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This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between males, adult and minor. As such it is homoerotic, designed for the entertainment of mature adults. If you are not of legal age to read such material, or if the subject matter would create irresolvable personal moral dilemmas, please exit now
Note: I would like to thank Colin and John for their continued support and patience while I try to write this story. Their support and efforts at editing and correcting my errors not only keep me in line, but contribute significantly to the reader's pleasure.
Chapter Fifty-Two: New Horizons
Linda awoke before dawn, unable to sleep. Her mind was on all the boys they had in the house and what she was going to do about breakfast for them. As she left her bedroom and walked to the kitchen, she began to laugh to herself. There were boys everywhere. Some on the sofas; some in chairs; most on the floor. Some wore shorts, but somehow, most wound up naked. Some of the older boys had a younger boy spooned into them, comforting the little ones. All of the teenage boys had the normal maturing boy early morning problem. She knew that if they were aware of how much they were displaying, they would be embarrassed. She carefully picked her way through and over the bodies, trying not to disturb any of them. She found Daniel already sitting outside on the patio drinking coffee and reading the paper.
"Good morning. You're up mighty early." Linda greeted her son as she gave him a hug.
"Hi, Mom," Daniel answered, somewhat preoccupied. "It's a habit I developed with the boys. I discovered that if I didn't get up early and try for a head start, I never finished what I needed to do during the day. Once the boys got going, my whole schedule seemed to get turned upside down." He commented with a smile.
"Daniel, with kids, that happens whether you have one or one-hundred. I really don't see how you keep up with them."
"That's just it, Mom, I don't even try. They're really good kids most of the time and don't require that much supervision. The time demand is on paper work, schooling and scheduling. You should have seen us trying to get dental checkups on the first eighty- seven." Linda was laughing as she poured her coffee, when the phone rang.
"Hello," Linda answered. "Oh, hi Elizabeth, we missed you last night."
"Linda, with that many boys around, how on earth could you miss me?"
"Easily, I was looking for someone to help restore my sanity." Linda laughed. "I'll assume you're looking for Daniel. Hold on, he's sitting right here."
"Elizabeth, you're moving around bright and early. I thought you liked to work late and sleep in."
"Daniel, I work late because that's when it's peaceful. I have two very active young boys, remember? They require me to get up early and take care of their poor, neglected stomachs. Also, at the moment they're wanting to know when we are heading that way. I think they have something on their minds and just haven't quite figured out how to ask us."
"Well, if they have on their minds what I think they do, you know what my answer is. So, it's just up to you whether they can come visit."
"I'm sure that's what they're thinking also. I'll think about it. Meanwhile, I have someone that wants to talk to you and I think you'll be interested in speaking with him."
"Oh, really." Daniel answered, curious and somewhat amused. "Would you like to clue me in a little?"
"He's an older gentleman, retired, and widowed. Daniel, he's a very kind gentleman that teaches at the culinary institute. He wants to volunteer to help you. I think you may want to talk to him."
"Well, I'll tell you, before long we'll have to leave here and take the boys out for some breakfast. I'm afraid that right after that, we planned on heading back to Ft. Ogden."
"Daniel, hold on." Elizabeth turned to talk with someone and then returned to the phone. "Daniel, Rob asks that you stay there. I've told him you have about fifty boys with you now and he says he's coming over to fix them breakfast."
"Elizabeth, we don't have enough food here to fix breakfast for fifty boys. Do you have any idea what kind of mess we'd make?"
"Daniel, Rob wants to speak to your mother." Daniel handed the phone to Linda and listened to one-half of a very cryptic conversation. Knowing how his mother and Elizabeth were, he was curious to see how they would work this out. Rather than hand the phone back to Daniel, Linda placed the phone in its cradle and then sat down to enjoy her coffee as though the conversation had never taken place, but smiling as though she knew some big secret.
"Mom, are you going to tell me what's happening?" Daniel was now curious and feeling left out of the big secret.
"No. It's a surprise. Besides, I want to see if this Rob fella can really pull this off." Linda then changed the subject. "What's in the paper?" Daniel handed the front page to his mother.
"Good heavens, Daniel! Look at this headline. 'Thompson Claims Business Enslaves Kids For Profit' and the sub-line, 'Offers No Proof'. The way this reads it makes it sound as though you're throwing out wild accusations with no proof, just trying to cause trouble and undermine the system." Linda's voice did little to hide her disgust. Before Daniel could answer, the doorbell rang.
