ATF Universe
Chapter 1
Vin Tanner lay on the floor gasping for breath, his bare lightly tanned torso heaving from exertion. He couldn't believe it had just happened again. How many times in a row did that make now? He'd lost count.Sonuvabitch!
The adrenaline rush was starting to fade but his heart was still pounding like a runaway locomotive inside his chest and his body was covered in a heavy layer of sweat. Blue eyes glazed and mouth open wide, he struggled to gulp in air like a dying fish out of water. Placing one hand over the flat plane of his abdomen, he pressed and managed to sit up without groaning before dropping his head into his hands as he rested his arms on raised knees. He stared almost sightlessly at his thin bare feet. Long strands of curling dark brown hair floated over his shoulders to frame the sides of his face as he waited for the dizziness to pass and the ringing in his ears to fade.
"Nice try there, Tanner. You almost had it." A male voice laced with hidden laughter taunted him as he sat there trying to figure out just what in the hell had happened.
Vin Tanner didn't have a mean bone in his body but if he could have found any way possible to hate Rick Darden then he knew for a fact that he would. Rick was a former classmate of Chris Larabee's who had worked his way up to being an instructor at the ATF re-certification course held annually just outside of Washington, D.C. He'd been their top hand-to-hand combat instructor for the better part of two years now and had the formidable reputation to back up his impressive credentials. Tanner had had prior run-ins with Darden at the occasional workshops on self-defense he attended to keep his skills sharp.
Tanner supposed that Rick wasn't really a bad sort. After all, he was a fellow agent. It was just that he could never seem to find a way to defeat the man on the mats and it was getting damned humiliating. Forget the fact that the guy was a good four inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than the sharpshooter's lean wiry frame. Vin held himself to higher standards and had expected to perform better than that against the agent-turned-instructor. He'd even taken to working out with Chris for the past three months in an attempt to get a handle on some of the tricky underhanded ways there were to defeat the power moves known to be Rick's forte.
It hadn't helped.
Rick had taken him down in about the usual amount of time, which was why Vin was now sitting on the floor feeling like a mule had just landed a kick to his lower ribcage and abdomen. He shook his head somewhat helplessly.
All that damned time wasted!
Rick had managed to fake him out with a leg move before twisting and grabbing hold of him by his left shoulder and a handful of long hair. The backwards blow from the instructor's elbow had forcefully driven the air from his body and Vin had immediately doubled over gasping with pain. Another quick chop on the back of the neck and he'd gone down like a stone. He'd barely had enough strength left at that point to slap the mat with his hand to indicate his defeat when Rick pinned him to the floor.
"You're quick, Tanner. But not quick enough." Rick laughed out loud this time and Vin's blue eyes glared dangerously up at him from the floor. "Maybe next time you ought to try cutting your hair."
Darden turned and walked away from the young ATF agent who was still having difficulty getting the room to stop spinning. A familiar warm hand on his shoulder and a voice at his side just barely kept him from getting up and charging after the man who's amused laughter carried clearly through the gym. Damned if he swore he wasn't going to kill that son of a bitch some day!
"You did good, cowboy. Now let someone else have a turn." Chris Larabee could feel the tense anger and disappointment radiating through the junior agent beneath the hand that rested on Vin's bare shoulder. For three long months, Vin had been anticipating this rematch with Rick and pushing Chris hard to teach him everything he knew when it came to hand-to-hand combat. Vin had practiced the moves over and over again, sometimes in front of a mirror, sometimes alone, other times with Chris standing off to one side giving him pointers.
And Rick had still gotten the best of him. Chris shook his head slowly. Tanner was wiry and strong and he had put up a valiant effort against a larger tougher opponent. There'd been no need for the other agent to humiliate the sharpshooter by laughing at him or making fun of his hair. Vin normally had a fairly even temperament but it was pretty obvious right now that Darden had managed to get the man's hackles up. And he'd done a damned good job of it too if the anger in Vin's blue eyes was anything to judge by.
Chris watched Darden saunter away and silently cursed under his breath, anger slowly simmering just beneath the surface of his green eyes as well. Rick had been an arrogant bastard even when they were in training together and it was about time someone took him down a peg or two. And Chris knew that he was just the man who could do it.
Rick had taunted Vin, humiliated him and made the younger man angry, but it was Chris who was determined to get even.
