Five Minutes Longer

by Five Minutes Longer [Dreamspinner MM] (retail) (epub)

  “But, Talon, you need to decide. You know the team will follow you, but you also should know Vance especially likes Finn. If it had been him who had come here tonight and laid you out, you would still be on the floor.” He punched him playfully in the arm. “Don’t be a dick.” Gael smiled and let himself out of the door.

  Talon aimlessly walked back into his bedroom and stripped. He grabbed a pillow and drew it close. He wasn’t stupid enough to think he could keep a working relationship separated from a personal one. He knew what Gael was saying. He had to decide. He had to decide if Finn was going to be just his partner or something else. Of course, the whole question could be moot, as Finn might not want anything to do with him after tonight.

  What should he do? If Finn forgave him, could they work as partners in the team? They didn’t have to be anything else.

  Talon’s short laugh echoed around the empty room, and he spent the next few hours until dawn trying to wrestle with a decision in his head he was frightened his heart had made over a week ago.

  Chapter Nineteen

  FINN SMILED as he heard the breaking cup from the direction of the kitchen and the muffled curse that followed it. His heart ached at the laugh that accompanied it because he knew it was Vance who had cursed and Gael who laughed, and he desperately wished it were someone else.

  He looked up at the knock on the door, and Gael walked in. “Do you want a coffee? I think there might be one mug left that Vance hasn’t broken.”

  “Hey,” Vance protested. He followed Gael in. “Not my fault if they’re fiddly little things.” He held out one of his huge hands that resembled a dinner plate, and Finn’s smile widened.

  “How are you feeling?” Gael crossed the room, his professional demeanor firmly in place.

  “No headache,” Finn said. His head felt fine. It was his heart that currently felt like it was being ripped in two.

  Gael grunted and peered at him. “No dizziness?”

  Finn shook his head experimentally. “No.”

  “Okay.” Gael smiled. “Vance is warming up breakfast.”

  Finn blinked. He had half a loaf of bread for toast, if that.

  Gael chuckled. “You’re gonna love Vance’s mom, Connie. She’s made it her life’s mission to feed anyone she thinks might need it, which currently includes all the team. Vance left to go home last night so he could bring supplies back, and I slept on the couch.”

  “I’m s—”

  Gael put his hand firmly over Finn’s mouth and waved a finger admonishingly. “No. Not even going there.” He walked back to the door. “You’ve got five minutes for a shower.”

  Finn yawned. He’d still been awake at something ridiculous like three o’clock, convinced any second Talon would march into his room. He didn’t, of course. He knew he told Gael to tell him he wasn’t to come, but he couldn’t help thinking if Talon wanted to come, nothing would have stopped him.

  Finn sat up cautiously. He’d exaggerated a little when he said he felt fine. He wasn’t dizzy, but his face still hurt, and his tablets were at Talon’s.

  He blew out a sigh. Gael had told him they were all summoned for a briefing this morning, and his presence was requested if he felt up to it. It was possibly the last thing he wanted to do, and he had no idea what to say to Talon. He got out of bed and went to get a shower.

  Two hours later Finn shuffled into the classroom behind Vance, incredibly grateful he could hide behind the big body. He knew the rest of the team was already sitting around the table. He didn’t have the energy to get excited at Eli throwing him a nod in acknowledgment when he walked through the door.

  “Finn?”

  The low voice from behind him made him jump, even though he’d been hoping for it. He turned cautiously to see Talon raking his eyes over his face. He knew he was inspecting the bruises like he had every morning for the past two days.

  “Finn?” Talon caught his arm. “Please, we need to talk.”

  Finn stared absently at Talon’s hand on his arm until Talon dropped it. We need to talk. The four most ominous words in the English language.

  “Gentlemen.” Agent Gregory hurried in. He looked up at Finn but there was no smile forthcoming. “Finn, nice to see you up and about,” he said quietly.

  Finn’s heart dropped and started beating in his boots. Something was wrong. He collapsed onto the nearest chair.

