This is a fictional story involving sexual acts between two or more men. If this offends you, why are you here? If you are under the legal age to read sexually explicit material then do not read any further. This story in no way represents any person living or dead. Any resemblance to any real person is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and no copying or posting to any other website is permitted without the author's written consent.

Please help keep Nifty going by donating to the awesome service. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it. Thomas Paine

It seems some of you want to know what Alex has been doing. This chapter should help to answer some of those questions. I'm looking forward to reading your comments. Please send them to me at keith.96@att.net.

Brent's Struggle Chapter 24

"I can't believe this! All this time and I finally find him but can't see him." Alex was pacing back and forth in the small apartment. His voice was growing louder as he was venting his frustration. After weeks, His private investigator had come through and found Brent. "The place is like a fucking prison!" Alex had not hesitated when the P.I. had called and told him where Brent was. He had driven to the facility. He knew he would not get to see Brent but he had to see the place where Brent was.

"You gotta calm down dude or you are going to have a stroke." Pete was watching from the sofa as Alex paced back and forth. He was sitting there in his normal attire of basketball shorts and nothing else.

"It just isn't right!" Alex says as he drops down on the sofa next to Pete. "I looked the place up." Alex voice is a little calmer now. "It does not have a lot of information but if you read between the lines it is nothing short of a facility to torture gay boys."

"Have you tried talking to his Mom again?" Pete knew that Alex had made progress with her at least a little. The woman had at least heard Alex out.

"No not yet," Alex said. "I guess that will be my next step though."

"Well, be calm when you do talk to her. Crazy Alex isn't going to get anywhere with convincing her to let you see Brent."

"I know you are right," Alex said. "Thanks again for always listening to me."

"Just being a friend dude," Pete said. "You definitely need a normal friend."

After that one night of Pete picking up a drunk Alex up at the bar and taking him, the two college students had become fast friends. Alex spent more time and more nights at Pete's than he did in his own apartment.

Pete had been there every time Alex had run into a dead-end finding Brent. He had listened and supported the other guy. He had seen the devotion in Alex's eyes whenever the guy was talking about Brent. He had wished he could find a guy that had that look for him.

Moving Pete begins rubbing Alex's shoulders. "You need to relax. You got to have your head on straight when you talk to his Mom."

"Oh, that feels good." Alex lets out a soft moan as Pete's fingers work the knots out of his shoulders.

"Maybe you can get your Mom to go with you again." Pete's fingers were working the muscles at the base of Alex's head and down his neck. "You said that meeting went well."

Alex had been surprised at how well the meeting between his Mom and Linda Watson had gone. It really appeared that Linda was trying to understand her son. Of course, Brent's father would be the bigger roadblock to Alex and Brent seeing each other or even having a relationship. "Maybe," Alex said enjoying the boy's strong hands working on his neck.

"Get this shirt off," Pete ordered. "It is in the way and you are to knotted up to properly relax."

Lifting his polo shirt, Alex pulls it up and over his head. He had bought the blue shirt because the color reminded him of Brent's eyes.

"Come on and get on the bed." Pete leads the way from the small living room into the even smaller bedroom. "Get on your belly."

Alex follows Pete into the bedroom. "You are being a bit bossy." Alex moves to the bed and drops his shirt to the floor. Alex does as he was instructed. He stretches out on the bed on his stomach. This was not the first massage Alex had received from Pete.

"Grabbing the massage oil from a drawer Pete moves to Alex. The older boy is stretched out on the double bed. Pete gets to his knees next to Alex and then straddles the boy's ass. Pete begins applying the oil to Alex's back and then begins long strokes up and down the tan skin. "You need someone to tell you what to do. Plus, I think you like taking orders."

"Don't get kinky," Alex says enjoying the other boy's administrations.

"Don't play innocent," Pete said his lips curved up into an impish smile making his dimples pop out. "I know you to well. You like kinky."

