Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 12:26:09 +0000
From: Jacob Latson <jacob_latson@hotmail.com>
Subject: Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 39

Disclaimer:

This story will describe the life of John Miller from his time as
a divorced man who has been devastated by the divorce and into a new
life of wealth.  This story will include descriptions of male sex,
including M/M, M/T, M/b, T/b and b/b.  If stories involving sex between
consenting males of all ages, including mainly gay sex, offends you, go
back to the Archives and pick a different story for your reading
pleasure.  Don't expect constant descriptions of erotic sex in this
story.  I always want to develop a plot and characters before the hot
action starts.

There has been minimal research for this story therefore, names,
places, and events are mostly fictitious and similarities to real life
are coincidental.

Some companies and organizations mentioned actually exist, but
references to the activities, policies, programs and procedures are
fictitious. This story will include references to the United States
government, the FBI, CIA and other agencies.  Any references are purely
fictional, and only used to develop the plot and characters.

Thanks again to Bill for his editing skills.


Agony & Ecstasy Chapter 39 Time for Change


John collapsed on the leather couch in the living room of the orphanage and
shed tears when he listened to Helen Baxter.

"It's your two aunts," Helen began.  "Aunt Betty died in her sleep last
night, and Aunt Martha was at the funeral home making the burial
arrangements when she had what we think was a heart attack," Helen sobbed.
"They're both gone, and we need you back here immediately.  I have a
company jet waiting in Prague for you and a helicopter will be at the
orphanage in a few minutes to take you to Prague."

John was devastated at hearing that his two aunts were dead, and he
struggled to stay conscious.  The phone fell out of his hand and Kvetka
picked it up and demanded to know what had caused John's tears.  When she
heard about Aunt Betty and Aunt Martha, she took control.  She yelled for
Sasha and talked to Helen to find out what needed to be done.

Mike was in his room with Lodak and Jan when Sasha pounded on the door and
opened it with the terrible news.

Mike sobbed uncontrollably when he heard the tragic news, and collapsed
back on the bed.  Jan and Lodak comforted him and pleaded with him to find
John and help his friend cope with the loss of the two wonderful ladies.

Nicklas was outside with Barney when Kvetka ran to find him and tell him
the tragic news.  Nicklas broke down crying and many children ran to his
aid.

The next few days were a blur to John Miller when he attended the double
funeral for his wonderful aunts.  Nicklas demanded to go to Michigan with
his father, and John agreed.  Nicklas and Jan had been favorites of his two
aunts and Nicklas was family and should be included in the mourning.  All
of the Sea & Jungle stores were closed and hundreds of people flocked to
the Baptist Church in Taylor, Michigan for the funerals of two wonderful
ladies.

After the eulogy from Pastor Saverson, John went up to the front of the
church to talk about his two aunts.  He told the audience how he had met
the two ladies and how they had changed his life forever.  He fought back
his tears and reminded everyone that Betty Anderson and Martha Jenkins had
enjoyed long lives and had made a difference in the entire world.  "My
tears are a combination of loss of their love and a celebration of what
they accomplished in their long lives," John choked out.  "I'll never
forget them and ask all of you to live your lives like they did.  Let's
work together to end hunger and war and make this a better world for
everyone.  I'm not a minister, but I ask you to bow your heads while I say
a prayer to Almighty God at our time of grief."

The church was overflowing and video cameras broadcasted the ceremony to
people standing outside the church and across the nation.  All of the
Vice-Presidents of the company were in attendance, and they all knew that
the entire company and all associates owed everything to the wonderful
ladies who had passed on.

"Dear God, you've taken two wonderful ladies up to Heaven where they can
prepare a place for all of us who are worthy," John began.  "Please welcome
them into Your divine presence so they can enjoy eternal life without pain
or suffering.  Comfort us as we grieve for their loss, and show us the way
to make this a better world for everyone.  Help us to accept their passing,
and guide us to do Your Will.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who
died for our sins so that we could all be saved and have eternal life with
you in Heaven."

Everyone replied with "AMEN" and the funeral service ended.  John had
respected the wishes of his two aunts and knew that their remains would be
cremated and their ashes would be spread in the jungle of the North
American Operations Headquarters in Detroit.

Katelyn Albright hugged her father and shed her tears.  She tried to
comfort her father and joined her children in helping John walk out of the
church and into the cold air of Michigan.

Johnny, Kirsty and Little John hugged John, Katelyn, Zach, Brooke, Mike and
Nicklas and tried to help everyone accept what had happened.  The somber
group went to John's home on Peninsular Drive and weren't surprised when
John went to his bedroom and collapsed on the bed.  Nicklas hugged his
father and shed his own tears at what had happened.

John slept for several hours before he woke up with Nicklas wrapped around
his body.  John struggled to extract his body from the clutches of his
young son and undressed and showered.  He was exhausted from the ordeal and
couldn't think straight.

Nicklas woke up and ran to find his father.  He undressed and joined John
in the shower, but never thought about doing anything sexual.  He knew that
his father was wiped out from losing his two aunts, and he talked softly to
John and helped him dry off.

Mike Mahon was in the living room when John and Nicklas came out, wearing
bathrobes.  He hugged both of them and tried to comfort them.

"Thomas Kendrick called and wants to talk to you," Mike said to John.
"Thomas is the attorney for both Betty and Martha, and he said that he
needs to talk to you about their stock in the company."

John knew that his two aunts had said that their shares of the company
stock would be transferred to him when they died, but he didn't want to
talk to Thomas Kendrick or think about the impact on the international
company.

"This has been a terrible event, but you have to think what Aunt Betty and
Aunt Martha would want you to do," Mike said while hugging John.  "Please
let Thomas come here to talk to you about their wills."

Two hours later, John listened to Thomas Kendrick tell him that he had
inherited the remaining stock in the Sea & Jungle Company, along with the
farm house and all of the contents.  John listened and felt like he would
faint.  He knew that one person couldn't keep the company alive, and
struggled to decide what to do.

"The wills will be probated and that will take some time, but the shares of
stock in the company have already been transferred to you," Thomas said.
"I'll help you through the probate issues and make sure that the wishes of
your two aunts are followed.  I've been their attorney for over 40 years,
and I share in your grief at their passing.  Now you have to move forward
with the company.  It's not safe when you are the only stockholder."

John thanked Thomas for talking to him and hugged Nicklas and Mike.
Katelyn, Zach and Brooke were staying with Helen at her huge home, and he
asked Mike to make him a Manhattan.

