Free Agent M4: Riordan by Joni Hahn Page B

could always stand against a brick wall. His body could use that support to control something that much larger.”
    Aidan whistled low as he glanced at Riordan. “Damn, that’s impressive, Clint.”
    Pride shown in the scientist’s eyes. He elbowed Riordan. “Let’s see how you do scaling a wall.”
    Dar dropped his arms to his sides. “He can climb a wall?”
    Clint nodded. “If the structure is built with steel beams, he can climb along the beams.”
    “Damn, Saint,” Tristan said, with a shake of his head, “That could come in handy.”
    Riordan followed Clint to the door, anxious to climb himself.
    “Holy shit, Saint.” Aidan’s exclamation stopped him in the doorway.
    He turned around. His teammates’ gazes all fell on his scarred back. The whippings and beatings were something he didn’t want to discuss. He just wanted to move ahead and show them all he could do this.
    Making light of the situation, he said, “Yeah, I’ve got the baddest tattoo, by far.”
    Clint had taken a picture for him. It contained a cluster of three atoms – neodymium, iron and boron. A spherical magnetic field hovered behind them.
    Dar said, “Like hell, Saint. My clock is the ultimate.”
    “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Aidan said, as they walked down the hall to the elevator. “Everyone knows lightning is universal for cool and dangerous.”
    “And everyone knows the lot of you are full of shit,” Mitchell said, as he stopped in front of the elevator. “Before Saint goes playing Spiderman , I want to update him on his identity, and it’s something all of you need to hear.”
    Dammit, was nothing private around there?
    Mitchell gave him a bored stare. “And, before you get your panties in a wad, Saint, you’re part of this team now. Nothing’s private amongst us.”
    Damned mind reader. Riordan had to get used to the idea of a team. Even though he’d been part of Naylor’s squad of agents, he’d always worked alone. Less liability, more predictability.
    Riordan glanced around at his teammates. “So, I take it they’ve read my file?”
    “Yes, we have,” Tristan said. “Finding out who paid Naylor to send you away is a top priority. As long as they’re out there, you’re vulnerable. That makes us vulnerable.”
    A foreign sense of pride washed through Riordan, swelling his chest. He’d never known the strength of a team. With their combined super powers, maybe they were virtually unstoppable.
    “Have you questioned Rose?” Riordan said, his gut twisting.
    Mitchell studied his phone before he looked up. “I told you, Rose knows nothing. After you went missing, he did his own investigation on your disappearance. When Naylor told him to stop digging, he came to me and asked if I wanted a double agent.”
    Shock resounded through Riordan. He looked to Dar for confirmation.
    He nodded. “Rose fed him information from the beginning, Saint. D.I.R.E. always had the upper hand – even before Clint’s enhancements. Rose has been part of the agency’s success from the get go.”
    Riordan gave a dawning grin. “That’s how you knew about my intel on Robinson’s radiated heat research.”
    Clint gave him a narrow-eyed glare.
    “Speaking of heat,” Riordan said, “Meeks had John Warner in her office when I stopped by the other day.”
    Mitchell stared at him with raised brows. “And...?”
    Riordan held out his hands like he cradled a coffee cup. “He took her coffee cup in his hands and heated it.”
    “So?” Aidan said.
    Glancing at his teammate, he looked back at Mitchell. “When I shook his hand, it literally burned me. Her cup was warm, but not hot like his hand. It was like he could control his body temperature.”
    Mitchell’s gaze shot to Clint. “Is that possible?”
    “Not only is it possible,” Clint said, “but we could be dealing with the person that stole my research. It sounds a lot like my project.”
    Riordan nodded. “Either way, John Warner did