The Michael Arram stories are now beginning to appear together at: http://www.iomfats.org/storyshelf/hosted/arram
This story contains graphic depictions of sex between young males. If the reading or possessing of such material as this is illegal in your place of residence please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so.
VIII
At three o'clock, Ed was in the car park. He had a big sports bag with sets of Year 11 blazers, ties, white shirts and grey trousers he'd scavenged from mates in the block. Risking humiliation, he, Davey and Rudi were already in uniform. He felt odd, as if he'd regressed two years. His gear was a bit tight at the armpits, but it just about fit still. He'd also got bags full of school tennis gear he'd taken from the sports store. A minibus in Edward VI Grammar livery drew up. Terry was dressed in mechanic's gear in the front seat.
Ows it goin', guvn'r,' he said in passable cockney. This ere brand new van's been recalled by the manufacturer. The engine blocks are faulty. I reckon it'll be a fortnight before the school can ave it back. Shame innit? Get in lads and be quick about it.'
Terry drove straight to Trewern, where they picked up Henry. He and Ed had a quick hug with Mum and Dad, and they were on their way, Henry breathlessly asking what the fuck was going on, and where were they really going, because he didn't believe the half-arsed story that Matt had given his parents. It took all the way to the M1 finally to explain it to his satisfaction. He looked at Rudi with some awe. Rudi smiled back. Now they were on the road he was happy. It was late in the evening when they reached the outskirts of Ipswich, and drew up with a crackle of gravel in the `Haddesley Hall Garden Centre and Pet Supplies' car park. Two very familiar figures were waiting with bags.
Henry leaped out of the sliding door and into the arms of a pretty and cocky looking lad, kissing him frantically and being spun round. As he broke off he yelled, `Justy! It's holiday time!' and they laughed together hilariously. Ed had in the meantime grabbed and determinedly kissed the other lad, bigger and stockier than his friend, and quite a match for Ed in looks and build. Rudi stared and David looked shy.
Justin Peacher-White and Nathan Underwood were introduced, after they had hugged and kissed Terry, Justin doing it with a peculiar tenderness. David looked as though he wished someone would kiss him.
Rudi was still staring, `I take it then that everybody here is gay, apart from me and David.'
Er, actually,' said David, you're the only straight here. I'm gay too.'
Henry and Ed laughed delightedly, and Henry went dancing round David singing in his dreadful voice, He's outed! He's outed!' Then he gave David his first public boy-on-boy kiss. Ed hauled Henry off him a little roughly, smiled at David, and then lifted and kissed him too. Welcome to the margins, Davey babe,' he said.
Great,' said Rudi. By the way, I am not a homosexual ... I hope that is understood.'
`Wan' some tea or somefink before we're off? We got time, Terry?' asked Justin.
`No lads. Just lock up and we have to go. Who's running the centre for the next week?'
Nathan smiled. `The gardener's wife has been helping out on the till for a month now, and her husband's happy to keep the plant stock in order for the week. Business should survive. It's the quiet time of year.'
OK, now strip off and get in these uniforms that Ed has brought,' Terry ordered. Justin took him literally, and was standing in only socks and boxers in the car park before he dressed up in blazer and tie. He looked strangely convincing as a schoolboy, which was odd, as he said, because he'd spent most of his time and energy as a kid avoiding being anywhere near schools. In ten minutes they were loaded and off. Before they pulled out of the car park, Terry fixed two professionally printed banners to the front and back windows: MEDWARDINE SCHOOL : EUROPEAN TENNIS TOUR' they said, with the school badge appropriately emblazoned. Terry then changed into a very skilful recreation of a games teacher's casual gear, complete with Harlequins tie and sports jacket with patches. He even projected the mannerisms, and Henry could see why he had been pursuing a career on the stage.
David was impressed, `How could you get those banners done in just a couple of hours, Terry?'
Terry grinned at him. Money, Davey babe, and Jenna being scary.' David gave the distinct impression that he liked being called Davey babe' by Terry. It must have been for him a sort of rite of passage orchestrated by a senior gay, Henry concluded. Davey was one of them now, and Henry wondered if in fact Terry had spotted him for what he was.
