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They’d just landed at Incirlik Air Base. Gideon had been going over the incoming orders as they were deplaning, reading them out loud to Kostya. As soon as they hit the tarmac, the Wing Commander of the base joined them.

Fuck, it can’t be good.

The commander and Kostya peeled off for a brief conversation, but soon Kostya was waving Gideon over, and then the three of them looked like they were sucking sour lemons. Yep, it was bad news from their good old friends, the CIA. Not that they couldn’t be really good assets, but they could also fuck things up in ways that made the cosmos look logical.

Kostya and Gideon finally nodded and the commander strode away and climbed into a truck. Ryker saw his boss roll his shoulders then turn around—yep, it was going to be shitty news.

Ryker looked over at Linc and Jase who were on either side of him. Not that he needed to; he knew what every single one of the men of Omega Sky was thinking.

How can we make this shitty situation for our boss better?

Kostya came over to where his team was waiting. “I’m going to give this to you down and dirty before the commander sends one of his men to pick us up. After that, it’s nothing but yes sir and yes sir. Questions are for now. Got it?”

Ryker and everybody else nodded.

“There’s a plan in place, unfortunately, they didn’t have time to get somebody with any experience to execute this plan, so it’s going to be up to us to make him look good. We’re going to be taking a private plane to Batman so that the President’s newly appointed Assistant Secretary of Energy can meet privately with the CEO of a petroleum company in Batman. Our story is that there have been terrorist death threats if this meeting goes through, which is why it must be done privately, and that’s why we’re here. All of this is bullshit. This guy who is supposedly the Deputy Minister of Energy just finished law school and started with the CIA here in Turkey two months ago, but he’s done a lot of community theater, so everybody thinks he’ll do great. We’re going to liaise with him as soon as we go inside.”

Kostya looked at each of his men, waiting for any comments.

Ryker finally raised his hands. “Do we know if it was Shakespeare, musical theatre or what? Because it makes a difference.”

Kostya gave him an icy look. “Any pertinent questions?”

Ryker shook his head.

“Okay, now for the next part of this mission. The reason for the meet with the CEO is that our CIA contact works as the secretary to the CEO. She is the most valuable asset that the CIA currently has in the country. Langley wants to do everything they can to make sure she is not compromised, but for this mission, if she has to be, so be it. This is the only angle they could think of that would allow her to be in constant contact with us so that it would not seem out of place.”

“How much does our theatre buff know about energy?” Jase asked.

“I’m betting nothing,” Kostya answered. “They might have drilled a hole in his skull and poured in some data in the last twelve hours, but that’s it.”

“Is it possible he could have an assistant?” Jase asked.

Kostya caught on. “How much do you know about the energy industry?”

“From the age of thirteen to almost sixteen my dad worked as a project manager in Houston to construct an offshore oil derrick. I learned a lot about the petroleum industry.”

“You’re hired.” Kostya turned to Ryker. “Okay, Mr. Smartass, you’re the one in charge of finding things for this team, I don’t care how you do it on an Air Force base, but find him some peanut butters in his size. If you have to spend money, I’ll reimburse you, if you have to do something else…well, we’re leaving pretty quick, so don’t get caught.”

“Aye aye,” Ryker answered.

Now this is a job I can sink my teeth into.

“Does this mean I’m excused from the meet and greet with the thespian?”

“Dismissed.”

Ryker handed his backpack to Jase with a grin, pulled up the map of the Incirlik Air Base on his phone and headed for the nearest PAX Van Shuttle service stop. He was only three stops away from the command center. Gideon wasn’t the only one who liked to be prepared. As he was hot-footing it to the stop, he did a group text to the Whiz Kids. These were the three comp/comm men from three other SEAL teams that he knew could get him technical or any answers if Gideon was unavailable. He’d learned this when some crazed psycho was trying to blow up the world a couple of months ago. He hadn’t tapped them yet, but now was the time.

Ryker: This is Ryker McQueen from the Omega Sky SEAL team out of Little Creek. Currently at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. Need the name and phone number of the highest-ranking noncom who doesn’t have a stick up his ass.

Dex Evans: Now?

Ryker: Ten minutes ago.

Dex Evans: I’m out.

Ryker looked at his phone, willing another text to come in as he wiped the sweat off his forehead while he stood at the stop for the shuttle.