Camp Refuge - 20. Elias

June 12 (Tuesday, 9:45 p.m.)

Danny stepped inside, his eyes on Elias as if he were looking at a possession. His mouth curled into a smile.

"Honey, I'm gonna freshen up. You've been asking about Elias, so you guys catch up!" His mom disappeared into the bathroom.

'I can't. Not again.' Elias wet his lips. He held the plate and the jar in his hands. They still shook.

Danny stepped forward and looked at the trembling boy. "Are you cold?" His smile devolved into a leer. "After I'm done with your mom, I think I can probably warm you up."

He reached for Elias who stepped back out of reach. "No." His eyes were big, filled with fear. "Don't. Don't touch me ever again."

Danny's gaze flicked toward the bathroom, ensuring the door was still closed. He turned back to Elias. "We both know you're a faggot. You fucking love it, don't pretend you don't." He sneered, his voice dropping to a low growl. "I'm doing you a favor, giving it to you." He stepped close to the shaking young man and gripped Elias's shoulder, holding him in place, while his other grabbed the cringing boy's crotch.

'Never again.'

Elias' eyes went wild, and he swung the jar at Danny. His assailant was surprised and the glass impacted the side of his head. It made a hollow, thudding sound, and Danny staggered back. Elias took the plate in both hands and raised it above his head.

"You little piece of shit!" Danny snarled. He lunged forward, and his hands went around Elias' throat. The man squeezed, but Elias rode the wave of adrenaline and brought the thick ceramic dish down on Danny's skull with all the force he could muster.

It broke, and Danny crumpled. He bled profusely from a couple of long gashes; there was a nasty cut with a bruise already forming on his right cheekbone from the jar. Elias stared wide-eyed down at his groaning form on the floor.

"What's going on out there?!" The voice from the bathroom jolted Elias into action.

He ran.

Elias fled outside and down the stairs. It was starting to rain, but that didn't register at all to him in his terrified state.

'Away. Away.' He looked frantically around. It was dark, wet, and his eyes landed on a cluster of bushes nearby. It was a spot where he had liked to hide when he had known Danny was coming. He crawled underneath into a tiny space where only a kid his size would fit. He lay there and listened as his mother called out his name. She sounded almost panicked and definitely angry.

'Not worried about me. Worried about Danny.' Elias shed silent tears and rubbed his neck.

Eventually, she disappeared back into the apartment. Elias lay under the bush and tried not to cough, desperate to be silent. His throat hurt now that the adrenaline had ebbed, and he was exhausted. He was dressed only in a t-shirt, pants, and sneakers, so he crossed his arms over his chest and lay in the dirt under the foliage. He thought of Orson and the camp and tried not to cry anymore.

After an hour he dropped off to a dismal, shivering sleep.

⇔

June 13 (Wednesday, 9:15 a.m.)

He waited until his mom left the apartment, then crawled out from his hiding spot. Danny wasn't with her, so that meant the man was still inside. Elias looked up at the bathroom window - the only one in their apartment bordering that side of the building. No face was there watching for him. He quickly got himself out of the parking lot and almost ran toward the main road out of town.

After gaining some distance from the apartment, Elias began to walk. He knew the way to Hiouchi and the campground, though it was a long way to go on foot. He didn't have a choice.

After he had walked for an hour, an old, rusted, multi-colored truck came to a halt on the road beside him, outside of the city as he headed north on the highway. The vehicle had stopped even though Elias wasn't trying to flag anybody down.

"Son, do you need help?" The man looked at him as he spoke, his eyes lingering on the bruises on Elias' neck, and on his filthy clothes.

Elias shook his head. "I just need to get to Hiouchi." He looked hopefully at the middle-aged fellow. "Are you going that way?" It was still wet and raining, and water dripped off of his nose. He shivered in his cold, muddy, wet clothes.

The man had an expression that said he didn't quite believe what Elias told him, but he nodded. "I am now." He jerked with his head. "Get on in. I'll get you there."

The man revealed his name as Gary. He eyed the boy as he shivered on the passenger side of the truck cab. Elias was watchful and noticed but kept quiet.

