Battle It Out

by Reese Knightley

  Quiet breathing filled the phone, the silence came across as a bit strained and he closed his eyes.

  “Hey?”

  “Yeah?” Zane breathed.

  “Are we good?” he croaked.

  “Yeah, we’re good,” came the soft, deep response.

  Silence settled between them again, but instead of the previously strained atmosphere, this one was filled with something just outside of his reach. If he had to put a name to it, he’d say…hope.

  “I’m glad you like the book. I was afraid after what happened.”

  The book superseded all of their previous crap because Zane had remembered.

  “It’s perfect.”

  “There’s this little book store down on Fifth and Pine, they specialize in classic stories.”

  “And you didn’t want to get it online.” He smiled.

  “I never know if I order the right thing or not,” Zane grumbled.

  “So, you went in person? I bet it wasn’t your usual place.” He smirked remembering when Zane told him he wasn’t a fan of reading anything other than the mission reports, or nonfiction text books to increase his knowledge and skills.

  The man held a bachelor’s degree in criminology for god’s sake and was internet challenged. He, on the other hand, only held an associate’s in business and fucking loved online everything. But school hadn’t been his thing and he’d only gone and done the online course at Dillon’s encouragement.

  You may want to be an officer someday, bro,” Dillon had said.

  “Nah, I’m not staying in the service that long,” he’d told his brother.

  He punched the speaker button and rolled to his stomach. Perching his chin on his folded arms, he smiled imagining Zane in a different kind of bookstore, one filled with storybooks with a classic fiction section.

  “How’d that go?”

  “I felt weird,” Zane laughed and Isaac found himself grinning like a loon at the phone.

  The silence dragged for a moment.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “Of you in that bookstore,” he confessed.

  “Yeah, yeah. Rub it in. I’ll have you know that you’re the only one I’d go into that kind of bookstore for.”

  “Really?” His heart skipped a beat.

  “Probably,” Zane admitted a bit sheepishly. “Is that weird?”

  “No, that’s not weird at all.”

  “You’re still my best friend, Isaac.”

  The words brought a lump to his throat and he shifted so his cheek could rest against his hands. “I never doubted it,” he responded softly.

  “Good night,” Zane said, and Isaac could hear the pleased smile.

  “Night,” he whispered.

  When the call ended, he rolled to his back and clutched the phone to his chest. Were they back to being friends or was this the start of something more?

  Zane

  He gripped the phone and held his breath for a moment, waiting, but then decided enough had been said. He hit the end call button.

  Fucking interfering woman. He tossed the phone to the nightstand and flopped onto his back. He was going to throttle Jo.

  He didn’t have long to wait for the opportunity when he drove to her apartment and rang her doorbell the next morning.

  Her face was a mask of surprise when she yanked open the door. She took a step back.

  “Come on in.”

  “No, I can say what I have to say right here.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I trusted you,” he growled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket.

  “Well, I trust you, so tell me what’s going on,” she said, lifting her purse and coat from the small table near her front door. “I thought we were going to the farmer’s market today?”

  “Change of plans,” he snapped.

  “What is going on?” She sounded bewildered, and that just pissed him off more.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “You remember the day I walked out of Isaac’s birthday party?”

  “Yeah?”

  “When Lacy brought you your coat and purse and the message from Isaac.”

  “That’s right, what about it?”

  “Lacy told you Isaac wanted me to come back.”

  “Wait, Zane, she’s lying. She didn’t tell me that! I swear it. I wouldn’t do that to you.” She gripped her hands together.

  He shook his head. “Nice try. You’ve never wanted to share me.”

  “That’s not fair.” She crossed her arms. “I wouldn’t lie about this. I swear, she didn’t tell me that. She said that Isaac didn’t want you there.”

  “I don’t believe you.” He turned and stalked down the walkway. He only wanted to be gone. He was going by Isaac’s house to see if he wanted to go to the farmer’s market.

