The Offer
by Wrestlr
11.
Jack did not go back to his bedroom. Instead, after wiping his hand and discarding the paper towel in the trash can, for the first time in days—the first time since he had arrived—he put on his shoes and coat and went outside. He needed to think. Maybe the winter air would clear his head. Yes, a walk would be good—some exercise, some fresh air. He needed to think.
He had no plan. Dylan was obviously happy with living at the house. He would not run away with some barely eighteen punk he’d only know for a few days. Jack would need to convince him. But how? If Jack said no to the daily hypnosis and was forced to leave, would that shock Dylan out of his complacency? Would Dylan leave too?
The cold bit just as hard as he remembered through his thin coat. When Jack returned home—how many hours had passed?—he could barely feel anything, numbed by both the cold and his ongoing emotional short-circuit.
The front part of the house was dark. Had they gone to bed? Had they locked him out? Had they even noticed he was not inside? He tried the front door. It opened, and he said a little grateful prayer. He shut it silently and half-slithered, half-shivered silently out of his coat and snow-caked sneakers.
The living room and kitchen lights were off. The Doctor’s door was open, and his office was dark. The opposite door was open too, and light came from the adjoining room. He peeked. It was empty, the only light from another door on the far side. Jack heard nothing. This was the perfect time to do some snooping.
He started with the Doctor’s desk and computer. The computer was already on—no need to activate it and risk boot-up chimes—and the screen lit when he moved the cursor.
What he was looking for was easy to find. Obviously, the Doctor had no fear of exposure. Spreadsheets. Email. Accounts. Names, physical descriptions, lengths of time trained, special instructions given, dates of sale, current owners, amounts paid. Jack wondered whether he was understanding all of it correctly. Was the Doctor selling his hypnotized men to the highest bidders? The Doctor used them for his Internet sex site, then—maybe when they landed a rich fan, or maybe when they were no longer fresh meat—he placed them with a new “owner” for a substantial fee. The logs had close to three dozen names, ending with half-completed entries for Greg, Jeff, and Jack himself, half-completed because only the names and descriptions were filled in. Greg’s, though, had the cryptic message “pending” in the date of sale column.
Why were there no entries for Dylan or Ike?
He heard voices from the other room: Ike and the Doctor. Jack hid under the desk, hoping they wouldn’t notice the screen’s glow.
Ike said, “So how many will this give him?”
“Greg will be his third. The Sheik has been a very good customer. Greg is an excellent choice for him.”
“I’ll make the arrangements, sir. Once you finish transferring his obedience protocols to the Sheik, we’ll be ready to put him on a plane to meet his new owner.”
Obedience protocols? Jack did not like what that implied.
“Excellent. Good night, Ike.”
“Good night, sir.”
Ike came through the door, walked across the office, and disappeared into the house.
The Doctor never appeared. Instead, the light beyond those rooms went out as a door was shut. Jack waited five minutes, counting off the seconds—one Mississippi, two Mississippi—and then crept out of the Doctor’s office.
He had proof. Dylan had to believe him now. Dylan could have the Doctor arrested using the evidence Jack had found. They would be heroes.
Jack tiptoed in his socks up the stairs and into Dylan’s room, easing the door shut behind him.
Dylan was asleep. Jack turned on the bedside lamp, crouched beside the bed, and shook Dylan’s shoulder.
“Hey … Jack,” Dylan murmured, blinking away sleep and the sudden light.
“You gotta come downstairs and see this. The Doctor’s up to some seriously illegal shit. Bring your badge and your handcuffs—you’re gonna have to arrest him after you see this.”
“Mmm? What?”
“Seriously, like human trafficking and selling-people-into-slavery shit. Greg’s gonna be next.”
Dylan blinked and sat up. “What are you ...?” Then he looked at Jack and grinned.
“This isn’t funny!”
“No, I mean, what you’re wearing. I haven’t seen you wearing that much clothing since that first day I brought you here.”
Which was probably correct, Jack realized.
“Not the point. Be serious, Dylan. The Doctor’s up to some seriously illegal shit here. You gotta come see what I found on his computer before he erases it or hypnotizes you to forget it or something.”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s how it works—”
“Just come with me and see for yourself.”
“Oh, all right. If it’ll help settle this once and for all ...” Dylan pushed back the covers and swung his feet to the floor. Jack stared at Dylan’s thick penis as Dylan retrieved a pair of boxer shorts and slid them on. Dylan was so beautiful—Jack considered instead pushing him onto the bed and kissing his chest and sucking his cock. “Well?” Dylan prompted, impatient. “Let’s go. Show me.”
At first, Jack thought Dylan was inviting him to indulge what he had been fantasizing, but then he realized what Dylan meant.
Jack led Dylan to the Doctor’s office. “It’s in here,” he said and led him through the door.
The lights came on. “And what are you two doing sneaking around in here in the dark?” the Doctor asked.
Surprised, Jack whirled his back to the Doctor and clamped his eyes shut and put his hand over Dylan’s. “Don’t look!” he cried, though he was not really sure what the Doctor was going to do. “He’s going to try to hypnotize you or something!”
