Trial Of Strength (Book 1)

'What the fuck am I doing?' Jamie thought. He was holding on tight to Mark, the beautiful cop, as the Harley roared beneath them and they sped north on Coast Highway. His mind was in a whirl of confusion. He had always considered himself quite the stud, his blond good looks always a hit with the ladies. But now ......

In recent months Jamie had fucked up his life and he was now doing his damnedest to turn it around, the new guy in the house with Mark and the four others. Mark apparently glimpsed the good in him, took a liking to him, and had invited him on a trip up the coast. With his newfound freedom Jamie couldn't wait to make out with a girl but when the time came he couldn't perform. For the first time in his life he couldn't get an erection.

Then there was Mark. 'Jesus, he's a great looking guy,' Jamie thought. As the big cop lay sleeping naked in bed Jamie had, without thinking, jerked off at the glorious sight. Filled with disgust and shame at himself he scrubbed his semen off the bathroom floor. 'Shit. We've got to go home,' he said to himself. 'I'll tell him first thing tomorrow.' Thank God Mark had no idea what had happened.

In the morning Jamie woke and saw Mark stir. He would tell him now that they had to go back. Wouldn't say why. They just had to head home.

The cop's handsome face turned and smiled at him. 'Hi, there, kid. Sleep well? No bad dreams?'

'I, er ......' Jamie stammered.

'Get ready, buddy. We got a long day ahead of us. We're gonna ride further north. You with me?'

Jamie looked into the stunning blue eyes smiling at him and he could not believe what he heard himself say. 'Sure thing, sir. Can't wait. I'll be holding onto you all the way. You're the boss, sir.'

Mark smiled to himself. Trained as a cop to observe, he caught a slight change in Jamie's tone. And for the first time the young guy had addressed him as 'sir.'

'Odd,' Mark thought to himself. Then, 'Nah, probably nothing to it.'

**************

So again Jamie asked himself, 'What the fuck am I doing here?' He had been disgusted by his own physical attraction to the muscular cop, but here he was with his arms wrapped around him on the back of the Harley. The heat had become even more intense so Mark had stripped down to his thin tank top, enjoying the feel of the wind on his body.

Gripping tight, Jamie could feel the hard eight-pack abs under the thin cotton and, if he moved his hands higher, he rubbed against the solid, bulging pecs. His dick had been rock solid since they hit the road but he put that down to the throbbing of the machine between his legs. When his arms grew tired he leaned forward and rested his cheek on Mark's bare shoulder, feeling the thin layer of sweat covering it. His cock was starting to throb.

'Oh, what the hell,' he thought. 'Gotta stop thinking so much. Just enjoy the ride.'

They rode for several hours. After San Luis Obispo they had swung off onto Highway 1, the twisting two-lane scenic road that hugged the coast. As he gazed over the sparkling blue Pacific Jamie had to admit he was loving the hell out of this, the wind, the speed, the sound of the powerful bike and .... he admitted this too .... the solid feel of the man he held onto.

Some time after they passed through San Simeon Mark pointed left and they swung off the road and bumped over the sandy cliff track. Mark secured the bike in a clump of trees and grinned at Jamie.

'Feel like a swim? It's quite a hike down the cliff to the beach. There's a deserted cove down there that I went to once. Come on, kid.' He threw his arm over Jamie's shoulder and together they walked toward the cliff edge. After a hard scramble down a narrow track they were standing on the sun-baked, deserted beach of a small cove.

Mark quickly stripped off his jeans and tank top. Buck naked he turned to Jamie. 'Race you in,' he said and jogged toward the waves. Still in awe at the perfect body of this god-like man Jamie felt his cock stiffen and he breathed to himself. 'Shit. Gotta get a grip. A long swim is what I need.' He stripped naked and followed Mark into the ocean and they swam out through the waves. Mark was by far the stronger swimmer and Jamie pushed himself to keep up.

'That's far enough,' Mark said finally, breathlessly. 'I'm going back.'

Jamie wanted to impress this man and said, 'I'll stay out a bit. I need the exercise.'

'OK, buddy. Just be careful of the rip tides. They can be brutal out here.'

*************

Back on shore Mark threw himself onto the sand and lay on his back gazing at the sky. He was feeling really good. After a while he pulled himself up onto his elbows and looked out to sea. He frowned. Jamie was a long way out .... too far, he thought. Still, he was waving so he must be OK. He narrowed his eyes again and saw more clearly. Jamie was waving both arms, frantically. He was in trouble.