  “Deputy Director Cohen was invited by Channel Seven news this morning to talk about the successful resolution of the bank hostage situation. Apparently the media has been hailing it as another win for the team, and our input to discuss the team was invited. It was exactly the sort of coverage the director was hoping for, and we were eager to participate. What we didn’t know was that Isaac Dakota would find out.” Gregory pointed to the TV showing the live security camera footage from outside as the deputy director arrived. “The interview started live fifteen minutes ago.” Placards were waving the same as before, but there was no Monsters scrawled in red paint. The word everyone was shouting was HEROs.

  Finn blinked slowly, his muddled brain trying to work out why Gregory didn’t look pleased. Surely this was what he wanted? Deputy Director Cohen should be doing cartwheels.

  Isaac Dakota’s face flashed on the screen as a reporter shoved a microphone at him. “You must be thrilled with the support,” the reporter said.

  “Absolutely,” Dakota confirmed. “This bears out what we have been saying for years. That America would be a safer and more powerful country if the enhanced were in charge.”

  Vance groaned.

  The reporter picked up on Dakota’s phrase straight away. “In charge? You think the enhanced should be running the country?”

  “I think we have a group of individuals who are especially suited to this task, yes.”

  “Why?” Gael asked in complete disbelief. “We get good press and the idiot has to go and tell people we’re going to take over the world again.”

  Gregory sighed but didn’t respond.

  Finn gazed at him. The tired eyes, the firmly pressed lips. There was something else….

  He stared, completely frozen, at the man who was speaking. It was the guy who was held hostage with them at the bank. The CEO of Swann Industries, Alan Swann.

  The interviewer leaned forward. “So what exactly are you accusing the FBI of, Mr. Swann?”

  Alan Swann smiled congenially. “I’m not accusing the FBI of anything, per se. I’m just saying that in this day and age, when terrorist threats are at an all-time high, their screening procedures should be higher, that is all.”

  The screen flashed to the film of Talon raising his hands and walking to the bank door to gather up the hysterical female employee. He barely glanced at the murdered guard lying on the floor. Finn hadn’t seen any of this, but he could hear the sound of the shots in his head as if they were in the room.

  “What exactly do you feel is the problem, Mr. Swann? I can assure you our training and selection process is among the tightest in the world.” Everyone in the room stared as the deputy director joined in.

  “Is that true, Deputy Director?” Alan Swann picked an imaginary piece of lint off his trousers. “Then perhaps you can explain why a specialized unit of enhanced humans has been set up with trainees who have barely completed one week of training?” Alan Swann waved his arm at the screen. “The hostage resolution is being hailed as a success for the team, but I was there. The fact that your trainee was inexperienced could have easily been the reason one of the hostages was harmed.”

  Finn closed his eyes in despair. That was so unfair.

  “The trainee concerned was present as a bank customer and was responsible for keeping everyone calm and for none of the hostages being killed,” Cohen replied. “We are very proud of him and his ultimate handling of the situation.”

  Finn held his breath. He knew from the satisfied smirk on Swann’s face there was something else coming. He didn’t dare look at anyone else, but then, they were all staring in disbelief at t
he TV.

  “What worries the general public, Deputy Director, is that you are ultimately arming individuals who are likely to lose control over their abilities at any given minute,” Swann continued. “And what is worse is that the FBI seems to be in such a desperate rush to let this happen, they are ignoring their own screening protocols.”

  Cohen frowned. “I can assure you no protocols are being sacrificed with regard to this initiative. Tighter restrictions, if any, apply.”

  “Is that so?” Swann asked. “Then can you explain to me how it is that your trainee, one Finlay Mayer, has been accepted even though he is the childhood best friend of one of the bank robbers who was involved in the hostage situation?”

  The silence was so absolute in the room Finn knew no one had even taken a breath. He just heard Swann say Adam also had enhanced abilities before Gregory sighed and paused the TV.

  He looked at Finn. “I have to admit that I only found this out a few minutes ago myself. We actually called the briefing expecting Alan Swann to praise the unit. The man is very influential, and that is the only way he got the deputy director to agree to appear.”

