Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 13:45:37 -0700 From: B.E. Kelley <hailcaesar2011@hotmail.com> Subject: Keys to the Kingdom Chapter 8 This story is a work of FICTION. The events described are my own invention. Any similarities to actual events or persons are strictly coincidental. The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without my explicit authorization. This story contains depictions of consensual sexual acts between teenage males. It is intended for mature audiences only. If you find this type of material offensive or if you are under the legal age to read said material; please proceed no further. It takes a while before there is any sex in this story but I think you'll like it. As always comments are welcome but please, be gentle. Please send your comments to: HailCaesar2011@hotmail.com The Keys to the Kingdom Chapter 8: Black Bears and Bad Guys With the work week underway, I was left at home with the boys, while Cam spent his days plying the surgical trade. It was pretty quiet, Nicky spent most of his time hanging out with Josh, Jack whiled away the hours chatting with his friends back home online or listening to music and Aiden and Ethan had each begun a book. Since they would both soon be attending an elite New England prep school, I thought they might enjoy John Knowles, A Separate Peace. It's a classic novel about the relationship between two roommates at a New Hampshire boarding school during World War II. My father had given me a copy shortly before his death, I had enjoyed it and I was glad to see that Ethan and Aiden were as well. It's been two weeks since Aiden came to live with us and his bruises are clearing up, having faded to a dull brown and his limp is gone. Following Cam's advice, he made sure to try walking on it throughout the day and after a few days it was gone. He never walked much further then the front yard and he always made sure Ethan was at his side. The police haven't caught the trucker who raped and almost killed him and chances are they never will. I don't know if Aiden is afraid that he'll run into the man again or if he'll be forced to confront his former foster parents. This aspect of our relationship with Aiden has been hard for Cam and I. Naturally our hearts go out to him and if he were Nicky or Ethan we'd hold him and let him know everything is going to be ok. But Aiden was betrayed by his last foster parents and treated horribly by men, so Cam and I were reluctant to touch him in an affectionate way for fear of giving him the wrong idea and further upsetting him. On Wednesday night Cam came home with some news that he shared with me before we went to find Aiden. Detective Signer, the gentleman from the New Haven Police Department who had questioned Aiden in the hospital, had called Cam with some good news. He thought that as Aiden's new guardian's we would be happy to know that Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, his former foster parents, were being charged with child molestation, child endangerment and prostitution. The couple hadn't said much when they'd been questioned by the police but the search of their home had turned up a laptop computer that was to be the smoking gun. The police found copies of ads, written for websites like Craigslist that seemed innocent enough unless you know the right things to look for. The police were able to put together a pretty clear picture of how they would post their ads, find someone passing through town, usually a truck driver, then take Aiden to a meeting place and force him to perform sexually for the would-be John. Detective Singer explained that with Aiden's testimony they should be able to put the Peterson's away for quite some time. Cam told him that was good news but he was concerned about putting Aiden on a witness stand for some defense attorney to tare at his fragile state of mind. Detective Signer was very understanding, he explained to Cam that the courtroom session would be much different than anything we had seen on TV and that the judge would go out of his way to protect Aiden. Further he explained that the Peterson's didn't have any money and were relying on a rookie public defender to handle their case. Singer said that in his experience, cases like this usually plead out because the defendants know they haven't got a chance and want to avoid getting sent up the river for a much longer sentence then they might get if they made a deal. Cam thanked the detective for his kind attention to Aiden's case and was assured that they would speak again soon. After explaining everything to me, once he got home, we felt it would be ok to share this information with Aiden. It might make his daily walk to the mailbox more comfortable. Nicky was still at Josh's and Aiden was watching TV with Ethan and Jack when we called him into the kitchen. "Aiden I got some news today that I hope will make you feel a little better," said Cam. "Detective Singer, the policeman who you spoke to at the hospital, called and let me know that you're foster parents have been charged with a number of crimes in relation to the things they did to you and are looking at some serious jail time," Cam explained. "So they're in jail now?" Aiden asked, in a timid voice. "Detective Singer says they were able to make bail under the condition that they each wear an electronic device on their ankle," said Cam. "So they're free to roam the streets?" Aiden said, panic setting into his voice. "They won't ever get near you again Aiden, I promise," I said, "The trackers they are wearing are programmed to alert the police if they are any further than 1,000 feet from their house. We're miles away from them." "Well, that makes me feel a little better. I never want to see them again," said Aiden choking up. "Don't worry about it, we won't let anyone else hurt you Aiden," said Cam in an effort to comfort the boy, "I know you don't know us well but you're family now and we won't let those people get near you ever again." That seemed to calm Aiden down for the time being and he went to rejoin the boys while Cam and I started dinner. He's only been here for about 2 weeks but Aiden is making good progress, his injuries are healing, the people responsible for torturing him are being prosecuted, now if we could just get the results