It had taken a while for Sharon to convince Bill that Joey needed to come home, and so almost six months later he did. What decided the issue was when the Brick House Bar hired her back for the closing shift. Mike was afraid of being alone at night even though he was thirteen; Joey would make a good babysitter on those nights when Bill wasn't home.

But that still left Joey time to run, and run he did. Moving back into his mom's house meant leaving Benny and all the crap behind. But he would miss Bugs the most, the little man was not happy to see him go.

Bugs was older now, and had reached the point where Richard realized he wasn't a little boy anymore. He had taken on the role of assistant in the pawn shop, Joey's old job. The kid was quick and Richard found himself allowing the boy to deal with the walk in trade, maybe he had a protégé?

Red had found himself in some hot water, nearly getting pinched by the cops on one of his restaurant capers. Like a fool he'd done it solo and that meant he had no backup. He was only hitting the streets at night now, and walking in the shadows when he did. Joey figured he'd see the both of them on the street, the friendship still meant something.

Bill was stoned most of the time, but Joey could see that the man gave Mike the creeps. His brother rarely stayed in the same room when Bill was home. The biker seemed to spend most of his time out of the house up Dundalk way and that made Joey figure he was dealing drugs.

Any idea of moving in with Paul had been squashed for the moment, but they still spent weekends together whenever possible. School was back in session and Mike had to get up early for the walk down Eastern Avenue with the rest of the kids. Joey made sure Mike was up and out the door on time.

Joey's relationship with Paul still seemed weird, the man was not planning to have sex and the boy couldn't figure that out, he was sixteen now. Being friends with a rich man had its up side; they went places and did things. If anything Joey stopped going out on dates the minute Paul started giving him an allowance.

But Paul knew Joey was probably spending just a little too much unexplained time with him. They had to do something about it and so one Sunday morning they did something outrageous.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Dabrowski? My name's Paul Saunders, I found your son in the trunk of my car."

"What?" Sharon exclaimed, "The trunk? Oh thank God, I thought you were the police. Joey, what were you doing in this man's trunk?"

"Oh Mom," Joey said, "These three big ni…black kids stuffed me in this guy's car. They stole the car over on Boston Street last night. They pushed me in the trunk and drove me clean up to Towson. The cops found the car and Paul let me out of the trunk this morning and brought me back. I'm sorry mom, I was stuck there all night, and it was scary."

Joey had made up some tall tales before, but this was over the top. The only reason she believed him was that this man had brought the boy home; at least he was back safe and sound.

"Oh Lord, what we have to suffer in this neighborhood. I have to thank you, Mr. Saunders. Joey always seems to get himself into trouble."

"Well frankly, Mrs. Dabrowski, I think he actually saved my car. They must have been concerned that someone had seen them. I'm sure they didn't know what to do with Joey so they left it abandoned in the Safeway parking lot up there. The police found it for me this morning and then I found Joey locked in the trunk. We had a nice breakfast and then I brought him here. I was hoping to have a talk with you if I might?"

Paul and Joey had spent an hour concocting this tale after the boy stayed overnight without permission. It was just after breakfast when Joey confessed he would be in hot water with his mother. Now Paul knew there was a mother but no father. At least the boy wasn't with Benny anymore.

"Yes, yes, please come in, forgive the mess. I got kids and not enough time to look after everything," Sharon said.

"That's part of what I wanted to talk about," Paul said as he sat on the edge of the couch.

Joey and his little brother retreated up the stairs and scrambled to listen at the floor grate in the upstairs bathroom, they could hear almost everything from there.

"I have a proposition for you regarding Joey," Paul began. "Do you see that black convertible, Mrs. Dabrowski? It's a very expensive toy, worth an awful lot of money. Thanks to Joey it's still mine, I think I owe him something."

"Oh my," Sharon said, "I see...are you talkin about a reward?"

"I don't think its money he needs; maybe I could spend some time with him, take him places, and give him a little education about life."

"Oh...you know it might be for the best if you did. Joey hasn't been getting along with my boyfriend at all. I figure it's just cause of his age, you know, boys can be so difficult at certain ages. Do you have children, Mr. Saunders?"

"No, I'm sorry to say. My wife and I could never agree on that subject, that's why we divorced."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I think you'd be very good with children, you seem to care for them a lot," Sharon said.

