Cody watched as his boyfriend twitched in his sleep. Something had triggered those memories that are hard to deal with. Cody sighed deeply as the twitching turned into an outright scramble. He hugged Daniel and whispered in his ear.

"It's OK, Daniel. You're safe now. I'll protect you." The scramble slowed back to an occasional twitch. Cody smiled and lightly brushed the soft hair from his boyfriend's face. A soft knock at the door turned Cody's attention away from the sleeping boy next to him. The door opened slowly and Teri's face appeared.

"Hungry?" she asked in a whisper. Cody grinned.

"You bet. I'll wake him up and we'll be out in a second." Teri nodded and closed the door behind her. She went back to the couch and sat down with Timmy who was eyeing Dillon with suspicion.

"What?" Dillon finally asked. Timmy remained silent, but relaxed his intense stare a bit. Dillon shrugged his shoulders and slumped back into his chair.

"Thanks for paying for the room, but you really didn't have to do that," Teri said with a smile.

"Oh, it's no problem. I saved up for this vacation then the rents piled a wad of cash in my pocket just before the ship set sail. So it's really not a problem at all. After all, I could stand the company."

"I thought you said you liked being alone?" Timmy asked quickly.

"Well, you're right. I do like to be alone most of the time, but there are other times when I like to be around people, especially when those people are so accepting of my lifestyle." Teri nudged Timmy in the ribs with her elbow and gave him her death stare.

"What?"

"You could be a little nicer." Timmy threw his hands up in defeat.

"Whatever. I'm just being careful, which, I might add, you might want to consider before taking strangers into confidence. Teri glared at Timmy. "What?"

"Who was the last stranger we took in?" Timmy's face noticeably paled. "That's right mister. You. So chill out a bit."

"Chill out? I thought we were gonna get something to eat?" asked Cody as he and Daniel walked into the room.

"Exactly!" said Timmy as he stood up. "I know the perfect place."

"The Revelations Internet Café?" asked Daniel.

"Maybe later, but first we should start on the Golden Mile. We're staying at the Europa, the ritziest hotel in Belfast so we should act, ah, ritzy. Besides, Revelations is nearby too. So what are you hungry for? Chinese? Japanese? Cantonese? French? Metropolitan? Avant-garde? Seriously stylish? Or just good?"

"Just good!" came the resounding response from everyone in the room.

"Well! You don't have to gang up on me." Cody grabbed one arm and Teri grabbed the other and dragged Timmy to the door. "Wait! Wait! You don't just drag people around at the Europa Hotel. People with talk." Daniel busted out laughing as did the rest of the group.

"Timmy, you truly missed your calling?" commented Teri as the walked out the door.

"And what would that be?"

"Tour guide."

The group made their way out of the hotel and walked toward the Golden Mile, a mile long road packed with restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Timmy led the way, naturally, and soon had the group cutting down a side street. They stopped in front of a nondescript pub.

"The tourists don't know about this place. It just off the beaten track and has a great atmosphere, not to mention incredible food." They nodded and followed him in.

Casey O'Brien sat at the bar sipping his drink. It had been one of those days and he fully intended to forget it completely. At the sound of the bell above the door, he turned to see who was coming in. Casey's eyes grew wide as recognition set in. He watched intently as the group sat in a corner booth. He watched as the waitress talked with them briefly and his eyes watched as she came toward the bar.

"Shannon, would you do a we bit of a favor?" he asked as he placed her order with the bartender.

"Anything for you, Casey," she said as she batted her eyes.

"I told you 'bout that, darlin'"

"I can't understand how you can like the lads and not a pretty lass like me." Casey rolled his eyes.

"Well, my pretty little lass, would you do this lad a favor and tell the group in the corner that the drinks are my compliments." Shannon cocked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "For me, please?" asked Casey.

"It's gonna cost you," she said with a wicked grin as she loaded the drinks on the tray. "A lot," she added as she swirled round and headed for the corner. Casey took a deep breath and watched her intently as she served the drinks. As she left the table, the cute blond held up his glass, nodded and smiled. The breath he was unconsciously holding whooshed out and he smiled back.

