Never Again – 43

 

"Joe," Cal said, suddenly looking very wary as they parked in one of the downtown lots near the Quarter.

"Umm?"

"You do know what we're doing, right?"

"Going out to dinner then maybe to a club. Why?" Then he understood. "If you don't want us to be so public, now's the time to say so."

"I want to. I really do. I just wanted to be certain you did and you got what it's going to mean."

Joseph laughed, leaning over to give him a quick kiss. "It means if anyone we know sees us, they're going to know we're more than just casual friends who work together. And…" he grinned, "since I'm your employee, you could be sued for sexual harassment."

"As if!" Cal grinned back at him. "I think you were the 'harasser', not that I protested too much. Well, now that that's cleared up, which restaurant? You never said." He glanced down at what he was wearing. "Please, nowhere fancy."

"This is the Quarter, Cal. We could go into most places in jeans if we wanted to. The tourists do it all the time. Besides which, you look just fine." He smiled when Cal still looked skeptical. "Tell you what, I was thinking of Muriel's but maybe we should try Pat O'Brien's instead. We can eat in the Courtyard and pretend it's our first time in the city."

"Deal," Cal said, laughing. "And I happen to like O'Brien's." He opened the door, looking at Joseph when he didn't move. "Well come on, rich boy, show me the town."

* * * *

"I am stuffed to the gills," Joseph said a good deal later, leaning back to rub his stomach.

"Since when do wolves have gills?' Cal joked, instantly glancing around afterward to see if anyone had heard him, looking contrite for saying that out loud.

Joseph smiled, telling him quietly, "It's okay. If anyone did hear, they'd think you meant the kind who preys on handsome men like you, not the real thing."

"Let's hope."

"Cal," Joseph said after leaning in so only he could hear, "no one knows shifters exist, so how else would someone take it?"

Smiling ruefully, Cal nodded in agreement. "Okay, what's next on the agenda?"

"We go work off all this good food at one of the clubs?"

"I'm not much of a dancer, Joe."

"Hmm, that could present a problem then, since the last time I danced, the waltz was all the rage."

"Seriously?"

"Very seriously, I'm afraid."

"Okay then." Cal finished the last of his beer, set the glass down then said, "How about we take a walk instead? Maybe down by the river."

"A romantic moonlight stroll. I like the idea."

After paying for their dinner, the two men set out. Bourbon Street was, as always at that time of night, crowded with tourists. After getting bumped once too often by intoxicated females who then smiled lasciviously at them, they veered onto the next street leading toward the river.

As they walked down Orleans, Cal tentatively took Joseph's hand. When Joseph didn't pull it away, he smiled with obvious relief.

"Come on now," Joseph said, chuckling softly, "did you really think I wouldn't want to hold hands with you?"

"Well, we are in public," Cal pointed out, even as he tightened his grip.

"So are they, and them, and them." Joseph nodded toward several other male couples walking ahead of them, one with their arms entwined around each other. "In this city, in this part of the city at least, you know no one really objects, except perhaps the occasional uptight tourist."

Never Again – 42

 

Cal followed Joseph up to the bedroom to wait while he showered and got dressed. When Joseph came out of the bathroom, having left his dirty clothes in the hamper next to the sink, he had a towel wrapped around his waist while he finished drying his hair with another one.

"Joe," Cal said, his voice filled with shock. "It's gone."

"What?"

"The cut, the wound, whatever you want to call it. It's healed. That's not possible."

Joseph smiled slightly. "Yes it is. Just like what happened last night was possible, so is this."

And now we've finally acknowledged the elephant in the room.

He sat down on the bed next to Cal. "It's one of the perks, so to speak, of shifting. Each time I do, my body regenerates and any damage is healed."

"Oh," Cal replied quietly. "That would be damned useful in Iraq—which was a real non sequitur but—"

"It was sort of, but I know what you mean." Taking a deep breath, Joseph continued. "The regenerating has another effect as well. Remember my telling you Rawleigh died in the war?"

"Iraq, yes."

"No. The War Between the States."

"Holy hell," Cal whispered, moving away from him. "Just… damn, Joe." He studied his face for a long moment. "You're telling me you're… almost a hundred and fifty?"

"A little older than that actually, but not by much."

"I… see." Cal drummed his fingers on his thigh, still studying Joseph. "So each time you shift it not only heals you, it keeps you young."

"Oh, I do age, just very, very slowly. And yes, it's because of the shifting." He smiled a bit remembering, then told Cal what he'd been thinking. "My sister got very pissed at me when I refused to shift one time. I didn't want Rawleigh to realize I wasn't aging. I thought by not shifting, well, you know."

"Sister?"

"Elizabeth. She wasn't a shifter herself but she carried the gene, which is why…well, never mind. At the moment it's not germane to what I'm telling you. When I refused to shift, Elizabeth laid into me. It seems I also got very cranky, to put it mildly. Since shifting is part of my nature, not shifting is not good."