Daniel was not surprised to find when he opened the door Elizabeth was there with her two boys and a gentleman Daniel didn't know. The only thing that did surprise Daniel a little was that this was the first time he had ever seen Elizabeth's two boys with clothes on. Daniel invited them in and the gentleman didn't wait for introductions.
"Mr. Thompson, my name is Robert Collins. Nice to meet you."
"Mr. Collins, it's nice to meet you also. This is my mother, Linda. I think if we want to sit down, we'll have to go outside. The boys seem to have taken most of the room in here." The group looked around and smiled at the sight of all the boys. Just then they heard a little whiney voice call out barely above a whisper.
"Mr. Dan'l." A very sleepy and naked Danny was trying to get to Daniel who reached down and picked the boy up.
"Danny, it's too early for you to be up. Don't you want to go back to sleep for a little while?"
"Nooooo." Danny whined. "I'm hungry," he said as he laid his head on Daniel's shoulder and reached down to rub his distinguishing male feature.
"I think you're still asleep and maybe need to use the bathroom?" Danny nodded in response. Daniel excused himself and took the boy to the bathroom. When they returned, Danny was awake and curiously looking at the guests. When he saw the two boys, he smiled and waved at them. Daniel set the boy down so he could join his friends.
"Mr. Thompson, I think I've seen what I needed to see. I promised Elizabeth and Linda that I would prepare breakfast for all the boys. First, I need to hit the grocery real quick. We passed a store about four blocks back."
"Mr. Collins, I don't know what you have planned, but do you know how much food these boys could eat and how long it will take to prepare it? We were just going to take them to McDonald's and feed them."
"First, my name is Rob. Second, feeding large groups is my specialty. We can have a good breakfast ready for them in about a half hour soon as I hit the store. Care to come?"
Daniel knew he was going to have to see this to believe it could be done. He nodded and started to follow Rob out the door.
"Me! Me!" a suddenly very wide awake Danny called out. Daniel turned to find Danny now standing near him with his hands up and doing the small children's dance of anxiety. Danny also had an almost pathetic and pleading look on his face. Daniel wondered if Danny practiced that look as he reached down and picked the boy up.
"Little man, I think you're getting more than just a little spoiled." Danny looked at Daniel and smiled. On the way out the door Daniel grabbed a pair of shorts that was on the floor and hoped they would fit the boy.
Rob's vehicle was a mini-van parked nearest the gates and was their source of transportation. While they rode to the super market, Daniel dressed Danny and listened to Rob's story. The shorts were a little large for Danny, so Daniel rolled the waist-band over a couple of times to take up the slack so the shorts would stay up. Rob had been a career military man. Beginning as an enlisted person, he was trained as a cook. While in the military he used veteran's benefits to attend the culinary institute and become a certified chef. The certification award was followed by additional military schooling and training, which resulted in Rob becoming an officer. While in the military, Rob married and was fortunate enough to be the father of two boys who were now career military officers.
After retiring from the military Rob invested in a restaurant located in Chicago. The restaurant was very successful but required a considerable amount of time. Rob and his wife decided the cold weather and ice were not part of the retirement lifestyle they had envisioned and their interest in the restaurant was sold to his partner. Once the business interest was liquidated they relocated to Jupiter and Rob accepted a position as an instructor at the local culinary institute. He and his wife had a very comfortable and satisfying retirement lifestyle until his wife was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently passed away.
"After I lost my wife, quite frankly, I wasn't sure what to do. I kept teaching, but it wasn't the same. I always enjoyed teaching the young people. It was interesting when I told them to take a recipe and multiply the ingredients by a factor sufficient to feed one hundred people. Some of them thought I was talking a foreign language. In the service we had to cook to feed two hundred and fifty, or more, at each meal. At the end of each day I had a nice home and loving wife to return to, then . . ." Rob parked the van and he and Daniel, carrying Danny, headed inside.
"Rob, I'm afraid we already have a certified chef on our staff."
"Yes, I know. Daniel, you may not realize it, but you and your program get a lot of good press over in this part of the state. I believe your man's name is Barry?" Daniel nodded. "Believe me, it doesn't matter how good you are, when the numbers reach a certain level, you need help. Your group is at that level if I'm not mistaken. I'd say around one-forty or more, now?" Daniel smiled and nodded.
