Boy River - 1. Boy River

Boy River

From the Lakesandwoods.com website

Boy River, incorporated in 1922, is the smallest town in Cass County with a population of 47 people. The village is located on the Boy River between Big Boy Lake and Leech Lake near an Ojibwe Indian reservation. The town is located on a rocky hill and surrounded by swamps and dense forests. Its relative isolation makes it the perfect getaway for nature enthusiasts.

The town has several exciting annual events. In mid-March, the Hobo Club has its Bullhead dinner, a kind of fish fry. Zion Lutheran Church has a corn feed in the middle of July and of course the highlight of their annual festivals is Hobo Day, the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Originally this was a vegetable judging contest but as times changed, now it’s more of a pastime than competition. Whether you’re canoeing on Boy River or riding an off road vehicle on the Soo Line North trail, Boy River has the lodging and eateries to make your vacation special.

***

“Apologize to Mr. Miller right now Clay,” the social worker said, fluttering her eyelashes frantically. “We’ve talked about this before.”

Ben Miller watched as the woman’s hands sort of flapped as well. He thought Adelaide Getty was very bird-like in her mannerisms. She tended to preen and flicker quite a bit, especially when she was rattled like now.

“It’s okay…” Ben started to say, but was cut off.

“It’s not okay. Clay needs to learn manners and control his tongue. There are things it is simply inappropriate to say to people.” Adelaide was looking around her as she talked, pointedly not addressing the teen directly. They were at Eastdale Mall getting a few clothes for the impending trip. Nothing the boy had was presentable in public, not really. Ben felt bad for the kid. The social worker bossed him around like he was ten instead of sixteen.

“Sorry, Mr. Miller,” Clay mumbled. He kicked the bench leg making the seat shake.

“Stop that,” Adelaide barked. “You’re going home whether you annoy Mr. Miller or not. He works for the Hennepin County prosecutor’s office. You don’t want to piss him off, do you?”

“I know,” Clay pouted. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Adelaide huffed and opened her purse. She took out her lipstick and dabbed at her lips. “Your parents have been worried about you, and now that you’re better, it’s time to go home.”

The teen didn’t respond. He had stopped kicking the bench and was now lolling over by the fountain across from Target. Ben noticed the boy seemed like he was trying to shrink or hide inside his hoodie. It didn’t work because the boy was at least six feet tall with shaggy light brown hair. His shoulders were broad, though he was thin and lanky. His pants were too short and his T-shirt too long under the sweatshirt. Overall he had the look of a scarecrow, since the clothes also had holes in them.

“Tell me a little about him since he won’t really talk to me. If I’m going to brief his parents on his issues, I’ll need to know him a little better. The file was informative, but can you tell me more about Clay Taukkala?” Ben crossed his leg and turned slightly towards the social worker. She had put the lipstick away and was now dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

She looked over to see the teen was now reading the comic section of the paper and actually smiling. Ben’s eyes followed and saw Clay had a nice, perky grin. He looked like a happy kid, for once.

“His story is very sad, Ben. Clay fell in love with a neighbor, a guy in his twenties, and they ran off together. They came here to Minneapolis and quickly ran out of money. Garrett, Clay’s boyfriend, started dealing drugs, and of course, doing them as well. It seems the relationship fell to pieces and Clay left.” Adelaide’s voice, usually light and airy, took on a grim, lower tone. “The kid got himself into trouble. In fact, it’s how he was found and brought to our attention. A patrol found him in an alley in Uptown pretty badly beaten up. Clay said it was a mugging, but as you can see, the marks tell a different story.”

Ben nodded. It was hard to ignore the rope burns on the teen’s neck and wrists even though he did his best to hide them. Trying on clothes wasn’t the easiest way to conceal the abuse he’d suffered. Clay’s left arm cast and the bandage on his temple were more evidence of what he’d endured. The file said there were other problems as well.

Ben noticed Clay was squinting at them above the paper. “He knows we’re talking about him. Just wave,” he said to Adelaide.

She did so and put her hand on Ben’s arm. “His parents are a mess. They came down and visited him in the hospital, but they had to go home for work before he was released. Nice people, the Hardwicks, but I don’t know if they’re ready to deal with him.”

“He seems pretty normal except for the injuries,” Ben said, smiling over at Clay. “Well, except it was a bit creepy for him to hit on me like he did.”

