[Fic] Kradam Big Bang -- PUSH IT (NC-17) : Part 1 of 3
PUSH IT
The stillness of the late night in the suburban neighborhood was broken by the sound of heavy boots pounding on pavement. Adam was running hard and fast through the shadows as he dodged the glow of the streetlights at each corner. Two residential blocks passed by him in less than a minute. His breathing was labored and coming in rough drags while his pulse hit full tilt. Dressed in dark colors and thigh-high boots, his intent was not to take a midnight jog. He was sprinting in terror.
Adam was running for his life. He was running for his freedom. And he had a reason.
As the son of the most accomplished Pusher on record, Adam had been targeted since his birth. He inherited his mother’s ability to push thoughts into the minds of others for manipulative purposes. Division-a government funded network of assassins, spies, and researchers-wanted Adam for experimentation that would test how strong he could become.
Adam's mother had kept him well hidden prior to her death when he was sixteen. Since then, he had tried to stick with her final plea for him to run. And he wasn’t alone. Shadows were another sect of gifted individuals, ones who could disrupt the visions of Division’s clairvoyants, and Adam tried to always have one at his side-except for tonight. He'd neglected to bring along his Shadow and now, he was at risk.
After twelve years of various captures, breakouts, and living with an array of Shadows, Adam had grown restless. He never squatted in any given municipality for longer than a year, and he had more aliases than he had fingers and toes. Division had resources scattered across the globe. They almost always found Adam before he made his next move and he’d grown accustomed to abandoning his home whenever Agents were spotted.
Tonight, Adam’s own carelessness was to blame for Division’s presence in this white collar suburb of Chicago. Going out for a walk without Matt, his roommate and Shadow, was such a stupid thing to do. Granted, he never thought he’d be found and targeted so easily in such a large city.
How had Division tracked him, this time? He didn’t know. There was no time for questions and specifics. All he could focus on was running.
Run! Adam's mind yelled at him as he made a quick turn into an alley and skidded, which kicked up a spray of pebbles. He frantically grabbed and threw down everything within reach-mostly trash bags and cans-to trip up his pursuers before he took off running again. Only a few more blocks lay between him and his cover.
Adam was so close to being safe, but he wasn’t sure if he could make it there in time. Agents were trained infiltrators and Adam was not in shape for all of this running, dodging, and making snap judgments. He had others to help him avoid this type of detection. Because of that, Adam was reduced to a scared little boy and he just wanted to make it to his newest home and the temporary safety it offered.
A chill went up Adam's spine when he heard the Agents knocking a path through the debris that he’d scattered in the alley. There were two voices, maybe three, and he knew at least one of them had a Taser. The bastard had nearly caught Adam at point-blank range while he was out for a walk underneath the waning moon. That’s how the chase had started. Adam had managed a lengthy head start after manipulating the Agent to shock himself instead.
Two blocks were left and Adam was beginning to wheeze. His chest was aching for air. His legs felt numb and his jeans were chafing his sensitive skin. Running for such a long distance gave him a new perspective on the term “tunnel vision.” He didn’t dare turn back to look for his pursuers. Those were seconds he couldn’t spare. There was a possibility that this was three against one. He would be caught and knocked out before he had the chance to push any thoughts into their minds.
As he rounded the next street, Adam felt a glimmer of hope swell when the headlights of his roommate’s black Taurus clicked on. Thankfully, Matt had heeded Adam’s frantic phone call following the attempted Taser attack. The passenger door was open and waiting for Adam when he got there.
“Go, go, go!” Adam shouted before he was even inside the vehicle. “They’re only, like, a block back.”
Matt, whose rumpled t-shirt and jeans made him look like he'd rolled out of bed just for this, immediately threw the old sedan into reverse and pulled away from the curb. Adam wobbled and nearly fell out of the car as he frantically reached for the door. His fingers caught on the inside handle and he yanked it closed. Matt shifted gears and the car lurched forward.
Breathless, Adam collapsed back against the seat and wheezed for air as the car sped away from the three Agents who appeared in the rear view mirror. Adam looked over his shoulder to see two of the Agents pursuing the car on foot. He laughed and turned forward, closing his eyes as he sighed in relief.
There was no way the Agents could catch them, now. Or so he thought.
“Shit,” Matt said under his breath. “The pricks have guns.”
Adam’s eyes snapped open. “You’re supposed to be able to hide us,” he said earnestly as he glanced out the rear window.
“Not when they can see us firsthand, sweetheart,” Matt said in agitation, though Adam could see the inherent fear in his eyes. “You know I ain’t Houdini.”
Adam watched as the muzzles flashed in the night. Multiple bullets hit the rear and sides of the car. Adam flinched and ducked after every thunk as the rounds tore into the Taurus. Each hit was a frightening and damning sound, but Adam knew they weren’t aiming for him. They wanted him alive. He wasn’t so sure about Matt. Adam’s Shadows were typically treated as fodder and Matt was just one of many that had passed through his life.
When the first tire went out, Adam yelped as the car jerked. Matt muscled his way through the swerve before punching the gas.
“We’re fucked, aren’t we?” Adam asked as he slid down in his seat.
