Thick & Thin

  Ahead of him, Sloane stopped, and they followed his lead. Dex murmured quietly to Cael. "Be careful."

  Cael bumped his head against Dex's leg, most likely telling him to do the same.

  Sloane broke into a run, the rest of them following. Ash, Hobbs, and Cael joined him, with Dex, Letty, and Calvin bringing up the rear. Sloane roared, the sound causing a shiver to go through Dex. His partner meant business. He wanted Juarez and Turner to show themselves. When there was no response, Sloane stopped. He turned to Hobbs and hissed. Hobbs sniffed the air, then let out a roar that scared the birds out of their nests. That was certainly going to rattle some cages. So to speak.

  Dex grabbed Letty and Calvin and pulled them close. Calvin opened his mouth to say something when glowing eyes appeared from the darkness of the empty doorways around them. They readied their rifles while their Therian teammates created a perimeter around them.

  "We don't want any trouble," Dex called out, hoping at least those Therians possessing some humanity would hear him. Enough for them to understand what he was saying to them. "We're here for two Therians wanted for murder."

  Dex turned at the sound of a roar in the distance. It came from a building at the far end of the street, one covered in dry ivy and wisteria. Sloane took off toward it, and they followed. As they approached the building, Dex's instincts went into overdrive. Gravel crunching, low hisses, and movement caught his ears. His eyesight sharpened, and his heart raced. A twig snapped, and he spun, shooting at the lion Therian that leaped out from a nearby doorway. The dart struck him in the chest, and he went down. Dex quickly checked the lion Therian's fur but found none of the gang's distinctive markings.

  "It's not Turner." He looked up and froze. Oh God. He could see into the darkened buildings. Hundreds of feral Therians surrounded them, watching them. Dex swallowed hard and backed up near his teammates. It was one thing being told how many Therians lurked in the structures of Greenpoint, and a whole other story seeing them. Much like entering a house you were told was haunted and then finding yourself surrounded by vengeful spirits. He really needed to watch fewer horror movies.

  Calvin's voice coming in through his earpiece snapped him out of it. "What is it?"

  "They're watching us."

  "They always do," Calvin replied, coming to stand beside him. He scanned the area around them. "Let's hope that's all they do."

  Dex nodded his agreement. He was pretty sure Calvin wouldn't sound so casual if he could see what Dex did. Letty stopped beside them, her frown aimed at the lion Therian out cold on the ground. She looked up at Dex.

  "How'd you know he was coming?"

  Before Dex could reply, he heard shuffling somewhere to his right. He turned and glimpsed into the darkness, his heart slamming into his chest.

  "Run!" He took off, Calvin and Letty not questioning him. They sped down the debris and dirt-covered road as half a dozen Felid and wolf Therians gave chase. Up ahead, Sloane roared. Hobbs and Cael turned, heading back in their direction. They dashed past Dex, Calvin, and Letty, straight for the Therians chasing them. Dex glanced back long enough to see Cael speed around the Therians, confusing them, trying to trip them up, while Hobbs swatted at them, his razor-sharp claws extended. The two wolf Therians yelped, and dashed off. They weren't going to face off against a tiger Therian.

  Dex ran after his teammates into the building they suspected Juarez and Turner were hiding in. Ash and Sloane dove into a small group of charging Therians while Dex, Letty, and Calvin headed for the stairs. He hoped it could take their weight.

  Calvin swiped up a big rock as he ran and hurled it at the stairs with all his strength. It bounced off and landed on the bare concrete floor. Letty went first, the stairs creaking under her weight. It held up fine. Calvin followed. Dex paused.

  "Move your ass, Daley." Calvin stopped at the top of the stairs, and Dex cursed under his breath. He sensed movement behind him and had no choice but to run up the stairs. Halfway up, his boots went through the hollow concrete of one step. Shit! He had nothing to hold on to, so he flailed. Calvin grabbed one arm and Letty the other. They pulled, groaning and grunting. Dex managed to pull his foot out, and they stopped to catch their breaths at the top. Well, Letty and Calvin did. Calvin eyed him but didn't say a word. Letty on the other hand....

  "What the fuck, Dex? What the hell are you carrying?"

  "The usual," Dex said, moving past them. "Come on." He wasn't about to get into it now. True, he was carrying just the usual, but his body mass had changed. Despite him looking more or less the same, he was heavier than a Human should be. Thankfully, his teammates let it go for now, and they continued upward until Dex smelled it--kind of like Sloane but different.

