There were times when Alan felt like the technology they had at their fingertips would replace all of them. Robocop would become the wave of the future and they'd all be pensioned off to some home on the Florida coast.

Mike had fed the boy's photos into the software in column A and pulled the school files into column B. There were about two million photos in the database they tapped at the Cook County Board of Education, about ten year's worth of kids.

It didn't take a warrant to access the information which was in the public domain, but that meant they had to take all the kids, both boys and girls. The software cranked away a good while before giving them three thousand hits to look at.

OK, nothing was perfect, Alan thought, at least they had narrowed it down. The search parameters couldn't be absolute. Kids grew their hair, changed the color and grew older. It meant they wouldn't have to worry about Robocop anytime soon.

Wilson joined in and he sat with Mike while reviewing the possibilities scrolling down the screen. They divided the photos into three categories. The ones the software said were exact matches, too few of those to make anyone happy ... just two to be exact. There were possible matches that needed to be studied further, a bunch of photos that looked right except for some detail or another.

Mike laughed at the third category once he realized that the database was flawed. There were a few girls that ought to be boys and vice versa, who knew why? Someone at the Board of Ed had screwed up that was for sure.

The two matches were quite close, remarkably so, and enough to make Alan hand them off to Wilson for the background checks. Brett had been following up on Bucky's disappearance but he gladly shoved that aside for the moment.

Mike continued with the possible matches and came up with a third after a while; he was added to Wilson's list. And then the debate began.

"The manpower to stake out these boys is gonna be a tough one," Alan said. "And I imagine we might be too late for a start this week ... it's already Friday afternoon."

"It might be too late, but we could each go check out an address and just see if there is anything unusual about their homes," Mike suggested. "I guess we just need to find something they have in common. Like how does Golden Hand get to these boys, how are they moved around?"

"Yes, transportation ... that's the key," Wilson said.

"Has to be someone with the knowledge of where each boy lives, and I bet Bucky had all that information in his head," Brett said.

"OK, you each take an address, but don't give them a chance to spot you," Alan said. "Don't even think about following the boy if you spot him. We don't know enough about their arrangements yet. I can't go with you, they know my face. We blow this one and we are sunk, you got that?"

They each took a printout with the street addresses and a photo of their particular boy. Alan would remain behind and coordinate. On the street he would be a liability thanks to Kevin.

This little game of chess they were playing fascinated him, but now it was their move. He fully expected that Kevin had realized the possibility of them being discovered this way. Posting the boy's photos on the site was a business necessity, but there had to be a counter move in there somewhere. Did they think that the site could never be breached?

It had been ten days since he had last spoken to Austin and he wondered what the boy was up to. Alan knew if the boy cried out for help that he would move heaven and earth to save the kid. It was more than a physical attraction, he was out to save all those boys ... and thus himself.

Taking down Golden Hand was becoming an obsession that would consume him if they didn't get a break very soon. With Austin's help it would be easier but he couldn't count on that now ... maybe he never could. The boy had his own ideals about the world of men. But for a few moments in time they had seemed to connect, to be a part of one another. Just give me a chance boy, please let me become a part of your life, Alan thought.

The van pulled into the Kmart shopping center off Harlem Avenue at around four-thirty. Austin wasn't sure what this meant, but Frank seemed to know the routine. They were both wearing red and gold Polo shirts with the words 'Boys and Girls Club' embroidered above the left pocket. Austin was supposed to be a counselor. John had told him this was the role he was to play in public.

Frank pulled around to the side parking lot and smiled. "There they are."

Austin saw two boys standing with a woman behind a car. This would be Steve and Josh, the first of their pickups. And as they drove up the boys each hefted a backpack, while a man got out of the car and joined them.

Austin got out as the boys opened the rear door and tossed their packs inside. He had been told the boys knew the routine and all he would have to do was smile at the parents as he handed over the envelopes.

"My goodness, you look mighty young to be a counselor," Steve's mother said right off.

"Why ... .thank you," Austin said. He laughed as he handed her an envelope. The man said nothing and just took his payoff.

"You boys be careful and have a good time," Steve's mother said.

"Aw Mom, I'm fine ... OK?" Steve replied.

Josh's father had said nothing and the boy didn't even seem to notice.

Steve's mother waved as they drove away, and then in the side view mirror Austin watched as she tore open the envelope. They had to know their boys were doing something, the cash payoff they had so quickly accepted said as much.

"Where's Bucky?" Josh asked.

"He doesn't work for us any more," Frank said. "He moved to Florida last week."

"I wondered why you guys called things off the last two weeks," Steve said. "Um, OK ... and who are you?" he asked Austin.

"I'm Austin, I took Bucky's job."

"Good, I hated that asshole," Josh said.

Frank laughed. "That seems to be a unanimous opinion amongst all the boys I believe."

"Is there work lined up?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, there's a full schedule," Frank said.

"Cool, I want that new PS2 game I saw yesterday," Josh said.

The boys in the back started up a conversation about gaming systems while Austin looked out the window. Now he understood how it was done. The boys were brought to a public shopping center and picked up there. That meant the van was never seen at their house which provided a sense of security.

