He hadn’t finished the song before the door opened again. He glanced at the newcomer, relief washing over him. “Am I glad to see you,” he told Richard Burns.
“Yes, well, I wish I could say the same,” Burns growled as he tossed a pair of handcuff keys on the table. They slid past Ty’s fingers, just out of reach. Ty tried to reach them with the tip of one finger as Burns sat opposite him.
“That’s so unnecessary,” Ty mumbled as he continued to try and reach the keys.
Burns sat snickering at him for a few moments before he finally took pity on him and reached out to cut through the zip tie and unlock the handcuffs. He handed Ty the keys so he could release his feet.
“Everything’s settled down?” Ty asked as he ducked under the table.
“That depends. The CIA currently has in its custody two FBI agents and one Boston police detective who is demanding they pay for the damage to his boat.”
“He’s okay?”
Burns nodded. “Emptied a double-barreled shotgun at a couple of Company lackeys, and then they arrested him. He spent all night claiming he thought they were the Men in Black coming to scan his brain.”
Ty bit his lip so he wouldn’t laugh.
“They returned him to his boat this morning, and he’s on his way home. Safe.”
Ty breathed a sigh of relief at that.
“Julian Cross is responsible for the deaths of half a dozen CIA agents.”
Ty nodded, pressing his lips tightly together. It was true that every man who’d lost his life had fallen to the hands of Julian Cross. “That’s unfortunate. It was self-defense, though, he thought they were trying to kill us.”
“We’re aware of that, Ty, but here’s the problem the Company has right now. It seems the man you brought in was not, in fact, Julian Cross.”
“No?” Ty asked, feigning surprise as he sat back up and doing it badly just to annoy his superior. “Huh. That’s weird.”
Burns hummed, meeting Ty’s eyes and trying not to smile. “You want the CIA to believe that you mistook your partner for your prisoner, handcuffed him, and delivered him to Langley?”
Ty shrugged. “I mean… he grew a beard. It was an honest mistake.”
Burns nodded. “Fair enough.”
Ty stared at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop. A man appeared at the doorway, all clean-cut and dashing and looking official with his badge and gun. Ty looked Preston up and down in surprise.
“They’ve changed my code name to avoid further confusion,” Preston said with a smile. “Thank you for escorting me safely from Chicago, Special Agent Grady.”
Ty blinked at him, not sure what to say to that. So he just kept his mouth shut. Preston nodded and turned to go. Ty looked back at Burns.
“I’m filing this under my Rubik’s Cube,” Burns murmured. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Ty hopped up to follow. “Can I get my things back?”
“Working on it.”
Ty grumbled but didn’t ask again. The first person he saw when he exited the room was Zane, already dressed, freshly shaven, and ready to go. Ty pointed at him as he glared at Burns.
“You rescued him first?”
“We’ve been watching you through the mirror for ten minutes,” Zane told him, trying not to smile.
“They’ve been training rookies off you, Ty,” Burns said as he walked away.
Ty glared after him, then glanced at Zane with a grin and threw himself at his partner to hug him before Zane could dodge him. Zane laughed and closed his arms around Ty, returning the enthusiastic embrace.
“Gentlemen,” Agent X said as he approached them. Ty let go of Zane’s neck and turned to look at the man. He held a bundle of Ty’s clothing and possessions. “You did an impressive job this week.”
Ty and Zane shared a glance. “Thank you, I guess,” Zane said warily.
“The Agency would like to extend an invitation to both of you.”
Ty leaned his head forward as if he’d heard wrong.
“An invitation?” Zane repeated.
“You’re offering us a job?” Ty asked, incredulous.
Agent X nodded. “We here at the Agency believe that if you can’t kill it, you hire it.”
Ty barked a laugh. Zane just shook his head and turned away, trailing after Burns.
Ty wagged a finger at Agent X, who was smiling ever so faintly. He took his things from the man. “You’re kind of all right, man,” Ty told him, still laughing. “Later, gator.”
He turned to amble off after the other two, content that the ordeal was over and he could finally go home. With Zane.
ZANE was already wrapped around Ty, kissing him senseless as he pressed him against the front door of his row house. Ty fumbled behind him for the doorknob, turning the lock and causing the door to open, tumbling both of them into the house.
Zane kicked the door closed and grabbed at Ty again, but Ty pushed at his hands and tensed, looking around the living room of his home.
“Wait, wait,” he whispered urgently, eyes scanning the darkness behind Zane. “Someone’s been here.”
“What?” Zane asked as he turned and reached for his gun. “How do you know?”
Ty drew his weapon and edged into the narrow room. “Couple years ago a suspect broke in during a case. I set up backup systems.”
“Seriously? Like what?”
“Zane!” Ty hissed, waving at Zane to be quiet as he edged further into the room, heading for the kitchen. Zane followed, backing him up as he felt the tension of the last few weeks begin to invest itself in his shoulders once more. What else could they possibly run into before this month was over? Was it possible that he had set Ty's alarms off when he’d come here at night? He prayed for a simple answer.
Ty moved past the bar, turning and pointing his weapon at the kitchen. He stopped short and straightened, lowering his gun as he stared at the kitchen floor.
“What?” Zane asked, breathless.
Ty shook his head.
“What is it?”
“It’s… alive,” Ty mumbled as he stuck his gun in its holster. “It’s Smith and Wesson.”
“Cross’ cats?” Zane moved into the kitchen and flipped the overhead light on.
The two large long-haired orange cats sat in the middle of the kitchen, eating cat food out of a bowl. They glanced over at Ty and Zane. One of them growled deep in its chest and then went back to eating. As it ate, it continued growling.