Murphy dared a quick glance over at Bodie and noted the anger flashing from his eyes and the firm set of his mouth before once again turning his attention to where they were driving. The road was rough and the car never slowed a wit over the bumps and dips as Bodie clenched the steering wheel.

"Take it easy on the suspension," grunted Murphy as the car hit a rather deep rut.

Bodie simply down shifted and skidded around a corner, leaving a plume of dust and dirt behind them.

Over the next rise, the farm house came into view. It had the look of being abandoned for years but according to the information obtained by Cowley, it had been used as recently as last week by the Green Diamonds. A rather hard and vicious group that had no conscience when it came to retribution to what they believed went against their beliefs.

Last week, a nasty surprise exploded prematurely and a number of the group members were killed, but a few were captured due to their injuries preventing their escape. It was from these, that the information regarding this hide out was discovered.

Bracing himself with his hand, Murphy was relieved when the car finally came to a stop in front of the farm house. Before he could open his door, a blast of cold air hit him as Bodie was already climbing out.

"Hey, Bodie! Wait up!" called Murphy, scrambling to catch up. "It may look deserted, but there's no reason to take a chance."

Bodie stopped and waited impatiently for Murphy, then headed for the front door.

"Bodie...," started Murphy, but Bodie had already banged the door open and entered the farm house. "You bloody idiot," he muttered under his breath as he quickly followed Bodie inside.

The interior was murky from the late morning light filtering through the dirt covering the windows and just as cold as it was outside. A couple chairs and a sofa were arranged around a low table, and the floor had a large rug covered with discarded newspapers and other trash. Before Bodie could cross the room into the adjoining kitchen, Murphy caught up with him and grabbed him by the arm.

Bodie tried to shrug off Murphy's grip, but instead found himself practically jerked off balance.

"I don't know what the hell your problem is, but knock it off." hissed Murphy. "It wasn't my idea to be here instead of Doyle, it was the old man's. I may not know what happened for me to have been burdened with you, but I sure as hell know it wasn't anything I did or didn't do."

Bodie glared back at Murphy for a long moment, then slowly the tension in his shoulders eased a little. "You're right. It has nothing to do with you."

"Fine," said Murphy, releasing his hold on Bodie and taking a small step back. "Then don't take it out on me. Let's just take a look around and see if we can find anything useful, then get out of here."

Bodie turned back to the kitchen opening and entered with a bit more care than he had previously displayed. He stepped lightly toward the opposite side of the kitchen and started opening cabinets and drawers, leaving the side with the sink filled with dirty dishes and those drawers and cabinets for Murphy.

"Why can't we ever investigate a hide out by a group of tidy terrorists?" commented Murphy, grimacing as he poked around the filth.

"It would take away from the time they have to plan their sinister little games," answered Bodie, as he finished with the last drawer.

Satisfied that the kitchen held no secrets, they both headed toward the opposite end of the farm house. The two bedrooms and the sorry excuse for a loo held nothing either.

"Pretty much a wasted trip," muttered Murphy, crossing the main room toward the front door. The heel of his boot caught the edge of the large dusty rug and shifted it. Beneath was the corner outline of a trap door.

"What do we have here?" Bodie knelt and with Murphy's help, pulled back the rug and reached for the inset handle.

"Careful," cautioned Murphy, sharing a look with Bodie. "Might be nothing more than a root cellar, but with this group, you never know."

Bodie eased the trap door up less than an inch and held it. Murphy slowly ran the tips of his fingers along the exposed edge, searching for trip wires.

Murphy nodded and stepped back as Bodie slowly lifted the trap door the rest of the way up on its hinges. There was no resistance to the movement and they both sighed with relief when nothing happened.

"Maybe our trip wasn't wasted after all," said Murphy, squinting at the wooden steps descending into the gloom.

Raising an eyebrow in agreement, Bodie carefully worked his way down the unsteady steps. It was further down that he had anticipated, a good twenty feet to the bottom. The earthen room was half the size of main room above it and he strained to see what was stacked on the dirt floor off to the side, stepping off to the left of as he reached the bottom.

