Confronting the Abyss, Part 4

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Part 4

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Rhythmic breathing and tired legs came hand in hand as Doyle continued his running. He had to make the next telephone kiosk before the time was up. It was absolutely vital that he be there to take the eerily machine-generated voice. As Doyle ran, he thought about his ability to compete in running at the Olympics or the Commonwealth games then decided that running for George Cowley was enough for one lifetime.

Soon after the next phone message, Doyle met the crude, Ferris, a man so unlikable that he wondered why people hadn’t immediately put a knife in his paunchy gut. After he heard Ferris’ proposition and then met Twig, he no longer wondered because he decided Twig was such an obnoxious thug that a person trying to decide which one to eliminate first, probably couldn’t do so without inflicting both scum with the effects of a .357 magnum.

Doyle and his partner were working together on this effort to bring down a ring of assassins who murdered supposed nobodies. They were working together and yet they weren’t. Doyle was trying to infiltrate the assassin’s circle while Bodie had already done so and was working with a blond named Williams.

Cowley figured that two inside men, working for CI5, was better than one, but it soon became readily apparent that Doyle’s cover had been blown, probably by the boss of the assassins. Staring down Williams’ gun, Doyle realized that he might seriously end up dead in the next several seconds if Bodie didn’t react.

Doyle felt the adrenalin being pumped into his body as he stood in a forested area with his heart racing as he stared at the unknown man, and it was quite obvious that Williams was ready to shoot. For the first time in the long history of their partnership, Doyle was no longer sure about Bodie’s actions. Finally, Bodie did react, but the rage in Doyle’s slender frame overwhelmed him even as he found out that Williams was an MI6 operative working undercover just as he and Bodie were.

As Bodie and Doyle took Williams into “custody” to meet Cowley and hear his explanation of how MI6 was involved, Doyle sat in the back of Bodie’s car pondering what had just happened. His lack of trust in Bodie badly shook the older agent as he realized that perhaps his relationship with Bodie was no longer as solid as it once had been. How could he tell Bodie that he had really thought, for a second, that Bodie might actually allow his partner to be shot to keep his cover intact?

Williams was now being interrogated by Cowley so the two agents were free for a few moments, but the tension between the two of them was so thick that neither said anything. The problem was that Doyle didn’t think that Bodie really understood why Doyle was so upset. In Bodie’s own mind, it was only reasonable to wait to the last second to react to the threat to Doyle, and this is what he tried to explain to his neurotic, paranoid partner, but to Doyle, it had been hideously dangerous to allow the scene to have gone so far. Another second and Doyle would have been dead. What would Bodie have said then - - “Ta, I didn’t think that he had that fast of reflexes.” They could have put that on Doyle’s grave stone.

Doyle went home, free to leave because he was no longer undercover, but he soon returned to the chase as the traitor was identified. The need to chase Dawson, Deputy Head of MI6 and long time traitor, was adventurous as well as dramatic. As Bodie and Doyle returned to CI5 headquarters slightly the worse for wear from having their rubber boat stranded by a lucky shot and their clothes wet with spray, Doyle once again contemplated the choices that were made by both himself and his partner.

Doyle had had to reach across the rapidly racing rubber raft to hang onto Bodie as he nearly fell out of the raft into the Thames. What if I hadn’t reached across, would Bodie have been hurt or died? In previous years, before the arrival of Jase and all the events that had taken place, Doyle would never have needed to even contemplate that question. He would have acted instinctively and never thought about it again, but this case had had two remarkable incidents, which showed how far the partners had strayed from their legendary trust: Bodie had let Williams get dangerously close to killing Doyle and Doyle had to reach his hand across at precisely the right second to save his partner who was barely staying in the raft.

What had had happened to the partners’ natural instincts?

Doyle went to his flat, completely exhausted. He had a headache that would not leave. He knew it was from tension, but it wasn’t just the tension of the recently completed case, it was the tension that had manifested itself between Ray Doyle and William Bodie. It was much like the tension that the two men had worked under in their first days of being partners, only this time it was for a different reason, but what really was that reason?

Over the next few days, Bodie said very little about what had occurred. Instinctively, Doyle knew that Bodie was uneasy about what had occurred and had obliquely apologized for letting Doyle get into Williams’ sight when he had said that he hoped the Golli hadn’t pissed his tight jeans when he looked down William’s gun barrel.

Doyle had said nothing, but the phrase had grated against Doyle’s sorely wounded feelings and so, once again, as he lay on his settee thinking about the day’s events, he began to question what had happened to the once close partnership. Was that closeness gone or just damaged by the advent of Jase into Bodie’s life or what?

When Ann Holly had made her nine days’ appearance, she had upset the equilibrium for a time, but she was out of Doyle’s life so quickly that Doyle felt that the partnership had made a good recovery. Maybe the redeemed relationship was more because of Bodie’s attitude, the comfort that he offered even though Doyle had been even more snarky and moody than usual.