The next Kmart was on Ashland, again two more boys, but only one parent. Tim and Jerry quickly got in the van as Austin gave Jerry's father the envelope. The man looked grateful while at the same time Austin could smell the liquor on his breath. And as they drove away Tim held out a hand for his envelope.

The boys all knew each other and the gaming system debate continued as they headed south. This time Austin was surprised when they pulled into the Kmart off Pulaski Road. This was a pretty upscale neighborhood for boys to be working the game.

But the final two were waiting by the corner of the store. Austin looked for a parent but the boys seemed to be alone. He was supposed to give one of the envelopes to Andrew's mother but there was no sign of her.

The two boys threw their packs in back with the rest and climbed in. Again the question about Bucky and Frank gave them his answer. Brandon settled in after receiving his envelope.

"Where's your mother, Andrew?" Austin had to ask.

"Um, she wasn't feeling well," he replied.

"Probably snorted some bad shit," Tim laughed.

"Shut the fuck up," Andrew yelled. "May I have the envelope?"

Austin handed it over and Frank smiled. "Don't worry, this has happened before."

They came to a stoplight and Frank turned around to look at the boys in back. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. I hope everyone is ready for a busy weekend. Now before we get back to the house I want you to pay attention. Austin here is the new manager since Bucky decided to leave us. I warn you, he has full authority over you boys and that means if you disobey him you'll be benched. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," the boys all replied in unison.

"Are there any problems we need to know about?" Frank asked. "No one ever has issues, do they?" He laughed and took off when the light changed. The ride back to the house was anything but quiet. A van full off teenagers just seemed to produce noise.

Austin looked back occasionally to see how the boys were doing. He inspected them one by one and found that none of them were lacking in good looks. Each of the boys was unique in appearance and none of them presented a bad image.

He imagined that Josh was the youngest at about twelve and Tim the oldest at maybe fifteen. They averaged about fourteen he decided, a time of changes in outlook and appearance. Each of them appeared to be well into puberty, and that included young Josh.

He didn't think Jack would allow his boys to be anything else. Golden Hand was not about to deal in little kids. As expected they arrived back at the house by six-thirty.

"OK guys, grab your stuff and take it up to your rooms. Wash up for supper and then I'll introduce you to the others," Austin said. The boys seemed to accept his authority without question and did as they were told.

Frank gave him a smile as they pulled the van around back. "You won't have any problems with them I think, you aren't at all like Bucky."

Austin was met at the kitchen door by Alex. The room was filled with the wonderful smell of whatever Nina had created for their dinner.

"Wow, that sure smells good ... .what's for dinner?" He asked.

"Mom made a huge roast with lots of potatoes and veggies," Alex laughed. "John makes sure we all eat real well every weekend."

"Good, I'm starved," Austin said. "Where are the others?"

"Everyone is supposed to meet in the sitting room before dinner is announced so you better hurry."

The room was quiet when Austin arrived and John had just finished introducing the home team to the away team. The boys eyed one another with simple smiles. Austin could almost feel the sexual tension in the room and he wanted to laugh.

"Austin, glad you could join us. As I was saying boys, Austin is the new house manager ... that means he's your boss."

Ricky gave out a brief giggle and John turned to look at him. "You have something to share with us?"

"Austin is cool," Ricky said. "It's hard to think of him as a boss. He's not at all like ... ?

Austin held up his hand and Ricky went silent. "I don't think we need to say anything more about that other person, those days are gone. You respect me and you'll get the same in return. I have only one job to do and that's to take care of you guys."

He looked over at John and saw a smile of satisfaction. John stood up and clapped his hands, "Is anyone besides me hungry?"

The boys all filed into the dining room and took seats around the large table. There was huge roast sitting at the end in front of John's place, while a half dozen large bowls of assorted goodies were spread out down the length.

Each boy sat, removed the napkin from his plate and placed it in his lap. Ricky giggled and leaned over towards Austin.

"We had a lesson in table manners this afternoon when you left," he whispered.

"Good, that's very important information, thanks," Austin replied.

John smiled. "Yes, the boys did very well today. It's important that all of you know how to eat properly. Some of our clients will take you out for dinner just to show you off to their friends. You will have to look the part of a favored nephew sometimes."

He stood up and began carving on the roast as the boys passed their dinner plates along for a portion.

"Excuse me sir," David said. "How will we know what part to play?"

"OK, fair enough. We don't usually talk business at table Master David, but this evening I suppose we must. Master Tim, do you want to explain how it works?" John asked.

"The client will usually meet you at the door when you arrive. Sometimes he comes down and just gets in the limo if you are going out somewhere. Other times he has to come down and let you in the lobby of his apartment building. There are all kinds of places these clients live, and most of them are really cool, you'll see.

"But if you're going out he will generally call ahead and ask that you be dressed for whatever the occasion is. I suppose Austin will probably be the one to tell us about that now. So the client will tell you who you are going to meet and where you are going. For instance, he will tell you that you are supposed to be his sister's kid and that you are just visiting him for the weekend. It's simple stuff to remember."

"Well said, Master Tim," John said. "And just so you know, we have a whole wardrobe of different clothing upstairs for you to wear. Most times they want you to look well mannered and positively handsome. Occasionally they will take you swimming or to a ball game, we also have outfits for those occasions."

