Rise & Fall

by Charlie Cochet

  Normally, he would have walked out, but he was afraid to interrupt them during such an intense, intimate moment. This had been a long time coming, and poor Calvin had been on the verge of losing his shit. Dex doubted whatever was going on behind him would solve the pair’s relationship issues. It might have just complicated the shit out of everything. For an explosives technician, Hobbs wasn’t great at handling these kinds of volatile situations, though he seemed pretty damned good at starting them.

  Dex hoped the two were getting each other off with a couple of handjobs at most, and considering how long they’d been holding out, he doubted the two would last all that long. Tentatively, he removed one earpiece, relieved to hear soft heavy breathing and kissing rather than the audio file to Raiders of the Lost Arse.

  Dex removed the second earpiece and turned around. Thankfully, the two were fully clothed and tucked away. Calvin was on his feet and being held in Hobbs’s arms as he brushed his fingers down the side of Calvin’s face. Dex had no idea what was going through Hobbs’s mind. A series of emotions came across his face before he cupped Calvin’s face, the look on his face heartbreaking.

  “What happened?” Hobbs asked quietly.

  Probably not the best thing the guy could have said after having done what he’d done. Judging by Calvin’s expression, he thought so too.

  “Please.”

  Calvin pressed his lips together, and Dex could see how uncertain he was. With a heavy sigh, he gave in. “Nothing happened. We made out, I slipped what Austen gave me into his drink, and got the information I needed out of him. I waited for him to fall asleep before putting him to bed and getting out. Okay?”

  Hobbs’s thumb started stroking Calvin’s cheek, his head cocked to one side as he patiently waited for Calvin to say whatever it was he obviously wanted to say.

  “Come home with me?”

  To Dex’s relief, Hobbs didn’t hesitate. He gave Calvin a nod and pulled him against him, squeezing him tight. Hobbs lifted his head and froze, his eyes meeting Dex’s and widening when realization set in.

  Dex waved. “Hey. How’s it going?”

  “Holy fuck!” Calvin spun around and stared at Dex. “Oh my God.” The pair turned to each other, their faces turning crimson. “Did we just….”

  “Get off in front of one of your teammates?” Dex said, feeling equally mortified by the whole thing. “Yep.”

  Calvin gasped, his attention on Dex again. “Did you watch us?”

  The nerve of the guy. “Who do you think I am? Austen?” He considered lying, but his team knew how shitty he was as it. “I watched a little.”

  “Oh God.” Calvin turned and buried his face against Hobbs’s chest, his voice muffled when he spoke. “We jacked each other off in front of Dex! Someone shoot me.”

  “Hey, how do you think I feel? I’m never going to be able to listen to ZZ Top again without thinking of you two playing knuckle shuffle.” And he’d really enjoyed ZZ Top.

  “I can’t even look at you right now,” Calvin said holding a hand out to cover Dex’s face as he headed for the back of the van with Hobbs in tow. “Call me when we’re moving out. And I swear if you tell Ash I will snipe you.”

  Dex gave them a salute. “Understood.” He held back a smile when Hobbs narrowed his eyes at him and pointed a menacing finger—that really wasn’t so menacing—in his direction. “Yep, I get it. Lips are sealed.” He made like he was zipping his lips, waiting for them to leave before letting out a sigh of relief.

  It was nearly 6 a.m. by the time Dex parked the catering van back in its garage. Not wanting to disturb Sloane, Dex decided to crash on the couch in his base, but not before he used his smartphone to find out what time the morning Mass at Collins’s church was and notify the rest of the team. He received a text from Ash simply stating:

  Rosa’s in. She’s pissed at you. Good luck with that.

  Fuck. He could think of a million reasons why Rosa would be pissed at him, but he didn’t have the energy right now to start listing them or the many ways he was going to have to grovel in order to make it up to her. And Sloane. And whoever else he happened to piss off on any given day. He lay down on the couch, not bothering with his shoes. In three hours he’d have to get up and head out to pick everyone up. Shit. He’d forgotten to text Sloane. Damn it. He thought about what he was going to say and sent a text apologizing for not being there, how Cael had called him with some relationship drama, and Dex had gone off to hang out with him when he’d lost track of time, and he ended up falling asleep at his brother’s. He then texted Cael to let him know. His brother’s response pretty much said it all.