of his medical tests. Unfortunately it could be a few more weeks before we get the final word on his HIV/Aids test. Cam says it only takes a day or two for the lab to do the blood work, the problem is you never know how busy the lab is going to be and when they are going to get to a particular sample. I thought in cases like Aiden's they should move a little faster but Cam says that there are unfortunately, a lot of people waiting to get their results. When I went to call the boys to dinner I discovered that Nicky had come home and was now watching TV with Jack but Aiden and Ethan were nowhere to be found. I looked in Ethan's room; they weren't there so I stuck my head through Aiden's door. Aiden was lying face down on his bed and I could hear him crying, Ethan was lying next to him on his side, rubbing Aiden's back up and down and whispering softly that everything would be ok. I sat next to the boys and asked what was wrong as gently as I could. "I'm fine," Aiden sniffled, "I'm just scared of running into the Peterson's." "Aiden I promise you they'll never get close enough to hurt you again," I said. "But they are at their house, they should be in jail, what if they just decide to come after me?" Aiden said, through his tears. "First they have no idea where you live now and soon you won't even live in the same town. Secondly I wasn't joking when I said that the police would swoop down on them if they tried to go beyond the perimeter those electronic bracelets restrict them to. The police take it very seriously when someone hurts a child and if the Peterson's violate their bail agreement they'll be back in jail so fast their heads will spin," I explained. "I hope you're right, I just feel so nervous, even when I walk to the mailbox with Ethan," Aiden admitted. "Tell you what," I said, "You can't keep wearing Ethan's things, I'm sure you'd feel more comfortable with clothes of your own. Tomorrow we'll go shopping over in Danbury, we'll all go together. You can even hold my hand if you need to, and you'll see it's perfectly safe." "You don't have to do all that," said Aiden. "Sure we do," I explained, "We'd have done it sooner but I wanted to let you rest and recover. It's what you do for family and that's how we think of you Aiden. Ethan and Nicky both came to us as foster kids and we were able to adopt them, unless you have better plans, we'll do that for you to." "Really, you mean that?" Aiden asked sounding optimistic. "Course I mean it, how could we adopt Ethan and not his twin?" I said with a wink. Both boys smiled at that. "Come on, let's go have a nice dinner and tomorrow, you'll see, everything will be ok." That seemed to settle Aiden down for the time being and I left he and Ethan alone so he could wash his face before coming downstairs. When they joined us for dinner Aiden seemed fine, though I'm sure he was a little nervous about going out the next day. I wasn't nervous, but I planned to be damn careful and on alert the entire time we were out of the house. If Aiden was afraid to go out, I wasn't going to take his concern lightly. I'd be vigilant and keep my promise to keep him safe. That night Aiden asked Ethan if he'd sleep in his room. Apparently the idea of going out the following morning scared him and Ethan had become something of a security blanket. Ethan didn't mind, he got his pajamas and snuggled up with Aiden just like he would have with Nicky had there been a thunder storm. After breakfast the next morning I had all the boys shower and get ready to go. When we left, I noticed that Aiden had barrowed a pair of dark glasses from Jack and one of Nicky's Red Sox caps. I wasn't sure if he was trying to hide his face or what remained of his bruises but he'd be hard to identify in a crowd. I think Ethan must have let the other boys know how nervous Aiden was about going out today because Jack seemed to be particularly alert and even let Nicky have the front seat so that Aiden could sit between he and Ethan in the back. I was glad to see my boys being so protective of our newest family member and I hoped today would be a good one, so he'd be able to relax. I also noticed that I needed a bigger car. With me and four boys, there wouldn't have been any room for Cam had he been able to join us. I've been thinking of upgrading to something different anyway; maybe it's time to retire the sportier BMW. I looked at our neighborhood carefully as we made our way towards the interstate but I didn't' see anything out of the ordinary, nothing that looked like it shouldn't be there. I kept checking my rearview mirror and noted that we weren't being followed and then I started to relax. I'd keep my eyes open but the whole point of this exercise was to show Aiden there was nothing to worry about. An hour later we were in Danbury and pulling into the mall. Once we got inside, Aiden stuck close to me and Ethan. I had the same problem with Aiden that I'd had with Nicky when Cam and I first took him shopping two years ago, he wouldn't pick anything out. Like Nicky, Aiden loosened up a bit when the boys and I started to pick out things for him. I was pleased to find that Aiden liked most of the stores my boys liked such as the Gap and American Eagle. It's probably my inner preppy, but I like the boys dressed smartly and Aiden was going to fit in fine. We spent most of the day shopping and when we were done, Aiden had everything he'd need, except school uniforms. We loaded him down with shorts, pants, tee shirts, socks, underwear, a couple of pairs of shoes, some boots and a new backpack. He seemed pleased with everything he'd picked out but he'd asked Ethan his opinion before making any final decisions. Once we left the mall to return home he tensed up a little but not nearly as badly as when we'd left the house. When we got home the boys helped him take his things inside and then he and Ethan set about removing tags and putting everything in its proper place. As I was getting ready to make dinner Aiden came into the kitchen and gave me the first hug I'd gotten from him. "I just wanted to say thanks," Aiden explained, "I really did feel better going out. I'm still nervous about it but not scared anymore." "Eventually you won't even be nervous, just take things one day at a time, ok?" I asked. Aiden agreed and let me give him