Scavengers: August (5 page)

James nodded
and looked the boy up and down, before stepping in. “You live
here?” he asked.

The boy smiled,
closing the door with a thick lock and showing him to an old,
leather-covered chair by the fire. “No... I just visit every now
and then,” he said with a gentle smile. From his movements, James
could guess, he wanted to make a good impression on Ira’s guest.
“You wish for some tea? No milk,” he added immediately.

“Thank you... I
think I’ll just warm up by the fire maybe...”

“As you wish,”
said the boy politely, sitting in a wooden chair, one of four by
the oval-shaped table covered with a gray-ish piece of cloth. There
was one cupboard and a place for preparing food, with a pan hanging
from the wall along with some dried foods in large jars. It looked
as though they used the top of the fireplace to heat pots. The
smoke was released outside with a pipe leading through the ceiling.
James could see no decoration whatsoever, but there was an entrance
to another room, where Ira probably slept.

He took a deep
breath, sitting by the fire. “I’m sorry to intrude...” he said,
feeling awkward, especially with the mask on.

“That’s all
right,” answered the boy immediately, pulling his creamy thighs
together. “I was bored anyway.”

James’ eyes
opened a bit wider, as he involuntarily glimpsed a lot more flesh
than would usually be on show. “So you sleep here?” he asked again,
beginning to understand that Ira evidently didn’t have the same
concerns as he did.

The boy
laughed, his eyes glittering slightly. “He lets me sometimes, when
I don’t wanna go back home. He's a man ya can trust!” he added with
emphasis, apparently wanting to assure him that he was seeking the
services of someone proper.

“Oh. So he
cares for you? A bit like a father?” James asked with hope.

The boy nodded,
but the deep blush on his cheeks told James otherwise. “He’s...
nice.”

He wasn’t sure
if he wanted to be there anymore. What was the point? It looked as
though he had some kind of idiotic idea in his head whereas Ira
just fucked whoever was around. What happened in Kent, must have
been simply another fling to him. Maybe a little different than his
young friend here, but nothing out of the ordinary. Not the
world-crashing experience it was for him. “I can imagine it’s nice
to have a friend. Especially in this area.”

“Yeah, he’s
nice,” the boy nodded, “Wouldn’t you like to take off the mask?” he
asked all of a sudden.

“No, thank
you... I...” He stood up. “I actually think I will be going. Thank
you for your hospitality. Could you please not tell Ira about my
visit?” he asked.

Ira’s friend
tilted his head slightly, visibly surprised. “Why? Did I do
something wrong? I am sorry!” he said, standing up.

“Not at all. I
simply changed my mind about the assignment I wanted to give him,”
James said, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. He was sure the boy
was Ira’s lover. What could he then have to do here, as it was now
pretty obvious he was nothing more than a fling to Ira.

“Um... all
right,” said the boy in the end, studying James with
discretion.

“Thank you,”
said James rushing out of the house nervously. The unfamiliar dark
streets felt unwelcoming at this time of night. What was he doing
trying to look for that man?

*

Ira breathed
deeply, carrying a bag of food and drink up the stairs. He spent
most of the day at the university and then went to see a play in a
cheap theatre in Soho. He knocked on his door and almost
immediately Joshua opened, with a big smile. Ira smiled back,
handing his bag to the boy before heading into the overheated
room.

Joshua lost
everything after his father went bankrupt and committed suicide. He
ended up as a male rentboy, but kept putting money away in a bank.
Ira believed the boy would eventually leave the profession. Off
course, he heard that from many young hookers, but he honestly
hoped Josh could make it.

“There’s dinner
inside,” he said, taking off his leather jacket.

“Oh, thank
you!”, Joshua said, placing a quick kiss on his cheek, before
walking off to the table to take out the food. “How was your day at
the university?”

“Was all
right,” Ira sighed and sat in his favorite leather chair. The work
was as tiresome as a day on the galleys. It was probably the stress
of dealing with the undead that added to the tension. “Got new
zombies, as every day.”

