Page 6 of The ARC Unit: Breach

“The flight.”

“Nine hours?”

“I slept.”

From the other side of the table, Jackal chimed in. “I can never sleep on a plane.”

Wolf ignored him.

“You think you found something six agencies missed on an airplane?” There was enough contempt in the question that my back straightened.

“No. I think six agencies wrote reports about six different things, and nobody asked whether they were starting the clock in the right place.”

For a moment neither of us said anything. Through the mask, his face gave me almost nothing. Only the eyes. They were darker up close than they’d looked in the photograph. Wolf pulled the Romanian report toward himself.

“Raven.”

Raven was already moving back to his computer. “Looking.”

Taking the report was all the acknowledgement Wolf planned to offer.

Jackal leaned toward me across the table. “I’d take the win.”

“I didn’t know we were competing.”

“Everything is a competition if Wolf’s involved.”

“I’m sitting right here,” Wolf said.

Jackal nodded and stretched his arms behind his head. “That’s what makes it exciting.”

A door opened at the rear of the room while Raven searched through the files. Bear came in first with Hawk and Viper behind him.

Bear recognized me immediately, though his size registered differently in person. He was tall enough that the doorframe seemed lower when he came through it, broad without looking bulky, with light brown skin and a close buzz cut. Unlike the man currently making me defend my worth before I’d unpacked, Bear actually smiled.

“You must be Mia.”

“Finally, someone who doesn’t sound disappointed about it.”

Bear glanced toward Wolf. “You’ve met him, then.”

“I’ve had the pleasure.”

Bear offered me his hand. “Bear.”

“Mia.”

His handshake was careful, which amused me considering his hand almost swallowed mine. Hawk and Viper came around the table next. I recognized Hawk by the longer blond hair and leaner frame.

“Hawk,” I said.

His eyebrows lifted once in acknowledgment. I turned to the other brother.

“And Viper?”

Viper gave me a short nod.

Hawk glanced toward the files sticking out of my carry-on. “You read ahead.”