c james Jake By C James

[C James]

Even if the problem was somewhat dealt with, I should post my explanation.

 

I was really frustrated over the story. And I didn't mean to know the plot. But I like knowing what kind of story it is. If it is a "journey", "hero transformation", "overcoming of some life-threatening obstacle", etc. That usually shows at the beginning of the story, the author usually hints what are they meaning to tell with the story. It's not revealing the plot or make it predictable, but it's sort of being fair with your readers. Author says (not literally of course) "I'm doing this and this. If you're interested, go on." And reader decides "That sounds interesting/like fun/I've always wanted to read a story like that." and goes on reading. Or they are not interested in that kind of story and stop reading. It's a fair treatment, readers don't get their time wasted and authors have only readers that can give a constructive criticism, not only bitching about this bad and that wrong.

 

I'm not sure if I made myself clearer but that's what I meant with my rant. I'm still not sure if I'm wasting my time with Jake or if I can expect that I will get at the end what I want. And that's frustrating.

[MikeL]

I think Jake is primarily a story about relationships. Those relationships are changing; we see a significant change in chapter 5. Jake, Corey, and Brett are three young gay men, but two of them do not know that about the third one. Only Jake (and Corey's mom) know how Jake feels about Corey. Either the relationships continue to change or something will explode.

 

This is not like CJ's other stories. There is no evil Scar on the radar at this point. There are only three young men and a dilemma that is not what each of them thinks.

 

I think we can trust CJ on this one. It's going to be quite a ride, despite the paucity of cliffhangers.

[MikeL]

C James has released Chapter 6 of Jake..."The Art of Hypocrisy".

Edited June 5, 2010 by MikeL

[B1ue]

Hmm. I don't have warm fuzzy feelings for Brett. He seems like a genuinely nice guy that's crazy for Cory, but I have to wonder if he does relationships like his sister does, and if I read right when he seemed to imply he used to lust after Jake. Hell, from one point-of-view, a three-way relationship with Cory and Jake would solve several problems at once.

 

In any case, Jake needs a man in his life. Not that sex solves all problems, but having a friend-with-benefits (down Chas!) might take the edge off and leave his mind free to worry about his real problems.

[MikeL]

Hell, from one point-of-view, a three-way relationship with Cory and Jake would solve several problems at once.

 

Would that really solve a problem or create new ones. Don't forget Corey's mother and her concerns about Jake.

 

In any case, Jake needs a man in his life. Not that sexsolves all problems, but having a friend-with-benefits (down Chas!)might take the edge off and leave his mind free to worry about his realproblems.

 

I agree with you on this point. Jake has a lot of pressure built up.

[wildone]

Well the good news is that Jake is going to get some relief soon from his regualr hook up bars

 

Wait, did I say the good news.

 

I agree to a certain extent that Jake needs to do something and do it fast. In this chapter he was able to follow his damn concious and not email the pictures of Corey naked, but how long befoe he can't resist the urge. I really don't know how a horny teenage boy would be able to take photos of a naked friend in the first place. Speaking from experience if a friend was taking naked pictures of me, I don't think I could just causually stand there

 

My respect for Linda continues to grow. Even though she knows it might not be the best to have Jake around her son, she knows that really it is in Jake's best interest to not keep him away. If that makes any sense

 

sigh

 

Another two weeks until we have more Jakey

[Conner]

And here I thought you'd suck at relationship stories.

 

I'm really enjoying the technical content of this story....car heisting, lock picking... My kind of story.

 

Jake's a survivor. He wants to get himself straightened around before he'll even consider putting the moves on Corey. But being around Corey is still good for him.

 

How about Jake's dad coming down with a terminal case of swine flu!

[wildone]

I'm really enjoying the technical content of this story....car heisting, lock picking... My kind of story.

 

 

And then there is all the other stuffs that you enjoy, speedos, pool parties, naked pictures

 

(shamelessly admits that it is keeping me around too )

[C James]

Hmm. I don't have warm fuzzy feelings for Brett. He seems like a genuinely nice guy that's crazy for Cory, but I have to wonder if he does relationships like his sister does, and if I read right when he seemed to imply he used to lust after Jake. Hell, from one point-of-view, a three-way relationship with Cory and Jake would solve several problems at once.

