"We're both team leaders and its wasting time and resources." Jack sighed, his lingering good mood from the weekend diminishing.
"Something to think about I guess." Dan looked Jack over. "So, Mister Whistle While You Work, how'd your weekend go?"
"Fine," Jack answered quickly.
Dan grinned at him. "Yeah, you look fine. I'm guessing Kinky Married Complicated got settled."
Jack wanted to answer, to talk about how amazing he had felt and how relaxed he'd been. Even breakfast the morning after had not been as awkward as he’d feared. He opened his mouth and snapped it shut again before carefully saying. "It's fine."
♦ ♦ ♦
Every time there was a report or study that came out declaring the overuse of SWAT beyond its original brief, Jack was forced to agree, even if it was only in private. Their last three jobs had involved serving search warrants by putting a battering ram through a front door. He was pretty sure it used to be a detective would knock on a door and say 'hello, we have a search warrant'. At least that's what happened in the movies.
He checked over his gear again as they pulled up to a rickety house surrounded by abandoned buildings and empty plots. This one was unlikely to be a dud and might actually need SWAT involvement. He could already feel the flood of neurochemicals building up in his system. His heart was beating faster, his muscles were tensing, a glint of sun bouncing off the edge of a buckle kept drawing his attention. He fought to keep focus. He was the leader. He'd be first through the door. The team needed him to be able to rationally assess the situation as quickly as possible, while his lizard brain was getting ready to sink its teeth into the throat of some other lizard.
He took deep breaths but tried to be discreet about it. This was where things could go wrong. The lizard was willing to lash out at anything that moved; real threat or scared kid trying to do his homework, it didn't matter. Of course, when there was nothing, just empty buildings, that was a whole different mess of a comedown.
The back doors of the van opened. They had, in theory, good intel this time. Human trafficking, a case months in the making. It was a joint operation with the feds and they'd been heavily briefed, which made for a nice change. High possibility of weapons, high chance of hostages, high chance of the bad guys skipping town in the next 24 hours, high chance of the Big Guy being there.
His team followed him out of the van and down the thin alley between buildings, their job was to stop anyone who tried to run out the back while the feds went in the front. Gonzales's team was split in two, to catch anyone trying to climb out the windows. 'We have the place surrounded' was no idol threat this time.
He heard the heavy thump of chopper blades overhead and a simple call ‘go’ over the radio. He heard the crash of the front door being forced open. He shoved down his lizard brain, jumped on the adrenalin wave, and got to work.
♦ ♦ ♦
Jack was staring at Isaac's number on the little slip of paper when his phone rang. The number on the screen matched up with the doctor's scribble. He'd been debating calling Isaac. That was the problem with never being with anyone more than once, he wasn't sure of the protocol. It had been three days.
"Hello?"
"Hi, it's me." Isaac sounded like he was in a good mood. "Did I catch you at an okay time?"
"Yeah, I'm at home. Was about to make dinner," Jack lied. He'd been thinking about ordering pizza but he wasn't that hungry. He was coming down from the day. It had been a good bust in the sense that the bad guys were arrested, but it hadn't been clean. There had been weapons discharged. One of the FBI guys caught a bullet in the leg. One of the low level bad guys caught a bullet in the head. His team ended up in a hand to hand scuffle. The debrief had been extensive and left him nearly as wound up as the operation itself. Wound up and unsure how to unwind.
"Dinner sounds good. I wanted to check on how you're doing. Haven't heard from you in a couple of days and wanted to make sure you didn't come down too hard."
Jack didn't feel like he'd come down at all. Not really. Not like other times where the crash was hard, leaving him sick, and the itch starting again almost instantly. Or the comedowns from the days like the one he'd just had that left him frayed, unfocused, and needing time on his knees. "I'm fine. Good. I was thinking about calling you but I wasn't sure…" he trailed off.
"You can call me any time you need to, or any time you just feel like it. I want to know how you're doing."
Warmth spread across his body and he smiled, even though no one was there to see it. "I'm feeling fine." He didn't mention work.
"Work okay?"
"Caught some bad guys today so that's good."
Isaac gave a happy little hum that warmed Jack in a different way. "Good. I'm tempted to say something tacky like 'what are you wearing'."
Jack chuckled. "Just jeans and a t-shirt. Nothing exciting."
"Anything can be exciting if worn by the right person."
Isaac's voice hadn't changed, there was still light laughter in it but it made Jack hard. That had been the only downside to the last few days, his dick acting like a teenager's again. He cleared his throat as he shifted on his couch.
"Did you just get hard?"
Jack's face burned and he was glad Isaac wasn't there to see it. "A little," he lied again.
"Are you going to take care of it?"
"Umm… I…" He wanted to. He would have happily whacked off three times a day for the last three days. He hadn't though. It was another bit of procedure he wasn't sure about, but he'd heard other subs talk about.
"You can if you like." Isaac's voice became serious. "I don't need to exert any control over your day to day life. Unless you want me to?"
"Uhhh—" Jack was annoyed at how completely inarticulate he'd gotten as his mind raced in sex based directions.