"I've decided to call a meeting of the Board of Directors," John said to
Mike and Nicklas.  "If something happens to me, the company will flounder
and be leaderless.  I need to make changes so things will go forward to
protect our associates."

"Please let me know what I can do," Mike said.  "I've always loved you, and
I'll do whatever I can to help you through this terrible time."

Two days later, the Sea & Jungle Board of Directors met in Nassau.  They
were shocked when John Miller voted all 100 shares of the company to
restructure the profitable company, but were ready to approve his changes.

John sat at the conference table and faced the people who meant everything
to him and his company.  He asked the Board to approve transfer of shares
of stock to important people in his life.  He knew that each share of the
company stock would entitle each shareholder to immense wealth and
responsibility.

"I ask you to approve the transfer of two shares of the company stock to
each of the following people," John said to the Board Members.  "Each of
our six Divisional Vice- Presidents has immense responsibilities for
keeping this company alive, and with their international responsibilities,
they should have a voice in decisions we make and also share in the profits
that we generate.  In addition, I want Christina Karpov, Butch Mendez, and
Bobby Goldman to each have two shares of our new company.  I ask your
approval to transfer 7 shares to Philippe Ducharme, and two shares each to
my sons, Johnny Miller and Nicklas Zednik-Miller, two shares to Katelyn
Albright, and two shares to Michael Mahon.  Until Nicklas Zednik-Miller
reaches the age of 25, his stock will be held in a new trust fund along
with the financial gains that Robert Ducharme will control."

The Board was shocked when John Miller made the proposal and asked many
questions that he answered completely before John added, "This move is
necessary for the continuity of our company.  I'll retain 75 shares of the
company stock until the time comes that I'm no longer able to fulfill my
obligations.  A unanimous vote of the other stockholders will be necessary
to take over my stock in the event that I die or can no longer function."

The Board agreed with the transfer, and all of the people that John Miller
had named would immediately become multi-millionaires.  John Miller had
just given away 25% of the company stock, but would retain control for
future decisions.

John left the meeting and headed to his island retreat in the Bahamas.  He
was still grieving for the loss of his two aunts and wanted to sleep in his
mansion and think about other things.

Mike Mahon was at the board meeting and couldn't believe that John had
given him two shares of the company stock.  He remembered when he struggled
to pay his bills and was living in his battered car, and now he was a
millionaire!  He reeled with the thoughts and responsibilities of being a
stock holder in the lucrative company.

Helen, Butch, Bobby, Christina, Katelyn and Nicklas sat with the
Vice-Presidents on the patio of the huge mansion, and couldn't believe what
had happened in the board meeting.  Philippe knew that John was asleep, but
would be awake before the special evening meal.  He thought back to the
times when he worked for James Stanton and thanked God for the blessings of
having a new boss who wasn't a racist.  With 7 shares of the company stock,
he could take annual compensation of over a billion dollars.  Everyone
talked about their new status and they all agreed to send most of their
annual profit sharing to the Zednik- Miller Foundation.

John woke up but wasn't hungry.  He showered and put on shorts, a T-shirt
and sandals and walked into the living room where everyone was waiting for
him.  He accepted a Manhattan from Mike and still felt dizzy from the
emotions of the funerals and the Board Meeting.

"You need to eat," Nicklas said to his father and lover.  "Booze isn't good
for you on an empty stomach."

John hugged Nicklas and knew that his son was giving him good advice.  He
forced himself to eat the grilled red snapper, baked potato and salad and
thought back to the day when he met the two wonderful ladies.  Their
passing left a huge hole in his heart, but he knew what they would want him
to do.  He had to pull himself together and keep the company going.

"Mike, can you find an artist to create bronze busts of Aunt Martha, Aunt
Betty and James Stanton?" John asked.  "I want the busts displayed in the
lobby right near the jungle area.  I also want plaques on stands in the
jungle area to show that it is their final resting place."

"I'll help you," Helen offered.

John was relieved and forced himself to eat the wonderful food.  He wanted
to remain in the Bahamas, but knew that Nicklas needed to get back to
school and he needed to get back to work.

The next day, all of the Divisional Vice-Presidents returned home.  Katelyn
and her children returned to Idaho and John, Nicklas and Mike flew back to
the Czech Republic.

John worked out of his office at the orphanage, and struggled with his
emotions at loosing the two wonderful ladies.  Every day he led Barney down
to the front steps to welcome Nicklas home from school.  It took over a
week before John and Nicklas made love.  Instead of wild sex, it was slow
and gentle and they both loved the special intimacy.

John was in his office when he got a phone call from Prague.  Czech
President Vaclav Parkov was calling, and John was surprised to hear from
his friend.

"John, I've been invited to a State Dinner at the White House on November
18th," Vaclav said.  "I heard that you were invited too."

"I got the invitation, but haven't decided if I'll attend," John replied.
"Christina was invited too, and I sure don't want to offend President
Stoddard and his wife, but I'm still in shock after the deaths of my two
aunts.  I've avoided any meetings that might be considered political, but
it's hard to decline an invitation to the White House."

"I understand completely," Vaclav replied.  "The dinner will have many
world leaders and the next day there will be a conference at the United
Nations Headquarters to discuss world hunger relief.  You've done so much
for this country that I really hope that you will attend the dinner and the
conference.  I also called to thank you for the wonderful gift of that
beautiful Nativity Set that you sent to my wife.  I've never seen anything
like it in my entire life.  I consider it a personal favor if you will
attend the dinner at the White House with me and my wife."

"Okay, I'll attend," John replied.  "I don't like media events, but my
company needs help from other world leaders to take over orphanages to save
children from starvation and give them hope for better lives.  I hope that
the United Nations can put pressure on some of the countries that are
demanding bribes to let us save the children of the world.  I wanted you
and your wife to have a special gift from my company and hope that you will
keep it forever."

"Wonderful," Vaclav replied.  "Now I need your help to figure out what
would be an appropriate gift for the President of the United States and his
wife.  I was thinking about sending some cases of the wonderful Ceska
Skalisce wine, but I'm not sure if that would be appropriate.  Do you have
any suggestions for me?"

"If you looked at the bottom of the pieces of the Nativity Set that I sent
you, you will see that it's Number 1 out of 100 sets," John said.

"My wife couldn't believe that you honored us with the lowest numbered
set," Vaclav replied.  "You should have kept that set for yourself."

