Welcome back loyal readers. Things are happening everywhere. The Olympic games are in full swing, Whitaker and Elihu are up to no good, the Kriton peace talks aren't going well, and Jake Masters has struck again, leaving poor Matt to be rescued again. The action as yet another attempt is made as saving Matt Benson.
The Boys of the Lady Lex Chapter 55 "Masters at Arms" Written By Douglas DD and Benjamin T. C.
Harrison Wolfe logged off his laptop and powered it down. He got up from the hotel room desk and walked out onto the balcony. From his 16th floor room he had an exhilarating view of the sun setting into the ocean. The hotel was a half mile from the beach, but the view was unobstructed. He thought about what he had just read, and about what he now had to do.
The Olympics were in a four day lull on Hawking's Planet. The main action was the war games out in space. For spectators, there was still a great deal to do. Cameras were mounted on drones as well as well as observation shuttles. Many spectators watched what they could in theaters or in hotel rooms. Because of the wide area covered by the war games, and their unpredictability, being able to see any good action was hit or miss. There were also the war games on the ground, which existed primarily for two reasons. One was so all the cadets who did not have shuttle or ship assignments could participate in some form of war game. The other was to give tourists something to watch. Of course, Hawking's Planet was a tourist planet and nobody was going to be wanting for things to do while the focus of the games was out in space.
Wolfe smiled to himself. At the moment, I certainly am not wanting for things to do, he thought wryly. Myrna's e-mail had surprised him. It was ironic that Admiral Whitaker should be seeking his help, when in fact he was working to undo the Admiral's plans, whatever they might be. He had a pretty good idea of what they were-enough of an idea in fact that he wished he was on Griffin, at the peace talks, rather than here on Hawking's Planet. Yet, for whatever reason, the action always seemed to be swirling around the "Lexington", confirming his instincts that the old battle wagon was the place to be.
He thought over the contents of Myrna's message. Tim Whitaker had been kidnapped. Couple that with the fact that the son of Ambassador Bergen, chief negotiator at the peace talks, had disappeared, there was no doubt Jake Masters had been a busy man. And considering he was asking Whitaker for half a billion Sol dollars, a greedy one too.
He knew what he had to do. He had to act, not because of any love for the admiral or the ambassador, but because he was a teacher and a mentor as much or more than what he ...well, what he had been before. His protégé, the Hawke, had pulled off a daring rescue to get Matt back, flying by as he was stuck in a drifting shuttle.
Well, my young friend, Wolfe thought, your journey shall not have been in vain. It is time for your teacher to teach by example. You passed your test. Now it's time I do my job.
He considered his alternative. He could be a team of one. He worked best that way. While he had told Trevor the Hawke that a single stealthy person could accomplish a great deal, he had also told him that sometimes a team could accomplish more. Trevor had seen the benefits of both; not only during the rescue operation, but also when he had stolen the flags from the academy ships. Trevor's young Birds of Prey could teach even the most diehard loners a couple of lessons.
Wolfe made three phone calls. He left a voice mail for each person, and then waited for his calls to be returned.
Fifteen minutes later the first call was returned.
"Are you mad? I won't give up two of my officers to accompany an English teacher on a wild goose chase! This next four days is all about the war games. I need them on the `Lexington'" Captain Hatcher said after he heard Wolfe's proposal.
"Captain Hatcher, let me say few things. This is not a wild goose chase. Have I steered you wrong yet? And I've seen the training of your crew. Those boys are ready, both in knowledge and attitude. Hell, I helped get them there. Those shuttle crews will do just fine without the two men I'm asking for. I need those two officers more than the cadets do. The two missing boys need them worse."
"The answer is still no."
"Trevor Collins took his risks. He's twelve years old. Now it's time you took yours."
Captain Hatcher sighed audibly. How often was he getting that thrown at him? Had he been a peace time captain, and now the captain of an academy ship so long, that he had becoming nothing more than a conservative, complacent captain, unwilling to risk anything for any cause? No, that wasn't true. Getting the Lady Lex operational had been a risk. Maybe he had become too protective of her and her boys.
"I need them for the mother ship part of the competition," Hatcher said unconvincingly. Wolfe knew the captain was wavering, that he was about to do the right thing and act like a starship captain.