"You're a perv," Alex grins with his head turned to one side. He closes his eyes relaxing as Pete massages his back.

"Just relax." Pete's voice is soft as he works on the knots in Alex's shoulders. Clear your mind and float. Just float in the void and let the tension leave your body." Pete continues his soft monotone coaxing Alex into a more relaxed state.

Alex has always been surprised at how well Pete is at this. He always feels better after one of Pete's sessions. Alex always feels more focused and more at peace. He is always amazed at the talents of this guy. Alex knows just how lucky he was to have been picked up by Pete at that gay bar. He knows even more how great a friend Pete is. If it was not for his strong feelings for Brent, Alex might have feelings for Pete beyond just friendship.

#

Alex woke up feeling relaxed and refreshed. He did not even remember falling asleep. He could feel the warm body pressed against his back. He felt the arm that was across his chest and the warm breath on his ear. He pretended it was Brent spooned up against him. He had pulled Brent from that crazy clinic place and brought him home. Alex closes his eyes trying to hold onto the fantasy his mind was creating.

Alex's hand felt the soft skin of the boy's arm across his chest. He slowly turned to face the boy in bed next to him. Alex pulled him closer holding him tight. He then tenderly pushed the blonde hair back from Brent's face. He lightly kisses Brent's red lips. "morning sleeping prince."

"Morning." Brent's eyes slowly open and his blue eyes find Alex's brown ones.

Alex tenderly kisses Brent again. Brent's lips part allowing Alex to push his tongue into Brent's mouth. The two kiss long and deep. The passion evident in the intensity and hunger the boys show for each other.

Brent raps his arm around Alex pulling the older boy tighter to him. He runs his hand up and down Alex's strong back and down to the boy's bare butt.

"You do not know how much I have missed you," Alex says after the kiss had broken.

"I've missed you to," Brent kisses Alex's lips again. "I can show you just how much."

Brent pushes Alex onto his back and then the blonde slides under the covers. He lightly kisses Alex's chest. Brent's tongue circling around one nipple and then the other. He lightly nips it with his teeth which enlists a moan of pleasure from Alex. Brent moves lower kissing his way down Alex's belly. He passes by Alex's tent pole and begins licking each of Alex's orbs. He sucks the left one into his mouth. Alex spreads his legs further apart giving Brent easier access to him. Brent lets the left egg slip from his lips and then sucks on the right one. More moans escape Alex's lips. Brent releases Alex's testicle and begins licking the underside of Alex's shaft. His tongue moves closer and closer to the head. He kisses the tip and then opens his mouth taking the head inside.

"Oh Brent." Alex tangles his fingers in the blonde hair and feels his shaft slipping further into Brent's mouth.

Brent feels Alex's head hit the back of his throat and he swallows it down past his gag reflex. His nose is buried in the dense forest of Alex's brown bush.

"oh shit! Oh yes!" Alex feels pleasure shooting from his cock up through his body. He feels it growing and building. Brent is sliding his mouth up and down the college man's shaft. His lips stroking the shaft. He swirls his tongue around the head before plunging back down to swallow Alex down to the base.

Alex cannot stop his climax. He begins filling Brent's mouth with his seed. He begins shooting jet after jet of cum into the blonde's swallowing mouth. Each jet going down Brent's throat and into his hungry stomach.

"Oh fuck," Alex sighs as he rides the last of the wave of pleasure. He cannot believe that it feels so good with Brent. Alex's spent cock slips from Brent's lips and the blond climbs back up. His blonde head popping out from under the covers to kiss Alex's lips.

Alex returns the kiss tasting his own seed on Brent's lips and tongue. After the kiss breaks, he is looking into Brent's blue eyes. "It is your turn now."

"My turn?" Brent's lips are curved up into a sensual smile. "for what?"

