Erebi Seeking - 6. Chapter 6

Friday


Odessa

On Friday morning, Odessa left the apartment extra early as she had done every morning this week. She stopped in to see her mama before classes every morning, watching her decline before her eyes. Mercy General was on her way to the university, so it was not really out of the way, just a heart wrenching trip. She had the stuff on her, as she had every morning when she went in, but every morning she had chickened out. Her mama was still too lucid to give it to her. However today when she arrived, her mama was drooling into the pillow, and when she tried to wake her, she only rolled her eyes and blinked. Odessa spoke softly to her, and she did not respond, at least not like she should. She looked on the chart, and saw she was actually due for her pain medication. Tears sprung to her eyes, her mama was gone, only this shell was left – it was time.

Odessa took the powder, mixed it with a small amount of water, and somehow got her mama to drink it. Then she put the paper cup in her pocket before calling the nurse.

“Mama seems as if she is in pain, could she have her meds now?” she asked over the intercom. The nurse said she would be down in a minute.

Several minutes passed before the nurse opened the door with the shot that she put in the IV, marked on the chart, and left.

Odessa sat with her mama for a few more minutes, then kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams Mama. Tell papa I love him.”

There was no answer.

There never would be again.

Jiovanni

At school, things went normally his first couple of bells, but fourth bell was gym, and that required being undressed. He was still pretty well bruised up and it was obvious by the pattern what type of bruises they were to someone who knew.

He went to the back of the locker room and managed to get dressed out with out any one discovering his secret. With a sigh of relief, he entered the gymnasium and took his place in his squad. Warm ups went well enough, but then the coach had them line up by height along the wall and count off. Jove was a four. They were going to play half court basketball.

"Ones against twos and threes against fours, odd numbers - shirts - even numbers - skins." The coach yelled, and the other fours began to strip off their shirts. Jove stood there… if he took off his shirt he would be exposed; if he refused, he would be given a referral.

"Come on, Ward, get your shirt off." Everyone was looking at him. He pulled his shirt up and off, holding on to it. "Boy, what the…? To my office now!" Jove cringed. The other boys snickered and he blushed, but he went to the coaches' office. "The rest of you, get to playing, I'll be right back." Coach walked over to his office and entered it. Jove was sitting in the chair there. "You know Ward, I don't think I've ever had you in my office. I really thought you were going to be one of the few to make it out of here untouched."

"Me too, Sir."

"So you don't deny it?"

"Deny what, Sir?"

"That you do not belong in this class due to your lack of… innocence."

"No Sir, I'm not denying it."

"How old are you, Ward?"

"Fifteen, Sir."

Coach shook his head. "Fifteen. You couldn't have waited just a little while longer so that you were in the safe zone could you? You know this means I have to report you."

Jove nodded his head as a tear leaked from his eye. "I'm sorry, Sir." He began to shake. "I couldn't help myself."

"What do you mean you couldn't help yourself?"

"We, we needed the money," he looked up at his coach.

"So you're saying you did this for your family, not because you wanted to?"

Jove nodded. "We had to eat, Coach, honest."

"Cody is old enough to apply for a Guild card."

"Cody isn't like me, Coach." Jove whispered. "He couldn't have done what I did." Jove looked down at the floor.

"And what is it that you did, Jove?"

"Made enough money in one night that I didn't have to go back out again, that's what. Hunter told me, told me that if you were willing to do, do certain things," he took a few deep breaths, "that if I did a few certain things that I could make the rent and grocery money all in one night and wouldn't have to do it again for a month."

"So that's what you did." Coach asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Did you like it, Jove?"

"Yes sir."

"Do you want to do it again?"

Jove looked up at the Coach and blinked. His voice caught in his throat as he thought of Micah and he nodded his head just once.

"And that is why I have to call the authorities, Jove. You were forced by circumstances, but Hunter had no right to send you out. The man who put that look in your eye needs to be punished for bedding such a young boy. He knew it was wrong, just like you did."

