A deep growl from behind the men alerted them to the fact Bull had returned. The man holding Cole released his grip. Cole dropped to the floor, curling into a tight ball as the pain swelled—and then he passed out.
* * * *
Ky shifted, clothing himself with a thought. “You touch him again, you die.”
“Really, Kyland?” the first man replied. “Looks like you’re outnumbered.”
Ky shrugged. “Been there, done that, as I’m sure you remember.”
“This time, we came prepared.” The man pulled out a gun.
“Mine’s bigger than yours,” Ky replied with a wicked grin bringing his hand around from behind him. He fired once. The man stumbled forward two steps and went down. Even as that happened, Ky swung around to point the gun at the second man. “Tell Marsham to call off his dogs or else.”
The man sneered. “You kill us?”
“Nope. I take you to a nice vet I know. He’ll be glad to neuter you free of charge.”
The man winced, then lunged at Ky, shifting as he did. Ky aimed and fired.
“Next time, I’ll use real bullets, not tranquilizers,” he said under his breath, holstering his gun. He picked up the comatose Bullmastiff lying at his feet, hauling him out to the lot behind the building. Then he went back for the man, leaving him lying by his partner just as the sun rose above the horizon.
With that job finished, he went back for Cole. Slinging Cole’s backpack over one shoulder, he gathered the young man into his arms. Seconds later he was in the basement of The Haven. Gently laying Cole on the battered sofa in one corner of the room, he went in search of Adam.
“He what?” Adam asked in dismay, a few minutes later, after Ky had told him what had happened. “Why the hell weren’t you with him when they got there?”
“Needed to piss,” Ky replied succinctly. “I didn’t sense them until I was back in the building.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “If I’d been ten seconds later, Cole might have made his first shift—or not. He passed out so I think the pain got to him.”
“Damned good thing it did,” Adam replied. “According to the rumors we’ve heard, Marsham thinks Cole’s his son, but he’s not certain. That’s why he’s looking for him. If Cole had completed the shift, he’d have been as weak as baby and easy pickings for Marsham’s two thugs.” He pointed a finger at Ky. “Next time, hold it until Cole’s in a safer place, like out walking you.”
Ky nodded. “I thought that was a safe place. How the hell they found him…” He shook his head.
“That’s twice they have,” Adam pointed out. “You might want to figure out why.”
“No shit.” Ky paced the office. “If they got their hands on something of his from the Williamses. Something with his scent.”
“You may have hit the nail on the head, but if so, why did it take them so long to track him down?”
“I suspect he took a bus to get here, right after he left home, eradicating any scent markers. They…Yeah. They expected he’d be living on the streets so that’s where they started looking. When he was attacked the first time, down by Cherry Creek, it was by punks, not them, thankfully. That gave me the chance to befriend him. After that, he played keep-away from downtown. Marsham’s men must have widened the parameters, checking every shelter and drop-in spot. Sooner or later they hit on the right one—here.”
“And knew you were here, too. That would have made them think twice,” Adam said. “That and the fact you’re not the only shifter hanging around, even if I’m not a Bullmastiff.”
“Yep. So they hang back, waiting for their chance. They got it the first time, down at the stream by the park, but I was able to deal with them before they even got close to him.”
“And almost blew it tonight,” Adam replied acidly.
“Mea culpa,” Ky admitted, then said, “Shit,” under his breath. “He’s up and moving. My cue to become Bull.” Which he did, moments before Cole knocked on the office door.
* * * *
“You’re awake,” Adam said, opening the door to let Cole in.
Cole nodded, rubbing his arms. He felt disoriented, wondering how he’d managed to end up at The Haven. The last he remembered was two men trying to hurt him—again. He dropped down in one of the chairs, looking up at Adam.
“How did I get here? And did Bull come home? God, I hope he did.”
“Right behind you,” Adam replied with a smile. “Thanks to him, I was able to find you.”
