DOMES AND TEAPOTS
Jack Scribe
__________________________
Chapter
11, Unwelcome Company
Dex
knew two things: they had been skillfully over-powered and Geoff was the target.
‘But of what?’ he wondered as the SUV sped down Connecticut Avenue. The driver
traversed Dupont Circle and turned onto Massachusetts Avenue. ‘This has got
to be more than a kidnapping for ransom money…although god knows Timmons has
enough of it. I wonder how long they’ve been watching him or us?’
“One
wrong move and you’re dog meat,” the man next to Dex said. Without warning,
Dex felt the cold metal of handcuffs being secured around his wrists.
As
his cuffs clicked, he heard a similar sound to his immediate right. He turned
and verified that cuffs also secured his client. Dex looked at Geoff and briefly
shook his head negatively when Geoff started to speak.
“You
have no…” Geoff started to ask before being cut off.
“I
demand to know what is happening to us,” Dex said to no one in particular,
mustering up a voice of authority. He wanted to divert attention away from
Geoff.
“All
in due time. Until then, be still or you’ll be having your testicles for lunch.”
This time the driver spoke.
From
their accents, Dex was positive the men were Middle-Eastern. ‘Maybe politically
motivated? But if so…for whom?’ he wondered while he prioritized a possible
game plan.
A
hood suddenly appeared and was pulled over Dex’s head. There was an open area
around the mouth but all vision was suddenly cut off. He assumed they had
treated Geoff similarly. The man in the front seat suddenly barked orders
in a language that Dex now recognized as Farsi. ‘These assholes might be Iranian
or Afghan,’ he pondered. Immediately, Dex felt hands searching his body. Roughly,
he was ‘patted down’ and winced with a sharp pain when the Beretta compact
revolver tucked away in the small of his back was ripped away from its belt
holster.
“Ump,”
was all Dex could utter when a fist slammed into his stomach. Because the
hood blinded him, he couldn’t see the fist coming and prepare himself for
the violent impact. “What, urghh, the fuck was that for?” he mumbled when
he got back his breath.
“The
gun. Why do you have such a weapon?” yelled the man in the front seat.
“Because
it is my job to provide protection.” Dex decided it was best to say nothing
else.
“Ha.
Then I suggest that you find another job…something you’re good at,” the man
replied with a sarcastic tone.
More
orders were issued in staccato fashion in Farsi. With a flurry, hands picked
into each of his pockets and retrieved his cell phone and wallet. Dex knew
from the sound next to him that Geoff was similarly being searched. The summer
air swirled around the SUV as the passenger door window was opened. Dex assumed
that the cell phones were history somewhere on the streets of D.C.
“In
case they try to trace with your cell phones, this should throw them off a
bit. Now, let me look at your wallet. Hmmm, ah, Mr.…Fletcher,” the man in
the passenger seat said.
Dex
heard the scraping of plastic as his I.D.’s were removed. Because he was working,
the wallet only provided minimal details of his cover. In addition to a valid
District driver’s license, the wallet contained an American Express card,
bank debit card, Exxon/Mobil credit card, a few pictures of a fictitious girlfriend,
and business cards with the Timmons Bank logo and Washington, D.C., address.
The card identified Dexter Fletcher as Security Associate for the bank. The
same name was on every piece of I.D.
“I
hope you’re bright enough to figure out the situation. Geoffrey Timmons is
a very valuable commodity who will be under our care for a while. You, um,
Mr. Fletcher, just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. ”
“Valuable?
You’re kidnapping Mr. Timmons for a ransom?” Dex asked. He slowly moved his
cuffed hand over to Geoff’s leg and subtly patted it. In return, Geoff flexed
his thigh muscles a few times. He hoped that Geoff would bear up under the
pressure that was sure to increase as the night wore on.
“Ransom,
yes. For money, no.”
“But,
why are…”
“I’ve
told you all you need to know…at this point. If you cooperate and our demands
are met, neither of you will be harmed.” The man in the passenger seat had
absolutely no emotion in his voice. “I suggest that you and Mr. Timmons, um,
as you Americans say, ‘go with the flow’.”
Dex
contemplated the man who was the spokesman. He was obviously well educated
and, except for the accent, had an excellent command of the English language.