Paul could see why Joey loved his mother but hated this place, it's oppressive. As if to confirm the thought the sound of a motorcycle pulling up out front shattered their conversation. A few seconds later the door swung open and Paul came face to face with Bill. The guy stopped in the doorway, sizing him up, it was Sharon who broke the silence.

"Bill, this is Mr. Saunders…he found Joey in the trunk of his car this morning."

"What? The little bastard trying to steal your car, mister?" Bill asked.

"Hardly, he seems to have saved it from being stolen," Paul said. The dislike was instant; he could understand why Joey hated the man.

"Well, I'm surprised. I thought he might be stealing cars already; it's only a matter of time. Hell, I've been all over the city lookin for him, where is he anyway? I want to give the little shit a piece of my mind."

"He's upstairs," Sharon said. "You leave him alone Bill, he's had a rough night."

"Look, Mrs. Dabrowski," Paul said, "I have to be going. Here's my business card, will you have Joey call me this afternoon?"

Joey and his brother came tumbling down the stairs. Bill stood glaring at Joey, but he wouldn't dare touch the kid in front of Sharon and this stranger. Joey walked over and gave Paul a solid handshake.

"Thanks for bringing me home," he said, "I'm glad you got your car back."

"My pleasure," Paul replied, "I'll be talking with you later." He stepped towards the door where Bill blocked his way.

"Uh, nice meeting you too, Bill," Paul said, and stuck out his hand.

Bill took the proffered hand and made the major mistake of trying to tough it by squeezing real hard. Paul felt it coming and did the only thing he could in defense, he squeezed back. Bill achieved a major look of surprise before he pulled his hand away; Paul had almost broken bones in return. He gave the man a hard look and Bill stepped out of his way. Joey stood at the door and waved as Paul drove off.

They had worried about how to continue their friendship; Joey had watched Paul squeeze Bill's hand and the surprise on that asshole's face. Yeah, Paul was all that and more; it gave him a warm feeling inside.

It was about supper time when Joey called. "Where are you calling from?" Paul asked.

"I'm down at the Farm Store, I didn't want anyone to hear us talking, is that cool?" Joey replied.

"Smart boy, everything still ok?"

"Yeah, you gonna be around this weekend? I saw what you did to Bill, he doesn't like you though, you almost broke his hand," Joey laughed.

"Just a Bruce Lee move, nothing much," Paul laughed back. Good, Bill would be wary of him from now on. "I'll come by about eight o'clock on Friday, ok?"

"Yeah, cool. Bye, Paul. I miss you." And Joey hung up right away.

Paul stared at the receiver in his hand. He misses me, how grand. That little comment made his day.

Friday he made his way into the city, with Bob riding shotgun. "So what's the mother like?" Bob asked.

"Pretty typical of women in the neighborhood, rough life," Paul replied. "I think she cares for the boy, but from what I gather she hasn't a clue what's really happening in his life. That's sad, my friend, very sad."

"Do you think she knows about Bill? I'm glad you got his tag number, that gave us a lot of information," Bob said.

"Bill is just another asshole in a world full of assholes," Paul said. "He's nothin special, especially to this boy. We don't know the whole story about him and that underage girl, just the six years they gave him upstate. Doesn't mean he's a serial rapist? I don't know, I'm just going to keep a close eye on him."

"And what if he attacks the boys?" Bob asked.

"We don't know if boys attract him. The man makes Joey's brother nervous, but I think that's just attitude. I've only met him the one time, and he sure didn't seem anything beyond that biker image."

"Brian says Joey doesn't seem to pass judgment on all things gay. He figures that the kid had something going with another little buddy of his, boy named Robby. Have you met that one yet?"

"No, "Paul said, "but Joey mentioned the name."

"Joey will probably tell you about him eventually. Robby is a cute little blonde, about two years younger. Brian heard that the boy likes taking it up the ass, go figure that at his age."

"The kid might be gay, but Brian is also known for disinformation, Bob."

They pulled up past the Park an hour before dark and found Joey waiting on the steps of the row house with his brother Mike. The boys told them that Sharon was up at the bar. It was only six blocks away but Paul drove them all the long way around the park just to thrill the kids.

The place was little more than a dimly lit, smoky room with a noisy jukebox in the corner, but Sharon was behind the bar. Paul felt it was necessary to see and talk to Sharon before running off with her son for the weekend. It was the right thing to do no matter what Joey thought.

