Chapter 5
John
Taking Seb through Castle by the Sea was its own reward. The kid kept gaping at the spiral staircases, the indoor swimming pool, the huge bathrooms. He actually moaned when he saw the kitchen.
“Who owns this place?” he said, passing his hands over the black marble breakfast bar. “Martha Stewart?”
“Some banker and his third wife,” John said. “No idea how Middlebend got ahold of it but it’s tougher than it looks. Bullet resistant glass, high-def cameras in every room. Pads and locks on the doors alone cost a million.”
“And one guy’s gonna live here all by himself?”
“Yup, and if you think you’re sad now wait ‘til you see where we’re staying.”
Hanging around the back of the main house like a bad smell was a tiny apartment that resembled a tin can with beds inside of it. There were three windowless rooms, a stovetop and microwave, a shower with a rubber curtain, and steel bunk beds.
“Pick a slab, any slab,” John said, pointing to the bunks. “Warning you, they’re hard as hell.
Seb placed his backpack on an unclaimed mattress. “Not like we haven’t slept in worse places.”
“I know but it still hurts after seeing all those empty California Kings huh?”
“A little.” Seb sat down on his bunk, his usually open expression a little pained. “John, can I talk to you about somethin’ real quick?”
“Sure, what’s—” John’s phone buzzed deep in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw it was Elkin. “Can you hang on a sec, it’s the boss.”
Seb nodded and he pressed the accept button. “Hello?”
“Hello, Mr. Blackwood,” Elkin said in her winter morning voice. “I trust you’re all settled in?”
John was suddenly very aware of all the beer he’d drunk. “Yes, yeah everything’s fine ma’am.”
“Good. Our person of interest is en route to California. They will arrive at Castle by the Sea tomorrow morning.”
“Excellent, what time can we expect you?” He said, his attempt to sound sober coming out all earnest and choirboy and Seb.
“Eleven at the latest. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, Mr. Blackwood, so do make sure you’re in a professional state of mind.”
She hung up and John shoved his phone back into his cargos, more than a little embarrassed. How did she always get the fucking jump on him like that?
“What did Ms. Elkin want?” Seb asked.
“To take you out Friday night. You bring any nice shirts with you?”
Seb flushed. “Shut up. What really?”
“VIP’s showing up at eleven tomorrow. Colt had better sober up.”
Seb raised a blond brow. “Just Colt?”
“Maybe not just Colt.” John drained his can and crushed it between his fingers. “Last one I swear,” he said when Seb gave him a look.
“Sure. Did Ms. Elkin give you any more information about the guy who’s comin’?”
“Nope, still got nothing to go on except the name.”
Seb’s pale eyebrows rose. “What’s the name?”
“Daniel Schwartz.”
Seb closed his eyes. “Sounds familiar, like a TV character you knew when you were a kid.”
“I had the same thing,” John said, a little unnerved. “I keep picturing a brown-haired guy with glasses. I know that’s just Harry Potter but it’s stuck. Until I see the man it’s the only thing I can picture.”
Colt wandered in, draining yet another can of beer. He threw the empty on Seb’s bed. “Like the place?”
Seb swept the can onto the floor. “It’ll do.”
“Elkin and Schwartz are getting here tomorrow at eleven,” John said before Colt could find and drink any more booze.
“Fuck,” he moaned. “I was hoping we’d have another couple of days. Fuck this guy for getting found out so fast.”
“Yeah, well, we need to sharpen up. No more drinking.”
Colt nodded glumly then seemed to perk up. “Hey kid some stuff arrived for Schwartz yesterday. Want to take a look?”
Seb stared at him suspiciously. “Why?”
“No reason. Just might be something of interest in there, that’s all.”
Seb looked at John for an explanation.
“Seems like Schwartz has got some…stuff,” he admitted. “There are books and games and shit, but there’s also porn, sex stuff, uh…panties.”
“And not just regular panties.” Colt dug furiously through a box in the corner. “Thongs. Lacy ones. Silky ones. The ones with the back cut out. I know they’re in here somewhere…gotcha.”
He held up a fistful of purple lace. “Ta da. Wanna hold?”
Seb recoiled like Colt was offering him a snake. “You keep them away from me.”
“This is the dream, isn’t it, kid? Getting paid to watch some guy jerk off into a thong?”
Seb looked pleadingly at John. “Schwartz isn’t gonna be…doin’ that, is he?”
“If he’s stuck in here for weeks what d’you think?” Colt interrupted. “Besides, don’t act like you never looked the other way while someone had a battle jack. Or did it yourself.”