The determination in the voice and the flawless execution of the kidnapping
concerned Dex. ‘I’ve got to be very careful about conducting business,’ he
thought. ‘I’m going to assume that these guys are Iranian. Afghan Taliban
aren’t active in this country.’ He tried to recall physical details of his
captors from memory. Except for dark features and shortness in height, nothing
really rang out. The clothing was basic dark pants and black tees.
The
SUV slowed down as it turned onto another street. As they drove further the
noise of traffic became less prevalent. ‘Must be on a residential side street
near the Capital,’ Dex judged from the amount of time on the trip. They came
to a stop and the driver said a few words before he turned off the engine
and opened the door.
“We
are transferring to another vehicle. Your guards will lead you,” came the
command from the leader in the front.
Dex
could hear the rear doors open and he was pulled from the seat, slowly enough
so he could get footing once he slid out of the seat. He guessed that Geoff
was being handled in similar fashion on the other side. ‘Well, so much for
satellite tracking of the Land Rover,” he thought. All AOI vehicles had positioning
transmission devices installed somewhere in the under-carriage. Knowing the
probable neighborhood they were in, Dex imagined that the SUV would probably
be stripped or stolen before long.
“Sorry
for any discomfort,” the leader said with an undertone of contempt and sarcasm
as he pushed Dex into the back of a van or truck. Dex had the presence to
get up and crawl on the rough metal deck of the truck. Someone grabbed his
cuffed hands and secured them to a chain and cleat on the lower bulkhead of
the van.
“Ah,
for Christ’s sake…Neanderthal arseholes…” Geoff uttered when he was obviously
secured in the same way.
“Easy,
Sir.” Dex said. He purposely kept a formal spin on their relationship for
the consumption of the kidnappers.
Geoff
paused and sighed.
Looking
down his face to the mask’s mouth opening, Dex reasoned that they were in
the darkness of an unlighted van cavity and still guarded one-on-one. He slowly
reached over to the cuff button of his jacket, depressed it and pulled the
button away from the jacket. He hoped that the noise of the van would mask
his actions as he lowered his cuffed hands and dropped the button into the
crevice where the deck met the bulkhead. He waited. Nothing. No movement or
recognition from the guards. With luck he had tucked the electronic homing
device, masking as a button, far enough into the crevice so that it would
not be detected. He would use the one remaining button later. Dex knew that
headquarters would be monitoring his movements and would pick up that vehicles
had been changed.
Over
the next half-hour – although it seemed like the entire evening – the van
maneuvered city traffic before getting on a highway. Dex could feel the sensation
of the van traveling at high speeds. Then, with a sudden swerve, they decelerated
and came to a sudden stop. Again, more conversation and commands in Farsi
before the van lurched forward. From the winding and rolling, he assumed they
were now someplace in the countryside. Maryland? Virginia? Dex weighed the
advantages of being held in a remote location versus the city. ‘Less chance
of collateral damage,’ he considered. ‘However, any attempted rescue would
be detected more easily.’ His assumptions were verified when the van slowed
almost to a stop, turned and resumed its travel on a crunchy gravel surface.
*****
Jack
regained consciousness, was successfully treated by EMS and taken to the George
Washington University Hospital ER. The senior member of the EMS team said
that he thought the patient would probably be diagnosed with a minor concussion,
be given a few stitches to close the laceration and be in the hospital for
a day or so for observation.
Kyle
was very worried about Dex and in no mood to talk with the police. However,
he did want to cooperate and, with Brad’s assistance, gave details as best
as he could remember. His attention became more focused when the investigation
was transferred to the F.B.I. Two agents, both around Dex’s age, suggested
that he and Brad could join them at a nearby coffee shop to discuss any further
information they could provide.
“Officer,
agent, um, I really don’t know what to call you?” Kyle said to the one who
had done most of the talking and interviewing. ‘Kinda cute in a young, retro
Dick Tracy way,’ he thought.
“Officially,
I’m agent Benedict. However, since you’re a friend of Dex, why don’t you call
me Bill? And my partner on this case is Charlie Shaw. We were both in training
with Dex at the academy.”
“I
feel better already. Do you mind if we call Brad’s older brother? Brad is
just visiting from California and we need to let his older brother, Chip,
know what’s happening. Ah, Dex and Chip work together at AOI.” Kyle decided
to let the agents know that Chip was one of the good guys.
“Here,
use my cell,” Agent Benedict said, without hesitation. “I figure that we’re
going to be working closely with AOI.”