  She grabbed his arm and he stopped to look down at her. Tears swam in her pretty blue eyes.

  “Please, Zane! Why won’t you believe me?” she whispered.

  “You’ve never liked my friends,” he growled, turning on her.

  “I didn’t do this.”

  He shook off her arm and got into his jeep. Taking one last glance, he found her still in the walkway with her hand covering her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  He drove away and straight to Isaac’s house, refusing to dwell on Jo. Pulling up behind Isaac’s SUV, he shut off the engine.

  He pushed on the doorbell extra long and grinned.

  “God damn it!” Isaac snapped as he opened the door, but then his mouth dropped open. “You ass.” The man laughed.

  A screech of tires brought his gaze from Isaac to Jo’s green Honda pulling up onto the lawn.

  “Get that off my lawn!” Isaac shouted and then frowned at him.

  Zane caught sight of Lacy coming along the walkway, and jumped off the porch steps. He barely managed to catch Jo around the waist before she had a chance to physically attack Lacy. It didn’t stop his ex from lashing out verbally at the top of her lungs.

  “You cunt! You fucking lying bitch!”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lacy replied calmly, unconcerned about Jo’s red face and tears.

  “You liar! You didn’t tell me shit about Isaac wanting Zane to come back to the party.”

  Instead of answering Jo, Lacy turned to Isaac. “She’s crazy,” Lacy said before stepping past him and Jo. The last he saw of Lacy was her black hair as she disappeared into Isaac’s house.

  Jo jerked out of his arms and stumbled back, wiping at her face. She glared at him and Isaac.

  “Go ahead. Believe her, but I hope you know that I would never do something like that to either of you.” She whirled around, got back into her car, and eased it carefully off of Isaac’s lawn.

  Something didn’t feel right and he glanced at Isaac.

  “Drama,” Isaac gave a halfhearted smile.

  “Maybe, but I think I might believe Jo on this one.”

  “Well, I believe Lacy.”

  He studied Isaac. Stalemate. He rubbed at the back of his neck at a loss for a moment.

  “Did you get back with her?” Isaac squinted at him.

  “We broke up a year ago.”

  “And?”

  “I’m not going to see her anymore,” he assured Isaac, his gaze running over the man’s face before landing on his lips.

  Isaac’s tongue darted out and then his throat bobbed with a hard swallow.

  “And?”

  “What do we do now?” he asked and stayed on the bottom step gazing up at Isaac.

  “Screw it?” Isaac’s eyes clung to his face. “I don’t want them getting in the way.”

  “In the way of what?”

  “Us?” Isaac’s voice dropped to a low, sexy whisper.

  Zane swallowed. Every single word dried up. Then he said roughly, “I don’t know what that looks like.”

  Isaac stared at him with narrowed blue eyes and then turned away, but he caught Isaac’s wrist in a gentle bu
t firm grip.

  “Don’t turn away.” He waited and when Isaac turned back, he went on, “Just because I don’t always have the words, doesn’t mean I don’t want this.”

  Isaac’s indrawn breath sent a shiver down his back and that same molten heat warmed his belly.

  “Why are you here?” Isaac asked gruffly.

  To tell you that I’m bi and that I’ve hidden it my whole life, and that I want you like I’ve never wanted another person in the world.

  “Feel like going with me to the farmer’s market?” His tongue felt thick.

  “No. I’m going to the homeless shelter. You want to come with?”

  “Yeah, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

  Nerves made his stomach jump, but he swallowed down the fear. This was Isaac, he’d understand if anyone did.

  “Okay, let me grab my coat.”

  Isaac smiled and Zane suddenly felt like he’d won the fucking lottery.

  He stepped into the house just as their phones simultaneously rang with an alert.

  Isaac clutched his coat. Zane gave the man a crooked smile.

  “Infinity calls.”

  Isaac

  The water clung to his thighs; his boots had long ago filled.

