Cleansing

Chapter One

****
Doug glanced at the clock on the wall, wondering why anyone would be knocking on his door at one in the morning. Groggily, he got to his feet, switched on the closest lamp, and yawned as he shuffled to the door. Another few raps sounded, making him say slightly irritated, “I’m comin’. Just….shut up,” he added, muttering under his breath. He was prepared to reprimand whoever it was when he reached for the doorknob, but shut his mouth after opening the entrance to find his partner, head down and looking utterly miserable.

“Tommy?” he asked quietly. “You alright, man? It’s one o’clock.”
Tom inhaled deeply and lifted his chin to stare at the older cop directly. His rich eyes appeared glassy, though not red or swollen as if he had been crying. A darkened shade tinted his lower eyelids, testifying to his lack of sleep. “Can I talk to you?”
“Yeah, sure. Come in.”

Penhall stepped to the side to allow Hanson to enter. He shut the door and led the way to the nearest couch.

“Have a seat,” he said before adding, “Can I get you anything?”
Hanson shook his head. “No thanks.”
Plopping down beside his friend, Penhall inquired, “So, what’s on your mind, buddy?”
“I can’t....Have you ever shot anyone, Doug?”
“Well, um….Yeah. I had to. A lot of cops have.”
“Ever killed anyone?”
“Hey, come on, Tommy. That kid-”
“Have you?” Tom interrupted firmly.
Doug shook his head after a pause. “No, I haven’t.”
Hanson put his hand over his mouth and started to run his forefinger over his lips as he usually did when thinking intently about something.
“It’s still bothering you?” Doug questioned after a brief moment. “You’ve shot someone before-”
“But he didn’t die, Doug,” the younger cop cut in. “I didn’t kill him.”
“It’s not like you meant to. You had to fire at the kid. He raised his gun and shot you, and you had to fire back. He would’ve killed those students; I don’t doubt it.”
“He wasn’t a bad guy. He wasn’t….Just brainwashed and pressured into it by his druggie, gang friends. Sixteen years old, and I killed him.”

Tom rubbed his face and exhaled a shaky breath, his stomach clenching as images of the incident filtered through his mind. The bullet from Tanner had struck his upper arm, and the two he had fired at the boy hit Tanner’s chest. His hand went to the acquired wound, and he brushed over it with his fingertips.

“Tom, you couldn’t have done anything else,” Doug said gently. “You have to move on.” Hearing no response from the other man, he smiled kindly and held out his arms. “Hey, come here. Give me a hug.”

Tom’s lips quirked upward a little as he put his arms around his partner’s neck. His back was massaged lightly and patted in a comforting gesture.

“You’re a good cop, Hanson. Things like this happen, but you can’t let it take you out of the game, you know?”
“Yeah, I know,” Tom answered softly. “Hey, um-” He pulled away and asked, “Can I stay here for the night?”
“Yeah; of course. You look really tense. You should go take a shower or something, get you relaxed.”
“That does sound nice. A bath sounds better.”
“Whatever you want. I’ll get you some towels.”
“Thanks.”

They each stood up and as Doug went to the closet, Tom headed up the stairs to the tub. He turned on the water, using mostly warm and hot, and started taking off his clothes. Waiting for the tub to fill up, he sat on the edge of it wearing only his boxers. Doug came to him shortly with two towels and two washcloths. He set the towels on top of the lid of the toilet seat and draped the other linens over the side of the bathtub.

“Thanks,” Hanson said with an appreciative smile.
“No problem. You’ll need this too.” He tossed a new bar of soap at Hanson before heading to the stairs. “Just yell if you need anything.”
“Will do.”

