Ch. 16 – Gone to Ground

Chapter Sixteen – Gone to Ground

The pleasantness from the night before lingered in his bones, at odds with the findings revealed by the newspaper clipping Hudson had found inside the nightstand. The scar by Otis's left eye must have been caused by burning, but according to that old piece of news, he hadn't been at home when the house in which he lived with his mom burned down. That was quite puzzling, and Hudson couldn't make sense of it. An injury like that couldn't have come from being caught in a fire, because he had seen enough of his beautiful neighbor naked to know that, save for that scar, his skin was absolutely flawless.

Otis had asked him not to ask about the scar, and he had kept his part of the bargain. But that had been the agreement only because there had been a distance between them. Now, as temporary boyfriends – Hudson felt the need to laugh at his own lack of creativity – they might be required to offer more intimate confessions to seal the deal. The honesty, however, would have to work one way only. He couldn't tell Otis what he was there for. It was bad enough that he couldn't stop getting involved with the lovely young man, despite all the rules he should obey. The part of him that liked to dabble in rationalization continued its efforts to convince him that the current arrangement was the best course of action. Otis, in his innocence, accepted the idea of being temporary boyfriends, which should be enough to keep him away from the darkest of temptations.

There were so many pieces of the puzzle that he had to discover and assemble. He couldn't keep Jackie away from Otis, not as much as he wanted to, because he couldn't raise any suspicions. But he could tell his neighbor that they were boyfriends of sorts and, therefore, Otis would know better than to get entangled with that odd fellow.

Hudson stopped in front of his door. Jackie was odd, wasn't he? One hundred percent blend of stupidity and bravado, and yet he didn't seem to share the evil ways of his master. He shook his head. What he needed to do was to use Jackie as he saw fit, without a moment of hesitation. There was so much at stake. 

The door handle felt cold in his hand, dragging him back to reality. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. His nostrils flared, while his gut instinct kicked in. The small rug in the hallway had a corner turned. Maybe he wasn't some housekeeping star, but something told him that he hadn't done that.

Slowly, he reached for his gun and moved toward the main room. Chances were that whoever might have been there was already gone, but Hudson wasn't in the business of taking risks. 

Everything else seemed in place. The BDSM paraphernalia on the wall appeared to be untouched. The blanket thrown over the sofa was in the same state as he remembered, while his camera case lay on the chair by the tripod, as he had left it last night when he had grabbed his gun, alarmed by Otis's message.

He frowned as he inspected the case. He might have been in a hurry when he was reaching for his gun, but he had secured the fake bottom back in place by force of habit before storming out. 

The fake bottom was in place, as expected, and yet Hudson felt his hackles rising. It had been put back too neatly, not like his hurried actions would have left it. It was aligned too perfectly. He ground his teeth hard. Someone had been inside his apartment and rummaged through his belongings. That someone knew about the existence of the fake bottom in his camera case now. 

Calmly, Hudson walked over to the wall and grabbed a few things at random. Then, he stashed them in the hidden compartment and slammed the camera case shut. He would have to figure out another way to sneak his gun in from now on. The good news was that they hadn't found it. Otis's innocent actions had saved him a world of trouble, if not more most probably. Had the intruders been expecting to find him at home? The thought was chilling to the bone.

Whatever was happening, someone was either onto him or trying to get there. Hudson weighed the piece in his hand while thinking hard.

***

Temporary boyfriends. Now that was a new notion, and Otis simply loved to examine it from all sides. He was so glad that Hudson had made things so clear; maybe it was all part of teaching him about dating rules, and what better option to do so than by trying to have a real relationship? 

