Ray’s Asylum

Benny was quiet on the drive back from the Ravinia concert.  Ray had learned over the past few months of being Ben Fraser’s lover that he was deep in conflicted thought and would never, ever volunteer what he was thinking unless prompted.

“Everything all right, Benny?”

Benny gave him his “professional” smile, the one he reserved for strangers and superiors.

 “Of course, Ray.” It wasn’t much of a stretch to figure out what was on his mind. 

“Should we talk about it now, or wait until we get home?” Ray asked.

Benny didn’t pretend to not understand what he was referring to, for once.  “Now is fine.”

“Okay…well, I thought it went okay, but it felt weird.  Never thought I’d be introducing my boyfriend to my ex-wife.  I don’t know which is stranger. Having a boyfriend, or having an ex-wife.” Ray kept glancing at Benny as he drove, saw that he smiled both times he said the word ‘boyfriend’.  He reached across the short space between them, and took Benny’s hand and placed their intertwined hands in his lap, steering with his left hand.  He glanced at Benny once again, who was gazing off into the dark distance with eyes unseeing.  “You know,” Ray continued.  “If I could, I’d marry you tomorrow.  You know that, right? I love you, Benny.”

Ray felt his hand squeezed.  “And I love you, Ray,” Benny said quietly.

“Benny, can I tell you something?  I know you’re supposed to be happy for people when they’re happy, but I’m not.  I’m pissed.  I feel so…hurt, even though I know I’ve got no reason to be. She got over me, Benny.  Like we never even happened.  There was a time when we both thought we’d die without each other.  Didn’t that mean anything? Was our love not real?  It felt like it was.”

“The human spirit is designed to heal quickly, Ray.  For our own survival, nature intended that we find another mate when one mate is no longer available.”

That drew a faint dry chuckle from Ray. “I could never give her a baby.  That’s what it came down to, in the end.  Cruel world.”

“Do you want children, Ray?”

Ray contemplated his phrasing before speaking.  This was something they had never talked about, and he realized he had no idea how Benny felt about raising children. “Yeah, Benny, I do.  Someday.  Be nice to have a little girl of my own.  I think a daughter would be easier.  Sons and their fathers…that’s a tough one.”

“I understand,” Benny softly said.

They were silent for a long while, each contemplating their own rocky relationship with their fathers, the love and the disappointments. Ray turned down Octavia, noted whose lights were still on as he drove by the house.  The house was dark except for the light in Frannie’s window.  Frannie was a night owl like him, so that was normal.

He had some time he could spend with Benny tonight. He felt guilty for about the two thousandth time, thinking of the way he was lying to Ma when he crawled out of Benny’s bed at midnight, and crept home, knowing she had fallen asleep on the couch waiting for her son to return home safe and sound.  Tonight, knowing he was only going to a concert with Benny, she had not waited up.

Ray pulled into the driveway on St. John and parked the car.  He escorted his tired lover into his apartment, where Dief had waited up for them, on the couch, tail thumping.  “We’re back, Dief,” Fraser softly called.  He immediately moved about the apartment, folding and putting away the blanket, washing and putting away thermos and plastic food dishes.  Ray had carried in the leftover food, and deposited everything in the fridge and pantry. If he were alone, he’d just dump everything on the floor, spoiling food included, and call it a night. 

But not with Benny.  Things had to be put away first, clean and organized, and Ray after some initial resistance, had accepted this discipline.

He waited for Benny, at the kitchen sink, to dry his wet hands on a dishtowel before swooping. He pulled Benny’s T-shirt over his head as soon as he had turned from the sink, and dropped it on the counter.  His mouth went straight to a nipple, drawing it in until it was a hard little nub, and then he did the same to its partner. By the time Ray lifted his head for a kiss on that luscious mouth, he was already hard.  He ran his hands up and down his friend’s smooth, well-muscled back.  The skin there was smoother than silk.  Ray reveled in the smell and taste of his lover as he alternated between sucking his tongue and tasting the skin at his neck and shoulders.

