Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:23:51 -0600
From: Andy Smith <andyoutwest@live.com>
Subject: Asleep on the Beach chapter 26
Asleep on the Beach
Chapter 26 Lenny's Triumph
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 notes: The title of this chapter is significant, but even so I
just want all of you to know up front here that some of you will not like
this chapter. If there was any other way to go forward, I'd do it.
Without spoiling the plot for those of you purists out there, I'd like to
assure the more sensitive among you that human triumph is inevitable. So,
please read the chapter. Wait to the end to send hate mail, perhaps
waiting to the end of the chapter will save us all some stress and grief.
I want to give you hope...but to do so you have to read to the end. If you
simply cannot do that, wait for the next chapter. You'll be missing some
very key elements of the story that will provide great reward at the
end...but I understand if you need to wait for another day. Please do take
the time to tell me your thoughts. I will do my best to help any of you to
see why this chapter is necessary off-line if you want more "inside"
information.
Any comments are welcome: prompt and courteous replies from:
andyoutwest@live.com
From Lenny's point of view...
Chapter 26 Lenny's Triumph
Stale urine engulfed the senses, even to the small framed boy who
lay bound at the wrists and ankles upon the piss-laden mattress. At least
it wasn't the hard splintered floor where he'd been raped. The gag in his
mouth trapped most of the vomit he'd expelled, but somehow he managed to
not drown in it. Even so, it was the urine stench that overwhelmed him,
and shamed him. He had managed to expect the rape, after what happened to
Brant. Was even able to block that part out...for now. But, lying in his
own piss was degrading. It made him feel...well...he hated it.
How long had he been in this god-awful place? It seemed an eternity
since he'd heard the police sirens and though help was on the way. There
were no more tears left. Lenny seriously doubted he'd ever cry again in
his entire life. Hope had long since faded. Hell, not faded, eroded.
Decayed. Gone.
Anger had replaced hope. Time for Lenny was now not measured in
days, hours...light and darkness. No. It was measured in pain. Moments
were eternity; each twitch of his battered body ensured this. Seconds
became days on end; moving from one cramped position to the next certainly
took days. Nothing was easy, not even breathing. His twelve year old mind
simply could not relate to how long he'd been at the mercy of this sicko.
He kicked Lenny with brutality away from the fleeing shadow of Brant.
Things only got worse.
Brant. "Is he alive?" Lenny thought? "Did I save him, at least?
One of us just has to live through this...someone has to make this bastard
pay." Lying still was best. It still hurt like hell, but not as much as
moving did. He had to use his mind. Nothing else would do. Breathing was
hard. Perhaps he had a broken rib, Lenny thought to himself. Perhaps more
than one. Everywhere hurt. His arms and legs were so stiff from being
unable to move around, the pain seemed unbearable. Yet, moving was worse
than lying still. The crying hurt. That is why he had to stop. At some
intangible point he realized it was not helping...it was making things
worse...so he stopped.
Laying there in his own piss...and worse...Lenny worked at keeping
his focus. "...Have to think...got to get away...Daddy is terrified right
now, I know he is." Lenny's mind kept transitioning between panic, hate,
and worry. He found that he was able to be the most calm, and think
clearest when he focused on worry instead of the other things. Worry about
what his father was going through, about what was happening to Liam...and
Brant.
Thinking of Brant was hard though. The nightmare of seeing that
bastard humping Brant was indelible.
The boys had wandered back up from the "guy's" spot out at the
beach to just behind the dunes. That is where Lenny saw Ray and Brant
having ...oral sex before. Every since seeing that back then, Lenny had
this fantasy that he himself was blowing Brant in the same spot at the
dunes. Somehow, he'd never figured he and Brant could ever be
friends...thought Brant was with Ray. It turned out that Ray wasn't
wanting to be gay, didn't want to mess around with boys...he told Brant
that he thought Brant was way cute, and sexy, but that he just couldn't
risk getting caught messing around with a little kid. He told Brant that
the risk was just too great. So...back at Liam's party...well... Lenny and
Brant struck up a real friendship.
Of course...there was a complication with how he felt about Liam.
Lenny decided he loved Liam. He still did. But. But Liam told him
that...that he was in love with Jason.
Lenny had to be careful not to let his emotions swell...the
increased breathing rate hurt his ribs. He couldn't wipe tears from his
eyes anymore. No. He had to focus.
Liam told him that he loved him too. Loved Lenny, but it was more
like a brother. Lenny never had a brother. But Liam would be a good
brother. That would be okay. Liam was a safe place. So was Jason. Had
he stayed with them none of this would have happened. "Stop," he told
himself, "that won't help now. Have to think..."