There were only about six customers scattered around the bar. Paul sent Joey and Mike back outside and told them to watch the car. Bob took a table and shook Sharon's hand when she finally walked over.

"What plans do you have for the weekend?" Sharon asked.

"Nothing fancy, Bob has a pool and Joey asked me to get some Bruce Lee movies," Paul said.

"Lord he loves that Chinaman, I hope he behaves."

"He will, Mrs. Dabrowski," Paul said.

"Please, won't you call me Sharon? Hell, in here you're gonna swell my head with that fancy talk." They all laughed at her quip.

"I will if you call me Paul, Sharon."

They were still laughing when they all heard a loud pop outside in the street and two seconds later Joey and Mike came crashing through the door.

"Oh Momma," Joey yelled, "It's Bill."

The whole bar rushed out to the sidewalk. Paul's car had been parked out front and it now sat at a funny angle. Paul walked around to the driver's side and saw his left front tire had been blown apart.

"Damn, Momma," Joey said. "Bill come by on his bike and saw that car, Mike and I were sitting on the steps over there so he didn't see us. He had a gun, Momma, and he shot out that tire and then took off."

"The bastard," Sharon said. "Louie, you go in and call the cops, ya hear. I'm sorry, Mr. Saunders...Paul."

"What's his problem?" Bob asked.

"I always seem to pick low-life men, he's no different. The boys don't pay him no mind and I think that pisses him off. But this...well, I don't need him if this is the way he's gonna act."

Joey and Paul just looked at each other; it seems a war had been declared. The cops showed up in about twenty minutes, pretty good timing considering they had to drive all of four blocks. One officer took the report and particulars from the multiple witnesses; it seems half the neighborhood had seen the shot fired.

Fortunately, Joey and Mike weren't the only ones who had seen Bill pull the trigger, and Sharon kept them out of it completely. The cops put out an APB on the motorcycle. Sharon went back in the bar to talk with the other cop, a friend named Roy Mott from the neighborhood. She was really upset now and the man did his best to calm her.

Paul figured she was embarrassed. But he also thought they had been very lucky. What if Bill had seen the boys sitting there? Would they have been a target? Paul went back in the bar and called the auto club to come and replace the tire.

Paul asked Bob to stay out in front of the bar with Mike to wait for the tow truck while he went inside and told Sharon he wanted to talk with Joey alone, she agreed. He asked the boy to come along and they took a walk down towards the Point.

"Ya know, he could have shot at me," Joey finally said. "I just figured that out."

"Yeah, so did I," Paul said. "I'm sorry; I hope this doesn't spoil our weekend."

"Oh, no," Joey said, and then he smiled. "I meant what I said Paul, I missed you. I woke up this morning in my bed and wished I was in yours. You ain't like any guy I ever met, I mean that."

"I believe you Joey. I hope you know there's no reason for us to tell each other anything but the truth. I missed having you in my bed too."

He put his arm around the boy's shoulders and Joey leaned into him as they walked, this was going to be the best of times, and they both felt it.

"I hope Bill goes to jail," Joey said.

"He probably will, they don't like felons discharging firearms in this city," Paul said. Then he realized maybe he shouldn't have said quite those words.

"Felon you just said, does Bill have a record? How did you know anyway?" Joey asked.

"I asked a friend about him, Joey. I did it because I was worried about you and wanted to know just what kind of guy he really is. Are you mad at me?"

"No, just surprised, that's all. What did Bill do, did you find out? Was he locked up?"

"I don't know what he did, I didn't ask that," Paul lied, "but he did six years in prison about the time you were born. I'm sure your mom knows, she seemed pretty upset tonight. Maybe you should spend some time with her next week."

They had reached the end of the Point and it was dark down here by the water. Paul looked around suspiciously but Joey seemed to know what he was about and so he followed. They walked out on the long concrete pier and sat on a stack of pallets looking out over the water. The lights of the city brightened the night sky over in the distance; it was beautiful and tragic all at the same time.

"I have friends Joey; I'll make sure Bill gets locked up for this thing with the gun. He's dangerous to you kids and your mom so I'm gonna make sure he's gone for a good while."

"If I was bigger I'd take him out," Joey said. "Is it wrong for me to want to kill him?"

"We know he's a bad man, but I don't think he's worth killing. I understand the feeling, but you're just being emotional. Smart people don't kill, that would make you as bad as him," Paul said.

