One by one the boys appeared in the kitchen around noon looking for something to call breakfast. Nina had already set out a little buffet on the counter; cereals and fruit, juice and milk and a freshly baked pan of cinnamon rolls.

Tim and Andrew had been brought home at nine that morning and were allowed to sleep in a while longer. Austin told each boy that there would be a group meeting in the lounge at one o'clock.

He had told John of the meeting and had said he would handle it. The man seemed only too pleased not to be involved; he would have enough on his hands once Jack arrived. A few minutes before the meeting Austin went to make sure Tim and Andrew were up. He poured himself another cup of coffee and headed upstairs.

Kevin was back at work so Austin just headed down the hall to the lounge and found everyone waiting. There was no point in beating around the bush so he got right into it.

"Thanks guys, I know some of you are still tired but we need to talk," Austin said. All eyes were on him now and he smiled. "There have been some problems in the past few weeks as I'm sure most of you know. Well it's become something we have to deal with now for your protection."

He explained the penetration of the site and the cops interest in their photos, describing how that left them vulnerable. As Kevin had suggested, Austin approached it as an attack on their business. He didn't want the boys scared into leaving; he wanted them to join in the defense.

"So you're going to meet someone very important this afternoon, Mr. G will be here to talk with you." There was a great deal of surprise at that and Austin used it to rally the troops. "He will be here to decide what we can do. Kevin and I already have a few suggestions, but you will have to make the choices."

Austin looked around the room and caught various levels of response. They were all in the game for different reasons but the general feeling seemed to be that they wanted it to continue.

"The away team has the greatest risk and so our solution for that would be to ask if you guys would be willing to stay on here. We would approach your parents for permission. In talking with most of you there doesn't seem to be any great attachment to what's going on at your schools, am I right?"

Most of them nodded in agreement. Whether open about their feelings or not, most of these boys felt their difference when around other kids at school. Brandon and several others identified themselves as gay, the rest just kept away from discussing it. But Austin felt it was time for some self revelation, something the others could identify with.

"I didn't understand myself at all until I was about twelve. I was labeled a faggot at school and went through hell for it. My parents and brother never left me alone until one day I found Golden Hand. You guys all know what happened after that, I ran away from home.

"Kevin reached out to me and I came here. I already knew I would have to support myself by going out with clients. That seemed a better life than what I left behind. We're all here for different reasons and I respect each of you. I just want to hear it from you ... do you still want to be here?"

Austin looked at each boy and one by one they each gave him a nod ... there was not a single dissent. He smiled in return, that was settled.

"Thank you, it's good to know we still have a team. There will have to be some changes, the first being you will each have to choose a roommate. We will be getting a tutor in to work with you so that you don't fall behind at school. Summer vacation starts in two months so the lessons won't last forever.

"Now when Mr. G gets here there will be a general talk, and then one by one he'll meet with each of you guys to see what you think might be the best way to approach your parents about this."

Brandon snickered. "He'll need his checkbook, that's all my mom cares about."

"You think the cops are gonna show up at my school?" Tim asked.

"Yes, it's the most likely way they have of reaching you," Austin said.

"Cool," Tim grinned. "I'm an outlaw."

"Won't they just come to my house looking for me?" Steve asked.

"And what will your mother say to them?" Austin asked.

"Um ... she'll say I'm on a field trip. Oh, but they know I'm not don't they? My mom doesn't really want to know what I'm doing. She asked me once if I was doing anything illegal and I said yes, I was joining the mob."

There was laughter around the room but Austin could see several boys were worried. "And what would you say to a cop if he did corner you?" he asked.

"I'd just say that someone stole my identity off a Myspace account, people steal photos all the time like that," Steve said.

"Would that work?" Josh asked.

"For a while, long enough to confuse them anyways," Steve replied. "My mom won't give them a straight answer either. Why the fuck don't they just leave us alone?"

"Because what we do is illegal, Stevie. They don't really want us, they want the clients, that's what this is all about," Jerry said.

"He's right," Austin said. "We have to protect the clients no matter what. I'm afraid that we'll have to stop letting you guys go out in public with clients too. Only private dates from now on."

"Aw, that sucks ... we have fun goin places," David said.

"Well I suggested we might start throwing some parties here, or arrange a group outing to a private place. How about a trip to the beach or something?" Austin said.

"Wow, that would be fun," David said, "I've never seen the ocean."

"One of my clients has a yacht, he even suggested a group cruise to me," Brandon said. "I didn't think he was serious."

"I could dye my hair and look different," Kyle suggested.

"These are all good ideas guys. We all put our heads together and I know we can beat the cops," Austin said. He just wasn't sure he meant that.

"What about some new faces?" Steve asked.

"Kevin's working on that," Austin said.

"You get to break them in?" Brandon asked.

"Not if you volunteer to do it for me," Austin said. "Are you?"

"No way," Brandon laughed. He smiled. "But you aren't like ... well the last guy."

The boys all laughed at Austin's obvious embarrassment. He'd accomplished what needed doing; the boys were united behind him.

"Remember guys, think about a roommate. I'd much rather you work it yourselves, OK?"

The meeting over, some went looking for more food, while others went back to their rooms to shower. Austin went to tell Kevin the results but Brandon asked if they could talk.

"This roommate thing," he began. "I know Josh is gonna want to be with David, they have a thing goin on."

"Yes, I got that," Austin said. "There's an odd number now, how do you feel about having your own room for a while?"

"That would be awesome, can I?"