Maybe that was the problem OR really maybe Doyle was the problem. He had come to expect and take Bodie’s loyalty for granted. Doyle’s need for a constant friendship with Bodie opened Doyle’s previously wilfully blind eyes to how selfish he had been with Bodie’s friendship. Maybe, Bodie had got tired of always being taken for granted, and when Jase re-entered his life, Bodie decided to act upon his feelings. After all Jase was wealthy, doing important work, and certainly was attractive. Doyle well knew the wandering lust that Bodie had always possessed. Why should he be surprised that after five years of the selfish, short-sighted treatment that Doyle had dished out to his partner, that Bodie had called enough and decided to go on to a different life. Who could blame the man who had been to many parts of the world and done many things, if he was tired of Ray Doyle after five years?

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“Hey, mate. What’s this about a purple bathrobe that you’ve been flouncin’ in?”

The two men were back at Doyle’s regular flat after the completion of an undercover op that offered a wide cast of characters, including: a beautiful and sophisticated prostitute, some horses, a killer who had gunned down an opponent of his country’s government, a supposed “shot” Bodie, and a great deal more. Top that off with the daughter of a woman’s rights activist staging a spectacular march that permitted CI5 to take one of the scums of the Earth off the streets of London, and the two men had every right to be knackered. Instead, Bodie was up and running to hear about the purple robe.

Green orbs looked at his partner like he was a moron. For a moment, Bodie could see that Doyle was contemplating playing dumb about the whole thing then he sighed, and replied, “It was just something I wore to look the part of a wealthy man about town so it didn’t look strange for Anna to come to the door.”

Bodie smirked rather audaciously as he blurted out, “I think everyone of your neighbours, Doyle would know what SHE was doing there; they would just think it was a bit strange, is all.”

Doyle sat up very straight, acting very wary and offended as well. “What you mean by that, you dumb crud?”

“Well, quite frankly, what would a beautiful, sophisticated, and knowledgeable female such as Anna want with a mangy, skinny runt like you? Of course, she hadn’t seen me yet, so that could explain it; you know - - puttin’ up with the leavings until the pièce de résistance, namely me, showed up to give her a good time.”

Doyle snorted and began choking on his lager which his partner had got for him as if the ex-merc was used to making the Doyle’s flat his own. Since some of the liquor went down the wrong pipe, Doyle began coughing and continued trying to gasp for his breath, until Bodie went over and thumped his partner on the back several times.

That stopped the coughing, but caused the red faced golli to come up swinging with his dismay over Bodie’s treatment, “You moron, what’d you hit me so hard for, bet you broke at least three ribs. I’ll be maimed for weeks. If I have to go on sick leave, you’ll pay for all me pain and me food while I’m sufferin’ on me bed of misery.”

Now it was Bodie’s turn to snort. His golli had always been a minor hypochondriac when it was something small, but when he had got shot in the heart and was laid up for months, he withdrew and treated everyone with cold distain. Bodie ignored his partner’s miserable personality during all those weeks, because he knew how fearful Doyle was about ever being able to return to the A Squad. Bodie thought he knew his partner very well, and to him, it was obvious that Doyle feared his days of street duty were over and then who would guard Bodie’s back?

That thought was like a cold slap in the face with a wet flannel. Doyle had endured untold hours of pain, physical therapy, and meetings with Kate Ross, just to get back on the squad and be Bodie’s partner, and now . . . now it was Bodie walking away to a new life, not because of a career ending wound, but so he could join Jase in making individuals more safe, and, of course, for the money. Bodie sighed as these thoughts passed through his mind. He didn’t know why, but they made him feel vaguely guilty, which was ridiculous, since he had nothing to feel guilty about. Doyle would do the same thing, if he had the chance.

Allowing Doyle to regain his breath and his equilibrium, Bodie walked out to the kitchen to get some digestive biscuits and some fresh juice that Bodie knew Doyle always kept in his frig. As he handed one biscuit and the juice to his partner, he studied the beautiful face very carefully. It was still slightly red, and somehow the recent coughing fit seemed to emphasize the implant that had been put in the broken right cheek. Bodie continued to watch the animated face as Doyle took a delicate bite of the biscuit and a sip of the juice. Then, as though perturbed by Bodie’s constant observation, Doyle looked up and asked, “You see something you don’t like?”

Bodie shook his head vigorously and stated affirmatively, “No, mate, you fit me fine, but I’ve never seen you wear a purple robe before, so tell me about it.”

“And just how did you know about me wearing a purple robe?

Bodie smiled one of his most wicked smiles. One of the ones that had broken many a female heart, “Anna, of course, she was enamoured with my amazin’ physique and sparkling personality so I talked to her and definitely gave her the time of my day.”

Doyle stared into the blue eyes, not believing a thing. Never at a loss for words, the clever tongued 4.5, muttered, “More like you were like a physic to her and she had to run to the loo every five minutes.”