“It’s a
responsible job!” Joshua smiled at him and braided his long hair to
the side. The smell of stew and bread filled the room when he put
the food on the table. “You had a visitor here, as well.”

“Yeah?” asked
Ira, his thoughts returning to the unexpected meeting at the
university. He still remembered the feel of luscious lips on his
cock and groaned at the memory. Fucking bigot that James, he
thought.

“He demanded of
me, that I do not tell you, but of course I will,” he said and
looked at Ira for approval. The man blinked, surprised.

“Why would he
want that?” he asked, gesturing for Joshua to come over.

“I don’t know.
He only stayed for a minute and tried to make some conversation.”
The boy came closer and sat on Ira’s lap. “He said he had an
assignment for you, but then changed his mind.”

“That’s weird,”
commented Ira, cradling his companion against his chest and kissing
his temple. He enjoyed Joshua’s company; he was beautiful, smart
and clung to him.

“He had this
expensive coat on and a very posh accent. So it could have been
some good money,” the boy said, kissing Ira slowly. Ira swallowed
and withdrew, but put his arm around his companion’s waist.

“Tell me more,”
he asked, feeling strangely apprehensive. Why would a potential
client resign after meeting Joshua?

“He asked me if
I lived here, if we were friends and that sort of small talk. Oh! I
know what else - he wouldn’t take off his mask. But I think he had
a few locks of long hair sticking out.”

Ira
straightened a bit. Was that possible? What could James be doing in
a neighbourhood like this? Did he... want to apologize? Yes, that
must have been it! “When was that?” he asked sharply.

“Not longer
than half an hour ago. Do you know who that could have been?”
Joshua asked, wrapping his arms around Ira’s neck.

“Yes,” the
older man answered, untangling his hands and trying to stand up, “I
need to go.” This area was definitely unfit for someone like James.
Moreover, it was like a labyrinth and he wondered whether the other
man would be able to get out of it safely.

“But what about
dinner?” asked Joshua with disappointment, getting off his lap.

“Ya go ahead,
I’ll eat mine when I’m back,” said Ira, bending to give the younger
man a kiss, but he knew he had to go now. Snatching his jacket from
the cupboard, he stormed out of the room and down the staircase,
trying to imagine, which way James could have taken. After a few
seconds, he concluded that he must have gone into the immediate
direction of the city, so he quickly went into the proper
street.

The bright
moonlight didn’t really help much with all the mist in the streets.
It was an eerie place, where one could rarely see an actual face,
as so many people wore gas masks, for some protection against the
filthy air. Ira forgot his own and already regretted it, as he felt
thick smoke teasing the inside of his nose and throat. He followed
the path that seemed the most probable. There were mostly men
living in this district, prostitutes being the only women visible
in the streets.

He walked
around the buildings for a good quarter of an hour, before he heard
some screams and the clash of metal against metal from a few alleys
away. With no hesitation, he grabbed his favorite serrated dagger
and ran in the direction he heard the noises from. He almost
tripped two times frantically searching for James. This was no
place for him!

He ran out to a
street just by the river and what he saw there was a swordfight.
Encased in the thick fog, two men were ruthlessly exchanging
attacks. He understood there was someone else from moans he heard
further down the pavement. The man in the elegant coat, James as he
supposed, made a series of swift blows with his saber, forcing his
opponent to back away, closer to the river. He definitely didn’t
look like a damsel in distress. Ira sighed, surprised, but did not
stop running along the almost empty street. Apparently, passers-by
preferred to stay uninvolved and hid as soon as they saw the fight.
“You’re fuckin’ dead!” he shouted with rage.

James’
opponent, dressed in some rags, looked at him, distracted enough to
give James a chance for a hit. He screamed, as the blade pierced
through his arm. He lost balance and took a step back, falling into
the river with a loud splash. At the same time, they heard the
well-known sound of police bells, as two officers came running down
the street.