"I think so, at least until we get a new boy, then we might have to change that. I'll tell John, ok?"

Brandon threw his arms around Austin's neck and kissed him. There were a few whistles from the guys remaining in the lounge and Brandon blushed, but he went away happy. Too much of this adoration might just go to my head, Austin thought. He went to tell Kevin the news. Jack would be there soon.

The squad assembled at nine o'clock in the morning even though Alan wasn't sure what they had accomplished by staking out the houses. He started off by sharing the call he'd received from Austin. The information that Bucky might have been a killer seemed to hit them hardest.

"And the little fucker walked out of here," Brett said. "Guess he didn't get too far if the boy says he's dead."

"He was told that, he doesn't know for sure," Alan replied.

"What do make of this 'Jack' thing, an intentional slip of the tongue?" Wilson asked.

"Maybe ... he's just a confused kid at this point. I can just about feel the struggle going on inside his head every time we talk. Someone caught him talking to me and I hope that doesn't change the dynamic wherever they are. But each call seems to get us closer to the truth. We need to create a higher level of chaos for this Kevin character, I want to break him."

"Can't we invade the site?" Brett asked.

"We're already locked out. Perky Guy is off the list," Mike said. "But I did get a handle on their internet provider, it's up in Canada."

"That makes it international, the Feds can help us with that," Wilson said.

"See if you can make enough noise to get that link severed, Kevin will freak out," Alan said. "Lie if you have to, I'll clean up the mess later."

"What about the surveillance, do we stick to the houses?" Brett asked.

"I don't suppose anyone remembers anything useful?" Alan asked.

"I cruised the neighborhood for a while, nothing occurred to me," Mike said.

"What about going into the schools?" Wilson asked.

"Now there's a can of worms," Brett said.

"Last resort ... but we might get to it," Alan said. "I mapped out the homes and the schools trying to find something in common and came up with zilch."

"So far it's been action and reaction," Wilson said. "They stay one step ahead, probably because what we're doing is predictable. What do you think their next step will be? I mean, they discovered us on their site, which means their gallery is compromised, they know that."

"Then they know we'll run surveillance on the boy's homes and schools. How do they counter that?" Alan asked.

"Keep all the horses in the corral," Brett said. "It's a defensive posture."

"But that puts them out of business too, it's unworkable for them. They still have to arrange meetings with their clients and there are a millions private places for that to occur," Mike said.

"So we spread our photos around and ask, 'Have you seen this boy?'" Alan said. "Take the battle to the clients, which ought to unnerve some of these people."

"Some wealthy people for sure, the ones with influence," Wilson said.

"It will rattle the cages in more than a few penthouses I imagine," Brett said.

'Someone is bound to talk," Alan said. "A doorman, a waiter, someone that doesn't get a big enough tip at Christmas, whomever ... lets crank up the pressure and see what happens."

'I'll make a flyer of their gallery to put out on the street," Mike said, and he returned to his desk.

"You think they'll turn turtle and pull their collective heads in?" Brett asked.

"They almost have to, how else can they continue to operate?" Alan asked.

"Bring the clients to the boys. That would put them in the brothel business, safer than what they're doing now," Wilson said. "Taking the boys all over town has always been their biggest risk."

"But the kids have to attend school," Brett said. "I bet if any of them doesn't show up for class on Monday we'll have our answer."

"Good point," Alan said. "Let's get a list of those who skip school on Monday and put pressure on the parents to give us an answer for that absence."

"Jeez, Alan, how are we going to justify that?" Wilson said. "It's likely to be construed as harassment."

"I think what we have is enough to prove illegal activity, at least by the boys. What the parents think doesn't matter, if they know they'll make up lies. See if we can get search warrants, look for some connection to the internet site, and seize their computers, we'll find something there."

"Oh yeah, full on attack mode, I love it," Wilson said.

"Shake the trees and see what falls out, got it," Brett said. "I'll get the warrants started."

"I'm tired of coming in second, that's all," Alan said.

Kevin stood beside Jack at the end of the living room. The boys were all spread out around the room, curious eyes focused on the man they had just met.

"Kevin tells me good things about each of you." Jack said. 'You know we have a crisis on our hands and I'm glad to hear you've been coming up with ideas on your own. I'd be a fool if I didn't recognize that this business exists because of you and the way that you entertain the clients.

"It seems you all want to stay in the game so I'll have to make the arrangements with your parents. Handing them more cash is probably a temporary solution, but in the long term I'm going to make sure each of you gets rewarded too. You boys are all too aware of the risks involved here.

"With an eye to the future we have invested some of your money. So just in case something might happen I want you to know your money is safe. Kevin will give each of you a bank book this afternoon to show you where your money is kept. You can continue to make deposits, but with that book you can go to the bank and withdraw a portion of your savings, or all of it if you wish.

"I believe we will weather this crisis, but just to be on the safe side I want you to have an out. To help you in this I am going to deposit five hundred dollars each week into your accounts for as long as you continue to stay with us."

There were smiles around the room and even Austin was surprised at Jack's apparent generosity. But he also understood this was very much a bribe to keep the boys on board. It was a smart business move.

"Now Austin has told me what you boys discussed earlier and I think it's workable. John doesn't seem to mind having a few clients visit here and so we shall begin to offer that option. I also think away trips are in order. I'm going to arrange a trip to the Atlantic City beach for June, soon as it warms up. I bet the clients will be thrilled to take advantage of the casinos ... I know they'll be dying to see you guys in bathing suits too."

