Chapter Three
“I do wish you had come and talked to me about this earlier.” Cyrus and Python were sprawled out on the couch in the little apartment above Cyrus’s workshop. It was only a two-minute walk from the Assassin’s Alley itself, and Devon was pleased that he had caught them alone and semi-dressed.
“Er…I don’t know what you mean. Why would I inform you about a random online friendship? There was nothing to tell…well, mostly. I should’ve mentioned I’d disclosed my work, but that was one random conversation among many.”
“We’ve been tracking that conversation for about six months,” Cyrus said.
“You weren’t the focus of the initial investigation – it was BK’s situation that was the cause of concern.
Originally it was determined by the powers that be that we weren’t going to interfere because you were keeping an eye on your young friend, which was what was needed.
“Even telling him about your work – you didn’t disclose where you were or put anyone else at risk, and honestly, it was hoped that your friend would be reassured by the admission and see you as someone who might help him. At that point, the situation wasn’t getting much worse than it already was.”
Devon felt his heart drop to his stomach. “Wait, are you telling me the situation that BlueKnight64 is in is one that’s caught the agency’s notice? What’s happened? Who’s he being trapped by? I...”
He paced up and down, tugging at his hair.
“I didn’t feel at any point that he was in a situation where I needed to intervene until tonight.
There were a few little things I noticed, of course, I did.
He never mentioned friends or going out anywhere, but he could have easily been introverted or even be physically challenged in some way, limiting his ability to go out.
I… It never clicked that there was anything sinister about his situation.
“It was only in this last conversation that he said about how he wasn’t allowed out and how this person kept calling him ‘mine.’ And even then, I mean, what could I say if this were a mating situation?”
Devon flung his arms wide as he turned toward his friends. “Think about that. What if BlueKnight64 is human and doesn’t understand the nuances around being the fated mate of a shifter or a vampire? All paranormals are possessive about their mates.”
“Yeah, mates also treat their partners with love and respect – did you forget that bit? Your BlueKnight64’s not mated and there’s a good chance he’s not human either,” Python said in a drawl.
“Believe me, he probably wishes he were, because he’d be treated a damn sight better than he is.
But still…I’m sorry, babe,” he said to Cyrus, patting his knee.
“You’re the handler here, you can handle it. ”
“Like you don’t stick your nose in agency business every five minutes.” Cyrus chuckled. “Put bluntly, BK was paid for.”
Devon’s knees gave out, and he dropped to the floor.
All he could think of was the witty posts, the way BK made him laugh on days when he didn’t think it would be possible to do that again.
His legs couldn’t hold him up anymore, and when he tried to respond, the lump in his throat wouldn’t let a word out.
All this time, and he was selling himself… ?
Cyrus, who quickly graduated to certified asshole in Devon’s opinion, laughed. “Oh, my gods, you should see your face. You really jumped to the wrong idea, didn’t you?”
Devon glared. It was the best reaction he could manage, his mind still processing a hurt he didn’t fully understand.
He had to have a good reason. Lots of people do that sort of thing.
I’ve paid for services a time or two in the past…
But for some reason, Cyrus’s statement just didn’t jibe with all he believed about his online friend.
“I’m sorry. That was mean of me,” Cyrus said softly, clearly realizing Devon didn’t see the joke. “I should’ve been more specific. BK is a slave, purchased from his parents – apparently, although that’s debatable - when he was fourteen years old.”
“Fourteen?” Devon shook his head. “That can’t be right. I…I remember celebrating his twenty-fifth birthday with him a few months ago. Was he lying to me?”
“No.” Cyrus looked grim. “Your online friend has been a slave for nine…no, it’s eleven years now.
Sorry, math is not in my skillset. BK is twenty-five.
That’s what’s got the agency concerned and why I wished you’d come and talked to me about this situation sooner - when you shared your line of work with him, for example. ”
“I didn’t know about any of this.” Devon huffed. “What’s the significance of this young man being twenty-five, apart from him being a legal adult in most paranormal circles?”
“Put bluntly, the guy who bought him is bored with him. From what interactions have shown, and from the information we’ve been given, BlueKnight64 used to be very fearful, very submissive.
