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Contracted IN (I)
Pete’s head was ringing.

One glass of wine was fine, while sitting on the couch with Billy. Despite his aching head, he smiled, remembering sitting next to the young constable in his apartment. The way that Billy had shuffled closer to him, the heat of his leg against Pete’s. That tender moment when he rested his hand on Pete’s thigh. It had been a long time since Pete had felt that way, and it was something he hoped he’d feel again soon.

The ringing started again.

The second glass of wine while eating home-made Italian pasta at the table had been his limit. Pete hadn’t been lying when he’d said he wasn’t a big drinker. Sure, he was a bit of a sugar junkie when it came to soft drinks – he loved Coke, Pepsi, Sprite and practically anything that way more sugar in it than it ought to. His main drink of choice, though, was coffee. Black, strong, and unsweetened. That was what really gave him his kicks. He couldn’t abide those ‘energy’ drinks. He couldn’t understand why people would want to mix caffeine AND sugar together. The double-rush was a one-way ticket to a sugar crash later in the day, not to mention the pounding headache that would come with it.

Headache.

That moment when Lee had topped up Pete’s wine glass while they were eating, despite the young man’s reservations. THAT was the problem. He’d lost count after that. How can you count your drinks if someone tops up the glass before you’ve finished?

Pete didn’t blame, Lee. Billy had told him Lee loved to dine at a table with family or friends. It was just as much about the social aspect of the experience as much as it was about the food. Lee had certainly enjoyed himself, and there was no doubt that he felt it was important to keep a guest wined as well as dined, but Pete didn’t know if it was rude to decline. He’d wanted to say “No more for me, Lee. I’m a lightweight,” but he’d felt awkward enough without wanting to offend anyone.

The ringing was still echoing around his head.

He hadn’t been drunk. Things weren’t THAT bad for him. He’d felt just a little lightheaded – that stage of having had just enough alcohol to lift the spirits without pushing you to the level where you said or did stupid things, upset people, got into a fight, or had no recollection the following morning. No, Pete had been nowhere near that stage. He remembered everything. The couch… the food… the alone time with Billy after Lee had retired to his room… the sadness of the evening coming to an end… the kiss… Oh, that kiss! Never before had Pete kissed a guy and tasted a sweetness better than any soft drink he’d ever allowed to touch his lips. Never before had he kissed someone and felt that he’d wanted it to go on forever. Never before had he kissed someone and felt his jeans tighten around the zipper area as they had done that night.

His smile returned, along with the ringing.

‘Hold on’, Pete thought, ‘that’s not in my head… that’s my fucking phone!”

Pete pushed his hand under the pillow his head rested on and fished around. He pulled out the vibrating mobile phone, swiped right, and lifted it.

“Hello?” His voice was a little croaky.

“You okay son?” Lee’s voice said. “You sound rough as a bear’s arse! How much did you have last night?”

“You were pouring,” Pete returned. “You tell me!”

“Haha!” Lee laughed “Sorry about that. My bad. Look, if you’re feeling rough, take an hour or two to get yourself sorted, then come in to work. Forget the garage, I need to speak to you in my office. Nothing bad, no need to worry. Just something I want to discuss. See you then.”

Lee hung up.

‘Something I want to discuss?’ Pete thought, a little anxiety creeping into his mind. ‘I wasn’t inappropriate, was I?’

‘Maybe he didn’t like the way I was cuddled up to Billy?’

‘Maybe he saw the kiss from his window?’

‘He said “no need to worry”… fuck it. Billy’s his own man. He can make his own decisions.’

Pete swung his legs out of his bed and planted them down onto the clothes he had shed the night before. ‘Shit,’ he thought, ‘I really need to do some washing.’ He stood up, then sat down again as his head spun a little. ‘One move at a time,’ he thought. He stood up again, found his balance, and walked naked from his bedroom, through his small flat, to the kitchen. Kettle… water… switch it on… coffee in the mug… wait… his eyes stayed closed until his kettle came to the boil and switched itself off. He carefully poured hot water over the instant coffee granules in his mug, stirred vigorously, wincing at the sound of the spoon against the inside of the mug, then dropped the spoon into the kitchen sink and lifted the mug. Two quick blows of air, and a sip followed, and he started to feel better.

After drinking half the mug of coffee, Pete took a shower, changed into fresh clothes and quickly bundled up the ones from the previous night into his washing machine. He promised himself he would wash them when he got home later, drained his coffee mug, grabbed his leather jacket and keys, and slammed his front door behind him.

