Hard Job

by Jeffery Craig

  John Brown looked back over his shoulder and caught Toby looking. He gave him a slow grin. “Enjoying the view?”

  “More than enjoying. I’m imagining all kinds of things.”

  “Really? Don’t let your imagination get away from you – I have plans for you.”

  “Do those plans include you, sprawled out naked on the bed, waiting for me to have my wicked way with you?”

  “Well, I was thinking of things slightly differently. In my mind, you were the one sprawled out on the bed.”

  Toby laughed and took the bag from Bill’s hand as they entered the cabin. “Let’s get to it, then.” He dropped the duffle bag on the bed and greeted his lover with a proper hello.

  John Brown felt the urgency in Toby’s body, which fueled his own hungry aggression. He was excited by how the combination might translate into their weekend play. He felt his own body respond as he imagined what they’d do together, and the image in his mind grew clearer. He shivered with desire, and lost himself in the warmth of Toby’s arms. Eventually, he pulled away and looked into the blue eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.” After another quick kiss, he stepped away, adjusting himself in his jeans as he did. “Are you hungry?” John Brown asked. “I haven’t started anything yet, but it won’t take long to fire up the grill.”

  Toby shook his head and eyed the tightly packed crotch. “Not really. I had an early lunch before I started the drive. What I’d really like is a glass of wine, and you and me together, on the bed. So, get out of those clothes. I want to see what I’ve been missing the last several days. From the way your jeans are fitting right now, you’ve been missing it too.”

  “I tell you what, why don’t I get the wine while you start getting out of your clothes?”

  “I think I can live with that change of plans,” Toby agreed as he toed off his shoes. “Hey, can I borrow your phone later? I meant to check on Grams and intended to give her a call on the drive up. Since I left my phone, I couldn’t, and I don’t want her to worry. Ever since….ever since things got scary there for a while, she likes me to touch base every few days.”

  John Brown caught himself before answering. His regular phone was tucked away in the console of his SUV along with his department issued revolver, and he couldn’t risk Toby using that one. However, he did have his other phone – the one he used for his jobs – here in the cabin. There was nothing on the phone to give him away, and if Toby happened to see any of the texts, they were easily explained. “Sure, Toby, but you might not have much luck with reception. You know how hard it is to get a good signal out here.”

  “Yeah, I know. If I can’t get hold of her this evening, I’ll drive to town in the morning and try from there.” He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the bed.

  “Hey! You need to put that shirt somewhere else. That space is reserved.”

  Toby picked up the piece of clothing and grinned wickedly as he turned to take the glass of wine from Bill’s hand. “I must have forgotten.”

  “I guess I need to remind you then.” John Brown took the glass from Toby’s hands and set it on the table. He unbuttoned his own shirt and slowly turned back to the man standing by the bed, sensing Toby’s anticipation as he reached down and unbuttoned his jeans. He pulled Toby to him roughly, kneading the bare skin of Toby’s back with his hands.

  “Maybe you do…” Toby sighed in contentment and leaned into Bill’s embrace. “Why don’t you refresh my memory?”

  John Brown removed his hands and slid his jeans down his hips while watching his partner’s face. Then, he hurried to answer the need he saw in Toby’s blue eyes.

  Afterwards, the two men lay on the bed, satiated and lazy. Toby carefully unwrapped himself from Bill’s arms and padded to the bathroom. After he had finished there, he retrieved his duffle bag from the floor and carried it to the table. He picked up his forgotten wine, and took a drink before starting to unpack his things from the duffle bag. “I forgot that was in here,” he thought when he discovered his gun case underneath his clothes. “No wonder the bag was so heavy.” He refolded a couple of sweatshirts and tucked them in the small cabinet, and then carried a few things to the bathroom and put them away. He put the duffle bag back on the floor by his side of the bed and then went back for his wine. After taking another sip, he turned back to the bed.

