Puppy Love - 15. Chapter 15

Blaine climbed out of bed and padded down the hallway on bare feet. It wasn’t until he saw the closed bathroom door that he remembered that he and Levi were no longer alone. Taking a quick glance down at his naked form, Blaine turned and made a beeline for his and Levi’s room before Derek came out of the bathroom and saw his aroused naked body. As Blaine walked into the room and shut the door, a low laugh came from the bed.

“Forgot it’s not just us?” Levi asked softly as he sat up in bed.

“Yeah, fortunately for me, I realized it before Derek came out of the bathroom to see me in all my glory.”

“It would definitely have been a wake-up call,” Levi answered as his eyes roamed appreciatively over Blaine. Levi flew out of bed, eyes gleaming, as Blaine bent over to pick his shorts up off of the floor. He pressed against Blaine’s back as his lover straightened. “It’s definitely a morning view that I don’t mind,” Levi whispered in Blaine’s ear as he slowly ran one hand over Blaine’s side, his rock hard shaft nestled between the globes of Blaine’s ass.

“Only because you’re a horn dog,” Blaine whispered back, a slight hitch in his voice.

“I’m the horn dog?” Levi questioned as he slid his hand down and wrapped it around Blaine’s leaking shaft, eliciting a loud groan from between Blaine’s lips.

“Why do you do this to me?” Blaine groaned as he felt Levi’s hand tighten slightly.

“I can’t help it babe,” Levi answered as he released Blaine from his hand and turned him around. “It’s just something that you do to me,” he said before pressing his lips against Blaine’s, his tongue seeking entrance.

Wrapping his arms around Levi, Blaine hungrily returned Levi’s heated kiss. Blaine could not stop the whimper that emerged as his and Levi’s morning erections rubbed together. Blaine slowly ran his hands over Levi’s back in a fleeting caress. The friction between their cocks soon proved to be too much as Blaine’s body became rigid and his dick began pulsing, shooting his seed between their bodies. Blaine grasped Levi tightly to keep from falling as the pleasure shot through the entire length of his body. Just as Blaine’s orgasm began to taper off, Levi clung to Blaine as his own orgasm ripped through his body, his seed mixing with Blaine’s between them.

Both exhausted, Blaine and Levi fell back onto the bed. Blaine sighed as he pulled Levi close to him as they lay next to each other. Blaine never remembered falling asleep, but the next thing he knew, he was being woke up by a knock on his and Levi’s bedroom door.

“Blaine? Levi? Are you guys awake?” Derek questioned through the door.

Blinking drowsily, Blaine answered, “Yeah, we’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Well, you guys had better hurry or we’re going to be late.”

Glancing over at the clock on the nightstand was all it took to get Blaine moving. Cursing, he shook Levi gently awake only to have Levi roll away making little attempt to open his eyes. Blaine shook harder, knowing that he had to get his lover to wake up.

“Levi, babe, you have got to get up,” Blaine said loudly, his voice finally managing to penetrate the fog surrounding Levi’s brain.

“What time is it?” Levi asked groggily.

“We’ve got about fifteen minutes to be out the door, and even that is pushing it,” Blaine answered as he hurried out of the bed. It wasn’t until he swung his legs over the side4 of the bed that he was reminded of the fact that he and Levi had never cleaned up after their morning activities.

“Damn it,” Blaine muttered as he pulled some shorts on and quickly made his way to the bathroom, praying that he wouldn’t run into Derek on the way. Once safely in the bathroom, Blaine quickly relieved himself before grabbing a washcloth and washing away the dried remnants coating his belly. Rinsing the washcloth out in warm water, he made his way back to the bedroom and tossed the warm washcloth to Levi. “Get that cute ass out of bed and get ready for work,” Blaine said as he opened the dresser and grabbed a pair of jeans. Quickly pulling them on, Blaine grabbed a t-shirt without looking and pulled it over his head before heading out in search for coffee. When he walked into the kitchen, Derek was just pouring himself another cup and upon seeing Blaine, he grabbed another cup and filled it to the brim.

