This is a work of gay romantic fantasy fiction. If that upsets or offends you for any reason, legal or personal you know what to do.
Keep Nifty free so donate, Donate, DONATE!!!
As always, thank you for reading and I hope you are enjoying the continuing adventures of The Detective and the Druid. If you have questions, comments, suggestions or complaints don't hesitate to hit me up at HonableRonable@gmail.com . I WILL write you back (if only to thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to reach out). PLEASE, tell me what you like, what you don't care for, what characters you'd like to see more (or less) of. If something doesn't' please you LET ME KNOW (otherwise how can I hope to improve my writing?)
Some of you may have noticed some references to other characters, series or authors in various chapters of this work. When they weren't outright steals I placed them there as "Easter Eggs" for you to find. You will be awarded 1,000,000 Totally Useless Points for each one you identify. Good hunting.
CHARACTERS
Ben Dover, Age 46 -- Part-time Detective
Lt. Benjamin Brazos (BB) Wolfe, Age 38 -- California Special-Crimes Police
James Starr AKA "Starjammer" - Fairy Sage and crusading Attorney
Special Agent Ethan Gray, Age 44 - CIA, Department of Exotic Affairs
Cliff Dover, Age 38 -- Archdruid
John-Thomas Bilodeau, Age 41 -- Druid Sensei
Nils Gustafsen, Age 32 -- English Instructor at Kings College, currently learning to harness his inborn mental abilities
CHAPTER SEVEN Coffee Date
Ben's contacts with the Kings Harbor Police Department were virtually nonexistent. Sam Southwick would need to be kept away from this investigation: the newly-minted Sergeant had already been warned off by his superiors. It wouldn't do the young Cop's career any good (and could potentially do him a great deal of professional harm if he got involved). The Texan kept him out of the loop for now at least. That left only Benjamin Brazos Wolfe of the State Special Crimes Police.
They met at Ben's "Coming Out Party" but the introduction hadn't gone that well--mostly because the big man was completely thrown by meeting an Elf Prince. Handsome as BB was, Ben found he couldn't concentrate on socializing with anyone so he'd ended up missing a good number of local connections. Still, desperate times called for desperate measures: Ben got BB.'s number from his brother and dialed.
"Hello?" BB.'s voice, even over the phone oozed sex.
"Howdy--this is Ben Dover...." The man found himself feeling oddly nervous: he hadn't asked anyone on a date since he'd met and fallen for his late wife. "Sorry t' bother y' at home..."
"Hey Ben--good to hear from you!" The Texan could almost hear the smile in BB.'s voice even over a cell phone. "What can I do you for?"
"Um..." This is where things got complicated. "I was--wonderin' if maybe--um--we c'd meet some time? Maybe sometimes soon..."
"And here I thought you didn't like me!" There was a laugh on the other end of the phone. "I don't usually get that reaction!"
"Sorry `bout that ol' Son," Ben said. "It wasn't you. I was just--um--distracted f'r a bit..."
"Meeting an Elf for the first time will do that!" BB laughed again. "Sure--I'd love to! Maybe something low-pressure like a Coffee Date?"
"I was hopin' t' see ya in a--somewhat professional--capacity..." Ben admitted.
"Oh! So, you don't like me after all?" The other man was enjoying the Texan's discomfort. "Most folks have the opposite reaction!"
Now it was Ben's turn to take a shot. "Son--ya know y'r sex-on-a-stick!" he said. "You walk by and underwear literally FLIES off! So, let's not go playin' th' `hurt' card!"
The Wolfe laughed again. "I was just bustin' your balls man!" he chuckled. "If you need to see me in a Professional capacity then I'm down! Maybe we can get in a little flirtation while we talk! So--when's good for you?"
"Th' sooner th' better! The Texan replied. "I may have stumbled into somethin' big..." The two men tossed times and places back and forth until they came to an agreement to meet at the Dedrich's Coffee near Kings College Thursday morning. After that they exchanged a few pleasantries then Ben hung up.
