Chapter
06
Just
before lunch the next day Ethan and Mike spoke with their grandmother about
their plans. Needless to say, she tried
to talk them out of it to no avail. She
didn't like it but understood where they were coming from. Each day she could see them becoming more
frustrated and angrier at the whole situation and she knew that they weren't
going to sit around waiting any longer and not do something about it. All she could do is support them, wish them
luck, and continue watching EJ and the other two boys so they would have three
less things to worry about. Once the
kitchen was all tidied up, they went to pack for their trip. Meanwhile, Cathleen took the others on a
little outing so they wouldn't get suspicious and ask any questions.
Ethan
got started on the packing while Mike called for a taxi to take them to the
airport. They had just finished when it
arrived so they locked up and were on their way. Traffic was light so it didn't take long for
them to reach the airport and board the small turbo jet they had rented. Once they had everything loaded and were
buckled in, the plane approached the runway and waited for clearance for
takeoff. Once it was received, they
taxied down the runway and lifted off into the air.
At the
Homestead, their friendly agent was collecting the items that they had
requested. He had to call in some favors
to get them, but he had no problem taking the risk. He had confidence in his two young friends and
believed they will be successful on their mission. Now he just had to wait for them to contact
him with the information on where they were staying so he could meet up with
them.
He had
just finished cleaning up from dinner when he got that call and drove over. The boys briefed him more on their plans; then
he followed them to where the private session will take place. It took twenty minutes for him to have
everything set up and give them instructions on how it all worked. Afterwards, he followed them back to their
temporary room where they had some hot chocolate and a cheesecake with luscious
strawberries while engaging in some friendly conversation.
Hundreds
of miles away in Savannah, GA, Gabriel was preparing for his sting operation to
take down a large drug cartel in a major city. If everything went as they had planned, not
only will they be shutting down a gigantic narcotic operation, but a semi large
prostitution ring as well. He couldn't
wait to get it all over with so he could get back home to his family. While the head agent conducted a final
briefing, he and Jaylen checked over each other's armor one more time to make
sure that they were well equipped with everything they will need.
Through
their investigation, they had found out that the cartel had purchased the
Savannah Acid Plant located a couple of miles east of
downtown Savannah Georgia. Tronox, the
company that took it over from Kerr-McGee, had declared bankruptcy in 2011. The cartel bought controlling interest in it,
and over the last few years had slowly bought more interest, until they
completely bought out Tronox and gained sole control through a couple of
shell companies. Once they had
sole control of the company, they began replacing the workers
with people who had the right skill set to run the plant. This gave them a good location to bring their
drugs into the United States where it could be hidden, manufactured, and
distributed. The plant had a small dock
on the Savannah River, so they could run drugs to the plant from larger ships
in the Atlantic at night. Because of its
isolation, there was no one else nearby who could observe any of the
cartel's late-night activities at the plant.
Once
they got confirmation that backup was in place, the small group of agents
headed off separately in unmarked vehicles for the factory. They got there ahead of everyone except the
higher up in the organization which wasn't unusual for them so no one was
suspicious of anything peculiar happening. An hour later everyone started arriving and
was soon going over the plans one last time before the shipment was due to
arrive.
Right
on schedule the trucks started pulling in and everyone scrambled to get into
position. As each one arrived, the cargo
was carefully unloaded one at a time and placed aside for later sorting. Barrels among barrels of cocaine, marijuana,
heroin, and other paraphernalia were being delivered for manufacturing,
distributing, and retailing. Approximately fifty million dollars of illegal
narcotics and other substances that would make any junky fly high for at least
four years, if not longer, were being handled with caution and ease. Just as the last barrel came off the truck,
Gabriel and Jayden softly spoke into their hidden mikes, giving the squads the
signal to move in.
The
invasion came as a surprise and caught them all off guard when it occurred. Their arrogance in believing that no one would
ever infiltrate their organization played against them and set the stage for
the sting operation. Before they knew
it, numerous swat teams came charging in with their M4 carbine and M16 assault
rifles drawn. They swiftly took down
three cronies before anyone had a chance to react with more agents ensuing. However, the cartel was quick to recover and
retaliated with their AK47 in order to safeguard their cargo and freedom. From then on, all hell broke loose with the
warehouse becoming a battle field.
They
scattered behind vehicles, pillars, large heavy metal crates, or wherever they
could find cover and opened fired. Soon
a barrage of bullets filled the area forcing the agents to likewise find cover
as they returned fire. Not knowing where
the bullets were coming from because it was coming from all directions, gave
Gabriel, Jayden, and their subordinates the opening to link up with their
colleagues in taking down the cartel.
Bodies
began to drop and the area started to reek of gunpowder, and the battle was
relentless. The cartel knew they were
outmatched and outnumbered by the agents and their expert snipers, but they
refused to drop their weapon and surrender. For every agent they took out, two of their
men were taken out in return, which raised the number of fatalities higher than
feasible. They realized that they had a
traitor or traitors in their midst, but they couldn't pinpoint the guilty party
to eliminate him or them. The skirmish
continued with both sides battling back and forth trying to gain the upper-hand,
one side fighting for freedom, and the other side for incarceration.
Just as
Gabriel took down another member of the cartel, he detected movement from the
corner of his right eye. He glanced
towards that direction to see the leader making a quick escape through one of
the side doors while his two head guardsmen kept the others occupied.
"Cover me, I'm going after Stefano." He called to his underlings
before sprinting off. There was no need
for him to wait for a reply from them, because he knew they would comply with
his order so he decided not to waste any time.
He
entered a corridor just as one of the guards took a shot at him before
disappearing down another hall. He
quickly ducked back just as a bullet soared over his head barely missing him in
the process. He took a brief glance to
make sure the hall was clear before pursuing after them once again.
