The Company - 17. Princes, a Paladin and Answers

i.

We got to bed a little after one. Tuck and Howie retired to Kelly and Jo-Jo’s room, and Stacy joined Gene and Scotty.

Patrick and I were dog-tired, so he took the middle between Frank and me. Sleep quickly overcame us.

Seeing Jonah and his boys again inspired a dream that took me back to a hunting trip to Arrowhead years ago.

 

I turned thirteen last July and passed the NRA Hunter Safety Course. I was excited to finally be able to join the hunt. Dad drove his truck, and Josiah Jamison and his sons followed in theirs. We left on a Friday night to hunt on a cold Saturday morning in November.

I knew Beau Porter would be there and didn’t want to see him. Jake Henderson and Dylan Johnson, two cousins my age, would be there. Hopefully, nothing terrible would happen if I stayed close to my cousins.

We arrived after dark, and many men of the families were there, including Beau. We had grilled steaks and went to bed early because our hunt would start before dawn. Jake, Dylan, and I got the enormous main bedroom upstairs. There were younger and older kids than us in the upstairs rooms, mainly to keep us out of the adults’ hair. Tomorrow will be a big day for the three of us. We would finally get to join the hunt. We weren’t little kids anymore.

It seemed like we had hardly gone to sleep when Jake’s dad was jolting us awake. “Wake up, boys. It’s time to hunt. Get dressed and bundle up. It’s cold this morning.”

We quickly dressed, bundled up, and put on our hunter’s orange. It was what the grown-ups called a hard frost. As we boarded trucks to go out, there was a little ice in mud puddles. Frosted leaves crunched under our boots.

I was scared to be paired with Beau on a deer stand. Dad probably noticed I was avoiding him because we had hung out earlier that summer. The incident happened when we had been tidying up the lodge for deer season in late summer. Rape sours relationships. I didn’t trust Beau or myself to say no.

When we got together to partner up, it looked like I might be with Beau, but I ended up with Jonah instead. That was fine with me.

I’d known Jonah for a while. Dad always took his cars and trucks to Jamison’s Shop. Jonah was a tall, handsome nineteen-year-old who wasn’t too old to still be fun. He was married and had a cute little rug rat named Tuck at home.

I wondered why I didn’t have a rifle, and Jonah said he had used up all his deer tags. I would be the shooter on our stand, using the Marlin 30-06 he was carrying in the case. My chances of bagging a deer went way up.

Uncle Cal took us to a deer stand on the old Johnson place on a 4-wheeler. The stands were all spaced along the West side of a power transmission line right-of-way. Each stand was placed at the mid-point between a pair of towers. That marked the boundaries of the area we would be hunting.

The power company came out twice a summer and bush-hogged the rights-of-way under the transmission towers. That left a clearing a couple of hundred yards wide along the towers’ route.

My Uncle dropped us off at our deer stand, wished us luck, and motored away. I climbed the ladder, and Jonah passed up the gun case. Then we got situated in the pre-dawn darkness and teeth-chattering cold we weren’t quite prepared for.

Jonah opened the case and brought out the rifle. As I watched, he opened the bolt and put a 30-06 round in the chamber. I was shivering, and Jonah offered to let me sit in his lap. He opened his coat, I sat in his lap, and he closed it around me. I pretended I didn’t notice my sitting in his lap gave him impressive wood.

I thanked him, and we whispered to pass the time. We could hear Uncle Cal moving hunters to their stands in the dark distance. Slowly, ever so slowly, the pink of dawn crept over the right-of-way. Finally, we stopped hearing Uncle Cal.

Jonah said, “Timmy, my boy, it’s time to hunt.”

Reluctantly, I left my warm spot and brought the rifle to my shoulder. I scanned the far side of the clearing with the scope.

Jonah said softly, “Timmy, people don’t miss because they are bad shots. They miss their shot because they get excited. It’s called buck fever. When you take your shot, try to stay calm. Exhale and then squeeze the trigger.”

I asked, “Do you think we’ll see one?”

Jonah said, “It’s the right time of year, and the weather is perfect. They’ll be moving this morning. Just be still, quiet, patient, and stay awake.”

The sun coming out hadn’t managed to banish the cold. It was just more bearable. I sat behind the rifle and scanned the tree line for movement.

We saw nothing for a while but heard the distant crack of a rifle.

I knew I had to be patient, so I did as Jonah suggested. I stayed still, silent, and tried to keep calm.

Concentrating as best I could, I kept my eyes on the far edge of the clearing. Then, finally, after what seemed to take forever, there was some movement in the brush along the tree line.

As I watched through the scope, a small herd of deer came out of the brush, one by one, and began foraging on the grass in the right-of-way. I felt Jonah’s hand on my shoulder as I tracked through the scope. I kept my finger on the trigger guard, as I’d been taught.

This little group’s buck was a six-pointer. So, I stayed still and quiet and waited patiently for the best shot I could get to develop.

There was a sharp crack in the distance as someone else took a shot. All the deer froze and looked in that direction.

The buck stood tall and still for a moment to get a good look in the direction of the noise, giving me the best shot I would get. I breathed deeply, clicked off the safety, and took my shot. I hit him right through the neck, and he dropped like a stone.

The rest of the herd ran back into the brush.

Jonah hugged me and exclaimed, “Great shot, Timmy!”

I was exultant. Various ceremonies would soon follow. I would drink a small amount of the buck’s blood, and they cut off my shirttail.

I was now a member of the tribe.

 

ii.

I woke up a little before six. Patrick was comfortably nestled between Frank and me.

Frank was right. I did like Patrick. He might suffer from culture shock in the coming days, but I was confident he would get over it. He would easily fit in.

The sun wasn’t quite up yet, but I had much to do.

Donning my running gear, I smelled rain. The patio was wet when I checked, but the rain seemed over.

Beating Lee, Sharon, and Marie to the kitchen for a change, I went into my office to plan the day. Today would be a day of preparations for Pensacola and keeping the Game Zone running in our absence. It would be a test of the human infrastructure I had carefully built.

There was so much to do. Out came my index cards to break it all down into manageable chunks in no specific order:

· Get the new guys in for Dr. Chang’s checkup and counseling.

· Start the football players with their conditioning program at Ander’s Gym.

· Prep the Red Team for Pensacola.

· Prep the Game Zone for our absence.

· Combine a practice driving trip and a brief visit to Acadia Ridge.

· Meet with Mr. Carter about our arrangement and the suspicions he voiced last night.

· Set up the Tuesday and Thursday supply runs to Arrowhead.

· Meet Tuck’s buddy Clay Sutherland, decide if he’s team material, and maybe recruit him.

· Call Patrick’s parents and let them know he has landed somewhere safe and has a job.

· Prepare for our appearance with Judge Vinson.

Preparing the new guys wouldn’t be trivial. Over the weekend, we added Rocky Anderson, Robbie MacDonald, Stevie Brent, Mark Polk, Hunter and Franz Schmitt, Kenny Phillips, Colt Bryant, Justin Warren, Patrick McInnis, Tuck Jamison, and Howie Garner. It took about an hour at Dr. Chang’s office to process a group, and the guys who went to Arrowhead already had their blood drawn.

I talked to Dr. Chang about a dentist and an ophthalmologist. He had recommended two with offices in a medical complex in Rivervine near the hospital. I would call on both later and get set up so we could start scheduling the boys for checkups.

Rory, Angel, and my housemoms could help me with that. The door opened as I considered my options to delegate some of these tasks, and Kelly entered.

He approached my desk, looked at the scattered index cards, and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Planning the day. I need to prepare the Red Team for our trip to Pensacola and our day in court for custody of some of our boys. I expect that to go well. On top of all that, I need to ensure Game Zone can function without us.”

Kelly sat beside my desk and asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

I leaned back and said, “Ritchie and Sean will be the week’s shift leaders. Just support them and help hold things together. Red Team will soon be making road trips, and we’ll need Game Zone to run smoothly with as few disasters as possible.”

Kelly said, “It should work. Everybody likes Ritchie and Sean, and we’ll have Matthew and Chase if we have trouble with the machines.”

I grinned and said, “If I had a nickel for everything that should have worked and didn’t, I’d have many nickels. Ever heard of Murphy’s Law?”

Kelly objected, “We’ll do OK.”

“I think so. Don’t think I’ve forgotten, I owe you one for helping us with Tuck.”

Kelly said, “No, you don’t. If anything, I owe you one. I like Tuck. You helped me overcome my automatic no response, and Jo-Jo and I got a sexy new pal. By the way, who is the new guy?”

“That’s Howie Garner. He signed up for the Blue Team, but will work Game Zone first. You and Jo-Jo seem to be one of our most stable couples, but you need peer relationships. Jo-Jo has fun with his peers. You’re sixteen. Do you have your license?”

Kelly said, “I’ve got a license, but my car is… a long, sad story.”

“Do you want to go?”

“Your driving lessons are legendary, but you should take Walt and Juan. They’re as shy as I used to be at school. Ray got all the attention, but they… hide in plain sight, if you know what I mean.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Kelly. What’s the long, sad story of your car?”

Kelly sighed and said, “When I saw it, I had to have it. It’s a cherry red ’75 Nova. An upperclassman at school wanted to unload it. I paid fifteen hundred. The problem is that the car needs lots of work to get it running right. I’m hoping to save up to get it done.”

I asked, “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s a muscle car. The engine needs to be rebuilt, and the transmission is… iffy.”

I grinned and said, “Tuck’s Dad loves working on muscle cars, but it’s not a good daily driver for you. You’ll work on a car like that as much as you drive it. Would you consider letting me buy it and get you something reliable to drive around? We’ll build your Nova into something special.”

Suddenly, Kelly was in my lap, hugging my neck.

I hugged him back and said, “I take it you like that idea?”

“Yes! My Dad called it a learning experience, but it has been a pain in the ass.”

I stroked his hair and said, “Many of the best learning experiences are. You’ve learned from this one and are ready to move on. Ready to run?”

Dumb question.

When we exited my office, Marie, Sharon, and Lee had arrived, coffee was brewing, and breakfast was on the way.

I left a piece of paper on the kitchen table:

Mandatory Meetings:

· Red Team 9:00

· Blue Team 9:10

· Green Team 9:20

· Security Team 9:30

· Big Brothers 9:40

We were joined by Jo-Jo, Larry, Mark, Gene, Stacy, and Tuck. Tuck didn’t do exceptionally well for his first run with us, but he kept up. Larry was steadily improving. Gene was built for power, and distance running challenged him. Seeing them push themselves was a good sign.

The morning was cool and damp from the overnight rains. Partly cloudy skies helped to keep things cool. It made for a pleasant run through a mostly empty Dockside Park.

 

iii.

After returning for breakfast, everyone took a shower. That morning, we were joined by Tuck and the Bunnies. Before we were done, Kenny Phillips and Cole joined in.

I liked the camaraderie that was growing among the boys. It was by design, and I encouraged it, but to see it flower before my eyes was especially rewarding.

As our group cycled through the shower, Frank, Patrick, Brandon, Howie, and the Schmitt brothers took our place.

At eight-thirty, I returned to my office to make several calls.

My first call was to Howie Garner’s mother, who had just returned home from work. She was delighted that Howie was with us and not having to stay home by himself so much. Even a good kid can find trouble with too much time on their hands.

My second call was more awkward. I managed to catch Patrick’s mother at home. She was delighted that her son had landed somewhere safe, but the conversation was difficult. I tried to be upbeat and assure her that Patrick would be all right, but it was obvious that she had her doubts.

Finally, I said, “Mrs. McInnis, I will tell you a few things we do here that will ease your mind. Most of our boys have problems. I’ve worked with professionals to design a program to help them rebuild their self-esteem by working and having friends.”

Mrs. McInnis said, “Our real problem with Patrick is the drugs. We can’t have him constantly high around our younger children.”

I replied, “I understand. I just wanted you to know he had landed somewhere safe and will get some help and a fresh start.”

“Thank you, Mr. Shepherd. Weren’t you on the news last week?”

“Yes, Mam. That was us.”

She asked, “What will Patrick be doing?”

I said, “Tomorrow afternoon, our team will fly to Pensacola for training on modern telecom equipment. Once certified, we’ll install phone systems all over.”

Mrs. McInnis sighed and said, “I hope he doesn’t disappoint you. We’ve been through a lot with him.”

I said, “He won’t. He’s got friends here, and that makes a big difference. I know you are probably very curious about us. Call Sheriff Hollingsworth or Dr. Patrick's office to check our bone fides.”

We exchanged a few pleasantries and phone numbers. I could tell she was glad he wasn’t on the street. I’m not sure what she thought of the total stranger who called her out of the blue to tell her the weed-addled son she kicked out would be all right. I saw him as a troubled kid; by embracing him, Patrick would become one of my own. After last night, I had no doubt.

Patrick’s mom was much like many other generic protestant Southern women I’d encountered. If there were a big embarrassing elephant in the room, she would bravely ignore it, talk around it, and pretend it wasn’t there. They meant well, but not confronting issues is why they repeatedly fail when the going gets weird. The elephant will still be there whether you acknowledge him or not. The longer you ignore him, the bigger he gets.

 

iv.

Red Team Meeting

At nine o’clock sharp, the members of the Red Team arrived at my office. Jeb, Frank, Chris, Tony, Lee, Jeb, and Patrick gathered around my desk.

I wasted no time and said, “We’ve got a big day tomorrow, and I’m going to need your help to pull it off successfully,” I began.

“First, you’ve all met your new teammate, Patrick McInnis. Patrick, I just spoke to your mom, told her you are with us, I’m glad to have you, and we’ll be off to training tomorrow.”

To a man, the Red Team all gave Patrick fist-bumps and pats on the back.

Patrick looked stunned and said, “You talked to my Mom?”

“Yes, I did. Don’t worry. I didn’t reveal anything held in confidence. I told her you had landed somewhere safe and had a job.”

Changing the subject, I said, “I may bring another member to the Red Team, but I need to talk to him first.”

“Tomorrow, we go to court at 8 am, and then we have a noon flight to Pensacola for our certification classes. For this to go well, we all need to get focused. I don’t think you will be needed in court, but we’ll be wheels up and in the air at noon sharp.”

Lee asked, “We’ve already started getting ready. Can any of us help on other fronts?”

I grinned and said, “Thank you, Lee. Today, we need to send all the new kids we collected since Friday to see Dr. Chang, and we can’t do it all in one lump without disrupting his practice. On top of that, we need suits for the new boys.”

Frank said, “I live for two things: shopping and cute boys. This combines the two nicely. I’ll get it done sometime today.”

Chris said, “I’ll help with that project.”

I grinned and said, “Thanks, guys. Rory should be able to get the kids to Doctor Chang’s office in groups.”

“Another item I need to bring up is that Patrick hasn’t had the preparation I’ve given you for the courses. I want someone to sit with him and help him cram over units one and two.”

Jeb spoke up and said, “I can do that.”

Tony asked, “Are you going to take us to the office and show us how to build a computer?”

I chuckled and said, “I plan to, but I won’t be able to do it until we get back. This is all we needed to cover. I’ve got to see Phillip and his guys, so we’re done.”

 

Blue Team Meeting

The Blue Team invaded my office when the Red Team departed. Phillip Holmes, the Knight Twins, Zeke, and Charlie crowded around my desk.

Phillip asked, “What’s up, Boss?”

I said, “Tomorrow, the Red Team will fly to Pensacola for training. That means I won’t be available until Friday afternoon. I think you guys have a handle on what needs to be done. Very soon, you will take over the maintenance of the new community center grounds. You said you had some applications?”

Phillip said, “Yes. We’ll get Jeff Blake, Tyler Reynolds, Mikie Bowers, and Michael Porter started with their paperwork and training packets today. I’ve got a few more applications and will be talking to a few of them. Seth Wilder and Adrian Moss will be filling out applications today.”

I said, “You’ve got an application for a kid named Howie Garner, but he’s not fifteen yet. He’s starting at the Game Zone today. We’ll need more hands to care for St. Luke’s and City Park later this summer. Call your friends and see if any of them are interested. Try to get more applications, and I’ll sit down with Phillip and a few applicants when we return on Friday. Anything else?”

Phillip looked to his crew and said, “I think that covers it.”

 

Green Team Leaders

Sean Yelverton, Ritchie Barnes, Randy Carlson, and Daniel Miloy arrived and circled my desk.

I said, “OK, guys, tomorrow the Red Team will be out of town until Friday afternoon. Are you ready to run the Game Zone without a net?”

Ritchie answered, “I’m ready. Sean?”

Sean looked nervous and said, “I think so.”

I said, “OK. Remember that you have Matthew and Chance available for tech support. I authorize overtime for this week if you need Ritchie or Big Ted.”

Sean asked, “I heard we’re getting some new kids at Game Zone.”

“That’s right. You’ll get Stevie Brent, Mark Polk, Tuck Jamison, and Howie Garner. Toby, Brandon, Cole, and Barry will accompany us.”

Ritchie said, “Hate to lose them for the week. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they are all popular with our regulars.”

I said, “When Red Team gets up to speed, we will be on the road often. Consider this a dry run. We need to see if it works. If we have rough patches, we’ll figure out how to smooth them out.”

Poor Sean squirmed in his chair.

Ritchie touched his shoulder and said, “You’ll do fine. You’ve run the night shift successfully, and I’ll be close.”

He looked at Ritchie gratefully, and I said, “I agree with Ritchie. The kid who skipped seventh grade is perfectly capable of doing the job.”

Sean asked, “You know about that?”

I grinned and said, “Yeah. I know you’re the youngest graduate in your senior class, about your straight-A’s and honors courses, and you passed on big league scholarships because of your mother’s condition. Remember what I said when we talked Thursday night? Everybody starts somewhere, so buckle up, Sean. Your ride is about to begin, and you’ll do just fine.”

 

Security Team Meeting

Randy and Danny didn’t leave the office. Rory, Big Ted, Kevin Stone, and Steven Sanders joined us.

Rory took the lead and said, “I’ve been training these two, and they are entirely up to speed on the video surveillance systems here and at Game Zone. Brandon, too, but he’s going to Florida with you guys.”

“Good job, Rory. Kevin, Steven: since you can do more for us, you’ll get a dollar-an-hour raise, effective today.”

Steven and Kevin grinned at my praise.

Randy said, “I know you’ve got Red Diamond covering you in Pensacola. Can you let me in on the details?”

I said, “We’ve got a team of two assigned. They’ll meet us at the airport in two vehicles. One will take the boys to the hotel, and the other will take us to the base and then drive us to the hotel after we finish. They will stay on the same floor. During the day, we’ll have one driver, and the other will cover the boys while we’re away.”

Danny said, “Sort of like we have here – we cover the house and the Game Zone.”

“Right,” I agreed. “Now, I have a chore for you, Randy. I would like for our team leaders to have pagers.”

Randy nodded, scribbled on a notepad, and said, “That’s easy enough to set up. Let’s see – that will be Phillip, Ritchie, and Sean. Anybody else?”

”Rory and Big Ted should have one. It would be helpful for Frank, Chris, Tony, and Jeb to have one, but it can wait.”

Randy said, “I can have this done by noon.”

“Rory, I have a chore for you. We’ve got plenty of new guys who need to see Dr. Chang. It’s too many to go all in one lump, so break them into groups of three or four and spread it out over the day shift. The only one who won’t go is Tuck. I’ve got to do some stuff in town this afternoon and see his dad, so I’ll take him.”

Rory nodded and said, “Cool. I’ve got backup on the cameras now, so we're covered.”

“There is one other thing I want all of you to know about. We have kids who are too young to wear green shirts, but they have an important job. They are our undercover kids. Their job is to play with the younger kids, and if someone is bugging them, tell us about it. So far, only Randy and Danny know about it. Our secret squirrels are Billy, Robbie, Colt, and Justin.”

Big Ted said, “Damn, that’s smart. Kids who might be too scared to talk to us will talk to them.”

