Hell and Back

by Dirk Greyson

  “What are you doing?” Forge asked as he strode across the yard.

  “Get back inside,” Gage told him, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. “Please go.” He had long ago learned to trust his instincts, and they were screaming at him. Following Forge, Gage turned toward the house, walked briskly to the back door, closed it, and pulled the curtains.

  “What’s going on? It’s broad daylight.”

  “And easy for someone to see what they’re shooting at. These people don’t care about night or day.”

  “Oh.” Forge sat in one of the kitchen chairs, shaking.

  “And I think I was being watched.” Gage wished he could shake the intense notion that he’d been so exposed and had eyes on him.

  “I hate that feeling.” Forge sat still, his hands flat on the table. “This whole thing sucks. Not only is Granger dead, but I feel like a prisoner in my own house.” He stood a little unsteadily, went back into the family room, and began to work more of those puzzle boxes.

  Gage called in to his office. “It’s me. I need some things.” He dictated a list. “I’ll stop by the office today and pick them up. I’m going to bring the client with me.”

  “Very good. Give me a few hours, and I’ll get everything together for you.”

  “Thanks, Margie.” He ended the call and looked around the room, wondering to himself. People had been in this house looking for something. They’d obviously had some time. He wondered if, in addition to tossing the office, they might have left a few gifts behind.

  “Forge, who lives in the houses over there?” When Forge joined him in the kitchen, Gage pointed, then indicated for Forge to sit at the table. Gage dug through the pantry until he found tea and made him a mug, hoping it would be more soothing than another round of full-strength coffee.

  “The one next door is the Harpers. He’s a doctor at Children’s Hospital, and they have three kids. Two boys and a girl. I’ve only seen them a few times. The one in back….” Forge sipped his tea. “Right now I understand they’re in Europe for the summer. Granger was pissed as hell when they built that fake Victorian monstrosity and put it so far back on the lot behind us. We have two acres, but they’re mostly to the west. The backyard is huge, but it was once a field, so the trees haven’t had a chance to grow up to block the view completely. That’s why there’s the line of trees to the north. A few were already there, and we added a number of them that will eventually block the view and make the yard more private. Why?”

  “Nothing you need to worry about.” Gage had a pretty good idea just from his instinct, which had never been wrong before, that the poor people in Europe were going to come home to find that someone had been using their house. He left and placed a call once he was out of the room. “Harv, you up for some fun?” He spoke as softly as possible.

  “What kind?”

  “Empty house that I think is being used for spying on a client. Want to take a look?” Gage knew Harv couldn’t say no. He was a thief at heart—well, an honest one. But he loved to see what he could get away with, and he was damn good about getting into places without anyone knowing he’d come and gone.

  “When and where?” Harv asked with delight in his voice.

  Gage gave him Forge’s address. “Drive something no one will notice, and after dark we’ll pay a little visit to the empty house that I think isn’t so empty.” Harv agreed, and Gage hung up, smiling. “Forge, I have to pick up some things at my office,” he said when he returned to the kitchen.

  “Okay. I’ll lock the doors and—”

  Gage shook his head. “You’re going to come with me. I can watch over you best if you’re along with me. We can get anything you need.”

  “What about the house?”

  “You’re more important than the house, and I don’t want to leave you alone, but there are some things I need.”

  “Okay. Let me shower and change. Give me ten minutes.” Forge took his tea along with him, and Gage watched him go, knowing he shouldn’t.

  Something inside his mind had shifted. The resentment he’d carried about Forge not writing had evaporated. When it came to Forge and this job, the one thing that had kept him professional was the thought that Forge hadn’t really loved him, and that not communicating had been his cowardly way out. But Forge wasn’t a coward and he had cared, a great deal.

  “Do you want to clean up?” Forge asked when he came down in what Gage was certain was just a light blue robe, that enticing strip of chest and belly visible from where the knot had loosened while walking.

  “Thank you. I think I will.” He grabbed his bag along the way, and Forge led him to a huge bathroom with towels all laid out for him.

  “I’ll be ready when you are.” Forge left him alone, and Gage stripped and set out his change of clean clothes before starting the water. He showered quickly because he couldn’t hear anything while he was in under the water, then jumped out and opened the door just to make sure Forge was okay. The door across the hall was open, and Gage saw Forge clearly through it. He closed the bathroom door, dried off, and dressed without wasting a motion. His hair still damp, he gathered his things in his bag and left the bathroom. He found Forge working the last of the puzzle boxes.

  “They were all empty except the last one.” He showed Gage a picture. “I got that one for Granger as a gift years ago, and he put this picture in it.” Forge’s eyes were wet, and Gage wondered just how over Granger Forge really was. An act of immediate and final violence could have many effects, including forgiveness and rose-colored glasses. “We were so young then.” Forge smiled and put the picture back inside, then closed the box. “At least we know there was nothing in any of them to help.”

  Trying to keep his own feelings in check, Gage asked, “Can you think of anywhere else to look?”

  “The safe-deposit box?” Forge asked. “I grabbed the keys from Granger’s hiding place when I was dressing.”

