Thread: Blind Spot

Chapter Two At a few minutes after three, Kyle guided the Camaro to a stop just short of the entrance to the driveway that led up to the house Devon shared with his wife Megan. Devons mustang was already parked in the drive, along with a Prius and Mikeys big, red, F150 pick-up truck, so Kyle parked alongside the grass and trees and killed the engine. Unfastening his seatbelt, Kyle turned and brushed Katyas lips with his before they both left the car, going round to the trunk to retrieve the two coolers theyd placed inside before theyd left the condo. Katya had baked bread rolls, using a Russian recipe her mother had given her, whilst Kyle brought the most important thing of all, the beer. Turning away from the car, neither of them were at all surprised to see Devon heading down the driveway to meet them, the Camaro wasnt exactly a quiet car and Kyle was willing to bet the others had heard the big V8 at least a minute before theyd arrived. The two of them, Kyle and Katya, had woken late that morning, or at least by comparison to when they usually woke, the combination of a long week and the prospect of two days off meaning it had been almost eight thirty when Kyle had finally woken. Katya still lay snuggled closely to him, in exactly the same position shed been in when theyd fallen asleep, a happy little smile on her face as she slept. Leaving her still sleeping, Kyle had rolled out of bed and dressed quickly, pulling on clean underwear and the baggy shorts hed worn the night before, then went into the kitchen to fix breakfast. Trying to make as little noise as possible hed made coffee for both of them and fixed eggs for them both too, then placed everything on a tray, along with cream and sugar in case Katya decided she wanted them in her coffee and carried the tray through to the bedroom. Katya was still asleep, although shed moved now and spread herself out on the bed, and he sat the tray down on a chair before he went to the bed. Sitting on the bed, he gently brushed Katyas hair away from her sleeping face, leaning in to blow his warm breath lightly across her cheek before he leant in and kissed her. As their lips touched her eyes blinked open and her arms wrapped around him, pulling him down onto her as their kiss lingered for several seconds before she finally released him. Morning, love, he said, as he smiled down at her. Since Katya had been staying with them it had become a little ritual of theirs whenever they had a day off, whoever woke first would bring the other breakfast in bed. Fetching the tray from the table, as Katya sat up, he set it on the bed between them and reached for his coffee and the two of them began their day, together. After breakfast Katya had gone for a shower and Kyle had tidied up, taking his own turn in the shower when Katya had finished. After showering and dressing, hed pulled on a clean pair of baggy cargo shorts and another Iron Maiden T shirt Kyle set about tidying up whilst Katya had baked the rolls. At a little after two thirty they left the apartment, Kyle now sporting sneakers and a black knee brace on his left leg to hide the scars on his knee, he rarely wore shorts outside of their condo because he was self-conscious about the scars but it was just too hot and humid to wear long pants. Hey, you two love birds, said Devon, as he came down onto the sidewalk to join them and took the cooler she was carrying from Katya then leant in to give her a kiss on the cheek. Enjoying your day off? He added, as the three of them began to walk back towards his house. So far, answered Kyle, as Katya took his hand as they climbed up the steps alongside the driveway to the house. Mikey came through the brick archway that led through to the backyard, sporting a rather snug fitting T shirt and very baggy shorts that looked as if theyd seen better days. I hope you stocked up on ice, Devon, because theres only one thing worse than warm beer, added Kyle, as Mikey joined them. And thats no beer, chorused both Devon and Mikey together. Following Devon as he led them round the back of the house, Kyle carried the cooler with the beer across to the small deck and set it down in a shaded corner, then went to help Devon as he carried over two big bags of ice. Emptying the ice into the cooler with the beer, Kyle tossed a beer each to Mikey and Devon and grabbed another two for himself and Katya, as the three of them headed over to where Megan and Angelina had cornered Katya and were playfully teasing her about setting the date for the wedding and which of them would make the best Maid of Honor. It had been a wonderful day so far! Getting up late, breakfast in bed, goofing off, puttering about in the kitchen, and now this. It might not seem like much but just being able to relax together without having to worry about hitting the streets was heaven. Kyle had sort of volunteered her into making something but Katya hadnt minded. She might not be the cook her mom was but she enjoyed it. For the party, she made pirozhki which was a stuffed bread roll. In them was a variety of fruit jellies. Some sweet and some tart. Just the kind of thing for desserts. She wished Kyle wouldnt be so self-concious about the scars on his knee as they were nothing to be ashamed of but she said