MONDAY, AUGUST 3

The bus turned the corner and was out of sight. An audible sigh was heard across the Meijer front yard.

Cooper put his arm around his twin brother's shoulders. "I'm really gonna miss them. Do you think they'll ever come back to East Harbor?"

"I don't know," admitted Connor. He felt defeated. As much as he wanted to maintain a friendship with the Mayfield twins, he didn't believe he would ever see Lance or Lenny again, at least not in person. "But I think we'll find ways to keep in touch." He was already imagining the fun the two sets of twins could get into with Internet and web cams.

They turned and followed the other boys dragging their asses as they walked back to Dr. Meijer's home. It didn't seem like anyone got much sleep after the party.

Lars and Zach greeted the boys from the kitchen. "If you haven't eaten, we have cinnamon rolls, assorted donuts, and cereal." The boys took over the dining room and kitchen grabbing food, drinks, and in many cases, consuming it before they found a seat or even a plate.

Zach laughed and commented quietly to Lars. "I bet they're only making a dent in replacing the bodily fluids they expended last night." Lars snickered, almost laughing out loud and drawing attention. Carol, for her credit, had taken her coffee and made herself comfortable in an armchair so she could watch the hoard of hormonal teens and tweens mimic a swarm of locusts devouring everything in sight.

"What are you guys doing today?" asked Sam. He bit into the jelly filled center of his donut. The strawberry jelly squirted across his cheek and down his chin engendering laughter from those around him.

Lukas washed his food down with some milk before offering an answer. "We need to get back to work," he said. "We've got a couple more shows before school starts and a lot of recording to do." Simon nodded to back up Lukas' claim.

"Really?" asked Lewis. "I thought you guys were finally done with all that."

"No," added Matthew, "we'll be working almost right up until school starts."

"I'll be working too," said Alex with a yawn. Neither he, nor Grant, got much sleep. "Mom's trying to get Saberspace and the music store fully open by Friday." He turned to Sam and Gregory. "If you guys still want to make some money, come with me and we'll see what we can do." Alex's friends nodded in agreement. That caused Alex to sigh in relief. Two extra sets of hands would make getting the work to get the stores finished go much faster. He liked working, but he did want to have time to spend some of the money on things for school and having some fun.

"After the tour and all that stuff you guys have done this summer, how can you guys have so much to do?" asked Curtis between licks of his fingers to clean the donut glaze from each digit.

"Well, for one," answered Matthew, taking another of Lars' cinnamon rolls for himself, "we're working on an album."

"Cool," added Will. He wasn't one to acknowledge the level of fame his friends had earned, but he was beginning to like his cousins asking him about their favorite band (and having all the answers). He couldn't wait to reveal this new tidbit.

The other boys were commenting on the idea of an upcoming At the Majestic album when Michael mentioned more exciting information. "And Alejandro will be back in town this week."

"Yes!" cheered Sam. Gregory would have too, but his mouth was stuffed with a chocolate cake donut. The others expressed excitement in their own ways.

"How long is he staying?" asked Alex after swallowing a spoonful of Cap'n Crunch. "Is he gonna be up at his family's house or is he staying here in town?"

"It will depend," speculated Michael. "We're doing a benefit concert and he's got a big benefit dinner to launch his foundation up in LA. So, I don't know if he'll stay up there or split his time up."

Gregory swallowed another mouthful of donut and asked, "Is that the show you were talking about?"

"One of them," answered Simon. "We're sort of hosting a benefit show with a bunch of different bands playing at the Hollywood Bowl. It's gonna be live streamed or pay-per-view or something. We'll get you guys passes to watch if you want."

"What's the other show?" asked Gregory.

"Remember that movie we made with those guys from San Diego State?" asked Lukas. "Well, their movie won the student competition and will premiere at the OutFEST LA film festival. We're gonna do a set there too."

"That's awesome," said Alex.

"It's gonna be epic!" added Michael. "You know why?" he asked. No one offered a guess, so he answered for them. "Aiden and Nolan are gonna be in LA and we're gonna hook up with them for the film festival." Some of the boys expressed jealousy over Michael and his brothers getting to hang out with Aiden and Nolan again.

Jaden grinned and blushed. The news about Aiden and Nolan made him think about what he'd gotten up to with those to Mayfield boys the previous night. Isaac noticed and raised an eyebrow. "What's that about?" he whispered.

"I'll tell you later," replied Jaden.

"You didn't mention that we're recording another album for a singer," noted Matthew. "Majestic Records is offering a contract to Mason's mother today and if she agrees, Mason will be back in a day or so to record an album with us."