Cal chuckled. "So when you start getting really pissed at me, I should tell you to head for the bayou and do your thing."

"If you don't want me biting off heads," Joseph agreed with a laugh.

"I'll remember that," Cal said, sobering. "This means when I'm older, you're still going to look the way you do now."

Joseph nodded. "Pretty much, yes. As I said, I do age, so when you're say, fifty, I might look a bit closer to thirty-five."

"That could set some tongues wagging."

"Probably will, if we stay here."

Cal frowned, obviously thinking about what he'd said. "True," he replied, "we could move somewhere else where they don't know us." Suddenly his eyes lit up as he stared at Joseph. "Do you realize what we're talking about? What we're saying?"

"Umm hmm. We're talking about us and a future together. And I'm getting the impression you like the idea. Am I right?"

"You are. Do you?"

"Very much so."

"You know it's still early on," Cal said. "We've only known each other for a little while. For you, it would be a very little while in the grand scheme of your life."

"True. On the other hand, we've been through a lot together and are still, well, together. I think that says something about our feelings." He chuckled softly. "Although this afternoon I was beginning to wonder if you were having second thoughts."

"To be honest, I was. It was the first time I really had a chance to think about last night and… and what you did. I began to be frightened, Joe. I mean, first off, I've never really cared about someone the way I do you, which in itself is scary for me on an emotional level. Then to have the whole shifting thing added in on top of it, I began to wonder if I had what it takes to handle it all."

"I guess you decided you could?"

Cal nodded. "I weighed the pros and cons, and the pros came out well on top."

"Thank goodness." Joseph stretched out his hand and when Cal took it, he tugged him closer. Close enough to kiss him. "I don't know what I would have done if you decided to walk away," he whispered against his lips.

Cal pulled back a bit to look at him. "Well, it's not going to happen. I'm not sure that I can say this is love just yet, but I think it's damned close to it."

Wrapping his arms around Cal, Joseph sighed happily. "I lost one man I loved and vowed never to let it happen again. But it has, and I'm not complaining in the least."

"Why? I mean, why did you tell yourself you wouldn't let it happen again?"

"Honest truth? Because loving someone, especially someone human, means eventually I'll lose them and have to go on without them."

"Joe, that can happen anyway and you know it. Even if you were human yourself, it could happen."

"But I know anyone I love is going to die before me," Joseph countered.

"Bull. Unless you're immortal, there's always the chance you could be killed. Right?"

"Well, yes."

"Then I'd be left without you, but I'm not about to throw everything away just because that might happen."

"All right, all right." Joseph laughed. "I'm getting the point. I'm stuck with you, which means I should get dressed so we can celebrate."

"Celebrate your being stuck with me?" Cal looked amused.

"No, you nut," Joseph replied, getting to his feet. "Well, yes, that too, but also the celebration we planned on having now that the problems at the site are over." He kissed Cal again. "So don't move. I'll be dressed in two seconds flat."

"Five minutes."

"Three."

Cal laughed. "Four. Five, if you don't start right now."

Never Again – 41

 

When Cal and Joseph returned to the site, some of the workers had already arrived. Joseph suspected they were there early to see if any more vandalism had occurred. When Cal told them what had happened a couple of hours previously, there was a sense of both shock and relief. Shock at finding out Steve had been involved in the sabotage, relief that everything would now get back to normal. The first thing Cal had them do was put the gasoline-soaked lumber in one of the dumpsters since it was unusable now.

As the day progressed, Joseph began to get the feeling Cal was intentionally doing his best not to interact with him except when absolutely necessary. At first he thought it was just because Cal had spent half of the morning going to the sites of the few houses which were still being worked on. With Steve in jail, it was left up to Cal to do at least minimal supervision on them until he made a decision about who would be his new second in command.

By mid-afternoon Joseph was very certain Cal was avoiding him. He's having second thoughts, now that he knows what I am. Not that I can blame him in the least. Last night necessity overrode emotions. But now… He shook his head sorrowfully as he continued with what he was doing.

Only when it was time to leave did Cal come over to talk to Joseph. Then it was to say, "Since we came in my truck, I'll give you a lift home."

"I can find someone else," Joseph replied, trying not to sound snarky—and barely succeeding.

"Why?" Cal asked in surprise.

"Well I thought… I mean you were… never mind." He smiled then to cover his relief. "We did promise we were going to celebrate."

"In style is the way you put it," Cal agreed. "That means I have to change into something halfway decent."

* * * *

Ten minutes later they were parked in the lot behind an older apartment building not very far west of City Park. It was the first time Joseph had been there, since up until today Cal had seemed very reticent that they meet anywhere except at Joseph's house. When Joseph would ask, Cal just replied, "My apartment's nothing special and small, really small," or words to that effect.

