“I swear, that’s all I know. Please.”
Wolf nodded. “I believe you, Fred.” He placed the power drill in the toolbox, then pulled out his gun and shot Fred in the head.
Dex stared at him. “What the fuck did you just do?”
Wolf returned his gun to the holster inside his jacket. “Removed a loose end, Dexter. What were you planning on doing? Arresting him? You certainly couldn’t hand him over to TIN, not with the Makhai on the inside. He had no more information. You arrest him, and the Makhai would simply find him and do what I just did, only make it look like he’d done it to himself. I saved the city time and money. Lucky for you, you happen to have the Chief Medical Examiner just outside.”
Wolf opened the door, and Dex ran after him.
Damn it, he should have known Wolf wasn’t going to just walk away from Fred. He’d probably made the decision to kill the guy from the moment he’d agreed to interrogate him. Hell, maybe that was why he’d agreed to this whole thing, knowing that at the end he could end the guy’s life. How much killing had Wolf done to feel no remorse for his actions? He didn’t think twice about pulling the trigger and planting a bullet in Fred. Was that what TIN expected from Dex? From Sloane? Dex quickly shook those thoughts from his head. Right now, the only thing that mattered was finding his father. Everything else would have to wait.
“WHAT HAPPENED?” Sloane asked the moment Wolf and Dex emerged from the interrogation room. The look on Dex’s face said it wasn’t good. Damn it. Sloane had hoped that son of a bitch would give them something. One lead. They just needed a place to start.
“We got a lead,” Dex said somberly, “but it’s not much. I doubt they’ve taken Tony to where they were going to take Hudson, but we need to check it out anyway. They tried to kidnap Hudson so Wolf would do what they wanted.”
“Which was what?” Hudson asked.
“After they got what they wanted from Sparks, they were going to get him to torture my dad and then kill him.”
Sloane balled his hands into fists at his sides and told himself to breathe.
“And we’re just going to let him walk out of here?” Ash asked, pointing to Wolf. “What if, God forbid, they manage to get their hands on Hudson? You really think Wolf isn’t going to do exactly what they want him to do?”
Hudson looked horrified. He turned to his brother. “You will do nothing of the sort.”
Wolf arched an eyebrow at him. His expression turned dark. “You expect me to do what? Stand by and allow them to kill you?”
“You honestly believe they won’t kill me anyway? That they’ll hold up their side of the deal? Like they plan to do with Sergeant Maddock? I will not be the source of someone else’s grief, Alfie! Do you understand me?”
“And who bloody said I’d leave the decision to you?” Wolf growled at Hudson, crowding him menacingly.
Hudson held his head high. “You won’t have a choice.” There was no mistaking the conviction in Hudson’s voice.
Wolf stared at him. “What are you saying?”
“I will not allow myself to be used to hurt someone I care about. Perhaps you forget who I am. Death is not your specialty alone, brother.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
Wolf turned to Seb. “Talk some sense into your bloody husband, will you?”
Seb swallowed hard, pain in his eyes. “I wish I could.”
“What?”
“Come on, Wolf. You really think he’s going to listen? If it was me, and I knew someone was going to use me to hurt Hudson, or my brothers… I’d do the same.”
Wolf looked around at everyone and their determined expressions. “I’m surrounded by fucking martyrs. Unbelievable.”
“Are you saying you wouldn’t do the same?” Dex asked. He stepped up to Wolf and put two fingers to the sides of his temple. It took everything Sloane had not to grab him and move him away from that asshole. “Someone puts a gun to your head and says to Hudson, ‘you kill your friends, or your brother dies,’ what do you do? Do you let him do it, knowing what it will do to him? Knowing there’s a chance he’s going to turn into you?”
Wolf stilled. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. When he opened them, he took hold of Dex’s fingers, tucked them under his hand, and brought Dex’s hand to his lips for a kiss. Dex arched an eyebrow at him. What the hell was this guy’s deal? He was always flirting with Dex or finding an excuse to touch him. It drove Sloane, and his Felid half, insane.
“You’re a very dangerous man, Dexter. I imagine you would be very bad for my reputation.” He released Dex and headed for the exit. “You have your answers. I would move quickly.”
