Pas de deux
By: Chris EiseleOctober 5, 2008
Gavin rolled across his massive bed and slapped the alarm clock to make it cease its incessant beeping. He stretched a moment and then sat up in bed before standing up and walking to the master bathroom. Though Gavin preferred to sleep naked, he was also past the point of caring if anyone saw him. Anyone who had managed to pierce this deeply into his sanctum deserved a little thrill, anyway.
His mouth felt like something furry had climbed in and died. Gavin blinked at himself in the mirror and winced. His muscles ached from the fight. A long scrape from where he’d hit the pavement ditching his motorcycle stretched along his side from armpit to his waist. There was a bruise on his left elbow from where he’d blocked the pipe. His hair, however, was a messy perfection. He gave himself a sleepy grin.
“Yes,” he said, “I’d totally do me, right now.”
He probed his teeth with his tongue, noting that none of them were loose. With a final shrug, he stepped into the large, glass-walled box that was the shower.
“Shower on,” said Gavin.
The shower clicked on with a rush of pre-heated water. It felt like fiery hot needles on his skin, but Gavin soon felt the heat and the pressure draw away from his mind into a drumming numbness.
***
Marco was stealing a quick smoke break out in the alleyway behind the Orchid when the dead man walked up.
With a wordless exchange of nods and hundred-dollar bills, the paper was passed on. The dead man walked calmly back the way he’d came, vanishing into the midday shadows cast by the towering downtown buildings. Marco almost suppressed the shudder as the man disappeared. Marco pretended he wasn’t fleeing back inside the Orchid, but failed miserably when the slamming back door caused him to jump and break out in a terrified sweat. He collapsed against the door to the walk-in freezer, his chest heaving with ragged breaths and pounding heart.
The wound on the dead man’s throat was freshly sutured, and he had left it undressed, visible and mean. It wasn’t the slashed neckline that struck fear into Marco—it was the dead man’s eyes.
Looking into them had made Marco feel like he did when he and his father had stumbled onto a jaguar in Argentina when they had been camping. The jungle had been suddenly silent when they’d entered a small clearing and froze rooted to the spot. The jaguar had just taken down a capybara by collapsing its powerful jaws down on the prey’s head. Marco and his father had blundered in at the precise moment the capybara’s skull cracked and popped. The poor thing kicked its legs futilely, its own nervous system refusing to believe it was dead. All the while, the jaguar had locked eyes with Marco, silently sizing him up.
Finally, without breaking its gaze, the jaguar withdrew into the shadows, pulling the still twitching meal back into the underbrush. After an endless moment, Marco remembered to breathe. He still woke up in terror, trying to forget the calm, predatory, hungry look the jaguar had given him.
It had been the same this time—the dead man’s eyes awoke the same thoughts of primal terror in Marco and whispered it to his waking mind—“Here is Death.”
After a while, Marco managed to gather his composure back together. Wordlessly he stepped back out on to the restaurant floor. His eyes flicked over to where Gavin sat at a table and were pinned by Gavin’s intense stare.
Marco nodded.
Gavin’s smile became a smirk. He ignored the bill, snapped shut the small box in front of him, hiding the gold light within, and strode confidently toward the door.
Marco broke into a cold sweat, thankful that his part in the play was over for now.
***
“Hotter,” said Gavin to the shower. The spray increased its heat as it played over his back and chest. He closed his eyes and smiled.
***
Undaunted by the ominous feel of the evening, the Kate and Adriana were on patrol and were doing their part to be a visible deterrence for crimes. At their hip, each wore a belt that had a powerful two-way radio that fed a discreet line up beneath their shirts to an earpiece and mic that was clipped to the collar. Also on the belt was a can of pepper-spray and a large maglight flashlight.
Strictly speaking, the tools were there only for self-defense, but several of the Antianeira preferred to walk the line of “self-defense” versus “aggressive prevention” closer than probably legal. In the two-weeks following the murders, not a single assault had occurred—not even the standard drunk and disorderly conduct rampant outside the District’s more popular nightclubs.