“Clay does it all the time and I can’t figure out why,” the social worker said. “He propositioned the doctor when he woke up. The kid scared the living daylights out of the guy. What did he say just now?”

Ben whispered to her, “He said he could make me feel really good.”

“He’s cleaned up his act then,” Adelaide snorted. “He was much more graphic a week ago.”

“God, what an awful thing to go through,” Ben said. “Being homeless and having to resort to, well, that.”

“I know,” she said. “It’s going to be a hard transition, but I’ve been in contact with the Cass County social worker and she will be working with Clay and the family. They live far away though. I don’t know how she does it.”

Ben could see Adelaide was fluttering even more now. “How big is this town, Boy River, isn’t it?”

“The town has fewer than fifty people in it.” Adelaide said softly. “It’s forty miles from Walker, the county seat, to Clay’s parents’ house. It’s not like she can see him every day. We’ve also arranged a counselor and therapy for him.”

“Do his parents know…?” Ben started to ask and then stopped.

“They know what he’s been through. They’re scared, terrified really. They hardly talked to him in the hospital,” Adelaide admitted. “He was a fifteen-year-old child when they last saw him. Garrett Finley basically kidnapped him and brought Clay down here. Now he’s almost grown up. His mother showed me a picture of him a year and a half ago. The boy hadn’t really hit his growth spurt yet. He’s a completely different person now.”

Ben shivered at the thought of what this boy, this teen, had been through. “How does Clay feel about going home?”

“He’s scared so he says he doesn’t want to go back,” Adelaide said. “I’m sure once he gets there and settles in things will be fine. Getting a child back into a routine with a good support system is for the best.”

Ben looked at her with a puzzled expression. “How do we know he won’t run away once he gets home?”

“His parents are ready to do the work. Clay says he misses them, but he said it’s too far away,” Adelaide said. “I don’t know what ‘too far away’ means. It’s not like he and Garrett are still together. Finley is in jail awaiting charges.”

Ben nodded. “He’s been away for a long time, given his age. Going back to mom and stepdad has to be a little scary.”

“I suppose his life has changed so dramatically that going back to live under his parents’ roof is daunting,” she said with a sigh.

“Can we go?” Clay said. Ben looked up and the teen was slouching against the potted palm next to the bench. Neither of them had heard him approach. “I don’t wanna hang out here anymore.”

“We can go,” Adelaide said, gathering her purse and coat. “I need to use the rest room first.”

“Fine,” Clay said and started shaking the tree making leaves fall onto Ben’s head.

“Hey,” he said, brushing his hair. “Watch it.”

Clay gave him a sly smile and a wink. “You’re kinda cute.”

Ben shook his head. “Clay, I’m not interested and neither are you. I’m more than ten years older than you.”

“I don’t care,” Clay said grinning broadly. “Once we ditch my babysitter we can have a little fun.”

Ben stood up and held out his hands. “Clay, you need to back off.”

At first the teen’s smile got tight. Then Clay’s lips snarled and his eyes sparkled with tears. Finally Ben saw the young man wipe his cheeks and the teen look away. “I’m sorry,” he choked. “I don’t wanna go back.”

Ben wasn’t sure how to respond especially seeing the kid transform from a kind of sexual predator into a bawling child in the matter of seconds. “Are you okay?” he asked, stepping forward. “It’s going to be okay.”

Clay scowled at Ben and rubbed his eyes again. He grabbed the two bags from Target and looked away from the other man. “I’m fine.”

“Ready?” Adelaide asked, coming up from beside them.

“Sure,” Ben responded.

“It’s about time,” the teen said, trudging towards the mall exit.

***********

“You have to go with me,” Ben said, walking around his kitchen talking into his cell phone. “I can’t travel by myself for almost four hours with a hormonal teenager who keeps hitting on me.”

“When you put it like that, how can I say no?” Rush answered with a chuckle. “Sounds like a blast. Tell me how you got roped into doing this?”

Ben sighed and shifted his phone. “Part of my duties as a paralegal is to transport victims to safe havens. I’m taking him to the social worker in Cass County and passing over papers to his mother and stepfather. It’s not something I want to do alone.”

“We had to escort some Guatemalan girls back when we busted the sex ring three years ago. It’s not fun,” Rush said. “Those kids are pretty messed up in the head.”

“Clay doesn’t seem too bad except for his propositions. It freaks me out,” Ben said.

