by Cara Carnes
“That would’ve gotten me killed,” Ram said. “I turned what I’d found out over to the leader. For centuries, one family has always run the organization. The leader has no name and is raised from birth simply being known as his title. The King Maker. I know this sounds crazy and totally out there, but they aren’t the only group like this out there. They’re simply the biggest.”
“Okay, so this King Maker got you out?” Marshall asked.
“He did,” Ram said. “We’d grown up together. Friendships weren’t allowed amid the ranks, but we’d grown close, as close as he could get to anyone. He trusted me enough to accept the intel. I was out a week later with an assurance from him that I’d never have trouble from them again.”
“Do you trust him to maintain his promise?” Mary asked.
“I do.” He had to. “He was the closest thing to a brother I ever had until I met Doug and Pierce.” And everyone else at The Arsenal.
“Okay, so, that means this group should be an outlier,” Zoey said.
“Correct,” Ram said. “If we run the mission and contain Knightwind’s involvement, this should work.”
“For what it’s worth, Knightwind is the European version of us,” Mary said. “The governments contract them whenever their own elite organizations can’t be involved.”
“So having them as an ally if Bob doesn’t pull his head out of his ass would be good,” Nolan said.
“Probably, but thanks to Bree, we don’t have to make that decision right now,” Jesse replied. “We can make our own judgment of them after this mission.”
“So it’s a go,” Gage said.
“We can always pull back and sever ties,” Vi said. “They’ve given us more than they realize already. The man is a high-level merc. We should be able to track his trail easily enough.”
“We need eyes on Bob,” Addy said. “Why is it so hard?”
“He is the Secretary of Defense,” Cord said. “Even we have lines we shouldn’t cross.”
“Why can’t we put drones in place near his house, but not on his property?” Bree asked.
“We’ve already hacked into everything in the area,” Zoey said. “The problem is not having eyes on him when he’s inside his house. The man is almost a ghost online. He’s such a luddite he rarely accesses anything, except his emails on occasion. I managed to get a virus onto his system through an email, but if he has anything on a secondary laptop or tablet, I wouldn’t see it.”
“So if there was a way to get surveillance he wouldn’t spot in place, that would be a good thing.” Bree shifted in her seat.
Pierce grinned and Ram couldn’t help but chuckle. He recognized that shift in movement. “What do you have?”
“What?” Bree looked up at Ram. “Nothing. Why do you say that?”
“Because we know you well enough to spot that tell,” Doug commented. “That’s your I-have-an-idea-and-the-tech-to-pull-it-off shift.”
“It’s also her but-they’ll-lecture-me move.” Ram glared at Marshall. “For the record, you all need to take a few steps back and let her talk out her idea when she has one. From what I’ve seen in how you handle her bringing up new stuff, it’s no wonder she doesn’t share shit with you.”
Mary and Vi gasped. Zoey guffawed as she nodded. “I’m so getting Ellie to make cookies for you, Ram. You are so right. I’ve been telling them this since she left.”
Marshall and Nolan exchanged glances. The latter shifted forward in his seat. “For the record, Bree, I’m sorry I haven’t handled your new tech well. I’ll be the first to admit your ingenuity terrifies me in its lethal sophistication. I promise to handle it better from this point forward. You’re a vital part of this team, and I want you to feel comfortable bringing anything to the table.”
Bree nodded and looked down. She grabbed Ram’s hand under the table. He squeezed hers. Whatever she was about to say, he suspected it would be important. “Sinclair wanted me to tell you all I don’t appreciate being lectured about my recklessness. Or being teased when something doesn’t work. Not everything will, you know. It’s disrespectful and I don’t deserve it. I know the drones are a big part of why we’re all at risk, and I also accept that Mary, Vi and Rhea didn’t want to add them to HERA, but they did because I insisted. So, I own that a lot of this is my fault, but if I’m important to this team, I deserve to be heard.”
