Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2003 13:40:50 -0700 (PDT) From: mycandlelight_dreams Subject: Sailor Boys - chapt 22 THE NORMAL BORING DISCLAIMER: This story is FICTION, and just one of my fantasies. Any similarity to real persons is purely coincidental. Further, this story contains sexually explicit information between an adult and a teen-ager. If this type of material offends you, do NOT read further. However, if you like these kinds of stories, then read on and ENJOY! --- CHAPTER 22 --- As we turned the corner, our little group was met by its next big challenge. And, this time, Jake couldn't pull my ass out of the sling. The small group in front of us was carrying picket signs and chanting, "Kill the Fags, Kill the Fags." As we got closer, we could read the signs; 'Death to Gays, They Caused AIDS'; 'Burn in Hell Faggots!' Things sure have changed since the last time I was here, I thought to myself. I quickly started to steer the boys back where we came from, when another group, just as loud and just as belligerent approached from behind us. "God loves EVERYONE!" they were chanting. "Fuck!" I said out loud. "What's going on?" Jeffy asked, clinging to my shirt. There we were, caught in the middle of a protest between two opposing groups. A protest against gays, of all things. In little Kisarah, Washington of all places. My eyes darted back and forth as the two groups gathered closer and closer to us. I knew if I didn't act fast, WE were going to be the victims. I spotted an open diner a few doors from us. "Come on," I yelled as I pulled a couple of the boys with me. We darted into the diner, just as the groups collided. Banners clashed and fights broke out. One woman punched a man square in the nose. Another man hit an opposing protestor on the head with his sign. And so it went. Tempers rose and angry words were yelled. Another fight broke out as one of the merchants tried to break up still another fight. The boys were glued to the diner glass, watching the crowd get uglier and uglier. "Is there a back way outta here?" I asked the waitress, who was now at the window as well. "I'm afraid not, Sir." She said, shaking her head in dismay. "Third time this week." Then, she turned and went back to cleaning a table, as if what she saw was no more than a simple squabble. As we watched the fight escalate, one of the Homophobic Protestors began to choke. I saw his face begin to turn color, as he dropped to his knees in front of the diner. "Stay here," I commanded, as I jumped from the window and rushed to the door. The boys watched in awe, as I pushed through the crowd to the man in front of the diner. "Are you choking?" I yelled. He couldn't talk and only slightly nodded. "I'm going to help you." I went around to his back, and wrapped my arms around his waist, interlocking my fingers, and beginning to pull upward, performing the Heimlich Maneuver. The boys continued to watch, as the man's face continued to turn blue. In another moment the man passed out, as I felt his body go limp in my arms. "No!" I yelled and pulled harder upward, forcing the chewed gum from his throat. I saw it fly out of him, and I laid him down on the sidewalk. By now, some of the people around us had witnessed my actions, and began to make a semi-circle around us. I lowered my ear to his mouth, and he wasn't breathing. "You can't have him yet, you son-of-a-bitch!" I yelled to Death. I tilted his head backward, opening his airway, and pressed my open mouth to his. I forced my breath into him and repeated this action four or five times. Then, the man began to cough reflexively, and his eyes opened. "Easy, Mister, easy." I said as I sat him up. The man began taking bigger and bigger breaths, as though he could not get enough air back into his lungs. "Are you all right?" I asked, my hand on his shoulder. "Yes...yes, I think so. But, who are you?" He asked, trying to search his memory, hoping to recognize me. "Just someone passing through. You'll be all right, but you should have your doctor check you out, just to make everything's okay." I patted him on the back, as the screaming sirens from the police cars and ambulance approached. Within moments, the crowd dispersed, and with the exception of a few of the witnesses to my 'heroic efforts,' as one woman called it; the rest of the people scrambled away from the scene. The man was lifted onto a stretcher and rolled to the open back of the ambulance. As they started to lift him into it, I lowered my head to him and whispered in his ear. The man's eyes got as