Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:31:35 -0700 (PDT) From: adm2780 Subject: New Horizons Chapter One-hundred Nine All rights reserved. Other than downloading one copy for personal enjoyment, no part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, except for reviews, without the written permission of the author. As in real life, the sexual themes unfold gradually and are kept to a realistic level. This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between males, adult and minor. As such it is homoerotic, designed for the entertainment of mature adults. If you are not of legal age to read such material, or if the subject matter would create irresolvable personal moral dilemmas, please exit now. Note: I would like to thank Matthew for his unwavering support and editing skills while I write this story. Matthew has been sharing his talents by posting another great story. Look in adult/youth for a story about Julian and Roman. Chapter One-hundred Nine: New Horizons Daniel stood in the parking lot, receiving calls from the other groups and totaling the number of boys recovered during the raids. Thirty-seven boys had not been turned into the state under the court order. As far as Daniel could calculate, sixty-three boys were now in the care of the authorities. Daniel understood that some of these boys did not come under the court order and could only hope that all of the missing thirty-seven were in the group. The fate of the remaining boys would be addressed when the missing boys were extracted from the group. In addition to the boys, there was a large group of adult slaves that had to be dealt with. The adult slaves were either enslaved as boys and had grown up, or were adult felons sentenced to slavery. Records would need to be pulled on each slave and then a determination made as to their futures. Before that could even be considered, everyone had to be moved to a central location. The police sent in two small busses to transport the slaves and the arrested individuals. Daniel felt that the slaves deserved the more comfortable of the busses, but understood that until those arrested were tried and convicted, they were free men with rights. Daniel did ask for a separate bus to transport the boys. Maybe some of the boys would not be set free because they were convicted criminals, but until that determination was made, all the boys were treated equally. "Daniel." Mark stepped up next to Daniel and spoke softly next to his ear. "You better come to the back. We may have an unusual situation back there." Daniel followed Mark to the back of the bus. Two boys sat side by side with a look of absolute fear. When Daniel tried to greet the boys, they just looked at him, confused. "That's the problem, Daniel," Mark commented. "Neither of them speaks English. I also checked them. They don't have normal slave ID's tattooed on their thighs." "Excuse me," an officer interrupted Daniel and Mark. "I'm Enrico. I didn't mean to listen in on your private conversation, but I think you said the boys don't speak English. I speak Spanish and they look to be Spanish. May I?" "Please," Daniel answered. Daniel watched the boys as Enrico spoke with them. Daniel couldn't understand much of what Enrico was saying, but he could read the fear in the boys' expressions. When asked a question, both boys would shake their heads, adamantly. "The first boy is Juan, the other is Julio; they say they are cousins. They say they were taken from their families and placed in the shop to work and pay off a debt their families owed." "Is it the kind of debt I'm thinking about, Enrico?" "Probably. My guess is the families owed money to the Mafioso. It isn't unusual for them to take the children and work them or hold them until the debt is paid." "Where are they from?" "They won't say. They say that if they talk to us then the men will kill their families." Daniel looked at the two boys. The boys shifted their looks from Enrico to Daniel and back to Enrico. It was very obvious that the boys were very nervous, and frightened. "Cuba," Daniel said in a flat tone. The boys' sudden, surprised reactions told Daniel that he was right. "Enrico, ask the boys if they are from Cuba and if the money their families owed was to the men that brought them here. Then ask how long they were supposed to work." Daniel watched the expressions of the two boys. He had guessed correctly and the fear of being discovered was clear on the boys' faces. The boys gave Enrico a pleading look as he continued to talk with them. "They beg you not to tell the authorities because their families' would be killed if it was discovered that either of them had talked with us. They do not realize who I am or they would not have said as much as they have. They say they were told they had to work as lowly whores for seven years to pay the family debt plus all the interest; then they would be free." Enrico's voice was filled with the sadness he knew the boys would