It wasn’t a request. It was also not unfamiliar. Back in the Corps, he’d been the guy who kept an ear out for the rumor that saved lives.
He nodded once. “You have my word.”
Diaz studied him for a moment, then relaxed a fraction. “Good. Because whoever’s selling this junk isn’t going to be thrilled that their work just got plastered all over the evening news.”
Hank thought of the way the Dragons’ pit had looked when the cylinder came out of the frame. Shock. Anger. Panic. Somewhere in that mix, he’d seen something that looked a lot like fear.
“I figured as much,” he said. “We’ll keep our eyes open.”
Brian shifted beside him. “We’d appreciate a heads up if the Dragons’ people decide to channel their rage in our direction too.”
Diaz’s mouth tipped up. “Already in motion. Patrol will be heavier around the paddock tonight and tomorrow. We’re not letting this turn into a soap opera in the parking lot.”
The operations woman looked up from her tablet. “That concludes what we need from you for now. Hank, congratulations again on the win. Please don’t let this overshadow what you accomplished.”
“I won’t,” he said. “But I’m glad we didn’t look the other way.”
As they filed out into the hall, Brian let out a low whistle. “Well. That was a party.”
Colby shoved his hands in his pockets. “We poke the bear, now we get invited to the bear’s performance review.”
Hank’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, and his chest eased a notch when he saw the name.
Bree: How’d the meeting go?
He smiled.
Hank: Long. Boring. Good boring. Dragons are officially in trouble.
Her reply came almost instantly.
Bree: Good. I just had a text from Carmen. She wants to meet for coffee. She says she needs to talk, and she understands if I tell her to go to hell.
Hank huffed a breath. “Carmen wants to talk to Bree,” he told the guys. “Coffee in the lobby.”
Brian arched a brow. “That should be interesting.”
“You okay with that?” Colby asked.
He thought about the guilt that had pinched Bree’s voice when she admitted how she’d broken the plan. About the loyalty in Carmen’s eyes every time Heidi snapped her fingers.
“That’s between them,” Hank said. “But I’m not letting Bree navigate it completely alone.”
He texted back.
Hank: I’ve gotta grab something from the pit, then I’ll hover somewhere nearby. If you want an extraction, text me the word ‘dragonslayer.’
Bree: You’re ridiculous.
Bree: Thank you.
He slipped the phone away, feeling a warmth settle under his sternum that had nothing to do with the afternoon sun.
“Where are we headed after a beer or two?” Brian asked as they walked toward the stairs.
Hank glanced at his watch. Plenty of daylight left. Enough time to do something that didn’t involve legal threats or debrief forms.
“Bay Street,” he said. “I promised Bree a field trip.”