  You’re a giant dick.

  Chapter 8

  “I’VE GOT eyes on Collins. I’m following him down Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.”

  Dex made sure to keep his distance as he walked down the street Drew Collins’s church was on. Thanks to Calvin, Collins was exactly where they expected him to be Saturday morning. At least until Collins walked right past the church where he was supposed to be attending Mass. Dex tapped his earpiece. “Collins went straight past the church. He’s heading into the old Renaissance Ballroom.” This couldn’t be good. The ballroom was derelict. It had been abandoned for years and was sealed off to the public.

  Ash’s voice came in over his earpiece. “Wait for backup.”

  “Sure.” He continued walking, speeding up when he saw Collins jump the fence. “He’s on the move.” Damn it, he couldn’t lose him. The team was only a block over, but by the time they all arrived, Collins could be gone.

  “Goddammit, Dex. You—”

  Dex hung up and put his phone on silent. If only he’d be able to do the same to Ash later on when the guy ripped him a new one. Holy Shit! He’d hung up on Ash!

  “Shit.” In an attempt to soften the blow, he quickly shot off a text saying he was sorry.

  Dex strolled past the Abyssinian Baptist Church and lingered by the chain-link fence. The church had a sign outside saying early Saturday Mass had been cancelled until further notice. If Collins wasn’t attending church on Saturdays like he told his boyfriend he was, then what was he doing around here? Dex stopped and leaned against the fence, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets and his foot propped up against the fence. The woman who’d been walking behind him with her kid gave him a warm smile as she walked by. He waited for them to round the corner and disappear before swiftly climbing over the fence, cringing at the noise made by the shuddering metal.

  His Chucks skidded slightly on the gravel, and he wished he’d invested in some biker boots like Sloane had suggested. He remained crouched down close to the fence for a few heartbeats before slowly rising and peeking through the droop in the tarp zip-tied to the fence. Coast was clear. He made a dash for the block-wide brick building. The windows were too high for him to climb, and all the doors were either boarded up or bolted shut. He could kick in one of the flimsy compressed boards covering one of the entrances, but if Collins was in there, Dex didn’t want to spook him.

  He came across an entrance with a sheet of plywood that was loose from the bottom. Looked like he’d found someone’s secret entrance. Crap. He’d have to crawl in. He kneeled down, removed his tactical flashlight from his jacket pocket, and stuck it between his teeth. Carefully, he pulled at the base of the board and squeezed through. Good thing he wore his busted-up leather jacket. He would have scratched the shit out of his new one. Once inside, he released the board and gingerly turned, his flashlight now in his hand.

  The Renaissance Ballroom had once been a bustling casino and theater back during the days of the Charleston and Lindy Hop, with performances by some of the most renowned jazz musicians of the time. Now all that was left were the decaying remnants of an era long gone. The skeleton of the ballroom was shrouded in shadows and dimly lit with its only source of light filtering through the hollow windows and collapsing ceiling.

  Dex removed his tranq gun from the holster concealed by his jacket, and silently ventured fart
her in, making sure to watch his step. What appeared to have been a dance floor was nothing but dirt and rubble, colonized by patches of stinky mushrooms. The place was filthy. God only knew what else was in here. He listened for any sounds and tried to keep to the shadows. If Collins was in his cougar Therian form, he’d be stalking and hunting Dex by sight. Maybe he should have listened to Ash and waited for backup.

  Trying to keep an ear out for movement would have been a lot easier if the place didn’t creak and rustle all over. He warily shifted his gaze up to the corroded ceiling beams. The whole damn roof looked like it could collapse at any moment. All it needed was for a pigeon to come through one of the open windows and take a shit on one, and the whole place would come crashing down over him.

  Slowly, he moved from room to room, the walls crumbling or in piles of rubble. There were faded sketches of musicians playing their instruments on some of the walls, and a few of the chandeliers still had bulbs in them. A piece of debris snapped under his sneaker, and he froze. Shit.