“I’ll
punch in the numbers,” Brad offered. “Let me say ‘hi’ to Chip, first.” He
was handed the cell phone and Brad rapidly dialed Chip’s number with his well-practiced
thumb. The call was answered after two rings. “Chip, it’s Brad and there’s
a problem that you need to be aware of.” He listened and silently nodded his
head. “No, nothing like that. Ah, I’m going to let Kyle give you the rundown.”
Brad gave the cell to Kyle and anxiously looked at him.
“Chip,
hi. Hold your breath and let me give you the bottom line. Basically, ah, Dex
and Geoff have been, um, kidnapped and we’re with a couple of F.B.I. agents.”
~~~
“Holy shit, uh, were there any injuries?”
“The
driver got hit pretty bad and he’s been ambulanced to a hospital. Could you,
ah, join us? We’re at a coffee shop in a book store called Kramer’s near the
Q Street Metro stop.”
~~~
“Jeez, I’ll find it. Give me a half-hour. I’m going to call AOI and see if
I can find out anything. Kyle, I’m sure that it’s just a kidnapping and Dex
is just fine. See ya soon.”
“I
hope you’re right. Bye.” Kyle returned the cell phone to Bill Benedict and
noticed that Charlie Shaw was on another cell.
Charlie
nodded as he listened to the person at the other end of the cell phone. He
turned and winked at Kyle and slightly smiled as he clicked off the cell.
“Well, guys, I was just told that AOI is already plugged into this incident.
They are targeting the location of the vehicle and should be able to give
us some information shortly.”
“Kyle,
I know you and Brad have been questioned by the Metro detectives. But there
are a few details that Charlie and I would like to re-trace. By the way, another
ex-F.B.I. agent was in Dex’s AOI training and they work together,” Bill said
with a comforting, cryptic smile. “He’s a very good friend of mine.”
“Oh,
yes…Spicer, um, Tom Spicer. Right?” Kyle returned the smile with a ‘got your
message, loud and clear’ grin. “When Dex gets out of this mess we’ll all have
to celebrate.”
“You’re
on,” Bill replied. “Now let’s review what you saw.”
For
the next 45 minutes, Kyle and Brad retold their story. After a while Kyle
started slipping into rote descriptions. Three or four times, Charlie took
calls on his cell. On each occasion, he pulled Bill aside to relay the conversation.
Bill would then pass on the positive news that they were successfully tracking
the men.
“Brad,
Kyle…sorry I took so long getting here,” Chip said as walked briskly up to
the table. “Gentlemen, I’m Chip Lewinthal, Brad’s brother. I’ve been in contact
with my associates at AOI and assume you’ve been updated on our progress in
finding the men?” Chip shook hands with the agents as they introduced themselves
before sitting down.
“Chip,
you probably have more current info than we do since it’s AOI tracking equipment
that’s doing the job,” Charlie said. “We’re getting updates every so often.”
“The
latest just before I came in here was that the subjects have not moved in
the past 5 minutes. What’s puzzling is that the coordinates indicate that
they have stopped nearby or in a small body of water out in rural Virginia.
At least that’s what the GPS imaging shows.” Chip was clearly worried and
did not mask his concern very well.
“This
news is definitely more current that what…” Charlie’s cell rang again and
he immediately punched the ‘on’ button. He solemnly listened and answered
with “Yes, Sir,” before disconnecting. “Our office just confirmed what you
told us. There is no further movement.”
“Meaning
what?” Kyle asked in an alarmed state.
“Meaning
that they’ve stopped. The good news is that we may be able to position ourselves
nearby for a rescue. However, none of us know why there is no movement. Our
GPS confirms they’re in the middle of unpopulated farmland,” Bill replied.
He scanned the group before looking up at another man coming forward. “Speaking
of movement, here’s a welcome sight. Hey, Tom.” Bill stood up and smiled as
he shook hands with a man about the same age but much taller.
“Guys.
Chuck, Chip…I wish we were meeting under different circumstances. I’m Tom
Spicer and you must be Dex’s friend, Kyle?” He smiled and shook hands. “We’re
doing everything we can in cooperation with the F.B.I. to get Dex and Timmons
back. It’s just going to take time and patience.”
“Thanks for coming, Tom. I know that Dex has
really enjoyed getting to know you better at AOI.” Kyle felt somewhat relived
with the arrival of Tom as part of the AOI detail.
