Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 16:34:28 -0500
From: Jack Schaeffer <jack.schaeffman@gmail.com>
Subject: Forever - Book Two - Chapter 8

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Comments welcomed: jack.schaeffman@gmail.com


FOREVER
By Jack Schaeffer
Copyright © 2014-2015. All rights reserved.

BOOK TWO - CHANGES

Chapter 8

"We need more bacon and eggs, Jack," said Will, handing me an empty platter.

"Geez...where are they putting it all?" I asked. Maggie, standing across the
kitchen island from me, just laughed.

"Here, give me the empty one. I have another ready to go," she said, as she
retrieved a platter full of hot scrambled eggs and another pound of crispy
maple bacon. "See if this will hold them till Jack finishes with the
pancakes," she said, as she handed the food to Will.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said politely with a nod.

"I told you...I'm Maggie."

"Sorry, Maggie," said Will with a grin. He certainly seemed to have recovered
from the whole blackmail exposure thing yesterday. I was glad for him -
nobody deserved to be under the thumb of Arnold Turner.

I turned back to my task of flipping pancakes on the double griddle Maggie
had set up for me on the big stove. So far I had managed to only burn the
first two batches. Thankfully she had made a gallon of batter, and with the
two dozen eggs and two pounds of bacon already served, I was fairly certain
no one was going hungry.

Todd had arrived around 8:30 with Simon. Mason pulled in right behind them in
a red Mazda 626. I met them at the door and walked them to the kitchen. We
chatted for a few minutes, I introduced them to Maggie, and they quickly went
right back to their deep discussion of office buildings and related issues. I
tried, but I didn't really understand everything they were talking about. I
looked at Maggie and shrugged my shoulders and she smiled at me.

No sooner had they all settled in at the dining table when the front doorbell
rang again, and I opened it to Danny and Will. I didn't think they drove
together, but it was hard to tell. The driveway looked like a small parking
lot. I welcomed them to our home and led them to the others. After getting
everyone some juice to drink, I returned to helping Maggie with the cooking.
We had a lot of mouths to feed.

Now, as I flipped my pancakes, happy to see none of the latest batch had
burned, I had to laugh to myself. Here I was, the CEO of my new multi-million
dollar company, the entire staff of which was assembled at my dining table,
and I was relegated to making breakfast while they did all the wheeling and
dealing. Somehow it made sense.

I stacked the finished pancakes on a platter with the previous batches and
returned it to the warming oven just under the stove top, then carefully
poured out another batch on the griddle. As I waited for the bubbles to
appear on the surface and then pop, which according to Maggie meant they were
ready to flip, I thought about the morning so far. Mostly I wondered where
Sam had disappeared to.

We had showered together, enjoying one another's touch, but did not take it
any further. I think we were both a little apprehensive about what the day
might bring. Sam seemed...I don't know...preoccupied, maybe? Like he had
something on his mind, but wasn't in a mood to talk about it. I had a lot on
my own mind, so I let him be. We dressed in a comfortable silence, he in
jeans and t-shirt, me in khakis and a blue button front dress shirt. Business
casual. And the only clean thing left in my meager wardrobe. I needed to do
some shopping. And some laundry.

I carried the warm pancakes along with a large bottle of real maple syrup to
the table and sat down with the guys. By the time the platter of pancakes got
back to me there were maybe four or five left. I decided to leave them for
Sam, if he ever came back from wherever he had gone. Instead, I scooped some
eggs onto my plate, added a couple of pieces of bacon, and some fresh fruit
Maggie had cut up for us. I was just finishing my last bite of eggs when Todd
looked up at me from his IPad.

"Hey, Jack, where's Sam this morning?"

I swallowed and replied, "I don't know exactly. I think out talking to
Charles."

"Uh...who's Charles?" asked Will, taking another bite of bacon.

"Charles is Maggie's husband," I replied. "He takes care of the grounds here
and...well, anything Maggie doesn't, I guess." Heads nodded in understanding,
most of them still chewing syrup soaked pancakes.

"And who's Sam?" asked Simon.

I sighed, thinking about how to say it. "Sam? Sam is my partner," I said.

"Cool," said Danny. "Is she pretty?" Todd choked on a piece of bacon, and I
think I heard muffled laughter coming from the kitchen sink as Maggie washed
the dirty griddle.

"You okay there, Todd?" I asked, smiling. I decided I wasn't going to worry
about Danny. If he didn't like the fact of Sam and me, it was his issue, not
mine. Too many other more important things were at stake now. I turned to him
to answer his question.

"I would not call Sam pretty. To me, he's more...handsome and rugged. A real
stud, I think, but then I'm in love with the guy, so I might be a tad
biased."

Todd was hysterically laughing now, nearly falling off his chair. Will and
Mason were smiling, I wasn't sure if it was at Todd's antics or my statement.
Simon looked thoughtful, his usual expression, and Danny...well...Danny
looked like he had swallowed his tongue.

Getting control of himself, Todd looked over at Danny. "You okay, Daniel?" he
asked.

"I don't...why are you laughing...what are you saying, Jack?" asked Danny,
looking very confused.

"He said Sam is a dude, not a woman," answered Simon simply, before I could
respond.

"But...Jack said Sam was his partner. I don't..." said Danny, still not
understanding.

"He's gay, Danny. Jack and Sam are gay. They live here...together. And I can
tell you, they are very much partners," said Todd, smiling at me. I nodded to
him in thanks.

"Ohhhh," said Danny, the light finally coming on. His expression was no
longer one of confusion, but I really couldn't read it. I didn't think Todd's
answer needed any further clarification, but I wanted to make sure there
would be no misunderstandings later.

I stood up. "Look, guys. Sam and I are partners. Boyfriends,
lovers...whatever you want to call us. I love him, he loves me, and he's my
family. So...if you want to be a part of Schaeffer Associates, you need to be
okay with the fact your boss is gay. If you aren't...I don't know what to
tell you. I want you all on the team, but it's your choice. Just know
this...I won't tolerate a bad attitude towards anyone on this team, so if
you've got a personal problem with gay people, or people who are different
than you in any way, get over it or get out." I paused, hoping I didn't sound
too harsh. I didn't mean to.

I continued. "I'm headed downstairs to see where we can set everybody up.
Finish your breakfast and meet me down there. You all need to tell me what
you need so you can do your jobs from here, and we'll figure out how to get
it done, okay?" I saw a few nods and turned and walked into the main kitchen
area and Maggie winked at me. I smiled and kept going into the hallway and
ran smack into Sam standing there.

"Oof! Ow...Sam, you okay?" I said, rubbing my knee where I had collided with
his. He was smiling at me, a huge goofy grin on his face. He put a finger to
his lips and grabbed my hand, pulling me to him. He kissed me and I didn't
care who might see...I just melted into him. Oh man, can he kiss. My cock was
instantly hard and hurting in my tight pants.

"Follow me," he whispered. And I did, straight down the hall to our bedroom.
Shutting the door behind us, Sam pulled me into another scorching kiss and my
hands were all over him. He grabbed my wrists and held them still while his
tongue continued exploring my mouth. I could feel the precum leaking in my
underwear. It was only a matter of time before I would have to change my
pants. Finally, he broke our lip lock, and we stood there panting. He was
still holding my wrists loosely.

"Jack...fuck! Oh man...kissing you...it's so hot. How do you do it?" he said
between ragged breaths.

"Do what?" I said, looking lovingly into his deep blue eyes.

"You know what," he said, grinning, letting go of my wrists finally.

"You mean make this hard," I said, gently squeezing his cock in his jeans. He
just nodded, smiling at me.

"I think you like me, Sam," I said with a cheeky grin.

"Not even a little bit, you jerk," he said. Then he pulled me into a hug up
tight against his chest. I could feel his heart beating with my own, his
breath on my neck threatening to excite me all over again.

"I heard what you said, you know," said Sam.

"What?" I asked.

"What you said to the guys. About us. I love you, Jack. I love that you stood
up for us. That you called us family. We are a family, aren't we."

I leaned back and looked up at his face. "Forever, Sam."

He kissed me again, but this time it was gentle, the love palpable. I could
feel my knees weakening as he held me in his arms. I loved him so much it
really did hurt, but in a good way.

"Sam...you smell like outside. Where'd you go?" I asked.

"I was with Charles. We were...checking on things."

"What things?"

"Security. Seems there's an eight foot high fence running along the property
line from the gate to maybe half way up each side of the mountain. It's in
the woods about thirty feet from the road, so you don't see it unless you
know where to look. Beyond that, I think the Franklins depended on the
natural ruggedness of the terrain to be a deterrent to anyone trying to get
on the property or up to the house. You would have to be an experienced
woodsman to make it up here from the main road, for sure. Charles said
someone would have to be seriously determined to succeed, because there are
deep, rocky ravines on each side of the mountain where the fencing ends.
Still, we know Arnold knows his way around the woods, right? He followed
Andrew Munroe and his friend into the woods without them knowing he was
there, just so he could get the picture of the two of them Davis told us
about. I'd feel safer knowing there's no way for him to get in here."

"Me, too, but what do we do?"

"I'm not sure, yet. I was thinking about asking Todd if he has any contacts
with security people. Maybe they would have some ideas. This is our home,
Jack. We have a right to feel safe here. So I say we do whatever it takes to
make sure we are. Agreed?" I was impressed he was asking me and hadn't
already talked with Todd. I nodded to him.

"Of course. Whatever you think is best, Sam. I told you, I won't fight you on
this. I do hope, though, we can do it without having more people in the
house. With my team in here every day for who knows how long..." I trailed
off, starting to sound whiny. Ugh!