  “Is this true?”

  Finn looked up at the bewilderment in Talon’s voice.

  “You know him,” he stated flatly. “Why didn’t you say? We could have stopped this happening.”

  “I doubt if you would have been able to stop Swann, Talon,” Gael said.

  Gregory sighed. “Yes, but we would have been able to stop the deputy director sharing air space and ultimately making the FBI look foolish.”

  He raised saddened eyes to Finn, and Finn knew exactly what he was going to say.

  “I have been given no choice,” Gregory said. “The unit is disbanded with immediate effect. You are all required to hand in your official service weapons and IDs before you leave the building. I’m sorry, but I also have to instruct you that agents are to accompany you to the lockers so you can retrieve your personal belongings only.” Gregory’s voice lowered, and he looked at Vance, who was in uniform. “Your uniform must remain here as the property of the US government. Finn, you have until the end of the week to find alternative accommodation.”

  Finn jumped as Talon shot to his feet, his chair skidding across the room. He flung his gun and his badge onto the table and turned to stalk out.

  “Talon,” Finn whispered, his voice breaking. For a second Talon paused, but then without even looking at Finn, he strode out of the room.

  Finn sat in a complete daze as Sawyer and Eli both charged after Talon. Gregory looked like he wanted to say something else but just walked out. Vance and Gael were staring at each other in shock.

  “I forgot,” Finn whispered. “I knew there was something I was supposed to tell him.” He rubbed his pounding head and looked up at Gael. “This is all my fault.” He choked on the last word as his voice broke, and he covered his face in his shaking hands.

  “No, it isn’t.” Gael drew Finn’s hands down gently. “You shouldn’t even be here. You suffered a severe head injury doing your job.”

  Vance sat and stared at Finn. “Did you do it on purpose?”

  “No!” Finn said in horror. “Of course not.”

  Vance laid a huge hand on Finn’s, and Finn looked at it helplessly. Vance would have covered three of his handspans completely. “Exactly. I know you didn’t, kid,” Vance replied, his voice softening. He looked at Gael. “I think we should get him home.”

  Gael peered at Finn, who desperately wanted to close his eyes and sleep. Gael looked worried, and Finn closed his lids under Gael’s intense scrutiny. “I’m not completely sure he shouldn’t be back in the hospital.”

  Finn forced his eyes open. “No, please, I just need to sleep.”

  Gael shot a troubled glance at Vance. “Help me get him back.”

  Finn barely remembered the journey home and Gael tucking him into bed. To be honest he didn’t remember much of the next day either. He knew the doctor turned up once and said that he needed rest, and if he didn’t stay in bed, he would readmit him immediately. He was just aware enough to hear the doctor asking where his partner was, and was able to wait until everyone left the room until he couldn’t hold it in any longer and he sobbed quietly. He had ruined everything. The team was disbanded. Talon had disappeared, and even Vance and Gael told Finn they couldn’t get ahold of him.

  He hadn’t felt this wretched since his dad died.

  He opened his eyes to bright Florida sunshine the next day. He blearily reached over and picked up his cell phone and squinted at the time; he’d slept for nearly thirty-six hours. He downed the full glass of water next to his bed.

  Finn took a breath and cataloged his injuries. His face was sore only if he poked it. His headache was completely gone. He sat up cautiously and was relieved when the room didn’t sway as it did whenever Vance or Gael helped him to the bathroom yesterday. He could hear the muted sound of the television from his living room and decided to get a shower before he went to see who was there. He knew who wouldn’t be there, and the thought made him want to disappear under the covers and never come out.

  It was over. Whatever had tentatively started between them surely ended the second Talon looked at him in anger and disgust yesterday. Whatever his excuse, he knew he would never be forgiven.

  He stood and walked to the shower. It was only the thought of wondering how Adam was that made him put one foot in front of the other. He would get showered, get dressed, go visit the hospital, and then somehow… somehow he had to start the rest of his life.

