Tried & True

by Charlie Cochet

  for my team, and for Dex.” Just like Ash was doing his best for Cael. Between Dex and Ash, they didn’t allow Cael to get swept up in his anxiety, and Ash had managed to prevent Cael from having a bad panic attack like he’d had when Tony had been shot. “It’s been stressful for all of us, with all the changes, the wedding, and trying to bring Tony back home safe.”

  “And how are you juggling your role as Team Leader, future Training Officer, and soon-to-be husband?”

  “Right now, my focus is on doing everything I can to support my team and find our sergeant. Dex and I have had some time to get used to our dual roles over the years. Sure, this time it’s more of a challenge because I want to be there for him emotionally, but we both have a job to do, and we acknowledge that.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. You seem to be handling the situation well.”

  Sloane shrugged. “I have to. That’s my job as Team Leader. To be the touchstone for everyone on my team.”

  “Lead by example,” Winters said, nodding.

  “Yes. My team looks to me to keep it together. To keep them going no matter what. I have to be confident in what I say and what I do.”

  “And if the worst comes to pass?” Winters asked gently. “If you’re wrong. What do you think will happen to your team? To Dex? You’ve assured them they can bring Sergeant Maddock home. Should you be making those kinds of promises? What if you can’t deliver?”

  Sloane thought about that. It would tear them apart, but… Sloane wouldn’t let them fall. He’d been in this position before. He knew grief intimately. Suffering was an old friend. One Sloane had turned his back on some time ago. He knew the path to darkness like the back of his hand. There was no way in hell he would let Dex or the rest of his family end up there. Sloane met Winters’s eyes.

  “They’re strong. Whatever happens, we’ll get through it. Together.”

  Winters opened his mouth to reply, but Sloane’s phone went off. “I’m so sorry, Doctor. I need to take this.”

  “Of course. Good news I hope.”

  “Fingers crossed,” Sloane said, getting up. “I need to go. Thank you for everything.”

  “I’ll see you soon,” Winters said.

  SLOANE LEFT the office and hurried out into the hall, his phone to his ear. “Talk to me, Austen.”

  “I have the list of ingredients from the formula. As I suspected, it’s a homemade concoction created by a professional cleaner. I’ve got good news and bad news.”

  “What’s the bad news?”

  “The bad news is that they’re all common elements that when bought individually wouldn’t raise any red flags. I did a cross-reference across the three states, and as suspected, there’s no one place where all these ingredients were purchased.”

  “And the good news?”

  “The sale of these particular ingredients is higher in Jersey than in New York City. So if you’re going to start somewhere, start there. It’s very possible the cleaner is either located in Jersey, or he’s making the stuff there and bringing it over.”

  “Thanks, Austen.”

  “I’ll call you if I find out anything else.”

  “Okay, well, we got somewhere to start.”

  Sloane quickly sent Ash a text, and they met in the one conference room Sparks had set up for them. The only one that was secure at the moment. His team was in there waiting for him.

  “Jersey,” Sloane said, before relaying the information he’d gotten from Austen. “You got the information I asked for?”

  “You know how many abandoned places there are in New Jersey?” Ash asked, shaking his head and handing over the lists his team had compiled. It was lengthy. “They got almost as many as we do.”

  Sloane took a look at the printouts. Shit. Even with all their units and those in other states helping, there were way more on the list than they could get to in time.

  “Maybe Sparks can get THIRDS HQ in Princeton to accept some of our units over there to help,” Letty suggested. “Put a task force together.”

  Ash let out a snort. “Come on, Letty. You know how fucking long that shit takes, and then it turns into a pissing contest, and we don’t got time for that shit.”

  As his team discussed possible ways to expedite the search across multiple locations in the short amount of time they had, Sloane joined Dex and Cael in reviewing the recording of the Chairman’s conversation. He watched Dex pace as Tony’s voice filled the room. After the recording ended, Dex replayed the part with Tony as he and Cael both frowned. Finally, Cael spoke up.

  “I keep thinking about what Dad said about Vegas.”

