O’Melissokomos
The Bee Keeper

Nick and Noah

by Iainlthr

Chapter 1

Nick and Noah were an unlikely couple. Both were slender but muscled in build, but that was about the only thing they had in common. Nick was lucky to stand 5'6" in thick socks, while Noah often had to duck his 6'2" frame under low doorways and hanging ornaments. Noah was the embodiment of ancient Viking stock, his impossibly thin waist the base of a 'V' of flesh and muscle that widened with an expanse of chest defined by chiselled pecs, to incredible shoulders topped by a long angular face and blond hair, cut short. Apart from his head, the only other part of his body to bear any hair at all was his groin -- a light dusting of blond pubic bush. The remainder of his trim body was smooth as silk.

His companion, boyfriend, partner -- choose your favourite euphemism for mate -- was the reincarnation of his Greek ancestors. His short frame was blessed with a luxuriant coat of dark fur from the base of his neck, across his chest and over his sculpted six-pack abs, thickening even more at his groin, and continuing down his short but powerful legs. Even his square jaw was never free of the shadow of stubble, no matter how close he attempted to shave. Nick's explosive Mediterranean temperament belied a heart of gold, and was perfectly offset by Noah's cool detached manner, no matter how much pressure he was under.

The two men shared a large house in Newtown, a devoted fox terrier called Indiana (named in a fit of lust during a Harrison Ford movie), and a profound and unquestioning love for one another. They were independently wealthy, thanks to a combination of canny investments in the property market by Noah and a very large inheritance from Nick's parents left to their only child. Noah filled his days as a volunteer worker with various AIDS charities, while Nick worked as a waiter in a small cafe owned and operated by a distant cousin, who paid him a pittance but overlooked his frequent absences. He didn't need the money, but certainly needed to be doing something to keep himself busy or he would have gone insane long ago.

For all intents and purposes they were the epitome of settled gay life. Away from their daily activities, the pair enjoyed dinner parties and barbecues with a smallish circle of close friends, occasional nights at the theatre and romantic dinners at small quiet restaurants. They owned their home and gave it more than the usual degree of attention, working on the garden regularly, and getting on well with their neighbours. More than one of their acquaintances had dubbed them 'suburban', but in the settled-down, enjoying life to the fullest, sense of the word.

After Nick's parents had passed away, Noah's mother, a bubbly, effusive woman, had adopted her son's lover as one more child in her extensive brood. Widowed many years earlier, Shirley Sorenson had devoted her life to the mothering of her four daughters and five sons, their respective spouses and children. Noah was the third eldest child, and the oldest boy, and the fact that his partner was a man never entered into consideration as far as it concerned her love for her son or for Nick. And her acceptance was reflected by Noah's siblings: all of his brothers and sisters happily acknowledged Nick as Noah's 'other half' and treated the pair accordingly, joining them for family get-togethers, and pestering them to take on the occasional baby-sitting duty.

And so, to the casual observer, Nick and Noah lived a mundane, peaceful and happy existence as a quiet gay couple in a quiet gay neighbourhood in Sydney.

But there was one thing they shared which nobody else knew: They each found a tremendous excitement, an erotic thrill, in leather. Bright, shining, skin-tight black leather. They had discovered their shared and secret desire almost by accident one day when they had mistakenly walked into the middle of a Leather Pride street fair. That afternoon, Nick had commented to Noah about how sexy he thought some of the men there had looked in their leather gear, and Noah had revealed, almost guiltily, that he harboured a secret fantasy which involved chaps and a harness, boots and a sling. Once the ice had been broken, the couple had discussed this inner longing they both seemed to hold. They also looked into the 'leather scene', only to find that it did not interest them. They did not want to live a life of leather, or to be involved in the world of leather bars and leathermen that they found. But alone, together, in the privacy of their own home, Nick and Noah discovered that the look, the smell and the feel of glistening black hide was a powerful aphrodisiac.

Since then they had acquired an extensive wardrobe of leather gear: chaps, boots, harnesses, vests, gloves, caps and hoods. They had quietly remodelled the basement of their home, creating a veritable dungeon below the comfortable house that their friends and family saw, furnishing it with some decidedly unsuburban equipment, such as a sling and 'slave-bench', and stocking it with equally exotic 'toys': dildoes and anal balls, nipple clamps and butt-plugs, hand-cuffs and paddles. To the rest of the world, and for most of the time, they were plain old Nick and Noah, but when they went 'downstairs' as they called it, they became master and slave, delighting in erotic sessions of drawn out sexual role playing. Part of their voyage of discovery had included the fortunate revelation that their fantasies complemented each other: Nick became a dominant, aggressive leather Master during their games, and Noah eagerly assumed the mantle of submissive slave to his man. Yet none of this was ever apparent to even their closest friends, and they happily kept this secret sex life of theirs a special confidence. It was only when they were alone, and one of them would look at the other and simply utter the single word -- "Downstairs?" -- that they indulged in their heated, darkened pleasures.

**********

It was late August, and the bitter nights of winter continued to ensure that most people stayed at home during the evening, locked away inside their doors with fires blazing to fight off the chill. Noah was lounging in front of the television after devouring another of Nick's wonderful meals, and feeling quite pleased with himself and his world. The droning of the TV was only just audible, and he was paying far more attention to the crackling logs in the fireplace as he settled comfortably in place. Nick was sitting beside him, Noah's feet resting on Nick's lap, as Nick flipped through the pages of the Telegraph, the daily newspaper, catching up on the events of the world.

"Mmm," Noah mumbled. "You know we're just an old married couple!"

"Uh huh," his partner replied absently. "You complaining?"

"Not in the slightest, just observing, honey. Anything interesting on the box tonight?"

Nick looked up at his man, then flipped through a few pages if his paper to find the TV guide. "Oh, yeah!" he said with a grimace. "We've got two different versions of home improvement type shows ... a documentary on cattle stations in the Northern Territory ... oh wait, SBS is running Queer as Folk ..."

"UK or US version?"

"The British one."

"Nah, seen it." Noah rolled his eyes, and settled back down into the lounge again.

"You want me to check if there's anything worthwhile on cable?" Nick said, half to himself, knowing the answer already.

"No, don't bother," said Noah as he lay back again, his eyes almost closed. "Of course, we could always go downstairs...?" he whispered, the slits of his eyes now watching for the reaction from his partner.

Nick was instantly alert, a grin spreading across his face almost as fast as the erection grew in his shorts. Trying unsuccessfully to keep the eagerness from his voice, he hissed back at Noah, "Yeah ... we could do that I suppose."

Noah smirked as he felt the rush of blood to his cock, and the sudden anticipation of a hot session of leather sex. "Why don't you get down there and set up, while I 'clean up', and I'll be down in a minute to join you, stud?" he hissed at his man.

Nick smiled back, standing up quickly and tugging at the growing discomfort in his shorts. "Okay, boy, you're on!" he whispered back. He leaned down and gave Noah a long wet kiss as a foretaste, and backed away from him slowly as he began to make his way for the stairs to the cellar. Noah speedily followed, heading for the bathroom. Just as he passed the telephone where it sat on a hall table, the infernal instrument began to ring.

He looked at it for a second, debating with himself as to whether to let it ring, his eyes going from the phone to the cellar door and back, torn between the demanding shrill of the phone and the lusty promise of time with his man. Succumbing to his sense of propriety, Noah picked up the handset quickly.

"Hello," he barked into the mouthpiece.

"Uh, is that you, Noah?" said a voice on the other end.

"Yes?"

"It's Michael from Bobby Goldsmith." The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation was an HIV/AIDS support group where Noah did a lot of his volunteer work. "I'm sorry to call at such short notice, but Jim Richards hasn't shown up for tonight's run on the bus. Any chance you could take his place?"

Noah groaned. The 'bus' was a specially fitted mini-van that the Foundation used to cruise the city at night, handing out 'safe-sex' literature and offering assistance and support to the boys of the streets. It was an important task, and often thankless and cold, sometimes even dangerous, but it had to be done.

"Isn't there anyone else who could do it?" Noah asked, and then almost immediately felt guilty for doing so.

"Well, I could try a couple of others ..."

"No, it's okay, I'll do it," he said, resignation in his voice. Nick was going to be severely pissed off. "I'll be there in about 25 minutes."

As he put down the receiver, he looked longingly again at the door to their special room, where Nick was waiting for him. But he knew in his heart that Nick would forgive, and that he was needed more on the street than at home, at least for tonight. He went to the doorway at the top of the stairs, and called down.

"Hey, babe?"

"Yeah?" came Nick's voice from below, already thick with lusty anticipation.

"Ahhm, I'm so sorry, my love, but that was Michael from Bobby Goldsmith. They need me on the bus at the last minute!"

"Ohh, shit!"

Noah winced inwardly at the vehemence in Nick's voice, as his lover appeared at the bottom of the stairs, already dressed in shining black leather chaps and a harness, his semi-hard cock swinging between his legs. The blond man hesitated yet again -- maybe they could get someone else? -- as he looked at the vision of sexuality below him. But he refused to yield to temptation.

"I'll be home late, handsome. Probably not until after the run finishes at 3.00 am. Sorry!" He meant it with all his heart, and his body! Before he began to change his mind again, Noah forced himself to walk out of the front door, throwing a disconsolate "I love you!" back over his shoulder.

Nick stumbled up the stairs, still garbed in his leathers, his dick quickly drooping into flaccidity with the disappointment. He was just in time to see Noah's back exiting the house as he called out in reply, "Love you! Take care, sweetheart!" He looked mournfully at the now closed door. Then sensed another set of eyes upon him.

Turning around slowly, he realised that Indiana, their faithful dog, was sitting in the hallway, looking up at him with that expression of confusion, head to one side, that terriers do so well.

"What are you staring at?" Nick said with mock indignation, then burst out laughing as he guessed how incongruous he must look in his leather gear, standing there alone. Shrugging his shoulders, he headed back downstairs to change again, and wondered how he was going to battle the case of 'blue balls' he knew was about to descend upon him.

***********

Noah made it to the Foundation head office in record time, and found the place in its usual state of just-controlled chaos. As he arrived, Michael breathed a sigh of relief.

"Noah, thank God. I was getting desperate."

"Oh well, just call me Bruce Wayne," he grinned.

One of the other men in the office looked up quickly. "Absolutely! I'll be Robin to your Batman any day!"

"Calm down, Troy," Michael said, dismissing the younger guy. Then to Noah, "Thanks so much for this. I owe you."

"No worries," replied Noah, "... but you might have to apologise on hands and knees to Nick! Now, any idea what happened to Jim Richards?"

"None whatsoever," Michael replied, then lowered his voice. "I'm starting to get a little concerned. It's not like Jim to miss his shift without letting us know in plenty of time. I've tried ringing his home, but there's no answer, and none of his friends around here have seen him for a couple of days."

A flicker of doubt crossed Noah's face. "Hmm. Well, I'm sure there's a good reason behind it. I'd better get out on the road for now. We'll worry about Jim later, okay?"

"Sure, Noah," Michael said, trying to sound as confident as he didn't feel. "Thanks again."

***********

Six hours later, when Noah returned to the Foundation's office tired and cold from the long night, Michael was still there, toiling away at a mountain of paperwork engulfing his rickety wooden desk.

"Any news on Jim?" he asked.

A bleary eyed Michael looked up at him. "No, not a thing," he stated resignedly.

"Well, I'm off to make peace with my husband, and get some sleep," said Noah quietly. "If you need me again tomorrow, call me and let me know. Okay?"

"Yep! And I'll give you more warning than tonight. Thanks again. Goodnight."

"'Night."

Noah drove home quickly through the dark and empty streets, letting himself into the house around 3.15. He petted Indiana who greeted him with a gruff bark, and undressed quickly before crawling into bed alongside the slumbering form of Nick. Although he tried not to wake his lover, he heard Nick's breathing change, and a voice thick with sleep mumbled quietly to him.

"Hey babe, everything okay?"

"Yes, my love. Go back to sleep."

Nick rolled onto his side, toward Noah and slid one arm over Noah's ribs. "Ooh, cold!" declared the sleepy man.

"Sorry, honey," Noah replied, trying to move away from his mate.

"'S okay," Nick mumbled again, drawing them back together, snuggling his body into Noah's back and spooning into him. Soon they were both deeply asleep.

**********

The following morning, Nick had already left when Noah finally roused himself around 10.30. He busied himself about the house for a couple of hours before ringing Michael again. There was still no word on Jim, so Noah offered to once again take his place on the bus that night. After hanging up from Michael, he phoned the cafe where Nick was working.

"Hi, handsome," he said smoothly as Nick came on the line.

"You're working again tonight, aren't you?" Nick said at once.

"Uh huh."

"I knew it! Bloody hell, and after you left me with a severe case of the aches last night -- there I was all horny and ready to go, and you leave me alone. I was hoping you were gonna make it up to me tonight."

"Oh, my poor baby," Noah drawled out with a smile. "Do you think you could wait until tomorrow? I promise we'll really make some noise then!"

Nick chuckled evilly down the line. "I'm holding you to that, sexy. Celibacy is not my thing, so you're going to pay for making me wait!"

"Ha," Noah snorted. "48 hours without sex is hardly celibacy, Nick!"

"It is when I've got you to come home to!" his partner replied, "And I don't like being away from you any more than I have to."

"Yeah, sorry, babe, but they need me. Jim Richards seems to have disappeared."

"Oh? That's not like Jim," Nick said, surprise in his voice, forgetting his own woes for the moment.

"No," Noah agreed. "Michael's worried about him, and to be honest so am I. I can't think why he would have disappeared without letting anyone know."

Nick was silent for a few moments as he thought. Finally he spoke again. "I know a few of Jim's friends, I'll ask around, see if anyone knows anything. And you be careful out there tonight, okay?"

"I will, I promise."

"Love you!"

"Love you too, hon!" Noah said, smiling to himself as he put down the phone.

*********

There was still no more news of Jim by the time Noah had finished that night's shift on the bus, and he could tell Michael was becoming very worried about their friend. As he was getting ready to leave, Noah put an arm around Michael's shoulders.

"I'll check with you again tomorrow morning, and if there's still nothing, I'll look into it myself, maybe go by his home, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks, Noah," Jim said, the concern evident in his voice.

When he got home, Noah was surprised to find lights on in the living room. As he opened the door, Nick planted a big kiss on his face.

"Thought I'd wait up for you, handsome," he said, preparing a large mug of hot chocolate for each of them and leading Noah to the sofa to sit down and relax. As they sipped at the steaming liquid, Nick asked his man again if they had heard anything of the missing Jim.

"Not a word," was Noah's reply.

"Well, I've asked around, and as far as I can find out, the last time anyone saw him was Sunday night, at the Shift. Apparently Tony saw him there, and he was still there when Tony and his date left around 2.30 in the morning."

"But that's more than 48 hours ago!" exclaimed Noah. "Hasn't anyone seen him since?"

"Not that I could determine." Nick's jaw was set as the two men looked at each other, both becoming seriously concerned.

"Well, I suppose there's nothing we can do tonight. But I really would like to start checking closely tomorrow," Noah mused.

"I figured you would, so I told Danny I won't be in tomorrow. We'll get started first thing in the morning!' Nick declared.

The two sat silently together, finishing off their warm, sweet drinks before making their way to the bedroom. Once in bed, they both tossed and turned despite the lateness of the hour, their minds filled with unanswered questions.

"I can't sleep!" Nick complained three quarters of an hour later.

"I know, me neither," sympathised Noah, pulling himself into Nick's back, feeling the warm body of his lover melt into the same shape as himself. Nick wriggled slightly against Noah, pressing the two even closer together, and feeling the fleshy tube of Noah's cock pressed against his arse cheeks.

Noah, for his part, sighed with suppressed need as he felt the hard skin of Nick's back and shoulders pushing against his sensitive nipples, dragging at the silver ring piercing his left tit and causing the beginnings of arousal as it always did when his sensitive nips were stimulated. When Nick moved yet again so that Noah's slowly swelling cock was now sandwiched between Nick's cheeks, and Nick flexed his glutes to squeeze at Noah's manhood, a low moan of delight escaped his lips. Noah closed his arms around his man's body, one hand sliding up to pinch at Nick's chest, the other gradually working it's way down until it found the swollen tumescence of Nick's penis, throbbing and hard already.

That was all the encouragement Nick needed. Quickly, he reached for the lube, ever at the ready on the bedside table, and coated his fingers with the gel before transferring a generous helping behind himself and over Noah's cock. He smeared the remnants against his own puckering anus, and settled back against Noah once again, this time moving up and down as Noah's cock explored the valley between his butt cheeks.

Noah kissed and nibbled at the skin of Nick's shoulders while his hands played with his lover's nipples and his prick rode up and down in the crack of Nick's arse. He felt Nick's fingers running along his arms as he did, and heard the whimpers and sighs of excitement increase from the man around whom he now wrapped his limbs. Nick slid himself up again so that Noah's cockhead rested squarely against the slippery, primed hole of Nick's arse, and raised one leg to allow his man better access to that waiting chute. On cue, and with the experience of practiced lovers who could sense each other's needs, Noah inched forward and Nick relaxed, so that Noah's throbbing tool slowly penetrated his man's sphincter.

Nick groaned with delight at the invasion, and Noah pressed inward steadily, his long weapon sliding between the muscles of Nick's rectum and filling his gut, until Noah was completely buried within his lover's body. The position in which they lay may have been a little awkward, but that did nothing to deter them as Noah began to move in and out of Nick, in time to the clenching and release of Nick's arse around him. Soon the two found their rhythm and they rocked together in mutual excitement, Noah plunging his steel hard dick deep into Nick as Nick arched his back and impaled himself on the swollen prong of his mate. Their motion gradually increased in tempo and force as the lovers fucked with the intensity of unleashed desire, humping at each other in raw animal lust and shared need. After several days of forced denial, it did not take long before both were trembling with the approach of release. Noah felt the explosion growing deep in his gut, and pounded himself into Nick yet again, hissing a warning of his impending eruption. Nick simply grunted acknowledgement, his own climax about to burst upon him.

With one final thrust Noah sank his cock deeper into Nick's bowel, and held himself rigid as his body shuddered and his nuts spewed their fruit up and out of his prick and into Nick. As he did, he gripped tightly at the base of Nick's penis, squeezing at the flesh and grabbing at his balls. The pressure on his gonads, combined with the heated spear of flesh filling his arse, pushed Nick over the edge, and with a strangled cry of passion, he clenched his sphincter tightly around Noah's pole, and shot his wad of cum in long strings onto the sheets.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, the two men relaxed as their simultaneous orgasm ebbed away. With a dejected plop, Noah slipped from Nick's body, as Nick rolled onto his back and Noah moved over him, their lips meeting in a satisfied kiss.

"Thanks, my love, I needed that," whispered Nick.

"We both did," Noah answered. "Did you know I love you?"

"Yeah?" Nick tried to sound surprised. "Well if you really love me, you'll get out of this warm bed and find a towel to clean up the mess we've made!"

With a deep-throated chuckle, Noah did precisely that, wiping himself and his man relatively clean before dabbing at the pool of ejaculate left on the bed linen. Pulling Noah down to him, Nick kissed him yet again.

"I love you too. Thank you."

"It was the least I could do," Noah whispered. "Especially since you're the one who has to sleep on the 'wet spot'!" He ducked just in time to avoid the pillow Nick swung at him, before they both collapsed onto the bed again, grinning at each other.

Finally, the late (or early) hour, and the exhaustion of sexual release, took its toll, and both fell into sleep, the concerns about the missing man banished for a few restful hours.

***********

The next day Nick and Noah woke early despite the lack of sleep. Jim's disappearance was still heavy on their minds, and another check with Michael at Bobby Goldsmith did nothing to ease their concerns. Nick made a few more calls, but no one seemed to be able to tell them anything new, so Noah decided they would try Jim's home.

Outside his flat, they knocked for several minutes without response. As Noah mused over what to do next, Nick tried the neighbouring doors on either side. No one was home at the first, but the second yielded a semi-coherent man somewhere in his mid-50's, who looked like he had seen the bottom of far too many whisky bottles.

"Nah, ain't seen nothin' for a coupla days!" he answered Nick's enquiry. "An' jus' as well, too. All that noise and crashin' goin' on early hours of Mund'y mornin' -- I was jus' 'bout ready to call the cops on 'em! Bloody poofs -- prob'ly havin' a lovers' tiff or sumthin."

Nick loomed over him. "You bigoted little shit, I'll ..." He looked ready to explode, but Noah stepped between them.

"Thanks for your help, sir," he smiled mirthlessly at the neighbour. "Come on, Nick, we can't do any more here," he said, pulling his partner away.

The man mumbled something indiscernible as he slammed the door behind them.

As they stood outside the blank door, Nick huffed and fumed, but Noah was thinking carefully. "Well, that tells us that he came back here after leaving the Shift, and he had someone with him at the time," he said, almost to himself.

"Yeah, and there must have been some kind of fight by the sound of it," Nick added. "We need to get inside to have a look."

"But I don't know if anyone we know has a key ..." Noah looked at Nick uncertainly.

"Minor problem," Nick declared, grinning broadly as he pulled a credit card from his pocket, and brandished it before Noah's face.

"You have to be joking! That only works in the movies," said Noah uncertainly.

"Well, they have to get it from somewhere. Besides, I've always wanted to try this." Nick grinned to himself as he stepped to the door, leaning down and slowly sliding the card between the frame and the door itself. He pushed at it, slid it from side to side, and tried to turn the knob as he did. Nothing happened. He tried again, becoming slowly frustrated.

"You know, James Bond does it in about half a second," observed Noah, but Nick ignored him as he persevered, now even more determined to gain access to the flat.

Noah went on in a serious tone. "They have locksmiths for this you know." Another break, another grunt from Nick. "And they have prison for people who break into apartments ..."

Suddenly there was a click and the door slid open. Nick stood up triumphantly, looked to his partner and stated " ... and for everything else, there's MasterCard!"

Noah rolled his eyes, and pretended indignation as Nick returned the card to his pocket.

Together, Nick and Noah entered the apartment. Furniture was overturned and glasses and ornaments strewn around all over the place. A quick check of the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom confirmed that the place was empty, but that someone had really ransacked it. Every room was a complete mess, nothing left untouched.

"It looks like this place has been hit by a cyclone!" Nick exclaimed.

Noah just nodded. He looked around him, not even knowing where to begin to look, or even what it was he might be looking for.

 

Chapter 2

"Holy shit!" declared Nick as he looked around at the mess. "Where do we start?"

He began to walk further into the flat, kicking at some of the upturned items as he did, and bent down to pick something up just as Noah called out in an urgent voice.

"Nick, don't touch anything! We have to call the police."

Nick jumped back as if bitten by a snake, and turned to look at his partner, his eyes wide. "Are you sure?"

"Of course."

"But what do we tell them? How do we explain how we got in here ourselves?"

"I don't know, but we have to get them involved, and fast!"

The Sydney Police Centre was a matter of a few minutes' walk from where they were, so they carefully let themselves out, trying not to touch anything else, including the front door, and made their way quickly to the large grey concrete building on Goulburn Street. Whether it had been purposely built to terrify anyone who approached it, or had just ended up that way, it succeeded very well in being one of the least welcoming edifices in the entire city. The two men approached it with a sense of concern and dread.

At the front desk they were greeted with a professional friendliness by a young female officer.

"We would like to report a missing person," Noah said quietly.

"And possibly a kidnap!" added Nick dramatically.

The officer studied them both, looking from one to the other. "Yes, sir", she said, matter-of-factly. "Would you please wait here while I get someone to come and speak with you?" Without waiting for any reply she turned her back and disappeared through a one-way glass door behind her. Noah took a seat and waited quietly while Nick began to pace from side to side.

After about five minutes, the officer reappeared, and nodded to them. "Sgt. Jamieson will be out to see you shortly, and to get all the details to file a missing person report," she stated before proceeding to ignore them and give her attention to something on the desk and out of their sight.

A very long twenty-five minutes passed, with Nick getting more and more agitated. Noah knew there was nothing he could do to either hurry up the process, or to calm his boyfriend, so he sat resignedly and watched Nick wear a trail in the carpet of the reception area. Just as Noah could sense that Nick was about to blow his top and start yelling at someone, a door to one side opened and an older, thickset man asked in a disinterested voice, "Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Giannis?"

Nick and Noah both responded quickly as he held out his hand. "Hello, I'm Sgt. Jamieson. Would you please come through?" He led them into a small bare office just off the main waiting area and ushered them into uncomfortable chairs at a desk while he seated himself opposite.

"I understand you want to lodge a 'missing person' report?" he said as he settled himself down.

"That's correct," Noah stated, holding his hand up to Nick in a warning to take it easy. "A friend of ours, Mr. Jim Richards, seems to have disappeared."

"I see ..."

"He was last seen in the early hours of Monday morning, and hasn't shown up for work, or been in contact with any of his friends since then," Noah stated quietly but firmly.

The policeman looked at him carefully. "Well, it is only Wednesday today. Why are you so sure he's gone missing? He may just not want to talk to anyone."

Nick stated quickly, "His neighbour heard a fight in his flat Monday morning, and the place is a mess! Besides, it's not like him to just disappear without letting anyone know."

"Mmmm," said the officer, turning his gaze now to Nick. "And how do you know this?"

Nick began to splutter, when Noah stepped in to save the day.

"We went to his building and knocked on some doors," he said calmly. "One of his neighbours told us that he had heard an argument or at least a lot of noise in the early hours of Monday morning. When we went back and tried Jim's door, it wasn't latched properly, and with a little 'jiggling' we got it open, and saw that the place was a mess," Noah lied expertly. "So we closed the flat again, and came straight here to report it."

"I see." Sgt Jamieson sat for a minute thinking. "You're not related to the missing man?"