Rounding
the corner, he spotted the perp up ahead and fired off a shot. The bullet hit the perp's left leg which
Gabriel was sure would slow the pursuit. Swiftly the guy spun around and fired wildly;
not taking any aim at his target. Gabriel
anticipated the maneuver and quickly ducked into a room to avoid getting hit by
any stray bullets and to wait out the barrage. He waited a few more seconds before taking a
look to see the hall empty except for a trail of blood. He used that trail to follow the guy and
caught up with him about half a hall length leading to the exit to the outside.
As he suspected, the guy was moving
slower now so he had no problem in catching up to him. He fired off another shot; this time hitting
the perp's right hand, causing him to drop the gun. With his good hand now out of action, Gabriel
used that to his advantage to take him down.
Charging
ahead, he tackled him from behind. The
two hit the floor with nothing than oomph and the bout was on. The perp showed that he was not completely
defenseless as he ignored the pain and used his fist to match Gabriel blow for
blow even though they weren't having much effect. Gabriel knew he had to end this quick in order
to stop Stefano from getting away so he delivered one hell of a right cross to
the perp's face that knocked him out cold. He then secured his hands behind his back with
one of the zip-ties and continued his pursuit of Stefano.
Vaulting
out the door, he came up onto his knees and quickly but carefully surveyed the
area until he spotted his quarry. Stefano
had made it half way to the speedboat that he had docked there with his last
guard trailing behind protecting his flank. Stefano had the boat modified for faster speed
in case of emergencies like this where he had to make a quick getaway. He may be difficult, but not impossible to
catch but Gabriel had no interest in testing that theory. He still has one more guard to get past before
he could take Stefano into custody so he resumed his chase. He was glad that he kept in top physical shape
and had sparred with Pat and Daren from time to time who were blackbelts in
four different styles of martial arts.
Due to
his high endurance, he caught up with the guard, swiftly took him down, and
zip-tied his hands. He then continued
after his main objective so they could close this case and get back to their
families. Finally, Stefano had reached
the boat and was seconds away from escaping, however, Gabriel was determined to
not let that happen, and poured on the speed. Just as the boat started moving forward, he
summersaulted high into the air and came clashing down on Stefano, knocking him
down onto the deck. They rolled around
throwing punch after punch trying to take the other down as quickly as
possible. By some twist of fate, Stefano
managed to get a good punch on Gabriel that dazed him long enough for him to
get back to his feet.
Quickly
Gabriel regained his footage and the two circled one another. Stefano glared hard at him with suspicions for
a moment or two until his memory dawned on him. He knew this guy and could remember what he'd
had done to him that turned his life upside down. He grinned in recognition and satisfaction at
his clever underhanded backstabbing scheme that destroyed his relationship. Gabriel caught the look and nodded in grim
confirmation and determination. Things
had just become a little more personal and both guys knew it. Now feeling more superior, Stefano came at him
with no fear or remorse. He attempted a quick knockout blow but Gabriel was
ready for it. He used Stefano's momentum
to toss him over his hip while twisting his arm in the process. It didn't do much damage but it did weaken the
arm enough to hinder Stefano's use of it a bit. He then stood back to await the next attempt
which wasn't long in forthcoming. Stefano
got to his feet in complete rage and once again went on the attack but this
time he had no control over his temper or emotions.
Although
Stefano was well experienced at dirty infighting, he didn't have the experience
or training as Gabriel did, nor did he have the experience with multi-panache
of fighting to use towards his advantage. Combine that with the anger that was now
clouding his sensibility, you have the recipe for a total irate and delusional
man. He telegraphed a punch to Gabriel's
face which Gabriel caught with his right hand while at the same time stepping
slightly to his left and driving his right knee into Stefano's stomach. Stefano, however, ignored the pain and gasped
for air and retaliated by driving his shoulders into Gabriel's midsection that
sent them strolling back onto the deck. Unfortunately
for him, one of Gabriel's legs ended up in the perfect position to deliver a
hard knee to his groin. He continued
raising that same leg higher while pushing out with his foot, flipping Stefano
over onto his back. He then got to his
feet to see Stefano instantly grabbed his crotch as he screamed in agony. Wasting no time, Gabriel rolled him onto his
stomach, putting his knee into Stefano's back, and used the zip-tie to secure
his hands tightly behind him. He then
turned the boat around and headed back to the dock.
After
tying up the boat, he marched Stefano up to the building while reading him his
Maranda rights. He stopped along the way
to grab one of the guards that he had taken out earlier. However, the other one was nowhere in sight,
but it didn't worry him. He suspected
that one of his colleagues did a full search of the building and found him. His suspicion was proven correct when he
entered the main room where the battle had taken place.
"I see
you caught him." Jayden gave Stefano a satisfied smile then turned to Gabriel. "Catching
him in the act pretty much sealed his fate which should make the department
happy. He won't have a blue ball chance
in hell of conning his way out of this one."
Gabriel
nodded. "That suits me just fine. I hope
they put him behind bars for a very long time. So long, that by the time he's eligible for
parole, he'll be too old to start another organization. How many casualties do we have?"
"So far
four agents and eight cartels, but we're still counting." Jayden informed him. "Well,
put them in the wagon with the other scumbags. We're just about finished up here and are
getting ready to head back to headquarters."
Once
again Gabriel nodded and ushered the two perps to the paddy wagon. He handed them over to the two agents guarding
the transport then went in search of his underlings to thank them for their
great work. Ten minutes later they were
on their way back to HQ for a debriefing and to write up their reports for the
head supervisor.
The
next morning Mike and Ethan woke up in their usual position with Mike spooned
against Ethan's back. They didn't
appreciate the early morning wakeup call, but none the less they got out of bed
and headed down to the exercise room. For
an hour and a half, they committed themselves to a long and grueling workout session
until every muscle was bulging and clearly defined. Afterwards, they returned to their room for a
long and hot shower, which may had gone faster if they hadn't engaged in any
extracurricular activity. They then
dressed and ordered breakfast from room service instead of going down to the
restaurant. Thirty minutes later there
was a knock on their door so Mike went to open it. He saw a bellboy standing there with a trolley
and allowed him to enter. The bellboy
quickly set the table and laid out their breakfast which consisted of
strawberry pancakes, sausages, hash browns, and scrambled eggs with green peppers,
onions, celery, mushrooms, ham, and cheese. They had the choice of powdered sugar, chopped
nuts, strawberry, blueberry, apricot, and maple syrup, or a combination of any
for toppings.
