Page 33 of The Team (The Milvus Files #3)

SEVENTEEN

The team was quiet on the boat and even in the vans on the way back to Dachang military base, and Rhett didn’t blame them.

Jay sat beside him, their sides touching from boots to shoulders, and that warmth, that presence, was exactly what he needed. He needed Jay in ways he couldn’t explain.

As heartwarming as it was, Rhett found it hard to watch Yin and Jun-mei. Rhett figured everyone felt the same. It felt as if this reunion between them should have been private. Yin was vulnerable, exposed, and emotional. It was hard to watch.

And Jun-mei. Her tear-streaked face, blotchy and puffy from crying, was mostly hidden by the blanket as she slept with her head on Yin’s shoulder. He held her tight, brushing his lips to the top of her head every so often.

Those bastards had hacked her hair off.

And Yin and Chen had just found out their own government had ordered the explosion in South Sudan. They’d marked Yin as collateral, wanting him dead so the mess was easier to clean up.

Except he hadn’t died. Chen had saved him, and by some stroke of luck or fate, they’d discovered he was immune to the pathogen.

And then he’d met Jun-mei.

Motherfuckers used her as bait to get Yin back.

Rhett was glad Tan and Frankston were dead. And he was glad Yin had made him suffer before Rhett ended his misery.

Because honestly, fuck them.

Fuck them all.

And if the Chinese hadn’t killed Wong yet, they’d make him wish they had.

The sister would probably be deemed an accomplice, but that guilt was on Wong’s shoulders, not Rhett’s.

He refused to think on it anymore. He had enough to worry about.

He let his head fall back and he closed his eyes, taking the few minutes he had to rest as the van drove them back to base.

He had no idea what to expect or what was waiting for them when they arrived. Going back onto the military base seemed foolish, but he trusted King to get them out.

When the van slowed to a stop at the checkpoint entry, Rhett’s eyes met Yin’s. “You coming to London? Or stopping here?”

Yin looked at him, clearly affronted by the suggestion.

“Your choice,” Rhett added. “If you say yes to London, I’ll make it happen no matter what any badge out there has to say. ”

Yin’s arms tightened around Jun-mei. “London. I am Milvus, yes?”

Rhett smiled at him. “Absolutely.”

“Hell yes he is,” Jay said.

“Me too. I am also Milvus,” Chen said. “London for me, please. I go where he goes.”

Rhett grinned at the big guy. “Sure thing, Totoro.”

“Hell yeah,” Sid said, leaning over to fist bump Chen.

“Hooyah,” Coyote added.

“Captain Ouston,” King said over their comms. “The van will pull up on the tarmac. You will disembark the van and immediately board the plane. We are wheels up in four minutes.”

“Roger that. Yin and Chen are coming with us. No exceptions,” Rhett said flatly. “And Yin Jun-mei. She’s coming too.” He paused. “Or are we shooting our way out of here?”

Every pair of eyes in the van went to him. Azrael’s hand slid to her weapon and she smiled.

King sighed. “Christ. No one’s shooting anything. Director Zihao has cleared her for departure.”

Rhett grinned at Yin. “Good. See you in one minute.” He then looked at his team. “Van to plane, no deviations. And we’re not supposed to shoot anyone.” He looked at Az. “Sorry.”

She sighed just as the van came to a final stop. They collected their gear, and when the van doors opened, Rhett got out first, assessing their situation.

Armed soldiers lined the perimeter and blocked the entrance to any building. The team got out of the van, making a beeline for the plane. Yin carried Jun-mei, still wrapped in the blanket. Chen followed them on, then Jay, Rhett right behind him.

As soon as Rhett was onboard, the plane doors were closed. King met him with a clap on the shoulder and a look that said let’s get the fuck outta here , and Rhett couldn’t have agreed more.

Zihao came back with a small blue vial, showing it off with a small shake. “Swab is negative. Jun-mei’s good to travel.”

Just as fucking well, Rhett thought. Because she was coming with them, right or wrong.

Rhett and Jay took their seats as the captain announced over the PA to put their seatbelts on and prepare for take-off.

Going against his rule of any public show of affection toward Jay, as the plane was taking off, Rhett slid his hand over Jay’s and threaded their fingers.

Jay shot him a look, but he squeezed Rhett’s hand and didn’t let go until they were in the air. “You okay?” Jay asked.

Keeping his head turned toward Jay and his gaze locked on his deep, soulful brown eyes, Rhett nodded. “I am now. I’m so fucking grateful for you.”

Jay’s eyes softened. “I love you,” he whispered, and it honestly felt as if those words wrapped around Rhett’s heart.

“I love you too,” he murmured. “I don’t think I say that enough to you.”

Jay squeezed his hand. “Baby, I know you do.”

