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“Yes. She’s clear of disease, so she’s safe to be out of the lab.” Wren sat, draped Dinky over her knees, and opened the medical kit. “I thought she might get along with Dinky, but things didn’t go so well.”

“Oh, poor little guy. He’s been bitten.” Daisy sat beside Wren. “What’s your mom doing letting you play with such a rough girl?”

Dinky squeaked glumly, and his big eyes turned to Wren.

“Don’t! I feel so guilty. I left them alone for thirty seconds. It started out so well.”

Cleo strolled over and sank into the empty seat on the couch. “How’s the processing work going with the new intake of animals?”

Wren cleaned Dinky’s wound and put a healing plaster over it. “We’re getting there. Dallin is working round the clock, and I’ve been helping him. I’ve also had Eden and Sloane there, too. All the animals have been processed and health checked. We’re working on their breeding and DNA profiles.”

“Great. We’ve got half a dozen new sightings to follow up when you’re done,” Cleo said. “I’ve already got several teams in the field.”

“I’ll be ready to get out there tomorrow,” Wren said.

“Chill. We’ve got things covered,” Daisy said. “I’ve just come back from a tracking mission with Rexx.”

“If only I could clone myself, we’d stay on top of the work,” Wren said.

“The project won’t collapse because you need rest,” Daisy said. “I’m heading out with Rexx again in a few hours.”

“What are you tracking?” Wren asked.

“A tilag,” Daisy said.

“Watch your back with those. I’ve seen some camouflage so well they’re almost invisible to the naked eye.”

“That’s why I’ve got Rexx,” Daisy said. “He may not say much, but I trust him to crush anything that threatens me.”

Daisy and Rexx had an odd relationship. They could go a whole mission with barely saying more than a dozen words to each other. Daisy had once described him as cyborg-like through and through. He was huge, gruff, and covered in scars. That guy had a dark past, which he never shared.

“I spoke to Striker earlier,” Cleo said.

“Lucky you. He’s been avoiding me since we got back.” Wren huffed out a breath. She should be glad of the break from the all joking around, but her stomach ached. She felt bereaved.

Cleo sat forward in her seat and rested her elbows on her knees. “So, you don’t know he’s asked for a transfer?”

Every muscle in Wren’s body tightened before a heavy sadness flowed over her. “Why should I care about that?”

“He’s your partner,” Daisy said. “You’ve been working together for six months. You get results.”

“Our last three missions failed,” Wren said. “Of course, he wants to work with someone who’s more successful. That’s what the elite squad was all about. They expect results every time.”

“Wren, he’s not part of that squad anymore. He works with us now.” Cleo nudged her with an elbow. “He really didn’t mention this to you? He never said he was considering a transfer?”

“I... no. I mean, I may have said something that made him think it was time to move on.”

“What did you tell him?” Daisy said.

“I was angry after the sapo explosivo mission failure. Striker’s always joking around. He never takes anything seriously. Well, some of the time he doesn’t. I just needed a win. I had to show you I was good at my job.”

“You have nothing to prove to any of us. You’ve got a list of qualifications and experience longer than my arm,” Cleo said. “I’ve worked with you long enough to know that you always do your best. These missions are tough. These creatures are elusive, dangerous, and rare. It’s impossible to have a one hundred percent success record.”

“Any success would be good,” Wren said.

“You’ve got a giant success sitting in the lab,” Daisy said. “Twenty of them. I was green with envy when I learned how many creatures you got.”

“It was a great find,” Wren said, allowing herself a second of pleasure. “But after the failed sapo mission, I told Striker he should find a new partner. I didn’t mean it, and I told him that later, but maybe it stuck. Or he was thinking about making a move anyway. I don’t know. It’s hard to get him to be serious for more than a few minutes. I know he doubts the value of these missions. And it’s no surprise, given his background.”