One Breath Brings Death (An Aaron Jaycynth Mystery--Book 2) Page 3

  He cleaned up the lab, closed and locked the door and set the card key alarm. As he walked past the dispatcher, he wished her a good night and left the building. Walking to the tube stop, he sent a text to Barry. On my way home now. See you in ten.

  Chapter 6

  Aaron hid his feelings as he entered the pub near his bedsit. He wondered why Barry, a strong, masculine man wanted to be submissive to him. Not only that, Barry was ten years his senior. It felt odd to Aaron that anyone older than he would submit to him as Barry offered on the phone.

  Barry was at the bar, drink in hand, when he spotted Aaron. His smile showed genuine happiness. On the short walk from the door to the stool next to Barry, Aaron decided to see just how much he really wanted to be his submissive.

  Barry stood and started to say something, but was cut short by Aaron's gesture. "You speak when spoken to. Tonight you are interviewing for a position as my sub. I do the talking, I ask the questions, and you do as you are told. Is that clear?"

  Barry lowered his eyes, put his hands behind his back and in an extremely low voice said, "Yes sir, I understand."

  He didn't see the smile on Aaron's face. "What did you say? Are you embarrassed? If you are, then I have wasted my time."

  Aaron turned to leave when Barry said in a clear, loud voice, "I understand sir. No I am not embarrassed to be here, Sir." Many in the pub heard his comments. Some sniggered. Others looked on with interest.

  Aaron captured the barman's attention, ordered a pint, and made his way to a table in the corner of the main room. Intuitively knowing his place, Barry remained standing after Aaron sat down. The barman delivered Aaron's drink, looked at Barry then back to Aaron and asked, "Will your guest require another?"

  Aaron made eye contact with the barman after appearing to think over the question. "Yes, please bring him another." The barman left as Barry remained standing. Aaron looked at Barry and said, "You may sit, but don't get too comfortable."

  The barman understanding the situation, brought one menu and placed it in front of Aaron, then set Barry's drink in the middle of the table. Barry's attempt to take the drink was stopped by Aaron's strong grip on his wrist. "You don't have permission. I'll let you know when you can drink." Barry quickly moved his hands to his lap and waited quietly.

  Aaron ordered for both of them and when the barman left, he pushed the drink toward Barry and said, "Drink if you want and you have permission to talk freely. Start at the beginning and tell me why you want to submit to me."

  Barry started talking as if he had prepared and rehearsed a speech. He was in a position at the agency that required him to be a strong leader of his team. He apprehended criminals, took down thugs, and used his educated mind and strong body daily. He loved his job, enjoyed his workout sessions, felt his body had to be near perfection, but he wanted more.

  "I spoke with Declan during the Tameron case and realized that I was jealous. I wanted to be in his place, not on the case, but by your side doing what he was doing."

  Ethan Tameron, a college student and the son of a prominent businessman, had been kidnapped while en-route to a soccer camp. His bodyguard, Kristoff, was severely beaten and left for dead. The case took on an unusual twist when the kidnappers did not request a ransom for Ethan. They taunted the young man's parents with videos showing Ethan being prepared for auction as a sex slave.

  An international kidnapping ring had eluded capture for several years, thus the involvement of MI5. Declan was the MI5 agent assigned to assist Aaron with the case. As a ploy to win acceptance into the BDSM community, Declan pretended to be Aaron's submissive. They made the rounds to every club that might give them a lead.

  Aaron was an extremely shy man who had never had experience in the clubs they entered. Though he felt out of place, Aaron had sworn he would do whatever it took to get Ethan before he was sold into slavery.

  Declan was straight yet was willing to be part of the charade if it meant capturing the kidnappers. His petite body made it easy to pull off the scam. What surprised everyone was his willingness to be naked or practically so, kneeling on the floor next to Aaron while he and Aaron visited various clubs. Their willingness to step out of their comfort zones proved successful.

