Dating Rules And Pretty Fools - 22. Too Far Away From Home

Chapter Twenty-Two – Too Far Away From Home

His life was split in two, Hudson mused as he stepped into the new club, if the former industrial building could truly be called that. Unlike the first time when he had visited the place with Jackie, some new furniture had been brought in, mainly long sofas and tables, which meant that the only comforts were reserved for those who would walk in there as clients. Otherwise, the grim look of the place had been kept and, for a second time, Hudson let his eyes wander to the thick steel beams crisscrossing the high ceiling. A cathedral of sorts, his mind whispered, one meant for worshipping the devil, not a god.

That morning, he had left Otis sleeping, a sheet pulled over him, one arm bent under his head, his face smooth and relaxed, a small smile quirking his lips as if under the influence of a good dream. For a moment, he had felt tempted to wake his boyfriend up to kiss him and hold him, just to postpone what he needed to do, step into this other world that should never taint the one he had recently come to know.

Jackie whistled, mimicking the sounds an owl at night would make to get his attention. This time, they hadn’t driven here together, so Hudson didn’t know if he would see the young man at the location of the new club.

There were dark shadows under his eyes, and he looked older. Wiser, hopefully, as well. Hudson nodded at him. “What’s with the signal?” he asked.

Jackie shrugged. “Aren’t we supposed to have a code or something?”

Apparently, they were all alone in that large enclosure, surrounded by nothing but furniture in disarray. However, Hudson knew that he needed to educate Jackie and fast.

“No, what we are supposed to do is to behave like always,” he said curtly as he examined his camera and began taking out the accessories he assumed he would need to use for whatever Watkins had in mind.

Jackie was about to say something else when the door behind them opened and someone walked in. Hudson took in the stranger with curious eyes. He was a man in his fifties, with a few strands of hair brushed over his shiny scalp in a pathetic attempt to cover for what must have been lost a while ago. He wore a long coat with its collar raised, although the weather didn’t warrant such warm clothes despite the days growing shorter, so his body was obscured from view. His height was a bit over six feet and he appeared to be large in the shoulders. His mouth was thick, but not sensual, reminding Hudson of a fish living at the muddy bottoms of lakes. His nose was misshapen, caved in, like the result of a blunt trauma. But his eyes were what made the whole visage come off as something from a horror movie. There were no eyelashes and no eyebrows to speak of. And the eyes themselves were covered by a film that made them look watery and alien. A face meant for nightmares. Hudson must have been staring, because the stranger eyed him, too, without saying a thing.

“Um, sir, excuse me, can I help you with something?” Jackie hurried to intervene. “I think you must have gotten the wrong address. This here’s a private business.”

What followed made Hudson’s hair stand on end.

Because the stranger spoke in a metallic voice that left no guesswork as to who the newcomer was. “Watkins’s boy, are you?”

Jackie’s reaction was visceral. He took a step back and gawked at the man, then, as he must have remembered the bit from his conversation with Hudson at the precinct, he closed his fists and took a combat stance. “And who the fuck are you?”

Hudson jumped in and pulled Jackie back, gripping his arm hard enough to make him understand. Under his fingers, the young man’s bicep was rigid.

“Are you friends with our boss? We were waiting for him, actually,” he offered with a perfunctory smile, blinking for good measure as if to show his confusion. “He told us he’d be here by six.”

“Mr. Vegas,” the man’s voice whirred mechanically, “is it?”

“Yes. It looks like you know who we are.” Hudson let go of Jackie, pushing him back an inch, and stretched his hand out. “Who do we have the pleasure of meeting?”

The man laughed, as much as it could be called a laugh, but didn’t shake Hudson’s hand. He was holding both in the pockets of his dark coat. “You two make quite the couple. And Watkins warned me that his boy is not the sharpest tool in the shed. As for you, Mr. Vegas, he told me you are an interesting fellow. A true artist.”

Hudson pulled back his hand, without displaying any sign of irritation. His face was an open book and he continued the conversation as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Thank you. But your praise feels unwarranted given that you haven’t seen anything of my body of work.”