"Let me share something with you that I heard from Helen and Christina,"
John began.  "Cathy Stoddard tried to buy one of the sets, but didn't want
to bid against other people, knowing that the media would be very critical.
From what I've heard, she loves the beauty of the characters and wants a
set of her own.  I have set number 2 that I can send to you and you can
give it to the U.S. President and his wife."

"What a wonderful idea!" Vaclav exclaimed.  He was thrilled that John
Miller had solved his problem and was excited to present the gift to
President David Stoddard and his wife.  He offered to pay John for the set,
but wasn't surprised when his friend refused to take any compensation for
the valuable gift.

The call ended and John knew that Vaclav had another big surprise that
would be delivered before the end of November.  Sasha Bednik and Josef Pani
had created a beautiful dining room table and chairs for the Presidential
Mansion in Prague, and it would be delivered in time for Vaclav to use to
entertain during the Christmas Holidays.  The furniture was made out of
Birdseye maple with a striking inlaid center made from black walnut, cherry
and hickory.  All of the wood had been harvested from the wooded areas
surrounding the orphanage, and the huge table could easily seat over 50
people when all of the leaves were installed.  John had seen the table when
it was being constructed, and had never seen a more beautiful table in his
entire life.

John stayed in the Czech Republic until November 12th and wanted to deer
hunt with his friends at the Arrowhead Lodge.  He had missed duck season
but knew that Marty and Keith Wadsworth had hosted several important people
for hunting ducks and geese.  While he was with Nicklas in the Czech
Republic, John had taken his son into the woods and taught Nicklas how to
shoot a 9 millimeter Glock, a 30.06 deer rifle and a shotgun.  Nicklas was
growing fast and putting on muscle, and John wanted his son to learn
respect for firearms.  He hoped that Nicklas would never need to use any
type of gun to protect himself, but John wanted to be the one to introduce
his son to weapons and their safe use.  At first, Nicklas was afraid of the
guns and begged John to forget about training him.  He listened to his
father and realized that a gun could save his life, so he fought back his
fear.  Before John left for Michigan, Nicklas was comfortable in firing the
weapons and thanked his father for the special training.

John was back in Michigan before the opening day of deer season on November
15th.  He was excited about hunting with his friends at the Arrowhead
Lodge, but knew that he would have to leave early for the dinner at the
White House.

Marcus Wilson, Director of the Michigan State Police was excited to hunt
deer at the beautiful property in Northern Michigan.  On opening day of the
deer season, Marcus bagged a huge 12 point buck that would qualify for the
Boone & Crockett record book.  He was thrilled and couldn't wait to brag to
everyone in the State.

Butch Mendez had left Spain in time to head up the security for John's
visit to the White House.  He joined the Secret Service personnel in
Washington D.C. and loved seeing his old friends from the security forces
that protected the President of the United States.  He hugged L. Brooks
Hardison, Director of the FBI, and accepted Hardy's congratulations for his
new stockholder position.

"I always wanted you to take over as Director of the FBI when I retired,
but now you have a job that I would dream to have," Hardy admitted.  "I'd
love to see your gun collection in Detroit if we ever get a break from the
crap of our jobs.  How are you handling the pressures of your new status?"

"I'm working with INTERPOL to create the best anti-terrorist forces in the
world," Butch admitted.  "We have three strike teams here in the U.S. and
Andrei Datsyuk has excellent people who can respond to any threats around
the world.  My team in the Czech Republic is filled with special forces and
former INTERPOL agents, and I'm confident that they are the best in the
world.  John has given me total control of all security operations, and I'm
hiring the best people in the world."

"I heard that you're a very rich man now," Hardy said.

"The IRS will love me when I file my tax returns," Butch joked.  "John
Miller's a real challenge for my people to protect.  He doesn't hesitate to
put himself into harm's way."

"I heard about what John and Derek did to save that trooper's life," Hardy
admitted.  "It isn't public knowledge, but Michigan Governor Jennifer
Granderson has done some digging to try to cause your boss some problems.
We found some interesting facts about her political dealings, and convinced
her to back off."

Butch laughed and admitted that two of Hardy's men had sent him the
evidence that the Michigan governor had take bribes to allow trash to be
transported from Canada into Michigan.  She had also sold her appointment
to name Rufus Clark to replace Anabelle Jenkins after the U.S. Senator had
died.  The facts would be released three months prior to the next Michigan
election for Governor, and would ensure that she would never be re- elected
and would face criminal charges.

Just before John and Christina left the Watergate Hotel to travel to the
White House, John presented Christina with a matching set of diamond
earrings and pendant necklace.  Christina loved John and couldn't believe
that he had given her another extremely expensive gift.  The earrings were
simple post settings, but the five carat diamonds were flawless.  The
platinum necklace had a simple pendant that held a flawless 10 carat
diamond.

"You always shock me with your gifts," Christina said to John while hugging
him.  "I knew that the jewelry you gave me before the Announcement Cruise
would be too ostentatious for tonight and was going to wear my pearls.
Thank you for your generosity.  These diamonds are stunning!"

"I want everyone to see that I'm with the most beautiful woman in the
world," John admitted.  "I avoid political situations, but I really respect
President Stoddard and hope that he can help us get control of some of the
orphanages in countries around the world.  I transferred almost all of the
money in my foreign bank accounts to the Miller-Zednik Foundation and filed
tax returns for what I kept with the IRS.  I don't want any blemishes on my
financial dealings or any international criticism of what we're doing with
our profits."

John, Christina, Vaclav Parkov and his wife had a private meeting with
President Stoddard and his wife before the formal dinner began.  President
Parkov and his wife made the formal presentation of the Nativity set, and
David and Cathy Stoddard were thrilled with the gift.  John was surprised
to see that President Parkov had given Set #1 to the Stoddards and had
obviously kept Set #2 for himself and his wife.

"I can't believe this!" Cathy Stoddard exclaimed when she realized that she
and her husband would have the lowest number of the 100 sets of the
beautiful Christmas decorations.  "Thank you!  I wanted to buy one of the
sets, but David convinced me that our bidding would cause a media frenzy
and negative publicity."

"How can I ever match a gift like this one?" David Stoddard asked Vaclav
and John.  "I always struggle to find something special for Cathy for
Christmas, but you've given her what she's dreamed of owning.  All that I
can do is thank you for this wonderful gift and promise to help you with
your struggles to help unfortunate children.  The Miller-Zednik Foundation
is known around the world for rescuing children, and my wife and I will do
whatever we can to convince other nations to work with you to help more
children.  I wish all profitable companies would devote their profits to
make this a better world.  I know that you took over several orphanages
here in the United States that were going to close when hard times hit the
states and the sponsoring churches.  Those children would have ended up on
the streets and lives of crime without your intervention."