“A couple of the younger girls did the same thing,” Rush said. “One of them started groping another agent. They don’t even know they’re doing anything wrong. When he told her to stop it, she started crying. We later discovered, she thought if she didn’t, um, entertain him, she’d get into trouble.”

Ben stopped pacing. “I doubt Clay thinks that.”

“You don’t know how fucked up these kids are,” Rush said. “Makes you sick how these people use kids to make money.”

“Sounds like Clay was hustling on his own. According to the file, he was holed up in a rooming house and had an ad on Craigslist. He wasn’t being pimped out,” Ben said, fingering the case file. He waited for Rush to respond and ended up clearing his throat. “Are you still there?”

“Yeah,” Rush said. “It’s not usually that simple.”

Ben waited for his boyfriend to continue. When he didn’t say anything, Ben said, “You sound disturbed, Rush.”

“Did they charge this kid with anything?” Rush finally asked.

“No,” Ben said. “They didn’t really have any evidence and besides Naomi said something about ‘safe harbor’ or something like that. She never explained.”

Rush sighed and paused. “I can tell you more later, or give you the thumbnail sketch now.”

“What does this have to do with Clay?”

Rush cleared his throat and began. “In 2011, the legislature passed a law called ‘safe harbor’ and it was supposed to shield children younger than sixteen from prosecution of crimes arising from prostitution. The basis behind the law was so these children could give evidence against their pimps without worrying about self-incrimination.”

“Okay. I’m with you so far,” Ben said. “It would give them a way to get out of the life, right?”

“Precisely,” Rush said. “I was downtown in St. Paul at the state capitol when it was being debated. Some of us in law enforcement were worried because there was a provision that excluded boys from the immunity.”

“What?” Ben barked. “How could they exclude boys from this?”

“The argument was gay prostitutes weren’t in danger like female sex workers. Since they were gay, they were doing what they wanted to in the first place.” Rush paused and took a breath. “There was also an argument by some women’s groups that the young pimps would pretend to be hookers as well and escape prosecution.”

Ben didn’t know what to say at first. He was incensed at the blatant discrimination in the idea, yet he could see it happening exactly as Rush described it. “In the end they included boys?” he asked.

“They did, but they also lowered the age from eighteen to sixteen. I was concerned the kid you’re driving north didn’t fall within the safe harbor law.” Rush switched the phone to his other ear. He could feel his rage building from the memory of the hearing. It was like he was living it all over again. People he considered very open-minded made some pretty backwards assumptions about these young boys. His experience was they were almost always victims of an older predator.

“Now what Naomi said makes sense. She said his initial crimes began within the age limit so she wouldn’t press charges,” Ben said. “I guess he got lucky. We didn’t have much evidence in the first place.”

“I’m glad the kid’s not going to jail. His life would be over for sure then,” Rush said.

“So you’ll go with me on this trip?” Ben asked.

“Yeah. You know I can’t say ‘no’ to you,” Rush said. Ben thought he could hear the man smiling on the other end.

“Let’s keep it that way,” Ben said, and then he hit ‘end’ on the phone with a grin on his face.

**********

“Yeah, my dad once met Sarah Jessica Parker, but that’s not all. His job puts him in contact with all kinds of celebrities,” Clay gushed from the back seat of Rush’s SUV. “He’s a pretty big deal.”

“That’s cool,” Rush answered and looked over at Ben. The paralegal’s lips were tight in a grimace. “Tell me more about him. He sounds really interesting.”

“He’s a deep sea fishing guide and he teaches scuba diving down in Alabama. Someday he said he’s going to show me how to do all that stuff. It’s exciting,” Clay said. He leaned closer between the seats and grinned at Rush. “What does your dad do?”

Rush paused, then answered slowly. “I don’t really know him. He left when I was really young.”

Clay’s excited waterfall of information immediately dried up. His head pulled back from between the bucket seats and an uncomfortable silence filled the vehicle’s space. This was the third time the boy had been babbling excitedly and without warning shut down and withdrew from conversation. Rush craned his neck to look back. The teen was huddled in his seat looking out the window.

Rush turned and looked at Ben with a confused look on his face. Ben reached into his satchel and pulled out a folder. He handed it to Rush without a word. Rush opened and scanned the first page. He quickly flipped to page four and read.