"I get it, Jack. I'll try to talk to Todd quietly, and Charles and I will
handle it, okay?" I smiled at him, knowing he just wanted me safe.

"Thank you, Sam. I appreciate it. I'm sure Charles and Maggie will, too."

I suddenly remembered where I was supposed to be. "Crap! They're gonna be
looking for me downstairs. I gotta go, Sam," I said, breaking free from his
arms. Before I could fully escape, he grabbed my hand.

"Hey...slow down, little man. Don't you think you ought to introduce me to
the team?" He was grinning, and I grinned back.

"Oh yeah. Come on, I want to show you off," I said, beaming at him. He
laughed, and we checked ourselves to make sure we were still presentable.
Thankfully there was no wet spot on my crotch. I grabbed his hand and we
headed downstairs.

The guys were all hanging out in the main room downstairs. Will and Danny
were looking out at the swimming pool longingly. Mason was on his phone.
Simon was leaning against the billiard table, thinking about something. He
had such an intense look on his face, it was impossible to fathom what was
going on inside his brain. Todd was also on his phone, talking quite
animatedly to someone.

"If he comes back, tell him to call me directly. Give him my cell number,
though he should have it already. What? Yeah, I know. I moved everything last
night. No, he can't. I don't care if he is a VP, he doesn't have
authorization to access Private Trust client accounts, period. I don't
know...tell him it's bank policy. Besides, you couldn't give him access,
anyway. Only I could, and I'm not there. Now you're thinkin'. Yeah...thanks,
Sally, for the heads up. Keep me posted if he starts harassing anybody else,
okay. I'll try. I'll see what I can do, okay. Alright, bye." He hung up and
looked up at me.

"One guess."

"Arnold Turner," said Sam. At the sound of his voice, everyone turned to look
at the new guy. I watched as each one of them looked Sam over and their first
impressions resonated on their faces.

Will smiled. He definitely approved. Hmmmm? I was starting to wonder a little
about Will Petersen. Mason nodded to no one in particular. It was kind of
like a nod to say, yep, I've marked the new guy, he's in his slot in my mind,
moving on. Simon's expression never changed. It hardly ever does, from what I
can tell. He looked from Sam to me, held my eyes for a short second, then
smiled. I took that as a favorable sign. One to go.

Danny was looking Sam over like he was sizing up the competition. They were
equals in physical stature, despite Sam being several years younger. Danny
was definitely handsome and he knew it. But so was Sam, although in a
different way.

Sam sensed Danny from across the room, and I saw Sam fix his laser
concentration on him. Danny met his gaze with a stare of his own. This went
on for a nearly a minute, and everyone in the room eventually clued in to
what was happening and watched them with me. I was used to this move of
Sam's. Danny wasn't, but he didn't seem fazed by it. It wasn't a staring
contest, exactly. It was more like there was a silent communication happening
- a mutual evaluation transpiring between them, all without words or actions.
Finally, Sam nodded once toward Danny, and Danny returned the nod. Everyone
exhaled loudly at the same time, and we all chuckled, including Danny.

Then he surprised the crap out of me. Danny walked over to us, reached out
his hand, and shook Sam's.

"Nice to meet you, Sam. Jack was tellin' us a little about you.
I...uh...well, shit, I'm just gonna say it. You're the first gay guys I've
ever known. Known personally, that is." Sam smiled.

"Sam, this is Danny Masters. Danny...Sam Wainwright," I said carefully.

"Good to meet you, too, Danny. Welcome to our home. And I'm honored to be
your first, man. I promise to be gentle." I gasped, Sam grinned, and Danny
laughed. Leave it to Sam to know exactly what to say to break the ice. I
stood there in awe of him, yet again. The other guys laughed, too.

I finished introductions and then asked the team if they had had a chance to
figure out what all was needed to get everything set up to work from the
house. More discussion broke out, and I stepped over to stand next to Sam.
His hand went straight to the small of my back, and I leaned backwards just a
little so he knew I was feeling him there. I saw him smile with a sideways
glance. His eyes crinkled a little at the corners. He was enjoying this whole
scene. I was just proud of him. Proud he was my partner, my lover, my family.

He leaned over towards me to whisper. "Whadda ya think, Jack? Should we sneak
out to the hot tub and I'll have my way with you while they figure all this
out?" I blushed deeply, remembering our recent time together out by the pool.

"You jerk. I know what you're tryin' to do. You want my dick to get hard just
so you can strut around these guys, knowin' you turn me on," I whispered
back. He chuckled, then turned to me, pulling me into a hug.

"I just love you, Jack. More than you'll ever know."

"Forever, Sam."

"Forever, Jack." I looked up at him, and he leaned down and kissed me. I
didn't even flinch.

It wouldn't have mattered. No one noticed us. They were making lists and
making calls and doing...whatever it is they do. I just wanted them to have
the tools they needed to do it, and I figured they'd get around to telling
me, eventually.

Todd disconnected from yet another call and walked over to us. "That was
Sully. He asked if you would meet him at Maggiano's downtown at 11:30." I
looked at my watch. I knew where the restaurant was, but we needed to hustle
to make it.

"What do the guys need, Todd? Have they figured it out yet?" I asked.

"Mostly we need secure, high speed internet access. I can have satellite
service installed this afternoon, I think. It's not the best, but it'll do in
a pinch. It would take weeks to get fiber optic service and the cable company
hasn't made it this far out of the city yet. You okay with that?" he asked.

"Yeah. Whatever they need, Todd, make it happen. Sam and I will meet with
Sully and try to convince him to intervene with Arnold Turner."

"Oh yeah. Tell him Arnold was stirring up the Private Trust staff again this
morning, trying to get access to Jack's account data. He's breaking every
rule. Sally told me he went back to the files and was furious they were empty
this morning. She had no idea I moved them, so she was covered, but I don't
like the idea he's harassing the staff. It needs to stop. It's like he's
losing his grip on reality."

"We're on it," said Sam. "The sooner he's gone, the better we'll all feel.
Which reminds me, can I say something to the team?" he asked, looking at me.

"Of course, Sam. Go for it." I had no idea what he wanted to say.

"Hey guys," he said forcefully, getting the team's attention. When he had eye
contact with all of them, he said, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the
inconvenience of you having to come all the way out here to work. I know it's
a pain in the ass, and Todd's gonna do all he can to get the internet up to
speed and whatever else you need. But I want you all to be safe, and until
Arnold Turner is dealt with, I really appreciate you all being willing to
make the sacrifice to help Jack get things up and running from here. Thanks,
guys."

"You're welcome, Sam," said Mason.

"Yeah, no sweat," said Danny, smiling. I guess he was going to be okay with
us. That was a real relief. Will just grinned, happy as could be. Simon's
expression didn't change, but he nodded to us both.

Turning back to Todd, I said, "Okay, we're gonna get out of here. Tell Sully
we'll be there. If you need anything, just ask Maggie. She'll be around and
available, and I think she already has a plan for lunch for you guys, and
maybe even dinner, if you want it."

"Cool. Take off, guys, and good luck with Sully. Bring back some good news,
please."

"Later," I said.

"Later, Boss," said Todd.

"Later, Boss," said the other guys, in unison, laughing. I smiled, and Sam
and I headed upstairs.

Sam needed a shower after his walk in the woods, and I needed...Sam. But
there was no time, so we left the house in a hurry, slightly frustrated.
After his two-minute shower, Sam had switched to khakis like me, with a blue
shirt as well, though no one would mistake us for twins. After all, our shoes
didn't match.

Sam drove and I navigated the best I could. I was still getting used to the
downtown Denver traffic flow. There were a number of one-way streets to make
it even more confusing, but we managed to find a spot on a street near the
restaurant and parked. I joined Sam on the curb and as we crossed Tremont
Place I shuddered slightly, remembering Turner's attempt to pick me up in his
car the day before. We had to find a way to stop him.

Sam gave our names to the hostess and she immediately led us to a table for
four against the back wall where Sully was already seated. He actually looked
very happy to see us.

"Sam! Jack! Good to see you both. Have a seat," he said, after we had all
shaken hands. "How have you both been since we last met?" he asked, genuinely
interested it seemed.

"Fine, sir. Thank you for asking," said Sam.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us," I said.

"I've thought a lot about you both since the Board Meeting. I'm delighted to
have a chance to share a meal with you and perhaps get to know you a little
better." He was certainly in a good mood. Enjoy it while it lasts, I thought.

Carla, our waitress, came by to take our drink orders and she left with my
request for iced tea. Sam was drinking water, and Sully already had coffee.

"So tell me how you two met," said Sully. Sam looked at me, and I deferred to
him. I was too nervous to make small talk. I was dreading what we had come to
do. I liked Sully, and I was suddenly afraid we were going to majorly
disappoint him.

Sam gave him a fairly short version of our life together thus far, up to and
including our deciding to live on Phillip's Mountain. Sully listened with
apparent fascination. I could see how clients would love this guy. He made
you feel like you were the most important person breathing at the moment.

"So, you two are starting your lives together as a family here in Denver.
That's wonderful. I'm happy for you both," he said with a smile.

Sam was looking at Sully intently. Something was on his mind, I could tell,
but I had no idea what it was. Sully just looked back at him, much as he had
done in the board room on Monday. How is it these guys all seem to have this
secret communication tool, and I'm left just watching? Whatever. I just
waited to see what came of it.

Sully smiled and looked down at his coffee cup. Just then, Carla came to take
our food order. I requested the Rigatoni "D" pasta, my favorite, and a
caprese salad. Sam ordered a Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper flatbread pizza
with a house salad, minus the bleu cheese, for which I was grateful. I did
not like the taste of bleu cheese, and I didn't want to taste it on Sam
later, if I could help it. Sully ordered a Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad for
his meal.

