Black Hearts Dance

by Gerald Lopez

I tried to think about that, but lust was all that came up. Anything more felt like a betrayal of Alex and mentally I couldn’t go there. I tried again to lower the knife, but my hand shook harder than ever.

  “No!” the voice of Richard Carson said. “No!”

  He was in anguish and I tried again to focus on what I felt for Forrest. He was my friend, and buddy. I liked him… I liked him a lot. Dear Jesus help me! Then I heard him—Alex… my Alex.

  “It’s OK, Layton, I’m here like we agreed.”

  The agreement that we’d be together in whatever happened with Forrest is what had held me back. My desire to be true to Alex and what we’d said. I tried to close my eyes, but was unable to because Edmond wanted to see blood spilled. So, I looked deep into Forrest’s eyes. Only brown eyes stared back at me. I reached deep into my heart and unlocked what I really felt—the love that was there… and I saw a hint of green in the brown eyes. That familiar green is what I focused on above everything else.

  “I love you,” I said, in my own voice. “I love you, Forrest.” Frederick’s anger rose up to fight me, but I pushed it away by focusing on my love for Forrest. The disgust rose up so intensely it almost made me throw up, but I looked at the green color taking over the brown in Forrest’s eyes and steadfastly focused on love.

  “We love you, Forrest.” It was Alex behind me. “Love him, Layton… he needs it so much.”

  “I love you,” Forrest, I said, then leaned in and kissed him hard on the lips, dropping the knife in my hand.

  My body shook with an intensity previously unknown, but I held onto Forrest and kissed him even harder, slipping my tongue into his mouth. The shaking continued, but I felt Forrest holding me back tightly. I reared back and Alex caught me as I raised my head and yelled. Not my yell, but that of a defeated and vanquished spirit—Edmond Littrell was gone… forever. Forrest caught me as I fell forward and we kissed.

  “Layton,” Shannon said.

  I snapped out of it and looked at Forrest who still had his arms around me. We smiled at one another, then separated. I patted his back in a casual way and spoke. “You OK there, buddy,” I said to Forrest.

  “I’m good, how about you.”

  “Fine, just a little hungry,” I said. “I sure could go for a pig in a blanket.

  “Me too,” Forrest said.

  “What the fuck!” Alex said. “We were just taken over by ghosts and you almost killed Forrest, Layton. Now the two of you act all casual and talk about grabbing a pig in a blanket. Who the hell does that?”

  “I’m hungry,” I said.

  “So am I,” Forrest said.

  “Is it over?” Shannon said.

  “Edmond Littrell is gone for good,” I said. “I felt his spirit leave not just me, but this earthly plane—the evil bastard.”

  “Why would he leave?” Alex said.

  “Love wins out every time,” Nellie said. “Even I know that.” “He drank a glass of champagne and sat at the table. “Shit! That was intense.”

  “Thanks for the warning, Nate,” Forrest said.

  “My apologies,” Nathan said. “Things couldn’t be handled any other way. I made a promise to Frederick and Richard long ago that I would help the truth get out.”

  “That explains why Edmond has left,” Shannon said. “This isn’t his story and he’s played his part. There’s more to all of this, isn’t there Nathan? I need to pay a visit to the little girl’s room before I continue this conversation.”

  “What you’re looking for isn’t in there, my princessa,” Nathan said.

  Shannon looked at Nathan, then walked up close to him and looked at his face. “Only one man ever called me that—I should slap you!”

  “Do what you need to do,” Nathan said.

  To everyone’s surprise, Shannon hugged Nathan.

  “It’s been so long, I didn’t recognize you, Uncle—”

  “Shhh,” Nathan said. “Uncle Nate will do. My new name has to stay and the old one can never be mentioned.”

  “Alright, Uncle Nathan,” Shannon said, then addressed the rest of us. “This is my godfather. I haven’t seen him since I was twelve. That’s not unusual considering he’s a member of The Iamus Group.”

  “And they are?”

  “They are a group of seers and prophets named after Iamus, the prophet son of Apollo from Greek mythology,” Shannon said.

