My Bodyguard Chapter 18
A very special thanks to Ed for editing this chapter.
This story is not true.
This is a story of love, trust, hope, and commitment. It is not a sex story. However, this story deals with love between two teenagers. If you are offended by stories involving love between two teenage boys, please do not read this story. There will be some sex scenes in this story; however, sex is not the main theme. If you are under age 18 or 21 or it is illegal to read this story where you live, don't read it.
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The only thing better than a four-day weekend is a five-day weekend. I woke up the next morning in Mark's strong arms and practically jumped out of bed. I looked outside and I could see a blanket of snow. Mark stirred, looked up at me and said, "Good morning."
"And good morning to you."
"What time is it?"
"Just after 7:00."
I can't tell just how much snow we got. It was still kind of dark out and snowing. When we get heavy snows, Dad takes the snowmobile to work. That is one thing about running the grocery store. He always has to be there, no matter how bad the weather is. He will use his snowmobile to pick up his employees too.
"It looks like you won't be able to run today, Mark, but we should get a good workout cleaning out the driveway."
"Actually, that sounds like fun."
"I can use the tractor to clean out the driveway. You can use the shovel to shovel the sidewalk."
"That doesn't sounds fair somehow. It seems like I'm doing all the heavy work."
"We can take turns if you want. The way it's snowing out there, with the wind still blowing, we will probably have to do it more than once."
"Well, I suppose we don't need a shower if we are going to get all hot and sweaty."
"I don't know about hot, it looks awful cold out there. When we get back in, we will probably be taking a shower to get warm. Let's go ahead and get dressed and get this done. With all this snow we should have a perfect opportunity to put your plan in motion, Mark."
"You got that right. Sam should be busy all day. When are you going to call the mayor's office to get that information?"
"They're an hour behind us so I'm going to wait till about 10:00. They should be in the office by then."
"Great, let's get some breakfast and get started on the driveway."
One thing about living in the country. Half the kids at school live outside of town. It is all farmland. If we get enough snow and the wind blows, it drifts across the road after it's been plowed. We often get several days off of school after a big snowstorm has stopped because of blowing and drifting snow. I went outside and it looks like we got a foot and a half of snow. That is a lot. Also, it is still snowing at a good clip and the wind is blowing it into drifts. I went back inside and Mark was coming down the stairs.
We went in the kitchen. Mom was drinking her coffee.
"Good morning, boys. I don't feel like cooking this morning so I guess it's cold cereal for you."
"Good morning, Mom, cold cereal sounds good. I suppose we could cook something but then we'd have to clean up our mess."
"Exactly. After this weekend I might not want to cook for a few days. Your sister hadn't had a home cooked meal in weeks. So I was in the kitchen most of the weekend while you were out at fancy restaurants."
"I wouldn't exactly call Burger King a fancy restaurant, Mom, but we did eat at some good places."
Mark and I ate cold cereal and some orange juice. We got dressed with boots, hats, and gloves, and ventured outside. It was about 20 degrees with a 20 mile per hour wind. That made the wind chill about 10 below zero. We went in the garage and I got Mark a snow shovel. I started up the tractor which is nothing more than the oversized riding lawn mower. It has a blade on the front for moving snow. We live on about three acres, all planted with grass. It would be a lot of work to mow with a push mower. It would also take all day.
It took Mark and me about an hour to clear off the driveway and sidewalk. We were cold, hot, and sweaty all at the same time. We went in the house and Mark went upstairs to shower. I went in Dad's study to use his phone. I dialed the Mayor of Chicago's office. After some wait, the mayor's secretary answered. She said she was glad I called because Mayor Daley had instructed her to call me. She put me right through to the mayor.
"Good morning, Mike, I see you made it home okay."
"We sure did, Mayor Daley. We got about a foot and a half of snow here last night and we were just shoveling the driveway."
"The reason I wanted to talk to you, Mike, is I have scheduled your presentation of the citation before the city council a week from Friday. I will have my secretary schedule a flight for you next Thursday night and returning Sunday night. We get a better rate with the Saturday night stay over. I will also have a limousine pick you up at the airport and take you to the Drake. It is the best hotel in town. Also, don't tell Mark, because it's a surprise. I am going to appoint him an honorary member of the Chicago police department. He will receive a badge and be able to do police work any time he is in Chicago. We're just not going to pay him for it," the mayor said, laughing.
