Page 106 of Black and Brown

“Stay calm,” Mirage whispered against Grace’s cheek.

“Unity requires trust,” Mirage called out.

“Agreed.”

That two-syllable single word seemed to vibrate from the very core of the earth.

“Our first display of trust was showing you that Zelmir Benton is alive and well. He is with us of his own volition and has accepted our protection while this war rages between our country and the other superpowers of the world.”

Grace

What fuckin’ war?

Grace couldn’t get Mirage close enough.

He didn’t like how exposed they were. But if the Greens turned the tables, he and Mirage would release every bit of arsenal they had before they went down.

He felt a modicum of relief that the Blacks were two minutes out.

They could stall until then.

“The ones who feed us information from within the Ravens organization are your allies, Browns, not traitors. If it wasn’t for parts of your team watching your back, you would’ve already been led to your deaths.”

Grace listened intently.

“Your handlers remain uninformed and will continue to send you on missions dictated by a corrupt director unless you provide them the evidence you’ve discovered.”

Grace felt punched in the gut. All the right he’d wanted to do in the world had been manipulated and turned into wrong.

“We must break the wheel.”

“What are you proposing?” Mirage attempted to move from behind him, but Grace stopped him.

Oh no, you don’t.

“That the Blacks and Browns join us. We know now that we shouldn’t be fighting against you. You’re more than worthy adversaries. It took the Omega and Lion to distract you enough for us to get Zelmir.”

“In which we were almost killed,” Mirage bit out.

“That wasn’t the intention. We risked everything to protect him.”

“If you choose to blindly follow the director’s orders, Zelmir will end up captive…again. They want the formulas in his head for the thermonuclear device he can build. We destroyed the first one made in an attempt to keep it out of the wrong countries’ hands. Meaning every country.”

“If it’s destroyed, then Zelmir Benton is safe.”

Mirage was relaying Grace’s thoughts perfectly.

“No, he’s not. Countries have enlisted their most dangerous mercenaries to capture him again. And just like the Ravens’ attempt, Zelmir will be starved and tortured until he makes another one. A weapon that’s worth billions.”

“Fuck,” Grace rumbled.

“The organization has manipulated us. We are pawns in a game where the rules benefit only them. It’s no longer about missions of justice. You’re being sent to take innocent lives for the director’s greed.”

The Greens went quiet, and so did the wind.

“We can no longer turn a blind eye. Together, we can expose them and set things right.”

Grace nodded to Mirage.