Rise & Fall

by Charlie Cochet

  Dex dropped to his knees beside Collins, checking his vitals for some miracle. His gaze shot up to Ash whose amber eyes were filled with quiet fury. “What did you do?”

  “He was a threat, and I neutralized him.” Ash swiped his gun up and returned it to his holster.

  Dex jumped to his feet and shoved Ash. “You snapped his fucking neck!”

  “They were about to take him out. I saved them the bullets.”

  Seb and his team came running, stopping beside Collins’s body. “What the fuck happened?” He turned to one of his undercover agents who quickly relayed the events as they occurred with no hint of emotion or concern. Collins had swiped Ash’s gun, meant to shoot Dex, agents were going to open fire, and Ash neutralized the threat. The agent made it sound like a drill, just a regular procedure. Dex’s eyes landed on Ash. His stillness scared the hell out of Dex, but it was superseded by a greater fear.

  “How are we supposed to find Cael now? We’re running out of time.”

  “Come on.” Ash motioned toward their van. “Your brother’s smart. He would have left something behind for us. Seb, take care of Collins. We’ll call you.”

  Before Seb had a chance to answer, Ash walked off. Fuck. Dex’s earpiece beeped, and he knew Sloane was calling him, undoubtedly wondering what the fuck had happened. Seb would fill him in, and while he did, Dex wanted some answers from Ash. The team followed Ash to the van, and they all climbed in. Dex stopped cold when he saw all the equipment on the floor. It took everything he had not to lose it. He shook his head and turned to Ash.

  “He wouldn’t have been expecting Hogan.” Dex thrust a finger at the equipment on the floor. “Hogan has my brother, and you killed the only fucking lead we had!” Dex threw his hand out, snatched Ash’s gun, and pulled. All it did was tug at Ash’s belt. The safety mechanism was in place and secure. He stared up at Ash in disbelief. “You let him take it.”

  Ash studied Dex, his lips pressed into a thin line before he looked around at the rest of the team. “Hogan has Cael, and if I have to snap the neck of every last one of these murderous motherfuckers to get him back, then so be it. If anyone has a problem, you can join Seb.” He turned his attention back to Dex, pupils dilated. “We’ll find Cael. So help me, we’ll find him if it’s the last fucking thing I do.”

  Dex swallowed hard. He nodded and walked over to the equipment. He didn’t want to think about how goddamn bad everything had gone. Collins was dead, Hogan had Cael, and they didn’t have a clue where the bastard had taken him. What if something happened to his little brother? It would be his fault. He’d brought Cael into this. What the hell would he say to his dad? That he’d decided to go against orders, play fucking hero, and it got his brother killed? God only knew what Hogan was doing to Cael. Dex’s chest started to feel constricted, and he was having trouble breathing. Fuck, he couldn’t be losing his shit. Not now. Cael needed him.

  “Take it easy,” Sloane breathed into his ear and Dex stilled. His arms slipped around Dex, and all at once Dex felt himself growing calm. “There you go.”

  Dex had been so lost in his own anguish he hadn’t even heard Sloane arrive. He turned, slightly aware of the rest of his team watching them, but he didn’t care. His smartphone beeped, and Dex fished it out of his pocket.

  “What is it?” Ash asked, looming over his shoulder.

  “There’s a weird orange light blinking on my phone.”

  “Why’s that weird?”

  “I didn’t even know it had an orange light. I’ve never seen it before.” He woke up his phone from sleep mode and tapped through the security screen. A little bluebird wearing a Rebel Pilot helmet bounced on his screen and chirped. Tears pooled in Dex’s eyes, and he let out a soft laugh. “You little genius.”

  “Is that Angry Birds?”

  “From the Star Wars version,” Sloane offered.

  Dex nodded. “The Bluebirds are Cael’s favorite.” Dex tapped the screen, and the bluebird bounced and spun. An alarm went off on the console, and the screen flickered to life, splitting into two images. On the left was a map with a bouncing Rebel bluebird. On the right an abandoned-looking building beside a canal. “That’s where Cael is.”

  Rosa stepped up to the console. “Cael must have installed some kind of GPS in the system. Looks like he’s in Red Hook.”

  Sloane turned to Hobbs. “You know what to do.”

  Hobbs jumped behind the wheel and buckled up, the van’s engine roaring to life. Beside him, Calvin buckled up in the passenger seat.

