Written by Charles Well <charles.well@yandex.com> and Sarge AKA Aldric <pietar_the_fearless@yahoo.com>
(C) 2019)
The original Kids of Indian Spring (KOIS) story by Jonas Henley can be found here: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/kids-of-indian-spring/
and if you wish to read Jonas Henley's account of the 1968 Mackey Choosing Ceremony, look here: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/mackey-tails/
Also see map.pdf and Springer Families.pdf in the Sandy Jacobs folder on Nifty. There is also an extensive family tree of the Mackey family available in this folder as well.
This story is about sex between boys and is therefore a total fantasy. It was written by an adult for the entertainment of other adults. No children or animals were either involved or harmed in the writing of this story. Please leave now if you are not supposed to be here.
Writing the continuing saga of the Kids of Indian Spring has become a real community effort. My co-author on this chapter was Sarge AKA Aldric. His ideas, drafting, hard work, and constant support in too many areas to mention made this chapter possible.
Comments or suggestions may be directed to either of the authors mentioned above. We welcome feedback from readers. It's the only payment we receive for many hours of hard work.
For anyone interested, I have also been working on another story away from the Indian Spring World with Sam the Ham. See Cow Pies and Country Cousins at https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/cow-pies-and-country-cousins/
Please consider a donation to Nifty for allowing us to have this resource to share our stories. To donate go here: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
Breakfast, for the first time in too long, was a happy, family affair. Kelley, Malcolm, Ethan, and Ashton were in boxers, Hal his pajamas, and all of them talking as Silvie finished the third batch of pancakes.
"Kelley, would you get more milk out please?" she asked as she stacked the pancakes on a serving plate.
"Sure," he said and got up. But before he reached the refrigerator, he saw the newspaper open on the counter. A picture of Mike Kim was on the back page, and he picked it up.
"Milk," his mother said to him. "I wouldn't let your father read the paper at the table this morning and that prohibition extends to you as well."
"It's a picture of Mike Kim," Kelley said. "He was one of the boy scouts at the, uh, thing at the Brewers." He didn't even like saying `White Party' to his mom. "It says he made a startling discovery while doing a service project that could affect the towns of Sweetwater and Coolspring and the land between them."
Hal was suddenly very interested. "It could affect the Community Integrity Association," he said and started to get up, but one look from his wife made him sit back down. "We can always look at it after breakfast," he said eyeing Silvie carefully. "Kelley, put the paper down and get the milk as your mother asked."
The Community Integrity Association, or CIA as the kids referred to it, was dedicated to fighting things that would harm or ruin Indian Spring. They were currently in a losing battle over a waterpark that Elijah and others were backing. Hal had many times thought about giving up and moving out, especially now that there was so much trouble in all of the Spring.
Once breakfast was done, Ethan and Ashton helped their mom clear the dishes off the table and Hal grabbed the paper. He and Kelley sat at the table as he read the short article out loud.
"A local boy scout, Michael Kim, working on a service project with Boy Scout troop 68 at the Land Office in Chillicothe, found a box of very old Land Patents dating back to the 1930s that shows that much of the land the State claims as State land between Sweetwater and Coolspring was purchased by several people, but the Land Patents were not filed correctly. A search for the Ohio Land Company records, which are stored in the Marietta College Library, was successful and those records confirmed the land was bought from the government and was privately owned, a claim that goes against the State's claim that no records exist, and therefore the land is property belonging to the State.
The land was originally used for timber interests, and three timber companies have a lease from the State, however, no trees have been harvested in recent memory. At stake are the homes of several hundred people, who the State has tried unsuccessfully to evict several times in the past. When the timber leases end, the state has announced that all people living there must leave.
The State has not responded to questions. Land Patents are issued by Governments. For the Indian Spring community, the first patents were issued to the Ohio Land Company by the Federal Government immediately after the land was opened for settlement. Individuals then purchased sections of the land, and those purchases were to be recorded. The Ohio Land Company eventually went bankrupt and its unrecorded holdings were in dispute until claimed by the State. That land now has a first-title deed issued by the State in 1848. Land patents, regarded in law as "Letters Patent," were issued to the purchasers when the survey claims were completed and returned to the Land Office. According to the U.S. BLM, the patents stand as "The title to the land defined within its four corners."
"So, does this mean that we don't live on State-owned land?" Kelley asked. "Do you own it?"
"Those are questions that will have to be answered by a Court. But based on this article, it is possible. This is going to cause those who want the waterpark built to speed up their efforts to get it zoned and built and it would give the State more power to secure its claim to ownership. I'm afraid that as promising as this looks, it isn't likely to help us. If only it had been found a year ago. Or a century ago. It is also a very interesting question, and one that I will put a lot of thought into. But right now, Jebediah Mackey is coming over and we need to get dressed."