a hug, without flinching or pulling away. It wasn't much but it's only been a little over two weeks and he's progressing nicely. I have high hopes for Aiden's recovery and I'm sure he'll be acting like any other boy his age in no time. After dinner the boys ran off to watch TV and play video games for a bit while Cam and I hung out in the kitchen to talk. I filled him in on our outing and he was pleased that Aiden had been able to loosen up a bit. "I did notice one thing though," I mentioned. "Oh, what's that?" Cam asked. "Well, we went and got ourselves a big family hun. If you'd been with us today, we'd have had to strap one of the boys to the roof. I think I need a new car," I said. "Yeah, you've been talking about it for a while, why don't you just do it?" said Cam. "I guess I will, it just makes sense, we can't take two cars everywhere, that would be stupid," I agreed. "Think you might do it before the weekend?" Cam asked. "I was thinking I'd do it tomorrow. I'll have dad come over and hang out with the boys while I'm at the dealership. Why, what's this weekend?" I asked. "Well, we'll be moving soon and then we'll be busy setting up the new house and getting the boys ready for their new schools and you for your new job. I was thinking we could take the boys camping this weekend, I'll take Friday off," said Cam. "That could be fun," I agreed, "do you want to call your mom and dad, see if we can use their cabin up in the Berkshires?" "No cabin, I'm talking about real camping," Cam grinned. "Real camping?" I asked, "You mean with tents and sleeping bags and you know, nature?" "Yeap, that's the kind of camping I'm talking about," Cam smiled. "Ugh, you know we don't have the best track record with camping," I said. "Ah come on Brenden, think of the boys, they'll have a blast," Cam argued convincingly. "Ok, ok, I'll go, but no fair using the kids," I pouted. "It'll be great, I promise. I know this great place up in New Hampshire, on Lake Winnipesaukee," Cam beamed. "Alright, we'll go up to Lake Winnipethingy but you owe me for this one Dr. Tucker," I smiled. Cam gave me a soft kiss and told me that I'd have a good time, than we went and shared the news with the kids. The boys seemed excited but I think Aiden was just glad to put a few states between himself and his former foster parents. In the morning, I called my dad and told him I'd like him to come over and hang out with the boys while I went to the car dealer. Normally I'd have just left Jack in charge but with Aiden still in a fragile state I thought it best to have an adult around. Besides, my dad was a respected child psychologist before he retired and I hoped that he'd be able to recommend a good therapist for Aiden when the time came. I bought my BMW when I started college, actually I'd picked it out but my dad had negotiated the deal. I quickly discovered that this was going to be a pain in the butt. Even though I was going to tap into my inheritance and pay cash, there was still a ton of paperwork to be filled out. I had decided to go the SUV route. I couldn't think of anything else that would hold all of us and I definitely wasn't going to get a station wagon. In high school, both of my brothers and I had taken a turn as owner of moms old Volvo station wagon, it was a great first car but it screamed soccer-mom. Sure I wouldn't be using the car for anything much different than a soccer-mom but I hoped to pick out something cooler for our family car. I had a friend who owned a Range Rover and I liked that, so I headed for the dealer and quickly found one I was interested in, the problem was that in terms of seating, it wasn't any better than my BMW. The salesman noted my frustration and when I explained the situation he asked if he could show me something else. Once I agreed, he presented me with the British Army's answer to the Humvee, the Land Rover Defender 110. It was like a fortress on wheels, big and powerful; it seated 7 comfortably with room for luggage in the back and on the roof. Not to mention we could use this thing to retake Omaha Beach if need be. The salesman explained that the British Army had just ordered 15,000 Defenders and that it would be perfect for New England's snowy winters and running the kids to sports and scouts. I selected a silver one with black leather interior and after the test drive I was ready to sign on the dotted line. It was a little late when I left the dealer so I called Cam and told him I'd pick up dinner on the way home. He was curious to know what I'd bought but I told him he'd have to wait and see when I pulled up to the house. I stopped to pick up some Chinese food and pulled into the drive way a few minutes after Cam. I didn't' see my dad's car, I figured he was in a hurry to get home to his own dinner and left when Cam arrived. I honked the horn and Cam and the boys came outside to see what was shaking the house. "Whoa, cool," Nicky exclaimed. "What the hell is that thing?" said Cam. "It's a fortress on wheels," I smiled. "You think it might be just a little rough on gas?" Cam asked sarcastically. "Oh big deal, it'll be parked most of the time since I'm not going to have to drive to work every day," I scoffed, "and remember last Christmas when we drove up to see your parents at their cabin and it took us almost 8 hours to get home because of the snow, well, that won't happen again." "Ok, ok, you have a point, let's take it for a spin," said Cam. I let Cam take the driver's seat and once the boys were comfortably seated and he'd fiddled with all the gadgets, I handed him the keys. The Defender roared to life and we made a few quick circuits of the block. "I've never seen anything this big," said Nicky, "well other than Ethan's cello." "Come on Nicky, this isn't near as roomy as Ethan's cello," laughed Jack. "Mock my cello all you like," Ethan retorted, "its' ok that you two can't appreciate any music beyond the ABC song. Besides, Aiden likes it, right Aiden?" "Sure," Aiden agreed, "it is pretty big though." That drew laughs from Jack and Nicky. Aiden gave Ethan an apologetic look but Ethan smiled to let him know they were just goofing around. The boys continued their ribbing and Cam put the Defender through its paces. I was dying to know what he thought when we pulled back into our driveway. "Alright, I'm