Ben arrived early to make sure he could get a good seat out of the main traffic flow. He chose a table near PCH which would further help obscure their conversation from anyone trying to listen in. (The Highway was extra busy at this time of day...in fact, it was a rare thing when this section of PCH WASN'T busy.) The man thought he might be taking this to the extreme but decided to err on the side of caution. There was still Nils' prediction that there would be more deaths and Ben had learned to take that seriously.
The Texan watched heads turn as his date came toward him carrying a cup of something strong and dark. BB Wolfe, clad in an off-the-rack gray suit and black shirt from Men's Wearhouse attracted envious stares from men and lusty glances from women. Ben knew that if this man would ever model whatever brand he represented would see its business go through the roof! BB oozed quiet confidence and a primal sex appeal from every pore and even Ben found himself being affected. The big man took a sip of his Venti Chai Latte to cover his stare.
"Excuse me Sir, is this seat taken? BB rumbled then gave the man a smile that had Ben popping a boner right in the midst of a crowded patio.
"Have a seat, ol' Son!" the Texan said with a friendly smile.
The Wolfe settled in and took a sip of his own drink. "So--whassup?"
"I may have stumbled into a multiple murder!" The Texan didn't mince words--he just dove right in. "Your local constabulary has closed both cases but I've uncovered a few threads of new evidence..."
"I'm listening..." BB''s flirtatious attitude vanished as the man fully focused on what Ben said.
"First," the big man began, "I caught Martin Oberdorf 3.0 tossin' m' office at th' college. He had some nonsense line bout lookin' f'r a project he'd done f'r Dr. Young that he needed f'r another class. He never did git round t' explainin' how he got into a locked office!"
"I know that little Fuck," the Wolfe said. "Pillsbury Doughboy Neo-Nazi Wannabe? Yeah, I know him! He has a bad habit of getting into trouble and then Dad or Gramps swoop in and buys him out! Evidence disappears, Cops forget' to file paperwork, witnesses suddenly forget' what they saw or just decide they don't want to press charges. Welcome to Kings Harbor Ben where Justice is sold wholesale to the highest bidder!" Then: "I suppose you checked his alibi?"
"I wanna be fair t' th' little Turd!" Ben said. "Discount th' fact that most assignments are filed with teachers lectronically--but here's th' thing! Doc Young hadn't assigned any projects' `r even given any tests this early in th' Quarter an' Oberdorf ain't never taken a class from Doc Young b'fore!"
"So, he was looking for something..." B.B. said. "I suppose you know what?"
"I have a good idea," Ben told him. "Norman th' Mormon was a copious an' thorough note-taker! He left a paper trail that connects Martin Oberdorf Sr, t' himself an' Sebastian Fredricks. He also notes that Oberdorf th' First threatened both himself and Fredricks."
"Not enough to convict but certainly enough to generate some interest," Wolfe commented. "To any halfway competent or honest police Detective!"
"Unfortunately, Young didn't leave NAMES," Ben told the other Cop, "he just used initials. But he left a few other breadcrumbs to follow."
"Do tell!" Wolfe was leaning forward, fully engaged.
"Oberdorf had sev'ral meetin's with someone with th' initials `RZ'." Ben told him. "I don't s'pose y' know who that might be...?"
"It's probably Roger Zelazny," the Wolfe offered. "I can't think of anyone else with those initials remotely connected to the University!"
"Who's that?" Ben wanted to know.
"Roger Zelazny is the current Administrator for the Seabolt-Clifton Trust," BB told the other man. "He's the only RZ I can think of connected in any way to Kings College. You probably want to ask your bro' or John-Thomas though..."
"I did," Ben replied. "They had the same thought."
"So, what do you think Oberdorf Sr. wants with Zelazny?" the Wolfe asked.
"Dunno," Ben told him. "Accordin' t' John-Thomas there's little Zelazny c'n do because th' Trust is Iron clad! Th' College changes a single thing an' they lose th' entire endowment AND th' lease on their land--which effectively puts `em out o' business!"
"Which would suit the Oberdorfs just fine!" Wolfe said sadly.