Rob pushed the grocery cart towards the dairy section and loaded three gallons of orange juice, two gallons of grapefruit juice, five gallons of milk and three pounds of margarine.
"Daniel, it would help if you could find the picnic supplies and get us six dozen bowls and spoons. Better get some napkins, too; I forgot to ask Linda about those. Then we'll need a dozen packages of English muffins. If my memory hasn't gone bad on me I believe there's six muffins to a pack. Better get a mix of plain and cinnamon-raisin. I'll meet you over in produce."
"Rob, I'm not completely sure where this is headed, but I'll follow your lead."
Daniel, with Danny in his arms, located the picnic supplies and found the items Rob asked for. He had his hands full with the napkins and spoons, so he set Danny down. "Danny, can you be a big boy and take these bowls to Mr. Rob?" Danny looked at his hero and smiled while he nodded. Danny knew he could do anything Daniel asked him to do. Unfortunately, Daniel didn't watch Danny to make sure he headed in the right direction. Danny soon found the section with toys and forgot about Mr. Rob.
Daniel located the bread aisle and found the English muffins. The store carried its own brand that cost about twenty percent less than the name brand, so Daniel chose those. The store brand was also on sale for buy one and get one free. Daniel picked out six plain and six cinnamon-raisin. He then proceeded to the produce section. When he arrived he spotted Rob, but without Danny.
"Rob, I sent Danny back to you. Do you know where he is?"
"No. He never ma. . . " Rob suddenly stopped speaking and started laughing. "Turn around and you'll find him."
When Daniel turned around he saw a naked Danny carrying bags of bowls in each hand and a toy pressed between his chest and forearms. When Danny spotted Daniel he broke into a huge grin and ran to Daniel.
"Danny! Where are your clothes, boy?"
Danny thought Daniel was mad at him and instantly looked down and began to pout. Forgetting about the toy he pointed over to another aisle and whispered "O'er dere. They fell." Danny looked so pathetic that Daniel couldn't help but laugh.
"Come on, little man, let's go find your shorts."
"Daniel, I'll get what we need here and meet you up front." Rob said, smiling as he watched the two walk off and picked up Danny's toy.
Daniel walked to the back of the store and started walking across the store, looking down each aisle for the lost pair of shorts. Each person they passed smiled and Daniel heard "Hi, Danny" or "you have a beautiful little boy" and knew that Danny had been using his charm on almost everyone in the store. When he reached the fifth aisle, one of the stock personnel spotted them and headed towards them with Danny's shorts.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for the problem; I'll have him dressed in a minute."
"Oh, that's no problem at his age, Mr. Thompson. He's covered most of the store and the people showing everything he has." The gentleman reported, laughing.
"You know my name?" Daniel commented, somewhat pleasantly surprised.
"Mr. Thompson, after yesterday, I imagine everyone around here knows you on site. You haven't seen today's papers, have you?"
"Well, I did see The Post, and it wasn't exactly singing my praises." Daniel commented as he walked to the front of the store.
"You should see some of the papers we have by the registers. They think you did a great job and are really pledging their support for you and the boys." Daniel found this news to be a nice surprise and moved up front to find the papers. On the way he was trying to get the shorts back on Danny who was fighting him.
"Danny, didn't we talk about this before. When we are out you must wear clothes. Now I want you to put these on and stop giving me a hard time."
"That man said I can be naked. I don't want those." The boy whined.
"When we get back you, young man, are going back to bed. I can tell right now that you didn't get your sleep out. You don't usually give me a hard time like this. If this is the way you're going to behave when we go somewhere, I'll start leaving you behind. Do you want that?"
"Noooooo," he whined and reached for the shorts as Daniel approached the register.
"Danny!" The cashier called out, causing Danny to let go of the shorts. "Isn't this Danny 02780?" the cashier asked as she held her hands out for the boy. "Will you let me hold you?" Danny knew when he was getting attention and immediately reached for the lady.
"You are an absolute doll." Danny ate it up and was ready for more. "Mr. Thompson, Danny's on the front page, so are you." The cashier handed Daniel three papers and then reached for her microphone. "Manager to register three, please."