Brant and Lenny ended up out behind some dunes. They held hands as
they walked along in the gathering dusk. The approaching darkness, the
sound of water on the beach, the feel of warm sand beneath their bare
toes...the touches of fingers, arms and shoulders bumping into one another
-- all combined to make the night electric with sensuality. Neither of the
boys could have said it that way...but they felt it between themselves.
After hurrying behind a few dunes, Lenny stopped, grabbed Brant by the
shoulders, turning the cute boy to face him squarely. The two smiled
warmly at each other, and slowly the two sets of lips came together.
Having already plenty of experience in the proper art of passionate kissing
with Liam, it was a natural lead he gave Brant. As Lenny's hands roamed
and caressed the smaller boy's back Brant became bolder and bolder with the
stimulus. Lenny's left hand came up to cradle Brant's soft curls and press
his face even closer and tighter to his own. Both boys were moaning and
trembling slightly.
Pulling away from the kiss, Lenny dropped to his knees and hooked
his fingers in the front of Brant's shorts and pulled them down to his
ankles with very little effort. Brant instinctively stepped out of them,
as his hands went to Lenny's blonde hair. With both hands he gently pulled
Lenny's face to his rock hard business. Lenny only resisted long enough to
skip past the impossibly beautiful dick and instead nestled his face in
Brant's lower abdomen...kissing the tight belly below the innie button
there where in not too long a period a happy trail would certainly develop.
Brant's prick rubbed the bottom of Lenny's chin, exciting Lenny to the nth
degree.
Shifting only slightly, Lenny moved to take all of the throbbing
boyhood offered to his lips. The taste was sort of intangible...didn't
really taste like anything...but that can't really describe what it was
like to take a boy's cock into your mouth. The tongue is so much more
sensitive than just taste. It was the essence of Brant...this...this
hardness...this flesh. Unique to Brant, it was so beautiful...Lenny was
amazed to think that a person could be so identifiable by his boy parts
like this...but definitely THIS dick belonged to Brant. For sure.
Unable to stand it any longer, Brant pushed Lenny over, and quickly
had the blond headed boy's Speedo off, those exquisite bum cheeks in his
hands and his mouth around the sexy boy parts belonging to sweet Lenny. In
a matter of seconds, they had managed to work themselves around into a
sixty-nine position...both boys in the bliss of the moment. Murmurings,
moanings, and boyhood lust could be heard for quite a large area around
them on the dunes...but the boys were far too gone to care or notice.
Orgasm was very soon achieved for both...for the younger and
smaller Brant it was a dry orgasm; Lenny was slightly older, a bit more
developed and this was not a dry orgasm for him...for both it was
magnificently intense. Brant collapsed on top of Lenny...and as much as
Lenny would loved to have just died right there and gone to heaven (so the
saying goes), he really wanted more kisses from Brant's cherry red lips.
So...that's what he went after...more kisses. Lenny moved atop Brant and
lowered his lips to Brant's. As the boys' lips touched ever so lightly,
Lenny darted out his tongue and licked Brant's lips. Then he whispered to
him, "I'm lovin this!" A grin broke out on both faces, then the kissing
resumed.
~~00~~0~~00~~
Lenny winced at this thought. It was seriously had to force
himself to move beyond that pleasant memory...because the pain began
immediately after that memory. This current hurt started then...Lenny was
seriously afraid to know completely how badly he was hurt: Bruises, cuts,
knots, lumps, broken ribs, splinters; too many of all those maladies to
count. His wrists were bleeding from constantly pulling at the tape which
bound him. The ever present taste of blood in his mouth meant damages...he
wasn't sure what kind. Ringing...painful ringing in his ears. Every joint
hurt. Every limb...every orifice. He could give over to the pain, give
over to it and just give up. But Lenny wasn't a quitter. His Daddy would
never approve. His Mother would never approve. Liam and Jason would never
approve. Brant. There was Brant. See? Lenny just couldn't give up.
He wasn't able to expel or move the gag this time; it was like the
fourth or fifth time it had been put back...each time it was more
forceful...more painful. Lack of oxygen, the extreme labor involved with
breathing...he felt himself getting weaker...light headed.
He began to think of his mother...soft hands, soothing hands,
mother's hands. "Mom?" Lenny cried to himself inwardly. Tears welled in
his eyes again, he could imagine her consoling these hurts with tender
hands...she was pulling him into her bosom, her softness, her
tenderness...her smell...the piss-laden bed stench was slipping
away...Momma's smell was replacing it. Spinning...room is spinning.