It was a twenty-minute bus journey to town from Eastfield, but only a five minute walk from the town centre bus stop to the Bureau building. Sergeant Adam Galloway gave Pete a wave of greeting as he entered, and opened the security door to let him into the main section. Pete made his way quickly to the elevator. The Chief Inspector’s office was located below the ground floor, but on a level above the underground garage where Pete worked. Despite Lee’s reassurance, Pete’s mind was still rushing with doubts and anxiety.

‘Third day, and I’m already called to the Principle’s office’ he thought to himself. ‘What shit am I in now?’

He reached Lee’s office and knocked twice, waiting for an answer.

“Come in,” Lee’s voice sounded testy. ‘Oh fuck, he we go…’ Pete thought, opened the door and walked inside.

Lee’s expression didn’t look promising until he looked up and saw that it was Pete who had entered the room. His mouth broke into a smile as the young mechanic entered, and Lee stood up from behind his desk.

“Come in, son, come in!” he beckoned towards the old leather couch beside his desk. “Have a seat.” As Pete sat down Lee said “You didn’t have to rush in, lad. I said you could take an hour or two.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” Pete said. “It sounded important.”

“It is, in a way,” Lee nodded and returned to sit behind his desk. He leaned backwards in his chair ina more relaxed and comfortable position than the one he had taken when he had first spoken to Pete two days earlier. Pete in turn relaxed on the couch and listened. “I felt I had to let our benefactor know about the ‘device’ you worked on yesterday,” Lee said. “After all, he loaned it to us. I told him you got it working.”

“Oh, shit,” Pete said. “You’re talking about that dragon aren’t you? Is he pissed?”

“Actually, no,” Lee said. “He… how can I put this… He wants you to do more work for the Bureau along those lines.”

“Come again?”

“He thinks you have an instinct for machinery… look, I’m not gonna beat around the bush here, I’m gonna tell you exactly what he told me, word for word, okay?”

“Okay, shoot.”

“He said,” and Lee gestured with his fingers in a quotation gesture, “‘it sounds to me as though this young man is wasted on vehicle maintenance. It would be a better use of his talents to work for the Bureau, on more important projects’.”

Pete’s eyebrows rose. “You mean I’d be a copper?” Pete asked.

“No,” Lee shook his head, “You’d be based here as a technician – an engineer.” The response in Pete’s expression wasn’t what Lee had expected. “It’s like a promotion, son,” he added. “Why the long face?”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” Pete said hastily, “It’s really good news. It’s just… well…”

“Come on, son, out with it,” Lee encouraged.

“It’s Matty,” Pete explained, “my boss at the garage. He’s been really good to me, what with giving me a job when I didn’t have much going for me. He trained me up… got me some proper qualifications… he’s been more of a dad to me in the last few years than my old man ever was. I dunno, it would feel like I was betraying him if I quit so that I could work here.”

“I see,” Lee nodded. “Well, I can’t fault you on your loyalty, son. Maybe if I talked to him, he might…”

“Matty’s not… comfortable around coppers,” Pete interrupted. “He’s been in trouble before. He wasn’t even gonna bid on the contract when he heard about it, but the business wasn’t doing so well and… we all kind-a persuaded him. It was either that, or let one of the lads go, and that’s what changed his mind. He didn’t wanna break up the ‘family’.”

Lee nodded. He understood Matty’s point of view. “Okay,” he said after several moments of thought. “Don’t make your mind up right away. Why don’t you go and have a talk with him? Tell him what we’re asking, and I’ll make a few calls. I’m not gonna let anything happen that’ll put his contract with the Home Office in jeopardy. I’m sure we can find a way around this.”

“You want me to go now?” Pete asked.

Lee rose from his desk. “You might as well,” he said. “You’re ahead of yourself work-wise, and there’s not much else going on here right now.” He took his jacket from where it was hanging on an old-fashioned coat stand in the corner of the office and pushed his arms through the sleeves. “Take the morning and have a talk with your boss. Come back in this afternoon and head down to the ‘Archive’. I want you and Billy working on that damned egg.”

“Okay, Lee,” Pete agreed as he stood up from the couch. He returned to the door, but turned back before leaving. “And… I’m sorry,” he added.

“Hey!” Lee stepped up to Pete at the doorway and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, son,” he said gently. “I’d feel the same way in your shoes. Go on, get out of here. Let’s see if we can’t sort all this out.”

Pete nodded, but still felt somewhat heavy-hearted despite Lee’s reassuring tone. He turned away again and left the office. Lee closed the door behind him, returned to his desk and lifted the receiver of the telephone. He dialled a Kent telephone number and after two rings, the call was answered by a woman.

“Sneed & Passimore, how may I direct your call?

