Part 7 (2/2)
Tyler pulled up his pants. He knew what he wanted, but now it was more complicated. Not only did he know what he wanted, he knew who he wanted it with.
RESTLESS DREAMS
Bryce squinted at the wall where he had positioned the time screen. It said four twenty-two P.M. He had only been asleep for three hours. The sunlight was streaming in through the window, but usually he had no problems sleeping in the daytime.
It was those d.a.m.n dreams he'd been having, ever since he had moved to this place. Last night, he had dreamt of vampires. Although he couldn't make out any faces, he saw sharp teeth, blood and s.e.x, lots of s.e.x and it was hot. He knew he was in the dream but it was foggy. Then he could have sworn that he saw Tyler Rose. And for some reason, he was happy to see him, which of course didn't correspond to reality at all.
Bryce yawned and sat up. He needed a night off, but he wouldn't be able to take one yet. No wonder Ruby City was full of crime; the sky police were totally undisciplined. They were not above crawling into a vehicle with some suspect and having s.e.x. They were very easy to bribe and unless they were dying of boredom, they basically turned the other way when a crime was being committed.
Although he had only been in command a little over a week, he had seen it all.
Getting up, he walked naked into the bathroom and took a shower. His phone rang as soon as he got out.
He rubbed his hair with a towel and clicked it on.
It was Smart. ”Hi Sir,” he murmured.
”What?” he asked.
”Ah, just wanted to know if you want me to schedule extra patrols tonight? It's the weekend and Ruby Miracle gave everyone their yearly bonus today...will probably be one h.e.l.l of a party.”
He sighed. ”Great. Okay, do it. I'll be in at four.”
”I'll hold down the fort, sir,” he said and rang off.
Several of the other sky officers stood around Smart as he closed his phone, two young men who were desperately trying to get the Commander to notice them, and a few women who were now describing the Commander's gorgeous chest. ”You were not supposed to be peering over my shoulder into my phone,” Smart chastised them. ”Get back to work.” Besides, he thought, he had plans for Commander Donavan, plans that did not include anyone else but him.
Bryce lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes. Maybe he could catch another hour of sleep. He saw a great s.h.i.+p. He saw a young man, Tyler, only different, his hair was different, he was dressed...in clothes.
”Daniel,” he said softly.
”My love,” he heard himself moan. Love?
Then blood, a blade slicing through the air. ”No,” he called out, bolting upright in bed. He was shaking.
What in h.e.l.l was that? He shook his head, and got up. That freaked him out. He didn't want to try and sleep anymore. He arrived at the Sky Station early.
Smart walked into his office without knocking, which caused him to turn around sharply and glare at him.
He was in a foul mood again so it seemed. He'd been like that most of the week.
”h.e.l.lo. Sorry to disturb you, Sir.”
”Yes?” he lifted an eyebrow.
”I don't mean to be intrusive but...”
”Well, apparently you do mean to be intrusive or we wouldn't be having this conversation,” he said, taking a seat behind his desk.
He cleared his throat. ”It's just that you've been so tense and...”
A ghost of a smile played across his lips. ”And you think you might have the solution, Captain?”
”Well, I was wondering if you wouldn't let me show you the pleasures of Ruby City this weekend? I have some time off and you are due some.” He waited.
”Well, I'll say one thing for you, Captain, you're persistent,” he commented dryly.
He grinned. ”So, what do you say?”
”I doubt I will have the time but I'll take it under consideration,” he told him.
His grin broadened. ”You won't regret it.” He nodded. ”Good. I don't like regret. So, I'll be going out on patrol in an hour. Bring me the input file on last year's event.”
”Right away,” he beamed, racing out of the office to get the equipment.
GRANDFATHER
”Are you listening to me, Tyler?”
Tyler awoke from his daydream and gazed over at Jack Rose. ”What? Yea, I'm listening. You said you wanted me to...ah...?”
”You weren't listening,” he growled. ”d.a.m.n it, Tyler. It's time you got serious and stopped running around with those two boys. What are their names...Josh and Paul?”
Tyler sighed, ”Ryan and Pete.”
”Well, whatever.” He threw up his hands. ”They're bad news. They distract you from what you really should be concentrating on, running Ruby Miracle.”
There was silence. He didn't know how many times he had told his grandfather that he didn't want to run Ruby Miracle. He was the kind of man that always chose to ignore whatever didn't fit in with his way of thinking. He had given up telling him that.
Every morning, he was subjected to sitting in this stuffy little office and doing what his grandfather called ”learning the business from the ground up.” He felt as if he were on a collision course with h.e.l.l.
”Do you think I'm proud that I had to rescue you from a prison term last week?”
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