Never Again – 30

 

"Ready?"

"As ready as I'm going to be," Joseph replied to Cal's question. He was dressed in jeans, a tee shirt, and sandals, just like Cal. Although, in his opinion, Cal did his tee a lot more justice. It clung to his muscular body like a second skin, accenting every well-defined line of his torso. Joseph resisted licking his lips when he looked at him.

Not an auspicious start to the day. Well, okay, very auspicious—but also very dangerous. I'm supposed to be looking at him as a friend, nothing more. But damn it!

Cal shook his head, pointing to the fishing rod and creel sitting on Joseph's front porch. "You might want to bring them with you," he said when Joseph started down the steps without them.

"Oh, yeah, I guess it would help in the long run." Joseph turned to pick them up, chiding himself for acting like such a gawky schoolboy. He hadn't felt like this in…

In over a century and a half. And look how that ended.

With that thought, he almost begged off going but he knew it wouldn't be fair to Cal. The man needed a chance to get away and relax with someone he trusted.

After tossing his things in the back of Cal's truck, Joseph climbed into the passenger seat. "At least your prediction of torrential rain didn't come true," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah. Would have sort of ruined things."

"Now they say fishing is better when it's raining."

Cal chuckled. "I'll pass. I just want to sit and laze the day away."

"Don't we both." Joseph watched as they drove out of the Garden District, wondering where they were headed. Finally he asked.

"Hopedale Lagoon. About an hour's drive. You okay with that?"

"As long as it's off the beaten track, you bet."

Cal smiled. "It is, or at least the spot I'm thinking of is. We'll have to walk in since there's no road."

Joseph grinned. "The best way."

* * * *

Joseph jumped out of the truck seconds after Cal parked it in a lot behind a small bait store at the edge of Hopedale. Bending over, he rubbed his knees. "On the way back, I'm hanging my legs out the window," he grumbled good-naturedly.

"Hey, quit your belly-aching. At least you can do that. Me, I'm stuck behind the wheel."

"Well, we'll both walk it off soon enough from what you said." He looked around, seeing what he presumed was the lagoon off in the distance across the highway. "Doesn't look like that far a walk."

"It is to where I have in mind." Grabbing his pole from the back of the truck, Cal rested it on his shoulder, slinging a backpack over his other shoulder, and waited for Joseph to get his things.

After making sure it was safe, they crossed the highway and made their way down to the edge of the lagoon. Then they began the real walk. It didn't take long before Joseph took off his sandals, hooking them over the handle of his pole. Cal cocked an eyebrow and Joseph said, "If my feet are going to be wet anyway, I'd rather go barefoot."

Eventually they arrived at their destination, a small inlet off the main lagoon with trees surrounding it. Picking one close to the edge, Cal set down his pack and pole. Joseph was right beside him, doing the same, putting the creel safely behind the tree in the shade.

"Now, are we really going to fish?" Joseph asked as he sat down on a flat rock on the bank.

"We can at least pretend to." Cal got his pole, baited it then tossed the line into the water, sticking the handle into the damp mud to keep the fishing rod semi-erect.

"A fish grabs your bait and good-bye rod," Joseph commented with a laugh, even though he followed suit after getting back up to retrieve his pole.

"And we care why?" Cal sat down on the rock Joseph had vacated, grinning when Joseph told him to at least share. "You weren't going to."

"Now how do you know that?"

"I'm a mind reader?"

Joseph snorted in amusement. "Then what am I thinking now?"

Cal turned his head to study him, as if he was actually trying to read his mind. "You're happy, I think. Relaxed. Enjoying being here."

"You don't have to read my mind to know that." Joseph studied him in return. "And you're actually having fun I'd say, for the first time since I've met you. I mean real 'yes I'm going to unwind and forget about the world' fun."

"You can tell just from my face?"

"No, I can tell because you've smiled and laughed as if you really meant it."

"It's the company," Cal replied just as something pulled the line on his pole. "Damn, that was fast." He grabbed the pole and started to reel in his catch.

Joseph watched Cal, but his mind was elsewhere. He remembered vividly the late afternoon about a month before Rawleigh had left on his fatal trip north to cover the war. They had decided to spend that night outside of Richmond so Joseph could shift and run. As they rode, they saw a small pond off in the distance, the lowering sun glancing off its waters.

"Let's go there," Rawleigh had said excitedly. "Perhaps, if we are lucky, we can catch a few fish."

Joseph had grinned. "I think I can catch us enough for supper for several nights after I have shifted."

He did catch some, although Rawleigh had insisted he put most of them back. "How will we keep them fresh until we return home?"

When Joseph shifted back he told him, "It is only an hour's ride at best."

"But"—Rawleigh had smiled wickedly—"it will be much more than an hour before we head home."

So they had built a small fire, cleaned and spitted the fish, and while they cooked, they had made love under the stars, the sound of the water lapping the shore adding its soft music to their passion.

Never Again – 29

 

"Hey, Joe, can you come back here and take a look at this?"