“This is Chief Inspector Stainton of the B.M.E.,” Lee responded. “I’d like to speak to Mr Sneed.”

“Please hold the line, Chief Inspector…”

A short pause was followed by the voice of an older gentleman.

“Hello, Chief Inspector?” he said. “How can I help you?”

“Mr Sneed, I’d like to speak to our mutual friend.”

“Oh… very good. One moment, please…” A pause followed, and then the atmosphere in the room subtly changed as a deep voice seemed to fill it.

“Chief Inspector?” it said.

“Ter’Duroin,” Lee said the name and stiffened a little. He still could not get used to the idea that he was talking to a dragon. He hung up the phone, but continued to speak. “I spoke to Pete this morning about what we discussed.”

“Wonderful news,” the voice still filled the room.

“Yeah, not so much,” Lee began to pace. “He’s not sure he wants the job.”

“Why would he decline?” the voice asked. “It makes no sense to pass up such an opportunity.”

“Well, you’ve got a lot to learn about people,” Lee chided. “He’s got loyalty to his boss… says the guy’s been a better father to him than his own… says he feels like he’d be betraying him if he leaves and comes to work for the B.M.E.”

There was a pause.

“I understand,” the voice said quietly, “Such loyalty is rare, but it only strengthens my interest in having him work for the Bureau. Did you mention an increase in his salary?”

“Look, pal, this isn’t about money,” Lee snapped. “It’s about loyalty. You can’t ‘buy’ people like Pete. You talk about opportunities… well, this is more of an opportunity for US to have someone special working here. You can’t just buy loyalty like that.”

There was another pause.

“You are right, of course,” came the reply.

“I’m sorry,” Lee apologised for his tone of voice, and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I want him working here just as much as you do, but his boss runs a struggling business from the sound of it. He needs this contract with the Home Office, and Pete is a key part of that. If we go messing around, it puts his boss’s livelihood on shaky ground, not to mention that of his employees. Pete says they’re like a ‘family’.”

“I will not be a party to breaking apart a family, Chief Inspector,” the voice answered, “be they bound by blood or otherwise. Leave this with me. I need time to think.”

“Sure…” Lee said, but as he spoke, the atmosphere in the room shifted. “And he’s gone,” Lee spoke to the air. “Fucking prick!”

Description
Contracted IN (I)
Pete’s head was ringing.

One glass of wine was fine, while sitting on the couch with Billy. Despite his aching head, he smiled, remembering sitting next to the young constable in his apartment. The way that Billy had shuffled closer to him, the heat of his leg against Pete’s. That tender moment when he rested his hand on Pete’s thigh. It had been a long time since Pete had felt that way, and it was something he hoped he’d feel again soon.

The ringing started again.

The second glass of wine while eating home-made Italian pasta at the table had been his limit. Pete hadn’t been lying when he’d said he wasn’t a big drinker. Sure, he was a bit of a sugar junkie when it came to soft drinks – he loved Coke, Pepsi, Sprite and practically anything that way more sugar in it than it ought to. His main drink of choice, though, was coffee. Black, strong, and unsweetened. That was what really gave him his kicks. He couldn’t abide those ‘energy’ drinks. He couldn’t understand why people would want to mix caffeine AND sugar together. The double-rush was a one-way ticket to a sugar crash later in the day, not to mention the pounding headache that would come with it.

Headache.

That moment when Lee had topped up Pete’s wine glass while they were eating, despite the young man’s reservations. THAT was the problem. He’d lost count after that. How can you count your drinks if someone tops up the glass before you’ve finished?

Pete didn’t blame, Lee. Billy had told him Lee loved to dine at a table with family or friends. It was just as much about the social aspect of the experience as much as it was about the food. Lee had certainly enjoyed himself, and there was no doubt that he felt it was important to keep a guest wined as well as dined, but Pete didn’t know if it was rude to decline. He’d wanted to say “No more for me, Lee. I’m a lightweight,” but he’d felt awkward enough without wanting to offend anyone.

The ringing was still echoing around his head.

He hadn’t been drunk. Things weren’t THAT bad for him. He’d felt just a little lightheaded – that stage of having had just enough alcohol to lift the spirits without pushing you to the level where you said or did stupid things, upset people, got into a fight, or had no recollection the following morning. No, Pete had been nowhere near that stage. He remembered everything. The couch… the food… the alone time with Billy after Lee had retired to his room… the sadness of the evening coming to an end… the kiss… Oh, that kiss! Never before had Pete kissed a guy and tasted a sweetness better than any soft drink he’d ever allowed to touch his lips. Never before had he kissed someone and felt that he’d wanted it to go on forever. Never before had he kissed someone and felt his jeans tighten around the zipper area as they had done that night.