Kate summed it up with a word—
“Boring,” she said, clicking her maglight against a nearby brick wall.
“Yes,” said Adriana with a small laugh, “but boring for us is good for everyone else.”
“Still makes it boring,” replied Kate.
Adriana was about to reply when she noted that Kate had frozen in spot a few feet back. She turned toward her partner and saw that Kate’s gaze was cutting a narrowed-eye beam down the alleyway they had just past. Her whole body was tensed as if ready to spring. Adriana silently slid up beside her and looked down the alleyway.
The dark alleyway was silent, shrouded in shadow and had a palpable atmosphere of menace. Kate wordlessly flicked on her maglight and cast the alleyway into further relief as the shadows were blasted aside by the bright flashlight. As she swept her light from side to side the only things revealed were the standard alleyway accoutrements—trash bins, chain link fence, brickwork buildings and cardboard boxes.
“What did you see?” asked Adriana quietly.
“For a second I thought I saw someone,” replied Kate, “just out of the corner of my eye.”
“What did they look like?”
“A man, tall, with an evil grin. He was standing right by the wall when we passed by.”
Adriana clicked on her flashlight and added it to the sweep. After a moment, she locked the beam on a large envelope bearing the logo of their group placed in front of a trash bin about midway back into the hallway.
“There,” she said.
“Right,” said Kate, drawing her can of pepper-spray from her belt with her other hand. She pressed the mic cue at her throat and opened the channel that linked to her sister patrollers. “Six,” she said, “this is One, we are going into an alleyway near Virginia and First. Hold for reply.”
“Copy,” came the response over the two-way.
Kate nodded to Adriana.
Adriana could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise as she stepped across the threshold and into the hallway. The streetlights left their beams at the mouth, leaving the ten yards back to the envelope in complete darkness. Kate’s beam swept across her vision trying to keep the alleyway in as much light as possible, but Adriana kept her beam trained on the envelope.
As she walked down the alleyway, the sounds of the street muffled and distorted. A crunch of a foot on some glass behind her almost caused her to spin around in alarm.
“That was me,” said Kate, “I’m right behind you.”
Adriana took a deep breath and let it out slowly, bringing her focus away from the fearful possibilities and into the present moment’s truth. She felt the sense of malice retreat as she bent down and picked up the envelope. Giving the alleyway a final scan, she nodded to Kate and the pair moved back onto the street quickly.
“Six,” said Kate into the mic, “this is One, nothing to report.”
“Copy,” said the voice on the line, “stay safe out there.”
Adriana opened the envelope. Inside were a collection of documents in a thick folder and a single piece of paper. She pulled the paper out of the envelope, gave it a quick scan and then handed it to Kate. The blood drained from Kate’s face as she started to read the paper. Kate reached for her cell phone to call Masters and Fisk, but Adriana was already on the phone with them.
Kate clicked the mic open to send an all-call message to the whole vigilante brigade.
“This is One,” she said, “Situation Alpha, repeat Situation Alpha. All units return to HQ immediately and await further instructions.”
The mic crackled to life as the responses came in. Kate nodded at Adriana. Fifteen minutes later, the streets were cleared of the Antianeira.
***
“Harder,” said Gavin as he commanded the shower to increase its pressure. The jets of water pounded him from all sides now like the expert hands of a shameless masseur.
***
“These people are our targets,” read Detective Masters aloud, “try and protect them.” He put down the letter that had come from the envelope.
Masters and Fisk had arrived at the headquarters of the Antianeira only moments after Kate and Adriana. They had stepped into a large room filled with nervous, aggressive young women who were wondering what had caused Situation Alpha to develop. Before either of them could say a word, Adriana had tilted her head to indicate a room just off the main area. The partners had entered the side room silently, to be joined after a moment by Kate and Adriana.
“Where did you find this?” asked Masters as he glanced again at the letter. Fisk was sitting in a chair at a table and giving the other documents from the package an intense look-over.