Andrew raised his hand to speak and John gave him a nod.

"Last month this client took me to a Bulls game. We sat in a skybox and everything, it was awesome."

John smiled. "I bet you had a great time, Master Andrew. Just remember one of our rules is to never reveal the name of a client to anyone, and that includes talking amongst yourselves. Our clients trust in us and we value their secrets. You may certainly discuss the fun times all you want; it's a part of the experience."

Austin watched the meal progress, evaluating the whole process for later thought. John seemed to enjoy leading the company, and the formal manners he used seemed to have an effect. Still, he corrected a lapse in table manners here and there as he saw them. Elbows on the table seemed to be the favorite offense tonight. Nina got a round of applause when she presented a cake for dessert and she blushed furiously.

Curiously, Austin noted that Alex was absent from the table. But it occurred to him that although the boy was living here, he was apart from the reason they had all gathered. John probably didn't want the boy influenced by what he might overhear. The kid seemed to know too much already.

By seven-thirty the boys had finished and were sent off to dress for the evening out. Showers were mandatory and Austin had to supervise. Getting nine boys ready all at once proved quite a chore but an hour later they were done. Out front there were six limousines waiting, while inside John lined the boys up for inspection.

"I know this is different than what you experienced before. But our business is expanding and I want to make sure we present the best possible image out there. You all look quite handsome tonight, charming in fact. Have a good time and call if there are any problems, OK? Everyone have their phone?"

The boys all nodded before he opened the door. John held a list in his hand, the assignments for each boy and the car they were to take. One by one he directed them to a limo. Josh and David were riding together for the same client, as were Tim and Andrew.

Having double dates was not all that unusual Austin knew, some clients just wanted twice the fun. He had doubled with Kyle about six months before. The client wanted to watch them in the act before he chose Kyle for the final performance of the evening. Austin had watched as Kyle handled the man with ease and still had enough stamina to thrill the client. There had been a big tip for them both that night, but he knew who had earned it.

Not that he really missed going out. But Austin felt a sense of loss as the limos cruised down the driveway in formation. Bucky had always delivered them in that old Lincoln of his, nothing like the limos these boys got to use tonight. John had definitely brought a level of class to the operation.

John went off to find Alex, and Austin took a glass of chocolate milk upstairs to Kevin. The boy was off in the deep blue world of the net, his fingers furiously working the keyboard. He set the glass down on the side table within easy reach and Kevin gave him a quick "Thanks."

Austin settled back on their couch and perused the cable channels for something to watch.

"Shit ... shit ... shit," Kevin yelped. He picked up the cell phone beside him and hit a button. There was an immediate response.

"Larry ... what do you know about Perky Guy being busted?" Austin heard him say. Kevin waited for a reply and he didn't look happy.

"Well I think we have a breech of security, take that name off the valid list right now," Kevin said. He waited for a response.

"His name came up in the arrest reports for LAPD. We should have caught that weeks ago ... .Yes I know, he logged on yesterday ... Well not if he is in jail he won't ... It can't be him ... Someone is shadowing us, I can feel it here ... Yes, I am gonna call Jack right now ... We might have to re-issue the passwords ... Yes, it's a big fucking deal, you think I need all that extra work? ... Bye yourself."

"FUCK," Kevin screamed and Austin came up off the couch in a flash.

"What?"

"I think the fucking cops got into the site through a client in LA who got busted last month. It might even be your cop friend downtown. Damn they are good."

"Can you trace where they logged in?" Austin asked.

"Not if they're smart I can't. Shit, they probably have the whole gallery downloaded by now. I have to call Jack, this is serious."

He picked up his phone and hit another button. He sighed and then said "Jack?"

Austin turned to leave, knowing that most of these calls to Jack were private. But Kevin grabbed his arm and pulled him back, turning so that Austin could sit in his lap.

"Jack ... we have a breech in LA ... I think the cops have a name and password."

Kevin listened to Jack talk as he pulled Austin's head down on his shoulder and began stroking the boy's hair. Austin reached his arms around Kevin's back and hugged. He could tell that the boy needed comfort; there was a crisis in motion here.

"I already had Larry kill the access code, but they were in yesterday and the client was arrested last month. We didn't catch the news but it couldn't be a legitimate logon ... .I'm worried about the gallery, faces are the only source of access they might ever have to our boys ... You know what kind of software is out there ... Yes please, get back to me."

Kevin dropped the phone on the desk. "I screwed up, plain and simple, but Jack will take it out on Larry."

Austin sat up. "Why is this your fault?"

"Because Larry works for me, he runs LA but I'm supposed to supervise him. Actually he's very good, this was something really stupid. And I suppose when we went down the load fell on his shoulders. He missed some small detail like checking the arrest reports against our client list. Simple, but probably fatal if it's your cop buddy."

"He's not my buddy, he's the enemy," Austin said.

"I have to respect their ability to penetrate our security, but we made it easy this time. I may have to shut down the site if it's not too late, but I think we are too far gone for that to help much. They have the photos of our boys. That's what I'd go after if I was a cop."

