Read Ryan Lock 04.5: Lock & Load for Free Online Page A

damage. Sometimes it was easier to make a recovery from the first than the other two. When he took on the job of protecting someone it went far beyond making sure they weren't physically harmed. He was responsible for all aspects of their well being.
       Lock had watched the tabloid exposure of various celebrities down the years where they were held up to public ridicule for no other reason than it made someone money. He wasn't about to allow something like that to happen to someone he worked for. He didn't know how he would stop it, but he would find a way, and if he couldn't then he would make sure that Jason paid a heavy price. That was the deal with Lock. If he was on your side, he was on your side until the job was done.

Twelve
    LOCK SAT WITH  his bare feet dangling over the edge of the Chateau's swimming pool as Ty came out to check on him. It was past two in the morning. Ty slipped off his sneakers and socks and sat down beside him. Both men stared for a while at the shimmering blue water.
       "How's Summer?" Lock asked.
       "Sleeping," said Ty.
       They lapsed back into silence. Ty was worried. Not for his friend and partner –but for Jason. When Lock went quiet and descended into a brooding silence was when you had to watch out. His eyes were hooded. He didn't smile. There was a darkness to him that swept outwards to take in everything in his orbit.
       "You know if we mess this guy up everyone's going to know it was you. Could be bad."
       Lock shot him a sideways glance. "Don't worry. I got something way more satisfying in mind."
       "Like what?" asked Ty
       "You'll see," said Lock.
       "Just don't be asking me to make a sex tape with the dude. Movie star or not, I don't roll in that direction."
      "Which is probably a huge relief to the entire gay community," Lock said. He took a breath. "Everyone's got a weak spot, even someone like Jason. What do you think keeps him up at night? Apart from booze and blow. What do you think he fears the most?"
       Ty shrugged. "Breaking a nail? The hell if I know."
      "Think about it, Tyrone. He's an actor, a tough-guy movie star, the man runs on ego. If he was made of chocolate he'd eat himself. What would kill him inside?"
       "I still don't know," said Ty, frustrated.
       "Well, I'm going to show you. But it's going to take some work and Summer's cooperation. I think I can talk her round to it but I'll need you to hire the logistics."
       "Just tell me what you need."
       Lock pulled out a single sheet of lined paper, unfolded it and handed it to Ty. "My list of requirements."
       Ty scanned the list and a broad grin formed. "Oh, you bad, Lock. You real bad."

Thirteen
    THE LOS ANGELES  Police Department tended to stay out of celebrity spats until there was an actual criminal offense, or the clearly evidenced threat of one. It was a solid policy and one Lock would have followed had he been in their position. They had a force of ten thousand officers and an urban population of almost four million people that left them straining to deal with the major crimes that occurred daily – armed robbery, homicides, rapes, murder-suicides, kidnappings, and the ever present threat of a terrorist attack. An ex-boyfriend refusing to hand over footage of his girlfriend performing a sex act on him wasn't up there. But their understandable indifference cut both ways. As long as Lock was careful, they wouldn't be looking too carefully at him working on a little bit of payback.
       Lock handed Ty two thousand dollars in cash and sent him off to begin preparations. Cash would ensure that there was no trail back to them. He had also given Ty the name of a location scout he'd gotten from Summer's manager. The job of a location scout in the movie business was fairly self explanatory but more broadly they were fixers, able to arrange access to places and have those places secured sufficiently that a production crew could film without interruption, which was