But it was a trial and he knew the head of the security team only employed the best.
Eino was stood to the side. Doing what Steve (his boss) had referred to as, covering the left flank.
More passers-by, as the theatres and restaurants started to empty. It was important to keep an eye for people trying to sneak in. Or drunks causing trouble.
Drunk being his initial assessment of the slight, very young man currently weaving down the street and making right for him. Apparently in a hurry, and obviously agitated.
He glanced towards Steve, who merely raised an eyebrow and smirked.
Great, he was going to see how he dealt with it.
As the man staggered up to him, gripping his vest for support, Eino kept his voice clear, calm, and friendly.
“Hey there, you doing okay, buddy?”
“Is Tony here? Please I need Tony.”
Eino had been warned about people occasionally trying to gain access to a current Broadway ‘name’, whose partner worked in the club, and who lived upstairs.
He decided to try ignorance first. “Tony? You have a second name?”
“Thomas?” the young man frowned, looking incredibly ill. “Tony Thomas-Risio. Anthony. Please I need help,” he slurred.
Eino took the man’s arms and gently stood him away from him, where he swayed alarmingly. “Not available, you would be best to try the theatre during the day. Maybe write.”
“No, That’s not,” his voice faded and he blinked. “Is Ty here? Please.” Eino was shocked to see tears in his eyes. The kid looked scared.
“Is he expecting you?” Eino asked, starting to feel concerned at how unwell he looked, then he saw real fear come into the young man’s eyes when a voice came from behind.
“There you are. God, I’m so sorry, my boyfriend has had way too much to drink. I lost track of him.”
The kid grabbed Eino’s arm and muttered, “No. Please, I’m not,” but he was almost passing out and trembling so hard he couldn’t hold on.
As the new arrival gripped the young man’s right arm and pulled him away slightly, Eino, following some instinct, gripped his left.
As he tugged the man against him, he just made out a whispered. “I don’t know him. I don’t.”
The new guy looked aggrieved. “Hey, he didn’t mean to cause trouble. I’ll get him in a cab.”
“Maybe we’ll just take a moment. He looks ill,” Eino suggested. Catching Steve’s eye as he wandered over.
“Problem?”
“Yea,” new guy stated aggressively “Your man here is interfering. I just want to get my boyfriend home.”
Eino was now supporting the young man’s weight, and although he was slight, he was getting heavy.
“Let’s just sit him down a moment,” he suggested. As Steve helped him, he murmured, “He was asking for Tony, or for Ty. Ty works here right?”
“I’m gonna grab a cab,” the supposed boyfriend called and moved away.
“What are you thinking?” Steve asked.
“Something’s not right. And he’s practically passing out here.”
Steve nodded and glanced at the guy raising his arm for a cab. He pulled out his cell, connecting quickly. “Hey. Can you find Ty and send him out front?” He paused as the young man jerked and vomited all over the steps and Eino’s boots. “Also a code amber clean kit and a couple of extra bodies.”
He looked over at the sound of a car door slamming and saw a cab driving away. Weird guy having done a runner.
“Remember the kits?” he asked Eino.
“Red for blood. Amber for any other bodily fluid, and green for any other mess. Glass, whatever.”
“Perfect. Nice first night on the job,” Steve gave him an evil grin.
Eino looked up from where he was supporting the young man. “Steve. I think we may need 911. He can’t seem to stay awake.”
Steve moved forward and gripped the young man’s face, opening his eyes and peering closely. “Keep talking to him. He’s still awake. He looks scared.”
Eino cradled and talked with the man, moving him a little to jog him awake. Rewarded with another stream of puke.
“Urghh. Jesus!”
“What’s up?” he heard a voice and looked up to see a tall man in jeans and shirt, looking at Steve with curiosity, and another man in a glittery gold dress and long black wig.
He recognized Frank, one of the owners, which was typical considering what he was currently covered in.
Even as he watched, three more security personal piled out. Two taking up his and Steve’s positions and the other heading for him, with the clean up kit.
“Hey, Ty. This kid was asking for you or Tony. He’s drunk, or ill. Both maybe. We’re debating 911.”
Ty moved around and nodded a hello at Eino, before crouching and lifting the young man’s head. “Hey. Hi there, were you asking for me?” As the man lifted his tear streaked face, Ty’s eyes widened in shock. “Billy? Hey Billy, it’s Ty. Ty Maka, what’s going on?”
Without a care for the mess, Ty knelt and gripped Billy’s hand. Leaning close.
“Tony?”
“He’s at work. What happened?”
Eino listened to the barely coherent slurred explanation, but the basics were clear.
“You’re safe now,” Ty told him, and wrapped an arm around him. “I promise. Don’t worry.” Then he looked up. “It sounds like his drink was spiked. He was at Better’s and there was a guy following him. He’s Adam’s boyfriend. He must have wanted to find Tony and get help.”
Better’s was a gay bar called Better Late Than, just a block away.
“Call the doctor service,” Frank instructed Steve, then looked at Ty. “Can we get him up to my apartment?”
“Sure,” Ty looked at Eino, and between them they lifted Billy into Ty’s arms. Where he sobbed weakly against Ty’s neck.
“Bring the doctor straight up,” Frank said. Keeping his heels well clear of the mess, but smiling kindly at Eino. “Get cleaned up, sweetie. Someone will lend you some clean clothes.”
Steve gripped Eino’s shoulder. “Well done, Eino. Good instincts there.” His eyes warmed in approval as Eino nodded.
“Thanks. Let me clean this up, I’m already filthy.” He looked at Claire waiting with the kit. “Maybe you can watch, make sure I’m using the kit right?”
“Deal,” Claire grinned. “I’ll talk you through getting a sample first, in case Ty was right about the spiking. Steve can pass it to the doctor when he or she arrives.”
“Okay,” but Eino took a moment to watch Ty disappear into the apartments with the young man, his eyes concerned.
-X
Ty had nearly as much gunk on him as Eino had, by the time the doctor arrived. But bringing so much up had seemed to wake Billy up a little, although he was still mostly out of it.
He sat, placid, but trembling, as Frank and Ty cleaned him up and dressed him in some of Tony’s old sweats that Frank had scavenged from their apartment.
Tony was smaller than Ty, but they still swamped Billy. He was tiny.
Eventually, Ty was cleaned up too and cradling Billy in his lap, in Frank and Cal’s spare bedroom. The doctor wanted him upright for the time being, so he dozed in Ty’s arms.
Ty had only met him once, and felt quite humbled by the trust, as it had become clear that what had happened was a spiking and possibly an attempted abduction.
He texted Tony a quick explanation, to go and collect Adam on his way home. Adam had been due to meet Billy at Better’s.
Billy had belatedly realized that the drink pushed across by the barman as, ‘Your boyfriend sent this over, he’ll be back in a minute.’ Couldn’t possibly have come from Adam, who would still have been on stage at the time.