Heading Down the Long Road 1
Welcome, everyone to the latest installment of my The Long Road series. This is book 4 (for those who read the original manuscript, The Long Road was split into The Long Road (book 1) and Continuing Down The Long Road (book 2) due to its length).
Some of you will no doubt notice a lot of similarities between Heading Down The Long Road chapter 1 and The Long Road chapter 16. They are very similar, but the events are being told from two different character's perspectives.
Please feel free to leave comments, questions, suggestions or feedback in the comments section. You may also contact me directly at playmaster0023@yahoo.com. It may take a couple of days for me to respond, but I will definitely respond.
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That being said, please enjoy the chapter.
Jim
Chapter 1
Okay, the lunch dishes are done, there's a load in the washer. Should I mow the lawn or should I prepare my letter of resignation? I know the Mayor wanted me to succeed him, but I'm fed up with the petty politics and being stonewalled every time I tried to do something good for the community. I can do more working for the LGBT Center in their Public Policy office. Dave mentally checked off items on his to-do list when his phone rang. "Dave Barton".
"Hi Dave, its Tommy.
"Hey T-Man, how's things?"
"Not so good. That's why I'm calling you. I'm over at Kyle's. He's just been raped and had the shit kicked out of him by someone wearing an FBI hat."
"WHAT?????? Is he okay?" Dave collapsed into the nearest chair, eyes glistening with moisture. First he comes home and finds Jayson cheating on him, now this. Poor Kyle.
"No, he's not. He's a mess. But that's not why I'm calling you. There's a cop here who's being a total dick to him. He just threatened to shove his nightstick up Kyle's ass, saying that all fucking faggots love to have things shoved up their asses. Kyle's going through enough without pricks like him making things worse."
"What's the officer's name?" He asked. If it's that fucking Kenson, Burke's getting a call. Something's got to be done about that asshole.
"I don't know. Hang on a sec and I'll find out." A minute later Tommy came back on the line. "Kenson."
"Shit! Here we go again. I'm sorry, Tommy. I'll take care of this immediately." Dave seethed.
"What can you do?"
"I'll make sure both the Commissioner and the Mayor hear about this. Can you write me up a statement as to what happened?"
"I'll be glad to." Tommy responded, his anger very much in evidence in his voice.
"There have been a lot of complaints against this guy from the gay community. The Chief of Police may turn a blind eye, but I guarantee the Commissioner won't. Nor will the Mayor." He told Tommy, furious that the Police Chief refused to act upon the multitude of complaints against the obviously bigoted officer.
"I know. That's why I called you. Sorry to have to call you on your day off with this."
"I'm glad you did. Something like this can't wait. Let me call you back." He hung up and dialed the Police Commissioner's phone number. Please be home. He prayed.
"Commissioner Burke."
Okay, here we go. He's going to have a cow over this. "Fred, its Dave Barton. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but I just got a call from a friend of mine. A mutual friend of ours has just been beaten and raped in his home. One of the investigating officers just threatened the victim with bodily injury. I'm on my way over to check out the situation and thought you would want to know."
"You wouldn't happen to know the officer's name would you?"
"I think you know who it is." Dave replied with anger and disgust in his voice
The Commissioner's deep sigh of resignation was quite audible coming through the phone. "Don't tell me, let me guess. Kenson." The Commissioner's response held the same anger and disgust as Dave's did.
"A-yep."
"That fucking ass-wipe has stepped over the line for the last time. What's the address? I'll meet you there."
Dave gave the Commissioner Kyle's address as he jumped into his car and sped off, promising to meet him there. He arrived a few minutes later and waited outside until the Commissioner arrived before ringing the doorbell, which was promptly answered by Tommy. "Commissioner Burke, Tommy Adams. Tommy, Police Commissioner Burke. Tommy is the victim's best friend."
"I'm pleased to meet you, Mister Adams."
