Title: WE MAY AS WELL DANCE
Author: X-FILES
Rating: NC-17 FRAO
Genre: Slash
Permission to archive: Yes
Pairing: Skinner/Krycek
Warnings: Explicit M/M sex scenes
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Chris Carter. They'd have a lot more fun if they belonged to me.
Summary: Walter's caught with his pants down in a whorehouse.
WE MAY AS WELL DANCE
Walter stared down at the naked young man smiling up at him from the bed. "Turn over," he said, pulling his Henley off and sliding his jeans and shorts down. He climbed onto the bed and spooned up behind the warm body. His hands slid over the smooth skin, nose and lips nuzzling the back of the neck and across the shoulders.
Sex was a full-bodied experience for Walter and on those few times when he did indulge, he made the most of it. He loved the feel of the warm skin beneath his fingertips, the taste of an earlobe, the tremors from his partner as he trailed kisses down the spine. He loved the moan as he rolled over on top and pressed his full weight down on the body beneath him; the little gasps as his stiffened cock probed the crack searching for entrance. He pressed his cheek against the wide shoulder blades as hands slid underneath squeezing balls and caressing the leaking cock.
He was so aroused he barely heard the pounding on the door or the key turning in the lock. The young man beneath him struggled to get up.
"Hurry, you've got to get out of here. There's going to be a raid!" Someone was pulling him, shoving his clothes at him. The young man was out the door and gone and Alex Krycek was standing there beside him in the small room at the back of the whorewhoue.
"What the Hell are you doing here, Krycek?" Walter demanded as he struggled into his jeans. Then he heard the sirens and people running and yelling.
"Quick, grab your stuff, follow me." Krycek turned the lights off and grabbed Walter's arm as he struggled into his jeans and carried his shoes and shirt.
"Where we going? Back door's that way."
"Too late for that." Alex pulled him into a room about half way down the hall. "In here." He went into the small closet and slid a panel sideways. "Get in," he ordered.
Walter stepped into the dark space and Alex stepped in; pulling the panel closed behind them. The space was tiny, cramped they were scrunched up tight against one another. That fact did not go un-noticed by Walter's traitorous cock. It swelled back up, begging for attention. Walter's head thudded back against the wall, willing it to go down but they were too close, the space too small to move and Alex's body was pressed tightly up against his.
He could feel Alex hardening up against his thigh and held his breath.
"Sorry," Alex whispered. "I didn't get through either."
Then there were loud voices in the room, "I know I saw two of them coming in here, they gotta be here somewhere."
"Probably went out the window," another voice added. "Look, there's a couple of them running. Let's go!"
They heard the window slide open and the voices left the room. There was still a lot of yelling and running feet going on so they stayed put in their cramped little space.
"Did you follow me here?" Walter asked in an angry whisper.
"NO. I was going to ask you the same thing until I saw you go into a room with Charlie."
"So you're a regular here?"
"On and off."
"That your answer or your description?"
"You picked a fine time to be charming, Walter," Alex chuckled.
"Can't see a thing in here," Walter groused and then cursed, "Damn! I left my glasses on the nightstand."
"Here." Alex fished in the pocket of his jacket and handed Walter his glasses. "Not that you can see anything in here anyway." Alex struggled to move back a little bit but it was no use; there wasn't enough room.
"You'd better be still or you'll get more than you bargained for when you shoved me into this wall," Walter warned.
Alex laughed. "What, you gonna do me right here? I'd like to see you try!"
Under ordinary circumstances, Walter would never have done it, but these were not ordinary circumstances. She shoved his hips forward, pressing against Alex's.
"Don't start something you aren't going to finish," Alex warned.
"I always finish what I start." Walter's hands groped in the dark and pulled the zipper down on Alex's jeans.
"We make a sound and they'll hear."
"They you'd better damn well be quiet." Walter slid one hand down the front of Alex's jeans, the other went up around the back of Alex's head and pulled him into a kiss.
