Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:57:19 -0700
From: Jacob Miller <jacobmillertex@aol.com>
Subject: Regrets and Heartaches: Chapter 9

{Regrets and Heartaches is pure fiction. As I am writing this story, I am
above the age of 21. If you want a story with lots of sex, look
elsewhere. This is a love story. Seeing as it is a love story, sex is in
there, but it's in realistic balance in the characters' lives.

Any similarity to any real events, names, or life events is purely
accidental. If you are a underage, (according to your state laws as a
minor), if this literature is offensive to you or to anyone around your
viewing area, or it is illegal for you to view such content where you are
reading it, stop reading the story.

This story cannot be distributed in anyway, shape or form without my
expressed consent. I will like to give a shout out to a reader that has
helped me with ideas where the story is, thank you!}

Written by J.P.G.


Chapter 9

Harold woke up very discouraged from the events of the day before. He
cannot believe that Beth and Dominic continue to escape his grasp. Every
time they get them, they wiggle their way out. Harold is hoping that they
didn't do anything ugly with Joey that cannot be fixed. He just wants to
get Joey back in one piece. After that he will deal with the after math of
getting Beth and Dominic behind bars.

He left the house before the kids woke up. Harold cannot stand seeing the
hurt in his sons face. He has no answers and he cannot protect his son from
what is going on. The only thing Harold can do is what he is
doing. Promising his son, Fran and Alan that he will get Joey back and
soon.

Just as Harold caught up with the work that his law clerk left on his desk,
Detective Benson started to knock at his chamber door. Harold invited him
and asked him to take a seat while he signs off on the final paperwork he
is working on.

"So is there any news you have for me other than you are still looking. You
know as well as I do. The more time passes the chances on finding Joey
alive is very slim. His mother and uncle have no reason to keep him alive
right now. They cannot get to his money and that is all they want from
him. Man do I hate greed, I really hate it."

 "Your honor I agree with you on everything you just said. I don't have
anything more to report to you. I had hoped that maybe you found out
something from Fran or your son that may helps us. We are at a dead
end. Without getting Beth or Dominic to talk, we are going to be at a dead
end."

Harold got up and walked over to his little office refrigerator. He pulled
out the cream and made him and detective a cup of coffee. He handed the cup
of coffee to the detective and sat down in the seat next to him.

"I am so afraid Benson that Joey is gone. I know that I should not be
thinking this way, but I am. They took him for his money and nothing
more. Now that they know Al is involved, they know they cannot touch the
money. There is no reason for Beth and Dominic to keep Joey alive."

"They think they have us beaten your honor, but they don't. I got a warrant
to tap their phone line and to follow them twenty four hours a day. If they
call someone and give the order, we will know about it. If they go out and
carry it out themselves, we will be there. There is no way they are going
to be able to give that order.

We are already on our third day looking for Joey. At this point the only
way we are going to find Joey is by luck. I hate to say that, but it is
true. In the past if we don't find the kidnap person within the first forty
eight hours, the chances decline greatly."

"Let's hope Joey is an exception to that rule. Because if he is not, I
don't know how I am going to tell my wife, son and his sister that Joey is
gone. There is no way Fran is going to be able to take the loss of her
brother, no way."

Harold turned to his door when he heard someone knocking. "Your honor there
is a phone call from a gentleman by the name of Gary Talbert. He says it is
very important and he needs to speak with you now."

"I don't know any Gary Talbert. If he is a defendant he needs to call his
attorney, not me. If it is a attorney he needs to set a appointment up with
you and I will see him then. Please don't disturb me unless the building is
burning down."

His secretary left, closing the door behind her. Harold continued talking
with Detective Benson on the best way to find Joey. Once again the
secretary knocked on the door and walked in the judge's chamber.

"I am so sorry your honor, but Gary Talbert keeps calling. He will not stop
calling unless he speaks with you. He says it is urgent. He isn't am
attorney or a defendant. He just needs to speak with you before he heads
back to work."

Harold looked at the time and didn't realize that it is almost eleven. He
and Detective Benson had been talking for almost two hours. He got up from
the chair and walked back around his desk and sat back down.

"Tell this Gary Talbert unless he wants to get arrested, he will stop
calling. I don't know any Gary Talbert and he knows that. I think he is a
defendant lying to you in order to talk with me about his case."

The secretary left Harold's chambers again. Harold thanked Detective Benson
for the update before he picked up the phone to call home. Just as
Detective Benson started too walked out of the chamber, the secretary
popped her head back in.

"Your honor, Gary Talbert told me to tell you that he is calling with
information concerning a Joey Alvarez. He says it is very important that he
talks with you before anymore time passes."

Harold hung up the phone as Detective Benson walked back in quickly. He sat
down and waited for Harold to pick up the phone. Harold pushed the speaker
button once everyone settled back down in their seats.

"This is Harold Evans; I understand you have information regarding Joey
Alvarez. I would like to say before you say anything that you are talking
with a district judge and in my chambers right now is the detective in
charge of finding Joey Alvarez. If this is a ransom call, you better think
twice."

Harold and Detective Benson heard nothing but dead air. All of a sudden
they heard the other person on the other line clear his throat. "My name is
Gary Talbert and I work at a facility in Texas called Sunny Dessert for
Troubled Teens. I am a janitor down here."

Gary cleared his throat again. You can tell he is very
nervous. "Mr. Talbert, you wouldn't stop calling my office because you said
you have information regarding Joey Alvarez. I am sorry if I scared you,
but I am very worried for Joey. We want him home safe and sound where he
belongs. So please if you have any information regarding him, let me
know. That way I can do what I need to do in order to get home."

"Sir, Joey arrived here several nights ago. You need to come and get him as
soon as you can because if you don't. He might not make it out of this
place alive. They are really hurting him here. It is going to get worse
until Joey does what they want him to do."

"Okay son we are listening, you hear me, we are listening. I am Detective
Benson, can you please tell us where this facility is actually located
at. That way we can get down there and pull Joey out as soon as we get off
the phone with you."

"It is a big facility located outside of El Paso, Texas, between the border
of Texas and New Mexico. I don't know how you can get anything done since
you are in New Mexico, but you do need to come down and get him. I will do
what I can to help him, but that isn't much because I am just a janitor."

"Don't worry about what we can do Gary. Please don't get yourself into any
trouble down there. We will be down there to get Joey out of there, Thank
you so much for helping him. We owe a lot for doing what you are doing for
Joey. Is there a number that we can reach you at so we can talk with you
through all this and afterward."

