This particular chapter and the following storyline is for Commander Data, who writes everyday and urges me to get my ass in gear. Thanks, Data. Also, several of you have asked what happened to my homepage idea? Thanks to the good people at Homestead.com, it should be up and running real soon.
Dan
Rimshotsplanet@hotmail.com
Southern Knights 7:
Joziah peeled the Velcro straps open, allowing his leg to move just a little, and sighed, wiggling his toes. The walking cast had been put on his broken ankle to replace the plaster one that had come to just above his knee, and resembled a storm trooper's boot.
He leaned back on the couch in Brad's living room and reveled in the freedom the new cast offered. He could scratch, he could shower, and he could take it off for short amounts of time. Very cool.
Brad stepped out of the kitchen carrying two glasses of iced tea and chuckled. "If you could see the look on your face, Joze." He set a glass down for his ebony god, and plopped into a nearby chair.
"If you've never had one on, then don't give me shit." Joziah's richly timbered voice sounded relaxed. "I damn near pulled the old one off myself."
"I was there." Brad chuckled, reaching out to stroke Joze's cheek. "I thought that itch last night was gonna kill us both." They had been watching a movie with Joziah's sister when the itch hit, and in trying to get to it, he'd nailed Brad in the shin hard, leaving a bruise.
"I didn't do it on purpose." Joze sipped at his drink as Brad turned on the TV. "Oh, no. I am not watching Pinky and the Brain. Change it."
"Try and get the remote, gimp." Brad laughed and held it up. "It's funny.
Sit there and behave yourself." Brad's cell phone went off, and he tossed the remote to his partner. "Saved by the bell." He touched a key on the phone and put it to his ear. "Yo?"
"Hey, it's Tate."
"Wassup, Tate?" Brad covered the mouthpiece and looked over at Joziah. "It's Tate."
"I heard." Joziah changed the channel to CNN.
"Dad and Bryce just got home. He's bouncing off the walls, waving his court order around." Tate chuckled. "It's official."
"Another Corbridge. God help us." Brad laughed and held out a thumb,s up for Joziah, who nodded and smiled. "So what do the Corbridge boys have in mind for this evening?"
"Bryce wants to go Christmas shopping. Is the wounded Warrior up to it?"
"Well, you know how those old people are, always having to stop and sit down a lot. We'll be there." Brad smiled at the now glaring Joziah. "He can drag himself with his lips."
"See you at the mall in an hour." Tate hung up, and Brad turned his phone off.
"What did we get me into this time? Joziah asked.
"A shopping trip, and maybe a picture on Santa's knee." Brad smirked and slid onto the floor, walking on his knees over to Joziah. "It's good for you to get out. You need the exercise."
"You hate me, don't you?" Joziah responded petulantly, then accepted a kiss from Brad. "Okay, you talked me into it."
"Man, that was tough." Brad chuckled, and swiped the remote off Joziah's stomach. The TV switched back to Pinky and the Brain, and Joziah tried to snatch the remote away.
"Oh come on, Brad, please!"
Bryce could barely contain himself as they walked into the mall. He wanted to tell everyone in sight about his name, and felt like he'd explode. They spotted Brad and Joziah sitting in the large open center court, and Brad stood up and grinned, holding his hands out.
"Congrats, Mr. Corbridge." He scooped Bryce up in a bear hug and lifted him up off his feet. "It's been along time since we saw you happy, you little shit."
"You're squishing me." Bryce breathed, Brad's arms nearly crushing him. He felt light headed for a second when his feet hit the floor. "Thanks."
"How's the foot?" Tate put his hand out to Joziah and shook it.
"Much better. I can itch now." Joziah stood up and put his crutches under his arms and followed as they headed for the stores.
"I have and idea." Brad turned and held up his hands, stopping the group. "I want to shop for Joziah, and I'm sure Bryce wants to shop for Tate, so why don't the two of you go shop for awhile, and we'll go the other way."
"Yeah." Bryce looked up at Tate and smiled devilishly. "I don't want your surprise ruined."
"Fine with me." Tate chuckled. "I'll take the gimp here and meet you guys in the food court in an hour, okay?"
"The gimp. Make's me sound like a consolation prize." Joziah grumbled and turned to follow Tate. "What makes you think you're getting a present, anyway?" He shot at Brad, then smiled and waggled his eyebrows.
"C'mon, Bryce. Let's leave the drama queen to Tate." Brad steered them off. They stopped in several stores, and Bryce spent the money Lorna had given him, purchasing a Tennessee Titans sweatshirt and cap for Pat, and a Chinese temple jar for her. Brad bought his parents two books that they had wanted for landscaping their backyard.
"Look at those." Bryce pointed in a window at some clothes that looked like they were made out of metal. He went inside, followed by Brad, and lifted the hanger off the rack. "Wow, they're real soft. I thought they'd be scratchy."