Alex gasped as the warm hand caressed his balls and squeezed his cock. He pushed his hips closer.
Walter's hands slid Alex's jeans down and caressed his round; firm butt. "Nice" he murmured and nibbled on an ear lobe.
"Walter we can't….not in here…" he gasped as his mouth was taken in another long tongue probing kiss. Alex's hand slid between them and worked Walter's zipper down. Walter pulled back enough for Alex to work his hand inside and free his swollen cock; working it gently.
"Why not; it's what we both came here for, isn't it?" Walter had one hand on Alex's cock, the other was caressing his bare bottom; stroking up and down his crack, fingering his opening.
Alex was aroused beyond control and pushed both forward and backward into Walter's hands. "This is crazy," he gasped, "You hate me."
"It's just sex, Alex; hot, hot sex!" Walter rammed his hips into Alex's hand again and again, pinning both their cocks between their bodies and all conversation between them stopped. There was nothing left but the grunting and gasping. Alex came first with his face against Walter's chest; then Walter came with a groan muffled by a leather clad shoulder.
They stood there for several minutes then began to squirm.
"It's quiet out there. I think they left." Alex whispered.
"Yeah; haven't heard anything in a while." Walter said as he struggled to pull his jeans up.
Alex slid the panel back and slipped out. "I'll check and make sure it's safe. Stay here."
He pulled his pants up as he exited their small hiding place. A few minutes later he called, "They're gone. You can come out."
When Walter stepped out, the place was empty. He came out slowly, looking around. Alex was gone; everyone was gone. He slipped out the side door, across the parking lot, across the street and walked the few blocks to the shopping center where he had parked his car.
It was after 3AM when he made it home. He took a shower and got into bed and thought about the night's events. It didn't' go exactly as he had planned but he remembered something his Grandmother once told him. "Life may not always be the party we thought it would be but as long as we're here, we may as well dance."
He grinned to himself and thought, "Maybe I should find a new place to go….Maybe not."
Monday morning found him standing in his office looking out the window thinking about his weekend when Mulder came into his office.
"Did you hear about it?" He asked.
"Hear about what?"
"Some whorehouse was raided Saturday night. There was supposed to be some DC big shot there according to the reports but all they found were just their regulars. I think it was a tip off. Gotta be."
"What's so special about finding someone in a whorehouse? Unless he's married or a priest or something?" Walter tried to make light of it as he sat back down and scanned the newspaper article; it was pretty generic.
"Well this was a particular whorehouse; catered only to clients with deep pockets; specialized in young men in their 20s. I still say he was tipped off; somehow managed to get out of there before the cops came."
"I don't think it's an X-File, Mulder, people get horny; go to these places to get off; none of our business." He dropped the paper back in front of Mulder.
"But don't you think it's interesting? I mean a DC big shot? Who do you think it was?"
"I don't know and I don't care. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."
"I'll find out. You can't keep something like this a secret. If one person knows then it's only a matter of time before everyone knows." Mulder picked up the paper and left the room.
Walter removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ah shit! That's all I need, Mulder digging around. It's bad enough that Krycek caught me there….Hmmmm, now that was an interesting development!" He thought to himself.
He started to get hard just thinking about it and slipped a hand under his desk and gave himself a squeeze.
"Jeeze. What am I doing?" He said to himself, "Getting a hard on for Alex Krycek!" He shook his head and chuckled. "He sure was hot though. Nice package too."
Just then the phone rang and it was back to work for AD Skinner.
A month passed with business as usual. Walter had just shrugged into his coat and was headed home from work when the phone rang.
"Skinner," he answered angry at being delayed.
"Skinner it's me. I got somebody here who has some answers for us. I need you to help me interrogate him." Mulder was out of breath with excitement.
"Answers to what, Mulder?"
"You know, that big shot in the whorehouse case."
"There is no case, Mulder. Whoever you've got you'd better let him go."
"Not a chance. He knows something, I can tell. It's Krycek, Skinner. I've got Krycek and he's holding back something. Why don't you have a crack at him? He might talk for you."