Holy shit. Ram draped his arm around Bree as silence filled the room. Everyone looked at one another. Zoey’s mouth gaped open.
Mary was the first to find her voice. “Bree, none of this is your fault. If we hadn’t listened to you and added those drones, everyone at this table would’ve likely died months ago. They’re the reason we’ve been so successful on our missions. I’m sorry you’ve felt as though you’ve lost your voice. You haven’t. I swear you have never lost it, even if we sometimes don’t agree with what you suggest.”
“Bree, look at me, sweetheart,” Jesse said. Intensity resonated within his gaze. “My brothers and I grew up in a large and loud family where we all had voices, often drowning one another out. The military beat a lot of that disrespect out of us, but this crew we have here is still a large and loud family. We’ll argue and disagree at times, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love and respect everyone in it. I’m sorry you’ve felt that way, and I wish you would’ve trusted one of us with this.”
Ram suspected there was more she was feeling, but he doubted she’d share more than she already had. He stroked her hair and waited until her gaze shifted to him. “Tell me what your idea is. Ignore that they’re here if it’s easier but tell me. You know Doug, Pierce, and I are always down for whatever you create.”
“I finished the new micro drones,” she whispered, her voice so soft it was barely audible within the silent room. “They’re about the size of a housefly and have different colored skins so they can blend into almost any wall or surface. Their power source can manage two zaps when fully charged, so they can be semi-defensive if necessary. I was thinking maybe we could put them in Bob’s home and office.”
“Those sound perfect,” Jesse said, his voice calm and low-toned. “When did you finish them?”
“While you all were in Russia. I…” She glanced around. “I finished a lot while you were there. I needed something to do, to feel like I was helping.”
“Fuck,” Gage muttered under his breath. “I wish you’d see how much you’ve helped us, Bree. If you could spend a day in my brain, you’d see that you’re one of the first calls my team always makes. Fallon’s crew always trusted Rhea with the boom when they needed to blow shit up. They knew she’d never judge them. But you, Bree, are the call every team wants to make because you go beyond giving us what we need. You think so far outside the box you drag our asses out of the fire in ways we could not ever dream up. If a way to help us doesn’t exist, you build it.”
“He’s right,” Rhea said. “Bree, those compounds in the drones only exist because you suggested it. Remember? You were the one who asked, ‘what if we could put darts in these?’”
Ram’s gaze moved around the table and froze on Dylan, who was crouched between Mary and Vi. Both women were both visibly shaken by what Bree had said. His heart ached for them, but he remained firmly on Bree’s side. She was the one who needed things set straight, even if it hurt the others to realize they’d lost her need for validation somewhere along the way.
“You matter more than anything we do or create,” Mary said. She swiped at her stray tears. “I’m sorry we haven’t told you enough. I see now that things have been so crazy we’ve lost sight of what matters. Each other.”
“We have,” Addy said. “When Mary and Vi joined Hive, they only had one request. Protecting you and Rhea was all they cared about. Not because you couldn’t protect yourself, but because you were the two most important people in their lives. Their sisters. None of what they do would’ve been possible without you. None of what any of us does would be.”
“It’s true,” Rhea said. “I may
have created some crazy compounds over the years, but you were my courage. You always pushed me to think outside the box.”
“Thanks,” Bree whispered. “I… I know this timing sucked and this isn’t about me. I just needed to say that so Sinclair would stop asking me about it.”
“Don’t belittle the courage you showed by standing your ground,” Nolan said. “You should’ve gotten in our faces with this a long time ago. Hell, we may have given you shit about blowing a quarter of a mile of property wide open with that laser cannon, but there’s not a single one of us who wouldn’t love to do it ourselves. We’re proud of what all you’ve done.”
“And we respect you for what you do,” Marshall said. “I’m sorry you couldn’t see that. I should’ve made sure you did.”