Now, as they got out of the truck Cal said with a self-deprecating grin, "It's not exactly palatial as you'll see, but it's home."

"It's actually rather nice," Joseph told him a couple of minutes later when they walked into the small apartment.

It was obvious Cal had added his own touches to what was essentially a very utilitarian living/kitchen area. Three walls were off-white. The fourth was a deep maroon with photos of finished Rebuild houses hanging on it above a low chest of drawers. The furniture was old—Joseph suspected most of it came from thrift shops—and there wasn't much of it. A dark brown upholstered sofa stood against one wall, a beige lounger catty-corner to it, both of them facing a small table that held an older TV set. Off to one side, next to the open kitchen, was a door that led to Cal's bedroom.

"I'll be out in a few," Cal said, going into the bedroom.

With nothing to do but wait, since Cal had closed the door after him, Joseph went over to take a closer look at the photos. He recognized a couple of houses as ones he'd worked on and smiled. Then he crossed to the small nook in the side wall to look out the only window at the street.

It was a nice area, he decided, watching people walking on the sidewalk across the street. Families mainly, I suspect. He chuckled as a small boy dashed ahead of his parents toward a small park at the end of the street.

"What's so funny?"

He turned to see Cal standing in the bedroom doorway, wearing black pants and a pale blue, button-down shirt that accented his black hair and dark blue eyes. "Nothing really," he replied with a smile. "You clean up good, as they say."

Cal shrugged. "Not like I have much to choose from. These are my only decent slacks."

"Still, you look nice. Very handsome." He smiled again when Cal ducked his head in embarrassment. "Well, you are. Are you ready?"

"Yep. Let's head to your place, rich boy."

Joseph rolled his eyes, saying, "I'm never going to lose that nickname, am I?" Cal laughed and shook his head.

 

Never Again – 40

 

Steve sat up slowly, not taking his eyes off Joseph. "What could you have done, Cal? You don't have any money. Embezzle it from Rebuild? Somehow I don't see you doing that."

This might explain why he was so dead set on my making friends with Cal, Joseph decided. To maybe keep him too busy to be aware of what was being set up.

Cal ran a hand over his face. "So to save yourself, you were willing to destroy what we're doing here. Who hired you, Steve? Who's the bastard who forced you into this?"

"Mr. Folkes. He saw the value in this place but, according to him, you got enough money together to buy it before he could make an offer. He wanted to turn it into a fancy tourist motel."

Cal frowned. "But he helped me pull everything together, especially with some of the licenses."

"So he would have access when the time came," Steve told him. He started to stand, remaining where he was when Joseph growled angrily and took two steps toward him. "Where the hell did you get that beast, Cal?" he asked fearfully, eyeing the shifter.

"A friend loaned him to me," Cal replied without blinking an eye. "He's a well-trained wolf-hybrid."

Wolf-hybrid? Joseph would have chuckled if it was possible. Well I suppose technically that's what I am. Well-trained, however, is another story.

"So now what happens," Steve asked, his head bowed in submission.

"I call the police and you tell them everything."

"About Mr. Folkes?"

"Especially about him, the son-of-a-bitch." Cal had his phone in his hand by then, making the call while still keeping his pistol trained on Steve.

"I'll report that beast to Animal Control," Steve blustered.

Cal smiled. "First they'd have to find him, which might be a problem." He turned his attention to his call when it was answered; explaining he'd caught two men trying to vandalize the site. After he hung up, he let Steve and his companion know the cops were on their way. "Move over next to him," Cal ordered the other man, pointing to Steve. With obvious reluctance the man did, crouching down beside him, cradling his injured, blood-soaked arm with the other one.

Cal glanced at Joseph, giving a small nod of his head in the direction of the front of the building. Moments later Joseph was out of view, crouching in the deep shadows of the building for the moment to keep watch in case of further trouble.

Within minutes, a squad car and an ambulance pulled up in front of the site. By then, Cal had herded his two prisoners to the gate. While the EMTs examined to man Joseph had bitten, Cal talked with the police officers. Steve and the other man were read their rights then Steve was ushered into the squad car while his accomplice was placed in the ambulance.

Only after everyone but Cal was gone did Joseph appear in his human form. He'd obviously found where Cal had left his clothes because he was dressed.

"You did it," Cal said, wrapping his arm around Joseph's waist.

"We did it. It took both of us working together, and a bit of luck, but now that problem is solved."

"Let's go home and celebrate?"

Joseph laughed, pointing to the false dawn lighting the sky. "We go home and we'll just have to turn right around and come back again. But tonight? Yes, tonight we celebrate in style." He cupped his hand under Cal's jaw, kissing him quite soundly. "For now, let's go find some breakfast. I'm starving."

