Page 45 of The Team

Someone who could not be compromised or bought. Someone who would find out the truth, someone who would do everything within his power to help. No questions asked.

Harry Harrigan wasn’t happy about being woken up at too-early o’clock, but within seconds, he was up, alert, and more helpful in two minutes than Director King had been in a fucking week.

“Is King compromised?” he’d asked.

“Unsure,” Rhett had replied.

“But enough for you to be asking me,” Harrigan deduced.

“Affirmative.”

“You want Yunho?”

He freaking knew what Rhett wanted without having to ask. “Affirmative.”

“What happened to the kid?”

He’d meant Yixing, the young Chinese kid who was supposed to be some genius hacker who had helped Istomin. He’d been given the option of helping the European Milvus Division headquarters or spend his life in prison. But was he helping? Or hindering?

Rhett had run a hand over his face. “I don’t know. I don’t know how deep or far this runs. Is the kid not doing his job, or is his information being intercepted?”

“Fuck.”

“Something’s not right. This mission is big. Makes Istomin look like a petty fucking thief. And it’s related.”

“Related? To Istomin?”

“His name was on that list, yes. Yunho will know more. Well, I hope he fucking does. I feel like I’m flying blind. Look, if I told you who’d been added to my team just daysbefore deploying and in which country I’m calling you from, you’d...” Rhett shook his head. “Well, you’d understand my concern. There’s too much red fucking tape. Milvus was supposed to be above all that bullshit, and this is about to go sideways and they’re not telling me shit.”

Rhett heard Asher say something in the background, then Harry said, “Okay. The line’s open.”

The next voice Rhett had heard was Yunho’s. “Captain,” he said smoothly. “I trust you are safe to talk?”

“Yes.”

“Then please, darling, care to explain what the hell you’re doing in Iran?”

“Jesus Christ,” Harry had mumbled.

“Kinda hoping you could tell me,” Rhett had replied. “And I’m hoping like all fuck you can tell me what’s really going on with this whole case. Because I’ve got two missing men, two new teammates who may or may not be planted, and I don’t know who the fuck I’m working for.”

Rhett could hear the clicking of fingers on a keyboard. “Oh dear,” he said. “It is quite the mess, isn’t it?”

But then Rhett heard soldiers outside. “I have to go.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

“We’re wheels up within the hour,” he’d said, and ended the call just as the soldiers came in.

They stopped talking, stopped smiling, and stared. Rhett gave them a nod, washed his hands, and walked out. He went back into the mess hall, where everyone was seated around, cleaning weapons and repacking kits.

“Okay, team,” Rhett said, calling for everyone’s attention. “Just gonna tell you like it is. As of this very minute, I’m not entirely sure who the fuck is in charge so I’m gonna take strategic lead. Something’s wrong at HQ. Ifanyone has a problem with that, you can side with the director. No hard feelings. I get it, I understand, I will not take it personally.”

The Alpha Two team looked amongst themselves, looked to Giardello, searching for some guidance. Rhett’s team, on the other hand, all smiled. Sid clapped. “Hell fucking yes I’m in.”

Jay gave him a proud smile, and it burned warm behind Rhett’s ribs, giving him the reassurance he needed.

Rhett turned to Giardello. “I get it if you don’t want in on this, no hard feelings. But they’re withholding information, and I cannot sit by and do nothing while two of my team are being used as petri dishes by terrorists.”

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