One Plus Two Equals... - 25

"What the hell!"

Duane flinched. Half-awake, he hadn't protested when Julyan said he wanted to check his wounds to make certain they weren't infected. It wasn't until Julyan cut the tape on his shoulder that he realized it was not a good idea. In fact it was, as he was quickly discovering, a very bad idea.

"It's impossible. This…" Julyan touched where the wound had been. "This is impossible. It's gone."

"I heal fast?" Duane gave a self-deprecating smile, trying to make light of things.

"No. No one can heal that fast." Julyan pulled off the bandaging over the side wound, ignoring Duane's hiss of pain when the tape ripped free of his skin. When he saw no indication there had been any damage there, he stared at Duane then backed slowly away from him. "Would you care to explain this?" He bit his lip hard, his eyes flicking to Duane's face and then away. "Can you explain it in a way that makes any kind of sense?"

"Makes sense to who, you or me?"

"Me, you idiot." Julyan spat out.

"Now, now. No name calling, Juls."

For a second Julyan smiled at being called 'Juls' before shaking his head. "Julyan to you, at least until I find out what's going on."

Duane pushed up into a sitting position, leaning against the headboard. "I wish there was a way to explain which wouldn't make you run from me as fast and as far as possible," he said quietly.

"Try me."

"How much do you know of mythology and the stories of shape shifting?"

Something in the tone of Duane's voice and the look on his face kept Julyan from laughing in derision at what he thought Duane was implying. Instead he said, "I've seen movies about were-wolves, of course, but that's about it."

"That's a start, I suppose. Myths speak of humans who can change shapes to become many things, predominately animals, of course, but also transformations into other humans. Generally those take the form of a male becoming female or vice versa but in a very few cases the change is from male to male." Duane touched his shoulder. "Often, in fact almost always, one of the benefits of being a shifter is the ability to heal rapidly. After all, when it comes down to it, wouldn't you try to destroy someone if you saw them turn into a wolf or a lion, or what have you? Because of that, they have to heal quickly so any wounds they receive don't kill them if they have to shift into their human form. Make sense?"

Julyan nodded slowly. "On some level, yes, it does. If, and it's a big 'if', I were to believe you, what animal do you turn into?"

One Plus Two Equals... - 24

Finally, much to the relief of both men, Julyan declared he'd done as much as possible. He made makeshift bandages with the last two clean washcloths and some duct tape he found in a kitchen drawer. Then he ordered Duane to get his ass into bed.

Duane wasn't about to argue. With Julyan's help he went into the bedroom and got undressed, sinking with relief onto the bed. Julyan sat down beside him on the edge and asked the question Duane was certain had been on the top of his mind since he'd entered the apartment, "How the hell did you manage to get mugged, and why didn't you go to the hospital?"

"After I left the restaurant I headed back here to pick something up for the meeting with my friend…" that had been his excuse for not going out with Julyan, "and decided to walk since the bar's close to here. I took the shortcut through the alley and…shit happened."

Julyan nodded. "Stupid, but I've done the same thing. And the hospital?"

"I hate them. I'd have to be dying before I stepped foot inside one."

"It didn't occur to you that with those wounds you might have been?"

Duane shrugged his good shoulder. "I was willing to take the chance. I figured if I could walk, or stagger, I wasn't dead yet."

"You're crazy. You know that, don't you?"

"So I've been told, by more people than I care to think about."

Julyan frowned. When Duane asked why since he was only joking, he shook his head. "I…someone else said almost the same thing to me a couple of days ago."

Yeah, me. I have to watch that. It's the second time I've slipped. Aloud, Duane just chuckled. "You run around with other crazy people besides me?"

"No." He winced. "I mean, I don't really think you're crazy, and the other guy, I don't know him so I couldn't say if he is. He was just some man on the roof taking pictures."

"And you just happened to be there when he was." Duane put a bit of jealousy into his tone of voice.

Julyan nodded. "I go up there sometimes to think. And before you get pissy, if that's what you're doing, we talked a bit was all, nothing more."

Duane felt strange being jealous of himself, but he was. Especially when he realized Julyan had dropped his eyes when he lied to him. "What was he like?"

