Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2007 07:54:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: adm2780 <adm2780@yahoo.com>
Subject: New Horizons Chapter Fifty-Five
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means, except for reviews, without the written permission of the author.
As in real life, the sexual themes unfold gradually and are kept to a
realistic level. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be
addressed to the author, Dwight Wilson, at adm2780@yahoo.com
This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between
males, adult and minor. As such it is homoerotic, designed for the
entertainment of mature adults. If you are not of legal age to read such
material, or if the subject matter would create irresolvable personal moral
dilemmas, please exit now
Note: I would like to thank Colin and John for their continued support and
patience while I try to write this story. Their support and efforts at
editing and correcting my errors not only keep me in line, but contribute
significantly to the reader's pleasure
Chapter Fifty-Five: New Horizons
Grandpa and his nurse sat in the golf cart watching the boys play their
ball games. Daniel could see them and tell by their pointing that they
were watching Danny and Ian as they fulfilled their roles as batboys. Both
of the little ones showed boundless energy and enthusiasm for what they
did. Both boys were also very dirty and didn't care, which seemed
appropriate for batboys.
Daniel walked around watching the boys. Most of them were outside playing
a game or waiting their turn to join in. As he watched the boys he always
thought back to when he first saw them or their first days at New Horizons.
He never ceased to be amazed at how quickly youth was able to turn its back
on adversity and grasp the brighter side of life. As he wandered around
the complex, he spotted TJ and Evan, who didn't look well. This gave
Daniel concern, particularly since the boys had spent the night with
Grandpa and he didn't know if something he wouldn't approve of had
happened. The boys spotted Daniel and approached him.
"Mr. Dan'l?" TJ called out with an almost whiney sound to his voice.
Daniel knew this was not like TJ and waited for the boys to come near.
"Mr. Dan'l, is it alright, . . I mean, me and Evan, can we go to the
infirmary and take a nap? We're just worn out and there's no place else
that's kinda quiet or where the guys won't bother us." TJ paused a minute,
then added. "We swear, Mr. Dan'l, we just want to take a little nap, that's
all." The look on the boys faces was almost pathetic. Daniel had to take
a deep breath to avoid laughing; he didn't want to embarrass the boys.
"Boys, are you feeling alright? Did something happen last night that I
should know about?" The boys looked at one another, questioning what
Daniel said, and then realized what he thought.
"No, Mr. Dan'l, no, nothin' happened bad. Well, you see, Grandpa kinda
wore us out last night. We just need some sleep, that's all." Daniel had
to laugh at the answer.
"Grandpa wore you two out. That's what you're trying to tell me, right?"
"Yes, sir. It's true. He surprised us, too. Mr. Dan'l, you shoulda seen
him. The stuff he did ta Evan in the tub, Evan didn't know if he was
comin' or going."
"I was cummin'." Evan interjected with a laugh, and then quickly became
serious when Daniel looked at the boy as though he had lost his mind.
"Mr. Dan'l," TJ continued, "we swear. That old man lifted Evan in his arms
and carried him to bed like it was nothin'. Then he got Evan ready again
and impaled himself on Evan. Then he started workin' on me and never moved
on Evan."
"That's right, Mr. Dan'l." Evan was excited again. "He put me over the edge
just usin' his butt muscles without even movin'. It was unreal! And then
. . ."
"Hold it, right there, guys. You ever hear the phrase TMI? Well, you two
are giving me more information than I really care to hear. Now, I knew
that when I said you could stay in that modular unit with Grandpa, you
wouldn't be knitting, okay? But, you two are telling me that old man wore
out two teenage boys. That's your story?"
"It's true, Mr. Dan'l, it's true! He said he was gonna show us stuff we
never thought about, and he did. He said he wanted to see how much stamina
we had and how many times we could hit a sexual high. We lost count,
Mr. Dan'l, but he definitely milked us dry. Actually, my balls are still
hurtin'. He didn't do nothin' bad, Mr. Dan'l." TJ's voice almost sounded
like he was both apologizing and pleading. "I'd like ta do it again, but
not right now. I'd rather take a nap." Daniel couldn't control himself
any longer. He laughed too hard to answer the boys who just stood there
looking at one another. Daniel finally nodded and waved them off.