"We can't have that!" The speaker stood about 5'7" and was muscled like a gymnast which Ben could tell even though he wore an expensive suit. His skin was well tanned and youthful-looking but his blue eyes were ancient: the most startling thing to Ben was the pair of gigantic butterfly wings that waved gently behind the man in shades of blue and purple. Ben realized this had to be a Fairy of some sort.
BB rose and gave the new arrival a friendly handshake. "Hey Jim," he said with a smile. Then: "Ben--I'd like you to meet James Starr AKA Starjammer! He's the Sage of Elfhame Misty Harbor: he's helped me out on a few cases before."
Ben rose and offered his own handshake. "It's an honor to meet you Sir," he said. The man wasn't sure what the protocol was for meeting a genuine Fairy--especially one that was well connected in the Fey Realms so he decided to follow BB's lead.
"The honor is mine Benjamin God-Called," the Fairy Sage responded. "May I join you gentlemen?"
The Texan wasn't sure how to respond but he was saved by the Wolfe. "Sure thing--pull up a chair!"
Jim sat. Ben was surprised to see him sipping at a cup of creamed-coffee. "Ah--f'rgive me Sir," he said, "I thought th' Fey couldn't handle caffeine!"
"A base canard propagated by that bitch Mercedes Lackey and her Fanfic writing allies!" the Fairy Sage replied with a saucy grin. "Caffeine acts like Alcohol to some sub-species of the Fey but we Fairies can drink it by the gallon and only have a dire need to piss!"
"Ah," Ben said, "good t' know I s'pose..."
"Information in whatever form is always valuable my boy!" the Sage replied. "You never know when a nugget will come in handy!"
"Can't argue with that--Sir..." Ben still wasn't sure how to address this man so he opted for quiet respect.
"Is he always this--reticent...?" the Sage asked Wolfe. "You really need to pull that stake out of his ass! The poor thing must be terribly uncomfortable!"
"Forgive him Jim," the handsome dark-haired Cop replied. "Ben is new to this whole thing and I'm sure he's heard tales of how the Fey can get when they are offended! Give him a chance to get to know you and the Fey Realms and he'll fit right in!"
"I'm counting on it!" the Sage told him. Then he switched gears. "Gentlemen--I didn't crash your date just to be rude. I thought you should know those two gentlemen over there have been eavesdropping on your conversation since you sat down!" Both other men glanced over to see the pair listening intently and looking none too happy. "Don't worry--all they've `heard' is the pair of you talking in excruciatingly explicit detail about what you are going to do to each other as soon as you can get each other naked!"
Ben had to smile in spite of himself. He wasn't at all sure how his new--friend? had accomplished the deed but the idea of forcing a couple of uncomfortably straight men to think he and BB were planning a sexual tryst appealed to him. Of course, they might choose to express their annoyance in a physical manner but the Texan was confident that he and the Wolfe could take out this pair of posers should the need arise.
"Our conversation is being observed by another..." Jim's comment broke the big man's reverie. "Can you spot him?"
The Texan tried to focus: a couple of Elves popped up and a table of short-squatty men he took to be Dwarves briefly caught his attention but neither group gave the slightest indication of any interest so Ben moved on. Sitting alone was a man of average height with hair-colored hair, eye-colored eyes and a face-shaped face in clothing that lacked any distinctiveness. Even the body was so average it defied attention. This "blandness activated the Texan's "cop instincts": how could someone be so utterly average there was nothing that stood out about them? Ben focused with all his might and suddenly everything--changed!
The man was still of average height, about 5'9" Ben guessed, but his body was muscled like a gymnast or dancer. His every move was grace personified. The short hair was brown and wavy with a few silver and gold threads running through it. (Ben wondered if this was natural or if the stranger had a really good stylist: either way it was fucking gorgeous!) Like his friend John-Thomas, this man's eyes were the gray of a foggy morning but there was warmth and amusement there: Ben knew that if he kept staring at him, he might well drown in those eyes.
And then there was that face...
Cory Donovan (his overly flirtatious student) was PRETTY but this man was male perfection personified. He had just the right amount of forehead from the hairline to his eyebrows which were full but not zoological: they made the perfect frame for those long-lashed eyes set at just the right distance between a nose that was long and patrician. The stranger's mouth was the right size for his strong face, the lips full, ripe and red but not to a clownish extent. (Ben found himself dreaming of sucking that lower lip while they kissed.) His chin had a perfect cleft which balanced his dimples perfectly and the jaw was straight and strong without being out of proportion. For all Ben knew this man was Adonis reincarnated.