"Umm…" Julyan shrugged casually as if it didn't matter, still not looking at Duane. "From what I remember he was taller than you, muscular, with dark hair, and… well, bossy. Very different from you except for his eyes, they're amber too."

"A lot of people's eyes are. Well, not a lot maybe but it's not that unusual."

"True." He looked at Duane again, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "You need to get some sleep."

"So do you," Duane countered. "If you want, you can stay here."

"I want," Julyan replied softly. "It's why I came over in the first place even though I knew I was probably being pushy."

"You? Pushy? Juls, you're about the least pushy man I know."

"Juls?"

"Don't like that? Sorry."

Julyan smiled. "Well, people have tried calling me that before and I always hated it but you know what, coming from you it's not so bad."

"Okay, then that's my nickname for you, but only when we're alone." Duane tried to ease himself into a more comfortable position and discovered it wasn't really possible.

Julyan shook his head. "Maybe if I…" He stood and undressed before sliding carefully in beside Duane, adjusting how they were lying so that his body cushioned Duane's. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you."

"Now sleep."

"Planning on it." Duane closed his eyes. A thought flitted through his head—something about it not being a good idea for Julyan to be there in the morning, but before it could take hold he was asleep.

One Plus Two Equals... - 23

"What the hell happened to you?"

Duane's mouth tightened as he replied, "I got mugged. It's not as bad as it looks." He was standing at the front door to his condo, shirtless, wondering why the hell he'd buzzed Julyan in. Insanity, or I'm more out of it than I thought.

Julyan scowled when Duane didn't move. "I'm coming in. You need someone to take care of those wounds. I gather you didn't talk to the cops or go to the ER."

When he still didn't move, Julyan ducked under the arm Duane was using to block his way.

Duane spun around, his face a picture of rage. Then, after taking a deep breath, his expression softened minimally. "Why don't you come in?" he sneered.

"Why don't you sit down…over there," Julyan pointed to a low-backed chair beside the sofa, "and let me take a look. And I mean now, before you fall down," he added when Duane swayed a bit. Without asking he put an arm around Duane's waist, steering him to the chair.

Duane collapsed into it, grimacing when pain radiated out from the wounds. They were beginning to heal but much too slowly. He was very glad he'd had the strength to shift from Auden to himself, and into his own slacks which fit, not Auden’s which would have been much too long for him, That would really have had Julyan wondering. He could imagine what Julyan would have thought if he'd been Auden when he answered the door, or dressed in Auden’s clothes.

"Where do you keep your first-aid kit?"

"What first-aid kit?"

"You have to be kidding. Everyone has one, at least bandages and some sort of antiseptic ointment."

Duane bowed his head, resting it in his hands. "Not this everyone," he growled.

"All right then, I guess we go with soap and water and some clean towels. Don't move." Julyan vanished into the bathroom, returning moments later with everything but water. That he got from the kitchen, bringing it out in the biggest pan he could find. "You might need this." He handed Duane a washcloth.

Duane looked up, frowning. "For what?"

"To bite down on, I saw it in a movie. That way when you scream, you don't."

One eyebrow shot up. "In a movie, huh?"

"Yes." Julyan wet another cloth and soaped it up. Then he put a towel on the seat of the chair beside Duane, knelt, and tried as gently as possible to wash the wound in his side.

"Holy shit," Duane growled, his mouth tightening, teeth clenched together.

"Sorry," Julyan muttered. "But I don't want you getting infected. Who knows where their knife was before they stabbed you."

Duane wanted to tell him that wouldn't happen, if only to stop the pain from Julyan's ministrations. On the other hand, he thought, perhaps what he was doing would wash out whatever had been on the blades that was retarding his healing. With that in mind he endured the pain as Julyan finished with his side and went to work on his shoulder. At least his thigh had healed; just a faint line remained where the glass has slashed him.

One Plus Two Equals... - 22

All Auden had to do was what he was trained for. He sat on the window sill, gripped the cord and began to descend until his feet hit the narrow ledge below the target window. Holding the cord with one hand he flipped open his belt buckle, removed the small device it held, triggered it, and slammed it hard against the window. The glass broke, the device hit the floor and almost instantly a thin, noxious vapor filled the room.