"What can they do with a photo?"

"A lot if they have the software to use for comparisons. How many of our boys have Myspace accounts do you suppose, or school pictures? It's a simple matter of time to look through a million faces and see if there's a match. They are on to us again, I can feel it."

"I'm the only one they know for sure," Austin said. He thought about that for a moment. "Could I lead them away from us?"

Kevin smiled, brushing a hand across Austin's cheek. "You'd really do that to protect me wouldn't you ... how sweet. But we're safe here, don't worry. And I know Jack has a friend or two downtown, we'll get a warning before anything comes our way."

By nine o'clock Alan knew that their surveillance of the boy's homes was a bust. There had been some activity, a woman driving up and going inside at one place, a man doing much the same at another. But no sign of the boys or anything suspicious.

It was as he had first thought; they were too late to catch anything going on this weekend. Somehow the boys had eluded them which seemed to point towards parental involvement in the deception.

On a Friday the boys would get out of school at three o'clock, three-thirty the latest. If they rode a bus home that would add an additional hour to their schedule. So if Mom or Dad were to drive them then they could stop off somewhere for a meeting with Golden Hand transportation, say four or four-thirty.

Yes, that was it. The boys were probably meeting away from the home, someplace public and not obvious. Alan pulled out a city map and marked the locations of each boy's home. So what would be a convenient midpoint from the kid's school? He marked the schools each kid attended and sat back to study the relationship.

What was he looking for? A library, a grocery store, a shopping mall? It had to be someplace where a parent and child wouldn't be noticed ... there were hundreds of possibilities. Damn it all.

He called the assignments off for the night. None of the guys had anything suspicious to report, it was a total bust. Alan knew he would pull them all together tomorrow and hash out the mess. Maybe they would recognize a similarity, a pattern that would point the way. It was a real long shot. Worse if they didn't even have the right boys. This was crap.

Alan turned out the lights and was just about to lock up when his cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and didn't recognize the number ... there was no name.

"Hello?"

"You guys are having real fun aren't you?" The familiar voice said.

"Austin?"

"The one and only ... hey Alan."

"I was getting worried ... is everything still good for you?"

"Yes, well except we know you guys got inside the site ... .didn't you?"

He shouldn't give away knowledge of their investigation, but then Austin had made it possible.

"Yes we did, it was quite a revelation," Alan said. "I noticed you weren't in the lineup anymore."

"They gave me an inside job. Probably afraid you guys might see me out there in the world. Um, so did you get what you needed?"

"Are you referring to Bucky?"

"Naw, he's toast by now. I won't be seeing him again unless I end up in hell." Austin gave a short barking laugh after that.

"They have a strange way of terminating employment ... does that worry you?"

"Not at the moment, I'm good here," Austin said.

"You called for a reason, Austin ... something's on your mind."

"Um ... well I'm bored. Kevin is busy with the crisis you created so I took a walk in the yard. Do we still have our deal?"

"Yes ... yes we do. I will protect you, I promise. Is everything good between you and Kevin?"

"Yeah, I suppose, but Kevin gets more upset all the time. His job is too hard for one person to handle and Ja ... um, the boss is always away." Austin laughed, "I almost said his name, didn't I? That would have been stupid."

"Do you want all this to end, Austin? Is that why you gave me that clue?"

A momentary silence dragged out into seconds of dead air time.

"It all has to end somehow, doesn't it?" Austin sighed. "Nothing good can come from all this. I don't want to see another boy get hurt like that kid Jody."

Alan almost gasped. Austin knew the name of a victim, a boy he had been shown at the station. He didn't want to press, but that just made him more valuable to their investigation. It also linked Golden Hand to the murder.

"I'm glad you feel that way," Alan said.

"You bet. If anything bad like that starts to happen again ... it was Bucky did it, you know. I got told that much."

"Thanks for that at least," Alan said. "Did you know his real name was Eugene Fenster? No wonder he wanted to be called Bucky."

Austin started laughing, and the sound gave Alan a thrill, but it was cut short.

"Shit ... got to go." And the call was terminated.

God, he hoped the boy hadn't been caught on the phone ... that would cause real problems.

Alan leaned back in his chair, feeling Austin's presence in the surrounding darkness. The sound of that laughter had made him smile. He could almost see the boy's face, head thrown back as he laughed. Damn he was incredible.

The boss was named Ja ... something. Ja ... Jack? The J had been hard as in Jack, there was a new clue. But hearing the name Jody was most disturbing. Austin had heard that somewhere since Alan had never identified the dead boy.

So Bucky had murdered the kid, or so it had been alleged. It gave them a perp but no resolution if Bucky was dead. Austin seemed pretty sure the guy was eliminated. That had to intensify his fears. Still, they would put out an APB on the guy and notify the FBI they had a murder fugitive, maybe he would turn up.

And Kevin was bending under the pressure ... good. They had to turn up the heat somehow. There had to be something that would push Kevin hard enough for the boss to relieve him of duty. Then ... maybe then Austin would call and ask to be rescued.

Alan smiled ... and rescue them he would. He wanted Austin to give Kevin up; it would tumble the whole disgusting scheme. Kevin might be a fucking genius but he was still young, he would break down under interrogation. Yes, he would give them everything once he discovered that Austin had switched sides.