big as saucers, unnoticed by the paramedics, and he was loaded into the ambulance and scurried away. The smile on my face was as large as life, as I made my way back into the diner. "Lunch is on me," the waitress said as she hurriedly placed menus in front of us. The boys were beaming with pride and then Brandon said, "Captain? What did you say to that man?" "Ahhh," I smiled. I waved my hands, pulling the boys closer to me and said, "Just so you know, you were saved by a Fag." The boys burst out in cheers, laughter and applause. Our drinks arrived and Thomas began to sing, "For he's a jolly good fellow..." And the rest of the boys joined in the chorus. The blood rushed to my blushing face, as Andrew began to clink his glass. "A toast," he pronounced. "To Captain McFlannery. A hero without prejudice! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!" "Okay, Gentlemen, thank you. Let's just eat our lunch and get moving on our tour." I was too embarrassed to hear much more, but was also proud that my instincts had taken over, even though I knew I was helping someone who hated the very person I was. Burgers, Patty-Melts, and Tuna sandwiches were ordered, along with heaping baskets of the best French Fries my lips have ever touched. Within minutes, my crew had consumed every last morsel, and despite the generous offer by Maggie, our waitress, I left her a hefty tip for her great service and kindness to my crew. --- We didn't have to walk very far to the tour office. As I walked in, the door chime sounded. A gray-haired gentleman approached the counter. I couldn't believe my eyes. "Gus?" "Red! What brings you to our neck of the woods?" Gus responded, a crackly smile across his wrinkled face. "Well, I promised my boys a tour of the area." I winked at Gus, who smiled again. "Same tour as last time?" "You got it. It looks like we'll need a larger raft this time." I moved my arm around as the boys kept walking in. "Jesus Christ, Red! You got to learn to keep that thing in your pants!" Gus began to chuckle in his husky, scratchy voice. I leaned down to Jeffy, and looking upward at Gus, I whispered, "Too many years of pipe tobacco." Jeffy giggled, and I stood up again. "Is Miner's Mill still open, Gus?" "Oh hell, Red, you know Franklin, he'll never close that place...the old coot!" It was funny hearing Gus call someone else an old coot. I was sure Gus was in his late 80's already. "Say, last time I was here, you mentioned turning this place over to your...daughter, was it?" Gus began to laugh out loud. "Well, that was the plan, Red, but you know girls. They get an idea about some boy in their head..." His voice trailed off as he walked to the back of the office. "Larger Raft, Captain?" Thomas pulled on my shirt. "White Water Rafting!" I proudly announced. The boys began looking at each other. "Then, at the end of the river, we'll be visiting the Miner's Mill. It's a great old place with a small museum, and you can even pan for gold." The excitement in the room rose, but Thomas looked a little worried. I patted him on the shoulder. "Don't you worry about a thing. I've done this a dozen times, and I'm still alive. Besides, you've already seen the biggest white caps possible!" I patted him again. Gus prepared the raft, and guided us to the back of the building. "You know the drill, Red. Jackets are over there, paddles are here, and you can catch the current across the street." "Thanks, Gus." I said as I stuffed a couple hundred spots into his fist. "Hell no, Red! You know better than that." Gus tried to push the money back to me. "Gus, please. It's from the boys." I smiled at him thankfully. Gus reluctantly stuck the bills in his pocket and shouted, "Work as a team. The water's kind of rough today. And I'll call that old coot and tell him you're coming. He'll give you a ride back here." Gus waved us off, and we loaded the raft above our heads. What a sight. We looked more like thieves than river rafters. "I hope you boys are ready for some hard but fun work!" I said as we made our way across the pavement to the riverbank. We set the raft down, and the boys latched up their life jackets. Brandon and I worked to move the front of the raft into the fast moving stream of water. "All right now, one at a time and get positioned. I'll get in last, so save my seat right there." The boys began climbing in and I held the safety rope that surrounded the raft. After Brandon climbed on, I pushed the heavy raft off the riverbank and jumped in. "Okay, gentlemen, a couple quick rules," I stated as I stuck my paddle