Monthly Bonus Content #2 - Book One, Chapter Two (Rook AU Scenario) (Patreon)

The group continues up the narrow flight of stairs until they reach a dark wood door, a panel of opaque glass obscuring the room inside. Adam pushes open the door, the group coming to a stop at the sight of a tall man, a wrinkled shirt covering his solid shoulders, and a pair of cotton trousers slung low, wrapped around by a leather belt. He turns from where he was looking over something at the broken desk.

The man, Rook, is their human team handler, and a now familiar sight to them all after seven years of working together.

“Jeez, you all took your—” His voice halts as his nose wrinkles. “What is that smell? Why do you smell?” He wraps an arm across his face with an exaggerated wretch.

Adam rolls his eyes as he folds his arms. “It is not that bad.”

“It’s bad enough that I’m wishing I brought air freshener,” the man retorts. “Seriously though. What’s with the smell?”

“Some human pepper-sprayed him,” Farah blurts out with a wide grin as she falls into a seat.

Rook’s eyes alight. “Are you serious?”

“Oh yeah,” Farah replies, adding a chuckle just for good measure.

Rook sucks his lips between his teeth, at least trying to hold back his amusement…for ten seconds, at least. “Please tell me someone got that on video.”

“Oh yeah. Because the Agency would be thrilled if we had anything related to us on video,” Morgan scoffs. She sinks into the shadow in the corner behind the rusted filing cabinet, the bright crimson flicker of a match sparking a cigarette highlighting her sharp features in the gloom.

He shrugs and settles back against the desk. “Not like we’d have to tell them. It could just be for our own personal hilarity archives.”

Adam stiffens and marches further into the room. “Are we here for a reason? Or did you come all the way from the facility just to joke around?”

“If I thought it would lighten you up any, then I’d happily make the trip more often just to ‘joke around’,” he says, though the smile this time is not teasing but genuine, softening Adam’s raised hackles.

Rook pushes off of the desk, turning to reach behind for a folder. “But I did call you all here for an actual work-related reason.”

“At least there’s a purpose for being in this dump then,” Farah states, fidgeting in the half-crumpled chair.

"Do you mean the town or the office?" Morgan asks.

"Both,” Farah replies. The two grin at each other, Morgan’s stream of smoke becoming ragged as she chuckles.

Rook’s lips purse. “This is my town you’re talking about. And there’s lots of bits of it that aren’t dumps. We just don’t get to see those yet because we’re trying to be stealthy, remember?”

“What is the reason for our being here?” Nate asks, sighing as he obviously tries to bring the conversation back on track.

“You’re all aware that we’re here to try and catch the bastard that shredded and mangled up the last team who were assigned to this town,” he says.

Nate’s jaw tightens at the imagery. “Wonderful word choice, Rook.”

“It is how it is,” he says, his voice tighter now. “But catching him isn’t your only priority now.” He taps the folder against his palm with a sudden uncertain pinch of his brow.

“What is it?” Adam prompts.

Rook glances up with a long breath. “You’re to take on protection duty for the next victim.”

“What?” Morgan splutters.

Even Nate leans forward, lacing his fingers together in confusion. "Protection?"

"That's not exactly our speciality," Farah says, everyone in the room nodding in agreement.

“No but considering there is likely only one potential victim left that he’s after, and that victim happens to be my own kid, then I think you can make an exception,” he admits through rushed words.

“Your kid? The one you practically have a shrine to in your office?” Farah asks, sitting straighter.

Rook holds up a finger. “Ok, having an abundance of family photos isn’t a shrine.”

“There’s a serious amount of photos,” Morgan adds.

He shakes his head and places the folder down, opening it up on the crooked table in the centre of the room. “It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that from now on, you’ll be keeping my kid safe from this killer.” His gaze turns glassy as he looks at each of them in turn. “I need them to be safe. And I know you’ll do that. You’re the only ones I’d trust for this. It’s why I requested we be assigned to this mission.”

Nate leans forward and places a hand over Rook’s shaking one. “You can count on us.” The promise gains a very thankful smile from their handler.

“Well, probably, at least,” Morgan adds.

Nate throws her a narrowed stare before looking back at Rook. “Do you have a photo of them on you?”

Rook pulls out his wallet and a ream of photos falls from it.

As the team lean in to see who it is they’ll be playing bodyguards to, recognition hits them all.

"You've got to be kidding me," Adam says through a loud groan.

Farah bursts out laughing.

Their new assignment is protecting the detective they'd just met outside of the warehouse.