Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Not A Cop Anymore (original title)
By Etch  (2006)

Joe LaFiamma was frustrated, sweating and down right disturbed. He rolled off the body under him, moved off the bed and walked to the bedroom window. "I can't do it Lundy. I just can't do it! We weren't meant to be lovers!"

"LaFiamma, come back here." Levon rasped, his hard cock tight against his stomach. "Joe, please. We did it before.... It will be okay."

"We did it before after working twenty-four hours straight, and yes, it was a welcomed break, but... But - but damn it Lundy, I have to be in charge! It stems from that rape I told you about... that happened in high school. Ever since then I swore no one would ever take advantage of me again. I just can't do it your way. I'm sorry."

"Just come back here, will ya? We'll work on it." Levon gasped watching the slumped shoulders of his long time partner turn away from the window.

Joey turned and stared at his partner on the bed. Lundy was hot no doubt about it, then why was he having so much trouble. He could take care of the hard-on but the rest, he wasn't so sure about. Damn Uncle Vinnie for training him to be a Dominant! Though he thrived on it in college and in the Marines ... SHIT ... that's it. Guthrie was too damn much like Lundy. How could he make love to his partner when he could see his Colonel being totally submissive to him?

"I can take care of that cowboy," Joe said softly nodding to the cock lying across his partner's tight abdomen.

"Look, don't have to, okay. We'll talk about it tonight when you get back from your board meeting."

"LaFiamma, did you hear me?" Levon barked as his partner moved on the bed toward him. Lundy swallowed, and watched Joe spread his legs apart and kneel between them.

"Joe! JOOO! OMI...GODDDD. Where'd you ... learn.....SHIIIIIIT! Sweet Jesus... wher'....ohohohohoho.... god.....!!!" Levon grabbed fistfuls of the sheet, pushed his head into the pillow behind him and shouted Joe's name. The blond's head stared at the brown head of hair bobbing up and down in his groin. At point, Levon swore he saw his cock start to fall and what looked like a long tongue snake out of Joe's mouth, wrapped around his cock and pulled it back into Joe's throat. Oh yes they were definitely going to talk after the board meeting. 

"Hey Chicken, how's it going?" Joe LaFiamma called to the big black man standing at the grill of Chicken's Barbeque Restaurant.

"Well Mr. LaFiamma, what are you doing here so early? I didn't expect to see you for a couple more hours. It is the first Thursday of the month, isn't it? Aren't you supposed to be at the board meeting at Taylor Orphanage?"

"Well, Chicken, this is the second meeting we didn't have enough for a quorum. Got some major changes to pass for the new building project and can't get enough people there to vote. I swear, some of those people agreed to be on the board just to pad their resumes."

"It happens LaFiamma. Lots of people today so busy but want that extra name on the paper." Chicken responded as he basted ribs on the grill.

Looking around the place, Joe asked, "Where's Lundy? He said he was meeting a friend from Dallas here tonight. I figured they'd still be here."

"The dude showed up with a horse in a horse trailer. Browning.., I think his name was, said he wanted Levon to take a look at the horse so they left for the ranch a little after seven. The guy didn't even want to wait to have a drink."

"Anything else going on I should know about. Any word on the street?" Joe asked glancing around the place.

"Had some 'spooks' in here earlier. Guess there was too many cops here for them, or they didn't find who they were lookin' for. They left."

"Spooks?" Joey asked.

"Mercanaries, Joe. All dressed in black. Had on those black cargo pants with all the pockets. Pockets were bulging, but no one dared approached them."

"Mercs? Here? Wha'd they look like?" Joey asked suddenly very interested.

"Two had black curly hair, dark eyes. At first I thought one was you. Then an older man. Well, not really that old, now that I think about it. Probably in his early forties. Dark hair starting to gray at the temples. The other two called him Guthrie."

"Colonel Guthrie?" LaFiamma said, shock showing in his voice.

"Yeah! You know 'em?" Chicken answered finding it hard to realize that LaFiamma would know such a group of men.

"The one that looked like me is probably one of my cousins. Both could be. Colonel Guthrie was my C.O. in the Marine Corps." Joe watched Chicken's eyebrows rise at that admission. No one knew he'd been in the Corps for two years. "If they come back give me a call on my cell. I'm heading out to the ranch."

"Everything still okay with you and Lundy since you moved out there. You ain't killed each other yet?"

"Don't know Chicken. Living together is a lot different then just being partners. Right now I'm not sure if what we are doing is the right thing or not ... but Lundy wanted to give it a try."

"I know Levon's got a real glow to him since you moved out there. Hope everything continues to work out." Chicken said.

"We'll see Chicken, we'll see."

The fact that LaFiamma had been in the Marine Corps poised a question the black man wasn't sure Joe would answer. "How long were in The Corps, Joe?"

Joe looked at the man. "Two years." He answered quietly, so only Chicken would hear the answer. "Graduated from college and wasn't sure what I wanted to do. Went to law school for a year until I discovered 'my family' thought that meant I was comin' into the business." Chicken nodded knowingly, it meant mob business. "Got an offer for a two year hitch. Had college so that meant I could be an officer. Sometimes I wished I had stayed in. Could be retired now and drawing a pension." Joey laughed. "Didn't find out until later that the two years came with a hidden clause."

"Hidden clause?" Chicken asked seeing a cloud pass over the Italian's face.

LaFiamma glanced around to see who was around. Then he said quietly, "I was a sharpshooter. Uncle Mikey taught me to shot when I was a kid. Took some shooting awards in high school. There's a paper in my file at Reisner that says I can be called up by the Order of the President, if my unit needs my expertise and their shooter isn't available."

"Glory be!" Chicken gasped. "Has that happened?"

"Four times in the last seven years." Joey said softly. "Listen Chicken, I got to get out to the ranch. If Guthrie and his guys come back, call me. Must be whatever is up - they're in need of a fourth man, and that man is me." 

Levon followed Browning's trailer lights down the road to the ranch. He couldn't figure out what was so all fired special about looking at this horse tonight. Usually Quentin Browning liked to have a couple of beers before he started down to business. Tonight the man strolled into Chicken's and practically demanded they go out to the ranch right away.

Levon parked the Jimmy in its usual spot opposite the front porch. As he got out of his vehicle he watched Browning back his trailer up to the corral. It had been raining when he and Joe left in separate cars this morning, so Fooler was still in the barn. The cowboy watched his old rodeo friend back the black Appaloosa out of the trailer and release him into the corral.

"Mighty fine lookin' horse flesh you got there Browning!" Lundy said walking toward the barn. He flicked on the outside lights and Levon noticed the markings on the horse were very unusual. "You want to leave him here while you're in town? Where are you going to be stayin'?"

"Staying? Levon!" Browning laughed, "I always stay with you. Have every time I've come to Houston. It ain't often but you've never turned me away. You turning me away?"

Lundy swallowed. "Things have changed since you were last here. My partner, Joe LaFiamma, has moved in with me."

"The dude from CHI-CA-GO!! God Levon, you must be really hard up for a man to take him into your bed!"

Lundy bristled, not sure how to explain to his friend what he felt for Joe. Hell, he and Joe were still working it out between themselves and Levon wasn't interested in anything coming between what might turn out to be a really good thing...

"If you stay ... it will have to be in the guest room," Levon said tightly.

"In your dreams, cowboy! I didn't drive all the way out here to sleep in no guest room!" Browning said. "I'll just chat with your partner when he arrives and tell him the facts of life. Now help me clean out this trailer."

Lundy shook his head and walked into the barn to get Fooler and release her into the corral with the other horse. Then he got a pitchfork and a shovel and helped Browning clean out the manure of the trailer and put in fresh straw.

"Where'd this black paint come from?" Levon asked, running a finger along the inside rail of the trailer. "Looks like you might have a real painted horse here."

"They sent me photos of the horse I had agreed to buy. But when I got here this afternoon, the horse and picture didn't match. Then they sprung this Appaloosa on me."

Levon walked over to the corral and gave the horse a good once over. Bending between the rails he stepped into the corral for a closer look at the horse Browning had just bought. Brushing some hairs back away from the skin, Lundy discovered only the top layer of hair was black. Underneath was white. "Looks like you got a real painted horse, Browning! These here spots are painted black! Look! The color doesn't even go down to the skin."

"WHAT! I paid three thousand dollars for a horse that ain't a true appaloosa!" Quentin Browning shouted scurrying over the fence. In his rush to get to where Levon was standing Browning hit a soft mound of mud from the early morning rain and slid feet first into Lundy's legs bringing them both down.

"SHIT! Quentin! Can't you watch what you'd doing? Dang, we'll have strip out here. No way am I letting this mud get tracked in the house."

"Don't you still have that shower in the barn we put together three years ago? Can shower there." Browning said a smile crossing his face. "Probably not that much hot water in the solar reserve, so we can at least shower together."

Levon guessed he didn't see no harm in showering together. If he had realized that his friend purposely got them dirty he might not have agreed so readily.

As they undressed and draped their muddy clothes on the fence railing, Lundy tried to tell his friend about his new relationship with Joe. When the two naked men arrived at the shower, Levon realized his friend hadn't heard one word he'd said. 

LaFiamma cut the lights of the Cobra as he drove into Lundy's driveway. He parked next to the Jimmy as he always did. He noticed right away that there were no lights on in the house yet, so he walked down to the well lit barn. Joe stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing the clothes draped on the corral railings ... two pair of jeans, shirts, boots and socks. He looked toward the barn and heard laughter. He pulled a gun out of one of his holsters and slowly, cautiously walked into the barn past the horse stalls to the shower. He stared in disbelief at Levon and who he figured was Browning showering together under the water. He stood and watched their play trying to figure out why he was getting so bent out of shape when he and Lundy weren't really lovers yet. Though he knew they might be if he could come to grips with his fears. Joe moved closer but stayed in the shadows.

"Browning! Back up, huh." Levon barked as his friend touched his growing hardness.

"LEE-Vooon. This dude from Chicago ... he know how to satisfy you the way I do? Well does he?" Browning cooed.

"We're ... we're working on our relationship. It's new to both of us."

"Having a man isn't new to you Levon. Come off it. I fucked your ass in college. I fucked your ass when you split with Caroline. I fuck you ass every time I could to Houston. If you think I'm giving that up for some Northerner dude from Chicago ... you are wrong! Unless ... hell that's it! Isn't it?"

"That's what?" Levon said gulping back the hardiness Browning's teasing was causing him. Glad Joe wasn't around to see his weakness. He never had been able to say no to Browning. Had done things for Browning that he'd never dare do for or with anyone else. He was damn glad Joe was sitting in a board meeting right now.

"He's a cocksucker, ain't he? Hell yes. Italian - right? An Italian stallion! Damn, now I know I am going to hang around until he comes so I can enjoy his talent myself. He did a job on you, didn't he?" Browning chuckled, watching a red blush flash across Levon's face and chest.

Joey heard the words and waited for his partner's response. [Cocksucker! Defend me partner. Stand up to the man!] What he saw next shocked the Italian to the core. Browning grabbed Lundy by the shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss. For a moment Joe thought his partner was going push the man away. Instead, Joey's eyes widened as Levon's arms encircled Browning's shoulder and legs grabbed the man's hips.

As the lust between the two men in the shower intensified, LaFiamma stepped out of the shadows and said, "Am I interrupting something?"

"LAFIAMMA!" Lundy choked out the name as he pushed himself off Browning. "How ... how long you been standing there?"

"Long enough to figure you should have said no, Levon. But you didn't. Why didn't you say no to the man?" Joe asked sadness thick in his voice.

"Because I'm the man that makes him happy, that's why?" Browning boasted walking toward Joe. "Why don't you just sit down and wait till we're done. Then I want that mouth of yours right here." Browning said pointing to his growing cock. "Yes sir, it's been a long time since I had a talented man like yourself take me down his throat."

The gun LaFiamma had in his hand came up with a violent jerk. It was aimed directly at the man's head.

"God, LaFiamma no!" Levon gasped staring at the weapon.

Joey advanced to Browning, closing the space between them. Twisting the gun in his hand as he moved, LaFiamma brought the butt of the gun up fast and hit Quentin Browning square on the jaw. The man fell like a sack of potatoes unconscious to the cement floor.

Joe turned the gun on Levon. "Don't worry cowboy. I won't kill him. You - now that is another matter."

Joe grabbed Levon's hard cock and brought the cold barrel of the gun up to the cock's head.

Lundy's jaw went tight, his eyes wide.

"I guess I should have told you that I killed a guy once because he was unfaithful to me." Joey said calmly moving the weapon slowly down the length of his partner's cock. "'Course it was during Marine training, so everyone thought it was an accident. He swore he was mine. Bragged about how he belonged to me. But I caught him with his cock in someone else's ass. And someone else's cock in his ass. I could have just shot his balls off. But decided it was better to just kill the varmint. The Marines trained me very well, Levon. I could kill you right now, and then kill him and make it look he accidentally killed you while making love ... then killed himself in remorse. I was very good at what I did, Levon."

"LaFiamma! Damn it, you're scaring me man." Levon yelped as the gun barrel moved down into his balls. "You moved out here so we could work out being together. Don't blow it away."

Joe's head jerked up. Looked into his partner's terrified face. "Not exactly a good choice of words here, Levon."

A shiver went through the cowboy as the gun barrel moved up his rib cage to a nipple and then to his chin. "Tell me why you didn't say no to this man."

"I .. can ... can you back off with the gun... please." Levon rasped. This was a side of his partner he'd never seen before. A side he sure the hell didn't want to know.

The gun traveled back down his ribs and came to rest in the soft spot between his balls. Not exactly where Lundy wanted it but it was better than at his chin. "Like Browning said. He's been fucking me for a long time. Knows all the right buttons to push."

"And?"

"OKAY! OKAY! I don't know why I didn't just shove him off and walk away. You and I weren't doin' it ... and I wanted it. I wanted it bad."

Joey's cell phone chirped in his inside jacket pocket. He switched gun hands and answered it. "Yeah, Chicken. Are they back? Ask the man named Guthrie to come to the phone. Don't tell him who it is!"

Joe waited while the black man walked to the booth. He could hear the noises of the grill in the background. It was much busier than when he was in earlier and he knew Guthrie would wonder who the hell knew he was even there.

"Yeah, Colonel. It's Joe LaFiamma." Joe smiled at the reaction on the other end of the line. "You still looking for a fourth man? Is it the Chandler family? Tony tell you I was an usher in their wedding? Go play pool. I'll be in a bit."

"Guess we won't be having that little talk when I get home tonight, huh?" Joey said taking his handcuffs out of his back pocket. "Give your hand!" He said grabbing it roughly and slapping a cuff on it, locking it. When he grabbed for the other hand, Levon jerked it back. Joey slammed his partner roughly up against the wall and received no resistance when cuffing the other one.

"This has nothing to do with us being partners, Lundy. We're damn good at what we do. Have the best record of captures for the whole damn police force. But now that I know you didn't defend me and think of me of just being a cocksucker who can satisfy you're every whim... well, maybe you just shot those five years of work down this drain. Put your hands up. Higher!" Then Joe grasped his partner around the hips, lifted him and dropped the cuffs over the showerhead that jutted out of the wall, Lundy's toes barely touched the floor.

"DAMN IT! LaFiamma! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HERE LIKE THIS! Joe!" Levon screamed as he watched Joe picked up Quentin Browning and carry him out of the barn.

"You better hope your lover here comes conscious before you lose consciousness or your hands start to break apart. I'm leavin' town for a few days. If you're still around when I get back ... reckon I'll probably see you again. Will anyway.. you got stuff of mine here."

Joey holstered his gun and turned his attention to Browning. Blocking his mind from Levon's cursing.

He grabbed Browning under the armpits and dragged him out to his trailer. He leaned him up against the trailer and looked inside the truck cab, grinning when he saw a six-pack of beer. One can open and on the dash. Joe walked to the fence where Lundy's jeans hung and helped himself to the handcuffs in one of the back pockets. Walking back to his partner's friend, he dragged the naked man to the passenger side, opened the door and poured two cans of beer over the man. Then he lifted Browning and laid him across the front seat. A wicked grin crossed the Italian's face as he walked around to the driver's side. The grin widened as he handcuffed one of Browning's ankles to the truck's steering wheel. He poured out two more beers on the grass and threw the empties into the front seat.

Joe stood there for a moment then jogged to where he threw the cans that he'd poured on Browning and walked into the barn with them.

"LaFiamma, thank god! You came back." Lundy rasped.

"Thought you might need something to stand on cowboy." Joe said walking to his partner, lifting one foot and then the other to put a beer can under each one. "Course if you fall off them... then it ain't my fault.. right?"

"You can't leave me like this! Joey, please!"

"Would you rather I shot your balls off, Levon? "

"Joey, god I love you, don't do this."

"I love you too Levon Lundy. More than life itself. Have taken a bullet more than once for you and probably will again. But this isn't about work cowboy. This is about loving, and being true to the one you said you wanted in your life." 

Joe parked the Cobra in Chicken's parking lot right next to a black Land Rover. He peeked in through the black tinted windows and saw the shotgun in a holder between the driver and passenger seat. He lightly touched the emblem on the side panel - "Texas Bond Company." He had read in the Houston business news that a retired Marine colonel had recently purchased the company and was going to expand it into a security/protection/bounty hunter conglomerate. Grinning he walked into Chicken's, made his way through the crowd of cops and locals to the three men dressed in black playing pool.

Chicken watched LaFiamma enter. Something had changed about the man. Chicken noticed right away that LaFiamma had ignored him when he walked it. In five years, Joe had never failed to say hello when he entered the restaurant. Now he walked past as if Chicken wasn't even there.

It wasn't only Chicken, but several cops noticed that LaFiamma didn't speak to them as he past. They watched as he went into the pool table area and warmly greeted the three men there. They were equally shocked when Joe kissed one man on both cheeks and did a very elaborate hand shake with the other two. When the handshake with the older man was done, Joe pulled the man into his arms for a tight hug. Momentarily pausing to suck an ear lobe before letting go.

As he looked at Colonel Guthrie, Joe said in a bare whisper. "The next thing I want is your ass, old man."

"Excuse me Joe," Chicken said coming up behind the men. "You and your friends care for a beer."

Colonel Guthrie looked at Chicken and said, "You wouldn't happen to have any Chardonnay, would you?"

"Matter of fact I do. I order it special for Mr. LaFiamma here." Chicken said nodding to Joe.

"Well then. Two beers for Tony and Allen LaFiamma here. And two glasses of wine for Joseph and I. Do you have a private office we could use? We have something to discuss with Joseph."

Chicken looked at Joe, needing confirmation from the man before he said yes.

"It's okay, Chicken. These two are cousins,": Joe said pointing to Tony and Allen. "And this is Colonel Guthrie, my old C.O. from the Marine Corps. He just purchased the Texas Bond Company."

Chicken's hand came up, pointing to the man and he said, "I read good things about you and what you plan to do with that company. Hope it all works out."

"I hope it works too. And it will if I can get Joseph to come on board with me. Now I am afraid we are on a time schedule, so if we could use your office, it would be appreciated."

Joe lead the way to the office, but Chicken's hand on his shoulder kept him from going in. "Help me with the drinks Joe, would'ya?"

"What's the trouble Chicken? You never needed help before?"

"Going to ask you the same thing Joe. First time in five years ... you walked in here and didn't say hello to me."

"Had a lot on my mind."

"Something happen at the ranch?"

"Yeah. Something happened at the ranch." When Joe saw that Chicken wasn't going to move anywhere with the beer and wine until he got an answer, he said, "Found Levon and Browning fucking each other under the shower in the barn. Having a right good old time they were too."

"Last time I found a lover doing that I killed 'im. Don't look so shocked Chicken. You know there is a lot about me you don't know. Don't worry I didn't kill Levon. Though about now, " Joe said looking at his watch, "he might wish I had." Joey took the glasses, the bottle of wine and the two beers and walked into Chicken's office.

"If you guys don't mind," Joe said to the three, "We need to blow this place before I get arrested for pistol whipping a dude I found fucking my partner. And before my partner is found hanging by his balls in his barn."

"Can we take the drinks?" Tony asked.

"Leave the drinks," Guthrie said. "We'll go to the TBC office. I want to show Joseph the place anyway and we need to lock up the Cobra because he is coming with us."

Guthrie opened the office door. Joe moved up behind the man rubbing the hardening ridge in his pants against the man's black jeans. The Colonel swallowed, "Damn Joseph, not here."

"Where then?" Came the husky question. If only he'd been this hot for his partner, but one look at his old lover, Colonel Guthrie, bending over making a pool shot had given Joe instant warmth in his groin.

The two former lovers followed the cousins out into the darkness. Tony and Allen got into the Land Rover. Guthrie and Joe got into the Cobra. Joe followed Tony through streets to just outside the Third Ward. The building was not descript, with no name on it anywhere that he could see. No lights indicating it was a historic place, just a street number above a nondescript door. The Land Rover moved through the security checkpoint into the parking garage. The Cobra was stopped short until Guthrie gave Joe a card to slip into the slot, and then the gate opened magically in front of him.

"Cool. I like that." Joe said smiling. The first smile the Colonel had seen all evening.

Guthrie showed Joe where to park his car, but made no move to get out when the Cobra stopped.

"Sir?"

"Don't you think you need to call 911 now... before you are up for murder? I want you to work with me Joseph. I don't want to have to hide you."

"Yeah, okay." Joey said, turning the Cobra's radio to an awful cowboy station before dialing 911 on his cell phone.

"Yeah, hell-low....I live acrost from 4079 Highway D and they is having some kind of drunking, shouting party over there. Naked men, beer and who knows what." click.

"Satisfied."

"Yes! Missed you." Guthrie said his left hand lightly touching Joe's chin.

Joseph took Colonel Leland Lorenzo Guthrie's hand and placed it on his pants. Joe moaned as the hand cupped the hard organ. "We got to take care of this LuLu... soon."

Joey looked at his former lover. A man he'd seduced and dearly loved during his tour in the Corps. "Give me a tour of this place." Hell, Joe admitted to himself. He still loved the man and vaguely remembered calling Levon 'Lulu' when they were in the shower.

The Colonel nodded and the two stepped out of the Cobra and walked off. As they stepped into an elevator, Guthrie explained that the first floor was offices and a law library. The second floor included a large fitness center and gym. A lap pool had been put into one end of the parking garage for those men who liked to swim. The third floor was the command center with security system monitors of places they protected. Every Land Rover had an On Star system, so they knew where each vehicle was at all times. The fourth floor had some studio apartments for people who worked here, and included an apartment for the man who was Guthrie's manservant. Everything including the elevator was monitored. Exception was the private apartments and Guthrie's top floor apartment. The command center was manned twenty four hours a day.

Joe couldn't believe the building contained all that, plus a firing range was being put into the basement.

"When did you pick up a manservant?" Joe asked as the Colonel used the same card key to open the door in front of them as he did to get into the garage.

"I was injured a few years back. Forced to retire from the Corps but still did Special Ops junkets. Martin Chase and his wife Nancy, who is a nurse, tended me. Nancy cleans my apartment here, does laundry for me and whoever is living in the apartments. Martin is a driver for us, does the cooking and some public relations ... keeps my schedule. They are good people. Nancy is originally from Houston, and is the one who encouraged me to buy the Texas Bond Company. She said it was a grand old Texas company that needed to be brought back to life."

Joe stepped into the entry way of the apartment.

It was a huge place. The living room had windows that overlooked the city below and had two sectional sofas and a fireplace. There were two small guest rooms each with their own bathroom. One large master bedroom with a massive king-size bed. The master bath had a shower big enough for two, or even three. Plus a Jacuzzi tub and double sinks. The dining room was large enough to seat twelve comfortably, and the kitchen was a gourmet cook's dream.

"You can look in the kitchen later," Guthrie said slipping his arm around Joe's waist and steering him back towards the bedroom. "We can listen to the police radio while you play with me... just like the old days. I have really missed you Joseph. Wanted to let you know I was in town but I wasn't sure you'd be glad to see me. Watched you one day with your partner. Picked up things between you. Didn't want to spoil what I saw happening. Though I wished it was me."

"Lundy and I are just partners. We tried being lovers, it didn't work. At least it didn't work for me. I kept seeing you."

LaFiamma followed Guthrie into the bedroom, closing the door behind them. "Don't we need to be somewhere? Don't you need to get my Lieutenant's permission for me to go?"

"What's her home number?" When Joe gave it to him, Guthrie called and spoke briefly to her.

" Lieutenant Beaumont. Colonel Leland Guthrie, US Marine Corps. I believe you have in your file a letter from the President of the United States that gives me the power to call up Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma at any given moment. That moment arrived tonight. I picked him up earlier this evening and he is with me now. We are awaiting with others for a military flight to Latin America where a missionary family has been abducted. This family has ties to the White House. Joseph knows the family so it is essential that he goes. He will be back ... when we are back. You of course are not able to tell anyone this until the group is rescued as it may endanger their lives as well as ours. If you do not have a copy of that letter, I can have my secretary fax it to you immediately."

Joey was grinning and fanning himself with his hand. Guthrie rattled that off so fast he hoped Beaumont understood it.

"She wants to talk to you."

Joe was shaking his head no, but Guthrie was nodded yes.

"Lieutenant. Yes ma'am. Lundy's what?" Joe swallowed as he listened to his Lieutenant say that Quentin Browning was found stone drunk and handcuffed to his steering wheel - by his foot no less! The man can't remember anything that happened after he unloaded his horse. And Levon was found hanging by his wrists standing on a beer can in the barn.

"Well, Lieutenant, I don't know how to tell you this. But .. I came home early from my board meeting and found Browning and Lundy drinking beer and having a shower together. Their muddy clothes draped on the corral fence. I got no clue how they got themselves handcuffed like that. They were having a pretty good time in the shower. I did notice that Browning had an open can on his dash. Must have been drinking when they left Chicken's earlier in the evening. Lundy's all right, isn't he? While I was out there I got a call from Colonel Guthrie ... said I was needed on a junket ... ah no Lieutenant, it's a rescue of sorts." Joe smiled. "Yes, ma'am, I will try to be careful." 

Lundy sat wrapped in a blanket while a paramedic tended his raw wrists. He frowned upon seeing Beaumont's car drive up next to the ambulance. He wasn't sure just what he was going to say to her. He couldn't bring himself to say it was his partner who strung him up.

Beaumont looked at the wounds and then asked the medic if he could speak with her detective alone. "You want to tell me what happened? I already have Joe's side of the story."

"You talked to Joe?"

"Some Marine Colonel called just as I was leaving to come here. They picked Joe up tonight right after he left here."

"How the hell can they do that?"

"There is a letter in his file saying he can be called up if they need his specialty. It is some kind of a rescue mission and Joe knows the people so he has to go. Now what happened here?'

"Stupidity. Stupidity happened here."

"Joe said he came home early and found you and Browning in the shower. Said Browning had an open beer can on the dash. Looked like he was driving drunk. Said the two of you were having a very enjoyable time in the shower! Did LaFiamma do this to you? Didn't he just move out here? What is going on Levon? Talk to me."

"An unknown assailant did it?"

"Levon."

"Jo ... I can't tell you. Browning and I only had a couple of beers. Don't know if he was drinking and driving. I was driving my own vehicle. We got here. Took out the horse he bought and put it in the corral. We were walking in the corral and slipped on the mud, got out of our clothes and went into the shower in the barn to get the mud out of our hair. Didn't want it tracked in the house. We were horsing around. Next thing I know'd I have hangin' like the cops found me... and Browning was gone. 

Guthrie and Joseph lay naked and sweaty on dark blue silk sheets. Joe was spooned up tight against Lulu's tanned buttocks. His cock still hard inside the man. Guthrie rolled pushing Joe to the bottom and he on top. Pivoting, Guthrie now faced Joseph and grinned. "Now I got you where I want you."

"You think so," LaFiamma laughed. Pulling his knees up and without losing contact, Joe tossed the man backwards.

"I got you now Colonel. Right where I like having you. With my cock all the way to your Adam's Apple."

<KNOCK, KNOCK> And in walked Martin Chase, who stopped short and stared at the two men.

Joey raised his head and looked at the man. "Remind me Colonel ... to put double locks, chains and a floor bolt on that door when we're done!"

"ah... ah... Tony said to tell the Colonel, the plane will be ready in an hour."

"Thanks." Joe replied and his attention went back to the Guthrie. Joe was aware however that the man hadn't moved. "What else?"

Guthrie moaned softly as Joe increased the groin pressure.

"Martin Chase - Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma. Joseph - Martin Chase."

"He - he's your Joseph?" Martin blurt out.

"Yes Martin. He will be living here with me ... ah, us. He's ... he's coming on as a partner in TBC. Now will you ... get the hell out of here ... so we can get back to business?" Guthrie rasped harshly.

Joe waited until Martin left before saying, "Your Joseph?"

Guthrie groaned. The heat in his balls was on high alert. His ass was aching to get back to the task at hand. He didn't want to talk. "LaFiamma can we .... Shit....okay...I wake up at night sometimes ... dreaming about you ... what we had ... what I lost when you didn't re-enlist.... I wake up calling your name."

"Well, we'll have to fix that, won't we?" LaFiamma chuckled, placing his hands on either side of Guthrie's shoulders, he dipped down, his mouth opening, and his tongue probing the wanton mouth he knew would never be unfaithful. Then his cock pushed deeper, deeper, gently stroking the gland that heightened his lover's pleasure. Moans of the man under him urged Joe to go faster until sweat glistened on the Italian's chest. Seconds later he exploded deep within the man who excited him far more than the blond he was partnered with.

Guthrie grabbed Joe around the waist, fighting for control of the kiss that locked them together. He didn't want to win and rarely did. He wasn't in control here, his lover was and that was the way Guthrie liked it. He controlled everyone and everything in life. In bed - he wanted his lover to be in charge. One of the reasons he loved Joe so much. Joe was the only one who could put Colonel Leland Guthrie to his knees and make the man so hot with anticipation of pleasure to come that at times he hardened on the spot.

Guthrie moaned, his body twisted in a spasm of pleasure as his cock ejaculated on Joe's tight stomach muscles. They broke away, exhausted, falling backwards onto the sheets gasping for air.

"Hope we can sleep on this plane going down," Joe muttered as he rolled off the wet sheets and headed for the bathroom.

Joe peed, didn't flush and stepped into the shower. Guthrie peed, flushed and stepped in after Joe. Leland moved into LaFiamma's arms, forcing another kiss. "Damn I've missed you, Joe, missed you a lot."

Joe shampooed Lulu's hair just as he used to. As he did to Lundy's hair the one time they tried to make love in the shower. He soaped the man down and rinsed him off. He allowed himself to be soaped and rinsed and was amazed as his cock sprang hard at Guthrie's touch. The Colonel pulled Joe down to the shower's floor. Turning off the water as they moved. Guthrie cupped his lover's balls in his hands and took the Italian Stallion's cock in his mouth, sucking it into his throat.

"Oh jeez, Lu.lu..! Lu.lu..!" And then he was coming again. Hotter than hot. Sweet juices squirting down Guthrie's throat

"That should take the stress out of you," Guthrie said with a grin.

"Oh yeah. You'll need a broom to sweep me up and get into that plane." 

Lundy moved into the ambulance and allowed himself to relax on the narrow stretcher. He looked over at Browning. He could see a lump on the man's head and wondered if he got it when he fell from Joe's blow, or in the truck when he was coming around and found his foot handcuffed to the steering wheel. That trick alone told the cowboy that Joe wasn't as mad as he appeared to be. He could have really done some bad things to Browning but he didn't. Phew did the man stink of old beer. Levon hoped that Joanne would not press charges against Joe. The man had a promising career as a law officer, he didn't want to see that jeopardized. He knew Internal Affairs would be all over him, he just hoped Browning didn't implicate Joe in what happened to him.

In the Emergency Room, Levon watched while doctors cleaned and dressed his wounds. He declined to stay in the hospital overnight. Took prescriptions for pain meds and got Estaban to give him a ride back to the ranch.

Levon didn't want to talk but Estaban did.

"Joe do this to you?" Estaban Gutierrez asked.

"What makes you think LaFiamma attacked me? He's my partner for god sake!"

"I was picking up an order for my niece at ten after seven when LaFiamma walked into Chicken's looking for you and your friend Browning. He was happy and talking with Chicken. Then he left and came back an hour later. I was back having a beer. He walked in real somber like. Didn't say hello to anyone. It was like we were all invisible. There were three military guys in black fatigues playing pool. He walked directly to them from the front door. Greeting them like long lost buddies. Even kissed one on both cheeks. Chicken went over to join them. Then the guys and Joe went into Chicken's private office ... and no one has seen them since. They left their beer and wine bottle, it wasn't even opened."

"Joe was out there. He got a call on his cell. Some Marine Colonel said he was reactivated and needed to report ASAP. He took off mad as shit. Joanne got a call from that same Colonel. Seems LaFiamma has a paper in his file signed by the President that LaFiamma can be reactivated on a moment's notice if his specialty is needed. He's going out on some mission. He knows the people, so there was no way he could get out of it. He is the only one who can identify them. They were leaving tonight. Probably are already gone. I don't know who strung me."

"That sure would explain why he walked into Chicken's all pissed off. Hell, I wouldn't want a call that told me I had to drop what I was doing and report somewhere. Hope he makes it back okay." Estaban said. "Your friend Browning doesn't seem to remember anything about what happened."

"What? Beaumont asked you to give me the third degree?" Levon challenged, Estaban usually wasn't so talkative.

"Jus' trying to make conversation, Lundy. If one of your neighbors hadn't called 911 about a loud drunken party at your place you'd probably still be hanging there."

"911 call?" Neighbors?

"Yeah. Some dude called in and said he saw some drunk, naked men roaming your place and he needed some sleep 'cause he had to be to work at midnight. Would they send someone to quiet the dudes down? Cops were at your place in ten minutes."

Levon didn't say anything after that. He knew it was impossible for any neighbors to see into his yard. You couldn't even from the street. It had to be LaFiamma. Calling in before he left the country. Maybe there is hope for them. 

While they were in the shower, Martin brought clothes for each man and laid them on the freshly made bed. He had replaced the sweat drenched sheets with steel gray silk sheets and pillow cases. The quilt had been brought up and folded back. Joe's clothes were on one side of the bed, the Colonel's on the other. Martin stood in the bedroom and listened to Joe calling Guthrie's name. At last, Martin thought, the Colonel has found his lost lover. All is well in the house.

They walked out of the bathroom together. Joe gawked at the bed. "Hey Lulu the tooth fairy's been here and he brought us clothes and a new bed."

They dressed quickly and headed for the door. Joe stopped just short of the door, turned and kissed Guthrie. Then the kiss deepened and Joe used his tongue to fuck Guthrie's throat. They went to the floor as one, with Joey fumbling with Lulu's pants... getting them open... getting the cock out...still the kiss continued. Joe saw a box of tissues on a small table to the left and he grabbed for it. Grabbing a wad and handing the tissues over as Guthrie's cock erupted. Joe pulled back grinning from ear to ear.

"Just want to see if I still had it. Could get you off with just a kiss." Joey said with a smirk.

"Oh you have it, LaFiamma! Damn if you don't got it. All your eyes have to do is go to my belt and I get hard. Damn good thing I'm retired. I couldn't justify being in bed half the day if I wasn't."

Joe pulled the man to his feet. "The bed. The shower. The floor. On my lap when you sit at your computer."

"Oh NOOOOO... Not that! Joseph don't even think about that." Guthrie said as he pulled open the door.

"Thanks for the ride, Estaban. Appreciate it." Levon said as he gingerly got out of Gutierrez's truck.

"Anything I can help you with Lundy? Before I take off."

Levon looked down toward the corral.

"Help get the horses inside. Suppose to rain tonight." Gutierrez asked.

"Thanks, that would be a great help. Got Browning's horse here. Probably need to get him inside. It looks like the horse he bought is a ringer. Has painted on spots to make it look like an Appaloosa."

"No shit. How much did he pay for the horse?"

"Three thousand!" 

Turning to Guthrie, Joe asked, "Who we going after?"

"A missionary, his wife and two kids. They got separated from their group and got picked up by a guerilla force. Reverend Andrew Chandler, his wife Amam..."

"Amanda Corson?" Joe quipped anxiously. "Amanda Corson Chandler? Is that who you're going after?"

"You know her?" Allen questioned. "Damn this man knows everybody."

"If you got a picture of her, I can tell you for sure." Joey said.

Joey looked at the family portrait of Amanda, Andy and Andy Jr. and Emily. "Yea, I know them. Amanda and I have known each other since grade school. I went on to Catholic high school, she went to a Lutheran high school but we kept in touch. I was an usher at her wedding."

"Uncle Mikey was right. Joey needed to be on this trip.. as much as he hates Joey going on these trips .. he told us you could identify the bodies if we don't find them in time." Tony LaFiamma, first cousin to Joe said.

"So what did you do to Lundy for catching him with another man?" Tony asked. "I know you, when you get pissed you want retribution."

"Well, I thought about shooting his balls off." Joey said. He didn't miss the look that passed between Tony and Guthrie. They both knew Sam Richardson who'd had that done to him in the Corps. "I cold-cocked Browning, drowned his naked body in two cans of lukewarm beer, then threw him into the front seat of his truck ... handcuffing his foot to the steering wheel." That brought a snicker from his cousin Allen. "I cuffed Lundy and hung him from the shower ... had him stand on two cans of beer, empty cans. Guthrie had me call 911 an hour later, and they found him before he lost feeling in his hands. Would have like to see him scream by shooting his balls off, but didn't want him to die ... just yet."

"Did you kill Sam Richardson, Joe?" Colonel Guthrie asked in all seriousness.

"If I say yes. Will you arrest me?"

"No. The case was closed a long time ago."

"The guy slept with everyone in my barracks. He told everyone of us that he was true and faithful. Anyone of us could have killed him. And five of us were on the range the day he was killed. I don't know if I killed him or not. But I was not sad that he died. Now if you guys don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep." Joe said.

"I think that would be wise for all of us," Guthrie said.

About an hour into the flight, Joey said softly, "Colonel?"

"Yes, Joseph."

"You still keep track of my brother John. How's he doing? The family never talks about him. "Joey asked quietly.

"He's doing good. He'll have nightmares for the rest of his life. 'Nam was a bad place and he did two tours there. Tony and I see him on a regular basis. He isn't locked up any more. He's on a permanent work release program."

"He still the animal lover?"

"Yes, he works on a horse farm in fact. Does real well with animals. Why?"

"Just wondering. Lundy's gonna need help with the horses ... with both his wrists bandaged. Thought John might be the one to help out. He and Levon are a lot alike. Hell, here I am playing matchmaker for my partner who I just almost killed... but don't tell John that."

"I can call and talk to him. He could be there by morning. How long since you've seen John?"

"Fifteen years."

"FIFTEEN! You haven't seen him at all since he was incarcerated at the end of the war?" Guthrie couldn't believe it. John had said no one from his family had visited him, but he never realized they had cut him off all together.

"As far as Uncle Mikey and the family is concerned, John died in the war. Mom and I were the only ones who ever wrote to him. Once Mom died... well, any letters he sent me, I never received. I'd really like to see him again."

Guthrie lightly touched Joe's face. "I'll get on the horn and talk to Martin right now."

Joey watched Guthrie get up and walk up to the cockpit, knock and go in. He closed his eyes and waited. Incarcerated since the war? Joey thought. That means he was dangerous to himself and others. Probably others. It was a hell'va war. Men trained to kill, couldn't stop once they got home. He imagined looking at John would be what he'd look like in twenty years. His childhood photos and John's were almost identical. Phone call must be taking a long time. Or else they can't get through. Then Joe heard the cockpit door open and close. Joseph looked up to see Guthrie smiling at him.

"John showed up at the Bond company shortly after we left. Martin said he carried papers from Oklahoma saying it was time to transfer him elsewhere, so I am giving him one of the apartments on the fourth floor. He doesn't really need to be locked up anymore. At one time he was a killing machine. But working with animals has brought him back into the land of the living. Being around you should help him a lot too. He'll be at Lundy's first thing in the morning." 

A dull green Huey helicopter air-dropped Colonel Guthrie and his three LaFiamma's on a mountaintop in the early dawn. Dressed in black with painted faces, following a pre-mapped plan, they trudged through the jungle most of the day, not hearing anyone or meeting anyone. Late in the day they came upon a campsite that appeared to be the missionaries' main campground. The one that the Chandler's had gotten separated from. Tracks indicated that the vehicles was probably old VW buses and perhaps an old model Ford pickup truck.

It was Joe who made the observation about next meeting point. The river was on the east with no way to cross. They had come from the west, so north was the logical choice to follow. And if it was north, it would also give them a shorter distance to travel back to the mountaintop for lift-off. They pushed north not stopping to sleep or eat. They were on a time schedule that had to be met. 

Lundy had a restless night. Getting up twice to take pain meds just so he could sleep.