"Me to give you as much pleasure as you give me." Alex holds Brent tight his hand sliding up and down Brent's back. He squeezes Brent's firm buns in each of his hands and then rolls the blonde onto his back. He has Brent under him. His spit covered cock pressing against Brent's. "It is my turn." Alex kisses him hard on the mouth. His hand sliding down to grip the erect penis.

"Dude!" come on Alex wake up dude!" Pete is pushing at Alex who is on top of him.

Alex's eyes fly open and he is looking into Pete's green-eyed gaze. He had been dreaming about Brent's inviting blue eyes. "Pete."

"You willing to finish what you are starting here dude?" Pete asks his lips curved up into an impish smile.

"I'm sorry," Alex said his face growing warm with his embarrassment. "I am sorry."

"I would be up for it," Pete said feeling the heat of the older boy's body against his own. "But I'm not sure your heart would be in it."

"Fuck Pete, I'm so fucking sorry," Alex begins to roll off Pete but Pete holds him tight.

"It was Brent again wasn't it?" Pete asked his voice soft.

"Yes," Alex answers hanging his head. Alex's face is buried in the pillow next to Pete. "It felt so real."

"Dreams often do," Pete said holding Alex tight. Pete's hand is tenderly caressing Alex's back.

"I don't deserve a friend like you," Alex said his voice thick with emotion.

"I'm sure you would be there for me," Pete said.

Raising his head, Alex looks into Pete's eyes. "I would be and I will be. I do mean it. Anytime you need me."

"Be careful stud. Don't promise what you can't fulfill." Pete's lips are curved back up into that devilish smile that makes him look more like and imp than anything else.

"Anything that is within my limited power to give is yours," Alex answered then he lightly kisses Pete's lips.

"You know if I thought I had half a chance with you, I would be throwing everything I had at to land you," Pete said. "I hope Brent knows just how lucky he is."

"I'm the lucky one," Alex said and rolls off Pete.

"Well, when you get him out of that prison, he had better treat you right."

"Or what?" Alex asked looking up at the ceiling.

"Or he'll be answering to me and he is not going to like it one damn bit." Pete slides from the bed.

Glancing over Alex watches the young guy stretching. Pete is still wearing the same basketball shorts and nothing else. The shorts have a sizable pole causing them to bulge in the front. "Looks like you got some morning wood there."

"Yeah, thanks to you," Pete said and stretches. He arcs his back causing his erection to jut out even more noticeably.

"Sorry about that," Alex said but continues to watch Pete stretch. Alex cannot help but admire the younger guy's lean athletic body. The boy was a heart throb. Alex did not understand why the guy did not have a boyfriend.

"I should make you take care of it." Pete pushes his hand into the shorts grabbing his erection. He gives his teenage meet a few strokes.

"Look little man, you aren't going to make me do anything." Alex is still watching Pete slowly stroking himself inside the loose shorts.

"Little man!" Pete's voice is filled with indignation. "Who the fuck you calling little." Pete pounces on Alex. He pins Alex to the bed with his lean muscular frame. "Just who is little here." Pete is straddling Alex's chest. Pete's legs are on either side of Alex and his tent pole is only inches from Alex's face. Alex's arms are pinned to his sides by Pete's legs.

Alex is laughing as he looks up into Pete's grinning face. "you are crazy."

"Oh, don't try that," Pete said. "You gotta take it back."

"No way LITTLE MAN." Alex puts all the emphasis he can on the two words.

"This aint little," Pete pulls down the front of the short and waves his penis over Alex's face. "Now take it back."

"Dude get that thing out of my face." Alex is still laughing at the craziness of the situation.

"Nope take it back," Pete repeats.

"Get your pecker out of my face."

"Nope now you gotta kiss it," Pete said looking down his lips twitching in amusement.

"Dude you are nuts. Get off me." Alex tries half hardily to dislodge the other boy.

"Nope kiss it first. Come on just one quick little kiss." Pete moves the head of his cock closer to Alex's lips.

