A Marine Called Jason
(Revised)
by: Peter

(© 2007-2015 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 104
Rounding Up The Boys

As Told by Me 

Jason rounded up the boys--the ones he could find—and came back with three. He said it wasn’t that hard; they were all making their way to our place, according to plan. They were all different, but tied together by one common thread; there was no one to give a shit. Jason gave a shit, even though he didn't want to. So did I, but in a different way. Like a mom and dad care about their kids in different ways. It was like I was their mom, he was their dad. They were three sorry looking kids, and scared, and wary. They carried very little with them. I had soup and sandwiches ready for them and they ate like they were hungry.

There was Jordan, tall, lean, tight build, dark hair that didn't need a comb. He seemed to be in charge. We learned he was fifteen years old.

“You’re not going to send us back there, are you?” he asked, sounding very adult.

“No,” I said.

“Where, then?” he asked.

“You’re staying here,” Jason said.

The other two--Nolan and Little George--didn’t talk; they were too busy eating. When they had finished eating their fill we went about getting them settled in. Little George finished first and I took him upstairs. I scooted him into the shower while I gathered up some of our boys’ old clothes for him to wear.

He said he was ten but he wasn't sure; he'd never had a birthday party. I bunked him in with Jacob and Adam, on the lower bunk. Adam was sound asleep. Jacob rose up on the top bunk but didn’t say anything. Little George was the sweetest little kid I ever saw. He was a little guy with big, dark eyes that were saddened by the life he had, and a shock of curly blonde hair that I thought we would have to use the curry comb on. When I went in to check on him I found him on his knees beside his bed, praying, thanking God for the food we'd given him and a bed to sleep in. And for me. Thanking God for me! He was having a hard time getting his words out because he was crying. It was more than I deserved, and more than I could take. I stepped back from his door and went into the bathroom and cried like a baby. When I was straightened up I went back to his room.

He was just getting up off his knees. I picked him up and laid him on the lower bunk and pulled the covers up over him. I knew right away I shouldn't have done it; he was wide-eyed with fright. I knelt down beside the bunk and tucked the covers up under his chin.

"Are you going to be warm enough?"

"Yes,” he said softly, with the first trace of a smile I'd seen on his cute face.

“I’ll look after him,” Jacob said, the first he’d spoke.

As I left his room, I thanked God for Little George.

Jason sent Nolan up next. I herded him into the bathroom to shower while I went to get the bunk beds in Kyle’s room ready, and to lay out some of Kyle’s old clothes for him to wear. Nolan was fourteen, going on nineteen. If he hadn't had an old school ID I wouldn't have believed he was fourteen. He was a big kid, in every way. Six feet tall, tilting the scale at least to 160 pounds and it was all muscle, and the way he was hung would put grown men to shame. He was taking a long time in the shower and I went in to check on him. I found him still in the shower with his head against the wall. I thought he was crying. I had my shorts on and on a whim I stepped in the shower and put my hand on his shoulder. He jumped like he'd been shot.

"Are you okay, son?" I asked, squeezing the considerable muscle on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said with a scowl, drawing his shoulder away.

They seemed to always cry. I hated it. I hated the causes and the people that made them cry. But at that moment I thought he might think I was one of those people.

"Alright." I drew my hand back. "Did you get enough to eat?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe Jason didn't tell you, but you can help yourself any time you want," I said as I stepped out of the shower.

"Okay, thanks."

I grabbed a towel and began drying off my upper body. "And if you need to talk, I'm a pretty good listener. No judgment, no lectures."

"Okay, thanks."

I started to take off my wet shorts to finish drying off but the look on his face when I hooked my thumbs in the waistband stopped me. I left him alone.

At the door I turned and said, “You’ll be sleeping in the room next door. There’re clean clothes I think will fit you.”

“Thanks.”

Jason brought Jordan upstairs; he’d stayed back to help clean up the kitchen. Jason took him into the bathroom and I could hear them talking. I went in to deliver a stack of clean towels and gather up the wet ones. Jordan wasn’t shy about taking off his clothes in front of us.

"Where'd you get the tattoo?" Jason asked when the boy bent over. I glanced around and saw it on the inside of his butt cheeks: an anchor on side and Property of US Navy on the other.