Fourteen-year-old Peter Ford was surprised, and mildly amused, when he answered the door and found a sheepish Reed Jordan there.
"Uh, Chris said I could come over," Reed explained doubtfully. He hoped the erection pressing against the front of his shorts wasn't showing.
"He's still in bed," Peter said. "This should be fun. I warn you, he sleeps naked, and sometimes he can be a bit of a bitch when he first wakes up."
Peter stepped aside and let the younger boy in. Reed all but ran to the room he'd been in yesterday. He knocked at the door and then opened it without waiting for a response. Today he was going to get his first ever blowjob!
Chris was sleeping on his side, facing the door. His sheet was down to his waist and Reed saw that he didn't have a shirt on. He wondered if Peter had been telling the truth about him sleeping naked, and decided he could easily find out.
Slowly, so as not to wake him, Reed lifted the sheet. It hadn't been a lie. Chris's dick was soft, hanging down to the side. He stared at it, wondering again why it was so fascinating to him. He liked girls, not boys. But he still felt a powerful urge to reach in and stroke the three inches of flesh he was looking at.
"Do you like what you see?" Chris said, smiling as the boy bending over his sheet jumped two feet back.
"I heard you knock. I was just wondering how you would wake me." Chris pulled the sheet back all the way and stood up. "Get undressed. I've got to pee, and when I come back I want to see you naked. You remember the deal we made yesterday, don't you?"
"Yeah, I suck you and then you do the same for me, I never tell anyone or you'll hurt me. I remember, and I won't tell."
Chris left his room naked, something Reed hadn't done since he was a little boy. Even though he was an only child, one of the few in Indian Spring, he still was never comfortable being undressed in the house where his mom might see him.
He wanted to jack off. His dick had been hard for an hour already, but how could he explain it if Chris walked back in and caught him doing it. He struggled, need vs. shame. His right hand encircled it, and he gave it two strokes, and then Chris did return. He pulled his hand back quickly.
"Go ahead, I want to watch," Chris said. "I've never seen another boy jack off before. Have a seat on my bed."
"But I wanted to, uh, not drain it before you, uh..."
"Don't worry, it'll get hard again. You won't lose out."
For Chris, this was also a bit of a mystery. He knew he liked girls, he just didn't have what it took to get one to even kiss him. So why did he want to watch a boy jack off? Why had he promised to suck him? He knew Jordan would have come back to suck him off even without the promise.
Reed was stuck. He wanted so much to jack off, and he knew he needed to. But in front of another boy? `What if' thoughts filled his head. But his hand went back to his dick. He closed his eyes so he couldn't see Chris looking at him. He conjured up a plot he'd jacked off to before where Emily Vargas was forcing him to play with himself while she watched. Emily was a year older than him, and was a very forceful and demanding girl. And he frequently dreamed of her forcing him to do stuff. And he liked those dreams, while at the same time hopeful they would never become reality.
In his head, Emily was sitting two feet from him, smiling at him, and relishing the control she had over him. He had to do what she said. Get naked, play with yourself. His dick erupted with four bursts of cum that landed just short of his face.
Chris didn't understand why he'd enjoyed the show so much, but he had. His own dick had gotten rigid as he watched. He wondered what the boy imagined in his head as he did it.
"That was cool, thanks for having enough courage to do it in front of me. Now, if you're ready, so am I."
They swapped places. Reed didn't hesitate, he took his new friend's dick into his mouth and applied every trick he'd learned from Nate Carlin.
In seconds, Chris was twisting and turning around on the bed. What Jordan was doing to him was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He wanted it to last, but his body refused to accept that request and in no time at all he was shooting more cum than he thought he'd ever shot before.
"Fuck, man, that was...great!" he said when it was done. He was still gasping for air.
"Glad you liked it," Reed said. Then he looked hopefully at Chris.
"Shit man, give me a few seconds," Chris gasped. "I will suck you as I promised, but at least let me catch my breath."
Reed was proud of himself and decided then and there that he would return to Nate Carlin's house and show him just how good he was.
Chris had only given one blowjob in his life, the one he gave to Tolley Mackey after the basketball game. That had been the low point in his sexual career to date. But after having his balls totally emptied in one blowjob from the Jordan kid, he wanted to at least try and give the best that he could.
Reed didn't know good from bad, and didn't care. Chris Ford was sucking his dick, and it felt good. He didn't even try to hold back; when the feeling came over him he let it take control.
"You swallowed it," Reed said when it was done. "I thought you'd spit it out or something."
"I was going to, but damn, what you did to me was just unbelievable. Look dude, come back sometime and we'll trade them again, okay?"