Auden followed seconds later after clapping a small mask over his face, his feet taking out the rest of the glass. He clamped his teeth tightly together to keep from crying out when a shard of glass impaled his thigh for a moment, leaving a deep gash behind.

His targets wasted no time worrying about their subordinates, who were incapacitated by the vapor. Weapons appeared in their hands as they moved fluidly toward Auden.

His own weapons dropped into his hands. He ducked low, bringing the first one up faster than humanly possible to gut Vicario's companion. Even as he did, he was on the move. He could see Vicario fighting off the effects of the vapor as it finally began to get to him. Auden swirled around, sharp poisoned blades shooting out from one shoe. They tore Vicario from his knee to his hip, leaving long lines of blood behind. Seemingly unfazed, Vicario pointed his weapons at Auden and fired. As he did the poison hit his heart and he dropped like a poleaxed bull.

Auden wasn't far behind him in hitting the floor, but he remained aware, pulling out the thick blades which had come from Vicario's weapons. Blood followed but unless he passed out from losing it, it would stop soon enough. Healing was part of what he was.

He held on to consciousness by a bare thread as he crawled to the door. Only when he was out in the hallway, the door closed tightly behind him, did he remove the mask to gulp in fresh air. The gash in his thigh had already closed; the other two, however, were still open and leaking blood. Something on the blades, he thought angrily. Taking off his jacket, he pulled off his blood-soaked shirt, ripping it into several pieces, using two to staunch the blood, and then wrapping strips of the shirt around his shoulder and body to keep the compresses in place.

Now to get out of here. He made it to the elevator while putting his jacket on again, zipping it up. It was dark enough the blood didn't show even if the tears in it did. He heard sounds from the room he'd just left and kept stabbing the elevator button as if it would make it come faster. The door opened just as three men streamed out of the room. He knew they saw him and sighed as he stepped into the elevator. There was only one recourse now and he took it.

One Plus Two Equals... - 21

Auden checked his weapons, although only someone in the know would recognize them as such. Better safe than sorry was his mantra when it came to his job. "It's too bad I don't practice that in my personal life," he murmured as he approached the front door to the Crown Building. For a second he was tempted to look up at the roof of the building across the street to see if Julyan was there, even though he was certain he wouldn't be.

Entering the building, he strolled casually down the long hall, checking out some of the shop windows. Music and laughter wafted through the door of a restaurant on the second floor as someone entered or left. He wished he was up there, enjoying a good meal with a glass of fine wine. Maybe tomorrow night, if everything goes as planned.

His hand drifted down to the ornate buckle on his wide leather belt. He pulled it back quickly, cursing himself for such an amateur move. A quick glance around told him no one was watching him. Even the security guards seemed to have more important things on their minds than one lone tourist checking things out.

Auden stopped in front of the elevators, pressing the 'up' button, and waited. It arrived and a few moments later he was stepping off on the fifth, and top, floor of the building. The long hall was vacant, all the offices closed and locked for the night. He moved quickly down to the one he needed, unlocked it with a swift motion of his hand, and stepped inside. A touch to the code box beside the door disarmed it. With that done he crossed to the interior door and from there to the window, easing it open.

From where he stood, he had a full view of Julyan's roof. He chuckled softly when, with his enhanced eyesight, he spotted a coffee mug beside the parapet where he and Julyan had sat just two nights ago. I wonder how long before he misses it?

A slight sound and then a spray of light from the window below him brought his attention back to why he was here. From one pocket he took a thin, strong cord with knots in it every two feet. He tied one end around the leg of the radiator beside the window. In a newer building he'd have had to find something else to anchor it to, which he'd done other times in his career.

With the cord firmly attached, he dropped the rest of it out the window, peering down to make certain he'd judged the length correctly. The end hung just above and to the side of the lighted window. He looked across to Julyan's building again, only this time he was more interested in the windows. He found one which reflected the interior of the room below him. Again his excellent eyesight made it unnecessary to use any sort of binoculars to see what he needed. Even though the view was blurry, it was enough so he could make an educated decision about when to make his next move.

That came half an hour later. He saw the two men he was interested in finally come into the room. The others greeted them with submission in their body language, which didn't surprise Auden in the least considering what Vicario and his companion were.