Cameron was brought up short, staring at him with narrowed eyes. "I have a finely tuned macho bulls.h.i.t detector, and it"s shrieking," he said.
"You get a lot of macho bulls.h.i.t from your boyfriend over there?" Ty asked in what seemed to be sincere curiosity. But with Ty, it was hard to tell what was said in seriousness and what wasn"t.
Cameron shifted uncomfortably. "It doesn"t bother you?" he asked, watching Ty.
"What? Bulls.h.i.t? I work for the government, man." Ty laughed and shook his head.
Cameron repressed a smile. "No. That Julian and I are lovers."
Ty was already shaking his head, as if he"d known all along that was what Cameron had been referring to. "Now who"s making generalizations? Just because I wear flannel doesn"t mean I"m an a.s.shole." His knee was no longer bouncing, and he seemed to have finally relaxed a little as he sat there. "Guy"s willing to charge into a room full of guns to protect you and then drag you across the country in handcuffs to keep you with him. Seems like a keeper to me."
"Yes. He"s a keeper," Cameron agreed, even though Ty"s words were sarcastic. He cleared his throat. "And Julian is indeed a master of macho bulls.h.i.t."
"Yeah, he seems the type."
"So do you."
"Oh, I know it," Ty said. He didn"t seem to take it as an insult, or anything else, really. Just a fact. That alone intrigued Cameron. The more Cameron got to know Ty, the more he realized that the guy seemed to have absolutely no shame.
"So you met him at a restaurant," Ty said almost to himself.
Cameron nodded."Tuesdays is a very nice restaurant."
"Tuesdays," Ty repeated. He mulled over the name for a while and then nodded. "I can see why that name would draw a man like that. Wait, wait, let me guess," he said in amus.e.m.e.nt as he held out his hand to Cameron. "Man that named it was a friend of his."
"What makes you say that?" Cameron asked in shock, his hand straying to rub at his throat, where the necklace Julian had given him used to hang before it was lost. He still missed its rea.s.suring weight, if not the symbolism of it.
"European criminals. They love their mythology. Tuesday was Mars, the G.o.d of war. That restaurant is like a beacon to anyone wanting to deal."
Cameron almost laughed. He"d had to Google the information when neither Julian nor Blake would tell him. "You know more than I did."
"Well, that"s what a federal agent does when he"s not watching other people," Ty told him with a smirk.
"Read up on European mythology?"
"That too."
Cameron shook his head, amused that he was constantly being surprised by both Ty and Zane. They were anything but what they appeared on the surface.
Ty didn"t speak again. He didn"t even move, not a twitch of a muscle or bat of an eye. Cameron frowned and tipped his head, then tried to follow Ty"s line of sight. But it didn"t seem that he was looking at anything but the blank terminal walls over by the restrooms. Cameron sat back and took another bite of sandwich, turning his chin to offer Julian a smile as he joined them at the tiny table.
For once Ty didn"t have anything snappy or clever to say to Julian. He was still sitting stock-still, now staring at the food counter where Julian had been standing.
Julian sat fluidly next to Cameron and handed him his lemonade. He glanced at the agent in mild surprise when he wasn"t greeted with at least a derisive grunt, and Cameron saw him do a double take when he looked at Ty.
Cameron looked from Julian to Ty and back. "What?"
Ty inhaled deeply and turned to look at them. He shifted his shoulders so that he was facing Julian directly, and he met Julian"s eyes with a look so grim that it almost scared Cameron. "To my five thirty," Ty said to Julian, almost under his breath. "What do you see?"
Julian"s black eyes carefully drifted to gaze over Ty"s right shoulder. Outwardly he didn"t change, he still looked relaxed and somber, but Cameron could almost feel the alteration come over the table when Julian spotted whatever Ty had pointed out to him.
They met each other"s gaze again and sat staring at each other across the table.
Cameron cleared his throat. "What is it?" he whispered.
When Julian looked at him, there was a hint of apprehension in his lover"s eyes. That alone terrified Cameron, and he had to try to swallow twice to get the last bite of his sandwich down.
Ty cleared his throat and stood. "Come on," he prompted as he slid one arm into his jacket and used the motion to glance over his shoulder.
"What about Zane?" Cameron asked as he stood, abandoning his pretzel and drink on the table. They left the tray of barely touched food.
"Take your things," Julian said under his breath. He held his cup in his hand, looking down as he stirred it with his straw.
"Zane should be okay, we"ll circle back for him if we can," Ty answered as he led them out of the cafe"s sitting area and into the crowded concourse. After Cameron shouldered his bag, Julian took Cameron"s hand and followed, not even hinting that he might try to escape while Ty was distracted.
Cameron tried to ignore the tension and dread curling in his gut. If he wasn"t safe with Julian and Ty, he wouldn"t be safe anywhere. But it wasn"t himself he worried for. He caught himself before he could glance behind them to check for Zane. Soon he"d be coming out to find them gone.