Never Again – 39

 

When Cal eased the gate to the site open, Joseph slipped thorough with Cal right behind him. Seconds later Joseph stripped and shifted. Cal picked up his clothes, then, as they had planned, he moved silently through the semi-darkness to one of the supply sheds, hunkering down in the deep shadows behind it to wait, his pistol tucked in the waistband of his jeans.

Joseph knew Cal had wanted to accompany him, but as he'd pointed out, sneaking up on the vandals would be much harder for him with Cal in tow. "The idea is to surprise them in the act, not run them off without having any proof that's why they're at the site. If one of them is someone who works for us, they could just claim they were doing what we are, trying to stop any more vandalism."

With Cal safely out of sight, Joseph opened all his shifter senses as he crept inch by inch toward the apartment building. He heard the usual sounds of the city. Cars moving on the streets even though it was well after midnight. People talking, walking, as they left a bar two blocks away, some sounding happy, others not. The smells were varied, earth, wood, paint, the scents of the chemicals used on the site, the remnants of mold and mildew still clinging to the building.

I'll have to remember to tell the men where there's still some mold, the shifter thought before he got back to the business at hand.

His black fur melded into the darkness surrounding the building and into the shadows when he stealthily crept up the stairs to the third balcony. From there he could survey the area in front of the building, his sharp eyes looking for signs of movement from anything larger than the rats that came out after the site was closed up for the night.

Nothing moved, and he smelled nothing human on that side. In the next instant he had teleported to the roof. It was something he rarely did, seeing no necessity to in the normal course of things. In this case however, it quickly got him up where he would have a total view of his surroundings.

He paced the rear side of the roof, searching for intruders. Seeing none at the moment, he settled on his haunches, ready to wait until dawn if necessary. Every instinct told him it wouldn't be if the man, or men, planned to escalate their sabotage. They'd be fools not to strike while the iron was hot, before Cal has a chance to hire armed guards to patrol the place.

It was a good two hours later, close to four am, when he finally heard what he'd been waiting for, the sound of furtive footsteps on the gravel beside the short side of the L-shaped building.

Creeping forward, he looked over the edge. Three stories below him, two foreshortened dark shapes were huddled together talking in whispers, one pointing to the back corner of the building. He heard him say, "The pile of lumber's in back".

So at least one of them was not part of our crew if he didn't know that. He tried to determine who the speaker was, but the man was whispering. So he sniffed, hoping to pick up his scent. Instead the odor of gasoline met his nostrils.

Even as he realized what they probably had in mind, the men were on the move. He raced to the back side of the roof, certain what he would see. The gasoline odor intensified moments later and he watched as they emptied the contents of the large can over lumber piled within a foot or so of the back wall.

As one of the men took something from his pocket, Joseph left the roof, landing beside him before the man could flick the lighter he held to start the lumber on fire. Strong jaws clamped on the man's arm, fangs piercing skin down to the bone. The man screamed in pain and terror.

His companion stared in disbelief, then, stupidly in Joseph's opinion, bent to retrieve the fallen lighter. He didn't have a chance to complete the action. Joseph was on him swiftly, knocking him to the ground. Massive paws on his shoulders held him there, fangs flashing when he lowered his head toward the man's throat.

"No!" Cal shouted when he rounded the corner. "Don't kill him!"

For an instant Joseph was tempted to ignore the order, aware of who the man was. Then he lifted his head, still holding the man supine on the ground.

As Cal came closer, he swore softly but vehemently. "Steve? What the hell! Why?" He pointed the pistol at him then moved it quickly to cover the second man who was attempting to crawl away, despite the damage to his arm. "Another inch and you lose your balls," he growled. The man froze where he was.

Once again Cal asked, "Why, Steve? I thought you believed in what we were doing."

"Get this animal off me and I'll tell you."

Joseph growled low in his throat, casting a quick glance at Cal. Cal shook his head. "He stays until you talk," he told Steve, moving to stand over him while keeping a weather eye on the second man.

"Money, Cal. Money. I have debts, gambling debts, and they need paying off. So when I was approached to help shut down the work here, well, I didn't have much choice in the matter."

"Oh, Steve. Damn it." Cal sighed sadly. "Why didn't you come to me? We could have figured something out."

Joseph moved back then, standing with his hackles raised, his tail erect, his legs stiff, and a snarl on his lips which revealed his sharp fangs as he focused all his attention on Steve.

Never Again – 38

 

"For God's sake will you just tell me? Whatever it is, it can't be as bad as you think. Not if Rawleigh accepted it." Cal frowned. "He did, didn't he?"

"Yes." Joseph smiled softly, remembering. "Yes, he did."

"Well damn it, if he could and he was just a kid, then so can I."

"About that," Joseph said, looking for any way to postpone the moment, "he wasn't exactly a kid."

"Oh. I thought, from the way you talked about him. So he was an older man? Older than you?"

"No, we were very close to the same age, just two years apart." He smiled slightly. "I was the older one."

"But he…he did die? I mean he's not going to show up someday and, well—"

"Yes. He died in the war."

