Against The Grain (THIRDS 5)

“Dude, you’re weird.”

“Says the guy related to that dude.” Austen pointed a finger at Dex.

Cael picked up the case. “If TIN has the power to cover all this shit up, why didn’t they move the drug themselves? Why get the THIRDS to do it?

“The facility Shultzon was using belongs to the THIRDS. One of hundreds across the country. His project was buried under a shit ton of fake legitimate research projects. If Shultzon got wind that TIN was moving in, he’d blow the whole thing wide open and expose TIN. They couldn’t have that. We’re talking national security.”

“So the THIRDS take the fall. Is that it?” Dex let out a snort of disgust.

“That’s the way the Cheesy Doodle crumbles, Daley. There’s an order to things, and if someone’s gotta take one for the team, it’s gonna be the little guy.”

“So now what?” Cael could have sworn he heard something.

“Now, you duck.”

Neither of them questioned Austen’s casual order. They ducked, an arrow flying over their heads before they heard a scream and a gurgling sound. Standing, they turned to find a Human gunman lying on the floor in a pool of blood with an arrow sticking out of his heart.

“Guess there was a straggler,” Austen murmured.

“What the fuck?”

Dex took Cael’s arm, pulling him close as they both gaped at Sparks as she emerged from the shadows dressed in a formfitting black leather jacket, pants, high-heeled boots, and in her hand, a high-tech bow.

“Holy shit!” Dex turned to Cael. “Dude, did Sparks just shank that guy with an arrow?” He turned back to Sparks. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Good job, Austen.”

Austen gave her a two fingers salute. “Ma’am.”

“Are you two all right?” Sparks asked, collapsing the bow and clipping it to her thigh rig.

Cael was having trouble finding his words. His brain had ceased functioning.

“Yes. Sort of. No.”

Apparently so had his brother’s brain.

“I take it Austen has filled you in?” She motioned for them to follow, and after some hesitation, they did. Cael held the case tight in his hand as they followed Sparks through the barely lit floor.

“What’s Shultzon going to do with Sloane, Ash, and Hobbs?” Cael asked her.

“He’s going to use the drug on them. The hijackers are mercenaries for hire. Shultzon ordered them to retrieve specific agents. Selected candidates for the program. They were supposed to have been retrieved at a later date in a far more inconspicuous way, but Shultzon was left with no choice. Considering Shultzon’s history with Sloane and Ash, along with their record at the THIRDS as top agents, I’m not surprised he chose them. He knows them inside and out. Knows what their bodies can take, what they respond to.”

“But… we have the drug,” Dex said.

Sparks stopped and turned to them.

“That’s correct, Agent Daley. And any moment, Shultzon is going to be calling

you. He’s going to tell you where to take the drug. If you don’t deliver the drug to the location and follow his instructions, he’s going to put a bullet in your boyfriend’s head.”

Dex let out a shaky laugh. “With all due respect, Lieutenant, Sloane and I aren’t—”

“Can it, Agent Daley. I work for Therian Intelligence. You really think I’m not going to know when my agents are in a relationship? I know everything. Whole damn team is sleeping with each other. Rosa and Letty are the only ones not breaking protocol. I mean, there’s a lot of sleeping around going on in Unit Alpha, but you guys take the cake.”

“When you say everything…,” Dex prompted.

Sparks narrowed her eyes at him. “I mean everything. Your relationship with Sloane, the fact he’s moving in with you, when you decided to play Batman and orchestrated an unsanctioned mission including Sebastian Hobbs and the rest of your team. I know about your naps during assembly, the gummy bears in your desk’s top right-hand drawer, along with the Cheesy Doodles, the Peanut M&M’s, the pretzels, plantain chips, and I seriously hope you listen to Agent Brodie about changing your diet.” She turned and started walking again.