Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2008 17:04:32 -0600
From: Andy Smith <andyoutwest@live.com>
Subject: Asleep on the Beach Chapter 23

Asleep on the Beach

Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Please be advised that under aged youths are advised to not
read this material, and indeed doing so may be illegal where you are –
so check your local laws first as there are sexual encounters ahead by
youngsters in this story.  If this offends you, perhaps you should not have
read this far, and I certainly would not advise continuing further.
Everyone else is welcome.

Writer's Note: Thought I'd give you guy's an update about "stuff."  Since I
began this story I have received SOOO many emails – thanks!  Every
writer likes feedback, and you all have been super to me and have shown
overwhelming support and appreciation for what I am trying to do here.  I
can't thank you all enough for your kindnesses.  I have written each of you
back, but I wanted to give the "group" a public acknowledgement.  You guys
are the best!  Also, what an amazing site this is...since I've been posting
this story I have made contact with TWO long lost and very special friends.
Amazing.  I've talked to you about Jake – we got back in contact, and it
was such a wonderful thing to get a chance to tell him how much I have
missed him, how much he has been in my thoughts and prayers all this time.
I never mentioned Jon, as I felt it was entirely hopeless to find him
again.  I was wrong!  Finding one friend was a big deal.  Finding two is
extraordinary!  I'm such a happy camper today.  I mentioned to the Nifty
Archivist how good it would be to have a place to post messages and such on
this site for just such occasions and reasons – I never heard back from
him.  Perhaps if more of you brought it up to him we could see it come to
reality.  I am aware it would require a great deal of work to get something
like that started and maintained – but perhaps if we all pitched in some
support it could happen.  Just an idea.

One last comment.  I hardly ever recommend stories, because reading tastes
are so different.  However, there are a couple of stories I really love and
writers I recommend.  Of course, you all know Dave (gothmog) is
superb...anything he writes is well worth a visit (he's not talking to me
right now due to my decidedly right-wing politics – I suppose that could
change now that we've elected a socialist as president...another whole
different conversation); also, one story I'm captivated by is the "Lem"
series.  Great romance and extremely well done story.  A couple of new
writers are doing a good job – one good story in particular is "Liam and
Skyler," This story gets better with each installment.  So, there you have
it...a few good stories to climb into bed with and enjoy.

Any comments are welcome: prompt and courteous replies from:
andyoutwest@live.com





	Chapter 23 Trouble on the Beach



	Once Dad got Brant back to relative safety and in a place where we
could see to assess the damage he sat little Brant down on the sand and
looked him over.  We all gasped when we realized how badly he'd been hurt.
Dad turned his head from side to side very gently with his fingers on the
bottom of Brant's chin.  What a mess.  This is bad.  Really, really bad.  I
turned my head and vomited on the beach.  Jason stumbled backward and fell
on his butt.  Dad remained calm and in control.

	Brant was bleeding on the left cheekbone, high up on his face.  It
looked as though someone wearing a big ring either backhanded him, or just
plain punched the boy in the face.  His eye was nearly swollen shut, and
already black.  The cheek was swollen too, grossly so.  I wondered if it
was broken.  There was a huge red welt on the right side of his face where
he'd obviously been slapped mercilessly.  His chest had scratches and
contusions, bruises, and bumps.  He was extremely filthy...like...I
dunno...I never saw a kid so dirty before.

	I regained some of my composure and was peering back over Daddy's
shoulder.  I was some blood trickling out of his left ear, and pointed it
out to Dad.  That made Dad gasp.  I shuttered.

	"Liam," Dad said glancing over his shoulder at me, "are you okay
Son?"  I nodded, afraid to speak.  "Reach into my pocket here and get my
phone."  He moved slightly allowing me access to his right front pocket on
his shorts.  I reached into his pocket and fished out his cell.

	"Call 9-1-1," Dad said after I got the phone opened up.  "I don't
want to carry him further now that I see he may have a head injury.  Tell
the operator we're two-hundred yards south west of phone relay station
number twenty-three."  I looked dumbfoundedly at him, then up and down the
beach – still not dialing the phone.  Dad must have known I found this
information incredible...even more so knowing HE knew this stuff.

	"Don't think I let you boys hang out here all the time without
knowing where you are, do you?" Dad smirked only a tiny bit.  "Go on now,
young Brant is in serious trouble.  Let's get him some help right away."  I
nodded like a stupid-head, and dialed the phone.

	While I was talking to the 9-1-1 operator and relaying all the
important information, like who was hurt, how badly, where we were and all
that shit, Dad was talking to Brant in efforts to keep him focused and
alert.  I'd learned that in a life-guarding first-aid class once.  If you
suspect someone may have a concussion you need to keep them awake and
alert, or they can slip into a comma.  At least...I think that's what I
learned.

	"Brant, baby, are you hurt anywhere else?" I heard Dad say to
Brant.  "Stay with me here Buddy, we've got help coming.  You're going to
be okay now, son, I promise.  Everything is going to be okay."

       There was an eternity wait before we heard the wail of the EMT
sirens...actually, it was only a couple of minutes, but it felt like a
couple of hundred years.  I found my mind wondering to what people did
before cell phones, ambulances, and EMT's.  God.  I don't want to think
about that anymore.

	"Brant," Dad asked, "Honey, do you remember what happened to you?
Do you know what has happened to Lenny?  Was he with you when this
happened?  Do you know who did this to you?"

	Brant shrunk visibly from each question, his head turned into Dad's
side and he just started crying again.  He was mumbling something, but we
couldn't make a word of since out of it.  Dad tried to shush him, console
him, but seemed to be having little effect.

	I got a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach.  A flash-back
to the night Lenny and I first made love together crossed through my mind
and I nearly screamed out loud.  I must have made some noise, because Dad
and Jason both looked at me.  Jason had, by this time, regained his
composure and was standing beside me.  Only then did I realize we were
clutching hands again.  Jason made me look at him.  My eyes pleaded with
him to remember what I did so I wouldn't have to say it out loud.  I
suppose our telepathy was working, because I saw Jason turn pale, and
wobbly.  He swallowed visibly, then turned back to Dad, who was taking all
this in intently.  He hadn't missed anything...don't know if he understood
what just passed between us, but certainly he knew Jason and I had some
sort of moment there.

	"M..Mr. ..Ummm...L..Larry?" Jason stuttered, "Ummm...has
h..he...ummm...has Brant b..been...ummm...you know...?"  Dad scrunched up
his eyes as if trying to make sense of what Jason was attempting to spit
out.  A light went on in his eyes.  He shifted focus between Jason, me and
then to Brant.

	"I...ummm...' Dad stumbled a bit (never knew him to have trouble
speaking), "I don't...know."  He paused, drew Brant a little closer.

	Jason pulled his shirt out from hanging out of his back pocket, and
knelt in front of Daddy and Brant.  He draped his shirt over Brant and
tucked it in between Daddy and Brant where it would help cover part of his
nudity.  Leaning forward slightly for a better angle, Jason gently placed
his hand on Brant's leg and shifted the boy's leg.  Jason peered at his
back-side and grimmest.  I knew the worst had happened.

	"Oh God no!" escaped out of my mouth before I could stop it.  Jason
sprang up and wrapped me in his arms as he could tell I was about to spiral
out of control.

	"Liam," Jason said firmly, "we have to be strong right now."  He
shook me firmly, but not violently.  "Focus.  Right here," he said taking
my face in his hand and forcing me to look him in the eye.  "Brant needs to
know he is going to be okay.  We have to focus to see if we find anything
out about Lenny."  He shook me again.  I got it.  He got my attention.  I
couldn't be a little kid right now.  If we had a prayer of finding
Lenny...safely...we all had to do our part.  These boys needed strength
right now, not panic.  I have to do this...for Lenny, for Brant, for Jason.
For me.  Focus.  Breathe.  Shake it off.  Gonna be okay.

	A fire truck was fist on the scene.  They drove the truck right out
to where we were hunched up on the beach.  Jason and I moved back a bit to
give the lead fireman and his mate room to work.  There were radios
squawking everywhere.  The police were next.  The first thing they noticed
was that Brant was naked.  The cop was getting upset.  I don't blame him.
He was saying harsh things to my Dad, like Dad may have had something to do
with this.  Dad was calm.  Clear headed.

	"Look Officer," Dad said looking directly into the officers face,
but without relinquishing his nurturing hold on the scared Brant.  Brant
showed no signs of wanting to let go of Daddy either.  " I'll answer all
your questions once we get the boy stabilized.  Where is the ambulance?
Can you find that out?"

	The cop spoke into the microphone on his shoulder.  I couldn't
understand all he said...he used a lot of code words and numbers.  A grainy
and warbled response came through the speaker.  He turned to Dad, "They are
just coming now.  Just a few more seconds."  His attitude had changed that
fast.  I suppose he figured if Dad was the culprit he's have been more
skitsy, or nervous, or something.  Dad was always calm.

	Sure enough, the ambulance came up.  They stopped up a way from the
beach, got out and started preparing to get down to the beach.  I noticed
they were moving a lot faster than when I was hurt.  I wondered if it just
seemed that way because I wasn't the one hurt.  Stupid idea.  I'm glad they
hurried.

	Before they loaded him on the gurney, the police officer leaned
over Brant and looked him in the face.  He reached a hand out to gently
place it on Brant's chest.  The paramedics had wrapped him in a blanket.
Thank God.

	"Son," the officer said with great compassion, so much that I was
amazed, "do you know who did this to you?"

	Brant nodded.  Yes.  He knew the attacker.  OMG.

	Brant looked at me.  Pointed.  I almost fainted.

	"They wanted Liam," he said in obvious pain.  He busted out in more
tears again.  The permedic pushed the police officer away and said they had
to transport.  "NOW!" he said with authority.  The officer backed away.

	Watching the ambulance roar away, we all stood there spell bound.
I noticed the Officer standing behind me and Jason.  Jason and I were
holding hands.  He cleared his throat.  Me and Jason jumped.

	"I think I'll need you three to come with me to the station," he
said to Dad.

	"We'll follow you in my car," Dad said.

	"No, you'll come with me in my squad car," the officer said matter
of factly, placing his pad and pencil back into his pocket.

	"No," Daddy said.  I was shocked.  What happened to respecting
authority?

	"Am I under arrest?" he asked the officer.

	"No, no sir you are not under arrest, but I need..."  Dad cut him
off with a wave of his hand.

	"Look," Dad said with great calm and great authority in his voice,
"these boys have been traumatized.  I need to make sure they are okay.
There is another boy missing – he may be in very serious trouble.  I am
taking these boys with me up the hill to my car.  We will follow you to the
station, where I am certain you will have radioed back to get a search
party organized.  We haven't time to argue about this."  With that Dad took
Jason and I by the hand (one on each side of him), turned and led us off
the beach.

       The officer was left standing on the beach talking into the
microphone on his shoulder.  I heard something like, "Officer 2117 in route
to station...witnesses...statements...every damned off duty cop here right
now!"

       Sorry guys.  I know this is WAY too short, and you want MORE...NOW!
But I couldn't just leave you in the lurk another week while I finish
putting the rest of this together.  I promise to post the next one quickly
s well.



Comments welcome!  andyoutwest@live.com