“Like a ten-dollar whore,” Matt replied through a clenched jaw. The car rocked when another tire gave out. “We’re gonna have to bail, man.”
Adam looked up to Matt in alarm, but Matt kept his cool. “Seat belts,” he said as the car shook under his firm grip and sparks flew from the rims of the flat tires. Adam frantically grabbed for his belt and snapped it on as Matt did the same.
With no more warning, Matt made a purposeful hard turn, screeched around a corner, and plowed straight into the broadside of a fancy Mercedes that was parked on the street. The action caused an obnoxious amount of noise and destruction. Metal crumpled, glass smashed, and Adam’s body snapped forward as they hit. Adam's entire world was then ringing and there was an inexplicable fog in his eyes. His body's adrenaline kept the ache of the whiplash and seat belt bruising at bay.
Refocusing his dizzy head, Adam blinked and looked through the cracked windshield. Car alarms blared as porch lights flicked on. People were going to notice them soon.
“Let’s go, dude,” Matt said with strain in his voice.
Knowing that the Agents were still giving chase, Adam scrambled out of the vehicle and hit the ground ready to run. He paused to gaze in awe at the snarled crash as Matt rounded the rear end of the demolished Taurus. Matt grabbed the chest of Adam’s leather jacket to yank him down into the shadow of a large SUV, which was parked behind the Mercedes.
“But they probably saw us-” Adam started to protest; the last thing he wanted to do was hunker down.
“Shhh,” Matt hissed. “They’re not going to stick around when there’s witnesses and the cops are coming,” he explained in a low, breathy tone. Concern furrowed his brow. “Are you hurt?”
Adam checked himself over. “No, but I’m definitely going to be feeling it tomorrow, you crazy fucker.”
Matt rolled his eyes and took the lead. “Keep low, keep moving and don’t let go.”
Adam did as he was told.
❖ ❖ ❖
Rookie, probie, fresh meat, kid, baby face-all were nicknames that Kris heard as he walked into the offices of Division’s new branch in Chicago. This was his first day as a full-fledged Agent and the ribbing was expected. Kris just smiled in the face of it all. He was too giddy and grateful to sweat the small stuff.
Kris had made it through the training program in Atlanta by the skin of his teeth. His parents didn’t reveal their own gifts, which he shared, until he was nearly twenty-one. He'd been green as a flower bud when he started at the Academy. Four long, grueling years had passed before he received the Agent title. Now, he could control his abilities. He was also strong enough in mind, body, and soul to handle the job.
Being assigned to the Chicago office was a big move for Kris, but he knew that he was expected to go where he was needed and do so without question. He'd never been so far North in the States. Everything was new to him and to be honest, he was okay with that feeling. Kris’ adulthood dream was to become a Division Agent. This was just so dang exciting.
Wearing a fitted black suit with a black tie and shined shoes, Kris sat opposite Chicago Director Simon Fuller in the his office. Kris watched as Director Fuller sifted through his Academy performance record, which was contained in the file laid open on the cherry wood desk between them. Breath bated, Kris tried to keep his nerves in check. Fuller had a steely, intimidating presence and Kris didn’t want his first impression to go awry. He wanted to avoid things like his stupid, childish fear of peeing in his pants due to nervous anticipation. That would be gross and unprofessional, and Kris perished the thought as he gently bit down on the inside of his lower lip. He restlessly worked the meat between his teeth until the Director finally spoke.
“Brooke, get me Agent Cook,” Director Fuller said into a speaker phone.
“Right away, sir,” the familiar, chipper voice of Director Fuller's assistant responded. Kris had met her while waiting for his appointment with the Director. Brooke was a smiley, young blond with perfect teeth and skin. She exuded calmness and seemed nice, which had been enough to suppress some of Kris’ anxiety. He appreciated her for that reason.
The Director’s nerve-racking gaze landed on Kris. “Agent Cook is one of our finest,” Fuller explained as he sat back in his brown leather chair and tapped his fingers on the armrests. “Like you, he’s a Mover. He’s also a new transfer from the Los Angeles office. We brought him here to work on a special case. I expect you to show him respect as your immediate superior and partner.” His fingers stopped tapping. “Can you do that, Agent Allen?”
Special case. Agent Allen. Hearing the words out loud gave Kris goose-bumps.
“Absolutely,” Kris replied coolly as he rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms over the thighs of his dress pants. “I look forward to meeting him.”
Kris didn’t have to wait long for Agent Cook to show. Hearing voices coming from outside the office, Kris glanced back over his shoulder. He could just barely make out a man on the other side of the fogged glass door. Brooke let out a gorgeous, full laugh the second before the door opened and a man popped his head inside the room. There was a hint of a smirk on his unshaven face.
“You wanted to see me?” the man asked in a gentle tone as he looked between Kris and Director Fuller.
“Yes,” Fuller replied curtly. “Agent David Cook, this is Agent Kristopher Allen. He’s your new partner.”
Kris instinctively stood to greet Agent Cook and surreptitiously smoothed out the front of his suit and tie. As he approached, Kris held out his hand for a shake. Cook, in turn, held out his fist. Kris snorted a soft chuckle before bumping their fists together.
