Convergence

Shaun had started to poke around the apartment. He opened the drawers, and felt around the boards under them. I knew the key would be hidden better than that. Gunnar may be stupid, but he was also cunning. He would have devised a very novel place to safeguard the key. The bureau was covered in tubes of lubricant, toys, clips and clamps, and assorted paraphernalia for various sexual acts. Some of the items defied description, and Shaun had no clue how they were used.

“But Kurt, my love, what do you mean? I am very happy to see you. Please untie me! What are you and your handsome friend looking for, anyway?”

The dildo started to pop out of his asshole as Gunnar’s body relaxed. It slid down between his legs and lay motionless in a pool of oily lubricant on the soiled sheet. I recognized the big black latex tube. It was twelve inches long, as thick as a beer bottle, and covered from tip to base in pleasure-enhancing ribs. I thought of the many times I had flipped it on, the big plastic sausage humming in my hand as I inserted the vibrating staff up Gunnar’s willing butt...But wait, it was laying motionless! I ran to the bed and grabbed the toy from Gunnar’s crotch. It smelled like sex, and was slimy in my hand. It felt remarkably light. I unscrewed the base, and realized I was correct; there were no batteries in the fucking thing! I flipped it up and the little silver key fell from the opening into my hand.

I looked over at Shaun. He still had his gun drawn, and crossed the room to the other side of the bed. Gunnar had a tortured look on his face. I think that our discovering the key hurt him a lot more than the beating he endured at the hands of the leather bear. Shaun was very agitated. I saw the killer exposed in his expression. He aimed the gun at Gunnar’s temple and cocked the trigger.

“You found it? Is that the key? Gunnar, you goddam animal, I should fucking plug you and put you out of your misery, like a rabid dog!”

I reached across Gunnar’s raw ass, across his shoulders pulled taut between the bedposts, and raised my palm up to Shaun.

“No!”

He looked at me skeptically, and then I saw his beautiful face relax. He hesitated for a second, then handed me the gun. I put the gun into my waistband, and handed Shaun the key. A simple exchange of items. Our trust was complete, our bond was sealed.

“Should we leave him here like this?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah. Maybe his boyfriend will come back to finish where he left off,” Shaun replied with a devilish smile.

Kurt couldn’t resist leaning further over Gunnar and giving Shaun a wet, nasty kiss.

Shaun hummed and pulled away from the kiss. He could get used to that kind of treatment. “Let’s get out of here,” he said.

They left the flat and stepped out onto the nearly deserted street. An old man walked by with a horse-drawn cart full of cheeses, breads, and cured meats. Shaun’s stomach churned and snarled – a not so friendly reminder that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast at Janne’s. He pulled out a few Euro notes and handed them to Kurt.

“Take this and buy something good to eat.”

Kurt shot him an inquisitive look. “Can’t we order something back at the hotel?”

“Yeah, but I that old man needs the money more than The Rosenthaler.”

Kurt smiled. Shaun continued to amaze him with his odd combination of ruthlessness and compassion. He’d never met a man like Shaun before and he was sure, now more than ever, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with the kind-hearted assassin. Kurt ran off after the man and his horse. While he was gone, Shaun slipped off around the corner and down a dark alley.

A very large man stood at the end of the alley, shrouded by the shadows and wrapped in a long, black leather trench coat. He was leaning against the building, but straightened up when he saw Shaun approaching. He lifted his black, leather visor and greeted his visitor.

Shaun looked up at the hulking figure and smiled. “Hello Dmitri.”

“Guten tag, Shaun.”

The two friends shared a handshake and a hug. Shaun felt the studded leather straps poking through the leather coat. “What was that all about in Rasmussen’s room? I only told you to tail him.”

“You said he was sneaky,” the sexy giant replied with a grin. “I figured if I tied him down he could not escape me, nein?”

Shaun could only laugh. “You both seemed to be enjoying it very much... especially you.”

“Ja... that is, until you came in wagging your gun at me.”

Oh yeah... sorry about that... I couldn’t let Kurt know what was going on.”

“Yes, I understand... but who is this Kurt?”

“My new partner,” Shaun answered with a smirk.

“Ah,” Dmitri said with a knowing smile. “Did you finish the assignment?”

Shaun sighed. “No. I was hoping you could wrap that up for me.”

The enormous man grabbed at his crotch and smiled. “Gladly.”

“And... can you give Kauffman a message for me? Can you tell him I couldn’t find the key and Rasmussen claimed he didn’t know anything about it.”

“Of course, mien freund,” Dmitri said. “So where is your next assignment?”

“I think... Berlin.”

They exchanged a knowing glance, then Dmitri extended his mighty paw to Shaun. “Until we meet again, old friend.”

“Take care, Dmitri.”

Shaun stepped out of the shadows and back onto the street where Kurt had left him. He was happy to see Kurt so happy. The young German smiled and laughed with the old vendor – the gloom of anger and angst that hovered over him when Shaun first met him had faded away. Shaun felt a little guilty about deceiving his new lover, but he didn’t think Kurt needed to know about his assignment to kill Gunnar. Besides, he liked being Kurt’s knight in shining armor. He’d tell him someday... but not then.

Kurt returned with a large wheel of Schloss, a couple of baguettes and a large salami all tucked under his arms.

“What’d you do, buy the whole cart?”

“It all looked so good,” Kurt replied sheepishly.

He kissed the adorable thug firmly on the lips. “That’s fine. What we don’t finish tonight, we can eat on our way to Budapest.”

“We? You’re taking me with you?”

“If you want to go.”

Kurt beamed brightly – brighter than Shaun had ever seen the man smile before. “This will be great! I can be your streetwise sidekick, guiding you through the vicious underground and in between assignments we can have wild, passionate sex. We can use some of the money to buy me some nice clothes like you. Not quite so – how do they say? – stuck up, though and... ”

Shaun smiled and listened to his new partner’s ramblings as they slowly made their way back to the hotel. Less than a block later, Kurt interrupted himself to say, “Budapest? We’re going to Budapest? I thought you were going to Moscow.”

Shaun grinned and said, “There’s been a slight change in plans.”