Drifting... "Mom...Mom I'm drifting away...I'm floating... Momma, I'm
coming...wait for me..."
"Don't dare leave me!" a voice rang out in his mind...was it really
there...no...only in his mind...who is it? It...it's Liam!
"Liam!" Lenny's mind screamed. Liam won't let me go...Liam is
calling me back, he thought.
Torn between two worlds. One held his mother...peace and rest. She
was sitting up in her big old over stuffed green chair. This world held
softness, a fragrance of lilac powder, a world of...vagueness...everything
seemingly wispy...like a fog...not real...moving...vanishing.
Further...deeper this world lured him...away...away...cold. Lenny sensed a
coldness...not warmth...not happiness...loneliness...away from love...away
from strong arms...
Only, this world wasn't really his mother's world...she wasn't
really calling him... "Imposter!" She wasn't real...it was a trap! He was
being pulled away from that voice...who was it...where? Liam. This dreamy
world did not hold Liam...it was a world of alone. Lenny did not want to
go.
Another world tugged at him. A world with a voice...a presence...a
world with pain. Lenny's arms twitched, he gasped at the feeling.
Blinking, he opened his eyes. Ears ringing. Pain...oh God the pain. It
hurts too much here in this world. "God, I don't want to stay here," Lenny
said over and over in his mind.
This second world stank...piss...pungent odor...acidic. "I want to
vomit," Lenny thought.
The voice. It is in this world. "Hold on Lenny! Wait for me,
Lenny!" Liam's voice again. Calling, calling him back from that other
world. Back to the painful now. Back to the stinking room with the
rotting mattress. Back to the splinters in his knees, elbows, hips...even
his dick felt the pain of...of...yes...he'd been forced to lie across the
floor on his stomach, his hands still bound at the wrists and under him.
The man entered him...tore at the flesh of his bum...pushing
downward...floor hurt...the man's prick hurt...splinters entered at every
thrust which pushed his own frail body downward into the rough
wooden-slatted floor. Too many splinters to count. In his cheeks, his
forehead, his eye. That is why he hurt to cry anymore. Couldn't cry
anymore...had to make it stop.
The voice...Liam...calling him back into this world.
"I can't come back here," Lenny whispered to the voice. "I can't."
"Please don't leave me," the voice said again, a hundred times
again. "Please," it whispered.
"Please don't make me," Lenny pleaded. "It hurts too much. I can't
do it. I can't come back...let me go."
"I won't let you go." The voice was urgent now. "I'm going to find
you goddamnit. Don't you leave me. I'm coming for you. Do you hear me?
Listen to me. I'm coming. Hold on, I'm coming for you."
"Hurry." Lenny sighed. "Please come get me. I can't hold on."
Tears. God, how it hurt...but he could not make them stop this time.
~~00~~0~~00~~
Lenny's breath was shallower. He was really getting scared now, the
weakness was stronger than he. He could feel himself giving over to it.
"Breathe," he told himself. "Got to give Liam time. Breathe."
~~00~~0~~00~~
The kiss was beautiful. Brant was definitely kissable. Cherry
lips...tasted sooooo sweet. His mouth, tongue, the saliva...so sweet. "A
guy could fall for a boy like this," Lenny thought.
The pleasure ended abruptly. Rudely. It just stopped. Darkness
overtook Lenny.
Groggy. Head hurt like hell. What happened. Lenny stirred,
groaned. He was lying on his back. Where is Brant. It was dark, so Lenny
couldn't see him. Wait. A noise. What is that..it sounds like...
Lenny's heart jumped in his chest. Fucking...Lenny knew what that
sounded like. Somebody was fucking...where the hell is Brant? Turning to
his side in an attempt to get up, Lenny's head nearly exploded with pain.
Some stupid-head had clobbered him! Reaching his hand to the back of his
head, then to the side...he felt it...a giant bump. "Ouch!" he murmured.
Something inside him told him this was trouble...the pain, the knot, the
noises from just over there...all connected...trouble...deep trouble.
No clothes...Lenny realized his Speedo was gone. Darn the luck.
This was not good.
Moving to his knees...Lenny crept toward the noise. Thirty or more
feet he crawled on hands and knees...stealthily as he could. He feared to
even breathe. Silence. This was the only way to find out what was
happening. He was too afraid to cry out for Brant.
In his heart of hearts, Lenny knew. Brant was being raped. Lenny
just knew it. He felt like he knew who it was too.