"My uncle took me to get it. He was home on leave from the Navy and he got us both a little drunk and when I asked him about his tattoo on his arm, that's when he got the idea to get me one."

"You're fifteen years old,” Jason said.

“Yeah, well, I was fourteen when I got it,” Jordan said. “He bribed the guy to do it."

"Doesn't it hurt to get a tattoo?" I asked.

"Yes, it hurt. But like I said, I was a little drunk so it wasn't so bad I guess."

"What else did your uncle do to you?” Jason asked bluntly.

Suddenly startled, Jordan clammed up.

“You don’t have to be afraid to talk to me,” he said.

"I don't have to answer that, do I?"

"He put his brand on you," Jason said.

"That's what he said. But I never saw him again after that. I don't know if he was even my real uncle."

"How'd he get to be your uncle then?" I asked.

"I had a lot of uncles that I never met before they showed up. They were screwing my Mom."

We didn't ask him any more questions. Some dogs you just have to let lie.

I told him as we were leaving, “You’re in the room next door with Nolan. There’re clean clothes that ought to fit you.”

“Thanks. From all of us. For everything,” he said.

Jason and I went downstairs.

“Coffee?” I asked.

“No, I need a stiff drink.”

I poured us each a glass of bourbon and we sat at the kitchen table. We had a perfectly good living room but we always sat at the kitchen table at times like this.

“What the fuck have we got ourselves into? We raised our two and now we’ve got four more boys under our roof.”

I suddenly realized that Jason didn’t know about Adam.

“Uhhh…..five,” I said.

“What! Who’s the fifth one?”

I told him about Adam.

“Well, what the hell….what’s one more,” Jason said.

Next morning at breakfast he met Adam. He was the only boy up. He was sitting at the table, waiting patiently for his plate when Jason came into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. He sat down around the corner from him and eyed him with suspicion. I saw Adam glance at him out of the corner of his eye without moving his head.

Jason rubbed his chin and said. “I don’t remember seeing you last night.”

“I came when you weren’t home,” he said in a timid voice.

“Well, I don’t allow strangers at my table. What’s your name?” he asked gruffly.

“Adam.”

Jason put out his hand. It dwarfed the boy’s much smaller hand. “I’m Jason. Glad to have you. So, we’re not strangers anymore. Now if we wait long enough we just might get something to eat.”

I looked in on the two boys a couple of nights later and found Jacob in the bottom bunk with George. It was obvious they were tangled together under the blanket. Jacob was awake and quick to explain. “He gets scared. I crawl in with him till he goes to sleep.”

I bought it and I didn’t. The part of me that didn’t prompted me to confront Jacob later when were out feeding the calves.

“There’s nothing funny going on between you and Little George, is there?”

He had a surprised look but I let him know with my look that it was a serious question and I wanted an answer.

“No. He likes for me to get in bed with him. He asks me to. It’s like he needs somebody close to hang onto.”

“Alright. I just don’t want him hurt.”

“I would never do anything to hurt Little George. He’s getting to be like a little brother to me.

As Told by Jason

Braden and Colby were a challenge. They were both sixteen but nearly a year apart in age. Braden had just turned sixteen and Colby was about to turn seventeen. They were mature beyond their years but scared kids inside. Scared and mistrusting, and not to be trusted. It was late and they arrived in a car which aroused my curiosity. When they didn't get out right away I went out to meet them.

"You boys lost?"

"I don't think so. This looks like the place we're looking for."

"By that, I take it you're looking for a place to stay," I said.

"Just for a little while. Till we decide where we're going," the other boy said.

I put out my hand as I opened the door for the driver to get out. "I'm Jason.”

"Braden. That's Colby."

"Is this your car?" I asked Braden.

"It's mine," the other one said. “I’m Colby.”

For some reason I didn't believe it was his car. "Is it titled in your name?" I could tell my questions bothered him. As much as I didn’t trust them, I could tell they didn’t trust me either.

"In my uncle's name."

I nodded, making no attempt to hide that I was suspicious. I glanced in the back and there was nothing there. I moved around to the trunk. "Well, let's get your things," I said.