When Cameron gave in and turned his chin, he saw a man in a dark suit step away from a magazine rack and begin making his way after them. Another man moved out of the alcove of a service door, and yet another got up from a table at a deli further down the causeway.
"Julian," Cameron whispered.
"I know, love," Julian murmured, voice tight.
Ahead of them, Ty stopped abruptly. Julian drew up and pulled Cameron closer to him. Three more men in various shades of dark suit had materialized ahead of them. Julian turned to face behind them, putting Cameron between himself and Ty.
"FBI?" Julian asked doubtfully, though there was a hint of hope as well.
"Wrong letters," Ty answered.
Cameron didn"t like not being able to see, but taking a quick look made him more scared, not less. "What now?"
Ty actually reached back and put a hand on Cameron"s arm, turning just enough to look behind them. Cameron heard his breath catch. "You"re not meant to get to DC, are you?" he whispered to Julian.
Julian glanced behind him, and Cameron saw him lick his lips in a rare show of nerves. "I"m the last living witness to a high-level CIA man who was using CIA a.s.sets to carry out murder for hire. I"m the only person left who can identify him."
Ty cursed. "They"re not here to take you into custody."
"Then what?" Cameron froze as one of the dark-suited men brushed up against a pa.s.sing traveler. His jacket moved, revealing a gun stuck into the waistband of his pants. "Oh. We"ve got to get out of here."
"There"s nowhere to go, love," Julian said, voice grim.
Ty was looking over the heads of the crowd milling around them, and Cameron could practically feel the man coiling against him, like a snake cornered and about to strike.
"They won"t shoot us in the middle of the terminal and all these people," Cameron insisted. He cast around, desperate.
Ty turned around and grabbed Julian by the arm, yanking him closer until they were almost nose to nose. He didn"t say a thing; they merely stared at each other for a moment before Ty let him go and turned to dart into the tiny gift shop several yards away.
Cameron gaped. Had Ty just cut and run on them? "What just happened?"
The six men were closing in, and the crowd seemed to teem with danger now that Cameron was aware of them. Julian squeezed his hand, squaring his shoulders like a lion might fluff its mane, trying to appear bigger as it was attacked.
A second later Ty came strolling out of the gift shop with a brown paper bag held to his lips. He was blowing it full of air. He calmly held it up, then shouted at the top of his voice, "He"s got a gun!" and slammed the paper bag into his open palm.
Utter chaos ensued. Shrieks and yells filled the air, and the crowd stampeded every which way, creating a jumble of confusion and fear. Mothers s.n.a.t.c.hed their children up and ran. Senior citizens ducked behind pillars and newsstands.
Cameron didn"t think Ty could have caused more of a ruckus if he"d gotten up on a table and danced naked in front of the arrivals and departures sign. Apparently, disorder was Ty"s specialty.
A moment later Ty was at Cameron"s side, urging both him and Julian to move through the panicking crowd. He and Julian both ducked to hide their height, but it didn"t take long until they were confronted with a charcoal suit amidst the zigzagging crowd.
Ty reached out for the man, who was drawing his gun, and he pulled him closer by his shoulder. He shoved the heel of his hand into the man"s chin, snapping his head back, then rounded on him with his left and sent him to the ground. His actions were remarkably quick and powerful, all done in a split second and hard to follow. Cameron had only ever seen Julian move like that. Ty held up something he"d taken from the man, showing it to Julian over his shoulder. Julian still held Cameron"s hand as they vaulted over the fallen man and broke into a run.
Cameron chanced a glance over his shoulder as Julian dragged him down the concourse, looking back at the mess and the agents coming out this side of the crowd. "They"re still coming!"
The crowd was too thick, and there were just too many men after them for Cameron to see how they could get away. The exits were a logjam of people and confused airport security. There seemed to be nowhere to go.
Julian glanced back and turned, putting himself between Cameron and the pursuers. Ty was looking around the concourse, and Cameron caught a glimpse of the wild cast to his oddly colored eyes. He looked like a cornered animal, wily and dangerous.
"We"re trapped," Julian said.
After a last look at their paltry options, Ty pointed a finger into Julian"s chest, then waved them toward the exits. "Go," he snarled.
"What?"
"Go! Find Zane. I"ll hold them off." Then he turned his back on them, facing the men coming after them with a roll of his shoulders and a tilt of his head.
Julian took a step back, momentarily stunned, but then he gripped Cameron"s hand harder and pulled him, turning and running, leaving Ty behind them to stem the tide of the oncoming suits. Cameron managed to glance back in time to see Ty launch himself into the first man; then they were obscured by the panicking crowd around them.
"But... Julian! They"ll kill him!"
"They"ll kill us, Cam!"
Stopping him was impossible against Julian"s size and determination. They darted in and out of pockets of confused people, weaving their way through the ma.s.ses and finally finding a side hallway that had an emergency exit at the end. Julian started toward it, but he hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. Cameron jumped on the vacillation.
