CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO - The Drop
EDDIE - Me-n-Chet were setting up the video camera in the room he would occupy, while Mike was setting up the monitor in our room. He gave an "A-OK" shout that let us know the image was coming through.
"Yeah, I can see half of each bed - got a full shot of the dresser and the door. Chet, just make sure the dirt-bag gives you your stuff in that area."
"Got it, Mike!"
"Boy, this is really gonna be somethin', huh? Me in on a sting. Holy mackerel."
Chet's remark gave me pause. Sure it was great that he was into it, but I had to find out why. It's always a good guy that wants to fight the bad guys - that's just the law of averages, but I had to ask him something.
"Chet - can I ask ya something?"
"Shoot."
"You're studying Criminology to get into the PD, and all. Why exactly did you choose that line of work?
"'Cuz it's always been interesting to me - it looks like a cool job."
I kinda frowned, "uh-huh".
Chet was a little concerned, "what's up?"
"Chet, I gotta tell ya a few things - I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but coolness is not a reason to fight crime. Not a good one."
"What do ya mean?"
"Let's sit down here." Chet and I sat next to each other on the same bed. I put a hand on each leg and Chet just looked at me. I had to summon just the right words to get my point across - finally I looked at him and put one hand on his knee.
"Chet - I'm afraid it's a lot more complicated than that. You see, I'm glad you admire the work and those who do it - that's how I started out, by admiring Mike most of my life, but the fight against crime calls for the right man to be pure of heart, and to know that this is the right thing to do - cool or not."
"Well, don't you enjoy it - don't you get into it? It looks like the two of you are having a real blast."
"Oh, we are. I have never had as much fun in my life as I do now - but that's just the icing on the cake. Our real enjoyment of the life comes from the good feeling we get when we know we've done the right thing. When we see the bad guys in handcuffs and the cops comin' to get 'em, toss 'em in the clink and throw away the key, that tells us the good citizens of this town can be free to walk the streets at night, that they're safe. We've served and protected society against another threat to their safety and / or their lives, and..."
Suddenly I felt emotional, I had to look away for a sec as my eyes were starting to well up. Chet put a hand on my shoulder, "Eddie? You okay?"
"Never better - this is joy, Chet. Doing good just for the sake of doing good gives me such joy. Tomorrow morning, when we send Juan Verona to the slammer, I pray that you find that sense of joy in you, too. You're a good man, and as your friend I can't think of anything better I'd wish for you."
A big smile came across Chet's face while he thought over what I said to him, then he looked at me, "as my friend?"
"Absolutely. All who step up in the fight against crime will always be a friend of Batz & Robinson. Anyway, I better see if Mike needs anything. Just remember what I told ya, okay?"
"Uh, sure. Thanks, Eddie."
CHET - He smiled and winked at me, then went into the next room. While his advice was helpful, I perked up when he said the word 'friend' - but he meant in a sort of spiritual sense, like when you go to AA, they call ya a friend of Bill W., but you never actually meet him, 'cuz he died about 60 years ago. Damn. I guess I didn't really have pure intentions after all. I mean, yes, I do want to fight crime, but really, with them. Sure, I can join the PD and all, but any cop I get partnered with can't really hold a candle to these guys. I don't think any cop on the beat is as hot as Eddie or Mike. Yeah, the cat's outta the bag. I like them. I'm gay. It's been kinda hard 'cuz this is so new to me, having only been honest about it the last couple of years, or so. When I was rescued by the Dashin' Duo, I got so hard for 'em, I really didn't know which of 'em I wanted to bang the most. Mike, so tall, so commanding, so 36-inch waist, with that hat and coat, so powerful. Then there's Eddie, so muscular, so super-hyper, those tight shirts, those fists, those spread legs. He's about my age, and he has such a boyish enthusiasm about him. Just a beautiful, beautiful guy. I really love both of them.
Remembering our meeting time of 8am, Mike and Eddie walk over to my room and both look at their watches. "It's time, Chet. Are you ready?"
"I sure am".
Then came the knock on the door.
MIKE - We were watching the sting on a video surveillance in the next room - Chet gets up and answers the door and it was the dealer. As Chet closes the door and before he turns to carry out this "transaction", Verona reaches inside his jacket and brandishes a gun.
"UP with your hands - COP!"
Chet is shot instantly.
Eddie sees this in the other room and calls out to me, "HOLY WEAPONRY - Chet's been hit!"