into the water. "If you need to hold onto something, there are straps there and there for that purpose. Keep your life jackets on at all times. When I say 'left paddle', you guys on this side paddle harder; when I say 'right paddle', you guys paddle harder." I pointed to each side and the boys nodded their heads. "Good. Now there's a few rough spots on this river, so make sure you follow my instructions. You WILL get wet, so just suck it up." By now the speed of the raft was increasing, and I could see ahead to the smallest of three rapids. "All right, gentlemen...ready?" "Yes, Sir!" They all yelled back. "Here...we...go!" The raft dipped into the first rapids, and a wave of cool spring water washed over us, soaking the boys on the left side of the raft. The boys on the right side began laughing out loud, until I used my oar as a rudder, quickly spun the raft around, causing another wave to splash over us, soaking the right side. All of the boys shared the laughter. Digging deeper, I spun the raft around again. "Left Paddle!" I ordered and the boys dug their paddles into the choppy water and began stroking together. The raft quickly responded and began to spin around again. "Right Paddle!" The right side began paddling, straightening out the large yellow raft. It was a quick rapid and we were through it and onto smoother water. As we paddled down the river, the boys took in the scenery. "Enjoy it, Boys." I said to them. "The next rapid has a 25 foot drop and is a bit more exciting." The boys continued to look around and I begun to enjoy the peacefulness. The thick pines trees running parallel to the water, created a privacy wall no man could duplicate. As the roar of the rapids behind us diminished, we could hear the chirps of the birds in the trees. "Check it out." Thomas pointed over his shoulder. As the rest of us looked, we saw a white-tailed deer prance from the river's edge and disappear into the forest. I looked over at Thomas, who was smiling from ear to ear. I was relieved that he was enjoying the trip. "Tee hee," Jeffy giggled. "Fish!" He pointed downward near our raft. The crystal clear water enabled us to easily see the fish swimming along side our raft. "Yes, Sir...this is nature at her best!" I said joyously, lifting my paddle from the raft. "Just let her float." The boys lifted their paddles. Slowly, smoothly, we drifted down the river. We saw a beaver damn in development, more birds, and even a turtle. Well, Andrew swears it was a turtle, but none of us saw anything but little ripples in the water, as whatever it was sunk below. The familiar clump of moss grasses growing over the bank and into the water was my landmark and soon the roar of the second rapids could be heard. "Ready, Gentlemen?" The boys stuck their paddles back into the water. "Stroke, stroke, stroke," I commanded as we moved the raft quicker toward the small falls. The second set of rapids is broken into three parts. The first, a reasonably small drop, level on both sides, which gives you the illusion that the rest of the rapids are just as gentle. The second part tilts, causing more rafts to dump over than any other part on the river. The third is a large downward drop, almost completely vertical. As we approached the falls, I gave my warnings to the boys, and selected two boys from each side to be designated paddlers and instructed the others to simple 'hold on and enjoy the ride.' As we entered the first drop, all the boys yelled "weeee" like they did on the roller coaster at Santa Cruz. However, the jagged rocks of the second part immediately silenced them. "Here we go. Keep paddling and watch the rocks." Our raft was quickly pushed into the second part by the rush of water from the first drop, and we entered the 'tilt' faster than we should have. The right side of the raft began to lift from the water, and just as we were at a forty-five degree angle, the spray of the rapids took over, making it barely visible. Thinking quickly, Billy rushed from the left side, pushing his body over to the right side, slamming our raft back down. Billy quickly returned to his side of the raft, as a large gust of water splashed over the rubber sides and showered us. "Good Job, Billy!" I yelled, as we exited the second part. "Here comes the drop. Everybody hang on, and don't move from your seat!" I had just enough time to get the words out as our raft tumbled over the edge, heading almost straight down to the foamy white cloud below us. SPA-LUSHHHHHHHH The water rushed over the front of the raft as we pushed forward