There was no way I was going into that morgue to look at Gideon’s body, and I was glad when nobody protested me staying behind. Just seeing Francis’ was enough for me. In Donnelly’s office I was able to see the papers Ray had been reading, and the notes the killer left on the flesh of its victims. Where’s my Ray of sunshine. Bring him back to me. Couple those with what the killer said to me and the other notes, and it made sense.

It wasn’t me the killers wanted, it was Ray, and I was an obstacle for them. That thought had me shivering so violently I almost spilled the coffee Donnelly gave me.

Ray wasn’t gone very long and when he came back to the office with Donnelly, I could tell by his face he was just as shaken over all this as I was.

In the car Ray said he was going to pick up dinner and then go over the files. While I knew that time wasn’t on our side, I also knew if we, namely Ray, burned out before the killer or killers were brought down nobody won.

“Can we stop one more place before we go back to yours?”

Ray gave me a side glance, shrugged and agreed. “Where did you want to go?”

“I’ll give directions. All you have to do is trust me.”

He smiled and I wanted to slide into his lap and lick his grin so badly. But he was driving and I valued my life.

Twenty minutes later I had Ray pull into the parking lot of an abandoned building.

“Andy, why are we here?” He came to a stop at the front and turned to me.

“You have to trust me, remember?” I got out and waited for Ray to follow me.

I wasn’t going through the front door because those had long ago been sealed up. I walked around back where a faded red door was. Years ago it was an employee entrance, now it was where only I went through.

“Life is stressful, Ray. Francis and I were always scraping by. We worked hard and while he was able to blow off steam by going to clubs or playing video games with me, we both often wanted to get away.” The door stuck for a second as I opened it but one more pull and it gave way.

“We didn’t have the money to take grand vacations or even rent a car to drive anywhere, so one day he and I decided to walk. We pretended we were explorers.” I shrugged and could feel my cheeks burn. “We were dorks, but it was fun. One day we were passing here and there was this girl, about nineteen, and we saw her come in here.”

I took Ray’s hand as we walked through a back room toward a set of decrepit doors.

“We scared her when we came in, and by the looks of her she was homeless. But Francis and I told her we didn’t want to hurt her. We gave her twenty bucks and told her what we were doing. She thought we were funny and the three of us became friends.”

“What happened to her?” Ray asked as we pushed through the doors to a large opening.

“She died. She left us a note one day saying while being in the oasis gave her happy moments, the pain was too much. She killed herself in front of a hospital with my number in her pocket . They called me, but I was ready for it.” My heart hurt thinking of Lily. I’d lost so many people in my life, why?

“I’m sorry.”

This wasn’t about grieving, it was about an escape so I shrugged it off. “Come on.”

I pulled Ray’s hand eagerly as we entered a sectioned off area of the building. The three of us were the only ones who ever came here, so it was frozen in time from the last time we were here.

“Welcome to the Lily Pad Oasis, Ray. Where the world goes away and your imagination is your vacation,” I said with flourish.

Ray pushed back the large blue tarp. I followed him in, knowing the batteries for the lighting and sound were likely still good I clicked the switch. White fairy lights surrounded the top and by the gasp Ray let out, he was amazed at what he saw.

Lily, Francis, and I spent a long time making it the perfect escape. We scavenged things, and Francis and I ended up spending some money on the place. It looked like a mini rain forest. The switch that lit the lights turned on a small water fall and a radio that played Caribbean music.

Whenever we’d came we brought food, but I wasn’t expecting this so I wasn’t prepared. In the center of the oasis was a huge blow up mattress. The blankets could probably stand a washing, but we were clothed so I pushed Ray onto it.

“I come here to get away, Ray. No one knows about this place. Without Lily it was hard to come here with Francis. But we had each other to remember all the good times. Now with Francis gone, the ache would’ve been unbearable to come back here. But you, Ray. I got this feeling it wouldn’t hurt as bad with you. Together we can make it what Lily always wanted it to be. It can be our place, Ray. Our escape, our oasis.”

“Wow, Andy, this place is amazing.” He looked around in wonderment, all stress washed away. Exactly what I had hoped for.

“Francis and I always said that if we couldn’t find each other anywhere then we didn’t look here.” Ray’s smiled mirrored mine.

“So you’re saying if I can’t find you anywhere, look here?” Ray cupped my cheek, I hovered over him as he laid on the mattress.

“I think you’d find me anywhere, Ray. But yeah. I’d be here.”

The sound of the water and light music echoed through the oasis in the abandoned building as Ray pulled my lips to his. He kissed me like he was owning me, and I wanted to be owned by him.

His hands caressed down my neck, over my shoulders, and I shivered as they came to rest on my jean covered ass.

“Ray,” I moaned as he nipped my chin.

“I don’t have any condoms or lube, Andy. I didn’t know we’d be here.”

“Me either.”

I didn’t want to ruin the moment by telling Ray I wouldn’t get naked on these blankets anyway. So I pressed him to the mattress and as smooth as possible, I shimmied down his body until my face was even with the obvious bulge in his pants.

“I want you to relax, Ray, let me help you.”

He ran his fingers through my hair, and the subtle nod was all I needed.

I unzipped his pants, making sure as I slipped them down I didn’t expose his butt to the sheets. I just wanted his dick, and when I pulled the briefs under his nuts it was like dessert at the oasis.

I wanted it to last for him. Slowly, I licked him from bottom to top, gently sucking the head, relishing on the burst of precome that burst over my tongue.

“Jesus, Andy,” Ray mumbled as his head fell back and his arms spread in sweet surrender.

I licked, sucked, and took Ray down as far as I could over and over again until his legs shook and he fisted the blankets.

“Andy,” he shouted at the same time he exploded in my mouth. I devoured every drop, almost grateful for it. I knew I was falling for Ray and giving this to him was more than my body could handle, so a second later I was coming in my pants.

I don’t know how long Ray and I ended up lying there on the dirty blankets staring up at the twinkle lights and relaxing to the majestic sounds. But the sun had set, and right before my lids dropped I heard Ray say thank you.