  Every step he took was slow and methodical, his gloved hands tightened around the M4A1 rifle he held against his chest. The brim of his hat kept the majority of the rain from his eyes, but he still had to blink rapidly every so often.

  The swishing water stopped ahead and then River’s fist came up.

  He stopped, standing as still as a stone in the murky swamp, feeling the once comfortable weight of his pack growing heavier by the minute. They’d been on the move for five hours straight through the swamp, the first three by boat, the last two on foot, and they had at least two more klicks to go.

  The opportunity to talk had yet to present itself and he was dying of curiosity.

  He glanced at Zane for what seemed like the hundredth time, and when their eyes met, Zane smiled at him. Zane’s big muscled body made him want other things and he craved another kiss. Next time, though, if there was a next time, he wouldn’t jerk away.

  He yanked his attention back to River. He’d have plenty of time to talk to Zane later. Right then, he and Zane had to work as a well-oiled machine or they’d be separated. And as much as he was curious, he needed to focus.

  It seemed the local police had finally located Eddie and Mike Chambers. The brothers were hunkered down on the edge of the Louisiana swamp land and every law enforcement sent into their territory had either been killed, wounded, or run off. The place was supposedly impenetrable.

  Colonel Cobalt ordered SWAT, DEA, FBI, and the US Marshals to stand down. Not willing to lose any more men, they’d complied.

  It was time to let Infinity end this shit.

  He squeezed his weapon, but held his position as did the rest of the unit. All but Dillon had made it back in time to go on this op. A text from his brother said he and Luke were caught up in some other business.

  River gave the hand signal to move forward in pairs, with the exception of Oliver, who made his way up and back as they continued through the murky water, keeping beneath the low overhanging trees.

  He shifted beneath his gortex rain gear, the heavy material would keep out the night’s numbing cold and damp, but right at the moment, it was heavy and hot as fuck. He wiped at the sweat trickling down his temple.

  Thank fuck it was early January and they didn’t have to deal with deer flies. So far, they’d only scared away two alligators.

  “I still think one’s tailing us hoping for a snack,” he muttered, keeping an eye to his right while Zane guarded their left. He tugged his rifle strap higher over his shoulder.

  “Don’t worry, alligator attacks are rare,” Zane assured him. The guy read enough text books that Isaac didn’t doubt him.

  “Bite me,” Ethan snorted. “They attack all the time.”

  “No, you’re wrong,” Zane countered. “From 1928 to 2009 there were only 24 recorded alligator attacks in the US. That’s an 81-year time span.”

  “No shit?” Ethan sounded somewhat mollified.

  “Don’t worry, I don’t think they’d want a bite out of your smelly ass,” Blade said and dodged the swipe of swamp water flying her way.

  Ethan followed up the wave of water with the middle finger to Blade.

  “Too bad Brewster washed out or we could have given him up as a snack,” Zane drawled real slow like.

  “Pussy, couldn’t take it,” Ethan snickered along with the rest of them.

  “I heard he broke his leg training for another unit,” Holden said.

  “Yeah, kind of hard to run with a steel plate in your leg,” Oliver piped up with what sounded like sympathy for the guy.

  “Hey, Oliver?” Blade said.

  “Yeah?”

  “I hear Brewster would gladly give you a piece of his steel,” she cackled.

  “See, I think you’re wrong,” Oliver told Blade. “I heard Brewster’s steel was after your skinny ass and you bent over and took it,” Oliver told Blade.

  “Shut up or I’ll give you both something to bend over for,” Holden said, and the unit broke out in snickers.

  “Wrong, Wreck.” Pia retorted. “I know you bat for the other team.”

  “Is that right, Wreck?” Oliver asked with a grin.

  “Cut the chatter. Brewster didn’t break his leg, that was Miller,” Maddox growled.

  Isaac snickered when Maddox sent a dark look at them.

  He’d go into the bowels of hell for the captain and had done just that not too long ago when Maddox had been captured behind enemy lines. Every single one of them felt the same way. Even the newest members, who’d been with them the shortest amount of time, had heard of the story of the rescue of Maddox Stone before coming to the team. Bravery like that got commended and recognized.

