Date: Sat, 4 Jan 2014 12:58:49 -0500 From: Eff Del Subject: Flights of Angels-Chapter 1 AUTHOR'S NOTE- This series is a direct sequel to my previous story "Young but Daily Growing". It begins several weeks later and continues the story of Eric and Sean. If you have not read "Young but Daily Growing", you may find this story a bit hard to catch onto at first because I've made no attempt to write this so that it completely stands alone. It is filled with references to places, people and events that presuppose the reader's knowledge. I hope that if you enjoy this new attempt of mine, you'll drop me a line. I always welcome comments and suggestions and try to respond. Also please don't forget that a contribution to NIFTY keeps all these stories coming for free. Now...back to Joyous Gaurde. Enjoy! Flights of Angels-Chapter 1 By Eff Del Inserted between the vague blandness of infancy and the structured routine of being a man, is the wonderful state of existence known as boyhood. Boyhood is a complex almost magical thing that is impossible to understand or explain. A woman has no concept at all and even a man cannot truly explain what means to be a boy, despite the fact that he once was one. Even when one has been through it, he doesn't actually realize what it was. It would be akin to expecting a butterfly to explain what is was to have once been a caterpillar. He took one seemingly effortless hop at the tip of the board and upon the bounce he was launched into the air- a sleek slippery and entirely beautiful missile. At the apogee of his arc, he doubled his body at the waist, touched his toes with his finger tips and then snapped out arrow straight before he sliced into the water so neatly that there was scarcely a discernable splash. He had been teaching himself to dive and like everything he put his mind to, the learning and the performance seemed to come naturally to him. I made myself a mental note to find out if he had any interest in professional instruction. Still mentally transfixed by the skill and beauty of his classic dive, I watched the blurred image of his nude form glide smoothly underwater directly toward me. Less than a foot away, he curved his head and shoulders to the surface and with one powerful kick and stroke of his arms, burst up- an explosion of water and boy... his blue/green eyes twinkling and his magnificent smile lighting his face and my heart in unison. Wrapping his arms around my neck, he pulled himself up my chest so that we were eye to eye. He leaned in and planted a sweet soft kiss on my lips then, pulled his head back and smiled as he shook water from his thick black hair. "Sean Michael Tucker...I love you Son." I said enthusiastically. I grasped the wet firm ovals of his athletic little ass as he clasped his strong young legs around my waist. "I love you too Dad." He leaned in and stole another kiss "Man, I REALLY love sayin' that to you!" and he smiled at me with a joyful yet almost quizzical expression on his face. It was as if he, like me was still having a difficult time believing the wonderful good fortune that had brought us into each other's lives. Releasing his arms from around my neck and flinging them up in a flourish, he bent sharply backwards and with a wide grin, flipped away from me and slid head first below the water giving me a momentary but pleasant glimpse of his glorious little ass before he corkscrewed over and swam away. The outdoor swimming pool had been opened weeks ago to accommodate the joint celebration of his twelfth birthday and his official adoption. Since then, we had spent a great deal of private time out here. I noted with satisfaction that the warm early summer sun had begun to bronze his skin nicely and gamboling about naked as he usually did, , allowed no occasion for the formation of tan lines. I couldn't help remembering with a smile that very first time he had stood naked before me and had turned around so cute and coy to display himself. Not only had I been overwhelmed by his beauty, I'd been amused at how starkly his perfect white ass stood out from his otherwise sun burnished skin. Not so anymore. As I watched him from my vantage in the shallow end of the pool, I had one of those inspirational thoughts that sometimes just pop up from out of the blue and I swam out to share it with him. Without either of us speaking, we reflexively rolled onto our backs and floated side by side occasionally making small movements with our hands to assist in maintaining our positions. This had become a favorite activity (if you could call it such) for us...These were moments that felt very private and relaxed; a pleasant way to talk or trade thoughts as we drifted together upon the water. "I don't know why, but I was thinking just now Sean... do you remember back before all of EVERYTHING happened, I promised you and the guys a fishing trip to my...excuse me...OUR cabin on Devil's Horn Mountain? Do you think they'd still like to go? It's a perfect time of year. It'll still be a bit cool up there at night, but the daytime should be perfect for fishing, swimming and boating. We should be able to have a great time in the woods and on the lake" He rolled upright and was treading water as he excitedly replied; "Really? We were all talkin' about that at my party Dad, honest! With all the stuff that went on, we just all kinda thought you'd forgot about it! I know that the guys would really love it and so would I...does this mean we can still go? You're still gonna take us? When?" "Well, I think it would be a lot of fun too. I've got to check my schedule and I'll probably have to change a few things around, but that shouldn't be too hard. This evening we can finalize the dates. If we're going to do it, it should be for at least a week, ten days would be better... otherwise it almost won't be worth driving all the way up there with all that gear. Tonight I'll let you make the