'Oh, shit. The rip tide,' Mark said to himself. Still naked he sprang to his feet and raced to the water, throwing his big, muscular body head first into the waves. Using every ounce of strength he could muster he swam with long, powerful strokes, trying to keep Jamie in sight. The flailing body disappeared once or twice but resurfaced each time.

Finally Mark reached him but Jamie was thrashing around, coughing. The first thing was to calm him. 'Easy, Jamie, easy. I'm here now. I'm gonna take care of you. Roll onto your back. Don't fight it. Just let me hold you.' He came behind him, hooked his arms under the kid's armpits and started to kick backwards with all his strength. The absurd thought shot through his mind, 'Hell, good thing I did those extra squats at the gym.'

Mark felt the pull of the rip tide and knew he had to swim parallel to the shore. He tried desperately to keep Jamie's face above water but his knew the guy had already swallowed a lot of water. He kicked harder and tried to steer closer to the shore. After what seemed like an eternity he knew they would make it. Finally he felt sand under his feet and he stood up. But Jamie was limp, his eyes closed.

Mark picked him up bodily in his arms and walked up the beach. He lowered him onto the sand and knelt over him, straddling the inert body. He pulled Jamie's chin up to clear the air passage and then, with one hand gently on his forehead, he bent forward. He pinched Jamie's nose, took a deep breath, then clamped his mouth over Jamie's and breathed out hard. He pulled back, listened for the sound of breath, then again pressed his lips against Jamie's and breathed.

This time he thought he heard a breath. He pulled back, still kneeling over the limp body, and placed one hand over the other on his chest, pressing down hard to start the lungs working.

'Hang in there, kid. Come on, buddy. Breathe for God's sake.'

Mark pressed rhythmically until suddenly Jamie's head jerked to one side, he coughed and water dribbled from his mouth. He coughed again and more water came up. He took deep rasping breaths and slowly began to regain consciousness. He became aware of a weight on his stomach, and from a long way away he heard a voice calling him, 'Jamie ..... Jamie'.

Still in a daze, not knowing where he was, Jamie opened his eyes. For a moment he was blinded by the sun, but gradually there came into focus the most amazing face he had ever seen. It was golden, perfectly sculpted, back-lit by the sun, and smiling, with wet blond hair falling over the forehead. Then Jamie realized what the weight was on him. The strong, muscular, naked body, still streaming with water, was astride him, the cock resting lightly on his stomach. He had the crazy momentary delusion that he had died and gone to heaven, and this was God. Then the god spoke.

'It's OK, Jamie. It's me, Mark. You had a small accident but you're gonna be fine. Relax. I'm gonna take care of you, kid.'

In an involuntary move Jamie reached up and ran his hands over the gleaming hard chest towering over him.

'Yeah, I'm real, kid,' Mark smiled. 'And you're gonna be just fine.'

And as Jamie gazed up at this gentle, smiling, glorious man, that was the moment. Although he didn't know it at the time (and would certainly have denied it if he had), that was the moment that Jamie fell in love for the first time in his life.

**************

After a few minutes Jamie had stood up and, with his arm over Mark's shoulder for support, was being helped back along the beach. They finally reached the spot where they had left their clothes and Jamie sank to the ground. He lay on his back in the sand and Mark stood over him.

'Now I want you to lie still. You've had quite a shock,' Mark said. 'Are you warm enough?'

'Yes, sir,' Jamie murmured. 'The sun's real hot.'

'Good. Now what you need is liquid. I have plenty of water on the bike so I'm going back to get a few bottles. I'll be gone ten minutes. Sure you'll be OK?'

'Sure, sir. Thank you, sir. Thank you for ....... '

'Save it kid. Conserve your strength.'

Mark pulled on his jeans and walked back up the cliff path. Jamie watched him go, then closed his eyes, exhausted. His hands touched something in the sand .... Mark's discarded sweaty tank top. He picked it up and instinctively brought it to his face. He inhaled the scent of Mark's sweat, his total maleness, and his mind began to wander in a mild delirium.

Images of the trauma he had undergone had lodged somewhere deep in Jamie's subconscious mind and they now came to the surface in fragments. He heard again snatches of the strong, deep voice. 'Easy, Jamie. I'm here now .... I'm gonna take care of you .... don't fight it .... Just let me hold you .... relax. I'm gonna take care of you kid.'