Gary gave Harold his address and phone number before hanging up. As soon as
Gary hung up, Harold called Al and told him what he found out. Al told
Harold that he will do what he can when he gets off the phone. They agreed
that as soon as they get off of the phone they need to get up to this
facility.

Harold got the address of the facility, grabbed a map and walked telling
his law clerk to cancel all of his afternoon hearings. Detective Benson
followed Harold and got in his car. Not even thinking, Harold drove
straight home to get his wife.

When he walked in the door, Helen couldn't stop thinking that he is here to
give her bad news. She fell to her knees and started crying before Harold
even said a word. He ran up to her, pulling up from the ground, holding her
tight.

"We found him Helen, we found him and he is alive!" Harold whispered into
his wife's ear as he held her. "Detective Benson and I are on our way now
to get him out of that place that Beth and Dominic put him at."

"I want to go Harold! Joey is going to need to see faces he trusts. We need
to pick up Fran from school. We don't know what, if anything, they did to
Joey in that place. No matter what, he needs to see faces that he trusts
when he gets out of there."

"I agree with you honey and we will go and get Fran and Caleb. By the
sounds of it, they have done some ugly things to Joey. The person that
called me said that if we don't get Joey out now, he might not make it. I
am scared that we are not going to make it in time."

Harold and Helen walked out of the house in hurry. Helen locked up and
joined Detective Benson in the car. They drove down to the school and only
Harold got out getting Fran and Caleb. They agreed that only one should go
in and get them where they could save time. They all know they are racing
against the clock right now.

Harold waited for Fran and his son in the attendance office. The principle
didn't give Harold any problem pulling them out of school. When Fran and
Caleb walked into the attendance office, they had a frighten looked on
their faces.

"There is nothing to worry about. We know where Joey is at and we are going
to go and get him. He needs to see faces he trusts and loves when we get
him out. I don't know how badly he is hurt, if at all. We will find out
together. What ever happened to Joey in this place, we must show him
support."

Although it is somewhat good news, Fran nor Caleb didn't smile. They walked
with Harold to the car and got in. No one said a word the entire way to the
facility. Harold didn't care about the speed limit. He just floored his car
in order to get to Joey as quickly as possible.

Almost halfway to the facility, a state trooper pulled over the judge. "Do
you realize how fast you were going?"

Harold looked at the state trooper trying to think what to say. "Excuse, I
am Detective Benson from Alamogordo. The driver is a district judge
there. We are on our way to get a kidnapped minor. Time is not on our side
right now. That is why we are speeding."

"You should be in a marked car if you are trying to get somewhere in a
hurry detective. I cannot just let you guys go without giving you a
ticket. So please can you give me proof of insurance and you driver
licenses your honor."

Harold handed the state trooper his drive licenses and went to his glove
box to get his proof of insurance. The state trooper walked back to his
cruiser to call it in. Although it is only taking the state trooper minutes
to do what he needs to do. To Harold and the others it seemed a lot longer.

The state trooper came back up and handed Harold his driver licenses and
insurance card. He had Harold sign the ticket and asked him to slow down to
the speed limit. As soon as the state troop walked back to his car, Harold
got out of the driver seat. Detective Benson took his place. That way if
they get pulled over again, they cannot get a ticket.

Almost two hours later, they drove into the parking lot of the
facility. Detective Benson parked and everyone got out. They stood outside
looking at the run own old brick building. It is a huge complex that could
house hundreds of gay teens.

Harold made his way to the entrance, followed by his family, Fran and
Detective Benson. They walked in to find no one sitting at the secretary
desk. Harold looked right and then he looked left down the hall. He found
it empty, no one to be seen. He walked over to Detective Benson and his
family.

"I have never seen this before. There is always someone in the lobby of a
company to greet their visitors. Do you think they found out that we know
about this place and moved on? That is the only logical assumption to what
we are seeing."

"No they didn't move on your honor. First their cars are still out in the
parking lot. Second, there are way too many young kids in this building to
move them this quickly. And finally third, it was the janitor that called
us. Do you know who your janitor is that cleans your chambers ion the court
room?"

Harold looked at Detective Benson and shook his head in the negative. They
made their way down the hall to a set of double doors. To everyone's
surprise, they found the doors unlocked. Carefully they walked in and found
themselves in a long hallway.

Before they took two steps in, they got greeted by a middle age
woman. Before anyone could say anything, she escorted Harold and the others
out the door and back into the lobby. She left them in the lobby informing
them someone will be with them in just a few minutes and walked back in
through the double doors.

No spoke, they just stood in the lobby waiting. Detective Benson kept his
eye at the entrance to make sure that no one leaves the property. He
doesn't like what his gut is telling him. He knows there is something
really wrong here.

The double doors open again and three guys walked out. They looked over at
Harold with a smile they walked over to him. Detective Benson didn't leave
the window; he stood watching out the window and the three guys approaching
Harold and his family.

"Hello, my name is Dale Pugh; I am the director of this facility. I
normally meet with parents via appointment. But since you are here I will
talk with you." Mr. Pugh extended his hand to Harold, but Harold refused to
shake it.

"My name is Harold Evans; I am a district judge from Alamogordo. The
gentleman over there is Detective Benson. After arresting Beth and Dominic
Alvarez, they informed us they put Joey Alvarez in this facility. They do
not have custody of Joey and cannot make that decision. I am here to inform
you that you need to release Joey immediately."

Mr. Pugh stepped back to his staff members. "I know that you are aware that
you are in the state of Texas, not New Mexico. Neither of you have
authority this state. I don't care if you are the head of your district
court or he is the chief of police." Mr. Pugh pointed to Detective
Benson. "You guys cannot request anything from me or my staff."

"You guys kidnapped Joey Alvarez and brought him to this facility against
his will. You don't have the right to keep Joey in this facility. You can
do either the easy way and just let him out, or you can do it the hard
way. I will leave Detective Benson at the entrance of this facility to make
sure no one leaves as I go to El Paso and get a judge to sign a order to
force you to release him."

"You better go to El Paso and get a judge. That is the only way Joey
Alvarez is going to leave this place. His mother and father gave us
permission to pick up their son from school and bring him here. They signed
over custody of Joey Alvarez to this facility. I have done everything
legally.

Now you can leave my property on your own free will or I will remove you
from the property. If you choose to leave your detective out the entrance
of my facility, I have the right to have him removed by the police."

Before Harold could say another word, Mr. Pugh started to walk back to the
double doors he came out. Several more staff members walked out as Mr. Pugh
walked over to the door. He whispered something to them and left. They
walked over to Harold and his family. Harold just looked at them and turned
to his family.

"Let's leave so I can go to El Paso. I need to get a judge to sign the
necessary orders to have this place release Joey. We will not do Joey any
good being arrested ourselves. They can remove Joey from this place and we
will never find him again."

