Smoke & Mirrors

by Charlie Cochet

  Dex’s muscles pulled and burned, but his adrenaline had spiked. He was so close to freedom he could taste it, so he reached even deeper, putting all his strength behind every blow, making sure not to get too cocky. Wolf let out a fierce growl and lashed out, snatching a hold of Dex’s jacket. Dex went with the momentum, spinning and pulling his arms out of the sleeves. With a frustrated grunt, Wolf chucked the jacket to one side and lunged at Dex, who spun out of the way. If Wolf got his hands on Dex, it’d be over. He couldn’t allow that. Sloane…. He had to get back to Sloane.

  “You won’t make it out of here,” Wolf warned, his breath unsteady.

  Dex met Wolf’s eyes and grinned. “Like how I wouldn’t be getting out of that chair? How’d that work out for you?”

  Wolf smoothed back his hair, and Dex readied himself. The guy was rethinking his strategy. Dex gingerly inched away from the door, his eyes locked on Wolf. He didn’t have to wait long. Wolf’s gray eyes turned hard, empty, and he charged Dex, fangs elongated as he attacked, just as Dex had hoped.

  Dex had maneuvered Wolf exactly where he wanted him. Before Wolf could grab him, Dex snatched hold of Wolf’s chair, swung it around, and slammed the steel piece of furniture into Wolf. The guy hit the floor hard, his head banging against the concrete. He didn’t stir. Dex quickly rummaged through Wolf’s pockets. There was nothing.

  Leaving the guy on the floor, Dex ran farther into the shadows, and he immediately spotted the faint light coming in from under the door. He grabbed the handle and carefully cracked it open. There was no one on the other side. Slipping out, he closed the door behind him. More darkness and more concrete walls. Where the hell was he? Why was it so damned dark?

  It was time to get the hell out of here. His body protested every movement, his head was killing him, but he got moving, sucking in a sharp breath and holding on to his side in a feeble attempt to keep some of the pain at bay. His ribs were bruised, and his lungs burned as his breath quickened. He wouldn’t be able to stay on his feet much longer, but the thought he might blow his only chance at getting out of here, at getting back to Sloane, had him pushing forward.

  The corridor seemed to stretch on forever, and he stilled when he caught a whiff of something familiar. It was faint, but he could smell it. Something mixed with licorice. Dex hated licorice. One too many shots of Sambuca in college. Ahead of him in the shadows, he spotted movement. Shit. Had he really thought he could just walk out of here? Several pairs of glowing eyes grew nearer, and Dex stopped, leaning against the wall for support as the figures stalked forward, their shapes soon becoming visible. Three Therians. Dex grinned. One of them had a tranq gun holstered to his belt.

  Dex pushed away from the wall and put his hands up in front of him. “I don’t want any trouble, fellas.” He turned his gaze on the lion Therian with the tranq gun and motioned to his face.

  “You know, I got a friend with that same scowl. Is that, like, a lion Therian thing, or are you both members of the same Scowler’s Association? No? Okay.”

  The guy was short-tempered. Not surprising. The lion Therian lunged at him, and Dex dropped to his knees, twisting his body despite the cry from his muscles. He swiped the guy’s tranq gun, then shot him in the back and sent him stumbling forward. Not skipping a beat, Dex jumped to his feet and fired at the two Therians charging him. One managed to grab him by the neck, lifting him off his feet. Dex grabbed the guy’s wrist while shooting him a second and third time in the chest. Another gasp for air later, Dex was released. He dropped to the floor and coughed before staggering forward. A red light flared to life up on the ceiling, and Dex cursed under his breath. The jig was up.

  “Time to get out of Dodge,” Dex grunted, willing his feet to move faster. It was like running through a fog. His vision blurred, and he alternated between squinting and shutting his eyes tight in an attempt to clear them. He took a wrong turn and ended up in a dead end.

  “Fuck.” He doubled back quickly, the tranq gun held close. Rounding a corner, he was met with two more Therian goons. He fired, taking one down, and then he was out of darts. Fucking fuck fuck! Tossing the gun to one side, he charged the leopard Therian. He had no idea what the hell he thought would happen, but when he tackled the guy and sent him slamming into the wall behind him, Dex was just as surprised as his foe. Swiftly recovering, Dex pulled back a fist and punched the guy across the head. The guy crumpled to the floor, out cold.