As we leapt into action, Chet falls to the floor, screaming! He then holds his wounded arm up and is kicking at the dealer, who's taking a couple of more shots, more shouting, we don't know if he's wounded, scared, or both! As we run into the motel room, we see the bad guy fallin' back, gun falling to the floor - Chet must've knocked the piece outta his hand! GOOD JOB!
Then we leap in - the pusher is knocked over for a second, but tries to get back up - that's when I throw myself right on top of the loser, cuffing him in seconds flat.
Eddie goes to see about Chet as he tries to make his way up, so he grabs hold of him and helps him sit on one of the beds. Poor guy, holding his bleeding arm, moaning, grimacing, even letting out a scream.
"He got me again! He got me again!"
EDDIE - I asked Chet where he was hit again and he pointed to his neck, and I look to see there were only a couple of scratches. Nothing penetrated. As a matter of fact, I looked between the beds and saw a bullet hole in the end table between the beds and another one in the wall.
"Naw, you're good - just got grazed, the bullets hit something else, but we gotta get that other one out of you as soon as we can. Just hang in there, Chet, it's gonna be okay."
CHET - Man, this is painful! I remember cutting my foot on something once, and it only really hurt at first, just kind of stinging later on, but this thing - boy, it feels like my whole body's hurtin'. But when Eddie helps me up and sits me down, he tries to assure me that it's gonna be okay. In fact, he even calls 9-11.
"Shots fired - wounded civilian needs an ambulance - we got the shooter here - send back-up."
This is like the second time Eddie's saving my life here. As we both sit, he puts one arm around me, and as I tilt my head back a little, the back of my neck touches his arm. Flesh on flesh. Feels pretty good. The feel of his flesh on mine is really warm, really beautiful, really soothing. He puts his other hand close to my right pec. Just a few inches above it. I swear, this kid's hands are those of healers. He's got a real healing touch. So, as he's talkin' me through this, I turn to look at him, and I just loved lookin' at him. He and his boss don't know this, but I saw them gettin' kinda chummy, I guess when they didn't know I was looking. I gotta admit I had a crush on the two of them at first, the way they swept in and pummeled our kidnappers from before - I was a kidnap victim of those photographers, so when they put the ad out saying they needed help with confidential information, I knew I wanted to work with them. They do real exciting work and they're such good guys, too. I hope they want me back for something else later on.
"Say, what the hell is this? What's all this for?"
"Mmm, let's see - leading a drug ring, selling dope to school kids, the attempted murder of a civilian aide to the police - boy, I wouldn't wanna be you right now, that's for sure!"
EDDIE - As he says this, he puts on a pair of gloves and seizes the gun. I run over and ask where Chet was shot, and if he was wearing his bulletproof tee, and he shows me.
"Just right below the tee-shirt sleeve - darn lucky shot!"
"Naw, he knew what he was doin' - he had me made - you probably didn't hear it, but he yelled at me to put my hands up and called me a cop!"
Eddie was alarmed, "Holy sunken ship! How'd he find out?"
The dealer answered for himself, "The night clerk ratted you out - said there were two other guys and described you both - I recognized you dashing dick-heads and put two and two together."
MIKE - Chet was holding his arm and let out a gasp - natural as sometimes the bullet shifts a little when settling in. The dope dealer snarled at him.
"Don't you go making any noises, cop! I was aiming for your heart which I wish I hit. I shoulda killed all of ya!"
I backhanded him across the face, "you shut the hell up, dirt-bag. You're just uptight 'cuz this fine boy's life is worth a million times what your life'll ever be."
Eddie comforts Chet and asks me how big the bullet was that hit him. I put my gloves on, emptied the gun and handed Eddie one of the bullets which he showed Chet, who gasped, "I hope they can get it outta me. Hey, uh, do you guys think you want me to do this again for ya sometime?"
Eddie looks at me, beams, and puts one arm around him and puts his other hand on the boy's good shoulder, "don't you worry, pal, you're a member of the family now. Just hang in there with us, buddy, you'll be okay."
The cops and the paramedics came and got their people. Eddie mutters, "hey, see if you can get up and walk outta here. Show that scumbag he can't put a good man down."
A paramedic temporarily bandages Chet's wound and he, still holding his arm, gets up and walks out the door to the ambulance, stopping and glaring at his assailant, "I hope you never see daylight again for what you did to these kids."
Eddie nods and winks approvingly. I'd say we got another one on our side. Me and Eddie stand in the doorway and look at our work. I was still holdin' on to one of the bullets and said, "pretty big slug he took there, I hope the kid's gonna be all right."