"Hang on a second. Which war? Iraq? He was in the army?"

"No. He was a reporter and… damn it." Joseph's mouth tightened in anxiety. "All right, this is where my story gets strange, or it will seem like it is to you."

"How strange?" Cal looked up at him fearfully.

"I'll preface this in the same way I did with him, if you don't mind." Joseph began to pace again, never taking his eyes off Cal. "In this world there are many beings. Most are like you, human. A few, a very few—aren't. I'm one of them."

"Right. Sure. Look, Joe, whatever's going on with you, and it has to be bad, please don't take me for a fool and try to turn it into some sort of…of damned fairytale," Cal growled, anger now filling his face.

Joseph winced but didn't back away. "Myth, Cal, not a fairytale. Most people think, hope, we are just a myth and we let them. It would be more than our lives are worth to reveal ourselves."

"Yet according to you, that's what you're doing with me. What the hell do you think you are? What sort of delusion are you living under?"

As he replied, Joseph began to undress, staring at Cal as he did, willing him to understand. "I'm what's called a shifter. A human who can take another form. In my case, I become a wolf."

Cal snorted in disbelief. "Werewolves are things out of bad movies and TV shows, Joe. They don't exist in the real world." Then his eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, backing away, hands held out in front of him as if to ward off what he was seeing.

The wolf stood silently, its black tail partially erect, its head held high with its ears forward. It stared at Cal then, suddenly, it sat on its haunches, its tail slowly wagging.

"Okay," Cal said angrily, "what in damnation is going on here? What did you do, Joe, hypnotize me somehow or something? Enough with the fucking games."

Almost instantly Joseph stood in front of him again. "It's no game, Cal. The wolf is part of what I am."

"Like hell it is! That's not possible. What I just saw, it's not possible."

Joseph shifted again. And then back. "It is possible. Why can't you believe what you saw with your own two eyes?"

"Because… because…" Cal dropped down on the boulder again, burying his face in his hands as he whispered, "Because if I believe, then it means—"

"Means what, Cal?" Joseph asked quietly, kneeling in front of him. "Do you think I'm a different man now? I'm not."

Lifting his head, Cal stared at him. "I suppose that's true enough," he replied after a long moment. He chuckled suddenly, much to Joseph's surprise. "And here I thought keeping our relationship a secret was hard. Poor you, you have to deal with that and this."

Joseph smiled, patting his leg. "Now we both do."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Putting his hand over Joseph's, he smiled back. "I guess it means I'm important to you, since you trusted me enough to show me."

"Very important, in case this is the first time you realized it."

Cal nodded. "No, I knew that." Taking a deep breath he asked, "Would you telling me also have something to do with whatever your plan is?"

"Honestly, it made it more imperative to tell you now rather than wait until… until I thought it wouldn't send you running out of my life."

"You were willing to risk that in order to save what we're doing? To save Rebuild?"

Joseph nodded. "It was a calculated risk but I guess, deep in my heart, I knew you could handle it."

Cal snorted. "Like hell you did."

"Okay, yeah, you're right. I was scared stiff actually, but it had to be done."

"Speaking of stiff," Cal said with a grin, raking his glance over Joseph's naked body, "if you don't get dressed right now—"

"Good idea, at the moment." Joseph got to his feet and put on his jeans. "Better?"

"Marginally, but yeah. So what's this plan of yours?"

Never Again – 37

 

Joseph spent most of the rest of the day trying to come up with an alternative plan to catch the saboteur than the one he knew would work. The problem with the first and best idea he'd come up with was that it would require him to reveal what he was to Cal.

It's much too soon, he thought for the hundredth time. We're barely into the 'I might really care enough for you to make this permanent' stage. Letting him know I'm not quite human could send him running as fast as possible in the other direction.

On the other hand, if I don't and things go from bad to worse, it will be my fault for being so much of a coward that I can't trust in the feelings between us. Damn it, I wasn't going to let this happen! Wasn't once enough to teach me?

By late afternoon, he came to a decision. Cornering Cal in a spot where none of the others could overhear them he said, "I have something I need to tell you, but not here."

"Do you know who's causing the problem?" Hope and worry colored his question.

"No. But I have a plan that could help us find out." Joseph turned away, staring at the apartment building. "And we have to do it now before things escalate."

Cal frowned as he looked at him. "Why do I get the feeling it's going to put you, us, in danger?"

Chuckling low, Joseph replied, "We're after someone who did his best to take me out of the picture, possibly permanently, whether that was their intention or not. And if it hadn't been me, it could have been one of the other men. The saboteur is playing hardball; we have to return the favor."

"Okay, you're right. I'll meet you at your house?"

Joseph nodded. "Pick me up. I want to go somewhere else to talk."

"Umm, sure. Taking me out for a fancy dinner?" Cal grinned, then sobered, muttering, "As if we could do that."