Daniel remembered Grandpa said the two of them needed to have a private
talk. He walked towards Grandpa's golf cart. As he did, the nurse got out
and moved towards the modular home. When he was near the cart, Grandpa
patted the seat for Daniel to sit down.
"Grandpa, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to keep you entertained
around here."
"Daniel, when you reach my age it doesn't take a whole lot. To sit back
and watch these boys laugh and carry on means more than anyone can really
explain." Grandpa paused for the briefest of moments. "I saw you talking
with TJ and Evan, are they okay?"
"Well, I guess that depends on how you look at it." Daniel responded with a
slight smile. "They asked me if they could go to the infirmary where it
was quiet and take a nap. Seems a certain older gentleman pretty much wore
them out last night." Grandpa looked at Daniel and, without the slightest
hesitation, broke into a big smile. "You know how it is sometimes, Daniel.
Those boys haven't learned how to pace themselves, yet. One thing I can
assure you of, that certain older gentleman got some memories he will
forever cherish." The two men rode the cart around the ball field and
parked near the groves where they could still watch the boys, but also talk
in private.
"Daniel, I hope you understand that I do truly love those two boys and
would never do anything or allow anyone else to do anything to harm them.
If I was a little younger I'd even consider trying to get custody of them
and raise them myself. However, at my age the courts would just laugh.
Having them around is one of the few things this old man has to look
forward to now." Daniel could hear the sincerity in Grandpa's voice and
knew, instinctively, the older man would not harm the boys. Daniel then
became very serious.
"Grandpa, let me be serious with you now. Yesterday you said we may be
getting into more than we thought. I'm going to have to admit that I've
always been curious about you. I think there's a lot more to you than
you're willing to let people know and, yesterday, you really piqued my
curiosity when you said we needed to speak privately." Daniel sat back and
waited for Grandpa to pick up the conversation.
"Daniel, look out here. When I say look out here I'm not saying just see
the superficial part. Look deep, and think about what you see." Daniel
began to hear and see a different side of this mysterious man. "You're
right when you say there are things I'm not willing to let people know.
Part is by choice, part is necessity. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask
you to trust me for part of it."
"During my life I've worked all over the world. Did you know that there
are some cultures where the parents want their sons to become pleasure
boys? Notice that I said pleasure boys, not pleasure slaves. There are
countries, particularly in Africa, where the people are so poor that they
live in houses built of palm fronds. Kids wear hand me downs, or clothes
found in the dumps. It isn't unusual for the kids, particularly boys, not
to wear anything at all until they reach puberty. Puberty to them is
around fourteen or fifteen, sometimes later. Because they are embarrassed,
the kids don't go to school."
"What the parents do for the kids is to try to find them mentors or
caregivers. An adult assumes responsibility for the child's health care,
day to day support, and education. They sign a contract allowing the
caregiver to have custody and control until that child's sixteenth
birthday. The parent's receive a small stipend to help the rest of the
family. The parent's have visitation rights of a half day per week plus
one more full day during the month agreeable to all parties. The caregiver
has the option of granting more time. The child is tested right after his
sixteenth birthday and if he scores high enough, he is sent to a school for
higher education. If he doesn't score high enough for higher education,
then he goes to trade school. The end result is that the child has the
opportunity for a better life."
"But suppose the child doesn't want to go to a caretaker?" Daniel asked.
"Why wouldn't he? He has a comfortable home, he has plenty to eat, he gets
an education, he can visit family, and he is helping the rest of the
family. To refuse to go would result in being disowned for shaming the
family. Now, there are rules. The caretaker may punish, but may not be
cruel or inflict permanent damage. In other words, no whipping or caning
or any other form of punishment that may cause like damage. My
understanding was that if a boy had to be punished, it was with a belt or
paddle across the butt or something similar."
"The boy knows what is expected. In many cases the parents will begin
training at an early age. I've been villages where it's not unusual for a
father to teach his five year old son fellatio. It's done gently, not
cruelly. If the father is cruel, officials will pick him up and he could
be whipped. They try to protect the children. At age six they can go to a
training school where instructors work with the boys teaching them the art
of pleasing a man. I know there's a minimum age for anal penetration, but
it varies from village to village. The boys don't walk in totally blind.