calls and invite everyone OK?" "Kay!" and in a flash he lunged at me- hugging me impulsively causing us both to sink underwater. When we'd floated back to the top, I was treated to a wonderful mischievous grin on his face. He was obviously delighted at this unplanned dunking, thinking it to be great fun...in that regard he was no different than any other little boy- a little bit of harmless mischief was always funny. Taking a quick glance at my Rolex, I decided I'd better shift into my still unfamiliar "father mode" and I said; "Good... but now, we'd better shower off and get dressed. Your afternoon class with the Professor is in twenty minutes and I've got a meeting with Walter and Uncle Phil." Sean's education was very non-traditional and in one form or another was a year round endeavor. In order to establish some sort of guideline, we'd had him take a State Certification test in June just before his birthday and we'd recently received the results which placed him in the top five percent for his age group so we'd decided not to change a thing. As Doc Swaim had pointed out to me, Sean was a remarkably intelligent kid to begin with and the education he'd received at the NEST had been outstanding. Doc was simply building from that very good foundation and guiding the boy's natural proclivities for learning down various reasonably structured paths. The big man liked to say that a stimulated curiosity was the key to learning. This unorthodox program was not only providing Sean with a glorious education, it was also allowing for extreme flexibility permitting us to schedule private chunks of time for personal adventures. It was a wonderful arrangement and it ideally suited our still evolving roles as father and son. Typically for him, Sean made no protest over my decision that we end the swimming session. He simply wasn't the type of kid given to protests, tantrums or even minor cajoling. Instead, he nodded his head and swam over to the nearest ladder and climbed out of the pool. I watched him in silent appreciation as his nimble little body moved up the steps and across the deck with grace and élan. The muscles in his cute butt flexed with the movement of his well-formed legs and his whole body seemed to bounce with youth and life as he walked toward the pool house. ****************** Walter and Uncle Phil had been giving me my own intensive tutelage regarding the remarkable scope and nature of my family enterprises. At first it seemed extraordinary to me how little I actually knew about my family's significant affairs. I had come to learn that these two men represented two arms of the same immense and complicated "creature". While Uncle Phil oversaw the intricately intertwined web of the business and financial aspects of the "empire", Walter managed the clandestine quasi- military branch that had been so recently revealed to me by my discovery of the existence of the Skuggor and whose scope and reach I was just now beginning to gain some sense of. Over time, working with them, what had at first seemed to be so vast and overwhelming was now steadily drawing into focus for me and I was surprised at how quickly and easily I was finding myself coming to grips with everything. Uncle Phil had said to me with a smile; "That's because you think like your father Eric." That was a great compliment because everything I was now learning about...the entire operation had been conceived and initiated many years ago by my father. He had literally built the organization with his creativity, determination and of course, hard work and he had been active at the very heart of it all up until the day he died. Early on he had found and recruited Walter and Phil...two very talented and creative young men who were seeking direction and (if the truth be told) hoping to find an unorthodox but useful path for their lives and talents. They both found what they were looking for in the person of my father. He had not been stumbled upon them haphazardly; he had located them himself through careful research and they had taken to my father's plans like ducks to water. Under his guidance and encouragement, they had blossomed and flourished as had my father's organization and the family fortune. It had apparently been my father's greatest hope that eventually I would become involved and ultimately take his place as the head of the entire operation. For this reason, all of my diverse interests as a child had been encouraged. Every door of interest opened and every curiosity encouraged. My father had believed that the more rounded and expanded a person's thinking, the better suited he was for leadership. Upon slowly discovering the nature of the organization, I'd made it clear to these two trusted mentors that I had every intention of assuming my rightful role in the chain of command of the gargantuan entity that had been built from my father's fertile and cunning mind. An organization that he (with his unique sense of humor) had dubbed; Magnus Venatus...the Great Game. I stressed that I needed a great deal of advice and guidance from them now and for a long time to come. To this end, we'd decided it would be easier for me as well as for both of them if we established some central place where both sides of the "business" could come together and I could learn while participating... an unofficial headquarters...a base of operations. To serve this purpose, we had launched an ambitious project of renovation on the entire old south wing of the mansion. This section of the large house was hardly being used except for my grandfather's former office which was now the site of Sean and the Professor's classroom. We decided to leave that in place and work around it because the location seemed to be functioning well for them and, if the truth be told, I liked the idea of having Sean so relatively close by. While many of the rooms on the lower two floors were still in the