Cut And Run - Divide And Conquer Part 21

It wasnt ten seconds later that Harry La.s.siter and Fred Perrimore showed up at the door and looked in at Ty in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"You need to go see McCoy," Alston said neutrally.

Ty pointed his finger at Alston and waved it threateningly. "Next time you get blown up, dont come whining to me." Alston smirked crookedly at him. "Game next week is at seven," he reminded as Ty stalked out of the office. "Dont forget youll need a ride!"

"Kiss my a.s.s, Alston," Ty shot back over his shoulder as he made his way to the Special Agent in Charges office. "You might as well come in, Grady. My trouble meter started dinging the minute you stepped in the building," Dan McCoy said before Ty had even darkened his threshold. He sat behind his desk expectantly, smoothing his tie.

Tys jaw tightened as he bit back the response that immediately came to mind. He breathed out slowly through his nose, then calmly asked, "How long am I being kept out of the loop on this case?"

"As I said, were considering you a possible target," McCoy said in his deep, gravelly voice, repeating what Alston had said. "You and Garrett were at both locations during the events. Now, I know it could just be coincidence," he added, holding up a hand in a "wait" motion. "But until we know for sure, youre grounded."

"Im not asking to be part of the investigation," Ty pointed out as he stepped into the office. "I just want to know what weve found. Do we have suspects? Has forensics gone over the components? Was it even the same signature?"

"No, in process, and yes," McCoy rattled back. "Look, Grady. Theres not much I can tell you. Were pulling in every single person we can from both scenes to submit reports so we can try to rebuild what happened. But theres precious little to work with right now. And two more banks were hit on the same days, so our agents are worn thin."

"Two more banks?" Ty asked, pulling up short. "Thats not weird at all."

"Yes, thank you, Kojak, weve already connected the dots on that one."

"If the bombs are being set solely as distractions so banks can be robbed, then why am I being considered a target?" Ty posed. "Because youre you-youre always a target."

"That seems unreasonable," Ty muttered disconsolately. "Look, youve got to be stretched to the limit on this." "We are."

"All the more reason to let me do something."

"The last time you worked a bomb, you ended up blowing something kind of important up. And the last bank robbery you worked, you didnt have any gray hair," McCoy told him.

Ty frowned and looked up as if he could see his own hair. "I have gray hair?"

McCoy laughed at him. Ty growled in frustration and looked away. Either this was a friend being blunt, or it was his superior being evasive. Either way, he wasnt going to get any information. He sighed. "Fine," he agreed grudgingly. Hed find another way to get some information. Instead he moved on to the other reason hed come in. "I need to find a rookie that was at the second scene. He drove me to the hospital, then ran off with Garretts keys."

McCoy frowned. "What rookie?" "He looked about fifteen. I cant remember his name," Ty admitted as he closed his eyes and tried to visualize the name on the windbreaker the kid had been wearing. "Reece, maybe? Reeves?" he tried.

"Reeves?" Alston asked from behind him. "Sounds right," Ty told him with a shrug as he turned to look back at him. Apparently he and the others had followed Ty to McCoys office to watch any fireworks that ensued.

"Ty," Alston said with a frown. "Special Agent Lydia Reeves was inside the building when the bomb went off. She was carried out right before Garrett, hurt pretty bad. Shes still in the ICU at UMMC."

Ty stared at him, not quite comprehending what hed said at first. Then the implications came tumbling down on him so hard he almost physically staggered.

"Theyd have a spotter," he said softly. "Theyd set the bomb and find some way to watch the response." "Bomber picked up her windbreaker to get closer?" Alston ventured with a frown. "Wait, did you say he kept Garretts keys? Where is Garrett now?"

Ty was already pus.h.i.+ng past him and sprinting for the stairwell. "Behind you!" Alston shouted, and Ty knew the man was calling in backup to meet them at Zanes apartment. He took out his own phone and hit the speed dial as he raced down the stairs for the parking deck and the hated Valkyrie.

The phone rang and rang with no answer, and Zanes voice mail picked up, his recorded voice serious and to the point before the beep. Ty cursed as the beep sounded and snapped the phone shut. It wasnt like someone would have to attack Zane to hurt him. All theyd have to do was knock on the door, quietly place a bomb in the house, since Zane couldnt see it to know it was there, and the job was done. A neighbor with chicken soup. A deliveryman with flowers. Zane would never be the wiser.

