Hidden Gem

by Lissa Kasey

  “And then what? He’s obviously not dead. So who’s the kid? And why does he look like Junior?”

  She shrugged. “The other one is unidentified. We think it’s someone from the South, but since we don’t have full access to their DNA scans, we can’t get a match.”

  “Any way to tell if either of these kids had the pupil-dyeing surgery they do to rich psi kids?”

  “Not without their eyes.”

  This just got better and better. “At least we can give this to Ino and send him on his way.”

  “Yeah, him. I thought you might recognize him since you fought him back in the Third.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “Ino was a soldier for the South in the Third, just like you were one for the North. According to record, he’s over eighty years old and looks midtwenties. Classic signs of an A-M. Sound familiar? You wanted dirt on him. He is a private investigator. Known for being tenacious and always solving the case, but also known for not obeying the government. Was sent to a prison camp for a few months by his own people just before the war ended. I suspect he came out of that like you did.”

  A fucking medical miracle that turned into a bloodthirsty animal. Ino had already admitted to surviving the plague. Great. “Maybe he’s our guy. Showing up looking for these kids only to catch them and kill them. Maybe some sort of payback?”

  “Checked that too. We have confirmation of him crossing the border the day before Mandy was taken. Prior to that he was in the South. So he couldn’t have killed the first batch. And Junior’s remains are over a week old. The unknown longer than that. Decomp has been bad on the other one.” Jenny grabbed the stack of files and flipped through them until she found what she was looking for. “Got a hit from his past that you might be interested in.”

  “Other than him being a freak like me?”

  “Yep. Whole reason he joined the war was because he had a little brother who was supposedly taken by the North. Kid is registered as dead. Died more than fifty years ago of some sort of cancer.” Page handed him the folder.

  So maybe he had a grudge. Shane flipped open the manila page. Shit. “This is not possible.”

  “That’s what I thought too. We’d need DNA to confirm. All deceased for the past century is on file. And that is open to the public whether they are from the South or not.”

  “He’s not….”

  “We know the South was experimenting with cryogenics. Maybe they figured it out. Maybe he’s like you and his big brother Ino. Maybe the kid wasn’t really taken by the North.”

  “Ino said all his family is dead. So he doesn’t know, or he’s hiding it.”

  “I’d say get the kid to the ISS. Have him tested for the same genes that keep you the strapping Irish lad you are.”

  “He doesn’t change. Bart would never be able to hide that.”

  “Well, maybe he’s the one who worked. Not like you, Taylor, and Ino. No side effects.”

  Shane shook his head. He’d never get the kid to a lab. At least not conscious. But he thought back to a pair of pink panties that had been sitting on his tub at home. Maybe he had some usable DNA.

  “You did not just call me a strapping lad with a straight face.”

  “This year you’ll be, what, seventy-four, seventy-five?”

  Seventy-six, but who was counting. Well, this was a monkey wrench he hadn’t thought of. “The ISS has a lab rat already named Jackson Taylor. They don’t need me. Fuck. What else did you find about Ino’s dead brother?”

  “Not much. Cause of death was some sort of cancer, but doesn’t say what. Nothing about the treatment or even an actual day. Just a year and type of death: cancer. The crap from the South sort of reads like expiration dates on milk cartons. And records weren’t as great back then. The war destroyed a lot of data. We’ve got a handful of old family photos. But just as Ino said, all his family is dead. No great-grandparents or three-times-removed cousins to give us a history. Might be worth bringing Ino in for questioning.”

  “Not yet.” He pawed through the rest of the files searching for anything else that might add to his big shocks of the day. Not that he needed more. Waking up with a certain companion should have had him floating on a sea of calm, but everything was just spiraling down to shit faster than he could think. “We need to check the medical history of all our victims. My gut says that’s part of all this. There’s got to be a way to know if they had the dyeing thing without their eyes. It’s a chemical, right? That stuff leaves traces.”

