Traction

by Autumn McKayne

  “Well, our current government insists that Agents make it their mission to try.” Gideon said roughly, interrupting Jared’s thoughts. He headed for his massive work desk and opened a large drawer. Pulling out a sheaf of papers, he looked up at Jared, then Rae and Declan in turn. “Renegades like your daddy made it a mission to stop them.” He spread out the papers, smoothing their crinkled edges and setting various weights from his desk at their corners to hold them flat. He looked at Declan. “Now that it’s known that you killed Kingsley, you’ll be number one on their list. I don’t reckon Agents take too kindly to someone murdering their own, or for that matter, double crossers.”

  Jared’s head snapped up. Something unpleasant jogged loose in his memory. William had mentioned something, something about how badly Vivienne wanted to get her hands on Declan, and now Gideon’s words caused an unpleasant tightening in his chest. “Double crossers?”

  Declan stepped toward him, and the uneasiness that had been rolling around in Jared’s stomach since Gideon had mentioned Reese heading into a battle zone kicked up ten notches. “Jare-“

  “No.” Sharp currents of anger pulsed through Jared, and he curled his fingers into his palms to keep from lashing out. He remembered now, being confused at his brother’s last discussion with William. “You...you’re supposed to help people. You and dad, you guys were Renegades, not Agents. You fought to save ditchbreeds like me, tried to get us to shelters.”

  “Hey!” Gideon reprimanded sharply. “Call ‘em rescues. You ain’t usin’ that ‘d’ word in here.”

  “Damn right.” Declan’s eyes flashed. “Dad banned that term in our house, so like hell you’re gonna start using it now. That’s society’s dirty, shitty way of labeling what they don’t understand. You’re not one of them anymore.”

  Jared shook his head, his wrist burning. “I’ll always be one of them.” He bit his lip. “And we constantly had to hide from Agents that tried to kidnap us, or rape us, or kill us.” Jared’s brow furrowed in anger as he looked at Gideon and Declan. “And you worked with them?”

  Declan didn't deny it.

  Jared cried out. He barely felt it when Rae came up beside him to press herself gently against his side. “Declan?” she asked worriedly.

  Gideon looked between them, then glared at Declan. “You gotta be shittin’ me.” He threw his files down onto the desk. “They don’t know?”

  Declan sighed. “I was gonna tell them.” At Gideon’s empty look, he ran his hands over his face. “I figured the less they knew, the better.”

  “Oh, for shit’s sake.” Gideon grabbed the bottle of whiskey.

  “You worked with the Agents conducting these raids, and you didn't think you should tell us?” Rae’s entire body vibrated with anger. “We’ve spent years working the shelters, trying to rehome the rescues that you guys sent to us. People you saved from the streets, from the Agents. Shit went down at our shelters, too, you know. Jared and I have fended off plenty of Agents ourselves. Yet this whole time, you've been working with the very people that have countered us at every turn?”

  “Met with,” Declan corrected. “Met, not worked-“

  “And you spent the other night talking about trust,” Jared whispered.

  “Jare.” Declan gripped his shoulder. “I didn't work with Agents. I only met with them to try and get information about Dad’s killer. But then during the meeting, Vivienne turned all smooth and charming, doing her damnedest to get me to defect from the Renegades and start working for her as an Agent. Which, I shouldn’t even have to say this, I would obviously never do.”

  “That makes zero sense,” Rae said. “Why would she think someone who saves rescues would suddenly be okay with killing them?”

  Declan paused. “Because she promised me your safety if I did.”

  Rae cursed, her body vibrating with anger just like Jared’s. “Okay, so she wanted you to become an asshole Agent. I assume you gave her a gigantic middle finger.”

  “She dragged me on a couple raids with them, wanted me to see the glory I was missing by not being an Agent.” Declan’s face twisted into a grimace. “I realize now she was just humoring me. Playing some kind of mind game I have yet to figure out. I didn’t hurt anyone, but I wasn’t exactly able to help, either.”

  Jared’s throat tightened. “You defected.”

  “I adapted.” A long silence stretched between them.

  “He did what he had to do,” Gideon interjected. “And he got what word out he could to me, about the Agents’ next moves.”

  “So you played along, except instead of conducting raids, you tipped him off about them.” Jared jutted his chin in Gideon’s direction.

  Declan nodded. “Wasn't easy to get the word out, but yeah. Most of the time I could let Gideon or a couple others know when and where the raid was going down, and he’d send other Renegades to intercept them.”

  “Most of the time?”

  Declan looked away. “Most of the time.”

  Jared pressed his back against the wall, fighting the urge to curl into himself. That meant the times that Declan couldn't get the word out, he had to play along and perform raids that no one Renegades were around to stop.

  “We are the good guys, Jare.” Declan assured softly. “But sometimes that means all you can do is not get caught by the bad. I never stopped helping rescues, ever. If I had to pretend to fall in line with the Agents, I would pull rescues behind our trucks and then sneak them away through the woods so they could find another shelter. Or I hid them in the backs of vehicles of runners like Slater. But I had to be careful, doing it in plain freaking sight like that. If the Agents had found me out…”

  “Desperate times, son,” Gideon told Jared.