Agent Cook’s scruffy appearance took Kris by surprise. From the untamed hair on his head and face down to the much more tasteful Birkenstock sandals on his feet, Cook's look was confusing. Abandoning the Division dress code, he wore jeans and a faded red t-shirt with sunglasses hooked on the neckline. His stance read as casual, but there was sincerity in his eyes. Kris was perplexed and had difficulty keeping the amazed look off of his face.
Cook scratched at his hairy chin as he gave Kris a curious, once-over glance. “You haven’t told him anything, have you?” Cook asked as he looked past Kris to the Director with a knowing tilt of his head.
Kris pulled his eyes away from Cook for a quick look to Fuller, who nodded slowly. “I haven’t disclosed the details of the case, David. I’m leaving that job and a tour of the offices up to you.”
Cook stared at Kris and the Director before realization overcame his thoughtful expression. “Oh, that’s my cue to get him out of here, huh?” He stepped back to put a hand on the door handle.
Fuller nodded. “I expect a briefing from you and Allen tomorrow morning on the Lambert case. I trust that you will educate Allen before then.”
“I’ll catch him up. Don’t you worry,” Cook said in his warm, slightly raspy tone. He then smiled as he opened the door. After trading curt nods of farewell with Fuller, Kris followed Cook out of the office.
“You ready to get out of that suit?” Cook asked as soon as the door was closed.
Kris gave a parting smile to Brooke as he passed her desk before he fell into step with Cook. “Yeah,” Kris replied with a short laugh. “I thought I was going to have to wear this thing twenty-four/seven.”
“Nah,” Cook said with a shake of his head. “Didn’t he tell you? We’re special.”
“He didn’t explain much,” Kris muttered as they neared the elevators at the end of the hall. “Does ‘special’ mean we don’t have to follow the dress code or something?”
Cook smiled like Kris was the most adorable piece of fluff he’d ever seen. “You’re going undercover,” he said quietly as he jabbed the elevator call button. “With me.”
“Oh,” Kris said in realization and his eyes boggled. “I never thought…” he trailed off. He momentarily lost his ability to speak. New anxiety swelled within him as he tried to grasp the thought of being an undercover rookie.
“Well,” Kris puffed out, “I guess that does makes this a ‘special case.’”
“Exactly,” Cook replied as he rested against the wall opposite the elevators. He crossed his arms over his chest and lightly thumped the back of his head on the wall. “The case is special because no one else has been able to complete ‘the mission.’” He made air quotes for emphasis.
Kris mimicked the air quotes when he replied, “So, what is ‘the mission?’”
They were interrupted by an elevator’s ding! Seconds later, the doors opened on the elevator to their right. A few colleagues walked out of the car while Cook nodded in recognition to each one.
“Well?” Kris prodded after he and Cook entered the empty elevator, which was soon headed down to the building’s parking garage.
“There’s a whole box of case files waiting for you in the backseat of my car.”
“And I have to integrate my mind with them before tomorrow morning,” Kris said in a thick Southern drawl.
Cook snorted a laugh. “That’s the idea. Are you ready for this?”
“Let’s shake down some trees and bust some heads or whatever,” Kris replied with an ambitious grin.
“Man,” Cook said with a shake of his head as the elevator slowed, “and I thought I was cheesy.”
❖ ❖ ❖
“This is seriously all one file?” Kris asked as he hefted the two inches of case notes bound in an expanding manila folder by a large rubber band, which Kris was plucking at absently. The file sat in his lap, which was still clad in a pair of pressed black slacks. They were in Cook's car and on their way to Kris’ new apartment in the city. Kris needed to change into something more casual.
Cook cracked a smile and nodded his head toward Kris’ lap. “That’s the mother-load of the case. Lambert’s the reason for the undercover work. The rest of the files are just means to get to the mark.”
Kris nodded slowly as he considered the gravity of what he was about to dig into. “How bad is he?”
“Eh,” Cook drew out with a slight frown. “It’s not so much how ‘bad’ he is,” he clarified with finger quotes on the steering wheel. “It’s that Division wants him. They want to help him. He’s a danger to everyone that gets near him and has been for a long time.”
Kris pulled the rubber band off the file and flipped open the front cover. “Adam Lambert,” he pronounced slowly as he read the heading on the first page. Kris paused to think back; something was tickling his brain. The recollection was from his studies at the Academy, but he couldn’t quite place the thought. “I think I’ve heard of him.”
“Of course, you have,” Cook interjected. “It’s an embarrassment that no one’s caught or been able to hold onto him.”
“Oh,” Kris mouthed as a wave of realization overcame him. “He’s the Pusher who’s escaped, like, five times or something from the detention facilities, right?”
Cook nodded as he eased the black Impala around a turn. “That’s the gist.” He went momentarily quiet as if he was thinking over his next words. “But there’s some stuff in there that you don’t know. It’s pretty… Well, it’s scary how much this guy can do.”
Kris rolled his eyes. “You’re acting like he’s some kind of axe murderer.”
“Well, he kind of is.”
“Huh?” Kris nearly dumped the file into the floorboard. He steadied the pile on his lap.
“Not an axe murderer,” Cook amended with a shake of his head, “but he’s killed an Agent before.”