“Slept in a bit did we?” Derek questioned as he made his way over to the table and set the steaming brew in front of Blaine.

“Yeah, just a little, Levi should be out in a minute.”

“Well, Renee called a little bit ago and she’s ready to go when we are,” Derek said as he sipped his coffee.

Within minutes, Levi made his way into the kitchen, still blinking sleep from his eyes. He made his way over to the counter and poured his own cup of coffee before joining the other two men at the table. Silence filled the room and the three men thought about the day ahead of them, they knew that it was going to be a bit different than other days, especially Levi and Blaine. They weren’t used to having anyone tag around with them while they were working, but they also knew that they didn’t have much choice, at least until Michael was caught.

“We should probably get headed out guys,” Levi said as he got up from the table and grabbed all the mugs, quickly dumping them into the sink and loading them in the dishwasher. As Levi and Blaine worked on getting their shoes on, Derek made a quick phone call.

“Hey Renee, it’s Derek, we’re ready to go,” Derek said into the phone. “Yeah, we’ll give it about three minutes and then we’ll all be heading out, so be ready and watch it today.” After waiting a few minutes, Derek spoke again, “I’m not sure, but we have to be ready no matter when it is. It could be today, tomorrow, or a month from now, we have no way of knowing. Okay, I’m going to send Levi off now, and don’t forget to check in with me later tonight.” After listening for a minute longer, Derek motioned for Levi to go ahead and leave and after giving Blaine and brief, love filled kiss, Levi grabbed his keys and walked out the door. After getting confirmation that Renee was in place behind Levi, Derek ushered Blaine out the door and into the truck.

“So, what’s going to happen?” Blaine asked Derek.

“We don’t know yet, we have a team in place near both employment sites and at the first sign of danger they will move in and surround the area.”

“Why weren’t we told about the teams,” Blaine asked.

“They weren’t in place until today, last night you guys just had us, but we can’t keep control of the larger areas that we will be in starting today and we want to catch this bastard before he can hurt you guys or anyone else.”

“Sounds reasonable, just wish we knew about it. Is Levi going to be told?”

“Yeah, Renee will have a meeting with him at the clinic about the teams that we have in place and the exact reasons as to why they are there.”

“Okay, just wanted to make sure that he knew what was going on. He’s actually been the sane one throughout all of this,” Blaine said softly.

“Don’t get me wrong Blaine, Levi is involved in this, but we believe that you are going to be the main target, that’s the way he tends to work. He will go after the ones that you love, but he would rather go straight for you.”

“That’s comforting,” Blaine said sarcastically.

“It’s not meant to be comforting,” Derek said seriously, “It’s meant to tell you exactly how serious that this is going to be and exactly how cautious we have to be.”

“Yeah, I know, we have to be careful of every step we make, but that’s what you guys are here for, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, that’s what we’re here for, but there’s always a chance and that’s why you need to be so careful and be aware of everything that is going on around you. Any mistake could be drastic and we don’t want that to happen.”

“I know, but we’d better get going,” Blaine said as he grabbed his keys and walked to the door, only pausing long enough to slip his shoes on and wait for Derek to precede him so that he could lock the door behind them.

***

After a long and uneventful day, Blaine and Derek stropped to check one last campsite before heading home for the day. It was not until he had climbed out of the truck that Blaine realized that something was not right in the forest. Normally on his rounds he could hear the birds chirping and the other critters rustling around in the trees, but today it was eerily silent.

Blaine had just turned toward Derek when the shot rang out, it only took a moment for Blaine to feel the searing pain spread throughout his abdomen. Within seconds of the first shot, Derek had shoved Blaine to the ground, covering him with his own body, while all the time calling for back-up. It wasn’t until Derek felt the warm stickiness against his own abdomen that he realized that the shot had found its mark. Waiting for his men to surround them, Derek cussed as he covered Blaine’s body, unable to inspect the wound for fear of giving Michael a clear shot, not that he figured that mattered. As soon as his men surrounded them, Derek pulled back from Blaine and gently rolled him over checking to see if he could determine the extent of the injuries as he radioed for an ambulance to be dispatched to the scene. Hollering out orders to his men, Derek instructed them that he needed immediate contact with Agent’s Roberts and Jeffries and that their charges were to be immediate evacuated to a safe location. All the while he was barking orders, Derek had removed his jacket and was holding the heavy material against the wound in a vain attempt at stopping the loss of blood from Blaine’s body. By the time the paramedics arrived, the blood flow had lessened slightly, but Derek didn’t waste any time in turning Blaine over into the medic’s care.

