mayday

Awesome! Thank you.

Enjoying this chapter. Very much. In awe of your vivid imagination and writing. Wow!

Crazy.

As hurt as Dalian is, I dare hope that once Creek's mother sees him hurt and understands why, she will find it easier to accept her son's relationship and find the love in her heart again that both young men now need... Before this chapter I was appalled by Aiko's attitude and Arthur's self-righteous bigotry. Now I know that egotism and self-centeredness can hurt even more than the effects of ignorance. While Dalian was in hospital I had no idea why he did not count on his mother to come and support him. I never expected her to be so cold and callous. Naive me. The author's hints were there for us to read.

Great story! I hope one or the other of your stories will shed some light later-on on Elisha's future. If not, we will have to rely on Marcus and Joshua and Small Fry Speed to make sure that Elisha is safe. Thanks for sharing this story with us!

What a chapter! This is even more thought provoking than the one before. I really did not reckon on such confrontations and insights. How you weave together raw emotions and scholarly debate is amazing. And - true to the story title - Speed Fry is constantly present, his reactions and his whines reminding the people of what he prevented. So, Julian T., for the first time in his life and as a preacher, has experienced a miracle. One which he took to be a sign from god to him. His very own wake-up call. He must be quite sure of being among the chosen few to be thinking that saving a boy's life is his own miracle, worked by god for him. That was my first thought, but then he used that miracle to guide a mistaken father to the light. That not knowing may be better than knowing everything. What a surprise. So, there is hope. Even for the willfully blind and deaf. I only just learned the other day, that there had been special bible editions for the slaves, which omitted all references to anything pointing towards the idea of freedom. Maybe the religious right should proudly present their own bible, omitting all references to adultery, giving to the poor and needy, sharing and loving instead of judging others. Marcus needed to be independent of his father in order to get through to him. Both Julian and Hosea seem to consider their children to be a possession rather than a human being with their own personality and their own rights. I hope that Elisha will not be alone in dealing with his father's new insecurities. I do hope that Ruth gets a say in what is going to happen in that house across the alley in future.

I have been wondering about your own past as you seem to be able to render different attitudes and views of the world so powerfully and realistically. I feel relieved that you have overcome the shackles of your past.

Wow! There is hope after all. Yet, but for Marcus' openness, Fry and love, this would have been tragic. Two fathers would not have had the chance to see their sons. They would have remeined steadfast in their beliefs, ignoring facts snd reality. Blaming others, anyone but themselves. Powerful indeed!

Beautiful and moving, dear friend. If not all scientists only believe in what they can verify in their own way there may be hope for nature in our densely populated world.

There is magic in your words, dear friend!

Well, in your sequel Mickey the problems were of a different kind. It was sepsis there. I have no idea what is more dangerous to the mother or the babies, So I leave it at that. I love the love between the guys in this chapter, the trust.

Who decides what we "should"? Whose standards have we internalized when we use that word? I remember the powerful scenes in your last novel and I am more than surprised you are unsure of your power in writing and creating scenes and emotions. They -- your writing -- has left me raw. And yet, I know that sometimes the world outside us does not count, does not mean anything. Only our own feelings and perceptions dominate. And that is the moment we need somebody to step in. That is what I think...

Peter is right. There is no need to change the narrative perspective or narrator or whatever you call it. I really like your story, the depth of feeling, the slowly growing closeness of Jim and Jon. Thank you for sharing!

I would like to see Pasha's story told, too. And Micah's and Arturo's view of what is happening to them, also...

I have hopes for Hank, but not for John R...

Combining all the threads into a happy ending is never easy, but this chapter shows us how it can be done. There are a lot of threads still to follow, but perhaps in a different story with a different perspective. We'll see. I am looking forward to the epilogue, though this chapter seemed to be one from the start....

Another great chapter. Again full of action. I love the gruesome contrast of the Daniel at work and the ghastly scene of the Kings' conversation. I wonder how Roger will find the carers he needs for that many boys. Whom can he trust?