He sighed dreamily and put back the clean glasses, one by one, with infinite care. It was a great thing to be capable of handling things with care. For a while, back then, he had lacked proper coordination. That good doctor had mentioned something about his not having had the opportunity to exercise all his muscles well. Physical therapy had been involved, but his grandma had told him later that he had grown into his own body properly. Sure, she'd had no idea that Otis believed himself to be too skinny for men to like him, but again, those weren't the kind of things to share with someone so much older. It was a matter of respect, he believed. Also, his grandma hadn't liked to hear him obsessing over his physical aspect. She was such a kind and gentle old lady, but any mention of that made her frown and purse her lips. Beauty is not important, Otis. Real beauty is here. And when she said that, she pressed her tiny bony hand into his chest hard, as if she wanted to make sure he wouldn't forget.

He had tried to remember. But the reactions of those around him, like he was some sort of nasty animal, made him believe more and more that those words from a long time ago had to be true. He must have been so ugly that they couldn't keep from reacting to him with unhidden disgust.

His grandma had tried to assure him that it wasn't so. This world here, it's so small, Otis, she said, cupping her hands to make him understand. It's because of the smallness of their hearts that they treat you like that. 

He was far away from that small world. He was in a big city now, and here, it looked like people thought differently. People like Missy and Jackie and Utah the bartender and, most of all, Hudson.

Again, his chest rose and fell with a satisfied sigh.

"How's it hanging, partner?" Missy slapped him on the back, and this time, he wasn't taken by surprise because, in the meantime, he had learned that people did that when they were friends. However, he couldn't see himself slapping Missy back like that. Somehow, he felt that it wasn't done.

"I," he began slowly, "have a temporary boyfriend." There, it was out in the open. 

"Temporary?" Missy wiggled her eyebrows and then nudged him playfully in the ribs. "Don't tell me it's your sexy neighbor. The one with the guns?"

Hudson had a gun, but that wasn't what Missy was talking about, and he knew that now. "How did you know it was him?" he expressed his disbelief. 

"Come on, he put a leash on you and you get all dreamy out of the blue. Plus, you kissed him. And wasn't it because of him that you wanted advice on how to get someone to sleep with you? Clearly, the poor guy didn't stand a chance."

"A chance for what?" he inquired politely.

"To resist you, obviously." Missy pinched his cheek lightly. "You're a darling, Otis, get it? This guy is totally lucky to have you. But make sure you put that good ol' ball and chain round his leg so that he doesn't escape you."

"How do I do that?" So far, Missy's advice hadn't been too bad, and it had even spurred him on to be braver. Therefore, if she had anything else to add, he was all ears.

"I doubt it's going to be difficult for you. I mean, look at you. You're awfully pretty. And you have a heart as big as a planet. If he hasn't fallen for you yet, get ready for it. These bad boys fall the hardest."

"Really?" The thought made Otis so happy. "But he insisted that this is only temporary."

"Ha!" Missy exclaimed. "That's just his way of fooling himself into believing that he has a chance of getting out of it. Just out of curiosity, what did you tell him?"

"I told him that, when employment is involved, a temporary position transitions to a permanent one if the employee is deemed indispensable."

Missy laughed and slapped his arm with her towel. "Now that's a great argument, Otis! Yeah, make him feel like he's the one on trial."

"But I want to become indispensable to him," Otis further explained. "How do I do that?"

Missy pressed her index finger against her lips and appeared to be lost in thought for a bit. "You know what, Otis? I think the best advice I can give you is to be yourself. If this guy doesn't see you for the precious little thing that you are, then he doesn't deserve you."

"But what if being myself is too little?" A small thread of anxiety was starting to creep in.

"It can't be. And you know why?" Missy reached for the glass in his hand and held it against the ceiling light. "Because of this. Because you always strive to do and be the best you can."

Otis examined the glass for any smudges or other signs of uncleanliness. But it was all clear, nothing to mar its translucent beauty.

***

"So, what's on the agenda, boss?" Hudson said, molding his face into a cryptic smile as he sat his camera case on the chair as he remained standing. He didn't miss the way Watkins's eyes moved to it for a brief moment and then slid back to him.

"Vegas, I'd say you've proved yourself to us," Watkins replied with a thin smile. "You're moving up the ladder." He swiveled his chair and looked at the redbrick building behind him. "There's a new club we're working on, and it's meant for a more selective clientele."

