Agents Universe

Before reading this, read:

AN OASIS OF VIOLENCE - SAVING KYLE PART 1
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50677

THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS - SAVING KYLE PART 2
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50780

THE VALLEY OF DESPAIR - SAVING KYLE PART 3
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50781

A BITTER PILL - SAVING KYLE PART 4
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50847

TO SAVE A HERO - SAVING KYLE PART 5
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50928

UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES - SAVING KYLE PART 6
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50929

AN UNLIKELY LOVE - SAVING KYLE PART 7
https://mars.chatfighters.com/story/50930

DAY 6

08.52 PM

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I feel a nudge on my shoulder as I open my eyes slowly. Uhhh… What is it now? I was sleeping with Derek so peacefully. His arms are still around my chest, but Liam wakes him up as well with soft touches. I grunt and slowly rise seating my butt on the edge of the bed while rubbing my eyes. Oh Liam… Can’t you see we were busy? I moan a little bit, then mumble “What is it Liam?” He seemed panicked, and he was sweating a lot. My eyes widen quickly, something is wrong. He says in a rushed tone: “Sir… Our men… 4 of the guards… They are dead…” My facial expression remains the same, but my mind was filled with questions. HOW? WHAT THE HELL? I get to my feet quickly, while Liam examines Derek a little bit as well. I ask the first and the most important question. “Where the hell is James Mason?” He gulps and moves on in the same frightened tone “He… Is gone…” I clench my fists, and roar. How the hell had Mason escaped? “WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE IS GONE?” Liam shivers and takes a couple of steps back, then he answers in a quiet tone: “I… I… Don’t… Know sir… We found the guards shortly before, and their wounds were fresh…”

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I grit my teeth and look at Derek with a troubled face. Ok Daniel… Focus… Be professional… I take a deep breath, and move to my boots and jeans to put them on again. Liam asks in a very quiet voice “Your orders sir?” I gain my calmness once again. You can do it Daniel. I know it’s a literal “disaster”... We were so close, but there is no point in beating yourself up. I move on in a much calmer tone “Call Ivan Usov… We are going to Des Moines…” I turn my gaze away while grabbing my belongings and my weapons quickly, and ask “Didn’t you find any sign of how the hell he escaped?” I look at Derek for the first time to check with him about this situation. OH MY FUCKING GOD… Calm down Daniel. But it was perfect, I almost broke him. I just needed a little bit of time… 2 days… I was going to be the guy who broke Agent James Mason in just 2 fucking days... Liam shook his head. Ahhh… I knew it… I FUCKING KNEW IT… James is too valuable, not only for MI6, but for all the Counter-Syndicate Operation Organizations such as CCS or CSIS. Of course they wouldn’t let one of their best agents be held in a small place like this. I wished I could have dragged him to another Syndicate center, it would have been much safer and less risky. But Toledo was my only option at the time being.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: Suddenly, I woke up, someone was touching my shoulder gently. I was still holding Daniel’s solid well-muscled body against me. I opened my eyes quickly, alert, ready for anything. I sat up and listened as Liam began explaining the situation. Well fuck. Fuck and double fuck. But now was not the time to get pissed off. Now was the time to move. Mason was gone, we only had two guards, myself, and Daniel left. We weren’t going to find him. And most importantly, this location was now compromised. I nodded when Daniel said we were going to Des Moines. That was the only thing we could do. Whoever had managed to rescue James could have the authorities on us any minute now. I stood up, put my hand on Daniel’s shoulder, “Daniel, we need to burn this place to the ground before we leave. We can’t risk leaving any evidence behind. We should probably take the bodies with us, we can give them a proper burial when we get to Des Moines.” Many people think I’m a monster, or some ruthless bastard. And I am… when you are my enemy. But I look after my own. Yes I do. I finish putting my gear back on, and strapping on my belt. I check my weapons are loaded and ready. You never know when you might need them. FUCK. How the hell did they find Mason? HOW THE HELL?

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I was surprised at Derek’s reaction to be honest. In my head, he was a hot-headed guy, but he remained calm which is definitely what we need right now. I nod at his words, burning this place down and burying our men in Des Moines sounded really good and clever. I agree with Derek with a wave of my hand, then gesture with my hand to execute the orders from me and Steel. Liam nods as well, and quickly leaves the room. I take my black tank top after wearing my boots and jeans, and mumble quietly “Is there any name that comes to your mind about who might have done this?” If we manage to discover just one clue, it would help us plan accordingly. I put on my top as well, while I stare at Derek. This was so bad. So fucked up… But I was going to handle the situation. We needed to come up with a plan as soon as we arrived at Des Moines. Fuck… They had detected one of our Syndicate centers. That is certainly not good. Whichever agents saved James might have found some way of tracking down our other centers. That is not good. But I am going to handle this. After feeling ready, packing all my belongings and finishing dressing, I mumble in a distant tone “We have a little minibus. Come with me sir…” I gesture to him to follow me, and leave the room. Where is Liam and the other agent? Hmm… Ahh there he is… Pouring gasoline on the floor. Apparently Liam informed him as well. Alright, let’s carry these dead guards quickly to the bus…

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I listen as Daniel asks me if I have any ideas about who might have done it. I grin, replying “Not yet… but before we leave, let me do just a bit of snooping… I might find something. And when we get to Des Moines, we might be able to find out how they discovered us in the first place. My best guess is someone talked.” Then, all my gear is loaded, and I’m ready. I put my sunglasses on as Daniel points the way. I give his shoulder a squeeze as we leave, and give him a quick kiss. My eyes are flashing with good-natured confidence. I know my calmness must surprise him, but this is how I roll. I save my anger for when it matters, and let it go when it doesn’t. I grin, “We’ll get this sorted Daniel. I’m going to take a quick trip around the building before we head out, I’ll meet you in the bus.” I head out, and quickly scout the perimeter, holding my phone out in front of me, using it’s bright light to illuminate my way. I’m in full combat mode, every sense tuned and heightened, examining every detail of my surroundings. And there…. In the soft dirt just outside the window to Daniel’s office, bootprints, fresh. I frown. I look up, and nod, clever. This was a blind spot for the security camera. I minutely examine the window. I zoom in on two smudges…. Fingerprints. I take a high quality, close up photo of the finger prints. They were quite clear, showing up well in the layer of dirt. Someone put a lot of pressure on the frame to open it. I looked at the lock, and noticed it had been expertly picked. So this is how they got in.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I head back to the minibus breaking into a run, knowing that speed was of the essence. My phone pinged… it had found a match. Thanks to all the intel we had downloaded from CSIS when I had made that fucking waste of space Jack Young give me his credentials, MMmmm… I still had warm thoughts about that night…. Among them were the biometrics for all present and past undercover agents. And that included… ahahhh FUCK ME. Not good. Agent Jeff Rogers. He was good… but just because he had somehow managed to find Mason and rescue him, didn’t mean he could find our Des Moines facility, nor that he had any reason to. But Mason did… Hmmmmm. I entered the minibus just as Liam started the fire. I showed what I had discovered to Daniel. “It’s the CSIS, Daniel. Agent Jeff Rogers himself. He’s the head of the CSIS anti-syndicate initiative. He’s the one that rescued Trent’s fucking worthless son after I broke him a few months back, and raped CSIS up the ass with that virus. He’s tough, and smart. If he’s onto us… we had better be ready.” Then, I smiled evilly, grinning at Daniel. “I almost fucking hope he does manage to find us… cause then I can finally gut him like a pig. I can finish what I started in Toronto. And what would make it perfect… would be if that idiot shitstain Jack was with him. But that’s too much to hope for. I’m sure he’s still licking his wounds back in Toronto. But a man can dream.”

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I smile weakly as Derek kisses me and gives me moral support. He mentions someone may have talked. Hmm… Who could that be? Think Daniel think… Oh FUCK… It’s the hotel manager? And he told them the place of Mark. That is so fucking humiliating. Yeah it should be… There is NO way they can find this place that easily. It makes sense. Fuck Mark… If you are alive, I have some plans for you, after all of this ends. But now… Let's focus on leaving this place immediately. Alright, let’s carry these dead bodies to the bus. Uhhh… How many troops is James going to cost me? I am losing so many men. But I don't and won't give up. I already showed Mason he can't hide from the Syndicate forever. If it is needed, I can do that again.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: After carrying all the bodies to the minibus, I sit down in one of the back seats of the bus. Derek enters the bus as Liam starts the engine, and rushes to the back of the bus. Then Steel mentions Agent Jeff Rogers? Ahhh… Yeah, I know him. Indeed, someone like him could rescue Mason. The "superhero" who saved Jack Young, Trent's son from Derek's grip. He is so fucking good. And yeah, if he is involved, I don't want to think about the possibilities if Mason and Rogers cooperate. I listen to Derek's words calmly, my expression does not change while I am thinking about all of this. I gesture to another agent to hit the road as Steel continues to talk about his dream. He wants to encounter Jack and Jeff once again? Hah… My face breaks out in a mischievous smirk. Now that is the Derek Steel I know. I am sure you are craving for that Derek, I can tell. I open my mouth as the agent starts driving. "You never know what you are going to face in our world Steel..." then I turn my face to him, and nail his face with my stare. Afterwards, I move on "But I am pretty sure those two little fuckers will come for you… One way or another…" I put my hand on Derek's neck then to give him a gentle squeeze. Uh… That is also another unprofessional gesture from you Daniel… Anyways, I focus on the moment. Then mumble into his mouth with a deep and threatening voice "And you better be ready when they come for you… Because, I want to see how much you enjoy it while you are conducting your "little experiments" on them…"

