The Burning Key

A loud clap roused him from his afternoon snooze. He sat up on the old plastic lawn chair and looked out at the city. A boom resonated from somewhere to the south, followed by automatic gunfire. From his position on the roof, he could only see smoke. Thankfully, the fighting, while frequent, never got terribly close to their place. His alarm eased. “Cam!” a voice called from behind him, somewhere near the roof access. He sighed. “What do you want? I’m busy.” “Busy doing what? All you do up here is get high and fall asleep.” “So?” The pregnant woman grunted as she made her way over to him. Her belly partially poked out from under the shirt she wore and hung over a long brown skirt. “Don’t you have work to be doing? The cooling system has been broken since last night, and EZ’s getting antsy. You better fix it before the plants start dying.” “I told him I’d get to it.” “Get your ass up and do it now.” He snorted. Reluctantly standing, he turned to face her. “Jesus, calm down. It’s not a big deal.” Dark eyes studied him. Other than her physical status, the woman who went by “Anjea” was a sight to see. Athletic, stocky, and rocking a big afro, she easily commanded the attention of others. She also helped things around here run smoothly for their boss. “Just do your job, okay? You only have one responsibility.” Cameron disagreed wholeheartedly. Taking care of the plants was a full-time gig. Watering them, giving them nutrients, adjusting the lighting, keeping the room comfortable—and never mind planting and harvesting. Nothing was automated, so he had to constantly care for them. Sure, he didn’t have to help run their whole operation like Anjea did, but he still had to work hard. He walked past her and headed for the stairs down to the main floor. When he started descending, she followed. The warehouse that they both called home was the size of a city block. It housed more than thirty people, all of whom answered to Ezra “EZ” Dreyer, who owned the building and guided operations therein. The structure had all the comforts of a small town. Food, electricity, running water, and of course, jobs. Cameron rarely left the premises, as was the case with most of his neighbors. The city could be a dangerous place, what with the fighting between factions and the dwindling police force. He strongly preferred the safety their home provided. He headed straight for the growing area. Past the vegetables and fruits that helped keep them alive, Cameron found his domain. Row after row of cannabis plants. A strong source of income for the group, they were his pride and joy. He did everything they needed to grow strong and produce a quality product. He even hand-built the light setup and cooling system, the latter of which had broken during the night. Since the lights put out a lot of heat, they needed a series of exhaust fans to keep the temperature steady. He suspected that it was a damaged wire, possibly chewed on by one of the rats that frequented their property. It would be the second such incident, if true. Cameron grabbed a flashlight and got up on a ladder. He stuck his head inside the ductwork. Looking around, it took only a minute to spot the problem: a frayed wire and a dead rat. Grimacing, he grabbed the rodent by the tail, got down from the ladder, and walked the creature over to a trash bin. After, he moved to his tools, which sat under one of the grow tables. He found a spool of wiring and unraveled it until he had enough to replace the damaged one. With a sigh, he got to work. When he finished, it was time to water the plants, so he did that, too. Stepping back, he smiled at his work. He got payed in food and housing, but there was one bonus to his job. He could have as much pot as he wanted, provided that there was always enough to sell in the city. Cameron could often be seen with a pipe or a joint, sometimes smoking while he worked. Mostly, however, he liked to sit on the roof and watch the world below. With his work done for now, he selected a bud from a bag of recently harvested cannabis, put it into a grinder, and filled his small glass pipe with the herb. He lit it with his favorite lighter and took a long inhale. Holding the breath in, he waited, hoping to get the most out of one hit. Breathing out, he could already feel the beginnings of what he hoped would be an excellent high. It took five puffs for Cameron to achieve the right level of calm. Happy, he walked across the warehouse to his quarters, which amounted to little more than a corner with a hammock and a pile of clothes nearby. He scooped up a small bag full of toiletries and a white towel and headed for the showers. Fortunately, while it tended to be a communal experience, no one else was there in the middle of the afternoon. He got to enjoy his high with some amazing hot water. When he got out, wearing just a towel, he made it about halfway back to his quarters before running into Ezra. He looked up at him sheepishly. “Did you take care of the problem?” he asked. Cameron nodded. “Yup.” When he tried to leave, however, Ezra caught him by the arm. “You hungry?” Starving. “Uh, sure.” “Why don’t you come to my quarters for a late lunch? We can talk about the growing and the business side of things. You’ve got some new plants, right?” He thought that it was a strange offer, especially from Ezra, who always seemed so aloof. But he wasn’t one to turn down good food, and surely the boss ate better than the rest of them. “I do. We’ve got half a dozen new ones. And I’d be happy to. Just let me get changed first.” Ezra smiled wide. “See you in ten.” With that, he walked away. Cameron quickly returned to his personal area, selected something relatively nice to wear, and got dressed. He tied back his hair with the help of a small mirror. He’d never been inside Ezra’s quarters before, but he knew where they were and had no problem getting there. Unlike his own allotted space, Ezra had a full room with carpeting and furniture. The large bed took up most of the space, though there was a small table to the right. On it were several dishes, featuring rice, meat, and fresh salad. Ezra stood up and motioned for him to come in. “Close the door please.” Despite the lingering m*******a in his system, Cameron felt a jolt of anxiousness. Something about this didn’t seem right. Why would he invite him to lunch when a simple passing conversation