Tried & True

by Charlie Cochet

  “Boo-hoo. Why don’t you go home and cry to Daddy? Oh, wait.” The guy laughed, and Dex joined in the laughter.

  “Oh shit! You’re a funny guy, you know that?” Dex wagged a finger at him. “I didn’t know you Makhai guys had a sense of humor. Why don’t I go home and cry to Daddy? Right. Because you kidnapped my dad, so he’s not there for me to cry to.” Dex wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. “Funny shit.” Dex slammed the guy’s head down against the table, blood splattering across the surface before his head bounced back.

  “You fuck!” He spat out a mouthful of blood and saliva.

  Dex sucked in a sharp breath. “Ooh, that’s gotta hurt. Where were we? Right. My daddy issues.”

  “You’re just going to have to kill me, because I ain’t saying shit.”

  “Everyone’s got a breaking point. Why don’t we find yours?”

  Whiskers laughed. “You think you’re gonna make me talk?”

  Dex shook his head. “Nope.” He walked over to the door and pounded on it. “But I betcha he is.” The door opened, and Dex took satisfaction in the look of “oh fuck” that crossed the guy’s face when Wolf walked in. The guy’s eyes were so wide, they looked like they were going to pop out of his head.

  “What the fuck is he doing here?”

  “You can’t just try to kidnap someone’s family and not have to answer to them.” Dex turned to Wolf. “Wolf, may I introduce you to Whiskers?”

  Wolf arched an eyebrow at him. “Well, that’s an unfortunate name for a tiger Therian.” Wolf turned a sympathetic gaze on their friend. “I’m so sorry your parents hated you.”

  “That’s not my name, asshole.”

  “Oh well, good times, then.”

  “But since he won’t give us his name, Whiskers it is,” Dex said cheerfully. He turned back to Whiskers. “Or did you want something more ferocious? Something that’ll strike fear in our hearts?”

  “Fred,” Wolf offered.

  Dex cast Wolf a sideways glance. “Fred?”

  Wolf nodded. “My auntie had this hideous-looking creature I suspect was some form of cat. It used to attack anything that moved within a five-mile radius of it. I swear it was shat by the devil.”

  Dex let out a bark of laughter. “Okay, you win. Fred it is.”

  Fred looked from Dex to Wolf and back to Dex. “You’ve got to be fucking shitting me. Why is he here?” Before Dex could answer, Fred turned his gaze to Wolf. “How much is he paying you? We’ll pay you triple.”

  Wolf laughed. “Oh, you poor bastard. I’m not being paid to do this. You shot my little brother in the chest.” Wolf placed the toolbox in his hand on the table with a thunk. He opened it and removed a hammer, which he then pointed at Fred. “Take a moment for that to sink in, Fred. You shot my sweet, innocent little brother in the chest. Do you know how much that hurts?” Wolf pulled a tranq gun from inside the toolbox and shot Fred in the chest.

  “Motherfuck!” Fred cursed and howled in between wheezing breaths.

  “Dude, you shot him!” Dex threw up his arms. “Really?”

  “They’re blanks, Dexter.”

  “Oh.” Dex put his arms down. “Carry on, then.”

  “You two… are… fucking… crazy,” Fred said, gasping for breath.

  Wolf grinned broadly at Dex. “You see there? He said we make a good team.”

  Dex was not impressed. “That is not what he said.”

  “Are you certain? Because I very clearly heard him say we make a good team.”

  “Can we get back to Fred?”

  “Very well.” Wolf returned his attention to Fred. “As you can see, that was very painful. Of course, you were spared the numbing toxin that was spread through my brother’s neurological system, paralyzing him and knocking him unconscious, leaving him vulnerable. And then your mates shot at the stuffy agent with the stick up his arse who was holding my baby brother.”

  “Sloane is not stuffy, nor does he have a stick up his ass.”

  “Don’t interrupt me, Dexter. I’m making a point.” Wolf reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a gun with a silencer. He shot Fred in the shoulder, then held the gun up so Fred could see it. Fred was a little busy groaning and writhing in pain. “This one does not have blanks.”

  Dex hoped they got something out of Fred before the guy bled to death or died of a fucking heart attack.