Without thinking about what he is doing, Alex raises his head and kisses the head of Pete's cock. One quick kiss and then drops his head back to the pillow.

Pete was momentarily frozen in shock at Alex's antics. Pete then moves off Alex and flops down on the bed beside the other boy. "I did not really think you would do it."

"I've got to keep you guessing buddy," Alex said. Reaching over Alex wraps his hand around Pete's erection and begins to stroke the younger guy.

"Alex," Pete is startled by what Alex is doing.

"I told you I would be there if you needed me," Alex said still stroking Pete. "This tells me you need a little help." Alex squeezes Pete's erection and then rubs his thumb across the head. He picks up speed and starts stroking Pete faster.

"Oh, shit Alex." Pete cannot believe how good it feels to have someone else stroking him. It has been a while for the teenager and having a buddy as sexy as Alex stroking him was causing the boys balls to churn with lust.

Faster Alex stroke's Pete. His hand is pumping up and down the shaft. His thumb rubs the fat head smearing Pete's precum around it. He reaches over with his other hand and pulls Pete's shorts down further. Pete lifts his hips and allows Alex to lower them even more. The older boy grips Pete's balls and begins massaging them. He rolls each of them around in his fingers as his other hand continues stroking Pete.

"Oh shit!" Pete can feel the sensations growing. He can feel his orgasm building. He knows it will not be long.

Alex pumps faster and harder. His hand is a blur as he stroke's his friend. He pauses his stroking for a minute to run his thumb around Pete's cock head again. He smears even more of Pete's precum all over the tip of Pete's cock. Alex's hand returns to his pumping of the teenager's turgid cock.

"Alex, I'm going to cum." Pete barely gets the words out before his cock jerks and begins shooting. Jet after Jet of his teenage juice firing up onto his chest and belly.

After what seems like long minutes to Pete his cock ejects the last of his load. "Oh wow."

"Damn that is a lot of jizz." Alex is looking at the ropes of white cum on Pete's tan skin. "Just how long have you been saving that up?"

"Only a day or so," Pete said. He grabs a shirt from the floor and wipes up the cum on his chest and belly. "Um, thanks for the hand."

"No problem," Alex said laughing. Then he continues a little more seriously. "Um Pete, you know, um, I, um love..."

"I know Brent," Pete finishes for him. "It's cool Alex. It was just a hand job. I know that. It is cool. We are cool."

"You are a great friend." Leaning over Alex kisses Pete's cheek. Then he looks at the blue shirt that Pete was using to wipe up the cum. "Is that my shirt?"

"Oh, um, I guess it is." Pete's eyes sparkle with his mischief.

"You little shit," Alex said laughing.

#

Alex had not made any head way at getting in to see Brent at the crazy clinic. Linda had told him that she had not been to see Brent either but Brent was making progress. The doctor's said some of his memory had cleared up and he had made a complete physical recovery.

Alex was hoping everything he was learning was true. He was hoping that the clinic was not as bad as he thought it was.

Pete had gone with Alex to look around the area where the clinic was. They had both agreed it looked more like a prison than a hospital. The gates never seemed to be open and there was always someone watching the exits.

"I think working on his Mom is the best course," Pete told Alex after they had returned to their car.

"You are probably right," Alex said. "I wish I could check myself in but that doesn't seem to be an option."

The days passed without Alex able to get any closer to seeing Brent again. He had talked to an attorney about trying to get Brent out but that had gone nowhere. Without proof that Brent was being mistreated or neglected there was nothing they could legally do.

"" It is fucking crazy!" Alex was pacing again in Pete's small apartment. It only took him a few strides to get from one side of the room to the other. "I'm so close but still can't get to see him."

"At least you know he is alright," Pete said. "You know where he is and he's recovering from the beating."

Alex had told Pete everything about the attack on him and Brent. Alex was still disgusted that Darren had gotten away with no punishment for injuring Brent. "I hate feeling helpless." Alex dropped down on the sofa next to Pete. "It is not fair. It is not right!"