"Damn, Chris! I thought I had him this time around." Wincing with discomfort, Vin sighed heavily and ran a hand through his tousled sweat-dampened hair. "All that time we been putting in `n he still manages to sucker punch me. God! Makes me so damned mad I could jes."
"Yeah, I know, Vin." Chris interrupted softly as he placed his hand under the younger man's elbow. "He's a real piece of work. But don't make the mistake of thinking that you ain't good at it just cuz Darden got in a lucky punch." He helped Vin to his feet but kept his hold on the smaller agent's arm when he swayed unsteadily.
"Luck ain't got nothing to do with it, Chris. Man's faster than a striking snake `n as mean as a grizzly bear to boot. He could've taken my damned head off." Vin let his frustration show in the sharp tone of his voice.
"You did just fine, Vin. I'm proud of you." The blond headed man turned to look into Tanner's irritated blue eyes as he gave the younger agent his quiet words of praise. Under Chris's tutelage, Vin had worked hard to improve his skills and it showed. He was faster, stronger and better coordinated than he'd ever been. But Darden had still taken him down. There'd been no need to add insult to injury by throwing that elbow to the sharpshooter's midsection.
"Why don't we have Nathan take a look at you? Check out those ribs `n make sure you're okay?" Chris nodded his head towards where the rest of his team sat watching. They'd already had their turn with Darden on the mats and to his credit, Vin had lasted longer with the instructor than any of the others. It was something the younger man could be proud of.if he let himself.
But Vin wasn't feeling very proud at the moment. What he was feeling was weak and dizzy, and he stumbled slightly as he let Chris lead him over to where the others waited. His knees felt like rubber and if it hadn't been for the supportive hold that the other agent kept on his arm, Vin knew he would've collapsed like a house of cards with that first step. "Damn!" He mumbled again underneath his breath, thankful that his friend was close by to lend him a helping hand.
"Easy, pard!" Chris soothed gently, feeling the weight of the smaller man lean against him, Vin's warm bare chest coming into contact with Larabee's well-muscled upper arm. Darden always insisted that hand-to-hand combat meant just that and he didn't want his "students" using clothing or other items to grab hold of their opponents. As such, the male agents in his courses were allowed to wear nothing but a pair of pants when he put them through their paces. No shirt, no shoes, no socks, no jewelry.just pants. Rick's reasoning was that when you were out there fighting the "bad guys" on the streets, clothing was apt to tear. Necklaces and chains could be broken. Shoes could always be slipped out of letting the criminals get away and leaving the agents looking pretty damned stupid.
Chris had to agree with him on that one. He'd seen it happen more than once. But sometimes you had to take what you could get, and that was something that in his mind at least, clearly separated a true field agent from these paper-pushing executive types who wouldn't know what to do with a street thug if one was thrown at them. And just who the hell did they think they were anyway to decide if he or his team were qualified to do their jobs or not? This re-certification crap was pure administrative bullshit and Chris hated every minute of it.
"You all right, Vin?" Nathan asked quietly, a look of concern wrinkling his brow as he noticed the way the young agent was holding his hand protectively to his stomach.
"Yeah, Nate. I'm okay," Vin managed to say without groaning out loud as Chris helped him to sit beside the rest of the team on the floor. "Think he jes bruised me is all."
"Lemme see," the former medic replied before reaching over with deft sure hands to probe and prod the injured area of Tanner's body. Chris squatted down in front of the two men, watching silently as Jackson ran an expert hand over the lean ribs and spare muscle of Vin's torso. The sharpshooter grimaced a couple of times when Nathan found a particularly sensitive spot but overall managed to wordlessly tolerate the exam.
Seemingly satisfied, Nathan's brown eyes looked up to meet Chris's concerned green ones. "I think he's jes banged up some. Give `im a coupla days `n he'll be good as new."
"Thanks, Nate," Vin muttered softly while Chris nodded his gratitude as well.
The remaining members of Team 7 breathed a silent sigh of relief at Nathan's pronouncement. They had all faced Darden on the mats and seen the vicious blow that he had thrown to Vin's exposed abdomen. Buck had winced in sympathy and looked away. They were pulling for the younger man to beat Darden this time around because they all knew how much hard work Vin had put into preparation for this event. They'd been stunned by how easily the instructor had once again overpowered the smaller man.
