Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2015 09:26:18 -0500
From: CJ Abello <cjabello1997@gmail.com>
Subject: CJ: Summer Chapter 21 Streets of Fire

CJ: Summer: Chapter 21: Streets of Fire

This is a work of fiction set in the real world.

Certain living individuals make appearances in the story; all other
characters and the events in which they all participate are the creation of
the author. Any resemblance of the fictional characters to actual
individuals is purely coincidental.


Monday, 26 August 2013

"Thanks for the ride, Papa." CJ took off his helmet and secured it to the
sissy bar, behind the passenger seat. "I'll see you at home tonight."

"You're welcome, Champ. Hope you have a good first day." Brett flipped down
the visor on his helmet, took the motorcycle out of neutral, and turned the
throttle a couple of times making the Harley roar. The bike surged forward
as he released the clutch. His next stop: the Pentagon.

Once alone, CJ turned around and looked up at his new school with a smile
on his face. Walls, located on the campus of George Washington University,
consisted of two buildings: a nineteenth century historic structure, and a
twenty first century modern facility. This was where he would be spending
the next three years of his life.

"Bruh! That's a mad ride! Is that your dad? He's a soldier?" CJ pulled his
gaze away from the school, and turned his head to look at the guy obviously
talking to him.

"Hell no! He's a marine. And yeah, he's my dad, and the bike is hot as
hell. Are you into motorcycles? Hey, I'm CJ." The boys bumped fists as CJ
checked out his new acquaintance. A tall, slim, shirtless guy, wearing D&C
kicks, and orange shorts, with the top band of his boxers showing.  A green
shirt stuck out the back pocket of his cargos. He had a ball cap on
backwards, headphones around his neck, and was holding a brightly colored
skateboard. A bunch of fabric and leather bracelets on both wrist completed
his attire.

"Hey, bruh. Yeah! I grew up around motorcycles, love them things. I'm
Harley. I don't recognize you. You must be new? Where'd you come from? What
are you, a junior or a senior? I'm a sophomore. This is my second year at
Walls." Harley was a bundle of energy. He moved around constantly as he
talked; hands, arms, and legs were in motion at all times.

"Dude! Slow down!" CJ started laughing at motor-mouth, he liked this
kid. "Yeah, I'm new here.  I moved from Miami at the beginning of the
summer, and I'm also a sophomore. How many energy drinks already?"

"You're a sophomore? Bro, you look--"

"CJ! It's so good to see you again. Welcome to Walls. And it's nice to have
you back, Harley."  Principal Edwards was out in front of the main entrance
welcoming students, she squeezed CJ's shoulder as she greeted him. The
remainder of Harley's comment was lost in the exuberance of the greeting by
the good looking African-American woman.

"Bruh, you know the principal? How the hell you do that? And she knows your
name already? I thought you just moved to Washington." Harley had put on
his shirt before walking into the school, and was now walking down the
hallway, backwards, looking at CJ.

"Yeah, I met her over the summer. Her husband is my dad's boss. She
convinced me to apply here." CJ laughed as Harley ran into the back of a
girl, and quickly started apologizing. The girl gave him a dismissive stare
but then caught sight of CJ, looked him up and down, and smiled.  She and
her friends walked away giggling.

"Bruh! You got connections! Dope!"

After his initial meeting with Harley, the rest of the day was tame. The
two boys were in the same home-room and in the same English class. They
ended up together at lunch and Harley introduced CJ to a bunch of his
friends.

As he walked towards the bus stop for his ride home, CJ was smiling. He
felt good about his first day at Walls. Harley was a fun guy; he was gonna
make a good friend.


Friday, 30 August 2013

Adriano prepared the staff schedule for Labor Day weekend at Rogo's so he
would be off work on Friday and Saturday. He had rented a cottage in Ocean
City, Maryland for the weekend, and was looking forward to spending two
days playing in the sand and surf, with his wife and their five-year old
twins. He'd return to Washington Sunday morning so he could be at the bar
for the lunch time crowd. His wife and kids would remain at the beach
through Monday afternoon.

Spending time with his family was something Adriano treasured. Sometimes
his job prevented him from being home to read the twins a story, before
putting them to bed. It was something he planned on enjoying this
weekend. Adriano's compensation, as General Manager of Rogo's, was
extremely generous. The hours were sometimes long and kept him away from
his family, but the high salary had allowed him and his wife to have
children.