"I agree dude," Pete said patting Alex's leg.

"I wish I knew the right kind of people to hire to just break in their and get him out," Alex said. "I could get the money but don't know anything about finding the right people."

"You have access to that kind of cash?" Pete asked looking at his friend.

"I have limited access to some funds," Alex said vaguely.

"Just how loaded are you?" Pete knew Alex was well off. He had known that since the night he had picked the guy up from the bar. He had seen the cash and several credit cards in Alex's pockets. He had removed them to wash Alex closed that smelled like vomit and piss.

"It isn't really my money," Alex said. "It's my parents'. My money is what I earn from my job."

"But you could come up with the cash?" Pete said.

"Probably," Alex said. "You know someone?"

"Why not ask that P.I." Pete knew that was how Alex had been able to find Brent was by hiring an investigator.

"Not a bad idea," Alex said. "I should have thought of that."

"Call him tomorrow," Pete said as he was watching Alex reaching for his phone.

"I've lost enough time," Alex said.

"Dude," Alex said "It is late. Call him first thing in the morning. If you call him tonight, he might just tell you to fuck off."

"Right," Alex said. "I'm sorry about staying so late. I didn't realize what time it was. Do you have classes tomorrow?"

"Of course," Pete said. "I did not get that fucking awesome schedule you did. Just who did you have to blow to get that anyway?"

"wouldn't you like to know." Alex grinned and raised his eyebrow at Pete.

"Slut!" Pete said punching Alex playfully.

"I'll take off," Alex said. "I know you need all the beauty sleep you can get."

"Screw you," Pete said. "You know you can just sleep here."

"You don't mind?" Alex said looking at Pete.

"come on," Pete said getting up and heading to the bedroom. "It is to late for you to drive all the way home."

"Thanks, Pete," Alex said. Alex was not sure what he had done to get a friend like Pete but he was grateful for the boy's loyalty.

#

Alex heard the phone ringing. He slowly opened his eyes. He listened again and recognized his mother's ring tone. Grabbing his phone from the night stand he answers the call. "Mom? What time is it?"

Alex can hear the stress in his Mom's voice. "I'm at a friends."

"You need to come home right now," Grace said. "Right now, Alexander."

"Is everything alright?" Alex asks reaching for his clothes.

"Just come home the police need to talk to you."

Alex freezes in place. "The police?"

"Just come home Alex," she said a little more softly. "Everything will be alright. They just have some questions for you."

"I'm on my way," Alex ends the call.

"What's up?" Pete asked watching Alex getting dressed.

"I'm not sure." Alex is pulling on pants and reaching for his shirt.

"Want me to come with you?" Pete asked. "I heard you say police. I can vouch for where you have been all night."

"No," Alex said "But I appreciate it. If I need you, I'll call."

"Call and let me know what's up," Pete watches Alex leaving and gets a "sure".

#

Alex is barely through the door before he is bombarded with questions. "Mrs. Watson?"

"Do you know where he is? Is he with you?" Linda is frantic.

"Where is my son?" Richard demands before Alex can get through the front door.

"Brent?" Alex is confused. "No, he's not with me. I haven't seen him. What is going on?"

"Brent Watson is missing," the police officer tells Alex.

"I thought maybe you would know where he is," Linda said.

"Missing?" Alex repeats. "Isn't he in the clinic?"

"How do you know about the clinic?" Richard demands taking a menacing step closer to Alex.

"Let's just say I found Brent but have not seen him or talked to him," Alex said.

"I was praying you would know where he was." Linda drops to the sofa sobbing into her hands.

"We will find him," Grace tells her.

"When did he go missing?" Alex drops down next to Linda on the sofa.

"That is unclear," the detective answers.

"It is such a mess," Linda said. She is holding her face in her hands and barely able to stop herself from crying.

"I don't understand," Alex said.