  The late afternoon sunlight coming through the windows illuminated Bill’s body, highlighting his shoulders and back. There was something about the angle of the light, and the position of the man’s body, which triggered some buried memory. Toby blinked his eyes, and walked closer to the bed, wine glass in hand. He ran his eyes over Bill’s strong torso, and his eyes came to rest on the tattoo on the shoulder. For a moment, he lost himself in his thoughts, trying to figure out what was familiar. Just when he thought he had it, Bill gave a lazy stretch and rolled over.

  At the sight of the man’s body, all other thoughts went right out of Toby’s head, except for the knowledge he was a very lucky man. Toby smiled at the sight of Bills heavy lidded eyes and messy hair. “Hey, sleepy head. Are you planning to stay in bed all evening?”

  “That doesn’t sound like too bad of an idea, at all.” John Brown stretched again, this time less lazy and made more provocative by the way he arched his back and sighed. John Brown liked this game – it was one of his favorites. “Why don’t you come and join me over here?”

  Toby made an effort to avoid the very tempting distraction spread out before him. “I thought I’d try and call Grams, and get that out of the way. Can I use your phone?”

  “Sure, I’ll get it as soon as I remember where it is. I put it down somewhere – it’s probably in my bag. But are you sure you don’t want to come over here first? I’ll make it worth your while…” He hands reached between his thighs and cupped his flesh. He loved the way Toby’s eyes followed his movements so he worked himself some more until he hardened and strained upward. He kept his eyes on the man standing a few feet away from him. “See anything you like?” John Brown spread his legs a bit to give Toby a view of what was on offer. “Just take your pick.”

  Toby was mesmerized by the sight. He reached down between his legs with his free hand to help things along. “A few things, maybe. I think I might have to test drive the model again before I commit to buy, though.”

  Bill began to work both hands now, a little faster. “That can be arranged, but you’ll need to start the engine before you put it in gear.”

  Toby set his glass down on the nightstand, and joined Bill on the bed. “I think I can do that.” His hands roamed over the body spread out before him, working down their way downward, until they met Bill’s hands, busy at work. He slicked his fingers with saliva, and let them delve into the creases and folds. They soon found the place they wanted to be, and he let them linger for a while, teasing and testing. He reached to the bedside table and grabbed a condom. He watched Bill’s face as he sheathed himself, and the man held his eyes and shifted his legs to provide better access. When the man underneath him gave a moan of pleasure, Toby adjusted his position, until his body was where it needed to be. “If I remember, the key goes in…right here.”

  John Brown wrapped his strong legs around Toby’s waist, and used his hands to guide him in. “That’s the place, Toby.” He exhaled at the sensations he felt, and when they shifted and became more intense, he gripped his legs tighter and lifted his hips to meet the first of Toby’s thrusts. “Now, drive.”

  

  Reightman ended the call and turned to Mitchell. “I finally got hold of Sheriff Branson. She was surprised to hear from me, and wasn’t too happy about the situation.”

  Mitchell looked over from the driver’s seat and tried to decipher her expression. “Why was she surprised? I thought Chief Kelly was going to call and brief her.”

  “Mitchell, she told me she hasn’t heard from him today.”

  Mitchell’s eyes widened in shock. “That can’t be right! Is there any chance she just missed his call?” />
  Reightman looked out the window at the passing countryside. “No, she said she’s been in her office ever since she returned from lunch.” She turned back to toward him and gave him the rundown on the current state of things. “She’s going to send a couple of deputies out to meet us, but said it would be at least another hour before they can get here. Apparently, all her available men are on the other side of the county responding to a domestic disturbance.”

  “What do you want to do? Should I find a place to pull over and wait?”

  Reightman shook her head, knowing they might not have much time. “Keep driving. Let’s continue on until we’re almost at the cabin. We can wait for them there. I just hope nothing happens before they get there.”

  “I’m worried too, but Jones doesn’t know we’re on to him, and doesn’t have any reason to hurt Toby.”

