Page 182 of The ARC Unit: Breach

Wolf looked briefly toward the warehouse before returning to the case.

“And that?”

Raven shifted so he could see inside. “I don’t know what half of it is yet, but it’s real material. Routes, payments, identities, access credentials, encrypted storage. There is a Paris invitation tied to what looks like a private finance event in one week.”

Wolf looked at me. I held his stare.

“He gave it to me.”

“I heard you the first time.”

“Then you understand why I went.”

Wolf stepped closer.

“No.”

My jaw tightened.

“Look at what’s in here.”

“I am.”

“This could be the biggest intelligence recovery we’ve had since I got here.”

“And that makes what you did acceptable?”

I opened my mouth but Wolf cut me off.

“Not here.”

He kept his voice low, the kind of control that usually meant he was angrier than when he yelled.

“We still have people coming out of that building.”

I looked past him. Two paramedics were moving a stretcher toward an ambulance. Behind them, a woman walked with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and one hand holding the arm of a German officer. Wolf was right about where the argument belonged, which made swallowing it considerably harder.

“Okay,” I whispered.

He looked at Raven. “Chain-of-custody everything. Two copies of the digital material before anybody starts opening files. Germany gets a sealed evidence image. Originals come with us unless their prosecutor requires otherwise.”

Raven nodded. “Setting it up.”

Wolf looked at Bear. “Get back inside.”

Wolf stayed at the van door another second as he looked toward me.

“Do not leave this fucking vehicle without me telling you.”

My shoulders went rigid.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good.”

The same fucking word again.

I stared after him until Raven quietly closed the rear door and immediately put both my hands on my face.