Kris swallowed hard as that statement hit him. He didn’t pry for details-he knew he would find out soon enough from the files. He was shocked, though. As a rookie, he expected nothing but desk work and medial tasks, not chasing after a killer.
“I guess I’ll just shut up and read then,” he mumbled.
“Be my guest,” Cook said with a wave of his hand.
With keen interest, Kris began to thumb through the pages. There was account after account of Agents who had failed to capture and detain Adam Lambert. Surprisingly, the incidents were not localized. The reports had Lambert crisscrossing the nation over the past twelve or so years as he eluded Division, thanks to his Shadows.
The latest entry in Lambert’s file was from two nights prior. Division’s clairvoyants, better known as Sniffs, had picked up a trace of Adam from a used hairbrush and pinpointed his location in the Chicago suburbs. Agents had been sent to retrieve him; they weren’t successful. The only new piece of information that Division had gleaned from the encounter was the identity of Adam’s latest Shadow-Matthew Giraud, a washed-out musician from Michigan. His name was registered to the getaway car.
Kris then came across the file's pictures. His page-turning slowed and he decided that he really liked what he saw. Adam Lambert was certainly a handsome man. When Kris stopped on one particular close-up of Lambert’s profile, a lopsided smile began to twitch on his lips. From Lambert’s bright eyes to the confident look on his beautifully cut features to the perfection of his carefully managed eyeliner and inky black hair, Lambert was definitely hot.
Kris didn’t realize how long he’d been admiring the photos until Cook chuckled.
“What?” Kris asked innocently and closed the file.
Cook grinned and shook his head quickly. He was clearly happy about something. “I knew it,” Cook said like his team had just won some game that Kris didn’t even know that they were playing. “I knew he’d be your type.”
Kris’ smile fell and he scrubbed at the back of his neck. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man. I’d never want to be with a killer.”
“No. I mean, I knew you’d be attracted to him. After reading up on your psych profile and knowing his file cover-to-cover… He likes guys who are humble and a touch naive. You like guys who are caring and opinionated. He likes accents and guys who are smaller than him. You like tall guys with dark hair. I just knew you’d be a match for each other.”
“What if you hadn’t known?” Kris said quickly. He was suddenly suspicious of Division’s intentions with his placement. “What if you were wrong?”
“Well,” Cook said with a frown, “then I’d be screwed and looking for another partner.”
Kris’ expression was puzzled as he shifted in his seat to stare at Cook. “You mean I’m the bait?” he asked in surprise.
Cook nodded as he kept his eyes on the road. “You’re also a trained Agent,” he said, sounding assured that this was going to work. “You’re perfect for the job.”
Kris held his breath as he started to feel overwhelmed with information. Division had picked him to be Cook’s partner not for his talent, but for his looks. It enraged him a little, but at the same time, he had to remind himself that no one got an opportunity like this when they were fresh out of the Academy.
“Still with me?” Cook asked, which stirred Kris out of his own thoughts.
“Yeah,” Kris said. He huffed out a sigh after deciding that he could be mad about this when he wasn't on the job.
Kris directed Cook down a side street that was lined with cars. Kris sat up in his seat as they neared his building. “So, what now?”
“Oh, we have big plans,” Cook said as he parallel parked the car. Kris raised a dubious brow when Cook added, “Now, let’s go get you and your brain ready for tonight’s round of booze and boys.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Adam hadn’t known Allison for long, but from what he could gather, she was just as steadfastly anti-establishment as he was, if not more-so. She was young and she had spunk-from her shockingly red hair to the leather outfits she wore. No one would ever guess that she was only nineteen. Allison was also a Watcher. She could self-induce visions of the future, but she was more like a fortune teller than an all-knowing seer. There was always the possibility that the distant future could change and prove her vision to be false. It happened more often than most would think.
Adam and Matt had met Allison at a bar, where she worked, nearly two months prior. She was saucy, refreshing, and had a deep smoky voice of someone twice her age. Adam had loved her from the start. She had warned him that Agents were going to find him, but Adam hadn’t listened and cited that she could be wrong. A week later, after he and Matt had gotten into a fight, he'd gone out for that walk to clear his head, and now he was sleeping on Allison’s couch in her tiny one-bedroom apartment in Boystown.
Two days had passed. Nerves had calmed, scrapes and bruises were healing, and Adam was sitting in the apartment's living room with Matt and Allison as he insisted that they discuss their next move.
“Well, I’m not gonna say it, Adam-” Allison began, but Matt was quick to cut her off.
“Hell, I’ll say it-she told you so. She told you so and you should’ve told me.”
“Can we not go there? Please?” Adam said with a shake of his head. “I know I was being stupid.”
“Stupid, idiotic, rash, foolhardy,” Matt added. “I can think of a few more, but she’ll hold me down and wash my mouth out if I say ‘em.”
“Matt-” Adam began to implore. Matt interrupted with a wave of his hand.
“Listen,” Matt said with a sigh and wiped his hand over his face. “I’m still here. I ain’t going. Not yet anyway. You get me shot at, again…” he trailed off. “Dude, just don’t get my ass killed. That’s all I’m askin’ for.”
“Which I can promise if we get out of Chicago,” Adam said and felt as though he had been saying for the past twenty minutes. He was exasperated. He wanted to get the hell out of this place.