  “Everyone buckle up. Hobbs, move out,” Sloane ordered as Dex helped him sit. He took a seat beside his partner. Sloane took hold of Dex’s hand, laced their fingers together, and gave him a reassuring squeeze. It took Dex a moment to realize what Sloane had done. They were holding hands in front of the whole team. No one said a word, and Dex was grateful. All he could think about was getting to Cael.

  “We’re going to get him back,” Sloane promised.

  Dex believed Sloane, but as the van sped through Manhattan toward Red Hook, he closed his eyes and prayed they’d get his little brother back alive.

  Chapter 11

  “I DON’T like this.”

  Dex turned at Sloane’s words. His partner was as concerned as the rest of the team. Dex would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried too. Besides the fact he trusted Hogan about as far as he could throw his hairy ass, the guy had picked the location, and not any location, but something out of a bad horror flick. Dex was certain Hogan had no intention of making it out of this.

  How many members of Destructive Delta was he planning on taking down with him?

  The Red Hook Grain Terminal loomed in the distance like some haunted Scottish castle on a foggy moor. Its concrete silos and crumbling façade were covered in black mold and graffiti. Sections of the building had collapsed and crumbled into the Gowanus Canal. There was a container terminal nearby along with several other industrial structures. It was all eerily quiet. They were the only thing around for miles. Black specks among stretches of gray. Heavily armed specks. They’d parked the van behind one of several mountains of debris away from the road.

  “I don’t like it either, Sloane, but that asshole has Cael in there somewhere. I’m not leaving here without my brother.”

  “Dex is right,” Ash said, checking the ammo in his tranq rifle.

  Theta Destructive’s BearCat arrived on the scene, and when the back doors opened, four agents in their Therian forms leapt out. Two tigers, a lion, and a cougar. They followed Seb, who looked like he was ready to take on an army with enough firepower to bring down the whole fucking grain terminal, which was fine with Dex. He didn’t care if the whole place went up in smoke as long as he got Cael out of there. The public would probably thank them for getting rid of the eyesore.

  “I thought we should even the odds,” Seb said with a grin. “Hogan’s likely to have some of his goons in their Therian form.”

  “You’re right.” Sloane turned to Hobbs. “How about it, big guy?”

  Hobbs gave a curt nod and headed back to the van to shift, with Calvin accompanying his partner. A shadow swept over Dex, and he gave a start, his hand flying to his chest when Austen materialized beside him in his Therian form.

  “For fuck’s sake, Austen. You scared the shit out of me.” Could the guy not approach like a normal Therian?

  Austen chirped and rubbed up against Dex’s leg only to get promptly swatted by Sloane. “Knock it off.”

  Fur bristling and ears flattened, Austen dropped onto his back with paws in the air.

  “No I’m not mad at you,” Sloane grumbled. “But you should know better.”

  Felid Therians did not like having their scents encroached upon by other Therians. Sloane’s scent was all over Dex, and any Therian trying to replace it would get in deep shit with his partner. It was common courtesy. You did not hit on a dude’s boyfriend when he was right there. Austen was lucky Sloane wasn’t in his Therian form. Suddenly Austen stiffened. He ro
lled onto his paws and his ears flattened against his head as he sniffed at Dex’s arm. He started chirping, and the other agents in their Therian forms hissed and growled. They backed away from Dex and hissed at him.

  “What the fuck’s gotten into them?” Ash asked, arching an eyebrow at Sloane.

  Shit. Was it Sloane’s mark? Dex discreetly tucked his arm behind his back.

  Sloane’s jaw muscles clenched, and he took a step closer to Dex. The feral Therians backed off. “Who the hell knows? Let’s get on with this.”

  “Okay. So what’s the plan?” Ash asked.

  “The place is fucking huge,” Rosa added, scratching Hobbs behind the ear when he padded over to them. “They could be anywhere.”

  Sloane turned to Seb. “Well, we found Hogan. This is your rodeo now.”

  Dex tensed and Seb noticed. He let out a sigh. “You can’t be here when backup arrives.”

  “And when’s that?” Dex asked with bated breath.

  Seb seemed to think about it. He looked from Dex to Sloane and back. “When you get your hands on Hogan or give me the signal. Whichever comes first. If I don’t hear from you thirty minutes after breach, I’m calling in the cavalry.”

