Two more people clad in the same all black outfit were stationed on the next street corner. Jared’s fingers dug into his seat cushion, his eyes darting back and forth from one side of the street to the other. When he saw the unmarked sedan, one much too identical to those that had driven up his driveway a few weeks earlier, Jared let out a gasp.
“Jared?”
“Agents,” Jared blurted. He turned around to look over his seat. “More and more of them, the closer we get to downtown.”
“Shit.” Reese ducked his head to get a better view. “You’re right.”
“What are they doing here? A daytime raid in the middle of a busy city? That doesn’t make sense.” Jared frowned.
“They shot up a fucking school, so I wouldn’t put anything past them.” Reese glanced in the rear view mirror. “You have your gun?”
Jared fingered the cuff at his wrist. His pistol was tucked into the back of his jeans. While the familiar weight of it was comforting- not to mention Declan would kill him if Jared ever left home without it- Jared knew only dire circumstances would prompt him to use it.
He gave Reese a quiet affirmative and reached for the door handle. Reese pulled onto a narrow side street and they hopped out. Coming around to Jared’s side of the car, Reese subtly palmed his own pistol. “We don’t know how many Agents there are, so we need to be smart. We can take a look and if needed call for-“ A woman’s scream, abruptly cut off into a muffled whimper, stopped him short.
Jared whipped around, following the sound into a back alley. One of the Agents he’d spotted earlier had a woman, no, a girl, in a chokehold, one gloved hand covering her mouth as he tried to wrestle her into an unmarked van.
“Hey!” Jared yelled and took off, ignoring Reese’s shouts behind him.
“Let go of her!” Jared rushed the Agent, wrapping his arms around his waist to tackle him to the ground. He heard the girl fall as well, but a few scrapes and bruises were better than whatever they were going to do to her in that van. “Run!” he screamed at her, looking into her eyes instead of at the stain on her wrist that had made her a target.
Jared let out a grunt when a hard fist connected with his midsection. He rolled the Agent over, trying to get the upper hand. Jared managed to brace himself up enough to land a violent punch to the Agent’s temple, the man’s head making a sickening crack when it fell limply to the asphalt.
Jared had just gotten his feet back beneath him when another Agent burst out of the driver’s side of the van, crashing Jared to the ground. Jared rolled and hooked his right leg over the Agent’s hip and firmly planted his left foot, wrenching his hip up and over to throw the guy off him.
His siblings and Reese rushed towards him, Declan’s gun already out and aimed at the conscious Agent Jared had just tossed.
“Don’t move, assface.” Declan warned. “My trigger finger has been feeling seriously itchy lately.”
“The girl,” Jared panted. “Where’s the girl?”
“I’ve got her.” Rae took off like a shot in the direction the rescue had run.
“Are you alright?” Reese demanded.
“Fine.” Jared looked around frantically. “There must be more. They wouldn't do this for just one rescue.”
“Rescue?” The Agent spat. “Only the lucky get called rescues, boy. Damned dirty ditchbreeds, what these are.”
“Hey! What did I say about not moving? That includes your mouth, you filthy bastard.” Declan shoved his boot onto the guy’s hip, rolling him onto his chest. He placed his foot between the Agent’s shoulder blades.
Reese bent down and plucked the pistol from the Agent’s belt while Declan pressed down on his back. “How many more of you are there?”
“Shoot me. More will take my place.”
“Wow. Poetic.” Declan dug his boot in harder. “Answer the damn question.” The guy only grunted.
Leaving Reese and his brother behind to deal with the Agents, Jared took off running after Rae.
As he rounded the corner back onto the street, Jared jogged down the sidewalk, dodging tourists and lampposts as he wove his way through pedestrian traffic. He got to the next crosswalk and swung his head in either direction, unsure where Rae and the teenage girl may have gone. Following his instincts, he headed down the busier street and kept running.
“Jared!” Rae’s voice called out to him from just inside the entrance to a parking garage. He ducked inside it, and her arm shot out to catch his.
“Well?” he panted. “Where is she?”
Rae tucked her gun back into her jeans and shook her head. “I lost her.” It was quick, but Jared saw her eyes drop down to his bracelet. “Let’s get back.”
Jared stood firm. “Rae. Where is she?”
Rae looked away from him, and Jared caught the sheen of tears glossing over her steel blue eyes. “I wasn't fast enough. There must be more Agents, because as soon as I started checking the garage I heard two gunshots, and…I didn't make it in time.” Rae’s eyes darted towards the stairwell.
Jared rushed over to the open stairway, catching himself on the railing as he looked over the side.
Half a story down lay the teenaged girl, her body crumpled on the cement stairs, blood running down her body and two bullet holes in her chest. Her hair was matted, her clothes dirty, worn, and now soaked with blood.
The ink stain on her wrist was the only clean part of her that stood out against smooth, fair skin.