Caleb opened his mouth to say something, but his mother tapped him on the
shoulder. They walked out of the building and escorted to the parking
lot. They got to the car and Harold looked back at the building. He fears
that if he leaves now, there is no why they will get Joey back alive.

With regret on not being able to get Joey out of there, Harold started his
car and put it in reverse to leave. Just as he looked back to backup his
car, Al drove up. He blocked Harold from getting out. Harold quickly put
his car back into park and got out.

"Please time me you have some good news. We just got kicked out of there."
Harold walked over to Al as he got out of his car.

"Is Joey in this place Harold?"

"That is one thing we did get confirmed. A gentleman by the name of Dale
Pugh runs this place. I really believe he owns it as well. He thinks he has
the law behind him and he really does if we don't get a order from a judge
in this county."

"My lawyers are still working on getting the legal orders from our friendly
judges. When you called me, I right away called my lawyers after I hanging
up with you. They couldn't get to one judge because they are all in session
right now."

"Dam it, I am sorry Al! But without a order signed by a judge, this guy can
keep Joey in there. He can remove us from his property and even arrest us
if we stay here. In the mean time they can move Joey from this place and we
may not find him again."

"I didn't put all my eggs in one basket Harold. I also called the
governor. He isn't a happy camper at all about what is happening here. He
is sending his chief-of-staff and state attorney general. On my way down
here, Rich called me to let me know they are landing. I don't know if they
are going to come down via car or helicopter, but they are on their way as
we speak."

As Harold and Al spoke, Mr. Pugh walked out of the facility. Helen spotted
him and got out of the car to warn Harold. At the same time Detective
Benson, Fran and Caleb got out as well. They walked to block Mr. Pugh from
getting too close to Harold.

"I warned you to leave my property. Instead you bring someone else onto my
property and talk in my parking lot. I just called the police and they are
on their way. You no longer have the choice to leave. I am going to have
you arrested."

Harold and Al walked up to Mr. Pugh. "I know you don't know me, but you
just screwed with the wrong people. I am a senior advisor to Governor
Lopez. As we speak I have the state attorney general and the chief-of staff
to the governor on their way.

I am glad that you called the police because that will save me from doing
it. The only difference here is that you are going to be taken out of here
in handcuffs. The honorable judge Evans gave you chance to release Joey
Alvarez and you refused. Now we are going to do it the hard way."

Mr. Pugh just looked at Al not knowing what to do. He looked at his staff
members and back at Al. He looked around to see if any other cars are
driving up, but he doesn't see any. Mr. Pugh is thinking that this old guy
is just pulling his leg.

"I don't know you from Adam and Eve. Anyone can walk off the street and say
what you just said. I will not release Joey Alvarez to anyone except his
parents. They are the ones that signed him in here, and they are the only
ones that can sign him out. So you..."

Mr. Pugh looked at the entrance of his facility to see lights flashing and
hearing the sirens blaring. At first he thought these are the police he
called to have Harold and the others arrested, but he saw it isn't. Once
the cars came into view, he realized that they are police cruisers from El
Paso county, not state troopers.

The police cruisers drove into the parking lot, followed by several black
SUV'S. The doors opened and Rich stepped out of the SUV. Al walked over to
Rich to great him. As they shook hands, Mr. Anderson got out of the SUV.

After greeting Rich and Mr. Anderson, they walked over to Harold. "Your
honor, my name is Rich Kewl, the chief-of-staff to the governor and this is
Mr. Anderson, our state attorney general. We are so sorry that we have a
facility like this in our state, Trust me when I tell you that this
facility and others like it will be closed."

They shook hands as they walked over to Mr. Pugh. "Who here is in charge of
this facility." Mr. Anderson asked looking at Mr. Pugh and his staff.

"I am and may I ask who you are?"

"I am the state attorney general and this is the chief-of-staff to Governor
Lopez. Governor Lopez has sent us down here to personally take care if this
problem. Do you have a minor child in this facility by the name of Joey
Alvarez?"

"Yes I do and I have permission from his parents Beth and Dominic Lopez to
have him here. I have not done anything wrong. I have the legal right to
have him and you know that. I am sorry these guys think other wise, but I
really don't care."

"You better start caring, because you broke the law. With your own
statement, you just admitted on breaking the law. Beth and Dominic Alvarez
are not the legal guardians of the minor child. They lost their rights and
you could have seen that if you did your job correctly. You are required by
law to make sure that those individuals claiming to be guardians of the
minor child are the guardians."

Mr. Anderson handed Mr. Pugh paper work signed by Governor Lopez demanding
the immediate release of Joey Alvarez. He looked at the paper work and back
up to Mr. Anderson. Not saying a word, he started walking back to the
building.

Several state trooper cruisers showed up and were ordered to not allow a
sole to leave this place. Harold and his family walked back into the
building followed by Detective Benson. They waited in the lobby for Joey.

Mr. Anderson kept looking at his watch and finally got tired of waiting. He
waived over several officers to go with him to get Joey. When they reached
the double doors, Mr. Anderson saw Mr.  Pugh and several of his staff
members walking Joey out. He stopped them before they exited out the double
doors. He cannot believe what he is looking at. He barely recognizes the
young kid barely able to walk on his on is Joey.

"What he hell did you do this young man? He looks like he has been tortured
in here." Mr. Anderson walked over to Joey. "Joey can you hear me son? Can
you tell me what these guys did to you in here?"

Before Joey could say anything, Mr. Pugh tried to talk; Mr. Anderson would
not let him. "You shut the fuck up. I don't want to hear a word coming from
your mouth." Mr. Anderson turned to a state trooper. "Place this man under
arrest. Charge him with abuse and kidnapping to start with. I will follow
with more charges. Also I want you to radio for more police cruisers and a
ambulances. Arrest every worker in this place. None of them are allowed to
leave."

The state trooper followed Mr. Anderson's instructions. He handcuffed
Mr. Pugh and walked him out. As he escorted Mr. Pugh out to his cruiser, he
radioed for the several ambulances and as many state troopers that they can
spare. At the same time, Mr. Anderson walked Joey back into an office to
see what they did to him. He doesn't want Harold and his family to see him
like this.

"Joey I don't know if you can recognize my voice, but this is
Mr. Anderson. Al, Jacob's grandfather called the governor to get you out of
here. You are going home, but first I need to get you looked out. It looks
like what ever they did to you in here look really bad. Are you in any pain
right now Joey?"

