Poe & Gamble
Nearby
Same Time
When he approached, Gamble ditched his horse on the trail, and stripped out of his clothing and into something more comfortable.
All black.
Where did he get it from?
He’d taken out one of the mercenaries on the way to the cemetery, and he just happened to be Gamble’s size.
Yeah, he wasn’t crazy enough to do this in his dress blues.
He’d stand out.
Oh, but now, he’d make sure that the pieces of shit who dared to touch his husband paid for this.
With.
Their.
Lives.
As he got into place, he saw the three men outside of the cemetery, standing watch.
And he got ready.
It was time to haunt the place.
Slowly, he crept toward the one, and pulled him into the shadows to slice his throat. The only sounds that were made were of his body hitting the ground and the soft gurgle of him losing his blood.
One down.
As he moved around in the silence, he saw the next asshole, and slammed the butt of the last man’s gun into his face.
The crunch of bone versus metal was kind of loud, but he didn’t care. He’d go in guns blazing if need be. At that moment, he could hear digging, and that was a good sign.
Poe would still be alive.
When he stared down at the unconscious man, he knew he couldn’t let him live.
So, he sliced through his throat, and ended his life.
Two down.
Oh, and soon it would be three since no one was keeping him away from his man.
As he moved toward the last one, he threw the knife, and it went into his heart, killing him.
He dropped like a bag of rocks.
Von really needed to get better mercenaries. These were shitty at their jobs.
After retrieving the knife, he wiped it on the man’s clothing, and tucked it back into the hilt that he’d also stolen from the dead mercenary.
Then, he headed toward the cemetery to see what he and his husband were up against.
If Poe was hurt…
He was going to burn down the world and Von Donore in it.
He could bet on that.
Meanwhile…
Poe was digging, and he was taking his time too. There was no way he was not holding out hope, and faith, that Gamble would be okay.
Deep down, he was horrified that he was going to have to defile his brother’s grave, but he’d do it to make sure he had a chance to see Gamble again.
After all, Hemmingway started all of this, and if his brother was alive, he would have kicked his ass for this.
When he sat down to take a break, the man with the gun pointed at him and didn’t seem to care if he was tired or not.
He wasn’t, but again, he needed to stall.
As he got sweaty, and this was NOT the plan he’d had when he told Gamble they’d be doing just that, the other man was having a good old time.
Tormenting him.
“I bet your Marine didn’t last long. The pretty ones don’t. I’m going to bet that someone gave some commanders head to get those awards.”
Poe said nothing.
There was no way he was giving him any information on his husband.
What he knew…
He would take it to his grave.
As for Gamble surviving, he was tough, and he was a Hunter. There was no doubt he’d handle it.
“You’re lucky, Doctor. Von is having mercy with you because he really believes you have no clue as to what your brother did. It had better stay that way, or he’ll make your life hell.”
Poe was about to tell him to fuck off, but he stopped. Then, he changed his mind.
“For the record, shit for brains,” he said, throwing down his shovel. “My husband is an honorable Marine, nothing you’d know anything about. I’m going to bet you dropped out or were booted. You have the common markers of…what would that be? Oh, a chicken shit who betrayed his country.”
The man stood taller and moved toward him.
“What did you say?”
“Oh, are you deaf too? Let me say it louder. You. Are. A. Big. Stupid. Coward!”
When the man raised his arm, Poe was ready to die. Gamble was probably already gone, and he didn’t want to be here in life without him.
He was all he had left.
“You’ll regret that,” the man said.
Poe flipped him off.
“You gave your commanders head,” he said. “You dumbass piece of shit!”
When his finger went to the trigger, Poe closed his eyes.
Only, there was the sound of a bullet, and Poe felt nothing.
Was he shot?
“Poe William Seville-Doyle!” Gamble said, horrified. “Were you trying to die?” he asked. “I just got here, and had to watch you poke the nut. What if I didn’t have a gun?” he asked. “Or shit aim?”
At his voice, Poe spun around, and he saw the most amazing thing in his life.