"No," Noah spoke again. "I work with him, and he missed his shifts on Monday and Tuesday nights, so we became concerned about him."

"I asked around amongst his friends, and no one has seen him since Sunday night!" Nick added, once again joining the conversation, his sense of urgency overcoming his chagrin at letting out that they had been inside Jim's flat.

The cop finally took out a form and a pen and began to write. He took down Jim's details; name, address, age, brief description, then Noah's details. "Where did Mr. Richards work?" he asked.

"At the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation," answered Noah.

"Oh, I see ..." said Jamieson, his eyes shooting up to Noah. "And he was last seen where?"

Nick jumped in. "One of his friends saw him late Sunday night or early Monday morning at the Shift ..."

"That's a nightclub on Oxford Street," Noah began. "Its proper name is The Midnight Shift."

Again a look from the policeman, as he sat back and studied the two. "That's a gay club, isn't it?" The comment was a statement rather than a question. "Are you sure your friend hasn't simply decided to disappear for a day or two? Perhaps he's 'otherwise engaged'." A smirk crept over Jamieson's face, his eyes saying much more. "Maybe he met someone at this club, went home with him ..."

Nick's exasperation roared to the surface yet again. "Yeah!" he said loudly. "The Shift is a gay club, Jim is gay, I'm gay, Noah is gay, they work for a gay charity! For fuck's sake, one block from here you'd swear the whole world was gay if you looked around yourself. What difference does it make? The guy's missing and we're bloody well worried about him."

"There's no need to get excited, Mr. Giannis," said Jamieson softly. "I was just wondering if you would feel more comfortable dealing with one of our Gay Liaison Officers?"

"I'd feel more comfortable dealing with anyone who indicated that they took this matter a bit more seriously than you seem to be!" Nick exploded.

By this stage, Noah was also becoming angry, although in him it manifested itself completely differently. He spoke with an icy voice.

"Sgt. Jamieson, as I understand it, the GLO's are supposed to assist where the fact that someone is gay means that they either don't feel comfortable dealing with the police, or where the matter being dealt with is particularly a gay one. That is not the case here; unless you're suggesting that the fact that the people involved are gay means that the police will treat it differently from how they would if that were not the case. Perhaps it is you who would feel more comfortable with someone else dealing with our concern, which is that a person is missing, not that a gay person is missing."

The police officer reddened as Noah stared at him and continued. "I don't know or care what your particular sexual preference is. What I do care about is the way in which you investigate our friend's disappearance. And if I'm not happy with that, I'll take it up with your superiors, whether they are gay or not!"

With that he sat back expectantly, looking at the officer in front of him. Nick sat back as well, a thin smile of pride in the way Noah had spoken sneaking onto his lips.

The cop looked from one to the other, surprise giving way to a grudging respect, as he coughed to clear his throat. "Yes, well, we'll log this as a missing person, and get right onto it," he said in an official voice.

"Does that mean someone will be going to his flat?" Noah asked, not letting him get away.

"Yes, we'll send someone over there."

"When? I'd like to be there, at least as soon after they have finished as possible, just to make sure it's left secure and to tidy up a bit."

"No, you can't do that. It will be declared a possible crime scene, which means it has to be left untouched. And our men will make sure it's left secure, don't worry."

Noah seemed uncertain for a moment. "Okay then, but I'd still like to know when they are going," he said forcefully. "I feel as if I should be doing something to help, instead of just sitting around and waiting."

"If you really want to help," said Jamieson, obviously still uncomfortable, and eager to be rid of the two for now, "we could use a photograph of Mr. Richards; something reasonably recent and clear, so we can distribute it around. Other than that, it would be best if you just let us get on with our work."

"Done!" stated Noah, feeling he had gained a moral victory over this irritating policeman. He also harboured some doubts about just how seriously their claims were being taken, but he'd allow them the benefit of the doubt, for the time being anyway.

**********

Once they were away from the Police Centre, Nick breathed a long sigh of relief mixed with annoyance. "Do you think they'll do anything at all about it?" he asked.

"They'd better!" Noah stated, "Or I really will be going over that idiot's head!"

***********

Later that afternoon, Noah returned to the Police Centre armed with a photo of Jim that he'd located at home that had been taken the previous summer. When he asked for Sgt. Jamieson, he was told that the officer was not available, so he explained to the young constable at reception that he had a photograph to deliver to help with the missing person investigation for Mr Jim Richards.

He was asked to wait, and within a very short time a tall, dark haired man approached him from the same door that Jamieson had exited earlier in the day.

"Mr. Sorensen?" the man asked, to which Noah nodded a reply. "I'm Detective Roarty, and I'm working with Sgt. Jamieson on this matter. Can I help you?"

Noah smiled. It seemed that his outburst earlier had paid off. At least the police seemed to be taking the matter seriously, and he instinctively felt as though he wasn't being brushed off or discounted by this new detective.

"I see," he said. "I have a photo of Mr. Richards, as Sgt. Jamieson asked for this morning," Noah explained.

"Thank you," Roarty said sincerely.

"Do you know when the flat will be checked?" Noah asked.

"As soon as possible. If there has been some foul play as you suggested to Sgt. Jamieson, then we need to try to follow up before the trail gets cold."

About time! Noah thought to himself. Out loud, he voiced his gratitude. "Thank you. I and other of Mr. Richards' friends are very concerned about his welfare. Will you let me know of any developments?"

"Of course!" Roarty assured him. "We have your contact details, and we'll be in touch if there is anything to report or need to ask further questions."

"If I can help at all, please let me know," Noah added, but Roarty motioned him to calm.

"Please, just let us get on with our job. It's always much easier if we can do our work without civilians getting in the way, even with the best of intentions," he said, although he did so in a way which wasn't condescending, but meant to allay Noah's fears.

"Very well ..." said Noah doubtfully, making his goodbyes and leaving the policeman to 'do his job'. He still had some reservations, but at least it seemed as though he was being taken seriously at last.

*********

That afternoon Nick and Noah were at home again, going over their experience with the police, and trying to decide what else they could do to find Jim. Neither of them felt particularly confident about the official investigation, but as Noah pointed out, they could do very little for the time being.

"What about the doorman at the Shift?" Nick suddenly asked. "Maybe he'll remember seeing Jim leave. After all, he was a regular, maybe he left with someone else whom the doorman remembers as well?"

"It's worth a try!" declared Noah. "Let's call the place and find out who was on that night, and whether they're still there."

He quickly looked up and then dialled the number, getting on to the duty manager without much trouble. When he explained the reason for his call, and the problems they were having, he received a sympathetic ear. The bar owners were all too familiar with the lack of enthusiasm the police often showed to their problems, and also wanted to make sure their establishment didn't get any bad publicity from the story. Noah found out that there were two bouncers, or doormen, on from midnight until dawn that night, but that neither of them would be working until midnight again tonight. Helpful as the manager was, he wasn't about to give out home numbers for his staff, and suggested that Noah come to the club and talk to them when they started work later in the evening.

"Okay, thanks," said Noah as he rang off, and related the story to Nick.

"So we can't do anything until they start work at midnight?" Nick said, and Noah could sense his impatience.

"I'm afraid not. You're just going to have to cool your heels for six or seven hours, lover boy."

"Shit! I hate waiting around, doing nothing."

Noah grinned. "Don't I know it! Still, I'm sure we can find some way to kill the time ..." his voice lowered and became suggestive as he spoke. Nick picked up on it immediately.

"Mmmm?" Nick questioned in a low murmur, his eyes narrowing. "I seem to recall that you still owe me an evening downstairs!" he stated.

Noah's face split into a mischievous smile. "That's right! You think you can get your mind off Jim long enough to give me the attention I deserve?"

Nick said nothing, but with an evil leer on his features, he simply took Noah by the hand and led him to the cellar door and down the stairs to their secret sex-pit.

*********

For the next few hours the two men put the outside world away from their minds, and indulged in their favourite pursuit -- hot leather sex with each other. Noah knew that Nick needed the diversion, and they both could do with letting off some tension, while they were unable to do anything more to help their friend.

They helped each other dress in shining black hide, and quickly fell into their preferred roles. Down here, it was Nick who took control, becoming the powerful 'master' and dominating Noah, his compliant, willing 'slave'. The roles they played were in many ways a reversal of the life they lived outside their special place, but ones they needed when they were alone together.

Noah's 'outfit' consisted of a harness of straps that wrapped around his upper torso, four studded black bands that connected from a ring between his shoulder blades to two large metal circles that surrounded his pierced nipples and were joined by a silver chain. A single piece of dark leather then fell across the centre of his stomach to connect to a shining steel cockring encircling his nuts and the base of his long thin penis. On his legs, tight chaps gripped at the muscles, accentuating every move he made and dropping into black boots encasing his feet. His head was obscured by a leather hood that covered his ears and nose, but had slits allowing him to see.

His 'master', Nick, wore chaps and boots also, the legs of his chaps gleaming in the soft candlelight. His groin was a triangle of black leather, a snap on codpiece temporarily restraining his thick uncut meat as it bulged forward from his body. On his upper body a shining black vest hung open to reveal an elaborate harness of chain that slung over his shoulders and below his pecs, and his eyes were hidden behind mirrored sunglasses beneath a black leatherman's cap, the visor pulled low and menacing.

Revelling in the atmosphere of their room, and trembling with anticipation, Nick stepped forward to take possession of his man. His hands reached out to Noah's chest and his fingers closed over the rings of silver inserted through Noah's nipples. He pulled gently but firmly at the hard brown nubs and cool steel, and was rewarded with a soft groan of pleasure from Noah's throat, and the very obvious springing of Noah's cock to full erection. Pulling again, he drew his partner to himself, and their lips met in a soft brushing which quickly developed into a frenzied attack one on the other, each probing and tasting at the other mouth, while Nick's hands remained at Noah's chest and Noah slid his arms beneath the folds of Nick's vest and ran his palms over the wide shoulders and down to the firm round orbs of his man's butt.

Nick broke their kiss, torn between the desire to continue and the need now awakened in him for more. His head rolled back as he moaned quietly and his hands lifted to Noah's shoulders, pushing the other man down to his knees.

Noah willingly complied, positioning himself in front of his 'master', his eyes almost level with the bulging black pouch of Nick's groin. Still gripping at the muscled melons of Nick's arse, he drank in the view before him, almost salivating at the prospect of having his man's prong deep within him. He leaned forward until he could smell the heady aroma of male musk mixed with the scent of tanned hide. The pouch encasing Nick's masculinity was only centimetres from his mouth, and Noah breathed deeply, his eyes watching carefully as the tight leather strained against the thick tube that was Nick's cock. He licked his tongue outward, making contact with the shining blackness and began to trace the shape of his lover through the covering. His lips followed as he quickly nibbled and bit at the solidity, massaging that glorious flesh through its leather case.

Nick's hands were on his head, and he could feel the strength of those arms guiding him against their owner, directing him from side to side as he attacked his target. Noah trembled with passionate arousal as his palms slid across Nick's butt and up and down the dark logs of Nick's legs, the texture of his chaps soft against Noah's hands. Nick held Noah's head firmly, felt the smooth covering of the hood beneath his fingers and trembled at the erotic touch of Noah's lips and tongue against his leathered groin. Opening his eyes and looking down, he was rewarded with a vision of exciting blackness, the dark roundness of his 'slave's' head pressing into the inky throb of his crotch. Suddenly, Noah lifted a little, and his teeth found the snaps that held the codpiece in place. With a determined pull, it came away and Nick felt his prick jump out, released at last. Instantly, it was encased again, but now by the exquisite heated wetness of Noah's throat and Nick murmured involuntarily.

"Fuck yeah ..." he hissed.

Noah attacked Nick's shaft with gusto. Unable to wait any longer, once he had freed that thick shaft he dived upon it, swallowing as much of the engorged log of manflesh as he could manage. Carefully nipping at Nick's cock, scraping his teeth cautiously over the sensitive, stretched skin, he constricted his throat around it and with the benefit of extensive experience swallowed the entire length without gagging. His nose was buried in Nick's pubic hair, and his fingers found the rolling balls of Nick's testicles against Noah's chin and he massaged them expertly. He happily allowed Nick to commence a slow thrusting motion, sliding his mouth up and down along the throbbing tool as he suckled and licked, tasting his mate's manliness and coating him with saliva.

Before long, Nick's desires overcame his pleasure at the attention from Noah's mouth. He wanted, needed, more. Reaching down, he lifted Noah from his knees until they stood once again facing each other. With their differing heights, Noah's leather covered head was considerably higher than the peak of Nick's cap, but Nick did not even notice. Quickly, he leaned forward, his lips closing around the now swollen brown nubs of Noah's tits. He bit gently down on each of the tiny erections in turn, finding the silver piercings and dragging back at them before releasing each and blowing lightly on the aroused skin, or licking at the alluring metal circles set through his partner's chest. As he did, Noah groaned yet again, his breath quickening as his excitement increased.

The animal need was growing in each of them quickly now. Relinquishing his hold on Noah's chest, Nick stood up and moved into Noah, their bodies connecting, rubbing against each other. As he did, Noah was forced gradually backwards until he came up against the hard edge of the sling suspended from the roof in this special basement of theirs. Without hesitation he began to lean back, and Nick took his hands as he did, helping him to recline onto the platform of leather. As Noah's weight settled into place, Nick's hands fell to his partner's legs, wrapped around the chaps just behind Noah's knees, and lifted, pushing upwards until Noah's legs were high and spread. With practised ease, Nick slid Noah's booted feet into the hanging stirrups on either side and leaned forward over his slave once again, drinking in the vision of his 'boy' laying back open and inviting, waiting to be taken.

Noah looked along his own body and between his upturned, leather clad legs to the dark vision approaching him. The gleaming brightness of the vest Nick wore, and the black bands of his chaps and harness were incredibly erotic.

"Take me, Sir," he whispered, the need evident in his voice. "Fuck me, please, now!"

Nick needed no encouragement. Slathering a generous glob of lubricant over his prong, he moved into the space between Noah's legs, guiding his cock to its target, the twitching pink rosebud of Noah's anus. As he leaned into his man, he felt the firm flesh of Noah's entrance against the head of his cock, and waited as he watched his partner relax against the imminent invasion. As he pressed slowly but relentlessly forward, he felt the resistance of Noah's sphincter melt, and in through the ring of muscle his cockhead sank.

A gasp of delighted pleasure escaped from Noah. He felt the insertion of Nick's cock through his entrance with a miniscule and fleeting pain that was instantly replaced by the wondrous joy of being filled. As he clenched himself around the thick log of flesh that now pierced him, he murmured with satisfaction.

"Unnhhh, yeah, that's so good! Fuck me, Nick."

Noah trembled as Nick began to push further into him. He felt the steady intrusion of his man as Nick's weapon slid into him, twitched with delight as Nick's cock massaged his prostate and continued it's voyage into his gut. Soon, almost too soon, he felt the heavy spheres of Nick's balls slap against his bare arse. Nick was completely buried in him and he ached with delight.

Quickly, Nick began to thrust in and out of Noah's body. His base lust grew as he plunged his cock into the hot moist cavern of his man, then pulled back to shove in again. The squelching, slapping noises as he humped himself at the hard, chiselled body below him excited him further, and the smell of male sex intertwined with the scent of leather caused his urges to take control. He soon found a rhythm, lunging forward then withdrawing ready for another push, feeling Noah clench against him, then relax to invite him back in. His throbbing prick, hard as rock, stabbed into Noah, pistoning in and out as his tempo increased in line with his desire.

Noah writhed and gasped as Nick's cock thundered into him. He clenched and released, trembled with growing passion as electric shocks of pleasure raced through his nerves. He reached forward as Nick ploughed deep into his body, and found Nick's nipples, pinching and tugging at them. Nick continued to rut against him, harder and faster, impaling Noah on his fleshy dagger, deeper and stronger. Their fuck took on a life of its own, all consuming, powerful and sweaty as they shivered and swore, coupled in a heaving, shaking union of pure masculine enjoyment.

Together they peaked. Nick shouted out a warning of his impending explosion just as Noah knew he could hold back no longer. Noah pulled Nick into himself, and Nick crashed forward one last time, thrusting his swollen cock deeper and further into his partner than ever, and they locked together, twitching and shuddering as their simultaneous orgasm rocked them to the core. Nick emptied his seed deep inside his lover, a torrent of his very essence deposited within Noah's bowel, as Noah jetted streamers of white hot jism into the confined space between their abdomens, filling the void with sticky manjuice and gluing them together in a pool of cum.

The wildly swaying sling now took their combined weight as Nick collapsed against his slave, and Noah settled back into the warm glow of sated passion. The squeaking of leather against leather slowly gave way to heaving breaths as they recovered, still embracing, and smiling happily at each other as their climax subsided.

************

It was close to 12.30 when Nick and Noah arrived at the nightclub. After cleaning themselves up and taking a fast shower, Noah had quickly rummaged through their collection of photos and come up with another recent image of Jim, by himself, which was fairly clear. He reasoned that it could be useful in trying to get the guys on the door to remember their friend from Sunday night.

As soon as the two arrived, they quickly established that the men standing at the street level door to the club were in fact the two who worked in the same spot Sunday night.

"Oh yeah," said one who identified himself as George. "The boss said someone had been asking about the other night, and might be coming around. You're not cops are you?"

"No," grinned Noah. "It'll probably take the cops some time to get around to asking you guys anything, if they do at all. We're just friends of this man and we're worried about him."

With that he fished out the photo of Jim. "We believe he was here Sunday night, and left after midnight with someone. But no one's seen him since, and his place has been trashed. Do you recognise him?"

"The face is kinda familiar ..." said George slowly, "but I can't say I remember him from the other night in particular. Hey Dave, you know this guy?" he addressed his colleague.

Dave wandered over casually and studied the photograph.

"Yeah, I know him. He's here quite a bit."

"Sunday?" butted in Nick quickly. Dave stopped to think, rubbing his chin.

"Mighta been Sunday that he was here. I remember him leaving 'cause he looked to be out of it, and he was going home with a real stunner. I wondered why the blond guy was bothering -- he wasn't gonna be much use to him."

"Blond guy?" Nick almost yelled. Noah spoke more calmly, although he was just as anxious.

"Did you know the 'blond guy'? Who he is, where he lives? Anything?"

"Nah, don't know him, but he is good looking!" Noah's heart began to fall. "Lena would probably know ..."

"Lena?"

"Yep. Lena Gainstme. She's one of the regular drags that get in here. The blond one was sitting with her most of the night, and I recall she left about the same time -- called out something about seeing him later and not doing anything she wouldn't, then they got separate cabs."

Nick could barely restrain himself. "Is this Lena here tonight?" he asked quickly.

George joined in again now. "Sure is! She showed up about half an hour ago, in a green and gold dress three sizes too small, made outta Lycra and sequins, with matching shoes that must have 8" heels on 'em. All that on a weeknight! God only knows what she does during the day! She's upstairs now."

"Thanks, guys," Noah said quickly, as he followed Nick who had gone bounding up into the club in search of a green and gold drag queen.

****

Lena could hardly be missed. Poised on a stool at one end of the bar, she looked as though she were holding court. Her legs were crossed carefully as her skirt rode up almost to her waist, her hair a creation of impossibly blonde curls that rose a foot above her head, topped with a rainbow-hued tiara. She held a glass in hands that were dominated by two inch long bright red nails, sipping through a straw and licking at purple lips. Her eyes darted all around, surveying the club and its patrons with a possessive, almost lustful, look.

Nick went straight up to her. "Lena?" he asked. "My name is Nick ..."

"Of course it is dear," she cut him off with a wave. Her voice sounded like gravel being scraped over concrete with a shovel. "All good little Greek boys are called 'Nick'. You are Greek?"

"Umm, yes, but ..."

"I knew it. I love Greek, don't you? I'm a veritable expert in it, darling," she stated with a smile that stayed on her lips and did not touch her face.

Noah had arrived as Nick answered her. "Excuse me ma'am. I'm Noah, Nick's friend," he began.

Lena's arm flew wide as she spoke again. "Noah and Nick? Nick and Noah? How absolutely precious. And just look at you, sweeties," she said as she took her own advice, her eyes raking over the two of them. "Chalk and cheese! Yin and Yang! Faaaaabulous!"

Nick was dumbfounded, certain she must smoke 100 cigarettes an hour to make her voice so deep and rough. Noah tried to keep up with her. Fishing out the photograph again, he showed it to her. "This is a friend of ours, Jim. Do you recognise him?" he asked politely.

She cast a bare glance at the image before looking back to Noah's face. "Daaaarling, I never recognise a face. Do you have a picture of him from the waist down? Naked?"

Ignoring the comment, and the batted eyelashes that accompanied it, Noah pressed again. "Please, Lena, it's important. He's missing. Dave downstairs says he left here a couple of nights ago with a friend of yours -- a good looking blond man, who had been sitting with you most of the night...? Apparently you left about the same time that they did, but they went home together and you got a separate taxi."

"Oooooooh!" came an incongruously high-pitched screech. "I do hope you're not suggesting that I EVER go home alone, young man!" Lena hissed. Nick was just about at the end of his tether, and inched towards her with a murderous glint in his eye, but Noah stepped between them.

"Listen, 'daarling'," he whispered, the sarcasm and the threat easily heard in his voice. "Do you know this blond or not? I haven't got time to waste, and all the nylon in your hair and your frock is beginning to fray my friend's nerves. When that happens he usually hits something, or someone."

The tall drag queen sat up suddenly, her eyes widening. She was unused to having anyone talk back at her this way, and it showed. She could sense the seriousness in Noah's voice, and for the first time seemed to acknowledge the anxiety in Nick's demeanour. "Well, Mr. Butch, since you ask so nicely ..." she placed a finger on her chin and pretended to think, but just for a second. "I do believe that would have been that nice young boy I brought along with me -- Geoffrey, Geoffrey Renouf. Yes that was the one. I remember because I wondered if he was related to Lady Renouf. He swore he wasn't, but you just never know with these society types. He wanted to take me out on his yacht, but I told him I never do anything in daylight, after all, one has to protect one's skin and ..."

Nick grabbed her by the arm, squeezing tightly, enough to bring her babble to a stop. "Do you know where we might find this 'Geoffrey Renouf'?" he asked in a menacing tone.

"Well, same place I did, darling," she looked at him as if to say that it was obvious, "he works at the IGA Supermarket just down the block on Oxford Street. You know, I did wonder why someone who owned a yacht would be working there, but that's where I found him. Just popped in to pick up some essentials, you know -- pate, champagne, toilet paper -- and there he was. Stunning! I knew straight away he was the kind who would want ... "

She continued on, but Nick and Noah heard no more. "You've been very helpful. Buy yourself a drink!" Noah exclaimed as they left her alone, throwing a twenty on the counter beside her, which she snatched up expertly.

"Nice young men!" she commented to no one in particular as she caught the barman's eye and waved her overlarge hand at him for a refill.

 

Chapter 3

First thing Thursday morning, despite their late night interrogation of Lena, the drag queen in the Shift, Nick and Noah were up and about early. They felt they were onto something at last, and they wanted to get to the supermarket where this 'Geoffrey Renouf' worked as soon as it opened. Nick seemed convinced it would lead them to Jim, although Noah still had considerable doubts.

Within minutes of the doors opening at 8.00 that morning, the two were asking questions of the staff at the front of the store. Yes, they knew Geoff, but no, he hadn't been in all week. One of the girls volunteered that she believed he wasn't scheduled for a return to work until the following week. Noah could see that they were getting nowhere chatting with the checkout girls, and he insisted on speaking with the store manager.

They were led into a small and somewhat dingy office at the back of the brightly lit shopping area, beside the storage warehouse, where they were greeted by a Mr. Fryer, a rotund man with squinty eyes and a rosy complexion. He stood to greet them, ushering them to seats opposite his desk and shuffling back to take his place. The effort of that minor motion seemed to leave him breathless, although he attempted to smile at the two men facing him. Noah thought he had never seen a less sincere grin on anyone, and Nick mentally christened him 'Fryer Tuck' on the spot.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?" he asked amicably enough as they took their seats.

"We're trying to get in touch with one of your employees, a Geoffrey Renouf," Noah explained. "We believe he may have some information that could help us find a missing friend."

"Hmmm," Fryer nodded as his eyes widened with curiosity. "You sound just like police officers!" he said with a half-hearted grin.

Noah smiled back. "No, just trying to help our friend. Now about Mr. Renouf?"

"Yes, well he does work here. He's not in today, though. I'm sure he was taking some leave this week, not expected back until Monday, if I recall."

"Could you check for us, please? It's rather important that we contact him." Noah's voice began to take on some urgency.

Fryer grumbled as he hoisted himself once again from his protesting chair and shuffled to a card-file drawer at one side of the office. He flicked through some files and pulled out the one for which he was searching. Opening the folder, he pointed his finger at the papers within and announced with satisfaction, "Yes, thought so. Away on annual leave until next Monday morning!"

"Shit!" said Nick loudly, causing Fryer to raise his eyebrows. "Oh, sorry," he then added a tad meekly, catching Noah's raised eyebrow.

"Could you give us a home address for him then, or a contact telephone number?" asked Noah hopefully, but suspecting the answer he received.

"Oh, no, can't do that! It's against the law, and company policy." Fryer was quite firm on that point.

Nick squirmed in his seat as Noah tried to reason with Mr. Fryer. "But it's urgent that we reach him. Perhaps you could call him at home for us, ask him if he'll agree to giving us his details, or meet us somewhere?"

Fryer considered the request slowly, the idea seeming to confuse him. Noah could feel Nick fidgeting beside him, could sense the building impatience in his partner. With a shrug, Fryer nodded. "I suppose that couldn't hurt," he said uncertainly. He studied the page in front of him and dialled a number that neither of the men could catch, waiting as the connection was made. For a long half minute all three sat and waited. Then Fryer hung up the phone. "Sorry, there's no one there -- just an answering machine." He seemed relieved that he had not been required to complete the call.