It's an accepted way of life to them. If a boy can't give oral sex and
swallow a man or take his penetration by the time the boy is eight, he's
disowned. You go from village to village and you'll see the little one on
the street, begging. Their parents can walk right by them and ignore them.
Sounds almost barbaric, doesn't it?"
"Grandpa, how do you learn all these things?"
"I was a caretaker. In fact, I had two boys. They were beautiful little
guys; twins that I got when they were six. Their family was extremely
poor, but became part of my family. The boys ran around following me
everywhere. Finally, one day I offered to help the family. I didn't
realize then that what I did, by offering to help, was an insult to the
father. It was a blatant statement that he was not man enough to care for
his family. I was told that the only way to save face was for him to let
me have the boys and become their caretaker."
"I took the boys and became well coached on the custom. I paid the family
a good stipend and allowed the boys to visit the family almost anytime they
wanted. They were smart kids, too, and soaked up knowledge like a dry
sponge dropped into the ocean. I won't lie to you, Daniel. They were my
pleasure boys and taught me a lot of what I showed TJ and Evan last night.
That's why they were with me and to deny them was an insult to them and
their family. The best thing I could do to help the family was brag about
how well the boys did pleasing me."
"Grandpa, you speak of them in the past tense. What happened?"
"Nothing, they just grew up. They were the cutest and then most handsome
kids you'd ever want to know. They never wore a stitch until they entered
puberty and then only when I took them out. Their skin was so black that
at night time the only way I could find them was for them to smile. They
had huge smiles with perfect white teeth that reflected the light. When
they turned sixteen, it was time to send them home. You should have seen
the look on their faces when I told them they had to wear clothes. I think
they'd rather have taken a beating. Funny how societies' values can be so
different from one culture to another; using boys for pleasure. To them it
was honorable."
"They took their belongings and returned to their families. When they
tested, they scored very high and qualified for college. I paid for their
advanced education. The cost was pennies compared to here because the
government supplemented the cost. They're both doctors now. They're
families are very proud and have status because of the twins. There were
other boys that I helped, most of them boys off the streets. The main
thing I did was help them find a caregiver. What you need to realize
Daniel, is that their society worked out a way for the kids to get ahead,
the families to benefit, and slavery was illegal in their country."
"When I came back to America and heard about kids being used in pleasure
palaces, I didn't think much of it. After all, I'd just spent years as
care giver to two boys that were my pleasure boys. A friend took me to a
house of pleasure and I saw what was happening. That's when I learned the
boys were slaves. It was worse than ugly. What I saw made me sick. I
thought to myself, 'leave it to America'. One of the poorest countries in
the world found a way to have pleasure boys and make it dignified and
beneficial. We found a way to debase it and fuck the whole thing up. We
gave a whole new meaning to the term barbaric. Typical."
The two men continued to sit in the golf cart and watched the boys.
Grandpa was more than a little upset. Daniel tried to comprehend what
Grandpa had just told him. The question that kept running through Daniel's
mind was, 'where did Grandpa stand now?' Finally, Daniel broke the
silence.
"Grandpa, have you thought about trying to do something to change the
system?" Grandpa laughed, almost snickered, to himself.
"Daniel, I thought about it, then thought about it some more. I've only
been back here less than two years. I started looking into things and the
more I looked, the more disheartened I became. Taking boys and selling
them as slaves, pleasure slaves, had become big business. When big
business gets in the picture, watch out! Big business means big bucks.
Big bucks that can buy politicians, television time, newspaper space.
Everything you need to sell your point to the average citizen. Then I
heard about New Horizons. I checked into your program and saw it as the
first positive step towards restoring some of the values that this country
had sacrificed brothers for nearly two hundred years ago. Don't
misunderstand me. I see nothing wrong with enslaving criminals that refuse
to live by society's rules. Enslaving children for the sins of the parent?
That's sick."
"I know you're concentrating on saving the children. Everyone I've talked
to admires how you pulled that old statute out regarding jointly owned
property to save a bunch of the kids. Something tells me you know what
you're doing. Take the enemies position and words and turn it against
them. Excellent. There's a lot of people that want you to succeed and
will support you behind the scene. Just remember, big business equals big
bucks equals big payoffs. Be careful, for your sake and the sake of these
boys."