Slowly, as he crept close enough to the noise...the whimpers of a
little boy, the unmistakable sound of flesh on flesh contact that only
comes in a few ways...balls against flesh. Lenny wanted to puke. But he
couldn't let himself so that. He had to help Brant. Any normal boy would
run the hell away right now. Lenny knew to try to stop a grown man from
doing something like this was not possible for a twelve year old boy...a
small boy at that. But, he couldn't leave Brant like this. Help could
never get there in time. Lenny was Brant's only hope.
From somewhere deep inside himself, Lenny summoned the courage to
stand. With tears streaming down his face, he stepped forward two more
silent steps. His position was directly behind the ass that was pounding
away at his new boyfriend. Lenny could make out the balls swinging back
and forth with the rhythm of the grunts and groans from the man, and the
whimpers of pain from Brant.
One more step. The man never looked back. He was too involved in
what he was doing. A mistake. One should never ignore his surroundings if
he chooses to rape little kids...Lenny was about to ensure he would never
rape anyone else ever again.
Closer. He had to move closer. One more step. One more. Now!
With all the strength he could muster, Lenny swung his foot like he
was trying to kick a 75 yard field-goal. He nailed it! Flesh gave way
under his foot. The man was literally knocked up off the boy under him by
the force of the blow. The scream of pain was undeniable.
The bastard who had been just attacking the boys was now rolling and
thrashing around on the sand with his hands cradling his mangled testicles.
Cursing and foulness like no-one's business spewed from his mouth...but
Lenny tuned him out.
Gathering his wits, Lenny jumped to Brant's side. Brant was in
desperate shape. Lenny was crying, but had to stay focused. Brant's
wrists and ankles were taped together with duct tape...there was tape
across the boys mouth. Lenny tried to pull the tape, tried to tear
it...couldn't get it ff. So, he leaned in and started biting the tape at
Brant's wrists. Sand, tape, dirt. It was all in his mouth...but he took
no thought of that...only getting Brant free. Finally, he heard the tape
tearing, so he grabbed it and was able to get Brant's wrists free. Lenny
reached up and yanked he tape off the younger boy's mouth...Brant wailed
and cried, reaching awkwardly for Lenny to grasp him in a desperate hug.
Lenny had to force separation.
"Brant," he said very forcefully. "Stop! Stop! We have to get out
of here. I have to get your legs free. Help me!"
Lenny tore frantically at the tape on Brant's ankles...tears and
fear welled simultaneously. The momentary courage he'd mustered had
vanished: Shear panic taking its place. Sensing disaster, Lenny flinched
at the movement beside him. Too late.
The man had gotten to his feet and kicked Lenny with unimaginable
force...as if he wanted to kill the boy. Lenny was hurled completely away
from Brant by the force of the blow. All the air in his lungs completely
deflated. Pain...God. Pain unthinkable! Able to only grunt...his breath
not yet returned to his lungs, Lenny instinctively knew he had to get
away...he was scrambling to get his feet and bearings under him...but the
pain in his ribs was unbearable. Panic was in full blown command of his
senses.
The man who had kicked him staggered toward Lenny, pulling his own
filthy trousers up as he made his way over to the retreating form.
Reaching Lenny, the man kicked furiously at the boy again, this time
connecting full with the small boys buttocks sending the boy flipping ass
over head and sprawled out on his back. The bruises would take weeks to
heal on Lenny's backside...if...
But, it was enough time for Brant to get the tape torn from his own
feet. Lenny had started it to tear before the man got to him. Brant was
terrified. He knew both he and Lenny were going die. He'd been raped
before. By his own brother. Brant knew what was happening...and...and
outside of the huge size difference...the physical nature of this was no
different from his own brother's brutality. But, the situation here, now,
was totally fucked. Brant never feared for his life when his brother had
raped him...but this time...Brant was terrified. Before...Brant wanted to
do the killing...now he was afraid it was his turn to be killed.
Freeing himself, Brant rose quickly and started moving to help
Lenny.
"Run!" Lenny squeaked at Brant from his position lying on his back
and realizing Brant was free, "Run! Get help! GO! Get Jason and Liam!"
was all the wind Lenny could muster before another kick to his ribs
silenced him. Blackness overtook him.
He hadn't seen Brant since that moment. Lenny had no way of knowing
if Brant managed to get away. It was the only hope. Surely, if the man
had captured Brant, Lenny would have seen some sort of evidence. Wouldn't
he? He hadn't. All he knew was when he woke up in this barn-like building
with crude wooden floors and the same man who'd attacked and raped Brant
had his monster dick shoved up Lenny's ass.