  TALON OPENED his eyes blearily and squinted at the nearly empty bottle of Dutch vodka that was staring at him reproachfully. He heaved himself to his feet and went in search of a glass of water, thanking whoever was listening that the same ability that caused broken bones to heal quicker also burned through alcohol just as fast. Talon walked straight to the fridge and shoved the glass that was on the counter under the water dispenser.

  As soon as he had drunk the second glass, his head cleared and the memories of yesterday that he had been trying to drown out last night resurfaced. Apart from stopping to buy the vodka when he left the field office, he’d done nothing yesterday but wallow in his misery.

  He spied his cell on the counter and picked it up. Seven missed calls from Gael and two from Vance. He wasn’t surprised to have heard nothing from Eli or Sawyer. They would have each disappeared to lick their wounds, the same as him, and misery definitely needed no company in this instance.

  Talon leaned on his counter and rubbed his eyes. He needed a shower.

  No. No, that wasn’t what he needed—or not just, anyway. What he really needed was a certain man with green eyes and freckles back in his bed. It wasn’t Finn’s fault. They hadn’t had a chance to talk about the bank robbery, and Finn wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders yesterday. It came under the general heading of shit happens, which kind of described most of his life.

  Now that he’d had a chance to think about what was said yesterday, he wasn’t completely convinced the knee-jerk reaction from Cohen would be the end of things. The public seemed to be supportive. Hell, Gregory even said the Vice President was making noise about wanting to meet them. He honestly didn’t think the whole thing was as dead and buried as Cohen seemed to want it to be.

  Talon put his glass down and headed to the shower, and, of course, as soon as he stepped in, the image of the last time Finn was in here was the only thing he could think of. He ignored his suddenly interested dick and scrubbed himself quickly. Now that he had calmed down, he knew he owed Finn a big-ass apology. Maybe he could get the team together at Betty’s? Treat them all to breakfast and plan what they were going to do and who they needed to talk to.

  His cell phone was bouncing around the kitchen worktop when he walked back in fully dressed. He saw it was Gael, who was calling him again as he snatched it up. “Yeah,” he answered.

  “Talon, what the fuck, man? I’ve been trying to call you for hours.”

 
Talon grimaced as he registered how angry Gael sounded. He interrupted him as Gael took a breath. “I know. I’m an ass,” he admitted. “I think we should get everyone together and go to Betty’s.” He paused and clutched the phone a little tighter. “How’s the kid this morning?”

  He heard the sigh on the other end of the line, and his heart thudded hard.

  “Gael?” Talon ground out.

  “I don’t know,” Gael replied. “He was completely out of it yesterday, and I got the doctor from the hospital that Vance’s mom knows to come and look at him. To be honest it was touch and go whether the kid should be back in the hospital.”

  A cold, hard fist clutched at Talon’s heart. “What about this morning?” Talon’s feet unglued, and he reached for his car keys.

  “He’s not here,” Gael said.

  Talon froze. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, he’s not here. He was in bed asleep when I looked in around two hours ago. I fell asleep with the TV on, and when I got up, he had gone.”

  Talon was out of the door before Gael finished his sentence. “His car?”

  “Back at the bureau. Someone collected it from where it was still parked outside the bank yesterday.”

  “Then how the fuck has he gone anywhere? Cell?” Talon ran straight past the elevator and started down the stairs two at a time.

  “His cell was destroyed at the bank. I guess he has a personal cell, but I have no idea what the number is.”

  Talon clutched his phone tighter. “And it’s not there?”

  Gael sighed. “Talon, nothing’s here. He took his bag and clothes.” There was a beat of silence. “He left a note. It’s addressed to us all.”

  Talon rammed the door open and jogged to his car. “What does it say?”

  “Just that he’s sorry he let us all down and he’s clearing out because he hopes with him out of the way, Cohen might give us another chance.”

  But that was the thing. Finn hadn’t let anyone down. Talon had. And in a spectacularly cruel way. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Call everyone in.” Talon threw his phone on the front seat as he got in the truck. He needed to find Finn. Then he’d work out what he would do to sort everything else out, but he needed to find Finn first.