feel if they knew the truth. "Mr. Thompson, if what the boys say is true, their families are probably dead. These people who bring in illegal immigrants don't play games and they don't show any sympathy. If they were promised payment, they want cash or blood. They don't wait seven years. They would kill the boys' families as a message to anyone else that might try the same thing. The boys would never have been set free." "I know, Enrico . . . I know. Right now, tell the boys that we're here to help them. We'll try to locate their families and return them to their parents. In the mean time they will be cared for and won't have to work. Tell them, but don't give them any false hope." Daniel left Enrico talking to the boys. He knew that the boys' immediate families here in the states were most likely gone, as in eliminated, and arrangements would have to be made to return the boys to other family members in Cuba or care for them here. Before Daniel could reach his seat, his cell phone rang again. "Daniel, it's Ron Wilson. This has turned out a lot bigger than we imagined. We have a mix of adults and boys. I know that we discussed taking them all somewhere besides the slave facility and had arranged to use the old juvenile center. However, we have too many to care for. I'm ordering the adults to the slave facility and assigning all the boys to your care at the juvenile facility." "I understand. What about bedding and food?" Daniel asked. "It's being moved over as we talk. Since the boys have been on a diet of slave chow for an undetermined period, we thought it best to give them that for today and possibly something soft that their systems wouldn't reject. The doctors will have to give us a weaning program. Cots are being moved over for them to sleep on. We're getting conflicting numbers on exactly how many we have in the adult and juvenile groups so we're guessing and then sending extra. Also, we're trying to get some clothing for them. At the moment all we have for clothing is county jumpsuits. Of course, if they don't want to wear them, no one will say anything, even if they may be a little over the age limit." "Ron, I doubt that anyone will care about the cots or clothes. Food will concern them and then they'll all be concerned about what's going to happen to them. Have you had any reports about any boys that didn't speak English, or not much?" "Yes, we did receive reports from two groups saying they each had a couple of boys like that. They said the boys wouldn't talk to anyone. Why?" "We have two boys here that don't speak English. Enrico spoke to them and my guess is that they are illegal. The smugglers took them when their parents couldn't pay the full bill for getting them here. They are scared to death of the authorities." "Well, Enrico is one of our undercover officers that works in juvie. Daniel, I'll check on the others and see if they have the same story. We may have to get Enrico to talk to them. Since he's accustomed to working with juveniles, and the boys will talk to him, why don't you keep Enrico with you for now?" "That's what I was going to suggest. Ron, I have a bad feeling that the boys' families may be . . . gone." "I'm afraid you're probably right, Daniel. We'll look into it and then deal with it from there. Right now, let's take them to the juvenile facility and take care of them. Your buses should go to the slave facility. The buses from all the sites will meet there and then head for the juvenile facility. At the slave facility, keep the boys on the bus when you arrive. It shouldn't take long to move the adults inside and then I'll ask the local police for an escort for your group. We have a lot more juveniles than anticipated and I'm calling in a couple of extra people to help pull records. "There's one other thing I have to address, Daniel. Since we have so many juveniles and know that only part of them should be on your list, that means we probably have juveniles who were enslaved based on criminal conduct. Until we can get all this worked out, I'll need to send some officers with you. I've told them to dress in civilian clothes and no weapons other than tasers that they can keep out of sight. I'm sorry, I know you didn't want any police around the boys right now, but I don't have any choice. We'll re- assess the situation when we have more facts." * * * * As the convoy approached the juvenile facility, Daniel saw three large vans backed up to the building. Men were unloading folding cots and small mattresses from two trucks and taking them inside. In addition, linens and pillows were being taken in. From the third truck, men were unloading cases of food. Daniel knew part of the food was slave chow, the only food these boys had been allowed to eat. Over the course of the next several days, their diets would be altered, allowing their systems to accept normal food. "Daniel." Daniel turned to see Enrico approaching him, smiling. "Some of the boys in the back wanted to know