"Captain, the mother ship competition isn't until Tuesday."
A long silence punctuated the conversation.
"Then I will give you two words, captain. Admiral Whitaker."
There was another long pause at the other end. "How did you get involved in this?"
"Let's just say I am and leave it at that."
"Harrison Wolfe, if that is in fact your real name, you are the most interesting English teacher I have ever come across."
"I take it that's a yes, captain."
"Just get everybody back alive."
Hatcher hung up. Wolfe looked out into the dark sky, waiting for the next two calls.
A half hour later his phone rang again. Wolfe knew who it was instantly after hearing the heavy Kriton accent.
"Zjan-Ren. Thank you for returning my call so promptly. "
"What is it you want?"
Wolfe explained the situation to him.
"And you think you can find Jake Masters?"
"Yes. I don't believe he has left the planet."
"Why do you need me?" the Kriton asked, somewhat suspiciously. He knew Wolfe preferred to work alone.
"Our time is limited. One man operations have their time and place. This isn't the time, or the place."
"Captain Hatcher approves my not joining the ship in the morning?"
"Yes, he does. You can ask him yourself if you want."
"I trust you. You think much like a Kriton. A true Kriton is honorable and does not lie."
"Thank you. I am honored by your compliment, Zjan-Ren."
"After cutting off his hand, I would like the rest of Jake Masters as a trophy."
Wolfe set a meeting time that night, gambling that his last outstanding call would be returned soon.
When the phone rang fifteen minutes later, it was not the caller he expected. He recognized the unemotional gravelly voice.
"We have been waiting here too long. Much too long. We are losing money by waiting. We don't have the time or patience for this."
"I told you it would take time, but things are happening quickly," Wolfe said. "Within two weeks you will get your chance, and as I showed you the effect on your profits and your, shall we say, ability to do business will more than make up for any losses you are incurring now."
"Two weeks," the monotone voice said. "In two weeks we go back to our own business."
"You have my word that in two weeks everything will break loose."
"Two weeks," the voice said again. Wolfe could hear the phone hang up. He knew his plan was hanging by a tenuous thread.
His thoughts were interrupted as the phone rang almost immediately. It was the last call he had been expecting. Once again Wolfe explained the situation. The man he had called said he would check with Captain Hatcher, and would come if he received permission from the source.
Wolfe told the man he would see him in an hour, knowing Hatcher would approve of the ensign not joining the ship for the war games in the morning.
The three men sat in Wolfe's hotel room. Once again Wolfe went over the situation with them.
"Are you with me on this?" he asked.
"I am," Zjan-Ren answered. "The three of us have already had successes together."
Kalon said nothing. He was obviously searching for the right words. "Jake Masters died when I was a teenager. He died before I could settle things with him. If it is indeed Jake Masters we are looking for, then he is mine."
Wolfe did not miss the fact that Kalon called his father by his name. He also didn't miss the passion in the ensign's voice, and wondered if he hadn't recruited a loose cannon. Kalon and Zjan-Ren were both quickly reminding him why he liked to work alone.
"What makes you think he is still on this planet?" Kalon asked.
"Once Matt Bergen disappeared an alert went out. Right now it will be difficult to sneak off this planet, especially with a large chunk of the SFA fleet in orbit around the planet. No, he will wait until either the day after the games end, when so many ships and shuttles will be leaving they will be impossible to inspect and track, or until even later when the inevitable relaxation of the searchers occurs."
"But how can you find him when the police force of this planet cannot?" Zjan-Ren asked.
"I have the son of the great Jake Masters with me, that's how." He looked at Kalon. "How many people in the underworld know you?"
"Quite a few."
"Any who would be here on this planet?"
"Perhaps. This planet was always ripe for smuggling. Most tourist resorts are. Right now is a slow time for one of the reasons you mentioned: too many SFA ships in orbit."
"How many know you joined up with the SFA?"
"Of those who know me? I would say most of them."
"How many would believe you if you said you wanted a part of your father's action? That he owed you after faking his death and you were going to collect? "
Kalon Masters flashed a gruesome smile. "Jake and I weren't on good terms when he...died. Everybody knows that. Everybody knows I would love to stick it to the old man if I had the chance. What better way than to take a chunk of the cash he piled up while I was in the SFA making an ensign's salary. Besides, Jake has offended a lot of his old friends recently. He's stiffed a few of them, and there is little love lost between Jake and a lot of those who used to work with and for him."