  “Jared,” Declan pleaded. “You have to believe me.”

  Jared’s throat worked up and down. He did believe Declan, but the hurt was still there. He looked at Gideon. “You used to work in the field,” he guessed.

  “I did.”

  “But you don’t anymore.”

  “Haven’t for awhile,” Gideon confirmed.

  “Why?”

  “Your daddy and I went way back,” Gideon explained. “Back before the government was the swamp full of Agents it is now, we trained together as Renegades. There’s always been a need, though never more than now.”

  “But you split up,” Rae surmised. “Why?”

  “Weren’t no hard feelings about it.” Gideon’s mouth curved. “Let’s just say Johnathan was always better at following orders than I was.” He gestured to the pile of papers on the desk. “Better at leading, too. I figured out quick that my services were much better used as a coordinator than a tracker. I knew everyone, hell I could make connections faster than Jared here can run. I started mapping out who was on our side, and who wasn't.” He waved a pile of bank statements. “Learned where our resources came from.”

  “Gideon and a couple other coordinators like him give the Renegades our jobs. People like Slater and I carry them out. If all goes well, we are able to get them to shelters, to you guys.” Declan explained.

  “Yeah, we’re familiar with that part.” Rae glared at Declan.

  Jared studied his brother, hating the way his explanation for meeting with Vivienne and her Agents was starting to make sense. “So where does that leave us now?”

  Gideon lifted a huge painting off the wall, revealing a gigantic map with different colored thumbtacks and highlighted routes scattered across its surface. Setting the painting, which was just a paper thin, practically weightless canvas aside, Gideon turned back and addressed all of them. “If you all are serious about wanting a job, there are plenty to be had. Much as I’d like to, keeping you locked down here won’t do a damn bit of good.”

  When no one said a word to the contrary, Gideon pointed to the map. “This is the most comprehensive geographical list of every Renegade raid and interception, successful and otherwise, conducted in the last twelve months.” He gestured to various pins. “Red means Agents
found us out, and we lost more than we saved. The number next to it is estimated casualties- both rescues and Renegades.” Gideon let that sink in. “Green means we successfully avoided them, and got the rescues out. Purple marks prospective future hits, based on our best intel.”

  Jared noticed the bright purple thumbtack sticking out about ten miles west of Salt Lake City. He had only a second to think of Reese before Gideon continued. “Yellow highlights and markers show our allies. X’s are our sanctuary cities, and the black dots mark our shelters.” He nodded to Jared and Rae. “You two are more than familiar with those.” Turning back to the map, he blew out a breath. “There’s a lot of purple on here, and believe you me, word has gotten out about William’s death at your hand. He was a well known leader for the Agents. It’s made a lot of Renegades more determined than ever to help, but for the ones who are on the fence, well. Let’s just say our numbers are down way more than I’d like.”

  “Like five against a dozen,” Jared stated blandly.

  Rae squeezed his hand. “He’ll make it back, Jare.”

  Gideon tapped his fingers on the table. “The good news is, no one knows you’re here. Otherwise we’d all be long gone by now. My gal Iris is due here in a few days, along with a couple of her guys. We’ll combine intel, make a plan. Figure out where we hit next.” He looked back and forth between them all. “We sure as hell could use all the forces we’ve got, if the Renegades are ever gonna defeat Vivienne and her Agents.”

  Jared heard the hesitation in his voice. “But?

  Gideon pointed in the direction of the front door. “But the moment you step out there, the second you start fighting, that shield of safety is gone. Word is gonna get out that there are two other Cooper siblings alive and well, and kicking ass.” He picked up Declan’s glass of whiskey and finished it off. “Don’t think I need to warn you about the danger of that.”

  “You said everyone already knows Johnathan has three kids,” Jared pointed out.

  “And as you said, hardly anyone knows what you two look like,” Gideon conceded, gesturing towards him and Rae. “You join the fight, and that changes fast.”

  “So what? We can handle ourselves. You guys think our shelter never got raided? Dad warned us about Agents our whole lives,” Rae said, not without bitterness. “We’ve always fought back.” She glared at Declan. “At least some of us.”

  “I did what I had to in order to keep you safe. That’s never gonna change,” Declan growled. But he met her eyes, then Jared’s. “But I realize you’re both good, damn good, at what we do. It would be a waste to keep you on the sidelines.”

  “Yeah well, luckily for us, that’s not your decision.” Rae walked past Declan, and looked straight at Gideon. “Where do we start?”

  Declan’s bedroom door swung open just seconds after Jared had knocked on it, Declan’s surprised expression greeting him upon entry. Jared breezed past him, already dressed in a tee shirt and pajama pants.

  “Jare.”

