by D. B. Watson
Jamie stared back, confused by Adam’s question, still holding his hand.
Adam sighed and held up their hands, still coupled.
Jamie caught on and smiled. “Does it bother you I’m holding your hand, Detective?”
“Unless you’re in distress, I see no point in it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting skin on skin contact. I like the feel of another man’s flesh touching mine.” Adam stared at Jamie and refused to go back and forth with the flirting youth. Using his free hand, Adam pulled Jamie’s clinging fingers away.
“Get your coat,” Adam ordered. Jamie shrugged and stooped down swooping up his coat. He wrapped the garment around his shoulders as Adam turned to the panel and inserted his key card to take them to the penthouse, but Jamie grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"Please, I don't want to go back up."
"Does Yuri know you're here sleeping in the elevator?"
"No, he's out. He had to take Savor to the vet."
"We're going up."
"I need to talk to you."
"About?"
"My last two attacks. Isn't that what you want? Why can’t we go back to that diner you took me to?"
"I’m only here to stay with you until Yuri gets home. Not to take you out."
“I’m not a prisoner.”
“No one said you were.”
“Then take me somewhere. How about—your place?”
“That’s not gonna happen, Jamie. Where are Yuri’s bodyguards?”
“They’re with Yuri.”
“What about Penny?”
“She went to bed.”
“I’m going up to talk to her.”
"OK, I'll wait in your jeep."
"No, you won't." Adam inserted his key card, and the doors shut, trapping Jamie's protest.
Jamie jumped at the card, dislodging it. Adam attempted to stop him, but Jamie hid the key behind his back.
"Stop playing, Jamie. Give me the card."
Jamie rolled his eyes at the detective's blaring tone. "What's the point in taking me way upstairs when we're already in the garage?"
"To tell your boyfriend, my employer, that you're all right."
"He's not my father, I can do what I like. I am over eighteen."
"You are eighteen and acting twelve."
"I'm ordering you; we don't need to go up." Jamie pressed his back against the wall, hiding the card behind him tight in his hand.
Adam, fed up, lunged at the teen grasping him around the waist, pulling him towards his body.
"We're going up!" Adam barked.
Not giving up, Jamie tried to push Adam away and spin out of his grip. Adam, stronger than the teen, held tight, forcing Jamie’s arms from behind his back, bending them until he released the card.
"Stop, Adam!"
Their faces were close enough to touch. Adam had gained control of the key card but didn't release Jamie, he only eased up on twisting his arm.
The kept teen enjoyed their sadistic embrace. That is, until the elevator stopped. The familiar ring startled them as they looked toward the retracted door.
"Detective Potter.” Yuri, dressed in another pricey suit, with his bodyguards, stood watching the entangled bodies. Adam carefully released Jamie and stepped back from him; Jamie combed his hand through his salon-groomed hair and glanced sideways at Yuri.
Yuri directed his question toward Jamie.
"Where were you? Penny checked on you and found you nowhere in the house. She called me, frantic."
Jamie hesitated before responding.
"I thought I’d go wait for Detective Potter in the garage."
Penny came rushing down the hallway. “Did you find him?” she asked. When she laid eyes on Jamie she exhaled. “Oh, thank goodness.” She stepped into the elevator and hugged him.
"I found him asleep in here," Adam said.
"Asleep in the elevator? Have you lost your mind?" roared Yuri. "Someone wants you dead. Why do you think I hired the detective?”
“Yuri, he’s safe now, there’s no need to yell at him,” said Penny with her arm around Jamie’s shoulders, walking him out of the elevator.
Yuri, fuming, turned his focus toward Adam, who also stepped out.
"Savor became sick and I had to take him to the vet. I need to get back to him. Thank you for bringing Jamie back up."
"I'm just glad he's all right," said Adam.
"Yes, I see you had a tight grip on him.” Yuri stepped forward and boarded the elevator. “I will only be a couple of hours, Detective.”
Adam wasn’t sure how to take the tone in Yuri’s comment about his hold on Jamie. He wanted to explain what he was doing, but the doors shut.
Adam found Penny and Jamie in the library, sitting on the couch. He noticed she wore a soft rose-colored dressing robe that zipped up to her neck and stretched past her ankles. She wore no slippers, with her toes painted in a clear gloss. Jamie had removed his coat, holding a glass of water. The two looked up at Adam.
“Thank you for finding him, Detective Potter,” said Penny, rising. “I’m so sorry. He can be a handful.”
“Yes, he can,” said Adam, watching Jamie place the untouched drink down on the table in front of him.
“I was just in the shower and when I came out, he was gone. I can stay and keep you both company until Yuri returns,” she suggested.