Benny still smelled of the shampoo Ray had used on him when they took a shower together after sex this afternoon.  He was ready for more sex now. Needed it desperately, all of a sudden.  Maybe because of the Angie thing.   He pushed Benny against the kitchen sink and pressed his palm against Benny’s groin.  He quickly found the hardness he was searching for.  Benny groaned as Ray dipped his head and took a nipple into his mouth again. He unzipped Ben’s jeans and stuffed his hand down the front.

This reminded him of the time last Christmas when Benny had presented him with muffins, wearing only short boxer-briefs, the closest thing he could find to “shortie pajamas”.  Ray had fucked him over the sink before the muffins had a chance to completely cool.  Just as they were leaving for midnight mass, Ben had gotten a sudden craving for Italian sausage and had dropped to his knees after dressing and had sucked Ray’s cock down his throat, and Ray had exploded shortly after. The next morning, Ben had surprised Ray by creeping into the Vecchio house around five a.m. on Christmas morning, placing several small gifts under the tree for Maria’s children, and, mindful of the squeaky bed, had given Ray a sweet, mellow and gentle fuck on the floor before anybody in the house was all the wiser.  Nobody thought it was odd at all when the children tore down the stairs at 6:30 and found Fraser and Ray quietly talking over coffee. 

There was no doubt that Ben Fraser was the love of Ray’s life.  Maybe his hot thing with Tommy DeBenedetto back in high school was just preparing him for his life with Benny.  Maybe his marriage to Ange was just practice too.  “Benny, I wanna stay with you tonight,” he said.  “Not just part of it.  I wanna stay all night, and wake up with you in the morning. Do you think we could do that, just this one time? Just this once, please?”  He knelt at Benny’s feet and pulled his pants and underwear down to his knees. He took the swollen cock in his mouth.

Benny moaned softly with pleasure. “Yes, Ray, yes!  I want you here with me always.  I don’t ever want you to leave. Don’t ever leave me, Ray.  Please don’t ever leave me,” he panted as Ray sucked.

“Never, Benny. Never gonna leave you.” Ray removed Ben’s boots and pants before leading him, naked, into the bedroom. Once inside, Ben knelt on the bed on all fours.  Ray’s hand slithered up Ben’s strong back, as he drove his tongue between Benny’s parted ass cheeks.

“Ah, Ray, Ray, Ray, Ray,” was all Benny said.

VVVVV

The next morning, Ray Vecchio awoke in Ben Fraser’s arms. And in Ben’s arms he stayed the entire weekend. It was perfect. It was heaven.

VVVVV

Reality came crashing down on Ray Vecchio’s ears Monday morning, after getting a phone call that one of his best snitches wanted to have a little tete a tete this morning.  Had a tip-off to a major thing going down tonight, and it was a sure thing. 

 He was a couple of minutes early and figured he’d have time to call Benny. He hit his speed dial # 2 on his cell phone. “She gone yet?” he asked without preamble.  Ben had told Ray last night that the Dragon Lady was going away to a spa this week before heading up to Ottawa for a conference.  This mouse had every intention of playing while the cat was away.  He was almost salivating at his chance to fuck Benny over his desk after stripping him down to only his Mountie boots. 

 Ray had gotten himself banned from the Canadian Consulate after an unfortunate incident.  He could not set foot in, nor even call Benny at work unless it was official business.

On the other end of the phone, Ben sounded hesitant. “No sir, Canada is a nation bordered by the United States to the south, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the east and the west, and the Arctic Ocean to the north, comprising of roughly ten million square kilometers.”

Meg Thatcher had arrived early one day, and caught Ben and Ray in an embarrassing situation. If Meg was annoyed by Ray before, she outright despised him now.  He suspected that Benny drew a lot of punishment because of it, but Benny never admitted to anything of the sort.  Not that he would. But If Ray ever found out she was taking her hatred of him out on Ben, God help her.  

“So the Dragon Lady is still there.”

“Yes, sir, it can be a cold climate,” Fraser stated flatly.

Ray could hear Meg’s sharp voice in the background harshly demand, “who is it?”