  “What about it,” Dex said, folding his arms over his chest as he started to pace again.

  Cael faced his brother. “Dad hates Vegas. Like hates it with a fiery passion. He would never volunteer to go there, not even to celebrate.”

  Sloane went pensive. “Wasn’t Vegas where Tony had to go bail you out of jail?” he asked Dex.

  “There’s that too,” Cael said. “Dex was arrested in Vegas. He’s banned from, like, half the casinos there. Why would Dad suggest going there?”

  Dex’s eyes widened. “Holy shit.”

  “What?” Sloane asked, straightening.

  “Fuck me, I’m such an asshole. He was trying to tell us something.” Dex walked over to Sloane and grabbed the printout with all the abandoned places. He held it up. “He was trying to give us a clue without the Makhai figuring out that’s what he was doing. If they look up my record, or arrest records in Vegas, they’d find nothing, because thanks to Dad pulling in a favor, my arrest was never made official. They’d have no idea why he said that except that maybe he wanted to celebrate with his sons. We know I was in jail.”

  “Jail. Abandoned locations.” Sloane cursed under his breath. He grabbed the sheet from Dex and scanned for what he was looking for as Dex confirmed his thoughts.

  “He’s in a fucking prison.”

  “Here,” Sloane said, pointing to one particular location on the list. “There’s an old abandoned jail in Newark.”

  Cael leaned in, then tapped away at his phone. “This place has been closed since the seventies and is notorious for feral Therians, dealers, and illegal activity. The city plans to demolish it. It’s decayed, rusty, and falling apart, but there’re any number of places where you could hide someone.”

  Sloane removed his cell phone from his pocket and put in a call to Austen, who answered on the first ring.

  “Hey, Sloane. You got something for me?”

  “Yeah, I need someone to check out the Old Essex County Jail over in Newark. I’ll be waiting to hear back from you. I’m thinking this is it, and if it is, we need to mobilize right away.”

  “I’m not far from there. I’ll call you soon as I have something.”

  “Be careful.”

  “Will do.”

  Austen hung up, and Sloane headed for the door of the conference room, everyone following close behind. “While Austen confirms visuals, we need to inform Sparks and put together a plan of attack.”

  “Hope everyone’s had their tetanus shot,” Ash said. “Might I also suggest we go in with full armor. This place is going to be one giant landfill of rusted metal and used drug paraphernalia. Oh, and mercenaries shooting at us.”

  Sparks’s door was open, but Sloane knocked anyway, just in case. She looked up from her desk and motioned for them to come in. She placed the room in privacy mode and laced her fingers on her desk’s surface.

  “I was about to call you. Tell me you have something, because I’ve run out of time. I had my last interview of the day, and the Chairman just made contact. He wants me over at the closest TIN facility getting this USB plugged in.”

  “We think the sergeant’s in Jersey. I’m just waiting on confirmation. If we’re right, we’re going to need backup. A lot of it.”

  Sparks nodded. “Take Theta Destructive and Beta Ambush to backup your team. From there, get whoever else you need. Call in every team we have out there in
the city. I’ll deal with Princeton HQ and anyone else who wants to waste our time with paperwork bullshit. If there’s an agent on this floor, I want them out there bringing Maddock back.” Her eyes were filled with a fury Sloane had never seen before. “They want a war, we’ll give them one. Consider the Makhai’s men armed and dangerous. Take them down.”

  “What are you going to do about the USB?” Dex asked. “Whatever’s on there can’t be good.”

  Sparks stood and smoothed out her pantsuit jacket. “Whatever the Makhai want, I have no intention of giving it to them, but they won’t know until it’s too late. I have someone who’s going to make sure whatever is supposed to happen, doesn’t happen. You know what that means.”

  Sloane nodded. He turned to face his team, his eyes falling on Dex. “If we don’t get Tony back by the time the Makhai figure out Sparks has screwed them….”

  “Then Tony’s dead,” Dex said, balling his hands into fists at his sides.

  Sloane’s phone rang, and his heart leaped into his throat. “Austen?”