"The Yard Goat Mason?" asked Curtis. He thought the little blond was cute and was planning on hanging around the theater more often.

Mason was one of Isaac's favorite Yard Goats and was pleased with the news he'd be seeing Mason again.

"Yep," confirmed Michael. "School might start in just 16 days, but those days are gonna be fun!"

----------------------     

Alex got out of the shower and headed to Simon's room to get into some clothes appropriate for work. Sam and Gregory were ready and waiting, having showered in Michael's room. Alex dressed quickly and packed his things for the walk to the Mallway.

"Did you guys call your parents?" asked Alex. He walked to the nightstand where he left his phone to charge.

"Yep," answered Sam. He and Gregory slung their backpacks over their shoulders.

"SHIT!" cursed Alex. "My phone's dead. Why isn't it charging?"

"I think that outlet is operated by this light switch," explained Gregory. He demonstrated and the charging indicator lit on Alex's phone.

"Yep," noted Alex. "You're right. But we don't have time for my phone to charge. I'll charge it at the store. Let's head out."

The boys walked into the hallway and saw Christian getting dressed in Michael's room. "Are you guys heading to the Majestic?" Christian asked.

"Yep," answered Gregory.

"Wait up," called out Michael hurrying back into the bathroom to brush his teeth. From the bathroom he added, "We'll go with you!"

Christian saw the look of impatience on Alex's face. "Don't worry. We won't be long."

Alex decided to join Sam and Gregory enjoying the view of the boys in their undies getting ready for the day before pulling on tees, shorts, socks, and shoes for the trek down Maple Street.

Out front they ran into Dr. Kendall picking up Craig, Oliver, and the twins. The older boys waved while the twins were too busy going on and on about Lenny and Lance, they didn't even notice their friends heading down the street.

"Wait for us!" called out Lukas. The boys hadn't gotten past the Meijer house before they were spotted by the rest of the band members. Turning to watch and wait, they saw the older boys exit the house one-by-one. Matthew pulled the door shut but Zach grabbed it and he and Lars followed behind.

Matthew waited for Zach to catch up. "Are you coming to practice?"

"No. Your dad and I each have appointments this morning. I'll have some time after lunch to swing by."

The boys greeted the two adults before the teens. Those greetings included Michael giving his dad a hug and walking down Maple Street with his arm around Lars' waist. He understood what a special man Lars was, and how different his life would be if Lars hadn't welcomed him into the Meijer family.

The group split up at the theater. The men headed to their offices, Christian, Alex, Sam, and Gregory entered the Majestic offices, and Matthew led the band members into the auditorium. They'd only taken a handful of days off but it felt much longer. They were happy to get back to their normal routine.

Michael ran ahead and jumped up onto the stage. Turning to face forward, he stretched his arms to the side. "So, what are we gonna play?"

----------------------     

"Thanks for stopping by," said Carol as Christian took a seat.

"Thanks for helping with the party last night," replied Christian. "Everyone had a great time. It was nice making new friends and all."

Carol always appreciated Christian and couldn't be happier that he was Michael's boyfriend. She couldn't imagine a better matched pair. "You boys weren't the only ones making new friends. I think everyone had a great time." Her brain hi-jacked her for a second with a replay of the sounds coming from the family room the previous night, then the sights she witnessed in the hot tub.

"Mrs. Novak?" asked Christian.

"Oh. Sorry," she said, her mind returning to the present. "I wanted to talk to you about hiring an assistant."

"Why?"

"Sorry, I should have presented this idea to you differently. It has really bothered us, Lars, Zach, Mrs. King, your parents, and me, that you are the one seeing all the...uh...inappropriate comments and pictures sent to the band's social media sites."

"I don't mind."

"We appreciate that about you. I know you have taken on that responsibility. I also know you haven't complained once about it, and you have reported it all to us just like we asked so we can protect everyone. The problem is, we need to do a better job of protecting you, too. You shouldn't see those things and you shouldn't have the burden of keeping those things from the band."

Christian felt like he wasn't living up to his commitments, but he also knew Carol was correct.

"We've lined up a few interviews this week for a social media specialist. You'll continue to guide the direction of the social media plan and the new person will report to both of us. You're getting ready to start high school and I'm hoping this person will take some of the workload and pressure off you so you can focus on school and having fun."

He wanted to argue, but it didn't sound like a terrible idea. Tennis was taking up more of his time than lacrosse ever did and he figured his work load for school would increase with the move to the big school.