Daniel and Grandpa continued to talk for a short while longer. Grandpa
drove the cart around to the pool area where they were swamped with wet,
naked boys. Daniel looked into Grandpa's eyes and knew he wouldn't hurt
any of them. Then Daniel laughed to himself. All the talking they did and
Daniel still didn't know who Grandpa was.
****
Clayton was so nervous when he got home with his mom that he thought he was
going to get sick before he got inside. He stood outside looking at the
door. His last memory of that door was hearing it slam as his father
physically threw him out. He looked at his mom who tried to smile and give
him support. He looked at the area behind the house where he hid that
first night. He remembered every word, every scream, every insult, every
hurt. Clay wanted to come home. He wanted to be with his family again.
He wanted to be a kid again. Clay was scared. He was scared for what he
had lost. He was scared for what might be. He sank to his knees and
cried.
Mary stood next to her son. She knew he was hurting. As a mother she hurt
with her son, and more, because she wasn't sure what to say or do for him.
Adjusting would take time.
Clay remained on the ground, eyes closed, sobbing. When he felt a hand on
his shoulder he opened his eyes. There, in front of him, was a pair of
bare feet, young feet, his brother's feet. Before Clay could look up,
Marich dropped to the ground in front of his brother. With a hand on each
shoulder he gave Clay a gentle shake. Clay looked up to see that his
brother was also crying, but there was a difference; Marich also smiled.
Clay and Marich hugged one another and stayed on their knees, in front of
their home, and cried their happiness. Marich had seen his brother since
he left home, at Ft. Ogden. This time Clay was back; Clay was home. Mary
stood by her boys and let them bond again. After a few minutes she let
them know it was time to go in.
Clay walked through the house. He marveled at how the house had not
changed. All of the pictures, including pictures of him, still hung on the
walls or sat on tables.
"Mom put them back up." Marich answered Clay's unspoken question. "After
dad threw you out, he took down every picture and every reminder of you.
He told me I no longer had a brother. I was mad at him and told him I
would always have a brother. He slapped me." Clay turned to look at his
younger brother.
"I'm sorry, Mar. I didn't mean to ruin your family, too."
"You didn't, Clay. Don't you understand? It would have happened anyway,
sometime. Think back; think about both of us. It never mattered what we
tried or did. We could never satisfy him. I think he was looking for an
excuse to get rid of one or both of us."
"But, why, Mar? Why would he want to do that? Why did he hate me so
much?" The sound of Clay's voice expressed his utter confusion and loss,
not understanding why his father could hate him so much.
"Because he was afraid," Mary stated the answer without emotion. She had
been standing close by and overheard the boys. The unexpected sound of her
voice startled both boys. "Boys, you need to understand that for your
father, he was afraid that he would fail you. His father always wanted him
to go to college, to be somebody. His father couldn't afford to send him;
he felt that he had failed his only son. Your father was the same way. It
had nothing to do with anything either of you did. It was his weakness,
his fault. It was easier for your father to find a fault and blame you
than it was for him to accept the responsibility of being a father and
possibly failing. In the end he failed at everything." Mary approached
her oldest son. She wrapped her arms around him and lay his head on her
shoulder before she continued.
"That night he and I argued. I told him what I just told you. When I went
to bed that night, I closed the door and locked it. We never shared a bed
from that night to this. Don't misunderstand me. There was a day when I
thought your father was the greatest man on this earth. That's why I
married him. He gave me two beautiful boys; no woman could ask for more.
As a mother I will ask for more and I will get it. My boys will be cared
for and will have an education."
"Mama, I don't want to cause you trouble. Maybe, if I'm not here you and
Dad will . .you know . .maybe you will be able to . ."
"Clay, no. There will be no maybe's, what ifs, or anything else. What has
happened did because it was meant to be. There is just one thing I want
each of you to understand. He is your father whether you agree with him or
not. Regardless of what he says or does, you show him respect. If there
is to be any trouble, let it be on his shoulders, not yours. Do you
understand?"
"Yes ma'am." Came the answer from two tired voices.
"Clay, have you looked in your room yet?"
