Beneath This Mask

by Victoria Sue

  She narrowed her eyes, glanced at the money, but didn’t take it.

  “Ma’am, I think my friend may be in danger.” Jake stumbled over the word, and the woman’s eyes went from wary to concerned.

  “I just need to find him,” Jake pressed, and swallowed.

  “Angel and his friends will be in BoysTown.”

  Jake frowned and glanced at Talon.

  “It’s a gay club. Not far,” Talon replied.

  Jake picked up her hand and kissed it again, placed the twenties in her palm, and folded her fingers down to hold them. “Be safe,” he said solemnly.

  She blinked once. “I had a son like you once.” Then she turned, and with her friend, stepped into the road as a car slowed down next to them.

  “Do you want to go to the Westgate first?” Jake asked, wrenching his eyes away as both ladies got in the car.

  “Closed,” Talon replied and set off down the street.

  Jake followed him. “How long have you known Gael?” he asked, trying to force the sickening fear down and needing the distraction.

  “Three years. We met just after Wyatt had gone to Georgetown. I had a job at the docks, and I found Gael trying to sleep in a crate.”

  “He was homeless?” Jake came to a standstill.

  Talon dragged him to keep him moving. “Briefly, yeah. Anyway, I let him move in, and he stayed for around a year. During that time, we both worked at the docks, and Gael got his GED.”

  Jake stayed silent. He would have been twenty-four.

  “I got him enrolled online, and a month later, we met Vance’s uncle, who knew Gregory. A year after that, we were tentatively helping, unofficially, on some DEA raids. He saved mine and Vance’s life.”

  “He told me.”

  “He did?” Talon smiled. “Good. Anyway, it took another year for Gregory to get the permission he needed for the trial, and I went out trying to recruit.”

  “Had you always planned on five?”

  “Actually, Gregory wants six pairs per team.” Talon paused. “He wants three teams.”

  “Three?” Jake was astonished.

  “Yeah, so we can rotate. The FBI got the funding because of him, but he says, long-term, it’s likely that individual police forces will each have their own.”

  “Like SWAT,” Jake answered.

  Talon nodded. “If things go as he is hoping, we will replace the ENu units altogether. He has all these big plans.” He smiled. “He even wants an outreach team for the schools. I mean, we’ve been doing a lot of visits, but he wants the enhanced to be seen with books, not just guns.”

  “That would be so cool,” Jake said in awe.

  Talon nodded, and Jake saw the entrance to the club. Huge guys stood on either side of the door.

  “We should have brought Vance,” Jake murmured.

  Talon scoffed. “Vance? He’s the softest guy I know.” He stopped before they got any closer and turned to Jake. “I like you. I think you’re good for the team and good for Gael. But make no mistake—he’s my friend. You hurt him and they’ll never find your body.”

  Jake laughed shortly, but Talon had moved away. He was joking—wasn’t he?

  THE MUSIC was deafening. Each beat made the floor bounce, and Jake narrowed his eyes as he scanned the room. Bodies gyrating, mashing together on the dance floor. Clothes barely on, and women, surprisingly enough. There was even a bachelorette party. The tiara and sash pinned to the girl being spun around in a group made it obvious. He glanced over at the bar; the crowd must have been five bodies deep.

  Talon came and stood close. “When did I get so fucking old?” he shouted, and Jake grinned. He knew what he meant.

  He looked around helplessly, trying to spot Angel. “Do you want to split up?”

  Talon grunted, so Jake took that as a maybe. Five minutes later, it was clear who was getting the attention. Talon rolled his eyes as he tried to disentangle another twink who was trying to hang from his bicep.

  Jake sighed and scanned the room just as a group moved and he caught a flash of blue hair. He practically catapulted into action. Just as he got close, he saw Angel disappear into the bathroom with a bigger guy. He followed immediately, not caring what he was interrupting.

  “You fucking tease,” the bigger man swore, hands around Angel’s throat.

  Angel wasn’t as confident as he’d been before. Stark fear shone in his eyes, and his fingers scrambled at his throat.

  Jake picked up a metal trash can and brought it down on the man’s head. He didn’t have the time to mess around.

  Angel sidestepped him as the man crashed to the floor, and he bent over, choking.