"Besides, with Majestic Records bringing on more acts, we'll need someone to work with the other groups too. But let me be clear, you are not being replaced. You've done too good of a job with the boys for us to even think of making a change."

"Thanks," said Christian with a slight smile.

"I'll let you know when the interviews are scheduled. In the meantime, come up with questions you'd have for the new candidate. Let's get together before the first interview to review the questions and make certain they are clear and concise, so you get the answers you are looking for."

Christian agreed, "Okay."

"Not many teens get a chance to be put in charge of such a high-profile social media account, let alone manage other people. I'm here to help you succeed. It will take organization since you'll be tracking what you and the other person are doing. It will also take honing your people skills for the workplace."

"Are we hiring, like, an adult?"

"Well, yes. I'm not sure if it will be someone college age or older. We're getting quite a few applicants, and their ages vary greatly. Some applicants have a great deal of experience. Typically, we would interview and then call references of the candidates we are thinking of hiring. But things are a little quiet this week so we are calling references of the individuals we plan to interview so we can move quickly to make an offer."

"Okay," said Christian, for lack of anything better to say. He was still trying to wrap his head around having someone reporting to him, even if only as part of their job. "I'm gonna go up and work on something and start making questions."

"Alright. Let's talk about the questions after lunch sometime. We'll probably have interviews starting tomorrow."

Christian nodded and headed up to his studio behind the balcony of the old theater.

----------------------     

"Hey boys," greeted Alex's mom, Alexa. She came around the table and gave each a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Where most boys would be embarrassed, Alex glowed with pride.

"Mom, the guys were thinking they'd like to make some extra money before school starts and I thought we could use some help getting the stores open, and..."

Alexa decided to get to the point. "So, you two would like to help in the stores?"

"Yeah," answered Sam eagerly.

"And we'd like to work at the store after it opens too," added Gregory.

"I'll tell you what," said Alexa. "You work with me and Alex to get the stores ready to open, and then we'll see if you are ready to work the store. Deal?"

"Deal," the boys said in unison.

"Cool," said Alex. "Let's get to the store so I can plug my phone in and get it charged."

"Start over at Saberspace. We've got some boxes of inventory ready to stock the shelves and check for online orders."

"Got it!" said Alex with confidence. He turned on his heels and grabbed the store keys that were hanging next to the door. Sam and Gregory took that as their cue to follow.

They crossed the Mallway towards the store taking in the sights and sounds. A family was enjoying breakfast on the patio of the Maple Street Café. The architect, Alvin, was supervising the installation of the exterior lighting on the façade of Majestic Dance Studio. Teachers carried supplies into the schools to prepare their classrooms for the upcoming school year. There was one sight that Gregory found most impressive. Alex walked with an air of purpose, pride, and confidence.

Waiting for Alex to open the door, Sam and Gregory admired the new sign. Saberspace was spelled out in all caps with "SABER" in the school's gun-metal gray, and "SPACE" in neon green. The head of a saber-toothed tiger also branded the storefront.

A bell rang when Alex opened the door. "You can put your stuff behind the counter here. There are also some charging cables for your phones right here." He pointed to a mess of cables against the wall behind the counter. The boys put their things behind the counter and plugged their phones into one of the charging cables.

Alex showed Sam and Gregory around the store explaining the diagrams for which products go on which shelves, how the displays of small items were to be assembled and stocked by the counter.

He also shared how to distinguish items for the print-on-demand service in back and what goes on the retail floor. "Back here, we do a lot of on-demand printing of shirts and hoodies and the like. By printing on-demand, we can offer a bigger selection without having to worry about tons of inventory. That goes for school gear as well as the band's merchandise. Here's where we check the orders."

There were over 20 orders that had come in over the weekend -- a few more than usual. "We need to get these ready to ship first. If one of you could help me, the other could start unpacking those boxes and putting the merchandise in the store."

"I'll work on the boxes," offered Gregory. "Sam, you can help Alex with the printing stuff."

The first box was full of branded pens and pencils and other utensils. Gregory knew right away those were for the display by the front counter. He carried the box to the counter and grabbed the display fixtures. Once the display was set up, it had defined spots for acrylic jars for writing utensils, and trays for smaller items like erasers. Satisfied with the display, Gregory began to unpack the merchandise.

"Shit," he mumbled when a bag of pens caught on another bag and tumbled out of the box and onto the floor behind the counter. Walking around behind the counter, Gregory picked up the pens and noticed the alerts on Alex's charging phone.

"Alex...ALEX!" called out Gregory. "IT'S JOSH!"