  During that time, Aaron had learned that he enjoyed the BDSM, leather community. He also enjoyed the high he got when his dominance came out. His shyness around people was not as pronounced when in the presence of these strong, dominant men. At times, he actually became aggressive. Since then, he had been honing his skills, had taken several boys home, and had his way with others during various club nights.

  "So you're telling me that you would submit to me as Declan pretended to do, because you want that life?"

  Head lowered, eyes looking at his hands still folded in his lap, Barry said, "Yes that is exactly what I would do. That is if you will have me."

  When their food arrived, Aaron told Barry to eat and enjoy. "Let's just talk as if we are friends. I don't want the dom / sub relationship all the time."

  Aaron asked Barry about his work, his home life, was he ever in a committed relationship, and numerous other questions. Barry asked Aaron about what he wanted in a submissive, what he enjoyed both sexually and outside the bedroom, and if he enjoyed what he did with Declan.

  Barry had a couple of short flings with other guys, but had never found the right one for him. "They all seemed to want me to take charge." He sought out stronger guys only to find them phony. Once he found a strong guy who took control, but he was so aggressive that Barry became fearful for his life. When he ended the relationship, the guy started stalking him. "He only stopped when an agency buddy of mine got into his face and made it clear that he should stop or he would regret he ever walked this earth."

  "I'm not like that, as I guess you already know from talking to Declan. But what makes you think I won't be aggressive with you?"

  Barry smiled at Aarons comment and said, "You do remember that I vetted you for MI5, don't you? Aaron I know more about you than you do. No I don't think you will take advantage of me."

  Aaron blushed as he remembered one of the comments Shaun made at the time, "Aaron, we know where and when you jerk off, how many times a day you take a leak, what you ate for breakfast everyday this year, and a lot more that I will not divulge right now."

  Hours passed as the two talked. Aaron got to know Barry, and learned about his inner secrets. Barry was a strong man who wanted to be guided, not manipulated, not as a slave, but as a loved child. He needed to be taken out of the controlling role he maintained for his position at the agency.

  When they finished eating, Barry attempted to pay the bill. Once again, he was stopped by Aaron's hand on his wrist. "I'll get this one. You can get the next one." Then smiling he added, "If there is a next one."

  Barry looked at his watch and said he had to get going. "I hope you understand that even if we do enter this relationship, my job must come first."

  Laughing, Aaron said, "I wonder what your bosses would think if they saw you naked, kneeling next to me, at a club." Then in a more serious tone he said, "Do you think they will accept you in that role? Will your desire to submit to me cause you to have problems with your career?"

  Barry sat quietly, thinking about Aaron's comments. "I've thought about that, too. I know there are other gays in the agency. In fact, we have acceptance-training programs to help teams understand the LGBT community. During one of those sessions, we learned that the agency had no qualms having gays in their ranks. I'm not sure if my specific desires are within those acceptance tolerances, though."

  "Then you have some thinking to do. Whether you are my sub or someone else's, your career may be in jeopardy. Would you be willing to sacrifice that much for this fetish desire you have?" Before Barry could comment Aaron said, "I have a call to make. I think I'll stick around for a while."

  Barry left the pub as Aaron retrieved his mobile. When the call was answered he said, "Hi Tom. Aaron here. It's been a while and I need your ad
vice."

  Aaron could hear the loud music and sounds of people at Tom's end. As usual, he was at a club. "Give me a minute to get outside and I'll call you back," he said over the noise.

  A few minutes later, Aaron's mobile rang. "My boy and I were just about to leave, so your call was perfect timing. What can I do for you Aaron?"

  Aaron explained what he could about Barry without revealing his name or his professional situation. He was not sure if he wanted to be a fulltime dominant, nor was he sure that Barry understood what he was asking for.

  "I knew you and your boy were not what you tried to show. When I learned about the kidnapping ring, I surmised that you and Declan were a team on that case. And that finder's fee your so called boss promised came from an anonymous address. At first, I was not certain the check was good, but it did clear. I will not ask questions that would put you in a bad place."