“Yeah,
we really didn’t have a chance when we were with the bureau. I look forward
to all of us becoming friends.” Tom looked at Bill and raised his eyebrow
a little.
*****
Dex
was puzzled when the van came to a stop. From the silence, he knew that they
were out in the vastness of a rural area. ‘But, where?’ he wondered. Suddenly
his hands were grabbed and someone unlocked the chain from his cuffs.
“Out.
Now,” came an order from a man next to him.
“Easy,
I’m going,” Dex said. He heard a click and a chain drop to the metal deck
nearby. ‘Geoff must be getting the same treatment,’ he decided. Dex breathed
in the agricultural scents and confirmed his suspicions.
“Bloody
barbarians,” Geoff muttered.
“If
I didn’t have orders to take good care of you, Mr. Timmons, you’d find out
how bloody we are to an infidel.”
“Humph,”
was the only reply that came from Geoff as he moved out of the van.
Dex
stood and stretched a little when his feet touched the ground. He felt Geoff’s
presence and discretely patted the standing body next to him. He felt better
when a hand touched his and squeezed twice. However, any sense of harmony
was shattered when another vehicle’s engine was started and it slowly drove
toward them. He heard a door open and they were immediately pushed into the
back of some sort of SUV. From the smell of leather he assumed that it was
a late-model luxury brand. The vehicle slipped into gear and spun gravel as
it shot away. Within minutes they were back on a pavement.
“Gentlemen,
we will be at our resting place in a half-hour,” said the same leader as before.
Suddenly,
some sort of cable was wrapped around his waist from behind. He heard a rustling
noise next to him and then two clicks of metal latching closed. Dex knew that
their guards were now positioned in a further rear seat and had secured Geoff
and him to some sort of cable or heavy rope. The SUV gained speed and the
driver seemed to be cornering the road curves carelessly. Once more he could
hear heated discussion in Farsi. Dex could also hear highway noises becoming
more intense. ‘Fuck,’ he thought, ‘we’re going to get lost in the traffic.’
This was confirmed when he felt acceleration as the SUV seemed to be merging
onto a fast moving Interstate.
The
SUV moved smoothly on the highway for approximately 20 minutes before it slowed
down. Dex could hear the turning signal clicking, felt the vehicle head down
an off-ramp and lurched a little forward as they came to a stop. He knew from
the muffled sounds outside the SUV that they were in an urban community and
could only guess that it must be around 10:00 p.m. Professionally, he admired
the way his captors laid out a series of false tracks before coming to their
headquarters. ‘My associates at AOI are going to have their hands full with
these guys,’ he thought.
They
continued on surface streets – commercial business areas, Dex judged from
the traffic – until they made a series of turns. The quietness indicated that
they were in a residential neighborhood but not like the one they had traversed
earlier; there were no boom boxes beating out urban rhythms or street chatter.
“Gentlemen,
we have arrived at your new home…for a while,” said the leader from the front
seat. The vehicle slowed down and turned into a dip in the road.
‘This
must be a curbside bump and driveway entrance,’ Dex considered as they slowly
drove up a small incline. He heard tree branches rub against the side of the
SUV as they advanced. The louder echo of the engine indicated that they had
approached a confined space. ‘Probably we’re between a building and a wall.’
Dex’s attention was diverted when he felt the cable around his waist being
loosened and removed.
“Out.
You know the drill,” the leader barked.
The
rear doors were opened and Dex was roughly pulled across the seat. His legs
were swiveled so that he knew to feel for the ground with his feet. From the
mouth hole of his hood, he could tell that they were still in darkness. ‘Time
to activate the last tracking device,’ he decided. ‘I’m sure that this jacket
will be history soon.’ Dex pressed the other jacket button with his cuffed
hands, pulled it off the fabric of the sleeve cuff and dropped it to the ground.
He coughed when he approximated the button would hit the paved surface and
stood still for a few moments. He was relieved that the movements had not
drawn attention.
“Move
aside,” one of the men said.
Dex
was pulled slightly away from the vehicle. The doors slammed shut and he sensed
the vehicle slowly moving forward. He became alarmed when he heard a slight
crunch at the base of his feet. ‘Shit. This frigging SUV just ran over the
button,’ Dex thought as a jolt of despair shot through his body. He was sure
that the tracking device couldn’t withstand the impact of that much weight.