His memory brought back the feel of muscular arms curling round his body as he flailed in the water, and powerful legs kicking underneath him. He felt his limp body being lifted up and carried in strong arms, and then he was lying in the sand. He saw again the golden face framed in the sunlight. As his mind wandered he imagined the muscular body astride him and again he stroked the gleaming, hard pecs. The smell, the sound of the voice, the touch and sight of this god-like man overwhelmed his senses and his body shuddered.

'Don't fight it, Jamie. Let me hold you. I'll take care of you.' From the deep recesses of his memory, he saw the face bend toward him and the mouth covered his. He pressed the tank top to his face again and breathed deeply. He smelt, tasted the life-saving breath of the man. As he felt the man's lips pressed against his, his body shuddered back to life. He felt an intense warmth as it engulfed his body; he tensed, jolted and heard himself scream. Then water was pouring over his body again. This time it was hot, sweet-smelling as it flowed over his chest, neck and face.

Suddenly he was still and he felt a serenity he had never felt before. His mind drifted. He was unaware of time passing until a shadow fell across him and he heard a voice.

'You OK, Jamie? I thought I heard you shout ..... Jesus, what have you been doing?' Mark looked down at the beautiful young body, covered in pools of creamy white liquid.

**********

Jamie's eyes opened and he saw the shirtless man towering over him. Then his eyes went downward to his own body and he froze in horror. It was not water he had felt in his fantasy. It was his own semen, which now lay in pools all over his body. His senses had been overwhelmed by the image, taste and smell of this magnificent man and brought him to a spontaneous orgasm.

Horrified, he gripped the tank top again and frantically wiped his chest, neck and face, trying to soak up the pools of semen. Mark dropped to his knees beside him and Jamie turned away from him onto his side. He moaned, almost to himself. 'Jesus Christ. I am such a fucking loser!'

'What do you mean, Jamie?' came the calm, gentle voice. 'What on earth happened to make you say that?'

Jamie turned and looked fiercely at Mark. 'What happened!? What happened!? Here's what happened. I take a waitress to bed and can't get it up. Can't even get a fucking erection. Then I go for a swim and end up nearly drowning. You have to rescue me. I can't do anything right. I'm not even a man.'

'Hey kid. Don't beat yourself up. You're no loser. Far from it.'

Jamie almost sobbed. 'I was just trying to impress you and I fucked up royally.'

Mark put his hand on Jamie's chin and pulled his face toward him.

'Now listen to me, Jamie. You won't impress me with how many women you've laid, or how hard your dick gets, or how far you can swim. You've already impressed me, kid. You took a wrong path in your life and you've worked damned hard to turn yourself around. Randy punished you hard, the other guys worked you like a slave, and you've come through it all. And here you are, 23, handsome, great body. You've got a new job and a new home. And you know what?

'What, sir?'

'You've got a new friend .... Me.'

Jamie frowned again. 'That's another thing ..... the worst.'

'What are you talking about?'

'Of course you know that was jism all over my body just then. I fucking shot my load, man, all over myself.'

'So what? After what you've been through it's a great kind of release.'

'You don't get it do you? What made me come was ...... hell, I was thinking about you, sir.'

'Me?' Mark smiled in amusement.

'Yeah .... saving me, holding me, bending over me, breathing life back into me.' He gazed up at Mark with a defeated look. 'And that's not all. Shit, you might as well know the worst. Last night while you were sleeping I was in the bathroom and I masturbated looking at you. Shot my biggest load ever all over the bathroom floor.' He turned his head away again. 'There. Now you know.'

There was a silence for a moment, then Mark roared with laughter.

'Is that all? Jamie, it's not the first time that's happened to me, far from it. I guess people just like the way I look. Stop beating yourself up about it. Just as long as you had a good time.'

'But I'm no fucking fa ......' but Jamie checked himself just in time.

' ........ faggot? Is that what you were gonna say? Listen kid. You've gotta stop putting labels on things. Especially that label. I never want to hear that again. The thing is you had a great orgasm. That's terrific. Do what makes you feel good, just as long as nobody gets hurt. And you sure as hell won't hurt me by jerking off looking at me. Quite the contrary.' He smiled down at Jamie. 'Here, give me that'

Jamie handed him the crumpled tank top he was still holding, now sticky with his own cum. Mark took it, stood up, opened it up and pulled it on over his head, down over his chest. He ran his hand over it, feeling the creamy wetness.