"Sure," Reed said. "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
The breakfast dishes had been cleared away and everyone had gotten dressed. Ethan and Ashton had gone out to play, leaving Malcolm, Kelley, and Hal and Silvie to meet with Jebediah Mackey. He arrived promptly at ten and took an offered cup of coffee and a seat at the table in the Tucker's kitchen. Hal explained what had been learned the day before at Matthew Corbin's office.
"What do you want to do with the money," Mr. Tucker asked Malcolm.
"It isn't mine," Malcolm said. "But my mom wrote in the diary that she didn't want Elijah Mackey to get it either. She said it wasn't his, and that it had been stolen near the end of the civil war. Maybe we should give it back to whichever government it was stolen from."
"Anyone who knew about it could face a trial," Mr. Tucker said. "It would quickly involve Matthew Corbin, and he could lose his business once the feds looked closely at his financial records and saw that he laundered the money. He would likely end up in jail."
"Okay, I guess that isn't a good idea then," Malcolm said. "Can I spend some to get my dad into a treatment center?"
"The easy answer is `yes,' but unless he wants to stop drinking, it won't work. And you need to consider his reaction when he learns about the money. Might he think it rightfully belongs to him?"
Malcolm's arms were folded on the table and he put his head down on top of them.
"Then he can have it. I just know I don't want it. It isn't mine."
"Maybe it belongs to everyone living in Indian Spring," Kelley said. "Just quietly find where people need it and leave some for them."
"Not a bad gesture," Jebediah said, "But even if you gave equal amounts to every man, woman, and child, it would still be a colossal amount of money to leave on a doorstep."
Malcolm raised his head and looked at Kelley. "We need to talk for a minute. Outside." He got up and although confused, Kelley followed.
"Have you figured out who the second scion is yet?" Malcolm asked as soon as they were beyond the ears of the adults.
"No, I haven't really had time with all the other stuff going on. I mean, it has to be either Ethan or Ashton, but I don't see how either of them could help." He paused for a second.
"Wait, you don't think that you're the second scion, do you?"
"Your father was supposed to be helping me. He told us that."
"Yeah, but...wow, what if you were?"
"I'll help you anyway I can," he said to Malcolm.
"And you just did. You gave me an idea."
"I did? How?"
"You said maybe the money belongs to everyone in the Spring. We can't give them the money, but maybe we can give them something better."
Kelley shook his head. "I don't know. With all the problems everyone has it seems impossible to please everyone."
"But that's the key - all the problems. What is it that people want? Have you ever talked to your dad about it?"
"Yeah, sure. I guess the biggest hurdles he's faced is with the state trying to take everyone's house. That and the waterpark of course."
"Okay, it's a start," Malcolm said. "Let's go back in and I'll start from there."
The adult conversation around the table ended the moment the door opened and the two boys came back in.
"The waterpark," Malcolm began. "Would stopping it end some of the problems between the Mackey factions?"
"No, it would probably make it worse," Jebediah said after a moment's consideration. "Same thing if it were built. But there might be a third option." He looked at Hal. "Have you heard of a man named Ernest Morrison?"
Kelley's dad closed his eyes for a few seconds. "I've heard the name, but I can't place when or where."
"You should take Malcolm and meet with him."
"Why?" Mr. Tucker, Kelley, and Malcolm all asked at once.
"Just do it. I can set up a meeting today if you like. I don't know how or even if his plan would affect tensions in the Spring, but if done in the right way it might."
"Can you tell us more?" Hal asked. "You're being deliberately vague."
"I have a legal interest that requires me to be vague. He needs an investor for something he is working on, and Malcolm might be interested to hear his offer. I can't say more than that. I'll set up the meeting. What you decide after talking to him will be your decision; I won't discuss it further. Yes or no on meeting him?"
"Yes," Malcolm said. And then he looked at Mr. Tucker and said, "But you need to come too. And I want Kelley there."
"Okay. I don't mind, but why Kelley?"
"Sometimes when he's sneaking out late at night it's for a good reason. If you come and bring him you won't have to use a strap on him because we went to see him on our own."
Malcolm was relieved to see a smile spread across Mr. Tucker's face.
"Set up the meeting," he said to Jebediah. "The sooner the better before my son and his partner in crime decide to go it alone and then maybe tell me about it later."
Mr. Tucker, Silvie, and Mr. Mackey started to push their chairs back, but Malcolm wasn't done.
"Assuming you had millions of dollars to use, how could you stop the state from taking land as soon as someone moves out?"
"I honestly have never thought about that," Mr. Tucker said.
"Maybe that's because you've never had millions of dollars to use. Please give it some thought. Why do they want the land?"