[Damn LaFiamma. He should have shot my balls off. I think that would have been easier. Can't maneuver with both wrists bandaged, and sprained my damn ankle fallin' off one of those beer cans he had me on. A level four sprain. Trauma doc said it would have been better to have broken it. Damn you partner. Never saw that side of you before.]

Fooler's whinny brought the cowboy to full alert. It sounded like someone was out with the horses and he knew Browning was still in the hospital.

Struggling down the hall to the kitchen, Lundy suddenly became aware that fresh coffee was brewing. He looked at the man in the kitchen. "LaFiamma?"

"Yes." The man said looking up at Lundy with a smile covering most of his face. "John LaFiamma." The man answered extending his hand. "From the look on your face I must look like Joe. Glad to hear that. Haven't seen my little brother in fifteen years. Not since I came home from 'Nam."

"Yer ... yer his eldest brother ... John Joseph LaFiamma?" Lundy squawked in disbelief.

"That's me." John replied with a grin.

"He tol' me about you. Is real pissed off that the family doesn't recognize that you came home."

"That explains why all my letters to Joey were returned. Our mother wrote me every day. Then the letters stopped coming. It took me a year to find out she had died. So I started writing Joey, but the letters were always returned. Never understood why." Smiling he said, "Thanks! Now I know it wasn't Joey returning them."

"Sit. Have some coffee." John continued, "Got some eggs and bacon cooking. When you're done, I'll carry you out to the corral. Don't think it is wise to walk on that ankle. Where's the brace? You should keep that on while you're up. They should have given you a wheelchair at the hospital."

"Don't need a wheelchair." Lundy groused.

John laughed. "Colonel Guthrie said you were a red-neck. Joey do this to you? He always was a pistol when someone promised him something and didn't follow through." Turning back to his cooking, John continued to enlighten Lundy about his brother. "I remember when he was in the fourth grade. His teacher made the mistake of saying she loved him too... after he had blurted out that he was in love with her. Then Joey found out she was married. He put a sack full of spiders loose in her car. Who knows where he got them from, or what he had to go through to get them. It scared her so, she had to give up teaching." John said his laugh echoing around the kitchen. "Don't think she ever rode in a car again. Mom found out it was Joey who did it and punished him but never told the school. She didn't like the teacher. Thought she was too friendly with the kids. The eggs okay?"

"Eggs are good. Everything is good." Lundy said his mouth full of hot raisin toast and coffee.

"If I talk too much, just tell me to be quiet. I've worked on a horse farm up in Oklahoma for the last five years, and I've gotten so used to talking to the animals like they are people that when I am around people I don't know when to shut up."

"Well, John. You've talked more in the last ten minutes, then Joey did his whole first year here. He keeps to himself."

"That's one of the bad things Joey does. He holds all his hurts inside. They boil inside until they burst. I know he feels guilty about our father's death. Killed in a drive-by shooting. Dad died but Joey didn't. Plus we lost a brother to suicide... Joey's fraternal twin. Hard for a youngster to take that all in. Real hard."

"Joey had a twin?" Levon said pushing himself away from the table.

"Not an identical twin. Fraternal. Two separate eggs. Still they were together day and night. Until just before their eighth birthday. Joey was invited to a cousin's house for a sleep over. Jay wasn't invited. It was rare that Joey went anywhere without Jay, but have a feeling Joey wanted to start being on his own. Anyway, Mom was in the kitchen baking. She was always baking. It's why Joe's such a good cook. She started him cooking early. She heard a gun go off. She knew the guns were locked up, thought maybe it was a backfire. Finally called me. I was out in the garage tinkering with a car. I hadn't heard it. We went into the study.. Dad's old study. Found a pillow smashed through the glass of the gun case. Jay was the only other boy home so we knew it had to be him. We started on the first floor.. finally found him in the attic. He'd taken a .45 Colt that belong to our Dad, put it to his head.. between his eyes and pulled the trigger."

"OMIGOD!"

"Joey had to be sedated for a week. He went to the funeral in a wheelchair. Don't think he was conscious really for about a month. Then one day he woke up and said he brother was dead. Since then, he's kept everything locked inside. It's one of the things I want to talk to him about. Not good to keep things bottle up. Not good at all." 

Evening was approaching fast and their time was running out when Joey heard crying. The foursome crept closer to the voice and peered out through the brush to a clearing about ten feet square.

"Don't cry, Mommy. Jesus will find a way to get us out." Little Andy Junior said kneeling next to his mother.

Joey immediately started scrapping some of the black off his face, from around his eyes and nose. "Allie we need to find a way out for them. Whoever cleared that - whoever put them there had to get out."

Seconds later an American finch sounded, and Joe, Tony and Guthrie headed toward the sound. In the clearing, Amanda Corson Chandler heard the sound too.

As loudly as she dared, she called, "JOEY!"

Tony made a face. "Don't tell me you taught her that one?"

"Yeah. I did, and it looks like it's a good thing too."

The group dressed in black stared down the narrow path that lead to the clearing. After making sure the perimeter was clear and no one was around, Joey moved into the brush to the edge of the clearing.

"Oh god Joey!" Mandy cried. She started to run but his hand halted her.

Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma who should have been sitting in Houston doing paperwork, catching thieves, was instead standing in a remote jungle area wide open for anyone to take down. Holding his hand open in front of him, his fingers pointing directly at her, his thumb to the sky, he said, "Amy. Send your kids out one at a time. Right down this path... have them keep their eyes on my hand. Tell them not to step off the path but to come directly to me. Send Emily first."

Emily was almost to him when Joey whispered, "Run!" He stepped aside as the eight-year-old girl ran into Colonel Guthrie's arms.

"Now - Junior." Joey said calmly. "Then as soon as he is here Amy you start."

Then it was Reverend Chandler, who just stood where he'd been standing and didn't move.

"Damn it, Andy, come on!" Joey gasped, "We have a schedule! If we miss it we'll all be here forever!"

"Joe! I - I lost my glasses. Didn't want Amy to know. I can't see without them!"

"S-H-I-T!" Joey roared. He spun on his heels and was met by Tony who flew past him down the path. The men watched as Tony slung the pastor over his shoulders in a fireman's carry and waddled down the path towards them.

They regrouped in a thicket and explained the situation to the Chandlers. Andy Jr. thought the face paint was pretty neat, and did his sister's face after Joey had finished with his. The Colonel unfolded their map and with Amanda's help a shorter route to their rendezvous spot was found. 

The Colonel and his group got to the rendezvous point three hours ahead of schedule. It was Andy Jr. who heard the helio coming up the ridge, but the LaFiamma's kept the group undercover and only Guthrie ventured to the edge of the clearing. The chopper was not friendly and Guthrie lay close to the ground listening to the angry voices onboard. The Chandlers had been discovered missing when food was brought, but tracks of them had been lost in the jungle. The chopper was checking mountaintops; sure they must have had help getting out.

Back in the brush, Joey asked Andy Jr. if he had any kind of a radio or tape recorder.

"I haven't used it much I've been saving the batteries." Andy said, handing the small recorder to Joey.

"Allie, you still carrying that flare?"

"Joey, you can't use it! We might need it..."

"Look! The chopper coming for us in already in the air. If it sees the flare it will think we need help and they are right. Tape this to it and the guys here will pick up on Chandler's voice and head that way long enough for our guys to get in and pick us up."

Guthrie voice stirred them into action. "Do it! The guys up there are hanging here too long. Let Tony do it, he's the fastest runner here." As expected the enemy helicopter took off.

They lay in the jungle and waited, listening to the sounds around them, intensely listening for the sound that would airlift them to safety. Suddenly Tony's harsh whisper shook them all, "Amanda, LOOK OUT! Shit. Joe."

Joey stared at the multi-colored lizard that hung down from a branch. He'd been watching the thing for awhile and didn't realize it wasn't part of the tree until Tony shouted. He sprung from his crouched position to intercept it before it landed on Amanda's back.

Tony watched Joe grab the lizard and throw it into the brush behind them. Then he was on his feet pulling Joey to the ground going over his person checking for holes in his clothes. Pulling out his shirt, checking for any marks on his skin.

"What the hell you doing' cuz?" Joe asked confused on what all the fuss was about.

"That thing is poisonous Joe. Got to make sure it didn't get you."

"Tony. I'm wearing three layers of clothes!"

"I was wearing three layers of clothes three years ago when one got to me. Damn near died four days later. You sure you didn't feel a sting or anything. That tongue was out and whipping fast."

"I can't tell you if I did or not. It happened so fast." Joey said trying to replay in his mind if the sting he'd felt came from the beast or the tree as he felt into it when he tossed the lizard over his head. "Listen! I think I hear our taxi arriving."

What the group didn't expect was the early arrival of their transportation out. Not one chopper but two. The Chandler's boarded one and Guthrie's group began to board the second when Andy Jr. began insisting that Joey ride with them. Joey explained that it wasn't possible for people to know who rescued them because then the bad guys would know who they were, and they wouldn't be able to do it again.

A child's wisdom looked at Joey... "That's why there are never any pictures of you in the newspaper, right? I see your name but never any pictures!"

"Yup, no pictures." LaFiamma whispered, "and no names either little Columbian man or Joey wouldn't be able to get another kid out of the jungle when they take a wrong turn." 

John LaFiamma picked up Levon's dishes off the table and put them in the sink. Then he picked Levon up in his arms and carried him outside to the corral.

"Holy Cow!" Levon exclaimed, "What happened to Browning's horse?"

John looked sheepish. "He rolled in manure in his stall. I - I hosed him off this morning... and a whole lot of his spots washed away."

"HA..HO..HA..HAHOHA!" Lundy started laughing and couldn't stop. He would have fallen over if John hadn't of caught him. John told him to stay put and disappeared into his camper, and came out with a folding lounge chair.

"Here Levon. Sit. You okay."

"Oh John... John!" Levon said laughing. "My friend Browning.. paid three thousand dollars for this horse ... this Appaloosa!"

"THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS? This ain't no Appaloosa - never was. They got distinct markings." John said.

"John.. you don't understand. Browning prides himself. Brags about how he knows horseflesh."

John got it. "Three thousand big ones... for a horse painted to look like an Appaloosa. This truly was a painted pony!" John said with a smirk.

Their eyes met and something sparked between them. A true friendship for each man brought together by animals they both loved. It was the first time that John LaFiamma had nothing to say.

"If you're going to be taking care of me, best move your stuff into my guest room. No need for you to be living out here in this camper." Levon finally said.

"It's been a long time since I stayed in a house, Levon." John said quietly.

"Where were you living in Oklahoma?"

"Been in a minimum security prison for the last five years ... with day privileges and some weekend privileges.... I was trained to kill in Vietnam. I was a sniper. Dropped behind enemy lines with assigned targets to kill. I was very good at it Levon." John said reaching up to scratch Fooler's neck who had come over to nuzzle his shoulder.

"They train you to kill, but they don't untrain when the war is over. Five years after the war I was still killing people. Two were in self-defense. Went to jail for a couple of years for another one. Did some work for the CIA Covert Operations. It was on one of those operations that I meet Colonel Leland Guthrie. He was a mean shit of a man. A real tough Marine."

"Colonel Guthrie? Joey's C.O.?"

"That's the man. One bad shit! You didn't want him in your face if you screwed up. You sure didn't!" John said. The conviction in his voice indicated he knew first hand what it was like to have this Colonel in his face..

"Joe's on a mission with this guy... right now. They called him on his cell when he was here last night."

"Guthrie's still tough," John said, "but our Joey tamed him. Seduced him in the showers one night... so the story goes. Took some of the man's meanness away, but not his fighting edge. I reckon the Colonel will want Joe back in his bed once he finds out Joe's available."

"Joe tamed me too, John. I had one damn bitchy attitude when Joe was transferred down here. No man wanted to partner with me. Then this Italian was in my face. That first year ... we were working side by side one minute and coming to blows the next. " Levon said.

"Been meaning to ask you, Levon. How do you get up into the attic of your house?" John asked pointing to a window high above them.

Lundy looked at his house. He'd never noticed the window before, or if he did it didn't register with him.

"Don't know. Only stairway I know is by the back door and down to a small basement. I do know the living room and dining room didn't use to have a door between. It is a really old ranch house. Probably lots of things behind the walls."

"I'll have to call Martin and have some sounding equipment brought out see if we can find it. Must be hidden somewhere. Could be treasures up there about the origin of the ranch or the former owners. Yer right, probably behind a wall some place. Come on Levon, I'm taking you back into the house. Time to soak that foot."

"Soak....?"

"I read the directions that came home from the hospital with you. Those yellow and pink sheets of paper you left on your desk. You need to soak your ankle to help ease the swelling, and then it needs an ice pack on it for thirty minutes."

"John.. I really don't think..." Levon started.

"If Joey was here - he'd make you do it, right! So Big John is going to make you do it too." John said scooping Lundy up in his arms and walking with him to the house.

"Are all you LaFiamma's so damn pig-headed?"

"Every single one!" 

Joey had forgotten how exhausting these rescues were. He curled his legs under his butt and leaned into the Colonel, the lull of the chopper blades putting him to sleep.

"We're changing planes and flying straight to Houston and then we'll be back home again," Guthrie whispered glancing at the half-asleep officer, a hand rubbing out a kink in LaFiamma's shoulder as the young cop purred in his ear.

Joey's arm began to slowly slide down the older man's back. His fingers lightly stroking each rib as the hand slipped down coming to rest at the top of the belt.

Guthrie took a quick intake of breathe and let it out slow.

Tony and Allen sat opposite them speaking in low tones so not to disturb Joey. Once again it had proved essential to have Joe on the trip. But they knew Uncle Mikey wouldn't like the fact that Joe was once again in Guthrie's arms, in Guthrie's bed.

"Damn, Joseph! Not here!" Leland growled louder than he intended. Joey's fingers were stroking Guthrie's bare skin and it was taking every ounce the Colonel had not to grab the man.

The jolt of the landing, and Guthrie's shout brought Joey back to the present. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was. Where Lundy was. Joe looked at his cousins, than at the Colonel. Grinning Joey said, "I always did know how to seduce you, old man. Just a touch of my fingers has you screaming in pleasure."

"All this time I thought I was the seducer ..." Colonel Guthrie moaned.

The three watched Joey spring from inside the chopper to the ground outside. "Whew," Tony groused, "for a minute there I didn't think Joe was going to remember where he was."

Joey stared at the transport plane that was going to fly them back to Houston. "Is anyone else going to be on this bird besides us?" He asked.

When Guthrie gave him a negative answer, Joe said '"Okay, Ol' man. You and I are going to sit in the back of this aircraft and no one..." looking seriously toward his cousins, "is going to disturb us."

Guthrie followed behind Joe like a puppy, watching him pick up blankets from other seats and carrying them to the back. As they got to the back of the plane where two seats face two other seats, Guthrie realized what Joey had in mind.

"Joe. You aren't.... We can't....?" Colonel Guthrie gasped seeing the look on his lover's face.

"Buckle up Jethro. And take off your boots."

"Do you have to call me Jethro? Leland is..."

"Leland is too close to - Levon! And Lorenzo I don't like... and Lulu is a girl's name. And I don't like calling you Colonel all the time. Besides I found a sheet of paper in your Bible once .. of the names your parents were toying with... Leland Lorenzo.... Jethro Lorenzo ... must be Lorenzo was your father's name?"

"Yes, Lorenzo was my father, my grandfather and his father. Omigod.. Jethro Lorenzo.. I never would have made it to Colonel with that name. They'd think I was from the back hills of Kentucky."

Joey took his boots off than buckled up and waited for the plane to be airborne. While waiting on the tarmac for takeoff, Joe's stocking foot reached across and began to play, nudge the balls of the man opposite him. Guthrie just stared. His mouth opening and closing.

As soon as the plane reached cruising speed. Joe lunged at his former lover. His knees went to either side of Leland's hips, and his arms went around the man's head and shoulders. His mouth attacked with a vengeance the man who desperately wanted him, but in his mind Joe saw Lundy climbing up Browning's body his hard-on tight against the man's belly. 

In the forward seats, Tony and Allen sat talking about the mission and about Uncle Mikey. Allen looked over the seats to the two men in the back. Guthrie's moans and Joey's whispered name were filtering down to them.

"I think we have to convince Uncle Mikey, that this reunion is a good thing." Tony LaFiamma said. "All these years I thought the Old Man had seduced Joe, and it was the other way around."

"Hey, Joey learned from Uncle Vinnie how to seduce a man. Joey can look at man just right and you can see the guy checking his zipper." Allen said smiling.

"Vinnie! I thought Uncle Mikey shut that guy down."

"Far as I know, still at the age of 85 he is taking the sixteen-year-old boys to his place and teaching them how to seduce a man. And if they find, like Joey did, that they really like seducing men ... then Vinnie will give you advance lessons." 

Joey released Guthrie from his grip and fell back into his seat opposite the man. The Italian unbuckled his web belt. Unzipped his pants and slipped them off his hips to the floor. He ripped off his flak vest and unbutton his shirt. All the while his eyes never left Leland L. Guthrie, a man ten years older than he who progressed through the ranks to Colonel at an earlier age than most. He was a tough as nails, gung-ho Marine ... until Joey LaFiamma arrived in his unit. Then something in his nature changed.

Joey nodded, "Okay. Your turn now," he said watching Guthrie fumble with shaking hands.

Guthrie wanted this man so bad he couldn't even unbutton his own shirt. His eyes were on Joey's hard-on, sticking straight up in the air just waiting for him. He threw up his hands and looked forlornly to his lover for help.

"Take your pants down," Joe whispered hoarsely. "Then come ... wet this." LaFiamma rasped pointing to his stiff cock.

The Colonel slipped out of his black cargo pants, and folded them on the seat by the window. Then he moved to his knees in front of Joe and began to slurp, lick and wet the organ that soon would be inside him.

Joey closed his eyes enjoying the moment. Then he slipped to the floor and helped his lover spread his buns and slowly moved in and out opening the cavity so his lover could fully take him in. Guthrie's eyes widened in pain and joy as his butt slid down the shaft. Joe's mouth opened. He leaned forward his hands grabbing hunks of Guthrie's thick brown hair, pulling the man's face to him.

"Guth-er-re...give me your tongue." LaFiamma rasped huskily.

Leland Guthrie slumped against Joe's bare chest, wiggling his ass as Joe noisily sucked the tongue that his teeth held tight. 

"Damn," Tony LaFiamma moaned up near the cockpit. "Listening to them go at it is makin' me hard!" 

Joey gathered the man in his arms, twisted his body and laid Guthrie flat on the floor. Joe lifted the man's legs and began to vigorously pump into him. LaFiamma's hands skimmed across flesh, teasing, pinching, stroking until unintelligible words came forth from the Colonel's mouth. Joe closed his eyes for a moment and again saw Levon and Browning... Levon was climbing all over the man, not saying no. Then he looked down at Guthrie's serene face. Joe understood now why Levon couldn't say no to Browning. No more than he could have said no to Guthrie if the man had knocked on his door. Joe knew he wanted this man under him. And knowing the man had had no one since they were last together made the want even more intense. He couldn't get enough of this man once he'd seduced him in the barracks shower. Now he couldn't wait to get home and keep him in bed for a week.

It was the passion he and Levon were missing. The raw passion of wanting someone so bad that you can't sleep until he is in your bed again. Or the passion of just taking him and to hell with where they are.

One last push and Joe was ejaculating. "You're mine again Leland Guthrie. And this time you're not getting away." Joseph Anthony LaFiamma whispered hoarsely into Guthrie's face.

A sharp jerk of the plane and a sound of metal scraping brought Joey and Tony to their feet. Joe grabbed for his pants and his shirt and dressed as he headed for the cockpit. He knocked light as he zipped his pants up. He opened the door as someone on the other side said "Enter."

"Holy shit!" LaFiamma yelped as he saw what was happening. He was told their orders were to get us back to Houston as fast as possible and to do that meant refueling in mid-air. Joe asked if there was food or coffee anywhere and was directed to a galley beyond where he and Guthrie were sitting.

"If you can whip something up, bring us some too," the navigator said.

"Joey, what's going on?" Allen asked as Joe closed the cockpit door and started back up the aisle.

"We're taking on gas... there's a tanker overhead." Joey said motioning with his hands to the ceiling. "We refueling in flight. I'm going back to make some coffee - want some?"

Joey went back to his seat and sat down. He put his socks and boots back on. Found his utility belt and put that on. Tucked in his shirt, and slipped into his black flak vest. Then he took his boot and gently nudged the Colonel's bare buttocks. When he received no response, Joe knelt down and touched the man's neck for a pulse.

Guthrie's eyes flew open and he grabbed Joe's wrist. "Gotcha!"

"Jeez, Colonel. You scared the hell out of me! I thought maybe you had a heart attack!' Joey said pulling his arm back. "Want some coffee... black, no cream, just sugar?"

Guthrie nodded as he pulled himself up to a sitting position. The Colonel listened to LaFiamma opening cabinets and moving dishes. He sat on the floor assessing what had passed between them. Joe had come onto him like gangbusters, almost violently devouring him. And he found that he liked it, even though he was sure part of the roughness was due to Lundy, he was glad he was on the receiving end of the climatic finish.

"Better think about getting dressed, Leland," Joey said as he passed the man carrying a tray with four cups of steaming coffee on it. "Yours is coming up. This is for the crew in the cockpit." 

Tony LaFiamma moved from his seat in the plane to Joe's seat across from Guthrie. Joey was behind them doing things in the galley, making lunch for the crew.

Tony leaned forward and spoke quietly to Guthrie. "You're going to have to tell Joe about John. If he is going to work for us, he needs to know before he comes face to face with the man. Joey is not the same as when you knew him, Colonel. He's changed a lot. A lot! He became his own man when he was transferred to Houston. It's the best thing that could have happened to him - get him away from the family's influence. He's a damn good cop and I for one would like to see him continue as one. But if he wants to work for TBC then let him. But let him make up his own mind."

Guthrie stared back at Tony. Both men seemed unaware that the noises in the galley had stopped, and that Joe was standing just inches behind Tony's seat.

"How do I tell the man I love that his brother is a hired killer. And that he works for the CIA. Since Joe's mother died, the family hasn't even acknowledged that John is alive. I know Joe knows he is, but he has no idea what the man's been through for the last fif...teen...." Guthrie's voice tapered off as he was suddenly aware of Joe's presence.

Tony turned to look at what Guthrie was staring at. "H-how long have you been standing there?" Tony gasped.

"Long enough." Joey said quietly, his eyes glaring into Guthrie's face.

"Sit, Joseph." The Colonel said nodding to the seat Tony had been sitting in. "Please. This will take some time to tell. Please Joseph."

"There are sandwiches back here," Joey said to Tony. "Take some for you and Allen and take the rest up to the crew in the cockpit."

"Sure thing, Joey. Thanks."

There was silence between the two men who earlier had shared loving.

"Just tell it like it is, Colonel." Joey finally said.

"It's not so easy, son. Your brother was and is an honorable man. I know you became a sniper because he was one. But you weren't in a war. War does tragic things to some men, and one of those men was John Joseph LaFiamma. He was a sniper. He was good at killing. After two tours there ... he was very good. He's not the same as the brother you knew. Several soldiers who came out of the war as he did were given some options by the CIA-Covert Operations Division. They would be declared dead and buried in any military cemetery their families requested. But they would live in seclusions behind walls in a private prison only going out when assignments came to them. John survived like this for about five years."

"But .. we never buried John?"

"No. Your family didn't. Your mother didn't believe he was dead. Told the Marines to take a hike and just send an address where she could write to him. She wrote to him every single day until the day before she died."

Guthrie studied Joe. The young man's face was blank, his eyes dark. "The year after your mother died ...Uncle Mikey told the family that John had died in the war... but that no body was ever recovered."

"Damn!" Joey muttered. "Uncle Mikey knows that he is alive?"

"I think so, but I don't know for sure if he does or not. Frankly, I don't think he cares."

"Get that worried look off your face, Colonel. Nothing is going to separate us this time around. I know all about your military career. I kept track of everything you did after I got out of the Corps. You know all about me and my family. We were given a second chance here... and I aim to keep us together at all costs.... Even if I have to give up being a cop."

Conversation stopped for several seconds as the pilot announced they were approaching Houston and would be landing in twenty minutes.

"Something I would like you to think about Joseph. If Lundy is fired for being caught with Browning... would you be willing to work with him in the security business if I offer him a position at TBC? He's a Texan. Lived in the area for all his life. We need someone like him onboard."

"Right now Colonel, I am so pissed off at him and I really don't know why. We were trying to be lovers, and as far as I was concerned we weren't doing a great job at it. Levon I think wants to keep trying. But we just didn't have the passion ... at least I don't have the passion... it's not like you and I together, where we just can't get enough of each other."

"You two have the best capture record and case solves of anyone - ever on Houston P.D. I'd like to see that continue here. IF you are able to work with him. He has to understand that you will not be in his bed again." 

Levon sat propped up in his living room watching television. [Man I could get used to this. John's feeding me. Takin' care of my horses. My needs. Wonder if all the LaFiamma's are like this?]

Outside Lundy heard a truck pull into the yard. He turned in his chair and saw a huge white SUV parking near the Jimmy. Three men were getting out. "JOHN!!!"

"I got 'em, Levon. It's Martin."

"Martin?"

"He's the Colonel's ... ah... secretary."

John opened the front door and into the front hall walked three men dressed in black. The first one in, Martin Chase, was a fireplug of a man but trim with short curly brown hair and brown eyes. Lundy figured even through he was shorter than the others, he was still a force to be reckoned with. The second man was huge. Smaller than Chicken, but a black man with a military hair cut and muscles everywhere. His name was Devlin.

Levon stared at the third man. "Ra...mos!" He growled.

"You two know each other?" Martin asked.

"LaFiamma and I put this dude away. Didn't know he was out. Didn't know Texas Bond hired knife wielding killers! Ain't so sure Joe's going like meeting this guy."

"He and Joe have a 'set-to'?" John asked.

"Yeah. Me and Joe came upon Ramos when he was craving up woman trying to take her unborn child. Joe pulled him off the woman while I tried to administer first aid until the paramedics got there. Ramos stabbed Joe in the shoulder. Even though LaFiamma had a knife stuck in his shoulder blade he still subdued the guy. I know he won't be happy to find out he's working for the Bond Company! "

"The knife was stuck in Joe's shoulder and he still took the man down?" John asked in amazement. "Why to go little brother!"

Martin whipped a cell phone out of one of his pants pockets, and asked whoever answered several questions. "Pull up Mr. Ramos' application. Look on page 6 and tell me what his answer is for 14 B. ... uh, huh. Send someone out here to pick him up. He is no longer employed by Texas Bond. See to it that he is erased from the system." The phone was clicked shut and replaced in a pocket.

Levon wasn't sure what 'erased from the system' meant. The Texas Bond company or permanently.

"Cuff Ramos to the back of the Mercedes and then get back in here. We need to find a hidden stairway." Martin said to Devlin.

"Martin, You keep looking at your watch. Is it getting close to lunchtime?" John asked. "I can whip up something for everyone."

"It is past noon John. Lunch would be nice, though that is not why I was looking at my watch. Guthrie's team should be landing in Houston in about fifteen minutes. Wanted to contact the Colonel about picking up Joseph's things while we are here."

Lundy blinked. [Joe's things. I hadn't really thought about LaFiamma moving out. Not sure I can handle that right now]

"Levon? You okay?" John asked kneeling next to the man. "Come on, I'm taking you into the kitchen. You can help me with lunch while Devlin finds that hidden stairway and takes a wall down if necessary ... to see what is up there." 

The three LaFiamma's and Guthrie deplaned and walked toward two crystal white Land Rovers with black tinted windows. Tony and Allen move toward one and Guthrie pulls Joe towards the other.

"You up to seeing Lundy today?" The Colonel asked. "Martin is there now, and I thought we could pick up whatever things you have there and move them to our place at Texas Bond."

"I don't have much at Lundy's yet. Mostly just clothes. Most everything is at my apartment." Joe answered.

Colonel Guthrie cleared his throat as they reached the Land Rover. "I -ah - had Martin move everything from your apartment to..."

"COLONEL! I liked that apartment!" Joey choked.

"After what passed between us before we left... I guess I just assumed you'd be happy to move in with me. ... you drive."

Joe climbed up into the driver's seat and waited until Guthrie was buckled in before he started the engine. Joe reached over and ran his fingertips along Leland's jaw. "Two days ago I was laying in Levon's bed trying to figure out why we didn't work as lovers. We've been partners for five years, Colonel. Not sure how this is going to work meeting him so soon, after what I did to him. Not sure I'm ready to pick up anything of mine at Lundy's yet. But I would like to drive out and meet John."

"Okay." Guthrie said. Taking a cell phone from his pocket, he called Martin and received a status report. And told him they were on their way out.

"Lundy know we're coming?"

"No. Right now John's making lunch. And they have just pulled down part of the living room wall next to the fireplace... and found the stairway to the attic."

"Hot damn! Knew there was a way up there somewhere." Joey exclaimed, turning onto the Interstate enroute to the ranch. 

Levon watched John LaFiamma moving around his kitchen. Much like Joe had done. It will be strange not seeing Joe every day, Levon thought, yet he felt drawn to this LaFiamma too. Was it because he was so similar to Joe or because the gentle giant reminded him so much of himself.

John knew he was being watched, and began to get self conscious when Lundy didn't say anything. He stopped and looked down to make sure his zipper was up and his shoes were on.

"Levon? Am I doin' something wrong?" John asked as he dumped a handful of shredded carrots on top of a huge bowl of lettuce.

"What?!"

"You're staring at me but you aren't saying anything."

"Sorry. Was just watching you work... it is the same way Joe chops vegetables. Just took me a moment to realize he won't be doing that anymore."

"Blame it on our mother. Everything always had to be fresh. Had to be chopped into small chunks not large because you don't who might be at you table with bad teeth." John laughed. "No kidding... that's what she said... bad teeth. If Joe was here.. would you be staring at him too?"

"Probably be standing next to him. Watch him closer. Might run my hands through his hair. Kiss him when he drops the knife in the sink."

"Hmmm... we might have to work on that last part." John said without looking up.

Levon stood up and hopped on one foot over to the sink. He was almost there when he started to fall, but John turned and caught him pulling him close. They stared at each other. And the kiss just happened. It was soft.. lips meeting .. Levon's tongue lightly stroking John's lips which opened with an aching moan. Levon ventured inside touching John tongue.

John recoiled in fear as soon as the tongue touched his. He tried to step back but Levon held him firm. "It's okay John. It's okay."

"Can't ... can't take a tongue in my mouth. Can't ... take a cock down my throat. Almost. Died. That. Way. In prison."

"Shhh. It's okay. Like you said. We'll take it slow." Levon cooed, kissing the man lightly on the neck... then the chin... then the throat.

"Feels good..." John LaFiamma moaned softly. "Feels real good."

T- H - U - M - P! ...T- H - U - M - P..! Footsteps overhead made the two men jump apart.

"They're in the attic!" John shouted. He moved to put his arm under Lundy and came face to face with Colonel Leland Guthrie.

"Colonel! Sir!" John said, almost coming to attention. "Whose upstairs?"

"Martin. Devlin... and Joseph."

"Joe's here?" Levon asked surprised that he was.

"I was just finishing up a big salad. We can all eat." John said suddenly. "Let me carry Levon into the living room." And with that he once again scooped the cowboy up into his arms and carried him into the living room with Guthrie following behind.

Joey was talking with Devlin as the two jogged down the stairs and emerged into the living room just as John was putting Levon into a chair. The two LaFiamma's stopped in mid stride and stared at each other. Time stopped for almost five minutes as the two long separated brothers had eyes only for each other. Then Joey lunged at his brother. Grabbing him. Hugging him. John lifted Joe off his feet and twirled him around. And then .. the Italian started.. and the kissing started and more chattering in Italian.

"Damn, you look good big brother!" Joey quipped with a grin, tears wet on his face.

"Got Mom's salad ready in the kitchen. You hungry?" John answered, a grin as wide as his face.

"Starved!" And the two disappeared down the hall.

No one spoke for a moment and then Martin said, "Guess we don't have to worry about what will happen when they get together."

"Guess not." Guthrie said. "What did you find in the attic?"

"Oh man, Colonel." Devlin said, "There are a couple of trunks filled with stuff. Chairs. A table. A big old sleigh bed. Some mirrors."

"Did you look in the trunks?" Lundy asked. "Can you carry them down here?"

"Trunks looks pretty old. You'll have to ask Joe what is inside but I could tell from his face it was something unusual. Not sure they can be carried down themselves. Might have to put them in something else. Bottoms might be fragile. They been up there for a lot of years."

John and Joe returned with heaping bowls of salad and toasted bagels with cream cheese. All found a place to sit and dug into their meal. Finally Levon got the courage to ask Joe what he found in the trunks upstairs.

Joe pondered the question as he thought about the answer. "One trunk ... has war memorabilia in it. From the Civil War. A blanket. Some medals. Looks like some newspapers. An officer's uniform ... with a bullet hole is folded on the top of what is inside. The other trunk ..." he looked down at his salad as if trying to figure out what to say. "Is filled with bones. From the two I looked at, I think they are human bones. Didn't see a skull but there are some wooden boxes in that trunk that I didn't open. Could be the Union officer who belonged to the uniform. Could be someone else. But if I were you. I'd call the Archeology Department at Rice (University) and let them have a look."

"And Colonel." Joe continued. "You might want to go up and look. You had some relatives, I believe, that fought for the North. You might recognize the uniform."

John, Devlin and Guthrie finished their lunch and headed up for the attic stairs. Martin stood in front of Joe and asked where his things were. He was there to take them.

" I do not want them picked up yet," Joe quipped angrily standing, "And I do not appreciate you going into my apartment and cleaning it out and moving it to Texas Bond! Unless you gave notice for me too!" He shot out harshly, "I want it all moved back in!"

Martin swallowed. "But I thought. I mean you are going to be living with the Colonel, are you not?"

"Yes. I am. But that does mean I will be there all the time. I have things here. But I wasn't here all the time either. Are you with your wife twenty-four hours a day? Doesn't she have her own space?"

Bingo! A light went on inside Martin's head. At last he understand. It was why he and his wife, Nancy, divided up their jobs for the Colonel. So they could share their day's activities, not already know them because they were side by side all day.

"JOEY! UP. HERE. NOW!" John shouted from the attic.

Joe cocked his head. Got a look on his face that Levon had never seen before. Then LaFiamma sprinted for the stairs, taking them two at a time.

LaFiamma reached the top, took one look at Guthrie and asked what happened.

"He took the uniform out and laid it on the lid. Then he was looking at these newspapers and he just sort of froze in mid action." John said.

"Leland." Joe said softly kneeling next to the man. "Jethro! ... Colonel! ... Colonel Guth-rie!" Joe finally said louder and sharper.

Downstairs Levon asked Martin for a hand up, and to help him to the stairs. Slowly the two men worked their way to the top until they could see what was happening.

Levon got near the top of the stairs just as Joey touched Guthrie's chin with his fingers and turned the man's head his way. "Colonel. What is it?"

Guthrie blinked and fell into Joe's arms. "The ... the paper."

Joe held the man close, his fingers caressing the back of the man's neck while asking John in Italian to look at the paper.

Levon stared ahead and watched Joe holding Guthrie. He wanted to jump up and run over and shove the man away. But a hollow gut feeling echoed through him. I'm mad just because Joe's holding another man. Joe saw me climbing naked all over Browning. No wonder he went off like a crazy man.

John was reading an article on the front page of the paper about a man being shot by mistake because he was wearing a Union jacket with Confederate jodhpurs.

"Wait!" Joey said. "Read the name of the man again."

John studied the name for a second, and then said. "Oh SHIT! The name is Leland Lorenzo Guthrie! That's the Colonel's name!"

Guthrie gathered his composure and pushed away from Joe, though his hands were still shaking. Joey brought the hands to his mouth and lightly kissed them.

"Who is this?" Joe asked quietly.

"It ... it took me by surprise. Like I was reading my own obituary. He was my Great-Great-Grandfather. He fought for the North and the South actually depending on what the situation was. He was a spy. Maybe we could ask Lundy if we could take it home with us."

"Levon?" Joe said knowing already that his partner was there.

"It's up to you Joe. If you think it is connected to the bones, you might want Rice to preserve what is in that one too. Especially if the papers are that old. You and Guthrie can always go to the University to study them." Levon said looking around the attic to see what was there.

"I been involved with some home renovations," John said. "And this attic looks like it was the original house. Instead of adding to the top... they lifted the top and added to the bottom."

"We can do a title search," Martin said, "and find the previous owners. Might put some light as to how it got here."

"Could we at least take this one down to the living room?" Guthrie asked.

"Sure, no problem," Levon said softly.

Guthrie motioned Devlin to carry the trunk downstairs. Martin and Guthrie helped Levon back down the narrow stairway. At the bottom of the stairs, Guthrie touched Levon's shoulder and said. "If you ever give up being a cop and want to work with Joe again. I'd be glad to have you work for me at the Texas Bond Company. But you need to know - you won't ever again be in his bed."

John grabbed Joey's arm and began rattling off in Italian. LaFiamma stared at his big brother. The man was asking him ways to make Levon happy - sexually. John shared with Joe the same fears that he'd told Levon earlier, and told him what happened when Levon had tried to French kiss him.

Joe's laughter carried down the empty stairwell as he slowly explained how to lick Levon's cock. How to use his tongue to make the cowboy scream in pleasure. How to tantalize with the stroke of a finger. How to finger fuck a man. "Ah, can't believe I'm telling you this stuff."

With the last remark, John gasped, "You can do that. Put fingers up an ass and get someone off? Really?"

"You want any other instruction" Joey said with a grin. "We can do some hands on training in my apartment." [Maybe this worked out alright after all. Lundy still has a LaFiamma lover. I got back the one lover I always wanted to keep.] 

Joe and Leland stepped out of the shower and walked back into their bedroom. "Everything ok, Joseph."

"Yes, everything is fine. Why?"

"This is the first time in a lot of years that you haven't taken me to the floor in the shower."

"Colonel. We flew out of the jungle this morning! You almost had a heart attack up in Lundy's attic.. and now you're mad because we didn't do mind blowing sex in the shower?"

"Yes." Came the quiet answer.

"Jeez. I think I created a monster."

When Guthrie didn't move toward the bed Joe walked into the closet. Found a small black and red box and brought it out to the bedside table. "Get in bed," Joe ordered. He opened the box and took out a dildo and padded handcuffs.

"GET. IN. BED. NOW." Joe ordered tight lipped. He grabbed the pillows and threw them on the floor, and he tossed the blankets over the end of the bed. When Guthrie wasn't moving fast enough. Joe grabbed the man's wrists and yanked him across the bed, wrapping his wrists in the sheepskins cuffs and tying him to the headboard.

"I ... I ... like how you took me on the plane. With vengeance! Angry at your lost love ... but I get the rewards. Make me scream Joseph! Let me feel you inside me... pound into me. I want you inside me... not that thing. Oh god Chicago, I have missed you so much. Never thought .... Never thought you'd ever be in my bed again."

Joseph LaFiamma sat back on his haunches staring at the man. He picked up the dildo off the bed and began sucking it. Curving his tongue around it until Guthrie began a low guttural moan. Then he moved forward, touching the man's anus with it. Pushing it in. Turning it on ...low and pulsating. Joe trailed a finger down the inside of Guthrie's leg, down behind the knee, across the calf to the bottom of the foot. Then up again. The same path stopping at the balls. Then another finger down the other side across the thigh. Behind the calf to the bottom of the left foot. Slow. Tingling. Tantalizing. Joe leaned forward his cock dangling hard pushing into his lover's navel. Fingers traveling ever so lightly. Suddenly Joe stopped. Slid back to his haunches and just stared at the man.

"WHAT? Why are you stopping? God, JOSEPH - don't stop now!" Guthrie cried breathing heavily.

"Today... you told Lundy if he came to work here that we would work together. Why?"

"Because you love him. Because you two work well together. Because I need both of you here. You just can't sleep with him."

"I don't want to sleep with him. I want to beat the crap out of him."

"You can take him to the gym and beat the crap out of him. Now can we get on with what we were doing!?"

"If I beat the crap out of him - I'll kill him! Colonel ... I killed Sam Richardson!"

"I know you did, son."

"You do? But how..."

"You were the only one on the range that day who had the expertise for a kill that far away. But I loved you. Still do. Always will. No way was I going to let them try to hang you. It was ruled an accident. A lot of firing was going on, on the base that day. You were only one of several possibilities."

Joey plopped down on the end of the bed and just stared at his captured lover. This man loved him so much he went against his own code to save his lover's life - my life.

LaFiamma moved forward, pulling out the dildo plug and throwing it across the room. Then he leaned forward and released the cuffs before moving back to the end of the bed.

Guthrie moved toward Joe pulling him into his arms. "I know how much you loved Lundy. Still do I'm sure. I have been observing you at a distance for a month. I have seen how you tenderly touch each other. How you look at each. I can also imagine the rage you felt when you came upon him and Browning. The rage you had when you found Richardson in bed with two other men. I want you to know I am here for you Joe. I will always be here for you

"I thought I loved him enough to be his lover!" Joey sobbed, "We've been partnered for five years. Lovers on and off for three months. I spent the last month starting to move into his place. I never pictured myself without him. Not sure I still can."