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I chuckle appreciatively at Daniel’s support and encouragement. This had been a setback, and no mistake. Yes it had. But you had to be philosophical about these things. I tended to take the long view. Just like when Trent and Jeff had busted my operation in Canada, costing me millions. I had reacted coldly, calmly, and professionally to salvage what I could after the CSIS raid. I had planned carefully, prepared every step, and then when the time came, I had struck. I gutted Trent Young, then later, when his son tried to follow in his footsteps, I had broken that cocky young fucker, and dumped my seed in him, used Trent’s son to get my full payback on the CSIS. The only stain on that episode was Jeff Rogers’ interference. But, I would be patient, and watch for opportunities, both for Jeff and for James Oh yes I would. Meanwhile, here next to me was one hell of a hot piece of manhood in Daniel Allen. I turned my head over to grin at Daniel, taking off my shades as he put his hand on my neck. I leaned forward to rest my forehead against his. “Now, that sounds like fun. Oh yes it does.” Then, I make an adjustment on the seat. Time to catch up on some sleep. I lean back, making myself comfortable in the corner of the seat of the minibus, propping my head up. Then, cause I feel like it, and cause Daniel is a mighty fine man, I hook my hands under his armpits, and pull him onto me, settling that big muscled agent so he’s leaning against my chest, and our legs are stretched out on the seat. Then, I whisper into his ear again, “Yeah Daniel, you are all right.” Then, my arms draped around his muscled torso, I drifted off to sleep, we have about 8 hours until we reach Des Moines, and tomorrow is going to be a busy day.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I continue to grin as Derek slowly turns towards me. Yup… He seems pretty relaxed. We are going to get along, Derek, much better than I expected. And I am pretty sure that sounds like fun to you. Afterwards, he casually leans back against the corner, but he doesn't let me go either, his arms under my armpits and holding me around my chest. As soon as Derek adjusts himself to the position, he moves his hands to my torso and starts sleeping. That position feels… So nice… I can feel our firm muscled legs are connecting. In that comfortable position, I lean my head towards Derek's neck, and close my eyes as well. Tomorrow will be a big day. We have lots of things to do. Mason… You may escape this time… But you can't escape forever. I am going to hunt you down, even if you travel to the other side of the world. But right now, you need to relax Daniel. Just like Derek did. You both need rest for tomorrow. Yeah… Let's see what our little agent spy Kyle is doing as well… I hope his suicide attempt didn't affected Ivan badly. I don't want to hear more bad news. Taking another deep breath, I relax completely, let myself go in the arms of Derek Steel while holding his hands with mine.

DAY 7

01.03 AM

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: A piercing alarm disturbs me from my peaceful sleep, filling the room with it’s shrill sound. It takes me a few moments to gather my thoughts and remember where I am, but then I feel a strong, comforting arm surrounding my body.. It’s Jeff. It happened, and here I am waking up in his arms. We waste no time and spring into action, I rise with a wide stretch and big yawn. As I stand I realise I’m butt-naked still, but only Jeff can see.. It’s a beautiful feeling to be standing in front of him like this with no embarrassment, our boundaries are long gone. But James is in the room, and that’s certainly embarrassing, so I quickly cover myself over, throwing my cargos back on hopefully before Mason notices what has happened. I want to kiss Jeff, say good morning and thank him for last night, but there’s a time and a place. This is now about rescuing Kyle, I need to be in “agent mode”. Jeff knows what it meant to me, he had to. But for now.. Kyle. I continue getting dressed, packing my bags and preparing for the road. I’ll swap out with Jeff during the drive, James can lay across the backseat and get more sleep. He needs it. I help James wherever and however I can, making sure he’s alright as we prepare for what’s coming.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I get up with the alarm ringing in my ear. Usually, I trained myself to get up before the alarm, but tonight… had been busy. I woke up with Jack in my arms, and the feel of him against me sent a rush of warmth through my being. Fuck… I had told him that I loved him last night… and we had had the most amazing sex… and he loved me. My head was spinning, but I had to switch into work mode now. I gave myself the luxury of a single kiss on Jack’s cheek, then I was up. Naked, but luckily James was still a bit groggy. I had time to get dressed before he started to stir. I take a moment though to openly admire Jack’s naked body before he put his clothes on. Then, I chuckled, and geared up, putting on my cargo trousers, boots, and simple t-shirt. I checked that everything was packed. Then, carry our duffle bags out to the Land Rover.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: Suddenly, I wake up from a deep, dreamless sleep, a loud ringing in my ear. I’m confused, and aching all over. Where am I? Then, as I fight off the lingering effects of the morphine, it comes back to me in a rush. Agent Rogers and Young had rescued me, and now it was time to save Kyle. I felt a surge of hope and determination flood through me. This was going to happen. And I wouldn’t have to do it alone. I don’t know how I could ever express my gratitude. I went to get dressed, then realized that I had no clothes. I had nothing. I wrapped the towel around my waist, and stood up. I gasped in pain, the soles of my feet still swollen, but it was much lessened now. I could move and walk And by the time we were ready to save Kyle, I would be that much more recovered. I nodded, then noticed Jeff grinning at my nakedness, covered only by a simple towel and the myriad bandages to cover up my wounds. I laughed, “I bet I look like a pretty sight this morning, more like an escaped hospital patient then a secret agent… Hey, listen..” I walk over to Jeff, and to Jack as they are standing ready to leave. I reach out and grab both of their shoulders, and pull them in for a hug, “I can’t begin to express my gratitude to you two gentlemen… I really can’t. I couldn’t think of two finer men I’d want by my side today.”

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: I can feel the smile spread far across my cheeks, like a muscle that refuses to unflex. I’m absolutely beaming, even as I focus on getting everything ready. I’ve never been this happy in my life. James pulls us all in for a hug and I hold them both, smiling as I do. “We’re with you, Mason” I say and rub my hands over their arms affectionately before stepping away. “Do you need any more morphine? You can sleep in the back across the seats, I think you need to catch up some more. Also, drink this” I pick up a water flask and pass it to him, fluids are seriously important for him right now. I turn my attention to Jeff, my heart fluttering like a butterfly in my chest. “Do you want the first drive, or the second?” I pick up the bags, preparing to move them to the car. We desperately need to get some clothes on Mason, he shouldn’t be so damn big. I can still taste Jeff in my mouth and I never want to wash him away, he can stay there forever. I instruct Mason to refill the water flask. “Drink,” I say almost commandingly, but there’s a smile planted firmly on my lips to show that’s not the case.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I grin foolishly at these two, they are both in an exceptionally good mood, I wonder what brought that about, but I’m not complaining, it’s infectious. And I can use all the good cheer I can get today. I look over at Jack, “No, no more morphine. I want my head crystal clear tomorrow.” I take the flask and drink it gratefully, knowing how important it is to stay hydrated right now. “Yes sir!” I reply to Jack, with a cocky grin, his high spirits rubbing off on me. Then, I dash to the car with my towel and lay down in the back seat. I’m still so tired, and have a lot more sleep to catch up on. I don’t even think we get out of the parking lot before I manage to drift off again.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jack in such a good mood. To be honest, I’m feeling super charged myself. Last night… it still stuns me to think of what happened. But time to process that all later. James is looking much better, and I rub his arm and Jack’s lingering a bit over Jack’s, as he expresses his gratitude. I grin at James, “Wait until today is over before you thank us, Mason.” Then, I turn to Jack as he’s asking about the driving arrangements and trying to keep the big man hydrated, “I’ll take the first drive.” We pile into the Rover, and I watch as James lays down again in the back to get some sleep. He’s walking with more confidence, and if he lives up to his reputation, I have no doubt he’ll be ready for Des Moines when we arrive. I drive off, and mentally review our gear. We can pick up clothes for Mason on the way, and we have the sidearm that we retrieved from the dead guard, with enough clips to refill, so Mason will have a gun. We can get him a knife when we stop off to cloth the big bastard, and we have some spare grenades, so he’ll be covered. The only thing we don’t have for him is a bullet proof vest, and that really bothers me, but there is nothing to be done for it. As we drive off and head east on the freeway towards Des Moine, I turn to look at Jack, my face breaking out into a broad grin. “So, Jack… about last night..” My right hand drifts over to seek Jack’s left, wanting that intimacy with him every moment I can spare. “I… don’t know what to say… except… thank you… for being in my life. You know, I’ve ..” I swallow, suddenly a bit nervous, but knowing it had to be said, feeling suddenly like I can’t bear any secrets between me and Jack. “I.. was … very close to your father… I mean, “ I started to blush.. “Very close.”

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: James does as I command and we pile into the land rover, my face still beaming. Mason is out like a light almost instantly, leaving just Jeff and I side-by-side. Everything feels so different now, sitting next to him like this. I feel like all of our walls are down, no secrets or hidden feelings, at least from my side.. And it feels wonderful. Jeff’s hand reaches over and takes mine. I close my fingers through his and they rest by the gearstick. Jeff speaks his beautiful words to me and I’m once again confused. Thank me? For being in his life? I don’t know what I have ever done to warrant such fondness from him. I didn’t save him from the torturous talons of Derek Steel, that’s what he did for me. I knew he and my dad were close, the best of friends. My dad always admired the hell out of Jeff, and I 100% can see why. He’s perfect. I almost turn a little shy as I go to speak, there are so many things I want to say to him.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: “No, sir.. Thank YOU” I glance over at him, occasionally meeting his eyes with my own as he flits the road and I. “I can’t even begin to explain to you how much you’ve meant to me for a very long time.. Since before the whole Steel thing.. Last night was everything I’ve dreamed of for a very very long time. And I know about you and my dad, he respected the hell out of you and loved working with you. I guess the way I love working with you, too.. But--” I start laughing as I speak. “--hopefully not exactly the same,” I chuckle at the throwaway comment, I wouldn’t have blamed my dad for being into Jeff in that way, or even vice versa. As creepy as it may be to think, my dad was a great man and very attractive. Since Jeff is obviously interested in guys, it’s perfectly plausible that he may have had feelings for my dad, too. Which is fine, although my dad fiercely loved my mother and wouldn’t have returned his feelings. I suddenly find myself feeling bad for Jeff, thinking maybe he loved my father in a way that was requited. I squeeze his hand, bringing it to me briefly so I can kiss the back of it.