"But I'll tell you something about me you don't know; maybe it'll help you figure it out. When I was about fourteen I got beat up by this bigger kid at school, not once but three times. I finally told my dad and he took me to the gym where he signed me up for boxing lessons. That's when I learned how hard it is to hit someone back.

"First there's the pain of being hit and the shame of losing. But then you come to understand that it also hurts to do the hitting, your hands take quite a shock when you punch. I beat that punching bag to death, Joey. I kept seeing the bully's face in it and I wanted him dead. I managed to avoid him after that, but I boxed for all my teenage years and in college too.

"After graduation I took a job up in Towson working for an electronics firm, my first job was to go out and make sales so I used to visit different business all over town. One day I walked into a car dealership and there stood the bully. He was now a fat, lazy slob and he stood there dressed in an ugly cheap suit, he was laughable.

"I had spent eight years boxing and for what? This man already looked beaten, I couldn't do a thing. He didn't remember me but I still remember him, I guess I owe him my thanks for making me what I am today. You have to make choices, Joey; you can't let the bullies of the world run your life. Let them inspire you to be better and stronger. It worked for me."

"Wow, awesome. You box? That's so cool, do you still do it?"

"Twice a week, I'll take you to the gym and you can watch. Just remember, if you want to be the best then I'll help you, just be sure you understand your reasons first. I can teach you what I know, but there's also a very good karate school up near me if you want lessons. You'll lose at first, maybe lose a lot, but if you want bad enough to become good enough…I'll help you."

Joey knew what Paul was trying to say. Life was all about choices, he had already learned that the hard way. He could remain one of the Park rats or he could give in to Paul and put all this bullshit behind him.

The second choice was definitely going to be the harder way, but he knew it was the only way out…for now. Standing up he walked to the edge of the pier and stared into the dark void of the harbor before him. He liked this place, it was all he'd ever known, but he also knew it too well. It might kill him someday. He knew Paul was waiting for him to say something, an answer of some kind, a commitment.

"I wish I had met you ten years ago," Joey said into the darkness before him. "I wish you were my father." There, he had said it and the truth lay heavily between them.

"Oh God, Joey, don't say that," Paul said. "I worry about you, I care about you, but I could never be your father and you know why…"

Joey turned and smiled. "That still worries you doesn't it? I don't know why? I'm the one who wanted to meet you, wanted to stay with you. I'm the one who wants to sleep with you. Can't you just take it like that? I know you can't really be my father, but you do care about me and I feel it here." The boy put his hand on his chest.

Paul felt the same constriction, but unlike Joey he understood its meaning. By the time they got back to the bar, the guy from the auto club had his car in the air and the tire was being replaced. There was still a squad car parked in the street and Paul supposed they would want the shattered rubber wheel as evidence, it was trash anyway. Bob was all smiles, he and Mike had been pitching pennies against the steps and the boy had a pile of coins in front of him.

Joey laughed, "I shoulda warned you, Bob, he's real good at that game, aren't ya Mikey-boy."

"I told ya, don't call me that," Mike whined.

"Look, I'm gonna say good bye to your mom," Paul said. "You boys want a ride home?"

"Yeah, we better, mom will be here late," Joey said.

Sharon started the apologies all over again the minute Paul walked through the door. Her friend Officer Roy was still sitting at the end of the bar and gave a wave but shook his head. Bill was still out there.

"Look, I'm concerned about the boys and you," Paul said, "will you be safe at home? We can't know what's goin on in this guy's mind."

"We'll be fine," Sharon said, "he won't come back now. Roy over there says they'll put a cop out front the house tonight, just in case. You go on home too; it's been a rough night for all of us."

"I'll take the boys home for you," Paul said. "I'll come pick him up on Thursday, are you working then?"

"I'm always working," Sharon said, "if I'm not home you'll find me here. I'll call you if they get Bill, but I hope the bastard runs and just keeps going. He's not welcome in my house anymore."

Paul loaded the four of them in the car and drove up the avenue. There were so many places a guy like Bill could hide; it might take the cops a long time to catch him. He looked at all the dark doorways and alleys that ran between the houses, they each seemed ominous. As promised, there was a squad car parked in front of the row house.

"Joey, you boys go in and lock the doors," Paul said, "put the chain on too, don't forget. That cop is gonna be there all night watching out for you, be careful, you hear me?"

"Yeah, I do. Guess I'll be talkin at you tomorrow," Joey said. The boy hopped out of the car and Mike shook Bob's hand.