~~00~~0~~00~~
"Breathe...hold on...he'll come...hold on," was the very last thing
Lenny remembered before blacking out.
~~00~~0~~00~~
The drive home was stone cold silent. Larry drove, Jim sat in the
passenger seat up front, Liam and Jason sat in the back; holding hands.
Liam pulled his hand away at first, glancing up front at Jim...uncertain of
the decision to be holding hands in front of Jason's father. Jason took
Liam's hand again...with deliberation. As their eyes met, Liam inquired
silently to Jason if this was a really good idea. Their non-verbal
communication skills growing exponentially over the days at hand. Jason's
eyes confirmed the die had been cast...fate was what it was going to
be...they'd be holding hands. Liam smiled. Both boys settled in to wait
out the ride home and find out how many dozen year's they'd be grounded for
fighting...on their first day of school.
The car stopped. Liam and Jason looked at each other, then to the
front seat at the pair of fathers. Still nothing had been said. What was
going on?
Liam looked out the window. Dairy Queen. A smile cracked his stoic
face. It was going to be okay.
~~00~~0~~00~~
The ice cream at Dairy Queen is monumentally good. The boys each
had a Banana-Split, and shared a Dr. Pepper. Jim and Larry each had
coffee. After the Banana-Splits were nearly devoured, Larry cleared his
throat and got the boys' attention.
"I believe we have some things to talk about...don't we?"
The boys exchanged glances and lowered their heads as they knew
what was coming...and knew they needed it. They shook their heads in
unified solemnity.
"Boys," Larry started...but Jim cut him off.
"Look, Larry and I know this is out of character for you boys. You
two are just too wound up and worried over your friends. We all talked
about holding you out for a few days until we know more about what is going
on."
"Yes," Larry picked up the conversation, "and now we know we should
have trusted our instincts." Jim nodded in agreement.
"So, you boys will not be going back to school until at least
Monday," Jim said.
Jason and Liam looked up with dubious looks on their faces. Who
were these masked imposters? They expected to be grounded until their own
grandchildren left for college! Not a week's vacation from school!
"No more fighting." Jim, voice was in total control. "We're done
with that. I expect you two to find other ways to deal with this
stress...starting right here...right now. Got it?" The boys nodded
wordlessly. They were not about to rock this boat.
"Do you boys have anything to tell us about what you talked to
Brant about in the hospital?" Larry said patiently, after a moment.
Both boys looked at each other. Their non-verbal communications
and looks into each others' eyes told them they both had the same things in
their minds. "How did they know?" and "How much should we tell them?"
After what felt like a thousand years, but was actually only a couple of
seconds of delay, Liam and Jason each nodded negatively, never breaking eye
contact with one another. Then, they had to look away from the other.
Both boys were ashamed for not telling the truth...but they had not yet had
a chance to work out a story together. So, they chose solidarity over
truthful discloser. Each boy secretly hoping they could find a way to just
get it out.
Not wanting to force an issue that would have the boys clam up
completely, or to totally withdraw...the fathers let it ride for just a bit
longer. The talk was going to have to happen...but the men hoped it would
come voluntarily...and not by force. The information from Brant might mean
nothing...the fathers opted for a bit more patience. However,
surprisingly, it was Larry who was now the most impatient. Jim, who was a
Lieutenant Colonel in the Army was anxious to get at the truth, but had
learned the value of being methodical and of persistency when it came to
such matters. Both men had faith that their sons would ultimately do the
right thing.
~~00~~0~~00~~
"Daddy?" Liam said to his father from the backseat as they were
driving home from the Dairy Queen. Liam and Jason had decided that this
was just too big...they had to tell. It might make the difference of Lenny
surviving...or not. It was time to tell what they new.
Reaching up absentmindedly to adjust the mirror and look his son in
the eye via the rearview said, "Hmmm? What is it Son?"
"Ummm...we...we need to tell you something. About Brant. About
Lenny."
Larry pulled the car over on the shoulder of the road, turned in his
seat and listened. His parental nature screamed at him to scream at the
boys for delaying what he heard...but he swallowed that back for now...a
more pressing matter must first be dealt with. Jim took his cell phone
from his holder at his waist, flipped it opened and hit the speed dial key
for Officer Hauk.
"I think you should meet us over at the Brant's boy's house right
away. We may have something to help you."