away from the falls. There was not a dry spot on any of us, and as our raft leveled out, the boys all cheered. "We did it! Woo Hoo!" "Excellent work," I declared, as I stuck my paddle in the water and steered the raft. The water smoothed out and became quite shallow. "Pit stop!" I declared and jumped out the raft, grabbing the security rope. The raft stopped and the boys just looked at me. "If you gotta pee, better do it now, and we have to get the water out of the raft. Everybody out!" The boys began bailing out of the raft into the cool, shallow river. At this point, the water was only about two feet deep, so even Jeffy was able to stand without fear. We flipped the raft upside down, spilling the water out of it, onto our heads. The boys laughed and began splashing about in the stream. We placed the raft upright onto the water, and I held it steady as Jeffy climbed back in. The boys had another laugh as Binder was climbing in, and Thomas pulled down his shorts, exposing his mocha colored cheeks lying just below the orange life jacket. "Hey!" Binder yelled, quickly pulling his shorts back up. "Nice Butt!" Thomas yelled back, and Binder quickly scrambled into the raft. "All right, all right...get in, clowns!" I chuckled, motioning for Thomas and the rest of the boys to climb in. We readied ourselves, and began paddling further down the river. "The last set of rapids is called 'Widow Maker.'" I said, again steering the raft straight. "You can probably guess why, so we'll all need to work together on this one. She's a wild ride, but I think you boys can handle it." Actually, no one ever died on Widow Maker, but it was still fun for me to build their excitement. The much louder roar of Widow Maker could be heard now, and a cloud of white mist rose above it. "Hope you boys are ready. No chance to back out now." I began peddling harder, backwards, trying to slow us down. The boys took my lead and did the same, and although the raft began to slow, the pull of the first falls was greater than our strength. "Don't lose your paddle. Here we go!" The front of the raft bent forward as the rest of the raft soon followed. PAH-LUSHHH, KSHHHH, SPLASH, WOOSH The rush of water over and around us was exhilarating. Soon, our heads were dripping, and a pool of water was at our feet. I opened my eyes in time to see the oncoming rocks. "RIGHT PADDLE!" I yelled as loudly as I could. I quickly moved to the right side of the raft, and began paddling with the boys. The rocks passed by us, a mere inch from our raft. As I looked again, I again screamed, "RIGHT PADDLE!" Again, the boys and I paddled to avoid the jagged outcropping of rock. "LEFT PADDLE!" I scrambled to the left side and our team paddled furiously. However, this time it was too late. KA-PLUSH, WOOSH, KER-SPLASH. The raft tilted heavy to the left, and then the right side of the raft jumped out of the water, hurling Andrew, Brandon and Max into the rushing water. With their body weight off of the raft, it quickly continued its roll, and soon the rest of us found ourselves chest deep in rushing water, and the yellow glow of the raft on our heads. I quickly scrambled forward and grabbed Jeffy. The rest of the boys scrambled out of the raft. With one arm around Jeffy, my feet kicking furiously, I used my right arm to push the raft up and over our heads. Jeffy began to cough and sputter. "It's okay, Angel. Cappy's got you." I looked around for an inventory of the other boys. I was too disoriented to take a head count but it seemed everyone was all right. Visibly shaken, no doubt, but above water and all right. This was only confirmed when I heard my brave Thomas yell, "Let's do that again!" The rest of the boys laughed and said, "Shut up, Thomas!" As we moved further down the river, the riverbed again became shallow enough for us to stand sturdy. I stood up and Jeffy stood beside me. He pulled on my jacket and as I leaned down, he whispered, "I don't want to do that again." I chuckled and hugged him close to me. "Don't worry, Mister Man. It's a one way trip." The boys regained their balance, and after dumping out the excess water again, we reloaded into the raft for the rest of the journey down river. Miner's Mill looked as old and run-down as I remembered, and as we paddled to the river's edge in front of it, a gruff old man hobbled out to greet us. "You're late!" He grumbled. "Well, I see Widow Maker has been doing her job." It was the one and only smile we saw on the old man's face. We gathered up the raft and gear, sliding it up against a post. "You can