Matt scoffed. “And what are we gonna do? Walk across Lake Michigan?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Adam said with a roll of his eyes.
“As miraculous as that would be,” Matt said pointedly, “it’s about as fucking likely as anything else we can cook up.”
“We need to go,” Adam stressed.
“No, we need to lay low until we have an out.”
“We can rent a car! I don’t care if they can trace it.”
“Well, I do care!” Matt snapped. “I-We got shot at, Adam! We got shot at! Do you realize how fucking crazy that is?”
Adam threw out his hands. “Not as fucking crazy as sitting around waiting to be shot at again!”
Matt stood up. “We are not renting a car!” he yelled with a jab of his finger.
“Yes, we are,” Adam said enunciating each word very clearly.
“Okay!” Allison shouted over them and put a hand in the air. “I think both of you need to calm the hell down before my neighbors call the police and we’re all fucked.”
Matt put his hands on his hips and sighed as Adam continued to trade glares with him. Adam was frustrated and angry that he wasn’t getting his way. Though, this wasn't just about getting his way. He was also scared for his and his friends’ lives and the only option he knew of was to get out of Chicago.
Adam wanted to run. He needed to get out of here.
“If you won’t rent a car then we can steal one,” Adam huffed, which drew a hard look from Matt that wasn’t without due cause. “Look, I know it didn’t work last time,” Adam began with a quiet, earnest plea in his voice for someone to agree with him, “but we could try again.”
Matt’s brow rose as he tensed up. “You really want to go there with this?” he asked skeptically. “I seem to recall both of us almost dying in that scenario, too.”
“Adam,” Allison calmly interrupted, “let’s be real about this. Stealing a car would just make things worse. You know Division has an APB out at this point. You won’t even be able to book a damn train ticket without them being on your asses. Give it a few days, man. We’ll think of something.”
Adam looked between the two and he saw that he wasn’t going to win this battle anytime soon.
“Fine,” Adam said flatly. He pushed a blanket off his lap and got to his feet. “We’ll wait.” He looked around for his boots. Finding them, he pointed to Matt. “Now, get your shoes. We’re going out.” If he couldn’t get out of this city, he could at least get out of this damn apartment.
“What?” Matt and Allison said in unison as they traded worried glances.
Adam scoffed. “If you think I’m staying inside on a Friday night in Boystown, you are fucking mistaken.”
❖ ❖ ❖
The bar was hopping and Kris was a cheap date. This wasn't due to the fact that Kris never drank alcohol. He just didn’t drink very often, nor did his body have the extra mass to allow him to pound others under the table. So, he kept it simple. One Rum and Coke was all he was allowing himself and he was drinking it slowly. Cook was getting a good chuckle as Kris took his tiny sips, but even Cook had told Kris to keep the drinking tamed to slightly buzzed levels. They were working, after all.
“You know, I never would have guessed this was a gay bar,” Kris said absently as he stirred his drink.
“Oh?” Cook replied with a smile. “You missed the part where it’s full of men ogling each other?”
Kris snorted. “No, I mean. It just looks like any neighborhood bar.”
“It is a neighborhood bar,” Cook said pointedly. “This is just a very gay neighborhood.”
“Isn’t it stereotyping and pressing our luck to go looking for a gay guy in a gay bar in a gay neighborhood?” Kris asked with a frown.
Cook laughed. “That’s not the reason-well, not the only reason we’re here. There’s a friend who lives around here.”
Kris’ face screwed up in confusion. “Huh?”
Cook dropped his voice and leaned in. “There’s a girl who works here and has been seen buddying up with a couple of guys matching our boys’ descriptions. You read about her in the files earlier.”
“Oh,” Kris said in realization. “I guess I can’t be totally surprised by the size of the files now since it picked up on the friends too.
Cook pulled back and sipped his beer, which he smoothly put down without actually taking a drink. “Heads up, Kris,” he said under his breath.
Kris immediately glanced toward the door in time to see Adam and Matthew making their way through the crowd. Startled, Kris’ hand hung in mid-air, above his drink, as his mouth fell open. They were actually here. Cook and the research were good.
“Easy,” Cook said, nudging Kris on the shoulder. “You look star-struck. Hint: you don’t want to look star-struck.”
Kris lowered his hand and took a breath. He tried not to feel embarrassed, but he felt a blush creeping up his neck anyway likely due, in part, to the booze. “What do we do?” he asked quietly.
Cook grinned warmly and slowly shook his head. “One look at him and you forget all of your training? That’s a little pathetic, Kris.”
Okay, now he was really blushing. “Shut up,” Kris mumbled under his breath before taking a sip of his drink.
The plan was quickly laid out. They needed to wait for Adam to get loosened up before sending Kris toward him. Going for him right away would just look suspicious and the last thing they needed was a suspicious Pusher in a bar full of innocents. Still, it was exhausting to just sit there, wait and not get distracted by the couple of guys who tried to pick him up. Cook got some attention, too, much to his amusement.
Inevitably, Kris needed to use the bathroom. He was quickly up and finding his mildly buzzed footing before heading off in search of a urinal. Kris knew this was also an opportunity to check-up on Adam and his eyes searched the crowd as he went.