"We don't have much," Braden said.

"Well, get what you've got, let's get you settled in."

I saw the way they glanced at each other and I knew they were trouble. "I'd like for you to open the trunk."

Colby laughed. "It's just full of junk."

"Let's see."

Seeing that I was going to stand my ground, and probably intimidated by my size, he opened the trunk. It was stuffed full but it wasn't junk. It was full of stereos, video games, televisions, you name it.

"This stuff all belong to you?"

"Actually, no, it belongs to my uncle," Colby said.

I nodded, rubbing my jaw. I put my hand out and asked for his keys.

"What do you want my keys for?”

I just kept my hand out, purposely flexing my bicep. I saw him glance at my arm and he stepped back against the car, his hand on the door handle.

“You know, maybe we’ll just move on,” he said.

“The keys,” I said.

He swallowed hard as he handed me the keys.

"Man, I told you we should've kept right on going while we had the chance," he said to Braden.

"I think you made the right decision," I said. “Let’s get you fed.” I slammed the trunk down and motioned them toward the house. Inside, Brad was setting out food. I introduced them. When we sat down at the table I got right to it.

"We need to set some ground rules."

"I doubt we'll be staying long. Like Braden said, we might leave after we eat," Colby said.

"Okay, but you'll be on foot."

"What?”

"I've got your keys," I said. "And I'm not giving them up till I get some answers. I might look like I just fell off the turnip truck but I can smell a lie before it comes out of your mouth, I can see it in your eyes. So don't think for a minute that I bought that cock and bull story about that stuff belonging to your uncle. Now, where'd you steal it?"

"We didn't st……"

I slammed my fist on the table so hard it made their plates jump. "Don't fuck with me!" I bellowed.

They started and sort of melted in their chairs. Braden laid his fork down, as if he might bolt and run. I was ready to stop him.

"Now let's start again from the top, with the car first."

"It's my uncle's car but he doesn't know I've got it," Colby said meekly.

"Okay, you stole the car, that's a start. Now what about the stash in the trunk?"

They looked at each warily.

"Okay, it's stuff we stole," Colby began. "We intended to keep some of it and sell the rest to pay for getting away."

“Away from a foster home?” Jason asked.

“No,” Braden said. “We were in foster homes but we took off on our own several months ago.”

"You didn't get far. What made you stop here?"

“We got stopped for running a stop sign. I knew we’d had it when the sheriff told us to open the trunk. We had to follow him back into town and next thing, we’re standing in front of a judge. It was weird; all we got was a lecture about going straight. Then he told us about this place and recommended that we come here; and told the sheriff to show us the way. I think that was his way of telling us we’d damn sure better show up here.”

“Yes, Judge Thompson has a way of putting things,” Jason said. "I want to hear the rest of your story. There's a lot more to you boys than you're telling us."

Colby swallowed a lump in his throat but it didn't clear his throat. “I don’t know what you wanta know.”

“Some personal history,” Jason said. “Like what’ve you been doing since you left the foster home. How have you supported yourselves?”

 “Well, there’s a lot we’re not gonna tell you. Let’s just say we’ve done a lot of shit that paid a lot of money,” Braden said.

I was nodding my head, thinking of the next question but Brad beat me to it.

 “This shit that paid a lot of money….was any of it in front of a camera?” he asked.

“We….we let ‘em take pictures of us, and videos,” Braden said. “But not doing anything,” he added quickly. “Just taking off our clothes, just down to our shorts, and doing muscle poses.”

“Who’s them?” I asked. “Who took the pictures?”

“Businessmen, with money,” Braden said.

"All the money you made, where is it? How come you don't have any money now?"

"We blew it. Then we got scared after the videos and the pictures. There wasn’t anything really going on but we were afraid they might fall into the wrong hands and people would get the wrong idea."

"You can pretty much count on that," I said.

I got up to pour us more coffee. I'd seen Colby's muscles tighten when I got up and saw him kick Braden under the table.

"You stay put, boy," I said in a low, threatening tone. "I'll have you down before you reach the door."