  “Get your ass moving, Brodie. They’re in there, and from the looks of it, they won’t be for long. I can’t confirm visuals on Daddy Maddock, but there’s a fuckton of firepower around, and it ain’t because of the scenery.”

  “Shit. Thanks, Austen.”

  Dex looked at him expectantly.

  “Austen confirms the Makhai’s men are at the prison. We’re looking at a lot of firepower. Everyone full tactical gear and armor. We’re going in hot.” Sloane turned back to Sparks. “We’ll send you a text the second we have Tony secured.”

  Sparks nodded, and Sloane hurried out into the bull pen to put together an army of his own.

  CHAPTER 11

  HE HAD no words.

  Dex couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth, much less attempt to speak. When Sloane put out the call to arms in Unit Alpha, the speed at which their fellow agents volunteered and got geared up left Dex speechless. Their unit had ten squads. A total of five had been available to mobilize, and of those five, not one had remained seated when Sloane asked that anyone willing to help them march into battle to retrieve Sergeant Maddock stand. Dex had never seen anything like it. Not that he’d expected any less from his fellow agents, but it still struck something deep inside him. At the HPF, he’d thought he’d been a part of a brotherhood. One that would have his back and fight along with him for what was right, but in the end, they’d turned on him. Cast him out for doing what he’d sworn to do when he picked up his badge. They hadn’t even given him a chance. By contrast, everyone in his unit was there because they believed in what they were doing. They believed in fighting for a better world.

  Sixty THIRDS Defense agents filled the armory, preparing for nothing short of a military strike, twenty in their Therian forms, including Hobbs and Ash. Taylor was attaching pieces of armor to his uniform as he gave his team a pep talk. Seb was checking on each member of Theta Destructive and Rafe on his team from Alpha Ambush. Alpha Pride and Beta Pride, two fierce teams with twelve total Therian Defense agents who were solely lion Therians, were all in their Therian forms and ready to tear shit up. All together they had fourteen lion Therians in Therian form, and six tiger Therians in Therian form.

  Dex’s gear weighed a fuckton with the armored plates, pads, and additional weapons, the special material of his uniform making it more difficult to be fatally wounded if the Makhai’s men were using armor-piercing rounds. Of course, no armor or uniform was completely impenetrable. There were only so many hits it would be able to take before it fractured and something made it through. If they hit him, he had to hit back harder.

  Sloane turned to everyone now gathered in Destructive Delta’s armory. Seb let out a loud whistle that got everyone’s attention. They all turned to Sloane.

  “I wish there was time for me to tell you all what this means to us, but for now, I hope a thank-you will be enough. Every Team Leader has their entry point. Destructive Delta will focus on finding and retrieving Sergeant Maddock. He’s our priority. We have direct orders from Sparks to retrieve the Sarge at all costs. We’re going in hot. Stay safe, and we’ll see you on the other side.” Sloane swallowed hard and smiled, his eyes glassy. “Being a part of this unit has been an honor.”

  Everyone cheered, whooped, or roared before rushing out toward the garage and the awaiting BearCats. Each team’s set of Recon agents were on standby and ready to move out should their teams need the backup.

  Dex climbed into the BearCat and strapped himself in next to Sloane on the bench. With Hobbs and Ash in their Therian forms, Rosa did the driving. The engine of the massive vehicle roared to life, rumbling and growling as they headed out for the turnpike. If luck was on their side, at this time of night, they could make it in half an hour. Sloane and Ash had come up with entry points for all the Team Leaders, and while they were busy distracting the Makhai, Destructive Delta would come up alongside the light rail line. Sparks had already put in calls to delay the train at Norfolk Street Station and Warren Street Station. Between their Therian sight and night-vision gear, they’d be able to see what they were walking into, though they had to be extra vigilant as they ventured into the pitch-black of the crumbling structure. The darkness could either work for them or against them, especially since the Makhai’s mercenaries were all Therians.