 

In any case, Jake needs a man in his life. Not that sex solves all problems, but having a friend-with-benefits (down Chas!) might take the edge off and leave his mind free to worry about his real problems.

 

Chas has sure made clear that she'd like to help Jake find some, er, relaxation.

 

Poor Jake; he can't go out for sports at school, because they don't have a car-theft team.

 

Would that really solve a problem or create new ones. Don't forget Corey's mother and her concerns about Jake.

 

I agree with you on this point. Jake has a lot of pressure built up.

 

Jake is indeed feeling the pressure, in more ways than one.

 

Here's something to think about; we haven't yet seen what Jake is like with guys.

 

Well the good news is that Jake is going to get some relief soon from his regualr hook up bars

 

Wait, did I say the good news.

 

I agree to a certain extent that Jake needs to do something and do it fast. In this chapter he was able to follow his damn concious and not email the pictures of Corey naked, but how long befoe he can't resist the urge. I really don't know how a horny teenage boy would be able to take photos of a naked friend in the first place. Speaking from experience if a friend was taking naked pictures of me, I don't think I could just causually stand there

 

My respect for Linda continues to grow. Even though she knows it might not be the best to have Jake around her son, she knows that really it is in Jake's best interest to not keep him away. If that makes any sense

 

sigh

 

Another two weeks until we have more Jakey

 

Poor Jake... He had to have a mental kitten massacre, and he still couldn't stand up.

 

He's lucky he didn't send those pics... He and Corey are 17, so that would make those pics a major felony.

 

And here I thought you'd suck at relationship stories.

 

I'm really enjoying the technical content of this story....car heisting, lock picking... My kind of story.

 

Jake's a survivor. He wants to get himself straightened around before he'll even consider putting the moves on Corey. But being around Corey is still good for him.

 

How about Jake's dad coming down with a terminal case of swine flu!

 

Yep, Jake knows how to boost cars, and pick locks. All the procedures described in the story are quite real.

 

Jake is indeed a survivor. He's had to be. He took up his criminal ways as a way to get out to the mess with his folks, but in some ways, he's his own worst enemy. Corey, though, keeps him grounded, and for that, JAke needs Corey.

 

And then there is all the other stuffs that you enjoy, speedos, pool parties, naked pictures

 

(shamelessly admits that it is keeping me around too )

 

Lol! Yep, plenty of pool parties!

 

BTW, I'm surprised that no one has zapped me over the bullets staying in, yet? Contrary to TV and movies, that's actually standard procedure in a case like this.

 

Thanks!!!

CJ

[TalonRider]

Well if we know you, you have a reason for leaving them in and we'll find out eventually.

[Conner]

Short chapter, but I loved it. Jake hooks up with Mitch and they do the "So you think you can top" tango! Hot. Very Hot!

 

For some reason Jake doesn't get engaged unless there is risk involved. There's got to be a win for him in it. Makes him sexier I must admit.

[wildone]

Oh My

 

 

The Goat wrote a sex scene and it was H A W T

 

 

For some reason, I really enjoyed that chapter

 

Early on in the chapter, Jake said this:

 

At least that was my intention, and I had a knack for getting what, and who, I wanted

Funny, I don't think this applies to Corey though.

 

I guess Jake is a player when it comes to anon sex with a stranger. I wonder if Mitch might be a reoccurring character? I feel he might be since he referred to a surfing friend who he knew that had a friend that was shot. Also he had sex with him a couple of times before he hooked up with a BF and never got with him again.

 

Brett or Corey ?

 

I don't remember, is Brett a surfer as well? I would guess the hooking up may be more Brett's thing than Corey's.

 

Thanks for the chapter CJ

[MikeL]

I guess Jake is a player when it comes to anon sex with a stranger. I wonder if Mitch might be a reoccurring character? I feel he might be since he referred to a surfing friend who he knew that had a friend that was shot. Also he had sex with him a couple of times before he hooked up with a BF and never got with him again.

