“So I got on a plane,” Skip shrugs. “Flew down to Florida and handled it face-to-face. By the time I landed, Daddy Dearest was suddenly available for a ‘brief discussion.’”
Spike’s mouth twitches. “Funny how that works.”
“And?” Maverick presses.
“And we’re solid,” Skip says. “I made it clear this is temporary. That we’d rather pause business than risk their men. Once he understood that we weren’t scrambling, just repositioning, he calmed down.”
“Trust is maintained?” Maverick asks.
“For now,” Skip replies. “But rumors travel fast. We can’t let this drag too long.”
Maverick nods once.
“Good. That was necessary.”
He leans back slightly.
“Then the board is set.”
Foster folds his arms. “I’m monitoring financial movement. If a supplier suddenly ramps up production or shifts distribution patterns, we’ll see it.”
“I’ll keep pressure light in New York,” Maverick adds. “Not enough to spook them. Just enough to encourage confidence.”
“And we wait,” Spike says flatly.
“Yes,” Maverick agrees.
Bones exhales slowly. “I hate waiting.”
“So do I,” I mutter.
Maverick’s gaze sharpens.
“Patience,” he says quietly, “is often the most violent move on the board.”
“Somewhere out there,” Skip says with a slow grin, “someone thinks they just destabilized two powerful organizations.”
He gestures vaguely between us.
“Well. One mega-powerfully terrifying empire and one moderately intimidating one, anyway.”
Bones rolls his eyes like he’s bored of breathing.
Skip continues, pointing lazily toward Maverick.
“You, of course, being the mildly threatening ones. Us being the terrifying ones. Obviously.”
Spike sighs without even looking at him.
Maverick tilts his head, expression unreadable.
“Moderate power?” Maverick repeats mildly.
Skip shrugs. “I mean, you’ve got jets, marble floors, and child snipers eating gelato, sure. But do you have a Bones?”
Bones slowly turns his head.
“Why,” he asks flatly, “amIyour example?”