"Likewise, Commissioner, please come in and sit down." As they sat down, Tommy started to explain how he had stopped by to return a couple of borrowed DVDs when he heard Kyle screaming for help. They listened in horror as Tommy explained how he had found Kyle naked and face down on his bed, both wrists and ankles handcuffed to the bedposts, bleeding from a gash on the top of his head and from his butt, which he had covered with a towel to give his best friend some dignity. Their horror turned to anger and righteous indignation when Tommy related how the cop, Kenson, had treated Kyle.
Dave and the Commissioner entered Kyle's bedroom and approached Officer Kenson. "Kenson!"
Officer Peters, Kenson's partner, turned around and saw the Deputy Mayor, who he had never met before, but whose face he recognized from the news. As he stared at the Deputy Mayor, the most incredible specimen of man he had ever seen, he had to steady himself against the dresser as his knees suddenly weakened. His pulse started racing and his breathing increased. "Are you okay, Officer?" Dave asked solicitously, not realizing that he was the cause of the young officer's current condition.
"I'm fine, thank you. It's just a little warm in here."
Kenson had also turned around and was surprised to see both the Commissioner and the Deputy Mayor.
"Hello, Commissioner, Deputy Mayor. What brings you here?
"Step out here a minute, please." The Commissioner, Deputy Mayor and the two Police Officers returned to the living room. "We want to know what happened here." The Commissioner demanded in a stern voice.
The warning tone in the Commissioner's voice went totally unnoticed by Kenson. "It's the same old thing. The Little Mary got fucked a little too rough and is whining and crying about it." Whose dick has this faggot been sucking to warrant both the Police Commissioner and the Deputy Mayor to show up at a non-crime scene? Kenson wondered, clueless to the fact that he himself was the reason that they were there.
Tommy couldn't remain silent any longer. Before anyone could speak, he got up into the cop's face. "HE WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS, HANDCUFFED TO HIS BED AND RAPED!" Tommy yelled out.
The cop punched Tommy hard in the stomach with his police baton, knocking him to the floor. "Get out of my face, you pansy-assed faggot! For all I know, you're probably the one that did it." He accused Tommy.
If looks could kill, Officer Kenson would have turned to dust centuries ago from the look Dave gave him as he knelt next to the prone Tommy. "Tommy, are you okay? Where did he hit you?"
Tommy struggled to his feet with Dave's help, holding his stomach. "I'm okay, Dave. I'm pressing charges against that cocksucker. I want his badge!"
"That's not going to be a problem. I'm sure the Commissioner is way ahead of you. He's wanted to take Kenson down for a long time, but up until now he had nothing concrete to go on. Now he does. I'm just sorry it took Kyle getting raped and you getting assaulted for it to happen."
The Commissioner called to the other attending officer. "Officer Peters, place Officer Kenson under arrest. Kenson, you are under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, police brutality, misconduct, and I'm sure I can come up with a lot more charges." As he read the arrested officer his Miranda rights, he literally tore the badge off his uniform. "In addition, you are terminated immediately. Get him out of my sight!" He turned to Tommy. "I'm terribly sorry. Are you all right, son?"
"Thanks, Commissioner. I'm okay. Just got the wind knocked out of me." Tommy replied, still slightly winded.
At that moment, the paramedics wheeled Kyle into the living room on a stretcher. The Commissioner stopped them. "What's his name?" He asked.
"Kyle Matthews."
"Mister Matthews I'm Police Commissioner Burke. I'm terribly sorry for what my former officer put you though. You didn't need that on top of everything else. I assure you, he will be dealt with severely."
"Thanks, Commissioner. Do you need a statement from me?"
"That won't be necessary. I just witnessed him attack your friend over there."
"Omigod, is he all right? Tommy? Are you okay?" Kyle searched the room for Tommy, more concerned about his best friend than he was about himself.
"I'm okay, Kyle. Don't worry about me. He just knocked the wind out of me. That's all."
"This is something I've been wanting for a very long time. Having witnessed it first hand, I finally have positive proof of his bigotry and abusiveness and can act on it. And I assure you, I most definitely will." A smile of satisfaction appeared on the Commissioner's face. He was practically drooling over the prospect of finally getting rid of a thorn in his side. "It's been a long time coming." To the paramedics he said "What hospital are you taking him to?" Everyone turned to look at Kyle.