  She wondered who he was trying to convince. She turned to gaze out the window and offered a silent prayer to whoever might be listening. “I hope you’re right, Mitchell. But, Jones is unpredictable, and I don’t have any way of knowing what might set him off.”

  Mitchell didn’t respond, but Reightman noticed he picked up the speed.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “That was nice,” John Brown stroked Toby’s back as they lay entwined together.

  “Nice?” Toby asked as he raised himself up on an elbow. “You thought it was nice? After all the work I just did, I hope it was better than nice!”

  “Well, maybe you’re rusty. It’s been awhile since we’ve done that.” John Brown chucked at the expression on Toby’s face and then pulled the man’s head down for a quick kiss. “I wouldn’t want you to get out of practice though, so I’ll be up for another test drive before the weekend is over.”

  Toby glared at him in mock outrage, but his face cleared when Bill pulled him down for another kiss, longer and more lingering.

  Then, Bill rolled his legs off the bed and stood up. “I think I’ll go take a quick shower and then go check the hot tub. After that, I’ll heat up the grill and we can start thinking about dinner.”

  “Sounds good. If the shower were bigger, I’d join you, but there’s barely enough room for one.”

  “If the shower were bigger, we’d never get dinner started, and I, for one, worked up quite an appetite over the last couple of hours.” He took one more lingering look at the man on the bed before he turned and headed to the bathroom.

  Toby lay on the bed for another minute or two, enjoying the feel of the warm, tangled sheets and the memory of how they’d gotten that way. He heard Bill turn on the water in the shower, and made himself climb out of bed. He went to the kitchen and drank a glass of water, and pulled a couple of steaks out of the fridge. Then he decided to try and call Grams. “I think I remember Bill saying his phone was in his bag.” He started searching for Bill’s duffle bag and finally located it sticking out from underneath the other side of the bed. He knelt down to pull it out and saw it was opened. He reached in to see if he could locate the phone. His hand froze in mid reach as he spotted the gun on top. “He probably brings it up here in case he has to chase away varmints.” Toby moved it aside and continued his search. As he dug through a couple of layers of clothing, he felt what he assumed was a wallet and lifted it out of the bag to put to one side. When he realized it wasn’t a wallet, he lifted the leather flap, and was confronted with a badge. He examined it, noting the name on the ID and the seal emblazed on the metal. “Bill’s a cop?” he asked himself as he sat back on his heels. “A detective? This says his name is Vincent William Jones.”

  His mind rushed back to an earlier conversation with Detective Reightman and he remembered her mentioning her partner had the same last name as Bill. He thought she’d also said her partner’s first name was Vince. Was it possible they were the same person? If that was the case, why hadn’t Bill mentioned it? He quickly replaced the badge when he heard the bathroom door open and nudged the bag under the bed. Just as he stood, Bill entered the room, toweling his wet hair with one hand and holding a phone in the other.

  “Hey, I found the phone in the bathroom. I must have set it down in there earlier.”

  Toby stared at the man he thought he knew and took the phone from his outstretched hand. “Thanks. I won’t be on it too long.” He watched the man give his head a couple of more swipes with the towel and then glanced down at the phone he held in his hand. “I think I’ll go out on the deck – the signal’s probably better out there.”

  John Brown looked at him quizzically, as Toby slowly walked to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. As Toby pulled on the jeans, John Brown noticed the bag sticking out from underneath the bed, and felt a chill travel down his spine. He studied Toby’s face, but was unable read the rapidly changing emotions. “Is something wrong?” he asked. “Why are you getting dressed?”

  Toby pulled the sweatshirt over his head and turned back to Bill. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just felt chilled for some reason, and remembered it’s probably getting cool outside.” Toby tried to keep his voice level and to sound as normal as possible, while his mind was frantically trying to reconcile the man he knew with the cop he strongly suspected he was. He walked to the door and went out on the deck.