 

It really sounds like Mitch may be one of Brett's exes.

[C James]

Short chapter, but I loved it. Jake hooks up with Mitch and they do the "So you think you can top" tango! Hot. Very Hot!

 

For some reason Jake doesn't get engaged unless there is risk involved. There's got to be a win for him in it. Makes him sexier I must admit.

 

Sorry for the short chapter (that is the last short chapter in the story) but I felt it had to stand alone as a chapter.

 

Yep, Jake loves the "competition", he's very aggressive sexually. Jake also likes risk.

 

Oh My

 

 

The Goat wrote a sex scene and it was H A W T

 

 

For some reason, I really enjoyed that chapter

 

Early on in the chapter, Jake said this:

 

Funny, I don't think this applies to Corey though.

 

I guess Jake is a player when it comes to anon sex with a stranger. I wonder if Mitch might be a reoccurring character? I feel he might be since he referred to a surfing friend who he knew that had a friend that was shot. Also he had sex with him a couple of times before he hooked up with a BF and never got with him again.

 

Brett or Corey ?

 

I don't remember, is Brett a surfer as well? I would guess the hooking up may be more Brett's thing than Corey's.

 

Thanks for the chapter CJ

 

Brett is indeed a surfer. He's also very competitive by nature.

 

Thanks on the sex scene... I rarely write those and usually find ways to avoid them, but this story demanded them.

 

It really sounds like Mitch may be one of Brett's exes.

 

Could be... but if so, does Corey know?

 

BTW, the title of the next chapter is "Party Time". It's one of my favorites.

[MikeL]

Cliff James has posted Chapter 9 of Jake, "Party Time". Brett helps Jake with a big problem and Jake returns the favor...sort of.

[wildone]

this was a fun chapter

 

i knew that jake had to have given brett some kind of disease when everyone stayed clear of him. if lacey stays away from brett then all the better. just wonder what brett will have to deal with over the next while at school.

 

i'm surprised (and i'm sure to conner's disappointment) that brett didn't disrobe jake of his shorts in the pool fight. it would have been even more interesting for jake to walk bare assed naked out of the pool and downstairs to the rec room and seen the expression of everyone else there. damn his conscious

 

glad to see that jake has a stash put away unlike most criminals who i imagine spend their money as quickly as they get it. does this mean that he is a 'better' or 'smarter' criminal since he socked away the money?

 

lastly, poor jake, alone on the couch once again. why the heck doesn't he come out of the closet with brett and corey and then he can have a bf too

 

thanks for the chapter cj

 

 

[MikeL]

glad to see that jake has a stash put away unlike most criminals who i imagine spend their money as quickly as they get it. does this mean that he is a 'better' or 'smarter' criminal since he socked away the money?

 

Jake has known for some time that his parents were going to kick him out of the house when he turned 18. Since he was so forcefully removed from his prior "employment", it makes sense that he has hidden some money away.

 

lastly, poor jake, alone on the couch once again. whythe heck doesn't he come out of the closet with brett and corey andthen he can have a bf too

 

If Jake did come out of the closet, it would make things very complicated for all three of them. We have to wonder if and how Corey and Brett will eventually learn the truth. Then, how will they resolve their dilemma?

[C James]

this was a fun chapter

 

i knew that jake had to have given brett some kind of disease when everyone stayed clear of him. if lacey stays away from brett then all the better. just wonder what brett will have to deal with over the next while at school.

 

i'm surprised (and i'm sure to conner's disappointment) that brett didn't disrobe jake of his shorts in the pool fight. it would have been even more interesting for jake to walk bare assed naked out of the pool and downstairs to the rec room and seen the expression of everyone else there. damn his conscious

 

glad to see that jake has a stash put away unlike most criminals who i imagine spend their money as quickly as they get it. does this mean that he is a 'better' or 'smarter' criminal since he socked away the money?

 

lastly, poor jake, alone on the couch once again. why the heck doesn't he come out of the closet with brett and corey and then he can have a bf too

 

thanks for the chapter cj

 

Jake would have trouble if he came out... Brett is fine with Jake and Corey being friends, but that's because he thinks Jake is straight. That could be a recipe for disaster.