"Maybe there's another way," Wolfe said.
"What's that?"
"If we could find a way for you to be upset with Hatcher and the SFA, I mean REALLY upset, maybe even one of Jake's friends might help you."
"What would get me that pissed off?"
"I don't know yet. But maybe I'll come up with something. Tonight let's start hitting up the lowlife taverns and lounges."
"With pleasure," Kalon said. "And when I find him he's a dead man."
"Let's remember our mission," Harrison Wolfe said. "And that's the rescue of the two boys."
"They both go together," Kalon said and Zjan-Ren nodded in agreement. Harrison Wolfe didn't make many mistakes, but he was beginning to wonder if bringing in these two might be one of them.
"I will see both of you this evening. Maybe before nightfall we can come up with something for Kalon to get pissed off about.
"Sorry I had to tie you up, lads," Jake Masters said to the two boys. Matt and Tim were on separate single beds. Each one had his hands tied to the bedposts. They were dressed in nothing but their underpants. "But, ya know how it is. Jake is a big boy, but not as young as he once was. And you, the admiral's son, you're a big strapping kid."
Tim tugged futilely at his restraints. He was a big, strong kid; upset that he was unable to do more to stop his kidnapping. He had received a call about a meeting that he thought was from one of the officers directing the games. As he left his room and got on the elevator, three men got on with him. The next thing he knew he was being dragged into a van, stripped, and tied up here at this house.
Not long after, Matt was dragged in and tied to the bed next to him. He was thankful he and Matt weren't gagged. The room had no windows, and was apparently deep in the interior of the building. There was no need for gags.
Matt and Tim were both surprised to see each other. It didn't take Tim long to find out the true story behind Matt's disappearance and his incredible rescue. Matt and Tim talked late into the night about their experiences since that last party at Tim's house. Matt had been kidnapped on his way home from that party.
"You aren't as tough as you think you are," Tim said to Jake, trying to sound brave. "I've heard about you."
"Aye, not many who know about outer space who haven't heard of Jake Masters. And, lad, let me tell you something for your education," Jake's voice suddenly turned menacing. "I am as tough as I think I am. And that's much tougher than you ever dreamed I could be." He looked over at Matt. "Right, lad?"
"I hate you," Matt said.
"I am truly hurt, Matty. I do so love that tight young ass of yours." He looked back at Tim. "He did tell you how good I was with him in bed, didn't he lad? He told you how much he loved Jakes Masters big dick in his ass?"
"All he told me was he couldn't wait for me to fuck him again so he could have a real dick up his butt."
Jake walked up to Tim and slapped him hard across the face. Tim winced but did not cry out. "So, you lads know each other? Been bed buddies have you? Maybe Jake Masters would love to watch you two in action together." He yanked down Tim's boxer shorts, exposing his hairy teen cock. His roaring laugh almost shook the room. "You call that a cock?" He looked at Matt. "You really do amuse me, lad."
"I hate you!" Matt said.
"And I love you."
Jake went to the door, opened it, and called a couple of his men in. "Untie the lads. Let's let them eat.
"Try anything and you will be two hurting boys. There's more where these men came from."
Matt and Tim were untied and led into a dining room. Tim pulled his boxer shorts up and sat to eat.
"It's now Saturday morning. Tuesday, with all the comings and goings after the war games and the start of the finals, we will be departing this sorry excuse of a planet. Until then, Jake will take good care of feeding you. And who knows? Before we leave, maybe I'll get paid and you can go home early."
"Don't believe him," Matt said. "He won't ever let us go."
"No reason not to," Jake said. "Everybody knows it was me that took ya. All I need is my money. Once I'm in space, nobody will ever find me. Or you either, if I don't get paid by then."
Tim looked around the room and noticed a clear glass case along one of the walls. Inside it were numerous knives in varying styles, sizes, and colors. Tim had always loved knives. He had collected them at home, and had the best of his collection in his room on the "Orion". He not only knew their value and history, he knew how to use them.