As Carla walked away, Sully looked at Sam. "Can I ask a question without
offending you?" Sam nodded. "Has it been...difficult...being out as a gay
couple?" Sam looked at me and smiled. I wanted to hide under the table, but
Sam reached across for my hand and I grabbed it. My soul settled down
immediately with the physical contact.

"For me, the answer is no, it's not difficult. I've been out to my family and
friends for years, and I've really had no negative attitudes or push back. My
family has always been very supportive of me, and I almost never think about
it." Sully smiled, then turned to me. I took a drink of iced tea and sighed.

"Yes...for me it's been more challenging. I was terrified at first. I've
always known I was gay, but I've only recently admitted it...even to myself
in a way. Sam has been my rock, and he makes it possible for me to be me.
It's why I love him so much," I said, smiling at him.

"May I ask what you were afraid of?"

"Of being rejected. And worse...being attacked and hurt physically. I come
from an extremely homophobic family situation. I actually came to believe I
was never supposed to do anything good or worthwhile because I'm gay. Like it
would be wrong for me to even try. Thankfully, I don't think like that
anymore."

"Oh my, Jack. That's awful. I'm so sorry," said Sully, genuinely sad for me.

"It's okay. It's certainly not your fault. And I have Sam now. Plus, like I
said, I'm learning to see myself as valuable and I have a worthwhile purpose.
I actually like me. And...it helps to know I'm loved as a gay man," I said,
beaming at Sam across the table. His blue eyes were smiling at me.

"Thank you for sharing your stories with me. I appreciate it. I've...I've
often wondered..." he trailed off, looking into the distance across the room.
Sam and I looked at each other. Sully was lost in a moment of personal
reflection, so we waited quietly.

Sully suddenly seemed to remember where he was, and that he was not alone.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I was thinking about someone from my past."

"Who?" asked Sam, taking a sip of his water. At first a look of fear flashed
on Sully's face, then he smiled.

"To be honest...me."

"You?" I asked.

"Yes," he said with a sigh.

"Sully?" asked Sam.

"Yes, Sam. To answer your question, yes...I'm gay. At least...I am now." Sam
smiled, Sully smiled, and I nearly fainted with surprise. Did not see that
one coming at all. How did Sam know? Larry had told us he was married for
like a gazillion years. I was so confused.

Unfortunately Carla picked that exact moment to deliver our salads and refill
our drinks. After offering us more bread, which we hadn't touched, cracked
pepper, which we all declined, and parmesan cheese, which we also all
declined, she mercifully departed again. She was sweet, but I was dying to
get to the bottom of the bombshell Sully had just dropped on the table.

"Sounds like you have a story all your own, Sully. Care to share it with us?"
asked Sam, boldly. Sully laughed.

"I suppose it's only fair, since you shared yours with me. There's not much
to tell, really. I've had but one purpose in life since birth - leading First
Colorado Banc Corp. Me, my father, and his father before him, it's what we
Sullivans do. And I was fine with my lot in life. To be honest, I loved it.
Still do. The bank is really the love of my life. Always was. But...I still
had to keep up appearances. So...I married a lovely girl named Lucinda
Wilson. Lucie was fun. She made me laugh, and I suppose we loved each other
in our own way. We did not have children, and we were in agreement about not
becoming parents. Lucie's family was...I think `dysfunctional' is the word
we'd use today. I wasn't particularly close to my parents. My mother was
depressed a lot, and my father - well, his love was the bank, same as his
father's before him. Since I knew I was destined to the same fate, I decided
it would be unfair to bring yet another little Sullivan into the same sad
cycle. Anyway, Lucie and I lived our life together, and it was fine. Our sex
life was...okay, I guess...but I always felt something was missing.

"In my day, nobody ever talked about homosexuality, or any kind of sex, for
that matter. It just wasn't proper. So I knew nothing about it. But just now,
as you were telling me your stories, I was remembering a particular young man
from my high school days. His name's not important - I think he's passed away
now. But I remember being so...excited...to be around him. I didn't think of
it at the time as a sexual thing. I just loved being with him. We couldn't
spend a lot of time together - my grandfather had me working in the bank by
then, so my free time was limited. But when we did, those times are some of
my best memories. I never realized what it might have been until just now."
He reflected for a few seconds on his missed opportunities with the mystery
friend, then he sighed deeply and continued.

"As I said, my life was my work, and what little time I had I spent with
Lucie, travelling. When she got cancer and passed away ten years ago, I'm sad
to say I wasn't devastated the way some people are. We were very matter-of-
fact about it. She wanted it that way, I believe. We were neither one overly
sentimental about anything, especially each other. I buried her and then
buried myself in my work.

"Then one evening, about five years ago, I was at a mixer for a Rotary Club
or Chamber of Commerce meeting or some such thing, and this man a few years
younger than I strikes up a conversation. I can usually make small talk and
move on with ease, but this guy somehow had me talking and listening for
hours. We looked up from our drinks and everyone else was gone. We'd been
talking for five hours straight. And I wanted to know more.

"So we met again a few weeks later for dinner. I had absolutely no idea of
anything like a sexual attraction happening - for either of us. To be honest,
I thought those days were long behind me. But as we talked over dinner, and
then again a week later over lunch, I began to feel my soul awaken to
something I didn't recognize.

"After one of our luncheon meetings, which were happening now three times a
week, we decided to take a walk. We came to a crosswalk and we both reached
to press the button for the signal, and our hands touched. There was a spark.
I looked at him and he looked at me, and we knew. I could see it in his eyes.
That's why I keep looking in your eyes, Sam. I see the same look in your eyes
for Jack that I see in Mark's eyes for me."

"So his name is Mark?" I asked.

"Yes. Mark Wallace. He's eight years younger, and a lifetime smarter, than I.
And he makes me happy in a way Lucie...simply couldn't. We live together now,
though it's not an open thing. We are both private individuals, and we will
probably keep it that way. But I will tell you both something I've told no
one but Mark - I love him. I love him with all my heart. He's given me more
excitement and joy and wonder in the last five years than I've had in my
whole life. And I'll cherish every minute I have with him as a precious
gift."

I dabbed at my eyes with my napkin. I couldn't help it. It was a beautiful
story and I was happy for Sully. Now I really didn't want to spoil his
afternoon. Ugh!

Our entrees arrived, and we settled in to eat. Sully told us a couple of
stories of exciting trips he and Mark had taken together, one to China and
the Great Wall, and another to India, where they stayed in a former rajah's
palace and rode elephants together. The happier he was, the more distressed I
felt. I tried to finish my lunch, but my stomach was too twisted in knots.
Plus the portions were huge, as I remembered from Chicago. Ah, leftovers, how
I love thee. Sully and Sam, on the other hand, appeared to have no trouble at
all demolishing their respective meals. Only after Sully's coffee cup had
been refilled following our polite refusal of dessert did he broach a new
topic.

"Now, boys. Why doesn't one of you tell me why you really wanted to meet with
me. And why Todd said it was urgent we do so." I felt my stomach lurch. I
looked at Sam and nodded, and he proceeded to tell Sully everything. The
blackmail of Davis Munroe. The threat to his son, Andrew. The decisions Davis
made, and how he was now trying to help us stop the merger and Arnold Turner.

Sully said nothing while Sam spoke, but there was an intense sadness which
appeared around his eyes. I could tell this whole sordid affair hurt him
personally somehow, and I felt bad for him. I suddenly wished we had kept him
out of it, but at the same time, I had no idea how we could stop Turner
without his help.

My reverie was broken as Sam said, "Jack, you should tell Sully what happened
yesterday and this morning." I sighed, and repeated the events of the
previous 24 hours, including Arnold's apparent attempts to repeatedly
infiltrate my accounts at the bank. Sully went from sad to extremely angry
quickly, but he held his temper in check. I once again marvelled at his
incredible strength of character.

More than a few minutes passed in silence as Sam and I watched Sully
deliberate with himself after we shared our sad but all-to-true saga. I felt
horrible for dumping this mess on him, but he was made of stronger stuff than
I gave him credit for, and he was full of surprises.

He put his coffee cup down, and looked first at me, then at Sam. "First, let
me say thank you to you both. It's been quite a while since someone thought
enough of me to believe I could help out in a particularly thorny situation,
and I'm honored. Second, I'm also glad you came to me now, and pushed for
this meeting, instead of waiting. Arnold Turner can and will be stopped, and
it will happen today. You have my word on it," he said, with a finality that
brooked no argument. He wouldn't get one from us.

I had debated back and forth with Sam during our drive to the restaurant
whether or not I should tell Sully my plans for the future. In the end, we
both agreed I should, since there would be a significant impact to the bank's
bottom line. We both felt it was only fair for Sully to have the whole
picture.

"Before you act, I want to be completely upfront with you about my plans,
Sully," I said. He nodded, waiting for me to continue. "I've decided to leave
the bank, at Larry's urging, and start a new company to carry on the business
activities of the trust. I hope this won't upset you too much, but I've also
asked my team to join me. They've all said yes."

He looked at me, much the way Sam does, just staring into my eyes. Then he
turned and looked at Sam sitting across from me. Then he smiled. A great big
happy smile.

"Jack, I'm sure this will come as a shock to you, but I couldn't be happier
for you. I think you are doing the best thing you possibly could - for
yourself, your interests, and your team. Well done, young man."

"Wait...you're right, I am shocked. I thought you'd be upset."

"Well, I suppose I could be, from the point of view of the bottom line of the
bank. We'll take a hit to the revenue side, no doubt. Your trust was one of
the more lucrative ones we managed, I'm sure. However...what matters most to
me is the good of our clients. And from time to time, circumstances and
situations dictate that a parting of the ways is the best course of action
for a particular client. I'm proud of Larry. He understands the principle of
`the client comes first'. He advised you well. I have always considered him
one of our best and brightest assets. As unfortunate as it will be to have
you leave, Jack, losing Larry is the much higher price we pay at this time."

