Shadow Men – 61 – Anders and Grant

"Daddy!"

Nicky raced out the back door of the house. Grant dropped to one knee to hug his son tightly, the rush of love for him so strong it almost overwhelmed him. "I missed you so much," he whispered.

"Missed you too, Daddy!"

When they finally relinquished their hold on each other, Nicky looked at his father and his eyes widened. "You're hurt."

"A bit, but I'm getting better."

"Like Rafe." Nicky nodded sagely. "He's better too."

From behind him Grant heard a gasp of surprise, then Steele ran past them into the house.

"Damn," Anders said, "I hope this means what he thinks it does. It'll undo him otherwise."

"Rafe's awake." Nicky tugged Grant's hand. "Come see. He woke up."

As Grant got up he looked at Anders. "Now if only he…"

"Remembers, yeah," Anders finished.

When they got into the house they found Corrie in the living room. She greeted the men with hugs. "Welcome back."

"I hear Rafe's awake," Anders said as he started toward the basement stairs.

Grant grabbed his shoulder. "Not now. Let them have their moment."

With a nod and a quick smile, Anders said, "Got ya." He changed direction, going into the kitchen instead. Nicky immediately dashed after him asking, "Can I help cook?"

"And what makes you think I'm going to do that," Grant heard Anders say with a laugh, before the door closed.

"So, what happened to you?" Corrie asked.

Grant smiled wryly as he took his eyes off the closed door to look at her. "I found out you guys don't play games with what you do."

"No we don't. Can you handle that?"

"What?"

"Nothing. I think I misread something."

"Explain, please"

"I've known Anders for a long time. He rarely smiles, or laughs, everything's business with him. But twice in the last minute he did both. And the way your eyes followed him…" She shrugged.

"Come on. He's just happy for Steele's sake that Rafe's out of the coma. And I was watching Nicky."

"Yeah sure, okay, makes sense."

Grant had the feeling she didn't believe it in the least but he wasn't about to make an issue of it with a woman he barely knew, even if she was way off base. Instead he excused himself and went into the kitchen to make certain Nicky wasn't driving Anders crazy.

Shadow Men – 60 – Anders and Grant

Grant woke up feeling confused and dopey. Confused that there was sunlight streaming through the window in a room he knew he'd never seen before. Dopey because, well, he wasn't sure why, at least until he realized he couldn't bend his wrist since there was a cast on it that went from his elbow to the base of his fingers. "Holy shit," he muttered.

"Damn, we're rubbing off on you," came laughing words from beside the bed.

Grant turned his head to see Anders standing there. "Where are we, and how doped up am I?"

"Some place safe, and very." Anders pulled a chair over, spun it around and sat, his arms resting on the back.

"That tells me a lot. Are we at least still in the city? I mean, I hope I wasn't out for so long that we've moved on." Grant frowned. "How long have I been out?"

"A day and a half. We lost you, well, not literally, as we were leaving the park. And yeah, we're still in the city, though we're leaving now that you're awake."

"For where?" Grant closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again things that had gone blurry for a second came back into focus again. So did his thoughts. "Can I call Nicky? Let him know I'm all right."

"He knows, though Steele said he was unhappy because it wasn't you calling."

"Damn it."

Anders cocked an eyebrow. "Now what?"

"He didn't tell him what happened, I hope."

"No. Just said you and I were off doing things and he'd called to find out how Rafe was doing." Anders chuckled then sobered, causing Grant to look curiously at him. "Just…your kid's something else. Steele said when he told him we were off doing something Nicky wanted to know if I was going to be his 'new papa'."

Grant winced. "Oh God, sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. To him, it was a legit question."

"He misses Martin. I do too, but…"

"Time to move on now?"

Grant nodded. "I figured that out while I was waiting for us to all get dead. I'm just not sure… Well, yeah, I am. I can't keep living in the 'what if', if that makes sense."

"Yeah, it does. Sometimes being close to death makes you realize what's important in life."

"How often...?"

"Think you can finish a question, not make me guess what you're trying to ask?" Anders said with a chuckle. "It's happened a couple of times to me. Not as many times as I've been in a position to die, that happens a lot to some degree or another, but I've had my epiphanies a time or two."