It was a good thing that JD was off at that computer course learning how to profile offenders using on line Internet resources. Otherwise, they probably would have had to pick their computer expert up off the floor after he fainted from fright! JD hated the hand-to-hand techniques they were required to learn and master. He avoided training sessions as if they were the black plague. He reasoned that he was much more effective using his gun and his computer as weapons in the fight against crime. Why should he have to learn antiquated out-of-date techniques to stop the bad guys when he could do the same thing with a bullet or a click of his mouse pad?
Chris made him go anyway. And JD easily passed his proficiency exam but he grumbled and groused about it the entire time. Lucky for them he was off at that computer course this year instead. Darden would've scared the kid to death.
"So what's it gonna be, Larabee? You and me.mano y mano?" Darden's amused chuckle came from somewhere behind Chris's back. "Or you gonna keep playing with your little boyfriend there?"
Chapter 2
Vin felt rather than saw the flash of anger that raced through the senior agent's lean hard frame causing him to involuntarily stiffen before rising slowly and gracefully to his feet. Anxious blue eyes followed his slow deliberate movements as Chris turned to face Darden across the length of the mat. Larabee rolled his shoulders just slightly and Vin recognized the subconscious move as one that Chris commonly made when he was trying to get his body to relax. He caught a glimpse of Chris's face in the wide mirror along the opposite wall and watched the sardonic grin that appeared on the lower half of his chiseled features.The deadly smile didn't quite reach Larabee's cool green eyes that were diamond hard and flat as he reached for the bottom edge of the long loose fitting gray tank top that he wore. "You talk to much, Darden," was all he said as Chris slipped the soft shirt off over his head, baring his sculpted upper torso and leaving him barefoot, clad in only a pair of form-fitting shiny black spandex pants.
The younger agent couldn't help himself. He looked back at Chris's tall form standing over him and his mouth went dry, his heart pounding in his throat at the sight of all that exposed rippling taut muscle and smooth warm skin. He swallowed hard as his gaze couldn't help but caress the familiar length of spine leading down to a narrow waist, firm trim buttocks and long lean legs. He'd seen Chris without a shirt on before. Hell, he'd seen Chris without any clothes at all, but Vin was suddenly very glad that he had chosen to wear a pair of baggy sweat pants that morning when they left their hotel room. Otherwise, he'd have a hard time explaining himself in front of the others. He shifted uncomfortably and instinctively ducked his head to hide the blush of arousal that covered his face.
A hand touched his shoulder and Vin risked glancing over to find Nathan looking at him with sympathetic yet understanding brown eyes. A gentle squeeze of those fingers let the smaller agent know that the ex-medic understood his problem and shared his concern for Chris's safety as well. If anything, Tanner's blush deepened a little bit more at the expression on Nathan's face and the silent understanding and approval that he glimpsed there. He hadn't realized that his feelings for Chris were so transparent. He didn't dare look at the others to see if they knew as well. Otherwise, he'd probably spontaneously combust from embarrassment right there on the spot.
"You think you can take me, Larabee?" Darden was taunting the senior agent, trying to get beneath the cool façade that Chris wore and pique that infamous Larabee temper. "We all know you boys from Denver ain't nothing but a bunch of glorified sissies who wouldn't know where to find the outhouse if your momma didn't hold your hand."
Chris heard Buck angrily suck in a deep hissing breath behind him and out of the corner of his eye saw Ezra restrain the other man with a quick hand to his arm. Darden was playing a game with them, toying with them, taunting them in a deliberate effort to get one or more of his team to lose control. And it might just work.with other less disciplined or cohesive team units but not to Team 7 and certainly not to Chris Larabee.
"Well, at least we know what an outhouse is, Darden," Chris replied silkily. Two could play at this game and Larabee's cold smile grew even broader as he threw the insult back into his former classmate's face. "Way I hear it, you paper-pushing bureaucratic types ain't even weaned off your momma's breast milk."
Wilmington gave a snort of laughter before Josiah murmured a word of warning to him that effectively silenced whatever Buck might have felt like adding to Chris's insult. This was Larabee's game and he was playing a hand of solitaire. In a war of words, he was more than capable of holding his own against a bully like Rick Darden.
The ATF instructor's face flushed dark red as anger covered his features. Hazel eyes shot sparks of animosity towards the senior agent standing tall and silent across the room from him. What was it about these "street thugs" that thought they knew everything? Darden was damned sick and tired of them copping an attitude in his classroom and acting like they were doing him a favor just by being there. He was doing them a favor by putting up with their insolence and insubordination when it would be just as easy to fail the whole damned bunch.
Darden took a step forward onto the mat. "You got a big mouth, Larabee." His voice dripped with hostility.