"Wow. I guess we were worried about nothing," said Sam, grinning.

"But you see, Sam, your being worried about my reaction tells me all I need
to know about the genuineness of your concerns. If you had no regard for my
concerns, then I would have less for yours. Instead, we all care deeply about
what's happening, and together we will find a way to right the wrongs that
have been perpetrated by others."

"Would it be out of line to ask how you will handle it?" I asked.

He paused for a minute, thinking about my request. Then he said, "Ordinarily
I would never discuss internal disciplinary matters with a third party.
However, since you are in fact one of the specific injured parties in this
case, I believe you have every right to know what I can and will do to stop
this madness.

"First, I will call four other members of the Board. We are the subcommittee
on executive management. We alone have the power to end Arnold Turner's
employment in our bank. Even Davis Munroe would have to get our approval to
terminate Arnold, so we'll just bypass him for now. Besides, after his
involvement, it's best for me to leave him out of the discussions. I will
simply tell the other members of the subcommittee what you, a respected and
valued client, told me personally. I will make a few calls to substantiate
your claims, a simple due diligence if you will. But I am confident I won't
hear anything that differs substantially from your story.

"My only concern, and it's a minor one, is Evan McCarthy. He's the gentlemen
who spoke up to you during the meeting on Monday, Jack. Do you remember him?"
I nodded.

"I also remember he seemed to agree with me...or rather, you...by the end,
though."

"Exactly. I suspect Evan will balk at first at any mention of negative
information regarding Arnold Turner. My guess is Turner has some kind of
leverage on good ol' Evan as well. Lord knows it wouldn't be hard to find
some, but that's neither here nor there. Suffice it to say, I can handle
Evan. So I tell you both, with confidence, in light of the many infractions
committed against iron clad bank policies, not the least of which are
blackmailing employees and violating client security protocols, Arnold Turner
will be terminated this evening."

I sat back in my chair with a sigh, wondering if it could really be that
easy. One wave of the magician's wand and poof, the evil dragon was gone. I
hoped it was true. I had my doubts, but it was a step in the right direction.
If nothing else, it got Arnold out of the bank and away from the other
employees, which was no small thing. Looking across the table, Sam seemed to
be deep in thought. He looked up at me suddenly, and had a deeply worried
expression on his face.

"Sully, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Sam."

"After Arnold Turner is terminated, what happens?"

"Well, he's escorted from the building immediately. We confiscate all of his
security access credentials, email accounts are frozen, passwords are all
changed, etc."

"Is this a standard protocol?"

"Yes, it's always followed in these situations."

"Would Arnold know what this protocol entails?"

"I suppose so. He's had to terminate a few people over the years. Not many,
thankfully. But we have to follow the same procedures even if someone leaves
our employ of their own volition, Sam. It's a written policy."

"So it stands to reason Arnold Turner would know termination could be a
possibility. It would seem to me, given his ability to leverage people in the
bank, almost at will, he would put a contingency plan in place for
maintaining access to key information if he felt it necessary, should he be
let go. Does Arnold know the specific employee or employees who would be
tasked with shutting down his access and changing his passwords."

"I think I see what you're suggesting, Sam, and if you're right, Arnold is a
most diabolical man, indeed. Yes, to answer your question, if I know the man
who handles security for terminations, I'm sure Arnold does, too. I will take
steps this afternoon to alter the procedures a bit to ensure Arnold will not
have renewed access to anything."

"Wow, Sam, do you really think Arnold Turner is that smart?" I asked.

"Yes, I do. Maybe smarter. I just hope we can stay one step ahead of him. I
would hate to see someone get hurt." I shuddered at the thought. At the
moment, I was very glad my team was holed up in my house and not at the bank.

"Maybe you should let him go after everyone else has gone home for the day,"
I said.

"I intend to, young man," said Sully, totally confident he could handle the
situation.

"Is there anything you need us to do?" asked Sam.

"Yes. And I have no right to ask it of you, but I will anyway. I would like
for you to keep all of this quiet. I know you had to tell your team, Jack. I
understand, and I would have done the same. We need to be sure they remain
safe. And do not let them return to the bank until I tell you it's safe to do
so. I know it may not be fair, but I'd like to try to get through this dark
chapter as quietly as possible. If the press were to find out, a scandal like
this could harm an institution like First Colorado in ways it would take a
decade to overcome."

"I have no problem with keeping things quiet. Do you, Sam?" I asked.

"Nope. My only concern is keeping you safe, Jack. And the team."

"Sully, what's going to happen with Davis?" I asked.

"Why? What's Davis have to do with anything?" asked Sully, with a twinkle in
his eye. "As far as I know, you've told me about Arnold Turner's personal
threat to you, his implied threats to several of your team members, his gross
overreach of authority towards Todd Martin, and the repeated attempts to
access your accounts and related files. I don't need any other grounds
terminate Arnold Turner."

Then Sully softened his tone and looked at the table, purposely not looking
directly at either of us. "I will say, however, if you boys can help Andrew
Munroe in any way, I would personally appreciate it. You see...I've known
Andy is gay for many years. He told me when he worked at the bank one summer.
I found him crying in a stairwell one afternoon, and it all came out. I
listened to him and supported him as best I could. I was still unaware about
myself, so I was no help in that regard. But I did tell him I'd stand by him
no matter what. His biggest fear, like you, Jack, was his family's possible
rejection. I tried to tell him he was wrong. I know Davis Munroe, and I know
he loves his boy very, very much. I just wish Davis had come to me when all
this started with Arnold. Oh well, water under the bridge."

"We'll do what we can, Sully, I promise," I said.

"Thank you, Jack. And Sam. This has been a pleasure. I'd love to do it again
sometime, if you'd like."

"Sure," said Sam. "Let's keep in touch. And thank you, Sully, for trusting
us. It means a lot to us." I nodded in agreement.

"Take care of yourselves, boys, and if I can be of any further assistance,
just call me. I'll let Todd know when I've handled the situation we discussed
here today. Have a great evening." We shook hands, and departed the
restaurant.

I held Sam's hand as he drove us home. I debated about doing some shopping,
but I knew it wasn't Sam's favorite thing to do, and I also knew he wanted to
get back to talk to Charles and Todd about security. I certainly didn't want
to interfere with whatever they decided to do. Despite Sully's willingness to
take quick action against Arnold, I still had an uneasy feeling about the
whole situation. We were missing something, but I didn't have a clue as to
what it was.

I was nearly asleep when Sam stopped at the bottom of the driveway and waited
for the gate to open. I opened my eyes, smiled at him, and then looked to see
if I could spot the fence he'd told me about. He was right. It was there, but
unless you were looking for it, it blended in perfectly with the scenery. It
was a strange color of brown that camouflaged it against the natural
landscaping. I felt a little better knowing we weren't wide open to the
street. The gate closed behind us as we headed up the hill to the house.

There were two commercial vans in the "parking lot" in front of the house
with the Dish Network logo emblazoned on the sides. In addition, a large,
black SUV with dark tinted windows was parked off to one side, facing out and
ready to drive straight down the hill. I didn't think it had been here when
we left. Thankfully the garage door we needed wasn't blocked. Sam parked the
car and we went in through the mud room to the kitchen.

Maggie looked up from a mixing bowl, her hair dotted with flour and who knows
what all else. She was smiling, obviously happy in her preferred element.
"Welcome back, guys. How was your lunch?" she asked cheerfully.

"Great," said Sam. "Is Charles around somewhere?"

"He's with Todd and a couple of gentlemen trying to install a satellite dish.
I think they are on the lower patio somewhere out back." Sam kissed me and
headed for the deck door. I sighed, watching his gorgeous ass recede from me.
I was hoping for a nap with him. Oh well.

"Cheer up, Jack. You'll get him back. That man is crazy for you," she said,
smiling over her cookie dough.

"I know, Maggie. I just...well, it doesn't matter. Lots to do today. Speaking
of which, what are you doing? It smells wonderful in here, as usual."

"Chocolate chip cookies. I thought the team might like a snack soon. They've
been hard at it all day. I took sandwiches down for lunch and they hardly
looked up. They're certainly focused, I'll give `em that."

"Thank you, Maggie. I'd have never been able to feed them without your help.
I really appreciate it."

"My pleasure, Jack. Seriously. I love it. I'm so happy there's life in this
house again," she said, grinning. "Oh, before I forget. You and Sam probably
have laundry that needs doin'. I put a clothes basket by your bedroom door.
Throw your dirties in there and I'll take care of it all tomorrow. If you
have any particular instructions, just let me know. Saturday mornings I
usually clean, but you boys might want to sleep in, so I can move it to
Mondays if you think it can wait till then."

"You don't have to do our laundry, Maggie. I can do it," I said, a little
overwhelmed.

"Jack...you need to let me help. I enjoy it, and it's what you pay me for.
And besides, you and Sam have much more important things to do. I'll do the
cookin', cleanin' and washin', and you take care of business. I'm part of the
team, too, you know. How `bout it?" she said, smiling kindly.

I had to laugh. She was right, she was definitely part of my team. "Okay,
okay. I give up. You win. You can cook, clean and wash. And Charles can
do...whatever he does. Although I'm fairly sure Sam's gonna wanna be a part
of it. He'd rather be outside than inside any day of the week."

"I'm sure Charles can put him to good use. Actually, I'm glad you said
something. I've been a little concerned Charles has been doin' too much by
himself. Climbin' ladders and trimming trees and what not. I'd rest easier
myself if Sam - or somebody - was helping him with the bigger projects."