After four years of unsuccessful attempts, Adriano and his wife had turned
to in-vitro fertilization. An expensive procedure, but worth it since they
both wanted a large family. Their first attempt brought a boy and a
girl. Now, five years later, his wife was expecting another boy.  He
couldn't wait to hold his second son.

The drive to the Maryland shore, from their home in Falls Church, Virginia,
would take about three hours, most of it on US Route 50. Because of the
different return times, they were taking both of their cars, Adriano was
driving in front, while his wife followed with the twins in her car.

X X X

Detective Tom Kennedy was not happy to be working. With a three-day weekend
ahead, he'd planned to take Friday off, so he could get the PP ready for
the last outing of summer. He and JP, along with their friends, would sail
again over the next two or three months, but Labor Day weekend was the
traditional end of the season.

Yet, here he sat, in his partner, Walter's car, headed to Chinatown. They
had been working on a case for a few weeks, involving a fencing operation,
run out of a Chinese laundry on Eighth Street. One of their sources had
given them a lead concerning a truckload of computers being delivered to
the laundry. The items described by the snitch, matched goods reported
stolen in New Jersey the previous week. Tommy and Walter were on their way
to the suspect business, hoping to observe an actual transfer of
merchandise.

X X X

After the time together over the Fourth of July weekend, Doc and Sean had
spent two days in Philadelphia, playing tourist, and enjoying amazing
sex. Since then, Sean had been out in California working. The furry redhead
was back in New York City now, and had invited Doc to come spend Labor Day
Weekend with him. They could catch a couple of shows on Broadway, go out to
dinner, and spend their nights enjoying each other.

Doc took a cab from Georgetown to Union Station on Friday morning. The
Acela Express would take him to Penn Station, in New York City, in three
and a half hours. He wanted the time on the train to think. After the
wedding, he and Walter had met for dinner during the week, and then again
last weekend. Both men had a few drinks, relaxed, walked back to Doc's
place, and Walter ended up spending the night.

The physician needed to think about the two guys he'd dated since his
breakup. He enjoyed his time with both men, who were similar in appearance,
yet so different in personality.  Walter promised good times and stability;
Sean meant wild times and fireworks. Was he ready for a relationship with
either one?

X X X

The Friday of Labor Day Weekend was designated as a Teacher's Planning Day
and students had the day off. CJ enjoyed his first four days at the new
school and was looking forward to the remainder of the school year. Harley
was fast becoming a friend. The boy was constantly at CJ's side,
introducing him to people, and showing him the ins and outs of the school
campus.

CJ had slept in late and skipped his workout this morning. He'd told his
dads he planned to run one of his five-mile circuits, after eating
breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen. Following his run, the boy planned
on going to the market, it was his turn to cook dinner tonight. He also had
to pack an overnight bag; his fathers were taking him on a motorcycle trip
along the entire length of the Skyline Drive. CJ was looking forward to the
trip, and to spending a night in a bed- and-breakfast in Virginia.  He
wrapped a rainbow print bandana, purchased during Pride, around his
forehead, attached an iPod Nano to the waistband of his shorts, inserted
earphones in his ears, and set off on his run.

X X X

Adriano knew that traffic, on the Friday of a holiday weekend, was always
heavy around Washington. On the last such weekend of summer, it could turn
into a virtual nightmare.  Government offices, and businesses, seemed to
empty out earlier. People headed home for a weekend with the family, or out
of town to the beach or the mountains. The number of vehicles on the road,
before normal quitting time increased in proportion. The number of
automobile accidents and fatalities was always higher at these times.

Just before crossing the Potomac, Adriano and his wife temporarily switched
to the Interstate, to avoid the additional time it would take to drive US
Route 50 / New York Avenue, through the District of Columbia. They planned
on following I-395 until it split off; the next segment they would drive on
I-695. They would make another switch to travel on I-295, before finally
rejoining US Route 50 in Maryland. The highways would still be crowded, and
have a large number of trucks on it, but it would be faster.

X X X

Walter parked his car in the Fire Lane in front of Chopstix. The little mom
and pop restaurant had a limited menu, but it served good food, and large
portions. It was a favorite lunch spot for cops. The owners liked having so
many police officers around; their neighborhood wasn't the best area in
town. Someone tried to hold up the restaurant one time, and was confronted
by half a dozen officers. The man was arrested, and meals were on the house
that day.

The laundry store Tommy and his partner were interested in, was halfway
down the block and across the street. It was easily visible from their
position. According to their informant, the goods were being dropped off in
a truck for a chemicals supply company. They were to be delivered through
the front door, in rolling, canvas laundry bins, like those used in large
institutions. The two cops just had to sit and wait.