  "Juarez." Dex turned, his rifle aimed and ready as he slowly made his way down the ruins of what had once been an office building or something similar. The corridor had too many doorways for his liking.

  "How do you know?" Letty asked.

  "I just do." Dex peeked into one of the rooms. "Clear."

  "Dex, it's pitch-black in there. How the hell do you know it's clear?" Calvin hissed.

  "Because I do." It might not be the answer his friends wanted to hear, but it was all he was giving them at the moment. "I'll explain later, okay? Right now, we need to--" A high-pitched chirp caught his ear, and he straightened. "Cael." Another distressed chirp and a hiss. Dex turned, and Calvin caught his arm.

  "Dex?"

  "Cael's in trouble."

  "What? How the hell do you know?"

  Couldn't they hear him? Dex opened his mouth as a lion's roar echoed through the building. Ash. It was Ash frustrated at not being able to get to Cael.

  Calvin released Dex, his eyes wide. "When this is over, you're going to tell us what the hell is going on."

  Dex nodded. He couldn't put off telling his team about his mutation much longer. He hated keeping secrets, but more importantly he was afraid he'd inadvertently put one of his teammates in danger because of it. They had a right to know what they were dealing with. Dex had changed, and by default, the way Dex handled himself on callouts was affected. Dex made a break for the stairs they'd come up from. He was careful not to fall through the hole he'd made the first time. As they hurried, they shot darts into anything that moved who wasn't part of their team. Dex's blood boiled at the thought of some bastard hurting his baby brother. His canines grew in, and he could feel his claws piercing his fingertips along with his gloves. It made holding his rifle awkward. Slinging it onto his shoulder, he leaped over the railing and landed gracefully on his feet, his boots kicking up dust around him. Cael chirped and hissed, his bloodied paw up as he limped closer to the wall. Juarez had him cornered.

  "You son of a bitch!" Dex ignored the cries of his teammates as he launched himself at Juarez, sending them both rolling across the floor. Several dozen Therians charged from outside, but they were taken down one by one either by Calvin's or Letty's tranq darts or by Hobbs and Sloane. Ash roared from across the room. He was royally pissed off that Turner was keeping him from getting to Cael. The two lion Therians batted at each other with their claws, snapping their jaws on each other's manes in their attempts to sink their fangs into their opponent's neck.

  Sloane hissed and battled a tiger Therian; he was pissed. Dex pushed himself to his feet, edging closer to Cael and placing himself between his brother and Juarez, who hissed at him, ears flattened against his head. Dex put his hand to Cael's head, his eyes never leaving Juarez.

  "You okay, Chirpy?"

  Cael chirped at him angrily, and Dex smiled.

  "Good to hear it."

  He had to get Cael out of here. Lucky for him, Ash had just beaten the shit out of Turner. Dex almost felt sorry for the guy. Actually, he didn't. The asshole had brought it on himself. Dex could smell them on his brother. It made him feel sick to his stomach. They'd singled Cael out, both attacking him, most likely thinking he'd be the easiest to take down. Fury raged through Dex, and he hissed at Juarez. The jaguar Therian stilled,
surprised by Dex's actions. It was short-lived. With a roar, he charged, and Dex ducked, avoiding Juarez's jaws. Swiping his clawed hand, Dex caught Juarez on his flank. Juarez roared fiercely. Dex tackled him to the ground, avoiding Juarez's snapping jaws and sharp claws as they tussled. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted another Therian heading for Cael.

  "Ash, get Cael out of here!"

  Ash bounded over. He looked at Cael, then Dex.

  Cael chirped furiously, but Dex shook his head.

  "No, you get my brother out of here! Now!" Dex clapped his hands into Juarez's sides with all his strength, his claws digging in deep. Juarez let out a pained cry, and Dex held on, straddling Juarez and forcing him onto his stomach as Ash escorted a limping Cael from the scene.

  Those Therians that weren't out cold from Calvin and Letty's tranqs fled the scene. Dex leaned in to growl at Juarez, making sure the Therian saw his fangs.