"Thanks for the game, Mister Bob. Sorry I took all your money," Mike said and then he started laughing as the boys walked up the steps and unlocked the door.

"Great, I've been taken by a juvenile penny pitching con artist," Bob said.

Mike waved at them and Paul rolled back out onto the street.

"So you let some little kid take all your money? He's a cutie," Paul said.

The Maryland State Police caught Bill on Wednesday morning headed north up the interstate to Philadelphia. His cycle had broken down and it took him all day Tuesday to fix it, so by the time he got back on the road his picture was at every toll booth in the state and beyond. The man still had the gun in his pocket too; he would be locked up for quite some time Paul was assured. Sharon swore it was all for the best.

Paul had to go out to Reisterstown and give a statement to the troopers on Thursday morning, and so it was about noon before he managed to get by and pick up Joey. The kid had a battered suitcase, which he tossed in the back seat. They went back into the house to say good bye to Mike.

"Hey, I'm gonna miss you, Mikey boy," Joey said.

"Will you ever stop calling me that?" Mike whined. "Damn Paul, can you make him stop? I ain't no little baby any more."

"No, you're not. You're a young man now and you need to take care of your momma. Here, see this card? My phone number is on here and you can call me anytime you want to talk to us. It doesn't matter what Joey calls you, he still loves you."

"I guess," Mike said, but he was happier.

There followed so many weekends together that Paul almost lost track of them. By now he knew Joey wasn't going to come live with him, the demands he would make were just too much for the boy. Maybe it was all for the best…for now anyway. It wouldn't be too long before Joey would feel the need to leave home.

They had planned a week together, Joey would stay with him. If nothing else it would give them time to talk about the future, but that was not to be. Paul's business partner broke his leg in a car accident. It was an unfortunate bit of timing, the man was supposed to be at a week long conference in San Francisco in two days time.

Paul decided he would have to go, but then there was Joey. He thought about taking the boy along but knew that would become a headache for them both. Joey wanted to get out of the city so Paul put the question to Bob.

"I'll give you money to feed and water the kid if you'll just watch out for him. I mean, didn't you say Brian wanted a babysitting job anyway?"

"I suppose it will work," Bob said. "It's only for a few days after all, what can go wrong in a week?"

"Damn...and this was going to be our best week too," Paul said. "I was going to work on the school angle, Sharon and I need to talk on that subject and real soon. Don't let him go too wild, Bob. Thanks, you'd make a fine Den Mother."

"You're gonna give me a complex if you keep calling me that," Bob laughed.

Joey thought staying at Bob's for the weekend until Paul got back was a cool idea, he didn't even suggest going on the trip. It would mean time with his friend Brian and probably spending the weekend stoned with Bob. Paul was relieved as he packed his bags and assembled the props for the presentation.

He counted out five one hundred-dollar bills and told Joey he should ask when he needed some cash, Bob would be the bank. Brian thought it was great; he'd get a nice chunk of change when Paul got back just for hanging out with the kid. Paul kissed them all good bye and flew off to the West Coast. It was all so hurried but he felt he was leaving things in good hands, he trusted Bob.

It was the very next day when Brian decided to introduce Joey to Annie, his pregnant sixteen-year-old girlfriend. Girls got pregnant all the time, most of them kept the baby. It didn't come as a surprise that Brian had a girl on the side away from Bob. He might be gay but he was still a sexual creature and Annie looked a lot like a boy.

Joey could relate to Brian's situation, his own little game with Chrystal had finally gone all the way. The sex had been great, but not something he would ever tell Paul about. Three months after that she had a pregnancy scare, but it was a false alarm.

The scare left Joey in doubt that he should be fooling around with a fourteen year old girl in the first place. At least Brian had a girl that was older. Joey would be in a lot of hot water if anyone found out about Chrystal, so he was avoiding her now.

They had left a slightly stoned Bob asleep on the couch and taken the number seven bus out to the mall. Annie was a sweet little brunette who worked in the cookie store. Brian had met her about the same time he started getting serious with Bob. Joey was amazed at how Brian could have kept this all so secret from everyone until he found out why it was so necessary.

"Her name is Annie Mott," Brian explained, "Her dad is Roy Mott, the cop."