Daniel gave up trying to deal with Danny. The naked cherub was passed from one set of arms to another and it was a toss up who loved it more, the boy or the ladies. When the manager arrived he knew that his company was a sponsor of New Horizons and refused to let Daniel or Rob pay for any of the food. After spending a few minutes politely conversing with the people, Rob and Daniel were able to leave with Danny, who held his new toy, and the groceries. Daniel had to laugh, if he hadn't been careful he was willing to bet several of the ladies would have taken Danny home with them. He also knew that might be good for Danny.
Rob had picked up eight packages of variety pack cereals. Each box was a single serving and each package contained ten boxes or servings. While Daniel and Arthur arranged the cereals, juices, milk and bowls on the table, the ladies quartered fresh apples and oranges. The slices were placed in a bowl that was then lined with bananas. Two of the boys sliced the muffins, buttered them and slid them in the oven for a fast toasting. Within fifteen minutes, breakfast was served for all. They didn't make the thirty minutes Rob had hoped for, but he hadn't allowed for the Danny factor.
While the kids ate, the adults enjoyed their morning coffee and watched the boys. Rob commented how impressed he was with the way the older boys chipped in to help with the younger children. He and Daniel continued to talk, with Rob telling Daniel he wanted to be able to contribute to something worthwhile and he didn't think there was anything better than helping the kids. He was volunteering his time and skills for as long as Daniel thought he could make a positive contribution.
"I have other skills besides the kitchen and administration, Daniel. Remember, I said I had two sons; I also have five grandsons. Now, I'd like for them to be able to visit with me once in a while, they are my pride and joy. Don't worry, I've read about the nudist camp for juveniles you run over there and my grandsons will fit right in, much to the chagrin of their fathers; but I'll exercise a grandpa's prerogative and let them run free if they want to. Also, at my age I think you'll find a lot of the boys would look at me kind of like a grandpa, and I think that could be nice; for me and them."
"Rob, you're quite a guy. I tell you what, if you think you'd like to come over for a visit and find out what it's really like there and talk to Barry, we'd be glad to have you. If things are agreeable to all concerned, then we're set. Did you have any idea when you might want to come for a visit?"
"I guess you didn't notice my suitcases in the back of the van?" Rob laughed and the rest of the adults joined in.
When the boys finished their breakfast, Daniel was impressed with the quick cleanup. The boys said their goodbyes to Linda, Arthur, Jeremy and his friends. Daniel took a few minutes to speak with Jeremy and his friends, giving words of encouragement. Daniel also let Jeremy know he could come visit, and bring his friends, whenever he felt like he was ready. Daniel knew that within the next few weeks Arthur and Linda planned on having everything prepared for Jeremy to again be a free boy. They would be his guardians until such time as they could adopt him and he would continue counseling. How fast he recovered depended on him and the support of family and friends.
Before boarding the bus, Daniel called Danny over to him. Daniel placed a foot on the seat of the chair, leveling his thigh to make a seat for Danny.
"Danny, you were very bad this morning, do you know that? I'm not very happy with you right now. Do you know what you did wrong?" Danny immediately looked down and the lower lip poked out.
"Didn't you and I talk about how you would act when we went out? I understand the shorts fell off, but when I tried to put them back on you, you tried to fight me. That wasn't nice and made me very unhappy." Tears began to flow silently down Danny's cheeks. "I know it's nice when people pay attention to you, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want to." Danny peeked up at Daniel, the tears flowed.
"Are you mad wi' me?" he whimpered.
"No, I'm not mad with you, but I am disappointed. You made me feel very sad that I couldn't count on you. When we go out I expect my little man to act like a big boy. Do you think you can do that from now on?"
"Yeeesssss."
"Okay, because if you don't, the next time I'm going to stand you in a corner and you'll be in time out until I say so. Do you understand me?"
"Yeessss, siirrr." Danny was lost and looked it, how could his idol fuss with him? It was all Daniel could do not to break out laughing. Linda watched them and Daniel knew she just wanted to grab Danny up and pamper him.
Daniel wiped some of the tears from the boy's face. "Can I have a hug, now?"
Danny wrapped his arms around Daniel's neck in a death grip and laid his head on Daniel's shoulder. Daniel carried the boy for the next few minutes to let him know he was still loved. Daniel also knew that he had been right about Danny not getting enough sleep. When they got on the bus Daniel sat down, he spread Danny's legs so he straddled Daniel's lap; his head still on Daniel's shoulder. Before they cleared the city, Danny was sound asleep. Kevin and Ben took Danny and lay him across their laps so that Daniel could also rest. Daniel closed his eyes and enjoyed listening to the boys be boys. Soon, he, too, was asleep.