Noah cursed silently to himself as Nick spoke up. "Is there any alternative number for him? A mobile phone? An emergency contact?" His voice was growing thick with irritation. Noah reached across beneath the cover of the desktop and squeezed Nick's leg, trying to calm his mate, forestalling the outburst he knew was coming.

"I really don't see that you have given me anything to suggest there's an emergency, no good reason to go that far," said Fryer, his tone officious now.

Nick leaned forward and said with even, controlled emphasis, "You really don't seem to realize, Sir, that we have a friend who is missing. He has been missing, which is quite out of character for him, for over three days now. The police, to whom we have given a report, are too slow to action, as I'm sure you've experienced. We have it from confirmed sources that our friend was last seen in the company of your Mr. Renouf. We really need to reach this guy to at least ask him a couple of questions. That's all; just a couple of questions that we hope will shed some light on the whole matter. Could you not find it within yourself to help us and just tell us how we can get a hold of him sooner than later?"

Mr. Fryer's response came a little too quickly and too dismissively: "Be that as it may, gentlemen, rules are rules and laws are laws. The police officially asking for access to confidential information would be one thing. But I can't go and give such information to just anyone who claims they have legitimate cause, now can I?"

Nick actually began to rise out of his seat, "Why you..."

"Nick," Noah hissed quickly. "Would you leave me to talk to Mr. Fryer alone, please? Wait outside for a second?"

Nick looked at his partner with surprise, then quickly picked up on the pointed stare from Noah. Knowingly he said, "Yeah. Sure," and left the room.

As Nick left the office, Noah spoke again. "Mr. Fryer, I know this is very unusual, but we are very worried that something serious may have happened to our friend, and that your Mr. Renouf could be the only one who can help us. Is there any way we could prevail upon you to maybe bend a rule or two to help us out here? It's not as if anyone needs to know where we got the information..."

Fryer looked at Noah doubtfully, weighing up the words as he did. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could there was a commotion outside, and a shrill alarm began to sound in the main part of the store. Fryer looked up, his irritation obvious. One of his staff members raced to the door of the office.

"Hey, Mr. Fryer, you better get out here now," she said breathlessly. "It's the fire alarm!"

"Where's the fire?" he asked, eyes widening in alert.

"I don't know, sir, but the customers are panicking."

Fryer dropped the folder he had been holding onto the desk and hurriedly followed the girl from his office. Noah reached over and grabbed the papers in the folder, looking at them quickly to confirm that Renouf's home address was included, and tore out the relevant page, stuffing it into his pocket before making a quick and unnoticed exit from the office.

He hurried to the front of the store as he passed shoppers and staff who were all looking toward one section where an ear-piercing siren continued to shriek. As Noah reached the exit, he leaned over the service desk and grabbed the microphone sitting there unattended.

"Downstairs, Nick!" he said, his words bellowing out over the PA system. It was all he could think of to let his partner know he was ready to leave. He made a fast exit along the street and around into a side lane where their car was parked, turned the motor over and opened the passenger door. Within seconds, Nick came racing around the corner at full speed, and dived into the car, slamming the door behind him. Without a word Noah stepped on the accelerator and the vehicle jumped forward and roared away.

Noah looked at Nick with a question on his face.

"Did you know..." Nick huffed as he caught his breath, "...that if you open the emergency exit doors at the back of that store, the fire alarm goes off?" He grinned a huge smile.

"You were brilliant, hon," Noah grinned back at him. "And I got what we wanted." He pulled the page from his pocket and tossed it to his man.

"Hey," Nick exclaimed. "This has his address and his next of kin as well! Perfect."

"All thanks to you!" Noah declared.

Nick chuckled, as he looked at Noah's face. "Bond. James Bond." He said in a very bad English accent. "And Noah?"

"Yes, Mr. Bond?"

"I could swear I heard you say the word, 'downstairs'!"

***********

As they drove, Nick studied the sheet of paper he had. "This guy isn't the son of Lady Renouf at all!" he declared. "It says here his next-of-kin is his mother, and her name is 'Margery Smith'."

"I thought as much," Noah stated. "Where does he live?"

Nick read out the address, and Noah made a U-turn and headed the car back towards Renouf's home. It was close by and they were on a roll, still flushed with the excitement of the encounter in the supermarket.

At the address given, they found a respectable enough apartment block with a security intercom system in place. Several minutes of pressing on the button for Geoffrey Renouf's apartment left them in no doubt he wasn't home. As Noah walked slowly toward the main entrance and peered through the glass, Nick laughed out loud.

"I've always wanted to do this!" he said, and gleefully began pushing buttons for each flat except the one they wanted.

Noah rolled his eyes. "You watch far too much television!" he stated as enquiring voices began to bark from the speaker. Eventually one of the residents just hit the release button and the door buzzed. As Nick quickly grabbed it and pulled it open, he looked at Noah again.

"Maybe so, but I get the results! After you ..."

*****

"I've been threatening to take that credit card away from you for a while now, and I think the time is getting closer!" Noah stated quietly as they stepped through Renouf's front door and closed it behind them. Nick simply grinned.

The place was tidy enough and quite spacious. Some discarded clothes were tossed carelessly on the lounge chair, a couple of used glasses resting in the sink. Each of the boys looked around carefully, wondering just what they expected to find that would lead them to Geoffrey, and hopefully to Jim.

"So what am I looking for?" Nick asked.

"I'm not sure," was Noah's reply. "Anything that might give us a clue as to where he is, or what happened to Jim. Why don't you start looking in the bedroom and I'll poke around here. But, Nick? Try not to make a mess, okay?"

Nick responded by glaring at his boyfriend with a look of daggers, and headed for the bedroom while Noah began opening drawers and carefully searching through them. He found nothing that appeared out of the ordinary, and wondered to himself just exactly what it was they could possibly find that would assist anyway. As he continued to poke into the bookshelf against one wall, the telephone rang.

With a start, Noah looked at the instrument as if it were accusing him of a crime. Strictly speaking, that's exactly what he was doing, but how did the damn telephone know it? He walked towards the handset, with no intention of picking it up, but drawn to it anyway. As the ringing stopped and a scratchy voice cut in -- Geoffrey's answering machine had picked up the call -- Noah looked down to see a pad and pencil beside the phone. Scribbled on the pad in a firm hand were the letter 'J' and a number. Noah stared at it for a second or two before realisation broke over him.

"Nick," he called out excitedly.

>From the neighbouring room, Nick's voice floated back, "Yeah?

"What's Jim's phone number, do you know?"

"Sure." As Nick reeled off the digits, Noah followed them on the paper by the phone.

"Well, this guy obviously knows Jim," he announced as he went into the bedroom where Nick was still opening drawers. "He has Jim's phone number written on a piece of paper out there. I wonder when he got that -- before or after Sunday night?"

Nick was only half listening to his partner. With a leering grin, he held up an item he had retrieved from the bedside table. "Look what Geoffrey has!" he hissed. In his hand was a smooth chrome circle, about 5 or 6 centimetres in internal diameter, the metal itself around 5 millimetres thick. Sitting there in Nick's hand it looked innocent enough, if puzzling as to its possible use for many people.

Noah wasn't impressed. "So he has a cockring! You have one exactly the same at home. We need something that tells us where he is, not what he gets up to in bed!"

Nick tried to hide his disappointment as they continued their search. Opening the wardrobe doors, Nick pushed clothes aside, without any idea why he was looking in there. His eyes lit up when he made his next find. "Here's something else we have at home!" he stated with a grin.

An empty hanger swung on the railing at one end of the closet. It was an unusual item in that, unlike an ordinary hanger, it was quite large, with upturned pins near where the shoulders normally sit, and two additional horizontal rungs at the base. The word "Mephisto" was inscribed in fiery red letters on the black plastic, just below the handle. Both men recognised it instantly. "Mephisto" was the name of a company that operated a shop on Oxford Street, and specialised in leatherwear -- the kind of leather wear Nick and Noah loved so well. The hanger was identical to a number they had at home. It was designed to hold a harness and chaps for delivery and storage.

"So Mr. Renouf is into a bit of leather!" Nick chuckled.

"So are you!" Noah repeated. "It still doesn't help."

They kept at their prying for another 15 minutes but came up empty. Disappointed, Noah finally announced they were getting nowhere. They had to try another tack if they were going to locate their friend.

"I think it's time we had a better look around at Jim's place!" he said.

As they let themselves out of Geoff's apartment building, Noah dialled the number for the Police Centre on his mobile phone, and asked for Detective Roarty.

"Hello, detective," he said into the phone. "Noah Sorensen here. I was wondering if you had any news about our friend, Jim Richards? ... Yes, that's right ... no? Have you inspected his flat yet? ... and there was nothing there ... yes, apart from the mess, I mean ... okay. You will keep me up to date, won't you? ... Okay, bye!"

"The police say that they are treating it seriously now that they've seen the mess in Jim's home, but they found nothing there to help them," he relayed the contents of his conversation to Nick.

"Then why should we bother?" Nick asked.

"I'd feel happier knowing we tried," Noah stated without conviction.

*****

Once again, Nick's newly discovered skills with his credit card were put to good use despite Noah's reservations on the subject, and they found themselves looking around at the chaos of Jim's living room. In the cooler, more level-headed light of having started something, the mess didn't seem as bad as yesterday's first inspection. The police had obviously been there: some items were moved around, even picked up, but there was little evidence of them having done much more than inspect the havoc.

Nick and Noah waded into the detritus, sorting through it, moving things around, looking for anything at all that might connect Jim with Geoff, or might suggest where he was. Noah had immediately looked for any kind of scribble pad near the phone, but no luck this time. Nick was opening drawers in the living room and rifling through various papers, but all he found were bills and pamphlets, nothing of any use, or even particularly personal.

Noah felt the same sinking sense of hopelessness he had known at Geoff's apartment descending upon him. Only this was worse, how could they ever find anything here, amongst the upturned furniture and scattered trinkets, especially if the police had been able to find nothing. After all, they were trained in what to look for; Nick and he were operating blindly. He sat down to gather his thoughts, and for some reason his eye was caught by a book lying on the floor, partially obscured by an armchair which had been pulled away from its usual position.

Nick bent to the ground and picked it up. It was a touring atlas; a book of road maps for the entire country.

"Strange thing to be reading!" he muttered to himself.

A slip of paper extended from between the closed pages. Careful not to lose the page where the paper was inserted, Noah opened the map book. What he had seen was actually the edge of a large sheet, blank except for two sets of numbers near the centre. He glanced curiously at the page where the bookmark had been lodged.

It was a map of the area on the coast north of Newcastle, near Port Stephens, with the Pacific Highway a thick black line as it wound from north to south roughly following the coastline. The map began at Taree in the north and ended where the Pacific and New England Highways converged to form the F3 Freeway into Sydney from just north of Newcastle. Noah read to himself the names of the townships that bordered the main route to Brisbane from Sydney: Hexham, Raymond Terrace, Karuah, Bulahdelah, the off-shoot to Forster and Tuncurry and another to Nelson Bay, up to the rural centre of Taree. He knew the area vaguely, but it meant nothing special to him.

Returning his attention to the paper which had been stuck in that particular page, Noah saw again the sets of figures written there in what he believed was Jim's handwriting. He looked carefully at the two rows of digits. The first consisted of letters and numbers -- cx783093. The second row appeared to be a telephone number.

On an impulse, he fished out his telephone and dialled in the second set of figures. The line connected, and he heard the ring tones echo from the other end. For a few seconds nothing, no answer. He was about to cut the line when a metallic, recorded voice answered.

'Hi, it's Geoff. You know the drill, wait for the beep and then talk!'

Noah almost dropped the phone in surprise. He knew the drill all right. He also knew the message. He'd heard that same message about an hour and a half ago, but that time he had been standing right next to the machine. It was Geoff Renouf's number he had called, and Geoff's answering machine he had just listened to!

"Hey, Nick!" he called excitedly. "It looks like Jim must have known this Geoff before Sunday night. He has his phone number here, and since Geoff had Jim's number, I'm guessing they had met somewhere or sometime before Sunday!" As he spoke he hurried into the bedroom where Nick had begun repeating the search he had made at Geoff's place.

Nick was standing at a tall chest of drawers, holding something in his hand and looking at it with a mixture of lack of understanding and curiosity. As Noah entered the room, he turned to his partner with a questioning glance.

"I didn't know Jim was into leather or bondage," he said, almost as a question.

"I don't know if he is," replied Noah. "But I guess he could say the same thing about us; he wouldn't know that we were 'into' leather either. What makes you think he is?"

"This." Nick held up the object of his attention. It was a piece of black leather shaped in a semicircle, with metal snaps on either end which allowed it to be joined to form a cone, but with a hole cut from the point of that cone. From the wider edge were suspended three slim chains that joined at a point several inches from the leather itself, and at that connecting point were attached to a smallish lead weight.

"A ball parachute!" exclaimed Nick as he held it to Noah for confirmation. The 'toy' was designed to be worn so that the narrower end of the cone, where the point had been cut out, wrapped around the wearer's scrotum, between his nuts and his cock. The leather then flared out to support a weight hanging from it which, when the user was standing, caused the whole thing to drag downwards, pulling his balls away from his body.

"I'm surprised the cops didn't take this with them," Nick opined.

"Probably didn't even know what it was!" answered Noah quickly. "But it still doesn't help us find Jim."

"No," said Nick, his brain ticking over, "but it does suggest that both Jim and this Geoff guy were into leather sex. Maybe they were fuck buddies or something?"

"Maybe," said Noah, wondering what to make of this new possibility. He was also still perplexed by the second set of numbers and letters he had found on the paper wedged inside the atlas.

Despite further searching, they could find nothing else of any use to them, and finally admitted defeat for the moment.

"I'm starved!" declared Nick as they surveyed the room one more time. "We're not going to find anything else here. Let's go and get something to eat." It was well after lunchtime, and they had been on the go all morning, busily tracking Jim as best they could.

"Okay," agreed Noah as they let themselves out of Jim's apartment again.

Driving home, Nick remained quiet as he watched Noah, his brow furrowed, trying to put the pieces together, but getting nowhere fast. He patted his pocket and smiled to himself. Noah hadn't noticed him slip the ball parachute into his jacket as they were leaving.

****

Back at their own home, they were greeted by a barking, jumping Indiana, determined to let them know of his irritation at having been left alone and ignored all day. He scampered around in circles until Nick opened the back door and allowed him entry. As soon as he gained access to the house a flurry of licks and whimpers demanded attention and Nick obliged, laughing and playing with him while at the same time casting a quick glance at the bowls of water and food to ensure that Indiana had been well provided for in their absence.

"I don't know what you're complaining about!" Nick remonstrated with the dog in a happy tone. "You have the best of everything, and no concerns at all. If only we could all have life so good!"

Slowly Indie calmed down again, satisfied that his 'dads' were appropriately chastised. He made a quick tour of the living room to ensure there were no unidentified smells that had arrived since that morning, and settled in a comfortable spot where he could keep an eye on proceedings. Noah scratched the dog playfully behind the ears as Nick made them both a coffee. They sat and drank while their pet tried to decide which of his owners should have the privilege of nursing him. Noah suddenly looked up, struck with a thought.

"That employee record we stole!" he said quickly. "Where is it?"

"Here," said Nick, pulling it from his pocket and handing it to his partner.

Noah glanced at it and smiled. "I thought so! Geoff's mother! There's a phone number and address here for her as his next of kin. We should try her!"

Reaching for the telephone, he eagerly called the number shown, and waited as it rang. For almost a minute, he sat and listened to the ringing tones, but no response.

"Damn!" he exploded. "No answer, and no machine either."

"Maybe she's at work?" offered Nick.

"Yeah, possibly."

"Well, why don't we leave it, and drive over there later this afternoon, see if we can catch her at home?"

"Okay," said Noah, resigning himself to another annoying wait. "I feel so useless in the meantime. I wish there was something I could do to keep busy!"

Nick smiled an evil look. "You could try this on for me ..." he said in a low voice, producing the parachute from his coat and holding out to Noah.

Noah looked at the item in surprise, then back to Nick with a face that changed slowly from questioning to irritation, before a lusty curiosity overcame him.

"Downstairs ...?" he asked.

"That's not the first time you've used that word today, you know!" Nick chided his lover.

"Yeah?" Noah responded with bemusement. "Well this time it's a suggestion, not an instruction!"

"Ooooh, baby," Nick said in his best Mae West imitation, "why don't you come downstairs to see me sometime? Oooh."

*****

Below the house, buried away in the cellar, the two men could forget about the time of day, and indeed, could forget about the rest of the world. No light from outside invaded their special place: it was illuminated by dull red globes and candles set around the room in tall holders, wisps of smoke and flickering light adding to the ethereal quality of their dungeon.

With several hours to spare, Nick and Noah had quickly descended into their playground and changed from their street clothes into gleaming, tight black leather chaps and harnesses, boots on their feet and a cap on Nick's head while Noah wore a studded dog collar around his neck. Nick had bent his 'boy' over a slave bench in the middle of the room, using handcuffs to fix Noah's wrists to the front of the bench that held his weight, supporting him from chest to stomach. Noah's knees were pushed forward, his ankles bound to the legs of the bench by leather restraints while his 'master' crouched behind him, drinking in the view presented.

In this position, Nick saw a darkened room, filled by Noah in shining black hide, the chaps which gripped his legs framing his white butt at the centre of which was the flexing pink rosebud of his anus. Noah was unable to move from that position even if he had wanted to, which he didn't. Noah's genitals were exposed and open, his balls dangling below his waiting pucker, his cock hard as a rock and dribbling seminal ooze. Nick edged closer, smearing a generous amount of lubricant on Noah's hole and coating a set of anal balls with the same stuff, before firmly introducing them, one at a time, to his slave's body. One by one the balls were pressed against and through Noah's sphincter, and with each new insertion the tall blond man murmured his acceptance, moaned with delight and begged for more.

When all of the balls had been fed into Noah's chute, Nick stood back and cast an approving eye over his partner's rear. The trailing string hung from Noah's body attached to a chain to ensure it wasn't completely lost in the throes of passion, and Nick's cock strained at full erection against the flimsy leather envelope surrounding it and his nuts. Noah, for his part, trembled with the delighted arousal of being filled by the latex covered balls and bound to the bench the way he was. The overlaying sensations of the black leather on his body, the toys sunk within him, and the surrender of freedom to the man who would dominate and use him for sex, had their usual effect. Noah was aroused, incredibly so, excited and needing more.

Nick moved to him again, this time with the parachute they had 'borrowed' from Jim's flat. Reaching between Noah's legs, he pulled the cone of leather around Noah's scrotum, snapping the press studs closed so that the thing was tight, separating Noah's testicles from his cock. Then Nick gradually lowered his hand until the parachute was supported only by Noah's balls, the weight dangling from it swinging in air. The weight on this particular toy was only small, enough to drag the apparatus down and pull at Noah's gonads, but not sufficient to cause any pain. As Nick completed the setting up, Noah groaned.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked with concern. They revelled in this role playing, but had no desire to inflict any pain.

"Yessss!" Noah responded. In a hissed breath he explained, "It feels amazing! The pressure on my nuts is like having your hand around them, pulling lightly. It doesn't hurt at all, just stimulates me so much!"

Nick grinned an evil smile. He was turned on himself by seeing Noah like this, spread open and waiting, inviting him to dominate and share their erotic tastes. He stepped in close to his mate, pressing his leather encased tube of manmeat against the bare skin of Noah's arse, rubbing himself against the waiting hole, stuffed full of the balls. He moved up and down so that his hide bound prick caressed Noah's rear and bumped against the weighted toy hanging from his nuts. Another gasp of delighted ecstasy escaped Noah.

Nick backed away, and walked instead to stand so that his groin was now almost against Noah's face. With excited need, Noah licked out, running his tongue along the outlined log of cock that throbbed and leaked inside its leather nest. Nick moved again so that Noah could close his lips around the rolling orbs contained within the dark hide below that manhood, and Noah bit firmly but carefully at the rounded shapes, massaging them with his teeth and gums as he chewed on the leather itself. As he did, Nick's fingers found their way to his nipples, and he pressed his groin forward to have Noah attack it while he leaned his shoulders and head back and pulled at his own tits, trembling with the raging desires fired within him.

As his need grew, Nick could wait no longer. He re-positioned himself behind Noah, and took a firm hold on the trailing length of string attached to the balls, pulling firmly. As Noah groaned with delight, Nick tugged at them and with each sphere expelled from his body, Noah breathed a sigh of contentment. Once more Nick rubbed his sheathed member against his partner's arse, and then he released the caged beast at his groin, flinging away the codpiece he wore, and taking hold of his throbbing tool, he guided it toward the twitching target of Noah's sphincter.

Noah felt the solid velvet of Nick's cockhead against his entrance, and willed himself to relax. "Fuck me, sir, please!" he hissed to his master. Nick obliged. In one long unbroken motion, he speared himself through Noah's hole and buried his cock to the hilt within his man's body. As his pelvis slapped hard against Noah's rounded cheeks, the weight on the ball parachute swung back and forwards, sending shivering fingers of delight through the prone slave. Noah gasped with the unexpected sensations and clenched himself around Nick's invading rod.

Nick pulled back against the tightened muscles of Noah's rectum, and pounded in again. His cockhead raced across the nerve endings in Noah's prostate and his shaft was wrapped with the squelching heat of Noah's gut as he began to thrust in and out of his boy. Unable to move, or control the fucking, Noah relaxed his body and let the waves of erotic pleasure wash through him. He could feel the pressure pulling at his balls in time with the thumping motion of Nick's thick prong as it filled his arse. He struggled against the restraints on his wrists and ankles, not because he wanted to be free, but because the very sense of being held in place excited him even more.

Nick shoved himself at Noah, fucking his man with a ferocity born of intense desire. His sword of flesh plunged again and again into Noah's gut, impaling the man below him and owning him completely. Nick's emotions boiled, his passion engulfed him, and without warning he exploded, his seed drowning Noah's innards and filling Noah to the brink. With a tormented yell, he wrenched himself from Noah's body and stepped back, barely able to keep his feet.

"Fuck yeah!" he exclaimed.

"Oh yesss," hissed Noah, still lying on the bench, still restrained, his balls aching and his body trembling with need. "Fuck that was good!"

Nick looked at his boy with lust-filled eyes. He had climaxed, but was not done yet. With his cock still hard, he quickly released Noah's bindings and unclipped the parachute from his balls. "Roll over!" he commanded, and Noah obeyed quickly.

With Noah now lying on his back, still supported by the slave bench, his cock pointed upwards into space. Nick grabbed a handful of the lubricating cream and slathered it up and down the length of Noah's shaft. He straddled the bench, and Noah, moving his own hole back toward that inviting javelin aimed at the ceiling.

"Fuck me, boy!" he ordered.

Without a word, Noah did just that. With Nick's hand guiding his cock, he braced as he felt the soft flexing entrance to Nick's arse against his cockhead, then he jabbed upwards just as Nick sat his full weight down onto that spike of flesh. Noah's prong shot deep into Nick's bowel and both men howled with pleasure at the sudden and heated union of their bodies. Facing each other now, they could see into the eyes of their mate, and could absorb the erotic sight of bodies striped in black leather, sweat glistening on skin and flickering red light all around. Noah pounded up and in, again and again, while Nick rocked back and forward on his man's cock, squirming against him and aching with delight at the flesh-covered steel piercing him. As Noah's movements became frenzied, and his orgasm approached, Nick felt himself reaching his peak yet again, and as Noah grunted then tensed, his body spasming as his load of cum was deposited in Nick's arse, Nick let fly with another, slightly less abundant, load of cream which drenched Noah's stomach and coated them both.

As they fell against each other, recovering, Nick looked at Noah with his eyes opened wide.

"I suppose we have to give the parachute back to Jim?" he asked wistfully.

Noah smiled a guilty leer. "I think maybe we should buy him a new one, and keep this for ourselves," he said. "We might have to tell Jim it just got lost!"

******

Half an hour later, they were still recovering, but had washed and dressed, and were upstairs again, as Noah made them a snack and Nick casually picked up the local gay newspaper, flicking through it disinterestedly. Toward the back of the paper he came across the usual array of classified advertisements.

"Listen to some of these ads," he said with a snort, and began to read a selection to Noah. "'Overweight bear, into piss and fisting, seeks 20-25 year old cub to learn from me. Must be clean and discreet'."

"Or this one: 'very good looking 19 year old in search of fit, wealthy 50 plus man to show me life'."

"Now he wouldn't be after a sugar-daddy, would he?" Nick continued chuckling as he read through the long list of pleas for companionship. "Does anyone ever actually answer these things?" he asked.

"Sure," said Noah. "And if both guys are honest, they provide a valuable way for people to meet. The trouble is, a lot of people just aren't truthful in what they say, so when they do get together one or both are severely disappointed."

"Here's another one," continued Nick. "'Fit 30's guy, looking to get into the leather scene, sub, wants to meet a dominant experienced man of same age to teach me'."

Noah smiled as he listened, wandering over to stand behind Nick and look down at the paper. Suddenly, his attention was riveted, not to any one advert, but to the numbers assigned to them, which allowed respondents to get in contact with the advertiser through a discreet box system the paper ran. Each ad was followed by a coded number that you quoted when you answered it.

With a gasp, Noah grabbed at the sheet of paper he'd found in Jim's flat, the one with Geoff's phone number on it. He looked at the other set of numbers written there -- cx783093. It was a code for one of the adverts in the paper!

Excitedly, Noah explained what he had found to Nick, and between them they began searching through the ads again, this time looking for that precise number. It seemed that the ads were pretty much sequential, but this particular number obviously applied to an ad placed in an earlier edition.