Joseph turned to see who was calling him, frowning when he saw it was Dan. The man had spent the last three days at the site going out of his way to make Joseph's life difficult and he couldn't figure out why. Dan had to be a good worker or Cal wouldn't have chosen him for the team, and yet he seemed bent and determined to push all the hard jobs off on Joseph.

Walking around behind the apartment building, Joseph saw Dan standing there with two men who had just joined the team that morning. They were looking at a pile of mold-covered Sheetrock that had obviously been torn out and should have been put in the large industrial dumpster a few yards away.

Pulling his respirator down over his face, Joseph went to join them, asking "Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, you're the problem, Mr. High-and-Mighty," Dan replied. "I heard all about you from some of the other guys. Mister money man, trying to show us all up. Taking a job away from someone who really needs it." Dan was in Joseph's face now, his voice low and threatening. "How 'bout you get your wealthy ass out of here before we make you wish you had."

Joseph's hands tightened into fists. Finger by finger he uncurled them in an attempt to defuse his rising anger. "I'm not taking anyone's job away, you asshole. I'm a volunteer, in case no one bothered to tell you."

"Not the way I heard it. Sucking up to Cal, getting the easy assignments while we get the crap work."

Joseph tensed again when the two other men sidled up to surround him, giving him no space to maneuver if he needed to. "Do what he says. Quit now," one of them growled.

About to reply, Joseph stopped in shock when Dan ripped his respirator off, giving him a shove toward the pile of Sheetrock. He barely managed to keep his feet under him as red rage suffused him. He swung at Dan, almost smiling in satisfaction when his fist hit the man's jaw just below his respirator, spinning him around before he stumbled and landed on his ass in the dirt.

"What the hell is going on here?" Cal's voice preceded him as he came into view around the corner of the building.

Before Joseph could answer, Dan shouted, "This bastard ordered us to put that crap in the dumpster. He knows it's not our job. He's been on my ass since the day we started, giving me all the crap jobs." He scrambled to his feet, throwing a punch at Joseph.

Seconds later Cal has his arms wrapped tightly around Dan. "Try that again and you're out of here. You and your 'friends'." He shot an angry look at the two other men. "I'll tell you here and now, Dan, I know Joseph well enough by now to know he wouldn't do what you're claiming. He works as hard, if not harder, than all three of you put together."

"Fuck he does," Dan growled, struggling to get out of Cal's hold.

Cal released him, keeping a grip on his arm. "Turn in your gear and get off the site."

"Why me? That bastard's the one—"

"Look," Joseph broke in, "if my being here is upsetting the other men then I'm willing to leave. This job is too important."

Without replying except to give a sharp nod for the others to follow, Cal started back around the building, still keeping a tight hold on Dan's arm. When they got around to the parking lot, Cal let out a shrill whistle. Soon everyone on the team joined them. Cal explained what had happened and what Dan had said.

"Fuck that," George spat out. "Dan's been trying to instigate something since the first day. I don't know what his problem is, but he's got it in for Joe."

"I agree," Lars said. He turned to look at Dan. "Joe works just as hard as the rest of us. Hell, he works twice as hard as you. If anyone should quit, it should be you."

Cal's gaze landed on the two men who had been backing up Dan. "How did you get involved in all this? You just started this morning."

One of the looked down, mumbling, "He told us Joe there was a phony and a lazy bastard who insisted on throwing his weight around when you weren't watching. Hell—" he looked up again, "—we didn't know different. He said he just wanted to teach him a lesson and wanted us to be there, in case Joe started anything."

Cal's frown deepened. "Okay, here's what's going to happen. Dan, you're out of here. You two—" he looked pointedly at the two men, "—are on warning. Anything else happens and you're out, too. And from now on, anyone has a complaint, you come to me. Understand? I catch any of you fighting and that's it. End of story." He released his hold on Dan, nodding to the gate. "Out."

Dan growled angrily but did as he'd been ordered after stripping off his gear, dropping it where he stood. Once he was gone, the other men started back to what they'd been doing, Lars stopping just long enough to pat Joseph on the shoulder. "You're good people, man. I'm glad you're on the team."

"Thanks," Joseph replied quietly, taking a deep breath as he finally relaxed.

"You okay?" Cal asked softly.

"I will be. Thanks for showing up when you did. I might have been able to handle things but—" He shrugged. He knew he could have, being what he was, but he was glad it hadn't come down to that. It would have been hard to explain how one man could take out three burly construction workers and come out on top.

"No thanks needed. If I'd known that's what he was like…" Cal shook his head. "But he did damned good work at the houses."

"Who knows what got in his craw." Joseph chuckled. "I think I'm going to be good and ready to get away for our fishing trip."

"You and me both. Now let's get back to it and hope we have no more personal problems crop up. The job ones I expect, but not the other."

"The joys of being the boss," Joseph replied with a smile before he went over to get a new respirator and head back inside to work.