“No, get some rest. I can watch Jamie,” said Adam.
“All right.”
Jamie stood and hugged Penny before she left them alone.
“Do you still want to share?” asked Adam.
“All right.”
“Okay.” They settled on the couch. “Tell me what happened to you in the first attempt on your life."
Jamie turned to face his bodyguard. "The first one happened in the garage. I should have gone to the front entrance and let the valet park the car, but I preferred doing it myself. I found a spot close to the elevator. I looked for my key in my coat pocket when a loud bang came from behind me, causing me to drop my key card. I thought nothing of it as I bent down to pick it up. That's when he showed himself. He ran toward me and before I could react, he picked me off my feet and slammed my back into the closed elevator. The wind flew out of me so fast I almost passed out. He forced his arm under my chin, holding me off the floor, using his body to pin me."
"Do you remember what he looked like?"
"No, just a black ski mask and goggles."
"Did he say anything?"
"No—nothing."
“What happened?”
"I thought he was going to strangle me, but the elevator brought someone down from the penthouse. He pushed me to the ground and ran off."
“Who came down the elevator?”
“Penny, and Chen.”
“No one called the police?”
“No.”
"Ok, tell me about the second attack." The ring from the elevator interrupted them.
“Someone’s coming up,” said Jamie. “Yuri came back.” Jamie jumped from the couch and headed toward the hall. Adam wondered why Yuri changed his mind about going out. He followed Jamie when he found him standing frozen in the hall staring straight ahead. Adam looked toward the elevator and saw someone standing in front of the open door.
Dressed in black, the person stood about 5’9, with broad shoulders, holding a butcher’s knife. Adam stepped in front of Jamie.
“Jamie. get to a room and lock the door. Now!” ordered Adam, who reached for his gun.
“Adam!”
Before Adam could react, someone grabbed him from behind and knocked his gun from his hand. Adam struggled with his attacker, his arm held to his body as the one in front of him rushed at him.
“Jamie, run!”
A blade came up and swooped down. Adam reacted by jerking back, the knife-edge missing him by inches. Adam took the opportunity by slamming his head back, smacking the person holding him in the face causing him to relax his grip. The figure turned the knife and tri
ed to strike again, but Adam dodged it by grabbing his arm, stopping the knife from striking him in the chest. Adam brought his knee up, colliding with the man’s ribs. The person doubled over, giving Adam time to strike again, knocking the knife from his hand. Adam continued to punch the attacker in the head when he was distracted by Jamie calling for him.
“Adam, help me!” Jamie’s cries came from upstairs.
The distraction gave the man time to shove Adam off him and flee.
Adam landed near his gun. He grasped it and hurried to his feet, aiming. Before he could order him to stop, he saw the elevator door closing. He had no choice but to let the man go as he turned heel and ran to where Jamie was calling from. Adam raced upstairs, where he saw toppled furniture leading down the hallway. A broken cry echoed in his ears.
“Adam!”
“Jamie!” Adam took off running toward his cries, finding himself in the master bedroom. He entered and saw light coming from the private bathroom where splashing sounds and gurgling calls came from. He entered and saw a masked man holding Jamie’s struggling body submerged in the inground tub. Adam said nothing as he grabbed the assailant and wrenched him from the drowning man. Adam was able to push him into a wall as he dragged Jamie’s limp body from the tub, allowing him to gasp for air.
Unable to attend to him Adam turned to see the man dashing out of the room. He gave chase, but when he tried to enter the bedroom, he narrowly ducked a flying chair the invader threw at him. The man darted out of the room as Adam followed. But when he got to the hall, the man was gone. He checked all the rooms lining the hallway, finding them all unlocked and empty. He went to the stairs and looked, down seeing no one near the elevator.
Where the fuck did he go? Adam wondered as he moved to a room off to the side. He readied his gun and opened the door. The room was unlit, but once his eyes adjusted, he saw her. Penny lay on her bed, bound and gagged. Adam rushed over to the bed, untying the frantic woman. “Are you all right Penny?” he asked, helping her to sit up.
“That man—he said he’d kill me if I screamed. I didn’t know what to do! Jamie, where’s Jamie?” she asked hysterically.
“Come on, I’ll take you to him.” He led her to the private bathroom where Jamie lay on the floor curled in a ball, shaking.
She rushed to him, taking him into her arms as he sobbed.
Adam wanted to comfort him, but he had to be sure they were safe. He draped an oversized bath towel around Jamie’s shaking body and took him and Penny back to her room. After he checked the room he ordered Penny to lock the door. “I’m going to sweep the penthouse. Stay here until I come for you.”
“All right Detective,” Penny said holding Jamie.