"Those are really cool knives," Tim said.
"You like?" Jake said. "They belonged to the owner of this fine house."
"What happened to him?"
"Jake did him a few favors. Which earned him the money to afford this fine house, and now he is paying me back. Let's just say he needed a long vacation, and is now taking it."
"Can I see them?" Tim said, looking at the knives again.
"Look but don't touch."
Tim got up from the table and peered into the case. The knives were beautiful. "Can't I touch one?"
Jake walked up to Tim and cupped his muscular ass through his underpants. "If I can do some touching, too."
"Fuck you!" Tim said.
"No, lad, I think it's fuck you. No touch you and it's no touch the knives."
Suddenly Tim surprised Jake. "I'll suck your dick for you. But no fucking."
"So, suddenly Jake Masters is good enough for you? Fair enough. The good admiral has himself a right fine son. Pick the one you want."
Tim pointed to a knife. Jake took it and handed it to the boy. The guards in the room took a few steps closer to the two of them, something Tim noticed immediately. Tim hefted the knife, realizing he had a fine weapon in his hand. It was perfectly balanced. The wood hasp was exquisitely carved. He ran his finger lightly along the finely honed steel blade. It was perfect. . The weapon was unquestionably old. He looked at Jake Masters. Tim knew exactly who he wanted to use it on.
"Captain Hatcher, you are a fool! A bumbling idiot!"
"Ensign, I am giving you one warning. I know you are emotional, but one more word and I will have to write you up for insubordination. You were on your last legs coming here. I doubt your record will take another black mark."
"Fine! Do it! I don't care! How could you let one of my boys die during a war game? How can you take somebody I trained and let him die?"
"It happens. It's happened before and it will happen again. And the boy took his own life."
"But you're the one in charge. You're in command. You're fucking responsible!"
"Ensign Masters, consider yourself on report."
"You don't have to report me to anybody. Consider me no longer a member of your crew. Fuck you, and the Lady Lex. I'm done. I thought this was the way to go after Jake fucked me over and died. I was wrong."
"Ensign, you're emotional right now. Think this...
"I've thought it through captain. Have a good life!"
Kalon Maters clicked off his communicator, leaving Captain Hatcher listening to nothing but light static. He looked over at Commander Creevey.
"What do you think?"
"Probably a bit overdone. I doubt anyone who really knew Kalon Masters would believe that conversation if they happened to be listening in."
"I don't agree. Every one knowing Kalon Masters would believe it. Just ask Captain E'Than of the `Renegade'."
"Point made. He didn't use a secure channel. And we know the chances of someone monitoring that little chat is slim, but just in case, maybe we laid some ground work."
"I still have to wonder about Harrison Wolfe. Who is he really?"
"Indeed," Hatcher said. "He's almost like a character out of one of those books in his library.
"How did I do?" Kalon asked Harrison Wolfe.
"You did fine. The whole idea is probably a bit overblown, but it's the best I could come up with on short notice."
"I wish I didn't have to take advantage of the death of that cadet." But, he thought wistfully, there is a shred of truth to it-an unfortunate shred of truth.
"As do I. But he brought it on himself, and maybe his death can bring some good to someone. It looks like, tonight, you put on your old smuggler togs and become a pub crawler."
"Yeah. I hope you have some of those pills of yours to kill the effect of the alcohol. It wouldn't do for me be getting drunk. And I am going to have to drink."
"Here they are." He placed a bottle of pills into Kalon's hand. "Are you looking forward to seeing Jake?"
"No. Not at all. But when I do, chances are good he's going to be a dead man.
Kalon's Saturday night pub crawling netted him nothing. He got out the word that he had heard Jake Masters was on the planet, and in the city. He let people know he had walked away from the SFA and that he was looking to hook up with Jake, his father.
He ran across one grizzled man who had been on one of Jake's crews when Kalon was a boy. "From what I heard, you and Jake kind of parted on bad terms. That you said you'd kill him some day."
"We did. I was young. I knew more than my old man. And I was going to show him. You know how that goes."
"I do, I do. Same thing happened with me and my old man. Never had a son who could hate me."