  “It’s late, and I’m tired.” They had spent the rest of the evening talking about which cities were most likely to be hit by Agents in the near future, so they could figure out where the Renegades should focus their next jobs. The memorization of so much new information had Jared’s head buzzing. He collapsed onto his makeshift bed on the floor, fixing his blankets and fluffing his pillow. “I don’t really feel like talking.”

  “I just thought, I mean, after earlier-“

  “Reese could come back any minute.” They both know it wasn't true, seeing as how he had left just that morning. “I don’t want to be in the bed if he needs it.” Jared laid on his back and threw an arm across his eyes.

  Declan nodded wordlessly. He crawled back into bed and flicked off the light.

  Jared was still awake several minutes later, and could tell by Declan’s uneven breathing that he was as well. His point was proven when Declan’s voice cut into the heavy silence. “I’ve still got you, Jare. Always.”

  Jared swallowed, hard. It had been awhile since Declan had said those words, though it used to be often. It had been about twelve years now since the first time his brother said them, holding him down as Johnathan had painfully rid him of the stain that Jared had been born with. A permanent scar of pink, puffy flesh was less of a stigma than the inky mark it had once been, though he still needed to be careful where he let his guard down. Their recent night at the bar was proof of that.

  Jared now at least knew how he had gotten the mark, and could almost understand why Johnathan had never explained it, fearing Jared would latch on to that which made him different.

  Years since Johnathan Cooper had saved him from a life on the streets, and Jared still wasn't sure he deserved it.

  It had hurt like holy hell, the stain being burned from his skin, but Johnathan had done it for Jared’s own good. And throughout the entire ordeal, Declan had wrapped his entire body around Jared from behind, holding him through every second of the scorching, agonizing pain. I’ve got you, Jare. It’s okay, I got you.

  Learning that his brother had even in any small way worked with the Agents almost hurt worse than his mark being burned off. But there hadn't been a day since Jared’s rescue that his Declan hadn't had his back, and Jared forever felt like nothing he could do would ever repay the shelter than Declan had given him. Now, in the quiet of their shared bedroom, Jared could more easily remind himself of that.

  Jared lowered his arm from his eyes. “I know,” he whispered. “I got you, too.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Gideon was in the kitchen when Jared came in from his run the next morning, Hoping to avoid conversation, Jared made quick work of making breakfast, keeping his back to Gideon.

  “You're still mad at your brother, ain’t ya?”

  Jared slathered peanut butter on some toast. “I’m mad at everyone.” At Declan, for lying. At his dad, for rescuing him and then dying. At the Agents, who thought that they were above other humans, especially rescues, most of whom were far more decent than any Agent would ever be.

  At Reese, for giving Jared the best kiss of his life and then driving away.

  Gideon grabbed two plates out of the cupboard. “Yeah, this world will do that to ya.”

  Jared grunted, swallowing his breakfast in a few quick bites in a hurry to escape conversation.

  Gideon caught him on the fourth step. “It’s okay to be angry, Jared. What matters is what you do with it.”

  Jared retreated upstairs without a reply, feeling a bit too fragile this morning for Gideon’s insights. He also wanted to switch his hoodie for a tee shirt. The day had warmed quickly and he didn't want to be too hot while training outside. He was headed back down to meet Declan when he heard faint sniffs coming from Rae’s bedroom.

  Jared stopped outside the door, gently nudging the door further open. “Rae?” He looked into her room and saw her sitting cross-legged on the floor, her shoulders hunched and a few crumpled up tissues decorating the floor beside her. Jared stepped into her room. “RaeRae? What's wrong?” When he knelt down beside her, he got his answer.

  Rae had pulled out her duffel, the contents laid out on the floor in front of her. “I’d forgotten these photos were in here,” she told him. Jared wrapped an arm around Rae’s shoulders, his own eyes welling up at the picture she held in her hand.

  It was of the four of them at the beach, him and Rae and Declan with their dad. Johnathan was standing waist deep in the ocean with Rae plastered to his back like a little starfish, while Declan was gripping Jared’s arm in savior of him succumbing to the rolling waves. Their dad’s face was bright with a big grin, and Rae’s head was thrown back in laughter.

  Jared almost choked on the sudden lump that rose in his throat. He remembered that day; it had been not too long after being rescued. Jared hadn't spoken for the whole first month he had lived with the Coopers, still too afraid that saying the wrong thing would get him thrown back out onto the streets, or worse. Declan and Rae had chattered around him non
stop, confident in the fact that Jared would speak eventually. When Declan had started talking about the beach, and playing in the ocean, Jared had whispered his first words since they had brought him home: “I’ve never seen the ocean.”

  The two Cooper siblings had stared at him in horror after his admission. Jared’s heart had stopped, in fear that these two kids were about to turn him over to the Agents, but instead they had run down the stairs, yelling excitedly to their father that they had to take Jared to the beach. Two days later, Johnathan did.

  “Oh, man.” Jared said, when his throat was working again. He squeezed Rae’s shoulder. “Declan thought he’d never teach me how to swim.”