Jeff woke Daniel just before they reached camp. Daniel looked at his watch and quickly placed a call to Barry who assured him there was plenty of food for the boys on the bus, they were expected. Daniel stepped part way back in the bus to talk to the boys. He was surprised to see that most of the new boys were naked; all of his cherubs were also naked.
"Fellas, we're almost home. When we stop the bus we'll be outside the main office. Lunch is being served and I've just been told all of you are expected. You shouldn't have any trouble finding the mess hall, it's where these guys will be headed and where all the noise is coming from. After lunch, all the new boys need to gather outside the office. We'll need some of you other boys to act as guides. There will be a list of who has been assigned to which sleeping area. We'll need to gather for just a few minutes in the dining hall for a quick orientation. Afterwards, I suggest you take the rest of the afternoon to familiarize yourself with the premises. I think you'll find all the boys are friendly and more than willing to answer questions or assist any way they can."
As Daniel spoke, the bus passed through the main gate and pulled to a stop. When the doors opened the boys were more than ready to get off the bus and move around. Daniel laughed as he watched those that got off the bus with clothes, quickly shed them. The only way he could tell the new boys from the veterans was by all the white bubble butts moving around. There were a number of boys milling around when the bus unloaded who quickly mixed with the new boys to make them welcome.
"Mr. Thompson, how many you got here?" The driver asked as he stared in amazement at all the naked boys running around.
"About a hundred and fifty right now. We started with eighty-seven a few months back; it's grown some since then." Daniel responded with a smile. "How about some lunch? I imagine most of the boys are feeding their faces right now."
The driver nodded and walked with Daniel towards the dining hall. Daniel noted the three new double-wides, or manufactured homes, and hoped they were set up and ready for occupancy. He also hoped that Paul had worked out the sleeping arrangements for staff and guests. They had returned with two temporary volunteers to help with the new boys and a potential new staff member.
"Mr. Thompson, if you don't mind my asking, why do all the boys run around naked?"
"When you were their ages, if you had the choice of having to wear clothes or run free, which would you have chosen?'
"Well, when I was their age, which was a long time ago, we couldn't run free like they do today. But, if I'd had the choice, I reckon I would've chosen to run free. Good for them is all I can say."
"Heeeyyy, Mr. Dan'l!" some of the boys called out as soon as Daniel walked in. Daniel waved and spoke to some of the boys.
"You bring us new meat, Mr. Dan'l. Do we get to break 'em in good?" came from across the hall.
"If you mean by 'break 'em in' do you get to show them around and be nice to them, the answer is yes. Did you have something else in mind?"
"Yeah, Mr. Dan'l, Patrick and his guys are still lookin' for a team they can beat. They got the worst record goin'." The hall broke out in laughter. "Will the Cap'n be here this weekend?"
"As far as I know he should be here tonight. Has something been going on around here while I was gone I should tell him about?" Daniel enjoyed teasing with his boys.
"No sir, Mr. Dan'l. unless you wanna talk about TJ and Evan, we hear they really got somethin' goin'. Right guys?" Daniel looked over and saw both TJ and Evan turn a bright blushing red while the other boys erupted in raucous laughter. He could guess what they had been doing, but was curious why the boys were picking on them.
Daniel and the driver sat at the staff table and two boys on kp duty brought them trays. The driver seemed surprised at being served and was impressed at how polite the boys were. Daniel told the driver how all the boys helped in the kitchen on a rotating basis and that they had other chores such as working in the garden and grove and pulling latrine duty. Since New Horizons relied on private support, they kept payroll to a minimum and all the boys helped run things, including caring for the little ones. The driver was particularly impressed with the little brother-big brother system which he could see at work when he looked around. While they all talked, Daniel decided to catch up on what appeared to be the inside joke.
"Paul, what's all the joking around about TJ and Evan?" Daniel pointed the two boys out to Rob and the driver so they would know who the others were talking about.