"Could stash quite a bit down here," commented Bodie, squatting down to take a look under the tarp that had caught his attention.

Murphy had followed him down and had just stepped onto the hard packed floor when a loud click startled them both.

"Go!" shouted Bodie, as he spun back to the wooden steps mentally urging Murphy to move faster as he scrambled right behind him.

Murphy had almost reached the top when the explosion struck. The wooden steps shattered, tumbling them both back down into the sudden hell that erupted.

---

Dust and debris from the destroyed upper room settled around them as weak, yellowish light streamed down from the cracks of the crumbled ceiling and the gaping hole where the stairs had led. The phantom echo of the blast still rang in his ears as Bodie blinked and tried to catch his breath. He felt a sharp jab in the small of his back from the scattered wood he was lying upon. Carefully, he tried to sit up, only to gasp as pain shot through his left leg.

"Bodie?" Murphy's voice floated toward him.

"M' here," groaned Bodie, trying to organize his thoughts and determine what damage he had sustained from the explosion. He lifted a hand to his forehead next to his temple and grimaced. He felt a good size lump and his fingers came away wet with blood. He closed his eyes, willing the room to stop spinning.

The sound of shifting wood caused him to look up and was greeted by the sight of Murphy hovering over him. Along the side of his face, blood trailed a crooked path from a deep cut below his eye. "How bad are you hurt?"

Bodie licked his lips before answering. "My left leg definitely, and I took a pretty good knock on the head."

Murphy eased himself next to Bodie and took a closer look at the wound near Bodie's hairline. "Good thing you have a hard head, Bodie." The concern in his voice still drifted through, despite his attempt to conceal it. He then gently ran his hand down Bodie's leg, grimacing in sympathy as Bodie grunted. "Looks like you broke it, mate."

"I could have told you that," ground out Bodie, fighting against the wave of pain from Murphy's touch and the nausea that followed.

Taking Bodie's sarcasm in stride, Murphy continued to check for any other major injuries Bodie may have received. He was relieved to find nothing else was serious, but he was worried that Bodie had a possible concussion.

Bodie struggled to focus clearly on Murphy. "How about you? That gash you've got looks nasty."

Murphy swiped the back of his hand against the slow flow of blood. "Just a scratch. Had worse."

Bodie glanced around, taking in the destruction that the bomb had created. "What a bloody mess."

A small chuckle escaped Murphy. "Yeah, the only reasonably clean room in the whole place. Now it matches the rest of the decor."

"Just can't figure out why they would set a trap like this here," sighed Bodie, wishing he had the energy to shift the offending wood digging into his back. "Wonder what they were afraid we'd find."

"Nothing here to find, or maybe...," Murphy started, his thoughts turning inward.

Bodie waited for Murphy to continue, but his patience was thin on a good day, and this wasn't one of them. "Maybe, what?" he snapped.

Murphy jumped slightly, his attention once again focused on Bodie. "Maybe the bomb wasn't meant to destroy evidence, but was aimed more toward anyone snooping around, an added bonus for the mayhem they can add to their list."

"Wouldn't put it past 'em," answered Bodie, shifting slightly and grunting.

"Hang on," said Murphy. "Let me see if I can't get you more comfortable. Can you roll a bit to your side?" He quickly tossed the rubble Bodie had been lying upon and once again settled him on his back.

"Much better," mumbled Bodie, his eyes fluttering closed once again.

"Don't go to sleep, Bodie," ordered Murphy, shaking Bodie's shoulder a bit more roughly than he had intended.

Bodie's eyes flew open and he gritted his teeth. "Your bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired."

"Yeah, well, be glad I'm here at all," snapped Murphy. His own bumps and cuts hurt from the little moving around he had done. "Because it doesn't look like we're going to be getting out of here anytime soon. Definitely not without help." He sorted through the pieces of wood beside them, to help stabilize Bodie's leg.

