Page 30 of Gwen's Delta
Duff gave another grunt, but it was a normal reaction to his premonitions. Now, Merlin hoped he could figure out the missing piece before their asses ended up in deep shit.
After giving the team a hand signal that he was heading to the locker room, they acknowledged without breaking their pace. They might give each other a ton of shit, but he couldn’t have asked for a better team—even Duff, the grumpy fucker.
By the time the rest of the team returned, Merlin had showered and dressed in his uniform. He’d just poured his second cup of coffee and was reviewing the intel one last time before the briefing.
When Zip stopped in front of Merlin’s desk, he looked up. “What’s up?”
“I wanted to make sure we were good after yesterday. I should have thought about it before we hijacked your date,” Zip said.
“It’s not how I had hoped the date would go, but it worked out okay. Gwen was thrilled to see Destiny again. It will be good for her to have someone who understands what she’s going through when we’re gone.”
“Yeah, Des really liked Gwen, too. But damn, she let me have it when we got home.”
Merlin laughed as he pictured Zip getting his ass handed to him. “You don’t look upset, though. I’m guessing you took care of it before you said goodbye?”
Merlin didn’t expect an answer. Payback was a bitch, and he still owed Zip for showing up yesterday—even if it worked out for the best.
Zip shook his head and went to take a shower.
It was only zero seven thirty, but waiting for the briefing made him restless all over again. He hoped Hassan had checked in, and they’d have a temporary reprieve. He wanted to find the missing puzzle piece before they had to HAHO—high-altitude, high-opening—parachute into the middle of the Sinai Desert.
Even after reviewing the intel until he’d memorized every word, he still couldn’t figure out how the CIA had determined that a kidnapping would be a coverup for a major bombing—especially when it hadn’t happened yet. But there was no indication of that or even evidence of a target for the kidnappers.
Merlin leaned back in this chair and ran his hand through his hair. The tension tightened his shoulders and sent searing pain into his temples. There wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it, either.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. The last person he’d expected to hear from at that moment was Gwen, but seeing her name brought a smile to his lips.
Gwen:I don’t know when you’re leaving. But please stay safe.
Merlin:Good morning, princess. I promise to be as safe as possible.
Gwen:Morning. I should have led with that. In case you didn’t know, I like you, Luke. Maybe even really like you.
Gwen’s timing was perfect. He’d needed a distraction.
Merlin:I really like you, too, princess. Just don’t change your mind while I’m gone.
Gwen:Don’t worry, big guy.
The guys came in from their showers and gave him an odd look as he chuckled. They rarely saw him smile, let alone laugh.
Merlin:Good. Remember, text Destiny if you need anything. She’s been through this before. Gotta go. I’ll try to text before I leave.
Gwen:Okay. I will. Bye.
“What’s up with the shit-eating grin?” Duff asked. “You looked like a storm cloud ten minutes ago.”
Zip laughed. “It’s got to be Gwen.”
Merlin shook his head and didn’t confirm or deny Zip’s comment. “C’mon, time for the briefing. Let’s hope the CIA has come up with better intel since yesterday.”
They nodded in agreement. Merlin might be the one with premonitions, but they all could see the shit storm coming.
* * *
Sand and Turano were in a heated discussion as Merlin and the team entered the briefing room. From the little Merlin overheard as they sat down the table, nothing had changed. The frustration on Turano’s face jacked Merlin’s tension level from an eight to a twelve.
When Turano turned toward the team, they stood and saluted.