“Exactly,” I said. “We’ll have a couple of them around on both shifts. They get all the tokens they want and a meal.”

Rory said, “I would have killed for a gig like that when I was their age.”

Big Ted said, “This is a little awkward, but I’ve noticed that some of our younger boys are using the glory hole in the employee restrooms.”

“There’s a reason for that,” I replied. “Some asshole is using the glory hole at the back of Super-K and giving C-notes to kids.”

Danny muttered, “Holy shit.”

I said, “Yeah. Some of them have gotten a little addicted to it, and we don’t want them catching bugs and bringing them home. I’ve agreed to let them play there. No one who hasn’t been screened can access it, so it’s safe from diseases and perverts. If you notice they’re spending too much time back there, have a quiet word with them about not abusing the privilege.”

Randy chuckled and said, “Talk about a fantastic coffee break.”

Rory elbowed him, causing the whole team to laugh.

Danny said, “I’ve got to mention a few vehicles I’ve been seeing on the cameras. There’s a blue Buick four-door and a big ass Dually truck I’ve seen on the cameras. It may be nothing, but I’ve seen them on cameras often, and they’ve been adults.”

Rory offered, “Parents checking up on their kids?”

Danny replied, “Maybe. I’ve seen them around since we returned from Arrowhead.

“What is your schedule like today, boss?”

I said, “I’ve got to get the football players started with their conditioning program. Then I’ll run to the bank and see Tuck’s dad. I will run to Acadia Ridge early in the evening and make it a driving lesson. I’ll be around but busy. If you need me, page me, and please ensure I have a list of the new pager numbers.”

 

Big Brothers Meeting

We moved into the kitchen for the last meeting and had quite a crowd—all the boys assigned as big brothers crowded around expectantly.

I said, “The Red Team will be out of town until Friday afternoon. That means our little brothers will be without us for a few days. I don’t expect it to be a major problem. Try to include some of the little guys in your activities. Especially our newest kids, like Stevie, Mark, the Schmitt brothers, Kenny, Justin, and Colt. They’re fun, and you’ll enjoy getting to know them.”

Sean said, “I’m not an official big brother yet, but I volunteer to pick up reading where you left off last night.”

“Good idea,” I replied. “Speaking of which, I think you would make a fine big brother. Come with me. The rest of you, have a great day.”

 

The meeting dissolved, and Sean followed me upstairs to the Hutch. I knocked on the door, where the boys on the night shift had elected to get a little more sleep.

Mark answered the door, and I said, “Hey, guys. I hate to bug you, but I wanted to introduce you to Sean.”

I opened the door, and Sean followed me in.

Stevie rolled over, propped on an elbow, and said, “We’ve met. He’s going to run our shift later.”

Colt said, “Yeah, he’s cool.”

“I’m glad you think so,” I said with a grin. “Toby will be going with us to Pensacola, and Ray will be doing conditioning training, so he will probably be on the droopy side. Colt doesn’t have a big brother yet. Sean will be your big brother and Stevie and Mark’s temporary big bro until we return.”

The boys all stirred at that.

Sean said, “I haven’t been a big brother before. How does it work?”

I grinned, “Stevie and Mark both have big brothers. They’ll fill you in.” I caught Stevie’s eye and winked.

Stevie’s grin widened in understanding.

Sean hugged the three grinning boys and said, “Well, I’ll see you guys on the night shift. I’m sure we’ll have fun this week.”

On the way out, I said, “Rory will be by in a while to take you to your checkup with Dr. Chang. See you later.”

We left the boys to get a little more sleep, and I heard them giggling when I closed the door. Poor Sean had no idea what the bunnies had in store for him.

 

The last stop on my tour with Sean was Justin’s room. It was Jeb and Lee’s room, and I’d move him to the Hutch later.

Justin was asleep on his stomach with damp hair, wearing blue boxers.

Sean whispered, “I recognize him. He always sticks close to Jeb. I’ve got to run to catch the van.”

“I’ll be along in a bit. See you there.”

I turned to leave when I heard Justin softly say, “Hey.”

I returned and sat beside him on the bed.

Justin stretched and asked, “Tim?”

I gently massaged Justin’s back and said, “Yep. We’ve both been so busy, and I haven’t had a chance to welcome you to our merry band of pirates.”

Justin propped on his elbows and said in a terrible pirate voice, “Argh, thanks matie. This has been a lot more fun than sitting in the apartment.”

I chuckled and said, “I’m guessing spending the night with Jeb and Lee was… fun.”

Justin giggled, “They’re both great. Lee told me he has younger brothers at home that he misses. Then he picked me up, blew a raspberry on my belly button, and hugged me.”

“That’s Lee, but don’t count on him falling for your redbug trick.”

Justin blushed, giggled, and asked, “Jeb told you about that?”

“Come here, you cute little horn-pup.”

Justin didn’t need much encouragement and swarmed into my lap. I hugged the little cutie and said, “Two things you’ll learn about me quickly is that I love my kids and look out for them. I know you like older boys. I did, too, when I was your age. That can be great if it’s the right guy, or terrible if it’s the wrong guy. Jeb is the right kind of guy. He won’t mistreat you.”

Justin asked politely, “Would you tell me about the guy you were with when you were my age?”

“My dad and his dad were hunting buddies, so I’d known him for years. He was a nice guy, and he was funny. When I got old enough to hunt, he was my partner. We went to a deer stand on a cold morning before sunrise and were both cold. He opened his coat, let me sit in his lap, closed the coat around us, and we kept each other warm. I noticed that gave him a huge boner. When the sun came up, I shot my first deer. A few months later, I saw him at the park, and one thing led to another. We were close until he got too busy with his family and me with college.”

Justin asked, “Do you still see him?”

“I do, but he’s got a family now, so that comes first for him.”

He asked sheepishly, “Do you love him?”

“Yeah, but it’s different now. He’s like… I don’t know. My older brother died when I was eleven after a long illness. He and Big Dave shared the job. I was lucky. It could have been someone bad, but they were good for me.”

Justin said confidently, “Jeb is a good one.”

I squeezed Justin gently and said, “Just be discrete, and you’ll have one of the best big brothers you could hope for, with benefits.”

Justin laughed and said, “Really sweet benefits.”

I said, “We have a new kid this morning. Howie Garner lives in your apartment complex.”

Justin stiffened in my lap and said, “I know him. We hang out together sometimes. He’s cool.”

“I know about Super-K, Justin. I know some dude is handing out C-notes to blow young boys. I would have done the same at your age. I need to ask you not to do it.”

He sighed and said, “It’s fun. Just thinking about it is giving me a boner.”

I chuckled and said, “At your age, everything gives you a boner. How much have you made there?”

Justin counted on his fingers, thought about it, and said, “Six or seven hundred dollars. That’s how I always have money for the Game Zone and stuff. The twenty-five dollar-a-week allowance my mom gives me only goes so far.”

I scooted Justin over to sit beside me, pulled out my wallet, handed him a hundred-dollar bill, and said, “I’ll make a deal with you, Justin. Stay out of that bathroom in Super-K, and I’ll pay you an extra fifty a week.”

Justin’s eyes got big, and he said, “Whoa. All I have to do is… stay out of Super-K?”

I put my arm around his shoulder and said, “I care about you, Justin. I know it’s fun, but it’s dangerous. Besides, there is a house full of fine guys here. A cutie like you is bound to get lucky. Do your thing here with us where everybody is cool and has been tested, and we can keep you out of trouble or from catching anything bad.”

Flabbergasted, Justin couldn’t think of anything to say. He turned, hugged me, and said, “Deal.”

I hugged him back and said, “Boys your age are naturally horny. It’s just how they’re made. Most boys don’t know they can get a hummer at Super-K and maybe even score a C-note. If they did, the line would go out to the parking lot.”

Justin started laughing.

“You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, and we’ll keep you safe and healthy. OK?”

He looked at me with those eyes and said, “Have you ever done it through a hole?”

“Yes, I have. I tried it at the Game Zone. There’s one in our employee-only restroom. Everybody who can get to it is cool, you won’t get in trouble, and they’ve been tested. Just limit it to once a shift. We’ve got to get some work done.”

Reminding me of a cute little Flounder from Animal House, Justin said, “This is going to be great!”

 

 

v.

I arrived at the Game Zone a little before ten.

When I pulled up and parked, I got a weird feeling and looked to my left in time to see a big, brand new, super-fancy silver Chevy truck with dual rear tires rumble by. Was that the truck Danny had mentioned in our morning meeting? I didn’t recognize it. Whoever owned it had to be loaded. That monstrous truck had every possible option.

Inside, Ritchie had things running smoothly. Roderick had to run to Kitty’s Smoke House, leaving James in charge of the grill until his return. Rory had the first group on the way to Dr. Chang’s office.

Leaving things in Ritchie’s capable hands, I went next door to Ander’s Gym. The gym was built in what was originally a supermarket. It was huge and split into different sections. Beside the front door was a bulletin board with a sign: “Vikings to the basketball court.”

I went to the double doors to the basketball court to observe. Thirty or so members of the Lakeview Vikings were working out. Gunny Anders had the boys gathered on the basketball court, running line drills.

In line drills, you start at the baseline, run, touch the foul line, and return to the baseline. Run, touch half-court, and return to the baseline. Run, touch the opposite foul line, and return to the baseline. Run, touch the opposite baseline, and return to your baseline.

Then, it would start over again in reverse. On the good side, line drills were great for your agility and endurance. On the downside, they were exhausting. The Gunny had the Vikings sweating. The agile backs and receivers were doing well, but the big linemen felt it.

As they moved, Gunny Anders exhorted their efforts with a voice and tone honed by making generations of raw recruits into Marines, “You want to win? Do you want to be a champion? You don’t win on Friday nights. You win with preparation. You win with sweat and effort now. Then you are ready to win when that Friday night comes around.”

I’d heard it all before, so I left the basketball court and the team in Gunny Ander’s capable hands.

 

On the way out, I noticed Doug Mitchel in a workout room furiously peddling away on a stationary bike. A dozen bikes were in the room, but no one else was using them. The auburn-haired cutie and his adopted brother, Travis Meadows, had decided to join us at Arrowhead in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

I walked over to him and said, “Hi, Doug. I see you are hard at work.”

Doug panted, “I talked to Gunny Anders, and he said this would build my stamina.”

I patted him on the shoulder and said, “He should know. He’s put himself back together often enough. You and Travis have a word with Rory. He’ll run you over to see Dr. Chang for your physical.”

“But he took our blood this weekend,” Doug complained.

“He did. What you get with the office visit is a good checkup and counseling about avoiding catching anything bad.”

Doug nodded and puffed with the tip of his tongue showing. He was working hard, so I slipped a hundred-dollar bill into his pocket.

He was surprised and asked, “What was that for?”

“I reward effort, Doug. That’s one of the big things that makes a winner.”

Doug grinned and said, “I understand why your guys are so loyal.”

“There’s a method to my madness. I encourage winning habits. The more of those you have, the better off you’ll be.”

Doug stopped peddling, caught his breath, and stepped off the bike. His legs were more shot than he thought. He stumbled into me, and I caught him.

He looked at me balefully. “I… might have overdone it a little. Please help me to the locker room.”

“No problem.”

Instead of the locker room I expected, he guided me to one attached to the stationary bike room. He explained, “Gunny Anders said this area is where physical therapists work with their patients.”

I helped him to a bench, sat beside him, and asked, “Are you going to be all right?”

“Yeah,” Doug replied. “I’m worn out and need a few minutes to recover.”

“You need another winning habit.”

Doug grinned at me and said, “I do?”

“That’s right. You need a workout buddy or two, and I think I know just the right ones. How are you doing?”

He rose on wobbly legs and said, “A little tired, but I’m recovering.”

I said, “Good. Wait here, and I’ll be right back.”

I quickly went next door to the Game Zone and retrieved Joey and Matty. Those two were always up for some fun.

The boys had gotten to know each other at Arrowhead. Joey and Matty would be on the BMX team, so working out with Doug was a no-brainer. I expected all the boys on our BMX team would give it a try. I left the three boys happily chattering away.

 

vi.

On my return to the Game Zone, I was surprised to find Eddie, the kid who was supposed to be the sacrifice in Bart’s live-action D&D group. He was intensely focused on the Defender machine and didn’t notice me behind him.

Eddie was an adorable Italian boy. He was on the small side at 5’7, youthful-looking, and no more than a hundred-ten pounds soaking wet. He could easily pass for fifteen or sixteen, but he graduated from junior college in May.

He finished his game, sighed, and turned to see me. He instantly smiled and said, “Hey, Tim! I heard this was your place.”

“It’s good to see you, Eddie. Where did you disappear to?”

Eddie shrugged, “My family went to Myrtle Beach on vacation. My little brothers and sisters love it; there’s cool stuff to do there. I talked to Matthew last night, and he said I should talk to you. You’re our king, after all.”

I grinned and said, “Then follow me to my audience chamber, Sire Eddie.”

He followed me to the Dark Room, where I hugged him, and we had a seat.

Eddie said, “I graduated from Lakeview JC at the top of my class with a certificate in diesel mechanics. Now I’m looking for a job, but none of the shops nearby are hiring. I’d rather not move. I like it here. I was hoping you might know somebody.”

I sat back on the sofa, “I’m helping an old friend open a shop. Having a diesel guy might be useful. How are you with conventional engines?”

Eddie smiled and said, “I’ve been busting my knuckles working on cars and trucks since I was little. My edge is knowing how to read codes with the new diagnostics computers.”

“That will be useful. I’ll have to talk to my partner about it, but I think Jonah will like the idea, as it doesn’t compete with his dad’s shop.”

Eddie asked, “Isn't he a Jamison?”

“Yes. Jonah and I have been friends since I was little.”

Eddie looked troubled and said, “I thought… they hated gay people.”

“That’s true of his father, Josiah, but Jonah is cool. His oldest son is working here. We should have a shop by August and try to open in early September. Would you like something in the meantime?”

Eddie nodded.

I said, “We have a crew that takes care of the grounds and amenities at Dockside Park and will take care of St. Luke’s Community Center when it opens. Take care of the gear there. That’ll keep you going until we get Jonah’s place up and running.”

He hugged me enthusiastically, and I hugged him back.

I asked, “How old are you, Eddie?”

“I’ll be twenty by the time the shop opens. I’m a Leo. RARW!”

I grinned at him and said, “I am too. We’ve got a bunch of them. Have you seen Dockside Park since you got back?”

“Not yet, we just got back on Sunday. I’ve heard it’s nice now.”

“Go over there and see it for yourself. Ask for Phillip Holmes. He’s my site manager. Tell him I sent you. I never caught your last name.”

Eddie said, “It’s Bernardi.”

I grinned and said, “Eccellente! Tony and Angel Denardo work for me, and Tony’s mom is my housekeeper.”

Eddie asked, “Are you collecting Italians?”

“If they were all as cute as you, I'd start. Now, go talk to Phillip. I’ve got to run around a bit today, but I’ll catch up with you later.”

I hugged Eddie and whispered, “Maybe later, we’ll trade in your loincloth for a Speedo.”

He grinned at me and left for Dockside Park.

 

vii.

I spent some time in the office on the phone with the bank. They were extremely helpful when I told them I planned to partner with Jonah Jamison to build or buy a shop. They gave me the names of several commercial real estate agents.

Then, I checked with the industrial park where I leased a building for my office and shop. There was plenty of space there, and the company that ran the place wouldn’t get too bent out of shape about modifications. The units were designed to be easily modified.

Bingo! Lakeview Properties, LLC was thrilled at the prospect of leasing another one of their empty buildings. I scheduled an appointment for a showing next week. I could hear the agent drooling over the phone.

Rory returned to the office and reported that all had gone well with Robbie MacDonald, Jimmy Singleton, and Patrick McInnis. He would collect the next batch from the house.

 

Once Rory was gone, I called Tuck to the office.

He arrived in good spirits and said, “Working here is a blast.”

I said, “I thought you would like it. Let’s call Clay.”

Tuck grinned and said, “Can I have a little fun with it?”

“You know him. We don’t want to scare him or make him angry.”

“He works nights, but should be up by now.”

Tuck picked up the phone, keyed the number, waited a moment, and said, “Hi, sexy.”

I could only hear Tuck’s side of the conversation. He was a very naughty boy on the phone with puns and innuendo, but he wasn’t specific. He told Clay he would be at his door in about twenty minutes and to be ready.

When he hung up, I said, “Damn, Tuck. That almost gave me a boner.”

He smiled and said, “If you know Clay, his family is like country and gospel, but he’s heavy metal. I’ll bet you a twenty, he’ll meet me at the door naked.”

“Come on. Let’s get this little chore done.”

Tuck followed me to my truck, and we started our quest.

On the way to Rivervine, I said, “This is how we’ll play it. I’ll park and let you go inside when we get there. When you are ready, come to get me.”

“That’s cool of you.”

“After that call, you two might need a little alone time. You won’t have to sneak around with me.”

Tuck shook his head and said, “That’ll take some getting used to.”

“I don’t doubt it, knowing your grandfather,” I said, stopping for a red light.

After a beat, Tuck asked, “How do you know for sure, Tim?”

I knew exactly what he was asking. I answered, “At your age, it’s hormones. The breeze can hit you right and make you hard. Give it a few years, and you can tell by whom you fall in love with.”

The light changed, and Tuck asked, “How will I know that?”

I chuckled and said, “Trust me, you’ll know. I knew the minute I saw Frank. Meeting him took me a couple of weeks, but I knew.”

Tuck responded, “I knew I liked Clay as a friend the first time we met. It wasn’t until years later that we started to… you know?”

“You don’t have to answer every question today, Tuck. You’re a tall, handsome boy who isn’t quite done yet. Jonah wants you to stay with us for a while, letting you figure it out without your granddaddy shooting anybody.”

Tuck said, “I was glad to get those jocks last night. If I wasn’t wearing one…”

“You sound like a boy on his way to a booty call.”

Tuck blushed and gave me a playful shove, mindful I was driving, and said, “It’s not just the sex. Patrick is smart, treats me like I matter, and not just a dumb kid. I like him a lot.”

I asked, “Do you love him, Tuck?”

“I do, but there are different kinds of love,” Tuck replied. “I enjoy the sex, but he’s cool. Just being around him is… fun.“

At a four-way stop, I reached over and gave Tuck a one-armed hug.

As I took off from the stop sign, Tuck asked, “What was that for?”

“Being smarter than the average fourteen-year-old. Some people never figure out there are different kinds of love, but it always matters.”

 

Tuck guided me to one of the nicer neighborhoods in Rivervine, and we parked in the driveway of a beautiful old colonial-style house with an immaculate yard. Tuck went to the door, and I waited.

I leaned back and turned the radio on to an NPR report on the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. What grabbed my interest was that some analysts thought it might be the straw that broke the Soviet camel’s economic back.

What would the world look like without a nuclear-armed communist juggernaut hanging over the planet like a radioactive sword of Damocles? I’d certainly like to find out, but I could think of scores of regional feuds the bipolar nature of the Cold War kept in check. The old Chinese Curse came to mind: may you live in interesting times.

A short fifteen minutes later, Tuck came out and retrieved me. On the way inside, we passed a nice older model blue Pontiac Firebird in the driveway. I assumed it was Clay’s car.

I didn’t know what to expect of Clay Sutherland. The contrast between the two boys was astonishing. Tuck was taller than Clay. Tuck could have easily been mistaken for the older of the pair were it not for his boyish face.

When I saw Clay, I knew he was just what we needed. Despite wild hair and a rumpled appearance from having just awakened, it was easy to tell he was a bright kid. He was shirtless, wearing gym shorts with the emblem of the Mississippi State chapter of Triangle, a fraternity for engineering majors.

He had a similar look to the Pate brothers. He could easily be their older brother, with the same longish hair and intelligent but anxious blue eyes.

My instincts took over, so I hugged him, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Clay. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

Still trembling, he said, “I’m so deep in the closet, I’m with the ghost of Christmas future. Now Tuck is telling me you and Mr. Jamison know, and he’s OK with it?”

