STORY EXCERPT

“Hello, this is Ager. Thank you for calling Deadzone zombie services. How may I help you?” Ager Munez used his yellow number two pencil to twirl a particularly long lock of dirty-blond hair as it fell into his face. The Bluetooth at his ear allowed him the freedom to fiddle while he worked, which was good because he was restless by nature and had to play with things constantly.

“Hi. This is Colleen Brukheima from division thirteen,” the voice on the other side of the phone said. Ager’s hands flew over the keys and brought up the renamed subdivision in the Safes. It was a level-three infection zone.

“May I have your policy number please?” Ager asked.

“Sure. It’s 859-316-0442.”

“And may I have the last four digits of your Natural Right Security code, please?”

“2458.”

Ager logged the numbers with the skill that only came by doing it over and over again Monday through Friday and sometimes Sunday. The job outlook in postapocalyptic New America was still in the recovery stages, despite it being seventy-five years after the initial infection. People worked where they could. Ager worked for Deadzone.

“Okay I have your policy in front of me. I’m required to inform you that this conversation may be monitored for assessment purposes. What can I do for you, Mrs. Brukheima?”

“I have three qualified dead who are ready for an incineration team at my residence.”

He made a few entries into the file form. “So you are filing for immediate incineration services. Any property damage?”

“Vehicle damage.”

“I’ll have to transfer you to the vehicle repair and replacement department to file a separate claim for that, ma’am. However, I have ordered a request for incineration services. Please keep in mind that this is your fourth incineration call this year. It may be time to start thinking of upgrading your policy to a maximum clearance level. As you know, with your current policy you’re only authorized for six burns a year. With maximum clearance, you’ll be able to double the number of incineration calls, thus ensuring the relative health of your residence for the duration of the time you continue your policy.”

“How much extra is that a month?” she asked.

“Only 15 more credits per annum for that, ma’am. If you agree to upgrade your policy today however, the deductible on your vehicle damage will decrease from six to four hundred credits.” Ager was good at this. Selling insurance was his thing. He made chopsticks with the pencil and pen he’d been playing with.

“I’ll just go ahead and upgrade then,” she said eagerly. His customers loved him for a reason. The zombie insurance business was booming, and Ager could proudly claim to be one of the best in that business.

* * * *

Ager cracked his knuckles as he slid into his seat at the boardroom table. It had been a long day, and the meeting called at quitting time had not been a welcome call. They never boded well for any of them.

“Hey, Ager. How’s it going?” His friend, Marcie, plopped down in the swivel chair to his left and pulled out her PDA.

“Hey,” he greeted. “It’s going. Late meeting, huh?” He couldn’t help the yawn that issued from his mouth. It was almost eight thirty already. If the meeting took twenty minutes, he still wouldn’t be home for another hour. Damn. He contemplated using one of the empty field agents’ rooms on the nineteenth floor. They usually crashed there in between assignments.

“Hi, everybody.” The voice made him jump as the head of Deadzone walked through the sliding doors, followed by a group of black-clad field agents. Jimmel Tanner had been head of the company for the past ten years, and Ager was always struck by how handsome the forty-something man was. He was tall with thin hips, broad shoulders, and wonderfully olive-colored skin. His dark hair was gray at his temples, giving him a sophisticated look. Usually, Daniel, a pudgy young trust fund baby, conducted the meeting. Suddenly the late-night gathering was looking up. Too bad Jimmel was married to a tall hunk of a field agent named Jason.

A chorus of greetings met Jim as he took his place at the head of the boardroom. The black slacks he wore really didn’t do him justice. Ager lived for casual Fridays when those tight buttocks were encased in tight blue jeans.

“First off, I’m sorry to call you all in on such short notice. I know you’ve had a long day, and I’m thankful for your dedication to Deadzone and the customers we’ve served.” The older man swiped a hand through his hair. He looked tired suddenly. “I don’t want to alarm you, but we’ve had a level-three meltdown in sector seven.”