Tom watched his partner cross the main area below to the couch and flip on the television. It did not appear that Penhall was actually watching it; he stretched out on the sofa and from what Tom could see, his eyes were closed as if he were rapidly dozing off. Tom smiled and returned his attention back to the flowing water. It took a couple of more minutes before he was satisfied with the water level, which was only a small number of inches away from the rim, and he removed the last article of clothing he was wearing and eased himself down into the water. A sharp gasp escaped his open mouth due to its extremely warm temperature, but as he continued to lower himself into it, he started to feel his muscles loosen in relaxation. He tipped his head back under the surface for a second to wet his hair, ran his fingers through it once, and leaned back against the tub in order to stretch out. His arms rested on the sides, hands dangling over the edge, and his head laid against the curved end.

With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes; it was not long before he fell into a light sleep.

****
“Hey, Tommy. Wake up.”

Hanson bolted upright, splashing water all over the floor from the sudden movement.

“Whoa, it’s okay,” Doug said gently. “Just me.”
Hanson gazed up at the older male, who was sitting on the edge. “Sorry,” he murmured as his anxiety subsided. “Was I asleep for very long?”
“Only a few minutes or so. You okay?”
Tom nodded and swallowed to relieve his slightly tightened throat. “Yeah, I’m fine. Bad dream, I guess.”
“I guess. Look, I brought you a shirt to sleep in; I figured it’d be a bit more comfortable.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure thing. And take your time. No rush. I’ll just go get the couch ready for ya.”

Tom got out of the bath five minutes after Penhall had left him alone, feeling much more at ease than when he had arrived at his partner’s front door. He dried himself off, slipped his boxers on, and put on Doug’s shirt. It was rather big, but comfortable, and he smirked at the image printed on it. He grabbed his clothes and as he descended to the main floor, he said amusedly, “Ziggy Stardust?”

Penhall turned to look at him and shrugged. “What’s wrong with him? The guy rocks.”
“He does; I just didn’t expect you to have a shirt with his face on it.” He placed his garments on the couch opposite from the one that was to be his bed for the night. “Thanks again for lettin’ me crash here.”
“Ah, no need for a ‘thank you.’ You know I’m here for ya, man.”

The two men were standing behind the sofa, beginning to nonchalantly look around the area as an unusual, awkward silence settled between them. Hanson rubbed the back of his neck and ruffled his wet hair; Penhall, meanwhile, had his arms slack at his sides, tapping various rhythms on his legs. A strange urge was eating away at him – it had been ever since Tom had walked into his apartment – and it was something that had only crossed his mind on rare occasions.

Apparently, this was one of those occasions. He attributed it to the vulnerable, recently purified-by-water state Tom was in; plus, he had never seen his partner with so few clothes on before.

“Well, um,” Tom muttered after a period. “Good night.”
“Yeah,” Doug answered distantly. “Good night.”

Tom did not have a chance to move before Doug pulled him close and kissed him heatedly. It took the younger cop a couple of seconds to comprehend what was happening. He was utterly shocked by the action, though more surprised at how good Doug’s lips felt on his. It was brief, however, and Doug was the first to break the contact. They stared at one another coyly; Penhall appeared to be more embarrassed than anything.

“I, uh….” he fumbled verbally. “I’m not quite sure what that was.”
Tom exhaled a quick breath and nodded sharply. “It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry. I just….You’re all depressed, and I guess I just thought it’d be a comforting thing, you know? I-”

He was hushed by Tom’s mouth abruptly devouring his more vehemently than before. The younger man’s arms went about Penhall’s neck, one hand wandering through his hair. Sensing that he had permission, Penhall rested his palms flat against Tom’s back and started to wander up and down the slim male’s frame. Without realizing it, his right hand went to his partner’s hip and slipped beneath the baggy t-shirt to rove over the smooth skin. Hanson emitted a noise of enjoyment, merely prompting Doug to be bolder. The older man inched his palm along his partner’s side until his thumb brushed over Tom’s nipple. The digits tangled in Doug’s hair gripped harder, making Doug rub his thumb harder on the sensitive spot in a circular motion. A tremor went through Hanson’s body, and he gave a small whimper that sent Penhall over the edge to arousal. He could not take it much longer; they were either going to end up on the couch or upstairs – he did not particularly care which it was.

