Fire and Obsidian

by Andrew Grey

  James motioned for them to be quiet as he continued watching. “They’re standing near the door, and nothing has happened. We have to wait until they get inside.” He wasn’t going to let them get away, and for that to happen, there had to be a crime.

  “There’s a car on the other side of the park, as well as on the street behind it. Just say the word and everyone will move in.”

  James nodded to acknowledge the message, continuing to watch the back-door area.

  “They’ve moved away from the door and are trying the window.” It opened, and then one of the people lifted a kid. Well, holy shit—they’d been right. The thieves were using kids. Part of him had hoped he and Mattias had been wrong. The back door opened, and the two people disappeared inside the house. “Get everyone to move in.”

  James grabbed his gun, giving Mattias a hard look even as he got ready to go. The man was a stubborn ass, and James shook his head as Mattias stepped away from the van. James pulled him back.

  “I’m going.”

  “You stay here where it’s safe.” He stared daggers at him. “I have the officers for backup.”

  “And I know how the thieves think,” Mattias countered. “Now go get them. I’ll stay behind you.”

  James wanted to wring his neck, but time was of the essence and he didn’t have any more of it to argue with Mattias. He turned and took off across the street with the others, reached the back door, and signaled the others to cover the front and the sides. No one was getting out of that house and past them.

  “This is the police,” James called as he entered the house with two officers behind him. “Stop what you’re doing and lie down on the floor. You won’t be hurt.” He looked both directions and made his way farther into the house.

  “That way is the living and dining room. Then the hall and a room used as an office. The stairs are off the hall,” Mattias whispered from behind him.

  James wanted to turn and smack him, but a quick movement caught his eye, and he reacted by pointing his gun as a kid about seven ran toward him, his eyes wide, fear following in his wake.

  “Get him out of here,” James told Mattias, who scooped up the boy and hurried back the way they’d come. The kid never said a word, but James didn’t think any more about it as he made his way farther into the house, gun at the ready.

  A metallic crash echoed through the otherwise silent rooms. James carefully headed in that direction and caught a man and a woman at the top of the basement stairs.

  They held up their hands. “Don’t shoot,” the man said shakily.

  “Both of you, get down on the ground,” James barked, and they dropped, their hands out. The officers with him from Carlisle PD handcuffed each of them and then pulled them to their feet, searching them for weapons before removing them from the house. Thankfully it didn’t look like they had gotten very far, with just a few items piled on the dining room table, most likely getting them staged to carry outside.

  James left the house, stepping outside into a hive of activity. Sheriff’s deputies, Carlisle PD—everyone was there.

  “Gentlemen,” he said as he approached the two officers who had taken custody of the thieves. “Please deliver them to the sheriff’s department. They’ll take the lead since this is their case.”

  They looked like they were going to argue with him, but then nodded, and the deputies on the scene put the two of them in their squad cars to hold them.

  “James,” Mattias called, and he went over. “This is Claude, and those were his aunt and uncle.”

  “Where are your parents, Claude?” James asked.

  Claude sniffed. “They’re dead.” He turned away, covering his little face as he broke into tears. “Are you going to take me to jail?” He continued crying, and Mattias put his arms around him and let him cry, meeting James’s gaze with such pleading that James didn’t know how to respond at first.

  “We have Child Services on the way. Donald Ickle will be here in a few minutes,” Red said as he cut through to him. “I went ahead and called him as soon as I saw a child was involved.”

  “Thanks,” James said.

  Red tilted his head to the side. “Who is that with the boy?”

  “He’s a consultant working with the department on this case.” James didn’t fill in any additional details. They weren’t pertinent at this time. “Mattias and I will talk to Claude once he has a chance to calm down and Donald gets here.” Donald Ickle was a kind of legend with law enforcement. His husband was a police officer, and somehow Donald always managed to make miracles happen for the kids in his care.

  “Have the homeowners been notified?”

  “Yes. They are on their way home now,” Red said.

  James nodded and joined Mattias and Claude. There was nothing more to do other than wait at the moment. James hated waiting, and thankfully, Donald arrived a few minutes later.

  “This is Claude,” Mattias said when Donald arrived. “He doesn’t talk much.”

  Claude still held Mattias’s hand and didn’t seem inclined to let go.

  “He told us his parents are dead and that he was living with his aunt and uncle,” James told Donald.

  “Okay.” Donald knelt in front of Claude. “I’m Donny, and I’m here to help you.” He held out his hand and waited, not moving any closer until Claude released Mattias’s hand and took Donald’s. “It’s okay.”

  Claude’s big blue eyes scanned over the three of them. “Are you taking me to jail? Auntie said if I make noise or anything, the p’lice would find me and take me to jail.” He started to cry again, and James turned away, trying to wipe his eyes discreetly so no one would see him. Mattias handed him a tissue without saying a word, and was probably using one himself as well.

  “You aren’t going to jail. I have someone who is going to take care of you. And they will make sure you don’t have to sneak into other people’s houses again.” Donald had such a gentle voice. “And I think you already know her.” Donald turned as Kim Miller approached their small group.