"He didn't know."

"How could he not know?"

"I didn't tell him. I told him I was Hunter, and he did not know the difference. He thought I was legal."

"Oh Jove, what are we going to do with you? Now they will go after Hunter you know."

Jove nodded. "I know, but I'd do it again."

"They'll make you tell his name."

"I don't know it. Never even looked at his health card."

"I find that hard to believe."

Jove shrugged. "Believe what you want. I know the law. I did not get his name on purpose. My brother is injured and unable to do anything, and my other brother is under Hestia’s Protection. There is no one to blame here but me. I accept my fate."

Coach shook his head. "Go clean out your locker and go to the nurses' station. She will have to inoculate you. Then we'll see what happens."

"Yes sir."

Jove got up, went into the locker room, and dressed quickly. He was straightening his tie when the locker room door opened. A senior came in, and called out his name. "Back here."

"You have to come with me, Coach was thinking you might not go to the nurse on your own, you know, some of you young ones don't."

"I was going." Jove said as he fought back tears.

"Hey kid you only did it to yourself you know. You should have waited."

Jove grabbed his knapsack and sullenly followed the senior out the locker room. Some of the boys in his class called out "Whore-boy!" or "Slut!" and he winced. "I'm not a slut." He gritted out just loud enough for the senior to hear him.

"Look Jove, I know your brother, and I know you aren't a slut, but you aren't like them anymore."

They arrived at the nurse's office.

"This the one who tried to sneak through his regular classes?"

"Yes Mam." The senior responded before Jove could.

Jove gave him a dirty look. "I can speak for myself. I did not try to sneak through anything. I just did not think it was anyone's business what I did nor with whom nor why. It was personal."

"Actually, it's not personal, it's a matter of public record." The nurse said as she typed some things in the computer. "And one of the things that you will have to deal with is everyone knowing that you are no longer under Hestia’s Protection. You have removed your own protections, Jiovanni. Now according to this, you have received most of the adult inoculations, why is that?"

"My father was a Guild man." Jove told her bluntly. "He was rather thorough in his protection of his family."

"Oh, maybe I should list him down here as the one who took your innocence then."

Jove shrugged. "Kind of hard for them to prove since he's been dead for several years."

"Then who did it?"

"I guess you can say I did it. No one forced me, and I did not say no. So, yep I guess that means I did it." Jove nodded as if talking to himself.

"You have two older brothers living at home."

"Yes I do."

"They can be listed."

"Sure, list them, one is injured, cast from his toes to his hip and the other is under Hestia’s Protection."

"You have an older sister, does she have a boyfriend?"

"Not one that I've ever seen." Jove shrugged.

"You're not being very co-operative."

"I guess." Jove told her. "But I am telling you the truth. No one forced me. I did it on my own."

The nurse nodded at him. "Well let's see the damage. Take off your clothing."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I think I was clear enough. I don't wish to be examined."

"Jove, there can be some serious repercussions to a boy your age having an unsanctioned Cleansing. You have to be examined. I think you would prefer to be checked here than in Juvenal Hall."

"No." Jove stood his ground.

The senior had never seen an underclassman so defiant. It was obvious from his chest that he had been buggered, "Look, if it's me who's making you nervous I can leave. Nevertheless, you should get checked out. It's dangerous if you got hurt."

"I didn't get hurt." Jove was adamant about his answer.

"Then settle her nerves, she worries about her boys. You know.. just let her take a check and be done with it."

"Fine. Look. But I don't want to hear anything about it." Jove began to strip, slowly, almost seductively like he would have for Micah if he had been there. It helped him to think of his lover.

In just a few short minutes he was standing in behind a closed and locked door with the nurse and the ganami in nothing but his boxers. The bite marks on his neck, shoulders, and back were obvious as to how he had been loved. The various shades of bruising showed he had been loved more than once, and to the ganami, more then twice even.

"He loved you well." The ganami told him.

"He did." Jove replied softly.

"Remove your shorts, Jove." The nurse said gently.