"Now I know he was right; I made a mistake. I lived a good life with Jake. The operations we did brought in good money. The SFA pay is shit, and their Captains couldn't smuggle a pack of cigarettes onto Nazareth. I'm done with them, and I figure what the hell, with Jake here and me here, maybe it's time to let bygones be bygones."
"Never did that with my old man. After he died, I always wished I had. Well, good luck to ya, here's hoping you find your old man." The two of them clinked their glasses of ale and took big swigs of the strong drink.
Tim Whitaker spit on the floor, trying to get the taste out of his mouth. For whatever reason, the cum of Jake Masters tasted rancid. Tim loved cum, he loved sucking dick. Jake Masters wasn't the first adult he'd given a blow job, and he had enjoyed the experience. But, with Jake it didn't seem like sex. Sex was fun, it was interesting, and it was, well...sexy. With Jake it seemed dirty. Jake had made him strip. In fact he was still naked, as was Matt on the other bed. Matt had watched him suck Jake off. He had seen, as Jake had, that he was never hard through the entire process. But he had said he would do it, said it so he could touch one of the knives. He said it again at dinner so he could touch another knife. He wasn't unhappy he said it, touching the knives had been an almost sexual experience in itself. Sex with Jake Masters was not.
The worst part was Jake Masters had looked over at Matt and said he bet Matt didn't think the old man could get it up and cum twice in row. Not waiting for Matt, he said he could and was willing to prove it on his ass. Matt refused, saying simply, "I hate you."
"You're lucky Jake Masters has standards, lad. But you and I both know I will get that ass of yours before this is all over, so ya may as well make it now as later."
"Later is fine with me," Matt said.
Jake gave him an evil leer, and then untied both boys. Matt remembered when running his hand through Jake's gray chest hairs had been a turn on for him. Now all he wanted was for Jake to leave so he could admire Tim's smooth chest. Jake untied the two boys.
"Don't try nothin' lads. I got three men outside the door. But I see no reason to tie ya up now. The door is locked and the guards are there." He glared at Matt. "And no rescuer is going to get through them this time."
Jake left the room. Matt looked over at Tim with a sad yet hungry look on his face. "We're not tied up."
"We can't get away."
"I know. I was just hoping you could come over in my bed."
"Sure. Sure, I can do that."
Tim crawled under Matt's covers and cuddled up to the younger boy. Matt was crying. "I want you to fuck me."
"Are you sure?"
"Never been more sure," he got out between sobs.
Tim was torn. Matt was obviously emotional. Was he as sure as he said? Or did he just want Tim up there before Jake finally got what he wanted? Tim never had been much of a deep thinker. He finally did what Matt wanted, much to the pleasure of both boys.
Kalon, Wolfe, and Zhan-Ren were all pleased to get the news of the Lady Lex's successes out in space. Tomorrow, Monday, would be the finals, and the Lady Lex would be there. All three wished they could be on board the Lady Lex to feel it's energy, but they knew that time was running out for the two kidnapped boys. Their duty, at the moment, did not lie on the "Lexington".
Kalon spent Sunday afternoon haunting the pubs with little success. Jake Masters spend Sunday afternoon shooting off impatient e-mails to Admiral Whitaker and Ambassador Benson. This time there was no attempt to manipulate diplomacy. To Jake this was all about money and revenge. He also came across an interesting e-mail from one of his many contacts on Hawking's Planet. He quickly typed out a response.
In between e-mails he had had Tim Whitaker pay off his debt. He made it more interesting by sucking Matt's dick while Tim sucked his. Jake loved Matt and his smooth pre-teen cock, and was happy he was able to manipulate even that amount of sex with the boy. Matt came closest to being as sexually satisfying as a woman as any boy he had ever had.
It was almost midnight Sunday when Kalon struck gold. He was alone at a table sipping an ale in the Green Pup Inn when a husky figure sat next to him.
"You Kalon Masters?"
"Who's asking?"
"Maybe I ain't got a name."
"Then maybe I ain't Kalon Masters."
"And then again, maybe I got a name. A valuable name."
Wolfe and Kalon had both known that the information they wanted might be costly. Kalon had been impressed by the stack of Sol dollars Wolfe had placed in his hand. Hopefully it would be more than enough.
Kalon placed a large bill on the table which quickly vanished.
