by Laurin Kelly
"They couldn't have taken you seriously."
"Not at first; I mean, I barely took myself seriously at that point. I didn't even have my own gun. But I wanted to do it, wanted to prove I was so much more than my old man. They gave me half the money up front and made sure I knew they'd be taking it out of my ass if I tried to screw them over. Pop asked me what the fuck I thought I was doing, and I just looked at him and said, 'Apparently, I'm killing a cop'. I used part of the money to go a pawn shop and get a gun, and three days later it was done. I got the other half of the money, and things started to shift. I didn't go on Pop's jobs anymore. He went on mine because they paid better, and he knew I'd make sure we both got out alive no matter how much of a fuckup he was. Pop never had a good thing to say to me before, but once the cash started rolling in it was all about what a great team we were. He started drinking more, 'cause there was plenty of money, until it got to the point where I didn't want him to go with me because he was going to get me killed. So he stayed home on his lazy ass while I supported us."
Kelan was quiet for a minute. "What happened to him?" he finally asked.
"I was teaching myself all kinds of things. My skills and experience were growing every day, because it was all I ever did or thought about. I knew I could be one of the best in the business, but not if I stayed in Lancaster. I needed a whole new identity and a fresh start. But I couldn't do it with that fucker hanging around my neck like an albatross. So when I was eighteen, I invited him on a job. For old time's sake, I told him. He showed up drunk as usual, but this time I didn't cover him. The target got the drop on him and I just stood back and let it happen. Then I took out the target, collected my money and left town. From that day forward, I was Rob Diorso."
Kelan stared at Rob with an inscrutable expression.
"What?" asked Rob. "People with happy, supportive home lives don't get into our line of work."
Rob's words seemed to strike a nerve. "How the hell would you know?" Kelan's shoulders were stiff. "You think you know why everyone becomes a mercenary? Every single one? Must be nice to be so omnipotent."
"Okay then, educate me. How did you get where you are today? What was that you said back at The Fox Hole? Quid pro quo?"
Kelan's eyes became dark and steely. "You don't know shit, Diorso. And educating you is hardly the reason I'm here."
"Speaking of which, we should probably get some sleep as soon as we can and start fresh in the morning. You done with your soup yet?"
Kelan stood and ate the last few mouthfuls on his way to the sink and dumped the empty bowl in. "I am now. Aren't you going to eat something?"
Rob got up and started for the entrance to the living room, flicking the kitchen lights off on his way. "I'm good for now." He was hungry, but right now he needed sleep more than anything.
"Suit yourself." Kelan grabbed the duffle bag and followed him.
They went through the living room and up the stairs, where Rob stopped at the beginning of a narrow hallway. He pointed to a door on the right.
"That's the master bedroom. It's mine. Bathroom's at the end of the hall. You can bunk there." Rob indicated the door on the left. "There's a crappy but functional futon in it."
He waited for the deliberate, flirtatious light to spark in Kelan's eyes but it didn't happen. Kelan didn't draw closer, start spouting innuendoes, or even bluntly suggest he share the bigger and more comfortable bed with Rob.
"Fine," Kelan said. He nodded his head at the bag he was carrying. "Should I keep this, or do you want it?"
"You can keep it. There's also a Colt .38 under the mattress, just in case. But like I said, this place is secure. We won't be having visitors."
"Right." Kelan turned to open the door to his room.
"G-" started Rob, stopping just as the sound came out of his mouth.
Kelan turned back, frowning. "You say something?"
"Nope." Rob turned quickly and entered the master bedroom, locking the door behind him.
He certainly had not been about to wish Kelan good night, like they were fucking roomies or something. He must have been even more tired that he'd thought. Quickly stripping down to his underwear, Rob climbed into the shabby looking bed. Within moments, he was sound asleep.
Six
Rob rolled over in his bed, immediately noting the amount of sunlight coming in through the window. Normally he woke around six a.m. no matter what time he fell asleep, but it wasn't hard to tell it was at least a couple of hours later than that. He squinted at the small digital clock on the bedside stand, reading the bright red digits with surprise. 9:08. Part of him was disappointed he'd lost time that could have been better spent setting things up in the safe house, but on the other hand being well-rested would probably make him able to focus better.