“Boss?” A voice said in his ear through the receiver.

“Yeah? What’s up Brody?”

“The shooter is not in custody,” Brody answered back.

“Have we searched the immediate area?”

“Yes sir, we have. We have found the area where we believe the shooter stationed himself. There are scuff marks around the tree and there is evidence of someone having climbed into the upper reaches of the tree, more than likely for a less obstructed view.”

“Are the roadblocks in place?”

“That’s affirmative, but there have been no incidents at this time.”

“He’s more than likely hiding out in the forest,” Derek stated as he swore to himself. He and Blaine had been all over the forest checking out campsites and they hadn’t seen any sign of anyone in the area. Derek looked over to where the paramedics worked feverishly on Blaine as the prepared to load him into the waiting ambulance for the trip to the hospital. “I am continuing with my charge and will be stationed at the hospital, but first we need to make sure it’s safe,” Derek stated. Upon seeing the paramedics begin to close the ambulance doors, Derek continued as he approached the emergency vehicle, “Comb the forest and search for the shooter. Check all the hotels and call me with the results,” Derek said through his mouthpiece as he climbed into the ambulance only moments before it sped away in the quickly fading light.

“Okay men,” Brody stated, instantly understanding that he was now the one in charge of the other agents. “Spread out and search, make sure you have flashlights and go in pairs, it’s going to be dark soon. Take any other survival items that you might need, we’re not leaving until we’ve checked everywhere that he could be hiding. We have roadblocks in place, so if he’s hiding out, he’s more than likely within an approximate two and a half mile radius. Remember, this is a crime scene, any evidence that you find needs to be bagged and labeled. Lakes, Reifel, and Connors, your assignment is to check all the motels. He may have known another way out of the area that we aren’t aware of, in which case, he could be holed up in any town surrounding here. Contact headquarters and get a flyer that you can fax out to all motels not in the direct vicinity. Remember, we don’t know where he is, but we do know what he is capable of.”

“Which hotels do you want us to start at?” Agent Reifel asked.

“Start at the closest ones and work your way out and around.”

“You really think he’s going to stick around the area?” Agent Lake questioned.

“I don’t know, he’s just cocky enough to think he can pull it off. He’s escaped from us in the past and will be sure he can again, let’s not give him that chance. Check everywhere within a forty mile radius. He has to be somewhere and we need to know where that is. My best guess is that he’s still in the forest, so be careful, he’s armed and we know he’s not afraid to shoot. Agent Brody, I’ve called in for the search dogs, make sure that no one contaminates the area where you think he was, the dogs could be our best guess as to which way he went and the more scents they have, the less chance there is of them picking the right one. You all have your assignments, so get to work and report back to me anything that you find,” Agent Brody said as he dismissed the men.

***

Levi sat at his desk pouring over the papers that had accumulated throughout the day and over the days that he had been absent from work. With a final glance at the clock, Levi grinned and got up before grabbing his jacket. It was time to head home and like the other days where he knew Blaine would be waiting for him, he felt an excitement that he couldn’t remember feeling before Blaine walked into his life. Locking his office door, Levi headed into the outer office to tell Renee that he was ready to go.

“Hey Renee,” Levi said as he walked into the reception area, “I’m ready to head home, Blaine should be home soon, you ready to go?”

“I’m sorry sir, but I can’t allow you to leave the building at this time,” Renee said, her voice solemn.

It wasn’t until he saw the serious look on Renee’s face that Levi realized that he hadn’t had a patient in over an hour. Walking over to where Renee sat, Levi rustled through the papers on the desk until he found his daily patient roster. He noticed that he’d had a couple of pups that were supposed to have come in for their shots.