~~00~~0~~00~~
A swarm of police cruisers met them at Brant's small house. Armed
with the new information and permission from Brant's mother to search the
computer files, Officer Hauk logged on the computer and very quickly found
the evidence he needed. Writing down some information in his pad, he
quickly rose and nodded at the uniformed officer to take the computer into
evidence. The big detective quickly dialed Big Jim's phone, filled him in
on the news, and called his own partner back at the squad house to have him
search out a possible address. In an impossibly small amount of time the
whole entourage had left the house and were racing back across town...not
too far from Lenny, Liam and Jason's houses...not too far from the beach.
While in route back toward the beach, Hauk got the call he was waiting for.
They knew where to start. Jim, Larry and the boys were closely behind.
Jim called Coach Fowler and told them what they knew, and where they
were headed. Fowler had Ray with him, and in a matter of minutes was
directly behind the caravan chasing to the near-beach location.
It was a small rural road, called a County Road in Texas counties.
Most of them are paved...but not all. In some poorer, and more rural
counties, many of the County Roads remain unpaved, as this one was. The
dust boiled as the speeding caravan of police vehicles, and the rest flew
down the graveled road. Lights flashed, but sirens were silent.
The County Sherriff's officer's were already on scene, and had the
roads shut down. Before the dust had a chance to settle down, a Galveston
County SWAT team raced up and boiled to a stop. Silently all the SWAT team
and other officers gathered together to formulate an entry plan.
Moving with great stealth into position the team prepared to enter
the building.
~~00~~0~~00~~
The police cruiser in front of them driven by Officer Hauk was
flying down the country lane. Jason and Liam were both frightened beyond
wit's end.
Liam was struggling with something. His spirit was all torn up
within himself. Jason held his hand tightly...but Liam was mostly
oblivious to his touch. It was a warm afternoon...but Liam was nearly
deathly cold. He was pale. He was scared.
"Don't you dare leave me," he projected in his mind to Lenny. "Hold
on Lenny! Please hold on! Wait for me. I'm coming." There was nothing.
No feeling of reply...no gut feeling of if the boy was still alive, or if
he'd... "Oh God. I can't think that." Liam closed his eyes, leaned over
and hid his face in Jason's neck. Jason's smell was comforting. And Jason
comforted as best he could...but he was terrified as well...not a lot of
strength to spread around just then...he would share...but it wasn't very
much to share. All he felt he had a lot of just then was morbid fear.
Plenty of that shit.
"I won't let you go! Liam's mind hurled out into the blacked
recesses of his psyche. "I'm going to find you goddamnit! Don't you dare
leave me!"
~~00~~0~~00~~
Windows crashed in the old farm house which was surrounded by the
swat team...all wearing cold black uniforms, bulging with armor and
shields...S.W.A.T. decals in bright yellow clearly evident even from the
distant perch of Liam, Jason, and Ray. Coach Fowler was to stay with the
boys, the fathers had worked their way to near where the SWAT team was
assembled...just in case. The boys could also see equally dark uniformed
POLICE and SHERIFF'S OFFICE deputies. There must have been 35 uniformed
men there. Big Jim and Officer Hauk were the first to enter the knocked-in
door after he tear-gas grenades launched by the SWAT team had caused wispy
white smoke to waft from the broken side, front, and back windows. Yelling
and screaming and every commotion imaginable came from the broken windows.
No one was there. No shots fired, no bodies...no rescue. Nothing.
It was a wash-out. An empty lead.
Liam nearly cried. Jason, sensing Liam's feelings, took Liam by
both elbows and gently shook Liam, forcing him to look Jason in the eyes.
"We're gonna find him."
Liam blinked back the tears. Nodded. Leaned forward and placed his
head on Jason's shoulder, looking away from Jason...away from the farm
house, away from the teargas floating harmlessly out of every window in the
house.
That's when he saw it. A distant barn...or a building akin to a
barn. Out across a pasture. A dirt trail winding out from behind the old
house lead off over a small hill, then around the hillside, and stopped at
the backside of the old barn. There were fresh vehicle tracks on the dirt.
Liam saw this. He knew. He'd found Lenny.
Jason, sensing a change in Liam stood back, re-gripped Liam's elbows
and asked, "What? What do you know?"
Liam looked past Jason to the barn, and nodded. Jason followed
Liam's eyes. He knew it too.
Ray picked up on what was going on between his two friends. He
looked in the direction of where they looked. He knew.
Ray bolted at a breakneck speed over the hill toward the barn.
Jason and Liam quickly sprinted after him.
