Cut and Run 4 - Divide and Conquer

said he‟d have them. Zane just hadn‟t expected
    them to get worse. He groaned and turned around so the water streamed
    down his back.
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    Then there was a sound under the noise of the water running,
    something slamming in the outer room. Zane‟s head snapped up. It
    hadn‟t been two hours for it to be Ty. Maybe one, but certainly not two.
    He frowned and cocked his head to listen. Another sound followed the
    first, a door being kicked open and banging against a wall.
    Zane‟s 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 couldn‟t do anything but wait.
    He didn‟t 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 hell‟s going on?”
    “Why the fuck aren‟t you answering your phone?” Ty demanded.
    The shower curtain was noisily yanked back, and cold air assaulted
    him.
    “I‟m in the fucking shower,” Zane snapped. “What‟s 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 didn‟t 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. “He‟d 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.
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    He could hear voices in the kitchen and living room. A lot of
    voices. At least four, not including Ty‟s. “Jesus Christ, Grady, where‟d
    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 didn‟t think they had sidewalks in West Virginia.” Zane
    recognized Alston‟s voice now, tinged with amusement. “You sure as
    hell 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 hell is going on?”
    Ty cleared his throat somewhere to Zane‟s 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 ain‟t 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 Perrimore‟s bass 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 don‟t,” someone called back wryly. Lassiter. Smart-ass.
    Great. The whole team was here. Although he hadn‟t heard Clancy yet.
    “Guys, close the doors. It‟s 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.” Ty‟s voice had carried over the
    chatter that broke out. “I want the file on the investigation, and I want
    every suspect name you‟ve got,” Ty said in a lower voice, obviously
    speaking to someone in particular.
    “You know I can‟t do that, Ty,” Alston answered seriously.
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    “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.
    “We‟re going to my place,” Ty announced without