if they were supposed to entertain all those men tonight. I reminded them that you said they would not be working any more. They then said that the only time they were allowed on a bed of any kind was when they were having sex with men. They normally slept on the floor and didn't always have a mattress." "Well, tell the boys to enjoy just relaxing on the beds and to sleep well. They won't be entertaining any of the adults here. Also, tell them that for now they won't be entertaining one another, either. When the buses stop, I want all the boys to gather in one large group so I can talk to them. There are other boys here in the same position as Julio and Juan. Enrico, I would appreciate it if you gathered them together and stayed with them. I'm sure they're all just as afraid as these two." Daniel heard a familiar voice and turned to see Elizabeth directing two cameramen. One was filming the three trucks being unloaded. The second filmed the boys getting off the buses. "Daniel, this must bring back a few memories," Elizabeth commented with a smile. "Some," Daniel responded. "Somehow, that first day at the holding facility seems so long ago, but also, like it was just yesterday. The big difference is that back then I knew the stories of most of the boys; not here. Also, these boys are a lot cleaner." "You seem to have wound up with a lot more boys than you anticipated." "Almost twice as many. Not only that, but you see the gentleman with the two olive toned boys following him? That's Enrico. The boys following him don't speak English. There's a few more just like them. I asked Enrico to take charge of them for now, until we can verify their history." "I'm getting the sense from you that those boys possibly don't belong here." "I always said that you had a natural talent for a good story. Give us a few hours and you might have a real blockbuster here." "They're illegal, aren't they?" Elizabeth said more than asked. "Like I said . . ." "Daniel, there's been rumors around forever about the slave industry being tied into smuggling illegal aliens. No one could prove it. Everyone touched by it was too scared to talk. Smugglers bring them in from Cuba, or South America. The children are sent to the brothels on some trumped up debts and are never seen again. The families mysteriously disappear." Daniel just stood and listened to Elizabeth. She had just voiced what he felt and believed. These boys were not legitimate slaves. Most likely, they are also now orphans. Under the old system, they would have become slaves with no one to assume responsibility for them. "Daniel," Elizabeth's voice now sounded urgent. "I need to talk with those boys. May I?" "They don't speak English." "That's alright, I got straight A's in high school Spanish. Besides, Enrico will be with us if I need help." Daniel watched the boys, paying particular attention to Enrico as he collected the boys that didn't speak English. All of them had the olive toned complexions, just as the two boys on his bus. Daniel also noticed that two of the boys were wearing gold collars with some type of symbol on them. The two boys with gold collars had an interesting walk and an air of superiority about them. Daniel had the strange feeling that there was something familiar about those two, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Mr. Dan'l," Patrick called out. "They're all together like you asked." Daniel walked towards the boys. Mark, Richard, Brad and Kevin were with the boys. Patrick walked behind Daniel with Elizabeth next to him. Daniel approached Mark, who, without being asked, handed Daniel a slip of paper with three numbers on it. Sixty-three juveniles had been recovered in the raids. Five boys were taken to the hospital for examination and treatment. Fifty-eight boys stood in front of them now. When Daniel stepped in front of the boys he signaled for his group to stand next to him. He looked at the boys. He had a feeling of déjà vous and thought of the boys at Ft. Ogden. Not one of the boys seemed self-conscious about being nude; it was natural to them, just like the boys back home. All of them held their head at a downward angle, the result of slave training. A few were trying to look up without moving their head, fearing the punishment if they were caught. "Boys, my name is Daniel Thompson. The young men you see standing to my right are with me. We're here to help you." Daniel paused for the words to sink in. "I know all of you have been through slave training and told you must not look a free man in the eye unless told to do so. You may now consider yourself told to look all of us in the eye. I would like to see all of you holding your head high and looking this way." Some of the boys looked up, but quickly looked back down. A few of the boys looked at the other boys to see what they were doing. All of the boys began to fidget. Daniel approached one of the older boys. "What's your name, son? Your name, now; not your