Page 219 of Renegade
The president jumped on his computer. After a short time, he showed Greystone his screen. “She was your handler, now she’s with BLACK OPS?”
“Correct.”
Knock-knock.
“Enter,” said President Garrison.
Evelyn entered with Caroline. Greystone’s heart slammed against his chest. She took in the room, her attention homing in on the President, but when her gaze found his, the explosion of joy on her face sent hit after hit of excitement pounding through him.
He wanted to go to her, take her in his arms, and never let her go. In true form, he stood there like a statue.
Fuck it.
He strode over, wrapped her tight, and held her for several seconds. “Thanks for the save, Austin.”
“Of course.” She stepped away as the President joined them. “Hello, President Garrison.”
He shook her hand. “Ms. Austin, congratulations on an outstanding job.”
Through her smile, she said, “Thank you. It’s an honor.”
He gestured to the conference table. After he sat at the head, Greystone, Caroline, and Evelyn took their seats.
“You neutralized the bomb threat,” the President said. “Excellent work. Update me on the status of the Haqazzii terror cell.”
Greystone and Caroline exchanged glances.
“Of the fourteen we identified, three were eliminated,” Greystone said.
“And the remaining eleven?” he asked.
“Most likely, they fled,” Caroline replied. “One of our team members has been searching the dark web, but they’ve gone underground.”
“They’ll resurface,” President Garrison said. “And when they do, your team will need to go after them and take them out. The Director of NSA is very concerned more are finding their way into the country.”
As the conversation continued, Greystone shifted toward Caroline. She was composed, her confidence and determination shining through. That was what he loved most about her. In many ways, she was his rock.
“Who’ll be the point-person for hunting them down?” the President asked.
“Theodore Santini,” Greystone replied.
The President got busy on his laptop. “I’ve got his file.” He regarded Evelyn. “Make sure Mr. Santini has what he needs to find them. The Haqazzii terror group will go into hiding for the next several months while they regroup and restrategize.”
“Understood,” Evelyn replied.
Then, the President shifted from Greystone to Caroline. “Congratulations to you both. You two—along with the other three outstanding naval aviators—will be honored in a private ceremony at the White House. Being members of BLACK OPS is a privilege. Since your identities can never be revealed, the guest list will be short.”
“Of course,” Caroline replied.
“How are your nerves? Are they shot?” the President asked them.
Greystone chuckled. “No, sir. Aerial combat is what I’ve been trained to do… and I’ve been trained well.”
“It takes nerves of steel to command that aircraft while fighting for your life,” the President said. “What about you, Ms. Austin?”
“I’m relieved everyone is safe,” she replied. “I’m not gonna lie… when I saw Greystone’s jet take a nosedive, I was concerned.” Her gaze found Greystone’s. “But I was confident I could bring him back.”
They shared a smile before the President thanked them for their outstanding commitment to excellence. “Like I told Greystone, if you ever need anything, please contact Evelyn, and she’ll let me know.”