President Stoddard was a man of his word, and before the Christmas Holidays
Christina was thrilled that the United Nations and NATO had pressured many
countries to support the Miller-Zednik Foundation in establishing
orphanages, hospitals and schools around the world without any bribes.

John and Mike traveled to the Czech Republic and were excited to celebrate
the Christmas Season with the children at the orphanage.  Nicklas was
thrilled to have his father back with him and begged to be included in the
plans for celebrating Christmas.

"We now have 355 children here," Kvetka said when the meeting began in the
conference room at Proud Les Domo.  "More gifts arrive here every day and
also at the orphanage in Prague.  My friend Rose Kuchar is in charge of the
Prague Orphanage, and she's excited about giving the children there a
wonderful Christmas Season.  Helen has been wonderful in finding people who
have sent gifts to the children at both homes."

"Nicklas and I will go to Prague on Christmas Day," John said to the adults
at Proud Les Domo.  "We both want to join those children in celebrating the
holidays."

"We have some changes this year," Kvetka said.  "Cil Dreva and Jiri Rybar
have developed a Christmas Pageant."

John looked at the happy gay couple and saw their excitement when Kvetka
mentioned the pageant.

"We want to invite you, Mike and Philippe to be part of the pageant," Cil
said excitedly.  "The children are excited about performing at the Village
Hall in front of the villagers, and we need three people to sing the parts
of the Three Wise Men.  The Bible says that one of the Wise Men was a Moor,
and Philippe is black and would be perfect for that part.  We've heard his
beautiful deep bass voice, and he's agreed to be part of the pageant.  We
will have performances on December 22nd and 23rd in the village and another
performance here on Christmas Eve.  Will you and Mike please agree to be
the other two Wise Men?  Two men from the village have volunteered if you
refuse, but their voices are no match for yours."

John knew that Mike had a wonderful singing voice, and he and Mike quickly
agreed to join the children in making this a special holiday season.  John
remembered how beautiful the holiday season had been the previous year and
the special time when Nicklas sang "The Little Drummer Boy".  He looked at
his son and saw a huge smile.

"Hans will sing `The Little Drummer Boy' this year," Nicklas said.  "My
voice isn't right for that song now."

John hugged his son and thanked him for convincing Hans to sing the
beautiful song.  The tiny boy had been blossoming with the attention from
Nicklas, Jan and Yuri and was now one of the most wonderful and outgoing
boys at the orphanage.  Nicky's voice was still cracking with the effects
of puberty, but John still loved to hear his son sing.

Many of the children had experienced the Holiday Season at the orphanage,
and they told the new children what to expect.  For the new arrivals, it
was more than they could comprehend.  They thought that the other children
were teasing them, but they prayed that they would have a Christmas tree
and at least one gift to open.

Proud Les Domov came alive when the visitors started arriving a week before
Christmas.  With the expanded kitchen facilities and the expanded
dormitories, the children anxiously awaited the start of the festivities.

Hans was the center of attention on December 20th when the orphanage
celebrated his 7th birthday.  Pavel Pekar, bank manager at Expat Center in
Prague had found Hans' birth certificate before the trip to Disney World
and everyone celebrated the boy's birthday with a banquet and huge birthday
cake and special gifts.

John looked at the beautiful boy with the deformed hand and knew that Hans
was very intelligent and was now very confident and happy to be living at
Proud Les Domov.  There was something very special about Hans, and John
knew that the little boy was destined to be a very successful person when
he matured.  Hans had the self confidence that John had never seen in a
young boy before, and he marveled at the changes that a year had made in
the life of the timid boy.

With the plans for the Christmas pageants, John and the adults decided to
harvest the special Christmas tree on December 22nd.  A huge crowd of
children and adults waded through the deep snow to pick the tree for the
main building.

"This year, you get to pick the tree," John said to Nicklas.

Nicklas held Hans' hand and they looked at many trees and consulted with
Jan, Yuri and Lodak before selecting the one tree that would fill the
orphanage with beauty.  They celebrated when Sasha used a chainsaw to cut
down the tree and joined the other children and adults in cheering when the
tree crashed to the ground.

On December 22nd, several buses carried the children into Ceska Skalisce
for the first performance of the Christmas Pageant.  John, Mike and
Philippe had practiced their parts of the pageant and were excited to see
that the Village Hall was packed with spectators.  They put on their
costumes that Kvetka and her friends had created and were excited to be
part of the holiday celebration.

The pageant began with "It Came Beyond a Midnight Clear" with children from
the orphanage in costumes that looked like shepherds.  All of the songs
were in Czech, but the American visitors knew the story and were thrilled
to see what the story would sound like in a foreign language.  "Oh Little
Star of Bethlehem" was next, followed by Lodak singing "What Child is
This?"

"We Three Kings of Orient Are" was the highlight of the evening, with Mike
Mahon singing the first verse in English, followed by John singing the
second verse in Czech.  Philippe sang the last verse with his deep bass
voice in English, and everyone was awestruck by the voices of the three
special men.  When Hans came out on the stage and sang "The Little Drummer
Boy" the villagers shed tears of joy.  Everyone stood and cheered when
Hans' song ended, and the cheering was deafening!

John waited for the cheering to subside before he invited the audience to
sing the very special song of the Christmas Season.  The American visitors
sang "Silent Night" in English, followed by the Czech singers in their
native language.

The pageant was repeated the next night, and villagers were standing
outside in the cold when the village hall was filled to overflowing.

John recognized the power of the special pageant, and made a quick
decision.  He used the buses of the orphanage and took all of the
performers to the Parkov Orphanage in Prague for a special performance for
the children at that orphanage during the day of Christmas Eve.  President
Vaclav Parkov and his wife were present to celebrate the Christmas Holiday
and were thrilled to watch the pageant.  They both thanked John for the
beautiful dining room furniture in their Presidential Mansion.  John had
named the orphanage in Prague after his friend and loved seeing the happy
children having a wonderful holiday season.

When the buses returned to Proud Les Domov, the children were proud of
their performances and looked forward to their final performance for their
friends at the orphanage.  Many of the villagers came to the orphanage and
saw the final performance and shared in the wonderful meal and gift
opening.  The outside of the orphanage was lit up with the special lighting
and choreographed music, along with the decorated trees along the driveway.

