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This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between males, adult and minor. As such it is homoerotic, designed for the entertainment of mature adults. If you are not of legal age to read such material, or if the subject matter would create irresolvable personal moral dilemmas, please exit now.
Note: I would like to thank Matthew for his unwavering support and editing skills while I write this story. Also, my thanks to those who have taken the time to send me their comments. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author, Dwight Wilson, at adm2780@yahoo.com
Chapter One-hundred Five: New Horizons
"Clay, what's wrong with Jack?" Marich asked.
Marich, Clay and Thad sat beside the pool, kicking the water listlessly. Jack, Thad's eight year old cousin, was lying on the lounger next to Mary; Clay and Marich's mom. Jack lay on his side with his back to Mary, using her shoulder as a pillow. Mary's arm was wrapped across the boy's chest as she softly ran her fingers up and down his arm. The two of them were talking, but the three boys couldn't hear what was being said.
"He's rememberin'," Thad answered. "Our moms used ta hold us kinda like your mom is holdin' him right now. My mom would rub my back or run her fingers through my hair. I remember, I could lay beside her for hours while she did that. That is, if she'd lay there that long. Usually, I'd almost always wind up fallin' asleep."
Thad watched Jack and smiled to himself as he, too, remembered and, for a moment, felt that particular inner warmth that comes with being loved; a warmth that now was replaced by emptiness.
"Mr. Dan'l said you and Jack're cousins," Clay commented.
"Yeah, we are. Our moms were sisters. His mom was my mom's little sister. I remember they used ta tease each other 'bout the whole big sister-little sister thing. I never understood it, but they always laughed about it."
"What happened to 'em?" Marich asked.
"Marich!" Clay called out a warning to his brother. "You know you're not supposed ta ask that."
"I know, and stop callin' me that! My name's Marc. Since no one's sayin' anything, I just . . .."
"It's alright," Thad interjected, looking at Clay. "Actually, I thought that maybe you'd already told 'em." Thad looked off into the distance, the emptiness now consuming him, and continued.
"Both of us lost our moms and dads in a wreck. They'd all gone out ta dinner and a meeting of some lawyer association thing that our dads belonged to; they was lawyers. On the way home, some guy drivin' one of those big trailer rigs ran a light and hit 'em. They were messed up so bad that at the funerals they kept the caskets closed.
"Jack was at my house and we had a baby-sitter; she was my dad's brother's daughter. She was only four years older'n me; she'd play video games with us. When they told us 'bout the wreck, Jack kinda climbed up in my lap and held on. My aunt tried to take him from me, but he wouldn't let go. I promised him that I'd take care of 'im and nobody was gonna hurt 'im."
"You said your dad had a brother. How come he didn't take care of you?"
"He did, kinda. They stayed with us at our house. My uncle kept lookin' at everything and sayin' stuff about what everything costs and stuff 'bout how my dad was always my grandparents' favorite, and stupid stuff like that. One night, we heard him and my aunt arguin' downstairs. When I listened I could tell it was about me and Jack.
"My uncle said stuff about how they was gonna move into my family's house and live the good life. They was gonna take care of me and the court would make them my guardians and they'd have control over my estate. At the time, I didn't know what that meant. Later, when I found out, it really pissed me off. Anyway, when my aunt said something about lettin' the boys share a room, my uncle said there wasn't gonna be no boys. He said Jack wasn't his family and the state could have 'im. I didn't know a whole lot, but I knew enough ta know what that meant for Jack. I figured he was gettin' double fucked. He lost his parents, his family, and now my uncle was gonna turn him over to the state knowin' they'd make him a slave.
"I'd already promised Jack that I'd take care of 'im and not let anybody hurt 'im. I knew my uncle didn't give a rat's ass 'bout me, he just wanted my estate, whatever that was. I told my cousin we wasn't stickin' 'round for her dad to have Jack made into a slave and pro'bly do the same ta me sometime. We ran away and lived on the streets until Mr. Dan'l got us."
"Did your uncle get your estate?" Marc asked. "I was just curious," Marc said, responding to a harsh glare from Clay.
"When Mr. Dan'l got us, all of us had ta sit down and talk with him or somebody else and tell 'em how we wound up on the streets. I talked to Mr. Paul and he said he was gonna have a talk with Mr. Dan'l. Anyway, I don't remember how many weeks it was, but Mr. Dan'l came up to me and said we needed ta walk. I'd heard about those walks, but I didn't know why he wanted ta talk to me. He told me that my uncle was reported to the state and courts. Turns out he'd been tellin' everybody I was still at home and that Jack was with his family. Turns out, too, that he'd been spendin' a lot of money that was supposed ta be mine.
