“What?” he whispered.
Nobody else would have their mic on, or at least he hoped not, but he wasn’t taking a chance by asking stupid questions. Like, what did you want to talk to me about? Would you like to kiss me again? Can I fuck you stupid?
“You all set?” Zane asked.
“Yeah, I’m all set.” He settled in with a sigh. Cell service was spotty or nonexistent so even texting was out, but they still had the sat phone for emergencies. It wouldn’t make any difference, he’d sit there alert until the captain broke camp. Zane would do the same.
Three hours before daylight, Maddox broke camp and Isaac climbed down from the tree. He shook out his arms and legs along with Zane.
“Why are we leaving so early?” he whispered.
“I haven’t a clue.” Zane gave a half shrug and Isaac followed the soldier the few steps back to camp.
“Thanks, man,” he told Oliver, who’d already broken down his hammock and packed it up with his pack.
“Yup.” Oliver grinned and stretched.
“So why couldn’t Phoenix take this assignment? I heard they have worked with the FBI before,” Ethan asked River.
The unit Ethan spoke of was an elite group of non-military operatives known only as Phoenix. Like Infinity, the team answered to the Secretary of Defense. Phoenix was brought in when cases got messy or law enforcement needed plausible deniability, which was needed more than the average citizen even realized. Basically, Phoenix took care of the scum of the earth that law enforcement couldn’t due to bureaucratic bullshit red tape.
“They were needed in Washington DC at the Capitol building.” River yanked up his pack and slipped it on.
Silence settled over the group.
“God bless America,” Zane said solemnly. A murmur of agreement went through the unit.
“Listen up,” Maddox said.
Isaac pulled on his own pack and gathered around their captain along with the rest of the unit.
“If we leave now, we’ll reach the Chambers’ encampment just before daybreak. I figure he has sentries positioned around the perimeter. When we encounter our first resistance, we gather again and come up with a solid plan of entry once we know what we’re up against,” Maddox finished.
“Until then, stay in pairs and let’s try to keep out of the fucking water if possible,” River grumbled.
Maddox stared at his lover.
“What? I hate fucking wet boots,” River grimaced.
Isaac choked out a laugh. River was one tough son of a bitch, hating wet boots wasn’t something he ever pictured the man voicing.
“What the fuck are you all looking at?” River snapped. “Tell me one of you clowns likes wet boots.”
He had them there. Isaac lifted his hand.
“What is it, Thorne?” Maddox gave him an up nod.
“I hate wet boots, sir.”
Oliver and Colin snickered.
“Suck it up, buttercup,” Archer said to him, but River misunderstood.
Their Lieutenant spun on the new recruit and as big as Archer was, Isaac almost laughed out loud when the mountain of a man stumbled back.
“You calling me buttercup, Sergeant?” the lieutenant growled.
“No, Sir.” Archer snapped up with his throat moving in a hard swallow.
“Knock it off.” Maddox grabbed River by the vest and yanked him into position. “Like River said, keep to the banks and try to stay out of the deeper water. I hate fucking wet boots too.”
Everyone agreed with the captain and River’s face was smug. Archer wasn’t sure what to do, but Ethan patted the guy on the shoulder on his way past.
“He’s fucking with you,” Oliver whispered to Archer and tugged on the big guy’s arm to get him moving.
Archer rubbed at his chin as a crease furrowed his brow, and Isaac felt for the guy. River could be one scary son of a bitch.
Zane
Belly crawling through the grass, he eased down with Isaac at his side. Through his infrared binoculars, he watched the tower in the distance.
“Testing, testing. Oh, I like the sound on these,” Oliver said over the new microphones.
“Yeah, just don’t forget to push it to talk, ya newbie,” Ethan huffed.
“I’m not-”
“Quit the chatter,” Maddox growled.
He’d been so close. So fucking close to telling Isaac that he was bi during watch, but it was taking more courage than he currently had. How fucking stupid would he sound? Oh hey, I’m bi and I’ve been hiding it since my friend killed himself after we kissed when we were seventeen. Fucking Christ. He rubbed at his forehead.
“Bravo team, you copy? Come in at the target on your two o’clock,” Sam’s voice came over the mic.
“Copy,” Isaac said and pulled himself to his feet. Zane followed until they were coming in a few yards from the lookout structure.
“He’s got to have a way to communicate with the others.” He gestured with his thumb in the direction of the main house. It wasn’t visible in the darkness, but hopefully, with the drone, they could map out its exact location once it grew lighter.
“Granted. Let’s take him out and then find out how to get inside.”
“Why don’t we keep him alive and he can help us communicate with the house?” He sent a glance to Isaac.
“Wanna?” Isaac’s face brightened and the corners of his mouth curled just before he lifted his rifle, eye to the scope.
“Yeah.”
“Starsky and Hutch, what are you hatching?” River growled. “I can hear you two whispering.”
“Who’s that?” Colin whispered, and Zane had to place a hand over his mouth to hold back a laugh.
“An old cop show,” Archer hissed.
“We have a plan, Lieutenant,” he said over Colin’s response to Archer.
“It better be a good one,” River replied.
Isaac rolled out their plan over the mic. “What do you think, Captain?”
Maddox was silent for so long, Zane thought their captain wasn’t going to give them the chance. They’d lost his trust. Fuck.
“Go for it. Pia and Blade, back them up,” Maddox said.
“What’s the plan?” Pia asked, tucking a small microphone into her ear. Blade grabbed her weapon and joined them.
While Isaac filled them in on the plan, Zane loaded his non-lethal stun gun. He handed it to Blade.
“We need
