Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
There are a half-dozen people meeting around the dining table when we walk in. The entire group stops what they’re doing to look at us as we move through the foyer.
Immediately the mood hits me wrong.
This whole situation with a missing woman and flooded caves is jacked. But for some reason, having Aria by my side adds a new level of tension that abrades my nerves.
Justice, my teammate, smiles at us. It means nothing.
We could be on the deck of the Titanic getting ready for the cold plunge from hell and he’d be cheesing it up. The man is always smiling, no matter how FUBAR things are.
“Glad to see you two.”
I grunt as I look over the room. Justice sits next to a man wearing a shirt and tie. Not only is the fifty-something man the sore thumb in a house full of operators, he seems out of place in Vandemora—the country has casual down to a science.
On the other side of the table, two Russian mercenaries wearing head-to-toe black clothing and the expressions of assassins sit shoulder to shoulder. Taking up too damned much space.
They tip their chins, then give Aria an unguarded once over.
Fuckers.
I still haven’t figured out exactly how their team got rolled into ours. But that’s a problem for another time. After giving them a back-the-fuck-off glare, I cut my gaze to the last two.
Rounding out the side of the table closest to me are two guys who could be college students. They look like kindergartners compared to the over-muscled alphas I run with.
I hook a thumb to my right. “Everyone, this is Aria Kane. She’s one of our rescue divers.”
That tense vibe I sensed when I walked in intensifies.
It’s very evident that the non-Agile people were expecting a man to be the second diver. First there’s shock, then there’s unease in their expressions. That pisses me right the hell off.
Beside me, Aria inhales quietly and stands taller.
I’m so angry on her behalf, I have to bite my tongue to keep from unloading. I mean, what the fuck?
“I presume you’ve met my teammate, Joe Brundage, already.” Aria motions to the man standing off to my left. “My brother, Griffon Kane, the owner of DepthStrike, is getting medical treatment. But he will be joining us as soon as he can.”
Her tone is stone-cold professional and confirms that this isn’t the first time she’s dealt with this bullshit.
More staring follows. More pissing me off.
The protector in me wants to put my arm around her, but that shit would just get her even more disrespect. It would probably also send me into shock, so there’s that.
I keep my arm in my own space and motion Aria and her teammate toward the seats, but I remain standing. “Sit. The clock is ticking, we’ve got a case to solve.”
Brundage throws himself into the dining room chair on the opposite side of the table. His glare is so hard on Aria, I consider reaching across and acquainting him with my fist.
Justice gives me a double take. “ Oookay. Scout, did you have a chance to talk with Beast about the most recent developments with the weather?”
“Yes. I don’t like it.”
One damned bit. We’re already under the gun with the mission, and to add the pressure of the rainfall and rising water in the caves makes me edgy as fuck.
Now I’m the one getting the uneasy looks. “The divers were in a plane crash last night. This feels rushed. We need to get into that cave, but we’re going to do it the right way.”
“They have to dive today,” the man in the tie pronounces.
What the fuck? I focus my angry energy on him. “So I’ve heard. But I need to know exactly why.”
Smoothing his tie, he puffs up his chest. “Aria and Mr. Brundage, I’m Professor Mason, one of the advisors Agile Security & Rescue hired. These gentlemen are with me.”
The two younger men each lift a hand.
Kindergartners.
Probably follow him around like baby ducks, too.
The professor continues as he points. “That’s Shane, he’s completing a Ph.D. in geology. The other guy is our doctor from the university clinic, Doctor Morales. ”
“And?” My tone is rude and I could give a damn.
Professor Annoying looks down his nose. “We all agree that your divers have to dive today. As you know the weather is deteriorating.”
Clenching my jaw, I consider all the ways I could twist that tie around his neck to extinguish the flow of air.
Justice clears his throat and I realize I’m staring at the man like he’s got a target on his chest.
I snap, my tone overly loud. “You’re not calling the shots here.”
Aria startles in front of me, making me realize exactly how loud I was.
If I was a different man, I’d rest a hand on her shoulder to soothe her tension. But that’s not who I am. Instead, I clench the back of Aria’s chair as the professor turns red.
Behind me, the deep familiar voice of our team leader breaks the heavy silence. “Actually, Aria is making the call.”
I crane my neck toward Beast who is assessing the room with the keen eye of an operator who has seen a lot of shit. “Aria’s making the call on what?”
On silent feet, he moves into the room and crosses his burly arms over a chest that’s almost as wide as mine. “I just spoke to Griffon Kane. Aria’s the diver in charge of this operation.”
Concern crawls up my spine. For a beat everyone is silent.
But Aria’s reaction is easy for me to spot even from where I’m standing behind her. Her color blanches. Her mouth slides open, but she quickly closes it and tightens her shoulders.
Just in time for Brundage to shoot forward and slam both his hands on the table in front of her.
I’m already lunging for him when he snarls, “The fuck she is. I’m senior to her!”