Page 54 of Gravity
Viper’s brow went hard. “What do you mean, try to get him?”
“He’s got as many men as I do. If I go in guns blazing,” Titus said, eyes flat, “I might not come out alive. So, I’m going to have to go in as his superior and try to get him alone.”
“No.” Dave shook his head, palms flat on the table to pin the room. “You’re not going in without us. That’s already decided.”
Titus shrugged, unfazed. “Then I go in as a handler. Franklin only moves at night. That gives us the edge.”
Law tapped the map with a finger, leaning over the fold. “We keep teams on the perimeter. Once you’ve got Franklin in custody, our men cut the sentries and move in.”
Viper grunted in agreement. “That could work.”
Stone’s laugh broke through, humorless and close. “Handler? Or a death wish?”
He pushed back from the table just enough to angle himself toward Titus.
Sparrow cleared his throat, shifting in his chair. “Depends on how you’re looking at it—as his right-hand man, or a boyfriend…”
The last word hit the room like a slap.
Stone’s gaze snapped to Sparrow, the air clenched. “Who are you again?” he said, low.
Sparrow flipped him the bird and shut his mouth. The gesture hung there, ridiculous.
Silence stretched, brittle.
No one moved.
Stone leaned in toward Dave, voice low but fierce. “We’re not doing this. Not here.”
He turned on his heel, storming out. The door slammed against the frame, leaving the war room frozen, the echo of his words still vibrating in the air.
Stone’s boots hit the hall in hard, clipped strides.
Dave caught up fast, grabbed the edge of the study door as Stone shouldered through it. The wood slammed against the wall, rattling the frame.
This room, just down the hall from the war room, was the opposite in tone—quiet, calming. Massive windows overlooking the gardens, shelves heavy with books, sunlight cutting across scattered papers.
“You don’t pull rank on me in front of the team,” Dave snapped, his voice low but flint-edged.
Stone spun on him, eyes blazing. “Then stop giving me a reason to.”
Dave shut the door behind them, shutting out the world. The silence pressed, heavy and close.
“Franklin won’t talk to kids,” Dave said, jaw tight. “If I don’t go in, we lose our shot.”
“Let Titus get Franklin.”
Dave shook his head. “You trust him?”
“No,” Stone rasped.
“Then I go in.”
“You’re not hearing me.” Stone’s voice cracked with force, not volume. “You’re not in the field anymore, Dave. You’ve been grinding yourself into the dirt for years. You think I don’t see it? The headaches. The way you rub your chest when you think no one’s watching. Look what happened on the beach!”
Dave stiffened. The words landed harder than any blow.
“This isn’t your call.”