"How do you stand living on the edge the way you do?"

Anders shrugged. "It's a rush, gives me something to keep me busy, makes me feel like I'm of some use in the world."

Grant nodded slowly. "More than I am by a lot."

"Don't put yourself down, even a…hell, what is it you do anyway?"

"I'm a claims adjuster," Grant told him with a snort.

"Could be worse, you could be a burger-flipper."

Grant laughed. "So I'm one step above that, huh?"

Anders grinned. "Eh, maybe three."

"'Bout time you woke up," Steele said, leaning against the edge of the doorframe as he looked at Grant. His eyes flicked to Anders then back to Grant again. "Sounded like a party in here when I came in."

"It's nice to be able to laugh for a bit," Grant replied defensively.

"That wasn't a put-down, just a comment." Now Steele turned his full attention to Anders. "Got a vehicle."

"Good. As soon as Grant's up and dressed we can leave."

"Where to?" Grant asked, wondering if he'd get an answer this time.

"Chicago," Anders told him.

Grant sighed. "With a side trip to drop me and Nicky off home, I'd be willing to bet."

Anders looked at Steele then they both shook their heads. "First off, until we get that information into the right hands you're still not safe. The Senator's got to be one pissed off bastard right now. All his work just went down the tubes if he can't find a replacement for the Colonel."

"Understood. I don't suppose we can…" He looked hopefully at Anders.

"You're doing it again, Grant." Anders sounded amused. "Yes, we're going to stop by the house. Steele would kill me if we didn't."

Shadow Men – 59 – Anders and Grant

Grant had wanted to create a distraction, just not quite that way, but it worked. A shot rang out and Jackson fell forward to land on top of him. With a shudder, despite the pain he was in, Grant managed to push the man off of him just in time to see the Colonel fire his own gun. Anders, however, had taken advantage of the moment and was now down on one knee. He rolled to the left, kicking out at the Colonel's legs. His foot landed hard on the Colonel's bad knee.

A roar of rage and pain, which made Grant's previous scream seem like a whimper, left the Colonel's lips when his knee collapsed under him. Anders was on his feet seconds later, just as Steele stepped into view.

"Where the hell were you?" Anders growled. He kept his gun trained on the Colonel and kicked the man's gun halfway across the clearing.

"Taking care of the other two who came with the bastard," Steele spat out. "He thinks rather a lot of himself, or very little of us, to come with so little backup." He moved to stand beside Anders. At that moment the clouds thinned again. The moonlight seemed to spotlight the look of pure hatred in Steele's eyes. "Your doing?" he asked Anders as his booted foot landed on the Colonel's knee.

Above the resulting scream Grant heard Anders say, "Indeed. Wish I'd hit him in a more vital spot."

"I think we can remedy that," Steele replied, ice in his voice. He was suddenly holding a knife in his free hand. "Keep him covered."

Grant closed his eyes, almost savoring his pain as it took his mind from what he was certain Steele was doing. Not that he blamed him. If someone had done to Martin what the Colonel had done to Rafe… He pushed the thought of Martin away almost angrily. He had to. It was time to let go, if he could. A low moan broke through his thoughts then he felt the man beside him move.

"Anders," Grant called out in panic.

"What?" Anders called back. Seconds later, he was by Grant's side. "Guess he didn't get the message he was supposed to be dead," he muttered and took care of the problem. Then he knelt beside Grant. "You look like hell. Is any of that blood yours?"

"Probably." Grant touched his wrist.

"Damn." Then Anders grinned for an instant. "Our little boy just got his first battle scar."

"Fuck you," Grant grumbled. "Aren't you supposed to be doing something useful, like…keeping an eye on the Colonel while Steele…?" Grant shuddered.

"He's got it covered now," Anders replied tightly.

Steele strode over to join them. "More than covered, he's dead. The bastard had no staying power."

"Feel any better now?" Anders asked quietly.

Steele shook his head. "I thought I would, but…no."

Grant looked up at him, saying firmly, "Because you're a decent man."

"Yeah, well…" Steele took a deep breath, "Let's get rid of the trash and get out of here."

Anders took out his cell, placed a call, and told whoever answered a 'clean-up' crew was needed and where. "Taken care of," he said after ending the call. He helped Grant to stand, holding him tightly when his legs threatened to give out, and then the three men walked away without a backward glance.