Jack looked around the room and saw nothing but smiling faces. He couldn't tell the boys about the pressure he was receiving from a couple of clients who worked downtown. The police involvement was making several people very nervous. But John would meet with several of their best clients this very evening; those fears had to be alleviated.

He'd considered letting this group go and recruiting others. One idea had been floated suggesting he fly boys in from other cities for the weekend, but the cost would be enormous. Somehow these kids had decided to stick together and that sense of loyalty had overridden his fears. He knew Austin was responsible for holding the team together.

A lot of clients had agreed on the no public exposure changes. There would be a lot of quiet dinners arranged for next weekend. Over all the clients had proven flexible, they had to be to get what they wanted. He probably should have doubled the rates in reaction to the risks, but he didn't, not yet anyway.

Pressure would be brought to bear on that police squad who was after them. It was just a matter of time before the politics of the situation steamrolled over the legal issues. But from what he'd been told this morning, the cops were no closer to finding them. That was the best news he'd heard all year.

The meeting broke up and Jack decided to hang with the boys for a while just to catch a sense of how they were reacting to all this change. They shot some pool and watched some music videos on cable, things the boys themselves suggested.

Dinner was served promptly at six-thirty and for once the boys didn't have to worry about going out for the evening. Dress was casual, but the food sure wasn't. Nina pulled out all the stops for Jack's visit and they were served a real feast. Alex helped her carry the dishes to the table and Jack watched John react to his boy.

His attention was drawn to the ease with which Kevin and Austin interacted at the table. Kevin ... overwrought, with dark circles under his eyes showing the strain he'd been under. The boy had taken the brunt of this assault on the business, but he had managed well the whole time. Jack could find no fault in Kevin's actions.

And Austin, the boy had seemed to blossom under the pressure. He was resourceful and smart, a good match for Kevin. Jack knew he had to do something for them. If Kevin broke under the pressure then Austin would freak. The real question was ... would he run? The cops knew this boy, Austin could bring the whole business down, Jack knew he could never allow that to happen.

Jack made himself scarce after dinner, leaving the house after a brief conversation with Kevin. It wasn't that the boy was doing anything wrong, but he had decided to ask Larry to step up to the plate for a while and give the kid a break. Kevin didn't want that to happen but he understood Jack's reasons.

"Two weeks, ok, a week ... that's all I'm asking," Jack said. "Take Austin and go somewhere quiet, someplace private, and get some rest. John will mind the store."

"I think its terrible timing, that's all," Kevin said. "The cops aren't resting."

"You won't be of any use if you crash, sweetie. Just go have some fun for a few days, that's all I'm saying."

"I don't know where to go."

Jack thought a moment. "Here, take my keys to the Georgetown house ... you remember where that is?" Kevin nodded. "There's easy public transportation at hand since you don't drive. Go see the museums, hit the movie theatres ... but get some rest. I better not see Handiboi on the site either, ok?" Kevin nodded, he knew Jack was right.

Austin greeted the news with much the same feeling, was the timing right? Leaving the boys in John's care wasn't his decision to make, Jack ran the show. So they packed a few things. Telling the boys that they were going off for a few days to fine tune the operations in another city was the easy part, dealing with the reactions wasn't.

Kyle was the oldest and Austin put him in charge of the others. There was a good deal of anxiety from the younger ones who did not like changes. It made Austin realize how much these kids had come to depend on him, but it had to happen.

Kevin needed the rest, and he did too. All thoughts of Alan vanished as Frank took them to Union Station late Sunday afternoon. Airports had cameras and security, Austin knew he could endanger them both just going out in public. They booked a sleeper for the overnight trip and at six-thirty they boarded the Capitol Limited for D.C.

It wasn't surprising, but Kevin slept most of the way there. Austin managed to rouse him for an early lunch and then they arrived. The cab ride across town took them past most of the monuments and Austin stared out the window like a tourist. They would have lots of time to explore and now he wanted to see it all.

The Georgetown house was light and airy, and after the long trip they both showered before walking to the Safeway on M Street for some groceries. It was Sunday night, nothing on television, and Kevin didn't even approach the computer sitting on Jack's desk.

It was fairly warm outside so Kevin led him down M Street to where the shopping district began. Early spring had brought forth all kinds of oddities to this most ancient part of the city. Street minstrels and panhandlers seemed everywhere, each with their own mission to make a buck.

Neither of them was old enough to get into a bar, but there was a gay coffee shop and Kevin assured Austin there was a lively gay community here. Their age and looks engendered some stares but it only caused amusement. They were home by ten, made passionate love and passed out. Day one was over.

By Monday morning Alan had a photo gallery of the boys in the hands of every cop in the city. Like they had with Bucky, the foot patrols began showing it to cab drivers, doormen and store owners across town. By eleven-thirty they had their first hit.

The uniforms called it in and the squad was notified, they arrived at the Lipton Towers just as Jerry, the doorman, was being relieved for his lunch break.

"There's a great place to eat up in the next block," Wilson told the guy.

"Preston's? Oh, I can't afford to eat there."

"Sure you can, it's our treat," Brett said with a smile.

They soon discovered that Jerry was talkative, not a great quality in a doorman, but one that cops always loved. He pointed to the photos of two boys on the page.

"Those are Mr. Shelby's nephews, I'm pretty sure. In fact they were here just last weekend for a visit."

"And Mr. Shelby is?" Wilson asked.

"Adam Shelby, he lives in 2810, that gives him a great view of the lake," Jerry said.