"I was hoping he ran away to you," Linda said. "I prayed he was safe with you."

"I haven't seen him," Alex said.

It took time for the detective to explain about the clinic being shut down and Dr. Wilson and several of the staff being arrested. It seems from the reports that the detectives have obtained from the staff that two boys were missing for several days before the place was shut down by the FBI and Family Services.

"Missing for days," Alex said standing. "Where would he go?"

"Mrs. Watson was certain that he would have went to you."

"I thought maybe he remembered and had run-a-way and was with you." Linda began sobbing again.

"Fuck!" Alex voice is loud as he vents his frustration. He begins pacing back and forth in the living room.

"Language Alexander." Grace's voice is sharp as she reproaches her son.

"So, you have not had any contact with Brent?" The detective is watching as Alex turns to face him.

"No. I have not seen him or even talked to him in months." He turns glaring at the Watsons. "I have a restraining order to stay away from him." His voice is dripping with anger.

"Alex," Grace said her voice calm.

Alex recognizes that tone. He knows it to well. He rains in his emotions. He knows losing control of them will not do him or Brent any good.

"Do you know anyone he might have gone to?" The Detective's voice is deep as he studies Alex.

"No," Alex said. "Brent did not have a lot of friends. We did not hang out much with anyone. We, um, liked just being alone."

"Fucking pervert," Richard muttered.

Grace heard the man's comment and turned to face him. She drew herself up looking him in the eye. "Mr. Watson, this is my house and I will not permit you to talk about my son or anyone else in that manner. You will either mind your manners or you will leave. If you have nothing constructive to add to help us find YOUR son, then keep quiet." Grace might have been shorter than Richard. She might have been considered fragile compared to the man but somehow, she managed to loom over him. Somehow, she projected herself as in charge.

Richard glared back for a moment and then looked away from her icy gaze. He looked down at the floor and remained quiet.

"Brent did have a boyfriend before me." Alex could feel the glare of Richard Watson drilling into his back but he did not care. Right now, Alex was only concerned about finding Brent. "They broke up and as far as I know Brent lost contact with him."

"This is getting us nowhere," Richard said. "You need to be out there finding my son. Asking this..." Richard paused before saying..." boy is not getting us anything."

"We will do everything we can to find Brent," the Detective said. "We just need to eliminate all of his friends first.

"What about Alexis?" Richard said. "Maybe he went to his girlfriend."

Alex glanced at Linda Watson who looked nervously at him. "I'll check with her." Alex had almost said he was Alexis but decided that might just throw fuel on Richard's anger. He did not want to cause Brent's Mom any more distress. The woman seemed to be barely holding it together. "I'll call all the friends that I can think of just to make sure Brent isn't with one of them. But there aren't really that many."

"I'll check with Cassie," Jenny said from a corner of the room. "They dated and maybe she has heard from him."

Alex had not even noticed his sister sitting quietly in a corner of the room. Jenny had been somewhat depressed since the fight at Christmas and her neanderthal boyfriend almost killing her brother and her brother's boyfriend. "Thanks sis."

"We need to find my son!" Richard barked. "We should be out there looking."

"We will be doing everything we can," the Detective said. "What about favorite hangouts?"

"The theater," Alex said his voice animated. "It is where Brent and I met. He liked losing himself in a good movie."

"I'll go check it out," Richard said heading for the door. He would rather be doing something than just standing around in a strangers living room. "You are coming Linda?"

As she began standing, the room began to spin. She started to fall but felt strong arms steady her and then lower her back to the sofa. "I'm, I'm sorry."

"Pull yourself together!" Richard was glaring at his wife.

"Just sit for a couple minutes," Alex said. He had been the one to steady Linda and help her back to the sofa.

"Linda!" Richard barked again.

"MR Watson," Grace began, "You will refrain from yelling at people in MY house. If you cannot mind your manners, you will have to leave."

