by Walker, Max
I had found Matt through a news article that reported his full name after doing a piece of the rise of the drug. It was an unfortunate mistake for the publication, but it was very useful for me. I used it to track down his hospital room and managed to call him, asking if he’d be willing to help me put a stop to the spread of Dragon. He sounded more than willing to over the phone, and I was glad to see that attitude hadn’t gone anywhere.
“What can I do to help? What do you need to know?” Matt’s chin rose, and his upper lip stiffened. “I don’t want anyone going through what I went through.”
“How did you get it? Do you remember who you bought it from?”
“That’s the thing! I never bought it.”
My head cocked to the side. “What do you mean? How’d you end up taking it?”
“I don’t really remember.” He scrunched his thin brows, covered his mouth for a cough. “I remember getting invited to party in the VIP section—”
“By who?”
“Dylan. The owner of the club. I was surprised when he pulled me aside by the bar and asked if I wanted a private party. He brought me into the VIP section, which I thought would be packed, but it wasn’t. It was only me, Dylan, his two partners, and some other guy.”
This was news to me. “What did the other guy look like?”
“He was smaller, a little more reserved than the others. Didn’t seem like he fit in all that much. Almost like he was there out of obligation or something.”
“Did he have curly brown hair?”
Matt took a moment, raking through his memories. I noticed he still had the club’s golden wristband around his wrist, the letters “VIP” printed in bold black. “Yeah, yeah I think so… or was it black?”
It was most likely Walter, the assistant to Dylan and the guys. Interesting that he’d be at the party, and it sounds like he was working an overtime shift.
“Did one of them offer you the Dragon?”
Matt shook his head. “I don’t… no, I don’t think so. I was so drunk by that point, I can’t remember a lot of it. I know some of the guys left the room at one point. Most of them did actually. And then I remember falling to the floor, someone calling for help, and the other guys running in. Then I passed out and I woke up in this hospital bed, feeling like my veins were on fire.”
Whoa, okay, this was big. If what Matt was saying was true, then that meant someone was lying to me and Fox. Dylan and his partners seemed avidly against the drug, so how did it get in Matt’s hand? Who gave it to him?
“Have any of them said anything to you since? Followed up?”
“Nothing. And I don’t think they will. I’m considering opening up a lawsuit. I think one of them drugged me.” A flicker of anger lit up in Matt’s tired gaze. “I never do drugs. Never. So how the hell did this get into my system? Even if I was blackout drunk, I don’t think I would have ever said yes to taking it.”
I believed him, which made this situation a thousand times more complicated. By believing Matt’s account, that meant my attention was locking inward, toward Dylan and the guys. Something was going on here. Was Dylan trying to become the next big drug kingpin and using his own club as a launchpad for his new career? Or was it a group effort between the three of them, possibly four if the assistant was involved…
Matt started to cough then. The fit didn’t seem to be letting up. It was a terrible side effect to the drug, which tended to burn its way down the esophagus when it was taken. I wondered who the hell was taking this thing if it had all these side effects, but then again “meth mouth” is a common term that immediately brings to mind a mouthful of rotting and broken teeth, and yet people still get hooked on methamphetamines. Drugs fucked with people, and Matt was one of those victims. I grabbed a Styrofoam cup full of water and handed it to him, but he was still coughing too much to drink it. That’s when I felt Donna’s soft hand on my elbow.
“Sorry, Mr. Brightly, I think Matt’s done for today.”
“Right, of course.”
Matt’s face was pink, his eyes wet, the cough still lingering.
“Thank you, Matt. I hope you feel better soon.”
He managed a smile before he covered his mouth for another bout of coughing. It filled my heart with sadness, seeing this kid stuck in a hospital bed, all because he wanted to have a fun night out and ended up getting way more than he bargained for.