12:26: Agent_Jack_Young: I yawn, deep and long. “Okay, sir.. I’m going to catch some more sleep. Wake me up halfway through, I’ll take over..” I start to turn against the window to settle down, but I suddenly think to myself: Jeff is a nice guy. Like, a really nice guy.. He won’t wake me up. He’ll do the whole drive and say he wanted to let me sleep, and I won’t stand for it. I sit forwards again and point a commanding finger at him. “And that’s an order, sir.. Wake me up!” I flash a cheeky smile before settling back down, resting my face against the window and settling down for a few hours of sleep, that fucking smile still plastered across my lips. I love you, sir.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I keep my hold on Jack’s hand, my fingers twined into his. This is heaven. Pure heaven. Despite my embarrassment at trying to share my relationship with Trent, it still feels amazing. He doesn’t quite get what I’m trying to say, and I’m too flustered by his response to correct him. I’m everything he dreamed of? Me? Then his final comment makes me clench up a bit inside, hopefully not exactly the same? Maybe I’ll wait before I share the whole story with Jack. It’s too soon. It can wait. Then, he turns aside to catch some more sleep, and it’s all I can do not to laugh out loud when he orders me to wake him up. I drive silently through the night, carried on by a warm glow of love for the man beside me. Carried on by a firm commitment to help Mason free his own lover. Mason was growing on me. I could see why he inspired so many others. Before I realized it, it was 5am. I pulled over and shook Jack, “Your turn Jack. I’m going to try to get a bit of sleep now. When we get to Des Moines, the stores should be open, so take us right to someplace where we can clothe that big beast back there, then wake us up.” As I get out of the Rover to switch seats with Jack, I catch him as we walk by each other, pull him in for a tight hug, and as I stroke his hair, I give him a kiss. Not a quick peck on the cheek, but a deep kiss, with plenty of beard and tongue. I’m shocked at my actions. I’m never this forward…. But with Jack… I’m learning a lot of things. I settle into the passenger seat, turn aside to rest my head on the door, and slowly drift off, my heart full.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: I’m woken by a quick but gentle shake on my shoulder, slowly opening my eyes before erupting in a big stretch and yawn. I nod at Jeff, still shaking off the last bit of sleep. It was a really good nap. I step out and cross paths with Jeff, then he takes me, pulling me close and kissing me deeply. Oh fuck, it’s wonderful. Suddenly I’m so excited for all my mornings to be like this, waking up next to him and having a morning kiss as my head rests against the pillow. The kiss lasts a few sweet seconds, but the show must go on. I take my seat behind the wheel and stretch again, making sure I’m fully awake. I look over at Jeff and he’s already drifting off. It suddenly dawns on me that we could be driving towards our death.. I thought this yesterday, but suddenly it takes on a whole new meaning. No. We have to survive, and Mason, too. I glance back at him, sleeping soundly. He only has a towel over him and it’s a cold night. I’m still feeling sleepy so I do the only logical thing I can think of right now; I remove my own black sweater and gently throw it over Mason’s body. I need to be cold, it will keep me awake, but.. FUCK! The undertee went with it, oh fuck. Now I’m not only slightly cold, I’m going to be freezing! And these guys are going to me driving the car half naked. I shiver behind the wheel and sure enough, I feel wide awake.

05.09 AM

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: Suddenly, I start to rouse, I look around, then smile with a cocky grin at the sight of Daniel nestled against my chest. He fits there pretty good. Pretty good indeed. I realize that the minibus has stopped moving, and we are entering a large barn. There is a ramp inside the barn, and we are slowly driving into an underground car park. We have arrived. I gently wake Daniel up, and yawn. I give him a quick kiss on his head, then swing my legs down to the floorboard. I make my way out of the minibus, and am met by, I know this man, “Peter, isn’t it? Peter Jones?” He nods, surprised that I remember him. But it’s my business to remember, and Ivan had a lot of good things to say about him. “Peter, be a good mate, will you? We’ve got 4 dead in the back of the minibus there, killed by our old friend Jeff Rogers. See that they get a decent burial and make all the arrangements for their families.” I clap him on the shoulder, and he nods, giving out more orders as Daniel comes up behind me. “And I could really use a shower and some breakfast.” Peter nods, “Ivan has made arrangements Mr. Steel, Mr. Allen, if you will follow me. He said he’s ready to meet with you both when you’ve had a chance to rest up.” I nod. “Yep, Ivan knows I get mighty grumpy before breakfast. Lead on mate, I’m ready for a shower and some food. I bet Daniel is as well.” I grin over at Daniel.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I feel some gentle pokes to my body as I slowly wake up. Before I realise what is happening, I feel Derek kiss me on the top of my head, and I reach up to his cheek to stroke it. Then I rise up, freeing myself from Steel’s grip, and follow behind him. As soon as we got out, I saw Peter Jones, one of the top men serving under Usov. Steel mentions the dead bodies as he nods to us. I quickly look at Liam, ordering him to help Peter, and he nods his head as well. I chuckled lightly as Derek mentions breakfast and a shower. While seconding Derek’s statement, I speak in a professional tone “By the way… Peter… Talk with Ivan… I want to see Kyle when he wakes, and he can join us for breakfast…” I meet Derek's gaze once again “If it is not a problem for you of course sir…” But if I have to be honest, I think he would like that idea as well. Seeing your enemy as an ally is one of the best feelings in the world. If Ivan is almost done with him, I can start my own education as well.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I nod in Daniel’s direction. “Absolutely. That’s a great idea. I’d like to see what Ivan has done with him, especially since his sudicide attempt. Ivan is very skilled, but sometimes… he can be a bit hotheaded, losing his professional detachment for these kind of things.” We follow Peter, as he leads us to a richly appointed suite, with a shower. He tells us that breakfast will be ready at 7:30am, and that he’s left us a report of everything that has been happening with Kyle since his capture, we are free to study it or to sleep and rest before then. I nod, and Peter leaves. Time for a shower! I head into the shower room.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I smirk as Derek agrees with me. Yeah, let’s see what our little detective is doing… But first, a shower sounds perfect. I follow Derek and Peter until we arrive at a beautiful suite. Yeah, this place is much much better than Toledo. Ahh… I wish I had enough time to drag Mason somewhere like here. But what happened has happened. Now to look forward… I follow Derek to the showers. Uhhh… I’ve showered with lots of troops before. But… Derek is my boss. And it may not be appropriate. But I don’t want to seem shy either. I clear my throat while tossing my tank top aside, and taking off my boots. “Sir… You take a shower first...I can take my turn when you are done…” We had sex yesterday, so it shouldn’t bother me. But that was just one time thing, right? I… Don’t know… I remain professional while thinking about this.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I grin as Daniel follows me into the shower room, openly admiring his muscled body as he takes his clothes off. I throw mine in a pile next to his. I chuckle deep and low as he offers to let me go first. With a growl, I reach out and grab his arm as he’s about to walk away, and haul him into the shower with me, adjusting the water to the perfect temperature. The water splashes over us, and I slide my wet, hard, hairy muscle behind Daniel, and put him into a playful full nelson, my dick turning rock hard as it surfs Daniel’s ass. I chew on his ear, and let the hot water splash on his body. Then, I gave him some advice, whispered in his ear, “Never turn down a chance to shower with a hot fucker, Daniel. In our line of work, you never know when this might be your last chance. No regrets. Life is too short.” I rub my hands up and down his body as the hot water splashes against his muscles. Damn. He’s a hot man. He pushes all my buttons. I release my playful nelson, then reach down and grab his manhood, stroking it forcefully, aggressively, as I grind my own manhood against this butt and the back of his thigh. I kiss his neck, and look down the length of his muscled body as I wrap my left arm around his thick body, and play with his chest and his nipples. FUCK ME. I moan in his ear, kissing his neck, then suddenly I erupt all over his back and but, my hot, white seed coating his back and but as my balls empty themselves, I’m so turned on by the close contact with this hot man.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: Derek quickly catches my arm, and drags me to the shower. Before I can react to all of this, I suddenly feel the water start washing all over us, and with his quick reflexes, Derek puts me in a full nelson all of a sudden. Ahh… FUCK… I feel Derek’s huge cock brushing my ass, while chewing my ear. My own dick… It gets hard all of a sudden. This guy is really a beast. He whispers into my ear that I should enjoy the moment. God… Even his deep voice is so sexy and hot. Then he releases me, and catches my chest with his left arm. The other hand of his grabs my cock, and starts jerking me off savagely. AHhhh… This… Feels so good… I can feel his cock growing bigger as well. With a fast move, I grab Derek’s thighs with my hands, and pull him closer towards me. The tension between us, the exploration process of learning more about each other’s manhood is turning me on more and more. “For some reason…” Hmmm… Calm down Daniel, that’s just a normal casual human need. Just let yourself go. And yes, my body can’t hold itself any longer, and suddenly erupts at the same time Derek releases his seed onto my back. This… Guy… Is… So… Hot…

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: After taking a couple of breaths to get myself together before answering, letting water clean every single bit of dirt off my body, I turn around face to face with Derek, and give him a quick, but deep kiss whispering back “But life is long enough to develop bonds Steel… So be careful…” I grin, but my heart was on fire. This guy is so seductive. Learn to control yourself and your emotions Daniel, it’s something you do all the time, you just need to do this with Derek as well. Afterwards, I continue in a professional tone. “The document regarding Kyle’s process should be on the table sir… Let’s check it out together…”

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I enjoy a final kiss with Daniel, and turn the shower off as we dry ourselves. I chuckle wickedly at his response. “It is long enough for that. Oh yes it is.” Then, getting dressed again, I settle in with the report, making room on the sofa for Daniel to sit beside me and read along with me, checking over every detail of the last two weeks or more, the raid on the warehouse, Kyle’s role in capturing Ivan and helping Mason escape, all of the details about the affair between Kyle and Daniel, thanks to the surveillance Daniel’s team did. Then, I read in detail about Kyle’s torture. Nodding in some places, frowning in others. Ivan definitely went overboard. But I’ll admit, his plan to brainwash Kyle, then arrange for him to be rescued was brilliant. Very brilliant. Any number of highly placed officials would want to interview the man who had spent so much time with Ivan, a wanted international criminal and terrorist. A perfect opportunity to assassinate them. But there was very little in the report that mentioned Kyle over the past two days or so, other than a routine description of how he was drugged to initiate the next stage of the conditioning. Nothing about how he had recovered from the suicide attempt. Hmmmm.. Well, we would meet with Ivan soon. And there was another reason I wanted to meet with Ivan. I’d heard how Dave had been killed, and I knew that Ivan and Dave were close, very close. I knew they were lovers, though they never talked about it much. Ivan was my friend, and I know how much that would have hurt him, and how difficult he found it to talk about things like that. But he would talk about it with me. He needed to. It was stupid and dangerous to keep that kind of pain locked away, especially for men in our line of work.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I finished the report, and leaned back, stretching out. Then, I noticed the time, it was nearly 7:30am. My stomach rumbled loudly, I was ready for food. And it was time to meet with Ivan and check out Kyle. Then, we would decide our next steps. I looked over at Daniel, “Ready, Daniel?”

