Chapter Text
Singh attempted to check the occupant in the back seat of the SUV discreetly, only to be caught red-handed by an exasperated Tharn and an understanding Yai. Although Tharn had miraculously returned to them a little over six months ago, some days Singh was scared that this was just wishful thinking. While Tharn may be tired of every side-eyed glance to make sure he was really here, he was also understanding of what everyone went through after his kidnapping. He was taking it all in stride, or at least as much as Tharn takes any scrutiny in stride. The group dynamic shifted significantly with Tharn and Phaya back in the field. Akk was cautious, seemingly due to guilt, to which Singh could not figure out a reason. Khem and Thongthai pulled in closer as they circled the wagons around Tharn. Phaya and Tharn were officially boyfriends, but dancing around something more serious than just dating, all the while doing their level best to heed Akk’s warnings to “keep it professional.”
Tharn’s return brought with it a revelation to the entire group - he had the extraordinary gift of experiencing visions and premonitions. Suddenly, all the times Tharn had called Singh with some burst of inspiration on their case that came out of left field made much more sense. Akk had laid down the laws of how and when to use Tharn’s powers with an emphasis on having evidence to back up any “supernatural investigation techniques.”
Singh had investigated Tharn’s disappearance far more than he let on. Digging deep into Chalothorn’s history, or lack of one by modern standards. The man didn’t exist at all until Med School. Then Singh had found a hidden camera in Montree’s warehouse. Watching the footage from the raid, a giant mythical Naga appeared out of nowhere, saved Tharn, became a moving cloud, coalesced into a half naked Chalothorn, who fled out a side door during the battle. To say Singh buried that evidence on his personal tablet under at least three layers of security was an understatement. Phaya literally diving into a river day after day, searching for Tharn, made much more sense with that context.
Tharn was back now, and that was all that mattered in the long run. Singh would just keep his research in his back pocket for a rainy day (and a constant tech surveillance around Tharn’s locations for any sign of Chalothorn). Singh was secretly overprotective of those he viewed as friends and family.
When it came to handling Tharn’s visions, everyone figured Yai would have Tharn handled since he had dealt with Tharn’s abilities the longest. Turns out Yai is nothing but an enabler in the moment, then scolds Tharn later. It also turns out that uninhibited by hiding his visions, Tharn is more fierce and unpredictable than any of them imagined.
Currently, Akk had sent Singh into the field, a rarity to be sure, but Singh was so ecstatic to be out from his dark dungeon that he was nearly skipping to the car. The team was working on a case with a corporate component, so there were documents to sift through, none of which the company was allowing off campus. So Singh had to go to the documents in this case. Tharn had picked the short straw, hence he had to spend the day watching Singh work. Yai, of course, had volunteered to go with. Singh was actually glad it was Yai and Tharn because of all the teammates, they complained the least when they had to accompany Singh.
“Thank you guys for backing me up.” Singh said as he exited Yai’s SUV parked outside the corporate high rise.
“No problem,” Tharn said as stretched his legs and back. “I am still a little sore from running after that group yesterday, so a quiet day in an office is appreciated.”
“Okay, let’s go secure where they set you up.” Yai locked his vehicle and headed for the entrance.
Soon Singh was situated in a conference room with credentials to be in the company’s system. At least up to a point. Not that Singh couldn’t get anywhere he wanted now that they had rolled out the welcome mat, but no need to put the company on alert. While Singh loved hacking and digital investigations, sifting through financial statements to search for anomalies was not his idea of a good time. It was tedious, mind numbing work, but at least the company had sprung for plush seats.
Two hours in and he was bored.
“Well, this is less exciting than I thought it would be,” Yai commented. “I mean, not even a suspicious side eye from anyone walking past.”
“Yeah, but this isn’t the floor where the crime occurred. Plus, the employee movements are highly restricted.” Tharn added while spinning in his chair like a child. He was far more expressive and much less reserved than before his disappearance.
“So the victim died about three floors above us, right?” Yai spun Singh’s extra tablet around and opened the drawing app. He labeled the executive floor, then drew in the rest of the 10 floors that this specific company rented.
“Singh, do you have access to the restrictions on each floor?” Tharn asked, finally stopping his twirling to pull up to the table beside Yai.
Not technically, “one moment,” Singh tapped some keys, worked his magic and presto, hello security. The company desperately needed a security upgrade. That was way too easy. “Here let me.” Singh labeled each of the floor by restriction code and linked in the actual floor plans he had secured before they had left IDF, then turned the tablet, sliding it back to Tharn and Yai.
“Thanks.” Tharn accepted the tablet and stared intently at it. After a couple of minutes, his brows scrunched together. Setting the tablet down, Tharn pulled his knife and headed to the back of the room. “Yai, pull the privacy curtains, please.”