"Maggie, I'm sure we can get Charles whatever assistance he needs. Does he
want some paid helpers on a regular basis? Someone to do the yardwork maybe?
What?"

"No, no...and don't let him hear you say such things, Jack," she whispered
conspiratorially. "Charles loves doing the yardwork. It would drive him mad
to give it up. No, don't do that, to him or to me...please! But if you would
ask Sam if he could...you know...be around and offer to help Charles here and
there, I would appreciate it."

"I'm sure Sam would be thrilled to help. I'll talk to him about it tonight,
if he hasn't already spoken to Charles himself before then."

"Thank you, Jack."

"You're welcome. Now I better go find the rest of my team and see what they
need. Later." I walked down the hall to the stairs and descended into a full
on discussion between the whole team. Someone had erected a large whiteboard
on legs - where it came from I had no idea - and Simon was writing on it as
they talked.

Todd saw me come in and broke away from the group and walked over to me.
"Hey, Jack, you're back. How'd lunch go?"

"Good, I think. Sully's gonna have Arnold terminated this evening after
everyone else leaves the bank. Thankfully he's leaving Davis out of it
altogether."

"So that's it. I thought so. He must have called me right after you left the
restaurant and asked me to make sure all of your accounts were locked down
tight after 4:30. No problem there. And all the physical files are already
moved and locked down as well."

"How's everybody doin' workin' here? Can they get anything done?"

"Sure. We're linking to the internet through cell signals right now, so it's
slow, but doable. The Dish guys are out with Charles installing two satellite
hook ups - one for business, one for the house. I guess there's no cable
service out this far. I'm hoping we have internet service later this
afternoon or evening."

"I see you've set up a white board. Where'd it come from?"

"I called Office Depot and gave them a list of what we needed and said there
was an extra hundred in it for the driver if they got it out here in a hour.
He was here in 30 minutes," said Todd with a grin. I guess money talks.

"We need desks and chairs and phones - things like that, don't we?" I asked.

"Yeah, eventually. But I wanted to talk to you about those details maybe
after everybody leaves today. I don't want us to completely take over your
house, Jack. This is your and Sam's home. We need to set up some parameters
so it still feels like home for you."

"Thanks, Todd. I appreciate it. But honestly, I think Sam and I are just
grateful they all were willing to drive all this way to help out. Plus...I
don't know, I'd rather have the guys here than back at the bank right now. I
have a funny feeling about Arnold Turner. I don't think he's exactly the `go
quietly' type, ya know?"

"Yeah, maybe. Hopefully he'll be reasonable. We'll see."

"Did Sam talk to you about security? He said he was going to."

"He mentioned it as he passed through a few minutes ago, looking for Charles.
But I might be a step ahead of him. Walk with me," he said, as he grabbed my
elbow and led me down the hallway and into one of the guest bedrooms.

I made a show of looking at Todd's ass as I followed him into the room. "Gee,
Todd. Decided to play for the other team so quickly? I'm game, but I should
probably ask Sam if he's okay with it first," I said, grinning.

"Stop looking at my ass, Jack! And no, I'm quite satisfied with my team,
thank you very much. Besides, you only have eyes for Sam, and you know it.
And I pity the fool who tries to mess around with you. Sam won't take
prisoners." I laughed, knowing he was probably right.

"What's up, Todd?" I asked.

"Okay, so I've been thinkin'. Arnold's been snoopin' around your accounts,
and we know he got his hands on the general investments listing, so he
probably knows about this house. Even though we're up on a small mountain
here, I'd like to have a security presence watchin' the place. They can be
pretty inconspicuous if we ask them to. Whadda ya think?"

"Sam and I had the same conversation this morning. I know he'd say yes. Is
that what the black SUV in the driveway is all about?"

"Yeah, there are two security guys from the bank out there, walking around,
just keeping an eye out. But I think we need something more, and I can't keep
taking resources from the bank, especially if we're all leavin' the bank
shortly anyway. Speaking of which, did you tell Sully your plans?"

"Yes, and he shocked me by actually being happy for me. For all of us,
actually. Said Larry had advised me well, and he was gonna be the biggest
loss of all to the bank."

"He's got that right. I talked to Larry a little while ago. He's goin' crazy
in the hospital. He has to pass two more tests and they'll let him go to a
rehab place for a week, then home. He keeps talkin' about goin' back to
work."

"He can't, Todd! It'll kill him!"

"You and I both know that, Jack, but Larry...the bank has been his life. He
needs a new plan, something to do that isn't so intense."

"Can't he work for us? I thought that was the plan?"

"I can ask him. What do you have in mind?"

"Whatever he wants to do. I still want you in charge of the company, but he
can generally advise and direct some of the action, maybe be in charge of
special projects or something."

"I like it. I'll talk to him tonight. Maybe it will help him settle down and
cooperate so he can get out of the hospital quicker. Hey, we better get out
of this bedroom before Danny starts suspecting somethin'," he said with a
grin.

"Speaking of Danny, he surprised me today. I thought I was gonna have a
problem with him, but he and Sam seemed to hit it off, didn't they," I said.

"Yeah. I think he'll be fine. It's just different for him. Honestly, Danny is
mostly all about Danny outside of work, so I don't think he'll spend too much
time worrying about you and Sam. You might want to keep an eye on young
William, however."

"You caught it, too? You think...?"

"Don't know. Never has come up. Might be nothin', might be a momentary
idolization thing with you stickin' up for him yesterday. Worst case, you'll
have to set him straight...so to speak," said Todd, chuckling.

Maggie met us in the hallway as she came down the stairs with a huge platter
of fresh-from-the-oven cookies. My mouth started watering instantly.
"Jack...can you take these into the guys? I'll bring down the coffee." I took
the platter from her and Todd and I continued to the main room.

The second they smelled the cookies, all conversation ceased. As they all
came over and grabbed a handful, just like an old Hollywood comedy movie,
Charles and Sam came in from the patio on cue and made a beeline for the
cookies. I just grinned at him. His eyes danced as he bit into one, smearing
melted chocolate across his lips. I couldn't help it. I put the platter down,
walked up to him, and kissed the chocolate away.

"Mmmm. So good," I moaned. Mason laughed next to us, and Sam was grinning ear
to ear.

"Looks like Jack's found a fun way to eat his cookies," said Mason.

"Shhh," I whispered playfully. "My secret."

"Uh...Jack...I don't think it's so much a secret," Mason replied, with a
swing of his head. I turned and the whole room was watching me in stunned
silence.

Danny spoke up. "I'm not sure why, but...that was kinda hot!" I blushed down
to my toes and the room broke up in laughter. Sam was laughing loudest of
all, and he pulled me to him and hugged me. I smiled up at him and shrugged
my shoulders. He just smiled back at me.

"Love you, Sam," I said quietly.

"Love you back, Jack," he replied.

Maggie arrived with the coffee, saving me from any more embarrassment, and I
helped her set up the cups, saucers, flavored creams and sugar. As the guys
helped themselves, I stepped back and told Sam about Todd's security
concerns. He said he'd talk to him more later, after the Dish Network guys
were done. He did say he had seen one of Todd's security people walking
around the side of the house.

Work continued for another two hours. At one point, I saw Sam and Todd
chatting in the hall about security options. I decided to stay out of it. I
trusted them both to handle it, and Todd clearly understood my hope to not
have my home crawling with people. Charles poked his head in and said hello
to me, saying the Dish Network guys did a nice job installing the satellite
service. Will went out to his car and returned with a small network router,
connected it to the satellite service, and within minutes, everyone's
computers, tablets, and phones were wirelessly networked with semi-fast and
secure internet service. Simon patted him on the back, genuinely impressed
with Will's computer talents.

As the day wound down, my nerves wound up tighter and tighter. I tried not to
think about it, but my mind kept going to Sully and the board committee and
what was happening with Arnold Turner. I honestly wasn't sure which was worse
- Turner running the bank, or Turner running around, pissed off at all of us
for losing his job.

One by one, the guys packed up and left, Mason being the last out the door
around 6. They all declined to stay for dinner, but committed to return by 9
the next morning. Todd and Sam were still discussing security, so I went to
the kitchen and helped Maggie put together a salad for dinner. My mind was
all over the place.

"You okay, Jack? You're awfully quiet this evening," she said.

"What?" I asked, looking up from dicing cucumbers.

"You seem quiet and pre-occupied. I just wondered if everything was alright."

"Oh. I guess so. I don't know. We're waiting for news on a situation with the
bank. And we have so many decisions to make with starting a new company, and
the guys working from here. Sam and Todd are working on security. I still
need to talk with Todd about furniture for the staff. Ugh! It's a lot for one
day!" I sighed heavily and kept dicing.

"Well, I'm no expert at business, but you seem to be surrounded by capable
people. I think in time you'll do just fine, Jack."

"Thanks, Maggie. I hope so." She said nothing else, and I put a smile on my
face so she wouldn't feel like she had to cheer me up. Somewhere between
slicing cucumbers and shredding carrots I had the epiphany of renting office
furniture on a temporary basis. I also wondered if we could rent other things
like printers, copiers, file cabinets, etc. It all seemed like a huge
undertaking, only to be repeated once we settled on a permanent location for
our company. I hoped we could make the move happen sooner rather than later.

Sam and Todd came into the kitchen. Todd had his briefcase in one hand and a
computer bag over his shoulder. "Gotta go, Boss. Margie called and reminded
me we have dinner plans with her sister and brother-in-law. Sorry to cut it
short."

"Todd...stop it. You've worked plenty for one day. I'll see you in the
morning. If you hear from Sully, call me though, okay?"