Jove looked at them, he was nervous and shy about this part, and very uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, it's just that this part is not.. comfortable for me, yet. Hunter says I will get used to it, but I don't think so."

"You talked to Hunter about this?"

"He is my brother, and I had to sleep somewhere after.. I couldn't sleep in with Cody, I wasn't like him any more, it wouldn't have been right."

"So you didn't try to corrupt your brother?"

"No ma'am. I never wanted to hurt my family, this was just something I had to do."

"What do you mean you had to do it?" the ganami asked Jove. "Someone force you?"

Jove shook his head. "I was not forced. It was... a need." He blushed and pulled off his shorts. Micah's silver ring was very visible on his foreskin as his penis stood half erect. "I still need.." he whispered as the first tears fell.

"Jove, for a client to ring a boy, they never do it on the first meeting." The ganami said. "This has been going on for a while, hasn't it?"

Jove nodded.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Tell who? Tell them what? That I need... that I have to go to him?"

"I thought you said he doesn't force you?" the nurse interjected. The ganami looked at her.

"Jove isn't being forced, at least not by his client. His blood is forcing him. It burns, doesn't it Jove?"

Jove nodded.

"It burns now doesn't it?"

"It does."

"Would you go to him now if you were able?" The ganami stood near Jove, and could feel the heat radiating from him.

"I would."

The ganami leaned forward and whispered in Jove's ear, "Who is he?"

"None of your damn business." Jove whispered back.

The ganami reached over and pinched Jove's nipple. Jove's eyebrows shot up in surprise but he did not make a sound.

"I think that will be enough of that." The Nurse separated them. "You can go back to class, Daniel. Jove I think you know where you will be going."

"Yes ma'am. Juvie."

Cliff

Everyone was gone to school and Hunter was alone in the apartment again. He had pulled out his copy of the contract between himself and Cliff and sat studying it. His father had been very thorough. If he were under the age of twenty-one the contract went into effect immediately on the death of his mother, and stayed in effect until Elaina’s eighteenth birthday or until the day she joined the guild whichever came first. Hunter sighed. Elaina was thirteen, three to five years of servitude and with mama being so ill unless he made arrangements now to renegotiate the contract, when she died, he would not have a choice. If it were just Cliff he could do it, but he had found the paragraphs which allowed Rachel Bath could request his services. He needed legal council at the very least on this. Setting the contract down he reached over for the phone and picked it up just as it rang. Frowning, he answered it. It was Mercy General. Geraldine Ward had passed in her sleep.

Hunter hung up the phone and sat stunned for a few moments. Now nothing mattered. He belonged to Cliff and Rachel Bath. He was bound to the promises he made to his mama and papa. Tears would not come, but he felt empty inside; so very, very empty.

After a few minutes, he realized he had not a clue what to do. He never thought past the point of ‘mama might die’ to ‘mama will die’. He wondered what you did when a person died. He found himself on the phone, and Cliff answering, telling him everything would be all right. That it would be taken care of for him. Cliff tells him to go get Elaina from school. She would be the most upset by the news. Everyone else can wait, but go get her. Hunter agrees.

Cliff

Cliff buzzed his secretary and asked her to hold all calls. Then he dialed the number for Poseidon’s Pleasure House. A few minutes later, he had Chester Wilcox on the phone. “Geraldine Ward died this morning.”

“How are the kids taking it?”

“Well so far I’ve only talked to Hunter, the others are in school and don’t know yet. I sent Hunter after Elaina. Jiovanni and Cordell can come home at the end of the day as normal, and Odessa will be home when she comes home. I don’t know her schedule. Hunter says he does not either.”

“Are you sure that’s the wisest thing to do about the boys?”

“Cordell is yours now, Chester, you can do what you want. I’m having enough problems with Rachel and Hunter.”

“Problems?”

“Yes, they met last night for the first time and she scared him half to death with her demands and ultimatums. Now it seems neither of them have a choice.”

