Iris (Mike Bravo Ops 1)

“How do you like living with me so far?”

“I think I need to lie down to process this.”

He pats my shoulder. “Take all the time you need.”

Though I don’t get much.

Both Iris and I get a text later telling us to meet Trav at headquarters in the morning. There’s a job, and this time I’m going.

Chapter Fifteen

Iris

“Danyal Farouk,” Trav says as an image pops up on the wall-sized screen in our war room.

“Farouk,” Saint murmurs next to me.

All eyes are on him. There’re only four of us going on this job. Me, Saint, Angel, and Ghost. I was briefed about the job after I got back from tailing Councilman Rowling yesterday, and I told Trav this might be too much for Saint considering Sabri Farouk is responsible for Saint’s last team’s death. And almost his.

Trav assesses Saint’s stoic face. “As in the party boy prince to the Farouk family. Daddy’s black sheep.”

“You found Farouk’s son? Where?” Saint leans in closer to examine Danyal’s picture.

The popped collar, the white cotton pants, the aviator sunglasses, Danyal looks like your typical trust fund douchecanoe.

“Here in LA,” Trav says. “Going under the name Hameel Mohamed.”

The cocky son of a bitch has been partying it up while his terrorist father has been on the DL avoiding assassination attempts by the US government.

“How’d he get into the country?” Saint asks.

“Probably some bullshit exchange for information on his father’s whereabouts,” I say.

Trav hits the next photo, and Danyal pops up lounging by a pool. “Those details are unclear, but what is clear is that certain government agencies are pretending like he’s not here and that this guy isn’t even Danyal. It’s a dead lead according to them.”

I lean forward in my seat. “So, we’re going to tap all of his electronics and prove it is him. And hopefully gather some intel on his father.”

“They’re estranged,” Saint says. “He is a dead lead. We went down that route with GenNex, and it got us nowhere.”

“With the way we do things, if there’s even the smallest window where they’re in contact, we’re going to catch it. Even if it takes months.”

“So how do we do this?” Saint asks.

“Good ol’ honey trap.” I glance over at Angel, and she groans.

“We seriously need more women in this group. I hate being the honey.”

“But you do it so well, and I will never ever give up the chance to see you acting like a valley girl. It’s highly entertaining for me.” I turn to Saint. “She’ll get us the key to his hotel room, Ghost will be on surveillance, and then you and I will bug the room and his laptop, phone, whatever we can get our hands on.”

“I think it’s a waste of time and resources, but I’m not going to complain about it. I get paid either way, right?” Saint smiles at Trav.

Trav doesn’t return it. He says to Angel and Ghost, “You guys go get ready to leave. Take actual vacation luggage and attire so you don’t stick out like a sore thumb in the lobby of the hotel. Saint, Iris, I need you guys to stay back a minute.”

When the others are gone, Trav leans on the desk.

“I want to make sure you’re good to go,” he says to Saint.

“Is this a test?” Saint asks.

Trav huffs. “No. It’s a question. This is the son of the man who tried to kill you and almost succeeded. The job itself should be textbook and easy, which is why I chose it to get you started, but if you think there’s a conflict of interest here—”

“There isn’t. There won’t be. I can do this.”

Trav looks to me. “What do you think?”

“Why am I being dragged into this?”

“Because you live with him.”

“Uh, yeah, but I have literally been away from home more than I have been there since he moved.”

“Okay, but you know him better than all of us.”

“I know ten years ago Saint better than all of you. Not how he is now.”

“I love how you’re talking about me like I’m not here,” Saint says.

“If you’re not ready—” Trav starts.

“Normally I’d lie and say I’m ready for even more, but I know you don’t like that, and you can somehow read me like a book, so I won’t even bother trying. But I can do a job like this.”

“Report to Iris or me if you’re not up for it, okay?” Trav orders.

“I will.”

Saint and I stand to make our way downstairs to gather the supplies we need, but as soon as Trav’s out of earshot, Saint leans in closer to me.

“I know he means well, but it feels like I’m being babied.”

“You are. It’s your first job back in the field. Trav wants to make sure we’re all safe. Including you.”

“I get that, but it makes me feel about this tall.” He pinches his thumb and forefinger close together.