Kris glanced slowly across the bar until he found Adam, who had somehow commandeered a booth for him and Matthew, only to discover that Adam was already looking him over. Fleeting butterflies were in Kris’ stomach; it felt good to be wanted, even by a criminal. Granted, Adam was a handsome criminal and the way he was staring was not subtle at all. Kris paused outside of the bathrooms to look at Adam dead-on and give him a little smirk, which Adam returned.
Maybe this would be easier than Kris had thought.
❖ ❖ ❖
Adam didn’t know what it was about the guy that initially caught his eye. The fluffy hair, the short but built stature, the sweet smile and warm brown eyes-all were vying for Adam’s attention. Since it was early in the evening, Adam hadn’t expected to spot anyone worth his time. Still, with the way the guy had stared at him before disappearing into the bathroom, this was an encounter that at least warranted a drink proposition, right? He thought so. Matt agreed.
When the guy showed his face, again, he was slowly roaming the crowd and seemed to be making his way toward Adam. That fact made Adam’s stomach do a little anxious flip.
Adam stood up and looked to Matt. “I’m going for it,” he announced.
“Get him tiger,” Matt replied with a wave of his hand.
Adam took a few steps in the younger man’s direction. The gesture caught the stranger’s attention and got a smile, which Adam returned. Forcing himself to walk slowly instead of bolting toward the guy, Adam breathed in deeply to calm himself.
“You have a staring problem,” Adam said as soon as he thought the guy was in earshot.
“What?”
Oh. The man’s voice was a sweet drawl. Adam was enjoying this guy already.
“Why are you staring at me?” Adam asked. He received a lopsided grin that he wanted to kiss off the stranger's face.
“Because you’re hot,” the guy said coolly.
Adam tried not to let on how happy that sentence made him. “Mmm,” he murmured as he moved closer. “What’s your name?”
“Why do you want to know?”
The coy attitude thrilled Adam. “I need something to refer to you as other than ‘the sexy southern boy,’” he shot back.
Adam got a smirk and a name. “Kris.”
For a fleeting moment Adam considered using a fake name. He knew Matt would insist that he use a fake. Adam wasn’t very happy with Matt at the moment, though.
“I’m Adam.”
“Hi, Adam,” Kris said and nodded toward the bar. “Can I get you a drink or something?”
Ha. Or something? ‘Or something’ was definitely on Adam’s mind.
Adam pressed his lips together thoughtfully before smirking. “I think we should get out of here,” he said and traded toying stares with Kris. He was already having thoughts of what it would feel like to have that lean body pressed against his.
Kris wet his lower lip, his plump and begging-to-be-bitten lower lip, and raised his brow. “Get out of here?” Kris echoed.
Adam couldn’t tell if he was about to get laughed at or not. He hoped the latter. He wanted to take this Kris back to Allison’s. He needed to de-stress. Hell, he’d push Kris’ mind if he had to.
But only if he had to.
“Well, I don’t have a tab,” Kris mumbled before scrubbing the back of his neck. “So, I guess I can go whenever.” His face broke into a slow smile.
“With me?” Adam prompted with a suggestive raise of one carefully tamed eyebrow. His pulse was echoing in the back of his throat. He hated trying to pick up guys. It was so nerve-racking.
“Definitely.”
Adam sensed no hesitation in the reply as Kris stepped closer. So Adam did what had been running through his mind for the last few minutes; he leaned in to cop a feel. “You’re sure?” Adam said in a hot whisper against Kris’ ear as he let a hand wander to grip the swell of Kris’ ass. "I want you."
Kris’ eyes went momentarily heavy. He clapped Adam on the neck with a rough hand and pushed himself up on his toes to whisper back, “I thought we were getting out of here.” His lips brushed Adam’s ear as he spoke and Adam’s mouth went dry.
“Yes, yes we are,” Adam said before reluctantly pulling away to flag down Matt, who was still sitting at their table and watching the flirting in amusement.
Adam rolled his eyes at Matt, who smirked on the short walk over to them. “This is my extremely straight roommate, Matt,” Adam announced as he turned back to Kris.
Matt shot an intently displeased look at Adam before turning to hold out a hand to Kris. “I shake hands, not asses,” Matt said, which again, made Adam roll his eyes.
“That so?” Kris said as he took Matt’s hand for a shake. “Kris.”
“Cool,” Matt replied before he was already headed for the door.
Adam shook his head. “He’s sweeter than he looks,” he told Kris.
“Most are,” Kris said before starting after Matt. “You coming?”
“I’m not going to be the only one coming if you play your cards right,” Adam deadpanned and struggled to not cringe at the corniness of what he’d said.
Thankfully, Kris snorted, which caused Adam to snicker, which sent them both into a small fit of laughter before they left the bar. Adam was content and all smiles as they walked. This was shaping up to be a good night.