  “They’ll hide it like Biniski did. I only spotted it because they used a heavier dose of anesthesia than is usually used for something like tonsillectomy. Most of them mask this under something else that is much more acceptable. We’ll have to get someone with medical expertise to look over the history of each vic and possible surgery. I caught it because Sofie had her tonsils out last year.”

  Shane remembered Page researching the surgery fanatically when she knew her daughter was going to have it. Medical information was a problem, though. People got real picky about privacy and health.

  “Maybe the same surgeon does more of these. Maybe we check his record, look for possible matches and future victims. Bring the doc in for questioning. These kills have all been pretty surgical.”

  “Clearance issues.”

  “Yeah. That’s a problem.” He sighed. Did they really have a choice? “Give the order under my name. Let the heat come back on me.” He’d already proven they wouldn’t kill him. What was the worst they could do to him, fire him? Maybe then he’d finally take a vacation. Could he afford to spend a week in Aki’s company? Shane really liked that idea.

  TEN

  THAT EVENING Aki worked his normal shift, one of the few companions who were well enough to be hospitable, so his schedule was crazy. At least he looked like himself again. Everyone seemed to want a piece, which always happened after the bonfire. He heard Bart in discussion with a few clients and several heated arguments about Aki’s lack of available services. Loud voices spouted off high dollar amounts for the chance to fuck him like it would suddenly win them a prize. Bart—as always—stood firm.

  He’d been angry that Aki spent the night out, ranting for a good hour about all the horrible things he’d seen happen to unprotected companions, and then punished the guards who had been last returning to the Gem for not walking Aki home. And the next day, Aki was to leave to attend Paris for the weekend to be schooled in how a companion should act. As if he didn’t know.

  But spending time with Paris was a bit like Whore Etiquette 101. A whole lot of “yes, sir,” “no, sir” and kissing ass. If a few days with his mentor was all Aki got for stepping out of line, he was grateful. Honestly he could use the break from thinking so hard. Being the top companion was really stressful.

  Candy was mad at him. Short with him. Aki apologized a hundred times, but the companion was tired, grumpy, and hung over. Aki brought him some oatmeal and aspirin, hoping to at least ease his friend’s pain a little. When Candy suggested he borrow some shorts, Aki knew they were going to be okay.

  When Aki got to the floor, he was glad to not have to do much talking or listening. Mostly he’d just smile, nod, and then get down to business. By after midnight Aki had a line of men waiting, and that’s when McNaughton arrived.

  He walked in the door just as Aki was making his way to the bottom of the stairs to meet his next client. The detective was clean-shaven, probably the first time Aki had ever seen him that smooth. His hair was trimmed and combed back nicely, his clothes pressed and neat. Aki did a double take; was that really the cop? McNaughton crossed the room with long strides to reach Aki just as Bart appeared next to the companion.

  “Aki is already booked for the evening, Detective.” Bart interrupted him by stepping between them.

  “Then unbook him.” McNaughton’s gravelly voice didn’t match his clean appearance. “I’ve got enough money to cover anyone you’ve got booked for the night.” His gaze traveled over Aki’s transluce
nt top and the super-short shorts he’d borrowed from Candy. He had added a handful of orange streaks to his hair and woven in some gold cords to add color. The detective seemed to like what he saw. “He’d rather service me than any of these tiny-dicked richsters anyway.”

  Aki stepped around his boss and prepared to stop the detective from getting himself thrown out. “Perhaps once I’ve gotten through my client list for the evening, we can spend some time together. However, I’d hate to disappoint all the admirers who have been waiting so patiently for me this evening.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You’re putting me off?”

  Aki shrugged, praying he came off as indifferent. Every eye in the room was on them. Maybe McNaughton didn’t care what people thought of him, but there was enough political power in the room to get him fired and sent to some random district just across the Southern border to serve in some sort of personal hell. And then there was the chance of the cop being banned from the Gem….

  “Do I have any free time this evening, Bart?”