  “He founded a priestly clan from Olympia called the lamidae, who are real and still exist today,” Nathan said.

  “Are you a prophet, Nathan?” Alex said.

  “Not a very strong one,” Nathan said. “I sometimes have dreams and visions which come to pass.”

  “Meaning you knew tonight would happen,” I said.

  “Yes and no,” Nathan said. “I dreamt of this, but wasn’t sure of all the details. I could see the spirits of the dead in your eyes tonight when they inhabited your bodies, but even a novice seer can do that.”

  “Hold on,” I said, then turned to Shannon. “You suspected Nathan was at least a member of this Iamus group because you were going to look for proof of it.”

  “Didn’t you notice something strange about tonight, Layton?” Shannon said.

  “Besides, pretty much the entire evening,” I said.

  “We’re not at Carson Court,” Alex said. “Until tonight the ghosts have only been active at Carson Court.”

  ‘Exactly,” Shannon said. “Which meant that there was a strong supernatural force which had opened the door for them here. Uncle Nathan acted as a gateway for them to gain entry. It’s because he knew, and apparently was very close to Frederick and Richard.”

  “The paintings strengthened that ‘gateway’,” I said. “Look at all the emotion Nathan puts into them.”

  “You’re both correct of course,” Nathan said.

  “So, Richard Carson lived and wasn’t killed by Uncle Edmond,” Shannon said, then sat by the table and drank some champagne. “Edmond was hung for something he didn’t do.”

  “Obviously, he was hung for trying to kill Frederick and Richard,” Alex said. “He was an evil man.”

  “I don’t disagree with that,” Shannon said. “But—”

  “But we don’t know the whole story yet,” I said. “Not until we hear or see it from Richard and Frederick. It’s their story.”

  “And what do you think they’re after?”Shannon said. “Some sort of absolution because a man was wrongly hanged or because they killed him in self defense.”

  “That makes sense to me,” Nathan said.

  “Then you didn’t know Frederick as well as you think,” I said. “It’s perfectly clear what he wants… and I’m going to give it to him.”

  Chapter 39

  True Desire

  “AND WHAT IS it Frederick wants, Layton?” Nathan said, then popped a mini cream puff into his mouth.

  “He wants what every young gay boy wants, but very few get,” I said. “His true desire isn’t absolution for some crime he may or may not have committed… it’s acceptance and love he craves.” I turned to Forrest and put my hand reassuringly on the back of his neck, then turned to Alex who was on my other side and put a hand on his shoulder. “I love and accept you both and give you my blessing.”

  “That’s nice and all, but you’re saying it to the wrong people,” Nathan said. “The real question is if you can repeat that statement and mean it when the time comes.”

  “Have no doubt that he can,” Shannon said, then reached for a cracker.

  “I don’t think I do doubt that,” Nathan said. “There’s strength emanating from you, Layton. When the organization picked you it wasn’t out of desperation, it was because they saw something in you.”

  “How long ago did they see it?” I said. “While I was an ordinary detective or farther back… when I was a new Marine recruit.”

  “Oh, I see,” Nathan said. “They’ve kept you in the dark about quite a lot of things. I never did like how the organization worked—too many secrets. It’s because t
hey’re so big and made up of too many warring factions.”

  “It’s a wonder some of those religious leaders can work together at all,” Shannon said. “The doctrines some of them believe in are in complete opposition to others religious beliefs.”

  “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Nathan said. “And these are desperate times. The people of this world are looking for something to believe in—crying out for a thing bigger than themselves to hang onto. Unfortunately, that opens doors into the supernatural realm which should never be opened.”

  “How desperate are these times, Nathan?” I said. “And just how ‘desperate’ is the organization?”

  “There are so many supernatural fires to put out that recruitment of agents has become priority number one,” Nathan said. “You, they handpicked for the position, others… such as your friend Buck, they grudgingly settled for.”

  “Poor Buck,” Alex said.

  “He managed and got the job done,” I said.

