Rise & Fall (THIRDS 4)

Ash’s voice came in over his earpiece. “Wait for backup.”

“Sure.” He continued walking, speeding up when he saw Collins jump the fence. “He’s on the move.” Damn it, he couldn’t lose him. The team was only a block over, but by the time they all arrived, Collins could be gone.

“Goddammit, Dex. You—”

Dex hung up and put his phone on silent. If only he’d be able to do the same to Ash later on when the guy ripped him a new one. Holy Shit! He’d hung up on Ash!

“Shit.” In an attempt to soften the blow, he quickly shot off a text saying he was sorry.

Dex strolled past the Abyssinian Baptist Church and lingered by the chain-link fence. The church had a sign outside saying early Saturday Mass had been cancelled until further notice. If Collins wasn’t attending church on Saturdays like he told his boyfriend he was, then what was he doing around here? Dex stopped and leaned against the fence, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets and his foot propped up against the fence. The woman who’d been walking behind him with her kid gave him a warm smile as she walked by. He waited for them to round the corner and disappear before swiftly climbing over the fence, cringing at the noise made by the shuddering metal.

His Chucks skidded slightly on the gravel, and he wished he’d invested in some biker boots like Sloane had suggested. He remained crouched down close to the fence for a few heartbeats before slowly rising and peeking through the droop in the tarp zip-tied to the fence. Coast was clear. He made a dash for the block-wide brick building. The windows were too high for him to climb, and all the doors were either boarded up or bolted shut. He could kick in one of the flimsy compressed boards covering one of the entrances, but if Collins was in there, Dex didn’t want to spook him.

He came across an entrance with a sheet of plywood that was loose from the bottom. Looked like he’d found someone’s secret entrance. Crap. He’d have to crawl in. He kneeled down, removed his tactical flashlight from his jacket pocket, and stuck it between his teeth. Carefully, he pulled at the base of the board and squeezed through. Good thing he wore his busted-up leather jacket. He would have scratched the shit out of his new one. Once inside, he released the board and gingerly turned, his flashlight now in his hand.

The Renaissance Ballroom had once been a bustling casino and theater back during the days of the Charleston and Lindy Hop, with performances by some of the most renowned jazz musicians of the time. Now all that was left were the decaying remnants of an era long gone. The skeleton of the ballroom was shrouded in shadows and dimly lit with its only source of li

ght filtering through the hollow windows and collapsing ceiling.

Dex removed his tranq gun from the holster concealed by his jacket, and silently ventured farther in, making sure to watch his step. What appeared to have been a dance floor was nothing but dirt and rubble, colonized by patches of stinky mushrooms. The place was filthy. God only knew what else was in here. He listened for any sounds and tried to keep to the shadows. If Collins was in his cougar Therian form, he’d be stalking and hunting Dex by sight. Maybe he should have listened to Ash and waited for backup.

Trying to keep an ear out for movement would have been a lot easier if the place didn’t creak and rustle all over. He warily shifted his gaze up to the corroded ceiling beams. The whole damn roof looked like it could collapse at any moment. All it needed was for a pigeon to come through one of the open windows and take a shit on one, and the whole place would come crashing down over him.

Slowly, he moved from room to room, the walls crumbling or in piles of rubble. There were faded sketches of musicians playing their instruments on some of the walls, and a few of the chandeliers still had bulbs in them. A piece of debris snapped under his sneaker, and he froze. Shit.

Staying perfectly still, he heard nothing but the sound of his own breathing. There was enough light for him to see around him, and so far, there was no movement. Leaving the room and entering another, he almost didn’t see it. A shadow moved, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Collins leapt at him with a fierce roar from a pile of what Dex had assumed had been debris. Dex bolted, running as fast as he could while trying not to trip on all the scattered rubble. He made for a set of rickety stairs he doubted would even hold his weight, but he had little choice. Before he could make the stairs, Collins came at him from another angle, slamming him into the old concrete bandstand and knocking the gun from his hand. He cried out as his ribs hit at an odd angle, and he fell onto the dust-covered floor, writhing and holding on to his side.

An angry hiss caught his ear, and he raised his head in time to see Cael claw at Collins’s neck. Collins retaliated, but Cael was too quick. He sped off with Collins on his tail, giving him the runaround, leaping and skidding, making sharp turns Collins’s much bulkier frame had trouble with. Cael led Collins away from Dex when a leopard Therian jumped out from the shadows, tumbling into Cael.

