Page 8 of The ARC Unit: Breach

I frowned. “Commander Vale gave me broader access than that.”

“I don’t care.”

“She also classified me as field capable.”

Wolf looked up.

“No.”

I waited.

“No what?”

“You’re not going out in the field, Mercer.”

“You haven’t seen me do anything.”

“Exactly.”

My irritation rose. “So how am I supposed to prove I can handle myself if you won’t let me?”

Wolf closed the report.

“That’s your problem.”

Jackal became very interested in something on the floor but I could see his mouth trying to betray him with the twitch of a smile. Wolf looked past Raven and nodded toward the stairs.

“Show her upstairs.”

Then he looked back down, ending whatever counted as orientation around here. Raven closed his laptop and headed toward the staircase while gesturing at me to follow, while Jackal trailed behind us despite nobody inviting him. At the bottom of the staircase, Raven instinctively reached toward my suitcase before catching himself.

“Your mother would be disappointed,” I whispered.

“Deeply,” he said with a hand over his heart and eyebrows pushed together.

Jackal looked between us and mimicked my whisper, “What did his mother do?”

“Raised him to carry luggage,” I continued.

He nodded with his hand on his chin. “Hm. Good woman.”

From the operations table, Wolf spoke without raising his voice.

“Mercer.”

I looked back and his gaze dropped briefly toward the suitcase.

“Yes. I remember I have arms.”

“Use them.”

I scoffed and grabbed the handle.

Jackal leaned closer. “I think he likes you.”

“Do you want to die?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Eventually.”