Chapter 22
"Well?" Steven asked when Daryl left the balcony.
"Here's your cell phone back," Daryl said, handing it to Patrick.
"I don't believe it... they cloned my phone and I didn't even notice." Patrick said. "That means they know about Alex."
"Brian promised they didn't hurt him. He should be waiting for us back home."
"What about you Dare?" Steven asked as the three of them left the hotel.
"I feel so tried," Daryl said as he rested his forehead on Steven's left shoulder.
"I'm sorry Dare," Steven said, hugging Daryl tightly to him as they rode down the elevator.
"When will you be leaving?" Patrick asked.
"Tomorrow," Daryl whispered
"That doesn't give us much time to pack," Steven said as he took out his cell phone.
"Us?" Daryl asked confused.
"Do you really think we are going to let you go back to that mad house without us." Patrick chuckled.
"But don't you have jobs and lives here?"
"If you've not noticed... we're not actually what you would call poor," Steven said as he began dialing a number.
"It's what we want to do Dare so don't try to talk us out of it," Patrick said.
"Thank you... I don't know how I would handle Brian's mess without you two."
"You don't have to go you know... Brian could build a new hospital and fill it with the nation's best physicians with the money he controls."
"But my people would never go to such a hospital. They don't trust outsiders. That only leaves me. There is also another, more personal, reason. I'm an uncle." Daryl chuckled.
"What?" Both twins shouted.
"My brother would have been the father of a pair of twins if he had lived." Daryl said.
"Do you know where they are?" Steven asked.
"No... but I know someone who most likely does. That's why I have to go back. I need to find my brother's children. Only when I know they're safe will I be able to forgive myself."
Chapter 23
Thanks to the half dozen phone calls Steven made on the way back home, there was a long line people by the front door, waiting for them.
"Who are these people?" Daryl asked.
"Friends, business associates, and former lovers." Steven said as he shook the hands of several of those present. "Our war council."
Seating the gathering around the long table in the dinning room, Steven began the meeting. "As I told all of you, certain events have arisen that will require Patrick and I to be away from town for a while. I would like all of you here to come with us."
` "What is this all about?" one man asked.
"And how will we be compensated?" another asked.
"It's about money... a shit load of money," Patrick said as he started passing out folders which contained the financial information he had gathered on Daryl and the Church of the Blessed.
"These numbers are quite impressive." A bald but young looking man said. "How real are they?"
"Daryl?" Patrick asked.
"If anything they underestimate the amount of money involved. They do not list any of the money held in government bonds and private accounts."
"So are you telling me that the members of the Church of the Blessed are looking into diversifying?" an investment manager named Andrew asked.
"In a manner of speaking," Patrick chuckled, nodding to Daryl.
"New Hope has been cut off from the outside world for too long. There are many things my people need."
"Such as?" the bald man asked.
"If you want to find out you wouldn't mind signing a non-disclosure agreement." Steven chuckled as he passed another set of documents out.
"Before I sign anything... can I have an estimate on what kind of resources are going to be made available to me?"
"Since we have not yet examined the situation fully we can only give you an estimate but just from the accounts holding the money from Daryl's gas royalties and stock dividends you are looking at a chance to manage well over a hundred million dollars."
"That does not explain why I'm here," a well manicured man said.
"You could not expect us to leave the bright lights of the city for the barrens of Montana without our hairstylist."
"Very funny," the man laughed sarcastically.
"Sign the nondisclosure and we will be able to explain why we need you Tommy boy," Patrick said.
"All right... but if you are expecting me to set up a beauty parlor out in the sticks... the customers better be good tippers," Tommy replied as he removed the pen from behind his ear.
Once Steven gathered the signed papers, he nodded to go ahead. For the next two hours Daryl explained his past and the events that had led him to leaving Montana. Then... often stuttering over his own words he told gay men gathered around him of the AIDS epidemic that was now killing his people because of the actions of a broken hearted madman. Near the end, Daryl started begging the gathered people for their help... pleading with tears running down his face.
Mark... a doctor whose entire medical practice focused on AIDS treatment was the first to stand up. "Sit down Dr. Gavin, you've convinced me, but can you explain to me how such a thing could ever happen?"