“Uhm, Jack ...?” Dylan said, pushing at Jack’s hand. When Jack refused to let it budge, Dylan sighed and talked around it. “Sorry to disturb you so late, Doctor, but Jack thinks you’re up to illegal acts like human trafficking or something?”
“Nonsense. Everyone who stays or leaves here does so of their own volition. If I facilitated new living arrangements for them, that was by mutual consent of all parties involved.”
Jack snarled, “You gave them ‘obedience protocols’ and took money for them. That sounds like slavery to me.”
“Jack, Jack, I have such high hopes for you, but you’re not irreplaceable.”
“Huh?”
“Come now. You’re a beautiful young man. Finding you a new arrangement will bring me a good price once your training is complete. But if you choose to cause problems instead, well, sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Dylan and Ike have been excellent recruiters. If we have to evict you because you choose not to abide by the terms of my offer, I’m sure they’ll find a suitable replacement in no time.”
“That’s bullshit,” Jack snapped. “Dylan and I don’t want any part of this. We’re leaving.”
Dylan said, “Uhm, Jack, we haven’t talked about that.”
“Exactly,” the Doctor said. “We should all sit down and talk, like mature adults.”
Jack fumed at the implied insult. “No, thanks. We won’t be staying.”
“You should take a moment and consider this. Dylan has lived here for several years, and he’s quite happy here. He doesn’t want to leave. If he leaves, he loses everything—his friends here, the job he loves, his life. I think the only way you two can be together is if both of you stay, and that means both of you have to abide by the terms of my offer. Both of you, Jack.”
Dylan cleared his throat. “Jack, I ... I really like you and I’d like to see where this thing between us goes, but ... I can’t see leaving here.”
“That’s because he won’t let you. You’re not his slave, Dylan.”
The Doctor said, “How about a compromise? Dylan and Ike are my best recruiters, so I’m not taking outsourcing offers for Dylan here. How about if I take you off the table too, Jack? You can stay as long as you want, as long as you and Dylan are together. I won’t ‘sell’ you, as you so callously put it, but in return you’ll have to abide by The Offer and you’ll have to start recruiting too.”
Dylan said, “Jack ...?”
“It’s obvious you two care for each other, even though you’ve only known each other a short time. Perhaps a quick session would help you focus and think more clearly? How about it, Dylan? Why don’t you sit down in this chair here and we’ll have a quick session.”
“Okay, Doctor,” Dylan said.
Jack pleaded, “No! That’s how he—Fight it, Dylan! Please!” But Dylan was already stepping around him.
“That’s it, Dylan. Have a seat right here. Good. I’ll start the session in just a moment.”
“Yes, sir,” Dylan said.
Jack heard the chair squeak as Dylan sat down, and he felt like he was losing.
“Now you, Jack? All you have to do is come over here and sit down. That’s it. That’s all you have to do to stay with Dylan. I know you want to. I know you love him. It’s clear, isn’t it? All you have to do is turn around, and come over here, and have a seat in this familiar chair.
“Not interested.”
“Then why haven’t you left yet? That you’re still here tells me you’re considering my offer. Come sit down. A quick session will help you see things much more clearly. You know it’s the only way you can be with Dylan. What harm can a quick session do?”
Every time the Doctor said the word session, Jack felt the tug. He could already almost picture that familiar forest path, could almost see himself taking that first step.
“Dylan is willing. He likes you very much, but he doesn’t want to leave. Why don’t you come join us, Jack? Please? Just a quick, clarifying session, and then you and Dylan can be together if that’s what you want. Come sit down so I can start the session. Dylan’s waiting, Jack, but he won’t wait forever. Come on, Jack. Take that first step. Just one step. That’s it. One little step, and then you can sit down and we can begin the session. Just take that first step.”
Why is life always so hard, Jack wondered. If he stepped onto that familiar path down into the peaceful forest, he would not have to worry about this. Someone else would make the hard choices and deal with the consequences. But did he not want to make his own choices? His new life was supposed to be about him making his own choices. But maybe this once he could choose not to choose? Surely letting someone else make the hard decisions for him was a choice Jack deserved to be able to make too? Jack, in spite of himself, imagined what it would be like to take a first step down that familiar path again. No!—Fucking hell no! he swore at himself.
“Dylan, why don’t you ask Jack to join you so we can begin the session?”
Dylan murmured, “Jack ... please ...?”
Jack felt something inside him twist. Dylan was so beautiful and caring; Dylan was everything he wanted.
“Just take that first familiar step,” the Doctor coaxed. “Just that little first step. So familiar. You’ve done it several times before. Do it again now, Jack. Take that first step.”
Jack imagined taking a step down that forest path.
Then another.
“That’s it,” the Doctor cooed. “You’ll feel much more clear-headed once we begin the session. Now come sit down here next to Dylan.”
As he imagined walking down the forest path, Jack found himself turning around, turning toward the Doctor and Dylan, walking over to them, sinking down, sinking down into the familiar chair once more. He was so tired, so sleepy, so ... sinking. He could not stop it now. He had chosen to give up the decision. It felt like the right choice. As he surrendered to the feeling, accepted it, his hand crossed the short space between them and gripped Dylan’s.