319 Winesap Lane - 16. Chapter 16 - Palpable Fear, Part 2

Billy’s POV

On the second day of the first week, Billy kept his window shades down in his bedroom and bathroom. Downstairs, he didn’t go into any room—other than the kitchen—that had its draperies open. He worked on his homeschooling classes in his room and read the book Geoff gave him to read at the evening gathering. He didn’t quite understand why he had to read the novel, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, but since Geoff and Jamie also read, he figured it wouldn’t hurt him. Jerry sat in his chair listening to his music and looking at the pictures in a non-fiction book Geoff had given him. Billy looked over at Jerry now and then, but it seemed the older boy never turned a page while his head bobbed rhythmically to whatever he was listening to.

On the third day, Thursday, Geoff took him down to see Dr. Finklemann. It meant getting out of the house, which meant the possibility of being recognized by someone who might call that number and having Lardner know where he was. He thought of telling Geoff about his concerns, but figured Geoff would simply say he had to go to his appointment no matter what.

In Dr. Finklemann’s office, Billy sat away from the windows on the chair beside the desk.

“And, why do you not sit by the window?” Dr. Finklemann asked.

“I’m supposed to stay away from windows. Someone may see me and let the man who led the assault know that I now live in Warnton.”

“Ah, fear, that is a powerful emotion that can have significant effects on the mind. Have you spoken to anyone at your placement about what happened to you?”

“No; should I?”

“If it was me, I wouldn’t tell anyone lest I had them in my deepest confidence.”

“I was talking to the other boy there who is also a freshman, but I didn’t tell him exactly what happened to me. When I was getting ready for bed the first night he came up to my room and we talked a little. I don’t know why, but he told me he was a sex slave for nearly six years. You know, doing the math in my head, I figured he had to have been seven or eight when he was kidnapped. I wanted to tell him what happened to me, but I couldn’t. Every time I think about how it felt each time one of those people raped me, I get this weird feeling in my stomach like I’m gonna puke.”

“That boy sees me, also. You can trust him with your secret if you feel you must tell someone.”

“Won’t he want to fuck me, too?”

“No, I do not believe he is capable of doing such an act without getting permission, first. Also, from my understanding of him, I suspect you would have to ask him. Do you have a desire for a boy to have sex with you in a loving manner?”

“Would it make me sound crazy if I said yes?”

“Not crazy, but maybe, at this time, a little troubling. Before you were assaulted, you had a boyfriend, yes?”

“We weren’t quite boyfriends; you know, we hadn’t committed to each other. He was the first and his step-dad followed him; and, then his step-dad made Anson go a second time.”

“What was your relationship with this Anson boy before the assault?”

“Like I said we were almost boyfriends.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, I guess you could say we were in love. At least, I think we were in love.”

“Did you kiss?”

“Yes.”

“Deeply?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did he put his tongue in your mouth and vice versa.”

“Yeah, now and then.”

“Did he touch you in a sexual way?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did he touch your penis?”

“Yeah, now and then.”

“Did you get an erection when he did that?”

“Do you mean hard?”

“Yes. Did you enjoy doing that?”

“Of course, we did that to each other whenever we were sure neither Miss Norma or Lardner would catch us.”

“Did either of you ejaculate?”

“What do you mean? I’ve never heard of that word.”

“Do you know the meaning of the word orgasm?”

“No.”

“When each of you were touching each other’s erection, and I suppose you were kissing at this time also, did you have an intense physical sensation throughout your body and semen was vigorously emitted from your penis?”

“Oh, you mean, did we cream our pants? Yeah, that happened a lot at first until we figured out to undress a bit before making out. But, then we had to be extra careful neither Miss Norma or Lardner caught us. Lardner beat me up a couple times when he came home and he came into Anson’s bedroom while we were dressing.”

“Did you report these beatings to the police?”

“No; it wouldn’t have done any good because he would’ve told them I was just a girly-boy trying to turn his son and deserved a beating now and then.”

“Didn’t your school question the bruises?”

“Miss Norma usually let me stay home until most of the bad bruises faded a bit.”

“Aah! Who is this Miss Norma? She needs to be locked up in a smelly dungeon and have the key thrown in the deepest sea.”

“She was the woman taking care of me.”

“Well, she wasn’t. Now, back to the matter at hand, your young sex life prior to your assault. At any time, did either of you put the other’s erection in your mouth until the other had an ejaculation?”

“Yeah, I did it to Anson a few times. Anson said he really liked me when I did that, but, you know, he never did it to me. Can I tell you a secret? A very special secret? I told Anson once after he creamed my mouth that this summer when Miss Norma and Lardner were off at work, he could fuck me if he wanted. Does that make me sound like a slut?”

“No, it sounds to me as if you and Anson were very much in love. It is a shame he was the first to assault you.”

“Yeah, I know; and, that’s one of the reasons I’m having so much trouble with this.”

“I think we have come to a good point to conclude this session. I believe we have made some progress in this matter. Please, tell Mrs. Anderson you are to have an appointment in two weeks.”