'See, I don't mind.'

Jamie shook his head. 'God, you are something else, sir.'

Mark got down and lay beside Jamie. 'Let me ask you something. What do you think of Bob back home?'

'Randy's friend? I don't know much about him but he seems a decent guy. And he sure is beautiful. One of the most incredible men I've ever seen.'

'That's what I thought when I first met him. I had pulled him over for an illegal U-turn and he didn't want me to write him a ticket. So I made him stand and strip for me. And as I watched him I shot my load in my pants.' He grinned, 'Then I tore up the ticket. So you see, you're not the only one who gets off looking at a beautiful guy.'

'Jeez,' Jamie gazed at Mark. 'I never would have thought.'

'That's your trouble, kid. You think too much. Just go with your feelings.' He gazed at the confused young man. 'You know what? You need a real treat. We both do. When did you last stay at a really fancy hotel?'

'I never have, sir.'

'Well that's gonna change. Big Sur is not too far up the road. There's a hotel on the cliff with fantastic views over the ocean, the most beautiful place on the coast. That's where we'll spend the night.' He grinned. 'Gotta wear a shirt, though. Don't want them to think we're white trash drifting in on the tide, do we?'

And Jamie laughed out loud for the first time in a long time.

***********

A couple of hours later they were in the lap of luxury. A king size room with its own private balcony overlooking the ocean that sparkled way below them beneath the cliffs. They were lucky to get a room as the hotel was booked, but Mark's police ID helped a bit. They had showered, ordered room service and sat in their thick terry-cloth robes eating dinner on the balcony.

Jamie was now much more relaxed. He had dropped the macho attitude and the two men chatted easily together, made each other laugh. The sun was beginning to set toward the Pacific and there was a silence as the two faces gazed at each other, bathed in the golden light.

'You know something, Jamie,' Mark said. 'You've grown into one helluva good-looking dude .... the face, the body. You're terrific.'

'Thank you, sir. That's great coming from you. God, you look like .... I dunno .... what they call a Greek God I think.' Then he paused and cleared his throat. 'Sir, you know that story you told me about Bob?'

Mark smiled. 'You read my thoughts, kid.' He stood up and wheeled the meal cart back into the room. Then he joined Jamie back out on the balcony. 'Stand up'

The two men faced each other. As if reading each other's minds they untied their robes and let them drop. And there they stood, naked, looking at each other, on the sunlit balcony high above the shimmering Pacific, in the midst of the most beautiful scenery in the world, the wooded cliffs plunging steeply to the sea.

Mark looked out to sea. 'Spectacular view, uh?'

Jamie was looking straight at Mark as he replied, 'Spectacular.'

When their laughter stopped they stood still, gazing at each other. The sun threw a magical, golden light over their sun-tanned bodies as it sank into the glittering sea. Their cocks started to stiffen. They grew harder and soon stood out rigid before them.

'You with me, Jamie?' Mark breathed.

'Yes, sir.'

They gazed deeply into each other's eyes as they stroked their cocks, slowly at first, then faster and faster. Mark smiled at Jamie and the young man grinned back. Each was intoxicated by the beauty of the man facing him and the splendor of the moment. Like the sunset, it did not last long.

'You ready, Jamie?'

'Ready, sir.'

And there, poised above the world, the two men shuddered, held their breath, and with shouts of joy each of them shot long streams of creamy hot liquid that splashed over the other man's gleaming body. The twin orgasms were intense, multiple eruptions of hot semen pouring out of them.

When they finally stopped the silence was so intense they could hear the faint sound of waves crashing far, far below. Their smiles, shy at first, became wider until they erupted into laughter. They came together in a tight embrace, two virile men hugging each other and laughing with the newfound joy of true masculine friendship.

************

That night Jamie did not cling to the edge of bed as he had done in the motel the night before. There was a lot of space in the king-size bed but inevitably their bodies touched from time to time, and when they did Jamie felt his cock stir. But he didn't care. He didn't care about anything, except lying next to this man.