'A Second Chance' is out today!

A Second Chance

https://www.jms-books.com/edward-kendrick-c-224_229/a-second-chance-p-3254.html

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087J9TRNP/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-second-chance-edward-kendrick/1136938894?ean=9781646563500

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-second-chance-82

GENRE: Gay Thriller Erotic Romance
LENGTH: 46,249 words
RATING:

Ben Mercer is an ex-cop, lamed, framed, and thrown off the force for a crime his partner committed. Now homeless, he has no expectations for a better life until he's recruited by Durand, head of Vanguard Security, to join a team that deals with problems the police can't or won't touch. All Ben needs is the approval of the team leader, Zach Turner.

To get it, Ben has to prove to Zach that he still retains his skills as a sniper, and that he can handle any job thrown at him, despite the still painful damage to his knee. He does, and is immediately pulled into a job with the team, rescuing a kidnap victim.

Ben had one big secret, or did have until Durand drew it out of him. Before his life was drastically changed he had denied, even to himself, that he was gay. Now that he's accepted it, and learned that Zach is as well, can the two men forge a bond beyond that of being teammates and friends? It will take several more jobs before Ben gets his answer.

EXCERPT:

Ben woke to the sound of the cell phone, unsure for a moment where he was even though it was his second day at the safe house. Once he got oriented, he answered the call. It was Zach, telling him in no uncertain terms to meet him in his office on the third floor of the Vanguard building at nine sharp.

"Back to being bossy, again," Ben muttered after Zach ended the call. He had hung up his new shirts and jeans the previous afternoon, and put the t-shirts and underwear in the dresser drawer. After using the bathroom, he got dressed.

"I'm a whole new man," he said when he looked in the mirror. "Relatively speaking anyway."

He ate breakfast and then used his phone to find out which bus would take him to his destination. He was about to leave when his phone rang. "I'm downstairs," Zach said when Ben answered. "Pack a bag and get down here."

"Backpack," Ben replied to a dead phone. He quickly stuffed his new clothes into the pack, as well his comb, toothbrush and paste, and then slung it over his shoulder and left the apartment, remembering at the last second to set the alarm.

"You move fast," Zach said with a brief smile when Ben got into the jeep.

"Where are we going?"

"To the airport. Sorry to jump you right into this without any warning," Zach replied. "We've been looking for a kidnap victim and twenty minutes ago our people finally located where he's being held."

"Obviously not here."

"Nope. It happened out east. I'll fill you and the others in when we're on the plane."

As they drove, Ben realized they weren't heading to the main airport. "We're taking a private jet?" he asked.

"Yep. We keep them at an airport that caters to corporate jets."

"Why aren't I surprised that Vanguard has more than one?"

Zach tossed him a quick smile. "Because you're beginning to get that it's a large organization, even though there aren't that many people working for our particular part of it?"

"I am now."

When they arrived at the airport, Zach drove directly to a small lot beside a row of hangers. A jet with the Vanguard logo sat in front of one of them. Ben hefted his backpack over his shoulder, waited for Zach to get his bag from the back of the jeep, and then followed him into the jet. Two people were already settled in facing seats in the cabin, a drop-down table between them. One was a swarthy-looking man who he knew had to be Ez, the other a petite blonde woman -- obviously Hayley. Zach gestured for Ben to take a seat across the aisle, after they'd stored their bags in the overhead bin, and then introduced him to the others before walking forward to the cockpit.

"Tell us a bit about yourself," Hayley said to Ben.

"Not much to tell. I'm an ex-cop who, for reasons I'd rather not go into at the moment ended up living on the streets."

"We don't keep secrets," Ez said sternly.

"Good, then tell me about you," Ben retorted, stretching out his bad leg, glad there was room enough that he could.

"Ex-bodyguard with a national security firm until Durand recruited me."

"Stole you away is more like it," Hayley said, grinning. "My father was furious. Then Durand asked me if I wanted to join Vanguard, too. It really frosted Dad's ass when I accepted."

"Don't let her size and cuteness fool you," Ez said. "She's damned good at what she does or she wouldn't have been working for her father to begin with."

