Page 80 of The Team

“Of course.”

The screen went dark, and Rhett gave Yin’s shoulder a bit of a shake before he addressed his team. “Okay, we’ll be landing in just over an hour. I think we can expect a briefing with our Chinese counterparts upon our arrival. We will be gracious and respectful. Our mission is clear: secure Yin Jun-mei, arrest Wong, and take down Frankston, preferably alive. And also the Snow Leopard guy and his entire team.”

Yin stood up. “Tan Huan,” he murmured, as if the words tasted bad. “He is mine.”

Rhett shrugged and put his hand to his chest. “I have no problem with that,” he said, glancing at King and Zihao. “Is he an extraction, elimination, or...?”

King shrugged.

Rhett clapped Yin on the shoulder. “That’s an official cannot confirm or deny request, soldier.”

Yin met his gaze, and Rhett saw fire and determination looking back at him, and he gave a nod.

“Alive is always best,” King clarified. “But, given he sold us out and kidnapped Yin’s girlfriend, should Frankston or any of that mercenary team accidentally slip and hit their heads two dozen times on a shovel, I wouldn’t be terribly sad.”

Then King’s laptop beeped with incoming intel.

“Okay, team,” King said, bringing his laptop screen up on the TV so they could all see the photos and files Yunho had sent him. “Location intel. Let’s see what we’ve got.”

FIFTEEN

The plane landedat Dachang military airbase in Shanghai. Mid-morning, sun shining, air brisk and fresh.

Rhett had never been to China before. Not for any other reason than it was just somewhere the Australian government had never sent him.

He had no idea what to expect. Now, he’d seen a lot of military bases in a lot of different countries. Some with a budget of billions, others substantially less.

China, on first impression, was at the former end of the scale.

The aircraft, the vehicles, the hangars, the buildings, all new. The grounds immaculate, and every soldier awaiting their arrival was standing at attention so perfectly they could have been statues, their faces masks of stoicism while their eyes missed nothing.

It reminded Rhett of Yin.

Rhett followed King and Zihao off the plane, alongside Yin and Chen, the rest of their team behind them. They wore their combat blacks but carried no weapons. Theywanted to make it clear that this was an amicable, peaceable discussion; a plea for assistance, given the person selling biowarfare recipes was now on Chinese soil, as was the person they believed to be buying.

They needed to be transparent.

This was an international operation that could have possible global fallout if it were to go balls-up.

It was also a matter of diplomatic relations, and Rhett knew enough about Chinese hierarchy and respect that Yin and Chen needed to be seen with their captain.

They were greeted by a uniformed officer, who saluted Zihao, and escorted them into the main building, security doors held open by fully armed uniformed officers. The precision of their movements, trained discipline, and well-practised efficiency Rhett could only admire.

The walls were adorned by the Chinese flag, photos of political leaders and generals, and writing that Rhett couldn’t read.

And as sterile as this military base was, Rhett could feel their presence was an event. He felt curious eyes on him, from officers to the staff who looked at them through glass partitions and doorways as they passed.

They were finally guided into a conference room, where three men rose from their seats at a large oval mahogany table. They were dressed in crisp, olive-green uniforms with red epaulets and adorned with enough stars and chevrons for Rhett to know these men were generals and commanders.

They were greeted formally, Zihao leading the exchange. The only person he introduced was Director King. He never acknowledged any of the Milvus team,though he did afford them a smile and instructed them to please sit at the table.

Which Rhett and his team did. Well, his team except for two.

Yin and Chen remained standing at ease, staring straight ahead at the side wall, not looking toward the front of the room, as if that was standard procedure, not sitting down as instructed. Rhett had the odd urge to join them, and if it weren’t for Zihao’s instruction to sit, he probably would have.

Then Zihao spoke and the three senior officials listened, exchanging concerned glances, and King stood there, chin raised, obediently silent. It was moments like this that reminded Rhett that King had been a senior ranking officer himself, before battle stole the use of his leg.

Rhett risked a glance at Jay to find him watching the conversation intently. Rhett had never been gladder to have his bilingual partner alongside him. For all the times Rhett had been sworn at or cussed out in Mandarin by Jay, this made up for it.

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