  Jake shook his arm. “Angel?”

  “OMG, perfect timing, Agent,” Angel gasped.

  “Angel.” Jake shook him again. “Focus! This is important. Did you and your friend meet Gael earlier?”

  Angel quieted instantly, as if he heard the worry in Jake’s words. “No, he never showed. We waited a half-hour in that diner.”

  “You didn’t arrange to meet at the Westgate?”

  Angel rolled his eyes. “Are you mad? I’d get eaten alive in there.” He blew out a breath as Jake swallowed and sent him a pained look. “Is Gael MIA?”

  Jake nodded. “And we were told he was meeting you.”

  “He never showed.” Angel chewed his lip. “Follow me.” He walked to the door, delicately stepping over the sprawled-out guy on the floor. They passed the bar, where a guy stacked glasses into a washer. “Trick, you seen Genie?”

  The guy narrowed his eyes and pointed to the far end of the room.

  “Genie?” Jake asked.

  Angel nodded. “Always in a bottle.”

  Talon spotted them and, managing to dislodge his last guy, much to the disappointed murmurs surrounding him, fell into step with Angel and Jake.

  Angel gave him the once-over. “Nice, but not big enough for me.”

  Talon blinked and looked at Jake in confusion.

  “He’s a fan of Vance,” Jake explained, and Talon smiled for the first time since Jake had seen him at the office.

  They came up to a crowd of boys Jake had a hard time believing were legal. A tall, rangy kid with bleached-blond hair was sucking on a joint. He passed it on to the guy next to him as soon as Angel approached them. He smiled when he saw Jake and gaped as his eyes landed on Talon and rose the length of him, until he was tipping his head back to see Talon’s face.

  “I got some good shit for a party,” he said hopefully. He was talking to Angel but was looking at Talon.

  Angel rolled his eyes and clicked his fingers. “Focus.”

  Genie looked at Angel and huffed. “What?”

  “Did you go see your nan at Lou’s earlier?”

  Genie sighed. “Yeah.”

  Jake listened intently. Lou’s was the name of the diner.

  “We’re looking for someone. He’s enhanced. About six feet four. Blond. Real dark blue eyes. Built.” Angel said it as a compliment. “He was supposed to be meeting me, but we got the times wrong and we think he showed up—”

  “Around eight thirty,” Jake added when Angel paused.

  Genie smirked. “You lucked out, bro.”

  “Meaning?” Jake asked, tired of the man and ready to stuff him headfirst into any available bottle if he didn’t start talking.

  “What I mean is, he was just getting into a BMW when I arrived. Wouldn’t have minded some of that myself.”

  “A BMW? You sure?” Angel asked.

  “Absolutely. Benson has one.”

  Jake had no idea who Benson was, but Angel frowned. “Did you get anything off the plate? See who was driving?”

  “No, wasn’t looking, but the badge was missing.”

  “Huh?”

  “The badge on the hood. The BMW badge. It was missing. Some little shit will have thieved it. He’ll sell it on eBay probably.”

  “One last thing,” Jake said as Genie started to move away. “Did the guy get in the car willingly?�
��

  Genie frowned. “He opened his own door, that’s all I can tell you.”

  Jake chewed his lip. They had nothing to go on except Gael got in a BMW without being forced.

  Talon pulled him toward the exit, and Angel followed. “Jake, it means the texts he sent Drew’s phone were wrong. He never stayed to see if Angel showed up, despite him being early, and wherever he was, he texted Drew a few times to say he was okay. It makes no sense.”

  “Is Drew the guy he came to the diner with?” Angel asked.

  They both turned to Angel. Jake nodded. “Yes, why?”

  Angel screwed his nose up. “I didn’t like him.”

  “Which has nothing to do with anything,” Talon bit out in exasperation.

  Angel’s dimples flashed as he smiled. “Very true.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  SKIN SLIDING over skin.

  Revulsion. A memory made his stomach flip. Pain in his shoulders, his arms. Numb fingers, but Gael wasn’t sure whether it was from the cold or how he was tied. He pushed against something hard with his foot. Was he lying down? No. He was standing. The hard surface was the floor, but he could barely reach it, and it didn’t take the weight off his arms.