Bodie put on his little boy pout and looked like he was terribly hurt, going so far as to stick out his lower lip. His whole appearance never failed to make Ray feel sorry for what he said.

Doyle sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. He had not told Bodie how badly shaken he had been when he thought for a moment while in that warehouse that Bodie was dead, either from the villain trying to run Bodie over or that Doyle had killed him with a live bullet that he had thought was blank. Even though he had been wrapped in his bomber jacket, his slim body shuddered in horror, until he got to his partner who was lying in a prone position on the warehouse floor.

“There’s not that much to tell, you licentious monster. It was purple, made of silk, and came down to my ankles. All in all, it was quite luxurious; after all I’m not used to such luxury since I’ve had to settle for the dregs of humanity in order to have such a partner.”

“Hmmmmm, I would have loved to have seen it; I’ll buy you one just like it for Christmas.” At that thought, Bodie realized that he would not be with CI5 by the time the Christmas season arrived. Slightly embarrassed, Bodie quickly hopped onto another subject. “You were sure one lucky sod to be able to get so close to our dear, blond Anna. You don’t think Cowley was kind of sweet on her, do you?

Doyle went along with Bodie’s change in topic because his pounding heart couldn’t take the pain when reminded that Bodie wouldn’t be with Doyle at Christmas time. “Nah, I doubt it. After all that is just not the done thing, surely.”

Doyle had said the last phrase in a very haughty and high brow tone of voice which got the result he wanted: Bodie laughed.

“Too bad you had to return the robe to wardrobe so that I couldn’t see it.”

Doyle stared for a moment debating what to say. Finally, he whispered, “I didn’t return it; I told them it was slightly damaged, and they let me buy it for a good price.”

Bodie’s eyebrows shot up as the image of a naked Doyle prancing around in his flat with only the purple silk robe to cover his assets. Bodie’s mouth began to drool at the thought. Sitting silently for a few minutes, Bodie began sending silent thoughts to Doyle, hoping that the skinny man would read them.

Finally, when that didn’t seem to be working, Bodie tried a more direct approach, “Ta mate, I really need to use your loo, you suppose you could get the purple robe out while I’m in there and then show it to me?”

Doyle nodded his approval of the plan and Bodie made a B-line, directly to the loo. When he left it feeling ready to take on anything, however, he was not prepared for what was lying on the bed. There was Ray Doyle, clothed only in the purple robe, spread out across the snow white sheet with the duvet thrown back so that Doyle was completely on display.

Bodie’s mouth dropped open, while a bit of drool gently oozed down his lip. For about three seconds, Bodie ogled this vision of his seducer, but quickly Bodie’s eyes travelled further down to notice that the lower part of the robe was not completely closed. Bodie could clearly Ray’s weeping, red cock displayed in all its glory.

Bodie felt like he wanted to leap on the bed and have his wicked way with the gorgeous siren who paraded himself in front of him, but he also knew that that action might seriously undermine his resolve for leaving CI5 in the near future, so Bodie hesitated . . . for about five seconds then he began to strip.

Grabbing the slender man, Bodie quickly began caressing the furry chest with his lips. How he loved the smell of Doyle’s body: when he was aroused, when he was sweaty, in fact any moment that he was around the most annoying, argumentative, lovable golli in the world. The past few years, sharing his partner’s bed off and on had been some of the greatest moments of his life. He had often regretted the pact that they had made that it would be sex only and no commitment, but he had never done anything to change the rules.

Bodie lay there holding the slender man in a tight embrace, working his lips over Doyle’s most erotic tender points. Bodie had made it a point to discover each and everyone in the three plus years that they had been having sex. Doyle was a great lover, but that was what Bodie was trying to avoid. He hadn’t had many lovers, even though his body had known many men and women in his thirty-three years. The trouble was that every time he had trusted someone or committed himself to someone, they had turned against him, or had been lost. No, not committing was the safest thing to do because quite frankly, he would not have been able to bear the idea of losing Doyle through death, or somehow betraying his trust. It was better that he walk away, rather than Doyle and he making a commitment that ended badly.

Bodie continued to lay next to Doyle, breathing in the Doyle essence, trying to store it in his olfactory system so that he could bring it forth with just a memory for the years to come - - years that would be filled with being alone. He had sometimes, while in Africa and other places “settled” for a body that would scratch the itch of need, but Bodie knew that leaving Doyle behind would mean leaving a great deal more of himself than just simple sex. Every time he saw purple in the future, it would remind him of these moments with Doyle and his gorgeous body wrapped in the purple silk robe.

As dawn came peeking through the badly closed drape, Bodie struggled quietly to leave his partner’s side, but the warm body turned so that he was totally entwined with Bodie’s body. Bodie sighed, this might be the last time that he would ever have this bliss, better make the most of it.

End of Part 4

Part Five