Chance and the others had monitored the meeting remotely. Most of them watched from the safety and comfort of the library on the top floor.
In the library, Lola was really the only one constantly watching the feed from the hidden cameras.
Chance had watched at the beginning but decided he was much more interested in exploring the library instead while Fait caught up on some tasks from work.
He had taken a quick look at the man meeting with Tucker, saw that it wasn't someone he recognized, and turned his attention to the numerous bookshelves that filled the space.
Whatever the scary man had to say did not interest him. Just going from the way he had spoken to Tucker over the phone, Chance could pretty much guess how the conversation would go.
The man would start with a threat and wait for Tucker to bargain with him. If he liked the deal, he'd take it and leave. If he did not like the deal, then things may get a little messy.
If that happened, they had a back up plan.
Koty was also watching, but he was intentionally stationed separately from the rest of the group.
He was hiding out and watching the feed from the seventh floor, near the door to the stairwell. If things went bad, then he was close enough to head down the stairs and rush in with a stun gun.
The plan may not have been one hundred percent fool proof, but it was better than nothing.
Of course, given the bait that they had prepared for their enemy, they were fairly certain that he would leave Tucker alone for the time being.
Thankfully, the meeting went just as expected and nothing happened to Tucker. At least, no physical harm came to him.
Once the threatening man had left, Chance and Koty went to retrieve Tucker. Fait and Lola went to get the car and wait for them.
Chance left Koty near the elevator and slowly made his way to Tucker's office. This time it was easier to ignore the mess and 'artwork' left behind.
When he stepped into the office, Tucker was sitting just as he had been during the meeting. He didn't move and stared blankly at the wall in front of him.
"Tucker?" Chance called out to him but he still didn't respond.
He stepped closer and continued calling his name until he stood right in front of him.
"Hello? Earth to Tucker. Are you still in there? You didn't become stupid, right?" Chance spoke in a monotone voice while waving his hand in front of Tucker's face.
Tucker finally blinked and then he gently caught Chance's wrist to stop him from waving it in his face. Still slightly stunned, he slowly tilted his head up and looked Chance in the eye.
His mouth opened and closed a few times but found that he was at a loss for words. The horrible man had just promised to torture him to death. What could he say after that?
Should he ask for help? Tucker already had their help.
Should he express fear and worry? He feared even more that would make it seem as though he didn't trust them or worse. It could seem like he was preparing to betray them.
Chance held eye contact with Tucker. He watched the various conflicting emotions cross through the man's trembling eyes.
He placed his free hand on Tucker's shoulder and frowned when the older man flinched.
"Come on, let's go." Chance's voice was soft as to avoid startling him.
Tucker nodded blankly and released Chance's wrist. He followed him out to the elevator where Koty stood by, waiting.
"What took you so long? This place gives me the creeps." Koty whined when he saw them come around a corner.
Chance was grateful for Koty's complaining and decided irritating him was just what the current situation needed.
It would lighten the mood and break up the oppressive atmosphere.
"Maybe I got lost." He responded a little patronizingly.
"Lost in you old office? Yeah, right. Plus we were just here earlier." There was no way Koty would pass up a prime opportunity to call out Chance for a lie.
"I've got a poor sense of direction." Chance defended.
"Since when?" Koty crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. He had never known Chance to get lost. The man was practically a human GPS.
"What's it to you?"
"Whatever, why should I care? Oh, yeah... Maybe because it's my job!"
Their quibbling certainly did as Chance intended, though it may have also created a slight misunderstanding for Tucker.
'What is up with these two?' He wondered. Before it had seemed like they had a strictly professional relationship.
The young bodyguard had done everything asked of him without question and usually without a word. Now here he was, arguing back and forth with his boss over nothing. And, Chance was intentionally provoking him?
'Are they close? And if so, how close?' Tucker tried to puzzle out their relationship while they rode the elevator to the garage.
The two continued to bicker back and forth until they reached the car. Then Koty went back into his 'work mode' and went quiet.