Chapter Thirty-Three

Holding All The Cards

Having a strong bargaining position because one has all the advantages.

*

"Dorian!"

The thunderstruck Klaus had to physically pull Dorian away. Here the Earl had been asking to be protected, and now he was the one doing the threatening, not that the bugger on the floor didn't deserve a good thrashing. Just not inside the office of the Director of the CIA.

Klaus gave Dorian a steady look before turning to the man on the floor. "Don't even attempt to justify this," he said as the still shaking Earl returned to his seat.

"The Earl signed a document agreeing to secrecy and allowing us to give him a new identity," Tomlinson said lamely as he got up from the floor.

Dorian was back on his feet. "You fucking hypocrite, you didn't give me a new identity! You gave me your version of my own." He put a hand to his head. "I don't remember making any of those tapes. I don't... I don't even know what's real and what's not anymore. Are my childhood memories real or manufactured?" He dropped back into his chair.

"Overlooking the fact that the operation should never have been put into action," Klaus said smugly, "that fact alone puts you in breach of contract. All promises null and void."

Tomlinson swore under his breath.

"What happened, huh? What made you suddenly call it off?" Klaus wanted to know. "After all this time, why did you suddenly decide to end Project: Eroica? And so sloppy..."

Tomlinson did not reply. He simply crossed his arms and squirmed in his seat.

"I have my own theories, of course," Klaus said, glancing over at the amazingly silent Director and Admiral. "You made three mistakes that guaranteed this would fail." He held up a hand, counting them off on his fingers. "The first was going on after your star pupil was killed. Your second was selecting me as a target for Eroica's...attentions."

"And the third was ending it so fast, I suppose?" Tomlinson sneered.

"No. The third was ordering the Earl and myself eliminated."

"Now you're grasping as straws, Major!"

The chilling smile returned to Klaus's face. He went to the laptop computer that had been using for his PowerPoint presentation. With a few taps, he brought up the recording that John Paul had made outside Dr. Andy's home. He let it play through before looking up. "Dr. Schreckengost should know better than to talk on a portable phone."

"Damned idiot."

"I think we've heard enough," the Director said and then spoke into the intercom, "You can send them in now."

The door opened and two very large Marines entered. Tenet held out a hand in Tomlinson's direction. "Please take Mr. Tomlinson into custody."

This was done without much fuss. Once the door closed, the CIA Director gave the Earl a steady look. "I'm assuming you have some...requests?"

A smile curled the edges of Klaus's mouth; the word "requests" sounding more like "demands." He glanced over at Dorian and then finally took a seat. "This is what is going to happen..."

* * *

When Dorian finally followed the Major out of CIA headquarters, he felt as if the weight of the Earth had been pulled from his shoulders. He had listened quietly as Klaus laid out their demands, all of which were agreed to.

John Marshall would retire from the CIA after successfully completing his mission, as would Mr. Bonham. The Treasury Department would be contacted so that Mr. James could also be allowed to retire. Despite the fact that it was not really their jurisdiction, no one saw it as being a problem for the SIS to be contacted in order for John Paul to be given the same courtesy as his American counterparts.

At the expense of the CIA and/or NATO, Dorian would be seen by a mental health specialist for a complete evaluation. He had claimed he would have another nervous breakdown after this, and Klaus was going to make damned sure he did not.

Klaus also made sure that the men in charge of the CIA and NATO knew that he had no qualms about releasing the information surrounding this royal cock-up. The last thing the U.S. needed at this point in time was a scandal. The President was trying to bolster support, and this throwback to the Cold War would most assuredly throw an enormous spanner in the works.

Naturally, getting all of this taken care of would take time. Before leaving, Klaus left the number of the hotel where he and the others were staying.

* * *

"I never thought I'd make it through all that," Dorian admitted as he entered the hotel suite he and the Major were sharing.

"You did...amazingly well," Klaus replied admiringly as he closed and locked the door. They had already informed the others as to their success, after which James announced he was buying dinner. Dorian and Klaus declined, while the others jumped at the chance.

Dorian shook his head. "You can be bloody impressive when you put your mind to it, Major."

Klaus cocked his head to one side. "Look who's talking. You shocked the shit out of me when you decked that asshole."

"You were impressed?"

"Very."

The next thing Klaus knew, Dorian was kissing him very gently.

"Dorian..."

"Don't talk, please..."

"I just wanna make sure you're not gonna bolt again."

Dorian smiled self-consciously. "I won't lock myself in the bathroom, I promise."

This time Klaus initiated a gentle kiss. He was surprised when it was very enthusiastically returned. When they broke apart, he stepped back, giving Dorian a steady look. A moment later, hands were unbuttoning, unfastening, unzipping. Clothes were pulled off and dropped in a heap. Then the pair stood looking at one another, uncertain but wanting. Neither one could say for certain how they ended up on the bed. They just were, tangled together. It didn't seem to matter that they were unsure what to do beyond kisses and caresses.

Klaus was still surprised with himself; that he could finally let go after fighting for so long. That Dorian truly was in the bed beside him, kissing him back, moaning as he moved his hand down to tentatively touch the man's growing erection. Then a hand was moving down his own body, and his felt sure that his brain would explode when it grasped his own hardening cock.