"Sure thing. It'll all be fine, Jack. Get some rest. We have some big
decisions to make tomorrow."

"Ugh! Okay, good night," I said, as I watched him walk to his car. I noticed
the black SUV was still there. Interesting. I returned to the kitchen, where
Sam was watching Maggie grill salmon filets on the stove in a cast iron
skillet. He was practically drooling on her shoulder. They did smell awesome.
It looked like she had coated the fish in a bunch of spices.

I put salad in bowls for each of us, and pulled steaming rice from a pan,
where it had been resting, onto our plates. As upset as my stomach was from
my turbulent thoughts, I was also really hungry. I hoped I could eat.

Maggie pulled the fish off the stove, Sam retrieved a couple of water bottles
from the fridge, and I carried our full dinner plates to the table. "There
are a few cookies left in the tin by the stove, and you know where the ice
cream is. Good night, boys," said Maggie. We waved to her and shouted our
thanks.

"Oh man, Jack. This fish is so amazing. Almost as good as yours," he said,
grinning at me. I smiled back at him. He's good for my ego. And the fish
really was amazing. Spicy but not overpowering.

After dinner, we washed up our dishes and put them in the dishwasher, then
headed to the living room to watch some TV. I needed to get my mind off of
work and Arnold Turner, and nothing is more mindless than a TV sitcom. Two
hours later, I was yawning and Sam was asleep in my lap. I absentmindedly
stroked his hair and looked down at him in wonder.

He was beautiful, his profile strong and purely masculine. My eyes wandered
down his body, causing me to get slightly aroused. I'd be poking Sam in the
eye with my hard dick if I didn't stop ogling him. At least it was better
than fretting over the bank and Sully and...

My cell phone rang loudly in my pocket. Crap! I had to move Sam's head to
answer it, and he woke up grumbling from a deep sleep.

"Sorry, Sam," I whispered, as he sat up. The call was from Todd. "Hey, Todd.
It's Jack."

"Jack, I just heard from Sully."

"How'd it go?"

"Uh...it did not go well. He's gone, but it took four security guards and the
threat of arrest before he would leave. Sully said he blamed everyone under
the sun for the false accusations being raised against him. Said he never
blackmailed anyone. He never told me he was in charge of the division. He
never went through any files, physical or electronic. Total lies, of course.
Sully stood his ground and told him the decision was final."

"So he's gone then," I said, with a sigh.

"Well...from the bank, yes. From Denver, no. He made a few comments on his
way out, too. Said Davis better watch his back. He picked the wrong man to
fuck with. He said Larry was gonna wish he'd died of his heart attack."

"Oh my god, Todd. That's awful!" Sam was fully awake now, listening.

"And Jack...I hate to say it...but he threatened you, too. Sully told me to
be sure and tell you. I let him know we have a security plan in the works. I
guess we better expedite it. Is Sam there? Can I talk to him?"

"Yeah, he's right here," I said, handing my phone to Sam. I stood up and
started pacing, my nerves on edge. I didn't realize it, but Sam told me later
I was literally wringing my hands as he watched me pace back and forth across
the room. I tuned back in for a second to hear Sam wrapping up the call with
Todd.

"Got it. Yeah, I'll meet them at the door. Right. Nope, sounds like a solid
plan. Let's do it. Yes, I'll let Charles know what's going on right away.
Thanks, Todd. See you in the morning."

Sam ended the call and flopped down on the couch. "Well, fuck!" he said,
disgusted. I sat down next to him, touching as much of him as I could. I
needed the contact. Thankfully he knew it, and put his arm around me and
pulled me tightly to him.

"It's gonna be okay, Jack. I promise. We'll be safe here. Todd hired a top
notch security firm. Their head guy is on his way over. Todd gave him the
code for the gate."

"What code? I thought it only worked by a remote."

"Todd says there's a keypad on the wall of the gate. Makes sense. Most of the
places I worked at in Hawaii had a setup like that. I think there were even
different codes for different people, so they knew who came in and when."

"Oh, okay. But we should ask the security guys to change the codes tonight,
just in case. We can call Todd with the new ones in the morning."

"Great idea, Jack. Come on, let's figure out how to make coffee. I think
we're gonna need some tonight." I sighed, and let him lead me by the hand to
the kitchen. I threw caution to the wind and ate five cookies while he brewed
coffee. I felt sick. I wasn't sure if it was fear - or an overdose of sugar.
What difference did it make, really.

Sam called Charles and let him know some security people were coming over. He
also told him a little bit about Arnold Turner and why it was all happening.
Sam thanked him for something, and then joined me in watching the coffee
machine do its thing.

As soon as the coffee was brewed, Sam poured it into a carafe Maggie had
sitting by the sink. He started a second pot as I sat at the kitchen island
drinking water and trying not to think scary thoughts. While the coffee
brewed, Sam stood behind me and hugged me, which made me feel safe. He knew
me, and he loved me, and I was reminded of the first time he had done it,
right after I told him I was gay on the beach. It still felt every bit as
good - and every bit as necessary for my sanity. I reluctantly let him go
when the coffee machine beeped.

Coffee made, we went back to the living room, and Sam let me lean backwards
into him so he could keeping hugging me. I was finally starting to relax
again when the doorbell rang, and I jumped straight up off the couch.

"Crap! That scared me."

"Take it easy, Jack. It's only the security guys." He hugged me quickly, then
headed for the door to let them in.

Six large men, all dressed in black, and all wearing serious expressions were
gathered in the foyer. A very tall, very muscular Hispanic man was their
obvious leader. His name was Hector Martinez, and he was all business. He
quickly introduced the other agents. Sam told them who we were, told them
about Charles and Maggie living across the driveway, and then four of the men
excused themselves and went back outside to take up sentry posts around the
property. Hector and the other man, Avery, followed us into the kitchen,
where I offered and poured coffee into mugs for them.

"We have plenty for the other guys," I said, trying to be helpful.

"Thank you, Jack. They have some outside already, but I'll let them know
there's more here if they need it," said Avery. He and I listened as Hector
and Sam went over the grounds, the access points, and Sam's concerns about
the gate and the fence. Hector pulled a radio off his belt and instructed one
of the guys to go back down to the gate and clear all the codes.

"No one gets in without visual confirmation. No more coded entries," he told
whoever was on the other end. With the gate covered, the rest of the
assignments were made, and Hector nodded to Avery, who smiled and went back
out the front door.

"Is this your first time having security personnel on the premises?" he
asked. We both nodded. "It can feel weird at first. We understand that. In
time you'll learn to not see us - we sort of fade into the background. The
best thing you can do tonight is trust us to do our jobs and try to get some
sleep. Tomorrow we'll get eyes on Turner and keep him under surveillance."

"Why not tonight?" asked Sam.

"No one's seen him since he left the bank," answered Hector. "We have guys
near his house, the entrance to his neighborhood, and on every corner near
the bank. We'll find him."

Sam nodded. "Thanks for coming out, Hector. Help yourselves to anything you
guys need here in the kitchen. Maggie will be over in the morning to make
breakfast. Try not to scare her half to death, please," he said with a grin.
Then he turned to me.

"Come on, Jack. Let's go to bed and try to sleep." I looked at him like he
was crazy, and he just smiled at me. I thanked Hector for coming out, too,
and followed Sam down the hall.

Sam closed the bedroom door behind us and pulled me into a tight hug. I
leaned on him - physically, mentally, and emotionally - grateful beyond words
I was in his arms. He kept whispering to me that it was all going to be okay.

Sam decided we should take a shower together to give us something to do. I
didn't think I could sleep, so it sounded good to me, too. I just stood there
and watched Sam as he stripped out of his clothes. He was so beautiful. Every
movement fascinated me. Once he was naked, he looked over at me.

"Jack...you have to take your clothes off before we can shower," he said
gently. I nodded silently, still not moving. He closed the gap between us,
reached for my hands with his, and looked deep into my eyes, his own full of
love and concern for me. I didn't know what to say, and I was shocked when
tears started running down my face. He began to kiss away the tears on my
cheeks and then my eyes, and still the tears kept coming.

I found my voice in a whisper. "I'm so...so sorry, Sam. I...don't know what's
wrong with me. I'm trying so hard to hold it together..." I couldn't even
lift my arms to hold him. Everything felt so heavy.

"Shhh. It's okay," he whispered back. "Just let me love you, there's no one
here but us, okay. You're safe, Jack." He continued to kiss my face and my
neck, avoiding my lips. As he touched me and kissed me softly all over, my
tears eventually dissipated and I stopped trembling. I finally raised my arms
and hugged him with every ounce of strength I had while he continued to
gently kiss my neck.

"I need you, Sam. I need this. I need you to make it all better and to make
me feel safe. I'm so sorry. I'm not as strong as you. I'm scared and I don't
know what's going on. Please just hold me, Sam. Just hold me," I said in a
rush of emotions.

He tightened his hold around me, and never stopped kissing me, whispering
softly, "I'm here, Jack. I've got you." I don't know how long it took, but he
somehow loved me out of that dark place of my soul and back into the light of
his love.

When my breathing and emotions had returned to my version of normal, Sam
released me from his arms only long enough to help me undress. He made it a
slow and sensual process, his fingertips lightly touching my skin all over,
each connection exciting new nerve centers. By the time I was totally naked
with him, we were both obviously physically aroused and very turned on.

Sam leaned his forehead on mine, looked into my eyes, and said in a husky
whisper, "I need you, Jack." I smiled, knowing his need was totally different
than mine had been earlier, but this need was equally as important. And I
knew I could meet it for him. I took his right hand in mine and turned to
lead him to the shower.

