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Walking by the answering ht and lit up The only person who called him here was the Bureau contact, and he definitely didn’t want to talk to her Cursing under his breath, he hit the button and pulled out his guns, checking theent Garrett, this is Assistant Director Richard Burns"

Zane’s head shot around so he could stare at the nore me Call me It doesn’t matter what ti up

Hitting the erase button, Zane frowned and tapped the ashes frolish not made rapid-fire by an accent

"What’s he want?" heeasily He tapped his fingers on the phone for a longthe number he had easily memorized

Two minutes later, he was connected to Burns, presuht

"Special Agent Garrett Thank you for returning , no hint of censure or sleep in his voice

Zane walked with the handset over to the couch and pulled out a bottle of painkillers "What do you want, Burns?" Zanehis cigarette in an overfull ashtray He poured a handful of pills into his hand and popped three into hishis arm out to look at it

"Ever the conversationalist Nice accent, by the way Have you been following the Tri-State murders?"

Zane’s jaw set "No," he said shortly

"Good Get to DC I want you here by three-thirty tomorrow"

"DC?" Zane objected "I’m in the middle of all kinds of shit here, Burns I can’t just drop it!"

"You will turn over all infor quite patiently right outside your door Be here, and don’t be late"

Burns hung up, leaving Zane staring at the handset After a longoff his tongue as it shattered

TY didn’t sleep at night He never had, even as a child While the e that, the subsequent years of working undercover ht had hardwired his body oncethe late hours when he had nothing else to keep hihly two in the afternoon, it sent Ty straight up and into a full-out panic before he was able to track down the vibrating cell phone and growl at it

"What?" he answered in a huff, rubbing sleepy eyes and shaking his head to wake hireeted warmly

"Dick?" Ty responded in shock "I didn’t do it," he said immediately

"Whatever it was, I didn’t do it I’m on vacation," he insisted defensively

There was a chuckle in response "I know you’re on vacation, Ty

That’s why I’ How do you feel?"

"Uhh…"

"I need you to cut it short," Burns told hi the Tri-State murders?"

"No," Ty answered immediately

"Good Get in here One hour"

"What?"

"And don’t coars!" Burns chastised before hanging up

ZANE let the bike coast as he pulled up at the gate to the Bureau parking lot

He showed his badge and aved through, although he got a couple of odd looks He hadn’t bothered to dress up, just bringing the basics in the saddlebags on his bike And the leather, of course, since he was riding His favorite jacket had that gash in the arive it up He parked the bike in the garage and pulled his leg over, boot hitting the pavement with a clunk He pulled off the helrown hair He left the hel

The receptionist blinked at him as he entered the Assistant Director’s office "They’re … waiting for you," she stuttered at hi for the knob to open the door

"And I can assure you the cigars are not cheap," a voice was saying conversationally on the other side of the door "The beer is," the ars"

"I don’t need to know about those cigars," Burns responded in a tired voice

Zane stopped just inside, having caught words in a voice he knew he’d never forget Instead of focusing on Burns, who looked up at him, Zane focused on the back of the man who sat across from the Assistant Director

"Garrett Nice of you to join us Over half an hour late," Burns greeted, but he didn’t sound too perturbed

Ty stiffened in the chair and went still Slowly, he turned his head to look back at Zane, and the stunned reaction was too instantaneous to conceal

Zane sed hard, looking over Ty’s face He looked … good

Really good Finally, he found the nerve to speak "Hello, Grady" The words careeted in shock as he stood uncertainly He turned to Burns and asked, "What is this?"

Zane tore his eyes away from Ty and looked to Burns

"Despite how your last collaboration ended, we need you two in New York again," Burns answered His s so much as a shadow, for about three months after you tere removed from the case As if he … missed you," he told theo Since then there has been one ents we had on the case were seriously injured in a gas line explosion"