by Jools Louise
“Don’t worry, we’ve got you,” Cracker whispered, pressing a kiss to Douglas’s cheek.
Douglas relaxed slightly but kept alert, trying to concentrate on where he was walking, counting steps as they walked. He heard his dad’s voice, muffled as though through glass, then a slight swish and the noise increased. There were excited shouts, his father’s deep tones, and the sound of John apparently teaching some kids different strokes. He frowned slightly, tilting his head as he absorbed everything.
“It’s an Olympic-sized pool, fifty meters long, twenty-five meters wide, with eight lanes,” Ryder explained quietly. “This end is the shallow end. There’s eight starting blocks, with a ladder on each side for getting in and out. The changing rooms are a little further down and can be accessed from the corridor outside, or in here, opposite the deep end. There’s bleachers seating all around, with a balcony on two levels. Digital display boards are at this end. The children and John are in a smaller, training pool, which is five feet at its deepest and a quarter the size of the big pool. It’s at the far side, right next to this one, divided by a walkway which is eight feet wide and runs the length of the hall.”
Douglas memorized the information, trying to get a picture in his head. He’d seen events like the Olympics and Paralympics, so had a good idea of what the area looked like.
“Where are the diving pools?” he asked.
“Next door,” Cody said as he walked up. “Access is restricted, using a coded door, through the changing areas. We don’t want the little fuzzies getting in there. Those pools are really deep.” Douglas was enfolded in his arms and hugged him back, inhaling the familiar scent which always managed to soothe his fears. Cody was one of those guys who you knew had your back, no matter what. “There’s a high-diving board, one a little lower and one lower still for beginners. It’s fantastic, now we have the pools filled. Some of the construction guys have experience, so they’ve taken charge of the chemicals and maintenance.”
“What’s John doing?” Douglas asked. He could hear his friend above the splashes and echoes around what sounded like a large shed, the noises bouncing off the walls and ceiling. The acoustics were pretty good.
“He’s pretty good at swimming, so he’s teaching classes for the little ones,” Cody replied, sounding amused. “Between you and me, it’s the best place for him…keeps him out of my hair.”
“Not that you have much hair to begin with, old man,” John piped up tauntingly, not missing a thing. Cody grunted, followed by John laughing softly. Douglas just knew his dad had done a hand signal of some kind.
“Dad, it’s not nice to use such gestures when there are children around,” he said, nudging the man in the ribs with his elbow.
Cody sighed. “He asked for it,” he muttered.
Douglas grinned, nodding. “John always does,” he retorted, hearing the Brit snort. “Just remember how many times he’s been in time-outs recently, though.”
Cody laughed. “There is that,” he said.
“So, what am I supposed to be helping you with?” Douglas asked his father, not quite sure how he could help with anything.
“Some of the little ones have developed complications, as a result of the chemicals that were pumped into them at the facility,” Cody replied, his tone serious now. “Those in the pool are doing just fine, apart from Candy, who’s also affected. In addition there’s a group of ten who are struggling.”
“What complications?” Douglas asked with concern. He hadn’t heard that any of the little ones were sick.
“They’re losing their sight,” his father replied.
Douglas gasped, covering his mouth with his hand in shock. “Ten of them are? Are you certain?”
“Lex has examined them and done a whole bunch of tests,” Cody said. “He said they’re pretty much blind, and can only distinguish light from dark but no shapes. They’re Blue’s age, about four years old.”
Douglas felt sick that the children were still suffering the aftershocks of their time in the labs. It was disgusting that anyone would treat a child in such a vile, repulsive manner. He had heard something of what had been done to them from Freddy, who had been forced to work there, but nobody really knew for sure the full horrors. Now they were discovering that the lab techs had left a terrible legacy. Douglas felt his own problems diminishing in light of what the little ones must be going through.
“How can I help?” he asked simply.
“They need to learn how to get about,” Cody said. “We know that you’ve managed to find a way of mapping out places. Right now, they’re a little scared to go outside, for fear they’ll fall over or get lost or…well, everything scares them at the moment. They’ve never really been out of the labs, and even after a few months of being at the ranch, their sight loss is giving them even more reason to be scared.”
“Where are they? And why did we come in here?” Douglas was puzzled.
“You just met some of them,” John said, sounding amused. “These guys just love swimming and seem to have no fear in the water. It’s all the other stuff that frightens them.”
“I don’t think…” Douglas stammered, feeling queasy about getting in. He was okay when he knew the terrain, and had trained himself to listen for certain sounds. This place was a clusterfuck of noise. The water splashing against the pool, voices echoing and re-echoing around the hangar-like structure, and then there was the risk of slipping and falling, since he didn’t yet know what obstacles lay in his path.”
“The chlorine won’t hurt you,” Cracker murmured softly. Douglas jumped, having forgotten his lover was still there, he’d been so lost in his thoughts.
“I…” Douglas ground to a halt, the sickness swirling up into his throat.
“John’s here,” Ryder said from behind. “Cracker and I have to go and try out with our team. Cody will help you get changed.”
