“Uh-huh?” Callum asked restfully.
“Nothing.” Kai sighed. He raised a hand and slowly stroked down Callum's neck, trailing soft tickling strokes towards his shoulder. Stopped. Raised his hand again. Found the traces of a mark on Callum's neck.
Callum, feeling his fingers tracing the outline of the bruise, stiffened.
“Callum..” Kai asked. His voice ached with feeling.
“I can explain.” Callum sighed. His voice suddenly sounded very old. He lay very still, head under the blanket, as if debating with himself what to say. Then he turned. Looked Kai in the eye. His hands, warm and muscled, gripped his shoulder firmly. He looked deep into Kai's worried face.
“I didn't want that.” Callum said, and there was white all around the irises of his eyes. “Kai, believe me.”
“I...don't know.” Kai said, and swallowed. He looked away, and looked back up. Callum's eyes were filled with a desperate plea. Kai swallowed. “I want to, Callum. I want to believe that is true. I do.”
“I wouldn't lie to you!” Callum shouted. His hands gripped Kai's wrists. Kai, dismayed, twisted his face away. Callum subsided, coughing.
“I'm sorry.” he said, after a moment. “But it's true. I wouldn't lie to you.” He sighed. “Yes, those marks are teeth marks. Yes, someone else put them there. But I did not want them to.” He choked. “I didn't want it.” He pulled away from Kai and rolled into a ball, back towards him. He was utterly still, completely silent.
Kai held out a hand. Callum stiffened and drew away from him.
Kai felt terrible.
“I believe you.” His voice was quiet, thick with unshed sadness and pain. “I believe you, my dear.” he repeated. “But, dear,” he asked, reaching a hand out but not touching Callum's shoulder, respectful of his pain, “who did?”
“Greg,” Callum choked, “you know, at work.”
Greg. Kai shook his head. The man was a real entity. Tall, immediate senior in the laboratory to Callum, and with a personality like a ferret. Kai had met him once, briefly, when he had gone to the lab with a document Callum had forgotten at home, and had disliked him on sight. Tall, arrogant and with a narrow, poisonous expression, Greg had seemed to Kai untrustworthy and cruel. And, it seemed, he was right. What on earth had happened to Callum?
“Why, love?” He asked gently.
“I don't know!” Callum shouted. He turned around again, and his eyes were wild.
Kai, upset, reached out to him and Callum this time returned it, holding him in a crushing closeness.
“He...” Callum choked, “he said that he had always wanted me. That he knows the people who publish my papers and he'll give me a bad rep. He basically threatened me. He's...” Callum hiccupped. “He's been in the background for years. I've always known he fancied me, but I didn't think he would...he could...”
Kai felt his sadness of earlier disappear, and cold anger take its position in his heart. “He threatened you?” he asked, surprising himself with how dangerous his voice sounded. He had, he realized, never done any violence to anything, ever, but here, now, he felt he could kill and not think of it. How could that man threaten Callum? Callum was his love. How dare he? How dare he harm him?
“My dear,” he whispered, “you could tell someone...”
“And what?” Callum laughed harshly. “Risk him telling stories behind my back? Ruin my reputation? Can I take that chance?”
“You have to.” Kai said, softly. “You can't let him...do this. You could tell them first?”
“Would anyone believe me?” Callum began, then he paused. “You know, some people would.”
“Yes.” Kai nodded, holding him. “Yes, I'm sure they would.” He stroked Callum, feeling him shiver. “They would believe you, and you could stop him. They would have to make him leave, too.” He said, reassuring, but still feeling the simmering rage of earlier. “They couldn't risk keeping someone like that in his job.”
“No.” Callum said. His hand stroked down Kai's chest, making little circles on the skin. He looked up, eyes serious and grave with hope. “You're right. Thank you, my dear.”
“Oh, darling.” Kai said, leaning forward to kiss him, “there is nothing to thank about.” He sighed. “That is the very least of it.”
“Thank you.” Callum said again. He leaned in and kissed Kai, chastely on the lips. “I am lucky to have you.”
