Fearless Leader (Juxtapose City)

by Tricia Owens

  Calyx pulled up Black's medical report. Even this was sketchy. First name was left blank, last name listed as Black, male, age twenty-three. Height: five feet, ten inches. Weight: one hundred seventy pounds. For some reason hair and eye color had been left blank. The attending physician at Black's most recent physical had declared the lieutenant as fit as a fiddle with no ailments to speak of beyond an occasional headache which the doctor had chalked up to tension.

  Frowning, Calyx dug further but there was nothing more to be found. The rest of Black’s files either didn't exist or were listed as 'Sealed by order #CD445-62'. The 'CD' part Calyx guessed referred to Carl Dickerson, the Captain. Calyx fell back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. It was almost as if Black had been invented. Either that or Black was undercover within the department, which sounded strange but Calyx wasn't about to dismiss any possibility considering his own deal with the captain. Calyx straightened and looked at the screen again.

  "Darkness, my man of mystery," he breathed. "Are you deliberately trying to catch my interest or is this something you just can't help?" He stared at the photo of Black that presumably had been taken upon graduation from the Academy. It looked like it had been taken yesterday.

  ~~~~~

  Jake's eyes rolled up as his head fell back against the back of the sofa. This was the -- what? -- fourth time they had viewed this vid? Twice from one angle and twice from another. How much more did Black need to see? The fucking sweat coming out of their pores?

  "Video: stop," Black announced, rubbing a hand down his face. He had long since vacated his spot beside Jake on the sofa and was now kneeling on the carpet in front of the screen to better see the details.

  "Got it memorized now?" Jake asked tiredly. "Jeez, Black, I knew you were anal but this takes the cake."

  Black returned to the sofa and dropped down onto the cushion beside the larger man. "I want to be sure."

  Jake studied his former lover, hearing what didn't need to be said. He patted Black on the shoulder. "Hey, Sola bugs the hell out of me but he's damned good, Black. Don't worry about him. He'll take up the slack just like you want him to."

  "Jake's right," Bee added, catching Black's eye. "Things are looking good. Real good."

  "I suppose you're right. I'm obsessing," Black said. Jake could hear the effort at nonchalance that the other man put into the words.

  "Hey, obsessing is your job," Jake teased, trying to lighten his leader's mood. "We're supposed to be the no-good slackers and you're supposed to whip us into shape. It's the natural order of things."

  That garnered a faint smile of amusement from Black. "Is that so?"

  Jake grinned, his heart twitching as he met Black's eyes. Damn, how he missed Black. "That's how it goes," he said lightly. He hoped to god he didn't look as puppy-eyed as he felt.

  "I ordered pizza," Haney announced cheerfully, giving Jake a moment to take a deep breath. "It should be here any minute. I figured no one wanted to cook tonight."

  Black attempted a smile for the other man. "That's fine. Sounds good."

  Haney beamed. It made Jake chuckle to himself and brought a smile to Bee's face as well. Haney made no secret of the fact that he looked up to Black. It apparently didn't matter to Haney that Black was younger and probably less experienced in the field. Any word of praise from their leader was like the word of god to Haney. Jake studied Black while the man wasn't looking. Black was good at that: presenting himself in a way that made others respect him even without knowing why they did it. Jake could probably take some pointers from him. For some damned reason everyone seemed to take him for granted, he thought sourly.

  Black sighed. "I almost forgot: Captain Dickerson wants us to take a break for the rest of the week. That means we're not allowed anywhere near department facilities. Any of them."

  "And if something bad happens in the meantime?" Haney prompted worriedly.

  "I assume he'll call on JC1," Black replied.

  "It's because of Starr, isn't it?" Jake demanded, sitting up straighter. "It's because we still have to teach him everything, that's why we're being taken off of active duty."

  Bee waved his hand behind Black's head, trying to signal for calm. Jake pretended not to see him as he faced Black. "Come on, isn't that what this is about? We're handicapped because of Starr. Because he's a walk-on from the street and he'll probably get us all killed. Why can't we get rid of him, Black? You know he's nothing but trouble."

  "Is that truly your concern or is something else bothering you about Starr?"

  Jake's mouth worked, but no sound came out. He met Black's eyes and felt his cheeks heat as the other man's meaning sunk in.