"Well, it's now or never," Casey said to himself. He finished his drink, sat the glass down, grabbed the fresh one that just arrived, slipped off the barstool and made his way toward the corner booth. As he approached, he noticed the talking among the group came to a stop and they all looked at him.

"I was wonderin'," he started cautiously. "What's it like to crash a Lear jet in the Irish Sea?"

A lone dark figure slipped into the side door and quickly made his way toward the bathroom. Revelations Internet Café was certainly busy. The man muttered to himself, obviously upset about something. When the hall to the bathrooms was empty, he stealthfully slipped through the door labeled "Employees Only." It didn't take long before the man silently took out a small black box. He expertly installed in at the head of the server line and slipped unnoticed back out the side door. Reaching his car and getting inside, he looked down at a copy of the Belfast paper. The front page story was about the Lear jet that went down with no survivors.

"We'll just have to see about that," he muttered to himself. He reached into the back seat and grabbed his laptop computer. After powering up, he accessed the Internet through the café's wireless hub. In seconds, he had accessed the Duke Power website. In another few minutes he has gained access to Cowan's Ford Dam. The man's fingers moved quickly over the keyboard. In another two minutes he had opened the flood gates and millions of gallons of water per second rushed downstream toward Charlotte, North Carolina.

"That ought to get his attention," the man chuckled to himself. "If the little bastard is alive, it won't take long for him to check on his buddy. Now all I have to do is wait a bit, then check the BellSouth site for all the incoming calls to that idiot the little shit calls his friend. And if I know that self-righteous little imp, he'll call. And when he does, I'll have him!" He closed the Internet connection, powered down his lap top and disappeared into the Belfast night.

Daniel looked up at the handsome Irish boy standing by the table. His words still echoed in Daniel's ears. There was an all knowing look on the red head's face and truth be known, it scared Daniel to death.

"Dunno what it like," said Timmy. "Pretty sad story though, huh?" The Irish boy nodded carefully.

"Casey O'Brien," the Irish youth said holding out his hand to Timmy.

"Nice to meet you," Timmy said as he shook the offered hand.

"Ah, the pleasure's all mine," Casey said as he slid into the booth next to Timmy. "You know, sneakin' 'round the docks at night is pretty dangerous. People might be watchin' and wonderin' what people are up to." The group at the table sat silent as the Irish boy smiled to himself. "I work at Belfast Radar Control, shipping traffic mainly," he started. "It's pretty boring most of the time, but today it got real interesting. So interesting, in fact, that I decided to head down to the docks and see the rescue ship myself. But I got a bit sidetracked by this strange man hiding in the shadows." He paused a took a healthy sip of his drink. Every eye in the booth was on him. "We found where he was hiding and it looked like he was waiting on something, or, maybe someone. That's when we heard the boat motor. Whoever he was got away and he weren't runnin' any lights on his boat. Pretty strange, if you ask me."

"Interesting story," Daniel commented carefully.

"Ah, yes it is. And what makes it even more interesting is that I'm sittin' here with the group that ran off the ship right after that boat disappeared into the night." Teri choked on her drink, spewing it all over the table. Casey smiled and sat back. "Now all I want to know is what kind of trouble are you in to have to fake your deaths?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Daniel said quietly.

"Come now, lad. Captain Mitchell's a good captain, some say the best. But I know he's like most freighter captains and will take a slide under the table to look the other way."

"What do you want?" asked Daniel. Casey smiled.

"Nothin' really. I was just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Teri said quickly.

"Ah, that may be true, but I don't think I have any whiskers and I'm pretty sure I don't have a tail." Daniel chuckled despite himself.

"Are you ready to order?" Shannon said as she stopped at the table.

"Shepherd's Pie for me," Casey said with a wink.

"Bangers and mash," chimed in Timmy. Teri gave him a "yuck" look. "You should try it. It's sausage and mashed potatoes." Teri scrunched up her nose.

"Shepherd's Pie for me too," said Dillon.

"Fish and chips for me," chimed in Daniel.

"I'll have the same," added Cody. All eyes turned back to Teri.