“My dear, I am lucky.” Kai said. Callum smiled. He turned over, and, held in Kai's arms, seemed to sleep. Kai held him until he felt the pattern of his breathing change, and then rolled over. He was too concerned to sleep. Thoughts chased themselves around his head like autumn leaves in a storm-wind. How could this happen? And, how could he get Callum back to Cyanos quickly, as quickly as possible, to keep him safe forever?
It was hours before Kai, exhausted, finally fell into a light and anxious sleep.
Chapter 8
It was late at the lab. Callum sighed to himself, looking out of the window at the blueish light bathing the clouds as the day set outside. He walked back to the freezer, carrying his vial of sample cells for freezing.
“Almost time to turn in.” He said, checking his watch as he lowered the vial into the big freezer in the store-room. He turned to fill the details into the book on the sideboard next door, so no-one would throw his stock away.
“Callum.” The voice behind him made Callum jump. His insides clenched.
“'Greg?”
“Working late, hey?” Greg stepped up behind Callum, standing close, leaning over his shoulder. “Cell lines to store?”
“Uh-huh.” Callum shut the book and turned away, feeling the hand slide off his shoulder. He shivered.
“Where are you going?” Greg asked. “No need for such a rush.”
“I need to get back home.” Callum said, harshly. “I'm going out.”
“No, you're not.” Greg stood behind him, blocking the door. “You're not going anywhere except somewhere with me. We can...have some time. Quality time. Get to know each other.”
“No, we can't.” Callum said, angrily. He tried to push past him, but Greg was blocking the door, and was taller and broader in the shoulder than Callum himself.
“I...will...walk out.” Callum said, pushing against him. Greg simply laughed. After a moment, he stood aside.
“Fine.” He said, sounding fair. “But who's going to stop me following you to your office? Here is as good as back there.” He inclined his head. “This place is almost empty.”
It was. They were the only two working that late. Everyone else, even the technical staff, were gone. It was past six o' clock, and the building was locked to everyone who did not have a chip card.
“No...” Callum said, and turned, sharply. He strode towards his office, to be stopped by a hand descending to his shoulder, gripping him. He shook it off, but the grip was hard to break. He whirled round, fist raised.
“I don't think so.” Greg chuckled, but he was serious. “You don't want Prof. Allan to hear about your little errors in your freezing procedure, would you?”
“I didn't...” Callum exploded. “There aren't any!”
“No.” Greg grinned. “But if your vials disappear, who will know? My word against yours, and I'm here since forever. No one will believe you aren't trying to cover up.”
“No...” Callum began, but his voice died in his throat.
“Come on, Callum.” Greg said. “See sense. And besides,” he added, and there was no more reason in his voice or in his face, “I'll have you anyway, you know. I'll follow you home. One little accident, bumping you off the road? No one would know a thing.”
“No!” Callum was horrified. He hit out, feigned a blow, waited for the man to duck and pulled back, wrenching himself out of his grasp. He ran up the corridor to his office, slammed the door. Turned the key. Hung up his coat and raced for the phone. Called his apartment.
“Kai?” He said, pleadingly. The answer-machine bleeped, and he sighed and tried to leave a concise, sensib
le message. He was shaking.
“Kai, I'm leaving work now. I might not get back safely. It's Greg. He said he'd...never mind. If I'm not back by eight, please call someone. Call me. Please.” His voice stopped, and he put the phone down. He turned back to his things, his case on the chair by the door, his coat and scarf hanging up.
Why had he taken the car today, of all days? He could walk, but that would be dangerous, and he didn't want to risk leaving the car in the parking lot. Besides, he had to take the set of samples back to the central office, which was why he had driven to work anyway. It had to be done.
“If I leave now, he won't see me do it.” he said to his reflection in the panel of the door, seeing how wild and tense he was. “Come on,” he reprimanded himself, “go out there, now.”
He grabbed his things, looked round the office, prayed Kai would go home and check the messages, and soon, and left.