Gamble.
Immediately, he climbed out of the hole, and ran to him.
“My love!”
Seeing his husband, Gamble grabbed him and pulled him into his body to hold him.
“You are insane, Doctor,” he stated. “You shouldn’t poke the crazy.”
Poe didn’t care.
He clung to him.
“They said you were dead. I didn’t want to live without you,” he admitted.
And then stopped.
“Why do you smell like another man?” he asked, stepping back.
Gamble actually laughed.
“Really? Now?”
Poe was feeling sweaty and shrewish. It had been a long-ass night.
“I’d explain,” he said. “Or you’re sleeping on the couch.”
Gamble was amused as hell.
“Well, I killed a man and stole his clothes. So, I’m going to say you’re smelling him, because I was a little busy killing mercenaries to save my husband.”
Poe stared at him.
“Okay, that’s probable.”
He laughed even more. Gamble knew Poe was experiencing that rush of adrenaline.
“Hey, are you okay?” he asked. “Seriously.”
Was he?
NO.
Poe wanted to get the hell out of here.
“They think the crypto key is on my brother’s body. Please don’t say we have to open the grave.”
He knew that would be brutal on Poe, and honestly, he was willing to bail. They’d barely survived this one. It was time to get the hell out of there.
Luckily, Poe didn’t dig a big hole. It was easily filled in.
“No, we’re not digging up your brother.”
Thank.
Freaking.
God.
“How did you get away?” he asked.
“I’ve been captured and tortured a few times, so I know how to get out of a prison.”
Poe was staring at him.
“Are you being serious?”
He wished he wasn’t.
When Gamble saw movement, his eyes tracked it. At first, he thought it was going to be another mercenary.
Only, it wasn’t.
Instead, he saw Hemmingway. He was behind Poe as he stood in the shadows, pointing at the tombstone.
Not the stone.
At the Victoria’s Cross.
The medal.
“Poe,” Gamble said. “Look.”
When he pointed, Poe turned, and that’s when he saw what Gamble was staring at.
And he gasped.
“Hemmy?” he asked.
His brother smiled at him, and blew his brother a kiss. Then, he focused on Gamble, and touched his temple in a salute.
“Take care of him.”
And as quickly as they saw him, the second they blinked, he was gone.
“I have to be hallucinating. Was that my brother?” Poe whispered.
Gamble touched his shoulder.
“I told you. There’s an afterlife.”
Poe just nodded, and had tears in his eyes.
“I love you, Hemmy! I’ll see you again,” he said.
Outside of the gate, they heard Diablo neigh, and make a happy sound, so they could assume Hemmingway was saying goodbye to him too.
Gamble broke it to him.
“I know where the key is,” he admitted. “Hemmingway just told me,” he stated.
Poe turned.
“What?”
Gamble took his hand, and they moved around the pile of dirt toward the headstone with Hemmingway’s name and day of death.
“Forgive me, Poe,” Gamble said, right before he used his knife and popped the medal off.
Poe moved closer.
“He was pointing at it,” Gamble said. “If I were Hemmingway, I’d put the key with something that would make sure it was safe. It didn’t register before, but your father picked this medal and put it on the cross. I think he knew, or Hemmingway told him.”
Using the blade, he placed the metal on the stone and popped it open. That’s when they saw the sim card sized chip inside.
It fell into Gamble’s hand.
“Holy shit! You found it!”
Gamble was aware.
Only, now, he had a bigger issue.
Going to the dead man, he rooted around in his pocket, and he found his phone.
He might not have known numbers a week ago, but he’d memorized one when he left the US to come here. So, he made a call.
Elizabeth answered on the second ring.
“Hey, I have a problem.”
Why wasn’t she surprised?
The only people that called her more were her children.
“What happened, Gamble?” she asked, ready to get the bomb dropped on her. It was rare a Hunter called with a ‘problem’ that they couldn’t handle.
They tended to handle situations themselves, and she cleaned up the mess.