"Mr. Dan'l said they pro'bly couldn't get back a lot of the money my uncle spent, but that my uncle was in big trouble. My aunt and cousin weren't blamed, just my uncle. Mr. Dan'l also said that my estate, turns out he meant mostly money I inherited from my parents and insurance, would be put into a trust for me. The bank is takin' care of it until I'm grown. Mr. Dan'l also said that part of it could be used for my college before I'm grown. I asked him to be sure that Jack was in the trust with me."
"It's getting close to lunch time. Anyone hungry?" Mary announced.
The priorities of the three older boys immediately switched to their second most prized part, their stomachs.
"You boys keep deciding not to wear any clothes, you're going to have calloused backsides from sitting on that concrete," Mary teased.
All three boys paused to run their hand over their posteriors. Looking at one another, they laughed as they walked towards the kitchen. Jack grabbed Thad's hand and stopped.
"Are we gonna get ta stay here?" Jack asked with a hopeful glint in his eye.
"Jack, you know we're here for just a few days for a visit."
"I know, but I like it here. Miss Mary feels good and I like the way she holds me." Jack paused a moment and looked down. "Thad, I think I mighta done somethin' bad." Thad used a finger to lift the young boy's chin and look him in the eye; Thad waited patiently. "I slipped awhile ago and called Miss Mary 'Mom'," Jack whispered.
Thad looked at his young cousin and smiled. "That's okay, I bet she liked it." Thad's answer caused Jack to smile.
Thad protectively wrapped an arm around Jack's young shoulders as they walked inside.
"Rick, do we have the site plan ready for the games and rides for the festival?"
Daniel and his team sat in the mess hall enjoying coffee and having an impromptu meeting regarding the fall festival planned for the boys. The boys knew what was planned and the closer the time came, the more excitement that seemed to permeate the air around New Horizons.
"Not only do we have a site plan, but Paul is having Evan draw us a large poster-size version to hang on the wall in the mess hall. We've deliberately left a few vacant areas and put out a suggestion box for the boys to let us know what else they'd like to see or games they'd like to play. Care to hear a few?"
"I don't know. Something tells me I might be sorry, but go ahead," Daniel answered with a smile.
"Well, we received a few that we might consider normal, given the boys' experiences. More than one wanted us to set up a whipping post with their former master tied to it. A couple had similar suggestions but wanted the 'sorry s-o-b that enslaved me' tied to the post. One of the boys even wrote an explanation saying he didn't really want to hurt 'the sorry bastard', he put in parenthesis that he didn't think he could do to someone else what they did to him; he just wanted to scare him bad enough to make him wet his pants."
Rick stopped reading for a moment and looked around the table. Everyone's expressions showed amusement mixed with a sympathetic understanding of what the boy was trying to say.
"We have some here suggesting games. Some of the games we won't discuss other than to say they are very sexually oriented and have to do with multiple forms of endurance."
The men couldn't contain their laughter as they imagined what some of the boys would write.
"Then we must have gotten to a little younger group. This one's even signed by Paulie, Scottie, Jimmy and a few others. I checked on them and they're all in the nine to eleven age range."
"Which one is Paulie?" Jeff asked.
"Do you remember when we first arrived at the holding compound that there was a work crew on the road and what was happening to two of the boys? Paulie is the one that was being raped."
"Oh yeah, and the guard raping him was the one that Daniel rather unceremoniously expressed his displeasure with by delivering what I heard was a solid right hook."
"Your memory serves you well," Rick commented. "Paulie and his friends have a question and a suggestion. Their suggestion is that we have a mud wrestling contest. They think we should put six to ten guys in the mud pit and let them have a free-for-all until only one remains standing. When everyone's been through one round of wrestling, the survivors match up on eliminations. The winner gets out of KP duty for a month."
"You know," Daniel observed, "that might not be a bad idea. We know the boys need to burn off some energy and that would give all of them a good excuse to get good a messy. What's the old saying about the dirtier a boy gets, it's a sign of how much fun he had? We could split them into age groups so there's multiple winners."
"Are you serious?" Paul asked.
"Sure. Why not? Let them have their fun. What was their question, Rick?"
"They want to know who they get to dunk into the tank throwing baseballs."
"Such a nice group of boys," Jeff offered. "Wonder why I didn't think of all that when I was a kid?"
"Well, I don't see any harm in the mud wrestling if a number of them want to do it. Why don't we ask for a show of hands on how many may be interested in participating. If it looks as though half want to do it, let them. As far as who will have the privilege of letting the boys dunk them, it should be interesting.
"All of you know that I have to go to Tallahassee tomorrow for a meeting with the governor and others. It seems that rumors are running rampant regarding the governor possibly planning on doing something with slavery. The governor called and said he was surprised it took this long for the rumors to start circulating. He said any secret that isn't public knowledge within twenty-four hours in a political town is considered to be a well- kept secret."
"I gather that some of his political opponents are trying to stir up some opposition to his plans regarding slavery?" Paul asked.