"Mr. Anderson, please help me. This pain will not stop, it hurts all
over. My eyes hurt and I cannot see out of them. I just want to get out of
this place Mr. Anderson. Please get me out of this place." Joey fell
against Mr. Anderson crying. He is hurting really bad, but at the same
time. He is happy on being found and he is going home.

Al and Rich walked in to see what is going on. They cannot believe what
they are seeing. Just like Mr. Anderson, Al could barely recognize
Joey. This is not the same kid that left his grandson. He heard the stories
about these places, but didn't believe that they were all true. Al walked
over to Joey and kneeled down.

"Joey everything is going to be okay. Harold, Helen, Fran and Caleb are
outside waiting for you. They never gave up looking for you. I never gave
up looking for you. No one deserves what had happened to you in this
place. No matter what the person has done in their lives, they don't
deserve what this place did to you."

Mr. Anderson got up supporting Joey until Al moved in and grabbed Joey. He
walked out of the office looking back at Joey. Still not able to believe
that this place did this to Joey! He turned and made his way to the
exit. He looked out the window of the doors into the lobby where Harold,
his family and Detective Benson are standing.

He knows that he is going to have to go out there and tell Harold and his
family the news. The news that this place tortured Joey to the point that
they might have blinded him and god knows what else. News that he knows
Harold and his family does not want to hear.

As Mr. Anderson walked out the double doors, ten more state troopers walked
in. Mr. Anderson walked over to them and instructed to lock down this
facility. Don't let anyone in or out of this place. Once they secure all
the exits to let him know where they can start going from room to room.

"With all do respect sir, most, if not all, of these kids are legally
here. If you close this place down, where are we supposed to take these
kids? Their parents put them here to fix them. They believe in this
place. They will not take them back if they are the same way they were when
they were brought here. Maybe it is best that you just take the one you
came for and leave the others."

"Officer the owner of this place broke the law. I don't care if it was just
one or a hundred times, he broke the law. Since you have these feeling you
will leave and I will be speaking with your boss before the day is
over. This kind of hatred cannot or will not be accepted. If their parents
don't want to them back, I will put them in the system. At least they are
safer there then in here."

Mr. Anderson waived Detective Benson over. "Detective Benson, I know that
you are a officer from New Mexico, but you can be put out on loan to
another prescinct if that prescinct needs your help. Since this case is
your and has landed up in this state. I am handing over control of this
investigation to you. I will clear this with your boss.

This state trooper believes that the kids in here deserve being here."
Mr. Anderson patted the state trooper on the shoulder he was just talking
to. "I asked him to leave and go back to his station. I don't want people
that believe in hate here. If you run into any more bigots, send them to
me."

The officer looked at Mr. Anderson and walked out of the building. Once he
left, Mr. Anderson explained to Detective Benson what he has done and
why. Detective Benson just looked at Mr. Anderson. He needs to see for
himself. He walked over to the office where Joey, Al and Rich are at.

Once Detective Benson walked away, Mr. Anderson turned to Harold and his
family. He knows he can no longer keep the information he has to
himself. He walked over to them. He looked into their faces as he stood in
front of them.

"I need you guys to understand that we are doing everything we can right
now for Joey. There is really no easy way to say this, than to just say
it. When I first walked back, the owner and his staff were bringing Joey up
front. I stopped them and had them take him into an office in the hall." It
felt like all the air got sucked out of the room.

"Look it is bad, but as bad as you think. Joey is alive and he is walking
on his own free will. But he looked like he was tortured in this place."
Helen fell against Harold trying to control her feelings. But Fran fell on
the floor crying. Caleb pulled her up and held her.

"We are trying to get to the bottom of what actually happened to Joey. I
have ambulances coming. I have instructed the state troopers to place the
owner and the staff here under arrest. I am not going to lie to you
all. Joey will not be going home tonight. He will need to go to the
hospital to get his injuries looked at.

I am going to take you guys back to be with Joey, but you need to do one
thing. Joey is in a lot of pain, he cannot see and he looks really bad. You
cannot cry or get angry. He needs you to be strong for him. Don't discuss
what he looks like, just tell him everything is going to be okay. He needs
strong people around him right now. It is going to be hard, I know. But you
guys need to do this for him."

Everyone shook their heads. Harold grabbed a hold of Helen's hands as they
started to walk to the back. Fran started to trip over her feet as they
approached the office where Joey is at. Caleb supported her so where she
wouldn't fall. They walked into the room to see Al holding a broken
Joey. They all just stood at the door stunned at what they are looking
at. They didn't even imagine it is this bad.

"Joey, we are here, all of us. Your sister is here as well are Helen and
Caleb. We will not leave your side. No matter where you are taken, we will
not leave your side." Harold walked over to Joey and sat next to him.

With help from Caleb, Fran walked over and sat on the other side of
Joey. She is already crying and unable to speak because of her crying. Al
got up from the ground, letting Caleb take his place. Helen stood above her
son, looking down at Joey.

No spoke until Caleb broke the silence. He placed a hand on each side of
his face. "There is nothing anyone can do to make me stop loving you
Joey. There is nothing anyone can do that will make any of us stop loving
you. We are going to get you to a hospital and get you fixed up again. Then
we are going to take you home. There is no way this is going to happen
again. We will do what ever it takes to make sure of that."

Caleb leaned in and kissed Joey on the lips. Joey wrapped his arms around
Caleb and held him as tight as he could. He doesn't want to let go because
if he does. He thinks this place is going to come in and take him away
again.

Al walked out with Mr. Anderson. "How much authority do you have when it
comes to a place like this? I know you came down to help me get Joey, but
how much authority do you really have. I would like to see this place
closed for good. If they did this to Joey, can you imagine what they have
done to others that have been here a lot longer?"

"Al, right now I am executing the law. I can arrest every employee in this
place for abuse and kidnapping. Even if they didn't do the action, they
knew this kind of stuff was going on. There is no way you can walk down
these halls and not know. I am pretty sure I will find more charges as we
start getting into the back of this place.

These kinds of places are legal, but they must follow the law. This
facility broke the law with Joey alone. I can shut it down no matter if I
don't find anything else. Once again I don't think Joey is going to be the
last person I find abused in here."

Detective Benson walked up to Al and Mr. Anderson. "The entire facility is
locked down. All the exits are covered. There is no way anyone can leave
this place. We are now ready to go in and see what is back there. Do you
want to go with us?"

"Yes I want to go, but I want us to stay in a group. We need to video tape
every room and every thing we see. I want pictures taken as well. There is
no way I am going to let the asses that run this place get off because we
were in a rush to find out what is back there. So get ready, we are going
to be here all night more likely."