X X X

Doc had enjoyed the two dates he had with Walter the previous week. And the
night they spent together had been fun. They seemed to fit comfortably into
each other and the sex was solid.  But there were no fireworks, as there
had been with Sean. Although new to being on the receiving end, he had
definitely enjoyed being a catcher for the New York Irishman. The memory
brought a smile to his face, made his butt twitch, and had him looking
forward to the next few days.

But Sean was ten years younger, and lived a couple of hundred miles
away. Was Doc ready for a steady relationship so soon after his breakup?
Were the muscle car and the muscle stud just signs of a mid-life crisis?
And then there was the matter of Sean's profession. Doc was being honest
when he said he had no moral objections to it. But could he be seriously
involved with someone in his line of work? As the train arrived in New
York, he still hadn't made a decision about the future of his relationship
with Sean.

X X X

About halfway through his run, as he passed the Watergate Complex, CJ
whipped off his shirt, now soaked with sweat, and stuck it in the back of
his shorts. While still running, he removed the bandanna from his head,
wrung it out, and tied it around his head once again. It helped keep the
sweat out of his eyes. The high temperature, combined with the high
humidity, caused the air to shimmer in front of him. The asphalt and
concrete beneath his feet were so hot, he felt it through the shoes. It was
as if he was running on streets of fire.

The heat and humidity reminded him of the worst days of summer in
Miami--funny how he didn't think of Florida as home anymore. His tanned
body glistened in the sunlight due to the perspiration; his size, demeanor,
scruffy face and the hair sprouting on his chest made him look much older
than his fifteen years, to anyone watching him run. He was still trying to
get used to young kids calling him sir. It made him laugh when they did.

X X X

The Interstate's traffic through Washington resembled a well-choreographed
ballet of motorcycles, cars, and trucks. Every vehicle seemed to perform a
pass‚, looking for its right spot, as they traveled east on the
Southwest Freeway. Each attempting to move faster than the speed of
traffic, or looking to position themselves, so they could take their
intended exit.  Nearing the point where I-395 and I-695 split, Adriano and
his wife were traveling on the right lane of the highway, when he lost
sight of her car. A trailer truck had cut into their lane, taking position
between their two automobiles.

He tried slowing down, hoping the trucker would decide to pass him
also. Adriano saw the driver attempt a switch to the left lane, where there
was a second truck about to overtake him.  The shrill horn of that second
rig apparently surprised the truck driver, he turned sharply to the right,
his vehicle went into a skid, and the trailer began to overturn.

X X X

Adriano's wife was unable to stop her car quickly enough; it ran into the
overturned, skidding trailer. The screech of braking wheels competed with
the noise of crunching metal. The driver's side airbag deployed, exploded,
and sent shrapnel flying, the front bumper and hood crumpled, absorbing
some of the impact energy, as the car's engine partially dropped to the
ground after its breakaway mounts tore of as designed to do.

X X X

Tommy and Walter were tired of sitting in the car, they decided to get out
and stretch their legs, and placed a POLICE DEPARTMENT card on the
dashboard, not unusual for cars parked in front of Chopstix. Tommy opened
the passenger side door, and stepped to the curb while keeping an eye on
the suspected fencing facility.

A man wearing a dark gray hoodie, running on the sidewalk, bumped into him
and almost knocked him over. There were shouts of "Thief" and "My purse, my
purse!" Tommy reached for his gun in the holster beneath his jacket, and
shouted at the running man. "Hold it! Police Officer!"

"Fuck you asshole!" shouted back the man in the hoodie, as he turned with a
gun in his hand, and fired two quick shots at the cop. The first bullet hit
high, the impact pushing Tommy back against the car, even with most of its
force being absorbed by his Kevlar vest. The second one hit his left thigh,
as he fell to the sidewalk, hitting his head on the concrete.  As
everything was going dark for Detective Kennedy, he heard Walter scream
out: "Officer down! Officer down! Need EVAC. Eighth Street Northwest,
Chopstix Restaurant."

X X X

Doc caught a cab outside Penn Station, for the drive to J. G. Melon. The
restaurant, on the Upper East Side, was where a scene, between Dustin
Hoffman and Meryl Streep, was filmed for the movie Kramer vs. Kramer. It
was a favorite place for neighborhood residents, well known for its
burgers, and three blocks away from Doc's apartment on Seventy-Sixth
Street.