“Fraser, I’m in a hurry!” Ray snapped. He heard footsteps nearby.

“It’s a man in a hurry,” Ray thought he heard Benny say softly.

“Fraser, are you there?”

“Have a safe trip, sir,” Fraser called, loudly this time.

“Listen Fraser, something came up. I gotta meet a guy.  So I won’t be dropping by tonight, there’s...”

“Vecchio!”

“Gotta go.” Ray hung up the phone, and turned to the man who had called his name.

“Volpe!”

They came face to face. “So?” Volpe prompted.

“So?”

“You wouldn’t be wearing a wire, would you?”

“Me?” Ray gave his best innocent look.

“So you don’t mind if I have a look?”

Ray held out his arms, and Volpe frisked him down. “A man with style is a man who can smile,” Ray said. “Ooh!” He gasped as Volpe groped a sensitive spot.  Only Benny touched him there. “Do you the same favor?” He asked.

“I’m a criminal.  What would I be doing wearing a wire?”

“Posterity?”

Ray patted him down, finished by a few raps on the head.

“You satisfied?”        

“Never satisfied.  What do you want?”

“What do I want? You called me.”

“No. You called me.”

The same thought flashed through their minds as they drew their guns and shots simultaneously rang out, reverberating off the alley’s brick walls. Volpe gasped, and went down like a ton of bricks.

Ray ran to the felled man, intent on checking for a pulse.  A hooded figure lashed out and pistol-whipped him before he could even react.

He went out like a light.

VVVVVV

When he came to, there was a uniform crouched over them.  “Police officer, don’t move!” the woman yelled.  He could plainly hear the tension in her voice, and tried to calm her.

“I said don’t move,” She warned.

“Hey take it easy, I’m a cop!”

“I said ‘freeze!’” she said, hands badly shaking.

“Okay. Okay.  Good. Good!” Ray held up his hands in a placating way.

The woman was wound tight as a spring. A movement distracted her, and she turned and shot past a small orange cat.  Ray used her distraction to bolt. This woman was dangerous.

The cop yelled “Stop!” 

Shots whizzed past Ray: Bang, Bang, Bang.

“Or I’ll shoot!” She yelled.

“Good sequence!” Ray quipped.

The empty barrel clicked over and over as Ray beat a hasty retreat.  He kept running and running until he got a few blocks to the consulate.  Ray burst through the front door. He yelled his lover’s name and collapsed in a sweaty heap on the floor.

VVVVVV

Ray sat in a chair in Meg’s office, head tilted back.  Benny applied a cold slimy goo to the gash on his forehead.  “Guy’s a psycho,” Ray said.  “He’s been running his own little operation on the south side for a year or so.  Drugs, guns, prostitution, the basic American dream. Ow!”

“Sorry.”

“What is that?”

“It’ll prevent infection. You were discussing Mr. Volpe. ”

“Smells. Word is he’s been getting ambitious lately, so naturally I’m anxious for a face to face.  I get there, and it’s a set up.”

“And you think somebody hit you.”

“This stuff smells.  I don’t remember. I wake up, Volpe’s dead, and I got this uniform blasting away like Yosemite Sam.  Bang Bang Bang.  I take off.”

“And you have no idea what happened to Mr. Volpe?”

“This stuff really stinks.  Somebody shot him. Could have been anybody. Could have been me. What is this?”

“It’s a concoction I made from the mucus membrane of a pregnant…it’s not important. What is important, if I may recap, is that you were lured to a meeting with a gangland figure, and at this meeting, the gangland figure was murdered, of which you have no memory.  A uniformed officer arrived, you resisted arrest, and you then fled the scene of a homicide. Do you agree these are the facts of the scenario? ”

“Did I just say that, or do I have a head injury?”

“Well Ray, I’m afraid that I have no option.” Ben went to Thatcher’s desk and withdrew a pair of handcuffs. “By the power invested in me by the government of Canada, I’m placing you under arrest.  You have the right to remain silent.  Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you without charge. Do you understand these rights?”

Oh God, Ray thought as Benny cinched the cuffs, Why is this my life?