"Wonder how long we'll have to wait before anyone misses us." muttered Bodie.

"Shouldn't be too long," answered Murphy, pulling free two pieces of wood that would work.

"How do you figure that?" asked Bodie, his voice catching as Murphy worked on his leg.

Tearing strips from the bottom of his shirt, Murphy secured the makeshift braces. "Maybe the explosion was heard. We passed another farm about a mile down the road. Besides, knowing Ray, he'll be leading the rescue team to get to you."

"We'll see," said Bodie, more to himself.

"C'mon, Bodie," grinned Murphy, tying off the last strip of cloth. "Everyone knows how the two of you are with each other. More protective than a mother bear and her cub."

"What is that supposed to mean?" demanded Bodie, his entire body tensing.

"Exactly what I said," answered Murphy, shooting Bodie a quizzical look.

Bodie glared back at him.

"Look," said Murphy, "It's no secret to me about the two of you."

Eyes narrowing, Bodie continued to glare. "Watch it, Murphy. You're treading on dangerous ground."

"Forget it Bodie. Besides, you're in no condition to pound on me." Murphy lightly rubbed at the drying blood on his cheek.

"You started this, now finish it," ordered Bodie, his expression hard.

Surrendering to the inevitable, and deciding it was one way to keep Bodie awake and alert, Murphy tried to lighten Bodie's temperament. "Being the top agent that I am, I am capable of seeing and reading into things." He ignored the huff of sarcastic laughter from Bodie. "What is surprising is that, we're all trained observers, but no one else has put two and two together...yet."

Bodie raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.

"Granted, the two of you have a unique partnership. Most people take it at face value, because in our line of work, a real partnership runs deep and anyone from outside will never understand it. No one thinks twice when it involves the two of you." Murphy snuck a peek at Bodie to see how he was reacting. He was relieved when no signs of any murderous desire was reflected back from those intense blue eyes.

"Go on," said Bodie, his voice low and deep.

"Well, the two of you are good at hiding things," continued Murphy, "granted, that's a talent we need in our jobs, but to someone looking for it, there are tell tale signs."

"Like what?"

"Oh, the subtle touches and looks that pass between you, especially right after pulling through a tight spot," answered Murphy.

"That's only natural," defended Bodie. "You reach out to assure yourself you and your partner are still alive."

"True," agreed Murphy. "But I'm talking about lingering brushes and in some cases actually hanging onto each other, a lot longer than what is acceptable between two men."

Bodie pursed his lips, but remained silent.

"Don't get all defensive, I have no problem with it," assured Murphy, suddenly feeling just how closed in their little trap was at that moment.

"Then why bring it up at all?" demanded Bodie.

"I didn't, not really," said Murphy. "All I said was, it shouldn't be that long before help arrives."

"Because of Doyle," finished Bodie.

"Well, yeah." Murphy said with a sheepish grin. "Whether it's you or Ray here, the other would charging to the rescue. And that's lucky for me, because I'll be rescued right along with you."

Bodie diverted his gaze from Murphy and stared up at the waning light filtering in over head.

"Hey, you don't have to worry about me," assured Murphy. "I'd like to think I'm more open minded than the rest of the mob. It's not like I'm going to say anything to anyone, but I thought maybe you'd like to know that things aren't as subtle between the two of you as you'd like to think."

Silence surrounded them as Bodie turned over what Murphy had just told him. Keeping his attention diverted, Bodie finally spoke. "Guess it doesn't really matter."

"Huh?" Murphy looked back in confusion.

"Seems you weren't the only one who was keen on observing us," said Bodie. "That's why you're here instead of Ray."

"Cowley?" asked Murphy, making the only educated guess available.

Bodie nodded his head slightly, due to the pain shooting from the movement.

Murphy made a light clicking sound with his tongue. "Evidently he hasn't fired the two of you, that's a good sign. Got to give the old man credit, he's always been a bit outside the lines of society's judgements."