"Someday maybe we can." After glancing around to be certain no one was in sight Joseph kissed him quickly before walking away.

* * * *

"Where are we headed?" Cal asked when Joseph got into his truck.

"Go east along I-10." Joseph said tersely.

There was a moment's silence. "How far?"

"I'll tell you where to turn off. Please just drive." When Cal scowled at him before pulling away from the curb, Joseph put one hand on his thigh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"It's okay. I get that you're wound up about everything." Cal squeezed his hand then returned his concentration to driving.

Fifteen long, silent minutes later Cal was looking for a place to park the truck. He spotted a pull-off and turned into it. "Now where?" he asked after getting out.

"Follow me." Joseph headed into the densely packed trees that lined their side of the highway. Eventually they came to a large, grassy area with just a few trees dotted about. Here, Joseph stopped.

Cal looked around, shaking his head in bemusement. "You brought me out to God only knows where just to talk about your plan for stopping the saboteur? We couldn't have done it in the comfort of your living room?"

Joseph shook his head. "Not really." He pointed to a small boulder next to one of the trees. "This might be easier if you're sitting down."

"For who? You or me?" Cal asked almost defiantly, even though he did go over and sit. "What's going on, Joe?"

Joseph began pacing, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. Suddenly he came to a stop a few feet away from Cal, fixing him with an intense gaze.

"It's going to take too long, maybe days or weeks, if we just try to hide somewhere at the site and hope we're in the right place at the right time to catch the man, or men, doing this. Even installing security cameras or hiring a security guard could be hit or miss if this person is clever enough."

"I suppose," Cal agreed hesitantly. "Or we could get lucky and they'll show up tonight and we'll spot them before they do any more damage."

"Are you willing to bet the farm on that happening?"

"I guess not. Not if you have a better idea."

"I do." Joseph wanted to turn away, run away, leave everything behind him just so he wouldn't have to tell Cal. But it would mean leaving him and he wasn't ready to do that—wasn't even certain he could. "Damn, this is hard," he whispered.

"Joe, whatever's going on with you"—Cal paused, reaching out to him—"it's more than just catching this bastard, isn't it?"

Joseph nodded, taking his hands, gripping them tightly. "I've only told this to one other person. Two others know, but right now that's beside the point."

"Rawleigh?" Cal asked quietly.

"Yes. He had the right to know and now, so do you. If I'm not honest with you then we have no future. But if I am…" He sighed deeply, releasing his hold on Cal's hands so he could step away. "If I am then we still might not have a future."

Never Again – 36

 

Early the next morning, as soon as everyone had arrived at the site, Cal called a meeting.

"I was thinking about what happened yesterday and I came to a conclusion. It's not one I like but what few facts I have seem to back it up."

Joseph sat to one side of the group, watching as Cal spoke. He saw two of the older members of the team nod as if they knew what Cal was going to say next.

"Unfortunately, there is no way I can chalk up what happened to Joe as an accident," Cal continued, anger tingeing his voice as he paced back and forth. "I was up on the balcony a few minutes before the drywall fell and it wasn't up there. Not leaning against the railing, not leaning against the wall. Nowhere!"

"So you're saying someone tried to kill Joe," one of the men called out.

"I'm saying it wasn't an accident. Whether it was aimed at Joe specifically or he just happened to be in the wrong spot at the right time, I don't know." Cal shot a look at Joseph. "I called him last night to see how he was doing and mentioned what I was thinking. He says he doesn't have any enemies who would go to such lengths and I believe him."

Joseph nodded in agreement when several of the people turned to look at him.

"So some bastard's trying to sabotage us by hurting someone?" another man asked angrily.

"That's what I'm thinking," Cal replied, scowling. "So I want each and every one of you to be on your guard. Work in pairs, don't go anywhere alone, and keep an eye open for anything that looks wrong to you. If I'm right, whoever did this could set their sights on other kinds of sabotage, like a materials fire or damaging machinery. Or—" he paused until he had everyone's undivided attention, "—doing something to the respirators or the other safety gear."

"The fucker touches my gear and he's dead meat," Lars growled. Several of the others shouted or nodded in agreement.

Cal waited until they had quieted down then said, "All right, now you know. I wish I was wrong but I don't think I am. So let's get to work and don't let the son-of-a-bitch win. We are going to finish the job and have a place for those who need it to live and regain their self-respect."

Cheers went up as the crew dispersed to start work.

* * * *

"That went well I think," Joseph said as he hobbled along beside Cal on their way to the storage shed holding the extra safety gear. He didn't have to hobble; the wound on his leg was already healing. But for appearances sake, he felt it was better to act like the 'wounded warrior' as he thought of it.

Cal nodded, a scowl still marring his handsome face. "Did you spot anyone who seemed worried we're going to be on the alert for more trouble?"

"No. Did you get a chance to check who came on after we started working here?"