Guthrie reached behind Joe and pulled the quilt over them. Rolling backwards, he pulled Joe with him wrapping the blanket tight around them.

"You want to take him to bed. You can do it here. But it will only be for one last time."

"And contaminate our bed? Not on your life! I'll take him in the shower where his blood will go down the drain."

"Joseph. You cannot kill him!"

"Not even a little?"

"No." 

John was helping Levon get ready for bed. Undressing him. Helping him on with his nightshirt. Shyly the man stroked Levon's cock just as Joey had suggested. And he was pleased to see he got a reaction.

"John? What are you doing?" Levon gasped pleasure roaring through him.

"Making you hard. Is that okay? I - I asked Joey how I could give you pleasure. How to make you come."

"And he told you?" Lundy moaned.

"I was raped in prison, Levon. But I never got to bring a man pleasure on my own. I'd like to do that with you. If you let me."

"You're... doing a damn good job right now, John." Levon gasped fumbling with his nightshirt to get it off. Unbuttoning John's shirt. "Get... get undressed. Get ... get on the bed with me."

"But I got to let go, if I undress." John said not wanting to relinquish his prize.

Levon pushed John's shirt off his broad shoulders. Undid his pants and shoved them to the floor and helped John kick them off.

They fell sideways onto the bed. John intent on his prize as he made it harder and harder. He put his mouth to it as Joey had suggested using his tongue to further excite the man. Then he wet his fingers and....

"OH...GOD...JOHN...OOOONNN!" [What the hell did LaFiamma tell this man!?]

Lundy's butt was six inches off the bed, thrusting up, coming down. Trying hard to get more of John's fingers into him. He looked down and saw John's head, felt the man swallow his cock, heard the sucking nose. Knew he couldn't hold it back much longer. Knowing John had been taken in prison, he didn't know what would happen when he exploded down John's throat.

As the first spurt of cum started, John LaFiamma's whole body froze. Then he heard...

"OH GOD.. JOHNNNNNY. JOHNNY, DON'T STOP NOW. GOD JOHNNY DON'T STOP NOW."

John's eyes darted up to the voice and he stared into Levon's soft brown glazed over eyes and he relaxed. Someone wasn't takin' him. He was doing the takin'. He moved his torso over the top of Lundy so he could feel the joy back. Then he felt his long dormant penis grow, expand ... and then he was coming! He was coming down Levon's throat.

John roared back on his haunches and let out a bloodcurdling cry. It wasn't until Levon grabbed for his balls that John realized something was wrong. He fell forward, twisting off the man to look at him.

"Levon! Oh god, Levon are you all right! Oh god what did I do. I killed him!" John sobbed gathering the blond cowboy into his arms and holding him tight.

Levon came to, tight in John's grasp. John's tears dripping in ringlets down his bare back. "John." Levon said softly turning the man's face to his. "John."

"I'm sorry I killed you Levon." John cried between sobs "Oh man... Joey's going to kill me."

"John. Do I look dead?' Levon said hoarsely. Getting no response from the sobbing man, Lundy lightly kissed him on the cheek.

"Levon? Oh god Levon I thought I'd killed you." John Joseph LaFiamma exclaimed thankful the blond was still alive.

"Do I look dead?"

"Nooooo."

"Next time. Give me notice you're going to do that so I can hold my breath. What is it with you LaFiamma men? Joe did that to me once too. Scared the shit out of me. Thought I was going to die."

"Don't know why we do it. It's something Uncle Vinnie teaches during our lessons of learning to satisfy a man. Guess you're suppose to like it. Guess maybe we better try a different way, huh?"

"Sounds good to me John-nee." 

"Can we get back to you ravaging me now?" Guthrie asked, crossing his wrists together in submission for them to be tied.

A devilish grin crossed Joe's face as he bound Guthrie's wrists. Levon hated to be tied up. Guthrie loved being the opposite he was in real life ... he wanted Joe to be in charge. Joey had called his Uncle Vinnie several times while in the Corps when Guthrie had indicated he wanted to be a slave to his lover's needs. Now Joe pulled the bound man towards the closet, forcing him to kneel away from him while he rummaged through the things that were piled in there from his apartment. Finding the black silk gag he'd used on Lundy once, Joe tied it in a knot and then sprinkled honey dust on it.

"Open." LaFiamma ordered softly. When Guthrie obeyed, Joe slipped the dusted knot into the man's mouth and tied it securely behind his head.

"Stay! Do not move." Joe ordered. "I'm doing a walk through - through this place again. See where we can play tonight."

Guthrie waited. His tongue licked at the knot in his mouth. It tasted sweet. When he sucked on it he realized what it was. [Jeez Joseph. Not honey dust!] He heard the door open and watched his lover walk into the bedroom with a stack of towels in his arms. Joe walked past him into the bathroom.

"On your feet!" Joe barked roughly. Passion for the man raging through him. "Spread your legs. Lean back and put your head against the wall and don't look down!"

Satisfied the man would not be able to see what was going to happen next Joey walked back into the closet and got two very long black shoelaces, plus the jar of honey dust and its small gold duster.

Returning to his lover Joe knelt in front of him. He made a loop and slipped it over the head of his lover's cock then he pulled the cock down using the shoelaces to tie the cock to his thigh.

"NOJO!" Came a mumbled plea.

"You don't have a choice in the matter GUTH-TH-RE.. You gave authority to me remember. Now into the bathroom with you. Kneel on the towels that are in the tub. Put your hands above your head."

Joey followed his lover into the bath. He remembered wanting to do this to Levon once and the man flatly refused. He knew Guthrie's experience would be wild and intense.

Leland Guthrie walked to the Jacuzzi tub and stared at the towels placed in various places. His questioning eyes searched his lover's face for what to do next. He knelt as ordered on the blue towels on the floor of the tub. Leaned back and put his head on the yellow towels draped across the faucets and watched as his arms were pulled up and tied off at the shower head. He guessed it wasn't too bad of a position until LaFiamma grabbed one ankle and then the other stretching him almost prone across the tub. Leland gawked wide-eyed as his ankles were secured under crimson towels to gold handholds on either side of the Jacuzzi.

Joe grinned at his handiwork. Leaning close, he said, "I'm checking the door to make sure it locked. Don't want Martin walking in on us again."

Joey found paper, pen and tape in the small desk by the bedroom door. He wrote 'DO NOT DISTURB' in big letters and taped it to the front of the bedroom door. Then he closed and locked the door plus tilted the desk chair under the door.

Before going back to his lover Joe walked to the huge walk-in closet that was almost as big as his apartment's loft bedroom. "Could easily sound proof this and use part of it for a play room. Like to hear the man scream when he comes." Joe mused.

Joe stood in the doorway watching his lover. He could see the tie-down was working even though he had yet to touch the man. Guthrie was right. Joe still has feelings for Levon, and probably always will have. But going to bed with Levon had been like going to bed with one of his brothers. Going to bed with Guthrie was joy, passion, and lust all rolled into one. He desired the man and wanted to bring him off every waking minute of the day. Maybe what happened between him and Lundy was a good thing.

Guthrie was startled by the touch of flesh to his underarm. He hadn't heard Joe return. His body was starting to ache. It had been a long time since he'd been tied down and never in this position. His eyes closed at the sensation of his lover's cock trailing down his side all the way to his foot. He choked on the honey dust drifting off the knot in his mouth. The sweetest of it heightened his pleasure.

"How you doing old man?" Joe cooed as he stepped into the tub kneeling on the towels there as he put his tongue to the tied-down cock.

"MMMMPHF!" Guthrie moaned as he heard his lover's loud slurp and felt the wetness on his cock. His cock that had no place to go. His cock that was roaring full speed downhill and hitting a brick wall. He arched. His legs strained against the bonds holding him, he felt, then watched through silted eyes that same tongue working its way up to his mouth. Leland Lorenzo Guthrie's emotions cascaded over him. He was back with the man he loved. Really loved! His family, what was left of them, would never understand him giving himself fully to a man like this. If he ever suffered a heart attack he knew it would be during love making. Joe was intense and so was he. They didn't hold back anything when they made love. Sometimes it was violent the way they came at each other. Other times they had been like innocent school boys.

Joe ripped the gag off and dropped it into the tub. "Hey New Yorker boy. You still with me?"

Guthrie's tongue tried to touch the knot and discovered it wasn't there. His eyes shot open and he discovered Joe was inches from his face. "Can't wait ... until ... you're in me." He gasped.

Joe blinked. "I am in you New York boy....you so high you don't feel it." Pushing his hips slower, causing more friction for a reaction from the man. "Looks like we are going to have to put a soundproof booth around this tub before we do this again. Love the sounds you make when you're high."

LaFiamma stretched his hands forward, slowly massaging his lover's biceps. He was sure the man was hurting by now though he made no request to be released. Joe reminded his lover he had the option to say 'enough' but he got a sharp 'no' reply, so Joe went back to kissing the man.

Somehow between undressing and tie down the colonel sneaked a breath mint in his mouth, now Joe licked the taste of the peppermint off his lover's tongue. Curled his tongue down the man's throat as his left hand reached low and released the captured cock. It flung upward, the shoelace hitting Joe in the ribs. His tongue pushed deeper as his hand struggled to get the loop off the head, then he pulled it between their stomachs rubbing his ribs across the hard organ as he pumped into his lover's ass.

"JOSEPH! OMIGOD WE'RE COMING!" Guthrie shouted. Glad, so glad to be in his lover's arms once more. 

Levon woke slowly. He reached over for LaFiamma and then remembered it was John not Joe that had gone to bed with him last night. He listened to the voices he heard and then decided John must be watching some porno flick, though as far as he knew he couldn't get that station. He sat up in bed and swung his legs over the side. Scanning the room he saw his nightshirt precariously hanging off the corner of the dresser. "Mmm, must have been in one hella'va hurry to get me. Or me him." When he heard John laugh, he knew he had to see what the man was watching before he showered.

"John?" Levon called hobbling barefoot into the living room.

"Levon, I didn't mean to wake you. Wanted you to sleep. I - I was kind of rough with you last night."

"No rougher than Joe has tried to be. Don't worry about it. Wha' you watching?"

"It's a snuff film I bought a couple of years ago... on the Internet. Got two for a dollar each. Like this one the best. Maybe we could try some of this stuff."

Levon turned and looked at the TV. The tape was running in his VCR and as he watched the film all the color drained from his face.

Suddenly John touched the remote and paused the film. "This here is my favorite guy in this film. I watch this section so much it'll probably wear out before the rest of it. This guy dressed up in a doggie suit. I just love him."

"John." Levon said evenly, trying not to faint, scream or go mad. "Where did you buy this?"

"On the Internet. This filmmaker has tons of stuff like this. He travels around to places and has people act out things for him and he films them doing it."

"Levon?" John asked, seeing the man's face was white as a sheet. "Levon. You alright? If you don't like this stuff. I'll turn it off." John looked back at the film. He knew he could watch it in his camper and that wouldn't bother Levon if he did it privately, cause he really like this guy in the .....

"GOD - Levon! Is that you in the doggy suit?" Johnny LaFiamma exclaimed pointing to the man on the screen. The man he loved in his favorite movie - was standing right in front of him.

Lundy stared at the television screen. He'd been involved in that all-male party four years ago. He didn't know they were taking pictures. John caught him as he stumbled forward.

"I - I didn't know they were taking pictures. I didn't! Oh god, anyone at Houston P.D. sees this... I'll be forced to resign."

"Why?"

"WHY? John ... that kind of behavior ... same sex love is highly frowned. There are some officers who would beat the crap out of me if they knew I liked men. Hell, there are some vice cops that would break my door down and just come help themselves to me! If Browning gave any kind of a report on what he and I were doing ... I will probably get my walking papers in the mail."

[Nobody is takin' you Levon! Nobody! Not while I'm around, and I ain't leaving any time soon.]

The ringing phone made both men jump. John clicked the film off and hit the Eject button as he crossed to the dining room to answer it.

"Lundy residence. .. Pardon ma'am. John Joseph LaFiamma. Eldest brother of Joe LaFiamma." John said, mouthing the words 'Lieutenant Beaumont.' "Just a minute ma'am. I'll have to help Levon to the phone."

Lundy's head hung low as he heard Joanne tell him that he was being terminated. He listened while she repeated what Browning had told Internal Affairs of their long term relationship... and about the film they had made.

"F-film?" Levon muttered in innocence. "God, Jo, I swear I didn't know they were taking pictures. It was suppose to be an all-male stag party. I understand. Listen Joanne, I don't want you to worry about this. Don't want my foolishness to bring down your career. Just have LaFiamma pack up my stuff and .... What do you mean Joe resigned? There ain't nothing against him."

Lundy smiled as his old partner and boss, former boss now, told him of answering the door at seven o'clock this morning to LaFiamma and two others who Brad referred to a spooks. They were all dressed in black boots, black cargo pants or black fatigues, black shirts and flak vests. She said stuff hanging off Joe's belt included the most recent stun gun she'd only seen in pictures. Pepper spray, and the biggest damn flashlight she'd ever seen in her life. Plus he was wearing his guns in plain view. Said Colonel Guthrie had presented him with an offer he couldn't refuse. That he got to kick down doors, and it was perfectly legal too. Levon couldn't help but laugh at the picture she was presenting of his partner.

"Just leave a note for LaFiamma and have him pack up my desk too. I'll get it from him. But ... what about our vacation time... will we get paid for that." Levon hung up the phone and looked at John.

"They terminated you because of this film?"

"Yeah."

"How'd they know about the film"

"Browning told them. He's in it too. From what Joanne .. Lieutenant Beaumont said, Browning knew they were filming it."

"Bastard!'

"My thought exactly. Speaking of which, I think the bastard is getting out of a cab right now."

"Leave him to me," John said moving off the door jamb he was holding up.

Lundy caught his hand. "No rough stuff. You can't kill him."

"Only if he makes a pass at you. Or hurts you. Then it will be self defense." John said with a grin jogging toward the back door.

Levon hobbled into the guest room, pushing a chair close to the window. He opened it then sat down in the chair to listen.

John never broke his stride once he reached the outside. He jogged up behind Browning and said, "May I help you sir?"

Quentin Browning whirled around, startled by the unfamiliar voice. "Who are you?"

"I've been assigned to assist Sergeant Lundy in the recovery of his injuries. You the dude that strung him up?" John LaFiamma said tightly.

Quentin swallowed. The cops asked him the same question. The doctors asked him the same question.

"Well, are ya?" John demanded.

"I don't know. LaFiamma slugged me when he found me and Lundy doing it in the barn. I don't remember anything after that."

"Doing it?" John asked innocently.

"We were naked! Climbing all over each other. Kissing each other. You got a problem with that big boy." Browning growled standing his ground. This man looked vaguely familiar but he couldn't place where he'd seen him before. "Now if you don't mind, me and Levon have some unfinished business."

"Levon ain't up to company yet. He's on crutches, and pretty much has to be carried from place to place."

Quentin stepped back a pace as John stepped forward.

"What the hell did LaFiamma do it him?"

"Strung the cowboy up by his balls, he did!" John replied biting his tongue to keep from laughing. This Quentin Browning was the dumbest dude he'd ever met.

"By the...the..." Browning was in shock. 

In the house, Levon had to touch his genitals to make sure they were okay. Listening to John almost made him believe that he had been hung that way. 

"Maybe you want to have a look at that horse you left here. Don't know how much you paid for it, but it ain't a true Appaloosa."

Quentin looked at Fooler and the other horse, than raced into the barn and came out again. "Okay, what the hell did you do with my horse!"

"This here Paint is your horse!" John replied pointing to the brown and white horse standing next to Fooler. "Night before last it rained. I was giving Levon therapy when I remembered the horses were out. Came out here and couldn't believe what I saw. Stuff was running off him. When I got him into the barn and started to dry him off, the color was all over the towels. I saved the towels if you want to see them."

Quentin was speechless. He'd been had. Three thousand dollars had. "I ain't got no use for a Paint. Tell Levon he can do whatever he wants with the thing. I'll take the trailer back to the rental place and head back to Dallas. How long before you think Levon will be able to have visitors?"

"Hard to tell. What is your reason for visiting him?"

"Like I told you before, I have unfinished business with him!"

"I am afraid Mr. Browning that your unfinished business is finished. You are no longer welcome here."

"Yeah, well you ain't going to be here forever. And when you're not, I'll be back."

"I am here to protect Levon whether it be ten days or ten years. To protect him from you - and from Joe LaFiamma. Joseph LaFiamma is an Italian Catholic. They hold grudges for years and years. What I am saying, Mr. Browning, is that it will take Joe a long time to get over being mad at you for putting Levon into a situation that he couldn't back out of. You are damned lucky he didn't string you up by the balls too. Now I would suggest you leave. If Levon wants to get in touch with you he can. But it would be ill-advised for you to come uninvited."

Levon watched from the window as Quentin got into his truck and left without taking the horse. He waited for John to turn and walk back to the house, but to his horror the man fell to his knees, burying his head in his hands. Lundy was on his feet. Did he miss something? Did Browning attack John? To hell with his pain, he ran, skipped... hopped through the house out onto the grass to John's side.

"John!" Levon screamed coming to a sliding stop. Dropping to his knees and then spiraled down to a sitting position. Lundy pulled the man's hands away from his face. John was crying. Why?

"John. Baby! Talk to me." Levon pleaded. Why is he crying? Levon ran everything through his head again. He couldn't understand what happened. Finally he asked. "John. Why are you crying?"

"Didn't like the way he talked about you. Like you were a piece of trash that he owned. I - wanted to kill that man. It took every ounce of strength in me to keep from smashing his head against his trailer. Not sure you would want me here when you found out I originally came to protect you from Joey."

"Originally?" Levon asked still not understanding.

"Now... now I found... my movie star. The man I been in love with for two years. Now I don't want to ever leave. Just want to kiss and kiss and fuck you for the rest of your life. But know you still love Joe. So there really ain't no hope for me."

Levon hung his head. He and Joe had been taking it slow. They were great friends, great partners, but when they went to bed the spark for what they were doing just wasn't there. Joe kept his apartment so they could split apart and try to figure out what was missing in their relationship.

Now John was here and in just two days he'd had cravings for the man that was keeping him awake at night. He'd had dreams about Joe but he'd never lain awake at night trying to figure out how to lay him.

"You know what I think?" Levon finally said.

"No."

"THIS!" Levon growled shoving John backwards onto the grass, climbing on top of him, kissing him, biting his lip. Sticking his tongue in John's mouth being careful not to touch the tongue. Driving the man wild by stroking the roof of his mouth. Levon drew back sadly relinquishing the mouth. He fumbled with John's belt buckle, opening up his pants, his zipper, pulling out the hard-on he felt pressing against his leg. He looked up and John was grinning at him. Doing the same thing to him.

Levon shoved his pants to his boots. Kicked one boot off and then other. The jeans slipped to the ground with the boot. The cowboy spread his buns and lower himself on John with one stuttering moan. "Carry me into the house, Johnny." Levon whispered, grasping John's shoulders as the man moved to a standing position.

A twinkle shined bright in John's black eyes. "Got new straw in Fooler's stall. What do you say we go there?" Without waiting for an answer John headed for the barn.

"Oh god, Levon. It feels so good to be inside you ... I ain't gonna make it to the barn." Johnny LaFiamma groaned sagging to the ground three feet from the barn door. He was coming already and Levon didn't have it yet. What the hell did Joe say... tongue in the mouth ... or ... suck tongue like a popsicle. Levon's mouth was open. He had to try it. Had to push out the demons dancing around in his head.

John lightly touched the cowboy's tongue with his. The sensation was different than when Levon had done it. He gently took the tongue in his mouth and starting sucking it. John felt a shiver go through his lover and then the man started to wildly bounce up and down jamming the cock deeper and deeper. John had all he could to hold the man.

When Levon went quiet, John was aware of something sticky on his stomach. Looking down he discovered that Levon had indeed had it ... all over him.

"Wanna go into house cowboy?"

"Nope. Want to stay right here."

"You and Joe have this kind of wild sex?"

Levon lifted his head from Johnny's shoulder. "No. No we didn't." Levon knew that what he and John had just experienced together was what he and Joe were lacking. "Joe and I love each other. We always will. But we weren't meant to be lovers."

"That mean we can be lovers?" John asked.

"That's what it means." Levon answered grinning into the face grinning back at him. 

Joe LaFiamma stood with his back to the wall still dressed as he was when he talked to Lieutenant Beaumont. Guthrie stood on his right, Devlin on his left. They were in the communication center of the Texas Bond Company. In front of Joe was a screen much like HPD had in the dispatch room. It told where every TBC vehicle was located. Each vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracking system. The Mercedes had On Star. There were seven cubicles with room for more. Each cube had its own computer and as well as a monitor to whatever business they had security for. Joe was amazed at the knowledge of the tech people. He had asked for a demonstration and they asked him for a name. He had given 'John Joseph LaFiamma' and a wealth of information came up ... date of birth, place of birth, parents name, grandparents, brothers, sisters, cousins, where they lived, his tours of tour in Vietnam, his injuries, his surgeries, who his surgeons were, his incarceration and why.. even what happened to him prison ... and more. Joe couldn't believe it. Joe'd been quiet after that. Then he'd left his post by the wall and walked into a cube and asked the man to get him the private number of a Federal Judge - Anthony Burger Royce. Within seconds the phone number was handed to Joe who then walked to a conference room on the opposite of the room to make a phone call.

As soon as Joe was inside the room, Guthrie asked Jackson who Joe wanted. A flash of concern darted across his face. Turning to Devlin, the Colonel said, "Stay with LaFiamma."

"Don't you trust him, Sir?" Devlin asked surprised at the Colonel's request.

"Of course, I trust him. I just haven't seen him in a lot of years. People will talk if I follow him everywhere."

"Right." Devlin said grinning. [We already know you're a couple Colonel, but hell I'll humor you.]

LaFiamma was surprised to see Devlin, not Guthrie enter the office.

"This is Sergeant Joe LaFiamma, Houston P.D. I am requesting to speak with Judge Royce. Yes ma'am. I'll wait." Looking Devlin, Joe asked, "You my babysitter?"

"Yes Sir."

"Whatever is said in this phone conversation stays in this office! If you tell Guthrie - you better damn well watch your back, because I'll take you down if I find out he knows about this conversation. Otherwise, step outside the door and make sure no one comes in."

Devlin looked over his shoulder at Guthrie who still stood against the far wall, and looked back at Joe. "I can't tell the Colonel? What if he grills me?'

"You give your name, rank, serial number and say 'you're not at liberty to answer the question.' Otherwise, you step outside the door, back to me, and make sure no one comes in here - including Guthrie."

"Yes sir." He opened the door, made a square turn and went into parade rest. An action that took Guthrie off the wall and into his face.

Joe was just greeting the judge went he looked up and saw the Colonel reaming Devlin. "Excuse me, Sir," Joey said, "got a ruckus at the door I have to settle."

LaFiamma opened the door just as Guthrie threatened Devlin. "IF you want to keep working here you will step aside and let me pass."

"I can't do that Sir. You asked me to stay with him. He asked me to stay out here."

"GUTH-THER-RE! Back off!" Joey barked loudly. The whole room went quiet. No one present had ever heard anyone tell the Colonel to back off. It wasn't done.

"If I can't make a personal phone call - in this building - without you or one of your spooks present to see what I'm doing - what I'm saying ... then perhaps I made the wrong decision in coming here." LaFiamma's sapphire blue eyes bore into his lover. "Now if you will excuse me, I am going back to my conversation with Judge Royce."

Everyone waited for the Colonel to slap LaFiamma. To dress him down. To make him crawl. Instead the man said. "You are right Joseph. I am out of line here. My apologies."

The men and one woman in the room shot glances at each. Eyes darted to the Colonel then to LaFiamma as he walked back into the conference room to finish his call. They stared at the Colonel as he returned to his spot on the wall, and Devlin went back to his post at the conference door.

As he reached the spot that he usually stood to view the communication center, Guthrie turned and barked to no one in particular. "If you don't have enough work here, I will gladly assign you extra details."

Chairs could be heard rolling, people were sitting, the last thing they needed was hours added to the eight they already worked.

When Joe finished his call, he opened the door and asked Devlin, "How can you afford to drive Land Rovers and Mercedes? Doesn't that eat up your capital?"

"They're leased," Devlin answered quietly as they walked back to the Colonel. "The Land Rovers come from a dealer in Virginia. Someone the Colonel knows. The Mercedes come from Dallas. Most have a ding or dent somewhere on them which they got in transport but which they can't put on the lot. People don't like to see new cars with dents in the fender or a hole in the windshield."

"Don't suppose I could put in for a Hummer?" Joe asked lightly.

"Gas guzzler.. not possible." Devlin answered, "I like them to. They are great for security detail if we're doing bodyguard duty. But can't afford eight miles to the gallon..

"Mercedes?"

"Mercedes SUV in black that I can do! The Colonel drives a Black Lexus."

As Joe took his position next to the Colonel, he said, "Sorry Leland, but that call was important to me. And to John. I didn't want interference". He raised his right hand and lightly touched Guthrie on the low back. He felt the man stiffened. Before he could tell the man what he wanted, Martin Chase walked into the room and told Joe that he had an important phone call. Martin led him to a small empty cube and had the call transferred up. Joe let Martin know he was expecting an important fax and to bring it to him as soon as it arrived.

"Yo, Estaban! Slow down." LaFiamma ordered. "What do you mean they terminated Lundy? What the hell for?" Joe listened in disbelief as Estaban told him about the snuff film, and that Browning had admitted he and Levon were long time lovers. "Bastard! He ever comes to town again, you bet you can have him. You know how Lundy took the news. Beaumont go out to see him. She called him!" She called him, damn. Was probably too upset to dare driving.

Joe hung up the phone and stood. Turning he found Guthrie and Devlin standing just outside the cube. Looking at Devlin, Joe said, "I'd like to take one of your Mercedes out. Or a Lexus." Looking at Guthrie, Joe said, "I'm going out to see Lundy, want to ride along?"

"I don't think that is a good idea, Joseph." Guthrie said his jaw tight.

"Colonel. From what Estaban just told me. Yes I need to go there and I need to go there now. These spooks," Joe said gesturing to the other men in the room. "they probably have been under your command a lot longer than I was. Our relationship is different." Joe watched Guthrie's eyebrows rise up just a tad. "You and I... we have a partnership in this business." Joe watched his lover visibly relax. "Now if you don't want me to go - you'll have to shot me to keep me from walkin' through that door." Joe stepped between them and started for the door. He was reaching for the handle when he heard Guthrie say, "Devlin. We'll be taking the Lexus."

"Yes sir. I'll call down and make sure it is gassed up." 

The black Lexus with Guthrie driving pulled into traffic twenty minutes later. Guthrie looked at Joe as he was folding a two page fax and putting into his jacket pocket. "Damn son, for a minute there... I thought you were going to tell them we were lovers!"

LaFiamma burst out laughing. "Don't think I need to do that Colonel. Think they already know."

"What do you mean they know? You've only been onboard for two days."

"But, since I arrived we are always together. And if Devlin refers a question to you, you refer to me. Plus there is the way we look at each and just smile. I think the smile pretty much gives us a way."

Dark eyes flashed at him through the rearview mirror.

"It's not a bad thing, Lee," Joe said softly touching his lover on the knee. "Not a bad thing at all. If they don't already know, they do after my outburst at you. No one - tells a Colonel -- to back off."

"What was with the touch on the back when we were standing by the wall?"

"It wasn't a pass if that is what worried you. I was just trying to get your attention. If I was making a pass ... I would have caressed your butt or traced a finger down your ass. Next exit is Highway D." 

"I think we better go get dressed, Levon. If Joe finds out you've been fired he might come out."

"Probably a good idea. Getting' a cramp in my leg from sittin' like this." 

"Looks quiet." Guthrie said as they pulled into the ranch and parked.

"Not much Levon can do, thanks to me." Joe said regret in his voice. "I want to talk with him alone. Don't give me that look! I'm not going to hurt him. I want to apologize actually. What happened between us today in the tub told me Levon and I never should have tried to be lovers. We had a good working relationship and we are great friends, but I don't love him the way I love you. There was never any passion in our love making. You and I have passion!"

"That mean I get to tie you down in the tub?" Guthrie asked knowing full well the answer was no.

"That means I get to tie you down again and again and again." Joe said with a smirk. "Now let's get in there before I drag you in the back seat and strip your pants down." 

"What are they doing?" Levon asked John who was standing at the living room window.

"They're talking. Joe's hand is on the dash and he is talking to Guthrie. Oh, oh. Here they come."

John was at the door opening it as the men walked up onto the front porch. The greetings were a cool hello all around.

Joe stepped into the entry and looked around. It was familiar territory. Joey reached up and touched Johnny's cheek. "What I told you helped, didn't it?" Joe said with a smile as his brother's ears turned bright pink.

"Levon!" Joey called.

"In the living room Joe."

"I need to speak with Lundy alone." Joe said.

John shook his head no, and moved between the living room and Joe.

"Stand down! John." Colonel Guthrie barked.

"No! He hurt Levon. I will not let him go in there alone."

"Johnny. It's okay." Lundy called from the living room.

Guthrie and Joe exchanged glances. [Johnny!]

"How about you and the Colonel stand right here in the hall. You can see everything then."

John agreed but he waited until Joe had pulled a chair up opposite Levon before he went and stood next to Guthrie.

Joey lightly touched the edges of the bandage, and then looked at the brace on his ankle. "What happened here?"

"I fell off one of those fucking beer cans! Twisted my damn ankle!"

Joe noticed the change in his partner's eyes. "Sorry about this Levon. Hope you forgive me one day. I just came unglued is all." He really hadn't realized the extent of his actions until he saw Levon's bandaged wrists...

"Don't make no nevermind, Chicago. If it had been reversed. I'd probably have beaten you with my fists and left you to die."

"You aren't telling John how much you really hurt though, are you?" Joe said tightly.

"The man's got enough on his plate, LaFiamma . He don't need to know that too."

LaFiamma heard John step forward and stop. Joe figured Guthrie grabbed him by the arm and held him back.

"Estaban called. Said you'd been fired over some gay porno film. What's that about?"

"Stupidity! Just like me and Browning was stupidity. Four years ago, he and me went to a rodeo friend's stag party. Dude was getting married and wanted one last wild fling. Twenty men - prancing around naked doing things they shouldn't. Joe, I gotta tell you," Levon's voice went soft, "I didn't know it was being filmed. I didn't. Didn't see any camera. Didn't see any flash. When I found John watching the film in the VCR this morning .... I damn near fainted on the spot."

Joe looked over his shoulder at his brother, whose eyes were staring a hole through Joe's back.

"Ain't his fault, Joe. He didn't know."

Joe started to reach inside his jacket, and heard the rush of feet behind. Heard Guthrie and Levon yell, "JOHN! NO!"

Joey sprang to his feet and grimaced as he turned to meet the threat. [What was with this sudden pain I got in my system? Damn, can't hardly move without hurtin'.] Joe knew right away John thought he was reaching for a gun. He turned to face his brother, raising his hands in a surrender mode. Then Joe dropped to his knees, his eyes never leaving on his brother.

Guthrie's jaw was tight. "Damn, Joseph. I told you we shouldn't have come."

John LaFiamma stopped abruptly confused by what Joey was doing. Going into a captured submission mode - what did that mean? "I - I thought". John said looking from Joe to Levon to Guthrie. "Thought he were going for his gun. "

"May I reach in my pocket and give some papers to Levon?" Joe asked his brother. When John nodded yes. Joey reached in with two fingers to retrieve the folded fax then he handed it to Lundy. "I want... ah... you still on friendly terms with that investigative reporter in Dallas? He might be interested in this."

Levon opened the papers, read them, his jaw dropping to the floor. He looked back at the first page and read it again, followed by the second page. "Joe, this fax is addressed to you. You know this guy? He's a Federal Judge for...?" Levon asked looking up, surprised to still see John and Joe in a standoff.

"Johnny. It's okay. Tell Joe he can get up. Please."

John LaFiamma extended a hand to his brother Joey still not sure whether he trusted the man. "Sor--ry." John said.

"You know me John. You had every right to think I might still hurt him. My actions have not been good. I am sorry for hurting Levon. I really am. But.. if something like this hadn't of happened. You and Levon never would have gotten together, and Guthrie and I ......" Joe's voice trailed off, his eyes moving to his lover a soft smile crossing his face.

John turned and looked at Colonel Guthrie then back and Joe. "You mean, you and him, are like me and Levon?"

"Yeah. We are."

"HOT DOG! I was afraid you'd be left alone. All by yourself if Levon and I got together. But if the Colonel's got you, man, that is great."

"Ah...John, I don't have him. He has me." Guthrie corrected his eyes moving from John to Joe.

Levon saw a soft smile begin to form on his partner's face. "That I do. That I do."

"Then that story I heard was true!" Johnny gasped staring wide-eyed at his brother.

"What story?" Leland and Joe voiced together.

"About Joey seducing his C.O. in the shower." John said grinning his eyes on Guthrie.

"There was no one in the shower. How would anyone know what happened there?" Guthrie questioned.

Johnny grinned. He knew a secret they didn't. "What I heard was ... the Colonel was seen going into the officer's showers, and five minutes later Lieutenant Joseph LaFiamma went in... not heeding the 'Do Not Disturb' sign the Colonel had tacked on the door. An hour later the Colonel came out with a smile on his face. A smile that lasted for over a week. Then Joe came out about a half hour later.. whistling."

The two ex-Marines look as each other. All their careful planning shot to hell at the first meeting. They couldn't believe it.

"Then," John continued, "I heard you got transferred to his personal staff. Bet that was cushy?"

"Personal staff?" Joe choked a frown spreading across his face, his eyes changing as he looked to Guthrie.

Colonel Guthrie stepped into the living room from the hall. "It wasn't my personal staff. I had you transferred to my mission team. If anything happened to you on a mission. I wanted to be there. I didn't want to get second hand information that you were wounded or worse."

"Damn, Colonel! I wished you had explained that to me then. I was the only one who had less than two years in the Corps that was on that team. I can't tell you the number of times I was propositioned ... because they were sure I was your fuckin' buddy. Why else would a junior officer suddenly be transferred in."

Levon watched the Colonel's face turn green. He looked like he was on the verge of throwing up. The cowboy motioned John to get Guthrie to a chair and watched as the man sagged into it.

It was Levon who got his partner's attention and motioned Joe to the man. "LaFiamma." The cowboy said tightly nodding to where the Colonel sat with his head in his hands.

Joe walked over and knelt next to his lover

Colonel Leland Guthrie looked up sadness in his teary eyes. "The - the first time I saw you was during your basic training. You were just in from a twenty mile run. Your skin was slick with sweat - and damn if you hardly looked winded." Guthrie's black eyes held his lover captive. "You stripped down right where you stopped. Right down to your shorts. I would venture to say every man within thirty feet of you instantly went hard. You wrung the sweat out of your shirt and undershirt, out of your pants then put them all back on. From that moment I knew I had to find a way to get you into my unit. When I got back to my office in Virginia, I requested a copy of your dossier. I spent a weekend reading it." Leland paused in his confession, allowing his hand to gently trace Joe's jaw line, stopping short of his mouth.

Unconscious of his movement, Joe's hand moved Guthrie's fingers to his mouth. Giving them a light kiss.

"I had read and reread it about seven times and couldn't find any reason that made sense to have you transferred in. I was so angry, I threw the thing against a wall, and out dropped a little cassette tape. It was in an envelope that I hadn't noticed taped to the back of the folder. I put it into my recorder and spent the rest of the night listening to your voice. I played it over and over and over again. It was the tape you made of the languages you spoke. At 0h-six-hundred, I called my C.O. and told him that I wanted you in my unit as soon as possible. That you had to be there before my next mission. That I wasn't going to be caught in Europe again without someone who really spoke the language. When I told him you could replace two linguists I already had because you spoke Russian, French, and Italian, plus others... he agreed."

Joey now had both of the Colonel's hands clasped in his. His eyes never wavering. He had completely lost contact with Levon and John, he concentrated solely on his lover words.

"And the shower?" Joey asked.

"Yes the shower." A grin crossing the officer's face. "I had the water on already when I discovered I hadn't picked up any towels. I was just putting them over my shoulder when I heard the door open and close. I stepped into the shadows at the end of the lockers to see who this dumb fool was that dared walk through the 'Do Not Disturb' sign. When I saw it was you... I held my breath to see what you were going to do. When you started to undress - I almost stopped breathing. "

"As I recall, your towel was over your left shoulder." Joey said with a smirk.

Guthrie's eyes went wide. "YOU. KNEW. I WAS. THERE!!"

"Colonel. I don't strip like that for just anyone!" Joey said pulling the man in for a light kiss.

"I looked into your eyes that day after that run and saw nothing but love looking back at me. You were scared shitless. Obviously you never had feelings like that for a man before. Yet I knew then that we'd be together. Knew then ... you'd find a way to bring me to you. I stripped after that run for you, Colonel. No one but you."

"Then you did seduce me in the shower!"

"Well, Sir, you had to get me there first. But yeah, I stripped for you. Slow and methodical, exposing my shoulders, my chest, my hips, my butt, my hard-on. It was for you. And when I walked into the shower - I knew already that seducing you would be easy because you wanted me there bad. If you didn't, you would have dressed me down and told me to get the hell out of your private time."

"You were my first man." Leland said in a bare whisper. "Hell, you have been my only man! I was engaged once. Really thought I loved her. I wouldn't quit the Corps for her so she broke it off. After our shower.., I knew what she and I had was nothing. I wanted you more than life itself. I knew the whore I visited in Italy would never satisfy me again."

Joey leaned forward to give his lover a very intimate kiss. He hadn't wanted to do it in Levon's living room, but he knew he had to reassure his lover that his confession didn't change what was happening between them.

"W-O-W!" John exclaimed when the two broke apart. "Will you teach me how to do to Levon?"

Joey laughed. He turned to his brother's flushed face and said, "I think you and Levon have to find your own way. Levon has some experience in kissing. I can attest to the fact that he is a very good kisser."

"LaFiamma!"

"Well, you are Levon! We may not have had much going for us in bed... but we both are definitely great kissers."

"Joseph? Pleassseee...." Guthrie rasped his voice ragged with want.

"Lee. We ... we don't have any place to go. Your man Martin told my landlord I didn't need my apartment anymore. He had all my stuff taken to TBC. I'm homeless. And I sure the hell don't want to do it the back of the SUV."

"Joe," Levon said lightly, standing and reaching for the crutches he hadn't used since he left the hospital. "Just do it right here. John and I got other things to do."

"Levon," John said in a bare whisper. "We could fix the attic up for them. I mean if it were Guthrie's kin that once owned the place then ... well, it would give them a private place and we'd still get to see them."

"Better sound proof, if you do." Joe said putting his attention back to Lee.

Joey waited until John and Levon were in the hall before he pulled Guthrie to the floor. He opened Lee's pants, and slowly unzipped them, reached for the man's shorts and found none. "Since when have you been going commando?"

"Since we left on the mission. Didn't want to worry about any extra clothes lost by the wayside if we had the chance to connect. Faster with no underwear." Lee whispered with a grin.

"You are full of surprises Colonel." Joe said as he pulled his own pants down and kicked them off.

"No more surprised then I am that we are making love on your ex-lover's living room floor."

"Didn't want to lose the moment," Joe muttered leaning forward to attack his lover's mouth. Grasping Lee's hands, Joe held them above the man's head. His tongue pushed deep into Lee's mouth, tracing a scar line from near the mouth to the inside of the cheek. Then tracked in a zigzag pattern along the roof of Lee's mouth. Joe released his grip on Lee's hand and mouth.

"Damn, I - I can't hold it much longer Joe."

LaFiamma glanced down to his lover's cock and watched the prelim start to ooze. Moving his head downward, his tongue caught the juice before it fell from the cock's head. His mouth pulled the head in. Tongue tracing the edge before swallowing more. Levon thought Joe was the greatest here, but Joe knew he was not as good at cock sucking as his lover, he preferred to bring his lover up onto him and kiss him, but now he concentrated on getting Lee off this way. Later he would lift the man onto his own hard organ.

"OHGODDDDDDD! JOOOOSEPH!" Guthrie screeched as he exploded down Joe's throat. 

In the kitchen John almost dropped the open coffee can into the sink when he heard the Colonel scream.

Levon looked down the hall toward the living room and back at Johnny. "Joe wasn't kidding when he said to soundproof it. Figure from the size of it up there, a nice bedroom and living area would work. What do you think?"

"Don't need a kitchen. Joey already knows his way around this one. No problem to put a bathroom up there either. Can do it right above the one down here. You okay with fixing it up for them?"

"He's my partner, John. We've been through a lot in the last five years. I feel a lot better already ... knowing he is going to still be close by. You have a problem with it?"