nothing. She did give him a bit of a ribbing at the heavy metal t-shirt he was habitually wearing. Could be worse sweetie, he had said. I could be wearing one with one of those big breasted anime girls on it. Katya had thrown an oven mitt at him for that. For herself, she was dressed in loose, floral print sundress that went down to her ankles and sandals. As per habit, she wore next to no makeup and let her blond hair hang loose. Before they had left the condo, Kyle had made her blush by saying he was the luckiest guy on to be seen with her. Help! Partner! Save me!! Katya had laughed when she saw the guys coming over. She was describing some of the rituals in a Russian Orthodox wedding ceremony to Megan and Angelina. Their jaws had dropped a little at all the things that happened. That made the discussion as to who would be the Maid of Honor all the more animated! Kyle wasnt religious himself and had readily agreed when she had asked for the ceremony. While Katya wasnt much on church going either she felt it was important to her heritage and her parents. The girls seemed satisfied for the moment that the important position hadnt been picked yet and both were still in the running. Katya just sipped her beer and shook her head at it all. They were all sitting around the deck swapping stories. Mikey had some fun ones of the old days when everybody was still carrying .38 revolvers. Megan then asked asked Katya, Devon said you got sent to other cities? Just curious but where did you go? Devon gave her a look that said she shouldnt have said that. Everyone knew what Katya had done but were careful not to tread on any potential wounds. Or shouldnt I have ask? No, thats okay, Katya laughed, brushing some hair back. Bryan and I got loaned out on occasion. Sometimes to the Feds but also some locals. Lets see.... Um.... LA, New York, oh Seattle. I loved that place. They needed a new face so we got to stay there for a few months. Just the word months put a chill down the guys spines. They had done stings where you went home at night or maybe a couple of days but being under for months? As Katya, Megan and Angelina talked about the wedding, discussing who would be her Maid of Honor and some of the details involved in a Russian Orthodox wedding ceremony Kyle turned to Devon and Mikey, the three of them discussing baseball. Although his parents were Catholics and hed been raised in the faith hed never been confirmed and didnt consider himself all that religious so agreeing to the Russian Orthodox ceremony hadnt been a hard decision. It made Katya happy, and that was good enough for him. Of course he knew his parents would be disappointed, but he and Katya had already discussed having a blessing at the church his parents went to and hoped that would be enough to placate them. He also knew Katya believed he couldnt speak Russian, and whilst that had been true when theyd started dating, since their engagement hed been taking lessons so they could conduct the ceremony in Russian. Theyd just need a translator for his parents. Kyle listened as Katya talked about some of her past postings, the length of time shed been in some places making even more amazing that shed been able to come back from some of the deep cover assignments shed been on. He knew that was mostly because of Bryan Smith and, he thought with a wry smile, maybe he did owe the lieutenant one for that. Back when hed been a Marine officer, in Iraq, hed spent several months at a time on constant alert but that was different, there had been safe zones where he could relax, let his guard down, if only for a few hours. Hed only been undercover once, shortly before his discharge from the Marines, when hed been loaned out to NCIS taking part in a sting operation to infiltrate a group of marines who were smuggling captured Iraqi weapons to sell on the streets in the US. Which had got him interested in police work enough that when hed finally been discharged hed enrolled at the Willowburg Police Academy. Finally, as Katya finished telling some of her exploits, Devon rose to his feet and leant in to kiss his wife softly on the cheek. Time to fire up the grill wanna give me a hand, Kyle? Said Devon, straightening up and turning to head over to the corner where the grill was. Sure, I could use another beer and I gotta hit the head, answered Kyle, as he too rose to his feet. He kissed Katya softly, and then headed for the screen door that blocked the entrance to the house and disappeared inside. Emerging a couple of minutes later, Kyle grabbed a couple of fresh beers and took one over for Katya before he went back across to join Devon. Joining Devon by the grill, Kyle took a couple of seconds to adjust the pancake style holster inside the waistband of his shorts, shifting the compact Sig Sauer P250 .45 to a more comfortable position. Even though he was off duty Kyle made it a habit never to go anywhere without a gun, because you never knew when something could happen. You told Megan youre gonna be my best man, yet? Kyle asked his friend, as the two of them stood over the grill, waiting for it to heat up. Even though they hadnt set a date for the wedding yet Kyle had already asked Devon to be his best man, after all if it wasnt for Devon he wouldnt be with Katya. Yeah, shes