He pulled away, breathing hard. “Christ Wes, did you forget the video camera?”
I looked into it. Shit.
“I can smell it,” he said, gasping. “What did they do?”
I grabbed him and pulled him on top of me again, his ear pressed against my mouth. “They shot me full of serum and tranquillizer,” I whispered. “Made me believe it was poison. They were trying to force me to do it.”
“Have sex?”
“No, well yes maybe. I don’t know. But their main intent was to get me to switch…”
It was all I could do not to rock my hips and thrust up into him. I could feel his cock through my jeans, pressed against mine. He was almost as hard as I was.
“They want to find out how you jump universes?” he whispered back.
“Yes,” I whispered. I couldn’t help myself– I nipped his earlobe. “Peter is here.”
“Christ,” he moaned. “Stop talking dirty.”
“Peter Deal is here.”
“That Peter?” His eyes widened. “Maybe he can get us out of here.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. He’s not the same person he was in our universe.” I closed my eyes and put my arms around him. He felt so warm, so good. “I want you…”
I mashed my mouth into his. God, he started sucking my tongue. I went from semi-hard to rigid in one second.
Sid pulled back. “I want you too, but I don’t think that’s such a good idea…” his breathing ragged– “Besides the camera… you see I forgot to tell you something…” I ground my crotch into his. “I’ve got it… it’s in my pocket…”
“God,” I moaned into his ear, “you’re such a tease. I’ve got something in my pocket too…” I squirmed harder against him– his cock rolled over mine and butterflies danced in my stomach. Wanted more– so I started reaching inside his front pocket…almost there… What’s this?
Then my mind shorted out.
“No,” he rasped, grabbing my wrist. “I don’t mean my dick, you idiot… The sand. I have it.”
My hand flew back like a child burned by a hot stove. He rolled off me.
“You’re just telling me this now?” was all I could say.
“They have to know,” he said. “I mean, that I have the sand. They must have searched us. They must have wondered.”
“Yeah,” I said stupidly.
“They probably haven’t connected it completely or else they wouldn’t have done that to you earlier,” he whispered. “Wes? Are you ok?”
“Yeah,” I tried focusing in on his eyes. Such beautiful eyes. Why couldn’t I see them? Just a few moments before, I was fine.
“Are you sure?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Everything’s blurry, jumbled. I can’t think… must have put something else in that hypo.”
Sid went quiet. His hand brushed my forehead.
“I don’t think that’s it…” he said. “It’s the sand. You almost touched it. It was like you were leaving me for a second there. Like you were fading. Do me a favor, try to sit up.”
“Ok.” I was dizzy, but I managed.
“Listen,” he said, sitting up close next to me, “what if you did it? I mean, got us out of here?”
“To where? I can’t help but think we’d still be in the Community in the other universe– we might be worse off than here.”
“Are you sure?”
“No, but then there’s them,” I said lamely.
“You mean the other Sid and Wes?”
I nodded.
“Chances are the Sid and Wes in our universe are having the same conversation right now,” he whispered. “But you’re right, we can’t– at least not now. The camera. We can’t let them know. They can’t see.”
Sid tensed. Shoes clicking against tile in other hallway echoed into our room. The door slowly opened. Dr. Peter Deal, Frank and a young woman came into the room. Her face was down, and I held my breath as I watched her chin slowly rise. I looked into her eyes, and I knew we would have a way out.
“Angela,” I whispered.
I believed our salvation stood in the doorway. I whispered her name again: “Angela…”
“Angela?” Sid whispered back.
I saw her stare turn from spark to glass as she looked into Sid’s eyes.
“How do they know my name?” she asked, turning to Deal. He didn’t answer. Instead her mouth set firm as she fixed her eyes on Sid, then cast her eyes to mine. I searched her face to find the same good-hearted soul I knew. She looked into me. I saw confusion, horror, pity.
“You’re the one, aren’t you?” she asked.
Deal ignored her and stepped between us.
“He knows a lot more than he’s telling us,” he said. “From what we saw on the video cam a moment ago, he has a remarkable ability.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“Can I hit the smart ass?” Frank asked.
Deal shook his head no, and Frank unclenched his fists.
“Enough with the jokes. How did you do it? How did you disappear?” Deal demanded.
“It’s magic,” I shot back. “I don’t know how– it just happens.”
“You’re a smart fellow,” Deal said, leaning back against the wall. “You know exactly how. Are you going to tell us or do we have to hurt your friend here?”
“Can’t we all just get along?” Sid asked.
Frank grabbed the front of Sid’s shirt and went to slam him against the wall next to Deal, but Sid was quicker. Frank ended up face first with his arm twisted behind his back in his place. Frank threw all his weight into Sid and they stumbled back and onto the floor. Sid grabbed his hair and proceeded to pound Frank’s face into tile.
Peter yanked him off Frank, who was howling and cursing, just as two steroid filled goons rushed in. Frank staggered to his feet, blood gushing from his nose. Most likely broken.
“Teach you to touch what doesn’t fucking belong to you…” Sid spat.
Peter Deal pushed Sid up against the door, his hand caressing Sid’s cheek and turned away from his touch like it was poison. Deal grabbed his hair, forcing Sid to meet his eyes.
My heart pounded. I’d been scared shitless before, but this…
I stepped forward only to have one of their strong men pull me back. I struggled, squirming away didn’t break the hold. I tried pushing my weight against the biggest one, but he was like a tree. Fuck, and he smelled like home-baked bread. The least he could do is smell the part, like his pal did– whiskey and cigars.
“Get your hands off me,” Sid hissed.
“Sid, Sid, Sid. What no please?” Deal said, as rolled his hips into Sid’s. I thought I’d be sick. Mr. Pop-n-Fresh Dough jerked me back. “You still haven’t learned manners I see. I know we had a parting of ways, but no need to be so rude. I have friends here who will teach you to be more respectful. Or better, I could give you a lesson. I remember when you used to like my lessons.”
“That was somebody else. The Peter I knew would never treat me like this.”
“Yes, well that is part of it, isn’t it? You’re not exactly the same are you? How did you both do it? Tell me.”
“Like Wes said– we don’t know.”
I elbowed the guy’s chest, then tried to spin around. Instead he caught both my arms and locked them tight behind my back.
“Stop squirming you little queer.”
“At least I don’t smell like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.”
“Shut up!” Deal yelled at us. “Angela, give me the serum.”
Her head jerked up as he said her name. She reached inside her lab coat.
“Don’t do it,” I begged. Angela’s hand hesitated as our eyes met. “Please.”
Her eye twitched, then she handed the syringe to Deal. One shot of that and Sid wouldn’t care who was squeezing his ass.
“Don’t,” I said, stomping the man’s foot. His buddy slapped the side of head.