"Long as he doesn't take you to bed or hurt you... I don't have a problem with them. They got to have a private place of their own. Texas Bond is monitored. There are cameras in the garage parking, in the elevator, the communication center, the gym, the pool and the billiards' room. Guthrie's apartment on the top floor isn't monitored but it isn't real homey either. Kind of sterile. Real modern. Your place here is homey. This place is nice. And... when you start working for TBC no one will think twice about them coming out here all the time."

"It's awful quiet down there," John said. "Think I'll just tiptoe down and see if they are okay." 

Joey had retrieved a condom and lube from the drawer of the couch's end table. Put them on and had positioned Lee's legs on his shoulders and started penetration when John peeked around the corner and looked into the living room. .

"I like when you call me Lee," Guthrie said. "Not Colonel, or Leland. Definitely not Jethro. Haven't been called Lee since I was a kid. I like it."

"You like this too?" Joe asked as he pumped.

"Like it slower... slow-er.... " Lee's eyes closed and he muttered words John didn't understand.

"Want . want to go back to you being in charge... Want to go back to being tied down. You having your way with me. Whatever way that is."

"LEE-VON!" Joe shouted desperation in his voice.

"Joey, what do you need?" John asked quietly from the hall.

Joe glanced at John. The man was standing there wide-eyed his jaw to the floor.

"Need to use Levon's bed. Need something to tie Lee's hands to the headboard."

Joe watched John disappear. Minutes later Levon was there telling him the bed was ready. Joe shucked out of his remaining shirt, and pulled Lee onto his lap. The man grabbed Joe around the waist and LaFiamma let out an unearthly scream of pain. He rolled backwards and pulled himself up into a fetal position.

"Joe? Joseph!" Guthrie yelled crawling to his lover lovemaking all forgotten. Levon and John rushed into the room almost knocking each other down.

Guthrie gently touched Joe's shoulder and rolled the man over onto his back. He stared gaping at the black and red spot on Joe's rib cage. He knew the yellow spots were pus... infection ready to spread. "He should have told me! Didn't he know the danger?"

"What the hell you talkin' about, Colonel?" Lundy questioned scrambling to his partner, holding his whimpering head.

"Call 911! Get a Med-Vac chopper out here fast." Guthrie all but shouted. He reached back and fumbled for his cell phone, yanking it out of his pocket he flipped it open quickly punching in numbers.

"CALL 911 - DO IT! If we don't get him to a hospital soon - he will die!"

"D-Die?" John and Levon gulped together.

"Guthrie here - get me Nancy Chase - urgent! ...Nancy! I'm at Lundy's ranch. Looks like Joe got stung by Tony's lizard... Meet us at the ER with the necessary paperwork."

Next he went down his contact list for Tony LaFiamma's private number in New York. He didn't give a damn what the man might be doing, he knew Tony would pick up on the ring though he was getting damn inpatient with the man for not answering.

Levon got a taste of Colonel Guthrie's anger as he spat into his phone. "I don't give a damn how many people you have arriving for dinner. That lizard that went after Amanda Corson... that Joe grabbed and threw... it got him! He's on the floor in agony the pain's already started. We have a chopper coming. Nancy Chase is on her way to the ER. See you when you get in." Without waiting for an answer he flipped the phone shut.

"John ... Get that condom off and let's get Joe's pants on. Then let's gather up his clothes and you can bring them into the hospital with you when you and Levon come. I'll have Devlin send someone out for the Lexus." 

Nancy Chase rushed into Memorial Hospital's Emergency Trauma Center and sought out their Trauma Chief Ezra Stone. He was not at all happy to see her when she started explaining why she was there and what soon would be going down.

Dr Stone glanced over the material he was presented and then shocked Nancy when he said he had been on the staff in Washington D.C. a few years ago for one of these bites. "This man who is being flown in ... how long ago did he receive the bite?"

"Three days ago. He was part of the team that rescued the Chandler family in Latin America. His name is Joe LaFiamma." Nancy Chase answered.

"JOEY? Sergeant Joseph LaFiamma? Oh god!" The doctor looked stricken.

"You know him?"

"Joe and his partner Levon Lundy have been patients here a number of times when they have gotten in the way of flying bullets. But Joe and I are new board members for Taylor Orphanage. Damn! His kids are going to be really hurting when he doesn't show up tomorrow night." Ezra said as he walked to the ER dispatch operator.

"His kids?" Nancy gasped grabbing the doctor's arm. "He has children!"

Dr. Stone stopped abruptly and looked at her. "They aren't his own kids. They are troubled kids that he's working with. He was down their path once and he is doing his best to get their feet back on the right path. Now let's check on that chopper and see if they have arrived at Lundy's ranch yet." 

Two EMTs were in Levon's living room struggling to get Joey calm when their ER dispatcher came online to them. Dr. Stone wanted a status report, and then gave them the following orders. "This man is in pain. Just touching his skin will make him scream. You need to start an IV - straight saline solution. Have someone hold his shoulders down, and others hold his legs down. He will fight you! He will scream! But you have GOT to do it regardless. Once the IV is in ... start a mild sedative just enough to calm him down. NO - repeat NO pain killers. He has to be conscious when he comes in here. He needs to be able to talk to me when he comes in here. Let me know when you are airborne. Tell Colonel Guthrie - Mrs. Chase is here, and I am setting up a room for his man."

An exhausted EMT looked at John and told him to hold down their patient's shoulders. Levon and Guthrie each took a leg. Tears stained John's face as he held his screaming brother down. He didn't dare look at the Colonel or Levon, he knew they were hurting as much as he to see Joey in so much pain.

"Johnny!" Joey yelped in a little boy voice. "Johnny ... don't leave me again."

"I'm here, little brother. I ain't leaving any time soon. Just take it easy."

"You're his brother?" One EMT asked. "You the one riding along with us?"

"No sir," John said, "Colonel Guthrie is riding with you. I am driving Levon in."

"Yeah, I recognize Sergeant Lundy. But usually only family mem ...."

"I'm Guthrie!" He snapped sharply. "LaFiamma and I are lovers. That personal enough for you son? Now how about getting this man airborne - you stand around jawing much more and my Marine here is going to die on you. And I'll be damn if I am going to let that happen on my watch!!" 

The Trauma Center was busy that night. A light rain had caused some accidents on the highway. Joe was whisked in and down the hall into an Isolation area. The waiting room for Isolation was small and spilled out into the Outpatient Surgery's waiting room.

Friends of Joe came and went. Some sat. Some paced. His partner Levon Lundy stood in a corner with John Joseph LaFiamma explaining the fax sent to Joe from Judge Royce. Levon had called his friend in Dallas and had already heard back from the man. He was personally contacting the judge to get in on this. The fax said the judge was opening up an investigation regarding John's and other 'Nam vets incarceration after the war, and that some of the vets had been declared dead when they were instead being used as expendables on special operations missions. Little did anyone know that Royce's call to a Washington Post investigative reporter was going to end with a Congressional investigation. John's main worry was, how his family in Chicago would accept him finding out he wasn't dead like Uncle Mikey had said he was.

Devlin James and two others from Texas Bond spilled into the Outpatient waiting area.. Houston cops Annie Hartung, Estaban Gutierrez and Carol O'Brien had been in and out. Even Lieutenant Beaumont had come and talked to Lundy. Dr. Stone had his nurse notify Taylor Orphanage that Joe was seriously injured and would not be able to meet with his kids tomorrow... that their next meeting depended on Joe's recovery.

Colonel Guthrie stood stoically in front of Isolation's double doors staring at the bright red sign that said - AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. More than an hour had passed since Devlin had tried to get him to sit, but it was like talking to a wall.

John and Devlin saw Tony and Allen LaFiamma getting off the elevator and jogged off to meet them. Letting them know that Joe was in Isolation and surgery was being done there.

Allen went with Devlin to the waiting room, Tony walked over to Guthrie. "Come on Colonel." Tony said gently. "Standing here isn't going to help Joe. You look exhausted. He's going to need you fresh. Come, sit."

Guthrie looked at Tony then back at the door. "I should have seen the bite before today." He said softly. "Hell, we have been making love since we were on the plane, and every day we've been back. Why didn't I notice it? He was irritable and irrational today. I should have known that was not the norm."

Conversation was at low murmur and stopped abruptly when a tall, lean, middle-aged woman in surgical scrubs stepped through the doors. "I understand someone is arriving who has survived one of these bites. Is he here yet?"

"Tony LaFiamma , ma'am, One of Joe's cousins." Tony answered, extending his hand, "What do you need?"

Doctor Emily Holland gave him a quick once over and said, "I need to talk with you privately in here.. please."

"Ah.. Colonel Guthrie here has..." Tony started not sure he wanted to through those doors alone.

"The Colonel has already helped us considerably, sir. You are the one we need now. Please, come with me."

"Damn, I hate hospitals." Tony growled.

"Just remember you're here for Joe. He hates them even worse than you do." Guthrie said sharply.

"Ain't that the truth!" Levon muttered loudly, bringing a smile to Guthrie's otherwise sour face. 

Thirty minutes later Tony LaFiamma pushed open the double doors, grabbed Guthrie around the waist and propelled him into the waiting room. All conversation stopped, waiting for this newest addition to tell them what was happening.

"The surgeon wanted to see my scars." Tony said to the group. "I was bit by one of the same things a few years ago. They say Joey is lucky. He was wearing a jacket and a flak jacket, plus a couple of shirts... so he didn't get full venom to kill him outright. Those black spots you saw on him Colonel, was dead skin.. where the tip of the lizard's tongue got through his clothes. They might have to do some skin grafts to close up what they had to cut away. They have his jacket and vest in the lab here. It's got most of the poison on it, but what got into his bloodstream has slowly been pulling him down. From the ambulance and squad cars I saw on the tarmac near the plane we came in on, I would say the antidote for him was probably on our plane."

Tony looked at Guthrie. "Had the pain started on him yet?"

"Today! I grabbed him around the waist at Levon's ranch. He screamed and fell into a fetal position. Screamed bloody-murder when the EMTs touched him. We had to hold him down while they got an IV started. It was. Hell. For. All of us."

"I told Doctor Holland I'd seen a man driven insane by the pain of one of those bites. She said once the antidote got here his pain would start to go down and would stop the poison from attacking his system. Due to a five car pileup on the freeway, Joe's going to be kept here in Isolation. It's quieter and we'll be able to stay with him without disturbing the critical nursing staff. Otherwise he would be put in Critical Care. He's going to be heavily sedated for the first couple of days. I agreed to this. Otherwise they would have to restrain him, and I didn't want him coming awake that way. Something happened to him once, I don't know what, but if he wakes up and is tied down he goes berserk."

"He was raped ... in high school," Levon said quietly so only Tony, Allen, John and Lee heard him.

"What!!?" Tony and Allen gasped. "When?"

"His junior year. Some jocks. Tied him face down in the locker room. Told him he was too pretty to be a cross country runner. That he'd do better in one of his uncle's brothels. He said he didn't know how many took him ... but one was captain of the football team that year and another was someone he ran with in cross country. The janitor found him. Took him to a free clinic, had him checked. Ask them not to let his uncle know what happened to him. Joe said there was no evidence there the next day. He figured the janitor went back and cleaned up the blood that was on the floor."

Tony and Allen exchanged glances and Guthrie said something in a language Levon didn't understand. Allen nodded and left the group. Allen knew Aunt Teresa had all of Joey's school yearbooks. It wouldn't be hard to track down the football captain, or the name of the janitor. He already knew a weak link is that chain of the football players that might tell them the rest of the names. Revenge is coming Joey. We may be late, but we take care of our own, and it won't be Uncle Mikey doin' the revenge. It will be those Marines you saved from near death, the Pollocks and the Greeks from Chicago's south side.

"Dr Holland suggested we all go home for a couple of days and get some rest, however I told her there would always be someone in his room... it was the way this family works... they would just have to work around us."

He looked from Levon to Guthrie. "I figure between us three LaFiamma's and you and Levon, we can have him covered twenty-hours a day. I don't want him waking up with no one there." Tony said.

"Agreed!" Came the unison answer. 

Allen stood at a bank of phones on the first floor of the hospital. He called information first to get the phone number of Theophilus Alexander. Once he got Theo on the phone, Allen explained his call. He felt Theo's rage through the connection. Found out that the football captain was running for some State of Illinois seat in the legislature, and that Sal Sebastian had given support to the man. However, Theo said it would be a blow to have Sal withdraw his support and he knew he would once he learned what happened to Lieutenant LaFiamma when in high school. Especially since this guy was toting his football years. Allen smiled as Theo told him not to worry. He'd get back to him on who all was involved and they would make sure the guys paid, regardless of what they were doing in life now. 

Twelve hours. Twenty-four hours. Thirty-six hours. And still the object of their love lay before them unmoving on a hospital bed. Levon's long sleeved shirts covered his healing wrists, and his tight boots supported his sprained ankle that was causing him more problems than his wrists. Colonel Guthrie ... was sporting a three day beard.

"Levon?" Guthrie whispered into the ear of the cowboy who was sacked out between two chairs in Joe's room. "Any change?"

"Nope." The Texan said rubbing his eyes. Standing he slowly stretched to easy out his stiff muscles. "Thought you weren't due till later."

"Allen's here to take over early. I got a call from a realtor this afternoon. Seems Joe looked at a house a couple months back. Know anything about that?"

The two looked at Allen who took over the chairs Levon abandoned. As they left the room, Levon told Guthrie about the house Joe had found and really loved but he had been beat out by another buyer putting in a higher bid.

"Well," Guthrie said with a gloat. "The dudes couldn't get a loan ... got rejected, and now Seller wants to deal with the other interested buyer, which is Joe. I told this realtor, Sandy Davis, that you and I would meet her at the place. I got money I can put down until Joe's ready. Or hell I'll just pay for it and give him the house. I got money I haven't used in years, about time I showed the boy how much I really love him. She said you had been there with Joe. Do you remember where it is?"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll drive!" Levon said hobbling out of the hospital toward the Visitor's Parking lot. [If Joe had told me weeks ago that I'd be this friendly with his lover, I'd have given him one of my looks. But hell I like the man. And there's no doubt he's really in love with Joe.]

"Tell me about this place." Guthrie asked as they left the hospital parking lot.

"It's in a place called The Forest. One of a handful of developers around here who actually leave the old trees up and build around them instead of taking everything down and putting in saplings. As I remember this place is on a dead end street. Has kind of a circle drive in the front. Brick house. Something Joe wanted. Kind of reminds him of Chicago. Think they were leaving a pool table too."

"Hmmm, satin sheets on a pool table. Tied down waiting pleasure. Now that's something I can look forward too."

Lundy shot a glance at the man riding with him. From the look on Guthrie's face it was something the man had already experienced and was licking his lips in anticipation of doing it again.

They pulled up to the house and Guthrie was out of the Jimmy before Levon had turned off the ignition. He walked into the house and introduced himself to Ms. Davis and asked for a walk through. He asked questions of her and Levon and stopped dead when they ended up in a family room obviously added on to fit the pool table.

Guthrie shot several questions in the direction of the realtor, his eyes never leaving the pool table. Finally after getting answers to selling price, taxes, closing costs. He said, "How much cash does the present owner want to walk away with?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Let me put it this way, Ms. Davis. Joe wanted this house before and he lost it. It's available now. Unfortunately he's unconscious in a hospital. If I decide I want to buy it for him. It would be a cash deal. I would want to close by Saturday and I want possession by Monday because on Tuesday his things are going to be moving in here. You go call your sellers see if they want to deal."

"What do you think Levon? Would he want the house still?" Guthrie asked. The only thing he liked about the place was the pool table.

"Damn, Colonel. I don't know. He was real upset when he lost it ... but then he figured it was fate that he didn't get it and there was something else out there for him. Any chance I can look at your place before you make a deal here?"

"Absolutely. I should probably show you that anyway. Give you a chance to make your decision about working for me."

"Ms. Davis. Check with your seller. Then call this number," Lee said taking out his wallet to retrieve a business card. "In the meantime, I'll give Levon a tour of our facility and see if we can't make a decision on this house. I'll let you know later today." 

Levon followed Guthrie's directions and gaped at the building he was turning into. "Damn! I didn't know the Texas Bond Company was part of the original old Houston Bank building. The original space is over hundred years old. You keepin' that stone work on the front?"

"We are. Turn into that drive. Then put this card into the slot and the doors will open for you."

Lundy did as he was told, then handed the card back to Lee. He drove into a very modern looking parking garage and parked under a sign that said 'Visitor's Parking.'
As they got out of the Jimmy, Guthrie explained that everything here is monitored. The whole garage. The elevators. The stairwells. All the offices. The gym, the swimming pool."

"You got a swimming pool here? Joe would love that. He takes the kids he works with at the orphanage to the YMCA whenever he has a free weekend. Buy him a pool table and put it somewhere ... and he wouldn't need a house."

Guthrie smiled. A pool table is a lot cheaper than a house, he thought. "We also have sales offices for the security business we're starting. Plus some studio apartments for some of the people who work here and would rather live here than elsewhere...."

Taking out the card that got them into the garage, Guthrie motioned Levon to the elevator. "I'll take you up to the apartment I have here ... see what you think. Then show you our communication center. Then you can tell me your opinion on the house, though I think from the look on your face, we can let the house go."

The two men stepped out of the elevator into a wide open foyer. Lundy slowly walked in trying to get a feel of the place. It was modern ... much like Joe's old apartment. The living room had a fantastic view of the city. "Bet this is a gorgeous view at night," he said. They walked through the dining room, the kitchen, the guest rooms and into the master bedroom. Levon's hands lightly touched the walls in each room. His eyes scanned the master bedroom .. a king-size bed, the dressers ... what looked like a closet ... then he saw the bathroom and walked directly there without touching anything in the bedroom. Levon stood in the gigantic master bath staring at the huge shower, the jazucci tub, the double sinks, big open linen closet.

"Nice shower?" Levon said as Guthrie came and stood beside him.

"Joe take you in the shower?" Guthrie asked quietly.

"Our first time. Our only time, really. Damn he was good. I wanted him so bad. It was only later I realized he was calling me 'Lulu' when he was at his hottest point." The blond turned and looked at the light pink blush on Guthrie's face. "Reckon he's always been yours Colonel. Always will be. Probably called countless other men by the same name. You take good care of him - or I'll whip your butt." Levon said with a smirk.

Guthrie laughed. "You telling me, Joe doesn't need a house anymore?"

"I think he has everything he needs right here, Lulu. How about showing me the rest of TBC and then let's get back to the hospital. Don't want our man to know we aren't keeping our visual." 

Twenty minutes later Levon and Guthrie walked back into the lobby of Memorial Hospital and took the elevator up to the fourth floor. "Now if we can just get Joe conscious and home, he'll do a lot better." Levon said.

"Glad I had you along on this house deal. I didn't want to buy something if he had changed his mind. If it is still for sale and he wants it, we can look at it together. Don't suppose we can smuggle him out ... can we?"

"Nope, but once he's awake, we better get him out or he'll disappear on his own."

"Has he?"

"Yup." 

Four days since he collapsed and still he sleeps. The sedatives have been withdrawn. His blood work is clear. Doctors are at a loss as to why he still isn't conscious. Tony and Allen have been sent back to Washington. John has been banished to the ranch to take care of the horses. Guthrie and Levon now take turns holding up the wall in Joe's private room.

"Any word on the bones in that trunk, Levon? I gave them a blood sample." Lee asked.

"They said it was going to take a while, Lee. But I got the impression that they aren't related to you. Got a call before I left this morning. Looks like the bones and a skull found in one of the wooden boxes belong to more than one person. They said they might want to do a 'dig' on the ranch. Not sure I like that."

"I called a Great Aunt in New Jersey. Asked her about information that was in the newspapers. Practically fell over when she told me she has saved copies of the same paper for years. She's sending them to me. Damn. It was like reading my own obit when I read that headline."

Joe listens to the banter of the two men in his room but can't make out what they are saying. He recognizes Levon but the other is a mystery to him until his partner calls the man Lee. They turn toward him when he repeats the name. "Lee." Not realizing he'd said the name out loud.

"Joseph." Lee says anxiously, beginning one of his lover's hands to his mouth. "Joe. Come back to us."

"You look like shit, Colonel." Joey rasped softly opening his eyes. "But I like the beard... you gotta keep that. ... Levon, how... how long I been here?"

"Four days. How you feeling?"

"Well ... don't feel like I have Chicken's hot salsa running through my veins anymore. Haven't wanted to move for a least a day. Afraid that pain would have me disturbing the whole hospital."

Lee gasped. "You've been laying here for a whole day not moving."

"The pain was bad, Lee. Worst I've ever had. Worse than being shot. I almost went stark raving mad just making love to you at Levon's house. If I laid still it didn't hurt as much. If I moved ... it was hell."

"Well, love," Guthrie said softly. "If you don't get better soon, Levon and I are thinking of smuggling you out of here and taking you home."

"Home?" Joe asked looking at the grins on both his friends.

"Home... at TBC or at Levon's ranch. John and friends have been working day and night on the Guthrie LaFiamma attic love nest." Lee said with a grin. "Or if you want I can call your realtor. The house you wanted in The Forest is available again ... if it is something that you want to buy."

"Lee and I went to look at the house three days ago. But I told him not to buy it. After looking at the apartment at TBC and what John is doing at the ranch ... figured you didn't really need a house." Levon said.

"Looks like you two have become best buddies in the last four days." Joey said looking from one to the other.

"We're just two guys who love you LaFiamma." Levon said with a grin.

"Just so only one of you crawls into my bed," Joey said pulling the hand that still held his to his lips for a kiss. "Can't wait to see that love nest. John wants some hands on sex training on how to satisfy his lover. Best place to do it is on the ranch."

"Hands on... now wait a minute LaFiamma!" Levon gulped blush covering his face.

"Nice to know you boys are getting along again." Guthrie said with a grin. "Can't wait for you two to start working for me. Going to be one hell of a ride. And I guarantee you won't get suspended for kicking in a door!"

"What do you say Lundy? Want to be partners again?" Joey said his blue eyes sharp.

"Thought you'd never ask!" Levon replied, giving Joe their clenched fist shake.

August 2006 ....

Continued in … Piranha

Chapter Text

Joey thanked the nurses as they walked his wheelchair back into the main entrance of the hospital. Turning he saw his partner, Levon Lundy, sprinting toward Guthrie’s white Lexus.

“You’re letting Lundy drive your Lexus? Hell, you don’t let me drive it. Something has definitely changed here.”

“We got to know each other over the last week. I told him you belonged to me and no one else… and he could enjoy John who, by the way, is extremely happy living on Levon’s ranch”

LaFiamma watched two cars enter the parking lot and come to a stop in front and in back of the Lexus as Levon parked in the circle drive.

“Okay Lee! What the hell have you done now? We have the FBI and HPD’s Fraud detectives here.”

LaFiamma moved off the Lexus to greet the Assistant FBI Director with a handshake and a slap on the shoulder. “Okay, Franklin, what brought you out of your office on a nice day like this?”

Franklin Montgomery laughed. “For one, Samantha wants an update on your health. I am beginning to believe what she says about you. You are indestructible. I’m looking for Colonel Guthrie.”

“I’m Guthrie.”

“I have a warrant for Nancy and Martin Chase. I was told they work for you.”

“I have employed Mr and Mrs Chase for three years. I couldn’t get along without them.”

“Well, for one. They are brother and sister not husband and wife. Two, they have worked for you the longest of anyone who has hired them. And three, everyone who has hired them has died of arsenic poisoning within days after they leave town…and all bank accounts were emptied. We have warrants for pre-meditated murder and embezzlement.”

“Hand me your phone!” Joey barked sharply into Lee’s face. Shaky hands lifted it from a buttoned pocket.

Stepping away from the car, Joe speed dialed Devlin.

“It’s Joey. Don’t say my name. Go into a secure area and let me know when you’re there.”

“We were just leaving the hospital when the FBI arrived. Nancy and Martin Chase are wanted for murder and embezzlement. Box up whatever she has put in the break room. All their victims died of arsenic poisoning. Get Amy, Jesu and Carter on the bank accounts now! Any employee that has given Martin access to their funds had better call their bank. Tell Hulk to get his robotic mouse up on the Chase’s floor and then call them to say that animal that Nancy mentioned has been seen and to stay in their apartment. The FBI are on the way and we are right behind them.”

“She brought in a big cake with fancy frosting; am on my way back there now. Hulk is here. I’ll alert him. Fraud detectives were here earlier. Your realtor is a scammer. They want to set up a sting.”

“Yeah, they are here too. I’ll have them follow us back. Have someone met us at the security gate. I want Guthrie and Lundy kept away from the take down. And Devlin, I want everything you can find on 1935 Iris Lane.”

“You got it. Take it easy on the Colonel; he’s been worried sick about you.”

Joey walked back to the car and tossed Lee’s phone back to him. “Tell Levon to move over, I’m driving.”

Walking around the front of the Lexus, LaFiamma looked at one of the detectives. Then he stopped and stepped up close so only the two Houston Police detectives could hear him.

“You pay someone off, Hanson. Levon gets fired but you and your buddies still keep their jobs. How does that work?” LaFiamma growled low in his throat.

“We don’t make porn films….”

“Look up ‘Quentin Browning’ online.You’ll see all kinds of things he and his photographer friend have filmed. Five of you were also at that bachelor party for that rodeo star,” Joe ground out as two faces stared back at him.

“Walker’s bachelor party? That’s what that was?” One detective gasped his face going white.

“Shit!”

-=-=-=-=-

“Joseph! What are you doing?” Lee growled as Joe tapped the bumper against the security gate.

“Just seeing if anyone is awake, Lulu. Don’t get yourself in a funk.”

“Joey! Boy, are we glad to see you!” A hunk of man said as he bent low to see who was in the car.

“Jimmy. Behind us are two FBI agents. Be sure you scan in their ID. They have a van coming too. Make sure the guys in the back of the van are scanned also.”

“Behind the FBI are a couple of Houston officers. They were here earlier. Smart mouths,” Jimmy said.

“Yeah. Scan them in and have someone escort them to Guthrie’s office on the first floor.”

“Joe, you sure you want them in the Colonel’s office. It’s kind of a tribute to you, man.”

Joe looked at Lee who just shrugged.

“What’s there?” Joey questioned.

“You shaking hands with the President. Guthrie’s team and you. You sitting in a chopper signing with someone. And one that says triplets…”

“Triplets are me, Allan and Tony. Not a problem. Escort them there and be sure they stay. Don’t want them involved in the FBI take down.”

-=-=-=-=-

Nancy Chase slowly opened her apartment door only to have it pulled from her hand.

“NANCY! Stay inside!” Hulk bellowed. “That rodent you told us about … it’s on this floor. If it gets in there we’ll never find it.”

Nancy Chase leaned against the back of the door staring at her brother. “I’ll be so damn glad to get out of this place.”

Minutes later the all clear came. Nancy and Martin opened the door and stepped into the fall to see a metal cage being carried into the elevator. They never noticed the four men on their right.

“Nancy Chase. Martin Chase. FBI! You’re under arrest for premediated murder and embezzlement.” Agent Montgomery barked as he motioned his CSI team into the apartment.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Martin yelled. “YOU CAN’T GO IN THERE WITHOUT A WARRANT!”

“Actually they can,” Joey answered quietly. “The same as the manager of my apartment let you in. For security purposes, Guthrie, Devlin or I can go into any living quarters here. However, we do have a warrant and I will be glad to get it for you.”

Franklin walked with LaFiamma to the elevator. “Joey. It will take hours to get…”

“Frank… I have a special judge who will do it in a matter of minutes,” Joe responded with a grin.

“I do not want to lose this case.”

“You won’t.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joseph walked into the main hub of computers and was accosted by Lundy, Guthrie and Devlin. He pushed them all aside and went to one cube in particular. Bending down he explained what he wanted to a young man in a wheelchair. He watched as Thomas talked to a man on the phone explaining what was needed and why. Joe grinned as he walked to the fax machine and put in white brochure paper. Two copies were printed out - one official, one a copy.

“Thanks, Tommy. Dinner’s on me.” Joey said with a smile.

“Hey. We’re both glad you stepped in and got me this job.” Thomas replied with a grin.

“Hey. Just because your legs don’t work, doesn’t mean your brain is dead. More people need to realize that.”

-=-=-=-

Upstairs Martin Chase was refusing to let the FBI into the apartment. Handcuffed and belligerent, he was standing his ground.

Everything stopped as LaFiamma stepped off the elevator with a folded piece of paper in his hand. Walking briskly towards Franklin, Joey couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

Agent Montgomery took what he hoped was a warrant, opened it and read it aloud to Martin Chase. Then he ordered the Chases to be transported to ‘the dungeon’ at the Federal Building.

Once CSI was in the apartment and The Chases were gone, Franklin tapped the warrant on Joe’s shoulder saying, “You want to tell me how you got this in less than ten minutes.”

Joey just grinned at the man.

“Joe. This is a legal document. I’ve never known a warrant to be issued this fast.”

“Last year Godfrey’s favorite nephew was in a bad accident. He was top in his class in Computer Science at Rice. Graduated with honors but nobody would hire him because he’s in a wheelchair. I talked to Annie Hartung about him. She said some companies were under the impression that your brain died if you couldn’t walk and talk. I told Guthrie to hire him. He’s been here a month. Exceptional young man. I played pool with Godfrey at Chicken’s once. After Thomas was hired, the judge called me. Said if I ever needed anything on the spur of the moment to give him a call. This is the first time I’ve called him.”

“Hell! I sure am glad you’re on our side.” Franklin rasped, shaking his head as he walked back to his team.

-=-=-=-

Joey stripped off his clothes as he walked through Guthrie’s bedroom toward the bathroom and the large glassed shower. As the hot water cascaded down his back he finally began to relax. All the tension of the jungle trip, the pain of the lizard’s tongue, and the hospital washed off him and disappeared down the drain. He wasn’t really conscious of anything until the water suddenly stopped.

LaFiamma tensed and turned to meet the person who dared to disrupt him.

“I believe the doctor gave you orders not to get that wet,” Guthrie said tightly.

“He said no soaking in a tub. Showers were okay…”

“Showers were okay if they were quick!”

“Want to join me?”

“Yes. No! We don’t have time.” Colonel Guthrie muttered as his lover stepped out of the glassed-in shower.

“I know you were worried about me Lee. Everything you and Levon talked about… everything the twins talked about I absorbed.” Joey answered quietly, lifting his lover’s chin up.

“You know I will never leave you… not willingly. Since the first time I took you in that shower, I knew you were my lifetime love. That will never change, Lee. Not ever.”

“I brought the information on that house up. It’s on the bed. You’re not going to like it. We’re trying to track down the trustee that controls it. The owner disappeared fifteen years ago, shortly after his wife and her brother disappeared.”

Grabbing a large bath towel off a warming rack, Joey walked into their master bedroom as he dried himself off. “I’ll get dressed and we’ll look at it. But first I need to call on my apartment. All Martin did was bring clothes from the bedroom. Nothing was brought from the kitchen or the laundry room which is where my Marine uniform is hanging.”

-=-=-=

“Joey! I’m so glad you called. I was on vacation when this Mr Chase came. He didn’t have any of the proper paperwork.”

“Sandy. I never gave him permission to do that. Besides according to my contract you need thirty days written notice…I”

“Don’t worry we haven’t rented it. I did put a bunch of mail from your box on the kitchen counter. When I saw all your kitchen stuff still there and your uniform, I almost called the police on him. Then I heard you were in the hospital, so I just thought I’d wait to hear from you. So glad you are going to stay. I already got the automatic payment for this month, so I knew that guy was in the wrong.”

“He was definitely in the wrong, and he’s just been arrested. I’ll swing by later today and pick up the mail. Thanks Sandy.”

-=-=-=-

Joey dropped the phone back onto the charging stand and turned his full attention to his lover.

“Joseph! We don’t have time. You have detectives waiting….” Guthrie rasped hoarsely as the towel dropped on the bed and he saw his lover’s full blown hard-on.

“In front of the urinal, Colonel. Drop your pants. It will be like the first time I took you.” LaFiamma answered, his eyes dark.

Colonel Leland Guthrie obeyed immediately. He always did as his lover commanded. Ever since that fateful day when Lieutenant Joseph LaFiamma did a strip tease in the middle of the Commons at Quantico, Guthrie knew that man would be his. What Lee didn’t realize was the bedroom was the one place that Guthrie would never ever be in charge.

The orders were rasped tight into his ears. ”One hand on the wall, the other on your cock. Work it hard. HARDER … Guthrie!”

Using his thumbs, the Italian stallion spread the cheeks in front of him and plunged his rock hard cock into the wet warm enclosure.

Joseph mumbled words in Italian that Lee didn’t understand but the electric charge that went through him with every thrust of his lover shattered all the stress of the last month.

-=-=-=-=-

Dressed in black TBC cargo pants and shirt, LaFiamma paused for just a minute to observe his half naked lover asleep on their king-sized bed. He picked up the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign and hung it on a small hook on the door as he gently closed the door and headed to the elevator.

Speed reading the papers on the Iris Lane house, the Italian suddenly gasped and barked into the camera that was overhead.  “THOMAS! PULL UP THIS ADDRESS IN CHICAGO! I’ll be right there.”

Minutes later he walked into the security command center where men and women in cubicles hovered over a computer doing research or checking on businesses that TBC kept safe.

Devlin looked at the closing door and was surprised when Colonel Guthrie didn’t enter.

Quietly, Joey said to Devlin only, “He’s sleeping. He was exhausted. Do not disturb him.”

“Who are you?” Devlin questioned.

A smile spread across Joseph LaFiamma’s face. “I am the man who invaded the Colonel’s shower at Quantico. An Italian Stallion is always in charge of his bedroom.”

Still staring into Devlin’s blue-grey eyes, Joe rasped, “Let me know if you are in need…I would love to see you get rid of all the prickly things that keep you so uptight.”

“JOEY! I’M PUTTING THE TWO HOUSES UP ON THE MONITOR. OH MY GOD THEY ARE BOTH THE SAME!” Thomas shouted.

Asking no one in particular, Joe questioned, “Is there a monitor in Guthrie’s office?”

“Yes.”

“Wait!” Thomas shouted. “Here is a picture of the man who is listed as the Trustee of the property. It says he used to be a Chicago cop.”

Joseph Anthony LaFiamma stared hate filled eyes at the dirty cop who killed his father. Swearing in Italian, German, French and a few others, caused several men to stand and look at him.

“That stinking bastard killed my father!” Joey’s voice was laced with venom. ”I was eight years old. He and his partner walked into our house and dragged my dad through the kitchen into the garage. I was home with the flu. I watched this cop pull a weapon and fire point blank into my father’s chest. When my Dad spit at him, the cop raised the gun and shot him in the head.”

Turning to Devlin, speaking in a voice even he himself didn’t recognize, Joe rasped, “You better have some guys go with me to this house. If I see him I will kill him with my bare hands and then I will throw him in Garbonzill’s piranha tank.”

Half the room erupted with the word, “PIRANHA!”

-=-=--=

“Can those detectives come up here? We’re going to need back up going into that house.” Joe asked, before shooting off questions to others.

“Amy! Do some research on missing kids or people in this area? What is the terrain like? Are there any ponds around? “

“Thomas. How long has this house been empty? Is this cop supposed to be checking and how often?”

Devlin lightly touched Joe’s shoulder. “You want to tell us what is going on?”

“Get those cops up here, and I will explain everything. But do not disturb Guthrie.”

-=-=-=-

The two Houston detectives were bitching at Lundy as they walked through the double doors into the command center of the Texas Bond Company. One look at what was going on shut them up immediately.

Devlin directed the two men to chairs near Guthrie’s office.

Lundy walked up to Joe who was standing on an elevated platform using a laser pointer.

“Shouldn’t Lee be here?” Levon asked as his partner stared down at him.

Stepping down, Joe motioned Lundy into Lee’s glassed in office.

“Lee is asleep upstairs. He was exhausted. We pushed a heavy pace in that South American jungle. He is not to be disturbed. I don’t care if he sleeps for ten hours or two. I do not want him disturbed until he wakes up naturally.” Joe remarked gruffly.

“LaFiamma. Guthrie owns this whole damn place. We work for him. How can you just walk in here and take over?” Lundy growled not understanding why LaFiamma was suddenly in charge. As cops, the Northerner was never in charge.

“You were never in the military, were you?” LaFiamma quizzed.

“No.”

“Then you wouldn’t understand.”Joey replied his hand on the door knob.

Swallowing hard, the Italian said something that he’d held back for five years. “As cops you always figured you were the boss because this is Texas and you are a born and bred Texan. That’s not how it works in this place, Levon.”

In typical Texas fashion Lundy pushed past his partner. He stormed through the Command Center and pushed through the double doors.

Devlin jogged after him catching him before he reached the elevators. “Lundy! Do not disturb the Colonel!”

“Guthrie owns this place! How can you just let Joey walk in and take over?” Levon growled. “We’re just hired help.”

Devlin blinked. “You don’t get it, do you? Maybe because you have no clue how the military chain of command works. If the Colonel is unavailable, the next officer of rank is in charge. That would be Captain LaFiamma.”

“He said he was a Lieutenant.”

“He was promoted to Captain when he returned from their rescue mission. It’s probably in his mailbox at his apartment. Still, the rank doesn’t matter. Guthrie brought Joseph on as a full partner. Either man can be in charge. Guthrie hasn’t slept more than two hours a night since Joey collapsed. Let him sleep.”

“And if I don’t?” Levon growled.

“Then I can guarantee you will not have a partner when you return with the Colonel.” That said, Devlin did an about face and walked back to the Command Center.

-=-=-=-

It was quiet when Devlin returned to the Command Center. Joey was on his cell setting up an appointment to meet Ms Davis and the seller. There were four images on the big screen – the house in Houston, the house in Chicago, a room with an odd looking pool table and a backyard that encompassed a small pond.

Walking up to Hulk, Devlin asked for an update.

“The house on the right is Joey’s grandmother’s house. Built by this Garbonzo guy.as a wedding present for them. But her father nixed the deal because she was promised to someone else when she was twelve. Can you imagine that? He got pissed off and left town building the exact replica down here. In Chicago, he sold exotic fish. Had a tank of piranha. Got mad at someone who came in the store and grabbed the man’s hand sticking in the tank. The guy lost two fingers up to the second knuckle in a flash. God, I can’t even imagine.”

“Devlin,” Joe’s voice was calm. “Did he go upstairs?”

“Yes. You want me to stop him?”

“Yes.”

Devlin smiled saying, “By the way Joseph, you’re a Captain now. Ordered by the President. You were the only one the wife would have trusted. It’s probably in your mailbox at your apartment.”

-=-=-=-

Captain Devlin Harding ran toward the stairwell. Taking the steps two at time he was up the four flights in minutes. There were only two apartments on the top floor and Guthrie’s was closest to the stairs.

Walking through the open door that had a DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging on it. Devlin headed for the bedroom. Arriving there he found Lundy about to grab the Colonel by the shoulders. Roughly grabbing the Texan, he swung the man around and practically threw him out the bedroom door.

“What about ‘do not disturb’ don’t you understand Lundy?” Devlin fiercely growled.

Pushing the man toward the living room and the front door, Devlin grabbed a paper and a marker off the small desk.

Levon watched the man write something on the paper and then take two pieces of tape off a scotch tape roll.

“Out the door, cowboy.”

The Texan looked at the sign.

“DO NOT DISTURB THE COLONEL

OR YOU WILL BE SHOT BY

CAPT LAFIAMMA !!

Devlin”

“Downstairs, let’s go.”

-=-=-=--

“Okay,” Joe said, closing his phone.“We’re set up with Ms Davis for two-thirty. Hopefully you can arrest her before the school buses invade the neighborhood.”

Joe glance up to see Devlin and Lundy walk in. Levon looked unhappy. Devlin gave Joe a smile.

“Joey,” Amy called standing. “I have the name of two officers who have investigated the disappearance of several children in that area. Do you want me to call one of them? Maybe you need to.”

“What did you find out about Ms Davis that the detectives haven’t told us?”

Amy looked at the two detectives and then back at Joey, a glint of humor in her eyes.

“She has done this scam in several cities in Texas. Numerous complaints about her and her husband. Her husband is always the Seller but also has impersonated a banker. Usually a small new bank looking for business. Jesu is tracking their bank deposits. They don’t seem to have any accounts outside the state. He said he’s tracking millions… in at least three separate banks.”

“Good work, guys!”  Joey responded empathically.

Looking at Lundy, LaFiamma’s whole demeanor changed. “Levon, the detectives will fill you in. You’d best hang with them since you also met this woman. You can give them some insight about her.”

Changing back to investigative mode, Joey asked the group at large, “Who’s working on the Chicago cop?”

A young redheaded man stood up and looked at Joey. “That would be me. Carter. He goes by the name of Jefferson Barkley now. Retired down here from Chicago, though the Jefferson Barkley of Chicago that I found, that matches his description, died in the 1940’s which Hulk said is how elections are won up there.”