VVVVVV

Assistant State’s Attorney Damon Cahill, a volatile man with a Napoleonic complex, imagined himself as the man who would be king.  He had to show the voting public that he was an upright citizen, tough on crime.

Ray and Ben watched Cahill’s grand-standing on the TV news.

Ray said, “He’s needs an issue, so I’m the issue.”

“Only temporarily.  Once we can arrange for a blowback test to prove that you haven’t fired a gun recently, we’re work on it,” Ben replied.

“I was on the range this morning.  I’m covered in blowback.”

Whatever Benny was going to come back with was cut off by the sound of the doorbell genteelly chiming.  Ben smoothly rose to answer.  Ray could hear the voices of the Duck Boys, trying to gain entry to arrest Ray.  Ray heard Fraser’s calm and soft voice gently but firmly fend them off, as those harboring suspected criminals was a routine part of his day.  He even heard Benny correct Jack’s grammar.  Yeah, go get’em Benny. Constable Turnbull joined the stonewalling shortly thereafter. After a few more moments, the Duck Boys backed down.

 “Hey, they really gotta extradite me?” Ray asked when Benny returned to the room.

“Yes, they do.”

“Wow, go figure,” Ray said, marveling.  Benny began to move away. “Where you going?”

“To the scene of the crime,” Benny stated simply.

“A  good plan.  You do that, I’ll get my file.”

“I’m sure the police have already picked up your files, Ray.”

“Yeah they got my files, but they wouldn’t have gotten my file’s files. I keep my secret stuff in a hollowed out book. Let’s get into it.”

“No, no. You don’t’ seem to understand, Ray. You can’t leave the consulate.”

“Why?”

“Detectives Huey and Dewey are undoubtedly waiting to arrest you the moment you step from this building. As long as you remain here, you’re safe. Diefenbaker, let’s go.”

Dief woofed, gung ho to get on the case.

“Tea, Mr. Vecchio?” Turnbull asked, presenting a silver serving tray.

“’Safe’?” Ray asked.

“Welcome to Canada, Ray,” Benny said, and turned to go.

Turnbull said. “Since you’re a newcomer to this nation, I figured an orientation might be of some help, as well as some good fun. Are you familiar with the sport known a curling?”

Ray groaned. It was going to be a long and painful asylum.

VVVVVV

Benny had been gone for what felt like hours, Ray thought.  He said to Turnbull, “Anything that moves that slowly is not a sport. This is not a sport. It’s housework.”

“It is a calling,” Turnbull said testily.

“It may be a pastime, it may even be a hobby, but it’s definitely not a sport.”

That tore it. Turnbull turned from the TV and rose. “Do you wanna fight?” He demanded. 

Ray suddenly realized how big of a man Turnbull really was.

“Over curling?” He asked, stunned.

“Yes,” Turnbull answered. “What if I made fun of baseball?!”

“Alright.” Ray put up his dukes.

“Afternoon gentlemen,” Fraser arrived, smoothly cutting the tension.

“Hey, you’re empty handed.” Ray said.

“Yes, but I’m not empty trousered,” Fraser said triumphantly. Ben brazenly shrugged off his braces and unzipped his pants. A Mona Lisa smiled briefly flittered across his face as he met Ray’s eyes and reached into his pants, drawing out folders from each hip. God, Benny was giving him ideas…nasty thoughts…Ray wanted to—

“Sir!”  Turnbull called Ben’s attention to the TV.

They yelled together, making a sweeping motion, “Sweeeeeepppp!”

Oh my God, Ray thought, rolling his eyes, could you two possibly be any dorkier?

VVVVVV

Ray indicated some surveillance photos. “See that,” he said. “Eddy Herndorff. Old style gangster.  The man’s ruthless.  He once cut a man’s leg muscles out with a sword ‘cause he cut him off in traffic.  That.  Gus Fillion.  Eddy’s main competitor.  He sees himself as a renaissance sort of guy.  These two used to duke it out, but they’ve been getting along lately.  Getting along until Andreas Volpe blew up.  Psychopath local kid. Big ambitions.”