  Dex nodded. He couldn’t ask for more than that. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “As for entry, everyone goes in. Teams of two and three with at least one feral Therian in each group to sniff out the others. I think Ash and I should remain in our Human form to tranq whoever we can. I’d rather take them in alive if possible. Keep in communication and watch your backs. Priority is to get Cael out safely. The place is falling apart. Watch your step.”

  “You heard him,” Sloane said. “Ash, Austen, you’re with Dex. Rosa, Letty, you’re with Seb and his team. Calvin, you’re with Hobbs. Let’s finish this.” Everyone broke off into their respective teams, and Sloane took hold of Dex’s elbow. “Can I talk to you a sec?”

  “Sure.” Dex accompanied him behind the van, away from the prying eyes of their teammates. Sloane’s pupils were dilated, leaving only slivers of glowing amber around them. It seemed to be happening quite a lot lately. Dex might have to ask his partner about it at some point when they weren’t about to walk into what was undoubtedly a giant trap. Knowing what Sloane was going to say, Dex stepped up to him and put a hand to his cheek.

  “Hey, I’ll be careful. I promise.”

  “I can’t believe I’m letting you go in there, but I know how important this is.” Sloane let out a sigh and nuzzled Dex’s hand. “Please come back to me alive, and bring Cael with you.”

  “I will.”

  “You know I would give anything to be in there with you.” He glared at his crutch before shifting his eyes back to Dex. “But I’d be more of a hindrance than anything.”

  “Do you really think I don’t know how hard this is for you? It’ll be okay.” Dex gave Sloane’s lips a kiss and followed it up with a wink. “I was trained by the best.”

  Sloane chuckled and swatted Dex’s ass. “Get going.”

  Dex nodded and joined the others. On Seb’s signal, they took off toward the terminal building, one group at a time. Most of the windows and doors were missing, broken, or crumbling. They slipped inside, their rifles ready and Therian teammates silently on the hunt alongside them. Dex, Austen, and Ash were the last ones in on Seb’s orders. Inside one of the doorways, Seb signaled silently to Dex, and he made a dash for Seb with Ash and Austen on his heels.

  Seb pointed to Dex, then up. Looked like he and his team were heading upstairs. He nodded and carefully started making his way through the cavernous terminal, making sure to remain alert, listening for every sound, peering into shadows while checking on Austen who sniffed the air around him. Despite the daylight coming through all the openings, there were still far too many shadows for Dex’s liking. Hogan’s crew was most likely in their Therian forms, which meant they would sniff Dex out before he even saw them coming.

  The ground floor was filled with rows of white columns—circular silos, stretching up to the ceiling. One of the staircases nearby had collapsed into the canal with all manner of rusted reinforcement-steel bars, chunks of concrete blocks, and bricks. The place was falling apart. Gray concrete and corroded iron girders surrounded them on all sides. Dex found a set of oxidized metal stairs just about strong enough to hold Ash’s weight. He motioned over to it, and Ash nodded, testing one slat, then a second. When it didn’t give way under him, he started to climb. Dex followed with Austen close behind.

  They heard a sharp cry, and Dex’s blood ran cold. Cael! He pushed past Ash, running up the stairs with Ash cursing behind him. Dex took off toward his brother’s scream, the cry that followed shaking him to the core. He was going to tear Hogan apart! A gasp escaped him when the floor suddenly disappeared from beneath him. Two strong hands snatched ahold of his vest and jerked him to one side where he fell into Ash, the two crashing to the ground.

  “Fuck,” Dex breathed, pushing himself to his hands and knees. He moved his gaze to the large hole in the floor he’d almost fallen through. Crawling over, he peeked in and was met with nothing but a black abyss. The only sign it ended was the tiny dot of white light way down below. Turning his head to one side, he found the floor littered with huge holes leading down into the silos. Fuck, if anyone fell through one of these, there was no coming out of it alive.

  “Watch your step,” Ash hissed at him. He stood and grabbed Dex’s vest before hauling him to his feet. “Come on.”

  Dex followed when Austen paused ahead of them. His head popped up, and he sniffed the air before he darted off, leaping over huge moveable spouts once used to transfer bushels of grain from the roof into the silos. Ash came to a halt beside a metal door tagged with graffiti, a deep frown on his face. What the hell was he doing? Ash thrust a hand out and mouthed the word “run.”

