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Both Magnet and I froze when the door of the room I was supposed to share with Ehren opened a crack, then immediately closed. Magnet made a face but didn’t release my foot. Not that he was still tickling me.
“Can I ask you something?”
“You can ask,” he responded, winking. It was the typical comeback from most intelligence agents.
“Ehren is Swiss. Why is she on the Albanian team?”
“Zeppelin had her move over when Nemesis sent him and Verity undercover. Before you arrived, I was short two agents.”
“That’s right. I was sorry to hear about Zig and Qetë.”
His eyes opened wider. “Did you know them?”
I nodded. “We worked a joint mission together when I first started out. They were both really nice to me.”
“You say that as if not everyone is.”
“I’ve found there are fewer who are than aren’t.”
Magnet cocked his head. “Meaning fewer agents who are nice?”
When I nodded, he motioned toward my room with his head.
“Do I need to intervene between you and Ehren?”
“God, no,” I practically shouted before covering my mouth with my hand.
“If there’s an issue, I can help.”
“In your experience, does a male commanderinterveningwith two female agents usually work?”
He smiled. “Never.”
“Look, if we do our jobs right, we’ll be in and out of here in a day or two. Once we’re back in the UK, I’ll keep my distance in the same way I usually do.”
He studied me. “Okay, but if I witness anything, I will step in.”
I put my hand on top of his that still rested on my foot. “I beg you not to. It won’t help. In fact, I should probably sleep in there with her just so she doesn’t spread rumors about us.”
“Unlike a typical unit, the coalition is quite small. If she does tell untruths, she’ll be shut down straightaway.”
“There will be some who believe her.”
“Like?”
I shook my head.
“You know what happened with Zeppelin, don’t you?” he asked, resting his head against the sofa and closing his eyes.
“More than know; I witnessed it.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that.”
“I’m not. I mean, I didn’t need to see you punch him, but I know what you said.”
When he nodded, I wished this conversation had never begun. “What all did you hear?”
“You said I was trying to overcome my reputation. Something like that.”