A cold chill ran down his spine, his jaws clenched. "Where've you got him?" Walter asked.
"Warehouse over on 155 Street and Collins."
"Don't do anything until I get there." He slammed down the phone and cursed Mulder and his unmistakable insight.
Ten minutes later, he pulled his car into the darkened area behind the warehouse. He could see the door was ajar so he went in quietly to access the situation. The place was deserted. He could hear voices and followed them to a small room in the middle of the building. He peered through the open doorway and saw Krycek handcuffed to a pipe running vertical up the wall. Mulder was standing in front of him.
"Tell me what you know, Krycek, or I'll beat it out of you." He snarled.
"That'll be enough of that, Mulder." Walter said as he entered the room. "What makes you think Krycek has any information?"
"I could tell by the look on his face when I asked him about it," Mulder said, stepping back a bit.
"I don't know what the hell he's talking about," Krycek said, "I don't know anything about a whorehouse; that would be more his style than mine." He nodded towards Mulder.
"Mulder, you can't just grab people off the street and beat them until they say what you want to hear. Do you have any warrants on this man?"
"You know I don't! But I know he can tell us what we need to hear. He knows who the big shot was in this case and who tipped him off."
"Keys," Walter held out his hand, palm up.
"What?" Mulder asked.
"Give me the keys, Mulder. You've got no right holding him."
"But he knows something about this case; I know he does!"
"Mulder, there is no case. Period. Now leave. I'll ask Krycek a few questions of my own and let him go."
"I want to stay."
"GO, Mulder! That's an order."
"OK. Don't forget to ask him who the leak was." Mulder left reluctantly.
Walter stepped over to the door and watched as Mulder exited the building then came back over to Krycek and unlocked the handcuffs.
"You OK?" he asked, noticing the marks on his face where he'd been struck.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I told him nothing. You have nothing to worry about as far as I'm concerned." Alex assured him.
"I didn't think you had. I am curious though. Who tipped you off?"
Alex grinned at him and it did things to him that Walter hadn't expected.
"I'll never tell," Alex answered impishly.
"Didn't think you would. Doesn't matter anyway; there is no case here; just Mulder's curiosity working overtime."
They both headed for the door. Walter stopped with his hand on the knob.
"I never got to thank you for the other night."
"Oh you thanked me all right." Alex smiled at him again; their eyes holding.
Walter took a deep breath and jumped in. "You ever have a blow-job in an empty warehouse before?"
"As a matter of fact, I haven't. Have you?"
"No, I haven't. I was just wondering…"
"YES," Alex answered before Walter got the question out.
Something in those green eyes was getting to him. He couldn't think straight. This was stupid. Mulder was probably out front waiting for him. He might even try to come back in.
Skinner reached for the lock and twisted it. Alex reached over and squeezed Walter's denim covered bulge.
"Uh uh; me first; it was my idea." He motioned Alex over to the battered old desk. Walter sat in the chair and Alex on the desk in front of him. In moments he had Alex's jeans down and his face and fingers buried in curly hair and balls and a big beautiful cock reaching out for him, quivering under his every touch. He sniffed and nuzzled and licked and sucked until Alex gave it up and came with a long moan and a shudder.
Walter leaned back in the chair and watched as Alex came down from euphoria. That was quite a site to see; mouth open and gasping for air, green eyes shut with thick dark lashes fluttering trying to open, a look of perfect contentment on his face.
When his eyes finally did open, he took a deep breath and slid to his knees in front of Walter. A moment's hesitation to pull up his own jeans then he was opening Walter's. Walter rested his hands on Alex's shoulders as he worked; an occasional caress on top of the head. He had a fleeting thought about Mulder walking in about then and was glad he remembered to lock the door. In minutes he was grabbing at the arms of the chair and filling Alex's mouth with a muffled growl.
They did up their clothes and left the room; not talking; both at a loss for words. Walter went out the way he had come in; Alex left in the opposite direction. As he had thought, Mulder was standing beside his car when he got outside.
