Page 64 of Hack
"Then you do what you need to and I'll be here to hold you when it's over." Archer took his hand and brought the knuckles to his lips, kissing them softly. "Thank you for letting the team help. You don't know how much that puts me at ease."
Carter nodded. "You and Bryon are right. I have to think of the girls. It's selfish to risk them. They've been through enough."
"They have, but hopefully they'll be with their parents soon." Archer wasn't sure when Carter planned to go. They still had so much to plan, but it would be in the next forty-eight hours.
It was hard to believe how fast things were moving now that they had a location. When he'd come and asked Carter to help him, he'd figured it would be a year or more before they got a break in the case. He'd only hoped to share information.
"Matt and Xander are coming in. We'll grab Trenton when they get here." Bryon sat down in what seemed to be his favorite chair. "So, inquiring minds want to know. What's going on with you two?"
Archer glanced at Carter and shrugged.
Carter smiled. "We're fucking. I thought Becca told you."
Archer laughed. He'd mentioned what Becca had said when they'd been having coffee earlier.
"Yeah, and I've known you for a lot of years and you've never brought someone you're fucking here, and you've never looked at someone you're fucking like you're hungry all the time." Bryon's gaze went back and forth between them.
Archer wasn't even going to begin to think about that. It gave him too much hope. Hope that he didn't need to have yet. There was too much going on to hope they could get through all this and come out happy on the other side.
"I can't give you answers that we don't have even for ourselves yet," Carter told him. "We have plans to figure all that out later."
Bryon nodded. "Just like the team has plans to still discuss you bringing him here without following the rules."
Carter sighed. "I figured that was coming. I can't say shit. If anyone else had done it, I would have freaked out the way you did. I know I should have waited, but we didn't have time, and honestly, I don't regret it. I'm glad most of you have gotten to meet and know him before we have our team meeting. I'll take whatever punishment you decide on, but I needed Archer here. He deserved to be here when I found out the facts on the case. I wasn't going to shut him out and wait up to a week until the whole team could get together again."
"I get that, but you still have to meet with the team," Bryon said firmly.
"And if you guys change your mind about me knowing?" Archer asked. "You going to take me and dump me somewhere?" He was joking, but he was curious about what was going to happen if the team didn't want him around.
"You're already here. That's not going to change. Carter trusted you enough to bring you here, we have to trust that once you two go your own way, if you go your own way, then you'll keep your mouth shut about what we do and where we are." Bryon shrugged. "Personally, I trust you, but others, especially those you haven't met yet, might feel differently."
"Where is Kasey? He's usually here all the time," Carter asked.
"He took his family to Denver to visit Dyson. They wanted to get away for a while and figured they'd go see him, then head up to some haunted hotel somewhere near there. I don't remember the name. He said it was really popular." Bryon rolled his eyes.
Carter sat back and seemed to pale. "Oh."
"You know, you could call him, maybe go see him yourself," Bryon said gently.
From the way Carter looked and reacted, it was clear there was a story there. It wasn't one he was going to ask about because from the looks of it, whatever it was made Carter very uncomfortable.
"Yeah, maybe someday." Carter stood and looked to Archer. "You want a drink?"
"Water would be good." Archer smiled.
With a nod, Carter walked off.
"Not my story to tell, but if this works out between you two, get him to Denver before guilt eats him alive," Bryon whispered, then in a louder voice he said, "so, you serious about Disney while Carter does his dirty work?"
"I wasn't really serious, but it does make sense. No place on earth has more cameras than the happiest place on earth, right? Do you think Faith will go?"
"Probably, but you'll have to okay it with Matt and see if she's got class."
"Shit, I forgot about school. Okay, so no Disney. I'll figure something out. I can just go walk the mall or even sit and read at the lobby of the motel. There are cameras anywhere I go." Archer met Bryon's eyes. "Just make sure someone calls me the moment he's safe."
"I will," Bryon promised.
The sound of the front door opening was soon followed by Carter, Xander, and Matt walking into the room. Carter handed Archer a bottle of water as he sat back down beside him.
"So, what are we doing?" Xander flopped down on the other recliner and pulled Matt down on his lap.
"Let me get Trenton and we'll get this meeting started." Bryon stood and headed down the hallway.
As they waited, Archer hoped the team would help as much as they could. The closer it got to go time, the more Archer was starting to worry. He glanced over at Carter and said a silent prayer that this wasn't all going to blow up in their faces.