Clay had not seen his room. More correctly, he had not seen the room that
he and Marich had shared since the time they were very young. He always
thought it was strange that his parents had a four bedroom house, but he
couldn't have his own room. One of the bedrooms was a guestroom, and the
other his father used as an office. As a boy approaching young manhood, he
felt that he should be allowed some privacy and not always have his brother
watching him or spying on what he did. The worst part was always when his
parents would ask him why he needed so much privacy. How does a teenage
boy explain to his parents what a hormone driven teenage boy likes to do in
his room?
When Clay entered the bedroom he was surprised to see that it was exactly
as he remembered leaving it. His things were semi-organized with a few
items strewn about. The t-shirt he had worn to school that day still hung
over the corner of his desk chair. His papers still lay on top of his
desk. He turned and looked at his mom who just smiled and gave him the
look that could only be interpreted as 'welcome home'.
"We didn't move anything. When your father started to come in here, I
blocked the door. He was not going to wipe out my memories of my first
son. Marich has kept the room clean. I watched him as he would pick
something up to clean it and then place it back in the same exact spot.
Marich always said that you'd be back one day." Marich blushed.
"It's just how I remember it. It's just like I left for school this
morning and just got back." As they left the room, Marich leaned into his
brother and whispered.
"It's not exactly the same. I found some of your toys and reading stuff.
Nice." Clay turned and looked at his brother, surprised.
Clay spent the first couple of days visiting with his mother and brother,
getting accustomed to being home again. Mary had always let her boys run
free at home if they wanted to. It wasn't unusual for them to be running
through the yard playing some kid's game and suddenly decide it was hot and
jump in the pool. She was never surprised to look out the window and
discover that some of the other neighborhood kids would show up and the
next thing she knew she was preparing afternoon snacks for half the
neighborhood boys. Most of the parents had the same attitude about letting
their boys run free, so if one came over and suddenly appeared naked,
usually dripping pool water on her floor, it meant nothing. She noticed
more when one of the boys wasn't naked.
Sunday afternoon, things appeared to be returning to normal around her
home. Clay and Marich were in the pool and she soon heard other voices,
all familiar. Around mid- afternoon she looked out the window and counted
five boys in the pool. Her sons were close enough in age that they shared
some of the same friends and often the friends were brothers, also. While
she prepared a snack tray for the boys, she heard the harsh voice and words
of familiar trouble.
"You faggot! I threw you out of here once and told you to never come back!
What are you doing here?"
Clay's father was screaming at Clay. Clay was on the cool-deck, backing
away from his father and keeping himself in front of Marich who appeared
frightened. Mary saw the other three boys and realized they were
frightened to the point of not knowing what to do. Mary rushed out of the
house and stood in front of her two sons.
"Why are here? The court said you must call me and get permission to come
here. You will not threaten my son and you will not call him names! Look
at the number I have punched into this phone. Do you leave or do I call
the police?"
"He's a faggot! He will not be around Marich! Marich is my son, too!" As
Clay's father yelled he made a threatening move towards the boy.
"Enough! The phone is ringing; the police will come. You touch either one
of the boys and I will personally swear out the warrant to have you
arrested. Tomorrow, the attorney will file the papers so you may not come
near this house, me, or either of the boys regardless of where we are.
Leave. Now!!"
The boys' father did not say anymore. The hatred shown in his eyes and was
directed equally at Clay and Mary.
"Listen to me very carefully. Once, you threw Clay out and I wasn't strong
enough to stand up to you. Clay suffered because of your prejudice and
stupidity. Clay suffered because his mother did not stand up and protect
her child. No more! Hear me good. NO MORE!! Go live elsewhere with your
ignorance. I tried to be good to you and let you visit with Marich. From
now on, you will not visit with either of the boys unless someone is with
them. Do you understand what I am telling you? No more ignorance. No
more anger to my sons. No more blaming them for your failures. You say
Clay is no longer your son. That is good for Clay. Now leave!" As Mary
finished they saw flashing lights approaching. Clay and Marich watched
their father walk off; neither boy could shed a tear.
When Mary finished talking to the police, she returned to the pool area and
found the boys huddled on two of the chaise loungers. She knew the episode
had been unpleasant and unnerving to all of the boys. Forcing herself to
smile, she approached the boys.
"Now, I want to see everyone smiling and having a good time, okay? I was
preparing a snack for all of you but suppose we do something different.