John hugged Nicklas and let his son control the initial lighting of the
outdoor decorations and the gift distribution.

Helen was thrilled to see the videos that her husband, Tom had made, and
couldn't wait to send them around the world to the stores.  The children
were having the best holiday season of their entire lives, and she wanted
all of the gift givers to see the excitement of the children.

Katelyn and her children loved spending the holidays in the Czech Republic,
and now knew why John wanted to spend so much time at Proud Les Domov.
They had never seen a more beautiful area, and the excitement of the orphan
children when the gifts were opened had left a lasting impression on them.

Zachary had a special reason for enjoying the time in the Czech Republic.
He was studying the Czech language and renewed his friendship with many of
the orphan boys.  He spent most of the nights in the boys' dormitory with
his legs in the air, and couldn't imagine a better place to celebrate the
holidays.  He was falling in love with Yuri, and dreamed of living in the
Czech Republic with his new lover.

On New Years Eve, John, Nicklas, Mike, Lodak, Jan, Katelyn, Brooke and Zach
were the hosts for the banquet for the villagers and the spectacular
fireworks display.  The contrast between the deep snow and the vivid
fireworks thrilled everyone.

John and Nicklas returned to their bedroom and made love for several hours.
John loved his son and couldn't believe the changes in the body of his
young lover.  Nicklas' body was maturing and the soft curves of a boy were
replaced with hard muscle of a teenager.  Each time that they made love,
John marveled at the muscles and the increased sexual endurance of his son.
Nicklas was now proficient in the English language, and John knew that his
son was ready to live in Michigan.

Nicklas cuddled close to John and fell asleep with John and Barney in the
huge bed.  He dreamed of living in Michigan with John and was determined to
convince his father that he was ready to attend school with American
children.  He wanted to bring up the subject of his moving to Michigan, but
knew that John wanted to move to live here at the orphanage.  For Nicklas,
it was very troubling that his desires conflicted with his father's.

John woke up the next morning to an empty bed.  He knew that Nicklas had
taken Barney outside and headed for the shower to get ready for a new day.
After he showered, he dressed and went down for breakfast.  He loved seeing
the happy children in the dining room and laughed when he saw how the
beagle dogs were being spoiled.

Katelyn and Brooke came into the dining room and filled their plates with
the wonderful food on the buffet table.  They joined John and waited for
Nicklas and Zach to appear.

Zach came into the dining room, holding the hand of Yuri.  He walked up to
his mother and sister and said, "I want you to know that I'm in love with
Yuri.  I want to live here with him for the rest of my life."

Katelyn was shocked, but choked back her feelings and looked at John for
guidance.  She didn't want to lose her son, but knew that Zach had always
been honest about his sexual orientation.  Zach had confided in her when
they were in Idaho about his love for Yuri, but Katelyn wasn't prepared for
Zach's announcement.

"Living here will cut you off from football and basketball and your friends
in Idaho," John began.  "I know that you love Yuri and he loves you too.
Maybe this is a time for us to have a family meeting where we can all be
honest with each other and develop plans for the future."

Nicklas wondered if he would be included with the family meeting, and
decided to wait and pray that his father would let him live in the United
States.  He knew that Yuri and Zach were in love and prayed that they
wouldn't be separated.

John invited Mike, Lodak, Jan, Nicklas, Katelyn, Brooke, Zach and Yuri to
join him in the living room.  He chose his words carefully because he knew
how emotionally involved all of his special people were with what he would
say.

"Nicky has begged me to move to Michigan so he could live with me and
attend high school," John began.  "Ever since the first day that I saw this
part of the Czech Republic, I've dreamed of living here with Nicklas, the
other children, and the adults connected to this orphanage.  I've hired and
promoted people to take over many of my responsibilities so I could move
here permanently.  I was being very selfish.  I challenged my son to learn
the English language, and he's excelled.  Yuri, Lodak and Jan have mastered
the English language and I think that they can handle a new school system
too.  Things could become very difficult, but I'm convinced that it's time
to let our special children live their dreams.  I'm making a proposal that
I want you all to consider.  It's January now, and if we all agree to what
I'm proposing, Nicklas will start school in Michigan in September and will
live with me in my home on Long Lake in Novi.  Mike, Jan and Lodak can move
into the home that my two aunts owned at the same time.  Katelyn, you have
plenty of room in your new home and the financial resources to support Yuri
at the same time.  I want everyone to be with the people that they love,
but we need to discuss the pros and cons openly with the people that we
love."

Everyone was shocked that John Miller had made suggestions that could solve
all of their emotional issues.  Yuri would live with Zach in Idaho.  Mike,
Lodak and Jan would live together in Michigan and have a wonderful old
farmhouse to call their own.  Nicklas would be living with John in Michigan
and would get ready to attend college in Michigan.  Everyone quickly agreed
to John's suggestions and they were excited about the changes in their
lives.  They all realized that John was giving up his own dreams of living
in the Czech Republic to let Nicklas, Jan, Lodak, Yuri and Zach realize
their wildest fantasies.

When summer arrived, John and Mike flew to the Czech Republic along with
Katelyn, Zach and Brooke.  They were all excited about visiting the
orphanage before returning to the United States for the cruises aboard the
Sea & Jungle IV and the visits to Orlando.

Nicklas, Jan, Yuri and Lodak were excited when the visitors arrived, and
prayed that nothing would ruin their plans of living in the United States.
They couldn't wait to leave the orphanage that had been their home and had
spent many sleepless nights before the guests arrived.

Nicklas was upset that Barney, his beagle dog, would have to be in
quarantine for two weeks before he could have his dog with him in the
United States.  He argued with his father, but finally relented and kissed
his dog before leaving Barney at the airport in Miami.

John was tuned into his son's emotions, and tried to comfort Nicklas and
promised that Barney would be taken to a kennel where he would get special
attention and love.

The summer months were filled with cruises for the associates from stores
around the world and excursions to Orlando for children from orphanages
around the world.  For Nicklas, the most important event occurred when he
walked into John's mansion in Nassau and was greeted by Barney.  Nicklas
screamed with joy when his beagle dog jumped into his arms and howled and
licked his face.  The quarantine period was over and Nicklas was determined
to have his dog with him forever.

John watched the joyful reunion and loved seeing his son so happy.  He knew
that Nicklas loved his dog and was heartbroken when they were separated.
Instead of joining the associates on the summer recognition cruises and the
trips to Orlando, John and Nicklas took Barney to Michigan.