He was happier than he had ever been. No .... it was simpler than that ..... he was .... just happy. Jamie knew now that he had never really been happy in his life before. Suddenly his life was simple, untroubled. It was in Technicolor! All the pain and confusion of his past disappeared and he felt safe. He was lying next to this glorious man, the man who had saved his life, who had said he would take care of him. Best of all, he was his friend.

He lay on his back listening to Mark's steady breathing and soon Jamie too fell into a peaceful, carefree sleep.

**************

The next day, after a leisurely breakfast in their room, they left for home. Holding on tight to the man who had saved his life ..... changed his life ..... Jamie felt a lightness, an exhilaration that he could not understand. But he didn't try to. Hadn't Mark told him not to think so much, just feel? Well he did, and he felt great.

Mark took the Carmel Valley route through the hills and then they sped straight down the 101, all the way to the Silver Lake exit in Hollywood and then they were home. Darius and Pablo were by the pool and as Jamie passed by on the way to his room he called out a cheery, 'Hi, guys!' The two lovers looked at each other and frowned.

'He sure seems happy, Pablo said. Guess Mark gave him a good trip. Can't see that they have much in common, though.'

'Nah,' Darius agreed. 'Just a one-time deal, that's for sure.'

Mark looked in on Bob and Randy in the office. 'Good trip?' Bob asked.

'The best,' Mark said. He's a helluva a guy, you know. Still, duty calls. The night shift.' He left to put on his uniform for work.

Randy looked at Bob. 'Hmm. Seems they had a good time. Don't know what he means, though, 'helluva guy.' The kid's just a new employee after all .... nothing more than that.'

*************

Although Mark worked all night he was in a great mood when he pulled into the garage at home in the morning. Pablo was already there working on the truck Randy had given to Darius. As usual he was wearing his old dungarees, held up by one strap at his shoulder. And as usual he was naked underneath.

'Hey there, Pablo,' Mark said. 'Man, I gotta thank you for tuning up the Harley so well. It ran like a dream. We had a great trip.'

'You're welcome, sir,' Pablo mumbled blandly without even looking up.

Mark frowned. 'Anything wrong, kid?'

'No, sir.'

'Are you sure?'

Now Pablo looked at him. 'Me and Darius, we were talking.'

'Oh.'

'About Miller, sir. We were kind of surprised that you took him with you .... him being just a new worker and all.'

Mark smiled. 'So that's what this is all about. Listen Pablo, and you can tell this to Darius. The new guy is a great kid. And his name's Jamie, by the way. I like him a lot. We're friends and I'd like you to be his friends too. You should get to know him.'

Pablo narrowed his eyes and hesitated. Then he blurted out, 'I probably shouldn't ask you this, sir but .... did you fuck him?'

Mark's head jerked back in surprise. 'You're right, Pablo, you damn well shouldn't ask me a thing like that.' He paused. 'But you might as well know that I didn't 'fuck him' as you put it. I'm sure the guy's not into that .... didn't even cross his mind. Why would you ask me such a thing, anyway?'

'No reason.' Pablo's tone was surly.

Mark stood closer to him, sizing him up. 'This is not about Jamie, is it, Pablo? It's about you. Are you jealous of Jamie?'

Pablo pulled himself up to his full height. 'I think you like him more than you like me, sir.'

'Why in God's name would you say a thing like that?'

'Well sir, it's just that ......'

'Come on, kid. Out with it.'

It all came out in a rush. 'I've been thinking. You've fucked everyone in this house except me sir. You don't even want me.'

Mark threw his head back and laughed. 'Is that all that's bugging you? Listen to me, kid. I think you have the most beautiful ass I've ever seen. Every time I look at it my cock gets hard. The only reason I've never put my dick inside it is that the opportunity has never arisen. I'd love to fuck you.

'Really, sir?' Pablo looked into Mark's eyes with a gaze of eager anticipation. 'You really mean that?'

'Hell, just talking about it is getting me hard.'

'Me too, sir.'

'Then let's do something about that. Turn round, kid.'

Pablo turned his back to Mark, who unhooked the strap of his dungarees, which dropped round his knees. The cop took a sharp intake of breath as he looked at the perfectly rounded globes of the ass.

'You think I didn't want that?' he breathed.

Still in his full uniform he sank to his knees, put his hands around Pablo's waist and began to lick the mounds of his ass. Soon he was burying his face in the warm, moist crack, pushing his tongue deep inside. Pablo moaned as he felt the tongue explore the velvet inside of his ass.

