Cut and Run 5 - Armed and Dangerous

attention, as Ty and Julian had slipped inside in a flower delivery van.
    It was a lot easier to sneak into FBI headquarters if you were an actual FBI agent.
    When he caught sight of two men running down the street, Zane sat forward and tensed, barely keeping himself from reaching for his gun.
    When they got closer, he saw that it was Ty and Julian. “Uh-oh.”
    “What?” Cameron asked as he peered into the crowd.
    “Looks like something went wrong.”
    “We have to move,” Ty gasped as soon as they reached Zane and Cameron. From the looks of them, they had both sprinted there.
    “What happened?”
    “It was Jonas.”
    “Who?
    “Jonas, he was the guy.”
    “I don’t know who that is.”
    “He’s CIA, he had Burns pull us in, but he only wanted Cross to kill him,” Ty stuttered.
    “Ty, breathe.”
    Ty shook his head, gulping air and holding to his side. Blood seeped through the material of his T-shirt.
    “There’s a sniper on a roof somewhere. We don’t know whose side he’s on, and we need to get out of sight,” Julian said, rapid-fire and barely discernible with his thick accent.
    Zane and Cameron moved, grabbing their last remaining bag of gear, Zane leading the way. There was nowhere to go that they would be able to hide. But they could duck into a restaurant or museum and be out of the sniper’s sights. They headed for the massive complex of the Verizon Center, and Zane darted into The Greene Turtle as the others followed. Cameron was gasping for breath after the sprint, and Ty was leaning against the railing of the curving staircase that led down to the restaurant’s basement, panting and holding his side.
    “Can I… help you?” the hostess asked them.
    “Table for four, please,” Cameron said, breathless, holding up four fingers. “Away from the windows, if that’s possible.”
    “Of course,” she said, looking at them askance as she grabbed menus.
    Zane took Ty’s arm and began to lead him down the stairs. Julian followed, dragging Cameron with him as he explained to the waitress that they’d be right back. They didn’t want her growing suspicious enough to call the police on them, but Zane doubted Cameron’s attempts had helped their cause.
    The basement of the restaurant had two oddly situated bathrooms and a wide open space used for parties and probably hiding Jimmy Hoffa. They tumbled into that dark, cavernous space and collapsed against whatever was nearest them.
    “You’ve been hit,” Zane said to Ty as he knelt next to where Ty had sunk against a wall.
    “It grazed me. It’s not bad.” He met Zane’s eyes. “It’s not bad.”
    Zane looked at him worriedly, then glanced at Julian.
    “It wasn’t me,” Julian snapped, the heat in his voice aimed at Ty.
    “You shot from under my arm!”
    “There is no possible way I hit you from that angle! It was a ricochet!”
    “You want to go over the laws of physics?”
    “If I was going to shoot you, I would have shot you somewhere more memorable!”
    “Okay!” Zane shouted, putting both hands out to calm them.
    Ty grunted at him and pressed his hand to his side, glaring at Julian.
    Cameron hugged close to him, and Julian pulled him in and rested his chin on Cameron’s head, closing his eyes as they embraced.
    “I’m afraid I’m out of ideas,” Julian whispered.
    Zane looked back at Ty. He shook his head, unable to meet Zane’s eyes. “Burns said to get him to Langley.”
    “That won’t be happening,” a new voice said from the doorway.
    All Zane could see was the outline of a man, a long-barreled rifle slung over his shoulder. As he watched, the man pulled the rifle down and aimed it at him and Ty.

    “ P RESTON !” Cameron called out in obvious relief.
    When Ty scrambled to his feet, he found himself facing the matte black muzzle of a sniper’s rifle. His heart stuttered and his body flooded with ice.
    The muzzle lowered to reveal its owner as the man stepped into the pool of an emergency light, and Ty stared at the blond man in shock.
    “Thank Christ. Preston, what took you so long?” Julian grumbled as he rushed forward.
    “Terribly sorry, sir,” Preston drawled, smirking as he glanced around and met Ty’s eyes. “Hello, Tyler.”
    Ty couldn’t find his voice through the surprise.
    Cameron glanced between them. “You two know each other?”
    “We’re acquainted,” Preston answered as he hiked the rifle onto his shoulder.
    “Do tell,” Zane said as he stood next to Ty. “Who the hell