Chapter Six #2
Iona and Andre entered the room along with the rest of their teammates and surrounded the angry operative.
“The point of the exercise was to outwit your opponent and finish without being tagged by a laser,” Seth said.
“Rayne did what she was supposed to do. You walked into this exercise with an attitude and a chip on your shoulder. Instead of assuming Rayne was a worthy opponent, you figured she was just another pretty face.”
“Women like her shouldn’t be in the field,” Cartwright muttered.
Grant stiffened. “What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Just because she can distract the enemy with a smile and meaningless flirting doesn’t mean she will be any help on your missions.
You shouldn’t allow Maddox to pair you with her on ops.
It’s not right, and doesn’t give the rest of the teams a chance to work with you and the other elite teams.”
Andre folded his arms across his chest. “You really are an idiot, Cartwright.”
He glared at Andre. “You let one of them get their claws into you, then we’ll see if you’re singing the same song, Marsh.
You can’t deny the boss uses these women as a distraction.
They’re not qualified to do anything in the field.
I’ve heard how many times they’re paired with Echo.
” Cartwright sneered. “If they were as good as the rumors say, they wouldn’t need teams like ours to bail them out of trouble all the time. ”
“You should stop running your mouth,” another operative said from the entrance of the room. Rylan Webber’s salt-and-pepper hair glimmered in the glow of the overhead lights. His body, like all operatives serious about their conditioning, was buff and hardened from hours of workouts.
“You know what I’m saying is true,” Cartwright protested. “These broads are nothing but arm candy the boss flies from country to country while men like us do the real work.”
Webber’s disgust was apparent. “Brandon, you’re about ten seconds away from having a live demonstration of how capable the women of Artemis are. Unless you want to be the butt of jokes for months around Fortress, get your gear and head to the firing range.”
A snort. “You’ve got to be kidding. What are they going to do? Run crying to the boss because I called them on their bluff?”
Webber’s eyes narrowed. “Are you disobeying my order?”
“I don’t need more range practice. I need respect from the people I work with,” Cartwright snapped. “I deserve to be treated better than this.”
“You’ll get respect when it’s earned,” Grant said.
“Give me a break, Bowen. Just because you’re the Golden Boy doesn’t mean you can give the rest of us advice.
Besides, you’ve only been at Fortress a few months.
What makes you any better than the rest of us?
Elite team or not, you put your pants on the same way I do.
Not only that, but you haven’t been here long enough to merit the accolades you’re reaping from Maddox.
He must owe you a huge favor for you to get this kind of preferential treatment so early on. ”
Webber stepped closer to Brandon, scowl fierce. “Last warning, Cartwright. Go to the firing range right now or face disciplinary action.”
“Yes, sir,” the operative spat out, spun on his heel, and strode toward the door. A few steps from the hallway door, Brandon grabbed Rayne’s wrist and yanked her toward him.
Before anyone could react, Rayne used her momentum to shove him against the wall and pressed a knife against his throat.
Brandon froze, his eyes wide as blood trickled down his throat from a thin cut.
“Don’t touch me,” she said, voice soft.
“Rayne,” Iona said. She didn’t have to say anything else. Her name spoken in that tone of voice said it all. Either get it together and back down or face the consequences.
Rayne lifted the knife from Brandon’s throat and stepped back, never taking her gaze from the operative.
Webber growled. “Cartwright, with me. Now.” He left the room.
Brandon kept a wary eye on Rayne as he sidled toward the doorway.
Grant stepped into his path, gripped his shirt with both hands and slammed him against the door frame.
“Consider yourself lucky that Rayne was in a good mood. She could have gutted you in seconds. By the way, if you ever touch my woman again, I’ll take you down with no mercy and bury your body where no one will find it. Am I clear?”
The other man swallowed hard and gave a slight nod.
Grant shoved him into the hallway, staying in place until Cartwright and Webber were gone. He turned to Rayne. “You okay?”
No. “Aren’t I always?”
He didn’t look convinced. Guess she needed to work on her game face.
“I need to go to Maddox’s office.”
Rayne glanced at her phone screen. “So do I.”
“Better not keep the boss waiting,” Seth said.