The alerts didn't reveal the message, only the sender. But seeing text messages from Josh was enough to excite the three boys. Sam and Alex came tearing out of the back room. Gregory had Alex's phone in hand, so Alex didn't even have to come around the counter. He unlocked the phone and read the texts. "I TOLD you! I told EVERYONE! Josh is in trouble and needs help." Alex took off and the boys followed out the door and across the Mallway.

----------------------     

Lars thought his next patient had arrived early and entered the waiting area. Instead, he found FBI agent and family friend, Brian Parker. "Brian!" called out Lars in surprise. He gave Brian a hug. "What are you doing in East Harbor?"

"Oh," began Brian in a joking manner, "things were getting boring back in Connecticut and things somehow always seem to be more interesting back here."

"That sounds like you are here on an official visit," noted Lars.

"I'm sorry to say, but yes." He noticed a look of concern on Lars' face and turned to see what Lars was looking at.

Three boys came running from the retail store across the Mallway towards the theater. Before Brian could ask, Lars was out the door. Brian followed.

"Alex!" called out Lars. Alex saw Dr. Meijer and changed destination.

"IT'S JOSH! IT'S JOSH!" Alex wiped tears from his face and held out his phone for Lars to see. Brian looked over Lars' shoulder to read for himself. "I told everyone Josh was in trouble and I was right! I knew he'd never ghost me."

The men were alarmed by the text messages. "Alex, is it?" asked Brian. "I'm Agent Parker with the FBI. Can you tell me more about Josh's situation?"

"It's okay, Alex. Agent Parker is the one that helped Michael."

Alex's eyes lit up. He'd heard how highly Michael spoke of this man. He gave a quick and articulate rundown of how Alex's father went to jail for beating his wife and son and blamed them for his jail time. He also noted that Josh's dad had beaten Josh because he suspected Josh was gay. After his dad was in jail, Josh came out and the two boys became boyfriends.

Brian gave Lars a look of concern. "Alex? Do you have Josh's address?" Alex pulled Josh's contact information up on his phone and passed it to Brain's phone with a tap. "I'm going to call the Vista police and head over there myself. I'll keep you up to date. Okay?"

Alex stated firmly, "I want to go."

"I'm sorry, Alex, but I can't take you with me."

"PLEASE."

But Brian was already on the phone and heading to his vehicle. It wasn't really his jurisdiction or necessarily the domain of the FBI. But he would forever have a soft spot for boys suffering at the hands of homophobic idiots.

"Com'on Alex," coaxed Sam. "Show me how to use the machine and let's get those orders filled."

Gregory put his arm around Alex and Alex resigned himself to work instead of being there for his friend.

"Alex," said Lars. "If Josh's father is as dangerous as we all think he is, then it wouldn't be safe for you to be there."

Alex looked at Lars defiantly. "How safe do you think it is for Josh to be there?"

----------------------     

"Okay guys are you ready?" called Lukas from the control room. AJ was busy with a band in the studio downstairs leaving the boys to themselves in their studio. Lukas had learned the basics of recording and playing back. Mixing and the rest of the technology was still foreign to the drummer.

Simon and Matthew had been looking for a song to sing together when Zach played them a song from 1990 by a band called Extreme. It had two male vocal parts and Matthew was more than capable of taking on the higher vocals. Michael would accompany them on acoustic guitar. They'd been practicing the song on and off for a while, but decided it was time to either play it in a show, record it, or both.

The recording sign lit and Michael started playing the intro to "More Than Words."

The song ended and Lukas ended the recording. He set the audio to playback in the studio and hit play. Hopping up from his seat, he entered the studio and joined Simon, putting his arm around Simon's shoulders. They listened to the recording carefully. When the recording finished, Lukas planted a kiss on Simon's cheek.

Michael broke the silence. "We told you you two sounded great together. Now do you believe us?"

Both Simon and Matthew grinned. They didn't want to admit anything, but internally, both were excited by their duet and how their voices sounded together.

One of the things that made the vocals work so well was because the lyrics held so much meaning to Simon. It's what made his performance so heartfelt.

"There are some things we need to clean up," declared Matthew.

"Well, I think the guitar accompaniment was perfect," teased Michael. His brothers groaned and laughed before getting back to recording the vocals a few more times while their guitarist went to find his boyfriend.

----------------------     

Brian Parker arrived at Tri-City Medical Center to meet with a Vista investigator who'd been assisting on the Evans case. Agent Kowalczyk was on her way north from the San Deigo office.