"Well," Paul laughed, "you know it's been rumored those two had a thing going for each other. In fact, it was really more than a rumor. It seems the other night, the two of them decided to sneak off into the grove and have a little personal time, shall we say? Well, they probably thought they were far enough away that no one would hear them; they weren't. I understand all the boys around the pool and on the courts and in the ball fields could hear them and some even saw them. They tell me it was a pretty hot time and the two of them really let out with some vocal effects. Also, if you walk by them, you'll see each is sporting a pretty good brand on his neck; also known as a hickey."
Daniel laughed and then decided to tease the boys himself. He got up and started walking around the room, speaking to the boys. He deliberately paced himself to move closer and closer to TJ and Evan. The two boys saw him coming and tried to be inconspicuous; they didn't stand a chance. Daniel stopped behind them and deliberately talked to the boys seated behind them, and then to the boys on either side and across the table. Finally, he zeroed in on his targets who were turning red and squirming much to the delight of the other boys.
Daniel looked at the boys and enjoyed watching them squirm. The other boys were having a good time, too. After standing there for a couple of minutes, Daniel decided he'd picked on them enough and bent over with his head between them. He looked at one, then the other before he spoke.
"You know guys, normally I'd suggest you move deeper into the woods so all these others fellas can't hear what's happening. However, when you brand one another like this it's hard to even try to lie about what you were doing." Both boys were setting a new standard for blushing and prayed this would end soon. Then Daniel really put them on the spot.
"Did you guys enjoy yourselves?" The two boys looked at one another, not knowing what to say. Daniel finally took pity on them. He stood up and patted each of them on the shoulder, smiled, and said loud enough for everyone to hear, "looks like you two had a great time." Then Daniel walked off while the other boys jeered and teased the two lovers.
The driver watched Daniel interact with the boys. He heard everything that was said and watched how the other boys reacted. When Daniel returned to the table the driver asked Daniel if he was going to punish the two boys.
"What for? They just did what every other red blooded teenager wants to do about ninety percent of the time. They're both fourteen and in the middle of hormone anxiety most of the time. How did you feel when you were their age?"
"But didn't they have sex with one another? You don't punish them for man on man sex?"
"Well, first, they didn't have man on man sex; they had boy on boy sex. Second, who do you think they should have sex with, there aren't any girls around here. Those two, we think, happen to be gay. We don't punish boys for the way they were born. The rule around here is no man touches a boy, and no boy forces himself on another boy. I'll guarantee you that we have straight boys, gay boys and bisexual boys. We encourage them to be honest with themselves and with us. This way they trust us; how else do you think I was able to tease them the way I just did. You hear the other boys teasing them as well? They both knew I wasn't upset with them and it was all in fun. They weren't the first and they won't be the last."
"I never thought about it like that. I used to sneak off into the woods or the bathroom at home and give myself relief. I can't tell you the number of times I jerked off thinking about a friend and wishing we could be together. I don't think we were necessarily gay, just horny as hell and we didn't care who we did it with as long as we did it." The driver answered, blushing and breaking out laughing with everyone else at the table.
Daniel sat in his office talking with Paul. Paul let Daniel know the manufactured units were set up and had been inspected. Paul also let Daniel know that only one of the units was a true four-bedroom. The other two units each had three bedrooms plus an office. The office could be used as a bedroom, but was only large enough for one single-size bed unless they put in bunk units. All three homes had a sleeper-sofa.
"Daniel, I haven't tried to prepare a list of who will occupy what room. You said you wanted to keep one of the units for guests. Which one? The three bedroom units can each accommodate seven plus the sleeper. The four bedroom unit can handle nine plus the sleeper."
Before Daniel could answer, there was a knock at his door. He looked up to see the two college students that had volunteered to help the new boys. Daniel was curious about these boys and wondered just why they had volunteered.
"Gentlemen, come in, please. Let me introduce you to the man who really does most of the work around here, Paul. Now, I usually find that if I know I'm going to embarrass myself, it's best to just come straight out and do it. The past few days have been so hectic, that I can't put a name with the face. Care to bail me out?" Daniel was sure to use a friendly tone and smile when he admitted his shortcoming.
"Sure thing, Mr. Thompson. My name's Richard, and this is James." Richard was the taller and more athletic looking of the two. Both were good looking young men whose clothes and demeanor suggested they came from comfortable backgrounds.
"Fellas, the staff addresses one another on a first name basis. The boys all call us by our first names, but they put 'mister' on the front end. Why don't you try the first name? If you don't mind my asking, both of you look to be fairly young and I'm curious why you would volunteer for something like this." The two young men looked at one another and then nodded to each other as though answering an unspoken question. James answered.