  Time went by in a blur, and before Dex even blinked, the BearCat came to a stop. Sloane gripped Dex’s gloved hand, giving it a squeeze, and Dex squeezed back. Everyone stood, and while his team picked up their shields, Dex turned to Cael and grabbed him by the vest, pulling him close. They put their helmets together, and Dex patted his brother’s chest.

  “Be safe, Chirpy. I want Dad back as much as you do, but we go home together, okay?”

  Cael nodded. “I know.”

  Letty opened the back doors. As their team jumped down, Dex turned to Sloane. Feeling kinda out of sorts, he was overcome by a sense of yearning to be close to Sloane, which was funny, considering Dex carried Sloane’s DNA inside him. How much closer could they get? He kissed his fingers and placed them to Sloane’s visor. With a soft smile, Sloane mouthed the words “I love you.” They jumped down from the back of the truck Rosa had backed up between two large rental trucks in a parking lot off Central Avenue.

  Dex’s earpiece crackled to life, and they heard Seb’s quiet voice.

  “Theta Destructive in position. We’ve got movement all around the property. From my location, thermal shows at least twenty outside and undisclosed number inside the three structures.”

  Seb was followed by Rafe, Taylor, and the other Team Leaders confirming their positions. Everyone was ready.

  “Standby, we’re moving into position,” Sloane replied. He motioned for everyone to follow, and they fell into formation, hurrying after him as they took the long way around the station to the Norfolk Street entrance in case there were spotters close by. The station had been cleared as Sparks had instructed, with a guard blocking each set of stairs, four in total. The huge tiger Therian stepped aside as Destructive Delta headed his way. They swiftly made their way down the steps to the platform, and jumped down onto the lines.

  “Watch your step,” Sloane ordered as they hurried down the tracks and through the tunnel beneath Newark Street to the other side. They stayed close to the building. Thanks to the dilapidation of the place, it was surrounded by a dense forest of overgrown trees and shrubs. The roofs were one bad storm away from blowing off, which meant no one would be up there.

  Their earpieces came to life again, this time it was Austen. “Okay, teams. We’re looking at twenty armed hostiles guarding the perimeter off Newark, Central, Lock, and New. Rutgers’s parking lot is a no-go. We got a couple of snipers on the roof of the health institute across the street, and one on the roof of the truck rental place across the prison. He’s facing Central at the moment.”

  “Copy that,” Sloane said quietly.

  Shit. That was right next to where they were. Sloane signaled for Calvin
to keep an eye on the roof to their left. Sloane motioned to the ledge with his right, then signaled Hobbs and Ash over. The two leaped up onto the grass ledge with ease. Sloane placed his shield on the ground before turning to Dex and lacing his fingers together. Letty took Dex’s shield from him so Dex could grab hold of Sloane’s vest and hoist himself up onto the grassy ledge. He took his shield from Letty and silently leaned it against the brick wall surrounding the prison. The rest of the team followed suit, each helping the other getting up and moving equipment. Then it was just Sloane, and everyone put their backs into it, pulling up a two-hundred-fifty-pound Therian wearing almost sixty pounds of gear.

  Once Sloane was up, they fell back into formation. The brick wall became lower as they got nearer the student parking lot. One by one, just as they had before, they got up over the wall and landed on the other side in a thicket of trees. The area was pitch-black, but Dex had no need for night-vision goggles. He had his own built in. His eyes picked up what little light there was, helping him make out shapes and movement in the shadows. The closer he was, the clearer the image, but where he once would have seen nothing but black blobs, now he could see objects.

  “Destructive Delta in position. Begin extraction,” Sloane said into their earpieces. “Cael, you’re up.”

  Cael walked ahead of them. He removed his backpack and pulled out his thermal imaging binoculars. Once he’d secured his backpack, the team covered him as they moved silently forward, Cael scanning the structures. There were three buildings on the property, each one as derelict as the other. Mountains of illegally dumped trash littered the ground, along with whole sections of brick wall that had fallen off the buildings, windows that had collapsed outward, shattered glass panes, hills of drug paraphernalia, a sea of empty food and water containers. The smell of rusted metal, mold, rot, piss, and shit burned Dex’s nose, and for the first time he regretted his Therian sense of smell. Holy fuck.