  “And he somehow managed to pass his retraining, I’ve heard through the grapevine,” Nathan said. “But he isn’t typical of the type of agents the organization prefers to put out on the field. Things on the supernatural plane are escalating, there are more happenings which need investigating… and something else is going on. We don’t know what yet, but be ready for action when the day comes—and it is coming quickly.”

  “Well, since it’s not here yet, can we concentrate on the matters at hand?” I said.

  “We can,” Nathan said. “But first you asked a question and I’m ready to answer it as best I can. You and your fellow soldiers were recruited by the organization when you enlisted in the Marines… maybe even before that. I don’t know for sure. The organization has agents everywhere, including in the military of every country on this planet that has a military.”

  “The general—General Keene—worked for the organization as did some of the other generals who trained us,” I said. “But I didn’t find any of that out until I got here. Mrs. Carson knows some stuff, but very little.

  “Nothing you say comes as a surprise to me,” Nathan said. “Members of the organization used to hide a lot from even their closest family members. But these days things of a supernatural nature are occurring amongst larger numbers of people and it’s not so easy to keep things hidden.”

  “You kept a lot of things secret, Nate,” Forrest said.

  “Why drag you into anything needlessly, Forrest?” Nathan said. “Had I needed your help I would’ve asked and told you everything.” He turned his attention back to me. “General Keene was a high ranking member of the main authoritative body of the organization. I don’t know many details about how you and your men were picked, Layton. But the general was liked and admired by most people and at least respected, if not feared, by others.”

  “Do you work alongside the organization in some way—like a sister group of some sort?” Alex said.

  “No,” Nathan said. “Some of us worked within the organization before we left to join The Iamus Group. It pays to keep informed about the organization because their agents are in so many places. Anyway, that’s all I know about our dear Layton. Of course I am hoping to at least see more of him and his beloved Alex if they’d be willing to pose for me at a later date.”

  I looked at Alex for a response.

  “We’d be honored to pose for such a great artist as yourself, Nathan,” Alex said.

  Forrest who’d been mostly silent spoke. “Since the ghosts of the Littrells and Richard Carson were able to make a move here, does that mean they’re no longer bound to Carson Court?”

  “My poor boy,” Nathan said. “All of this talk must have you lost. But, like a good deputy you’ve brought the topic back around to the specifics of your case.”

  “Answer my question, Nate,” Forrest said. “I’ve had enough fancy talk for tonight.”

  “The ghosts had each already laid something of a claim on you, Layton, and Alex. They were dormant until something roused them within you. That something was me… I laid a trap for them.”

  “Does that mean someone else can do the same?” Forrest said.

  “They’d have to be strong in a supernatural sense and have an even stronger desire to see it done,” Nathan said. “The only person not in this room who even cares that much about any of this is Mrs. Carson. Other people simply have a morbid curiosity about what happened at the court—there’s no strength in that.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Forrest said.

  He was concerned, I could hear it in his voice and it was evident Nathan could as well.

  “Relax, Forrest,” Nathan said. “Accept my apologies for tonight, but it had to be done this way to ensnare that evil bastard Edmond.”

  “Is he really gone?” Nellie said. “I mean really gone.”

  “Oh yes,” Nathan said. “Had Layton reacted to Edmond out of anger he would merely have strengthened him. Only an intense and true love could win out and banish the ghost of Edmond.” He turned to Alex and me who were side by side and put an arm around each of us. “Don’t worry, my loves, even though this all seems strange. The love you two share is real and strong… and forever.”

  “You see that in the supernatural realm?” Alex said.

  “I do,” Nathan said. “But I’ve seen people in love before and it’s easily recognizable in the natural realm too.”

  “You’re talking about Frederick and Richard,” Shannon said.

  “Yes,” Nathan said. “They were beautiful and hopelessly, madly in love with one another until the day they died. Mind you, they weren’t prudish or possessive. Perfect love really does cast out all doubt. They were confident enough to allow others including myself to join in their lovemaking without it effecting how they felt about one another.”

  “That’s generous of them,” Alex said.