LaFiamma burst out laughing. “Yes. Many dead people vote two or three times in Cook County. That political machine has operated like that for years.”

Carter’s eyes went wide. “Wow. Well, he retired here because Garbonzill asked him to. Barkley was also a partner in the exotic fish store. I talked to Barkley’s secretary. It seems he travels a lot, visiting old friends around the country. He is supposed to check that house at least twice a month to make sure no one has tried to get in it. She was appalled to learn that some realtor has it listed for sale. She also has the building plans at the office. I asked her some questions. She said there was a huge exotic fish tank in the basement which is kind of a 1930’s speakeasy.”

“OH HELL!” LaFiamma growled loudly. “Amy, give me the name and number for the Cold Case detectives.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma stood in Guthrie’s glassed-in office talking to Lieutenant Jerry Anderson, the man in charge of HPD’s Cold Case division.

“Hell, Joe. Piranhas! Not the way I wanted to start my weekend.”

“Tell me about it. I got out of the hospital this morning and am supposed to be resting. This guy Barkley hasn’t checked in with his secretary in two months. She’s worried about him. There is an exotic fish tank in the basement. Over all these years it is sure to have leaks or even busted open. Anyone going down the stairs into the basement ….that might be the reason he is AWOL.”

“Okay. Harry has pulled up something we came across earlier. Four houses on that side of the street are not hooked up to city water. This means they could well have flesh eating fish in their toilets or even their septic tanks. What time are you meeting this so called realtor?”

“2:30…I’m sure she will be there before that, so I want to get there soon.”

“There is a pond back there. Kids have disappeared around there. We’ll call in the police chopper. Drop in some dye packs and frozen beef… if it disappears we will know we have a real problem.”

“Have him drop a dye pack in the backyard of that house. If that tank has leaked into the underwater system, we should be able to tell which houses are affected. Jerry…his missing trustee was a dirty cop in Chicago. Who knows what is in that fish tank?”

“Depending on what the dye shows us, we will probably have to evacuate the neighborhood. Especially that side of the street. Damn, Jerry. This could become a nightmare.”

“Joe. I think that is the understatement of the year. We’ll meet you out there a bit after two.”

-=-=-=-

Joe walked out of the office and straight to where Devlin was standing. Quietly, he said, “I’m going up to check on Guthrie. I don’t want him on site or involved in this… if we can help it.”

“What about Lundy?”

“He’s out of the loop on this, though I’m sure he’ll butt in because after all the house is on his ground – Texas.”

“I’m beginning to understand the frustration you had with him.”

-=-=-=-

Joseph quietly walked into the Colonel’s top floor apartment, grinning at the sign on the front door.

Pushing open the bedroom door, he surveyed the room walking around picking up clothes and the still damp bath towel.

Carefully opening one side of the bed, Joe whispered in his lover’s ear and the man rolled over taking the pillow in his arms with him. Deftly stripping Lee down to his shorts he pulled the blankets up.

“Sleep my love,” Joey whispered into Lee’s ear.

-=-=-=-

Walking toward the command center, Joe pulled his phone and called his brother. John was astonished to learn about Garbonzill and that there was a duplicate house here. John told him the horses were here from Illinois and everything was good.

“You want me to come in. Keep Levon out of your way?”

“How often were you in Grandma LaFiamma’s house? Do you have a key?”

“A key? You have a key?”John gasped surprised at that fact.

“I have a key and I know some things about her house no one else does. Hell, some of the things she told me, are coming back to haunt me.”

“Her mother was a gypsy. Did you know that?” John said quietly. “Grandma LaFiamma saw things no one else did.”

“You better stay where you are. If I could, I would send Levon home but he’ll want to butt in even though he knows nothing about the background of Garbonzill.”

“I can call him; tell him I need help here. God, Joey, do you think those fish are loose?”

“Better turn on your TV John. This is going to make worldwide news.”

=======

Devlin watched LaFiamma walk in and stop abruptly. The Italian’s eyes scanned the room taking in every single movement.

“ATTENTION! I want to thank everyone who has worked so diligently on this. This is just a toe hold on what is about to happen. I need everyone who has worked on this to print out their information so it can be given to the Cold Case detectives.”

“Hulk” Joe said as he continued to scan the room. “Suit up! You’re coming with me. Matthews, Lundy goes with you. Need you to get in there … arrest the woman and her husband and get out. Anderson and others will be coming in soon after.”

Lundy was dumbfounded. “Who the hell do you think you are? You’re not a cop anymore LaFiamma. You can’t go charging around like some Chicago hothead! This is Texas, we…”

“Shut up, Levon!” Detective Hutchins barked. “We are all damn tired of you pulling your Texas card! LaFiamma’s in charge because he knows the people and the house. You’d walk in like you owned the damn place and probably get eaten alive and even after that you’d still be bitching. How the hell LaFiamma has stood being your partner for five years nobody on the whole damn force knows.”

Total silence fell over the room. No one said a word. It was the ringing of a phone in Guthrie’s office that pushed Joe to continue on his way.

“LaFiamma. Yes sir. Hang on, they are here.”

Walking to the doorway, Joe looked at Matthews. “It’s Captain Rice. Ms Davis and her husband are having a late lunch at that place called a Truck Shop near the mall on Hall. He wants them arrested away from the house. Take Levon. He knows who she is.”

Turning, the Italian walked back into the office closing the door behind him.

Picking up the phone, Joe listened intently as his former Division Commander told him the chopper had already dropped dye in the backyard and the pond. And the pond behind the Iris Lane house was connected to two others. Captain Rice also informed Joe that there was already one news chopper in the area.

Joe informed the man that he still carried a key to his Grandmother’s house and he believed that it would open the front door of this house. As he talked with Captain Rice, Joe realized that every room was decorated the same as the one in Chicago. Right down to the lemon drops in the purple frog dish.

-=-=-=-

Arriving at Iris Lane Joey did a slow roll through the police vehicles, noticing there was already an EMT unit halfway up the block.

“Looks like we got a victim already,.”

“Hey! That lady with the little boy is a chef at the Colonel’s favorite restaurant. She should be at work today,” Hulk remarked pointing towards the EMT vehicle.

“Let’s drive up there and turn around, face the other way in case we need a quick exit.”

-=-=-=-

“Ms Schroeder. What are you doin’ home today?” Hulk asked as Joe unlocked the tailgate to take out a bag.

“Got fired yesterday, Jamison.” The blonde answered. “Seems the owner doesn’t want anyone working there that has children.”

Jam-a-son? Joey mouthed to his friend.

“It’s my real name,” Hulk growled back.

LaFiamma laughed, then turned to move the other black bag in the back to the back seat.

“Why don’t you sit up here and read that?” Joey said lifting the five year old boy up into the back.

“And ma’am… why don’t you sit up here too. It will keep you out of EMT’s way.”

“They called for the coroner,” Irene Schroeder replied quietly. “Something bad was in her toilet.”

Hulk and Joe exchanged distressed looks. It was Hulk who said, “If she has it, ma’am, then you have it too. Good thing Ryan the Third didn’t investigate.”

“It’s deadly?

“Yes ma’am.”

“Hulk. Put the other bag in the front seat, then I have to open up the house. Ma’am. I need you to stay in this vehicle …no matter what happens. You understand?”

“You’re a military man, aren’t you?”

“I was, yes.”

“My husband’s in Kuwait. He was due home three months ago but the General in charge has gone nuts-oh. No one can leave and no one is allowed in.”

“Army?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the General name?”

“Killman…Killer…?”

“Keller?”

“Yes. Do you know him?”

“I was a Marine, but yes, I’ve heard of him.”

-=-=-=-=-

As Joe and Hulk walked down to 1935 Iris Lane, Joey cell buzzed. “Yeah.”

“Just want you to know that you are on the air - CNN and local news.” Delvin informed Joe.

“Colonel still asleep? Good.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma stopped at the edge of the front walk. He looked at the CNN van with a camera on the roof and then over to the local FOX network SUV, nodding to a man he knew wearing a headset.

Joe’s eyes took in every aspect of the front of the house. The only difference from the one in Chicago was the garage.

Looking at the two men with Capt Rice, Joe asked, “Do you have the blueprints?”

“Hank Carleton. I was the architect that drew up the plans. Capt Rice says there is an identical house in Chicago.”

“The main part of the house is the same but the Chicago house does not have a garage or a room off the kitchen. What I also need to know if how you get into the basement and what kind of reinforcements were done there.”

“Well, the house was built first. It wasn’t until five or six years later that he called me to have the garage and the billiard room put on. Plus he wanted the basement extended.The addition to the basement is double thick concrete with a huge bullet proof type square in it. There is an opening in the pool table that looks down into that bullet proof square. There is a laundry room off the garage and stairway in there also that goes down to the basement.”

“Have you ever been down there?” Joey asked.

“No.” Came the curt reply.

“Any other odd things related to the basement?” Joe asked looking back at the garage.

“There is a slide…” Hank Carleton began.

“Slide?” Joe and Rice quipped in surprise.

“French doors opposite the pool table open wide into the room. Lock one door and open the other, some kind of a slide appears and goes right into the pool in the basement.” Carleton explained.

“The pool?” Rice questioned. “The bullet proof glass pool?”

“Yes.”

“Shit!” LaFiamma groaned. “That means Garbonzill could invite his ‘friends’ … ones he wanted to get rid of to come in the side entrance. Step on the slide and whoosh … dead in thirty seconds.”

“Dead? What are you talking about?” Hank Carleton asked looking from one man to the other.

Joey LaFiamma looked to the sky. Walked to the garage and looked inside at a red sports car. Turning back to the architect he quietly answered the man’s question.

“In Chicago, Mr Garbonzill had an exotic fish store. His favorite tank of fish terrified everyone. He loved showing visitors these fish and what they could do to five pounds of frozen beef… in less than ten seconds. The fish in that tank were piranha.”

“P-P-Piranha?” Carleton gasped. His eyes rolled back as he fainted, barely being caught by his assistant and Capt Rice.

Hulk was there in seconds ripping open a first aid bag as he sprinted from a police car with a paramedic behind him.

-=-=-=-=-

“Captain. Hulk and I are going to do a walk-through of the house only. Just to make sure we don’t have fish in the toilets and the sink.” Joe said pulling out his key chain and motioning Hulk away from the fallen architect.

As Joe pulled out his latex gloves, Hulk did the same.

“You want me to look in the toilet bowl only. They wouldn’t be able to get into the tank.”

“Yes. There is a main bathroom and a half bath by the kitchen,” Joey answered as his key opened the front door.

“Pull back the covers on the bed too. Just in case it is a water bed. This guy had some real quirks. I’m going to check the attic. I saw movement up there.”

The two men stepped into the living room and looked around.

“Wow! This is old stuff,” Hulk exclaimed. “Some of this is worth a lot of bucks.”

“Okay, the door to the attic is right….” LaFiamma gaped at the rug on the wall.

“Looks like someone doesn’t want us to go in the attic. Okay, big guy, let’s lift this thing off the wall and lay it … there should be a sitting room around on your left.”

Joey stared at the wall safe as Hulk laid the rug in the sitting room. When the big man walked down the hall toward the bedrooms Joe’s hand went up to the safe and tried the numbers that Grandma LaFiamma had taught him as a boy.

To the left 25….back to 10 … left again past 25 to 30 … open.  Use the rack to pull out what is in the safe.

Joey was shocked when the safe opened. He then looked at the backscratcher hanging on the wall. A rake.

Unzipping a cargo pocket, he used the rack to pull out two bank passbooks and three letters. Then quietly closed the safe and spun the dial.

Grandma Fiama, I hope to hell this doesn’t get me in trouble.

“Hulk! I’m going in the attic.”

“Toilet bowl is clear. Tank too. Checking the bed.”

Joe eased open the attic door and slowly walked backwards up the stairs so he could see what was there,                    

“Good god!” In front of him were two people, a man and a woman. Each one was sitting in a rocking chair. Hands and feet tied to the chair. Each body was encased in a huge airtight plastic bag. The man’s head was down. Joe figured he probably never regained consciousness. The women’s eyes were wide open as was her mouth. Movement at the other side of the attic caught his attention and his slid on his butt down the stairs just as the shotgun blasted in his direction.

-=-=-=-=-=

At the Texas Bond Company, Devlin was just walking into Guthrie’s apartment when the Colonel bolted upright in bed screaming, ‘NOOOOOOOOOO! JOOOSEPH!”

Devlin Harding burst through the apartment and into the bedroom. “Colonel?”

“Joseph’s been shot. Shotgun….oh god!”

-=-=-=-=

Hulk came running as did Captain Rice. “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?” They shouted in unison.

Joey gawked at them as he fumbled for his phone and speed dialed Devlin.

“Devlin.”

“Tell the Colonel I’m fine.”

“Tell him yourself!. He woke up screaming you just had your head shot off!”

“Colonel…” Joe listened to his lover rant. “Guthrie! If I had my head shot off, would I be talking to you now?”

“Yes sir. Hulk and I will be careful. By the way, I am hiring a new chef, though she doesn’t know it yet, and her family will need housing. Hulk will fill you in.”

Handing his phone to Jamison, Joe stood and motioned Rice back outside.

-==-=-

“WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED IN THERE? SOMEONE JUST SHOT THE WINDOW CASING TO SMITHEREENS!” Several people shouted as the two men walked outside.

The former Marine walked around the side of the house and looked at the shattered window. “Four more inches and I wouldn’t have had a forehead.”

“What’s up there?” Capt Scott Randolph Rice questioned looking up at the splintered window frame.

Hulk jogged up to Joey with Joe’s phone extended out to the man. “It’s Dilly. He’s assembled your squad and they are on the perimeter. Saw what was happening on the news.”

“Dillard.” LaFiamma said tightly.

“Actually sir, the President called me. Then Guthrie called me. The President doesn’t want this to turn into a three ring circus and wants you to update him ASAP. What exactly do we have?”

“We have piranhas Lieutenant. In the basement. In the backyard. In the pond and in the johns of three houses. Plus we have two corpses in the attic protected by a shotgun triggered by something on the stairs.”

“Shit!”

“My sentiments exactly.”

“I stopped by your apartment and picked up your day uniform. Pulled out your Captain bars that were peeking through an envelope and put them on. Our President wants these yahoos to know who you are… and he has given you permission to talk to the press.”

“What are you driving?”

“A big Humvee. Gabby painted it lavender. Stenciled on the side is “Fiama Squad.”

LaFiamma rolled his eyes. “Okay. Get in here. We have work to do.”

-=-=-=-=-=

“Hulk. Need you to bring the Lexus down. I need to talk to Mrs Schroeder. Then I want you to drive them to TBC. Call Guthrie and tell him to bring John in.”

“You want ME … to call Guthrie?! The meanest Marine Colonel that ever lived?”

“Yeah.”

“You got a death wish me Joe?”

“Doesn’t he talk to any of the staff there?”

“Nancy and Martin. Devlin and a couple of others. Devlin relays most of his orders …and you are the only one in history that has ever…EVER shut him up and told him to back off.”

“Hmmm. Okay. Bring the Lexus down. Wait! What about the master bedroom bed?”

“It was a waterbed and it is full of creepy, crawly things that used to be alive. And I don’t even what to know what he used it for.” Hulk said backing up the driveway.

LaFiamma turned and looked into the confused faces of several police officers. Sighing heavily, Joe explained to Capt Rice and the others that the President was turning the house investigation over to him because of his connection to the house and the man.

“Really all that means is, I get to call on all the resources the city has to offer … which are the neighborhood cops that know the area. But also any other city or state resources that are needed.  I’ve also been informed that we are on the air. Local news, CNN and who knows what up in the air.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joey watched the Lexus leave the scene still smiling from the hug that Irene Schroeder had given him. Sixty thousand dollars as a personal chef for TBC was more than she ever expected.

Joe decided to call his brother John himself. No use going through Guthrie. But after a long conversation with John Anthony LaFiamma, Joe discovered that he was the only one in the family that knew the ins and outs of Grandma LaFiamma’s house. Though John did know the attic and he would be glad to come and give them some ideas on how to get up there besides the stairs.

-=-=-=-=-

As the lavender Humvee drove up, Capt Rice told the cold case detectives that for the time being they were on standby. He told the two police supervisors that were there, that LaFiamma would be in charge of this until further notice.

“LaFiamma? Lundy’s partner? “

“Just because he has a key to the place…”  Sgt Milton’s words dropped into a void as six men immerged from inside the Humvee, and collectively said ‘Captain’ to LaFiamma.

-=-=-=-=-

Dillard leaned forward and said quietly, “When the President called me, he said he wanted his home state of Texas to know you weren’t a Chicago hood but were one of his personal Marines.”

Tapping the zippered leg pouch, LaFiamma responded quietly to his Team Leader  saying he had something very important here that could not be lost.

“We have a lock box inside.”

“Okay gentlemen, Dillard and I will step inside. Want you in an at ease position. Keep the cops and the media away.”

-=-=-=

Inside the Humvee, Dillard grinned. “You look a hell of a lot better than you do in those black cargo pants.”

Joe looked at the ceiling and then back at his Lieutenant. “I just hope to hell Grandma LaFiamma knows what she’s gotten us into. Let’s go.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Keep your camera on the back of the Humvee. Zoom in if you can,” ordered Jeff Richards, newscaster for the local FOX station.

Who stepped back out a few minutes later was a totally different Joseph LaFiamma.

“Holy cow,” rasped the cameraman. “He’s got the Distinguished service medal  ... Purple Heart  ..., some kind of rifle thing. Sniper, maybe. Combat ribbon. Some others I haven’t seen before and … Carl! He’s wearing the Presidential seal on his collar. It is some kind of a pin.”

“Special forces. On call by the President. As deadly as SEALs. Holy crap! I thought those guys were just fiction.”

-=-=-=-=-=

LaFiamma motioned to Capt Rice and the others to come forward while asking for maps.

“Frog.” Joe said, putting his hands together to form a right angle. “Need your equipment to get an image of what is up in the attic. Especially the shooter. Shells ejected from both barrels once it fired and I could hear it automatically reload itself.”

“And we need your electron robot. The trigger for the gun is somewhere on the stairs.”

“Gabby. I need you to get the President on an encrypted line.”

“Yes sir!” Frog and Gabby answered enthusiastically. .

“Okay gentlemen….” Joey began, stopping abruptly when he saw the Governor’s car roll in.

-=-=-=-

“Captain! I have the President on the line. He’d like to talk to you before you talk to the Governor,” Gabby stated firmly only glancing at the Texas Governor as he exited his car and approached the group.

Joey eased into the passenger seat of the Humvee. “LaFiamma.”

“Joe. This is just between you and me. I am activating you for this operation and this operation only. It will not be announced anywhere. Only you and my staff know this. I have already told the Governor of your qualifications. I have assured him that you are quite capable and can work with any agency.”

“I also understand that your Chicago family will be livid. Especially Aunt Theresa who reminds me of Eleanor Roosevelt.”

Joey burst out laughing. “Good comparison. My family hasn’t supported me here or even visited me. Other than Colonel Guthrie who will be uncorked when he sees me in uniform, don’t think there is much to worry about. It will definitely jar some heads loose in the police department.”

“The Governor will announce to the police and the press that you are in charge.”

“Sir. I’d like to ask you about General Keller. We just evacuated Mrs Irene Schroeder and her five year old son. Her husband Sgt Ryan Schroeder was supposed to have been rotated home three months ago. His outfit is still in Kuwait as is another unit that should have left a month ago. From what I hear, Keller has gone off the deep end. Perhaps you could check on that.”

“I will be glad to check on that, Joe.”

“And…”

“And…” President Bush added with a smile, though his man couldn’t see it.“CNN posted you stepping out of the Humvee, in uniform. Several women on my staff are already sharing it on their phones. It will probably be viral by the time we hang up.”

LaFiamma rolled his eyes and groaned at the thought of thousands of women putting him up as wallpaper on their phones or computers.

“Aunt Theresa was the one who kept me from the four year enlistment. Did she understand about the additional two year commitment?”

“She probably thought you’d never get called up. When you were, a Marine Major showed her the contract she had signed and there was nothing she could do about. I believe the man told her it would have been better for you to have the four year hitch.”

“An update … we have hybrid piranhas in a huge bullet proof tank in the basement of this house. With a diabolical way to get unsuspecting people that Garbonzill didn’t like into it. We have two perfectly preserved bodies in the attic guarded by something that unloads a double barreled shotgun at anyone attempting to enter.  Dye packs have been dropped into the backyard to see how far the leakage goes.”

LaFiamma looked up to see the Governor standing by the Humvee door. He had no clue how long the man had been there.

"We have evacuated Mrs Schroeder and her son to the Texas Bond Company. The house next to them is a woman in a wheelchair. She was found dead in her bathroom. Next step is to go door to door and probably evacuate the whole block. The houses up from this address are the main concern. At least three houses are not connected to city water. Yes, the Governor is here.”

“Take charge, Captain. This is the job you have trained for all your life.”

“Thank you sir.”

“And Joe … Amanda Corson told me she prayed daily for you to rescue them. She would not have trusted any other rescuer.” President Bush confided.

LaFiamma clicked the phone off and laid his head back. Said a few words in Italian and then hung up the phone.

“Well, Governor, what do you say? Shall we get this pony show on the road?”

“I can definitely see why the President likes you.”

-=-=-=-=-

“Dillard. Need the maps… the plot of this house and one mile square.” LaFiamma barked as he closed the Humvee door.

Joe and the Governor talked quietly together and then the Texas Governor spoke to Captain Rice and the police present.

“Captain LaFiamma, US Marine Corps, has been asked by President Bush to be in charge of this situation. I have been on the phone with the President and he has updated me on Captain LaFiamma’s expertise. I have told him,” nodding to Joe, “that he can use any resource he needs from the City of Houston or the State of Texas.”

Joey watched Frog and Barney go into the house. He said a fast prayer of safety before turning his attention to the maps that now hung on the side of the lavender Humvee.

“On the left is a blowup of the property of 1935 Iris Lane in Houston. It is a small three bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house with a sitting room, dining room and kitchen. That is the original house. Six years after the house was built the owner added the garage, a billiard room, and a bullet proof glass fish tank in the basement. He also modified the billiard room with French doors off the west side of the room. Opening two of the doors provided entrance on a normal night. However.., leaving one half closed and opening the other half produced a slide that goes directly into the tank in the basement. That tank is why we are here.”

“The tank in the basement, under the billiard room, is actually a very large exotic fish tank. The owner, Arturo Garbonzill, sold exotic fish, often illegal fish, out of his Chicago store. He had one fish that he doted on. This fish in South America is only carnivorous when it is starving. In fact, some are vegetarians. Some only eat each other. Normally.., a piranha… will only take a bite of an arm or leg that hangs off a boat. However, Garbonzill often starved these fish just so he could see them eat an enemy. When he moved to Houston he brought those fish with him,” Joey explained watching the realization set in on the faces of the men and women around him.

“What we are worried about …with no one here; their food supply has dried up. Plus the pressure of the water and the bones of the deceased in the tank may have caused leakage into the backyard and the pond. So … any child or adult that has ventured into this backyard has.. become.. their food supply.”

Joey watched as the wave of shock spread across faces.

Pointing to the larger map, Joe continued. “This pond in the backyard is fed by this pond which in a small private park. So far, we have not discovered who owns this piece of land and it may well be Garbonzill.”

Motioning up the street, Joe explained that three houses were on wells, not city water. “Mrs Schroeder and her son have been evacuated. Her neighbor, Mrs Reynolds, a woman in her seventies, was found dead in her bathroom. Piranha are in her toilet bowl.”

“Geesh, Joey! This could become a nightmare!” An officer exclaimed.

LaFiamma pulled his beeping phone from his pocket.

“This is Police Air One. Better put me on speaker, Joe.”

“This is the police chopper with an update.”

“You’re not going to like this, Joey. Hell, we don’t like this. There are numerous red streaks coming from the back of the house. On the east side, there is a small window that looks like it has blown out. Probably rain has filled that fish tank to overflowing. The pond in the backyard is completely red. There are a few streaks in the pond in that private park… but also a few that head toward a public park.”

“What about the houses up from here?” Joey questioned.

“First house has a few red streaks, the second also but the third…is red along the back side of the house. From here, it looks like their septic is overflowing. They probably have sewage and fish in their basement.”

“CAPTAIN!” Dillard shouted bursting into the conference circle. “It’s Guthrie. Little Ryan Schroeder says he has a friend next door that is locked in his bedroom on the second floor.”

LaFiamma took the phone from his Lieutenant and walked into the street. “Ryan.”

“My friend Jeffrey is upstairs locked in his bedroom. His mom always locks him up when she goes to town. He saw all the police and called my mom.”

“He’s locked… in a bedroom?” Joe questioned making sure he understood. Who locks their kids in a bedroom and leaves? What if there is a fire?

“His dad has a new job in Austin. His mom doesn’t want to go. She goes shopping with her friends and locks him upstairs. His dog heard somethin’ in the basement and now he’s worried because sometimes he gets to keep the dog with him and the dog never came up from the basement.”

“Okay, Ryan. We will rescue Jeffrey. Give the phone back to Colonel Guthrie.”

“Lee. Has John come in from the ranch? Have Hulk bring him over. Then Hulk can take Jeffrey back to you and the Schroeder’s.”

“Ryan remembered Jeffery’s father new company. I’ve called the Austin police to alert them.”

“Thanks.”

“Dillard. Get Bear up here.”

Looking at his phone, Joe told Air One they had an emergency here and to keep them posted.

A bear of a man even bigger than his brother John came forward from the back of the Humvee.

“Slater. Brookfield. This is Bear. In the third house, we have a little boy locked in his second floor bedroom. His mother has replaced the original door with a solid, reinforced door with a padlock. The boy’s name is Jeffery. His mother locks him in there every time she decides to hang out with her friends. The basement is flooding. His dog heard something in the basement and never came up again. Get in that house and get the boy out. If the water is already seeping into the kitchen, do not enter.  Read my lips, gentlemen. DO NOT ENTER IF WATER IS IN THE KITCHEN.”

“If you see any hint of water, call 911 and ask for a ladder truck for a second story rescue. If we have to break every damn window up there… we will get this kid out!” Captain LaFiamma growled fiercely.

-=-=-=-

Jesu, at the Texas Bond Company, bolted out of his chair shouting for Delvin.

“DELVIN! Joe’s wearing a headset. Everything he is saying I’m recording. He just got the name of Jeffrey’s mother from one of the officers there. She’s got a record. Drunk and disorderly. Another officer said she hangs out with a group of women every weekend… meaning she locks her kid upstairs…”

Colonel Guthrie came out of his office as Jesu spoke.

“Delvin! Call that criminal lawyer that just signed up with us. Get a recommendation for a child custody lawyer. Let’s get that boy in his father’s custody… now.”

-=-=-=-=-

The Texas Governor stood next to his car watching a ladder truck from Fire House 61 move to another window. This time a thumbs up came as they broke through a mesh screen protecting the glass. Then using a tool they forced the window open.

Joe watched the young boy wrap his arms around the fireman. “Dillard. We want pictures of the inside of that room.”

Joey turned back to the map asking which officers patrolled the public park. He traced his finger around an area saying, “You need to set up a perimeter around this area. It has to be closed to the public as of now. We need 24 hour surveillance there.”

“Joey. How do we know if the fish are there?” One office asked. “Just because the dye is there…”

“Know a butcher or market in that area? Have them give you some boneless meat scraps. Throw pieces in at various spots. If you get a flurry of foam… they are there.”

“Captain LaFiamma.”

Joe turned at the Governor’s voice, remembering they still needed to do a news conference. “Yes sir.”

“Is there a way to kill these fish?”

“I had to Google that question to find out. The best way, believe it or not, is to hit them with a hammer, crushing them. You can also freeze them in blocks of ice, though I don’t know what would happen if they unthaw. There are a couple other formulas for euthanizing them but I think crushing them would be our best option. However, they can live in just a half a cup of water, so we’d have to make sure they were contained.”

“There are seven or eight news vans out there on the corner. You and I need to put our heads together and decide what to tell the public.”

“That, Governor… is the 64 dollar question.”

-=-=-=-=-

The news conference blared across every Houston station and was carried nationwide by CNN and the BBC. Late lunches, early dinners in Chicago came to a standstill as Joseph Anthony LaFiamma and the Texas Governor approached several microphones.

Captain LaFiamma was introduced by the Texas Governor. He stated that LaFiamma had been appointed by the President to oversee the situation involving 1935 Iris Lane.

Joseph explained about the two houses, both on Iris Lane but in different cities. He mentioned the bodies that were found in the attic of the Houston house and who they were believed to be. Then he explained about the exotic fish tank, though he did not mention what kind of fish they were.

“Captain LaFiamma. How do you know the house in Chicago doesn’t have a fish tank in the basement too?”

“1935 Iris Lane in Chicago is at the end of a dead end street. It has no garage. The only thing brewed in that basement was a very strong… highly alcoholic root bear…during Prohibition.”

“And how do you know that?” Pressured the reporter.

“The Chicago house belonged to my Grandparents and is still owned by the LaFiamma Family,” Joey said staring at the man. He knew, just knew, phones were ringing off their hooks in Chicago.

“Both houses were designed and built by the same man. My Grandparents raised nine children in their house. While I cannot explain why Arturo Garbonzill built a second house down here, I can tell you that it is the exact replica of the one in Chicago. I was shocked when I walked into it. Everything is the same… the furniture, the curtains, the rugs. Even my Grandmother’s favorite candy dish... a purple frog with lemon drops in it.”

“You said there were bodies in the attic. How could you even identify them after all this time?” Another reporter questioned.

BAM=BAM! BAM=BAM!...Four shotgun blasts had LaFiamma turning on a dime and running full out for the house, followed by John LaFiamma, Dillard and three cops.

They were met at the front door by Frog and Barney who looked a little shell shocked.

“Come on… sit in the Humvee and tell me what happened.” Joe offered, while he and a cop supported Frog.

John picked up a shaking Barney and carried him up the front walk. Paramedics met them, taking blood pressure and giving Barney oxygen.

Joey put his hands on Frog’s face trying to get him to speak. Finally he used Frog’s real name. “Richard!”

“I hate that name, Captain.”

“I know that. What happened up there?”

“It’s on my android,” Frog answered looking around. “Oh hell, don’t tell me I dropped it up there.”

“I’ll get it,” Joey said getting up.

“The hell you will,” John yelled following his little brother into the house.

Joey stepped into the stairwell but didn’t climb the stairs. Putting his hands out he said in Italian… Grandma Fiama. We need that thing they were using for pictures.

A scraping noise was heard and the android skidded off the edge and into Joey’s hands.

“You want to tell me how you did that?” John asked wide-eyed.

“Doesn’t Grandma Fiama talk to you?”

John just looked at him as they left the house.

“How’d you get out of incarceration?”

“Some old lady in a purple dress….“ John began. ”Wait. Didn’t grandma wear purple all the time…”

“Yes. She did.” Joey answered with a grin.

-=-=-=-=-

The images of the bodies in the attic were displayed across a portable monitor that appeared from the bowels of the Humvee. Joe wondered how they had room for the stuff that appeared on demand.

“These images will be downloaded to your stations in a matter of minutes,” LaFiamma explained.

“We believe the woman is Garbonzill’s wife, but we need proper identification from someone who knew her. The man, we think, is her brother. He was a medical missionary in Africa for a number of years and had come home due to health reasons.”

John tapped his brother on the shoulder and whispered something to him. Joe stepped out of range of the microphones and listened to the information TBC had relayed to John.

Walking back up to the microphones, LaFiamma continued. “Even though the face is not visible, according to sources he is her brother. The two were seen dining in a popular restaurant before they disappeared.”

“That big guy behind you looks like a LaFiamma. One of your brothers?” Someone in the group asked.

Without turning, Joey replied, “Yes, he is one of my brothers. John LaFiamma is a Vietnam veteran. He was MIA for a number of years. Colonel Leland Guthrie, of the Texas Bond Company, recently found him working on an Oklahoma horse ranch and I was overjoyed to be reunited with him. I asked him to come today because he helped to renovate Grandma La Fiamma’s attic. And this attic has a diabolical killing machine.”

Turning slightly, Joe looked over his shoulder saying, “Dillard, can we run that video?”

Joe stepped aside and watched the video and the reaction of the people. A steel robot whose arms appeared to be gun barrels stood guard behind the rocking chairs. A pillow was raised up and it was blasted out the window with two sharp reports. You could hear the casings being ejected and the gun being reloaded. The next image showed Frog and Barney easing up the side of the stairway appearing to be out of the line of fire until .. click, click, a red beam scanned the area suddenly taking aim at one and then the other.

“That! Ladies and gentlemen … is why we cannot get the bodies out of the attic. And, to answer a previous question, the bodies are preserved because they are in airtight heavy duty plastic bags.”

-=-=-=-=-

Colonel Guthrie stood at parade rest in his office staring at a wide screen TV. “Did you have to mention my name Joseph? That is not something I want blasted around.”

“With that attitude you will lose him Colonel.” A shimmering image in a purple dress said quietly.

“Who the hell are…”  Oh hell, the purple dressed grandmother.

“Joseph would have been a fine Marine if Theresa hadn’t butted in. Right now he is discovering who he really is. Joseph is very much like his father. He has his own mind and is not controlled by family or friends. If you wish to keep him Colonel, you had best not give him an ultimatum. If you do, he will walk out. He loves you very much. Too much perhaps. But his destiny is already starting.  You hurt him. I will hurt you.”

-=-=-=-=-

Theresa LaFiamma’s salad fork slipped from her hand, hitting a water glass at just the right angle shattering it. Her eyes were glued to the tall man behind her nephew Joseph. John Anthony LaFiamma should have been declared dead, but his mother refused to allow it. Now there he stood on national television. Her control of the family was about to disintegrate.

In another private restaurant, Michael “Mikey” LaFiamma’s early dinner was growing cold. Two faces stared at him through his television screen … John and Joseph LaFiamma. John, the big brother that helped Joey when his twin, Jay, killed himself. Joey, who never believed his big brother was dead.

“Mikey? Isn’t that Joey in a Marine officer’s uniform? That’s the Texas Governor. He’s saying Joey’s been put in charge of some investigation… Hey! Isn’t that Grandma LaFiamma’s house?”’

-=-=-=-=-

“The information ... we need … is who built this robot … and how can we disarm it?” Joey said tightly.

“Governor.”

“I have informed Captain LaFiamma that he can pull on any State or City resource he needs to contain this situation.”

A CNN reporter pushed to the front and questioned loudly. “Garbonzill had a flesh eating fish tank in Chicago  ... piranhas. Is that what is in this basement? Have those leaked out?”

Joseph looked at the Governor. “Your call,” the Governor answered.

Before Joey could answer, his cell starting beeping. Checking the ID, he stepped back and listened to Police Air One.

“Joe. Marines stationed at Ellington Field just did a low fly over with some special high equipment. There appears to be a steel wall, which is imbedded in concrete, around the perimeter of Garbonzill’s land. So it is possible that fish are not beyond that pond.”

“Dillard!”

After a short conversation with his Lieutenant, Joe stepped back to the microphones.

“Thanks to a US Marine Corps Recon Unit that is at Ellington Field, we have images of what appears to be a steel wall around most of Garbonzill’s property.”

“It’s coming up now, Captain.”

Everyone watched the panning of the video from the east side to the west of the house. On the east side, the wall was tight to the house. But on the west side, there was a gape because of a large centuries old tree.

Captain Joseph LaFiamma decided honesty was the best policy. “Yes, we believe piranhas are in the basement tank. How many have leaked out, no one knows. From these images, it is possible that the public park isn’t contaminated. I have HPD officers that are going to be doing testing there to find out.”

“Looking at these images shows us the leakage is here, (pointing to the tree). This explains why these three houses are being threatened. The woman who died – second house up from this one – didn’t die from being eaten. She had several bites on her arms, but she bled to death according to the coroner. The bites, themselves, were not fatal. First responders found evidence that she was tempting to do first aid and didn’t realize how seriously she was injured.”

“The third house, where Jeffrey Carter was rescued from, has water in the basement. They lost a small dog that went down to investigate something. Their fish are coming in through their septic system…which would be a food supply for this fish.”

“Now ... the question that is on everyone’s mind  ... including mine… is how do we kill these bastards? I had to do a Google search to find that answer.” Joey admitted.

A look of disbelief crossed several faces. Someone laughed. Someone said Google has the answer for anything.

“The best way … seriously … is to hit them with a hammer and crush them. However, finding them … containing them … this is going to take time, energy, and patience. A piranha can live in just a half a cup of water. So draining the fish tank with a hoses small enough that a silver dollar piranha can’t get through may be a challenge. Still we need to try.”

Before any questions were able to be asked or answered, the loud noise of a low flying military helicopter filled the air.

Joe watched John step out of the Humvee and motion him over. Looking up, he watched the chopper hover over the street before landing in front of Jeffrey’s house.

“They got some imagery of the house, bro.” Johnny said.

“They tell you what it is?”

“It’s wired to blow.” John answered. “Dillard is pulling all his equipment in and is moving the Humvee up to the end of the street.”

“No way! Tell him to move it down towards the corner. I’ll move the media back.”

Joe walked back to the microphones telling everyone, including the Governor, to move their vans and their equipment to the parking lot at the end of the street. The news conference would finish up there. Then Captain LaFiamma turned and jogged up the street to the landing chopper.

-=-=-=-=-

“What do you think is going on?” Lundy asked Lee as the two sat in Lee’s living room watching the news conference.

“Must be something with the house,” Lee answered. “Didn’t know the Marines had people at Ellington Field.”

“He looks pretty sharp in that uniform. They won’t keep him, will they?” Levon asked watching his partner jog up to the chopper that was landing on the street.

“They sure the hell better not!” Guthrie growled. “I’d like to know who activated him.”

“President Bush did. The Governor said as much when the news conference started.”

-=-=-=-=-

“Major! What the hell you doing in Texas?” Joey exclaimed as the Marine Major stepped out of the military bird.

“When did you make Captain?” Major Menno questioned.

“When I did something I can’t tell you about,” Joe replied with a grin. “What do you have for me?”

“Step into my humble abode and I’ll show you,” Major Mark Menno offered.

“Nav!” Joey said reaching a hand to the navigator. “Thought you retired.”

“Lost my wife and daughter to a drunk driver. Marcus told me to stay in. It’s been the right decision.” Curtis Adams replied.

“What is Marcus up to?” Joey asked as the chopper went airborne.

“Some damn Chicago Marine got him turned on to being a lawyer. He’s about to graduate from the University of Chicago Law School.”

“I think Mary’s the one who had a big influence. I just sort of … ahhh… helped.”

“You and I are going to have a talk, Joseph.”

“Any time.”

Pointing to two monitors, Major Menno explained what they found. “We did some scans of your house, Joe. Talked to your man Dillard. He said there appear to be detonators in the garage. I’d like to see the blueprints on this place. There are several layers of construction. The odd thing we found … is that the attic floor is reinforced with some kind of metal.”

“Jerry ...swing around and show the Captain what we discovered about the roof.”

-=-=-=-=--

The news media reluctantly moved back a block to a small mini mall and set up in their parking lot. Dillard angled the Humvee at the start of Iris Lane so only one vehicle could go around and into the lane.

 “John,” Dillard asked. “What did they find?”

“All Major Menno said was it was programmed to blow.”

“Those things along the wall in the garage, I bet. They have to be triggered by something.”

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

Dillard pulled his phone from his pocket. “Yeah, Captain.”

“Call those cops and find out if they found the blueprints. We need them now!”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Four cops came together outside Hank Carleton’s downtown office. “Let’s hope they find them at this guy’s house. Dillard called to say LaFiamma needs them now! It looks like this Garbonzill rigged his house to blow.”

-=-=-=-

Judge Godfrey arrived at the upscale home of Hank Carleton after police requested his presence. Mrs Carleton was not allowing the police to enter the house and the threat of arrest did not deter her. When she mentioned Godfrey’s name, he was called.

Judge Earl Godfrey explained that the search warrant allowed police to look in every closet, every room, anywhere in the house to find the blueprints for 1935 Iris Lane. Godfrey knew the man had a home office and did most of his work here. Finally, Mrs Carleton conceded and lead police to her husband’s study and the huge walk-in safe he had there.

“The house numbers are on the ends of the tubes,” the woman said quietly as she watched police open drawers and closets in the room.

“Bingo! We have two here. JJ… you want to look at these. See if it is what LaFiamma needs.”

“Now we just need Mr Carleton. Do you know where your husband is, Mrs Carleton?”

-==-=-=-=-

Major Menno and Captain LaFiamma walked into the Iris Lane garage. Menno stopped abruptly looking at the tanks along the walls.

“Joseph! These two with the green tops are oxygen! Someone in this house is on life support. And the others …. IV vitamins and liquid food supplements.”

In his head Joey heard, ‘Pappy hates bugs.’

“HOLY SHIIITTT!” Joey yelled turning on a dime, he sprinted toward the Humvee.

