Page 40 of Baiting Kong

“No, sir.”

“Then wait for me to ask you a question before you jump to conclusions,” Mark said. “Think you can do that?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, now, relax and just talk to me,” Mark said. “Have you spoken to your brother since the robbery?”

Scout shook his head and sucked in a breath before answering verbally. “No sir, I can’t; he dropped his phone in the scuffle. I managed to snag it before one of the cops could see.”

“You keep cool and think on your feet; that’s a good trait to have,” Mark said. “Did you learn that from the Hounds?”

“No sir, I learned it from my pops and my brother.”

“Is your old man a member of the Hounds?” Mark asked.

“No, sir.”

“But your brother is?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Did he send you to town to hook up with us, maybe do a little spying?”

Scout shook his head again, fingers fumbling with the snap on his jacket pocket as he tried to fish out his cigarettes. “A job brought me here.”

“Ahh, yes, this mysterious second job you’ve mentioned to a few people but only in very vague terms,” Mark said. “Now I’d like you to be more specific.”

“It’s got nothing to do with the Hounds or the Jokers or any other club,” Scout said. “I got it through the internet. It’s with a production company. Kind of low-budget shit that is almostwrapped up. I’ve got about a week and a half left before I fulfill my contract, and then I’ll leave town if that’s what you want. I can vacate the cabin tonight and go back to the campground. I never meant to cause any issues. I just wanted to earn some cash to help my old man.”

“No one is telling you to leave town yet,” Mark said. “But we’ll escort you out before the end of the night if I get so much as an inkling that you are trying to withhold information from me.”

“I’m not,” Scout said.

“Where is this production company?”

“Out on factory row,” Scout explained. “Parts of it are still being renovated.”

“Yeah, we know the building you’re referring to,” Mark said. “You’re doing porn, aren’t you?”

Creature had the perfect vantage point to see Kong’s face when Scout nodded, and the word pissed wasn’t strong enough to describe the look that twisted his features. Mark’s poker face was as cold and blank as ever, but Creature remembered what had happened when Lucky had gotten mixed up in that mess after being filmed without his knowledge of what the videos would be used for.

“Who hired you?”

“Erotic Obsessions.”

“And you’re actual boss?”

“Donny Duchamp”

The only sign Mark showed that he recognized the name was the twitching of his right eye.

“How many have you shot so far?”

“Fifteen. I’ve got five more to do.”

Nodding, Mark lit another cigarette. “Are the Hounds a part of that operation?”

“No, sir.”