While sliding his hand downward to grope Tom’s cock through his boxers – which made the younger cop groan in tremendous pleasure – Doug breathed, “Bed? Wanna go?” He felt a bit ridiculous at being reduced to huffed fragments of only a couple of words, but the hot sensations of ecstasy coursing through him swallowed up any sort of coherent thought.
“Yes,” Tom forced out. “Ohhn….Yes. Now.”

Reluctantly, they broke apart and traveled rather hurriedly up the stairs to Doug’s bed. Doug turned down the covers, and Hanson crawled onto the piece of furniture to sit in the middle. Penhall was right in front of him in seconds, head reeling as Hanson wrapped slender legs around his waist and kissed him hungrily. The longer they continued, the quicker the amount of control they had over the situation dissipated; there would be no stopping or turning back once they undressed each other, Doug knew. The possibility of upsetting his relationship with Tom did not enter his mind, nor did the thought of being uneasy around each other at work.

Besides, Tom showed no signs of quitting any time soon. He was entirely wrapped up in the moment as well.

Hanson lifted his arms, waiting as Doug hurriedly grasped the bottom of the large shirt; the garment was pulled over his head in a matter of seconds, and he kissed his partner ardently as it was tossed to the floor. A few seconds past before he broke away in order to remove Doug’s shirt and throw it aside. Tom cupped the older male’s face in his hands; Penhall wound his arms around the smaller man’s torso; and without parting from one another’s mouths, Penhall eased Tom to lie on his back. Slender legs were parted for Doug to settle himself between, and he gently lifted one to place delicate kisses on it from ankle to knee. Tom’s eyes closed briefly, and he sighed contently. Doug rubbed his face against the side of his partner’s bended knee for a moment before his lips continued upward to make contact with the inside of the other man’s thigh.

“Doug,” Hanson whispered, his fingers flexing on the bed sheets.

Penhall heard the wanting in Hanson’s voice – a somewhat pleading tone – and he rested the younger male’s leg down. Immediately, he gripped the top of Hanson’s boxers and pulled them off of the slim hips, to Tom’s knees, and then discarded them completely. The sight of his best friend lying naked, and very evidently aroused, under him was surprisingly and utterly breathtaking. Tom was observing Doug’s countenance carefully and blushed a little from the way Doug silently inspected him up and down, not missing a detail. There was a period where nothing was said and neither of them moved. When Penhall found that his limbs could function again after having been struck motionless from the exquisite sight beneath him, he trailed his fingertip over the bullet wound on Tom’s left arm.

“Does it hurt anymore?” he asked quietly, looking at Hanson thoughtfully.
“No. Not much. More of a dull, throbbing ache half of the time.” Hanson turned his head away from the other man and exhaled a deep breath. “It shouldn’t have happened like that,” he said dejectedly.
“Tommy, buddy,” Doug offered softly and stroked Tom’s cheek. “You can’t keep beating yourself up over it. He’s dead. You did what you had to. There wasn’t any other way it could’ve happened.”
“The way his friend looked at me….I’ll never forget it. So much anger and hurt. He kept yelling at me, screaming at me: ‘How could you do this? You killed him. You’re a murderer. You’ll pay for this. We’ll get you.’ It plays over and over again in my head.”
“You’re not a murderer. You’re a cop; you did your job. Don’t let this affect what you do because you’re good at what you do.”

He made Tom gaze up at him before leaning down to kiss him tenderly. Tom relaxed from the touch, the arousing sensations starting to flow through him once more. With little time, Penhall took off his boxers and moved to the side of the bed to search through one of the drawers of the nightstand. Tom watched him, lust present in his brown eyes, and he could not stop himself from becoming infatuated with Doug’s muscular body. He longed for that body to be all over his, yearning to caress it. As if knowing this, Penhall returned to hover above him with a plastic package and a small plastic bottle in his hands.