  Bart folded his arms across his chest, and a handful of guards stepped around them, blocking a lot of the scene from the many visitors and companions of the Gem. “No. However, you have some time available next Saturday. Would you like me to add you to the schedule, Detective? Normal half an hour?” The entire place seemed to have paused, waiting for his reaction. Aki could almost hear everyone’s heartbeats. His own was pounding in his chest. He silently begged McNaughton to behave and not get himself thrown out permanently.

  McNaughton’s hands clenched into fists, and he didn’t move for a nearly a minute. Finally he spun on his heel and slammed his way out of the Gem. The clatter and noise rose again instantly, as if it’d been some sort of spell. Aki trembled, fearing the man wouldn’t be back.

  Bart gripped his arm. “I don’t want you servicing him anymore. If he comes back, I’m going to keep telling him you’re booked. This obsession he has is not normal.”

  “He’s really not all that bad,” Aki whispered. That morning they’d shared something intimate, something that had very little to do with sex and more to do with that never-ending loneliness that ate away at him. Could McNaughton really be that bad when he had a smile like sunshine and a laugh like a little boy? Aki sort of liked his bossiness. Even looked forward to it most days.

  Bart shook his head. “Seen a million just like him. He’s a time bomb ready to go off. Don’t make me tell you some of the stories I’ve heard about men like Detective McNaughton. Back to work now. Your schedule really is full for the night.”

  Aki returned to work in a bit of a daze. Giving blow jobs and hand jobs for a living had its downsides. He did a lot of teeth brushing and mouthwash gargling, and still the condoms and all the chemicals made his tongue numb. The laundry probably had a section marked off just for all his many pairs of stained gloves. Though it had to be better than most of the other companions. He’d heard of bad incidents, a few emergency trips to the hospital. Candy had once been hurt by an overzealous admirer. All Aki had to complain about each night was how sore his hands and jaw were. And that night, he was missing a certain gruff Irishman.

  Aki had to take a few quick breaks just to breathe a time or two. He could have used McNaughton’s honeyed teasing. But he was sure DM would be back. The man had been coming around for two years. Aki could only hope that Bart’s irritation would fade, and McNaughton would return with his normal banter and heavenly smile.

  “CANDY!” PRESTON called just as Candy was returning to the main floor to seek out his next client. He probably should have stayed later at the bonfire last night; he didn’t have nearly as many suitors today as Aki did. And obviously Preston wasn’t busy at all. “There’s a guy at table twelve asking for Aki, but Aki’s booked so Bart sent me over, but he’s…. Well, his eyes… and I know it’s stupid, but I just can’t….”

  Candy glanced toward table twelve. The man sat alone. Young, attractive, obviously Asian, that was unusual. “I’ll handle it. You better get working, or Bart will have a fit.” Candy waved Preston away and headed for the table. He slid into the seat opposite the man with the sweetest smile he could manage after working all night. “Evening, sir. First time at the Gem?”

  The man met his gaze, revealing a pair of dark brown eyes with pupils three shades lighter. A psi. So it wasn’t just the slant that had put Preston off. Candy sighed. Lots of flavors, he had to remind himself. Aki was normal. Most psis were that way, right?

  “I was hoping for the sparkling jewel of the Hidden Gem,” the man said. “But you’re certainly a sweet surprise. Candy, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Candy let the pun flow through him. He’d heard it a million times before. “Aki is booked solid. Most have to schedule a session a week or more out with him. I’d be happy to service you in his place. Show you how hospitable the Gem can be.” The man was handsome enough, dark hair, olive skin, a nice body. “Or if you prefer, I can have Bart come over to schedule a session for next week with Aki. I’d hate to think I was a sad second choice when a handsome gentleman such as yourself should really be welcomed by the best.”

  The man smiled. “I think we can work out an arrangement, you and I.”

  Returning the man’s grin, Candy began the negotiation. He wasn’t the second-highest-paid whore of the Gem simply because he was a good piece of ass. Aki was pretty, but Candy knew how to play the game.