“So it’s your theory, if I may recap, that Volpe challenged their authority, and was killed as a result?” Fraser asked.

“Yeah.  See, that’s why we’re policemen, Fraser.  We get to figure these kinds of things out.”

“Right you are, Ray.  Right you are. I think it’s time that I paid Mr. Fillion a visit.”

Ray’s gut clenched in dread. “Look,” he said. “No offense Fraser, but these are Chicago hard guys. I mean, you can be as polite as you want, but they’ll have you hanging from a meat hook in fifteen seconds.”

“Well, I’m not without my resources, Ray,” Benny reassured him.

Turnbull appeared in the doorway. “Sir?  Your presence.”

Ray rolled his eyes. “’Your presence?’ What are you, like, a king or something?”

“To Turnbull? Yes?” Fraser departed with the younger man.

Ray quietly slipped behind the door, where he could clearly hear all conversation taking place in the hallway.

“Ah, Lieutenant Welsh. Nice to see you. Welcome to Canada, sir.” Benny could be heard greeting the Lieu. 

“Fraser, this is assistant state’s attorney Cahill…”

“An honor, sir.  I’ve seen your posters all over town.”

“Constable, I’ll come straight to the point. I’d like you to surrender Detective Vecchio.”

“Well, I’m afraid I can’t do that sir.  The extradition treaty between our two countries is very specific—“

“We wanna question Vecchio in connection with a more than particularly vicious homicide. I’ve suspected for some time that organized crime has an informant somewhere inside the police department in this city.”

“Sir, I don’t think we have to bother Constable Fraser with that,” the Lieu interjected.

“I want this man to understand what he’s interfering with,” came Cahill’s surly voice.

“I think I can put your mind to rest on that point, sir,” Benny said assuringly. “Ray had nothing to do with this murder.  And I can personally vouch for his integrity.”

Cahill scoffed. “I’m supposed to take your word on that?”

“Yes, sir,” Benny responded suavely.

Welsh said, “You see, uh, sir.  Constable Fraser doesn’t lie.”

Cahill sounded rather taken aback at first, but quickly recovered. “Oh. Well, that’s an admirable quality in times of peace. But we’re in the middle of a war.  A war against crime and corruption, and I demand your cooperation. The city of Chicago demands your cooperation.”

“And you shall have it sir, to the fullest extend of the law.”

“Are you mocking me? Are you mocking this city? This administration?”

“Certainly not sir.  No.  We greatly appreciate the generosity shown to us by the city of Chicago and I assure you that if you ever find yourself in Nunavet, you will not be wanting for a meal.”

There was a long pause from Cahill, as he tried to figure out what angle Benny was working. 

Finally, he said. “You do this Marquis of Queensberry thing, and your grammar, it’s very quaint.  But I just wanna remind you. We took Grenada. We beat the snot out of Haiti.  We knocked Panama on its ass, and if need be, we take this little piss pot too! Have a nice evening.”

With that, Cahill and Welsh departed.  Ray heard Fraser say softly, “Oh dear!” as he stood in the now vacant hallway.

VVVVVV

Ray had delivered what felt like his tenth pizza. He was getting real sick of pizza.  He was getting testy.

He let a little frustration out on the pizza delivery guy. “There’s no pineapple.  Where’s the pineapple?”

“Tony don’t put pineapple on no more. Says it ain’t right for the pizza.”

“What is Tony, the surgeon general all of a sudden? Get in there!” Ray indicated the room he had just vacated.

Turnbull sat on a chair in front of the television, engrossed in a nature show. “Can you get out?” Ray snapped. We need the room.” 

Turnbull, normally so benign, was fraying from all of Ray’s abrasiveness. “No. No, Ray.  In Canada, if we need someone to leave the room, we say to them ‘could you please leave the room?’” he said sternly.

“Could you please leave the room before I punch you in the head?” Ray stiffly asked.

“You see?” Turnbull smiled. “You see how easy that is?” He said to Ray’s would-be informant, polite smile plastered on his face. “Hello.  Welcome to Canada.”