"Did you get anything out of him?"
Walter had to be careful here; he couldn't say what was on his mind.
"He has no information on this matter, Mulder. Go home. There is no case here."
He got in his car and left.
Six months later
The court room was crowded, people were staring at each other in shock, whispering. The judge was banging his gavel and attorneys were shouting at one another.
"You can't bring another witness in at this late date!"
"Your honor, the witness was on the defense's own list. They didn't call him. So we are. He's their witness!"
"Is that true? Is Alex Krycek on the list for the defense?" The judge asked.
"Yes he is, your honor, but we have been unable to locate him."
"Well, it seems the prosecution has located him for you. We will hear the witness."
And it went downhill for the defense from there on. One C.G.B. Spender was on trial and so far it had been about 50 – 50. Once Alex Krycek opened up and started talking, all hopes of any escape for the old man vanished. Krycek had information, dates, and proof of everything he was testifying to.
Spender glared from behind the table and Krycek met his eyes dead on and testified for hours on end. The defense tried stalling tactics to regroup but the judge was used to that and managed to keep things on track. Four days later it was all over. The case was turned over to the jury and it was only a matter of time. They took less than a day and came back with a guilty verdict on all 43 counts; with the strongest recommendation for sentencing. The Consortium was now defunct!
Walter celebrated alone in his apartment; shunning all the bureau victory parties that were going on. A hot shower and a bottle of Jack Daniels were on his menu for the evening.
He swirled the amber liquid in his glass and stood at his balcony window looking out over the city when someone knocked at his door. With a sigh, he set his glass down and opened the door.
Alex stood there with a grin. Walter stepped back and motioned with his head for Alex to enter. They stood for several moments staring at each other.
"Shouldn't you be hiding out somewhere?" Walter asked.
"I will be. I just needed to see you first."
Walter stood staring at him; this was not the Alex Krycek he had known and hated and, yes, even feared for years. This was someone different; a fresh-faced young man looking up at him with greasy hair and hand extended saying "Hi. I'm Alex Krycek". He was back, and he was here in Walter's apartment; older, a little the worse for wear, but gazing up at Walter with green eyes that penetrated into his very soul.
Walter touched the side of Alex's face with his fingertips and drew him close.
"You wanted to see me?" It was almost a whisper.
"Yeah; I needed to tell you something."
"You did? What would that be?" Walter brought their foreheads together and nuzzled noses.
"I promised myself, if I made it through this, the first think I was going to do was come see you. I could apologize, I could explain, but all I really want to do is tell you how I feel about you. How I've always felt about you."
Walter was kissing down the side of his neck and Alex was finding it hard to concentrate.
"Go ahead. I'm listening."
"I'm crazy about you. I always have been. From the first moment we met I've dreamed about being in your bed." Walter was pulling him towards the stairway. He nibbled in the side of Alex's neck as they went up. Clothes were strewn down the hallway and they were both naked by the time they got to the bed.
"Hmmmm, great minds think alike. What do you say; we make both our dreams come true?"
Their mouths locked together, arms strained to hold while hands reached to explore every inch. They held and kissed and licked and sucked on each other until they were both breathless with lust and about to explode. Walter turned Alex over on his back and reached into the drawer for some lube. He lubed Alex's cock, straddled him, and lowered himself down over it driving it deeper and deeper inside until it was tight within him.
He worked it from that position for a few minutes until Alex could stand it no more and turned him over with legs propped up on his shoulders Alex pounded into him. Neither one of them lasted long. Walter lost it first with a scream as he clutched at Alex's shoulders. Then Alex came and came; tumbling into the abyss of pleasure head over heels.
Walter woke up when he heard the shower going. He stretched out and luxuriated in his bed, still smelling of sex and Alex Krycek. Not a headier aroma in the universe he was thinking; both arms stretched up over his head and grinning when Alex came back into the room and started looking for his clothes.
"You don't need to get dressed yet. Why don't you come back to bed?" Walter reached out a hand to him.