He sat up and swung his legs off the bed, listening for any sounds of movement but hearing nothing. He pulled his shirt and jeans from the night before back on then walked into the hallway. He went to see if Kelan was still sleeping, but a quick look in his room proved that he was elsewhere. The futon was neatly made, more so than it had been before being slept in.
Descending the stairs, the smell of coffee hit his nose about halfway down. He went into the kitchen to see Kelan sitting at the table, a mug of black coffee at his side. Kelan's gun was disassembled in front of him with the lower assembly, recoil spring, slide, and barrel spread out on the table top. Rob watched as Kelan picked up the slide and brushed it gently with a dry toothbrush.
"Good morning, sunshine," Kelan said, not looking up from his work.
"I see you found the coffee." Robe got a mug out and poured himself a cup, sipping it with a small murmur of approval. Apparently he and Kelan liked their coffee the same way: brewed strong until just short of bitter.
"Yes, I've been up for a couple of hours." Kelan continued to brush off the Glock pieces in front of him, then traded out for a dishtowel. "I know you wanted first crack at setting up the network, so I took care of some odds and ends. I also found an unopened box of cereal, so there's that to eat if you want some. No milk, though."
"I'll make sure to pick some up when I go to the store." It sounded so weirdly domestic that Rob almost laughed.
"I made a list." Kelan nodded at a neatly written piece of paper on the counter. He began to reassemble his weapon.
Rob glanced at the list then did a double-take. There were the expected staples like bread, milk, juice, etc. But there were also a variety of unexpected items. One whole cut up chicken, garlic, pearl onions, dry red wine, five yellow potatoes, gruyere cheese, butter... "What's all this?"
Calmly, Kelan finished putting his gun back together. He racked the slide firmly, pointed the gun away from Rob towards the floor, and dry fired, smiling briefly in satisfaction at the resulting click.
"You may be fine with eating out of cans for a few days, but I'm not. Processed food can come in handy, don't get me wrong. But most of the time, it's an instrument of Satan. I'm going to make Coq au Vin and potatoes Dauphinoise for dinner. It'll make enough to give us leftovers for a couple of days."
"You can cook?"
Kelan snapped the ammo magazine back into his pistol and set it carefully on the table, checking to make sure the safety was engaged. "I liked to make fancy meals when I was younger because there were few fine dining establishments where I grew up. And now... well, I like to keep a low profile. Regular attendance at the best restaurants would screw with that, so I make what I like to eat at home. And it definitely does not include Hamburger Helper."
"Fine, I'm not complaining. I just didn't expect it. If you want to make like Julia Child while we're stuck here, be my guest."
"Good. Now, how about you get started on the network? Also, I take it there's some place around here where you can grab a couple of pre-paid cell phones while you're out?"
"Even Lancaster has a Walmart. I can get them there, no problem." He reached for the laptop and brought it to the other side of the table, powering it up.
"While you do that, I think I'll take a shower." Kelan brushed at his chin. "I saw a couple of razors when I was looking for the toothbrush earlier. Mind if I use one? I'm going on my fourth day without shaving, and this is getting itchy."
Rob bit his lip to keep from snorting out a laugh. After four days, he'd have a full beard going; Kelan only had patchy dark stubble on his chin, along his jawline, and scattered across his otherwise smooth cheeks. His mind briefly conjured up the image of that stubble being dragged roughly across his lips, but he shook it off.
"Go ahead." Rob shifted focus to the now booted up laptop. Kelan moved out of the room and Rob soon heard the creaking of the stairs under his feet.
