The Hood of Justice (5 page)

"Afternoon, buddy," Bruce chimed. He didn't even blink, didn't vary his course, as he came toward Casey. The man sure was comfortable with his own nakedness. Damn straight, too. What a waste. Casey would love to do more than wank over the thought of him. He would love to worship every part of his huge, bear-like body.

"Hey, Bruce, what's on the cards this shift?"

"Sarge wants to see us. Seems your work on the Piper case has got some special attention."

Casey raised an eyebrow. He was now at his locker, disrobing. Like Bruce, he didn't care who saw him naked. His uniforms hung neatly in his locker. He selected a long-sleeved shirt, slipping into it. The night was going to be cold again. "How so?"

"Ah, don't play all coy with me." Bruce slapped Casey on his rump before he opened his own locker to retrieve his uniform. "Shit a brick, you damn well know you're the star of the day, getting all that information and all from those perps. Next thing Sarge will be offering you dinner and a date."

Casey's backside smarted, Bruce's slap wasn't light. He'd never been one for spanking play, but for Bruce, he'd make an exception. If he ever left his wife and changed teams, that was. The thought of having his partner spank him got him all queasy inside, got him thinking erotic thoughts. At the very least he'd have some jack off material for tomorrow morning's wood. Casey licked his lips. "Well, I couldn't have done it without you. Besides, if the Sarge wants to buy me dinner, he'd better not expect me to go beyond first base. Not for a first date, anyway." Casey looked into Bruce's eyes, giving him a flutter with his eyelids, a quirky smile to match. "I'm not that kind of boy."

Bruce let out a guffaw. "Fuck me, Case, you're a gem, you know that. Gotta love ya, even though you're as bent as a row of tents. So what? I suppose on the second dinner date anything will go, right?"

Casey grinned. "Fuck yeah."

"You so need a good man, you know that? You deserve someone special."

"Thanks," Casey said with a gentle chuckle. He knew Bruce was teasing him, but also knew he meant no malicious intent. The man
did
care about him. In a way, he had to. They relied on each other for support as part of their daily job, their lives depended on it. Not like so many others Casey had encountered in his life. There was this one lad in the Academy. Charles was his name. The biggest homophobe he'd ever met. At any given chance he would make it well known about Casey's sexual preferences, to all who would listen and to those who didn't give a fuck as well. All of it was done for attention, to give himself some perceived point scoring with his peers. The man, dumb as an ox, was a bully. Thank God, he dropped out, otherwise life would have been hell in those training years. Thank God, he had been placed with Bruce upon graduation, too. Casey decided to change the course of the conversation. He added, "Seems we might not be on the beat tonight, in any case."

"Waste of time putting on our uniforms, then."

Now Casey was curious. "You mean we get to go undercover?"

"Don't know, that's the Sarge's call. But the sooner you get your arse into gear and get dressed, the sooner we can find out." Casey noted how Bruce was already attired, doing up the last few buttons of his shirt.

Both men fronted up to Sarge's office well before their shift was due to start. The man didn't look like a rabid dog ready to bite someone's head off. Always a good sign. "Come in gentlemen and shut the door," he barked.

"What's up, Sarge?" Bruce asked, taking the lead.

"Seems the perp you apprehended last night, the charmer who pulled the knife, has been found dead in a shallow grave out there in Baker's forest. He was shot up real bad. His buddies didn't waste any time dispensing with him, that's for sure."

Bruce looked at Casey. "Damn, sorry to hear that. I bet Case here could have got some more information out of the scumbag if we could have got him into the interrogation room. How'd they know it was the perp we got last night?"

The Sarge leant over to his filing cabinet. He pulled open the drawer, retrieved a file. "The lab boys were only able to identify him because this was placed on top of his body." He shoved a piece of paper from the file onto his desk, one stained with blood. The note read,
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Because Drummond was taken out of the business, Casey Watson, you are next. Love and Kisses, Randy Piper.

"Excuse my French, but fuck me, the guy's got some balls." Bruce patted Casey on his shoulder, more for reassurance than anything. "We should march over to that gym of his and arrest him for threatening a police officer. No one does that to my buddy and gets away lightly."