"They're pajamas." Brad looked at the sign card and shook his head. "Man, if you had those on, you wouldn't need a nightlight, you'd need sunglasses."
The fabric was soft when he touched it, and looked like it had thin threads of plastic woven through it, giving it the chrome-like shine.
"You're pretty close to Tate's size. Would you try these on for me?" Bryce handed Brad a purple top and silver pants.
"You're getting these for Tate?" Brad's eyebrows went up. "Are you sure it's his style?"
"Well, not for everybody to see." Bryce blushed hard, causing Brad to laugh. "What I meant was..."
Brad put his hand on Bryce's shoulder. "Chill, dude. I was kidding." He pulled of his coat and handed it to Bryce. "I'll be right back." The tall muscular blonde made his way through the racks to the fitting room and disappeared.
Bryce found matching boxers and briefs made out of the same material and bought a pair of each, one a metallic red, and the other silver. In a few minutes, Brad stepped out and held up his arms, turning around.
"Well?" He asked. Bryce looked him over critically; really liking the way the fabric clung to all of Brad's curves and bulges. One particular bulge caught Bryce's attention, and his head jerked up, his face burning. The size of Brad's private equipment was very easy to see, as was the fact that Brad wasn't wearing underwear.
"Uh, they're great." Bryce turned to go back to the racks. "I'll get the ones I want and meet you out side."
"Okay."
Outside the shop, Brad walked over to Bryce and retrieved his coat. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked, worried that he'd upset Bryce somehow.
"No, not at all. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I didn't mean to, you know, check you out." Bryce averted his eyes.
"It's cool, Bryce. I didn't notice. If I had, I'd be flattered, you know?"
Brad smiled and sat down on a bench. "You know, one of the rules for being gay is you can look, you just don't touch."
"I wouldn't do anything to hurt Tate." Bryce sat down and dropped his bags.
"I just didn't expect to see..., well, you know."
"Yeah, I know." Brad laughed. "When I started to get down with Joze, I used to think I'd turn him on by buying all these cool shorts, you know? And every time we'd get together and grind, he'd rip 'em off." Bryce laughed, and Brad continued. "Anyway, pretty soon I just didn't wear any. He likes it that way."
"You guys seem like a married couple to me." Bryce offered. "You're so comfortable, like Pat and Lorna."
"What can I say? We just fit." Brad stood up and picked up the bags. "Let's take these to the car, and then we'll find the goofballs." They headed for the entrance. "I'll tell you something if you promise not to say anything."
"What?" Bryce asked, holding the door open.
Brad looked away for a few seconds, then looked at Bryce. "I had the worst crush on Tate. I think he was the first guy I really ever loved."
"Serious?" Bryce was wide eyed.
"Yeah. I was fourteen, and he was fifteen, and we were at the public pool. Joziah was there, too, but we hadn't met yet. Tate was like a fuckin' god in his swimsuit, dude. Absolutely incredible."
"That's how I feel." Bryce took his keys out and opened the Camaro. "Sometimes I get sick to the stomach just looking at him. He's perfect."
"Christ, don't tell him that. He's hard enough.." Brad jumped and his eyes went wide. He looked like he was trying to scream, but no noise came out. He started to shake, and Bryce went to touch him. A small blue arc jumped from Brad to Bryce, and he jerked his hand away.
"God, I love these things." Curtis Mann held up an electric Tazer and watched Brad drop to the ground. "They are more fucking fun than a football game, you know that?" The walking behemoth locked eyes with Bryce and stepped over Brad's still shaking body. "Hey, bitch, how's it hangin'?"
Bryce froze. His mind went numb as he watched Brad drop like a corpse, and he looked up to see his worst nightmare. Curtis' eyes were dead. They stared right at Bryce, but there was nothing there, like a doll's eyes. Bryce tried to back away, but fell over Brad's arm, landing hard enough to knock the breath out of him.
"Did you miss me, cuddles?" Curtis reached down and grabbed Bryce's shirt, lifting him up effortlessly. "I missed you. How 'bout we take a little ride together?" Bryce struggled, and Curtis whacked him against a light pole, making a loud gong noise. "Keep it up, sweetie, I like a little fight."
Bryce fought hard to stay conscious. The blow against the light pole shot pain down his left side and the back of his head. His vision blurred.
Curtis stopped at his old white ford truck and opened the door, tossing Bryce inside. "Let's make this fun, for old time sake, okay?" He took a roll of duct tape out of the glove box and taped Bryce's feet together, then his hands behind his back.
As he hefted his bulk in the other door, he smiled almost charmingly at Bryce. "Ya know, I have this quiet little place where you an' me can spend some time. What d'you think?" He chuckled and started the truck, leaning his arm on Bryce's head. "Yeah. Quality time. I'd like that."
