Part 8
It was ten PM when they pulled up to the bar. Martin wished Brooks would reconsider. His captain hadn't changed his outfit and still wore his suit. Just what had Brooks implied earlier? Well, he was going to find out. "Are you sure you want to do this? Last call!"
"Stop being so melodramatic!" Brooks got out of the truck and smoothed out the fabric of his suit. "Let's do this." They'd discussed their game plan earlier. They'd have a look around, see if the mystery guy had shown up and keep an eye out for anything suspicious.
"We could pretend being on a date." Martin wiggled an eyebrow. "Wouldn't be our first, honey."
Brooks rolled back his eyes. "Do you really think they'll buy us dating?" He stepped into the bar and ignored the shiver running down his spine. He hated bars like this. Several eyes checked them out and he pretended not noticing them.
Martin, feeling awfully protective of Brooks, stayed close and glared at everyone merely looking at his companion.
Brooks couldn't help himself; he grinned. "Are you back on guard duty?" Back when his life had been in danger, Martin had growled at everyone at the precinct too.
"Oh yes," Martin acknowledged. "I want them to know you're with me so they don't start anything."
Brooks' grin widened. "You do realize that I'm probably not the one they're interested in? These guys go for bulky and muscular!"
"I'm not so sure about that," Martin returned, having realized Brooks was wrong and wondering about it. He walked up to Leroy, placed an arm around Brooks' shoulder and pulled the older man closer.
Brooks let him, knowing better than to start an argument that moment. He moved along and even leaned in a little, pretending they were together.
Realizing that made Martin grin. "Don't worry, baby, I've got your back." The glare Brooks gave him made it clear that he shouldn't push it. He heeded that warning - for now. Looking at Leroy, he ordered beer. "Is our mystery guy here?"
Leroy nodded and inclined his head to the left. "He's wearing a long, green coat. Second booth on the left."
"Thanks," Martin whispered. He didn't look straight away, wanting to avoid rousing suspicions. "You fine?" he asked Brooks, searching those blue eyes, which showed discomfort, but that was about it.
"Yes, and stop worrying!" Brooks was about to check out their suspect when a tall, bulky guy walked up to him and blocked his view. The man's arrogant expression spelled trouble. Luckily he knew how to handle his kind, if only Martin let him! The Texan taking charge would land them in trouble, if only Martin realized that!
"Hey, do you share? Cause I'm interested in your daddy."
Brooks was about to deal with the guy coming onto him, when Martin acted first, just as he'd feared. The Texan grabbed the guy and slammed him against the counter. Fuck, he'd underestimated that damn protector complex. "Martin," he said, trying to calm him down. It was important he appeared in charge; hopefully Martin would listen to him.
"No, I don't! And you're not interested. Go for a walk and leave us the fuck alone. If I catch you even looking at him, I'm going to crush your balls. Understood, tough guy?"
Brooks, arching an eyebrow, realized Martin wasn't merely pretending. The Texan had grabbed the man's genitalia and applied enough pressure to make the guy gasp for breath. "Martin, you're overreacting. Let go. You don't know where it's been!"
Brooks' comment made Martin grin. "You're right," he said, "but hell, I don't care. Do you understand?" he asked the man who'd come on to Brooks.
"Get your hands off him!" Another muscular and leather clad guy made his way over to them and raised his fits.
"Great," Brooks remarked, giving Martin the evil eye. "You had to go and complicate matters, didn't you? I could have handled him!"
"I don't care. Let's do this!" Martin chuckled, looking forward to the brawling, but belatedly realized he was putting Brooks' life in danger by acting like that. He could handle himself in a barroom fight, but Brooks?
"Need some help, Riggs?"
The voice was totally unexpected, but Martin would recognize it anywhere and anytime. "Reacher!" While maintaining his crushing hold on Brooks' unwanted courter, he turned and grinned like mad. He had no idea why Reacher was here, but having the former MP back him up was amazing!
Brooks had no idea who the new guy was, but he did know he had to straighten out the situation before it escalated further. "Riggs, let the man go! You're out of line! Let go now," he ordered, putting every ounce of his authority into his voice and prayed Martin would listen.
That particular tone did register with him and he focused on Brooks; the older man's expression told him he'd better listen. Belatedly, he realized he'd let his emotions get the better of him. Brooks had hinted he knew how to deal with these situations and he'd ignored him. He wasn't sure if complying and backing down was the right thing to do, but he trusted Brooks to know what he was doing. "You're very lucky," he told Brooks' worshipper. "He doesn't want you hurt; I have no idea why though. Beat it," he said while releasing the guy and preparing himself for his retaliation. To his utter surprise, the guy immediately stepped away from them.