really looking forward to the wedding, shopping for an outfit and trying to find the perfect gift, answered Devon, checking the temperature on the grill. It still wasnt hot enough, yet, so he fished in his pocket for his cigarettes and lit two, handing one to Kyle. Just promise Im not going to have to do anything weird, okay, he added, with a grin. If he was honest he was a little nervous about the ceremony, if only because he didnt want to make any mistakes that might ruin the day for his two friends. I promise, answered Kyle. Blowing Kyle a kiss as he gave her beer she then set it next to her. Usually when they were out she would have just just one to keep her head clear. It was easy to make it look like she was enjoying more though. Katya had lots of practice in it. When the other ladies went inside to get some more of the food ready, Mikey moved a little closer to her so he could talk in a lower voice. Kat, you arent kidding about what you said once about the brass not wanting that runaway murder investigated? I mean thats cold even for them! That part of things she didnt mention too much because the grinding of teeth from the HQ could be heard for miles. While she hadnt been told not to talk about it, Katya was smart enough to know when to keep quiet. Mikey though.... Nope. The goumba was damn near bragging about it so I had close to a confession. I got told to keep quiet and stay in character. Katya said softly, shaking her head. You remember? Kyle and Dev were doing the case and they had crap. I got ahold of Kyle, which was fun because he only knew me as a hooker and had had some choice words for me, told him who I was and what I knew. Mikey smiled and reach over to squeeze her small hand in his meaty one. I remember you and I remember thinking that there was something wrong with you. You were suppose to be a madam right? You were too damn caring to be one. Madams hate their girls and you didnt. Katya blushed deeply at his words. I dont think it was our brass so much as the Feds. This was their show and Don Popi was their Great White Whale. The last of the old time Dons that they had never so much as touched. He sent me flowers afterward! It had a card saying I should be given the Academy Award for Best Actress. Both them laughed at that. Don Popi was very old school and a gentleman. He also had no problem ordering someone to be tortured to death and their body divided up into pieces and scattered around the country. Katya was safe because she wasnt a snitch, she was a cop doing her duty. She gave Mikey a kiss on the cheek before going over to see what her fiance was up to. About ready to blow us up? Should I alert the fire department to expect mass casualties soon? she asked Devon as she put an arm around Kyles waist. And Dev, dont listen to anything my father might suggest for Kyle bachelor party. If he gets involved I know something like The Hangover will occur! And you say that like its a bad thing, quipped Devon, watching as Katya and Kyle nestled against each other. The two of them were perfect for each other, he thought, with a smile. Hed known Kyle for three years now, since hed made detective and Kyle had been his first partner and hed never seen his friend so happy. Hey. I resemble that remark, said Kyle, as Katya slid her arm around his waist and nestled against him. He slid his own arm around her slim waist, his hand sliding down to give her ass a gentle squeeze before it moved to rest against her hip. We should be ready in a couple of minutes, said Devon, with another glance at the temperature readout on the grill. You two keep an eye on the grill, and Ill go get the steaks and burgers, he added, dropping his cigarette butt into the bucket half filled with rainwater next to the grill. Last year theyd had a cook out that had almost ended up burning down the house when the grill caught fire, so now Devon always kept a bucket of water close by for emergencies. I think we can handle that, said Kyle, tossing his own cigarette butt into the bucket before he turned his attention to Katya. He kissed her softy, the two of them holding the embrace gently as it lingered, both oblivious to what was going on around them until Mikey came over. Dont you two ever come up for air? He asked, with a sly, teasing grin at his two friends. He turned as Megan and Angelina came over carrying covered dishes of salad, as Devon followed them carrying the steaks and burgers. Maybe we need to use that bucket of water on your two instead of the grill, he added. Youre just jealous, Mikey, replied Kyle, laughing softly as Angelina came over to join her husband and planted a delicate kiss on his cheek. Katya lightly gave Kyle a head slap and when he looked at her she just shook her head. I had to do that or Angelina would and she wouldnt be that gentle. Right? The other woman gave a nod and then she and Katya did a high five. We keep the eyes of our men looking only at us so they cant be jealous. Before he could protest, Katya gave her fiance a light kiss and then whispered, Quit while youre ahead my love.... Soon the air was filled the sound of sizzling meat and the odor of it. Mikey showed them a trick on how to tell if a steak was rare, medium, or well just by touch. As they waited for the meat to be