  “Holy shit.” Had Wolf given him fucking steroids or something? Whatever it was, Dex was glad for it, though he feared what the repercussions would be. Pushing that aside for now, Dex hurried down the corridors. Up ahead he saw the Exit sign. He could have cried he was so happy. Not waiting for any more goons to show up, he pushed through the door and ran down the dark corridor, not questioning how it was he could see through the darkness. He rushed up the stairs, ignoring his burning lungs.

  Bursting out into the night air would have brought him to his knees if he hadn’t kept pushing. He had to get away from this place. Phone. He needed a phone. Trees surrounded him on all sides, and he glanced back to find the door he’d come from was set in a brick wall hidden by grime, moss, shrubbery, and foliage. In the distance he heard the faint sounds of city traffic. Was he still in the city? He was certainly in a city. As he moved quickly through the trees, he spotted a small road with a narrow sidewalk at the bottom of an incline and beyond that, homes. He’d never make it to any of those houses. Voices carried through the air, and Dex hurried down the incline to the sidewalk, trying his best not to fall, because if he did, he wouldn’t be getting back up.

  Hunching himself over, he stumbled by the two Humans walking by, bumping into one of them.

  “Watch it, asshole,” one guy grumbled as he kept moving. Yep, definitely still in New York City.

  “Sorry, man.” Dex staggered toward the small hill he came from and climbed back up, his legs growing shaky. Normally the darkness would make him nervous, but now it was his sanctuary. There was plenty of light for him to see movement, in case someone tried to get the drop on him. The expanse of trees stretched on for miles, and he kept going as long as he could. When his knees gave out from under him, he dragged himself over to a tree and sat up against it. He pulled out the phone he’d swiped from the guy he’d bumped into. After one ring, Sloane picked up.

  “Who is this?”

  “It’s me,” Dex choked out, tears filling his eyes. It was so damned good to hear Sloane’s voice.

  “Oh thank God. Dex, where are you?”

  “I… I have no idea. There’s lots of trees. I don’t see any signs. There was a road, but I don’t know what it was. Can you get Cael to find my location using the phone’s GPS?”

  There was some faint murmuring before Sloane’s voice returned.

  “He’s on it. Are you okay? Talk to me. What happened?”

  “It’s a really, really long story. I just… I need you.” He let his head fall back, and a tremor went through him. His need for the man he loved was crushing, and he blinked back his tears.

  “I’m on my way, sweetheart. Are you somewhere safe?”

  “Home was safe.”

  There was a long pause. “We’ll sort that out. Right now, let’s get you to me, okay? I’m your home.”

  Dex smiled despite his split lip. That’s right. Sloane was home. It didn’t matter where they were. As long as Sloane was with him, he was home. “Thank you. I really needed to hear that right now.”

  “We have your location. I’ll be there soon. Stay on the line with me.”

  “I’m tired.”

  “Stay awake, sweetheart. Please.”

  “I don’t think I can. I’m kinda in bad shape here.” His adrenaline was crashing and with that his strength, causing his whole body to shake violently. He’d be lucky if he didn’t go into shock. It was so cold all of a sudden.

  “Sing with me.”

  “What?”

  “Come on. Listen.”

  Sloane turned up the radio, and Dex
smiled at the familiar sounds of strumming guitar followed by clapping. It was the Romantics’ “What I Like About You.” Sloane sang and urged Dex to sing with him. Dex did his best to keep up with the lyrics. He loved this song. He’d danced to it around the kitchen last week while making dinner. Sloane had even joined in after Dex grabbed him and begged him to dance with him. It was the most fun Dex had ever had making baked potatoes.

  “Keep singing, sweetheart,” Sloane pleaded.

  Dex tried. His voice was rough, his words barely audible, but he tried to keep from slipping into the darkness threatening to drag him under. He wanted to be awake for Sloane, wanted to see his beautiful smile and glowing amber eyes. The light around him seemed to dim, and he couldn’t tell if it was the last of whatever Wolf had given him leaving his system or if he was beginning to lose consciousness. It was all so quiet, or at least it appeared that way, as if time had stilled. His sharpened senses dulled, and he tried to push himself up, but his body refused to cooperate. He had no idea how much time had passed or at what point the phone had slipped from his blood-caked fingers.

