Alexei nodded agreement, watching as Matthew reassessed them now that the entire team was present. He knew Matthew wasn’t going to see anything but a solid group of people who trusted each other down tothebone.
Exactly how his old teamhadbeen.
“Glad you’re here,” Matthew said after a moment, nodding at Jamie. “It’s a surprise, that’s for damn sure. Never thought I’d see a politician’s son inuniform.”
“Wouldn’t want to be in anything else,” Jamie repliedhonestly.
Matthew edged past Katie to go shake Jamie’s hand. “Yeah. That’s why we’reallhere.”
Alexei breathed out a sigh of relief when he realized Matthew wasn’t going to have a problem with Jamie fighting by his side. Jamie’s status as a billionaire’s son and heir was definitely being eclipsed by his status as a past Recon Marine and his rank as a metahuman. Alexei knew the soldiers in Strike Force didn’t like politicians all that much, but they respected those who put on a uniform tofight.
“Brass will be here soon. We should get settled,”Katiesaid.
“Then let’s get up front. We’re running this briefing with them,” Jamie said to the team atlarge.
Alexei turned around, searching for Sean. He’d been introduced earlier, but had managed to slip into the background unnoticed, silently watching them. Alexei made his way over, planting himself bySean’sside.
“Ready for this?” Alexeiasked.
“You know, I joined the CIA instead of the Army for a reason,”Seansaid.
Alexei grinned at him, patting him on the back before pushing him forward. “Boring.”
“It reallywasn’t.”
Serving their country could be called many things, but definitely notboring.
15
BringtheRain
Night flyingthrough the Rocky Mountains at low altitude and high speeds was a new experience for Sean, as was sitting between two well-armed Strike Force operatives in the belly of a stealth combat jet. He was the only metahuman on the jet, but he wasn’t the most dangerous person in the group assigned to lead theattack.
The FBI, working in partnership with the MDF, had attempted to serve a search warrant on both North Star International and Vitae Neurotherapeutics earlier that evening. When they arrived, they found the private property encased in a military-grade defensive energy shield. Attempts to reach anyone inside had come up empty, and the FBI had retreated. Declan’s people knew they were coming, and the chance of evidence being destroyedwashigh.
Through satellite surveillance, the MDF knew Declan’s training facility was surrounded by camouflaged defensive weaponry both inside and outside the energy shield. The shield itself covered the headquarters of both companies in a wide arc. Sean’s job was to take out the main device connecting the energy points in the sky. The machinery hovered high in the sky over the base, tucked safely beneath the shield it was boosting, and watched over by gunners scattered in the surroundingcountryside.
The combat jet they rode in had its own personal shield, but if they took heavy, sustained fire, the limited battery would quickly be drained. Sean’s group would rely on their Night Stalker pilot to get them in close for a quick pass of the device in the air so Sean could deactivate it with hispower.
Which essentially meant he would be jumping out of a moving aircraft with noparachute.
I take it back,he thought.The CIA was never thiscrazy.
Quiet laughter echoed through his mind and the mental link tethering him to Katie for this mission.To be fair, Strike Force is a different brand of crazy from pretty much all other Special Forcesgroups.
Now youtellme.
You’re sleeping with Alexei. You should be able to recognize crazybynow.
Sean made a face at his hands where they rested on his lap.You’re no helpatall.
I’m keeping youoccupied.
That was true, if still unhelpful. Sean glanced up as the jet banked hard to the left, sliding a little on his seat. The woman sitting next to him grinned, teeth a dull flash of white in the dim lighting of the jet. They were running dark for this portion of the mission, despite the other side probably anticipating theirarrival.
“Never flown like this before?” sheasked.
He couldn’t see her eyes through the opaque tactical goggles with their HUD display and night vision capabilities she wore. Sean wondered what she’d seen in his face to prompt the question. “Not like this. I’m not usually part of afieldteam.”