"I would like to join you guys as well. The case will not appear in front
of me. More than likely it will be in a court in Texas first. Once you get
done with these guys, we want a shot at them. They kidnapped a resident
from the state of New Mexico."

Mr. Anderson looked at Harold with a puzzled look on his face. "I have no
problem with you going, but if you over step. I will send you back out. At
anytime, any of you can leave if you want. I have no plans to go anywhere."

"Sorry to interrupt you guys, but I just got off the phone with the
Governor. He was already angry, but after hearing what we found here. Just
let me say this. I have never heard that man this upset. He is ready to
come down here himself and tear this place down with his own hands.

He told me what ever we need, we will get. He will make sure we have what
is needed to close down this place. This place really screwed up with this
governor. He not only has a gay son, but a place like this tried the same
thing with his son. He closed them down before he even became Governor. Now
imagine what he can do as Governor."

"Thank you Rich for that, I really need the backing of the Governor. I have
already stepped on a couple state troopers' feet. I know they will not be
the only ones." Mr. Anderson patted Rich on the back.

Detective Benson went and got several state troopers and video
cameras. They walked over to the staff in the conference room. As they
walked in, some stood up and some stayed sitting down. That made
Mr. Anderson and the others angry. It showed them disrespect. Mr. Anderson
walked over to the table and pounded his fist on the table causing everyone
to look up at him.

"I am not going to play games with any of you. You are all in trouble and
more than likely will be arrested. I can tell you none of you will be going
home tonight. You will be in an eight by eight cell, but treated with more
respect than you treated the kids in this place. This place is out of
business from this moment on

So that you know I am not playing, Governor Lopez is powering me to do what
ever I need to do in order to send a message to the other places like
this. I don't care what you think you know or were told. I can charge each
and everyone one of you with the same charges I charge the director
with. You stood by and let it happen.

Now I need one of you, I don't care who, to walk us through this place. I
would prefer someone that has the keys to every room in this place. In my
experience, that is normally the janitor staff. So who here is part of the
staff?"

Harold remembered when Mr. Anderson said that. The only reason they are
here is because of a janitor. He walked up to Mr. Anderson and whispered in
his ear Gary's name. Mr. Anderson shook his head in agreement. He pulled a
file from his briefcase and pretended to read it.

"Since none of you want to raise your hand, let me just call out the day
janitor. According to employment files, the janitor on duty right now is
Gary Talbert. Mr. Talbert please stand up and go outside with Judge
Anderson."

Gary stood up shaking as he walked out into the hall. Harold walked out and
waited to hear Mr. Anderson to start speaking again. He looked at Gary and
realized that he would not have ever noticed him around the halls
either. He doesn't even notice the cleaning crew in his court room. That
will change from this date forward.

"Gary there is no reason for you to be nervous. I am the one that you spoke
with this morning. Thank you so much for calling me and letting me know
where to find Joey. I cannot tell you how worried we were about him. You
gave back to the family that cares a lot for him a gift. We will never be
able to repay you back for what you did."

Gary just stood there looking at the floor. He started to mumble, but not
clear enough or loud enough for Harold to hear. Harold reached out and
lifted Gary's face where he could try and make out what he is saying.

"Will I be going to jail like that other guy just said. I thought I did the
right thing. I never thought I would be going to jail for calling you."

"Gary you of all people are not going to jail. You did do the right thing
and for that you are going to go home. Although you don't have a place to
work anymore, but we will fix that for you! No good deed goes unpaid. My
family and Joey's family are in debt to you."

Mr. Anderson and Detective Benson walked out of the conference room. They
walked down to the doors that lead into the dorms of the facility. There
Harold told Mr. Anderson who this guy is and what he did. Mr. Anderson
confirmed what Harold told Gary that he will not be going to jail.

Gary unlocked the doors and they walked into what looks like death
row. They went down a long hall with door after door that leads into other
halls with doors on each side of the halls. They know those doors are
rooms. That means in those rooms are teenagers that have been brought here
to be brainwashed.

"Gary, can you take us to where they were keeping Joey?" Detective Benson
looked down at Gary as he shook his head.

They followed Gary to the third door down, he unlocked it. They walked in
but didn't hear anything. They started to think that the rooms are
empty. Mr. Anderson walked over to a door and slid the little door on the
door open. He sees a young boy, cannot be no younger then fourteen, curled
up naked in the corner of a very small cell.

"What in the world is this? There is no bed, toilet or lights in this
room. Plus the young boy is naked in there. Are all these rooms filled and
set up the same way Gary?" Mr. Anderson turned with disgust in his face.

"Yes sir, each of these rooms has someone in them. There are no empty rooms
in this place. Mr. Pugh kept this place filled at all times."

Harold and Detective Benson walked over to a room and looked in. They
didn't think they would see what they are seeing. They cannot understand
why they are naked lying on the concrete floor in a room with no
lights. How is this changing them?

They walked down where Joey had been held.. As they approached the room,
they found the door open. They walked to the door in looked and they looked
down and found fresh blood on the floor and walls.

"I need you to video tape every inch of this room. There is no light in
there so you will need to talk what you are seeing and why you are using
the light on the camera." Mr. Anderson asked the state trooper with the
camera.

As the kids in the cells figured out that the people in the halls are not
staff members, but the police. They started to bang at their doors to get
out. Before Mr. Anderson and the others knew it, the peace and quite got
replaced with kids calling out for help.

"We need to get them out of these rooms. I know that we cannot just start
unlocking the doors and letting them out. We need to id them and get
clothes first. We need to have doctors here to look at them as we take them
out of the cell. We need to take pictures of each of them. There is so much
that needs to be done."

"I know this is not going to happen over night. These poor kids are going
to be stuck in these rooms for a little while longer Mr. Anderson. I don't
want that, but there is nothing any of us can do about it." Detective
Benson leaned against the wall trying to figure out what they could do to
make this process faster.

"I don't care if we have to get police from every county surrounding this
place. Just get as many officers here as possible. I want these kids out of
these closets, fed right and either home or in foster care." Mr. Anderson
barked out his orders.

Gary stopped them and pointed to the door next to Joey's room. "The kid in
here stayed in this building when he could have left long ago. He tried to
help as many clients in here as possible. He is the one that told me to
talk with Joey and I can trust Joey."

"How many kids did you try to help in here Gary? Most of these kids are put
in here by their parents. If you called their house, you are lucky that you
were never caught."

"I tried to help as many of them that I could. There were a couple of times
I did talk with those that put the client in here. They called and spoke
with Mr. Pugh, but Mr. Pugh thought it was higher staff. He never thought
it was a janitor doing the calling."