“Good luck integrating him into your happy household.”

“Do you still think Vincent’s plan will work?”

“I think it has a chance. Those boys of his were all smart kids. If any kids deserve a chance to get out of Southside, they do.”

“But would you have sold your kids to give them that chance, Chester?” Cliff was a little doubtful over the now unchangeable terms of his contract with Hunter.

“Look Cliff, we shelter them, educate them for as long as they want to go to school, and give them some spending money. Moreover, we cover Odessa and Elaina’s expenses above what Vincent’s stipend covers so long as they are under Hestia’s Protection. Think about what you get out of the deal… a boy you lusted after from the time he was small. Do you not still find him sexy?”

“Very much so.”

“Is he not worth it?”

“Every penny.”

“So why are you complaining? I know you asked Vincent to let you have him early which is why you took him when you did. Do not kid yourself over your need for Hunter Ward. He may be getting a little old for your tastes, but that is the price you have to pay for getting him young.”

Cliff sighed, Chester was right. “Anyway I just thought you would like to know, the contract is now valid.”

“I’ll take care of it, thank you.” Chester paused. “And if you need someone to talk to, Cliff, call me.”

“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.” They conversed for a few more minutes then hung up. Cliff felt a little better for his talk with Chester, but then Chester did not have a dirty little secret in his closet that Cliff was aware of him having. Now he had to make the call he dreaded – William. He slowly punched the numbers.

"Chains of Prometheus, what's your pleasure?"

"Barbed cuffs" Cliff said.

"Hold tight." The tone of the young man changed completely and there was not so much as a click nor silence but the sound of doors slamming and people moving. The call was not being transferred, it was being hand delivered. “Still there?” the voice asked.

“Yes.” Cliff said quietly.

“Good, don’t go anywhere, almost there.”

There was the unmistakable sound of something hitting flesh and a muffled scream, then a grunt. Then the phone was being transferred hands. “Speak.” William said.

“Geraldine is dead. Jiovanni is yours, go get him.” There was no response at the other end for the longest of moments, then a clipped, “Thank you.” Just before the dial tone. Cliff stared at the phone for a while, then hung it up. He had quite a few things to do, most of them centering on taking care of Hunter.

William

William handed the phone back to the young man who had hand delivered it and thanked him. The erebi hurried back out of the room to his station at the front. He was forgiven only for the length of time it took to travel to and from and while the Master was on the phone, unless dismissed before. William liked his well run house, each boy knew his place and what was expected of him, and the repercussions of misbehaving which were stiff indeed. He turned back to the youngster at hand. He had broken a simple rule and now he must pay for it. William shook his head. Sometimes he thought some of the Erebi broke rules just so that they would be punished. Well, he wouldn’t want to be punished again after today. William sighed, picked up his bull hide flogger, and laid the first stripe across the erebi’s back as he pondered the case of Jiovanni Ward yet again.

If there was ever a boy who needed punished it was Jiovanni. From what William had been able to piece together from Franko and Cliff, Jiovanni was no longer under Hestia’s Protection, but what he had not been able to determine was if the boy was just stupid or if he had been seeking under an assumed name. The lashes fell irregularly across the now bleeding back. William knew they were just surface breaks and none were deep, however he would have them all looked at when the punishment was complete just to be certain. He wanted the boy punished not ruined. Scowling, William pushed his anger at Jiovanni from his mind and focused on the boy at hand. He did not deserve Jiovanni’s anger; tomorrow would be soon enough for Jiovanni’s first lessons. He would give the wayward boy a night with his family, then bring him back to the dungeon until his mother’s funeral. By that time, he will have learned obedience; William smiled, not many boys needed more than a day or two in the dungeon to understand their place in his house.

Jiovanni

Security was waiting outside the door of the nurse's office when she turned Jove over. He had received one booster to his inoculations and passed an early screening for the more common drugs; everything else had been up to date, so he was still listed as a Drug and Disease Free status. That would help him in Juvie, the fact he was ringed would not. She had offered to remove it, but he had refused.