  “Mrs. Miller?” Claude’s eyes seemed to hold a little less pain when he saw her. Clearly Kim was an amazing principal.

  “Come here, Claude.” She knelt, opening her arms, and he hurried over to her, dissolving into tears in her arms. “You’re going to come home with me.”

  “What about Sissy?” Claude asked.

  “Her too.” Kim turned to Donald and explained that Claude had a sister. “Do you know where she is?” Kim asked, and Claude pointed behind the house.

  “There’s a little girl in the car the perpetrators must have used,” Clay told him quietly. “She’s locked herself in the car and won’t come out.”

  “Let’s go with Mr. Donny and get Sissy. Then you can both come home with me.” She released Claude and took his hand. “You’re her big brother, so you need to be strong for her and help her not be scared, okay?” Kim asked, and Claude nodded solemnly. Clay took Donald, Kim, and Claude around and back toward the car.

  “God…,” Mattias said as he put away his tissue, eyes still shining in the filtered streetlight’s glow. “I wasn’t prepared for that.” He seemed unsteady on his feet, and James gently patted his shoulder.

  “Go on back to the car. I’m going to need to wrap some things up here.” All he wanted to do was go home and slip into bed, but that wasn’t going to happen, not for a while.

  “Clay and I can take them to the station, get them booked and sitting in a nice cell for the night. We can separate them and let them stew before we talk to them,” Pierre offered. “It’s been a very long day, and trying to question them when we’re tired isn’t going to get us anywhere. The jail is loud and noisy, so my guess is that neither of them is going to get much sleep, so they’ll be more ready to talk.” He flashed a quick smile, and James nodded. That idea was sounding better and better by the second.

  “All right. You stay with them until Clay comes back. I want to make sure the kids are settled and things are finished here.” James sighed, r
elieved some things were wrapping up as the homeowners hurried up the walk, demanding answers.

  “Sarah,” Mattias said with a smile. “The police are still working inside, but I believe we got here in time.” He smiled and some of the head of steam she was under abated.

  “You’re a police officer?” Sarah asked.

  “No. I’m just working with them as a consultant. Detective Levinson can answer any of your questions.” Mattias stepped back, and James did his best to fill her in while keeping her calm until the teams were done inside. Then James took her into the house to verify that nothing was missing or damaged.

  THE TIME seemed to get away from him. There was so much to do, but eventually the house was secured and statements taken from the homeowners. The crime scene team finished their work, and the two suspects were transported. Claude and his sister, Justine, were taken in by Kim, with Donald following. The other officers left the scene, and James headed to his car, half dead on his feet, the adrenaline of the chase and capture having faded long ago.

  Mattias sat in the car, the window partially lowered. “If I smoked, I think I’d have created enough clouds for a thunderhead by now.”

  James knew exactly how he felt, and nodded once he was in the driver’s seat. “At least those kids are with someone who will care for them.” James had no doubt that Kim would look after them and see the two of them through this very rough time.

  Mattias didn’t answer, staring out the window. James started the car and drove back to his house. They rode in silence, and that was fine. The air was heavy, as were the thoughts that ran through James’s head. Finally, he pulled up in front of the house, not a word spoken between them.

  James snapped open his seat belt and got out of the car. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

  Mattias followed, seemingly on autopilot.

  “Do you want something to drink?”

  “Vodka,” Mattias said, the first words since they’d left. “A lot of it.” He sighed. “But that’s a shitty idea.” He slumped down on the sofa in the living room.

  James got some water and handed Mattias a glass when he returned, sitting next to him. “That sucked. I wish we’d been wrong.”

  “Yeah. Me too. Seeing those terrified blue eyes….” He turned to face James, and for a second, he saw that same fear, like he’d just lost his grandparents again. James didn’t know what that kind of loss felt like. He still had his parents, but he understood pretty clearly that those little kids had been taken advantage of and manipulated. They needed a chance to be away from that. “Their parents are gone, and the people who were supposed to love and protect them just used them for their own gain.”

  “They won’t be able to do that again. I intend to make damned sure of that.” James was already listing some of the charges that could be leveled against them. Breaking and entering was the least of them.

  “Yes. But now those kids are in the system. Yes, they’re young, and there’s a chance they could find a stable home and be adopted, but there’s also the chance that they’ll be shuffled from place to place the way I was.” Mattias’s shoulders slumped. “And I know there’s nothing I can do about it.”

  “It makes you think of what you went through, I know that.” James shifted closer. “Sometimes you do your job and things work out. Other times there are things you can’t do anything about. Regardless of what happens, those kids have some time ahead of them before they are free for anything. Whatever custodial rights their aunt and uncle have are going to take time and court hearings to terminate.”

  “Yeah, I know. Kim and her husband are going to be good foster parents for them.” Mattias sighed, and James scooted closer to him. “I know I’m being way too emotional.”

