Page 64 of The Team

Silence fell over all of them.

King continued. “Before the medical team gets here, I want to tell you that the person, or persons, behind the intel fuck-up of your mission still has not been made known to us. So, that being said, you’ve all got forty-eight-hours rec leave, and I strongly urge dispersal until you hear from your captain or myself. You know the drill.”

Dispersal.

To spread out, to not congregate together, to minimise the impact of enemy fire.

Meaning they couldn’t take them all down if we each went our own separate ways.

Jesus fucking Christ.

The medic team boarded the plane in full PPE.

“I’ve seen this movie,” Sid said, then raised his fingerand did his best ET impersonation. Which was terrible. “Home.”

But they were all instructed to stay in their seats, where they were swabbed, exactly like Rhett and Yin had been back in Baku.

“Remember boys and girls, blue is good, purple is bad,” Rhett said.

The tech didn’t even smile.

But one by one, they all returned a negative swab and were cleared for deplaning. They dropped their gear off and changed into their civvies, the mood in the change room was quiet, tense, and uncomfortable.

Being told to disperse was not good.

“Lie low for two days,” Rhett told the team. “Get some sleep. If you think you’re being watched or followed, see anything or anyone suspicious, call me ASAP. If I hear anything on Myles, I’ll be in touch. And if shit gets real with whoever screwed us over,” Rhett said with a shrug. “Well, we’ll need to reconvene to sort that out.”

Sid gave a nod. “Understood.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Jay said as he made a face. “And have a shower,” he sniffed, “because you all stink.”

Azrael shoved him hard into Rhett. Echo laughed as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. “I need two things,” he said, holding up two fingers. “I need food. And to not see any of you for two days.”

He walked off, holding up his two fingers as a salute goodbye.

Jay snorted. “You know you’ll miss us.”

Echo laughed as he walked out. Azrael sized up Sid. “I’m gonna hit the gym. You up for it?”

“Absolutely not,” he replied, and they bickered as they walked out.

Coyote stood there with his bag, brows furrowed. “We’ll have a drink for Kowalski soon, yeah?”

“Absolutely,” Rhett answered. “We’ll find who did this.”

Coyote gave a hard nod and tried to smile. “Two days,” he mumbled as he picked up his bag and walked out.

And that left Yin and Chen.

“Does Echo not want our faces for two days?” Chen asked. “Does he not like us?”

“Don’t take it personally,” Jay said to him. “He means it as a term of affection because he loves us. He just has a different way of showing it.”

“Needs work,” Chen said with a serious nod.

Jay couldn’t help but smile.

Yin, on the other hand, was standing there with his head down, but he eventually looked up at Rhett, waiting for whatever it was heknewRhett had to say.