“Jonah had a horny younger buddy when he was Tuck’s age. He would prefer it to be a nice, respectable kid. Goodness knows Jamison boys are going to stick it somewhere.”

Tuck stuck his tongue out at me, making Clay smile.

I said, “We want you to get a check-up with our doctor and not take chances where you might get caught, but it’s OK. Being polite, respectful, and cute paid off for you.”

Motioning for Tuck to join us, we hugged Clay to help him recover from his shock.

Tuck said, “I knew you had to meet Tim. He’s great and will help you. My dad says he’s the smartest person he knows and holds a degree in electrical engineering.”

Clay looked at me and said, “You do?”

Nodding, I asked, “What’s your major?”

Still nervous, he said, “I just finished my first year with a 3.7 average. I plan to major in electrical engineering with a focus on computers. We need to talk more, but Mom sometimes comes home for lunch, and I don’t want to try to explain… whatever this is.”

I said, “Put on a shirt and shoes. We’ll get your check-up, grab a pizza, and then discuss how we can help each other.”

I drew a map for Clay and Tuck and told them I’d be along shortly and to say to the receptionist they were both there for a pre-employment physical.

 

After getting Clay and Tuck on their way, I rented a room at the Hampton Inn. I chatted with the manager and told him I occasionally needed a room in town for business, and we worked it out. I left my credit card on file and was only required to call them and pick up a card key. As luck would have it, they gave me the same suite we had used to stage our meeting with parents two Saturdays ago. I went to Dr. Chang’s clinic with that business taken care of.

 

viii.

Clay’s Firebird was sitting in the parking lot opposite Rory’s Honda. I arrived in the waiting room to find Rory reading a paperback and waiting for his charges. He looked up from Heinlein’s Citizen of the Galaxy and smiled at me.

I sat beside him and asked, “Cool. Do you like Heinlein?”

Rory grinned, “Citizen of the Galaxy rocks. I hope you’ll read it after Starship Troopers. Some of us are giving your library a workout.”

“Good. Who is in this load?”

“Stevie, Mark, Colt, and Justin. Tuck and a yummy blond guy showed up about fifteen minutes ago.”

I said, “The kid with Tuck is Clay Sutherland.”

Rory asked, “The blond guy?”

“That’s him. He’ll be a sophomore at Mississippi State studying electrical engineering this fall. You like?”

Rory blushed, “I’ve seen him before. Years ago, he was a cute little angel on a Christmas card from a store in Rivervine. I thought he was Tuck’s age.”

“Nope. He’s soon to be twenty.”

Rory’s eyebrows rose, and he whispered, “Are those two…”

“Probably best not to speculate on that,” I shrugged. “Tuck isn’t complaining, and within our merry band, they will soon have age-appropriate friends and relationships. This happens a lot, Rory. Once upon a time, I was the younger boy. You’ve probably noticed that many younger boys are attracted to older boys.”

Rory grinned and said, “Given the boys in this load, I believe it. Stevie and Mark are naughty, and Colt and Justin only look innocent.”

“I expect Clay will help our Red Team. He’s just a sophomore this fall, but in a few years…”

Changing the subject, Rory said, “I’ll be a junior next year, and I don’t know what to do about college.”

I said, “If you aren’t sure, go to Lakewood CC and take basic freshman classes. They’re required for almost any major, and you’ll get to stick your toe in the water.”

Rory sighed and said, “That makes all kinds of sense. There’s a rumor that two boys got caught doing the nasty in the back of Super-K, and you bribed a rent-a-cop to let them go.”

I chuckled and said, “Good news travels fast.”

Rory said, “It’s true? Why?”

“It’s a function of leadership. Thousands of years ago, Sun Tzu wrote, ‘Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand with you even unto death.’ In short, if you prove that you care about them, they’ll follow you anywhere.”

Rory blinked and asked, “Am I one of your soldiers?”

“No, Rory. You’re one of my officers. When we first met, I told you I would lift you up. The way I see it, we’re at war; AIDS is the enemy, and we don’t dare lose. Those are the stakes. The kids who got caught last night were underage. The way I handled it, they got testing and counseling— this morning. If the cops had taken them, they would have gotten fined and in big trouble with their families. Which one do you think will have a better outcome?”

Rory lapsed into a thoughtful silence for a moment. Rather than let it brew, I said, “Just in case someone tests positive for anything, page me and take the rest of the kids back, OK?”

He asked, “It’s happened?”

“Most of our boys have been abused in one way or another. I won’t say who, but a few of our boys have tested positive for gonorrhea. As far as STDs go, that’s the most common in our area, and fairly easy to treat. We get anything they caught treated immediately. I’ll take them somewhere they can have some privacy and get over the cure.”

Rory said, “Is it bad?”

“If anything, it is a short, sharp bout of diarrhea and possibly nausea. Afterward, they should nap, eat, and take it easy. Dr. Chang usually keeps them for an hour. By then, the fireworks are usually over.”

Rory asked, “What if somebody tests positive for AIDS?”

I sighed, “That wouldn’t happen today. Those tests take about a week to get the results. Then, we re-test because over half of the positives are false. If someone does test positive, I fund part of a clinic in Atlanta. If the worst happens, we will send them there, and then we’ll have to hope for the best.”

Rory said, “You’ve thought this through and have contingency plans.”

I said, “I have. Every generation has challenges. For my dad’s generation, it was World War 2. For us, it’s AIDS. No one chooses their war, but we must fight it to win. Think of the boys you have in this batch: Stevie, Mark, Justin, and Colt. They’re just naughty little boys, but the virus won’t care. We’ve got to protect them because no one else will or would even know how.”

Rory said, “I’m willing to do what I can.”

“Good. Welcome to the war. Before school starts, I want everyone to see a dentist and check their eyes. I hope you can help me with that.”

The door to the back opened, and Stevie, Mark, Justin, and Colt swarmed out. They were all happy, so we could tell their testing went well. They hugged Rory and me; I could tell Justin had some new pals.

Dr. Chang followed them and said, “Tim, I return four healthy, polite boys to your care.” He gave Mark a friendly pat and said, “Send me more just like them.”

“We do have more for you. They’ll be trickling in today and tomorrow. You’ve met Rory. He’s helping me out with getting the kids back and forth.”

Dr. Chang said, “Thank you, Rory.”

Rory put his arms around Mark and Colt and said, “It’s always fun to hang out with these guys. I think we’ll stop by Dairy Queen on the way back.”

The boys followed Rory out the door, and I asked, “How are Tuck and Clay?”

Chang said, “Oh, they tested fine, but Clay is very anxious. I’ve got them in different rooms, and I hope you will manage the situation.”

I shook my head in exasperation and said, “Lead on. I’d better start with Tuck.”

Dr. Chang led me to a room, saying, “Tuck is in here, and Clay is next door. I’ve got patients.”

I nodded, opened the door, and found a miserable-looking Tuck sitting in an uncomfortable-looking chair.

Walking behind him, I massaged his shoulders and said, “It’ll be all right, Tuck. What’s the problem?”

“Clay is freaking out that so many people know about us.”

I said, “He has reason to be nervous, but I think I can set him at ease.” Tuck still looked nervous, so I added,” Is there something else I need to know?”

Tuck was quiet, and I urged him, “Come on, Tuck. Out with it.”

He sighed and said, “My brothers and I have known Clay for a long time. He has always been nice to us, and we like him. Dad asked him to stay with us while Mom was sick.”

“That’s been... about three years ago?”

He nodded.

I asked, “Was that when you two started.”

Tuck said, “Yeah. I loved it. Recently, Nix caught us and wanted to play too.”

I sighed and said, “Not Timmy?”

Tuck shook his head.

“I understand. Come here.”

Tuck stood up. I hugged him and quietly asked, “It wasn’t Clay’s idea?”

He shook his head.

I said, “It’s going to be OK. I’m guessing when you said know about us, you meant you, Clay, and Nix.”

Tuck said, “Not exactly. I’ve got a couple of more friends…”

I laughed and said, “As cute as my nephews are, I’m surprised you and Nix don’t have dozens of boys and girls pining over you.”

Tuck asked incredulously, “You’re not mad?”

“Of course not, baby boy. Tell me about them.”

No longer frightened, Tuck said, “I go to school with them, and we all hang out on weekends. Dad knows them, and so do a lot of the Game Zone guys. Dad and me are worried about them.”

“Troy was new in school after Christmas, and we were bros from the start. He told me that something happened to his parents, and he had to live with his gramps. Anyways, I don’t think he likes his gramps, and he wants to run away.”

“I knew Brady, but only got to know him this spring. You remember that creep Andrew who gave boys coke for sex?”

I said, “Unfortunately… oh crap, you and Nix weren’t…”

Tuck blurted, “Brady was one of the boys in the car when Creepy Andy got busted. Now, his family treats him like shit. He’s stayed with us and some other friends ever since.”

I said, “Where does Clay fit in?”

Tuck replied, “He was away at school until a few weeks ago. He knows Troy and Brady are our best friends and likes them. Clay helps them get around sometimes.”

“So, Clay isn’t doing them?”

Tuck laughed and said, “Troy and Brady wish. Clay works a lot and hasn’t had time to hang out much. I think Troy tried, but didn't get any.”

I asked, “Did you and Nix attend Andrew’s parties?”

Tuck asked, “Ask me again later when we can talk, please? That’s not a discussion we want to start just now.”

I smiled at him and said, “OK, but we will talk later. Andrew pulled the same shit on dozens of kids. I won’t spank you too hard.”

Tuck said, hopefully, “You’re not mad?”

I hugged him and said, “Angry at Andrew, not at you. If there’s one consistent thing about Jamison boys is they’re horny. You followed your boner into trouble.”

Tuck leaned into me, chuckled, and said, “That’s exactly what happened.”

I gave his bottom a playful spank and said, “OK, the issue is tabled, but we will talk later, and I might spank you yet for taking Nix with you.”

“OK, later.”

I gave him another little spank to let him know that conversation would happen and released him from the hug.

“What are you going to do?”

I said, “We’re done here. How does Clay like me?”

“He’s curious and asked many questions about you on the ride.”

I said, “First, I’m going to calm Clay down. Then we’ll get a pizza, go somewhere private, and talk.”

 

I entered the room where Clay was waiting and said, “Everything will be fine, Clay. What do you like on your pizza?”

Befuddled by the question, he replied, “Uhh… Pepperoni and sausage.”

I handed Clay a card key and said, “Take Tuck to the Hampton Inn by the new mall. I’ll grab a pizza and a two-liter and be there as soon as possible. It’s room 107. Send Tuck to get us some ice.”

Clay and Tuck departed, and I called a pick-up order into Leaning Tower Pizza in Rivervine. I picked up the pizza and was at Hampton Inn in about twenty minutes.

I parked beside Clay’s Firebird, grabbed the pizza box, 2-liter Coke, and approached 107. While I was fumbling with the handful, Clay opened the door from the inside, and I carried our lunch to the coffee table in front of the sofas.

Tuck was right behind me with a bucket of ice.

We sat around the coffee table and enjoyed our first slice. I could tell Clay was nervous as a cat. His body language was tight and closed.

I sat back while Clay and Tuck were on their second slice and said, “Clay: Jonah and I aren’t going to bust you over Tuck. You did as we asked and saw Dr. Chang. You’re golden with us. Is there something we don’t know about that’s making you squirm?”

Clay looked at me with the guiltiest eyes I’d ever seen.

I sighed and asked, “Nix?”

Clay’s eyes widened with fear.

I asked softly, “Timmy?”

Clay shook his head and said, “Nix and Tuck have a couple of friends.”

He was shocked when I scooped him into my lap, hugged him, and said, “The truth is even more powerful when it’s hard. Tell me about it.”

Clay said, “I met the boys when I went to the shop with my dad. We made friends, and I looked forward to seeing them. Things changed three years ago when Mrs. Jamison got sick. Mr. Jamison called my dad and asked if I could stay with them while he was at the hospital. It was cool.”

Tuck inserted, “We all really like Clay, and he would let us get away with stuff like staying up late. He wasn’t bossy like some babysitters. It was like having a friend over. He had a car, took us to the video store, and let us pick out movies we wanted to see instead of just little kid movies.”

Clay said, “It was fun. We would stay up too late, and I’d pick up Timmy and Nix and take them to bed.”

“What changed was when the air conditioning went out,” Tuck said with a snort. “It took a few days to fix and was miserable.”

“It was so hot and muggy, even at night,” Clay said. “We all had to strip to our underwear just to breathe.”

Tuck said, “Nix and Timmy slept on Dad’s bed under a ceiling fan. Clay and I slept on the couch under the one in the den. That’s when we both had boners and jerked each other off…”

I interrupted him and said, “I get the picture. This was a case of boys being naughty. I can understand this as I was a naughty younger boy once. What I’m curious about is how Nix got involved.”

Tuck laughed and said, “Clay and I have a bat signal. Our house number is one number off from a nearby veterinary clinic. We used to get plenty of wrong numbers intended for them. All Clay had to do was dial it and ask if this was Dr. Warner’s Clinic. If Nix or Timmy answered, it was just an annoying wrong number. It told me Clay would be at our spot in the woods in about fifteen minutes.”

Clay said, “This worked fine until a few weeks ago.”

“Nix is a lot smarter than I thought he was,” Tuck said with a chuckle. “He followed and caught us.”

Clay added with his first genuine grin, “Nix said he was curious why whenever they got a wrong number for the vet clinic, Tuck got a hard-on and went in the woods.”

I laughed, hugged Clay, and pulled Tuck in.

“OK. I can live with two naughty, horny boys. I do not want you to get caught. It has happened twice, but Jonah and Nix weren’t a disaster. Clay would have been screwed if it had been Josiah or a sheriff’s deputy. You’ve got to be discreet, but we can manage that.”

I felt Clay relax in my arms and said, “The next step is to hire you. You’ll fly with us to Florida for three days of training tomorrow. You’ll get a basic certification to work on telephone systems. Then we’ll go on the road and do a few sites. You’ll make more on one gig with us than working all summer at the Wiggy-Piggie. Does that sound like something you would be interested in?”

Clay said, “Hell yeah!”

“Both of you will get age-appropriate friends and still be able to hang out on the sly.”

Tuck asked, “What about Nix?”

“As cute as you Jamison boys are, hooking him up will be easy. I’m pretty sure he and my cousin Jacob are already pals.”

Clay said, “You’ve been cool about this. I appreciate it, but… why?”

I sighed and said, “Because you’re all just kids. I don’t want to see you get hurt. All Jonah and I ask is that you be careful. This protects both of you.”

Clay said, “If Tuck hasn’t thanked you, I will.”

I said, “He has, and you are both welcome. Now, I need to be going. Finish your pizza, enjoy each other’s company, and avoid leaving any stains. Take your time and have fun. When you are done, go to the Game Zone. When you get there, Tuck, take Clay to Frank. Tell him I said Clay is Red Team material, and introduce him to the others. Clay: prepare, talk to your folks, and pack for four days. You can stay over to fly out with us tomorrow.”

 

Since I was in Rivervine, I took care of some business. I stopped by McCollough’s Furniture and filled out the paperwork to open an account.

After browsing with a sales associate, I picked a few items we would need in the coming months. I especially liked some fancy bunk beds designed for dorm rooms. We were nearing the end of the available furnishings, so I picked a few samples of items we would need: bunk beds, computer desks, bookcases, love seats, and chairs. I ordered a sample of each for delivery. Sensing a chance to win a big account, our salesman threw in a set of sheets per mattress, a catalog, and his business card.

The following two stops were at clinics near the hospital in a pair of six-story office towers where medical specialists kept their offices. Dr. Duke Majors ran a medium-sized office with several partners, one of whom was an orthodontist.

I sat with his office manager and told her what I had in mind. The Shepherd House had its dentist.

While waiting to see the optomologist, just for laughs, I looked up Dr. Warner’s Veterinary Clinic in the phone book. Their number was one digit off from Jonah’s house number. It was on the outskirts of Lakeview in the same general neighborhood as Jamison’s Shop. Smiley and Junior would soon be visiting.

Dr. Charlotte McKee was a renowned optomologist who had spent a decade teaching at Vanderbilt and had several residents working in her office. She was delighted at the prospect of adding so many new patients.

 

vii.

Returning to Lakeview, I stopped by Jamison’s Garage and talked to Jonah as he worked on a 1977 Pontiac Bonneville. The shop was quiet as everyone was out for lunch.

Jonah was intrigued by the idea of having Eddie Bernardi with diesel skills and the knowledge to use electronic diagnostic tools. I nearly gave Jonah a heart attack when I handed him the start-up paperwork. His dream had neatly transitioned from the wouldn’t it be great stage to happening.

Jonah said, “Tuck isn’t the only one of my boys I need your help with. Last night, I got home earlier than expected and caught Nix and one of his buddies sixty-nining on the couch.”

“What did you do?”

Jonah used a shop towel to wipe some grease off his hands and said, “I told them to go to Tuck’s room and finish, and then the three of us talked for about an hour. Long story short, I told them it didn’t bother me if they kept it out of sight, and the best head I ever had was from a boy when I was their age.”

I chuckled and said, “Legend!”

Jonah grinned and swatted me with the shop towel. “I’m a little worried about a couple of Nix and Tuck’s buddies. I’m not sure what’s up with Troy, but he might as well be wearing a t-shirt that says help me. The other boy, Brady, has been staying with us for a while. He’s got problems at home, from what I’ve gathered. I think the kids call what he’s doing couch surfing.”

“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that term,” I said, thinking of Robbie MacDonald. “I’ll keep my eyes and ears open and see what I can find out.”

Conspiratorially, Jonah lowered his voice and asked, “So, did Tuck blow you for a car?”

“He tried. I told him the only way to get a vehicle was to convince me he wouldn’t be an idiot behind the wheel.”

Jonah said, “You gonna give him some? Might do him some good.”

“We’ll see. I will talk to him and see what we can use for leverage.”

Jonah laughed and said, “Oh, that’s good. You’re going to try to make him behave. Good luck with that.”

“It’s all a matter of using the right cheese for the right mouse. I figure that out, and we’ll get him to behave and do better in school.”

“I’ve tried everything I can think of,” Jonah sighed. “Give him a little taste and see if that will motivate him.”

“Jonah, are you saying I should have sex with Tuck?”

“It would sound horrifying to most people, but I’d rather it is you with Tuck, Nix, or even Timmy than that piece of shit at K-mart. You love them. You’ve loved them since they were babies, and they love you. We were sucking each other dry when you were Nix’s age, so no, it wouldn’t bother me.” Chuckling, he added, “If they’re like me at that age, it'll take sex to get their attention.”

Smiling, I said, “I remember. I appreciate your faith in me, but I usually make sure they have like-minded friends and let nature take its course. Are Nix and Timmy in the trailer?”

Jonah said, “Nix is doing his chores. Timmy is in the office answering the phone while almost everyone is out to lunch.”

“I think I’ll go give them both a hug.”

“Nix’s buddies usually show up about this time of day. When Dad returns from lunch, I’ll join you in the trailer with Nix if you’ve got about an hour.”

 

Knowing Jonah named his youngest after me was heart-warming, and of course, he was cute as a button. When I entered the office, Timmy danced in delight like a happy puppy when he saw me. He was built differently than his older brothers. He was shorter and sturdier, but his hair was the same light blond. I had to brace myself to catch him when he launched himself at me.

I caught him in a hug and said, “Oof! You’re getting big.”

“I had so much fun at your arcade yesterday. My birthday is coming up soon.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Let’s see... you'll be eleven. How would you like to work there when you’re old enough?”

Timmy considered the idea and said, “Love to. What brings you to the shop?”

I patted his back and said, “Can you keep a secret?”

Timmy nodded eagerly.

“I’m helping Jonah open his own shop and get a house in my neighborhood. I’m sponsoring a BMX team this fall and want you on it.”