“What are you going to do?” Dex called out after him.
“Seeing as how my little brother has some very stupid ideas knocking around that annoying brain of his, I’m going to do what I do best. Find those who do not wish to be found. I’ll be in touch. Keep the little wanker safe, will you?” He turned and winked at his brother. “Have fun cleaning up my mess for once.”
“What’s he on about?” Hudson turned to Dex.
“Wolf shot Fred. In the head.”
Sloane groaned, and Hudson let out a slew of curses, but by the time he turned to look for Wolf, he was gone.
Dex put a hand on Hudson’s shoulder. “We gotta go. You okay to handle this?”
“Yes. I’ll get Nina to help.”
“Okay.” Sloane turned to Seb. “You stay with him. The only people we trust are family. Everyone else is considered a possible threat. You need backup.”
“I’ll get Dom and Rafe,” Seb replied without hesitation.
Sloane nodded. He agreed with Seb’s choice. Dom could be trusted, and Rafe was a given. Also, Rafe was just as fierce as Seb, if not more. He’d be one hell of an obstacle to get through if Seb went down. “We’ll keep you posted. Destructive Delta, we’re moving out.” Sloane led his team down the corridor toward the exit, while Dex filled him in on the information they obtained before Wolf put a bullet in Fred’s head. They joined up with Rosa, Letty, and Calvin, and together they made for the elevator and headed up to the garage where the BearCat was parked. Sloane opened the back doors, and everyone took their positions except for Dex, who grabbed a bottled water from the mini fridge, rinsed his mouth out, and spit it out into the small trash bin inside one of the compartments. Taking the bottle with him, he took a seat on the bench. Hobbs got behind the wheel, with Calvin buckling up in the passenger side. Cael took a seat behind the security console, and everyone else took the bench. They buckled up, and Hobbs got them moving.
“Where are we heading?” Cael asked.
“Queens,” Sloane replied. Dex shifted beside him, and Sloane quickly removed his phone from his pocket. He held it up so everyone could see it, then turned it off. He tapped his earpiece, the light turning from blue to red. Everyone pulled out their phones and did the same. Hobbs handed his phone to Calvin. Cael turned and powered down the security console. Once everyone’s earpiece was off, Sloane spoke up. “No tech,” Sloane reminded them. “We gotta go dark until we get some tech the Makhai can’t use against us. No cell phones, no security console, no earpieces, no GPS, nothing. Hobbs, we’re heading for Brooklyn. Off Eleventh Avenue and Forty-Sixth Street.”
“Wow,” Ash said with a whistle. “That’s really specific, bro. How do you know where it is?”
Sloane shrugged and looked down at his gloved hands. “I know the area really well. I spent a lot of nights driving aimlessly through the streets. It’s near Green-Wood Cemetery.” Sloane gave Dex a small smile. “That’s where Gabe is buried.”
“You okay?” Dex put his arm around Sloane, and Sloane kissed his cheek.
“I am, sweetheart. I promise.” It was the truth. Dex had played a major role in helping Sloane heal, and although he still missed Gabe, he was now able to draw fond memories rather than painful tragic ones.
They were making good time, despite traffic, and needed to get in there before
the sun set. Not that he could recall the place having any windows. The old theater had been bustling with activity back in the twenties and had held some pretty epic concerts up until the seventies when the neighborhood got tired of the noise. Sadly, the place was falling apart. It had been owned by a furniture company once and used for storage. It was then sold to another furniture company, which also used it for storage. Considering the Makhai had planned to use it, even if it was for one evening, it most likely had been abandoned for some time.
Hobbs drove up Eleventh Avenue and made a left on Forty-Sixth Street. The old brick building looked pretty much like it had the last time Sloane had seen it, with the addition of some more scaffolding along the front and side. Back when he’d aimlessly roamed these streets, he’d felt a tinge of sadness whenever he’d gone by the old theater. Its façade showed remnants of elegant molding, and Sloane couldn’t help but wonder what she must have looked like in her heyday. Now the building looked much like the hundreds of other abandoned places around the city, with its heavily boarded-up entrances and mismatched brickwork where windows had once been.