Clayton Taukkala lives with his mother and stepfather. His mother, Gail Hardwick, is a waitress at a local diner. Chris, his stepfather, is a cook and manager of Jim’s Hobo Café in Boy River, Minnesota. Clay’s father, Owen Taukkala, has been in and out of his son’s life. His current address is in Silverhill, Alabama where he works in maintenance at an RV park. Owen Taukkala’s contact with Clay on average occurs about three times a year. Usually around Owen’s birthday, on Clay’s birthday, and a few days before Christmas, Clay’s father will contact by phone. His last in person visit was when Clay was ten years old.

Rush snarled as he finished the short parents bio. He slowly turned to Ben and mouthed, I’m sorry, to him.

Ben shook his head and patted Rush’s hand. He glanced at him sympathetically before looking back at the stalled traffic ahead. “Can you find a radio station that tells us what’s going on with this slowdown?” Ben asked. Rush nodded and started fiddling with the knobs. He scanned through a few music stations until he found one with news.

…traffic is affected as far south as Lake Mille Lacs. Officials are saying the interstate will be cleared in about an hour’s time. For those traveling north, avoid driving around Garrison if you can…”

Rush clicked the radio off. He heard a muffled sob from behind him. He looked back and saw the teen was red faced with his nose pressed against the car window. Clay’s fists were clenched and he was breathing heavily. Rush pulled back and looked to Ben. Ben seemed oblivious to the boy’s plight.

“Maybe we should pull off the highway and eat some lunch,” Rush suggested. “We’re only a couple of miles from Svoboda’s Lake Inn.”

“Good idea. We can let them clear the accident while we eat,” Ben said. He looked up into the rear view mirror. “What do you think Clay? Are you hungry?”

Rush turned to catch the teen shake his head vigorously. “Come on. At your age, I couldn’t stop eating.”

“I’m not hungry,” Clay answered, his voice sounding watery.

“We might as well. The traffic is terrible. They have good food, I promise,” Rush said softly. He gave Clay an encouraging smile. The teen seemed hostile at first. Then a tenuous look of gratitude flickered across his face.

“I guess I could eat,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

“Good. I’m starving,” Rush announced. “Are you doing okay back there?”

Clay’s head snapped around. “I’m great. I’m being dragged back to hell so of course I’m awesome.”

Rush ignored the teen’s tone and continued. “Why don’t you want to go back?”

Clay’s response was inaudible.

“You shouldn’t goad him,” Ben said, scowling at Rush.

“Don’t you get along with your mom?” Rush asked a little louder.

“She’s okay,” Clay muttered.

“So it’s your stepfather you don’t like,” Rush said. “I can understand it. My mother had a series of men who she made me call ‘dad’.”

Clay’s eyes darted and he looked confused. “Chris is okay, I guess,” he finally answered.

“Why don’t you want to go home then?” Rush asked, raising his voice a little more.

“Because,” Clay said, hunching against the window again. “They all know.”

“What does that mean?” Rush asked. Ben put his hand on his boyfriend’s leg and the older man promptly grabbed it and held it tight. “They know you’re gay already, right?”

Clay didn’t respond at first, his face was an even brighter shade of crimson. “It’s not about that.”

“Clay, you need to talk about what’s eating you,” Rush said. “You can’t bottle it up. It’s like an infection and it will poison you.”

Rush let go of Ben’s hand and turned around completely, facing the back seat. “Talk to me.”

“Everyone at school,” the teen muttered. “Everyone knows. Shannon said so.”

“You’re worried about other kids at school knowing you’re gay. Is that it?” Rush asked.

“No,” Clay answered. “I don’t care about them knowing I’m gay. It’s what I did.”

Rush paused and digested what the teen meant. “Clay, who’s Shannon?”

“My sister, well, my half-sister,” he stuttered. “She told me they all know about me, what I did.”

Rush nodded and smiled at him. “I wouldn’t let it worry me. Nobody really knows anything. It’s all just gossip, right?”

“They all know,” Clay said more loudly this time. “Garrett was arrested and they all talk about it. All the time.”

“Clay, they’ll get over it. Remember, you’re the only person who knows what happened over the past few months. Trust me, they will have better things to talk about soon enough,” Rush said.

“You don’t get it,” Clay said. “Shannon said they all know and not to come back.”

Rush shook his head. “It always seems worse than it usually is. Your sister sounds like she is concerned. But believe me, people get over this stuff pretty quickly.”

Clay shook his head furiously. His fists were clenched and he leaned towards Rush and spat as he yelled. “Garrett told them everything! His family is a big deal and they’ll believe him. They all blame me for him being in jail. Everybody hates me!”

