Reckless (Benson Security 1)

“It’s basically a thick elastic band. It cuts off the blood supply to whatever you tighten it around, making it numb, die and fall off. It’s commonly used on sheep tails.”

“No!” Ryan called out in horror.

As though choreographed, each of the men covered their crotches with their hands. Megan looked at Elle to see if she noticed and they burst out laughing. Rachel joined in from where she stood behind them.

“That is sick.” Ryan shook his head. He looked kind of pale. “You have an obsession with damaging men’s packages. You need counselling, woman.”

“Really?” Rachel snapped. “Is it as sick as raping and murdering women? As sick as selling young women, barely more than girls, to brothels where they are raped repeatedly? As sick as beating his wife to the point where she would have rather died than endure another punch to her stomach?” Rachel’s voice vibrated with anger. “Tell me Ryan? Is it wrong, when a man uses his penis as a weapon, for someone to remove that weapon from him?”

“I think I’m going to vomit,” Ryan said.

Rachel pointed to the corridor off the lounge. “Toilet is first on the left.”

“How the hell did you manage to get out of there when you’d left Rudi drugged and, and, you know…” Joe looked a little green himself.

“I staged it to look like he was on the phone and then I walked out.” Megan shrugged like it was no big deal. The last thing she wanted was for the men to know how close she’d been to losing her mind to fear with each step she took out of there.

“Are we sure we got all the information we need to shut Rudi’s operation down for good?” Callum asked.

Elle pointed to a laptop on the table in the corner of the room. “Before I started messing around with the code to decrypt the sections that needed it, I made several complete copies and sent them to the office. We have a lot of information already from the stuff that wasn’t encrypted. More than enough to decimate his organisation.”

“Great, that’s great,” Callum said as he stood. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t change things at this end.” He pointed at Megan. “You are lucky to be alive.” He stared at each of the women in turn. “The rest of you are lucky this didn’t go belly up. We could have lost Megan along with the information needed to retrieve Dimitri’s sister.” He glared at them as he folded his arms. “Luck. That’s what this comes down to. Not field expertise or skill or training. Luck. That’s not how this team works. We don’t rely on luck. And we certainly don’t have space on this team for people who don’t play by the rules. We’re taking over from here on in. You lot can pack your bags. You’re fired.”

Chapter Twenty-One

“What?” Megan shot to her feet, letting her fluffy white towel crumple around her ankles. She put her fists on her hips and glared at Callum. It would probably have looked more intimidating if she wasn’t wearing a leopard print bikini, but whatever. “You’re firing us?”

“You can’t fire me,” Rachel said. “It’s in my contract.”

Callum gave her a cold look. “There’s nothing in your contract that says I can’t suspend you indefinitely. I’m happy to keep on paying you to stay out of the office and out of my business.”

“You’re firing us?” Elle demanded. “For getting the job done? For getting you information? For stopping Rudi in his tracks? For protecting Claire? You’re firing us for that?” Her outrage was tangible.

Megan pointed at her. “What she said.”

“Oh, no. Not again,” Julia muttered. “I can’t lose another job. I just can’t. I can’t.”

Megan looked at the woman who had her head between her knees and was rocking slightly as she fought a panic attack. She pointed at Julia.

“You broke Julia! That is not on.” She stomped over and patted Julia’s back while she looked at Joe. “You’re going to let him fire Julia?”

Joe’s lips thinned. “This is his company. His call.”

“That’s it. I’m calling my cousin.” Megan stalked towards the breakfast bar where she’d left her phone.

“Call Harry,” Callum said. “It won’t change anything. You lot endangered yourselves and the rest of the team today. You,” he pointed at Megan, “especially, are way out of line. You Tasered your partner and locked him in a trunk. You endangered the whole operation. You could have cost us the chance to find out where Dimitri’s sister is stashed. You’re irresponsible. Reckless. You’re dangerous. And you don’t give a crap about your team. Tell your cousin that while you’re on the line to him. Yeah, you got the job done. But that wasn’t a guaranteed outcome. It was luck. The end doesn’t justify the means when you betray your team to achieve it. This could have gone badly wrong. And you want me to congratulate you? Okay then. Well done. Your rash and selfish actions didn’t get you killed. Well done indeed.”

The room was silent—only Julia’s panicked breathing could be heard. Callum’s words sliced through Megan’s anger. A huge wave of guilt washed over her and she fought not to drown. She glanced at Dimitri, unconsciously seeking reassurance. His silent, unflinching stare was a condemnation in itself.

“You treat this like a game.” Joe was clearly disgusted. “It isn’t a game. People’s lives are on the line. Nobody wants someone on the team they can’t trust to have their back. You might have gotten the results this time, but what about next time? Will your maverick behaviour mean someone gets hurt? Or the mission gets compromised? Or a teammate dies? I’m not prepared to put my life in your hands. I don’t trust you.”

It was as though she’d been slapped. Her face actually stung.

“He’s right,” Rachel said, making Megan feel nauseous. Rachel stared at Joe. “You’re right.”

There was nothing else to say.

Dimitri shifted in his chair, then stood and stalked to the window. He stood at the opposite end of the room from Rachel, his arms folded, glaring out into the night. Although Megan knew he was coping with his own feelings—anger, betrayal and hope at getting one step closer to finding his sister—his actions still felt like rejection. Stupidly, she wanted the man to stand up for her when she didn’t deserve it. She wanted to hear that he forgave her, that he understood. Instead, she looked at the tense line of his back and felt bereft.