"County General is the closest one that takes my insurance."
"See to it that he get the best care possible. The city will pick up the tab on this one." That ass-wipe Kenson just opened the city and the police department up for two major lawsuits. Hopefully, with the city covering his medical expenses, Matthews won't sue, although I wouldn't blame him if he did. And hopefully Adams won't sue, although I wouldn't blame him either if he did. The attack on him was totally unwarranted. Obviously that ass-wipe can't tell the difference between a distraught friend and a threatening situation requiring physical violence. The Commissioner fumed.
"Yes Commissioner." One of the paramedics replied as they loaded Kyle into the ambulance.
"Mr. Adams, you should go get checked out too, just to be on the safe side. The police baton when used incorrectly, such as what just happened to you, can cause unknown internal injuries. The attack on you was totally unwarranted. Do you want to press charges? You are well within your rights to do so."
"If it will prevent him from doing this to somebody else, you bet I do."
"Peters, call for another unit to take Kenson in then accompany them to the hospital with full lights and sirens. Get a statement of charges from Mr. Adams. First degree aggravated assault."
"First degree aggravated assault? Will it stick?"
"Both the Deputy Mayor and I witnessed the totally unprovoked attack on the distraught friend of a rape victim. I'll make it stick."
"Yes Commissioner." Peters responded, wishing there was some way he could stay with the Deputy Mayor. He called for another unit to take his now ex-partner to the precinct.
"The city is also picking up the tab for the examination and any necessary treatments or medical procedures for Mister Adams as well." Hopefully this will prevent him from suing as well. These poor kids did not deserve what has happened to them. Justice will be served.
"I'm okay, really Commissioner. He just caught me off-guard. If I had been prepared, I wouldn't have been winded like that." Tommy raised his shirt to reveal rock-hard six-pack abs. "Besides, I'm more worried about Kyle. Not only was he beaten and raped, but the rapist didn't use a condom and ejaculated inside him, so now there's a possibility of HIV infection as well."
"If that happens, and I sincerely hope it doesn't, the charges of rape, assault and battery will be elevated to rape, assault with a deadly weapon and battery. He's going away for a very long time." The Commissioner felt a twinge of pain as the memory of the loss of his son to AIDS surfaced. "I want you to be checked out, son. No arguments or I'll have you arrested and forced to submit to medical attention."
As Kyle and Tommy were loaded into the ambulance, Officer Peters got into his patrol car and prepared to follow the ambulance to the hospital. Peters, you're a fucking idiot! He mentally started beating himself up. Swooning over the Deputy Mayor like a love-sick teenager. He's most likely straight, and even if he isn't, he probably has a boyfriend. Nobody that hot could possibly be single. Upon arriving at the emergency room, he asked the nurse on duty to inform him when he could see Kyle and Tommy in order to get statements from them then went into the waiting room. He sat as close to the door as he could, trying to remain inconspicuous as the waiting room began to fill with all of Kyle's friends and family. As soon as Tommy walked in, he stood up. "Mister Adams, are you okay? What did the doctors say?"
"I'm okay, thanks for asking. It's just some minor bruises."
"Would you mind filing out a complaint form?"
"Absolutely" Tommy took the clipboard and papers that Officer Peters handed him and started filling them out, taking the seat next to him.
"I'd like to apologize for my ex-partner. What he did to you was totally unwarranted and inexcusable. I'm terribly sorry you had to go through that, Mister Adams."
"Officer..." Tommy prompted.
"Peters."
"Please call me Tommy. You have nothing to apologize for. We're good."
"Still, I should have stopped him before it got that far."
"Did you know he was going to attack me?"
"No but..."
"No buts." Tommy interrupted. "You could not have prevented something that you had no idea was going to happen, so don't think another thing about it." He extended his hand to the officer, who shook it firmly.