As the steamy water cascaded over our heads, I kissed him with all the
passion and heat and desire I had ever felt. This man loved me, and he proved
it every day. He loved me the way I needed to be loved. He set aside himself
at a moment's notice and made his life all about me. How could I not give him
anything he wanted.

We made love slowly, taking our time. Sam kissed me until my lips felt numb,
our ardor never diminishing, only growing stronger. We took turns riding the
waves of physical ecstasy to the peak and back down again. By the time the
hot water began to cool off, it felt good, our bodies overheated and
saturated with love.

My dark feelings from before were banished. Sam was smiling, practically
giggling as I tickled him a little while I dried his legs. I couldn't resist
and purposely lingered on his now semi-soft dick as I moved upwards with the
towel. He looked down at me with such a beautiful expression of love and
gratitude, I nearly started to cry again. He made me so happy.

Once dry, we quickly finished our bathroom routines and turned out the
lights, then climbed into bed. Our bed. Our safe haven. Our place. Sam was on
his back, and I nestled up to his side, my head laying against the side of
his chest. He sighed contentedly, and I matched his with my own. He chuckled.
I don't know if it was the excess sugar from the cookies or the normal male
exhaustion after sex, but I surprisingly fell asleep almost immediately.

We had a lazy start to the next day. Sam is always slow to wake up, and I was
taking my own sweet time as well. I think the snooze alarm went off half a
dozen times before I turned it off completely and grudgingly sat up. Sam
grabbed me from behind and pulled me back down and rolled on top of me,
smiling. He woke up very happy to see me.

"Where do you think you're going, little man?" he asked playfully.

"Same place you are in about 30 seconds," I said, laughing up at him. He
grinned and then pulled me up, hugging me tight.

"I get the guy room," he said, as he rolled off the bed, his cock rigid, his
muscles rippling. He stretched and went to do his business. I sighed and
stood up and used the "girl" room, as we now referred to it. It was the
larger of the two bathrooms, but it definitely needed to be redone in a much
more masculine style.

Sam joined me in the shower and we messed around a little, laughing and
teasing each other playfully, but somehow still managed to wash our hair and
bodies as well. I felt relaxed and at ease, unlike the tension-filled state I
had been in the day before.

The guys arrived on schedule for Day Two, and Maggie had French Toast, eggs
and sausage on the table for them, along with sliced strawberries and halved
grapefruits. I think I was the only one who ate any of the grapefruit. It was
delicious.

Apparently one of Hector's security agents was staked out at the gate, and
one by one as my team members arrived they had to show identification to be
allowed entrance. It was an irritation on the one hand, but I was glad the
possible threat was being taken seriously.

Todd was the last to arrive. He had stopped by the hospital to chat with
Larry. He came flying into the kitchen, clearly flustered, and walked right
past me standing at the kitchen island drinking my juice without even a
hello. He dropped his briefcase on the floor next to the table with a thud,
and collapsed into a chair at the table.

"Good morning to you, too, sunshine," said Sam. "Up late or up early?"

Todd focused finally and replied, "Morning, Sam. Guys. And it was both, but
that's normal," he said, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

"What's wrong, Todd?" I asked.

He looked at me like he didn't want to tell me. "Oh man! I just got off the
phone with Hector. It's not good. Sully's house was broken into last night.
Everything is trashed. Windows are broken, appliances are scratched up.
Papers and books everywhere. He said it looks like someone went in and
deliberately vandalized it. But that's not the worst part. Sully's missing!"

I dropped my juice glass on the granite counter and it shattered, sending
glass and orange juice flying everywhere. Sam was up and out of his seat and
had his arms around me in three seconds flat, which was a good thing because
I was feeling like I was the next thing to hit the floor. He moved me to a
chair and stayed with me until I calmed down again. Will and Mason picked up
the bigger pieces of glass while Maggie was wiping up the spilled juice. She
pulled out a broom and dust pan from somewhere and made quick work of the
remaining mess.

"Sorry, Maggie. It just slipped out of my hand," I said sheepishly, totally
embarrassed by my freak out.

"It's not a big deal, Jack. It's not like I let you drink out of the good
glasses," she said with a smile, and the guys all laughed. I smiled back at
her and mouthed a "thank you".

"Todd, what else can you tell us?" asked Sam, as everybody settled back in
their chairs. Sam sat next to me and kept holding my hand.

"That's all I know for now. Hector's got his men checking all of Sully's
known hangouts, but he's seventy years old. Where all is he gonna go?" I
looked at Sam and he nodded to me. I nodded back and started to get up.

"You okay, Jack?" Sam asked.

"Yes. Thanks, Sam. I'm fine now, I promise. I'll be right back." He nodded
again and I stepped back from the table and went through the kitchen to the
hallway. I entered the study and closed the door, pulling out my cell phone.
Using the internet browser, I located a phone number for Mark Wallace with
what looked like a downtown Denver address and dialed. I was taking a big
risk, but I needed to know if Sully was safe or not.

A man answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Good morning. Mr. Wallace?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"My name is Jack Schaeffer. I'm...a friend...of Andrew Sullivan. I'm calling
because I am hoping he is safe with you." I heard him cover the receiver with
his hand and a muffled conversation ensued at the other end. In a few
seconds, Sully came on the line.

"Jack? Is that you? Why on earth are you calling me here? How did you find
me?" He seemed irritated at my intrusion.

"I'm very sorry for taking liberties, Sully, I really am. But...the police
and our security team are looking for you. Are you okay? Are you hurt in any
way?"

"Why on earth would I be hurt? What's going on, Jack?"

"So you don't know yet? About your house?"

"What about my house?"

"Well, I hate being the one to tell you this, but apparently someone broke
into it last night. There's quite a bit of damage, and when they didn't find
you there, I think the authorities were assuming the worst."

"Oh my God! It's Turner, isn't it?" He didn't sound scared. He sounded
seriously pissed off. Sully was one tough man.

"Probably. We don't know for sure, but it seems likely. I'm just glad you're
safe. I didn't tell anyone...about Mark, I mean. I'm making this call
privately."

"Thank you, my boy. I appreciate that. Well, I guess I better get myself
ready and head over to my house, or what's left of it."

"Would you like me to send some of our security team to meet you there? I'd
like to help in anyway I can. I feel...responsible." I didn't want to force
my will on the guy, but I desperately wanted him to be safe. Arnold clearly
wanted to hurt him.

"Jack...listen to me," said Sully kindly. "You are not...I repeat...not
responsible for anything Arnold Turner chooses to do. If it was his doing,
then I will have video evidence of his criminal acts to give to the
authorities."

"I'm just happy you weren't hurt. I couldn't bear it. I'm relieved you were
with Mark and not alone last night."

I heard him chuckle. "Mark convinced me to move in with him six months ago.
When he figures out he probably saved me from grievous harm or worse, he'll
be unbearable." I heard laughter in the background. "I keep my house because
it's been in my family for over a hundred years, and I just can't part with
it. But my life is with Mark now, and any things which are truly important to
me, I have with me right here. So Arnold Turner only succeeded in digging a
deeper pit for himself once he's caught. It'll take a lot more than a few
broken things to scare me, Jack."

"All the same, I'd like to send a couple of security agents to follow you
home and stay with you until Arnold is captured. If not for yourself, do it
for Mark. I'm sure he would feel better knowing you had some protection
around you."

He sighed in resignation. "I suppose that would be best, Jack. Mark's nodding
his head, so I guess the decision's made. You have the address?" I told him
what I had, and he confirmed it. "I'll be ready in about an hour. Tell your
men to come to the door. I want them to meet Mark, as well. If Arnold manages
to find out about him, I want him safe. And Jack? Don't worry about keeping
my secrets, okay. I'm too old to care anymore what people think of me and who
I choose to love, or where I choose to live. Perhaps Arnold Turner did me a
huge favor in the end."

"How so, Sully?" I asked.

"Because I'm not going to hide anymore. No man should have to hide who he is
or who he loves. You taught me that, Jack, when you shared your story with
me. It's time I was free to be me." I could feel myself smiling. I felt
really good inside as I heard the joy in Sully's voice.

"Well, be careful, Sully. You may be old enough to be my grandfather, but I'd
like you to be around for a while as my friend."

"Count on it, Jack. And you and Sam must have dinner with Mark and me soon. I
want him to meet the two young men who opened my eyes to new possibilities."

"I'm sure we'd love to Sully. And listen, if you need anything, anything at
all, please call me. I want to help in any way I can, okay?"

"Thank you, Jack. We'll talk soon." We hung up, and I sat down on the leather
couch and enjoyed the solitude of the moment. Despite the menace of Arnold
Turner lurking in the back of my thoughts, I was relieved Sully was unharmed
and more than that, he was forging ahead, emboldened to be free in who he
was. Change was thrust upon him, but he chose to embrace it, and I had to
believe he and Mark would appreciate their new found freedom.

Sam poked his head into the study. "There you are. Did you find him?" he
asked.

"Yeah. He's safe. He was with Mark."

"Oh man, that's awesome! Did you tell him about Arnold and his house?"

"Yeah. Boy is he pissed. Says he'll have all kinds of video evidence to nail
Turner. He also said no more secrets. He's not going to hide anymore. He
agreed to have me send some agents to protect Mark and him. Can you help me?"

"Yeah, come on. Hector and Avery are in the kitchen talking with Todd. Let's
give them the good news and we can figure out our next moves for the day." He
hugged me, and then held my hand as we walked back to the kitchen.

Everyone was thrilled to learn Sully was safe and sound. I didn't make any
big announcement about Sully's relationship with Mark. I figured it was up to
him how and when to make it known. Hector said he could easily divert two
agents from Sully's house to the address I gave him. He assured me they would
coordinate a plan to provide around-the-clock protection for Sully and
whoever else he wanted included.