Rhett shrugged. “Still . . .”

“I need to go check on Jun-mei,” Jay said, undoing his seatbelt. “Make sure she’s all right. ”

Rhett gave a nod. “I have to see King.”

Jay took his med kit out of the overhead and went to the back of the plane, and Rhett went to the front. He slid into the seat next to King and gave him a nod. King sighed, looking more tired than Rhett could remember seeing. “Didn’t want to sleep?” King asked.

“Nope.”

King scrubbed a hand over his face. “Shit got real back there,” he murmured.

“Apparently, Frankston was right. General Yuan ordered the strike in South Sudan. Unsanctioned. Turns out he was in on the bioweapon sellout. Has shares in the big pharma company. Also has ties to Istomin. And you’ll never guess who else. ”

“Who?”

“Parrish.”

Rhett stared at him. “Parrish?” he hissed. “The Australian Special Ops Command director that Harrigan and Garin took down?”

The same case that exposed a lot of undercover overseas operatives and why the Milvus Division was created.

“Oh yeah. The Parrish case blew the lid on a lot of these assholes.”

Rhett joined some more dots. “Gordian had ties to Istomin. Went dormant until he found his scientist in Tehran.”

King nodded. “And Frankston hijacked their deal, took the information. He’d been watching the whole thing for months. He knew China had found someone with immunity.”

Fuck.

“Yin.”

King nodded .

“Yin didn’t know,” Rhett said. “He had no clue. He learned his government tried to have him killed at the same time we found out.”

King nodded again. “And when he put his hand up to volunteer for Milvus, General Yuan fast-tracked him.”

“So he could keep an eye on him.”

“Use him,” King said. “He had extensive bloodwork done before joining. Hell, even we did bloods in his prelims; standard procedure.”

Rhett sighed. Fucking hell. “They used his blood for what?”

“To synthesise a cure.” King’s eyes met Rhett’s. “And I’ll be honest with you, we might do the same.”

“What?”

“It could save Myles’ life.”

Rhett let his head fall back with a groan.

Fuck. It was a lot to get his head around.

“Yin said he volunteered for Milvus so he could get Jun-mei out of the country. Eventually. He didn’t know how, just that he’d have a better chance to get her out if he had a passport without borders.

” Rhett put his hands up in a don’t-shoot-the-messenger kind of way.

“And you know what? I don’t blame him. I’d do the same.

If anyone went after Jay, took his ID papers, kidnapped him, I’d tear this world apart.

Personally, I think we should thank Yin for not going berserk and killing anyone who stood in his way. He showed restraint.”

King stared at him. “He broke that man’s jaw by prising his mouth open with his hands and his boot.”

Rhett shrugged. “Like I said. Restraint.”

King blinked and sighed, a moment of silence falling between them. “You trust him. ”

“I do. He’s on my team. And if you ever decide to give Sid his own team, Yin’s my new number two.”

Because letting King know just how much Rhett trusted him didn’t hurt.

“And Zihao?” Rhett whispered. “What was he like when shit hit the fan back there?”

King smirked. “He was... impressive. As soon as we heard Frankston say Yuan’s name, that he ordered that strike on Yin, Zihao went off.

Now that other general and commander, or whatever he was, might outrank Zihao, but he was calling the shots, and they didn’t dare argue.

He might be small, but fuck,” he whispered, shaking his head.

“He was frightening. Glad he’s on our side. ”

Rhett snorted. He felt the same about Yin. Rhett had no misconceptions about Yin’s capabilities. Or Chen’s, for that matter.

“I don’t even speak Mandarin,” King added quietly. “But even I understood some of it.”

Rhett chuckled. “I’m glad Jay knows a bit. It helps to have inside information. Especially when they didn’t know he knew what they were saying.”

“I should learn it,” King mused, his smile tired. “How is Jun-mei, by the way? Has Lin seen to her yet?”

Rhett’s brows furrowed. “He was just going to check her over when I came up to see you. Physically? She appeared uninjured. She could walk, but she’s exhausted. Probably hasn’t slept in days.”

King nodded slowly. “Yunho said he can have paperwork done. A passport.” He shrugged.

“I don’t want to know how.” Then he shook his head and whispered, “He has all the information on Frankston and Wong. And I’m pretty sure he accessed the Chinese military satellite system and probably their entire military network.

He has it all. I don’t know how. I don’t want to know.

But as soon as they shared satellite images, he went quiet, and when I spoke to him afterward, he said he had everything we’d need on the whole thing.

Names, dates, photographs, you name it.”

Rhett chuckled. “You don’t want to know.”

He shook his head and sighed. “I absolutely do not. Not a word. Plausible deniability. Didn’t you say that before?”

Rhett smirked. “Sorry. Don’t know what you’re talking about.”