Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84607 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 423(@200wpm)___ 338(@250wpm)___ 282(@300wpm)
“Tell you what,” Bo said, extending a hand. “Gimme your phone. I’ll add my number, and you text me if you’re struggling. All right?”
What? Why was he doing that?
I gave him my phone without protest, but I had to say something. “There’s gotta be a million better things you can do with your time than comfort a chickenshit.”
“Eh, I have weird interests.” He input his number and returned the phone. “Call it right now. It’s my private cell, so if you text me and I don’t respond in a few days, I’m most likely out of the country. But if I’m around, I’ll answer when I can.”
I swallowed and pressed call, so he would have my number too, and I couldn’t describe what it meant to me. My chest felt tight, and I didn’t know what to do with the emotions that started surging within me. I’d gotten used to unshed tears and burning eyes, but it’d been ages since I’d actually cried. Last time, my mom had been there to hug me.
“Thank you for talking to me,” I said quietly. “I promise I won’t bother you a lot.”
He furrowed his brow. “Helping out doesn’t bother me. Remember that.”
CHAPTER 1
July 7th, 2024
Bo Beckett
“Operator Beckett, report to Academic Operations.”
Yeah, in a fucking minute.
I took a swig of my coffee and stepped into the elevator, where Coach stood with his own coffee. Judging by the bed head and sleep lines on his cheek, he’d just had a nap.
“Do you realize we’re about to accept recruits born in 2000?” I asked.
The button for the third floor had already been pushed.
He frowned at me. “I see you woke up and chose violence today. File that under shit I don’t need to be reminded of.”
I chuckled.
“2000,” he muttered into his go-mug. “Damn babies.”
Yup. Too many of the old fuckers were retiring too. Sydney had left the building when the last class had graduated the other week, and we barely saw Mr. Daniels anymore. Quinlan, TJ, and Coach ran Hillcroft these days, and Coach was just a year older than me.
“Happy birthday, by the way,” he said.
I side-eyed him. “I forgot you knew.”
He smirked and clapped me on the shoulder. “I may have told Em and Danny too. I swear it just slipped out.”
Asshole.
The elevator dinged, and he walked out first.
“I don’t think it’s good that our head of field ops is running his fucking mouth,” I told him.
He laughed.
What happened to confidentiality? I didn’t even know that fucker’s first name.
We arrived outside Danny’s office, and Coach knocked before he opened the door.
As expected, Danny sat behind his desk, looking like he hated the world, while sorting through files. Poor guy. Raised up to be out in the field as one of the best operators this agency had ever seen, but a number of injuries and being on the wrong side of fifty had now confined him to more desk work. Luckily for him, it was mostly at the start of each term. And it was his own fault. He was incredibly invested in what our recruits learned.
“Got any more interviews for me?” Coach asked.
Danny picked up a stack of files. “These are all ready for the second round, and these…” He grabbed a smaller stack. “Get these to Doc. They’re ready for med-eval.”
Hey, so was I. I had my appointment with Doc tomorrow morning, and he’d hopefully clear me for more fieldwork. I wasn’t as angry anymore. Or rather, I could control it better.
“Here it fuckin’ is,” Coach muttered, glancing at one file. “Born in 2000. This one, 2001.”
“I don’t wanna hear that shit,” Danny bitched. “Get outta my office.”
“Are you gonna tell me what I’m teaching first?” Coach drawled. “I didn’t come into work on a Sunday because it’s fun to wander the halls.”
“Oh, right.” Danny dug for something underneath all the paper. “You and Beckett will cover the orientation this year and stay on as their mentors, and other than that… Here.” More paperwork. “Intel and communications. You’ll have Paul with you, as usual.”
Fuck me, mentor? That meant… Goddammit, no more long-term stints overseas. At most, I’d get assigned one week here and there.
“Okay, good. I’ll arrange a meeting with him and River. Adios, buttercups.” Coach was more than happy to walk out.
So it was true? The Tenleys were coming back? River and Reese Tenley had retired five or six years ago, but some shit always went down, and then operators came back for one reason or another.
Those twin brothers were crazy enough to return, though it might have something to do with the guy they were with. I didn’t know what it was called these days—Triad? Throuple? They were in one with another guy who was taking Sydney’s spot as our martial arts instructor.
“Have a seat, birthday boy,” Danny said. “I remember turning forty-three…”