process of being gutted and re-fitted for various purposes, the entire top floor had already been modified enough to use as our "command center" and it was there we held a meeting once a week. I received my hands on "education" here on the remaining days as Uncle Phil and Walter conducted business as usual. Initially, we'd considered constructing a new building but had decided that incorporating our command center as part of the large old mansion made its existence less obvious and certainly more private and convenient. This afternoon, I had called for a special meeting because I'd grown confident enough that I'd decided it was time to discuss my plans to use our resources against the NEST. To my surprise, they had added that this was a fortuitous time to call a meeting because they had something they'd like to discuss with me as well. Showered and dressed casually, Sean and I walked together across the grassy garden and into the south wing...the new ipso facto headquarters of what I'd come to think of as "the Ops Center of Magnus Venatus" even though the organization was far too vast to be placed under the umbrella of just one name. Once inside, we parted. He scampered off to the classroom and I took the new elevator up to the third floor. ********** We were seated at the beautiful large custom crafted table that had been installed as the first major piece of furniture in our new space. The entire top floor had been reworked to include this large conference room as well as several private offices and some additional areas not yet designated for any particular use. The renovations had slowed down a bit because of our extensive electronic and cable requirements but this area at least was now functional. The luxuriously grained wood of the table glowed richly in the sunlight that streamed through the newly installed windows whose almost floor to ceiling subtly tinted glass afforded a wonderful view down into the classic European style Maze Garden that had been originally designed and planted in my great grandfather's day and which now was so lovingly tended and maintained by Andy's grounds crew. Both Walter and Uncle Phil had smiled at me as I entered the room and indicated that I should take the place at the head of the table while they took seats at either side. I sat down gingerly onto the new large chair and grinned at them as I swiveled and leaned back into the embrace of the soft brown leather. "This is nice." I couldn't help but chuckle. "Now I'm going to have to get one like this for my study." "Eric, I must tell you that you look great in that seat and we've looked forward to the day when you would take your place at the head of the table." Walter was nodding his head in affirmation as Phil spoke. "It speaks volumes as to how far you have emerged from your... emotional problems in the past and are proceeding at becoming the man we all knew you would be. Your intuitive grasp of all aspects of the organization and your recognition of its many subtleties is more than encouraging, it's astonishing. You're a fast learner and an intuitive thinker...your father would be very proud. " I stared into both of their faces; familiar, trusted, safe... faces from the very earliest memories of my childhood and felt that I had just received an enormous and priceless compliment. I cleared my throat in an attempt to hide my emotional reaction before I spoke. "Guys, let me tell you what's prompted this meeting then. It's something that's been building on my mind since Sean came into my life and it's almost like an epiphany." They both listened attentively as I explained my general feelings regarding the NEST and the period of sexual servitude they imposed on each of the boys in their charge. "I'm not being hypocritical here. I fully realize they have enjoyed frequent patronage from some of our own businesses. We as a "company" have paid for and used the services of these kids as bribes, favors, enticements and rewards for staff and clients. I'm sure from a business point of view, it has seemed above board and reasonable to do this especially since the NEST is so well established that it almost seems respectable...It seems to me that if you're clever enough, creative enough while at the same time short sighted enough, the most horrendous things- the most despicable actions, can be justified and made to seem wise or (at the very least) prudent... but I've come to feel it's unconscionable. Now, I certainly recognize my own involvement here not just with those boys I've used personally, but even including my original blurred intent concerning Sean himself. I'm making no attempt to excuse my behavior in any of this, I'm no better than the worst of their other clients. I'm completely guilty of taking advantage of the conveniently protected set-up in the past but with my new clarity of mind and frankly the love I have for my little son, I've come to think very differently about this situation...let's face it, what value is being able to have an opinion if you're not capable of rethinking and changing it? This turning of bright little kids into harlots...into "call boys" for three or four years is wrong and it negates all of the good that the Academy does... And that's the stumbling point here...the Academy actually does a tremendous amount of good for these kids. Most of them have thrived and succeeded far above the norm when they would have become mediocre people at best had they been reared in the normal "system" provided by society and we've got to take that into consideration. The NEST produces good, talented, high achieving young men. What I want to do is essentially stop the prostitution but continue...even improve the development and education they offer these gifted children. I want to make the Academy what it should have been from the very start." Walter immediately jumped in; "On the surface Eric, this shouldn't be a problem at