Wrong Place, Right Time - Elle Casey Page 0,78
shrugs as he throws his computer case’s strap over his shoulder.
“Lucky, I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to tell you . . . I was scared shitless when those people were in here. I’m not so sure I have this fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants base you’re talking about.”
“So? So was I. That’s a totally natural reaction. If you had reacted any other way, I’d worry about you.”
“Do you mean to tell me that every time you guys are faced with a conflict, you’re scared?”
Lucky puts his heavy hand on my shoulder and stares me down. “Never underestimate the power of fear, Jenny. Fear keeps you alive. And if you’re special, fear helps you focus. Fear helps you zero in on the solution that you need to execute immediately. May has that instinct. I think you do too. But we’re gonna let Dev and Ozzie decide if I’m right.” He lets me out of his grip and moves to leave the server room.
I rush to fall in behind him. Just the sound of that man’s name makes me feel calmer. “Why does Dev decide?”
“Dev is our trainer, but not just with physical training. It also includes mental training. Dev can usually tell pretty early on whether somebody has the mental strength to handle the entire training package.”
Now I have a bunch of questions, but I’m afraid that every single one of them is going to sound like me seeking compliments. So instead of asking anything, I just mull over what he said. We collect all of our things from the first desks where we started, turn out the lights, and head down the hall together.
“Are you sure it’s safe to go out there?” I ask.
“I’m going to double-check before we open the door.” Lucky takes out his phone and sends a text. A few seconds later there’s a response and he nods. “We’re good to go. Stay behind me.”
I sigh loudly.
He pauses. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Why do you tell me to stay behind you if everything is okay?”
He grins at me. “Wouldn’t want you to get lazy on me.”
I give him a glare. “You’re so lucky I don’t believe in hitting.”
He dips his head back and laughs. “That’s why they call me Lucky. Because I am.”
We walk out into the sultry night together to an empty parking lot. After locking the door behind us, Lucky makes his way over to his vehicle. I wait for him to unlock the doors and get inside.
“Do you think those two were wondering what this car was doing here?” I ask.
“I doubt it. People leave their cars in this industrial area all the time for different reasons. And if they were, so what? Right now they have bigger problems to focus on.”
“Do you think they’ll get charged with breaking and entering?”
“I doubt it. But they are going to have some explaining to do. I’m going to let Mr. Jorgensen know what happened from the inside, and he can just deal with it however he feels is best. I don’t think those kids are going to be worrying about a random car in the parking lot when they have to explain to their parents what they were doing inside their offices in the middle of the night.”
The trip back to the warehouse is a mostly silent one. I’m lost in thought about what we’ve done tonight and about the work we have ahead of us. As we’re pulling into the industrial park near the port, Lucky speaks. “Are you available tomorrow to start working on this? Or are you going to need a day to go over what you found?”
“I think I’m going to need a day to do that.” And recover. I can just imagine trying to work on four hours of sleep. “Can we get started on Friday?”
I need to go retrieve my things from my old job along with my last paycheck. That severance had better be there, and it better be good, or heads are going to roll. I’ll be ready to start fresh with the Bourbon Street Boys on Friday. I get a little thrill knowing that I have a job waiting for me, and it’s the kind of place that allows me the flexibility to work my own schedule. I don’t have to be jealous of May anymore.
“Friday is great,” Lucky says. “I’m going to take Sunny to the vet tomorrow. He’s not looking so hot right now.”
I chew my lip, wondering if I should delve any deeper into this issue.