Finally:
“Chief.”
I kept walking.
“Speak.”
“I owe you an apology.”
“Yes.”
He clearly had not expected that answer.
“I behaved unprofessionally.”
“Yes.”
“And I misidentified you.”
“Yes.”
He exhaled.
“I was an idiot.”
I glanced toward him.
“That’s your first accurate statement this morning.”
He almost smiled.
Almost.
Then his expression became serious.
“I had no right to put my hands on you.”
“No.”
“I understand if you want me off this team.”
“If I wanted you off, you wouldn’t be walking beside me.”
That surprised him.
“Why keep me?”
I stopped.
Cole stopped too.
Travelers moved behind the glass corridor outside the secure area, dragging luggage beneath fluorescent lights.
I lowered my voice.
“Because I don’t make operational decisions based on whether someone hurt my feelings.”
His jaw flexed.
“It wasn’t just feelings.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“It was an @ss/@ult. We’ll deal with it appropriately after the mission.”
His face tightened.
“But until then, you will follow orders, control your ego, and treat every person around you like they might know something you don’t.”
“Yes, Chief.”
“That lesson might keep you alive.”
He nodded.
We continued.
At Gate N14, the rest of the team was already assembled.
