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Off grid. It was definitely a term she never expected to use when referring to herself. Harper would laugh if the situation wasn’t so serious. Suddenly, she’d been dropped into the middle of aMission: Impossibleflick and had no idea what to expect next.
The rear sliding door opened and Ryland tensed beside her when his father walked inside. The air immediately changed and became a little more reserved, slightly heavier. Definitely more frigid. Cross seemed to have a knack for putting them all on edge.
“Have you found anything?” Cross asked Banshee, moving closer and trying to get a look at his computer screen.
“Still working on it.” Banshee turned sideways in his chair, subtly blocking the other man’s view.
“The Agency called for Ex Nihilo’s immediate termination,” Cross said, eyeing the team. “They didn’t give me a reason, and they can’t find out I warned you.”
He almost sounded nervous, and Harper glanced over at Ryland who narrowed his eyes, but didn’t comment.
“Wouldn’t they assume you’d warn your son?” Bruja glanced from one to the other.
“No.”
“And why’s that?” Pharaoh asked.
“Because I always put the mission first,” Cross stated coolly. “It’s what we’re trained to do.”
His cold words pierced Harper’s heart like an arrow. “What an asshole thing to say,” she blurted out, unable to stop herself. Maybe she should shut up and keep her comments to herself, but Cross just stepped over the line. Beside her, Ryland sat up a little taller and she swore she felt his approval.
“I’m sorry if you disagree with me, Miss Grant. I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”
Harper narrowed her eyes. “I would say this is none of my business, but seeing as I’ve been dragged into it, I think I should be allowed to weigh in. And, in my humble opinion, your family, whether it’s your team or your blood, should always be first. Period. Not some mission.”
“Hooyah,” Ryland said, sending a glare in his father’s direction. “SEALs don’t leave anyone on their team behind. Ever. Maybe you forgot that.”
“Hooyah,” Banshee echoed.
“Army doesn’t either,” Pharaoh stated, gray eyes flashing silver lightning.
“No, it doesn’t,” Bruja added.
They all had just revealed a large chunk of their past and Harper knew that was huge. All gazes turned to Saint who remained quiet.
“Can’t say the same for the FSS. Fuckers tried to kill me multiple times.” Saint shrugged. “Shame, too, cuz I’m such a likable guy.”
“I knew it!” Banshee declared. “I had you pegged for Russian Intelligence.”
“It’s not something I talk about,” he said, clamming up fast. “So don’t ever ask me about it.”
“I haven’t forgotten anything about being a SEAL,” Cross said, voice tinged in annoyance. “And we’re not dealing with the military. We’re dealing with a covert group who plays by their own rules of engagement. So, you either learn to check your conscience at the door and carry out the job or they remove you from the situation. Permanently. It’s just a fact.”
A muscle flexed in Ryland’s cheek, but he didn’t reply.
“Now, if you’re ready to listen, I’ve got some advice.” No one said anything, just waited for Cross to continue. “The Agency is an evil group who isn’t targeting just bad guys. They’re about self-interest and self-preservation. If something or someone no longer serves them, they wind up on their kill list. Apparently, Ex Nihilo, for whatever reason, wasn’t serving them any longer.”
Ryland and his team exchanged looks.
“So, that means you’ve got two options,” Cross continued. “One, go off grid permanently, assume a new identity and hope they don’t hunt you down. Or, two, eliminate The Agency. But you each have to make your own decision and understand you’ll more than likely end up like Tanner.”
Cross’s words hung heavy in the air for a long moment.
Ryland leaned forward in his seat. “I’m going to do everything in my power to bring down the fuckers who killed Tanner,” he swore, and Harper shivered.
Chapter Ten
It had been a long day and the sun was beginning to set over the Pacific Ocean. Ryland was still trying to sort out everything in his head, but he knew one thing for certain: he was incredibly grateful to have Harper by his side. Her mere presence somehow made everything a little better. He wasn’t sure how or why, but she steadied him.
