Page 52 of Mated to Team Shadow

But before I knew it, men swept inside with a stretcher.

"If you'll excuse us, miss, we'll take it from here."

Summarily dismissed I walked out of the shack only to find my four men lined up and scowling as a man dressed in blue camo addressed them. I stepped closer, and the man's head snapped up.

"Who is that?" he said.

"A woman on Morgan's ship," said Ryker. "We rescued her."

Ryker's voice was coldly professional, and it stopped me short. Why would he talk about me as if he barely knew me?

"Is this true, Thomas?"

Thomas? Who the hell was Thomas? Damon stiffened and spoke in the same tone as Ryker.

"Yes, Doctor Melkot."

Doctor Melkot? Not an officer? Why was acting like he was their commanding officer?

"Why did you do that, Ryker? You put off everyone else."

"She got caught with us when the ship blew, sir," said Ryker. "There was no other option."

"I see," said Melkot. He scowled as if he didn't believe Ryker. What that hell was going on?

This Melkot character walked toward me, and Gunner whipped his head toward me and mouthed, "Say nothing." Gunner's worried expression set me on edge, and as the man grew closer, my heart pounded.

"Hello," said Melkot kindly. "I hear my boys found you."

His boys? From the expression on the guys' faces, I'm sure that is the last thing they wanted that man to call them.

"Yes," I said.

"And your name is?"

"Jeanine Lee."

"Sir," said Ryker. "We need to wrap up this mission and head back to base."

"Don't worry, Chief. You've done your part and most effectively. You didn't stop until you hit your mission objective." Melkot's eyes strayed to the body of Morgan splayed on the sand.

"Yes, sir," said Ryker. "Then we should head back to base."

"It's time for your physical," said Melkot. "You'll be coming with me to the facility."

"I'm sure our mission commander—"

"Okayed this physical."

"And what about Miss Lee, Doctor? We should see she gets back home. She lost her passport when the ship blew up."

Melkot eyed Ryker with suspicion and glanced at Gunner, Kane, and Damon. Something was up and big time, but I didn't know what it was. Why did Ryker act icily and Gunner told me to say nothing? Why did all of them look like they wanted to rip this doctor's throat out?

"Get in the raft, gentlemen. We are going home. As for Miss Lee, I'll have an officer escort her to the American consulate."

Melkot spoke to Ryker with a dismissiveness that made me want to smack him. How dare he treat this team of men, soldiers, who put their lives on the line each day as if they were—what?

The coldly clinical eye this doctor regarded my men told me. Lab rats. That's what he thought. Not men, but creatures to study.

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