Stranded

by Andrew Grey

  Henry, where are you?

  Kendall kept climbing the stairs, going past their apartment door. When Guy made no move to stop him, he continued climbing. At least Guy didn’t know which apartment was theirs. That might be some advantage if he could figure out how to use it. He continued slowly climbing the stairs. When he got to the third and final floor, he stopped.

  “Unlock your apartment,” Guy said.

  Kendall went to the door of one of the people he knew on this floor. He only hoped Martin was home. He fiddled with the knob and worked at inserting his key into the lock he knew it wouldn’t fit. Then he switched keys on his ring. “I need to get the right one.”

  “Don’t screw with me,” Guy hissed and light glinted off the blade of a small knife Guy drew out of his pocket. “Now open the door,” Guy said very deliberately.

  “I can’t,” Kendall said honestly. “It’s not my apartment.”

  Guy grabbed him around the throat, and Kendall felt the knife against his back, a single pinpoint of pressure that if it grew…. “I said not to fuck with me,” Guy whispered menacingly. Then he licked along Kendall’s neck and sucked on his ear. Kendall did his best not to shiver with revulsion, though all he wanted was to get as far away as he could. “You like that, don’t you?” Guy said, doing it again. “You could have had all that and more. I would have made you scream with ecstasy, and now… I’m just going to make you scream, but that’s after you beg. Now, you’re going to slowly go down the stairs and right to your apartment. No sudden moves and no sound or I’ll push this knife just under your ribs and you’ll bleed out like a stuck pig.”

  “Okay,” Kendall said, slowly moving back toward the stairs. He took a few steps, and the pinprick from the knife eased. All he kept thinking was that he couldn’t let Guy into the apartment. If he did, when Johnny came home, both of them would be in danger. Out here, people could come to his aid, but inside, there wasn’t much anyone could do for them. They made it to the landing, and Kendall turned. He heard the door below open.

  “Kendall, is that you?” Henry called up in a deep voice.

  Before he could answer, Kendall felt Guy shift. Kendall stepped to the side and turned around, sliding out of Guy’s grip. Without stopping or thinking, he pushed Guy backward. Guy stumbled back and hit the railing. Just reacting, Kendall pushed again, and Guy flailed his arms. Kendall jumped away, almost falling down the stairs. He regained his balance and hurried down the stairs. He expected Guy to come after him, but all he heard was a cry and a thud.

  “Kendall,” Henry cried, followed immediately by Johnny. Rapid footsteps sounded on the stairs, and within seconds Johnny was there.

  “Are you all right?” Johnny asked. “You’re bleeding.”

  Kendall looked down at his arm and saw blood on his sleeve. Then the pain hit and he pulled his shirt away. The cut didn’t appear too bad, and Johnny helped him down the stairs.

  “It was Guy,” Kendall said as Johnny unlocked the door and led him through the apartment to the bathroom.

  “I know. I saw him,” Johnny said. “Sit down so I can look at it,” Johnny said gently.

  “Is he okay? I think he fell,” Kendall said, a little shaken.

  “He did, and I doubt he’s okay,” Johnny told him levelly. He wet a cloth and gently dabbed the blood off Kendall’s arm. “It looks like you were really lucky.” The cut had already stopped bleeding. “I want to clean it and then get a bandage on it. I’ll have someone look at it once the ambulance gets here.”

  “What ambulance?” Kendall asked.

  “Henry called the police. Guy fell over the rail and landed on the first floor.” Johnny’s voice was totally absent of any emotion.

  “Is he—?” Kendall asked, wincing as Johnny put some antiseptic on the cut.

  “I sure as hell hope so,” Johnny swore, and Kendall tensed. “He did this to you, and he could have done worse.”

  Kendall swallowed. He’d never heard such malice from Johnny before. “I’m okay.” Johnny wrapped a bandage around Kendall’s wound. “I pushed him and then ran. Then you found me.” Sirens sounded, getting closer by the second and then really loud as they stopped outside the building. “I killed someone,” Kendall whispered. Johnny stilled and after a few seconds pulled Kendall into his arms.