Douglas heard the words as though from a distance and then felt a tiny hand in his, squeezing gently. He tilted his head, looking down despite not being able to see who was there.
“Uncle John said you got no eyes,” a sweet little voice said. It sounded like the little girl from earlier, who’d marked the truck tire in feline mode. “Ours don’t work properly, either. Don’t be scared. The water is so much fun. It doesn’t hurt a bit.” She tugged on his hand. “You need to get into your trunks, though,” she whispered conspiratorially. “I’ll show you, shall I?”
Douglas allowed himself to be led slowly, carefully, away from the noise of the pool. The swish of a door told him he was exiting the main area, and the quiet after the confusion was a balm to his sensitive ears. He felt a little foolish for freaking out, especially when the little girl had suffered far more than he had.
“What’s your name?” he asked, trying to rein in his fear, not wanting to show he was still terrified.
“I’m Candy,” she said. “‘Cause I love eating sweets,” she giggled. “Blue told me he chose his own name, because we were only given numbers at the nasty place, so I chose Candy.” She giggled again. “I peed on the truck.”
Douglas bit back a smile. “I know,” he said dryly. “I don’t think that’s a great idea, though.”
“Uncle John took too long,” she said, and he imagined her little shoulders rising and falling in a shrug. “I tol’ him I needed to pee, and he didn’t listen. So I peed.”
He couldn’t help but smile, her giggles infectious. “Uncle John often gets distracted,” he replied.
“He taught us to swim,” she said, sounding a little more serious. “We love him. We want to be in one of the swimming races, in the games, but he said we were too little.” He could hear the pout in her voice and restrained a grin.
“Maybe we could talk to Alfie,” he replied. “Perhaps we could have a few mini-shifter events.”
She squealed loudly, nearly splitting his eardrums, and he felt her bounce up and down. “Where’s Alfie?” she asked excitedly. “We gotta tell Uncle John so he can ask.”
Edging around the bench, he took another two steps and found a second bench. Then a third, fourth, and fifth. Each was attached to a bar above, which had coat hooks secured. Counting steps again, Douglas made his way back to where he’d started and took a breath. He felt a little calmer, but then heard a shrill scream from the corridor outside. Without thinking, he about-faced and ran, retracing his steps automatically. He followed the sounds of distress outside and reached Candy’s side within seconds. She was crying hysterically, completely distraught, uttering heart-wrenching sobs.
“Hey, hey,” he said, crouching beside her and reaching for her carefully. He opened his ears to listen for any sounds of danger, but heard nothing untoward. “What’s wrong, Candy? Hmmm?”
She scooted into his arms, and he gave her a hug as she sobbed into his chest as though her heart would break. “I…got…lost…” she sniffled between shuddering breaths, calming a little. “I…thought…I knew…where Uncle John was…but I got the wrong…door.”
He sat on the concrete, feeling light ripples under his butt, little bumps in the tarmac, like Braille. He frowned thoughtfully. A lot of places, particularly in cities, had adapted to create disabled-friendly environments. He figured it was about time he learned a bit more about them…and to read Braille. He had resisted, thinking that a miracle would occur and his sight would return. Realistically, that wasn’t going to happen.
“When I’m in a new place, I count steps,” Douglas said and heard Candy’s sniffles decrease. He reached into his pocket and found a wrinkled tissue, clean, and wiped her face, then got her to blow her nose. “Eew!” he grimaced and heard her giggle, then sniff again. “Double eew!”
She laughed harder, her little body jiggling in his arms, and rested her head against his chest. “Snotty.”
“Oh yeah,” he agreed, kissing the top of her head. She smelled of citrus and strawberries, and a hint of chocolate chip cookies. John must have been spoiling the children again. The guy made a ton of extra cookies and pastries at the café, then brought them home to the ranch for the kids to eat, telling everyone that they’d be wasted otherwise. Douglas figured it was because his friend was a big pushover.
“Shall we count our way back inside?” he said. She nodded, then emitted a huge sigh.
“I wanna go swimming now,” she said.
“So do I,” Douglas replied, smiling. “I need to get my trunks on, though.”
* * * *
Cracker’s heart was in his mouth as he heard the scream, then ran out of the pool area to see Douglas go careening out through the main doors. He’d been waiting with Ryder until Douglas came back from the changing room. He had wanted to go after his mate, but didn’t want Douglas to feel crowded. Following quickly, he stopped abruptly, assessing the situation for danger, then watched as Douglas gathered the little girl, Candy, in his arms and soothed her tears. His heart clenched with love for his mate, who had so much courage without realizing.
He listened to Douglas, watched as his lover eased the little girl’s fears, and fell in love all over again. He wished his sister had met Douglas…he figured the two would have clicked instantly. His thoughts grew darker, and he wondered how long it would be before Ryder got word about the bastards responsible for her death. He wanted them to pay. Seeing what hatred had done to this innocent child, so many innocents, made him killing mad.
“Hey, Cracker,” Douglas said as he stood up, Candy held securely in his arms.