❖ ❖ ❖
Cook gave Kris a little over fifteen minutes for his bathroom break. He was sympathetic about most things, but not even his mother took that long in the restroom. Cook slipped off his stool and began his subtle search as he roamed the bar. First, he looked for Kris in the growing crowd and then, he checked the restroom itself. Kris was nowhere to be found. Perplexed, Cook returned to the main floor and scanned the milling bar patrons for another minute or so before deciding that he’d been paying too much attention to his beer. He was going to get an earful when he had to tell Director Fuller that he’d lost the new kid on the first day. Though, he noticed that Lambert and his Shadow weren’t anywhere to be found either.
Maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t as bad of a situation as he thought.
Cook pulled out his cell phone and headed out of the bar. While on the sidewalk, he glanced up and down the slightly bustling block. There was no Kris Allen to be seen.
Frowning, Cook went back to his cell phone and thumbed around for Kris’ number. Cook put the phone to his ear and waited. Rings came and went until Kris’ voice mail picked up. Disappointed, Cook closed the phone and considered calling headquarters to start a trace on Kris’ phone. He didn’t like the idea of Kris being out there without support at the ready.
There was a sudden buzzing in Cook’s hand, which signaled that he had a message of some sort. Opening the phone, Cook saw that he had a text message from Kris.
Got a date. Don’t wait up.
Cook smiled at the message. He was actually impressed with Kris’ ability to handle the rushed plans to bring Lambert into Division. Fuller had been skeptical about this even working and while Cook had asked for Kris specifically, he hadn’t expected things to go this well either. This was Kris’ first time in the field, after all. Cook supposed he needed to give Kris a little more credit as an Agent. Kris wasn’t a lost puppy; he was trained and he could take care of himself.
Chuckling, Cook punched a different number into the phone and raised it to his ear. He ducked around the side of the bar and stared at his feet. He didn’t want to call attention to himself. When the other line picked up, he didn’t wait for an answer because he knew one wasn’t coming.
“This is Cook,” he said calmly. “I need to make a report to Director Fuller.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Kris found himself led to an apartment that was several blocks away from the bar. The apartment was small and on an upper floor, which would make it difficult for an extraction team to get into. Granted, he didn’t want to call in the troops-not just yet. He knew he needed to distract Adam until Division traced his location and sent a team, but that wasn’t the only plan on Kris’ mind. Maybe it was just the booze, maybe it was some real attraction, but something made Kris want to spend a little time getting to know Adam. He knew that would eat up some time. Plus, Adam didn’t seem to suspect a thing. Kris had this in the bag.
“This isn’t my place,” Adam said as took a seat on a dumpy couch and began pulling off his boots. “Just so you know.”
Kris nodded as he toed off his shoes. “Is it his?” he asked, nodding his head toward the room where Matt had gone after they all arrived together.
Adam shook his head. “No.”
Kris raised a brow as he crossed the room to straddle Adam’s lap, the springs of the couch squeaking beneath them. “Are you just squatting in someone’s place?”
Adam’s eyelids went heavy. He tentatively put his hands on the backs of Kris’ knees. “No,” he said with a grin, which widened when Kris frowned in confusion.
“Well, are they gonna care that we use the couch?”
“No,” Adam replied, lips beginning to twist into a smirk.
Kris cupped Adam’s face and grinned. As he caught Adam’s lips for a soft kiss, he felt a pulse hammering in Adam’s neck, beneath his fingertips. Kris smirked and kissed Adam again. His breath hitched as the kiss deepened and Adam’s hands hesitantly climbed the outsides of his thighs. Kris forced himself to relax into the kiss and let his guard down just a bit. Lazily, he pulled at Adam’s lower lip.
“Damn,” Adam said in amazement as they pulled back to breathe. “You are rock hard all over,” he added as he squeezed the butt of Kris’ jeans.
Kris sucked at his own lower lip and shook his ass. “Hard enough to get you hard?” he asked shamelessly, with a tilt of his head.
Adam stared and then laughed warmly. “Hell yes.”
Kris grinned and sat down in Adam’s hands. Wrapping his arms around Adam’s neck, Kris began to wiggle a dance on Adam’s lap. Hips rocked, belts caught, and there was a whole lot of friction. Kris quickly had Adam swearing under his breath as he pulled at the back of Kris’ shirt.
It was kind of exciting to have a criminal, your mark, writhing somewhat helplessly beneath you, like he just couldn’t get enough.
Kris dipped his head for another rough kiss as his hands worked to unbutton his thin dress shirt. He murmured a groan against Adam’s lips as Adam’s hands eagerly spread across his bare chest and down his sides, groping at the taunt flesh. Kris continued to rock and swivel his hips while Adam’s fingers curled against Kris’ toned back as he broke their kiss and messily brushed his mouth along Adam’s jaw.
“We don’t have to have sex,” Kris bluntly breathed over Adam’s ear.
Adam let out a high reaching chuckle. “Oh fuck, please, can we?”
Kris snickered. Those words had slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself, but really? He agreed with Adam’s desire to keep going. He knew the point was to keep Adam distracted and off-guard, but he also wanted to mess around and see how far Adam would go with him. Screw the job; it could wait. But at the back of his mind, Kris had to wonder: was his mind being pushed, right now or was all of this just because Adam wanted him? Kris was leaning toward the latter. He’d been wondering how Adam would react to him ever since Cook had declared them each other’s type, and this was definitely a Kris-approved response.
Kris pushed his hips forward. “You sure your-uh-friend won’t mind us having sex on their couch?”
