Aware of the two shadows that came with him as he got a cup of coffee from the deserted Mess, Adrian then headed for the tow truck they had just converted into Safe Haven's communications center. The guard here was his most promising man.
A former captain in the infamous Genovese mob family, Kyle had also dressed in the suggested black gear, even down to the cap over his short, curly black hair. Again, Adrian was more than happy he had changed his mind, convincing the man to make a clean break instead of trying to make it back to New York and any of his "family" who might have survived. He hadn't been sure of the Mobster at first, but he was now.
"Hear anything?"
Kyle shook his head, tan skin showing small age lines under his blue eyes as he frowned. "Nothing but static, Boss. Storm whacked the antenna good."
"Mitch pass?"
The stocky guard frowned, hand resting lightly on the handle of his Glock. "Yep. Only one who did."
"I want him on it come morning. Tell him to get comfortable there."
Kyle's eyes swept the landscape around them as he confirmed. "You know it."
Content for the moment that all in their kingdom was secure, the Mobster turned back. "Something's coming, Boss. Feel it in the wind."
Adrian had the same worries. "Good or bad?"
"It's hard to tell. A little of both?"
Before Kyle could add anything, Adrian spun. The movement was so fast, he was there before the action had been registered.
Adrian let go of the hand that had been about to rob him of the dangling bandana.
"Damn!"
"Pass."
The Eagle, a plumber from Oregon, swallowed his surprise and snapped off a smart salute before vanishing into the darkness.
Kyle grinned, thinking of his own level test a few days ago. "Daryl thought he had you."
"That's how he failed. Rushed the end and made a noise as he went for it."
Kyle lit a cheroot with a calloused hand, waiting to see if Adrian had anything else for him.
"Chris also passed. Dale needs to do it again."
Kyle wrote it down, not questioning. Adrian was the sharpest judge of character he'd ever known, and he already trusted him completely.
"I'll be in my tent."
Kyle watched him go, thinking these people were lucky to have the natural-born leader. The blond man was hitting on all eight, knew what was coming and was preparing to handle it. Because of him, most of these people would probably live. If they finally got some of the help that Adrian had all of his top men on the lookout for.