They reached Harwich just in time for the loading of the night ferry to Rotterdam. They were all too excited to sleep, although Terry had booked double cabins. They changed out of the uniforms and into casuals, so they could sneak into the bar, although as usual no one wanted to risk Henry being challenged, so he was hidden behind the bigger lads. But in fact Justin was challenged at the bar, much to his amusement, as a flourishing of his passport got him his pint of lager.
They all leaned towards Terry, and Henry asked him what the plan was. `Iss to get ... er, Rudi ... to Strelzen safely. Simple as that.'
`But it won't be simple will it, Terry?' said Nathan.
`No, it won't. The border police are jittery, and the RSDP has agents all along the frontier. We won't get past the border without being inspected closely. But a party of English schoolkids passing through on a tennis tour isn't gonna get too much attention, I hope. The RSDP may know our overall plans now, but this bit they don't know.'
`And how do they know our plans?' Ed asked, although he knew the answer.
`That bugger Wilemmin is playing both sides against the middle. I owe him for that. Mind you, iss probably his revenge for the last time we had a face off -- he lost bad that time. But I thought we wuz mates now. We stayed with him in his villa near Split only two years ago, me and Ramon ...' Terry tailed off and his eyes glazed. An uncomfortable silence fell over the table.
It was broken by David, of all of them, saying with great sincerity, `We were terribly sorry to hear about Ramon dying like that, Terry. He sounds like he was a great guy.'
Terry smiled at David. `You're a nice kid, y'know. Yeah, he wuz the best. Endlessly loving, patient and so kind. He taught me that relationships aren't all about getting your end away, and that there are people you can settle with and be all in all to. And now he's gone. I don't think you meet two people like that in your lifetime.'
Terry talked with such gentle sadness, that there was very little anyone else could think of saying, and Henry felt a prickling in his eyes. He grabbed Ed's hand and squeezed it, feeling properly guilty about his little fling with David a couple of days before.
Nathan roused them by asking if there was any backup. Oh yeah,' said Terry. Jenna, Zeke and a couple of teams are already in Holland. They'll be shadowing us in hire cars. Also I've got guys getting a safe house ready near Strelzen, the location of which won't be known to anyone likely to tell Mr Wilemmin.'
Rudi finally roused himself. `Terry, there is one question. You knew that Wilemmin had blown our scheme to the RSDP, didn't you. How was that?'
`Well spotted, sir. Yes I did. That was why I was watching the school grounds and you. And if Ed and Davey had not intervened, Jenna and Zeke would have taken all three of them out before they had got you to the car. But so far as Hendrik is concerned, all I can say is that there are people close to him who are loyal to you, sir, and who let us know that your cover was blown. They are still at work in your interest. Make no mistake, sir. There are many in your land who are willing to risk a lot so you may sit on the throne in your palace of Strelzen.'
`It will not be forgotten when that day comes,' said Rudi, and all the boys got an eery feeling that they were indeed in the presence of a king, if a king in exile. Even Justin couldn't seem to think of anything flippant to say.
`Now babes, who're the couples here? Double cabin keys for Justy and Nate, and for Henry and Ed. Off you go and keep the noise down. Sir, you've got one to yourself. Davey, you're with me ... sorry.'
David gave a gentle smile and said he wasn't bothered. Henry looked hard at him, there was something new in that expression. When David looked at Henry there was a look of yearning need, but this was different. It seemed that David was growing up a bit, and losing his teenage self-absorption. He was sorry for Terry and he had been touched by his loss, so much was clear. Henry came to the conclusion that Davey was going to be a really nice guy when he finally did grow up. They finished their drinks and Henry and Ed went to their cabin. Terry said he would wander on deck. Henry got the idea that he was going to check out the entire ship before he went to bed.
Ed and he stripped and snuggled up on the lower bunk. It was a tight fit. Want to spank me again, Ed?' Henry smiled, look, my bum is still a bit red.'
Ed gave a little laugh. `Just remember that I can do it, naughty Henry. No, I need to talk about what happened.'
Henry embraced his lover hard, wrapping as much of himself round Ed as he could, as Ed spilled out the terror and confusion of the last twenty four hours.
