Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:34:53 -0500
From: Jason Gordon <jaygordon_1981@hotmail.com>
Subject: Light in the Darkness II 10

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction which will include t/t and
m/m relationships, and probably some sex too.  If it is illegal in your
area to read this, or if you are not old enough to read this (you know who
you are), stop here.  Otherwise, please enjoy.


Chapter 10


***************************************
I am now posting my stories to my new website, jaygordonstories.com.  I'm
putting them up there a little in advance so I can make final edits before
submitting to Nifty, so if you are interested, you can check it out.
Currently, A Light in the Darkness II Chapters 11-14 are available there,
(the latest for registered users only!), as well as two stories not
available on Nifty, so check it out if you like the story!
***************************************

	Sam arrived at the cabin around 1:30 and knocked on the door.  He
wasn't surprised that no one was awake, since they'd all had a trying
night.  So he put on a kettle for tea, the hissing of the kettle rousing
Marcus, who quickly dressed and joined him.

	"Care for a cup, my boy," the man asked.

	"Sure, thanks," Marcus said.  "Should I wake the others?"

	"Let's have a chat and drink our tea first."  The man poured hot
water into two cups, dropping a tea bag into each.  "Now, you seem oddly
refreshed for a man who's only had a couple of hours sleep," Sam noticed.

	"Rabbi," Marcus said, shifting uncomfortably.

	"Oh, pooh," the older man said.  "I'm your superior officer, and a
man to boot.  I take it your young companion has worn you down?"

	"Does everyone know about that?" Marcus laughed, reddening.

	"Just about," Sam laughed.  "But it is high time if you ask me.
Man wasn't meant to be alone, and young men especially..."

	"What about you, sir?" Marcus asked.

	"I'm not a young man," Roth parried his question.

	"But you were once," Marcus insisted.

	Roth spread his hands and said, "Things weren't always as they are
now...  And in my line of work, it wasn't feasible to ... well, I couldn't
be both, you see.  Both what I was called to be, and with whom I wanted to
be, I mean."

	Marcus nodded but said nothing, and the old man continued, "When I
was training with the battle wizards, I had a few little flings, you know,
just passing things.  But I was young, too young then...  You know I was
orphaned and sent to the Academy at 12."

	"I thought fourteen was as young as you could be when you started,"
Marcus asked.

	"My circumstances were peculiar," Sam said with a nod.  "So I was
younger than the other boys, and so it never got serious.  Then when I went
off to study Kabbalah with the mystics and got diverted to the rabbinate, I
was made to understand that partnered gay rabbis were not a reality that
could be accepted in those days...  I'm glad things have changed..."

	"When you were in the field, on missions, undercover, did you ever,
you know?" Marcus asked, blushing a little to be talking about this with
the older man.

	"Man has needs," Roth smiled.  "But it was too hard to fill them,
knowing I couldn't have what I wanted most – someone who would be there
every morning.  Sleeping in a man's arms after making love, knowing that
when the mission ended, my lot was an empty bed.  That or finding a wife I
could tolerate, but that wouldn't be fair to her..."

	"I'm sorry to bring it up," Marcus said.

	"Quite alright, my boy," the rabbi smiled.  "But hold on to that
young man," the Sam added with a wink.

	"I will, and I think he plans on holding on pretty tight himself,"
Marcus laughed.

	"You got that right," Chris said, entering the room rubbing his
eyes, wearing thin shorts and a t-shirt.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to listen
in..."

	"No secrets here," Sam said, motioning the boy over.  "Would you
like some tea?"

	Chris nodded and sat down and the man poured him a cup of water as
well.  "So where is this cat of yours?" Sam asked about the time the big
animal tromped into the room and tried for Chris's lap, which wasn't big
enough to support him comfortably.  So he settled for the empty seat by the
boy.  "My, my!  That is a healthy beast of a creature," Sam laughed.

	"Smart, too," Chris smiled, petting the animal.  "He led us back to
the place in the woods on a verbal command!"

	If they didn't know better, they would have said the animal looked
amused at the attention before it wandered off to stretch out more
comfortably on the couch.

	"So what did Carl find?" Sam asked.

	Chris and Marcus looked at one another and Marcus said, "I'd rather
you see it first."

	"Just don't point a wand at it," Chris snickered, earning a look
from Marcus.

	"Yes, it seems more than willing to defend itself against magick,
even just a probing spell."

	"It must have knocked this big lug about twenty feet onto his
back," Chris added.

	Sam raised his eyebrows and said, "Perhaps it IS time to wake those
boys..."

	Marcus nodded and knocked on their door.  Getting no answer, he
cracked the door and said, "GUYS!  Time to get up.  We need to go check out
the site and get you guys home!"

	"Do we have to?" Edward called in his soft sweet voice.

	"YES!" Marcus answered with a laugh.  The boys got up and hurriedly
dressed and joined the others.  As they walked out onto the porch, Carl
tapped Marcus on the shoulder and said with a wink, "Good show, old man!"

	Marcus blushed and Carl ran ahead to grab Edward's arm, smirking
over his shoulder.  The cat did join them and led them directly back to the
clearing that he refused to enter.