"You have to understand our beliefs. On many things we are very conservative, but on one issue we are a bit liberal.
"Sex? Mark asked.
"Yes... at least for our women. Since all of our marriages are arranged and because our faith makes it difficult for an outsider to become one of the Blessed, it makes the role of our women very important. That is why, after a married couple has their first child, our women have the right to sleep with whoever she wishes. This has not only allowed for our numbers to increase but helped remove some of the problems caused by arranged marriages."
"But whose been infecting your women?"
"The men... with a population of over twelve thousand, more people than just Brian and I are gay. But because we are required to marry at age eighteen, all of them have wives. Brian infected them, they infected their wives and the wives infected other men... most not knowing they are infected."
"Then there could well be more than 800 people infected." Mark said. The virus could have infected three or four times that number. This could be worse than some places in Africa."
"That's what I am afraid of," Daryl nodded.
"You still have not explained why you need me," Tommy, the hairstylist, said.
"You've seen the effect the virus has on people over time... not a few of your clients go to you because you not only make them look good, but healthier as well." Steven said.
"It's all façade," Tommy blushed.
"Yes, but considering the psychological benefits..." Steven said.
"I don't come cheap you know."
"Daryl?" Steven smiled.
"Considering that almost every family in New Hope are practically millionaires from the gathered savings of many lifetimes and not having anything to spend money on... I think they'll be able to afford you."
"Well, the first thing I'm going to do is fix that bad bleach job of yours," Tommy promised.
"That's two," Patrick said, raising a pair of fingers.
"Make that three," a broad shouldered, half dressed man said as he walked in, looking hung over.
"Glad to have you aboard Alex," Patrick winked.
"Well I do owe you more than a few favors... guess it's about time I started paying them off. It might take me a week, but I'll have my boys set up in New Hope. Give them a shovel, a string of razor wire and enough ammunition and not even an army of religious fanatics will be able to get near you."
"This is not a war," Daryl said.
"Of course not, Dr. Gavin," Alex said in a tone that fooled no one.
"Don't worry Dare... Alex knows his stuff," Patrick said encouragingly.
By the time the meeting was over, all seven men had agreed to go to New Hope to help Daryl and the twins. In all, Daryl would have a small army of doctors, nurses, lab technicians, a whole accounting department, Alex's platoon of guns for hire, as well as few people from Patrick's security company. Andrew would work towards diversifying the church member's investments while Tommy worked on adding a little color to the townsfolk's appearance. The bald man, Hank, who was an architect, would oversee the building of a new hospital and housing for everyone.
"Well Daryl, what do you think?" Got ourselves a pretty good team?" Steven asked.
"Yes... Thank you for calling all of them. I wouldn't have known who to turn to for help," Daryl said while Tommy tried to repair his hair.
"Comes from my days in the Peace Corp."
"When were you in Peace Corp?"
"Back when Patrick was playing soldier," Steven explained.
"I thought about joining the Corp," Daryl admitted. "The idea of running away to some far corner of the Earth and do some good in the process was very attractive to me."
"Then you should hook up with me. My team could use a new medic," Alex grinned, lust in his eyes.
"Hands off Alex... Daryl's mine," Patrick warned.
"Care to arm-wrestle me over him?" Alex asked, flexing his massive biceps.
"No," Patrick laughed.
"Then you wouldn't mind me giving Dare my standard recruitment speech."
"That's completely up to Daryl" Patrick said.
"What's this?" Daryl asked just as his head lowered back into the bathroom sink by Tommy.
"I just want to know if you have what it takes to be one of the few, the proud, the..."
"The queer?" Steven snickered. He had heard this speech before. He also knew what it would lead to, Alex being one of the less than three men that had slept with both him and his brother.
Alex ignored Steven's comment, instead pulling out a gun, dropped its clip and emptied its chamber before tossing the metal piece toward Daryl, who caught it mid-air.
"Care to join me on the firing range tomorrow morning?" Alex asked.
"Haven't shot a gun in years..." Daryl said as he examined the piece.