least not one that simply throwing money at can't fix especially since the current CEO Bernard Turnbridge III was a University classmate of yours and is relatively new to his position. From what I know about him, I can't imagine that he's enjoying having to oversee an organization such as the Academy when he'd much rather be playing golf and chasing women. Running any type of business doesn't seem to be his thing at all. The right sized buy-out would probably send him dancing away in glee. However, looking at it realistically, if that's all we did, that will work about as well and be as easy as baptizing a cat. The real problem I foresee will come from the disgruntled client base most of whom are powerful people in their own right. We will also encounter resistance from those who have a vested interest in maintaining what has become a very lucrative status quo. Consider that after almost seventy years in operation, the NEST has some serious political and legal backing and protection that isn't going to simply go away. I would imagine it's a well-established support system. Who knows how tightly that web has been woven? You're more powerful than any of them Eric but that doesn't mean they can't be nasty and do you a great deal of emotional if not physical harm. The practice of white slavery at that school is too ingrained and has existed far too long to just disappear quietly. They'll fight you on this Eric and some of them won't do it nicely either. At the least they will be a pain in the ass and at the worst, they will be actually dangerous." "Exactly." Uncle Phil interjected "and if you think about it Eric, one of the most obvious areas of attack will be the relationship between you and Sean. They'll zero in on how you originally contracted him out: at a younger age and for a far longer period of time than any boy before him and they'll make it seem more sordid than any other transaction that's ever taken place with them. If we try to take them down, they'll try to drag you with them...They'll roast you. You're old enough and tough enough to handle what they throw at you, but the little guy...well, let's be honest...as smart as he is, when it comes to being worldly wise, we all know he's almost like a baby. He's got a pure trusting heart. He knows nothing about evil or guile. When they get through attacking you two, God knows what it will do to him emotionally and even mentally." "I've already thought about that." I told them as I leaned forward gripping the edge of the table. "That's why we need to come up with a..a cover story...a fable...a MYTH if you will that explains the adoption in such a pure, innocent and admirable way that no one would dare to cast aspersions on it . It's got to come across as so clean, so virtuous that Disney would love to make it into a movie and THAT needs to be the first course of action taken before we attempt any moves upon the Academy. I will not have anyone or anything hurting Sean." "A MYTH?" Walter chuckled. "Eric, you've been hanging around Professor Swaim too much." But then he quickly added; "How about I give this problem to my people? In fact, I've got just the guy in mind. He's one of my brightest, most creative thinkers. He should be able to create a story for us that's so good; even YOU will believe it when you hear it." "Do I know this person?" I asked. "Sure you do. You've met him on your jet a few times and once under that fire tower back during the...trouble several weeks ago. Though he was packing a gun at that time, he's actually better at the cerebral type of stuff...the smoke and mirrors." I thought for a moment before I realized he could only be talking about one person. "Barry?" "Yep, Barry. Let me give this project to him Eric. He's nothing short of a genius at this sort of thing." "I would never have guessed it Walter." "Well Eric, that's the point isn't it?" he was smiling and very quickly I smiled back, nodding my head in acknowledgement. With that course of action agreed upon, suddenly there was a slightly uncomfortable silence at the table and I noticed Walter and Phil exchange meaningful glances. Finally Uncle Phil spoke. "Now then Eric, since you're growing into your position of authority so capably, Walter and I feel this would be a good time to discuss the future. As you now know, we were with your father from the very beginning. While he was the genius behind the enterprise, we both played a significant part in its development, expansion and now we are of course, integral to its day to day operation and very involved in its continuing success. Lest you become suspicious, you should understand that we're both extraordinarily well compensated for our work...perhaps better than you can even guess. That's not an issue and never has been. The issue...the reality is, we're not getting any younger. If your father had lived you'd have been at least four years further along in your involvement in the business and by now, seeing how quickly you catch on to things, I suspect he would have been slowly phasing you into control while working himself out and into an easy chair. Sadly, fate didn't play it that way and unfortunately you reacted badly to the tragedy. We've had to take up the slack while you were involved in what essentially was your four year drunken pity party and we did it gladly but now...you've returned to the real world and as you work your way into true control, it's time for us to be locating and training our own replacements. Frankly, had you stayed in your long inebriated fog, we would have made these decisions on our own but, now that you are becoming the effective executive that you are, it's only proper that we consult with you and act with your knowledge and blessing. " I felt the cold chill of panic grip me. "W-what are you saying Uncle Phil? Are you and Walter leaving me?" "Not at all Eric!" Walter leaned forward to grasp my arm as he spoke