“Nicknames are important for security reasons and we need to stick to them. If any of us ever gets captured and put in a compromising position—”
“Yeah, I get it, boss. No worries. Can’t spill the beans on something you don’t know in the first place. Like real names. Just want mine to be something I like, too. Not like Blender’s. She hates that name.”
“I hope she knows she can always change it. It’s not against the rules.”
“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to rock the boat. Being the new person and all.”
“Okay, I’ll talk to her about it and see if I can smooth it over. But it’ll need to wait until after we take care of this Nirvana business.”
“Do you think they’re on the level?”
“I hope so. Otherwise, we’re in trouble. It’s been months since the last contact out there, and we all know how that turned out.”
He shook his head. “What happened to D-Day wasn’t right.”
“No, but that’s what can happen if we’re not vigilant. It just reinforces why we all must stay focused and stick to protocols.”
“I get it. For the good of the group. But none of us are experts at any of this. Not like the others before. Kind of a big task.”
“But we have to try, Shotgun. We can do better. We have to.”
“No, you’re right. We don’t have any choice. But I’m not sure Asher will ever be on board. He’s the most stubborn man I’ve ever met.”
“It all comes down to having faith in the process. He’ll eventually come around. He has to,” Destiny said. “As for Nirvana, they better be legit for all our sakes. Otherwise, I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
“Sawtooth said as much earlier when I bumped into him. He’s worried as hell.”
“As he should be,” Destiny said, tapping Shotgun on the back with her hand. “Go ahead, reach out. It’s time.”
“On it, boss,” he said, powering on the equipment. He adjusted a few settings while the lights blinked and the machine hummed, then began his transmission. “Eagle Base. Eagle Base. This is Blackstone. Come back. Over.”
The radio hissed a random crackle as the two of them listened for a response.
When nothing changed in the static, Destiny said, “Go ahead. Try again. They better be there.”
Shotgun engaged the transmitter again, sending the same message. After a third, fourth, and fifth attempt, they finally heard a female respond. It was the same voice as before. “Blackstone. Eagle Base. We read you loud and clear. Over.”
Destiny held up her hand and waited for Shotgun to give her a congratulatory hand slap, both of them smiling.
None of their celebration was planned, but it felt good to connect with the man on that level.
Sometimes, even the smallest of victories can keep the heart energized with hope, especially when it’s enjoyed with another. Even an underling. It was one of the ways she’d learned to foster teambuilding and earn loyalty.
Shotgun grabbed the mic, bringing it closer to his mouth. “It’s good to hear your voice, Eagle Base. Over.”
“Had a small delay on our end. Our apologies. Couldn’t be helped. Over.”
“Understood. It’s time to finalize our meet. Over.”
“Then your Ruling Committee agreed? Over.”
Shotgun let go of the mic before angling back in his chair and looking up.
Destiny gave him a nod. “Go ahead. Read her in. But just the minimum. Nothing more. Keep your answers short and sweet.”
“Okay, chief,” Shotgun said, employing the mic once again. “Yes, Eagle Base. We have approval on this end. Are you ready, willing, and able? Over.”
“Yes. Our leadership team has okayed a meet for the exchange,” the Eagle Base operator said, her tone changing in pitch and intensity as she continued, “but I’m sure you will agree, time is of the essence, so we need to move this process forward. Over.”
“Roger that, Eagle Base,” Shotgun said.
Before he could continue, Destiny put her hand on his shoulder and tugged.
Shotgun released the transmit button in a snap of movement and brought his eyes around. “What’s up, boss?”
“Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“The desperation in her voice. It just went up a few levels.”
He smirked, looking confused. “Sorry, I must have missed that.”
“Well, it was there.”
“What does it mean?”
“I’m not sure,” Destiny said, taking a handful of seconds to ponder the situation. “I think we should run a small test to find out.”
“Okay, what?”
“Get back on the line and tell them that our Ruling Committee only agrees to sign off if we receive a few more items to help balance out the trade.”
“Really?”
“Just do it.”
“Okay, but what else do we need?”
“Uh,” she replied in a stutter. “Let’s tell them we need cough medicine and, let’s say, some toilet paper. Twenty rolls of it.”
“Twenty rolls?”
“It doesn’t matter the amount. We’re just testing a theory. Let’s see what happens.”
Shotgun didn’t respond, nor did he move, only blinking at her, his face numb.
“Blackstone, Eagle Base,” Nirvana said across the link. “Are you still reading? Do we have a deal? Over.”
Destiny pointed at the device, motioning for Shotgun to get busy. “Answer them. Tell them what I said. Hurry up. Before they get suspicious.”
“Right, sorry,” Shotgun said, turning forward in his chair once again, his hand taking control of the mic. “Sorry, Eagle Base. We’re still here. However, I was just informed that while our Ruling Committee has approved the trade, they will only do so if a couple of additional items are included to balance it out. Over.”
“What kinds of items? Over.”
“Cough medicine and toilet paper. Over.”
There was an extended pause before the device crackled again with a response. “Toilet paper? Over.”
Shotgun didn’t hesitate. “Yes, twenty rolls. That’s the price. Over.”
“Hold on. Let me confirm on this end. Over.”
Static returned to the device, giving Destiny a chance to take a few extra breaths and calm her chest.
That’s when Shotgun asked, “Is that what you expected?”
“Not sure yet. Let’s see what they come back with. Then we’ll know more.”
Two minutes later, the signal broke free from its static. “Blackstone. Eagle Base. We can do fifteen rolls. Over.”
Shotgun peered up at Destiny. “What should I say?”
“Tell them we have a deal.”
Shotgun opened transmission again. “Eagle Base. We have a deal. Over.”
“Excellent. Just need coordinates. Over.”
Destiny studied Shotgun’s hand to make sure his fingers weren’t depressing the transmit button, then she took out a folded slip of paper from her pocket and gave it to Shotgun. “Use these coordinates. But don’t mention anything about us not having all the items they want. I’ll deal with that when we meet, assuming they actually show up.”