"Son, do you have someone in Hiouchi to look after you?" They came to a stop at a light for one-way traffic in a construction zone. Gary turned kind eyes on him and shook his head. "I can't just leave you somewhere without knowing if you're going to be alright. If you want, I can call the police, and…"

"No," Elias answered quickly. He licked his lips as they waited on the light. "Please, no police." He remembered how much Danny was bleeding last night and was sure his mom had called the police to report him. "I have someone at the campground near Hiouchi. I just need to get there."

Gary took one more moment then looked back to the road. The light turned, and the line of cars started through it. He followed along behind. "Okay. Do you want me to take you straight to the campground, then? This rain isn't letting up, and you don't have to walk through it if you don't want to."

It was rare for kindness to appear in Elias' world, and he suddenly felt suspicious. "No. Hiouchi is fine."

Elias put his elbow against the sill of the door window and looked out at the world as it went past. 'I hope Orson wants me there.' His eyes stung as he thought about what he'd do if he didn't.

Either Orson would, or Elias had no options.

⇔

June 13 (Wednesday, 9:22 a.m.)

Jeremy smiled at the client across from him. The woman had run into some hard times and now needed another living situation. Couch-surfing with friends was quickly wearing down her social connections, and her mental health.

"Okay, Rachel. Here are some options for low-cost apartments. Some of these have agreements with the city for even lower rents for folks in your situation." He slid the paper across the desk to the eager woman. "Since you still have a job, I think we can…"

A knock interrupted him, eliciting a frown from Jeremy. The other clinic staff knew better than to disturb him during client visits unless it was a severe issue. "I'm so sorry for the interruption. Excuse me, Rachel."

Jeremy stood and walked around the desk to the door. He opened it to find one of the front desk ladies.

"Jeremy, sorry to interrupt," she whispered, her voice urgent.

He stepped into the hall closing the office door behind him. "What's going on?"

She looked at him and bit her lip. "There's a lady out in the waiting room, and she's wondering if you’ve seen her son. A little boy named Elias? I think he's in your program."

Jeremy felt his blood run cold. Out of all of his kids, he worried the most about Elias. "I'll be right there. We'll probably have to cancel my next appointment, okay? Can you handle that?"

She nodded. "Yes, your 9:30 is already here, but I'll let him know we had something come up. If you have openings later today, I'll push him into one of those."

"Great, thank you."

She left, and Jeremy poked his head back into his office. "Rachel, I'm sorry, but I've had something come up. I'm going to cut this a tiny bit short. Let me know if you run into problems, and we'll sort them out."

His client left with her paperwork and Jeremy quickly walked to the waiting room.

With a grim expression, he opened the door.

⇔

June 13 (Wednesday, 9:50 a.m.)

"Orson?" A knock on his door and Greg's voice brought Orson's head up. He was at his little desk, looking through options for distance learning programs through the connection on his phone.

"Come in." He turned so he faced the door. It opened to reveal Greg, Clay, and Mason there, and all looked as if they bore terrible news.

"What… what's going on?" Orson frowned and stood up, balancing with one hand on the desk. He reached for his crutches which leaned against the wall.

Clay stepped forward. "Hey, Jeremy called us." Orson could see he was nervous. "Buddy, it looks like Elias has run away. His mom went by the clinic, and she told Jeremy that he went crazy and attacked her boyfriend. Then he ran off."

Orson made a face of disbelief. "What?!" He shook his head. "No, he'd nev-" A shiver went down his spine, and his skin broke out in goosebumps. His eyes went cold as he stared at Clay. "Is the boyfriend named Danny?"

Greg made a face. "Yeah. How'd you know th-"

"That. Mother. Fucker." Orson's eyes lit with a pure rage. "I'll fucking kill him. I'll KILL HIM!" He started for the door. "I need the keys to the truck. Now." Orson hadn't told a single person what Elias had revealed to him. The boy had told him Danny was no longer in the picture, but it sounded like mom had decided to start back up with him. Despite Orson’s best attempt, Elias had refused to speak more about it. It was just too painful for the boy.

"Orson! What's wrong?" Clay stood in his way and shook his head. "We can't let you go into town after you threaten to kill a man!"