"How about you take care of yourself as much as you like until the next time we're together and we'll talk about it then. In fact, why don't you keep track of how many times you take care of yourself between now and then."
Shit, Jack thought, knowing full well he was going to do it. "Okay." He swallowed hard a few times. "When can we meet again?"
No, that didn't sound desperate and needy.
"I know I have the weekend after next completely free. Lydia and Amalie are going to some spa to get dipped in mud or something equally unsanitary. And I've double checked the date. You could come over Friday night, stay all weekend if you like. We can just hang out. But if you need to meet sooner—"
"No. I can hang on for that long."
"I don't want you hanging on." Isaac's voice was gentle. "I want you comfortable in this."
"I'll be fine."
There was a moment of silence over the line. "Okay, but call me any time you like. You've got my number."
"I will. Promise."
"Good." Isaac hung up the phone. Jack took a couple of deep breaths and unzipped his jeans. He instantly felt much better.
♦ ♦ ♦
Isaac hung up the phone smiling to himself. He'd been worried when Jack hadn't called until it hit him that he might not know he could call. You don't call anonymous one night stands. That Jack hadn't masturbated since their time together made Isaac tingle. It spoke strongly to wanting more long-term or day to day control even if he didn't realize it.
"Hey, hun?" he shouted from his office to Amalie's.
"What?" she shouted back.
"I invited Jack to come over while you're getting dipped in mud."
He heard her get up and appear at his door only a few seconds later. "Full weekend sleepover?"
"That's the plan."
"That's getting serious."
He knew that. A simple overnight was one thing. Whole days with each other, possibly whole days of submission, that was a trickier test of compatibility and commitment.
"We'll see how it goes. I know he's still got a whole tangle of issues but—"
"Hey, you never know if you can get passed the issues if you don't try." S
he smiled at him.
"And I think he'll look very hot tied up." Isaac said, half deflecting a discussion about feelings until he knew if there were reasons to have them. "Maybe try a corset pattern to start with."
"I can picture that." Amalie had a fair amount of skill at kinbaku herself, but for her it was a purely artistic exercise, that she often referred to as her kinky macrame.
"Speaking of, think I can budget in some new rope?" He really wanted to see Jack wrapped in blue.
"Seeing that I'm about to pay way too much to spend a weekend wrapped in kelp, you can get new rope. With his complexion maybe try to get something in a dark blue or dark green."
"Want to come shopping with me?"
Amalie put on her pretending to think face then grinned.
Isaac clapped his hands together. "Yay, toy shopping!"
♦ ♦ ♦
Cum was drying on his body as he lay on his back, legs spread wide. Normally he was cleaner when it came to whacking off. Faster as well. But this one seemed important. He'd taken his time, stripped naked and teased himself. He'd run one hand along his body and slowly stroked his cock with the other. The whole time he'd thought of Isaac, the things that had been done to him, the soft but strong voice in his ear whispering praise.
And there were the things promised and the possibilities of what might happen. Vague dreams, comments overheard, flashes of images quickly scrolled past in the depths of the internet. Things that scared him but sent his hand moving faster.
When he came it had been with his free hand gripping hard in his hair, pulling his own head back, his spine arched, and his body on fire with the thought of what might happen the next time they were together.
Chapter 10
"Can I help you two find anything?" asked the heavily pierced young sales woman as they entered Bell's Leather and Equipment.
"We're fine, thanks," Isaac answered politely as he and Amalie headed to the back rooms. The front of the shop was crotchless panties and furry handcuffs for amateurs and lookie loos. The back room had a collection of rope that would put a mountaineering supplier to shame, as well as toys and equipment for the more experienced consumer.
"May I assist you this morning?" asked an elegantly suited, and tightly corseted young man from his desk by the door.
"New rope, and maybe some other odds and ends. I'll look around, see what looks good."
"Of course, sir. We have a new collection of stainless steel insertables, as well as a fresh set of vibrators and plugs that can be controlled and programmed via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth."
"Wi-Fi operated sex toys. I love living in the future."
Amalie tapped him on the shoulder. "I'm going to go pick rope." She had an engineer's eye for the stuff and he trusted her judgment. "You should look at cuffs. Nothing makes a new boy feel special like his own gear."
"Very true." He looked around, except for the ropes along the back wall they'd rearranged since the last time he was there.
"If you'll allow me, sir, I can show you to the leather goods."
"You boys in the back room are always so polite." Amalie commented with a small chuckle.
"We try, madam." He turned to Isaac. "If you follow me, sir."
As they walked through the showroom, Isaac tapped down the desire to request one of everything. He and Amalie were comfortable but he did not need a 900 dollar, fully adjustable punishment bench. His toy collection was already extensive if under used.
He did let himself stop and linger over the cuffs and collars. Amalie was right, he wanted Jack to feel important and comfortable. Second hand cuffs with cracked leather was not going to accomplish that. There was a wide range of thicknesses and padding. Some were so thin as to be nothing more than decorative. Others were industrial, originally designed to hold dangerous criminals in place.
"Decisions, decisions," Isaac mumbled mostly to himself.