He pulled up one of his cloud storage accounts and downloaded the files he needed. As he installed and began to configure his firewall, he heard water rush through the pipes. Rob's fingers flew over the keyboard, his eyes riveted on the laptop screen. He was intent and focused on the task at hand. He was absolutely not distracted by the thought of what Kelan looked like at that moment, with water sluicing down his skin and those long fingers working soap through silky hair. Rubbing the bar of soap over every inch of his body, creating a slippery slide of hands over his cock, balls, and the crevice of that tight, firm ass. The laptop beeped, and Rob started slightly at the sound. Okay, maybe he had gotten a little diverted. But he'd been through the process of setting up different machines so many times, it hardly required his full attention. It was natural his mind wandered, though his thoughts leading to Kelan more often than not lately was disconcerting.
Rob was installing his custom IP cloaking software when Kelan walked back into the kitchen wearing the same clothes as before, but with damp hair and a freshly shaved face. His feet were bare, and he looked much younger. Rob decided to pick up more clothes for each of them, since they'd retreated without taking the time to pack. There was no sense in getting clean only to slip into a dirty outfit. He saw that the progress bar had completed, and pushed away from the table.
"I think I've got everything I need on here. Add whatever you want of your own tools. I'm going to head out to the store. I'll check out what you've got when I get back."
Kelan looked back at Rob, the side of his mouth curling. Rob wondered if Kelan knew he'd thought about him being in the shower. Or if Kelan had been thinking about Rob while showering, maybe jerking off at the thought like Rob had barely a day ago. Kelan's expression was amused, but at the same time his eyes were hot and considering. It made Rob wonder what would happen if he tried for another kiss. Would Kelan reject his advance this time, or melt under his lips like he had at The Fox Hole? He felt his fingers twitch and realized he'd gotten distracted again. Clearing his throat, Rob made for the front door without another word.
A half-hour later he was in the Walmart Supercenter. Rob picked up a couple of smartphones, followed by enough clothes from the men's department to last at least a week without needing to do laundry. He guessed Kelan's size at a medium for length, though he looked slim enough to fit into a small. He then made his way into the grocery section, gathering all of Kelan's ingredients and marveling at the fact that even the Walmart in Lancaster carried shredded gruyere cheese these days. Not familiar with the layout of the store, he made sure he went up every aisle to ensure little to no backtracking.
Eventually Rob found himself in the hygiene section, momentarily stopped short by the rack of condoms and personal lubricants. After a few brief moments of consideration he selected a box of Trojans and a tube of Astroglide, tossing both into the cart. He still wasn't sure that fucking Kelan was an inevitability, but as it was starting to feel like one, it was best to be prepared.
Rob checked out, paying with cash. When he got back to the safe house, Kelan was still sitting at the table on the laptop, but he took a break and stretched his arms when Rob walked in.
"I've got everything set on my end," he said. "Most of your stuff looked fairly good, but I think my password hacking tool is far superior. It works on an incredibly robust algorithm. I've already gotten started on a list of every Fox Hole employee over the last three years. Nelson didn't strike me as the strict bookkeeping type, but he must have been paranoid about being audited. He actually filed all his W-4's like a good little taxpayer."
"Interesting."
"Why don't you put this stuff away, and then you can look it over while I get started on the Coq au Vin?"
"Already?" It was barely noon.
"Technically, the chicken should be stewed in the wine for twelve to thirteen hours," Kelan informed him loftily. "But since someone needed their beauty rest, that's not going to happen. Still, six or seven hours should still produce something quite good."
Rob put the groceries away and tossed the still packaged cell phones on the table next to Kelan. "I got some clothes for each of us. I'll put them upstairs then take a look at what you've got so far."
Kelan nodded absently, eyes glued to the laptop screen.
Once upstairs, Rob stashed the lube and condoms in his bedside table drawer. After sorting Kelan's clothes from his own, he brought the small pile into the spare room. The futon looked as lumpy and uncomfortable as he remembered, but it was made up neatly. Rob had intended to just toss the clothes on the bed, but instead stacked them tidily on the worn bedspread. As if acting on their own, Rob's fingers ghosted over the single pillow on the bed, picturing Kelan's dark hair nestled against it the night before. His nostrils flared as he caught the slightest hint of Kelan's scent clinging to the yellowed pillowcase.