The Sarge gave a smirk, the first time Casey had ever seen the man smile. "You will do no such thing. How long do you think we could hold him on a charge like that? You can bet your salary he didn't fire the weapon which killed this Drummond fellow, either. Sure, his name is on the note, but forensics could determine in an instant if it was even written by him, which I can safely assume it wasn't. No, we've got to get hard evidence, gentlemen. Evidence which will hold up in any court in the land if we are to catch this shark and catch him for good. He's not stupid, so we have to do this by the numbers. I've got you a warrant so you can enter the Argos Gym on the grounds of being allowed to question him about the note and search for a weapon. I suggest you go from there."

Casey couldn't hold his voice any longer, "Yeah, but whoever murdered Drummond would have done so because he was ordered. He would have disposed of any evidence, too."

Again the Sarge smiled. "Exactly. So I need a confession from Piper at the very least. Oh, and Casey, from what Bruce tells me, you're the man to do it. I want you and Bruce to go on stakeout, but make sure he enters that gym before you act. I want both of you to get the solid evidence we need. Dismissed."

When they were clear of the Sarge's office, in a corridor free from any others who might listen, Casey said, "You shouldn't have told the Sarge I could get the information out of him, Bruce."

"Why not, buddy? You always get the information we need. Why shouldn't you be recognised for it? It's a talent, and one I've come to admire. You're a damn fine cop, Case. Better than me when I was your age, at any rate."

Casey's cheeks burned. He so wanted to tell Bruce, his partner, his mate, about his talent, but couldn't. How was docking with criminals to get information out of them covered in any procedure? The Sarge was a stickler for protocols as it was. If this ever got out, he'd be suspended at the very least. Probably without pay. "I, um…it's not that--I just don't want the whole station to know, that's all."

"Bullshit. Don't be so modest. If you always get your man, and you do, shout it out. Be proud." Bruce slapped Casey on his shoulders. His skin burned.

"Gee, thanks."

His partner must have picked up on his sudden discomfort, the proud smile fading from his lips. "Why, you ain't doing anything wrong to get the perps to talk, are you? Nothing illegal, I mean?"

"No," Casey snapped. "It's just…well, it unorthodox, and I don't think the Sarge would appreciate knowing, that's all. He's all into his officers following procedure and protocols and stuff for their own protection. How I get the information out of perps…it's kind of different."

Bruce paused for a moment, looking to be deep in thought. He turned to Casey, stared him deep in the eyes. "If you say it's not illegal, then I'll back you up one-hundred percent. Simple as that, buddy."

Casey offered a quivering smile. He didn't know why, wasn't sure what the reaction from his partner would be, but he blurted out, "I get the information I need because my…I have a sort of special ability." It was at that moment, Casey lost his nerve. He couldn't tell Bruce the whole truth. If his partner knew, then he would be as accountable, too. An accessory. He couldn't let that happen, no matter what. Yet, he couldn't keep such a thing a secret. Not from Bruce, anyway. The man deserved to know. After all, their relationship was based on trust. 

"Go on."

"I can't tell you anymore. I don't want you to get into any trouble," Casey whispered, his voice lost against the whir of air-conditioners and background noise.

Bruce grabbed him by both shoulders. "I consider you more than a partner. I think of you as family, Case. Now tell me everything, otherwise the foundation of trust we have for one another could erode. If that happens, I would march into the Sarge's office and tell him to get me a new partner. I can't work with someone who keeps secrets."

The man was right. They shared everything, every detail, including their fears, hopes and dreams. They were more like brothers, the truth be told. He swallowed hard. "I…um….I cock dock with them to get the answers. My foreskin…it…it's kind of magical or something, and it makes any bloke I connect with tell me everything I need to know. They never remember the actual act of the docking afterward, either."

To Casey's complete and utter surprise, Bruce said, "About time you told me, Case. But just so you know, I knew already. I've seen you doing it plenty of times." Bruce paused. Casey's mouth opened and closed, no words eventuating. His partner continued, "What, you think I didn't notice? Sure, I wasn't sure at first, but after you did it with the Drummond guy, I was ninety percent certain. We work in each other's pockets for ten hours a night, I'm bound to see stuff. I know everything about you, from what hand you use to hold your dick with when you piss, to the type of guys who turn you on." Bruce slapped him again, this time on his backside. Again, Casey's buttocks stung. "I know you like that, too."