"Holy shit, are you crazy," Joey screamed. "Oh, you're gonna be a dead man. What about Bob, I thought you guys were…"

"Yeah, we are. Look Joey, I fucked up, OK? Shit, I need three hundred dollars to get it fixed, Annie agrees. There's this clinic over on the West Side does this stuff, but I need the bucks. I can't ask Bob, he'll throw me out. Oh man, what am I gonna do?"

"Three hundred, shit, that would take a month to get on the street," Joey said. "No, wait,

Paul left me five hundred dollars, Bob has it somewhere and we could borrow it."

"How man, what do you mean…steal it?" Brian asked.

"Gonna have to, I can't ask Bob for the bucks just like that, he'll tell Paul. No, we borrow the money and then have to find a way to put it back. Maybe I could call Richard; he always has ways of making money."

"You'd do that for me, really? Oh God, I love you man, you're the greatest," Brian said.

They spent three hours hanging around the cookie store until the afternoon manager arrived and they had to split. Brian gave the girl a peck on the cheek and they sauntered down to the bus stop.

"I know what you're thinkin, Joey," Brian said. "I dunno why I dated her. She's a nice kid, but just so young. It's my fault she got pregnant, I didn't use a rubber. Being in bed with her is lots of fun, ya know?"

They sat quietly on the bench for a while, the bus seemed like it would never come. Brian finally turned to Joey.

"I'm like you, Joey; I don't know what's in my head. All those dates with guys made me feel good, I liked the sex. Then I met Annie, it was too easy, she thinks she's in love with me. But I have to tell you honest, she has an ass like a boy and that's what I was thinkin about when we were fuckin. Now that I've spent time with Bob I know the answer, I prefer sex with guys. Does that shock you?"

"Come on Brian, I've always thought you were gay. I like you, it doesn't matter to me, we're friends," Joey said.

"Thanks man, you sure proved that today. I owe you big time."

"Then help me decide what to do about Paul. I have feelings about him that I just can't deal with sometimes, shit, he's the only one I've ever…"

"But you've never has sex with him. He needs to get over that so you can have some fun, otherwise I don't see this workin," Brian said.

"It's his problem not mine."

Bob was making lunch when they finally got back to the house and he didn't seem at all surprised that they had gone down to the mall. Brian went into the kitchen to help while Joey began to search for the money. It was pretty easy to find, just sitting there in the top drawer of Bob's desk, the envelope even had Joey's name on the front, and he only took three of the bills.

That evening they drove down to Joey's house, he had told Bob he needed to check on his little brother. Bob was happy to see Mike again and demanded a rematch on the penny pitching. While he was playing the game, Joey slipped upstairs to find Richard's phone number and Brian went down the street to Annie's house to give her the money.

There was no answer at Richard's place and Joey didn't trust the answering machine, he would have to try later. Shit, how long before Bob discovered the cash missing?

They all walked down the street to the bar together and Sharon was glad to see her son looking so healthy, but she had some bad news to share. Bill had bailed himself out of jail by selling the cycle to a friend and she didn't know where he was. Roy had come by earlier to warn her and Brian flinched at the mention of the cop's name.

"I'm glad you aren't staying at the house, Joey," Sharon told him, "I never know what that man's gonna do."

"Can't you get a restraining order to keep him away?" Bob asked.

"Already done that," Sharon replied, "it probably won't matter, he wouldn't respect it anyways."

"Well do you think the kids will be safe? I mean we'll keep Joey out of town a while longer, but what about Mike?" Bob asked.

"I asked the police to watch the house and I'm gonna start takin some more time off, I just couldn't get off tonight. I think it'll be ok, Mike's gonna keep the door locked and he can always call me if he hears anything."

"Sharon, you call me if you need anything," Bob said, "I'll come right down if you need me."

"That's sweet honey, I'll remember that."

Joey was stunned; he might be safe but what about Mike? His mother just didn't know how much his little brother was at risk with Bill out there. In fact she didn't know a whole lot about anything. But Bill knew a lot about the boys in the Park.

Mike had told Joey that it was only a matter of time. From day one the man had intimidated the boy with sexual innuendo, telling Mike he was gonna get fucked one of these days. Sharon was the only thing that kept Bill at bay, he was afraid of her wrath. But the man was psycho, how long would he resist temptation?

It was a glum crew that drove back to Towson that night; at least they would be safe up there. Joey had spent the whole ride formulating his plan and now he had to put it into action, there could be no turning back. He feigned being incredibly tired and told Bob he was going to bed, it was easy since Brian and Bob were eyeing each other anyway and wanted to be alone.