Liam and punched his father's cell phone speed dial, and put the
phone back into his pocket.
The boys reached the barn at the same time. Each a bit winded, but
their adrenaline rush was beyond out of control. With his hands on his
knees attempting to catch his breath, Ray whispered, "I'm going in."
"NO!" Jason said sternly under his breath, while still panting to
catch his breath, "we have to wait for the police."
"Fuck that," Ray said matter of factly, as he looked around him for
something to use as a weapon. He spied an old partially rotted pick-axe
handle, with the pick-axe head missing...roughly the size and weight of his
baseball bat. That would do nicely. Bending to pick it up, he walked
toward the doorway.
Jason and Liam quickly moved to cut him off. "I said WAIT!" Jason
said furiously as he could while being as quiet as possible. He reached
out for Ray's shirt sleeve, but Ray just pulled away and kept walking.
Jason looked at Liam, both knew this was not a good plan...but they had to
go with Ray. They'd never live with themselves if they didn't do this.
At the doorway, Ray paused only long enough to acknowledge the
decision Jason and Liam had made. Summoning all his best fortitude, Ray
kicked in the door and stepped through the doorway
Bright sunlight spilled into the dimly lit barn, and Ray was
silhouetted buy the sunshine and encased by the doorway. Before Ray could
focus his eyes to the darkness, a distinct boom was heard. Ray collapsed
instantly where he stood.
Jumping immediately from behind the slumping Ray, Jason was next
into the doorway screaming like a banshee. There was absolutely no doubt
in Jason's mind what was going down. He'd been far too often with his
father to the gun range to mistake the sound of the 9mm gunshot. What he
couldn't know was just how badly Ray was hurt. No time. As he dove past
Ray, he scooped up the axe handle dropped by Ray. Momentum carried him
across the opening and to a short wooden stall where horses had once been
berthed. Jason's breath was rapid and nearly at hyperventilation level.
He squeezed his eyes shut in attempts to speed the adjustment of his
vision...a trick taught him by his father a long time earlier while
camping.
Liam came rushing through the door in a slit second behind Jason,
but on instinct went he opposite direction of his buddy. They'd played
this roll a zillion times before...practicing close-in combat drills with
Jim. One left, one right. 3 seconds is all you have to move. "I'm
up...he sees me...I'm down." Any longer than that...you are a dead
soldier. Mission fails.
Jim had always told them the secret to success on a battlefield was
to trust your training. He said it didn't matter what was happening around
you...trust your training...it will take over when you need it too...it
will keep you alive. Right now, the boys were operating under the training
given them by a master trainer: a US Army Lieutenant Colonel, Retired
(newly re-activated). Without talk or rehearsal, both boys knew what the
other was about to do. Jason had the weapon -- the axe handle. Liam had
to form the distraction. Peering around the post of his stall, Liam
glanced at Jason, who'd worked valiantly to regain control of his
breathing. Both boys nodded.
Liam leapt to his feet and hurled a pail he'd picked up in the stall
beside him, and as it crashed into the far wall Liam began running forward
cursing like a drunken sailor. It worked. The man who held the pistol had
assumed Jason would be the first to move and had his weapon trained on the
spot he expected Jason to pop out. The commotion discomfited the armed man
and he fired randomly in the direction of the movement. When the pail
struck just behind him, it served to even further pull his aim and
attention. Shooting a pistol accurately is so much harder than most people
imagine. A good and experienced shooter will most often miss a moving
target...even without distractions. Both these shots missed their mark.
~~00~~0~~00~~
Okay...I'm going to give this a go...I am going to let Jason and me
tell this part at the same time. I hope you don't get too confused.
~~00~~0~~00~~
Jason: "I heard Liam coming in behind me...more like I felt him...I just
knew he was there...and I knew he was going opposite me to the other
side-stall."
Liam: "Yeah...and I also knew Jason picked up Ray's stick...or whatever the
fuck that thing was. Jason was going to have to hit the guy if we were
going to live over this."
Jason: "Yep, and Liam was going to have to get the guy to look away so I
didn't get shot. Dad had taught us this a thousand times. Divide and
Conquer...from the Art of War...some old foreign Dude wrote it a long time
ago."
Liam: "So, I saw this old rusty pail and knew I had to make a move. I only
hoped Daddy was answering his phone...that the SWAT team and Big Jim had
heard that gunshot. I looked at Jason. I knew he knew what I was about to
do."
Jason: "Well...I had no idea about the phone thing until well after the
fact. All I knew was that if we didn't do something quick, we'd both end
up shot like Ray."