“Excellent choice of words, Mr. Vegas,” the stranger said with delight. “But that is where you’re wrong. I’ve seen some of it. And I must say I’m impressed.” He leaned back, his eyelids dropping. That way, he reminded Hudson of a reptile in the mood to strike. “You have an eye for genuine beauty.”

“I understand then that the boss showed you some of the pictures I took of the models. Could you tell me which of them captured your attention?”

“The subject is as important as the man behind the camera,” the man continued.

By Hudson’s side, Jackie was showing signs of restlessness.

“Forgive Jackie’s manners,” Hudson said quickly. “He is very protective of the boss’s business. He’s very loyal.”

That seemed to please the strange man. He turned his eyes to Jackie. “What Watkins failed to tell me was what a handsome young man he’s been keeping around. Without putting him up to the work he’s meant for.”

Completely explainable, the expression on Jackie’s face was one of horror and disgust. However, Hudson couldn’t allow his ally to compromise the whole thing by leaping to strangle the man who had to be the key to the operation. Not until they had all the facts and they would put all those involved behind bars forever.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Jackie asked.

The stranger laughed. “I will ask Watkins to put you on display. A little birdie told me you used to do the kind of work I’m talking about. So don’t act so high and mighty, little whore.”

Hudson grabbed Jackie before something irreversible happened.

“You fucking asshole!” Jackie grunted, fighting against Hudson’s hold.

“Hey, hey,” Hudson shouted and pulled him toward the door. “You need to calm the fuck down. Take five and clear your head.” And, as he pushed Jackie out, he whispered in his ear, “I got this.”

As soon as he closed the door with Jackie on its other side, he returned to their visitor. “I believe he doesn’t like to be reminded about the way he used to earn his keep around here,” he said with a sad smile.

“Do you have a lot of pity for former whores, then, Mr. Vegas?”

He shrugged. “I believe people are entitled to their choices. And to change their mind, as well.”

“A true liberal,” the stranger said from the tip of his revolting lips. From up close, they had a sickly bluish color. Whatever accident had messed the guy up, it must have been horrendous. “How is it that you show proper deference while little Jackie behaves like a riled up dog?”

“I must have a bit more life experience. Since you’re here, and you know the boss, the only explanation is that you have a direct interest in the business Mr. Watkins runs here. So, you must be a VIP. An investor, perhaps?”

Once more, the man seemed pleased with the suggestion. “You’re not far off, actually.” He removed one of his hands from his pocket and Hudson noticed that it was covered by a black leather glove. He rubbed his chin for a moment and then put his hand back in his pocket. In the sweet fall weather, the stranger should be boiling in his own sweat, all dressed up like that. “I am the man with the money. All the money.”

“I see. Well, then, do you want me to show you around? And is the boss going to be here soon?”

“He will. I will let him know that I want to see Jackie without his clothes, up on the stage. Properly used.”

“With all due respect, sir, wouldn’t it be easier to enjoy the models who don’t mind doing this, to begin with?”

“That mutt needs to learn some respect. I want to see him in tears. Only for a bit. He’s too old already.”

Hudson didn’t comment on that. There was hardly anything he could add. The situation was getting hairy and fast. Jackie wouldn’t take lightly to being treated like that, especially since the man with the metallic voice had to be the one Jasper had overheard that one time.

“I should call the boss and see what’s keeping him. I assume you are more interested in talking to him than making conversation with me. I don’t know a lot about the business side of things.”

“Oh, he’s late only because he has something to take care of. Someone, actually.”

Hudson showed his surprise at that. “Who? Has Angel come back? Sorry, you might not know who Angel is.”

“I know everything,” the man said mysteriously. “No, not Angel. That boy is still on the loose. Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing him perform again. Stunning, isn’t he? And so very creative as to how to use his body.”

Could that mean that Watkins had gotten hold of Jasper, then? Between Jackie foaming at the mouth behind the door right now, and a scared Jasper that might spill the beans about Hudson’s role in his escape, the noose was getting tighter by the moment. However, he had the evil mind behind the whole thing right in front of him at last.