sold, this thing is awesome," Cam smiled, "let's go intimidate a Prius." I reminded Cam that there would be plenty of time to pick on hybrids on our long drive up to New Hampshire the next morning and that we had Chinese food getting cold in the backseat. At the mention of food, the boys seemed to recall that they were hungry, so we hurried inside and got everyone a plate and a fork, then dug in. The boys asked me a ton of questions about the new car and Cam was still smiling and shaking his head, not believing that I'd bought this behemoth. Our camping trip started at about 6:00am Friday morning. I have never been a morning person and fortunately Cam usually isn't either, that was not the case today. I moaned audibly when he opened our bedroom window and allowed the morning sun to shine in. The boys had the same response when he woke each of them but their excitement for the trip ahead motivated them enough to get out of bed, rather then roll over and fall back to sleep like me. I was the last one to come downstairs, Cam handed me a cup of coffee and the boys and I exchanged a morning grunt as it felt too early for words. It was after 7:00 before we left the house and by 7:30 the boys were all sound asleep in the back of the Defender. I on the other hand, had to stay awake and navigate for Cam. Sure the GPS can do it so I assumed he just wanted someone to talk to. If I had my way I'd have fallen asleep like the kids but I didn't want to put a damper on Cam's good cheer. You see, Cam and I have very different ideas about camping. My idea of camping involves a hotel in the woods, running water, heating and air conditioning and a decent place to eat. Cam's idea of camping is something akin to pioneers on the Oregon Trail, tents, sleeping bags, cooking over an open fire and trying to wipe your butt with something that's not poison oak. When I was studying for my doctorate we spent some time exploring the ruins of Ostia, which had been the main port for ancient Rome. At the end of that day, I wanted to drive back to our hotel in the city but Cam convinced me that we should sleep under the stars like Caesar and his legions. Like a sucker, I fell for it. In the morning my back hurt from sleeping on a rock all night, my stomach was rumbling because we hadn't planned properly and therefore hadn't brought enough food and I almost peed myself. I may have mastered Latin and Greek but Italian was a mystery at the time and finding a "stanza da bagno" proved difficult. Cam would argue that most of our camping trips had been better since but I would argue that the Donner Party had more fun. This trip wasn't about me though, I'd agreed to it for the boys, particularly Aiden. I thought that some time out in the fresh air, away from TV, away from the city would be good for him. Aiden's black eyes have almost healed up but there is a faint whisper of color that still lingers and it pisses me off. Aiden's proven to be a sweet boy and looking in the back seat at that innocent face, still damaged from his beating, just makes my blood boil. I'm as firm a believer as anyone in due process but I truly feel that Aiden's former foster parents should be stoned to death for what they did to him, but their entitled to a fair trial, I guess we call that progress. We got stuck in the morning rush-hour traffic in Hartford but it cleared up quickly enough. The boys woke up shortly after we crossed the Massachusetts boarder; we made a b-line around the outer Boston suburbs and crossed into New Hampshire before lunch. We stopped to grab something to eat in Manchester then headed for our campsite near the town of Wolfeboro on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. I have to give Cam credit; this was an absolutely beautiful location. He'd booked us a site right on the shores of the lake, surrounded by trees but far enough away from the other campers that we'd have a little privacy. The boys were eager to hit the lake but Cam made them help us set up camp first. We unloaded the car, put up the tent and collected wood for the evening's fire, then we let the boys set off to explore. They changed into their swimsuits and disappeared in a flash. I would have been happy to take a nap but Cam insisted we put on our swim trunks and join the boys down by the lake. When we reached the shore we found Jack, Ethan and Nicky splashing in the surf but Aiden was sitting on a large rock dipping his feet in the water. Cam jumped in the water and started dunking the boys like he was the biggest kid of all and I made my way over to Aiden's rock. "That cast is a pain huh?" I asked as I sat next to Aiden. "It makes it harder to do everything," Aiden agreed. "I can run back up to the tent and grab something to wrap it in, we brought extra garbage bags," I offered. "No that's ok," said Aiden, "sitting here feels kind of peaceful, I've never seen anything so beautiful before." I could have sworn he was staring at Ethan when he said that but I ignored it for the moment. "I'm glad you think so, part of the reason we came here was so you could unwind a little," I admitted. "Taking me shopping all the way in Danbury the other day, bringing me all the way up here, why would you guys go to all that trouble for me?" Aiden asked. "Because, we love you Aiden," I said. "But how can that be, you hardly know me," he argued. "Parents don't know their newborns but they love them," I retorted. "Yeah but they had nine months to get used to the idea of having a new kid. I just got dropped on your doorstep like a piece of junk mail," Aiden sighed. "Don't think of it like that, Aiden," I said, "you're very precious to Cam and I. You obviously know we're gay and if it wasn't for kids like you, we wouldn't have had a family. Ethan and Nicky were both a little broken when they came to us but we loved them from the start, did what we could to help them along the way and I think if you look at them now you'd agree, they're pretty happy." "Hmm, yeah I would agree with that," Aiden confessed, "but still, neither of them ever did the things I did, how can you guy's love me after all the horrible stuff I've done." "Aiden, you didn't have any choice, you didn't do those things, they were done to you," I explained. "I wish I could feel that way but there has to be something wrong with me, why else would they do that to me?" said Aiden. Tears started to streak down his face at that point so I put my arm around his shoulder and held him close to me. I was a little nervous, I didn't want him to get the wrong idea, but I had to comfort him. I was glad when he returned the hug and turned to cry on my shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with you, my sweet boy," I comforted, "They're the ones who are sick." Cam and Ethan noticed what was going on and swam over to us to make sure everything was ok. "Are you guys alright?" Cam asked. "We're ok, we're just having a talk," I answered, still holding Aiden. Aiden sniffled then wiped his eyes on his tee shirt. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. I spent a few more minutes with Aiden and when I was convinced he really was ok for the time being, I jumped into the water with the others. Before long, Ethan joined Aiden on the beach, they laid out a blanket, brought out the cooler we'd loaded with drinks and read their books while the rest of us swam. Cam and I joined the boys on the beach as we had each brought books of our own; the others came to visit with us on breaks then went back out into the water. We stayed on the shore until late in the evening and when everyone got hungry we went back to the campsite and built a fire. Tonight's dinner would be traditional camping fare, hotdogs, chili and roasted marshmallows for dessert. It wasn't gourmet by any standards but the boys filled up and had a good time grilling their own food. When it was time for bed we all walked over to the public facilities the campground provided so we could brush our teeth. When we got back to the tent we realized that it was going to be a little tight with 6 of us in there but we'd manage. I however, didn't manage long, sure enough, just like in Ostia; I ended up sleeping on a rock. I would have moved but there were bodies everywhere so I had no choice but to toss and turn. No matter what I did I couldn't get comfortable so I snuck out of the tent with my pillow and made my way back to the Defender. Once I folded the back seat down I was pleased I'd bought such a big car, I was able to stretch out comfortably and look at the stars through the open sunroof. When morning came I snuck back into the tent and my sleeping bag, when Cam and the boys woke up no one was any wiser. On Saturday we drove into town to eat breakfast at a local diner that had some of the best Johnny Cakes in New England. Depending on where you live you might not have heard of Johnny Cakes before but they are a New England staple. They're made from cornmeal mixed with salt and hot water or milk, then fried. They're best with butter and fresh maple syrup. We explored the town a bit; Wolfeboro is one of those quintessential vacation towns and even boasts of being America's first resort. There are a bunch of small shops peddling antiques and souvenirs and I even managed to find a rare bookshop that the boys had to pry me out of. The place was an historian's dream. I remembered something else about Wolfeboro as we made our way back to the car. One of the schools that Bartlett Academy competed against in sports was located here. Sure enough on the drive back to camp I spotted a sign pointing the way to Brewster Academy, I'd have to take a look and see how their campus stacked up to ours before we left. Once we got back to camp, Cam rented a couple of canoes from the site manager and we spent the day exploring the lake. The Native American name, Winnipesaukee, means "smile of the Great Spirit," or "beautiful water in a high place," depending on which tribe you speak to. There are over 200 islands and it's the third largest lake in all of New England. As we explored the vastness of the lake by canoe, I had to hand it to Cam once again, this place was absolutely breathtaking. We ate around the campfire again that night and when it was time for bed we followed the same routine. When I was sure everyone was asleep, I snuck out of the tent and climbed into the back of the Defender. I was almost asleep when Ethan opened the door and sat on my leg. We both shrieked like girls but fortunately we weren't loud enough to wake anyone. "What are you doing here?" we said in unison. "Never mind what I'm doing here, what are you doing here?" I asked. "I can't sleep in that tent, I hardly slept at all last night because Jack and Nicky kept kicking me so I thought I'd sleep out here," Ethan explained. "Ok, I can understand that, I couldn't sleep in there either," I said. "Nicky kicking you too?" Ethan asked. "No, rock under my sleeping bag," I explained. "Bummer," said Ethan. "Indeed," I agreed. I couldn't' send Ethan back to the tent when he was just as uncomfortable as I was so I scooted over and made room for him next to me. It was a little tight but neither of us was shy about snuggling and we were able to sleep comfortably. The next morning, when we woke feeling well rested, we agreed that we'd meet in the Defender again that night. We snuck back to camp and quietly lay down with the others. When they woke up, as far as they knew, we had been there all night. We spent the morning touring the lake with the canoes again then stopped to grab some lunch. After we had eaten Cam had to take the canoes back to the rental office, when he returned he and the boys decided to do some more swimming but I thought it would be a good time to check out Brewster Academy. I thought Aiden might like to come with me so he wouldn't have to sit and watch everyone else having fun in the water. Aiden happily agreed and then Ethan asked if he could come to. I wasn't surprised; he and Aiden seem to have gotten closer on this trip. The trip has been a success so far, I've seen Aiden laughing and smiling quite a bit, it's nice to see him loosen up and act like a kid. Like Nicky, he has a great smile. I wasn't too impressed with the Brewster campus at first. Bartlett was far larger and its architecture was quite a bit grander, but then we saw Brewster's waterfront. The school is located right on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee and the view from the dorms and academic buildings was nothing short of spectacular. We walked around for hours checking things out. We ran into some teachers and students who were there for the