His smile returned, along with the ringing.

‘Hold on’, Pete thought, ‘that’s not in my head… that’s my fucking phone!”

Pete pushed his hand under the pillow his head rested on and fished around. He pulled out the vibrating mobile phone, swiped right, and lifted it.

“Hello?” His voice was a little croaky.

“You okay son?” Lee’s voice said. “You sound rough as a bear’s arse! How much did you have last night?”

“You were pouring,” Pete returned. “You tell me!”

“Haha!” Lee laughed “Sorry about that. My bad. Look, if you’re feeling rough, take an hour or two to get yourself sorted, then come in to work. Forget the garage, I need to speak to you in my office. Nothing bad, no need to worry. Just something I want to discuss. See you then.”

Lee hung up.

‘Something I want to discuss?’ Pete thought, a little anxiety creeping into his mind. ‘I wasn’t inappropriate, was I?’

‘Maybe he didn’t like the way I was cuddled up to Billy?’

‘Maybe he saw the kiss from his window?’

‘He said “no need to worry”… fuck it. Billy’s his own man. He can make his own decisions.’

Pete swung his legs out of his bed and planted them down onto the clothes he had shed the night before. ‘Shit,’ he thought, ‘I really need to do some washing.’ He stood up, then sat down again as his head spun a little. ‘One move at a time,’ he thought. He stood up again, found his balance, and walked naked from his bedroom, through his small flat, to the kitchen. Kettle… water… switch it on… coffee in the mug… wait… his eyes stayed closed until his kettle came to the boil and switched itself off. He carefully poured hot water over the instant coffee granules in his mug, stirred vigorously, wincing at the sound of the spoon against the inside of the mug, then dropped the spoon into the kitchen sink and lifted the mug. Two quick blows of air, and a sip followed, and he started to feel better.

After drinking half the mug of coffee, Pete took a shower, changed into fresh clothes and quickly bundled up the ones from the previous night into his washing machine. He promised himself he would wash them when he got home later, drained his coffee mug, grabbed his leather jacket and keys, and slammed his front door behind him.

It was a twenty-minute bus journey to town from Eastfield, but only a five minute walk from the town centre bus stop to the Bureau building. Sergeant Adam Galloway gave Pete a wave of greeting as he entered, and opened the security door to let him into the main section. Pete made his way quickly to the elevator. The Chief Inspector’s office was located below the ground floor, but on a level above the underground garage where Pete worked. Despite Lee’s reassurance, Pete’s mind was still rushing with doubts and anxiety.

‘Third day, and I’m already called to the Principle’s office’ he thought to himself. ‘What shit am I in now?’

He reached Lee’s office and knocked twice, waiting for an answer.

“Come in,” Lee’s voice sounded testy. ‘Oh fuck, he we go…’ Pete thought, opened the door and walked inside.

Lee’s expression didn’t look promising until he looked up and saw that it was Pete who had entered the room. His mouth broke into a smile as the young mechanic entered, and Lee stood up from behind his desk.

“Come in, son, come in!” he beckoned towards the old leather couch beside his desk. “Have a seat.” As Pete sat down Lee said “You didn’t have to rush in, lad. I said you could take an hour or two.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” Pete said. “It sounded important.”

“It is, in a way,” Lee nodded and returned to sit behind his desk. He leaned backwards in his chair ina more relaxed and comfortable position than the one he had taken when he had first spoken to Pete two days earlier. Pete in turn relaxed on the couch and listened. “I felt I had to let our benefactor know about the ‘device’ you worked on yesterday,” Lee said. “After all, he loaned it to us. I told him you got it working.”

“Oh, shit,” Pete said. “You’re talking about that dragon aren’t you? Is he pissed?”

“Actually, no,” Lee said. “He… how can I put this… He wants you to do more work for the Bureau along those lines.”

“Come again?”

“He thinks you have an instinct for machinery… look, I’m not gonna beat around the bush here, I’m gonna tell you exactly what he told me, word for word, okay?”

“Okay, shoot.”

“He said,” and Lee gestured with his fingers in a quotation gesture, “‘it sounds to me as though this young man is wasted on vehicle maintenance. It would be a better use of his talents to work for the Bureau, on more important projects’.”

Pete’s eyebrows rose. “You mean I’d be a copper?” Pete asked.