Just like that, Clay’s fury dissipated and he leaned back into the seat. Rush watched as the teen seemed to droop in surrender.

“Leave him alone, Rush. They’ve got counselling arranged for him in Grand Rapids and he’s going to have support at school as well,” Ben said. “We’ve got you covered, Clay.”

The teen snorted and shook his head. Rush craned his neck and caught Clay’s sullen eyes. “What do they know and why do they hate you?” He shrugged off Ben’s hand as it grasped his shoulder. “Tell me what Shannon said to you.”

“Nobody gets it,” Clay sobbed, wrapping his arms around his chest. “I’m a fucking whore and everybody knows it. Garrett told them all. They blame me because he’s in jail.”

Rush cleared his throat. “Why do they blame you?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Clay snorted. Rush watched as the tears ran down his cheeks and the snot from his nose to his lip. He reached into the glove compartment and grabbed a wad of tissues and handed them to the teen.

“I’m telling you, Clay, keeping it inside isn’t going to help. I think I understand how you feel. You’re feeling alone and unwanted and rejected. Am I right?”

Ben cleared his throat but didn’t say anything. The teen wiped his cheeks and blew his nose loudly. He sniffed. All three of them waited. The atmosphere within the SUV seemed to change. It no longer felt as formal and almost frosty. A gust of warm air had passed through. There was an intimacy now that hadn’t existed before.

“I am all alone,” Clay said. “There is no one there for me now.”

Rush shook his head. “That’s not true. Your mom is there for you. It sounds like your stepdad is supportive. You must have friends in school.”

“I don’t have any friends. Not anymore,” Clay announced and then blew his nose again.

“Why do you say that?” Rush asked, softly this time, almost tenderly.

Clay didn’t answer immediately. He seemed to carefully collect his thoughts instead of exploding like he had previously. When he opened his mouth, it seemed more calm and rational. It also gave both Rush and Ben a shiver.

“Garrett Finley’s parents own the biggest resort in the area, Loon’s Cove, and most everyone either works for them or their business relies on them. Garrett’s in jail because of me. I’m too young for him and he’s…anyway, they blame me. My last two years of school are going to be hell,” Clay said.

“Surely there are other people in your class who aren’t dependent on the Finleys,” Ben said. Rush gave him a supportive grin.

Clay snorted. “Do you know how big my class is?”

“Northwood Community is a small school district. I know that,” Ben said.

“There are twenty-two kids in my grade,” Clay said. “Twenty-two people who I went to elementary school with and middle school and now we are in high school together. We know everything about each other. Everything. They all knew I was gay probably before I did. What they didn’t know was I’m a whore. Now they do.”

Rush and Ben looked at each other in alarm. Rush recovered first. He shook his head at the teen. “Clay, you say your classmates all know you so well. Don’t you know them too? Aren’t there a few who can see past things? Won’t a couple see you did it to survive?”

Rush was shocked to see confusion and puzzlement on the boy’s face. Clay quickly hid that and nodded his head slowly. He finally responded with something that sounded like relief. “Shirley and Nathan probably will. Glen will probably want details. He’s a pervert.” Rush felt his heart soar as a hopeful smile curled up on the teens lips. “Maybe you’re right.”

“We have to give others a chance too,” Rush said. “It may take a little while, but people are forgiving especially when they understand it better. Okay?”

Clay nodded. “Are we going to eat soon? I’m starving now.”

Ben laughed and said, “Alright. Let’s get some lunch and let this traffic die down some.”

Rush turned around and settled back in his seat. “I feel like I ran a marathon,” he whispered.

“No shit,” Ben said, grinning at him.

**********

“How’s your lunch, Clay?”

“This chicken is the bomb. I especially love the crispy skin. I never thought I’d like it, but it’s awesome,” the teen said, grinning as he picked up a chicken leg. “Have you been here before?”

“I have,” Rush said. Every year I come up here fishing and eat at Svoboda’s. On opening day there’s an hour wait for a table.”

“It’s worth it,” Clay said, sinking his teeth into the crispy meat. The glistening juice ran down his chin.

“Here,” Ben said, handing him a napkin. “Wipe your mouth.”

The teen took the napkin and set it next to his plate. He took another bite of the chicken and chewed it with his eyes closed.