"That will be fine, Mayer Daley. I will love to miss a day of school to go to Chicago. I am so glad we were able to help put those crooks in custody. I do have a favor to ask you, though."
"Sure, Mike, just ask."
"Mark's dad ran out of town when Mark was 8 years old. My dad traced him down in Chicago. That is the reason we were there. We did get to meet Mark's dad but we have some questions about some of the things he said. Mark is going to the sheriff's office today to do a background check. If your secretary could fax some information about his marital status and dependents, along with his Social Security number, to the sheriff's office, that would be greatly appreciated. With that information we should be able to do a complete check of federal tax returns, credit reports, criminal record, FBI records, and employment records. We have his full name and telephone number and address. He is a resident of the City of Chicago."
"This sounds like official police business to me, Mike. And Mark is a Chicago police official whether he knows it or not. I see no problem with faxing you that information. Go ahead and give my secretary the information when I transfer you back to her. I want to have that information faxed to the sheriff's office within the next two hours. Anything else I can do for you?"
"I believe you've done more than enough, thank you."
"Great, I will have my secretary mail you the plane tickets for a week from Thursday. I will see you a week from Friday, Mike."
"And I will see you Friday too, Mayor Daley, thank you, and goodbye."
"And goodbye to you, Mike."
The mayor transferred me back to his secretary and I gave her the information on Mark's dad. I also gave her the fax number for the sheriff's office. I thanked her and then said goodbye.
I was really excited. I practically ran up to our room. Mark had just finished showering and just had his shorts on. I couldn't help it, I stared.
"You don't have to stare, Mike. After all, as far as I'm concerned, what you see belongs to you."
"How did I ever get so lucky as to hook up with you? You have to be the most handsome man in the whole world."
"That can't be, because you are the most handsome man in the world."
We both giggled and Mark got dressed. I told Mark about my conversation with Mayor Daley. He was excited. I took my shower and got dressed. It was still snowing quite hard out but that was not a problem. Dad owns two snowmobiles. Mark and I once again put on heavy coats, boots, and gloves. We were headed downstairs when we ran into my mother.
"Where are you boys off to?"
"We're going to the sheriff's office with the other snowmobile to see if we can be any help."
"That sounds fine, boys, don't be out too late."
"We won't, Mom."
We went out in the garage and started the snowmobile. It only took about five minutes to get to the sheriff's office. We walked into the office and ran into Sam.
"Is that a snowmobile I just heard pull up, boys?"
"Yes, Sheriff Brown, do you need to use it?"
"I sure do. There's an accident out in the country that was just called in. I need to get to it. No one hurt but that area hasn't been plowed yet."
"Go ahead and use it, Mark and I will be busy for a couple of hours anyway."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with that fax from the Mayor of Chicago's office, would it?"
"Yes, it does."
"You can use the computer in my office. Mark, you remember how use it?"
"I sure do."
"Well, I changed the password since the last time you used it. The new password is James. Make sure you are not surfing through the FBI files. They keep close track of what we look up. Also credit reports cost us 20 dollars each. I don't blame you, Mark, for wanting to find out more information. Just let me to know what you find out."
"Thanks for understanding, Uncle Sam."
"And thanks for the snowmobile, Mike. I might need it if it keeps snowing the way it is. Your dad wouldn't mind if I borrowed it for the rest of the day, Mike. So when you're finished I will give you boys a ride home."
"No problem, Sheriff Brown."
When I am in Sam's office I always call him Sheriff Brown. Outside of the office I call him Sam. I wouldn't dare call him Sam in front of his other deputies.
The information we got from the Mayor of Chicago was very helpful. That information alone answered many of our questions. We got on Sam's computer and found quite a bit more information, the most useful of which were credit reports and tax returns. The only police record we found was an old warrant for past due child support in the State of Michigan. We printed out all the information that was useful and added it to the fax from Chicago. By the time we finished, it had stopped snowing and the sun had come out. Sam came walking in his office.
"Are you boys finished with the computer?"
"Yes, we're done, we have everything we need," I replied.
"I am finished with the snowmobile too. So you can take it home. The sun is melting the snow fast on the roads. Looks like you boys are going to have school tomorrow."
"That's fine, we're going to be missing school next Friday anyway. The Mayor of Chicago is flying us into town in order to give us a citation."
"What's that all about, guys?"