"I don't know. What's good?"

"Everything's good my dear," Shannon said smiling.

"Bring her the pie," suggested Casey. "It's really good. Shannon's mom's cooking tonight." Teri nodded and handed her menu to Shannon.

"And have a pint on us my dear," Casey said.

"Aren't you the sweet one," Shannon said as she leaned down and kissed Casey on the cheek. "Be right back," she said as she sauntered off toward the kitchen.

"Now back to Lear jets, freighters and strange men in the shadows," Casey said just before downing his beer. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at Dillon. "I guess the next round's yours."

Jevic sat at his desk and sighed. He'd just finished answering all the tech support email, covering for Daniel. He yawned long and hard, then stood and stretched. It was well past midnight and his alarm clock was already set for 6am. Jevic scratched himself and headed for the bathroom to brush his teeth before heading to bed when the television suddenly sounded out. As the sound of the Emergency Broadcast System tone filled the room. Jevic looked at the screen. A reporter flashed onto the screen after the tone. He was obviously unprepared for the announcement he proceeded to make.

"This is an Emergency Action Notification. All people south of Cowan's Ford Dam are instructed to immediately prepare for floodwaters. I repeat, all people south of Cowan's Ford Dam are immediately instructed to prepare for floodwaters. The floodgates at the dam have been opened and a wall of water is now traveling down the Catawba River. Citizen's are requested to find shelter as soon as possible." Jevic looked at the screen, and then looked out his window at his boat resting peacefully at his dock.

"Fuck!" he yelled. Jevic quickly grabbed his VHF radio out of the charger, ripped his cell phone from its charger, grabbed his coat and head for the dock at a flat out run. Seconds later the four hundred twenty-five cubic inch engine roared to life. Jevic expertly backed the twenty-two foot Cobalt from its dock and roared down the river. He turned on the Sea Tower Sound System and cranked up the volume. The announcer was still telling everyone to get out of the way.

Jevic knew the Catawba River like the back of his hand and expertly maneuvered the boat through the blackness. Doing some quick calculations in his mind, he figured that if he make the Buster Boyd Bridge, he could easily tuck back into a deep cove to the south and avoid the onslaught. Even though he would have to deal with a rapid rise in water, he wouldn't have to deal with the main wall of water.

The Cobalt cut through the calm waters of the Catawba River at its top speed of sixty-five miles per hour. Hardly a breath of wind ruffled the stillness of the river, which made navigation a bit harder. Jevic peered into the darkness and pushed down even harder on the throttle. Safety was just around the corner, but the sounds of a rushing wall of water brought everything into perspective.

Daniel was interested in the conversation but something on the television above the bar caught his interest. The CNN logo, the computer generated graphics spelling out "Breaking News" and the "Charlotte, North Carolina" under the reporter teleported all of his attention to the broadcast. Abruptly standing up, Daniel excused himself and headed for the bar.

"Can you turn that up a bit, please?" he asked the bartender. The man shrugged and turned the volume up then turned back to a waitress at the bar station.

"Reports indicate that the flood gates were opened at Cowan's Ford Damn, located just north of Charlotte. It's not known as to why the gates were opened, but millions of gallons of water are passing through the gates every second. The result is a wall of water traveling directly toward a million plus people." Daniel involuntarily clutched at his shirt. Panic all but set in as realization washed over him.

"What's up?" Cody asked as he slid into the seat next to his lover.

"Somebody's trying to get my attention," he said solemnly.

"Huh?"

"Watch," Daniel said pointing to the television. How CNN did it was beyond his comprehension as he and Cody watched video of a wall of water make its way down the Catawba River.

"That's where Jevic lives," Cody said in disbelief. Daniel nodded confirming Cody's worst fears.