As they
ate, they went over their plan one more time to be sure they had every base
covered. They intended to put an end to
the threats against their family by any means necessary, and they considered
their actions necessary to accomplish their goal. `The ending outweighs the means.' They thought to themselves, not knowing they
had the same thought at the same time. `At least it does in this situation.'
They added as an afterthought. They
still had some time after breakfast before meeting with what Ethan took to
calling their current problem "a nuisance" so they cuddled up on the
sofa to watched some television. It was
a tight fit but they made it work. Ten
minutes before their scheduled meeting, they left to give the equipment a final
testing to be certain that it was working properly. Just as they confirmed it, Mike's cell rang
with Jeremy Wilson's name and number flashing across the screen. It had him wondering why his lawyer would be
calling at this time when he knew about their meeting and almost let it go to
voicemail. However, something told him
that wouldn't be a good idea, so he hit the talk button. As he listened, many expressions flashed
across his face that had Ethan concerned. He hoped it wasn't bad news because he didn't
think they could deal with another major problem at this time.
Mike
ended the call but didn't say anything about it. He just told Ethan that he had to take care of
something but would be back. That
worried Ethan more but he didn't press the issue. He knew Mike would talk to him about it after
he had the chance to comprehend everything that he had been told. He just nodded his acceptance and asked Mike
to bring him back a spicy hotdog with `Chili, cheese, and onions, plus a bag of
salt and vinegar chips and a large cherry-coke Slurpee. Mike said that he would, gave him a kiss, and
headed out the door. Leaving his
boyfriend standing there with a worried frown on his face.
Forty-five
minutes later he arrived at Wilson Law & Associates. The secretary escorted him back to Jeremy
Wilson's office where he took a seat and waited for Jeremy to give him the
detail of his call. After five minutes,
Jeremy put aside the files he was reading and focused his attention on Mike.
"Hi Mike." Mike returned the greeting, then he continued. "As I said on the
phone, I received a call from the Mitchell's attorney regarding Valorie. Valorie wants to put her baby up for adoption,
however, she can't do that without your signature. She needs your collaboration before she can
follow through on it.
Now, as
I see it, you Either have two choices before you. Sign the papers and allow the baby to be
adopted, or take custody and raise him yourself. I know you probably need to talk to Ethan and
your fathers about this before making any decisions; just let me know what you
decide, and I'll pass it on to the Mitchell's attorney."
"You're
right, I do need to talk to them about this." Mike replied. "I'll get back to
you after I talk to them, and let you know my decision. In the meantime, have custody papers drawn up
just in case, because I don't want to go through the same problem with Valorie,
that we're going through with Rachel. By
the way, where is she now?"
"Will
do, I'll wait to hear from you before informing the Mitchell." Was Jeremy's
answer. "Right now, Valorie is still living with her aunt and uncle and their
children. The doctor suspect that she'll
give birth within a week or two if there are no problems with the
pregnancy. Afterwards, she'll go back
and live with them because she decided not to come back to town."
The two
talked more on the subject before ending their meeting. They shook hands as Mike thanked Jeremy for
the call and his help with the situation.
He then left the office and headed to pick up Ethan's order before
returning to him.
Meanwhile,
Ethan couldn't help wondering why Mike needed to see Jeremy as he waited for
his current problem to arrive. When the
appointed time came, there was a knock on the door. Ethan went to opened it and saw the cause of
all his troubles standing there with a conspiratorial grin on her face. It made him want to punch the shit out of her
but fortunately he was able to hold back his contempt. "Ah Rachel, right
on time. Please Do come in."
Rachel
stepped inside still grinning, only this time it was mixed with confusion. She could already see that this wasn't going
to be a pleasant meeting in her favor. Ethan
looked too confident and determined to give her what she wanted but she didn't
let that deter her. She felt like she
has the upper-hand and there was nothing that he could do about it. After closing the door behind her, he took a
seat at the table and gestured for her to take the other one. When she did, he just stared at her as he
tried to calm his temper before saying anything and ruining his plans.
"Listen
Rachel, I know what you're up to and I'm here to tell you that it won't work. You signed full custody of EJ over to me in
exchange for me not asking you for any child support. You didn't want him because I didn't come with
the package, and now you're plotting to take him away from me unless I marry
you so you can live the life style of the rich and famous. Well, let me tell you right now, there's no
chance in hell of that ever happening! I'm
with the person whom I was meant to be with and whom I love dearly.
I don't
care who ally yourself with or what you tell social services. Mike and I will fight you with everything that
we have to keep our son." At that, Rachel got a confused and disgusting look on
her face. "You heard me right; I said our son. Mike had been more of a parent to EJ than you
have so take that look off your face because it means nothing to me. If you don't stop trying to destroy my family,
I will make your life a living hell!"
Rachel
sighed in discontent. "Why are you still living in denial Ethan?" She asked
irreverently. "We both know that you're not gay. No gay man can perform with a
woman in bed, and I know for a fact that you can perform quite well." She
smiled at him amorously, hoping to get one in return, but Ethan just sat there
stoned face. She lost her smile and
sighed again. "Fine, keep pretending. We
both know I have you right where I want you so let's make a deal."
Ethan's
face remained stony but his voice took on a condescending tone. "Just what kind
of deal are you talking about? Not that
I'm agreeing to anything mind you."
"Oh, I
think you'll agree to this deal." The smile that she gave him this time was one
of total deviousness. "Like you said, you and Mike have a lot, including what I
really want, so here's the deal. You
give me five million dollars, and in exchange, I'll sign over all of my
parental right to you. I'll then be
completely out of yours and EJ's life forever."
