Rise & Fall (THIRDS 4)

Dealing with the THIRDS meant he had to be extra careful. If he transferred, downloaded, or cross-referenced any information, Intel would know. He also couldn’t have any algorithms set up, which meant he’d have to hunt down information the old-fashioned way. Every piece of technical equipment was monitored by the THIRDS, and he couldn’t ask his brother for help because then Cael would know what he was up to. That didn’t mean he couldn’t get the job done. He’d been a detective long before joining the THIRDS, and he’d managed to solve cases without all the fancy gadgets and Themis. Thanks to his techno-geek brother, Dex had invested in a pocket-sized, high-end, high-resolution digital information camera. During his time with the HPF, Dex never left home without it. The habit hadn’t left him. He kept the camera locked up and hidden in a secret compartment in the trunk of his car under the spare tire.

The DIC captured the information on his Themis screen perfectly, and the wireless signal transferred it to his tablet. Sort of the way spies used to take pictures of secret documents on their tiny cameras. Man, technology was awesome. Though he really wished he’d paid more attention in his computer science classes rather than surfing the internet for porn. He was the only one who’d never gotten caught, thanks to his little brother showing him how to properly dispose of the browser’s history.

The DIC beeped, letting him know the transfer was complete. All the images of every file he’d taken screenshots of were on his tablet, clear as day. He submitted his reports and logged off his interface. It went black with glowing blue letters scrolling across the screen reading, Thank you, Agent Daley. Enjoy your time off. God, sometimes he hated Themis. He was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.

Thanks to Austen, Dex finally had a lead. Ox Perry had been spotted in several locations around Flushing, Queens. Dex rummaged through his backpack and removed the map he’d bought at the convenience store down the street. He stood, unfolded it across the table, and grabbed a highlighter. It was time to get to work. At least now he could concentrate. He’d left the house and sat in his car for what seemed like ages. He couldn’t leave Sloane on his own. What if something happened to him while Dex was gone? Dex would never forgive himself. So he’d called Austen and asked him to use his super-agent skills to watch over Sloane and keep him safe until Dex returned. Austen hadn’t been happy about it, but Dex was quickly coming to learn there was little Austen wouldn’t do for Sloane. He felt pretty shitty exploiting Austen’s feelings for Sloane, but if it meant keeping Sloane safe, he’d do whatever he needed to.

Scrolling through the information on his tablet containing both intel from Themis and Austen, Dex started to highlight streets where Perry had been spotted. Once he was done, Dex went over Perry’s record. He’d been the youngest member of the Westward Creed back in the 1980s during the riots and arrested for assault, along with a host of other charges due to the deaths of several Therian citizens. However, the charges against the eight youths had been dropped, the Human judge claiming missing evidence. Considering the time, it was mostly the result of corruption. The new branch of Therian government had still been in the process of passing its laws. According to Tony, with the chaos and violence sweeping through the streets, cases like this were tragically not uncommon.

After Perry was released, he seemed to have kept his nose clean. Human, single, no longer living at the address listed on Themis for obvious reasons. He worked for a construction firm but hadn’t reported in for days, or so the guy’s boss said. Considering Perry had been working there for over twenty years without a change in management, it was possible the guy was covering up for him. Dex leaned his arms on the table and studied the map.

There had to be a pattern. Reasons for Perry to be visiting these locations. Dex brought up the same map of Queens on his tablet and zoomed in. He began going into Street View one by one, making lists and notes of all the shops, buildings, houses, cars, everything. The more he jotted down, the more he felt he was onto something.

Hours passed until Dex’s eyes started to sting. What time was it? He checked his watch. Holy fuck! It was almost midnight. Where the hell had the time gone? Looking up, he found a plate with a sandwich, a glazed donut, and next to it a can of Coke. Beside the plate was a note scribbled with Lou’s handwriting.

Tried to say hi but you were in your weird cop-zone. Don’t forget to eat. xo Lou

Damn. Lou had been down here, talked to him, and Dex couldn’t remember. He’d been so absorbed in his work that he’d completely blocked everything else out. It was nice of Lou to bring him something to eat. Eat.

“Oh my God!” Dex scrambled to remove his smartphone from his pocket. Shit. Shit. Shit. Three missed calls from Sloane and two texts asking him if he was going to make it to dinner and hoping he was okay. “I am the shittiest boyfriend ever!” He tapped Sloane’s picture and listened to the phone ring, pacing around the office until Sloane’s groggy voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Forgotten me already,” Dex teased. He felt so shitty.

“Hey. Sorry, I took some painkillers after dinner, and I guess they knocked me out.”

Dex dropped down onto the couch, his gaze landing on the desk scattered with all his work. “I’m so sorry I didn’t make it to dinner.”

“It’s okay. I called Ash, and he picked up some food. We hung out. Meeting ran late?”

“Yeah, you know these PR nerds. Then I went and had too much sugar and totally crashed. I went for a nap in one of the bays and just woke up.” He closed his eyes, hating himself for telling more lies. But it was to get Hogan off the streets. To keep Sloane safe. He wasn’t a terrible person for wanting to keep his family safe, was he?

“I told you not to binge on sugar after eight o’clock.”

“You are wise.”

“You okay? You sound… off.”

I don’t deserve you. “Just tired.”

“When are you coming home?”

Dex swallowed hard. Did Sloane realize what he’d said? Sloane couldn’t have meant it how Dex thought he did. It was just a turn of phrase. He didn’t mean their home. It didn’t matter. Sloane was waiting for him, in his bed, under the covers, and warm. Home. Why did that keep popping up in his head? His gaze went back to the table. Home. What if those locations were connected to someone close to Perry? Why else would he keep going back there?

“Dex?”

“Sorry, um, it’s late, I stink, and you’re all cozy. Would you think I’m a dick if I crashed here?”

“At work?”

“Yeah. By the time I get in it’ll be really late, and I don’t want to disturb you. Doc said you need lots of rest.”

There was a pause at the other end of the line, and Dex’s heart broke at Sloane’s soft words. “You do what you gotta do. Just stay safe for me.”

“PR’s dangerous work, but it’s not that dangerous. Unless they ask me to read at the children’s library again. Then it can get pretty hairy.”

Sloane chuckled. “Better you than me.”