  Wolf sat on the edge of the table in front of Fred, hammer in one hand, gun in the other. “Now, Fred, what can you tell me about Dexter’s dear old dad?”

  The chains rattled as Fred held on to his wounded shoulder, his teeth gritted as he spat at them. “Fuck you.”

  “Not the reply I was hoping for.” Wolf returned his gun to his jacket before grabbing Fred’s hands and bringing the hammer down on one finger.

  Dex cringed as Fred’s howl filled the room.

  “Let’s try that again, Fred. I know you have nine more fingers, but time is of the essence. Where is Sergeant Maddock?”

  “Fuck you.”

  Wolf sighed. “Dexter, I’m afraid I’m going to need your assistance.”

  “Um, sure.” Dex walked over, and Wolf motioned to Fred as he pulled a pair of pliers out of the toolbox.

  “I need you to hold his head.”

  Fred tried to get up, but Dex pushed him down. Not like he could go anywhere. The guy’s wrists and ankles were shackled and chained to the iron loop bolted to the floor between the chair’s front legs. Dex grabbed hold of Fred’s head and kept him looking forward.

  “Open wide, Fred.”

  “I’ll see you in hell,” Fred spat out, and Dex was stunned by how quick Wolf moved. He jabbed Fred in the throat, and the guy let out a horrible gargling, gasping sound. Wolf stuck the pliers in Fred’s mouth, and with a quick flick of his wrist, a tooth popped out onto the table.

  Wolf picked up the tooth with his gloved hand and held it up to Dex. “L-pill.”

  “What?”

  “Potassium cyanide, Dexter.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me, Fred? A suicide pill?” Dex smacked Fred on the side of the head. He frowned at Wolf. “Spies still do that shit?”

  “It’s a little more sophisticated these days. Eyeglasses, pens, tie pins, but yes, still widely used.” Wolf turned his attention to Fred. “Of course, the whole point of being a spy, Fred, is to not get caught, but then I suppose you’re more hired muscle with a slight payroll increase.” Wolf patted Fred’s cheek, hard. “Now that we’ve made certain Fred stays with us a little longer, let’s get back to our chat.”

  Dex walked around the table and folded his arms over his chest. Fred glared at him, then at Wolf.

  “Now, Fred,” Wolf said pleasantly. “I’m not about to let you die before you give me something useful. Your organization is not coming for you. I can tell you that with certainty.”

  Fred scoffed. He leaned in to snarl at Wolf. “We can get to anyone.”

  “Now see, that’s where you’re wrong. Those fellows out there, as stuffy as they may be, can’t be bought. I guarantee you that anyone who tries to get to you will be dealt with. Why? Because they only trust one another.”

  “They have family,” Fred said, his grin smug.

  “And you think after this little stunt you’ve pulled with Sergeant Maddock this lot have left their families out there waiting to be plucked by your friends?” Wolf tsked. “All the families have been moved to secure locations.”

  Dex frowned. How the hell did Wolf know that? Dex hadn’t even known. It made perfect sense. It hadn’t occurred to him that his friends’ families would be in danger. Why would they be? The Makhai had wanted Hudson and Tony. Why would anyone else be a target? Now he knew. If the Makhai really wanted Fred back, they’d hit Destructive Delta where it hurt most. Why hadn’t Sparks or anyone else mentioned it? It was possible Wolf was bluffing. He’d done it before and was an expert at concealing the truth. Either way, Dex would be looking into it as soon as they were done here. Speaking of done….

  De
x turned to Wolf. “We need to move this along.”

  Wolf nodded. “You may want to stand back, darling. Don’t want to get blood on that pretty face of yours.” He looked up at Dex. “Why don’t you step outside? I’ll call you when he’s ready to talk.”

  Dex shook his head. “I appreciate it, but I’m not going anywhere.”

  The Makhai were responsible for so much pain and suffering. They’d shattered his childhood, and Dex had been fortunate to end up in a loving home, raised by a man like Anthony Maddock. Dex wasn’t going to let his dad down. Not only was he going to save his father, he was going to have retribution for what the Makhai had done.

  “You two think you’re going to scare me? I’m prepared to die.”