quickly. "You'd have to drag us out of here kicking and screaming! We both plan on being around and active for many, many years to come but we ARE getting a bit long in the tooth. We need to be training and phasing in people who can fill our shoes and eventually become YOUR team just as WE were initially your father's team." "Do you have people in mind?" "Well yes, I do at least. I've actually been thinking about this for a long time and taking into account the considerable growth of the business and other ..."things", I think it might be wise to consider a slight reorganization. For now at least, I'd like to bring up two people and split the duties. I'd like to begin working Barry in as the guy in charge of planning and deployment and at the same time I'd like to be bringing Richard to be head of Security and (shall we call it) clandestine operations." "Richard?" I cut in. "Do I know Richard?" "You don't actually KNOW him Eric, but you have met him. He was the one at the gate the day you returned from up north with Sean and you've seen him there several times after that. He played an important part in planning and implementing the new security measures that were set up after the...incident up north. For the foreseeable future, if you agree, they would both continue to report to me and of course ultimately to you. They're both relatively young men. Barry is a couple of years older than you and he's been with me since he graduated college and Richard is a bit older, he's 38, he has a great deal of black ops experience in the military and a marvelous talent and feel for the work. With no false modesty, he reminds me of myself when I was young. Your father approved his initial recruitment and he's been an active Skugga for a number of years. His work is impeccable and he is respected throughout the entire organization. He and Barry are excellent, capable and valuable men." "With total confidence, have to yield to your judgment in this Walter. When do you plan to implement these promotions?" "At once. I'll have Barry get going immediately on the adoption cover story issue and at the same time, with a little fanfare, I'll bring Richard into the household ostensibly as my assistant...assistant butler that is. As far as the world knows that's all I am after all. It's important that Richard quickly become a regular face around the property...to become known by staff and visitors alike. Sean needs to get to know him and trust him as well because his safety will also be in Richard's hands. Barry will remain in the background though he'll begin attending our regular meetings so you'll be seeing him much more frequently. We'll come up with some explanation for his frequent visits to the house. By the way, Barney Dunn...I guess you met him as `Wolfman" up north, is already grooming his daughter Clair who you of course will remember, as his eventual replacement as Director of Field Operations. She'll stay on with the FBI for a few more years before she can retire without raising any eyebrows at the Bureau." "That all sounds more than acceptable Walter. How about you Uncle Phil?" "Well Eric, I'm not so far along in the process as Walter. Now that I have your blessing to move on this, I'll begin looking for a young person either near graduation or recently graduated from college...someone with a good head for business and a knack for creative thinking but not yet jaded by the culture of some other company or endeavor. We do things a bit differently here." He smiled at that last comment. "I'll know him or her when I see them. Essentially I'm looking for someone as cagey as I was when your father picked me up. You know, the type that could hold up a stage coach while butter could melt in his mouth." He gave Walter a conspiratorial wink. Almost immediately I had a thought. "You know, while Sean and I were staying at the lodge in the National Park, I met a young man I'd like for you to talk to. His name is Chris...I've got all his information over in my study. I'll get it to you...I had him checked out shortly after we got back. He's currently a student at the University though this summer he's working as Assistant Concierge at the Lodge. He's a very impressive kid. A quick thinker...boy next door type but I sensed something much more impressive hiding just below the surface. I'd like for you to have a look at him. I'm not insisting you do anything except meet him and talk to him. This is all going to be your choice Phil. I'll tell you that I liked his style and his quick creative thinking almost immediately. So much so that I'd already planned on finding something for him to do in one of our companies when he graduates. I'll tell you what...you've been working very hard" I grinned at both of them. "You both deserve something by way of a little break...something special so I'm going to use a little "influence" and book the same great private cabin at the Lodge for this week and I'd like you two to take a mini vacation out there in the park. The only stipulation is that I'd like BOTH of you to meet Chris and talk to him...don't mention any job prospects...I'll make certain that he's available to meet with you... just get a feel for him and we can talk about it at our next meeting OK? Remember this is just a knee jerk reaction from me you are both much more experienced at judging a person's character and capabilities than I am." "Don't even try to sell yourself short to us," Uncle Phil and Walter smiled at each other. "You are most definitely your father's son and it's quite obvious you've inherited his judgment and intuition...BUT the trip sounds great to me Eric." said Uncle Phil. "I won't turn down a luxury weekend in the mountains." Walter said with a grin. "I haven't pulled trout out of a mountain stream is a couple of years. While you're conjuring up the reservations, how about swinging me a permit to fish where I want in a National