"Yep. There are only three men who haven't been on at least one other site. They came well recommended though, which is why they're here."

"Who did the recommending?"

"Carl for two of them, and Steve for the other one."

Joseph frowned. "Carl? I don't think I know him."

"Carl Folkes. Remember I told you about him? He's one of our supporters. He started donating to Rebuild a couple of weeks after I met you."

"Which would have been a while before you even thought about buying this place."

"True. And he was a big help with getting a couple of the licenses pushed through afterwards." Cal unlocked the padlock on the storage shed and opened the door, flicking on the bare overhead light. "Looks like nothing's been messed with in here."

"Score one for the home team," Joseph said with a wry grin.

His words were negated a minute later when one of the men came running over. "Cal, you need to come look at this." He and Cal followed as the man led them around the building to the back. One of the doors, leading into what would eventually be the utility room holding the heating and electrical equipment, hung half off its hinges. At the moment the area was being used to store cans of paint. Cal took one look and began swearing loudly. At least a third of the cans had been opened, their contents poured out onto the concrete floor.

"Guess you hit the nail on the head, Cal," Joseph said tightly.

"It's one nail I wish I'd missed," Cal growled in reply, running a hand over his closely cropped hair. "Okay, Pat, get a couple of the guys and see what you can do about cleaning up this mess."

Pat nodded. "Are you going to call the cops?"

"Not if I can help it. Some of the guys, well, they'd rather not have any dealings with the police."

"Yeah, I'm one of them," Pat admitted. "I had enough of them on the streets." With an angry shake of his head, he took off to find some help.

"It occurs to me," Joseph said, "that might be just what the saboteur wants. If you called in the police, a lot of the men might walk away rather than deal with them."

"Exactly. We lose them, we're up shit creek until we can get more and that could be difficult. So I guess we're on our own with this. The question is, how do we find out who the bastard is and more to the point, who's behind him?"

"We'll figure it out somehow."

"I wish I was as optimistic as you," Cal replied. "I guess for now though, we'd better get back to work. And for you—" he shot a stern look at Joseph, "—that means something not too strenuous. If I had my way, you wouldn't even be here, you stubborn man."

Joseph smiled. "But I am, and I'll find something to keep me busy that won't get you on my case."

Never Again – 35

 

"The question is, why is someone going after you again?" Cal asked. He was sitting on the edge of Joseph's bed, a beer in one hand, a frown on his face.

Joseph took a drink of coffee. Cal had forbidden him to have any beer because he said it wouldn't be good for him in his condition. He'd pointed out he wasn't on any meds stronger than Advil but that didn't faze Cal. He had put his foot down and since Joseph wasn't in the mood to argue, he'd agreed. "I doubt it's because I'm taking a job someone else could be getting paid for, which was Dan's reason to hear him tell it."

"Just my opinion but I think it was. Something had him upset, maybe he and his wife were having problems, he couldn't pay the bills, or what have you. You got the brunt of his anger. If I'd have been smarter, I'd have taken him aside and talked to him instead of just kicking him off the job."

"It's easier to see things like that in hindsight. However it still doesn't answer your question. And before you ask, as far as I know, I haven't pissed anyone off." Joseph chuckled. "Unless one of the guys has the hots for you and wants me out of the picture."

"Like how would they know?" Cal asked, his frown deepening.

Joseph patted his knee. "I was teasing. But still… No, there's no way anyone could have picked up on anything. We've been very careful."

"Do you have any enemies? When you owned the website, did you do a news story that might have gotten someone royally upset with you?"

After giving Cal's question some serious thought, Joseph shook his head. "I wrote a few editorials that didn't sit well with some people, but nothing worth trying to kill or maim me over—and certainly not at this late date." He tapped a finger to his lips. "Turning that around, do you have any enemies? A fatal accident at the site could shut it down and for all we know, I was the target only because I was in the right spot at the right moment."

"Now that's something I hadn't considered. Not the enemy part, per se, but the idea of shutting down the site so we couldn't continue."

"When you talked to the original owner, did he say anything about anyone else being interested in purchasing the property?"

"Nope. He jumped on my offer as if I was his last, best friend for wanting to buy it."

"Which still doesn't preclude the fact someone else might want the land now. We're fairly close to having everything cleaned up so we can start rebuilding."

Cal nodded slowly. "The worst of the real decontamination work is done. If we were closed down now, if our licenses were revoked, which might happen if there were more 'accidents', someone could step in, take over, and turn the place into a profitable business instead of Rebuild apartments to help get the homeless get off the streets."

"If that's the case, and we're only guessing right now although it is the most logical idea we've come up with, then at least a couple of the men are ringers. And that is not a nice thought. It means someone started planning this as soon as Rebuild bought the land and the building."

"One good thing," Cal said with a small smile, "we can eliminate anyone who worked for us before then. Still, I'm going to have to put everyone on alert that there could be more trouble."

