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A young agent ran outside to the waiting vehicles. Soon she was back in the warehouse carrying Cass’ belongings in a large plastic bag. She found a cleaner area to set them down, away from the blood Cass had drawn from the henchman. The peahen clicked her beak in thanks.
She turned to Grayson with her wide bird eyes. He realized he was staring at her. He turned away as she shifted back into human form in a corner hidden from the view of others.
“Stare at me that long again and I’ll charge you,” Cass quipped with a chuckle as soon as she was back in human form. “Damn! It feels good to talk again!” Her voice was so bright that Grayson could hear the smile in it.
“I’m good.”
Grayson turned as Cass was adjusting her pencil skirt over her generous curves. She stood barefoot in the dust, pulling her pink blouse down over a sheer camisole. “The hawk’s name is Sandy. The crows were right. Partially.” She shrugged.
“Did the goons say where she is?”
“It seemed she was on her way here to deal with me until FUC showed up.” She glanced around at the empty cages. “I think they were in the process of relocating but hadn’t found a new evil lair yet. One of the henchmen was mid-text when you busted through the door.”
Grayson turned to one of the agents, Brett Kipp, collecting evidence. He beamed with pride, watching one of his former students hard at work in the field. Brett was about to scoop up another sample of sawdust when Grayson asked, “Do we have the cell phones from the men in custody?” Brett pointed to a box filled with baggies of various sizes.
“Are you any closer to finding the hawk that tried to kidnap Ellie?” Brett asked. Ellie was his girlfriend. They were on assignment together when she was taken.
Grayson nodded. “I’m going to roast that bird like a Thanksgiving turkey.” Brett grinned before going back to collecting samples. It seemed his sloth smile followed him in human form. Grayson turned to the box, rummaging through it until he found a phone.
“Can you unlock this?” he asked, turning back to Brett before he could grab more evidence to bag and tag.
“Of course.” The bright lights shimmered in his wavy, brown hair as he leaned back slightly to reach down toward his pants. “I have a DICC.”
Grayson stared, his mouth hanging open. He cocked his head to the side, like a confused dog. He didn’t understand what Brett’s biological sex had to do with anything.
Brett rolled his eyes. “DICC, as in Data, Imagery, & Communications Collector.” He fished a USB drive out of his pocket. “You should really be more up-to-date on newer technology, Agent Stone.”
“Or we should come up with better acronyms that don’t make it sound like you’re hitting on me,” he growled. Grayson knew all about the USB device that was capable of copying information from a computer or smartphone. He wanted to add that DICC and dick soundedexactlythe same, however, he decided to hold his tongue. “Can you please use your”—he paused—“DICC to copy the information from the phone?”
Brett nodded. “You betcha!” He went to work as fast as a sloth-shifter could. If anyone wanted to find the red-tailed hawk shifter more than Grayson, it was Brett. Probably Ellie, too.
Cass’ heels clacked on the concrete as she sauntered over. “Do you think we can get the phone number of Sandy and trace it?”
“I’m hoping for more than that.” Grayson watched Brett as he worked. With any luck, there would be saved locations in the henchman’s map app. If they were in the process of finding a new nest for Sandy, maybe it was stored in the phone.
“I think Sandy hires for brawn and not brains. There’s probably a lot on those phones that shouldn’t be.” Cass narrowed her hazel eyes to slits. He wanted to ask if she was all right, but the Cass he remembered didn’t respond well to emotional displays.
Brett placed his DICC next to the phone and waited for the information to copy over. He then pulled over a briefcase carrying his laptop. After pushing the USB into the computer, he opened the file, his fingers taking the time to intentionally find the key they were looking for. Grayson balled his hands into tight fists, trying his best to redirect the energy his brain was sending to tap his foot. Brett was helping as fast as he could. He didn’t want to appear rude.
“What are you hoping for, Agent Stone?” Brett glanced up.
“Saved locations from the map function. Also send all the text messages to one of our techies at WANC. Have them pay close attention to any communications with someone named Sandy.”
Brett nodded. “I’m securely emailing the encrypted file now. Only you and the receiving agent at WANC can open it with the password.”
Grayson said his thanks. He opened the email and frowned. “Looks like we have a lot to comb through.”
Cass glanced down at Grayson’s phone. “How do you want to run this? Should we split up?”
“We’re never splitting up again.” Worry tainted his tone of voice. They’d lucked out this time. Cass was as fine as the feathers on a peacock’s train. Next time, she could be unable to form sentences like the flock of seagulls from the park. Who knew if that damage was reversible.
She put her hands on her hips, tapping her nails. The gems caught the light, reflecting tiny rainbows all over his shirt and the floor. “I’m fine.”
“Good.” He took her word for it, though didn’t fully believe her. Luckily the goons were bumbling idiots, but it still must have been terrifying for Cass at times. “We need to be extra careful in the future. This Sandy is no one to be trifled with. My student barely escaped. And the gulls…” His voice caught in his throat. It was too thick and heavy to make speech. The thought of something terrible happening to Cass… He couldn’t bear it.
Her eyes widened. The lights above reflected in them like tiny stars, burning with the brilliance and spark that was Cass. Her face softened, a delicate flower. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and taste her sweetness.
“I can take care of myself,” she reassured him softly.