'And how do you know these are his nephews?" Brett asked.

"He told me himself. They've been here a few times and he always greets them at the door. See I usually work the late shift, but Mel has been out with a sprained back the past week so I took his day slot too. Lots of hours means I can save up for that Hawaii vacation the Mrs. wants for our anniversary."

"Aw, that's sweet, how long you been married?" Brett asked.

"Thirty-two years come September," Jerry said with pride.

"Good for you. So you recognize these boys and say they come here a lot, how do they arrive?" Wilson asked.

"Limo this time, before that it was a cab I think. Mr. Shelby sometimes has a driver take them out for dinner right away, but then they're usually back by ten o'clock. I bet those boys wear him out pretty fast, he has to be pushing eighty."

"That old, huh?" Brett said. "So did you happen to catch their names when they arrived?"

"Sure, he introduced them. Let's see, the older one's name is Tim and the younger is Andrew, they call him Andy."

"Is Mr. Shelby home a lot or does he go out?" Wilson asked.

"Little of both. Like he mentioned to me this past Saturday that he was going to his sister's house to see the boys this coming Friday. Seems one of them has been ill and can't go out. He's such a nice guy," Jerry said.

"And you don't wonder why we're asking all the questions about him and the boys?" Brett asked.

"Naw, you're a cop, that's what you guys do. I just figure he's got some shifty connections, especially after that meeting he held the other night at his place."

"Ah a meeting, what was unusual about that?" Wilson asked.

"Just that there were all these guys in suits, elderly types most of them and they all came in limos, it was quite a show."

"You recognize any of these gentlemen when you saw them?" Brett asked.

"Ya sure, I've seen some of them in the papers. One's a Councilman, and then that fancy lawyer ... um, I can't remember his name, but I've seen his face on the evening news. There where about six all together and they were up there for about three hours."

The waiter brought their bill and Brett swiped it off the table. He gave Wilson a grin. This had been the best fishing expedition they'd had in months. Jerry was just full of information.

"OK, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," Wilson said, looking around as if he didn't want to be overheard. "Shelby is up to something, you already know that. Can't exactly divulge what we're investigating, grand jury secrets and all that. But you've been a big help Jerry, a good citizen is always vigilant."

"Yeah, I keep my eyes open. You want me to watch him, Shelby I mean."

"Not too close, he'll get suspicious. But if the boys arrive here again you call me, OK?" Wilson slid his business card across the table and Jerry covered it with his hand before sliding it covertly in his pocket.

"You got it. Hey, thanks for the lunch, you guys are all right. But I gotta get back on duty, you know how that is," Jerry said with a wink. He got up and left, leaving Wilson and Brett at the table.

"Secret grand jury, huh?" Brett laughed. "Man you had him goin there."

"Well we don't want him talking to Shelby now do we? Jeez can he talk your head off. We learned a lot."

"Time to go tell Alan we have a solid lead. That will make his day," Brett said. "Hey, feels pretty good to me too."

If anything Alan was ecstatic. Shelby was a perfect lead and one of the boys the doorman had identified was already known to them from the school photos.

"Timothy Allen Warren, age 15, DOB: September 16, 1993, no priors," Mike said, looking up from his monitor screen. "The name does have a few flags, or maybe it's the parents. There were a few domestic dispute calls responded to by uniform patrol at their address in the past three years."

"Parents fighting? Wonder what about?" Alan said.

"One was apparently over the boy. Hmm, July last year, medics were called in to treat him," Mike said reading the report on his screen. "Oh, drug overdose ... the kid tried to kill himself. He was taken to County General, there's a follow up by Social Services. He went to counseling and ... that's it, they cut him loose."

"And another one slips through the cracks," Alan said. "Lord, I'd love to see that psych profile on him."

"Joseph Warren, father, and get this ... he's an MD," Mike said.

"Probably has a lot of pills around a kid could get his hands on," Wilson said.

"Little fag junkie on Poppa's pills you think?" Brett said.

"Hey, keep your fucking prejudices to yourself," Mike said. "These boys aren't the criminals, they're the victims. You wanna hate someone then go find the animals that run this thing, but leave the kids out of it."

Brett held up his hands in surrender. Mike didn't usually react like this and he found everyone looking at him with questions in their eyes. Alan just figured they were getting stressed over this one, but they'd have to get past it.

"So who wants to tail Shelby with me on Friday night," Alan asked. Three hands went up.

By Tuesday morning they knew the boys were in seclusion. A list of absent students from the Board of Education held the three names they had been tracking. One by one, the squad served the warrants at each house and that created some real turmoil.

The general feeling was that the parents were stunned. The mother of one boy tried to convince them that he was away on a field trip with the Boys and Girls Club. She was politely informed that when her son returned that the he needed to come down to the central station for a chat.

This was all about applying pressure to the parents, knowing that they would scream in frustration to someone over at Golden Hand. Wilson had suggested a phone tap to track their calls, Alan disagreed. This was not supposed to get the boys in trouble with their handlers, just scare them a bit.

They seized three computers, two towers and a laptop. A search of the boy's desks produced little else useful, except for a small amount of marijuana. The parents were advised of their rights and it was suggested they each get some legal counsel. The opening salvo had been fired, now it remained to be seen who would feel the heat.

It was Jack who first became aware that the cops had tagged the boy's parents. The negotiation for the boys to stay on at the house had been underway since Monday, but that came to a halt when Steve's mother called back and screamed at him.

