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Winter’s gaze turned back toward the screen. “Do you have anything you’d like to say about what I’ve read?”

Again, Aidan was struck by an idea that seemed far outside his expectations of someone in Winter’s position. Could the older man be asking him in order to give him a fair chance? Or was General Winter simply better at evincing the magnanimous and noble air that most people thought generals had?

“I don’t think there’s anything I could add that would change anything,” Aidan said honestly.

Winter snorted softly. “You might be surprised.”

Aidan said nothing, not sure what he could say. There was no way in hell he would believe the unspoken invitation to trust the general. Trust wasn’t a commodity Aidan traded in regularly, and after recent events, he would not trust someone in charge.

Aidan took a breath, deciding to take a small risk. “I think everything before...recent events speaks for itself. I also think my record led to my being allowed to come here, instead of being shoved off to some far-flung base, sitting in front of a computer, and working there for the rest of my career.”

It was honestly the only reason Aidan could drum up to explain why he hadn’t been tossed in a hole and forgotten. He’d worked hard, suffering through Basic, then busting his ass to make sure he nailed his intel training. When it came time to put his training to good use, Aidan had gone above and beyond to ensure he was noticed for his effort and in the best way possible. Eventually, politics had become involved, and while he’d hated having to say the right things, know the right people, and make sure not to make too many waves with those in charge, it paid off. That was until he pissed off one person, only the one, and now he was teetering on the edge of losing everything he’d worked so hard for.

General Winter’s shoulders relaxed slightly, laying his arms gently on his desk. “I certainly hope so. Your experience and the versatility it spoke of brought me to my decision to request your placement here.”

“Here, or with this team?” Aidan asked, careful not to sound apprehensive.

“Team Maelstrom is currently stationed at this base until I deem them fit to return to service. In order for me to do that, I needed someone I felt would be a good fit for their missing member,” General Winter explained.

Aidan sighed. “And by missing?—”

“Killed in the line of duty approximately four months back. The remaining four team members have...well, they have understandably taken the loss hard. As much as I would love to give them more time to mourn, we’ve just about run out.”

Aidan frowned, letting that sift through his mind for a moment. “Someone over your head is stepping in.”

General Winter snorted, the wry amusement on his face bringing life to his stony features. “Not yet, but they will. I assured them I would find someone I felt was the best replacement for the fifth member of Team Maelstrom. So far,I’ve not had much luck, and seeing your record and talking with a few others, you seemed the best fit.”

“Seemed,” Aidan repeated.

“I won’t lie to you, Sergeant. I have my reservations, but not necessarily in the way you might think. At its most active, Team Maelstrom was an effective force, and their skills are wanted again. With the precarious state of the team at the moment, I’ve tried putting their deployment off as long as possible. It’s been made clear to me that if I didn’t find a replacement, someone else would.”

Aidan understood. It had probably been made clear in the same way his own ‘choice’ had been made clear to him. When those higher than you made up their minds, there was no arguing. You could evade, cajole, and try to bribe, but in the end, if a decision was made, you snapped a salute, gave a yes, sir, and did your job.

“But having chosen someone does not magically put Team Maelstrom back on their feet. It also doesn’t change the demand for their skills.”

So he was being thrown into a team that was still aching over the loss of one of their own, and he was going to take this teammate’s place. Only someone so eager regarding their own fortune of being put into a sought-after team would be looking forward to what Aidan would face. Everyone grieved differently, but Aidan had no doubt he would be treated as an intruder by at least one of the four team members.

“Meaning I need to get up to speed as quickly as possible and make the team whole again before Command decides they want to throw us to the wolves,” Aidan said.

General Winter nodded. “And I can’t give you a time estimate. They’ll have us move when they want us to, and that’s all I can say.”

And since it sounded like those above General Winter wanted Maelstrom in the field as quickly as possible, Aidan guessed they wouldn’t have long. Perhaps that was one reason Winter had dragged him to the other end of the country on such short notice. Fresh from the field, Aidan might be stressed and worried about his prospects, but he was still honed and ready to work. The only real problem facing him was getting himself into the team’s dynamic without throwing everything into upheaval.

And he did not envy himself.

General Winter leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “My intent is that you will serve in the position of the last team member. You will serve as both intel and second in command.”

Aidan blinked, unable to withhold that brief moment of surprise. “Second?”

“You assumed you would be leading?”

Aidan shook his head, knowing better. “Even second in command is more than I thought.”

“Team Maelstrom operated under the belief that as a team focused on recon and extraction, the intel member should have a say in how the team was run. Not exactly a novel idea, but they have proved it works quite well for them. Command wishes to see the same basic structure here as well, and so that’s what it will be,” General Winter told him, eyes again searching Aidan’s face.

“Does the team leader know?” Aidan asked.

“Staff Sergeant Harris has been made aware that the fifth member, serving much the same role as the previous member, is due to be placed in his team soon.”