“He’s enjoying it. He can wash his face later,” Rush said with a smirk. Ben couldn’t help but chuckle as Clay devoured a forkful of mashed potatoes and gravy mixed with corn.

“Other than eating,” Rush said, waving a roll at the boy. “What do you like to do for fun?”

Clay didn’t look up from his plate as he answered. “I play guitar and sing. The choir director gave me some piano lessons, but I’m not very good yet. I guess I really like music a lot.”

“Any kinds of music you like the best?” Ben asked.

Clay shrugged. “I like most of it.” He paused and thought. “Except heavy metal, that shit sucks.”

“Hey,” Rush said, with a grin. “I love rock music.”

“Yeah, but you’re old,”’ Clay said with a twinkle in his eye. “Old people like things that suck.”

“I’m not old,” Rush said. He tried to feign feeling hurt, but started laughing.

“You’re closer to forty than you are thirty,” Ben chuckled and elbowed the man.

“I’m just reaching my prime,” Rush said, poking the paralegal in the ribs.

“Thirty-eight is not the prime age for a man. I’m at my peak,” Ben laughed and threw his dirty napkin at his boyfriend. They both exchanged winks and looked back over at Clay. The teen was bent over his plate, his hair hanging over his face. He had stopped eating and was perfectly silent.

“Clay, we’re just kidding around,” Rush said, trying to get the teen to look up. Clay remained hunched over his plate. A sound of discomfort squeaked from beneath his long brown locks.

“Clay, it’s all good. Is something the matter?” Ben asked.

Clay looked up. His eyes were red and tears were streaming down his cheeks. A droplet was hanging from the tip of his nose. “Garrett was right. I’m a liar and I can’t be trusted.” The teen pushed back his chair with a shriek, and darted away from the table.

Ben started getting up from the table when Rush’s hand stopped him. “He needs to blow off some steam. He’s got a whole lot to work through. Let him be for now.”

“What if he runs off or something?” Ben asked, sitting back down. “I’m responsible for him.”

“He’s not going to run off,” Rush said. “We’re in the middle of a place he’s never been before. He’s a survivor. Clay isn’t going to do anything stupid.”

“How can you be sure?” Ben asked.

“I’ll go talk to him in a little bit. There’s a lot more going on than the social worker told you.”

Ben nodded. “You’ve read his file. Some of it doesn’t make sense.”

“Let’s talk through this some more,” Rush said, pushing his plate away from him. “Clay was found in an alley beaten up, right?”

“Right. Police took him into the emergency room at Hennepin County Medical Center and he was admitted for bruised ribs, broken tibia, various rope burns and he’d been anally raped. They found muscle relaxers in his system as well.” Ben took a deep breath. “He also had hepatitis A and chlamydia. Thank God he came back HIV negative.”

“Is that why the social workers assumed he’d been prostituting himself?” Rush asked.

“No. Clay told a doctor, but since then he’s refused to talk about it to anyone,” Ben said. “Adelaide said she made the mistake of mentioning it to the police and they confronted him. Clay stopped cooperating and refused to testify against Garrett. He said they never did anything sexually. Without his evidence, the only case they have against Finley is for kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”

“Does Clay say Finley took him by force?” Rush asked. “I thought they ran away together.”

“Clay was a minor child so technically it’s kidnapping,” Ben said. “I doubt they will charge him with it though. His lawyers are pretty savvy and my boss Naomi is worried the entire case could collapse.”

“Holy shit,” Rush said, running his fingers through his hair. “This kid needs treatment. Why are they sending him back to his parents without some serious therapy?”

Ben shrugged. “Social services reviewed his file and don’t see anything warranting placement in a facility. They have arranged for once a week sessions with a psychologist and counseling at his school.”

“This is bullshit,” Rush said. He stood up and stormed out of the dining room. Ben saw several customers watched him march out. When Rush was pissed, it was obvious and hard to ignore.

“Is everything alright?” Ben heard from behind him. He turned and saw the waitress was hovering behind him wringing her hands and shifting from foot to foot.

“Get me the check,” Ben said, giving her a forced smile. “I’ll pay up and get out of your hair.”

“Do you want me to wrap any of this up for you?” she asked, rubbing her palms on her gingham apron.

“No thanks,” Ben said. “Just bring the check please.”

He sat trying to figure out why Rush was so upset and what had sent Clay into a tizzy. It took the waitress a few minutes to give him the bill. Ben stood up and stretched noticing there was a window overlooking the parking lot. He walked over and brushed back the gauzy curtain.