Not in a sexual way,” Python broke in. “That’s the one redeeming feature in all of this mess.
Their relationship isn’t like that. But this piece of shit has already been making your little online warrior realize that his days are.
..yeah, he’s not got much of a future. BK knows who this person is.
He knows far too much. He’s probably not aware of what he does know.
But as the person holding him is paranormal, it is on us to take care of him. ”
“Take him out, you mean,” Cyrus said. “We want to take out the bad guys.”
“To me, they’re much in the same thing.” Python shrugged.
“Gods, I hope not.” Cyrus laughed as he nudged his partner. “I don’t mind you taking care of me, but see what happens to you if you try taking me out.”
“Oh, my heart!” Python was always quick to ham up any situation. He slapped his hand against his chest and mock-swooned. “I can’t believe you don’t want me to take you out anymore. No more dates or sexy dinners alone.” Then he laughed. “As if I would ever be without you, my darling mate.”
“Excuse me,” Devon said. He was thrilled that Python had found Cyrus.
All of their lives had benefited from that mating, and besides that, Python had been Devon’s colleague for years.
“Can we get back to the little matter of BlueKnight64? You said his existence is being measured in days. I don’t even know where he is. ”
“That’s where being part of a super-secret agency works for you,” Python said.
“We have friends, mysterious people in the clouds…or some other similar place. Goodness knows why they watch us, but it’s been useful before.
Let’s just hope they enjoy the scenery if they pop in while we’re busy ‘mating.’”
“You can shut up now,” Cyrus said, slapping Python’s arm in exasperation.
“We were waiting on you, Devon. All online communications by our agents are monitored, not because we’re interested in seeing your personal stuff.
That’s private. But if the word assassin is mentioned, it triggers an alarm at the agency, and you were picked up then.
“Then one of the back-office boys worked out you were interacting with a victim in a case that we had been, or rather, they had been actively monitoring, trying to get more information about the asshole with too much cash.
“Put simply, we were letting it play out, assuming that BlueKnight64 would take the gift you’d pretty much handed to him, and ask you to come and save him.”
“Instead, he asked me to kill the man.” Devon’s shoulder slumped. “Does that mean we can’t help?”
“Oh, no,” Cyrus said with a smirk “That means we can. As I said, the agency would’ve just preferred if we had an insider, so to speak, to work on this, which is why we were waiting on you.”
Devon let out a long breath. “Thank goodness. But how do I find him? What do I do? Do I rescue him? Do I just take the other guy out? Who is this guy? Why is he buying people in the first place?”
“You know, this isn’t a movie, even if we do have random gods and others watching us on occasion,” Python said with a chuckle. “You can’t just fast forward to the end, and we’re not just going to hand you a folder of information so you can be the hero and go in to save the day.”
“That’s what Storm did with Pax,” Devon said. “I’m not asking for that, but maybe a bit of guidance would be helpful here. I understand Storm and Pax’s meeting was nudged by those on high.” He pointed at the ceiling. “I’m not expecting that out of this, but an address would be helpful.”
“I guess none of us will know until you find your BlueKnight64. We just know he needs saving,” Cyrus said, but then he paused, and Devon knew he wasn’t going to like what he was going to be told.
“It has been suggested that you go and check out the guy holding BK first. Try and get close to him. See what his motives are.”
“Er…excuse me? That doesn’t sound like the sort of thing we do. We’re assassins, not undercover federal agents. If I see him, I’ll just want to kill him.”
“You’re missing the point,” Python said. “It is almost certain this person has a body count and not in the sexy way. It’s hoped that if you trail the man responsible, he’ll lead you to your online warrior, and hopefully we can find out where the other bodies are.”
“You’re right, I am missing the point. You’ve already said my friend’s days are numbered.
Why don’t you let me know where he is? I’ll go in and rescue him and get him somewhere safe, and then, if you can’t spare anyone else, I’ll go back and take out the asshole for free.
But BlueKnight64’s safety has to come first, surely? ”
“If you take your BK, then asshole – commonly known as Michael Wheeler at the moment - will just buy, steal, or kidnap someone else. In other words, cause harm and danger to someone else. If we can stop him from doing that, then that’s a bonus.
There doesn’t need to be any more victims in this situation. ”