  "I don't know what your end game is, but you can bet your ass I'm going to find out. Now you either turn yourself in or bleed to death. Your choice." He gave his hand a twist, and Juarez growled before letting out a mewl. Juarez stopped struggling, his breath coming out in pants. Dex released him and wiped his claws on his tac pants before sheathing them. His canines retreated, and he was about to call Rosa to bring in the BearCat when he realized Calvin and Letty were staring at him. Shit. This wasn't how he'd intended them to find out. He was pissed at himself for doing exactly what he'd told himself he wouldn't do. He'd let his emotions get the better of him, and in turn had revealed himself. What if Turner or Juarez talked? Double shit. If he didn't learn to control this before they officially joined TIN, he was going to be in trouble. Okay, he'd deal with that later. Right now he had other things to worry about.

  "Um, yeah. So there's something I have to tell you guys, but I'd rather we talk about it back in the BearCat, where we're less likely to get mauled." His teammates nodded but remained silent. Dex informed Rosa they had the suspects and requested she bring the BearCat around. In less than ten minutes, they were loading Turner and Juarez into the back of the BearCat. Dex secured the cage, and his teammates joined him in the truck. As soon as the doors were closed, they were off. Cael was remaining in his Therian form a little longer to aid with his healing. Before leaving, Rosa had checked his paw. He had a couple of nasty gashes where Juarez had most likely snagged him with his claws, but he'd be okay.

  The truck was silent, with Hobbs going first to shift back, followed by Ash. While they received PSTC from their partners, Dex slipped behind the privacy screen to help Sloane. It wasn't just painful to watch Sloane shift. It was now physically painful for Dex. Although he didn't feel the full extent of what Sloane suffered, Dex's muscles pulled, as if his body were going through the change without actually going through the change, just on a much smaller scale. Dex didn't like it one bit.

  Once Sloane was done, Dex helped him back into his uniform and wrapped an arm around him. He hit the button to raise the screen, then helped Sloane back to his seat across from the bench where their team sat. Dex was aware of everyone's eyes on him. He did his best to ignore them as he administered Postshift Trauma Care to his partner. They'd get something more substantial to eat as soon as they were back at HQ.

  "Well?"

  Dex turned to face Calvin, his pulse steadying when Sloane took hold of Dex's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

  Well, here goes everything.

  "I'm... sort of, not Human anymore."

  "This isn't funny," Ash grumbled. His frown deepened, and he dropped his gaze to Dex's hand before moving his eyes back up to Dex's. Despite his words, Ash was uncertain. Dex could see it in his eyes. What's more, he could sense it. For that matter, he could sense what all his friends were feeling. Hobbs was confused. Calvin thought he was bullshitting. Letty was concerned. Rosa wasn't sure whether he was joking or not.

  Letty peered at him. "You took down Juarez. How?"

  "Okay, so I guess I should just show you. Rosa, pull over."

  "What?" Rosa glanced at him in the rearview mirror. "Are you serious?"

  "Very."

  Cursing under her breath, Rosa pulled the truck over to the side of the road. They were just outside Greenpoint, so there was no one around. It wasn't like Juarez or Turner were going anywhere either. Dex dropped the privacy screen in case the perps woke up and decided to eavesdrop. Taking a deep breath, Dex faced his friends, all of whom watched him intently. He took off his gloves, and shoved them into his pocket. Concentrating, he willed his claws to grow out, hearing gasps and curses.

  "What the fuck?" Ash got to his feet, and Sloane did the same. The two looked at each other for a long moment before Ash shook his head, his lips pressed together. Whatever it was he wanted to tell Sloane, he kept it to himself. Instead he turned his attention to Dex. "When the hell did this happen?"

  Destructive Delta had been kept up-to-date on his kidnapping and everything with TIN up until the part where Dex had died and woken up a Human-Therian hybrid. He reminded them of the symptoms he'd experienced for weeks after being marked by Sloane--the itchy eyes, the increased appetite, his improved agility, as well as Shultzon's list of First Gen Therians with anomalies in their blood, which Sloane's name had been on.

  Ash slowly lowered himself to the bench, the truck eerily silent. Thankfully it didn't remain silent for long.

  Calvin looked him over. "So, does that mean you're going to shift?"

  "We don't think that's going to happen. Right now it's certain traits." Dex shrugged. "I won't really know what I can do until it happens. Not even TIN knows. My test results are a little erratic right now. I won't lie, it's kinda terrifying."