Orson couldn't make himself calm. "He probably raped Elias! I think that he did it before, and it probably happened again, because I couldn't…" he felt a crushing guilt come over himself, "I couldn't convince Elias to tell me more about him." He shook his head, and his face screwed up. "I should have tried harder."

All of the men in the cabin straightened and looked at one another. Child abuse was the foulest of all the things a man could do, and sexually abusing a kid was the foulest version of that.

"Not your fault." Greg put a hand on Orson's back. He narrowed his eyes. "Jeremy called here because he thought Elias might try to make it to us." He made a sound of epiphany. "And that's why mom didn't call the cops. Boyfriend probably told her not to. Afraid the truth would come out." He shook his head. "That means Elias is out there."

Orson wiped his face. "We need to find him."

"Okay, that is something we can agree on." Clay jerked his head out the door. "I'm gonna take the van, guys. One of us needs to stay back and watch camp. He might show up while we're out looking, and we shouldn't leave the place unmanned anyway."

Mason nodded. "I'll stay." He looked at the men. "I'm probably the least threatening to him - apart from Orson."

"Okay." Orson was determined. "Let's go."

The guys walked through the rain, which had picked up. It was now a downpour, and they were nearly drenched in just the short walk to the van.

Mason waved from the sheltered space on the patio, and the men turned west on the road, toward the town.

"He'd be coming from Crescent City," Orson said from the second-row bench seat. He picked the center of the seat so that he could see out of the windshield. He was obviously worried. "I hope he's okay."

Greg looked over his shoulder from the passenger seat. "We'll find him, Orson." He tried to be reassuring.

Orson swallowed, his jaw working nervously.

They saw the sign for Hiouchi and entered the little town. They drove past the Hiouchi Market, and Orson turned to look at the place. His eyes widened. "STOP!"

Clay immediately pulled off of the road. Orson threw open the side door of the van, and now all of them could see a wet, bedraggled teenager who stood under the protection of the Hiouchi Market's porch.

Elias saw them and ran to the van through the rain. Wordlessly, he leaped into the vehicle and into Orson's arms. The black-haired man leaned back as he held the boy. Elias had his face against Orson's chest, clinging to him.

"We should go to the hospital." Clay began. "He'll need to be checked…"

"No!" Elias pleaded. "Please, no. I just want to go to the campground, please."

Greg took a moment, then sighed. "Clay, take us home."

Orson held onto Elias as he shivered.

"I've got you, Elias." He looked down at him as Clay turned the van around and they started for the campground. That's when he noticed the bruises. He set his jaw as he felt his red-hot rage replace relief and looked up.

Greg caught the glance and saw the bruising. The men's eyes met. Greg only nodded once at him, and Orson knew they would need to deal with this - one way or another.

"I've got you."

Elias felt so much relief. He was so stressed and on edge that he had forgotten what it was like to relax. Once Elias was in the van and in Orson's arms, his brain released his worry. As soon as that happened, he tumbled headlong into sleep.

He was exhausted. He had only caught bits of sleep last night, and now that he wasn't on the run, Elias' body forced him to rest.

⇔

June 13 (Wednesday, 10:15 a.m.)

"Guys, he's completely out." Orson spoke quietly as they stopped. They were back home, and Clay looked over his shoulder at the two of them.

Elias was asleep and curled up into Orson. Clay shook his head. "Wow. We probably should have taken him to the hospital." He opened his door and stepped out into the continuing rain. Mason met him there as soon as he did.

"Did you guys…" He saw Elias in Orson's lap, and his face went slack. "Is he okay?"

Orson clenched his teeth. "We need to make sure. Someone hurt him."

Mason nodded grimly.

Clay walked around and leaned over. "I'll take him." Orson looked at Clay, and the big man could tell he didn't want to give up this duty. "Orson, man… you can't carry him." He motioned toward Orson's cabin. "I'm gonna take him to your place. Meet me over there."

Obviously unhappy with his handicap, Orson leaned back so Clay could get to the limp teen. Clay took Elias as gently as he could. 'Hell, he weighs almost nothing.' Mason shielded the sleeping boy with his jacket as they walked over. Orson followed, and they entered. Clay carefully laid him on the futon.

"Okay." Clay looked at Orson. "Do you think you can manage to get him out of his wet clothes? I don't think he'd want any of us but you to do it."