Now that Ben was focused on the man the restaurant seemed to fade away: SOMETHING passed between them and the Texan knew the stranger felt it as well. That small part of Ben's heart that had remained frozen since the death of his wife melted on the spot. It was love at first sight and they both knew it!
"Fuck--me!" Ben whispered.
"I'd love to...." The big man jerked out of his reverie: had his crush heard and answered his whispered comment or was it merely a product of wishful thinking? Ben didn't know.
"You OK buddy?" B.B. had seen the change in his new friend and he was concerned.
"It's Recognition!" the Fairy Sage told the two men. "Sometimes when one meets their soulmate a spark passes from one to the other and there is a knowing not of the body or mind but of the soul! You don't see it often but when it happens it is beautiful! My congratulations to both of you!"
"Well--fuck!" the Wolfe commented. "Here I was hoping for a hook up with a little Texas beef--and it looks like I lost out to some little Twerp!"
"We c'n still play ol' Son!" Ben said, forcing himself back to the table. "Now that m' sexuality has been re-awakened I find I'm enjoyin' that sort o' thing! It just that--I don't think we'll be forever lovers..."
"Not interested in that!" BB told him. "I just wanna fuck!"
"We c'n make that happen..."
Ben might have said more but the stranger picked up his Latte and sauntered over. "Captain Dover, Lt. Wolfe, Mr. Starr--may I join you?" His voice was in the tenor range and the accent clearly originated in the upper-class neighborhoods of Richmond Virginia. "I'm Special Agent Ethan Gray--CIA Exotic Affairs Division."
"So th' Feds know about this too?" Ben commented. "How's th' Angry Orange Fuckmuppet in th' White House takin' it?"
"Mr. Trump isn't in the loop on Paranormal and Metahuman affairs," the man replied with an ironic smile. "Considering the `regular' secrets he spills with distressing regularity, nobody thought he could be trusted with a secret of this magnitude!"
The Texan found himself oddly-relieved by this statement. Still, he was curious as to how this stranger knew who they all were so he said as much. "I make a point of knowing who the Players in the `exotic community' are. Lieutenant Wolfe heads up the local branch of the Special Crimes Police, James Starr--AKA Starjammer is the Sage for Elfhame Misty Harbor and you; Captain Dover are brother to an Archdruid not to mention the hit on your family was ordered by some Exotics."
"Say what?" Ben found himself rocked back yet again by another piece of new information. "How c'n th' Exotics, as ya put it, have anythin' t' do with th' attack on m' fam'ly? It's only been a matter o' weeks since I even discovered th' existence of alla this!"
"Honestly, I can't answer that," the Stranger replied. "Certain--classified-- sources told my department that some `Exotics' had ordered a hit on the head of the Houston PD.'s Narcotics Division Chief--you."
The big man frowned. "An' y' can't reveal y'r sources?"
"Sorry, no," the man told Ben. "You lack the proper clearance." The big man grumbled to himself but gave in: he understood police procedures and how Inter-Agency communications worked. The Feds were notorious for guarding their sources and not sharing with the local constabulary especially not those individuals directly involved in the investigation.
"Well gentlemen," Jim Starr put in (possibly to cut the awkward silence) "I have some information ALL of you need to know!" Everyone turned to him. "The Lotus the Ojedas were using and selling didn't come from Underhill!"
"WHAT???" The three men stared at the Fairy Sage, agape and aghast.
"And you know this because...?" BB said. "It's not that I don't trust your word--because I do! But if someone outside of Underhill has discovered how to create Lotus that's a game changer!"
"It is," Starjammer said flatly. "And frankly, BB--I know because I ASKED! I have sources among the Unseelie and they tell me there has been no dealings with the Ojedas! Further--the Lotus the Ojedas were, possibly still ARE, selling is stronger and requires a lower dosage to be effective. My sources also tell me that this variety of Lotus doesn't use ingredients found in Underhill."