"This paper comes out every week," Nick said. "This one is dated last Friday."

"Do we have the last one around here somewhere?" Noah asked.

"Yes, I think we do!" Nick jumped up and checked in the box they kept for recyclables. "Here it is!" he said triumphantly as he held it aloft.

Jumping to the classifieds, they searched again, this time with success.

'Healthy, energetic slave boy required to meet with young Master for several days of mutual pleasure. Experience not required, I'll teach you all you need to know,' the ad read.

"Shit!" exclaimed Nick.

Noah thought about it. "I'm guessing that Geoff placed this ad, and Jim answered it," he said. "I just hope things didn't get out-of-hand."

"Maybe they haven't started yet?" Nick said hopefully but without much assurance.

"We really need to find them!" Noah said once again. "I think it's time we tried Geoff's mother. Come on, we'll drive down there; she lives at Kyeemagh, so it's not that far."

As they made ready to go, Indiana began barking and scratching at them again, protesting their imminent departure. Nick looked at Noah, using his own 'puppy-dog' eyes.

"Okay," Noah said resignedly. "He can come for the ride, but you have to hold him, and stay in the car when we get there!"

"Okay, boy! You can come!" And with that, Indie scampered after them out the door.

 

Chapter 4

At the address given on the sheet of paper Noah had 'borrowed' from Geoff's employer, they found a pleasant looking home surrounded by gardens in a quiet suburban street. Noah parked the car outside and turned to Nick, who was nursing an excited Indiana.

"I told you: you'll have to stay here with him. Hopefully I won't be long."

Nick looked disconsolately at his partner, and watched intently as Noah walked toward the door of the house. Looking down into his lap, and into the eyes of their dog, he said a little sharply, "Now look what you've done - gotten in the way again!"

Indiana simply looked back with trusting eyes and gave a little whimper before trying to lick Nick's face.

***

As he approached the house, Noah caught sight of a flurry of curtains in the window near the front door. Even before he could knock, the door was opened, and a short, thin woman stood there looking at him with an expression of concern.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked as soon as Noah was within earshot.

"Mrs. Smith?"

"Yes?"

"My name is Noah Sorensen. I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm actually trying to locate your son Geoffrey."

Her concerned look eased noticeably. "Oh, of course, what has he done now?"

"Done? He hasn't done anything that I'm aware of," Noah said with some confusion.

"Aren't you chasing him for money?" she asked. "Most people who come looking for him are!"

Noah smiled. "No, Mrs. Smith. I'm trying to find a friend of mine, and I'm hoping Geoff will be able to tell me where he is."

"I see ..." she said, becoming distant. "I don't know if I can help you. I hardly ever see him anymore. Have you tried his flat?"

"Yes, but he wasn't there, and his work said he's away all week on leave."

"On leave?" her eyebrows shot up. "Well, that could explain it then."

"Explain ... ?"

"He rang me about a week and a half ago; wanted to know if anyone was using the cabin."

Noah waited patiently, coaxing her on. "Cabin?" he asked.

"Yes. The family has a cabin on some property in the country. It's very remote, and no one ever seems to go there except Geoff. He treats it like it's his own private property, but it really belongs to all of us, myself and he and his brothers. He seems to get upset if anyone else goes up there, claims he has things there he doesn't want kids playing around with, but he never explains at all. Still, his brothers just don't seem interested. The place is too far away from anywhere to be much use to them."

"Please, Mrs. Smith, did he say he was going to the cabin?"

"No, just asked if anyone else was planning to go up in the next month or so. I told him no, as far as I was aware. Karuah is just so isolated."

That struck a chord with Noah. Karuah, shit! Karuah was on the page in the book where Noah had found the piece of paper at Jim's place! Suddenly he became animated, a real sense of foreboding growing within him.

"Please, Mrs. Smith, could you tell me exactly where the cabin is?"

"Oh, yes, I suppose so. It's about 20 kilometres inland from Karuah. You turn off the highway just after the town ..."

As she spelled out the directions, Noah concentrated on remembering the details. Apparently the place wasn't hard to find as long as you knew where to turn. It was just very isolated. Noah was champing at the bit now, ready to move.

"One last thing, Mrs. Smith?" he pleaded. "Do you know what kind of car Geoff drives?"

"Why yes! He has a Holden Commodore station wagon."

"Thank you!" said Noah, eager to be on his way. He shook her hand and practically ran down the path to jump into their car.

***

"Well?" asked Nick expectantly.

"Get this!" said Noah as he turned the ignition and threw the car into gear. "Geoff has a house on a remote property near Karuah, and he was asking his mother about it two weeks ago!"

"So...?" asked Nick, not making the connection.

"Karuah was right in the middle of the map where I found the page with Geoff's phone number and the code for the advert, at Jim's place. They must have gone there!"

"Are you sure?"

"No, but fairly certain. Why else would Jim be looking at a map of Karuah?"

"So what do you want to do now?" Nick asked, although he sensed the answer already.

"We're going to Karuah!" Noah declared.

"But that's got to be three hours or more!"

"Yep. And I hope we're in time!"

Noah swung the car around and out of the quiet street where Margery Smith lived, making a few turns until he hit General Holmes Drive and headed north. Once they had merged with the M5 freeway his foot went down and their speed shot up. Under the airport tunnel they sped and up and around to race toward the city on the Eastern Distributor. As the freeway descended into the tunnel under Darlinghurst, Nick called out a warning.

"Hey, they have speed cameras all through here you know!"

"Yeah," said Noah, not slowing at all. "But we'll worry about that later." He drove skillfully but speedily, weaving between lanes as they passed under the city and through the Harbour Tunnel, re-emerging on the F1 and scooting up onto the Pacific Highway at Gore Hill. The long, slow passage from there through the suburbs on the winding road, constantly interrupted by traffic lights, frayed Noah's nerves, and he only relaxed again once they turned onto the F3 and sped out of the Sydney basin, down through the carved sandstone hills of the Hawkesbury Valley.

Just on an hour later they were exiting the freeway north of Newcastle and headed east and then north over the Hunter River and picking up speed again on the wide carriageway of the Pacific Highway, past Raymond Terrace and making for the tiny town of Karuah where the Highway crossed the river which fed Port Stephens.

"I'm amazed we haven't run into any cops!" Nick said. "And I'll bet you've collected half a dozen tickets from cameras so far."

Noah grimaced. "Maybe, but this is important. I just have a really bad feeling about Jim going to this place with Geoff."

They travelled in silence for the rest of the way, each lost in unsubstantiated thoughts about what may have happened to Jim.

***

It was coming onto darkness when they finally turned into the country lane that Mrs. Smith had assured them led into the tiny house she called the 'cabin'. Just on two and a half hours had passed since they sped away from her home in southern Sydney, a record-breaking trip indeed! Noah killed the headlights, driving slowly along the track with only low lights on. Nervously, both men strained their eyes through the dusk, trying to make out a cottage or building. Indiana roused himself from the sleep he had been enjoying on the back seat and sniffed at the window.

Then they saw their destination. The cabin was exactly that, nothing more than a square timber shack with a verandah at the front. Parked beside the house was a dark blue Commodore: Geoff's car. There were no lights anywhere, and as Noah pulled the car to a stop and cut the motor, absolute silence descended.

"I don't suppose you have a torch in the boot?" he asked Nick as he peered into the gloom, unable to make out any more than the rough shape of the cabin as the last of the daylight disappeared. Nick opened his door carefully and began to slide out, when Indiana suddenly jumped past him and out onto the ground.

"Indie! Indie!" Nick hissed.

"Let him go," said Noah. "He probably needs to relieve himself and he won't go too far in unfamiliar territory."

The two cautiously approached the front of the cabin, stepping quietly up the single stair and onto the verandah. It creaked under their weight, but still there was no movement from within, and no lights at all.

Nick tried the door, and it opened easily to his touch. Inside, they found an open area that seemed to be a living/dining room combined, one side of which contained benches and a cupboard, a wood stove and an icebox. At the back, two doorways were both open, revealing tiny bedrooms containing a double bed in one and four bunks in the other. Noah lifted a kerosene lantern from a hook beside the door and lit it with matches lying on the bench.

Lifting the lamp high, Noah led the way as he and Nick checked the first of the rooms, which opened off the living area, the one with the bunk beds in it. Nothing. They exited that room and crept toward the only other room in the building. As the light spilled into the room and over the double bed, Noah gasped and Nick stepped back quickly, before leaning forward to look again. A form was prone on the bed; the body of a man, face down, and dressed in leather chaps and a harness. It lay there unmoving, and with a sense of dread the two men moved further into the room. A sickly smell filled their nostrils, and suddenly both saw it: a large hole just below the left shoulder, blackened at the edges and oozing blood.

"Jim?" Nick called in a strangled voice, pushing past Noah and going to the man lying there. As he reached for the head, his hands met flesh: cold and dry. Unwilling to acknowledge what he was looking at, Nick carefully rolled the body over so he could see his friend's face. Below the shape on the bed, the linen was soaked with blood, but the face wasn't that which either of them had expected.

"It's not him!" Nick declared.

"This must be Geoff!" Noah added, almost to reassure himself and his mate.

"Then where's Jim? And who did this?"

Noah looked again at the dead body, and a feeling of nausea rose in his stomach. "Nick, either Jim is around here somewhere, also dead, or ..."

"You can't think Jim would have done this?" Nick gasped, following Noah's reasoning.

"I don't know. But we have to think of that possibility. After all, we know Jim as an acquaintance. He's not one of our closest friends. Maybe he is responsible. And if he is, we could be in real danger here."

Noah and Nick looked at each other in amazement as the possibilities sank in.

"There's obviously no one here!" Nick declared in a whisper.

Noah responded in kind. "I can see that! But Geoff's car is here, and Jim doesn't have a vehicle, so where is he?"

They slowly moved back outside again. The silence was not so complete anymore, as the night began to come alive with the noises of the bush, insects and scurrying sounds, birdcalls and trees rustling. Every movement, every scratch had them looking wildly and fearfully around.

"Indie?" called Nick again. "Where has that dog gotten too? Indiana?" his voice increased in volume.

There was a short sharp bark in reply, and some more scratching sounds. The two men followed their ears around the side of the shack as Indiana barked once more. Behind the structure, they found their dog, pawing at a rough timber panel that appeared to be lying on the ground.

On closer inspection they found it wasn't lying there, but set into the earth. "It's a door, or a hatch!" said Noah as Nick pulled Indiana away from the wood. "There's a handle at this end!"

Placing the lamp on the ground, he grabbed hold of the handle and pulled, and the piece of timber moved easily enough, swinging on one edge to reveal a set of steps leading downwards, heading back under the cabin itself. Nick held the light high as they both peered in, but could see nothing. Noah scooped the dog up in his arms, and they slowly climbed down the stairway.

As the light from the lantern they carried spilled into the space below the cabin, both Nick and Noah were struck with a sudden sense of dÈj‡ vu. All around them was blackness, not just because of the lack of light. They stared into a large room, almost as big as the house above. The walls were painted black, as were the ceilings, and suspended in the centre of the room was a sling, black leather hanging from silver chains. In that sling, a body could be seen; booted feet held in stirrups, legs covered by black chaps bent towards the head. The wrists of whoever it was were restrained to the supporting chains with steel cuffs. The man in the sling wore a full leather hood, which enclosed his entire head, apart from slits for eyes and mouth.

Noah leapt forward to the sling itself, and Nick leaned over the body suspended there.

"It's Jim!" Noah declared as he quickly unzipped the mask from the man lying in the sling. He bent forwards feeling for a pulse, his eyes wide with fear. "He's alive!" he said excitedly as he felt the beating of Jim's heart with his fingers.

Noah hastily searched around the room and found keys to the handcuffs, unlocking them and freeing Jim's arms. He lifted each of his friend's feet from the stirrups, and hissed at Nick to help him lift Jim's body out of the sling and make him comfortable. As they did, Jim moaned and opened his eyes, dazedly looking up at Noah.

"Jim! Jim! Are you okay?" Noah called urgently.

A groggy, confused voice answered. "Unnnh, yeah ... I think so ... Noah! Is that you?"

"Yes, me and Nick. How do you feel?"

"Tired ... sore ...and what are you two doing here? ... Oh shit!" Jim began to become animated again when he looked around and realised where he was. "Geoff! Geoff! Is he alright?"

"Ahhm, I don't think so," said Nick in a quiet tone.

"Oh, fuck!!" Jim swore with a vengeance, and a choking sound escaped him as his eyes began to mist over. He looked back to the men again, confusion on his face. "How did you get here, why are you two out here? Where are the police?"

"Police? We haven't called them yet. We reported you 'missing', but that was yesterday morning," said Nick.

Jim looked around again, obviously lost and uncertain about something.

"Jim?" Noah held his friend's hand, his face full of concern. "What happened here?"

Jim tried to sit up, but Nick reached for him. "It's okay, just lie still and recover," he whispered.

Jim looked at the two of them again, and around himself, as if searching for something. "Where's Geoff?" he asked quickly, concern in his voice.

"Take it easy, Jim," Noah pleaded.

"But what's happened to Geoff? I've been stuck down here for ages!"

Noah tried to soothe him again. "You had no control over what was being done to you. You were kidnapped, and held captive against your will. There's no need to worry about Geoff anymore. We're more worried about you now. Are you all right? Did he hurt you? Did he abuse you?"

But Jim shook his head. "No, no, I'm okay, honestly! I'm not hurt, just confused, and a little stiff from being stuck in the sling for hours."

"Hours?" Nick burst out. "It's been days since he took you prisoner!" he stated. "It's Thursday night. You've been gone since Monday morning!"

"Nick's right," said Noah, trying to soothe Jim, wondering just how much he remembered, what had been done to him. "When you didn't show up for work Monday or Tuesday nights, we started getting worried about you. We notified the police, and found out at the Shift that you had gone home with this guy. We tracked him down through his work to his mother who told us where to find you. We've been so worried!"

"But Geoff - where is he?" Jim began to struggle again, trying to sit upright.

"Jim, he's dead!" Nick said somberly.

"Oh no, no, no!!!" Jim wailed. He fell backwards again, sobbing intensely, and they could get nothing more from him for the moment.

Noah grabbed his phone. "We have to call the police!" he said. He raced back upstairs to the car and dialled Detective Roarty's number.

"Detective? It's Nick Sorensen. Listen, there have been some major developments with our friend's case... Yes, we've got him with us, but he's very vague, and we found him in a remote country house near Karuah. And there's a dead body here as well... no I don't know ... yes, okay ... the way to get here is ..." he went on to detail the route to the cabin, and rang off.

Jim was quiet again now, lost in thought, his face ashen. He looked up at Noah and Nick as they helped him to stand and to make their way out of the cellar and onto the verandah of the cabin.

"Are you okay?" Noah asked again.

"Yes," Jim replied. "I think so. Just confused and tired," he said.

Noah looked again at the man before him with concern, and a lack of understanding. Jim did not seem to be anywhere near as upset about what had happened to him as Noah would have expected. He almost seemed more upset by what had happened to his attacker. Once more, Noah's eyes took in the muscled body, still encased in leather chaps and harness.

"Would you like to get out of that?" he said, indicating the gear Jim was wearing. "Into some normal clothes?"

"Oh, shit, yes!" Jim said suddenly aware of his garb, and reddening with embarrassment.

Noah stayed with Jim, assuring him everything would be okay, as Nick retrieved his clothes from the living area of the house, bringing pants and shirt, shoes and a jacket back to their car. Jim quickly shed the leathers and pulled on his shirt and jeans, throwing his jacket into the back seat of Noah's vehicle. They returned to the verandah of the cabin now dressed in civvies, sitting down to wait for the police. After a few minutes, Jim looked up again, confusion in his eyes. "Why are you here?" he asked again.

"We came looking for you when you didn't show up for work!" Nick said. "We guessed something must have happened, something serious."

"Oh," said Jim, his voice still uncertain, "but how on earth did you get involved?"

"When you weren't at work and no one had seen you for a day or so, we started asking around and doing some investigating. We went to the police and reported you 'missing'." Nick explained. "We've been going crazy trying to find you. We broke into your flat, and Geoff's. We caused a huge scene at his work to steal his file, and went to see his mother ..."

Jim chuckled weakly. "Incredible! You two have really been doing some detective work! But didn't Michael tell you not to worry?"

"No," said Noah, with surprise. "Michael was the one who got us concerned because no one had heard from you for a couple of days. You'd better tell us the whole story, right from the start."

Jim looked very confused at that. He took a deep breath, lost in thought for a few moments, trying to sort out the events in his head. "Sorry, guys. I'm trying to sort out exactly what happened. It's a bit embarrassing, and frightening too!" he began.

"Forget that," said Noah. "We won't say anything. We just want to know what happened."

And so Jim related his story. He told them that he had seen the advert in the classifieds from Geoff, and it had sparked his curiosity. He'd always wondered about the leather and bondage scene, and decided that he might like to try something. When Geoff answered his response, the two had gotten together for drinks.

"You know guys, just sitting there talking to him in the bar, trying to picture the whole scene, being restrained and dressed in leather, it was turning me on! I just wanted to try it. You can't imagine how horny I was getting!"

Noah and Nick exchanged knowing glances but did not interrupt.

After they met, Jim and Geoff had seemed to hit it off immediately. They had ended up back at Geoff's place, where he had introduced Jim to some light bondage, tying his wrists and getting Jim to try on one of Geoff's harnesses while they had sex.

"It was unbelievable!" Jim declared. "He is - was - so hot, and I was really turned on. I felt like I was discovering a whole new part of me, that wanted it, and him, badly!"

After their first 'encounter' Jim had gone home, agreeing to meet Geoff later in the week. Then Jim had decided to go out for a drink on Sunday night, and had run into Geoff who was talking to Lena, the drag queen. They had quite a bit to drink, and while Lena sat there and thought she was being attended to by a couple of handsome young men, the two had whispered to each other about secret fantasies they intended to share.

"I told him that one of my secret dreams involved being kidnapped by some hunky guy, and bound and gagged, and taken off to be a sex slave!" Jim whispered, unable to look at Nick and Noah as he opened his heart. "He didn't say anything, just smiled at me. Like he knew something I didn't!"

Jim and Geoff had kept drinking until finally Jim needed to go home, and Geoff had offered to get him there safely. But when they'd arrived at Jim's, Geoff had started getting amorous, and wanting to start something between them straight away. Jim was fairly inebriated, and told Geoff he couldn't, that he needed to sleep because he had to work the following night. Geoff pretended to understand, but when Jim's back was turned, he suddenly gripped him by the arms, and had Jim tied up with some rope in seconds, a gag shoved in his mouth.

" ... I struggled with him, but I'd had too much to drink. He was strong, and he had the drop on me. There was nothing I could do to get away from him," Jim said softly.

Geoff managed to get Jim down in the elevator and into Geoff's station wagon, where he covered him with a blanket. He had then driven to his own flat, retrieved his leathers and some toys, and headed north for the cabin.

"So he did kidnap you!" Nick stated, his voice tinged with anger.

"Yeah ..." Jim hesitated, thinking quietly to himself. "I was so tired and scared. I kept struggling, but couldn't get free. He brought me up here, dragged me into the cellar and cuffed me in the sling. For the last four days, he's held me captive, and used me as his 'sex toy'."

"Oh, Jim ..." Nick said, reaching for him.

"So what happened to him then?" Noah asked.

"I don't know ..." Jim began to sob softly again, trying to regain control of his emotions.

Geoff had continued his domination of Jim, using his body at will, revelling in the complete control he had over another person. And Jim had tried to get away, tried to struggle, but as time went on his protests and resistance had faded.

"And then, this afternoon, he was getting into it again! Geoff had me cuffed into the sling, and was about to start ... uh ... whipping me," at that his voice lowered and he struggled with the confession to his friends of such a secret, "...when for some reason he left me lying here and went upstairs, and never came back. I called out to him for ages, I tried to get out of the cuffs, but I couldn't move. I was starting to panic and thought no one would come looking for me for days, if at all. I must have passed out, because the next thing I knew I was on the ground and you were here!"

With that he broke down again, sobbing profusely. Noah took him in his arms, cradling him while Nick stood by, his heart breaking for his friend's mental torture and loss.

They were still like that when the police arrived. The local police patrol had come slowly enough, and really only got there just as a helicopter circled overhead and dropped down to land away from the cabin. Detective Roarty and Sgt. Jamieson and two other officers climbed out of the chopper, running to where the three men sat, Noah cradling Indie, who was barking his displeasure at all the noise and arrival of so many strangers.

In a whirlwind of activity, the police inspected the cellar; then spoke briefly to Jim before sealing off the area quickly and inspecting the body still lying in the cabin. An ambulance was called by police radio, and the house cordoned off. The local officers certainly had some raised eyebrows, and Jamieson seemed particularly offended by the contents of the 'dungeon', but Roarty seemed to take it all in his stride, doing his best to shield Jim from unnecessary probing or harsh questions. As the body was taken away, Sgt. Jamieson and Detective Roarty sat with Jim and Nick and Noah in the cabin, and had them tell the entire story again.

Jim struggled through his version of events, editing little, repeating what he had already told Nick and Noah, and insisting that he had no idea what had happened to Geoff, or who had come to the cabin while he was left downstairs in the cellar, restrained in the sling. Noah related how they had discovered that Jim had gone home with Geoff, and how Geoff's mother had told them about the cabin. He tactfully edited certain details about breaking into the flats, or the meeting with Geoff's boss, but Roarty appeared to guess there was more to the story.

"We'll talk again!" he said as they finished their narrative.

Despite his insistence that he was okay, Jim was bundled into the ambulance and taken to hospital for examination anyway, and Nick and Noah were left to find their own way home, the police advising them to go home and stay there, and that they would need to speak with them again in more detail in a day or two.

By the time they had left the remote property it was very late, getting on for midnight. "I can't stand the thought of driving all the way back to Sydney," Noah said to his partner. "How about we head for Newcastle - it's only 40 minutes away - and find ourselves a hotel?"

"I'm with you!" Nick said, readily agreeing.

An hour later they had booked into the Marriott on Newcastle Beach. Nick had signed them in and collected the keys, while Noah had smuggled Indiana upstairs by a service elevator. They had room service bring them some light snacks, and collapsed into bed, both exhausted but unable to sleep. The events of the day weighed heavily on their minds.

Nick tossed and turned in the unfamiliar bed, restless in mind and body.

"For heaven's sake, Nick," Noah exclaimed, "can't you stop wriggling? I'm having a hard enough time trying to get to sleep as it is!"

"I'm sorry, babe," his partner answered. "It's just all so much to take in, scary in a way. I don't know what to think ..."

Noah rolled towards his man, his arm going over Nick's side and pulling the shorter body against his own, spooning into his back. "I know, hon," he whispered, "but we need to get some rest. I have a feeling there's a lot more to this yet."

Despite the late hour, and the exhaustion of the day, neither could sleep, and as Nick backed up against him, Noah felt the firm musculature of his man's buns rubbing against him. Involuntarily, his cock began to harden, worming its way into the crevice of Nick's arse.

"One part of you certainly isn't asleep!" Nick hissed, the hint of a grin in his tone. As he did, he felt again the long thin firmness of Noah's prick pressed into his crack, and flexed his glutes, squeezing his lover's penis gently.

"Mmm" was Noah's reply, as Nick felt the weapon scabbarded between his glutes respond by thickening even more. His own erection was now full blown, and his need became more urgent. Turning himself to face his partner, Nick whispered at Noah, "Hold me, babe. Tell me everything is going to be okay? Love me, please!"

With their cocks jousting with each other, Noah and Nick kissed, a slow tender embrace that slowly grew in passion and intensity as they held tightly one to the other and melded together, each finding comfort and support in the arms of his man. Nick snuggled into Noah's body, his fingers plucking at the rings in Noah's nipples, while Noah reached around and ran his palms slowly and sensuously up and down Nick's back.

"Noah," Nick whispered pleadingly, "make love to me, please?"

"Oh, sweetheart, I'd love to. But we don't have any lube ...?"

"I can fix that!"

Nick quickly swung around on the bed, pushing Noah gently onto his back, as Nick lowered his face towards Noah's groin. In the darkness he quickly found the swollen tube of Noah's manhood, and began to expertly lick around the purple cockhead and to slide his tongue up and down the long shaft. Noah sighed with delight at the attention, and Nick began to fondle Noah's testicles with his free hand as he lifted his mouth again, and this time closed his lips around the head of his lover's cock.

With constant moans of joy from his man, Nick slavered his tongue over the throbbing weapon, and slowly lowered himself onto it, taking the full length of Noah's prong into his throat and caressing it with his lips as he did. He bobbed up and down for several minutes on the rod of muscle, coating it generously with his saliva as Noah's groans became deeper.

"Oh, Nick ..." he heard, and lifted himself away again.

"Now, Noah, please -- make love to me. I need you, inside me, now!"

Noah rolled himself on top of Nick, pressing his lover into the mattress and sliding a little lower so he lay between Nick's spreading legs. His left hand milked Nick's thick cock for the stream of pre-cum, which was now oozing from it, and spread the precious liquid over Nick's puckering hole. Noah added saliva and some of his own pre-seminal juices to the cocktail and created a natural lubrication at Nick's sphincter which allowed him to insert first one and then two fingers into his mate's body. Nick gasped with the minor pain, then murmured with pleasure as his entrance was breached by Noah's digits, opened and prepared for the coming penetration they both wanted.