Never Again – 28

 

Even though he had only finished half of his beer, Joseph nodded. He watched as Cal walked away, suddenly very much aware of him as a male. Not that I haven't been before, but after Steve's hinting? More than hinting damn it! He had to go putting thoughts in my head. Thoughts I'm much better off without, Beth to the contrary. He chuckled softly, jumping when Cal suddenly reappeared, setting a full bottle of beer beside his half-full one.

"Telling yourself jokes?" Cal asked as he retook his seat across from Joseph.

"Believe me, no one laughs at my jokes, including me."

"Come on, they can't be that bad."

Joseph snorted in amusement. "Uh huh. I told this one to Beth and she just about brained me." Taking a deep breath he said, "Archaeologists in Britain found part of an ancient door. It had a stone hinge on it."

For a second Cal looked puzzled. Then he groaned. "Yeah, if that's the kind of jokes you tell, don't quit your day job."

"Wasn't planning on it. I like what I'm doing now."

"Good, because I'd hate to lose you."

"You'd find someone else—probably someone a bit more skilled at construction than I am."

"Hey, don't put yourself down. You've learned a lot over these past few weeks—" Cal paused, grinning, "—rich boy."

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you," Joseph growled in mock anger.

"Nope. When you're old and gray, I'll still be calling you that."

Joseph looked at him in shock. "How long do you think Rebuild is going to be around?" He had the distinct feeling it wasn't what Cal meant, but he was not going to allow things to slip into something quite as personal as his words sounded. "I mean, face it, with any sort of luck or…whatever, in twenty years it won't be needed. People will wake up, finally realize what's going on, and decide to do something constructive to end homelessness."

"I wasn't—" Cal bit back whatever he was going to say, talking a long pull on his beer, then nodded. "You're right, I hope. But I'm not going to bet the farm on it." Then, completely out of the blue, he asked, "Do you ever go fishing?"

Joseph smiled, instantly remembering when he'd last shifted, picturing the big catfish he'd caught for his supper. Not that he could tell Cal. It would be hard to explain how he did fish, but with his claws not a pole. Still, it will be interesting to see where he's going with this. "I've been known to on occasion, although more to have a reason to get out of the city and relax than anything else."

"Drop a line in the water, lean back against a tree, and hope the fish don't bite?" Cal asked with a grin.

"Got it in one. Take a good book along sometimes. That's the life."

Cal leaned back, looking at him. "We don't work Sundays, so, I mean, if you don't have any plans."

Joseph hesitated. Tell him I'm busy. That I'm going to Beth's for… whatever. His common sense said that's exactly what he should do. His emotions objected, however. What can it hurt? A couple of hours out at a lake, a cooler of beer maybe. It's just what Steve suggested, sort of. Hell it's only one day, afternoon, whatever.

"It's taking you long enough to reply so I guess you're not interested."

Joseph quickly shook his head, seeing the hurt in Cal's eyes. "Not at all. I was just trying to remember where the hell I stashed my pole after the last time I used it. Can't fish without one."

"So you're willing?"

"Definitely. We can figure out what time to meet and where to go on Saturday after work, depending on the weather reports."

"With my luck it'll be the first time this year we get a day of torrential rain," Cal muttered, but he looked happy nonetheless, which was all that mattered at the moment as far as Joseph was concerned.

Release day for 'The Guardians: Winning at Any Cost'!

The Guardians:

Winning at Any Cost

 

https://www.jms-books.com/edward-kendrick-c-224_229/the-guardians-winning-at-any-cost-p-5097.html

 

https://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Winning-Any-Cost-ebook/dp/B0D48ZJFRY

 

GENRE: Gay Thriller Spicy Romance
LENGTH: 72,739 words
RATING:

Companion story to A Shattered Life

Two men, bitter enemies.

One is Roger Nielson. He works security for Phoenix Rising under the auspices of Greg Merrick. He also has a second job, working for a covert organization run by the Old Man. Its mandate is to help those who in need of its services. Roger is gay and often uses the fact effectively to get close to those who have to be eliminated.

The second man is Rico Ferranti. Straight as an arrow, he earned Roger's hatred when they worked a job together while he was undercover for the DEA, although Roger didn't know he was. In the process, Rico's showboating almost caused Roger's death.

They are brought together again when a gangster Greg helped put in prison is released and comes after him. With the help of Giuli Salvaggi, who also works for Greg, they are able to deal with the man -- permanently. In the aftermath, Roger suggests he wouldn't mind screwing Rico for tension release and Rico explodes. In the back of his mind, however, he wonders what it would be like.

Then, Robin Seawood, who works for the Old Man, recruits both Giuli and Rico into the operation, much to Roger's consternation.

From there, things explode when the trio is given the job of stopping the head of a Mafia family deep into drug dealing. When Roger is almost beaten to death in the process, Rico must come to terms with his feelings for the man while helping him recover.

Can two opposites become friends ... and more? Only time will tell.

NOTE: This was previously published but has been re-written and re-edited.