“I wanted to get on Jackie’s nerves a little because he seems so skittish, so forgive my earlier manners,” the man said and outstretched his hand suddenly. “Keres. Gideon Keres.”

Hudson hurried to shake the man’s hand, without neglecting to show his gratitude for being considered worthy of making the big kahuna’s acquaintance. “So glad to meet you, Mr. Keres.”

“Charmed, Mr. Vegas. May I ask you a question?” Keres was still holding his hand. “Why doesn’t my electro-larynx bother you? I could tell poor little Jackie was scared out of his wits.”

“I am not the kind to pass judgement. Or embarrass others by noticing their… peculiarities.”

Keres laughed. “A true liberal, indeed. You didn’t even use the word handicap. Are you curious about how I got in such a sorry state?”

“Only if it’s something you’re willing to share, sir,” Hudson said solemnly.

“It was quite the thing,” Keres said right away, as if he took delight in picking at his own scabs and wounds. “I was still a young man, finding my way in the world. I pissed off the wrong people. They tortured me for hours. They left me for dead, but surprise-surprise, evil seed that I was, I refused to die.”

Hudson had the presence of mind to look shocked. “That is horrible. And commendable of you to have fought through and survived such a thing.”

“Yes. They paid for it later. And unlike the way they proceeded with me, I made sure they stayed dead at the end of it all.” Keres grinned and showed rows of fake teeth. “Have I managed to shock you yet, Mr. Vegas?”

“I believe so,” Hudson said, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Come on, I’m just pulling your leg,” Keres said. “It was an accident in childhood. I invented this story I just told you to make other kids think I was cool and not a freak. It’s refreshing to see people’s horrified surprise and then relief once I tell them the story isn’t true.”

“I have to say that you really got me there,” Hudson agreed. “And yes, I am relieved to learn that it wasn’t something as traumatizing as people truly trying to hurt you.”

“It was traumatizing nonetheless,” Keres said. “Ah, I see that we have company.”

The door opened at that very moment, and Hudson took in Jasper being pushed forward by Watkins. Jackie followed behind.

***

“What do you think is the most efficient way to learn something?” Otis questioned Missy while they were on break.

“You study all the time. What do you want to learn this time?” Missy asked.

“I want to know about guns. How to fire one, more precisely.”

That made Missy stop arranging her big red mane with her fingers. “Guns? What’s gotten into you? You’re the last person on earth I’d peg for a gun nut.”

Otis snickered. “Gun nut. Guns don’t make nuts.”

Missy laughed. “If they did, they’d be something else. What I mean is I don’t think you’d be the kind of guy into guns. Why the interest?”

Hudson’s gun came to mind. Last night, his boyfriend had done the same thing he had before, putting the gun into the nightstand before going to sleep. Its simple presence intrigued Otis. He didn’t want to bother Hudson with useless questions, and now he realized that he was reluctant to disclose to Missy that the man he was sharing a bed with – his bed – had such a thing in his possession.

“It looks like a skill that might be useful to learn,” he told a white lie. As long as he avoided the truth, he would be fine. “And I don’t want a gun. I just want to know how to use one.”

“Well, if you’re so curious, and since we didn’t go wall climbing, how about we hit the shooting range?”

“A shooting range? I thought you’d tell me where to find useful information about them on the Internet,” Otis said.

“Well, you asked me how to learn something, and my answer to you is by doing. That’s how you learn things the best way.”

It made total sense. After all, even if he had shown interest in learning about dating and sex from Hudson in the beginning, it had been by doing that he truly discovered how glorious that felt. Missy was right.

“Also,” his colleague continued, “I wouldn’t mind coming with you at all.”

“Do you want to learn how to shoot, too?”

“No need for that. I know how to fire a gun because my dad taught me. Yeah, don’t look at me like that. I used to be the fastest shot in our town.”

“Wow,” Otis expressed his amazement. “That is quite incredible.” He stared at Missy’s carefully arranged tall hairstyle. He couldn’t quite picture her firing a gun. “But don’t I need to be certified to handle such a thing?”