Ethan
looked at her in total disbelief although he shouldn't have been shocked by the
offer. He sat there wondering what he
had seen in her that convinced him to ask her out. Sure she was hot with her chocolate brown
complexion, brown eyes, long black hair done in braids, and firm body with big
breasts, but her personality and character weren't anything he had expected. He shook his head in disgust for his lack of
good perceptibility and stared at her with disdained written all over his face.
"You
mean you would actually sell your own son for a fancy life style?" He asked
with bitterness in his voice. "I can't believe I actually went out with someone
like you. What kind of mother would put
money before her own child?" Rachel smirked, attempting to give a smartass
answer, but Ethan cut her off. "I have a better deal to offer. You sign over all of your parental rights to
me and I won't turn you in to the feds for human trafficking. This offer is only on the table while you're
in this room. Once you walk out that
door, I'll be on the phone with the cops and having your ass arrested." He told
her with great honesty. "What you're offering is disgusting, immoral, and
illegal, and I'll have no part in it."
She
smiled at him victoriously and spoke in a confident voice like she had already
won. "What can you do about it? We both
know I have you over a barrel, so stop trying to intimidate me, because it
won't work. Just say yes and write out
the check. I know you have access to
Mike's accounts and have the authority to write out checks for them."
"Maybe
I do, and maybe I don't." He retorted with no indication of whether or not he
was bluffing. "But that's beside the point. I'm not giving you any money and you will sign
over your rights to me. Do not test me
on this because you won't like the consequences. I'll have the papers delivered to you tomorrow
morning and you'll have until one o'clock to have them signed, notarized,
sealed, and delivered to my lawyer. Failure
to meet these terms will result in me turning you and the recording of this
meeting over to the cops." He added the last statement with a devilish grin.
Rachel
was completely staggered at the turn of events. Here she believed she had her ex over a barrel
and was finally going to get what she wanted, and it had all just blown up in
her face. It had never occurred to her
that Ethan would arrange to have this meeting so he could trap her into
confessing on camera. With that tape, he
now has the power to put her away for a very long time and still come out on
top. She tried talking her way out of
the predicament she had put herself into, believing that he was bluffing, but
that soon evaporated when Ethan pulled up his laptop and punched in a few
commands. He then turned it around so
she could see the screen. As she
watched, her expression turned gloomier and more frightened by the second. By the time the video had ended, her color was
considerably lighter than her normal complexion.
"I'm
sure you can see that it's I who has the upper-hand and not you. So, what's it going to be Rachel? A life of freedom, or a life behind bars. This is the only chance that you'll get, so
for your sake, I hope that you'll make the right decision."
With
that, Ethan waited to hear her answer. He
had every intention of turning her and the disc over to the police with no
regrets if she didn't agree to his deal. Rachel could see that as well and knew she had
no choice. She sighed in defeat and
reluctantly nodded her head in acceptance. However, that wasn't good enough for Ethan. He wanted her to say it out loud so it will be
on the tape with no misconception. She
sighed again and spoke the words out loud in a clear and precise tone. "I
accept the deal and will sign over all of my parental rights to you."
"Good."
He responded, clearly satisfied with the results. "I'll give my lawyer a call
and let him know of our agreement. You
should have the papers by nine-thirty tomorrow morning. I don't care how you do it, just get the
papers to him by one o'clock or else. Our
discussion is now over so you can show yourself out. I have some work to do that doesn't involve
you."
Rachel
huffed with bitterness as she stormed out the door slamming it behind her. Ethan waited a minute or two before making his
call. He wanted to be sure that she was
gone so she wouldn't overhear anything to use against him to get out of the
deal. When he was finished with that
call, he called Mike to inquire on his whereabouts. Mike told him that he just left the 7-11 and
would be there soon. Ethan noticed the
anxiety still in his voice but made no mention of it. He just said that he loved him and would see
him when he's got there. Mike understood
the meaning behind that and returned the sentiment and said that he wanted to
hear everything that happened with Rachel. After ending the call, both boys contemplated
their conundrum.
In
other circumstances, things were progressing quite nicely. Now that everything had been arranged, Adrian,
DMoney, and Julian were able to slow down and take a breather. Adrian had even discussed their plans with
Gabriel, and Gabriel was all for it. He
just asked him not to do anything until he returned home which should be soon. Adrian agreed to his request, and so did
DMoney and Julian when they were informed. Now they can focus on work and their family,
although the latter would be more difficult for DMoney and Julian since their
boys were still away. It also gave
Adrian time to check on his sister and Gabriel's franchise, which he was acting
owner of until Gabriel's got back from his assignment.
As he
was leaving for an early lunch, he told his secretary to inform Derek to have
the reports regarding Wilmat Inc on his desk by two thirty. He wanted to see how the business was doing
and make sure that everything was running smoothly. Judy assured him that it would be waiting for
him for when he got back. He thanked her
and left.
A few
miles away, a certain lady was also having an early lunch, although she didn't
have much of an appetite. She sat there
picking at her food as she contemplated her situation. Her discussion with the two gentlemen didn't
go as well as she had hoped, which had her feeling more depressed and forlorn. For the first time since they had been
together, she and her husband weren't getting what they wanted, and it was
upsetting her greatly.
Her
attitude towards her eldest's lifestyle hadn't changed but she could bear with
it to get what she wanted. She was at
her wits end on finding a compromise that will bring a truth to both parties
without sacrificing her beliefs and pride. If she could only get her eldest to see what
he was doing was wrong, then things could go back to normal and she would have
her happy life back. That's the only way
her husband would let them come home so they would be a family again. However, deep down inside she knew that wasn't
going to happen. His conspirator had him
hooked so tight that it would most likely take something drastic to break them
apart, which wasn't in her. She's more
of a manipulator type, which makes her good at her job, but even that wasn't
going her way at the moment. Still with
no answer on what to do, she finished her lunch and headed back to her office.
In
Savanna, Gabriel had just returned from lunch when he was approached by one of
his colleagues. "Stefano wants to see you."
That
request had him copping an eyebrow in suspicions. "Whatever for?"
"I
don't know." His colleague answered. "He just insisted on speaking with you. He didn't give a reason as to why, so your
guess is just as good as mine."