The crashing sounds of the advancing wall of water filled Jevic's ears as he quickly turned the Cobalt into a power turn heading into the cove. If things happen the way he hoped, he'd be in for a rough ride, but it wouldn't be sure death. He reached the end of the cove, whipped the powerful boat around and came to a stop. He glanced to his left and hoped the huge hill would keep the worst of the water away. The intense pounding in his chest was slowly overshadowed by an ever increasing roar. The cove he chose was at the widest part of the river. Hopefully, the wall of water wouldn't be as powerful as it could be in a narrow channel. The roar increased in intensity. Jevic could feel the still air start to stir. Flocks of birds suddenly took off from the trees along the shore. He could hear dogs in the distance suddenly start barking. The limbs of the trees started swaying as the intensity of the roar grew even louder. Suddenly water came crashing over the land to his left. Thankfully, all it did was get him wet. The main body of water was now thundering down the main channel, but the backwash was headed his way. Although it wasn't as big as the main wall of water, the waves that approached him were far from your average beach surf. Jevic quickly gunned the powerful motor and brought the Cobalt up to full wake speed, the speed just before the heavy boat planed out. With the bow high in the air, all Jevic could do was wait. The first of the crashing waves reached the boat and he slammed the throttle all the way down. The boat leapt over the leading wave and plowed headlong into the rushing waters.

"And what are you two up to?" Daniel and Cody turned to see a smiling Casey O'Brien. The red headed Irish boy leaned in closer. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you two fancy each other," he said with a wink. Daniel felt his ears get hot as his anger rose unabated.

"And you have a problem with that?" he snapped. Casey's smile turned into a full grin.

"That's what I thought," he said as he slipped into the bar stool next to Cody. "It's not like you two stand out or anything, it's just that I can kinda sense it, ya know?"

"You work radar, right?" asked Cody. Casey nodded. "So I guess your gaydar is working just fine too." Casey chuckled.

"Ah, yes indeed. It goes off every time I look in the mirror," he said with a quick smirk. "You lads need to let me show you around town. We could have some wicked fun."

"Under ordinary circumstances, we'd probably be glad to take you up on that, but right now we're watching the news. Seems a friend of ours in the direct path of a wall of water," said Daniel as he nodded toward the TV. Casey turned and watched for a minute. He whistled low and turned back to Daniel and Cody.

"Looks pretty serious." Daniel and Cody both nodded. Casey sat back on his bar stool for a moment then leaned back in closer. "Seems trouble has a habit of following you two." Daniel grunted and nodded in agreement.

"Seems that way recently," Daniel said sadly.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with the stranger we chased off the docks earlier would it?" Daniel and Cody froze. "Cause if it did, I just might happen to have some information you would find interesting." Daniel and Cody both quickly turned and looked and Casey. "Ah, thought that might get your attention." Casey drained his pint, pushed it back across the bar and without even a glance, grabbed another one as it slid down the bar. Casey pushed the pint in front of Daniel, held out his hand and caught another tall glass, pushing that one over to Cody. The third pint landed softly in Casey's hand and was quickly at his lips where the first third of the drink was neatly put away. Casey lowered the glass and looked at his new friends. He raised an eyebrow and looked at the untouched pints. Under the appraising glare, Daniel took a sip. Cody knocked back half of his with Casey smiling in approval.

"So what do you know?" asked Daniel.

"One of the blokes down at the dock followed up on our mysterious boater and found out an American man rented a speedboat from one of the local hotels." Daniel openly gasped. This was the first bit of information they had on how to find Stan. "Only problem is that the man checked out of the hotel before the dockhand could get there."

"Damn," cursed Daniel under his breath.

"Ah, but not to worry, lad," Casey started. He quickly drank another third of his beer, and continued. "The dockhand's a mate of mine. He's doing some checking around. Good mate Charlie is. Good mate." Daniel took a healthy drink from his beer and prepared to pepper Casey with questions, but the news reporter grabbed his attention first.

"Preliminary reports indicate thousands of people have been killed in this horrible incident. Officials with Duke Power are still unsure as to why the floodgates were opened. Sources inside have told us that operators on duty were unaware the gates were opening until alarm bells sounded. Unable the override the computer controlled gates, the operators could not do anything but sound an alarm to everyone downstream. But it was too little too late as you can see from this live video footage." The threesome watched in horror was whole houses were swept in the raging current. "One bright spot in this tragedy is this boater who can be seen picking up people from the water." The camera zoomed in on a speedboat that had stopped and was picking up three or four people from the water. Once they were one board, the boat headed toward the shore where the rescued people joined about twenty other people who had been rescued by the speedboat.