 

And yep, Jake has squirreled away a lot of his loot. A prime motive for his criminal enterprise was to build up enough cash so that he could survive his parents tossing him out on his 18th birthday. Jake's home life is not good, and has played a role in making him who he is. We do find out more about Jake's homelife and background shortly.

 

Jake is lucky the mouse didn't eat the money, too. LoL.

 

[size=

 

3]Jake has known for some time that his parents were going to kick him out of the house when he turned 18. Since he was so forcefully removed from his prior "employment", it makes sense that he has hidden some money away.[/size]

 

If Jake did come out of the closet, it would make things very complicated for all three of them. We have to wonder if and how Corey and Brett will eventually learn the truth. Then, how will they resolve their dilemma?

 

Jake seems to be settling down nicely now he's out of his old "business", doesn't he? He settling into the law abiding life very well, so smooth sailing ahead... it's not like we'll be having any chapters named "Hell on Wheels" or anything...

 

BTW, chapter ten is entitled "Hell on Wheels."

[B1ue]

Just read chapter 10.

 

Wow, Jake is sometimes dumb, and other times extremely dumb. I'm not trying to make light of his fears, but any chance he had of some kind of normal life is gone now. Not least because he just made an enemy of that A.D.A. and the cops, by making them all look like idiots. No one would know but the cops, Jake, and the DA himself, but that's more than enough.

 

I am curious how people that are quite used to managing and manipulating the emotions of others so badly mishandled Jake. Even something as simple as having a doctor on hand once they got to the hospital might have tipped the whole situation in the other direction. Or they could have, you know, not lied to Jake, and treated him for once as an adult.

 

It's your story CJ, but do you really think they'd be that condescending and cruel to someone they actually want cooperation from?

[Conner]

Frankly, the DA and the police really don't give a crap about Jake. He's been a thorn in their side for some time now. Jake has to cooperate or he loses his deal - he goes to jail - presumably as a minor, but the DA probably could prosecute him as an adult given his age. Given Jake's history, the DA would probably be successful.

 

The DA has the gun that he believes Big Tony uused to shoot Jake. The gun can be tied into Big Tony. The DA still needs Jake's testimony...unless the DA gets his hands on one of the bullets from Jake's stomach. With the ballistics on the bullet and gun, the DA really won't need Jake's testimony. That leaves the DA the option of saying, "Look, jake, I don't need your testomony se we no longer have a deal!" Jake's screwd at this point.

 

The 3-way switch on the licence plates was ingenious!

 

Brett to the rescue. I'm anxious to see how this plays out.

 

May the fleas of 1000 camels nestle into Jake's dad's crotch!!

[B1ue]

Right, I know they don't give a crap about Jake. If I didn't before, their treatment of him in this chapter says it all.

 

But, given that, why did they bother to lie to Jake? Telling him it's only a minor procedure, and that they'd still have a deal as long as he cooperated. And that bullshit about "your father wants what's best for you," when they flat know that isn't true. Also, I got the distinct impression that the DA was hoping Jake would die mid-procedure, since that would simplify things enormously. I'll buy that from Jake's father, but a politician? It was all pretty disturbing to me, especially as Jake isn't a violent criminal. An annoying one, yes, but not violent.

 

I mean, really, what could the man have been thinking? Forcing a minor against his will to undergo a potentially life-threatening, unecessary operation, in order to gain redundant evidence? And forcing said minor to do it right that moment, when there were weeks and months to play with in order to cajole the boy? The kind of media coverage that could, even briefly, erupt from that would at the very least put a pretty big taint in the potential jury pool. And if Jake were to die... if I can imagine Jake's mother on the six o'clock news, crocodile tears running down her face, or Linda and Cody's real tears, why can't the DA? Especially since they, again, flat know Jake's parents are mercenary enough to milk the system for all it's worth.

 

Further, this chapter moves the story firmly into action-adventure land, where nearly all arms of the legal system are corrupt and out to systematically screw over someone who is at best a minor annoyance, a place we've been before. I'd probably better stop here. Anything further would venture into flame, and this story doesn't deserve that. I have nothing but respect for the quality of CJ's writing, particularly the emotional highs and lows his characters experience. I'm just starting to suspect I read Cj's stories for the wrong reasons, is all.