"There're very few things that match the rush I feel with the sharp recoil of a gun," Alex said as he went down on his knees next to Daryl, taking the gun back.
"Alex... Dare is sort of taken," Steven warned.
"As if when?"
"As of yesterday," Steven replied.
"You're not even past the trial period," Alex insisted.
"I am in love with the twins Alex."
"So am I... been crazy about them for years," Alex laughed, slapping Daryl's legs hard. "You on the other hand..."
"Alex!" Patrick said, grabbing his army buddy by the ear, pulling him out of the room.
"What's gotten into you?"
"Would you be shocked if I told you I've had my eye on our archangel for some time?"
"I don't understand."
Alex lifted his shirt up, revealing his massive chest smooth chest, marred only by a circular scar that Patrick could not help but touch. "It was a local job... vigilante stuff. A local gang called in some favors with their Colombian suppliers who in turn got in contact with me. They wanted revenge for three of their members who died in a drive by. Since two innocent school girls died as well, I took the job. Took a bullet to my chest for my trouble. It was to Memorial that they sent me."
"Where Dare was working trauma." Patrick whispered.
"Yes... that man did more then save my life Patrick. He changed me. Since he saved my life, I have felt clean. Did you know it's been since morning I last washed my hands?"
"No... I didn't know." Patrick said amazed.
"I was so happy when you called... I've been wanting to hook up with you again for months. I was even thinking of going back to Iraq just so you would have to come rescue me," Alex said before pausing to take a deep breath.
"I know Steven and I have not had the best relationship... he thinks I take too many risks and get you into trouble."
"It's not that... Steven is still trying to do his best to forget that he too had once been a hillbilly boy from the red hills of Alabama."
"I'm a Georgia boy myself." Alex chuckled.
"I know... and that's what annoys Steven so much. You remind him that the New England façade he picked up at Boston College is exactly that... a lie."
"He shouldn't hate his roots."
"I know that and so do you."
"What your brother really needs is to get rid of that foot he has jammed up his ass."
"No... what I think he really needs is for someone to finally pop his cherry." Patrick chuckled
"You mean you've never fucked him?"
"He won't let anyone near his ass."
"You think Steven would like me better if I were to..." Alex left hanging.
"You are really not thinking Steven is going to let you fuck him?"
"You never know... maybe he's been waiting for some old fashioned southern boy to sweet talk him into it."
"I know you Alex... you're not as charming you pretend to be."
"Why dear... how can you say that after all the toil and sweat I have given trying to win your heart," Alex said, deepening his accent as he lifted his old army dog tags off, putting it around Patrick's neck.
"Alex..."
"I know you're in love with Dare... you've not been able to talk about much else, not to mention the place Steven has in your heart, but if there is any place left for a southern gent like me I would like to live there."
"I don't know how much I can give you or how my brother will react. Also... don't expect me to help you get into Dare's pants."
"Not a problem. I'll have Steven eating out of my hands in a matter of days. As for Daryl pants... I'm already halfway in them." Alex chuckled.
************************************************************************************ Thanks to all of you fans out there for all the kind emails, they really brighten my day. You all take care and have a happy holiday.
Well folks it took about a year but finally the third book in the Centurion Series, Angels Ascending has finally been published and is now up for sale on Amazon. If you haven't read any of these amazing books you'll find The Centurion and The Academy both up for sale now also on Amazon at 32% off the original price. Believe me you won't be disappointed as honestly feel these books reflect some of the best of my works. If you do get the books and enjoy them as much as so many already have please leave a review on the Amazon page so that others might see what sort of treat they're in store for.
On one of my other projects, work on a new series 'Mir' are proceeding well with the first book "Sons of Mir" almost in it's final form. Right now the rough draft version of the book temporarily titled, Children of Mir, is still up on the yahoo site but will soon be taken down as the final draft, which is already twice as long as the origin one on the yahoo site, gets ready to be submitted to the publishers. So if you are interested in reading a rough version of one of my books I hope to have published in the future join up on the yahoo site and read Children of Mir for yourself.
Well that's pretty much it. Take care and have a wonderful holiday.
trandar2002@yahoo.com