"Listen to me lady," Richard began turning to face Grace.

With her head held high she met Richard's glare. "In my house, you will do the listening. I will not remind you again how to act with social graces. You will be civil to everyone her or you will leave. Those are your options. Pick one."

Alex knew that tone and knew Richard was on the verge of truly pissing off his mother. If the situation were not so serious, he would almost laugh. Of course, he would not do that in front of Grace. He did not want to call down her wrath on him.

"I'm sorry Richard," Linda said her voice meek. "I'll be alright in a minute."

"Mr. Watson," Alex began his voice respectful even though he did not have any respect for the man. "I will be happy to drive Mrs. Watson home if you want to check out the theater. I can even give you some addresses of other places Brent and I went."

Reluctantly Richard agreed. It was more due to the laser like glare of Grace Caldwell than the respectfulness in Alex's voice.

Alex quickly jotted down a few places on a note pad. He includes the theater, a coffee shop and a couple of other college hangouts. He added the diner where they often ate. Alex could not help but hope that the drag queen would be there in her usual booth. He was sure Richard would enjoy meeting her.

"I'm so sorry about all of this," Linda said after Richard had taken the list and left.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Grace said patting Linda's hand as she sat next to her on the sofa.

The detective had also left and it was only Grace, Alex, Jenny, and Linda Watson left in the large living room.

Lita came in with a tray of tea. "Thank you, Lita," Grace said as the housekeeper was sitting the tray on the coffee table.

"I thought this might help," Lita said tapping a bottle of Brandi on the tray.

"Yes, it might," Grace said her lips curved up into a rueful smile.

Grace poured the tea adding a generous amount of brandy to Linda's cup.

"I'm sorry that Richard is so difficult," Linda said taking a sip of her tea. "He used to be so different. Before we moved here."

"Mrs. Watson," Grace began.

"Oh, please call me Linda," she said.

"Linda, your husband has some anger issues that concern me for you and for Brent." Grace was choosing her words very carefully.

"He's just worried about Brent." Linda took another sip of the tea.

"Perhaps that is part of it," Grace said. "When you find Brent maybe the three of you need to see a family counselor."

"Dr. Wilson was seeing us," Linda said. "We thought she was wonderful. Brent seemed to like her."

"Mrs. Watson," Alex said once again using as much respect as he could muster, "Brent did not like Dr. Wilson. He talked to me about the appointments. She made him uncomfortable to say the least. The kind of therapy she practiced was not in Brent's best interest."

"That is what Matt said," Linda said.

"Matt?" Alex asked. "Who is Matt."

"he was this man that came to the door a week or so ago," she said. "He was concerned about Brent."

"Did you mention him to the detective?" Grace asked.

"No, I did not think about him until now. My brain just is not working right."

"Would Brent have gone to him?" Grace asked.

"He only knew Brent through Devyn," Linda explained. "Richard believes he did something to Brent and Devyn. I guess that is why I did not mention him. I did not want to upset Richard."

"Do you know his name?" Alex asked hopeful.

"Matt, um, Chancellor." She said after pausing to remember the man's last name.

"I'll call our P.I. as soon as his office is open," Alex said.

"Alex," Grace said looking at her son, "wake him up."

Alex is already pulling out his phone as he is getting up from the sofa. It looked like this time Grace was going to be backing him up with the investigator.

"P.I.?" Linda said confused.

"We have a private investigator we use sometimes," Grace explained. "For background checks and the like." Turning towards Alex she added, "Alex tell him I said all resources. Whatever it takes."

It looked like this time Alex was going to be able to use all of the Caldwell resources to find Brent and this Matt guy. This might be the closest Alex had been to being reunited with Brent since Brent had been moved out of the hospital.

Copyright 2021 by Keith yates (keith.96@att.net) all rights reserved.

No copying, reposting, or distributing is permitted without the author's written consent.

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. Thomas Paine

To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture. Thomas Paine