Jack made it perfectly clear that the boy was just fine, and that she had given him permission to be away. She was now afraid to have the boy come home, telling him about the visit from the police. They went back and forth and it was after her suggestion that Jack keep the boy for a while when he began assuring her that she would be well paid for the inconvenience.

It went much the same with the other parents. They didn't want the money flow to stop, they agreed to everything. At least they now knew which of the boys had been tagged by the cops. Jack arranged for a courier service to deliver envelopes to each house, and then sat back to watch events unfold.

The week rolled on. Larry ran the operation from LA, Jack stayed on in Chicago and monitored things from his hotel suite. Kevin called once to thank him, they were having a good time in D.C. Jack decided not to say anything about the cop's latest intrusion, but he made sure Larry killed access any of their boys might have to the site.

John made the arrangements for Friday night's clients since two of them would be coming to the house for their dates. The other boys would take a limo ride as usual, but not to the client's homes. Jack had booked a rental north of town on the lake for the occasion, everyone would meet there.

The limos left on time at eight o'clock. Three were dispatched to pick up the clients while one took four boys to the appointed meeting place. Jack wished he'd had Austin to go along and chaperone but instead he drove over and picked up Billy, then headed north to join the party.

Shelby and client number two arrived together shortly after nine o'clock. The driver pulled up in front of the house and John went out to greet them.

"Adam, so good to see you again," John said, the two shaking hands. "Carlton, so nice of you to come."

Carlton Desmond shook hands with John as well. As the Councilman for one of Chicago's wealthiest districts, Carlton was only too happy to have such a private place for one of his favorite activities. Shelby had introduced him to the Golden Hand some years ago and the level of their discretion had always been assuring.

"Come in," John said. "I thought maybe a drink would be in order before you ... um, get down to business. I think you"ll like our new bartender."

Shelby liked a good Manhattan while Desmond favored a dry martini. John had taught Brandon how to mix both drinks that afternoon and the boy was behind the bar when they walked into the sitting room.

Tim and Andrew greeted Shelby as if he was their long lost uncle, while Ricky shyly approached Desmond. They had never met in person; the first date arranged several weeks before after Desmond viewed the boy's photo on the site.

At John's suggestion, all the boys were dressed in tank tops and tight shorts that left little to the imagination. He watched Carlton's eyes come alive as Ricky sat on the arm of the chair and gently placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

Brandon served the drinks and then went back to the bar. Both Adam and Carlton watched the boy's tight little butt as he sashayed back across the room. John couldn't help but feel a stirring in his loins at Brandon's movements. Damn, the kid sure knew how to use his assets.

Tim and Andrew sat on the couch with Adam sharing a quiet conversation, while Ricky sat on the arm of Carlton's chair allowing the man to fondle his thigh. John sat in admiration of the boys' attention to business, wishing he could have Alex in his lap at this very moment. But Nina had taken the boy to visit her cousins for the night.

All too soon Adam rose and allowed his boys to lead him upstairs, Carlton followed shortly thereafter.

"You did very well, Brandon ... a great bartender in the making," John said.

Brandon smiled. He'd been relieved when John had assigned him this role for the evening. Going out with clients had become a ritual he found less appealing every time he did it. It had been part of his discussion with Austin last week and he felt like the boy understood his growing reluctance. Now he felt John's eyes follow him as he cleared up the empty glasses.

"Can I get you anything, John?" Brandon asked.

"I suppose you could make me a Manhattan, if you please," John replied.

Brandon liked the way the man looked at him, it made him feel sexy. He had been enthralled watching young Alex give this man such unbridled affection. He could see the reason why. For an older man, John seemed to be much more appealing than most of the clients he'd had to serve.

He served John his drink and then lingered by the chair, smiling, waiting as John took a sip and then licked his lips.

"Best drink I ever had ... and definitely the sexiest bartender I ever encountered," he chuckled.

"I do my best ... anything else you need?" Brandon asked.

John seemed to think for a moment and then looked up into the boy's face. His hand reached out and caressed the boy's shapely bottom, fingers spread as he grasped the solid flesh underneath those tight shorts. Brandon moved closer, turning so his crotch was facing John's admiring eyes.

John stared at his bulging crotch and then looked back up. Brandon smiled, they understood each other ... the moment was theirs. John put his glass down and stood up, his hand reaching out as Brandon took it and followed the man down the hall to his bedroom.

Alan and Mike sat in the unmarked car across the street from the tall imposing gates to the estate. The limo bearing Shelby and Councilman Desmond had driven through those same gates barely ten minutes ago ...

They had been early enough to see Desmond enter the Lipton Towers around seven-thirty. Maybe he was there to visit someone, Mike had commented. But when a limo arrived and the man walked back through the doors with Shelby in tow ... well the shock had hit them both.

"Oh Lord, now we're in for it," Mike said.

"I did not need to see those two together ... damn," Alan said.

The limo pulled away and Alan left his parking space on the street. Wilson and Brett were two blocks up and fell in behind them as they passed. The limo moved north and turned onto Lake Shore Drive. Brett passed them as Mike fell back, allowing the other team to continue the tail.

"You don't suppose they're just going out to some restaurant, do you?" Mike asked. "Some pretty fancy places up this way in the Gold Coast."

"Oh? You eat out a lot around here?" Alan asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, sure," Mike laughed. "If they don't come up with that cost of living raise then I might have to moonlight as a waiter in one of these fancy shmansy places."

"We knock this case in the head and we'll all see a few more dollars, I assure you," Alan replied. "Something has to give and soon, the overtime for all this is gonna break the budget ... hey, looks like they're turning off up ahead."