"Sorry," he muttered, addressing Brooks. "It won't happen again, sir. Message received." He turned around, pulled his buddy with him and disappeared in the back of the bar.
"What happened just now?" Dumbfounded, Martin blinked and then stared at Brooks. "How did you do that?"
"Told you that you had no idea what you were dealing with. Let me take the lead this time, okay? Back down and listen for a change!" Brooks hoped Martin would comply, but he thought the Texan had understood. "So, who is your friend?" He turned his attention to the new arrival called Reacher. The man had no problems fitting it. At six foot five and a whopping two hundred fifty pounds, he drew no attention. A military hair cut, chiseled face and a crooked nose which was probably due to it having been broken many times in the past, told him he might be dealing with someone from Martin's navy days. Studying Reacher's expression, he didn't feel alarmed. The guy seemed in control and might listen to reason, unlike Martin at times.
The grin returned full force. "Brooks, meet Jack Reacher, a very good friend of mine. We worked together on several occasions, and that in spite of the fact that he's merely army!"
Reacher didn't visibly react. Why should he? He was used to Riggs' shenanigans. "Nice meeting you," he said, being polite because the older man demanded his respect for the way he'd just acted. He had the feeling there was more to Riggs' companion than met the eye.
"Why don't we sit down?" Brooks pointed at the booth Reacher had vacated moments earlier. "It's quieter there and less eyes and ears to deal with." Although his message had been received by the general public, he couldn't count on them keeping their distance. Once they started drinking, things would change. Hopefully they'd left the place by then. "Come on, gentlemen," he said, leading the way.
"I like your friend," Reacher told Riggs. Taking charge was a great quality in his book. Riggs' grin told him that his friend approved and he wondered about their story. He planned to find out. He slipped back onto his place and watched Riggs situate himself on his friend's opposite side, making sure he was secure sitting in between them. So whoever the older man was, he meant a lot to Riggs for his friend to be that protective of him. "Why don't you introduce your friend to me?" Reacher suggested after grabbing his coffee. Leroy had quickly warmed up to refilling his mug.
Riggs leaned in closer and whispered into Reacher's ear, as he didn't want the information to spread. "Meet captain Avery, he runs the LAPD's Homicide and Robbery department."
Ah, that explained a lot. "Sir," Reacher said, respectfully.
Brooks wondered about that polite tone, was it a military thing? "What do I call you?"
"Reacher will do, mind if I call you cap?"
Riggs sat back and enjoyed watching them. Having them getting along was great. He could tell Brooks was curious, but that had to wait until they'd left. "So what are you doing here, Reacher?" His friend was here for a reason and that was probably Mack's death, as the officer had been a mutual friend.
"Same reason you're here; Mack." Reacher resumed watching the crowd; which was why he was here in the first place. "There's been a string of disappearances, Mack was the latest victim," he added, "but you already know that."
Martin suddenly connected all the dots. "Did Wilson clue you in?"
"Yeah, he asked me to look into the matter. He suggested you might need back up, which is ridiculous, but still, it can't hurt to have someone look into the case with you." Reacher looked at them. "Your captain showing up and reprimanding Wolfgang over there might finally set some things in motion." It might be the break he'd been hoping for.
"Wolfgang?" Martin couldn't contain his mirth.
"Yeah," Reacher confirmed. "I've been watching most regulars for some nights now and everything was calm. Until now. Something's happening."
Brooks knew Reacher was right. He sensed it too. "But it might not be related to Mack's death," he warned them. This might be a different kind of stir.
"We'll find out." Martin fiddled around with his beer but didn't nip from it. He wasn't going to indulge tonight; not in a place like this. "So what happened just now? Why did the guy back down?" he asked Brooks, as he still felt mystified.
"Because I told him so," Brooks replied and looked Martin in the eye. "There are a lot of unwritten rules you don't know about. That's why you need me to take the lead."
"I will," Martin quickly promised. "So what's our next move?"
"We sit here, watch them, and you're following my orders, Martin."
"Yes, sir," Martin quipped and stopped himself from saluting. Brooks had proven he could handle the crowd, so he was fine with following his lead for now.
/
The moment they stepped outside Brooks drew in a deep breath of refreshing air. Things could have been worse, he reckoned, at least no one had bothered him again. Martin kept giving him strange looks and he wondered what they were about. He'd find out later. "If you need a place to sleep," he offered Reacher, "I've got quite the comfortable couch."
