Page 169 of Seven Deadly Sins

The man didn’t look convinced but shook his hand anyway. “That stall back there belongs to Harold. You can’t sleep there. Since we’re full up, you’ll have to find a spot in the main area.” He turned and marched away, then turned back. “Oh, and you ain’t allowed outside after ten p.m. even to take a piss. Not unless you’re on guard duty. You should know that.”

“We haven’t been here long enough to know much of anything. Got here right before the shut off time.” He had no idea if such a thing existed, but it seemed to appease the man who hadn’t given his name.

Liam waved for Harper to join him, then found a vacant corner for them to hunker down in. They should have brought some personal belongings. Showing up empty handed except for their weapons looked too suspicious. They needed a better story.

“We’re a couple of homeless men from Rogers. Ex-veterans, both of us. Uncle Sam hasn’t taken the care of us we deserve, and we’ve been looking for a place to belong. This place is it.”

“Sounds good to me, Pa.” Her lips twitched.

It sounded ridiculous her calling him pa. He tucked his hat lower over his eyes. “Might as well pretend to sleep.” He wouldn’t be able to sleep for real. “You can get some shut eye. I’ll keep watch.”

“We’ll both keep watch.” She mimicked him by pulling her cap brim lower, crossed her arms, and pretended to sleep.

His shoulder pressed against hers, Liam listened to the snores of the men in the building. A few lay beside motorcycles, more slept in horse stalls, a very few slept like him and Harper. Hopefully, that meant they’d blend in just fine. He breathed deep of sweat and motorcycle fumes, then settled in for a long few hours until daybreak.

When the others started to stir, he yawned and stretched his arms, then shook Harper. “Get up, son. Time to work.” He marched to where the man he’d shook hands with upon their arrival barked orders. “Where would you like us?”

“Got any skills?”

“I know how to build. So does my boy.”

“Good. We’ve some homes to build. There’s one half-finished. You can’t miss it. Head over there after breakfast. You get that by knocking on the back door of the big house. The cooks will hand you a plate.”

He and Harper followed the line of men to the kitchen door where they were served biscuits and white gravy. “Put the bowls in that tub,” a woman told him. “Lunch is at noon.”

“I love biscuits and gravy.” Harper sat at a wooden picnic table.

“Don’t get too comfortable. We’ve got a job to do.” He sat across from her and dug into his breakfast. He glanced around, not seeing any sign of Annie or Thompson. Maybe they ate in the house. All he saw around them was workers.

“Robert Thompson! Time to come out and resolve this.” Director Payson’s voice bellowed through a bull horn. The battle had begun. “No one needs to get hurt. Send out the women and children first.”

No response came from the house. All those eating had paused and resumed when no order came, but the atmosphere had thickened. Tension showed in the lines of their bodies and the speed with which they ate. These men would be ready when Thompson gave the order.

He caught Harper’s resigned gaze. When she looked straight at you, no one would believe her to be a man. Her skin was too smooth, her cheeks too rounded. They needed to find Thompson fast before someone approached her to talk.

“What?”

“Keep your head down or we’re in big trouble.”

“We’re going to be in big trouble soon enough.” She finished her breakfast and took both her bowl and his to the tub.

As they joined the men heading to the unfinished building, she asked, “How do we find Robert? We’ll have to go in the house if he isn’t out soon. I can’t think of a reason a couple of worker bees would need to be inside.”

“I’ll think of something.” He bent and grabbed a stack of two-by-fours. “Look busy.”

She grabbed a nail gun. “This isn’t my first building rodeo.” Without a backward glance, she moved away from the crowd and started shooting nails into the wood of the building’s frame.

Impressed, Liam grinned and gathered another pile of boards. He added them to the growing pile. The men around him jerked to attention.

Liam turned as the very man they’d come to find approached them.

“Heard we had some new people.” Thompson smiled. “Welcome.” He thrust out his hand.

Liam returned the handshake and introduced him and Harper with their aliases.

“Wonderful. I insist on interviewing every new member. Please follow me.” Thompson turned and headed for the main house. The man obviously expected his orders to be followed immediately.

Liam and Harper fell into step behind him.