tie those jackets up there, and towels are over there." Franklin said. Then, he began to look at the dripping wet motley crew that I had with me. "Jesus H. Christ, Red! You should know better than to take such young ones across Widow Maker! You could have killed every one of them youngins!" I looked over at Brandon and Miwaka, and rolled my eyes. They just giggled, and continued tying off the jackets. "Gus said you'd give us a lift back to town." I said as I looked back at Franklin. The old man had aged at least twenty years, in my opinion, and looked barely strong enough to stand upright, let alone manage the Mill. Surprisingly, he lifted the raft by himself, hoisted it upon two long poles, allowing it to drip dry. "Yep. Some of you boys will have to ride in the back of the truck, but I'll take ya." His strength surprised me, and surprised the boys as well. "Whata yer starin at?" Franklin grumbled at Thomas. I quickly stepped in front of Thomas. "We were hoping to see the museum and maybe pan for gold. If that's all right with you, Mr. Jeeves." I hoped my politeness would sway Franklin's attention away from Thomas. Franklin's eyes lit up when I mentioned the museum. "Ain't nobody wanted to see that for a year now." "Are you kidding?" I asked surprised. "It's a great museum." "I know that, you young smart-ass!" To Franklin, everyone was a young smart-ass. "I just said ain't nobody been down here to see it." "Well, we'd sure like to." Thomas piped up. "You would, huh?" Franklin eyed the boy, trying to size him up. "Well, all right then. But don't touch nothin. This here's valuable merchydise." I laughed to myself at how Franklin had become so possessive of his museum. However, his pride in the museum took over, and he beamed when he opened the door and allowed us in. It may have been a year since anyone else had seen the museum, but there was not a speck of dust or spider web in the entire place. It just simply glistened! As the boys went through the two room museum, we saw artifacts from digs in the area, including old arrow head stones, old shovels and picks from the gold mining days, and lots of black and white photographs, dating back to the early 1800's. The boys seemed very interested, and several comments like "cool," and "check this out" were expressed as we took our tour. "Now this," Franklin stopped us "is my pride and joy. I discovered this one, and never had the heart to turn it in." Inside a thick glass cabinet was a shiny piece of gold, no more than an inch and a half in width, but unmistakably gold. "Where you get that?" Thomas asked. "Well, you certainly are the curious one, aren't ya?" Franklin patted Thomas on the shoulder. "If you must know, out of that river." Franklin pointed outside to the river we had just come from. "Do you think there's any left, Mr. Jeeves?" I asked, knowing the boys were wondering the same thing. "Don't know. Haven't panned in a while." Franklin answered back. "Do you mind if we try?" "This way." Franklin answered, leading out of the back of the museum to a wooden platform area. We could hear the water rush past the museum, and the boys observed all the panning equipment. "Let me show you how it's done." Then, with the throw of a huge wooden lever, the water began to rush under the wooden platform into three troughs. "Take a seat along the troughs and grab those pans." Franklin showed us how to pan for gold, and the boys busied themselves for the next hour, searching for any fragments they could find. Of course, we came up empty, but the boys enjoyed the experience. My stomach began to talk back to me, and after a large grumble sent the boys into fits of laughter, Franklin returned. "Gus says he's got a BBQ set up for you boys and wants me to fetch you back into town." It was more of a command than an announcement, and I gathered the boys together. Franklin led us to the side of his log house, to where our transportation back into town awaited. As I looked at it, I couldn't believe my eyes. There before us, polished and clean as the museum was a 1932 Ford Pickup. Franklin had fitted the old legend with a towing package and modern trailer for the raft and gear. Obviously, the two men had a system worked out for this river. We loaded the raft and gear on the trailer, loaded the boys and I into the truck, and Franklin fired up the engine. She started immediately, and we were off. I peered through the small window behind my head, and the boys looked like packed sardines in the box of the truck. Since Jeffy was the smallest, he got to ride up front