He texted Yuri about what happened. Once he was sure the penthouse was safe he took Penny and Jamie back downstairs to the library.
“Is Yuri coming home?” asked Jamie who, with Penny’s help, changed into dry clothes, sitting close to Penny on the couch, holding her hand.
“He hasn’t texted me back yet.”
Jamie took his cell out and texted Yuri again, asking him when he was coming home and that he needed him. Adam focused on Penny, who was looking down. Adam stooped down in front of her, causing her to look at him.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Penny?” asked Adam.
“Yes,” she said meekly.
“Did they do anything to you?”
Puzzled by his comment at first, Jamie became alarmed. “Oh, God, Penny, did they?” said Jamie, holding her hand tighter.
That’s when Penny realized what they meant. “No, no, they only tied me up. That’s all.”
Jamie hugged her from the side, but she continued to stare downward. Adam stood and thought about calling the police when the elevator chime alerted them.
Adam motioned with his hand for the two to stay on the couch, drawing his gun as he moved to the hall. He glanced down and watched the door open with his gun raised. He felt relieved when he saw Yuri’s bodyguards exit the elevator first, with Yuri following.
“It’s okay,” Adam said to the men moving toward him. The men parted as Yuri walked between them, passing Adam into the room.
“Yuri!” cried Jamie, jumping up and rushing to him.
“Are you hurt?” asked Yuri.
“No, Adam saved me. Two men broke in and one of them tried to drown me!”
“He what?” Yuri scanned Jamie to be sure he was well. Then he looked over at Penny. “Penny are you all right?” asked Yuri.
Penny rose from the couch, straightening her robe. “I’m fine—” she said. Then her eyes fluttered, and she fell forward.
Yuri released Jamie and caught her before she hit the floor. “She’s hurt!” cried Yuri, picking her up.
Adam and the Lu brothers rushed to aid.
“I have her,” said Yuri, lowering her to the couch.
“Adam found her tied up in her bedroom,” said Jamie. “She’s probably in shock. She said they did nothing to her.”
“I’ll call our doctor,” said Yuri, kneeling beside her as he reached into his coat pocket and removed his cell.
“No,” Penny said, slowly opening her eyes. “I don’t need a doctor.”
“You fainted,” said Yuri.
“I’m fine now, really, there’s no need to worry.” She sat up. Jamie covered her with a blanket and added an extra pillow behind her back.
Jamie stayed beside her, draping his arm around her shoulder.
Adam stepped back, watching as they cared for her.
Once satisfied with her comfort, Yuri stood and faced Adam. “We can talk in my office Detective. My men will stay with them,” said Yuri.
“Lead the way,” replied Adam, following Yuri out of the room.
Yuri walked but stopped short, turning to him.
“How did they get in, Detective?”
“I checked all the entry points, and the only access is the elevators.”
“The elevators can only be activated with a key.”
“Which means someone gave them a key—or is letting them in.”
“No one here would do that.”
“Maybe someone lost theirs. When Jamie was attacked, did he lose his?”
“He never mentioned he lost it, but he never used it since the attacks started.”
“Has he ever been attacked at school?”
“No.”
“Then you need to see if he still has his key.”
“And if he does?”
“Then it’s an inside job. One of them was in the penthouse before I arrived, which explains how Jamie got attacked upstairs and Penny was tied up.”
“I don’t know if I can believe anyone here would do such a thing. But I will find out.”
“Also, I think you should get the police involved.”
“No police.”
“Mr. Jin, someone is out to do Jamie harm. They managed to get inside your penthouse. What would they have to do to convince you?”
“No police, Detective.”
“Mr. Jin—”
“Thank you, Detective, you can go. I’m here now.”
“But what about—”
“You can go. I won’t be needing you until next week. Your payment will not change.”
“Look, this is not about the money.”
“Goodbye, Detective Potter.”
Adam, having no choice left without saying goodbye to Jamie.
****
Adam returned home and for his own peace of mind, he checked the front door’s lock twice, and the elevator’s gate. He took the stairs up and tested the lock on the empty office, then moved to his own. When the thought of anyone trying to get in passed, Adam headed up to his apartment, securing the door behind him, then set the security alarm.
He moved about quietly so as not to wake Patrick. He glimpsed at the kitchen and noticed the dishes cleaned, dried, and put away. A warm sense of pride washed over him, from Patrick achieving one of his obstacles on his own.
Disrobing to
his bare skin, which Patrick loved to sleep in, Adam walked to the bed, finding Patrick sound asleep close to his spot on the bed. Adam thought about walking to the other side, not wanting to disturb him, but Patrick’s bottom pointed toward him and he just couldn’t resist.