Martin nodded. "It's true. I always fall asleep there." He'd be surprised though if Reacher accepted the invitation.
"Thanks," Reacher said and gave Avery an appreciative nod. "But I'm staying at a nearby motel. How about I swing by the precinct tomorrow? That way we update each other." He appreciated the offer though.
"Sure, we can do that. Let's say about nine?"
"Zero nine hundred hours it is," Reacher confirmed as he marched off into the night. "See you tomorrow, Riggs, cap!"
Brooks watched until the impressive figure disappeared into the dark night. "I can't wait to hear those stories," he told Martin while heading for the truck. "I've got the feeling the two share quite some history!" He got onto the passenger's seat and looked expectantly at the Texan, who got behind the wheel. "So the guy's army? You two got some rivalry going?"
Martin started the engine and turned left, ready to head home. "Yeah, but in a good way. It's more like winding each other up and trying to outdo the other. Reacher's the only army guy who ever won the 1000 Yard Invitational rifle competition, which is a navy thing. I haven't forgiven him for that yet. Thankfully I beat him the year after he won. I think Reacher hasn't forgiven me either."
Seeing Martin grin and sharing history so easily made Brooks happy in turn. "What happened? Did he quit?"
"Nah, he got an offer to get out and he took it. He's got a house somewhere and he's well off. He prefers to roam the country though. Travels by bus, hates driving and lives on coffee and greasy food." Seeing Brooks' curiosity, he figured he knew what this was about. "He was a major," he informed his friend, who looked caught. "He was an MP. Still is Military Police in his heart, which is why he's looking into Mack's murder." Martin sped up, eager to go home. These last two days had been tiring. "Hey, you handled your business in there!" he complimented Brooks.
Brooks eyed him critically. "Something which you didn't expect. Shame on you, Marty."
"I plead guilty. I was worried."
"You need to have faith in me," Brooks told him, but had long forgiven Martin for doubting him. Maybe he'd tell him why he hated Falltime – one day.
/
Todd was restless; no, it was even more than that. He was worried sick. Ever since Brooks had told him they were heading for Falltime he'd been close to panicking. The moment Martin's truck pulled up to the driveway, he sprinted over to the window and checked on them. Both men were getting out of the truck and looked unharmed, which made him sigh in relief. Brooks had reassured him that everything would go well and that he shouldn't worry, but that was easier said than done! "You're back!" he exclaimed after opening the door and pulling Brooks into his arms.
Martin frowned at Todd's unusual reaction, as he didn't know the other man like that. Most of the time, Todd was calm, even in situations others might panic in.
"Hey, I told you everything's fine. I'm okay. I know how to handle those guys. You know that. Calm down for me, honey." Brooks caught Martin's wondering look, but ignored it and concentrated on his life partner instead. He'd suspected something like this might happen and he'd considered not telling Todd where he was headed, but the truth would eventually come out and then, Todd's reaction wouldn't be pretty.
Martin wondered what he was missing. He followed them into the living room, where Brooks told Todd to sit down on the couch. "Can I do anything to help?"
"Make some tea, will you?" Brooks gave Martin a grateful look. "I'll explain," he promised, "but not right now."
Martin nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, giving the couple time to sort themselves out. He suspected he knew why Todd was this panicky, but could wait to find out. The last thing he'd do was pressure either man to tell him. He ended up making three cups of Todd's favorite Redbush tea and carried them into the living room. "Here, hopefully it helps," he said while handing Todd his tea. Looking closely, he distinctly noticed the tremors shaking the older man's hands upon accepting the hot drink. Todd hadn't calmed down yet. Martin sat down some distance away, not wanting to crowd Todd for he felt the other man needed space. Brooks' gaze told him his captain appreciated the fact that he wasn't questioning them.
"Todd, everything's fine. There's no need to worry. Sip your tea and take calming breaths." Brooks guided the tea closer to his lover's lips and watched him sip carefully. "Better?" he asked a few minutes later, when Todd's hand had stopped shaking.
"Better," Todd acknowledged and smiled weakly. Damn, his own reaction had surprised him and it told him he wasn't over that incident yet. He'd thought he was. "I don't want you anywhere near Falltime!" he stated firmly. "I worried."
"I know you did, sweetheart, but I know how to deal with those guys, plus I'm armed." Brooks kept an arm wrapped around his lover's shoulders and pulled him close against him.