Standing in the middle of the asphalt was Rush shaking his head and wagging a finger at Clay. Clay’s mouth was open wide and obviously shouting back. He shook his shaggy brown hair and it flew around like a halo. Rush stepped forward and put his hands on the teen’s shoulders.

“Here’s your check, sir?” the waitress said, thrusting a scribbled green bill at him. She smiled and pointed to the front of the diner. “Just pay the lady at the door. Thanks for stopping by.”

Ben nodded and looked out the window again. This time Clay was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, his head in his hands. Rush was next to him, standing over him and talking. They both looked miserable even from a distance. Ben breathed deeply and made his way around the tables toward the cashier stand.

There were two people ahead of him and Ben fumbled with his credit card waiting for the cashier to finish. When it was his turn, she took her sweet time ringing him up. After about ten wasted minutes, Ben finally emerged from the restaurant and into the bright sunny parking lot.

Ben had anticipated finding a steaming boyfriend and a sullen teen, but instead the two of them were over by the SUV talking. Clay was even laughing and his face was more animated than he’d seen thus far.

“Are you guys ready to go?” Ben asked, hoping it wouldn’t set off any more tantrums.

“I’m ready. Clay?” Rush said, smiling evenly.

“I guess,” the teen responded tentatively. However, he looked different, more relaxed, like the cloud over his head had burned away. “We have to stop for ice cream though. Rush promised.”

“That I did,” Rush said heading toward the passenger side of the vehicle.

“Wait a minute,” Ben said, pulling his boyfriend to one side. “Why was he so upset?”

Rush looked around quickly and ducked close to the paralegal. “He felt bad he lied to us about his father. It’s all good now. I handled it.”

“Really?” Ben asked, screwing up his face in disbelief. “Was that all?”

“Pretty much,” Rush said. “I’ll tell you the rest on the way home.”

Ben tried to stop his boyfriend, but the man had already made his way over to the passenger side door. He threw up his hands in frustration and walked over to the driver’s side. The paralegal paused, and then shook his head. Rush would tell him what was up. Whatever he’d said to the teen seemed to have worked.

*************

“It went better than I thought it would,” Rush said, buckling the seat belt. He backed out of the driveway to the Hardwick home and onto the county road. He looked over at his boyfriend who was looking out the side window and watching as the little house disappeared in the distance.

Ben turned to Rush and gave him a sad smile. “I hope Clay’s okay. He seemed better by the time we left, didn’t he?”

“He’ll be fine,” Rush said. “Don’t worry about him. I think he’s a resilient guy.”

“His mom and stepdad seemed pretty scared,” Ben said. “They both kept going outside to smoke and then coming in with red eyes.”

“Chris is a decent guy. He pulled me aside and asked how he should treat Clay now. The guy was genuinely confused about how to act. I told him to be understanding and listen as much as possible,” Rush said. “What else can you say?”

“I know. His mom was in tears most of the afternoon. I hope his therapist is helpful and patient,” Ben said. “You seemed to make quite the impression.”

Rush shook his head and grimaced at his boyfriend. “What do you mean? I just hung out and talked with him. He’s a good kid who got fucked over.”

Ben didn’t say anything right away. He watched Rush’s face turn pink as he looked at him. “What happened at the restaurant?”

“He went out to the parking lot and cried. I went out after you told me he was being set aside like an old sock. I talked to him. He was upset and I listened. That’s all that happened,” Rush said. Ben wasn’t buying it because the former agent was getting even redder like he did when he was hiding something.

“Rush, what did he tell you?” Ben asked. He watched as his boyfriend chewed his lip thoughtfully.

“I promised Clay I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Rush said. “Besides, you really don’t want to hear it.”

Ben took a deep breath. “Am I going to want to kill Garrett Finley?”

“He’s lucky he’s in jail right now or I’d hunt him down and castrate him,” Rush responded almost without pause. “Clay felt betrayed by Finley and also he feels bad about himself. I made sure the kid knew it wasn’t his fault, none of it.”

Ben closed his eyes. “Rush, what did Clay say he did?”

Rush didn’t answer right away. He cleared his throat a few times and then started. “Garrett and Clay left Boy River together and drove to Minneapolis. They tried to get jobs, but then Garrett met a drug dealer and he started selling for him in clubs, gay ones. Clay said the first guy he brought home was good looking and even though he didn’t want to, Garrett told him he needed to ‘pay his fair share’.”