Alex pulled on his shorts and jeans and sat on the edge of the bed.
"I hate this now more than ever but I have to go."
"Go where? You can't just go." Walter sat up, taking hold of Alex's arm.
"I have to, Walter. It's my job."
"Fuck your job! You can take a few days off, can't you?"
"As a matter of fact, I can't. I have an airplane to catch." He pulled on his boots.
"So you're leaving? When will you be back?"
"Don't know. However long it takes."
"Can you come back for a visit? Can I visit you?"
"Afraid not; can't risk it."
"You're talking another assignment?" Where?"
"Uh huh; Europe, that's all I can tell you." He stood and headed for the doorway.
"Will you come back?"
"That's the plan." He walked back to the bed and sat down again. He brought Walter's hand to his face and kissed the palm. "Can I see you when I get back?"
"I'll be here." That wasn't what he wanted to say but that was what came out.
"I'll call you," Alex said and gave him a quick soft kiss on the lips then he was out the door and gone.
One full long boring year passed.
Walter could stand it no longer. He was in Cassidy's office. They were arguing.
"You must have some idea how to get in touch with him. It's imperative that I speak with him." Walter insisted.
"Whatever information you need from him, you'll have to get it elsewhere. Agent Krycek is…..unavailable."
"What the hell does that mean?" He was getting angry now.
"It means he is unavailable. Permanently." She stood from behind her desk to dismiss him but Skinner would have none of it.
"Are you saying Agent Krycek is dead?" He squinted at her.
"As far as we know."
"Well have you given it a fucking thought to find out?" He growled through clenched teeth.
"Oh shit! You queers should never been allowed in the bureau. So the two of you fuck buddies or something?" She could get just as ugly as any man.
He stared at her with pure hatred in his heart but held his temper. He wanted more than anything at that moment to smash her face in with his bare hands but he had to find Alex and she was the only link he had available to him.
"Just tell me where he is, where you sent him, anything that might give me some clue as to where I can find him." He was rigid with anger as they glared at each other across the desk.
"He's probably already dead. They don't last long in those Tunisian prisons; especially pretty boys like him."
"He's in a prison in Tunisia and you left him there? For how long?"
"Hell, I don't know. Who can keep track? Three, four, five months give or take. You know as well as I do that's he's dead by now."
"WHERE in Tunisia?"
"How the hell should I know? I just heard that someone saw him, or thought they saw him in a prison there. I figured it was probably him since I haven't head from him in months. I just sent another agent over to finish the job."
"Is he still there? This other agent?"
"No. Krycek just about had it finished when he disappeared. The new agent just had a little cleaning up to do. That job's been over with for months."
"And you've sent no one in to try and retrieve Krycek?"
"I had my people ask around. Just the rumor about Tunisia is all they could come up with."
"And you didn't investigate any further?"
"There was no investigating to do. You don't just go up to one of those places and knock on the door and ask if they have one of your men. Krycek knew what he was getting into when he took the assignment. If he got caught, it's his own fault; he got careless. You don't get careless in this business."
Walter glared at her for another moment then gripped the edge of her desk and flipped it over on its side; everything rolling off onto the floor in a crash. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID and threw it on the pile, then followed it with his gun.
"I quit. You can take this job and shove it up your ass. It'll probably be the first action you've seen between your legs since you were sixteen!" He walked out the door slamming it behind him.
He didn't even go back to his office. He walked out the door to his car and straight over to his attorney's office.
"Tommy, are you ready to get rid of that suit and tie and get the boys together for some action?"
"You got to be kidding? You got something going? Hell yes, I'm ready. I've been riding this desk for months now. Shall I call the General?"
"I already did. I called the others too and they are on their way over. How do you feel about Tunisia?"
'Tunisia? I've never been there. I hear it's a dreary place; nothing but sand and prisons. Don't tell me that's where we're going?"
"You got it."
"We'll need an interpreter then. When we going; like now?"
"Soon as the General can get us the clearance."