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: After that shower experience, I dry myself off with a towel, wrap it around my waist, and sit down next to Derek as he creates space for me. A detailed two week report about Kyle Byrne. Yeah, a very good piece to read before facing him. The details before Kyle’s torture are the ones I generally know. But Kyle’s torture part interests me most, and WOW! That’s a heavy schedule, especially for a guy who really thinks not just with his muscles, but also with his mind and heart. A normal brainwashing process by the Syndicate would take approximately 14 days. After 7 days, they usually “start” to turn into a different person. But I guess, Ivan tried to turn Kyle into a “Trojan Horse” as fast as possible with a busy schedule like this. And that’s another part that I hated in this plan… Trojan Horse? Kyle? That would be a waste of a clever mind. Any other brainwashing subjects could be used for that purpose. But Kyle is something else. I saw him during the interrogation of Ivan. He has a sharp mind. A mind that can help the Syndicate a lot. Unlike Ivan, and apparently Derek as well since his expression remains soft while reading that part, I don’t want to throw him away like that… Hmm… I may talk this out sometime, maybe even during breakfast, I don’t know, to see if I can change both of their minds. But the most interesting part which surprises both Derek and me is that there isn’t any report for the last two days. Hmm… What is wrong? I am not sure, but I believe we will learn soon. Alright… We both finished reading the report. I smile mischievously as Derek asks me if I am ready, and I turn my face to face him “Yeah… Let’s see our commander and our new ally, Steel…” and I rise on my feet afterwards, and open the door for Derek Steel. Yeah, let’s have a nice breakfast… Shall we?

06.48 AM

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Xavier… I am seeing Xavier's video in my dream, seeing the moment when he died from electrocution. And I just lay there in front of him. Unconscious… And seeing this scene over and over again never gets easier. It doesn't become a regular or normal memory. It just hurts and hurts. Xavier… I am so sorry… I tried, I swear I did. I did my best… But apparently my best wasn't enough.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I open my eyes slowly. I can sense I was even crying in my dream as well since my eyes are wet. I killed Xavier… I killed him… How can I forget this? How can anything change this reality? I can feel Ivan's arms around me, hugging me. I don't know if he is sleeping, but if he is, I don't want to wake him up. I slowly free myself from his arms carefully as well as gently, and stand on my feet. My heart is pounding. I… Need… To… Cry… I slowly walk to the little bathroom of Ivan's that he used when he cleaned me up 3 days ago. I wash my face, then look at myself in the mirror. Is that you Kyle? How are you going to look at your face from now on? What kind of cure can heal this wound? I don't want to cry. I don't want to be a mess. I was always strong. I always managed to act, to hide my feelings. But I don't think I know myself anymore. Is this your real persona Kyle? Where is your confidence? Where is your charm? Where is your "loyalty"? Where is your intelligence and your power?

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I can't hold myself together. I can't contain it. I am weak, and just like I did every day for the past few days, I am going to let go. I can't recognize myself anymore. I start to cry silently. I don't want to wake Ivan up. But I was gritting my teeth hard, and collapsing in soft sobs. Xavier… I wish I could have apologized to you properly. I… Love you Xavier… My best friend… My companion… I swear, I would have rather died than killing you if I had a choice. Crying for some time, I rub my face to wipe the tears away, and then take a deep breath. Focus Kyle… Don't upset Ivan. You are already hurting him too much. You are already a burden to him. Don't make his job harder. With silent steps, I lay down next to Ivan, and wrap my arms around his chest. I hope I didn't wake him up. I want to make him happy again when he opens his eyes. I don't want a sobbing Kyle to greet him … I… Will try for Ivan… For James… For Tim… For others… I am going to wake him up gently. Softly, I start kissing Ivan to awaken him.

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I slept uneasily, the news from last night was disturbing to say the least. I wasn’t looking forward to the meeting with Derek and Daniel tomorrow morning. And… Kyle. Kyle. I loved him so much. And yet I had brainwashed him, tortured him, planned to use him as a weapon. How did I fall in love with him? How? Dave… I wish I had told you that I loved you. I vaguely realized that Kyle had gotten up, then I was amazed that I didn’t react with panic. I trusted him enough to not panic when I realized that we was in the bathroom. I trusted him…. A man I had wanted to punish and brutalize only 7 days ago, I now loved and trusted. It made my head spin. Then, half asleep, I realize Kyle is returning to bed, and he puts his arms around me, then kisses me, bringing me fully awake. I open my eyes and gaze at my Kyle. He is a good man… and I have broken him. And I enjoyed it. But now I have fallen in love with him. And everything feels upside down. Confusing. But one thing is clear. Right here, right, Kyle is with me. And he is kissing me. I can see the sorrow in his eyes, his eyes are red, he’s been crying. That fills me with a deep sense of remorse. But I can’t stop the brainwashing now… I have to go on. It’s the only way. You never needed to brainwash Dave, did you Ivan? Did you?? Did you? …

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I reach my hand out gently and stroke Kyle’s face. Suddenly, my pulse races. I look at the time quickly. I have time… before the meeting with Derek and Daniel. Time to be with Kyle. I reach down with one hand and gently begin to explore Kyle’s manhood, feeling his cock and balls, softly playing with the head of his member, swirling my finger around the tip. My other hand wraps around his body and pulls him even closer into my hard, steel-cabled muscle, massaging his own lean muscle beneath my tight grip. Tenderly, my eyes soft, I kiss Kyle, driving my tongue into his mouth, enfolding him, pleasuring him, wanting to have this moment with Kyle before I have to face the day.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Ivan slowly opens his eyes slowly from my kiss. First he strokes my face, then he pulls me closer to him while playing with the head of my dick. I moan a little bit. But before I can make any more sound, Ivan's lips meet mine, pulling me into a strong, and yet soft kiss. This Russian Spetznas who hurts people is so tender that even I can't believe he is a killer. I kiss Ivan back, letting him explore my mouth fully. I move one of my hands to his neck, while the other one goes directly to his own dick as well just to poke it a little bit. I don't want to break our kiss. I wish this moment could last forever. But it can't. After a while, I need to catch my breath. I break our kiss, but still holding Ivan's face close to me, we are almost lip to lip, I whisper seductively "Good morning Russian Bear… Guess someone is in a playful mood…" I grin, and bite his earlobe gently, mumbling again "Would you like your bear tamer to play with you…" to be honest, I was feeling much better. And again, it was thanks to Ivan. I repeat the voices that are wandering around in my head: You are safe with Ivan, you trust Ivan, you love Ivan… I do, yes I do… I don't need to force myself anymore to feel anything. After playing with Ivan's ear a little bit more, I make my way towards his neck, and start biting his neck gently to seduce him further.

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: Our kiss goes on and on, but finally Kyle breaks it off, gasping for breath. I smile, and growl at him deep from my throat, like a bear, as my eyes are smiling at him. Then he starts nibbling on my ear and my neck. I groan in pleasure, and slowly roll him over onto his back, I straddle his legs, on my hands and knees, look up into Kyle’s smiling face, and growl again, then dive into Kyle’s crotch with my face, pretending to snarl and growl, licking his balls and sucking his manhood, chewing on it gently inside my mouth, loving the taste of his manhood. I’m surprised at how hard Kyle is, and how quickly my attention stimulates him. It doesn’t take long at all before he erupts in my mouth, swallow it all. Mmmm… Then, I slowly stalk up his torso, nuzzling his taut abs, his ribs, his tightly, leanly muscled chest, chewing and kissing every inch of him. Then I growl down into his face. “The bear is hungry… the bear must be fed! The bear will feast on your delectable muscle!” I feel, in this moment, totally carefree and utterly happy. Every stress, every worry, every thought drifts away. There is only this moment, here and now, filled with joy as I am with Kyle.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: After playing with Ivan’s body, he rolls me over and growls like a bear. I chuckle as I see him like that. He seems pretty adorable while being a bear. Then with a quick action, he dives into my crotch all of a sudden, sucking my balls and my dick with great pleasure. My moans grow louder, I catch Ivan’s head once again, and very gently guide him as he sucks me off. My precum is leaking, and as Ivan continues to suck me off, my cock grows bigger and bigger in his mouth, and I can’t hold myself back much longer in the face of his tender care, I release my load into Ivan’s mouth, and I grunt in pleasure. After my manhood flows down Ivan’s throat, I take a deep breath, and relax as Ivan slowly kisses my body up. Then he growls in my face that he is hungry and he needs to be fed. I chuckle, and slowly rub Ivan’s cheeks with my palms, and mumble “Well… This bear is really hungry, and very hard to feed… I guess there is only one way to appease him…” then, I move my legs upwards, and wrap them around Ivan’s torso, just like I did to James in our flat. My right leg hurts a little bit, so I moan a little bit in pain, but I can manage it. Afterwards, I grab Ivan’s neck with both of my hands, and pull him a little bit closer to me. And yeah, I can sense his cock on my ass. That should please him enough, right? I can make him happy that way… I grin at Ivan as his cock touches my ass. My stomach still hurts a little bit, and it may hurt as well. But if this does please Ivan, I don’t care… I deserve all the punishment in the world, and yet Ivan is taking care of me. Compared to the generosity of Ivan, that offer is nothing…

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: My eyes widen in surprise… and desire… as Kyle wraps his legs around my thick, hard torso and pushes his ass against my own cock. I swallow, deeply longing to be inside my Kyle. I reach down, pleasure starting to fill my body as I hold Kyle’s shoulders gently, then with a gasp of sheer delight, slowly, carefully, bit by bit begin to enter Kyle. I stop frequently to allow Kyle to adapt, and I kiss him often, murmuring into his ear, “I love you Kyle…” Then, after a while, I’m fully inside Kyle. My manhood is deep inside the man I love. Dave… how often did we share this intimacy… we never told each other how much we loved one another, but we showed it in so many other ways. I feel sorrow mix with my deep pleasure and joy as I begin to slowly penetrate Kyle. The sheer delight of being inside Kyle sends tingles down my spine, and before long I am gasping, my body shuddering as I release my seed inside him. I am sweating from the exertion, then I roll over onto my back, gasping, “The bear is satisfied… Mmmmmm.” Then, I notice the time. “Come Kyle, we have to dress and go and greet our guests.” I get up, and put on my combat boots, my trousers, and my heavy black shirt. I don’t want Kyle to leave my side, I don’t think he is ready yet to be on his own for any great length of time.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Ivan holds my shoulders as I hold his neck, and I feel Ivan’s cock. It’s getting deeper inside me, slowly. But still, it is hard. I start moaning, both in pain and pleasure at the same time. My stomach was hurting a little bit, but I can handle this. I will handle this. Afterwards, Ivan starts to penetrate me, I whimper. But he is so caring, so tender as he mentions how much he loves me and kisses me. And after a final push, he releases his seed in my hole, and slowly lets me go while rolling on his side. We are both covered in sweat, and my stomach still aches a little bit. But it was worth it, I can feel it when Ivan says the bear is full now.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: And before I can say another thing, he says we need to meet with our guests? Who? JAMES? Did he bring James? I try to raise on my feet quickly, and start wearing my own clothes, the same jeans, white shirt, trainers that Ivan brought for me while asking in a cheerful tone “Who are our guests? Is it James?” I was moving slower than Ivan since I was aching a little bit. Still, it will fade Kyle… Everything will turn out fine.