Doug ripped open the packet, though paused before removing the condom. “Have you done this before?”
Hanson swallowed and shook his head slightly. “No. Almost once, kind of. You?”
“No. I think I know how to, though.”
Hanson smiled amusedly. “I think I know how it goes too.”

Doug smirked and took out the protection. He put it on himself and doused it with lube before shifting to be directly above his partner. Hanson raised his legs and wrapped them around Doug’s torso. He was trembling from intense nervousness and anticipation; his gaze locked with Doug’s, and the softness present in his partner’s eyes melted much of the apprehension he had.

Slowly, Penhall began to push himself into the slim body, eliciting a quivering groan from Hanson. He paused when he felt the muscles tense and stared at the younger man’s visage to judge how it felt. Tom’s eyes were shut tightly; his teeth were clenched together; his cheeks were flushed and he appeared tense. He expelled a gasp and arched upward as Doug slid into him more. It was painful; he could not deny it. Tears were forming behind his closed eyelids and started to fall from the corners of them.

“Stop,” he huffed desperately. “Wait. Stop.”
Penhall instantly ceased his movement. “Is it too much? Am I hurting you?” he questioned worriedly.
Tom was unable to answer for a moment as he tried to regain his breath. “Just….Give me a minute. I’ll be okay.”

In an attempt to help Tom become more comfortable, Penhall put his hand on the man’s stomach and let it wander about Tom’s torso. His lips attached themselves to Tom’s neck to nip and suck greedily on the lightly perspiring skin. Hanson emitted a number of quiet, breathy whimpers as his throat was consumed by the other cop’s warm mouth. The action worked in relaxing him, and without parting from the ever-growing darkening spot being formed by his mouth on the smooth neck, Doug commenced inching himself further into Hanson’s body. Hanson’s heels dug into Doug’s back, and his fingers did the same as they gripped the older male’s shoulder and arm.

“You alright?” Penhall asked, sounding winded.
Tom gave a stiff nod. “Keep going. Slow. Oh god….Slower.”

After several more minutes, Penhall had successfully penetrated Tom completely. He rocked his hips forward, arousing a sharp inhale of breath from his partner, and then gently backward. The first couple of thrusts he did were small and careful, allowing Hanson a chance to get used to the foreign feeling of someone inside of him. The moment he saw the stress fade from Hanson’s expression after awhile as the pain melted away, he withdrew from the slim being and drove himself into Tom once again with more power and more quickly. Tom cried out and shook uncontrollably. The next movement of Penhall’s struck a spot deep within him that made his eyes roll back, and a loud, quaking moan of pleasure escaped from his open mouth. The reaction caused Doug to groan in return. As he settled on a leisurely pace of moving in and out of Hanson’s body, he leant down to kiss all along the man’s collarbone, to his neck, and upward until he reached Hanson’s mouth. He kissed him erotically, letting his tongue slip into the warm oral cavity, muffling their sounds of ecstasy that came from them. Tom threw his arm across the back of Penhall’s shoulders, and his free hand stroked his partner’s face and hair. He had lost almost entire control over himself. The trembling vocals that sounded from him were filled with immense bliss and often pleaded for more; they had Doug hurrying his pace in order to make him moan louder.

“That feel good?” Doug panted and licked Tom’s cheek.
“Yes,” Tom forced out. “Oh god….Yes….Doug….Ohhh….More.”

A yelp sounded from him when he felt strong fingers clasp around his erection. They began to rub him up and down, matching the pace of Doug’s now fast propulsions. He writhed about under the larger man as if trying to escape, but in all actuality, he was attempting to move about in order to have as much contact with Penhall’s body as possible.

After a time, he shouted Doug’s name as he ejaculated onto his stomach and Penhall’s hand. It was enough to stimulate Doug to complete orgasm, and he spilled himself inside of Hanson, though his seed was contained within the condom he wore.