Brett Jones had just grabbed a couple cups of coffee for him and his partner. Leaving the hospital cafeteria, he saw Agent Parker and caught up to him. "Agent Parker?"

Brian stopped and turned. The young Vista officer started to reach out to shake hands but in each hand he held a cup of coffee. "Thank you," said Brian, taking the cup of coffee he assumed was being offered. "Is there a place where we can talk?"

"I got us a room right down here." The two men walked to a meeting room with a "Reserved" sign on the door. The other officer, Brett's partner, was in the room making phone calls. Officer Jones handed the other cup of coffee to his partner.

"Have you seen the boy and his mother?" asked Brett.

"No, I just got here."

They took a seat and Brian took a sip of his coffee. "So, tell me. What happened?" asked Brian.

"Well, this is what we've been able to determine," began Officer Jones.

----------------------     

(Earlier this morning)

Josh nearly pissed his pants when his father grabbed his arm. It frightened him first when he was surprised by his father being awake. Second, it terrified him because he'd never seen his father this irate. The man's breath on his face was hot and smelled of beer and cigarettes making Josh's stomach churn.

"I asked you a fucking question! Answer me, damnit!"

He didn't want his father to know how much he feared him, but his body trembled giving up his defiant stare as a fraud. Josh's heart raced with desperation. He wondered if he'd live long enough for Alex to get his messages and send help.

Not getting an answer, Frank Evans rose from the armchair. Getting out of the chair, his grip on Josh's wrist loosened enough for Josh to yank his arm free. In desperation, Josh grabbed a statue from a shelf. Running to the picture window in the front of the house, he launched the statue through the window then stepped to the windowsill and screamed for help.

"HELP!! PLEASE, SOMEBODY HELP US!!"

A hand grabbed Josh by the neck from behind and slung him across the room. The force left Josh disoriented and unable to break his fall. He slammed into the tiled floor and tumbled into the back of his father's armchair.

Josh was just getting his bearings when he felt his father yanked him by the arm. Like a stuffed teddy bear, Josh's limbs flailed as he was lifted off the floor and thrown against the wall. The abuse was coming fast; too fast for Josh to gather himself and put up a defense. He felt his dad grab the front of his shirt and lift him into a position that allowed his father to punch Josh in the face. One, two, three punches left Josh bloody and groggy. He felt his body drop to the floor and heard his father's footsteps walking away.

In the kitchen, Frank grabbed a beer and chugged half the can before grabbing a second and shutting the refrigerator door. His anger always made him thirsty, and Josh always found ways of making his father angry. The man entered the family room and stood over his son. He kicked Josh in the ribs. "Get the fuck up you piece of shit."

Struggling to sit up, Josh's hand slipped in the blood on the tile floor causing him to fall onto his shoulder. The pain in his shoulder caused him to cry out.

"Fuck! You're making a mess." He poured the other half of his first beer on Josh then threw the can at the boy's head. Opening his second beer, he suggested, "Maybe that will help you clean it up."

A light flashed across the room catching Frank's attention. A quick glance towards the broken window and he caught sight of a flashlight.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" yelled the officer.

Frank could only assume the officer was armed and a gun was pointing directly at him. With only one step, he moved behind the wall away from the officer's view. The beam of light swiped away then Frank heard the officer call for backup on his radio.

Being on parole meant he was in even deeper trouble. He grabbed his lockbox off the top of the curio and retrieved his gun. Frank controlled his breathing so he could listen for movement by the officer. The low volume of the TV and Josh's quiet sobbing made it difficult for Frank to locate the officer. Soon, sirens approached, and Frank's desperation grew.

He grabbed Josh off the floor causing the boy to cry out in pain. Frank wrapped his arm around Josh's neck and dragged the boy towards the back of the house. Josh tried to find his footing, but with his socks on, his feet only slipped and dragged across the floor.

Through the kitchen, Frank dragged Josh to the backdoor. It appeared clear. He figured he could make it over the wall into the neighbor's yard and out onto the street behind them to get away. Josh was able to get a better footing on the wooden deck.

"FREEZE!" yelled an officer.

Frank turned to face the policeman and pressed the gun barrel to Josh's head. The officer circled around to the deck stairs and Frank tracked the officer's movements. The men faced off from the top and bottom of the stairs.

"Put the gun down or I'll put a bullet through his skull," warned Frank.

The last shred of hope in Josh's heart that his father loved him somewhere deep inside was ripped in two. The boy's body slumped as he cried quietly.

The men stared at each other in the standoff.

"Put the gun down."