Nicklas was in heaven now that he was living in the home on Peninsular
Drive with John and his beloved dog.  He loved having a new mountain bike
and riding around the neighborhood with Barney running next to his bike.
It wasn't long before Nicklas met four boys who lived in the neighborhood,
and they became instant friends.

John had dreamed about living in the Czech Republic with Nicklas, but gave
up his plans to let Nicklas live his dream of living in Michigan.  He took
Nicklas to the local high school and spent the time necessary to enroll his
son.  The students were off for the summer break, but the administrative
office was open for business.  John knew that football practices had
started, and had a surprise for the coach of the freshmen and junior
varsity players.  He walked out on the football field and met Scott
Matheson for the first time.

"My name's John Miller, and this is my son, Nicklas," John said to the
coach.  My son has been living in the Czech Republic, but he just enrolled
to start school here this fall and I'm wondering if he could join your
freshman football team," John said.

Scott Matheson looked at the handsome boy and recognized John Miller.  He
knew that the man was very wealthy and wondered why he was asking about his
son joining his team.  He looked at the boy and saw the muscles in Nicklas'
legs and wondered if the boy had ever played football before.  He needed
players for his team and knew that the school had a policy of letting any
boy join the football teams, regardless of his athletic abilities.  The new
boy was about 5 feet 5 inches tall and didn't look to weigh more than 140
pounds.

"I'm always happy to have more players, but I need linemen and he might be
too small to compete," Scott admitted.

"Do you have a kicker?" John asked.  He smiled when he heard the coach
admit that they didn't have a kicker and normally ran running plays for
extra points in their football games.  "Maybe you should see what my son
can do."

John took Nicklas out on the football field and held the ball while Nicklas
kicked the football over 40 yards and directly through the center of the
goal posts.

"HOLY SHIT!" Scott exclaimed when he saw the kick.  He watched the small
boy repeat the kick three times and was excited.

"Nicklas played soccer in the Czech Republic, but I've worked with him to
learn how to kick a football," John admitted.  "He just moved here and I
want him to take part in sports."

Scott Matheson wondered if the kicks were flukes, and immediately blew his
whistle to call his team to the sidelines.  He talked to his center and
quarterback and asked them to test the new boy in kicking extra points and
field goals.

John watched the boys practice and worked with Scott and Nicklas until the
boys got the timing down correctly.  The other players were on the
sidelines watching, and were excited when they saw that the new boy had a
cannon for a kicking leg and consistently put the football through the
uprights.

Scott Matheson was excited and had the boys back up until Nicklas was
kicking field goals from the 40 yard line.  "Those are over 50 field
goals!" Scott said excitedly.  "Even the varsity kicker can't make a 50
yard field goal!"

John knew that his practice with Nicklas impressed the coach, and hoped
that Nicklas would be accepted on the team.  His emotions soared when the
coach screamed his approval of Nicklas joining his football team.

"I've never had a kicker like him!" Scott said excitedly.  "This is
fantastic!"

Nicklas was excited when he heard that he would be allowed to practice with
the football team.  He knew that his father had played football in high
school and college, and wanted to follow in John's footsteps.  He hoped
that he would make new friends by joining the football team and was excited
that he had been accepted by the coach.

Time passed, and Nicklas was thrilled when he got his new football uniform
with his last name on the back of the jersey.  He had tears of joy flowing
down his face when he got the uniform and put it on so John could take
pictures to send to Proud Les Domov.  He didn't know that his father had
made an anonymous donation to the Novi High School to purchase new
protective equipment and uniforms for the freshman, junior varsity and
varsity football teams.  Seeing "Zednik-Miller" on the back of his jersey
was more than he could take without crying.

Scott Matheson was excited when his freshman football team took the field
for their first game of the season.  He had bragged to Tom Stillman, the
varsity football coach, about his freshman kicker, and was thrilled that
John Miller had volunteered to be an assistant coach.  Scott knew that John
Miller had been a talented football player and official, and bragged to the
other coaches about how his freshman and junior varsity teams were ready to
compete.  John Miller had helped teach the young boys the rules of football
and his training of the boys would pay major dividends when the season
started.

John was very busy with his company responsibilities, but relied on Mike
Mahon to change his appointments so he could be with the football team for
practices and their games.  John gave up duck season and cut his deer
hunting short so he could work with the team.  The results were evident
when the freshman team went undefeated and was crowned Metro League
Champions.

Scott Matheson was thrilled when he held the League Championship trophy
high in the air for pictures that would appear in the local newspapers.  At
the football banquet, he gave John Miller a plaque in recognition of his
dedication to helping the boys learn the game and excel.

Nicklas couldn't hold back his tears at the banquet when he was awarded a
trophy as the "Most Valuable Player" of the freshman team.  He had never
missed an extra point and had kicked the winning field goals in two of the
10 games during the season.  At the high school, he earned fame from his
position on the football team, and girls and boys became his friends.  He
knew that he had to be careful in revealing his sexual preference for boys,
and knew that the high school had rules against any discrimination or
harassment of minorities or gay people.

John loved Nicklas and wondered if his son would find a young lover among
the boys in the affluent high school.  He knew that Nicklas had gay friends
in the neighborhood and was supportive when the boys came to visit or spend
the weekend.  He was worried that he would lose his young lover to another
boy, but decided that Nicklas needed to be able to live his own life.

Nicklas still loved John more than anyone in the world.  He was a frequent
visitor to John's bedroom for intense sex, but he was also attracted to
Troy Atkinson and Bryan Chambers.  The two boys were in many of his classes
and they were always eager to help him study.  Troy tutored Nicklas in
English and the results were fantastic.

Right before John and Nicklas were going to leave for the Christmas
holidays in the Czech Republic, John was in the living room of his home on
Long Lake.  He had offered to drive Nicklas to and from school, but his son
had insisted on riding the "Cheese Wagon".  John marveled at how his son
was learning American slang and just laughed when Nicky said that he wanted
to ride the school bus with his friends.  John and Barney were waiting for
Nicklas to come home from school, but they weren't prepared for the biggest
surprise of their lives.

Nicklas came into the house with a beautiful girl holding his hand.  He
looked at his father and said, "This is my girlfriend, Brittany Lewis.  I
invited her to spend the holidays with us in the Czech Republic."


Stay tuned!!!

