Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
“There’s the honeymooners!” Bang Bang said from his flamingo float, beer in hand and book in the other. His blue-and-white Speedos were giving Roman’s short shorts a run for their money.
“Thought we were going to have to do a wellness check,” Phantom teased. He was lying back on a white lounge chair that sat on a ledge in the pool, his feet dipping into the water. Palm trees lined the private backyard, bright green AstroTurf running all the way up to a rocky river against the fence, home to a row of succulents and cacti.
Tor sat in the lounge chair next to him, shading his eyes as he looked over to Wyatt and Roman. “Judging by the hickey on Wyatt’s neck, the two of them were doing pretty damn well.”
Wyatt felt himself blushing. He rolled his eyes and tried to play it cool, walking over to the bright yellow bench where Doc sat with Mustang and Mimic. Roman ignored the hickey comment and instead cannonballed into the pool, water splashing onto the concrete. Bang Bang floated with the resulting waves, getting pushed toward the deep end of the pool, where Roman reemerged, pushing his hair back and smirking in Bang Bang’s direction.
Bang Bang saw what was coming. He put his beer and book down on the side of the pool just before Roman grabbed his ankles and yanked him into the water.
An underwater wrestling match ensued, the two coming up for breaths of air before diving back down.
“It’s like being back at the aquarium,” Wyatt said.
“Just like it. I feel like I’m sitting with my belugas.” Mustang looked wistfully at the splashing men before chuckling. “Don’t tell either of them I just called them belugas.”
“Secret’s safe with me,” Wyatt said.
“Not with me,” Mimic said with a mischievous smile, her eyes likely glinting underneath the impenetrably dark sunglasses. Her hair fell down in dark sheets against her chest, covering her bright red bikini top. “I like a little drama.”
“Mimic, baby, you wouldn’t dare.”
Mimic answered with a shrug before she laughed and leaned over to kiss Mustang on the cheek. Doc took a healthy chug of her mimosa before grabbing the jug and pouring a glass for Wyatt. He thanked her before lifting it up in a cheers, the four of them clinking their glasses together.
The boys play wrestled a little longer while Wyatt got progressively more and more drunk off the bottomless mimosas. It was in the middle of their discussion on the Oscar-worthiness of the newest superhero film when Roman climbed out of the pool, wrapping a towel around his dripping waist and walking over to where Tor and Phantom still sat.
Wyatt looked over just as Roman waved for him to join them. He grabbed his nearly empty glass and refilled it to the brim before walking over.
“Tor says he’s close to tracking down where that message was sent from.”
Tor nodded, pulling his phone out of the pockets of his bathing suit. He tapped a few things on the screen before turning it over, showing Wyatt an interface he didn’t quite recognize.
“What is this?” Wyatt asked, a wrinkle appearing between his brows.
“It’s a program I developed a few years back. It works by hashing out a hundred different cell towers simultaneously and crosses it with phone company records.”
“How do you get the company records?” Wyatt asked.
Tor crossed his arms and gave a cocky grin in Wyatt’s direction. “I can’t reveal all my secrets, can I?”
“Maybe you should,” Phantom said, looking straight ahead but his words directed at Tor. “We don’t deal well with secrets here. Is there anything else you’re hiding?”
Wyatt immediately felt the mood shift. Phantom wasn’t joking around, and Wyatt understood why this was far from a joking matter for him. Unfortunately, Tor didn’t get the hint, laughing it off.
But Phantom expected an answer. “What else are you hiding, Tor? Huh?”
“Nothing, dude, I swear. Damn, what the hell crawled up your ass? Do you need help taking it out?”
Phantom clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth before standing up and walking off, disappearing inside of the house.
Tor looked between Roman and Wyatt, as if he was a kid looking to his parents for some guidance.
“He’s been through some shit,” Roman said, taking Phantom’s spot on the chaise. “He’ll be fine.”
“Damn, sorry. I really didn’t mean to upset him. I think he’s actually really cool. I feel like I should go apologize.” Tor stood, ready to follow Phantom into the house. Before he could leave, though, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it back out. Wyatt could see the program he’d come up with fill the screen.
“Fuck yes,” Tor said, making a fist and pumping the air with it. “I got it, Roman. I know where the hideout is.”
Wyatt cocked his head, slightly shocked at how quick and efficient Tor worked. He had been asked to work with him, but it looked like Tor didn’t need Wyatt’s help. He wasn’t sure how he should feel about that. Wyatt didn’t want to be thought of as deadweight, but he also wasn’t about to hold Tor back from crucial work.