I am sure Terry will cooperate. but I am guessing there is more than one mole in the FBI or in the other federal agency, Marshals, Whitsec or whatever. Arturo may flag the other one, and then he might not. It did me good to read that it was Arturo's pain which spurred Ben into action. The recording device is now on the table in sight of the Kings during their future meeting. but they won't recognize it. What a joke that they will be confronted not only blatantly with the King's brutality and cruelty but also with something they are sure to disregard as they all share the one fault with the Jack of Spades: they believe themselves untouchable and better than anybody else. That is my guess. What empath has in mind, we'll see next weekend, I hope. Now we know how important for a great number of boys it will be that Roger has accepted Dominic's grandsons as his sons. It will ensure the Mafia's cooperation in Vegas and ultimately facilitate the freeing of the Queen's 'merchandise'. I am not looking forward to the showdown between Orlando & Rocky versus Queenie and the Jack, but I do hope that re-enforcements for the good guys are on their way. So much has been going on as shown in this chapter, but a lot more has been going on behind the scenes. And that is making me wait for the next chapter not easy, empath, dear writer! As for Daniel and Juan - my heart aches for them. What a hard path which lies before them... And as for the boy under the desk - I hope his "owner" will rot in hell as soon as possible. Slowly, preferably. And the boy will learn to be a kid again in Liberty Academy with his peers. i can only hope.

I have to read your chapters several times to get all the tiny details in. Great that Roger can listen to the tape but it was painful to read how his first night on the streets of Manhattan was spent - beaten up, homeless, dressed in a ripped dress, raped by that monster. How right Roger was to throw that tape and recorder away. Unbelievable, but even Eddie has one redeeming quality: He recognizes that he has destroyed Roger and tries to undo the damage. Otherwise he would have sold him... like so many others he had "hunted". Lust driven monster. Roger now knows what love is. Thomas has been good to him. Just as Melissa saw in the beginning. I love the positivity in this chapter. The successes. The promises for the future. How right it is that Qian is aiming at adopting Micah and Arturo. I wonder if Dom de Luca will be needed to get signatures... And love all around...

I can't remember how many times I have read each of these chapters. None of them left me cold. I still remember my feelings on reading the first and the second. Little did I imagine where they would lead us to... I hesitate to say eventually, because there is no knowing that... I am not sure what struck me most, "Arturo’s eyes grew heavy, the sounds of other boy’s night terrors comforting to him." or Arturo not daring to take a drink from a bottle meant for him in the El Paso FBI headquarter or the moment Micah comforted his new-found brother somewhere in a windy airport... I am glad both Arturo and Micah now both have a chance of recovering their own lives and identities simply by being together. The ending of this chapter tells me what Arturo is hoping to learn. We all feel with him.

Sorry, I mixed up Sand Diego with El Paso.

Arturo now has a chance of surviving his horrific abuse. And he will be helpful in unmasking the Clubs. Funny. At first I thought of clubs as where people meet. Only on reading the chapter a second time I realized that it also is the name of a suit of cards. What a coincidence that Ben Fisher runs across Micah's elder brother! Daniel's idea is bearing fruit already. And Roger will soon have to prepare for another boy. Three suits have been located, the Spades in Chicago, the Diamonds in LA and the Clubs in San Diego. I bet the the Hearts are in NYC. If that should be true, it will be Santino who finds that link. Oliver's parents are learning a lot about themselves and are a power couple, too, in their own way. Their changed attitude seems to be perfect for the roles they want to play in the boys' lives, teaching them the best they can.

Intentionally, I have skipped the former comments. I know I am hours too late, almost a day... Gory beginning. Too realistic to comment upon. The following scenes are soothing. Even the Mafia and FBI ones. The latter at least have us hope that rings in LA and in NY will be doomed and boys and girls (!) be freed. I do admire you, empath, for planning your story line out perfectly before publishing. I am so impressed. But I cannot help feeling with those actually concerned: Sandra, the boys (of course), Thomas and his boyfriend and Roger, Melissa and her boys.,,.. Peter realizing what he has lost is one item. Just one.

Victor is aptly named at the moment, what a controlling, jealous guy! But that is going to change, he won't get out of this victorious, I guess. I get the feeling Jonah is going to learn a lot about his uncle's family and the estrangement between his father and his uncle. Could be simply for religious reasons and Jonah's parents' attitude towards people who are different, at least when I remember the first chapter. Whereas his uncle's family seems very open-minded and liberal.

Oh yes, she would qualify. And her mindset is the right one for it: dividing people up into her peers and those beneath her, of lower races - like poor people, immigrants, colored people... maybe even little children Just rereading this chapter. I have overlooked quite a few details, e.g. that the Jack will be trying to find Lips and Deuce in order to kill them. Poetic.