The black-haired man nodded. "I can do it."

Greg stepped toward the door. "I'll get a couple of extra blankets for him."

"I've got some boxers that are a little tight on me. They might fit him." Mason followed Greg outside.

Clay put a hand on Orson's shoulder. "Save his clothes. Especially his underwear. If this Danny…"

Orson looked down at Elias. "I know the procedure for rape cases." He said it quietly, but Clay could hear the unmistakable undercurrent of loathing and anger in his voice. Orson glanced back up at Clay. "But, thanks." He shook his head. "Sorry… not upset with you."

"I know, brother." Clay patted Orson's back. "I'm glad you're here for him."

Orson managed a sad smile. "Me too."

Mason and Greg returned. After they had delivered their items, Clay ushered the two out of the door. "Okay. Take care of Elias. Let him sleep as long as he can. Then when he wakes up, you know what to do." It was implied in Clay’s words that Orson would have to begin an important line of questioning for the boy. Orson was probably the only one among them who had a chance of getting responses from Elias, and they all knew it. "Depending on his answers, we might have to take him in for an exam."

Orson nodded. "I've got it." Clay turned to leave, but Orson put his hand on Clay's shoulder. The big man looked at him.

"Thanks, Clay." Orson's eyes welled with tears, and he looked down at Elias. "I don't know why this is hitting me so hard, but I need for this kid to be okay."

Clay smiled. "Well, of course. He chose you, and it's your job now." He stepped outside into the rain and looked affectionately at Orson. "There's nobody better for the work." Then he walked away, secure in the knowledge that Elias was in good hands.

⇔

June 13 (Wednesday, 3:18 p.m.)

Elias was in a fuzzy sort of daze. He was comfortable, he felt clean, warm, and protected. Piece by piece, his body allowed his mind to function again and released him from sleep.

He blinked. It was daylight, and though the curtains were drawn in the cabin, there was still plenty of illumination from the natural light. He could smell both the scent of the recent rain, and the faint, yet distinct smell he had come to associate with Orson.

He realized the man lay behind him. Orson was on top of the blankets while Elias was beneath. A single arm was draped protectively over Elias' chest.

Elias rubbed his face, and Orson shifted. "Hey." Orson got up on an elbow and looked down at him. "How are you doing, Elias?"

The boy lay there and nodded. "I'm okay. Now I'm okay." He curled up a little by pulling up his knees and hunching forward. "Don't make me go back."

Orson rubbed his back. "We're going to do everything we can to make sure you're safe. Okay?" Orson sighed. "There may be nothing we can do about your going back to your mom. Not unless you can help us."

Elias rolled onto his back and looked up at Orson. "What do I have to do?"

The black-haired man gazed down at him. "I'm gonna ask about how you got hurt. And if he did… if he did anything else to you." He bit his lip. "I'm assuming the bruises on your neck are from Danny?"

Elias nodded, though his face betrayed his reluctance to discuss what had happened.

Orson's expression was understanding, but he persisted. "Elias, I need you to trust that I'm going to help you." His brown eyes were so earnest as he looked at the boy. "Will you trust me?"

Elias hesitated. "If I tell you, then the police might take me away."

Orson frowned a little. "Why? I mean, as soon as you’re reported missing we’ll have to inform the police, but they won’t haul you to jail.”

Elias made a face. "They will. I... I hurt Danny."

Orson's did something Elias didn't expect. The man smiled, the expression genuine and intense. "Elias, did you hurt Danny because he was trying to hurt you?"

The boy nodded.

Orson looked very satisfied. "Good. That's self-defense, and that's okay." He patted Elias' back and pushed up to a seated position. Elias did the same, and they sat beside one another on the couch.

He started again. "Will you answer all my questions? No matter what, I'm going to do my absolute best to make sure that Danny never hurts you, or anybody else again." He stared into Elias' eyes. "Okay?"

Elias took a deep breath, and he looked down at his hands in his lap. As he did, Orson reached over, and he took one of them into his own. "I'm right here, and I'm not gonna go anywhere," Orson said softly.

The boy took one more look into Orson's eyes. In them he found what he needed, and he finally nodded. "Okay."

