Gabe (In the Company of Snipers, #8)(90)
Izza still needed someone to fight, but he wasn’t going to be that person. Let it be Mother, Becker, or better yet—Alex.
“I just want the sucker who knocked me out, you know what I mean?” That was another perk to working with Izza. Her West Coast accent developed a definite Hispanic pitch when angry, turning her words into a lethal promise with south-of-the-border flair. “I’ll show him. I want a piece of Mother now, too.”
“Come on. Sit Room. Let’s get started.”
She finally stalked into the room and sat beside Connor, but not before she delivered a good smack to his left bicep. “Quit laughing at me,” she growled even as he draped an arm across her shoulders and planted a kiss to the side of her face. “You never even called.”
“How could I?” He winked over her ornery shoulder at Mark. “You were working. We don’t do personal calls on the job, remember?”
“You didn’t even miss me.”
He pulled her close for a quick peck on her ornery lips. “Izza, I always miss you.”
That seemed to do the trick. Mark let everyone get settled before he dropped his bombshell. “Kelsey woke up to a red rose on her pillow this morning.”
He watched that news settle before he continued. Either he was the dumbest supervisor on the planet, or just tired to death of fighting his team. “From this point on, we operate on the assumption Alex is alive and involved in what looks like a terrorist plot. I honestly don’t know which side he’s on. Again, assume he’s working with us.” God, I hope.
Izza’s gaze darkened while Connor winked again. Rory gave Mark the thumbs up sign, and David nodded appreciatively. Only the newest agent appeared shocked.
“Who’s in the coffin then?” Lisa asked, her eyes wide. “I mean, umm, we were all at his funeral. Who’d we bury if it wasn’t him?”
“I don’t know, and right now, I don’t care,” Mark answered. “We have something more serious on our plates. David? Is there something you’d like to share?”
“Only that I’m completely at your disposal, Boss.” David’s quiet eyes said a lot more, but the way he’d used that title hit a bull’s eye.
Mark inhaled a deep cleansing breath and finally looked his team in the eye. Alex might have built it, but it wasn’t his anymore. Mark settled in to finally lead them where they seemed determined to go.
Landon chimed in with a cocky, “A flower, huh? Clever old dog. She buy it?”
Maverick huffed, but before he could get a nasty word in, Mark pulled rank. “Can it, Truman. I’ve had enough from you.” He left the comment hang and let Landon stew, the smart ass.
“This is what I know, team. Somehow, Alex got into his place last night and left Kelsey a rose. Gabe also believes there’s some pretty convincing blood evidence on the clothes he wore when he gave ALEX first aid at the scene. It might not be Alex’s blood. Rory might be correct with his paintball theory after all. Ember? Do you know someone who can run a thorough forensic examination of those clothes so we can determine if it’s Alex’s blood or not?”
“You betcha,” she said with a smile.
Mark tossed Gabe’s apartment key to Connor. “Soon as we’re done here, go get Gabe’s dirty clothes. Bag them and bring them in for Ember. The sooner the better.”
Connor snagged the key midair. “Will do.”
“Okay then. David’s got some news on a little FBI project called Eagle Two.”
David came to the head of the table. Immediately, the picture of Ron Fallon and Sam Becker at the Chaos Now rally flashed onscreen. “We’ve linked FBI sniper Sam Becker to a local subversive group known as Chaos Now operating in Alexandria. It appears they intend to initiate a revolution.”
The next slide displayed the Chaos Now timeline. “As you can see, these terrorists have no definite dates, but with the increase in their activity, we must assume it will occur soon. It appears their first target is Vice President Winston.”
“Why don’t we go to the FBI with all this crap?” Landon piped up. “Why are we always doing their job for them?”
Mark met the challenge head on. “Are you serious? Were you not there the day we pegged their top sniper, Agent Sam Becker, as the assassin who killed your boss?”
Landon shrugged. “But he isn’t really dead now, is he?”
Maverick cut Landon off. “Just tell us what you want us to do.”
Mark chose to act on Maverick’s loyalty and let Landon’s smirky insubordination go. “We’re up against at least one pretty tough black ops guy. Maybe two. Becker and Fallon.”
Steven interrupted. “Before you continue, look at this. One of these was stuck to each of our foreheads while we were tied up.”
Mark accepted the yellow sticky note Steven offered. A smiling face had been scribbled in the middle of the small square of yellow paper.
“That guy’s a jerk,” Izza muttered. “He made us look stupid.”
“I have to ask.” A smile tugged the corners of Rory’s mouth. “How’d the three of you get overpowered by one guy?”
Taylor grunted. “Gee. Thanks for asking.”
“So?” Rory persisted, his eyes full of amusement as he scrolled his gaze from Taylor to Steven and Izza.