  With a few more snickers, the unit settled down as they continued along the river. They’d sleep when dark hit. He figured that would be in about three more hours.

  Maddox called a halt about an hour before sundown. They made up a small camp within the wilds of the Louisiana River, far enough from the riverbank to at least get out of the water.

  He finished putting up his jungle hammock and then made his way over to where Ethan and Colin had made chow. The chili heated over a smokeless fire tasted amazing. He took his cup over to his hammock to sit on the edge. Finished, he handed his cup to Archer and Holden, who were clean up. Everyone shared jobs, nobody was above the other when it came to mundane stuff.

  Pia and Blade would be taking the first half of the watch and he and Zane would be taking the last half of the night guarding camp. Oliver went around making sure that everyone had their gear stowed above ground and that all the hammocks and fastenings were secure. It never hurt to double check.

  “Sleep tight, boys,” Blade said and climbed upward on a nearby massive bald cypress. Maddox had picked the area because of the advantage the trees gave them.

  Zane’s hammock was next to his and he climbed in. He waited for the bed to stop swinging before he shifted on his side and stared across at Zane. The soldier was facing him and returned his smile before closing his eyes.

  So much for that talking.

  “Psst.”

  “I’m awake,” he said softly and sat up. He’d taken off his boots and wet socks at some point. Now, he tugged his pack closer to pull on fresh socks before putting on his rain gear and jungle boots again. They were still damp, but with dry socks they were wearable.

  It was midnight when he checked his watch. He saw the temperature had dropped to forty-five degrees. He rolled from his hammock and movement caught his eye. Zane was already up, bent over, and lacing up his boots.

  Isaac turned in the opposite direction to take a piss, and then pull on his gear. Making his way back to camp, he took the granola bar and coffee from Pia.

  “Thanks,” he whispered and chugged do
wn the coffee before scarfing the breakfast bar. He checked the clip in his rifle, tugged on his hat, and left his backpack resting in his hammock until they broke camp.

  Following Zane, he approached the bald cypress tree and saw that Pia had placed pegs. Pulling up his night vision goggles, he climbed as high as possible but still maintained his cover before he settled his ass on one of the large tree branches. Checking on Zane, he found the man looking his way.

  “What?” he whispered.

  Nobody else would have their mic on, or at least he hoped not, but he wasn’t taking a chance by asking stupid questions. Like, what did you want to talk to me about? Would you like to kiss me again? Can I fuck you stupid?

  “You all set?” Zane asked.

  “Yeah, I’m all set.” He settled in with a sigh. Cell service was spotty or nonexistent so even texting was out, but they still had the sat phone for emergencies. It wouldn’t make any difference, he’d sit there alert until the captain broke camp. Zane would do the same.

  Three hours before daylight, Maddox broke camp and Isaac climbed down from the tree. He shook out his arms and legs along with Zane.

  “Why are we leaving so early?” he whispered.

  “I haven’t a clue.” Zane gave a half shrug and Isaac followed the soldier the few steps back to camp.

  “Thanks, man,” he told Oliver, who’d already broken down his hammock and packed it up with his pack.

  “Yup.” Oliver grinned and stretched.

  “So why couldn’t Phoenix take this assignment? I heard they have worked with the FBI before,” Ethan asked River.

  The unit Ethan spoke of was an elite group of non-military operatives known only as Phoenix. Like Infinity, the team answered to the Secretary of Defense. Phoenix was brought in when cases got messy or law enforcement needed plausible deniability, which was needed more than the average citizen even realized. Basically, Phoenix took care of the scum of the earth that law enforcement couldn’t due to bureaucratic bullshit red tape.

  “They were needed in Washington DC at the Capitol building.” River yanked up his pack and slipped it on.

  Silence settled over the group.

  “God bless America,” Zane said solemnly. A murmur of agreement went through the unit.