Alan stood up and walked to the door. Time to go home, they would fight again tomorrow. And then his phone rang again. The same number ... it was Austin ... but why? And in a split second decision Alan decided he had to answer deceptively.

"Hola amigo, es ello tiempo para otra cerveza ya?" Alan asked in his very best Spanish accent. There was only silence ... but he could hear breathing and then the call disconnected.

So Austin had been caught on the phone ... damn. He hoped the boy was alright. But whoever had hit the redial was probably very confused at the moment. Alan grabbed a sheet of paper and copied down the phone number. He would never answer the phone if that number came up again ... Austin's life might depend on it.

"Hello friend, is it time for another beer already?" Alan chuckled, now what had possessed him to say that? He'd said it because Austin would know he was aware of the danger.

The waiter at the Mexican restaurant where they had eaten asked that very same question. He had translated for the boy's benefit and Austin had remarked on his knowledge of Spanish. It had been a shared experience, something the boy would remember. Damn it boy, be careful.

John had seemed to come out of nowhere. One moment he had been talking to Alan and then he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. John and Alex had been sitting on the patio steps, probably watching him the whole time. Thank God he had been quiet, well until Alan made him laugh.

"Who were you talking to?" John asked, taking the phone from Austin's hand.

"Nobody important ... a friend," Austin replied.

John had looked at the screen on the phone. He hit the redial button and turned the phone's speaker on. A voice answered in Spanish and John looked puzzled, then he hung up.

"You called some Mexican?" he asked.

"Yes ... we met at the arcade ... "

"He said something about getting another beer ... you speak Spanish, Austin?"

"I know a little, but he has terrible English. He was one of Bucky's dealers I guess, but I know what he wanted from me," Austin said. "Well, he was kinda nice and they had some good pot."

He was sweating now. The lies would bury him if he kept it up much longer. But Alex had his arm around John's waist and that gave Austin another place to focus his nervousness.

John smiled and the moment of concern seemed to pass. He put the phone in his pocket and gave Austin a fatherly look.

"I'm sorry, but you can't make calls like that. We have a lot at risk here, Austin. You have to give up all those people, especially anyone that had anything to do with Bucky. I hope you understand that."

Austin lowered his eyes. "Yes ... sorry John, you're right."

"You need a connection for something to smoke go ask Frank from now on, OK?" John said.

"Really? OK, thanks," Austin said.

"It seems we all came out for the night air," John said.

"Um, things were getting a little tense upstairs," Austin said. "I had to get away for a while."

"Pretty soon it will be warmer and I can open the pool," John said. "Someone I know looks just amazing in a bathing suit."

"I bet he does," Alex responded. "Wait ... you're talking about me?"

"No, I meant Frank ... of course I meant you," John laughed. "But I imagine Austin here looks pretty good in a bathing suit as well."

Alex grinned. "Yup, can't wait to see that myself."

Austin laughed at the boy's obvious fascination. He just hoped John wouldn't think he was interested in the boy for anything ... no, he wouldn't.

"Hmm, it seems you have a fan club, Master Austin," John said. And then he laughed. "Where do I sign up?"

Austin felt himself blush at the attention and was thankful it was too dark to be noticed. He gave a shiver as his nerves calmed down and John seemed to notice.

"Come on, it's still a bit chilly out here, we ought to go back inside. Maybe Nina can find us some hot chocolate."

"Yaaay," Alex screeched, and he went skipping off towards the kitchen door.

John laid a hand on Austin's shoulder and held him back, allowing the little one to run ahead.

"You need to settle down here, my dear. I know it's hard to give up everything you were used to, but this is much better for everyone ... safer too. If the pressure gets too great you're welcome to join us, Alex really likes you ... and I do too.

"Sometimes I don't know how Kevin does it all, but I can see how obsessive he gets. That has to take a toll on your relationship, Austin. I wish there was some way to give him some relief."

"I couldn't begin to understand things at his level, he does it all so easily," Austin said.

John laughed. "Don't feel too bad about it. Jack actually tried to explain it all to me and I threw my hands up in surrender. It's just too complicated for us mere mortals, the ordinary folks."

"Kevin says it's like a living beast that never sleeps and it's always trying to eat you. If it's all that, then why does he keep doing it?"

"Because it's Jack's baby, and I think Kevin loves that man more than anything," John said. "It's an obsession they share because of the challenge. I'm sure we see only the half of it and I know it's grown so huge I often wonder if they really control it anymore. I know it would drive me crazy."

Austin thought a moment, wondering if he ought to express his true fears to this man. But something made him hold back, something told him that John wasn't being completely honest. All this affectionate talk had seemed ... well, fake, as if the man was just trying to get into his head.

"I can't worry about it that much, I just don't understand how it works," Austin said. There, maybe that would let John believe he wasn't concerned.

"It shouldn't be your worry, you have a job to do and from what I see you are doing it just fine."

"Thanks," Austin said. And John released his grip.

Austin joined them in the kitchen for hot chocolate. Watching the antics of the man and his boy gave him a sense of regret. Kevin had no time for such silliness in his life. But if it all went to hell he wondered what would happen to Nina and her son.

