Firebomb (The Jewel Project #2)

05.1|| Company

Chapter Five

Company

Sam woke up with a jolt the next morning. The sun coming in through the small window almost burned his face. He blinked lazily and looked around properly. Though small, the little room was at least clean and welcoming, not like that infection-hazard inn they'd stayed at in the jungle.

Surprisingly, Kyle and Jerry were still asleep. Kyle was on his front, one arm dangling off the bed, his head on top of the pillow for once. Sam frowned. He'd never actually seen Kyle sleeping. He looked so peaceful, so... vulnerable, so unlike tough, sometimes-scary Kyle he was when awake.

Jerry on the other hand looked more like Jimmy than ever. Sam couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Jerry so calm and without any worry lines on his face. He felt a little guilty that he'd failed to notice the toll the agency had taken on Jerry. He and Kyle thought it was all fun and exciting, but Jerry obviously didn't feel the same way.

Sam looked at the sunrays moving across the ceiling then checked his watch. It was early in the morning, but he couldn't sleep anymore. Now that he'd gotten some rest, he was very curious what Herrison had to say to them.

Trying to make as little noise as possible, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and put one foot down. The floorboard creaked. Jerry and Kyle both jumped into sitting positions as though electrocuted.

"Sorry," Sam said.

Jerry and Kyle threw him a fleeting glance then both dropped back on their pillows, yawning and groaning. Sam took another step on tip toe and the floor creaked even louder.

"Forget it, kid, we're up already," Kyle mumbled in his pillow. He sat up and stretched. "Let's get to it."

So ten minutes later, the three of them went down to the reception area. There was a receptionist there now, and they also noticed that there were tables next to large windows that showed a view of the street. Herrison sat at one of the tables, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the morning newspaper. They walked to him and sat at his table.

"Good morning, boys," Herrison said, folding the newspaper. "Glad to see you're up. I have good news."

"Really?" Sam asked taken aback. First off, he was surprised that Herrison no longer seemed in a hurry to talk to them. Second... good news? When had Herrison ever had good news?

"Yes. Jimmy and Tom just landed and they'll be here soon enough. Also, Billy's been here, undercover for the past week."

Sam's stomach tightened with guilt. After the whole Christine fiasco last night, he'd completely forgotten to call his cousin. And he'd been here for a whole week? They were horrible, horrible cousins. How could no one notice him missing?

"Really?" Kyle asked raising his eyes to Herrison as he'd been reading his paper upside down before. "Undercover as what?"

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" Billy asked, popping up by their table, a little notebook in hand.

He had an annoyed look in his grey-blue eyes and his blond hair was stuffed under a paper hat. He was also wearing a dairy boy uniform. Sam tried to hold in his laughter, but failed miserably. Next to him, Kyle wasn't even trying to stay somber.

"I'd like a coffee, black, please." Jerry said calmly, ignoring Sam and Kyle's fit of laughter.

"Anything else?" Billy asked in a bored voice.

"Yeah, could you do a pirouette for us?" Kyle asked choking with laughter and Billy walked away furiously to fetch Jerry his coffee.

"You two are really inept when it comes to being subtle," Jerry said superiorly, turning to Herrison. "What about the urgent, important conversation?"