"Four muggers tried to jump us while we were in Chicago. I ended up almost killing two of them. Mark easily subdued the other two. Chicago's finest had been looking for these guys for quite some time. The mayor himself called us to say how happy he was and that he wanted to give us a citation."
"Whoa, Mike, you almost killed two of them?"
"That's right, Mark gave me his gun. They tried to jump me so I shot one of them and the other I hit a little too hard in the neck."
"What precinct did it happen in, Mark?"
"The 23rd precinct."
"I'll have them send a copy of the police report and add it to your file, Mark."
"I think the story is going to get picked up in the local paper too. We have an interview later today with the editor. We also have copies of the stories in the Chicago Sun Times and the Chicago Tribune at home."
"Well, it sounds like you boys still have a busy day ahead of you. Better get out of here."
"Uncle Sam, we would like to tell Mr. S. about what we found out today ourselves. Could you keep it quiet until after we have talked to him?"
"Sure, no problem, Mark. I will see you later. Goodbye, boys."
"Goodbye, Sheriff Brown."
"Goodbye, Uncle Sam."
We got on the snowmobile and went home. We went inside and got some lunch. After lunch we went outside and shoveled out the driveway again. About the time we finished, Dad came home. He pulled his snowmobile into the garage and started up his car.
"Jump in, boys, we have an appointment at the newspaper editor's office."
We got in the car and Dad drove down to the office. Dad explained that he had gotten final editorial approval and that he did not think the interview would take long. We only spent about 10 minutes there. The only thing he wanted to know was when we were going back to Chicago. He said he would have the article ready for my dad to review tomorrow. After that we went back home.
After dinner we asked Dad if we could talk to him. We went into his study.
"Mr. S., I need to talk to you about my father. I don't want to put myself in a position where I can get hurt again. So today I did a background check on him with Mike's help. We contacted the Mayor of Chicago's office and got some information. Then we went to Sam's office and got on his computer and looked up other information. The bottom line is, Dad is not telling me the truth. I was stunned to find out that I have a 9-yr. old stepbrother and a 6-year-old stepsister. Apparently the affair Dad had before he left my mother produced a son. Dad had this son a year before he left my mother. After they moved to Chicago she did not leave him like father said. Several years later they also had a daughter. They never did get married."
"Dad also has all kinds of financial problems. His credit rating was poor. There is no trust fund set up for me. I believe he lied to me and my mother to keep her from taking legal action at this time. I don't think I can believe a word he says."
"I'm sorry, Mark, that your father has lied to you. I am glad that you are mature enough to understand that sometimes people only care about themselves. I also did a background check on your father. I did not want to see you get hurt again. One thing I found out that you seem to be missing is your father has another girlfriend he is supporting. I am afraid history might repeat itself."
"That is a bit of a surprise, Mr. S. I can't understand his actions. Is he just being selfish or is it something else?"
"Mark, I'm really not sure how to answer that. I have never been unfaithful to my wife. You can look at sex as a basic animal need. In the wild it is not unusual for the males of the species to kill in order to mate. It is also not unusual for a male to have a number of different females, for example horses or lions. I guess you could say it is a combination of selfishness and basic instinct that drives someone to be unfaithful. As far as the lying part goes, I think he is just trying to protect himself. Whether or not he loves you I cannot answer. I'm not sure he knows what love is. His words say one thing but his actions say something else. If I were you I would try to distance myself from him emotionally. And I would not worry about something you cannot change. They say that worry is the interest you pay on borrowed trouble. In your case, Mark, you could say worry is the interest you pay on inherited trouble."
"I have pretty well decided to confront him on these issues when I go to Chicago a week from Friday. I am going to tell him I don't care how he lives his life. Also, I am not worried about receiving any money from him. But I would like to stay in contact with him. Someday when he is old and lonely, he's going to need someone, and I want to be there, even if he has not been there for me."
"I think you are taking a very mature attitude toward your father, Mark. I hope too he decides to tell you the truth. When you talk to him I suggest you play stupid. Don't tell him everything you now. Try to get him in a corner so he will come out with the facts. If you do it right he might tell you the whole story without you having to humiliate him with the facts. One thing that you have to remember, Mark, is that you can choose your friends but you can't choose your family."
We said goodnight to Dad and watched TV before going to bed. It had sure been a memorable Thanksgiving holiday.