  John Brown watched him with narrowed eyes until Toby closed the door and then he dropped his towel on the bed and bent down to his bag. He pulled it open and saw his badge sitting on top of the other items which had been disarranged. Overwhelmed by the realization Toby had discovered at least one of his secrets, a conflicted and suddenly infuriated John Brown threw the bag on the bed. “I wish you hadn’t dug through that bag, Toby! Because you did, it all has to end now.” John Brown strode to the cabinet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a button front shirt and quickly dressed himself. He pulled on a pair of socks and then his boots. He opened the bag and withdrew the gun he used when he was on a job, tucking it into the waistband behind his back. Then he went to the window, as stood watching as Toby spoke on the phone. For a minute or two, he tried to reason with himself, wondering if he was overreacting. After trying to think of any possible explanation he could give for what Toby had discovered, he reluctantly came to the conclusion that nothing he could say would make any difference. He saw Toby look back toward the cabin, with an expression John Brown had never seen on his face before. Toby was afraid.

  Threatened by what this meant, his own mind divided, and everything he’d tried to be for Toby began to melt away until all that remained was a cold and calculating John Brown, the man who now had to eliminate a problem. “Looks like you have another hard job ahead of you,” he told himself, in resignation. He felt a pang of regret, but pushed it down and told himself it was nothing to worry about. “After all, I’ve heard it’s always messy when a love affair dies.”

  

  Toby paced across the deck with the phone in his hand trying to find a signal to make his call. He finally found the right spot, and punched in the number he knew by heart. When the call was answered he cried with relief. “Detective Reightman,” he said while trying to keep his voice steady. “I think there’s something strange going on.” He told her what he’d discovered and she carefully told him what she knew. By the time they hung up, he understood exactly how much trouble he was in. “Oh, shit!” The question now, was what he was going to do until help arrived? He turned the phone over in his hand while he tried to think. “Don’t panic!” he told himself as he turned the phone over in his shaking hands. “Pull yourself together, dammit! You need to try and act as normal as possible. They’re just about twenty minutes away and you can manage until then.” He glanced down at the phone, and his hands stopped as he looked down at the case, noticing the long scratch running down the silvery back. “This looks just like my phone – the one I lost, the night Geri was murdered.” He almost dropped it when he realized it very likely was his phone. He tightened his grip as he heard the back door to the cabin open.

  “Were you able to make your cal
l?”

  Toby jumped at the sound of the voice, but somehow managed an embarrassed smile which he hoped was convincing. “You scared me, Bill! I didn’t know you were behind me.” He handed the man back his phone. “I was finally able to find a signal.” He met the man’s eyes. “Why don’t you start the grill and I’ll go hop in the shower? I guess I worked up an appetite, just like you did.”

  Even though his voice sounded fairly normal, John Brown could tell by the look in his eyes that Toby was frightened. That pleased the part of him which was the cold blooded killer. However, the small portion which remained of Bill Jones was remorseful. “Alright, I’ll do that. Don’t be too long.”

  “I’ll try to hurry…Bill.”

  “How ‘bout a kiss first?” John Brown asked, testing Toby’s reaction.

  Try as he might, Toby couldn’t bring himself to meet his eyes so he turned away, averting his face. “I think I’d better brush my teeth first.” Knowing how lame that sounded, he forced himself to look back and look at the man who he suspected would kill him without a thought. “I’ll take care of that, right after I shower.”

  John Brown watched as the man he thought he might have loved – but now had to kill – walked back into the cabin. Bill Jones tried to think of any other alternative, but he couldn’t take the chance Toby might mention anything to Reightman, because that would raise all kinds of uncomfortable questions. He’d have to explain to both Toby and Reightman why he hadn’t just told them the truth, and he couldn’t think of a plausible answer for that question. Toby had told him from the beginning he wouldn’t stand for lies, not after what Guzman had done, and almost everything he had led Toby to believe was a lie. Even worse, if they somehow connected all the dots, he’d be in a world of trouble, and his carefully constructed persona would crumble. He walked to the grill and turned it on, deciding even though he was going to kill Toby, they might as well have dinner first. Otherwise, the evening would be ruined.