"Not sure I'd go that far on giving Cowley that much credit," said Bodie, rubbing his forehead. "That's why you're here instead of Ray. He hasn't decided what to do with us yet, but if we do stay on the job, we can't be partners anymore. Too much of a liability, so he says."

"Oh."

"Not sure if I can trust anyone else to watch Ray's back, but me," continued Bodie.

"And look at the job I did watching yours," said Murphy. "I go and set off a bomb."

Bodie turned his attention sharply back on Murphy. "Could have been me, just as easily as you. The only reason I didn't set it off, was because my attention was drawn to the tarp covering the explosives and I turned instead of stepping straight down."

"Doyle's still going to kill me," muttered Murphy, shaking his head.

"I'll do my best to protect you," said Bodie, a faint smile gracing his lips.

"Thanks," said Murphy, seriously doubting anything could stop Ray from going ballistic.

"Don't mention it."

Murphy glanced upward again. "I figure it'll be any moment, but definitely before nightfall, before we're found."

"Not like narrowing it down any, but how do you figure that?" asked Bodie, gradually coming to the same conclusion Murphy had earlier. His thoughts were a bit fuzzy and he shouldn't be as tired as he was, concluding he more than likely had sustained a concussion. He forced himself to concentrate on Murphy.

"If the explosion was heard, help should be on it's way, which will result in the arrival of the police," explained Murphy. "If not, then given the time it would take to look around and report back to headquarters, we'll be missed in the next three to four hours."

Bodie shivered. The cold was starting to settle around him in the dank cellar.

Murphy hesitated, then carefully stretched out alongside Bodie, sliding his arm beneath Bodie's neck to shoulder his head. "Unless my hearing is impaired from the explosion, I don't hear any sirens in the distance. The odds are we're going to have to wait this out."

"Watch it, Murphy," said Bodie, his tone sharp.

"Didn't jostle your leg, did I?" asked Murphy, stilling his motion of tucking Bodie close to him.

"No," said Bodie. "But if Ray catches us like this, he just might kill us both."

Murphy gaped at Bodie for a moment, then started laughing as Bodie rewarded him with his trademark smirk.

"Don't flatter yourself, mate," chuckled Murphy. "You're not my type."

"And here I thought I was irresistible," grinned Bodie. Thankful for the warmth Murphy provided, Bodie let out a sigh and resigned himself to a long wait.

---

Time passed slowly, and the cold made it difficult to stay awake. Twice Bodie had started to drift off to sleep but Murphy had prodded him until he was once again alert.

"Murphy," said Bodie, after the second jarring. "I'm not sure if I want to stay on the job without Ray being my partner. Not sure if Ray would want to stay either."

"What would you do?" asked Murphy.

"Not sure," answered Bodie. "All I know is, Ray means more to me than the job, or anything else for that matter. Money isn't necessarily a problem, I obviously don't do this for the pay. I was paid well enough during my mercenary stint to last two lifetimes."

Murphy nodded, but remained silent. He had come to the conclusion by statements Bodie had made off and on over the years that Bodie's past was a colourful one, though likely it was darkly coloured.

"Ray and I could travel," continued Bodie. "There are parts of this world I'd like to see, and maybe take the time to enjoy it."

"That sounds nice, Bodie," said Murphy. "Think Ray would go for it?"

"We've talked about getting out, quitting the job. Ray's only concern is that I'd miss the adrenaline rush that accompanies the danger of the work. He thinks I'm addicted to it."

Murphy understood what he meant, there was a little tingle of excitement that ran through you when you had a close brush with death and discovered you're still alive.

"But truth be told, I'm not all that eager to taunt death anymore," admitted Bodie. "The thrill is gone from defying the odds. One day, the odds will be against me...or Ray. Never thought it would happen to me, but I fell in love. And with another bloke at that." Bodie snorted at his own admission.

Before Murphy could answer, there was the sound of multiple heavy footsteps overhead and dust and dirt shifted down on them.

"Bodie!" Ray's voice called out.