  “Dex! Dex, where are you?”

  “Sloane,” Dex croaked.

  Was Sloane really there, or had he simply heard what he was desperate to hear? One moment there was quiet, nothing but shadows, and the next dozens of lights burst through the trees. Sloane emerged alongside three figures in black suits, and when he spotted Dex, he sped over. He dropped to his knees and cradled Dex in his arms. Dex was aware of more people calling his name. Cael? Ash? Thank God they were safe.

  “Dex, I’m here, sweetheart. I’m here.” Sloane gently hugged him close, one hand around Dex’s back, the other cradling Dex’s head to him, enveloping Dex in warmth. Sloane was always so warm.

  “I stayed awake,” Dex murmured, nuzzling his face against Sloane’s shirt, inhaling his scent. He smelled so good.

  “You did good, babe. It’s okay.”

  Dex nodded, or at least he thought he did. There was chaos around him, quiet chaos. He could hear the many whispers, the orders given to span out and search. All Dex cared about was that the man he loved had come for him and he was once again in Sloane’s arms. Now safe, the darkness came for him.

  Chapter 2

  SLOANE WAS going to lose his damned mind.

  He paced the small, sparsely furnished room, feeling it closing in on him. Waiting room, my ass. Whatever TIN called it, it was a cell. A concrete block with a steel table bolted to the floor, padded benches along the walls, and a two-way mirror on the far left wall. The room had no windows and one steel door guarded by half a dozen TIN operatives in tailored black suits, pristine white shirts, and silk ties in a solid color. Their black shoes were immaculate, their posture flawless, and their expressions unreadable. All of them were Felid Therians.

  “You need to sit down, Agent Brodie,” one blond Therian operative stated calmly.

  “Fuck you,” Sloane snarled, ready to plant one in the guy’s face. TIN operative or not, he didn’t give a shit. Dex was hurt and in pain. Sloane could feel it. His arm itched, which was ridiculous considering he wasn’t the one marked. How long was Sparks going to keep them here without so much as an update on Dex’s condition? The relief he’d felt when he answered his phone and heard Dex’s voice had been unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and now instead of being at his partner’s side, he was stuck here doing fuck all. After Dex passed out in his arms, TIN insisted on taking him. Sloane would have ripped them apart for touching Dex if his Human senses hadn’t prevailed, telling him Dex needed medical attention. That had been hours ago. Now his feral half was demanding to be united with his mate, and the longer it took, the more pissed off he became.

  Sparks had taken over the moment they’d moved Dex, her operatives emerging like shadows from the surrounding woods where Dex had been held. Destructive Delta was swiftly transported to a secure TIN location via a windowless emergency vehicle. Unfortunately, that meant handing over the keys to Dex’s Challenger. Sparks assured Sloane it would be in safe hands. He’d been hesitant. Dex loved that damn car. But if he wanted to join Dex wherever they were taking him, he had no choice. Within minutes half the team had been escorted home, leaving just Sloane, Ash, and Cael. Sparks promised their friends would be safe, and a cover had already been implemented to explain the team’s absence at work and Dex’s injuries.

  Sloane moved toward the steel door, only to have his path blocked by three TIN operatives, all jaguar Therians.

  “I need to see him.”

  “I’m getting pretty fucking tired of this shit,” Ash growled, coming to stand beside Sloane. “Two days you assholes had us locked up in Dex’s house with your flying monkeys keeping guard. You tranqed Sloane.”

  Sloane’s jaw muscles tightened, and he rubbed the side of his neck where one of Sparks’s goons had stuck a jet injector before pulling the trigger and knocking Sloane out. Had she really expected him to sit back and do nothing while TIN searched for Dex? In the end Sparks had given in and allowed them to join the search, and despite her insistence that Sloane not be out looking for Dex in the bright orange muscle car, Sloane needed it. He needed to feel as close to Dex as possible. The car and—heaven help him—that damned Retro Radio kept him from losing his mind.

  The tallest of the three Therians stepped forward, his attention on Sloane. The guy had been at Dex’s house.