  ELEVEN

  TWICE THAT night—when clients grabbed his hair—Aki had had flashbacks of the guards who used to rape him in the camp. That had never happened before. But the memories were so vivid he’d had a hard time finishing the men off. Seconds after his final client finished, Aki rushed off to shower away the evening and gargle from another bottle of mouthwash. His stomach growled at him with a need to eat. He just wanted to be finished with work for the first time that he could remember, so he’d skipped all his scheduled meal breaks, which meant no food. Now he had to eat, or he’d never be able to sleep.

  He tugged on a pair of pants and a T-shirt. Artie’s coffee and a slice of cheesecake sounded like heaven right about then. “Going to Artie’s,” Aki told Candy. “Want to come?”

  He shook his head, already half-asleep. He was lying funny with a pillow under his thighs.

  “Rough client?” Aki teased.

  “Hung. Nicely hung. Haven’t been pounded that well in a while. I’ll be feeling him most of the day tomorrow, I bet. Hope he comes back for more.”

  Aki pulled the blanket up over his friend.

  “You sleeping with me again tonight?” Candy asked.

  “If it’s okay.”

  “Yeah. We should just have Bart get us a bigger bed. No point in taking up all the space with two beds when we’re sleeping in the same one all the time. I’ll miss you tomorrow night when you’re with Paris. At least he’ll give you the fuck you need.”

  Aki smiled. “I’ll talk to Bart. Get some sleep.” He braided his hair and headed downstairs. Still full dark, so it was around 4:00 a.m., but that was okay. Artie’s would be open. “Just going to Artie’s,” he said to the guy on door duty and headed out to the lamp-lit streets. Normally there were more people around. Maybe it was the fact that the moon was almost full or that the night before had been the bonfire so everyone was resting, but the streets were empty. He walked three blocks, and a bit of tension crept into his spine. Weird how quiet everything was. No birds or crickets. Nothing but the sound of his footsteps.

  And an echo of them.

  He stopped, glanced back. No one. Yet he could almost feel someone looking at him, watching him. He turned back toward Artie’s only to run right into a wall. Well, a person built like a wall. Aki screamed like a girl until a hand went over his mouth. The scent of peppermint filled his nose as he sucked in a deep breath. Detective McNaughton stood in front of him, his jacket pulled up over his hand to keep from touching Aki flesh to flesh.

  “Jumpy much?” he grumbled.

  Aki peeled his hand away. “You s
cared the crap out of me. Do you know what time it is? You shouldn’t be slinking in shadows randomly touching people.”

  “I never touch you at random.” McNaughton fixed his sleeve, then shoved his hands in his pockets. “You’re going to Artie’s?”

  “I’m not servicing you tonight, McNaughton. My jaw hurts, and I feel like my hands are about to fall off.”

  He nodded but started walking toward the diner. “Why don’t you ever call me Shane?”

  “That’s an odd question. I don’t think you’ve ever asked me to.” Aki frowned at him, still a little confused by the clean look of him. It was like he was trying to mimic Jack. “Did you come from a wedding or something?”

  “Why do you ask that?”

  “’Cause I’ve never seen you dressed so nice. You’re always scruffy and sort of thrown together.” Not that it was a bad thing. Aki just wondered sometimes if the man would look better if he had someone taking care of him. Maybe he had someone, and that’s why he looked so nice. Crap! “Are you dating someone?”

  “No. Can you imagine someone dating me? Even I have a hard time putting up with me most days.” He paused, then asked, “You don’t like scruffy?”

  Why was he acting so weird? “I don’t really have a preference.”

  “Is that why Jack gets a whole day and I don’t even get a half an hour?”

  Aki stopped walking. McNaughton was a bundle of overwound emotions right now, almost enough to give Aki a headache without even touching him. “You sound jealous.”

  “And if I am?”

  “I’m a whore,” Aki reminded him. “Do you have any idea how many men I service most nights?”

  The detective sighed and began walking again. After a few feet, Aki began to trail behind him. “You make it sound stupid.”

  “I don’t mean to. I just don’t understand. People like you aren’t interested in people like me.”