"Well, beyond the obvious desire to have a State Park, they claim they own it, that it was never deeded to anyone, although that may be in question now. The state feels that they are doing us a favor by letting land pass down to descendants. I can give it some thought, but I don't think I could buy them out. They want land preserved for public use. And they are becoming more forceful about ending the timber leases if the trees aren't going to be harvested. That would make everyone living here have to leave."
***
After Mr. Mackey left, Malcolm and Kelley went outside where Ashton and Ethan were.
"Ashton, I need to say something to you," Kelley said, calling him over to the shade of the back porch. Both of his brothers came, and he let Ethan stay.
"A couple of nights ago I was really angry and I said I was defending the house from monsters. I shouldn't have said that. I know it scared you. There are no monsters, and I'm sorry for the way I acted and what I said."
"Okay," Ashton said. "Malcolm told me that too. He also said your boxers fell off, but I think he was lying, so I wasn't sure about the monsters either. Are you telling me the truth?"
"Yes, I am. Malcolm lied about the boxers because what we were doing was private and something boys your age don't need to know about."
"Philip Gaston said you were probably playing with your things. He and his brothers do it all the time, and he showed me how to do it."
Kelley knew the two older Gaston boys were horny all the time. He should have guessed it extended to their 9-year-old brother. It was too late now, and he knew that Ashton would have learned about it eventually. But in case his knowledge didn't go beyond masturbation, he decided to lie a little to his brother.
"Philip was right, that's what we were doing. And you need to have a talk with dad. Doing it is okay, but there are things about doing it that you need to know. He's talked with me and Ethan, and he won't be mad at you. In fact, it would be better if you went in and told him you know about it rather than me telling him."
"You promise he won't be mad?"
"He may be a bit surprised, but he won't be mad," Ethan said. "Go and tell him."
Ashton ran off towards the house, but Ethan remained behind.
"There are monsters, aren't there?" he asked. "And you were one that night. Are you still?"
Kelley took a deep breath. "I wasn't one, but I had something that a monster was using to make me angry and to do things I shouldn't, like sneaking out. I'm sure you heard dad yelling at me. The monster, there was only one, is gone now and will never come back. How did you know?"
Ethan told him of the evening he'd been in the bathroom when Marvin Mackey had been brought to the Jacobs house with burns that he said were not caused by his favorite cousin, but by a monster controlling him.
"I don't know anything about that, but it sounds like he was probably right. That monster is gone. I know it, Malcolm knows it, and so do the Lanhams and Cormacks. I can't prove it, or tell you how it got sent away, but I'm telling you the truth. It is gone forever."
"Have you been to the Cormacks? Is Ian okay?"
"I have been, and he is getting better rapidly. Jack Lanham was sick too, and he is also getting better. Ian isn't allowed to leave the yard until he is fully recovered, but when he is, we're going to be invited to one of their big yard parties."
"Okay," Ethan said. "Thanks for telling me the truth. And I won't ask what you two were really doing behind the garage that night. I just wish you'd have invited me."
"Maybe next time, if there ever is another next time."
"And you promised me that you would think about forgiving Cal. Have you done that yet?"
"I ... There was a problem, and Cal came to help. I wasn't mean to him, but I sent him away."
"You need to see him again. I don't think it was him who did all that stuff to you. I think it was the monster. And if I'm right, then you to tell him it's okay so he can get better too."
Kelley was floored. He'd never even considered that. And it was possible.
"I'll think about it more, I promise," he said.
Ethan and Ashton were upstairs, playing until it was time for bed. Kelley decided he had to trust his parents with what he knew.
"Mom, dad, I have something that Ian Cormack told me, and it is too big for me to know what to do," he began. That got him the full attention of both of his parents.
"Ian and Jack's minds are connected. They talk to each other even when they are not together. They haven't told their parents about this yet."
"Kelley, that is something those two boys need to deal with on their own, you shouldn't be involved," his mom said.
"No, mom, that isn't what I need help with. They know who torched Old Knot because they are also connected to the person who did it. I would like to be able to tell you who that person is, but I really don't want anyone else to know."
"So, you are thinking about protecting someone who has committed one of the biggest crimes in recent history?" his father questioned. "Is that what you want to do?"
"Yeah. There are so many things that are going to sound totally crazy, and I promise you that everything I have to say is the total truth. I'm not sick, I didn't dream it, and I'm not making it up."
"Just tell us Kelley," his mom said softly. "I am well aware of a lot of strange things that happen to the Lanham and Cormack families. Your father and I will listen and trust you, and then we can talk."
It took a lot longer than Kelley ever thought it would. He told them about Jack stealing Ian's magic but releasing a monster at the same time. He told them about the gold piece. And he told them about the evil things that had happened. He even told them about the Indian woman, and why he'd reacted so badly when his father said the same words she had said to him.