07.30 AM

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I take Kyle with me as I head off to our breakfast meeting. I sighed deeply as he asked his question. This would be difficult, very difficult. But I had to address it now. I speak gently as we walk. I contemplated leaving Kyle behind, but his conditioning was still being established, and constant contact with me would be important. He would learn difficult things at this meeting, but he would learn them eventually, if my brainwashing program completed and he became an … agent. Yes, an agent. That would be so much better than using him as a trojan horse. So much better. Derek will understand. I know he will. Dave… I’m sorry. I love you… I speak up to Kyle, “Kyle, we are going to meet with Derek Steel and Daniel Allen. Daniel Allen was the man who had located and captured James Mason. He would have brought him here to see you, but James Mason escaped. We aren’t sure yet how, or where he might be, but Daniel and Derek will help us come up with a plan to find him again. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? To see Mason again?” I enter the conference room, and there Daniel and Derek are seated, already starting to eat.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Ivan does not directly answer my question, apparently he is lost in his own thoughts. But after some time, he says that we are going to meet with Derek Steel and Daniel Allen? I force my mind… It’s still not clear because of the drugs I’ve been taking for the last two days, but I feel much much better compared to yesterday. I remember Derek Steel, he was the coworker of Ivan. I did some research on him before Ivan’s interrogation. But I don’t remember Daniel Allen. I remember Ivan mentioned him to me, but I don’t know him personally. Guess I am about to find out. But my heart shatters a little bit as I hear Mason has escaped. I mean, I can’t blame him, and I can understand he is trying to keep himself safe. But Ivan promised me he will take care of Mason, nothing should be wrong. And he also asks if I would like them finding Mason. I… Don’t answer directly. I trust Ivan, but I don’t know Derek Steel and Daniel Allen. And they are the men of the Syndicate, the enemies of James. But… If Ivan trusts them, shouldn’t you trust them as well Kyle? I guess that is right… It is not risky for James, right? I will ask them what they want from James during the meeting, so I can be sure once and for all.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Once we enter the conference room, I can finally see them both. OH...I know Daniel… The delegate… Adam Williams… Ahhh… He was trying to rescue and protect Ivan. That is why he disguised himself. I smile at first, but suddenly, my mind starts filling with questions again. Why did he go after James? And moreover, did he find him in Detroit? Did he want to hurt James? Ivan told me Daniel did go after him in order to bring him to me. Who should I trust? Hmm… You should relax Kyle, these are Ivan’s friends, so they should be trustworthy. I take a deep breath, and take a step towards Derek and Daniel, and open my mouth in a cheerful tone… Let’s get to know them more then… “Morning gentlemen… I’m Kyle Byrne… Pleasure to meet you…” I offer my hand firstly to Daniel, and afterwards, Derek.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: After we left our suite, we rushed to the conference room, and examined the breakfast they prepared for us. Hmm… Not gonna lie, this looks delicious. I sat down slowly, but Derek started his meal without waiting for me or Ivan and Kyle. I chuckle at the sight. Yeah, can’t blame him. It was a long journey even though we slept. This breakfast seems awesome. I start eating different dishes that are laid out for us on the table.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: Then, the door opens slowly, and I look up. Yeah, here they are… Ivan and Kyle… Hmm… Ivan seems a bit troubled. Is this because of Mason? Or is there something else? I don’t know, but we will see... Kyle, on the other hand, seems fine actually. He is staggering a little bit, but that is probably because of the gunshot wounds. He healed fast actually, he must have a good body. And he seems happy in general, to go by his smile. But I can tell he has some questions in his head. Yeah, I can guess. His brainwashing is not completed %100, but it looks like Ivan did a nice job. Did he recover that fast after thinking James is dead? Hmm… That seems odd… We will see… These brainwashing processes can change different things in different persons. Some people don’t remember their past, while the other ones just adjust their perspective. If Kyle attempted to commit suicide, he should be in the second class. Ahhh… Yeah, we need to be careful what we say now… He is at a very sensitive point at the time being. I put a sincere smile on my face as my new “student” offers his hand to me. I grab his hand and shake it gently “That pleasure belongs to me, Kyle… Come on… Have a seat…” I look at Ivan one more time after saying these… I wonder what is bugging him?

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I look over as Ivan and the inspector he captured, Kyle enter the room. I had my fill of food, having been ravenously hungry, but was now in a much better mood. Immediately, I can tell Ivan is troubled. I know him well, and I can read him better than anyone else. He’s deeply troubled. We’d have to have a private chat at some point. I look over at Kyle, examining him carefully. Remarkable job. Ivan has really done a number on him, especially considering he tried to commit suicide just a few days ago. I watch as Kyle marches right up, and greets us as though we were his colleagues and not his captors. Very good job indeed. I watch as he shakes Daniel’s hand, then reaches out his to me. I shake it firmly, “Good to meet you Kyle. I’ve heard so much about you.” We would have to be very careful of what we said and how we said it, given Kyle’s state of mind. There was no way his brainwashing was complete. I’d have to be on my best behaviour. I wonder why Ivan brought him along instead of leaving him back in his holding cell, but I’m sure he had a reason. My eyes narrowed as I looked closely at Kyle, then Ivan. Hmmmm.

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: This was it. The meeting I was dreading. I sat down, and watched as Kyle greeted Derek and Daniel. They would both know to be careful in front of him. Daniel even helped Kyle take his seat. Interesting. Daniel was a sharp one. So, time to get started. I help myself to some fruit and apple juice, then speak up, “So I’ve taken precautions already Derek, in the light of yesterday. I know we don’t have any reason to believe that this location has been compromised, but I doubled the guard just in case. Do you have any more details on that event? Who was responsible? How did they find the location? And, what is our plan going forward? How are we going to … extend an invitation for Mason?” Of course they would know what I really meant. How were we going to recapture James Mason.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I take a sip from my tea as Ivan explains how he enhanced the security of this place… I mean, logical choice, but I hope it is for nothing. But I can’t stop my eyes narrowing as he mentions how we are going to “extend an invitation” for Mason? Ohhh… I see… So Kyle knows James is not dead? How did he trick Kyle after that suicide attempt? Wow… He is a genius. But if he is careful while talking about James, this should be because Kyle still loves him and cares about him… Alright, one important point to consider while talking… I take a deep breath and lean forward, eyeing both Ivan and Kyle at the same time since he should also be keenly focused on this question’s answer “I am going to prepare another little “crew” of mine to find him. He is a bit hesitant, but I am pretty sure he will understand we don’t have any bad intentions.” I wait a little bit, then continue “Steel already found out who confused his mind, and forced him to reject our invitation to help him…” I look at Derek Steel, trying to point out Jeff Rogers in a “casual” way.

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: I smiled as both Daniel and Derek shook my hand firmly and in a friendly manner. Maybe I misjudged them? Possibly. I take a seat as Daniel helps me to sit down. Then I look at Ivan. He seems a bit concerned? Did I do something wrong? I don’t know. But then he starts talking about taking some precautions… For what exactly? UH… Maybe I shouldn’t let Ivan drug me that much. I can’t concentrate and focus on the discussion. A thing that I do all the time when I do my job. I rub my temple a little bit and look at both Derek and Daniel as they answer. Daniel says he escaped because someone tricked him? Who? I look at Derek Steel with curious eyes as Daniel looks at him.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I lean back, listening to Ivan’s carefully worded question. I nodded. I could see how it stood. Somehow, Ivan had convinced Kyle that Mason was still alive while maintaining his conditioning. A clever trick. I listen to Daniel’s response. I smiled at him. Daniel was definitely a determined man. And he was after James Mason. I liked his chances. I liked him. Then, it’s my turn to speak. I nod at Daniel and address Ivan. “It was Jeff Rogers. I don’t know how yet, but I’m sure Daniel will find out how he found Mason. But he did. And he convinced Mason to reject our hospitality. I think that the next time I see Jeff, I will make sure and … reward him suitably.” I smile, with a cocky grin as I reply. “I think our next course of action is pretty much what Daniel said. We lay low a little bit, let our friend Kyle get used to his new … position. Then, Daniel can assemble another team and hunt down Mason. Mason will likely head back to London, so Daniel might have to travel a ways to extend our invitation to him. But I’m sure it’s nothing Daniel can’t handle.”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I sigh, in relief. It seems that both Derek and Daniel have picked up the situation and are being careful in their wording. I don’t want my Kyle to start panicking before his conditioning is complete. I nod in response to Derek. I notice though that Kyle is rubbing his temple. Damn. He’s starting to get conflicted again. I speak up, “Daniel, Derek that sounds good. Have we settled everything here? I think Kyle is perhaps getting a bit tired, and I’d like to take him back for some more … rest. He’s had a hard week.”

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: Jeff Rogers… I don’t think I remember that name. Huh… But both Derek and Daniel say that they don’t have bad intentions? Just like Ivan… Oh, then I guess they are really trustworthy. We misunderstood their intentions with James from the beginning then. I see… But all of a sudden, I ask a question that I hadn’t asked myself until now: What were you fighting for with James in the first place Kyle? Don’t you remember? I… Don’t… I am not… Sure… I scratch my head, this is… Uh… Getting confusing once again. But I don’t want to experience another breakdown. I still don’t understand how Daniel managed to capture Mason. I ignore Ivan’s attempts to take me away, and ask in a much more serious tone “Did you meet with James in Detroit? And where exactly? When did he arrive there?”