[C James]

Frankly, the DA and the police really don't give a crap about Jake. He's been a thorn in their side for some time now. Jake has to cooperate or he loses his deal - he goes to jail - presumably as a minor, but the DA probably could prosecute him as an adult given his age. Given Jake's history, the DA would probably be successful.

 

The DA has the gun that he believes Big Tony uused to shoot Jake. The gun can be tied into Big Tony. The DA still needs Jake's testimony...unless the DA gets his hands on one of the bullets from Jake's stomach. With the ballistics on the bullet and gun, the DA really won't need Jake's testimony. That leaves the DA the option of saying, "Look, jake, I don't need your testomony se we no longer have a deal!" Jake's screwd at this point.

 

The 3-way switch on the licence plates was ingenious!

 

Brett to the rescue. I'm anxious to see how this plays out.

 

May the fleas of 1000 camels nestle into Jake's dad's crotch!!

 

Yep, this did not bode well for Jake, plus he has that strong phobia of being cut. However, now he's got even more trouble.

 

Jake is good at escape-and-evade like the license plate 3-way switch. Its part of how he dodged the police for so long when his car-theft business was operating.

 

Jake's "father" is not much of one, is he? We'll find out the backstory there soon.

 

 

Just read chapter 10.

 

Wow, Jake is sometimes dumb, and other times extremely dumb. I'm not trying to make light of his fears, but any chance he had of some kind of normal life is gone now. Not least because he just made an enemy of that A.D.A. and the cops, by making them all look like idiots. No one would know but the cops, Jake, and the DA himself, but that's more than enough.

 

I am curious how people that are quite used to managing and manipulating the emotions of others so badly mishandled Jake. Even something as simple as having a doctor on hand once they got to the hospital might have tipped the whole situation in the other direction. Or they could have, you know, not lied to Jake, and treated him for once as an adult.

 

It's your story CJ, but do you really think they'd be that condescending and cruel to someone they actually want cooperation from?

 

I know that police operations can sometimes be that, and more, heavy handed and manipulative. I'm not saying they all are, but it's not uncommon. As an example, it is standard procedure for police to lie during an interrogation when trying to extract a confession. They can and do claim evidence they do not have, witness testimony that does not exist, and they'll also manipulate family members, etc. (As you mention, manipulation is amongst their skills).

 

In Jake's case, they see him as a teen with a record (a negative in their minds, and understandably so) and also as a criminal (and, in fairness, he is) who has gone unpunished. They obtained the consent of a parent for what they thought was a minor procedure, to obtain critical evidence against a killer (and Jake was the victim). Therefore, Jake's consent was not legally required. (Legally, such a decision is the parent

[B1ue]

First, thank you for reacting so calmly to my earlier posts. A more visceral reaction would not have been undeserved, but I'm glad to have not inspired one.

 

Yep, this did not bode well for Jake, plus he has that strong phobia of being cut. However, now he's got even more trouble.

 

What Jake would not be aware of is if they had additional reasons for haste. I don't want to give a spoiler, so all I can say is some of this will be shown in chapter 11.

Those two points do much to allieviate my distaste. The first I'd forgotten, the second I'll buy. Together, they explain the extreme actions and reactions of all the characters in this chapter. Except for his dad, who can go jump off a cliff for all I care.

 

Would it be believable if Jake, when faced with the sudden imminent surgery and police high-handedness, had stopped to dispassionately consider the long-term consequences and used those to guide him? I felt it wouldn't.. I felt he'd react with action rather than thought, especially with little chance to think before it was too late to escape.

 

Dispassionate reasoning, no, but the panic I felt was odd. Especially since at the same time he was panicking, he pulled out his back pocket a pretty complicated escape. Given, most of it was the calming influence of old habits, but still.

[wildone]

Thanks for the chapter CJ

 

When Bleu first commented about the reality of Jake, I must admit I was in agreement, but probably not for the same reasons. I just found it stupid (yes, a harsh word ) on Jake's part to run like that. Then I realised that Jake has been running from the law or other criminals for a long time now, so it is probably instinct in a way.