Ray waited until Turnbull was out of earshot.

“Alright, Sandor. I know you’re plugged in.  Talk to me.  What are they saying? Who whacked Volpe?”

“They’re saying maybe you did.  They’re saying maybe Herndorff, because he’s nuts.  And they’re saying maybe Fillion because he and Volpe had a beef.”

“What kind of beef?”

“It’s nothing serious. Volpe tried to stick a bomb underneath Fillion’s car.”

“And Fillion had him whacked?”

“Well…If it wasn’t you… and it wasn’t Herndorff…” Sandor left the rest of the sentence lingering in the air.

“All right,” Ray said. “You get back out there.”

“Herndorff? Nobody wants to see Herndorff, Ray.”

“You just questioned my judgment.”

“I did.”

“What do I have to do?”

“You have to hit me, Ray.”

“Correct.”  Ray delivered a couple of sharp raps against the man’s head.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Now get back out there.”

VVVVVV

The next few moments of Ray’s life were all a blur.  He easily conned Turnbull out of his giving up his uniform, and sailed right past the Duck Boys sitting in a car in front of the building.  He just couldn’t take being cooped up any more.  He had to get out and take some action.  Do something. Do anything.

Within a minute or two of leaving the building, Ray found himself pistol-whipped for the second time in twenty four hours. He woke up in a van, and before he could even get his wits about him, was grabbed and dragged like a sack of potatoes. His unofficial partner was already in the abandoned old chop shop, firmly tied to a chair.

“Evening, Ray,” Fraser said calmly, as though he was about to invite him to sit for high tea.

“Hello Fraser.”

Fraser glanced at Ray’s uniform. “Not a bad fit, all in all.”

“The arms are a bit long,” Ray said, playing Fraser’s game.

“We could always have them altered.”

“I know a good tailor.”

Herndorff appeared from the shadows, munching on a hoagie. “If I were you,” he said to Ray, “and I had this heat on me, I’d be in some deep hole right now, and not out parading in a red suit.”

“I came to make you a deal, Eddy,” Ray stated.

“Make me a deal? The whole town’s looking for who whacked Volpe, and you—you’re gonna make me a deal? Fun is done.”

“Come on.  I didn’t whack Volpe.  I’m a cop.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot.  That would be illegal.”

“It’s Fillion.  We both know that. You help me, I’ll nail him.”

“Hey.  You do your job. I’ll do mine.”

“Oh, so you’re gonna kill a cop now, Eddie, is that it?” You know what happens when you kill a cop? They’ll hound you to your grave, Eddie. They’ll hound you beyond your grave!” Ray yelled.

From his side, Benny commented, “I don’t think we have to worry, Ray.  I don’t think Mr. Herndorff intends to kill us.  Now there are three, make that four, police cruisers traveling down Michigan Avenue at approximately 122 kilometers per hour. No. I believe that Mr. Herndorff intends to turn us over to the police.”

Ray would never understand how Benny could stay so calm in the face of danger if he lived to be a hundred years old.  It was just preternatural.

“You got good ears, Red.” Eddy commented appreciatively.

“Thank you.”

Eddy said wryly, “Ray. I really think you’re going to enjoy prison. Let’s go.” He turned and left the two of them alone.

“I’m not going to jail,” Ray uttered. “The food, the conversation, the sexual hijinks.  I can’t handle it.”

“You may not have to Ray. I think help is on its way.”

“Oh yeah? In what form?”

“Diefenbaker.  I think he followed me.”

“Yeah?” Ray urged the yet unseen dog on. “Come on. Come on!”

“Dief!”

“Ray.”

“Dief!” Ray called again.

“Ray!”

“Dief!” Ray yelled.

“Ray!”

“What?”

“As you know, it’s pointless to yell. He’s deaf.  We’ll just have to wait for him to find us.”

“I’m not that good at waiting.”

“Let’s be patient.”

“I mean, I’m really not that good at waiting.”

“Shhh!”

“I was three weeks premature.  What does that tell you?”

“Here he comes.”