  His heart jumped as realization hit him faster than someone’s fist. Drew. It had been Drew all along. He had no idea why, but he knew what psycho looked like, and that was the last thing he’d seen, stark in Drew’s eyes. How could they have missed it?

  “All those questions are running around your mind like little insects. I wonder… if you open your mouth, will they come scurrying out?”

  Gael froze. Slowly, trying to focus, he opened his eyes. He took a breath—not easy, as his chest seemed tight. Drew was about eight feet away, in the same blue suit but he’d removed the jacket. Gael wanted to laugh when he saw it hung up on a peg fastened to a door.

  He looked from side to side with difficulty, his arms blocking his ability to turn his head properly. He had no idea where he was. A room. A house? It had a bare, unswept concrete floor, and was dark except for an old desk lamp in the corner. No windows.

  No noise? An occasional car, close, but almost as if they were overhead.

  “Why?” He rasped the word out suddenly, realizing his throat was dry. A sharp metallic taste lingered, probably from whatever he had drunk. Shit, he was so stupid. His heart jolted, squeezed. Would Jake be awake? Missing him? Of course he would. He’d be frantic.

  “Because you were close.”

  Close? Did he mean close to finding out he had done it? But why? It made no sense. He had a job, a career. “The BAU. Why?”

  Silence. Wasn’t he going to answer? Gael tried to heave a breath, completely unsure why he couldn’t seem to take a deep one.

  “The BAU has shown itself to be shortsighted.” Drew picked up a cigarette lighter, a small handheld one. The cheap throwaway kind that could fit in your pocket. Did Drew smoke? Why hadn’t he noticed it? Smelled it? Drew clicked the lighter and stared at the flame.

  Shortsighted? Gael tried to process the words. It was difficult to think. Shorts…? Gael’s eyes widened and understanding flooded him.

  Weakness, confusion, and the drugs were all viable excuses, but he regretted the words as soon as they left his dry lips.

  “You didn’t get the job.”

  Drew stiffened, and he dropped the lighter into his pocket. He lifted his eyes and fastened a cold, detached gaze on Gael. He took two steps closer, and Gael desperately tried not to react. Drew’s eyes raked him up and down. “I’m surprised you’re still conscious, really. Although it would be less fun if you weren’t.”

  Gael was sure Drew would get his wish. He’d passed out twice before in his life, both from standing quickly or lifting something at the docks when he wasn’t getting enough to eat. He hated the feeling, loathed the lack of control, and he could already feel the familiar dizziness that seemed to weigh his body down.

  “I’m going to let you down while I’m gone because it’s possible to die very quickly suspended like that, and that will never do.”

  Blackness touched the edge of Gael’s mind, and he reached for it, ashamed of his weakness. Ashamed he wanted to escape. He should be fighting. Something….

  “Ahh,” Drew sighed, suddenly close. A finger slid down his cheek, and Gael tried to jerk away. Drew laughed and trailed his fingers lower, and only then did Gael realize he was naked. “I wonder if I could get you hard, even to come. A body’s response to pain is often so delicious.”

  Gael tried to jerk away again, but the pain in his shoulders made him nauseous. “They will find you.” His words were slurring, and the darkness robbing his vision crept into his mind.

  He wasn’t even sure if the last thing he heard was amusement in Drew’s voice or the whispered word, “Possibly.”

  THE PAIN in his shoulders woke him instantly. His mind was clear, clearer. He opened his eyes. Drew had changed his clothes, but Gael was still naked, and the sudden thought of Drew’s hands on his body made him gag.

  How much time had passed? He rattled on the chain and the metal shackles pulling his arms up. Standing on tiptoes, he could take some pressure off his arms, but he knew now why he had fainted. His lungs were unable to expand while he was tied in this position. The lack of oxygen was almost worse than the pain. It had made his brain fuzzy, and he needed to think before he passed out again.

  He had a split second to register movement, and his body braced for impact. The bat Drew had suddenly swung at his ribs bounced off them. His skin had hardened as an automatic response, and Gael pushed a breath out, trying not to let the hope color his face. He couldn’t move his chest muscles enough to take a full breath, but Drew wouldn’t be able to beat him. It hadn’t even hurt. He focused on Drew. The humorless laugh from the madman made him want to squirm.