“Von got to us. We were drugged, but we escaped and are okay.”
She was horrified.
“Oh, Jesus.”
Gamble kept talking.
“Only, now, we need help.”
She was curious.
“What?”
This wasn’t a situation he could handle on his own. They’d left one hell of a trail right to them.
“We have an estate full of bodies all over the place. There’s nine or ten of them.”
She understood what he was asking.
“Clean up?”
Oh, they were going to have one hell of a time finding them all. They were littered across five hundred acres.
“Yeah, do you think the CIA can…”
She stopped him.
“The CIA is like fight club. We don’t talk about it outside of fight club. You’re on an unrestricted phone. Let’s just play dumb. Okay? For my career’s sake.”
He began laughing.
“Can you pick us up in twenty and get the horses out of here ASAP? It’s only a matter of time before Von figures out his assholes are dead, and we have the code.”
She got excited.
“Wait! You have it?”
“Yeah, so can you send transport? For us, and for the horses? Like ten minutes ago?”
She was so happy she’d do it her damn self if need be.
“Consider transport on the way. Do you need anything else?”
Yeah, he did.
“The Duke of Norfolk helped Von get to us. I need him watched.”
She was confused.
“Watched or handled?”
Poe was watching him.
“He had my man drugged. I want him watched. I’ll be coming back, and I’ll handle the asshole. In fact, I’m bringing my brothers to this fight.”
Well, shit.
“If you say so.”
He did.
“Thank you, Elizabeth.”
Well, he could have whatever he wanted. Gamble had found the key, and that saved their bacon.
“Oh, and Gamble?”
He waited.
“Oohrah, soldier. Welcome back, and good job. I’m going to assume you’re going to want to see the fam?”
Did?
He?
Ever?
They had a lot to talk about.
As for him being back…
The truth was, he was never gone. He just needed to heal and find love again.
And he did.
“Thanks, Boss. I’m ready for the next job. I’m good,” he said, staring at Poe. “No, I’m great. Oh, and I may or may not have a new member of the team.”
Poe grinned.
“See you at the new base, Elizabeth, and really…don’t ask questions.”
Yeah, she wouldn’t.
And Gamble would do the same.
If anything, when working with a Blackhawk, you kept your damn mouth shut and said nothing.
Hanging up, he destroyed the phone so no one could use it. Then, he found the phone’s sim card, put it into the medal, and carried it back to the stone.
“What are you doing?” Poe asked.
Gamble grinned.
“This place is about to be overrun with CIA agents. Von is about to be busy when he drops more mercenaries here. I’m buying my family time, and giving the CIA a trail back to the asshole. They’ll update Elizabeth.”
Oh, boy.
Poe laughed.
Putting the cross on the stone, it hung awkwardly there, drawing attention. Then, Gamble grabbed the shovel, and filled the grave back in for Poe.
“Thank you,” Poe said, when he finished.
The man put his hand on the stone, and gave it a kiss.
“I love you, Hemmy. I’ll see you again, but not for a while. I have some life to live. You were right. I needed an adventure, and boy did I find one. I think I’m going to enjoy being a Hunter.”
Gamble grinned, and held out his hand.
As they walked out of the cemetery, Gamble led him to the spot where he’d tucked his things. With love, he placed his Dress Blue coat over his husband’s shoulders, and whistled for Diablo.
He came charging out of the trees like he was breaking free from hell.
Boosting his man up, Gamble got Poe onto the horse, and got himself situated right behind him.
As he looked back, he saw Hemmingway again, but this time, he was smiling.
So Gamble saluted him back.
The man deserved one last one, since he’d been brave and honorable to the end.
And a Marine respected that.
With a kick to the horse’s side, Diablo took off, and they held on for dear life.
One of these days, Diablo was going to kill someone with that wildness.
Fortunately, today was not that day. Instead, he was getting them the hell out of there.
As lightning crashed in the distance, and they raced back to the castle, Gamble knew one thing.
It felt good to be loved.
No.
Adored.