“How did you know…never mind,” Cracker said, shaking his head. “Candy, this dude here is a superhero. He has special powers, you know.”
Candy’s eyes widened, her mouth forming a perfect circle. “Really?” she asked, and clasped Douglas’s face between her tiny hands. “What powers?”
“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Douglas retorted dryly, grinning at his lover.
“He’s being modest,” Cracker said, kissing Douglas on the cheek, then the top of Candy’s head.
“No, I just have no idea what you mean,” was the response.
Cracker smiled, then began to walk back inside, Douglas keeping in step without thinking about it. Cracker wasn’t touching him, wasn’t telling him where to step, but the man instinctively seemed to sense his surroundings. It was incredible to watch, his steps sure and confident. It was only when Douglas over-thought things that he got scared. In the weeks that Cracker had known his mate, the guy had not once put a foot wrong. Which was a miracle in itself.
They entered the building, Cracker slowing slightly to see how Douglas would react. Sure enough, his mate slowed, too, then sent him a wry look. “Are you done testing me?” he asked, his mouth quirking into a half-smile. “Or are we playing a weird game of tag?”
Cracker laughed at that and patted Douglas’s butt. “No, sweetie, that comes later,” he said, amused. “I wasn’t testing you, exactly. I just love to see your moves, that’s all.”
Douglas snorted at that. “That makes one of us,” he said, smirking with dark humor.
Cracker rolled his eyes. “You see far more than most of us,” he retorted sharply. “You were already outside before I got to the door. I’d barely reacted, and you were already helping Candy here. This is a strange, new environment, but in a few seconds, you’ve memorized and cataloged and adjusted your steps accordingly. I don’t know how you manage it, but you have the instincts of a…”
“Cat?” Douglas asked, smiling with genuine amusement. He lowered his voice, whispering conspiratorially to Candy. “He’s forgotten that I’m a jaguar shifter,” he said.
Candy giggled. “I’m a fuzz butt, too.”
“Yes, you surely are,” Douglas laughed, swinging her around suddenly so she squealed in delight. Her chuckles were contagious, and as they entered the pool area again, Cracker joined in.
“Candy, where did you run off to?” John called from the pool, sounding relieved, even as he scolded her gently.
“I forgot to count,” she said, sucking her thumb. “Douglas said he’s gonna help me learn to count steps.”
“Well, that’s okay, then,” John replied, smiling. “Is Douglas going to get into his trunks as well?”
“I don’t mean to be a party pooper, but I don’t have any,” Douglas replied, shrugging.
“Could be a problem,” Cracker interjected. “Not for me, but then I’ve seen you hanging loose before.”
“Cracker!” Douglas scolded, flushing beet red.
“Luckily, I thought ahead,” Cody said, pushing a backpack into Douglas’s hand. “Here, let me take the munchkin, while Cracker shows you the changing room.”
“Candy showed me where it was,” Douglas said and turned to go.
“Yeah, she showed you the female’s changing area,” Cracker retorted dryly, tickling the child, who giggled and squirmed.
“That’s the only one I know,” she protested, hiding her face against Cody’s neck, still laughing.
“Oh,” Douglas replied, then laughed. “Good job I didn’t have trunks, then. That could have been embarrassing, getting changed in there.”
“Come on, stud, let’s get you into something more suitable,” Cracker drawled, handing Candy off to Cody, then tugging Douglas along with him, toward the other changing facilities. “There’s also a few separate cubicles along here, for trans swimmers, who might feel uncomfortable in the other communa
l areas.”
Douglas counted steps automatically and took note of what Cracker told him about where stuff was. A few minutes later he was clad in Speedos and had a towel around his neck. He’d had to fend off Cracker’s wandering hands and was still laughing from the ensuing tickling match. His lover was a big goof ball, sexy as fuck and so much fun. He was the perfect foil for Ryder, who took seriousness to whole new levels. The guy was fierce, protective as hell, alpha to the core…and yet he had a well of love inside him that just didn’t quit. Douglas felt all tingly recalling the many times they’d all made love, his two big mates going at it like gladiators and then switching into tender lover mode when they made love to Douglas. He loved the pair more than anything and still felt a little giddy that he had two such beautiful males at his disposal.
He felt Cracker’s hand at his waist, guiding him back into the pool area, and smiled to himself, not minding that his lover was in protective mode again. He kind of liked that both his men were like that. He always knew, deep down, that they would move mountains for him. It gave him a sense of security, knowing they were there for him. He didn’t know too much about Ryder’s history, even now. The guy was tight-lipped to a T.
“You’re thinking about sex, aren’t you?” Cracker whispered, chuckling softly.
Douglas shrugged. “I’m a guy, with two sexy mates at my beck and call,” he retorted, grinning. “It’s bound to happen.”
Cracker patted his ass gently. “You be sure to let me know when you need your next fix, and call me,” he laughed.
“Enough flirting, gents, time to get to work,” Cody drawled suddenly. Douglas jumped, startled, and flushed a little. It wasn’t often he was caught off guard. He blamed Cracker’s distracting presence. The man just had that ability.