number." "Sir. Uuhmmm, Tristan, sir." The boy practically whispered and looked at the ground, his voice shaking; knowing he was never supposed to use his free-boy name and obviously worried what he had done to be picked out. "Tristan, that's a nice name," Daniel tried to get the boy to relax. "Tristan, I would like you to look up and look at me." Daniel spoke gently. As he spoke he placed the side of his first finger under Tristan's chin and lifted it. "It's okay, Tristan; look at me." Tristan looked at Daniel. "What's your last name, Tristan?" "Alderson, sir." "Alderson, Tristan, how old are you?" "Thirteen, sir." Daniel looked at the boy and smiled. It was an unusual name, one that you would remember if you heard it or saw it; especially if it was on a particular list. Daniel turned towards Mark. "Mark, look on the list and see if the name of Tristan Alderson is there. Patrick and Brad, raise your hands, please." "It's here, Daniel." Daniel smiled to himself. Lady Luck had allowed him to pick one of the missing boys. "Tristan, I would like for you to walk over and join the two young men that holding are their hands up." Tristan walked over, unsure of what was happening to him. Daniel motioned for Brad and Patrick to lower their hands before he turned back to the group. Before addressing the boys, he watched as Enrico moved his small group to the side where Elizabeth was talking with them. "Fellas, a list of names is going to be read. If you hear your name, you are to walk over and stand with Tristan. I know all of you are a little nervous, but like I said before, we're here to help, so I'm just asking you to be patient for a short time and we'll explain a lot more to you." Daniel walked away from the group so he could have some privacy and called New Horizons. He told Paul how many boys they had with them and gave him a quick description of what had taken place. Paul didn't have to ask Daniel what he wanted to do, Paul could guess. Paul also reminded Daniel that Thanksgiving was in two days and the Cherubs were supposed to serve dinner at the senior center. "Daniel, some of the boys are asking when you'll be back. Of course, little Danny is the most vocal. He's asking at least three times a day and driving Sean up a wall." "That seems a little unusual for him. He knows that I have to leave sometimes and be gone for several days." "Maybe so, Daniel, but have you thought about the fact that this place has been so busy, and you have been so tied up, that you haven't been giving him the time you normally do? He doesn't understand." Daniel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He knew that Paul was right; he also knew that he didn't have much choice at the moment. Thinking fast, he made a decision. "Paul, I need to have Jeff down here to help set up some records. We have several younger boys here and I'd like to have someone they could identify with. Suppose you ask Sean if he's willing to come down and maybe one other boy his age . . . " "And just maybe Sean will bring Danny with him?" Paul completed the thought. "That was my thought. Quite honestly," Daniel continued, "I miss the little guy and I think he could help me, too." Daniel continued his conversation with Paul, letting him know what had happened and what he wanted to do. Paul would advise the rest of the group at New Horizons, knowing that no one would be surprised. Paul wasn't even surprised when Daniel told him that he planned on talking to the governor that afternoon. When Daniel saw that the boys had been divided into two groups, he ended his call and returned to the boys. "We can account for thirty-five of the thirty-seven boys," Mark stated without waiting for Daniel to ask any questions. "Thirty-two boys are here and three more are on the list getting medical treatment. That leaves two unaccounted for." "Well, I'd say we did pretty good, considering," Daniel stated. "I'd feel better if we had all of them, but we'll have to let the authorities search for the two missing boys. Have you said anything to this group?" "Waiting on you," Mark replied. "Why don't you handle them? You know the routine with the doctors and tests and the rules. I'll just explain to them that they are now wards of the state and in our care. You can explain the rest while I handle this other group." Daniel explained to the boys why they had been separated from the others and what that meant for them, now. The looks of surprise, mixed with disbelief by some, smiles and tears from others, meant a lot to Daniel. He made no promises to quickly reunite them with their families, explaining they would all have to undergo evaluations and counseling. The boys were told that Mark would explain the details and answer questions while he dealt with the other boys. "Boys," Daniel began as he looked at the remaining, frightened twenty-six boys. "Some of you are here because you were enslaved and sold to pay debts; what is termed civil enslavement. Some of you are here because