  “I’m sorry, but you refused to cooperate. We couldn’t have you running around the city looking for Agent Daley. We needed more intel on who or what we were up against. If they couldn’t get what they wanted from him, you three would most likely be targeted.”

  “What about my dad?” Cael asked worriedly. He drew himself up against Ash, who pulled him in close. Cael looked exhausted, his hair sticking up and his boyish face paler than usual. His eyes were red and his voice hoarse. Cael had a panic attack when they were shown into the so-called waiting room, when the reality of what happened to Dex finally sank in. It had been too much. It wasn’t like they had been on the job. When something happened to your teammate or someone you cared about while on the job, there were ways to rationalize it, to understand, but when they had no clue as to who was responsible for Dex’s abduction or why, it was a different story. Lucky for them, Ash managed to calm Cael down, and an operative swiftly materialized with Cael’s favorite tea. Sloane didn’t like how much TIN knew about them, which according to Sparks’s cryptic intimations, was everything.

  “There are operatives guarding Sergeant Maddock. No one will get near his home without us knowing.”

  “What do they want?” Ash asked, giving Cael a squeeze. “Fuck. Do you even know who they are?”

  “We’re working on that.”

  Sloane had heard enough. “So you don’t know who they are, where they are, or what they want from Dex? Is there anything you do fucking know? I thought TIN was supposed to be fucking Intelligence? How about finding some goddamn intel on why they took my mate!”

  “Sloane,” Ash warned quietly. “Calm down.”

  “I swear if one more person tells me to fucking calm down I will take them out.” Sloane turned to his best friend, unable to hide the fear that came through in his voice. “They hurt him, Ash. They made him suffer. I can feel it down to my soul.” It twisted him up inside, tearing, pulling, burning. Someone had hurt Dex, and Sloane had been helpless to stop it. If Dex hadn’t gotten himself free…. He couldn’t think about that. Sloane was having trouble controlling his feral half as it was.

  Ash opened his mouth to speak when the door buzzed and the operatives stepped aside. Sparks entered the room wearing her formfitting black leather jacket, matching pants, and high-heeled boots. She had her high-tech bow strapped to her back and her backup weapon tucked into her thigh rig. Sloane was still growing accustomed to Sparks being Therian Intelligence. So much made sense now. The air of mystery that always surrounded her. The way she kept her distance. He’d believed it was her nature. Now he knew better. Was her name even Sparks,
or was it a TIN alias? Whoever the hell she was, she’d given Sloane her word that Dex was receiving the best medical care available.

  “How is he?” Sloane asked. “I need to see him.” He didn’t care that he sounded desperate. He was.

  “And you will, but you need to be prepared.”

  A lump formed in Sloane’s throat. “How bad is it?”

  “He’s pretty banged up and in a hell of a lot of pain, but his wounds will heal. He has several lacerations, bruising, some minor kidney trauma, but that should clear up in a few days. It looks much worse than it is.”

  Sparks met Sloane’s gaze, and a flicker of something flashed through her eyes. Concern? Sympathy?

  “Sloane, you need to prepare for possible psychological repercussions. Dex wasn’t just kidnapped and interrogated. He was tortured.”

  “Oh God.” Sloane doubled over and propped his hands on his knees. A wave of nausea washed over him, and he breathed deep, feeling Ash’s hand on his back. They’d tortured Dex. His jaw muscles clenched, and he closed his eyes.

  “Sloane, don’t,” Ash stated firmly, and Sloane tried, he really did.

  A deep feral growl rose up from his chest, and he straightened, moving his gaze to the TIN operatives blocking the door. Sloane charged, his fangs elongating, his eyesight sharpening, and his claws piercing his fingertips. The operatives were instantly on him, attempting to restrain him. His arms were seized, his waist, while another arm wrapped around his chest and then his neck. Sloane readied himself to take them all down when Sparks’s quiet words stilled him.

  “There’s more.”

  Sloane glared at the blond Therian restraining his neck. “Let go of me. Now.”

  The blond Therian narrowed his eyes before glancing behind Sloane to Sparks. They released him, and Sloane turned, the sting brief as he withdrew his fangs and claws. He waited for her to continue.