Within half an hour Joey had slipped into his darkest clothes and stolen the rest of the money from the envelope. He could hear Bob and Brian on the other side of the wall, he smiled, Brian had made the right choice with this guy. Oh Paul, Joey thought, I sure wish you were here.

Slipping down the street he went to the small strip mall on the corner looking for a taxi. He saw a few cabs but it took over an hour before found one willing to take him into the city, much less cash out the hundred dollar bill. The ride cost him almost fifty bucks but the cabbie let him off a few blocks down the avenue from his mom's house.

It was almost twelve-thirty and his mom would still be at work, maybe for another two hours. He had a bad feeling as he approached the house, he shivered even though the night was warm. A bad feeling could only mean Bill. There would be no cycle to warn him of Bill's presence; he would need all of Bruce Lee's senses to know when he was in danger.

He wished he had a pair of numchucks, the sticks of death he had watched Bruce use so effectively. Bill was a big man, and that meant he would need some kind of weapon if he had to take the man down.

He approached the house from the rear, thinking about arming himself. There was that old baseball bat in the basement, it might be effective. The lights were on in the upstairs hall, not unusual; Mike left them on until mom got home. But then he saw a light coming through the cracks under the basement door, what was that all about?

Maybe his mom had left it on when she went down to get the laundry, but somehow that answer didn't ring true. Joey eased down the steps and approached the door cautiously; he needed to find a crack in the frame to peer inside. The windows had been painted black on the inside to keep trespassers from looking in and seeing something valuable.

Joey saw a glint of light at the top of the door where the paint had flaked away, but he would need to stand on something to see inside. Then he heard the noise, a rasping sound, coming from inside the laundry room, someone was in there and he was afraid he knew who it would be.

Joey backed out into the tiny yard and looked around. He spotted a cinderblock sitting against the wall; it was certainly strong enough to hold his weight. He carried it cautiously down the steps and placed it gently against the door. He heard the same noise again, along with a new sound he couldn't identify. Oh God, what if it was Bill, where was that bat?

His mind recalled the layout of the laundry room, the old washer and dryer sat to the left of the door, metal shelves on the right, and now he remembered, the bat was leaning against the wall beside the shelves. Three maybe four feet from the door to his right, now all he had to do was get the door open.

Joey stood on the block and put his eye to the hole in the painted glass and what he saw made him freeze. Bill was in there alright but he had little Mike with him. The poor kid was standing against the far wall, naked and all tied up with clothes line Bill had probably ripped down from the ceiling beams.

As Joey watched, Bill put a rope around the young boy's neck and he saw Mike's mouth open to scream, that was the new sound. A gag in the boy's mouth prevented the sound from escaping, but he was yelling his head off. Joey saw the thin cotton rope was looped over a support beam.

Shit, Bill was going to hang the kid. As this thought jolted his mind, Bill pulled down on the rope and Mike was lifted off his feet, his legs kicking the air, he was choking behind the gag, slowly strangling to death.

Without another thought, Joey stepped down off the cinder block and picked it up. With a force born of necessity, in one swift move he bashed the concrete weight at the middle of the door which flew wide open, it had never been locked.

Bill turned, his hand dropping the rope and Mike fell to the floor, choking and gasping for air. When he finally realized just who had interrupted his murderous act a horrible grin crossed his face but it was too late, by then Joey had ducked to the right and his hands closed around the bat.

"You little bastard," Bill yelled, "I'm gonna fuck you up."

Joey's response was to cringe but he resisted as Bill charged, instead he made the one move he knew that might save him…he sidestepped. In that tiny space Bill stumbled as his target shifted, catching his foot on the uneven surface of the floorboards he fell, his arms extended to catch himself and cushion the impact.

Joey swung himself around and sprang in the air, using the full weight of his one hundred and forty pounds to swing the bat which came down on the back of Bill's head with a horrible crack. The man's skull shattered from the impact and his body sagged, arms sprawled on either side. Bill had taken his last breath.

Joey rushed to pull the rope off Mike's neck and yanked out the gag, the boy had been turning blue and his chest heaved as he gulped in air. Both boys looked over at the body. Blood had started to pool around the man's head, there was no movement. Bill was stone dead.

Joey leaned back against the washer and slid down to the floor, tears running down his face and he began to sob. "Oh God, why me…why me?"