The undercover cars each had a hole drilled in the center of the tail lights making it easy to distinguish from a great distance. Mike turned off Lake Shore, following Brett who was just about a quarter mile behind the limo.

Alan's radio squawked twice, Brett's signal for them to take back the lead. With all the electronics Golden Hand had at their disposal, Wilson had suggested they try and maintain radio silence. A scanner in the limo might just give away the tail if there was idle chatter between the teams.

Mike punched it and sped up, passing Brett and then eased back as the limo started to encounter traffic. They lay back a block until the limo turned north again into the heart of Lincoln Park.

"You think the boys are holed up in this area?" Mike asked.

"Just a few blocks more and we get to a few of the larger estates ... it might be in one of those," Alan said. "Figure ten boys and whatever staff they need, that would account for a large place. I don"t think we'll find this Jack character anywhere around, he's too smart to have a fixed address in some posh neighborhood."

The limo turned yet again and began to slow down. Mike tapped the brakes and moved over a lane, passing the long black car. Alan squawked the radio three times and turned his head away as they passed, feigning disinterest.

Brett immediately pulled over and doused his lights, noting the limo's progress up the wide street. Mike looked back as the limo pulled up to the gates of an estate and stopped. He proceeded to the corner and turned left, dousing his lights after the turn and pulling over.

Alan picked up the binoculars from the seat and looked back at the limo sitting in the drive. The gates were starting to open and the car moved forward as the entry way became large enough. The tail lights disappeared from sight and he saw the gates slowly close.

Mike pulled off the curb and turned the headlights back on, proceeding down the street to the intersection where he made a U-turn. They drove back slowly, passing the gates and not stopping until the tall stone walls hid them from view. Mike pulled over and turned off the engine.

A few moments later Wilson and Brett appeared, walking up to the passenger's side of the car. Alan popped the rear doors and the two climbed in.

"You remember to bring a ladder?" Brett laughed.

"I bet they have alarms rigged all over that place," Wilson said.

"We're not going in," Alan said. "What's the point?"

"I have the GPS co-ordinates," Wilson said, looking at the small device in his hand. "Let's see who we have here."

Mike opened his laptop and slid his wireless modem card in the slot. After he logged on Wilson gave him the co-ordinates and the Chicago Police mainframe downtown gave him an immediate answer.

"John Alderman ... I bet he's the lawyer that doorman Jerry saw last weekend," Wilson said.

"Alderman and Cushing, that was the law firm who represented Bucky," Mike said.

"And the plot thickens," Brett said. "Wow, first Shelby and Desmond ... then Alderman. Sounds like a who's who of the city's famous and wealthy."

"Yeah, we have a real mess on our hands, that's for sure," Alan said. "Somehow we have to get over that wall. Brett, you go take a stroll and see what its like around the perimeter."

"Sure, got a dog I can borrow?" Brett asked. The joke fell flat so he got out and began his walk.

"I figure we have a few hours before the limo comes back out. But I don't want to sit here for hours and do nothing. This is not the kind of place we can hang around and go unnoticed for long." Alan sighed. "Guess we don't even know if the boys are in there."

"Maybe we can look over the wall ... yeah, I have just the thing," Wilson said. "Let me go back and get that surveillance van the SWAT guys use ... "

"For this? You must be kidding, they'd spot us in a second," Mike said.

"OK ... OK, then how about that boom truck in Building 4. All we need is a utility pole in the right place and I can hang a camera in it ... hey, and if I add a parabolic microphone we might even get sound." Wilson was excited now; he had toys to play with.

"All right, I get the idea" Alan said. "But all anyone would have to do is look up and see all that sitting up there ... cameras, microphones, it's too much."

"Have you even seen the stuff they have these days? The whole rig would fit inside a shoe box ... at least we can give it a try," Wilson said.

"OK, point taken, go get the stuff ... but if we have to go over that wall how do we know if there are alarms?" Alan asked.

"I'll bring a detector for that too, but I bet Mike can find out pretty fast ... I gotta go, give me two hours tops to get it all together," Wilson said. "Find me that pole to use while I'm gone."

With Brett out walking the perimeter and Wilson heading back to the garage, Mike looked over at Alan. "You think they're in that house, don't you?"

"I'd bet on it," Alan replied.

Mike tapped away on the laptop, again diving into the Building Inspections files. The only thing he could find was an alarm on the house itself, but there could be illegal additions on the perimeter.

It was almost eleven-thirty when Wilson returned with the truck, one of the SWAT guys was behind the wheel. Brett had found the wall to be a solid obstacle all the way around. But he'd climbed a tree and from that vantage point had seen the back of the house and the large garage off to one side.

Marlow, the SWAT man, parked the truck on the south side and looked up at the utility pole Alan had chosen. It towered forty feet in the air, quite high enough to give them a view over the wall. Brett and Mike lowered the leveling pads while Wilson showed Alan the camera he'd acquired from the SWAT department.

"The parabolic is only eight inches across and Marlow said the range of the microphone is about two hundred feet. It's all totally wireless, so we can plug the remote console right into the cigarette lighter in the car. The camera has a remote zoom and a 400X lens." Wilson seemed happy with his toys, and then he looked up at the pole, the nervousness apparent on his face.

"You don't have to go up there, I'll do it," Alan said.

Wilson laughed. "I just don't know if that bucket will haul my fat ass up there."

"Then let me do it. From what I see all I have to do is strap it to the pole and point it in the right direction."