"The name's Reggie." A long silence followed Reggie's statement.
"And is that all I paid for?" Kalon asked.
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"You want more of what you just got, I need more value for my dollar."
"Word is your old man's got a contract out on you...as of today."
"No shit? That asshole. Big money I take it?"
"Big money."
Kalon placed another bill on the table. It vanished as quickly as the first one had.
"Must be more money than I'm paying you right now."
"I'm a thief, not a killer. Ain't worth it. Besides, I got some honor. I got no use for Jake Masters. I'd still have a brother if it weren't for him. If there's a Masters I'd want to see dead, he'd be the one."
"I see."
"Word on the street also has it you got your ass kicked out of the SFA and want to hook up with him."
"Could be."
"Lots of the guys would follow you over him. Make you a rich man fast. Specially if he wasn't part of the scenery no more. More money than with you and him being together. Get my drift?"
"I think so." Kalon was showing no emotion, trying to learn as much information as he could while giving away as little information as possible.
There was a long as pause as both men sipped their ales. Finally Reggie spoke again.
"Some people got a pretty good idea where he's holing up."
"Do they?"
"So I heard."
"You wouldn't be one of them would you?"
"I ain't always sure of what I know."
Kalon placed another bill on the table. It didn't move. He put another one on top if it. Both of them stayed in place.
"Memory getting any sounder?"
Reggie scratched his head. "Somehow I just can't seem to bring up what I know."
Kalon dropped down two more bills. "Don't know if any information is worth that."
"My memory has almost returned."
"I think I will go shopping somewhere else." Kalon placed his hand on the four bills on the table. Reggie quickly pinned Kalon's hand and the money to the table.
In a darkened corner two figures were seated at a table, watching the byplay between Kalon and Reggie. The hooded figure started to get up, but the second figure put a hand on his shoulder. "Let's see how this plays out." Zjan-Ren sat back down, but stayed ready to move at moment's notice, as was Harrison Wolfe.
A few silent seconds ticked away. "I think my memory is recovered," Reggie said.
"Wayland Court. Twelve Wayland Court." Reggie got up.
"Nice doing business with you," Kalon said.
Reggie said nothing. He walked out of the pub. Kalon stayed and finished his drink. Reggie was either telling him the truth and Jake was holed up at that address, or Reggie had been paid a hell of a lot more money by Jake and he had just been set up. Well, he thought as he got up from the table. The only way to find out is to show up.
In the early morning hours of Monday morning. Kalon, Zjan-Ren, and Harrison Wolfe looked down on the large house from the hill behind it, using SFA issued night glasses.
"Nice layout," Kalon said. "Nobody ever accused Jake of skimping."
"I did some research on the net," Wolfe said. "The house belongs to the CEO of a very large and profitable import company."
"Why am I not surprised? I'm sure Jake had something to do with that profitability."
"The wall of the house is not made to keep intruders out," Zjan-Ren said. "At least not determined ones."
Wolfe agreed. "It's a rich person's house, designed to keep a rich person's stuff somewhat safe. It certainly wasn't built to be a stronghold."
"It must be alarmed," Kalon said.
"Oh, I'm sure it is. And I'm sure it's one we should be able to bypass."
"I wonder how many men he has in there?" Zjan-Ren wondered.
"I never had a chance to ask," Kalon said.
"Makes no difference. We will take them out as we see them," the big Kriton said with confidence.
The three men worked their way stealthily down the hill. Harrison Wolfe couldn't help but think of all the lessons in stealth he had given young Trevor Collins. It was now time for the teacher to show he could do more than teach.
Similar thoughts were going through Zjan-Ren's mind, of how often he had spoken of balance and confidence. He almost wished young McDowell was up on the hill watching.
