I appreciate all of the warm mail I've received about this continued story. Please feel free to send any comments you might have. Thanks for patiently waiting.
Dan skyecatone@hotmail.com
Steel Tigers: Part 2
Kyler stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his hips and tossed his shaving kit into his suitcase. He glanced up as his father walked in and leaned against the door jam. "Something wrong?" He asked, continuing his packing.
"I'm supposed to believe that a snot nosed kid with a two year degree in web design is suddenly the comptroller for a resort hotel?" Richard Bridgemont's feelings were clearly evident in his voice. "A week after you start they're flying you to San Francisco for who knows how long, and I'm supposed to believe this?"
"Sorry, dad, I must've misled you." Kyler looked up at his father as he pulled on a pair of khaki shorts. "I really don't give a shit what you believe. I didn't ask your permission to go, and if you don't get your lazy ass out of the way and shut up I'll bust your fucking jaw." He pulled on a loose tank top and slipped on his sandals.
"You better watch your goddamn mouth, Kyler, or you're gonna end up homeless and broke. I don't have to listen to this." Richard shook his finger. Kyler ignored him and closed the suitcase and set it with the garment bag on the floor. His father kept going and he tuned it out, looking around to make sure he had everything.
The doorbell rang and Kyler picked up the bags and his laptop case. He walked over and stopped in front of his dad and smiled, a smile that gave Richard chills. "Thanks for everything, dad. You should be father of the year. You can take everything in this room and throw it out on the lawn for all I give a shit." He shouldered past and into the hall. "You want to see the shape of things to come? Look out the front door."
Richard followed his son into the foyer and yanked the door open, preparing his next comments on Kyler's ungrateful bullshit. What he saw stopped him cold. A Lincoln Town Car limousine sat in the circular driveway, and a short Mexican man was walking from the trunk to get Kyler's bags. "Good morning, Mr. Bridgemont." He said to Kyler.
"Good morning Mr. Javierto." Kyler helped put the luggage in the trunk and closed it. He turned and took a couple of steps towards his father as the driver opened the back door for him. "See ya around, dad. It was real." He held his father's eyes for a long moment and then climbed in the car. It was the last they saw of each other for a long time.
"There's a package there for you." Javierto said as he pulled away from the house. "Mr. Rivera sent it. He said you need it for the trip. There's coffee in the thermos."
"Thanks." Kyler smiled at the eyes in the rear view mirror. "You make a guy feel welcome." He found the thermos and poured a cup for the driver and then one for him self. "Isn't it going to be a pain in the ass to get this big bitch in and out of the airport?"
Javierto laughed. "We don't go through the traffic. Your plane is waiting at the smaller part of the airport where the private planes are." He turned to look over the seat. "Open that package and see if I need to take anything back signed."
Kyler sat the large yellow envelope in his lap and sighed, excited and nervous at the same time. He tore it open and began pulling items out. There was a new passport that he'd gotten his picture taken for, a company ID that identified him as a senior comptroller, a platinum visa with his name on it, and an American Express platinum business card with his name on it. There was also an expensive looking gold key chain with the Jaguar logo on it. A single key hung from the ring. The last thing in the envelope was a note folded in half. He opened it and began to read.
Kyler,
Your new program is up and running, and three of our best hackers told me they couldn't get in. When you get back I'll give you your bonus.
Carlos
P.S. Use the cards when you want. That's what they're for. Keep and eye on El Tigre'. You got his back.
Kyler smiled and held the key up for a closer examination. There was a Jaguar symbol on the key itself as well. "No way." He chuckled.
"What's the matter?" Javierto asked.
"From this note it sounds like Carlos is planning to let me drive one of his cars or something." Kyler leaned back and the seat. "Sounds like fun."
"It would be more like Carlos to give you a car than to let you drive his. Why would he send you a key to his car?" Javierto met Kyler's eyes and shrugged. "It's also like him to leave you guessing the whole time you're away."
"Shit." Kyler grinned and looked out the window as the scenery went by. For the hundredth time in the last week he felt ridiculous, almost like he was playing dress up or something, or pretending to be rich. It had been a busy week filled with hard work on the new system, but it had been like a fairy tale, too. Expensive meals and riding in nice cars. It was so hard to not laugh.