Detective Benson asked Gray to unlock the room. When Gary opened the door,
they saw an older teenager, maybe seventeen standing walking back from the
wall. Although he doesn't have new cuts or bruises, they saw a lot of old
ones.

"Hello don't worry we are not here to hurt you. We are here to get you guys
out of here. Please don't leave the room until we can get you clothes. You
will be one of the first we get processed and out of here. Will you please
tell us your name son?"

Angelo just looked at Detective Benson. When he saw Gary behind the
detective, he knew he is being told the truth. "My name is Angelo Feliciano
sir!"

Detective Benson took off his over jacket and handed it to Angelo. Gary
started to show them the other rooms in the place besides the dorms. Each
room they walked into, they got disgusted even more than the room they were
just in.

>From the machines they had set up to try and change the way the person
thinks to the tools they had to hurt them. When they walked into the room
with the metal mattress and realized what it is. They couldn't believe that
they actually were never closed down before now. These things cannot be
used in the name of therapy.

Gary told them what they did to Joey in this room. He told Mr. Anderson and
the others about the screams he heard coming from this room. Then the staff
members ordered him in to clean the shit off of the bed and Joey! Gary took
them through what he did and what he saw not only with Joey but the others.

Harold couldn't hear anymore, he walked out. He headed back down to where
Joey and his family are at. When he reached the office, the EMT'S are
already working on Joey. Harold stood at the door with Helen looking in as
they try to figure out how bad the injuries are with Joey.

Harold wants to know where they plan to take Joey. He walked up to one of
the EMT'S to see where they are from. Looking at the patch, he sees they
are from El Paso. That means that El Paso is the closest county to this
facility.

"Is there anyway you can take him to Alamogordo? If you can't can you patch
him up enough where we can drive him to a hospital in Alamogordo." Harold
asked one of the EMT'S working on Joey.

"His injuries are bad and he needs to be seen by a doctor. But by the looks
of everything he has had some of these injuries for days. Let us finish
looking him over and if we don't see anything life threatening, we will
release him to you with the understanding that you are going to take him to
the hospital once you leave here."

Harold agreed and let the EMT get back to work. He walked back to his wife
and stood in the hallway waiting to hear what they are going to do. He
thought to himself if Joey can make it to Alamogordo that would be
great. But more important is Joey's health. So if the EMT'S decide that he
needs to go to El Paso, they will follow.

The EMT'S finished looking over Joey. The one that talked with Harold
walked out to talk with him again. "Sir, this young man is in a lot of
pain. He is hurting everywhere on his body. With what he told us they did
to him in here, we are surprised he is still walking and talking. I think
he might be over stating what had happened in here."

"Sir if you don't know what you are talking about, you need to keep your
thoughts to yourself. I have been back there and trust me what that kid is
telling you is the truth. I never knew these kinds of machines were ever
used on kids. Can we take him to our hospital in Alamogordo?"

"I am sorry if I over stepped. The kind of injuries he has is severe, but
not enough that he needs to be rushed into a hospital. We will give him
something for the pain and you can take him. Just take him straight to the
hospital when you get back."

Harold nodded his head as the EMT walked back into the office. "Go out and
bring the car up to the door. We need to get going so we can get Joey to
the hospital. I will go and let Detective Benson know that we are
leaving. That way, if he cannot get a ride back, he can come back with us."

Helen walked out to get the car and pull it up. She got stopped on the way
out and got stopped again on the way in by state troopers. When she walked
up back in, she found Caleb holding on to Joey. The pain shot that the
EMT'S gave him made him a little woozy. He can barely keep his head up.

Caleb held on to Joey and helped him walk out. As they reached the front
door, Joey calapsed. Caleb picked him up and carried him the rest of the
way. As they walked to the car, Joey mumbled, but because of the pain
shot. Caleb cannot understand him.

Caleb gently put Joey in the back seat of the car and got in. Fran got in
on the other side lifting Joey's legs. Once she sat down, she put Joey's
feet on her lap. Caleb did the same thing with Joey's head. They sat there
in the car waiting for Harold to join them.

Not even five minutes passed when Harold ran out of the building. He jumped
into the driver seat and drove off as carefully as he can on the dirt
road. Once they got on the paved road, Harold hit the gas. Before they knew
it, they started flying down the highway back home to Alamogordo.

Caleb kept rubbing Joey's forehead, afraid to touch any where else on his
body. He doesn't want to cause Joey any pain although he is sound
asleep. Every five or ten minute's either Harold or Helen would ask how
Joey is doing. Both Fran and Caleb would answer the same thing, he is sound
asleep.

Halfway home, Joey woke up grabbing at the roof of the car. Yelling to be
set free! It got so bad that Harold had to pull over and help Caleb and
Fran settle him down. Once Joey realized that he is safe and he is with
Caleb, his family and Fran he went back to sleep.

That scared everyone in the car. Harold got in and started to drive. He
looked back in his review mirror and noticed how scared his son and Fran
are. Fran once again started to cry as she looked down at her beaten
brother. Harold could tell that his son is using everything in himself to
hold back the tears.

"We are seeing what is going to be in the days, weeks and even months
ahead. Joey is not going to be able to get over this over night. What
happened to him in that place was horrible. The best way I can describe it
is his three days there is like those scary movies you watch on
television. But here Joey lived the movie. It will take a lot of time and
talking with the right people to get him even halfway back."

Everyone stayed quite to what Harold just said. They all know that Harold
is telling the truth. They just wish this ugly monster never showed its
face in their lives. But again hey don't wish it on any other either. At
least with them they have the connections to get something done. The others
in that place had to suffer months if not longer in that place.

Caleb couldn't hold back his tears any longer. He started to cry
quietly. He doesn't want anyone else to hear him crying. He doesn't want
his parents paying attention to him. Joey right now needs all their
attention. He needs to get better.

Caleb started to rub Joey's left cheek. Not realizing that his tears
started to fall on Joey's face. All of a sudden Caleb felt Joey's hand grab
his. He let Joey hold his hand as tight as he wants to. But Joey didn't
just want to hold Caleb's hand, he started to caress his hand.

"You know that I love you, don't you Caleb?" Joey whispered loud enough for
Caleb and the others in the car to hear him. "Nothing they could have done
to me would have made me stop loving you. I got through the few days in
there because I thought back of you, Fran and the great times in my
life. Thank you for coming to get me."

Caleb started to sob really loud. He leaned down and started to kiss Joey
on his lips and forehead. He couldn't say what he wanted to say. Caleb
couldn't stop crying. He felt that he let Joey down. He thinks that he
should have gone out with him that day, but he didn't.