I left the hospital with some answers and a multitude of questions. Thankfully, the next person I was meeting with today was Fox, and I had a feeling he’d be able to help me sort through it all. I felt myself getting excited as I got into my car. I was smiling as I plugged in the directions to the park Fox wanted us to meet at.
I’d been smiling a hell of a lot lately, even with all the stress that had been surrounding me, trying to suffocate me. I didn’t mind the smiles one bit.
Not one bit.
22 Gabriel “Fox” Morrison
The chorus of birdsong, a mixture of chirps and whistles and bell-like trills, surrounded me as I sat on the bench by the entrance to Palm Bay Park, the spot I decided to invite Jonah to for an evening of bird-watching. It was serenely peaceful, especially since the sun was making its descent and painting the sky as it traveled, while the park itself seemed virtually empty, with only a single other car in the parking lot.
I needed this. Time to spend in my own element, with a man who was quickly throwing me out of it. Jonah was driving me crazy. I had no idea where we were headed or what the finish line for the two of us looked like, but wow was the starting line one hell of a gun pop.
Ever since Jonah had broken his blowjob cherry and blew my mind simultaneously, I found myself constantly thinking about him. About what the hell I was getting myself into and why the hell I didn’t seem to care. I still didn’t have a real idea about where Jonah’s sexuality landed, and I also had no idea what Jonah saw happening between us, but… well, even with all that considered, I was still seeing all kinds of perfect when I pictured Jonah and me together. It was such a wild thought, but one that felt more and more real by the hour. He had been staying over my place, and I managed to clear out the guest room for him so we could set up the air bed, and I had to admit, it was really great waking up with Jonah. The first night, I had literally woken up with him, his arm wrapped over my chest, my comfort levels at full maximum.
The next two nights, we slept separately, although that didn’t mean my dreams had us in the same sleeping arrangements. No, for the first time in a long-ass motherfucking time, I woke up with wet bedsheets, all from a steaming hot dream involving Jonah and his fine ass.
He was making me crazy, and that wasn’t letting up judging by how my stomach jumped the second I laid eyes on him walking down the sunny path toward me. He was wearing a pair of light-blue jeans and a simple black tee, with a thin silver necklace that played with the light as he walked.
I stood up, unable to contain the smile on my face. I normally wasn’t a smiley guy, but Jonah had my cheeks sore.
“Hey there.”
“Hi, Fox.” And instead of shaking hands, we opened our arms for an embrace. It was quick, but it was strong, a moment in time when our bodies touched, serving as a reminder for how much potential for raw pleasure we each had inside ourselves, brought out by the other.
“Hey,” I said again, like a dumb high school kid.
Jonah, still smiling, dropped his eyes. If we had held eye contact any longer, I’m sure our lips would have followed suit. “Should I have brought a notebook or anything?” Jonah asked.
“Nope, nothing.” I pulled out a pair of compact binoculars from my pocket. “We can share this. It’s all we really need.”
“Nice. All right, man. Let’s get to birding.”
“Let’s do it,” I said, finding that my mood was soaring as high as the birds we were about to go watch.
We started walking down the red-bricked path, which I could see transformed to dirt a few feet up ahead. The trees, a mixture of cabbage palm t
rees and tall bald cypress trees, set a romantic and nature-filled backdrop that was worlds different from the surrounding city of Miami. It felt like a little getaway in the heart of a busy city, and that was why I loved it, so I was excited to share it with Jonah. Not to mention, the bird-watching was top-notch in the park, with all kinds of species flying in from all over the place to rest on the tall cypress branches.
“I got a chance to meet with an overdose victim earlier today.”
“How’d it go?” Sticks crunched under our shoes.
“I got information… but it’s a doozy.”
The trees around the path got thicker as we walked, moving deeper into the park. I already spotted a few birds I wanted to point out to Jonah, the initial purpose of our meeting here, but talking about the case would need to take precedence. “What’d you learn?”
Jonah gave me the rundown of how his visit to Miami Memorial hospital had gone, and I was blown away by the information he had gathered. Jonah was proving to be an impressive detective, like I knew he would be.