  Staying perfectly still, he heard nothing but the sound of his own breathing. There was enough light for him to see around him, and so far, there was no movement. Leaving the room and entering another, he almost didn’t see it. A shadow moved, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Collins leapt at him with a fierce roar from a pile of what Dex had assumed had been debris. Dex bolted, running as fast as he could while trying not to trip on all the scattered rubble. He made for a set of rickety stairs he doubted would even hold his weight, but he had little choice. Before he could make the stairs, Collins came at him from another angle, slamming him into the old concrete bandstand and knocking the gun from his hand. He cried out as his ribs hit at an odd angle, and he fell onto the dust-covered floor, writhing and holding on to his side.

  An angry hiss caught his ear, and he raised his head in time to see Cael claw at Collins’s neck. Collins retaliated, but Cael was too quick. He sped off with Collins on his tail, giving him the runaround, leaping and skidding, making sharp turns Collins’s much bulkier frame had trouble with. Cael led Collins away from Dex when a leopard Therian jumped out from the shadows, tumbling into Cael.

  “Cael!” Dex held on to his ribs, snatched up his gun, and tried to scramble to his feet, the lack of air filling his lungs making it difficult. Two or more Felids emerged from the shadows, all roaring, hissing, and surrounding his little brother. Dex forced himself to his feet and took aim, firing off rounds into as many of the Felids as he could catch. One got shanked with three darts, and he hobbled drunkenly away. Dex kept a grip on his side as he headed for Cael, firing into the roaring Felids until his gun was empty. A roar shook the rafters, scaring the shit out of Dex, but he was relieved to see it had come from Ash with Hobbs close behind. A Felid Therian battle ensued with sharp fangs snapping and claws grazing flesh. Ash roared at Cael, and Cael took the hint. He sped toward Dex when more of Collins’s crew crawled out of the woodwork.

  Dex cursed under his breath. One of them caught him in his sights, and Dex wished he’d brought more than one tranq gun. He should have been more prepared, but he’d been expecting reconnaissance work, not a goddamn ambush. Dex turned to run only to find himself knocked to the ground. He was getting real tired of being pushed around like some Felid chew toy. A roar louder than Ash’s brought everything and everyone to a screeching standstill, and for a split second, Dex thought Hogan had joined the party, but he was way off, though no less screwed. Seb collided with Collins, sending the smaller Felid rolling across the floor into a mound of mushrooms. Seeing himself outmuscled, Collins bolted with the rest of his crew fast on his heels.

  “You have to go after him!” Dex yelled at his teammates. Hobbs turned to do as Dex asked when Seb let out another roar, bringing Hobbs to sit. He lowered his head and flattened his ears back with a chuff. Seb was having none of it. They’d been so close. Dex sat where he was and let out a frustrated growl. No point in arguing. Collins and his crew were long gone.

  Hobbs padded over and bumped his big furry head against Dex’s. At least one of his Therian teammates wasn’t pissed at him. Dex gave Hobbs a reassuring scratch behind the ear as he returned his gun to his holster.

  “I’m okay, pal. Thanks.”

  The low mewl Hobbs let out said he wasn’t too convinced. Cael soon appeared beside Dex and started grooming him, licking his face and hair.

  “Bro, seriously, I’m fine.”

  Cael sat on his haunches and proceeded to tell Dex off in cheetah Therian, despite knowing Dex couldn’t understand what the hell his chirps meant. Intimidation really wasn’t his little brother’s strong suit. Seb on the other hand….

  The huge tiger Therian loomed over Dex, his green eyes flashing with fury. The dude was even bigger in his Therian form than he was in his Human form. What the hell did these guys eat? He held a hand up. “I know you’re pissed—”

  Seb roared, the sound terrifying enough to startle Cael and Hobbs who both ducked behind Dex. Ash kept his distance, his tail and ears saying he was aware of what was going on but trying to keep out of it for everyone’s sake.

  “How about we discuss this in a language we can both understand.” Not that ‘pissed off’ was difficult to understand. Dex preferred it when he could argue his case. He slowly put his hands up in front of him. “I’m going to call Rosa and have her bring the van around. You can shift there.” Seb sat back, and Dex reached for his phone. He called Rosa and asked her to drive up to the chain-link fence on 138th Street. Returning his phone to his pocket, Dex waited. “Letty’s going to bring everyone their clothes, so….”