He was left alone to his thoughts for the remainder of the drive. They passed through the east side of Las Vegas and ran into light traffic. As they neared the airport Kyler felt himself becoming very excited as he looked out the window and saw a jet taking off. He loved traveling, and was looking forward to seeing San Francisco, even if it was a working trip. Anywhere was better than here.
Javierto pulled the long Lincoln up and around a large hangar that sat at the far end of the airport, and Kyler got the first look at their plane. It was a small sleek Lear Jet, white with what looked like a Mayan mask painted on the tail. A tall extremely muscular man stood near the hatch and walked over as Kyler got out of the car.
The guy was about Kyler's age and stood about 6'3" tall. He guessed that the guy weighed around 230 lbs and didn't have an ounce of fat on him. He wore small rectangular sunglasses, a tight form fitting black tank top, and pleated black slacks. It was one of the few times that Kyler could remember someone intimidating him just with his appearance. The guy was fucking massive!
"You Kyler?" The guy smiled and held out his hand. "Lance Burke. I'm Tyler's bodyguard." They shook hands and he helped Kyler get his bags. "The boss is already on the plane asleep." They headed for the steps into the cabin.
"Did I keep you waiting?" Kyler asked as Lance put his bags in the hold and closed it. He held onto the laptop.
"He was asleep when we got here." Lance grinned. Tyler gets insomnia. I knocked his ass out with a little help from Brian. I think you met the doctor?" Lance waved his arm for Kyler to climb in.
"Yeah. He helped me out after a little scuffle last week." Kyler stepped into the cabin and had to smile. There were four large leather seats along the sides and a couch at the rear. Tyler was stretched out on the couch with his arm over his eyes. He moved to one of the front two seats and sat down, doing up the seat belt.
"I saw that fight." Lance turned and pulled the stairs up and pulled the door down and sealed it. "I lost money on you. You fight like Tyler does. No pattern." He stuck his head in the cockpit. "Let 'er rip, Hank." The pilot nodded and eased the throttles forward. The plane turned and headed for the taxiway as Lance sat down and buckled in. "Anyway, he almost had you. Your focus was on his hands. He almost swept you."
"Fuck that." Kyler said almost indignantly. "He was to fucking big to move. His hands would've closed me down if they'd connected." He shook his head and looked out the small oval window. "It's easy to see what's wrong from the outside of the fight."
"Look, I didn't mean to piss you off. It was just an observation." Lance handed him a coke and a cup of ice. "It'd be cool to workout with you sometime if you want."
Kyler looked back and smiled, deciding not to start something from nothing.
"Cool. Is the boss going to wake up by the time we get to San Francisco?"
He jerked his thumb at Tyler. "He doesn't seem like the type to appreciate being carried to the car."
"He didn't mind this morning." Lance grinned and took of his sunglasses. "Besides, he can sleep all he wants. We're not going to San Francisco."
"We're not?"
"No." Lance handed him a note. "We're taking El Tigre' to Key West for some out of circulation time and some rest."
Kyler opened the note and read it. It was a threat against Tyler and his son's lives. He looked up sobered and handed it back. It detailed what would happen to him when they landed in San Francisco, and what would happen to his son in Las Vegas. "No one knew we were going to California." Kyler said and handed the note back.
"Eight people that we know of." Lance leaned back in his chair as they started their take off. "All trusted inner circle."
"That's fucked up." Kyler felt the pull of acceleration and glanced out the window at the receding ground. "Why would someone want Tyler dead?"
Lance met his eyes for a long second, a strange expression on his face. He rested his head back. "I forget you don't know a whole lot about all of us yet."
"So tell me. Last time I checked it was several hours to Florida." Kyler offered. "Dude, I'm loyal. Believe me."
Lance smiled slightly. "Let me lay out some rules first, okay, and see how serious you are. The first rule is easy. You're either in or you're out. If you're in, you don't talk to anyone except the family. If you're out we just finished talking, okay?"
"The second rule is there's confidential and then there's family business. Confidential shit is something we discuss with the people that run the various businesses and help the flow of cash." Lance turned in his seat and put his leg over the cushion. "Family business is never discussed with anyone other than the family, or I or one of my guys makes you a footnote in the history books. Know what I mean by that, Kyler?"
Kyler swallowed hard and nodded his head. There had been a few things he'd seen and heard over the last week that had left him with questions. He just figured out what the answer was, or at least part of it. "Those guys that disappeared a few days ago. They talked, didn't they?"