Park?" "I think that can be arranged." I smiled back at him. "Now then Walter, that means you've got just a day and a half to get things started with your new people. Please tell Richard I'll need to speak with him tomorrow. As my new Assistant Head of Security, he needs to know that in ten days or so I'm planning on taking seven kids on a fishing trip to the big cabin at Lake Osa Largo." "Cute!" said Walter rolling his eyes to the ceiling but still smiling. ********** "All of their parents have given them permission to come on the trip Professor Swaim it's gonna be soooo much fun! Please say you'll come too. Some of the guys don't know how to fish at all an NOBODY could teach them better than you and besides...at night, you tell the BEST stories in the whole world! Please say you'll come!" We were sitting in the overstuffed chairs in the living room at Fish Camp. Having invited his six friends on the trip, Sean had come up with the idea that we should also bring along Doctor Swaim to serve as instructor, story teller, and (I quite imagined) just to further show off his "private Wizard" to his friends. The big man broke into a broad grin and clapped a hand on Sean's shoulder all but engulfing it in his grasp. "Enough Sean! Your powers of persuasion are beyond my ability to resist. I shall be delighted to be a part of this marvelous expedition." "Yeah!" exclaimed Sean. He jumped to his feet and attempted vainly to wrap his arms around his massive tutor in a happy hug. "Well then" I said offering a glass containing a fresh "Jack and water" to the professor as I poured myself a single malt over ice. "I suppose I'd better alert John to get the motor home ready for the trip and I guess I better break it to him that he's been shanghaied for this adventure as well." "Yes!" exclaimed Sean thrusting his arms high into the air. "You know very well he'd have been terribly hurt if you'd left him out of this." Grinned Doc as he raised his glass to me. I saluted back and drained my drink in one pull. Placing my hand on Sean's arm I guided him toward the door. "Come along little man. You can drive us back to the house. We've got to draw up a list of supplies ...Mrs. Edwards can help us with that. Doc, would you be kind enough to put together a list of equipment we'll require for the three of us and seven kids? I've decided to buy all new gear for everyone. I particularly want all the kids to be equally well equipped. I'll have everything ordered and delivered to the cabin before we arrive. Sean, we also have to say goodbye to Walter and Uncle Phil and wish them a good trip to the National Park they're leaving early in the morning." As I said this last part, I smiled inwardly because when I'd secured the reservations for Walter and Phil, I'd learned that inadvertently I'd bumped the same sleazy Senator as I had the last time. I thought to myself that I should do that more often...just for the fun of it. Flashing a "Sean smile" my little boy jumped up behind the wheel of the golf cart calling; "Bye Professor Swaim! See ya in class tomorrow!" ******* July is the time of year when the new antlers of male deer begin to emerge. They soon shed their downy coating and begin to develop into the splendid glory that make these creatures so beautiful and so ultimately a symbol of maleness. It is for this reason that the full moon in July is traditionally called the "Buck Moon". Sean was standing in his underpants staring out the window in our bedroom. Everything in the universe seemed to excite and stimulate his innate sense of wonder and I was grateful for every moment I was blessed enough to watch him as he observed the world with joy and pleasure. The black night sky was devoid of even traces of cloud and the extraordinarily bright light of the Buck Moon streamed into the room through the window, bathing him in its pale orange light. I stood almost mesmerized as I gazed upon his stark beauty in the ethereal illumination. I thought regretfully of my camera sitting unattended up in the studio in another wing of the building ...much too far away to retrieve before the haunting magic of the moment was lost. "I must begin to keep a camera with me at all times." I thought to myself. "He's daily growing and images like this happen only once and they're gone forever." He turned to look at me, eyes wide in happy pleasure. The gold oval pendant that hung around his neck twinkled momentarily as he turned, reflecting the unusually bright moonlight; a light that made him appear to be bathed in gold...a spectacular, fragile golden statue that was at this moment mine alone to view and appreciate. "Wow Eric! Come see what a bright beautiful moon there is out there." He'd walked across the room and taken my hand leading me to the window. I stood behind him pulling him into me, pressing him against me with gentle urgent force as I stroked his bare shoulders and nuzzled his thick dark hair with my chin. He was leaning slightly with both hands on the window sill gazing up at the night sky. Slowly my greedy, loving hands slid from his shoulders and down his arms pausing briefly to caress his splayed fingers before moving to his smooth sides. I brushed my fingertips against his ribs as if they were some delicate and rare musical instrument which drew a soft giggle from him...sounding to me like the sweetest of music. Moving to his chest I took both tiny little nipples between my thumbs and fingers and gently kneaded them lovingly as I kissed his hair and ears and both sides of his neck. Breathing deeply, I took in the scent of him-the scent of pure boy...the scent of Sean. He stood there still and relaxed letting out a soft purring sound as I moved my hand down his flat little belly, past the waistband of his boxer briefs and softly cupped the little package tucked in the pouch. He arched his back into me so that he could crane his neck and turn his head to kiss