Cut and Run 5 - Armed and Dangerous

rifle to Julian, who took it without question. Then he turned to Ty.
    “Wait,” Julian pleaded, a rare show of emotion playing across his face as he stepped between them. “Preston, please.”
    “Sir, I really must insist that you not make this difficult,” Preston whispered.
    “Oh, Preston,” Cameron murmured, pain in his voice.
    Julian was silent, the two old companions sharing a moment of understanding before Julian wrapped the blond man in a tight hug. Then he hung his head and stalked away like a wounded lion pacing in a cage, unable to meet Preston’s eyes. Preston held his hands up to Ty to be handcuffed.
    “Put your hands down,” Ty said in a hoarse voice, inexplicably touched by the show of loyalty between the two. They had obviously been partners for many years, and Preston was essentially giving up his freedom for Julian. Sure, he wasn’t going to be imprisoned, but he would be under the thumb of his former employer all the same, unable to live the life he could otherwise. Most importantly, he was giving up ever seeing Julian again, because as soon as they did this, Cameron Jacobs and the man known as Julian Cross would disappear.
    It was enough to earn Ty’s respect.
    Ty glanced at Zane. “The CIA knows what Cross looks like,” he said in a measured voice as his eyes traveled down Zane’s body. “Walking Preston in there won’t work. We need to give them what they’re looking for or we won’t even make it through the door.”
    Zane tipped his head to one side, met Ty’s gaze when it returned to his face, and then, with a twitch of his lips, nodded. “Yeah. Sure, that’ll be fun, actually.”
    “What? What will be fun?” Cameron asked.
    “Special Agent Preston and I are going to turn ‘Cross’ in to the CIA,” Ty drawled with a growing smirk as he nodded to Zane.
    Cameron’s jaw dropped as he looked between Julian and Zane, obviously remembering that he was the one who originally said they looked so much alike. “Isn’t that going to be dangerous?”
    Julian nodded grimly. “That’s why they’re all grinning like idiots. Lucky bastards.”
    Zane smiled and flipped the gun around in his hand to hold the barrel and offer it to Preston. “Special Agent Preston, your company-issue firearm.”
    “It does have a certain ring to it,” Preston murmured as he took the weapon. “All right, lads, say your good-byes,” he urged as he headed for the door, obviously not intending to say his own.
    “Zane,” Cameron said, stepping over to touch his elbow. “Thank you.”
    Zane patted his hand and glanced at Julian. “Keep him on a leash, would you?”
    “Yeah,” Cameron whispered.
    Julian looked between them and nodded, his jaw tightening. He stepped forward and held out his hand to Zane. “Agent Garrett. It’s not easy to earn my respect. Well done.”
    With a nod, Zane shook his hand. “It’s not often people like us get a second chance. Enjoy it.”
    Julian nodded tightly, and his eyes shifted to Ty. He held out his hand, and Ty didn’t hesitate to reach out and take it. “Take it easy, Killer.”
    “Agent Grady,” Julian said solemnly. “If the world didn’t have sharks, we couldn’t have kittens either.”
    “What?” Cameron asked.
    “That doesn’t even make any sense,” Zane muttered.
    “Yeah, it does,” Ty said, meeting Julian’s eyes and nodding.
    “They don’t even exist in remotely similar ecosystems,” Cameron said.
    Julian smirked and let go of Ty’s hand. “You are far too literal,” he told Cameron as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
    “Take care of yourself, Ty,” Cameron said, voice wavering as Julian led him further into the darkness of the large basement room.
    Zane turned back to Ty, then stepped close enough to cup his cheek and kiss him thoroughly. Ty closed his eyes as Zane curled his other arm around him and pulled him close, and let himself get lost in it. He didn’t care if Zane was staking out his territory like a stray dog. After today they might be spending quite a lot of time in jail; it might be his last chance to be staked out.
    When Zane finally pulled away, leaving Ty wavering, Preston offered a low whistle.
    Zane ignored him as he reached up to touch the compass rose, his fingertips lightly brushing Ty’s skin as well. “In case we’re wrong and I get shot on sight.”
    Ty shook his head. “Won’t happen.”
    They looked to where Julian and Cameron had been, only to find them both gone.
    Ty and Zane