"Okay. What's going to be my job?"

"First of all," Watkins said without tearing his eyes away from the dull sight, "I want you to put together a new website for us. But I have to warn you from the get-go. This isn't going to be one of those things where everything is bare and out in the open. We're going to sell a fantasy. Are you with me so far?"

"Sure. What's the fantasy?"

Watkins finally turned to face him. "The new club's name is going to be Till The Sweet End." He let the words sink in, and Hudson could easily tell that not one muscle was moving in his face. "That is the fantasy world we're building."

"I'm afraid that you'll need to be a little clearer, boss. I have no idea what you mean."

Watkins's creepy smile sent cold shivers down his spine, so Hudson just shifted in his place and crossed his arms, legs parted, to show that he meant business even if he had no idea what business that could be. "It's going to feature simulations for patrons with refined, sophisticated tastes. The models will be, let's say, rougher than usual with each other."

"As long as no one's getting truly hurt," Hudson said with a shrug.

Watkins's smile changed like a chameleon's skin, from creepy to self-assured. "Of course."

"Just asking, boss, what will these patrons be looking for at this new club?"

The question seemed to please Watkins. Everything this new employee of his did appeared to be aimed at that. It was a play Hudson was most comfortable with. The prey was face to face with its predator, but Watkins didn't realize how misguided he was in thinking he knew who was who in this game they were playing. 

"A way to witness the obliteration of youth and beauty."

Hudson scratched his head and gave Watkins a confused look. "Are they going to beat the crap out of each other? Knock out a tooth or two?"

Watkins leaned back in his chair. "No, no, nothing as vulgar as that. Delight is born from postponing things, from making them last. You will see."

"So, it's all a make-believe. Like on a movie set," Hudson insisted.

"Of course," Watkins said and opened his arms wide. "Wait, did you think we would really hurt our boys for the sake of money?"

Hudson shrugged. "Some pornography can be extreme. And people enjoy it. I just want to know what I'm getting myself into." And don't appear too eager to enter that world and raise suspicions. Also, this creepy boss of his had to know that he had seen the red welts on Angel's abdomen that first time when he'd been on trial for securing a position within the evil company the man seemed to be running.

"A cautious man." Watkins wagged his finger at him. "I like that about you, Vegas. It still baffles me that that boy Jasper fooled you into believing that sob story of his, but let's let bygones be bygones."

Hudson could have very well done without that reminder. "It couldn't have been just a sob story, boss, with all due respect."

Watkins opened his palms and quirked his eyebrows. "I know for a fact that Jasper's dear mother is alive and well. She definitely isn't suffering from any terminal illness."

Hudson had the wits to act surprised. "For real? Why would he lie about something like that?" His mind was already racing but he forced it to cool down so that he could learn all the facts. 

Watkins shrugged. "Who am I to know what is happening in these pretty empty heads? I don't know about you, Vegas, but Jasper didn't exactly strike me as the brightest tool in the shed. So, whether we like it or not, he tried to pull one over on us."

"It looks like he succeeded," Hudson said, frowning to show how upset he was.

"Not really. We're going to bring him back."

Fuck. First of all, unlike him, Watkins knew Jasper's real identity, his home address, and who knew how many other details. "Why bother?" he asked. "Boys like him are everywhere, and I bet they're dying to take his place. You wanted him for this new club, right?"

"Oh, it's not a matter of not having enough models lined up to be part of our new entertainment. But, you see, Vegas," Watkins said and leaned forward, "one thing I dislike to the extreme, call it my pet peeve if you will, is to put my faith in people and get crossed in return. Now that's something I can't condone, no matter what."

"If what you say about Jasper is true, then that means that he doesn't want to be here or work for you. You don't want to drag him back here against his will, right?"

"Oh, no." Watkins changed his position again and put his hands up. "We hope to convince him, that's all. Also, we paid him a hefty advance for work he didn't do. Let's say that he's under a contractual obligation and he needs to either cough up the money – which I bet he spent already – or keep his part of the deal."