“No,” Lee shook his head, “You’d be based here as a technician – an engineer.” The response in Pete’s expression wasn’t what Lee had expected. “It’s like a promotion, son,” he added. “Why the long face?”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” Pete said hastily, “It’s really good news. It’s just… well…”

“Come on, son, out with it,” Lee encouraged.

“It’s Matty,” Pete explained, “my boss at the garage. He’s been really good to me, what with giving me a job when I didn’t have much going for me. He trained me up… got me some proper qualifications… he’s been more of a dad to me in the last few years than my old man ever was. I dunno, it would feel like I was betraying him if I quit so that I could work here.”

“I see,” Lee nodded. “Well, I can’t fault you on your loyalty, son. Maybe if I talked to him, he might…”

“Matty’s not… comfortable around coppers,” Pete interrupted. “He’s been in trouble before. He wasn’t even gonna bid on the contract when he heard about it, but the business wasn’t doing so well and… we all kind-a persuaded him. It was either that, or let one of the lads go, and that’s what changed his mind. He didn’t wanna break up the ‘family’.”

Lee nodded. He understood Matty’s point of view. “Okay,” he said after several moments of thought. “Don’t make your mind up right away. Why don’t you go and have a talk with him? Tell him what we’re asking, and I’ll make a few calls. I’m not gonna let anything happen that’ll put his contract with the Home Office in jeopardy. I’m sure we can find a way around this.”

“You want me to go now?” Pete asked.

Lee rose from his desk. “You might as well,” he said. “You’re ahead of yourself work-wise, and there’s not much else going on here right now.” He took his jacket from where it was hanging on an old-fashioned coat stand in the corner of the office and pushed his arms through the sleeves. “Take the morning and have a talk with your boss. Come back in this afternoon and head down to the ‘Archive’. I want you and Billy working on that damned egg.”

“Okay, Lee,” Pete agreed as he stood up from the couch. He returned to the door, but turned back before leaving. “And… I’m sorry,” he added.

“Hey!” Lee stepped up to Pete at the doorway and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, son,” he said gently. “I’d feel the same way in your shoes. Go on, get out of here. Let’s see if we can’t sort all this out.”

Pete nodded, but still felt somewhat heavy-hearted despite Lee’s reassuring tone. He turned away again and left the office. Lee closed the door behind him, returned to his desk and lifted the receiver of the telephone. He dialled a Kent telephone number and after two rings, the call was answered by a woman.

“Sneed & Passimore, how may I direct your call?

“This is Chief Inspector Stainton of the B.M.E.,” Lee responded. “I’d like to speak to Mr Sneed.”

“Please hold the line, Chief Inspector…”

A short pause was followed by the voice of an older gentleman.

“Hello, Chief Inspector?” he said. “How can I help you?”

“Mr Sneed, I’d like to speak to our mutual friend.”

“Oh… very good. One moment, please…” A pause followed, and then the atmosphere in the room subtly changed as a deep voice seemed to fill it.

“Chief Inspector?” it said.

“Ter’Duroin,” Lee said the name and stiffened a little. He still could not get used to the idea that he was talking to a dragon. He hung up the phone, but continued to speak. “I spoke to Pete this morning about what we discussed.”

“Wonderful news,” the voice still filled the room.

“Yeah, not so much,” Lee began to pace. “He’s not sure he wants the job.”

“Why would he decline?” the voice asked. “It makes no sense to pass up such an opportunity.”

“Well, you’ve got a lot to learn about people,” Lee chided. “He’s got loyalty to his boss… says the guy’s been a better father to him than his own… says he feels like he’d be betraying him if he leaves and comes to work for the B.M.E.”

There was a pause.

“I understand,” the voice said quietly, “Such loyalty is rare, but it only strengthens my interest in having him work for the Bureau. Did you mention an increase in his salary?”

“Look, pal, this isn’t about money,” Lee snapped. “It’s about loyalty. You can’t ‘buy’ people like Pete. You talk about opportunities… well, this is more of an opportunity for US to have someone special working here. You can’t just buy loyalty like that.”

There was another pause.

“You are right, of course,” came the reply.

“I’m sorry,” Lee apologised for his tone of voice, and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I want him working here just as much as you do, but his boss runs a struggling business from the sound of it. He needs this contract with the Home Office, and Pete is a key part of that. If we go messing around, it puts his boss’s livelihood on shaky ground, not to mention that of his employees. Pete says they’re like a ‘family’.”

“I will not be a party to breaking apart a family, Chief Inspector,” the voice answered, “be they bound by blood or otherwise. Leave this with me. I need time to think.”

“Sure…” Lee said, but as he spoke, the atmosphere in the room shifted. “And he’s gone,” Lee spoke to the air. “Fucking prick!”