Traffic was good, by New York City standards; the ride took just over
twenty minutes with the cabbie taking Madison Avenue up. As the taxi came
to a stop, Doc paid the fare with his credit card, took the receipt, and
grabbed his backpack. He saw the man waiting for him, and opened the door
with a smile on his face.

"Hey handsome, how's my favorite physician doing?" Sean was waiting outside
the restaurant, and enveloped Doc in a bear hug as soon as the man stepped
out of the cab. The furry stud had a shoulder bag with him, he was spending
the weekend with Doc, in his apartment.

"Well, that's a welcome... You're looking great as usual, Sean. Damn you're
a sexy fucker. I've been looking forward to this weekend." The two men
broke their embrace and stood for a minute, looking and smiling at each
other.

"So have I, Doc."

"Are you hungry? I'm ready for some lunch." Doc had decided to enjoy his
weekend with Sean and to have a serious conversation with the younger man
before returning home to Washington.

"Hell yeah, I can always eat. I wasn't sure what show you'd wanna see
tomorrow night. We need to figure it out so I can make some calls to get us
tickets."

"I guess you have connections?"

"Let's say there are quite a few theatre people who I've closely worked
with in the past."

"I bet!" They were walking towards their table, following the hostess, when
Doc's phone started ringing.

"That's an attention grabbing ringtone." Sean smiled at the European style,
emergency vehicle siren, playing from the inside pocket of Doc's coat.

"That's my emergency tone. It means a call from the private number in the
office. Excuse me a minute, Sean, I need to take this call." Doc placed his
black leather backpack on the floor next to his chair, pulled the phone out
of his pocket, and stood by the table without taking a seat.

"Hello? Hi, buddy." Doc moved the phone away from his mouth and whispered
to Sean: "My office manager." His mood suddenly turned serious, and he
almost collapsed onto the chair next to him. "Fuck! When did it happen?
He's at GW Hospital? Is my partner there already?  Okay, I'll be there as
soon as possible, I'm leaving now."

"What's going on, babe?" Sean showed concern at the agitation in his
friend's voice.

"I'm sorry, Sean, but I need to go back to Washington now. Tom Kennedy has
been shot."

X X X

CJ ran, following the Rock Creek Park Trails, until he reached the
Arlington Memorial Bridge. He slowed down as he crossed it, heading west
into Virginia. Pedestrian traffic was heavy on the sidewalk, and the number
of cars zooming by didn't allow him to pass people by taking to the
road. Once he was on the other side of the Potomac, he turned north in
front of Arlington National Cemetery.

He followed Arlington Boulevard, heading towards the Iwo Jima Memorial,
turning into the driveway which circled the imposing statue. As he rounded
the monument, heading towards the wooded area behind it, he almost ran into
a muscular Asian man, limping around, bent over, while holding his right
calf.

"Hey, man, are you alright?" CJ jogged in place as he talked to the
grimacing guy. He noticed the man's shirt was not wet with sweat and
assumed he'd just begun his run.

"Bad cramp, buddy."

"You need any help?" CJ has stopped moving and came closer to the other
runner, wondering if there was anything he could do for the man.

"I just need to walk it off... Maybe I could lean on you so I don't fall
over?"

"Sure, here, put your arm around me." CJ wrapped his left arm around the
muscular man's waist and leaned into him to support his weight."

"GET THE CAR, WE GOT ANOTHER ONE!" The Asian man grabbed the arm encircling
his waist, swiveled around and twisted it upwards against CJ's back. He
used his foot to push on Cj's knees from the back, making the boy stumble,
fall to the sidewalk, and scrape his skin. The man put his knee in CJ's
back, brought the teen's other hand around, and secured his wrists with a
plastic tie he pulled from his shorts.

"Fuck that hurts. What's going on, man? Let me go!"

"You're not going anywhere but jail, faggot. You just tried to molest a
member of the Arlington Police Vice Squad. Officer Xin Gray. You're under
arrest."

The End of Summer

And that's the story of CJ's Summer of 2013...

My everlasting gratitude to Mann Ramblings, my editor. His hard work and
support helped make this story a reality. Thank you also, to all those who
took the time to express their opinions, about the story and the
characters, I hope you've enjoyed this final installment.  Comments and
suggestions, praise and damnation, are all welcome and encouraged.

CJ


P.S. look for Autumn coming up next.

 ----------

Copyright 2015 CJ Abello
Edited by: Mann Ramblings

Your comments help me keep going, and help improve the story.
Would love to hear what you think: cjabello1997@gmail.com

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