Jasper hadn't had a dime on him when he ran away at Hudson's advice. This was all bullshit, and it made him mad. The hardest part was to keep himself in check, but luckily he had plenty of training. "Then is he going to be part of the new club's line-up, after all?"

"Yes. No doubt about it."

Fuck. Three times fuck. Watkins wouldn't act so sure if he weren't convinced that his men would bring back the stray. 

Just one more problem to deal with. When things were going just peachy.

"What do you want me to do for now?" he asked, like the good employee he was.

"Jackie is going to take you to the site of the new club. Only a few rooms are ready, but they're a great background for you to start taking pictures of the models."

Hudson nodded. Closer and closer to the snake's nest. "Who's going to be there?"

"A couple of new faces, a couple of old ones," Watkins replied.

"Angel?" Hudson asked. He couldn't get it out of his head how strangely Angel had behaved the night of the police raid at Twinlight. 

"No, not him. Apparently that boy likes getting on my nerves lately."

"How so? Where is he?"

Watkins shrugged like he had no idea. "He's gone to ground."

For a moment, Hudson felt his blood curdling and slowing to a stop. "What do you mean?"

"He's in hiding," Watkins explained. "That's his way of sticking his tongue out at me. It's so trying to search for him and bring him back. My patience is wearing thin, no matter how much of a soft spot I have for his pretty face."

"Is he your lover, boss?" Hudson said with a stupid smile he hoped was convincing enough. 

A scoff followed. "The little whore may have excellent skills, but I don't lay a finger on the merchandise, Vegas. It's bad for business. No, you see, these boys are often lost, and that means that they will stick to anything and anyone as long as they're given the slightest bit of attention. Such misguided affection doesn't interest me. In other words, I'm no one's daddy, and I don't intend to become one, either."

"That sounds about right," Hudson agreed. "You're running a business."

"Exactly." Watkins pointed a finger at him again as if he were happy that they were seeing eye to eye. "Jackie's already waiting for you outside."

So, the meeting was over, and he had new things to worry about, such as Jasper's return and Angel's disappearance. And all of that on top of someone breaking into his apartment to check out the hidden compartment in his camera case.

***

Jackie was, indeed, outside, leaning against the hood of Hudson's car like it belonged to him. This was no time for useless irritation. Hudson shook the offered hand briefly and made a sign for Jackie to get in the car as he moved around it to climb behind the wheel. 

"Man, you can't believe how many things have happened," Jackie began while fastening the seatbelt. 

"The boss told me a few things. It looks like Angel has been a no-show lately, huh?" As little as Jackie might know, it was still better than nothing.

"He does that. You know, I think that guy acts like such a diva." Jackie rolled his eyes. "Seriously, he has one rotten personality. I mean, I know he's pretty as hell, but come on, he shouldn't expect to have the whole world at his feet, right? Let's be real, no one's that irreplaceable."

"Do you think the boss wants to replace him?" Hudson continued his light interrogation while he pulled the car out of the parking lot. 

"Nah. But I think he's just about had enough of him. But I guess this kind of thing comes with the territory." Jackie nodded as if he were a sage unveiling the secrets of the universe. "When you know you're that pretty, you get up to all kinds of mischief. Do you know what the key is?"

"What?" Hudson asked, very much in need of enlightenment from the youngest wise man to ever walk the earth.

"Not to know." Jackie became increasingly excited. "I mean, look at my Otis. He really doesn't know he's that pretty. That's why he doesn't act all high and mighty."

Hudson worked his jaw and gripped the wheel. "Where is this club? Or do you want us to run in circles until we stumbled upon it by accident?"

"Wow, someone's in a mood. Did the boss tell you anything to make you like this?"

"He told me Jasper lied to us," Hudson said snappily. 

"Yeah, that. You know, I was both bummed out and happy about it all at the same time."

"Why?"

"Because," Jackie continued in the same oblivious manner, "on the one hand, yeah, he took us for a ride, but on the other, his momma's fine."

