Page 27 of The Team (The Milvus Files #3)

FOURTEEN

Jay felt sorry for Yin.

He was strung so tight, so stressed. He had dark blotches under his eyes, and what Rhett had said was right.

They were going to need Yin at his best.

The man needed to sleep.

The relief that poured off him when he’d divulged his secrets and found nothing but acceptance was palpable.

He damn near wept.

He’d looked so small sitting there, deflated and lost. He’d had to expose his biggest fears to a team he barely knew.

But he’d found himself in the company of brothers, of family. When Rhett had put his hand on Yin’s shoulder and said, we’ll find her , well, Yin had just about crumpled.

Jay reckoned Yin had found the support he’d been so sorely lacking for years right then.

Of course the team would help him.

They didn’t care if his girl was trans. Hell, she could be from outer fucking space and they wouldn’t care. It was Yin’s partner. He loved her. And she’d been kidnapped for fuck’s sake. She’d been missing for four days already.

Of course they’d do everything they could to find her.

Like they would if it were the loved one of any of their team.

It’s what family did for each other.

Jay fell into the seat next to Chen. “Hey, Totoro,” he murmured. “Are you holding up okay?”

He looked at his own hands then at Jay, clearly confused. “Holding? I’m not holding?—”

Jay chuckled and gave him a nudge. “Sorry.” Then Jay dusted off some rusty Mandarin and asked him how he was feeling.

Chen smiled at him and nodded. “Is good,” he said in English.

“Is Yin okay?” Jay asked quietly.

Chen’s gaze followed Jay’s over to where Yin was reclined on a seat with a blanket, his overhead light turned off. “He needs to find his Jun-mei.”

Jay nodded. “Understandable.” Jay inhaled and let out a sigh. “You knew about her?”

Chen’s smile turned rueful. “Yes. From beginning. I saw his eyes when he see her. He not lie to me.”

Jay smiled. “You’re a good friend to him.”

“Know him for long time.” Chen put his head back and had a gentle smile. “Met day one. He was smart and good soldier. Was team leader and I was just... me. We pair for team, and we be first always. How you say... brains and...”

“Brains and brawn. He’s the brains, you’re the muscle. ”

“Yes.” Chen chuckled. “Many times we win. Me and him. We not a beatable team. For many years.”

“Sounds familiar,” Jay said. “Me and Rhett. Unbeatable for eight years.”

Chen laughed. “Me and Tao not like you and Captain.”

“You never . . . you and him, ever . . .”

Chen was both amused and horrified. “No, no.” He put his hand to his chest. “I bed women.”

Jay laughed at his wording, and he put his hand to his own chest. “I bed men. Well, correction. I bed one man.”

Chen nodded sagely. “Tao bed all women. Lot of women. But now, correction, just one.”

Jay chuckled but he had to know... “Does it bother you? That Jun-mei is trans?”

Chen shook his head. “No. I worry for him at first, but when I see him with her, it not matter to me. He never look at anyone with... soft eyes, but he look at her, and he has hearts...” He pointed to his eyes. “So it not matter who Jun-mei is, or was. He choose her, is all I need.”

Jay could have hugged him. “I like you, Totoro.”

He grinned. “You and the captain, eight years?”

Jay nodded, the memories happy ones. “Almost nine, yeah. Since the second I saw him, I knew.”

“You know love at first sight?”

More like a burning desire to get railed at first sight. Jay laughed. “Something like that.” Then they were quiet for a long moment. “I’ve never been to China,” Jay admitted quietly.

“Ah,” Chen said. He rested his head back and smiled. “Is beautiful. I show you my city. Maybe not this time, but next trip.”

“Sounds good. ”

Then Chen nodded to where Rhett was talking with King and Zihao. “He not sleep?”

Jay snorted. “Sometimes, yes.” Rhett had always been able to function on far less sleep than most. “Then sometimes I have to put my foot down and make him rest. I pull my medic card and tell him it’s an order.”

Chen smiled and was quiet again for a while. “I am glad we are here,” he murmured. “Milvus. Is fun, much excitement.”

“When Yin told you he wanted to join, you were okay with that?”

“I go where he goes.” Then he looked at Jay. “I thought he be a little—” He used his index finger to draw a circle near his head, making the international hand sign for crazy. “—yes. But it make sense. I did not expect to like it this much. Good team, yes?”

Jay nodded. “Yep.”

Then he leaned in closer. “Can I tell you secret?”

“Sure.”

“Azrael,” he whispered, eyes dead serious. “She scare me a little.”

Jay burst out laughing, then tried to be quiet. “That’s okay. She scares everyone.”