with Franklin and I, but the rest had to rough it in the back. It reminded me of my childhood. My granddaddy had an old truck like this one, and it brought back fond memories of him. Franklin knew all the best shortcuts, and in a short twenty minutes, we were back at Gus' place. As soon as our truck pulled up, we could smell the aroma of grilled steaks. Gus immediately came out front, greeting us with warm smiles. "Welcome back. How was the river? Didn't give in to old Widow Maker, did ya?" He jabbed Jeffy in the ribs, making him giggle. "Well, we got a little wet." I answered. "Sheesh. A little wet, he says." Franklin grumbled, untying the raft. "Supper's almost ready. You boys put the gear away and I'll check on the steaks." Gus was about to leave us, when I pulled him aside. "Steaks?" "You'd be amazed what an old codger like me can rustle up with a couple of Franklins." He rubbed his fingers together. "Huh? You call me?" Franklin asked. "No, you old coot. I didn't call you." Gus quipped and went to check on the steaks. We finished unloading the trailer, and Franklin quickly fired up the engine and motored back to his house. "The old coot never stays for supper." Gus commented as he came to gather us. "Oh well. He doesn't know what he's missin. Come on, then, supper's ready." We went around the office to the back deck, where picnic tables were set up. "Grab a plate, boys." Gus commanded as they lined up. As we were eating, I slapped Gus on the back. "This was really nice of you, Gus. You didn't have to do this." "Well, what the hell else was I gonna do with your money? Spend it on liquor?" The joke was only funny, because I knew Gus never touched the stuff. --- "It's getting late," I said as Gus finished telling one of his classic tales of 'How the West was really won.' The sun had begun to retire, and with our bellies full and the exhaustion of the day taking its toll on our muscles, I gathered the boys for the walk back to the ship. "I don't want to go. I'm not tired." Jeffy whined to me, pulling on my shirt. I picked him up, and he immediately laid his head on my shoulder. "Thanks again, Gus. You're a gem!" I shook Gus' hand. "Anytime, Red. You know you're always welcome! Say, next time bring Jake with you. He's a hoot!" I simply nodded my head, and I felt a skip of my heart. Gus had reminded me that the last time I had visited was when Jake and I were still dating. 'Too long ago,' I thought. As we left Gus' place, and headed back to the docks, the sun finished setting and grayness fell around us. No one spoke, and I noticed Jeffy become heavier on my shoulders. I twisted my head around, but couldn't see his eyes. I tapped Shaun's shoulder and looking at me, then Jeffy, then me again, shook his head. Jeffy was out. "Not tired, huh?" I chuckled. The boys felt it too, and as we boarded The Mighty Miss, all of them turned in, barely saying good night. I locked the deck door, and carried my Jeffy to our cabin, softly laying him on the bunk. He stayed asleep, even as I undressed him. As I removed his clothes, and slid his naked body under the blanket, I reached down and kissed his forehead. He didn't even move, but snuggled down further under the blanket. I did a quick round of the ship, checking on the other boys before turning in for the night. Peacefulness had encapsulated my ship, for every cabin was quiet and asleep in no time. Brandon and Andrew were snuggled together with their sheet thrown haphazardly across them. Zach and Billy were in their own bunks, softly snoring. Thomas and Binder had opted for sharing a bunk and were peacefully asleep. Max and Jeremy, spooned together as usual were fast asleep. Cabin E holding Shaun and Miwaka was also quiet as a mouse, Shaun snuggled tightly in front of Miwaka. Closing their door, I smiled to myself. I was one lucky Captain that was for certain. I returned to my cabin, slid under the blanket and kissed Jeffy good night. As though it were reflex, he cuddled up to my chest and returned to his patterned breathing. --- "Oooooooooo-Ha!" The loud voice yelled, waking all of us from our slumber. I turned and looked at the clock. "Ten o'clock?" I yelled out. "Holy shit!" I quickly scrambled from the bunk, and threw on some shorts. Leaving my cabin, I heard the engines of another ship as it passed by us. I unlocked the door and went on deck. "Morning, Captain! You slept well, I trust." I turned to see where the voice was coming from. It was the dock worker I had paid to moor The Mighty Miss. "Oh, yes, yes we did. A little too well. Hold on a minute, I'll