"This the one?" the officer asked.

"Yes, I'm the one you want. Do I get to clean out my locker first or do I have to leave my personal effects behind?"

"Your locker will be taken care of. You won't need anything where you're going."

"And it won't give me a chance to destroy any evidence that you think you might find in the locker." Jove said, "I'm not that stupid."

"You got caught."

"I had nothing to loose." Jove sounded bitter.

"Freedom is something." The guard said as they walked toward the back of the building. "But you'll be finding that out soon enough." Jove held his head high as they passed the many classrooms, most of which had the door open. There were only a few reasons a boy would be seen leaving the compound with security as an escort in this direction. Dangerous criminals were taken out the front with armed escorts, he would have been too had he put up a fight, but why make matters worse? He raised his chin and forced his shoulders back. He may have been caught but he had not been beaten, not yet.

"Jove!" came the plantitive cry from behind him, and he stopped. The security guard turned to see who had come to see his charge off. "Jove, what's going on?"

Jove turned around and faced his brother. His whole body relaxed and he smiled at him. "Security seems to think I need new housing, you know, away from you guys. It'll be all right, Cody."

"But… you didn't do anything." Cody seemed a little confused. Jove knew that he knew but he also knew that he could not let on that he knew not in front of the security officer.

"I did, Cody; no sense in denying it. It's not what everyone will be saying about me, but I still did it." Jove turned away from his brother, it was the only way to protect him, and they both knew it. Jove was taking all the blame. He knew Cody would understand what he was up to.

"I love you, Jove."

"Stay pure, Cody." Jove managed to choke out as he walked away, "I love you too." The last few yards to the doors seemed like miles, but they passed and soon he was sitting in the back of the officer's vehicle on his way to be processed for a crime he knew in his heart he did not commit.

The trip from the underground parking garage through the intake doors took mere minutes. The officer behind the first desk looked at Jove with sad eyes as she took the report. "Go in the first door and strip, put on the garment inside, and wait for further directions."

"Yes ma'am." Jove said as he followed her directions and headed into a small block room. Inside was a permanent bench with a hospital gown type garment on it and a paper bag. He took off his school uniform, shoes first, placing them in the bag. Item after item followed, until he wore only his underwear. At that time, he picked up the garment and figured out how to put it on. There were directions on the wall. When it was securely tied, he slipped off his underwear and placed them in the bag as well.

Unsure what to do next, Jove sat on the bench and waited. He would have to get used to this he thought, the waiting around for people to tell him what to do. He would be stuck in here until his eighteenth birthday at the very least, but at least Hunter wouldn't have to worry about feeding him too. And with him in here, Micah would be safe. Tears welled up in his eyes, he wished he didn't have to do this, not this way, but it was the only way he could think of to keep everyone safe. Two years - it wasn't too much of a price to pay, then he would be old enough, and he would be free to do as he pleased. And then if Micah still wanted him… Jove smiled… two years wasn't that long of a time.

The door opened suddenly and caught him unaware, lost in thought. The guard was a little rough as he hauled him up by his arm. "Up on your feet, boy," he grunted out the words as he shoved Jove up against the wall. Jove heard rather than saw a second guard enter the room. He stood just inside the door, watching as the first one pushed him up against the wall.

The nearest guard leaned up against Jove, pressing him into the wall. "You have the right to remain silent." He stated bluntly as he pulled the edge of the gown up from just above Jove's knee to mid-thigh.

"You may refuse to answer questions." The second guard said from across the room, "But it's not advisable. Just makes things more difficult for you in the long run."

The first guard chuckled and ran his hands up under the gown to verify Jove was not wearing any thing underneath. His hands were covered in latex. "Anything you do or say may be used against you in a court of law."

Jove felt the material of the guard's pants on his arse and the cold of the wall on his stomach. His cheek pressed against the brick so hard he could feel the texture with his tongue inside his mouth.