Wilson showed him the view finder and the power switches. Alan climbed into the bucket and Marlow toggled the controls. The hydraulics were virtually silent as the boom extended, lifting Alan upwards beside the pole. They had chosen a spot about four feet below the power lines at the top, plenty high enough to give them a good view.

Alan kept his eyes on the overhead lines. A slip of Marlow's wrist and sparks would fly if he came in contact. Fortunately there was no transformer on this particular pole. When he reached the right spot the boom stopped moving. Alan glanced towards the house.

They couldn't have chosen a better spot. From here Alan could see the driveway curving off to the left down towards the gate and the front entryway was on the right. The exterior lighting from the eve of the house shown down and away towards the front door, leaving nothing to glare in the camera lens.

Alan mounted the base plate to the pole with the strap and cinched it up tight. The camera was on a swivel mount, the microphone mounted below. He attached the unit to the base and powered it up. Looking through the viewfinder he centered the camera on the front door itself. Wilson assured him they could zoom in and out as needed.

His hands were sweaty; the tension of the moment had assured that. Alan sighed and took one last look at the house. Austin would be in there and he felt a lump rising in his throat. Soon, he thought, soon I'll take you away from all this, sweetie.

The boom lowered and Alan got out. "It's a perfect view, just what we need. Thanks, Marlow." The man laughed and they packed up. In minutes the truck was gone and the silence of the neighborhood was restored.

Wilson and Alan moved the car away from the house, down a dark street towards the rear of the property. The transmitter had a range of half a mile and they were well within that. Bret and Mike returned, piling in the back seat as Wilson powered up the receiver. He hooked the laptop into the USB port and opened the media function. Now both picture and sound could be digitally recorded.

"The battery is good for twenty-four hours. I'll get a spare power source up here tomorrow and we can run a wire up the pole," Wilson said.

They stared at the screen as the unit powered up and saw the front door of the house clear as could be.

"Ain't technology grand," Brett said. "Do we have sound?"

Wilson moved a control and they heard only the sound of insects. Then a dog barked somewhere in the distance and the sound came through the speaker.

"I don't know how it will sound when people talk," Wilson said.

"This is fine ... just fine, Wilson ... put yourself in for a commendation," Alan said.

Wilson laughed and then froze; the front door of the house had just opened. A man came out dressed in a chauffeur's uniform and walked over to the car. Through the speaker they heard the sound of the door open and slam shut, and then the engine was started.

"Wow, that's clear as a bell," Mike said.

The limo backed out of the parking slot and pulled up in front of the door. Wilson toggled the record button and they waited.

Once in John's bedroom, Brandon sprawled out on the king sized bed. He didn't know where this was all going, just that he had started something here and John seemed eager to have some fun.

It had been a while since Brandon had tried to seduce a man, but it seems he still had the knack for it. John looked down on him laying there and smiled.

"You're one hell of a sexy boy, my dear ... but then you already know that," John said. "How much will you charge me for this?" He twisted his fingers under his nose as if he were pulling the ends of a long curling mustache.

Brandon tried to look shocked, picking up on the role playing almost immediately.

"Me? Oh good sir, I am just a poor unfortunate boy ... I could only be grateful for your sweet attentions. Oh my, I seem so ... so faint." Brandon lay back, his hand to his head as he appeared to faint, eyelids fluttering.

John chuckled, rubbing his hands together as if he had evil intentions. "What have we here, a young boy in distress? He must have fainted from the heat, I must remove his clothing."

He pulled the boy forward and yanked Brandon's tank top off; the shorts were gone just as quickly. The boy's body lay there clad only in a pale blue thong. Brandon was trying not to laugh, and then he heard John's belt buckle.

Stepping out of his loafers, John undid his belt as he unbuttoned his shirt. There was a sudden urgency about his movements ... maybe if his clothes didn't just disappear then maybe this boy would. His pants hit the floor and Brandon couldn't resist a look.

John's boxers had just been tugged off when Brandon opened an eye to see the man's body. What he saw shocked him and he gasped. John's equipment was huge and the man wasn't even fully erect. My God, what have I gotten myself into, he thought? But it was too late as John lay down on him.

The gentleman in John became an animal in mere seconds, tearing the thong off with his teeth. Grabbing the boy by his balls, he forced Brandon onto his stomach. The boy had one momentary look at John's face and he didn't recognize the man, instead what he saw was a beast.

It all fell apart from there, the gentle seduction blown away by the violence that followed. It was as if John had lost his mind and Brandon was taken in every sense of the word.

It might have been a successful coupling if John had allowed it to be that way, but he did not. There was no pleasure, only pain from the man that was supposed to be their protector.

Brandon's struggles were useless, his cries unheard and then his world was a flash of pain that never seemed to end ... never ending that is until John reached his climax. It wasn't supposed to be like this and yet Brandon was left sobbing in a pool of sweat and semen.

Then, and only then did John seem to come to his senses, and what he realized seemed to horrify him. He tried to comfort the boy, to apologize, all to no avail. He examined the boy's anatomy and felt the guilt wash over him. The bruises and bite marks, the scratches and worse, the boy's rear seemed to be bleeding.

John ran to the bathroom for a wet cloth and tried to clean the boy up best as he could. It was not the size of the tool that had damaged the boy but the way it was applied. He had simply lost his mind with passion.

Little Alex was too small for such penetration and John had never felt like he could begin to hurt that boy. But Brandon was a born whore, a succulent morsel to be devoured and John had treated him like a piece of meat. There was no turning back from the consequences ... someone would find out.