"Back off or I'll kill him!"

"Do it," encouraged Josh. "Please, just do it."

"Shut up!" commanded Frank.

"Just shoot me and get it over with. Please," begged Josh. The boy cried harder.

Windows of neighboring homes lit up as more and more neighbors became aware of the situation. Tires screeched out front as more officers arrived. Frank understood his window for escape was closing fast.

Before the other officers could join the standoff, Frank had to make his move. Nudging to the edge of the staircase, he made his decision. With a quick step back, he planted his foot on Josh's lower back and shoved as hard as he could. Josh was launched into the air towards the officer.

Frank fired a shot then ran and jumped over the railing at the end of the deck. With a busted shoulder and unable to see clearly with a swollen, bloody face, Josh was unable to break his fall or even prepare for impact. He landed hard on the concrete patio 10 feet below.

The officer returned fire and started to pursue Frank. But the officer stopped, torn between catching the horrible man, or making certain the boy was safe. Instead of chasing Frank, he called for an ambulance and returned to the boy's side.

He checked to make sure Josh was breathing comfortably. "Com'on buddy. Hang in there."

----------------------     

"Did they catch Frank Evans?" asked Brian.

"No. But an APB has been issued. He fled on foot. We have no witnesses or reports of his location since. We have heightened security here at the hospital, but we don't anticipate him trying anything here."

"Do you have an anticipated next move?"

"Not really. That's what I was hoping the FBI could provide. We don't know if he'll flee, wait for an opportunity to finish the job, or go after someone else."

Brian's brow furrowed. "Who are you thinking he'd go after?"

"Prior to his parole, he justified his abuse of his son by his son's sexual orientation. We found evidence that his son is in a relationship with another boy, but we don't know his name. Frank smashed his wife and son's phones, and we are unable to retrieve any data."

"Are you thinking Frank might blame Josh's boyfriend for his son's orientation?"

"Yes. We have no idea if Frank knows who that boy is. But we'd like to find out and provide protection."

"You're in luck there. It was Josh's boyfriend who alerted me to this situation. Right before the altercation last night, Josh managed to send text messages to his boyfriend asking for help."

"Hmmm..." Officer Jones thought for a moment. "That might explain why the SIM card was missing from one of the phones. Josh might have removed it after sending the texts."

"We need to find that SIM card before Frank does," noted Brian.

"If he didn't already find it."

Brian added, "I have an agent from the San Diego office on her way. We'll assist with the investigation. How are the victims?" asked Brian.

"The mother was found unconscious. It is suspected she was unconscious for at least a day before we found her. She suffered a skull fracture and brain swelling. She's in the ICU and her prognosis is not good. As you know, the longer she's unconscious, the odds decline."

Brain nodded in understanding. His heart went out to Josh, and he said a quick silent prayer for the boy's mother.

"Josh is in stable condition." Officer Jones pulled out his notes.

"It can't be good if you have to refer to your notes."

"Fractures to his left orbital and left cheek bones. Broken nose. Dislocated right shoulder. Fractured ribs. Broken right arm. Here," he said sliding the list over to Brain, "Josh's injuries are pretty extensive."

"Oh my God," groaned Brian. "Frank is a monster."

"That's why we need to find him...fast."

----------------------     

Jack followed the directions Johann sent him. He confirmed he found the house by the red bandana hanging on the front door. Pushing his bike down the driveway, he used the gate to enter the backyard to hide his bicycle then knocked on the backdoor.

Johann was waiting and answered the door quickly. "Welcome Jack." Johann stepped aside and Jack entered the man's home. Johann checked to see if anyone noticed before closing the door and locking it.

Jack waited in the kitchen for his host to follow. The man was wearing a white, knee-length bathrobe, his feet were bare. When the lock on the door clicked, a part of Jack's brain tried to alert the boy to the danger he could be placing himself in. No one knew where he was and certainly no one knew who Johann was or where he lived. It was moments like this where boys like Jack disappear without a trace. But Jack was also longing for attention from an adult and the love he craved now that his family had blown up. Johann had offered just that.

"Well, my little liebling (sweetie or darling)," said Johann looking Jack over as he entered the kitchen, "aren't you going to be a little treat." He ran his fingers through Jack's hair then cupped the boy's cheek that was still flushed from the exertion of his bike ride. Putting his hand on Jack's shoulder, he guided Jack. "This way."

Johann led Jack into the living room, darkened by the closed blinds and curtains. He stood Jack in front of the sofa then took a seat facing the boy. "Undress."