How about I take all of you out to eat and then, maybe, a movie?" Mary was
a mother, she knew how to change a child's disposition almost instantly.
"Where we gonna eat? Can we see the new Die hard movie?" Marich picked up
on the offer immediately.
"Die Hard movie? What is it rated?" Mary gave her younger son a
suspicious look.
"I'm not sure, 'R' maybe? But, it's not a bad 'R'. Mom, please?" Marich
was now using his pleading, trying to be innocent, look. It didn't work.
"No 'R' movies. Look in the paper and find a 'PG'. We'll eat wherever you
want to go. The boys need to call home and get permission." Three naked
boys darted for the phone. "And all of you have to get dressed." Mary
concluded with a laugh. Clay followed his mother inside.
"Mom?" Clay felt guilty for what had happened and didn't want to cause
trouble for anyone.
"Yes, baby," Mary turned to look at her son and knew immediately what he
was thinking. "It wasn't your fault, baby. Stop thinking like this, you
must. He wasn't supposed to be anywhere near here and the fact that he was
just tells us he has been snooping around, spying, looking for something to
use as an excuse to cause trouble."
"But, Mom, you and Marich, I just . . ." Mary cut her son off.
"No. It wasn't your fault. Do not put this on yourself. He did it. It
was his fault. You know I'm proud of the way you handled it, don't you?"
Clay gave his mother a puzzled look. "I'm proud of the way you stood in
front of your brother to protect him. I knew you were frightened, too, but
you stood there and protected Marich. That proves that my boy has a good
heart." Mary gave her son a hug and a kiss.
"Now, you go there with the other boys and make sure they call their
parents. Then all of you need to find out what time the movie starts. Do
you think the boys' will mind if your mama goes along? Now, go, get out,
go." Clay gave his mother a hug and ran out of the house feeling lighter
and better than he had in a long time.
****
Tuesday evening, Daniel sat in his office feeling exhausted. He never
realized that reuniting families would take so much out of him. The
seventh boy had just left for home with his parents. So far, all of the
parents claimed to have been able to pay the debt that was the root of the
evil, or make arrangements to get it paid within a very short time frame.
For most of them, it was only a matter of arranging for a second mortgage
on their home. For others, family members contributed whatever amount was
needed. As Daniel sat with his forehead resting in the palm of his hands
Paul stuck his head in the door to let him know the Captain was on the
phone.
"Captain, this is a rather unusual time for you to be calling isn't it?"
"Daniel, I don't think you have any room to make comments on working hours.
You know how it is, we do what we have to do when it happens. For some
reason, criminals don't break the law within the normal working day.
Besides, I have some news on a couple of items I thought you might be
interested in."
"Oh? And what might those be?"
"Why don't we start with Grandpa Smith?" The Captain definitely had
Daniel's attention at this point. "We did a background check and found
that Grandpa didn't exist until about eighteen months ago. Do I have your
undivided attention now?"
"Absolutely. Please keep going. Any idea who he was before he became
Grandpa Smith?"
"No, and we can't get the information either. When we started snooping
into his background we received a couple of visitors. They were federal
agents. In what they perceived to be a nice manner, we were told to let it
go. Of course, as soon as they told us to let it go, that was the last
thing I planned on. Unfortunately, I kept hitting dead ends."
"I called a couple of friends from the early days. They're both working
for the feds now. When I first spoke to them they were very cooperative
and enthusiastic to help out an old buddy. They called me back a couple of
hours later and very politely told me they couldn't help me. When I asked
if they 'couldn't' or 'wouldn't' they weren't too happy. I had to
apologize for the implications of my question and then explained why I was
so interested in the gentleman. Again, they called me back in a couple of
hours."
"Better news this time, I hope?" Daniel asked.
"Well, I think it was better, and I also think it's all we're going to get
at this time. It seems Grandpa was somehow tied into the feds and worked
overseas."
"That ties in to some things he told me. He told me he worked in Africa.
He was around some of those cultures where they will more or less indenture
their children in exchange for the children to have a better opportunity
for a better life. He told me he was a caretaker and the two boys he
helped wound up being doctors. He also helped several others. That's all
I really know."
"That ties to what I was told, Daniel. They also told m that I could
assure you that he was a good man and wouldn't hurt the children for
anything. They did tell me he is gay and enjoys giving pleasure to others.
