Rise & Fall (THIRDS 4)

“Is that Angry Birds?”

“From the Star Wars version,” Sloane offered.

Dex nodded. “The Bluebirds are Cael’s favorite.” Dex tapped the screen, and the bluebird bounced and spun. An alarm went off on the console, and the screen flickered to life, splitting into two images. On the left was a map with a bouncing Rebel bluebird. On the right an abandoned-looking building beside a canal. “That’s where Cael is.”

Rosa stepped up to the console. “Cael must have installed some kind of GPS in the system. Looks like he’s in Red Hook.”

Sloane turned to Hobbs. “You know what to do.”

Hobbs jumped behind the wheel and buckled up, the van’s engine roaring to life. Beside him, Calvin buckled up in the passenger seat.

“Everyone buckle up. Hobbs, move out,” Sloane ordered as Dex helped him sit. He took a seat beside his partner. Sloane took hold of Dex’s hand, laced their fingers together, and gave him a reassuring squeeze. It took Dex a moment to realize what Sloane had done. They were holding hands in front of the whole team. No one said a word, and Dex was grateful. All he could think about was getting to Cael.

“We’re going to get him back,” Sloane promised.

Dex believed Sloane, but as the van sped through Manhattan toward Red Hook, he closed his eyes and prayed they’d get his little brother back alive.

Chapter 11

“I DON’T like this.”

Dex turned at Sloane’s words. His partner was as concerned as the rest of the team. Dex would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried too. Besides the fact he trusted Hogan about as far as he could throw his hairy ass, the guy had picked the location, and not any location, but something out of a bad horror flick. Dex was certain Hogan had no intention of making it out of this.

How many members of Destructive Delta was he planning on taking down with him?

The Red Hook Grain Terminal loomed in the distance like some haunted Scottish castle on a foggy moor. Its concrete silos and crumbling façade were covered in black mold and graffiti. Sections of the building had collapsed and crumbled into the Gowanus Canal. There was a container terminal nearby along with several other industrial structures. It was all eerily quiet. They were the only thing around for miles. Black specks among stretches of gray. Heavily armed specks. They’d parked the van behind one of several mountains of debris away from the road.

“I don’t like it either, Sloane, but that asshole has Cael in there somewhere. I’m not leaving here without my brother.”

“Dex is right,” Ash said, checking the ammo in his tranq rifle.

Theta Destructive’s BearCat arrived on the scene, and when the back doors opened, four agents in their Therian forms leapt out. Two tigers, a lion, and a cougar. They followed Seb, who looked like he was ready to take on an army with enough firepower to bring down the whole fucking grain terminal, which was fine with Dex. He didn’t care if the whole place went up in smoke as long as he got Cael out of there. The public would probably thank them for getting rid of the eyesore.

“I thought we should even the odds,” Seb said with a grin. “Hogan’s likely to have some of his goons in their Therian form.”

“You’re right.” Sloane turned to Hobbs. “How about it, big guy?”

Hobbs gave a curt nod and headed back to the van to shift, with Calvin accompanying his partner. A shadow swept over Dex, and he gave a start, his hand flying to his chest when Austen materialized beside him in his Therian form.

“For fuck’s sake, Austen. You scared the shit out of me.” Could the guy not approach like a normal Therian?

Austen chirped and rubbed up against Dex’s leg only to get promptly swatted by Sloane. “Knock it off.”

Fur bristling and ears flattened, Austen dropped onto his back with paws in the air.

“No I’m not mad at you,” Sloane grumbled. “But you should know better.”

Felid Therians did not like having their scents encroached upon by other Therians. Sloane’s scent was all over Dex, and any Therian trying to replace it would get in deep shit with his partner. It was common courtesy. You did not hit on a dude’s boyfriend when he was right there. Austen was lucky Sloane wasn’t in his Therian form. Suddenly Austen stiffened. He rolled onto his paws and his ears flattened against his head as he sniffed at Dex’s arm. He started chirping, and the other agents in their Therian forms hissed and growled. They backed away from Dex and hissed at him.

“What the fuck’s gotten into them?” Ash asked, arching an eyebrow at Sloane.

Shit. Was it Sloane’s mark? Dex discreetly tucked his arm behind his back.

Sloane’s jaw muscles clenched, and he took a step closer to Dex. The feral Therians backed off. “Who the hell knows? Let’s get on with this.”

“Okay. So what’s the plan?” Ash asked.

“The place is fucking huge,” Rosa added, scratching Hobbs behind the ear when he padded over to them. “They could be anywhere.”