`The thing that scared me most, Henry, was not the fact that my life was on the line, although I know now that it was. No, I was kidding myself nearly to the end that it was just some sort of chaotic kidnapping of Rudi that had gone wrong. It was what happened after Terry's team released us. Jenna and Zeke, and maybe Terry too, killed those guys. Maybe not in cold blood, and, yes, it was to save our lives. But one moment those three blokes were alive and the next they were dead. The look on Jenna's face after she'd done it too -- it was totally cold. It was horrible. It's only now here with you that it's hit home. Those three guys were murdered -- self defence, maybe, but murdered. I was an accessory to it, as my vile parents would no doubt tell me. But I can't see me going to the police in any hurry. I've stepped out of what's normal into someplace else.'
`It's high politics, Ed. Forget morality, this is the land where the ends justify the means. And, like you, I'm already having second thoughts about this jolly holiday of ours. It seemed so exciting -- another glamorous trip to Strelzen, but you should read the history books about what went on in Strelzen in the old days. Romance and happy endings don't necessarily go together.'
Ed hugged Henry hard, `I'm a bit scared little babe ... what have we got ourselves into?'
`At least Terry will look after us -- I don't see Matt and Andy letting us go if they thought we were in serious danger.'
Hmph,' Henry snorted, Terry may be awesome, but no one's immortal, and I think that Ramon's death has left him a bit crazy ... in the sense that he no longer really cares what happens to him.'
They lay a while listening to the hum and throb of the ship around them as it ploughed its furrow across the North Sea, and with no thought of sex in their head at all, they fell asleep, as innocently as the children they all too recently had been.
Justin was on deck as soon as the tannoy had warned of their imminent docking. His eyes were alight, `Amsterdam innit!'
No Justy,' Nathan said, for the third time now, It's Rotterdam Europort.'
`Same difference.'
`Not really. One's full of containers, and the other is full of sex workers and drug-dealers.'
`Which is this one?'
`Look around.'
`Fuck. Boxes everywhere. When am I ever gonna get to see the capital of skunk and porn?'
Nathan sighed, `Whoever said travel broadened the mind.'
Henry was creasing himself, but he came up to Justin, whom he loved dearly, kissed him lightly on the cheek and hugged his arm as he leant next to him at the rail. `We'll be at Skunkopolis for lunch, Justy.'
Justin kissed Henry back and brightened, `What, really?'
`Yeah. I think we're going to stop off there for Terry to brief his people.'
`And do you fink we're gonna have time to do adventurous stuff?'
Nathan raised his eyebrows, `As if what we're already doing isn't adventurous enough, Justy. It's the call of the sleaze ain't it, animal babe?'
`Look, Nate me mate. You've known me long enuff now. I've got me natural level ... pretty basic as it happens. I can't go to a place and not live low life to the full. Have I ever gotten you into any real trouble?'
Nathan's jaw dropped and he stared at his partner. `You're kiddin' me! Your previous adventures have got me drugged, drunk out of my mind, signed up with a gay porn studio and nearly date-raped!!! Henry, can you believe this guy?'
Henry was by now incoherent with laughter; he staggered off to find Ed. They assembled on the car deck, all demurely dressed in Medwardine school uniform and looking as clean and deceptively innocent a party of late teens as ever could be.
`Yer doin' me proud lads,' smiled Terry, as he unlocked the doors to the van.
They piled in, Henry snuggling next to Ed, who looked at him. `Henry babe, you need a shave.'
`Really?'
`You're getting hairier, y'know. There's black whisps appearing round your sweet little nips, and I'm gonna have to take a razor to your bum. You can borrow my gear tonight to do your face.'
`Is it that bad?'
`No, you're still soft rather than bristly, but there's no doubt my little Henry is a man ... and your dick's bigger too.'
Henry laughed, `You do say the nicest dick-related things.'
David was sitting in front of Henry. Henry leaned over the seat to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, and got a big grin. `What's that for?' he laughed.
`For coming out, you sweetheart. Did you get much sleep?'
`Not much. Mostly we talked. Terry says he barely sleeps at all nowadays. He's so sad, but he can still be funny too. The things he told me about his sex life when he was our age ... it was a real education.'