Lance nodded. "Here's the deal, dude. Carlos trusts you or you wouldn't be here. That gives you so fucking much power you wouldn't believe it. How many people called you sir at the Temple? A lot?" Kyler nodded and Lance continued. "They already know you're in, you know what I mean?"
Kyler nodded again. "I thought I was getting a long real good, you know? The office people were really respectful."
"Fuckin' A they were. They know you're family, get it?"
Kyler sighed and nodded his head. It was cool but it wasn't so cool. He thought again about the four guys that had been found dead and a cold chill ran up his spine. "So what's the deal with Tyler? Why would someone want him killed?"
"Jesus, where do I start?" Lance chuckled. "Tyler started making enemies the very first time he went on a job with Rocky."
"I thought Rocky was his son."
"Na, the first Rocky. He and Tyler were real close, which is where little Rocky got his name." Lance took a sip of his coke and adjusted his position. "Rocky was one bad son of a bitch." He launched into a detailed account of Tyler's rise to power as the head of security for the family, and how he got the job when Rocky died. He told Kyler about the gang wars, and about numerous shady dealings, and about Tiger's Army.
"I got mine after Daren did, and it kind of snowballed." Lance rubbed the tattoo of a tiger holing a pistol on his left shoulder. There's over a hundred and fifty guys with this tattoo. Everyone of 'em would fight a chainsaw to jump off a cliff if he asked 'em to."
"That's incredible." Kyler shook his head. "He seems really laid back, you know? Not big headed like you'd expect."
"He's gotten to big for his ass once or twice." Lance grinned. "Me and Daren and Steve and Berto take turns knocking him on his ass when he gets a trip going on. We had to start when Rocky died."
"How close was he to Rocky? You mention him a lot." Kyler asked.
Lance looked at his hands for a long time. "Probably better ask him that."
He looked at his watch. "We'll land in a couple of hours. You can ask him when he wakes up."
"He is awake, you fucking moron." Tyler said thickly from the couch. "Amyltizol doesn't last that long on me, remember?" He sat up slowly and pushed his hair out of his face. "What the fuck's the matter with you Lance? Do you have to drug people to get your point across?" His face was puffy from sleeping, and his eyes were red. "Give me some reason why I shouldn't just blow your fucking head off?" There was no levity in his voice.
"Because (A) I have your pistols, and (B) Carlos said you needed sleep. Argue with him if you want, okay?" Lance raised his hands. "I did what I was told."
Tyler slowly turned his head to look at Kyler. "To answer the question that super puff over here wouldn't, Kyler, Rocky was the center of the world to me. He was my friend, my savior, and my lover. Does that about cover it?"
"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to piss you off." Kyler felt the hair on his neck stand up; knowing he'd accidentally crossed a line somewhere.
"If I were pissed off you'd know it." Tyler said and stood up to make his way to the small lavatory. " Lance, did you give him the docking port for his computer?"
"Oh, yeah." Lance stood up and went to a cabinet that was attached to the wall near the cockpit. He pulled out a zipper case and handed it to Kyler. "That's for your computer. There's a program disk with it."
Kyler opened the case and pulled out a flat piece of equipment obviously designed to fit on the bottom of his laptop. He took the computer out and slid it into place and locked it. The machine was now about twice as thick as it had been as was heavier. "What does it do?" He asked, examining it critically.
"Berto said it was ten one hundred and five gig hard drives." Lance shrugged. "Your supposed to be able to copy an entire computer's drives into it so you can go over them later."
"God damn!" Kyler laughed and turned on the computer. "A thousand and fifty gigs? Do you have any idea how much storage space that is?"
"A lot?" Lance chuckled. "Computer's aren't my deal, okay?"
The door to the lavatory opened and Tyler stepped out drying his shoulder blade length hair with a large towel. "Well, Lance, we can all see what you've done to protect my life, but what have you done for my beloved wife?"
Kyler noticed that Lance stiffened visibly at Tyler's comments. "I handed 'em over, dumb ass, what did you think I was going to do?" He deliberately pushed his seat back and crossed his legs. "Carlos sent them to Mexico to see his mom."
Tyler reached in the bathroom and got a brush and then hung over at the waste to brush his hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like a fuck, okay?"
"Yes you did, but I'll live with it." Lance seemed to relax a little. "For what it's worth Angelique wanted to come with you."
