Page 73 of Set Fire to This Cardhouse

“You want to know what’s really out of line?” For the first time, Mike’s tone shows traces of agitation. “The fact that you expect me to desert my partner.”

Welton sets his pen down and assesses Mike, his posture signaling that he’s not impressed. It doesn’t exactly lessen Toby’s desire to punch the guy. “Did Agent Brown ask for your assistance?”

Mike hesitates for a moment, so brief that Toby almost misses it. Then Mike shakes his head and crosses his arms. “No. He told me to get on the next plane.”

Dammit, Mike.

“And you disregarded his request?” Welton asks, just as a soft knock at Liu’s office door startles Toby. Jesy, back so soon? He hurries to close the browser, jumping up from the chair and knocking over a stack of opened mail, paper scattering. He collects it with quick fingers, gets momentarily distracted by the official seal of the Hawaiian Government instant. Then everything is back in its rightful place, and he crosses over to the door, schooling his features into those of someone just woken from a badly needed nap.

He doesn’t feel tired anymore.

“Yeah?” Pulling the door open, he finds Mirjam waiting on the other side, an apologetic expression on her face. Two agents Toby has only ever seen in passing are standing behind her, towering in a most obvious manner. Toby hates them on sight.

“I’m sorry, Toby.” Mirjam frowns at them before turning back to give Toby a gentle smile. “I thought you’d have more time for a nap, but they’re ready for you.”

Toby raises his chin. “Fine.”

***

They are not ready for Toby.

If they were, they wouldn’t keep him waiting in a meeting room adjacent to the one where Mike’s questioning is taking place. For a few minutes, he hears the murmur of voices through the wall, no words clearly discernible, then chairs scrape over the floor and everything quiets.

By the time Welton enters, waking Toby from a light doze, Toby doesn’t know how much time has passed. There is no clock to give him a precise idea, but this room does have windows, so he can make an educated guess: going by the angle of the sun, it must be some time after four. They kept him waiting for roughly two hours, door locked, not even a bottle of water to keep him afloat.

Nice of them to treat him with all the cordiality extended to an esteemed member of the staff. He’ll be expecting his ‘employee of the month’ badge any moment now.

“Agent Brown,” Welton says with a cheerful lilt to the title. He gestures for Toby to remain seated even as he himself stays standing, framed by two more agents from the Misconduct Squad. “There are just a few quick things we need you to confirm. Is it true you told Agent Redding to finish the upload first and foremost?”

If Toby says yes, he confirms Mike’s words and simultaneously gets him in trouble. If he says no, he brands Mike a liar, but a liar who didn’t blatantly disregard an instruction to put the job first. There’s no winning this one.

Toby lifts his shoulders, first one, then the other, before he slowly shakes his head. “No clue. It’s wiped from my brain. I honestly just don’t remember.”

Welton ignores Toby’s lack of an answer, his superior smile raising Toby’s hackles. It’s the kind of smile that would be significantly improved if it met a fist. “You also told him that once the upload was done, he should leave the country and not come for you. Correct?”

Countering Welton’s smile with a blatant stare, Toby keeps his voice even. “What does it matter?”

“You know the rules, Agent Brown.” For the first time, Welton’s good-humored facade cracks slightly, his tone sharpened by a hint of irritation. “You are well aware that Agent Redding should not have come to your aid.”

Is that asshole seriously asking Toby to confirm that Mike should have left him to die? In what universe does he think that will happen?

Just then, Liu enters the room, his quick gaze assessing the situation. He meets Toby’s frown with a nod and an upwards tilt to one corner of his mouth, then stays near the door as Toby gets to his feet. He won’t be talked down to by some agent who probably hasn’t set foot in a foreign country in years.

“Listen. Agent Welton, is it?” Toby continues without missing a beat. “I am damn glad he came because trust me, things didn’t look good.” He raises his hand, the bandage around his pinky worn from the trip. “As it is, I’m missing a fingernail, and my rib’s a bit sore, but that’s it. If you want me to complain about Agent Redding, you’re barking up the wrong tree.” Crossing his arms, Toby raises both brows. “Also, I dare you to look me right in the eyes and tell me that he should have let me die.”

“The rules say—”

“Oh, the rules. Sure.” Toby takes a step closer, and even though Welton is taller, he shrinks back when Toby leans forward and right into the man’s space. He’s breathing eau d’asshole, but it’s a price he’s willing to pay. “You, okay? You spend your days in this nice, cozy building, and I bet your desk comes with a particularly nice, comfy chair. It does, doesn’t it?” One of Welton’s sidekicks gets a pinched look, and Liu starts grinning. Toby considers it confirmation. “My point,” he continues, “is that it wasn’t you tied up and outnumbered. Which means that you have no fucking clue what the hell you’re talking about.”

Welton’s expression is stoic. “Watch your language, Agent.”

“Watch me walk out this door, Agent.” Marching past the trio, unhindered, Toby does just that, Liu stepping aside to let him pass.

“Agent Brown,” Welton calls after him, voice rising. “We are not done. Further contact between Agent Redding and you is strictly discouraged.”

“Actually?” Toby turns around for only the shortest of looks. “We are done. We are so done.”

It feels deeply satisfying to slam the door on his way out.

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