"Down here!" shouted Murphy, trying to disentangle himself from Bodie without hurting him. Before he could, Ray's head and shoulders hung down through the opening.

"Uh, oh," said Bodie, spotting his lover. "We're caught."

"Oh, shut up, Bodie," growled Murphy, but his heart did skip a beat at the unreadable expression on Ray's face.

"Are you both okay?" called down Ray.

"Bodie has a broken leg and I'm pretty sure he has a concussion," answered Murphy, climbing to his feet.

"We'll be right down," said Ray, before disappearing from the opening.

"Told you," said Murphy, sitting back down next to Bodie.

"What?"

"Ray would find us," answered Murphy.

Five minutes later, Ray was down to them with the paramedics readying to follow.

"Should have known you'd get into trouble without me," said Ray, squatting down on the other side of Bodie. I was worried about you.

"Took you long enough to get here," pointed out Bodie. I knew you'd find me.

Murphy studied his two friends and heard what wasn't being said.

"It would have been sooner, but I didn't go back to headquarters right away," answered Ray, lightly brushing his fingers over Bodie's brow.

Murphy cleared his throat, earning him a sharp look from Ray. "I'll, uh, just go and see if I can't help the paramedics get down." He gave Bodie a meaningful look, then turned away.

Ray turned a quizzical look on Bodie. "What's that about?"

"He fancies me, he does," smiled Bodie.

"Oh, he does, does he?" grinned Ray. "I always thought he had more brains than that."

"Trust me, he's sharp," said Bodie, his face serious. "As sharp as Cowley."

Understanding dawned and Ray's grin faltered. "Guess the whole squad knows about us, then."

"No, just Murphy," assured Bodie. "Evidently he's known for some awhile, though."

"Then it's just a matter of time before everyone does," sighed Ray.

"It does seem inevitable," agreed Bodie.

"Ray?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I want to do the job anymore, especially if I'm not doing it with you," said Bodie.

"Well, I know I don't want to." Ray glanced over his shoulder. The paramedics were almost down with the basket to lift Bodie out of here.

"Only thing left is, which of us tells Cowley?" asked Bodie.

"That's easy," smiled Ray. "You."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you weren't the one who stormed out of his office this morning when he confronted us," answered Ray. "Not to mention some very choice words as a parting shot."

"You're not wiggling your way out of this," chided Bodie, which fell flat when he yawned.

"Fine, we'll do together like we've done everything else," said Ray, leaning close to Bodie.

"Good," said Bodie. "Now kiss me before we have company."

"You're incorrigible, you know that?" said Ray, but he did so anyway.

Murphy was in front of the paramedics and had blocked them from seeing the brief exchange between the two men. He would miss their brass, to hell with everyone and everything, antics. "Ready to be moved, Bodie?"

Ray pulled back and moved out of the way so Bodie could be tended to.

Murphy waited beside Ray, as Bodie was lifted out of the cellar. "He loves you."

"Told you that, did he?" asked Ray, turning to face him.

"As a matter of fact, he did," answered Murphy, holding Ray's gaze.

Ray snorted and turned his attention back in the direction of Bodie being moved through the opening. "He must really have a concussion. The berk has never said that to me."

"You're wrong, Ray," said Murphy. "He tells you all the time."

Ray studied Murphy for a moment. "Yeah, he does."

They left the remains of the farm house, to close a chapter in their lives and begin a new one.

---

Cowley wasn't very happy losing them both, but he couldn't allow them remain partners in this line of work. He had known of their relationship long before he had ever confronted them. If he had his way, he would never had brought it to light, but when it became obvious that Murphy had concluded the truth, it was only a matter of time before the rest would tumble on to it. Times may be changing, but not fast enough to satisfy him. It was difficult enough in the job to watch out for the bad guys. It would be impossible if they had to watch out for the good guys.

He closed their files and silently wished them well, before picking up the report listing the new recruits.

-- THE END --

Originally published in Secret Agent Men 4, Devious Developments Press, 2004