That made Brantley feel a little better.It was difficult enough to find someone, but hiring them, getting them set up and through the onboarding process was a pain in the ass, regardless of who was responsible for doing it.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I know nothin’ about what you do,” Brantley told them.“So I don’t know what it entails.You have experience lookin’ for missing people?Or workin’ cold cases?”
“The majority of the stories I do are cold cases,” Simon explained.“The cases vary.Robberies, fraud, missing persons, unsolved homicides.”
“Do you get to choose?Or do your podcast bosses decide?”
Simon chuckled.“No boss, but I do have sponsors.I’ve been a stickler for deciding on my own.I’m an investigative journalist by trade, so I have an eye for a story when there is one.”
Interesting.He looked at Archer.“What about you?You an investigative journalist, too?”
“No.Just an investigator.”
“Ah.You have a gun permit?”
“I do.”
“Know how to shoot?”
Archer’s grin widened.“I’ve got a little experience.”
Reese brought over a plate, handed it off to Archer.“He was a Marine scout sniper.”
Brantley looked at Archer.“Once a Marine, always a Marine.”
“Oorah!”
“Brantley was Navy,” Reese noted.“SEAL.SpecOps.”
“He says it like he’s a civilian.”Brantley laughed.“Reese was in the Air Force.He did two tours in Iraq.One in Afghanistan.POW.”
“No shit.”Archer stared at Reese.“Glad you made it back.”
“You and me both,” Reese muttered, clearly not wanting to discuss it.
“Thank you for your service,” Simon said.“All of you.”
“When’d you get out?”Archer asked, looking at Brantley once again.
“A coupla years ago.Forced retirement.Medical discharge.”
“Do you miss it?”Archer asked.
Brantley cut his gaze to Reese.“Not as much as I used to.Thanks,” he told Reese when he passed him a plate.He was about to explain how the task force worked, simply to get off the subject, when the back door slid open, and Baz appeared.
“Hey, man,” Brantley greeted with a grin.“You look just like you did a few hours ago.Like shit.”
Baz huffed a laugh.“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.I thought you weren’t comin’ in until later.”
“JJ kicked me out.”Baz waved a hand to encompass the room.“I think she’s lookin’ for the dirt on this meeting.”
Of course she was.
“How’s she doin’?”Reese asked.
“She’s good.My mom’s with her now.Holly’s headed up there.”Baz nodded toward the two men sitting at the counter.“I tried to warn her she’s gonna get an earful about these two.”His gaze snapped up to Brantley’s face.“Because apparently, her best friend is a lowdown, no good, secret-keeping asshole.”He flashed a grin.“Her words.”