	"What's wrong, kitty?" Chris asked and the cat, never taking its
eyes off the stone, hissed angrily.  "OKAY!" Chris said, holding up his
hands.

	Sam had watched that interchange carefully and was in full
defensive mode as he entered the clearing alone, motioning for the others
to stay back.  He raised his hand and projected some of his own energy
toward the stone, which did not respond angrily to his more mystical
magick.

	"It's an altar," he called to the others, confirming their
suspicions, "and you're quite right.  It does NOT belong here!"

	"What is it?" Marcus called out.

	"It's old, and it's powerful.  More than that will require a great
deal of research," he said, motioning for them to join him.  He approached
the stone and put his hand on one of the carvings.  Immediately, he cried
out, "Oh!" and took a quick step back.

	"What?" Marcus asked.

	"Carl," Sam said.  "Put your hand on the stone."

	The boy hesitated but did as he was told.  "Now what?"

	"Clear your mind," Sam said, "and tell me what you feel."

	The boy did and a couple of minutes later, the boy said, "I feel
... like I do when I've been cooped up for too long, like I'm hopping with
energy to burn!  Like too much caffeine or something!"

	"Carl, you've learned to create fire?"  Seeing the boy nod, Sam
instructed him, "Make a fire in the middle of the stone."

	"But there is nothing there to burn," the boy replied.

	"It doesn't matter," Sam said.

	Carl tried but nothing happened, and just when Sam was going to
give up, Edward caught the boy's eye and nodded, expressing confidence in
Carl.  Suddenly a spark ignited in the air just above the altar and a
pillar of flame descended from the sky, as if it was being poured out from
a heavenly vessel.

	"God almighty," Marcus whispered, earning a nod from Sam.

	"Any time now, my boy," Sam said, putting a hand on Carl's
shoulder, and the liquid fire stopped falling.

	"What was that?" Carl asked, trembling.

	Sam smiled and said, "I can't explain right now, but I've got a
good idea where to start my research."  Looking all around, he said, "Tell
NO ONE of this outside of our little circle.  Not even Avery or one of the
consuls, or even Spencer," he added the last looking at Marcus.  Everyone
agreed, and they returned to the cabin to pack, leaving Sam to make
drawings of the symbols to assist his research.

	"Marcus," Carl began as they arrived at the cabin, "can you tell me
anything?"

	Marcus sighed and said, "That fire you called down was only magick
in the loosest since of the word.  It seemed like you channeled a latent
power in the stone itself; this is more of a priestly power than wizardry
per se.  Looks like you'll be joining Chris and Chase for a little
training..."

	"But I'm not a kabbalist," the boy said.

	"Never mind that," Marcus said.  "Priestly powers are more alike to
each other than they are to any particular magickal system.  You seem to be
a bit Druid wizard, a lot Druid priest..."

	The group set about packing up and cleaning, and they were ready to
go when Sam returned.  "Alright, gentlemen, I'll be in touch," the man said
as he disappeared through his own portal.

	Marcus looked at Edward and Carl and said, "Boys, stay in touch.
You'll hear from me soon.  Oh, and Edward?"

	"Yes?"

	"Be careful when practicing your potions.  You don't want to have
an accident at home!"

	Edward nodded and said, "I'll be very careful!"

	"I know you will," Marcus said, opening a portal for them to
Edward's back yard.  Then he looked at Chris and said, "Ready to go?"

	Chris looked and him and grabbed his hand.  "I'm ready," he said.
"When we get home," the boy began and fell silent.

	"What is it, Chris?" Marcus asked, turning to face the boy.

	"Things won't ... go back to the way they were?" Chris asked,
unsure.

	Marcus smiled, showing his dimples, and laughed, pulling the boy in
for a kiss.  "Chris!  There is NO turning back," he whispered, reaching
around with his big hand to smack the boy on his tight ass.

	Chris jumped and laughed, and then said, "Do we have to leave RIGHT
NOW?"

	"Did you have something else in mind?" the man asked.

	"Remember that clearing where we sucked each other off the other
afternoon?" Chris asked mischievously.  Marcus nodded, and Chris continued,
"I thought we could take a blanket out there and do it out in the open."

	"You ARE a naughty boy, aren't you?" Marcus laughed, already
reaching into his bag for a blanket.

	"There's something about the sun on your body," Chris said, taking
the man's hand and leading him right back to the spot.  The cat just
glanced at them as they left and stretched out for a nap.

***

	"Are you okay, Chase?" William asked as they walked toward where
the concert would begin.

	"NO!" the boy said, still fuming from his earlier encounter.  "I AM
NOT OKAY!"  After a moment, he added, "Sorry, that wasn't for you," with a
cute, apologetic smile.

	"I know, sweet thang," William teased.  "What are you going to do?
Are you going to tell him?"

	"I sure as hell have to, if she's dragging his plain ass all over
town, rubbing it in everyone's faces.  I don't want him to get blindsided!"

	"You want to head over there now?" William asked, nudging him.

	"Yes!  But I want to see this too!" Chase said.

	"Let's grab a flier for their group and go to one of the meetings
sometime?  Good compromises?" William asked.  Chase smiled and William ran
up to one of the young people handing out fliers and asked for one.