Jared clenched his teeth, his bloodied knuckles turning white where they gripped the metal railing. “No. No!” He screamed.
“Jared.” Rae tugged on his arm. “We have to get out of here. The Agents could come back. Come on.”
Jared closed his eyes and with great effort ripped himself away from the rail. Unshed tears blurred his vision as he and Rae jogged quickly back to the alley.
Reese stood with his back to them, his shoulders tense where they were braced on the hood of Gideon’s truck. Declan stood near the Bronco, pacing restlessly up and down along its length.
The Agents Jared had taken down were nowhere to be found. Jared cocked his head. “What did you do with-“
“We locked them in their own van.”
Jared glanced over at the back of the Agent van, a locked metal chain now wrapped around the outside handles.
Declan jerked his chin towards Gideon’s truck. “Get in the car.”
“We have to go get her-“
“Jared, get in the damn car!” Declan roared. “You think there aren’t more of these guys? We aren’t equipped to handle a damned raid, no matter how small.” Lowering his voice, he said, “It’s the middle of the freakin’ day. Leather bracelets might fool the general public, but it won’t fool them, Jare. We can’t afford to be taken by surprise.”
“Fine.” The truth hit him harder than the punch to his gut, that no one would be going back for that girl. Jared stalked over to the truck, tugging on the handle of the passenger side. “Unlock it.”
Reese kept his head bent, hanging between his shoulders. “I think you’d better go with Declan.”
Jared’s stomach dropped. “What?”
“And Rae.” Reese continued as if Jared hadn't spoken. Avoiding Jared’s gaze, he walked around to the driver’s seat of Gideon’s truck, ignoring Jared’s request to unlock the door. “You should ride back in the Bronco. I’ll go get the blueprints.” He got into the truck and started the engine.
Jared stood dumbfounded behind the truck, watching as Reese pulled away.
“Jare.” Rae gently tugged his arm. “Come on.” Jared let her lead him over to their Bronco, where Declan stood with both passenger doors open. Rae hopped in the front and Jared climbed into the backseat, Declan shutting both doors after them.
They pulled into traffic and split off from Reese, heading out of downtown. “Stay down, Jare." Declan instructed. “Until we’re back on the highway.”
Jared slunk down in his seat, his eyes burning. He pressed his cuff into his scar and swallowed
his rising nausea at the picture of the teenage girl, lying crumpled and forgotten on dingy concrete stairs.
After picking up the blueprints, Reese hopped back into Gideon’s truck and made his way out of town. Punching in a number on his phone, he held it to his ear and waited for the click of someone picking up. "Do you know how bad this looks, me always being the one that knows our plans?" he said, speaking angrily into the phone when it connected on the first ring.
"You alone? I’ve got the coordinates for you."
The brush off only pissed Reese off further. "How the hell am I supposed to know exactly where the compound is without raising some epic fucking suspicion?"
"You kept them from Pine Bluff just fine."
"Barely," Reese said through clenched teeth. "I'm not sure they are going to want to listen this time."
"Yeah, well, we don't have a choice. Otherwise we are looking at a lot of wasted time."
"There's gotta be someone else in there who has worked with Hatch, who could leak this for us."
"Come on Reese, you're a smart guy. Figure something out. You better show up on time with the Coopers and the rest in tow, or else I'm screwed."
Reese rubbed a hand along the back of his neck, his skin prickling at the reality of where he would be leading Jared. “You’d better not fuck me over, Farrington, because this is the last time. I'm done with this secretive shit when this raid is over, you got me?"
"If all goes according to our plan, I will be too. Just keep focused, yeah? I'll see you soon."
Reese hung up and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat.
He cursed, and tried not to think about soft lips and golden chocolate eyes.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"Shit." About three miles outside of downtown, Declan pumped the brakes, slowing down with the rest of the traffic headed out of the city.
"Tell me that's not an Agent checkpoint." Rae swore, sitting up in her seat.
"That's exactly what it is." Declan swore.
“Gideon says Vivienne wants you so bad she can taste it. Are these guys going to recognize you?”
“Unlikely. Checkpoint Agents are some of the lowest on the chain.” Declan glanced at Jared in the rearview mirror. "Take dad's old coat from the back and throw it over you, like a blanket." He fished a small bottle out of the console and passed it to Rae. "Toss some of this on him."
Rae frowned. "Are you serious right now? You keep whiskey in the car?"
"I keep whiskey everywhere. Just do it."
Rae shook a few drops of the amber liquid onto her fingers and twisted in her seat, reaching back to smear it on Jared's collar. Declan saw Jared dart his eyes nervously back and forth out the car windows. "Declan?" Jared’s shaky voice echoed Declan’s own fear, his fingers curling into the thick wool fabric of their dad's coat.
"It'll be okay, Jare." Declan promised. "Throw the coat on and act passed out, okay? Don't wake up for anything. Unless you get pulled from the truck, in which case we all come out swinging. Got it?" Declan turned to make sure Jared was doing as he was told.