Daniel, it sounded as though they were trying to vouch for his personal
character. The nurse you told me was always with him? His history is
about the same and he works exclusively for Grandpa Smith. We did
determine that he has a pretty good income. We don't know where it's
coming from for certain, but it appears to be legitimate and fairly
substantial."
"All this cloak and dagger stuff could drive me crazy." Daniel stated more
to express his frustration than anything else. "Almost sounds like this
man is in a witness protection or other government protection program.
But, you say your sources did say he didn't have a shady character when it
comes to the kids?"
"That's right. They admit that he's gay, but there's never been anything
to give cause to worry. If anything, he has a tendency to protect the
children."
Captain, you said you had a couple of items?"
"Yes, and I think you'll really like this one. Remember you had asked me
to check into the father of Brian, Evan, Randy and Josh and the twins?
Well, it took a little extra persuasion, but if you'll recall, we were able
to get several statements from associates. Seems the father has a big
mouth. He couldn't help but brag about ripping the boys off, or at least
the estate. I turned everything over to the prosecutor's office and they
feel we have enough to bring charges. We think we have enough here to
really put the squeeze on him and help the boys."
"Excellent. Any idea how much of the money is left or if he was successful
in investing the money?"
"We're still running the numbers, but we think he's managed to hide some of
it. One of the things I wanted to talk to you about is the strategy to
make him hand over everything. I think we might have a good shot at
bluffing our way through some of this. Particularly if we pick him up and
leave him in a certain area for a couple of days before interrogating him.
Daniel, this is the big question, do you want him to have to face the
boys?"
"I'm leaving that up to the boys. One part of me says to let them face him
and say anything they want. Maybe it would help filter out some of the
bitterness they seem to hold. Another part of me says they've started a
new life and should just keep going. I think the choice needs to be made
by the boys. When do you plan on picking him up?"
"Any time now. At the moment I'm trying to coordinate things so it fits
your schedule the best." The Captain was really making an effort to do
what was best for the boys.
"Captain, I'll talk to the boys and let them know what's happening. They
really need to decide if they want to face. Personally, I think it might
do them good to vent some of their anger towards him. We're scheduled to
serve lunch at the senior center Wednesday of next week, do you think we
might have numbers then?"
"I'll put a call in and let the accountants know we have to have a rough
set of numbers no later than Monday. We can pick him up then and let him
sweat it out a little until Wednesday. Will that work for you, Daniel?"
"Excellent. That should give the boys time to decide what they want to
do."
As Daniel spoke on the phone, Richard and Jamie stepped into Daniel's
office. Both young men were excited. They put a note in front of Daniel
letting him know they had located the families for two more boys. The
families wanted to come tonight or tomorrow to get their sons.
"Captain, remember I said we had found the families for seven of the boys.
Make that nine. If you would, give me a call when you have the rough set
of numbers and I'll have a talk with the boys. I'll need to set up
conservatorships for them also."
Daniel ended his call and just looked at the two young college volunteers
as they all exchanged huge smiles.
"Fellas, you've been doing a great job. Maybe I need to talk to my dad and
arrange to keep you two on here for a while. I'd love to try and track
down the families of some of these other boys. Why are you guys having
more luck than the authorities?" At first, the boys just shrugged their
shoulders.
"Daniel, the authorities don't have the time and resources we're using. A
lot of people don't realize how much work goes into locating some of these
people. We do have to go back to the university, but if you don't mind,
Daniel, we could keep working from there and try to locate more families
after we get back."
"Boys, there's a lot of families that would forever be in your debt. Now,
for these two boys, how far away are they?"
"One family is less than an hour away." Jamie stated. "The other family's
about three hours away. Their phone numbers are on the slips if you want
to call them.
Less than two hours later Daniel entered the dorm and found eight year old
David. He asked the boy if he would go for a walk with him so they could
talk a little. David held Daniel's hand and watched the ground as they
walked. Half way across the commons Daniel stopped and kneeled down next
to the boy. David looked at Daniel, puzzled. Daniel turned his head and
pointed towards the office. David stood still for a moment, frozen, and
then ran to his parents. Another boy was headed home.
End Ch Fifty-Five