Removing his hand, Noah slid up and along Nick's body, as Nick lifted his legs and wrapped them around Noah's ribs. The point of Noah's prick found the flexing indentation that was Nick's anus, and slowly pressed against the lingering resistance there. Nick forced himself to relax, bearing down against the solidity he could feel at his hole, and with a quiet grunt his sphincter surrendered, and Noah entered him. Noah stopped then, allowing Nick to accustom himself to the intrusion, and when Nick's breathing slowed, Noah began to slide slowly into his man, pushing deeper into his bowel as the moist warmth of Nick's body wrapped around Noah's throbbing pole. With careful jabs, Noah slowly began to thrust in and out of his lover, each time sinking a little deeper than the last, allowing the natural juices of the two of them to soften his assault on his man. Nick clenched at Noah's prong with his arse muscles with each grinding push, until Noah found himself buried to the hilt within his man's gut.

"Oh, yeah," Nick gasped softly. "That's so good! Fuck me, stud!"

Noah humphed a wordless reply, and rotated his hips, forcing his long cock to explore the innards of Nick's gut. Sending waves of pleasure through both of them. With gradually lengthening, and ever faster strokes, Noah slid his steel-hard cock in and out of Nick's body, leaning forward as he did and wrapping his arms around his man so that Nick's cock was sandwiched between them, rubbed and squeezed with each motion.

Nick moaned again, the weight of Noah's body pressing down on him felt protective, and the sheer delight of Noah's cock sunk within him making him feel so incredibly aroused. He grunted and flexed himself, humping back up against Noah's downward thrusts as they sweated and heaved in needful union. With Noah pumping into him, Nick held his man tightly, his arms around Noah's back and his legs around the pistoning hips as his arse held Noah's prick and milked it with enthusiasm. Noah huffed and gasped as he pounded at his mate, his excitement building and his emotions overwhelmed by the passionate joy and amazing pleasure he knew when he coupled with his man.

For a long time they rutted together, each taking and giving the ultimate joy of burning excitement, until Noah could hold back no longer. He hissed a warning to Nick, who gripped at him even harder, and just as Noah felt himself erupt deep in Nick's bowel, a hot river of cum spewed from Nick's cock and squelched between the two heated, shuddering bodies. They rocked together in simultaneous orgasm, adrift in a sea of pure pleasure, and shook with uncontrolled climax, until slowly they began to subside together, still coupled and still holding each other tightly.

After many minutes, Noah slipped his semi-erect prong from Nick's body, and with a joint "aaahhhh..." the two men collapsed again, rolling to lie back to front, Noah now spooned into Nick's body, Nick's flagging prick nestled in the curve of Noah's arse. In that position, still sweaty and sticky, sleep finally found the pair in the early hours of the morning.

***

The next day, despite the lack of sleep, they were up and about early again. The room they had faced directly east with a magnificent view over the beach and out to sea. But they would have been stirring anyway, still occupied by the upsets of the previous week. It was Nick's turn to do the smuggling of Indiana, and he bundled the dog up in a jacket and headed off to allow their pet to walk around the harbourfront with it's newly redeveloped shops, restaurants and tourism facilities. As he did, he pondered over a few things that were causing him some concern.

When Nick returned to the room, he found Noah sitting on the balcony, staring out to sea.

"Any coffee?" he asked. Noah looked up absently, something obviously playing on his mind.

"Yeah, the pot's boiling ..." he said quietly.

As Nick poured each of them a cup, Noah came into the room and sat down opposite his partner.

"Nick, there's something not right about this whole thing!" he said.

"I know," Nick agreed. "I've felt the same way all night."

"Mmm," Noah continued. "It's Jim: his story just didn't seem to add up."

"How do you mean?" Nick was curious now, his own misgivings rising to the fore as he listened to what Noah had to say.

"Well, it seems to me that for someone who had never been involved in that 'scene' - you know, bondage and leather and all - he was surprisingly comfortable sitting with us last night. It wasn't until we reminded him that he actually got changed. I would have thought he'd want out of the leathers and into 'normal' clothes as soon as possible."

"Yeah ... Okay. I wasn't particularly struck by that myself. It could have been the shock. But go on..." Nick said, measuring his words.

"And maybe he was just in shock, but he didn't seem anywhere nearly as upset as I would have expected. Plus, did you notice how he seemed to think Mike would have known he was going to be away from work? Why on earth would he think that, shock or not?"

"Well, I thought it was odd that he said they'd only met once, and that happened at Geoff's place, while Jim claims he had never tried anything at all before then ..." Nick added.

"Go on!" said Noah.

"If that's true, then why did Jim have a ball parachute in his bedside drawer?"

"That's right!" said Noah quickly. "And how come Geoff's phone number was stuck in the page of a map that showed the cabin's location? It seems a lot more than just co-incidence to me!"

Nick went on. "There's something else, too." Noah's eyebrows raised as Nick thought carefully.

"When I lifted Jim out of that sling, I checked his wrists. For someone who was supposedly struggling to get free for days, or even just for hours, there was no bruising from the cuffs on his wrists!" Nick stated. "I hate to say it, by I'm starting to wonder if Jim was telling us the real story. And if not, then what was he trying to hide?"

"I just can't believe that Jim would have murdered someone!" Noah declared. "It's certainly not the Jim I thought I knew!"

"Well, we're not getting any answers here," Nick stated. "I think it's high time we checked out and headed home. Maybe we can get some answers from Jim later."

Within half an hour, they had paid their bill and collected the car, heading out of the city and south along the freeway toward Sydney, with Indiana sleeping happily on the back seat.

 

Chapter 5

Nick and Noah were almost home, with Noah driving much more slowly than he had on their trip north, when Indiana suddenly started barking, and scrabbling at the jacket lying on the seat beside him. It was Jim's jacket, and Nick looked puzzled for a few seconds, wondering why the dog had become so agitated, when he heard the muffled tones of a mobile phone.

Leaning over and retrieving the jacket, Nick dug through the pockets until he found the telephone, still ringing.

"Should I answer it?" he asked Noah.

"Might as well. We can always pass any message on to Jim later," his partner replied.

Pushing the 'okay' button, Nick spoke into the phone: "Hello, Jim's phone?" he said.

"Ah ... yes, is Jim there?" asked a male voice hesitantly.

"No, sorry, but I'm a friend of Jim's," Nick replied. "I seem to have ended up with his phone by mistake. Can I give him a message? I should see him in a day or so."

"Is Jim okay?" asked the voice.

"Yeah ... why do you ask?" said Nick suspiciously.

"It's just that he rang and left a message on my machine - a bit strange, something about calling the police ..."

"Really? He's been in a bit of trouble," said Nick, "but he's okay now. The police have spoken to him, and I think he's in hospital in Newcastle ... but just for observation!" he added hurriedly. "Who's calling?"

"Uh, my name's Tony, I'm a friend of Jim's."

"Tony? Not Tony Larissa?"

"Err, yes, that's me."

"Tony, it's Nick. Nick Giannis!"

"Oh, hi Nick, how are you?"

"Fine, thanks."

"So what's all the bother with Jim then?" Tony's voice had softened considerably once he realised he knew the other person. They weren't exactly friends, but enough of acquaintances for the conversation to become much more relaxed.

"Well, it's a bit hard to explain," said Nick, not knowing how much he should say about what had happened. "It seems Jim got into some problems with a guy he was seeing, and this guy has been hurt. Jim's okay, but he's still in hospital, and the police are still talking to him."

"Shit!" said Tony. "I hope there isn't any problem because I didn't get his message until now."

"Tony, can you tell me exactly what the message was that Jim left? It might help Jim with what's happened to him." Nick waited, holding his breath, hoping Tony would not get difficult about it.

"Sure, Nick," Tony said with relief in his voice. "Jim rang my home yesterday, and left a message on my answering machine. I was out of town, and only got back today. It was a kinda weird message, so I thought I better call first and see if he was okay."

Nick tried to hide his curiosity and his confusion. "Can you tell me when he rang?"

"The machine time stamped it as just after 2.30 yesterday afternoon ..."

"Okay," said Nick coaxing Tony along. "Exactly what did the message say?"

"Would you like me to play it for you?"

"Yes! That would be perfect if you would."

"Okay, hang on while I hit the machine ..."

Nick waited for a few seconds, and then heard a metallic recording of Jim's voice being played back over the phone.

'Hey Tony, it's Jim. Listen, I have a huge favour to ask. Something's gone terribly wrong with the guy I've been seeing lately. I'll explain the whole story to you later, but can you just do this for me as soon as possible? I need you to ring the police from a public phone - somewhere where your call can't be traced or connected to you - and tell them that there's been a shooting and that they should check it out straight away. Tell them to go to the Smith property, on Barrington Road, Karuah, and tell them to check the cellar beneath the house. As soon as you've done it, hang up. I'll call you in a day or so.'

The message ended, and then Tony came back on the line. "Did you get all of that?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks!" said Nick. "Listen, can you keep that message - don't delete it, okay? I'm sure Jim will explain everything as soon as he gets back."

"Okay," said Tony uncertainly.

"Thanks." Nick ended the call. "Well, well, well," he said as he looked to Noah with surprise in his eyes. He repeated the whole conversation to his partner, including the message Jim had left on Tony's answering machine.

"Now how do you think Jim managed to make a phone call if he was bound and cuffed into that sling?" he asked with amazement. "And his voice on the machine sounded a little put out, but not shocked or terribly upset either."

His partner murmured an astonished agreement. "Does that phone have a log of outgoing calls?" Noah asked suddenly.

"Ahm ... yes!" Nick replied.

"See if you can recognise the last few calls made from it."

Nick played with the phone, pressing buttons here and there. "The last call was definitely to the same number as the one that just came in," he said. "So that ties up - if you'll pardon the pun - with what Tony said. Jim rang Tony from this phone." He pressed some more buttons, and let out a sigh. "And the call before that was made to a number I think I recognise. Wait a minute!"

Nick quickly dialled the number he was looking at again, and waited for a few seconds then hung up quickly. "Yep!" he declared. "That was Michael's home number. I just got his answering machine!"

Noah said nothing, but he was obviously deep in thought. Eventually he broke his silence. "There's something I want to check when we get home," he said. "It might explain part of the mystery at least."

They were only a few minutes away from their home, and finished the trip in silence. As soon as they arrived, Indiana jumped from the car and raced inside, ready for a toilet break, while Nick and Noah followed a little more leisurely. Once they had settled themselves after the trip, Nick turned to his man.

"So, what is it that you want to check?"

"Follow me," said Noah mysteriously. As Nick did as asked, Noah opened the door of their basement and headed downstairs.

"Hmmm, a bit of fun?" said Nick with a grin.

"No," replied Noah, "but I want to try something. Pass me those two sets of handcuffs, babe." As he spoke, he laid himself back into the sling.

Nick looked on bewildered as Noah attached the cuffs to the supporting chains at the head of the sling, and then snapped first one and then the other closed around his wrists. The second was more difficult, since he had to stretch over with the first wrist already restrained, but he managed to complete the task relatively easily.

Nick stared at his mate, lying back in the sling, his arms restrained, his legs drooping, fully clothed. "Noah, you know I love seeing you in the sling, and cuffed, but shouldn't you have taken your clothes off first?"

Noah ignored the sarcasm in Nick's voice. "Can you check that these things are properly locked?" he asked instead. Nick reached for the silver wristlets, and confirmed that each was securely fastened.

Once again, Noah began to stretch one hand to the other, fingers flexing as he scrabbled at a small spike of metal near the locking mechanism. With a bit of effort he found what he was looking for, and there was a very slight 'click' before the cuff opened, freeing his hand. From there it took no more than a few seconds for him to release the other cuff and free himself once again.

"I thought so!" he announced triumphantly, sitting up and then stepping out of the sling again.

"So are you going to let me in on this secret revelation?" Nick asked.

Noah smiled. "When I released Jim from the sling under the house, I noticed that the cuffs he was restrained with weren't normal police-issue. They were exactly the same brand and style as ours."

"That's because we bought them at a leather-fetish shop on Oxford Street," said Nick. "I guess Geoff bought his at the same place. Apart from being almost impossible to get proper police cuffs, it's actually against the law to own them. You know that!"

"Yep," said Noah. "I also remember that the reason these cuffs can be sold to the public is that although they are operated by keys, there is this safety catch which means that they can be opened without a key. I just wanted to check if they could still be opened that way if two sets were used - one on each wrist."

"Okay, so they can ..." said Nick slowly. "But if you didn't know that, you probably wouldn't even try. How would Jim know it?"

"If Jim was as new to the bondage scene as he says, he wouldn't. But we've already got suspicions about that. Remember the ball-parachute of his? Maybe he knew damn well how to get out of the cuffs. That could explain how he was able to get out of the sling, make the call to Tony, and get back in again and do up the cuffs."

Nick mulled this over. "But if that was the case, why not just ring the police himself? And why get back into the sling again?"

Noah took a long breath. "What if Jim was the murderer? Wouldn't this be a great alibi - that he was handcuffed in a sling below the house? That way, he couldn't possibly have done it, could he? He was the innocent victim of a kidnapping, who was left chained up in the cellar after the imaginary killer did the deed and left the scene."

"Shit!" declared Nick with vengeance. "You never really know someone, do you?" he asked rhetorically.

Noah simply nodded in agreement. "I suppose we should go to the police with this information," he said slowly, wondering how they were going to explain their knowledge of handcuffs to the cops.

Nick looked again at his lover, there in the dim light of their special place. "I suppose so," he said softly. "But do we have to do it right now?"

"Huh?"

"Well, since we're down here ..." His eyes lit up with mischief, and Noah grinned as Nick's suggestion became obvious.

"I guess the cops can wait an hour or two!" he said with a laugh.

Quickly the two stripped away their street clothes, with an urgency born of anticipation, and each donned their favourite leather gear, chaps and boots for both, leather harnesses studded with metal points, a cap on Nick's head and a hood over Noah's face. Nick reached to the shelves along one wall and collected a black leather dog collar, buckling it around Noah's neck and attaching a silver lead.

"Come on, 'Boy'," he said in a hiss, "let's get this place properly fixed up!"

As he did, he handed Noah a box of matches, and leading his slave by the collar, he watched as Noah lowered the overhead lights and lit candles placed strategically around their basement. Satisfied with the altered appearance of the room, he led Noah to the sling suspended in the centre of the area, and laid him back into it slowly, taking his time, and using the opportunity to run his hands slowly and sensuously all over his mate's body. Once Noah was settled into the floating platform of black leather, his booted feet lifted into the stirrups and set in place, Nick walked around to the head of the sling and purposefully snapped the handcuffs they had so recently examined, closed and locked around Noah's wrists, restraining him in place. Noah made an attempt at struggling, pulling against the metal shackles, and although they both knew he could remove them if he wished, that knowledge did nothing to diminish the arousal they experienced in playing their game.

Nick then reached for a couple of other 'toys' that he wanted to play with, and moved to stand behind Noah, so that he looked along his partner's body, his groin close to the hooded top of Noah's head. Leaning over the reclining figure, he attached a pair of nipple clamps, joined by a slender but strong silver chain, to each of the rings through Noah's nipples, and pulled at the chain, eliciting a gasp of delight from the 'boy' cuffed into the sling. Nick was well aware that Noah's nipples were very sensitive, and equally knowledgeable of the fact that his lover delighted in having those nipples played with.

As Noah's groans of joy subsided, Nick grabbed hold of his slave's harness and heaved Noah backward in the sling so that his head protruded past the edge, and dropped backward. Noah was then looking at his 'master' upside-down, his face pretty well level with Nick's cock, which throbbed and leaked droplets of pre-cum in anticipation. As Noah looked on, Nick took the ball-parachute they had found at Jim's flat, and snapped it in place around his own scrotum, lowering his hand slowly until the weight of the toy was supported by his heaving nuts. Every movement now caused a rippling effect of combined pleasure and discomfort to emanate from Nick's testicles and ride up and through the rest of his body. He found it a surprisingly erotic sensation to say the least.

As Noah remained in place, his head back and his mouth open, Nick stepped up to him and reached once more for the chain connecting Noah's nipples. Pulling on it until it tautened, Nick used the subtle pressure to tug at the brown nubs of Noah's tits and make his lover groan with pleasure. At the same time, Nick moved in closer, until his throbbing erection was against Noah's inverted chin, his weighted, swinging balls directly in front of Noah's eyes. With a little manoeuvring and a small thrust of his hips, Nick pushed his thick cock towards Noah's mouth, and Noah's hungry lips closed quickly over the slimy, leaking cockhead presented to him. Instantly, Nick felt Noah's tongue lapping at his slit, and Noah's teeth scraping around the edge of his glans as the warm moisture of Noah's throat embraced his throbbing weapon.

With a grunt of satisfaction, Nick thrust again, and sank more of his rigid tool into his slave's gullet. The wet heat of Noah's mouth enveloped him and with his head thrown back, Noah easily accepted the fullness of Nick's masculinity, swallowing him and caressing him with lips and tongue as Nick began to slowly hump in and out of Noah's head, fucking his face with measured tempo and all the while tugging this way and that on the chain attached to Noah's nipples. With each motion, Nick could feel the weight of the parachute, the swinging pressure of the leather apparatus pulling at his balls and forcing fingers of erotic pleasure into his gut.

The combination of the dragging weights at his nuts and the heated wetness of Noah's mouth suckling at his tool sent shivers through Nick and his thrusting at Noah's head became more pronounced and more urgent, each forward motion allowing him to bury himself deeply in his slave's gullet, and every pull back causing another wave of pleasure to wash upward from his balls. He knew he could not continue this humping much longer without blowing his load, and reluctantly he withdrew from Noah's face, stepping backward and catching his breath. As Noah gasped and recovered, Nick lifted his slave back into the sling again, pushing him down so that his head was once more supported by the leather platform, and Noah's arse was positioned at the edge of the base of the black cocoon that held him.

Making his way carefully around - every tiny movement caused the parachute to swing and pull against his nuts - Nick moved to stand between Noah's uplifted legs, the shining tight leather chaps engulfing his partner framing Nick as he stepped into the welcoming opening of Noah's body suspended and waiting for him. Noah looked down to see his man garbed in leather, Nick's prong pointing proudly forward and glistening with promise, Nick reaching forward to take hold once more at the silver lead connected to Noah's neck. He gasped silently as he felt Nick's fingers begin their slow exploration of his pucker, pushing into him and opening him, readying him for the coming onslaught. It was an onslaught he wanted, craved, and he was ready.

"Fuck me, Sir!" Noah hissed. "Fuck me now and fuck me hard!"

Nick made no reply as he withdrew his finger from Noah's grasping hole and tugged yet again at the gleaming metal connecting Noah's tits. Noah almost ached with arousal as his body swung in the sling, back toward his lover then away again. And suddenly he felt Nick's thick, steel hard tool force its way into his body. With an involuntary moan, Noah trembled as Nick's fleshy spike pierced him, penetrating his very being and prying open his sphincter. The momentary pain was quickly superceded by a tremendous feeling of fulfilment as he felt Nick plunge himself deeply into Noah's waiting cavern, and Noah clenched himself against the invading sword of manhood, relished the power being thrust into his wet gut, and shuddered with delight as Nick's cock massaged his prostate from deep within his bowel.

"Fuck ... Me ... Now!" Noah spat at the sweat-sheened form of his man, sunk within him and pulling firmly at the nipple rings embedded in his super sensitive tits.

And Nick did. Noah felt the thick log of flesh being withdrawn from his body slowly, but before it was completely removed, suddenly Nick jammed himself back into Noah. With the breath knocked from his lungs, Noah gasped as his master began to thrust hard and fast into his body, pumping that rounded tube of cock into him again and again. He felt Nick's balls crash against his arse cheeks, and knew that the motion was causing incredible sensations to rocket through his partner's groin as he heard Nick grunting with the determined force of his assault. Again and again, Noah felt the thumping crash of Nick's member pound into him in a frenzied humping at his ravaged chute. He clenched and tried to milk Nick's cock, but he was powerless to resist the pistoning rampage that Nick unleashed, and the very power and urgency of Nick's fuck made him even more aroused, filled him with additional need, and sent shivers of delight throughout his body.

With a grunted yell of surprise, Noah felt his orgasm crash over him. He did not usually reach climax so quickly, but this session with his man had turned him on so much that he was unable to hold back. A spasm rocked his body, the first of many, as he hit his peak and waves of pure pleasure flowed over him, an earthquake of passionate abandon rocking him with its epicentre at his arse where Nick still continued to plough his glorious masculinity hard and deep into Noah's body. A torrent of cum erupted from him, drenching his stomach and abdomen as he surrendered to the tide of ecstasy that washed over him, and it was only a sensation in his ears, breaking through the roar of his climax, that told Noah his man was also shooting. The pounding of his body had been replaced by a shaking, pulsing grind as Nick emptied his very essence into Noah's waiting innards, drowning the core of his being with Nick's searing jizz.

When the crescendo had died and the passion began to recede, the two men collapsed into each other, Nick's cock still lodged in Noah's body. They gasped and grinned at each other and slowly disentangled themselves, reluctantly relinquishing the leather gear they wore and re-dressing into more everyday attire, before climbing the stairs and throwing themselves onto sofas to recover from the intensity of their union.

****

"I'm still concerned about what part, if any, Mike has in all of this mess," Nick said as they sat back after their exhausting encounter in their cellar, still trying to unravel the mystery of their discoveries before deciding what to do next.

"I feel the same way," replied Noah. "But I think it's time we went to the police with what we have. I can't get past the feeling that Jim is responsible. Everything we have points to him having killed Geoff and then trying to cover it up, and I think the police should be told so they can look into it some more. They have the resources to do a lot more investigating than we do, and it's not just a 'missing person' any longer. It's murder now!"

***

Later that afternoon they were ushered into the same interview room where Noah had first spoken with Det. Roarty at the Police Centre in Surry Hills. Roarty entered the room with a smile on his face and greeted them warmly.

"Well, gentlemen, quite a turn of events, don't you think?" he said.

Both of the boys looked surprised at the attitude of the officer, wondering why he was so buoyant. Noah spoke first.

"Obviously, we're here about Mr. Richardson," he began. "There are a few things which we've been thinking about that don't add up, and we thought you ought to know."

"Yes?" said Roarty, still wearing an enigmatic grin, but curious about what these two civilians could have to tell him.

"To begin with," Noah went on cautiously, picking his words, "did you notice that Jim, I mean, Mr. Richardson, didn't have any bruises on his wrists, despite struggling in the handcuffs all that time? Or the fact that he didn't appear particularly traumatised by what had happened to him?"

The smile left Roarty's face, to be replaced by a look of surprise. "Yes, we did notice that," he said, "although it turns out not to mean anything in the end."

Noah's face gave away his lack of comprehension at the final comment. Roarty continued, "I am able to tell you that for some time yesterday afternoon and this morning, your friend was a serious suspect, notwithstanding that he appeared to have been restrained the whole time."

Nick looked knowingly at the policeman, and then to Noah.

"We came to the same conclusion," said Noah. "That's why we're here, to offer what suggestions and evidence we have. I can hardly believe that Jim would kill someone, but maybe we didn't know him as well as we thought ..."

Roarty held up his hand, and the smile had returned to his face, as if he knew something they didn't.

"I appreciate your offer, truly I do," he assured them. "But I can also tell you that Mr. Richardson has been cleared of suspicion."

Nick gasped, and the surprise on Noah's face must have been almost comical.

"The local police at Karuah located the gun which was used to shoot Mr. Renouf this morning. We have a good set of fingerprints from the grip, and they are not those of your friend. And a medical examination showed no sign of powder residue on Mr. Richardson's hands, so he could not possibly have fired the weapon." Roarty's grin widened in triumph. "I can't explain his attitude or lack of bruises, and we may have to ask him some more questions yet, but he is certainly not guilty of the murder!"

"Oh!" was all Noah or Nick could manage. They were both dumbfounded at the news. Finally Noah spoke again. "Is Jim free to go then?" he asked.

"He was released from hospital this morning," replied Roarty, "and should be at home by now. I am impressed with your observations, though, and with your honesty in coming forward like that despite the chance of incriminating your friend. But you can leave the rest of the detective work to us, okay?" With that he began to show them to the door with an air of dismissal.

***

"Well, I'll be!" declared Nick as they left the police centre. "So Jim was innocent after all!"

"I don't know," muttered Noah. "Things still don't make sense. Jim may not have pulled the trigger, but that doesn't explain the phone calls to Tony and Mike, or the fact that he could get in and out of that sling if he wanted. And I can't help feeling that we've just been given the 'brush-off'. It's as if that cop has taken the easy way out, or doesn't want to look too far into the whole thing."

"There has to be an explanation," reasoned Nick. "Maybe we should talk to Jim some more, now that he's theoretically in the clear."

"Yes," agreed Noah. "But we need to be careful what we say. I have a feeling Jim could still be involved in this killing somehow, and I don't want to tip him off that we suspect!"

****

A quick phone call to Jim to establish that he was indeed home, and to assure him that they wanted to make sure he was okay, and Nick and Noah were soon knocking at his door.

"Hi again, guys," Jim said as he let them in. "Excuse the mess. I think I've been burgled!"

Nick looked sharply at Noah, then back at Jim, as Noah concentrated on Jim's tone.

"But this is what happened when you were kidnapped by Geoff, isn't it?" Nick asked quickly.

Jim's face was pale, and he looked genuinely shocked. "No, not at all!" he said quickly. He appeared to stop and think for a moment then went on. "There was a struggle with Geoff, sure ..." again he hesitated, "but not to make this much mess. Someone else has gotten in since then and trashed the place!"

"This is how we found it on Wednesday," Noah said softly. "It's why we were so concerned for you." He studied Jim, who looked truly lost.

"This had nothing to do with what happened between myself and Geoff!" he said with certainty. "I have no idea why it's like this."

"Let's help you tidy it up!" Nick said quickly, and together the three began to complete what Jim had started, righting furniture and retrieving items from the floor, collecting papers and trying to return the flat to some normalcy. Eventually they had the living room at least back in some order, and Jim stated that he needed to sit down and take a break.

"Are you all right?" Noah asked with concern.