  Listening to his gut—and Ash—Dex bolted in the opposite direction from where Austen had gone when he heard the roar of a cougar Therian behind him. He glanced over his shoulder long enough to see Ash fighting off two Therians in their feral form. Cael’s scream echoed around him, and Dex skidded to a halt, turning and frantically trying to find where it had come from. There were so many windows, nooks, doorways, holes, and tubes. It could have come from anywhere. If he called out for Cael, he’d give away his position. Damn it, where the hell had Austen disappeared to? Just as the thought crossed his mind, Austen leaped out from behind a spout, his claws scratching against the concrete as he made a sharp turn away from Dex, two Felids on his tail. Austen jumped and skidded sharply, avoiding the two Therians coming at him from two different angles. He sprung over them, and they smacked into each other. Their dizziness didn’t last long, and with roars, they gave chase.

  Fuck! Both his teammates were otherwise occupied, but Dex couldn’t hang around any longer. He had to find Cael. His brother cried out again, and Dex forced himself to remain silent. This time he’d caught where the shout had come from.

  At the end of the floor was the terminal’s small tower with iron girders and steel shafts high above his head running in various directions, along with funnels and a set of narrow stairs leading to the grain terminal’s storage bins at the top. Dex rushed up the stairs, rifle in his hands and ready to take down any bastard who got in his way. Slowing when he reached the top step, he took a deep steady breath and released it gradually. He stepped onto the wooden floor, the decaying boards protesting under his weight. Dex cursed under his breath.

  “Come on out, Agent Daley. I know you’re there.”

  Dex edged farther out onto the rickety floor, hoping one false step didn’t send him crashing through it. It would be a painful ride down considering all the girders and steel below. Rifle aimed, he advanced slowly, his jaw clenched. Hogan was in here somewhere with Cael. Problem was there were plenty of places for the bastard to hide, shadows he could see Dex from and at the same time deny Dex the same courtesy. More rusted tubes littered the room, along with pieces of crane equipment not touched
in decades. There were mounds of debris of various sizes scattered about the long rectangular room, and shards of broken glass from the bare and broken windows crunched under his boots.

  “Look at you. Ready for war.” Hogan’s voice bounced off the hollow tubes, frustrating Dex. He stilled, listening to every sound around him. In the distance far below he heard faint roars, shouts, and rifles being fired.

  “Your crew is getting their asses handed to them, Hogan. Why don’t you give up?”

  “Or what? You and your team have been a pain in my ass, Daley, but you’re kidding yourself if you think you can beat me.”

  “Maybe you haven’t heard, but I’m not alone. When my team is done with your crew, they’ll be coming after you,” Dex said as he edged against the far left wall so he was away from any shadows where Hogan might be hiding, waiting to get the drop on him.

  “Your friends are busy. It’s you and me.”

  There was a soft groan, and Dex swallowed hard. His little brother needed him. “What do you want, Hogan?”

  “To make you suffer the way I suffered.” Hogan emerged from the shadows, dragging a bound and bloodied Cael with him.

  “You motherfucker!” Dex aimed his rifle at Hogan’s chest, but he jerked Cael up in front of him as a shield before Dex could even think of pulling the trigger. A sniper would have come in real handy right about now, but who the hell knew where Calvin was or how many Therians he was knee-deep in.

  Hogan hissed and put his claws to Cael’s neck, his fangs elongating. “Watch your fucking mouth!”

  Looked like Dex had hit a sore spot. He mentally went through Hogan’s file, remembering the reason for all this. “I apologize,” Dex said, doing his best to control his tone and not spit the words out. Hogan’s pupils were dilated, and Dex could see the guy was struggling to maintain a grip on his feral side. He was huge with dark hair and nearly black eyes, at least three hundred pounds or slightly over, dressed in a tactical uniform and black vest. He was all bulging muscle. How the hell the guy didn’t go through the piss-poor excuse of a floor beneath them was anyone’s guess. Dex glanced around the room, taking in all the places he might be able to escape to with Cael if he needed to. High places with narrow spaces. Hogan could still follow, but he was bulkier, and although his Therian form might climb with ease, in this confined space, the Therian’s Human form might struggle.