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I look at Ivan as he tries to drag Kyle away. Yeah, a good decision actually, he shouldn’t strain his mind too much. We can’t risk the brainwashing process cracking before it’s established completely. But Ivan still seems nervous. I can feel something is wrong, and he is hesitant to say it while he is with Kyle… But Kyle ignores Ivan, and asks another question directed to me… It’s both bad and confusing… Bad because he is asking a question that could disrupt the balance of his sensitive mind, we should be careful. And it’s confusing because he sent James to Detroit himself? Why is he asking me this? He should know when James arrived in Detroit? But I push these thoughts aside, and answer him sincerely “Yes Kyle… Exactly… We met him in the Oasis Hotel, in Detroit. You sent him to Detroit, don’t you remember? I checked it. He booked a hotel shortly after your ticket to Detroit...” Is there some permanent damage to his mind? Hmm…

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: My confusion increases… HOW? I sent him to Chicago? I rub my temples with both of my hands this time. Why did he go to Detroit instead, then? I can’t… FOCUS… Come on Kyle, you were supposed to be a clever person… Why can’t you concentrate? It… Aches… He is in Chicago? Not Detroit?.. Did… He came… Because of me? Did he want to confront Daniel in Detroit? So he followed Daniel there? James is putting himself in danger because of me? But he is not putting himself in danger Kyle… Ivan is not dangerous, he promised you. The thoughts are clashing in my mind. I can’t detect which one is real and which one is a lie. I mumble to myself unconsciously “I sent him to Chicago… Not Detroit… Chicago… Detroit… Police department… Unsafe… Distraction...” My mind is aching… FUCK…. NO… Please… I don’t want… Not this again...

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: My confusion increases as Kyle starts mumbling to himself. Chicago? Detroit? Distraction? He says he sent him to Chicago, not Detroit? But… I caught Mason in Detroit… I focus on Kyle’s face carefully. Trying to understand what is happening. His past and present are in a battle within him, he is not lying. So he didn’t send Mason to Detroit? That could be another reason why James never tried to leave the city. I already knew he stayed for Kyle, but he “never” left his room for 4 days after the interrogation. The hotel manager told me that as well… He should have at least left his room to set a trap for us. Wait a minute? THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE ROOM? Fuck, the room was so clean when I entered, almost like it was never used. So he managed to book the hotel with external help. A part of his trap...Then my mind sparkles… FUCK FUCK FUCK… Mason CAME to Detroit, FROM Chicago… It was a distraction for us. If Mason never came to Detroit in the first place, I would have never been able to catch him. HOLY SHIT… This kid is better than I thought… No… There is no fucking way I am throwing him away as a trojan horse. I am going to convince Ivan and Derek. I don’t know if they realized what Kyle just gave me… But I am very sure they will agree with me once I tell them. But now, he needs to rest. He can’t force himself too much…

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: Very interesting. My eyes narrow as I look at Kyle, putting two and two together. Kyle thought Mason was safe in Chicago. Very clever. But Mason would have known his only lead to Kyle was Daniel… I look up then at Ivan. I can see the signs of stress on his face. “Ivan, we need to talk.”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I listen in astonishment as Kyle explains how he sent Mason to Chicago, and wasn’t expecting him to be in Detroit. It was all a ruse. Kyle was clever, so very clever. No, there was no way he could be a Trojan horse now. Never. Not my Kyle. But, I could see the signs of stress starting to build inside Kyle. His love for Mason.. It was challenging his conditioning, it was confusing his mind, straining it, stressing it. I needed to act NOW, before Kyle had a major breakdown. I answered Derek, “Later!” Then, I made a call for the Doctor. I walked over to Kyle, and wrapped him in my arms, holding him tight, enfolding him, repeating over and over, “Trust Ivan. Trust Ivan. Love Ivan. Ivan loves you. Ivan will care for you.” I felt worry and concern grip me. You fool, Ivan. You fool. You played with fire, and now you are burned. I held Kyle tightly, strongly in my arms. The doctor rushed in, responding to my urgent summons. “8 hours. I want Kyle out for 8 hours.” The doctor nods, selects a hypodermic needle, and injects Kyle in the shoulder. I whisper to him, “It’s okay… sleep now, sleep now my Kyle… sleep.” I look up and see Derek and Daniel staring at me. Fuck. But then, I call Peter, “Peter, come and take Kyle back to my quarters. He’s unconscious.”

12:26 Inspector_Kyle_Byrne: No no no… Why is it happening? What is going on? I don’t understand. I don’t want to experience this. I don’t want another breakdown. I start to breathe deeply as Ivan hugs me. I hug him back. If Ivan is here, I am safe. He will take care of me. Then a doctor rushes into the room. NO NO NO… I don’t want to be drugged again. Please… I mumble “Ivan… Ple…” But before I can continue, I feel another injection. Noo… I don’t want to be drugged. It’s getting worse. I need answers… But my head is starting to spin around me. Oh… I don’t hear any more voices… Yes… The drug worked. I feel better. I feel much much better. Oh thank you Ivan. Once again, he is taking care of me. Afterwards, I feel Ivan slowly let me go, and another person takes me in his arms once again. It’s… The agent… That agent who tortured me in the chamber. I mumble in a weak tone at him “I’m sorry…” I should apologize to him. I hurt him too. He hurt me, but that is only because I was behaving badly…

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: Kyle’s mind is about to explode, I can tell. That’s natural during the brainwashing process. It’s normal for everyone, and he will be better if he gets some rest. However, Ivan is the one who acts abnormal. He was tense since the beginning of the breakfast. The way he hugs Kyle, the way he speaks with him is… Sincere… Too sincere to be normal. I know Ivan is a fucking brilliant genius when it comes to abusing and using emotions. But is he that GOOD? Peter rushes into the room after Kyle stops struggling, and takes him in his arms. But I just look at Ivan. There is something wrong here… Maybe he can tell us now, after Kyle was returned to his room.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I watch the entire scene unfold, and I pay very careful attention to Ivan. I know Ivan. I’m his best friend. We’ve been through thick and thin together, faced life and death situations many, many times. He is a ruthless bastard, and it’s very hard to reach his heart. But once someone does reach it… I watch the way he holds Kyle, the way he murmurs into his ear, the way he sofly strokes Kyle. I don’t beat around the bush. I don’t hold back. I would normally save this conversation for a private time, but Daniel is a part of this too. I speak up, my voice… strangely neutral, almost warm in fact. Not sharp, not harsh, but very direct, yet not accusing. “When did it happen, Ivan? When did you fall in love with Kyle?”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: Peter carries Kyle away, back to my quarters. I feel so confused, my mind is full of conflicts. Oh Dave… Kyle begged me, begged me not to drug him. If Dave had begged you, would you have drugged him anyways? Did you love Dave, Ivan? Do you love Kyle, Ivan? What is Kyle to you? Do you drug the men you love to keep them compliant? I sit down heavily, and my head sinks into my hands, I’m shaking. Then suddenly, I feel like I’ve been slapped upside the head. I turn and look at Derek, an expression of shock twisting my face. How.. did he… how… OF course. Derek would know. Derek knows me. I stare at the table, but don’t reply. I can’t find the words. I feel so… heavy inside.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: My eyes widen in surprise as I hear Derek’s question. WHAT? FALL IN LOVE? Ivan? How? He is one of the best men when it comes to brainwashing techniques. He knows how to control his emotions. How can someone like Ivan make a mistake like this? This is impossible… This feels so impossible. I don’t… I don’t comment right away, but he’s answering Derek’s question by remaining silent, and sitting down on the table. WOW… I don’t… Know what to say… If I tell this to my superiors, they would be very very displeased with Ivan, that’s for sure… Hmm… Let’s hear him out first… I don’t want to pressure Ivan. I still respect, love, and admire him. If he is already in love with Kyle, that should be bugging him a lot. I don’t want to add guilt as well. I take a deep breath, and ask in a professional, yet calm and sincere tone “Is this because of his suicide attempt?”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I look up, and stare at Daniel. The man who rescued me. The man who captured James Mason despite everything Kyle managed to do to keep him from my grasp. The suicide attempt.. It was the morning after… the suicide attempt. I try to gather my thoughts. I … I don’t … want to talk about it. I’ll change the subject. Yes, that’s right. I’ll change the subject. I nod quickly in response to Daniel’s question, “Yes, that’s right. But we have something more important to talk about regarding Kyle. Derek, I know that originally I wanted to use Kyle as a trojan horse, let him be rescued… but… I don’t think that’s the right way to use his talents. And no, it’s not just because of how I feel about him…” I trail off, my brain buzzing and whirring with different thoughts and emotions. I’m fighting so hard to hold everything in, to keep it together. “You saw yourself how talented he is. If we can …”

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: Good question Daniel, very insightful. Close to the mark. I nod at Daniel, then watch the welter of emotions that wash across his face as he struggles with his stress. Then, he answers, but quickly dismisses Daniels' question with a quick yes. Nuh uh. Ivan. Nope. Not that easy. I half listen to his hurried explanation about Kyle, but Kyle isn’t the important one here. I stand up, interrupting Ivan as he carries on his frantic, manic attempt to steer the focus away from the subject at hand. He stops mid sentence as I stride around the table and sit next him. I reach out and put my hand on his shoulder and make him face me. I take off my sunglasses. Then, I speak up, in a clear, firm voice. “This is about more than Kyle or his suicide attempt. Don’t bullshit me, Ivan. We both know what you aren’t saying. Dave. Dave is dead, Ivan.”