"He did handle his business," Martin said, unsure he should get involved, but he wanted to help. "One of the guys came on to him." Oh, maybe telling Todd had been the wrong thing to do as the tremors made a return. So he quickly added, "I slammed the guy against the counter, but that didn't impress him. That changed when Brooks told him to back down and walk away. He did. No one bothered us after that. As I said, Brooks handled them." Todd glared at Brooks, though the reason why escaped Martin. "He did well!" he added, almost desperately. "I worried too, I wouldn't have let anything happen to him, but in the end, it was Brooks saving our asses instead!" That last bit seemed to make a difference as a hesitant smile appeared on Todd's face.
"You told them off and they listened?"
"Of course, darling. I'm captain for a reason," Brooks said and winked at his life partner. He was glad they'd weathered that storm, but was realistic enough to know they'd discuss this again once Todd had truly calmed down.
"That's good," Todd muttered, while sipping from his tea again. "I worried."
Martin wasn't certain what to do, but he could only help if he knew what was going on for sure. He had his suspicions, but should he voice them? They'd helped him deal with so many flashbacks and nightmares and he wanted to be there for Todd in turn.
Looking up, Todd caught Martin's puzzled look and drew in a deep, somewhat shaky breath. He should come clean. They made Martin talk about his crap too. He owed the younger man the truth. "It happened twenty years ago," he started and ignored Brooks' stunned gasp.
"You don't have to do this now," Martin assured Todd, who was still shaken. "I can wait."
"If I don't do this now, I never will," Todd explained as he finished his tea and placed the cup onto the coffee table. Snuggling up to his lover, Todd looked Martin in the eye. "I was finishing up university and I was still rather naïve. I hardly ever went to a bar; I preferred the beach instead. But I got a text, telling me some of my fellow students wanted to have a drink at Falltime and I was invited. I made a mistake and didn't check the place. I went there expecting to meet up with them and ended up surrendered by those bears instead. I didn't really stand a chance against them. They were all over me, trying to get me to go home with them or dragging me into the bathroom. Apparently a member of staff called it in, because he felt sorry for me, and then Brooks showed up. He was still a uni back then, but he got me out and calmed me down. Later, I realized he'd been a patient of mine, as he'd been brought in with a gunshot wound a few weeks before that."
"We ended up dating after that incident," Brooks said, trying to replace Todd's ugly memories with good ones.
"Did anything happen to you? Did they hurt you?" Martin felt the urge to go back there and take the place apart.
"Nah, a bit of groping and crappy remarks, but nothing serious," Todd told Martin and even smiled reassuringly at the younger man, seeing the rising anger in those brown eyes. He didn't want Martin to thrash the place about something that had happened two decades ago!
Martin nodded, but remained pissed off. "That's why you hate Falltime," he said, addressing Brooks too.
"Yes," Brooks confirmed. "But as I said earlier, I know how to handle that crowd. Todd didn't back then, plus he had no idea what he was walking into."
"Oh, trust me, I won't be making such a mistake ever again!" Todd had finally calmed down and rested his head against Brooks' shoulder. "So what did you find out? Did you find any leads?"
"Nothing yet," Brooks replied and soothingly stroked Todd's hair, which was all over the place, since the bun he usually wore it in, had come undone. He removed the hair band and combed the shoulder long hair with his fingers. "But we ran into an old friend of Martin's."
"You did?" Curiosity replaced worry and Todd winked at Martin. "Anyone we should know about?"
Martin chuckled. "Nope, not the way you're insinuating. He was Military Police and we worked together on occasion. He's looking into Mack's murder too, wants to find the killer who did it. It was great seeing him again. Reacher's great back up!"
"Major Reacher," Brooks supplied and pressed a chaste kiss against Todd's temple. "Army."
"What's up with your obsession about military ranks?" Martin really didn't get it.
"It's sexy," Todd supplied and blushed a little.
"Oh crap," Martin muttered, suspecting where this was going. "Spare me your role playing!" He got to his feet and looked Todd over once more. "You sure you're okay?" If not, he'd stay and do his best to support the older man. He didn't want Todd to be in pain, regardless if it was physical or emotional. He'd check on him during the night at any rate; they never locked their door, just in case he had a nightmare and needed to talk to them.
"I'm fine," Todd said and he meant it. Now that Brooks was back, and nothing bad had happened, he was able to put everything back into perspective. "Get some sleep if you can."
Martin nodded and headed for the stairs. Looking back over his shoulder, he found them cuddled up close and talking softly. He'd lay down his life for them. If something bad happened to either of them, he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle that. They'd become his world.
/
Martin sneaked down the corridor, pushed the door slightly ajar and checked on them. Brooks and Todd were peacefully asleep, holding each other close. Reassured that everything was right in their world, Martin closed the door and returned to bed, hoping to get some sleep too.
TBC