The only thing going through Kalon Master's mind was Jake Masters and the showdown they had had the last time they had seen each other. He thought of the anger he had in him, the feeling of having been let down. It wasn't just that Jake had taken more than his share of Kalon's spoils. Kalon knew Jake well enough to almost expect that. No, it was more than that. It was the death of his friend Shane, the boy who had been like a brother to him. Shane died because of Jake's neglect. Kalon knew Jake was jealous of Shane, who had more of Kalon's love than he did. Not sexual love, but pure love, the love of friends, brothers, comrades. Kalon had known Shane since they were twelve, but they had never had a sexual moment together. He knew Jake had tried to seduce Shane more than once, and he figured Shane's refusal had angered Jake even more, and led to Shane's death. Whether purposefully or not, Jake Masters had caused the death of Shane Warden. Of that there was no doubt. The hatred Kalon had shown the last day was real. He was sure Jake still felt the sting of Kalon's single punch to his head. The rumor that Jake had put out a contract on him didn't help his mental state or temper his hatred.
Harrison Wolfe did not know the details of Kalon's feud with Jake. What he did know was that Kalon was quite emotional about it and, if he failed to keep his emotions under control, it could mean the death of the three of them, not to mention the two boys who were assuredly inside.
The three of them approached the wall and inspected it. As Harrison Wolfe suspected, there was nothing in the alarm system they couldn't disarm. They set to work on their tasks.
Jake Masters opened the door to the storage room that was doubling as a cell. He was tired of waiting. Tired of waiting for word from the good admiral and the ambassador; waiting for both of them to give him what he wanted for the return of their sons. He was tired of this house and tired of being horny. He was ready to return to space, where he belonged. He figured he might as well make good use of this waiting time and get what he wanted from the boys. Boys, girls, women, or men; it made no difference to him. Yet, for some reason, Matt had become special to him.
His men would be outside and alert for any problems.
He opened the door to the room where Tim and Matt were held captive. Neither boy was tied up. Even in the darkened room he could tell both were naked on Matt's bed.
"FUCK!" Jake shouted. "FUCK, YOU LITTLE BASTARDS!"
Jake's rant woke the two boys up. He turned on the lights, momentarily blinding them.
"What? What?" Tim said in sleepy protest.
"Matt can't get fucked by a real man who loves him. No, he fucking lets a boy into his bed to fuck him!"
"You're crazy, dude."
"No, I'm not crazy. Jake Masters is anything but crazy." He looked at Tim. "Maybe the admiral's son doesn't feel like seeing sixteen."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Tim said. Jake's rants were making him somewhat frightened. He could feel Matt shaking some and realized Matt felt the same as he did.
"I'm talking about you." He called out the door. "Hollins, watch these boys. Time for Jake Masters to quit being nice and show them that spoiled rich boys get what they deserve."
A big black man came into the room and glared at the two naked boys as Jake left the room. He came back a few minutes later and dismissed the guard. He held up a long knife that was obviously very sharp. Jake undressed in front of both of the boys, never letting them lose sight of the knife.
"Time for Jake to have his fun. And ya know what? This ain't the place for it. Not with a grand four poster in the master bedroom. Get up. Both of ya."
"I thought you never raped anybody," Tim said, hoping to appeal to Jake's sense of honor, whatever it might be.
"I don't. But since your father the admiral has fucked me, I figure fucking you ain't rape. And Matty here, he's Jake's little catamite, so he can't be raped either."
The two frightened boys reluctantly obeyed. Jake looked at Tim's toned muscular teen body, then at Matt's young pubescent form. Both beautiful, he thought. Both good to fuck. Not as good as a woman, but then what is? But plenty good for Jake Masters, which makes them both plenty good.
Jake heard a sudden noise from outside the bedroom and then another. He took Tim's arm and put it in a hammerlock.
"Move it," he whispered menacingly. He put the knife to Tim's throat and told Matt to walk out of the room first.
The recreation room was empty. The guard was gone. Jake backed Tim to the dining room, telling Matt exactly where to stand and where to walk. He heard another thump as the three of them stepped into the dining room.
The door at the other end opened and two men and a Kriton walked in. Jake took a moment to focus on the strangers. The room was lit only by the night lights. The sight of the Kriton surprised him, the second man he vaguely recognized, but there was no doubt about who the third man was.
"Hi, Jake. Nice seeing you again," Harrison Wolfe said. "Nice to see the hand regenerated nicely."
Jake glared at Wolfe, and at Zjan-Ren, who was no longer wearing his hooded cloak.
"Don't think the two of you will get Jake Masters twice. I not only got plenty of help, but I got me some insurance." He placed the knife against Tim's throat, drawing a trickle of blood.