Jared nodded, shakily pulling the coat over his upper body. His side had to be screaming in pain, considering the awkward way he was lying on the backseat, but Declan couldn't worry about that right now.
"Wait." Rae passed the bottle back. "Take a sip and swish. Just enough to make your breath smell." Jared did as she suggested, swirling the whiskey around his mouth before he swallowed.
"Just stay passed out like a good drunk." Declan instructed, slowly steering the car towards the checkpoint. Jared pulled his legs bent on the seat and moved the coat so that it obscured most of his face, only his hair still visible under the mess of clothes. Declan reached back for the whiskey bottle, tossing it onto the floor within sight line of the window. "Cover your wrists and shove them under the back of the seat."
"They're letting Reese through," Rae murmured, scanning the scene in front of them.
"I don't think they're looking too hard," Declan said. He sure hoped they weren't. "Just stay down, Jare. It'll be okay. We've got you."
Declan came to a stop, heeding the Agent signaling him, and rolled down his window. "Afternoon," he greeted the Agent, masking the venom in his voice. "What can we do for ya?"
"Sorry for the inconvenience sir, but we're doing a check of the area."
Declan pasted on a nervous smile. "Anything we need to be worried about?"
The Agent ignored him, putting a hand on the window and ducking his head to look inside the car. "What's that all about, sir?" he asked, tipping his chin towards the backseat.
Declan waved a hand. "Oh, that's just my brother. He had a few too many with his buddies last night."
Rae leaned over his lap, grinning at the Agent. "He went to his first bachelor party. He can't quite hold his liquor, poor thing. Been sick all day."
The Agent looked unconvinced. "Hands on the wheel, please."
Declan had a fleeting thought at how satisfying it would be to give this Agent a hard punch right in his arrogant face, but he gripped the steering wheel like the guy said, knuckles turning white from the effort. Declan held his breath as the Agent circled to Jared's side of the car and opened the rear passenger door.
Declan glanced in the mirror as Jared let out a loud snore, his body not moving an inch while the Agent studied him.
He and Rae shared a hidden look of relief when the Agent slammed the door closed and leaned down into Rae's window. "Get him home, and maybe into a shower. He reeks."
Rae giggled and placed her hand over the Agent's. "It's awful, isn't it?"
The Agent tapped the roof of their truck. "Move on, please."
"Will do." Declan tipped two fingers towards the guy in a mock salute and slid the truck back into drive, pressing the gas to get them back onto the road.
Once he hit the highway, he finally let out a full breath. "You did good, Jare. You can come out now."
"Are you okay?" Rae asked, turning in her seat.
Jared threw the coat off and sat up, his hair pasted to his forehead in a sweaty mess. He leaned forward, hands braced on the seat on either side of him. "Fine. Just get us home before I puke."
Declan chuckled, pride swelling within his chest at his brother’s performance. "Fast as I can, kiddo. Just hold on."
“Y’all got damn lucky,” Gideon commented later when Declan relayed their encounter with the Agents. “What the hell are they doing downtown in the middle of the damn day? Suits them just as much as us to keep things quiet.”
Declan shrugged, running a frustrated hand through his hair. Most of society was content to look the other way when it came to Agent violence against ditchbreeds, but even Agents tried to keep up a decent PR image.
Protection of the people, his ass.
“Fuck if I know.” Declan’s face twisted. “We’re spending all our time going in smart, remember?”
“You’re gunning for an ass kicking, boy, and don’t think I’m too old to dish one out.”
“Where is Iris?” Rae asked. She sat on the couch, where Jared had settled upon their return home. He had yet to move, same as Reese, who was leaning silently against the wall near Jared’s end of the sofa.
“She’s already headed towards Jefferson.” Gideon answered. “Gettin’ everyone together so they will all be ready to go when we get there.”
Declan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is killing us, Gideon, not having anyone on the inside. Not having anyone we trust on the inside,” he corrected, when Gideon opened his mouth to argue.
“Hell.” Gideon slumped down into his desk chair. “Don’t I know it.”
“We’ll just have to be more careful,” Rae stated, rubbing Jared’s back, trying to soothe away the shaking.
“Careful isn’t gonna help if every city we pass through is swarming with Agents, RaeRae.”
Rae spat out a nasty phrase that summed up everyone’s opinion of Vivienne Knox. “So not only are we down manpower, we are lacking in intel.”
“Johnathan was my intel. Declan, too, though you can’t be expected to know what’s happening when you’ve been out of work for a month. Couple other trackers that talk to Iris are pretty good at keepin’ their ears to the ground, but that’s just one region.” Gideon said gruffly. “What’s killin’ us is that the Agents have a much more united front than we do. Vivienne may be more soulless than the devil, but she’s one hell of a leader. The Agents believe in her mission, they respect her.”
Traction: A m/m romance novel (Renegades & Rescues Book 1) Page 16