“JOHN! BEAR! DILLARD! BERKSHIRE!” Joey shouted at the top of his lungs.

Seeing an EMT unit and recognizing one of the EMTs, Joe called, “AMY! PUT AERO MED ON STANDBY!”

Everyone within earshot came running.

“Joseph,” Menno said, “We can fly the person to the Trauma Center. Aero Med would not allow you or John to go along.”

Your grandma was a gypsy woman, wasn’t she, Major?

As was your great-grandmother, Joseph. I figured that out long ago. You know we drove everyone nuts talking like this.

LaFiamma smiled at his former boss. Looking around he explained, “Major Menno explained that the green topped canisters in the garage are oxygen tanks. And the others are vitamin and food supplements in liquid form. Someone in this house is on life support… and the only place possible is under that water mattress.”

“Berkshire! Put an APB out for that architect. With Garbonzill dead and probably Blakely, Carleton is the only other one who knows this house. Get him here. If this person is who I think he is… than Carleton is an accessory to helping to cover-up a kidnapping.”

-=-=-=-=-

They stood in the living room as Joey explained his thoughts. “Ten years ago, my grandfather, and John’s, was kidnapped after his wife’s funeral. Vanished without a trace. I believe Garbonzill forced Pappy to live in this identical house now that Iris, our grandmother, was dead. What happened six years later for the addition, I don’t have a clue. First thing though, is to get the mattress off. John… Bear … I figure the two of you can probably do it. Lift the corners up and off toward the bathroom and put it in the shower.”

“Frog… I want you to film everything. And anyone with a phone put it away. If you are thinking about putting this on social media … Mick and Barney can shut you down faster than you can say succotash.”

Mick and Barney hustled out of the house and to the Humvee.

“Amy, hang loose.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Robert, Tony and Angela LaFiamma stared at their mother, Theresa LaFiamma.

“I thought you said John was killed in Vietnam,” Tony growled coldly. “Blown to bits. He looks pretty damn good to me. And probably could have used his family’s support coming home from that awful war.”

Robert stared at this mother. He was too mad to even talk. Finally he said, “I called Joey two years ago to see how he was doing. He swore at me. Told me all about how Theresa had written him off because he had to be a good cop. Then he told me who killed his father… that made me puke up my lunch. Why did you alienate him Mother? What did Uncle Anthony ever do that caused you to order Dad’s brother killed?”

“I have a scrapbook of everything Joey’s done in Houston.” Angela said quietly.“He and his partner are one of the best teams the Houston cops have. He never allows his picture to be in anything, just his name. Why Mother? Are you afraid he’ll outshine all of us? Why did you forbid Joey to call any of us? Not one cousin has ever heard from him.”

Theresa LaFiamma stared at three of her five children. “I thought it was best for the family.”

Michael LaFiamma stood mute in the front hall of his house. His gut tightened as he listened.  When silence came, he turned abruptly walking out the door he’d just walked through. A picture of a cathedral fell as he slammed the door.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“It’s full of jelly,” Bear announced. “Come on John, this should be easy for us.”

As the mattress was lifted off, the people surrounding the bed gasped at the sight of a thin, gray-haired man wearing just undershorts, oxygen cannulas on his face, and a port tube straight into his stomach.

Joseph! Iris said you’d come.

Pappy… tell me how to get you out of there.

“Everyone out into the living room!” Major Menno ordered. “Except John, Joseph, Amy, Bear and Dillard. Anyone from LaFiamma’s Team.., be sure to keep the media back. We do not want this man spread across the universe. Curtis! Get the bird up. Keep any news choppers out of the area. Call the airport. Tell them we need a no fly zone here.”

Pappy. Does Carleton, the architect, know how to open this?

He is an idiot. He almost dumped me in the piranha tank.

Joe turned as someone tapped him on the shoulder. “Joey. Use this. He might be able to direct you. You should be able to hear him through that plastic.”

Joe nodded his thanks and put on the stethoscope. Leaning over the bed, he listened intently as his grandfather explained how to open the box.

Captain LaFiamma leaned back on his hunches. He said a silent prayer.

“Okay. I am going to explain it … and then we will do it. It has to be done simultaneously or the floor will open up and he will be in the fish tank.”

Amy, who had been kneeling next to Joey, stood up saying, “I think we all need to stand and join hands and say a prayer. Then let’s get Pappy out of here.”

-=-=-=-

“Major.”

“John. Joseph. On the side drawer,” Menno ordered as the two men dropped to their knees.

“Bear. You’ll have to bend over. Don’t lean on the bed.”

“Gotcha.”

Major Menno looked around the room. Then he saw them. Joe’s purpled dress grandmother and his black dressed great-grandmother.

“One…two… three -- handles up.”

Click … click …. Click.

“PULL!” Menno shouted/

John and Joseph scrambled out of the way. as the drawer slid free.

John LaFiamma gently lifted his fragile grandfather up and laid him on the gurney as Amy and her partner took off Pappy’s tubes.

Pappy was reaching for Joey who immediately was there.

After his father was killed Joey had spent a lot of time at his grandparents’ house. He was probably closer to his grandfather than any LaFiamma cousin. Now Pappy was trying to tell him something and too many people were talking.

“QUIET!”

Silence descended on the house as Pappy explained about the bank books in the safe. Joey smiled, telling him he already had found them.

Right now, you are going to the hospital. John is going with you. He did not die in Vietnam. I don’t know why Theresa wanted the family to think so. He will be your translated.

I cannot talk to him like this.

But you can speak Italian and he can translate.  I have things to do here Pappy. I will be there as soon as I can.

“Okay. You come to hospital as soon as you can. Theresa was wrong keeping you out of the Marines. You are a good leader Joseph.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joe watched the Marine helicopter take off toward the Trauma Center. He pulled his phone and called Dr Ezra Stone to alert him what was coming.

“Captain.”

Joey turned expecting to see one of his men; instead he looked up into the concerned eyes of the Chief of Police.

“Chief. It’s been one hell of a day and it’s not even dinner time yet.”

“Why don’t we sit in your Humvee… get out of the sun.”

“Sure.”

As he approached the Humvee, Bear, Mick and Dillard came out. Then he saw Joe Gonzales sitting in the passenger seat.

“Gonzo. Does your father still do fencing?”

“Sure, what do you need?”

“We don’t want to close the garage. Might trigger a bomb. Need something that can fit in there tightly and that someone can’t climb over.”

“I’ll measure it and give him a call. I know he has some weird pieces.”

-=-=-=-

It was only after Joe and the Chief sat down that Joey noticed one of Pappy’s catheters had sprayed his uniform pants.

“I wondered what stunk,” LaFiamma said looking down. “Will have to get a ride home to change.”

Looking up, Joe saw the most serious face he’d ever seen on Houston’s Chief of Police. “What’s up, Chief?”

“I just apologized to Lundy and offered him his job back. He turned me down.”

“Did he accept the apology?”

“He did.”

“He and my brother John are getting into the horse boarding business. They are setting up … uh, bunk and board your horse … for people that travel with horses. Especially those on the rodeo circuit. My brother went through a terrible war and no one in the LaFiamma family other than my mother and I supported him. Horses turned him from a killing machine back into a human being.”

“I met Colonel Guthrie. He said you were coming in as his partner. But, I don’t see you doing that. Personally, after watching you today, I think you would get bored quite fast.”

“Before today… I was looking for a boring job. As things progressed here, I knew I would not be happy being a bondsman. Though a private detective might be interesting. I don’t think you’re here to chat, Chief. What’s on your mind?”

“I got a very interesting call about an hour ago. From a man who I know doesn’t call Police Chiefs on a regular basis.”

“The President called you.” Joey chuckled already knowing the answer.

“President Bush is quite the informed man. He told me things about my department that I didn’t even know. I called a department head meeting and learned what they had been putting together … had put together in fact. They were just trying to find an opportunity to discuss it with me.

“They want an overall Chief of Detectives. Someone who can deal with multiple things at the same time. Someone who isn’t afraid to step on toes to get something done.  The Chief of Homicide … Burglary … theft … etc… would report to one man that could help coordinate other divisions into a case. Or could inform other divisions that they are working the same case.”

Joey just stared at the man.

“I found out from Juvenile that you are working with trouble kids at Taylor Orphanage. Someone else told me you speak seven or eight languages and that is how you got on Colonel Guthrie’s team. You replaced three linguists . I watched you handle the Governor as though he were an ordinary man. Plus, you weren’t put off by the reporters who were in your face.”

“Sounds like an interesting job. It would definitely not be boring. Are you offering it to me?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll need time to think about it. Some other people are depending on me but I should be able to handle them. Once this thing is over, I’d like to meet with those who put the job together. After that, I’ll give you an answer.”

-=-=-=-=-

Stepping out of the Humvee, Joe noticed that fencing was already up.

“Captain”, Bear said quietly, “we didn’t know if we should or not, but we put the water bed back together, including that weird mattress and the coverlet.”

“I think it is good that you did. Otherwise something might have happened without that weight there.”

“Dillard. Can you take charge? I need to find a ride to my apartment and change. And I need to get to the hospital. Where’s your son? Do you need to get him?”

“Bear’s going with Gabby to help move his sister. Mick, Barney, Frog and I will hold down the fort. I talked to Major Menno. The press are hanging out at the Trauma Center.  His bird will be staying with us. The cops patrolling the public park said no fish have come for the floating burgers.”

“Well, that is good. What about the houses up the street?”

“Jeffrey’s dad tried to get in the house but couldn’t do it. They are staying at TBC.  John called and said Pappy was asking for you. Berkshire has volunteered to be your driver. Colonel said to keep him posted. Oh, someone named Carolyn called to say the dog was in the USA and should be arriving tonight.”

“HOT DAMN! About time that dog got here?” LaFiamma exclaimed.

They all looked at him.

Joe looked around at the faces staring at him. “It’s Chaco. Sgt Travis Tortorella’s bomb sniffing dog. I’ve been trying to get him for three years. Have spent three thousand dollars paying who knows who to get him out of Iraq.”

“That beautiful Shepherd that only responds to Italian?” Mick questioned.

“Yes.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Turn right here, Berky. Go slow… to G242 and park there.”

“Shouldn’t your Cobra be parked here?”

“Sold the Cobra. Been looking at SUVs,” Joey remarked into the startled face of Officer Randy Berkshire.

:”YOU. SOLD. THAT. CAR?” Randy gasped. They all knew that car was LaFiamma’s baby.

“I did. Come on, I need to change and dump these pants into the washer.” Joey said exiting the police cruiser.

Joe picked up his mail in an overflowing mail box, dumping it on his kitchen counter with the other stuff Dillard and Sandy had brought in.

Stripping off his shirt, he grabbed a loose hanger that was caught on the spiral stairs to the loft bedroom. He put the hanger through one of the cabinet handlers so he could take off the Captain bars and lapel pin off his day uniform..

Berkshire sat on one of the bar stools sorting through LaFiamma’s mail putting important stuff in one pile and junk mail in another.

“Hey Joey! Chastang Ford is having a midnight sale tonight. We could stop there on the way. And if you are getting a dog, you should get an Expedition not the Esca….” Berkshire’s mouth dropped open as Joey walked out of the laundry room in dress blue Marine pants and a white tee shirt.

“Holy shit man. The women are going to be all over you.”

LaFiamma burst out laughing. Five years ago that would be the case but not since he and Guthrie had reconnected.

“How’s the gas mileage between the two?” Joe asked as he changed officer bars from the tan shirt to a white, short-sleeved dress shirt.

Officers bars. Name pin. Presidential seal. Don’t need the rest.

Quickly looking through the mail, he tossed most of it into a bucket that said ‘to be shredded.’ The rest he put into a zippered pouch he pulled from a kitchen drawer.

“So, you think we should take this flyer and this fake key and see what we get?”

“Why the hell not! No one’s called you yet. I know some shortcuts and who is going to stop a police car?”

Halfway to the door, Joe stopped. Walking back to the phone, he checked messages and listened to the message from Sandy and the discussion they had already had. Then he remembered he better take a couple of checks and walked back into the laundry room to his safe.

-=-=-=-

“Stop by the magnetic blue.” Joey quipped. Something about this car really turned him on.

“Yeah man, that matches your pants. Has to be good luck.”

-=-=-=-

Four salesmen watched the police car pull in and stop.

“Wonder what the cop wants?” one asked.

“OHMYGOD… Look at that Marine!” Mindy yelped as she headed toward the door.

“Chase! Go with her.” The Sales Manager barked.

-=-=-=-

“It’s unlocked, Joe,” Berkshire said as he opened the tail gate. “Plenty of room for the dog and it looks like these back seats fold down.”

“Captain. May we help you?” Morgan Chase questioned walking up to the Marine.

Mindy stood star struck fumbling with her phone to take a picture of him. She was so engrossed she didn’t see him approach.

“Sorry, ma’am, no pictures allowed. I am a Marine not a TV star.” Joe responded tightly.

“B-b-but…”

It took Chase a minute to realize what was happening and who this Marine was.

“Mindy. I’ll handle this. You better get that paper work finished. Those people will be back in an hour to pick up their car.”

“But-but-but… he’s gorgeous!”

Ignoring her, LaFiamma turned to the salesman. “I need something like this that has room for a military dog. I’ve been looking at the Escapes, but this looks like it would be better suited. And I love the color. Could we take it for a test drive?”

“Sure. I’ll run up and get the key,” Chase said.

“What about this key,” Berky said. “The ad says try on any car.”

Chase knew it would never work but he couldn’t say no. He watched as the Marine interacted with the cop. They were obviously friends.

“Okay, Berkshire! I will try the key.” Joey finally growled, sliding into the driver’s seat.

Joseph LaFiamma and Morgan Chase stared at each other, their mouths gaping open, as the Ford Expedition roared to life.

-=-=-=-

Mindy stopped halfway through the showroom door. “Chase needs the key for the that Expedition.”

The Sales Manager already had the key in his hand, though seeing how she reacted out there, he’d decided to bring the keys out himself.

-=-=--

Joey watched the sales manager walk to the car. Grandma Fiama. You are full of surprises.

Joey. You’ve had a tough day. The dog is coming tonight. Use that money for something else.

LaFiamma turned the car off and got out. Handing the key to Chase, Joe said, ‘You try it.”

Chase looked at the dealership’s Sales Manager who gave him a nod to do it.

Once again the Expedition roared to life. The $40,000 car was going to be his for free.

“I’ll be glad to pay for it,” Joey stated. “I know this is a fluke.”

“We stand by our advertising, Captain. Step inside and we’ll do the paperwork.”

“I really need it tonight,” Joey said. “Is that possible?”

-=-=-=-=-

Paperwork signed. Temporary plate on the back window. Car was being serviced and gassed up, when Joey’s cell rang. He didn’t recognize the number.

“Captain LaFiamma. What?” Joe was shocked as he was told Chaco was in Houston and ready for delivery.

“I’m at Chastang Ford picking up a car. Can you bring him here?”

“What is it?” Berkshire asked.

“The dog is in Houston. They are bringing it here.”

“Can’t wait to see him. Dillard said he’s beautiful.”

“Not sure how beautiful he’ll be from traveling, but we’ll have to stop at PetSmart on the way to the Trauma Center. Know any shortcuts?”

“I do. And you can take your dog in the store with you.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joseph stood by his new vehicle amazed that it was his. The color was perfect and there was plenty of room for Chaco. Now all he needed was the dog.

A panel truck pulled up stopping opposite Berky’s police cruiser. Joe did not recognize the woman that got out but he did recognize the dog that was in the cage in the truck and growled as she turned to let him out.

Walking toward the woman, he said, “That is not the way to treat a war hero.”

“War hero? It’s a dog.” The haggard woman replied gruffly.

“Does Carolyn know how you treat her dogs?” Joe questioned. He for sure was going to tell her.

“This dog doesn’t understand English. Just sits.”

Losing his patience, Joe walked up to the crate and unlatched it, speaking in Italian as he did so. The thumping of Chaco’s tail shook the whole truck.

“I believe you have a knapsack of things that belong to him.”

“Yes.. Right here,” she replied handling the sack to LaFiamma.

“Chaco! Venuto qui!”  (come here)

The dog charged out of the cage as the woman screamed. The shepherd ran straight for the Marine waiting for him on one knee.

Yelping, barking, rolling on his back for a tummy rub, the two got reacquainted, as cell phones came up taking videos of the happy reunion.

“Sieda!” (sit)

They were all amazed when the dog sat, his tail swishing back and forth as Joe opened up the knapsack. He took out a collar that sported a Purple Heart pinned on one side. Next a harness was strapped around his middle… with an American flag and US Marine Corp War Dog on each flank.

Joey would have loved to dress this woman down but he had other things to do. He would certainly tell Carolyn she needed to find someone else to deliver her dogs.

“Something is missing here!” Joe barked sharply. “A blue and white blanket about two inches thick.”

“That was full of holes. I put it in the trash.” She said indigently.

Everyone, including Berky, moved back when a dark look came over the Marine’s face.

“I suggest you call your family and get it out of the trash. This officer will follow you home to retrieve it. If you ever transport one of these dogs again … which I doubt you ever will when Carolyn finds out what you have done… everything that comes with the dog stays with the dog. THAT blanket belongs to his handler who was killed. You better damn well have it.”

The woman stared at him dumbfounded.

To add to his point, Joey pointed to Chaco’s Purple Heart. “This Purple Heart is because he was wounded in action. This dog is treated the same as any military veteran, and I sincerely hope you would not put a human soldier in a crate like that just because you felt he was worthless.”

“Joseph.” Berkshire spoke quietly. “I’ll follow her home. Text me with what you want from PetSmart. I’ll pick it up and bring it by the hospital. Your grandfather’s waiting.”

Joey nodded, then turned on a dime and walked to his new car, Chaco trotting along next to him.

-=-=-=-=-

LaFiamma knew he needed to cool down. Rather than have Berky buy the stuff for the dog, Joe drove to PetSmart.

Snapping the lease on, he entered the store. It was either the TV personality they saw or the blue pants, but he immediately had three people ready to help.

“Need three dozen yellow tennis balls. Fluorescent if you have them.”

“We do.”

“Water, food dish on a stand… “’

“Shelly, aisle 5.”

“Dog food. Could you show me what you have?”

“Sure can,” the man said pulling a cart out.

“Need three dog beds…and something for the back of an SUV.”

“We have quite a variety here.” The man, who wore a name tag with Sid on it, answered.

Thirty minutes later, Joe had two carts full of stuff. He pulled out his wallet and Sid stopped him.“It’s on us, Captain. We know what it takes to get one of this dogs home.”

Joey turned to his dog saying,”l'opinione li ringrazia” (say thank you)

Chaco sat back on his hunches waving his front paws and let out a bark.

“Thank you.” Joey responded humbly.

-=-=-=-

Berkshire texted Joe as he got to the Trauma Center. The blanket was found in the bottom of the trash bin. He made the woman’s two teenage sons get it.

Joe told Berky he’d stopped at PetSmart and was shocked when they wouldn’t let him pay for the stuff. He also asked his friend if the hospital would like him take the dog inside.

“Try it. He looks like a service dog.”

“Check with Dillard. See how things are going there.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joey parked his new car in the ER lot and clipped the new shorter lead on Chaco’s collar. He walked in unheeded. No one stopped him for having a dog with him. He checked at the information desk for Guido LaFiamma and was directed to the fifth floor.

“So far so good, Chaco,” Joey said as he stepped into the elevator.

Stepping off the elevator, Joe looked both ways. To his left, halfway down the hall was a Marine a parade rest.

“Tallone.” (Heel)

The Marine came to attention with a click of his heels. “They are waiting for you Captain.”

“Who are they?”

“Dr Stone. Someone named Michael from Chicago…”

“No way in hell!” Joey growled low in his throat pushing the door open.

-=-=-=-=-

The click of Chaco’s nails on the floor stopped the one-sided conversation in the room. In Italian, Joe told his dog to sit and stay. Then he turned his attention to the bed where his grandfather lay propped up on pillows.

“Where’s John?” Joseph asked tightly, not looking at Uncle Mikey.

Ezra smiled at Joe and grinned towards the dog. “Levon called to say he was needed at the ranch. Some horses were arriving from Oklahoma and John was needed there. Your uncle arrived about thirty minutes ago.”

“My uncle’s not welcome here,” Joe answered, looking at his grandfather.

You doing okay, Pappy. Sorry I’m late.

It was Theresa who ordered the hit on Anthony. Michael has asked the family to shun her. Has cut off her money.

LaFiamma stared at his uncle. Finally he said, “Blakely’s dead.”

“Did you kill him?”

“Garbonzill’s fish killed him.”

Michael LaFiamma sat heavily down in the chair next to the bed.

“I was not aware of how Theresa used her marriage to me to her advantage. She wanted something from Anthony and when he refused, she ordered the hit. I will never forgive her for that. She also cut John from the family…as she did you. When I moved you to Houston rather than New York, she was furious. So, she cut you off from the family even though I was at fault.”

“I wondered why no one called. Not even Christmas cards. It was like I didn’t exist.”

“You have become the man ... the leader … Anthony knew you could be. From what I have seen on TV today, he would be very proud of you.”

“She kept me from serving four years in the Corps. I wanted to make a career of it. I liked the life style.” Joey admitted.

“I don’t understand why she did it,” Mikey said sadly. “We have had others who were in the service, but she coveted you for some reason.”

“My mother asked her to keep me safe. But being put into a bubble is not what she meant.”

Changing the subject, Joe questioned his grandfather. “Pappy. Do you know about the shooter in the attic? How do we stop him?”

“A Hollywood movie man put that together. Mrs Carleton knows who it is.”

“Mrs Carleton? The architect’s wife?” Joey exclaimed,

Joey pulled his cell phone and called Berkshire. “Berky. Arrest Mrs Carleton! She is responsible for the shooter in the attic.”

“They found Carleton in his downtown office. Dead. Possible suicide.”

“Shit. Okay. That search warrant for the Carleton house should still be good. Get a team over there and go through every damn drawer, closet… everything, especially his office where the blueprints were found. See if they can find out who owns that house.”

“Did the Chief talk to you about that job?”

“He did.”

“I think you should take it. In a way, you are already doing it.”

Joey looked up and saw the Marine paramedic watching him. “You’re right Berkshire, I am already doing it.”

“Pappy. The Marines scanned the roof with high tech equipment. There are wires that indicate it is wired to blow up. Do you know what triggers that?”

“No. Carleton put that together when you were transferred to Houston.”

“What does me coming to ….” And then the youngest grandson of the youngest son of Iris and Guido LaFiamma stopped.

“Theresa was in on your kidnapping.” Joey responded quietly, his mind going through years of memory.

“I believe so.” Guido answered flatly.

“I’ll take care of it Joey,” Mikey replied standing.

“The hell you will!” Captain LaFiamma growled as he moved to the hospital room’s phone.

-=-=-=-

Captain Riddle, Head of the Cold Case Division of the Chicago Police Department, knew he should go home. But one case was bugging him. He was surprised when his phone rang.

“Captain Riddle.”

“Joseph LaFiamma.”

“Joey… you have become a TV celebrity. What can I do for you?”

“I have just solved one of your old cases ... the kidnapping of Guido LaFiamma.”

“He’s in Houston,” Riddle answered with a laugh.

“He is, in fact, in a hospital bed next to me. He’s been a prisoner in that house that’s been on TV …for the last ten years. He has just told me that Theresa LaFiamma was behind his kidnapping, and has known where he was all this time.”

“Joseph!” Riddle shouted bolting from his chair. “You have made my day! I have wanted to cuff that woman for years. I’ll get a squad over there immediately…. With no bail! I know just the judge that will do it.”

“You can contact me through Houston PD or the Texas Bond Company. Keep me posted. I will not release any pictures of him being rescued until I hear from you.”

-=-=-=-

Turning back to his grandfather, Joey noticed, for the first time, that Dr Ezra Stone was still in the room.

“How’s he doing, Ezra?”

“He is in remarkably good health. I have talked with Levon and Guthrie. Plus Mrs Schroeder, the new chef at TBC. He would be best at TBC. Mrs Schroeder will put him on a diet that will gradually get his system to accept solid food.”

“Guthrie agreed to this?” Joe was surprised that the Colonel would agree to have another LaFiamma under his roof.

“He did.” Ezra answered as his beeper buzzed.

-=-=-=-

Joey waited until after Uncle Mikey left before approaching his friend Dr Stone on sneaking Pappy out of the hospital. Ezra insisted that he go to TBC but after talking with both Guthrie and Delvin and discovering a new bodyguard spoke Italian, Joe thought that was too much of a coincidence. Later they would discover the man was on Theresa LaFiamma’s payroll.

Captain LaFiamma and Lieutenant Dillard had a short discussion via a hospital staff phone. After learning that Dillard’s mother was a retired dietitian and his father a retired Federal agent, Joey asked if they could be a ‘safe house’ for Pappy.

Arrangements were made to have Marine guards on the hospital room for three more days. At noon the third day, a big production would ensue saying goodbye to the patient while police stayed hidden in the room to see if any attempt was made on the ‘patient.’ The trap would snare the new Italian TBC bodyguard.

-=-=-=-=

Joe and Chaco took the stairs down to the Emergency Room. Walking to his new Expedition no one seemed to notice him. He rearranged the 50 lb. bag of dog food and other doggie stuff before folding down the back seats.

Chaco settled into a new cushy, padded dog bed as Joe slowed rolled around to a side entrance where he helped his grandfather into the back. Joe gave Chaco the ‘guard’ command as Ezra handed him instructions for the patient.

“Joey. I talked with your Taylor boys. They are glued to the TV watching everything you do on television.”

“Thanks Ezra.”

-=-=-=-=-

After delivering his grandfather into the capable hands of Mr and Mrs Dillard, Joey drove to Iris Lane. If he was going to sleep tonight, it would be in the Humvee or in the back of his SUV with his dog. The SUV was far better than some of the places he’d slept when on a mission with Colonel Guthrie.

-=-=-=-=-

LaFiamma’s eyes blinked open as his dog moved into a protective stance and began to growl. Seconds later there was a rap on the window.

“Hey sleepyhead!” Mick called. “One of the neighbors just delivered breakfast.”

Joey popped open the tailgate, stretching as he eased out. Chaco watered a couple of trees before coming back to watch his new bowls being filled with food and water.

“Have we let some of the residents return?” Joey questioned, noticing for the first time that there was a white tent set up in the middle of the street.

“Barney, Frog, me and a couple of cops went door to door last night while you were at the hospital. All the houses that are hooked up to city water were deemed safe. Four families have come back home. None of them have young kids. The others have opted to wait a few days.”

“Where is the breakfast from?”

“Cracker Barrel.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Johnny!” Levon called as he walked toward his kitchen. He could hear John talking with someone but didn’t know if he was on the phone or it was one of the horsemen who had arrived last night.

John LaFiamma’s eyes were on the kitchen door that lead to the hall. As soon as Levon appeared, he immediately switched to Italian which put a frown on his lover’s face.

“Levon walk in?”

“Yeah.”

“You two getting along?”

“Si.”

 “Does he understand you need to go slow?”

“Gli ho detto perchè ho bisogno di” (I told him why I need to.)

“Use the room upstairs John. I don’t know when Lee and I will get there.”

“Il colonnello ha denominato la notte scorsa per vedere se ci fossimo sentiti da voi. Ha preoccupato Joey. Preoccupato voi stanno camminando via da lui.”  

(Colonel called last night to see if we had heard from you. He's worried Joey. Worried you're walking away from him.).

“This has become a very complicated case, John. I found out that Aunt Theresa is who cut you off from the family. And me too. She wanted Uncle Mikey to send me to New York not Houston. She was in on Pappy’s kidnapping.”

“WHAT? She kidnapped her own father-in-law?” John gasped. “That… that means she’s known where he was all this time!”

“Yeah, bro. Which is why I didn’t take Pappy to TBC. They have a new bodyguard who just happens to be fluent in Italian.”

“He appeared out of the blue. Levon and Delvin are suspicious of him.”

“Let me talk to him, John.” Levon asked pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee.

“The Chief was here yesterday. Apologized for firing me. Said they should have investigated Browning’s statements. Offered me my old job back.”

“Yeah”, he told me. “Said you turned him down. Did you tell him about the horse project you and John are doing?”

“No. Figured it was none of his business.”

“Yeah, figured you didn’t. I told him what you and John were working on. That there was a real need for it and you both being known in the horse world, it should work out well.”

“Estaban called just before midnight last night. Said the rumor mill is rabid about you coming on as a coordinator… director…of all the detective units.”

Joey let out a long sigh, taking in the front of the Iris house, then moving over every inch of the garage.

“I told the Chief I would think about it. Us being partners has sort of been ripped apart with me here and you with the horses. You are really a horseman, Levon. Always have been. You’re in your element now and you have another LaFiamma who is just like you.”

“I am coordinating the investigation of this property… using the Marine Corps and the Houston Police. Last night when my dog arrived....

“DOG? WHAT DOG?” Levon barked almost spilling his coffee all of the eggs John had just put on the table.

“He’s a war dog, Lundy. Belonged to a friend in an Army unit. The dog was trained in Italian. Since I know the dog, I was allowed to apply for him. I’ve been working to get him here for three years. Oh yeah. I have a new vehicle too. Anyway, after Chaco arrived I realized being a bondsman would be too boring.”

“You better call Lee. He hasn’t heard from you in twenty-four hours and he’s taking it out on his staff.”Levon explained as he mopped up the spilled coffee.

-=-=-=-=-=-

LaFiamma thanked the Greenlee’s for buying breakfast for his men. Then he and Dillard walked through the house.

“My dad called this morning. Said your grandfather has a wicked sense of humor. Now I know where you got yours from.”

“Right about here,” Joey said pointing up to the hall light fixture, “has to be that robot. But I don’t see anything that tells us how to get there. Any word from the police finding Mrs Carleton?”

“Haven’t heard. You look damn sharp in those blues. Maybe you should go to the police station and rattle a few cages.”

Walking back out the front door, Joey said, “There is something about that car in the garage that bothers me. It is just a shell. Gear shift. Keys in the ignition. Seats in the front and back but no floor. No engine. Wheels but no axles.”

“You think it has to do with the bomb? Or maybe another way to the basement? What about Chaco? Could he sniff out a bomb here?” Dillard asked looking around for the dog.

-=-=-=-

Frog sprinted to where Dillard and LaFiamma were standing. “CAPTAIN! Mrs Carleton’s been found. Berkshire says to get to Headquarters fast! The Homicide chief is pushing his weight around and wants in on this case. Figures the reason you haven’t put anything out is because you found your grandfather dead.”

-=-=-=-

LaFiamma walked into the main entrance of Police Headquarters with his dog at his side. No one stopped him as he walked to the bank of elevators. The Desk Sergeant just nodded to him as several officers said “Morning Captain.” That’s when Joey realized they had no clue who he was.

The elevator was just closing when he stuck his hand in to stop it. As he stepped in, he winked at Annie. Sgt Annie Hartung stared at him and then started grinning.

“Morning darlin’’,” Joey drawled, motioning Chaco to her as the doors closed.

Straightening, LaFiamma looked at the two plainclothes detectives.

“This your boyfriend, Annie?” One of the detectives asked.

“How you doin’?” Joey asked her before looking straight into the faces of the two men.

The two detectives didn’t recognize Joe until the elevator dinged at the third floor.

“LAFIAMMA!!?”

“Holy hell! We heard…but….shit, no one’s going to… that’s real, isn’t it?” One chortled as he pointed to the Presidential Seal pin on Joe’s lapel.

“Yeah, Brookfield it’s real,” Joey answered holding the door for Annie.

“Joey, you stop by before you leave, you hear?”

“I’ll try, Annie. You boys getting off?”

“What? Yeah.”

Shaking his head, Joe pushed the LL button, wondering if he did want to work with the idiots that were cops here.

-=-=-=-

“Look, Ramono. You have no justification here! LaFiamma is in charge of everything related to this case.” Sgt Berkshire barked into the face of Lieutenant Ramono.

“Yeah, well, he isn’t here, is here? No pictures have come out of the person they found so obviously the guy is dead. And if the guy is dead that is Homicide’s …”

“You know Ramono; I thought you were smarter than that. If you have muddied my case, I will put you in jail … at Fort Hood.” LaFiamma barked as he walked up to the group.

Berkshire grinned at him as others stared, their mouths hanging to the floor.

Joey pulled his beeping phone and said, “Captain LaFiamma.”

“Joseph. We have Theresa in custody. She is lawyering up. To go for no bail we need that rescue up.”

“You got it Captain. I can have it up on AP, CNN, BBC and Reuters in less than five minutes. Any locals will pick it up from there.”

“He’s protected.”

“Damn straight he’s protected. Picked the Marines myself. Okay. Keep me posted.”

Silently they watched him punched two numbers into his phone.

“Dillard! Need Pappy’s rescue up on all news stations ASAP. Start before the mattress is picked up until he is airborne.”

“You want people to see the bugs and lizards. What he was staring at?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Mick is getting it set to go now. I talked to Guthrie. Told him to watch the news. Also told him that Italian bodyguard is an enforcer here to kill you and your grandfather.”

“How’d you find that out? Did Jesu track him? Okay. Keep me posted. I’ll call the Colonel when I’m done here.”

“Berky, we ready to do this? I want it recorded.”

“It’s set Joe.”

“Chaco!”

The dog trotted forward and Joe bent down to take out the tablet that was in the dog’s backpack.

“How the hell did you walk in with him?” Ramono barfed.

Ignoring the man, Joe motioned his dog just outside Interrogation Room 1. “Sieda. Soggiorno.”

“Ramono. I suggest you go upstairs and turn on your TV and watch just how undead the person is that we found.”

Looking around, Joey stated tightly, “The dog does not understand English. He is a US military war dog. It has taken me three years to get him Stateside. He goes where I go. Get used to him.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joseph watched Ramono step into the elevator as a man in a very expensive suit walked up.

“Oh hell!” LaFiamma muttered low in his throat.

“That must be Mrs Carleton’s lawyer. You know him?” Berkshire questioned as the man walked toward them.

“Call Dillard. Get him here fast. This man knows me and my grandfather. If he says I have a conflict of interest, I can say the same to him.”

-=-=-=-=-

“James Matheson. I am Mrs Carleton’s lawyer. Where is she?” The man in the thousand dollar suit asked with authority.

“James.” Joseph said quietly, stepping in front of the man.

“Joseph!” Matheson barked in surprised his eyes scanning the uniform and the man. “You the man on TV?”

“I am. How long have you been in Houston?”

“Moved down three years ago. Mary Alice wanted out of the Chicago winters and her best friend moved to Galveston.”

Joey watched the District Attorney come out the ‘Stairs’ door. Nicholas Santiago was a clothes-horse. Always smartly dressed, yet three times a week when the two of them ran together nobody ever recognized the man.

“I called the DA. This case has had so many twists we are actually down to the last man standing… in this case it is a woman.” Joseph explained as James turned to see who Joseph was watching.

Santiago looked around. “Officer! We need a private room to discuss this case, and I want the interview with Mrs Carleton videotaped.”

“Yes sir!” Three answers came at once.

-=-=-=-=-

Still standing in the hall outside the interrogation rooms, Santiago asked, “You two know each other?”

“James was one of my professors at University of Chicago Law School,” Joey replied as a uniformed officer said a conference room was ready.

“Berkshire,” Joe started. “Let me know when Lieutenant Dillard….”

“I’m here,” Dillard said stepping out of an elevator with a thick folder under his arm.

Nicholas turned, startled to see a fellow law student. “David Dillard.”

“Okay, this is too much!” LaFiamma barked. “You two know each other? Has to be Sanford Law School?”

“It was.” Both men answered as they were ushered into a conference room.

=-=-=-

Putting the folder on the conference table, Dillard took out the top image and laid it on the table.

“Before we go into everything they need to know,” Dillard said looking at LaFiamma. “We made a discovery at the house. I called Colonel Guthrie and two of his computer people have been going through every flight out of Houston to LaGuardia for the past year. The movie special effects man who built the shooting robot never left Houston. He never got to LaGuardia. He never arrived in London.”

“He’s in the house.” Joey responded quietly.

“Yes. We traced the oxygen tubing that Pappy was wearing to one of those oxygen tanks. The tubing of the other tank goes in a completely different direction. Mick wondered if Chaco could find him.”

“If we had clothing … yes.”

“Thanks to some very determined police officers. we’ve got clothing. They searched the Carleton’s house and found one room locked with a padlock. Inside they found a passport, wallet, clothes…the man was staying with them. I have two pieces of clothing in paper bags. One of the K9 officers said not to put them in plastic. I think we need to get a chopper up because the oxygen on that tank is hitting the red line.”

James Matheson reached for the man’s photo saying, “I think we’d better see if Isabel can tell us where this man is.”

-=-=-=-

“Oh yes, James. Of course I remember him. Heavens, he’s chained under the stairs. You have to through the cutest little door to get there. The man wanted to leave! He was going to London! No way would I allow that. I could never keep track of all those dials and levers. I almost blew up the house once. It’s wired, you know. Garbonzill … Garbo… didn’t trust anyone. The poor man under the lizard bed… he’s probably dead by now. With Blakely gone… well, it takes two to lift the mattress and to pull out the drawer. Blakely was getting fresh with me. I pushed him into the basement. James… you have to see the cute little fish in the basement. They eat people. They ate our son. He was home from a swim meet and stopped to see me and… and… Garbo had that damn slide open. Barry thought it went into a pool. Well, it was a pool, just not a swimming pool. It took me a whole month to tell Hank that our son had been eaten alive by some fish. “

The four men stared at her. The District Attorney quietly told James Matheson to call the Psychiatric Center. Any future questioning will be done there.

It was Joey who stopped them from getting up.

“Mrs Carleton. You said you almost blew up the house. Is it dangerous to walk in there?” Captain LaFiamma asked quietly.

“Oh you can walk around all you want. But if you open the garage door… well, don’t close it again.” Isabel answered matter-of-factly.  “When you turn the key to lock it … boom! That sets off a spark that connects to all the wires. Did you know the whole house is wired and will collapse into the fish tank? My husband and Garbo were so devious. It will close off the fish tank and keep anyone from checking all the bones. There are lots of bones.”

“Was you son building that beautiful red car in the garage?” Dillard asked.

“One of his friends dropped it there. Used a crane or something. They didn’t know the floor had just been poured. He was so mad to find it was stuck to the floor. He’d sit in it sometimes … turning the key and making car noises like a little kid. After Barry went for a swim, I invited his friends over. They thought the slide was a blast.”

Joey looked at Nicholas and James. “You two take care of her. Dillard and I will get back to the house.”

-=-=-=-=-

Once Dillard, LaFiamma and Chaco were onboard the Police helicopter, Joe called the Humvee with orders to absolutely not close the garage. He also informed his squad that there was still man alive in the house and that man was the special effects designer that disappeared last year.

“You didn’t want her to know that Pappy is alive?” Dillard asked his Captain.

“No. We may need more info from her, though I think she is bordering on insanity now. It probably started after she lost her son.”

-=-=-=-=-

Thanking the pilot of Police One for the lift, Joey asked him to stay in the area. They might need a quick getaway, plus his vehicle was at Police Headquarters.

“Jeremy, better call Dispatch. We will need EMTs here for this guy.”

-=-=-=-=-

LaFiamma stared at the house.

“Dillard. Tell them to move the Humvee closer to the intersection. Keep all residents out.”

Then Joey pulled his cell and called his brother, John, asking him about any hidden closet under the stairs.

“Oh sure, Joey. You and Jay used to hide under there all the time. In the living room behind the gray rocking chair. Remember? There is a painted house on the wall. The door of that house opens to a room under the stairs.”

“Captain! Paramedic unit coming in … and Fire Rescue!”

Joey stared at the firemen, and then shouted, “WE NEED BOLT CUTTERS! Follow me!”

The men moved the gray chair and end table away from the wall.

Joey stared at the house design … the window, the door, the flower box.

Hey Joey, bet you can’t find me! His twin, Jay, shouted from under the stairs. Too many memories here.

The men stared at LaFiamma. He was not responding to any of their questions. Dillard stepped in front of Joe, breaking the memory connection.

Shaking himself free of the memories, Joe simply said, “I lost my twin brother here.”

Stepping back, LaFiamma looked at those around him. “You better have masks ready. He’s been in here for a year. Have no clue about the sanitation. He is on oxygen. But that shooting robot may also be in there so be careful. There is room for at least three grownups.”

“When you get him out… if he is coherent, we need to know how to turn off that shooting machine.”

-=-=-==-

“What’s going on down there?” Joey questioned looking toward the intersection.

“Two little old ladies insisting on talking to you. One says she’s your grandma but we know…”

“NELLIE?” Joey gasped. “She’s supposed to be in Galveston.”

“You know her….” Gabby began before his Captain took off on a dead run for the intersection.

Over his shoulder LaFiamma shouted to one of the cops, “ARMANDO! That man doesn’t leave until I talk to him!”

