Sparks nodded. She paused to look over her shoulder at them. "We'll be in touch, Agents. Welcome to TIN." She walked off without so much as a second glance. That was it? Hudson felt somewhat weak in the knees, and Seb walked him over to the bench, where Hudson took a seat. Could it be that easy? What the hell was he thinking? Easy? What they'd just done was as far from easy as they could get.
Agent Jones removed his phone from his pocket and tapped away at it. Once he was done, he returned the phone to his pocket and stood motionless. Hudson and Seb exchanged glances. Now what?
Several seconds later, another agent appeared. He handed Agent Jones a large bag through the bars. Receiving a nod from Agent Jones, the leopard Therian left. Were all TIN's operatives so deadly serious? Hudson thought of Dex, and he almost felt sorry for Sparks. Was she aware what she was about to unleash in her organization? She had to know. Agent Jones handed the bag to Seb, his stoic expression never faltering.
"Change. Take everything you have on and put it in the bag, including your phone."
"It's THIRDS issued," Seb reminded the operative. All THIRDS agents were issued secure cell phones to use while on and off duty. Just because they weren't on the job twenty-four hours a day didn't mean the THIRDS could take any chances with classified information.
"Regardless, you need to hand it over. We need to make sure nothing connects you to Trent Carson's friends. It'll be returned later."
Seb nodded. He took the bag, placed it on the bench, and started undressing just as Hudson's phone rang.
Hudson frowned, feeling certain he'd never had a ringtone of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," much less applied it to any of his contacts. The caller was unknown. He answered quietly.
"Hello?"
"It's taken care of."
Austen. Blimey, that was quick.
"Did you change my ringtone? Never mind. What does that mean?" Hudson asked, afraid to hear the answer. What Trent did was unforgiveable, but that didn't mean Hudson wanted him dead. Oh God, what if TIN had... disposed of him? Would they do that? Trent was a THIRDS agent. Surely someone would notice Trent's sudden disappearance.
"It means it's taken care of. Sorry, Doc. You don't get to ask questions until you're sworn in and get a pretty new tie. I would recommend a blue hue to match your eyes."
"Are they...?"
Austen released a heavy sigh. "The arresting agents work for TIN, and douchebag Trent is being privately escorted back to Philly, where he'll face charges for three counts of assault and battery and six counts of sexual assault on marked Therians. Seems his victims suddenly feel safe enough to talk. Trent is going away for a very long time."
Hudson couldn't believe what he was hearing. It struck him then, how much worse it could have been the evening he'd been attacked. That bloody wanker. "What if he mentions me?"
"You? Trent's never met you. He has no idea who you are or that you exist. There is nothing that connects you to him, his home, or his friends."
Hudson was going to ask how that was possible, but then he remembered who he was speaking to. If TIN could make Dex forget about his seizure, why wouldn't they have the means to make Trent forget? It was... terrifying. "And the others? His friends?"
"We're not worried about them."
"But what if they go to the THIRDS?"
"That's not going to happen."
Austen sounded so sure. Hudson stood, unable to stop from pacing. "Did TIN...?"
"No, your guardian angel took care of them."
Hudson froze. "What?"
"Wolf got to them first."
A chill swept through Hudson, making him shiver. Oh heavens. Was that who had come to his rescue? He was grateful for Seb's strong arms around him, holding him up. Why had Wolf taken an interest in him? Why save him from those men? Far more frightening was Wolf dispatching those two men for what they'd done. It meant he felt something, whatever it was, but why would he? Hudson had never even seen the man, only heard of him. It was unsettling, having the attention of a trained psychopath.
"What are you talking about?"
"Neither men were in their homes when TIN arrived. An operative at each scene received an anonymous text telling them not to worry, that it was taken care of. There was also a nice little tip on where to find Trent. Your man, Seb, must have put the fear of God into him, because after he called in Seb's visit, he was on the way to the airport with a one-way ticket to LA."
"What does TIN know about Wolf? And why does he care what happens to me?"
"TIN operatives aren't the sharing type. Besides, when Wolf went off the grid, he destroyed any information TIN had on him. All we have to go on is what Sparks personally knows about him. There's something else, but you're not going to like it. I told Dex, and he almost had kittens. So to speak. Wouldn't that be something if he could?" Austen snorted out a laugh. "Sloane would lose his shit."