“Hey, come on boy, come on! Come on!”

Dief began to fervently lick Ray’s face.

“I think he likes me!” Ray said, feeling the raspy tongue scrape his five o’clock shadow.

“He likes pizza,” Fraser clarified. He rattled something off in Eskimo. 

“What’d  you say?”

“It’s Inuktituk.  Slightly less complex language.  Easier for him to read.”

“What does it mean?”

“It means ‘fetch the knife from the hood of that car, and apply it to the ties that bind us.’”

Dief did as commanded, and soon, Ben was awkwardly pulling out of his bindings. Fraser spoke again to Dief.   

“Meaning?” Ray prompted.

“Hide!” Fraser said. They did just that, clambering up to the ceiling and hanging from the rafters.

Why is this my life? Ray silently asked God. He wrapped his arms and legs around a steel I-beam and hung on for dear life.

VVVVVV

It was after-hours at the Consulate.  The visitors had all gone home.  All work had been carefully filed away, and the phone calls and messages dutifully returned. The toilet had been repaired. The cleaners had come and gone.  The wolf was in the back courtyard, sniffing for voles.  All Mounties except one were at home and snug in their beds.

The sole occupants of the building were Benton Fraser and Raymond Vecchio.  Ben had removed every scrap of Ray’s clothing, and had worshipped him from head to toe with his tongue.  He now knelt in front of Ray, fully clothed, with Ray’s big hard cock slipping down his throat.  Benny moaned as he slurped, and gripped Ray’s balls with his left hand. He first rolled one, and then the other between his thumb and forefinger.  He gently took the right testicle in his mouth, careful of his teeth, and then laved it with his tongue.  Ray moaned.  Ben lifted his head and carefully licked away the drop of moisture that had appeared on Ray’s sensitive tip.  The door bell rang, cutting through the silence.

“Shit!” Ray gasped. “Keep going! God, your mouth feels so good, Benny!”

“I’ve got to get that.”

“No, you don’t. You’re off duty.”

“Someone might be in trouble, Ray.” Ben pulled back from Ray and stood, leaving Ray’s frustrated, dripping wet cock quivering in the air.

“Fuck!” Ray said sharply.  He rooted around in the dim light for his underwear, and stuffed them on, inside out.  Benny wiped his mouth before exiting, shutting the door firmly behind him.

“Ah. Lt. Welsh!” Ben said, purposely overloud. “Nice to see you!”

Ray scrambled for his pants, and hurriedly pushed his legs in and zipped up as Welsh spoke, voice echoing in the cavernous corridor.

“Nice to see you, Fraser… You gonna let me stand out here all night?”

“Oh, I’m sorry! Come in, please.”

“We gotta talk,” Welsh said as his voice came a little closer to Ray.  Ray had found his shirt and was hastily buttoning it.  His hands shook with nervousness.

Benny said, “Let’s use my office…Oh sir, sorry, it’s this way,” Benny said after Ray heard Welsh’s footsteps stop outside the door.

Welsh’s voice grew more distant. “It’s this guy Cahill,” he said as Ray slid into his shoes and tucked in his shirt. Good thing his boner had gone down out of sheer nervousness.  He was actually presentable now.

“Sir. It’s this way.  A little further back.”  Benny raised his voice a couple more notches. “Ray! Would you care to join us?”

Ray quickly made his way to Benny’s office.

“Lt. Welsh was just informing me that Assistant State’s Attorney Cahill has filed a special request with our department of external affairs to expedite your extradition.”

“Uh huh… Come again?” Ray said.

“He means,” Welsh clarified, “that at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, they’re going to come and yank your ass outta here.”  Welsh looked around the cramped quarters. “You spend all day here?” He asked.

“I go out for lunch.”

Ray interjected. “Look, Lieu.  I’m telling you. I had nothing to do with that murder.”

“I believe you,” the older man said without hesitation.

“You do?” Ray asked incredulously.

“We know there’s a rat in Major Crime.  He must have been leaking to Volpe because no matter what we threw at Volpe, he was able to walk.”  Ray’s boss turned his attention back to Fraser, distracted. “There must be twenty rooms in this house.  Why did you pick this one?”