EXCERPT: 

           Roger sprang to his feet when he saw who was following Robin into the office. "He stays, I go," he told his control succinctly.

"Same here," Rico growled. "I told you I won't work with him."

"Both of you sit down and shut up," Robin barked. "Other than now, you won't be seeing each other until the job is over." He leaned back against his desk until everyone was settled, smiling tightly when the two men glared at each other and took chairs as far apart as possible in the small space while Giuliana took the remaining one between them. Then Robin opened a folder on his desk, taking out a few photos, which he passed to the others.

Rico looked at his set and turned his angry gaze on Robin. "Where did these come from?"

"Each of those kids died of massive overdoses before they reached their connections. The pictures are, obviously, autopsy photos. They were mules, body packers."

"This one looks like he's only six or seven," Giuliana said quietly, showing the others the one she meant.

"He was. He was traveling with a female who claimed to be his aunt. She told the emergency personnel who tried to save the kid that they were coming there to make a new life for themselves. She said she had no idea what was wrong with her nephew, just that he had gotten very sick as they got off the plane. Airport security called for the EMTs and while they were working on him she vanished."

"You say claimed to be? There's a question if she was?" Roger asked.

"Considering the fact she didn't wait around to see if the kid would be okay, yeah I'd say there was. He died before they even got him into the ambulance. The packets are supposed to be rupture-proof but apparently one was defective."

"Packets?" Giuliana looked at him questioningly. "I thought they used balloons or condoms."

"That's way old school," Rico informed her. "Now it's machine-pressed pellets made of latex filled with eight to twelve grams of narcotics and then coated with hard wax. They're about an inch and a half long and three-quarters of an inch in diameter, although that varies depending on the cartel responsible and who they're targeting to use as mules. I'd say kids like those in these pictures probably swallowed ones that were slightly smaller."

"And you know all this how?" Roger asked. Although he knew the answer, he wanted to be certain the others did as well.

"As Greg told you, Rog, I'm former DEA."

"And former Mafia, or at least," he sneered, "we hope former. It's still up for debate in my book."

Robin slammed a hand down on his desk. "Enough. His connections are going to come in very handy in this particular case, Roger. The cartel we're dealing with knows and trusts him because he's family."

"Damn it! Don't tell me Nazo's broken his vow to his father. The slimy little bastard." Rico glared angrily at anyone who was looking.

"Nazo? That's a name?" Giuliana chuckled.

Rico gave a short nod. "The name might be amusing, Giuli, but the man -- Vanni Nazario -- is far from. He took over the family when his father died, after swearing to him he'd never get into the drug trade."

"And like any good Mafioso he broke it without a second thought so he could make a profit," Roger commented.

Rico shrugged. He wasn't going to let Roger get to him again with his pointed gibes. "Profit, control, terror, that's what it's all about with them. The Sicilian Mafia made over eight billion through drug trafficking last year alone. It's no wonder Nazo jumped in the second he got control of the family."

"So we're heading to Sicily?" Giuliana asked.

"No," Robin said. "Nazo's set up his operation elsewhere. Apparently there are those in the family who still hold to his father's way of thinking. After three attempts to kill him, one almost successful, he decided discretion was the better part of valor and relocated."

"So where do we fit into all of this?" Roger looked at the others before returning his gaze to Robin.

"Rico and his fiancée are going to go offer fealty to the new capo. You're going to deal with Nazo's main distribution center."

"How many does he have? I'd think hundreds," Roger said.

"Not that many, but too many. However, the one I want you handling is primarily where they train the kids, and their mothers or aunts or whatever they call them, how to swallow and what to do at the airports." Robin smiled tightly. "You take that one out while Rico and Giuli deal with Nazo."

"Gee, he doesn't want much, does he," Giuliana said.

"I want what I know the three of you can do and do well," Robin replied.

 

 

Never Again – 27

 

Joseph arrived at the bar with five minutes to spare, parking in the lot beside it then looking for Cal's truck. When he didn't see it, his first thought was Cal had changed his mind. Getting out of his car, he headed toward the bar's front door.

"Took you long enough," Cal said, coming up beside him.

"Hey, ten minutes, and how did you beat me here—and where did you park?"

"I knew where I was going and I parked on the street. Keeps my truck from getting dinged by drunks as they leave the lot." He held the door, waiting for Joseph to go in.

The place was on the small side, which Joseph had figured from the exterior, and it was noisy. A TV blared on the wall above the bar, all the stools were filled with people enjoying the Happy Hour twofers, and most of the tables were as well. Cal spotted on empty one in back, pointed to it, and told Joseph he'd get their beers.

And now what? Joseph wondered as he made his way through the crowd to the table. Is this just a 'let's talk business' thing as far as he's concerned? He looked over to the bar, seeing Cal talking to the bartender. A minute later he had two bottles of beer and was heading over .

Pulling out the other chair, Cal sat down, handing Joseph his drink. "To a successful endeavor," he said, raising his own bottle then taking a deep swallow.