Eddie wrapped his arm around my waist, and I in turn wrapped my arm around his shoulder.
"He's more than all right - he wants to stick with us"
THen he turns to face me, wrapping both arms around me and kissing me. "Then again, who wouldn't wanna stick around a studling like you!"
I kiss him back, "well, you too, ya know."
Eddie thinks for a minute, "hey, Boss-Man, how much time we got left with these rooms".
I wear a sly grin and play dumb, "Oh, a couple of hours, I guess. Why - whatcha have in mind, kiddo?"
Eddie giggles and grins mischievously, "whaddya think, gumshoe?"
I giggle and grin, "ooh, you're so bad - I gotta take ya in."
"I surrender, Detective - I'll come quietly."
"Oh, you'll come - but hopefully not quietly."
Later on, we pack up all our stuff and head out to see Chet. Oh, he was in great spirits. His face lit up like a Christmas tree when we walked in.
"So, how ya doin' there, kiddo?"
"Aw, just great, Mike. Man, I loved the way you tackled that guy back there."
"Hey, you did kick the gun outta his hand."
"So, ya know what's gonna happen to the bad guy?"
Eddie interjects, "we're goin' for life without the possibility of parole. Give that thug enough time to live with his crimes."
Chet purses his lips and nods, "ya got that right".
"So, Eddie tells me you wanna come back and do this again."
"Oh, you bet! Gettin' shot hurt and ev'rything, but I really had a blast. Can't wait for the next time."
"Anyone with the desire to fight crime by our side is always welcome and has a special place in our hearts."
"So, when ya gettin' outta here?"
"Tomorrow - I gotta come back for therapy and all. Oh, yeah, that's right, thanks for drivin' my car over here. That's like a part of my body - I can't live without it."
He paused for a sec and said, "so, uh, did I do okay?"
"Okay? You were fantastic! Knockin' that guy over, causin' him to drop his gun after you'd been shot. You talk about a hero!"
"Am I one? Really?"
"Sure thing - you took the slug, still fought back, protected me-n-Eddie..."
"...Not to mention any other kids the dealer may have harmed along the way. Taking one bullet did all that."
We get the announcement that visiting hours are over.
"Hey, looks like we gotta roll, but you know our door is always open for ya - you're a real nice kid and we like havin' ya around."
"Thanks, Mike and Eddie. You two guys are really somethin'."
EPILOGUE
It was the next day - me-n-Eddie were just relaxin' not doin' anything special, just bein' with each other and that. Then the doorbell rings.
"Gosh! A new case!"
We both sprint to the door, only to find Chet on the other side. It's pretty hot outside, and he's wearing a white tee-shirt and black jogging shorts with a stripe going up the thigh. His left arm is in a sling, the right side of his neck bore a couple of stitches. Yet through all this, he wears a really happy smile.
"Hey, so ya got out, huh?"
"Yeah, just a little while ago - sure'll be nice to just crash on my sofa. But there is somethin' I gotta tell ya, if I can come in for a sec."
"Sure"
We walk into the living room and I motion for Chet to sit down, but he declines, sayin' he's only passin' through, but he's got somethin' on his mind. The warm, determined "ready-for-anything" smile gives way. A mild feeling of sadness coats his eyes.
"Gosh, Chet, what's wrong?"
"I wanted to do something that I couldn't do last night. Hope you don't mind."
"Uh, okay."
He leans over to Eddie, puts his free hand on his shoulder and kisses him on the cheek, and he does the same with me. Me-n-Eddie look at each other all non-plussed. It's as if we can read each other's minds. HE KNOWS!
"I, uh, saw ya kinda chummy with each other when you both were rescuing all of us from that photographer, and...I noticed it again when we were settin' up the sting in the motel."
Me-n-Eddie nod slightly.
"I kinda liked ya both during the rescue. I couldn't stop thinking about either of you. So when it turns out my professor said he recommended me for this, I was real happy. It was a chance to really do something for law enforcement, a chance to help nab a bad guy, and to hang out with you two. I'm not out - I just got honest with my sexuality over the last couple of years or so, I'm kinda young, and it's still kinda new to me, and I'm a little scared of it, and I just wanted to be around guys who know - who understand, and...well, I'm real grateful for everything you've done, and...I was real happy I could help, if I did, and...I love you guys."
Astonishment glazes over our faces. We can't believe our ears. The boy volunteers his services, suffers greatly, bearing the brunt of the evil of our ememy, nearly losing his life - for us - and yet, he's grateful - and he loves us.
Imagine that. Imagine.