Timmy went nuts, hugging me.

“You’ll be closer, so I can spoil my favorite nephew appropriately.”

He said, “You tell us all, we’re your favorite.”

I kissed him on his button nose and said, “I’m not kidding. You’re all my favorite nephews, each in your own way. Is Nix in the trailer?”

Timmy grinned and said, “Yeah. He’s doing chores. Just go right in. If the door is locked, the key is under the third step. I’ll bet you a fiver he’ll be doing housework in his underwear, singing.”

“No bet. We know Nix too well.”

 

I left the shop and followed the path to the left in a grove of Oaks. Listening, I thought I heard a phone ringing, but it stopped. Good boy, Timmy. You tried to warn your brother I was coming.

Approaching the trailer, I could hear a vacuum running inside. I knocked on the door, but there was too much racket. The door was locked, so I reached under the third step and found the key hanging from a hook.

The door of Jonah’s trailer opened into the kitchen. I could hear their beast of a vacuum cleaner in the back toward the bedrooms.

I went toward the noise and saw Nix running the vacuum cleaner in his underwear with the Walkman cassette player I had given him for Christmas clipped to his tightie whities. He was singing an AC/DC tune.

Well I'm upper-upper class high society
God's gift to ballroom notoriety
And I always fill my ballroom
The event is never small
The social pages say I've got
The biggest balls of all

I've got big balls
I've got big balls
They're such big balls

He sang while grabbing his balls. Turning, he saw me and started, but he saw me smiling. He turned off his vacuum beast and said, “Uhhhh…”

I clapped, and Nix blushed an alarming shade of red for a fair-skinned boy.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I’ve always been a big fan of AC/DC and you. How are you doing, Nixie?”

He brightened, hearing me use my nickname for him. No one else can call him that. He won’t let them.

Nix said, “I know I saw you this spring at Dockside Park. Why didn’t you ever say anything? I thought you didn’t like us anymore.”

I said, “That’ll never happen. You’ve grown up so much, and I wasn’t sure it was you. I didn’t want to traumatize some random kid by running up and hugging him.”

Nix grinned and came to give me a big hug. While hugging him, I said, “Jonah and I have been discussing some stuff,” Nix went rigid in my arms. Grownups having discussions is scary for a boy. “He wanted me to fill you in.”

Nix relaxed, and he said, “Cool. Step into my office.”

I followed Nix into the room he shared with Timmy. He sat on the full-size bed he shared and patted the mattress beside him.

“I’m working with Jonah to help him open his own shop.” Nix started bouncing. “We’re going to move you into a house I own, and you like Marion Sanders, don’t you?”

He stopped bouncing and rolled over to expose six neat stitches, healing nicely, over his right hamstring accompanied by an angry looking bruise.

I gently rubbed the area around the wound, which was healing nicely. “Ouch, that had to hurt.”

Nix sighed and said, “Umm. That feels good. That bruise makes sitting uncomfortable.”

“I think we should stretch out that hamstring.” I maneuvered Nix onto his back. Once settled, I gently lifted his leg and put his heel on my shoulder. I rubbed my hands together fast to generate heat friction and massaged the area.

Nix moaned. “Oh, that feels so good.”

I continued massaging and said, “It’ll probably be sore for a while. I’d better do the other one, too.”

His right leg dangled across my lap, and his left heel lay on my shoulder. I massaged, noting the places on the other leg he liked.

Nix started pitching a tent. “This feels so good, it’s giving me a boner.”

There was a knock from the patio with a sliding glass door.

Nix said, “Damn! Just when I was enjoying this. Let my friends in. I’m going to put on some shorts.”

I tickled his balls, causing him to twitch and giggle, and said, “They aren’t the biggest but respectable for a boy your age. Don’t worry. Soon, you’ll be closer, so I can spoil you appropriately.” I stood and left Nix, scrambling to put on some gym shorts.

When I arrived at the glass door, I saw two kids of about fourteen. I had seen them both at the Game Zone numerous times.

One was a slim redhead in jean shorts I knew as Brady. The other kid was extremely attractive and would give Lance stiff competition. He was rocking Sun britches, a muscle shirt, and shades. Both kids brightened when they recognized me.

I opened the door and said, “Nix is in the back and asked me to let you in.”

Muscle Shirt, also known as Troy to his friends, said, “Hey. You’re that Game Zone guy… Tim, right.”

I said, “Yeah, aren’t you Troy and Brady?”

They both nodded and looked a little surprised I knew their names.

Brady said, “Thanks for hooking me up with a few burgers and tokens. A friend who works at the Game Zone told me I should talk to you, but I chickened out.”

Nix arrived practically prancing, wearing gym shorts and a shirt on backward, and said, “This is my Uncle Timmy. He’s been friends with my dad since he was younger than us.”

I put my arm around Nix and said, “I’ve known Jonah’s boys since they were all babies. I try not to spoil them, but as cute as they are, it ain’t easy. Let’s say I’d be favorably disposed towards their friends. Check your shirt, Nix.”

Troy smirked a little, and Brady had an unreadable expression.

After flipping his shirt around, Nix said, “Tim is going to help my dad open his own shop so we can move out of these trailers.”

Troy’s eyebrows went up, and Brady shot him a hopeful look.

I changed tack, “I live in a house over by Dockside Park. I remember seeing all of you hanging out in the park this spring with Doug, Travis, and my cousin Jacob.”

“I live on Almond Circle,” Troy said, looking a little nervous.

Nix said, “Save it. He knows all about Andrew. They went to high school together.”

Troy blushed, and Brady facepalmed.

I said, “Don’t sweat it. Cocaine and blowjobs worked on plenty of kids. I’ve been helping some of them who got mixed up in that.”

Brady looked at Troy and said, “He’s practically adopted Barry and Brandon, and they say he’s cool.”

Troy hung his head and said, “Shit. Andrew is the last SOB I want to talk about.”

I said, “I’ve set it up so you can stay out of the circus. All you must do is come by my place on a Friday and talk to one of my shrinks. No court. No Cops. Well, maybe one cop, but he’s tame.”

Troy asked, “What do you mean by tame?”

“He works for me. I have him and a former marine who look out for us. I have lawyers and a friendly judge for other kinds of problems. My boys are family, and I protect them.”

“Shit, man,” Troy said. “I do need to talk to you.”

Nix said, “I know you’re both embarrassed about some of the stuff you need to discuss. Why don’t you talk to Tim in my room one at a time.”

Troy said, “You first Brady. I’ve got to think a minute.”

 

I followed Brady back to Nix’s room and sat on the bed. He closed the door and sat beside me.

“I was in the car with Andrew when he got busted. The cops took me home…” Brady shook with sobs, “…and it fucked up everything. They hate me now and treat me like dirt. They’re so cold to me. Being at home is like being in a deep freeze.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “I can help. Why don’t I send my friendly cop to see your parents and tell them it’s come to our attention that you are couch-surfing and not living at home? We’ll ask their permission to sign a waiver allowing you to stay with us. You can move into the house, work at the Game Zone, and I’ll care for you like one of my own.”

Brady looked perplexed and said, “Living like this has shown me that nothing is free. What’s the catch?”

“There isn’t one. I’ll expect you to behave yourself, do chores, and work, but I know my boys. They like to play, and I’m certain they would love to play with you. You don’t have to worry about catching anything because we will first get you tested for STDs, get you working at the Game Zone, and making a little scratch. Tuck and Nix will be around so that you won’t be alone. I just saw Doug and Travis a few hours ago, and Jacob will be going in to work the afternoon shift at Game Zone. Jonah told me you needed to talk to me, so you’ve got friends.”

Brady’s excitement betrayed him. “You’ll take me in? Just like that!”

“Just like that. You’ve seen the tall redhead who is at Game Zone sometimes?”

“Yeah. Frank. He’s cool.”

I grinned and said, “He’s my… I have always had a problem with this word. Boyfriend doesn’t cut it. Husband? Nah. I think I like partner best. So, I’m partial to redheads.”

Brady blushed and grinned, looking so cute with his freckles. “How do we make this happen?”

“We can start right away. I’ll call my people when I get to my phone and start the ball rolling. You feel better?”

“Much.” He chuckled and said, “Wait until you get a load of Troy. He’s used to getting his way because he’s so pretty. He’s going to try to get in your pants. Expect him to start losing clothes.”

I stood and deadpanned, “Oh… darn.”

Brady smiled and said, “Thank you.”

I gave him a hand to get up and surprised him with a hug, and he returned warmly.

 

After a few minutes, Troy entered the room and sat on the bed. I couldn’t read his expression.

He sniffed and said, “This is a long story, so I’m going to hit the high points, OK?”

I said, “Fine.”

It’s good to be observant. I noticed several things about Troy many people would have missed. He appeared to have gone from laconic to loquacious in just a few minutes. Without his sunglasses, his eyes were dilated. The kicker was the small rectangle in his hip pocket.

“I used to live in Orlando until last Halloween. Sniff. In the middle of the night, a hitman broke into our house and used a silenced pistol to kill my mom and dad. He was going to kill me, but instead, he raped me and took me with him. He said if I was his fuck bunny, it was all good. Sniff.”

I asked, “What did your dad do?”

“He was an accountant. I have no idea why they killed him. Sniff. The hitman had just made a big score, so he drove around the Florida panhandle, staying in hotels, partying and fucking me. We stayed high, and he fucked me until he got tired of me and sold me to some dude in Atlanta. He took me to Andrew, who sold me to Bob back in December. Sniff.”

“My job was to let Bob suck me off whenever and bring kids to Andrew’s parties or Bob’s house. Sniff. Now, I want to get away from Bob, but I don’t know where to go. I’m scared, I want off this ride, and I think you can help. Sniff. There. I said it. If you can help, I’d be grateful.”

Troy stood up, dropped his shorts, and pulled off his shirt. He stood in a pair of red bikini-style briefs that might have been a size too small and asked, “Do you like?”

“Very much,” I stood up, dropped my shorts, and pulled off my shirt. Like Troy, I left my boxers in place.

He grinned and said, “Yummy!”

I shrugged, pulled up my shorts, and sat. “My point of flashing you was, yeah, sure, you’re a sexy boy, but so am I. I would help you even if you weren’t pretty. Jesus, you were bought and sold like meat, and that infuriates me.”

I could see the hamster wheels turning in Troy’s head as he thought as hard as he could. Troy asked, “Does that mean you’ll help me?”

“Of course, I’m going to help you. The problem we still have is you graduated from fuck bunny to coke bunny.”

Troy looked devastated and asked, “How did you know?”

I reached down to his shorts on the floor and retrieved an ingenious little kit for snorting coke on the go. It was a small rectangular mirror with a plastic pocket on the back for a razor blade and a small amount of cocaine wrapped in notebook paper. I said, “I know what this is for. Did you give Nix a bump?”

He nodded and said, “And Brady just now. I’m saving one for Tuck.”

“If it’s for Tuck, let me have it. I’m going to see him soon, and it’ll help. I’ll owe you a favor.”

Troy didn’t look pleased to do it, but he gave up his stash and clever little kit with a mirror and a razor blade it held safely in place. My favors had a reputation for being invaluable.

I beckoned him to sit. When he did, I put an arm around him and said, “Good boy. You will find that, with me, good things happen when you tell the truth. Do you have any charges against you?”

Troy said, “Not that I know of. I’ve never been arrested.”

I patted his shoulder and said, “Good. We’ll check, but if the cops aren’t interested in you, that’ll make things much easier. You go from coke bunny to traumatized victim of a horrible crime. Were you gay before?”

He shrugged and said, “I don’t know. I had a friend, and we used to jerk each other off. He was a Hispanic, and they’re so cute to me for some reason! The name of the guy who took me was Beato. He was in his twenties and…”

I interjected, “He sold you.”

Troy sighed.

“It’s not uncommon for kids who have been abducted to get Stockholm syndrome and bond with their abductors. I’ve got another boy who is in the same situation. Oh, and I’ve got a fifteen-year-old named Juan who would be just delighted to meet you.”

Troy looked hopeful, and I said, “I know how Andrew worked. He had his boys pick up other boys and bring them to his place to party. A little weed, some porn, then some coke, and the party was off and running.”

Subdued, Troy said, “Shit. It almost sounds like you were there.”

Now, it was my turn to sigh. “I’ve got a house full of kids who Andrew got addicted to what I’ve heard them call Coke-sex. Taken alone, coke and sex are both highly addictive. Together, well, let’s say that’s why we have so much good porn.”

Troy laughed, and I said, “Don’t laugh. Did you know Andrew had you on hidden camera?”

“No way!”

“The cops gathered hundreds of videotapes from his apartment near the junior college. I’ve seen a couple of his “best of” tapes. I didn’t know who you were, but you fucking Aaron Pate was porn art. He loved it, and it looked like you were both having a great time.”

Troy blushed and grinned. “That… was pretty good. It’s giving me wood just thinking about it. Does Aaron live with you?”

“Him and his little brother Adam. They usually work the afternoon shift at Game Zone, so you’ve probably seen him around. My point in all this is I know what you’ve been exposed to. Most Child Protective Service types would send you straight to rehab. I have a little different spin on that.”

I had his attention. I waited for it, and Troy obliged. He asked, “What do you do?”

“Officially, all drugs are banned from Shepherd House. This isn’t something we spread around, but I don’t define weed as a drug. If you want to take a few rips, you are welcome in the designated place after nine o'clock. Also, my boys aren’t allowed to buy weed or other drugs. I have safe, secure sources, so you won’t have to waste your money or risk getting caught by the cops.”

“Oh, shit,” Troy exclaimed. “I think I’m in love.”

“There’s something else you might be interested in, but it’ll cost you.”

Troy responded, “Hit me.”

“What’s your real last name?”

“Adkins,” he said, giggling. “I used to get asked if I have an older brother named Christopher.”

I grinned and said, “Of course you do. This one is harder. I already know, but where do you get your coke?”

There was a quick flash of fear in Troy’s eye. He said, “Umm, yeah… Uh… That’s a tough one. Lots of people turn up dead after answering it.”

I put a little extra pressure into my arm around him and said, “You, Troy Adkins, are entirely too pretty to kill. I won’t allow it.”

He leaned into me, and I said, “I’ll tell you what I think. Stop me if I get anything wrong. You go to Bowers, get a blow job and some money and a little coke, then go party with your friends for a while. You used to stay there, and friends would visit, but Bowers sniffed every ass that came in the door, and none of your friends wanted to go near him.”

Troy snorted and said, “It was way worse than just sniffing. He thought just because he had coke, he could do anybody.”

I said, “Making him go away would be child’s play and a public service, but that cuts you off from money and coke. Are you addicted, Troy?”

“I don’t know. Probably. I’d never done that shit before… uhh… Beato. Now… I like it.”

I said, “I’ve got a bunch of kids who Andrew coked up. Listen closely now and understand - if you follow the rules, I’ll let you play.”

Troy brightened and said, “What are the rules?”

“Every other week or so, you let me know if you want to play. At a secure location, you and other volunteers will have a zero-risk fun-fun time. It's the same deal as weed. Don’t go looking for it.”

Troy slid close to me, looked up, and said, “I can live with that. So, will you be my new Daddy?”

I said sternly, “If I agree to the job, my first act will be to spank you.”

“Why?”

“You’ve been a bad, bad boy. You pimped for Andrew and got my nephews into this. If you want me to be your daddy, I’m spanking your pretty behind. Don’t worry. I respect art, so I won’t hurt it, but you won’t like Jonah spanking you if he finds out. If I’ve already done it, you’re safe.”

Troy stood reluctantly and said, “Crap. OK, let’s get it over with.”

I stood, hugged him, and kissed his forehead. Then I held him in my arms.

He said, “This is the oddest spanking I’ve ever had.”

“You did the right thing. You submitted to my authority. In return, I’ll love you, care for you, and keep you safe. I don’t want a pet or a boy toy. Daddies always want the best for their boys.”

Troy leaned into me, and he said, “Better spank me anyway. It might be fun.”

“Probably.” I reached behind him, lightly spanked his bottom, and said, “You’re spanked for now.”

Troy shoved me and said, “Don’t be a pushover. Punish me. I’ve done a lot of stupid shit.”

I hugged him tighter and said, “OK. IOU one spanking for general naughtiness. Given everything you’ve been through, it's remarkable that you've done as well as you have. You’re alive.”

Troy choked and said, “You know everything, and you… like me?”

“No Troy. I love you. You are a typical fourteen-year-old who was pulled out of bed, and your life, by the worst kind of person in the middle of the night, landed in a world where you were too pretty to kill but profitable. They used your taste for Coke to keep you in line. Your cute little booty was the only card you had.” I patted said cute booty and added, “You had to play it.”

Troy sobbed in my arms and said, “But I'm a piece of shit. I could have run away from Beato anytime!”

“And risk getting shot in the back? Troy, you are the victim of this. If you work with me, I can have temporary custody papers this afternoon.”

“You could?”

“Put your clothes on, sexy boy. Play your cards right, and you’ll end up in a Florida Beach Resort until Friday. There’s a Judge I know…”

 

When Jonah arrived, I was explaining our testing, work, and play strategies to Nix and his pals. Nix jumped up, turned on the microwave, and said, “Three minutes, Dad.”

Jonah picked Nix up, blew a raspberry on his belly, and said, “Thank you, Nix.”

“Daaaad! “You’re embarrassing me,” Nix giggled in protest.

Troy said, “I wish my dad could still do that. He was murdered. Y’all don’t know my whole story, but I sat down and talked to Tim about it. It’s bad.”

When Jonah handed Nix to me, I embarrassed him further by hugging him and giving him the same raspberry as his dad. He giggled the whole time.

Jonah put his big arms around Brady and Troy and said, “Boys, Tim and I are daddies. You know my three, and Tim has dozens. It’s not because we like boys like the perverts you’ve run into. It’s more a matter of temperament.”

Nix scooted between me and Jonah, saying, “You are both so good at it because you are just bigger boys.”

I picked up Nix like I often hold Toby with his legs around my waist, playfully swatted his bottom, and said, “Hush, you bad pup. That’s our secret.”

Jonah said, “After my micro-meal, I can take off and run this bunch by Doc Chang for you and then speak with Susan.”

I sighed and said, “That’ll be great, Jonah. Tell the doc’s people to call me at the Game Zone or page me when they’re done.”

 

 

On the way out of Jonah’s neighborhood, I stopped by Dr. Gardner’s Veterinary Clinic. Conveniently, I already knew their phone number. I went in, spoke to the receptionist, filled out some paperwork, and had Junior and Smiley’s shots scheduled for next week. Junior would get a little alteration, I doubted he would appreciate.

 

Before returning to the house, my last stop was the big national sporting goods chain store near Super-K to pick up some wrestling mats. The store didn't carry much wrestling gear, since it wasn’t a popular sport in this part of the South. They were labeled gym mats. I picked up one of their national catalogs. If we needed other stuff, we could order it. It would be fun to watch our guys wrestling.

The store advertised football helmets made by a company called Bike. I liked them because they had an inflatable liner that gave your brain an extra cushion. That’s a good idea when you bump heads with big guys moving fast.

 

 

viii.

I took the wrestling/gym mats home, stashed them in the basement, and then walked to Dockside Park. Making my way toward the pool, I saw Philip Holmes touching up a few spots with a loud, powerful weed eater.

He wore headphones, had a Sony Walkman on his belt, and didn’t notice my approach. Rather than startle him, I got into his field of view.

Phillip switched off his weed eater, dropped his headphones, and said, “Hey, boss. What brings you to our kingdom?”

“What did you think of Eddie Benardi?”

He answered, “Eddie is great. I was having trouble with this weed eater. He has it working perfectly now. He’s doing a once over of all our gear in the shop.”

I patted him on the shoulder and said, “Part of good management is putting people where they can help you the most. How are the others working out for you?”

