Cut and Run 1 - Cut and Run

carefully. “Because six Bureau personnel had already been killed or injured,” he corrected. “You didn't happen to work in Baltimore in 2001, did you?"
    Ross snorted unhappily but shook his head in answer as he moved away again, pacing restlessly in much the same manner Ty always did. Zane watched him with a frown until Sears came out with a glass of sparkling liquid. “This was all I could find besides water,” she said. “It's pomegranate juice. Figured some sugar might do you good."
    "Thanks,” Zane murmured, taking the glass and a long drink. “So, you two get to babysit me."
    "We're on the shelf right now, anyway,” Sears answered loudly before Ross could respond. “If we weren't here,” she went on more gently as she sat on the coffee table opposite Zane and crossed her legs daintily, “we would be drowning in paperwork."
    Zane glanced between the two with a growing smile. Ross grimaced and started pacing again. “Gotta love paperwork,” he commented, eyes actually brightening a little. “Lately, I wish I'd had more of it and less death and destruction."
    Sears reached out and put a hand on his knee gently. “Are you sure you don't want to be in the hospital?” she asked quietly. “It's all over the wire, what happened. We could set up a guard there. You've got to be in a lot of pain."
    "Christ, Marian, leave the man alone,” Ross huffed. “And stop batting your eyelashes at him,” he added grumpily.
    "I am doing no such thing,” Sears responded calmly as she maintained eye contact with Zane. “Did they give you painkillers?” she asked.
    Zane looked at her steadily and lied through his teeth without giving anything away. “Yeah, I took some already. And I'm fine. Just worn out."
    Sears narrowed her eyes but then nodded as she accepted what he said for truth. She seemed out of ideas, and she looked up at her partner for help. Ross, who was still pacing behind Zane restlessly, just shrugged and gestured at him in agitation.
    "You should be resting,” Sears insisted as she sat and observed Zane. She wasn't just watching him. She was observing . It reminded Zane of the way Ty watched people sometimes. Everything seemed to remind him of Ty lately. Ross came around to flop gracelessly into a nearby chair.
    Aware of Sears’ interest, Zane let his injured shoulder sag a little and the exhaustion show. No need for them to know exactly how bad of shape he was in ... just in case. He wasn't all that sure about Ross. “You trust Henninger enough to hop to and come running when he calls like that?” he asked. “I barely know the kid."
    "Henninger's a better agent than he's given credit for,” Sears answered neutrally. “If he says he needs help, then he needs help."
    "You barely know the kid and yet he's your inside contact?” Ross asked dubiously.
    "He's who we got tagged with by the New York office when we got here,” Zane allowed. “When we came back, we used him ‘cause he'd helped us before. We needed someone who could get us information fast and dirty."
    "No wonder he's been so jumpy lately,” Ross laughed softly.
    "Poor kid,” Sears added with a fond smile.
    "What? He getting flack at the office?” Zane asked.
    "Every time there was a loud noise somewhere, he would hit the ceiling,” Sears told him with a smirk she tried to hide. “Apparently, he had a guilty conscience."
    Zane frowned a little. “He seemed okay when he was talking with us,” he murmured. “Huh.” He shifted and slumped in the chair a little. “So. What's the story on you two?” he drawled, looking between them.
    Both agents looked back at him with suddenly unreadable expressions. Finally, Sears smiled slowly. “I'll show you mine if you show me yours,” she answered.
    Zane immediately broke out in wheezing laughter. “You're joking, right?"
    "Come on,” Sears wheedled with a grin. “I'll spill on my partner if you tell me about yours."
    Zane snorted and peered at Sears as Ross protested noisily. “Watch out,” he told the woman with a smile. “I've seen how Grady behaves around a woman. He's an utter bastard.” He sighed and some of the amusement died away. “As for me,” he said quietly, dropped his eyes, and looked at his ring thoughtfully, “I can't see another woman without thinking of my wife."
    The teasing dropped away, and Sears smiled softly. “I'm sorry,” she murmured in the tone of voice that said she knew Zane's wife had died rather than left him.
    "You girls finished