Page 29 of Brooks

We turned to look and she was correct. Four very distinct blood trails led to the back door.

“Sniper, how’s the back look?” Declan asked.

“You’re clear.”

Thad opened the back door, trying but failing not to step in the blood as he stepped out. Max, Declan, and Tatiana followed and I pulled up the rear. The blood trail continued the short distance to the water’s edge. The drop down wasn’t very far, maybe three feet into the shallow water.

“Got one,” Dec called in.

Timothee Bitoo was floating below, face up.

It took less than ten minutes to find the other four Bitoos all suffering their brother’s fate. It would’ve been considered a good night, someone else coming in and doing the dirty work of disposing of the brothers, but Tatiana didn’t get the interrogation she needed and the tablets were not in the building. Neither was anything else helpful. So all in all it was a bust. We got nothing.

The drive back to the compound was silent. Tatiana sat next to me and I could feel her annoyance rolling off of her in waves.

We were pulling into the compound when she finally spoke. “Have you talked to Zane about me going to Saudi Arabia with you?”

“He mentioned it. But the details haven’t been worked out yet,” Dec answered.

He had spoken to the team about the possibility of Tatiana staying with us for a while. The team had a meeting and discussed her continued presence. Zane wouldn’t entertain the idea unless the team agreed and felt like she’d add value to the mission. Everyone gave their okay and volleyed the decision back to our boss.

“What details?”

Tatiana was going to be pissed. It might’ve made me a pussy but I was pleased I wasn’t the one having to explain what the details were.

“We’ll discuss them when we get inside.”

Nothing further was said as we exited the car and each of us removed our boots before we entered the house. We may’ve been a team of mercenaries, but no one, not even us, wanted brain matter and blood tracked into the house. Tatiana made a beeline to the bedroom. She was already in a bad mood and irritated. No doubt she was going be a whole lot more of both of those things, but I followed. All my shit was still in the room and I needed a shower and a change of clothes.

She had her tac vest off and tossed on the bed when I entered the room. Her eyebrow lifted in question as she unbuckled her thigh holster.

“Sorry, Doll, only shower downstairs.”

I made my way through the bedroom, into the bathroom and started to undress. The area was so small I had to unload my gear and dump it in the sink. Christ, I missed man-sized American bathrooms. I was down to my boxer briefs when Tatiana filled the doorway.

“Do you know what the details are?” she asked.

So maybe she wouldn’t be pissed I was invading what I told her was going to be her room.

“Zane didn’t discuss the particulars but I can guess.”

“And what’s your guess?”

“Can we do this after I shower?”

“What, you can’t multitask?”

Oh, I could multitask. I took her in and noted the challenging glint in her eye. Game on. I dropped my underwear, gave her my back, and turned the taps on, before I turned back to talk to her.

“My guess would be Zane wants more background intel on you.”

“Why?”

I had to hand it to her. Her eyes hadn’t dropped below my chest. She was fighting it though. I had no issue standing in front of her nude. She could take in her fill and I’d be perfectly comfortable with her doing so.

“Why?” I returned, stepping in the shower, not bothering to close the clear plastic curtain.

“Yes. Why? I’ve told you everything you need to know.”