“Oh no,” Ben said. “He was pimping out his fifteen-year-old boyfriend? What a piece of shit.”

“It gets worse,” Rush said. “I’m pulling into this rest area. I can’t tell the story without starting to cry.”

They silently drove into a picturesque parking area with big evergreen trees shining in the evening glow. The air was lightly scented with lilacs and even a slight whiff of late spring fruit blossoms were present. It was lovely as Rush turned off the motor. He turned to Ben and sniffed. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

“No, but you need to get this off your chest,” Ben said. He took Rush’s hand. “What did Clay say happened next?”

Rush leaned against the seat. “Garrett promised not to do it again. The second time they showed up, Clay refused. Garrett tried to guilt him into it, but it didn’t work. Garrett got mad and threw Clay out. The next day, Clay returned to the apartment and begged for forgiveness. After that, Garrett brought two or three guys home a week.”

“Why didn’t Clay…never mind,” Ben said. “So the bastard guilted him into it?”

“Basically,” Rush said. “Garrett manipulated Clay into believing it was his contribution to their living expenses.”

“But, Clay was in his own room when they found him in the alley?” Ben asked confused.

“Clay finally decided not to do it anymore. He got a job bussing tables that paid under the table. He was getting his life together but he was lonely in the city all by himself. Clay called Garrett and they met. They were going to try again and this time Garrett promised no more johns.”

Rush paused and wiped his eyes. “Here’s the part that makes me the sickest,” he began. “Clay broke down crying and said Garrett didn’t know what they were going to do. I told him it wasn’t true. Garrett planned the whole thing to control Clay.”

Ben looked at Rush with a puzzled look on his face. “I don’t understand…”

“Garrett had Clay turned out,” Rush said. His voice was thick with emotions and cracked as a sob escaped. “It got out of hand and that’s how Clay ended up in the alley that night.”

“His own boyfriend…” Ben said in awe.

“It happens more often than we’d like to think. We came across it when we busted those sex traffickers. They break their spirits, make them submissive, and the victims bond with the person who nurses them back to health,” Rush said. “Clay got lucky. Someone in the neighborhood heard screams and called the police. Garrett got scared and dumped the kid in the alley when they heard sirens.”

Ben wiped his cheek and sniffed. “He hasn’t told anyone yet.”

“No. And I promised him I wouldn’t either,” Rush said. “He needs help to get better, not a trial and all that bullshit. Hopefully someone will make Garrett Finley pay for what he did to the boy, but I don’t want Clay to relive it.”

“It’s not for you to decide,” Ben said. “I mean, he deserves justice.”

“Clay deserves a chance to make a life for himself. I gave him my number and told him to call me whenever he needed to. I made him a promise to be there for him.”

Ben nodded and then tilted his head. “Why?”

“The kid needs help,” Rush said angrily. “There’s no one else to do it.”

“No, I meant why do you feel this connection to him? You both seemed to have this bond from the moment you met. I noticed it, but until now I didn’t really recognize what it was,” Ben said softly.

“I guess I know how he feels,” Rush said. “I was betrayed when I was young so I get it. I get how he feels cheated and dumb and hurt and worthless all at once. If someone had reached out to me, maybe I wouldn’t have spent most of my life keeping people away from me.”

“You don’t now,” Ben said, leaning closer. “You’re opening up.”

“That’s because of you,” Rush said, kissing him deeply. He whispered into Ben’s ear. “I never would have had the guts to do so without you.”

“I think you’re a pretty special guy, Rush Romer,” Ben said, kissing him back. He pulled back and smiled at Rush. “Clay’s got you in his corner, and Nathan and Shirley.

“Yeah,” Rush said, wiping his nose with a tissue. “I’m glad we got to meet them. Having friends to support Clay will make a difference, someone like Nathan especially. Two-Spirited Ojibwa like him are respected for their difference. Clay will have the whole tribal community watching his back.”

“I just hope it’s enough,” Ben said. “His parents were pretty scared.”

“If not, I won’t let him down,” Rush said.

Ben watched as the setting sun fell on Rush’s face. It made his skin seem to glow like he had an aura or something. It was just the effect of the evening light, but it made him shiver a little.

“Should we finish up this road trip?” Rush asked.

“Let’s go home,” Ben said, grabbing hold of the other man’s hand.

The End