  “Who said anything about letting you die?” Wolf’s grin betrayed the deadness in his eyes. His pupils were blown, leaving only a thin rim of blue. Dex braced himself. He’d brought Wolf in to do this. Not because he didn’t have the balls or the stomach to do it himself, which was quite possible, since he’d never tortured anyone, but he didn’t possess the skill. He didn’t know how to cause Fred the right amount of pain to break him but not kill him. He knew pressure points. Knew where to hit Fred to incapacitate him, and yes, kill him, but not torture.

  Wolf started with Fred’s fingers, then he moved on to his teeth. The room filled with screams, sounds of choking, gagging, and gurgling. Wolf didn’t so much as blink. He focused on his task and went about bringing Fred as much pain as possible. Dex wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his gloved hand. His stomach churned on more than one occasion, but he pushed down the nausea each time. He had to get through this. When the room stank of blood, sweat, and piss and they had no information, Wolf spoke up.

  “You’re going to want to step outside for this, Dexter.”

  “I said I’m not going anywhere.”

  Wolf studied him, and Dex was stunned by the look of concern that came into Wolf’s eyes. Wait, was it concern or something else? Before Dex could figure it out, Wolf reached inside his suit jacket and removed a familiar leather wrap. He placed it on the table and unrolled it. Dex sucked in a sharp breath, his blood turning to ice at the sight of the long thin needles.

  Dex bolted for the door. He yanked it open, ignoring Sloane and everyone else. Dex took off down the hall, Sloane calling after him, but he didn’t stop until his stomach decided to empty itself of what little was in there. He used the wall to support himself as he doubled over, his whole body shaking as he threw up to the sound of Fred’s screams. Oh God. He’d screamed like that once.

  A gentle hand came to rest on his back, and Sloane handed him a tissue. Dex wiped his mouth, tears streaming down his cheeks as it all flooded back. The excruciating pain, the terror, the desperation as he’d clung to the hope he’d survive to see Sloane and his family again.

  “I’m so fucking stupid,” he croaked. “I asked for this. I brought him here to do this and convinced myself I had the balls to follow through, but I couldn’t…. Just seeing those needles again…. I couldn’t stay in there.” A sob tore through him, and Sloane wrapped Dex up in his strong arms. Dex buried his face against Sloane’s chest as Sloane pressed his cheek to Dex’s hair and tightened his hold on Dex.

  “Dex, you’re not stupid. There was no telling what methods Wolf would use. After what you went through, no one expects you to be in there, and before you think this reflects on you or your ability to become a TIN operative, you’re not Wolf. Sparks knows that. Whatever training Wolf may have received to do what he does, doesn’t mean it’ll be the same for us.” Sloane pulled back and cupped Dex’s face. “You’re a good man, Dex, with the biggest heart of anyone I know. You’re strong. Stronger than you give yourself credit for.” He wiped the tears from Dex’s cheeks with his thumb. “Feeling the way you do, not being in there, does not for one fucking second invalidate your conviction to find your father. Do you hear me?”

  Dex nodded. He couldn’t help his small smile as he wrapped his hands around Sloane’s wrists, his voice quiet when he spoke. “You know me so well.”

  “So I’ve been saying,” Sloane replied, placing a gentle kiss on Dex’s forehead. “I’m right here, Dex, and I’m with you every step of the way.”

  “Dex?”

  Dex wiped at his eyes and stepped out from behind Sloane to see Wolf standing outside the room.

  “I believe he’s ready to give you some answers.”

  There was no going back now. Dex understood what Austen had been trying to tell him. What Sparks had warned him of on several occasions. This wasn’t a new skill Wolf picked up after he went rogue. This was a skillset TIN had trained him with, one he clearly had experience using to do what needed to be done. How many times had Dex condemned Sparks’s actions? Just the other day, she’d asked him how far he was willing to go to protect those he cared about. He’d been quick to stand on his soapbox, criticizing TIN and their methods. He’d been so naïve. Now look at him. Despite what Sloane said, Dex had brought in a killer to do to Fred what had been done to him. What kind of man did that make him? What did it say about him that this was the path he’d chosen? Maybe Sloane was wrong. Maybe he and Wolf weren’t all that different.

  “Stop.”

  Sloane’s harsh tone snapped Dex out of his thoughts, and he blinked up at Sloane, his chest tight at the heartache in Sloane’s warm amber eyes.