Jack kicked his shoes off revealing his little white ankle socks. Next, he pulled his sweaty t-shirt off over his head and dropped his cargo shorts and kicked them into the pile with his shirt and shoes.

"Stop." Jack froze with his thumbs in the waistband of his tented, white briefs. "Put your hands behind your head. Now turn slowly." Standing up straight, the tent in Jack's undies was more pronounced. Jack slowly turned as if he were on a vertical rotisserie. The man admired the boy's body. He liked boys in white socks and undies and was delighted at the sight. "Underwear off. Leave your socks on," Johann ordered. Jack obliged.

Johann ogled the boy. He watched the rigid immature penis dance in rhythm with Jack's pulse. "Come here." Jack dropped his arms and stepped forward between Johann's knees. Johann untied his robe and opened it wide. Jack took in the man's nakedness. Johann leaned forward and took Jack's head into his hands. When he directed Jack's face to his lap, Jack immediately put his tongue to work wherever Johann directed his efforts.

" Verdammt! (Fuck!)" groaned Johann. "Your Uncle John was helpful, but he was such a depp! (Idiot!) Why the hell he pulled such a stunt with you and Alex and got himself thrown in jail I'll never understand. But I do know one thing. He sure trained you well."

Jack took in the praise and worked harder. It didn't occur to him that Johann somehow knew about his uncle John and all that happened even though Jack had never told him.

----------------------     

Alexa led Brian over to Saberspace to talk to Alex. The boy had been a mess since finding the text messages. Lars had told her what was up so she could check on him regularly. Sam and Gregory were doing a great job of getting Alex to help them, even when they were only pretending to be confused and reliant on their friend for direction. Getting the store prepared for its official opening was distracting Alex a little from his thoughts of Josh.

The bell rang when the door opened. Alex stood and looked over the shelf to see his mom and Agent Parker. He dropped everything and hurried over. "How's Josh?" Sam and Gregory were at Alex's side before Brian could answer.

"Josh is going to be fine. He's just going to need some time to recover," Brian answered diplomatically.

"Mom, I need to go to see Josh." Alexa stepped over and put her arms around her son.

"He won't be allowed to have visitors until tomorrow. You'll be able to see him then."

"What happened?" asked Alex.

Brian explained that Frank had been paroled and ignored the protective order for Josh and his mother. Frank had made it to the house before law enforcement called to let the family know he was being released. Alex offered the facts that he knew, making sense of why it appeared Josh had disappeared. Brian left out the details of Josh's injuries but did say the officer made the choice to save Josh instead of pursuing his father.

Alex was shaken up, but glad that Josh was alive, and he knew where Josh was. He pulled out his phone to send Josh a text.

"Josh doesn't have his phone, but I can call one of my agents and get a message to Josh if you'd like."

"Thank you!" said Alex.

After he worked out what he wanted Brian to relay, the FBI agent got down to more serious concerns. "Alex, you know why Frank went to jail in the first place, don't you?"

Alex gave a fiery response. "Yeah, he beat up Josh because he's gay."

"Right. And people that do stuff like that, can direct their anger at others too."

"Like other gay people?" asked Alex.

"Yes. And like people close to the family."

It took a moment for Alex to realize what Brian was saying. "You mean me?"

"Yes."

A chill ran down the spines of all three boys.

"Sometimes men like Josh's dad will turn their anger towards someone they think 'turned' their son gay."

"I didn't turn Josh gay. I didn't even know Josh until after his dad was in jail. And Josh chased after me!"

Brian stifled a laugh. "Alex, we don't think Mr. Evans knows who you are. You've never met him. And if he does know your name is Alex and has seen your picture, he wouldn't know where to find you. But we want to keep you safe just in case."

Alex looked at Brian and his mom with worry. "Alex," said Alexa, "remember you're going with Jaden to visit Grant later this week. If they don't catch Mr. Evans quickly, you'll be even safer up in Mayfield. The precautions we put in place will only be for a few days."

"Okay," conceded Alex, though he wondered how he could even consider going on a trip when Josh needed him.

"Don't worry," said Sam. The blond pulled his phone off the counter and tossed Gregory's phone to him. "We're calling in reinforcements."

----------------------     

Lars walked his last patient of the day to the door and found Brian sitting in the lobby. Wishing the teen girl and her mother a good evening, he turned to his friend.

"You've had an eventful day," greeted Lars.

They shook hands when Brian stood. "You can say that again," said Brian with a smile. "Vista was a bit of a detour from the conversation I came here to have."

"Oh really?" Brian had piqued Lars' curiosity. "Do you have anywhere to be?"