“An alleyway just inside the District,” said Adriana. “What do you think we should do?”
Fisk coughed slightly as Masters opened his mouth to respond.
“I think,” said Fisk in a quiet, calm voice, “you can treat this threat as legitimate. Thus, you have several options available to you. First, you allow the police to accept custody of the document as future evidence against crime, and let them handle the threat. Second, you keep the documents and do nothing. Third, you keep the documents and work to prevent the crimes before they can happen by keeping your intentions secret.”
Kate narrowed her eyes at Fisk.
“You don’t say which you prefer,” she said to Fisk.
“No,” replied Fisk, “I don’t.”
“You know something you aren’t telling us,” said Kate.
Fisk gave Masters a small look. Masters scowled and nodded to him. Fisk shrugged eloquently before looking back at Kate, his glasses catching the light and turning his eyes into bright saucers.
“Each person on this list is allegedly a target,” he said, “and each is listed later in the documents with their address. Further review of the documents gives rise to an interesting coincidence. Each place of residence—apartment or home—is also listed via the owner of that residence. None of those residences are owned by the Lake Organization, which, as I’m certain you know, owns the most land in the city. It is an oddity.”
“Jesus,” said Masters as it dawned on him what Fisk was implying.
“What are you saying?” asked Kate.
“He’s saying,” said Masters, “that this is evidence of a plot to target and attack people who live in apartments and homes not owned by the Lake Organization. The question is who is behind it, and why? Further, if there are members of the police really are involved with covering up the attacks, giving them the documents might guarantee that they are lost forever. Also…”
“Exactly,” said Fisk.
Masters looked at his partner and shook his head in amazement. Then he nodded as if to himself. Detective Masters looked at Adriana and gave her a small, sad smile.
“Ultimately,” he said, “the choice has to be yours. If you involve us, it’s as good as involving all of the police force, and you know the risks of that. However, if your group attempts to foil these attacks on your own, you run the risk of putting your girls in an exceedingly dangerous situation.”
Adriana had listened silently to the revelations as they had come. Now, her eyes flashed a light of their own as she stepped forward. She leveled her gaze at the detectives and then slowly panned her head to look at Kate. When she spoke, it was with a strong, confident tone.
“Thank you, Detectives,” Adriana said, “I appreciate your…consultation. It seems that at this time we will be unable to turn over these documents to the police. I apologize, but don’t worry; we’ll keep them safe with us until such a time as we are able to turn them over to you. Detective Masters, I suggest you and your partner leave; as I am certain that there are many pressing issues that require your attention.”
Detective Masters stood mute, as if he’d been slapped, but Fisk rose from the chair and dusted off his immaculately clean clothing.
“Of course,” said Fisk, “we wouldn’t want to interrupt your meeting. We will be in touch. Thank you for your time.”
Fisk put a hand on Detective Masters’ arm and turned him toward the door, which Kate was already holding open for them. As they got to the threshold, Adriana spoke from behind them.
“Detective Masters,” she said, “one last thing. We aren’t ‘girls’ who need a crusader on a white horse to come riding in and save us. We are warriors—of the lineage of Hippolyta and Thalestris. Our job isn’t to just patrol the streets, but to fight against anyone who threatens our people. I suggest you consider that when you talk to us of ‘exceedingly dangerous’ situations.”
“Just so,” said Fisk as he escorted Masters quickly across the large, silent room filled with the hard, accusing stares of women warriors and out into the night.
***
Gavin let the spray from the shower hit his head and ruin his otherwise perfect hair. In seconds, his hair was soaked and stuck to his head at odd angles like he’d just been swimming and gotten out of the pool. Gavin arched his back and stretched his full length like a diver prepping to leap into the air. With a sigh, he relaxed his sore muscles and spoke to the shower.
“Hotter,” he said and was rewarded with an increase in temperature.
