Angus ignored him and looked at the panel. “First, I’m here to say that the FBI just arrested Werner Dearth for a boatload of crimes, including fraud. Brigid compiled enough evidence against him to put him away for decades.”
Millie turned and gave Brigid a thumbs up. The woman always performed excellent work.
Angus cleared his throat. “Second, I’m here to make a claim. Millie’s part of my team, and she’s not going anywhere.”
“That’s not up to you,” Rutherford sputtered.
“It is.” Angus looked at him. “You don’t seem to understand. This team sticks together.” He looked at the panel of two men and one woman, all midforties, all high-ranking at the HDD. “I mean it. I’m making this statement right now. If you fire Millie, you’re firing all of us. Where one of us goes, we all go.”
Millie gasped. “No, Angus.”
He barely flicked her a glance. “It’s done. It’s decided.”
“That’s quite the bold statement,” the HDD officer on the left said, his eyes a blazing brown. Millie hadn’t bothered memorizing their names. She didn’t really care. She just didn’t want to be fired.
“I agree,” Angus said, “but I mean it. If she’s out, we’re all leaving.”
Millie looked at the assembled group. They all were grim, but nobody protested. “You can’t leave your jobs just because of me,” she said. Again, nobody protested.
“We hope you reconsider that stance, Agent Force,” the woman in the middle said. “Not that your declaration carries import in this situation. The evidence supports a reprimand in Agent Frost’s file and not a termination of employment.”
Hope flew through Millie.
“Excellent,” Angus said. “I’d like for her to be transferred permanently to my team with a promotion.”
“You can’t be serious,” Agent Rutherford sputtered again.
Angus gestured everyone toward the door. “Take it under advisement. I’ll submit the proper paperwork—again—tomorrow.”
Millie found herself scrambling to stand as Scott gestured her ahead of him, both Scott and Angus covering her back. She walked numbly out of the hearing room and rode the elevator to the bottom floor, where the entire group walked out as one.
“You all just offered to leave your jobs because of me,” she said, trying to talk sense into one of them.
“We’re all in or all out,” Wolfe said cheerfully. Kat poked his furry white head out of Wolfe’s left pocket. “I cut the inside of the jacket so he can sleep in there if he wants now that he’s grown. He likes it there.”
Millie reached out and scratched Kat’s ears. “I’m glad he’s all right.”
Wolfe grinned. “Come on. Let’s go check out where your house is going to be.”
“No, I...” She stumbled.
Scott put an arm over her shoulders. “You kept your job. It’s all good.”
Her eyes filled. “I can’t believe you all would quit your jobs because of me.” Millie sucked in air as the wind tried to pierce her jacket.
“And you, Scott,” Angus said, motioning everybody toward the parking garage.
“What about me?” Scott asked easily.
Angus slid an arm over Nari’s shoulders. “We need a lawyer on board who can also serve as an operative once in a while. What do you say?”
Hope leaped into his eyes but he quickly banked it. “I’ll think about it.”
“Think about this,” Nari piped up. “Every member of the team, except for Angus, has to meet with me on a professional basis. Rumor has it you have nightmares. I can help you with that.”
Wolfe and Jethro both nodded. “She really can,” the Brit said. “She’s the best.”
“I am,” Nari said, smiling.