  “No, you didn’t. You defended yourself. That’s all you did, and… and I’m so proud of you.” Johnny held him tighter. “You did so good.” Johnny slowly rocked him back and forth, crying on his shoulder. “I almost lost you again.” Kendall hugged Johnny as tightly as he could, closing his eyes as his tears came too.

  “Guys.” Kendall lifted his gaze. Henry stood in the bathroom doorway. “The police want to speak to you,” Henry told Kendall, and he nodded.

  “We’ll be right down,” Kendall said, and Henry turned. “Wait,” he said, and Johnny released him. “Is he… gone?” Kendall swallowed. Henry nodded slowly once and then left. He turned back to Johnny and gently cupped his cheeks in his hands. “I’m okay. I promise.” Kendall slowly stood up and took Johnny’s hand. “Come on. I need to tell them what happened.” He took two steps and Johnny grabbed him, embracing him tightly around the waist.

  “I love you,” Johnny said, his words choked.

  “I love you too,” Kendall said with a sigh. “It’s over, Johnny. At least I know who was doing this, and he’ll never be able to do it again.” Kendall leaned back against Johnny. “It’s over,” he repeated. Kendall felt as though he could breathe again and maybe he could have his life back. “Come on, let’s go face the music and tell them everything they want to know.” Kendall sighed. It’s over.

  Chapter 12

  IT WASN’T that easy. Yes, part of the ordeal was over, but a man was dead, and Kendall spent hours explaining to the police what had happened in the stairwell. In desperation, he ended up telephoning Lyman, and he came down and spoke with the police. For most of that time, Kendall was in a daze. He answered all of the officers’ questions in as much detail as he could. Johnny apparently filled in details, as did Henry. Finally, after hours of questions, the police were satisfied. Kendall’s case was helped by the presence of Guy’s knife with Kendall’s blood on it as well as the marks on his neck and throat from Guy’s hands.

  “Thank you for your cooperation,” Detective Boutcher said as they were getting ready to leave. Kendall sipped from a glass of water. “I know this has been difficult, but we needed a clear explanation.”

  Kendall nodded slowly. “Of course.”

  “We’ll be in touch if we need additional information.” He handed Kendall one of his cards. “How well did you know him?”

  Kendall sighed. “I thought we were friends. He worked on the movie I did, but I guess I really didn’t know that much about him.” Johnny took Kendall’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

  “He didn’t want you to. I’ve seen other cases like this.” Detective Boutcher paused at the door and then slowly walked back to where Kendall sat looking up at him. “For some people, figuring out who they are is easy. It comes naturally, and they burst out of the closet at fourteen. For others, it takes much longer, with struggles and pain, but eventually, once they accept themselves for who they are, they realize that they can be happy.” Detective Boutcher glanced toward the open door. “Some people are never able to accept who they are. It eats at them, and they vacillate between self-loathing and lashing out at the world.” Detective Boutcher sighed sadly. “I think this guy may have been one of those. Hopefully, as we work to wrap this up, we’ll be able to figure that out.”

  “Will you let me know what you find?” Kendall asked.

  “If you like. Of course. But there’s something you need to know—none of this was your fault. You couldn’t have changed his feelings. If my suspicions are correct, he was a ticking time bomb, and it’s unfortunate he went off on you, but that’s probably what happened. There was nothing you did to lead him on other than be kind to him. You couldn’t have known.” He stepped toward the do
orway. “Please don’t hesitate to call if there’s anything I can do, but….” He paused as Johnny slid closer, placing his arms around Kendall’s waist. “Something tells me you have all the support and care you’re going to need.”

  “I’ll take good care of him. You can be sure of that,” Johnny said, and Detective Boutcher smiled quickly before leaving.