“Do you mean, a license? No, they have people there who can train you how to shoot. And you pay a fee, go in, and shoot. That’s pretty much it.”

“You make it sound not very exciting.”

“Definitely not as exciting as wall climbing. But you might like it. My dad used to say that it’s the kind of thing that works for individuals with a steady hand and a firm mind.”

“What did he mean by that? A steady hand, I think I understand that. But what about a firm mind?”

“I think he meant to say that once you set your mind to use a gun, you should show no hesitation when you pull the trigger. Well, he was a cop,” she said and sighed. “I do miss my old man.”

Otis examined his friend carefully. Missy did look sad, so he decided to ask. “Is he no longer among the living?”

Missy snorted. “He’s not dead. Just retired. And moved across the country, where it’s warmer and better for his old bones. Let’s shoot some guns, Otis, once we’re done here. However, since I know you’re the kind to budget everything down to the last penny, I should warn you that the fee for non-members is not exactly cheap. How badly do you want to do this?”

“Badly,” Otis decided. Hudson was certified to use his gun. That meant that he knew how to shoot it. Wouldn’t it be a surprise to let him know that he wasn’t unknowledgeable about guns, either?

***

Something was wrong with Jasper, Hudson thought, as he took in the young man and his pale complexion. He moved languidly like he was swimming not walking.

“I see that you brought him back,” he told Watkins, who was holding his prey by one arm.

“Yes, and it wasn’t easy. But now, he’s going to make some good money for us. Aren’t you, baby?” Watkins cooed in Jasper’s ear, making Hudson’s stomach turn.

Jasper nodded, and his eyes wandered over the rest of the people present, as if he couldn’t recognize anyone.

“You remember Vegas, right?” Watkins said cheerfully.

Jasper blinked a couple of times. “Yes,” he eventually said, but his voice was meek, coming from far away.

They must have drugged him, Hudson decided. Damn, things were moving fast. At least, some of that was working to his advantage, because it was unlikely that Jasper could talk much or that anyone would take his words seriously.

“What a pretty boy,” Keres commented and moved to touch Jasper’s face.

The guy flinched and his eyes fixed on the man touching him. However, whatever startled him was soon gone. He presently leaned into the gloved hand.

“Yes,” Keres said. The cadence of his metallic voice made him sound void of any emotion. It was likely that he had none to begin with. Hudson was inclined to believe that the first story about how Keres had come to get his physical problems was the actual truth.

“We need some great pictures of our debutant here,” Watkins said. “Do you think you can work with him like this, Vegas? We found him in a hellhole, drugged out of his mind, keeping company with bums and other rejects.”

“Shouldn’t we give him some time to come to his senses?” Hudson suggested.

Watkins shrugged. “We’ve lost a lot of precious time because of his antics. We need to get right to work, and I like him pliant like this, anyway. He’ll sleep it off later. Now, there has to be something more consistent to show our first guests as a preview.”

“Watkins,” Keres said and grabbed his associate’s shoulder.

Hudson could swear he saw Watkins flinching at the touch much as Jasper had done earlier. What kind of relationship existed between the two? His senses were all on high alert.

“Yes?” Watkins asked, still as a rock.

“Your boy here, Jackie. I want him for the preview, too.”

“Why? Jackie’s too old,” Watkins replied, on the defensive.

“I like his face.”

“You can kiss my ass, I’m not doing shit,” Jackie spat.

“Jackie,” Watkins said sternly. “As you wish, sir. Vegas, take the boys. They both have to look as if they are sleeping.”

Hudson caught hold of Jackie before he could make a run for it. He could very well understand what was going through the guy’s head, but now wasn’t the time for them to lose their wits.

“Come on, guys, you won’t have to do a thing, I promise,” he said cheerfully.

Only a stern look from him made Jackie eventually obey.

“What’s wrong with you?” Watkins hissed at him. “Weren’t you bugging me just the other day that you still wanted to make money with your ass? Now’s your chance.”

