[In Distress 02.0] In Pain

by Caethes Faron

  “And that’s exactly what we’re doing with this collar.” Tony nodded his understanding. “They had a story for just about everything prior to the Great Destruction, didn’t they?”

  “It seems so,” Malcolm said. “Syrus knows even more of the myths than I do. He’s read nearly everything in the library. Perhaps we should have him—”

  The door banged open and Nick came running in, Stu close on his heels. “There’s been an attack. At least one bomb has gone off at a plant up north that makes cheap clothes for Zeds.”

  Will grabbed his tab and searched for any mention of the bombing in the news. “There’s nothing being officially reported yet.” All news went through the government. The president’s office directly controlled every story that made it onto the net.

  “Th-th-there won’t be.” Stu sat on Malcolm’s other side.

  “Yeah,” Nick said as he paced, “there’s still too much confusion. It looks like the Alpha who owns the plant might have been killed at the same time in a coordinated attack, but I haven’t confirmed that yet.”

  “Where are you getting this from?” Malcolm’s face had drawn with worry as soon Nick had mentioned an attack.

  “Same as usual. I told you there was chatter about something coming. This was it.” Nick and Stu had infiltrated parts of the darknet, the places online that weren’t accessible to everyone, where certain citizens, disgruntled with the world, could speak freely and anonymously.

  “How many are dead?” Malcolm asked.

  “I don’t know.” Nick shook his head. “But it looks like they triggered the emergency alarms in order to evacuate the place before the attack.”

  “This is getting out of hand,” Tony said. “These fanatics aren’t helping anything.”

  Will’s feelings on the matter weren’t quite so clear. The fanatics served a purpose, and Will couldn’t say he was saddened by the destruction they wreaked.

  “Well, there’s already a lot of talk on the boards about why the system can’t just change and make these attacks obsolete. Just like always, this gets people talking.” Nick finally took a seat, the urgent energy that had kept him pacing seemed to abate. “I expect there’ll be a news bulletin tonight. They’ll probably up the bounty on the leader of the movement. I don’t know how he’s keeping himself safe.”

  Will shifted his gaze to Malcolm, but Malcolm, wisely, did not return it. No one in the family knew that he was the current leader of the movement. As far as they were concerned, he was simply another operative. A well-placed, influential operative to be sure, but still just an operative.

  “That’s not for us to worry about,” Malcolm said. “The movement isn’t about our leader; it’s about the movement. If they were to get our leader, it wouldn’t change anything.”

  Will knew the truth. It would change everything.

  Chapter Eight

  Malcolm headed home with mixed feelings. The meeting at the DGI had gone well. He knew he should be excited, but he couldn’t summon the emotion. A sense of foreboding overcame him.

  “Call from Will.” The voice of his tab sounded through the car speakers. Malcolm debated whether or not to take it and then gave in, knowing Will wouldn’t take kindly to being ignored until he could get home to him.

  “Answer.”

  “Malcolm?”

  “Yes?”

  “You were supposed to call me on your way home.”

  “How do you know I’m on my way now?”

  “I may have convinced Trent to let me monitor the GPS on the car.”

  Malcolm chuckled. “It’s nice to see where his loyalties lie.”

  “You were right before. This is all an elaborate plan for me to take over your compound.”

  Malcolm’s mind wandered back to when he had said those words to Will in the loft, right before he’d made love to him for the first time. “Well, if you let me in when I get to the gate, I’ll talk to you then. You know I hate making calls from the car. It’s not safe.”

  “Only because you won’t engage the autopilot.”

  “I’ll talk to you when I get home. It’s not far. I want to see you when I tell you.”

  “Can’t you at least stop your cold-as-ice routine and let me know whether it’s bad news or good?”

  “I’m disconnecting now.”

  “Fine. I’ll have everyone in the lounge waiting for you.”

  Will ended the call. The excitement in his voice had affected Malcolm, but not as much as he had hoped. This marked the beginning of something big, and Malcolm wasn’t sure he was ready for it. The danger to him and his family was now no longer abstract. The contract he had just signed made it real, concrete, and sharp. As far as he knew, no one had ever attempted what they were about to.

  He tried not to dwell on it too much. His thoughts could be a bottomless pit he’d lose himself in without Will around to pull him out. They’d all talk through this together. They already had multiple times, but Malcolm knew his boys wouldn’t mind reminding him once again why this was a good idea.

  When he got home, he went straight to the lounge, not bothering to change out of his suit first. He feared he’d have a mutiny on his hands if he waited any longer. As soon as he entered, the talking stopped, and all eyes turned to him. He took his seat next to Will.

  “Well?” Will took his hand and looked at him with the most earnest expression he had ever seen.

  “They’ve agreed to try them. If they work out well, they’ll start rolling them out at the Evals, full replacement, not just on an as-needed basis.”

  The smile that exploded on Will’s face the second before he kissed Malcolm temporarily banished all reservations he held. Will squeezed his hand so tight it started to ache. All around him were the whoops and hollers of the others as they hugged each other in excitement.

  “That’s wonderful news. Now why couldn’t you tell me that over the comm?”