my bare chest and lick my neck sensuously. Pulling slightly away he turned to face me, his eyes partially hooded by dark lashed lids. His tongue swept once across his upper lip as he slipped his thumbs into the elastic pushing the tiny garment down his legs revealing the small but now very erect penis and the still tight scrotum. The underpants dropped to the ground and he stepped smartly out of them. At my unspoken urging, he turned slowly...full circle... smiling as I viewed his golden body bathed in the mysterious moonlight. Dropping to my knees, I grasped him by the hips and pulled his little pelvis to me as I breathed hotly upon the rampant little organ. Arching his groin to me as if in offering, he gripped my shoulders and sighed huskily as I wrapped my hungry lips around his eager tool. I moved his hips with my hands controlling his thrusts as I worked my wet lips and dancing tongue up down and around the small sweet rod. Very quickly the oncoming rush of pleasure began to overtake him as he fought my confining hands in an attempt to thrust faster. His breathing became rapid and harsh and finally with one push he exploded as a healthy spurt of sweet cum shot into my waiting mouth. I swallowed quickly but kept a small bead upon my tongue to roll around and taste. I felt his legs collapse as he discharged his passion but I had him firmly by the waist and I held him up until he was quite finished and had melted weakly against me, "Oooooh o-o-oh Eric...I..." and then he stopped trying to talk and instead buried his face into my flesh sighing softly with happy contentment. After a few moments, I scooped up his still limp body and carried him over to the bed. Lying in my arms he whispered softly; "I couldn't never love anybody like I love you Eric, You make me soooo happy." The issue of my name...what he called me... was never as contradictory to me as it was during and following our times of shared passion. During the day, since the adoption, he strove to call me "Dad" because in his mind it was the proper thing to do. It was still quite new to him however and I was not unusual for him to slip, In the bedroom at moments such as these however, I was decidedly Eric and never anything else. This tended to remind me of the strange dichotomy of our relationship. I was, for the time being at least, father and lover but I no longer worried about it knowing in my heart that it would work itself out naturally and for the best. While our erotic moments were special and precious to me, they did not take precedence over my strong pure love for him and my desire to ensure he developed into a happy and loving person. He was the son of my soul, the love that had saved my life. I squeezed him tightly to me and made some sort of soothing noises. I didn't try to speak...I didn't want him to know how hard I was weeping from overwhelming joy. ************** "I want to thank you for this consideration Sir. Please believe that I'll never let you down. It is a great pleasure and honor to serve under you just as it was under your father." "So you knew my father then?" "Yes Sir. Not well of course though we talked on several occasions and I even accompanied him on one excursion six years ago. We were all very sad when he...when your family...when they... well, he was great man Sir." "Thank you Richard." I nodded at him. We were seated in what would eventually be my office in the new third floor complex. Like much of the rest of the renovation, the electrical and cable installations were holding up construction. While far from finished it did contain a few chairs a table that served as a temporary desk and a few other rude amenities. We had been discussing what would be his evolving role as Walter's assistant and it was a very informal interview. Richard Tirone did not give the impression of being as big as he actually was. He was about six feet 3 inches tall, solidly built with light brown hair that he wore short but not buzzed. His resume was impressive though like Walter much of the detailed information concerning his military career was classified...that little detail had not been an impediment for our organization. As I had discovered, if we wanted information, we got it. He had been on the cusp of deciding to re-enlist or not when he was quietly recruited by the Scuggor and had distinguished himself during the nine years he'd been with us. I liked the precise but comfortable way that he spoke and carried himself and I felt that in time we might become friendly perhaps even as close as my Father had been with Walter. "I think that since we're going to be working together like this from now on, you'd better dispense with the `Sir" it makes me very uncomfortable...all of my close associates call me Eric unless we're in public or trying to impress outsiders then of course it will be `sir' or `Mr. Tucker'." "Thank you Sir...err Eric. That's going to take a little time to seem natural but I'll work on it." He smiled at me and I noted it was a very pleasant smile. That pesky little voice in my head told me that I was going to like this man. I'd come to this meeting prepared to share information about the proposed fishing trip and was surprised and impressed when he produced a thick dossier of information that included travel routes, terrain maps and detailed plans of the cabin. After letting me ramble on for several minutes he finally interrupted me with a pleasant nod and said; "Actually Sir, I think I've got this covered." I stared directly into his eyes for a few moments before I rose from my chair, clapped him on the shoulder and said; "Yes, I believe you do Richard. Will we see you while we're up there?" Without cracking so much as a smile he said; "If you do sir, then you'd be smart to fire me." Then he DID smile and said; "But rest assured that I'll be seeing YOU. I bet you'll all have a great time ...Eric." He rose and left the room