"I thought all three varieties of Lotus were Magically crafted." This came from Ethan Gray.
"If my sources are correct then humans have learned to craft the drug," the Fairy Sage told the men. "It seems they want to make a bad thing worse!"
Ben sighed: another thread to investigate. "So--Mr. Starr--Jim..." he said. "D' y'r sources offer any connection b'tween the Lotus Dealers `n th' Sons o' Purity?"
"Wait--aren't the `Sons' supposed to be anti-Magic?" BB asked.
"Sometimes you have to use evil to combat evil," Ethan told him. "The Sons of Purity claim to be against Magic but I know some of them use it! They may not LIKE the paranormal but they'll use it if they feel it will advance their cause!"
"Hypocrites!" Ben growled. The other men nodded agreement.
"Is your brother taking precautions to protect the Solstice Celebration?" BB wanted to know.
"He's engaged th' Western Werewolves t' patrol," the big man replied after taking a moment to wonder if it would be actual Werewolves on guard duty. "He n' t' other Druids r' also puttin' up all sorts o' wards `n' traps t' keep out th' uninvited!"
"Good enough then!" the Wolfe said with an approving nod. "So--are you going to attend the festivities?"
"Cliff made a point of invitin' me," Ben said. "It's one o' the highest of Druidic High Holy Days so I'm curious t' see how they celebrate."
"Drinking, dancing, music...." The Wolfe told him. "Summer Solstice is the ultimate party and since it falls on a Friday this year you've got Saturday to rest and recover! See you there buddy!"
"I'll be celebrating in Underhill," Jim told them, "but I wish you all a Blessed Solstice!"
"I have no plans at present," Ethan said. "Do you think your brother would mind one more celebrant?"
"You're not planning on doin' somethin' stupid are ya?" Ben asked.
Ethan looked scandalized and frankly offended. "I have better sense than to try and wreck ANY Druidic celebration! Especially one held at a Henge on Solstice Night! I'd like to maintain my life and all my body parts thank you very much!"
"Let's keep in touch with each other," BB suggested. "I know the Feds will want to play their cards close to the vest but maybe you can share a crumb or two Ethan..." The man nodded. "As for the rest of us--I'll take point on the Police Angle, Ben can liaison with the Druids and keep watch on the College: Starjammer can keep us informed if anything interesting pops up on the Underhill front."
The other men agreed and began making preparations to depart. "I'll look forward to seeing you at Solstice Night," Ethan told Ben. He offered the big Texan a friendly handshake which lasted a bit longer than might be considered "normal". Ben felt an electric warmth when he touched the Agent and found himself wondering if Ethan felt it as well.
Ben came back to Seacliff Manor to find his brother Cliff, John-Thomas and Nils whooping it up. Clearly something had just happened. "That's three for three Nils," Cliff said, "most excellent!"
"We'll have to take you off property at some point," John-Thomas told the blond triathlete, "but I think you'll do just fine! Your training is progressing quite nicely indeed!"
"Did I miss somethin'?" Ben asked as he came up to join the men.
"John-Thomas has been teaching Nils `Seeker Beacon'," Cliff told his brother. "Nils picked it right up!"
"Excuse m' ignorance but what's `Seeker Beacon'?" the Texan asked.
"It's a mental discipline in which those with the skill and training can locate things and people!" John-Thomas told him. "We've been hiding things all over the property like his wallet and cell phone and Nils zips right to them"
"After a lot of frustration and failure," the Scandinavian triathlete put in. "Still, I'm learning--which is more than I can say of my time with the Ojedas!"
Ben laid a comforting hand on Nils' shoulder. "Look forward not backward Son," the big man told him. "That was a sad an' unfortunate time in y'r life but that time has passed. Concentrate on th' good in y'r life not th' bad!"
"Jeez Ben, maybe I should just let you be the Spiritual Advisor to the Druids!" John-Thomas joked. "You've got a real gift!"
"Not likely ol' Son," Ben replied. "I'm just givin' some friendly advice from hard-won experience!!"
END CHAPTER SEVEN; more to come