  “And miss this look on your face? It’s not often I get to put a smile that big on it.”

  “So how is this going to work?” Kaleana, as always, asked the practical question. He also had a feeling that she had picked up on his trepidation.

  “They’re going to do a live test. If that goes well, it’ll advance to a pilot program. From there, if they’re happy with the results, they’ll replace everyone’s collar at Eval. It really wasn’t hard to convince them. You all did a wonderful job on it. They’re anxious to advance the project.”

  “Was Nicodemus there?” Nick asked.

  “Yes, he was, and he was quite impressed by everything. I had expected him to be more resistant to change.”

  “When does live testing start?” Carson asked.

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Who are the lucky ones?” Syrus cut to the point that had Malcolm inexplicably nervous.

  “Will and Kaleana.”

  Silence fell over the group. Tony reached over and placed a hand on Malcolm’s knee. “It’ll be fine. We’ve made a good collar.”

  “Of course it’ll be fine. I’m jealous. Why can’t we all get it?” Nick furrowed his brow in disappointment.

  “No.” It escaped as quickly as a reflex from Malcolm’s mouth.

  “Why?”

  “Replacing collars is dangerous business, Nick,” Syrus said. “Malcolm won’t want any of us going through it until it’s necessary.”

  Syrus was right. Zeds had been known to die during replacements. If Malcolm had it his way, none of his Zeds would get the new collar. He didn’t see how it could benefit them. The only reason the movement was interested in them was for the data they would provide. Well, he didn’t need any data on people living under his own roof. Looking around at his family, he wished he hadn’t become an agent in the Spark of Life Movement, much less its leader. His Zeds were happy, and that’s all that mattered to him. The rest of the world be damned.

  “We’ll be fine, Malcolm. You don’t need to worry about us.” Will cuddled up beside him, offering the heat and weight of his body as a
comforting presence.

  “So are we all going tomorrow?” Rufus asked.

  “No. I don’t want you going into an Eval Center any time that it’s not absolutely necessary. There’s no reason to put you all through that.”

  “But I w-w-want to s-s-support Will and Kaleana.”

  “I know you do, Stu.” Malcolm reached out and tousled Stu’s hair, but he pulled away, sulking. Out of all of them, he feared the Eval Centers the most. To offer to come was especially touching from him.

  “We appreciate it, Stu,” Will said, “but it’ll be better for us if you’re here. If you came, we’d only be worried about you.” Will’s words seemed to placate him.

  “What time will you be leaving?” Tony asked.

  “Right after breakfast.”

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to spend some time working on Will’s leg in the hot tub. Between the excitement leading up to today and all the stress, we haven’t had much opportunity to work on it. It’d be best if he were as relaxed as possible when the collar’s switched.”

  “That’s a great idea. We have time before dinner. Go get changed and we’ll all meet down there.” Everyone went to their rooms, finally leaving Malcolm alone with Will. The fact that Will hadn’t protested Tony’s suggestion was telling. Normally, Will hated anything that brought attention to his leg or made it seem as if he needed special consideration.

  Malcolm changed into more casual black pants and a black T-shirt while Will got into his swim trunks. “Thank you for agreeing to relax tonight.”

  “I’m not stupid. I know I need it. I just wish you’d join us.”

  “I enjoy watching all of you.” Nothing gave him such a sense of contentment as watching his Zeds be happy and safe.

  “Thanks for letting me do this. I’m aware that it’s not easy for you to have me and Kaleana be the testers.”

  “They wanted it to be two of my Zeds so there’d be some loss on my part if they malfunctioned.”

  “I didn’t think they could understand that you would feel a sense of loss if something happened.”

  “No, they meant the financial loss.”

  Will shook his head as an incredulous grin spread across his face. “Ah, makes more sense.”

  Only in this twisted world did that make more sense. Malcolm kept his comments to himself though. No sense getting worked up and upsetting Will. “Are you ready to go down to the pool?”

  “Yep.”

  Malcolm reached out and pulled Will flush against his body. “This is all because of you, you know. I can’t predict what’s going to happen next, but for the first time, our cause has a real chance at doing something significant. I really feel like this is the first step down a whole new path for us. Thank you for being brave enough to lead me down it.”

  “I’m not leading you anywhere. We’re walking side by side, like we always have. Just don’t ever let go of me.”

  “Never.” Malcolm hugged Will to him tighter than what would be considered comfortable. He needed him close. The feel of him beneath his hands, warm, alive, solid, gave him the confidence to see this through. If he had his way, he’d hold Will to him until the end of time.

  Chapter Nine

  The feel of Malcolm’s gaze on him provided a security Will couldn’t have imagined when he first came to live here. Tony massaged his leg, loosening the muscles and aiding the hot water in its work. More than the physical comfort, Tony’s attention soothed him emotionally. Everything Tony did exuded love. They all sat in the hot tub together, foregoing the pool in a show of solidarity with him and Kaleana, as Malcolm watched from a lounger. Always watching.

  The familiar faces around him, all eliciting warm emotions, reminded Will that he had a family now. Yet another thing Malcolm had given him. As a boy, he’d never thought he’d have his own family.

  The conversation was subdued as they all unwound from the excitement of the last few days.