He nodded, happy with this news. “Good. Not just me.” Then he made a face. “But not Sid. He tease her. Brave or stupid, I not know.”

Jay chuckled. “Don’t be fooled. She scares him the most.”

His smile petered out with a sigh. “I am sorry for your friend. The one from Polish GROM unit. Sorry I never met him.”

The truth was, although they’d never been close, Jay had liked Kowalski.

He was a tough sonofabitch. A little wild and crazy.

Could drink like a fish and had a wicked laugh.

He was never particularly fond of the fact that Rhett and Jay were lovers, but he kept his grievances to himself.

He respected Rhett’s captaincy, was a dependable asset to the Milvus team, and Jay was sorry he was gone.

A terrible fucking way to die too.

Jay could still see his face . . .

“He deserved better,” Jay murmured. “A more honourable death than those bastards gave him.”

“Do you think it not make sense?” Chen asked quietly.

“What doesn’t make sense?”

“Why they want us here. What is real reason for bringing Milvus to them?” He shrugged. “If you want to make deal or sell secrets, you make it quiet. Not bring fight to you. No sense to me.”

“I don’t know,” Jay whispered. “But I’m sure our guys will figure it out.”

Chen nodded. “Feels”—he put his hand to his chest—“personal.”

“Personal? How so?”

“Personal for Tao. They take Jun-mei. So maybe they not want Milvus. Maybe they want Tao. Milvus is bonus.”

Jay studied Chen’s face in the darkened cabin and realised that the big guy maybe wasn’t just all brawn after all. “Hm, maybe.”

Jay looked over again at where Rhett was studying something on the laptop with King and Zihao. Their expressions were serious.

Chen checked his watch. “Ugh. Should sleep,” he mumbled, closed his eyes and then five seconds later, was snoring .

Just like sleeping next to Rhett.

Jay sighed and closed his eyes.

Rhett managed a few hours’ sleep before they’d refuelled in Astana, Kazakhstan, where it was bitterly fucking cold and no one wanted to stick around for long.

They were back on board, fed and watered, and by the time they were at altitude, King’s laptop chimed with an incoming video link.

Yunho.

When his face filled the screen, Rhett could see he looked tired but otherwise well. Behind him was a wall of screens that looked much like the intel room back at HQ, only better.

“Ah, Captain, it’s good to see you again,” he said.

“You too,” Rhett replied. He noticed the heavy set of Yunho’s eyes. “Did you manage some sleep?”

“About the same as you, I’d guess.” His smile was brief. “I have news.”

Everyone on board stood where they could, and Rhett turned the screen around better so they could see him.

“Agent Myles’ condition is stable. He’s been intubated and is in an induced coma. He’s not out of the woods yet by any stretch, but his condition hasn’t worsened. When I know more, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you,” Rhett replied.

Yunho gave a brief nod, his expression turning grim. “We have located Yixing in Paris. I believe it’s a safe house. He has a burner phone, and his only contact is Director Depraz.”

What the hell... Rhett’s eyes went to King’s, but this was clearly news to him as well.

Yunho continued, “We only have timestamps and lengths of their first phone calls, but recordings of subsequent phone calls make it clear that Depraz put him in that safe house to protect him. And,” he added, “she’s not telling anyone in HQ.

In fact, several times when in discussions about Yixing’s disappearance, she’s withheld disclosure. ”

“She doesn’t trust them,” King said. “She knew there was a leak, about Frankston, but not how far it went.”

Yunho gave a nod. “It would appear so. We are keeping an eye on the situation and on Yixing. He’s safe for now.”

“Do you know who informed who?” Rhett asked. “For certain, I mean. We were only assuming before. Did he tell her about Frankston, or did she tell him?”

Yunho’s lip twitched in an almost smile. “Good question, Captain. Yixing told Depraz. From their conversations, he alerted her to the fact Frankston was intercepting the intel and not relaying details to your Milvus team on mission in Tehran.”

Rhett glowered, rage brewing in his blood. “We need Frankston alive,” Rhett sneered. “So I can kill him myself.”

Someone off-camera snorted and Yunho’s eyes darted to the left, then he sighed. “Birds of a feather,” he said, then turned his laptop to show who was sitting beside him.

Harry Harrigan looked as big as Rhett remembered, but he looked... more relaxed. Happy, even. “Hey, Captain.”

Rhett grinned. “Harry. You look good.”

“You look like shit.”

“Thanks.”

“Where’s your little pain-in-my-ass sidekick?” Harry scanned the faces behind Rhett, but Jay came over to shove his face in front of the screen.

“My favourite cranky tank.”