Gabriel
just nodded that he received the message and continued on to his desk. He didn't know why Stefano wanted to see him,
but he wasn't going to worry about it. Stefano
could wait until he was ready to see him or suck it up. He has no intention of indulging Stefano's
preconceived notion that he could have anyone come running at his beck and
call. It wasn't until his shift was
nearly over that he had Stefano brought to headquarters and placed into an
interrogation room. He had him sitting
there alone for approximately five minutes while he observed him through a one-way
mirror. As he suspected, having to wait
didn't sit well with Stefano, but he let him grouch to himself before making
his appearance.
Stefano
glared up at him with anger and annoyance when he entered the room wearing a
stone face persona. Gabriel ignored it
and took the seat across the table from him. "I received a request that you
wanted to speak with me." He got directly to the issue at hand. "You mind
telling me what for?"
Stefano
felt less confident at Gabriel's emotionless demeanor but hid it well. "I think
we should negotiate some kind of deal." He paused for a response, but Gabriel
gave none. "Look, neither of us wants to endure the hectic months of a long
trial. I'm offering to come to an
agreement where we both can get something out of this whole mess. You get what you want, and I get what I want. It's a win-win situation, don't you think?"
Gabriel
stared at him for a moment contemplating that. "I'm not saying that I agree,
but what could you possibly have to bargain with?" He asked, still looking
stoned face.
Stefano
gave him a cunning smirk. "Something that will get Jalisa out of your life
forever." He answered with a little more confidence than he had before.
Gabriel
said that he'll think about it and get back to him. He then got up and left the room without
saying another word. Stefano had no
doubt that Gabriel would accept his proposal but would make him wait as long as
possible before letting him know anything. He was sure that Gabriel will do anything to
get rid of the biggest thorn of his life and he could use that to his
advantage. A minute later an agent came
and escorted him back to his cell to wait for Gabriel's decision.
The
rest of the day was relatively peaceful and relaxing. Ethan stayed closed to his boyfriend in case
he wanted to talk but Mike still wasn't ready. He was still pondering everything and didn't
see any reason to discuss it with anyone. He needed to figure some things out, and
didn't want to burden anyone with his predicament, so he kept it to himself
while making sure not to neglect his boyfriend. They rarely got any time to themselves so they
took advantage of every moment that they had now. However, they did remember their
responsibilities, and made sure to call and check on their son and brothers.
Early
the next morning Adrian was in his basement gym with his eldest son and
brother-in-law. The night before, Alonzo
heard the two men discussing working out together and asked to join them which
they agreed to. All three pressed,
curled, lifted, and squatted their muscles intensely until they were aching
from the vigorous exercise. After showering
and dressing, Adrian tended to his other boys then they all met up in the
kitchen for breakfast.
The
morning passed routinely for everyone. Mike
and Ethan had just finished eating lunch when Ethan received a call from his
lawyer. Jeremy informed the boys him
that he had received the documents from Rachel and everything looked to be in
order. He assured them that he would
file the papers right away then they'd be done with her deceitful schemes. The boys thanked him and instructed him to
send the bill directly to them and not their fathers. Jeremy agreed and they ended the call.
On
another front, Gabriel's afternoon was quite productive. Ever since he relayed Stefano's offer to the
division supervisor, he had been in and out of conferences with the head
honchoes discussing the terms of the deal with no agreement being reached. The heads of the FBI were in favor of plea
bargaining and closing the case, while others, such as the State and Federal
Attorneys, wanted to take the case to court and issue the maximum sentence. The rest were open and willing to accept
either decision. For hours they
deliberated before finally coming to an agreement that was fair for all
parties.
An hour
later Stefano was once again in an interrogation room at the local FBI
headquarters. This time he was
accompanied by his legal counsel representing him. Joining them were Gabriel and the federal
attorney leading the case. Gabriel had
just made the introductions when the prosecutor got directly to business at
hand.
"I'm
sure you know that we have you beg to rights on all charges so I won't go into
that. Instead, I'll tell you what we
believe is fair for all parties involved." He then explained the plea bargain
and its terms. "This deal is only offered while we're in this room. Once we walk out that door, it's hereby
withdrawn and this case will go to court. If that happens, we will ask for the maximum
sentence on all charges and put you away forever."
Everyone
sat silently as Stefano contemplated his options. He could accept the deal and serve forty of a
sixty-year sentence before being eligible for parole, or risk his chances in
court, and serve life with no possibility of parole. In addition, he must give up the names and
locations of his associates and clients, including his prostitution rink for
prosecution. He'll also have to turn
over everything that he has on Jalisa to Gabriel and sign a written confession
detailing his part in the conspiracy against him that occurred several years
prior and serve four of seven years for that. When it was all said and done, he'll be
convicted of multiple charges and serve forty-four-years of a sixty-seven-year sentence
consecutively not concurrently for his crimes. Stefano had no doubt that he could beat some
of the charges levied against him but not all. Due to the magnitude of narcotics he was
caught with, he was still looking at least thirty years behind bars before
being paroled if it goes to court. He
wasn't sure if he wanted to jeopardize his chance at living out his remaining
years as a free man once he was paroled or say the hell with it and take that
risk.
Suddenly,
he was pulled from the table by his attorney for a private consultation. For several minutes they discussed the pros
and cons of accepting the offer while debating it back and forth. Finally, they came to a decision and rejoined
the others.
"My
client will accept under one condition." His lawyer stated firmly with no room
for negotiation. "He'll give you everything you want to know but his identity
must remain anonymous. Disclosure of
that or any information that he reveals will result in a two-year reduction of
his sentence involving those charges plus protection from the general population.
We believe this is acceptable for all
parties and should lay this case to rest."
The
federal attorney considered that for a moment before nodding his agreement. "I'll
have the agreement drawn up and have someone come in to take your confession. Once we have everything taken care of, you'll
be transported to a penitentiary with minimum security. But be warned, these people won't tolerate any
shenanigans, so I would be on my best behavior and stay out of trouble if I
were you."
