Hands of Clay Ch. 22

After picking up the kids and returning them to HQ, Brice became distant. In the beginning, Clay thought he was imagining the way Brice was pushing him away, but then as more time passed, it became clear. First, it was fewer sleepovers and then less talking altogether. Brice never met up with him, and the apartment became frosty. No more music or reading. Moments together were met with painful silence.

When Clay asked what was wrong, all Brice said was that Clay would one day become the best damn agent out there. And Brice always added that he was holding Clay back.

Gradually Brice closed himself off from Clay completely, and there didn't seem to be anything Clay could do about it. The only thing that stayed the same between them was sex. That was as hot as ever.

Sitting outside the mess hall, Clay waited for Brice. Graduation was in one week, and he had to figure out a way to stop this distance from growing any more than it already had. The problem was, he didn't know what he should do. He tried to explain that becoming an agent was low on his priority list, but that didn't work. Maybe telling Brice the truth about why he was here was the answer. He just needed to get the balls to do it.

"Wicks." Abdul spun around the corner of the hall. His friend walked at a clipped pace and grabbed Clay's arm.

Abdul didn't stop his forward motion and yanked Clay after him. They began a quick trot down the walkway.

"I can't talk right now," Clay began. He didn't want to explain to Abdul that he was waiting for Brice, but Abdul didn't even give him the chance to say more.

"It's now, Clay." Abdul kept up his half-jog. "We're going to Keith's office."

"Now?" Clay's heart slammed into his boots. This was terrible timing. He and Brice were on rocky ground, and he didn't even know why. He couldn't be fucking around with the Keith thing now. "We have a week before graduation. That was the deadline."

"I don't give a shit about deadlines." Abdul let go of his arm, and Clay stopped walking. "We are moving forward. The time is now."

When he didn't move, Abdul spun around and yanked on his arm again.

"Abdul I--"

"Do I have to remind you why you are here? You're not a recruit. We are not recruits, and we aren't waiting for graduation. Move your ass. We are going to Keith's office now. We're on."

Clay nodded and started after Abdul. It was true. They had no reason to stay for graduation other than Clay needed more time with Brice. His mind spun on what to do with Brice, but he shoved that problem out of his head. He needed to do the job he was here for, and then he'd figure out his love with that stubborn mule later.

When Abdul and Clay reached Keith's office door, Abdul let himself in. Clay entered behind him and glanced around.

Brice and his eyes met.

Fuck.

Clay's stomach twisted. Of all the people to be here, Brice had to be one of Keith's trusted men. He had so hoped this wouldn't happen with Brice around.

On the right side of the room, Brice stood next to Nancy with confusion written on her face. At the desk sat Keith with his daughter Karma and her husband Rea flanking him. To the left, in a chair reading, was doctor Gears.

As Abdul and Clay took the seats across from Keith's desk, he glanced around for Janis. She was missing, but he had a good guess where she was.

"Now that Abdul is here, we can begin." Keith cleared his throat.

"I would like to know why I'm here." Nancy glared at Keith.

"As would I," Brice added and gave a glance to Clay. "If this is a problem with my recruits, I will handle it."

"Let me begin." Keith cleared his throat a second time. "As most of you in this room know, I believed that The Originals were poisoning me."

"What?" Nancy was the only one who reacted to that information. Clay guessed she was the only one out of the loop. "No one is poisoning you. I thought you were sick."

"I am being poisoned," Keith continued like she didn't speak. "And to find the Original members, I created a team of trusted agents. I wanted to uncover who was responsible and strike while they thought I was weak. If you are in this room, it is because I asked that you be here to listen to what my agents have to say."

Brice's eyes swung to Clay, and he slouched in his seat. Clay couldn't bring himself to meet the head trainer's eyes.

"Agent Abdul?" Keith waved. "I am ready for answers."

"Agent Abdul?" Brice whispered. He shook his head slowly back and forth. Clay slumped in his seat a little more.