John's comment about Kevin's relationship with Jack had struck him as a solid truth. From the moment he had seen those two together he had felt like the outsider. Kevin had said there was never anything sexual between them, but then the look in Jack's eyes said something different. The boy would be a man in just a few short months, would those feelings change?

He could understand ... Jack was a powerful person in Kevin's life, he offered security. The same feelings had come over him when he met Alan. It was as if finally there was a man who cared about him, someone who could love and protect him.

But Alan had thought he was only sixteen and that was why the man had hesitated. He felt a little guilty for that since he had lied about his age, just as he had lied about his mother and where they lived. Kevin would be eighteen in two months and Austin would cross that line himself a week later. He had been holding that information back from everyone, but he was sure Alan would welcome the news once he was told.

Alex was teasing John, pretending to spill his drink on the man's lap. It was silly, so childish, but John loved every minute. Such a lucky boy ... and he didn't even know it. Austin knew his life would have been so different if he had met someone like John at that age. But all the men in his life had either wanted to use or abuse him; he'd never been given the choice.

Austin got up and headed towards the hallway. Alex called his name but he waved the boy off and climbed the stairs. He had some thinking to do. Turning away from the room he shared with Kevin, he sought out the quiet space of the boy's lounge at the other end of the long hallway.

The room seemed so empty with all the kids out for the evening, but that was just what he needed right now. He threw himself down on the couch and buried his face in a pillow.

He recalled Alan's voice on the phone tonight. The man had promised to protect him once again. Maybe he was reading too much into it, but he wanted to believe Alan really cared. And that business with the Spanish, that was priceless ... but what else?

Alan had seemed to know something was wrong, he was playing it safe. John had understood the words too and that made all the difference to the lies he told. Score one for Alan; it had been a smart move.

Yes, the man was smart, and he had provided cover for the phone call. How had Alan known it wasn't him calling back? But it wasn't the first time Alan had tried to protect him, he was living up to his promise. Did he really have feelings for the guy?

And he remembered the first time those eyes had studied him. It was right after the cuffs were removed and he had squatted down to talk. Yes, those warm brown eyes had sparkled with interest and given away his inner feelings.

Austin rolled over on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. He remembered seeing Alan's thoughts reflected in those eyes, as he had seen so many men's eyes appraise him. But it had been a shock coming from a cop, and then Alan had admitted his feelings. That had been amazing, the simple honesty had floored him ... and attracted him even more.

This was all like living in some bad dream and he felt as if everything around him was going to crumble. He could never forget that John was Jack's partner, and that made him dangerous too. That Mr. Nice Guy routine earlier had been a total fake, he couldn't trust the man.

Getting caught with the phone had been stupid, now he would be watched more carefully. But this house was little more than a fancy prison, he'd felt that when they first arrived. Even Frank was watching him ... and what was with that comment about getting pot from the guy? Did John even care?

But it all came back down to Kevin; he didn't dare make a move now. No, long as the boy was protecting him he would be alright, John couldn't touch him. Austin closed his eyes and conjured up an image of Alan. He didn't think the man was more than thirty years old, his body still seemed powerful ... yes, and he did have a nice body.

Austin didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but he must have drifted off at some point. The sounds of a boy yelling in the hallway jerked him awake. The clock above the rack of pool cues said it was one-thirty in the morning.

David ran in the room and plopped down on the couch beside him.

"Hey sleepy-head, you been here all night?" David asked. "Why are you still up?"

Austin grinned, struggling to come awake. "Had to check on you guys, didn't I? How did it go?"

"Joshy and I had a great time; we got a humongous tip too. The client has this huge condo that looks out over the lake, we musta been up like thirty stories or something, it was awesome. We worked our tails off."

"Well one of us did," Josh said from the doorway. "Jeez, David ... I did all the work."

"Nope, you had all the fun, silly," David replied.

Josh walked over and stood in front of Austin. "The guy had David do it with me like three times. The man was so fucking old I was afraid he was gonna have a heart attack just watching us. I didn't think he could even get it up."

"Well I finally got him there, didn't I?" David said.

"And I got enough to buy at least six games for my PS2," Josh laughed.

David began to blush, a tinge of red showing behind his ears. "Uh ... maybe I should ask him now?" Josh nodded.

"Ask me what?" Austin said.

"Uh, well Josh says I owe him one and I was kinda wondering, it being fair and all ... can he sleep in my bed tonight?" David asked.

Austin laughed, the boys were insatiable. "Go for it if you still have the strength left to get it up."

"Oh yeah, I am so gonna rock his world," Josh grinned.

"Just don't wear it out, either of you," Austin said. "You both have dates again tonight. Shit, its late ... you guys better get to bed right now."

The boys laughed and ran from the room. Austin sat up, suddenly wondering if any of the others had returned. He started down the hall and heard voices in the downstairs hallway. Taking the stairs quietly, Austin came down to find Kyle in the front hall with three others and John.

John gave him a smile. "Seems everyone had a good time."

"Yeah, Josh and David said the same," Austin replied.