	The boy handed him a flier and started up a conversation.  Who
wouldn't be interested, Chase laughed to himself, and walked over and
grabbed William's arm.  "Hey, I'm Chase," he said, holding out a hand to
the boy.

	"Carter," the boy replied and smiled with a little nod.  "You must
be his boyfriend?"

	"Sorry," Chase said with a laugh.

	"Anyway, hopefully we'll see you guys around," Carter said and
waved before they left.

	"He seemed nice," Chase said as they walked away.  "He thought you
were pretty hot!"

	"Chase!" William said.  "This is payback for Dorian, huh?"

	"A little bit," the boy giggled and started listing off Carter's
more fetching characteristics.

***

	"There are a couple of the places we want to visit again tomorrow,"
Billy said to Sebastian, "but my favorite is a nice place a few blocks over
from Xavier.  It's a lot smaller of course, but nice and it's a good
neighborhood."

	"Well, I must say that pleases me, because the closer you are to
our friends, the easier it is to protect everyone.  And of course, there is
the fact that that neighborhood now houses some of the most powerful
wizards in the world."

	"Fringe benefit," the man smiled.  "And a bunch of nice young
guys."

	Suddenly they both heard footsteps hurrying upstairs and Sebastian
said, "MARCUS!  CHRIS!  How are you?"

	"Great," Chris said.  "Great week!"  Then he grabbed Marcus's hand
and said, "Who's this?"

	Billy stood and held out his hand. "Billy Tompkins!"

	"I'm Chris Price, and this is my boyfriend, Marcus Donaldson...
We're both regulars around here."

	Sebastian smiled.  "Billy's just learning about all this, so don't
worry about saying anything inappropriate.  A lot has happened since you've
been away.  Billy is James's brother's husband."

	"James has a brother?" Marcus asked.

	"James's brother is gay?" Chris asked simultaneously.

	Billy laughed.  "Josh is both!"

	"And it seems someone tracked them down and threatened them to get
at us," Sebastian added, "which had a positive outcome.  It seems that
there was a misunderstanding between the boys that needed to be cleared
up."  Billy helped fill in the whole story as Chris and Marcus sat down,
Chris leaning in to Marcus comfortably.

	"Oh, and Spencer has finally come out of the closet as crown prince
of the witches," James added as he and Josh came in from the yard, trailing
Spencer, who had joined them for a workout.

	"What?" Marcus asked in shock.  "I've been sharing a barracks with
you for how long and I never knew!"

	"I just want people to like me for me," Spencer said, blushing.

	"Damn right," Marcus said, "but you could have told me."

	Josh and James excused themselves to their respective showers to
wash off after their workouts, while Marcus and Spencer had an animated but
amicable conversation about wizarding stuff.

	"So," Chris said, sitting next to Billy, "how are you taking all
this?  I mean you're sitting a couch away from royal wizards on the one
hand and Abraham's cousin on the other!"

	"Abraham who?" Billy asked, making Chris laugh.

	"Sebastian.  You realize he's like four thousand years old, right?"

	"I do forget that, but yes, I did," the man trailed off in a moment
of realization.  "THE ABRAHAM?"

	"I knew him well when we were boys," Sebastian said.  "He was,"
Sebastian paused, almost subconsciously raising a hand to his heart, "for
most of that time the person I loved most in my long life."  For a moment
there was total silence in the room as eyes fell on him in curiosity.
"Hmm, oh, I thought it went without saying!  James, of course, and, in a
very different way, Chase..."

	Billy nodded, thinking about the boy he'd only just met, and in a
way he couldn't express, he understood Sebastian's sentiment.  Breaking the
awkward silence, Billy turned to Chris and said, "It has been somewhat
strange, but I've always believed there were more things out there than I
knew about.  I'm just glad I didn't know how many," he added with a laugh.

	The conversations around the room continued for a while, with
Spencer excusing himself to go get ready to go see Dean.

***

	"Chase!  I'm glad we're seeing more of you lately," Matt's mom said
as she greeted the boys at the door.  "You too, of course, William!"

	"I just wish we brought good news," Chase said, frowning.

	"What's wrong, dear?" the woman asked, looking concerned.

	"It's Matt," Chase said, biting his lip.  "He's not going to like
what we have to say!"

	"You're not leaving town?" the woman asked gravely.

	"No!" Chase laughed.  "It's Amy."

	At the girl's name, the woman frowned.  "What a b ... bad girl,"
the woman shook her head, making the boys laugh at her mid-sentence course
correction.  "What's she done now?"

	"It seems that she didn't break up with Matt because she's leaving
town for the summer," Chase hesitantly announced.  Matt's mother was a
fierce proponent of her boy.  "She'd been seeing another boy on the side
for a while ... intimately."

	"She screwed around on my son?" the woman asked, whispering
furiously.  Chase nodded.

	William nodded and added, "He's slime, by the way.  Chase hit him."

	"You what?" the woman asked, curling her lips in to bite off a
laugh.

	"Well, first he slapped him when he said something rude against
Matt, then I hit him when he tried to go after Chase, then Chase knocked
his ass down when he came at us again," William said.  "Which was something
to see, because the guy's on the basketball team!"

	"You boys shouldn't fight," the woman said, with no heart in her
words as she kissed each boy on the cheek.  "Matt's upstairs playing video
games," she began.

	Chase smiled and finished her sentence, "Let me guess, with
Daniel!"

	She smiled and shrugged, and the boys headed upstairs for what
would surely be another fun evening.  Chase knocked on the door.

	"Yeah, mom?" Matt asked.

	Chase held up his hand to William and, imitating Matt's mother,
called, "I'm just putting the whites in the wash.  Do you have any dirty
undies?"

	"MOM!  Do you have to," he began but Chase cut him off.

	"I thought I saw a pair on your floor the other day that needed a
good bleaching, so hand them out to me," he said.

	Matt jumped up and ran to the door, ready to complain to his mom,
but he found Chase and William in stitches.  "Asshole!" he yelled, putting
Chase in a headlock and dragging him inside, wrestling him to the bed.  "I
forgot how good your imitation of my mom is.  I can't wait for you to hit
puberty," Matt teased.

	William observed Daniel watching their physical play with barely
concealed longing and his heart again went out to the boy whose feelings
would probably remain unexpressed and unrequited.

	"What are you guys doing here?" Matt asked as they separated.

	Chase looked at William and said, "William took me down to the
riverfront today, just to have some fun, and we were walking around and saw
Amy coming out of a store..."

	"Yeah, so?  Did she ask about me or something?"

	"Uhm, no," Chase said, shutting his eyes and thinking.  "Matt..."

	"GUYS!" Matt said.  "WHAT?"

	"Amy was with a guy ... from the basketball team," William said.
"They were holding hands."

	"I, well," Matt said.  "Bitch!  She's seeing someone else already?"

	"See, that's the thing, Matt," William said.  "Your little buddy
here saw them and stormed over there and made a big stink, and it turns out
they've been ... intimate ... since just after we all got back from the
islands."

	Matt looked blank, and then his eyes teared up.  "No," he said,
shaking his head, his lips pursed tight.  "No!  I would have known."

	Chase's face was sad as he put his hand on Matt's arm, but the boy
jerked it away and stood up, walking to his window.  "Just leave me alone!
I want to be alone!"

	"NO YOU DON'T," Chase pleaded with him, but Matt shook his head and
remained silent as he stared out the window into the distance.  Chase put a
hand on his shoulder but he pulled to the side and out of his grip.

	William took Chase's arm and nodded to the door.  Daniel sighed and
followed them out.  Downstairs, they let Matt's mom know what was
happening, and promised to come by soon.  Daniel also said he'd keep an eye
on Matt at school.

***

	Spencer knocked on Dean's door and the man answered in a pair of
black dress pants, his torso bare and his hair still wet.  With a winning
smile on his face, Dean said, "You're early!" and moved to let Spencer in.

	"Sorry about that," Spencer said, his eyes raking over the man's
smooth chest and abdomen.

	"I'm glad," Dean smiled, leaning in to kiss Spencer.  He grabbed
Spencer's hand and put it on his chest, dragging it down the same path the
man's eyes had taken.  "That's what you wanted to do, isn't it?" he asked
with intensity.

	"Yes," Spencer whispered.  "NOW, get dressed!  We've got
reservations!"

	Dean laughed and said, "One day..."  Spencer smiled and grabbed a
drink from the man's refrigerator while he waited.  "Where are you taking
me?" Dean called from the bathroom.

	"We're driving over to Elliot's," Spencer replied, standing in the
doorway.

	"I've never been," the man said.

	"Me either," Spencer laughed.  "But I suspect you knew that?"

	"Well, this is my stomping ground!" Dean answered.  "Place is a
little pricey for me."

	"You don't mind me taking you there," Spencer asked genuinely.  "I
just wanted to take you somewhere nice..."

	"If you want to do it, I'm glad to let you," Dean said, looking
over his shoulder, "but next time I'm cooking for you here, and we get to
make out all evening!"

	"Deal," Spencer laughed.

***

	Sunday, Billy and Josh visited some of the houses a second time as
realtors jockeyed for their interest.  Clearly it was a buyer's market and
they began their negotiations in earnest.  James accompanied them
everywhere, while Sebastian remained at the manor and began to communicate
with his Council allies the world over, as well as a network of shadier
contacts maintained for just such a time as this.

	As he kept his records of the conversations, something rapidly
became clear: the world was full of nutty religious groups.  The Order of
Gorgias, the Order of the Talon, and the Order of Constantine were his
three favorites at the moment, though he had a list of over twenty groups
he felt could be involved.

	"Richard," he called into the intercom.

	"Yes?"

	"I'm going out.  Keep an eye on things?" Sebastian asked.

	"Sure," Richard responded.  "Everything alright?"

	"Yeah, I just got some information on the lunatic from the airport.
He was renting a room down at that armpit hotel, the Francis Arms in
Richmond.  I'm going to check it out.  $10 says the police haven't gotten
off their asses yet."

	"You want someone to come with you?"

	"No, I'll be fine," Sebastian said.  "Keep your ears to the ground.
There's a list of `orders' on my desk; can you call Horatio up and run
through that and see which ones you guys think are most promising?"

	"Will do," the man replied.

	Sebastian walked downstairs and opened a portal to a parking
structure where he stashed a car.  He hopped in his BMW and drove down to
the seedy hotel.  After a moments consideration, he said as spell to
deflect attention from his car.  No need to get it stolen or vandalized.

	He walked inside and saw the slovenly man at the desk raise his
eyes then lower them disinterestedly.  He probably assumed Sebastian was a
rent boy or drug runner for one of his tenants.

	Sebastian made his way to the third floor, and to the end of the
hall.  The man's room was the last on the left.  What Sebastian found
surprised him.  He had been expecting a cluttered room, rotting food in the
sink, the walls papered with newspaper clippings and scribbling, like the
crazy priest's room in the Omen.  Instead, the room was tidy, well kept
– no doubt by the man's own industry because it was unlikely the Francis
Arms had an efficient housekeeping staff.

      On the table, he found a mug that had last been used to make tea, and
an array of books.  There was a Bible, opened to the book of Isaiah, as
well as a handful of works on messianic prophecy, and a notebook.

      Sebastian opened the notebook and found the man's handwriting, as
well as his thought, like his room, unexpectedly neat and orderly:

`Since arriving in Richmond, I've been watching the order agents closely.
They're concentrated in urban residential neighborhoods.  Why?  And why so
many?  After all the centuries, can they have found the one they seek?  No.
No, not in this day.  Something else...  Perhaps they're tired of waiting
for the signs, ready to MAKE IT HAPPEN?'

A few pages later:

`Their modus operandi has always been to observe from the outside.  Why are
they blending in now?  Why are their families living in neighborhoods,
their children attending schools?  Why would they risk exposure?  They
can't expect to find HIM here, Richmond Virginia?  INSANE!  And yet they
risk everything!  One child goes to a counselor at school and the thing
collapses.  Unless they have adults in schools too.  Maybe I'm paranoid?'

"You think," Sebastian said out loud, snorting, but the smile fell away as
the pages unfolded:

`The Order families are clustered in neighborhoods around Oak Grove
Academy, which is where their children are attending.  I've been following
various ones of them, and they seem really interested in a few boys in
particular.  One is a baseball player, I think his name is Matt – and
then there are his friends, the blond and the brunette who don't seem to be
in school.  They're watching them, and others too, but they seem to be
switching off and watching these three really closely.  These boys are in
real danger if the Order is interested in them...'

This last entry was written just a week before the man was assassinated in
the airport.  His journal read like the ravings of a paranoid madman, and
yet how did it sound if you KNEW there was an Order, and that the man who
wrote these words was killed on the day he tried to warn Chase and William.

	As Sebastian wondered about that, he heard a little crash and
looked up to see that the window was broken.  A moment later he noticed, in
the floor nearby, as small, metal sphere beginning to spew gas into the
room.  Sebastian got up, but he began to feel weak, but he forced himself
forward toward the door.  Two men in masks burst into the room, the first
striking him on sight with a telescoping metal rod.

	Normally, it would have irritated him and little more, but he was
confused as the blow dropped him to his knees.  "Surprised?" his assailant
asked.  "The abomination is speechless!"  Leaning over, he explained, "The
gas is our own design – extracts of garlic, silver, holy water, and
other goodies you guys are sensitive to!  Now, tell us, which one of the
boys is it?  Which one of them defeated Sammael?"

	"Wwwwhat are you talking about?" Sebastian gasped.  `James!  I'm in
trouble.  Francis Arms Hotel, Richmond...  There's gas..."

	"The wizards said a boy in Richmond was key to ending the crisis in
spring...  Which one?" the masked figure said, reaching into his coat for a
gun.  It was silenced and he fired a single silver bullet into Sebastian's
knee.

	"Agggggggg," Sebastian screamed.  "I'm going to kill you!"

	"Which one?" the man asked.  Not getting an immediate answer, he
fired a shot into Sebastian's other knee.

	"I was once tortured by the NAZI's, assholes.  You're amateurs,"
Sebastian spat.

	"We got us an old on!" the man said, turning to his associate.

	So they don't know much about our kind, Sebastian thought.
"Alright, alright," Sebastian said as the man raised his gun, trying to buy
some time.  "How do I know when I tell you you'll let me go?"

	The man looked at him coldly, his eyes icy, and said, "We aren't,
but we'll put you out of your misery..."

	Sebastian sneered back, and said, "Good luck with that," nodding
over the man's shoulder.

	"I'm not falling for," he began, but stopped as his partner fell to
his knees and then onto his face, his neck twisted at a funny angle.
Sebastian stood up and said, "Your gas is starting to thin out."

	"You ... shouldn't be up," the man said.  "We tested..."

	"YOU'VE BEEN TESTING THIS POISON ON VAMPIRES?" James asked in a
rage, grabbing the man and lifting him off the ground.  Then he noticed the
bullet holes in Sebastian's pants legs and brought back a fist to hit the
man.

      But Sebastian grabbed his hand and said, "You'll kill him!"

      "Yeah?"

      "We NEED answers," Sebastian said, but as he looked up at the man, he
saw the man had already begun to convulse.

      "I didn't," James began, but Sebastian shook his head and sighed.

      "Cyanide tablet, in case he was captured...  FUCK!"

      James looked at Sebastian with concern.  "Are you okay?"

      "Yeah, the knees will be fine in a few days," he answered.

      "Days?" James asked shocked.  He was so used to the speed healing
that it surprised him.

      "Silver bullets, and the poison in the air," Sebastian answered.
"Get back to your brother, just in case.  Who else is on the way?"

      "I'm already here," Avery said.  "What happened?"  Sebastian filled
him in as James reluctantly returned to his brother, leaving Sebastian
under Avery's watch.

      "Order henchmen?" Avery asked, pulling off their masks.  Both men
were young.

      "Yes, and they know about Sammael.  They know a boy in Richmond
defeated him," Sebastian said.  "And if this monk, or whatever he was, is
right, I think I know what they want."

      "What?"

      "They want Chase.  They just aren't sure of that yet.  But they're
watching all of our boys now."

      "What do they want with him?" Avery asked.  When Sebastian told him,
the man exclaimed, "GOD-FUCKING-DAMNED RELIGIOUS FANATICS, MAN!"

      "We need to get out of here," Sebastian said, hobbled, gathering up
the man's books.  Then, thinking better of it, he grabbed some of the
broken glass and got fingerprints off the dead men, as well as taking
photos with his cell.

      Then Avery helped him through the portal back to his house.
Downstairs, Avery burst into action.  "Richard, bandages!'

      "What happened?" the man asked as he burst out of the office.

      "Silver bullets," Avery replied.

      "What's going on?" Horatio asked from the computer screen.

      "Give us a minute, here," Avery hollered at the computer.  As Avery
cut Sebastian's pants off, he grinned and said, "We've done this in better
days!"

      Sebastian laughed and grimaced.  "You always were impatient!"
Richard returned with the bandages and wrapped Sebastian up tightly and
then helped him into the office.

      "I went to check out the monk from the airport.  He had a room in the
Francis Arms Hotel.  I was reading his journal when I was attacked...  They
had a gas grenade filled with a special toxin...  The Order agent was able
to knock me down and then he shot me with silver bullets to try to figure
out which boy defeated Sammael.  There is a wizard who's leaking
information to them.  He said a wizard told them `a boy' had done it and he
wanted to know which.  The danger here is greater than we imagined.  They
have agents everywhere."

      "What can we do?" Horatio asked.

      "We need to step up our research and try to identify and neutralize
Order agents in Richmond.  They've got KIDS in the school with our boys,"
Sebastian said.  "And Horatio, more quietly, we need to find the leak and
find out how much the Order knows."

      "Is it possibly unintentional?" Horatio asked.

      "Possibly, but we can't depend on that," Sebastian said.

      "Alright," Horatio asked.

      "And tell everyone to be careful.  That gas is potent.  I only
recovered so quickly because of my age and power," he said.  "Even so, if
James hadn't arrived, they might have staked me."

      That thought chilled them all to the core.  Before signing off,
Sebastian added, "I'm sending some fingerprints your way, Horatio."

      "I'll run them down," the man answered.  Sebastian stood and
grimaced, and Avery slipped him off his feet and carried him up two flights
of stairs to his room.  "Show off," Sebastian complained.

      "If you didn't weigh less than a 15-year-old girl, it might be more
trouble," the man teased.  "REST!  I'm going to check on James and get
those guys secure and back here!"

      As the man turned to go, Sebastian called, "Avery?"  When the man
faced him, he continued, "THANK YOU!"  Avery nodded and was gone.

      Sebastian picked up the phone and called Sam and Xavier on conference
and when he got them on he said, "We've got a code red in Richmond..."
Then he explained what had just happened, and each man's anxiety grew
massively.

***

	During the next week, things began to happen behind the scenes.  A
new influx into Richmond began as Council operatives from all over the
world began to filter in to infiltrate the school and the surrounding
neighborhoods.  Less secret, new security teams would cover each of the
boys, as well as their families, and anyone close to Chase and William,
including people like Charlotte and Dave.  Further afield, people like
Dean, were also placed under careful protective watch.  Upper level Council
agents, such as Sam and Xavier, were instructed not to travel alone except
when necessary to avoid ambush.

	Suddenly, the feelings of anxiety that typified the Sammael period
returned.  Sarah was particularly affected, what with the babies and all.
Her nerves were shattered, and Sebastian put extra security on her, more
visible, as a deterrent.

	Xavier's gallery opening was his immediate concern, as it would
bring many possible targets together under one roof – Chase and William,
and their family and some friends, James and Sebastian, Josh and Billy, and
so many others.  For this event, Spencer and Dean would attend, but Spencer
would be secretly heading up a squad of wizards inside.  Several consuls
were also providing some of their personal security staff for the event as
well.  All they could do was hope.

	By Tuesday, Josh and Billy had decided on a house a few blocks from
Xavier and made an offer, which was accepted almost immediately, since the
men had all the financing prearranged through Sebastian's banking contacts,
so they spent the day with lawyers getting paperwork in order and the like.
Things wouldn't be final for a few weeks yet, but they could now have their
belongings packed and ready to deliver.

	Daniel and Chase both visited Matt almost daily, but the boy was
angry and subdued, and didn't pay either of them much attention on their
visits.  But still they persisted day after day.  Matt tolerated their
presence, though he wouldn't talk much.

	Xavier was away most of the time that week, preparing for his gala
opening, and in the evening, he and Aiden spent their waking hours with the
men from the Council putting wards on the building.

	Sebastian and James accompanied Josh and Billy to town on Thursday
to pick up their tuxes and sign some papers with their real estate agent,
as well as to deliver a check.  Chase and William, and Sarah drove out to
meet them for lunch, and then brought Billy and Josh back to Xavier's while
James and Sebastian drove to the gallery to inspect the security.

	"Consul," one of the guards nodded as he walked up the sidewalk.

	"Major Kyle," Sebastian nodded.  "Everything on the up and up?"

	"No squirrels today, sir," the man answered with a smile.

	"Very good," Sebastian returned his smile.  Inside, Xavier was
following workmen around, directing them to paint a smudge on the wall, or
move a sculpture over there.

	"It looks great," James assured, making the man jump.

	"Make some noise when you come into a place," the man complained.
"But thanks!  Now it's just finishing touches."

	Sebastian looked around and said, "How are the security measures
holding up?"

	"Aiden and I practiced last night.  If I really tried, I could
knock him over, but I feel pretty good about it," Xavier said.

	"Mind if I give it a go?" Sebastian asked with a smile Xavier
looked around and said, "Now?  ON ME?"

	"Your nephew and his son will be here, so if you're that sure,"
Sebastian said, staring into his face hard.

	"Alright, guys!  Take a couple of hours for lunch," Xavier huffed,
and they waited around for the room to clear.  Then Xavier went outside and
cast a cloaking spell over the windows so no one could see in.

	When he returned, Sebastian drew his wand and asked, "Are you
ready?"

	Xavier nodded, grimacing, as his teacher raised the wand and
flicked it in his direction.  Xavier felt the impact knock him to the floor
but opened his eyes, a little surprised it wasn't worse.  "NOT BAD,"
Sebastian smiled.  "Not bad at all..."

	"Thank you," the man replied.  "Any new information about this
`Order'?"

	"We've ruled out a lot of candidates," he said.  "Both of the men
who attacked me served long prison sentences before being released for good
behavior after religious conversion, so I'm guessing that has something to
do with it.  We're tracking down the chaplain who worked with them, a man
named Seymour Hoffman."

	"Let me know if you need anything from us," Xavier said.

	"Just be careful.  Richmond is crawling with these wackadoos,"
James said, earning an amused nod from Sebastian.

	"And given how they deal with their enemies, if this thing ever
breaks out into the open, we'll have a war in this town," Sebastian mused.
War was something they'd all had their share of recently.

	"I'd hoped we were over that," Xavier said.

	"I always do, too," Sebastian smiled sadly.

***

	Thursday night, Spencer sat in Dean's living room with a glass of
wine.  After a clattering in the kitchen, Dean settled in next to him.
"Everything's cooking now," the man said.  "Should be ready soon!"

	He took the glass from the man's hand and turned him so they were
facing.  Spencer leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips, and heard
the man moan.  Dean tilted his head and parted his lips so Spencer kissed
him more vigorously.  Dean flipped around so he was straddling Spencer's
lap and put hands on either side of the man's face, gently stroking as they
continued to kiss.  He felt Spencer's hand grasp his waist, but then begin
to roam up and down his sides and back.

	Dean, who had seen a demonstration of the man's strength, was
surprised when he felt Spencer lift him and lay him on the couch.  Spencer
lowered himself on top of the handsome bartender and resumed kissing him,
though now humping him through their clothes.  Spencer whispered, "You want
to turn dinner down to warm and take this to the bedroom?"

	"Are you sure?" Dean asked.  When Spencer nodded with a grin, the
man bolted to the kitchen like it was on fire, returning moments later to
drag the young prince to his bed.

	Spencer grabbed the bottom of Dean's t-shirt and dragged it over
the man's head, and then Dean returned the favor.  But after Spencer had
dropped Dean's pants, Dean's hands were shaking too much and Spencer had to
undo his own button to help the man.

	"Nervous?" Spencer asked.

	"Too fuckin' excited," the man responded with a grin.  Spencer
grabbed him for another kiss, their mostly naked bodies rubbing together
with a graceful desire.  Spencer slipped his hand down the back of Dean's
shorts and gave his tight ass a sharp smack before dragging the underwear
to the floor.

	Dean pulled him onto the bed and slipped Spencer's off as well.
"What do you want to do?" Dean asked, almost hesitant.

	"I'd like you to top me," Spencer said nervously.

	"Are you sure you're ready?  I mean..."

	"I'm ready NOW for YOU," Spencer said.  "Just be gentle," he added
with a flicker of a plea.

	Dean nodded and knelt between his knees, taking the man's hardening
penis in his mouth.  "Mmmm," Spencer moaned, running his hands through the
man's hair.  After a couple of minutes, as Spencer began to buck, the
stopped sucking and began licking Spencer's balls and ass.  He finally
zeroed in on Spencer's almost-virgin hole and began to probe it with his
tongue – at first playfully, then driving it deeper.

	"Oh, God Dean," Spencer cried, grabbing at his shoulders.  But Dean
playfully swatted his hand away before continuing his teasing preparations.
When Spencer was babbling incoherently, Dean reached for the lube and a
condom.  A few moments later, he was pressing gently at Spencer's ass
insistently.

	"Relax," Dean whispered, and push out just a little.  "Ahhh," he
gasped as he head slid in, "that's it..."  Giving Spencer a moment, he
leaned in for a kiss and nibbled on the man's lip while he gave him an inch
more.

	Spencer's eyes were closed and his face was pinched, but Dean felt
his fingers grabbing at his ass, pulling him closer, so he continued to
gently press in, trying to follow Spencer's cues.  "Spence, babe, are you
okay?"

	The man opened his eyes and looked up into Deans, realizing he had
his eyes shut tight, and smiled.  "I had no idea it could feel so good," he
whispered and pulled the man down on top of him and causing Dean to slip in
the last couple of inches all at once.  Spencer gasped sharply but squeezed
Dean tight.  Slowly but surely the man began to move, and Spencer wrapped
his legs around the man's waist.

	"Harder, Dean," Spencer began to plead, and the man happily
obliged, causing the man beneath him to writhe and groan in increasing
pleasure.  Spencer was very near his climax when Dean came, and the man
quickly slid down Spencer's body and took his hard and pulsing member in
his mouth.  A few quick bobs of the head later, Spencer warned, "I'm
coming, Dean," but the man did not pull off and took Spencer's huge load in
his mouth, the excess dribbling obscenely at the corners of his mouth.  As
Dean collapsed next to him, he wiped the excess with his finger and licked
it clean.

	Spencer nearly attacked him with passion, tickling the man's hard
stomach while they kissed.  "Will you be ready to go again tonight?"
Spencer grinned mischievously.

	"After dinner," the man replied.  Actually, they flip-flopped that
evening, taking turns fucking each other, and collapsed in each other's
arms, spent, when they finished.

***

	"What do you have, Horatio?"

	"I have a list of potential Order operatives in Richmond," the man
said with a smile.

	"How in the hell did you get that, since we don't know what the
Order is?" Sebastian asked.

	"It occurred to me, if these people were infiltrating the school, I
just needed to check new admissions records for the last few months.  It's
a strange type of year to start a new school," the man said.

	Sebastian nodded with a smile.  "But some of them will be regular
transfers?"

	"Of course," Horatio smiled, "but the names in red also moved into
Xavier's neighborhood, or within a mile's radius of one of the boys.  The
names in orange moved within two miles of one of the boys."

	"How do we verify who's who?" Sebastian asked.

	"I'd suggest beginning with round-the-clock surveillance of the red
names – watch their phones, mail, and any radio signals.  I'd consider
breaking in when their houses are empty and doing some recon, if it isn't
against your ethical code," the man added with a smile.  "Meanwhile, I'm
hacking their phone and cell records to see which of them know each other.
The more names on the list they are in contact with, the more likely they
are to be members..."

	"Excellent work, my friend!  Keep us posted!"

	"Well, who knew my years in MI5 would come in handy again?" the man
laughed.  "Enjoy your party tomorrow night!"

	"I just hope it's nice and uneventful," Sebastian said.  "In your
day, of course, all of this was much harder of course...  No internet!"

	"Yeah, but no drop cell phones and high-level encryption for
personal communication either."

	Sebastian went to find James and update him.  Then he asked, "I
just found that chaplain, Hoffman.  You want to go with me to meet him?"

	"Sure, where's he at?"

	"D.C.  He runs a place called New Days Life Crisis Mission.
Apparently it's a half-way house and crisis counseling place for guys just
out of the joint," Sebastian said warily.

	"You think this Hoffman is in the Order?" James asked.

	"He is, or someone who is is using him to make contact with his
guys," Sebastian said.

	"We should take Spencer and Marcus with us then," James said.
"After last time," he added, indicating Sebastian's still-healing knees.

	Sebastian nodded, and picked up the phone.  "Yes, Sebastian,"
Marcus answered, sounding flustered.

	"We need to go out on a mission.  I found Hoffman, and I'd like you
and Spencer to back us up!"

	"Spencer's out with Dean," Marcus said.  "I can be ready in ten!
Should I call him and tell him to meet us?"

	Sebastian thought for a moment and said, "No, we'll be fine..."

	Fifteen minutes later, they were all ready to go, and opened a
portal to the seedy D.C. neighborhood where New Days and its rehabilitated
denizens were holed up.  The unlikely group, two gorgeous teens and a
handsome man in his twenties, walked up a street past a drug dealer and
pressed a button on a gate in front of a rundown old house converted into a
mission.

	"YES?" someone asked impatiently.

	"We need to speak to Seymour Hoffman," Sebastian said.  "It's
urgent!"

	"What does it concern?"

	"Two of his former clients, Rondele Parker and John Philips,"
Sebastian replied.

	"Are you cops?  Come back in the morning!"

	"We aren't cops," Sebastian said, looking at the other two and
mouthing `Get ready!'  "We're here about the ORDER!"

	Suddenly flood lights on the front of the house clicked on and to
their left, about fifteen feet away, a man they'd forgotten until just then
pumped his shotgun with an eerie sound on the abnormally quiet street.