He paused, mostly because he was totally surprised that through all the telling, they hadn't stopped him once. Even now, with the pause, they were waiting for him to finish. And he did. He told them how he and Malcolm had left the house and saved David Mackey from his brother, and about Ralph and Simon. Then he explained what he knew about the connection between Ian and Jack. And David. And that it was David who had torched Old Knot.
"Now the boys want me to take them to David. They are afraid he will recover his memory on his own and tell someone what he did. And that scares me too, because I know it wasn't him. It was the monster. But nobody except for you, the Lanhams, and the Cormacks would ever believe that."
When he finished speaking, the room was silent, save for the sound of insects that could be heard through the open windows.
After what seemed like minutes, Kelley looked up at his parents and tentatively asked, "Am I in trouble for sneaking out?"
"Ordinarily, you would be," his father said. "And I think you will be doing a few extra chores for that, but nothing more." His father stopped talking, and Kelley waited for what was to come next.
"It is too late to go to meet with them tonight, but I am going to call and invite them here first thing in the morning," his father continued, picking his words carefully. "I understand that Ian and Jack want to keep their ability hidden, but the importance of what you just told us overshadows that. Their parents will understand it a lot better than you, your mom, or I ever could. Thank you for telling us. For now, go on up and take a shower and get as much sleep as you can."
"Dad, you told me once you didn't really believe in magic. But you didn't say a word against what I said. Do you think...?"
"I think you believe everything you said, and that is good enough for me," his dad responded. "I don't think you are crazy. Go get that shower. I'll trust the Lanham and Cormack adults to make up their own minds."
Kelley stood, but gave a look to his mother, who nodded, but pointed towards the stairs.
Kelley was woken by Jack Lanham, which was a total surprise.
"Morning Kelley," he said as Tuck sat up. "Don't worry about telling your parents. Ian was concerned, but not me. I just wanted to say thank you in person and not through Ian, and that I'm sorry for causing everything that happened."
"The way I see it, you aren't to blame. How much do your parents know?"
"Only that you needed to tell them something important and that they needed to bring us along. James came too." Jack waited while Kelley dressed and they came down to the kitchen together.
Michael and Elizabeth Cormack, James's parents, and Seamus and Katherine, Ian's parents, sat next to each other. The two leaves had been added to the table to give room for all of them. James sat next to his Mom and Dad. Kelley's parents were on each end, leaving the middle of the closest side for Kelley and the two youngest boys.
Ian and Jack sat a chair apart, leaving the spot between them for Kelley. He sat down and cleared his throat. He was ready to begin, but Aunt Elizabeth spoke first.
"When summoned to a house to discuss Ian, our first reaction is to find out what he did wrong. Normally I have to resort to threats, but this time he volunteered most of what we need to know. He gave us the basics of what he and Jack have been doing, and that they need to talk to David Mackey about something very important. I called Katherine, and she got the exact same information from Jack. Word-for-word what my son told me. They both told us you defended David at the creek after leaving my house, and that they want you there. Does that shorten what you had to say?"
"Yeah," Kelley said in total amazement. It was his second surprise of the morning and he'd only just gotten out of bed. "I guess ... the only thing I have to say now is that I will tell you why it is important. I told my parents, but I'd rather not tell them more unless you ask. What they know, and now I know, represents a threat to David. Not from any of you, but the fewer people who know..."
"Kelley, tell them. They are more than friends. We treat them as family," his mom said to him. "Yes, it is important, and it needs to be kept from other people, but not from them."
"Okay," Kelley said. He swallowed and wished now that he'd used the bathroom before coming downstairs. "David Mackey burned Old Knot. He has forgotten that he did it, but he was being controlled by the Baykok, or Piseog that Jack accidently set free. He either had magic before without knowing it or somehow it was shared with him when the monster left, but it is in his brain, and when he remembers it, he'll tell people."
"Or realize the danger that knowledge would represent and it would cause him pain to know he did it," Uncle Seamus said. "Few people could live with that kind of hurt and shame. He will need help, but first he needs to understand that he isn't responsible. Knowing that will help David with his self-confidence."
"I take it we are in agreement?" Uncle Michael asked his cousins. "The boys go with Kelley?"
"Yes, we are," Seamus responded after a quick look at his wife. "And James should go as well."
"Why?" Kelley asked. The third surprise had no less impact than the first two had. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that abruptly. He's welcome, but, ..."
"Kelley wants to know what he brings to the meeting," his mother said, ending what her son had been about to say.