  Letty put a hand up. "Hold up. Are you telling me you're as strong as Sloane?"

  Dex nodded.

  "He's fast too. I think he might be faster than I am. His hearing is more heightened, and his healing ability is sharper. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's an improved version of me."

  "Without the brooding," Ash muttered.

  "Thanks, pal."

  Ash gave him a humorless smile and a salute. He was pissed at Sloane, but Dex had no idea why. No, that was a lie. He was most likely pissed he was finding out now with the rest of the team. Ash undoubtedly believed Sloane had been keeping this from him. After all, Sloane had an opportunity to tell him at the bar last night. Dex didn't blame Ash. It was a lot to take in.

  "So?" Dex asked, taking a seat on the floor next to Sloane when he resumed his seat in the singular bench across from the team.

  Calvin shrugged. "So what?"

  "That's it?" Dex blinked at him.

  "What, you want us to throw you a fucking party for getting yourself mutated?" Ash let out a snort. "Like we should be surprised. If shit like this was going to happen to someone, it was going to happen to you. We're not stupid, Dex. We knew something was up, but it's not our place to butt into your business. I figured we'd find out eventually." He glanced at Sloane. "Some of us expected to know a little sooner, but whatever."

  "It's not his fault," Dex said, his hand returning to Sloane's. "We barely understand it ourselves. I know I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I wanted to talk to you all together. Cael and my dad just found out last night."

  Cael chirped. He limped over to Dex with his bandaged paw, and nuzzled his face against Dex's. Dex ruffled his brother's fur. "I love you too, Chirpy."

  "We should get back to HQ," Sloane prompted, and Rosa seemed to shake herself out of it before nodding and heading back to the front of the truck. Cael stayed next to Dex, the truck awkwardly quiet with everyone lost in their own thoughts. Was this how it was going to be? What were his friends thinking?

  "It's James."

  Dex frowned at Calvin. What the hell was he--"Wait, Dimples?"

  Letty groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

  "I don't get it." Had Dex missed something? "That's a pretty common name."

  Calvin's lips quirked on one side. "Yeah. Captain James Kirk
is pretty common."

  "Oh my God!" Dex's loud gasp resounded through the truck. He put a hand to his chest. "Don't play me, Cal. Are you telling me his name is James Kirk and he's a captain?"

  "He was a captain in the Army. His mom was a huge Star Trek fan."

  Dex jumped to his feet, and Sloane grabbed his leg to steady him as he punched the air. "Holy shit, Dimples the Firefighter is Captain James Kirk. This has made my fucking year!" Dex pulled away from Sloane and wedged himself between Calvin and Letty, ignoring his team's curses at being squished together. He was smiling so big his face hurt. Unable to help himself, he put his chin on Letty's shoulder as he talked to her.

  "Please tell me he named his car the USS Enterprise. When he slides down the firepole at work, does he say 'Beam me up, Scotty'? Do you call him Captain Kirk or just Captain? Does he own any gold shirts?"

  Letty shrieked and tried to dismember Calvin from the other side of Dex. "I'm going to kill you, Summers!"

  Dex laughed his ass off as Letty tried to get to Calvin, who was trapped by not only his seatbelt, but Hobbs next to him pinning him to Dex.

  "I have so much material, I don't even know where to start," Dex said. This was the best news he'd heard all day--no, all month. With a contented sigh, he pushed himself off the bench. Calvin was practically on Hobbs's lap as he tried to get away from Letty. The more Calvin pushed away from her, the more Hobbs shifted, and the more Ash got crushed. He cursed them all out, threatening them with imminent demise if they didn't stop.

  Dex took a seat behind the security console and met Sloane's gaze, giving him a wink. Sloane smiled and shook his head at him. For the first time in what seemed like forever, things felt... normal.

  Once they'd arrived at HQ, they handed Juarez and Turner over to agents who would assist with PTSC before getting them booked and ready for interrogation. Rosa helped Cael with his PSTC, and when he was strong enough to walk, she rebandaged his hand. Destructive Delta headed up to the canteen so their Therian teammates could refuel and consume the protein needed for proper Postshift Trauma care. They had time before Juarez and Turner would be ready for questioning, and as eager as Dex was to grill the assholes, he was starving. In the canteen, he ordered a Therian-sized meal. No one batted an eye as Dex took a big bite out of his burger.