The
unmistakable sound of a garage door opening told Dex that they were at their
final destination. It was confirmed when one of the men grabbed his arm and
led him forward. Dex knew that Geoff was right behind him by the heavy footsteps.
“You
need to be aware of two steps,” the leader said.
They
stopped and Dex toed the edge of the steps before ascending. A door opened
and he automatically exaggerated a movement to avoid tripping on any threshold.
He heard other footsteps and his guard purposely walked slower until the door
closed. Dex assumed that they were in a kitchen because of the tile floor.
As they continued, the floor surface changed to carpet and he knew that they
were in a hallway by brushing against the wall. Suddenly he was stopped and
pushed through a doorway.
“This
is your new home, gentlemen. I hope you enjoy it,” the leader said with a
guttural laugh.
Without
warning, the hood was removed from Dex’s head. He squinted and blinked to
adjust to the bright ceiling lighting. He slowly turned and focused on four
swarthy, short dark men who held weapons before he turned to see his client.
Geoff reacted similarly to the hood being removed. Dex nodded and looked at
Geoff with a positive expression. He wanted to communicate that this was a
situation that would be resolved. Geoff nodded back before he turned to look
at the standard 12’ x 12’ carpeted room. Except for a double bed with a metal
frame back, there was no other furniture. The window had been professionally
boarded over and steel bars protected the surface. There were two doors in
addition to the hallway door. Dex assumed that one led to a bathroom and the
other to a closet. A fast check of the ceiling corners verified that video
security cameras were installed. ‘These guys are no slouches,’ he concluded.
‘I’m dealing with a very well-equipped and trained group of bad guys.’
“Time
to get comfortable. Strip,” the leader barked abruptly. Two of the guards
unlocked the handcuffs and motioned Dex and Geoff to disrobe. Both men rubbed
their wrists and stretched their fingers.
‘Guess
I’m going to get to know Geoff better than I anticipated,’ Dex thought with
a shrug. Methodically, he removed his jacket and tossed it to the floor. He
toed off his shoes and unfastened his pants. He pulled them down and stepped
out of the legs. After he took the shirt off, Dex stood with only socks and
his CK briefs in place. He subconsciously stood at a ‘rest’ position with
his hands in front of him while Geoff removed his street clothing.
“Everything,”
the leader yelled.
“Is
this really necessary?” Geoff asked indignantly. “I mean this is absurd, you…”
“Mr.
Timmons, I think it wise to follow their instructions,” Dex inserted with
a cautious expression. He observed that his client was definitely a boxer
man…albeit low-rise, form-fitting AussieBum underwear. ‘Geoff certainly will
make someone a happy man,’ he judged as he noted the banker’s trim torso,
developed biceps, six-pack and respectable bulge in the crotch. Dex pulled
off his socks and slowly removed his more conventional briefs.
“Um,
Dex, I understand. It’s just, well, privacy is…”
“You
are wasting my time, Timmons. Either get undressed or someone will do it for
you,” the leader snarled.
Geoff
looked a little startled but complied in short order. As soon as the colorful
AussieBum boxers were puddled on the floor, he gently kicked them to join
Dex’s discarded underwear. One guard
grabbed Geoff’s arm and pulled him over to a position next to Dex. Without
warning, one-half of the handcuffs were secured on Geoff’s right wrist; the
other half was clamped on Dex’s left wrist.
“Listen
closely. It is almost 11:00 p.m. and lights out will be at 11:30 p.m. I suggest
that you go to the bathroom if you have to relieve yourselves before you go
to bed. Lights will come on at 6:30 a.m. Tomorrow you will be given the privilege
of a shower and breakfast will be in this room around seven. Any questions?”
“Ah,
how do you expect someone to, hmmm, relieve themselves locked up together?”
Geoff asked, genuinely perplexed.
“Use
your imagination and your Cambridge education. From what we know, you don’t
usually have any problem being nude with another man.” The leader laughed
and motioned for the other guards to leave the room with him. One of the guards
picked up all the discarded clothing and shoes and trailed the swarthy group.
He closed the door behind him and someone secured the lock.
“Mr.