 

The other thing that stood out in this chapter and hasn't been discussed is the tape recording of the ADA and police officer in the room. I can foresee different scenarios where a lawyer retained by Brett for Jake could use the tape to ensure an iron clad deal with the state and police. It would also be fair to believe that the ADA would underestimate the recording and dismiss it as just a criminal kid trying to get something. Imagine the head start anyone leaking the information to the media would have in the public relations war between the prosecution and Jake?

 

I am looking forward to seeing how Jake will get out of this one.

 

Steve

 

PS, what kind of book did he pick up for Brett? Are we talking porn

[C James]

First, thank you for reacting so calmly to my earlier posts. A more visceral reaction would not have been undeserved, but I'm glad to have not inspired one.

 

Those two points do much to allieviate my distaste. The first I'd forgotten, the second I'll buy. Together, they explain the extreme actions and reactions of all the characters in this chapter. Except for his dad, who can go jump off a cliff for all I care.

 

Dispassionate reasoning, no, but the panic I felt was odd. Especially since at the same time he was panicking, he pulled out his back pocket a pretty complicated escape. Given, most of it was the calming influence of old habits, but still.

 

You raise some very good points. I'm certainly not opposed to this (or any) kind of feedback; in fact I explicitly invite it, welcome it, and find it very useful. Thank you for it.

 

As you mention, you'd forgotten Jake's fear. That is absolutely my fault; in a plot critical instance like this, I should have been explicit about Jake's phobia in the scene itself, not just in prior chapters. One problem I see here is the posting rate. With two week gaps between chapters, there really should be more reminders of plot-critical aspects. When I wrote the story, I neglected to ask how it would be posted, and assumed either weekly, or all at once posting. I should have asked, or simply looked, but I didn't.

 

I've re-read the DA's part (it's been over a year since I wrote it, and my memory sucks) and I may well be wrong,

but he seemed to me to be trying to be honest, the the point of making it worse by admitting the "probably" when he didn't know for sure. In fact (and I did check the medical aspects with a doctor when writing) I probably overstated the seriousness; it would most likely be done laproscopically, (sometimes called keyhole surgery) and might not even require an overnight stay. But, Jake didn't know that, and the ADA messed up by not presenting it better. (plus, the ADA would have had no way to know of Jake's phobia)

 

I'm wondering if one part of the perception here is the apparent incongruity of leaving the bullets in in the first place, if its a minor procedure to get them out? The problem I ran foursquare into here is one of perception; years of seeing movies and TV have given the false impression that bullets are taken out when they can be, even at great risk. This isn't true in reality. Unless there is a medical reason to get a bullet out, they leave it in as standard practice, even if it would be a minor procedure to extract it. There's just no reason to take them out, unless they are a medical or functional problem in some way.

 

I've run into similar problems before; something coming across as highly unlikely, due to TV and movies showing it otherwise. In another story, I had an issue with Gibraltar. It is commonly perceived as being at the north side of the narrowest point of the Strait of Gibraltar, and the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula. In fact, it is neither. I tried to explicitly correctly place it in the narration, but beta results showed that the perception was harder to shake. In that case, the solution was easy: I added a map. With surgical procedures and practices, I didn't see a similar solution (though, come to think of it, I should have added a medical procedure link or two in an author's note at the end of the chapters).

 

Would the ADA actually know that Jake's father is an utter creep? He's only seen him once, when he was arguing that Jake should accept punishment for his criminal activities. "It's about time Jake took responsibility for his actions", a position I think an ADA would be sympathetic to. The DA doesn't know Jake's father like Jake (or we) do. He has no way to know about Jake's father's physical attacks on Jake, for example.

 

The ADA also has a point, the same one Officer Jacobs (the cop who saved Jake's life in the beginning) made in that initial meeting with the ADA: putting Big Tony away is the best thing for Jake (and the public, and the ADA's record, because you're absolutely right, that office has major political aspects).