“Jeff, Tyler, and Mike Porter are all in the office completing their training packets. Mikie Bowers is at Dr. Chang’s office and will be back when he’s done. We’ll be ready when we take over the Community Center grounds. Now, let’s go have a word with Eddie.”

I followed him to the shop, where he parked the weed eater on a rack. Eddie was inside, standing at the workbench, looking at the entrails of an edger. He closed the rolling door in the front of the shop, and Phillip closed the side door.

Phillip and Eddie fell into line for inspection and assumed an approximation of attention.

With a big grin, Phillip said, “Senior Sex Instructor? I need a few lessons.”

I stepped between them, pulled them both into a bro hug, and said, “I probably shouldn’t have done that, but it was fun at the time.”

Eddie said, “Fun? It was legendary. When I talked to Matthew and Bart, we realized we had all dreamed about it before it happened.”

Phillip’s eyes widened, “What did you say?”

Eddie summarized, “We had all dreamed about Tim before it happened.”

Phillip shook his head as if stunned, and I asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sheepishly, he said, “You’re probably going to fire me for being crazy, but I dreamed about you before we met. At the time, I thought it was just a sexy dream, but it was you.”

“I do hope they were good dreams. Do I need to inspect you for orgasms?”

Both young men grinned wolfishly, but Phillip sighed. “Zeke, Charlie, Bobby, Tommy, and Jacob would kill us if we didn’t invite them.”

I asked, “Jacob isn’t being a pest, is he?”

Shaking his head, Phillip said, “No. He’s cool. He comes out to swim and visit before the night shift. You know…”

I interrupted, “Yeah. I know. He likes big boys. Jacob is one of my cousins, so please look out for him.”

Phillip grinned and said, “With Jacob around, who’ll look out for us?”

I said, “I’d much rather it be you guys than strangers.”

“We’re having Blue Team Appreciation Night. Your whole team is going to get a steak for supper. Later, we’ll have a little ceremony in my basement at midnight, welcome some new kids, and have fun. Now, has anyone welcomed Eddie to the team yet?”

 

ix.

On the trail to my house, Jacob appeared carrying a gym bag, looking chagrined.

I said, “Hi, Jacob. Ready for the night shift?”

He said, “Uhh… I had a little accident. I’m going to be late.”

“What’s wrong?”

He turned around with mud and grass from his feet to the back of his head.

I laughed and said, “You slid down that hill by the pear orchard.”

Jacob said, “I’m such a mess. Mom didn’t even let me in the house.” Waving the gym bag, “She just packed this for me.”

“Eventually, every kid in the neighborhood slides down that hill. I’ve got everything you need to clean up near the patio door. From there, you can head upstairs to shower.”

We walked in companionable silence for a moment. Jacob looked around to see if anyone was close and asked, “Could you… uh… maybe take a shower with me?”

“Maybe. Could I ask you a question?”

Jacob said, “Sure.”

“Why are you trying so hard to get nekked with me?”

He laughed and said, “That’s easy. You’re hot.”

“Plenty of people are hot. You seem focused on me.”

Jacob looked around to ensure no one could overhear and whispered, “You know I’m a stepson, right?”

“Yeah. Aren’t things OK at home?”

Jacob said, “Vernon is cool. He treats me well, but he’s not my daddy. He died, and I miss him. You remind me of him.”

The lightbulb went off in my head. While he superficially looked like his half-brothers Alan and Michael, with whom he was thick as thieves, Jacob’s skin tone was much lighter, and his eyes were bright blue. He was the kind of super-cute boy that grandparents love to spoil rotten.

I realized Jacob has big-time daddy issues and will keep looking until he finds one.

I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “I promise to always be there for you and love you like family. You will always have a special place with me. Will that work?”

“That’s cool”, Jacob said. “A hug will have to wait until I get all this mud off me.”

 

When we returned from the park, the night-shift guys were gathering for the van. Jacob looked at Sean guiltily, turned around, and said, “I might be a little late.”

Sean grinned, shook his head, and said, “I could never stay out of the mud either.”

I said, “It’s cool. He has other duties this afternoon.”

Jacob followed me around the house to the backyard behind the pool’s privacy fence, where he stripped, and I hosed the rest of him down.

The mud was clay and took some encouragement to come off. When the stuff was wet, it was slick as glass, sending almost all the neighborhood kids who braved the shortcut on a messy slide. That shortcut was too inviting.

All my work of getting the sticky mud off Jacob must have been stimulating because it gave him a throbbing boner. I grabbed a big beach towel, wrapped it around him like a tent, and dried his back.

Jacob blushed, looked at me, shrugged, and said, “Thanks. This is your fault, you know.”

“I’m flattered that I inspire such enthusiasm in you.”

Jacob deadpanned, “That’s a funny name for a boner with a runny nose.”

“It’s respectable for your age.”

“Thanks. Now show me yours. It’s only fair.”

I massaged his shoulders and said, “Go upstairs to my shower. Clean up, dry off, and then lay down on my bed and take a nap. I’ll wake you up in a bit, and we’ll spend a little time together.”

I used the hose to clean off Jacob’s shoes, gave him his muddy clothes wrapped in a towel, and sent him upstairs.

 

Jeb’s Jeep, Patrick’s Nissan, and Clay’s Trans Am were parked in the driveway. I found them all in the library, poring over the big red notebooks of training materials for our classes.

“Thanks for working with our new guys, Jeb. How is it going?”

“Very well,” he replied. “They’re both smart and fun to hang out with. What do you guys think?”

Sitting beside an overnight bag, Clay was much more upbeat after spending time around the Red Team. He said, “This stuff is easy. I’m sure I can pass the level 1 test.”

Patrick shrugged, saying, “It’s not as easy for me, but nothing is mind-boggling. I know how to cram.”

“Keep hitting the books, boys. Anybody who scores at least a level 2 certificate on this trip will be rewarded.”

 

The house was quiet. A few people were around, but almost everyone was at the park or the Game Zone. When I looked in on Jacob, he was asleep on my bed with a towel around his waist.

I did a walk-through of the top floor to see who was around.

Tuck wasn’t in Kelly and Jo Jo’s room, where he was staying. I passed empty rooms of the afternoon crew and heard talking in the party room. Tuck’s voice was unmistakable. The 2^nd party was Joey. The two goofy little horn dogs had taken bong hits and were having a silly argument about Decepticons.

I walked in, closed the door behind me, and said, “Busted!”

Tuck and Joey looked surprised, bewildered, and guilty all at the same time.

Tuck said, “I thought it was cool after work.”

Joey said, “Sorry, Tim. I forgot the rule.”

“The rule is no smoking weed before nine. The reason is so we don’t look wasted in front of Maria and Sharon. There will be consequences, but I don’t think you’ll mind much.”

“But we didn’t do anything wrong,” Tuck argued, grinning.

“Tuck misunderstood, but it is the rule,” Joey sighed.

Tuck was acting rebellious, so I said, “Remember. Your daddy said I could spank you. I give you licks or a task.”

Joey sucked in his breath and said, “Take the task. It’s always fun.”

Tuck looked at Joey, then me, and nodded.

I said, “Then follow me. Wait. What do you have on under your bathrobes?”

Tuck flashed me and said, “I just got out of the shower.”

Joey cracked up, and I raised an eyebrow.

He flashed me, too, laughing, “We just got out of the shower… together. Tuck owes me a hummer, and then we took bong hits.”

I chuckled, “Understandable. Go put on a Speedo and return here pronto.”

 

Tuck was back quickly; his stuff was in the hall bathroom, and the boys had been headed to the pool. Joey took a little longer, but not long.

Putting a hand on both backs, “Joey, I might as well be Tuck’s Uncle. I guess that makes you cousins. I love you two puppies and am delighted to see you two getting along. Now, let’s go have some fun.”

They followed me to Brandon and Barry’s empty room, and I took them to the basement through the secret passage.

In the basement, they followed me into the playroom with big eyes.

Joey said, “Whoa. I’ve heard of this.”

“What are we going to do here?” Tuck asked, looking askance at the bondage gear.

Joey said, “The guest of honor gets chained up, and Tim and friends make you feel great. I’ve been wanting to try this. A volunteer gives you a blow job when you beg for mercy.”

“It looks a little scary,” Tuck said, looking at the restraints. “I’d hate to be chained up and have someone turn nasty.”

I said, “The fear and loss of control enhance the experience. You should only ever do this with someone you trust, and you both know I won’t allow anything bad to happen to any of my boys. In this case, you two will be my assistants. You won’t know the guest of honor. He’ll have a blindfold on, and so will you. Part of the game is trying to figure out who is doing what. Now, follow me.”

Tuck asked, “How do you get to be the guest of honor? It sounds like fun.”

I put my arms around them and said, “First, you must be an assistant and do a good job. Don’t worry, I’ll train you. Now, I need to get this going.”

They followed me into the room I had set up for partying. I pulled a bong and a nice bud out and said, “Since you’ve already had a few, a few more won’t hurt. Now, please wait for me here. I’ll be a few minutes.”

Tuck grinned and said, “Nice.” Joey put his thumb up.

 

I went back to my room, where Jacob was still napping. Changing, I put on fresh boxers and decided to go shirtless.

I sat down beside Jacob and began gently massaging his back. He woke, stretched, and luxuriated in the back rub.

“This… is awesome”, Jacob sighed.

“You haven’t seen anything yet. I promised you an adventure, and it’s all set up. Are you ready?”

Jacob said, “Almost. There’s something I want you to do; my daddy used to do. It’s not dirty or nothing. I miss it. We did it at Arrowhead Lodge right after you set me up with Bobby as my big brother.”

I remembered. Jacob liked to be held.

Lying beside him, he scooted over, lay on my chest, and giggled.

I asked, “What?”

Jacob said, “I forgot I was naked. This feels great.”

“Comfortable?”

He said, “Yeah, but we can’t stay here long, or it’ll get messy.”

Stroking his back, “I need to ask you something. Last spring, I saw Tuck and Nix in the Park almost every weekend for a couple of months. They were partying with Andrew, weren’t they?”

Jacob sighed and said, “I don’t want to rat them out, but it sounds like you know already.”

“Could you give me a few details?”

Jacob said, “As good as this feels, I could talk all day. I guess they’re like me and got addicted to Andrew’s coke sex. In January, a new kid named Troy Bowers showed up at school. He’s Tuck’s age, and they became instant buds. They traded staying weekends at each other’s houses for a while.”

“In February or March, Troy brought Tuck and Nix to one of Andrew’s parties, and they both loved it. I already knew them from school, so we hung out together. Tuck especially liked Andrew’s coke. So did Nix. That’s how Andrew got them to suck cock. He put some on Travis and Doug’s dicks. I was there. It didn’t take Andrew long to have them doing everything. Tuck likes to fuck, and he’s pretty good at it. They started coming over almost every weekend.”

“Another boy named Brady Oliver started hanging out with Troy at about the same time, and the four have been hanging out ever since. I’ve seen them all at the Game Zone but haven’t been around them much since Andrew got busted.”

“One night, when he was trashed, Troy told me that his Gramps bought him from Andrew because he was in trouble or something. Gramps has a goon who told Troy he’d better be a good boy, or something bad might happen to him.”

I said, “That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s not,” Jacob stated with heat. “It turned out that his fake gramps likes boys, but he’s gross and fugly. He started messing with us and Tuck and Nix when they stayed over. That’s why they stopped coming, but they’re still tight with Troy. Both Brady and Troy are usually with Tuck and Nix most afternoons.”

“How do they get around?” I asked.

Jacob said, “Troy and Brady are popular. They’ve got friends with cars who help them out.”

I sighed and said, “Jesus, what a mess. Why didn’t you tell me…”

Jacob shrugged and said, “I thought you knew. You knew about the rest of the stuff. Brady was in the car with Andrew when he got busted. I have a proposal, and it’s only mostly indecent.”

I chuckled and said, “I’m listening.”

He said, “I love when we spend time together like this and what you let me get away with. You need a spy.”

I hugged him and said, “You want to be my secret agent?”

“Yeah! You might be surprised at what I overhear from people who think I’m just another dumb kid.”

I chuckled, hugged him, and said, “Horny little sex maniac maybe, but dumb? No way.”

Jacob laughed and said, “This feels too good. We had better either get up or break down and do it.”

“I promised you a sexy adventure, and I’m about to deliver. Do you remember the Harem thing we did a while back?”

Jacob said, “Yeah. It sounds spectacular.”

“This afternoon, you join. A couple of your friends will assist in making your whole day.”

“Who?” Jacob asked as we got up.

“You won’t know. All three of you will be wearing blindfolds. The fun of the game is figuring out who they are.”

 

After quickly dressing and heading to the basement, I set Jacob up comfortably and blindfolded him. Before retrieving Joey and Tuck, I went by the kitchenette in the basement and heated a bottle of Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil in the microwave to warm it. Then, I joined Tuck and Joey in the party room.

“Are you ready?”

Joey looked up with a big silly grin and laughed. Tuck was the same. I reached out a hand to pull them up and into a big hug. I quickly described the game's rules and handed them both a blindfold.

“What are these for?” Tuck asked, holding the blindfold.

“Fun”, Joey stated.

“When I say Blindfold ON, put it on. It stays on until I say Blindfold Off. Remember to stay quiet because he’s trying to guess who you are.”

“Now, Blindfold On.”

Joey and Tuck dutifully put on their blindfolds.

I said, “Oh, I forgot. You play naked.”

Tuck was surprised when I pulled his Speedo down. I made sure he felt hot breath on his cock, which rapidly hardened.

Joey giggled when I de-Speedoed him, then wiggled when I tickled his balls.

“Think of this game as blind man's bluff, only naked.”

As one, Tuck and Joey grabbed me. Joey complained, “You said the game is played naked.”

Their hands roamed over me, and I said, “I keep my boxers. You can’t see, so hold on to me when we move.”

The lightbulb went off in Tuck’s head, and he said, “OH! The blindfold thing. Humm.”

Joey said, “At least you’re cute, Tuck.”

Tuck complained, “I know. Cute and dumb.”

“Tuck, you’re just going on fifteen. You’ll get smarter. Come on.”

 

I led a mute Joey and Tuck into the playroom and positioned them around Jacob, who I stood up and restrained. The three of us gave Jacob about five minutes of hot oil massage bliss.

Joey gave Jacob a power blow job. Jacob returned it with interest.

They both removed their blindfolds and grinned. Hopefully, they would become buds.

Joey and Jacob retreated to the adjoining party room and collapsed.

 

I said, “It’s just you and me, Tuck. Do you want to lose your blindfold?”

Tuck said, “No. I figured it out. If it ain’t seen, it never happened.”

I moved and restrained him and began. I started with warm oil on the back and shoulders. Tuck was pleased when I got to his behind. Everybody likes to have their lower back and glutes massaged.

Moving to his front, I freshened the oil, started with his pecs, and said, “On the way home, I stopped by and saw your dad. While I was checking in with Nix, Brady and Troy showed up. I talked to them and have already started helping them. They will be joining us as early as tonight.”

“Thank you, Uncle Timmy,” Tuck exclaimed. “Nix and I like them a lot.”

“So do I. I understand you, Nix, and your dad have been helping them. I was helping, too, whenever Brady showed up at the Game Zone hungry. I’m very pleased with you and will reward you.”

I put oil on one of my hands and began gently oiling Tuck’s cock & balls. Once I had everything oiled, I gently cupped his balls in one hand and gently caressed them.”

Tuck said, “Oh, this reward feels great.”

“The reward hasn’t even started yet. You see, this is my lie detector.”

I wiped the oil off my right hand and said, “Troy had something for you.” I produced Troy’s little portable Coke kit and flipped up Tuck’s blindfold.

Tuck couldn’t have been more surprised if I had shown him a severed head.

Tuck sputtered, “It’s not mine. Uhh…” I gently reminded him to tell the truth. I didn’t hurt him, I merely reminded him, and he stopped mid-splutter.

I said, “I’m glad you’ve got a good enough friend to save you a slice when you aren’t there. Troy is a standup guy.”

“No way. He busted me.”

“You were already busted. I know what went on at Andrew’s parties. Did you know he videotaped that shit? I saw you, Travis, and Doug do a threesome. I don’t think your dad has figured out that y’all were part of Andrew’s mess. I’m sorry it gave you a taste for this.”

Tuck said, “Does dad have to know?”

“That depends on you.”

Tuck looked at it and said, “How on earth did you get Troy to give it up?”

“I told him I’d see you soon and made a deal. It’s the same deal as weed. Every couple of weeks, we get together in a safe place where we won’t be caught or bothered and have a safe, fun-filled adventure. Return when we’re recovered, rested, and recreated. Otherwise, you won’t buy it or do it, understand?”

Tuck was practically salivating at the Coke. I added, “Besides, your source will be going away soon, and it’ll be expensive and dangerous to get. Can you make that deal?”

Tuck licked his lips and said, “I know I’m a dumb kid, but not stupid. That sounds like a great deal. Lookit. Uhh… I know I’m just trailer-trash…”

I interrupted, “We’re getting you out of the trailers,” and kissed his cheek. “You, my dear nephew, were never trash.”

“That’s what I meant. You are getting my family out of trailer hell, and I love you for it. I’ll do anything you want. I want to be your special boy.”

I kissed his other cheek and said, “You already are.” Tuck’s eyes bulged when he saw me dump the Coke on the little mirror. I fluffed it with the razor and formed it into two lines.

Tuck greedily snorted the two lines. I replaced the blindfold and said, “You remember what this means?”

“Ain’t seen it, didn’t happen. Sniff,” Tuck drawled in high redneck. That’s not a language. It’s how rednecks sound when they’re high.

I reached his ear and whispered, “I know you love me, you big, sweet, goofy boy. I’m about to show you how I feel.”

Using every pressure point and tantric trick I knew on Tuck and drove him crazy. In a few short minutes, he groaned, “Oh please, make me cum!”

“Wait for it. It’ll be worth it.”

Tuck asked, “Do you like Troy?”

“I do. He’s a little cocky. He knows he’s pretty, but that’s cool.”

“No, I mean, he’s fine, right?”

“Yes, he is. You like him?”

Tuck blushed brightly, laughed, and asked, “I’ll answer if you let one of my arms down.”

I did, and he lowered his arm and said, “Didn’t see it, never happened.”

His hand found my chest, rubbing and exploring, and he said, “Yeah, I like Troy. Holy crap, you’re solid. Will you teach me and Nix to work out and build muscles like you and Dad?”

“That will be easy.” I ran my hand over his lightly oiled chest and said, “We give you a workout routine, feed you, and the famous Jamison hormones will take care of the rest.”

His hand went lower over my abs and slipped into my boxers. “These Jamison hormones are working just fine. This is interesting. Oh my, you're... huge. I’d sure like a closer look.”

“Can I count on you to behave for me?”

Tuck said, “Absolutely!”

 

I returned upstairs after leaving Jacob, Joey, and Tuck downstairs, curled up on a bed to recover. When I reached the top of the staircase, Brandon and his little brother Hunter were on the bed naked, sixty-nining, with the door closed and the radio on. When I emerged from the closet, Hunter levitated in surprise, and Brandon started laughing.

“Sorry, guys. I was in my basement lab-bore-a-tory cooking up my plans for festivities later.”

Brandon rubbed his hands together and said, “Arranging festivities in the basement, master?”

“Hunter, are you OK?”

He blinked and said, “I’m still having a heart attack. Getting caught doing this used to be horrible.”

I rubbed Hunter’s shoulders and said, “I hoped you two would be buds.”

Brandon said, “It’s cool, Hunter. Tim mentioning festivities is always good. Are you going to do the Harem thing again? If you do, I want to play.”

I said, “Among other things. I will put a different spin to spice it up with blindfolds.”

Hunter giggled and said, “That does sound like fun. Brandon and I were… want to join us?”

Brandon laughed and said, “Tim won’t do that, but he can give a great hug. Give Hunter one of your hugs, Daddy.”

I picked up Hunter, and he wrapped his legs around me. His eyebrows rose, he grinned, then he closed his eyes again and began to hump my abs enthusiastically.