you broke the law and the courts sentenced you to enslavement; what we call criminal enslavement. You should know what group you fall into. If you are part of the group that was civilly enslaved, I want you to step over here next to me. If you are part of the group that was criminally enslaved, I want you to step over to the two men standing to my left. If you are not sure, stand where you are. Let me caution you now. We will have files on all of you, so don't try to play games. Now, let's form the groups." The two men were plain-clothes policemen. Daniel didn't like doing this, but he knew that he had to in order to protect the others. There was a risk of some of the boys trying to escape. If anyone escaped, there would be big trouble. Nine boys walked over to the two men. All of them appeared to be in their mid-teens except one, who was younger. Daniel watched as the men said something to the boys. The boys grouped together and remained quiet. There was no indication the men had said anything to let the boys know they were the police. All of the boys moved to the policemen or stood by Daniel. Daniel turned his attention to the boys standing next to him. "Okay, boys. Is there anyone here that was enslaved because they didn't have a family to care for them?" Five boys raised their hands. Daniel turned and motioned for Patrick and Brad to join him. Just as the two boys reached him, Daniel's cell phone rang. Daniel turned away for privacy. The call lasted no more than two minutes. When Daniel turned to face the boys, he was smiling. "I'd like for the two of you to take these boys' names and numbers. Find out where they are from and how long they've been enslaved." "Mr. Dan'l," Brad turned his back to the boys and spoke in a very low tone. "Are they goin' ta stay with us?" "I'm working on it, Brad, working on it. Have you ever heard of the RICO Act?" "I read about it in history," Brad responded. "Well, I just received confirmation that it's still on the books. Think about what we found at those clubs and you'll know where I'm headed. Right now, I need to talk to these last nine boys." * * * * "Easy . . .oohhh, easy man, you'll break it," TJ teased his best friend and lover. "Oooooooo, let me rock back and forth some more and see," Evan teased back as he remained straddling TJ's hips and impaled on his favorite part of his lover's anatomy. "You little shit," TJ exclaimed as he grabbed Evan's nipples and pulled the boy down for a passionate kiss. TJ wrapped his arms around Evan's chest and held him close. Both boys pressed their tongues inside the other's mouth, savoring the taste of cum that remained from the sixty- niner they enjoyed before Evan decided he needed a good pounding. As TJ finally grew softer, he slipped out of his lover and the two boys rolled to their sides, still entwined in one another's arms. TJ rolled onto his back, his arm still wrapped around his lover. Evan lay with his head on TJ's chest, his left arm and leg draped across his body. Neither boy said anything as TJ ran his fingers through Evan's hair. Evan enjoyed listening, and feeling, the steady beat of TJ's heart. Both boys enjoyed feeling the warmth of the sun shining on their bodies. Evan finally broke the silence. "TJ," Evan said barely above a whisper. "Yeah" "I wish we could just stay right here, just like this. Nobody but you and me enjoyin' the feel of the sun on us and makin' love whenever we wanted," Evan commented. "We can, for right now. There's nobody ta bother us," TJ responded. "It's funny, I like ta lay on ya like this and I can hear your heart goin' thump . . .thump . . .thump. It's relaxing. I like it when it's just me an' you and it's quiet; nobody ta make a bunch a noise." "Nobody else can make a lotta noise when you're here," TJ answered. "You won't stop talkin' long enough." TJ laughed. "OOOWWW!" TJ hollered as Evan grabbed and twisted TJ's boy parts. Evan lifted his head and stuck his tongue out at his lover before stretching up and giving him a light kiss on the lips. With a mischievous grin he bent down and kissed the parts he had just twisted, making them all better, before laying his head down where he could play with TJ's nipple. TJ made Evan move a little and then began running his fingers through the boy's hair. Within a very few minutes, Evan had fallen asleep. TJ followed him into a restful sleep. TJ whimpered and then moaned in his sleep. His body wiggled and twisted as he moaned and gasped with the pleasure coursing through his body. "Mmmmmmm . . . .uuuunnnnn," the teen whined as his young body responded. TJ opened his eyes and then shut them quickly as the bright sun shown directly into them. Turning his head, he opened his eyes a little, quickly realizing that Evan was no longer laying on top of him. He reached for his lover, but he couldn't find him. He opened his eyes to see Evan on his knees, between TJ's legs, tongue bathing TJ's silky sac as he used his middle finger to slowly penetrate