-=-=-=-=-

Local news cams greedily stood off to the side recording Mrs Nettie Wells and Mrs Nellie Risso’s confrontation with two Houston police officers who were not letting them get into Iris Lane.

“Jamison! Fredricks! It’s okay,” LaFiamma called as he pushed through. He motioned the two cops and the ladies away from the small crowd.

“Nellie… aren’t you supposed to be moving into your condo?” Joey asked seriously, glancing around and noticing the cameras for the first time.

“Joseph! That place I have been going to for TWENTY YEARS has sold MY place to two other people besides me! It is a riot down there. Winter people coming to move into condos they thought they owned are finding out the management has sold the same place over and over again.”

Joey scanned the news people who hung on the fringes finally spotting the one station he trusted. “SHEPHERD! Do you know about this?”

“First we’ve heard of it, Joey.”

“Get your investigative reporter on it.” LaFiamma all but ordered the man.

Pulling his phone he called Delvin to see if anyone was in the area that could take the ladies to TBC. After a short conversation, Joe turned to the officers and the ladies.

“Someone from Texas Bond Company will be coming to take the ladies to TBC. Jamison… you know Jimmy. Make sure he is the only one who gets in Nellie’s suburban with them.”

“Miss Nettie… Agent Standish told me you sold your farm. Are you moving in with Nellie?”

“The Colorado Historical Society is buying it and turning it into a living museum. I haven’t had a chance to tell Vin yet. He’s in Dallas at a ATF seminar.”

“In Dallas?” Joey gasped. Wonderful! I don’t have to fly to Denver to get him.

“Joseph.” A six foot two inch hunk of man in a black TBC uniform said softly coming up behind the officers.

LaFiamma grinned as the officers and others took in the handsome, rugged looking young man. In German, Joe explained who the ladies were. That they were to move them into the Chase apartment and to let them loose in the kitchen now that Mrs Schroeder has decided our kind of setup isn’t for her.

“You’ll call the Colonel, right?” Jimmy asked staring into the grinning face of his friend.

“Yes, I’ll call Guthrie.”

“GUTHRIE!” Nellie yelled.“Is that your commanding officer from the Marine Corps? Is he the…”

Joseph spoke in sharp Italian to his Godmother. Telling her that the Colonel was his friend and not to say anything that will be played out over television for weeks to come.

It was then that Nellie looked around to see all the people and the TV cameras. Her hand flew to her mouth as she nodded to her best friend’s grandson.

Joey watched Jimmy offer an arm to each lady as he walked them through the parting crowd toward the vehicle Nellie was pointing towards.

“Jamison …  that ambulance will be coming out shortly. You might want to clear the intersection.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Sprinting back up to 1935 Iris Lane, Joey watched the firemen come out the front door and vomit in the bushes.

“Shit … hope that guy is alive,” LaFiamma mumbled to himself.

“Armando, do we need a chopper?”

“Don’t know yet. The man is alive and talking wildly in French.”

“COVER HIS EYES!” A paramedic shouted. “He’s been in the dark for months. LaFiamma… we need a translator.”

Joey waited by the ambulance as the man was brought up to the street.

“Berkshire! Do we have an ID on this man? What did the detectives find? We need a name for the hospital! And contact info.”

Sgt Berkshire rushed to the Humvee as LaFiamma knelt down next to the stretcher.

For several minutes LaFiamma knelt next to the man speaking a language only the two of them understood. Joseph learned that the only two vulnerable spots were the red lights in the head and the belly of the robot. Joe asked about shooting down the arms to destroy the ammunition. Louis Armand asked who could do that. Joseph said he knew it could be down. Joe learned that lithium batteries sustained the robot and destroying the ammunition would take out the batteries.

Berkshire interrupted the conversation with a fax from HPD. “Joseph. Here’s a copy of his California driver’s license and information off his passport. It lists contact information.”

“Thank you. Ask Dillard if we have a satellite phone for an overseas call.”

Turning to the rescued man, Joe asked, “Louis … this contact number  ... is it your wife?”

“Yes. She was expecting twins… When I…”

“Captain,” Lieutenant Dillard spoke quietly as he approached. “I’ve dialed another number that was in his luggage. I believe it is his father-in-law.”

Captain LaFiamma stood up speaking first in English and then in French, explaining that Louis Armand had been found alive. He was dehydrated, had lost a lot of weight … his hair was white due to the stress and the situation he was in. Joe explained he would be making a news conference regarding his discovery and rescue but he wanted Louis’ wife and family to know the situation before it was made public.

Joe answered the man’s questions the best he could and then asked what sex the twins were.

“Boys. Two boys. Franco and Phillipe.”

Handing the phone back to Dillard, Joe turned to the anxious father. Holding up two fingers he said, “Two… boys …. Franco and Phillipe.”

“Armando. Make sure Dr Stone has a French translator there. Louis knows English but his main language is French.”

LaFiamma and his squad watched the ambulance do a slow roll through the intersection, turning its lights and siren on as it made its turn.

“Okay people. We are going to close and lock the front door. Then … Bear and Gabby you are going to put your hands on the garage door and slowly … SLOWLY …close it. Do not let it drop down or we may all go boom together.” Joseph explained tightly.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey looked around for Chaco and found him asleep on the hood of the Expedition.

“Meeting,” LaFiamma said motioning to the Expedition.

“Okay. Anyone who needs to get back to his job can take off. I can get Houston PD to come and house sit until I can get Vin Tanner down here.”

Barney, Frog, Gabby and the others looked at each other and nodded.

“We’re here for the duration, Captain,” Barney said soundly. “Most of us have taken vacation or personal time, and if we get fired  ... so be it. This is a matter of life and death. Marines do not walk away from a fight.”

Captain LaFiamma grinned. He figured that would be their answer. “Okay. Mick I need you to notify news media that I will have a news conference in about twenty minutes. It will be short and no questions will be answered.”

“Frog, you know someone who is an ATF agent here, right? I need to talk with the Houston director. I need a Denver agent who is in Dallas, and I need him here today.”

“Dillard. Contact Major Menno. Ask him if his helio is still on standby for us. I need it to fly to Dallas to pick up an ATF sniper.”

“Gabby. Bear. I need you two to walk the neighborhood. Make sure no one has snuck into the empty houses. Check on the people who are here. When I get back from Dallas … we are going to implode the house and kill the robot.”

“He told you how to do that?” Dillard exclaimed wide-eyed.

“He did. The thing is running on lithium batteries. They last forever. Once everything is done, we will figure out what to do with the fish in the backyard and the houses. But right now that robot has to be terminated.”

-=-=-=-

“Chaco!” Joey called pulling a yellow tennis ball from his pocket. Pulling his phone he called Guthrie.

“Guthrie!”

Joey jerked at the harshness of his lover. “Hey lover, how are you doing? “

“Joseph,” Lee purred. “Who are these women?”

“Nellie is Grandma LaFiamma’s best friend. They have been friends since the third grade. They both were forced to marry someone they didn’t love yet raised many children. When Grandma LaFiamma died, Nellie took over being grandmother. Nettie is the adopted grandmother of Federal agent Vin Tanner. I am going to fly to Dallas to get him in an hour or so. Vin and I are going to take out the robot.”

“Jimmy said you found another person in the house.”

“Designer of the robot. Listen. Nellie and Nettie are fabulous cooks. Nellie is a baker … muffins, cakes, cookies, brownies, cream puffs, eclairs. Nettie makes the best pot roast you will ever taste in your life. They don’t need a salary. Give them the Chase apartment in return for being TBC’s cooks. Did Jimmy tell you what happened to Nellie’s Galveston condo?”

“Yes. And it is all over the news. Your Lieutenant Dillard said to contact James Matheson and he is going to represent her.”

“Knowing these two… all the single men and women there will become their grandkids  … the ladies will find a niche in cooking and nurturing. I have to go …”

“I heard about the police job they want you for.”

“I’m going to take it... on one condition … that my office can be on TBC’s first floor. The office that you don’t use and the two conference rooms. It will sort of be a HPD satellite detective branch. Think about it. Am doing a news conference, then I have to find the Houston ATF director and fly to Dallas. And Lee ... no matter what is going on in my life … you’re mine. You belong to me. I belong to you.”

“And Colonel, remember those are civilians that work for you. You are not your father. Those two old ladies in your kitchen … either one of them could back your father up against the wall … and win!”

Joey heard his lover let go with a big guffaw. “Okay, Joseph. I get the picture. You be careful out here.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Okay Mick! Hand me my script for this news conference.”

Michelob Brown stared at his Captain and friend. The man had always talked straight from the cuff before. “ah…”

“Okay, Michelob. Print out his name and where he is from and that we have already contacted his family. I’ll fill in the rest. And Mick… when I get back from Dallas I have a job offer for you.”

“Sir, I don’t need…”

“I heard you say you got fired for being here. I have a better job for you and it will use all the talents you’ve been using here and more. I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Barney,” Joe said pulling out his keys. “Need you to move my vehicle even with the Humvee to keep people off the street. I’m taking Chaco to Dallas with me.”

“What do we hear from the ATF?”

“The director and two agents are on their way, and Bear is on is way back down to protect you from the mob down there.”

-=-=-=-

In spite of questions being fired at him from all sides Captain LaFiamma only gave minimal information.

“The man we discovered in the house is Louis Armand. He has French and US citizenship. He is a Hollywood magic man in special effects. He disappeared about a year ago when he was summons here because of a problem with the robot. When he made it, it was for shooting tennis balls. He was astonished to learn someone in Houston had changed it into a killer. He gave me two ways to disarm this machine, and I am shortly flying to Dallas to pick up an Army sniper who I have worked with before."

“We have contacted Louis’ wife and father-in-law. Louis was overjoyed to learn that he is now the father of twins. He has been kept in a closet with minimum light which is why his face was covered when paramedics brought him out. That’s all.”

“LAFIAMMA! WHAT HOSPITAL IS HE IN?”

“WHO IS THE SNIPER YOU’RE GOING AFTER?”

Six foot five, 350 pounds of muscle stepped forward. Beartholomew Trimble stated in a booming voice, “Captain LaFiamma said the conference was over. That means… it is over.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey watched the Marine helicopter circle and land. He had yet to hear from the ATF and he really needed the director’s okay to pull Tanner out of that seminar.

“Captain.”

Joey turned to see a man in a suit flanked by two men wearing ATF vests. He stared at one his eyes narrowing. “Oh crap.”

“LaFiamma. I’m Jeffrey Richmond, Special Agent in Charge of Southeast Texas. This is Agent Shawnee and Agent…”

“Williams.” Joseph ground out tightly.

“You two know each other?” Richmond asked.

“You could say that.” Came the unison answer.

The two men stared at each other and then Joe shook himself free saying, “Agent Vin Tanner is in Dallas. I need him down here. What do I have to do to get him freed from that seminar?”

“We have snipers here that I’m sure could…” Richmond began.

“Falcon is the best Army sniper of his age. He and I have worked together on a coalition mission. I know what he…”

“Holy crap!” Williams barked. “You were the other sniper with Vin when he took down… on the delta. All this time we thought… hell LaFiamma, I apologize,” Williams said looking around.  “You’re going to do the same thing with this robot.”

“Yes.”

“You want to tell me what you two are talking about,” Richmond demanded.

“It’s classified,” LaFiamma and Williams answered in one voice.

“Here’s the deal,” Richmond began. “I would very much like to get Tanner on my team. The new ATF Director in Washington is changing things all around. There is a new position. Strategist …a position that deals with the conduct and disposition of forces. Someone who can look at a situation … a bust and say whether it will work or not. What is wrong. What needs to be done to make it work. I have talked with two of Tanner’s commanding officers. Both have told me he was the best strategist they had ever met.”

Looking at Williams, Joe said, “Yeah, Vin has the mind like Pac Man.”

“Okay, so who is flying with me? Right now he is doing a seminar on weapons and he is the speaker. He is done in two hours. I don’t want him notified ahead of arrival because then Larabee will know. And from what I’ve been told, Denver is being revamped. Travis is being forced out as is Larabee.”

“Larabee is being given the option of resigning or going to jail for sexual harassment,” Richmond responded.

“Yes, and Vin is one of Larabee’s victims. Okay… Tanner’s adopted grandmother is now in Houston. He is not aware of this. That would be the one person that would hold him in Denver. Plus a girl he was interested in Iraq now lives in Houston.”

“Amy?” Williams questioned. “I heard she gave up nursing.”

“Said she’d seen enough blood in Iraq to last a lifetime. She got a computer degree and works for Texas Bond Company.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

They were just airborne when Richmond called his Dallas counterpart. Tanner would be excused from the balance of the seminar and no one would know about it until after they were on their way back to Houston. Forty-five minutes later they were landing in the Heliport of the Dallas Convention Center.

Joseph snapped the leash on Chaco and it was only then the ATF agents were aware that a dog was with them.

Richmond gave LaFiamma a hard look.

Joey just grinned, saying. “Tanner knows the dog and Chaco can track him anywhere.”

Williams stopped in his tracks staring at the animal. “This is Travis’ dog?”

“Yeah. Took me three years and a few thousand bucks to get him here. He arrived yesterday.”

“Oh man. There are a couple of other guys from Travis’ unit in Houston. Can we have visitation rights?” Williams asked as his boss looked on in shock.

“I think we can arrange it.” LaFiamma responded with a smile.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Vin Tanner had finished his lecture early. He’d given this weapons talk so many times that he answered most of the usual questions as he went along. He stared at the clock wondering what he was going to do for forty minutes when a “WOOF” was heard outside the door.

Someone in the back of the room walked to the door and opened it. At the same time, Joey unhooked the leash and let the dog go.

“WHAT THE HELL?!” Several men shouted as the dog bound into the room.

Tanner stared at the dog as it advanced toward him. Then he started laughing as he dropped to his knees and embraced the animal in a hug.

Cell phones and iPads appeared out of nowhere as videos captured a war dog greeting a long lost friend.

Vin looked up at Joey. “When did you get him? What are you doing here? Chaco. Sieda. Sieda.”

Chaco sat, his tail thumbing loudly on the hardwood floor.

“I’ll explain it on the way to your room. You’re excused from the rest of the seminar. I need you in Houston.”

“Best news I’ve heard all day.” Vin answered standing.

The dog watched his every move, as Tanner packed up his weapons and explained to the class that he’d been volunteered for something elsewhere.

-=-=-=-=--

Chaco and Williams stood outside Tanner’s hotel room keeping any curious people out.

“They want me to do a lateral transfer to Houston? Miss Nettie’s not going to like that.”

“Miss Nettie and her sister are in Houston right now. The Colorado Historical Society is buying the Wells ranch and turning it into a living museum. Similar to something that is north of Phoenix, only this will be farming and ranching as it was in the 1930’s.”

“Her sister from Chicago?” Tanner called from the bathroom as he gathered his shaving gear.

“Yes. Nellie Risso. Who just happens to be my godmother and was my grandmother’s best friend. She now considers me her grandson,” Joey explained looking around the room.

“You’re kidding,” Tanner laughed coming out of the bathroom with his shaving kit.

Walking to the closet to get his duffle bag, Vin said, “Looks like it might be something worth thinking about.”

“Well, here are a couple more things. Your gal Amy works at the Texas Bond Company as an internet researcher.” LaFiamma explained as he opened a dresser drawer.

“Nurse Amy Brewster.” Vin questioned quietly, remembering the woman he fell in love with during war time.

“The same,” Joe replied frowning at the box he found next to other things that had Larabee’s name on them.

Vin just stared at his friend. “I really fell hard for her. Then I found out she was dating three other men. Kind of blew me away that even in war time a woman would …. One of her men was a Captain. He walked straight into a fire fight. A lot of us blamed her.”

“You should know too, that your boss Travis is being forced to resign or be terminated. And… Larabee is going to be fired or face jail time.”

“Jail time?” Vin questioned lifting things out of another dresser drawer and placing them into his duffle bag.

“More men than you have complained to Travis and to Washington. The new ATF Director is taking action on a lot of things. A big upheaval is coming down. Plus the job in Houston would not be as a sniper.”

“What is it then?” Vin asked as he rechecked the room, opening drawers, going into the bathroom again and the closet.

“A strategist. Richmond has already talked to two of your CO’s.”

“You mean, telling people whether their plans will work or not … and getting PAID for that?” Vin quacked not believing what he was hearing.

“You got it, Tex. And yes, you get paid for it. Sounds like a good salary too because it is for the whole area not just one team.”

“What are you looking at in Larabee’s drawer?” Vin asked with interest as he walked up next to his friend.

“No way in hell!” Tanner growled staring at the black leather studded collar in the drawer before him.

“One thing I will do though… is keep my apartment in Denver. Otherwise Rosa’s kids will have no place to do their homework.”

-=-=-=-=-

As the three men stepped out of the elevator into the lobby, Williams was carrying Tanner’s two gun cases, Vin’s duffle bag was slung over his shoulder and LaFiamma had a tight lead on Chaco. Several groups of men and women stopped to stare not knowing if the men were a threat or had just taken someone down.

Jeffrey Richmond stepped out of one of the groups. “Gentlemen, are we ready to go?”

LaFiamma looked at the others with him and smiled. “We’re set. And you have a new man.”

A broad smile graced Richmond’s face as he extended his hand to Vin Tanner. “Welcome! You’re now part of the Southeast Texas Field Office.”

-=-=-=-=-

A group of Colorado ATF agents stared in disbelief as they watched Larabee’s sniper leave.

“Who’s going to tell Chris?”

“Not me!” Each one of them answered.

“Let Larabee find out for himself. It will spread like wildfire once word gets out Tanner has transferred to Texas.”

-=-=-=-=-

Chris Larabee stepped off the elevator on the fifteen floor and looked both ways. He’d seen Vin go into the elevator with two men he’d never seen before. His gut feeling was to get upstairs fast but it didn’t work out that way. He was stopped by Las Vegas agents who needed information from their last class. The classes were worthless as far as Chris was concerned. Just a repeat of last year and the year before.

Walking into his hotel room he could tell something had changed. The atmosphere was charged. Angry. Looking around he didn’t see Tanner’s clothes in the closet or his bag on the floor. Gravitating towards the dresser, he fiercely pulled open the left hand drawers to find Vin’s things gone.

Larabee stared at his top dresser drawer for several minutes before opening it. When he finally did, a silent gasp escaped his throat. The studded collar he was going to ask Tanner to wear was wide open, spread across the tissue paper it had been wrapped in.

Chris knew instantly it wasn’t Tanner who did this. One of the men was a Dom, a Master or a Stallion. And the collar was useless to him now. Whoever opened it, also had to close it. No other fingerprints would work.

“FUCK! A year’s nurturing down the drain!” Larabee fumed as he slammed the drawer shut.

-=-=-=-=-=-

In the Marine helicopter Tanner was learning that there were several Field Offices throughout the State of Texas. Vin would be connected to the Houston Office though he may be called to assist any of the Southeast Field Offices.

Tanner listened intently, occasionally looking at Joey and grinning.

Joe knew his friend had wanted to step away from being a sniper for a long time. Now he was getting a chance to show his other abilities and still see Miss Nettie every day.

“Captain.” The Marine navigator said breaking into the conversations. “We’re going back to Iris Lane, correct.”

“Yes, Curtis. Sorry, I should have mentioned that. I need Vin to size up the situation before we go to TBC and have him look at the building plans.”

“You can read architecture plans?” Richmond questioned, looking up from what he’d been texting.

“Yeah,” Tanner responded nonchalantly.

Richmond looked at LaFiamma for a better answer missing Tanner’s raised eyebrows.

“Vin needed extra hours to fill out his Master’s so he took a basic class in architecture. Then he ended up taking a couple of others.”

“You have a Master’s degree?” Richmond gasped in astonishment. “I haven’t gotten anything from the Washington office that indicates you have a Master’s.”

“Got a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and a Master’s in Languages. Took architecture in case I got bored at being a sniper. Travis has all this information. I can pull it up online if you need it.”

“I most certainly do need it! Hell, this changes everything.” Richmond yelped, pulling out his phone.

“Wait a minute!” Tanner gruffed. “Does this mean I don’t have a job now?”

“Oh, you have a job! The question is which one of the three we are going to put you into.”

“The one you told me about… strategist … that takes in all of that and more. When we get to Joey’s place I can print out my resume.”

LaFiamma pulled his phone and called Mick. “Michelob. We’re on our way in. I need you to go into the ATF Denver office and pull up Vin Tanner’s file and print out his education degrees. Where he got his Bachelor’s and his Master’s …. And his resume. If you can’t find it, let me know. Special Agent Richmond needs it.”

“Good. I’m glad everything is quiet there. And Tanner needs to view the video of our robot. Thanks.”

All was silent in the chopper as they circled around to land.

-=-=-=-=-

It wasn’t until the Marine chopper was airborne that Richmond turned to LaFiamma and said, “Isn’t it illegal to go into government data bases?”

“We’re the Marine Corps. We can go anywhere,” Joseph replied matter-of-factly.

As they walked to the lavender Humvee, the Magnificent Seven theme went off.

“It’s either Larabee or Ezra?” Vin said pulling his phone out.

“Ezra?” Joey questioned.

“Ezra Standish. Team’s undercover agent,” Vin explained.

Three men came out of the Humvee, one with several pieces of paper in his hand.

Suddenly everything stopped, as Tanner shouted, “What the hell Larabee!”

LaFiamma spun on a dime and jogged to where Tanner stood. Taking the phone out of his friend’s hand, Joey motioned Vin to go to Richmond. “Go … Houston is your future.”

Joseph listened to Chris Larabee’s anger involving the black leather collar.

“You are pathetic, Larabee. Damn good thing you’re being fired. Find someone else to fuck, will you? It’s not going to be Vin Tanner …ever.” Joseph replied in a stern tight voice.

“‘WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?” Larabee raged.

“I’m the one who opened the collar. Why don’t you try it on? Put it around your neck and maybe in a year or two … I’ll come to Denver and take it off.” LaFiamma growled coldly.

“Who the hell are you?” Larabee repeated.

“Captain Joseph LaFiamma. US Marine Corps. Presidential Division. You had best check in with Travis. He’s being terminated thanks to you.”

“What the hell you talking about?”

“Call home, Captain Larabee, before they clean out your desk for you. Tanner has been transferred to Houston. You won’t be seeing him again.”

“You’re a Master, aren’t you? Or a Stallion. Herding Tanner in, are you?” Larabee ranted..

“The only thing I am doing is getting Tanner away from you and letting people know that he is an educated person. You dare to touch Tanner … I will kill you Christopher Adam Larabee. Don’t call him again.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Richmond leaned against the Humvee reading Tanner’s resume and information from the University of Phoenix regarding his Criminal Justice degree. He was amazed when he saw what the young man’s IQ was.

“Mick, is it? I’m going to give you a fax number in Washington, and dictate a cover letter. The new ATF Director needs this information. Whether it was Larabee or Travis who didn’t pass this on, more heads will roll in Denver that is for sure.”

“Follow me, sir.” Mick answered watching his Captain stick Tanner’s phone in his pocket and then take it out again.

-=-=-=-=

Ezra Standish barely glanced at his cell as it rang. “Yes, Mr Tanner.”

“This is Captain LaFiamma in Houston. Just listen please. Vin said you are the only one he trusts there. He has taken a lateral transfer to Houston which involves a promotion. Everything of his that is at Larabee’s ranch needs to be picked up as soon as possible. Leave the jeep. His salary here will be double what he made in Denver. Neither Travis nor Larabee informed Washington that Vin had a Master’s Degree or that he was an intelligent person. Heads are going to roll for both those men. Vin said you have a stepfather in Vegas. You might want to resign before Team Seven gets the axe. Vin doesn’t want you caught in the takedown of Team Seven.”

“Mr Tanner, I am so glad things are going well in Dallas. You seeing old friends from bounty days must be most exciting.”

“You can contact him through the Texas Bond Company for now. Watch the news this evening and tomorrow. We will both be on it.”

“Thank you very much for informing me of your change of plans. I will definitely check your desk for that information and get it to you.”

“Wait! You’re Phineas …Joey LaFiamma here. The Chicago cop that saved you from your own Freebies. Take care, Ezra. Let us know where you end up.”

Ezra Standish was speechless. He stared at his cell phone for several minutes before going into action. First he needed to clean out Tanner’s desk without looking like he was doing that. Then he had to leave early and head out to the ranch. Larabee wasn’t in town, but Buck and JD had plans to go there later. He’d call stepfather number seven and see how things were in Las Vegas. He grinned when he realized Tanner was at last free from Larabee’s grasp.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“You saved Ezra when you were a cop in Chicago?” Tanner questioned quietly.

“I did. For some reason he wasn’t well liked with fellow agents. And I didn’t much care for the FBI agents in Chi Town so I sided with Ezra in what was going down. What’s going on with Mick and Richmond?”

“They are faxing all my education stuff to Washington. Chris or maybe Travis never informed them I had a degree above the 8^th grade. Explains a lot. I want to see this robot, Joey. Do you really think we can duplicate what we did in the Delta?”

“I hope so, Vin. We will need some preparations but I want to take him down tomorrow morning. The families that live on this street need to come home.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Dillard jogged to where Tanner and LaFiamma were talking.

“Captain. Have a call here from Carolyn. Some family friend of Polinski’s paid to have his dog brought to the States. He didn’t know that Molly is allergic to animal dander.”

“Tell her to bring the dog here. Chaco has gravitated to Tanner. He was on Vin’s lap the whole trip back from Dallas, plus two ATF agents were in Travis’ unit. We’ll take Pulie.”

“Hot dog! We loved that dog.”

“Dillard! Tell the friend to give Molly the round case with the Frisbee in it. With all the films he sent back, that will help them connect.”

“You got it.” David Dillard laughed joyfully as he ran back to the Humvee.

“Joey. I don’t even know where I’ll be living…”

“Vin, Chaco is a bomb sniffing dog. ATF can probably use him and you. And for now you can use one of the guest rooms at TBC or my apartment. Until things settle down I won’t be using it. I’ll call Sandy Blackburn later to…”

“Sandy Blackburn? She have a little boy named Davey?” Vin asked suddenly very interested.

“Yes,” Joey answered noticing the grin that spread across his friend’s face. “You know her?”

“Was a bounty hunter after the Army. Her ex kidnapped Davey. I took the case and found him. Would love to see her again. Bet David has really grown up. Should be about ten now.”

-=-=-=-=-

It was silent inside the Humvee as Vin Tanner and Joe LaFiamma watched the shooting robot.

“Mick. Slow motion, please,” Vin said. He and Joe talked between themselves pointing to various sections of the film.

“Can we do frame by frame?” Tanner asked.

“We can.”

After twenty minutes, Tanner looked at Joe saying, “We need to talk to the guy who made this. Does he have any plans? How tall is the thing? If the house implodes what is the height of the arms? Then we have to figure out where we’re going to be to shot down those arms. We need to know the spacing and height of the red dots … the computer eyes. Hell Joey! This is ten times harder than the tank takedown.”

“Sounds like this is right your alley…. What your new ATF job is all about, right? I remember you said that about the tank too. Okay, Mick, can you put this on a USB stick? We need to go to the hospital, then to TBC and use the light table I saw in one of the conference rooms on the first floor. And whatever happened to the blueprints? I heard someone say two sets were found.”

“Dillard. What happened to the building plans?” Joey questioned of his Lieutenant as he came into the Humvee.

“Berkshire delivered them to Delvin and told him to guard them with his life… and to give them only to you. And sir, Carolyn is here with Pulie.”

Looking at Vin, Joey said grinning, “It’s a good thing I bought fifty pounds of dog meal, plus dozens of tennis balls. Though as I remember, Pulie likes green ones not yellow.”

“Pulie? Wasn’t he the Frisbee dog?” Tanner questioned.

“He was. Is.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey walked toward the barricade. The only ones behind it were news vans and cops. Most people had lost interest or were heading home for dinner.

“JAMISON! LET THEM THROUGH!” LaFiamma shouted to the cop holding his hand up to a blue van with white lettering that said ‘War Dog Rescue.’

Barney stepped around the Humvee and moved one of the barricades motioning the driver around the left side of the Humvee.

Seconds later the sliding door of the blue van slid open and a fuzzy looking Shepherd with pointy ears bound out.

“Pulie! Gekommen.”  Joey called, grinning as the dog slid to a stop.

Cameramen who were gearing up to leave suddenly whirled around hoisting cameras to their shoulders.

Joe waited as the dog turned and looked at each person that was staring at him.

Jamison’s hand gravitated to his hip holster not sure if the dog was lethal or not.

“Poolee….” Joey cooed, clapping his hands together.

There was a bark… and a running leap as the dog ran toward Joe who caught him on the fly laughing. Joe wrapped his arms around Pulie hugging him.

“Ferse.” Joey said as he took off on a run up the street with the dog by his side. On their way back down, Pulie stopped, growling at Jeffrey’s house.

Slowly walking up the driveway, Joe could hear male voices arguing. They were trespassing and trapped. The water had flooded the kitchen while they were upstairs. And there were cops outside.

“Good dog,” Joey praised the dog scratching his ears as they jogged back down the street.

“Pulie heard voices at Jeffrey’s house. Sounds like two males arguing. They know they are trespassing. The kitchen is flooded. They don’t have food.”

“Dillard. You are in charge. I’m taking Tanner and the dogs to TBC. We need to look at those building plans. Do you want me to send food back?”

Dillard grinned at his Captain. “Barney already talked to the cops. The change of shift is bringing in some super pizzas and colas. We’ll share with whoever is hanging around. Mick already made up the watch schedule. And the Greenlee’s opened up their pool house in their backyard. It has a shower and toilet, so we don’t need to disturb their sleep. Plus there are some lounge chairs if we need them.”

Looking between Tanner and their Captain, Mick said, “Neither one of you have eaten since breakfast, I bet. You’d better get to the hospital and then to TBC and get some of Nellie’s sweets.”

Joey walked over to Carolyn hugging her and thanking her for bringing the dog.

“Tell Molly Polinski that Pulie is home. I had no clue that he was available. She will understand the tote with the Frisbee, and if she wants pictures … just let me know. Do you have his other things?”

Joe accepted the red and white tote with the Polish eagle on it. Reaching in, he took out Pulie’s harness and leash.

“Okay, Tanner! Grab your dog and let’s hit the road!”

-=-=-=-=-=-

The two friends made a quick stop at Joseph’s apartment to pick up some dog food, the stand with the dog dishes in it, a change of clothes for Joe… and tennis balls.

Driving to the hospital, Joey questioned Vin about Ezra Standish.

“When I met Standish, he was undercover in finance. Wheeling and dealing mega bucks. Does he do it himself or have someone who does it?”

“He knows some New York or Chicago financier who makes bundles of money for people that have it. His mother has been married seven or eight times and always walks away with tons of money. She lives in Europe now.” Vin explained.

“I took two bank books out of the safe of that house. One is for my brother John, and one is for me. Mine shows a hell of a lot of money and I’d like to get it under my control.”

“Call Ezra. He’s got someone in Denver he works with also. Who are we seeing at the hospital?”

“The man who designed the robot but first we have to stop in the room my grandfather is but isn’t in. Just so people think he is still there.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Captain LaFiamma and Agent Tanner walked through the Emergency entrance each with a dog on a leash. Several people stared but no one stopped them.

In the elevator Joey said, “I want you at parade rest opposite the door I go into and Chaco sitting but alert. I want to give the staff and anyone watching the idea that there is someone in the room.”

Tanner stepped off the elevator and looked both ways. Quietly, almost in a whisper, Vin reported, “Man in chair with feet propped up. His paper is upside down.”

Joe stepped off the elevator chuckling. “Suppose we should tell him?”

Together they walked to the room with the Marine guard, who saluted Joe as he knocked then walked in.

“VanderVeen, you taking the afternoon shift?” Joe asked the cop lounging on the bed.

“Would you believe it, Joe? This Marine paramedic is my wife’s cousin. We’ve been having a nice chat.”

“Best be on alert. There is a man in that hall waiting area reading a paper … an upside down paper.”

The Dutchman and the paramedic laughed.

“We’re ready for him,” VanderVeen replied. “We’ve heard someone walk past a couple of times. Roy’s going to step out and ask the nurses if they recognize the man, or have seen him here before.”

“I have an ATF agent outside,” Joe remarked gesturing toward the door. “He and I are going over the blueprints for Iris Lane tonight. Do you know what room the French man is in? The one we found under the stairs?”

“Next floor up. There are police guards all around him, and a French Embassy guy was there for a while.”

-=-=-=-=-

“The Dutchman said there are cops all over this floor. We’ll have to play it by ear and see if we can see him.”

“Thought you were a cop?” Tanner asked as the elevator dinged to a stop.

“I resigned when they fired my partner. I’m a partner in the Texas Bond Company but have been offered a job back at Houston PD and I think I might take it.”

The two friends stepped off the elevator in unison. Two men. Two dogs. Into chaos.

“Pulie ... woof, woof.” Joey whispered.

“WOOF! WOOF!”

Vin and Joe could hardly keep from laughing as everything came to a stop. Nurses, doctors, six cops all turned and looked at the newcomers.

“I’m Captain LaFiamma. This is Federal Agent Vin Tanner. We are here to see Louis Armand. He was airlifted earlier from 1935 Iris Lane.”

“Joseph!” A man in a three-piece suit barked stepping out of the middle of the group.

“Tinker? What are you doing here?” LaFiamma gasped, surprised to see a college friend who was now in the diplomatic corps.

“French Embassy called me. I’ve been in Dallas for the last week.” Jonathan Tinker replied.

“He’s a US citizen,” Joey replied.

“And a French citizen. His family lives in Paris and they have been calling the Embassy for information.”

“I left my number with his father-in-law… Listen, Jonathan, Vin and I need to talk with him. What is his condition? He designed the robot and Tanner and I hope to take the thing down sometime tomorrow.”

“He’s been asking for the French Marine, so that must be you. Follow me.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joe asked Tinker if he had a laptop, which he did. Using the USB stick they played the video of the robot for Louis. Louis pointed out several things that were different from the original design that he knew nothing about.

“I would suggest,” Louis said slowly, “that you take out the red squares first. Then go for the arms.”

Vin asked, “If we do that, it won’t stop it from shooting, will it? The batteries would still be intact and it could continue to shoot and reload. If this runs on a computer, taking out the arms first would kill the batteries … wouldn’t that also kill the computer?”

“Ah, I see what you are saying,” Louis answered softly. “Yes, it would. The computer cannot run without those batteries.”

Vin and Joe exchanged glances. Joey asked, “Do you know anything about the house being wired to implode?”

Louis Armand looked horrified.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Joey replied quietly.

Looking at Tinker, Joey asked, “Did the police bring his things from Carleton’s house?”

“Yes. We have everything in the closet here. I’ll be staying until the end of the week. Then depending on his condition, he will be airlifted to France. Air France has already offered a free trip. If doctors feel he can’t make the trip, his wife, two sons and father-in-law will be coming here.”

“Well, he looks much better than he did a few hours ago. I think by the end of the week he’ll be ready to go to Paris.”

-=-=-=-=-

Back in the Expedition, the dogs dozing in the back, Tanner turned to look at Joey, as LaFiamma started the engine. “Woof? Woof?

Behind them, Pulie raised his head, “woof, woof.”

The two men cracked up.

“Polinski taught him to do that,” Joey explained as they turned out of the hospital parking lot. ”It got so noisy in those tents, even when someone yelled ‘quiet down’ it was a dull roar. But when Pulie barked, then put his head down with his paws over his ears, everyone got the message.”

-=-=-=-=-

Driving through TBC security to underground parking, Joey explained about the security cameras and where they all were. He introduced Vin to two of the guards who were there, who explained how the vehicles are marked so the gate recognizes them.

“Let’s get the dogs feed. There should be a bucket for some water somewhere and then we’ll see what Nettie and Nellie have for supper.” Joey said as he parked in a spot with his name on the wall.

“Sounds good to me, I’m starving,” Vin replied.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey and Vn walked into the Command Center at change of shift. Coming around a corner on their way to Colonel Guthrie’s big glassed in office the two men came face to face with Amy Brewster.

“Vin!” Amy gasped her throat going dry.

“Miss Brewster,” Vin stated coldly barely pausing to acknowledge her.

“Vin? What are you doing here?”

Tanner stopped, “Excuse me?”

“What are you doing here?” Amy asked again. Something in his demeanor worried her.

Tanner looked at Joey. Joe could feel the rage coming off his friend.

“Agent Tanner has been transferred to Houston, Amy. He’s here to help me with a project.”

“Agent?”

“Vin is a Federal Agent for the ATF.” Joe explained as he motioned Tanner forward.

Walking into Guthrie’s office without knocking, Joe quietly closed the door behind them.

“Colonel Guthrie …ATF Agent Vin Tanner. Lee, Vin is the adopted grandson of Miz Nettie Wells. He needs to use one of our guest rooms until he knows just where in Houston he is going to be working.”

“Transferred from Denver to Houston,” Guthrie remarked standing to shake Tanner’s hand.

“News travels fast,” Vin replied.

“I am in the security business, Agent Tanner. When one of my TBC partners flies to Dallas on the spur of the moment I want to know why.”

In the next breath Guthrie asked, “How do you know Miss Brewster?”

Vin looked at Joey who said, “Tell him everything you told me …and things you didn’t tell me. She works on high security stuff. If she is a risk, Guthrie needs to know it. I’ll search up Delvin and get those building plans.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joseph hunted down Devlin and the building plans. Delvin showed him the two conference rooms and the old office that Guthrie was originally going to use until he decided he wanted to be up where the action was.

Before going back upstairs to get Tanner, Joey walked into the dining area to find Nettie Wells. He wanted to give the woman a heads up that Tanner was here .. and had accepted a job transfer to Houston.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“I have had my suspicions regarding Miss Brewster,” Colonel Guthrie said quietly, offering a chair to Tanner.

“She dates a lot of different men. I’m in the security business. A leak to the wrong company or to a corporate spy could undermine my operation.”

“I knew her in Iraq. Was one of four soldiers who fell in love with her. None of us knew about the others. Then one day I saw her with my Captain. They were being very intimate in a dark corner. When I talked to him later, I questioned him about Amy and discovered they had a relationship that had been going on for five months. I’d been with her for four months. That put me on immediate alert and on my off time I went into surveillance mood. Watching her as if she was a suspect which she was. I confronted the three other men and together we went to the Captain. He was devastated. He’d lost his wife to cancer and had felt Amy was really into him. He’d planned to ask her to marry him. Three days later he walked into the middle of a fire fight. We all blamed her. As it turned out, she was a spy for someone in the Army. Some Colonel, in Intelligence, who wanted the inside scoop on what made men vulnerable … something to do with promotions.”

“I know that asshole Colonel. He ended up getting killed in a bar fight. Drunk as a skunk he took on the wrong man.”

“She was a MASH nurse and a good one. I’m surprised to see her at a computer.” Vin offered looking back into the large room full of computer cubicles.

“She said she’d had enough of blood and gore,” Guthrie replied grimly. “She is working on some sensitive stuff. We know we have a spy here and it just may be her. I thank you for being honest and upfront. Joseph trusts you. Therefore, I trust you.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey was surprised to see Amy hanging out in the hall when he returned to pick up Tanner.

“Isn’t your date going to be mad that you’re late?” Joey asked her.

“Why is Tanner here?” Amy asked yet again.

“You worried about him? He is a Federal Agent that has been transferred to Houston. He’s going to be bunking in my apartment until he finds his own place.”

“He’s been with the Colonel for a long time.”

“Guthrie interrogates everyone who he thinks might be a threat to me. Go home, Miss Brewster. Tanner is not interested in you and I doubt he will even talk to you.” LaFiamma groused tightly.

“He told you about us, didn’t he?”

“Us? Which us? You and Tanner? You and the Captain? You and how many others did you have on the string in Iraq? Yes he did.”

“And Amy … if you are doing the same thing here. Selling secrets … when Guthrie finds out … the police won’t be able to protect you. He is ruthless when he gets pissed off. This company is his baby. You sabotage that …, well, you’ll probably end up in Mexico in some brothel which should make you very happy.”

-=-=-=-=-

Joey left a stunned Amy Brewster standing in the hall as he pushed open the double doors to the Command Center. There he found Richard, Devlin’s night person, explaining to Vin Tanner just what they do here.

“Vin. I found the building plans and the light table is huge. Let’s go down and see Miss Nettie and get some food … I’m starving and so are you.”

“I asked Richard to try to find my birthday certificate or my parents’ marriage license. JD discovered that a lot of men that were called up got married in Vegas. Hoping I at least get to find out who my father was.”

Joey smiled. If anyone could, these computer experts could. “Richard. We need to get Vin into the system and…”

Tanner pulled out a key card. “Already done. Guthrie took care of it. All he had to do was pull up by Federal ID and I was in. Now, let’s go see Miss Nettie and then look at those building plans. We still have to sleep tonight, you know. By the way, just where am I going to sleep tonight?”