"Is that who I think it is?" asked Cody carefully. Daniel was all smiles.

"I take it that's your mate?" asked Casey. Daniel simply nodded. Words failed him as relief washed over him. Cody's arm circled around Daniel and pulled him close. "Hell of fellow. And a damn fine hero he is! Bartender! Another round! We've a celebration going on over here!" Casey called out.

"Damn! That asshole must be part cat," the man said angrily. The images from CNN flashed across the screen. "So, my friend, that's two down and seven to go." The man switched his voice to a high-pitched squeal. "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!" The man cackled with laughter. A sudden knocking at the door brought the man out of his revelry. He crossed the room in three strides and looked through the peephole.

"Ah, so nice of the hotel to send me dessert," he muttered to himself. He quickly opened the door.

"Excuse me, sir. I was following up on some information and wanted to ask you a couple of questions," the young man asked.

"Why certainly. Please do come in." The man said with a smile. The younger man stepped cautiously inside the room. "And what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't, but it's Charlie."

"Well now, Charlie, what brings a handsome young man like you knocking on my door?" the man said with a smile.

"Sorry to bother you, sir, but I was following up on an unknown boater near the docks earlier this evening."

"Where are my manners?" the man said as he quickly crossed the room, reached inside the small refrigerator and pulled out a beer. "Please, come, sit and we'll talk about this boater you're so interested in."

Daniel, Cody and Casey stumbled back to the corner booth, giggling all the way. Teri and Timmy were practically glued to each other and Dillon looked totally bored. Casey slid in first, practically pushing Dillon a few feet across the seat.

"Sorry," Casey muttered. Then he looked closer at the American sitting next to him. He could feel the warmth of the boy's leg. He drank in the beauty of the boy sitting next to him. He could practically smell the pheromones radiating through the air. Casey's demeanor suddenly changed from happy drunk to horny young Irish lad. "And where have you been all my life?" Ordinarily, Dillon would have thought the comment to be tacky, but the five empty pints on the table in front of him clouded his judgment.

"Right here lover boy," Dillon slurred. Casey howled with laughter.

The ring of the phone sounded like Big Ben, up close. Dillon reached across the still sleeping Irish boy in his bed and grabbed the phone.

"Hello. Yeah. Oh, OK. Just a second." Dillon covered the mouthpiece and shook Casey. "Wake up, it's for you." Casey opened one eye and looked up at the American he had spent the night with. He semiconscious mind filled with fuzzy images as he tried to remember what had happened. As he struggled to sit up, he winced at the pain in his arse and the fuzzy images suddenly became crystal clear.

"You're quite the lover," he smirked. Dillon smiled and handed the phone to Casey. "Hello." Dillon watched as the gentle smile on Casey's face faded and was replaced by a look of shock and sadness. "OK. OK. Thanks." Casey hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Casey was in absolute shock and took a moment before he answered.

"My mate from the docks, Charlie, he's been found murdered." Dillon fell back against the pillow. "He'd been raped and strangled." Dillon sat up quickly and despite his pounding head, he knew Daniel needed to be told. But first, he had to make sure Casey was OK. He quickly gathered his Irish lover into his arms and held him tight. Casey quietly sobbed on Dillon's shoulder. A few moments later a soft knock at the door beckoned Dillon from the bed.

"I'll be right back," he whispered into Casey's ear. Dillon got out of bed, grabbed his boxers from the floor and pulled them on. He padded over to the door and opened it slowly. He nodded to Daniel and slipped out into the living room of the suite.

"Sorry to bother you, but I heard the phone ring," Daniel said apologetically. Dillon nodded and pointed over to the couch.

"There's some news you need to hear." Daniel followed and sat next to his new friend on the couch.