Hayley nodded. "Dad wanted a son to follow in his footsteps, but it didn't work out that way so he resigned himself to me and trained me well."

"Very well," Zach said as he dropped down into the seat across from Ben.

At that point, the pilot announced that they should fasten their seatbelts and soon the plane was taxing down the runway.

"Okay," Zach said once they were in the air. "Here's what we know so far. The kidnappers have made their demands, our people have located where they're holding their victim."

"Building, house?" Ez asked succinctly.

"In a well-secured four-story, self-storage facility in the industrial area of the city," Zach replied. He stood to get a folder from his bag, sat again, and opened it. "This is a satellite-view of the area," he said, handing a copy to each of them.

"No fucking windows," Ez muttered. "Not good."

Studying the picture, Ben agreed with Ez's assessment. "We can get on the roof from parking garage next door, but then what?"

"I'm presuming they've got him in one of the storage units," Hayley said. "Do you know which one, Zach?"

Shadow Men – 58 – Anders and Grant

At first Grant couldn't see more than two feet in front of him, if that. Then his eyes began to adjust to the dark and he was able to distinguish the tree trunks from the spaces between them. He also made out Anders just ahead of him and knew if he turned he might see Steele somewhere behind him, depending on how close he was.

They were moving slowly, taking each step with great care as they did their best to avoid making any sound which might be heard above the rustling of the leaves as a gentle breeze blew through the trees.

After what to Grant seemed like an endless amount of time, Anders stopped, his hand held up to let them know they were close to their destination. The clouds briefly moved, allowing the moon's light to make the scene a bit more visible. There was a small clearing ahead, the stream Anders had called The Gill meandering along one side. In the center of the clearing was a tall rock formation. Grant could just make out someone standing next to it.

Cautiously he and Anders entered the clearing. As ordered he remained a few feet behind Anders, his pistol now held at his side. He was hyper-aware of the sheathed knives, one on his forearm, another in one of the boots Steele had insisted he wear even though they were a size too large for him.

"Petya, it's been a while," Anders said, his voice pitched just loudly enough that Grant could hear him.

"It has indeed, Anders." The woman looked beyond him briefly. "This is the man who..?"

"Retrieved the information, yes."

"You have the papers with you?"

"I may trust you, Petya, but I'm not a fool. They're safely stashed for the time being. First I need to know how you're going to get them to…whomever."

Grant saw Petya lean close enough to Anders to whisper something to him, the name he presumed. He heard Anders' reply, "An excellent choice. Probably one of the few people the Colonel and the Senator can't corrupt."

"Precisely why I chose…" Suddenly Petya clutched her chest. Grant watched in horror as blood oozed between her outspread fingers. Then she fell back against the tall rock and slid down to the ground.

Before he could gather his wits enough to move back to the protection of the trees Grant felt something hit his arm. Pain radiated out. It felt as if his wrist had shattered. As he bit down to keep from crying out a strong hand gripped his upper arm and he was dragged forcefully out of the clearing.

"Stay," Anders ordered as he searched for the shooter.

Like I'm going to go dashing out there, Grant thought sarcastically as he sat and leaned against the nearest tree trunk. His wrist hurt but not as much as he'd expected. Adrenaline high still, he guessed, having heard about them.

There was a faint rustling a few yards away. Anders whirled to face that direction. Then Grant heard someone move behind him. Two men stepped into view, both carrying what were in Grant's estimation very large guns.

"Anders," one of the men said, a dark grin touching his lips for a moment as he limped closer, one knee seemingly locked into position.

"Colonel." Anders replied, not lowering his gun.

"As you said to Mrs. Goranov, it's been a while, Anders. Jackson, please relieve Mr. Eastman of whatever weapons he's carrying. We wouldn't want him hurting himself, being the novice that he is."

Grant pressed back against the tree. He knew he should do something to distract the men and give Anders a chance to do his thing. At the same time he wondered where the hell Steele was. He inched his good hand to the top of his boot in the hope that the darkness would shield the movement.

The man the Colonel had called Jackson shook his head. "Take it out, slowly."

Grant sighed and did, and the man took the knife. "Any more?" he asked as he grabbed Grant's arm, the wounded one.

Grant screamed in pain.