Iona looked at Riley, who gave a slight nod. “We should all go, Seth. We’ve completed the checklist of training exercises for this morning, anyway.”
“A break wouldn’t be a bad idea,” he agreed. “Grab your gear and let’s go.”
As they left the kill house, Rayne overheard raised male voices in one room. Cartwright and Webber, from the sound of it.
Grant grunted. “Cartwright may be out of a job if he’s not careful.”
“You think Webber will convince the boss to kick Cartwright to the curb?”
“He’s a loose cannon, and he doesn’t want to follow orders. I wouldn’t work with him.”
“Why does Webber put up with him? He seems like a capable leader who should know plenty of other operatives to slide into Cartwright’s place.”
“We’ve only seen him on bad days. It’s possible Cartwright isn’t like this in the field.”
Elias glanced over his shoulder to look at Grant. “If he behaved like that in the field, Cartwright would be dead.”
“Or his teammates,” Andre chimed in. “He never would have made it in Special Forces.”
“The military has a way of stripping away egos,” Elias agreed.
The teams entered Fortress headquarters through a back door and rode an elevator to the executive floor.
“The boss’s office is too small for all of us to crowd in there,” Iona said.
“We’ll wait for Rayne and Grant in the small conference room.
Once their meeting with Maddox is finished, we’ll make plans for the afternoon. ”
“If we aren’t taken into custody,” Rayne murmured. She was afraid that’s exactly what was ahead for her and maybe for Grant as well.
“The detectives would be wise not to push their luck,” Seth said. “They’re in enemy territory. The boss will make sure you’re covered. Go. Get this done and report to the conference room.”
“Yes, sir.” Grant led the way to the executive suite of offices and walked to the reception desk. “Bowen and Weatherly to see the boss.”
The older woman glanced up and smiled. “Go right in. He’s expecting you.”
Rayne knocked on Maddox’s door and twisted the knob. She pulled up short when she noticed Detectives Conner and Sanders sitting in the visitor chairs in front of the boss’s desk.
Maddox waved Rayne and Grant inside. “Close the door. Sorry to interrupt your training.”
“Our teams are waiting in the small conference room.” Grant eyed the detectives. “We have more training this afternoon.”
“Understood.” He inclined his head toward two chairs set off to the side of his desk. “Have a seat. You’ve already met Detectives Conner and Sanders. They have more questions for you both.”
Rayne’s stomach tightened into a knot as Grant escorted her to the empty chairs.
She wished that she was anywhere but in this office.
Rayne would gladly submit to intense training rather than put herself through answering more gut-wrenching questions about things better off left in her past. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be possible with the way things were shaking out.
When they took their seats, Grant said, “We know about Dante.”
Both cops scowled. “How is that possible?” Conner asked. “We only found out ourselves an hour ago.”
“Friends with tech skills.”
Sanders pulled out his notebook and pen. “Did your friends tell you where Dante’s body was found?”
“In a hotel in Hartman. I don’t know which one.”
Conner’s smile resembled a shark’s grin. “The Jade Garden Hotel.”
Fantastic. Not. Rayne sighed. The hotel was two miles from Grant’s house. She passed it every morning when she met him at his home for a run.
Once again, Rayne wondered if the Hartman detectives were planning to arrest her or Grant on suspicion of murder. This wasn’t good for either of them. She and Grant had the three big things detectives always look for. Means, motive, and opportunity.
No question that she and Grant were more than qualified to take out targets and had several weapons at their disposal to get the job done. The motive was obvious. The detectives could make a case for Grant being afraid of losing Rayne if she found out about his past with Selena.
As for Rayne, the detectives would point out that she wouldn’t want Selena taking off with her man. As if. The opportunity was the real kicker. If Selena and Dante had stayed at home instead of coming to Hartman, Rayne and Grant wouldn’t have been suspects in their murders.
Grant stiffened. “The Jade Hotel? That’s close to my house.”
“Then you shouldn’t be surprised that we have more questions for you,” Sanders said.
He wrapped his hand around Rayne’s. “Ask. We’ll help if we can.”
“For your sake, I hope so, Mr. Bowen. At this moment, you and your girlfriend are the prime suspects for the murders of Selena Baker and Dante Rivers.”