Cole didn’t have to turn to look. Bull was in front of him even as Adam talked. Cole dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around him. “Thank God you’re all right,” he whispered. Bull licked his face, and Cole didn’t even care that he was all slobbery—at least until he got up and sat down again. “Do you have—?” He hadn’t even finished his sentence when Adam laughed and handed him a paper towel.
What Adam had said finally sank in. “He led you back there?”
“Yep. The punks were gone. I suspect with a few bite wounds if not more. You were out like a light, so I carried you to the van,” Adam replied, lying, but it was necessary at this point.
Cole frowned. “Why did you put me in the basement?”
Adam chuckled. “I figured you wouldn’t want everyone bugging you about what happened until you got yourself together.”
“That’s for sure,” Cole said under his breath. He shuddered, remembering the men and then…“Did they hit me with a taser or something? The last thing I recall is feeling like my body was being torn apart, if that makes sense. I read somewhere that’s what it feels like when you get shocked by one of them.”
Adam shot a quick look at Bull, who gave a short nod. Then he replied to Cole’s question. “That would make sense. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of punks doing that, but God only knows you can get them easily enough off the Internet.”
“I hope I never have that happen to me again,” Cole said, shivering. “I still ache all over.”
“I’m not surprised. Let’s get you upstairs to bed, before everyone else shows up wanting one.”
Cole got shakily to his feet, and with Adam’s help, and Bull right behind them, he made it up to one of the bedrooms. Without even bothering to undress, he collapsed on a lower bunk and promptly fell asleep.
* * * *
It was late afternoon when Cole woke up. He felt better, until he realized he was missing work. Hurrying downstairs, he found Adam and asked if he could use the phone to call Mike at the restaurant. “He’s going to fire me, I know he is.”
“Nope,” Adam replied. “I called him. Told him you were sick—probably the 24-hour flu that’s going around. He said to tell you to stay away until you’re better. He doesn’t want you passing it on to the customers.”
“Thank you so much,” Cole said, with a sigh of relief.
“Now I have some other news for you. You’ve been admitted to Domicile. There’s a room waiting for you as soon as you’re ready.”
“Yes!” Cole pumped his fist. “Like, now?”
Adam laughed. “Yep, but I’d suggest you shower first.”
“I will. Damn. Where’s Bull? I have to tell him. Not that he’ll understand, but…”
“Out back.”
Cole dashed through the house to the backyard. “We’re in,” he elatedly told Bull, hugging him. “I have to shower and then, well I hope Adam will drive us there. I’m not sure I want to be out after dark.” He shivered. “Not after last night.” Bull nodded, which made Cole smile. “Like you understand me. Not. I might have died, if it wasn’t for you.” He got up, started to go inside, frowned, and then continued on his way, a puzzled look on his face.
Rather than head upstairs to shower, he went looking for Adam. He found him in the rec room talking to a couple of kids. When Adam finished, Cole went over, saying softly, “I remember something from last night.”
“Let’s go into my office.” When they got there, Adam asked, “What?”
“One of the men sai
d…” Cole closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember the exact words. “He said I was a hard guy to find. They were looking for me.” He tapped his chest. “Not just a street kid to mess with. Me.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“Yes. Absolutely. They said that just before they asked where the dog was, meaning Bull. So they knew about him, too. Why?”
“They’ve probably seen him with you.”
“So they’ve been following me?” Cole clenched his hands. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“Unfortunately, it might. They figured you were an easy target but didn’t want to attack you on the street.” Adam barely smiled. “As for the comment about you being hard to find? Think about it. I’d never have found you if it hadn’t been for Bull. They probably saw you go around the building, lost you when you went inside before they got there, but figured that’s where you were.”
“I…guess.” Cole grimaced. “I’m getting paranoid.”
“Not a bad thing to be when you live on the streets. Now you’ll be off them. Or you will once you shower so I can take you over to Domicile.”
Cole heaved a sigh of relief. “I was hoping I didn’t have to walk there.”
“Of course not. So get moving.”