"I'll give my friend a call."
Five hours later the six ex-marines were huddled around the table checking their lists of equipment and preparing to leave. They boarded the plane the General had arranged for them out at the Army base and left quietly in the dead of night.
They slept most of the way across the Atlantic and when they were awake they were working out strategies or on the phone making arrangements with their contact to meet them in Tunis with a truck.
The next several days were grueling. They traveled by truck over dusty roads from village to village; from small town to smaller town and found nothing. No one had a one-armed gringo among their "guests".
They regrouped back in Tunis and sat around a small table in the one restaurant that they felt the food was half way acceptable. They ate their meal and tried to decide their next move when a small timid child approached them.
"Momma speaks to you." He said and ran back into the kitchen. They waited a few moments and the interpreter went into the kitchen. He spoke with the boy's mother then came back outside.
"C'mom; pay the bill and let's go." He said to the others.
They did as he suggested and left.
"Did you talk to the mother? What did she have to say?" The General and Walter both questioned him outside.
"She said to come around to the back alley. She'd meet us there."
They walked between the buildings and met her standing out behind the restaurant.
"I want to know what she's saying; word for word." The General said.
"OK. I'll do my best."
The woman started to chatter; looking behind her from time to time to make sure no one from the restaurant could hear. The interpreter translated her words.
"You are looking for a one-armed white man? A young man, 30s, with green eyes?
I know him. He is here. In this city. The prison. I cook there. You have come to take him home? Oh praise God, praise God." The woman folded her hands and looked to the heavens.
"Where? Find out where he is." Walter insisted.
"The prison; west of town. 17 miles out. He is there. He is bad hurt. They used him in a bad way. He faught them. He faught back but there are too many of them. He goes down hard; bad hurt. Ribs, I think. Head too. They starve him. Give him nothing. But I hear him in the cellar. He cries and calls to his Momma. He longs for death to take him. I go down the steps; I find him. I give him water and bread and sometimes a vegetable. Whatever I can hide in my apron I take to him."
"Ask her when the last time was she saw him." The General said.
"This afternoon. She made lunch for them. He is so skinny. You take him home?"
"Yes, tell her yes we have come to take him home."
She muttered something and grabbed the General's hand and kissed it. Someone from the kitchen called out to her and she had to go in. They thanked her and Walter stuffed a handful of money into her apron pocket. She gazed at him open-mouthed and scurried inside.
They had a hurried discussion there in the alley as they made their way back to the truck. Should they just go in and offer to buy his freedom, or go in commando and just take him? Would it be best for the General to go in alone with the interpreter or should they go in en-force?
They decided on the easiest route. Go in and offer to pay for his freedom. If that doesn't work they would go in and take him. That was their agreed on plan. The seven of them piled into the truck with the interpreter in front driving and the rest of them in the back plotting their moves.
In 30 minutes they were there; it was early evening just after supper time. They decided it would be best for four of them to go in. The General, the interpreter, Walter and Tommy. Tony, Bruce and Chuck waited in the back of the truck watching for any sign of trouble.
They went inside and made their offer. They were turned down flat. "No Americanas, no Americanas" were the only words Walter understood; they were all disappointed but thanked the man and left. They drove back to the restaurant and went in. They ordered drinks and sat around hoping the woman in back would see them. This time luck was with them. She did see them and motioned for the interpreter to come into the kitchen. He went in and came back out a few minutes later. They paid the bill and left.
"What'd she say," Walter demanded when they were outside.
He held out his hand, a key way lying in his palm.
"She says it's a magic key. It opens all doors on the compound. She uses it to go down stairs to feed him. She says there is a small gate at the back where deliveries are made and bodies are removed so others do not see."
They walked hurriedly to their truck and got in. "She said the back door leads to a long hallway and into the kitchen. Just inside the doorway there is a stairway up on the left and a stairway down on the right. The stairway down will take you to your friend. They post no guards on the back door but there are guards at the front gate and inside the main building. They have no assigned spots that she knows of; they just seem to wander around. She does not know if the key works on the back gate as she has never come in that way but it will unlock the back door and the door into the cellar. She says to leave the key under the mat by the door."