“The others are much less intimate,” Ben explained without really explaining anything.

Ray had an epiphany. “It’s Kilrea. You check his arrest stats.  He’s dirty, I’m telling you. Herndorff turns me in.  Who does he call? His little buddy, Kilrea.”

“Was Kilrea on the firing ranch the morning you qualified?”

“I dunno,” Ray said truthfully.

Welsh said, “That’d be easy enough to check out.”

“And what about the officer at the scene of the shooting, Tibbet?” Ben Fraser inquired. “Has anyone spoken to her?”

“IA told us to butt out,” Welsh said.

“That is one sick puppy,” Ray commented.  “She needs a Valium the size of a cheeseburger.”

VVVVVV

Ray Vecchio had ordered his one hundredth pizza.

“Look, I’m not paying for their pizza,” he warned Sandor.  “That’s thievery. And there’s no pineapple.”

“Hey, nobody tells Tony how to make pizza, alright? He left Russia to be free,” Sandor growled.

“I think it’s quite tasty,” Benny said.  Ray didn’t know that there was any food Ben didn’t consider ‘quite tasty’, as evidenced by his expanding middle and rounder ass.

“Yeah, like your favorite flavors aren’t blubber and lichen,” Ray quipped.

Benny continued as though he hadn’t heard.  Ray hated when he did that.  Every once in a while, he actually enjoyed getting a rise out of Benny. “Kilrea was on the range yesterday. This is interesting.  He wasn’t supposed to be there. He qualified the day before.”

“J.P. Tibbet shot a kid last year when she was working for the organized crime task force.” Ray was catching up to Benny’s line of thinking, and so was Sandor.

Sandor said, “I went for a drink the other night, with a guy, definitely O.C. A real big talker. A real big mouth, right? He’s talking about Fillion.  Brought him in on this big job.  Now here’s the kicker.  He had this real stinky painting with him.  Said Fillion gave it to him.  It was like a Rottweiler playing poker with his friends or something.”

“Fillion,” Benny confirmed.

“Fillion, Herndorff. Cahill. Kilrea.  Got the makings of a bonspiel.” Ray winced.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just made a curling reference.  I’m gonna go lie down.” Ray slipped into the hallway, and realized if he kept on walking, he could just sail out of here and nail Fillion.  He just wanted this thing done so he could get on with his life.  Ray headed toward the door with a final glance toward the room he had just exited.  As he turned back, he nearly tripped over Dief. 

Dief let out a warning bark, which brought Fraser.

“Stupid dog. Stupid dog. Stupid dog!” Ray muttered.  “Get out of the way.”

“Ray.  Where are you going?”

“Hey.  I can’t wait around for Cahill and his goons to come around and arrest me. I gotta do something.”

“Do what, Ray? And where? Everyone in the city on both sides of the law is looking for you.”

“That may be.  But I gotta do something.”

“Yes, you do.  You have to trust me.”

“Trust you, Fraser? I don’t even know if I trust me. I don’t think that I whacked Volpe. But…I can’t remember details.  That might have been my finger of the trigger.”

“You didn’t shoot that man.”

“How do you know? How can you be so sure?”

“Because I know you.” Ben stepped toward him, and lowered his voice. “I believe in you. I know the door to your very soul.”

Ray smiled, and touched his lover’s soft, full lips.  He looked into his eyes. “You’re the light in my deepest darkest hour. You’re my savior when I fall,” he softly sang ‘their’ song, The BeeGee’s ‘How Deep is Your Love’. 

Ben nodded, and kissed the fingertip that dwelled on his lip.  He smiled into Ray’s eyes.  He’d make everything okay in the morning. He wasn’t without his resources, after all.  “Everything’s going to be alright, Ray,” he said.  He softly leaned forward and kissed Ray’s pouty bottom lip. “Come on,” Ben said, “Let’s go watch some curling.” Ray let himself be led back into Thatcher’s office.  He knew he could trust Benny.  He knew down in his soul.