Heavy breathing could be heard in the otherwise quiet area as they recovered from the exertion. Doug pulled out, removed the condom and set it on the floor, and rested down beside the younger man. They were each shaking and sweating and hesitant to break the silence. The realization of what they had done was beginning to at last slowly sink in, and Tom covered his face as if ashamed before finally speaking.

“Doug?”
“Yeah?”
“What did we do? How could we have let this happen?” His tone revealed that he was somewhat frightened by it all.
“Tommy….It’s alright. It’s not that big of a deal,” Doug lied. He merely wished to calm and not offend his partner. It did not work.
Tom bolted upright and stared at him wildly. “Not a big deal?!” he exclaimed, a hint of anger in his voice. Penhall sat up as he continued on. “We….did it! You and I! We’re co-workers, partners, friends, men! What were we thinking?!” He bowed his head and rubbed his closed eyes with his index finger and thumb. “Shit,” he whispered in disbelief. “Christ, what are we doing?”
“I’m not asking you for a relationship or anything, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Doug stated blandly. “I won’t tell anyone. One-night thing. We can just forget about it.”
Tom smirked and looked at him. “You really believe that? I should’ve stopped before it got to this.”
“I was only trying to make you feel better-”
“Comfort me? Sure, Doug,” he interjected sarcastically. “You could’ve done that with a beer and a game of cards. You just wanted an easy fuck.”

He got up from the bed and slid on his boxers. Doug stood as well and did the same, gazing at the shorter man angrily.

“That’s bull shit, Tom,” he said forcefully. “If you really had wanted it to end, you would’ve said something a long time ago. So obviously, you wanted to be fucked!”
“I’m going to sleep on the couch,” Hanson mumbled as he made his way to the stairs.
“Great! Just great! I won’t care whether you’re here or not!”

Hanson reached the main floor in seconds and plopped himself down on the sofa. He winced from the soreness of his backside, and it took him awhile to find a good position before he was able to focus on sleep. He heard movement from above as Doug settled himself and sighed tiredly. It was all too much; everything was too much. His emotions were running rampant along with his thoughts, and he no longer knew what to make of what had transpired.

It was an hour before he quieted his thoughts and let his exhausted self fall asleep.

****
Clanging of dishes stirred Tom awake a few hours later. He opened his eyes to find himself lying on his stomach, left arm dangling off the couch and the other tucked beneath the pillow his head was on. The sunlight could be seen behind the blinds, making him groan in frustration. It was not a good or long sleep he had had; his body and mind were still utterly drained. Despite his urge to simply roll over and forget the morning, he sat up and glanced at the kitchen area. Doug was standing out the counter, pouring milk into a bowl filled with cereal. He was already dressed in jeans and a tattered, dirty white shirt. His hair had not been bothered to be brushed, but it did not matter; it was a McQuaid day. Normally eager and excited to don the faux personalities, Tom was neither. In fact, he dreaded spending the entire day with his partner, knowing it would be painfully awkward and tense between them after what had happened.

He looked away seconds before Doug’s eyes focused on him, stood, and put on his jeans. As he was putting on his belt, the other cop treaded toward him unhurriedly. Penhall stopped at the end of the sofa and ate a spoonful of his breakfast before he ended the uncomfortable quietness.

“Thought you’d be gone already,” he stated plainly.
Hanson clothed himself with his shirt and kept his gaze fixed on anything but his partner. “Disappointed are you, Dougie?” he retorted unenthusiastically.
“Don’t really care, Tommy.”
Hanson grabbed his coat and keys, and as he marched for the door, he grumbled, “See you at the chapel in thirty minutes.”

The entrance was slammed shut before Penhall could respond. “Lovely. Looking forward to it.”

****
“Hanson, you and Penhall having any success over at Ridgemont?”
Tom tossed his pencil onto his desk, nodded, and looked up at Fuller. “Yeah. We’re set to meet him tonight at eleven for a purchase. I have to confirm it with him today, but I’m pretty sure this is the chance to bust him.”
“Good. Where’s Penhall?”
Tom was about to speak, though Doug beat him to it. “Here, Coach,” he muttered as he trudged over to them.
“You’re late. Now you two get out of here.”