The bleeding had stopped and John applied an antibiotic cream to the boys injured flesh, there was no cure for the damaged relationship. Brandon sobbed until he had no tears left and then his mind shut down, merciful only in allowing the boy to fall asleep.

John sat in a chair across the room and sulked. What if Alex found out what he had done ... what if Jack did? The bedside clock said it was nearing midnight and there were clients upstairs. He would soon have to go and take care of them, but what about the boy?

Crazy thoughts crossed his mind and it wasn't the first time. He could drug the boy and call Frank in to deal with it. No, Frank was loyal but he had never been asked to cover up for one of John's indiscretions. Bucky had been different, Bucky had even killed for him.

John rubbed his fingers at the sides of his head; his thoughts were driving him to it. Brandon could not be allowed to talk, he would spoil it all. There was enough Valium to make it look like an accidental overdose, but would the others believe it? The clock said midnight and John rose from the chair. He went to his closet and took down three of his silk ties from the rack.

Tying Brandon hand and foot, he then pressed a stocking in the boy's mouth and used the last tie to hold it in place. He would finish this later, after the clients were gone and the boys had returned. Maybe it would even be easier if Brandon woke up and choked himself to death on that stocking.

John dressed, fetching a new shirt from the dresser. He slipped back into his pants and sport coat, adjusting his hair in the mirror. Brandon hadn't moved, he couldn't. One last glance and John closed the bedroom door quietly. He would deal with the boy himself this time.

John slowly climbed the staircase, going for the door behind which Adam Shelby was sure to have finished his sole orgasm of the evening. He would never grow that old, Alex would always keep him young. His physical desire for the young boy never seemed to wane, and for his part Alex knew how to do his duty in bed.

The occasional fuck he allowed himself with these little tramps like Brandon always seemed to end in disaster. All of them had been hurt, damaged goods ... useless trash. John shuddered at the memories, he couldn't remember the names anymore. Bucky had been a useful tool, but he was history.

Alex was a joy to behold, and the love he had for that little man seemed to keep the animal at bay. The fantasy of someday making passionate love to little Alex felt like a dream.

John quietly knocked on the bedroom door and waited. There was only silence from beyond the door, and then Andrew opened it, clad only in his shorts.

"He passed out an hour ago," Andrew giggled. "But he had a great time while it lasted."

Tim looked up from the bed where he had been watching a movie on cable. John entered the room and looked down on Shelby, the man still quite naked but sound asleep.

"Should I wake him up?" Tim asked.

"Why don't you boys go down to the kitchen and get a snack. I'll wake him up and help him get dressed. Don't worry, you'll see him on the way out," John said.

"OK, I think his underwear is in the bathroom," Andrew said, and the boys left the room.

Waking up Shelby was fairly easy, considering the recent exercise his body had endured. John fetched his clothes and allowed the man some privacy to dress as he went to see about Desmond.

Ricky was sitting in Desmond's lap when he yelled for John to come in the room, they were both already dressed. The boy's face looked positively angelic and Desmond seemed almost reluctant to relinquish his grasp on the boy. There was no need to ask if he'd had a good time.

They met Shelby in the hallway buttoning up his coat and he grinned when he saw Desmond holding Ricky's hand like a lover. John preceded them down the stairs, seeing the chauffeur leave the kitchen and cross to the front door. He had forgotten the man was even in the house waiting to drive the two gentlemen home.

Tim and Andrew slid up next to Shelby and there was some quiet conversation. Shelby smiled and gave both boys a hug, his hands slipping something into their pockets on the sly. The boys grinned and walked him to the door.

"I hope you had a good time this evening, Mr. Desmond," John said.

The man barely heard him; his gaze was so intently fixed on young Ricky at his side. In a touching gesture, the boy kissed the man right on the lips and was embraced in return. "I'll be back for you, Ricky," John heard the man whisper.

They walked the men out to the limo and the boys all stood waving goodbye as the car drove down to the gates.

"A most successful evening it seems," John said as they watched the car leave.

"Yup, we had fun while it lasted," Andrew said, and then he and Tim broke into genuine laughter.

"I had a wonderful time," Ricky said.

John laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He's a powerful man, don't you ever forget that. We have his protection and that's worth a fortune in our business. Now you boys go on inside, I have to wait for the others to return."

"Yes, John," the boys chirped in unison.

"I think someone is in love," Andrew threw out.

Ricky smiled. "Might be, but it sure isn't with a brat like you."

The boys ran in the house and John slowly followed, closing the door behind him. The others should be back within the hour, Brandon will have to wait, he thought. Andrew came bursting out of the kitchen with Ricky close on his heels. Tim followed along at a leisurely pace.

"Where's Brandon?" Tim asked.

"He went to bed a while ago. Try not to disturb him, if you please," John said.

"Well he made one drink for Shelby and the guy didn't last half as long as he usually does. I'll have to remember that," Tim said with a grin.

"Why don't you boys go up to the lounge and wind down, I'll be down here for a while," John said.

The boys wandered up the stairs as John headed back towards his bedroom. It was time to force a handful of pills down the boy's throat. It ought to be pretty easy with him tied up like that. Say an hour after the pills it would be over, the boy ought to be dead by then.

John went to his bedroom door and looked down the hall to the kitchen. He almost wished he'd asked Nina to stay tonight; maybe none of this dirty business would have happened. He opened the bedroom door and froze ... his bed was empty.


On to Chapter Nine

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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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