 

There are also cases where prosecutors charge full steam ahead, willfully breaking the law in the process, to the point where the prosecutor gets prosecuted (and disbarred). The Duke Lacross Case is one.

 

The cops (and the ADA) in this story aren't evil. They also aren't on Jake's side; they're just trying to do their jobs (in this case, put Big Tony away). For example, officer Jacobs seems sympathetic to Jake's plight, but police are people too; some are nicer than others, others are more hard-nosed. They're a mixed bag, just like people anywhere. They're also mindful of time; they have a lot of cases, and so they try to minimize the time each one takes. That can and does lead to cut corners without any malicious intent (countless cases have been tossed out because of procedural shortcuts of this nature). Jake is used to seeing the cops as the enemy, so he assumes the worst of them in many instances (much as he assumed the worst of Brett until recently). I find this issue very thought provoking (A good thing!), because a conundrum I never solved was how to compensate for Jake's biases in a first-person narration.

 

One thing I did search for (when writing Jake) was a legal case where the police had tried to force the extraction of a bullet. I couldn't find one where they did that to a witness/victim, though I did find a few where there were legal battles over forcing a suspect to do it. (In the linked case, a suspect had a bullet lodged in the fatty tissue of his forehead, and the cops wanted it. In the end, they could not get it). In other case, the bullet had been left in a suspect's hand, and the police wanted it. I would have been much, much happier had I been able to find sounder legal precedent, one way or another, for Jake's situation, but I couldn't. Jake's case is complicated. He's a witness/victim, but also an admitted co-conspirator with the accused in a long-term illegal enterprise. (that's one reason why the cops need the bullet; their deal with Jake undermines his credibility as a witness). Victim/witnesses actually have fewer legal rights then defendants in court (for example, an accused can refuse to testify, but a witness can't, and witnesses are often forced to do so even when it's clear that in so doing they are put at risk. Judges often send people to jail for refusing to testify, and the only time they can't do that is to a defendant). Jake is also a minor, so the parent (it only takes one (absent the objection of the other) in California, where the story is set) can waive the minor's rights and consent on their behalf in many situations. Jake would have far sounder legal grounds to refuse if he was the accused. The best I could come up with was that Jake's case is a legal gray area. I hope I got the legal aspects right, but I can't be sure.

 

Thanks for the chapter CJ

 

When Bleu first commented about the reality of Jake, I must admit I was in agreement, but probably not for the same reasons. I just found it stupid (yes, a harsh word ) on Jake's part to run like that. Then I realised that Jake has been running from the law or other criminals for a long time now, so it is probably instinct in a way.

 

The other thing that stood out in this chapter and hasn't been discussed is the tape recording of the ADA and police officer in the room. I can foresee different scenarios where a lawyer retained by Brett for Jake could use the tape to ensure an iron clad deal with the state and police. It would also be fair to believe that the ADA would underestimate the recording and dismiss it as just a criminal kid trying to get something. Imagine the head start anyone leaking the information to the media would have in the public relations war between the prosecution and Jake?

 

I am looking forward to seeing how Jake will get out of this one.

 

Steve

 

PS, what kind of book did he pick up for Brett? Are we talking porn

 

Was Jake's run stupid? I honestly think I'd have tried the same (done whatever I felt needed to get away) under the circumstances (though probably far less effectively) but, that said, yes, it was stupid. I think he was absolutely right to run (given the imminence of being cut open, minor surgery or not, which they had no ethical right to force him to undergo) but the multiple grand theft should have been avoided if at all possible (Via escaping on foot, as opposed to stealing a car). He didn't break the law by running, but he broke it many times during the run.

 

Jake has both an instinctive distrust of the police, and a phobia of being cut into. I'm really torn on this... Given his situation (imminent surgery, no way to delay, he'd already tired for a lawyer and was denied) I see his reaction as reckless, risky as hell, illegal as hell, stupid to a large degree, but also fully understandable. I could argue it both ways.. and I guess I pretty much am. (Hey, I've never claimed to be sane! )

 

That tape recording... all I can say is, um, nothing until after 11 posts.

 

The book? Let's just say it's very appropriate, and we find out in 11.