Joey reached up and felt around until he reached Caleb's face. He felt
around his face and started to wipe away his tears. He then wrapped his
hand around the back of Caleb's head in order to pull Caleb down to him.

"Don't you cry for what those assholes did! They don't deserve your
tears. They didn't break me or you. We are together and alive. That is all
that matters, so don't you dare let them do this to you. I love you and we
will be together no matter what others think about it. They all can go to
hell with their hatred." Joey whispered into Caleb's ear.

Caleb wiped his face and stopped crying. He held Joey's hand the rest of
the way home. Joey dozed off and didn't wake up again the rest of the
trip. Fran on the other side of the seat kept rubbing her brother's
legs. That is when she noticed the cut marks where they put the cuffs
around his ankles. She couldn't help but get madder every passing minute on
what their mother did.

As they drove into the city, Fran remembered about Alan. "Harold we need go
and pick up Alan. He has to be worried. We left and didn't even tell him
what is going on. I don't want him to think that we abandoned him as well."

"You know I completely forgot about him. Poor guy he has to be going out of
his mind. I didn't mean to do that. I was in a hurry to get you guys and
get down and get Joey. I never thought of Alan until you mentioned it."

"Honey we don't have the room to put him in the car. Let's do this, you
drive to the hospital. You, Caleb and Joey get down and take Joey in. I
will go and get Alan and bring him over. He deserves an explanation and he
shouldn't see Joey likes this. I am sure Joey doesn't want too many people
seeing him like this."

Harold agreed with his wife and exited off the freeway. He drove into the
emergency room entrance of the hospital and got down. He walked in and came
out with a gurney and several nurses for Joey. The nurses opened the door
and helped Joey out of the car. They put him on the gurney to take him into
the hospital.

Helen drove off to get Alan and her daughter as Harold, Caleb and Fran
walked in with the nurses. Harold explained to the doctors what had
happened. They kept asking Harold how much he is telling them is the
truth. That kept getting Harold mad. He finally told the doctors to do
their job and treat Joey.

Since Joey could barely move, Caleb helped him to the bed. He gently took
off his shirts, shoes, and pants. He put the hospital nightgown on Joey
before taking off his underwear. All through this Caleb tried to be as
careful as possible. But no matter how hard Caleb tried, the pain started
to shoot up and down Joey's body.

The doctor walked in with several nurses to look over Joey. They started to
take pictures of every cut, bruise and black eye on Joey's body. Harold
walked in to find out what they plan to do as far as treatment for Joey.

"Look, he was looked over by the EMT'S before we brought him over here. He
is in a lot of pain. He needs something for that pain before you guys do
anything else." Harold covered the camera to get the doctor's attention.

"By the looks of his injuries, the EMT'S should have taken to the closest
hospital, not let you drive him down here. Right now on what I can see, he
has broken ribs, damage so bad to his eyes I don't think he will see again,
several deep cuts almost to the bone and not to mention things we will not
see without an ex-ray. So we will give him something for the pain, but he
will be going through a lot of tests before we can even start working on
him." The doctor walked out of the room ordering the nurse to give Joey a
pain medicine.

After Joey got an IV put in, the nurse gave him pain medicine that knocked
him out. Soon after that, they took him up to ex-ray. Caleb, Fran and
Harold walked out to the lobby to wait for Joey to come back.

As they waited, Helen, Alan and Valerie walked in. Harold waived them over
to where they are sitting . Right away Alan started to ask questions, but
he is going so fast no one could keep up with him. When he finally settled
down, he sat down next to Caleb.

"How is he Caleb? How bad did they hurt him in that place?"

"It is really bad Alan, really bad. But he is alive and in good spirits. He
was actually consoling me on the way home. I should be the one strong
enough consoling him, not him consoling me. They didn't beat him Alan; they
tried, but didn't succeed."

 "By the time lunch was over at school, everyone knew something was
up. There are crazy rumors floating around the school. I couldn't think the
rest of the day hearing everyone talking. All of the rumors ended the same
way. They found Joey's dead body. I cannot believe people would start
rumors like that."

"Don't worry Alan, they didn't take his life. They beat him really bad, but
they didn't take his life. When you see him please be strong. He doesn't
look good at all. His eyes are completely swollen shut, his..."

Caleb sat there telling Alan and his sister what they are going to see. As
Caleb described what they will see, neither of them could believe it. He
was only gone for three days. They did all that damage in three days. There
is no way Joey would have walked out of that place alive if they kept him
any longer.

The doctor walked out and over to Harold. "We are going to admit Joey, for
how long I don't know. There is so much damage to his eyes; we cannot even
open them to look in side. The scans are showing us that his eyes are
damaged but hopefully he will be able to see once he can open them
again. Only time will give us the answer to that.

Now he does have two broken ribs, but no other broken bones. He was
electrocuted, and by the looks of the damage inside it's not a lot. The
human body heals itself and that is what is going to happen with
Joey. There is nothing we can do about the electrocutions.

The reason I want to admit Joey is to keep an eye on him. We might have to
cut into his eyes in order to release the blood. That is if his body
doesn't do itself. If his organs got damaged by the electrocutions, we
might need to put him on a machine to help his body heal. Again all this
could happen and it is best to keep him here in the hospital."

Harold agreed with the doctor before he left to get Joey admitted. Harold
and the others walked over to be with Joey. They don't want him to wake up
and get scared like he did in the car on the way back. He might hurt
himself if he runs around the hospital.

When they walked into the room, they found Joey still sound asleep. Just
the expression on his face is telling them he is having a nightmare. Caleb
walked over and sat down at Joey's side. He grabbed his hand and held it to
let Joey know he is here with him. Fran did the same thing on the other
side of Joey.

Alan and Valerie just stood there looking at Joey in the bed. They thought
that they were ready to see Joey, but they were not. Valerie ran out of the
room and down the hall to the bathroom. She started to throw up before she
could make it into the stall. Helen walked in and held her daughters head
above the toilet as she threw up.

"Mom how could anyone do something like that to someone? I don't know what
I would do if that was Caleb not Joey lying in that bed. I cannot
understand why people hate things that they don't understand mom."

"Nothing like that will ever happen to your brother. Nothing like that will
ever happen to Joey again. He has parents that don't love him the way he
is. They want to change him no matter what it takes. They will never get
close to Joey or Fran again. Your father and I will make sure of that."

Helen helped her daughter up from the floor. Valerie walked over to the
sink to wash up. She looked back at her mother with tears rolling down her
eyes. She really doesn't know Joey, but she knows that her brother loves
him. Because Joey is hurting, Caleb is hurting and that is something
Valerie swore will never happen to her brother.

