The front door popped open and Zane slid into the passenger seat. He brought a gust of cold air with him before he shut the door.
“You’re just going to let him walk off into the snow?” Cameron asked.
“He’ll be back,” Zane assured them, as calm and steady as ever.
Julian looked from him to the retreating figure of his partner in the distance. This hadn’t gone to plan at all. Julian had anticipated a rental being called, exchanging vehicles, the two agents being distracted and irritated enough that he could get the drop on them as he was transferred. He hadn’t expected Ty to storm off into the darkness alone.
“Agent Garrett, while I don’t pretend to particularly like your partner, I have to express some concern over this plan.”
“Your concern is noted,” Zane said, his voice stilted and curt.
“It’s below freezing out there, Garrett.”
“Julian,” Cameron whispered.
Julian glanced at him and licked his lips, trying to force his shoulders to relax. He wanted to get away, but he didn’t want to be responsible for the death of either of these men. They were only doing as they’d been ordered, just like Julian had done for so many years.
Zane turned his head to look back at them. “If either of you knew Ty like I do, you’d be more worried about us freezing than him.”
An hour later, a pair of headlights flashed behind them, rousting all of them from a cold-induced doze. Julian craned his neck to watch the car approach. It slowed as it neared them, revealing itself to be a truck or SUV of some sort. Julian would have guessed it was an older vehicle from the shape of the headlights. The driver flashed the lights again before pulling up behind their sedan. The lights didn’t shut off, and Julian could barely make out the figure that stepped out of the SUV and walked toward them.
Ty opened the driver’s side door and ducked in to look at them. “Got us a ride,” he said, voice hoarse and gruff.
Zane got out of the car and slammed the door. The trunk opened, and Julian could feel them removing things from the back to transfer. Julian flexed his fingers, trying to get the blood pumping. If they could catch Ty and Zane by surprise now, after the effects of the cold had made them slower and less aware, then they might be able to take whatever vehicle Ty had found and make a clean getaway.
His fingers were stiff and cold. His whole body was. He also realized, somewhat belatedly, that his mind wasn’t working at full speed either. Ty and Zane weren’t the only ones who’d gotten cold and sleepy.
“Shit.”
“What?” Cameron asked, his voice sluggish.
“I’m afraid my plan has backfired. I didn’t expect the exchange to take so long.”
“Are you cold?” Cameron whispered.
The trunk slammed. Julian turned his head just in time to see Ty and Zane standing in the light of the headlights, Zane’s hands on Ty’s face. For a brief moment, Julian thought they were kissing. He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened his eyes again, Zane was merely feeling Ty’s cheeks, apparently to check that he was warm.
“I believe… I might be hallucinating,” Julian muttered as he tried to shift enough to get his blood flowing.
Cameron didn’t respond, he merely looked at Julian, his eyes glazing over. The door popped open at Julian’s elbow, and Ty reached in to unlock his handcuffs. Ty pulled him out of the car, and the blast of cold was enough to make Julian gasp.
“Cold, isn’t it?” Ty asked through gritted teeth as he pushed Julian chest-first against the sedan.
Julian waited until Zane had freed Cameron. Then he rammed his elbow into Ty, catching him on the chin. Ty stumbled back and Julian turned, finally having gotten the drop on the man. He swung at him and Ty leaned away from his fist, dodging the blow. Instead of squaring against him to prepare for the brawl, Ty lunged at him. He jumped, turning sideways in the air, kicking out at Julian. He wrapped his arm around Julian’s neck. One foot went between Julian’s legs, the other on the outside of his knee. Then he wrenched his body sideways as he fell, wrapping Julian up and taking him to the ground.
By the time they hit the snow, Julian was completely immobilized, his legs tangled in Ty’s, in a headlock as he struggled to free himself.
“Ty!”
“We’re okay,” Ty called back, his voice freakishly calm as Julian tried to find a pressure point or something to fight back with. “Get the kid in the car. I need your help.”
Julian gritted his teeth. “Why is an ex-Recon Marine trained in Russian Sambo?”
Ty didn’t answer, merely tightened his hold on Julian so he couldn’t speak as they both shivered with the cold seeping into them.
ZANE hastily secured Cameron in the sedan before rushing over to the other side of the car, his gun drawn.
Both men were on the ground, Ty wrapped around Julian and restraining him with his body. It looked a little too much like they were spooning.
Zane grumbled under his breath and bent over them. “Quit messing around. I’m freezing,” he told them, and then he put the muzzle of his gun to Julian’s forehead and grabbed him by his collar.
They stood him up, Zane keeping his gun on him as Ty bullied him over to the other vehicle.
Zane didn’t know where Ty had found the old Bronco II, but Zane was glad he had. Ty used every bit of bungee cord, rope, and handcuffs they had to strap Julian down in the back of the Bronco. Then they moved Cameron over and tied him down too.
When they were finally all in the car, the heat chugging, Zane felt like he could breathe easily again. He glanced at Ty.
“Where did you find this thing?” he asked, unable to keep from being amused.
“Old barn near that water tower we passed. It had a cracked cylinder head. I found one to replace it in a Ranger nearby and hotwired it. It won’t go far, but it’ll get us to a hotel.”
Zane stared at him for a second before glancing behind them. Both of their prisoners were tied down, blocked by the rear seat. Zane reached out and set his hand on Ty’s thigh, squeezing. “Nicely done,” he whispered.
Ty set his hand on Zane’s, letting their fingers lace together. He looked at Zane and gave him a tense smile. Zane didn’t move his hand as they drove on into the night.
“WE FOUND the car, sir,” Agent X told his boss as he stood on the side of the road in the freezing cold.
“They dumped it?”
“No, sir. It appears it broke down. I suspect the gas tank is the culprit.”