Startling him out of his reverie, Kelan's voice suddenly called out to him.
"Rob! Get down here, stat!" Kelan's tone was impatient, and loud enough that Rob assumed he'd left the kitchen and was yelling from the bottom of the stairs.
"Be right there," Rob responded, moving hastily out of Kelan's room and closing the door firmly behind him. By the time he got to the living room Kelan was nowhere in sight, so he went into the kitchen. Kelan was staring at the laptop screen grimly. "What is it?"
Kelan flipped the laptop around, which displayed the CNN home page. It only took a moment for Rob to figure out why. Emblazoned under the top banner in thick black letters were the words BROCK MCLENNAN ANNOUNCES BID FOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION.
"No wonder he wanted to take us out so quickly," said Rob.
"It's one thing to have something he's already attained put at risk. There's been more than one Congressman or Senator who's been able to ride over a wave of scandal. But this? The chance to be President of the United States?" Kelan ran a hand through his thick hair. "Fuck. He'll stop at nothing to find us."
"We need to find the person who has the photos now that Nelson’s dead. We can eliminate them and deliver the pictures to McLennan as a show of faith. Why would we give them back if we wanted to blackmail or expose him?"
Kelan's expression was still grim, but he nodded. "This makes the stakes higher, but the process should remain the same. Changing strategy mid-stream can be a very bad move."
"Agreed."
Kelan pushed back from the table. "I'm done here for now. I'll change into those other clothes before I start cooking."
"Fine." Rob shrugged and sat down, looking at the information Kelan had put together so far. He had to admit it was an impressive start.
Kelan returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, feet still bare but now wearing jeans and a long-sleeved tee. They were form-fitting, draping over the lines of Kelan's body in very interesting ways. Rob watched from the corner of his eye while Kelan bustled at the counter, chopping up ingredients and examining the two bottles of wine Rob had bought. He selected one, then bent over to open the bottom cupboards. The denim tightened over his ass, seam delineating the high, tight buttocks that reminded Rob of how he'd looked in those tiny shorts so many months ago. He felt a tightening in his groin and immediately turned all of his attention back to the computer screen.
The rest of the afternoon progressed in much the same way. Kelan and Rob worked in
tandem on their research, with Kelan getting up occasionally to tend the food. The kitchen filled with a mouth-watering aroma, and the additional input kicked Rob's senses up a notch. Already used to focusing on the smallest of details, he found himself noting the brush of Kelan's fingers as they both reached for the touchpad, the sound of his breath in Rob's ear as he leaned over to point something out, and the sight of Kelan's hair softly resting against his scalp. They discussed various scenarios, different people who may or may not have been involved with stealing the photos, and Rob found himself equally attentive to Kelan's sharp mind and quick wit.
Rob turned to say something, not noticing quite how close Kelan's face was to his. Kelan's nose flared, and they stared at each other until Kelan broke the tension.
"I think dinner is probably ready." Kelan turned away and went to the stove.
"Yeah, I'll... let me get all this crap off the table." Rob shut the laptop and stacked the legal pad and pen on top of it, then threw out the cell phone packaging and other odds and ends strewn about. When he was done he took out a couple of plates and some silverware and brought them over to Kelan, who spooned out chicken and potatoes.
They sat at the table in awkward silence. Rob had never shared a home-cooked meal with another person before and was uneasy with the intimacy. He cut into the chicken and took a bite; he was no gourmet like Kelan, but he knew delicious when he tasted it. "This is great."
"Thanks." Kelan smiled at Rob, and it was like a kick to the gut.
The smile was completely different than anything Rob had seen before from him. It wasn't cynical, sarcastic, or flirtatious. It was open, warm... so fucking normal Kelan barely even looked like the same person. It made Rob feel something as undefinable as it was unusual. He dropped his eyes to his plate and began eating again. The potatoes were fantastic too, but this time he didn't comment. They finished their meal in relative silence, lost in their own thoughts.