***
Jake eyed himself in the mirror and frowned. He couldn’t decide which tie to wear and he was alternating placing the options in front of his neck to audition them. His shirt was crisp-white and tailored, but he’d yet to put on his black slacks and so stood in the bathroom of his apartment in shirt, ties, and briefs.
“Tyler,” Jake called, “what do you think? The red tie or the pink one?”
“Does it matter?” replied Tyler’s voice, coming from the bedroom, “You aren’t trying to impress him.”
“It’s not him I’m trying to impress,” said Jake quietly to the mirror, “it’s me.”
Suddenly Tyler’s hands were tying the red tie around Jake’s neck. With an expertly deft motion, the tie was precisely the right length, the knot the exact width, and the collar of the shirt smoothed to perfection. Tyler spun Jake around. Tyler was fully dressed and ready, wearing a black suit coat over a crisp white shirt and golden tie of his own.
“You’re always impressive,” Tyler said, “and I’m so damn lucky.” He leaned in, bending Jake backwards slightly across the bathroom counter, and kissed Jake. As Tyler’s stubble brushed Jake’s chin, Jake couldn’t help giggling. Tyler pulled back in mock alarm and dropped his arms to Jake’s waist.
“Oh?” Tyler said.
“Sorry,” replied Jake, “it was ticklish.”
Tyler arched an eyebrow and then flashed a wicked grin.
“You mean ticklish like this?” he said and then grabbed Jake’s waist and attacked it with tickling fingers. Jake was reduced to a fit of giggling in seconds. Tyler eventually stopped and let his partner get his breath.
“You bastard!” said Jake.
“Oh really?” said Tyler flexing his hands menacingly at Jake’s midsection.
“Enough! I give up!”
“Good,” said Tyler as he leaned in again to kiss Jake. He ran his hands under the Jake’s shirt before they broke their embrace. “Nice,” he said, “all that physical rehabilitation is paying off.”
Jake’s eyes darkened for a moment, but Tyler didn’t notice. When Tyler looked back at Jake, Jake’s smile was bright and happy.
“So,” said Jake, “you like the red one.”
“Yes,” said Tyler with another small kiss on Jake’s lips, “I love it.”
Jake glanced at his watch.
“Shit,” said Jake, “I had better hurry or we’ll be late.”
Tyler had placed his hands on Jake’s waist and was pinning him against the bathroom counter. With another deft series of maneuvers, Tyler spun Jake back toward the mirror and untied the tie before sliding a hand down the buttons on his shirt, releasing them all.
“It’s Gavin,” whispered Tyler into Jake’s ear, “I say we let him wait, don’t you?”
“Yes,” said Jake as he turned his head to give his lover a kiss.
***
The shower was running hot and fast now as Gavin stood underneath it. It poured down across his aching muscles and cleaned the last few flakes of dried blood from the scrape on his side. He rubbed a hand on his chin and felt the small bits of stubble there as well as a slight pain from where the fist had hit.
***
Gavin was already on his second glass of wine when Jake and Tyler arrived at the Orchid. He stood and waited for them to sit before sitting down. Ever the gracious host, he caught Marco’s eye and soon another bottle of wine was placed on the table after having had two more glasses poured from it. The table’s centerpiece was a bouquet of Laurestine, Yellow Roses and Rue.
“Glad you could fit me in,” said Gavin with a smile, “I was afraid I was about to be stood up again.”
Jake smiled at the joke, but Tyler scowled.
“Why did you want to talk to us?” said Tyler.
“Right to business,” said Gavin to Jake, “I can see why you like him, Jacob.”
“He has other desirable attributes, Gavin,” replied Jake.
Gavin favored Tyler with a smirk before speaking. “I’m sure he does,” he said.
Tyler fumed but when Jake put his hand on his leg under the table he reigned in his fury.
“It’s a valid question, Gavin,” said Jake. “Why did you want to talk to us?”
“To congratulate you both. Even through recent unpleasant circumstances, you both remain healthy and in love. I believe that this is an anniversary of a sort, no? I thought I’d give you both a nice dinner and a gift to celebrate.”