"It will be," Joseph replied. After taking a drink he asked, "Did you have any problems getting all the paperwork done?"

Cal shrugged. "It wasn't as bad as it could have been. The building was still in the original owner's name. He's moved west—to Texas of all places—and was very glad to sell it." He chuckled. "He thought I was crazy for wanting to buy it and said so, several times."

"Even when you told him why?"

"Even more so. But it didn't matter. It's ours now and we've got all the licenses and what have you to do the work."

So all he wanted was to talk about work. Should have figured as much. Well I did actually, Joseph thought ruefully. Aloud, he said, "With luck we might be finished in four to six months."

Cal nodded in agreement. "Or sooner if everyone busts their asses on the houses so they're working with us in a few weeks, not a couple of months."

"Do you have any other places in mind once we're finished with the apartment building?"

Frowning, Cal staring at his bottle while slowly peeling off the label. Then he looked at Joseph again. "Do we have to talk business?"

"Isn't that why we're here?" Joseph replied, a questioning look pasted on his face even as he bit back a sigh of relief that apparently it wasn't.

"No. I just, I wanted some down time that had nothing to do with Rebuild, work, or anything, other than just relaxing."

"With me?"

Cal shrugged. "Yeah, why not? You're a good guy, easy to talk to." His voice petered out and he went back to work on the label.

"I don't think anyone's ever described me like that before."

"You're kidding?"

"Not really. I told you I'm pretty much of a loner so no one's really had any reason to."

"What about the guys you worked with on your website?"

"I was their boss, not their friend. Well—mostly. We'd celebrate holidays together sometimes but it was just an office party more than anything else."

"Sorta like me, only I don't even do the party thing with the guys. Somehow I don't see all of us sitting down to a turkey dinner. Hell, we're usually at one of the shelters serving it at Thanksgiving. That is the next holiday, right?"

Joseph laughed. "Unless they've come up with some other one they haven't told us about. Yeah, it is."

"Sorry. I'm pretty bad about keeping track of stuff like that."

"If it wasn't for Beth and Brian, I'd probably forget them myself," Joseph admitted.

"Nice, having a close family, isn't it." Cal's tone was wistful but he quickly changed it, saying, "On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for not having that sort of responsibility. It's enough having to run Rebuild." He chuckled, finished his beer, then stood. "I'm having another. You want one?"

Never Again – 26

 

Two days after Joseph's talk with Steve, Cal reappeared and immediately called a meeting for all of the people who worked for Rebuild NOLA. As soon as everyone was seated or standing along the walls of the largest room in the Rebuild headquarters, he held up a thick folder.

"We now own the apartment complex and have all the paperwork needed to start refurbishing it."

A cheer went up from the men and women. Only then did Cal break into a wide smile, his glance landing on Joseph for just an instant before it returned to the group as a whole.

"I'll supervise there. Steve will handle the day-to-day on the houses we're still working on until they're finished. I'm pulling Dan, George, Lars, and Joe off of them to work with me."

Well, at least he's apparently not regretting our last meeting, was Joseph's immediate thought when he heard his name called. Hopefully.

After that, Cal had Steve briefly go over what still needed to be done on the houses to get everyone up to speed, and then the meeting broke up. All the men left with the exception of the four Cal would have on his crew.

"This is going to be a big job," Cal told them. "The biggest one we've done so far. So we're going to have to plan things out down to the smallest detail."

With that said, they moved to a smaller room where he had the building plans laid out on a large table. For the next hour they went over them inch by inch. Then they headed out to the site.

It took most of the rest of the day to set up the chain-link perimeter fences and the various workstations. Cal seemed to be everywhere at once since this job was ten times as big as any of the ones for the houses. He helped with a recalcitrant area of the fence and explained how he wanted the workstations set up. At one point he handed Joseph a list, telling him to check that all the supplies he'd ordered had come in, before dashing off to do something else.

Joseph had the feeling they wouldn't have broken for lunch if he hadn't taken it upon himself to call a local deli for food to be delivered. When it arrived, Cal seemed ready to protest they didn't have the time before thinking better of it. He grabbed one of the subs, scarfed it down in half the time of a normal man, and was on his feet and back to work seconds later.

"He's going to kill himself if he doesn't slow down," George grumbled. "Or us," he added with a small grin.

Lars nodded. "I've never seen him this excited and I've been with Rebuild almost from the start."

As the newest member on the team by far, Joseph couldn't comment other than to say, "He probably considers this the first step to getting more buildings and wants to make sure nothing goes wrong."

The other men agreed, but from the look Dan gave him, Joseph wondered if he'd spoken out of turn.

As they returned to work, Joseph saw Dan grab Lars' arm and whisper something to him, glancing back at Joseph as he did. He had the feeling whatever Dan was saying, it wasn't complimentary.

By the end of the day, everything was set up. Cal did a quick walk-through, said they'd done a good job, and told them he'd see them in the morning. As everyone walked to their vehicles, he came up beside Joseph, asking quietly, "Do you have time for a beer?"

