man.

"How do you know about the tattoo?" Lark asks Echo because it's starting to look like Casper isn't going to.

"I might've spent a little time over there last month," Echo says with a wink.

"You mean you fu—"

"Are we going to stand around and fucking gossip, or are we going to get this shit handled?" Hemlock growls from the doorway.

I turn to explain what's going on, but the look on Hemlock's face tells me this isn't the time or the place.

"The tackle box looks too new," I say as a distraction, pointing to the corner of the room. "If the rods and reels are old, the box needs to be just as old."

"Noted," Casper says, typing a note on his tablet.

Jersey laughs at how fast the man is trying to move on from the previous conversation.

"Some of these will work," I say, pulling a prescription bottle from one of the boxes. "But it would be better if you had bottles with scripts from multiple people who appear unrelated. If someone goes so far as to come into the house and raid the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, that will tell the snooper that we aren't afraid to steal to get what we want. That could open the door for them to trust us a little easier."

Casper makes another note before I move on.

"We have a computer for you to use before you make contact with anyone from the LOL, but I had one of the guys grab some of these," Casper says. "I read online that they're important."