Sure, Earl hadn’t been the same since Copper Lake, but that was none of Armstrong’s business. I didn’t know all the details about what had happened in Michigan, but I knew enough to know that Earl wasn’t off his game, he was angry. A government agency that he didn’t want to name had put his girlfriend into indentured servitude.

“Maybe Harbinger’s thinking about hanging it up? That would be such a shame. A real loss for our whole industry.”

“I’ll be sure to pass along your concern. Because, wow, if Earl Harbinger were to retire, who would men like you look to for inspiration?” I gave him a polite nod that I intended to say shove off, dirtbag. “See you at the conference.”

“Tomorrow then. Looking forward to it. I’ve got work to do. You boys have a nice supper.” He went back to his table to say goodbye to his men. I swear half of them had to resist the urge to salute.

“I hate him so much,” Gregorius said softly, but didn’t elaborate further.

“Well, you do sorta look like Barry White,” Cooper told him. He flinched when Gregorius thumped him in the arm.

Soon enough our conversations had picked back up, and if anything, were even louder than before. Milo called my cell to tell me that he would be here soon, and that he and some of the Newbies he’d picked up at the airport would be joining us for dinner. I’d met the crazy elf girl, Tanya, when she’d impersonated an elven tracker to tag along on one of our jobs. She and Edward had saved some kids that had blundered into a pocket dimension filled with telepathic fey monsters. She was the first elf MHI had ever hired, which I still wasn’t convinced was entirely a smart move, but Milo assured me that she would easily be able to pass for human in public. The other Newbie was named Jason Lacoco, a name I recognized as the Briarwood Hunter Earl had recruited during the Copper Lake incident, but who I hadn’t met yet. I told Milo I’d have the hostess pull up another table.

By the time I put my phone away, Green was telling a very animated and inappropriate story, and using a cream puff for special effects purposes. Most of my group was laughing loudly at him. The PT men were all stoically chewing, glaring his way occasionally. Apparently the modern warrior code meant you weren’t supposed to carry on in such a manner in public.

I was filling plate number three with nachos, potstickers, and mozzarella sticks when Nate came up beside me. He had been sitting at the far end of the table, so had missed my chat with the PT leader. “Hey, Z. I need your help with the black-shirt dudes.”

“What do you mean?”

“They keep eyeballing us.”