Tyler flipped his hair back and smiled lopsidedly at Lance. "You mean she wanted to be where you were going to be, right?" He chuckled. "Carlos should've sent you with her instead of me."
"He tried." Lance sketched a small salute. "I decided where I was going."
Tyler returned it and grinned. He glanced at Kyler and realized that he was extremely uncomfortable. "Uh, Lance and my wife have a sort of arrangement. You know, since I really wasn't interested, well, anyway I guess I'd rather it be my best friend than a stranger, you know?"
"Sure, I guess." Kyler was still digesting the fact that Tyler was gay, had a wife and son, and had all but give his wife to his straight best friend. He rubbed his forehead and fought the urge to laugh nervously.
"Find out when we get there, will you?" Tyler asked Lance and sat down in one of the chairs. He search for his cigarettes and lit one. "So, think you fell into a soap opera?"
"It's a lot to get used to." Kyler put the new CD in the computer and let it auto run.
Tyler chuckled and folded his feet up into the chair, unknowingly giving Kyler a clear view of the fact that he wasn't wearing underwear. Kyler looked down and knew that his face was red.
"Wow, the Jaguar is a diplomat. Carlos will love that." Tyler leaned the chair way back and reached over and took Lance's drink. Lance moved back to his seat and sat heavily.
"About an hour." Lance's face looked flushed.
"What's the matter?" Kyler asked.
"We're over the Gulf of Mexico. I hate flying over water."
Tyler laughed out loud, a truly pleasant sound compared to the last several minutes. Kyler tried but couldn't stop himself. He put his hand over his mouth but it didn't help. He cracked up, feeling the rush of eased tensions.
They spent the remaining time before landing going over the computer program and just bullshitting. As they began to descend Kyler packed everything away in the case and set it on the floor. As he looked out his window he could see a city. It was early afternoon and he could see the shadow of the plane rippling over the houses.
They landed at a small municipal airport and were met by a Chevy Suburban. Kyler helped Lance load the bags while Tyler talked with the pilots, giving them time off and money. They piled in the truck and headed for their final stop.
The house blew Kyler away. They pulled off into the road onto a drive lined with palm trees. The property was surrounded by high hedges and stretched on for acres. There was a round pavilion in front of the house and the driver stopped in front of a three story modern home that was made of mostly glass, steel, and concrete.
Kyler stepped out and looked up with a smile on his face. "It's incredible." The house looked like blocks stacked on top of each other. "Carlos owns this place?"
"He owns the man who owns the house, put it that way." Tyler led him inside. "Same thing."
The inside of the home was open and decorated with clean lines and leather furniture. Kyler felt like a tourist as he followed Tyler up the stairs to his room. It was on the second floor, and he felt stunned as he walked through the door.
The entire south wall was glass, and he could see the ocean. "Holy shit." He mumbled, walking over and sliding open the door to the balcony. "Oh wow."
"Did you bring a swimming suit?" Tyler asked from the door. Kyler nodded.
"Well I don't know about you but I'm going swimming. Fifteen minutes?"
"Yeah, sure." Kyler looked down and saw the u-shaped pool surrounded by a patio. When he looked back Tyler was gone. "Fifteen minutes!" He lunged for his suitcase and hurriedly yanked clothes out of it. He pulled out his silver Speedo and tossed it on the bed and nearly tore his shirt getting it off.
Tyler stopped at Lance's room and stuck his head inside. "Hey, Tiny. We're going swimming. Come out when you check on the guards."
Lance had his cell phone to his ear and nodded with a wave. "Ten guys is enough, Ramos. Don't send anymore. It'll look suspicious." He said into the phone and rubbed his hand over his buzzed hair.
Tyler smiled and left him to it, making his way to the last room on the floor. The corner room had glass on three sides, making it his favorite. He'd spent time here with Carlos, and this room was one of few places that he found solitude.
He went to his bags and pulled out his suit, a French cut sapphire Speedo, and tossed it on the bed. He took the time after undressing to pull his hair back and then pulled on the suit. He grabbed a Hawaiian shirt out of the pile and put it on leaving it open.
His irritation at the sneaky way in which he ended up in Boca Raton was dissipating, and though he understood Carlos' concern for his well being, he still felt like he'd been exiled. Yesterday had been the anniversary of Rocky's death, and hindsight being twenty-twenty, he guess he got a little drunk. It was not a reason to be sent away, however.