He was still dumbfounded. "I…um…"

"But I can see how such a thing could cause you trouble. If a smart perp decided to use this ability of yours against you, then you could be in some deep shit. The kind where you don't have a paddle. You're wise to keep it a secret."

"Thanks, Bruce."

Bruce leant forward, coming so his nose almost touched Casey's. "If you ever keep anything from me again, I'll rip your balls off. Clear?" He smiled once he finished his words.

Casey nodded. "Sure thing."

"Now, tell me more about this ability on the way to the car. We're going to be sitting around for a while. Might as well spill your guts."

"You're not worried by what the Sarge will say if he finds out?"

"Heck no. The man may be a tyrant, but he ain't dumb. If you're getting results, and I don't think there's any law against what you're doing, then he won't care. Sure, he'll rant and rave, but that's just him. Just do what you do, Case. I'll be there for you."

"So…what about sexual harassment?"

Bruce winked. "You said it yourself, they don't remember. How can a charge be laid on you if they don't even know what you've done? Sure, they know they've told you stuff, otherwise Randy Piper wouldn't have left you that friendly little note, but they can't recall the details. Remember, police work is about the details. Without it, not amount of procedure will help you."

"I suppose you're right."

They left the station, travelling though the secured car park to their patrol car with a quick pace. "So it only works on blokes, hey? That thing you have, I mean…with your hood?"

"Yeah."

"Well, better leave the female interrogations to me, then." Bruce opened the car, climbing into the drivers' seat.

When Casey was inside, too, he asked, "Why? Do you have a magical tongue?"     

Bruce let out a guffaw. "Yeah, it makes women reach ecstasy with a single lick on their clit."

"Eww, that's gross." Casey said with a heartfelt laugh and so much relief he wanted to kiss his partner and then hug him for good measure. He was sure glad he told him about his foreskin. At least now when he interrogated perps he didn't have to do it in dark alleys or dank rooms. He could take them to the patrol car, Bruce standing guard. 

"Yeah, like sucking on a bloke's cock isn't gross." Bruce turned the ignition key, a warm smile on his lips.

Seemed they were back to normal. A situation Casey welcomed, was relieved about to be honest. Having Bruce know about his ability sure was a weight off his mind.

Now they could get on with the business of getting crims off the streets, starting with Randy Piper.

Chapter Five

Jason woke in darkness, only a crack of light above him and in the distance to know he had opened his eyelids. He was fuming. As mad as fucking hell, in fact. The bastard Randy had told him he was going to be bait for a trap and before he could protest, before he could finish cleaning up the cum splattered all over his face, he had pulled out a pistol from his desk drawer. Jason remembered how he scrambled backwards, hitting a filing cabinet. When he started to plead for his life, Randy struck him over the head with it.

His head still throbbed dull. How long was he unconscious? Where was he? Some payment for sucking Randy off. The prick. Perhaps things would have been better if the arsehole just shot him. He dreaded to think of his fate now. He knew he was tied, suspended from somewhere, too. He couldn't feel the ground. When he tried to move his arms and legs, chains rattled. His ankles and wrists stung, probably from having to support his own weight.

Jason sucked in deep the air. A combination of dank, sweat and cum, soaked his nostrils. Wherever he was, he was sure it was a place no one knew about. Fucking great, he'll probably spend the rest of his days hanging like this, like some worthless piece of meat. Jason's stomach turned. He hated his life. His no good, good for nothing life. He had such potential, too. All the teachers said he was a bright spark, a guy who could do anything he wanted.

He  cursed himself in his mind. His life could have been so different, so much better than having to scratch out a living being a runner because he hadn't finished his high school diploma. He just couldn't get real work, not the kind which paid like working for Randy, anyway. He had to support his Mamma, after all.

Jason could pin-point the exact moment in his life where things went wrong. It was in the last month of high school, a school excursion to the local museum. One of the tour guides was an adorable young man named David. All dark hair, cute face and an arse which gave him a hard on without any second thoughts. He had fallen for him, hook, line and sinker. Pity was, David didn't last long at the museum. He got involved with Randy.