"Really?" Chris questioned softly, green eyes sparkling wickedly as an apparently amused chuckle escaped from between his lips. He relaxed his stance even further and tilted his blond head quizzically in Darden's direction. "Better to have a big mouth than be a big ass, wouldn't you say, Rick?"
"You bastard!" Darden hissed at him. "You just gonna stand there and trade insults all damned day long or are you prepared to get your pathetic little butt whooped?"
Chris did laugh this time but his amusement wasn't reflected in his icy green eyes. "Oh, I'm not trading insults, Rick. I'm just telling the truth," he replied in a low rasping voice. Moving fluidly, the senior agent deliberately turned his back on Darden and reached above his head with his arms to stretch the entire length of his long lean body, inhaling and yawning loudly as if he was bored. He began making small circular movements with his head, neck and shoulders, shifting and swinging his arms and legs as he began to stretch and warm up his muscles. "As for getting my `butt whooped'.well..we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" he finished caustically, teeth flashing white against the lightly tanned skin of his face.
Vin nearly groaned out loud at the deliberate way that Chris was provoking Darden. If the man wasn't careful, he was gonna get the shit beat out of him! Oh, Chris could give as good as he got but Darden still had two inches and at least thirty pounds on the senior agent. And at the rate that the ATF instructor's temper was escalating, Chris would be damned lucky if he didn't wind up wearing his testicles around his neck!
As it was, Vin figured that he and Chris were probably going to spend the rest of the re-certification course in their room nursing their wounds and drowning themselves in shots of tequila. Which actually wasn't a bad idea but Vin wasn't one to deliberately seek out pain or punishment in the process. Chris, on the other hand, was just asking to have Darden knock him senseless. That smart mouth was going to get Larabee killed one of these days! Vin just hoped to God that Chris had better luck against his former classmate than he did. Otherwise, the sharpshooter knew he was going to end up nursing his best friend's sorry ass for the rest of their trip! He didn't mind.really.but only for the right reasons, of course.
"Yeah, we'll see all right," Darden taunted again. "So why don't you quit dancing around, pretty boy, and get to it?"
"As you wish," Chris replied ever so softly, one final cold deadly smile covering his features before his face settled back into an impassive stone mask that hid his thoughts and emotions from the world. He stepped forward onto the mat and met Darden in the center where the two men bowed formally to one another. Chris then took a couple of steps back and assumed a defensive posture with legs spread and arms raised before him, his bare right foot positioned just behind the left, knees slightly bent. His hands open and relaxed, eyes watchful and alert, he waited for Darden to make the first move.
Rick Darden wouldn't admit why but he'd never really liked Chris Larabee, not since their first day together in training. Perhaps it was the quiet confidence and power that radiated from the man that contrasted sharply with Darden's own nameless inner fears and insecurities. Or possibly the fact that just after graduation, Larabee had gotten the prized position that Darden wanted. For whatever reason, he simply didn't like the senior ATF agent and having to look into that smug smiling face every year when he came for re-certification was like rubbing salt in an open wound.
He wished to God that he could find some way to fail the man, to deny him his re-certification credentials and thereby cause him to lose his job in Denver. But somehow or other, Larabee always managed to come through. And although it had never been an outright contest between the two of them, he had easily done well enough to pass the course. Rick was determined that this year was going to be different. This year he put Larabee's team in his training group.
Because Larabee now had a weakness. Rick had seen through that quiet façade fairly quickly and was determined to take advantage of it. The senior field agent was back with a new team under his command, a team that included some pretty odd screwballs. Josiah Sanchez, the supposed psychology specialist and religious fanatic; Nathan Jackson, the former military medic with the questionable record; Buck Wilmington, a notorious loose cannon when it came to law enforcement; Ezra Standish who had a reputation for being a "dirty cop" and Vin Tanner, a man who'd scored so low on all his academic tests that he'd nearly been thrown out of training twice. His one saving grace had been his deadly accuracy and precision with a gun. The only one missing was their very own little computer geek, JD Dunne, who looked like he still needed his momma to wipe his nose for him.
Yeah, Larabee had a weakness all right.six of them in fact. And Darden planned to take full advantage of it, especially after that touching little scene he'd just witnessed with the team's sharpshooter. He grinned with delight remembering the involuntary cry of pain that had erupted from Tanner's throat when he'd shoved his elbow into the smaller man's abdomen. It had been particularly satisfying for him to club the young agent on the back of the neck and send him sprawling to the floor. But the best part of all was when he'd noticed Chris Larabee's reaction to the other man's defeat.