Hudson laughed, to cover whatever Jackie was about to say next. “It must be stage fright. I’m on it. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”

“Go to the room at the end of the hall. It’s more suitable for this kind of thing. Put the boys in various positions, find their best angles, and all that. Do your thing,” Watkins barked at him, most probably to cover up his lack of authority in front of the guy with the money. “You don’t want me to teach you how to do your job, right, Vegas?”

“No, sir,” Hudson replied.

***

“Are you kidding me? Are you freaking kidding me?” Missy bounced up and down, seemingly excited out of her wits.

Otis felt his face warm as he removed the headphones and the shooting target traveled to them from the other end. He looked at the small holes left by the bullets he had shot out of a gun. He had only used a pistol so far because the other weapons available seemed too daunting to him. The trainer had explained to him about the correct posture, how to hold his arms, and how to aim. He had listened to everything carefully and had proceeded exactly as told.

And Missy was impressed.

“Man, your accuracy is out of this world,” she said.

Even the trainer came closer to stare at his results. “Young man, I believe you’re a natural. Do you want to try something bigger?”

Missy began encouraging him. “Yes. Let’s see what you can do with a rifle next. And I thought I was a good shot,” she complained. “No, don’t look at me like that,” she warned him, pointing a finger at his chest. “You’re just that good a learner, I guess.”

He had always tried to be. And it appeared that all his dedication was finally paying off. Those hours of trying to get his mind to work hadn’t been in vain. Boy, Hudson would be so surprised when Otis sneakily invited him to a shooting range so that he could show off his skills. Although, that would have to happen at a later date since the fee was, indeed, as Missy had warned him, not quite budget-friendly, at least not for him.

He watched the trainer as the man explained how to use the rifle. All of this was pretty exciting. Maybe wall climbing was still better, but for what it was worth, he was enjoying it.

***

“The fuck do you think it’s wrong with him?” Jackie mumbled as he pulled at Jasper’s arm.

“Hush,” Hudson warned as he leaned over. “This place could be bugged, for all we know. Just let me take charge, and you won’t get hurt. Jasper, either.” He pretended that he needed to adjust the boys’ position so that he could shoot those words to his informant as quickly as he could. All the time, he made sure to keep his head down and at an angle that would be hard to catch on camera, in the off chance that any of the scumbags in charge of this shady operation could read his words off his lips.

Jackie was sweating profusely, and his hands trembled as he tried to get himself out of his clothes.

“You’ll be fine,” Hudson whispered quickly.

His words would be put to the test, without a doubt. But if there had been evidence about the wrongdoings of these assholes, they would have been in jail by now. That was his mission, why he was there: to find the evidence needed. At least, he could say that things were looking up for his undercover op. He had gotten to know Gideon Keres, if that was his real name. Tonight, he’d have to run some serious searches not only on the name, but on any information that could reveal more about the character. That hadn’t been any accident causing the guy to look so messed up. What kind of gangs or organizations had relied on torture decades ago? That was the timeline Hudson was setting for his further investigation of Keres. No wound on that hideous face was fresh. And despite being unable to tell Keres’s actual age, a young man he wasn’t.

“Hey, man,” Jackie made an attempt to get Jasper to look at him. “Vegas, quit staring at my naked ass.”

Hudson shook his head. “Unfortunately for me, I don’t have a choice. Now, lie by Jasper’s side. Ass up, yes. And close your eyes. Damn, you sure look better with your mouth shut, too.” He made light jokes, as if he were performing for strangers’ eyes, as he couldn’t tell whether there were eyes on him or not.

Jasper, however, didn’t seem capable of taking even as simple an order as that. His eyes wandered and his head lolled from one side to the other, as if his neck couldn’t hold the weight of it. Hudson moved closer and cradled the young man’s head in his palm. “It’s okay,” he told him. Whatever they must have given the guy, it was pretty strong stuff. Still, it didn’t knock him off his feet. It only kept him in a state of not being entirely conscious. Pliant. Had that been the word Watkins had used?