“This is a good lesson for us all,” Jesse commented. “As we add more people to the fold, we should all be cognizant of the fact they’ll each react differently to situations. Each unique personality needs to be taken into account and acclimated properly. When the women arrived at The Arsenal, we treated them all the same.”
“We shouldn’t have,” Dylan whispered. “You are each your own unique person, just like we are.”
“Yeah, but we got most of that knocked out of us in the military,” Nolan said. “We forget that not everyone here comes from the same background we do.”
Damn straight. Ramon admired them all for giving Bree what she needed. Silence descended for a few moments.
“So, we have micro drones we can use,” Dallas said. “I’m always up for Bree’s new tech, especially after those color-coded bombs she gave Rhea.”
Everyone laughed.
“What’s the plan?” Cord asked.
Jesse glanced at Gage. “Is your team up for a little breaking and entering?”
“Always.”
Hell yeah. Ramon chuckled.
“Should someone go on record as noting this might be pushing the boundaries of our new agreement with the president a bit too far?” Vi asked.
“Nope.” Zoey shook her head. “He said very clearly we could do anything within operational reasonableness to get the answers. He doesn’t want any assholes in his government.”
“She’s right,” Mary said. “Besides, I happen to know you’ve wanted to do this for weeks now.”
“I have.” Vi shrugged. “I figured I’d play devil’s advocate for a moment.”
“No.” Jesse touched her shoulder. “You’re wishing we didn’t have to do this because we all trusted him, you more than anyone else. This is hitting you deep.”
The woman didn’t deny the statement. Bree’s cellphone chimed. She glanced at the screen and grinned.
“Something you want to share?” Ram stroked her hair. She smiled up at him.
“Actually, yes. I sent a text to my friend, Jay. He’s high up in the FAA. I forget his title. Anyway, I asked him what we could do to our not-so-nice pilot. He said I couldn’t kill him, but to give him a few minutes. He just got back with me.”
“And?” Dallas asked, a smile on his face.
“He’s losing his license for a year, and his company will be investigated by the FAA.” Bree pocketed her cell. “I think we should let Lexi tell him.”
Marshall laughed. “Great move. Though, knocking some sense into him would’ve been more fun.”
“How long are you all going to need to formulate our mission?” Gage asked.
“About ten minutes,” Zoey replied quickly.
“Little Bit…”
“What?” She looked over at him. “You know Jesse and I were investigating him. Of course I already have his house plans, office layout, and everything we need to break in. I’ve been wanting to do this since before he showed his asshole to us. No one with any power over us should be trusted.”
“She’s not wrong,” Ram said.
“Wheels up in an hour,” Jesse said. “Levi, your team is secondary.”
“Understood.” The quiet operative slid out of the room. Ram hadn’t even realized he was there.
“I’m gonna go check in with Donovan. Did you want to come with?” Ram asked.
Bree nodded quickly. “Yes. Zoey mentioned he was finally back and operational.” The man’s injury had taken longer to recover from than expected. Physical therapy was a pain in the ass Ram hadn’t personally battled, but he’d helped Doug through a few months before they’d come to The Arsenal.
“Are you okay?” Bree asked.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know. The whole past with the shadow group may have rattled you a bit. Maybe. Ignore me.”
“Hey,” he whispered. He caressed her cheek. “Thank you for asking and caring. I’m not used to anyone outside of Doug and Pierce giving a damn. I’ll admit having to dredge those waters wasn’t fun, but I worked my way out of them and am not looking back.” Even though he likely should.
Jesse’s words from before looped in his thoughts. He hadn’t been wrong. Ram hadn’t dealt fully with what he’d gone through. Maybe a trip to Sinclair was a good idea. She’d know how to handle this, because he didn’t want to hide what he’d gone through from Bree.
Whatever they had was worth exploring, which meant he needed to do his part to be all-in, even if that meant opening up and facing his screwed-up past. But it’d wait until after tonight’s mission.
“You’ll be in Operations for this, right?” Ram asked.
“Sure.”
“Maybe we can take your family into Resino and show them around tomorrow.”