Thinking of Rocky made him taste bitterness as he got towels out of the pool house and threw them on the loungers. The muscles in his jaw moved as he bit down, still angry after two years. Every time he thought he'd finally put Rocky to rest something brought him back. It was miserable.
He was putting tanning oil on when Kyler came tearing out of the house. Tyler chuckled as the other looked around in wonder as he walked over, almost falling over a chair. "Easy, man. You could hurt yourself." He absentmindedly looked Kyler over from head to foot, realizing just how gorgeous he was, and then feeling a wave of guilt wash over him.
"This is like being in a movie." Kyler accepted the bottle of tanning oil and began to put it on. "It's just not real, you know? I mean I just flew across the country in a fucking Lear Jet, and now I'm gonna get sunburned at a ten million dollar house." He shook his head.
"Nine point four, actually." Tyler smirked. "Enjoy it while you can because it gets boring after awhile." He stretched out on the lounger and adjusted his sunglasses.
"Boring? Jesus Christ, there's a beach right there. How could you get bored?" Kyler plopped down in the next lounger. "I'm never gonna get used to this."
"It has a high price." Tyler twisted his head from side to side, trying to loosen his neck up. "Real soon you're going to be asked to do something, Ky, and it will probably be illegal. It's going to be something that if you were prosecuted for you'd do time. You won't get caught, but that's part of the price."
"What do I have to do?" Kyler asked, suddenly sobered.
"We're going to go back to California in a few days and break in to an office building, and you and your magic computer are going to image copy several computers." Tyler lifted his glasses and glanced over. "The people that own the computers wouldn't like that and may try and stop us."
"What's on the computers?"
Tyler chuckled. "The financial records and emails of people that are trying to restart the Salieri family. My wife's family."
"You mean like the mafia?" Kyler wanted to laugh but at the same time it wasn't funny. Tyler didn't say anything. He just smiled and lowered his glasses.
"Holy shit." Kyler closed his eyes and leaned back.
They turned a couple of times, and at one time Lance showed up and told Tyler the house was secure and then left. Kyler was just starting to get bored when he decided to take a walk on the beach. It was late afternoon now, and he stood up and adjusted the leg bands on his suit.
"Where're you going?" Tyler yawned.
"Down to the sand. Wanna go?" Kyler held out his hand and after a moment Tyler took it, allowing him self to be pulled up. "I love beaches.."
"They're okay." Tyler followed. "I like private beaches like this one."
"I've never been on a private beach. I wish we had a football." He stepped into the sand and looked from one end of the property to the other. It was about three hundred yards long. He turned to see Tyler opening a small cabinet by the steps. He pulled out a football and tossed it to Kyler.
"Go on, man. You can't throw it right there." Tyler pointed. "Head up that way and give me a bomb."
"Okay." Kyler trotted off and put some distance between them. After a few seconds he threw a long spiral and laughed as Tyler ran after it into the surf. Pretty soon it arced back towards him, and he found himself doing a long sideways dive to catch it, landing in the water.
For almost an hour they played, and Tyler added a new aspect to the game. He threw the ball and then came at Kyler. Kyler grinned and dodged, heading back towards Tyler's end with Tyler in hot pursuit.
"Yaaaahhh!" Tyler bellowed and dove, catching Kyler around the waist and carrying him into the waves. The water shoved them back on to the sand in a heap. Tyler snatched the fumbled ball and tore off, and Kyler jumped up and followed.
After three more tackles Kyler was winded. He leaned on his knees panting.
"I think I have sand in my suit."
"I know I do." Tyler put the ball under his arm and adjusted his suit. "One more and then we go in, okay?" Kyler nodded and straightened up. He took off across the sand and looked up as the ball sailed through the air at him.
Tyler immediately set off, churning the sand under his feet as he poured it on. Kyler feinted and spun, ending up behind Tyler and laughed, heading the other way. Tyler spun and chased him, marveling at how muscular Kyler was. At the last moment he launched into the air and caught him just as Kyler looked back, his eyes wide.
Tyler carried him onto his back and Kyler felt the other land on him. Sand rained down on them from the furrow they'd dug, and Tyler opened his eyes to meet Kyler's. For a second he was captivated by those ice chip blue pools.
Can I ask you something?" Kyler asked without trying to get Tyler to move.
He just stayed there, not sure what he was doing but compelled to do it.