"At first, we assumed your guess was correct." Abdul produced a folder from his coat. "I named Nancy and Ponce as possible Original members. Their actions were suspect."

"Me?" Nancy sputtered. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I named them because it was Nancy and Ponce who adjusted the cameras." Abdul glared. "They were acting strangely when we first started the cycle. Right away, we ruled out Ponce, but as you know, Nancy stayed on my list."

"What?" Nancy threw up her hands. "I'm not with The Originals. I have been with Keith longer than you've been an agent. Are you listening to this, Brice?"

Brice crossed his arms over his chest. "It's fine. They're just doing their job."

This time Brice caught Clay's eyes. The look was pure disappointment. Clay couldn't stand the flash of pain, and he dropped his gaze to the floor. It was true, he did lie to Brice, but he had no choice. He promised Keith.

"That was not the reason she moved the cameras." Clay shifted forward and leaned on his elbows. "She was hiding that she was sleeping with a recruit." Clay swallowed hard. Sharing secrets wasn't going to win him any points. "So was Ponce. Ponce was a little less discreet."

"Brice?" Keith tossed a look Brice's way, and Clay stared at the floor.

"I knew."

"If the camera changes were only about them hiding the relationships, then who was poisoning me?"

"I want to know the why as well as the how," Karma added. "Why is Keith being poisoned? The only people who would want him dead is The Originals."

The door to the office opened, and Janis stepped onto the rug. Zac followed her. The gangly redhead ambled in after her and looked around, confused. Clay cringed at how bad this was about to get.

"You sit here." Janis shoved Zac into a chair against the wall and then took up a stance in front of the exit.

"This is it." Janis handed Abdul a slip of paper.

As the paper passed, Clay recognized the chemical breakdown of the poison. Janis had been working on that for a while now.

"Is Janis part of your team? Agent Abdul?" Brice notched his chin higher, and Clay could almost feel his embarrassment that he didn't know.

"Yes." Abdul set the document on Keith's desk.

"Anyone else?" Nancy's eyes flipped to Zac.

"It was just Claymore and Janis working with me."

"This is what is killing me?" Keith held up the paper, and Gears stood. He waved, and Keith handed him the document.

"This is well done, Agent Janis." Gears said more to the paper than to her. "I'm going to go to work on this right now. When you are done here, stop by my lab." Gears gave a small head nod to Keith and then headed out the door.

Abdul spoke as soon as the door clicked.

"This is simple, and it's not about The Originals." Abdul sat back in his chair. "Nancy was having a sexual relationship with Zac. She told Zac that she loved you, Keith."

"That was private," Nancy snapped.

"And Zac didn't like you for coming between him and Nancy, so Zac began to poison you."

The words were a catalyst for all hell to break loose. Even though Clay was expecting it, he still wished he knew what to say to fix this situation. Actually, all he wanted was to go back in time and tell Brice who he was before all this happened. Clay should have told Brice that he was an agent from the start. The only reason he didn't was because Brice hated H.S.P.C. agents so much.

Well, it was all too late now. He was stuck in the middle of this shit. He just prayed Brice and he would survive the lies.

Nancy turned on Zac, probably to have it out with him, but the kid moved fast. He bolted for the exit.

Clay and Brice met Zac at the door. Brice stood in front of the entrance to block his escape. He caught Zac's first punch. When the young man turned around to run in the opposite direction, he ran into Clay. Clay punched and got a solid hit to his jaw. Zac stumbled backward. Brice caught him around the arms and pinned his hands behind his back.

Karma, armed as always, appeared at Clay's side. Her pistol was at the ready.

"I know you want to protect your dad, but you can't kill him." Brice soothed the assassin.

"I will eventually." Karma slipped her pistol away.

"I do not understand." Keith stood up from his chair. "Agent Claymore Wicks, you can start."

"Yeah," Brice muttered. "Start there."