He said dreamily, “Oh, wow, this does feel good.”

I kissed his nose and said,” Welcome to our crazy little family.”

He chuckled and said, “Little!? It’ll take me until Christmas to learn everybody’s names! I was so wrong about you yesterday. I thought… Oh, I don’t know what I thought yesterday other than I was looking at a wet dream. Then you made Brandon my big brother! He's great! This feels so good!” Then he kissed me hard and well.

My boxers slid down, and Brandon swallowed my cock.

Hunter saw the surprise in my eyes, laughed, and said, “The double team works, and nobody is here to save you this time. If it weren’t for you, we’d all be screwed. You might as well let us show you how much we love you…”

 

After spanking two naughty boys for wildly inappropriate behavior and leaving them lying giggling on Brandon’s bed, I had to move on. Sometimes you have to let them win.

 

X.

I returned to the Game Zone to find the afternoon shift in good order, and Sean was doing a fine job. All the afternoon shift boys were working at being good hosts. Heading to the office, I enjoyed walking through the commotion.

Sitting at the desk, I settled in front of the security monitor and dialed Judge Vinson’s office. She was in a conference, but her receptionist promised the Judge would call me back shortly.

While waiting for her call, I watched my boys at work and play. In their undercover roles, Colt and Billy were among a little clump of boys trying to beat the Defender machine.

I had Stacey Frazier and Howie Garner on this shift. Hopefully, that would keep them too busy for blue light specials. Howie seemed to have joined Arron and Adam in the kitchen.

Kenny Phillips had inserted himself into a cute little band of hooligans.

Larry Holloway and Rusty Bowers were busy changing the cash cartridge for a token machine under Sean’s supervision.

All in all, everything was running as it should.

When the phone rang, it surprised me.

I picked it up and answered, “Tim.”

“I just got out of chambers with your friend Jonah. He told me about Troy and Brady’s predicaments, and I agreed to see them with your band tomorrow. It’s Troy Adkins I’m concerned about.”

“Me too. If that guy Bowers finds out he’s decided to bolt, he might be dangerous. Troy's scared, so I suggest he goes with us to Pensacola tomorrow. I have private security arranged, and there’s no way anybody will know where he is. It will give him a little time to get to know us and decompress. By the time we’re back, Bowers should be in the kennel.”

Judge Vinson sighed and said, “I concur. Our detectives will want to talk to Troy. Jonah dropped the boys off with Dr. Chang. You will pick them up, take them home, and have them in court tomorrow morning?”

“That’s the plan if it’s OK with you. I will have Randy sit down with Troy and take his statement tonight. We’ll have that for you tomorrow.”

Judge Vinson said, “He has been here since January. It took him until almost July to find someone he could trust to help. I’m impressed that someone was you. I just figured out what the Game Zone is. You’re there to help.”

I said, “We’re available to help. I’ve got kids working here who don’t wear green shirts. Their job is to ensure no one pushes kids around and listen up for trouble. I didn’t plan for it to be this way, but we’ve evolved.”

Vinson chuckled, “I’ll say. My docket is down by a third over this time last year. Much of that is because kids like your Joey aren’t out raising hell and getting in trouble. They’re at your arcade, where your people are paying attention to them and looking out for them.”

Sighing, “When I had to kill Dalton, my mission became making vulnerable kids safer. I hoped just giving them something to do and work skills would help. It did, but things evolved. My dad might have called this mission creep, but in this case, things are better than expected.”

“Most social experiments I’ve seen are rolling disasters,” Judge Vinson laughed, “I guess it’s working because you’re an engineer. Is Jonah Jamison joining your merry band?”

I answered, “We’re still figuring that out. His boys Tuck and Nix are. He’s willing to help, and I’ve known him forever.”

“Good. You have my home number if you need me. I will call it a day and see you in the morning. I hope my grandson Mikie will get a green shirt in a few years. See you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be happy to see him, mam. Good evening.”

As soon as I was done, I dialed Dr Chang’s clinic. His receptionist promised he would call me back.

I sat back in my chair and watched the fun in the Game Room. Kenny was playing with three fifth graders and was having fun. He was the big boy for a change. As I watched, Doug walked by Kenny, and they bumped knuckles.

I watched as Doug moved through the dining room, past the kitchen, and to the employee lounge. After a couple of minutes, Kenny talked to his buddies and then followed. They were taking a coffee break.

The phone rang, I answered, and Dr. Chang said, “Tim, we’ve got a problem with Troy. It’s the same thing the other boys had, and he’s having a rough time with the meds.”

“We tested plenty of boys today, so that contingency is covered. It’s about quitting time for you. Could you take Nix and Brady to my house?”

“Can do. Are you coming right along?”

“As fast as I can.”

 

xi.

With my emergency kit in hand, I met Dr. Chang at the backdoor of his clinic a little before four-thirty. Nix and Brady appeared, and I said, “Congratulations, boys. You passed.”

Brady said, “It’s a good thing, too. I’m glad I didn’t need that shot.”

Dr. Chang said, “Troy is in room four. He’ll be OK. He needs some time.”

I turned to Nix and said, “You and Brady are going to my house. When you get there, you’ll see some familiar faces. Tell them Tim said to make you welcome, and we will be along as soon as Troy is ready. Remember, this is Troy’s business, so don’t spread it around.”

Nix and Brady both nodded solemnly. I think the idea that one of their friends had an STD had alarmed them.

”Liu, is your alarm code the same?”

He nodded, and I said, “If you’ve got time, stay for supper. Marie is doing something Italian tonight and had the house smelling like Naples. I’ll lock up and set the code before we go.”

Liu took the boys to his car, and I entered treatment room four. Troy was in the adjoining bathroom.

I went to the door and said, “Troy, it’s Tim. I’m here to take you home when you’re ready.”

Troy said, “Thanks. It shouldn’t be long. I couldn’t have much left. I hate being sick like this.”

Grabbing one of the chairs, I slid it close to the bathroom door, sat, and said, “I’m right outside.”

Troy said, “People told me to talk to you. I wish I’d done it sooner.”

“There were all sorts of reasons for you to have been afraid. I shudder to think of the people you’ve been around.”

“Yeah. There is one I’m worried about who isn’t Bob or his goon. Do you remember there was a guy between Beato and Bob?”

I remembered his story and said, “Yeah. He took you from Atlanta to Lakeview and hooked you up with Andrew. Why Lakeview?”

Troy said, “He explained it to me. Very rich people do business in big cities but don’t live there. They live in little enclaves and have properties all over the place. A clump of them live here, and some people will get them anything they want for a price. Drugs, guns, girls, boys.”

Shit. I was aware of a few people like that myself.

I asked, “Who was this middleman?”

“He is why I’m worried. It was near Christmas when we met with him in a parking garage. Beato handed me over, and Rich gave him a thick envelope. He took me to a nice hotel and fed me room service, champagne, coke, and his cock. It took me a while, but I looked at his wallet when he was in the shower. His driver's license and badge both matched. His name is Richard Grossman.”

I exclaimed, “Badge!?”

“If it was real, he's FBI. He told me that Beato had contacted him somehow and negotiated my release. He was going to implement my witness relocation plan. He told me about the little towns like Lakeview where super-rich people live. Since I didn’t have anyone to go home to, they would place me with a rich guy who likes boys, and he would take care of me. He made it sound like Disneyland.”

Troy swallowed and said, “That’s how I ended up with Bob. It was gross, but I got to party with Andrew and the boys. Andrew told me about you. He wanted me to hook up with you, but Bob said no.”

“When school started, I met Tuck. You know how he is: big, sweet, and a little goofy. We were friends from the start. He invited me over for a weekend.”

“That was how I met Jonah, Nix, and Timmy. I felt more at home in their trailer than in Bob’s mansion. Jonah didn’t push me for information like a bunch of parents. They were welcoming and fun to be around. Brady started hanging out with us a lot more after he got busted with Andrew. Here lately, Jonah told me I should talk to you. Look, I think I’m about done in here. I’ll be out in a minute.”

I replied, “Take your time. We aren’t in any hurry. I have a place we can go for you to recover.”

His clothes were piled in a chair by the exam table. I could hear him rustling. There was a noisy flush, and the door opened.

Troy was pale and wearing an exam gown. He said, “Thanks. I’m still a little dizzy. Could you give me a hand?”

I gave him a steadying hand and helped him to the exam table. He sat, saw the gym bag by the table, and asked, “What is that?”

“This isn’t the first time one of our boys has had this problem. When we are testing our boys in bunches, I have this kit of useful stuff and rent a hotel room. It’s near the New Mall in Rivervine, so when you’re feeling better, we’ll get you some clothes.”

He dropped the exam gown and said, “I should have talked to you a month ago.”

“That wouldn’t have worked. I wasn’t a daddy a month ago. It was inside me, but something changed when Toby and Brandon became my sons.”

Troy pulled on his cute little red bikini briefs and said, “Well, meeting you and Jonah is the best luck I’ve had on this trip.”

He dressed and got a little steadier on his feet. When I pulled a barf bag out of my kit, he thought it was a hoot. Five minutes into the drive, he was shocked to discover he did indeed have something left to barf up.

We made it to Hampton Inn just in time. Poor Troy ran to the toilet, and he had another nasty bout. I gave him privacy and turned on the TV. After a few minutes, I went to the door and said, “Are you okay, Troy?”

“No, can you help?”

I opened the door and was alarmed to find Troy lying on the floor.

He said, “There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that this cool floor against my face is making the nausea go away. The bad news is I shit my shorts.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll get you cleaned up and settled, then I’ll go next door to the mall and get you some things to wear.”

He was astonished when I produced some wet wipes, cleaned him up, and a sealed Gatorade. I got him settled in one of the beds in front of a television. He was amazed when I pulled out paper towels, Lysol, and 409, then cleaned up everything and put the soiled clothes and paper towels in two plastic garbage bags.

When I was done, I knelt by his bed and asked, “How are you doing?”

He said, “I feel much better with you taking care of me. I’m not going to rush it this time. Go to the mall and take your time. I’m just going to watch TV for a while. Do you need my sizes?”

“No. I’ve bought plenty of clothes for enough boys. I’m pretty good at getting the right sizes. I’ll be dressing you for Florida. We’ll work on the rest of your wardrobe later.”

 

I quickly ran through J.C. Pennies and Belks, getting Troy an assortment of cute things to wear in Florida and an overnight bag to carry his stuff.

Since there was a Chick-fil-A in the mall food court, I got a couple of sandwiches. Troy needed to eat, and I was hungry.

I noticed a nice-looking guy I’d seen at the Game Zone behind me wearing a Cars Candy-O t-shirt. Chris pointed him out on our surveillance cameras as a freshman he had classes with at Lakeview CC.

Trying to be subtle, I watched him check me out in a mirror. Then we locked eyes in the mirror, and the boy blushed.

I turned toward him, smiling, and said, “I like the Cars, too.”

His face was blank for a moment until he remembered that he was wearing a Cars t-shirt. He said, “Their first two albums are best. Panorama takes a little getting used to. Could I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure. I’m rushing, but I’ll sit down and kill one of these sandwiches, hoping they didn’t overcook it. Promise I’ll listen.”

Working through the line, I got two sandwiches and two cokes bagged up for takeout. I paid the bill, took our snack to a table, and sat. Chris’s classmate soon joined me with his meal.

He said, “Thanks for waiting for me.”

“My time is limited, but I’m always polite. Especially to one of Chris’s friends.” Bite the sandwich: fried chicken nirvana with pickle and mayo.

“I’m Bryan. I talked to Chris at Game Zone last week. I’m not making enough hours at the minimum wage bullshit I’m doing now to pay for school this fall. Chris told me to ask you about the Blue Team.”

Swallow, drink coke. “Sorry. Lunch was a while ago.” I sat up, popped my back, and looked around to see if anyone was close.

When I could see that no one was in easy eavesdropping distance, I said, “How good of a friend of Chris’s are you?”

He blushed, and I said, “That good?”

“Chris introduced me to Tony. Tony said you would probably call me mostly straight with a hobby. He said to tell you I’m talented.”

I gave him a friendly pat on the arm and said, “Cool. We’re staffing up to handle the grounds of the new Community Center. You can ride a mower and get a tan. You don’t know, but I pay your tuition to Lakeview CC when you work for me.”

Bryan’s eyes widened, and he said softly, “Oh shit. Are you for real?”

Equally, softly, I replied, “I try to help friends who share our hobby. I don’t care whether you are a mere dabbler or balls deep into it. Our hobby forces us to confront some scary issues. Everybody who works for me gets a physical on day one. Everyone in our group is tested, so you won’t have to worry about cooties if you decide to take a walk on the wild side.”

I pulled one of Dr. Chang’s cards out of my wallet and said, “Go here and ask for a Blue Team physical. Then go to Dockside Park and ask for Phillip. Get the checkup first, it’ll save time. By the way. What’s your last name?”

“Pilgrim.”

“I’m pressed for time now, but don’t worry. I’ll be back Friday afternoon and look forward to seeing how talented you are. By then, you’ll be working.”

I exchanged numbers with Bryan Pilgrim and quickly returned to the Hampton Inn.

 

When I arrived, Troy was sound asleep with the sheet pulled over him. The television volume was low, and he had a cute little snore.

If you can’t beat them, join them. I kicked off my shoes, slipped out of my shirt, and carefully lay beside him. I looked at the clock and saw it was twenty minutes after five.

At about six, I woke with a sleep boner to Troy’s excited exclamation. He had awakened, found his big bag of goodies, and approved enthusiastically.

I said, “I take it you are feeling better?”

“Yeah! This stuff is cool! How did you get it together so fast?”

“I shop for many boys, so I know where stuff is. I wasn’t sure of your preferences, so I’ve got you boxers and briefs like you had on. If you are ready, I’ve got you a sandwich and a Coke.”

He evaluated his loot and said, “I’m ready.”

“Dress, and I’ll have a snack for you in the kitchen.”

He slipped into one of the red bikini-style briefs and rummaged through the bag to complete his look, finding Sun Britches, a T-shirt, and good flip-flops.

When I was done getting his drink out of the fridge, Troy appeared dressed and said, “Cool. I’ve wanted to try Chick-fil-A.”

He started to dig in, and I said, “Most people like to add the mayo.”

Casting a dubious glance at the pickles, he mayo-ed up. You know it’s good when they close

their eyes.

Troy said, “I usually don’t care for pickles, but they work for this. You know, I’m beginning to think you like me.”

I grinned and said, “What’s not to like? I don’t mean to bring up bad memories, but you were and still are too pretty to kill. You’re fun. I think my nephew Tuck is in like with you.”

Troy smiled and said, “Yeah. I like him too. Let me finish this sandwich and ask you something.”

“Go ahead.” Troy was hungry and demolished his sandwich like a Great White snarfing up a baby seal.

He sighed in repletion and said, “Thank you, Tim. I feel so much better now.”

“What did you want to ask,” I prodded gently. “We’ve got stuff to do.”

Troy stood up, stepped around the table, and put his arms around me. I returned the hug, and he flowed into my lap. He buried his face in my chest and sighed.

He was silent, so I picked him up, carried him to the couch, and sat down.

Troy said, “I so needed this. For the first time in months, I’m not afraid. We don’t have to leave just yet, do we?”

“No, we've got some time before heading home for supper. All my boys have sat in my lap like this at some point. You’re a boy. You need to touch and be touched.”

He smiled and said, “I felt you up while you were asleep.”

“I know. You’re feeling me up now. Remember, I promised you a spanking for general naughtiness earlier. I believe this constitutes aggravating circumstances.”

 

xii.

When we got in my truck, Troy asked, “Does this seat lean back? I’m going to low ride.”

“Smart boy. A little paranoia won’t kill you. Look down to your right.”

He found the lever and reclined in his seat.

Once underway on my way to my house, Troy said, “I’ll have to remember to be naughty occasionally. Spankings are spectacular the way you do it. I so needed that.”

“I need to work on my spankings. My boys like them too much.”

“The way you do it is just fine with me.”

“The way I do it is to give you the closeness you need with a little fun.”

“Fun? I’ve never nutted so hard in my life. I didn’t even think you could nut that way.”

I chuckled and said, “You had fun and learned something, but never asked me anything.”

Troy exclaimed, “Oh, yeah.” He laughed and said, “I kinda had a train-of-thought-wreck when you held me. I wanted to ask what can I do to be your number one boy?”

I said, “Compete.”

He thought about that and said, “What do you mean?”

“Go to school, make grades, play a sport, get along with your bros, be a good boy, find a boyfriend, and play where I can take care of you and keep you safe. Besides, you’re so pretty; you must know you’re ahead on points.”

Troy laughed and said, “Boyfriend?”

“You and Tuck would be cute together.”

He grinned and said, “That sounds cool, but what about us?”

“Troy, we can’t now, but it won’t be long until you are legal. What I try to do with all my boys is to help you build a life with work and school, and when we play, well, that’s why there’s a Speedo in your bag.”

The ten-minute drive from Rivervine to Lakeview was an excellent four-lane road. Traffic was light, and the intersection where the log truck had knocked me into the following week was two minutes ahead.

Troy prairie-dogged, sitting up from where he was lying low in his seat, looked around to see if there was close-by traffic, slid into my lap, and unzipped my shorts.

“I… uh… I’m driving, and what you’re doing is very distracting.”

“Since Beato took me, I’ve had to do a lot of sex stuff I didn’t want. If I have to behave for you, I want this.”

Troy began to give me an enthusiastic blow job.

I decreased speed, paying careful attention to what was going on the road, and said, “Easy, baby. I’m coming to Holly Ridge Road. I’m going to go North to those woods.”

The light ahead turned green, but I’d been fooled here before. I continued to slow down and carefully turned right several seconds in front of a clump of Lakeview-bound cars passing through the intersection behind me.

There was a turn-off to a pond a mile down this road. Hoping no one was fishing, I slowed and took the gravel road into the trees.

I said, “Careful. It’s bumpy here. Just a minute and we can stop.”

“Are you going to let me finish?”

“I have to now, or my balls will explode.”

Troy laughed and said, “Cool.” He cupped my balls in his hand and said, “I like it down here.”

“You don’t have to do it.”

Troy said, “Yeah. I do. I’m competing. I want to start, coach.” He circled my cock head with his tongue.

“What’s your sport, Troy?”

“I like football, but I’m not built for it. I can play basketball, but I swim best.”

“We’ve got pools and basketball goals.”

“And the biggest cock I’ve ever seen ‘cept in porn.”

“Troy, tell me the truth. If you do, you win. Why?”

“If I suck your dick, you won’t bail on me. Some bad stuff might come out. Maybe I’ll need a lawyer.”

I finally reached the clearing where people parked to fish, turned around and parked my truck. No one was about, and I could see through the dirt road through the woods.

I put my hand on the back of his head and guided it to my cock. He got the idea, and I said, “Listen carefully. I’m not going to bail on you. You might take some lumps, but I won’t let them hang you.”

He liked hearing that, and his feedback was delightful.

“When we go home, you, me, and my security chief will sit down after dinner. You are going to give him a statement. Can you act?”

He nodded on my cock.

“Good. Remember, you’re a kid who has lived in fear for months. You give him the broad outline. You got sold to Bob and were told they had people watching you. Now get up and take off your shirt. If we’re doing what we like, it’s my turn.”

Troy sat up, slipped out of his shirt, and said, “You’re getting into the spirit of things.”

“You insisted.” I moved and began kissing Troy’s chest and working my way down. He gasped when I pulled down his Sunbritches and kissed his bikini-clad erection.

He moaned, “Please… don’t make me cum yet. This is too good to rush.” I heard tires on gravel, and his tone changed to shrill and panicky, “Tim! It’s Bob’s truck. He’s coming! He’ll kill us!”

“No, he won’t.” I snapped my shorts, reached under my seat, retrieved my Beretta, and racked the slide.