"If I may ask what kind of boy you have, perhaps I can help you narrow down your choices."
"Large and strong but in a natural way. Shy but willing. A little delicate." That last bit Isaac said more to himself.
"I see. Perhaps these then." The sales assistant brought over a set of cuffs and a collar in natural leather. "Seven piece set. Wrists, thighs, ankles, and collar. A thick leather with a neoprene padding designed to minimize marking and prevent damage to the leather from sweat. Good for long-term use within reason. There is an option to lock them into place. Multiple D rings of course, and while not rated for suspension they can handle a few hundred pounds of pulling."
Isaac picked up an ankle cuff. It was wide and a good weight. Not too heavy but you'd know it was there. Nicely padded as well. He wouldn't have to worry about sanding down the leather first or it cutting into Jack's skin.
He knew sets like this fell under the category of If You Have to Ask the Price You Probably Can't Afford It, but Jack was his best opportunity for someone long term in a long time. And considering his history of one night stands he'd probably never had his own equipment.
"I like them." Isaac pictured them on Jack. "Any chance I can get them in a slightly darker color?"
♦ ♦ ♦
"Find something you like?" Amalie asked as he joined her by the ropes.
"I think I got some good stuff. How about you?"
She gestured to several lengths of colored rope and cord. "I figure braided cotton. He's not going to want marks."
"Sadly, no. But I can work with it." He lifted the dark blue rope and ran it across his fingers. He usually used a jute rope because it bit into itself for a secure hold but also bit slightly into the skin, leaving complicated patterns across a subs body if done right. He gave her a quick kiss. "Have I mentioned lately that you are awesome?"
"Yes, but I could always stand to hear it more."
"You are awesome."
She grinned. "I know."
"Are you getting stuff for yourself?"
"Of course, only place I can get that French massage oil I like." She steadfastly refused to buy anything sex related online. "Plus, a couple of other things."
He glanced around the well-stocked room. "Yeah, I think I'll pick up a couple other things as well."
♦ ♦ ♦
The cranberry juice was sharp and cold but in no way what Jack wanted. Jack wanted a drink, but he'd learned long ago that on the odd occasions when he really wanted a drink, were the times he shouldn't be having one. Plus, this was going to be a loose lips sink ships situation.
It wasn't typical for him, Dan, and Gonzales to be in the same place at the same time, since one of their teams was nearly always on the job. As it was Gonzales was on call, meaning they were at a diner not nearly as far from the station as Jack would have liked.
Dan sipped his water. "So, we have eleven duds in the last six months."
"And this month isn't done yet," Gonzales added.
"All tips, or so we've been told. And all connected to drugs, mostly production, some distribution."
Jack rubbed at his temples. He felt tired and scattered. "We've got a dripping faucet."
Dan began to draw in his ketchup with a french fry. "Or someone dumb enough to take bad intel from the same person over and over."
"I'm more inclined to believe in the faucet with a drip," Gonzales said.
Jack rolled his shoulders trying to stretch out his stress knotted muscles. "This is so far above our paygrade."
"Who are we going to trust though?" Gonzales asked. "I don't know about you guys but I've got zero useful connections."
"We leak the leak?" Dan suggested. "Some sort of internal memo. Play dumb about it?"
"I don't know." Jack's army time had taught him exactly how fast blame could be passed around and how fast shit could roll downhill until the person at the bottom was buried in it. "And it's not like we have anything concrete to point to. A few more empty houses than usual. Someone can write that off easy."
"And it's not like we've caught someone sneaking out the back of a place."
"Yeah, us to." Dan waved him out of the bar.
Jack finished his cranberry juice and leaned back into the padded seats of the booth.
"Got any other thoughts?" Dan asked.
Jack shook his head. "Just crap from movies and spy novels. Nothing useful." But that didn't change the frustration that was growing in him. He knew this was going to go bad at some point, he could feel it. "You?"
"Sure, but nothing actionable. Spy movie shit."
The two of them fell into silence. Jack glanced up at the daily specials board. Someone in the kitchen had ambitions above fried eggs and grilled cheese. The dessert was a green tea ice cream with dark chocolate shell.
He was pretty sure he would never be able to think about green tea again without remembering being on his knees, his eyes closed, smelling tea and sex.
"So, now that we've completely failed to do anything useful about our work problems, how's your love life?" Dan asked, a tinge of frustration in his voice.
"My love life is fine."
Dan grinned. "Fine means you are admitting to having one." Jack went to stand up. "Nah, sit down. Fine is good. You're good when you're fine. Way more relaxed. You don't have that tense brain jumping around thing going."
"Should I be worried that you pay that much attention to my mental state?" Jack asked trying desperately to deflect from the fact that Brain Jumping Around Thing was one of the main things that drove him to people like Isaac.
"We have to back each other up on occasion. I try to pay attention to the overall moods of anyone who is going to be near me with a firearm."
"I'm fine," Jack repeated.
"Yes, you are. Keep doing whatever it is you're doing with Kinky Married Complicated, it's grounding you. That's good."
Chapter 11
Tactical Submission: A Windsor Club Story Page 9