  Kendall sighed loudly, releasing some of the tension that had built in every muscle. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” Kendall whispered.

  “Hey, I think we were both at fault there,” Johnny said, nuzzling Kendall’s neck.

  “Okay,” Lyman said from the doorway. “I know this is your place and all, mates, but you should probably shut the door.” Kendall grinned at Lyman’s accent. It hadn’t made an appearance for most of the day. “They seem to have cleaned up the mess, and none of us have eaten, so grab your kit and we’ll get some tucker.”

  “Lyman, cut the crap,” Kendall said. “The accent doesn’t suit you, and you don’t need it.” Kendall rolled his eyes, and all three of them laughed. “The Crocodile Dundee fad is most definitely over.” Kendall’s stomach rumbled, and both he and Johnny chuckled nervously.

  Lyman humphed a bit and then smiled. “The car will be out front in a few minutes.”

  “We’ll meet you there,” Johnny said. Lyman left, and Kendall and Johnny released each other. They changed their clothes quickly.

  “You realize Lyman is going to try to talk business,” Kendall said, pulling on his shirt.

  “I know what he wants and he isn’t getting an answer, at least not now,” Johnny said as he buttoned up his shirt. “Although it’s tempting.”

  “I know.” Kendall checked himself in the mirror and straightened his collar before checking Johnny’s. “It seems strange going to dinner like this after what happened today.”

  “Yeah, it does,” Johnny said, grabbing his keys and wallet. “But life goes on.” Johnny turned and lightly stroked Kendall’s cheek. “I know this will hit us a bit later.” Kendall nodded and sighed. That was quite evident.

  They left the apartment and met Henry coming up the stairs. “I’m so sorry,” he said right away. “Someone called the police on me, and I was talking to them….”

  Kendall nodded. “I think it could have been Guy who called them. He’d obviously been watching, like you said, and might have caught sight of you. Not that we’ll ever really know, but I’m okay and that’s because of what you told me. I kept my options open, kept him in the dark as much as I could, and when he gave me an opening, I took it.” Kendall shivered at the thought that the opening he’d taken had cost Guy his life.

  “No second-guessing,” Henry said. “You did what you had to and stood up for yourself. Remember, he was the man who left you to die. Don’t let your compassion make you feel guilty. He didn’t show you any.” Henry shifted his weight slightly. “Again, I’m sorry. I should have been there.”

  “No guilt or regrets,” Kendall said, placing a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “Can we call you if we need your services again?”

  Henry flashed a surprised smile. “I’d be honored.”

  They shook hands and then they all stepped out of the building. Lyman’s big-ass limo pulled up in front, and when the driver opened the door, Kendall and Johnny joined Lyman in the back.

  “So it’s finally over,” Lyman said as the car began to move. “I never would have guessed it was Guy. I’ve worked with Guy for years. He was one of the people I….” Lyman’s eyes widened, and he swore under his breath. “I discussed security arrangements with him while we were on location. No wonder you disappeared. He knew of any holes and where to exploit them.”

  “Hey, as you said, it’s over,” Kendall said.

  Lyman pulled a bottle out of the bar and opened it, then poured three glasses and handed them around. “This is thirty-year-old scotch,” he said as he sniffed from the top of the glass. “To better days and a productive and rewarding future.” He raised his glass, and Kendall followed suit, then sipped the potent liquor. “So what do you have planned next?”

  Kendall looked at Johnny with a smile. “Actually, I think I’m going to be playing the devil on Broadway.” Johnny lightly squeezed his knee. “After that, I haven’t given it much thought. I’d like to do another film, but this time without being handcuffed to a car.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Lyman said before taking another sip. He and Johnny talked some business as they rode through traffic. Kendall sat quietly, sipping from his glass. The limousine hit a bump, and Kendall slid closer to Johnny.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Johnny whispered.

  “I’m happy,” Kendall whispered back.