“Renee? What happened to the two pups that were supposed to come in, did the owners call and cancel their appointments?”

“No, I called and informed them that we would have to reschedule for next week.”

“Why the hell did you do a thing like that? Especially without talking to me about it first!”

“I was waiting for the all clear, there was an incident today,” Renee said softly, her eyes refusing to meet Levi’s gaze.

“What the hell are you talking about? What incident?” Levi yelled before realization dawned and he instantly knew that something had happened with Blaine. “Was it…” Levi started, only to trail off as he was unable to complete the painful thought.

“Yes, it did involve Mr. Riley, however he is in stable condition and I’ve just been waiting for the call to tell me it is safe to escort you to the hospital.”

“Why the hell did you wait so damn long to tell me!” Levi yelled as he stormed towards the door, determined to get to the hospital to check on Blaine himself. His hand started shaking in anger when he found the door locked. As he fumbled for the lock he felt Renee’s hand clamp over his wrist. “Let me go,” Levi growled.

“We didn’t tell you sooner because we were told that he would be fine and it wasn’t safe for us to take you to the hospital. However, if you will calm down I’ll call Agent Roberts and find out what the status is on the search for the suspect. If I get the all clear then and only then will we proceed.”

“If you don’t get the all clear then I’ll go myself, I am not going to stay here when I know he’s hurt,” Levi yelled as he shook her hand off of his wrist. “I’m going into the office, come get me after you make your call,” Levi said as he started planning on a way to get past the woman in the reception area.

***

A sigh escaping her lips, Renee picked up the phone and called Derek, all the time hoping that he'd pick up. After the fourth ring, she was ready to give up when she heard someone pick up, followed immediately by Derek's voice.

"Agent Roberts speaking," Derek's voice answered.

"Derek, it's Renee, I need to know the status on the suspect."

"He's not in custody, we're still searching the area, what's going on with your charge?"

"He knows about Mr. Riley sir, he was determined to get to the hospital."

"And you let him leave?" Derek yelled into the phone.

"No sir, however he gave up too quickly for my taste and I have reason to suspect that he may be trying to figure out a way to get to the hospital," Renee said as her radio began transmitting.

"Agent Jeffries, your charge just began to climb out of a side window. Shall we detain him?"

"No, keep out of sight, I'll take care of it," Renee said, her body already moving towards the front door where she threw open the lock and headed outside and around the building. Just as she turned the corner of the building, Renee saw Levi's feet hit the ground. "Going somewhere?" Renee asked, a steely edge to her voice.

"Don't give me that bullshit," Levi growled back, "You know damn well where I am going."

"If you had given me a couple minutes, you would already be on your way, now I think that we had better continue this conversation inside." When Levi gave no sign of moving, Renee walked forward and grabbed one shoulder in a painful grip and pulled him towards the front of the building. It wasn't until they got back into the reception area of the office that Renee remembered that Derek was on the phone. Grabbing the phone she glared at Levi before speaking into the mouthpiece, “You still there Derek?”

“Yeah, I’m here, what’s going on there?”

“We had a bit of an escapee, but don’t worry, I have him back in the office and he’s staying here until I take him to the hospital. Is that stuff on its way?”

“I figured that’s what it was, and yes, everything that you need should be delivered any minute. You know the drill in this kind of situation and I’m trusting you to keep him safe until you get here. Once you reach the hospital you’ll escort Levi inside and then I’ll take over from there.”

“I understand Derek, how is Blaine doing?”

“They don’t know anything yet, hopefully we’ll know something by the time you and Levi get here, but if I were you, I’d hurry.”

“We’ll be on our way as soon as the stuff is here. I’ll have the other men follow us over to the hospital and they’ll help keep Levi safe until he is in the security of the hospital. We’ll see you shortly Derek,” Renee finished before hanging up the phone and turning towards Levi. “Go get anything you need from your office, we’ll be leaving shortly,” she said abruptly.