Since it was the first time today he'd actually spoken to him other than to give orders, Joseph was surprised at the question but replied by saying, "Sure. Where?"

"Do you know Makey's on Royal?"

"Vaguely. It's not too far from here. Right?"

"Right. Just take St Claude, hang a left at Piety and a right on Royal."

"I'll find it. See you there in fifteen."

Never Again – 25

 

After a long moment of silence, as he thought about what Steve had told him, Joseph said, "Look, I get what you're saying, but why come to me? It sounds like he's already got a good friend in you."

"Not really. That was a one-time thing. Overall we're just two men with the same objective, to help the homeless and, by extension, the Lower Ninth. He needs a real friend, someone he can connect with and trust. For whatever reason, I have the feeling that could be you."

Joseph took a deep breath before replying. "I can try to be a friend if he's willing to accept me as one. But that's all, Steve. Just a friend, nothing more. I respect that you care about him and his welfare but you're talking about something beyond what I'm willing to do." He chuckled softly. "In some quarters what you're doing would be called pimping me out."

"Now hang on there, that's not what I'm doing, I swear. I just figured you might understand where he's coming from more than most. At least in that respect."

"I'll accept that." Joseph looked at his barely touched beer, took a swig and put it down before standing. "I think I'm going to head home. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and I need to get some sleep."

Steve nodded in acknowledgement. "I'll see you in the morning, and thanks for at least listening to me."

"Welcome. Night."

* * * *

On the way home all Joseph could think about was what Steve had said, which was not very surprising under the circumstances.

So now what do I do about it? To start with, unless I miss my guess, Cal is not the kind of man who will accept friendship that he doesn't instigate. Secondly, his opening up to me, as little as he did that morning, was probably the first and last time for him. By now he's realized what he did and will pull away as fast and as far as possible without cutting off all communication.

And if he doesn't, how the hell do I handle it? I don't want to get close to someone. I've stayed away from that since, well… forever, it seems—other than Beth and Brian, of course.

Speaking of which, I need to have a few well-chosen words with Brian about letting out secrets that aren't his to tell.

He scrubbed a hand through his hair while waiting for a light to change.

How did I get myself into this mess? If it is a mess, which it might not be. I'm probably over thinking the whole thing. Cal will show up when he shows up, hopefully with everything finalized so we can start to work on the apartment building. Then he'll move on to the next project, leaving the rest of us to do the work there.

That's not true and I know it. He'll be as hands-on as he always is. Unless he decides to play keep-away from me because he let his hair down for a few minutes. If he tries—well, I can back away myself. Tell him I have something I have to take care of, like at BEN. Yeah, that would work.

He pulled up and stopped at the next light, waiting for it to change. He stared out the window but he saw nothing except Cal's face when he'd actually smiled and meant it as they joked around a bit, just before Cal had driven away the last time Joseph had seen him.

He looks good when he smiles—like a different man entirely. He should do it more often. And get your mind off of that train of thought right now, damn it. Maybe, just maybe, if he doesn't shut me down, we can become friends. That's it. End of story. Because no way will I let it become more. Not that I think there's a chance in hell it would, but I'm not taking that chance.

When the light changed, he continued on his way home, pushing everything he'd been thinking to the back of his mind. But one small thought insisted on popping up when he did.

He's not right for me. He's… he's human.

And yet he couldn't get the image of Cal's smile out of his head.

Never Again – 24

 

Joseph wouldn't know the answer to his question for two weeks.

In the interim, he worked on the sites with the rest of the team, under the direction of Steve Wood, the man who ran things when Cal wasn't available. Mr. Wood was an older man who had, according to the Rebuild files, signed on soon after Cal started the organization. A local contractor, he wanted to do something to help restore the city following the devastation wrought by Katrina. He saw his opportunity with Rebuild after getting frustrated with all the hoops the city had forced him to jump through when he tried it on his own.

One evening after work, Steve asked if Joseph wanted to stop for a couple of beers. Surprised, Joseph agreed. They ended up at a corner table in a small local bar. After their drinks arrived, Steve leaned back to survey the room before turning his attention to Joseph, saying, "Rumor has it you and Cal are friends."

"I'm not certain I'd go that far. We ate lunch together a couple of times when I first started with Rebuild, and he seems to trust me enough to ask my opinion sometimes. That's about it."

"That sounds about right, knowing him. He always has been one to keep to himself."

"I take it you might have known him before all this?"

Steve nodded. "When he first returned to civilian life, he got a job with my company. He was good and caught on fast, but—"

"He has a temper and doesn't control it well at times. Yeah, he told me. So you let him go, I take it."

"I had to. He got in fights with a couple of my guys. The first time, I let it pass but not the second." Steve shook his head. "I felt guilty later when I found out he'd ended up on the streets, but at the time I figured he wasn't worth keeping around."

"I doubt anyone would blame you, even Cal."