  Any feral Therians or poor soul unfortunate to end up here had either been run off by the Makhai or were hiding. Dex would guess hiding. He could hear subtle rustling in the trees around them and had spotted several glowing eyes low to the ground, but nothing advanced toward them.

  “Shit.” At Cael’s curse, Dex stilled, along with everyone else on the team. “I think I found him.”

  “That’s good, isn’t it?” Rosa asked.

  “He’s in that center building there on the third floor. It’s a cellblock with four floors. There’s dozens of armed Therians on each floor, just inside the entrance and around the building.” Cael handed Dex the binoculars, and Dex looked at the building. He swallowed past the lump on his throat. There on the third floor, in the center inside what looked like a cell, was Tony, sitting in a chair, his head hung low. Six armed Therians were inside the cell with him. Suddenly there was a flurry of activity.

  “Shit, I think we’ve been made,” Dex said, handing the binoculars to Sloane, who took a quick look before his voice came in over their earpieces. How the hell did they know?

  “Alpha teams, go, go, go!”

  A symphony of machine gun fire and bursts of light filled the night as all six teams moved in. Fierce roars shook the leaves in the trees as THIRDS agents and Makhai operatives charged one another. Destructive Delta rushed the cellblock, and Dex fired at everyone who moved who wasn’t one of their own. The bullets came hard and fast against his shield as he moved. The Makhai’s mercs came out of the woodwork like roaches. One rushed Dex from his right, and Dex spun, slamming into the guy with his shield and sending him flying back. Anger and adrenaline roared through Dex. There was no way these fuckers were keeping him from that cell.

  Mercs turned in his direction from every angle, like sharks sensing fresh blood. They advanced and Dex’s senses went into overdrive. He released his MP5, letting it swing from its strap attached to his vest and drew out his claws. His fangs pierced his skin, and he let out a fierce roar as they rushed him. They had no idea who they were fucking with.

  Dex ducked under one fist and used his shield to slam into another Therian, spinning and bringing his claws with him, slashing across another Therian’s throat. Blood splattered across his shield and the corner of his visor. A hard body slammed into him, knocking him off his feet, and when he hit the ground, he realized it had been two hard bodies. His shield was kicked away, and one of the Therians made to lunge, but then he was tackled by a huge ass lion Therian in his Therian form. It was Ash, and he tore the guy’s throat out with one move.

  Scrambling to his feet, Dex faced the six Therians moving slowly toward him. In the distance, he could see Sloane fighting off another half a dozen or so Makhai with a ferocity Dex had never seen before. Sloane was pissed, and he was letting it all out on these assholes. Dex turned his focus back on the Therians in front of him.

  “You waiting for an invitation?” Dex growled. “Come and get some.”

  Dex didn’t bother with his shield. When the Therians advanced, he put his training to use. There was no holding back. It was him or them. They all rushed him at once, and Dex grabbed the guy closest to him, propelling him into the others to give him the advantage he needed. He ducked and dodged the fists coming at him, used his claws to slash at anyone stupid enough to get close enough. Snagging hold of one Therian’s tactical vest, he jumped and kicked out with both feet, getting another in the chest and knocking the guy onto his ass. Dex used a combination of swift moves to bring down the Therians, using his claws and swiping his Glock from his thigh rig and shooting. Any Makhai mercenary who went down would not be getting back up.

  Four down, two to go. He didn’t have time for this. With a roar, Dex ran and scissor kicked around one huge guy’s neck, bringing him down. As he fell with the guy, he used his legs to snap the guy’s neck while firing at the Therian lunging for him. The guy’s visor splintered, red splashing from the inside, and he fell facedown onto the ground.

  Dex jumped to his feet, returned his Glock to his holster, snatched up his shield, and ran into the cellblock. He took a sharp right turn and headed for the stairs. Three Makhai goons blocked his path, but before Dex could do anything, they crumbled, one of them rolling down the stairs. Dex’s head shot up in the direction the bullets had come from, and he grinned.