Dorian was equally lost in the moment, hands rubbing, caressing, stroking. When Klaus took hold of his erection, he gave a gasp. It felt so good. Definitely better than doing it himself. After what happened in the tub, he had been afraid that Klaus would overpower him once they were in bed together. That he would force him down and do whatever he pleased. Now that they actually were in bed together, the man of Iron turned out to be incredibly gentle. In fact, a voice in the back of Dorian's mind told him that if he chose, he could probably do whatever he pleased and Klaus would let him.

For several minutes, the only sounds in the room were heavy breathing and the occasional moan. Then neither could hold back any longer, Klaus coming first with an almost frustrated groan. After waiting so long, it had been too short an encounter. Dorian followed suit a few seconds later.

They did not untangle themselves and just lay panting on the bed, each wondering what would come next. They exchanged a few kisses before sleep overtook them, neither man even noticing when it happened.

* * *

The phone ringing was what finally roused the sleeping pair. Being the closest, Klaus fumbled for the receiver, totally baffling the person at the other end when he answered in German. Then his brain started functioning again and he switched to English. He listened as the person on the other end informed him that everything he had requested was "in the works."

"In the works?" Dorian repeated when Klaus told him what had been said. "What does that mean?"

Klaus flopped back onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. "It means we'll probably have to wait a week, so they can cover their asses."

"So...we all have to stay here while that's being worked out?"

Klaus turned when he heard the suggestive tone that he had grown accustomed to hearing from Eroica. "Yes."

Dorian flopped down on top of his chest. "I hope we don't get bored."

"Dorian..."

The words were cut off by a kiss. "No words, Klaus. Please. I...don't know what's gonna happen when all the dust settles."

"No promises, then?"

Dorian shook his head.

Klaus nodded. "I don't..." He broke off, and sighed heavily, wrapping an arm around him.

"I know." Dorian smiled briefly. "I'm...rather clueless about all this myself."

Klaus closed his eyes, only to open them to give the Earl a steady look when he said, "At least we won't get bored while we figure it out."

* * *

Once the government agencies had sufficiently covered their bureaucratic backsides, the Major was notified. Everyone involved in Project: Eroica had "retired" after a job well done. At some point, Dr. Schreckengost had been arrested. He had agreed to turn State's evidence in exchange for immunity. Klaus had insisted that they tack on that he also agree to assist those who would be doing Dorian's metal health assessment, since he was the one who had screwed up his head in the first place.

Bonham, James, and John Paul all decided that they would like to "retire" in England, and returned to Castle Gloria. The Alphabet had returned to the Bonn office and spent several days getting everything put back into place, after which they impatiently awaited the return of their commanding officer.

An investigation into the plane that went down in the English Channel--taking the recalled agents with it--could find no connection to Director Tomlinson. If one existed. The final finding was as originally thought. Engine trouble. A tragic, if coincidental, accident.

Dorian made a request before Klaus returned to Germany; leaving him on his own and at the mercy of mental health officials. A request that the Major found he could not deny. The Earl wanted to visit the grave of the real John Marshall to pay his respects and say a very belated good-bye.

* * *

Dorian had been standing silently before the engraved brass marker displaying the name of John Robert Marshall for several minutes. Klaus was beside him, standing in silent vigil. He had no idea what was going through the Earl's mind, although he could probably guess. The date bore witness to the fact that, in a few short weeks, it would be twenty-seven years since the life of the individual behind the cover plate had been violently cut short.

Klaus found himself wondering just how differently things would have turned out if it had really been the Earl who was killed. Or if there had never been an accident and Dorian had gone on to a new life somewhere in the Australian outback. He couldn't imagine the man beside him as anyone other than the fop who had driven him mad for decades. The man he had eventually stopped fighting and admitted to being in love with. The man who had shared his bed for the past week. The man whose future was now an enormous question mark.

Dorian had a single long-stem rose in his hands and looked down at it before drawing a deep breath. He placed it in the cone-shaped vase. Just as before, it had a card attached, only this one read, "From Dorian With Love. Rest in peace." Then he put a hand on the plate. I hope I did you proud, John.

* * *

The return to Bonn was just as Klaus expected. His Alphabet greeted him with delight, his Chief with grudging acceptance. Because of the overwhelming success of his dual missions, he was finally promoted to the rank of Lt. Colonel. He knew he should be delighted, but the events of the past few months had completely disillusioned him. He could no longer lie to himself that it didn't make a difference.

He argued with himself for a long time, whether it would be best to leave on a high note. Retire and plant vegetable marrows or whatever the hell it was you were supposed to grow when you retired. It was all too obvious that another war was looming in the Middle East. The U.S. was just looking for an excuse. The CIA Director had been delighted when he learned about the pocket nukes, seeing them as proof of the Weapons of Mass Destruction they were seeking. Klaus tried to dissuade him from using this as definitive proof, but the man would not listen.

On the first of December, there was a jewel theft of considerable note in the Netherlands. Six million Euros worth of jewels vanished, leaving the authorities scratching their heads. No one could even figure out how the thieves had pulled it off. Klaus had only noticed the story because it was alongside one that was political in nature. His first thoughts were of Eroica, but he was still in the States. He was also supposed to be retired.

* * *