Page 30 of Rhys

Vanessa sat next to Rhys,the two of them—along with the other members of Charlie Team—positioned around a long, oval table inside Charlie Team’s conference room. Located in the heart of Richmond, the high-end office space took up the building’s entire top floor.

Standing at the front of the room was Trace West. Tall, muscular, and just the right amount of salt and pepper in his hair and scruff, the former Delta Force operator had been on the same team as R.I.S.C. owner and creator, Jake McQueen.

According to her research, Trace was now the current leader of Charlie Team.

“Now that everyone’s here”—the man in charge addressed the group—“we can get started.”

“Shouldn’t we do introductions first?” The youngest of the four-man group sat directly across from her.

“I’m Vanessa Marsh,” she announced herself before Rhys had the chance. “And you’re Asher Cross. Former Army Ranger and one of Charlie Team’s two snipers.”

“Impressive.” The tall, dark, and handsome operator grinned.

“In case it wasn’t obvious, Vanessa, here, looked into each of you before contacting me last night.”

Proving this, she shifted her focus to the others. Starting with the man sitting to Asher’s left.

“You’re Greyson Frost. Former Navy SEAL, demolitions expert, and the team’s computer guru.” Her expression softened. “I owe you a debt of thanks.”

“For what?”

“Proving that what I told Rhys was the truth. I owe you one.”

Looking back at her, the long-haired giant of a man grinned. “Well no offense, Miss Marsh. But I didn’t do it for you.”

“I know.” Her smile grew wide knowing this man—each of these men—had Rhys’s back. Leaning forward, Vanessa ignored the twinge of pain in her shoulder as she offered the final Charlie Team member a nod. “Kellan McBride. Former Marine, R.I.S.C. sniper, and all around badass. Nice to meet you.” She looked around the room, her gaze landing on the man at the front. “You, too, Mr. West.”

Wearing a hint of a smile, Trace responded with a knowing nod. “Guess that takes care of the introductions. Except for you, Miss Marsh. Would you like to give us a little background on who you are and why you want our help?”

“Like I said, my name is Vanessa Marsh. I joined the CIA ten years ago when I was twenty-one, and I’ve been a field agent ever since.”

“What exactly is it you need from us, Vanessa?” Trace got right down to business.

“My most recent assignment involved Kenneth Austin, owner and CEO of Austin Avionics. The company is based out of D.C., and if you’re familiar with him at all, you know the man is one of the richest, most powerful men in the world.”

“Why is the CIA looking into Austin?” The question came from Kellan.

“From what I was given at the start of the assignment, the Agency got a tip that Kenneth Austin was designing a state-of-the-art nuclear weapon with the intent of selling it to the highest bidder. I was sent in to gather intel and see if the threat was valid.”

“Was it?” Asher looked at her from across the table.

“I believe so, yes.”

“You believe so?”

Vanessa turned to Trace. “The CIA being what it is, they made sure there was an opening for an administrative assistant in one of the company’s upper offices and that my qualifications all but guaranteed me the position.”

“Of course, they did,” Rhys muttered beside her.

She understood his negative outlook on the Agency. Especially now that he’d seen first-hand what they were capable of.

“I’ve been working for Austin Avionics for the past twelve weeks. Answering phones, making copies, you get the idea. During my second week there, I identified a woman I felt was the best chance at getting to Austin. Her name is…” Vanessa cleared her throat. “Her namewasRose Shephard, and she was Kenneth Austin’s personal assistant.”

“Was?” Kellan asked from his place next to Rhys.

She nodded. “I made sure Rose and I became friends. A month after I started working there, I felt it was the right time to approach her about becoming an asset. It was actually a lot easier than I’d anticipated.” The memory created a sad smile. “Turns out, Rose was the one who called in the anonymous tip.”

“That was a lucky break,” Trace pointed out. “How did she come to know about this supposed nuclear weapon?”

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