  "It's not that," he protested weakly.

  A brunette eyebrow lifted skeptically. "Isn't it?"

  Fuck, he hated when Black saw through him. Or at least when Black thought he did.

  "Come on, Black. We all know Starr's not ready to go into the field. I'm only saying what we all think."

  "That's my decision to make, not Dickerson's, not yours," Black told him icily. "Which also means that if the captain says we stay out of the game it's for reasons other than Starr. Do you understand?"

  He nodded glumly.

  "Don't make this personal, Jake."

  "I'm not."

  "Don't."

  Jake fell back into the cushions. He hated sounding like a jealous lover but he realized that's exactly what he'd just sounded like. Damn it. He raised his eyes to the other men. Bee was shaking his head with an I-told-you-so look on his face; Haney was looking at him with sympathy, which might have been worse. Jake's only consolation -- and it was a small one -- was that the empath hadn't been here to hear him.

  The doorbell rang.

  Haney leaped over the back of the sofa. "I got it!"

  Bee pulled out his PRU. "I'll call the others."

  With the others distracted, Jake leaned forward, pleased that Black didn't pull away. Chocolate brown eyes watched him expectantly. "We need to talk," Jake said in a low voice so Bee wouldn't hear. "Please, Black."

  Black's eyes shifted away. "If we do," he began slowly, "will it put a stop to this?"

  "Probably. I just need to clear the air with you. You've got a bad impression of me right now. I want to change that." He could see Black vacillating between wanting closure for them and wanting to avoid another fight. Jake counted on the fact that Black rarely backed down from confrontation. He was right.

  "Alright. Later tonight," Black told him. "I'll meet you on the catwalk when the others are asleep."

  Jake grinned. Half of this battle was won. "Thanks, Black. You won't regret it."

  Black didn't say anything as Sola and Starr entered the room. Upon seeing the empath Jake forced a pleasant smile onto his face. He took his time leaning out of Black’s personal space, letting Starr know that he wasn't giving up easily. Of course, if Black would have seen this he would have smacked Jake on the side of the head. But he didn't, and Starr's smirk told Jake that the empath had gotten the message loud and clear.

  "You're not a vegetarian are you?" Jake asked with pretend concern, secretly hoping Haney had ordered extra pepperoni and sausage.

  Starr smiled blandly. "There's no such thing as a vegetarian when you grow up on the streets, Cole. You eat what you can get. I'm very adaptable."

  As if Jake gave a shit about Starr's childhood. Boo-hoo, pass me another Bliss tablet. Jake blinked, realizing what he sounded like. Better watch it, guy. You're turning into a bitter old bitch.

  "Jesus, Haney! Did you have to order onions? I hate onions! Damn it!"

  Everyone leaned away in surprise at Sola's outburst. Wide-eyed, Haney looked from Sola to Black to Bee.

  "And I'm sure they hate you just as much," Starr drawled into the ensuing silence. Haney tittered nervously.

  That guy is a nutcase, Jake thought to himself as Sola accepted a piece of pizza and immediately began flinging off the onions. Jake was beginning to think this whole team was a disaster waiting to happen
regardless of what he'd said to Black earlier. Sadness swept through him as he munched on his own slice of pizza. What he wouldn't give to have Max and Lucas back. Back then they'd been a team. A real team.

  His eyes slid to Black who was eating quietly, legs drawn up beneath him on the sofa. Black was staring straight ahead, lost in thought. Probably thinking about Max and Lucas too. Jake scooted closer to him.

  "Hey, Black," he said quietly.

  But Black wasn't lost in thought, he was studying something. Jake followed the line of his vision to the opened pizza box. Some kid had scrawled a picture on the inside of the upper lid. It looked like a bad rendition of a dog standing next to a circled letter 'c'.

  "Can you believe that?" Jake said, laughing. "Even kids these days know to copyright their work."

  "The owner's kid must be in the shop tonight," Haney said, smiling around a mouthful of cheese. "That's cute."

  Jake's attention was drawn by a hand on his arm.

  "I need to take a rain check for that meeting," Black said in a low voice. It was obvious he didn't want the others to hear him but Jake couldn't imagine why. "Something's come up. I won't have the time."

  Jake's shoulders slumped. "You promise? You're not just blowing me off? 'Cause we really need to talk."

  "I promise. Another time. Maybe tomorrow."

  Jake sighed. "Fine."

  Disappointed, Jake shoved more pizza into his mouth. Black continued to stare at the pizza box.

