Date: Thu,  8 May 2003 22:29:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Zane <zanehuntergreen@excite.com>
Subject: Jaded-Part 16

JADED By: Zane Hunter Green
Chapter Sixteen


The copyright of this story belongs to the author. This is a piece of
fiction not based on any real person, or situations. This story is written
for a mature audience as it has adult material.


"The roads may be closed but the lakes aren't." Anton stated.

"So, how will that help us in this situation pal?" Michael wanted to know.

"Every man, man and child has a boat between here and home, I guess a few
women do too. Every one else has a four wheeler."

"The point is?"

"That we send up an electronic smoke signal to our friends, If someone can
get us over a lake another can drive us to the next lake, or fly us, but
perhaps the airfield is closed."

"Then we just surf the clouds down, you know jump out in parachutes."

"Now you're cooking!"

The banter of their nervous talk made them both aware that they were
helpless unless they got home see the destruction for themselves. The birds
were eerily quiet, even the steller jays who were as striking in sound as
in beauty.

As incongruent as Anton's idea seemed, it had some merit to it. There was a
hardy, rugged, independent, pioneer, spirit in the golden state, resilient
to the bumps and shakes.  Michael turned his car around by the roadblock
and drove back until he reached a mile marker, there a dirt road
intersected so he veered off to follow it. It wound near a creek bed and
once in a while a cabin would appear. Back a few miles was a farmhouse; the
field was cleared to be a landing field. Anton used to joke that they could
grow all kinds of crops there, and years ago when it had been a gay commune
they did.

 All the original members were gone, but one, Seth. Once he had been Babe
Sky, and he had raven hair so long it hugged his waist, if he wore any
shoes they were sandals made out of discarded rubber tires. If he wore any
clothes they were tied-dyed wife-beaters, and jeans well worn around the
crotch.

Now^Åhe wore custom shoes, and suits, the only thing he wore that was
tie-dyed was his raven hair which had strands of sable to make the colors
tinted over the grey seems natural. His raven hair, still impressive was
cut stylishly, but if you looked closely you could see the hair
transplants. He was also worth several million dollars, long gone were the
days of pan-handling.

Seth clung to the house because he was sentimental. This had been his
family. Once he had just been another runaway, a gay kid who was beaten to
an inch of his life by his fundamental family, and then when he couldn't
take it any-more he ran away. No one ever came looking for him.  He was
rarely here these days. He had a flat in London, and a condo in New
York. He kept a small jet in a hanger that he created from a converted barn
when he was around, the old barn place where there were shadows of the
great be-ins and love-ins. Anton could shut his eyes and remember. He could
imagine kisses all over his body, mouths on his dick, mouths on his
nipples, mouths licking his ass, acid music playing, along with amateur
guitar, and sometimes not so amateur, as the famous of the time wasn't so
removed from the people.

The plane was there. In those days he wouldn't have trusted Babe Sky to
steer a bicycle, and now he would happily ride anywhere with Seth as he
guided his plane. But there was only one place to go. Home.

Seth was empathetic when he heard about Anton's and Michael's concern. He
had met Ty once and liked him. He radioed the airfield ahead, and heard it
was still in operation. He taxied his plane into his own makeshift landing
field, and let the two men board it...

Anton was glued to the window looking for signs of damage. The closer he
got, the more evident it was that the earthquake.

When the plane touched down the short ride had seemed to take
forever. Anton would have run into town, but he knew he never would have
lasted. The plane ride had been hard enough with the lack of
pressure. Fortunately another friend with a re-conditioned Humvee took them
to first the bookstore, which was a mess of fallen shelves, and cracked
foundation, but still standing.

Anton's home was another story. It had been demolished, a pile of
rubble. He started to cry. "Where are they?" "How can it be so cruel that I
live, and they die?"

"What are you talking about?" spoke a sweet voice.

"Jaden, oh Jaden you're alright!" Anton hugged him in a great bear
hug. "Where's Ty?"

"He's helping the old couple down the street.

"Bless him, bless you too, how did you escape this?" He swept his hand over
the mess that was his house. I guess it all doesn't matter as long as
you're fine."

"We were outside arguing about the hole in the chicken wire, and what
beasts were stealing our hens..."

Seth was taking a mental survey of the area. "You know I need a tax write
off, we'll re-build your house so it's more earthquake proof. I heard you
were having problems with your business. I'll give you free ad in my
magazine; send a model up here to smile while dangling one of your hooks."

"A good looking guy?" asked Jaden.

"Like me?"  Seth responded.

Jaden nodded his fair head.

"Well in my book I'd buy anything you were selling honey." Seth joked, but
I'm afraid it would have to be a blond female in a bikini, and large rubber
boots.

"Yuk!" Was all Jaden could say.

"You take after your uncle kid." Seth informed him. "He was once the
gorgeous one."

"He still is." Jaden said.

Anton laughed for the first time today. "Jaden, even at my best which
seemed centuries ago I couldn't hold a candle to you."

Jaden blushed.

"Well it looks like we can't stay here." Anton said changing the subject.

"You're coming back with me." Seth insisted.

"You guys can stay at our place" Michael piped in. "We'll be glad to have
you."

Anton shook his head. "I'd like to take you up on it Seth, and we have to
get Michael's car back when the road clears, but there are the birds to
take care of.

"Fowl weather", said Seth.

"You can say that again." Ty said coming up the hill looking grimy and
tired.

"Hi there Ty" Seth greeted him.

Just then there was an aftershock and the cages in the henhouse fell. The
birds squawked like there was no tomorrow, and for a few seconds it felt
like that.

Anton made up his mind. You're taking Jaden with you. It's too dangerous
around here.

Jaden made clear that he had no intention to leave them.

"Look kid, I won't get anything done if I spend all my time worrying about
you." Anton told him.

"I'll help you." Jaden insisted

"I'd just be sick with worry. You're going back with Seth, and there will
be no argument!"

Seth seemed delighted to have the young boy for a companion, and he tried
to get Jaden to see the wisdom in it.

Ty backed Anton. There was too great a chance of an even larger
earthquake. It would be a relief to both of them if they knew that Jaden
was safe. Ty was very stern, but when he was finished trying to convince
Jaden that it was for the best, he gently stroked Jaden's cheek. "It will
only be for a few days."

Seth told Jaden he wanted to fly out before dark, because the small
airfields he was using didn't have radar.

Jaden and Seth were to be driven back to the plane in the Humvee. "You'll
have so much fun you'll never miss us." Anton told him.

The excitement of going up in an airplane for the first time was dulled by
the idea of leaving Anton and Ty.

Seth took Jaden's hand in his. "They'll be back soon to get the car,
honey. I'll show you where your uncle used to live, you can have his old
room to sleep in." Seth didn't tell Jaden that he slept there too as well
as several others.

"Why couldn't they come with us?"

"Besides the birds, they have to fill out forms for insurance and
stuff. It's pretty complicated after a disaster like this."

"It was horrible." Jaden told him. "It sounded like the whole world was
exploding."

"I know." Seth said as he and Jaden got buckled up, Jaden sitting in the
co-pilot seat. "Well your uncle and his friend will be happy to know that
you're safe with me."

The plane roared down the run-way and took off.