"You're my last bit of official business today."

"Too official to grab some tacos and beer?" asked Lars.

"Never," answered Brian. "My rental is just out here on Maple.

Zach was having dinner at his parents', so Lars texted the boys that they were on their own for dinner. "Los Junior's?"

Brian smiled and they headed out the door. "We may need margarita's instead."

----------------------     

Practice had veered off course for the boys. Zach headed to his parents' for dinner. Matthew left for baseball practice. And Michael and Christian were up in Christian's "studio" doing who knows what. That left Lukas and Simon to work on writing a new song.

"Oh, that's dad," said Lukas when he heard the ring tone. Checking his phone, he texted a thumbs up emoji back to his father. "I guess we're on our own for dinner. Dad said something's come up and he won't make it.

"I am kinda hungry," said Simon. He erased the last two words he'd written and jotted down something in their places. "Should we get the other two?"

"I'll text them."

The two couples met in the lobby of the Majestic. "The Café?" asked Lukas without much enthusiasm.

"PIZZA!" offered Michael.

It didn't take much to convince the other three. The boys walked down to Big Daddy's for dinner.

The boys were greeted warmly by the pizza crew. It wasn't just because Michael was their landlord or the popularity of the band. But the boys frequented the establishment enough to be on a first name basis with the entire staff. Besides, their large pizza orders for their parties were legend.

The boys ordered and grabbed their drinks to wait for the hot, cheesy deliciousness to be baked and delivered to their table.

Michael pulled out his phone and tapped out a message and waited for an answer. Considering the circumstances, he was surprised how quickly he received a response.

"YES!"

The other three laughed. "What was that about?" asked Christian.

"Mason's mom said yes! He's coming back to record with us!"

----------------------     

Things had finally normalized with his family after their shock of him coming out and moving in with Lars. He was happy his family was close, and he could spend time with his mom and dad. As a matter of fact, Zach felt he was closer to his parents than he had been in a very long time. Zach pulled up to his parents' home and was surprised when their car wasn't in the driveway. The front door was open, so someone must have been home.

"Hello?" he called out letting anyone in the house know he was there.

"Hey bro!" Scott came out of the kitchen to greet his big brother. Giving Zach a hug, Scott asked, "How you been?"

"I'm doing great. How are you? You haven't been around for a few days."

Scott's face dropped. "I'm doing alright."

"Is everything okay?"

Thinking quickly, Scott tried to divert Zach's suspicions. "Najma is leaving for India. Her family is taking her home and she's accepting the arranged marriage her family set up for her when she was little."

"Whoa," said Zach. "That's pretty heavy."

Scott simply looked sad (more so than he really felt) and nodded in agreement.

"Where's mom and dad?"

"Getting carryout," explained Scott. "Mexican. They wanted to celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"Me being back in East Harbor," came a voice from the staircase.

Zach turned and was surprised. His mind raced with the trouble that was averted upon the boy's previous departure. Zach feared his return could stir it all back up. He put on a smile and held out a hand to shake. "Hi Gavin."

----------------------     

Lars motioned to the waitress. He held up his empty glass and two fingers indicating he and Brian wanted another round of margaritas.

"Enough of the small talk. What's the business side of your visit today?" asked Lars.

"Ah, I almost forgot." Brian finished his margarita and set the empty glass aside. "The cyber attacker is back. Things were quiet for a while then things started up again. We've been monitoring sites and taking down posts, but there is one big difference this time."

The waitress returned with their second round of drinks and picked up the empty glasses. The men took the opportunity to take another bite of a taco.

When things were clear, Brian sipped his drink and continued. "We're positive it is the same person, but they aren't attacking from Europe. They are coming from this area. They are spoofing different locations to hide, but we think we found a pattern and traced him. It seems he's moved from Europe to East Harbor."

Lars let that settle in while he finished the taco he was working on. "Why?"

"That's my question for you. Someone from your past is trying to rattle your cage. Why? Who? Who did you piss off before you came to the States?"

Lars ate another taco while he contemplated. "Shit." He slammed the rest of his margarita. "Do you want another?" he asked. Brian nodded and Lars ordered another round.

"You obviously have someone in mind," stated Brian.

"There's only one person that I'm not on good terms with. But I can't imagine that he'd be this pissed off at me. He's the one that left."

"Are you talking about your ex? You ruled him out before."

"There isn't anyone else."

"What's his name?"

"Jan. Jan Achziger. Well, that's in Danish. He's actually German. His name is Johann Achziger."