  “Nothing against monogamy,” Nathan said. “But I do believe some people or couples are called to different things for a variety of reasons. When Frederick and Richard invited others to their bed, they shared a love and joy so intense it had a healing and almost sacred quality to it. Talking about what happened doesn’t really give a clear picture of the truth of matters as they were.”

  “It went beyond mere sex,” Forrest said.

  “Precisely,” Nathan said. “Which is strange because Frederick could be downright dreary at times moping around about his father. Still, even he couldn’t be sad around Richard who was the bright, shining light in our group of tightly knit friends. They were never part of The Iamus Group, but they knew about us and kept our secrets.”

  “The same way you’re keeping theirs,” I said. “You haven’t told us what’s left for Frederick and Richard to say.”

  “And I can’t tell you that… only they can,” Nathan said. “They were good men while they lived, so there’s nothing to fear from them.”

  “We’ve learned all we can for tonight I think,” I said. “Nathan, you’re alright. You are an incredibly talented artist, and a loyal friend to those you call friend. Hopefully you, me, and Alex can grow to become friends.”

  “I’d like that,” Nathan said. “And thank you for letting me off the hook so graciously.”

  “Hell, I just want to get back to eating,” I said, then patted Nathan on the back.

  The subject of ghosts and secret organizations was left behind and we talked about the neighborhood as we ate and looked at more of Nathan’s artwork. It was eleven when everyone decided the party was over, but I still had concerns.

  “I don’t feel any remnant of Edmond in my body,” I said. “But, just in case anything else should happen tonight—”

  “You have Rory at Carson Court and he can be a big help, but I’d be happy to spend the night if you want,” Forrest said.

  “I ‘want’,” I said, then looked at Shannon.

  “I’ll grab my pj’s when we get back and come join the after party,” Shannon said.

  “Now that sounds like a party worth crashi
ng,” Nellie said. “Good-looking men huddled together at the court.”

  “You had enough of that at the Glitter Ball, Nellie,” Nathan said. “We mustn’t be greedy.”

  “I wouldn’t mind if you two party crashed,” I said. “It’s other-worldly party crashers I’m worried about.”

  Chapter 40

  Making Arrangements

  SHANNON, ALEX, and I were in the truck and headed back to Carson Court—all in all it had been a decent evening.

  “We sure are getting to know the locals,” Alex said.

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “You handled yourself very well back there, Layton,” Shannon said. “You never fail to impress me. The military training helps a lot, doesn’t it?”

  “It does,” I said. “But it also could’ve gotten Forrest killed.”

  “But it didn’t,” Shannon said. “I could tell when the military training kicked in on its own.”

  “So could I,” Alex said, from the backseat.

  “It kicked in, but you gained control over your actions again very quickly,” Shannon said. “Faster than an ordinary civilian would’ve been able to do. Things didn’t escalate because you didn’t let them.”

  “Don’t underestimate your involvement and Alex’s,” I said. “You gave me a beacon to hone in on. Alex allowed me the freedom to do what I had to do.”

  “All I did was do my part as a member of the team,” Shannon said. “It’s been exciting, but after this I think I prefer reporting on what happens to actually being an active participant. You and Alex make an excellent team, for precisely the reason you mentioned, Layton.”

  “Was it that big a deal?” Alex said. “All I did was give him the freedom to do what he needed to do, like he said.”

  “You’d be surprised at how many people couldn’t have done that,” Shannon said. “A person has to have absolute trust in their partner to allow them that freedom.”

  “I do,” Alex said. “Layton’s mine and he knows it, no matter how hot the kiss between him and Forrest looked.” He chuckled, and we responded in kind.

  “I know we sound like a bunch of silly teenagers, but you are so right, Alex,” Shannon said. “Now, I finally understand why women find the idea of two men together so exciting. It’s all that testosterone which Layton and Forrest have in spades. Not to say that you don’t Alex. You’re more the fairy tale prince type, while Layton and Forrest give off that aggressive, caveman—I’m gonna beat you over the head with a club, drag you away, and screw the living daylights out of you vibe.”