"Strung tight is an understatement," Echo muttered. "Man looked like he was about to murder someone with his bare hands."
"Still might," Ghost said flatly.
Then another man walked in, tall and broad-shouldered with that same relaxed-but-ready posture Ghost had. Rachel recognized him immediately, Bear, the PJ Ghost's team had pulled out of Kunar Province the night she'd arrived at the FOB. She'd never actually met him.
Ghost noticed her looking. "Rachel, this is Chase Bennett. Bear. He's the reason we were in Kunar that night."
Bear's expression shifted, something passing over his face. He stepped forward, extending his hand. "So you're the journalist the team has been telling me about.”
Rachel shook his hand. His grip was firm but not crushing. "Hopefully good things."
"Mostly complaints about you being too brave for your own good," Bear said, his mouth quirking slightly, then looked at Ghost. "Good to see you again, brother. Heard you had trouble."
Ghost's shoulders eased slightly. "When'd you get in?"
"Few hours ago. Command finally decided my Georgia days are done. I'm officially assigned to joint ops with NSW Command. With you guys."
Rogue leaned forward from his spot near the kitchen counter. "About damn time they stationed you out here. You get bored of those Georgia boys, Bear?"
Bear chuckled, the sound genuine. "Something like that. Figured the least I could do was keep an eye on the guys who pulled my ass out of that hellhole."
Torch smirked. "Guess we're officially adopting strays now."
"Better a stray than whatever the fuck you are," Brick muttered from the couch.
Torch flipped him off without looking.
Ghost's voice cut through the room. "We've got a bigger problem."
The easy banter died. Postures straightened. Rachel watched the shift happen in real time, these men going from relaxed to operational in the space of a breath.
Ghost laid it out methodically. Her footage. The hit team at her apartment. The embedded supply lines she'd uncovered overseas. Each detail delivered with precision, his voice carrying command authority.
By the time he finished, nobody was moving. Rachel could hear the hum of the laptop fans, the distant sound of waves outside.
Reaper broke the silence. "Alright, Parker. Fill in the blanks. What exactly did you see over there?"
Rachel took a slow breath. Her hands curled at her sides, nails biting into her palms. "They weren't just smuggling weapons. They were selling them. To insurgents. The same ones we were fighting."
Predator let out a low whistle. "Jesus."
"And it wasn't just boots on the ground." Rachel stepped forward. "Officers were involved. Americans. Coordinating drops, rerouting shipments, scrubbing manifests. It was organized. Top to bottom."
Brick's jaw worked, muscle jumping beneath the skin. "And now they're trying to erase the evidence."
Rachel nodded. "Starting with me."
Nobody spoke. Then Predator asked, "Where's the proof?"
Rachel hesitated. Ghost's head snapped toward her.
"Shit. Your bag. We left it."
Rachel shook her head. "We forgot the bag, but I didn't forget the drive."
Ghost frowned. "Then where—?"
Without a word, Rachel reached into her shirt. Her fingers disappeared into her bra, and a second later she held up a small black thumb drive between two fingers.