"He didn't. When I showed up, telling him I was willing to lend my expertise and donate time to Rebuild, he pretty much greeted me with open arms." Steve chuckled. "Well, as much as he'd do that with anyone." He took a long pull on his beer before saying, "You're probably wondering what this is all about."

"Definitely. I don't think you brought me here just for my company."

"Pleasant as it is, no, I didn't. He needs someone like you around."

"I'm not planning on going anywhere."

"Good, but that's not quite what I meant."

Joseph chuckled. "Didn't think it was. However, I can hardly force my friendship on him. It's really his choice if he wants to trust me or not, beyond my working for him."

Steve sighed, pointedly looking around the bar. Wondering what he was searching for, Joseph looked as well. Then it hit him and he almost got up and left before he lost his temper. Although there were a few women, parts of mixed couples, the majority of the customers were male, which might not have been surprising at a local bar except for one thing, the majority of the men were quite obviously with other men. Not blatantly, but enough so that Joseph wondered how the hell he hadn't picked up on that from the moment they walked in.

Not expecting it, he thought wryly, even though he was pissed. When Steve returned his attention to him, Joseph said acidly, "This is what you meant by his needing someone like me. What the hell makes you think I'm one of them?" He nodded pointedly to one pair of men.

"I know Brian Craig."

"Hell, is there anyone in the city he doesn't know? And why would knowing him make you think I'm gay. And if I were, which I'm not admitting to, why do you think it would matter to Cal, other than to push him as far away from me as possible?" Joseph knew the answer to that one from the brief talk he'd had with Cal—if he could even call it a talk. But he wanted to hear Steve say it.

Steve rolled his beer between his hands, apparently trying to figure out how to reply. Finally he said, "First off, I've known Brian for a long time. He happened to mention soon after he met Beth, by way of nothing particular, that her uncle was gay. Very closeted, but gay. I shrugged it off, figuring it didn't matter one way or the other in this city. Besides which, I never thought I'd run into you."

"Okay, I'll buy that, I guess. It still doesn't answer my second question."

"Cal's gay, Joe. He's just as closeted as you but with good reason. Or more he had a good reason while he was in the army and it's carried over into his civilian life."

"He told you this?"

Steve nodded. "Right after I joined Rebuild, the organization went through a rough spot and he was pissed, worried, and generally uptight. We went out for a few drinks because I figured it might help him relax. Instead he went overboard, got roaring drunk, and began talking about how unfair life was. Everything came out." He shook his head. "The next day Cal didn't remember spilling his guts like that and I never told him. I figured, knowing him, it would only be asking for trouble."

Never Again – 23

 

Turning his head, Cal frowned at him. "You don't know me. How the hell could you like me?"

"I have good instincts when it comes to people. Under that tough exterior you've built up there's a man worth knowing and liking. At least, that's how I see it."

"Joe, you're stone crazy. For all you know, I'm a worthless piece of shit who's managed to con a lot of people into going along with my grift. Tomorrow I could clean out Rebuild's bank account and be on my way to Tahiti."

"They say Belize is nicer."

Cal shot him a startled look then laughed. "Actually, given my druthers, I'd head to the Greek islands—or maybe Ireland."

"Ireland would be good."

"Ever been there?"

"I've never been out of the country, much to my shame. I was always too busy working to take the time off to travel."

"And yet now when you can, you're here busting your balls to help out people you don't even know and probably never will."

"Same as you, Cal."

"Yeah, except I do know them, at least to some extent. As they say, been there, done that, have the scars to prove it,"

"That rough?"

"It can be. In some ways it can be as bad as Iraq, except no one's trying to blow you to kingdom come or shoot your ass off—usually." He shot a look at Joseph, shaking his head. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?" Joseph replied innocently.

"Get me talking about… things."

Joseph grinned. "It's a talent."

After starting up the truck, Cal muttered, "One you're quite adept at."

"It is, was, how I earned my living."

As they pulled out of the apartment building lot, Cal asked, "Didn't you ever do anything just for fun? I mean you said you've never traveled, but damn, you didn't just work and go home did you?"

"Pretty much. I'm not exactly social all in all. What do you do, when you're not working?"

"Go home and crash," Cal admitted.

"So we're two of a kind, at least in that respect."

"Only in that respect. Trust me, otherwise we're as opposite as we can be." He paused as he turned onto the street leading back to the work site, frowning. "Hang on a second, you mean you don't have a wife or a girlfriend to keep you busy on your off-hours?"

"Not a one. Like I said, I'm the solitary sort. I know you're not married but what about a girlfriend?"

Cal shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "Not my thing."

Leaning back, Joseph looked at him. "As in you think having a woman around is a waste of time except when you need some R&R or they're really not your thing?"

"You know the saying, the one that was in all the papers until just recently. Stick with it, Joe, because I sure do."

It took Joseph a moment to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Then it hit him and he smiled. "Got it. And I won't."

Cal glanced at him for a second. "Ask or tell?"

Joseph chuckled. "Both."