Doug was already heading back to the door before Tom even had the chance to stand up from his desk. The younger cop jogged to shorten the distance between them until he was right beside him. He situated his usual Tommy McQuaid bandana on his head, tied it, and shrugged on his worn denim jacket. Both were dressed for the part of the tough brothers, yet they acted as if they did not know one another at all and had already formed feelings of despise. They clambered into Hanson’s Mustang, and as they drove toward the high school, neither said a word.

When they arrived at the campus, students found it quite unusual that Doug McQuaid was storming into the school before his brother; the two were always inseparable. It was also quite unusual when Tom entered a minute later and did not show any acknowledgment to the egotistical athlete that had quickly begun to harass him as if wanting to provoke him into a fight.

Unusual indeed that Tommy McQuaid was also walking with a slight limp that caused a twinge of minute pain to cross his face every few steps.

****
The first half of the day went by as Doug had expected it would: no interaction whatsoever between him and Tom. It was only when he sat down in the chair next to Tom at lunch that he received any sort of reaction. It was merely a look of annoyance he was given, prompting him to glare back at the younger man with distaste. He was about to speak, but was interrupted by a small, geeky-looking boy who had run to them. Neither of the cops heard what his offer was for their protection, for Tom swiftly commanded him to “buzz off.” The kid left just as fast as he had come when he caught sight of his bullies.

“You could’ve at least let him state his case,” Doug muttered under his breath.
“Then why don’t you go run after him and see what it was about,” Hanson retorted testily. “You know, I’m really surprised you’d actually sit by me. I thought you would’ve figured by now that I don’t particularly want to be around you.”
“Yeah, I could tell. Why are you being such an ass about the whole thing? It’s not like I made you do anything. Be mad at yourself if ya have to be mad at someone.”
“Why don’t you just shut the hell up and leave me alone? Alright?”
“Why don’t you just stop acting like a drama queen?”

Doug almost fell off of his chair as Hanson abruptly shoved him. He stood up furiously, and Tom was on his feet not a second later. Doug pushed the smaller man strongly. Hanson stumbled backward a few feet, yet quickly regained his balance and ran at his partner, tackled him to the ground, and began hitting him. Doug hurriedly recovered from the impact with the floor and flung Tom off of him before attacking the younger cop with his fists. There was raucous cheering and shouting from the students who had gathered around the two to watch the fight. It all ended soon, however, by several teachers swooping into the ring to pry them away from one another.

Roughly, they were hauled out of the cafeteria to go face whatever punishment the principal had for them. The spectators simply went back to their lunches, thinking nothing more of the scene than a brotherly dispute over what they believed was most likely drugs.

****
Hanson stepped out of Fuller’s office and made his way up to the lockers. The deal was to happen at eleven that night as planned at an abandoned lot. There would be full back-up for him and his partner, seeing as how the dealer preferred to do business with several of his buddies present as well. It was already nine-thirty, and having such a stressful day with Doug made him want to go home to calm down a bit and be alone before having to meet up with him again.

He reached the second level of the church, cursing under his breath at discovering Penhall rummaging around in his locker. There was a brief period of hesitancy before Hanson proceeded to his locker next to the older cop’s. Penhall did not even glance at him, nor did he say anything. Tom retrieved his long coat to take with him, slammed the metal door shut, yet did not make a move to leave. Instead, he stared down at the floor, trying to piece together what he wished to say, what he knew he should say.