summer program and found them to be friendly and eager to show off their campus. One hallmark of good schools is happy students and these kids fit the bill. An older, somewhat regal looking lady saw me speaking with one of the teachers and came over to introduce herself. It turned out she was the headmaster's wife and when I explained about my new job she insisted that the boys and I join she and her husband for a drink. We followed her home and sat out on the porch. She returned shortly with her husband, a pitcher of iced tea and several glasses. Dr. and Mrs. Harper were wonderful hosts. They each congratulated me on my selection as headmaster and asked the boys if they were excited about starting their new school. The Harpers informed us that Brewster was a family affair for them, he was of course the headmaster, she worked in the library and they had an older son who was the crew coach and a math teacher. I in turn, told them that I was a bit jealous of their location and that I was impressed by the hospitality of the students and faculty that we'd encountered. As it started to get late we said our goodbyes and the Harpers told us that they looked forward to seeing us again in the fall when the Brewster Bobcats took on the Bartlett Wild Boars at our first football game. We thanked them for their hospitality and told them we looked forward to returning the favor, after we kicked their butts in football. We made our way back to the car and then went to pick up Cam, Nicky and Jack. As it was our last night in town we decided to take advantage of one of the local restaurants. We had heard from a couple of people that Shibley's at the Pier was the place to go for dinner so after we cleaned up we headed there. The building wasn't that old by New England standards, it dated back to the turn of the last century, but it had a great atmosphere. They still had the original marble soda fountain from the 1920's that was now their bar. When history is your passion, as it is mine, it's nice to see old things still being put to good use. We enjoyed an excellent dinner on their deck over-looking the lake, we were so stuffed when we walked out we practically rolled. It was still fairly early once we'd finished dinner so we headed up the road to the town of Gilford and saw a movie. It was after 10:00 when we got out so we made our way back to camp and once everyone was in their sleeping bags they fell asleep rather quickly, everyone but Ethan and I. We waited for everyone to settle in then made our way back to the car, both of us smirking at our own cleverness. We were also quite tired and as soon as we got comfortable we drifted off as well. Sometime around three in the morning, Ethan woke up, he thought he'd felt the car move but everything seemed to be still now. He rolled over and looked at me, I was still sound asleep so he figured I'd probably just moved and that had been what had woken him. Ethan lay back on his pillow and looked up out of the sunroof and noticed he couldn't see any stars. Summer rainstorms are far from uncommon in this part of the country so he assumed clouds must be rolling in. He reached up to make sure the sunroof had been closed when we came back from dinner and was surprised to feel something furry. He wondered what he was touching for a moment then heard it grunt, that's when he started shaking me violently, trying to get me to wake up. "What, what is it?" I asked drowsily. "Daddy, there is something on the roof," Ethan whispered. "You just had a bad dream, go back to sleep," I muttered. "No daddy wake up, there is something on the roof," Ethan insisted. "Son, I am sure there is nothing up there, just relax and go back to bed." "Daddy," Ethan said forcefully, "look out the sunroof." I did as he asked and saw nothing. "It's probably just clouds, gonna rain," I yawned. "But it's furry," Ethan blurted out as be became annoyed with my lack of concern. "What?" I said as I snapped wide awake. "I put my hand up to make sure that the sunroof was closed because at first, I did think it was clouds," Ethan explained, "but I touched it and it was furry and it grunted." I reached up tentatively and sure enough, there was something that felt like fur on top of our car. "Ok, no need to panic," I announced, "we're going to get out of the car, very, very, carefully and see what's going on." We made our way slowly out of the rear of the car then walked a few feet away. When we turned back it was hard to see what was on top of the car because it was so dark. I walked a few steps closer and was able to make out a large shape, a shape that then turned and grunted at me. Ethan and I both screamed bloody murder and ran back to camp. We burst into the tent screaming and ranting, tripping over bodies and scaring the hell out of everyone as we woke them. "What in the hell is going on?" Cam demanded once we'd calmed down. "Car, big furry thing," Ethan stammered. "Bear," I said, still catching my breath," bear on top of the car." "What, why were you guys by the car?" Cam asked confused. "Sleeping there, kicked by Nicky, rock under sleeping bag," spluttered Ethan as he explained our absence from the tent. "I get it now," said Cam, "you guys wondered over to the car half asleep and something spooked you. Well it's ok now; can we please get some rest?" "No Cam, there's a huge bear sitting on our car with its ass in the sunroof," I said. Nicky and Jack chuckled at my response but did look a little nervous so Cam leaned in and whispered his reply to me. "Bren, will you relax, you're going to scare the kids, it was probably just a shadow," Cam said trying to calm me down. "Damn it Cam, I'm not seeing things, Ethan and I both touched it and it grunted at us," I told him. "You're absolutely sure?" Cam asked. "Yes," I exclaimed. "Ok, you stay here with the kids, I'm going to look for myself," Cam announced. I told him not to go but he insisted he'd be back in a minute. I waited quietly with the boys and before long Cam was back in the tent. "Well, I didn't see anything, as I thought," said Cam sounding annoyed, "it was probably just your imaginations running overtime or something, now let's all just go back to sleep, we have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow." Ethan and I offered our protests but no one was in the mood