Billy walked out of the session and while he was at the counter making his next appointment, he heard someone say, “Mommy, that’s the boy who ran away from home. Can I have your cellphone so I can call that number? I want to get the reward.”

Billy turned and saw Geoff go over to a woman and her young son. He quietly said some words to them and they seemed to accept the fact that the notice on that website was in error, but when they walked out the door he turned and saw the boy holding the cellphone and dialing a number.

“Quick, Geoff! We gotta get outa here,” Billy said. “That boy’s dialing the number.”

“Don’t worry, the deputy sheriff I’m dealing with told me yesterday they had the number deactivated and took Mr. Lardner back into custody.”

“But, what are we going to do?”

“We’re going to remain calm, follow the instructions of the police, and let them do their job. Now, let’s get home and see what Jerry’s working on for dinner.”

* * * *

On morning of the third day of the third week that Billy was living at 319 Winesap Lane, he was upstairs in his room working on his homeschooling assignment on the computer when he heard the front doorbell ring. He knew that Jerry, who was the only one downstairs, would answer it, so he waited for a warning. After a few minutes, he went out to the top of the stairs and listened, but couldn’t hear anything. He slowly went down to the second floor all the while listening to any possible conversations on the first floor, but he couldn’t hear anything. He wanted to go down, but fear held him back. He squatted down so that maybe he could hear more clearly, but he couldn’t hear any voices. With great trepidation, he slowly, step by step, went down the stairs until he was at the lower newel post, but still he couldn’t hear any voices. Fearing for his life, he went up to his room, locked the door, went into his bathroom, and locked the door. He sat down on the toilet and began to cry.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Jerry was at the front door trying to explain to a scruffy man in bib overalls that 319 Winesap Lane was a foster home and that they hadn’t had any new admissions in over a month, but the man kept insisting that there must be a boy by the name of Junior Billy Conger Maysfield living in the house because he had received notification from the County Social Services Department that they had placed a boy by that name at this address.

Finally, a very frustrated Jerry, slammed the door shut and called 9-1-1.

The operator answered and asked the nature of the call.

“I need police at 319 Winesap Lane in Warnton,” Jerry said. “There is strange man here looking for person who is in police protection. I need help.”

“Does the man have a gun?”

“I do not know; should I go out and ask him?”

“No, but did you see a gun?”

“No; does that matter?”

“We’ll notify the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department of your situation.”

The line went dead, but Jerry didn’t know what to do. He went to the front room and looked out. The man in the bib overalls was out at his pickup talking on his cellphone. Jerry called Geoff’s cell.

“What’s up, Jerry?”

“Strange man in pickup come to door. He say Junior Billy Conger Maysfield live here. I call 9-1-1. They ask if man have gun. I say I do not know. They say advise sheriff. I do not know what to do.”

“I’m coming home right now.”

“Thank you, Geoff.”

Jerry knew what he could do. He ran up the stairs to the third floor, but Billy’s door was locked. He tried the door to the other bedroom and it was unlocked. He went in and tried the door to the bathroom that was shared with Billy. It was unlocked, so he opened it. He saw Billy sitting on the toilet crying.

“Billy, come with me, you need to do something to protect yourself,” Jerry said.

Billy looked up, totally not understanding what Jerry had said.

“Come, you have to lock all doors,” Jerry said.

Billy stood up and followed Jerry out into the other bedroom.

At the door to the hall, Jerry said, “Billy you lock this door and lock bathroom door, too. You be safe, then.”

Billy did as he was told, but he still didn’t feel totally safe from the assault that he knew Lardner would thrust upon him. He fully expected that today was to be his last day on Earth.

Jerry went back downstairs and looked out the front window. There were now two pickups parked at the curb. He saw a big man in worn khakis and a black and red flannel shirt standing next to the man in the bib overalls. He saw that the man in the khakis and flannel had a pistol. He dialed 9-1-1 on his cell.

“May I help you, what is the nature of your call?” the operator asked.

“There is man with gun approaching house at 319 Winesap Lane in Warnton. We have no means to defend ourselves. Please send help.”

“Are you sure the man is approaching the house?”

“Man has gun. He has come to kill Junior Billy Conger Maysfield who is supposed to be under protection of Wayne County Sheriff. Please send help.”

“We will advise the Sheriff of your situation.”

Jerry didn’t know what to do.

There was a knock at the door.

Jerry didn’t want to answer it, knowing who was on the other side.

The sharp, sudden sound of pistol rounds reverberated through the foyer. The front door flew open. A man stood there with a pistol pointing at Jerry.

“You cannot come in here,” Jerry said. “This is private residence.”

The sharp, sudden sound of a pistol round rang out and Jerry fell back from the force of a bullet penetrating his abdomen. He looked up from the floor at the man who shot him.

“Where is he?” the man asked.

“There is no one here, but me,” Jerry said.

“You expect me to believe that?”

“Yes.”