A small smile crossed Cal's lips for a second before his almost perpetual frown returned. "I did sort of wonder, rich boy. Now I know."

"Would you quit with the 'rich boy'?"

"Why? You are."

"Not my damned fault."

"Mine either, and we're here. Hop out so I can go deal with all the paperwork and we can get hold of that building and rebuild it according to all the damned government guidelines."

When Cal pulled to a stop, Joseph did get out, leaning in to say, "Let me know how it goes. Okay?"

"Your money, you'll be the first to know," Cal told him with a slight grin. "Now move it. It won't impress the powers-that-be if I arrive with you hanging out the window."

Laughing, Joseph stepped back. As he watched Cal drive off, he thought, I don't quite know how I did it, but he's finally opening up a bit. Now to see if he regrets it the second he's had time to think.

Never Again – 22

 

As if some higher being wanted to make a liar out of Joseph, Cal was already at the site when he arrived the next morning.

The minute Cal saw him, he beckoned to him, saying, when Joseph joined him beside his truck, "Come on, there's something I want to show you."

When they were in the truck Joseph asked, "Another house?"

Cal shook his head as he pulled away from the curb. "An abandoned apartment building, still structurally sound according to the city inspectors but that's about it. It'll take… well, you'll see when we get there."

A few minutes later, Cal pulled into what had been the parking lot of a three-story building which, to Joseph, looked more like an old motel from some horror movie. There were steel stairways, some of them missing, leading up to the balconies on the second and third levels. Many of the doors were missing and on the ground level sheets of plywood took their place. The outer walls were covered with graffiti, some of it artistic but most just tags.

He pointed to one, asking, "Have gangs tried to take this over?"

"Tried, yeah, but the cops kick them out when they see them."

"Are they going to be a problem?"

Cal smiled tightly. "Not once we buy the building—if we do. That's why I wanted you to see it, rich boy. It's what I want to spend the money on you gave me."

Joseph nodded slowly as they got out of the truck. "So show me."

Cal did, but not until they had both donned the gear he had in the back of the truck, including respirators. Then they made their way across the debris-littered parking lot to one of the flights of stairs leading to the first balcony.

The apartments were small, with a living area, kitchen, one bedroom, and a bath. Abandoned, destroyed furniture littered them. Mold climbed halfway up some of the walls. Joseph had the feeling the ones on the ground floor were probably totally mold-covered. The third level was marginally better, although Joseph knew the mold would be in the walls if not on them.

"So there you have it," Cal said when they returned to the parking lot. "I figure it can house twenty to forty people, depending on if they're couples, singles, or families."

"You've checked with the zoning and building departments? Will you have any problems getting the permits we need?"

"There'll be the usual hassle, but Mr. Folkes, one of our supporters, has the right pull with the city to get things moving and he's volunteered to help me with this. The city wants things cleaned up down here faster than it's happening so far. And they want the homeless off the streets. They already closed down the encampment under the Pontchartrain Causeway, but there isn't enough room in the shelters, even if the people wanted in. A lot of them don't. They like their freedom." Cal sighed. "If we do this it'll help, marginally, but at least it's another place and who knows, it could set a precedent the way our rebuilding the houses has. Not just here, but all over the city."

Joseph snorted. "First you'd have to get the building owners to get up off their land. The tax breaks they earn until they find a buyer make it worth their while to hang on to it, come hell or high water."

"I know." Leaning back against the truck, Cal stared at the building. "So, honestly, what do you think?"

"Get the licenses and let's get the project on the road."

Cal turned to look at him, a bright smile on his face. "Thanks."

"For what? You wanted my opinion, I gave it to you. It's a good idea."

"Yeah, but sometimes what I think will work, others think is crazy."

"Like when you started Rebuild?"

"Yeah. There I was, a guy with no real experience and no job trying to…" Cal turned away suddenly, going around the truck to get in.

Joseph slid into the passenger seat before saying quietly, "There's nothing wrong with talking about yourself, Cal. No one's going to think less of you because you—"

"Because I what?" Cal broke in angrily.

"Lived the way you had to in order to survive."

"Like you'd know, rich boy," Cal snarled in reply, apparently surprised Joseph knew about it.

"True, I've never had to live on the streets. That doesn't mean I condemn those who have to. I wouldn't be here and trying to help if I did. You want someone to be angry at, take your pick." Joseph's voice filled with disgust as he spoke. "The government that does next to nothing, the military that hands you your discharge papers then tells you you're on your own, the mental hospitals that kick patients to the curb because they don't have room for them. That's who you go after. Not me."

Cal wrapped his arms around the steering wheel, resting his forehead on them. "Sorry," he muttered, so low Joseph barely heard him.

Instinctively, Joseph reached out to rub his shoulders. "It's okay. I shouldn't have pushed but then, that's me."

"The newspaper gene?" Cal said with a small chuckle, leaning back into Joseph's touch for a moment before pulling away quickly.

"That and the fact I like you and want to know… what makes you tick I guess."