Cole did, hurrying up to shower and put on clean clothes. When he got downstairs, his backpack slung over one shoulder, Adam was waiting for him with Bull at his side.
“Go get the half-full bag of dog food and his bowls, then we can leave.”
After putting the bowls in a plastic bag he found in the storage closet off the kitchen, and hefting the food bag onto his free shoulder, Cole rejoined Adam at the front door of The Haven. Ten minutes later, they were parking in the lot beside Domicile.
* * * *
“Cole, this is Larry Graham,” Adam said. “He’s the chief honcho when it comes to the day-to-day running of Domicile.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Cole said, shaking the man’s hand when he held it out.
“You, too, Cole. Feel free to call me Larry. Everyone does.” Larry looked at Bull, one eyebrow arched, and smiled. “When Adam said you had a dog, he didn’t mention it was a horse.”
“He’s not that big,” Cole protested, afraid they wouldn’t let Bull stay with him.
“I was kidding, although he’s not small, either. Come on. I’ll show you your room. We put you in a single because of…What is his name?”
“Bull,” Cole said, gathering his things, that he’d put down when they first entered Larry’s office.
“Bull. It fits.” Larry led the way to elevator that took them up to the second, and top, floor of the large building housing Domicile. The building covered half a city block and had, Larry told Cole when he asked, previously been a storage facility.
“Back in the early two-thousands, we bought it and it became Domicile. We turned the storage units into rooms for kids like you who want to get off the streets and can afford the minimal rent we charge.” Larry opened a door halfway down the long hallway running from the front to the back of the building. “This will be you room.”
Cole was surprised at the size. He’d expected something just big enough for a bed and dresser, and maybe a table and chairs. Although it was only one room, it was large and airy, with two windows overlooking the street that ran along the side of the building. Between the windows was a table with two chairs. The bed sat along one wall. Across from it was counter with a sink at one end and cupboards above it. There was a small microwave, and under the counter, a tiny refrigerator. A closet took up the rest of that wall, and there was a dresser between the bed and the windows.
“We do provide dinner for everyone,” Larry explained when Cole asked. “Otherwise, you’re on your own for meals. Why don’t you leave your things here and I’ll give you the grand tour and introduce you to whoever’s around right now? Oh, and here’s your room key,” he added, taking it from his pocket.
Cole put it in his wallet, since he didn’t have a keyring, dropped his backpack on the bed, put Bull’s bowls down in the corner by the counter, and filled them with food and water. “Behave,” he said to the dog. “I’ll be back soon.” They all laughed when Bull nodded.
“There are three communal bathrooms,” Larry told Cole as they returned to the elevator. He pointed to a door with a sign labeling it as such. “It’s compulsory to clean up after you’ve showered or used the sink. There are towels and washcloths on the top shelf of your closet, as well as sheets and pillowcases.”
“Of course I’ll clean up. Who wouldn’t?” Cole asked.
Larry rolled his eyes. “You’d be surprised.”
When Cole, Larry, and Adam were back on the ground floor, Adam left, telling Cole he’d see him in the morning, “When you bring Bull over on your way to work.”
“He’s welcome to leave him here,” Larry said.
“I don’t think he’ll be happy, cooped up in my room all day,” Cole told him.
“Hell, if he’s as well-behaved as he seems to be, he can have the run of the place, down here. What are your work hours?”
“Eleven to eight, but there’s travel time, too.” That reminded Cole that he was going to buy a bike as soon as possible. “If you’re sure it’s okay to leave him…”
“Absolutely.”
Adam laughed. “Then I guess I won’t be seeing you tomorrow. Don’t be a stranger, though.”
“I won’t be. We’ll come by on my days off. I promise.”
As soon as Adam left, Larry gave Cole what he termed the ‘grand tour’ of the ground floor. There were offices for the people who worked there, next to a large recreation room with a TV, a pool table, and bookshelves, as well as chairs, a couple of sofas, and two desks with computers. The dining room held four long tables. A counter separated it from the kitchen. “We run dinner cafeteria-style,” Larry explained. “From six until nine, to accommodate guys like you who work other than normal hours.”