Troy’s eyes widened, and I said, “Get down. I’m going to smoke these two assholes for interrupting an excellent blow job.”

The big fancy truck I’d seen several times during the day came out of the trees, fishtailing. I opened my door and stepped out, holding the Beretta in my right hand, shielded by the door.

Bowers stopped the truck a mere fifteen feet from my truck. Two assholes, Bob Bowers, bald, sweaty, porcine, and a rent-a-goon got out of the truck confidently, holding Glocks. I snapped up the Beretta, saw the shock on their faces, and shot them both in the head before they could get their guns up.

I growled, “Stupid assholes.”

Troy asked, “Is it over?”

“Yup.”

Troy raised his head, looked and said, “Holy shit, Tim! You… you blew their heads off!”

“Yeah, hollow points are like that. Come here.”

He scrambled across the seat to the driver's side door, and I picked him up. He shook but relaxed in my arms, putting his head on my shoulder.

“Troy, there aren’t any dangerous weapons, only dangerous men. My dad taught me to be a very dangerous man. Anyone who messes with any of my boys will be in hell before they even know they’re dead.”

He asked, “Can you teach me to be dangerous?”

I kissed his head and said, “Sweetie, with your looks, you’re already dangerous. I can teach you all sorts of cool stuff, and we’ll both have a ball doing it. All you must do to seal the deal is let me lead. I'll take care of you.”

Troy smiled and said, “OK. I promise to be a good boy.”

 

A deputy sheriff’s car pulled up seven minutes later, and Detective Hooper and a deputy I didn’t know stepped out of his car.

I was leaning against the tailgate of my truck and holding a teary-eyed Troy. My Beretta was sitting in the bed of my truck with the chamber open and the clip removed.

I said, “Glad to see you, Detective Hooper. I want to introduce you to Troy Adkins. He’s just a little terrified just now because the dead pedophile over there who purchased him via the hitman that murdered his parents was angry because he ran away.”

The light of recognition went off in Hooper’s eyes, and he said, “Holy shit!”

“OK, Detective. Do your thing. Walk the scene and see what it tells you. I’m not going anywhere, and Troy here is just delighted that those two assholes didn’t kill him and leave him in a shallow grave in the woods.”

Hooper approached and saw the Beretta with the chamber open, magazine removed, and properly safed. He looked me in the eyes, liked what he saw, and gave me a nod.

The Detective said, “Plenty of people have been looking for you, Troy.” He put a gentle hand on Troy’s back, who flinched slightly in surprise, and said, “Welcome back, son. Everything will be fine.”

Hooper did as I suggested. When he had been gone twenty seconds, Troy whispered, “OK?”

“Emmy performance.”

“It’s real, Tim. You saved my life today. I love you so much.”

Sheriff Hollingsworth pulled up with a host of his men a few minutes later. He talked to Hooper and the other deputy for a few minutes.

An ambulance arrived, and the crime scene boffins got to work. Hollingsworth and Hooper separated us, and they talked to Troy for a few minutes.

They left Troy with a deputy and came to talk to me. I stated that I’d seen this truck off and on all day. I’d met Troy about lunchtime when he spilled his guts and asked for help and protection. With Jonah’s help, we split up to get the boys checked and treated by a doctor. On the way back from allowing Troy to recover from his treatment, I noticed Bowers' truck behind me distantly. I turned off the light on Holly Ridge Road and tried to hide by the pond. It took Bowers a few minutes to figure it out, but they showed up with guns drawn, and I dropped them.

Hollingsworth shook his head and said, “They were planning something permanent for the boy. There are shovels, garbage bags, and quick lime in the truck. If you hadn’t shot straight… who am I kidding? Jesus, Tim! You fired two rounds and shot them both between the eyes. Bowers and Magruder both look surprised they’re dead.”

“Magruder?”

Hollingsworth said, “He was a Sheriff’s deputy from Shelby County until there was a scandal a few years ago, and he resigned. He’s been working for Bower’s since last summer.”

“Did he work Memphis?”

Hollingsworth said, “No. Germantown. My Narcs have been interested in him. Blow seems to magically appear whenever he’s around. My Narcs have pictures of Magruder, the Adkins boy, and some high school kids busted later that night with an eight-ball.”

I said, “That’s how they made Troy afraid to reach out for help. They forced him to get his hands dirty.”

Hollingsworth grimaced and said, “When we talked to Troy, he decided you would help because of your reputation with the kids.”

Detective Hooper appeared, grinning with his hand on Troy’s shoulder, “Kevin, you’ve got to hear this.”

Troy bounded up and said, “When Bob was coming, I thought we were dead. I told Tim that Bowers would kill us both. Tim just said, No, he won't. He had me get down, then they pulled up. It happened so fast, I only heard one shot, and it was over.”

Hollingsworth said, “Vinson called me about Troy after you talked. Take him home, and I’ll see you in court tomorrow morning.”

 

xii.

We arrived home a little late for supper and ran right into the beginning of Blue Team Appreciation Day. Tony had grilled them a dozen rib eyes, and Phillip and his boys were having a ball.

Troy and I got a plate of Marie’s manicotti and had a dinner conference in my office with Randy.

After snarfing sausage manicotti, Troy sat on the love seat, hugging his knees to his chest, and told Randy his harrowing story.

Randy listened dumbfounded until, after the part where his parents were murdered, he was abducted by the killer, raped, and sold. He stood, sat by Troy, and put an arm around him. Sure, I’d coached him more than a little bit, but he had been through some deep shit. Troy took an immediate liking to Randy and leaned into him.

Randy complained, “Boss. You never take me with you when you put toe-tags on these assholes.”

“I didn’t need you to deal with these fuck-wits. They thought they were intimidating another kid and walked into it stupid.”

Randy said, “It’s outstanding they only kept you for forty-five minutes.”

I sighed and said, “It was inconvenient. I’ve still got to go to Acadia Ridge and do another errand. Can you write that up for court tomorrow?”

“Sure. I’ve got everything else ready for court tomorrow. What’s this Blue Team Appreciation Night about?”

“They got a steak, are staying over and watching movies with their friends. We will have a ceremony at midnight to recognize them and welcome our new guys.”

Randy grinned, gave Troy a friendly squeeze, and said, “Welcome to the family.”

Troy surprised Randy with a kiss on his lips. Randy didn’t back away. He put his hand on Troy’s cheek.

“You two seem to be getting along well.”

They broke their kiss, Troy giggling and Randy protesting, “He’s just so darn cute. You look at him and want to protect him.”

“I get a big brother, don’t I?” Troy asked plaintively.

“Yes. You do.”

Troy said, “I’d like for it to be Randy.”

Randy asked, “Why?”

“I’ve been scared for a long time. It’ll be a nice change of pace to feel safe. Oh, and you’re fine.”

“Rory is going to hate this,” Randy grumbled.

“Rory is getting Brady.” I stood and said, “I must go upstairs for twenty minutes. I’ll lock you two in my office, so Randy can take your statement. Tell Randy what you told me about the middleman so he can advise us on how to proceed. Unlock this door when you’re done.”

 

I quickly ran to my room, where Frank, Patrick, and Clay sat on the bed, chatting with our packed luggage, sitting by the closet.

Frank jumped up, embraced me, and said, “I know you had to be the father who saved a kidnapped kid and shot those assholes. Tell us everything.”

“I can’t yet, but it’ll all come out soon. A kid named Troy, who we have been seeing off and on at Game Zone, asked me to help get him out of a bad situation.”

Clay said, “Troy? Is that Tuck’s buddy?”

“Yeah, he and Brady are buds with Nix and Tuck.”

“I’ve helped them get around sometimes,” Clay volunteered. “Troy has movie star looks. I thought he was a rich kid because he always gave me five or ten bucks for gas and lived in that row of big assed mansions across the bay.”

I took a serious tone and said, “It’s complicated, but Troy was a missing kid from Florida who was sold to a local pedo by Andrew, who faked custody documents for him as he did for Barry. Andrew used him to lure more kids to his Coke-sex parties after many of his boys had become disillusioned with him and stopped showing up. Poor Brady was in the car when Andrew got his DUI, and his parents have treated him like shit ever since. We’ll have Nix, Tuck, Brady, Troy, and Jonah, who will move nearby with his youngest, Timmy.”

Frank said, “I met them all at the Game Zone. Are you still going to Acadia Ridge tonight?”

“I promised I would. When I return, I’ll take Troy by Super-K and get him a few things. I’m taking him with us tomorrow. That kid needs a vacation.”

Patrick asked, “Tim, you could do anything. Why do you…”

Adam, Franz and Kenny scooted into the room and grabbed me in two enthusiastic boy hugs. I knelt, hugged them back, and Kenny asked, “Are you going to read to us again tonight?”

“Of course! Did you guys have fun today?”

“All day,” Kenny exclaimed.

Franz said, “Except for the blood test. It didn’t hurt that bad. Doctor Chang is nice, his nephews are cool, and I like Rory.”

I said, “You should all nap because after I read, we will have a ceremony in the basement to honor the Blue Teams' success and welcome our new members. That means you.”

Frank said, “I take it this will be a formal affair?”

The other boys looked a little baffled because they were all new.

I said, “Yes. We’ll all be wearing Speedo and flip-flops. Now, go warn your pals.”

The little scamps scampered off on the important mission I had assigned them.

When I stood, Patrick hugged me and said, “That was a dumb question I was going to ask.”

 

Walt and Juan were lying on their beds in their boxers, reading paperback books. They were surprised and happy to see me when I knocked and stepped inside.

I sat down and said, “How are you two tonight?”

Walt said, “Everything’s cool.”

“You two are on my list for driving lessons. I meant to take you both today, but stuff happened, and it got too late. I’ve got a new boy who has bad things in common with you two. I need to ride to Acadia Ridge, and I’d like one of you to ride with us.”

Walt and Juan did a complicated ritual that looked like a variation of rock-paper-scissors, and Walt grimaced and said, “Crap!”

I said to Walt, “Don’t worry. You’re on my list for when we get back.” Turning to Juan, I said, “Dress casually and put on some shoes. We’ll have a little adventure on the way back.”

Juan started dressing, and Walt said, “I hate to miss one of your adventures.”

“There will be a ceremony tonight after I read to the boys when the Game Zone bunch returns, so take a nap. Be sure to wear your formal Speedo.”

Walt grinned and said, “Cool!”

 

xiv.

It was a little before eight when we got away. It wasn’t a driving lesson, so Juan and Troy could relax and talk.

As I drove through the LaSalle National Forest, Juan and Troy exchanged their stories, and before long, Troy had his arm around Juan’s shoulder. When we arrived at Acadia Ridge, night had fallen.

When I pulled up to the Boudreaux house, Thibault met us. I introduced him to Juan and Troy, and he led us to the house and stopped at the front door.

He said, “Timmy, wait here. I’m going to introduce Troy and Juan to my brothers. Then we’re going for a walk.”

Troy and Juan looked at me, and I said, “You’ll enjoy meeting the boys. They grow their own bud up here, and it’s great.”

“It’s not nine o’clock yet,” Juan complained with a wink.

“Close enough for tonight. Now, go play with your new friends. I promise you’ll like them.”

When Thibault returned, he was laughing. “Just Joseph and Hugo are home. The others are out at the parties that have broken out all over the Ridge. When Joseph saw Troy, he got a huge boner.”

“I’ll bet it was mutual.” I hugged him and said, “You Boudreaux boys are cuter than baby raccoons.”

Thibault giggled and said, “And probably as much trouble. Carry me piggyback!”

I backed up to him, and he hopped on my back and guided me after a quick stop by the truck for my Maglite. He took me off the road onto a tidy path through the trees.

I felt his boner on my back and asked, “Comfortable back there?”

He said, “Yeah. So good, you might have to put me down soon, or we’ll both have a wet spot.”

I flexed my shoulders and felt him shudder a little. “Are you making it better for me?”

“I can’t do some stuff with you because… well, you know. I know you like me,” I said with a grin and another flex. “I like you, too.”

Thibault said, “Sweet! Take a right up here.”

In reply, I turned right onto another path and rolled my shoulders. It was darker this way, and I was about to use the flashlight when he stopped me.

Thibault said, “Put me down. I stay here, and our strážce cest is just down the trail. Don’t use your torch. We’ll need it in a bit.”

I left Thibault waiting on a split-log bench and went down the dark path until I reached an old house. An elderly and much younger woman sat on a porch illuminated by a lamp.

I said, “Strážce cest? I believe you wanted to see me.”

“Yes, young Paladin. I must see if you are the One. Come close so I may examine you.”

I approached her and liked her style. She was wearing a jet-black dress accented with strands of silver bracelets. The younger woman beside her was dressed similarly but had an ancient book in her lap.

She asked, “Young Paladin, you have done my people a great boon. I must ask you why?”

“Because I could, it was the right thing to do, and banks only act that way when they want something. I suspect there is something of great value on your land, and it’s only just that you keep it. Remy and his brothers are my friends. I wanted to help.”

The Strážce cest laughed and said, “You helped our entire community. We have been fading for centuries, and you just gave us a new lease on life.”

“I understand. My old home place was destroyed in the fifties…”

She interrupted me and asked, “Henderson Valley?”

“Yes, mam. They got so battered that they’re still getting off the mat after all these years. There are few Hendersons left, and I am the last Shepherd.”

“No, you’re not,” She said confidently. “You have scores of sons who will fill you with great pride in the fullness of time. For one so young, you are wise, and your power grows. I felt it when you slew those two filthy animals who would have murdered a child this afternoon. Now take my hands. There is much you must learn.”

When I did, there was a blue-white flash, and I could see a forest where a very, very old-school British army was bivouacked.

The Strážce cest’s voice said, “It IS you! I am blessed to have lived to see this!”

“The year is 1415. The young British King Henry the Fifth campaigned in Normandy, attempting progress in the interminable Hundred Years' War. Seriously outnumbered, Henry had to recruit locals. This was very difficult as it was treason to take up arms against the French King. This is where our lines crossed.”

The view of the camp changed. It closed in on a regiment of archers and settled on an officer who looked a great deal like my cousin Lee.

She said, “This young officer was Timothy Somerset…”

I said, “Jeb.”

She replied, “Yes, you have a common ancestor, but they were commoners who distinguished themselves in Henry’s service. He recruited our men to stand on the prince’s right as archers. Timothy was knighted that day, and my people were promised their lands perpetually.”

Many years later, we were forced onto ships and ended up in Canada; again, after Le Grand Derangement, we were displaced to Louisiana and, finally, here. Our Pact was broken, but there was a prophecy.”

“I quote - a Paladin will be born of the line of Lord Somerset who will draw men of fire to his side, seal this breach, and usher in a new age of prosperity. There is another part of this prophecy. The seventh son of the seventh son of the seventh son of the house of Boudreaux, our Prince’s house, is the Gift Child. He is very gifted with the sight. Keep him close to your side because, with him there, no knife shall ever find your back or lie reach your ears.”

I just knew it. “The Gift Child is Thibault.”

She laughed and said, “Of course. You couldn’t possibly have missed the connection. You are linked.”

I asked, “You called me a Paladin. What does that mean?”

“This I know: you are a soldier of light. Your entire line has been. You are something new. Something I can’t see yet, but it has the feel of light and great power all about it.”

“I’m still not sure what that means.”

She laughed and said, “There has not been a true Paladin in many ages of men. Evil can not touch you. They are reputed to be highly charismatic, and they can heal injuries of body and mind. You’ve been doing that with every injured boy you’ve collected and put back together. Welcome Timothy Shepherd. We have been waiting for you for a very long time.”

 

Returning to the dark path, I found Thibault dozing on the bench with his head on his elbow. I picked the cute little guy up and cradled him in my arms.

He stretched, opened his eyes, and said, “You’re the one. I’ve known it since we first met.”

“I’ve known you were a sweet little gift since I first met you.”

He giggled and said, “I hate to have to ask you to put me down, but there’s something Mama Francois wants me to show you.”

I followed him down a side trail, and he requested the Maglite. After a few minutes, we came to an old stone building that backed into the side of the mountain.

Thibault pulled a keyring out of a pocket and opened an old but solid wood door reinforced with black iron. I followed him in, and he closed the door behind us and latched it with a solid-sounding thunk.

We went down three long flights of stairs into what were natural caves with a bit of excavation. Beyond the range of the Maglite, the darkness was like a wall.

As we progressed slowly in the dark, Thibault said, “There have been times in our history that all our people could hope to do was hide. When my Great-great-great-great-great-great grandaddy, given a grand or two here and there, decided to settle here, the caves sold him.”

I said, “They’re lava tubes. This is an extinct volcano.”

Thibault said, “We hope it’s extinct. During the Civil War, this part of the country was no man’s land. Neither side was under the solid control of the Confederacy or the Union. Both sides sent bands of raiders into the territory.”

“One highly successful Southern raider arrived here one night, pockets full of loot from a daring train robbery, and attacked the settlement. Legend states that Denton’s Raiders took their loot and fled to South America. The truth is, we buried the whole sorry lot of them on this mountain. Our history taught us another good lesson: sometimes you’ve got to fight.”

He stopped at a door, opened it with a key, and beckoned me to follow him inside. Once inside the door, my Maglite set crates of gold bars off in a dazzling display.

Thibault said, “Mama Francois told me that since we marry our fates together, we are not without a dowry. Now, turn off your torch.”

I did and cast the room into darkness. Thibault put his arms around me and said, “Be still and quiet. I want to show you something.”

I thought, is this kid psychic?

He answered me with his mind: I can touch minds. I can see you when I concentrate. Troy deserves a spanking for what he did this afternoon, even if it was clever.

I thought It seems more than sight.

Mama Francois told me I’ll figure it out better as I mature. Anyway, I can show you stuff. Like this.

I saw Magruder, Bower’s muscle, who I had shot this afternoon, but I saw him with Thibault’s sight. Magruder was a man surrounded by a stormy black and purple aura.

This man was consumed by evil. You saved Troy today because Magruder raped and killed boys before for Bowers, during a war, and just for fun. He was fired as a cop because they knew he killed three boys a few years ago, but he was a cop and knew how to get away with it.

Unbidden, I thought of the man who had sold Troy to Andrew, Richard Grossman!

He is a corrupt man who likes to moonlight for money. I will now show you what I’d like to do for the prince who saved my culture.

Suddenly I had the physical sensation of having my cock being sucked expertly and well. The sensation was so natural my cock instantly went to red alert.

That’s some Jedi mind trick you’ve got.

You deserve it and need it after the day you’ve had.

Can I do anything back for you?

Just think about it.

Thibault squawked and gasped as I thought through the full rigors of baiser de rois. I put my arms around him as he was racked by pleasure. If he could reach into my mind and give me a mental blowjob, I wanted him to be wary of grabbing live wires.

He fainted in my arms.

When he returned to his senses, I cradled him in my arms with his head on my shoulder in the dark.

His breathing finally returned to normal, and he asked, “What was that!? You made me cum all over myself!”

“That’s something special I save for people I love.”

You… love me?

Understand Thibault, there are many kinds of love, but ever since I first met my magical Cajun.

He thought I was born to be by your side. I’ll give you something invaluable if you take me with you tonight.

You’ll have to change first.

Thibault laughed aloud, hugged my neck fiercely, and kissed my cheek.

About that Richard Grossman person… He transmitted the sensation of my balls being licked.

This time, I laughed aloud. Stop that! It’s distracting.

I felt him laughing and was amazed by the experience. You made me cum so hard I fainted, so turnabout is fair play. Oh yeah, you were thinking of calling Agent Ritter. He’s a good one, but his superior is in on it.

In on what?

Troy told you this afternoon, but I don’t think you’ve put it all together. Wherever there are filthy rich people, there are those who make tons of money catering to their most forbidden desires. They will sell them anything they want for money and the chance to compromise them. Think about it. The Feds are uniquely positioned to do just that. Andrew Latham is a case in point. The Feds caught him when he ordered kiddie porn from Europe. Instead of prosecuting him, they used him, a good-looking young man, as their pimp.