"He brings understanding and wisdom," Katherine said. "Plus, he's the Springer Rep on the Council, so it is his business. You might find him very useful in other ways. And he knows our two boys better than almost anyone else." There was a lot more her nephew brought, but she wasn't about to discuss it. If his talents were needed, he would be there and he would know what to do.
"We have a meeting that Kelley needs to attend this afternoon, so I suggest you get going immediately," his dad said. "One of you should drive them to Ralph's house in Coolspring to save time."
"David isn't in Coolspring," Jack said. "He's in a house that his uncles grew up in."
"I know where that is," James said. He caught the keys his father tossed him, and he, Kelley, Ian, and Jack left the house.
***
It was a short drive, and before they even got out of the car Ralph and Simon both came out of the house. They stood with their arms folded across their chests until they saw Kelley and then they changed their stance.
"How is David?" Kelley asked.
"Much better, and we have you to thank for it," Simon said. "If Darrell had gotten there first, it might be a different story."
"This is James Cormack. I'm sure you know him, and his brother Ian and his cousin Jack Lanham. We, the younger boys I mean, need to talk with David."
"We know you all, maybe better than you think," Ralph said as he nodded to James. "You can talk with David, but my brother and I would like to be there."
"I, uh, see, ..."
"Kelley, trust them," James said. "They are protecting David, and they need to know. But tell them out here first so they aren't surprised when the boys talk to David."
"Sorry," Kelley said. "David torched Old Knot." He was about to say more, but Ralph spoke first.
"We knew that a week ago. He dropped a compass we had given him for his ninth birthday and we found it. It wasn't so much dropped as hidden in a place he knew we would look."
"The place with all those Mason jars filled with the clear liquid," Ian said.
The two older boys looked at Ian, but didn't say anything.
"Ian and Jack, and David too, are connected somehow," Kelley said. "They can see each other's thoughts. David doesn't remember what he did, but they are afraid he will eventually, and might then confess what happened. We came to warn him to be careful about who and what he tells."
"That's good, we're glad you thought of that, but we're prepared to help keep his deeds a secret if he does remember them."
"Cool," Kelley said. "But there is more. Ian and Jack want to help him understand what really happened. They need to speak with him. Please let them. I think it's real important."
The two Mackey brothers looked at each other, and Ralph was about to say something when Mrs. Mackey came to the door.
"Invite them in boys, and let the younger ones visit with David. They won't hurt him, and I believe they can help. He needs to understand."
Ralph and Simon had great faith and trust in their mother and stepped aside, allowing Ian and Jack to enter. Mrs. Mackey showed them to the bedroom while her sons sat with Kelley and James at the table and made small talk.
After an hour, the three boys came out together. David had tear tracks on his face, but he was smiling now.
"We're all good," Ian said. "We've told him what he needs to know, and he understands he can call on either of us at any time for anything."
Kelley, you and Malcolm need to take a shower and dress in your best clothes; you'll need to find something for him to wear, maybe an old shirt that doesn't fit you anymore. I can't place who Ernest Morrison is, but I've heard the name before and we need to make a favorable impression."
Malcolm complained about the clothes the whole way. The meeting was to take place in the town of Union, about ten miles south of Indian Spring. When they arrived at the address Jabidah had given them, it was a large, two-story office complex with a sign that announced it as Morrison Industries.
They had to wait in the lobby for several minutes before a man in an expensive suit came out of an office, and the secretary pointed to them.
"Mr. McEwen," he said to Hal as he approached with his hand out. "I'm Ernest Morrison. Your sons will be fine out here. Let's go to my office."
Hal stood up. "That's fine Mr. Morrison, except that only one of these boys is my son. The other is Malcolm McEwen. My name is Halford Tucker." He then took the man's hand in a firm handshake. "I would like to be present while you discuss business with Mr. McEwen, and he has invited my son, Kelley, to be there as well."
As a lawyer, Hal was pleased to notice how quickly the man shook off the faux pas. He released Hal's hand after a pleasant shake and turned to the two boys.
"My sincere apologies. Which of you is the real Mr. McEwen?"
Kelley had to bump Malcolm with his elbow.
"Oh, I guess that's me," Malcolm said, rising slowly with his hand once again pulling at the tight collar of the dress shirt and tie he was wearing. "I'm Malcolm. Uh, Malcolm McEwen."
Mr. Tucker cleared his throat and Malcolm pulled his fingers out from inside the collar and shook the man's offered hand.
"They don't get any looser when you get older," Mr. Morrison said after they shook. He put one of his own fingers inside his collar. "If anything, it gets worse. Please, this way."
He took them to the office he had come out of and closed the door behind him. The office was large, with an enormous desk to one side. But he directed them to a sitting area with an expensive looking coffee table with cups and an urn and comfortable chairs on either side.