TJ. Waves of lust coursed through their young bodies. TJ sat up and grasped his lover under his arms, pulling him up for a passionate kiss. The two teens rolled on the ground, each fondling, licking and enjoying the other. Suddenly, TJ realized they were no longer alone. The two boys lay on their backs and looked up to see the twins, Bill and John, the sex maniacs, looking at them, grinning from ear to ear. "What are you two doing here?" Evan asked, still a bit stupefied. The twins looked at the lovers' raging rods and then at one another. The twins were known as the sex twins for a reason. With no words spoken between them, the twins each dropped onto one of the teens and attacked the teen erections. "Oh, fuck! Stop! Both of you! Ohhh, gaaahd," TJ exclaimed as one of the ten year olds swallowed his raging member in one gulp. Evan received the same treatment. The boys didn't stop; they just flexed their throat muscles. "Ooohhhh . . .nooo . . .my gaaahhhd . . . .mmmmmppphhhhh . . .noooo . . .stop." The two teens kept demanding that the twins stop, but it was a losing battle. It was a deliciously marvelous losing battle. Finally, TJ reached down and grabbed one of the boy's legs and pulled him around. The sexy little guy kept a death grip on TJ's pole and laughed around the pole still in his mouth. Evan saw what TJ had done and did the same to his attacker. Now, both twins were laughing. Almost as though on cue, the two young boys straddled the teens' chests and sat down. Evan knew what his boy wanted; TJ only took a minute to figure out what his boy wanted. The teens began to kiss the little butts that stuck in their faces and lick through the valley leading to their young treasure. While Evan pleasured the boy that lay on him, the boy moved off the teen rod and sucked a testicle into his mouth, rolling it round with his tongue. Evan knew who he had on him. "Oh man! I've got Bill. He always loved ta suck my balls. That means you've got John," Evan commented. "Great. At least now we know who's rapin' us," TJ laughed. As if on cue, with their treasure holes thoroughly wet, both young boys turned themselves around and, in one quick movement, impaled themselves on the teens. TJ and Evan both bolted upright from the sharp sensations coursing through their bodies, and then lay back down, panting. The two boys leaned forward, supporting themselves with their hands flat on teen nipples, and began to wiggle their butts. "Oooohhhh, Jesus," TJ gasped, panting. The two young boys moved almost in a synchronized motion. Their little butts never staying still; never leaving the teens' pelvic bones. Both young boys looked at the teens and smiled; exchanging glances as if to give one another approval for a job well done. If they weren't sure how good they were performing, they only needed to watch the teens' expressions and listen to their moans. "Evan," TJ managed to whisper through his clenched teeth, "These two are fuckin' fabulous. The way he's bouncin' on my dick is uneal!" "Yeah . . . I . . .know," Evan panted. "They've always done like this. My dad said these two musta been born natural sex machines." "Yeah, but I don't see how they move like they do. They hardly ever say anythin'." "They just look at each other. Josh says it's like telepathy between 'em. It don't matter what ya say to 'em neither, they just like ta have sex. Always been like this." Evan had to stop talking; it took all his strength to gasp for air. Bill and John lay flat on the teens' chests and began to suckle a nipple. With a free hand they tweaked and twisted the other nipple, alternating nipples as they continued to work their anal muscles. The two boys began to rock, massaging their own boy parts against the firm teenage abdomens. The teens arched their backs, involuntarily, before reaching for their delicious tormentors. TJ and Evan reached down and held firmly to the bubble butts giving them so much pleasure as the pressure built in their youthful sacs. Soon, the young boys' high-pitched squeals mixed with the teenage sound of lust as all four boys experienced mind-blowing orgasms. Bill and John were the first to recover. Rather than extricate themselves, they again used their well-trained anal muscles to tease the teenagers. While the teens protested weakly, the two young boys moved their torsos around, massaging the teens milk into their bodies. Evan popped Bill on his butt to stop him from squirming. "Why are the two of you out here?" "Mr. Paul sent us. He wants you," Bill answered with a smile. TJ and Evan immediately picked up the boys and stood up. "Why didn't you two tell us before?" Evan asked, frustrated. "You were playin'," John responded as he reached for TJ's boy parts. "We wanted to play too. Can we play some more?" "Only if it's my hand playin' across both of your little butts!" TJ told them. "Let's go. Hurry." TJ and Evan each grabbed a hand of one of the boys and pulled them along as they ran back towards the