Feedback is appreciated to Jacob_latson@hotmail.com

Author's note: I was going to end this chapter with a cliff hanger, but
decided to save my readers from a few days of suspense.

John collapsed down on the couch and saw that Barney had immediately run up
to Nicklas and the beautiful girl.  John was in shock and knew that he had
lost his young lover to the beautiful girl with long blonde hair, blue
eyes, and the body of a Sports Illustrated model.

Nicklas saw his father's eyes and knew that John was devastated.  He
decided to rescue his father and said, "Relax, Pops!  It's not what you're
thinking."

"You're a real jerk for dropping this on your dad like that," Brittany said
to Nicklas.  "He looks like he's gonna pass out!"

Nicklas laughed, but John didn't see any humor in the announcement that
Nicklas now had a girlfriend.  He choked back his emotions and said, "You
sure picked a beautiful girl."

"Either you tell him the truth or I will," Brittany said.

Nicklas loved seeing his father in a loss for words, and felt the jab in
the ribs from Brittany before saying, "At school, everyone expects a guy to
have a girlfriend.  There are school policies about accepting different
life styles without harassment, but guys on athletic teams are all supposed
to be straight.  Brittany knows that I'm gay.  She's a lesbian."

John was afraid that he was going to cry when he thought that he had lost
his young lover, and Nicklas' words were confusing.  "What are these
teenagers saying to him?" he asked himself.

"Nicklas needs to have a girlfriend so he doesn't get hassled at school,"
Brittany said.  "I need to have a boyfriend or people will know that I'm a
carpet muncher.  I'm in love with Heather Carlson and our parents know
about our relationship.  Nicklas and I have agreed to be the `cover' for
each other so we can live without hassles at school."

John finally realized that he hadn't lost his lover, and considered what
Brittany had said.  Homophobes were everywhere, and he tried to sort out
his feelings about what he had just learned.

"You know that I have guys come over to spend quality time in my bedroom,"
Nicklas said.  "Brittany and I don't go into details of our sexual
escapades, but we both know the basics about gay and lesbian sex.  Can you
understand why we have to do this to survive at school?"

John tried to reflect back on his high school days, and remembered the way
that gay guys had been treated.  He remembered Todd Emanuel.  Todd was very
effeminate and was constantly harassed by jocks and had been severely
beaten twice.  The school administrators did nothing to protect the
obviously gay boy and the harassment had continued until Todd hanged
himself in the basement of his home.  Society had changed over the years,
but kids still were subjected to forms of discrimination based on their
sexual preferences.

"I don't know what to say," John admitted.  "If this is what you two think
needs to be done, I'll support your decision."

"Thanks, Dad," Nicklas said.  "Brittany and I have been great friends ever
since I first started school here, and a few weeks ago we finally were
honest with each other.  I know that you've met Troy Atkinson when he was
here spending time with me.  Troy is the `cover' boyfriend for Heather.
Being gay isn't really accepted at the high school and we sure don't want
to be hassled."

John remembered the first day when he took Nicklas to the high school to be
enrolled.  Principal Carl Hammond made it perfectly clear that alternate
life styles were accepted and that any form of harassment or discrimination
would result in immediate expulsion.  He realized that Nicklas and Brittany
were protecting each other from homophobic students.  It was a sad thing
for him to accept that being gay was still not accepted in society.

"Today's Friday, and I think that we need to sit down and discuss the
issues with all of the parents involved," John said.  "I understand your
need to be discrete, but there are risks if someone changes their mind and
discloses intimate information about your sexual preferences.  I'm thinking
that we should all sit down together and talk about the issues and the
risks.  I love to cook, and I don't know of any plans for tomorrow that
would prevent us from all sitting down and being honest with each other if
everyone can come here.  We only have a short time to pull this together
before we leave for Europe, but I'll clear my schedule so we can talk to
everyone involved."

Brittany walked over and gave John a hug and kiss on the cheek.  She had
been afraid of meeting the wealthy man and pushed away her fears that he
would be furious with her and Nicklas for disclosing their special
relationship.

"Nicklas told me that you're a great guy, but I was afraid that you'd be
angry with me," Brittany admitted.  "I'm not using him, and he's not using
me!"

"Actually, you're both using each other," John said.  "Nicklas has only
been here in the United States a few months and I love having him here with
me.  I sure don't know about the pressures that you two are subjected to in
the high school, but I'm here to help you handle what's going on.  We need
the support of all of the parents and siblings, so how does it sound to get
everyone here tomorrow for a meeting?"

"My dad makes the best chicken soup in the world!" Nicklas said to
Brittany.  "Let's call everyone and see if they can come here to talk about
our issues."

Saturday afternoon was a huge success.  All of the parents and siblings of
Brittany, Heather and Troy were at the home on Peninsular Drive to discuss
the issues of having gay children in their families.

John was a perfect host in offering alcoholic beverages to the adults, and
made sure that the teenagers were excluded from drinking any alcohol.
Everyone sat in the family room and talked openly about the challenges of
having gay children in a society that still frowned on alternate life
styles.

Carol Lewis took control of the meeting and said, "It's a sad time when our
loving children have to hide their love for another person of the same sex.
I love my daughter and will do whatever I can to keep her safe.  My love
for her is unconditional, and I challenge all of you to do the same with
your children.  I won't allow any public displays of sex in my home, but
I'm not stupid.  Consenting adults, or in this case, consenting teenagers
can explore their sexuality in my home as long as they don't flaunt it in
front of my face or in front of the rest of my family.  All that I ask is
that the rest of the parents at this meeting make the same commitment."

Everyone agreed, and a major milestone had been reached in the lives of
Nicklas, Brittany, Heather and Troy.  All of the parents were supportive of
their children, and even the brothers and sisters of the 4 teenagers knew
that they had to keep the sexual preferences of their loved ones a secret.

"Nicklas and I plan to go to the Czech Republic for the Christmas
holidays," John said to the parents.  "I met Nicklas at Proud Les Domov, an
orphanage in the small village of Ceska Skalisce.  Literally translated,
the name is River Forest Home.  I invite all of you to travel with us to
see how the holidays are celebrated with children that were unwanted and
homeless.  It's a beautiful area and I'm sure that you'll love seeing how
my company has funded orphanages around the world."

Everyone quickly accepted the offer to spend the holidays in the Czech
Republic.  Everyone wanted to see where Nicklas had lived before coming to
Michigan, and they all promised to get passports before the trip would
start.