"Yeah," said Jim softly. "Just really upset about the way my home has been wrecked."

"Funny," commented Noah. "I would have thought that would be the least of your worries. Being kidnapped and assaulted, and strung up in a sling must be much more upsetting!"

"Oh, yes," Jim said hurriedly. "It was, it was. But this is so much closer to home, if you know what I mean."

Nick butted in at that point. "Oh, by the way," he said almost off-handedly, "here are your jacket and mobile phone. You left them in the back of our car."

"Oh! Thanks."

Noah looked intently at Jim, wondering just what he should or could say next. He bit his lip then took the plunge.

"Jim, Tony rang your phone this morning, looking for you ..." he began.

Jim looked at Noah quickly, startled.

"Tony?"

"Uh, huh. He was concerned because he'd been away and only just gotten the message you left him yesterday afternoon."

"Oh, shit!" Jim's voice held some vehemence.

Noah went on. "He told us what the message was, Jim! We know you couldn't have been stuck in that sling like you said you were. Want to tell us what's going on?"

Jim looked down at the floor, breathing deeply, for several long minutes before he lifted his eyes to face the two.

"It's not the way it looks ..." he started. "I didn't kill Geoff."

"We know! The cops told us they found the gun, and that you're in the clear," Nick jumped in. "We just don't understand about the false story you gave them."

Jim looked from Nick to Noah and back to Nick before speaking again.

"Okay guys. What I told you was partly true, honestly. But not all of it, because I didn't want you to know some personal stuff about me." He took another breath, reaching a decision in his own mind.

"I wasn't kidnapped! Well, I was, but willingly. It was all part of the scene Geoff and I were playing out. We had arranged it all last week, days before it actually happened. I did meet him through a classified advert in the paper like I told you, and we did get on really well together. But Geoff wasn't my first 'leather' time. I have been into the bondage/leather scene for a while now. It turns me on, a lot. I guess you wouldn't understand, but it makes me so aroused, so excited ..."

Nick and Noah exchanged surreptitious glances and stifled grins, but remained silent, allowing Jim to continue.

"We planned the whole thing. One of my fantasies was to be kidnapped and kept prisoner. One of his was to have a slave shackled in the 'dungeon', and he had this place up the coast all set up and ready for us. But we had both been into the scene enough to know to take some basic precautions. I could get out of the cuffs if I really wanted to or needed to. They aren't real handcuffs, but mock-ups you can get from a few fetish shops around town."

He kept his eyes on the floor as he laid bare his soul to the two men, not realising that they understood his feelings better than he imagined.

"It was incredible. I have never been so turned on. For days, we lived out this fantasy, and in the process we had some fucking unbelievable sex, in that cellar. He is - was - a fantastic lover, and an amazing 'master' to me as his 'slave'. If you've never been into that scene, it probably sounds totally kinky, but I swear I was in love with him!"

Nick's heart went out to Jim, and he began to speak, but Noah shook his head, and Nick accepted that Jim needed to get this out and off his chest before the two made some confessions of their own.

"On Thursday morning we were getting into it again," Jim said. "Geoff had left me in the sling and gone upstairs to get some water and some food. I waited and waited, thinking it was all part of his game, but when he didn't come back for almost two hours, I got worried. I wriggled my way out of the cuffs and went up to the house looking for him, but I found him lying on the bed, shot." Jim's eyes were moist, his voice quiet and croaking as he went on with his monologue.

"I panicked. The police would have to be called. How could I explain to cops what we had been doing? How could I convince them that I was innocent? They were going to take one look at me, at the place, and assume the worst. You know what cops are like. So I had to make it look like I had been kidnapped for real, like I was the victim. I rang Tony so that I wasn't left there for days, went back to the cellar and set myself up in the sling again and waited for the police to show. I got a huge surprise when you guys turned up! And then I just had to carry on with the story until the police had been and let me go."

By this point Jim was almost sobbing, a broken man. Noah reached for him, and Jim moved forward until Noah was cradling him in his arms. "It's okay, Jim, it's okay!" he said softly.

"No, it's not!" Jim hissed. "Geoff was the most wonderful guy. He and I were just perfect together. He was an amazing 'master', and I was falling for him badly. And now I've made him look like some kind of evil pervert!"

Noah held the sobbing figure closely. He looked up at Nick, who was visibly shaken himself. Nick raised his eyebrows in a question, and Noah understood, and nodded.

"Jim," Nick said quietly in a soothing tone. "We understand more than you think. I'm sure Geoff would understand as well. Since you've told us your secret, let us share our secret with you."

Jim looked up at that, curiosity on his face now. Noah settled back a little as Nick continued.

"Noah and I get into a very similar scene, just ourselves! We both get turned on by leather, and by playing the roles of master and slave. It's the horniest, most exciting time. We understand completely how you must have felt. We guessed there was more to the story because we recognised the cuffs as fakes - damn it, - we have a pair exactly the same at home! And we can understand why you wanted to keep it quiet. We do the same thing. People just don't understand. They make judgments based on prejudice, and they assume the worst. I am so incredibly sorry that you've lost Geoff, truly I am."

Jim looked yet again from Nick to Noah and back. This time his eyes bored into theirs, seeing the truth of Nick's words. With a sense of relief, he slumped a little, and as all three watched each other, a weak laughter began between them, the shared, secret enjoyment of leather allowing them to forge a special bond of friendship.

It was Noah who spoke first after a long period of silence and deep thoughts by all of them.

"There are still a lot of unanswered questions!" he stated, getting the attention of the other two quickly. "Like, who killed Geoff? And why? And who trashed Jim's apartment?"

"And how did you two come to be looking for me in the first place?" added Jim.

"We told you!" said Nick. "Michael told Noah that he was really worried when you didn't show up for work two nights running. And when I asked around no one had seen you for a while."

"But why would Mike say that?" asked Jim in puzzlement. "I rang him Sunday afternoon, before Geoff and I started our game. I told him I was going to be away unexpectedly for a week."

Noah looked alarmed. "But he rang me Monday when you didn't arrive for your shift. He was quite certain that he had no idea why you hadn't shown up, and when you didn't arrive Tuesday, he was really worried!"

The three looked at each other in growing confusion. Why would Michael have done that? Was he somehow involved in this whole affair? Suddenly, a sinister sense of foreboding began to close in on the three friends once again.

 

Chapter 6

"This whole 'Mike' question has me really worried!" said Nick as he and Noah drove home after leaving Jim at his flat. "For the life of me, I just can't imagine why Michael would lie to us about Jim being missing. He must have known we would go looking for Jim, even call in the police. Hell, Michael almost invited us to search for Jim. If he was involved in murdering Geoff, then why would he want us or the police involved?"

"I don't know," muttered Noah. "But Jim was absolutely adamant that he had spoken to Mike and told him that he would be out of town for a week. Yet Michael was really convincing when he told me how worried he was about Jim being missing. One of them has to be lying. At the moment, I'm inclined to believe Jim, although as you said, I can't think what the connection is between Michael and Geoff."

Nick looked vacantly out of the car window. "Maybe we should confront Michael about it, right now!" he said. "Do you know his home address?"

"Umm, yes," responded Noah. "He has a house in Redfern. I've been there to pick him up or drop him off a couple of times."

"Well?" Nick was all for taking some kind of action right at that moment.

"Okay," Noah conceded. "We'll drive over there and see if he's home, and what he has to say for himself."

*****

Michael was ecstatic as he writhed beneath the tall, thin man whose cock was buried deep in his arse. He gasped as its owner thrust down hard and filled his body before coming to rest within and on top of him. The two steadied for a moment, catching their breath as the first twitches of arousal washed through them and the pain of the sudden penetration retreated from Michael's rear. Michael opened his eyes and looked at the body covering him, shaved and smooth from neck to toe. There was something incredibly erotic about the way his partner insisted on completely removing all traces of body hair.

"Yeah, that's it, baby. Fuck me!" he hissed, and with an acknowledging grunt the other man began to move, in and out, slowly at first then faster and faster. Michael clasped his hands on his lover's cheeks, drawing him in as he pumped at Michael's body. Michael felt his sphincter clench and relax with each motion, felt the long thin tube of flesh invade his bowel as he hunched into it, and groaned with blissful surrender. It had been more than two weeks since he had enjoyed the company of his occasional lover, and on their last meeting they had fought over his friend's lack of commitment, and interest in a third party, but Michael had taken some steps to solve that problem, and now his partner was back in his bed and in his body, and he could not be happier.

Michael was in love with this man. Lost in unreasoning infatuation, and being fucked by him now left him aching with joy both physically and emotionally. He failed to comprehend completely that the other person did not share his view of the relationship, and saw Michael as nothing more than an enjoyable diversion whilst waiting for someone else, someone who would fulfill the needs he truly felt. In fact, he felt some scorn for the man beneath him, a pitiable soul whose sexual urges were plain and simple, but satisfying enough on an interim basis.

"Oh, yesss! That's it!" gasped Michael as they locked together, humping and sweating. His partner pounded into him now, harder and deeper, their fucking increasing in tempo and ferocity as they each began to breathe more quickly. Waves of pleasure engulfed Michael as he felt his chute opened and punched, the bed rocking wildly in time with their movements. He was close, oh so close, as he trembled to the thundering power of the cock filling him and the emotional high of having this lover of his fucking him once again. His hand slid down his belly and came into contact with his own leaking, aching tool, and he began to squeeze and jerk at himself as his partner continued to humph and strain while he fucked the prostrate form below him.

With a yelp of release, Michael felt his orgasm explode, and the hot creamy jizz spurt from his cock and cover his hand and his gut. He clenched his arse tightly around the heated spear of cock that pierced him and his body twitched with release. His partner continued to fuck him unabated, not slowing or changing his pace, but pounding on relentlessly as Michael came again and again. When finally Michael's eruptions slowed and then stopped, the other man pulled himself from Michael's body unceremoniously and yanked away the condom sheathing his prick. Sitting back on his haunches, he grabbed his penis with one hand, the other hand going to his own chest where he pinched hard at his nipples, his eyes closed tightly. He flailed at his meat, pumping vigorously, and whispered breathlessly to some unseen, imagined partner.

"Yeah, do it, treat me bad!" he mumbled between his teeth. "Use me like your bitch and hurt me!"

A few more seconds of his combined hissing and tugging at himself, and a stream of cum flew from his cock, depositing itself on Michael's body. Michael watched in bemused fascination as his friend ejaculated, eyes still firmly shut, body tensed and quivering, until suddenly the other man collapsed, drained and finished.

"Why can't you get off while looking at me, thinking about me?" Michael asked, the hurt and irritation in his voice obvious.

"Why can't you be a little more adventurous? Try some leather, or some rope some time? How about hand-cuffing me to the bed, and fucking me for a change, instead of me fucking you?" his partner asked in a voice surprisingly deep for such a small frame.

"Don't start again! You know I'm not into all that kinky shit!"

"Oh, piss off, Mikey!" the other spat at him with annoyance. "You're so, ... so 'vanilla'!"

The thin man rolled off the bed and headed for the bathroom, waving a hand dismissively at Michael.

"Where are you going?" Michael demanded.

"I'm going to clean up, and dress, and then I'm out of here!" And with that he slammed the door.

Michael lay there on the bed, the euphoria of a few minutes ago dissipating like some wispy fog. He sobbed silently to himself, wondering why he was being treated so badly. It was the other man again, he knew it! But he'd show him! Michael was sure that the one he loved would forget this 'third party' if only Michael could prove that this other guy was playing around himself. He just needed a little more time.

Half an hour later, the bedroom door was flung open, and Michael looked up from his morose thoughts to behold his friend transformed. Dressed in his usual style, the other man looked down his nose at Michael.

"I'm going now," he stated quietly.

"Stay, please?" Michael pleaded.

"No! I have a date to meet up with the girls for drinks."

"When will I see you again?"

"When I'm ready. Don't be so clingy Michael. It's really annoying," he said in an incongruously gravelly voice.

"I know where you're going - back to 'him'! ..." the word came out ice like. "... but you're just another trick to him. He doesn't give a shit about you, but I love you! Can't you see he's making you look like a fool!"

Michael's one-time lover looked at him with a wry smile. "You stupid little shit! Whether I go back to that two-timing bastard or not is of no concern to you. As a matter of fact, I certainly will NOT be seeing him ever again, and I plan on not seeing you either! He was just a passing fancy; you're just too much of a twit for me to bear, so bugger off!" He turned to go, reaching for the final item of dress. "And Michael? Don't bother calling because you bore me and you piss me off! I don't want to hear from you again, ever. Do you understand?"

Michael's face screwed up in alarmed agony. "Jerry, I'm sorry! Forgive me, please?"

The look of amused irritation on the other face was instantly replaced with a blinding fury. "How many times have I told you? I hate that name! Don't ever call me that again. In fact, don't ever call me anything ever again!" With hands trembling in anger he pulled the tall blonde wig down onto his head, and brushed at the creases in his sequined cocktail dress. Without a word, he/she exited Michael's house, slamming the door behind her.

"Fuck you too, - Lena!" Michael screamed at the retreating figure, before he collapsed back onto the bed, his body wracked with sobs.

*****

"That's the place!" said Noah, pointing to a nondescript house on the other side of the street. Nick looked at it curiously as Noah drove past and began to turn the car around to come back and park outside. As they finished their turn, Nick saw the door open and a tall blonde woman leave, slamming the door behind her.

"Hey, Noah," he said in a mixture of surprise and amazement, "Is that who I think it is?"

Noah's mouth opened as he saw the person Nick indicated. "Lena!" he said.

"Shit!" was Nick's considered response. "What on earth is she doing here?"

"I don't know," said Noah, "but it looks like she's not very happy, and in a hurry to leave as well!"

"Now what do we do?" asked Nick in confusion. "Do we still go and see Mike about his conversation with Jim, or do we get out of here?"

Noah sat a moment considering this new twist. "I can't see how Lena fits into all of this, but I think we really should confront Michael about it; find out what he has to say for himself."

As they knocked on Michael's front door, they heard a wail from within, and looked at each other in surprise. Suddenly the door was flung open and Michael called out, "Lena, darling, I'm sorr..."

He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Nick and Noah standing there, and the colour drained from his face. "Oh fuck!"

"Er, is this a bad time?" said Nick, averting his eyes from Michael's naked body. Noah too, looked quickly away, and as Michael realised he was nude, he turned beet red with embarrassment.

"Sorry, guys," he stammered out. "Umm, come on in, I'll just throw some clothes on."

The two men stepped into his living room, and sat in uncomfortable silence as Michael disappeared into the bedroom and hastily dressed. They had both clearly seen the remnants of tears on his face, and had sensed his confusion and upset.

A little more composed, but still disheveled, Michael returned to them within minutes. "Sorry, guys," he said again. "What are you doing here?"

Noah looked at him, still uncertain. "We've found Jim," he began.

"Oh!" was Michael's only reply, no hint of what he felt on his face.

"He's been in some serious danger," Noah went on. "He went away for a few days with someone he met, but he's home now."

Noah studied Michael's face, watching for some reaction. He was disappointed to see nothing but boredom, perhaps a sense of not caring.

"So how was that 'dangerous'?" Michael asked.

"The guy he was with - Geoffrey Renouf ..." Nick spoke now, and thought he saw Michael almost snarl at the mention of Geoff's name, "... has been killed!"

That got a response. Michael looked up quickly, first at Nick, then at Noah, disbelief on his face. "What?!?" he said quickly.

"Jim met a guy called Geoffrey Renouf a few weeks ago. They went away for a week to Geoff's place in the country, but while they were there, yesterday, someone shot and killed Geoff," Nick stated quietly and matter-of-factly.

The blood drained from Michael's face, and his mouth hung open. He tried to say something, but nothing came out. His eyes flickered wildly from Nick to Noah and around the room, to the door and down to the floor.

"Mike? Mike? Are you okay?" Noah asked, concerned at the reaction. Still Michael said nothing. "I think he's gone into shock!" Noah said to Nick. "Help me get him to lie down. See if you can find a blanket to cover him and I'll get some water."

The two quickly eased Michael into a horizontal position on the lounge, and Nick threw a light covering over him while Noah held a glass of water to his lips. "Michael? Michael!" he called in a low tone.

Michael shook his head, and slowly his eyes came back into focus as he struggled to sit upright, as if fighting his way out of some deep dark place. "Noah," he said in a whisper, "is Jim alright?"

"Yes, yes, he's fine. A little upset, but physically okay." Noah sat back, relieved, and Nick offered to get them all a drink.

"Mike," Noah said quietly but firmly, "we need to talk!"

Mike nodded, still looking a little absent, and took the drink Nick held out to him. Noah waited as Michael sipped, then went on.

"As you know, Nick and I spent several days trying to find Jim when he didn't show up for work." Michael looked at them with a hint of guilt but remained quiet. "When we finally found him, we also found the body of his friend. The police have obviously been involved, and for a while Jim was a suspect for murder." Michael's eyes widened at this news.

"He's been cleared now," Noah added quickly, "but there are still a lot of unanswered questions, and we think you know a lot more about this whole business."

Michael began to protest, but Nick silenced him.

"Michael," Nick said firmly, looking him directly in the eye, "Jim told us he rang you last Sunday to tell you he was going to be away from work for a week, yet you told us he was missing without trace or explanation." Before Michael could respond, Nick went on. "And we just saw Lena, the drag queen, leaving here. We know she knows - sorry, knew - Jim's friend, Geoff. She was the one who gave us his name, and that was how we found them."

Michael sat, his head down, looking at the floor again. He began to shake slightly. Noah took up the conversation again.

"Michael, tell us what you know," he said. "It all has to come out in the end. Maybe we can help you."

Michael sobbed quietly to himself for a few seconds then lifted his eyes with a resigned look. "I don't know anything about a shooting," he said. "I just thought you would find Jim with Geoff, you know, together! That way I would have proof that Geoff was cheating."

"Cheating? Cheating on whom?" Nick asked.

"Lena!"

Nick and Noah exchanged curious glances. "Why on earth would you care whether Geoff was cheating on Lena? I didn't even know they were supposed to be seeing each other."

"Because if I had proof he was cheating on her then I thought she would dump him, and come back to me!"

"To you?!?" Nick almost exploded with amazement, and Noah sat in silence, dumbfounded by Michael's words.

"I have been seeing Lena - his real name is Jerry, but he hates it, insists on being called Lena - on and off for about two months. I was in love with him, guys, truly in love. But he didn't feel the same way. He kept going off and finding other men." Michael began to sob again, but continued his story through his tears. "He, or she - that's what she prefers - started seeing this Geoffrey Renouf about four weeks ago. Told me all about him! For god's sake, she practically rubbed it in my face. Told me how she likes it when he ties her up, or handcuffs her and fucks her! She actually wanted me to do the same. I told her I wasn't into that kind of thing. She laughed at me!" Nick and Noah could see him becoming angry now.

"She claimed she was madly in love with him, that she wasn't going to see me anymore. I followed her, and saw her with him at the 'Shift' last Sunday night. And get this: Jim Richards was with them. I couldn't believe it, especially after Jim had rung me that afternoon to tell me he'd met some great guy and was going away for a few days with him. When they left, Jim went with Geoff, and Lena went home alone. That was when I thought I had a plan: if I told you Jim was 'missing' I knew you'd find him, hopefully with Geoff, and I would have proof to show Lena that Geoff was seeing someone else, and she would come back to me!"

He began to cry in earnest at that, and Noah's heart went out to him. "Mike, it's okay. I wish I could make things better for you."

"I'm so sorry, guys," he sobbed. "I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble, but I was desperate to get her back." He looked up wildly, suddenly struck by another thought. "But I didn't kill Geoff! I didn't want anything to happen to him, honest. I just wanted Lena to forget him, that's all. You have to believe me!"

"We do, we do believe you!" said Nick reassuringly. "But you have to admit, the cops are going to look differently at it. They will say you had the motive for getting rid of him."

"Well, that's gone now!" Michael said with vengeance.

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"I told her - just now, that I knew she was going back to him, and that Geoff was cheating on her. But she already knew. She told me she wouldn't be seeing him ever again, and that she never wanted to see me either!"

Noah and Nick looked at each other with surprise. This was something they hadn't anticipated.

"I don't understand," Noah said. "If she knew about Geoff and Jim, then why did she tell us how to contact Geoff that night when we saw her?"

"I'm wondering if she was somehow involved in this murder?" added Nick. "What if she is the one who killed Geoff?"

"When did you say he was shot?" asked Michael.

"Yesterday, some time in the middle of the day."

"Mmmmm," Michael muttered beneath his breath. "Maybe. She had been ignoring me, refusing to return my calls, for two weeks. Then yesterday afternoon, about 5.30, she rang to say she was feeling lonely, wanted to know if I would like to get together. She came over, and stayed until just before you guys arrived."

"I think she knows a lot more about what happened to Geoff!" Noah stated with conviction. "And I think the police will want to have a chat with her!"

*****

"I don't think we need to let on about your plan to have us find Jim, or your wanting to get Lena back, at this stage!" Noah warned Michael as they drove to the Police Centre after phoning to tell Det. Roarty that they were coming to see him with some information about a suspect. "Let's just tell him what Lena said about 'taking care' of things, and let him talk to her about it?"

"Okay," Michael agreed readily. He was already nervous enough about having to approach the police, without wanting to think too carefully about what he should or shouldn't say, and whether or not he might incriminate himself. "In fact, Noah," he said on further reflection, "why don't you do all the talking, and I'll just back up what you have to say?"

"Very well! Just don't panic. Try to relax." Noah sounded much less concerned than he felt. He was almost certain that Lena had either killed Geoff, or had a very direct part in his murder, and at this point he knew he would be much happier if he knew the police were doing the serious investigating rather than he and Nick. He had begun to think in the last few hours that they were starting to get in over their heads, and that this was something better left to the professionals.

One more time, they were ushered into the tiny room just off the reception area, and after a wait of ten or fifteen minutes, a very tired looking Detective Roarty made his appearance.

"Gentlemen," he said when he entered the room. "I hear you have some serious information for me!" He tried to smile, but his face was drawn.

"That's right," responded Noah. "This is Michael Stevens. He works with both Jim Richards and me. We've done some asking around and some digging of our own, and it turns out that Michael knows someone who we think is very much involved in this shooting of Mr. Renouf."

"Really?" asked Roarty with little interest. "And why is that?"

"Michael knows someone who was recently 'involved' with Geoff Renouf. He had dumped this person, and the person told Michael that they wouldn't be seeing Geoff ever again!" Noah said, emphasising his words.

"You keep on saying 'this person' as if it's a mystery," Roarty noted, barely able to stifle a yawn. "What's the problem? Do you know who it is or not?"

Noah began to get annoyed. He had the distinct impression that the detective was not taking them seriously, even that he was irritated by them.

"No Problem," he snapped coolly. "Just that the person is a drag queen. Her name is 'Lena Gainstme'. As a man his real name is Jerry."

The policeman's eyes widened momentarily, and then he began to laugh. "A drag queen? Ha! Somehow I think you've missed the point," he said with a tired shake of his head. "Do you have any serious evidence that this poor drag queen was involved?"

Noah looked at Michael, who shook his head in the negative.

"Well, it doesn't matter much anyway," Roarty said. "We've had a positive match on the fingerprints we found on the gun, and we know who we're looking for. The killer is a known 'hit-man' - he is usually used by some of the loan sharks around town. And we have found that Mr. Renouf owed quite a lot of money, so it would appear that your friend, Jim, and this mysterious drag queen, were all just incidental to a professional killing. Even Mr. Renouf's mother has confirmed that people were looking for him for money."

Noah looked at him silently. Michael said nothing, but gaped. Nick began to protest when Roarty held up his hand for silence again.

"Listen," he said condescendingly. "I know you were concerned about your friend, and I think you did a very good job, for civilians, in finding the property. But your friend is safe now, and we know the identity of the killer. We just have to find him. We're talking about a well-planned murder here, not some cat-fight where someone has been beaten over the head with a hand-bag! So why don't you just forget about the whole thing and leave it to the people whose job it is to deal with this kind of stuff? If you go asking too many questions you'll end up tipping off the suspect that we're after him, or you'll get yourself into trouble or worse."

He stood up and began to show them the door. "We appreciate your help, but this is a matter for the experts. Leave it to the police now, and go home to your nice comfortable lives." Before they could protest, he had almost pushed them out of the place and turned his back on them.

*****

"What the fuck was that?" exploded Nick as they stood outside the Police Centre in confused amazement.

"That, my friend," said Noah, "... was a right royal brush-off, and not a very subtle one either!"

"It was as if we were nothing more than dog-shit on his shoes!" said Nick, getting angrier by the second. "Just what I would expect from the police. It's all so easy now. They have a killer who fits in neatly with their pre-conceived ideas, and so there's no need to look at it any closer. Case closed, go away!"

"There's more to it than that," Noah stated. "He says they've got the killer - or at least they know who it is, but they haven't actually caught him yet, and Roarty didn't want us getting involved any more. It was all too quick, too easy. I can't help thinking there's something more that we're missing!"

"There's definitely something going on here, and I don't think I like the smell of it," stated Nick.

"I think we should try to talk to Lena," Noah observed. "Although I have no idea at all how we're going to get her to take us into her confidence enough to get any useful information out of her."

Michael, who up until now had said nothing, suddenly began to smile. "I think I have an idea," he said enigmatically.

 

Chapter 7

Nick, Noah and Michael made their way back to Michael's house after leaving the Police Centre, still baffled by the attitude of the police.

"Maybe we should just leave it?" Nick asked, almost to himself. "The cops seem to have identified the killer, and they just aren't interested in anything else."

Noah was silent for a moment before replying, "I would agree with you, and just let it ride, if it wasn't for the question of just how Lena is involved. Geoff may well have been murdered because he owed money, and maybe Lena didn't have anything to do with it, but it seems to me like too big a 'loose end', which needs tidying up!"