  "Thanks, I appreciate that. Even if you did ask, I am not at liberty to talk about what went down back then. Tom, you said I stuck out like a sore thumb. Since then I've been meeting guys at various clubs and have been honing my skill set. In fact, I'm surprised we've not bumped into each other. Declan was not my sub, but now I have a guy telling me he wants to be just that. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the role at times, but I'm not sure I want it all the time."

  "I gather that you met him tonight and that he gave you his reasons?"

  "Yes that's exactly what happened. He just left when I called you. Tom, I'm not too proud to ask for your guidance again."

  Aaron and Tom spoke for a few more minutes. They agreed to meet on Friday at Slave Night. "If he is able to get through that event unscathed, he might be telling you the truth. Remember the rules and dress accordingly."

  Aaron made another call after Tom said good night. He told Barry what to wear, and when to meet him. "Understand this is still part of the interview process. Be on time."

  It had been a long day and Aaron needed sleep. He was in bed ten minutes after leaving the pub.

  Chapter 7

  Darcey Taylor almost forgot to set the alarm as she left for her morning run. She never worried about burglars in the past and found the alarm, installed by Andrews Security, to be a nuisance. But she followed the rules knowing that there would be hell to pay if she didn't.

  Darcey and Gillert Taylor enjoyed their lives together. They had been married for twenty-two years and were finally in a position that afforded them some financial and time freedom. Their teenage children could take care of themselves, at least most of the time, thus affording Darcey the time she needed for her personal life.

  She gave up her job when the kids came along so Gillert could concentrate on building Taylor Pharmacon. She had heard of the problems other families had when they allowed a nanny or daycare to raise their children. To Darcey, raising her kids was worth the sacrifice to her career.

  When her children entered their teens, she began rebuilding her professional life. As a portfolio manager for a small hedge fund, she had considerable flexibility in her schedule. Her morning runs had become part of her daily life when she was a teen. Those runs all but stopped when her kids were too young to be left alone for over an hour in the morning. Now they were a religious undertaking every day.

  Her mobile secured to her upper arm with a running strap, buds planted in her ears, music blasting, she ran. People who saw her said she ran with the grace and speed of a Gazelle. Today she planned to run fifteen miles. Each week, she had increased her distance in preparation for an upcoming marathon.

  About two thirds into her run a black van pulled alongside. She paid it very little attention as cars, trucks, bicycles, traffic lights, and people were part of the daily routine. This van, however, didn't move on when the light turned green. Instead, the van seemed to maintain her speed. Suddenly, the side door opened revealing two masked figures. One had a gun pointed at her. The other grabbed her, pulled her into the van, and held her tightly. Before she could scream, she was gagged, bound and blindfolded.

  Terrified, Darcey tried to break out of her bindings. When she could not, she tried to kick her assailants in a futile attempt to get free. Her efforts to free herself were greeted with laughter. A voice that sounded as if it came from a computer told her to stop struggling. "We aren't going to hurt you. We only want to get a message to your husband, so stop fighting and listen."

  For the next several minutes, Darcey listened to what sounded like a prerecorded message. When it finished, one of her assailants asked her if she needed to hear it again. She shook her head no. "Good. Make sure your husband understands. If he doesn't, more people will get hurt."

  The van stopped, the door opened, and Darcey found herself being pushed through the open door. Hands and feet still bound, she had nothing to protect herself against the fall. Landing hard, she rolled to get away from the van.

  "What the fuck!" said one of the teens kicking the ball in the park. "Did you see that?" he said as he ran toward the parcel that was dumped from the van. His shouts were heard by others. His mates and several onlookers dialed 999 on their mobile phones. One very smart woman used her mobile to capture the license tag on the van as it sped away.

  As the teens approached the parcel, they realized it was a person. A woman shouted, "Don't touch anything. Whoever that is may be dangerous."