leaving me to contemplate the fact that Walter certainly knew how to pick his people. ***** The sun had not come up over the horizon when Doc, John and I herded seven wild and excited boys into the big RV. As Doc ensured they were all seated and buckled up I climbed up into the large front passenger seat next to John. As he started the engine and the big vehicle began to move, the noise from the boys in the back rose by about three decibels. John adjusted his sun glasses and leaned over toward me and said in a pseudo whisper; "I don't suppose we could have drugged them or gotten them drunk for the ride eh?" I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. Shortly the boys all waved at the uniformed guard as we drove through the gate and out onto the open road. I'd had visions of this being a horrible journey with seven preadolescents bouncing around in the confined space of the motor home but I hadn't reckoned on Doctor Swaim and his "magic". Within moments he had the entire group absorbed in a series of games, quizzes and other diversions that would ultimately occupy their young minds for the bulk of the journey. I turned in my seat and looked back on several occasions as he cast his spell on these little boys and as I had many times since I was a kid myself, I wondered if he was indeed a wizard. Thanks to his efforts, the four and a half hour ride was remarkably pleasant and it seemed that in no time we were driving down the private dirt road that led to the cabin. My grandfather had purchased this property which included three quarters of the shoreline of Lake Oso Largo and while he'd fished and hunted on it, he'd never put up any permanent structures. It was my father who had built the cabin when I was about three years old. In reality, it was a cabin in name only. Framed of logs and glass, the large rambling structure seemed to actually sprawl across the grounds as if it had grown there. Its architecture and material were designed to allow it to appear almost natural and in total accord with its surroundings. The rear of the structure had always been (to me at least) its crowning architectural feature as it was almost all glass and overlooked the beautiful lake and beyond that, the still snow covered peak of Cuerno del Diablo... Devil's Horn Mountain. It boasted six large bedrooms plus an upstairs sleeping loft. Off the one end of the second floor was a large game room with areas for playing cards and board games. A large antique pool table was the centerpiece of this room and a rustic masculine bar stood against the far wall. The huge main family room which occupied a good portion of the first floor boasted a large dining area and two mammoth natural stone fireplaces at each end. There were five luxurious bathrooms inside the building and also a multi head outdoor shower facility at the back. A wide covered porch at the second floor level wrapped completely around the building and at its north end was a large hot tub...one of the last things my father had arranged to have installed. There was electricity for lighting and heat and large propane tanks for cooking. There were also several radios, a computer room with a private satellite link and a handful of hard wired telephones. There was no television. My father had forbidden TV in this remote retreat. He had named the cabin after the lake; "Long Bear" which was the English translation of "Osa Largo" Though he'd never said so to me, I'd always assumed that my father had designed and built Long Bear Cabin supposing that eventually he would have a bigger family than it had turned out. It was always too large for us when we'd stayed there unless we had guests. Right now however, it seemed to be the perfect size and for the first time in my life it occurred to me that my father had been planning for the eventuality of grandchildren. The thought was melancholy but no longer devastating. Time and Sean had dulled the sting of my family's deaths and my heart was very much at peace. At the back of the cabin, the grassy property sloped down to the edge of the lake. Situated on a completely private cove, there was a large free floating dock as well as a very big boathouse. About 50 yards from the shore the old wooden raft was anchored in place. It looked as if it had recently received a fresh coat of paint. My staff had been up here earlier to deliver the supplies and equipment and, working with the two resident caretakers, to set up the cabin for our visit. The three larger boats had been taken from the boat house and were tied to the dock. Resting upside down on racks near the shore were four aluminum Grumman canoes. With a gaggle of seven 11 and 12 year old boys and this pure rustic environment, adventure was there waiting for us to find it. John pulled the big RV over to the side and opened the doors. No sooner had he done so than a tumble of arms and legs that eventually separated into seven little boys poured out and stopped momentarily to look around in awe at the beautiful surroundings. This rare spate of silent contemplation lasted very briefly before they became boys again and ran off in several directions on missions of boisterous discovery. I stood there grinning and shaking my head. John looked perplexed as he said to no one in particular; "Geeze! They're all over the place already! They seem as happy as clams and they haven't even looked inside the cabin yet! I wish I was that easily pleased." Doc Swaim placed a hand on John's shoulder and with a chuckle said; "You know John, a wise fellow once said; Show a man something new and he'll ask `what is it?' Show a boy something new and he'll ask `what can I do with it?' You should do your best to have fun on this trip...in case you've forgotten how, watch them over the next ten days...they'll teach you." (To be continued) Next...boys in the woods and a plan of action. Drop me a line if you've got any comments.