Seb flushed even harder. He was the product of a batshit Baptist household and while John was fairly sure Seb wasn’t a virgin he wouldn’t be surprised if all he and Maddie did was French kiss and pray.
Colt waved the panties in Seb’s face like a flag. “Fucking hell, I just had a thought, Rhodes; what if Schwartz wears them? What if he puts on bras and panties and walks around the house?”
John knew it was time to intervene before they fell into another twenty-minute wrestling match. “Colt, drop the panties, you’ve made your point. Let’s go hit the surf. Try to sober up before the real fun starts huh?”
Seb gave him a satisfied smile. “Sounds good.”
“Yeah it does.” Colt slapped the kid on the shoulder. “After we’re done you can help me pick up college girls. It’ll be a good learning experience for you.”
Seb moved out of Colt’s reach. “I ain’t doin’ that.”
“Why? Scared your old lady’ll find out?”
“No, I just don’t wanna watch you annoyin’ girls half your age.”
John laughed. “He’s got you there.”
Colt glared at him. “You’re only five years younger than me, asshole.”
“But you’re going gray,” John pointed out.
Colt ran a hand through his thick black hair. “It’s silver.”
“It’s gray,” John and Seb said together.
“Fuck you both,” Colt scowled and stomped off still bitching about how women love gray hair.
John yawned, the alcohol steering him firmly towards lethargy. A surf would be good, wake him up some. He headed for the door. “Coming, kid? We’ve got a spare board out back.”
“Yeah.” Seb hesitated. “Can I have that word first?”
“Shit, sorry, I forgot all about that. What’s up?”
Seb scratched his head. “I was thinkin’ about this the whole way over here, and John, you’ve gotta know how grateful I am to you for hirin’ me.”
John’s buzz seemed to fade a little. “But?”
“But, I’d be lyin’ if I said I wasn’t havin’ doubts about workin’ in this industry long term,” Seb said quickly. “I just don’t know if it’s for me.”
John’s stomach tightened. “This about your girlfriend?”
“No.”
John folded his arms across his chest.
“Well, a little,” Seb admitted. “But it’s more about college. I joined up to pay for school, then I blink and eight years have gone by, and I’m no better educated now than when I was seventeen.”
John thought back on everything he and Seb had been through, all they’d seen, learned, and fought for. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“I am proud I served my country but we’re out now and I always wanted to…You know.”
John did know. Seb got into medicine at John Hopkins but couldn’t afford the plane ticket to Baltimore let alone the fees. Plus his family wouldn’t be able to survive without the income he was bringing in as a tutor and a delivery boy. One day a recruiter came knocking at his doublewide trailer and told him if he enlisted the military would pay for him to become a doctor. It wasn’t until he was in basic training Seb found out recruiters told poor kids a lot of shit to make their quotas and the truth wasn’t the fucking half of it.
“So you’re still thinking about college?” John said, trying to keep the accusation out of his voice. For some reason he couldn’t explain why the thought of Seb leaving filled him with a white hot dread.
The kid gave a small apologetic laugh. “I know I’m a little old but I’ve been savin’ my money, and after this job there’s a good chance I can get the loans I need.”
“And you can’t study medicine online, can you?”
Seb shot him an imploring look. “John, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on but bein’ a doctor’s what I always wanted.”
John felt a rush of guilt, but couldn’t stop himself from pressing on. “I know, kid, but we brought you on thinking you’d become a permanent member of the team. You’re good at this work.”
“I know but I was good at that other kind of work too, and it didn’t stop me from leavin’. That’s not the life I want for myself and no offense, boss, but it wasn’t the life you wanted either.”
John’s head was suddenly pounding with beer and tension. He didn’t have the energy for this. “Look, you’re here now. Let’s say we do this job, get it over with, and then think about college?”
“Okay.” Seb looked as though he wanted to keep talking but knew he wouldn’t get anywhere. The air between them thickened and John was half-worried he was about to see the kid explode. Then Seb stood and extended a hand. “Everythin’s fine between us, right?”
John smiled, Colt’s voice echoing in his ears. Too nice for his own good. War hadn’t turned Seb into an asshole, neither had poverty or the brand of hellfire and damnation Christianity he’d grown up in, why would waiting a few more weeks for his dream?
“Yeah kid, everything’s fine,” he said, something strange and lonely pounding in his chest. They shook hands and John was grateful when Colt returned and flicked Schwartz’s panties at Seb’s head. “What’s taking your so fuckin’ long?”