When I turned around with the coffee, Colby's muscles were relaxed and he had his hands folded on the table. I set the coffee cups on the table but I didn't sit down. Instead I rested my butt against the counter.

"You got eyes in the back of your head?" Colby asked, looking up at me.

"I could tell you were gonna try to run," I said.

"What're you going to do with us," Colby asked quietly.

"We're going to try to make it right," I said. "How long ago did all of this happen; the pictures and the videos?"

"Within the last couple of months."

I let it go for the moment. "We don't have enough beds yet so you boys will have to make do on the couch and the floor. We'll get you beds tomorrow."

"Why don't we just go," Braden said. "We wouldn't be any bother to you that way."

I stepped over behind him and squeezed his shoulders. "At the risk of sounding corny, you boys need to be a bother to someone. You're started down a big fucked up path to a fucked up life, but it's not too late to turn around. I mean to help you do that. I don't know why I even give a fuck," I said as I smacked him on the back of the head. "But I do. So you boys get some sleep and we'll take a look at things in the morning. Things always look better in the light of day. And if I wake up and find you gone, I won't have any choice but to call the sheriff to put out an all points bulletin."

“Hell, you’ve got my keys,” Colby said.

“And you don’t know how to hot wire a car?”

"We won’t run,” Braden said. “Where're we supposed to sleep?"

"We can do this one of two ways," I said. "We can have you sleep in our room on the floor where we can keep an eye on you, or you can crash in there on the floor and we'll take a chance on you still being here in the morning.”

"In there's okay," Colby said, nodding to the living room.

"I'll bring down some blankets," Brad said.

As we were going upstairs I heard one of them say, "We sleep upstairs, they'd probably wanta fuck us." I wondered why they would say that.

When I came back down with the blankets they were mostly undressed and I could see how they could make pretty good money posing for pictures.

“Here you go.” I tossed the blankets on the couch. “If you need anything, don’t be afraid to wake me up. If you get hungry in the night, go help yourselves.”

“Thanks,” they mumbled in unison.

“We’ll go in town tomorrow and get you some bunk beds,” I said, by way of letting them know they were welcome to stay.

I paused at the bottom of the stairs when I heard them talking.

 “This might not be so bad,” Braden said

 “Maybe, for a little while, till we decided what we’re gonna do. We need to talk about that,” Colby said.

"Do you think they'll be here in the morning?" Brad asked as we were getting ready for bed.

"Yep."

"What makes you so sure?"

"They want somebody to give a shit," I said.

 The two boys slept together on the floor. I woke up to find them in a tangle gut I didn't think there was anything sexual going on. It was probably the only form of love they knew.

 The other boys were surprised next morning to see two more boys asleep on the living room floor. We shushed them to let the boys sleep.

“They got here late last night,” Brad explained.

“We had an unusually quiet breakfast then Brad took the other boys out to show them more about how to do chores. I went in to wake the two newcomers.

“Shower’s upstairs. I’ll have your breakfast on the table in ten minutes.”

 They grabbed their clothes and rushed upstairs. They were down in five, looking a lot more refreshed. I had their breakfast on the table. They weren’t shy about digging in. I got a cup of coffee and sat down with them.

"All right, tell me where these videos were made."

“Are you going to call the sheriff on us?” Braden asked.

“Only if you try to take off,” I replied.

 "In guys’ houses except for one, it was made in a motel room."

 "Can you show me the houses?"

 "Yes, there were only two."

 When they’d eaten we piled in their car, me driving, and set out for town where they directed me to the first house. The guy opened the door, all smiles.

 "Hey, Braden, Colby, it's great to see you. I've been going to call you. I see you brought someone." He smiled at me and I smiled back to keep up the charade till we got inside. "Two hot fuckers, aren't they?" he said to me. "Have you had the pleasure yet? Cause I haven’t."

"No. No, I haven't,” I said, leading him on. "I'm married, you see. They said you might let us use your place."

"Gladly. As long as I get to join in, or at least watch, or take pictures," he said as he stepped back to usher us in. "Fuck, you're a stud yourself. Is this fuckable?" he added, clasping his hand around my butt.

 "Only in your dreams," I said as I grabbed his wrist. I turned him around with his arm pinned behind his back.