  “Was this the box for both of you or just him?”

  “I’m not sure. Granger had me sign some papers for one a few years ago. I never saw the keys, but I knew where he put them. Maybe he figured I forgot about it, or he could have closed it and these are to something else. All we can do is see what he left.” Forge dropped the keys into his pocket, and Gage got them ready to go.

  He set up a tell at each of the outside doors so he’d know if anyone tried to get in, then ushered Forge out to his car and took off, driving as fast as he dared and taking as many extra turns as possible. He didn’t think they were being tailed, but he wanted to be sure. He drove to a low white utilitarian building in an industrial area closer to the city, pulled the car directly inside, and closed the overhead doors. “Best way to hide from anyone.”

  Gage climbed out of his dark blue Camry and slammed the door, the sound bouncing off the walls in the otherwise empty space. He grabbed his bag from the back seat, then waited for Forge before showing him through to the office. Margie sat behind her desk, phone headset resting on her head.

  “I have everything you asked for.” She took a call as she pointed to the bag. “Yes. I’ll let him know.” She typed as she spoke, probably sending him an email about one of the details another of his security people was on. “Glad it’s going well and that they want you for two more weeks.” She disconnected the call and looked up expectantly.

  “Margie, this is Forge Reynolds,” Gage said, going through the bag she’d put together for him. Then he walked into his office to check his email while Forge and Margie talked in the outer area.

  “Is he always that brusque?”

  “Oh no. He’s just busy and wants to clear as much of his desk as he can in the next few minutes.”

  Nothing fazed Margie. She knew how much he valued her, and when he was in a hurry, she let him be.

  Gage opened his email and went through the list, answering what he could quickly and putting the rest into his to-do folder for later. He checked on his staff, pleased with their overall progress. Then he st
opped. “Margie. Is this true?” He read the email she’d just sent. “Two more weeks? I have another detail for him.”

  Walking over to the doorway, she said, “They’re paying time and a half, so I figured that would make it worth it. I’ve already got Marcus ready to step in to take the other job. So we’re covered.”

  Gage smiled at her. “What would I do without you?”

  “Probably spend more time in the office and climb the walls within two weeks. I know what you love, and that’s why you hired me—so you can continue to do what you love.” She leaned closer. “You need to get back out there before your client starts getting restless. If I was a little younger and he was a little older….” She waggled her eyebrows.

  He smirked. It was his turn to put one over on her. “You’d also need to change genders.”

  “How do you know?” She turned to peer out to the reception area and then back at Gage. “Is he… the one?”

  “One what?”

  Margie rolled her eyes with the efficiency and effectiveness of any teenager. “The one who got away. The one who stole your heart and… basically the one who turned you into a relationships-don’t-last kind of guy.” She took a step into his office. “He is, isn’t he? Don’t think I haven’t learned a lot about you in the five years I’ve worked here. And I saw the way you looked at him, like he was a buffet lunch and you were starving.”

  “Don’t be dramatic. You don’t do it very well.” Now it was his turn to roll his eyes.

  “I knew something happened a long time ago.”

  Gage stared bullets at her. “Harv has a big mouth.” He should have known.

  She grinned even more. “Great. Now I know who to pump for information.”

  “Remind me never to play poker with you.” He went back to his computer, and Forge wandered in to sit in one of the chairs. “You’re perfectly safe here. We’re surrounded by enough surveillance and sensors that if a mouse tried to get in, we’d know before it got halfway across the parking lot.” Gage motioned to the door to the side of the office. “There’s a suite with a bathroom and rest quarters through there, also a television and some comfortable chairs. There’s more here to do than I thought, and….”

  “I think I’ll watch TV if that’s okay.” Forge looked tired, and Gage hoped he could relax. Hell, he’d like to do the same thing, and maybe if he finished up some work, he could lie down for a while. Tonight was shaping up to be busy.

  FOR THE next hour, Gage worked his way through emails and invoice approvals. Then he shut down his computer and went in search of Forge, who he found sound asleep in front of the television. Smiling at the turn of events, he went to get a blanket. He covered Forge and got one for himself, then lay on the sofa, falling to sleep within seconds. This was the one place he knew he could relax, where both of them were absolutely safe.

  Gage wasn’t sure how long he slept, but when he woke, Forge was still out, if the snoring was any indication. “Man, you could wake the dead.”

  “Huh?” Forge startled, then yawned. “Oh. Yeah, I know. Granger used to give me grief about it. When we were first together, he’d rouse me by curling close and holding me. He said I’d settle right back to sleep and be quiet. Eventually it got to him asking me to roll over. Then him nudging me, and eventually he’d leave the bed.” Forge sat up and hung his head. “I know now I was really stupid.”

  “No. You were going on with your life. Maybe you and Granger needed to talk more often.”

  “That was another issue. Granger talked all day long for work, so he was pretty quiet when he got home. He never wanted to talk about much other than what we were having for dinner or if there was some problem he needed to deal with. Mostly he either sat in his office or in front of the television.” Forge picked at a stray string on his clothes, not meeting Gage’s eye. “Things were falling apart right in front of my eyes, and I didn’t do anything about it.”

