Page 73 of Deadfall

“Yup.”

Hangman grinned. “You hear that, Mouse? She’s one of the cool kids.”

Mouse chuckled. “I heard her.” He put a few strips of bacon and a heaping pile of eggs on a plate and set it in front of me. “She’s probably got better eyesight than all of us combined these days.”

“I don’t like what that implies,” Hangman sniffed like he was offended.

“Does everyone have their sniper qualification?” I asked.

“Yes ma’am.” He smirked. “Some of us are just better than others.” He followed up with a wink and Mouse scoffed as he dropped a plate of food in front of Hangman.

“Don’t start,” he warned.

Hangman buried his face in his coffee, a look of mock innocence on his face. “What ever do you mean?”

“I can feel the competition starting already,” Mouse said dryly. He looked over at me. “He loves to make side bets on jobs—ignoring him is best.”

“What do you do?” I asked Mouse.

“I’m an engineer.”

“Bah, he’s too modest for his own good is what he is,” Hangman scoffed. “That man—” He pointed at Mouse with a strip of bacon. “He can fix anything. I once saw him fix his radio with what…sap and charcoal was it?” Mouse waved him away and turned back to the stove. “He’s also our medic.”

I took a bite of eggs, about to ask another question, but I completely forgot what it was as soon as the flavor burst across my tongue.

Hangman chuckled at my expression. “See what I mean?”

“Mornin’!” Jamal appeared in the kitchen and swiped a piece of bacon from Hangman’s plate.

“Hey, get your own!” Hangman griped.

“God, I’ve missed your cooking, Mouse.” Jamal settled into the seat next to Hangman. Mouse put a heaping plate in front of Jamal that he immediately dug into.

Hangman nudged me. “Jamal here can fly anything.” He looked over toward the doorway. “And that little ray of sunshine creeping in here is intelligence and communications—” Jackal silently stalked into the kitchen. “Best damn tracker I’ve ever met, but don’t tell him that, it’ll only go to his head.”

Jackal had the same frown I’d seen yesterday on his face, which made me think it was his usual expression. He ignored us, took a plate from Mouse and silently sat down at the table behind us to eat.

“You’ll meet Rex later, he’s our explosives expert,” Hangman continued. “Don’t touch anything of his if you value your fingers and toes, and if you ever smell gunpowder, run—” Riggs stormed into the kitchen and the temperature in the room plummeted. “And, there’s our fearless team leader. Morning, boss.”

Riggs grunted. “Jamal, Jackal—you’re on first rotation. Mouse, Hangman, you’ll move out at fifteen hundred to take over.”

The men nodded. I glared at Riggs with a look that dared to leave me out.

“Me and Syn will have the third watch at twenty-three hundred,” Riggs grumbled.

Riggs grabbed a few strips of bacon and left the room. Everyone wrapped up quickly once the orders were set. It was obvious everyone was pretty used to Riggs’ frosty demeanor because no one seemed surprised by it.

I spent the rest of the day in the war room looking over the data Lev had gathered. But, despite my attempts to stay occupied and out of my head, by the time it was my turn to head out with Riggs, my body was alive with nerves. This was going to be very different from stalking animals or doing drills with Sacha in the woods. I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t like that.

Riggs was waiting for me when I arrived downstairs. “You’re late.”

I frowned, immediately irritated. “We don’t leave for another thirty minutes.”

Riggs crowded me into the wall. “You’re late if I say you’re late, soldier.”

“I’m not a soldier.” I shoved at his chest, but he didn’t budge. “And I didn’t sign up to be your grunt, asshole. I didn’t even want you involved so back the fuck off.”

“This is why you’re a liability,” Riggs scoffed and I berated myself for playing into his hand. “Defying me, as your team leader, will only result in failed jobs. You either obey, or you can fucking leave.”