Suddenly, all the pieces fit together, and it was a bigger and more ominous picture than my worst nightmares.

I said, “But they made a big mistake when they went after politicians.”

“Exactly,” Thibault answered aloud. So, have I been a good boy?

I hugged him and answered, No. You’ve been an exceptional boy, but you are an old soul. I can feel it. You aren’t really a boy, are you?

Right, but you shouldn’t ask that question.

I know what you are. You’re a Fae, aren’t you?

Thibault sighed. You aren’t supposed to know that, but of course, you do.

I hugged him as I gently put him down. I knew you were a little angel when we first met. I didn’t know exactly how angelic.

You haven’t seen anything yet.

 

I was surprised that a mere forty minutes had elapsed when we returned to the Boudreaux House. Thibault scampered off to change and fetch Troy and Juan.

Remy was sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch. As I approached, he said, “Thibault told me that after Mama Francois acknowledged you, he’s going home with you.”

“I had no idea about any of this.”

He laughed and said, “I’m sure you didn’t. I’d tell you to take care of the little varmint, but I know you will.”

Remy appeared thoughtful, stood, and said, “All these years, I thought I was humoring crazy old folks when they called me the Prince of the Acadians.”

He stood taller, straighter, and more sober than I’d ever seen him. He took my hand, kissed it, and said, “Forms must be respected. I am Remy Boudreau, Prince of the Acadians, and my people and I are at your service, my Prince.”

I hugged him and said, “Your value as a friend with uncommon sense is greater than most could reasonably ask for.”

 

xv.

Thibault put a duffle in the extra part of my truck cab, pulled down the jump seat, and buckled in. Juan got in the middle of the front seat, and Troy got the window.

I pulled away and started the bumpy route off the mountain.

Troy regarded Thibault, “So, are you going to be living with us?”

He answered, “Tim and my oldest brother Remy are tight. I’m little for my age, so I’ll get a checkup with Dr. Chang.”

The three boys bumped their knuckles, and Juan said, “You’ll like Dr. Chang. He’s cool. If you don’t snore or fart too much, my brother Walt and I have an empty bed in our room.”

Thibault said, “Cool.” I’m going to have a little fun.

Be nice, I warned. This was going to take some getting used to.

Trust me.

Juan said, “You’re lucky. We’re having a ceremony tonight to welcome all the new people and recognize the blue team.”

Troy asked, “I’ve heard a lot about the teams. What’s that about?”

“The Green Team is the Game Zone, the Blue Team takes care of our parks, and the Red Team installs telephone systems. You start at the Game Zone and learn some, move up, work in the parks, and learn some more. You can join the Red Team and make real money when you are ready.”

Troy said, “Cool!”

Juan said, “I’m excited about the ceremony. My first one was this past weekend at a place called Arrowhead Lodge. It was so cool; we all wore Speedo and got laid! Uhh… oops.”

I said, “Having fun with your buds isn’t against the rules. The way we test everybody makes it safe.”

“Tim told me you can smoke a little bud, but only after nine, and nothing harder,” Troy said.

“That’s smart,” Juan replied. “If I’d had to quit cold turkey, I’d have climbed the walls. The man who had us kept us stoned on different shit all the time. Now and then is cool, but high every day is bad news. I like you, Troy. Damn! Why did I say that?”

Troy said, “It’s cool, bro. I like all of Tim’s guys. And Tim! look at him. I had a wet dream about him. Damnit! Why did I say that?”

By now, everyone was laughing.

I chuckled and said, “I believe you boys smoked a little Boudreaux bud and are having an outbreak of Freudian Slips.”

Juan asked, “What’s a Freudian slip?”

I said, “The short answer is that you accidentally say what’s really on your mind.”

Juan blushed so brightly I could hear it. He said, “Troy is adorable.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Juan. Tim, did you hook us up?”

“Maybe I put you together because of your background. Y’all talked on the way about some of the bad stuff you went through, so you’ve got common ground. Troy mentioned his first boyfriend was Hispanic.”

Troy protested, “Tim!”

I said with a shrug, “Hispanic guys are hot, and as kids, they don’t get any cuter. I was delighted to scoop up Juan.”

Juan said, “Tim almost gave me a blow job.”

“No way,” Troy and Thibault crowed.

I said, “When we met Juan, he and his brothers were high on E.”

“I had that once,” Troy commented. “It makes you stupid horny. So how did you almost blow Juan?”

“Because I was so horny, it was a mercy,” Juan laughed.

“Chris and I flipped a coin, and I lost. The poor boy was hurting.”

Juan said, “Tim is cool and takes good care of us. He doesn’t care what color you are. Most of the kids are white, but there are three black kids, two Asians, and me. If you don’t think a black guy can be hot, take a shower with James or Marcus. I dare you. Unless you’re dead, they’ll give you a boner.”

I said, “The Chang twins are cute now, but give them a few years. They’re your age, Thibault.”

Thibault yawned and said, “Cool. We’re getting close to town. Where are we going?”

“Super K. I’ve got to see someone there, and I’m going to let you do some shopping.”

Troy and Juan continued their flirtatious banter, and I heard Thibault: You’re going to see Mr. Carter about what happens there on Saturdays, aren’t you?

“Yes.

“This is what is really going on there…”

Suddenly, I saw it and thought, Have I told you what a sweet little gift you are?

 

We arrived at Super-K later than usual, but it was a 24-hour operation. Three excited boys with hundred-dollar bills were off to do a little shopping and a warning not to linger in the blue light special aisle.

Speaking to a clerk, I asked for Mr. Carter and was ushered upstairs to the security office. He was sitting in a chair, looking at monitors.

He looked up and said, “Hi, Tim. Thanks for coming by.”

I said, “Sorry I was so late. I’ve been thinking about your problem and think I know what’s happening and why.”

Carter said, “Why is the day shift not seeing a thing? Whoever is doing that is the creep dropping C-notes on underaged boys to do the nasty.”

“Call your relief,” I said. “I think someone has added a little something to your CATV network. If you can let me see your wiring access room, I can tell you for sure.”

He did as I suggested and opened the access room. I found it in three minutes. Someone had unobtrusively added a VCR to the coaxial cable network that ran the security cameras.

I said, “This is my theory. Someone is bribed. At the appropriate times, they turn this on. I’m pretty sure the tape is a continuous loop. Whoever put it here is controlling it with a remote, so your rat has a VCR remote.”

Carter looked at the renegade hardware. It was dusty, but not nearly as dusty as its surroundings. “I figured it was something like this. You really know these systems. OK, my rat and the creep are in cahoots. This was here before I even came on board. How do we burn them?”

“Unplug the VCR early Saturday morning, and you’ll see what’s happening. I think he’s using a remote to turn it on. Your rat might finger himself if he notices it’s not working and tries to troubleshoot the problem.”

Carter said, “I like it. It’s smooth. I have contacts with the city and sheriff's office, and I’ll see about setting up a little sting.”

“When you talk to the Sheriff, ask for Detective Hooper. I think there’s another part of this in the restroom itself. Can we get to the spaces above it?”

Carter said, “Yes, there’s a catwalk. Follow me.”

He led me through the upper floor spaces. Much was devoted to storage, but some catwalks went back to just above the loading dock.

As we approached the space above the restroom, Carter turned on his flashlight and said, “People rarely have any reason to come this far back. Look, the dust has been disturbed.”

Footsteps and smudges were in the dust back and forth to the back wall, where there was an access hatch and ladder down to the loading dock. One of the big squares of insulation had been disturbed.

I picked it up, and Carter shined the flashlight onto a VCR with wires that seemed to be plugged into the particle board of the ceiling below.

“I was afraid of this. They’ve been taping what’s going on. The way this is wired, those are motion-activated cameras. Whenever someone is down there, they tape it.”

Carter said, “This is sick, man. They’re recording people taking a dump?”

“Oh, sure. The video they’re getting has plenty of that. They want to catch people hooking up down there for any number of motives. Because kids are involved, I suggested you request Detective Hooper from the SO. Yarborough or Monroe from the city are competent and will work with you. When this goes down, have a judge on speed dial so you can get quick warrants. If they’re keeping those tapes, it will hang them.”

Carter laughed and said, “Damn. I’m going to bring popcorn for this.”

“Keep your eyes open for someone with a VCR remote. He’s your rat.”

Carter turned off the flashlight, and I suggested, “This looks like the other setup down to the same brand VCR. I think they probably control it by remote, too. You could power it down, and he might find a blank tape and think he just screwed up. I wouldn’t bother it until the detectives see it and document the chain of custody.”

Carter burst into laughter.

I shrugged and asked, “What?”

He likes your style, Tim.

Hush Thibault.

Bow-chic-a-wow-wow.

You little perv.

He-he-he!

I disguised an outburst of laughter as a sneeze at the dust.

He shook his head and said, “You don’t know? OK, Mr. Shepherd. You are the smartest man I’ve ever met and...” He paused for a beat. “You are taking care of our own. I would welcome the chance to work more closely with you.”

Oh, he likes you, Tim.

After a friendly pat on his arm, I said, “Let’s get this little goat rope done, put a notch in your gun, and we’ll go from there. I could use you to rest my professional security guys. What’s your name, Carter?”

“Andrew Jackson Carter, sir.”

I said, “Now there’s a name for a true son of the South. Andy or Jacky?”

“AJ,” he said, grinning. “The only difference between my cousin and I is that I joined the army and have been smart enough to be careful. This is going to be fun.”

We returned to the security office, and I asked for a pen and paper. I wrote the AIDS clinic's name, address, and phone number in Atlanta and gave it to AJ.

“Tell your cousin to go to this clinic and tell them I sent him. They use new drugs fast-tracked by the FDA and should give him a fighting chance.”

After an appropriately manly handshake, I headed back downstairs.

Now he loves you. You’re good at this, Tim.

Thanks, Thibault. We work well together. Where are you from? I seem to detect a bit of English in your accent.

I was a wee English laddie from the midlands who was raped, stabbed, and left for dead until the Fae found me. I was and still am a very good boy, so they allowed me to work with you to protect other boys from harm.

I’m sorry it worked that way. I’m grateful to have you. You already know I love you.

I saw hearts and ponies.

 

I caught up with my boys and spoiled them by adding a few choice items to their bags and helping them with the overage at check out. On the way to the truck, the boys pranced around me like three happy pups. After a stop at Arby’s drive-through for a snack, we beat the night shift back from the Game Zone by almost forty-five minutes.

Thibault and Troy moved in with Juan and Walt, and I admonished Thibault, remember to play gently. They are just boys.

Of course. We’ll have fun, and I won’t allow any harm to come to them.

Good boy. Very good boy.

 

xvi.

The sunroom was crowded for my reading that night. Everyone from Lakewood was here tonight in full regalia: Speedo. Ceremonies were events no one wanted to miss. Thibault’s Gift would make tonight’s ceremony the best yet.

Thibault was greeted warmly by the boys who had met him on driving lessons. He was crowded on the couch with Brian, Grant, Kevin, and Lance. Their little brothers, Billy, Tracy, Marcus, Mihn, and Sang, were sprawled untidily on the floor around them.

All over the room, there were little clumps. Across from that lump were Brandon, Hunter, Stevie, Toby, Cole, Franz, Kenny, and a few more behind them I couldn’t see.

I discovered another wonderful gift Thibault bestowed when I began reading: I could transmit emotion. I concentrated on extending my warmth, welcome, and love the whole time I read.

The link worked both ways. I could feel their emotions and had to avoid getting overloaded.

I finished in under twenty minutes, closed the book, and said, “Everybody has to be up, so let’s start with a tornado drill to the basement. Take care of your bros who don’t know the way yet.”

Brandon started the train, and everybody followed. Thibault was in the crowd with his new buddies, and I took up the end. In three minutes, I was closing the access hatch in Brandon and Barry’s closet and headed down.

Once downstairs, I gathered the Blue team in a clump and said, “Listen up! When I’m proud of my boys, I say so. I’ve been very pleased with Phillip and the work you guys are doing. Every day, we see more people in the park. Oh sure, a lot of them are there for a glance at our sexy lifeguards, but I’m happy with their work.” I started clapping, and the rest of the group joined in, cheering and patting Phillip on the back.

Phillip said, “Who says they are just looking at our lifeguards?”

While everyone was clapping and hooting, I gave Phillip a big hug. While holding him, Thibault helped me; I’m so proud of you. When I released him, there was surprise in his eyes, and I handed him off to Frank for one of his hugs.

Bobby Knight was next, and I quickly worked my way through the Blue Team, including their new guys. As they moved along, everyone in the basement hugged them.

Once I worked through the Blue Team, I spoke up over the murmur, “New people who have joined us since our last ceremony, come over here!”

As luck would have it, Stevie was the closest, so I picked him up and said, “Shame on you for hiding this little treasure, Todd.”

Stevie beamed at the attention, and Todd said, “He’s not so sweet after he’s had onions.”

I put Stevie down, grabbed Mark Polk in a hug, and said, “Mark here humbled all us jocks by snapping off a couple of hundred chin-ups and barely broke a sweat.”

Ray said, “He worked out with the team today and humbled us. Mark is the fittest person I’ve ever seen. I think he’s our team mascot now.”

I pulled them both into a hug and, with Thibault’s help, I spoke to them: I love my bunnies!”

When I broke the hug, they were blushing and smiling.

I worked through Jimmy Singleton, Hunter & Franz Schmit, Colt Bryant, Justin Warren, Howie Garner, and finally, Nix and Tuck.

“I often call you guys my baby boys, but these two actually are. They are my close friend Jonah’s sons, and I’ve… changed their diapers.”

There was a hoot of laughter, and I added a serious note, “When I found out they were partying with Andrew, I wanted to strangle him. They fell into the same trap that many of you did. I love my two nephews and encourage you to get to know them. They’re both a lot of fun.”

Engulfing Tuck and Nix in a big hug as the other boys clapped and hooted, with Thibault’s help, I sent them a message: you’ve no reason to doubt my love for you but behave, or I’ll have to spank you. Or maybe not. You seem to like it too much.

They both laughed, and I turned them into the reception line, where they were hugged, kissed, and groped.

Not waiting, Brady grabbed me in a hug. He had tears in his eyes, but he was smiling. I stroked his hair and said, “I’m glad you are with us, too. Rory, do you think you can handle another little brother?”

He came close and said, “I was expecting it. You give me all the cute redheads. Hi Brady.”

Last was Troy, who had tears streaming down his cheeks. Before I could say anything, he grabbed me in a desperate hug and said, “Tim saved my life today. Bobby Bowers and his goon were going to kill me. I was so scared, I told Tim he was going to kill us both. Tim just said No, he’s not and shot them both between the eyes so fast I only heard one shot. I’ve been scared for so long… I’m so happy here.” That’s all he could get out before the sobs took him.

I picked him up and let him sob into my shoulder, and I gently asked, “Troy, is it all right to tell your brothers what happened to you?”

He sniffed and nodded.

“Back around Halloween, an assassin broke into Troy’s home and murdered his mother and father with a silenced pistol. When I talked to the cops, they said it was a professional job because his dad uncovered a Columbian drug lord's money laundering scheme. The hit man used secret alarm code overrides to get into the house. After the assassin had killed his parents, he went to kill Troy. Instead of killing him, he raped Troy and took him with him. He kept Troy until Christmas when he sold him to a man who spent a few days raping him and brought him here and sold him to Andrew. Andrew sold him to that pig Bowers and faked papers for his custody. Andrew used this cute little guy to lure many of you to his parties. Troy thinks he’s a piece of shit for doing that, but he had no choice. Bower’s goon kept him terrified that if he got out of line, he would be killed and dumped into a shallow grave. Well, he got out of line today. Bowers forbade him from coming anywhere near me, but we met at Jonah’s trailer, and he decided to trust me. On the way back home from Dr. Chang’s, Bowers spotted us. I tried to give him the slip by going off-road at Baker’s Pond on Holly Ridge Road, but Bowers figured it out and came after us. Bowers and his pet goon will never bother anyone again.”

“Troy doesn’t think much of himself because of everything that has happened to him, but I think he’s extra special. He was smart and brave enough to survive. I want everybody here to give an extra special welcome to our newest brother.”

I put Troy down and, with Thibault’s help, looked him in the eye and thought I shot that pig-eyed fool because he interrupted what was shaping up to be a great blow job. Have no fear. I will never bail on you.

Troy's eyebrows rose in surprise. He had gotten my message, and I heard back. Wait till next time, stud.

My boys did what they always do. They hugged Troy within an inch of his life and warmly welcomed him. Speedos were stretched within an inch of their life.

Once the Blue team and our new boys had been welcomed, I invited them to do whatever they wanted. The sauna was warm, the hot tubs were running, there were new wrestling mats, and, of course, they could join the harem, which the entire Red and Blue teams did.

I spent time with all of them. I massaged the sore muscles of my football players in the sauna. I had an incredibly sexy wrestling bout with Bobby Knight. I sat in the garage hot tub with Randy and his new little brother, Troy. Bart and I gave Sean a very special induction into the harem.

People began to retreat upstairs. It was late, and we had things to do in the morning. I was the last to go upstairs but found little Kenny Phillips curled on one of the beds.

I picked him up, with his arms around my neck, and legs around my torso. He was mainly asleep, and Thibault helped me see his dream. I was in it, and he was sucking my cock.

Thibault said you can appear to him in his dream.

I can?

Suddenly I was in my room, where I was sleeping, and the horny little pup was chowing down on my cock.

I said, “So, you’ve heard about the loophole.”

Kenny started, and I said, “Relax, sweety. It’s just a dream. You can do what you want.”

Kenny left my sleeping body on the bed and came to me. I’m sorry. I thought if I pleased you, you’d never send me away.

You do please me, and I’ll never send you away.

If this is a dream, can we do it?

Yes, Kenny, we can.

Kenny woke in my arms a few moments later as I turned off lights and closed doors and said, “Gah! I had a wet dream.”

Carrying him, I said, “I noticed. I hope it was a good one.”

He whispered with a giggle, “You were in it. You gave me an awesome blowjob!”

I kissed his head and asked, “Did you and Doug have a quickie at the Game Zone this afternoon?”

He giggled, and I said, “Good for you. We share something.”

“We do?”

“I like redheads, too. If he weren’t so young, I’d have a Dougie snack. Give him a few years, and he will be even hotter.”

Kenny giggled and said, “He’s fun. We kissed a lot, and I liked it.”

“I’m happy for you. Now, let’s go to bed.”

Kenny had me put him down so he could run to the bathroom and clean up. When he returned, I picked him up and carried him upstairs.

On the way upstairs, Kenny, the cute little bundle I was carrying, returned to sleep. Heading to Cole’s room, there was a sock on the doorknob, and it was apparent, even over the noisy radio, that a vigorous and spirited game of hide the salami was underway inside. Thibault said, Uhm… No can do, Timmy. Cole is plowing Rich Kelly into nirvana in there. Toby is getting plowed by Leo in his studio, and yes, they’re both wearing condoms.

I had an idea, and I knew Thibault could see it.

To Toby, we sent the sensation of receiving a five-star blow job, and to Cole, the sensation of a spectacular rimming.

Both boys came noisily. I could briefly hear Toby from his studio down the hall.

Looking into my room, I saw that the king-sized bed was too crowded for two more. Frank, Patrick, Clay, Rory, Brady, and Jacob were sound asleep, sprawled and cuddling.

I gently put Kenny down beside Frank, so my fellow connoisseur of redheads would wake up in heaven.

I had slept in the sunroom before.

In the light coming from outside, I could see Eddie Taylor, Rusty Bowers, and Justin Warren in a heap on one of the couches.

On another couch, Eddie Benardi was lying on his side.

I almost sat on Colt Bryant, who was curled up in my recliner. Picking him up gently, I laid him across a big pillow I dragged into my lap.

After changing positions to get more comfortable, Colt put his head on my bicep, and we both went to sleep.