  “Good. Me too,” Johnny said, and he then leaned close, kissing him lightly. The limo stopped, and Johnny got out. Kendall followed, tripping on the curb. Johnny caught him and held Kendall in his arms far longer than was necessary. “I came close to losing you twice. Let’s try not to make it three times. I don’t know if my heart can handle it.”

  “We can handle anything,” Kendall whispered, and Johnny smiled.

  Epilogue

  … AND the nominees for Best Actor are….” Kendall barely heard the names, including his own.

  When the nominations had been announced earlier in the year, Kendall had been at the theater in New York, rehearsing and then performing in a show. As Sal had predicted, The Devil with Love had turned into a huge hit. The ultimate bad-boy story had captured the imagination of the theater-going public in a huge way. Funny, dramatic, rich, sumptuous, and majorly romantic, it had something for everyone, and people flocked to see it. That evening, just as the cast was about to make their announcement regarding Equity Fights AIDS, one of his fellow cast members stepped forward to the front of the stage.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we truly hope you enjoyed the show.” Applause broke out from throughout the house. “Before we get to our bit of business this evening, we have some news to share. Today, the nominations for the Oscars were announced, and we are proud to tell you that our very own devil, Kendall Monroe, has been nominated for Best Actor.”

  Kendall stepped forward and bowed. The theater had erupted. Everyone was on their feet. The applause, cheering, and stomping reverberated off the walls. He bowed again and then stepped back, rejoining hands with his fellow cast members. Once the cheering subsided, the evening’s business concluded. The cast took one more final bow and then the curtain fell. What a feeling that had been. When he’d gotten home, he and Johnny had celebrated in a much more intimate way, though not much less quiet. That was all he could have hoped for.

  As the actress on stage opened the envelope containing the winner’s name, Johnny lightly patted his leg. They’d already discussed that it wasn’t likely he would win. He was up against Hollywood royalty, for God’s sake. “And the Oscar goes to… Kendall Monroe for Stranded.”

  At first, Kendall couldn’t move, but then he stood up and leaned over to Johnny, who squeezed his hand and motioned toward the stage. Kendall turned and walked down the aisle and up onto the stage, where he shook hands with both presenters and accepted his statuette. Then he stepped to the podium. “There are too many people to thank. My parents, the rest of the cast and crew, Lyman, of course, the most talented pain in the ass I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with.” Chuckles floated through the crowd. “I also want to thank Johnny, my partner, my rock, and the reason I can do what I do. Thank you.”

  The audience applauded and the music began as Kendall walked off stage with the presenters. The statuette was taken from him and placed on a table with the other props. He waited for what he figured was a commercial break and then was led back out to his seat. A seat filler got up as he approached, and Kendall sat down next to Johnny.

  “That was beautiful, sweetheart, thank you,” Johnny said, trying his best to hide that he’d been wiping his eyes.

  “I meant every word. You are my rock. Without you, I couldn’t do anything.” Kendall held Johnny’
s hand as the music began to play, indicating that they were returning to the telecast, and heedless of whether there were cameras on them or not, Kendall leaned over to Johnny and kissed him. “I love you more than anything.”

  “I love you too,” Johnny mouthed.

  “Guys, please,” Lyman said from the row just behind them. Kendall turned, and the two Oscar winners shared a huge grin. “Next year, Johnny, it’ll be your turn to win one for screenwriting,” Lyman whispered; he was still trying to get Johnny to adapt one of his books.

  “One’s enough,” Johnny said, and Kendall shifted in his seat to get a little closer to Johnny. One was more than enough, as far as he was concerned. One Johnny, one love, and one amazing life for the two of them—what more could he possibly want?

  About the Author

  ANDREW GREY grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing). He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

  Visit Andrew’s website at http://www.andrewgreybooks.com and blog at http://andrewgreybooks.livejournal.com/.

  E-mail him at andrewgrey@comcast.net.

  A Senses Story from ANDREW GREY

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com