Hudson shook his head. Sometimes, Jackie pointed out the obvious based on the very little he knew. "The boss says that he's going to bring Jasper back. Do you know anything about that?"

"Yeah, he does that sometimes. Not that he ever put me in charge of things like that. He has those gorillas." There was envy in Jackie's voice, but Hudson could also hear relief. If that were true, it could mean that he could cultivate an ally of sorts in the doofus riding shotgun with him. Using all the precautions possible, of course.

"And are the guys, you know, willing to come back?"

"The boss offers them very attractive deals," Jackie said with confidence. "And he's not exactly the man to say 'no' to."

"Why is that?"

Jackie threw him a look of disbelief. Even out of the corner of one eye, Hudson could read his reaction. "Have you met the boss, man? All he has to do is to give you that stare, like he's your dad and about to get the belt, and you'll piss your pants. Only you can't see it, right?" Jackie punched him in the shoulder. "You're one big scary man, aren't you?"

Hudson returned the grin. "What? You're not?"

Jackie's face lit up. He was so gullible, and Hudson took it at face value because he needed this unwitting ally to show him more than a glimpse into the evil business Watkins and whoever was above him were running. 

"I'm still wet behind the ears, between you and me," Jackie replied. "But you know what my advantage is compared to you?"

"Let's hear it."

"You're into this for the artsy part of it," Jackie explained with self-assurance. "And you look like a guy who's got it all figured out. But that's not me." He shook his head and clucked his tongue. "Nah, I'm lean and hungry, and I want a big chunk of all this for myself."

"Did the boss promise you something?"

"I need to prove myself to him. And I told you, I'm putting money aside for my own thing. Also, the boss sees me as an asset or he wouldn't make me part of the new club thing."

"Do you happen to know how many clubs are out there? And is our boss, you know, the big kahuna?"

Jackie sucked on his teeth. "He is the big guy in charge. As for the clubs, there were a couple before Twinlight, but I don't know much about them. For whatever reason, they didn't generate the proper return on investment. So, to minimize the losses, the boss sold everything and built Twinlight from the ground up. That was the winning ticket, and that's why the business is growing. This new club is going to be so lit."

"Yeah, the boss told me a few things. I'm supposed to create the website for it."

"Really? That's cool, man. What did I tell you? You're the artsy guy. Access to the club is going to be by invite-only," Jackie continued. "Uber select, top of the crop, all that jazz."

"There's going to be some pretty extreme stuff from what I've heard from the boss," Hudson said casually. 

Jackie shrugged. "Yeah, but it's going to be like in the movies. I mean, it's not like all that blood and gore is real, although I was squeamish as a kid. I've never gone to horror movies and the like. Used to be the joke of the neighborhood."

"You can't be squeamish still," Hudson said. 

"Nope, I'm still squeamish as hell. Still, it's nothing real, and," Jackie leaned closer, making their shoulders touch, "the people that get off on this kind of thing, no matter how staged, they're pretty fucked up, right?"

"Not my place to judge others," Hudson said. 

"Yeah, mine neither," Jackie hurried to confirm and pulled away. "The boss thinks like a businessman, catering to the market, all that. I still stand by my vanilla stuff. It's just like the movie industry. People might like their horror shows, but there's always going to be room for romance, right? That's my play, and I'm sticking to it."

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" 

They had been driving through an old industrial part of the city, and the buildings had significantly decreased in glamor to leave room for a different sort of architecture. 

"Yeah. I know that this isn't the kind of area you'd expect for our new club," Jackie said, puffing out his chest, "but the fact that it's out of the way makes it more exciting, right? The people who're going to pay big bucks don't expect your regular posh club downtown. They want a… what's the word? A gritty experience. The boss said so."

