" I know Ewan can be a little rough around the edges, but loyalty like his is hard to find." A soft voice purred as the chair slowly spun around, and the fact he was already stationary was the only thing that saved Scott from stopping in his tracks.

As the chair completed its rotation, it revealed a beautiful woman in a form-fitting black dress. She brushed a few strands of her light brown hair that subtly lightened in color as it flowed from the roots to blonde ends. As her hair parted from her face, it revealed smooth caramel-colored skin without a blemish. Scott found himself staring into her light green eyes, and they appeared to hold so much life and depth that he found himself lost in them, not wanting to blink. Scott forced himself to break eye contact and worked his gaze down to the black dress that sloped in a V, revealing the slightest bit of soft cleavage, and Scott realized his gaze was fixed on it a beat too long. His eyes continued down to the bottom of the dress that ended mid-thigh, and her crossed legs revealed the smoothest skin in the most perfect of proportions. For the third time in the last minute, Scott realized that he was gawking and immediately moved his gaze upwards to the woman's face and was greeted with a knowing smile. Pictures did not do this woman justice, Scott thought, and if she was this captivating without her powers, the world was in serious trouble.

“Welcome, Scott. Please have a seat.” Siren motioned her hand to the empty seat next to her, and Scott sat.

“Can I offer you a drink or something to eat, Scott?” Siren’s voice purred directly into Scott’s ears, and he felt a warmth radiate through his body.

“No, thank you. I do appreciate the hospitality, but I would rather get down to business.” Scott replied, trying to avoid eye contact as he was afraid that he would lose his focus. He took a deep breath to calm himself. There were more significant issues here, and he couldn’t allow himself to get distracted. But damn, was she hot, he thought.

“A man that likes to get straight to business. I like that.” She said and gave Scott a warm smile.

“Ewan says that you have some important information that you would like to deliver to me personally.” Siren leaned back in her chair and uncrossed her legs, and crossed them again on the other side. Scott summoned all the willpower he had not to stare at her legs. If Jeanie were here, he would have been the recipient of a full-on punch to the chest already. Perhaps that is what he needed to snap out of this mental fog. The thought of his wife seemed to bring his clarity back.

“I do, Siren..” Scott was interrupted by Siren

“Please don’t’ call me that. That was a nickname that, due to my powers, has stuck with me. I was never a fan of it. My name is Camilla, and I am very proud of my name. My parents put much thought into it, and it is rooted in Roman mythology.” the caramel-skinned woman said.

“Roman Mythology? Like Zeus and Aries?" Scott asked

“Close, but those two are in Greek Mythology. Camilla was a famous huntress. It was said that she was so fast that she could run over the ocean and not get her feet wet.” A proud smile flashed across Camila’s face.

“That is pretty fast. I bet it made hunting a breeze.” Scott remarked

“I imagine so. My parents were big into Mythology, and my mother used to tell me she got the name because I was in such a hurry to be born. She said I came out running and never stopped.” Camila’s smile widened as she got lost in memories of her parents.

“I guess that makes Scott kind of lame,” Scott said

Camilla chuckled softly and said, “I always heard it was the man that made the name, not the name that made the man.”

“I guess I have at least a fighter’s chance then." Scott smiled before continuing, "I do have some information I think you would find valuable. As you know, I come from the North-Eastern Territory, and you also probably know I am no stranger to the law there.” Camilla nodded at Scott’s words.

“I have come into some information that I think may benefit you, and I hope in turn that you could help me.” Scott paused for a brief second and thought carefully about his words.

“The Overseer knows you are teaming up with forces from New Texarodo and looking to make a move on him.”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Is that so?” Camilla seemed very intrigued by this bit of information.

“Yes, he sent my crew down here to gather the information that could help him squash it before it got off the ground.”

“I have to ask Scott. Why in the world would you bring this to me? It’s not like you know me or have a relationship with anyone in my staff or army. It is a pretty bold move with not a whole lot of upside.”

“To be honest with you, Camilla, I wasn’t going to. I was going to carry out my missions as planned. I was brought into this against my will, and I have never been nor will I ever be a soldier. In all honesty, I’m probably too selfish to risk my life for my territory. The fact of the matter is that our families and loved one's safety was threatened. That is why we came here and why we're going to spy on you, plain and simple. Make no mistake about it; we would have succeeded. We are good at what we do. Being here in this town, I saw normal people going about their lives. Just like at home.”