"Looks like a piece of cake!" The General grinned all around, "Let's go get our man."
The interpreter scrambled into the drivers seat and they were off. They found a back road that wound through the woods behind the compound and parked back in the tree line.
"Doesn't look like they have much of a security system here. I don't make any cameras or electronic systems anywhere around." The General said scanning the area with a small device.
"OK. This is how we'll play it. The fewer inside the better; less chance of being seen. Three of us go in; me, Tom, and Walt. The rest of you stay here and watch our backs. Keep your phone lines open and we'll give a call if we get in trouble." The General said.
"I need to go in too," Tony said. "She said he was hurt. I need to see how bad. We don't want to cause any further damage to him by dragging him out of there over Walter's shoulder."
"Makes sense. Ok. Just the four of us. Bruce, Chuck, keep your eyes open."
"Will do," they both agreed.
And to the interpreter he said, "Stay in the truck, keep the motor running, I want to take off the minute we get back."
"Gotcha," he replied.
They slipped out of the back of the truck, one at a time and made their way to the gate; their first obstacle. The key didn't fit. Tommy bent down on one knee and had it picked in less than a minute. They hurried across the opening and up against the back wall. All was quiet. The General put the key quietly into the lock and turned it every so gently and eased the door open a crack. The hall was empty. There was some activity in the kitchen, they could hear voices laughing and talking. They made their way to the right and down the stairs as quietly as possible. The door at the bottom gave way to the key and they were in the cellar.
It was pitch black and they flicked on their flashlights. There he was, tied face down on a bed; naked; no movements or sound.
Walter hurried over to him and whispered "Alex, Alex we're here. We're going to take you home now." There was no response.
Tony was busy checking him over. The stench in the room was over powering.
"C'mon. Grab him and let's get out of here." The General said.
"That's what I was afraid of. We can't do that. He's got broken ribs on both sides." Tony answered.
"Have to rig a sling." Walter said and took off his jacket. Tommy did the same with his. With the buckles and belts they hooked the two jackets together and eased Alex down on it.
He moaned as they rolled him over and whispered, "No more, no more; Please God, no more," and he was out again. The four of them each grabbed a corner of the jackets and headed up the stairs. Half way up they heard foot steps in the hall and laughter; a door opened than closed. They eased their way up to the top of the stairs and the General peeked out into the hall. A guard was standing leaning back against one of the doors. Soon it opened and another guard came out zipping up his pants. Obviously it was a bathroom. They waited a few minutes and the second man came out and joined the others back in the kitchen.
They walked quietly out the back door, relocked it, and placed the key under the mat. They stood for a few minutes to make sure everything was quiet. The General called the truck to ask of everything looked calm. It did. There was no movement outside the compound at all. They hurried across the open space and made it into the back of the truck.
"Go, go, go." The General ordered as the driver took off and headed for the airfield where their plane was waiting.
Tony worked over his patient while the others held their flashlights for him. He got an IV started and made him as comfortable as possible in the back of a truck speeding down a dirt road.
In less than an hour they were pulling onto the air strip where the General's plane was parked and waiting with engines warming up. Two minutes after they were all on board they were taking off down the runway and into the night sky.
Tony worked over his patient on the floor where they had laid him. "OK, first thing I need to do is clean him up. Get me some of that bottled water up here and a basin or something to pour it in." He hurriedly unpacked his medical kit that he had brought along.
He busied himself thoroughly cleaned Alex inside and out; wrapped the broken ribs securely with ace bandages. Both ankles and his right wrist were treated and bandaged. He worked his fingers through the hair but found no new head wounds.
Walter brought out some clothes they had brought for him to wear; shorts, t-shirt, socks and a sweat suit. They used some seat cushions and duct tape to make a bed for him and covered him with blankets.