Harry glowered but then Asher was there, smiling. “Hello, darling,” he said cheerfully. He slid his left hand onto Harry’s shoulder, his wedding ring glinting. “You boys have been busy.”

There was a strange sound gurgling behind them and both Rhett and Jay turned. Azrael’s face was red, and Sid nudged her, concerned. But Jay laughed and grabbed Azrael’s arm. “Asher, this is Anna Masson. She’s a huge fan.”

Azrael waved like a starstruck fangirl meeting The Beatles; short, jerky hand movements, stupid smile, wide eyes, and flushed cheeks. “Bonjour Monsieur Garin. Je suis une grande fan de votre travail.”

And she spoke French?

She really was freaking out.

Asher put his hand to his chest. “Agent Masson, is it?” he asked, and she nodded eagerly. “Your work in Tehran was very good. Three shots for three kills; four hundred metres, crosswind and twenty-one-percent humidity. Nice work.”

She made that weird noise again and patted down her hair. “Je suis une énorme admiratrice.”

Jay laughed. “Look, Harry, Asher has a fan. ”

Harry’s big hand slid the laptop around so his face filled the screen. “Yes, thank you. I’ll be sure to never hear the end of it.”

Jay blew him a kiss and Rhett shoved Jay out of view. “What have I told you before about pissing him off.”

Jay just laughed. Meanwhile, Director King cleared his throat, and Sid pulled Azrael back at the same time Yunho pulled the laptop back to focus on him. “The reunion and fan-club meeting can wait until your return.”

“Agreed,” Rhett mumbled.

Then Yunho scanned the people behind Rhett. “Where is Agent Yin?”

Rhett turned to Yin, seeing him pale and swallow hard, as if expecting bad news. And for all Rhett knew, that’s what he was about to get. Rhett gave Yin his chair.

Everyone went quiet.

Yin sat woodenly. “I am Yin Tao.”

“Oh Yunho,” he replied. “Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, yes. Same.” He cleared his throat, wiping his hands on his thighs. “Have you any word...?”

“She’s alive, and we have a location,” Yunho said, and Yin let out a rush of breath, hands running through his hair. Rhett didn’t realise he’d been holding his breath until then, and he could feel the relief roll through all of them.

“Thank you. Thank you,” Yin said, nodding and swallowing back his tears.

Yunho gave him a nod. “I’ll be sending through the coordinates in a moment.

It’s not an easy drop and we’re going to depend on all the help the authorities can give.

My access on the mainland is very limited, and while I probably could access China’s military satellites, I’d rather not start an international incident.

Having Commander Zihao’s influence will hopefully pull the right strings.

But,” he hedged, “if you meet resistance, please let me know and I’ll do what I must.”

Yin nodded again, eyes still teary. “Thank you. I will be forever in your debt.”

The laptop turned around to Harry’s not-smiling face. “If anything happens to Ouston or Lin, I will be the one who collects on that debt. Are we clear?”

Chen bristled at that, but before it became a different kind of international incident, Jay stuck his face in front of the screen. “I knew you loved me, Harry.”

Harry growled. “Correction. If anything happens to Ouston?—”

Jay gasped at the same time Yunho pulled the laptop around. He looked like an irritated schoolteacher. “Information incoming, Director King.”

“Thank you,” King said. “Please stay in touch.”

“Of course.”

The screen went dark, and Rhett gave Yin’s shoulder a bit of a shake before he addressed his team.

“Okay, we’ll be landing in just over an hour.

I think we can expect a briefing with our Chinese counterparts upon our arrival.

We will be gracious and respectful. Our mission is clear: secure Yin Jun-mei, arrest Wong, and take down Frankston, preferably alive.

And also the Snow Leopard guy and his entire team. ”

Yin stood up. “Tan Huan,” he murmured, as if the words tasted bad. “He is mine.”

Rhett shrugged and put his hand to his chest. “I have no problem with that,” he said, glancing at King and Zihao. “Is he an extraction, elimination, or...?”

King shrugged .

Rhett clapped Yin on the shoulder. “That’s an official cannot confirm or deny request, soldier.”

Yin met his gaze, and Rhett saw fire and determination looking back at him, and he gave a nod.

“Alive is always best,” King clarified. “But, given he sold us out and kidnapped Yin’s girlfriend, should Frankston or any of that mercenary team accidentally slip and hit their heads two dozen times on a shovel, I wouldn’t be terribly sad.”

Then King’s laptop beeped with incoming intel.

“Okay, team,” King said, bringing his laptop screen up on the TV so they could all see the photos and files Yunho had sent him. “Location intel. Let’s see what we’ve got.”