Page 10 of The Team (The Milvus Files #3)

Rhett gave a nod and he and Yin crossed the street, took the stairs two at a time, and slipped into their loft.

Everyone was still asleep. Rhett instinctively looked for Jay, sighing at his sleeping form on the floor.

Sid kept his eyes on the street below. “Hope you got pepperoni.”

Rhett smiled and slid the pizza box onto the small table by Sid.

“HQ’s gonna wanna little chat,” Sid said quietly, giving the iPad to Rhett .

Rhett ignored it for now. He opened the pizza box, took photos of everything—the flyer, the Turkish writing, the receipt, even the half-eaten crusts—and he sent that to Frankston.

That was his response to whatever bullshit they had to say about him going across the street.

Evidence.

Well, he hoped it would be.

At least it was something. Fucking anything was better than the nothing they expected him to accept.

Sid took out his binoculars and settled in. “Grab some shuteye. I got this.”

Rhett gave a nod for Yin to rest as well, and Rhett went over to where Jay was asleep. He took a spot next to him, not touching, of course, but close.

Always close. And always between Jay and the door.

Always protective.

The floor was hard and unforgiving, but at least this place had a bathroom and a flushing toilet. Rhett had slept in worse. They all had.

Not that he could speak for Yin and Chen, but given they were ex-Sea Dragons, Jiaolong Commandos, Rhett assumed they were no strangers to discomfort.

He didn’t want to say he’d been impressed with Yin when they went out, because he certainly expected nothing less, but he hadn’t been disappointed.

He was quick, quiet, efficient.

He understood the universal hand signals, he stayed close, did everything Rhett would have expected any of his team to do. As a very small first test, he’d passed.

Well, more specifically, he hadn’t failed.

Rhett put that out of his mind, knowing he needed what little sleep he could afford. He studied Jay’s sleeping profile. The curve of his ear, the line of his eyebrow, the hint of a smile at his lips.

He loved watching Jay sleep.

My god, he loved this man.

His rock, his one true thing. His entire world.

So, knowing everyone was asleep and no one could see, he reached his hand out and slid it over Jay’s arm.

Just to touch him. To ground himself. To feel connected, just for a moment.

Rhett closed his eyes and slept.

He woke up to Sid’s voice. “Yes, sir,” he said.

Rhett cracked an eyelid to see Sid getting up from his chair at the window, comms phone to his ear. He looked over at Rhett and grimaced as he held out the phone. “Director King.”

Rhett’s neck protested as he moved, sitting up. He took the phone Sid offered him and put it to his ear. He could guess from the pale blue light outside that it was maybe six a.m. “Ouston,” he said, voice cracking.

“You disobeyed a direct order,” King said, tone sharp.

“I used field judgement,” Rhett replied. “Remember what that is?”

King growled down the phone, and Rhett liked to imagine the director’s face steaming red. “You will be reprimanded when you get back,” King said. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t pull your arses outta there now, I swear to god, Ouston.”

Rhett got to his feet and made his way to the bathroom so he wouldn’t wake the others. “Because we have two of my team missing, that’s why. And if what I did last night helps in any way to find out any-fucking-thing about the location of my two men, then you can reprimand me all you like.”

Rhett kicked up the toilet seat and, while still on the phone to King, decided to take a piss. He wasn’t in the mood for this bullshit.

“I’m done wasting time,” Rhett said, not giving one fuck that King could hear him pissing. “We’re now at day two, and every minute wasted means less chance of survival. So you either give me some fucking leads, or we’ll go looking for them.”

King’s voice was quiet, his anger reaching its limit before he snapped for real. “I don’t like your attitude, Ouston.”

“And I don’t like being sidelined when two of my men have been fucking taken! I’ve seen what happens to tortured men, Director, and I swear to fucking god, if I find Kowalski and Myles like I found Harrigan and Edwards, I will have the council’s heads on plaques on my living room fucking wall.”

King was quiet.

Sure, Rhett had overstepped, but he wasn’t sorry. He meant it. He could be reprimanded. Hell, they could fire him and threaten him with a dishonourable discharge, but if it got his two men back, then Rhett didn’t care.

“Do you think for one minute we’re incompetent, Captain Ouston?” King said.

“I’m starting to wonder?—”

“There’s a good fucking reason why we had you wait and why you were instructed to not enter that building. Never mind a court martial, I should have you all quarantined,” King gritted out.

Wait.

Quarantined?

King had Rhett’s attention now.

“And I would do exactly that if I thought for one minute you’d listen,” King said.

“And if there wasn’t more at stake. But this is bigger than your two men.

This is bigger than the Milvus Division.

Now, I’m going to tell you exactly what you’re going to do, and so help me fucking god, Ouston, you’re going to listen. ”