Adam smiled. “I say shoot first, ask questions later.” He feathered a hand through Kris’ hair. “Mmm, much later.”
“Do you have-” Kris began, but Adam cut him off with a kiss. Kris mumbled incoherently before repeating in a lower tone, “Do you have a condom?”
Adam was already working on sliding a wallet out of his pocket. Seconds later he was holding up a package between two fingers. Kris grinned and Adam returned the smile as Kris fell into a hot and heavy kiss that took away his breath. He pulled kiss after kiss out of Adam as he worked to get Adam’s jeans open.
Adam’s hand wandered down the back of Kris’ jeans to pinch his ass. Kris hissed and Adam smirked until Kris began nibbling on his neck. Adam drew a sharp breath and his hand moved to unzip Kris’ jeans and palm Kris’ crotch. Kris arched into Adam’s touch before they were both tugging and pushing jeans and underwear down.
“Oh,” Kris softly gasped in surprise when he realized Adam was a two-hander. Adam smiled shyly and that made Kris go for another kiss, this one was hard and lip-smashing. “Yes,” Kris whispered elatedly into Adam’s mouth as he pumped his hand.
Kris then let out a sharp moan as Adam’s fingers stretched beneath him to trace his opening. Pressing their foreheads together, Kris’ mouth dropped open as he watched his hand stall on Adam’s cock. He went for the condom and ripped open the package. Adam murmured as Kris helped him roll it over his over his length.
Proffering another foil packet, Adam tore off a corner and poured a clear fluid into his hand. Kris panted as Adam massaged him open and prepped him with the lube. After sucking on his own fingers and moving them to join Adam’s hand, Kris felt the heat of his own body as he helped Adam work his hole loose.
“Kris,” Adam groaned with need. Kris answered by grabbing Adam’s erect cock and slicking the condom with some of the excess lube as he lined himself up. He then dipped his ass and pushed down against Adam’s cock until the head was nestled fully inside of him. Kris let out a deep breath of relief as he slowly lowered himself onto Adam, who was pawing at his hips to hold him close. Kris rose back up and readied himself by tightening and loosening his ass until he was comfortable.
“What?” Adam complained when Kris hissed a shushing noise after Adam loudly moaned in response.
Kris licked his lips and leaned down for a kiss as he began to ride Adam, whose initial thrusts came in stutters. “You’re gonna make him jealous,” Kris said quietly and nodded off toward where Matt had gone before letting out a hitched moan of his own.
Adam sputtered as he gained some control over himself. He gripped Kris’ waist as he rolled his hips up off of the couch and pushed deeper into Kris. “He doesn’t care,” Adam said dismissively between pants. He then threw his head back against the couch. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
“I could say the same,” Kris breathlessly replied as his hands gripped the back of the couch for leverage on his sanity. Adam was making it impossible to keep quiet.
Adam let out a groan mingled with a laugh. “You would if you saw me taking it fast and moaning like you are. Mmm,” he muttered in mild amusement.
They both grinned when Kris rumbled, “Maybe later, gorgeous,” before turning his gaze downward to focus on keeping his movements in time with Adam’s rolling hips.
Though Adam was a little larger than he was used to, Kris felt his body heating up quickly. There was some vague pain, but nothing Kris couldn’t handle. Wave after wave of hot want rolled through Kris and a loud, but pleased noise escaped as Adam’s long fingers wrapped his cock and worked it over.
Besides the pleasure, though, Kris began to have fleeting guilty thoughts. Riding Adam was somehow both a dream and a foreboding reminder that this was simply meant to be a diversion in an overarching plan of capture. The fact that Kris was being lulled into the belief that Adam cared about him was not helping the guilt pangs. Kris had never felt this much attention paid to his body. Adam’s hands were roaming and grasping as he whispered cheesy compliments to Kris until Kris couldn’t handle anymore flattery.
Kris’ bouncing momentarily stalled as he dipped forward to tuck his face against Adam’s neck. “You feel so good,” he panted against sweaty flesh. Kris’ grin broadened when he felt Adam smile against his cheek before giving it a soft kiss.
“Are you going to come for me?” Adam whispered.
Nodding, Kris rose back up and tossed his head back in abandon. Kris’ mouth hung agape as he closed his eyes and moved quickly on Adam’s lap. Adam’s hand sped up to keep up with Kris’ bounces. It was only a matter of time before they’d each hit their peak.
Kris moaned loudly as a spasm of heat and pleasure surged through his body. He began to come and his eyes fluttered open in a daze as he poured out into Adam’s hand. Teetering, Kris gripped Adam’s shoulders and locked their intense gazes, riding the thrusts until Adam gave a stuttered groan in his own climax.
Breathing hard, Kris pitched forward and rested his face to the couch just beyond Adam’s shoulder. His ass slowly lowered, still holding Adam inside.
“Fuck,” Adam panted.
“I know,” Kris replied, just as drained.
Adam’s hands slipped over Kris’ chest, around his back and held him close. “You all right, babe?” Adam asked in a calm, sweet tone.
Kris felt a sinking rock of guilt in his stomach when he muttered, “Never been better.”
❖ ❖ ❖
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