"Where are Tim and Andy?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, they'll be spending the night with their client, he called earlier," John said. "They hit the jackpot it seems. I talked to Tim and he seems fine with it."

"Guess that means everyone else should get to bed, OK?" Austin said.

A mumbled chorus of 'yes, Austin' followed as the boys climbed the stairs. John gave him a smile. "They listen to you, that's important."

"But they won't sleep for a while," Austin said. "I never could after a date. You get all wound up and the excitement takes a while to cool off. I'll go keep an eye on them."

"You have good instincts, Austin. I think Jack made a good choice giving you charge of the boys," John said.

Austin gave back a blank stare. "It will be easy until some asshole does something stupid to one of them, there's always at least one."

"Jack says he checks the clients out very carefully," John said.

"Yeah, like they're gonna tell him if they have something rough in mind. We risk more than a little bit of sex out there, John ... sometimes these guys turn into freaks. I just don't want anyone to get hurt, that's all."

"Did you have some bad experiences yourself?"

"Let's just say that Bucky was around for a reason, and now he's gone. Maybe he liked the rough stuff himself, but he didn't let the clients get carried away and they respected him," Austin said.

"So you think we still need some muscle to keep the clients in order. I wondered about that," John said.

"Well Bucky was an asshole, don't forget that, but he did his job," Austin said.

"Maybe I should discuss this with Jack? I mean Frank and some of his friends are fully capable of handing ... uh, difficult situations, that's why he's here."

"You do that," Austin said, "They might be needed." He turned to climb the stairs and John called out.

"Austin ... I'm glad you care. We share these concerns, and I'll do something about it, I promise," John said.

Austin paused, "Good night, John. I didn't mean to scare you, but I want you to understand that these kids have real lives. Something bad will happen sooner or later, we just have to know that we can deal with it."

John nodded in reply. "Yes, your point is well taken. Good night yourself."

Austin climbed the stairs and almost laughed. The look on John's face had been priceless, and he had discovered that the guy could be manipulated. Sure the clients could turn bad, but they had a lot to lose if they did. Just knowing that Frank would be focused on watching out for the boys would make his life easier, especially if he decided to take himself away from all this.

Kevin was lying on the bed fully clothed when Austin returned to their room. His eyes were open and yet he seemed a million miles away. Across the room, the computer screen was alive with activity and yet he didn't seem to notice ... or even care.

Austin knew he shouldn't disturb the boy, and so he crept back out into the hall to check on his kids before settling in for the night. He paused at Josh's bedroom door and heard sounds from within. He smiled, knowing full well what was going on and that any intrusion would be unwelcome.

There was light under the bedroom door that Kyle and Ricky shared, but he could hear them talking quietly and decided they would be off to sleep very soon. But further down he heard the soft sounds of music from Brandon's bedroom. Josh usually shared with him, but not tonight. Austin knocked quietly on the door.

"Come on in," Brandon yelled.

Austin opened the door and found Brandon sitting on the bed in his boxers. The music was coming from the iPod the boy had on his lap. What got Austin's attention was that it didn't sound at all like rock or even any kind of pop music he knew.

"I heard your music ... "

"Beethoven ... 5th Symphony," Brandon said, pulling the headphones off his ears and allowing Austin to hear the sounds more clearly.

"Uh ... classical music?"

"Yup, that's what I like," Brandon said. "Now you think I'm weird."

"No, I never said that," Austin replied. "But it is unusual."

"I play piano too and I wish this house had one. What brought you to my door?"

"Just checking on all my guys ... did you have a good evening out?"

"Oh yeah, I love it when some old fart tries to lie on top of me ... it was a wonderful time."

Brandon's level of sarcasm left no doubt that he didn't like what he was doing with the clients, and that made Austin wonder why he was even here. Every one of the boys had their different reasons for accepting the work; he just hadn't had the time to talk to them all.

"So you wanna tell me why you accepted this job?" Austin asked.

Brandon looked disgusted, but he sighed. "Cause I'm a little fag and if I don't then my dear sweet mother will throw me out on my ass, that's why. She takes the money I give her and keeps her fucking mouth shut. If you have a better way for a fourteen year old gay boy to make money I'm listening."

Austin went over and sat on Josh's bed. "I did it for the almost the same reason, but I ran away first."

"Ya, I heard about you. But you don't have to deal with clients anymore. I've been doin this since I was twelve and I'm stuck with it."

Brandon lay back on the bed with a sigh and stared up at the ceiling. Austin appraised the boy's body and knew he was probably a favorite with a lot of the clients.

"So you want something from me?" Brandon asked.

"Something ... I don't understand?" Austin replied.

"I mean you took Bucky's place ... do you want to fuck me or something? He did whatever he wanted with me because I couldn't stop him. I got used to it. After that first time when he hurt me so bad, I got used to it."

Austin felt ashamed; he should have known that Bucky was doing the boys behind everyone's back. He got up and went over to Brandon's bed. Taking the boy's hand he put it on his chest and held it there.

"Brandon ... I swear, I will never touch you like that. What Bucky did was wrong and I can't fix that, but I will be your friend if you want."

Tears formed in the boy's eyes. He wanted to believe Austin was different, but he had seen so much it was hard to trust. They stared at one another for what seemed like forever, and yet Austin gave him all the time he needed to understand that this was no lie.