  ~~~~~

  It was easy to abandon the rest of the team to the baseball game. Only Bee looked up to acknowledge Calyx when he announced he was returning to his bedroom. The others couldn't have cared less what he did. It was exactly what Calyx was hoping for.

  It had grown dark enough outside that the streetlamps actually served as illumination rather than as billboards for missing pet and concert notices. Calyx shut the front door behind him and quietly jogged down the sidewalk in the direction of the tram station. He had a black knit cap tugged down over his hair to hide its pale color. The rest of his clothing was dark enough to keep him inconspicuous but didn't make him look as though he were purposely trying to avoid notice. Black cargo pants and a dark green long-sleeved shirt helped him to blend in with the shadows as he ran.

  Ten minutes of walking-jogging through winding, darkened streets brought him to a neighborhood he was familiar with. Here the only lighting came from those few lamps whose bulbs hadn't been knocked out by rocks. Trash blew freely across the asphalt. Those windows that weren't boarded up were barricaded with iron. It was a dangerous, malicious part of town but it felt like home. His senses were more attuned here, filtering out the emotions quickly, searching for the anger or anticipation that signaled he was about to get jumped. A single thread of worry tickled his senses and swiftly vanished. Calyx stopped in his tracks and turned around.

  "I know you're there," he called out.

  The shadows separated, taking the shape of a man.

  Calyx smiled. "Hello, Darkness."

  Black's face was dark. "What are you doing here? I thought I gave you an order not to leave the house on your own."

  "How did you know I was going to sneak out?"

  Black stepped further into view. The buckles on his leather jacket were the only things he wore that caught the light. "Someone sent you a message on the pizza box."

  Calyx held his breath. "You knew what it said?"

  "I know that a 'c' inside a circle is street talk for 'meet me'. I don't know what the dog means. I assume that indicates the place?"

  "How do you know that?" Calyx asked, impressed. "Don't tell me it’s something any street cop would know. The others saw it, too, and had no clue."

  "It doesn't matter how I know," Black replied in irritation. "You're not supposed to be out here. You're a dead man if you're caught by any of your old buddies. Christ, someone must already know where you live to send you that message. This could be a trap."

  Calyx pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tapped one out. He stepped out of the street and under the questionable shelter of a tattered awning. The canvas blocked some of the moonlight, casting him into shadow as he leaned against the brick wall and lit the cigarette.

  "Get out of the street," he said.

  After a second's hesitation, Black joined him by the wall, impatience clear in the lines of his face. Calyx took a puff of his cigarette, letting the smoke slide from his lips before he spoke.

  "Someone does know that I live with you boys but I wouldn't worry just yet. That's where the little pooch comes in. That dog is a symbol of my old gang mate, Razzy. Razzy won't try to hurt me. We've been friends too long for him to turn on me now. I trust him with my life."

  "That's exactly what you're doing if you try to meet with him," Black retorted. "Your living arrangement is already compromised; don't be stupid and walk into a trap."

  Calyx narrowed his eyes as he brought the cigarette to his lips again. "Would you care?"

  "Of course."

  The answer was too quick for Calyx's tastes. It was the automatic response of someone who didn't need to think about the implications of his words.