Mike struggled free of his bonds, his fingers trembling as he pulled the last of the knots open. Deep red welts coursed across his neck and arms but his eyes said he was all right now and he crawled across the floor to his brother.

"Oh Joey, don't cry, he hurt me bad."

"Why?" Was all Joey could manage for a moment, and then he turned to his little brother. "Its OK now, Mike...he'll never bother us again."

The horror of the act he had committed made the tears flow and now Mike hugged him, stroking his brother's hair and crying too. That's how Sharon found them two hours later.

The cops came, followed by an ambulance and the coroner's van. The whole neighborhood stood in the street in the middle of the night, watching, whispering and shaking their heads. The body was taken away before the news of what had happened spread amongst the crowd.

Sharon sat in the living room with Roy Mott at her side. He wasn't in uniform now, but he came to comfort her as she tried to absorb the facts of what had happened. Mike had been taken to the hospital in the ambulance and she would soon follow to be with her little boy.

But Joey had vanished before the cops had arrived, the tortured look on his face had made her cry out, feeling his pain. And then he was gone out the door into the night.

He was terrified of what they would do to him. Joey knew she would be angry about the things they didn't tell her. Paul would be angry about the money and he hoped the cops wouldn't come knocking on Bob's door either. What was he going to do?

His only thought had been to fly, disappearing into the night. He had run all the way to the pier where he lay in the comfort of the darkness around him and cried. It was past three in the morning when he heard the soft whistle. Wheep-thweep came at him from across the field. He didn't want to face the younger boy, but he knew Robby wouldn't walk away.

Threep-too-weep, he answered and soon his little friend was by his side, standing silently and waiting for Joey to say the first words.

"I killed him," Joey said, "I killed him dead."

"The cops came by my house lookin for you, I didn't tell them nothin," Robby replied.

"Officer Roy told me you ain't to blame, Joey. They won't charge you with nothin; they just want to talk with you. I'm sorry it took me so long to get down here, I had to wait for my parents to go back to sleep."

"And what am I gonna say Robby? I killed him because he wanted to fuck Mikey? Am I gonna tell them about you and me, the dates we have and all the rest? I have to hide out, even Paul is gonna be mad at me, I got no where to go." And the tears came once again. "I'm fucked, Robby. I might as well jump off the Bay Bridge cause there ain't no way out of this one," He sobbed.

He had never seen his friend cry like this before so Robby wrapped his arms around those heaving shoulders and let him sob. The sounds of the city awakening reached them but there were no ears tuned to the harbor at their feet or the dusty streets above.

In his arms was the one person who had always been there for him and if Joey needed to disappear he would have to help, no questions asked. Robby knew he had a hundred dollars saved up and hidden away; he would give up every dime if that's what it took.

They both started as another whistle cut through the gray morning darkness. Too weep-too weep, Brian's signal. How did he know where to find me, Joey thought?

Brian found them huddled in the darkness under the pier, but they weren't hurt. He and Bob had finished their lovemaking and then had gone to check on Joey before settling in for the night. The boy had been gone for hours by then but they knew where he was headed.

By the time the Lincoln pulled up the avenue the cops were finally leaving the scene and they heard the story from one of the neighbors. Brian was pretty sure he knew where Joey might be hiding so they had come; the Lincoln was waiting up on the street.

"I told him on the ride down here, Joey…I told him everything," Brian said, "Annie and the money, just everything. I love him Joey, I finally realized that tonight. I love him and I had to trust him."

"I'm glad to hear that, Brian," Joey said, he was hoarse from crying and about to lose his voice.

"Come back to the house, Joey, Bob isn't mad at you. He says he'll replace the money; Paul won't ever have to know. Oh yeah, Paul is flying back tomorrow morning, in fact he's flying right now. He's coming back because of you, I think that's because he loves you too much to let you face this all alone, we're all with you buddy."

There were no tears for the joy in his heart; Joey had only love for his friends who had proven themselves beyond all doubt this horrible night. Paul was coming home; he needed those arms around him to shake off the final traces of fear, those loving arms that gave him such comfort.

The three of them emerged from the pier in the gray light of dawn and walked towards the car. A unique band of brothers they were too, a kinship born of necessity amidst the chaos around them.


On to Chapter Six

Back to Chapter Four

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Whistler's Club is © 2009 by Chris James.
    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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