Page 70 of The Team

“Does Yin know?”

“No. He’s still trying to reach her.”

Oh, man.

“Call your team, Captain Ouston,” Yunho said. “She was taken four days ago. The one thing she doesn’t have is time. You’re leaving for Shanghai in an hour.”

THIRTEEN

Rhett and Jaywere not the first to arrive at Northolt. Which Rhett hated, but they had little other choice.

They raced over to the waiting private jet and Rhett threw their go-bag onto a seat. “Sorry,” he said. “Had to make a stop on the way.”

“Did we interrupt something more important?” Sid joked.

“The only clothes we had were the ones we’d worn for three days. Be grateful we don’t smell like shit.”

“No clothes?” Echo asked. “You didn’t go home?”

Jay shook his head. “No. We were tailed last night, so we ditched the car and stayed at a hotel.”

Sid’s smile died. “What the fuck?”

Rhett nodded. “Some idiot newbie from HQ. Stuck out like a sore thumb and almost shat himself when we had a little chat.”

“We think he may have been a decoy or someone towaste our time for a bit, so we opted out of going back to the flat,” Jay added.

The plane’s engines started just as King came onto the plane, limping heavily on his cane, with a frown and laser-focused eyes. Yin and Chen ran on after him, bags in their hands, panting.

“Did you guys run the whole way?” Sid asked.

But then Rhett got a better look at Yin. “Christ. I thought I looked like shit. Did you sleep at all in the last twelve hours?”

Yin gave a shake of his head. “Sorry we are late.”

Remembering what Yunho had said, it was very likely Yin hadn’t slept a wink. Rhett clapped him on the shoulder, and Chen gave Rhett an apologetic grimace that was maybe supposed to be a smile.

“Well, I don’t know who organised this ride,” Azrael said, looking around the very nice cabin. “But I could get used to this.”

And it was nice. A private jet, with space before the cockpit for a screen and a table.

Before the door was closed, the last person to board came through the door.

Zihao.

Rhett shot King a what-the-fuck glare, and from what he could tell, Yin and Chen were surprised to see their handler.

“I’ll explain when we’re in the air,” King said pointedly to Rhett and, by association, everyone else. Then King gestured to the seat by him. “Director Zihao, please make yourself comfortable.”

The seatbelt sign came on, so they all took their seats, which were leather and more comfortable than any furnitureRhett had ever owned, and a few minutes later, they were on their way.

King eventually stood up and leaned against his table. “To answer Agent Masson’s earlier question, this plane was organised by our new intel contact, and friend to Ouston and Lin, Mr Oh Yunho.”

Azrael spun to stare at Rhett and Jay. “You’re friends with him? From when you transported him and Edwards back to Australia?”

“We stayed at his house when friends of ours got married,” Jay said.

“When Harrigan and Asher freaking Garin got married,” Sid clarified. “A renegade hitman and a ghost sniper. What kind of friends do you have?”