At the moment, there were several young men seated at the tables. Larry took Cole around, introducing him to them. They all seemed friendly, if their smiles and greetings were any indication.
“You’ve got a dog, right?” Danny said after Larry introduced him. “I saw him when you came in. Is he friendly?”
“Very,” Cole told him. “Maybe I’ll bring him down later, once I get settled in.”
“Cool.”
After leaving the dining room, Larry showed Cole the classrooms. “We work with guys who want to get their GEDs,” he explained. “If you need one…”
“No. I did graduate, just before I left home.”
“Left? Or were kicked out?”
Cole grimaced. “Let’s just say my parents made it clear that they didn’t want their queer son hanging around after I turned eighteen.”
“Consider yourself lucky. A lot of street kids were much younger than you when their folks shoved them out the door for being gay.”
“I know. That sucks.”
“It does,” Larry agreed, before opening a door at the end of the hallway. “And here we have the courtyard.”
The courtyard was small, set between the building and the alley, with a tall cedar fence surrounding it on three sides. There was grass, a tree in one corner, and benches and chairs scattered around. Two bright lights on the building’s wall lit the area now that it was dark.
“Whoa. Nice. Bull will love this.”
Larry chuckled. “I suspect so. Maybe we should put in a dog door for him.”
“Is he the first dog that’s ever been here?” Cole asked.
“Yes. We’re considering him a test case. If it works out, then we might let other guys with dogs move in.”
“It will. I promise.”
The last thing Larry did was take Cole down to the basement to show him the laundry room. “Again, clean up when you’re finished using it.” Cole nodded, then Larry said, “You’ve seen everything, now, so go settle in. Feel free to stop in the dining room to eat, first.”
&nb
sp; “Can I get something to take with me, instead?”
“Yep. Go for it.”
Returning to the dining room, Cole got two hamburgers and a salad then went up to his room. Bull was curled up on the floor beside the bed. He sniffed and immediately got up, looking hopefully at Cole.
“Yes, you get a burger,” Cole said, putting it in Bull’s bowl. Then he checked the drawers in the counter, glad to see there were utensils in one of them, and, he discovered, dinnerware and plastic microwave dishes in the cupboards. “Now all I have to do is go shopping for food,” he told Bull as he settled at the table to eat.
When he finished, he rinsed off the paper plate before putting it in the wastebasket. Then he got linens from the closet to make the bed, and put away his clothes.
“I bet you’d like to take a walk,” he said to Bull, getting the leash that he’d hung on the door handle. It didn’t occur to him—until he’d locked the door and they headed to the elevator—to wonder if they were free to come and go from the building at any time or if there was a curfew.
He asked the guy at the desk by the front door when he got there, after introducing himself.
“I’m Norm,” the guy replied. “There’s no curfew, but if you’re going to be coming in after eight, you’ll need a key.” He handed one to Cole.
“May I keep it? I work until eight, except for Mondays and Tuesdays.”
“You bet. Just sign here so we have a record that you have one.” Norm slid a ledger across the desk and gave Cole a pen. He glanced at Bull. “Hell, you’d need one anyway, if you’re going to be walking him at night.”
“I guess so,” Cole agreed, putting the key in his wallet. I need to add a keyring to my shopping list, once I make one.
As soon as they were outside Domicile, Cole shivered. He glanced around, wondering if the men who had attacked him might be lurking in the shadows.
Don’t be stupid. How would they know I was here? Even if they did, there’s plenty of traffic and some people around. They wouldn’t try to get to me where anyone could see what was happening.
Keeping that thought firmly in mind, Cole walked Bull down the street—past a couple of restaurants and a near-new clothing store—to a small park. Bull did his business and Cole cleaned it up using a plastic bag from a carrier provided by the park. Then he let Bull off the leash so he could run, which he did with gleeful abandon.
Cole and His Dog Page 5