"Mr. Thompson, uh . . Daniel, Richard is nineteen and I just turned twenty. We're like five months apart. We're also related, but not related. I guess we're what some may call step-cousins, although we aren't related by blood. Did I say that clearly enough?" James watched for Daniel's nod and a smile. Daniel really didn't understand the explanation but knew he would think about it for a while. James then continued.
"Dr. Thompson has had both of us in his classes and knows a little about our background. I'm a pre-med student and Richard's a pre-law student, although that really doesn't have anything to do with our background, except possibly his pre-law work." The boys looked at one another again as though there was a silent conversation going between them and Daniel began to be concerned until Richard spoke up.
"Sir, we are here to help in any way that we can, but we're also here to learn. We're hoping that by doing this we can learn enough about the system to track someone down; maybe even get to know the right people to call for some help." Richard paused for just a minute.
"You see, we lost a cousin of ours about a year ago. He'd be thirteen or fourteen now. His dad declared bankruptcy and with that court ruling that kids could be enslaved as property of the parents, well, I think you can see our situation. No one in the family knew about the law or even dreamed something like that might happen, but it did. Since the injunction was issued and upheld on appeal, we're hoping to be able to locate him and help his dad file the papers to set him free." The boys looked at one another nervously. "When we heard about the court ruling we knew who both you and your dad were. We talked to Dr. Thompson and he suggested we volunteer and learn from you. I'm, uh, we're sorry we didn't tell you up front. We hope we didn't do anything wrong, sir. We really want to help and hope you can help us." Again the boys looked at one another and Daniel wondered how much they weren't telling him.
"Guys, so far we don't really have any problems. However, if I'd known this earlier, I might have been able to put some wheels in motion to help sooner. My instincts tell me you're both still holding back. It might be best to come clean. I'd hate to think I couldn't trust you, especially when I'm about to place the fate of a number of boys in your hands." It took a moment for that last statement to sink in, then both young men smiled. Daniel wasn't telling them to leave. Richard took a deep breath before he spoke.
"Sir, we're, uh, we're both gay. In fact, we're a couple. None of the boys know it as far as we know and we wouldn't even dream of bothering any of them, sir. We swear. We have been known to do something with other guys our age, but we don't take advantage of little kids." Daniel sat back in his chair and observed the two young men for a moment before answering. The longer he took, the more nervous they became.
"If you can sit there and tell me what you just did, after knowing me for only a few minutes, my guess is you're both being honest with me. The rules are simple. The little ones are off limits, period! If there is an older boy here, and by older I'm talking about one well into puberty, and he voluntarily wants to do something, I expect full discretion. Absolutely no rough stuff at any time. Since the two of you are a couple I'll assume you won't mind sharing one of the dorm rooms formerly occupied by a staff member. That means you'll have to shower and everything over there with the boys. Any problems?"
"No, sir! Not at all, and thank you. Does this also mean you'll teach us how to track some of the boys that have been enslaved? Maybe we can find our cousin. We think we've found family of at least four of the new boys already." Daniel laughed as he heard the relief and enthusiasm in their voices.
"We were constructing computer files while riding in the bus. Between several different sites and then tapping into census records, Ancestry.com, government records and so forth, we located family. We just need to confirm the identity and names."
"You fellas did all that and then you come to us for help? I think it should be the other way around, don't you?"
Daniel spent the rest of the afternoon going over the files the two young men had constructed. Daniel was very impressed with their organization, attention to detail and what appeared to be honest enthusiasm for what they were doing. When they finished, Daniel told them what the organizations password was for Pacer, the bankruptcy court's on line records system. They would be able to look up the bankruptcy records on their cousin's father and begin tracing the boy.
After reading the files, Daniel suggested to the young men that they tour the grounds. He gave them permission to remain dressed or to be nude with the boys. However, when they were working he preferred they stay dressed like most staff members as a form of separating them from the boys. Daniel let them know it wasn't unusual to see Mark running around there naked during the late afternoon or evening hours. He also spent a lot of time working with the boys in the pool and on the courts. After agreeing they would meet with Daniel again that night or in the morning, the two young men left.