"If you want." Tyler supported himself over Kyler on his hands. He didn't really want to move.
"Has there been anyone since Rocky?" Kyler asked, studying Tyler's face and eyes.
Tyler smiled faintly. "Are you volunteering?"
"I don't know. Maybe." Kyler swallowed hard as he realized the truth of his own words.
After a few seconds Tyler sat up on his heels and pulled Kyler up. "Maybe we can just see what happens." Tyler said, not letting go of Kyler's hand. "Thanks, though."
"What for?" Kyler looked from their hands to Tyler's green eyes.
"I haven't felt like that in a long time." Tyler stood up and pulled him to his feet.
A few minutes later Kyler walked into his room and closed the door. He groaned and leaned against the door and closed his eyes. Of all the stupid things he'd ever done this ranked in the top ten. Desperately throwing himself at his boss was a new low. He was embarrassed, and would have preferred to crawl under the bed and die.
He headed into the bathroom to get cleaned up. There was sand in the crack of his ass, which only served to worsen his mood, and his thighs, usually covered by knee length shorts, were now and angry red from the sun. His shoulders and chest weren't to bad, but right under his ass where the suit had ridden up hurt from the burn.
He jerked with a grimace when even cool water in the shower stung. It was fitting price to pay for his absolute stupidity. He replayed the scene in his mind, and each time he embellished what had happened until in his thoughts he had all but gotten on his knees and begged Tyler to have sex with him.
One thing was certain. He had just exposed himself as being gay to the wrong person, and he fully expected to be sent back to Vegas and fired, assuming they were decent enough to send him back. What the hell, maybe they'd just leave him here. Par for the course after pissing off his dad and having nowhere else to turn.
At 8:30 Tyler sat with Lance in the kitchen eating fried chicken and salads. He looked at his watch and then at the door for the hundredth time.
Lance smiled slightly and looked at him over the chicken breast he was working on. "Something wrong, Tyler?"
Tyler looked down at his plate and wiped his hands on his napkin. "I was expecting Kyler to come down. Maybe he's sick from the sun." Tyler had also gotten a fair sunburn and had come to dinner in just a pair of cut off sweats.
Maria, the house cook and head of the staff walked over and refilled his glass with ice tea. "Mr. Bridgemont asked for dinner to be brought up." She chuckled and walked back to the counter. "He also needed some burn spray."
"There, see? Now you don't have to worry." Lance went back to his chicken. He knew something had happened, and had known Tyler long enough to realize roughly what it was. He kept his mouth shut waiting for Tyler to bring it up if he wanted to.
After a long silence Tyler sighed and slid back from the table. "Lance, I need a little help with a problem." He swirled his tea in the glass and watched as the ice clinked around. "I think Kyler is, you know, attracted to me."
"And?" Lance finished and wiped his hands. "What parts the problem?"
"I don't know how I feel." Tyler said quietly and met Lance's eyes.
Lance's smart-ass comment died in his throat. Tyler looked almost haunted, and Lance was reminded just how lonely his best friend and boss had been for the last two years. "How did this come about?" He asked.
Tyler described the brief conversation after the impromptu football game. "He's good looking and funny, isn't he?" Tyler asked. Lance nodded. "So where is the mental block coming from?"
"Maybe it's not a block. Maybe you're just subconsciously protecting yourself. It must be a bitch to be 'El Tigre' and feel vulnerable, isn't it?" Lance smirked.
Tyler gave him a withering look and sighed. "If you don't want to talk about this just say so."
Lance held up his hands in surrender. "Look, Ty, this is the way I see it, okay? There is no doubt in anyone's mind that you loved Rocky a lot. There is also no doubt that he would've wanted you to move on, you know? And you haven't" Tyler started to speak and Lance cut him off. "I am not suggesting that you run upstairs and fall madly in love, okay? But from where I stand it won't kill you to get a little every now and then, and if I was gay, Kyler wouldn't be to bad to look at, would he?"
Tyler smiled and shook his head. No, his pretty cool in a Speedo." He sighed again and stood up. "You're a pain in the ass, Lance. You always have been."
"Tyler, Rocky would not have wanted you to become a monk." He held up his glass in salute as Tyler went out the door.
As he neared Kyler's room he could see that the door was open slightly and light leaked into the dark hallway. He hesitated for a second and then knocked on the door and entered. Kyler looked up from the desk where he sat, a towel around his waist, working on his laptop. His eyes looked very tired. "What are you doing?" He asked.