He
stared into Stefano's eyes for a few minutes showing the truth behind his words
before getting up and leaving the room. Gabriel
followed feeling happy that this case will soon be closed and he could return
to his love ones. He was needed at home
and this case kept him away and prevented him from protecting them all. They had a short briefing with the division
supervisor before leaving for the day.
Arriving
at the safehouse, Gabriel updated Jaylan on the new development. Both men were pleased with the outcome and
decided to celebrate with an evening out on the town. They went to their respective rooms to freshen
up and change clothes before meeting back up in the foyer. Since Gabriel's car was low on gas, they took
Jaylan's and headed to an elegant but inexpensive restaurant. Neither man planned to over indulge on the
alcohol, however, they did plan to get moderately buzzed before the night was
over.
At the
Homestead, Mike and Ethan had just returned to their room after a delicious
dinner in the hotel restaurant when their phones started ringing. Ethan's answered his to hear Their grandmother
had called because EJ was cranky from missing his daddies. She wanted him to hear their voices so he
would settle down and get to sleep. At
the same time, Mike answered his and heard his father who had called to check
in on them. He didn't tell him that he
and Ethan were in town or what they did regarding Rachel, instead he just said
that they were doing fine and couldn't wait to come home. He also didn't mention the news from his
lawyer. He wanted to talk to Ethan about
that first and he wasn't quite ready to do that. The boys exchanged phones and spent an equal
amount of time with the other caller before ending both calls. They then spent the rest of the night cuddled
up in bed watching movies until they drifted off to sleep.
Friday
morning had several people waking up bright eyed and bushy tailed. Mike and Ethan took it easy for the day and
enjoyed some one-on-one time alone. They
browsed some of the shops at City Place Mall, got a manicure and pedicure at
the nail salon, and took in a movie before returning to the hotel to pack for
their return trip to their grandmother's. Gabriel and Jaylan had a leisurely breakfast
before reporting to headquarters to wrap up their case. Afterwards, they had a pleasant goodbye
luncheon with their colleagues involved with the assignment before returning to
the house to pack and head for the airport. Adrian, DMoney, and Julian felt optimistic
with anything that comes their way and got through their workday with ample
ease. However, others weren't quite as
cheerful as their adversaries, and weren't shy and/or unhappy with showing it.
Before
leaving the office for the day, Adrian called DMoney and Julian to invite them
to dinner. Neither man was in the mood
to cook, plus it would give them some time with the boys, so they gladly
accepted. Adrian arrived at the house
seconds before them and they followed him inside carrying a bag containing some
clothes that they always kept in the car for occasions such as this. They said a quick hello to everyone before
going upstairs to change. They returned
ten minutes later and Adrian relieved Jeanette for the day. As he was walking her out, the door suddenly
opened presenting a familiar face standing on the other side, causing Adrian
and Jeanette to abruptly stop in their tracks.
After
taking a moment to let their eyes adjust to the sunlight, Adrian shouted in
joy. "Gabe!" He then quickly took the remaining steps forwards and threw his
arms around Gabriel in a huge bearhug. His shout brought the others running just in
time to see Gabriel drop his bags and returned the embrace. He lifted Adrian off the floor and plated a
deep passionate kiss on him like two young teens who just discovered what their
mouths could do besides talking.
They
continued kissing for what seemed like hours but were only minutes. Finally, they broke apart and Gabriel set
Adrian back on his feet, but held the hug for another minute before letting him
go. He then repeated the hug with his
boys and continued on until each person had received a shorter but no less
enamored one. He then stood by Adrian
once again and wrapped him in his arms.
"Why
don't we all go into the living room and relax while you bring me up to speed
on the latest news?" He suggested.
Everyone
except for Jeanette consented because she had to get home to make dinner and
couldn't stay. They all said goodbye and
headed to the living room while Gabriel showed her out then joined them. He and Adrian sat on the couch with their boys
sitting on their laps or cuddled up next to them while Mattie, DMoney, and Julian
sat on the loveseat and armchair. Adrian,
DMoney, and Julian then gave Gabriel a brief summary of everything that
occurred while he was away until they were called to dinner.
They
entered the kitchen and took their seats as the food was being laid on the
table. Spotting Gabriel sitting with
them, Sean and Bryan welcomed him home. Tonight's
menu was meatloaf with Worcestershire sauce, green beans with bacon, mashed
potatoes, and biscuits. Beverages and
condiments were offered as well.
During
the meal, Adrian noticed that Gabriel's full attention wasn't solely on them. He answered questions when asked, but in
actuality, Gabriel was contemplating on how to convince DMoney and Julian to
bring their boys back home. He can see
the sorrow but determination in their eyes to keep their boys safe even if it
means sending them away for their protection.
Meanwhile,
Grandma Cathleen was watching her favorite primetime shows and feeding EJ while
the boys tidied up the kitchen and put away the leftovers. Mike and Ethan had notified her of their
return so she paralleled dinner with their arrival. Having raised a teenager of her own, she
expected they would be hungry and wanted to be prepared. They had just completed that task when the
phone rang, and with DeAngelo being the closest, he answered it and heard two
familiar voices. He put it on speaker as
he called out to his brothers. "It's the dads."
A call
of "hi Dad, or Dad D, and Dad J" came from the others in greeting as they
gathered around the phone.
Fathers
and sons chatted; catching each other up on where things stood, however, Mike
and Ethan never mentioned their expedition. Their plans were to surprise everyone with
their return home before revealing that bit of information. But not everything
goes as planned.
"Today
I received a call from the head of the equipment department." DMoney said
unexpectedly. "He notified me of seeing your friend collecting some recording
gear from the equipment room yesterday. But
as far as I know, he's not on any assignment at the moment, which could only
mean one thing. Care to tell me what
that is boys?"