Todd moved everyone down to the lower level and they all started to work. I
helped Maggie clean up from breakfast and Sam went to find Charles to see if
he needed help with anything. Once the kitchen was ship shape, Maggie said
she was going to start on laundry. I had forgotten all about it in the
excitement of recent events, so I ran down to our bedroom and threw nearly
everything we owned into a large pile on the bed. It turned out to be three
baskets full, which I hauled over to the laundry room. I apologized for there
being so much, and Maggie rolled her eyes at me like I was being silly. It
seemed like a lot to me.

With nothing else pressing, I went downstairs and hovered near my team,
listening and surprising myself occasionally when I thought I understood some
of what they were discussing. About an hour after I came down, the topic
shifted to where we were going to move our business offices and how long it
would take to get them up and running. Mason raised the excellent point of
them all needing to give official notice to the bank, as well.

"Simon, why don't you find three possible properties which meet the criteria
we all discussed yesterday. Be ready to present them early next week, and
we'll kick it around together. Jack has the final say," said Todd, looking
over at me. I nodded in agreement with his plan. I wasn't likely to disagree
with any group consensus.

Todd continued. "As far as notice to the bank goes, as your direct
supervisor, I consider myself officially notified. However, we need time to
legally establish Schaeffer Associates and its related entities, and put
together an asset transfer and management plan. So for now, let's keep our
planned exit on the down low.

"Mason...you and Danny start putting together an exit strategy from the bank
for all financial investments. Danny, pay close attention to any excess
transfer charges, tax implications and administrative fees. Will, you work on
creating a comprehensive list of all physical assets. We'll have to retitle
them, and I'll need to find an outside attorney to assist. I don't think we
can use in-house counsel this time."

"I can ask Clyde Watson to do it," I said. Everyone looked at me for
clarification. "He did most of the legal work setting up the trust in the
first place. I'll call him and see if he would like Schaeffer Associates as a
new client. I'd like to give him the opportunity, if no one has any
objection."

"Do it, Jack. You and I can meet with him as soon as he's available and set
up a retainer for his services. We'll likely have a shit load of legal work
in the next few weeks. Will, you're gonna be working with me on all of it. We
have to incorporate a business and set up an accounting system to track it
all. Okay...everyone know what they're working on?" Heads nodded
enthusiastically. "Well...stop standin' around then. Get to it."

As they broke into groups, Todd motioned me over to his side. "Great idea
about Clyde. I'd completely forgotten about him. Larry always handled the
legal issues. I'm thinking of asking him to help with those once he's paroled
from the hospital."

"Sounds like a good plan. He and Clyde are friends. They'll make a good
team."

"Speaking of a good team, we've got one right here, I think. I have a feeling
these guys are gonna knock our socks off next week. I haven't seen them this
excited for quite a while. And you...you're turning into quite the leader.
Danny told me this morning he was impressed with the way you asserted
yourself at the breakfast table yesterday, yet you're also holding back and
letting them do their jobs without interference. Great balance. Well done,
man."

"Thanks. I'm figuring it out as we go. Anything I can do to help you today?"

"Well...since you asked," he said with a grin.

"What?" I replied, grinning back at him.

"Can you get my computer bag out of my car? I left it when I came in this
morning." I laughed.

"I think I can handle that." He fished his keys out of his pocket and I
turned to go upstairs, stopping and asking, "Anyone want some coffee down
here?" Five heads nodded.

"Thanks, Boss," said Todd.

As I turned to leave, the others all said in unison, "Thanks, Boss!" I
chuckled quietly as I ascended the stairs. I liked my team.

In the kitchen, Maggie was already assembling a tray with two carafes of
coffee, some biscotti-type biscuit things, and cold water bottles. I told her
I'd carry it down as soon as I returned.

It was a gray and overcast day, and I felt a little cool with the breeze
blowing outside in just my short sleeve shirt. Not exactly business
appropriate, but hey...it's my house, I can wear what I want. Well, I can
wear what I have, and this was it.

I pressed the button to unlock Todd's car, opened the back door, and grabbed
his computer bag off the seat. I turned around and was staring into the face
of Arnold Turner.

I heard more than felt the computer bag fall to the driveway. My mind was
struggling to comprehend what my eyes were seeing right in front of me.
Turner was definitely real. I could smell his rancid breath and horrible body
odor. He looked like he had spent a considerable time in the woods. His
clothes were wet and covered in dirt and debris from the forest. And in his
right hand, hanging loosely at his side, was a gun.

He smiled at me, but it came off as more of a demented sneer. His eyes were
black as coal, bloodshot and shifting all around. He had the same paranoid
look my brother Terry got when he was strung out on drugs. I didn't
concentrate too much on his eyes. I kept looking at the gun.

"Good morning, Mr. Schaeffer. Nice weather we're having, eh Mr. Schaeffer?"
He was spitting his words deliberately, spraying my face. I wondered why I
hadn't already thrown up on him. "Have you heard the latest news, Mr.
Schaeffer? Someone's been spreading lies about me. I wonder who that might
be? Was it you, Mr. Schaeffer? I think it is you. I think you've been telling
all kinds of nasty little lies about me to people who should know better than
to listen to the likes of a mealy mouthed little faggot like you."

I felt my eyes flare at his "faggot" comment. It brought back too many awful
memories of my brother's insults, but I said nothing. Arnold, however, had
plenty to say. "That's right, faggot. I know all about you. All about your
sick, twisted ways. I know how you lied and tricked Larry Weiss into signing
over the trust. What a joke! Nobody in their right mind would leave millions
of dollars to a sick faggot like you."

I didn't really follow everything he was saying. None of it made much sense,
and he was talking more to himself than me anyway. I couldn't tear my eyes
away from the gun at his side. Thankfully it wasn't moving; it was just
hanging there, swinging ever so slightly back and forth. Back and forth. It
looked very big in his hand. Like it would be heavy and hard to lift. Maybe
it wasn't real. Maybe it was a prop meant to scare me. It was working.

I looked up and made a slight gasp before I could stop myself. I could see
Charles standing at the corner of the long garage with a rifle firmly planted
against his shoulder and aimed right at Arnold Turner's head. Arnold turned
his head just enough to see what I was looking at.

"That's right, you son of a bitch," said Charles, menacingly. "I've got you
square in my sights. Ain't no way you get out of this alive if you harm one
hair on Jack's head. Now...take two steps back, and slowly put that lady
piece you're holding down on the ground."

Arnold did not comply, laughing instead. "You think you're fast enough, old
man? I'm bettin' you couldn't shoot straight enough to hit the side of the
house, let alone not hit Jack, too. You won't shoot."

Charles' gun made an insanely loud boom and smoke puffed out of the end as he
rocked backwards slightly but stayed firmly planted where he stood. There was
now a long groove in the asphalt in the driveway maybe a foot behind where
Arnold was standing. Mason's car alarm started going off, but was quickly
silenced. From where, I didn't know.

"The next one goes right in your temple," said Charles, calmly. At least I
think that's what he said. It was hard to hear now. "I killed more men in
Vietnam before breakfast than I care to remember, you worthless piece of
shit. Put...the...gun...down. NOW!"

I watched Arnold Turner mentally process his options. He could shoot me, but
then he was dead, too. Charles would not miss. He could surrender, but then
he loses, and in his twisted mind, I guess that would make me the winner?
Arnold was trapped, and he knew it. Suddenly he smiled at me, like he knew he
had somehow won anyway. He slowly bent his knees, and I held my breath, not
knowing what to expect. I couldn't stop looking at his eyes now. They were
dead eyes, and yet, there was still fight left in them. He wasn't finished.
He wasn't about to surrender. I heard the gun clatter on the driveway as he
dropped it. Then he ran.

Before I had even finished exhaling, before my knees hit the pavement, before
I threw up my breakfast all over my last clean pair of pants, Arnold Turner
had crossed the driveway and plunged into the woods. I heard shouting from
the house behind me. I heard shouting from Charles to stop or he would shoot.
I heard his gun go off again, and then only the sounds of my own retching and
sobs. The only saving grace was my bladder held. It's the little things.

"SAM! Stop...let him go!" I heard someone shout Sam's name. No. No way. Not
Sam. I tried to stand up and got mostly on to me feet. I had to stop Sam.
He'd get hurt. Arnold would kill him.

"Sam," I whispered, trying to focus through my tears. I was actually
shouting, but it sounded like a whisper to my deafened ears. "Where's Sam?
Somebody! Where's Sam?!! SAM!"

Suddenly he was there in front of me, tears running down his face. He grabbed
me and hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe, but I didn't care. If my last
breath was in Sam's arms, so be it. At least he was with me. I collapsed
totally and still he held me up, oblivious to my mess now all over him as
well.

I don't know how long he held me there in the driveway. I don't remember
being taken back into the house. I do remember, at some point, Sam taking my
clothes off and he was in the shower with me, and we cried some more together
as he washed us clean. He climbed naked into bed with me and held me until my
tears finally stopped and I slept.


To be continued....

Author's Note:
Arnold Turner has turned violent, not a good development. Will Jack recover?
Will he and Sam ever feel safe in their home again? Where is Turner? Will he
get away, and if he does, what will he do next? Stay tuned...

Many thanks to Mark, Harry, Josh and Darryl, the editing team, for slogging
through this chapter and sharing their insights and perspectives with me. I
feel as though this story becomes more and more of a collaboration of
brilliant minds with each new chapter. Thank you, guys.

As always, without you, the faithful readers of this story, what would be the
point? I love writing, and I love hearing from readers, so please send me an
email and share your thoughts on Forever. jack.schaeffman@gmail.com