"The call was for Casey. His friend from the docks that was following up on the mysterious boater was found murdered." Daniel sat back heavily on the couch. "His name was Charlie. They found him this morning. He'd been raped and strangled." Daniel openly gasped and began shaking his head and mumbling 'no' over and over. "Daniel?" But there was no response, only the continued mumbling. Forgetting the throbbing in his head, Dillon quickly went to Daniel and Cody's bedroom. He looked in the half open door and caught sight of Cody. The boy was looking away from the door and just pulling his boxers up, but not before Dillon got an eyeful.

"Cody," he whispered forcefully. Cody whirled around.

"Hi, Dillon. For the sounds through the wall, you had a good time last night." Dillon blushed despite himself, but he needed help with Daniel.

"Daniel needs you. He's on the couch and I've just given him some bad news.": Cody's smile turned into a frown. Dillon quickly filled him in on the news of Charlie as the headed back to the living room. Cody was quickly at Daniel's side. As he pulled Daniel into an intense hug, the mumbling stopped and the tears began. Cody looked up at Dillon.

"I'll take care of him. You go take care of Casey." Dillon nodded and headed back to his bedroom.

It was about an hour later that Dillon and Casey came from their bedroom. They had both showered and Casey was headed for the door to leave. Daniel met him half way there and pulled him into an intense hug.

"I'm so very sorry," he whispered into the red head's ear. Casey hugged Daniel back fiercely.

"It'll be OK, mate. I've got to go now, but I'll be back a bit later." Cody followed Casey to the door and once more gave him a reassuring hug.

"You shouldn't drive?" Dillon said softly.

"OK, I'll take a cab." Dillon smiled a sad smile and hugged Casey again. Seconds later the Irish boy was out the door. Dillon turned his attention Daniel, but first glanced at Cody who nodded back at him. "Daniel, you OK now?"

"Yeah," Daniel said. "You're news was just about as bad as news gets though." Dillon sat down on the couch with Daniel and Cody. Cody told him what they has been through. He also gave him a brief history of Daniel's past. When he was finished, Dillon looked at Daniel with new found respect.

"You've been though a lot more than I ever expected. This Stan person sounds like the devil himself and from what I understand, he's probably responsible for Charlie. My dad needs to know about all this. I'm sure he could straighten it out."

"NO!" Daniel all but shouted. Dillon was shocked at the outburst. "Sorry," Daniel said much softer. "Look, I'm sorry, Dillon. I just don't trust many people right now. We just met yesterday and you've proved yourself to be a good friend. You've helped us without us asking. You've paid for this suite and we certainly appreciate that, but I just can't bring anyone else in on this right now." Dillon took a deep breath.

"I appreciate the situation you find yourself in, but sometimes you need to rely on other people. You've learned you can rely on Cody," Dillon said as he nodded toward Cody. "And you've found out people you don't even know are willing to help you. I'm a perfect example of that." Once again Daniel nodded. "My dad is in the CIA. He's not a covert operative. He's more of a desk jockey, but he has access to lots of information. Will you let me call him and fill him in. He may have some ideas about how we can find this asshole." Daniel looked up at Cody. He trusted Cody with his life and wanted Cody to help in this decision. Cody smiled a half smile and nodded his head.

"OK, Dillon. Call you dad, but only tell him what you have to. He doesn't need to know about the Jacksonville Police or the British Custom's Officer." Dillon nodded in agreement.

"You won't regret this decision, Daniel. My dad's a good man. He always does the right thing no matter what the circumstances. He loves me, believes in me and accepts me for who I am." Daniel nodded back and was finally able to give Dillon a brief, although somewhat forced, smile. Dillon turned toward his bedroom to make a phone call.

Timmy chose that moment to stumble into the living room of the suite. Daniel and Cody turned to look at him. Timmy was wearing Teri's red silk panties. The boyfriends burst into laughter. Timmy, still not understanding the source of his friends' amusement, put his hands on his hips and struck a pose.

"What do you find so funny this early in the morning?" he smirked. Cody was on the floor rolling in peels of laughter. Daniel, desperately trying to bring himself under control, could only point at Timmy's groin. Timmy looked down and turned every bit as red as the panties. "Oh, shit!" he cried out and streaked back toward his bedroom.

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