That was when Rick knew he had him. This year, he was going to break Chris Larabee and he was going to use Vin Tanner to do it. It was ironic that Larabee himself had given Darden the ammunition with which to take him down. This was going to be fun.
Moving cautiously, Rick began to circle around the edge of the mat keeping Chris in his defensive posture to the inside of him. "So what's it gonna be, Larabee? You gonna stand there like a statue all day or shall we get on with this?"
Chapter 3
"First move is yours," Chris offered quietly, his face remaining impassive as his eyes tracked Darden's movements. He was content to sit back and wait to see what the big agent decided to throw at him.for the time being. Chris could be extremely patient when he wanted to, assessing his opponent's strengths and weaknesses. He wasn't going to let Darden goad him into doing anything rash."Sound just like a girl at a dance, Larabee. What's the matter? Gotta wait until Mr. Right comes along?" Rick continued circling, his hands moving almost in slow motion as his fingers opened and closed reflexively in anticipation, looking for a breech in Chris's defenses.
"I thought girls like you liked to dance, Rick. If I'd known you were waiting to be asked then we could've skipped all the preliminaries." Chris turned slightly as the other man shadowed his right shoulder.
"Well hell, buddy! Bring on the main event!" Darden replied sarcastically, hoping to provoke Larabee into making a move, open up his stance ever so slightly so that he could slip in and take the man down.
But Chris refused to be baited. "Like I said, first move is yours, darlin."
The senior ATF agent only had a fraction of a second to react to Darden's sudden charge at the sarcastic term of endearment. Moving in quickly towards Chris's position, Darden assumed an aggressive stance and struck out at the smaller man with a series of rapid punches and jabs. He used a combination of moves that had Chris reacting to block them almost faster than the eye could see.
From his place on the floor next to Nathan, Vin's mouth hung slightly open with astonishment and a touch of fear. Astonishment because in the length of time that he'd known Chris and all the time they'd spent working out together, he'd never seen the older man move quite that fast. His reflexes were as quick as a cat, his movements lithe and graceful as he parried blow after blow. Fear because the instructor was nearly as fast as Chris and much heavier muscled.
Darden continued his furious attack for several tense moments, each incursion of his arms and hands being met with an equal force as Chris effectively defended every move the instructor made. Larabee made no attempt to return the blows, content for the time being merely to maintain his defensive posture. Finally, Darden stepped back to the edge of the mat, out of Chris's reach, and lightly danced around as his breath came in short quick gasps, arms falling to his side as he relaxed.
Chris wasn't even breathing hard as his sharp green gaze followed Darden's movements. His body remained tense and ready for a second attack, his lean frame crouched and ready to spring like a coiled tiger. Vin was amazed at how unruffled the senior agent appeared to be by the exchange of blows. As near as he could tell, Chris hadn't even broken a sweat yet. The man's physical conditioning was incredible, but then he knew that already from first hand experience.
"Not bad, old man," Rick taunted in a derisive tone of voice. He was only four years younger than Chris but felt perfectly justified in calling the senior agent by that particular name. "I'm surprised a tough old chunk of rawhide like you still has any moves left. I would of thought that drier air up in Denver had turned an ancient piece like you into a mummy!" Darden snorted at his own cruel gibe.
Larabee's voice was low and steady as he answered, "Oh, you'll find I'm just full of surprises, Rick. And it's not the years that count. It's the mileage." His glittering green eyes never wavered from the face of the ATF instructor who had begun to circle him once more. He swung slowly around while tracking Rick's progress.
"Mileage, huh?" Darden shot back sarcastically. "Well, hell! If that's the case then why haven't they put a used-up worn-out piece of tread like you out to pasture? Or are they using you to train a new generation of assholes before they screw you over?" He took a step closer to Chris and dropped his voice so that the senior agent was the only one who could clearly hear his next insult. "Or maybe you're the one screwing assholes? Maybe somebody like your little boyfriend over there? Tell me something, Larabee, is he any good?" Rick grinned spitefully.
Chris couldn't help it. His body stiffened instinctively as his eyes cut sharply over to where Vin sat on the floor next to Nathan, that blue-eyed gaze bright with pain and worry, the lean body tense as he absorbed the impact of what he could hear of Darden's malicious insults. For some reason, the ATF instructor had decided to try and use Vin as a way to rattle him. Chris wasn't completely sure why but he had a pretty good suspicion about it. But this fight wasn't about Vin and Chris was determined not to let Darden's vicious tongue tear the younger agent apart.