  “Hey. Your feelings do you credit.” James was pretty certain that Mattias was showing part of himself that he didn’t usually wear on his sleeve. This vulnerability was a sight for him alone, and it touched James’s heart in a way he didn’t expect. He put an arm around Mattias’s shoulder and let him lean on him. Separating himself from the job and the people he encountered was part of his profession and training. He reminded himself that Mattias hadn’t had that same training. “Right now, the best thing we can do for those kids is to get to the bottom of this whole thing. That means making sure their aunt and uncle can’t use them again… as well as finding out what we can about these thieves so we can put all of this behind us.”

  Mattias nodded. “But what happens when this is over?”

  “Well… I guess you go home.” It wasn’t what he wanted, but James was practical.

  Mattias nodded and sat back up straight. “I suppose.” He blinked and got to his feet. “I think I’m going to go on up to bed.” He drank the water James had brought him and took the glass to the sink. Then Mattias climbed the stairs without another word.

  What was he supposed to do? James hadn’t been expecting to find someone he’d grow so close to. This entire situation was out of control, and yet it felt so damned right that it was frightening. The logical part of his mind said that he was doing the right thing, but the rest of him ached to go up those stairs and take Mattias in his arms and never let him go. This wasn’t how things were supposed to happen. People met, they dated, got to know each other, had sex, grew closer, built trust. All those things were supposed to take time—not happen in under a week. He held his head in his hands, trying to get the damned thing to cooperate, but it wasn’t happening.

  James locked the doors and turned out the lights before going up the stairs. The last few nights he’d found Mattias in his bed, and what gloriously happy nights those had been. Regardless of what had happened during the day, their snark and teasing, the nights had been spectacular. Hell, if James were honest, he preferred the snarky, “stand up for himself” Mattias to the one who quietly went up the stairs. At least he knew how snarky Mattias felt.

  The door to Mattias’s room was closed, and James felt shut out. He stood outside the door, listening for a few moments, but everything was quiet. He thought of knocking or even trying the door, but that was too dramatic for words. He ended up turning around and going to his room, where he dressed for bed, cleaned up, and then pulled back the covers to get in.

  “What the fuck am I doing?” James asked himself in a whisper. He wasn’t a drama queen, and damn it all, he wasn’t going to get what he truly wanted if he simply gave up. That was so not in his nature. James dropped the covers back in place, marched across the hall, and knocked on the door. This was a moment of truth, one of decision.

  The doorknob turned and then the door opened. Mattias stood in the doorway, the light from the bedside lamp spilling out into the hall. The broken expression in Mattias’s eyes was too much for James to bear. He stepped forward, framing Mattias’s cheeks in his hands, and brought their lips together in a kiss that nearly stopped his mind.

  James poured everything he had into that kiss. He had one chance to tell Mattias that he wanted him. Practicality dictated that Mattias go home when this was over, but James didn’t want him to. He had no idea at all what he… they were going to do, but he didn’t want this to end. He pressed Mattias back into the room and over to the bed. They fell together, with James ending up next to him, the mattress bouncing slightly. Mattias wound his arms around him, holding tightly, the energy James poured into the kiss coming right back from Mattias, amplifying and then flowing back and forth again and again.

  “Are you sure about this?” Mattias finally asked.

  James stopped. “I’m not sure about anything, but I know I want to figure it out. And when this case is over, I don’t want you to go away. I want to see you again and go on dates… do all those things that people do when they’re falling in love.” There, he’d said it, and he felt so much better for it. “Is that what you want too?” James asked.

  Mattias nodded, and James smiled, then kissed him once again, and the energy between them rose higher and higher. Clothes ended up on the floor, on the nightstand, wherever they fe
ll, as James and Mattias celebrated their initial understanding. James was happy, and he let that happiness bloom and carry him on wings that let him soar for hours until they were both too tired to move, falling asleep curled around each other and not stirring until morning and work forced them to part.

  Chapter 11

  MATTIAS WAS just as happy as James appeared to be. Dang it, James practically whistled as they got out of the car, heading into the station. Mattias followed behind, enjoying the view with a smile on his lips, practically dancing up to the building. As they got inside, Mattias’s phone rang, and he fell behind to answer it.

  “Hi, Carrie,” he said quietly.

  “It took some time, but I got a message to the person you wanted to speak to,” she said seriously, and his smile faded. He’d almost completely forgotten about James’s father. “He is in the area, as you suspected. There’s a coffee shop next to the courthouse in Carlisle. He’ll be there in an hour, and if you want to see him, you should be there then.”

  Mattias nodded to himself. It looked like the case that had brought him here was coming to an end, and he debated whether to take the meeting or not. But if the accomplished thief was up to something on James’s territory, he needed to know about it and do his best to put a stop to it. He wasn’t going to have him ruining James’s career for some selfish reason. Mattias cared way too much for James to let that happen. “I’ll be there, and thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome.” Her tone lightened. “You owe me a nice lunch for this.”

  “You got it.” Mattias smiled as he ended the call and went into the station. “Where are James and Pierre?” he asked as he set his bag on the table in their workroom.

  “They’re talking to our prisoners. They have them in separate rooms and are seeing what they can get out of them.” Clay was using his own computer, most likely typing up reports.