Another pistol round rang out and Jerry cringed as he felt another bullet pierce his abdomen.

The man walked away on a search for his prey.

Jerry lay on the floor watching the man disappear into the house. He wondered how long he was going to live. He lived after being shot in the head, but this time the bullets were somewhere in his abdomen. He wondered where they were and if he was bleeding badly.

Upstairs, Billy sat on the toilet crying, knowing that Lardner would soon been at his door; and, then the man would come in a shoot him dead.

Lardner went through all the rooms on the first floor, but didn’t find Billy. He was getting angry at not finding the boy. He went up to the second floor and went through all the rooms, but, as on the first floor, there was no sign of Billy.

Meanwhile, sheriff’s cars were pulling up outside the house. Lardner’s brother was surrounded and made the easy choice. He went up to one of the sheriff’s cars and said, “Lardner is inside looking for the boy. I didn’t have anything to do with this.”

The deputy got out of the car and said, “Turn around, hands behind your back.”

He cuffed the man and put him in the backseat of his car.

A SWAT team pulled up and deployed around the house.

Geoff walked up from the college and saw all the Sheriff’s vehicles around the house. He went up to a deputy and identified himself. He was told to stand back and await the outcome of whatever was to occur.

Three deputies went up to the front door and looked in. They saw Jerry lying on the floor with blood pooling around his body. He looked over at them and pointed upstairs.

Meanwhile, up on the third floor Lardner encountered two locked doors. His pistol took care of one and he walked into a bedroom. He went over to the bathroom door and found that it was locked, too. His pistol took care of that lock, also. He opened the door and saw Billy sitting on the toilet.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite little girly-boy,” Lardner said. “Do you know we’re going to have some more fun today and then, after Anson and me have had enough of your ass, I’m going to put a bullet through the back of your head. I doubt very much if you hear the sound of the shot. Come on, get up.”

In fear of his impending death, Billy’s bladder emptied.

“Oh, what a scared little girly-boy,” Lardner said. “Come on, we’ve got a ways to go before I kill you.”

Billy got up and walked out of the bathroom. He felt his aggressor behind him as he walked to the door of his bedroom. Out in the hall, he walked to the head of the stairs and looked down and saw two sheriff’s deputies. He waited a moment and then Lardner said, “Go on, boy, time’s a wastin’.”

Billy started down the stairs and the deputies moved back away from him, but stopped when they saw Lardner with his pistol trained on the boy.

“Drop the gun!” one of the deputies yelled.

“Fuck you!” Lardner yelled and shot at the sound of the voice, but the other deputy began emptying his clip into the body of Lardner who fell forward, knocking Billy down the stairs in front of him.

The other deputy, regaining his composure, stepped over the boy and went up toward the body of Lardner; but, the big man had more life in him and he raised his gun. The deputy emptied his clip into the dying body of Lardner.

Downstairs, more deputies were coming into 319 Winesap Lane to secure the scene. An aid car pulled up outside and two medics came out of the vehicle. They approached the house and went inside to check on Jerry. In a few minutes, they determined that he was going to need an air ambulance to Rochester.

* * * *

On the afternoon of the second day of the fifth week that Billy Maysfield had been at 319 Winesap Lane, he walked into a semi-private ward at the University of Rochester Medical Center and went to the bed where Jerry lay convalescing from the two bullet wounds in his abdomen. He sat down in the chair by the bed and touched the older boy’s hand. Jerry turned off his iPod and took out the earbuds.

“Someone has come to see me,” Jerry said. He didn’t look at Jerry.

“Geoff finally said it was okay for me to come here,” Billy said. “I wanted to thank you for trying to keep me safe.”

“You’re my brother.”

“Is that what I am?”

“If you’re living at our house then you’re a brother, unless Geoff agrees to take in girls.”

“I don’t think that would work.”

“No, 319 is a boy’s house through and through.”

“You’re talking very well.”

“Yes, my psychiatrist was down here and said the same thing. She thinks it must have something to do with the trauma I experienced from being shot and almost dying.”

“Was it that bad?”

“Oh, yes, my heart stopped two times on the operating table, but they were able to bring me back and now I’m here to talk to you. Are you going to be staying with us?”

“Yes, with Billy Lardner dead and his brother in jail on charges of conspiracy to commit capital murder I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that family again.”

“Are there other members that might want to do you harm?”

“Well, yes, but the state police have identified all of them and they’ve assured me that I shouldn’t have any problems with them in the future.”

“Billy I want to thank you for coming to see me, but you see I have a small problem with looking at other people and I think it’s time for me to take a little nap.”

“Oh, I almost forgot, next Monday I get to go to Warnton High School. Jamie and his boyfriend Curt said they’re going to have my back if I get hassled by any of the students.”

“Jamie is a good boy. Maybe, I’ll see you next time.”

“Bye,” Billy said. He got out of the chair and watched Jerry slowly sink into a deep slumber; and, then he noticed that Jerry hadn’t put his earbuds back in.