“What else would the people be doing?” Camilla had a puzzled look on her face.

“From what we have been told for all our lives, just trying to survive. We have always been told of a bleak existence outside of our territory, that it was like the wild west with roaming outlaw Dynamics taking and doing what they wanted. People struggled to have basic needs met like power, infrastructure, and food.”

“That is ridiculous,” Camilla said with an agitated look on her face.

"Yeah, that coupled with the fact that we are being forced to work under threats to our loved ones, it makes me think maybe we are playing for the wrong team."

"You have to forgive my skepticism Scott, but why would you risk your family's lives betting on someone you just met?"

"I think there is an old saying that goes something like 'If the devil you know is a piece of crap, then maybe the devil you don't know ain't so bad.' Or something like that." Scott replied

"I am not sure that is how the saying goes." Camilla said with a chuckle, "But, point well taken."

Camilla leaned forward in her chair, peering directly into Scott's eyes, and sent an uncontrolled shiver down his spine. "I see this as low risk for me. I am not going to share with you the details of my plans for my protection. We will work out the best way you can help my cause, and I promise you and your families will be safe and well taken care of in my territory."

"Understandable, but just to also be clear on our end. We will not do anything overt that will endanger our loved ones until they are in a position of safety. Outside of both our ground rules, I think we can have a mutually beneficial relationship." Scott spoke with a level of conviction and frankness that Camila respected. Striking a deal that leaves both parties in better shape than before is difficult and often impossible.

"I think we have a framework in place. Shall we dive into the nitty-gritty of it?" She asked

"I thought you would never ask." Scott smiled from ear to ear.

The meeting lasted for a couple of hours, and parties from both sides began to get restless as neither could see or hear anything Siren and Scott discussed. Bricks began to get anxious and wondered out loud over the communication channel if they should make a move on the Town Hall. Vanessa settled him down as she always was able to. Ewan was only a room away but was also getting very antsy and nervous. He had no idea what they could be discussing for this long and began to wonder if he should check on them, but his inner voice of reason talked him out of it several times.

Finally, the meeting concluded, and Scott and Camila emerged from the secret room smiling. Scott’s communication channel roared back to life once he stepped outside of the meeting room. The group could hear Scott talking with Siren, and a wave of relief crashed over everyone. Ewan’s reaction was the opposite, as he felt a shot of anger flood his body as he watched his leader chatting with a common criminal like they were old friends. She never acted that way towards him, despite his undying loyalty. He radiated a wave of growing anger from the very core of his body, and the scowl on his face displayed it clearly, not that the two meeting participants noticed.

“It’s truly been a pleasure, Mr. Carr,” Camila said with a small smile on her face.

“Trust me. The pleasure is all mine,” Scott replied, “Should I check in with Ewan for updates?”

“That won’t be necessary, Scott. Since phones communication is not secure across territories, you can have my personal communication channel. I always have my earpiece in, and if I don’t, my assistant monitors it for me, and he will notify me that you are trying to reach me. The channel id is 7346598, passcode 756E4R. I’m sure your friends listening on your earpiece got that down. You also have my cell number if you need to reach me while still in our territory.”

In the RV, Yumi typed the Channel id and passcode into her notes and glanced at Vanessa seated beside her. Vanessa just shrugged and shook her head in astonishment.

“My man has got some game, but I am still telling Jeanie.” Bricks voice broke the silence of the communication channel.

Scott couldn’t help but smile at the comment. “Well, I’ll be in touch Camilla, thanks again for your time.”

“Speak to you soon, Scott.” Camilla gave a small wave of her hand.

Scott walked away and was about to pass Ewan. He could see the large man looked like a volcano teetering on the verge of eruption. He knew he probably shouldn’t poke the bee’s nest, but he just couldn’t resist.

“Talk to you later, Ewan.” Scott walked past him and stopped in his tracks. “Oh… that’s right, I guess I won’t. Well, it’s been real, big guy.”

“Scott!” Camila said with the tone of a mother that just caught her child with a hand in the cookie jar. It was evident that she is fighting back a smile.

Scott flashed a smile and headed up the stairs to exit the building, unaware of the chain of events he just helped set in motion.