  “I mean it, Dex. You two are nothing alike, and neither are the situations that led Wolf to you and this guy. That mercenary in there may not have given the order to kill your parents, but he works for the men who did. He chose to cause pain and misery, to kidnap people, make innocent people suffer. Maybe not all those people were innocent, but some were. Hudson is. Your parents were. They fought for what was right. Maybe they got in over their heads, but they didn’t deserve to die for it. They shouldn’t have been ripped from your life, from Tony’s life. You did nothing to bring on what Wolf did to you, but this guy?” Sloane thrust a finger behind him to the room where Fred was. “If he hadn’t been caught, he would have kept on hurting and killing. It’s time for him to pay for what he’s done.”

  Dex nodded. Sloane was right. The words may have been difficult to hear, but everything Sloane said was true. Dex thought about his parents, about how the reason they weren’t going to be at his wedding was sitting in that room. How if he didn’t get some answers, he was going to lose someone else he loved. He couldn’t let that happen.

  “You’re right.” Dex headed down the corridor to where Wolf stood. “I’m ready.” And this time, he had no intention of backing out.

  Wolf hesitated, looking as if he were going to say something, but instead turned and walked into the room. Dex followed, closing the door behind him. He was surprised to find the needles gone. Glancing at Wolf, Dex expected a teasing comment or snide remark, but received neither. Wolf stood quietly with his gloved hands clasped in front of him.

  Dex focused his attention on Fred, who was violently shaking. “Give me something, Fred.”

  “The doctor,” Fred replied, his voice hoarse from the screaming. Saliva dripped from his bloodied mouth, his tears mixing with the fluids on his face. “We were going to take the doctor to the theater.”

  “Keep going,” Dex insisted.

  “We… were… taking him… to an abandoned theater. In Borough Park. From there we’d keep moving him around the city until it was time to put him on a boat.”

  “Where were you going to move him after the theater?” Dex asked.

  Fred shook his head, his entire body shivering uncontrollably and what was left of his teeth chattering. “I don’t know. We’d receive a message the night before the move and would have to get him there by morning. Same thing would happen the next night. The guys are scheduled to change shifts every night, so no one knows where we’d been before that night or where we’re going the next night.”

  “Except for you,” Dex said. “You weren’t going anywhere. That’s why you had that nifty pill in your toot
h.”

  Fred nodded.

  “Were the rest of the locations likely to be abandoned?”

  “Yeah. We use a lot of abandoned places because of how many there are. Most of them are condemned, full of crackheads or feral Therians. No one goes in those places, especially at night.”

  “Except you guys.”

  Wolf stepped up beside him. “You said ‘put him on a boat.’ Where?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’m getting tired of that reply, Fred.” Wolf grabbed a power drill from the toolbox, then walked around the table. He placed it to Fred’s leg.

  “I swear! I don’t know! Again, we’d get told right before, and then we’d move out. It’s usually a shipping yard. We use containers to smuggle them out of the country.”

  Dex narrowed his eyes. “Them?”

  “Anyone the Makhai needs to make disappear.”

  “Why did you try to kidnap Hudson?” Wolf asked.

  Fred sneered at him. “They want their attack dog back.”

  “Oh, I don’t like being called a dog, Fred. It upsets me.” Wolf pressed the power drill button, and an agonized cry tore from Fred’s throat.

  “Fuck’s sake, Wolf,” Dex growled.

  Wolf shrugged. He turned his attention back to Fred. “Explain.”

  “They wanted someone with your skills under their thumb, and figured it was also good revenge for you reneging on your contract to kill Agent Daley. Two birds with one stone.”

  “And what exactly did they wish to do with my skills?”

  “They….” Fred swallowed hard. He looked from Wolf to Dex and back. “After they got what they wanted from Sparks, they planned to use your brother to get you to torture Sergeant Maddock and then kill him.”

  Dex’s blood ran cold. They were going to kill Tony anyway. What the hell was he thinking? Of course they were going to kill Tony. The Makhai wasn’t going to just let him loose, especially after they got what they wanted. No, they’d string Sparks along until the damage to TIN was done and the Makhai was well and truly in control, and then they’d kill Tony.