Never Again – 34

 

"Heads up!"

Joseph never heard the shout because he was wearing earplugs, but he felt the air move as something fell past him, landing on the ground barely inches from where he was standing. He was instantly covered with dust and debris from a broken sheet of drywall. He looked up at the second level balcony, shielding his eyes from the bright sun. He didn't see anyone but he knew the drywall hadn't fallen by itself. Someone grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back before swinging him around. He saw Cal's terrified face and did his best to reassure him everything was all right.

"Like hell you are!" Cal pointed to a tear in the leg of Joseph's disposable suit and the blood streaming down his thigh. "Sit down now," he ordered.

By then most of the men had appeared, some looking shocked, others asking what had happened. Cal sent George to get the first aid kit and in the next breath told Joseph if he didn't sit down there'd be hell to pay.

Despite the blossoming pain in his leg, Joseph wanted nothing more than to go up on the balcony, hoping to find some clue as to who had thrown the drywall over the railing. One look at Cal's face and he did as he was told, sitting on a pile of lumber a few feet away.

By then George had returned. He knelt by Joseph, ripping the leg of the suit farther open until he could see the wound in Joseph's thigh. "Looks like a nail got you," he said when he started to clean the large gash. "Done a good job of it too. Cal, you'd better get him to the ER. He'll need stitches and a tetanus shot if I don't miss my guess."

"I'll be fine," Joseph protested. "Just clean it out and bandage it up." The last thing he needed was to go to the hospital. It wouldn't take an intelligent doctor long to figure out he wasn't quite what he seemed. Besides which, he needed to figure out who had it in for him this time, because what had happened was no accident.

"Don't give me any shit; you're going to the hospital," Cal growled. When Joseph tried to stand, despite the fact George hadn't finished, Cal put his hands on his shoulders to stop him. "I mean it, Joe."

Joseph nodded in apparent resignation but he fully intended to convince Cal otherwise when they were out of earshot of the others. All he had to do was go for a run, something he'd managed to sneak in once a week on a night when Cal hadn't come home with him. One shift and he'd be healed. Of course, if I do that he's going to wonder. I can hide the wound from everyone else, but not him. Damn. At least whether I shift or not, it's not going to get infected so maybe—

"Tell you what, no trip to the ER and George can stitch me up."

"Like hell," Cal growled.

"I could," George put in before it became a full-blown argument. "I was a medic way back when. I know which end of a needle is up and believe it or not there's a small suture kit in here." He took it out to show Cal.

"What about the tetanus shot?"

"I had one six months ago," Joseph said, lying through his teeth. "That should cover that."

Cal sighed. "All right, looks like I'm outnumbered. Go for it, George, and slather him down with antibiotic cream too."

Ten minutes later Joseph was stitched, bandaged, and on his feet again. His leg hurt like hell as he made his way up to the balcony, but there was no way he was going to let anyone know.

While George had been playing doctor, Joseph had watched the men, studying each one carefully when they weren't aware of it. As far as he could tell, none of them seemed upset that he hadn't been hurt worse than he was. He tried to figure out which ones hadn't shown up when the 'accident' had happened. Unfortunately there were enough new guys he saw only rarely in passing that he wasn't certain if any of them were missing.

"Put your damned mask on," Cal grumbled when he came up to stand beside him.

"Sorry." Joseph did, reluctantly. It impeded his vision and sense of smell, both of which he'd been using to see if he could sense which man, or men, had tossed the drywall over the railing.

"What are you doing on the balcony anyway?" Cal asked.

Joseph shrugged. "I guess I was hoping my attacker left some clue to who he was. And it was an attack, in case you didn't get it."

Cal nodded. "I figured it was. I was up here ten minutes before it happened and there was no drywall anywhere within fifteen feet of where it had to be to fall on you. The question is, how did he, or they, manage it without anyone realizing what was happening?"

"Probably because you had most of the men working on the end units, finishing them up."

"True enough." Cal leaned on the railing, staring down at the broken shreds of the drywall. "Do you think this has anything to do with Dan?"

"That thought occurred to me." Joseph shifted to take his weight off his injured leg.

"Okay," Cal said, catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, "You're going home if I have to drive you myself."

"They might wonder why it took a couple of hours for you to return," Joseph said teasingly.

Cal snorted. "Rich boy, you aren't up for any fun and games right now."

"I'm afraid you're right, but let me call a cab. It's early and there's still too much to do today for you to take off."

"Okay." Cal glanced around then patted Joseph's butt. "I will come check up on you though, once I'm out of here."

"I'll put the pot on for tea."

"Tea?" Cal laughed. "Just make sure there's a couple of beers in the fridge."

Joseph thought for a second then nodded. "There are." Taking out his phone he called for a cab then hobbled back down the stairs, going to the gate to wait for it.