"Your help has been laid off," Wolfe said.
"Jake Masters isn't that easy to deal with."
A third figure, whom Jake hadn't seen, stepped out from behind Wolfe and the Kriton.
"Is that why you faked your death for all these years? Because you were so tough?"
"Well, well, if it ain't Kalon Masters coming back to see his long lost dad."
"You quit being my dad a long time ago, even before you died. You can drop that knife. It's all over for you Jake."
"I got a houseful of help. I'd be looking over your shoulder, son."
"Like Wolfie said, the help has been fired. It's just us now."
"The three of you aren't enough to take Jake Masters. Especially when he has an insurance policy." He put the knife a little tighter against Tim's throat.
"You put out a contract on me."
"Kalon, ya always did talk too much. And ya always believed too many lies."
"It's no lie. You're the one who is a habitual liar. You're afraid of me aren't you? You have been ever since you faked your death. You couldn't kill your son, so you killed yourself."
"It's time to shut you up son, nice as it was to see you again. It's time for me to be leaving with my insurance boys." He pushed the knife to Tim's throat just enough to draw another trickle of blood. The blood slowly dripped down Tim's neck and smooth, hairless chest.
Kalon wasn't about to shut up. "I see you and your boys are naked. Were you planning a little fun. Like you wanted with Shane? Like you wished you could've had with me?"
"I never touched you, son. Never even tried to. Never even wanted to, and you know that. I respected you as my son because I was your father. But you started getting too big for yourself. You wanted to be bigger than your old man. As for your friend, he wanted it. He got what he wanted."
Kalon could feel the anger rise in him. "He said you never did anything. He said he kept you off him. He said nothing ever fucking happened."
"Don't let him get to you," Harrison Wolfe said. "He's trying to get you angry. He's trying to get you to commit yourself."
Kalon ignored him. He glared at Jake Masters, the father he had once loved and respected so much. The father he would have willingly died for, instead of now wanting to kill.
"Aye. I fucked him. Fucked him when he was fourteen with a fine hot tight virgin ass. He never told you because he didn't want you hating him and me. But I got him. I got him many a time."
Kalon wasn't sure whether or not to believe Jake. Jake had a way of twisting the truth to serve his own ends. "Then why did you kill him?"
"I never killed him. He killed himself. I just didn't stop him."
Kalon could feel something snap inside him. The same anger and hatred he had felt the last time he'd seen Jake Masters, when he suspected he'd done something to his friend who was more like his brother. He started towards his step-father, ready to kill him, no matter what the consequences.
Jake pushed the knife on Tim's throat a little harder, causing blood to flow a bit more freely down the boy's naked front. Kalon hesitated long enough for Zjan-Ren to grab him and hold him. Kalon was rational enough to know not to fight him.
"Nice move, Kriton. Now it's time for Jake to take his two prize paychecks and leave."
"Two? Where is the other one, Jake?"
"Huh?" Jake Masters, the master criminal, one of the most wanted men in the galaxy for years, a man who flowed confidently among the lowest of thieves and crooks, who had lived as long as he had by being tougher and smarter than his opponents, had let his guard down. He had let Kalon Masters, the man who had been his son since he was a toddler, fatally distract him. He had focused on the big teen, and on Kalon and had lost track of the boy. The young boy who quietly snuck out of his sight, the young boy who quietly opened the knife case as the men talked loudly from one end of the room to the other, the young boy who step by quiet step came up behind his captor, the young boy who hated Jake Masters enough to take the longest knife with the thinnest blade he could find in the case and stick it between the ribs of his tormentor, shoving it into his heart and bringing him to a quick and bloody death. Matt had killed the devil that had preyed on him for all too long.
Kalon Masters quickly grabbed the boy and held him tightly as he looked with a mixture of relief and remorse at man who had raised him. Jake Masters lay on the floor in a pool of blood, as naked as the day he had arrived a half century earlier. The long criminal reign of Jake Masters was over, ended not in some space battle or by another younger and tougher criminal, but by a twelve year old boy.
As Kalon hugged Matt knew they both had been freed and that there was now a bond between the two of them that would never be broken. Matt had done what Kalon had wanted to do for years, and now Kalon would have to be sure Matt survived it.
To be continued...