He went back to the door and opened it. "Could you get us some soda, or water please? I don't think my potential client drinks coffee yet."
"Potential client?" Malcolm asked after Mr. Morrison closed the door again. "Is that what I am?"
"I certainly hope so. Jebediah Mackey was somewhat sparse with the details, other than to say you might be interested in investing in a project I am working on. Let me start. Please, be seated." He waited until they were all sitting down on one side of the coffee table and he took a chair on the other and poured himself a cup.
"Mr. Tucker?" he asked Hal, holding up the urn.
"Yes, please," Hal said, impressed that the man remembered his name.
"I understand that a Mr. Elijah Mackey has pulled together a large group of people and a relatively small amount of money to build a water park. Originally it was going to be adjacent to both the State land and the City of Coolspring, but recently, due to the State willing to accept the park being built totally on State land, it is now moving forward a bit more quickly. I was originally interested in the plan, but they were not open to my ideas."
The secretary entered with a tray containing six cans of different sodas and a pitcher of water and ice and two glasses. She put it down on the coffee table and left without saying a word.
"Their plan will never generate the money they think it will. I've brought in a company that designs amusement and water parks, and they think that this could be a very good area to build in, but not in that location. Their biggest concern was the fact that there is no good access by road to any highway, and to reach it from the city would mean very heavy traffic through Coolspring, resulting in traffic problems and long delays. Also, they pointed out that the plans were small and left no room for future development."
"I am about to invest in a water park myself, and I will need a partner or partners. The design consulting company I have hired will work with me on a location on the other side of Coolspring. I have backing on the location from three of the five City Council members as long as I agree to have the land I plan to purchase be annexed to the City, a condition I will meet. I also will provide a better and wider road from the city to the town to support the people who live there, but work in the city, as part of the deal."
"I know you're young Malcolm, but I don't want to treat you as a child. I will outline the business plan as I would with an adult. However, if you have questions, stop me and ask for an explanation."
"The design includes a modest water park to start with, but with room to grow over time. It also includes a first-class hotel and two smaller motels, a mini golf course, and retail space that will be made available to businesses in the area. All of this will cost an estimated 5.75 million dollars, and I'm looking for a partner that could provide a minimum of one million within the next six months. The park will be owned and operated by a corporation, and that company will assume all financial risks and liability concerns. The ROI is not great, 10% for the first three years of operation and 15% for the next 7 years after that. The deal only works if I can provide 90% of the initial cost and construction can start this year."
"Malcolm," Hal said, getting his attention. "ROI is Return on Investment. He needs a commitment of at least one million dollars. Did you understand the rest of what he described?"
"I think so," Malcolm said. "What is return on investment?"
Mr. Morrison answered. "It is money the corporation will return to the investors once the park starts operation, as a percentage of their investment. If you were to become my partner and provide the minimum investment of one million, it would pay you $80,000 a year for the first three years of operation and $150,000 a year for the next 7 years. That would be a measly profit of $290,000 paid out over 10 years. Strictly as an investment you could easily do a lot better, but those are the terms and they are not negotiable. And if the park were to fail before 10 years of operation, we would be out any money that hadn't been repaid. I will make my earnings by operating a private business that will dovetail with the park. In order for that to work, the park needs to be built and operated profitably, so you can see that I am confident that it will."
Malcolm looked concerned. He looked from Mr. Morrison to Kelley's dad. "But I thought I was trying to help Indian Spring. I don't see how this does that."
"The Indian Spring park plan has a committed $650,000 investment with an even smaller rate of return. The rest of the money needed to build it will have to be borrowed, however they do get a good deal as the State won't charge them for the land. About half of the committed money is from an investment firm that will pay their lone client a good ROI. The Indian Spring people are looking at a repayment plan over ten years of 3.9%. Many of them didn't want to hear me when I said that was too little. Plus, it is to be built as an LLC, which means Limited Liability Company. The repayment to them comes only from profit, and only after the lone client gets his share. I think it is likely they will never recoup their initial investment let alone make a profit. The investment firm's client will get all the money. And with an LLC, he could buy out the others for pennies. I believe that nearly everyone will lose the majority of their investment."
"But you asked how you can help people living in Indian Spring. If you could get those interested in a waterpark to instead invest with me as, say, Indian Spring Investments, they will have the same ROI as you have. No first payment, and the money comes from the corporation as long as the park is open, even if it isn't profitable. I believe that not only will they get their investment back, but will make a few dollars more."
"Okay, I guess," Malcolm said.