"I see." The gun strapped to his ankle didn't make him feel any safer. The boots he wore had been, in the end, his choice for concealing his weapon. Hopefully, no one intended to frisk him. And, if they did find it, he'd just play it off as being in need of a piece just like the next guy. A schmuck with a gun, thinking himself smart. That would be his ruse. So far, Watkins had appeared to be swallowing the bullshit he'd been serving him. Only, maybe not so much; otherwise why had he sent someone to check out his apartment, and particularly, his camera case? The man was a creep but, as many who worked in the shadows, being suspicious especially of new people, came with the territory.

They stopped in front of one of the structures. It looked like an old factory and, before they could get inside the interior yard, they needed to open a door through a wire fence. 

Jackie gestured around. "This thing's going to go. They're going to put a serious gate here, and a booth with someone to keep an eye on everyone coming and going. There will be cameras everywhere."

Hudson took a look around. A loading dock that must have seen better days was located to his left, and it was covered by plenty of dust and grime to let him know that the work of turning the place into a bustling entertainment venue couldn't have been started too long ago. Watkins had mentioned that a few rooms were ready, and now he was curious to see what he could mean by that. 

He followed Jackie as they walked toward the large concrete building in the back, eyeing the abandoned storage areas to his right in the process. A few rickety crates piled on top of each other, along with small mountains of long pipes, were the only reminder of what must have been a booming business decades ago. They offered a few hiding places if he considered it. Knowing your environment, especially when on enemy territory, was paramount for survival. Discreetly, Hudson took out his phone and snapped a few quick pictures while Jackie walked in front, oblivious of his actions.

A heavy metal door slid open with some difficulty as Jackie pushed it. Soon, they were inside a large open space. It was almost empty and, when he looked up, Hudson noticed the exposed pipes and ductwork crisscrossing the high ceiling. Huge skylights let in the natural light of day, but that didn't make the place seem any less desolate.

"I know that it doesn't seem like much now, but the boss is going to contract a couple of serious construction companies to deal with the place," Jackie explained. "He says that he'll keep some of the things, you know, to create the right atmosphere. Like heavy chains and such."

Hudson nodded. "Has the boss already installed some security cameras?" he asked casually.

"Not that I know of," Jackie replied. 

"He told me that we're going to meet a few of the models here, to start working on the pictures for the new website." Hudson stole a glance behind him. "Our car looks like it's the only one here."

Jackie waved while guiding him down a large passageway. "There's a back entrance. And anyway, the guys chauffeuring our divas around won't come back until we're done. So, you know," he said as he turned around and gave Hudson a pimp's wink, "if we want to fool around with our pretty boys, maybe we can."

"I'll pass," Hudson said dryly. "And didn't you say you were in love or something?"

Jackie pressed both hands on his chest and sighed. "Yeah, totally, but that's going to take time. I mean, I have to be patient to land a guy like Otis. And I can't be patient if I got itches down my britches, if you catch my drift." He winked again. "Now, what's holding you back? Don't tell me you have a wife and 2.3 kids at home."

"No, but I have a boyfriend." Technically, not a lie.

Jackie wiggled his eyebrows. "For real? A guy like you, with an eye for cuties, must have a real beauty at home. When do I get to meet this guy?"

Preferably never again.

"We'll see," Hudson said with a saccharine smile. 

"I can barely wait, you know? Maybe we could even go on a double date!" Jackie snapped his fingers. "I'll come with Otis, and you can come with—what's your guy called?"

"Let's get to work before it gets dark," Hudson said, sidestepping the question.

"Right, right." Jackie sauntered ahead and opened another door. "Hi guys," he said cheerfully to some people Hudson couldn't see yet.

Six pairs of eyes fixed on him as soon as he walked in. This area was smaller and had been repurposed to some degree. There were the heavy chains Jackie had mentioned, a large metal container in a corner, and what looked like a huge blast furnace. It disappeared into the high ceiling, probably ending in one of the tall chimneys Hudson had noticed before stepping into the building.

Watkins had told the truth. Hudson recognized three of the young men from Twinlight. The other three were new. They were all naked and appeared awkward in the strange environment. 

It looked like he had to get to work and earn his honest bread while saving as many lives as possible in the process. No, not 'as many', but all.

TBC