Cut and Run 2 - Sticks and Stones

amusement, his smirk indicating that he was just as eager to see if Zane would retaliate as his class was.
    “Next time try not to leave the place in pieces,” Stanford said to them with a smile.
    “No promises,” Zane said, hands up as if to ward off the future. “They don’t let Grady out of his cage often enough.” Then he remembered something that actually made him smile. “C’mon, Grady. You drove today, remember?”
    Ty pursed his lips, glancing at Stanford as he tried not to smile. He shook the man’s hand, thanking him for the opportunity to come blow shit up and shoot people, and then he joined Zane as they headed out of the little mock-up FBI town called Hogan’s Alley.
    “You brought a change of clothes, right?” Ty asked Zane as he looked him over critically.
    Zane stopped in place and just stared at him. He could feel the paint dribbling down his neck, into the collar of his jacket, and curling along his palms and fingers.
    “What?” Ty asked innocently, his eyes wide.
    Zane crossed his arms, heedless of how it spread the paint more across his jacket. “I didn’t expect to turn into a wide-open target.”
    Ty’s lips twitched, and it was clear that he was desperately trying to hold on to the innocent facade. “How many months have you been my partner?” he inquired.
    “On the books or off?” Zane asked with equal nonchalance.
    Ty finally let a smirk play across his lips, and he stepped closer. “Either way, you should know you’re always a target,” he advised, his voice low and teasing.
    Zane rolled his eyes. “Funny guy.” He uncrossed his arms and looked down at himself. “I’m a mess, and it’s your fault. What are you gonna do about it?”
    “Make you walk home,” Ty answered seriously as he twirled his car keys around his finger and turned to head off for his Bronco again.
    “C’mon, Grady,” Zane complained as he followed. “I brought you down here, didn’t I?”
    “That’s right,” Ty acknowledged. “If it weren’t for you, those could have been real bullets and bombs we were playing with,” he said pointedly. “But no,” he drawled out in disappointment.
    Zane stopped at the side of the truck. “I passed the tests, okay? Should be any day now we get the word from Burns.” He opened the back door and pulled out a duffel bag.
    “Did you really bring a change of clothes?” Ty asked in surprise as he tossed his gear into the back seat.
    Zane favored Ty with an aggravated look, but he was still pleased enough with the day not to get pissy about it. “I figured you’d find some way to fuck me over,” he said. “You’ve been bouncing off the walls for over a week now, and I’m your favorite target lately.”
    “Are you still pissy about the rubber band cannon?” Ty asked him in exasperation.
    “Ugh.” Zane started unbuttoning the BDU blouse. “You’re lucky that guy from accounting didn’t know it was you when his toupee went flying. He might have rerouted your next paycheck to Greenpeace.”
    Ty began snickering softly, obviously trying to hold in the laughter. He closed the back door and leaned against the rear of the Bronco to look at Zane critically. “All the puns in my arsenal, and I can’t think of a single blue joke,” he said mournfully.
    Zane carefully pulled the heavy green and black camouflage jacket off, turning it totally inside out as he did. “Off your game, Grady,” he said distractedly as he set the folded-up blouse on the pavement next to his feet and started digging in his duffel for a towel.
    “You’re just pissed ’cause you got riddled with holes,” Ty grunted as he turned to head for the driver’s side door.
    Zane had to smile as he shook his head. Ty had been going crazy in the office for the past five weeks, so when he’d heard about the chance to come over here to Quantico for the day, Zane had jumped at it and dragged his raving-mad partner along. With a sigh, Zane wiped pretty much all the paint off his hands and swiped under his chin a couple times before folding up the towel and shoving it and the now-blue uniform blouse in the duffel.
    Ty had the truck running when Zane got into the passenger seat and shut the door.
    Ty was looking at him with a crooked smile. Zane raised one eyebrow. “What?”
    “That was fun,” Ty told him in a pleased voice, one Zane hadn’t heard much lately.
    Whatever annoyance he’d been feeling faded in the face of Ty’s unholy glee. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he