"You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking and to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. If you decide to answer questions without an attorney present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney." The guard by the door said in his clipped tones. The nearer guard's knee forced Jove's legs apart and his hand reached around to caress Jove scant millimeters from his pubic region.

Jove shook not knowing what they would do next. Next to his ear the guard whispered, "Knowing and understanding your rights as they have been explained to you, do you want to continue with the questioning?"

Jove fought his inner demons as the blood surged from all points to gather in his groin. Tears welled in his eyes as the guard pressed closer, demanding an answer. He could feel the man's lust for him and there was nothing he could do. His need spoke before his mind engaged and he heard himself whispering, "Yes."

"Good boy," came the response. He felt the guard nod to his partner, who moved, and then began asking questions.

"Are you currently under Hestia’s Protection?"

"No."

"Did you have sexual relations with a female?"

"No."

"Did you have sexual relations with a male?"

"Yes."

"Was this male related to you?"

"No."

"Was this male related to or in a relationship with anyone related to you?"

"No."

"How did you meet this unrelated male?"

"By chance." Jove closed his eyes and tried not to give out too many details. He did not owe them any details but he knew he had to respond with something or they might go after Hunter. The Guard pressed up against him a little harder and moved his hand along his hip.

"Where?"

"I don't recall." Jove gritted out. The guard's fingers stroked him ever so gently.

"That doesn't sound so very co-operative." He whispered behind his ear. "Maybe you want to find out what happens to boys who don't co-operate."

A shudder of anticipation ran through Jove and an anticipatory moan escaped from him. The guard ground his hips into Jove's buttocks.

"Did he penetrate you?" Jove sucked air as the guard ran a hand along his crack.

"Yes."

"Did you penetrate him?"

"No."

"Did you ever want to?" The guard whispered from next to his ear.

Jove whimpered in response. He would not let himself answer that question. It did not matter what he had wanted or not wanted to do. All that mattered was that he was here and everyone else was safe. He heard a familiar sound of lube being squeezed from a tube. His whole body stiffened. They could not mean to… he tried to turn his head, but the guard strong-armed him against the wall.

"So you know that sound, eh?" he said ever so softly. "Do you remember what comes after?" A single finger traced it's way down Jove's crack to his anus where it paused.

Jove shuddered and did his best to relax so he would not be hurt. Shame he could live with, it was only two years, and he would not fight them. "Yes."

"Do you want it?" the guard whispered seductively in his ear, "Even now, even here, do you still want it?" He applied just enough pressure to let Jove know he was there, that he was poised and ready, all he had to do was say so. Jove shook and the welled tears finally fell.

"Yes, damn it, " and he pushed back.

The guard preformed the anal cavity search proficiently, finishing with a gentle kiss on the side of Jove's neck. When he was finished, Jove wept. "He's free of all personal effects with the exception of the ring." The guard reported as he let the gown fall. He removed the latex gloves and dropped them in a panel in the wall.

"So noted." The second guard commented. "Let's finish getting you processed." He stood up and opened the door as if nothing had happened. Jove looked first at one then the other and walked between them, leaving his personal effects behind. He would not have believed anything strange had happened if it were not for the bit of grease between his butt cheeks.

They had fingerprinted, photographed, and retina scanned him, then they measured, photographed, and catalogued each mark Micah had given him. He bore it all in silence, although they questioned him about his lover through it all. He could not bear to talk as they humiliated him, but this, this was the worst of it. He looked around the cell. There was a toilet in the corner and a sink beside it. Neither looked too clean, nor did the floor and they hadn't given him any shoes. It was cold too and not so much as a blanket on the thin mattresses on the metal racks they claimed were beds. The guard called it a holding cell; he would be in here until his adjudicatory hearing. Someone slept on one of the bunks, a large someone. Jove moved over to the nearest bottom bunk and sat down, pulling his feet up under the gown to get warm. He shivered and tried to convince himself this was the best decision for his family. They could not hurt him, not really. Only if he let them, and he knew he was stronger than that.