Coulter crossed the room, shook the man’s hand. “Archer. Glad the rumors of your death were also exaggerated.”
“As were the rumors of your special task force assignment. I’ll give Gus credit. The man’s gotten creative since his new team rolled into the bunker. Which reminds me, where is he?”
A throat cleared behind them as Gus stood near the comms room, arms at his side, only a hint of a smile. He motioned into the room. “I’m waiting to give everyone an update, so if you’d all kindly join me…”
Coulter snagged Neve’s hand, winking at her when she looked up at him, then followed her into the room. They claimed two seats on the right side of the room as the rest of the group fanned out.
Gus stood near the far wall, the glow from the monitor next to him casting a blue hue on his skin. “Good to see everyone’s finally moving without medical intervention. Though, with the way you all operate, I’m sure that’ll be short lived.” He shuffled a bit on his feet. “Though, we’ll take our wins wherever we can find them. Which brings me to why I’m here. I’m pleased to announce that, between the data Zadie downloaded from Ramsey’s training camp and the evidence Coulter brought back on various hard drives, Blackridge has been officially dismantled by federal regulators.”
Coulter leaned back in his chair. “Which would be great if the asshole was still breathing. If I could have gotten Ramsey to turn on Finch.”
“Son, men like Ramsey don’t turn. They take secrets beyond the grave. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still keeping it three lifetimes from now. But, we got a win. Blackridge will take the fall for Bralorne, and the surviving members of his team have been burned — flagged on international watchlists. I no longer consider them a threat to this team.”
Gus focused on Coulter. “Which brings up the true elephant in the room. Two months ago, I stood in the war room and offered four extraordinary women a choice — vanish into the ethos or fight as Black Hollow. They all chose to fight. For you, the choices are different.” He flattened his sweater. “With Ramsey dead, the threat against you is limited. Enough that if you wanted to return to JTF2 and your command, I’d authorize it.” He took a breath then pushed it out with twice the force. “Or, you can stay. Join Black Hollow. Help us bring down Finch.”
Gus held up his hand stopping Coulter from answering. “Just know this. if you decide to stay, I can’t maintain a cover story. Not when we don’t know how long this endeavor will take.”
Coulter nodded. “Which is your subtle way of saying, you’d have to ghost me, too.”
“Dead to anyone outside this room. Which isn’t a decision to be made lightly. Just ask your teammates. I know they’re all still adjusting in their own way. It’s both a burden and a gift.”
Coulter glanced at Neve. Drank in her thick brown hair curling around her shoulders, her lean form that fit perfectly against him. How her eyes sparkled in the artificial light. Everything he’d thought he’d lost. Alive. Waiting for him to dispel any doubts.
He nodded. “Agreed, sir. But I don’t need to think about it. I’m staying.”
Gus’ mouth pulled tight, the lines around the corners deepening. “Can I ask why?”
“Other than the obvious? That I want Finch to pay for what he’s done? Help clear Darwin’s name?” He grinned at Neve. “I guess my old uniform just doesn’t fit right, anymore. And I’ve got everything I need, right here.”
Neve closed her eyes for a moment, squeezing his hand as she beamed at him.
Gus exhaled. “So be it. I’ll arrange for something tragic to happen. Of course, no body will ever be found, but…” He shoved his hands in his pockets, headed for the doorway. “I’ll keep you posted if anything changes regarding Blackridge. I’ll leave it to you five to figure out a way to get to Finch, since our original avenue’s gone. But I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
He ambled out, stopping at the threshold as he glanced back over his shoulder. “And Coulter… Welcome to Black Hollow.”
Kane tapped his cane on the floor, shaking his head. “I knew this wouldn’t stay small for long. Great to have you on the team, Barrett. Which brings up the question of… What’s next?”
Darwin stared at Kane. “You finish your rehab.”
“I know that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help, even if it’s not in the field, just yet.”
Zadie tapped on her keyboard. “Actually, I found something. I’ve salvaged more of those GPS waypoints from the hard drive, and I found this…”
She launched a map with six dots over various parts of extreme terrain. “They aren’t near any towns, highways or infrastructure. Just empty patches of wilderness. I can’t imagine why Ramsey had his men venture out there and sit for hours multiple times a week.”
Scout nodded. “Interesting. And definitely worth checking out.”
Neve snorted. “You just want an excuse to go traipsing around in the hills. But, I agree. We’ll put it on the books.”
“While you’re at it, what about the patches and watch we recovered from the drone?” Scout shifted on her chair. “Any luck determining how it ticks?”
Darwin sighed, pushing up his glasses. “Not yet. We definitely need someone familiar with the unit to take it apart. Figure out what the hell Finch is doing with it, other than the obvious. If it’s just a slimmed down version of the original Helios watch we used to monitor soldiers in the field or something new. Something more advanced.”
Zadie arched a brow. “There’s only one person who fits that bill, and Gideon Rhodes disappeared.”
“Maybe, but, no one’s invisible forever. Which has me thinking… Maybe instead of trying to sever another one of Finch’s arms, we go straight for the brain — try to find a way inside Oracle.”
Scout coughed. “Inside what now?”