  Leyland Taylor and his friends felt differently. As one pulled the hood from the person's head, the other attempted to untie the binding on its feet. Suddenly Leyland looked at the person lying there and shouted, "Oh my God, that's my mother! Mom! What happened? ." They quickly removed her gag, untied her arms and asked if she was all right.

  Leyland was beside himself. His father had almost been blown up three days prior and now his mother was dumped from a van. "Mom, what happened? Are you okay? Mom, talk to me," he was near hysterics at the site of his mother on the ground.

  Sirens and squealing brakes could be heard around them, as mother and son hugged tightly, attempting to comfort the other.

  Suffering only a few cuts and bruises from the abrupt landing as she fell from the van, Darcey was not hurt. A local uniformed police officer escorted Leyland and Darcey to their home. Gillert arrived at the same time as the officer's car. Like his son, Gillert was beside himself with worry, having only been released from hospital the prior day. When he looked at his wife, he saw fear in her eyes. Shivers spiraled up and down his spine. Something very bad was happening.

  Darcey, Leyland and Gillert sat in their living room as police and an Andrews Security guard tried to piece together what happened. The officers felt the bombing and this incident were connected. After two grueling hours of questioning, they finally understood that Darcey had no further information.

  She could only tell them the van was black. She didn't see any faces as the men wore masks on their heads. The voice seemed to be synthesized as if being filtered through a computer. The message made no sense to her. "Yes, there were three people involved." Two grabbed her and one drove. She gave them the exact location of the abduction more than once. They repeatedly asked the same questions until Gillert finally told them to stop.

  En route to the station, the officers received a message from their headquarters saying a person may have captured the vehicle in question on her mobile phone. At last, they had a clue to work with. The police officer who questioned Darcey called Andrews to report the possibility of a photo of the Van. Maya routed the call to Aaron's mobile.

  "Can you get a copy of the picture to me?" he questioned as he paced in front of the Andrews building. The call with the police completed, he contacted Natalie, Akerheart, and Robins and asked them to meet in the conference room for an update.

  Darcey and Gillert sat in silence after the police left. Each in his own thoughts until Darcey asked, "What did they mean Gil? The message said you had to stop hiding the truth or more people would get hurt."

  Gillert stared at the far wall as if in a trance. When he turned to face his wife, he said, "I have no idea what th
ey were talking about. This has to be a mistake." He stood and walked to the door overlooking their landscaped rear yard. Darcey knew better than to question her husband at this point. He kept much of his business operations from her saying it was for her own good, but this time it didn't feel as if it was. She wanted to pull the answers from him. She wanted to shake him and force him to open up. She wanted to know what they meant by the truth.

  Leyland sat with his friends, in the yard of their home, wondering why his family had been attacked. What could possibly be so important that someone would want to blow up his father or kidnap his mother? "Do you think I'm next?" he asked as his friends huddled near a tree. "Do you think someone will try to kill my sister or me next?"

  His friends had no answers. They didn't understand what was happening any more than Leyland did. No one wanted to kick the ball around. They just sat there in silence.

  Chapter 8

  Aaron met his team in the conference room, gave them what he knew about Darcey's ordeal and asked for an update from each. Natalie was still hitting a wall as she tried to find skeletons in the Taylor Pharmacon closet.

  Akerheart and Robins had met with the local authorities about the Taylor car bombing. "They led us to believe that they had no more information than they did three days ago," said Akerheart. "I have the feeling that someone is pulling them away from this investigation. I can't say that for sure, but it does seem as if they didn't have the time to continue investigating the incident."

  Aaron was perplexed. "Why would they stop investigating? Taylor was almost killed." Aaron looked at the dark screen at the front of the room and said, "Unless Taylor doesn't want anyone to know why this happened. Do you think he asked them to stop investigating? We need to know why they are being targeted."

  Aaron keyed the computer in front of him and brought up the links to Taylor Pharmacon's internal security system. "I was able to hack into their system without too much difficulty. While their firewall is good, just about any hacker could get past it." The large screen on the wall at the front of the conference room showed a live feed from the lobby of the Taylor building.