They walked back to the room to find the nurses pulling Joey out. They
stood out of the way as they moved Joey. Harold grabbed Helen's hand as
they followed the nurses to the elevator. Everyone got on and road up with
Joey to his floor. They all got off and followed Joey to his room. None of
them left Joey's side, because they were afraid that something might happen
to him again.

Once the nurses settled Joey in, they left. Caleb sat next to Joey and held
his hand not moving from the seat. Even when the nurses told him that
visitation hours are over, he refused to leave Joey. Harold talked the
nurses into allowing Caleb to stay with Joey by explaining to them what had
happened. If he wakes up and doesn't find someone he knows, he will start
screaming and run around.

"You take care of yourself son. You get some sleep tonight. There is no way
Joey is going to wake up through the night. I will be back in the morning
to see how you are doing." Harold leaned down and kissed Caleb's forehead.

His mother, Valerie, Fran and Alan said their goodbyes. Fran asked Caleb to
make sure that nothing happens to her brother over night. When he wakes let
him know that she really loves him and she will be back to see him
tomorrow. Caleb promised to pass on the message when Joey wakes up.

Before Harold left he handed Caleb some money to get something to
eat. Caleb watched his family leave as he sat holding Joey's hand. He
looked back over to Joey and started to wipe Joey's hair out of his
face. The doctors rapped white bandages over Joey's eyes. So Caleb cannot
see what that place did to Joey.

He got up and crawled into bed with Joey. He made sure Joey's arm that has
the IV is free before wrapping his arms around Joey. He pulled the covers
over them before he completely cuddled up to Joey. He wrapped his arms even
tighter around Joey to make sure that no one can come in and take Joey away
from him again.

 Before dozing off to sleep, Caleb whispered to Joey. "I will protect you
from those that want to hurt you. I promise you that nothing like this will
ever happen to you again. I love you and nothing people can say or do will
change that."

Caleb kissed Joey on the lips before resting his head on Joey's
chest. Caleb tried to stay awake to protect Joey. He doesn't want anyone to
come in the middle of the night to kidnap him again. But the days events
caught up to him and he went to sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED...

WRITER'S CORNER:

{Welcome back everyone and thank you for reading another exciting chapter
of Regrets and Heartaches. I know this chapter only covered a day, but I
wanted to do justice to this day. I want you guys to be in each of the
characters shoes as they go through what they are feeling through the day.

Since the chapter only went through one day, there is not really much to
talk with you guys here. But let me summarize the chapter still and let you
know what to look forward in the chapters to come.

Although I brought this plot to a close, it is really not over. It is going
to take months if not years for Joey to get over what he went through in
that place. Even after he heals, the emotional side is going to be
there. Just look at what happened when he woke up in the car
screaming. Harold said it best in the chapter. It is going to take time.

Al once again is in this story. Jacob's grandfather has the connections to
get things done. Beside the connections, Joey gave him power of
attorney. He accepted that even after what Joey did to his grandson. When
Al spoke with Joey when they first got him back, he somewhat told Joey he
forgave him for what he did to his grandson. Even if Al hasn't forgiven
Joey, he knows how to put aside his personal dislike and get the right
thing done, no matter who is involved.

Clearing out that facility is going to be written in the chapters to
come. There are so many teenagers in there it is going to take time. Who
knows, some of them might become good friends with Joey once they get out
in the free, hint, hint, hint! For sure two of them will become permanent
characters in this story.

Beth and Dominic are far from being safe. Now that Joey has been found and
that they found out that they are the ones that put him there, the law can
go and arrest them and charge them with all sorts of crimes. Trust me that
no other judge is going to make the same mistake as the other judge did
when he released them on bail. Once they are arrested, they will be locked
up for good, I hope!

We saw the strength in Caleb in this chapter. He is not going to leave
Joey's side no matter what. Although it isn't his fault on what happened to
Joey, he will blame himself for a long time. I don't think even if Joey
tells him it isn't his fault, he won't stop blaming himself.

Joey is growing up also. He is becoming a man finally. He knows that he is
on his own now. Jacob is not there for him to fall back on. He needs to
sink or swim on his own. If how he acted in this chapter is any indication
on how he has grown in such a short period. Joey is going to be just fine.

In the next chapters the story will get back to normal. Old plots hanging
out there will come back. Characters that we really didn't see in the last
three chapters will be back. As well as new characters will be written into
the story line! So don't worry, sit back, and get ready for a roller
coaster ride that is Joey's life.

There is so much going on in this saga. I can keep writing, but I
won't. You guys are going to need to tune in to the next chapter to see
what is going on. More plots are going to open and old ones will be
closed. This story, like my others, will keep you on your toes. Don't miss
what is coming up in the chapters to come.

I do not want to say too much more and spoil the future chapters to come,
so I won't. I warn you though! Do not skip a chapter, or you will be
lost. There is a so much to answer in the chapters to come. Keep reading
the future chapters, and enjoy! Please email me and let me know how I am
doing at jacobmillertex@aol.com, Thanks!}

EDITOR'S CORNER:

[This chapter has had a rather sharply focused single topic---the rescue of
Joey and the closing of the "rehab center."  I am glad to see so much
accomplished and that so many different governmental units and
agencies---even across state lines---were able to find ways to work
together toward a common goal.  Too often our nation has been unable to
find ways to work together like this!  This was much less of the "Do it the
right way; i.e. my way!"  which is unfortunately so common these days in
politics and life!

I am anxious to see how Beth and Dominic are arrested and charged.  I
wonder if there might be charges filed in both states?  I also am anxious
to see the public's reaction to such torturous practices in the name of
religion.  Will some of the churches be forced to "come clean" about their
own practices?  Will more state regulations be enacted and used to help
clean up such inhumane beliefs and practices? Will at least some of the
parents of the youth who were forced into this program be charged?

I am a life-long very active member of my church and have been married for
45+ years, but my Christian heart and beliefs reach out to those who are
being persecuted by those who claim to follow the teachings of Jesus.  He
advocated forgiveness and care of our fellow man.  He also told us to
refrain from judging others.  Too little of these core teachings can be
found in some groups that use the name of a church! (Example: the tiny
church that demonstrates at the funerals of service men/women killed in war
with signs that read 'Thank God for dead soldiers.')

Grandpa Al has previously become involved in helping Joey protect his
finances.  He has been involved in this rescue action.  Will Jacob be told
about it?  If so, how will he respond---with anger toward Joey or with the
kind of forgiveness he has shown toward Alex? (He was never in love with
Alex!)

I am very ready for Chapter 10.  There are a number of questions that I
hope will be answered then.  Best wishes!

Kent D. (sw Ohio area)