Nicholas
and DeAngelo smirked at Mike and Ethan while DMoney and Julian waited for their
explanation. Both boys stood there with
surprised looks on their faces at being caught after doing everything under the
radar so they wouldn't be. They could
hear laughter coming from their grandmother, as well as in the background on
the other end of the phone, which told them that their fathers weren't home. Not seeing a way out of their predicament,
they just completely confessed and prepared to suffer any consequences.
"We
knew you boys would figure out a way to resolve the problem which is why you're
with your grandmother." Julian declared. "We're taking care of everything else
but Rachel was your responsibility to deal with. The only way for you to do that was to send
you away where you could think clearly without any distractions. Now we can
arrange for you to come home where you belong and get back to your lives."
That
put a smile on all of the boys' face. They
were ready to get back home to their lives and put the whole incident behind
them. Mike asked if their Uncle Gabe was
still on assignment or if he had come home. He had barely gotten the words out when
Gabriel confirmed that he was home so they better get their butts there soon. Their smiles got bigger at that announcement. With Gabriel home, they could finally put an
end to their problem. DMoney told them
to be at the airport by 10am where the jet will be fueled and waiting. He'll contact the pilot to make the
arrangements to have it ready. The boys
agreed then he told them to put their grandmother on the phone so he can inform
her of the travel arrangements. DeAngelo
took the phone off of speaker, headed into the living room with the handset,
and returned a minute later with his nephew. EJ had just finished being fed, and wanted
some daddy time, so grandma asked DeAngelo to give him to Ethan. For the rest of the night the two daddies took
turns tending to their little one while playing games with their brothers.
After a
quick but tasty breakfast, Cathleen drove the boys to the airport's aviation
service. While the crew loaded their
luggage, she and the boys said their goodbyes then the boys boarded the
aircraft. Mike and Ethan seated
themselves separately from their brothers at Mike's request because he wanted
to talk with Ethan in private. Once they
all were buckled in, they waved to their grandmother who returned the gestured
as the pilot motored up to the runway and prepared for takeoff. Five minutes later they received clearance and
the jet was ascending into the friendly sky heading back to where they
belonged.
At the
same time, the homestead was busy with activities. It took some convincing, but DMoney and Julian
finally took Gabriel up on his offer to throw a barbecue to welcome the boys
home. Now they were in preparation for
having it ready before it was time to head to the airport to pick them up. It wouldn't be elaborate, just a small
gathering of the two close families celebrating their love one's return home. Sean and Brian made a list of required items
that were needed and sent some of the guys on a shopping expedition while
others ready the grills and pool while the rest helped with preparing the food.
By the time it was time to leave for the
airport, they nearly had everything ready. The two dads headed out while everyone else
stayed behind taking care of the remaining preparations.
They
arrived five minutes before the jet was to land, so they didn't have long to
wait. As soon as it came to a complete
stop, the door opened and the boys quickly departed and ran over to hug their
dads which was returned. They had
enjoyed their time with their grandmother, but were happy to be home which was
obvious in their embrace. Through the
smiles of their two oldest, the dads sensed that something was worrying them. Now that their troubles were nearly over, they
should be happy and not worrying, but here they were trying to hide their true
feelings. Both dads wondered what could
be on their mind, but knew they wouldn't find out until the boys were ready to
tell them. Instead, they just loaded the
luggage in the trunk of the SUV while the boys climbed in, then they headed
back to Adrian's.
When
they arrived, the others came out to welcome them home. As with DMoney and
Julian, Adrian and Gabriel saw the concern of the two oldest through their
smiles and they too were concerned. They
gave DMoney and Julian a raised eyebrow but only received a shake of their
heads from them to indicated that they were just as unaware of the problem. Both men nodded that they understood and would
be waiting to hear from them. In the
meantime, there was a barbecue to get started and to enjoy in having the gang
back together again.
It was
a warm and sunny day for September, so everyone changed into their swimsuits
before heading to the backyard. The
adults decided to converse on the patio, but the boys wanted to go swimming,
and burn off some energy. DMoney and
Julian offered to watch their grandson so his daddies could join the other
boys. Since they rarely had the chance
to interact as teens, the two young fathers accepted the offer, and Mike handed
EJ over to his grandpa Money before they dove into the water. Unknown to everyone else, both boys were also
hoping that some physical activity will take their minds off of the new
circumstances in which they found themselves.
For the
next several hours the boys swam, played water games, and horsed around as only
little kids can do. It was a day of fun
and relaxation as well as a brief escape to recharge their batteries before
jumping back into the harsh reality called life. Sometimes the adults joined them in the pool
and sometimes they joined the adults on the patio. Other times both sets soaked in the hot tub to
keep their muscles loose and relaxed. But
no matter what they did or say, it was recognizably clear to everyone that they
all were happy to be home where they belong.
Around
five o'clock people were beginning to get hungry so Gabriel and DMoney got the
grills going while Sean and Bryan brought out the burgers, hot dogs, steaks,
chicken, and ribs. They then returned to
the kitchen to finish preparing the other dishes so everything would be ready
by the time the guys were finished grilling the meat. Throughout the day both chefs kept the drinks
and refreshments ongoing but now their appetites were demanding to be
satisfied; and the only thing that could please their cravings was a hardy meal
to fill their empty stomachs. While
doing that, they made sure to warm a couple of bottles which Sean brought out
to Adrian and Julian. Adrian fed Tony
while Julian fed EJ, before everyone got too engrossed with stuffing
themselves. By the time the two babies
were fed, burped, changed, and put asleep in the playpen, everything was done.
Sean
and Bryan didn't spare the expense on the food. Beside the grilled meat, there were baked
beans and baked macaroni and cheese, potato salad and macaroni salad, corn on
the cob, cabbage, barbecued meatballs, hush puppies, deviled eggs, raisin
butter biscuits, and cornbread. It was
truly a feast to fit a king and enough to feed his army or a mob of several
hungry guys. It had everyone wondering
and anticipating what was for dessert. Soon
everyone had what they wanted to eat and were sitting down enjoying the
delicious food.