The BearCat came to a stop beside the theater, and Sloane unbuckled his belt. “Let’s try and get in there as quietly as possible. We don’t know what we’re walking into. Our priority is the Sarge. Once we’re inside, turn your coms on and stay safe. Ready?”
Everyone nodded. They secured their helmets, then grabbed their rifles and shields. Sloane opened the back doors and jumped out. He waited for the rest of his team and then closed the doors. They fell into formation and quickly ran under the scaffolding. There were plenty of vans and commercial vehicles parked in the area, thanks to the lumberyard across the street and the surrounding businesses.
“It looks like it’s scheduled to be demolished. I saw a banner back there,” Cael said.
“That would explain why the Makhai picked it. They only needed it for one night.” Sloane went straight for the back. It was very unlikely the Makhai were going to camp out on the other side of the building, which had been converted into a storefront some time ago, complete with large glass windows. No, if the Makhai were here, they would be on the other side of the wall, where the rest of the theater remained untouched. They reached a set of heavy metal doors. “Ash, help me out here.” Ash joined him, and Sloane took hold of one door while Ash took the other. “Lift and pull.” They did, and the doors opened. They exchanged glances.
“Well, that’s a good sign,” Ash murmured before returning to formation. Sloane motioned for them to follow, and he raised his rifle, keeping an eye out for any movement as they entered the makeshift alley. More scaffolding and an aluminum roof had been placed between the buildings, with heavy mesh and a string of lightbulbs. Sloane would hazard a guess that this was the entrance the demolition crew intended to use before they brought the whole thing down. To his left there was another set of double doors. This one wasn’t locked either. The hairs on the back of Sloane’s neck stood on end as he reached for the handle.
“What’s wrong?” Dex asked from behind him.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Something doesn’t feel right.” It wasn’t just the convenience of finding no locks on either set of doors. His gut was telling him something was off. He checked around the doors, the hinges, the frame, looking for any trip wires or any evidence of something suspicious, but he found nothing.
“Do you want to find another way in?” Dex asked.
Sloane shook his head. “Everyone, stand back.” Gripping the handle tight, he carefully inched the door open. Nothing. He opened it and motioned for Hobbs to come forward and check it out.
Hobbs stepped in, rifle at the ready. He quickly checked the area, his sharp eyes not missing anything. Hobbs knew exactly what to look for. He inspected the walls, the ceiling, the floor, checked the dust, the splintered boards, everywhere. He sniffed the air and then turned to Sloane, shaking his head.
“Okay.” Sloane nodded, and Hobbs rejoined the formation. “Area’s clear,” Sloane said, motioning for his team to follow. They headed through the dilapidated corridor, the walls plastered with old fliers and posters, the floor still littered with old ticket stubs and candy wrappers. Sloane held his rifle at the ready, his Therian vision helping him see into the shadows. He listened for any sounds that shouldn’t be there. So far there was no movement. They reached the door that led out into the orchestra level of the theater, and Sloane turned. He signaled for Ash, Letty, Hobbs, and Calvin to take the stairs up to the balcony level. If there was any trouble down below, he wanted his sniper up there with a full view of everything and everyone. Ash, Letty, and Hobbs would provide cover for Calvin, should he need it. The rest of the team would go in with Sloane.
The old blue doors had seen better days. They were rotting, the paint crackled and chipped. Pieces of the decorative molding had broken off over the years. Sloane took hold of one handle and motioned for Dex to take the other. He mouthed the words “on three,” and Dex nodded.
Sloane counted down on his fingers, and on three, they opened the doors with a loud creak. Sloane cringed, but there was no way around it. This place had been built in the twenties and abandoned decades ago. What was left of it was crumbling around them. Sloane quickly took the lead once more, and the rest of the team entered behind him and spread out into the orchestra pit filled with broken furniture, debris, and empty boxes. They each checked a section, making sure there was no one hiding behind the mountains of rubble and garbage. Each one of his teammates came back with the same reply. The area was clear.
“Sloane.”
Dex’s tone had Sloane running over, and he gently put his hand on Dex’s shoulder when he saw the weathered black leather bomber jacket hanging from the back of a bloodstained chair.
“That’s Tony’s,” Dex said, reaching out to take the jacket, then hesitating. There was a note sticking out of the front breast pocket. Dex pulled it out and opened it for them to read.
Predictable. Nice try. We’ll say hi to dad for you.
Dex crushed the paper in his hand. Before he could reply, Ash shouted from the balcony.
“Everybody out!”
Sloane grabbed the jacket and Dex. They turned to run as a boom shook the theater. Sloane’s eyes widened as the balcony popped up and for a moment, Ash, Calvin, Hobbs, and Letty were floating before everything came down.
“Ash!” Sloane took off, a cloud of dust smacking into him when the balcony hit the floor. Pieces of rubble flew out in different directions, chunks of plaster and wall. Sloane coughed and covered his nose and mouth with his arm as he walked through the fog. Somewhere behind him, he heard Cael shouting for Ash and the rest of the team calling to the others.
“Up here!” Ash coughed, and Sloane took a step back, looking up. As the dust began to settle, he could make out several hanging dark shadows. Dex, Cael, and Rosa stood beside Sloane. A tiny section of balcony remained, the chunk of concrete holding a row of chairs hung precariously from several steel rods that had bent downward but not broken. Ash was clutching one of the chairs, Letty wrapped around his waist and legs, and Calvin hanging by one arm from the strap of Ash’s rifle, which was thankfully strapped to Ash’s vest.
“Ethan!” Calvin called as he tried to get purchase.
“Fuck.” Sloane looked around. He’d seen a mattress somewhere around here. “There! Guys, grab that mattress and bring it over.” It was a mighty small target to hit if Calvin fell, but it was better than the jagged slabs of concrete. If anyone could make it, it’d be Calvin. As the rest of the team went for the mattress, Sloane kept his attention on Ash and the others.
Hobbs was in the doorway on solid ground, kneeling and quickly pulling out the grappling rope from his backpack. He secured it to himself, then around an exposed beam in the wall. He jerked on it, and seeming satisfied it would hold his weight, he turned, and as quickly as possible, rappelled down the wall to the hanging piece of balcony.
Dex, Cael, and Rosa returned with the mattress. They plac
ed it where they thought Calvin would land. It wasn’t an exceptionally long way to fall, but with all the dangerous debris on the floor, it could cause some serious injury.
Hobbs placed a boot on the edge of the broken structure, and it shook. Ash cursed, and Calvin cried out, the pain from hanging from one arm jolting him. Hobbs pressed his lips together and shook his head. It wasn’t going to work. Ash looked up at Hobbs, and Hobbs motioned downward and made a swinging motion.
“Shit.” Sloane took a deep breath.
“What’s going on? What’s he going to do?” Dex asked.
“He’s going to come down fast and swing toward Ash. Ash is going to have to grab him on the first attempt and make sure he gets a good grip or they’re all coming down. The section they’re on won’t hold Hobbs’s weight, and there’s no time for me to get up there and get them down.” Dust was raining down from the chunk of balcony, and the crumbling sounds told him all he needed to know. Sloane held his breath, and Hobbs counted down on his fingers.
On three, Hobbs sped down the rope, and swung right, making sure he was lower so when Ash fell, he wouldn’t miss Hobbs. Gasps were heard all around as Ash and everyone hanging on to him fell. Ash latched on to Hobbs’s vest with both gloved hands. Everyone bounced and shouted, but they held on tight.
“Everyone okay?” Sloane called out.
“Peachy,” Ash replied with a growl. “Get us the fuck out of here, Hobbs.”
Hobbs planted his feet against the balcony, and Sloane ushered everyone to the doors they’d come in from. The balcony was about to come down. They ran for the stairs leading up to the balcony, and Sloane placed Tony’s jacket on the floor to one side so he could grab the rope.
“Everyone pull,” Sloane ordered. Dex, Cael, and Rosa all grabbed the rope with him and heaved. Sloane gritted his teeth, his muscles straining. They each took one step back at a time, one foot first, then the other. If Dex hadn’t been part Therian, there was no way they would have been able to pull up Hobbs, Ash, and their two Human teammates. As strong as Cael was, Sloane would have been doing most of the heavy lifting, and Hobbs would have been challenge enough.
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