Point of No Return by Rita Henuber

report it. Not ka-boom the freaking place.”
    “Ah, Major, you never let us have any fun,” Buck said.
    Buck was the most uncomplicated human she’d ever met. Fiercely loyal, superhero strength and a sucker for kids and animals. In the field, he always had goodies for the kids. Dogs followed him. Hell, he probably had goodies for them too. He’d almost come to blows with a chopper crew when they wouldn’t let a kitten he’d rescued on board. They gave in and the kitten found a good home at base camp.
    “Santiago going with you tomorrow?” Honey asked as she went to get more food for her and Buck.
    Gunny choked and coughed. “Why’d she be coming?”
    Honey looked over and saw Coop and Buck exchange looks. So, they knew. Ah, hell. It was about time they got this into the open. She put the plates down and leaned a hip against the counter. “Everyone here knows you two are . . .” She decided on a polite term. “Making sheet music every chance you get.”
    Gunny’s jaw muscles jittered and he turned a florid shade of red. It was a few moments before he found his voice. “How long have you known?”
    Buck snorted. “The first day, man. The permanent grin on your face kinda gave you away.” Honey pressed her lips together to keep from smiling.
    “Shit.” Gunny shifted and scrubbed his hands over his buzz-cut hair.
    “We’re a team, dude,” Cooper said matter-of-factly. “We know when one of us has to take a crap. How the two of you going to keep something like that from the rest of us?”
    “We’re working in-tell-igence, remember?” Buck said.
    “Give it a rest, guys.” She’d wanted to get it in the open, not harass Gunny about it. She passed Buck his plate.
    “Ma’am, you want one of us to out, it’s me. Gloria . . . it would kill her to leave.”
    “We’ll talk about it another time. No one is going anyplace.” At least not now. Technically no rules were being broken, and as long as they didn’t have any problems, it was okay. “New subject, please.”
    Gunny dipped his head in a silent thank-you. “What’s it look like inside Global?” he said, toying with his beer bottle.
    “Like the schematics. No windows. Only exterior glass is the front entry. Some interior glass doors. A wicked strong kind of stuff. Every door I saw needs a pass card. The tech area has a double entry. The control center looks like a spy movie set. Cameras are everywhere and monitored in that room. They have vid links to field units. Bristol can watch everything in the facility from his office and a setup in the back of a tricked-out Hummer.”
    “Geesus. Overkill,” Buck said.
    Cooper grinned and rubbed his palms together. “A challenge.”
    The look on his face told her he was enjoying this. “That place is no amusement park.” She looked at each of them. “Global looks squeaky clean. If there’s a connection between that company and those girls . . . I want to find it. Coop, my man, I believe in your skills. Anything you need to make this easier, get it.”
    “Okay, time to check these dudes out on your Mac,” he said. They went into the dining room and accessed Global files, getting familiar with them and looking for anything out of the ordinary.
    After a couple of hours and coming up zip, Gunny leaned back in his chair, arms outstretched, and yawned. “I’m tired, I’m heading home. Got a long day tomorrow.”
    “And long night,” Buck mumbled.
    “Yeah.” Coop glanced at Gunny. “Better not be too tired, old man.”
    Gunny ignored the remarks and went into the kitchen. Honey gave the two her best stink eye and followed him to the kitchen. “See you and Gloria tomorrow night, here. This time you guys get the food. Don’t want to go all over looking.”
    Gunny stopped at the counter to scoop up the burn cell. “Yeah.” He fingered the take-out bag. “This place wasn’t exactly on your way home.”
    “Heard the food was good.”
    He tipped his head to the side and squinted.