The
atmosphere around the table was lively and jovial. However, DMoney and Julian could still see
some anxiety in Mike and Ethan which was beginning to concern them. They started to speculate on how serious their
situation was if they couldn't relax for a day. However, the severity of it was no matter for
the two dads, they would help their boys through it all in any and every way
they could. What they didn't know was
that Mike and Ethan had decided, while changing into their swimsuits, to talk
to their fathers when they could get them alone at home. They now knew what they wanted and needed to
do.
Once
everyone had their filled, they gathered up the leftovers to put away. They decided to wait to have dessert to give
their food time to digest. It was
beginning to get cool out so they moved the festivities inside to avoid the
chill. They all went to rinse the
chlorine off and change into regular clothes before meeting back up in the
family room. After several moments of
deliberations, they all voted to kick back and watch a movie. Five minutes later they agreed on what to
watch and Gabriel loaded the DVD player while everyone else got comfortable. He then joined Adrian and his boys on the
couch.
Two
hours later the credits were rolling on the screen. They were now ready for dessert so they
grabbed something before settling in to watch another movie. It was then they found out that Sean and Bryan
had made several orange meringue pies topped with cherries and chocolate
sprinkles. Second to their cherry
jubilee, orange meringue pie was the gang's favorite dessert, and Sean and
Bryan thought it would be perfect for the occasion. Once they were settled in, they started the
second movie. By now the two little ones were asleep so they lowered the volume
of the television so they wouldn't be awakened by the sounds.
When
the second movie was over, DMoney and Julian announced that they should get
going. The boys needed to unpack and EJ
needed to be settled in for the night. They
helped to straighten up the family room and the boys thanked their uncles for
the welcome home party. Just then, Sean
and Bryan returned from the kitchen with containers of the leftovers, including
dessert, for them to take home with them. Both guys received several thanks and
compliments for the food which they tried to play off with not much success. The boys wouldn't let them downplay their part
in the festivities and neither did DMoney and Julian. They let them know how much they appreciated
their culinary skills, thoughtfulness, and them in general which had both guys
blushing cherry red at the praise but relishing in the praise of appreciation. They all said good-night and Adrian walked
them out and locked up then returned to help Gabriel with putting their boys to
bed. Alonzo was allowed to stay up an
hour longer before sleepiness overcame him, and he headed for bed.
At the
Matthews-Morrison's, Nicholas and DeAngelo were getting ready for bed when Mike
and Ethan used that time to talk to their dads. They escorted the men to their room where Mike
told them everything regarding his call from Jeremy Wilson. On the same day of their meeting with Rachel,
Jeremy received a call from the lawyer of Mike's ex-girlfriend's parent,
informing him she was due to deliver their baby soon. It turns out that their one and only sexual
encounter resulted in a pregnancy that no one knew about. Being extremely conservative, the parents
wouldn't allow for an abortion or keep the child as a way of punishing her. They also didn't want her living at home where
she could place shame on the family for conceiving a child out of wedlock. She had no desire to be a single parent or
start a family this early in life and figured that adoption was the best
option. All she needed was for Mike to
sign the papers to get the process started so she could get on with her life. The girl and her family conjured up a story
about her transferring to another school, but was sent to live with a distant
relative, where she can stay and start her life over without any unwanted
responsibilities.
Once
Mike had finished explaining everything, he asked his dads for their advice. DMoney and Julian sat there surprised but
still understanding. DMoney asked for
the girl's name, and Mike answered that it was Valorie Mitchell. He then suggested that he decide what he'd
like to do and do it. They would support
him with Julian backing him. It will
mean some changes but nothing they couldn't handle with everyone helping out
like they do with EJ.
"I've
discussed it with Ethan and we have decided to raise him ourselves." Mike
announced happily. "It will give EJ a brother, and I always wanted a kid of my
own. This way we'll being both. I just wanted to make sure everyone would be
okay with it before I start the ball rolling since it will affect all of us. We still need to get Nicholas and DeAngelo's
perspective on it, although I'm pretty sure what their answer will be."
They
discussed it a bit more with the boys taking notes. Both dads gave some suggestions on how to make
the contract iron tight so that there wouldn't be a repeat performance of what
happened with Rachel. The boys thanked
their dads for their help and advice and gave them a good-night hug then headed
off to bed. After locking up and turning
off the lights, the two dads followed behind them.
To Be
Continued...
Writer's Corner:
Welcome back one
and all to another chapter of Where My Heart Belongs. I hope you had enjoyed reading this chapter as
much as I did writing it. Now let's get
to the summary of this chapter, shall we?
We found out that
it was Ethan's ex-girlfriend who was plotting against him and Mike. The boys dealt with that matter by forcing her
to sign over all of her parental rights. Hopefully that will be the end of Rachel but
you never know. She may just show up in
another situation in the future.
Gabriel's
assignment finally came to an end. It
was revealed why he was so determined to catch the drug lord and shut down the
organization. What information did
Stefano give him that will help get rid of Jalisa once and for all?
Mike and Ethan
thought they were being sneaky with their scheme and found out otherwise. It looks like DMoney and Julian allow their
boys to run free while keeping close tabs on them from a distance.
Adrian and
Gabriel threw a barbecue to welcome the boys' home. Now that the whole gang is back together, what
is in store for our vengeful dual? What
will it do to Matteo and Gabriel's family?
Mike laid a big
bomb on everyone that no one had expected. A new addition will be added to the family
which everyone is happy to receive. I
wonder what Mike will say to Valorie for keeping him in the dark about the baby
until the last minute.
Don't forget to
read my other stories. Best Friends
located in the Gay/Beginnings section and Malibu Hearts and A Wishful Miracle
located in the Gay/High School section of Nifty.
If I had missed
anything in my corner, I hope my editor will catch it in her corner. I need to get started on writing the next
chapter for you guys to enjoy reading.
So much is going
on and not enough time to write it all out! New plots are going to open and some will
close. Keep reading the future chapters
and enjoy! Please let me know how I'm
doing. I look forward to hearing your
comments and suggestions at {superstar97@comcast.net} thanks.
Editor's Corner: