Dominance Never Dies (Masters and Mercenaries #11)(75)

“Hutch, how about a little less eating and a little more hacking?” He didn’t even try to keep the irritation out of his voice. “You’ve done your obligatory socializing. I think it’s time to get the job done.”

“Naturally he found the dessert buffet.” Michael grinned. “You can count on Hutch. If there’s a secret buried in pie, he’s going to find it.”

“He’s not serious enough,” Fain complained. “I know you swear he’s trained, but I wouldn’t take that kid in as backup.”

Fain didn’t know Hutch. “He’s good. I’ve worked with him for a couple of years. You know he figured out you were up for CIA recruitment. You want to tell me why they turned you down?”

Fain snorted slightly. “I turned them down. I didn’t like the way Tennessee Smith worked. I know everyone thought he was the shit, but he didn’t strike me as a great team leader. I also don’t particularly think a team like that can work. It’s better to use military units.”

“We worked quite well before Ten was disavowed.” Michael stood and moved toward the window with his binoculars. They’d turned off the lights in the room so they could properly see the party across the street.

“And then you all scattered, from what I understand.” Fain frowned at the screen. “Consistency is important in intelligence work. I’m sure the entire team defecting left a major mess for whatever idiot took the job after Smith.”

“I agree. It’s time to move,” Mia said over the line. “I think we’ve got a decent understanding of all the good work the charity is doing in the community and how they’re managing it. There are a lot of doors they’re opening.”

“Yes, they are,” Hutch replied, his voice getting tense again.

It was good to get back to the op and not focus on his love life or how Fain thought his former team had f*cked up. “Are the guards going to be a problem?”

“There was only one on the door,” Fain said. “There’s a valet, but he doesn’t look big enough to be a guard. Of course I don’t know what they’ve got on the inside, but it looked pretty casual to me. I suspect they don’t want to scare the donors away.”

The sound of guitar music thrummed in the background, but he could hear Mia loud and clear. He’d noted that almost everything she’d said was innocuous. If overheard, it would likely mean nothing to the people listening to her.

She was good.

“I don’t think so.” She replied to his question about the guards in a quiet, calm voice. “He should be able to deal with the problem with ease. Any luck on your end?”

“She’s asking if Fain’s been able to cut into the feed.” Hutch wasn’t as careful as Mia. Since Case couldn’t see him, he had to hope Hutch wasn’t being watched carefully. “I told him what to do.”

“It’s not as easy as you made it sound, *.” Ezra sounded frustrated. “I’m not a tech guy. I might have pointed that out.”

Hutch’s irritated tone came over the line. “I could get it done in five minutes if you let me. I can probably figure out how to hack the internal systems here, too. I think we should come in.”

He couldn’t afford to pull Hutch out now. He needed his tech guy to do the job. He would save the dressing down for later. “Hutch, I know this isn’t your thing, but I’m going to need you to do your job. Get in, download the system, and get out. We can’t be sure what kind of security they have. Getting in and putting physical hands on the system is our best shot. You agreed with me earlier today.”

“Earlier today I didn’t get the feeling that someone was watching me. Something’s wrong with this place. I can feel it,” Hutch said.

Shit. He hadn’t imagined this possibility, but hearing the tremor in Hutch’s voice made him realize what was happening. “No. What you feel is PTSD. This is the first time you’ve been back out in the field, brother. I promise, it’s normal to be afraid. It’s time to shut that fear down and do your job. A lot of people are depending on you. Theo is depending on you.”

“I can do it,” Mia offered. “I certainly know how to download a system. Give me the drive.”

Michael looked his way. “Let her do it.”

Fain was shaking his head. “Somebody better do something because I’m having no luck at all with these cameras.”

Hutch came back on the line. “I’m fine. If I get caught in the hallway, I’ll say I was looking for the bathroom. Could you distract the big guy who’s obviously carrying a gun while I slip back there? The other two are moving around outside, but the one to your left is doing an inner perimeter sweep and he keeps looking that way. I need about thirty seconds.”

Case felt his whole body go tense. The guard had a gun. “Get those f*cking cameras up, Fain. I need to see where she is. I thought you said the security wasn’t serious.”

Fain turned slightly and sent him a narrowed glare. “I was the chauffeur. I saw what was happening at the door. I assumed you and Michael would handle the rest of it. Naturally there’s some security inside. Do you want me to go over there? I could explain something was wrong with the car and I need to see Ms. Danvers. Heaven forbid we trust her to talk to someone in a public place.”