Chapter Five

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"We need to take offensive action." Toby said, staring down at a large map spread across the table that had two red pins placed close together on Greece.

Nolan shook his head. "This is a recon mission. We're just going in to look around."

"Right, but we could still take out a few terrorists while we're there."

"That isn't how it works. We need to take it slow while we can. Once the terrorists know we've found them out, it'll all be downhill from there. We need to take our time to plan an attack, not just pick off a few while we're in town."

"I'm not about to "take it slow" when we have a perfectly good chance at killing a few terrorists now."

"But that's not our job, Toby." Nolan replied.

"Who says it isn't? If I see an opportunity, I'm taking it."

Nolan sighed. "Look, I know you have a problem with me for whatever reason, but we need to work together."

Toby gave a lofty chuckle. "Don't give me the teamwork spill. I'm not three years old."

"Then stop acting like it."

"I'm not!"

Nolan raised his eyebrows. Obviously.

Toby clenched and unclenched his fists. "I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for an ex-SEAL convict guy who thinks he's better than everyone to be my partner. I could've done this on my own."

Nolan firmed his lips and waited a moment before speaking. "If there's one thing I've learned in life it's that if you go around with that kind of attitude, people get killed. And I'm not here to be better than you; I'm not here to babysit you. I'm doing my job and I hope you're here to do yours. I didn't come looking for friends, but I didn't come here to make enemies of a kid with daddy issues either."

"My father doesn't have anything to do with it, Clay."

Nolan shrugged and took off a ball cap he'd been wearing, tossing it onto the table. "The fact that you even said that kinda proves my point, doesn't it?"

"You want to know why I have a problem with you?" Toby asked, his jaw flexing. He took a step around the table. "People here think you're innocent because you didn't kill Egor. I think you're weak. You should've killed him, or at least tried. The military was wrong for wanting to take him hostage; he should've been eliminated. And you could've been the one to do it." He scoffed. "And look at us now. We're risking our lives because you didn't pull the trigger. We're facing a huge network of terrorists because you failed back in '06."

Every muscle in Nolan's body was tense. "That night, if I'd have killed Egor, it would have made me guilty of the one crime in this entire world that I haven't committed. I don't regret it."

"And that's the thing. You're a coward."

"Watch it, son."

Toby closed the gap between them. "I don't have to listen to you."

"I never said you had to. I'm just trying to prevent you from doing the same stupid things I did, but since stupid seems to be your native language, I'll let you keep going."

Toby gave Nolan a firm shove in which Nolan responded with a solid punch to his face. Toby stumbled backwards, instinctively placing a hand to his bleeding nose, and looking completely shocked.

Nolan hadn't exactly meant to hurt him, but he wasn't sorry either.

"If you were wanting to test my reflexes," Nolan said, "I have to apologize. Not as fast as I used to be."

He picked up his ball cap from the table and put it on. "I'm taking a break for lunch."

Soon he was sitting in the break room, stirring a bowl of soup around with his spoon. This is going to be impossible. He thought. He heaved a tired sigh. Howard had allowed him to stay at Hotel CIA, also known as a storage closet located in the basement with a cot shoved in between a mop bucket and a shelf. Needless to say, he hadn't slept great.

"Getting any work done?"

Nolan looked up to see Maddie walking in, her greyish blonde hair in a messy ponytail and her Bob Marley T-shirt stained with ink.

"Trying." He replied, spooning the creamy soup into his mouth.

Maddie grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and began making her own lunch. "How's it going with Toby?"

"Oh, just fine." Nolan said sarcastically.

Maddie sat down across from him, wrapping her fingers around a steamy bowl. "I know he's a hard case, believe me."

"Really? Because I could use a few pointers before I toss him out the window." Or punch him harder next time.

Maddie laughed. "Well, maybe I can help you before that happens. He's my nephew, after all."

Nolan squinted at her. "Wait, really? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't important, really." She blew the steam away from her spoon. "You know, Toby's had a tough life. His mom died when he was ten or eleven so Garth, his dad, ran the household from then on like a boot camp. That's hard on a kid."

"I'm sure."

"His father contacted James and I when Toby got rejected from the military a year ago. Toby was in a bad way; he'd worked almost his whole life to go into the army. To be like his dad." A sad smile touched her lips. "Oh, he says he doesn't like being told what to do, but that's only because that's all he's ever known. He has a lot to prove, or rather a lot he thinks he has to prove."

Nolan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Anyway, I should probably get back to work. We booked two flights to Kavala, Greece in three days."

Nolan gave a nod. "Sounds good. Oh, one more thing." He added, a little nervously. "I didn't know he was your nephew before, so I guess I should tell you that I sort of punched him in the face."

Maddie looked surprised for a second, and then grinned. "Honey, sometimes that's the best thing for him."

~~~~~~~

Nolan entered the mapping room where Toby was scribbling something down in a notebook.

"Got it figured out yet?' He asked, trying to sound upbeat, but his tone was obviously strained.

Toby didn't look up. "We're leaving in three days." He mumbled.

"So I heard."

"James has a contact waiting in Kavala to give us weapons since we can't take any on the plane. Is that okay with you or would you suggest going in completely unarmed?" He asked cynically.

"I wouldn't even think to go in there without a weapon." Nolan explained. "But I just don't think we need to kill anyone at this point in the mission; not to say that we won't further down the road." He sighed. "How about we just deal with that once we get there?"

Toby glanced up. "Fine."

"So how do we know where to go?" Nolan asked, trying to change the subject.

"A week ago Maddie was running background checks on everyone in Russia, two million at a time, for whoever had a background in computers or computer hacking. She kept narrowing it down to a small group and traced the connections to the Project Coercion files. James did a little hacking himself into their personal computers and managed to find where two of them logged into Facebook. He got most of the info from there."

"And it worked?" Nolan was a little more than impressed.

Toby shrugged. "Facebook tells all. If you can get a hold of someone's social media account, it's as good as talking with them face-to-face. So anyway, James created a homemade targeting system based in Russia that tracked the hackers to Greece. Kavala is pretty much just a guess."

Nolan was blown away. "Tell me again why they don't work for the CIA? Because I'm sure they could do a better job than anyone in this building."

"They are good."

A knock on the door made them both turn around.

James entered, his features set. "Sorry to barge in, but we have a problem."

"What?' Toby and Nolan asked in unison.

"There's been a bombing. In Kavala, Greece."

"Can we still make it there or will the borders be closed?" Nolan asked.

James sighed and shrugged. "You're leaving in three days, so we should be in the clear. However, that means that there are fully equipped terrorists on the premise."

"Have you talked to Howard?"

James shook his head. "I tried, but he's busy with another case. He said there was a hostage situation with some overseas special operations agents. I think we'll still be clear, though. It just makes it more dangerous, especially if you have some hostiles on your tail, Nolan. Once you leave the CIA, it's free game to anyone who wants to kill you."

Nolan inwardly groaned. "Well, Toby, it looks like you might get to bag a few Russians after all."


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