Dex nodded his agreement, and Winters sat back in his chair. “You’re not as restless as you once were. It’s good to see Sloane’s influence helping you through such a difficult period.”
Dex couldn’t help his smile at the thought of Sloane. “There’s something about him that makes me… breathe. Just having him close by makes me feel calm, and if I start not to be calm, he touches me, and it’s like everything’s going to be fine. He grounds me.”
“You’re both perfectly suited for each other, and I’m so happy for you both. You’ve come such a long way.”
Winters’s words touched Dex. “Thank you.”
“Now, are you prepared to do what needs to be done? Are you confident you can perform your duties to the best of your abilities? That your teammates can rely on you?”
Dex nodded, putting as much conviction behind his words as possible. “Yes, I’m confident in my abilities, and I’m here for my team. We’re going to find Tony and bring him home.”
CHAPTER 10
THIS WAS really happening.
Sloane stood in the middle of the empty training bay. It was one of the biggest in Sparta. The most high-tech with the newest equipment. This was where he’d be training agents and Team Leaders. At the end of the bay was a large locker room split into two for male and female agents, and to the right of the bay was his new office.
He headed into the sleek office twice the size of the one he shared with Dex. As he looked around, he wondered why a training officer would have such a big office with so much hardware and gadgetry, and the answer became clear. When he wasn’t out in the field as a TIN operative or at home with Dex, he’d be here. He’d need everything at his disposal because this wasn’t who he was first; he was a TIN operative moonlighting as a training officer. It was all so very surreal.
“Where the hell is he?”
Sloane checked his watch for the third time. It wasn’t like Ash to be late. His best friend was always punctual, and he expected everyone else to be. If he got delayed, he always sent a quick text. Sloane decided to go see what was holding Ash up. He walked out into Sparta, greeting his fellow agents along the way as he headed up to Unit Alpha, stopping by his old office. It was tough, seeing only one desk in there now. Ash’s desk. Sloane imagined Ash wouldn’t be spending much time in there. While Dex and Sloane had been off, they’d moved Rosa, Letty, Cael, Calvin, and Hobbs to a much bigger space they now shared, each with their own desk. As soon as Dex and Sloane were sworn in, Destructive Delta would start in their new role of training team, so it made sense that they’d need to share the same space to collaborate and plan.
Sloane walked through the bull pen toward the conference rooms, and he found what he was looking for, well, the second thing; Ash was still nowhere to be found. The shiny new digital screen beside the door read Destructive Delta—THIRDS International Training Team.
Sloane opened the door, and five sets of eyes greeted him.
“Sloane!” Cael jumped from his chair. He rushed over to Sloane, surprising him when he threw his arms around Sloane and hugged him.
Sloane laughed. “What’s all that about?” It had only been a couple of hours.
“He’s feeling a little nostalgic,” Rosa said, motioning around them.
The room was impressive, but then it had been one of Unit Alpha’s largest conference rooms. It was state-of-the-art, with sleek new desk interfaces and a wall-to-wall digital board. Another wall had a huge flat-screen built into it, while the third wall was lined with comfortable seating. At the far end were three doors, the left the bathroom, locker room, and shower for the female agents. The middle door led to the kitchen, of which Sloane could see vending machines and all kinds of appliances, and the right door led to another bathroom, locker room, and shower for the male agents. It was a pretty sweet setup.
“It’s a nice office,” Calvin said.
Cael nodded. “We got our own kitchen.”
“But it’s still weird,” Rosa added.
Sloane understood. They were still together, but separate. “Hey, when this is all over, the Sarge will be just down the hall, Ash will be just around the corner, I’ll be downstairs in Sparta.”
“When you’re not away,” Cael said, frowning.
Anyone who heard Cael’s words would think Cael meant when Sloane wasn’t off training abroad or in another state, but what Cael actually meant was when Sloane was off on an op with Dex for TIN.
“Dex and I still represent Destructive Delta. We haven’t left, and when we’re not… on assignment, we’ll be right here. We’re family. That’s not changing. I’m proud of you guys. This is a huge deal for the THIRDS. You’re the first International Training Team. Sparks wouldn’t have given this to you if she didn’t think you could make a difference in these agents’ lives. They need to see what a real family’s like, and no one can do that better than Destructive Delta.”
Rosa came over to Sloane and hugged him with a sniff. “Jerk. You’re not supposed to be the one reassuring us.”
“We’re supposed to reassure you,” Letty offered, hugging Sloane from his other side. He wrapped his arms around them and tried not to give in to his emotions, but when Hobbs stood, Sloane couldn’t help it.
“Oh fuck me,” he said with a laugh as everyone crowded him for a hug.
“Don’t tell Dex,” Calvin muttered.
“We’ll never hear the end of it,” Rosa said.