========================

After a tearful Nettie Wells hugged Vin Tanner nearly to death, the two men helped themselves to pot roast with potatoes, sliced carrots, mini onions and gravy that Joey thought should be bottled and sold. The two men joined Colonel Guthrie at a booth in the far corner of the dining room. Looking around the room, Joe realized this had been an all purpose room that was now as cozy as any restaurant he’d been to in Chicago.

While eating, LaFiamma brought up the police offer.

“The Chief of Police came to Iris Lane and talked to me about this police job. Plus several officers and Detectives have asked me to take it. What I am going to propose to them is this … your old office and those two conference room would be a sort of a ‘satellite office’ for detectives. But I also want to start an investigation division of TBC. The name Fiama Investigations has been suggested after the name my Marines put on that Humvee. We would hire and or use some of ours to strictly work for this division.”

“Doing what?” Guthrie asked as he savored the meal.

“Your high tech companies hire people. They hire investigators to check them out. But today everything is computerized.” Joey explained seeing a light go off in his lover’s eyes.

“They hire us for security,” Lee began, “and hire the Investigation Division to find out everything on new and old employees.”

“You got it.”

“And you’d be doing both jobs here. I take it you have someone in mind already to assist with investigations.”

“Mick .. Michelob Brown. He got fired because he volunteered to come to the Iris Lane call. He is as high tech as you can get. He’s been getting things for me there that I didn’t think were possible. Plus you need to know I found two bank books in a wall safe at Iris Lane. One is for John and one is for me. John’s have over eight hundred thousand dollars in it. The deposits seemed to stop when the government wanted to declare him dead. Mine are still accumulating. I don’t know where the deposits are coming from but … what is there equals close to four million dollars.”

“Four Million? Where’d it come from?” Guthrie gasped almost choking on his pot roast.

“I don’t know. I don’t recognize any of the banking numbers. A friend of Vin’s, a fellow agent, is a financial man. A wizard. I want to try to bring him on here.”

Finishing his meal, Joey looked sharply at Vin. “When you were a bounty hunter, was it profitable?”

Tanner barely glanced up as he devoured, lovingly, the chocolate éclair that Miss Nettie had set in front of him. “Forgot all about that money. Ranger held it for me. Damn, that was six years ago. I’d better call him and see where it is.”

“You have money sitting in some bank?” Guthrie asked surprised the man didn’t know.

Looking up into two stunned faces, Vin answered, “Was doing a lot of travelling … tracking. He sent me my expenses and invested the rest.”

Glancing at his watch as he pulled his phone, Vin called Rangeman Security in Trenton, New Jersey. After a short conversation in Spanish the Texan hung up.

“Well?” Lee and Joey questioned.

“Bank of America. My name … Vincent Michael Tanner and my Social number. I can go to any of their banks with my Federal ID. Close to a million dollars, he thinks. Guess I can afford a new Jeep now.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Walking out of the TBC dining room, Colonel Guthrie looked at Joseph and Vin saying, “Joseph. You don’t need to cook for us anymore. Miss Nettie and her sister Nellie are now the resident cooks of TBC. Whatever they want for the kitchen, or to change the seating arrangements, we’ll make it happen. I have never …ever…tasted such fabulous home-cooking before.”

“You need to tell Jimmy that, Lee. You put him in charge of them, remember?” Joey responded stopping in his tracks as he stared at a wanted felon and three other men standing just inside the front door.

Tanner saw the men also and grabbed Guthrie’s and LaFiamma’s elbows pulling them into a small room.

“That’s Vargas,” Vin gruffed. “There are two Federal warrants out on him. Illegal drugs and human trafficking. What’s he doing here?”

Colonel Guthrie stared at the two men. “His name isn’t Vargas. He was hired eight months ago to man the front desk.”

“Didn’t you hear Nellie say that she’s been running to catch that phone out there because no one’s been at that desk all day,” Joey remarked tersely. “If someone here suggested him than that man is at risk to your whole operation.”

Looking around, Joey asked, “Where’s Pulie?”

“He was in that front office with you,” responded Vin. “I’m texting Richmond. It appears he put his number in my phone on the flight back from Dallas.”

Lee and Joe turned suddenly when Vin’s phone got an immediate response.

Tanner grinned. “ATF and Houston PD have had this building under surveillance for the last month because of suspected drug activity. They are just getting ready to storm the building and arrest everyone in it.”

Joey shook his head saying, “Lee your own operation is in jeopardy as is the companies you protect. Vin, are you armed?”

“Gun’s in my duffle bag. Got two knives on me though.”

“My gun’s in my apartment. Okay, looks like Pulie might have found drugs in that office. Tell Richmond to come ahead. I’m going to walk out whistling for the dog and see what happens.”

“And get shot,” Guthrie rasped moving in front of the man.

“I’m going to keep you and everyone upstairs, and Nellie and Nettie from being arrested.”

-=-=-=-=-

Looking at Tanner, Guthrie said, “I remember seeing a Mare’s Leg attached to one of the legs of a table in the conference room.”

“You stay here Colonel. That’s an order.” Joey growled, as he and Vin stepped out of the room.

The two friends walked toward the front of the building. Just as Tanner dropped into the conference room Joe whistled for his dog.

“Pulie! Sie kommen… where are you dog?” Joey called as the men standing by the desk twisted around.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Mare’s Leg as a table leg, sure! Four tables … no gun. All we have is a … holy hell a horse! A stuffed horse with a saddle, a gun and real bullets. Whoa-ho.

-=-=-=-=-

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Vargas shouted at Joey as he laid his hand on the office door.

“I left my dog in here when I looked at this office. I rented it this afternoon.”

“It’s not for rent. This whole place is occupied.” Vargas grumbled, reaching for his weapon.

Tanner moved out with his weapon just as the ATF burst in through the front door.

Vargas spouted off about being someone who worked at TBC but that was quickly debunked by several Federal officers.

“Yeah, well we’re clean. Just friends standing here….” Vargas was cut off my LaFiamma.

“Richmond! They were attempting to keep me out of this office. My war dog told me this office is teeming with drugs. That desk they were standing next to had his attention earlier.”

While Tanner talked with his new boss, LaFiamma went back to the storage room to confront his Colonel on some new procedures they need to start doing.

-=-=-=-=-

Before the door was even closed, Colonel Leland Guthrie moved off the wall he’d been leaning against.

“This could ruin us. A drug bust in our building. Companies we supply security for…”

“Stop right there,” Joey ordered. “One, we are going to totally revamp how we investigate. I am ordering a AI ... that is artificial intelligence… computer, who can go anywhere. Tanner’s team in Denver has a young man whose IQ is off the charts. I want to talk to Vin about him.  I am also talking to someone about our finances. Right now, I want you to go upstairs, take a hot bath and just relax. And make sure you clean and dry that tub real good.. Lee .. because you’re going to be punished for your oversights.”

Guthrie’s eyes darken. Naked. Tied down. Wanting.

-=-=-=-=-

“You guys about done?” Joey asked walking into the fray.

”Sorry to say we had to take that desk apart,” an ATF agent explained pointing to the dismantled desk. “Office is cleaned out too.”

Joey looked at Pulie.  “Pulie. Jagd.”

The ATF agents moved back as the dog began to walk around them. Around the desk, into an alcove, and then back into the office. He stopped by what appeared to be a large picture frame. “Woof, woof.”

“Let’s go have a look,” Joey said to no one, as Tanner and Richmond followed him.

Hands searched the edges feeling for a lock or hooks but none were found.

“Slid it,” Tanner suggested, as he pushed to his left.

“Not enough room that way,” Richmond mused. “Push it this way.”

Joey whistled and Pulie barked as the painting moved to the right revealing stacks and stacks of US dollars in neatly wrapped plastic packages.

“Pretty damn good haul, Tanner, for your first day on the job,” Joey chortled as Richmond called to other agents.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Joe and Vin had been looking at the architecture plans for Iris Lane for an hour.

“Something is not right here,” Vin said solemnly. “I just can’t put my finger on what it is.”

“Let’s roughly draw out the house on this white board, outlining the attic…”

“That’s it!” Vin exclaimed. “The metal floor only covers the house. So when the house implodes … the fish get pushed up the slide and out!”

“Holy hell!” Joey rasped. “The blast would open those French doors and probably the windows sending fish into the backyard.”

“And airborne.” Tanner surmised shaking his head. “How the hell we going to keep that from happening?”

“Do you think there is a way to take off the roof and expose the shooter? We could take him down from the roof of the Humvee. Where is that report from Major Menno about what they found? Some kind of tubing that runs around the roof.”

Just then LaFiamma’s cell rang with ‘Chicago, Chicago, my kind of town.’

“LaFiamma. Yes, Dillard, what’s happening there?”

“The electric company came by just after you left. Apologized profusely for not turning off the power yesterday. Said the person you talked to, that the Governor’s office talked with, had been dealt with as has her supervisor. Interesting things have happened since then.”

“What kind of things have happened,” Joey questioned putting his phone on speaker.

“Mick has been monitoring the robot. The thing shut down about an hour ago. Bear, Frog and I went into the house. Did a walk through. Noticed in the addition that lights were blinking all around the French doors but we didn’t venture in. Frog did take a pan from the kitchen and toss on the floor towards the door. Nothing happened.”

“Then being the brave souls that we are … we stuck another pillow on the broom handle and waved it into the attic. Nothing happened. Frog slowly backed up the stairs. No red lights were on the robot. He walked around the attic and the robot disconnecting plugs. On the way out of the house, we decided to check under the stairs. We disconnected the batteries that were there and pulled down several ammo strips. We’re not sure but it may be disabled. We’re just waiting to see.”

“What about the fish? Have you noticed anything different about them?” Joey asked.

“Frog moved some things under the stairs and we discovered that part of the floor is glass. Some of the fish are floating to the top, which means they’re dead, right?”

Vin and Joey looked at each other as Vin said, “Maybe the tank was being aerated, All fish tanks have those bubble filter systems.”

“Dillard. Have any firemen checked back with you?”

“I got a call from Firehouse 61 asking if you’d made a decision on the foam.”

“Foam?” Vin asked.

“One of the fire chiefs that came out when Jeffrey was rescued from his bedroom suggested using foam on the backyard. The stuff they use to suck up the oxygen for airport fires.” Joey explained.

“That stuff works fast and a couple of layers might work. Might have to pay for it though,” Vin answered. “We still have to worry about the implosion, and what the ring is around the roof.”

“Dillard, is Mick with you?”

“Yes. We’re on speaker.”

“Mick, have you had a chance to contact JD Dunne?” Joey asked as Tanner gave him a surprised look.

“Yes! And he is definitely interested in the job. I told him what you planned to do. Told him Vin Tanner was here and about working for Fiama Investigations could also make him eligible to live in one of the apartments of the Texas Bond Company. This kid is a brain, Captain. You need to get him down here before the ATF zaps him into some think tank and no one will see him again.”

Vin and Joey grinned at each other. Vin spoke first.

“This is Vin Tanner. So the killing machine is dead thanks to the electricity being cut off. If you can, send a text to Major Menno telling him we need clarification on what they found on the roof. We need to know what that is before we proceed.”

“Okay, guys. We are closing down here for the night. Be sure to monitor the place over night. Dillard, let the Fire Chief know that we are still interested in foaming the backyard and the backyard of the houses up the street. See if he can tell you the cost. Don’t do anything that will get yourselves killed.” LaFiamma informed his crew.

-=-=-=-=-=

“HEY YOU GUYS! TANNER! JOSEPH!” Thomas shouted loudly from the open elevator.

Closing the door behind them, the two men walked out and were dumbfounded by Chaco sitting motionless next to Thomas’ wheelchair.

Suddenly Tanner grinned broadly, “Travis used to hide his tennis balls behind him when he sat down. Could we move you to a chair, so the dog can see there is nothing behind you.”

Joey helped Thomas move from his wheelchair to a straight backed chair. Then they watched Chaco put his front paws on the vacant wheelchair and sniff every corner. The dog jumped onto the chair looking over the sides and the back before turning around and sitting down.

Chaco stared at them, as Vin, Thomas and Joey laughed.

“I do believe he’d like to know where you have hidden them, Thomas,” Vin remarked.

-=-=-=-=-=-

“Okay. Let’s stop in and check with Richard to find out what guest room is open. You need a place to crash. I also want to pick your brain on JD Dunne.”

“JD shared everything he heard with Buck Wilmington who then told Larabee who was then in MY face. Here I don’t know, but I can see him bringing up a subject with someone working on the same thing.”

“Reading his resume. He graduated from high school when he was twelve. Did college in three years.Then two Master’s. He is …”

“He’s a twelve year old in an adult world, Joey. I wouldn’t want to make this call. But my gut feeling is ,,  let him stay where he is.”

A quick stop and a map of the building, and the two men were back in an elevator. Joey walked through the small guest room as his longtime friend dropped his duffle bag and suit bag on a queen sized bed.

“Can I rent this?” Tanner asked as he walked through the 900 square foot apartment. “It’s bigger than my place in Denver.”

“Let’s wait until Iris Lane is finished. I could end up subletting my apartment to you. They don’t allow dogs … but everyone has one. Plus here, you will run into Amy.”

Tanner abruptly stopped. “Vargas was a good looking man. He’s the type that Amy would go for…you need to find out who got him in here.”

“You’re right. If he’s been working here for eight months, someone had to recommend him and get him through security.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Getting off at the top floor Joe used his key card to enter Guthrie’s loft. Or was it a penthouse. Joey didn’t really know.

“Lee!”

Moving through the quietness Joseph finally found his lover sound asleep in the Jacuzzi, stark naked and snoring. Taking a small paper cup full of water he slowly dripped it over Colonel Leland Guthrie.

“WHAT THE HELL? WHO DO…Joseph. What time is it?”

“It’s after midnight. Come on… we both need some sleep. Lots to do tomorrow.”

“Can’t we at least have a quickie?” Lee pleaded stepping out of the tub. “A shower would relax both of us and … you know how I love your showers.” Guthrie eyed his lover, his master, expectedly.

LaFiamma just stood there shaking his head.

“Why the hell do you think I spend so much time sitting at that long table in my glassed in office,” Lee groaned. “Every time you walk into the Command Center I get hard as a rock. Need to sit down to hide that.”

“Okay, Colonel,” Joey responded chuckling. “Plunging myself into your hot ass may be just what I need.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

In the Command Center, an image blinked up onto the large monitor.

“I found a marriage license!” Brooks said loudly. “I just picked up that a lot of military men went to Vegas to marry their sweethearts in case they got killed in Vietnam. I’m putting it up now. Rachel Brownee to Michael Tanner, US Navy.”

“Okay,” Richard ordered. “Flannigan. Get into your military archives. See if this man is still alive and activate.”

“Woohoo… Michael Tanner. He is a Navy SEAL Commander. Retiring this year from SEAL Team 5. I’m checking for inform on him.”

“We have checked five counties. So far no Vincent Michael Tanner found. But no one is giving up here.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

On the West Coast, a noisy Navy bar came to an instant halt when ATF Vin Tanner’s name and picture was announced by a CNN newscaster.

“Can you imagine, not knowing when you were born or how old you are? ATF agent Vincent Michael Tanner does not – know how old he is. He only knows he was born in Texas. This is the information we have on him. His mother died when he was five or six. He doesn’t know his father. He was raised in Texas foster care, running away from an abusive family when he was … he thinks thirteen. Hopped on a truck and got off in Denver. Mrs. Nettie Wells adopted him, though we don’t know if it was official, so he could go to school and have some family. He was an Army sniper and has been an ATF sniper in Denver for the famed Magnificent Seven, Team 7 for the last five years. He has just been transferred to Houston, the Southeast Texas office.

“Captain Joseph LaFiamma flew up to Dallas this morning to pick up Agent Tanner. Evidently the two of them teamed up in the Middle East to rescue a SEAL team trapped by heavy equipment. A tank of monstrous portions. They did the impossible… shooting down the barrel of the tank’s gun simultaneously causing an explosion from within.

“They hope to duplicate that tomorrow morning each shooting down the arm of this robot that has been terrorizing this neighborhood.”

‘HOLY HELL, Commander…. Mickey…”

“That’s my son.” Michael “Mickey” Tanner spoke evenly still staring at the small image of Vin in the corner of the screen.

“HEY! Isn’t that the robot from The Terminator?”

Everyone in the bar watched the video of the red eyed robot shooting, reloading and firing again.

“This! This is what LaFiamma and Tanner will be up against tomorrow. Joseph LaFiamma, a former Marine officer, was activated by President Bush earlier this week strictly for this house on 1935 Iris Lane. There is a similar house and address in Chicago where Captain LaFiamma was raised. That house was owned by his grandparents.

“We will have a recap of what is happening there at ten.”

Mickey spun around. Speaking to no one in particular he said, “Who is an available Navy jockey who can fly me to Houston?”

Two Navy pilots pushed through the crowd asking, “You sure you want to go unannounced?”

“This is the son I’ve been looking for since he was two. Damn straight I want to go there.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A gentle nudge on Colonel Guthrie’s bare shoulder woke him immediately.

“Sir. We have a situation downstairs. Do you know Commander Michael Tanner of SEAL Team Five?”

“Mickey? Yes.”

“He’s Tanner’s father.”

“I’ll be down in five.”

Guthrie pulled on jeans, a tee shirt and loafers.

“Lee…” Joey moaned rolling over.

“Something’s happening downstairs. Go back to sleep, you have a long day ahead.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Guthrie walked into an excited Command Center. Up on the huge monitor was a marriage license with pictures of Tanner’s parents. Rachel Brownee was a beautiful woman with long auburn hair that draped across her shoulders. Michael Tanner was a six foot, two inch manly dude in a Navy uniform that had both men and women in the room drooling over.

“Colonel. I found a cell number for him. I don’t know if it is still valid but thought you could call him ….”

-=-=-=-=-=

The two Navy pilots and Commander Tanner were headed for the door when Mickey’s cell went off.

“My number is unlisted..” he growled pulling out his phone. “Who is this? And how the hell did you get this number.” He growled fiercely.

“Colonel Leland Guthrie, Mickey. Have you seen the news? Figured you’d be at that bar on the waterfront. We’ve been looking for you. Now that Vin has been transferred to Houston we thought we’d try and surprise him by finding his father and his birth certificate. Are you coming this way?”

“How’d you get this number, Guthrie?”

“Are you going to stand there talking all night or are you coming to Houston?”

“I’m coming to Houston. Need to pick up a few things to give to Vin.”

“Give me a call back and I will pick you up. I own the Texas Bond Company. It is a security business. Vin is staying here. Joseph says that Vin does not like surprises so I will tell him you are coming.”

“Guthrie. You will not find a birth certificate. Vin was born on a military base with a midwife. At war time, that base was not official, but it was in Texas. I’ll call you when we are airborne.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Hearing voices in the living room, Joey rolled out of bed and headed for a quick shower. Lee left three hours ago and hadn’t returned. He should have gotten up then but this Iris Lane business had worn him down and he’d gone back to sleep.

Joey stared at the dress blue Marine pants. He was really getting tired of wearing them. If this case didn’t end soon he’d have to buy a couple more. Checking himself in the mirror to make sure everything was correct; he headed for the living room.

-=-=-=-=-=

Walking down the hall and into the main living area of Guthrie’s top floor loft Joey was startled to see the Commander of SEAL Team 5 in the living room. The Commander of the Team that he and Vin had rescued.

“Lee. What’s going on?” Joey questioned looking from one man to the other. “Commander?”

Colonel Guthrie saw Mickey’s raised eyebrow as Joseph called him Lee. “Joseph… This is .. Michael Tanner. Vin’s father.”

“You’re kidding?” LaFiamma gasped.

Staring at the Navy man, LaFiamma said, “Vin said there was something about you… a memory flash of something. That he knew you from somewhere but couldn’t put his finger on it. He needs to know you are here before he meets you. And it best be up here away from anyone else.”

Joey’s phone chirped. He pulled it out looking at the caller saying, “It’s Vin.”

“Hey dude! Are you up yet? We need to take the dogs out.” Vin said cheerfully.

“Bring Chaco up to Guthrie’s loft, and we’ll take them both out. I need to find Pulie. He’s here somewhere. I’ll meet you in the hall.” Joey answered deciding to wait until his friend was up here to tell him about his father.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Joey looked around the room and saw his dog stretched out on the sofa sound asleep.

“Well, it looks like someone gets to sleep in this morning.”

“Thought you were going to foreworn him, Joseph,” Guthrie groused.

“In the hall I’m going to tell him. Otherwise he could decide not to come up. I’ll take the dogs while you two chat, then we’ll all meet at my office and head to breakfast.” Joey said calmly as the Commander looked at Guthrie who merely said, “Agreed.”

Walking back down the hall to the front door, Joey could hardly keep from laughing. He was sure Commander Tanner had never seen a Captain give orders to a Colonel before.

Pulling open the door to the main hallway Joe was not surprised to see Tanner already there.

“Found my dog. He’s asleep on the couch and doesn’t want to get up. “

“Who’s here?” Tanner questioned his vibes on full alert.

“Commander of SEAL Team 5 saw you on television.” Joey responded quietly.

An instant flash of a toddler and a Navy man went through Vin’s mind. “He’s my dad.” The sniper whispered.

“Yeah… he’s your dad, and he’ll explain why no one’s been able to find your birth certificate.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Father and son stood staring at each other. Neither one spoke. Years ago Vin and his father had been this close yet no recognition came between them.

“It was a minnow,” Vin finally ventured. “It had gills, the same eyes, a tail.”

Michael Tanner smiled. “You never let me finish. Yes, it was a minnow ... which is also a fish.”

“Why don’t I have a birth certificate?” Vin asked as Guthrie motioned them all to sit down.

Michael picked up a large briefcase opening it as he sat.

Lee walked to the wall phone and asked a man named Bruce to come up and walk the two dogs. He knew the man spoke both Italian and German.

Unfolding a nine by five tan piece of paper, Michael explained this was equal to a birth certificate.

“You were not born in a hospital. You were delivered by a midwife on a base that wasn’t officially a base because of wartime. This includes a picture of your birth, the signature of the midwife, two nurses, and two other witnesses. One of those witnesses was me.”

“I met Rachel at a bus stop … and later at a restaurant. She was a waitress. Always smiling. Always telling people today was not a sad day. I watched for a month as people came in droopy and sad but left smiling. I asked her out and we hit it off right away. We read the same books. She liked to ride. I kissed her on the first date and we were married three months later. Dr Robert Red Feather was one of the best men I’ve ever known. He, pretty much, became my father after we married. My parents wanted me to marry some society witch. To stop that I joined the Navy. Best decision I ever made. Last I heard that witch was on her fourth husband.”

Vin sat spellbound listening to his father talk. He didn’t notice when Lee and Joe left for breakfast.

“Your mother was the best thing that ever happened to me. When I was accepted into BUDS training, she packed us up and we drove to San Diego. Even though I was locked in for three months, she never gave up on me. Sent me notes through channels that even I didn’t know about. Sent me pictures of the growth of my son that I was missing.”

“My first assignment overseas came shortly after our little fishing trip. Do you remember sitting on the end of a dock looking out into the ocean?”

“There was a sailboat race that day,” Vin replied seriously. “You were trying to explain the different types of boats, and I was worried that they would scare the fish.”

Commander Tanner burst out laughing. “Even at two years old you were contemplating all the angles on why the fish weren’t biting. You were a born strategist, which also made you an excellent sniper. Colonel Guthrie told me about your new job. You were born for it Vin.”

“How long can you stay?” Vin asked glancing at his watch and noticing that Lee and Joe had left.

“I have thirty days to make up my mind about retiring or take an administrative job. Flying over here in the back seat of a Navy jet I decided I would retire. I want more than anything to learn about you. Be with you.”

“Rachel was there after my first assignment ended. But when we deployed with no end in sight, I drove her to Red Feather’s house in Dallas and then flew back. That was the last time I saw her … or you. Several years ago, I had six months of recovery from an injury. I spent it traveling through Texas trying to find Vin and Rachel Tanner. You both had vanished… totally vanished. How long is breakfast served?” The Commander asked standing.

“Miss Nettie will keep it for us, don’t worry,” Vin replied with a grin.

“Miss Nettie? Mrs Nettie Wells from Denver?” Michael gasped.

“You know her?” Vin asked amazed.

“Come on, I’ll tell you about it on the way, Or, I’ll let her explain.”

Stepping into the elevator together, Vin remembered the Christmas cards Nettie always looked forward to. “You’re the Michael who sends her a Christmas card every year, from places around the world?”

“I am. We met on one of my trips to the Dallas area looking for you. She and her husband, Frank, picked me up when I was hitchhiking. They were on their way home to Denver. They ended up driving me all the way to Flagstaff, Arizona. Put me on a DC3 to San Diego. I’ve sent her a card every year since then. She was kind of stability in my life I hadn’t had with family. My parents were high society in Dallas-Fort Worth. They didn’t approve of me enlisting or of me marrying ‘out of my class.’ Miss Nettie was a breath of air, just accepting me as I was.”

-=-=-=-=-

Most of the TBC employees that had breakfast before leaving their shift or going on were gone when the two Tanner men walked in. Joseph and Lee were sitting at a table with Devlin having a serious discussion about changing to the first floor offices.

Mrs. Nettie Wells was cleaning off the serving table when Vin spoke.

“Miss Nettie.”

Looking up into two familiar faces Nettie Wells gasped. “OH MY LORD!”

“Miss Nettie,” Michael said quietly assisting her to a chair.

Nellie Rossi came out of the kitchen when she heard her sister’s startled words.

“Commander!” Nellie croaked, looking him up and down. “You are looking good.”

“You two know each other,” Nettie asked watching the hug her sister was giving Michael.

“One of Mrs Rossi’s son’s was a Navy corpsman who just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” Michael explained.

“Oh my,” Nettie repeated over and over again. “When I saw Vin in that homeless shelter I felt I was looking at an old friend. I knew I had to help him but I couldn’t place who he was. He was you, Michael. Oh my, I should have known.”

Vin dropped to his knees before his adopted grandmother. “Miss Nettie. A very smart lady told me once … You can’t worry about yesterday, it’s gone. To make tomorrow happen, you have to be your best today.”

“No one said a word for several seconds. Then Miss Nettie laughed, saying, “You always were a sponge Vin Tanner. Soaking up everything around you. Nellie! These boys of ours need breakfast.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

In the conference room, the builder’s plans were laid out on the light table. Vin Tanner studied them intently flipping the pages for each layer of the house. Standing back he looked at Joey.

“We’re still missing one. There is nothing here about the roof. The composite of the shingles. Or the structure beams. Can we get into the architect’s house and look for more?”

LaFiamma pulled out his phone and called Houston Dispatch. A short conversation later had Joe, Vin and two dogs in the Expedition heading for Carleton’s house.

In the conference, Commander Michael Tanner still leaned against the wall with a soft smile on his face. He’d watched his son for over an hour pouring over lines and diagrams on blue paper. LaFiamma had glanced his way now and then, giving him a slight nod. But Vin, like himself, had all attention on what was in front of him. It didn’t  matter if Vin knew he was there or not, watching the boy he’d birthed was the reward he’d waited all his life for.

Pulling out his cell phone, Michael called his Admiral to inform him he was taking full retirement. He’d found his son. He was moving to Houston.

-=-=-=-=-

“Wow!” Vin gasped loudly looking at the house Joey stopped in front of. “Maybe I should become an architect.”

“Don’t think they all make this kind of money, Vin,” Joey responded as he hit the latch to open the back. “Cops are here. Let’s go have a look.”

Even LaFiamma was amazed at the elegance of the inside of the house.

“This way,” one of the officers said, motioning the two toward a flight of stairs that went up into an open loft over the living room.

Pulie had other ideas. His nose was in the air, he was on the hunt. Seconds later the dog let out a howl as he raced up a spiral staircase to the second floor.

“Hey!” Yelled an officer.

“He’s a drug dog,” Joey explained. “Who lives here besides the Carleton’s? Wait. They had a son who disappeared. Jeremy, you come with me. Vin … up those stairs.”

“Joey. This way. He’s sitting in front of a door at the end of this hall.”

Joe watched the officer put on a pair of latex gloves before slowly opening the door. Pulie pushed past them and headed straight for a large double closet.

‘Phew! If this has been growing since he disappeared,” Joey remarked, “It must take up the whole closet by now.”

Each man reached for one of the closet door knobs and slowly folded back the doors.

“Holy smackers!” Officer Jeremy Wickers yelled stepping back. “Looks like a jungle in there.”

“It’s getting light from that back window. The drip system is still going. Who should we call?” LaFiamma asked. “Feds or our guys?”

Joey called it in.

Houston PD Drug Enforcement squad came first and then the DEA arrived. Once the Feds arrived LaFiamma explained that the boy who was growing it was dead, plus the parents were … well, gone.

-=-=-=-=-=-==

Joining Vin in the loft office, Joey found Tanner pouring over two more sets of prints.

“What have you found?”

“What I have found, Detective LaFiamma,” Vin responded chuckling, “is good and bad.”

“The good part is the shield that the tubing around the roof holds is not bulletproof. It can be punctured. But …puncturing it will release some projectiles that will puncture the plastic bubbles the corpses are in.”

“Shit!” Joey muttered. “That will turn those preserved bodies into skeletons in a matter of minutes.”

“And then there is the robot,” Vin continued. “By rights, it should no longer be functioning….but … these last set of prints show that it has been adapted or rather the computer can adapt it to work off hydropower. Meaning it can use the water from the fish tank to keep going until the water is gone.”

“Why did he do all time?” LaFiamma asked.

“Some men go a little crazy when they don’t get the woman they want.”

“This is a little beyond crazy, Agent Tanner. Way beyond crazy. He builds a house, a duplicate house to one in Chicago. Marries another woman and then murders her and her brother. Encases them in clear plastic to preserve them…and then … he has a robot built to protect them… that is beyond crazy. What about the fish?”

Motioning Joey over to another table, Vin pointed out something on the first set of plans. “This is the first set of plans. When the house was first built …it had all the tubing, all the explosives for the imploding. All these years, they have been living with the possibility of the thing blowing up.”

“Good grief,” Joey moaned.

“Any chance I can talk to your grandfather. There are a couple of things he might be able to connect since he was held in this house.”

“Sure. I can arrange that,” Joey answered looking around to see HPD officers still present.

“What happens to the fish when the house implodes?”

“I don’t think we have to worry about what we were worried about,” Vin said with a grin. “The fish tank is part of the original house. Therefore the steel enforced flooring of the attic will seal that when the house implodes. I think he wanted it sealed completely off so no one could get to the bones in that tank. However, we have also found a USB stick which has lists of names on it. I made a copy of it and an officer took the original. Probably lists everyone in the tank.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Joey was suddenly aware of two men that had come up into the loft as Vin was explaining the plans. One was Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Richmond. The other one was unknown to Joe. What surprised the Italian even more was seeing Commander Tanner being escorted into the house by two ATF agents.

“Joey, what did Mrs Carleton tell you about the imploding? How does it start….” Vin began turning to look and discovering other people there.

“Richmond. Dad. What’s going on?”

The unknown man stepped forward and introduced himself. “Agent Tanner, I’m Robert Richards, the new ATF Director. I flew down from Washington after receiving your resume and going over your amazing college achievements. I have also talked with Judge Travis asking him why he never used your talents.”

“I asked Commander Tanner to join us when I was informed that he is your father. Hoping he could help convince you to take another position”

“I’m fired already?”

“Vincent.” The Commander said softly. A tone Vin remembered as a child.

“Can we do it here, or do we need to sit somewhere?” Agent Tanner asked.

“This is fine,” Richards replied. “You are in the middle of an important project. The whole world is watching.”

“Good lord I hope not,” Vin moaned looking extremely stressed.

“Nothing we can do about it bro, it’s already out there.” Joey responded tightly.

“What?” Commander Tanner and Director Richards questioned at once.

Vin raised his eyes. Joey frowned.

“Son. Please explain.”

It was Joseph who explained.

“After we, Vin and I, rescued SEAL Team five we were sent on separate missions, but I heard about this from Vin. He had a sniper assignment to take out a tower in an area I can’t mention. Near that tower were several homes. All were listed as abandoned. After the shot was finished a man came forward swearing that Tanner had killed his family. The investigation proved that the couple and their children were killed by weapons found in the house and had been killed before Sgt Tanner and his spotter arrived in the area. Even though proved innocent, that man put a bounty on Vin’s head. One million dollars if you bring in his head. So far, there have been three attempts on his life.”

I want that man’s name Vincent!

Vin’s head came up and he looked at his father, then at Joey who gave him a nod.

“Yes sir, I’ll get it.”

Director Richards smiled. “Mental telepathy between father and son?”

“Yes,” Vin answered.

-=-=-=-=-

Sitting around the dining room table Director Richards explained why he was there.

“Texas Southeast Operations includes Field Offices in Austin, McAllen, Brownsville, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Laredo, plus two in San Antonio. There are also nine Groups or teams in Houston.’

Vin Tanner looked stunned. He knew Texas had a lot of offices but… wow. Looking at LaFiamma, the Texan said quietly, “Maybe I should take the offer at Fiamma Investigations.”

“Hear the man out, Vin,” Joey responded.

“Two Texas agents, one from Brownsville, one from Austin, called and left messages on a hot line I’ve set up. Each one had been in your weapons seminar in Dallas. They both were amazed at the knowledge you have on antique and modern day weaponry. Texas ATF has a position that we’ve never filled… because we’ve never had anyone who was expert enough to fill it. I watched a video of your seminar this morning. I believe I have found the man for that position.”

“A lot of guns go through here, Vin,” Joey put in. “Some I’ve seen are weird. You’d probably know what they are just by looking at them.”

“What does the strategist’s job entail?”

“Paperwork. Field study. Nothing like what you are doing up there. Think military intelligence.”

“Military has intelligence? No offense Dad.”

The Commander smiled saying, “Show him the weapons you can’t identify.”

Special Agent Richmond reached down and pulled up a thin folder. Opening it, he laid several pictures of weapons that had question marks on them in front of Agent Tanner.

Vin reached up and shifted them around like dominos. Tapping his finger on one he asked, “Where was this one found?”

“Check the back.”

“Someone tried to pawn this? They didn’t know what they had. A collector in France would pay half a million for this antique baby.”

Pulling another picture to the front, Vin whistled, “This is a Civil War revolver from the 1860’s. It’s worth about two thousand dollars.”

Vin pulled the first one back down along with two other ones. “These are from a private collection in Dallas. I’d be interested to know where you got them.”

Pulling his cell out, Vin scrolled down his contacts to George’o Marcello.

“Vin Tanner calling for George’o Marcello. I’ll hold.”

Looking up at the stunned ATF faces, Vin Tanner quietly said, “I believe sir, you have just found your weapons man.”

“Hey George”… and the rest was in French as ATF agents and Commander Tanner just stared.

Softly Joey explained that Vin was telling the man that some of his precious collection was in the hands of the ATF.

Clicking his phone off, Vin said, “Richmond. You’ll be getting a call from the Texas State Police. And if you have the driver of the vehicle these were in, you are to hold him until State Police can pick him up.”

“Now, Joe and I need to finish this project so the people on Iris Lane can return home.” Vin said as Joey’s phone chirped.

Hitting speaker, Joey answered saying, “LaFiamma. Mick, what’s happening?

“Captain. We’re getting some kind earth tremors. We’ve evacuated the Greenlee’s. The fire department got the two burglars out of Jeffrey’s house. We’re getting more fish in the backyard.”

“The piranha? Alive or dead?”

“They are dead.”

“Okay, we found more plans here. Tanner has discovered some things about the roof. We’ll pack up and be there shortly. Clear out the intersection. Have Major Menno do a flyover with a thermo sensor. We want to make sure no humans are in any of those houses.”

“Got it sir.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

As they rolled up the building plans and put them into the correct tubes, Joe asked, “What do you think is causing the tremors?”

“He’s running out of water. Used up all the water in the fish tank and is searching underground for more.”

As they closed the closet door to the safe that held the plans, Vin and Joe watched the ATF agents leave. Director Richards, Special Agent Richmond and Commander Tanner stood talking in a small group.

Vin watched the Washington Director hand his father a packet.

“Probably all your info bro. Come on. We need to find the dogs and hit the road.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

As Vin and Joey drove back to Iris Lane, Joe told Vin about the lawyer’s conversation with Mrs Carleton. “She said turning the key to lock the garage after it had been opened and closed ignited the fuse. What do you think?”

“I’d have to call Buck Wilmington but I think it is possible.” Vin answered as he pulled out his phone and speed dialed Agent Wilmington.

The two men listened as Buck explained about that type of fuse and that even if it was dormant for twenty years it would still work depending on the explosive. If the explosives got wet that would break the link.

“Wilmington. This is LaFiamma. Question about the key. Leave it in the lock or take it out?”

“Leave it in. Taking it out, might take you with it.”

“What’s happening with the Team? I heard that Chris got arrested and Travis is retiring.”

“DA’s got a tight case against Larabee. His lawyer is trying to get him to accept a plea bargain. JD is being transferred to Washington. Ezra resigned. Josiah resigned; he’s going to be teaching at some Bible college in Dallas. Nathan … he wants to move to California but Rain doesn’t want to give up her practice here.”

“What about you Buck?” Vin asked as they approached Iris Lane.

“Might go back to Vegas. Got a call from Houston PD, they’re looking for a new Homicide Chief. That was Larabee’s job before ATF.”

Vin gave Joey a surprised look as Joe whispered, “My idea.”

“Hell, Bucklin, you’ve worked with Chris for how many years at Denver PD and before that in the Navy. Come on down and see what they have. Lots of good looking women down here.”

“Well, maybe I’ll give this guy a call. Team Seven isn’t going to continue. They have narrowed the teams down to five. This number still good.”

“It is still good. And Buck, I found my dad. He’s a Navy SEAL Commander. Come on down and meet him.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Vin stared at his friend as they parked beside the Humvee.

“What?” Joey questioned.

“Did you plan all this… getting me, Buck and Ezra down here?”

“No. You, yes. I knew you were the only one who could help kill this robot. The ATF job, no. I had no clue on that. As for Buck, a detective knows him from the Navy; I just encouraged him to make the call. And Ezra ... you should know by now no one controls that man.”

Tanner burst out laughing. “Yeah. Even Larabee couldn’t get Ez to come in before ten o’clock.”

-=-=-=-=-=-

Captain LaFiamma called Hobby International and asked for a no-fly zone in his area until he called in an ‘all clear.’ The Humvee was parked across from where the calculations of the robot should be in the house. A mirror was attached to the roof of the Humvee hoping the robot would shoot at that to give Vin and Joe input. Positions on the roof of the Humvee were laid out for Joe and Vin along with long guns.

Tanner stood at the curb as LaFiamma walked to the garage taking his grandmother’s key off his key chain as he went. Vin counted out loud as the key was turned and Joey made a hasty retreat back up the driveway.

Now they waited.

-=-=-=-=-=-=

Dillard started to pace. “How long do we wait? It’s been almost an hour.”

“Bucklin, didn’t know. It’s been dormant for a long time. Not safe to investigate.”

And then it started. A little rumble and an underground explosion. Joe and Vin hustled to the Humvee and climbed up.

“Looks like your cop friends are here to see the show,” Tanner remarked pointing toward the barricade.

Joey looked over Vin’s shoulder to see three cop cars and a paramedic unit.

“Got a fire engine coming up too.”

“It’s starting to blow!” Mick shouted. “Puffs of smoke on the corners of the main house.”

“According to the blueprints, the roof collapses exposing the corpses and the robot. But I’m not sure how that canopy is deployed.” Tanner remarked watching windows break in the house.

Joey called down to Bear. “Bear! Check with the fire department. See if they have a tanker available. If so, get them here on the double. We’re going to try an experiment and see if we can preserve those bodies.”

“Yes sir!”

“What are you thinking?” Vin asked, glancing between the house and his friend.

“Something you said back at the house about the robot pulling on water. It’s the computer doing it. The robot has been in an airtight place with no ventilation for ten years. Sudden exposure to the atmosphere ...”

“And a blast of water,” Vin continued, “Could short the thing out.”

“Exactly.”

Joey called Houston Dispatch for a connection with the engine company explaining what he wanted done. Barricades were moved and the tanker moved into place as smoke and more explosions came from the house.

Inside the Humvee Mick recorded the take down of the house as well as what was being shown on the air.

The earth shook as the house collapsed into the basement. The canopy failed to open as the roof split in half exposing the attics occupants and trapping the tubing of the canopy.

Everyone watched as Fire House 61’s tanker blasted the robot off the roof and into the backyard.

“That was cool,” Vin laughed, watching the robot flail in the air before landing with a thud.

“Now … clean up, Agent Tanner.”

“I hate cleanup. Couldn’t we delegate that to someone else?”

-=-=-=-=-

The decision was made to wait for two days before the Coroner could go in and remove the bodies. In the meantime, a 24 hour patrol was at the house to keep thrill seekers away. Piranha in and around the house were continuing to turn up dead. It was the fish in the houses up the street that had authorities baffled on how to get rid of them.

[-=-=-=-=-=-

THE END .. for now.