  Seb let out a chuff and got up. After a quick lick to Dex’s face from his little brother, Cael trotted after Seb with Hobbs slowly trailing behind. “This is going to be fun,” Dex muttered, cursing under his breath as he struggled to get up. Ash appeared beside Dex and pushed his head against him. He shook his mane, and Dex grabbed a fistful of it. “Thanks, man.”

  Ash pulled and Dex stood. He brushed himself off as he headed for the boarded-up door he’d come in through. It was bigger now that his Felid teammates had forced their way through. Teeth gritted, he crawled through. Man, his ribs were killing him. At least he hadn’t broken anything.

  Out on the street, Lou’s catering/surveillance van was parked, and his Felid teammates were leaping in, including Seb. It was going to be even more packed than usual.

  “He’s going to tear me a new one, isn’t he?”

  Ash let out a loud huff before climbing in the van. Dex waited on the steps of the closed church as his team shifted. How the hell had Seb found out they were here? Cael wouldn’t have told him, Dex was sure. Checking his watch, he saw it was almost noon. Shit. Sloane had to be up by now. His thoughts were interrupted a few minutes later when he saw Seb thundering over to him. Although not at 100 percent, considering postshift, he was still intimidating as hell.

  “You have every right to be pissed.”

  “Is this why you were glad Sparks gave me the case? So you could make an asshole out of me?” Seb demanded.

  “What? No. Jesus, Seb. Of course not.”

  “Really? Because it sure as hell feels like it. I can’t even begin to list the number of protocols you’ve broken. And worse, you roped our brothers into this? You put your whole team in jeopardy. For what? Ego? What are you trying to prove, Dex?”

  “I’m not trying to prove anything.” Dex rose, the step he stood on making him the same height as Seb. “The guy tried to blow up my team! He had Ash shot and Sloane….” Dex shook his head and did his best to keep his emotions in check before he said or did something he would regret. Just because the guy was Hobbs’s brother didn’t mean they were best buds.

  Seb’s expression softened, and some of his anger seemed to have shifted. “Hey, Sloane used to be my Team Leader too. He’s a great guy and a damn good agent. What happened was fucked-up. I know how you feel.”

  “Then you know why I have to go after Hogan.”

  “It’s no
t your job! I’m sorry, Dex, but I have to report this.” Seb reached for his phone and Dex caught his wrist, his eyes pleading.

  “You would have done the same.”

  Seb frowned at him and shook his head. “I’d be pissed as hell, but I wouldn’t go against orders, put my team in danger, or risk disciplinary measures.”

  “You did once.”

  Something flashed through Seb’s eyes and he straightened. “That has nothing to do with this.”

  “It has everything to do with this.”

  A puzzled look came onto Seb’s face as he studied Dex when realization dawned on him. “Shit.” He wiped a hand over his face and shook his head before his eyes landed on Dex again. “Shit.”

  “Tell me something. If you had it to do over, knowing what would happen, would you let him die so the boy could live?”

  Seb looked away as he thought about his answer. Finally, he shook his head before meeting Dex’s gaze. “No. I’d take the bullet myself so they could both live.” The conviction in Seb’s voice left no doubt of how serious he was.

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to fuck with your case. I couldn’t sit on my ass doing fuck all after what Hogan did to Sloane. I’ll take full responsibility for this. Report me, not the team. They did it for me,” Dex pleaded. He watched with bated breath as Seb mulled it over.

  “I know I’m going to regret this. I’m not going to report you, but you stop investigating immediately.”

  “I can’t.”

  Seb threw his arms up. “Jesus, are you always this fucking difficult?”

  “Only on days ending in ‘y.’” Dex’s attempt at humor fell flat, and he decided the hell with it. He wasn’t too proud to beg. “Please. Let us work with you off the books. If anything happens, none of it will get back to you, and you can disavow all knowledge of us working with you. I’ll take whatever heat comes down. But if we catch Hogan, you can take the credit. I just want to see his ass nailed to the fucking wall.”

  Seb eyed him. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”