Against The Grain (THIRDS 5)

“Right,” Dex agreed. “My bond with my family keeps me sane. They share in my joy and pain. They understand what it’s like to bleed for this job. They back me up and I back them up, because of our bond. Because I will do whatever it takes not to let them down. Whatever we face, as long as there’s breath in my body, I will fight for them.”

“Admirable, agent Daley, but what are you getting at?”

“Destructive Delta is also my family. We might not be related by blood, but that doesn’t make them any less family. Cael, Tony, and I aren’t related by blood, but we’re still family.”

“That hardly sets my mind at ease, considering what I’ve seen.”

“Okay, yes, somewhere along the line, things changed for some of us, but since that day, have Sloane or I done anything to impede our performance outside the normal levels of any partnership not involved in a romantic relationship? And let’s face it, it’s not like your agents aren’t forming bonds or relationships. The rule was brought in because of what happened with Seb and Hudson. But that could have happened to anyone, whether they’d been in a relationship or not. We’re all fallible.”

“That’s a very pretty speech, but I’m afraid you’ve left me no choice. Destructive Delta is unstable and insubordinate. Your unorthodox methods may bring results, but not without a great deal of chaos involved. You also seem incapable of working a case without blowing something up. I think it’s time to consider disbanding the team.”

The room was filled with gasps and curses.

“What?” Cael shook his head. She couldn’t. After all these years? He couldn’t be reassigned to another team. No one understood him like his team. His quirks, his weird inability to drink coffee, or his little spurts of hyperactivity. And Rosa? Sparks couldn’t take Rosa away. She was his partner. They worked great together.

“Will that change be put forth by you or your replacement?” Sloane asked calmly.

Sparks narrowed her eyes at him. “Excuse me?”

“I assume now that your cover’s been blown, TIN will pull you out of the THIRDS and move you elsewhere.”

“My cover remains intact, Agent Brodie. The only ones who—” She closed her mouth, and her bright red lips spread into an approving smile. “I see. Do you honestly believe blackmail would make a difference to someone in my position?”

“No. And I have no intention of blackmailing you. You’ve worked damn hard to get where you are. So have we. Both our covers have been blown.” Sloane shrugged. “Or maybe they haven’t. Yes, our methods are unorthodox, yes, we do seem to attract an unusual amount of crazy, but we’re a damn good team, and we always come through for each other. We get the job done, we protect this city, and we bring down assholes like Isaac, Reyes, Collins, and Hogan. Maybe it’s time the THIRDS removed, or at least amended, the no fraternizing rule. In all the years I’ve been Team Leader of Destructive Delta, we have never failed you. We may have disappointed you along the way. We might have stumbled. But we always get up. So please forgive me when I say it’ll be a cold day in hell before I let you break up my team.”

The room fell into silence, with all eyes moving from Sloane to Sparks, who was frowning deeply. She studied him closely before tapping away at her desk’s interface. The screen behind her went black, one word appearing in the center of each screen.

Deleted.

With a sigh, she laced her fingers together on the desk’s surface. She met Sloane’s gaze. “I’ll consider your request concerning the no fraternizing rule, agent Brodie. Perhaps in the meantime, you and your team can attempt to show a little discretion. Keep your personal activities out of the parking garage.”

Sloane grinned broadly. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Also, I think it’s time Destructive Delta steps up its game. You’ve all been extremely lucky until now. Yes, a good deal of that has been skill, but you could do better. You’re top agents on a top team. I don’t want you to be the top. I want you to be the best. I expect you and Agent Keeler to get every member of your team up to your level.”

Ash’s jaw dropped. “But…. We’re talking over twenty years of field training and—”

Sparks arched an eyebrow at him. “I’m sorry, Agent Keeler. I believe the response you were looking for was ‘yes, ma’am.’”

Ash swallowed hard, his voice gruff when he replied, “Yes, ma’am.”

“You’ll start receiving callouts on Monday. Enjoy your weekend. Dismissed.”

Cael turned, waiting for the door to swish open before heading out with the rest of his team. He wondered if they were as confused as he was.

AUSTEN HEARD the door swish closed, and he stepped out from Sparks’s personal bathroom. He sat down on the edge of her desk.

“You weren’t really going to break them up, were you?”

Sparks waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course I wasn’t. I needed to give them a little more motivation. There’s a lot of potential there.”

She got that familiar look in her eyes, and Austen groaned.

“Forget it. They’ll never join TIN.”

“I know that,” she huffed, poking his leg with her pen. “Get your ass off my desk.”

He hopped off and draped himself over one of the chairs across from her. “So, what then?”