Yai did as instructed, then just stood back, watching Tharn, who was prying at a piece of square wood paneling. Singh was contemplating how much destruction of property would cost them when a snapping sound echoed through the room. The square panel fell away to reveal an opening in the wall that was significantly bigger than it should be. Tharn stuck his head into the hole, looked up and then down, then turned back to Singh. “It’s some sort of shaft or metal tubing, but square. Would this bypass security? Could this be how the killer got onto the executive floor and away cleanly?”
“One minute.” Singh dug a little deeper into their system, looking for details of this mysterious metal shaft that was smaller than an elevator but bigger than air conditioning pathways. He was coming up with zilch. It appeared that security either didn’t know it was there or didn’t think anyone else did since no sensors were registered in the location. Checking the security evaluations, he saw no mention of a small metal shaft in the middle of the building. “I am not seeing anything.” Singh said, lifting his head to find Yai.
And only Yai.
They were one IDF teammate down. “Where’s Tharn?” Singh asked the obvious.
Yai pointed toward the open hole in the wall.
Singh tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“Tharn said he was small enough, so he wanted to climb it to see where it led?” When had all this happened, Singh had been on the computer for maybe a couple of minutes?
“And you didn’t think to stop him? If he slips, he will fall six stories at least.” Singh was out of his seat and shoving his head and shoulders into the opening. Damn, it was tight. How did Tharn fit his whole body all the way into the space? The small man was nowhere to be seen, though. “Where is he?”
“He said he would let me know if he could get out on another floor.” Yai shrugged like he didn’t just let Tharn climb through a highly secure building in a vertical space with no safety equipment. “He’s the only one that would fit anyway, having lost some of the extra muscle during his-” Yai’s voice trailed off a moment before he cleared his throat, changing the trajectory of his thoughts. “Tharn is like a monkey. He never falls.” Yai seemed to think hard for a moment. “Well, almost never.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be extra cautious with him since he your his brother? He was missing for a year. We only just got him back.”
“Just because he is pocket sized doesn’t mean he can’t take me down. I found it easier to just let him do his thing then help in the aftermath.” Yai waved his hand at the open hole like that explains why Tharn is somewhere in the building with a possible killer without back up.
Singh threw himself into his chair and started clicking away to see if he could hack into the security footage just in case Tharn showed up somewhere he shouldn’t be when the sound of something, or more like someone, pinging through a metal tube reverberated in the walls. Yai and Singh’s head snapped to the opening in time for a blur of colors to drop past. A loud grunt echoed, then a hand caught the edge of the opening with a pained yelp. Dust and plaster blasted into the pristine conference room.
“A little help here?” Tharn’s strained voice called.
“Shit.” Yai said, but Singh was faster. Diving to the ground, he latched onto Tharn’s wrist. Singh braced his feet on either side of the hole and pulled, Tharn slowly slid into the room. Grasping Tharn’s other hand when his shoulder cleared, Singh yanked harder. Yai must have helped at some point because all three landed in a heap of tangled limbs, wheezing.
“Sorry about that, wasn’t expecting a vision while I was trying to climb back down.” Tharn coughed, a fine layer of dust floated into the air every time he moved. “Good news. I know how the killer got up to the executive floor unnoticed. The dust is gone from the ledge and there are tool marks all over the inside of the wood paneling. It leads to a small closet on the executive floor that was unlocked. Conveniently, the killer dropped the weapon at the bottom of the shaft because she didn’t think anyone else could find it.”
“Oh, it was the financial manager then.” Yai clapped his hands together once. “I was so right. Ha, Phaya.”
“What’s the bad news?” Singh was afraid to ask. They were almost disentangled, Yai letting a huffing and puffing Tharn lean on him.
“I think I need to go to the station infirmary.” Tharn lifted an arm, which had rivulets of blood running down to his wrist, a large gash in his biceps.
“Your head is bleeding, too.” Yai poked it and received an exasperated “ow” from Tharn in return. “You need a concussion check.”
Singh groaned. “Captain Akk and Phaya are going to kill me.”
Tharn snorted. “Do we have to tell Phaya about this? Can’t we just say I tripped walking in the parking lot?”
“After that man spent a year slowly dying looking for you? I report everything, rascal brother.” Yai laughed and tussled Tharn’s hair, which was a mistake as all three sneezed from the dust thrown into the air.
Singh texted Captain Akk to tell him what Tharn found (and how) and was unsurprised when he, not Tharn, received a response in all caps.
When Tharn’s phone sounded Phaya’s special ringtone, the small man flopped onto his back with a loud whine.
Yai laughed gleefully as he answered Tharn’s phone on speaker.