Two weeks later a large group of people were at Detroit Metro Airport where
they were waiting for a charter plane to arrive.  The children were excited
about flying across the ocean and still were afraid that something would go
wrong to end their trip.  When they saw the 737 with the Sea & Jungle logo,
they screamed with joy!  They had never seen a more beautiful plane in
their lives, and they couldn't believe that they were going to board and
fly to a foreign country.

During the flight to New York, the children and teenagers entertained
everyone with their excitement about the long trip.  Boys were chasing the
girls around the private jet and raiding the huge stock of alcoholic
beverages until the parents put their feet down and demanded that the
drinking stopped.  After refueling at LaGuardia Airport, the long flight to
Amsterdam began.

John and Mike were the hosts for the adults and invited everyone to watch
movies or eat from the endless buffet aboard the exotic jet.  Nicklas
entertained his friends and showed them the private bedroom where they
could take turns using the area to satisfy their sexual needs.

Troy Atkinson was afraid that he and his family would not be accepted in
the Czech Republic because of their race.  They were black and knew that
most of Europe had predominantly white citizens, but he trusted Nicklas
that he wouldn't feel any discrimination.  He loved Nicklas and hoped that
their friendship would never end.

The large group spent two days and three nights at John's "apartment" in
Prague.  Everyone knew that John Miller was a billionaire, but they still
couldn't believe the beauty of the private residence at the top of the
luxury hotel.

With Mike's help, John had hired tour guides and limousines to take the
American visitors around the beautiful city of Prague.  Everyone loved
seeing the sights of the beautiful city and loved the limousine rides
through the countryside and into Ceska Skalisce.

Mike used his cell phone to call Kvetka, and she went out on the porch to
blow the air horn one long blast before the stretch limos arrived at the
orphanage.  The American visitors were excited to see the happy children
and adults waiting to welcome them and marveled at the beauty of the
grounds and buildings.

"I thought that Prague was awesome, but this place is even better!" Troy
said to Nicklas.  "Why did you want to leave here?"

"Because I love my dad and wanted to follow in his footsteps," Nicklas
admitted.  "My dad was a football player and I love his office building and
home in Michigan.  When we leave here, we'll fly to Nassau and you can see
his home there.  You won't believe the beauty of the Bahamas and the boys
there."

"Boys?" Troy asked.

"I love black boys and have two special friends in the Bahamas," Nicklas
replied.  "Wait until you meet Tiki and Maki.  Most of the times they go
around nude or only wear a tiny thong that doesn't even cover their pubes.
They're always horny, and I love being with them!"

"Should I be jealous?" Troy asked.

"Nope," Nicklas replied.  "I'll probably be jealous when the boys here at
Proud Les Domov see that huge dick of yours.  We don't have any black boys
here and I'm sure that you'll be treated like a Rock Star when they find
out that you're gay and hung like a horse."

John listened to Nicklas and Troy talking and hoped that the two boys would
behave during the Christmas holidays.  He looked at the happy children and
adults at the orphanage and still wished that he could live in the Czech
Republic.  He made sure that everyone was taken to their rooms before he
went to the conference room to meet Kvetka and the other adults to discuss
the plans for the holidays.

"We want to repeat the Christmas Pageant and how we celebrated last year,"
Kvetka said.  "We now have 452 children here and are almost at full
capacity."

"It's sad that so many children were homeless," John said.  "Let's follow
your plans and make this a special holiday for everyone.  Mike and I will
do whatever we can to help with your plans."

When the meeting ended, John went to his room and collapsed on the huge
bed.  He wondered where Nicklas was, and then realized that his son was
introducing Troy to the horny boys in the dormitory.  He smiled and fell
asleep.

Nicklas took Troy to the boys' dormitory and was excited to introduce his
special lover to his friends.  It was strange coming back to the dormitory
where he had lived, but now he was a visitor and had brought his black
lover to meet his friends.

Troy had started learning the Czech language from Nicklas and from an
online learning center.  He was still struggling with learning the new
language, but understood much of what his new friends were saying when he
was in the shower room with the Czech boys.  Knowing the language wasn't
necessary when several boys took turns sucking his dick in the shower room.
Before his first night at the orphanage was over, he had drilled four
beautiful boys and had been fucked by no less than 5 horny boys.

Villagers flooded the hall before the first performance of the Christmas
Pageant began.  They were thrilled to see a repeat of the pageant from the
previous year and cheered wildly when it ended.

On January 2nd, John, Mike, Lodak, Jan, Katelyn, Zach, Brooke, Nicklas,
Troy and Yuri left the orphanage to fly to Nassau.  When they arrived at
the airport, limos were waiting to take them to John's mansion.

For the boys, the highlight of the visit to the warm climate happened when
they met Tiki and Maki and accepted the invitation to spend the rest of
their vacation in a wing of John's mansion.  The boys swam in the warm
ocean and spent many hours indulging in their sexual fantasies.

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

A man was in his office and took the important phone call from his new
friend.  "Are you ready?" he asked.

"I'm ready and have everything planned if you're sure that we can pull this
off," a voice replied.

"I know how to move the money around the world so no one can find it," the
man said.  "We have to be sure that your friends can take him out of Nassau
without alerting Butch Mendez.  That shithead can fuck up everything if we
aren't careful."

"I don't think that people know that I left the treatment center," the
voice said.  "I'll use part of my share in this to pay off the people who
are still pissed at me to keep them from looking for me or you.  This is
our chance to have immense wealth and live lives of luxury for the rest of
our lives.  I can handle my part of this plan if you can handle yours."

"I'll have to trust you to have the explosives experts ready," the first
man said.  "We don't want any witnesses when the shit hits the fan.  I'll
take the money and move it quickly to so many different accounts that they
will never be able to trace the money before we have it in our accounts in
a special bank.  I've got everything planned, and each person only knows
his part in our plans, and not the full picture.  You need to only tell
people what you expect of them and never tell them the full picture."

"Are you going to tell me how you'll get the money or where it will end
up?" the second man asked.

"You do your part and I'll do mine," the first man said.  "You and I need
to make sure that everyone does their part and have backup plans if things
go wrong."

The second man wondered if the backup plans of his strange partner would
include killing all witnesses.  He had been recording all of their phone
calls and physical meetings, but never told his partner.  He would be very
careful, knowing that the amount of money involved would tempt many people
to commit murder.

Feedback is appreciated to Jacob_latson@hotmail.com

Note: I'm going on vacation, so there will be a delay in posting the next
chapter.