“Cael!” Dex held on to his ribs, snatched up his gun, and tried to scramble to his feet, the lack of air filling his lungs making it difficult. Two or more Felids emerged from the shadows, all roaring, hissing, and surrounding his little brother. Dex forced himself to his feet and took aim, firing off rounds into as many of the Felids as he could catch. One got shanked with three darts, and he hobbled drunkenly away. Dex kept a grip on his side as he headed for Cael, firing into the roaring Felids until his gun was empty. A roar shook the rafters, scaring the shit out of Dex, but he was relieved to see it had come from Ash with Hobbs close behind. A Felid Therian battle ensued with sharp fangs snapping and claws grazing flesh. Ash roared at Cael, and Cael took the hint. He sped toward Dex when more of Collins’s crew crawled out of the woodwork.

Dex cursed under his breath. One of them caught him in his sights, and Dex wished he’d brought more than one tranq gun. He should have been more prepared, but he’d been expecting reconnaissance work, not a goddamn ambush. Dex turned to run only to find himself knocked to the ground. He was getting real tired of being pushed around like some Felid chew toy. A roar louder than Ash’s brought everything and everyone to a screeching standstill, and for a split second, Dex thought Hogan had joined the party, but he was way off, though no less screwed. Seb collided with Collins, sending the smaller Felid rolling across the floor into a mound of mushrooms. Seeing himself outmuscled, Collins bolted with the rest of his crew fast on his heels.

“You have to go after him!” Dex yelled at his teammates. Hobbs turned to do as Dex asked when Seb let out another roar, bringing Hobbs to sit. He lowered his head and flattened his ears back with a chuff. Seb was having none of it. They’d been so close. Dex sat where he was and let out a frustrated growl. No point in arguing. Collins and his crew were long gone.

Hobbs padded over and bumped his big furry head against Dex’s. At least one of his Therian teammates wasn’t pissed at him. Dex gave Hobbs a reassuring scratch behind the ear as he returned his gun to his holster.

“I’m okay, pal. Thanks.”

The low mewl Hobbs let out said he wasn’t too convinced. Cael soon appeared beside Dex and started grooming him, licking his face and hair.

“Bro, seriously, I’m fine.”

Cael sat on his haunches and proceeded to tell Dex off in cheetah Therian, despite knowing Dex couldn’t understand what the hell his chirps meant. Intimidation really wasn’t his little brother’s strong suit. Seb on the other hand….

The huge tiger Therian loomed over Dex, his green eyes flashing with fury. The dude was even bigger in his Therian form than he was in his Human form. What the hell did these guys eat? He held a hand up. “I know you’re pissed—”

Seb roared, the sound terrifying enough to startle Cael and Hobbs who both ducked behind Dex. Ash kept his distance, his tail and ears saying he was aware of what was going on but trying to keep out of it for everyone’s sake.

“How about we discuss this in a language we can both understand.” Not that ‘pissed off’ was difficult to understand. Dex preferred it when he could argue his case. He slowly put his hands up in front of him. “I’m going to call Rosa and have her bring the van around. You can shift there.” Seb sat back, and Dex reached for his phone. He called Rosa and asked her to drive up to the chain-link fence on 138th Street. Returning his phone to his pocket, Dex waited. “Letty’s going to bring everyone their clothes, so….”

Seb let out a chuff and got up. After a quick lick to Dex’s face from his little brother, Cael trotted after Seb with Hobbs slowly trailing behind. “This is going to be fun,” Dex muttered, cursing under his breath as he struggled to get up. Ash appeared beside Dex and pushed his head against him. He shook his mane, and Dex grabbed a fistful of it. “Thanks, man.”

Ash pulled and Dex stood. He brushed himself off as he headed for the boarded-up door he’d come in through. It was bigger now that his Felid teammates had forced their way through. Teeth gritted, he crawled through. Man, his ribs were killing him. At least he hadn’t broken anything.

Out on the street, Lou’s catering/surveillance van was parked, and his Felid teammates were leaping in, including Seb. It was going to be even more packed than usual.

“He’s going to tear me a new one, isn’t he?”