Markwildyr.com,
Post #208
Image Courtesy of freeimages.com:
In part one, we
learned of the murders of five individuals in various cities of the United
States. The murders had several things in common: The victims were all handsome
men involved in the jewelry trade in some manner, and they had all been
involved in gay sex at the time of their deaths… apparently acting as “bottoms.”
Additionally, they had all been strangled to death.
Last time, Chuck had
just pointed out that anyone in the big Hardwig salesroom might be the killer.
Ran had not reacted to that revelation well at all. Let’s see what happens
next.
* * * * *
CUTE AS A BUG’S EAR
Three days later, Chuck turned
down another invitation from Ran for dinner and drinks. There wasn’t any reason
for it; he wasn’t tied up that night, but it seemed safer to decline.
Despite turning his friend
down, Chuck had one of his rare urges. He tried calling Athena, but got her
answering service. So he threw on a jacket and took a bus to a popular bar
across town. The place was active, but “cute” wasn’t doing it tonight. Either that
or else, he was just too particular about a companion. He left and tried
another bar down the street, one Ran liked to patronize. If he ran into the
guy, he’d come up with some excuse.
He walked the block to the bar
and stepped inside, but changed his mind and went to a nearby bus stop. It was
deserted. The night had turned rainy and cold. He checked his watch. Crap. He’d
missed the last bus. As he dithered over whether to call a taxi or start
hiking, a dark car pulled to a stop in front of him. A Chevy of some sort.
“Miss your bus?” the driver
asked.
Chuck bent down to look into
the lowered window, but the light was too poor to make out anything but the
silhouette of a man. “Yeah, but I’m going back to the bar and get a buddy to
give me a lift.”
“No need. I’ll take you
wherever you want to go. To the moon and back, if you want.” A leer hid
somewhere in that voice.
“No thanks.” Chuck turned and
walked down the street in the opposite direction from the way the man’s vehicle
was headed. The bar was back down the street, but the predator’s car was still
sitting at the bus stop, so Chuck kept walking. After a half a block, he
thought he heard a noise behind him… a shout, maybe. He turned and saw the
shadow of a man thrown by a streetlamp. A shiver ran down his back. Was someone
following him?
He lengthened his steps and headed
straight for the Belvedere three blocks down the street. At least there would
be people there. Trying to keep from breaking out into a run, he made for the
hotel. But the guy was gaining on him. Now he could hear footsteps on the
pavement behind him.
By the time he reached the
revolving door to the hotel, they were close. He pushed through the heavy door
and snatched a look. The man, he couldn’t see who, was entering the hotel, as
well. Instead of going to the bar as his shadow would expect, he made for the
elevator bank.
The doors opened, and Chuck
made it into the car as he caught a glimpse of someone running for the
elevator. He punched a random button and the doors closed. The elevator began
moving. As it ascended, he considered his situation. He had no room key, once
he exited the elevator, he’d have no place to go. Didn’t matter. All his
pursuer—if that’s what it actually was—could do was watch to see what floor he exited.
By the time the man followed him up, he could be halfway back to the lobby via
the stairwell.
The car stopped at the fifth
floor. Damn, he should have gone higher. Nonetheless he stepped out. Then he
took too long trying to decide on whether or not to call up another elevator or
actually run down the stairs. Maybe he should have simply stayed in the car and
punched a button to a higher floor.
As he hesitated, the elevator
to the right of where he stood pinged, signaling the arrival of another car.
Hurriedly, he took off down the deserted corridor. Spotting the door to a broom
closet, he opened it and dashed inside. Closing the door softly, he shrank back
in the darkness, praying whoever exited that arriving elevator hadn’t seen him.
Barely daring to breathe, he heard muffled footsteps in the hallway. They
paused in front of the closet and then went on down the corridor. In moments,
they returned and paused. The door handle rattled as someone grasped it. The
door opened, and a male figure stood silhouetted against the light from the
corridor.
“Chuck, is that you?”
Ran! Ran Billows.
“I’ve been trying to catch up
with you for blocks, man. Saw someone stop for you at the bus stop. Guess that
spooked you, otherwise, why would you be holed up in a broom closet at the
Belvedere?”
Chuck gave an audible sigh.
“Yeah, that guy spooked me good. He was looking for a pick-up. And when I saw
somebody behind me, I reacted to the moment and panicked.”
“Hell, I yelled at you, but
you just kept on going.”
“Sorry, the murders have me on
edge.”
“Yeah. Everybody. Thought you
were tied up tonight.”
“Was,” Chuck lied, “but I finished
early. Stopped at the bar, but didn’t see you.”
“I was there. Saw you come in
and leave. That’s when the chase started.”