“Oh ‘ell!” Ira
looked around, seeking a way out. Meeting the police was never a
good thing for him, especially since London became a fortress. It
happened to him before and usually, once the officers turned their
attention on someone, it was assumed they were guilty. The elegant
man finally turned his head towards Ira, but his face was hidden
behind the mask. Screams emanated from the injured man in the
water, but the policemen approached Ira and James cautiously,
ignoring the calls for help.

“What is all
this commotion!?” asked one of them as the other one kneeled down
beside the unconscious man on the pavement, checking if he was
alive.

“I came to
‘elp!” said Ira, straightening his back to look taller. He felt
nervous as he watched both uniformed policemen in light masks with
large goggles. Whey wore mid-length leather coats with brown
breeches stuck into knee-high boots, along with a waistcoat and a
tie, all mostly brown and grey.

“You?” said the
first officer, while the other one looked at James’ bloodied saber.
“I know you,” he added sharply, “You always cause trouble, never
‘help’.”

James took off
his mask, to show a flushed face, clearly visible in the moonlight.
It was obvious to Ira, that because of his elegant clothing, they
regarded him differently. “Gentlemen!” James said quickly. “I’m
sorry for what had happened here. My name is James Hurst and these
men tried to kill me.” He pointed to the ground and to the river.
“I was walking along peacefully and joined a heated discussion on
the upcoming Johners Walk, only to be attacked for my opinions soon
after!” James gave Ira a suspicious look.

“Do you have
any identification?” The police officer asked politely, as if
trying to stay on the safe side, worried that James might be
someone important.

“Yes, kind
sir,” he said and opened his coat to reach some documents from an
inside pocket. Since the Plague, government was a lot stricter
about knowing exactly who resides in the city.

Ira made a
discrete move towards the nearest alley, but the other policeman
immediately left the wounded burglar, and withdrew his gun. “Don’t
you dare, Russell!” he exclaimed, pointing the barrel into Ira’s
neck. The man swallowed.

“It’s a
misunderstanding!” he tried, but was stopped by the officer in an
instant.

“Shut your
mouth!”

The other
policeman gave James a bewildered look after examining his
documents and handed them back. “L... Lord Hurst, in this part of
the city, it is very dangerous for a man of your standing. Would
you like to be escorted back to your house? We are extremely sorry
for the problems you have encountered, sir!” he swallowed,
straightening his back. “My friend will detain the other thug and I
can go with you now, as to not waste your time, sir.”

“I’m no thug!”
hissed Ira, even though with the pistol right by his neck, he did
not dare move. “I was ’elping the man! Tell him!” His eyes turned
to James. It felt humiliating, but he could not let himself be
arrested again!”

“You're not
obliged to say anything, Lord Hurst, do not be intimidated, sir,”
said the policeman standing next to Ira as the other one sighed,
unsure what to do anymore.

“Do you know
this man, my Lord? Are you willing to vouch for him this night?
Because otherwise we will need to detain him.”

James
hesitated, looking at Ira discretely, but nodded. “Yes, it’s fine,
he will do nothing unlawful tonight,” he said.

Ira felt relief
wash through him as the gun shifted by his neck slightly.

“Are you
certain, my Lord?” asked the police officer with badly hidden
displeasure. “It is not the first time we would have taken him into
custody.”

“Yes, I will
make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble,” said James, cleaning his
saber with a handkerchief. Ira swallowed as he saw red on the
cotton. He would never expect him to be that much of a fighter.
When they went to Kent to retrieve James’ possessions, he was
pretty much a prince in distress. Here and now, he did quite all
right all by himself!

The second
policeman finally released Ira, who bent his head, not wanting to
look at any of them. He hated this with a passion. If James was
that good with his saber, he obviously didn't need him, hence all
he wanted was to return home to eat dinner with Joshua. He liked
spending time with the boy.

When the
policemen left taking the unconscious attacker with them, James
looked up at him slowly, without saying anything. He put his saber
back into its sheath. Ira licked his lips, crossing his hands on
his torso. Now that the other man saved him, he didn't feel like
talking to him anymore. “So... I’ll go.” he shrugged.

“Huh?” James
furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re not going anywhere. I’m responsible
for you tonight,” he said in a stern voice.