Page 46 of The Team

Giardello held his gaze for a long moment. “Let us hear what you got first.”

Rhett gave him a nod. That was fair enough. Rhett would want to know what he was signing his team up for before as well. And, if Giardello ran this back to King, then at least Rhett would know who the traitors were.

He turned back to his team. “I’ve got some intel incoming from an outside source, which will be a damn sight better than what we’ve been fed. It’s our asses on the line here, so we’re gonna be calling the shots. We have two objectives,” Rhett said, holding up two fingers. “One, take down these fucking terrorists, and two, bring my two men home.”

Coyote clapped this time. “Hoo-fucking-yah.”

Sid gave a hard nod. “Let’s do this. Whatever the fuck it takes.”

“I’m down,” Azrael added.

“You know I am,” Echo said.

Jay didn’t need to say anything. He just smiled at Rhett like he hadn’t seen him in weeks.

Yin sighed. “I have broken three rules in my life, and all three of those times have been since I joined this team.” He shrugged. “What’s one more?”

Chen grinned and pointed his thumb at Yin. “I go where he goes.”

Giardello looked at his team, at their expressions, and then he sighed. “I guess we’re in.”

“Awesome,” Rhett said, finally feeling positive about this whole mess. “Let’s make ourselves a ready room.”

Minutes later, Yunho had set up a secure portal, sent through an access code, and Rhett had everything on the screen in front of his entire team.

Real-time satellite footage of the private research lab and of where Kowalski and Myles were being held. They had photos of Askarov and Gordian and their location down to the second, and what security they’d be up against. They also had proof of purchases of some kind of spectrometer and nuclei counters; equipment required for specific aerosol production. And financial transactions, actual fucking proof — and who Gordian had ties to. Those assholes now had taps on their phones and digital signatures. If they send it, speak it, even fucking think it, Milvus will know.

Yunho had given him the Taj Mahal of information in a matter of minutes.

This was what they should have been working with.

This was what headquarters should have given Rhett from the start.

He added a third thing to his strategy plan.

One, take the terrorists out and secure the lab. Two, getKowalski and Myles back. And now three, find out whoever railroaded their mission and gut them like a fucking fish.

Within twenty minutes, they had a solid strategy and a contingency plan. They had routes, transport, weapons, and targets.

Everyone suited up. Full combat gear, vests, weapons, masks and helmets. Rhett was securing his thigh pistol when the door opened with a clang and the familiar tap of Director King’s cane on the wooden floorboards. Rhett offered no more than a perfunctory glance before turning to Sid. “Locked and loaded,” he said. “Wheels up in five.”

Sid gave a nod and, ignoring King, he and Echo picked up their gear.

“What do you think you’re doing?” King asked. “Did I just see Agents Masson and Velasco leave the compound? Who authorised that?”

Sid and Echo didn’t even pause, like Rhett knew they wouldn’t.

“I did,” Rhett replied. “And what am I doing? My job.”

It was only then King seemed to notice what was on the screens. His expression grew wild. “What is this? What the fuck is this? Where did you get this?”

Rhett would have probably liked to have enjoyed the moment of watching King flounder, but Rhett was in go-mode. Shit was about to get really fucking real and he was zoned in.

Getting nothing from Rhett, King turned to Giardello. “Who authorised this?”

Giardello said nothing, but his eyes went to Rhett before he turned to his team. “Let’s get the birds loaded.”

King’s face went red, his eyes bulging, nostrils flared. “Agent Ouston, you will stand down immediately!”