“I thought Dylan had said, ‘We’ve never taken it; none of us have done Dragon.’ So then what the hell?”
“Someone in that room lied to us.”
I cracked a few knuckles. “So your ‘early theory’ back at the beach, it doesn’t even look like a theory anymore. It looks like the answer. One of the guys running Club Trinity could also be running this Dragon scheme.” I was a little floored. Jonah’s idea had sounded solid, but there had been no evidence that supported it. Now, we had a victim who was saying one of them secretly drugged him with Dragon. I stopped walking, taking it all in. “This is huge.”
“It’s big.” Jonah stood by my side, arms crossed. “But still not definitive.”
“Why would they have the drug in the first place? They’re trying so hard to get rid of it; if one of them had a connection, then why not tell us? Why hide it?”
“Because they’re the ones who stand to get in trouble…”
“Exactly. I really want to see that fucking security footage. Pierre still hasn’t gotten back to me about it.”
Jonah’s brow arched. “Yeah, I think it’s vital we see the tapes. I wonder if they have that VIP section under surveillance?”
“No, I’ve asked before. Cameras are only throughout the main areas of the club and the surrounding perimeter outside of it.”
“We definitely need to have a conversation with them.”
This was good. As shocked as I felt, I knew that this was a step in the right direction. We were getting somewhere, and in a case where time was crucial, every little step mattered.
I glanced at my watch. It was nearing the end of the day but still hadn’t hit seven yet. “Jonah, we might have to cancel our bird-watching excursion.”
“Want to meet with the guys?”
“Yeah,” I answered, taking out my phone.
“Already considered it. They’re on their honeymoon, won’t be back for a few weeks.”
“Fuck,” I let out. “You’re right. Okay, we’ll have to schedule something with them the day they get back.”
“Already did that on my way here.” Jonah was smiling wide, his juicy lips drawing my attention. “You’re on top of your shit, Jonah. I’m really impressed.” Damn it this man was good, and it made me want to kiss that smile right off that handsome baby face of his, which was looking a little more mature since he had some stubble he was letting in. Maybe this was his new era, the post-Wendy look.
I liked it, although I had a feeling I would be attracted to Jonah regardless of how he grew his facial hair.
Which is totally batshit fucking crazy. I’ve officially lost it.
I started to walk again, feeling myself wall up. This had been happening over the past few days. I’d feel myself letting go, letting loose, and then I’d clam right back up the second I acknowledged it.
How? How could I allow myself to lower my defenses over a man who was nothing more than a friend to me? As harsh as that sounded, and as badly as I didn’t want it to be true, it was the flat-out, undeniable truth.
A friend who’s sucked me off… who’s slept in my bed… who’s been the center of my persistent wet dreams…
What was I even thinking, inviting him out here to bird-watch with me? Maybe I should end it now. There won’t be much more sunli—
“So… what am I supposed to be looking for? Which birds are the coolest?” His question brought me back down to earth, and brought a laugh with it as well.
“Right, bird-watching.” I tried to push aside all the bullshit and focus on the “now.” Jonah was here and I had promised I’d teach him, over the course of an evening that happened to feel very close to being a date.
Of course, it wasn’t. It couldn’t be, but fuck did it start to feel like one.
“Okay,” I said, slowing down our pace, listening to the different calls that filled the air, trying to pick apart the different tones. “So birding, it’s, uhm, more of a…” My thoughts were chaotic. I kept thinking about how close our fingers were to each other as we walked. I hated myself for feeling so pulled toward a man who should have been off-limits for me.
“Still thinking about the case?” Jonah asked, noting something was off.
“Yeah, sorry.”
“It’s all right. Maybe we should call it a day, then.”
“No, no.” I waved a hand in the air. “Let’s get back to birding. I don’t think you’ll be earning your black belt in birding tonight, but we can start the work.”