Timmons, I believe we can work this out. Allow me to lead the way.” Dex slowly
started walking to the bathroom door and Geoff joined him. Dex looked down
at the floor and whispered, “As you are probably aware, they are able to monitor
us by the TV security cameras and microphones…Sir.” Dex exaggerated the word
‘Sir’ to communicate the relationship that should be played out for their
captors. He also didn’t want the cameras to be in position so that his lips
could be read.
“I
understand completely,” Geoff replied as they arrived at the bathroom door.
“Let
me also say that we had no idea that you would be a kidnapping target.” Dex
stepped a little to the side so that Geoff could enter first. He thought it
best not to verbalize anything else at that point. He wasn’t even sure if
the last tracking device had registered their location back at AOI operations.
They walked over to the toilet bowl and, after a few tentative moments, let
loose with a ‘power piss’.
“Jesus,
Dex, I thought I was going to pee in my pants.” Geoff naturally pulled back
his uncircumcised foreskin while aiming and discharging.
“Yes,
Sir. This was a much-needed pit stop.” Dex looked down and casually checked
out Geoff’s manhood…with extra emphasis on hood. ‘Ah, if this were a different
place and a different time in my life,’ he thought as he fleetingly admired
the banker’s male appendage.
“Ahhh,
mission accomplished.”
“I suggest that we take water from the faucet.
It doesn’t appear that we’ve been left any bottled water and dehydration is
the last thing we need to worry about.” Dex noted that they were both shaking
the final drops away at the same time.
“Excellent
idea.” Geoff flushed the toilet with his free left hand and sidestepped over
to the washbasin.
“We’ll
talk tomorrow when we shower together. The water will mask our words,” Dex
said rapidly to take advantage of the flushing sound.
“Ha.
Gives room service a new meaning.” Geoff looked into the mirror and slightly
raised his eyebrow at Dex.
Dex
turned on the cold faucet handle and splashed some water on his face before
offering the faucet to Geoff. “God, this feels good to wash a little of the
grime away,” Dex said.
Geoff
copied Dex’s moves before taking a long drink. When he was finished, Dex did
the same thing. They looked at each other, shrugged and shuffled their way
back to the bedroom.
“The
accommodations are very sparse and the bathing facilities include no bidet,”
Geoff said with a forlorn expression. “Certainly wouldn’t pass a Michelin
Guide test.”
“However,
I think that comment just passed the supreme irony test. Um, I…”
“If you’re ready, let’s lie down.” Geoff raised
his eyebrow and motioned to the bed.
“Absolutely.”
Dex noted that there was no light switch to turn off. ‘Probably all the lights
are controlled by remote,’ he considered as they walked over to the bed. “Um,
Geoff, let’s lie down with our heads at the foot of the bed.”
“You
mean…”
“I
think so.” Dex was sure that Geoff understood that there was probably some
sort of listening device in the headboard. “Let me get on the bed first.”
He balanced himself and scooted over the mattress. Geoff followed and they
lay prone, shoulder-to-shoulder. “Geoff,” he whispered, “again I offer my
utmost apologies for this problem. This was something we, um, I had not planned
on. Ah, we’ll talk tomorrow in the shower.”
“No
problem. Your job was merely to provide cursory protection. I think that we’ll
learn early tomorrow what and who we are dealing with. If it’s money they
want, Dad will deliver.” Geoff was equally discrete with the response in a
low, barely-audible whisper.
“I
have a gut reaction that these characters – who I think are Iranian – have
some sort of political agenda that involves whatever group they represent
and Great Britain. You are merely a means for them to achieve their goals.”
“This
could be a nasty situation if that’s the case. Those buggers are going to
possibly turn this into an international incident.”
“That’s
my thinking. Somehow, we’ll get through this. Just be prepared for some rough
patches. These assholes are probably capable of almost anything.”
“I
understand.” Geoff took a deep breath just as the lights were shut off. “I
think we best try to get some sleep.”
“Um,
let’s give it a try. Nothing else to discuss.” Dex pushed up a little and
added, “Let’s rotate so we’re lying as this bed was designed.”
“Right,
Mate. Oh, ah, Mr. Fletcher…if either or both of us wake up, ah, physically
aroused, let’s agree that it means no emotional attachment,” Geoff said with
a low chuckle. “G’night.”
“Tempting
but agreed. G’night, Sir.” Dex closed his eyes and replayed the evening’s
events in his mind. Blurred images kept returning of Kyle on the sidewalk.
‘Please, God, look after him.’
__________________________
TO BE CONTINUED