to hear it so we got back in our sleeping bags. I snuggled up tightly next to Cam and I'm sure Ethan was in the middle of the tangle of boys. In the morning there was no sign of any footprints around the campsite so Ethan and I began to wonder if indeed we had imagined the entire thing. The other boys thought our situation was terribly funny, every time Ethan or I would get up to go to the bathroom or grab something to drink they would remind us to be on the lookout for bears. Before long it was time to pack up and begin the long drive home. Cam had to be back at work the next day and he wanted to get a good night's sleep tonight. It didn't take long to pack up and when we went back to the car, Cam and the others were in for a surprise. There were muddy footprints on the hood, windshield and roof where the bear had climbed up and made himself at home. "Well I'll be damned," muttered Cam. "TOLD YOU," Ethan and I exclaimed in unison. That set off a score of chattering from the boys, I simply gave Cam an, I told you so look and got in the car. Once the boys were settled in, Cam took a final look at the footprints, scratched his head then took the driver's seat. "This is one tough car you picked out hon, I couldn't see any damage from the bear," Cam said trying to butter me up. "Uh huh, just drive dear," I retorted. The boys talked about the bear all the way down into Massachusetts before they got quiet then fell asleep. Everyone was a little tired after being woken up so abruptly in the middle of the night and Ethan and I hadn't really slept much after our encounter with Yogi. I fought to keep my eyes open; even though Cam hadn't believed me about the bear, I didn't think it was fair to make him drive all the way home without anyone to talk to. We crossed back into Connecticut and Cam pulled over to gas up. The boys ran into the store to get some drinks for the final leg of the trip and when they climbed back into the car I noticed we were one short. When I asked where Aiden was, they said he'd gone to the bathroom. That word set me off and I realized I had to pee to. I excused myself and told them I'd be back in a minute. I walked into the bathroom and straight into a disturbing scene. There was a large truck driver with his back turned to me, blocking my path, when he turned to look at me I saw Aiden in the corner, he was shaking with fear and it looked like the front of his pants were wet. What worried me more was when the trucker turned around; he had a knife in his hand. "What the hell is going on here?" I demanded. Aiden tried to tell me but when he moved his lips nothing came out. The trucker looked at me, his eyes seemed to be scanning for a way out then he slashed at me with his knife. The blade tore across my shirt and tore my skin in a few places but not deeply. I staggered back and he came at me again, this time I grabbed his wrist and we started to struggle over the knife. We fell to the ground; he was on top of me trying to bring the knife down while I tried to push it away. Aiden just stood there to afraid to move at first but then he ran for help, I knew from his reaction this had to be the bastard that had hurt him back in New Haven. Pure anger built up inside me as I struggled with the knife wielding trucker. This was the son of a bitch who had tried to suffocate our son with his pathetic little dick and then beaten the ever loving shit out of him when the boy couldn't breathe. I knew I'd never get another chance to get any kind of payback on this bastard like I would now, I wrestled my way on top of him and kneed him in the balls over and over again but he still wouldn't drop his knife. I must have taken a split second to think of a new strategy but that was enough time for him to regain the upper hand and role on top of me. As angry as I was, this man was bigger and stronger than me and I could feel the knife getting closer to my neck or face, whatever his target may be. I saw Aiden reach Cam; he couldn't have been more than 100 feet away but it felt like miles. Behind Cam I saw the boys; Jack had gotten out and was holding Aiden and blocking the doors so Ethan and Nicky couldn't run over. All of them were crying and shouting but I couldn't seem to hear what they were saying. When I looked back up at the trucker I could see he was in a panic but that knife kept getting closer and I knew Cam wouldn't make it in time. I looked again and Cam was still running towards me when I felt the trucker's weight leave my body. I looked up and he was gone. I sat up and discovered that another motorist had seen what was happening and had raced to my aide. He had kicked the trucker in the ribs which had knocked him off my body and now they were struggling for the knife. Cam ran right passed me and jumped on the trucker, I followed suit and the three of us were able to wrestle the knife away. The trucker was still trying to fight us off and make his escape when we heard a shotgun blast. The wife of the man who had come to my aide had run in to the store to get help, the owner had called 911 then grabbed his shotgun. The trucker was forced to lay face down on the ground while we waited for the police to arrive. I looked down at my shirt and saw it torn open across the chest and noticed there were blood stains. Cam and the man that had stepped in to help, Jim Hammond, were panting for breath. I surveyed the scene and saw Mrs. Hammond trying to comfort their girls, holding them tightly and turning their heads away from the scene. I saw Nicky crying and calling out for me, Ethan held on to him and looked to be in tears himself. Jacks face was a mixture of anger and frustration, he had wanted to rush in and help as well but instead he found himself clutching Aiden tightly. It was the look on Aiden's face that set me off. He looked like a man who had just seen a ghost. There was sheer horror etched across his young face, a horror that no one so young should know anything about. I looked at the trucker and all I wanted to do was cause him pain, I started to lunge towards him but Cam and Jim held me back. "I know what you want to do," said Cam, "I want to do it to but not here, not in front of the boys. This piece of shit is going to jail and he's going to get what's coming to him." I calmed down after that. I didn't want to