"Julian, I know you two didn"t get along, but please! He and Zane could have just given you to them, but instead they"re trying to help us," Cameron said, pulling on Julian"s hand, the upset getting stronger the longer they were away. Every second was a second Ty could be dying. "He doesn"t deserve to die for trying to help us."
Julian met his eyes, and Cameron could see the indecision there. Then he shook his head and turned for the exit.
"Please! He"d come back for you, and you know it!"
Julian stopped and turned again, an anguished expression pa.s.sing over his face. "G.o.ddammit all to h.e.l.l, Cam," he finally growled, the words rolling out beautifully in his Irish accent. "Stay here." And with that he launched himself back into the crowd.
Now both desperately afraid and insanely relieved, Cameron followed despite what Julian had said. The concourse had cleared some, but the s.p.a.ce where they"d left Ty to make his last stand was a jumble of people and suitcases and cafe chairs. Tables were overturned, magazines littered the floor, and the contents of suitcases were strewn about where they"d been dropped.
Two men lay on the floor as well, one bleeding and motionless, the other writhing and screaming as he held his arm at an odd angle.
They reached the melee just in time to witness an impressive roundhouse kick to a charcoal suit"s head that sent the man sprawling. But then a gun was pulled behind Ty, drawing his attention long enough for two more suits to swamp him. He disappeared under a hail of fists and expensive wool and silk. Cameron could see Ty lashing out, being held down and fighting like a wild horse trying not to be roped. He was kicked in the ribs, stomped on the side of the head as he tried and failed to roll away. Another gun was pulled and put to the back of his head.
"No!" Cameron yelled just as Julian went for the gun, knocking it and its owner to the ground. Zane appeared on the other side of the dog pile, wading in as if they weren"t outnumbered and weaponless.
Julian"s movements were quick and efficient, hands grabbing the suit"s neck and chin and twisting with a vicious, sickening crunch. He shoved the man aside and reached to the bottom of the pile, pulling Ty out by his collar like he was scruffing a kitten.
"How did I know this commotion was your doing?" Zane yelled at them.
"Come on!" Cameron called. Before he could get more words out, he was shocked into crying out when someone grabbed him from behind. He immediately started to struggle against whoever held him. "Julian!" Cameron called out in real terror.
Julian looked up, dropped Ty"s nearly limp body back into the fray, and raised the gun he"d confiscated. The shot was deafening, and the warm spray on Cameron"s ear and cheek was evidence that Julian"s aim was true. The hands released him, and the bulk that had been behind him fell away. Cameron reflexively lifted his hand to wipe at the splatter across his cheek.
Then Julian reached back down and grabbed Ty again, jerking him off the floor. "Come on!" he shouted at Zane. Zane knocked down the man with whom he"d been grappling with a vicious punch to the midsection, grabbed a gun off one of the unconscious men, and was only a couple of steps behind them as they ran toward Cameron, Julian dragging Ty with him.
The gunshot had caused more panic, and now TSA and other airport security were starting to appear, rushing into the wrecked causeway, trying to get people out of the way and a.s.sess the situation.
Julian wrapped his arm around Ty and supported some of his weight, ducking his head and hiding his face as they made their way past the overwhelmed security checkpoint. They followed the crowd, letting it sweep them toward the exits. Cameron ducked under Zane"s arm to hide as they shuffled out. Zane flashed his badge at the man who tried to stop them to hasten their exit.
"There. Government-issue SUV at the curb," Julian said as he pointed through the gla.s.s doors. "I managed to get the keys off one of them."
Zane headed that way without even questioning it, and he went to the back door to try the handle. It popped open, and Julian shoved Ty inside and then climbed in after him, leaving the front for Cameron and Zane. Cameron scrambled in through the driver"s side and over the console. Zane glanced around them before climbing in, calmly shutting the door and driving away into traffic.
Cameron turned in his seat to look at the two men in the back. "Ty? Are you okay?"
"Feels like somebody shoved a boot between my ribs," Ty answered, voice strained.
"That"s actually exactly what happened," Cameron told him.
Ty hissed and then growled at Julian. "Quit touching me."
"I"m trying to make sure you"re not dying," Julian shot back.
"Well, that hurts!"
"All the more reason to poke it!"
"Play nice," Zane said, but there was too much edge in his tone for it to be funny.
Cameron watched how he kept checking the rearview mirror. He wondered if Zane was checking for a tail or trying to get a look at his roughed-up partner.
"Will we get away?"
"For now," Zane said. "It"ll take them some time to figure out who"s where and what"s missing, enough time for us to get somewhere and disable the GPS in this thing. But it won"t last."
"That was f.u.c.king stupid," Ty muttered from the backseat. "I told you to go."
"Yes, well, unfortunately my conscience is a little more willful than most," Julian grumbled, and Cameron knew his lover was talking about him.
"They were CIA again, Zane," Ty said, voice soft and hoa.r.s.e. He pulled a badge from his coat, waving it at them. He had lifted it from one of the men in the airport. "I identified myself and they didn"t care."
"Rogue cell," Julian murmured. "They"ve got to be acting under his orders."
"Whose orders?"