Ty shoved through the stairwell door and darted across the parking deck. He knew he should wait for Alston and a car and backup, but he also knew deep down he could get there a h.e.l.l of a lot faster on the stupid freaking motorcycle.

Z ANE leaned forward against the wall, weight on his forearms and head down as the hot water pounded down on his neck and shoulders, splattering down over his back. He tipped his head from side to side, sighing as he felt the muscles relaxing. Hed gotten rid of the scent of orange juice and the sticky pulp residue, but he was nowhere near brainstorming through all the possible fallout scenarios of telling Ty that Ryan had brought him that care package.

Stewing over it wasnt helping his headache; it was a bad one today. The doctor had said hed have them. Zane just hadnt expected them to get worse. He groaned and turned around so the water streamed down his back.

Then there was a sound under the noise of the water running, something slamming in the outer room. Zanes head snapped up. It hadnt been two hours for it to be Ty. Maybe one, but certainly not two. He frowned and c.o.c.ked his head to listen. Another sound followed the first, a door being kicked open and banging against a wall.

Zanes hand curled into a fist. Here he was, wet, naked, unarmed, blind... and he could be in real trouble. His knives and gun were on the dresser in the bedroom. He couldnt do anything but wait.

He didnt have to wait long. After another tense moment, the door to the bathroom burst open, banging against the sink as someone took two heavy steps into the room.

"Zane?" Ty called out over the rush of the water.

Zane let out a shaky breath, and his shoulders thumped back against the tile wall. "Yeah?"

Ty cursed softly as another voice from somewhere in the apartment called out, "Clear!" followed by a reply of the same. "What?" Zane asked, confused. "What the h.e.l.ls going on?" "Why the f.u.c.k arent you answering your phone?" Ty demanded. The shower curtain was noisily yanked back, and cold air a.s.saulted him.

"Im in the f.u.c.king shower," Zane snapped. "Whats going on?" Ty reached past him and turned off the water. Once it stopped running, Zane could hear the sound of several more people milling about outside the bathroom. "Get dressed," Ty muttered, sounding angry and stressed and not the least bit apologetic.

Then he was gone, and the bathroom door clicked shut. Zane growled as he carefully got out of the shower and set one hand on the counter. He didnt have any clothes in here. With an aggravated huff, he grabbed one of the extra-large bath sheets and wrapped it around his waist, tucking in the end. "Hed better have a good reason for this," Zane said under his breath as he slicked one hand through his wet hair, leaving it to drip onto his shoulders, and he opened the door.

He could hear voices in the kitchen and living room. A lot of voices. At least four, not including Tys. "Jesus Christ, Grady, whered you learn to ride a motorcycle like that?" a male voice was saying breathlessly as Zane made his way down the hallway.

"West Virginia," Ty muttered in response. "I didnt think they had sidewalks in West Virginia." Zane recognized Alstons voice now, tinged with amus.e.m.e.nt. "You sure as h.e.l.l were riding on one."

Zane stopped in the doorway to the living room, one hand holding onto the towel, and immediately shuddered. Two open doors made for a frigid February crosswind through his apartment. "And again I say, what the h.e.l.l is going on?"

Ty cleared his throat somewhere to Zanes right, in the kitchen. "Remember the kid who has your keys?" he asked Zane.

Zane turned his head blindly toward Ty. "Yeah?" he ventured. "Turns out he aint a Fed," Ty muttered. "Freddy, call a locksmith, will you?" he added as he turned away from Zane and spoke to someone else in the room. Zane recognized Perrimores ba.s.s tones making the phone call as directed.

Frowning a little, Zane connected that piece of information with the men in the room, and he shook his head. "I never knew I had so many friends."

"You dont," someone called back wryly. La.s.siter. Smart-a.s.s. Great. The whole team was here. Although he hadnt heard Clancy yet. "Guys, close the doors. Its freezing."

There she was. Great. Zane suppressed a grimace, and then the back door shut, cutting off the wind. "I want new locks on the doors in the next hour. Sweep the place for devices: bugs, bombs, everything." Tys voice had carried over the chatter that broke out. "I want the file on the investigation, and I want every suspect name youve got," Ty said in a lower voice, obviously speaking to someone in particular.