  Drew stood closer now. “I thought as much.” He sounded delighted. “That’s why I chose to drug you. Very risky, as you might not have drunk the water, but threatening to shoot you would have been pointless. I wonder how long you’re able to maintain the barrier for?”

  Gael blinked and he let his body relax. That’s what he was going to do? Wear him down until he passed out again and then inflict injuries? But even as he thought it, Gael knew it didn’t make sense. No self-respecting psycho would torture an unconscious victim; there would be no point.

  Drew laughed again. “But I don’t need anything as dramatic to cause you pain, do I?”

  Gael refused to answer. Mainly because he was trying to reserve his oxygen, but he also didn’t trust his voice not to betray his fear, and he didn’t want Drew to have the satisfaction.

  Drew stood close, as he had done before, and Gael stared coolly at him. Drew’s eyebrows rose and his fingers returned to Gael’s abdomen. “You are trying so hard,” Drew murmured, sounding almost pleased. “But let’s see if you can get hard in some other places, shall we?”

  Gael couldn’t move his legs, and he was confused. His gut reaction was to knee Drew in the balls, but his legs seemed to be tied. He lowered his head as far as he could, but he couldn’t see them. He could feel Drew, though. The light touch of his fingers as they reached his groin and circled his balls. Gael almost gagged again. The barest touch was more sickening than any pain, and his heart sped up. Even though he knew whose fingers were touching him, he was suddenly more terrified his body would betray him before he could be rescued. He could think of nothing worse. All the pain in the world wasn’t as bad as this slow humiliation, and he wanted to cry as the smooth ministrations started a response. Drew noticed and hummed appreciatively.

  Gael tried to distance himself and concentrate on making his lungs inflate. It was hard to talk, but he needed a distraction. “If you want a proper response, lay me down.”

  Drew’s smile was wicked. “Oh, you are so tempting.” But he just continued stroking small circles on Gael’s balls. Gael could feel his cock hardening and told himself it was just biology, a reaction. “I wonder what Jake will thin
k when they find your body covered in spunk? I wonder if he’ll understand what a good time we had? I wonder how many times I can make you ejaculate while you are afraid?” He put his other hand on Gael’s chest. “I can practically hear your heart beating. It drums from the walls.”

  Gael lost it, roaring and twisting, ignoring the blinding pain in his shoulders until he was forced to stop, exhausted, knowing he would pass out if he carried on. His final humiliation was in seeing Drew a few feet away, the ridiculous small smile still painting his face. At least he had stopped touching him, though.

  “You killed Skin?” He tried a different tack, barely able to force the words out.

  “Of course,” Drew said, the pleasure modulating his voice, almost making it pleasant. “Who else?” he taunted a little.

  “Adero,” Gael gasped.

  “Very good, Gael. It’s a shame your brain will be so starved of oxygen soon, you will lose that clever mind of yours.”

  “And the boy in Atlanta?” Gael’s brain was getting a little fuzzier, and to his horror, the name escaped him.

  Silence. Gael forced himself to look at Drew. “Barely an experiment.”

  “An experiment?” Gael repeated. What the actual fuck? “Derrick?” Gael rasped. “Why did you kill Maria? She isn’t enhanced.”

  “Because it was sickening,” Drew spat. “You think you’re so clever. Juvenile tricks beneath any self-respecting person.”

  “Went wrong,” Gael murmured, losing his grasp on coherency. He was so light-headed, the pain in his hands barely there.

  “Are you thirsty?” Drew picked up a bottle of water, not answering the question. “And yes, it is drugged.”

  Gael recoiled but then nodded. He hated the thought of being at Drew’s mercy, but the longer he could drag this out, the more chance he had of Jake and the team finding him.

  Drew smiled. “Let’s do sips, then.” He looked eager, and Gael wondered if he’d made a mistake. He was looking for quick oblivion, not a gradual lowering of awareness and his defenses. “Here.” Drew tipped the bottle into Gael’s mouth, and he could have cried at how fantastic the coolness felt on his tongue. He barely swallowed a sip before it was taken away. Drew came closer, and Gael felt his lips on his cheek. Gael twisted his head to move his mouth away quickly, and Drew laughed. “Did I not tell you the water was conditional?”