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I watch carefully as Ivan quickly tries to change the subject, mentioning he changed his mind about using Kyle as a trojan horse. That’s… Actually suits me. But Derek sits next to Ivan as he continues to talk about his plan, and mentions Dave… Dave… I just know his name… So Ivan and Dave had a relationship? That would explain a lot actually. He didn’t mourn Dave which resulted in him loving Kyle… I take a deep breath, and lean a little forward. I lick my lips, and meet Ivan’s gaze. I use the same calm and supporting tone, “Look Ivan… We both brainwash people, and we both know how dangerous it is to fall in love with your subjects… I’m not trying to judge or lecture you, believe me… But you should have at least told someone… It would have “at least'' decreased the risk…” I lean back afterwards in a confident manner, and cross my arms on my chest “You are very lucky that I am the one who is listening to this conversation as the Syndicate Representative… So you need to tell us everything if you need assistance from us. And Ivan, you need assistance… That’s not a weakness… In fact, that is your strength if you accept it…” I clear my throat in order to give him more courage and move on, “Besides… I think using Kyle as something else other than a trojan horse is a clever idea… But Steel and I need to hear the story first…”

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I keep my hand on Ivan’s shoulder. I can feel the big man trembling, the emotions are building inside him like a storm. I look up as Daniel speaks, as the Syndicate representative. That’s what he is now, for sure. But I hope someday to get him to join my organization. He’s good. Very good. My kind of man. What he says is absolutely right. And I’m grateful that he’s not going to immediately turn the matter over to his superiors. Ivan has been through enough without needing that. And when push comes to shove, Ivan works for me. I speak up again, my other hand grabbing Ivan’s chin, and forcing him to stare into my eyes. “Listen to us Ivan. Daniel is talking good sense. Listen. Let go. Stop holding it in. Let us help you. Tell us what happened. Tell me something Ivan, did you ever tell Dave that you loved him?”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I’m losing control of the situation… everything, everything is falling apart. Yes, Dave is dead… Yes, Dave is dead… dead … dead. God, how I miss him. Daniel is right, of course he’s right, it was very dangerous for me to fall in love with Kyle. Dave, I miss you. I miss you. Kyle… Kyle loved mason so much he wanted to die rather than face a world without Mason.. I .. Dave… it’s so hard… Then, Derek speaks to me again. I’m shaking, harder and harder. Then Derek punches me in the gut. That bastard.. Why did he have to ask me that? Then suddenly, before I realize what’s happening, I’m curled up into a ball, with Derek’s arms around me, and I’m crying. I don’t cry. I don’t. This is impossible. But I’m sobbing, racked with deep waves of grief and sorrow and longing. Oh Dave.. Kyle.. what have I done. And Derek is holding me tight, and the tears are flowing down my face, and I feel like there is nothing to my world anymore but grief and sorrow.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: Derek backs me as well, and asks an uncomfortable question if the answer is yes… Did he say he loved Dave? I watch Ivan’s expression carefully. I want him to give an answer to us, talk to us. But suddenly, he starts crying. CRYING? Ivan Usov? He is so lucky that I respect and admire him a lot, and I am the one who is listening to this conversation. I sigh deeply and look at Derek with doubt, I don’t talk right away. He needs to let go now. That’s the problem of many hard men. They try to hide their feelings for so long. But we are all human, and their attempt to hide their feelings only increases their intensity. I wait until Ivan relaxes. Then I speak up with sincerity, but I feel like I am not very professional anymore. Ivan needs sincerity now, and I am going to give him that.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: “Look… Ivan… I know it hurts, and I know it is not easy. You shouldn’t have forgotten you were a human being as well. Acting like you don’t have feelings won’t solve this reality. I guess you forgot that rule… But it is alright… You are brainwashing him. He is becoming one of us slowly. Don’t you think this is lucky? After another week or so, he will feel like he is one of us completely.” I lean towards Ivan again and stare at his face, but I try to preserve my calm. “He is a clever and manipulative guy. Fuck… Didn’t you hear him? He sent Mason to Chicago instead of Detroit. He can be of great benefit to us …” I look at Derek just for a second to see what he thinks about this idea, then turn my face to Ivan once again “You need to let go of all the guilt and pain. It’s natural for men to fall in love with each other if they are on the same side… And Kyle is about to turn into a Syndicate Agent… Don’t you think you should feel good about that?”

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I hold Ivan as he cries and cries, his big, hard muscular body shaking with grief and tears. Finally, he starts to relax, and Daniel speaks up again. I nod, then grin over at Daniel as he speaks about the importance of handling your emotions. I look Daniel right in the eye, turning my head. “Tell me Daniel, have you ever been in love? I have. Sometimes..” I look back at Ivan, who is starting to pull himself together, “..it’s not that simple or easy to let go. You are right though. And that’s why I said what I said to Ivan. He needed to let it out. And I knew just where to hit him to make him let go.” I smile, a warm and affectionate smile, at Ivan. Then I nod. “It’s clear that using Kyle as a trojan horse is off the table now. I think Daniel is right, we need to keep up with his conditioning. Actually, I think the bond he has for you, Ivan, will speed that process up. But..” I look at Ivan again, making him catch my eye. “..it’s easy to brainwash someone who is your enemy, isn’t it? But not nearly as easy to brainwash a man you love. But you know Ivan, we all know, that’s the only way forward.”

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I finally gain control of myself, and hear Daniel speaking to me. He also recognizes Kyle’s talents, and he’s right… Kyle is, or will be, on our side now. And there is nothing wrong with me loving him. I should feel good about it.. Except… I never had to brainwash Dave to get him to love me. I look over at Derek as he picks up where Daniel left off. I wince, yeah Derek knew what I needed. And I did need that. I feel… less clouded. Sharper. More like my old self. But there he goes again, hitting me right where I’m most sensitive. Yes, Derek, my eyes say, but my mouth stays shut, it is goddamn hard to brainwash a man I love. There is a silence then. And shakily, I get up to my feet. “Thank you Derek, Daniel.” I say stiffly, still embarrassed about breaking down. “I think that while Kyle is drugged, I need to catch up on some paperwork. And Derek, maybe later… you and I could spar for old time’s sake?”

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I smile as Derek nods to me as I talk. Then I chuckle as he asks me if I ever have fallen in love. I pierce Derek’s eyes with a confident look and mumble “No… I haven’t… I have developed some emotional bonds with some people, that includes my subjects as well unfortunately…” I emphasize this as I confess it to let Ivan know that he is not alone. I actually get him, it’s hard to not pity your subjects when they are suffering over and over again. “But at this time, no one has stolen my heart completely…” I wink at Derek cockily, then turn my gaze to Ivan again. Hearing Derek give up on the Trojan horse plan also makes me feel relieved. That’s good. But my eyes become a bit blank. Ohhh, Derek is really good at reading people… Yeah, that’s why Ivan is so uncomfortable… He doesn’t answer and gets up on his feet, mentioning that he is going to take care of some paperwork. I nod to him and speak again in a caring tone.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: “It’s a good idea to distract yourself Ivan. And… Alright, I know it’s not easy to brainwash your lover… I truly do. But you shouldn’t forget: Kyle and Dave are not the same. Dave has been at your side since the beginning. Kyle, on the other hand, “was” your enemy. You are just changing him for the better. This brainwashing process is part of this evolution. That’s just the price he needs to pay for damaging you and Derek. Afterwards, he won’t suffer anymore. Understood?”

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I stand up as well, I have my own paperwork and business to take care of, and I think Ivan needs his space. I listen to Daniel, nodding again. Daniel is a smart man, and flexible in this thinking and the way he deals with people. A man of many talents. I grin at Ivan, “Sure Ivan, I’d be happy to beat you up again.” Of course, that wasn’t too likely.. Ivan was a monster when it came to hand to hand. But I had a few tricks up my sleeve.

12:26 Commando_Ivan_Usov: I nod in response to Daniel’s words. He’s right, of course he’s right. I know it. It’s all true. But there was one thing I didn’t mention to either Daniel or Derek. Kyle loved Mason so much… he would have rather died than face the possibility he had caused Mason’s death. I had no answer for that. And it troubled me deeply. Did Kyle love me as much as that? Would he come to love me like that? I grinned at Derek and nodded and Daniel, then left the room.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I take a deep breath as Ivan leaves the room. Ohh… Well, this meeting wasn’t very smooth, and I don’t know how to feel about it. I clear my throat one more time, and then look at Derek before he leaves as well “Before you go Derek…” I used his first name… Ugh Daniel… Anyways, focus… “I am going to act like none of this conversation happened, and report to my superiors that everything is under control.” I get up slowly to meet his gaze properly, “And when Kyle turns into an agent, we can let people know about the relationship between Kyle and Ivan. They shouldn’t suspect anything after his brainwashing is complete.” I put my hand on Derek’s shoulder, and gave it a squeeze “This is for you and Ivan…” Wow… I can’t believe myself. What the hell are you doing Daniel? Where is your professionalism? But there is no practical use to expose Ivan. We should handle this quietly.

12:26 AgentDerekSteel: I turn, as Daniel calls out to me. I listen to him, then I start to smile. As Daniel puts his hand on my shoulder, I reach up and cover his hand with mine. Fuck. Daniel is all right. In every way. “Thanks Daniel. That means a lot to me. I really appreciate your support. Like I’ve said before, you are all right.” I grin, and pull Daniel into an embrace, wrapping my arms around his solid muscled body. Fuck. He feels good. Real good. Derek Steel… are you starting to fall for this fucker? Yes. Yes I am. And that’s fine with me. “Maybe you and I should try sparring sometime, Daniel. I’d love to get my hands on your muscles again..” I grin.

12:26 Spy_Daniel_Allen: I smile warmly as Derek says I’m alright again. Then he pulls me into a hug, and I wrap my arms around his body as well. Fuck… This guy is so hot, sexy… But… Something feels different. It’s just not that for some reason. I can’t define what it is exactly, but I will figure it out soon. I chuckle evilly as says he wants to spar with me. I tease him “Well… If you want to be the second Mason… Be my guest, I will beat you up too Derek…” There you go again Daniel? He is not Derek… He is sir or Steel... I inhale his scent one more time before letting him go and taking one step back. Wow… Daniel Allen… Get your shit together, what the hell are you doing with your boss? I crack my neck casually, and regain my professional tone “See you later today Mr. Steel…” yes… That’s more like you. Afterwards, I slowly head to my own office. Yeah, time to report to my superiors, and then deal with our dead troops.

09.11 AM

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: The drive takes just under four hours. The sun started painting the ground in a deep orange about two hours ago, now it was high in the sky and casting us in yellow. It was still early though, and everywhere was quiet. As I drive through the outskirts of the Iowan capital, my eyes scan for shops. Eventually I find a small gathering of stores: a minimarket, a nail salon and a thrift store. Not perfect, but it will do. James can get some hopefully decent hand-me-downs, and at least the money will go to charity. I’m not driving around Des Moines for a Gucci or GAP that’s for sure. I reach back and pat Mason a few times on what I think is his thigh, but it could be his ass. Then I shake Jeff gently, rubbing his arm affectionately as I do. “Morning, boys” I smile. “We got bread, crappy clothes and Mason can get his nails looking pretty for Kyle,” I can’t stop smiling, and I’ve never been able to show my sense of humour to Jeff before - only in small glimpses. Everything was so dark and cruel when he came back into my life, and now just like the Des Moines sunshine, he lights me up.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I wake up suddenly, oh man, I’d slept for the full drive. And I’d needed every wink. I felt a bit stiff, but much, much better. The throbbing pain had reduced in intensity, and I felt halfway normal. Other than being naked. Then my eyes went wide, I realized that I was covered not just by a towel, but by a thick black sweater, with a t-shirt inside it. And Jack was shirtless. I eyed him speculatively. He had a lean frame, but well muscled. Very nice. Not unlike Kyle’s build. That thought sent a dagger of fear and pain through my heart. Kyle… oh god Kyle. I swallowed deep, turning my head away, ashamed at the sudden near loss of my emotional control. I spoke up then, “Thanks Jack. You didn’t have to do that. Here, have it back! You’ll need it!” I smile, “Besides, it’s not my size.” Then, I make a show of examining my nails, and look up at Jack, winking, “I had them done just before I got captured, so I’m good for a few more days, thanks.”