Chuck laughed. “And we ended
up in a hotel broom closet in the dark.”
“There oughta be a light in
here somewhere.”
He heard Ran fumbling for a
switch. A minute later, a bulb flooded the small space with light.
“And you found it.”
“Yeah, but I dunno why we didn’t
just open the door and get outa here.”
Chuck drew a breath. “Give me
a minute to recover. My heart’s still pounding.” He drew a flask from his jacket.
“Maybe this will help.” He unscrewed the cap and tilted the flask. A moment
later, he swiped his mouth. “You need a bracer?”
Ran grinned. “I guess this
proves you can drink in a broom closet as readily as you can drink in a bar.”
He upended the flask and took a healthy drink. “Wow, what was that?” he gasped.
“It has a kick.”
“Special brew I concocted.
Have another slug.”
Obediently, Ran took another
healthy draw.
Chuck took off his jacket and
hung it on a peg on the wall before unbuttoning his shirt.
“What… what the hell… you
doing?” Ran staggered against the wall.
“You’re feeling it, aren’t
you? Why don’t you take off your shirt and get comfortable?”
“Wha’s happenin’?”
“What’s happening is I’m going
to do what that predator offered to do for me. I’m going to send you to the
moon.”
Ran tried to talk but had
difficulty. Finally, he squeezed words from his voice box. “Y-you, Chuck? You’re
the one? You….” He slid down the wall to the floor.
Chuck calmly worked the
buttons to Ran’s shirt, feeling the soft flesh covering the firm muscles of the
man’s torso. Ran stared at him helplessly. Awake and aware… but helpless.
Chuck took his time, enjoying
himself. For three long years he’d eyed Ran, admiring his handsome features and
sculpted body. He’d often gazed at Ran’s full basket and fantasized over what
it would look like… feel like. The man’s zipper gave way, and now he knew. As
full and exciting as he’d dreamed.
He pushed Ran flat on the
floor and tugged his britches down. Fantastic. He grew breathless as he entered
his unwilling lover. Ran made strangled noises when Chuck went to work
completing the fantasy he’d built in his mind for so long. Ran made an effort
to talk, but Chuck shushed him.
“I’ll… uh, answer your
questions. I didn’t take a drink, just faked it, so I’m not going to pass out.”
He hunched hard. “Unless it’s from ecstasy from making love to you. Oh, man,
you have a great ass!” He paused to pay attention to his building pleasure. “I’ve…
uh, oh … I’ve been thinking of this from the first time I laid eyes on you. You
were my dream, Ran. But unapproachable. I knew that from the beginning.”
He paused to thrust deeper. “Took
me years to figure out how… oh! How to achieve my dream. Tried it out on five
other guys to make sure… sure…. Wow, that was a sweet spot! Make sure it
worked. Then the problem was to get you alone without anyone knowing we were together.
But you gave me a hand when you followed me.:
Chuck’s voice died as the
greatest orgasm of his life claimed him. He bucked as it went on and on for an
extraordinary length of time. Finally, he dropped against Ran’s naked back,
enjoying he warmth and intimacy. After a long period of simply lying body to
body while he recovered, he sighed and withdrew.
“Now comes the part I don’t
like,” he said with an apologetic tone in his voice. “But there’s no way around
it. After all, I not only made mad, passionate love to you, but I confessed
everything. Oh, I know what you’re thinking. They’ll catch me because I’m leaving
DNA behind. But don’t worry. Nobody has my DNA. And DNA’s no good unless you
have someone to compare it to. Anyway, that’s the way it’s been in the past.”
He pulled Ran’s belt from his trousers. “Sorry, guy But I want you to know you
were the best. I mean it. That’s not just talk, that’s truth, man.
He snaked the leather belt
around Ran’s head and began pulling.
* * * *
Well, was the
ending a surprise or not? Since we were in Chuck’s head, I tried not to give
him thoughts or reactions that were inappropriate, but which wouldn’t give away
the ending. When he started at something he heard or a chill ran down his back,
that was appropriate because he knew the truth and certain thoughts or actions
would make him react.
So tell me, dear
readers, did I accomplish my task? Let me know.
Please friend
this site. Apparently, that matters in the internet world.
JMS Books
advises that The Victor and the Vanquished has now been published as a
print book. The same is true of all the books in the Cut Hand series (5 of
them) and Charlie Blackbear.
My contact
information is provided below in case anyone wants to drop me a line:
Website and blog: markwildyr.com
Email:
markwildyr@aol.com
Facebook:
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Twitter: @markwildyr
Now my
mantra: Keep on reading. Keep on writing.
You have something to say, so say it!
See you later.
Mark
New posts the first and third Thursday of the month at
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