make the situation worse by scaring our boys or any of the other families that had the misfortune of watching. Fortunately we didn't have to wait long, there was a state policeman in the area and his cruiser pulled up in a matter of minutes. The officer handcuffed the trucker and put him in the back of his car then started to question us on what had happened so he could file his report. I explained that our son had been raped and beaten by a trucker in New Haven County and that the case was still under investigation, I then explained what had happened when I walked into the bathroom. Cam and Jim gave their side of the story and then the officer wanted to talk to Aiden. Cam explained that Aiden had already been questioned by the New Haven PD and that he was too traumatized to go through that again right now. The officer wasn't thrilled about it but he understood and didn't press the issue. He did however insist that Aiden would have to ID the suspect. Cam went back to the car and returned with Aiden. "Son, I know you're scared but I need you to answer a question for me, ok?" the officer asked. Aiden nodded his head. "I want you to look in the back of my car and take a good look at that man." Aiden did as he was instructed, his lip quivered and the tears started flowing again. "It's ok Aiden, he can't hurt you now," I said as I put my hand on his shoulder. "Son, is that the man that hurt you at the truck stop in New Haven?" asked the officer. Another affirmative nod from Aiden. "And did he hurt you tonight?" the officer asked. Aiden didn't answer right away. "Son, I know you're scared but I promise you, he ain't gettin out of that car or those handcuffs, you can answer the question," the officer stated. "He, he pulled out that knife and he was going to hurt me but..." "But what, go on," prompted the officer. "My, my dad came in and saved me," Aiden answered before collapsing into another round of sobs. "Good boy, that's all I needed to know, you can go back there with your brothers now," the officer said sympathetically. Cam took Aiden back to the car and I stayed to wrap things up with the officer. "I'm sorry about that, I know it was hard for him but I've got to get all the facts if we're going to keep this guy in jail," the officer explained. "It's alright, can we take him home now?" I asked. "Yeah, I think I have everything I need. I'll take this guy over to the county lock-up and my watch commander will contact the New Haven PD, I'll file my report and we'll go from there," the officer explained. I thanked the officer for getting out to us as quickly as he had then made my way back to the car. Each of the boys ran up to me and held on tight, even Jack. Aiden stood off to the side looking down at his feet. "Aiden are you alright?" I asked. "I'm so sorry," he sobbed, "if it hadn't been for me, that man, he wouldn't' have cut you, you could have been killed." I grabbed Aiden and held him tight; Cam joined me in sort of a group hug. "Aiden we'd walk through fire to protect you," I told him, "if it takes a couple of little scratches to deal with a scumbag like that so be it. He's never going to hurt you or any other boy ever again." After a few moments Aiden settled down and we got him back in the car. Cam got his medical kit out of the back and sprayed some iodine on the cuts on my chest. They were very superficial wounds, I suspect the trucker only sung his knife at me hoping I'd back away from the door and he'd be able to get away. No such luck jerk. I took off my ruined shirt and threw on a clean tee shirt then we drove the rest of the way home. Halfway through the drive we got a call from Detective Singer back in New Haven. He informed us that his captain had called him at home when the state police had called the station to let them know the trucker had been apprehended. Detective Singer said that was excellent news and he'd be driving up the next morning to interrogate the suspect. We thanked him for his call but ended the discussion quickly, now was not the time. It was late when we pulled into our driveway so we decided to leave everything in the car and unload it in the morning. The boys were exhausted and they all went to put on their pajamas. Cam and I went to our room and did the same. We were just about to make the rounds, tucking everyone in and saying good night when Nicky knocked on our door, when he came in he asked if he could sleep in our room. He's a little big for that but the incident today scared him to death so we saw nothing wrong with him joining us. We never made it out the door; Ethan came in dragging Aiden with him and made a similar request. Since Jack was still in the shower, we got everyone settled in our bed and turned on the late night news for a few minutes. I figured I'd wait for him to finish his shower then wish him a good night. I waited a few minutes after the water stopped then went to his room. "Hey Jack, you'll have Ethan's bed all to yourself tonight," I explained, "all the boys are camped out in our bed." "Can I come to?" Jack asked. "Sure, if you want, we'll make room," I answered. "Thanks Uncle Brenden, I just don't want to be alone tonight," Jack admitted. "It's been a tough day," I agreed. "I wanted to come help you with that fucker at the gas station," Jack confessed, "Aiden was screaming that that was the man that beat him, when he came to get Uncle Cam." "You did exactly what I needed you to do Jack," I said pulling him into a hug, "I knew you'd protect the boys while we were dealing with that thing." "I was so scared and pissed off at the same time," Jack added. "I know what you mean," I agreed, "when I was trying to get that knife away from him part of me was scared of being stabbed but the other part wanted to rip his head off." "Yeah," Jack exclaimed, "that's what it felt like to me too." We talked for a few more minutes then headed back to my room. Cam and the boys were all passed out and hadn't left us much space. Jack had brought his pillow and blanket and he just stretched out on the bench at the end of our bed. I was able to scoot in next to Aiden, his bruises healed up enough over our short vacation that I was only able to tell him apart from Ethan by his cast. I wrapped my arms tightly around him and closed my eyes, ready to put this horrible day behind us.