"Hey, what the fuck is this? Who are you? Boys if you've called the police, you know you're in as much trouble as I am."

"I am not the police and I prefer not to get the police involved if we can settle this among ourselves. Now, what I'm really interested in is pictures and videos. I'm sure you've got quite a selection."

"Let go of my arm, I can show them to you," he said.

I released his arm and he led us into a den with several large chairs and a couch, and a mattress on the floor, and a wide screen. He opened a cabinet and drew out two videos and handed them to me.

"Just two?" I asked, looking at the boys.

"We only made two here," Colby said.

“What about the pictures?”

The guy pulled out an envelope and handed it to me.

“This is everything, right?” I asked.

“Yes. There’s nothing incriminating in them. We didn’t do anything with these boys.”

 “That’s their story, too, but I want to see for myself. Are these the only copies?" I asked the guy.

 "Yes."

 "Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to be mistaken and suddenly remember or find one after we leave."

 "Absolutely the only ones I’ve got," he said. “There are others out there that guys took for souvenirs but I have no idea where those might be by now; who the guys even were. We didn’t keep names.”

“Other copies of the videos?

“Those are the only two with these boys.”

We left. Walking to the car, Braden said, “I think he’s telling the truth. I never saw anybody leave with a video.”

“You see why this wasn’t a good idea,” I said. Suddenly I whirled around and went back to the house. I barged in without knocking. The guy was dialing the phone. I grabbed it and slammed it down.

"Okay, let's go." I grabbed his arm.

"Where're we going? Why are you taking me along? You're taking me to the police, aren't you?"

"No, I said no police, as long as you cooperate. But I don't want this other prick getting a phone call to destroy the other videos and pictures, so you're coming along.”

“There are no other videos,” he whined.

“We’ll see,” I said. “Where else?” I asked the boys.

“We’ll show you,” said Colby

At the other house the two men knew each other and the other guy was equally happy to see us.

"It's not what you think," my guy told him when we were inside.

"Oh, shit!" the man gasped, turning pale.

"It's not that either," his friend said. "He's not the police. He just wants the pictures we took of Braden and Colby."

"And any and all copies," I said. What a damned fool! Just the way he said pictures, I knew damn well there were more videos.

“Who the hell are you if you’re not the police,” he asked.

“A collector,” I said.

"I don't have copies, only the original shoots," he said as he led us into a room and unlocked his desk. He handed me an envelope.

“And all copies,” I said.

“Yes, that’s all of them.”

“Now the videos.”

The man sighed and unlocked a lower desk drawer and pulled out two videos. I glanced at the other guy. He was starting to turn pale. I asked about the one made at the motel room.

"It’s that one," the man said, pointing to one he'd given me.

"Let’s have a look," I said.

"You….you wanta look at it?"

"Not all the way through, I just want to see that it's a motel room." I also wanted to see if it was as “innocent” as everybody was letting on. If the boys were engaging in sex with either of these men, or other men, I was going to call the judge.

He slipped it in and Braden and Colby popped right up on the screen, in their shorts, like they said. It was done in a motel room. I watched about five minutes of it and although it was sensual, it didn’t rise to the level of sex.

“This is all?” I asked the boys.

“Yeah, we didn’t actually do anything,” Braden said.

I didn’t bother watching any more of it.”

"Okay, that's enough," I said.

He took it out and handed it back to me.

“Now, does anyone else have any copies of these?"

"No. I swear,” my first man said.

“I’m asking him, you’ve already lied to me,” I said as I backhanded the guy so hard it knocked him off his feet. I looked back at the other guy. I figured he would know better than lie.

“No, not that I know of.”

“Now the pictures.”

The guy reached in another drawer and handed me a large manila envelope.

“If it turns out these aren’t all, I’ll be back,” I warned.

Driving away I could feel the boys' relief, but then it got funny.

"Listen, if, uh….if you don't have to, we would like not to have all of those destroyed," Braden said.

I looked around with a tight smile. "You want them as souvenirs?"

"Well, it was our acting debut, we'd like to keep them. It'd be nice to watch them again."

“I’ll think about it.”

To be continued...

Posted: 05/22/15 rp