“They’re really looking forward to Bubba’s. I may have told them the jukebox was a time machine.” She chewed her lower lip. “Should I warn him?”
“No.” Ram laughed. “This’ll be fun.”
The door opened. Gavin walked in and locked gazes with Mary. “They agreed to your terms, with a couple of slight modifications. They want your assistance with one mission in return for this one, of our choosing and per your approval, of course. And I need to speak with Bree. Alone and unmonitored.”
“No.” Mary stood from the table. “We’ll agree to the mission, but not you alone with Bree.”
“That will never happen,” Addy added.
“I’ll do it.” Bree stood. Her gaze locked with Addy’s, then Mary’s. “I’m not afraid of this asshole. I’ll talk with him. Ten minutes, then come and get me.”
Fuck.
6
Bree rubbed her wrists where the phantom restraints Gavin had once used still burned her skin. She knew it was a psychological freak out, but she figured Sinclair would be okay with a session later. Getting the chance to chat with Gavin was closure.
Nothing more.
The lie fit easily within her, a piece to the jagged puzzle she’d become through the years. Bit by bit, contract after contract, pieces of her had been carved out. She’d take this one back.
She exited the building and took a path toward the barn. The new employee, Kayla, was running around with the puppies. She’d planned to introduce herself but hadn’t found the time yet. Gavin fell into step beside her.
“You should start talking. We won’t have a second more than those ten minutes.”
His gaze swept the area, likely looking for surveillance equipment. He’d never find it, but Bree knew every inch of the compound was recorded by HERA. “There are some aspects of the facility mission you should know.”
“I don’t give a damn about Facility Six.”
“That’s too bad,” Gavin commented. He halted his steps. “They have Shelly.”
What? Bree froze. “Say that again.”
“Shelly. She…” He looked down at the ground. “She was an unexpected casualty of the betrayal. They took her the night before the attack, killed her two guards. We didn’t know she was missing until the facility was overrun.”
“What the hell was she even doing there?” Bree had gotten her out when Addy had shown up to rescue her. The woman was the best cryptologist in the world, bar none. They’d st
ruck up a tentative friendship despite Shelly’s major agoraphobia. “She got out with me.”
“And we brought her back in, just a couple months before the facility was taken.”
“Willingly?”
He looked away.
She launched herself at him and struck a knee to his groin. “You rotten son of a bitch!”
He shoved her away. She ass-planted in the soft grass. A couple operatives ran toward her. She stood and held up a hand. “I’m fine. I’m fine. Stand down.”
“You think your new crew is any better than us?” He wheezed the words as he stood upright. “They’re not.”
“I don’t give a shit what you think. Any person here would bleed and die for me. For anyone.” The statement burned within her. Despite the confrontation she’d just gone through with them, she knew they loved her as much as she did them. They’d talked through their problems. Now they’d move on because that’s what The Arsenal did. That’s what family did.
Now this son of a bitch was inserting himself into her new life, threatening her with Shelly. That’s exactly what this move was—a direct threat to help them with the facility mission or she’d die there. One way or another, Knightwind would make sure the innocent cryptologist suffered if Bree didn’t fall into line.
“It’s always a manipulation with you, isn’t it?” She shoved him. “Why did you take her? Tell me now, or so help me God I’ll get Jud to skin you alive until you tell me.”
“I can’t tell you. It’s classified.”
“Bullshit. Tell me now, or so help me, I’ll make you talk. I won’t even need a commando to do it.” No one fucked with her friends and even though they’d grown apart through the years, Shelly was a friend. Sure, the woman was a recluse and never reached out or responded to emails or calls. But she was a good woman, one who’d been just as trapped as she had been.
They’d bonded through cryptology; a hobby Bree had picked up during her MIT years. She sucked at it compared to the brilliant woman, but she’d learned so much during that time they’d spent together.
No matter what, I’ll get you out, Shelly. I swear I will.