Orson began.

⇔

June 13 (Wednesday, 8:37 p.m.)

Danny was not having a good day. He looked into the bathroom mirror and pulled back the flap of skin to look at the wound beneath. He hissed from the pain and glared at the injury. "Fucking little faggot." He put some Bactine on a q-tip, and he gently dabbed the stuff into the cut.

He had two nasty cuts on his face and a raised, bruised lump on his cheek. The skin on that lump had split open. Now it looked angry and was definitely painful. Additionally, there was a goose-egg on his head which was obvious to even a casual observer.

"I'm gonna fuck that boy up." He grimaced at the mirror.

Danny had suffered concussions in the past, and the way his head throbbed made him think that maybe the skinny Elias had given him yet another.

He frowned and lay on his filthy couch. "I'll fuck him up, as soon as I take a nap." With a grumble, Danny went to sleep.

⇔

June 13, 2018 (Wednesday, 9:41 PM)

"Clay, why are you going to town tonight?" Greg's arms were folded over his chest; he had walked up behind his lover as Clay quietly opened the door to his van. It was around the time they'd be getting ready for bed, but Clay had said he had to go into town, and never gave a reason why. Something in his tone had set off Greg's alarms, and he stepped over to see a black, knit mask and gloves in the passenger seat.

Sighing, Clay turned. "Just let me handle this." He got up into the driver's seat and shut the door. Greg continued to stand there beside the van, and Clay rolled down the window. "The less you know the better. I'll keep you all out of it." He put the van into drive, but Greg gently lay a hand on Clay's arm.

"Partner, look, you can't do this." Greg smiled with understanding and sadness. "We have to trust in the process here, okay? You can't do this. He's probably not at Elias' place anymore anyway."

Clay's Adam's apple moved as he swallowed. "I can't let this happen again. It'd kill Orson." He tried to hold them back, but tears began to fall. "I can't fail him again."

Greg felt a cool flood of understanding. "Clay, no. No, no." He reached and put the van back in park, then opened the door. "No, you have never failed him." Greg hugged him close, and Clay squeezed hard. "You couldn't have prevented what happened to Orson back in Alabama, okay? You have to stop, you have to let that go."

Clay silently cried there in his arms, and Greg spoke as he held him. "Hey. Hey, I did a little digging on Danny. I found something. You wanna hear it?"

Wiping his eyes, Clay leaned back and nodded. "Okay."

"Well, it turns out he's already wanted for violation of parole." Greg grinned and took a little folded piece of paper out of his pocket. "And thanks to Elias, I've got the bastard's new address."

⇔

June 13 (Wednesday, 11:12 p.m.)

"Police! Open the door!"

Danny blinked. He sat up, his head swimming with pain and dizziness. A loud knock came from the door. "Police! Open up!"

He stood. "Hang on! Fuck." He shook his head and immediately regretted that decision, barely stifling a groan of pain.

Danny opened the door. There were five officers out on his landing, and all looked deadly serious. The one in front frowned and looked at his battered face.

"What?" He glared at them. "Why the fuck are you here?"

The cop in the lead seemed to recover. "Daniel James?"

He wasn't thinking clearly and responded. "Yeah? Why. Are. You. Heeere?" Not a charmer, even on a good day, Danny sneered at them.

"You're under arrest for violation of your probation." The man took out a pair of handcuffs. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

It was all too convenient; the interaction with Elias, and then the law catching up to him for his probation violation. "What?!" He jerked his hand away as the officer reached for him. That was the moment it all went wrong for Danny.

The police officers piled in and soon had him under control. He was cuffed, and the rest of his rights were read to him.

"Fuck this!" He turned his head over each shoulder to spit insults at the cops. The policemen all had either a look of anger or amusement on their faces - some a mix of both. Finally, he was led from his apartment, and down to the awaiting patrol car. In the reflection of the glass in the door, he saw the condition of his face again.

He was tossed into the back seat. "I was assaulted!" Danny leaned forward and screamed. "I WAS ASSAULTED! God damn it, you fucking pigs! I know you're here because of him, and that little prick assaulted me!"

He continued to yell through the whole trip to the Del Norte County Jail. He'd be held there until he could have his day in court.