  “I thought the last time I had my collar changed would be the last,” Kaleana said.

  “Come now, Kaleana, you ain’t that old. You didn’t think Malcolm’d come up with another model?” Carson smiled at her. Zeds only had their collars replaced as they needed a larger size or when a new model came out.

  “Oh, Malcolm has plenty of ideas, but none the Geneticists are sure to like.”

  “What, you mean they wouldn’t be receptive to a lamb’s wool lining? Maybe replace the metal with silk?” Nick teased.

  “Malcolm would never suggest that.” Will took a deep breath in time with one of his muscles relaxing beneath Tony’s hands. “Silk pinches the skin when it gets tight,” he deadpanned.

  “My apologies,” Nick said as they all laughed. Most of them had served as sexual companions at one time or another and could go down the list of possible restraints and outline the pros and cons of each.

  “I don’t like you two going without us.” Rufus’s deep voice reverberated in Will’s chest. He didn’t engage in idle chitchat and only spoke when he felt he had something to contribute.

  “We’ll be fine, Rufus.” Kaleana gave him a peck on the cheek and rested her hand on his thigh.

  “You don’t know that. None of us can. Will wasn’t last time.”

  Will tried not to think often about his last Eval. Hearing Rufus reference it, though, he couldn’t help remembering the safety and security he’d felt when Rufus tucked him into his side and practically carried him from the building. It’d been one of the scariest days of his life but also a turning point. That was the day he learned he’d always be safe with Malcolm. It was the day that set him on the path that would eventually lead him to Malcolm’s bed as his lover and partner.

  “Nothing happened last time,” Syrus said. “We were all fine, just shook up. Do any of us really think that we’d do a better job of protecting them than Malcolm can? There’s nothing we could do if there was trouble except get in the way.” Syrus had a way of putting an end to discussions he didn’t see the point of. He was wrong, though. When Geneticist Stanton had threatened Will at Eval, they had all formed a protective cocoon around him, giving him support and making it clear they’d have to be physically removed one by one before anyone would be able to get to him. To Will, that hadn’t been nothing.

  “The way I see it is if Will and I aren’t worried, none of you have reason to be,” Kaleana said.

  “That’s stupid logic.” Nick’s brow furrowed in consternation.

  Tony released Will’s leg long enough to box Nick’s ears. “Don’t be so disrespectful.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Did I ever tell you about the first Eval after Malcolm and I set out on our own? He sauntered in there as a teenager as if he owned the place, demanding to be present during my Eval, and anyone who didn’t like it could fuck off.”

  “Don’t go telling tales, Kaleana,” Malcolm called from his seat.

  Will smiled at the comfortable banter. Of course they’d heard the story, but they all wanted to hear it again. Will loved stories about Malcolm. He had lived so much life before Will knew him. Kaleana served as the window to his past. She was the only person who knew him as intimately as Will did, but she held on to parts of him Will had never glimpsed. He constantly tried to cajole stories out of her, especially since his lover was known for his tight lips.

  As Tony released every knotted muscle in his leg and the hot water turned him to jelly, Will listened to Kaleana tell story after story until it was time for dinner. He was content. The Geneticists may be able to humiliate him, treat him as less than human, but they couldn’t take his family from him.

  Chapter Ten

  The smell of the Eval Center always turned Malcolm’s stomach. There was nothing overtly disgusting about it, but the association between that sterile smell and the emotions that stirred every time he came was cemented too strongly to overcome. At least this wouldn’t be a full Eval. They wouldn’t need to spend the night, and the whole thing should only take an hour, maybe two.

  He cou
ld feel Will and Kaleana behind him, following as closely as humanly possible without running into him. Their presence was an almost tangible thing against his skin. It was the first time he’d had them out of his sight since breakfast, and he liked knowing they were close. He led them to the exam room the receptionist had directed them to, the clacking of his black dress shoes on the gleaming tile echoing ahead of him down the corridor. He stopped several paces from the stainless steel door, before the sensor could read the ID chip in his neck and slide the door open for him. He turned to speak to Will and Kaleana for the last time out of the presence of the Geneticists.

  “Everything is going to be fine.” He didn’t know who he was trying to convince more: himself or them. “Stay calm, and it will all be over soon. They’re going to take some blood so they can analyze it against the transmissions from the collar to test for accuracy. Then they’re going to replace your collars and give you the injection to make sure it registers properly. Just hold still during the procedure and everything should be fine.”

  “Yes, sir, we know. We’ve been through all this. Stop worrying.” Kaleana appeared calm, but she exercised caution in not calling him by his name.

  Will’s eyes held a spark of excited fear. Malcolm told him, “You know I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Will nodded. “I know. It’s not that. This is big.” He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. How a young man could display such bravery after having nearly been tortured in this very building confounded Malcolm. It gave him some measure of comfort that Will felt secure in Malcolm’s care.

  “All right then, let’s go.” Malcolm took a deep breath and turned. After three steps, the door to the exam room slid silently open.

  A Geneticist looked up from where he prepared a syringe. “Oh, one of them needs to go next door.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “We’re doing them both at the same time, one in here and one next door.”