Page 39 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

“Right.”

“An encrypted phone that we’ve been monitoring for a few months as it’s pinged key towers. And a box containing several foreign passports for you but none in your actual name as well as fifty thousand pounds in cash along with a few other items someone would need if they were looking to make a speedy exit.”

She sat back in her chair then, shutting her eyes and feeling her stomach twist as she brought a clenched fist to her mouth and let out a small half sigh. She realised she was biting into her finger, into her skin, feeling the frustration, and the anger, and every other emotion that was now raging inside her.

“Maddie?” Brandon asked and she winced slightly because she knew then they had fucking found it. They’d just not realised what they’d found.

She opened her eyes staring at him and not wanting to talk but knowing that she had too. She was part of them now, wasn’t she? She was part of BlackWater.

She could feel Cole’s eyes on her too and she made damn sure not to look at him then.

“That box shouldn’t be part of your list.” She said looking at the table in front of her before gritting her teeth.

“It’s yours then?” Cole asked her.

“Yes.”

“Why? What’s its purpose?” He asked.

“What do you think?” She replied coldly meeting his gaze. She wasn’t yet ready to just spill all her secrets.

“Maddie, we’re on the same side here.” Brandon said and she couldn’t help it, she scowled then.

“That’s what they said at Homewell too, and then look what happened in China.” She snapped hearing her voice turn cold.

“What happened?” Cole asked.

She gritted her teeth glaring right back at him. Like he didn’t know, she thought, like it wasn’t written right there in her personnel file that he and Brandon had both spent an inordinate amount of time becoming acquainted with.

“Talk.” He said and she shook her head slightly.

She felt her heart racing, her fists clenched beneath the table and she knew she was mentally preparing for a fight.

“We need to know everything Maddie.” Brandon said.

“No you fucking don’t.” She said quietly.

“They targeted you. They singled you out. Everything is relevant.” Cole stated.

“Bullshit, it’s not relevant, it has nothing to do with it.”

“Maddie.” Cole said and she scowled again at the way he said her name, at the way he pronounced it, at the way he sounded like he was ordering her, commanding her. He was technically her boss now though so he had every right to order her around and somehow she was surprised it had taken her to this minute to realise it. That she had already relinquished some control to him whether she liked it or not.

“You read my file. You know the highlights.” She stated.

“Your file says nothing about China other than the op you worked on Ming Xie and some incident where you punched a superior manager.” Cole said.

She frowned. “It’s not there?” She asked confused.

“For fucks sake Maddie, what isn’t?” Cole snapped.

She got up then, feeling like even the seat was restricting her. If it wasn’t there, if it didn’t state it she could say whatever the fuck she wanted right now and they’d be none the wiser.

She saw Cole watching her as she paced and somehow she knew he’d know if she was lying.

“You get the highlights, nothing more.” She stated sitting back down.

“Fine.” Cole replied. Suddenly it felt like it was just them in the room, just the two of them. That everyone else had faded away and she was back being interrogated by him again only this time she was talking.

She swallowed looking away from him, looking back at the polished table in front of her. She could feel all of them waiting now, hanging on every god damn word she said. “When I was in China we didn’t just work the Ming Xie case, we worked another after. Interpol called the shots, we just followed their lead.”

“What case?” Cole asked.

“Ahmed Ali.” She saw from all their faces that none of them recognised the name and it didn’t surprise her. It wasn’t a big case, wasn’t particularly dramatic except for the ending and even that didn’t make the press.

“Long story short he was a French nationalist by birth, a wannabe terrorist but without the connections. He was operating up by the Pakistani border, stirring up the locals. The Chinese wanted him out, the Pakistani’s didn’t want him back, and Interpol wanted him locked away. We were only covering it because we happened to be the nearest team on the ground and got sent to capture him. To take him across the border where Interpol were waiting to whisk him off, only it didn’t work out like that. The plan went to shit, our team lead made a series of errors that left us exposed and Ali made full advantage of it. We ended up in a fire fight, in the caves, the wrong side of the border.”

“What happened?” Cole asked.

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