Brad gritted his teeth against the agony and pulled himself up enough to see Mann's truck back out, shudder, and head out of the parking lot. With all of the willpower he had, he pulled himself up using Tate's car, trying to clear his head.
Every muscle hurt. His back kept spasming, and a dull throb shot down his leg. Shaking, he took his cell phone out and tried to turn it on. The face was black. It was fried. Disgusted, he dropped it and sat down hard in the passenger seat, hoping that Tate's would be in the car somewhere. It was so hard to move, and his hands shook.
Above the driver's visor, he found a phone, and promptly dropped it on the floor. "Please, God." He hissed through gritted teeth. "Not now, please."
Leaning over, he picked up the phone. The battery was nearly dead, and he closed his eyes, feeling defeated. He pressed the keys and hit dial, praying it would make just one call.
Joziah almost didn't hear his phone. The background sounds on the music store were loud, and the Backstreet Boys warbled out of every speaker. He took his phone out and looked at the caller ID, then laughed. "Hey, Tate. You're calling me."
"Must be Bryce out at the car." He took the phone from Joziah. "What's up, midget?" He answered. He scowled, plugging his ear. "The car? I can't hear you, Brad." He listened, then held the phone away. "He said something about the car and hung up."
"Maybe they want to go get food." Joze took his phone and put it in his pocket. "Let's go see what's up."
The mall was crowded, and Tate patiently led the way, clearing room for Joziah's crutches. As they neared the entrance, Tate thought he saw Brad sitting on a bench outside the doors. "Where's Bryce?"
"Maybe he's the one at the car." Joziah offered helpfully. As they neared Brad, it was obvious that something was wrong. His eyes were red and sort of hollow looking, and he seemed to be in pain.
Tate jogged over and knelt down. "Brad what happed? Where's Bryce?"
Brad swallowed hard, wincing in pain. "Mann hit me with one of those police zappers. He took Bryce." Brad growled through clenched teeth.
"What?" Tate felt himself slide into one of those moments that never ends, suspending time. "He took him?"
"He's got him in his truck, dude. I couldn't see where they went." Brad shivered hard. Joziah sat next to him and pulled him over. "What did he do to you?!" He snarled.
"Tazer gun. That's what he called it." Brad groaned.
"You guys stay here. I'll call mom and dad." Tate stood up and started towards the parking lot.
"Tate!" Brad reached in Joziah's pocket and pulled out his phone. "Yours is dead, man." He tossed it. Tate caught it and ran off towards his car. "This is fucked up, Joze." Brad shook his head. "I let that fat fuck have 'im." He shivered again, feeling arms around his shoulders. "I didn't see him." Tears of rage ran down his cheeks.
"Enough." Joziah said quietly. "That self pity shit bores me to tears." He stood up and walked carefully towards the mall, leaving his crutches. "I'm callin' the police."
Curtis' big meaty hand closed around Bryce's neck, cutting off his air. "If you don't quit makin' such a fuss, you're gonna get hurt." His voice rumbled. "You need to relax, or I'll relax you."
Bryce gasped as the pressure went away. "Why are you doing this?" He pleaded. "Just let me go, and I'll be quiet."
Curtis laughed. "Oh, you'll be quiet alright." He reached down and turned on the radio. "Now shut the fuck up." They drove for what seemed like hours, and Bryce didn't move. The truck started to jump and jolt, and he guessed they were on a dirt road.
"You ought to be privileged." Curtis smiled down at him. "I never brought anybody here before." He looked back up at the road.
"Where's here?" Bryce asked quietly.
"My dad's huntin' place." Curtis said almost reverently. "Noboby'll bother us here." He looked down at Bryce with a faint smile, causing Bryce to shiver. "Nobody even knows where it is."
Feeling desperate, Bryce carefully turned so that he could get a hold of the door handle, slowly moving so that Curtis wouldn't notice. His huge captor seemed to be looking out into nothing as he steered the truck up the dirt road, staring like his mind really wasn't there.
Bryce felt the handle with his fingertips, and prayed that they weren't going very fast. He gritted his teeth and exhaled slowly, then lifted the handle. The door flew open, and Bryce could see the look of surprise on Curtis' face for a flash of a second before he rolled out of the seat and fell.
A sharp pain stabbed through his back as he landed hard on his back. The air in his lungs whooshed out, and he rolled away from the road onto his side. His eyes were full of sparkles, and he tried to inhale, fighting the pain that froze his lungs.
The truck lurched sideways and ran up on a rock before sliding into a tree. Bryce took a ragged breath and silently hoped that Curtis had been knocked out or something. For several long seconds nothing happened.
The driver's door creaked open, and Curtis stumbled out holding his forehead. "You stupid little bastard. Look at my truck!" He growled, coming around the back of the pick up.
Bryce stumbled to his feet and headed into the woods, tripping in the darkness and trying to keep his balance. He could hear Mann crashing behind him, and terror screamed through his mind.