Page 6 of The Saint

He cracked his knuckles. “Your attitude is one of the reasons I like you. You come off as a liability, but I think that makes you good at your job. You ask the right questions even when no one wants those questions asked. You force the situation when it needs to be forced.”

Had Jared instituted a new policy for employee performance reviews? “Thanks?”

Jared ignored the sarcasm. “The CIA has a massive clusterfuck on their hands and is asking for a favor.” He tapped his teeth together as though making a decision that he wasn’tsure about. “A personnel database was breached. They don’t know how deep or who has access.”

“Shit,” Camden muttered, not thinking about himself anymore.

“Yeah. Exactly.” Jared paced the narrow end of the war room.

They had a global staff and a number of ghost teams whom Camden knew nothing about. Were they in danger?

Finally, Jared returned to the head of the table with a grim expression. “As of right now, this is what we know: Covert assignments and real names have been paired up and put into the wrong hands.”

Information like that would easily pair spies with their cover stories and covert assignments for what they were. “Fuck.”

He offered a tight nod of agreement. “But they don’t know who has the intel or how it’s been exploited.”

Camden pulled in a heavy breath. “Christ. That’s a problem.”

“Now for the favor. They don’t have enough resources to monitor every asset and their handlers. So they’ve given out contact information and passcodes to function like a 911 call center for spooks. We are amongst the contractors that will help facilitate this global communication network.”

Camden nodded but wondered why he was the only person having this conversation with Jared. Their team leader seemed more suited to the briefing.

“You need to work with Amanda and Shah,” Jared continued. “Their tech know-how will ensure a smooth setup, but your understanding of operational requirements will expedite any required assistance.”

What the hell did that mean?

“This is really important to understand: We’re not the help.”

“We’re not?”

They were always the help. That was one reason the job was so much fun. They could swoop in and save the day and swoop right out without any long-term responsibility. Here today, gone tomorrow. That could’ve been his personal motto.

“We’re not. At least not right now. There’s no telling where in the world a mayday call could come from. Paris or Paraguay.” He shrugged. “So, you’re good to oversee this?”

Am I?It was more of a job for Liam—anyone else, really. He wasn’t the manager type.

Jared eyed him as though an actual choice had been offered. “Cat got your tongue, or what?”

Jared wanted an answer. Liam wanted Camden to step up and take on more responsibility. He wasn’t sure that was what his team leader had been talking about. Tied to an office, waiting for a phone call that might not come—that sounded a lot like hell.

“Camden, there isn’t a single day that you’ve been on my payroll that I haven’t thought, ‘Why don’t you know when to shut the hell up?’ Now you’re sitting there, staring at me like you don’t know what to say.”

“This is like desk duty? Doesn’t the US headquarters handle this type of job?”

A crease furrowed at Jared’s brow, but then he shrugged. “Fair question. Semi-related to this shit storm, no one in that office is available to handle incoming calls that may or may not come.”

This was desk duty. “I’m the guy you throw out of planes and into fires.”

Jared nodded. “You still are. But this time, the fire’s at the CIA, and it’s burning hot in a way no one understands yet.”

Potentially interesting. But hadn’t Jared just threatened him with a body bag fifteen minutes ago?

“Look, man,” Jared said. “You’re right. I can see your hesitation. This might be a big ol’ nothing burger.”

Exactly… So a shit job for Jared’s least favorite employee. Got it.

“But this is the thing. It takes a certain kind of pain in the ass to deal with the CIA. If this nothing burger turns into a phone call, and if that phone call turns into something, I want you dealing with the Agency. You have the right personality for it.”

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