Brandon cleared his throat. "You really mean that?"

"Yes, I do."

Austin leaned down and kissed the boy on the cheek. "Now we both better get to bed, it's very late. We can talk again after breakfast if you want."

Brandon sat up and gave Austin a real good kiss on the lips. It was over very quickly and then he smiled.

"Kevin is a very lucky guy, do you know that?"

"I think so," Austin said. "But I kiss my friends too if it makes them feel good."

Brandon laughed and looked down at the tent in his boxers. "Hmm, didn't know it had any feeling left after my date this evening. Down boy ... good doggy."

Austin laughed and left Brandon getting settled down for the night. He returned to his bedroom. The computer was on standby, casting a soft light across the room. Kevin was under the covers so Austin removed his shoes, and then undressed.

They usually slept in the buff together, but even his naked presence didn't seem to affect Kevin. Maybe something else had happened while he was out.

He slid under the covers and Kevin rolled over.

"Boys all OK?" he asked.

"Fine ... how's my boy?"

"I traced the intruders and hit a wall I couldn't penetrate. Only people have that kind of defense are usually with the government. It was a local source, probably the cops here in town. So we have to assume they have the galleries to use against us."

"What will that mean?" Austin asked.

"I don't imagine the clients would be too happy if they got busted because one of those faces is seen in their company. So the boys can't go out in public, I've already sent out cancellation notices for tonight's clients."

"Damn ... does that mean we're out of business?"

"The real crisis will happen next week when the boys return to school. I imagine the cops will be there waiting ... we have no defense against that. Jack is thinking about it and all I got was a headache so I shut down."

"Aw Kevin ... can I get you something?" Austin asked.

"I could use a handful of new boys and someplace to stash the others ... got any ideas?"

"John said you might have some new ones lined up pretty soon. Any chance of speeding that up?"

"Nope, my guess is maybe two of the ones I chat with are ready to come across, but they haven't asked to get out yet ... remember, you asked," Kevin said.

"Why can't we keep the others here for a while, can't we make some deal with their parents?"

"We can't just take them out of school ... ahh, you know that's not a half bad idea."

Kevin threw his arms around Austin and smothered him in kisses. One thing leading to another and it was almost an hour later when they finally fell apart. They both lay back, appetites satisfied for the moment.

"God, I didn't think I had the strength left," Kevin laughed. "You are just an awesome lover ... lover."

"My pleasure, I'm sure," Austin said, and he joined the laughter until they were both close to tears.

"OK ... OK," Kevin gasped. "Enough of that, I can't breathe." He coughed a few times and settled back. "Jack will be here tomorrow about three; we're all going to have a meeting."

"The boys included? I didn't think Jack wanted them to meet him ... "

"He's changed his mind; we're all in this mess together. I want you to tell him your idea. Having the boys all stay here might work ... we could get them a tutor for the schoolwork."

"Has he ever considered having the clients come here? I mean we could throw parties and there are lots of bedrooms," Austin said.

Kevin started laughing again. "Oh sweetie ... you think John would feel like he was running a brothel? I don't see him going for that unles he was friends with the clients ... sorry. But I will try and hurry the other two along. You know what that means don't you?"

"Yeah ... I have to break them in," Austin said. "I don't want to hurt some little kid, Kevin. How old are they?"

"Adam is thirteen and Jason is fourteen, sorry."

"Why doesn't John do it? He likes the young ones."

"You think I'll be jealous?" Kevin asked. "John won't touch them, he likes them much younger, look at Alex."

"I just don't understand that, Alex is just a ... well a baby," Austin said. "But I think he already knows he's gay."

"Well look at them, they're in love ... not my problem," Kevin said. He leaned over and kissed Austin. "And when you break in the new boys I'll know they had a wonderful teacher."

Austin groaned. "You want to make a child molester out of me."

"No, we call those guys clients," Kevin said, and that set off another fit of laughter. Austin laughed along and then gently began rubbing Kevin's back. The boy seemed to melt into the mattress and within a few minutes he was fast asleep.

Austin continued the gentle stroking as he thought about what lay ahead. Breaking in the new boys was something he really didn't want to do. The association of that act with Bucky was still fresh in his mind, and he just couldn't begin to see himself in that role. He had to think of a way around it, maybe they already had the experience. Kevin hadn't been clear on that point.

But he would have to get the boys all together after lunch. Preparing them to meet Jack would be easier if he handled it. If all the boys ended up staying here then he would have to get used to the idea. He could see a lot of problems ahead.

His arm was tiring and so he rolled over, snuggling up close to Kevin and ready for sleep. He wondered what it would be like to snuggle up to Alan like this. Just feeling those arms around him would feel like heaven he was sure. It gave him a warm feeling to know that the man was out there waiting for him to call.


On to Chapter Eight

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"On the Wire" Copyright © 16 November 2008 by Chris James. All rights reserved.
    This work may not be duplicated in any form (physical, electronic, audio, or otherwise) without the author's written permission. All applicable copyright laws apply. All individuals depicted are fictional with any resemblance to real persons being purely coincidental.

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