"I've done all I can for him for now. Broken ribs by themselves aren't all that serious but his overall condition is. That cook was right. He is nearly dead from starvation and dehydration. I've got some nutritional fluids going into him for now, that's about all I can do. I took some blood but this portable equipment can only scan for the basics. We should do more when we get him home."
"He's going to be alright though; we got to him in time, didn't we?" Walter asked.
"I hope so. He wouldn't have lasted much longer though."
"I'll sit up with him Tony. You get some rest. Everyone else is already asleep."
"I may just do that. You holler if you need me."
"I will thanks."
Walter settled himself down on the floor next to Alex and leaned back against a seat. He put his head back for just a moment and dozed off. A small moan startled him to wakefulness. He sat upright and was surprised to see Alex lying there looking at him.
"Hi," was all he could think of to say.
"Hi," Alex answered back.
"You didn't come to see me so I came and found you; that OK?" Walter asked with a smile.
"Uh huh. We on a plane?"
"That's right. We're taking you home."
Alex's eyes scanned the plane; as much of it as he could see from his position.
"Not a passenger plane."
"No. An old Army plane a friend of mine had access to. It'll get us there."
"You set this up?"
"Uh huh."
"How'd you know where to look?"
"Cassidy."
"She sent you for me?"
He had to think a minute before answering that one. Should he lie to make Alex feel better; to think that Cassidy really sent someone for him? Or should he tell the truth.
He opted for the truth.
"No. I had to drag the location out of her. I came on my own."
"Hey, I see you're awake." Tony came up and squatted down beside the makeshift bed on the floor. "How you feeling?" He asked as he checked the IV bag and prepared another.
"I didn't know somebody could hurt this bad and still be alive."
"I can give you something for the pain. You were out earlier so there was no need." He injected the meds into the IV.
"Best I can tell, you've got five broken ribs. Preliminary blood tests show no major infections; some minor parasite infestation but I've already given you an injection which should take care of that. Major problem is your over all condition. We've got fluids going in you that will help some but you need to eat. It will have to be a soft diet for several days but we've got a lot of those liquid meals and all kinds of goodies, jello, juice, pudding and applesauce."
"Water?" Alex asked hopefully.
"All you can possibly drink. Fresh bottled water." He opened a bottle and stuck a straw in it and put it to Alex's mouth. He drank greedily.
"Easy now; slow down or it will come right back up. Just a few swallows at a time. The last thing those ribs of yours need is for you to start vomiting."
The doctor finished his work and went back up front; leaving the two of them alone.
"Shouldn't you be at work? What'd you do, take a leave?" Alex asked.
"I quit."
"You what? You didn't!"
"Yes, I did. There's no way I could work for that bitch Cassidy after this. I already turned in my badge and gun. I'm out of the bureau."
"What are you going to do?"
"Haven't decided yet. It depends."
"On what?"
"On what you want to do."
Alex stared at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you going to stay with the bureau? Or have you had enough? I'm hoping you'll walk away. You've done enough; given enough. It's someone else's turn now."
Alex continued to stare at him so he went on.
"I've done a lot of thinking about my life this last year and about six months ago, I decided that as soon as you called me, I was going to ask you if you'd be interested in going away with me; just the two of us; somewhere quiet and private. Make some kind of life for ourselves."
He went on, "I've been over this conversation dozens of times and I never expected to be having it on an airplane." He smiled down at Alex. "I think we'd be good together, Alex. I want you to think about it while you're getting better."
"Yes. I will."
"Good think about it."
"I already have. For nine years now. I'll go away with you; right now, any where, on any terms you say."
Walter bent down and kissed the dry cracked lips. "You won't be sorry, Alex."
Alex closed his eyes then and went back to sleep. The last words Walter heard him mutter were, "Please God, don't let this be just another dream. Let him be here with me when I wake up."
Walter smiled and smoothed the dark hair back off Alex's forehead. "I'll be here when you wake up, Alex; from now on. This may not be the life I planned, but I sure as hell am gonna dance!"
THE END