"You know I cant do that, Ty," Alston answered seriously. "You owe me, Scott," Ty whispered.

There was silence in response. Finally, Alston murmured something, and Ty thanked him sincerely. Then Zane heard footsteps stop in front of him.

"Were going to my place," Ty announced without preamble. "Til we know its safe." A FTER b.u.mping into something hard for about the fifth time, Zane sighed and tried to visualize the first level of Tys house again. It wasnt that complex a layout, being a long, narrow shape, but Zane would have to "learn" his way around, counting steps like he had at his own apartment. And that was frustrating.

He heard something thump upstairs and relaxed. Ty was up there instead of watching Zane embarra.s.s himself. At least there was that. Zane reached out to touch what was in front of him. It was an end table that stood by the arm of the couch against the wall of the narrow living room. He took a moment to orient himself, and then he turned left and took three steps, which-in theory-should put him close to the overstuffed chair he sat in a lot of the time while over here. When he reached out, his fingers jabbed into the soft fabric, and he cursed under his breath. He was closer than hed expected. He made an adjustment to the mental map, but before he could strike out in another direction, he thought he heard something odd too close to him, and he stayed in place, trying to identify the noise.

It was silent for a few heartbeats. Then a hand touched his elbow. Zane flinched and inhaled sharply even though a split second later he knew it could only be Ty. A soft whiff of Old Spice confirmed it. "Sorry!" Ty said quickly as he s.n.a.t.c.hed his hand away. "Didnt mean to scare you," he mumbled as the hand returned to Zanes elbow. "Werent you upstairs like... thirty seconds ago?" Zane asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I was putting on socks," Ty answered with an almost audible shrug. "Feet are cold. Why, did you need something?" "No. I just didnt hear you come down." Zane shook his head and crossed his arms, and he caught himself blinking against the utter darkness. His eyes were dry and scratchy, and he reached up to rub at one. The nurse had said it was because the eye could not perceive light to force dilation, so his eyes wouldnt produce protective tears as they normally would.

Tys hand caught his, pulling it away from his face. He felt Ty move closer, and the callused hand at his cheek moved to cup his face. "Dont do that," Ty chided gently. "You want some more eyedrops?"

Zane nodded, resisting the urge to apologize like he had the first twenty times. "Yeah. Theyre in that bag from the hospital," he said, resignation swamping him again.

Ty was silent as he moved away. Zane had to wonder whether it was because he didnt know what to say to him now that he was blind. It was possible that Ty had always been relatively quiet the majority of the time and Zane had never noticed it because of the spurts of rampant activity and rambling. He told himself that was just one more thing he was going to pay attention to if he ever got his sight back. There was so much he realized now that hed taken for granted.

A few moments later, Zane heard the bag rustling, and then Ty pressed the eyedrops into his hand.

"Need anything else?" Zane felt the childish desire for a kiss and hug, but that was a little much, even for him. He was already becoming a huge drain of Tys time and patience. "No, thank you," he murmured. "Im just going to b.u.m around down here if you have something to do."

Ty made a frustrated noise. "You know what, sitting around here being miserable isnt going to do you any good," he said abruptly. He took Zanes hand and gave him a small tug, guiding him over to the couch and unceremoniously shoving him onto it. "Sit here. Ill be right back."

"What-" Zane cut himself off as he bounced on the cus.h.i.+ons. There was no point in questioning Ty. It was a little refres.h.i.+ng, actually, to be called on his moping. Zane put some drops in his eyes, then leaned back into the corner of the couch and waited, brooding. He knew he was in a s.h.i.+tty mood, but he also was inclined to think he was justified.

From somewhere in front of him there was a click, followed by soft music wafting from what Zane recognized as Tys Bose iPod dock. It had been a gift from Deuce, something Ty rarely used, and it sat on one of the shelves along the brick wall of the living room.

Tys taste in music was eclectic, to say the least. He would blast cla.s.sic rock and heavy metal in the Bronco when they drove on some days, and on others it would be laid-back country. When he worked out, it was thumping club music, something that would get the adrenaline pumping, but at home on the rare occasions when he listened to music, it was often folksy blues or indie rock, occasionally even something from the Rat Pack days. Zane never knew what to expect out of Tys sound system.