Henry was intrigued, he'd never got that close to Terry. `It's a good thing he's talking to someone, Davey. You're doing him a real favour. From what I hear, he never got a chance to grieve properly for his Ramon.'
I guessed that,' David said, and then got closer to Henry's ear and whispered. He was crying in the night when he thought I was asleep ... sort of dry sobbing. I lay quiet, he seems the kind of bloke who would think it weak to be seen like that.'
`Oh jeez, poor guy.'
Terry was however fully in control this morning, driving skilfully on the busy autoroute north to Amsterdam. Henry,' he called out, Slip in the front here. Will says you're brilliant at map-reading.'
Henry the Navigator, that's me!' Henry replied, and he squirmed over to take the empty front passenger seat next to Terry. He found the maps and city plans, quickly located himself and began briefing Terry on the route ahead, with an unerring instinct for which lane the van needed to be in. The flat countryside sped past. Terry was soon smiling. How long's your mate Davey been out, Henry babe?'
`I've known he was gay since last year, and we sort of did stuff last week which we shouldn't have. I know that because Ed spanked me when I told him.'
Terry guffawed, `Do David's parents know?'
`No. In fact nobody does apart from the people in this minibus. I'm not sure he's ready to come out yet, though there's no doubt he's gay. He's awfully nice.'
`Henry, you fancy him.'
Henry blushed. `Yes, well, maybe I do a bit. But it's complicated.'
Terry chuckled, `It's complicated because you're a kid with a moral outlook ... not like me, I'm afraid. Poor Ramon had a lot to put up with ...' The remark was followed by a long silence. The Hague sped by.
`Terry, what we going to do when we get to Amsterdam?'
`I'm not entirely sure, sweet babe. We may have to spend the night there. Jenna's made a booking in the name of King Edward VI Medwardine in a cheapish hotel that's well known for taking school parties.'
`That's good news for Justy then. He wants to be dissolute so bad.'
Terry laughed again. `You do cheer me up, you kids. You're the best medicine I could have hoped for.'
`Terry, Andy told me that you'd retired from security work. What brought you back?'
Difficult one,' Terry paused a long while, so that Henry began to think he wasn't going to answer, but he did. When Ramon died, there was nothing I was doing that seemed worth a tinker's cuss any more -- I was going to say "worth a fuck", but, hey, you're a kid. Without him with me, I didn't want to be on the boards or in the chorus and I just couldn't face New York on my own. So I came back to the UK, which was better because Ramon had not been there much with me. But I just dossed around at my parents, or climbed mountains, or worked out at gyms. Then two weeks ago Mark, Jenna's husband, rang me to say that a big thing was in the air at PeacherCorp, and would I help out.
As soon as I strapped on my gun, I felt better. I wish I knew why. Life ... sort of tingled again. I didn't know what was going to happen next, I was on the edge again. Maybe I'm even looking forward to serious danger ... hell, death would be one way out. Sorry little babe, I shouldna said that last thing. There's no way I would deliberately lead you kids into a situation where you were in serious danger.'
Henry looked serious, `Death is one way out, of course. But I don't think that Ramon will be too pleased with you if you turn up before you're scheduled to. He'll be waiting happily and patiently for you in an amazing place.'
Terry's eyes snapped to Henry so quickly the van swerved slightly. `What did you say!'
Henry continued calmly, `I'm only saying what I know to be true.'
Terry's cheeks were suddenly streaked with tears, but he said quietly, his eyes still fixed on the road, `Yeah, Matt told me what happened to you and Ed last year, but I didn't believe him. But it was true wasn't it?'
`Oh yes, and Ed can tell you too. We had a glimpse of the other side, and you can take it from me that you will one day be with Ramon again in a place beyond your dreams. He can wait. So can you.'
`You really are a vicar's kid, you've got that way of talking. Thanks little babe.' He pulled Henry up against him, and kissed the top of his head. Henry got a whiff of tobacco smoke.
`And smoking is a form of suicide, y'know,' Henry said in a scolding voice.
`Hah ... tell Justy, I cadged the ciggies off him.'
Henry looked back. `You still smoking Justy?' he called out.
Justin laughed, `Oh yeah. Giving it up's easy. I've done it dozens of times now.'