'That feels incredible,' he whispered. 'Thank you, sir.'

Mark stood up and pushed the young man forward over the open tailgate of the truck, pressing his head down toward the flat bed. He unzipped his uniform pants and pulled out his raging cock. He pressed it against Pablo's hole and eased it inside with one long, steady thrust, until the head rested against a silky softness deep inside.

'God,' he breathed. 'And you thought I didn't want that?'

He pulled back, then thrust again, bringing fresh moans of pleasure from the young man. He plunged in several more times, but Mark was a visual guy and said, 'I gotta watch you, kid, while I fuck that sweet ass.'

He pulled his dick free, turned Pablo around, put his hands on the naked waist and with one strong move lifted him up so he was sitting on the tailgate of the truck facing him. Pablo lay back on the flat bed and looked up at the cop. He was always hugely turned on when he saw Mark in uniform, and now the uniformed cop was looming over him, about to fuck his ass.

Mark pulled him forward until his ass was hanging over the end of the tail gate. He grabbed his ankles and stretched his legs outward, high over his head. His rod rested against the trembling ass. He smiled down at the spellbound face.

'Now, kid, you're gonna see how much I wanted this.' And as he pushed his cock deep inside the quivering ass both men moaned in ecstasy.

Pablo gazed up in awe at the beautiful cop, stunning in his black uniform, shirt stretched over the slabs of his chest, a triangle of white T-shirt visible at his neck. His high black riding boots scraped on the floor as his body moved back and forth. Pablo watched this muscle-god, this sexual icon as he felt the long shaft penetrating his body.

Mark loved the effect he was having on the boy. He smiled down at the face that was set in an expression of total worship. Pablo looked up at the image he had secretly imagined many times, and now, at last, it was real.

'Oh god, sir. It's perfect. You look unbelievable. I've always wanted to be fucked by a cop and you, sir are a total fantasy. I can't believe you're real. Aaah ...... fuck me sir. Please fuck my ass.'

And that's just what Mark did, for a long time, plunging in and out of the hot furnace of the youthful ass, the tip of his cock tingling, alive, as it touched the secret depths of Pablo's body. As he held the legs high his muscles flexed and the short sleeves of his shirt slid back from his bulging biceps. Pablo's gazed traveled down the body to the wide leather belt as the slim waist push again and again against his ass. The incredible sight was bringing Pablo to a pitch of excitement. He couldn't hold on much longer.

'It's time, Pablo,' Mark breathed.

'I know, sir. I can't hold back any more. I can't help it, sir. I'm gonna ..........'

The words stopped and his voice became a high-pitched howl as his cock exploded with jets of thick juice that splashed over his chest and face. Mark too yelled as he pushed in deep one last time and felt his cock erupt in the sweet depths of the beautiful ass. Then they were still as their cocks poured with the juices of their incredible orgasm. Their bodies heaved and their eyes were locked in an intense gaze of mutual exhilaration.

'Now,' Mark said. 'Now do you believe I wanted your ass?'

'Yes, sir, I do,' Pablo smiled.

Mark was just pulling his dick out of the hole when they both heard the garage door open. Mark turned round to see Randy. The rugged construction worker had just come from the work site, dressed in filthy cargo pants and boots, his old tank top streaked with dirt. Mark grinned broadly at Randy as he zipped his pants.

'Hey buddy. Great timing. We had just finished.'

'So I see,' Randy growled. He strode right up to Mark and punched him viciously in the stomach. Taken completely by surprise the cop howled in pain. Randy landed another punch and Mark double over clutching his stomach. Randy locked his hands together and his muscles flexed as he brought his arms down on the back of Mark's neck in a brutal double-forearm smash. The big cop sank to his knees in a daze.

Randy looked at the terrified Pablo. He bent down and pulled the dungarees up over the body, holding them by the neck and dragging the young man out of the garage. He looked over his shoulder and growled at the fallen cop.

'I'll be back for you.'

Randy dragged the horrified boy across the lawn to the house, opened the door and threw him inside. As Pablo huddled on the floor Randy hissed, 'Stay here. Don't move. Just think about what you've done.'

He slammed the door shut, turned and strode back toward the garage. But he was met in the middle of the lawn by Mark who had partially recovered and stumbled out of the garage. The big, swarthy construction worker and the muscular, blond cop faced each other, eyes blazing.