Out in the carpark, he swore as the key refused to go in. Why, he thought, desperately, did this always happen when one was in a hurry? He tried again and the door clicked open. He swung into the seat. As he searched for his card for lifting the exit gate, he noticed someone getting into their car behind him.
“No...” he said under his breath, and felt his heart beat faster.
He found the card and sped through the gate, putting his foot on the pedal and pressing hard down. As he did so, he saw the pale Toyota Camry slide out through the gates behind him.
It was Greg.
“And...you're my dea-ear...” Kai sang, flat-toned, as he turned the key and walked into the apartment. It was empty. Feeling a little self-conscious and sure that Callum was in the next room, making supper and probably laughing at him, he called out, hesitantly.
“Hi?”
Nothing. No answer. The flat was silent and, to all intent and purpose, empty of all living creatures.
Kai stepped in, letting the door swing wide. Nothing. No bags, no coat, no scarf. Callum would have put them at their usual place by the door, had he been there. He must be out. Strange, Kai thought.
He walked to the kitchen, carrying the purchases he had brought with him from the grocery store, and laid them on the counter.
“Past seven.” He said, looking at the clock. He must have been out for over an hour. He had been sure Callum would be in when he arrived, probably making supper and disgruntled to have to wait for the spring onions Kai had gone out to replace. He shook his head. Callum did work late, but this was unlike him.
“He's probably just really busy.” He said to himself, reassuringly. He sighed, and walked through to the sitting-room and then the study, unable to shake the feeling of distress that was building in him, gripping his insides and making his heart race. This was unlike him.
“Callum?”
He called out, and noticed the message light on the phone.
He pressed it.
“Kai, I'm leaving work now. I might not get back safely. It's Greg. He said he'd...never mind. If I'm not back by eight, please call someone. Call me back. Please.”
Kai stepped back. Felt rising panic. Stopped. Checked his watch. Five to eight. He paused, and played the message again.
He closed his eyes. He could feel Callum's worry and fear. They vibrated out of his voice, making a dark cloud that blurred Kai's inner vision. He closed his eyes, thinking himself to Callum.
He saw an image of a tall, bulky form, blocking the doorway, standing in a threatening way. Threatening someone.
Greg, Kai breathed, remembering. Of course! Something had happened, and Greg had threatened Callum. It had to be.
Kai whirled round. He considered taking a walk to the lab, but stopped himself. Callum had said that he was leaving. That was an hour ago. If he had gone, he was not there now. Where was he?
Kai checked the clock in the sitting room as he walked back through to the main part of the apartment. He sank down into a chair, feeling faint with concern. It was eight o' clock. He ran back, reached for the phone. Called Callum, feeling grateful he had figured out how the phone worked by watching Callum. At least he had left him the number, too, stuck on the wall on brightly-colored paper.
No answer. Only a mechanical voice, informing him that Callum's phone was off, and would he leave a message? Kai put the handset down, worried.
“What can I do?” he asked, aloud. He walked through to the sitting room, and sat down.
A plan was beginning to form itself in his mind, one almost too crazy to contemplate. He had to try, he realized, despite the risks – it seemed to be his only hope of helping Callum.
On Cyanos, the power of the mind was trained, much of their technology being based on their extremely sensitive attunement to thought. He could find Callum, he realized. All he had to do was to use the method of navigation that had led him here initially. He had to close his eyes, and think himself to Callum. He would then be able to materialize right there, wherever he was.
But could he risk it? Doing that would, finally, reveal that there was something very different about him. The explaining he would have to do might estrange him from Callum forever. But how could he put his own safety, his own happiness, before Callum's, whose very life might be endangered? He shook his head. He had to. He had to try it. No matter what the cost. He closed his eyes. Breathed in, focusing his thoughts on finding Callum, wherever he might be.
Kai's mind was so full of anxiety that he could barely concentrate on what he had to do. Thoughts and images floated towards him that were disjointed. He could not clear his mind of pain and fear. It was not helping.