“Close your eyes, Jasper,” he said, kneeling on the bed the two guys were stretched out on, the camera in his hand ready to snap some pictures for the reptiloids running this show for freaks who took pleasure in others’ pain and suffering.

Jasper only stared at him, his chest rising and falling. Jackie stirred. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Hudson shook his head. “I have no idea. We don’t have all day though. So we have to make him close his eyes.” He hesitated for a moment. Deep darkness pulled at him, but with the same mental acuity that had helped him make the right decision in the blink of an eye, he opted for going with it just as his insides clenched deep in his gut. “Run your hand over his eyes,” he told Jackie and raised his camera.

“Like this?” Jackie asked, luckily oblivious to the significance of the gesture.

“Yes,” Hudson said and began snapping pictures, while Jackie’s fingers brushed over Jasper’s bluish eyelids making them descend over the unsettling eyes.

That should earn him a few points with the powers that be, he thought and set his jaw hard. On the worst days, he believed he’d quit his job. Getting so close to the evil that lay in people made him feel dirty, tainted by it. But then came a good day, like a sliver of hope. A day when a bad guy ended up where he belonged, and there was that bittersweet realization that, although the individual in question had hurt people, he wouldn’t hurt other innocents anymore. The world needed someone to stave off that darkness. And if that was him, so be it.

***

Otis smiled as he opened the door wide. “You’re late, but you’re here,” he said without reproach. Having a boyfriend came with some waiting on his part, but he didn’t mind it. Even that was new and exciting. He had something great to look forward to every evening now. The moment when Hudson would arrive, cross his threshold and come spend a few of his waking hours with him. In time, they would get to know each other, become so intimate that they wouldn’t know where one of them was ending and the other starting. Although not a poet by nature, Otis liked jotting down beautiful quotes like this, and now he remembered it.

“I only dropped by to tell you that I can’t sleep at your place tonight.”

“Oh.” Otis felt his face falling. That expression was quite literal when it happened to you. The muscles holding the cheeks suffered from the sudden pull of gravity, and there was weight to it, too.

“I have a lot of work to do, and that means that I’ll have to burn the midnight oil,” Hudson continued with a strained smile.

“You can work here,” Otis said, opening his door just a bit wider so that his boyfriend would understand his invitation.

“I’d rather not bother you. I won’t be any fun, and I’ll be up late. But tomorrow night, I’ll be here,” Hudson promised. He took one step forward and leaned in to kiss Otis’s cheek. “Also, with you around, I think I’m going to feel too tempted to drop what I have to get done and jump your bones.”

That was a reasonable explanation. His face lifted to its rightful place again. Hudson was complimenting him. He was telling him he was sexy and desirable. And Otis knew that he was one other thing. He was well aware of how important Hudson’s work was to him.

“I understand,” he said courteously. “Please see to your obligations. I can wait until tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Hudson said with a relieved sigh. He moved his head and brushed his lips over the corner of Otis’s mouth. It was an innocent kiss, but it felt so good. “See you tomorrow, then?”

“Yes. I will be here.”

Hudson moved away and when he was about to walk into his apartment, Otis remembered what he had wanted to ask, mostly as a way to see how his boyfriend would feel about his suggestion. “Hudson, would you like to go out, not now, but some other time? Do something exciting?”

“Sure. Do you have something particular in mind?”

Otis licked his lips. “A shooting range.”

Even from that distance, he could tell that Hudson’s face had furrowed into a deep frown. “Why? You told me guns were dangerous. No, not a shooting range,” he said brusquely. “But I’ll think of something you will like.”

Otis nodded. That had been a bad idea, it seemed. Hudson probably thought that he believed guns to be toys. And they weren’t. He shouldn’t have been so flippant about it.

***

Hudson closed the door and rubbed his forehead, surprised by the deep line etched between his eyebrows. He needed to keep Otis away from that world, his world. Why would he want to fire a gun? Obviously, only because he had seen his boyfriend carrying one.

He couldn’t explain it, but he didn’t like the idea of Otis with a gun in his hand. He was not that type of person. And the type of person he was, Hudson wanted to protect with all his being.

TBC