"But the only one who can do that is Lena, and she's not going to say or do anything but deny any involvement!" said Nick.

"We need to find a way to get her to 'open up', let her guard down and talk," was Noah's response. "Find someone she trusts ...?" With that both he and Nick turned to look at Michael.

"Oh, no!" he said, with absolute certainty. "She won't say a word to me. I doubt if she'd even take my call. She made that quite clear. But if you really want to try to get her to talk, I can think of a possibility, although you may not like it!"

"What possibility?" asked Nick.

"Lena likes to talk," began Michael. "She likes to brag, to tell you about how she's never the one who loses when a relationship goes sour. She likes to make sure that you know she's in control when it comes to 'attachment', and she likes to think she's pretty smart."

"So how does that help?" asked Nick. "We still need someone that she can brag to, someone she'll tell her story to."

Michael hesitated a minute, and went on. "She likes telling all of this to her 'trade', to whomever she happens to be sleeping with at the time. I found that out the hard way!" he said, wincing at the memory. "It's one of her favourite topics, especially with one-night-stands."

"So what are you suggesting? That we somehow get her talking to some 'pick-up', and then get the information from him? I can't see that working," Nick thought out loud.

"Not quite," said Michael, a grin beginning on his face. "Pick her up yourself! And get her to talk to you..."

Nick looked shocked, and Noah surprised at the suggestion. "But Michael, do you know what you're suggesting?"

Their friend's smile faded to a look of sadness. "Yeah, I know, but I also know there's no way I'll ever have her back. I still have feelings for her, but she's not the person I thought she was."

"How on earth would I 'pick her up'?" asked Nick. "How would I know what to say to her, what she likes? You have to have some kind of contact for that first interest!"

"Not you, but Noah!" Michael said quickly.

"Me?" Noah's face was now the shocked one. "Why me?"

"Because, you're her type. You and Geoff are similar enough to attract her: tall, blond, strong. She'll be interested, trust me."

Nick began to chuckle. "But what if she changes her mind once Noah talks to her?" he said. "What if she and Noah can't find any common interests?"

"That part's easy," said Michael. He looked squarely at Nick, then at Noah, before going on. "She likes it rough! Leather and chains and whips! She's into bondage and control and all that kinky scene!"

Nick began to laugh then quieted at the glance he received from Noah. Michael went on in a tone of veiled disgust. "If you can borrow some leather gear, I don't know, say chaps and a harness, from someone, and just be in the same place she is, I can guarantee you she'll be the one who makes the approach, and she'll stay interested as long as you want!" His face showed his distaste and his upset at describing the things about his former lover that had driven them apart.

"So Noah gets dressed up in leather, and then pretends to want her to whip him and beat him?" Nick said, barely able to conceal his amusement, despite Noah's disapproving stares.

"Oh, no!" said Michael. "The other way around. Noah stands back and plays it cool, and she'll come to him. She'll want him to be the 'Master', and dominate her!"

Noah's eyes opened wide, and despite all the warnings and furious glances he had received, Nick broke into a fit of laughter, barely able to stand upright as he shook with mirth at the thought of Noah playing the completely opposite role from that he usually enjoyed. Michael looked helplessly at Nick's giggling face and Noah's stern countenance, not quite comprehending the reason for the differing reactions.

"I know it's kinky, but it's the best way to attract her!" he said resignedly, thinking the attitude of both Noah and Nick was because they were so repulsed by the idea of the leather and domination he was suggesting. "So will you do it?"

Noah nodded, thinking deeply about what he was agreeing to. Nick was still grinning, but also concerned that Noah may be placing himself in danger. "Be careful!" he warned quietly.

"I have no idea where you could get the kind of gear you'll need to impress her," Michael said dejectedly.

"I'm sure we can manage something," Nick replied with a smile.

*****

Several hours later, Nick and Noah were at home again, as Noah dressed and prepared to go out in the hope of meeting up with Lena. Nick was wearing ordinary jeans and a t-shirt, but Noah was decked out in shining black chaps over polished boots, denim shorts beneath the legwear. Draped over his torso was a harness of dark hide and silver studs, which emphasized his abdomen and highlighted the rings through his nipples. From his shoulders hung a soft bike jacket and on his face he wore mirrored sunglasses, almost hidden by the low visor of a police-style cap atop his head.

"Mmmm!" Nick breathed as he surveyed his mate's appearance. "You look great - far too good to be going out. We should be heading downstairs instead!"

Noah grimaced. "I don't particularly want to do this, you know! And especially when I'm all geared up. You will be nearby, won't you?"

"Of course I will," Nick reassured him. "I'll stay out of sight, but be there if you need me, and I'll trail you back to her place if you get that far."

"Nick ..." Noah stopped and looked into his lover's eyes. " ...you know I wouldn't actually do anything, don't you?"

The shorter, dark man smiled widely. "Of course I do. And if you feel you need to kiss her, or grope her, to keep up the charade, I'll know what's happening. I trust you completely, my love."

"Damn, I feel so out-of-place," Nick muttered. "All geared up like this, but here in the living room, instead of downstairs. It just doesn't feel right! And now I'm supposed to go out in public?"

"You'll be fine. Just keep telling yourself it's important. We need to find out what Lena's story is."

"I just hope she doesn't recognise me from the other night!"

"If she does, play along with it. I know you can think fast, so go with the flow. The worst that can happen is that she doesn't take the bait, but I'm sure she will. I know I would!" With that he leaned into his man and kissed Noah long and tenderly. "Now let's go!" he said, landing a none-too-gentle slap on Noah's denim clad rump as he did, grinning a reassurance at his mate that he didn't really feel.

*****

Being a weekend, the 'Shift' was packed when the boys arrived. As agreed, Noah went in first, making his way up the stairs and fighting through the crowd, fielding more than a few gropes and offers as he did, to stand at one end of the bar. From there, he could see Lena with several other drag queens holding court at one of the few tables in the place, sipping at cocktails in huge glasses. He settled back to wait and see whether she noticed him, ordering a beer, but holding and sipping very slowly at it rather than drinking.

Nick followed Noah a few minutes later, and found himself a position near the exit where he could see both Noah at the bar, and Lena with her friends at the table. Once more he cast an admiring glance over Noah's body, bedecked in leather, and studied the room. He quickly became aware that more than a few of the patrons were undressing his husband with their eyes, yet instead of being jealous he felt quite proud. 'I wonder what it would be like to have an audience?' he thought to himself before shaking his head and admonishing himself for getting just a little too kinky.

It wasn't long at all before Nick realised that Lena had spotted Noah at the bar. She continually looked him up and down, being drawn back into the conversation with her friends only when one of them would physically tug at her for attention. Noah remained aloof, barely even facing in her direction, and pretended to focus his attention on the dance floor as he continued to clutch at his drink. Unable to catch his eye, Lena became agitated, practically drooling, and she excused herself from the gaggle of girls and headed for the bar, forcing her way into a spot right beside Noah's leathered frame.

"Hello there!" she said enthusiastically to him as she waved a twenty vaguely in the direction of the bartender.

Noah barely offered her a glance before looking away again with a muttered acknowledgement of her greeting. That served to only heighten her interest.

"Looking good, handsome," she hissed at him. "Want some company?"

He turned and looked her up and down more completely this time. "If I wanted a woman, I wouldn't be in this place now, would I?" he stated dismissively before facing back to the crowd.

"Oh, honey!" Her voice deepened even more than usual. "Don't let the dress and face put you off. Underneath all of this I've got exactly what you're looking for! What's your name, stud?"

Noah looked back at her, feigning some interest now. "Sir!" was his one word response.

"Ooooh," she squealed, batting her eyes and grinning from ear to ear. One hand crept up and tugged lightly at Noah's left nipple, pulling at the ring of silver. He brushed it away with a swipe.

"I don't think you're my 'type'!" he said.

"Yes, Sir, I am," she whispered, her voice taking on a supplicant tone. "You want someone to worship you, Sir. Someone to do as you order, call you their Master and let you have complete control. That's me! A nice shaved body, just waiting for you to dominate, all man-pussy, and eager to please!"

"I don't think so," muttered Noah to the air.

"Please, Sir!" she begged now. "I have my own place, close by, and all the equipment you could need - sling, ropes, chains, gags and hoods. And plenty of toys - all it needs is you to come and use me!"

Noah turned to face her squarely now. "You sure, bitch?" he growled at her. "I like my pussy whipped and tied, begging for more. Think you're up to it?"

"Oh, yes, Sir! I'll satisfy every desire you've ever had!" Lena's voice was nothing more than a hiss of air by now.

"Okay, let's go!" Noah stated, almost as if he could care less.

"I'll just tell my friends I'm leaving," she said.

"Listen, slut!" Noah rounded on her, his voice deep and harsh. "You think you can make me happy? Then do as I say: forget your 'girlfriends' and follow me out of this place!"

"Uhhh, y, yes, Sir!" the drag stammered, almost dropping her drink with excitement as she trailed Noah's imposing form through the night-club and down to the street. "This way, please Sir," she begged as she led him toward her flat.

Nick watched them go, and followed at a safe distance as they weaved their way along the still busy street. He swore Lena looked for all the world like a puppy dog, desperate to please its owner, as she guided this new man homeward. Nick decided to leave the car where it was parked and follow on foot, just to be sure he didn't lose the pair in the crowds.

It was no more than a few minutes walk from the club to Lena's building, and as the drag queen and her potential new Master disappeared inside, Nick found himself looking around for somewhere to take up a position that would allow him to keep an eye on the door with some degree of comfort. He had no idea how long Noah would be with Lena, but wanted to be prepared. The street itself was dark and without any real shelter, and Nick began to despair of finding a good spot, when a thought occurred to him. Noah could possibly need to get away quickly if things went badly, so he flagged down a taxi, and hopped in, telling the driver to turn off the motor and wait, but to be ready to move quickly if needed. He then settled himself in the rear seat and began his vigil outside Lena's building.

Inside, Lena continued to fawn over Noah as she led him upstairs and into her apartment. The pleading and begging was beginning to grate on Noah's nerves, but he did his best to hide his frustration and his annoyance. Once they were safely inside her flat, Noah began once more to play his role.

"So what makes you think you can satisfy me?" he demanded of the eager supplicant before him.

"Look in here, Sir," Lena enthused, opening a door to what would have been a bedroom and ushering him inside. The room in many ways resembled Nick and Noah's own basement, painted black and furnished with a sling hanging in the centre of the room, and shelves loaded with dildoes, whips and other toys along one wall.

"Impressive," he stated in a non-committal voice. "But I'm still not impressed with what you're wearing!"

"Yes, Sir, I'll fix that right away, Sir," she whined. "Make yourself comfortable, Sir!"

With that Lena backed out of the room, and Noah could hear the frenzied motions as the drag queen quickly undressed and removed her face and wig. In the meantime, he felt he should try to remain 'in part', and he smoothly unzipped his chaps, removing the denim shorts beneath to reveal a tight black leather posing strap cradling his cock and balls. Replacing the chaps, he laid the pants to one side and waited.

After a minute or so, there was a timid knock at the door, and a deep voice almost whispered, "May I come in now, Sir?"

"Yes," he stated flatly.

A man he had never seen before entered the room. If Noah had not known that nobody else was there, he would never have guessed that the figure who now presented himself was one and the same as Lena. Gone was the bitchy drag queen, replaced by a compliant, obedient man. Without the wig, dress and make-up, 'Lena' looked much shorter, and much less bulky than Noah would have guessed. The sequins and glitter were replaced by a simple leather harness and a black hide cockring snapped around the base of a surprisingly large penis. The man's body was completely hairless, having been shaved from neck to toes, and he knelt at Noah's feet, one hand reaching tentatively toward the inviting bulge at Noah's groin.

"Who gave you permission to touch me?" Noah thundered at the 'boy'.

"Sorry, Sir," he mumbled, as he doubled over at Noah's feet. "Would Sir have any preference for toys? Would you prefer to cuff or tie your slave, Master?"

Noah looked long at the supine figure below him. He wondered how much longer he could keep this up. The man was not unattractive he supposed, but he compared the smooth thin frame to Nick's hirsute and muscled body, and knew this was wrong. The begging and pleading continued, and Noah felt absolutely no arousal or excitement at all. If anything, he wanted to be the submissive one, and he wanted his own master, Nick, to be standing before him, dominant and strong. He knew he had to leave, now!

Stepping around Lena's crumpled form, Noah bent to collect his jeans. "Sorry," he said quietly, "but I'm just not interested."

The change that came over the man at his feet was remarkable. Instantly, he was on his feet, all signs of submission vapourising in a millisecond. He stood up before Noah, and actually became menacing.

"WHAT?" he screamed. "No one walks out on me!"

Covering his amazement at the difference in the 'boy', Noah stood his ground. "And who says? If I don't want you, I don't want you!" he stated, trying to sound as commanding as possible.

"Just you listen to me," 'Lena' began, his voice low and filled with ice and steel. "I may have been begging to be your slave, and there's no arguing that you look fucking hot, but nobody fucks with me! The willing little slave act is just fine for sex, but I'm not in the habit of being used and dropped like a piece of shit."

"Are you trying to scare me?" Noah asked, a forced grin on his face. "I'm not interested, don't you get it? I don't want you! What are you going to do about it? Hit me with your handbag?"

"Don't try to be a smart-arse," hissed the other man. "Don't you think I have some influence? The last guy who pissed me off came to regret it, big time!"

Noah grimaced inwardly. This is what he was hoping to hear, but he had to play his hand carefully. "Oh yeah, what did you do to him? Stab him with your stiletto?"

"Hah!" mocked Lena, "You're just like all the others, hung and dumb! If you didn't have your looks, you'd be completely fucked! You don't realise it, but people like you actually need people like me to look out for you."

"So what happened to him, your last man?" Noah pressed, trying to get him to spill the story.

"The fool tried to cheat on me," he muttered bitterly. "But he won't cheat on anyone ever again now!"

"Why not?"

"WHY NOT? Well you should ask! All I'll say is that that two-timing bastard will never and can never play that game on me again. Not ever again!"

"So..." Noah coaxed, "...are you saying you killed the guy?"

"Me? Kill him?? Don't be absurd!" Noah's heart sank. "I had the son of a bitch killed!"

Noah reasoned that it was best to play the dumb oaf role at this point, and try to convince the evil man before him that Noah was in fact repentant. He sat down on a sofa, and looked with admiring eyes at the gloating, slightly built man still dressed only in a harness.

"No shit!" whistled Noah. "How did you do that?"

"I have friends. Powerful friends. Friends in high places," Lena bragged. Noah began to sweat, wondering how this would end. "I called in some favours, and had him 'taken care of', just like that!" He/she snapped his fingers.

With the perspiration running down his face, Noah removed the sunglasses from his eyes and wiped his brow. As he did, he knocked the cap from his head. Almost simultaneously, he looked at Lena, and Lena looked closely at him. Recognition spread over the other man's face.

"I know you!" he declared. "You and the Greek boy. You came asking about him, about Geoff. I sent you off to look for him, hoped you'd find him and get the cops involved, teach Geoff's new fuck a lesson! Why you bastard, you've been spying on me ...!" With that, he lunged at Noah, his hand balling into a fist as it swung wide and toward Noah's face.

Noah ducked the punch, grabbed Lena's forearm and twisted, then pushed the smaller man backwards with some force, before turning and fleeing through the door of the flat as fast as he could. Down the stairs he raced, and out onto the street.

Nick saw his mate cannon from the building, and yelled Noah's name loudly, at the same time telling the cabbie to start his car. Noah looked around and spotted his man, racing to the taxi as Nick threw open the door. In seconds they were speeding away from the place, their hearts beating wildly. They sat together in grim silence for the ride to their home, Noah holding tightly to Nick's hand and softly promising him he would tell all once they were in private.

Inside the house, Noah collapsed onto a lounge as Nick poured them both a large drink. As Noah let out a long deep breath of relief, Nick looked at him expectantly.

"Well?" he asked.

"I didn't get much," Noah began. "But I did get him to admit that he arranged to have Geoff killed!"

As Nick sat and listened, Noah related everything that happened, repeated every word as best he could remember, told his partner everything that he felt as the scene progressed. Nick smiled ruefully as Noah told him how he felt nothing, how he wished that he were at home with Nick, having Nick be the dominant one again.

"Whew!" stated Nick when the story was done. "The cops will have to listen to us now!" he added.

"Yes, but not tonight! Let's leave it until the morning," said Noah.

"I'm with you!" Nick responded, pulling his man into his arms and holding him tightly. An unmistakable stirring in Nick's groin began to nudge at Noah's leg.

"Mmmmm?" murmured Noah.

"Well, since you're all geared up like that ..." whispered Nick, "would you like to go downstairs?"

Noah grinned widely, and started for the entrance to their cellar, when the doorbell rang out.

"Shit!" said both of them at once. Noah backed off a little into the shadows as Nick went to answer the door. He almost yanked it open, to find Jim standing there, looking sheepish and worried.

"Hi, Nick," Jim began. "I'm sorry to call so late, but I needed to talk to someone. I've been feeling really down about what happened to Geoff, and since I confessed to you guys about my liking for the leather scene, I was hoping we could chat ...?"

Nick nodded. "Sure, Jim, come in." He held the door open.

As Jim made his way into the living room, Noah appeared from the hallway. "Hi, Jim," he said quietly.

Jim looked up and his jaw dropped as he took in the vision of Noah's leathered body. "Fuck!' he gasped. "You look incredible, Noah! Shit, was I disturbing you guys?"

"Not yet, but you would have been in a few minutes!" Noah laughed. "What can we help you with?"

"I'm really sorry, guys, truly. Would you like me to leave?" Jim looked despondent at his intrusion.

"No, honestly, it's okay," Nick reassured him.

"Well, it's just that I've been feeling really upset. I may not have known Geoff for very long, but he was someone I really felt happy with, and I was starting to hope that I might have found the one for me, and now he's gone ..." At those words, he began to sob quietly. Noah glanced at Nick then moved to put his arms around Jim, to try to comfort him.

"I made him out to look like some kind of perverted weirdo!" Jim wailed. "Just to protect my own image. He didn't do anything to me that I didn't want him to, that didn't make me so excited and aroused, but the cops will paint him as some kind of freak."

"It's okay, Jim," Noah said soothingly. "Geoff knew the truth, and so do you, and so do Nick and I!"

"I just wish there was some way of doing something," Jim said. "I didn't feel I could explain it to anyone else, because of the whole dom/sub thing. But I hoped you two would understand."

"Of course we do," said Nick with feeling. "And we also understand how it is that you can't tell people. We know what it's like to keep that part of you a secret."

"Jim," Noah began, still holding the other man, "there's something you should know. We've found out that Geoff was killed because he had upset a drag queen called 'Lena'..."

"I know who that is!" Jim said suddenly. "She's a nasty bitch. Geoff had a couple of flings with her just before we met, but didn't want to keep seeing her. He told me she was a control freak!"

"That's only too true!" said Noah with feeling. "I found out tonight that she claims she had arranged for him to be killed. We don't know quite how, but we're going to the police with what we have tomorrow."

Jim smiled wanly. "It might not do much, but I sure would feel better if I knew that someone was made to pay for what they did to Geoff," he said softly.

"They will, they will!" Nick assured him.

Another round of soft sobs escaped Jim, and Noah once again held him tightly, as Nick stood behind the two, his hand on Jim's shoulder and his eyes on his lover's face, wishing there was more they could do to help their friend.

After several minutes, Jim sat up and pulled away from Noah's grasp. He coughed a little and looked away from his friend self-consciously.

"Jim? What's wrong?" asked Noah.

"Nothing ..." he said quietly. "It's just you, in that gear, I could feel and smell the leather, and your body heat, and I started getting, you know ..."

With an embarrassed grin he indicated his own groin. All three looked at where he pointed and the telltale signs of a growing erection were obvious to all. "Sorry again, guys," Jim said. "Now I really ought to go!"

Noah simply smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment!" he said, trying to put his friend at ease.

Nick began to chuckle, and then suddenly grabbed Noah by the hand and pulled him to one side, whispering quickly into his lover's ear. As he spoke Noah's face showed first surprise, then doubt, and then a wide smile as he agreed to whatever it was Nick had suggested.

When they separated, Noah moved to stand near Jim, his arms crossed and his legs apart, showing off even more his fantastic figure and his beautiful leathered body. It was Nick who came and sat close to Jim this time, placing his hand tentatively on Jim's leg.

"You know, Jim," Nick started uncertainly, "to paraphrase an old saying, 'kinky is as kinky does'! I hope you won't take this the wrong way, but we have a suggestion for you which might help with some physical release."

Jim looked at Nick, then to Noah with questioning eyes, curious at the tone and stance they had assumed. "Go on," he said.

"Earlier tonight, I had a fantasy about having sex with an audience ..."

Jim gasped quickly, then began to grin as he guessed where this was leading.

"... and since we've all confessed to each other some fairly heavy secrets, Noah and I were wondering if you'd like to join us in our 'playroom'. We're not asking you to join in a 'three-way'," Nick hurried to clarify, "but if you'd like, you can join us in our special room. I'd find it a real turn-on to know you were watching us, and if we can help 'stimulate' you, you're more than welcome to jerk off, or use any toys we have, to get yourself off!"

Jim looked back to Noah. "Are you okay with that as well?"

"Uh huh," Noah nodded with a smile.

"Then I'd be honoured, guys!" Jim said with growing excitement, and a huge grin.

*****

Fifteen minutes later the three men were together in Nick and Noah's dungeon room. Noah had taken the chance to light candles around the room as he was already geared up, while Nick had dressed himself in tight chaps and boots, a harness and cap. Jim had 'borrowed' another harness and a pair of chaps, and Nick had guiltily handed him the ball parachute they had found at his home days before. As he did, Jim began to laugh, and the other two men joined in with him; yet another shared secret they could all smile about.

As their merriment died away, the three became more serious again. A sense of arousal, of lusty sexuality was in the very air, and all could feel it. As Jim found himself a position to one side, where he could see and be seen without interfering, Nick fell into his dominant role, taking a hold of Noah's nipples and tugging at them firmly as he drew his lover to himself, grinding their pelvises together and covering Noah's mouth with his own, joining them in a long and heated kiss. When finally they separated, Nick looked to one side, to see Jim standing there, one hand slowly stroking a rampant erection, the other twisting determinedly at his own nipples as he watched his friends engage in foreplay. Nick attached a length of silver chain, which connected two nipple clamps, to the silver rings through Noah's tits, and began to tug at the metal as he reached down and cupped Noah's heaving nuts within their leathery cocoon. The excitement he felt was powerful, and his own swollen tool pushed and stretched at the codpiece he wore.

Jim stared at the two men as they ground together and began their coupling. He snapped the ends of the parachute in place and let the weight fall from his hand, dragging his nuts down and sending a wave of pleasurable pain through his body as his testicles took up the weight of the toy. Still snaking his palm around his hard, throbbing penis, Jim tingled with arousal as he viewed the shimmering black hide and pale skin of his friends, so close by where he stood. The soft glow of the candles was the only illumination in the darkened place, but that warm glimmer only heightened the arousal he felt at the inky atmosphere surrounding the two attractive men, swathed in leather, a few metres from him.

Nick laid his lover slowly back into the floating hide of the sling, lifting Noah's booted feet into the stirrups and moving forward to handcuff his mate, restraining his wrists with glittering metal to the supporting chains of the leather platform. Noah made a token effort at resistance, pulling at the wristlets, and Jim grunted with approval as the steel clinked against itself. In answer to Jim's noise, Nick looked sideways at the harnessed figure now stroking slowly at his lengthening erection.

With a hissed grunt, he said firmly, "Use that butt plug there, boy! Fill that arse of yours while I fill this slave's hole with my cock!"

Jim's prick jumped at the sound, and he quickly sprang to obey, greasing a large black plug with generous handfuls of lube and then squatting over it, slowly allowing the head of the toy to come into contact with and begin to open his hole. As he lowered himself gradually onto the latex wedge, Jim moaned in pleasure as his eyes widened and beheld the sight of Nick freeing his rampant weapon from its dark envelope, slicking that long rod with lube, and nudging it towards Noah's puckering entrance. With each breath, Jim felt the solidity of the anal plug stretch his sphincter and begin to fill him, and his groans increased in frequency and volume.

Noah, lying back in the black cocoon of the sling, could hear the sighs of joy from their audience as he watched his man, wrapped in glistening leather, ready himself for penetration. He could feel the soft, supportive texture of the hide beneath him, and smell the aroma of mansex all around. His cock throbbed with anticipation, and his anus responded, twitching and flexing as he waited for Nick's assault. Unexpectedly, he found the idea of having someone watch them incredibly erotic, and his whole body tingled with anticipation.

For his part, Nick was so aroused his breath was coming in short bursts. He had not one, but two slaves; Noah who lay there invitingly before him, so hot and welcoming, and Jim, whose harnessed body was just within his peripheral vision, slowly descending onto a large black butt plug as the 'boy' stroked his meat sensuously. Surrendering to his base urges, Nick nudged the head of his prong up and into the crack in Noah's arse, finding the soft yielding button of his ring. As his partner toked quickly on a bottle of amyl, Nick gripped the harness around Noah's chest and pulled back, simultaneously plunging his thick, steel hard pole into Noah's compliant arse.

Noah gasped at the suddenness of the invasion, but groaned as the pleasure of his man's meat pounded into his body. "Oh yessss, Sir, fuck me!" he hissed.

A corresponding grunt echoed from Jim, as the plug finally slid into his bowel and his anus closed around the flange just as Nick completed his lunge into Noah. "Yeah, oh fuck yeah!" he whispered as he felt the dark latex toy fill him. He stood upright again, feeling the thick artificial prong lodge within him as the parachute pulled once more at his balls and his cock responded again to the stroking of his slippery palm.

