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

Jay nudged Rhett again, leaning in close. “I think he’s in love.”

Rhett nudged him back. “Fucking stop it,” he said, just as their door opened.

A Met officer stood there with none other than Ericson King.

Rhett had expected some brass to come collect them, give them an earful, maybe even an official reprimand. But he hadn’t expected it to be the Director of Foreign Intel.

Ericson King was sixty, at a guess. He reminded Rhett of Don Cheadle... if he were English and with less of a tendency to smile. Did his time in the ranks of MI6 and was apparently the best, until a bullet ended his field career and gave him a permanent limp and a cane.

And he did not look happy now.

Jesus .

Rhett and Jay both stood immediately, and the director seethed into the room, the door closing behind him. “Ask me how happy I am to be called in here at two a.m. on a Sunday morning,” he said, voice like razor wire.

“How happy are you—” Jay began, until King glared at him so hard, even Rhett winced.

“I don’t have a sense of humour, Agent Lin,” Director King said to Jay. “Not on a good day. And I sure as fuck don’t have one at two a.m.”

Rhett figured he’d start the explanation. He fell into the at-ease position, feet apart, hands behind his back, gaze straight ahead. “We believed our cover was compromised, sir. Two assailants made us. We left the vicinity and were followed. We returned chase, and an altercation broke out?—”

“An altercation broke out,” King repeated. Rhett had to wonder if steam would actually come out of his ears. “It’s on every social media platform and YouTube, for fuck’s sake. Your faces! Do you think your cover was compromised? Do you fucking think?”

Rhett remained silent and still.

Director King scrubbed a hand over his face, inhaled deeply, and sighed.

“I don’t even know what to do with you,” he said.

“I don’t have to remind you how stupid you are and how we have expectations of zero fuckups.

Not even gonna start on international incidents and diplomacy.

I had to come down here and identify myself to save your asses.

What I should do is separate you two until you prove you can behave. ”

Rhett’s gaze shot to King’s, his blood running both hot and cold. “Sir. ”

Jay made a soft noise, his breath hitched, and he gave a small shake of his head.

“That’s what I fucking thought,” King said. Then he growled, frustrated and pissed off, and he was about to say something when there was a quiet knock on the door. “Enter.”

The door opened, and the older man in the blue trench coat stood there, perfect posture, neutral expression. Stoic and Smiley stood behind him, eyes straight ahead. “Director King,” he said as he stepped inside. His two men followed him in, stopped, and stood at attention.

And not for the first time tonight, Rhett asked himself what the fuck?

“Commander Zihao,” King said.

They knew each other?

King stared at Rhett first, then Jay, then back to Rhett before nodding in their direction. “And this is Captain Rhett Ouston, and medic Jay Lin. I believe you’ve already met.”

What Rhett wanted to ask was what the fucking fuck , but he settled for, “Sir?”

King gestured to the two men who’d attacked them. “Meet Yin Tao and Chen Hanyu, agents with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. The two newest members of the Milvus Division, Alpha.”

Alpha? That was Rhett’s team.

“Sir, I already have a squad of eight.”

“Correct. And when Kowalski and Myles get back from assignment, you’ll have ten.”

Rhett kept his gaze straight, his jaw set. “Director, I thought you said you didn’t have a sense of humour at two a.m. ”

Director King stared at him, nostrils flared.

He took a step closer to Rhett, his knuckles white on his cane.

“What I have is zero patience for your Australian bullshit. I don’t care if you’re the best, Ouston.

One more remark, one more mistake, and your demoted arse will be on the first flight back to Canberra. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

Rhett could have sworn he saw Yin Tao smirk.

Director King stepped back to join Commander Zihao. Zihao was neat as a pin, and Rhett recognised no-nonsense when he saw it. “I apologise for the actions and behaviour of agents Yin and Chen,” Zihao said. “Rest assured, such insubordination will not happen again.”

Rhett looked over at Yin and Chen, taking in their exemplary posture and banged-up faces. At the two men who were now on his team that he now outranked. He owned their asses. Then he turned back to Commander Zihao. “I can assure you it won’t.”

Zihao nodded before the three of them turned and walked out. The remaining silence in the room was deafening.

Director King moved to stand in front of Rhett.

“Report for duty at zero six hundred, where you will be debriefed in full. This is an exercise in diplomacy and international relations in an official exchange of intel and goodwill. It’s a goddamn olive branch, and so help me god, you will play nice. Do you hear me?”

“Understood, sir.”

“It better be. Now get out of my face,” King said. “Before I change my mind and fire you both.”

Rhett and Jay got to the door.

“Captain,” the director said, stopping them .

Rhett turned. “Sir.”

He pointed his cane at him. “Play. Nice.”

Rhett couldn’t help it. He almost smiled. “Yes, sir.”