A few of them seemed to have overheard that, and there was some hushed conversation from the other table as they placed their drink orders. “Easy, Green,” VanZant cautioned his hotheaded friend before turning back to me. “PT Consulting is prickly. They’ve got this modern bushido code of the warrior culture going on. They take themselves real seriously. Their owner is a retired colonel who got rich doing contract security in Iraq. When he learned the real money was in PUFF, his company switched industries, lured away a bunch of MCB with better pay, and set up shop in my backyard.”

“You don’t sound like a fan…”

“He gives mercenaries a bad name, and MHI is mercenary and proud. I’d call him a pirate, but that’s an insult to pirates.”

“Prick works,” Green supplied again. “Thieving pricks, the bunch of them.”

I noticed a couple of angry scowls aimed in our direction from some former Monster Control Bureau agents sporting PT shirts. They recognized us too. It probably didn’t help that I was wearing a T-shirt with a big MHI Happy Face on it. Oh well, not my problem. I just wanted to enjoy my second plate of steak, sushi, and six species of shrimp.

The oldest of the PT men got up and approached my end of the table. He was probably in his early fifties, but built like a marathoner, sporting a blond buzz cut and suntan lines from wearing shades. His mouth smiled, but his eyes didn’t. “Well, if it isn’t Monster Hunter International. What an unexpected pleasure to run into you gentlemen here. Evening, John.”

VanZant nodded politely. “Armstrong.”

Armstrong scanned down our table, sizing us up. Unlike his company, my guys were dressed randomly and casual, except for Cooper and Nate being dressed fancy so that the single young guys could try to pick up girls later, and the Haights looking like they were on their way to a rodeo. Armstrong saw Gregorius sitting toward the middle and gave a curt nod. “Hey, I know you from Bragg…Sergeant Gregorius, right? I didn’t know you’d joined this bunch.”

We had recruited Gregorius after the battle for DeSoya Caverns, where he’d been attached to the National Guard unit manning the roadblock. Apparently he knew Armstrong in a different professional capacity, but judging from the uncomfortable expression on Gregorius’ face, he shared VanZant’s opinion of the man. “Evening, Colonel. Wife didn’t want me sitting around the house retired and bored. This sounded like fun.”