compound. TJ suddenly stopped. "Evan, hold it. We can't go in like this. We've got sand and dried cum on us." "Shower by the pool," Evan responded. When the boys reached the pool-side shower, they knew to take a deep breath and grit their teeth before pulling the cord. They may be in South Florida, but it was late Fall and the cold spring water was even colder. Teeth chattered and goose bumps popped instantly. Their discomfort was eased when a strange sound caught their attention. A helicopter was landing out near the road. Jeff, Alex and Kyle were wearing clothes and running towards the 'copter. Sean and Danny came running out of the office, also heading towards the helicopter. Three other boys stood near the administration door, watching. TJ and Evan each took the hand of a twin and trotted over to the administration office. "Hey, what's up?" Evan asked anyone that would answer. "They're goin' ta where Mr. Dan'l is and help with some of the boys they found." "Why?" Evan asked. "Remember how it was with the last big group and some of us wound up takin' our clothes off and sittin' with 'em ta make 'em feel better? Same thing, I think." "You think right," Paul interjected from behind. "Well, look who was finally found and decided to come in," Paul commented, facing TJ and Evan. "Mr. Paul, we came soon as we knew you wanted us. Your messengers didn't tell us right away." "They was playin', Mr. Paul. We played with 'em, too." Paul looked at the boys and had to laugh. He knew the twins well enough to know exactly what kind of playing they were talking about and he didn't want details. "That's alright, fellas. Mr. Daniel was looking for some boys to help with the new boys they picked up today. However, after talking about it some more we thought it'd be better if you guys helped with the Thanksgiving dinner at the senior home. He's pretty sure that one or more seniors will be looking for their favorite Cherub or Cherubs," Paul commented with a smile as he looked at TJ and Evan. "We already figured we were goin', Mr. Paul," Evan responded. "Good," Paul answered, grinning as he turned to go inside. "Just don't let those twins wear you out too much. I hear Grandpa's been askin' about the two of you. Word is that he's looking forward to being very thankful." TJ and Evan just blushed and grinned, fully aware of the meaning behind Paul's comments. * * * * Daniel approached the nine boys and led them further away from the larger group. When the two plain clothes officers started to follow, Daniel asked them to keep a little distance. Experience had taught Daniel that a little privacy could mean a lot when it came to getting the boys to talk. The boys followed as instructed, walking in a straight line with their eyes cast toward the ground. "Boys, I want you to form a semi circle and sit down." Daniel paused while the boys sat and then continued. "Okay, to make it easier on all of us, I'd like for you to forget some of the slave protocol you normally follow. It's much easier for us to talk if we look at one another." Daniel sat in the middle of the semi-circle, facing the boys. The boys continued to cast their eyes to the ground. A couple of the boys were trying to sneak a look at Daniel without moving their heads. In their world, unauthorized movement meant fast and painful punishment. "Boys, you may look at me. You will not be in any trouble and no one will punish you. It's critical that we communicate." "Sir . . . master, sir." One of the boys wanted to ask him something, but his fear was obvious. "It's okay, son. Go ahead and say what you want, or ask your question. All I ask is that you remember that, for now, there is no master. My boys call me Mr. Daniel. I'd like for you to do the same." The boys glanced at one another. They would never call a master by his real name. He was master, and only master. "Let me ask you a question, son. What is your name? I don't want your slave name, but your birth name. Also, tell me what you did to become enslaved." Daniel looked directly at the boy who wanted to address him. "Sir, my name was Parker, sir. Parker Johnston, sir," the boy responded, tentatively. "Okay, Parker Johnston. That's a good start. Now tell me how you managed to get here." "I was caught, by the police, sir. I was caught givin' a man a blow job, sir. They said I was a whore." "And, were you, Parker?" "Yes, sir. But it was the third time they caught me and the judge, he said I was old enough to be part of the three strikes and you're out program. I didn't know what that meant until they handed me over to the slave people. They said I was gonna be a slave for the rest of my life." Parker was barely able to finish his story. His voice shook near the end. Daniel knew tears would be close behind. "Parker, what happened the first time you were caught?" "Sir, the police took me to jail and I had ta see the judge. When they took me in the court, my dad was there. When they called my name, my dad talked to the