ADULT EXCERPT

“I sleep nude usually. Does that bug you, Ager?” He jumped as Jason’s voice sounded from less than a foot away. Jason was standing beside his own bed, already shirtless. That man seemed to read his mind sometimes. “Ager?” Ager’s eyes scanned the scarred chest and rippling muscles. Jason was just as appealing as his husband. Where Jim was large, Jason was extra large, and Ager’s libido was practically begging for a chance to try out both sizes.

“G–Go ahead,” Ager stammered. His mouth was suddenly dry as a desert. Jim joined them in their semicircle of beds.

“Jason…” The word seemed to convey a warning. Their eyes locked, and Ager watched the silent communication ensue between the two. Slowly, deliberately Jason pushed his pants and boxers down his hips. Ager watched the movement with absolute interest. His breath hitched at the first hint of dark, curly pubic hair that was shorn close to the skin. He caught a hint of the thick base of Jason’s cock. The blue light played with intimate shadows of Jason’s body.

Jim tipped Ager’s chin toward him to draw his attention away from his husband’s motions. His heart was thundering in his ears, and he knew his breath was coming out a little harsher than normal. The look in Jim’s eyes was one of some unnamed emotion.

“You do not feel obligated to act on any of this.” It was a command. Ager swallowed. What did that mean? “You wanted to get to know us. Jason should know better than to bare the goods to you like that. It’s a cheap move.” He leaned forward and kissed Ager.

Ager whimpered and tilted his face up to deepen the kiss, but Jim pulled back. The younger man’s eyes popped open in annoyance. What was the problem? His body was buzzing with desire. He felt like the entire night had been leading up to this moment and this intimacy. He guessed that it was typical to want some sort of physical reaffirmation of life after fearing for your life, but he didn’t care. He wanted to touch right now.

“Jimmel, stop being our chaperone,” Jason said, as if he read Ager’s mind. “Instead of assuming, ask what he wants.”

Ager didn’t even give him a chance to protest. Instead he took his hand and cupped the hard cock that Jim was sporting through his pants. So Mr. Jimmel wasn’t as unaffected as he claimed to be. “I want you.” His eyes flicked to Jason who groaned as he watched him grope his husband. “I want the both of you.”

“You heard the man, boss man. He wants to play with the big boys.” Jason’s voice was a rumble of approval. Ager punctuated his statement with a soft squeeze to his boss’s cock. Jim groaned.

“I tried to take it slow. Tried to be respectful. Damn you and Jason both for being impatient.” Jim moaned. He pressed his hard-on more firmly into Ager’s hand. “Take it out,” he commanded. His hesitation was gone, and the command Ager heard in Jim’s voice made Ager pant. He unbuttoned Jim’s pants and slowly slid the teeth of the zipper downward, careful not to catch it and pinch the soft skin beneath. He was a briefs man, dark blue. Ager licked his lips at the definite outline against the cotton material.

“God, that’s hot,” Jason said. Ager raised his eyes, and his cock jerked in his boxers. Jason pulled on his thick dick, jerking off like a man who was intimately familiar with his right hand. His eyes bore into the pair of them as Ager tugged the pants down, and Jim stepped out of them. “He loves having his cock sucked, Ager.”

“Jesus, Jason,” Jim hissed. He glared at his husband, but his arousal jerked against Ager’s hand. Ager went to his knees and looked up. Jim swallowed hard. Ager tugged the material down to reveal the prettiest dick he’d seen in a while. It was long, thick and cut. A perfect piece of meat. Unlike Jason, he had no pubic hair. Someone was a fan of the chemical hair-removal treatments.

Ager wondered if it tasted as good as it looked. Jim stepped out of his pants and stood gloriously naked. He looked so regal above him, like some sort of Roman emperor about to ravish his servant boy. Ager’s mouth went dry, and he licked his lips, liking the image. He glanced over at Jason who was rolling the head of his prick in the palm of his hand. And he would be the emperor’s general. Ager trembled.

“Suck me,” Jim growled, taking his cock and presenting it for Ager’s mouth. The younger man opened wide, more than happy to swallow his boss’s thickness. His tongue darted out and tasted the tip. It already had a drop of pre-cum on it, so a burst of salty sweetness exploded on his tongue. Ager closed his eyes, reveling in the taste. The first time he got to touch his soon-to-be lovers was already making him as close to orgasming as he ever had with no stimulation.