"Officer Peters, please report to the Admissions desk. Officer Peters, please report to the Admissions desk."
"Excuse me, Tommy." He went out to the admissions desk. "I'm Officer Peters. I was just paged and told to report here." He said to the nurse.
"The Doctor has finished his preliminary examination of Mister Matthews and there will be a few minutes before the proctologist arrives to examine him so now would be a good time to get your statement." The nurse told him.
"Thank you, Nurse."
"You're welcome. He's in that room." She pointed him in the proper direction.
Officer Peters knocked on the door and timidly entered the room. "Mister Matthews, again I want to apologize for my partner. He can be quite the prick sometimes."
"Thanks, but you don't owe me any apologies. I appreciate your efforts to keep him away from me."
"Not a problem. Would you mind filling out a complaint form against him?"
"Not at all." Kyle took the paperwork from the young officer and started filling it out.
"While you're doing that, is there anything I can get you? Anything you need?"
"Can you find out about how my friend is doing? His name is Tommy Adams." Kyle asked his eyes moist. "I'll never forgive myself if he was seriously injured."
"It wasn't your fault. It was that prick Kenson's bigotry that was at fault. He'll get his, though. The Commissioner was really pissed at him, and I don't think the Deputy Mayor was too happy with him either." His face lit up at the mention of the Deputy Mayor, a look that the normally observant Kyle totally missed. The fact that the young police officer was totally enamored with the Deputy Mayor went completely unnoticed. "Let me see what I can find out."
"Thanks, Officer." Kyle said to the officer's retreating back.
He went into the waiting room and approached Tommy. "Tommy, Mister Matthews is asking for you. Do you feel up to visiting him?"
Tommy jumped up then winced at the sudden stab of pain in his abdomen. Officer Peters jumped to his side to support him as an unknown man jumped up to support him on his other side. "Thanks. I'm okay."
"Like hell you are." The unknown man retorted. "You're in pain. If you want to go see Kyle, let me at least get you a wheelchair."
"Thanks, baby, but if I know Kyle, he's feeling guilty over my being attacked, blaming himself..." Officer Peters hung his head in guilt. Tommy turned on him. "It was not your fault. Stop feeling responsible for that cock-sucking prick."
In a barely audible voice, he responded "I knew what a bigoted jerk he was. I should have expected him to attack you. I should have stepped in between you so he would have hit me instead of you."
"I see we have a problem here. I think I need to call the Deputy Mayor and have him set you up with some counseling. I expect you are experiencing irrational guilt, and need help to deal with it."
He shot Tommy a terrified look. "Please don't. If it gets on my record that I had any form of counseling, I'll never make detective." He begged.
"Then stop feeling guilty and responsible for that prick's actions. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go see Kyle. Oh, I'm sorry. Officer Peters, this is my boyfriend, Andy Martin. Andy, this is the officer I was telling you about."
"Pleased to meet you, Mister Martin."
"Same here, Officer, and the name's Andy." They shook hands then Officer Peters led Tommy to Kyle's room.
"Were you able to find out anything about Tommy?" Kyle asked as soon as he entered the room.
"I've done better than that." He stepped out of the doorway to allow Tommy to enter, who immediately rushed into Kyle's outstretched arms. He stood in the doorway and watched as the two best friends hugged, then as Kyle explained the nature of his injuries. What I wouldn't give to have friends like these guys. He thought with a great deal of pain as he remembered how one-by-one all of his friends turned their backs on him when he came out. His own family didn't want anything to do with him either. It got to the point where eventually he packed his belongings and moved away from New Orleans, the city he grew up in. Maybe someday... He thought wistfully. Seeing Kyle break down in anguish brought tears to his eyes. God I wish there was something I could do to help him. But what can I do? I don't even know the guy. There must be something. His compassionate nature kicked into high gear. After Kyle settled down, Officer Peters approached him carefully and laid a compassionate hand on his shoulder. "I swear to you by all that's holy, Mister Matthews I will do everything I can to make sure the person who did this to you pays dearly."