In the sling, Noah writhed as the thick log of Nick's manhood rammed through his sphincter and filled his gut. He clenched his muscles around the fleshy spear and tingled with arousal as Nick began to move, each thrust massaging Noah's prostate and sparking flashes of pleasure, which raced throughout his body. He pulled again at the steel cuffs binding his wrists and groaned with delight at the sense of total submission to the powerful, swarthy figure encased in dark leather who had complete control over him. As Nick began to tug at the chain connected to his nipples, Noah felt his super-sensitive tits respond and the waves of passionate joy, which flowed through him, quickly caused his own prick to become rock hard and leak a stream of slimy pre-cum onto his abdomen.

Nick watched in delight as his partner's cock oozed a copious amount of jizz, and revelled in the sensation of his own prick gripped tightly by Noah's clamping arse-hole, his shaft enveloped in wet heat as it dived into Noah's body and probed the warm innards of his man's gut. As the musky scent of masculine rutting mixed with the tanned aroma of leather, Nick heard the combined grunts of Noah and the muttered hisses from Jim mix with the clinking rattle of the cuffs and the sloppy wet noise as he jammed his cock deeper and deeper into Noah's bowel. To one side he could see Jim, jerking at himself and staring intently, while directly in front of him was Noah's beautiful form, open and embracing, black bands of dark leather criss-crossing his chest as Nick ploughed that wonderful body with his very masculinity.

"Unhhh, yes, fuck yes!" he hissed to no one in particular as he buried his thick prod in Noah's rectum, pulling at his man while he thundered in and out, faster and harder, the friction of Noah's moist gut electrifying his rampaging cock as it pierced his lover's sphincter again and again. Sweating and heaving, Nick humped fiercely at Noah's arse as they fucked each other with abandon, dom and sub, master and slave, each owning and each surrendering to the other.

Noah humphed and swayed in response, trembling as his body was ravaged by his lover's tool, and aching with delight at the pounding he received from his aroused and passionate mate. The plunging solidity of Nick's cock as it filled his body, then pulled back with a wet slurp to dive again, sent shivers through him. He felt the waves of pleasure building up as his very being was electrified by the fucking he and Nick shared. Connected to his man, in a physical sense, his body wrapped around Nick's thundering cock, Noah felt so alive, so aroused, and so in love, that he knew his zenith was approaching fast.

Slightly apart from the coupled, fucking, sexual being that was Nick and Noah together, Jim shook with arousal. His entire body trembled as he flailed wildly at his now rampant cock and clenched his butt around the plug buried so completely in his rectum, filling him and caressing his chute with each movement of his hands. Involuntarily, almost subconsciously, he was drawn to the incredible sight of the two men mating in the sling right there in front of him. Slowly, he inched towards them, unable to wrench his eyes from the unbelievable view as the leathered and harnessed bodies united in animalistic lust. He was so close now that he could almost lean over Noah's prostrate form, could clearly see the pistoning length of Nick's shaft as it entered and withdrew from Noah's puckering, ravaged hole. Nick was grunting and sweating as he pounded himself into his mate, and Jim's breathing became short as he felt the cum boiling up within his nuts, ready to explode at any moment.

Suddenly, he felt a piercing stab of pure pleasure rock his body. Noah had hissed up at Nick, "Use him, Sir, touch him!", and Nick had reached over and pinched Jim's left nipple between thumb and forefinger, pulling it firmly and twisting. The unexpected shock and total arousal which that contact had triggered pushed Jim over the edge. His arse clamped tightly around the solid core buried inside him, and his balls contracted into his pelvis as his dick exploded, a fountain of white jizz launching itself from his cockhead and splattering over his own hands, across Nick's side and down onto Noah's stomach as his throat issued a strangled "Uuunnnhhhhh."

The sight of Jim's ejaculation, white globules raining down on his legs and Noah's body, was too much for Nick to resist. Without warning his climax was upon him, and as he continued to shove himself at Noah, he felt the wave of release shudder though his being. With a final, punishing thrust he rammed his prick deeply into Noah and shook as his nuts emptied their precious load and he filled Noah's body with his seed, shooting his very essence, thick and hot, as he deposited himself within his lover.

Noah sensed the tide of passion flowing up and over his conscious mind as first Jim showered him with ejaculate, and then Nick pumped him full of man-cream. With a soundless cry of surrender, he threw his head back against the supporting leather of the sling as his orgasm washed over him, shockwaves of undiluted pleasure causing his entire body to spasm and twitch as he clamped his sphincter around Nick's glorious pole and white hot fingers of cum spewed from his prick and crashed onto his gut, his chest, even his face as the force of his peak surprised and delighted him.

For several minutes the room was filled the sound of grunting, gasping breaths as the three men raced to their respective crescendos, shuddered and shook with release, and slowly began to ease back to earth as they recovered. Jim was the first to speak.

"Thank you, guys! Thank you, thank you!" he whispered.

"Our pleasure!" responded Nick.

"Incredible! You're welcome," added Noah. "But don't expect it to be a regular invitation!" he smiled.

All of them burst out laughing at that, enjoying the most amazing shared experience. Nick slowly extricated himself from Noah's clinging tunnel, while Jim carefully eased the toy from his own body, grunting and gasping once more with relief as the solid plug exited his arse.

With all of them now standing, albeit unsteadily as a result of their exertions, the three came together in an unspoken moment of bonding, arms around each other's shoulders, embracing tightly in acknowledgment that they had created a special relationship. Jim looked at each of his friends, holding their gaze.

"When I find my 'Mr Right'," he said, "I'd like to share something like this with you two again."

"It's a date," said Nick, as Noah nodded agreement.

"But for now," added Noah, "I think it's time we cleaned up!"

Helping each other shed the wonderful leather they wore, the three made their way back up into the living room, Nick and Noah pulling on t-shirts and jeans. Jim grabbed his own clothes, and looked at himself again.

"Do you mind if I take a shower?" he asked.

"Be our guest," Noah said. "You know where the bathroom is, and there's a clean towel on the vanity.

As Jim headed away, Nick looked around them. "Where has Indiana gotten himself off to?" he asked the air as he noticed that their pet was not to be seen when usually he would be curled up on a sofa at this time of night.

Noah didn't have a chance to answer as at that moment the doorbell rang. Glancing around at the clock, he wondered out loud, "Who on earth could that be? It's after 3.00 a.m.!"

 

Chapter 8

The sound of the doorbell at 3.00 in the morning caused both Nick and Noah to look up, and then at each other in alarm. They were both exhausted after the rigours of the day, and their exertions in their special dungeon with Jim as an audience. Noah had been relaxing on the sofa while Nick worried himself over the absence of Indiana, their dog, when the sound rang out. Jim had headed off to shower away the residue of their shared sex.

"Detective Roarty!?" Noah declared as he cracked the door.

"Mr. Sorensen, I know it's late, but something has come up which is extremely urgent, and I need to speak to both yourself and Mr. Giannis."

>From the living room, Nick could hear the policeman's voice, could sense the undertone of urgency, and something more; was it menacing?

Roarty followed Noah into the lounge area, and stood his ground as Noah took a stance behind Nick's seat. The two men had questioning looks as Roarty regarded them with a strange light in his eyes.

"You're both here, good!" he said quietly. "I understand that you, Mr. Sorensen, had a ^≈ 'meeting', with a lady by the name of 'Lena' earlier tonight?"

"Yes, that's right!" said Noah in surprise. "More than that! She confessed to me that she had arranged for the murder of Geoff Renouf. They had been lovers, and it was a payback for him leaving her! We were going to come and see you first thing in the morning about it. But how did you know?"

"How I know is immaterial! The fact is that you know. Playing these little games of dress-up can be very dangerous Mr. Sorensen. I did ask you to leave this investigation to the experts^≈"

"But you weren't following anything up!" Nick burst out. "You told us to back off in so many words. She was getting away with murder, literally!"

Roarty took little notice of the outburst. "Yes, well ^≈" he stopped to think, carefully regarding the two men before him. "It was very clever of you to figure this out, but not very smart!" he said softly, the menace creeping back into his voice. "I warned you, but unfortunately you took no notice, so now you'll have to pay the price ^≈"

As Nick began to renew his protest, Roarty reached quickly into his jacket and pulled out a revolver, pointing it squarely at Noah's face.

"WHAT ^≈???" shouted Nick.

"Quiet!" hissed the cop. "You two have caused enough trouble. It's time you were silenced - for good."

"Why on earth does it matter to you that Lena had Geoff Renouf killed?" asked Nick, stunned at the actions of the detective.

"Because he is the one she arranged to have do the killing!" said Noah to Nick, nodding in Roarty's direction, thinking ahead, and at the same time trying to buy them a chance at escape.

"Close, but not quite right!" snapped Roarty. "She came to me and wanted this Renouf guy dead, so I helped out, but I didn't pull the trigger. Too risky. I arranged for a professional hit man to do the dirty work, and made sure he was well paid and well out of the State before we found the gun."

"Then how are you going to explain us?" Noah asked desperately. "There's nobody to fill in for you tonight!"

"Maybe not, but you didn't leave me much choice after your little visit to Lena earlier this evening. But this time I'll make sure the gun isn't found - that'll give the boys in homicide something to argue over for months. Besides, they're not gonna look too closely at a gay lovers' tiff, are they?" Roarty sneered as he said this, a look of something akin to disappointment in his eyes.

"I still don't understand how you're involved," said Nick. "You at least could explain that."

"I don't have to explain anything," the cop snapped. "But since you two are so determined, and you're not going to be in any position to repeat it, I suppose you might as well hear the whole story."

"So^≈?" prompted Nick.

"Lena asked me to have Renouf taken care of," Roarty began. "She made it very clear what she wanted. And if I refused, she'd make my life extremely difficult, and ruin my career."

"How could she do that?"

Roarty sighed, and for just a second he looked away from the two, before quickly concentrating again, and re-aiming his weapon. "Lena is, no was, my lover!"

Nick gasped.

"Your lover?" said Noah, truly surprised.

"Yep! We broke up about two years ago, after she decided that she wanted something different."

"Sounds like a familiar story!" muttered Nick softly.

The cop smiled wryly. "I guess so. Lena introduced me to the world of bondage - as his slave boy. But then he decided he preferred being on the receiving end, and that I wasn't the one to do the giving. So he left. But not before he made, and kept, a very interesting little videotape of our last few times together, in his own private dungeon. That tape would make me the laughing stock of the Force, AND destroy any future I had!"

"So why not kill Lena instead?" asked Noah quietly.

"Two reasons: First, I don't know where the original tape is, or who has copies of it. And second ^≈" he stopped, his brow furrowing as his mind raced. "Second, I guess that in some way, I'm still in love with him! I couldn't kill him even if I wanted to."

Noah almost felt sorry for the man who was about to kill him. Almost. He also watched carefully as Detective Roarty stood there, emotions fighting within his mind, his gun wavering. There was absolute silence in the room, not a sound to be heard. The quiet lasted perhaps a minute and a half, although it could have been hours.

Suddenly, a noise intruded; a strange scratching sound from the other room. Roarty turned slightly in confusion, then let out a startled cry as Indiana launched himself from nowhere, bounded off an arm-chair, and with a growl which made him sound more like a Doberman than a Terrier, snapped his jaw closed over the policeman's wrist. As Roarty suddenly backed away, shaking his arm and trying to free himself from the dog, he dropped the gun, which spun away and under a chair. Noah and Nick both leapt to their feet, but as they did Jim appeared from the hallway, naked and dripping with water. With a yell, he grabbed a large glass vase from a side table, lifted it over his head and brought it down on Roarty's skull with a sickening thud.

Pandemonium broke out for about ten seconds as Nick dived to rescue Indiana, Noah scurried to check on the now unconscious cop, and Jim dropped the vase, which shattered on the tile floor, as he stood there shaking with fear and excitement.

"Is he dead?" stuttered Jim.

"No, just knocked out!" Noah assured him. "How's Indie?" he asked Nick.

"Fine, maybe a loose tooth, but no injuries."

"Okay!" Noah began to take control. "Nick, ring the cops, and an ambulance, and try to settle Indiana down outside for the moment. Jim, get some clothes on and then come and keep an eye on this character so I can find some rope to tie him up, just in case he comes around again."

As Nick went to the phone, Jim stood there, still shaking. "I just finished showering when I heard the bell go. I didn't want to walk out naked, and then I heard what he said ^≈ I couldn't do anything without risking him firing the damn gun ..." he blubbered.

"Jim, it's okay, we're okay. Go and get dressed. The place will be full of people any minute." At last Jim came to himself enough to do as he was told. When he had clothed himself, he sat over Roarty while Noah searched out some twine from the kitchen and quickly and tightly bound Roarty's hands and ankles.

Detective Roarty began to moan, and his eyes fluttered open, just as the ambulancemen arrived. Right behind them was a patrol car, and behind that an unmarked police vehicle, with Sgt. Jamieson aboard. As the paramedics checked the tied officer, Noah quickly explained to the other cop what had happened, how Roarty had come to their home and threatened to shoot them. "We have witnesses!" he said, as much to reassure himself as the police. "And the gun hasn't been touched. It's over there under the lounge!"

"I believe you!" Jamieson said. "I've had some suspicions about Roarty myself for the last few days. He's been acting strangely all week." He quickly placed the gun in a plastic bag for later examination, as Roarty was wheeled away on a gurney.

"Go with him, and stay by his side until I get there!" Jamieson said sternly to a young cop who nodded, wide eyed.

"Now, you'd better tell me the whole story ^≈" Jamieson addressed the three friends when the commotion had died down a little.

Suddenly all three began to speak, a cacophony of unintelligible sound filling the room. Jamieson shrugged his shoulders and held his hand in the air, waiting patiently until the noise died down. He looked at Noah.

"You, Mr. Sorensen, isn't it?"

Noah nodded.

"You start!"

Noah took a breath, looking at Nick and Jim for support. "Well, it all began when Jim went missing ^≈"

"Ah, the infamous Mr. Richards. Go on!"

"It seems that Jim had met Geoff - Mr. Renouf, the one who was murdered - through a newspaper advert, and they became lovers. They arranged to go away together to a property up the coast for a few days."

"This is the property where Renouf was killed?" Jamieson asked.

"That's right. Now before he had started seeing Jim, Geoff had occasionally seen a drag queen who goes by the name of Lena. At the same time, this Lena was supposedly seeing Michael Thompson who Jim worked with at Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, so when Jim phoned Michael and told him he wouldn't be in for a few days, Michael saw it as a chance to prove to Lena that her new 'friend' was seeing someone else. He, Michael, told us that Jim was missing, hoping we could find Jim and Geoff together, and provide Michael with the evidence he wanted to show to Lena.

"We started looking around, and notified you guys that Jim was missing, then asked some questions of our own. We spoke to Lena ourselves, and she told us how to locate Geoff ^≈"

Jamieson held up his hand. "Wait a minute! Why did she tell you where to find Mr. Renouf? I thought she was seeing him too?"

"She was," Noah continued, "but she also knew he was seeing someone else. She figured that if we found Jim with Geoff's dead body, that it would automatically place suspicion on Jim."

"But how did she know Mr. Renouf would be dead?"

Noah grinned wryly. "Because she had arranged for him to be killed! When she found out Geoff wasn't interested in her anymore, she decided to take her revenge by having him murdered. And that's where your Detective Roarty comes into the picture."

Sgt. Jamieson raised his eyebrows again, scribbling furiously in his notebook. "Go on," he said.

"It turns out that Lena had at one time been Roarty's lover. Apparently she has some very embarrassing videotapes of the two of them together, which she used to blackmail Roarty into helping her. He was the one who contacted the killer and arranged for Renouf to be murdered."

"Okay," said Jamieson, his mind ticking over slowly as he digested the information. "But why did Detective Roarty come here? Why did he want to kill you two?"

"Because we discovered the whole story! We managed to get Lena to confess that she had arranged for Geoff to be killed, and why. We were planning on coming in to see you tomorrow morning with all the information we had. But Roarty obviously spoke to Lena after we did, and realised that we had worked it out, so he came here to shut us up!"

"He confessed the whole thing," Nick jumped in at this point. "We have three witnesses - all of us heard what he said!"

As Jamieson looked at each of them, Noah, Nick and Jim all nodded their confirmation.

"Very well!" Jamieson declared. "I'll leave you gentlemen for now, but we'll speak again at more length later. Don't go leaving town without letting me know!"

After the police had left, Noah, Nick and Jim finally relaxed once more. It was almost dawn, and they were all tired, but sleep wasn't going to come easily after the events of the night.

"It's sad, you know," Jim declared. "Geoff is dead, Michael is desolate, and I feel just wasted and emptied, and all because some fool of a drag queen couldn't accept that she wasn't the one and only love in Geoff's life. Even Roarty has suffered incredibly, because of her need to control people."

Noah nodded sagely. "Yes, she couldn't separate the role playing of domination and submission in the 'bedroom', from real life. In a way, she's just as much to be pitied as the ones she hurt, including you!"

"Mmmm," mumbled Jim. "I doubt that I'll ever be able to get involved with anyone ever again without wondering about their past, about who might be following them around. It kinda makes it hard to build a relationship, doesn't it?"

"No, Jim, don't be like that!" Nick said, comforting their friend. "Lena was a one-off. You have to overlook what happened with Geoff, and tell yourself that there is someone out there for you. You can't live your life full of 'what ifs' and 'maybes'. You're a great person, and all you need is to find the right man who realises that!"

"Yeah ^≈" said Jim, but very unconvincingly.

*****

"So Lena got five years, and Roarty got six years," Noah finished. It was almost four months since the night that he, Nick and Jim had been almost killed themselves, and the cases had quickly come to court and been dealt with.

"It won't be easy for either of them!" Nick stated. "A drag queen and a former cop. They'll both be in for some really hard times in prison."

"Roarty, maybe," said Jim. "But I wonder if Lena might actually enjoy it!"

They chuckled together at the thought of Lena locked away with all those men ready to dominate and control her.

"So how's your love life?" Nick asked Jim with a smile.

"Nothing to report," Jim replied wistfully.

"You don't still dwell on what happened do you?"

"I try not to, but sometimes I just can't help it."

"Just remember," said Noah, "that we're here for you if you need us."

"Thanks guys!"

***********************************************

"Oh, yesss, fuck me, Sir! Please, fuck me now!" The words were hissed from within a leather hood which obscured most of his face, but the man who spoke them writhed in pleasure on the suspended platform of the sling, his wrists locked in handcuffs which bound him to the chains supporting the floating black cocoon.

"You want it, boy? You want this, do you?" demanded the leather-clad master who towered over him. Moving his hips from side to side, the dominant man waved his rampant, blood engorged cock at the figure lying there, droplets of pre-cum splattering across the supine body. From a mouth only just visible beneath mirrored glasses and a police cap with shining visor pulled low, white teeth gleaming amongst the bush of a dark beard and moustache, came the question. "How much do you want it, son? Tell me!"

"I need it, Sir! Need you to fuck me and use me, please?" The taller, smooth bodied man in the sling begged his master. His entire body was tensed and trembling with arousal, the anticipation of being controlled sending shivers throughout his frame. His long cock was hard as steel, its base circled with a ring of shining chrome, his testicles pulled down with the weight of a dark ball-parachute. His nipples were brown erections, teased into hardness by a length of chain connecting the silver rings, which pierced each extended nub. The bands of leather strapped around his torso in a full harness held him tightly; just as the shimmering hide of the chaps he wore gripped at his raised and booted legs, his feet held high by stirrups hanging from the chains that held the sling in place. He looked again at his partner, seeing once more the compact, muscled form of his mate, dark skin against darker hide, leather and metal studs fashioned into a harness which wrapped his upper body, the throbbing sword of his man's thick prong extending from a shining pouch framed by skin tight chaps and aiming itself directly at the waiting, puckering target of his arse.

The 'master' stood silently for a few moments, drinking in the sight presented to him, his weapon throbbing as he readied himself to take what the submissive body before him offered so eagerly. He lifted a small dark vial to his nose and inhaled deeply before leaning forward and holding the same bottle below the nostril holes in the hood. His 'boy' sniffed at the pungent aroma, once, twice, then dropped his head back onto the sling itself. The dominant leatherman moved forward now, positioning his tool so that the meaty roundness of his cockhead nudged at the soft concavity of his lover's entrance, the oozing pre-cum from his slit mixing with the generous lube already smoothed over that inviting pink hole. As the effects of the amyl raced through his system and his pulse rate jumped, he gripped the straps of his boy's harness and hefted the prone body backwards, driving his rock hard member deep into the soft warm bowel of the other man.

Shivering with excitement as he breathed in the scent of the drug, the slave revelled in the rush of amazing, enhanced sensations which flooded him. He could feel every touch, every tremble, magnified a hundredfold as his heart pounded. The warmth of his master's slicked prong at his flexing ring made him ache with desire, and he forced himself to relax, to open his sphincter muscles in readiness. Suddenly, that mighty log of flesh was forced through his defences, opening him wide and sinking into his body, caressing his prostate and filling him completely. The momentary pain of initial penetration was forgotten as the waves of incredible pleasure washed through him with the plunging descent into his innards of that wonderful pole of flesh-coated steel. He clenched his arse around the invading monster, gripping at it and milking it as he gasped and groaned in delight.

Speedily, the two men fell into a smooth, rollicking motion. The master used the pendulum swing of the leather platform, combining it with his own thrusts, to sink his thick cock deep into his boy before drawing back until only the mushroom cap of his glans remained embedded in the other body, then driving forward again until the entire length of his meat was buried to its root within his partner. With long, powerful thrusts he sank himself again and again into his mate, a pile driver ramming his stake deep and hard into the accommodating wet heat of his slave's innards. Sweat glistened on his skin, matting the coat of fur on his chest and dripping in scalding spots onto the sheened, smooth body of the man into whom he shoved his masculinity with fervour. He trembled with arousal, his nerves and his sensations concentrated on that point where he and his lover were connected, his throbbing penis engulfed in warm wetness and swallowed by the other's rectum.

Panting with passionate excitement, the slave lay back into the comforting, empowering hide of the sling and surrendered to pure bliss. His body was filled with a pounding completeness as he struggled vainly at the steel restraints around his wrists, excited even more by the lack of control he had, by the subjugation he experienced in favour of the strong dominant man who now shoved himself deeper and deeper into his body. He moaned out loud with the tingling delight which racked his body as his master prodded and poked at him, thrusting hard and fast, swaying from side to side so that the poker of heated flesh which invaded his chute nudged into every corner of his bowel, explored him and owned him.

Locked together in the darkened room, the two men became one. The slave surrendered himself and in doing so possessed the very masculinity of his master. The master pounded himself deeper and faster into his slave's body, and in the process gave himself to the man who coupled with him to form a grunting, heaving beast of pure maleness. Neither spoke, but the place was filled with the erotic symphony of lusty congress. The clinking of the chains joined with the screeching of the leather to form a background to the chorus of breathy moans and the constant squelching of their fucking. They hunched and hissed as one, sweated and gasped as they took of each other and gave to one another in a union only two excited and lust-filled men can know, pushing each other closer and closer to fulfillment as their passion grew and their arousal peaked.

Unable to control their base urges, throwing all inhibitions to the wind, the two fucked and pounded, swore and groaned as they approached their peak. In a blinding flash of total ecstasy, the leathered master slammed himself one final time into his lover and held tightly to the binding harness as his body was racked with spasms and he emptied his seed deep inside the inner being of his mate. In response, almost simultaneously, the slave shook and let out a breathless cry as his nuts boiled over and a torrent of creamy jizz exploded from his cock, covering his smooth, ridged abdomen with the sticky cum. His master remained locked in place, depositing his very essence in the warm, welcoming receptacle that was his lover's body.

Eventually, reluctantly, they acknowledged that their shared orgasm had passed, and they carefully separated for a moment, the master undoing his slave's restraints, and helping the taller man from the sling, to stand face to face, body to body, as they embraced, kissing long and tenderly in the warm haze of post-coital bliss. Almost in slow motion, they collapsed together onto a mattress on the floor, lying beside each other as fingers and hands continued to explore the sated but still heated bodies.

"Fucking hell, that was incredible!" whispered the slave boy, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Oh yeah," replied his Master. "You are fantastic. I'm never going to let you go!"

They laughed quietly together, basking in the glow of newly discovered infatuation, and the embryonic delight of developing love.

"You know, I have a hundred fantasies I want to share with you," grinned the submissive man, looking up at his friend's face.

"Ditto!" replied his man. "And one of the strongest is to kidnap you, tie you up and take you off to some remote place where I can use you as my sex toy for days and days without being disturbed and ^≈" he stopped suddenly. The look of pleasure and expectation on his mate's face had suddenly disappeared, a cloud of concern, even fear replacing it.

"Jim, Jim?" he said, reaching forward, taking the smooth man's face between his hands. "Are you okay?"

"Unh, yeah," replied Jim, shaking his head as if to dispel the demons that had emerged.

"Hey, if that freaks you out, then just forget I said it, okay? I wouldn't want to do anything you weren't comfortable with."

Jim grinned weakly. "I'm sorry David," he said. "It's actually one of my strongest fantasies too. But I tried it once, with disastrous results!"

"Want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, actually, I do. But before I tell you the whole story, I'd like to introduce you to two very special friends of mine. Their names are 'Nick' and 'Noah'."

The End

Comments, complaints or compliments? Email me at [email protected]

This story is a fantasy, it is not real and only happened in my imagination. YOU MUST REMEMBER that in the real world, you can DIE from having unsafe sex. It is your right and your duty to make sure that condoms are always used, whether you are giving or receiving. It doesn't matter how good looking or how ugly he is, and it doesn't matter whether you are top or bottom, USE A CONDOM!

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