"Mr. McEwen, Malcolm, please understand, no investment in commercial property is completely safe. I have, not often, but I have lost money on development plans. I own parts of several businesses, and I have money to invest and won't be ruined if this fails. I have looked at the proposed idea and I like it. The company that will build it is reputable, and they believe it will succeed. My advisors agree with their assessment, and my Board of Directors has voted in favor of it. But there is no guarantee. There is always risk. I'm investing more of my money than I'm asking from you. I would much rather get another half million or more from you, but I will accept one million."
Mr. Morrison turned and picked up a folder off his desk and handed it to Malcolm.
"This outlines the entire agreement. I strongly recommend you have your lawyer read it and explain it to you. I have a fairly short time to pull the financing together, so I would like an answer within the week. If you, or your lawyer, have any questions, you can call at any time. My card is in the folder."
Malcolm opened the thick batch of financial papers and turned the first three pages before closing them and handing the entire package to Kelley's dad. "I guess you're my lawyer," he said.
"We'll talk outside," Mr. Tucker responded, taking the folder. He turned to Mr. Morrison and said, "Thank you for seeing us. You will get an answer as quickly as we can, if Malcolm agrees."
They all stood, shook hands, and then Mr. Morrison led them to the door.
Once outside, Mr. Tucker said, "It might be best to have a lawyer who specializes in this to look at it. I know contract law, but you need someone who is experienced in business developments."
"Please, Mr. Tucker," Malcolm said. "I don't want to ever wear a tie again. I want your opinion, not that of some over-priced lawyer who doesn't know me or what I want." He figured out how to loosen the tie that Kelley had tied around his neck and slipped it over his head. Then he unbuttoned the top two buttons on the dress shirt. "Right now, I'd like to go home and give Kelley his clothes back. These shoes make my feet hurt and I want my tenners back. I'll pay you for your time. You can charge me like I'm a rich guy – cause I guess I am. But I trust you. If you need help from others, get it, but I want you as my boss lawyer."
"We'd better get going before he strips to his underpants out here on the street," Kelley said with a laugh as his friend kicked off the dress shoes and black socks and followed them barefoot back to the carpark.
They had just reached the car when Malcolm spotted a newspaper stand. The headline read, "Farmers can't farm, can't sell, hope for a miracle."
"You have a quarter?" he asked Kelley.
"Sure." Kelley dropped the money in the slot and Malcolm pulled out a paper. They read the story together in the back seat while Kelley's dad started the trip home.
"Mr. Tucker, when is your next dealing with the State?" Malcolm asked.
"Because of the water park, it has been pretty near continuous. Why do you ask?"
"Can we make a side trip?" He told Kelley's father where he wanted to go.
The land was rolling hills. It used to be farm land, and some old dilapidated barns still could be seen in the background, but trees were beginning to take over.
"Why are we here Malcolm?" Hal asked.
"There are three farms left, but they say the land was never good for farming and they can't even break even anymore because the storage and shipping points have all moved too far away. A lot of the land is wet. Most of the other farmers have moved out and stopped paying taxes on it. Do you think this would be a good spot for a State Park?"
Hal pulled the car over to the side of the road and shut off the engine. He got out, followed by Malcolm and Kelley. He hooded his eyes with his hand and looked all around.
"You're thinking of an exchange," he said to Malcolm, who nodded his head.
"It has gravel roads, good access, and open land with woodland making a comeback. It would probably make sense if the State could come up with the money it would take to buy the land."
"There is nobody living here who wants to stay," Malcolm said. "I could buy the farms and sell them to the State. What is it about Indian Spring that makes the State want that land so bad?"
"The State doesn't feel it has provided enough park land for public use. There is a great desire for parks in this part of the state, but not much money to purchase land. Since they claim to own the land in Indian Spring, they want it opened for public access. I've pointed out to them the number of times we've gone to court and how much the State has spent on that, but it doesn't faze them."
"According to the newspaper, this land is worthless," Malcolm said. "It is too far from any city, and it doesn't have paved roads or stores. It can't be profitably farmed. Nobody wants to buy the land. If the park were here, the State wouldn't have to keep trying to take houses away. They wouldn't have the problems they have with the Deep Mackeys when they try to inspect the land."
"You know about that?" Hal asked.
"I know some. I've got friends, well, a friend, who's Deep. When State people come in they drive their truck as far as they can, they get out and start walking around. While they're gone, stuff happens to their truck. One even disappeared. But of course, nobody sees or hears anything."
"Malcolm, there is one thing we haven't discussed yet. The moment you take money from the trust, you will have to pay taxes on it. Both federal and State. About 45% of the money that you withdrawal would go to that. As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that you can only have about one half of the money in the trust."
"Oh,' Malcolm said. It was clear he had no idea of things like taxes.
"But still, combined with Mike Kim's discovery, this is well worth exploring."