Liam: "Waiting would only make me afraid. So, I drew in my breath, jumped
up and threw the pail right at where I thought the bastard was...I missed
terribly...but I ran at him screaming curse words like...well...it was bad
enough I ain't gonna say `em again...not even here!"
Jason: "I had to be quick. As soon as I saw Liam move, I jumped up too. I
heard the shoots...it scared the living crap outta me. I was afraid he'd
shot my Liam. Pissed me the fuck off. I didn't know if Lenny was there or
not...I didn't know if he was even alive or not...but that fucker had just
shot at my boyfriend! Hella thing to think he could get away with. Fuck
this. Fuck him. He's a walking dead man!"
Liam: *wipes the smile off his face before he continues* "So, I caused so
much noise the bastard missed me. Twice. Fucking didn't the third time.
Shit and fuck too."
Liam: *I know...I'm going twice...calm down* "I felt like I'd been hit by a
goddamned truck. First, it changed my direction. One second I was full
tilt running and closing on Bastard Number One...the same second later I
was knocked backwards. Shit. Then, it was a searing hot burning in my
stomach. You know...have you ever...last summer my Mom started teaching me
to iron my own clothes see...so, I was watching TV and ironing this shirt.
I was laughing at Sponge Bob when I touched the iron with my complete open
hand. Shit hot! That kind of hot. Shit hot!"
Jason: "It freaked me out. I saw Liam fall, and I was on top of the
bastard. I swung the axe handle (that's what it was you Dufus) as hard as
I could. I was gonna kill the fuck-wad with one blow."
Jason: *hey...I'll take two turns too!* "Only...I didn't expect him to be
so fast. He spun around after shooting Liam and backhanded me with the
pistol in the face while my arms were cocked behind me to swing the axe
handle. Fuck. Fucker knocked me out."
~~00~~0~~00~~
Jim was faster than the entire entourage of officers, faster than
Larry, or Fowler. His instincts and training taught him to survey all the
time, keep your eyes wide open, never get locked in on one problem at the
expense of being blindsides and possibly getting killed...or your men
killed...or mission failure. So, Jim saw the boys heading to the barn at a
run. He's already started moving that way when Larry screamed out that his
phone had rung and the boys were headed over to the distant barn. The SWAT
team, Big Jim, Officer Hauk, and all the other law enforcement team picked
up on what may be going down simultaneously and all began to rush toward
the barn. A shot rang out. This was going to be bad.
Jim pulled his own concealed Cold 45 as he ran toward the barn.
Using good military entrance tactics, Jim lunged into the barn and quickly
assessed what was happening. He came in the door just as the second and
third shots rang out. Moving swiftly toward the shooter, he couldn't take
a shot himself for fear of hitting the boys. Another shot and Liam fell,
but Jason was now directly in front of his line of site. The man swung his
pistol around and knocked Jason askew (and out). Big mistake.
Now, I'm told there are two most distinct sounds at a time like
this. One is the unmistakable sound of a pump shot-gun being charged.
Something about that noise leaves a perpetrator with fear and trepidations.
The other clearly impossible sound to mistake is the tell-tale sound of the
double click of a handgun being cocked.
The latter is exactly what this sick bastard heard...immediately at
the back of his head...freezing him dead in his tracts.
"Mister, you are about to meet God...I don't except He'll like you
any more than I do," Jim said. A noise at the door was the entrance of Big
Jim rushing into the barn, Hauk immediately upon his heels. The
movement...stupidity...something caused the man to jerk around with his
pistoled hand toward Jim. Not a good move. It was his very last.
~~00~~0~~00~~
Ambulances came. Four boys were seriously hurt. All were alive.
~~00~~0~~00~~
Okay. We made it. I know you all hate me for this. I don't know
what to tell you. I'll take every criticism, every hate mail. Write me.
If you need to talk about this, IM me, or email me with your info and I'll
make contact with you. This is shocking, painful...and horrible. But my
boys are all alive. In the next chapter, we'll try to sort it all out.
Right now, I am emotionally spent. I need a couple days to recover from
this chapter. I don't know if I can get the next chapter out by
Christmas...but I promise it will post before the New Year.
I have so many new readers of late...I am grateful to you all. I
know some of you will be seriously upset by this chapter. But
please...write me and tell me about it. If I can help at all, let me know.
Merry Christmas to you all! I hope peace and love permeates your
holidays. I really have enjoyed making so many new friends. I wish I
could share them with you all...but I'm too selfish! You guys are the
best!
andyoutwest@live.com