people and the judge and the judge told me how bad I was and what would normally happen, but he said I had a good father that was tryin' and he told me ta go home with him. "On the way home my dad didn't say nothin'. When we got home, though, he made me get naked and strung me up. He beat me for gettin' caught and costin' him money. I hung there for three days. He done all kinds 'a things to me that he said they'd do to me if I was a slave. He shoved stuff in me and made me eat and drink stuff I can't talk about, Mr. Dan'l. Then he made me go back out and be a whore again." Parker cried, tears running down his cheeks. "It had'n been that bad most of the time, Mr. Dan'l. No worse'n what my dad did ta me, anyway." Daniel had to take a deep breath and wait a moment. He had heard too many stories like Parker's; too many abusive families, abusive parents, and victimized children. Some of the children thinking they might be better off as slaves than have to face family. "Is there anyone else here with a story similar to Parker's?" Daniel asked. Two boys raised their hands in response to Daniel's question. Another boy told Daniel that his story wasn't really like Parker's. He'd lost his family and ran from the police. His pa had been arrested and enslaved as a habitual drunk and addict. He didn't have any other family and everybody knew the courts would make him a slave if they caught him. Eventually, they did catch him, and they made him a slave because he didn't have anyone to take care of him. "You other boys. What's your stories?" "Drugs, sir. I was caught sellin drugs." an older boy spoke up. "What's your name, son? Why were you selling?" "Carl, sir. I thought I'd make a bunch of money easy and was smart enough not ta get caught, but I did and here I am." "What do you think of it now, Carl?" "I was pretty stupid, sir. But that don't matter no more. If you get caught sellin' drugs, you're made a slave for life." "Did you have any family, Carl?" "Yes, sir. The last time I saw my momma, she was cryin' and they was havin' ta help her stand up. She was in the courtroom when they made me a slave. She saw what they did ta me and started screamin'. I'll never forget it." Carl's voice tapered off with the memory. "Okay, rather than get everyone upset, let me ask a couple of questions. Did any of you do anything that resulted in someone dying or where there was severe physical harm to someone?" Daniel waited, but none of the boys spoke up. Daniel signaled for the two plain-clothes policemen to join them. "Boys, I'll not make you any promises; that wouldn't be fair to you, or the other boys. The large group of boys you see talking to my associates over there, those are boys that should never have been enslaved. Their civil rights were violated. From what I can tell at the moment, none of you fall within that group. "We will be here for a few days until some things can be worked out. During that time you may commingle with the other boys. You may function as free boys again. However, understand that when it's time to leave here, you may have to go back to a master. Personally, I hope not, but I can't promise you anything. If any of you don't think you can ignore your slave training for a few days and then revert if necessary, then I suggest you maintain the protocol. "There are rules that you will have to follow. All of you boys will follow some simple rules. You are to respect yourself and those around you. Do not get into disagreements around here, we have enough problems already. Do not try to escape. You know that as convicted felons, you carry an alarm in your body that allows authorities to track you anywhere. "Sex. Do not exchange bodily fluids until you have been tested for STDs. Do not approach an adult about sex. The adults are honor bound to report any boy that approaches them and solicits sex. You boys are honor bound to report any adult that solicits sexual favors from you. Understand that I will not allow any one boy here to endanger the welfare and freedom of the others. There would be serious consequences that you would not want to face. "While we are here, I am going to talk to the authorities about each and every one of you. I feel I might be able to do something for Parker, maybe Carl, and the other boys. I'll do what I can for the rest of you. Fair enough? Any questions?" "Sir, are you sayin' we can't have any sex while we're here?" "No, that's not what I said. I said no exchange of bodily fluids until I have the results of the tests, and no sex with adults. You'll have to use your imaginations to satisfy any cravings you may have." "Daniel." Daniel turned to see who called to him. It was Enrico. "Sorry to interrupt, but . . ." "That's alright, we were just finishing up," Daniel responded quietly. "Daniel," Enrico said with a slight smile, "how would you like to meet royalty?" End Ch One-hundred Nine. To be continued Comments welcome: contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com