done, the salads met their demise. Katya just loved green salads with fresh produce. Even better, Mikey and his wife had brought a bottle of wine from a tiny vineyard in Italy. It was a bit rough but full of flavors and she loved it. Breaking her alcohol slightly, Katya accepted a glass that she savored. So guys... Did I really miss out on anything not being a patrol officer? she asked as they dug into the steaks. I know Kyle says something about wanting to see me in uniform but thats beside the point. That drew a few comments about Kyle from the others and Not in public my dear. from him. Katya gave a playful embarrassed look and then laughed. You didnt miss much Katya other than the tedium, punctuated by the moments of terror, Devon said smiling. The not knowing what the next call or next car was going to hold. Or... Domestics, Mikey said and got groans of remembrance from Kyle and Devon. Those calls could go from easy to very nasty in a heartbeat. They could also be heartbreakers too when kids were involved. Although the car chases were fun! Shes making up for that now..... Kyle said and then ducked a corn kernel Katya threw at him. Worse, hearing a siren and wondering.... Mikeys wife said, giving a slight shudder and getting a hug in return from her husband. Devon looked at Katya in the eyes. Dont sell yourself short Katya. What you did... Makes what we did sound easy. You put your time in and then some. Youre a damn good cop and thats all there is to it. When everybody started clapping and agreeing, she got beet red from embarrassment. Kyle wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. I guess I got lucky on that score, most of my time in uniform was in the mounted division, patrolling the parks and writing tickets for littering. Not all that exciting, really, except when I got to chase down a purse snatcher or when we got to work crowd control, said Kyle, after a few seconds, adding his own experiences from his time in uniform. Mind you, after three tours of Iraq and another in Afghanistan, I think Ive had my share of excitement, he added, thoughtfully, as he took another long sip from his beer. Of course they all knew hed been a marine officer and that hed been to Iraq, theyd seen his medals, the Purple Heart and Silver Star chief among them, but that was pretty much all they knew. Although, he was sure, they could all guess the rest or at least some of it. But not even Katya knew about the nightmares, at least he didnt think she did, when hed wake in a cold sweat from a nightmare where he relived some of the firefights hed been through. There was this one time, though, when I was chasing a purse snatcher through Swan Park. At the time I remember wondering how the hell this woman could run so damn fast in heels, turned out she was a guy and he used to run track in college. Man, did I sure as hell get a surprise when I finally ran them down and realized, he finished, as the other five burst out laughing. Ill bet that was not a pretty sight, said Devon, between chuckles, as he tried to picture Kyle as he finally caught the suspect only to find out it was a guy instead of a girl. He tried not to talk about work when he was off duty, Megan had no idea what they went through, the dangers they faced every day, and he really hoped she never would. But stories like this were fine, light hearted and humorous. Imagine Mikey in drag, and about twenty pounds heavier, said Kyle, which set them all off laughing once more. As the afternoon drifted into evening and the sun began to set, the sky starting to darken, Megan and Angelina cleared away the dishes whilst Devon and Kyle set about lighting the Tiki torches around the small deck to keep the night bugs away, before Devon turned on the lights around them. The six of them sat drinking and chatting until finally, at a little after nine, Mikey and Angelina announced that they had to head home. Unlike Kyle and Katya, Mikey and Devon had to work the next day. As the evening broke up, the three couples went their separate ways, Devon and Megan escorting their friends out to their cars before they headed back inside. That was fun, said Kyle, as he settled himself into the passenger seat of the Camaro. Winding down the electric window, he lit a cigarette as Katya gunned the engine and guided the car back towards their condo. I hope were like them, especially Mikey and Angelina, when were married. It was unspoken but Katya would do the driven since she had had less to drink. Kyle was steady, without any sign that hed been drinking but they were cops and they knew the rules. Besides, Katya liked driving his muscle car. Unlike the day before she didnt floor it and also took the long way home. She glanced over at Kyle and smiled. The stuff he had said about his military experience... Katya didnt press for details though and let him tell her things when he was ready. He did the same with things about her undercover time. There were the dreams or nightmares Kyle had that she knew he had but he didnt know that she knew. When he was ready to tell her she would be there but for the time being, she would whisper good things in his ear to make the dreams better. When she glanced over again, she said he had fallen asleep. I love you Kyle, she said softly and smiled.