would do? He only cared about the plants in order to ensure there was a constant supply for the dealers. Ezra didn’t care about the specifics. He had too much to do to micromanage like that. At once, Cameron feared he might be fired. If that was the case, he could be forced to leave the compound and fend for himself in the city. He gulped. He’d never been on his own before, having gotten the job as a teenager after his parents died. That was six years ago. Nervous, he closed the door and strode into the room. Cameron quietly took a seat, keeping his eyes on the food. But Ezra’s jovial greeting didn’t match Cameron’s concerns. “Welcome! Please, eat. Before it gets cold.” Happy to oblige, he picked up an empty plate and began piling food onto it. Ezra did the same, and they ate in relative silence. Eventually, “So, tell me about the new trees.” His heart racing, “I planted them last month using the seeds from the top producers. All of them are doing great. It should be a few more months before they’re ready.” In other words, he had more work to do and would be needed. “That’s good!” “Is that what you wanted to talk about?” Cameron couldn’t help but get to the point. If he was going to be kicked out, he wanted to know now. “No,” he laughed. When he didn’t elaborate, “Then, what?” “I wanted to give you a good meal.” “Why?” Ezra stood up and walked around the table. He looked down at him. Placing his hand on Cameron’s shoulder, “I find you incredibly attractive.” Cameron choked on a piece of meat. He quickly poured himself a glass of water and gulped it down. Coming up for air, he reluctantly made eye contact. “What? What about Rachel?” “What about her?” “You have a girlfriend.” “So?” When that clearly wasn’t enough for Cameron, he continued. “Look, she knows the deal. She’s fine as long as I keep her happy. But I don’t want her right now. She’s not what I need.” Cameron straightened his back. “Why me?” Ezra was at least fifteen years older than him, and he could have pretty much anyone he wanted. Why would he be interested in a lanky Chinese kid whose only job came from watering some plants? He slid his hand inside Cameron’s shirt and let it lay on his chest. Bending down, he brought his lips to his ear. “Does it matter?” “I’m curious.” “You’ve made me a lot of money, and you look fantastic in just a towel.” His warm breath touched Cameron’s cheek. “And I would love to find out what the rest of you looks like.” “How did you know I’d even be interested?” He rarely spoke to anyone about his sexuality, and when he did, it was only to establish a connection to a handful of guys he had s*x with. In all his time at the warehouse, he had only one real romantic relationship, and it lasted just a couple months. They kept it a secret the whole time, or at least he thought they did. “Call it intuition.” When he bit down on his earlobe, Cameron gasped. Ezra preceded to unbutton his own shirt and take it off. His chest was tanned and adorned with a reasonable amount of hair. He touched Cameron’s upper thigh. “What do you say? Tell me you want me,” Ezra breathed. His silvery eyes pierced through Cameron. Nervous, but already aroused from the limited touching, Cameron gave in. “Okay.” That was all Ezra needed. He immediately kissed him, shoving his tongue into his mouth. It was jarring, but Cameron recovered quickly. He got up, wriggled out of his shirt, and allowed himself to be guided over to the bed. His back hit the mattress, and soon his jeans were lying on the floor. Other clothes followed. Ezra applied lubricant to himself and then between Cameron’s legs. Before he could mention that they should probably use a condom, Ezra was already inside him. Cameron tried to relax. His big hands held Cameron at the waist and pulled him closer. The rhythm was awkward at first, but eventually Ezra got it right. Cameron gripped the blankets with one hand and placed the other on the side of Ezra’s neck. He began to breath heavy. His mouth dropped open. He moaned. Ezra lifted him off the bed a little and pushed in deep—deep enough for Cameron to let out a yelp. He gritted his teeth. After a few more minutes of roughness, Cameron had had enough. “Go easy on me, all right?” It took a moment for Ezra to react, but when he did, he slid himself out. “Sorry. I get carried away.” Cameron sat up enough to kiss him. “Don’t stop,” he spoke quietly. “Just be gentle.” Ezra took the request to heart. He started again, this time slower and more deliberate. “Like this?” he breathed. He nodded. “Just like that.” Moments passed, with Ezra increasing his speed gradually. He bent over him. Sweat beaded on his back and forehead. When he came, he let out a groan. From start to finish, it took ten minutes. He got up and stumbled toward a private bathroom. Cameron lay there and closed his eyes. “Everybody calls you ‘Cam,’ right?” came a voice from across the room. “Yup.” “I’ll have to use that, next time.” Cameron raised an eyebrow. “Next time?” Who said he wanted a ‘next time?’ Ezra crawled back into bed and took hold of him. With a firm grasp, he rubbed the tip with his thumb and stroked him with the other fingers. “Do you like this?” “Uh-huh,” he said with a moan. “Then I figured you’d want more. Am I mistaken?” “No.” “Great. It’s settled.” His hand moved to a beat that only Ezra could hear. But Cameron clearly felt it, and soon, he was close to climax, as well. He grabbed Ezra’s free hand. “You’re good at this.” “Damn right.” He laughed. When Cameron finally orgasmed, it was into the palm of Ezra’s hand. He let go and went to the bathroom once more. After, Cameron did the same. Once both of them were sufficiently clean, they returned to bed. But Ezra didn’t stay for long. He began putting his clothes back on. “You can stay here as long as you like, but I have to go oversee some shipments. Food and supplies. See you later?” “Uh, sure.” Ezra quickly left. Cameron got up and wandered over to the neglected food. It was cold by now, but he didn’t care. He finished his plate and went for seconds—in the nude. Crumbs occasionally fell into his lap, but he brushed them away. In the silence of the room, Cameron chewed his meal slowly. He caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror across from him and blushed. He thought he looked silly. Cameron inevitably felt strange being in the room without Ezra, so he got his clothes and departed quietly.