Without saying another word Levi got up from where he was sitting and made his way into the office. He didn’t really have anything in there that he needed, but he really didn’t feel like being around anyone at the moment and wanted the seclusion of his office. While he waited for Renee to come and get him thoughts went through Levi’s mind, every one of them having to do with his lover lying in a hospital bed. He didn’t even know how bad Blaine’s condition was and it was slowly driving him insane. A tear slipped slowly down Levi’s cheek as he realized that he had no life without Blaine in it. Until he’d met Blaine, Levi had done nothing except what he was required to do. The only joy he had gotten out of life came in the form of his dogs. He truly did not know what he was going to do if Blaine did not survive the attack. All he did know was that if Blaine didn’t survive there was only one thing to do. He would go and find Michael and make him rue the day he’d ever messed with those that Levi loved. Levi was so caught up in his brooding that he failed to hear Renee come into the room.

“Don’t even think about it Levi,” Renee said sternly.

Shaken out of his thoughts, Levi looked up at Renee, “Don’t even think about what?”

“I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking of going after him yourself, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not,” Levi denied, shaken that Renee had known what he was thinking. “What makes you think that?”

“I’ve seen enough of these kinds of cases that I recognize the look on your face. Look, Levi,” Renee continued, her voice softening, “I know how you must be feeling right now, but it’s not going to do you or Blaine any good for you to try and take that bastard on yourself.”

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Levi answered. “Blaine’s lying in a hospital bed because of that sick bastard, how can I just sit here and not do anything?”

“You don’t have to do anything Levi, that’s what we’re here for. We’re going to catch him and when we do he’ll pay for everything he’s done.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that you guys are here, but how long have you guys been looking for him? You guys were here and this still happened, so how can I believe that you’re going to catch him and how can I trust you to keep Blaine safe?”

“We’re already making new plans. Blaine will be out of commission for a while when he comes home from the hospital. He won’t be going into work again until we have Michael caught and whenever he leaves the house Derek will accompany him as well as be followed by at least two other agents.”

“That’s not all,” Levi said firmly.

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you honestly believe for one second that after what happened today that I am letting him go anywhere without me? Hell, he was hurt earlier today and you just now bothered to tell me.”

“We can keep him safe Levi,” Renee persisted.

“Like you guys kept him safe today? Forgive me if I don’t entirely believe the truth to that statement. You guys had your chance, now it’s my turn.”

“I understand how you feel,” Renee began only to be interrupted by Levi.

“You do NOT understand how I feel!” Levi yelled. “Don’t try to tell me that you understand when it’s the man that I love that is lying in a hospital bed right now. You do not understand a damn thing!”

“You’re right, but I can understand the frustration.”

“Frustration be damned, I am talking about fear Renee. The fear of losing someone just after you’ve found them. The fear that anything could happen to them and you not have a single damn clue. I honestly hope that you never have the chance to understand what is going through my mind and heart right now, but I’ll be damned if I am going to leave protecting him up to you guys any longer.”

“Levi, please, think rationally, you can’t just up and leave your practice in the air like that.”

“Don’t you get it Renee,” Levi said, “this practice means absolutely nothing if Blaine is not around to share it with. I’ll sell this place and move before I lose Blaine, especially to some nutcase such as Michael.” Levi would have continued his rant had one of the other agents not chosen that moment to stick his head through the doorway.

“Agent Jeffries, Agent Reifel has arrived with the Kevlar. Are we ready to move out?”

“Yeah, give us just a minute and we’ll be out,” Renee answered before turning back to Levi. “I know I can’t understand what you’re going through Levi, but you also have to know that it doesn’t sit well with me that Blaine is hurt like he is. The agency is going to do everything in its power to make sure that nothing like this happens again, but we also need your cooperation.”

“Why don’t we save the arguments for later on when both Blaine and I are able to listen to all the reasons that we should trust you guys with our safety when you’ve already failed once. That’s when we’ll continue this discussion,” Levi answered angrily as he pushed himself to his feet and quickly exited the office. Renee was only a footstep behind him but as far as Levi was concerned she could have been on the other side of the world. All he cared about was getting to Blaine.

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