Kyle placed his hand on the officer's hand. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'll be in touch." He left the hospital room determined to catch the rapist, cut his dick off and shove it up Kenson's ass. "Good afternoon, Deputy Mayor." He greeted Dave, who was coming into the hospital to see how Kyle was doing.
"Hi, Officer Peters, you're still here?"
"I'm just leaving, sir. I wanted to see how Mister Adams and Mister Matthews were doing and if either of them needed anything. I also had to get a statement of charges from Mister Adams. I got one as well from Mister Matthews."
"May I see them?"
"Of course, sir" He handed the police reports to Dave who read them over thoroughly.
"Ah, excellent, now we can finally nail that dickhead Kenson. Between these reports, my statement, the Commissioner's statement and the statements from the two paramedics, he's going away for a very long time. I'm sorry you got saddled with that bigoted ass-wipe."
"Thanks. I just don't understand how anyone can be that be that way. We all willingly took an oath to serve and protect. How can a police officer intentionally violate that oath just because the victim of a crime is different? Where's the service? Where's the protection? He had no right to treat Mister Matthews that way, nor did he have any right to attack Mister Adams. Neither of them did anything wrong." There was considerable anger in Greg's voice.
Dave led him to a couple of chairs in the hallway and sat him down. "You're really bothered by this aren't you?" He asked softly.
"Yes, I am."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I guess I just don't like seeing people mistreat others like that. That's the main reason why I became a cop. I thought I could change things, that I could make a difference."
"You are making a difference. You made a big difference to that man in there" he pointed towards Kyle's room "when you stood up for him against your partner. That's almost unheard of around here, blue wall of silence and that sort of thing."
"I couldn't just stand by and watch him treat Mister Matthews like a pile of garbage. He's a human being with feelings. I'm sure he was pretty devastated and didn't need that asshole's crap. You have no idea how much self-control it took for me to keep from beating the shit out of Kenson, right then and there.
Damn, I wonder if he's gay. Dave thought. I'd love go out with him and get to know him. Aloud he said "You went way above and beyond the call of duty. I'm going to recommend to the Commissioner that you get a citation or a commendation."
"Thank you sir, but it's really not necessary. I was just doing my job."
"Oh, you did your job alright, and then some and I want to see you get recognition for it." A_nd see you sitting across from me at a table in a fancy restaurant before taking you home and having you make love to me all night long_. "Well, if you excuse me, I want to check in on Kyle and see if he needs a ride home or anything. Have a good rest of your day, Officer Peters." God I want to take you out so bad I can't stand it! Dave said to himself.
"Thank you, Deputy Mayor, the same to you." Dave got up and went into Kyle's room as Officer Peters left the hospital. God, the Deputy Mayor is so hot! I'd love to get to know him better. Greg, stop it! He's the Deputy Mayor, and you're a lowly beat cop. Even if he is gay, there's no way in hell he'd lower himself to your level. Get over it! Focus on the case instead. He mentally commanded himself then tried to figure out what his first move would be. He wished, not for the first time, he had detective training he so desperately wanted. That would help him formulate a plan. He wasn't sure even how to begin investigating the crime. All he knew was that he wanted to catch the rapist and bring him to justice. He couldn't help but wonder how many other victims of this psychopath there were. I guess the first thing would be to go over the police report with a fine-tooth comb and talk with the doctor. Perhaps he can give me something to go on, but I doubt it, doctor-patient confidentiality and all. I wish I knew someone in Forensics or the Crime Lab. I'm sure I'll have to do this on my own time. I doubt very seriously that that dickhead of a captain of mine will allow me, or anyone else for that matter, to investigate this crime. God how I wish I could get transferred to another precinct. He thought as he drove back to the police station, turned in the keys to the squad car, changed and went home to spend another lonely night with a frozen pizza, a beer or two and the television as his only companion other than his cat, wishing he could find friends like Kyle and Tommy, yet at the same time knowing he couldn't because that would mean the end of his career as a cop and the end of his dream to become a Special Victims Unit Detective.