get you the rest of the mooring fee." I went back downstairs, as the boys began to exit their cabins. When I saw Andrew, I said, "See if you can whip up a quick breakfast. We overslept, and we need to get moving!" "Yes, Sir," Andrew said, heading for the galley. I entered the cabin, and Jeffy was in the head. "Ahhhhh," he said, which had become a little joke of ours. "I'll be right back...have to pay the dock fee." I grabbed the money, and ran back up the stairs. "Here you go. And, thanks for keeping such a good eye on her." I said, pointing back at my ship. "Anytime, Red. You're a regular celebrity around here." I wasn't sure what he meant, and didn't want to stick around to find out. I had this sense of urgency that I couldn't break. I headed back downstairs, again locking the door behind me. I grabbed a quick shower, disappointing Jeffy who wanted some 'play time.' "I promise, we'll have plenty of play time tonight, okay?" "Okay." Jeffy said shrugging his shoulders. --- Breakfast was finished in short order, which was fine by me. I barely touched the food anyways. I was still feeling anxious and the need to leave Kisarah far behind me was growing stronger. "Captain? Hello?" A voice outside called. I unlocked the door and went on deck. It was Maggie, our waitress. "Oh. Good morning, Maggie. What are you doing here?" I inquired. "That man you saved yesterday?" "Yes, what about him?" "He's looking for you, and he don't look happy. Something about AIDS or something. He asked me if I knew where to find you. I lied and told him no." She smiled at me. 'Nice girl,' I thought. 'If I wasn't gay...' I caught myself. "Thanks, Maggie. We're shoving off anyway." "I hope you come back again." She waved as she left the docks. Brandon had just come up on deck and I directed him to pull in the lines, as I fired up the diesels. Despite the "low wake" rule at the docks, I pushed all four throttles down hard, sending a wave of water over the dock. The Mighty Miss bucked and whined, and then began her quick escape from the shore. --- An hour later, we were once again in deep and what I considered safe water, so I turned the helm over to Brandon. "Don't let me down, Brandon." I winked at him as I went downstairs to place a call. "I'll see what I can find out. I'll call you back in an hour, Red." "Thanks, Jake. You know I still love you." The phone went dead. Either Jake didn't feel the same, which I doubted, or the words were just too hard to say. An hour later, as promised, the ship-to-shore rang. "Well?" My impatience coming across. "Seems you're quite the hero, Captain Red Flannery." Jake began laughing. "I don't understand." I didn't get the joke, and hadn't noticed Jake mispronounce my name. "Well that guy you saved is pissed-off that some 'fag' saved his sorry ass. You ask me, Red, you should've let him die." I was about to speak when Jake said, "I know, I know...you couldn't let the bastard die. Anyways, not to worry. He doesn't have the right name and nobody else in that poe-donkey town is helping him. They all figure he should be happy to be alive. Oh, and the AIDS thing. Total hoax. Says he got it from you. Turns out, his wife played around and gave it to him. You can't give AIDS from mouth to mouth. What an idiot!" Jake began to chuckle at the man's naivety. "So, enjoy the rest of your trip, and try to stay out of trouble, you old son-of-a-bitch!" The phone went dead again. "Thanks, Jake. I love you too." I whispered as I hung up the receiver. --- "I have to use the bathroom." Binder said as he passed by Brandon and headed downstairs. A few minutes later, Thomas walked by Brandon. "I have to use the head." Brandon nodded and kept on steering. Thomas passed me as I came out of my cabin. "Hey, Mister Man, where you off to?" I patted his soft hair. "Have to use the head," he said as he smiled at me. "Don't be too long, you know you're needed on deck." "Yes, Sir." He said and headed for the main bathroom. I walked back upstairs and took over the helm. --- "That was close. Get in here! We don't have much time." Binder whispered, pulling Thomas inside the cabin, and then quietly closing the door behind them. "This couldn't wait until tonight?" Thomas asked, slipping out of his shorts. "No. I'm horny now, Thomas." Binder answered, hurriedly pulling off his shirt and shorts. "Geez, I guess you are horny." Thomas said, brushing his hand across Binder's uncut but stiff boy dick. --- I hope you're enjoying this adventure. I welcome comments and questions, so, write me at mycandlelight_dreams@yahoo.com.