Tyler looked confused at that, but Jake wasn’t fooled for a moment. He gave Gavin a look that spoke volumes of warning. Gavin pretended not to notice by being too busy trying to watch Tyler put the clues together. After a moment, Tyler’s mind clicked the dates together and his face began to flush.
“There we go,” said Gavin, “now we all remember what day it is. Five years ago, Jacob hit me in the face to signify his emancipation from me and all my aims. Well, I wish to apologize for all the trouble I have caused you.” Gavin snapped his fingers and Marco came over bearing a small box on a silver tray. “It’s obviously no lie that my family has connections in the underworld, as I’m certain Jacob can assure you, Tyler. So when I heard that you two were assaulted, word came quickly to my ears.”
Marco deposited the tray on the table like he was delivering a bomb and quickly fled the scene. Gavin shook his head and gave his retreating back a smile.
“You have been keeping tabs on us all this time?” said Tyler.
“Not you,” said Gavin, “but Jacob. Or I was merely keeping watch over him at first. Of course, when the attack happened, and I heard you two were in the hospital, I arrived as soon as I could. Jacob was unconscious, but you, Tyler, were alert and wary—as well you should have been—and we shared a few moments of conversation before I went on my way.”
“You...and Tyler?” said Jake with a confused frown.
“Yes,” said Gavin, “we talked about you mainly. What was impressed upon me was that Tyler was more than willing to fight and die for you, such was the power of his love for you.”
“Damn right,” said Tyler.
“Of course,” said Gavin. “So what could I do but bow to the forces of the inevitable and realize that you will never again be mine?”
“Never,” said Tyler. Jake gave his lover a glance but then nodded calmly to Gavin.
“Get on with it,” said Jake with a slight edge to his voice.
“Turning my interests from the what,” said Gavin, “I looked into the why—and eventually the how. What had happened was that you had been attacked, why though? And importantly, how? What I found astonished me. Jacob is being targeted because of his prior association with me. My recent ascension to power at—or rather my desire to assume control of the Lake Organization has caused some of the elements aligned against me to move forward with plans they think will stop or stall me. They have used elements from the criminal underground to carry out these plans. I’m currently doing everything I can to protect you both—because if these elements think that by harming you it will cause harm to me.”
Tyler and Jake’s heads were spinning, but Gavin didn’t relent and continued speaking as if he was discussing carpet.
“So, Jacob,” he said, “and Tyler, my own agents in the underground have managed to unearth the person responsible for the attack upon you. While I cannot tell you his fate—honestly, I don’t know—I am happy to report that I have recovered some items that you had lost.”
Gavin pointed a finger to indicate the box lying on the silver tray. Tyler narrowed his eyes at Gavin and then grabbed the box off the tray. He flicked off the cover and a glint of gold reflected from the Orchid’s soft overhead lighting and put two golden bars on his chin. Tyler put down the box with an inscrutable look. Jake was shocked as he lifted a ring from the box and slipped it on his finger. It fit perfectly. Tyler picked up his ring and placed it on his finger.
“Now what?” Tyler asked Gavin.
“Nothing,” replied Gavin calmly, “unless you’d allow me the honor of buying you both dinner in efforts to pay for a lifetime of sins committed against you both and in celebration of your renewed love.”
Tyler was about to reject the offer, but Jake’s hand on his leg stopped him.
“Gavin,” said Jake, “thank you. I can’t tell you how much this means to both of us. We would be delighted to share a dinner with you.” He looked at the centerpiece on the table. “A token of regret and friendship,” he said.
“You remembered?” said Gavin.
“I could never forget,” replied Jake. “Tyler and I appreciate your gesture. However, I don’t forgive you for the trouble you caused both of us. After dinner, I’m certain we would both appreciate it if you left us alone from now on.”
“Of course,” said Gavin far too nonchalantly, “I understand.”
***
The plan had been simple.