“You heading out for a little while before we meet with him?” he asked, mentally berating himself for avoiding the matter that should be addressed.
“Maybe,” Doug mumbled. “You finally putting the claws away?”
“We have to talk about it sometime. Preferably in a civil manner.”
Doug smirked. “Civil. Right,” he muttered sardonically.
“Look, I….You haven’t told anyone about it, have you?”
Penhall shut his locker and turned to face the younger man. “Yes. I went around and blabbed to everyone how we slept together and how you were begging me to give you more.” Tom’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and anger; he was not amused at the lie. “What do you think?”
“I’m being serious, Doug. I don’t want anyone to know.”
“It was a mistake to you.”
“Yes, it was. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“Fair enough,” Penhall stated with a nod. “What I don’t get is how this whole thing has seemed to consume your whole mind. I’ve let it go….mostly; how come you can’t? I know you enjoyed it, so don’t try denying that. So why such a big mistake?”
“I just wanted someone, needed someone. A-A friend. To talk to. I had no intention of it ending up the way it did. I wasn’t thinking clearly because I’ve been so obsessed over this kid’s death. I….Doug….I like women. I love women. I don’t understand how I did enjoy it that much. I don’t get why I was suddenly so attracted to you.”
“I love women too. And it was a weird moment of attraction. But I get it. You were hurting; I wanted to help you. And somehow, me helping you came out as me….sleeping with you. Wasn’t the best decision, but it was a weird moment, you know?” He paused for a second before saying sincerely, “I’m sorry for taking advantage of your vulnerability, Tommy.”

Tom was motionless for a minute and stayed quiet. Penhall was about to speak once more, but Tom hurriedly brushed past him to descend to the main floor and soon left the chapel all together.

****
The television was flipped on simply for noise as Hanson gazed at the ceiling from where he lay sprawled out on the couch. He clutched a can of beer in one hand, while the other rested on the top of his head and massaged it gently. His mind was overrun with thoughts that would not shut up no matter how hard he tried to smash them apart. Some sort of better resolution between him and Doug had to be reached; he knew this, though he was not sure how to come by it. It had not even been a full day since he had laid with his partner, and yet it had bothered him immensely ever since he had woken up, making it feel as if it had been a week. He could not take much more. It was all too complicated and threatened to drive him insane.

He sighed, swallowed down a decent amount of his alcohol, and returned to staring above him. He had not entirely regretted what they had done; it was more of the fear and shock he had for feeling more than friendly feelings for the older cop now that made him on edge. It was inappropriate. It would not work if he were to confess his emotions to Penhall. It would be a disaster, ruining their relationship completely instead of hoping to fix it. He could not let the upset, tough exterior falter around Doug in order to prevent whatever consequences were to come if he were to show how he truly felt.

Having the urge to follow Doug’s advice from the previous night, he headed to his bedroom, discarded his clothing, and went into the bathroom to take a hot shower to relax.

****
Doug looked at his watch and gritted his teeth. It was mere minutes until eleven, and Tom was nowhere to be found.

“Where the hell are you, Tom?” he said irately to himself.

He glanced around the dark, open area and saw nothing, but knew that Fuller and a squad of cops were in place and ready. A figure came into view ahead of him followed by six more. This was it, and he vowed inwardly to “beat the shit” out of Tom the next time he saw him.

“Where’s your brother, McQuaid?” the seventeen year old dealer asked.
“Sick at home. Case of gonorrhea. Came out of nowhere.”
“I suppose just working with you will be fine. Got the cash?”
Doug winked smugly and nodded. “Sure thing. Even got more than that, kid.”

****
Not caring that it was late at night, eleven-thirty to be exact, Doug stormed down the hallway to his partner’s apartment door and started banging on it loudly.

“Hanson! If you’re in there, open up now!” he shouted madly. “Hanson!” He paused for a few seconds, thinking that he had heard a noise from within the apartment. It was too soft to make anything of it, however. “Fuller’s going to kill you, but he’ll have to wait in line. Right now, you’re dead to me! I can’t believe you’d pull this sort of shit! Hanson! Open the door!”

He waited a minute more before giving up and retreating to the stairs. A string of curse words were uttered in frustration once he was outside to his motorcycle from observing that Tom’s Mustang was parked near the building.

“Unbelievable. Screw everyone over and then don’t even bother answering your door to defend yourself. What the fuck is wrong with you, Tommy?”