“Callum?” He said aloud. He breathed deeply. Opened his eyes. As he searched for his meditative center, grounding his thoughts and fears, he had an idea.
He walked to the bedroom and found Callum's t-shirt. Sitting with it in his hands, he could picture Callum perfectly. And, since it smelled of spice and aftershave, like Callum, he could concentrate completely, feeling the reassurance of Callum's presence.
“Callum. Callum,” Kai repeated to himself, trying to make a link, search for Callum across all the miles and thoughts between them.
Slowly, he felt his mind start to focus, and to lose consciousness of everything except the man for whom he looked. The images of confusion and anxiety cleared, and a soft greyness filled Kai's mind.
Without his volition, he felt something inside him shift, and he felt his mind race over the countryside between them, a hissing, dark void, carrying him along with it.
Soon he would arrive wherever Callum was.
Chapter 9
“No!” A voice boomed behind Callum, who was walking through a dark empty field. He looked back at the form of his car, stopped by the roadside and unable to go, pushed off the roadway. He started to run.
As he ran, he heard his pursuer begin to run after him. He heaved in a breath, and thought about the crazy world into which he had descended, trying to fathom it.
He had been driving along away from work, heading for the central office to return the samples he had been using. The lab lay a way out of town, and to reach it he had to get off the main road. The country road had been narrow, and he had been concentrating on staying on the path, trying not to speed or lose his grip on the road ahead.
That was when the car had come up behind him, speeding dangerously, and swerved out, knocking his left bumper and forcing him off the road. His car, going too fast, had swerved, skidded, and shot off the road, grinding to a halt as its wheels plowed into the field.
He had climbed out, shaking and dripping with sweat, grateful only that he had not hit the fence, or anything else; when going at such a speed. His assailant had pulled off the road behind him, and, seeing him, had climbed also out of his car.
Now, he was getting closer. Callum closed his eyes and tried to haul air into his aching throat as he ran through the field and towards the trees.
As he reached the edge of the tree-line, the form behind him hit into him, knocking him forward. He grabbed the trunk of a tree, hauling hims
elf upright, and felt a hand descend on his shoulder once again, and he heard the same voice.
“I told you.” Greg almost shouted. “You didn't believe me, did you?” He looked quite wild, Callum realized even through his fear. He looked nothing like the composed if unpleasant researcher he knew.
What was happening? Greg looked quite insane. There was no reasoning with him, Callum realized. As he opened his mouth to answer, Greg reached out for him, making a grab for his wrist.
“No.” Callum twisted, throwing off the hand. He feinted right and moved left, and this time the taller man anticipated it, and grabbed him again. Callum raised a fist, about to hit him, and felt his wrist caught.
“Don't be stupid, Callum.” The voice said, sounding strangely, coldly, ordinary. “I have a gun.” He continued, just as reasonably. “Afterwards, I will kill you – if I can't have you, stands to reason no-one else can either.”
“No!” Callum shouted, and twisted away, then froze. He had hoped overwhelmingly that the man was lying. But he found himself staring, fixedly, at a cold metal barrel.
“Don't try it.” The voice continued. “Don't think I won't shoot, as I will.” He paused. “Now,” he continued, sounding almost jovial, “do you think you could turn round and walk towards the woods, there? Yes, that's it. And don't run, I'm right behind you.”
As Callum walked, he felt his heart race. He could not concentrate, could not speak. All he could think of, crazily, was Kai. He saw his face clearly, and almost smiled at the lovable, familiar image he saw there. He would never go home again. Never see Kai again. He loved him too much to die without seeing him, without saying any farewell. He sniffed.
At that moment, he would give anything to hear Kai. To see him. Why had he been so distant, so embarrassed to discuss this with Kai? If he had told him, they could have done something. And at least, if he had told him just how bad it was, Kai would have known why he was being so distant. Would truly have known he loved him. He wished he could say that. He wished he could see him...
Callum stepped back as he walked into an old fence. He had not seen it, had been too distracted to look where he was going. He stepped back, and then round to his right, avoiding it.
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