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I examine the small shopping centre, and nod in approval. “Yeah, that second hand store will suit me fine. Could you see if they have any hunter’s gear? Hunter’s camo is what I need for the observation work we’ll need to do today, in that wood that buts up against the barn and the propane tanks. And, maybe some food? Please? Lots of protein?” I grin, knowing I’m not going anywhere and have no money.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I wake up, looking around, taking in the sight of the spot that Jack had chosen for our shopping expedition. Good choice. Low key. Then, my gaze softened as I realized how Jack had sacrificed his sweater to help keep Mason warm. He was a good man. The best. A heart just like his fathers. I listened to Mason and Jack banter with each other, amazed at the difference in Jack. He was a new man. I swallowed. When you got right down to it, so I was I. I nodded at Mason, “This is just the kind of second hand store that is likely to have what we need. Jack, why don’t you get some food? Looks like the animals need fed.” I grinned at James. I would normally never make a crack like that, but… I feel so elated. I know we are heading into a very dangerous and deadly situation, but for some reason, I feel like this is the happiest day of my life. Thanks to Jack. I head out to the secondhand shop, and quickly find the clothes and a good knife for James. I throw in a hunter’s belt with a good sheathe for the knife in the process. I pay the attendant, and head back to the Rover. Jack hasn’t returned yet, and I throw the clothes back to Mason, who scrambles into them while we wait for Jack to return.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: James throws me my sweater and I slip it over my head, finally feeling warm again. I smile at Jeff as he cracks his joke about James. Considering such a dark day lays ahead, I’m surprised that we’re all in such good spirits. I climb out of the car and walk into the minimarket, grabbing some good, nutritious food full of protein. Nuts, cooked chicken from the hot oven, natural yoghurt and plastic spoons and more. I don’t hold back, it’s probably been a while since Mason has eaten, and it will certainly provide him some extra strength. I grab some drinks from the fridge, some proteinous smoothies and bottled water, before paying and returning to the car. I pass out the food and start tucking in, realising after my first bite that it’s been a while since I’ve eaten too. I eat as much as I need, not wanting to push my stomach. Then it occurs to me that we’ll keep some back for Kyle, too. “Let’s make a Kyle pile,” I say, gathering the long-lasting food that is left over and store it in the glove compartment. Lord knows he’ll need to get his strength back after whatever they’ve done to him.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: Damn, it feels good to be civilized again. It was more than just a bit humiliating to have nothing to protect my dignity but a towel. I pull on the clothes that Jeff provided me gratefully, easing the camouflage patterned long sleeve shirt on over my bandaged torso carefully, wincing a few times. Then, I put on my underwear, and camouflage BDU’s. Good fit, then I strap on the belt and shrug into the camouflage patterned overcoat. It’s thick and heavy. It’s not a bullet proof vest, but that just means I’ll have to avoid getting shot. Then, Jack comes back with food, and my stomach is rumbling so loud everyone can hear it. I grin sheepishly, then start wolfing down what Jack has brought me. I look up, and my eyes shine with gratitude as Jack suggests making a Kyle pile. The gesture is a statement of confidence about the success of this crazy plan, and I nod gratefully on multiple levels as I stuff my face with chicken, yoghurt and nuts. Pure heaven.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: I head off as soon as Jack joins us, grinning and managing to down a few bites as I drive us to the other side of Des Moines, selecting a back road that is about two miles away from the “farm”. I park, and get out, this is it. It’s time for action. I pull out the duffle bag, and parcel out the gear. A set of grenades for each of us, one flashbang and one frag grenade, I take out the sniper rifle and strap it on my back, after shrugging into my bulletproof vest. I hand over my C4 charge to Mason. I know he’s got the most experience here for getting into position and setting it on those propane tanks. I’ve got my sidearm holstered and ready, complete with a silencer. I really hope we don’t have to use those grenades, but better safe than sorry. If we do have to use them.. Then any hopes of stealth are gone. Although, blowing up the fuel supply for their diesel generator is not exactly stealthy, there is still a chance we might get in and out without them finding us. I hope. I felt a knot of worry clench my guts as I looked over at Jack. I knew I told myself that I had to let him take risks, that I couldn’t treat him like a porcelain doll, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. I loved him… and facing tomorrow without him was not something I could think about it. But it was a risk I had to accept. It came with the job. I took a deep breath, “All right gentlemen, I think we are ready. Mason, after you. Jack… “ I swallowed hard, but it wasn’t a secret, not from Jack, and Mason deserved to know. “Jack, don’t do anything stupid. I love you too much to be able to face that.” I pull Jack in for a big hug. Whispering in his ear again, “I love you boy.” Now why did I call him boy again?

12:26 AgentJamesMason: We arrived, and I geared up. I took the C4 charge then nodded. Then, I looked over in surprise at Jeff's words. I thought that was the situation between the two, but I wasn’t sure. I wondered why it seemed to be so difficult for Jeff to say it though. Surely this was not news to Jack, was it? I shrugged, but smiled, the love between those two was heartwarming. I prayed that I wasn’t leading them into a fool’s errand. I wouldn’t allow it. It wasn’t going to happen. No matter what it cost me. Kyle, James, Jack, they were not expendable today. I was. My eyes narrowed. Then, I nodded, and referring to my internal sense of direction, began to march off into the wood, carefully, choosing each footstep with care and precision. I switched into combat mode, the aches and pains began to fade into the background as I focused my senses onto every detail of my surroundings. There was every chance that the Syndicate ran patrols, or that some of their men simply came into these woods for some downtime. I didn’t know, and I wasn’t going to assume.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: We arrive a couple of miles out from the base and Jeff loads me up with gear. I start transitioning into combat mode, but Jeff’s words catch me off guard. Fuck.. I don’t even want to entertain the thought of what could happen to us today. Then he says “boy” and I feel like I could collapse onto the floor, turning entirely to liquid. I have one final moment of weakness, stepping forward into the hug and planting a quick but deep kiss on Jeff’s lips, patting his chest with my palm as we embrace. “I love you too, sir.. And I’ll be fine, as will you be” I step back, praying my words are true. I follow Mason into the woods, focusing entirely on the mission at hand.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: It takes us about two hours to reach the edge of the wood near the Barn. I motioned for Jack and Jeff to stay back, then inched my way forward for the last 100 feet. Carefully considering each step, and using Jeff’s field glasses to constantly scan the surroundings for any traps or hint of a patrol. The woods, however, seemed mostly untouched by human hands. Finally, I reached a spot where I had a good view of the barn. I took a good long look at the five propane tanks, industrial sized, lined up in a row on the side of the barn. Up close, I could see that though they looked like propane tanks, they were fitted with nozzles for diesel fuel. The approach to the middle tank would be simple, through some long grass between here and the barn, but despite the growing sense of raging urgency to save Kyle ... Despite the knowledge that I was so close to the man I loved, to the man who had risked everything to save me, I had to do this right. We would wait for evening and launch our rescue attempt under the cover of darkness. I looked over at the exhaust vent, zooming in to catch the column of diesel smoke. It was about 200 feet to the north. We would be huddled there as the C4 detonated, then make our way into the base once the fumes cleared as the generators stopped from lack of fuel. I made my way back carefully, and slowly to Jack and Jeff, and explained my plan in short whispers. This was it. Now, it was the hardest part. The waiting game. I checked in with my body, my feet were aching and throbbing from the two mile hike, and my various wounds ached and throbbed as well. Hopefully, a few more hours of rest would be enough to recharge me before the evening.

12:26 Agent_Jeff_Rogers: We reached the spot that James was aiming for, and I stayed behind with Jack as James scouted out the situation, then returned, explaining the layout to us. I nodded, and started to feel the tension gather inside. It was a good plan, but so much could go wrong. So very much. I wasn’t worried about myself. I was worried about Jack, and James. I would have to get used to this fear though. Everytime Jack put himself in danger, I would have to confront and wrestle with the fear that this would be the last time I would see him. That somehow I would make a critical mistake and I would lose the man I loved. Everytime I had to wrestle that down and maintain my confidence, my poise, my strength, and my calm. Not only for me, but for Jack. And it was worth it. All of it was worth it. As we settled into wait, I leaned back against a tree, and took a sip of water. Then, I gestured to Jack, patting the ground between my legs, wanting him to sit against me, wanting to hold him, to feel him against me.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: the walk was long and tedious, but I'm more than fit enough to cope. James explains his plan and I nod along, agreeing with its risks and approach. For now, it's rest. Jeff invites me to sit between his legs and I happily oblige, desperate to be in his arms again. I sit on the forest floor in front of him and rest back, my head resting against his chest and shoulder. I can't believe how quickly this has happened, suddenly here I am cuddling with him before a big mission.

12:26 Agent_Jack_Young: my eyes scan the woods around us as I bury into Jeff, and a few metres off to the right I see a pile of dung. Mountain lions and black bears inhabit the Iowan wilderness.. Let's hope none of them come to pay us a visit. My hands idly play with Jeff's as they rest against my body. "How are you feeling, Mason?" I know that walk would have been tough on him considering the state he's in.

12:26 AgentJamesMason: I sit back against the tree and rest, trying to make my mind go blank, to empty it of all thought in preparation for this evening. Jack nudges me out of my reverie with his question, and I look over at him. I melt just a bit, at seeing Jack being held in Jeff’s arms. I wished for a moment with all my being that I could do that with Kyle. I swallowed hard, speaking up, “Ahhhh… Man, the two of you make a sweet couple.” I grin, then continue, “Don’t worry about me Jack. I’m tough. A few hours of rest before this evening is just what the doctor ordered.” In reality, I’m aching and throbbing, but I can move. And I can force myself to move and fight if needed. I am tough. Kyle, hold on. I’m coming.

Published: 2021-03-27, viewed 39 times.