"James, I think we need to find Mark and figure out what we can do to help. I heard some of the kids and staff people talking about baseball diamonds around here somewhere. Seems the police captain from Orlando comes here with some of his men and they coach the kids. Wonder what they'll do with all these new kids?"
"Got me, but there is one thing I do know. I'm not used to seein' this many hot, naked boys runnin around showin' off their bubble butts and packages. I sure am glad I'm wearing clothes right now. Daniel said we'd have one of the rooms in the dorms, I hope it's got some sound proofing in it. The way I feel right now, you and me will be spending all night plowin' each other."
The two young men walked around the grounds. The pool must have had twenty boys in it playing water volleyball. Three little ones came running around the corner, each looked like he had been rolling in dirt. Right behind the little ones came three older boys who looked to be barely in their teens, at least that's what the little bit of pubes suggested. The older boys were hollering for the little ones to stop and get cleaned up. Richard and James stared and then broke into laughter. They could tell this was going to be one very interesting experience.
The college boys walked out to the regular volleyball courts and the basketball courts. Each took a couple of shots at the basket and then returned the ball to the boys who were very friendly. From there they could see the baseball diamonds. The diamonds appeared to be fairly new and were well maintained. At least four teams were in the fields practicing. As they approached the ball diamonds, they looked to the side and spotted the garden and orange groves. There was no doubt someone put in a lot of time and thought to how these boys cared for themselves and learned responsibility.
Richard and James walked through the grove and spotted several trails leading into the woods. Aware the facility was quite large, covering over one hundred acres, they elected to follow one of the trails. Taking the nearest trail, they followed it until it came to a clearing that turned out to be another part of the orange grove. The trail just made a circle. They then chose another trail and followed it. This time they tried to keep track of their bearing to determine if they were again walking in a circle; they weren't. The sounds of boys giggling told them they were approaching another area of the facility.
James, having taken the lead on this trail, suddenly stopped and turned to Richard, motioning for him to stop. Richard was a little confused since they had not come out in a clearing. Both young men could still hear the boys giggle. James then signaled Richard to approach, quietly. Side by side the two young men stealthily approached the sounds. There on the ground were the two boys they recognized as being Elizabeth's sons. They were as naked and well tanned as the other two young boys who appeared to be identical twins and had an oriental ancestry. The four boys lay on the ground, forming a daisy chain. None of the boys had reached puberty, but all four boys appeared to be having a very, very good time. Richard and James looked at one another, initially in shocked surprise, and then unable to hold back their laughter, the two quickly backtracked to leave the four boys to their fun.
Late that afternoon, the Captain arrived with some of his men. All were surprised to see the new modular units and were particularly pleased to hear they would be staying in one of the new units. The men enjoyed working with the boys, but sometimes the kids liked to get into activities the men had just as soon not know about. The Captain was introduced to Richard and James. During dinner the two young men explained their situation to the Captain.
"Boys, you do realize that the injunction was just to prevent the sale of any more boys as property. So far a ruling hasn't come down regarding the joint tenancy protection or violation of civil rights on nondisclosure. Personally, I hope the court rules that all boys taken under the property ruling can be returned to their parents. I personally doubt that you'll ever see one hundred percent returned, but we sure will work hard to get as close as we can. Has Daniel given you any information to lead you in the right direction?"
"Oh, yes, sir." replied James. "We've already done some research for some of the new boys that just came in. We're sure we found the families of at least four, and think we have several others. Daniel said he wants to get the boys back home as quickly as possible."
"Well, you find your cousin's family case and let me have the names. I have some contacts and I'll see what I can do for you. I know some of these people and they owe me a few favors. Let me ask you something, is the boy's family in a position where they could pay the debt now?"
"We really don't know, Captain. We do know that the family, and we mean the extended family, has some money and are willing to contribute to whatever it may take. They just want the boy back and need guidance."
"I don't want to get anyone's hopes up just yet. If whoever has him thinks they might lose their investment because of the court injunction and possible ruling, they may be willing to negotiate and let the boy go. The boy could have been moved out of state by now, but I think it's more likely that he's here and being used as a pleasure boy." The Captain watched the reactions of the two young men and knew they understood what he meant. "However, I will try. Get me the names as quickly as possible." The Captain paused and nodded to the boys. He then changed the subject.
"In the meantime, either one of you boys any good at baseball or coaching?"
End Ch Fifty-Two
To Be Continued; comments welcome, contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com