Be With Me

Chapter Thirty-Seven

"He sounded genuine." Vicrul said who easily matched Ben's long strides as they walked to their cars outside the parking lot of the Chandrila Fountain Casino, unlike Tali who couldn't keep up with her much shorter legs.

Ben slowed down for her as he realized it and she must've realized it too because she gave him a sarcastic smile. "Yeah, I don't trust him fully but enough to work with him just this once," he agreed with his second in command.

Vicrul silently agreed with a nod.

"Are his men enough though?" Tali asked slightly concerned.

"Not enough for us to be at ease about it," Vicrul answered. "But definitely better than nothing."

"Boss, I just cleared jobs for the next supply runs," Ap'lek said putting his phone in his back pocket as he pushed up from the hood of his car.

"How many?" Ben asked.

"So far seventeen. Three of them being direct lines. But I might get more if Cardo is successful tonight."

"Perfect, good work, Ap'lek," Ben said, and he could've sworn he saw the hint of a proud smirk on his face before Ben reached in his pocket for his own phone.

"Speaking of Cardo," Tali addressed them all, "he's been talking about how some guys from the First Order have been talking about a certain FBI agent in their midst. Cardo says some of them are growing suspicious and a little nervous."

"Ha! I'll be damned," Trudgen said opening the door to his truck. "That was quick. Kuruk is good, man. On all those runs in the past weeks I never once overheard him planting that seed in their ears. But he's getting it done."

Ben nodded. "And he'll continue to do so for all those other runs as well," he readdressed Ap'lek. "I'll send you the contact from one of Leech's guys. He'll be the middleman for the tribal police."

Ap'lek put two fingers to his imaginary hat, gesturing a salute.

"You know what, I'll send you another one, but I need to talk to him first."

As they all got into their cars, Ben sent the contacts and then dialed one of them.

It rang once, "Hey, I need your help." Ben stepped into the passenger seat of Trudgen's truck, and they drove off.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Rose and Kaydell were sitting with her on Rey's living room floor with papers scattered all over the coffee table, going over everything Kaydell had found.

"So, these are all the contracts of the people that came forward or I reached out to," Kaydell hovered her hands with spread out fingers over all the contracts in front of them. "They've all signed the new agreements for the termination and now we need Snoke to sign them as well."

"How many are there?" Kuruk asked, admiring Rey's and Unkar's Christmas tree and taking a sip from his soda can. Rey ignored the buzzing concern in her stomach at the thought of Snoke. At least Kuruk was seemingly unaffected by it all.

"Sixty-three and counting. Out of a hundred seventy-eight," Kaydell rolled her eyes. "Is he gunna be around more often now?" She whispered so loudly that Rey knew Kaydell wanted him to hear her.

Rey looked at the Sprite can in Kuruk's hand that he had taken from their fridge without asking and huffed her amusement. "Yeah, looks like it."

"I know I'm not much to look at, Blondie." He said and was over her shoulder in one swift movement. "But I make up for it with my great sense of humor," he winked and blew her a kiss.