First, find out what targets his mother had set up to be attacked via his connections in the underworld, then work to foil her plan. Ten names from nine different buildings filled a list that he sent via a runner to his co-conspirator. Then, a package containing eight names and information for each to tie up the hands of the vigilantes and flush out the dirty cops who would work to foil their plans was delivered in a perfectly suspicious way. With the increase in protection on those eight names, the only way to assault them would be a miracle of ingenuity and planning far beyond the abilities of his targets. Finally, he drew the pair of names left out to a location he knew would be one both he and his co-conspirator could shadow them from.
As the pair left and he clicked down the visor on his motorcycle helmet to hide his face, he saw a trailing car pick up and start to follow them. After a few minutes, it was obvious that the pair was being followed without their knowledge, and that the ones doing the following were certainly not police.
As the pair parked, then stepped out of their car and walked up the street to their apartment, he saw the shadowing car pull up quick and two men boil out like hornets from a nest. They were dashing up the street at the pair when he sent his motorcycle up onto the sidewalk and then into a wicked slide that caught them both in the back with just enough force to knock them down. The pair, alerted to the potential threat by the screeching commotion dashed inside their apartment leaving just him and the targets on a suddenly empty street.
The targets looked to be winded, but not remotely out of the fight as the both stood on shaky legs and came at him with wicked-looking pipes. He blocked one with his elbow but took the other one on the helmet, causing it to split on the side. He yanked it off while bringing his leg around in an arc to connect solidly with the midsection of one of the targets. Finishing his spin, he brought the helmet down like a hammer on the head of the other target, dropping him to the ground unconscious.
The target still standing began striking at his now exposed head with everything he had. Only his quick reflexes kept the target from getting a bead on him and bursting his cranium like a ripe melon. As the target reared up to renew the assault, a flash of silver split the shadows of the night and traced a line around the target’s neck. The target gurgled once and then dropped to his knees, red blood looking black as it fell to the sidewalk in a metal-scented rush. He made sure to jump quickly backwards to avoid the spray. He looked into the cold eyes of his co-conspirator with a set of icy blues of his own.
He looked at the second target that he had dropped with the helmet. At the target’s head a slick pool was forming. He nodded to his co-conspirator. His co-conspirator walked calmly over and slashed the second target’s throat with a wicked grin. In the light illumination of the streetlight, the jagged gash of a similar wound could be seen on the neck of his co-conspirator. Satisfied that the job was done, he dashed into the targets’ car and revved the engine. His accomplice to murder leapt in the car, the tires screeching as it leapt into the night.
***
The shower was well over and Gavin was standing in his kitchen wearing a towel and sipping coffee while watching the morning news. He looked refreshed and happy until his cell phone rang. He reached a lazy hand and picked it up and answered after scanning the caller ID.
“I thought you wanted me to leave you alone,” Gavin said.
The voice on the other end spoke for a moment. As it spoke, Gavin’s sense of happy calm began to melt and his face flowed into a mask of calm dismissal. After the voice ran out of things to say Gavin spoke.
“It had nothing to do with you,” he said, “at least, not in the way you think. Stay out of it, Jacob, and you’ll stay safe. If you want to know what is really going on, come to my apartment, alone. I’ll be here for another hour and then I’m leaving.”
Gavin clicked the phone shut and smiled as he poured himself some more coffee. He turned up the news report—a shocking revelation of a dual murder that took place in the District the previous evening. Police were seemed willing to dismiss it as gang warfare and made the usual overtures to protecting the people.
Fifteen minutes later, his phone rang again. Gavin recognized the number of the front desk attendant and answered. “Send him up,” he said. He poured some coffee into another mug.
Five minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Gavin answered the door wearing a towel and a smile to find a frowning and angry Jake. He offered Jake the mug of coffee with a grin.
“Come into my parlor,” said Gavin to Jake.
---
© 2008 by Chris Eisele, all rights reserved, used with permission by yourgayreno.com