"I had Steve change the codes at the Temple. I'm using this new program to try and break in." Kyler yawned and rubbed his face. Tyler walked up behind him and put his hands on his shoulders, causing him to jump.
"So is it working?" Tyler rubbed gently, using his thumbs on the small knots in Kyler's shoulders.
"Mm." Kyler winced but let his eyes drift closed. "Actually yeah. I've been able to get in twice in twenty minutes." He let his head fall forward.
"Damn that's good."
Tyler smiled and leaned forward, letting his hands slide onto Kyler's chest. He rested his cheek against Kyler's ear. "It's been a long day. Sleep in tomorrow." He leaned back up and ran his hands over Kyler's large shoulders. "Don't be in such a rush, okay?"
Kyler grinned and nodded. He reached up and put a hand over Tyler's for just a second as the other pulled away and headed for the door. "Goodnight."
"g'night, Kyler." Tyler pulled the door shut behind him self.
Kyler sat there for a long moment and slowly reached up to tough his chest where Tyler's hand had been. A dopey grin spread over his face. After a few minutes he shut down the computer and stood up to get in bed. His mind drifted as he pulled the sheets back and dropped the towel to the floor. He slid into bed and turned off the lamp, but it took forever to fall asleep.
"Look, the speed of the down load is totally related to the clock speed of the hard drive, Tyler, and shouting about it isn't going to change that!" Kyler threw his hands up in frustration. "What the fuck did you hire a computer expert for if you won't listen?"
For the last three days they had been planning the raid to recover the information Tyler wanted, and the crucial element was becoming the speed of the computers. "I heard you." Tyler put his hands on the table and leaned down. "I don't want to copy the whole fucking drive. I just want certain files."
"You didn't say that." Kyler looked up at the ceiling and ground his teeth. "What kind of files am I specifically looking for?"
Tyler sat down and sipped from his coffee cup. "Anything not a program. I don't know. I don't know what programs they use, and I don't know if they're custom jobs or not."
"I wish I could get a look into their system." Kyler picked up a piece of toast and crunched on it. He glanced up and met Tyler's eyes. "I'm sorry I shouted. I wasn't hearing what you were trying to tell me."
"It's cool." Tyler smiled. "Can your laptop get in through a network server?"
"Sure, if I have a password. If I could do that we wouldn't need to go to California."
Tyler leaned on the table and rubbed his face. "I need some time off. Wanna go into town for a few hours?"
"Yeah. Want me to call Lance?" Kyler stood up and stretched.
"I'll leave him a note. Meet me in the garage after you put your computer away." Tyler turned and walked out of the room. Kyler put the computer in its case and jogged up the stairs to put it in his room.
There was a crash from the main floor and Kyler jerked around. He went to the door and stuck his head out, his heart beginning to pound. There was another crash, like a window shattering, and he headed cautiously down the hall.
At the top of the stairs he could see what looked like the butler's legs on the floor sticking out of the hall that led to the kitchen. He could hear what sounded like a scuffle coming from the living room area. Two loud bangs went off and Kyler felt a cold sensation in his stomach.
His heart pounded, and he slowly made his way to the bottom of the stairs and then crouched as he headed for the living room. His hands were clammy and he rubbed them on his shorts. There was a flutter just outside his vision and he turned towards the movement. His eyes went wide and he dodged to the side as a huge man slammed a fist into the wall where his head had been.
"Jesus Christ!" Kyler yelped and rolled away. He jumped to his feet and crouched. "Who the fuck are you?"
"Not your problem." The mountain of a man smiled slightly and came towards Kyler.
Kyler slipped under his arms and brought his elbow down between the man's shoulder blades. The man grunted and went to his knees but was right back up. He swung and connected with the middle of Kyler's chest sending him backwards over a large chair.
Kyler grimaced in pain and rolled over onto his hands and knees. The man was coming at him again and he jumped up and ran to the stairs. A vase near his head shattered in a deafening roar, and he dove behind the couch.
"Might as well stand up, friend. It's over anyway." The man said, moving towards the couch.
Kyler looked around frantically for a weapon but there wasn't anything he could use. He rolled onto his back and looked up. The man looked him right in the eyes and smiled in an almost friendly fashion. He raised his pistol, and Kyler could see right into the barrel.