  "Why?" he pressed. "Is it because I'm on the payroll now? Is it because Captain Dickhead would give you a spanking if something bad happened to his favorite fucktoy?"

  "Yes," Black said quietly, stepping forward, "and also because you're a part of my team now and I don't let teammates get hurt if I can prevent it. For better or worse, Starr, I'm looking out for your best interests. Nothing will happen to you while you're under my protection."

  Calyx laughed, the sound brittle. "You really believe that, don't you? You'd give your life for any of those bozos back there even if they don't deserve it."

  Black frowned. "I'd do the same for you."

  Calyx felt the heat of his cigarette against his fingertips and let it continue to burn as he met Black's eyes.

  "I'm not worth it, gorgeous. I'm definitely not worth your life."

  "Then turn around and come back to the house with me," Black insisted. "This is stupid and you know it. There's no reason for you to risk your life this way."

  Calyx hesitated, torn by the offer of the words and the suggestion that Black might actually care. It was a side of Black that Calyx hadn't experienced before and it made him want to do whatever it took to encourage more of it. Having Black care about him or at least pretend to felt good. Real good.

  Calyx let the burnt cigarette fall to the asphalt. It joined a pile of trash that had been blown here from other dark places around the city. Gaining Black's sympathy might feel nice but Calyx reminded himself that that wasn't why he was here. There were some things that he simply had to know and whether or not Black approved this was Calyx's chance to learn them.

  "Sorry, sweetheart," he said, letting the regret slip into his voice for the other man to hear. "I've got some questions that I need answering and this is the only way I know of to get some honest answers."

  "Then I'm coming with you to watch your back," Black declared.

  Calyx smiled with genuine delight. "My Darkness -- so protective. You'd better watch out or I might start falling for you." He pushed away from the wall. "However I don't think accompanying me is a very good idea. Razzy will know right away that you're a cop. If he's with anyone else they'll want to pound your face into the pavement."

  He should have predicted that his words would have no effect on Black. If anything, JC2's leader looked even more determined to come along. "I'll follow at a discreet distance. They'll never know."

  "They will. Trust me. The streets are their domain, not yours." He watched Black open his mouth to protest and then close it without saying a word. What were you going to say, Darkness? He was sure it had something to do with Black's ability to read street language. But Black's closed-off expression indicated that it wasn't likely Calyx was going to get an answer. Ah, what the hell. "Tell you what, sweetheart. There’s one possible way I can see you tagging along without getting unnecessarily
roughed up by Razzy or his goons. I promise you won't like it though."

  "Just tell me what it is," Black said through gritted teeth, already prepared for the worst.

  Calyx stepped closer to the dark-haired man and grinned down at him. "Pretend to be my lover. Razzy won't touch you if he thinks you're with me."

  Black bared his teeth. "Forget it. This is just a scheme you've cooked up to give you a reason to grope me. I'm not buying it."

  Calyx clutched his heart as if wounded. "Your opinion of me is so distasteful. I'm hurt." He dropped his hands and moved closer, watching as his shadow swept like a caress down Black's face. "Just this once give me a little credit, sweetheart. I'm not going to touch you in front of them. I'll tell them you're with me and they'll back off. Except--" he added when Black started to relax "-- they'll need a little proof."

  "I told you: I'm not letting you grope me."

  Calyx's eyes darkened. "I won't touch you in front of them. I promise. But Razzy won't take my word alone. Especially with you radiating all of these 'cop' vibes." He trailed a finger down the exposed skin of Black's throat, smiling a little when Black moved back. "The thing is, I need to mark you as mine, sweetheart. Razzy knows that I do that with my lovers. I'm a bit... territorial. He'll be looking for it. If you're unmarked he'll know we're lying."

  Black's eyes narrowed. His lips tightened into a thin white line. What fun to watch Darkness fight himself.

  "If you won't let me do this then don't bother following me," Calyx told him breezily. "You'll only get us both into trouble."

  Anger seeped through Black's control, sharp and metallic to Calyx's senses. Calyx smiled, anticipating the outcome of Black's mental gymnastics.