Jonah chuckled at that. “All right, so you were saying, birding is more of a ‘something.’”
“Right,” I said, picking up my abandoned train of thought. “It’s more of an auditory experience at first than a visual one, so bird ‘watching’ is kind of misleading.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, listen.” I dropped my voice. “Really listen to all the birds that are out there, and try to focus in on the ones closest to us.” I put an arm out, stopping us in the center of the trail. When we stopped, I dropped my arm, our hands landing knuckle to knuckle. I couldn’t resist. I reached out, both of us totally silent, and I took his hand in mine. Fingers locked together like a natural instinct. Heat spread from my palm, filling me up. No one else was around, and we were so deep in the park that there were no sounds of the city to be heard. Instead, all that was around us was a chorus of birdcalls, all different in their own little ways. It tended to be background noise for most people, but if you tuned your focus and turned the background into the foreground, then all of a sudden, a brand-new world opened up to you.
Jonah seemed to be realizing that. He looked around, taking it in, his eyes pointed toward the sea of branches above us, the smile on his face growing as he listened, the chorus of birds filling me with joy.
Or was that our hand-holding?
I let go of his hand, putting mine back in my pocket. The moment was brief, but damn did it leave my body tingling from crown to sole.
“You hear all those birdcalls, right?”
“Yeah, I do,” he said, sounding a little breathless.
Weird, bird-watching never took my breath away.
“Okay,” I said, keeping my voice low so I didn’t scare away any of the birds. I’d already spotted a black-bellied plover and what looked to be a ruddy quail-dove but what sounded more like a white-throated swift. “So you hear the birdcalls, now you have to track them. There’s one right over there.” I lifted a pointed finger. Jonah leaned in, causing my senses to flip into overdrive as his cologne drifted over me.
“That one?” Jonah asked in a whisper, pointing as well. But his finger was off. I grabbed his hand in mine and slowly adjusted it, lining it up with the tiny green-and-white bird, its beautiful emerald-green feathers catching the last bits of sun that managed to break through the tree cover.
“Oh, I see it,” Jonah whispered. “What is it?”
“A violet-green swallow. Want a closer look?” I offered him the binoculars. He took
them and looked through, enthusiasm in his smile as he watched. The swallow made a few chee-chee calls before flying away, going deeper into the trees.
The rest of the evening continued like that, us making our way slowly down the trail and stopping whenever I spotted or heard an interesting bird. Jonah was always so excited to look for them and even began pointing out birds I had previously missed. He asked a ton of questions and also made plenty of jokes, making the time fly by us.
Before I knew it, the day was turning to night and the birds were finding places to rest.
We continued to walk, the park’s path turning around and leading back toward where we had come from. The birdcalls were growing more and more sparse until there wasn’t much to watch.
There was a section of the path that veered off, and I knew what we would find if we followed it. I nudged Jonah to the side, and we walked down the pebbled pathway, shaded from the setting sun by an overgrowth of palm trees. And there, at the end of the path, tucked away from seemingly the rest of the world, was a stone bench, smooth from years and years of use, a couple of phrases etched into the legs. A couple of large bushes grew behind the bench, framing the scene with a blast of colorful pink and blue flowers that bloomed from the bushes.
“Wow, this is a nice little spot,” Jonah said, taking a seat on the bench.
I sat next to him, leaving little space between us. “I come here sometimes. It’s a great spot to read a book. I’ve read entire novels here. Especially if you bring a blanket to cover the bench, give it a little more cushion.”
“So, you would bird-watch a lot during your deployment?”
I nodded, a small part of me growing warm at the realization Jonah remembered what I had said. “Yeah, it really helped me. I know you probably think it’s weird, but I don’t know… it just kept my head from feeling like it was going to pop, if that makes any sense. Some guys turn to alcohol, some guys turn to anger, some guys turn to nowhere. I turned to bird-watching, and it kept me really grounded.”