"Leave him outta this," Chris snarled in a low deadly voice. "It's got nothin' to do with him. This is between you `n me. Always has been."
Darden gave a short bark of laughter. "Hit a nerve there, Larabee? Didn't know you had such a soft spot for the little fella! How sweet!"
Then he charged at Chris again, arms and hands lashing out with a fierce intensity, seeking a weak spot to land a blow inside the agent's defensive perimeter. Chris effectively blocked the vicious assault with his arms and hands, deflecting the blows that were raining down upon him from the taller man. Becoming more aggressive, Darden began to throw in kicks and leg thrusts as well, forcing Larabee to move backwards across the mat while trying to avoid the furious onslaught.
Vin gave a worried frown as he watched Chris dance backwards, trying to keep away from Darden's powerful moves. He heard the senior agent grunt a few times and knew he'd been hit. And as hard as the instructor was lashing out at him, Tanner knew that Chris's arms and legs would be a mass of bruises come tomorrow.not to mention the rest of his body. This one was gonna hurt.
"Come on, Chris. Take him," Vin encouraged underneath his breath, his intense gaze locked on the two combatants. He flinched when one of Darden's kicks caught a glancing blow to Chris's left knee causing him to stagger backwards. Vin gasped and felt Nathan glance briefly at him but studiously ignored the former medic's inquisitive look. He heard Buck muttering about something underneath his breath but couldn't quite catch what the ladies man said as his eyes remained focused on Larabee's lean frame as he dodged yet another blow.
Darden backed off to the edge of the mat, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet and taking in deep lungfuls of air. Sweat ran freely down his face as he grinned with satisfaction. "Not as fast as you thought you were, huh, Larabee? I bet that stung just a bit, didn't it?"
Chris was breathing a little bit heavier now, his chest expanding and contracting as bone and muscle moved to draw in air. A light sheen of sweat covered his bare torso above the black spandex pants and his usually fair features were flushed with exertion. "Come on, Rick. Is this the best you can do?" The senior agent sounded bored. "You're wastin' my time with this stuff." The last was said derisively, intended to deliver a double message that didn't go unnoticed by the bigger man.
Darden knew that Chris was trying to needle him. He gave a huge grin and started forward across the mat again, stalking the field agent as he moved fluidly around the perimeter. "A waste of time, huh?" He gave a soft snort of laughter. "I tell you what, Larabee. I'll make you a deal. You give me a couple of hours with your boyfriend there and I'll save you the humiliation of having your ass pounded into the ground. We make it an even exchange. How about it?"
The senior agent appeared calm and unruffled as he slowly shook his head at the man advancing upon him, but Vin could see the rage building behind Chris's fierce green eyes, simmering just beneath the surface and waiting to explode. What the hell was Darden saying to Chris to get him so pissed off? The team's sharpshooter unconsciously started to edge closer in an attempt to hear the muted conversation.
"Aw, come on, Larabee! Fair is fair, don't you think? I get to pound Tanner's cute little ass instead of yours and save you from getting the shit kicked out of you. Come on," he urged gleefully. "Be a lot less painful for you that way. Besides, I promise I'll return him all in one piece.if he's any good!" Darden was openly laughing now. He'd just caught sight of Vin Tanner's pinched white features in the wide mirror hanging on the opposite wall.
Vin didn't know how but Darden had evidently picked up on the close relationship between him and Chris and was using it to goad the team leader mercilessly. He'd just barely been able to hear the last part of the exchange between the two men circling each other in the middle of the gym. And from the soft mumbling coming from behind him, Vin could just bet that he wasn't the only one who'd heard it either. He didn't dare turn around to look at the rest of Team 7 for fear of what he would find on their faces.
"You stay the hell away from him," Chris growled in response to Darden's latest taunt, his jaw clenching against the angry tide of rage he could feel building inside him. Just the thought of Darden touching Vin.hell, just the idea of the bigger man getting anywhere near Vin was enough to drive any thoughts at attempting to keep this grudge match on a purely professional basis right out of Larabee's head. As far as he was concerned, this wasn't a training exercise anymore. It was a fight to the death and Chris Larabee was out for blood.
Comments to: larabeeshope@yahoo.com