Cannon’s voice projected through the wood. “And over capacity.”
Jolie’s jaw dropped and her eyes flew wide.
He sent her a reassuring glance and cracked the door. He’d been in some compromising positions in his military career, but his CO’s expression told him this might be rough.
“A word, Archer.”
He stepped out, careful to keep the door narrowly cracked to conceal Jolie. He closed the door and faced Cannon in nothing but a towel.
Cannon arched a brow at him in expectation.
“I know it looks bad, but we were trying to be frugal with water.”
“That’s what you’re going with?” He sent a pointed look at the towel swathing his hips. “Meet me in my office in three minutes and be presentable.”
“Yes, sir.”
As soon as Cannon turned, he slipped back into the bathroom. Jolie was still frozen and wide-eyed. “You’re in trouble.”
“I don’t think so, but I gotta go.”
“I heard.” She stamped a kiss on his lips and gave him a nudge toward the door. “Go!”
He rushed through dressing in jeans and a T-shirt, shoving his feet into boots. Running his fingers through his damp hair was the best he could do for military polish.
When he walked into the office, Cannon looked up. “You’re glowing.”
He stifled a groan and slanted a look at Rome and Younger already seated there. “First Rome, now you.”
Cannon pointed to the chair in front of his desk, and Archer took it without further comment.
Once they faced each other across the heavy oak desk, Cannon got straight to the point. “We need to talk about Cipher.”
He rolled with the topic switch but mention of the terrorist sent a spike of dread through his midsection…and a faint twinge around his ankle where he’d been chained to the chair.
“What do you want to know?” His voice held a gritty edge.
“Anything you heard while captive. Any scraps of intel about weapons, in particular.”
He straightened. “You got info on those lot numbers?”
He gave a solemn nod. “The numbers match artillery originally assigned to Echo team. All the shells, bombs and shrapnel we’ve collected—every single one—is related to this theft.”
Silence settled between them.
Cannon braced both hands on the desk and leaned forward, shoulders hunched. “I told you that after Echo went down in the helo crash, I was on a team sent to clear the base.”
He nodded.
“You all know we were supposed to catalog equipment, secure files, box up personal effects. Most of these guys were friends. Some better than brothers.” He stared down at the wood top before continuing. “The place felt wrong the secondwe stepped inside, and we knew what we’d find even before we opened the armory.”
“It was bare,” Archer filled in the blank with information they already knew.
He nodded again. “Not ransacked—cleared out efficiently. The shelves all empty. Someone took their time.”
“And you think Cipher did it, or at least profited from whoever did.”
“Fits his playbook,” Rome said. “High-value targets. Stolen supply.”