  “He still should have talked to you instead of shutting you out.” Gage sat up and blinked a few times, feeling better and more alert now that he’d gotten some rest. “I think we need to move on.”

  “It would be nice if we could just stay here for a while. It’s peaceful and safe.”

  “Then relax for a while.” Gage checked his watch. There was no need to hurry. “I have something I need to do tonight. You’re welcome to stay here.”

  Forge sat back once again. “It’s nice here, but I want to go home. It probably sounds stupid, but it’s where I’m most comfortable.” He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. “This is going to sound dumb, but being at the house makes me feel closer to Granger in a weird way, and I think that’s what I need right now.”

  “Okay….” Gage shrugged, hoping for nonchalance.

  “I don’t have any illusions about how things were between us, but I need to be able to end things and say goodbye. I expected that to happen in a courtroom or from across a negotiating table, and instead it’s going to be at a funeral.”

  “Then do you want to get going?” Gage asked, wanting things to be as normal for Forge as possible.

  “In a little while.” Forge returned his attention to the television.

  Gage found himself watching Forge instead of the movie. For some reason, Forge’s inner strength surprised him. It shouldn’t have, given his history. Gage truthfully wasn’t sure he would be handling the events since yesterday with as much grace and fortitude as Forge was if their situations had been reversed.

  After another movie and a little more rest, Gage packed up the blankets, loaded the equipment Margie had gathered for him, and left the office. They stopped at the store for provisions, then returned to Forge’s house, where he drove by and parked up the road.

  “What are you doing?” Forge asked.

  Gage ignored him, grabbing his phone instead, and called Harv. “Where are you?”

  “At the house. It’s clear.”

  Gage pulled his car into the driveway, and Forge used the remote on his key ring to open one of the overhead doors. Though full dark had fallen, they went inside quickly, with Gage acting as a shield as best he could to cover Forge. He returned for his bag and closed the door, then continued into the house. Gage hurried through the inside, checking his indicators, which were all still in place, confirming what Harv had said.

  “Where’s your friend?” Forge asked as he nervously sat at the kitchen table. “Is it always going to be like this? Checking the house and being afraid whenever I come home?”

  “Harv is around, and he’ll make his presence known if we need him or if he sees something. Right now it’s best he stay out of sight and be an extra set of eyes and ears.” Gage set down the equipment. “As for your last question. Yes, that’s to be expected. Being cautious is prudent, and being afraid… fear helps keep us on our toes.” He placed his hands on Forge’s shoulders, amazed at how right it felt to protect and care for him. Gage could try to deny his feelings, but it was getting more and more difficult. Forge’s distress called out to him and touched that place deep inside that Gage had forgotten existed. “I’m going to do everything I can to help keep you safe. You need to stay away from the doors and windows, and keep the curtains closed.” He squeezed his fingers slightly as his own nervous energy ramped up. Gage preferred to channel that energy into productivity. “I have some sensors that I’m going to install on the doors and windows to try to give us a heads-up should anyone try to pay us an unexpected visit. And this evening, Harv and I are going to do some reconnaissance. He’s also going to be installing an alarm system to help give us some advanced warning.”

  Forge placed his hand on top of one of Gage’s, and heat ran from his fingers through Gage’s arm to his body, settling in his gut and racing out in all directions. He stifled a groan and did his best not to shake as energy built to near unbearable levels. A simple touch was enough to send his entire body into overdrive, and his dick to aching something fierce. For a second Gage was back in the hospital, basking in the warmth and ca
re of Forge’s gaze, and he wished, more than anything, that he could change what happened. But the past was always out of reach, and had to be accepted and dealt with. Gage knew it was impossible to go back.

  He leaned closer and kept his voice low. “I need to get some things done.”

  Forge nodded and pulled his hand away. Gage missed it the way a drowning man misses air.

  Chapter 3

  FORGE MADE coffee and sat in the kitchen as Gage went about his tasks, letting him do what he needed to. Dark clouds settled around Forge, and he let them gather. He needed to deal with the loss, as well as the ultimate change to his life. He knew it wasn’t as simple as thinking about it and working through everything in a few hours. He sat at the table where he and Granger had eaten a lot of meals together before things between them had completely fallen apart.

  “You know, it’s okay to mourn for him, for what the two of you had,” Gage said gently.

  Forge looked up. “How do you know what I’m thinking?”

  “It isn’t rocket science, and I’ve seen a lot of grief and confusion. Shit happens to all of us, and sometimes what we get is manure, piled on crap, wrapped in shit. You deal with it as best you can and move on.” Gage refilled his mug, and Forge followed his movements.

  Gage was dressed all in black and looked completely badass and sexy as all hell. Suddenly the clouds around him parted a little and some light shone through. “What are you doing?”

  “Some reconnaissance with Harv. I need you to stay here in the house with everything locked up. Don’t open any of the outside doors or the first-floor windows while I’m gone unless you need me or something happens. I have them temporarily sensored, and I’ll get a message on my cell phone and come right back.”