"That's my guess. Do you remember the folder that Grandpa Smith gave me while we were in Orlando a few days ago? The names contained on those papers match most of the names on the governor's guest list. I think the governor plans on turning particular political enemies into political friends. I'll let you know.
"As far as who the boys get to try and dunk, tell them they'll have to wait and see. No, tell them it'll be the losers in the mud wrestling. Those kids will need to get cleaned up somehow and I don't want them jumping in the pool to do it."
"Now, Daniel, you don't really think those nice boys would do something like that, do you?"
Daniel sat at a table with the governor, Amos Crawford, his father, Ron Wilson, and several of the members of the state senate and house. The senate and house members included the President of the Senate and the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives. The group had been invited to have lunch and participate in a town hall type meeting with the governor. As each member entered the chamber, they were directed to a table and asked to locate their seat by an envelope bearing their name.
"Gentlemen, please come in and take a seat. You will find a sealed envelope with your name on it. I'll ask that you leave the envelope sealed until after we've had our lunch. I know that most people believe in work before pleasure, but I, personally, have found that work is much easier on a full stomach. I believe all of you know, or have at least had the opportunity to meet Dr. Thompson and his son, Daniel, who have graciously accepted my invitation to join us." The governor greeted his guests with a smile.
"It's my understanding that, today, we will be treated to a nice Ceasar salad, followed by grilled chicken filets basted in a garlic sauce, asparagus, and twice baked potatoes. Afterwards, we shall have sherbert and a choice of coffees. Gentlemen, please, enjoy your meal."
The low mumblings began almost as soon as the governor turned to return to his seat. The governor could hardly refrain from smiling to himself. No one in the room, except for those sitting at his table, had any idea as to why they had been invited to join the governor and his party for lunch. However, being astute politicians, there was no way any of them would decline such an invitation. To decline could be political suicide.
"Governor, I believe you've stirred a hornet's nest of speculation." Dr. Thompson commented, speaking very softly.
"Oh, I'm sure I have. Actually, that was part of the idea. Right now, I wonder if they will be as quiet, when they learn what's in those envelopes, as they are being noisy now. If they do become quiet, that will be a good sign; the quieter the better. Shall we enjoy our meal in the interim and savor the moment?"
The murmuring never ceased as the politicians ate. A few comments were overheard regarding the quality of the meal, but most comments centered on this meeting, its possible purpose, and the sealed envelopes. Only a select few knew that Daniel had received an envelope containing very damaging information on each of the men in the room. The governor had also been provided with a copy of the information. Speculation was rampant and the governor enjoyed every moment. When he had completed consuming his entrée, he signaled for a cup of coffee, waving off the dessert. The governor rose to speak to his guests.
"Gentlemen, please continue to enjoy your lunch. Personally, I'm trying to cut back and pledged to myself to forego any desserts for this entire month. Let me tell you, I've made many political promises that weren't nearly as difficult to honor." The group laughed politely, recognizing the truth in their own circumstances from time to time.
"Now, I'm not going to insult all of you with the normal rhetoric we put out for the media. I think what I want to discuss with you is far too important. First, I think each of us should acknowledge that in a political town, such as ours, there is no such thing as a secret. Speculation is running wild regarding a possible announcement I may be making within the next few weeks. Is there anyone in this room that has not heard such a rumor or speculation?" Again, the men chuckled politely.
"Governor, if I may?" one of the representatives spoke up. The governor held a hand out to the gentleman to acknowledge him and yield the floor. "There is some speculation, and many rumors, that you plan on making an announcement soon that would substantially alter the slave system that has been long established in this state. Personally, I'm not so sure my constituents would support the kind of alterations suggested by the rumors."
When the representative sat, the governor said nothing. He looked around the room and gestured for anyone wishing to make a comment to please stand and voice their position. A senator from south Florida stood. The governor offered the gentleman an open hand and the floor.
"Governor, the rumors we hear claim that you plan on abolishing a major, and very lucrative section, of the slavery system. The system we have in place has been built, tried and true, over a period of years. Why change it now? In my area, business personnel would strongly object to the rumored changes and most likely refuse to support your position."
The governor looked around the room and spoke. "Would it be fair for me to assume that these two gentlemen have expressed the feelings of a majority of you here today?" The governor looked around and saw that most of the men were nodding in the affirmative.
"Gentlemen, I will neither admit, nor deny, many of the rumors that you are hearing, except to admit that I do plan on proposing change. Since I doubt seriously that I have heard all of the rumors, I will admit that some of them are probably true through sheer luck, while others are about as far off base as they can possibly be.
"You were asked to take a seat where you found an envelope on the table bearing your name. Before I ask you to open those envelopes, let me state that I know each of you has about the same opinion on any proposed changes to the slavery laws. I promise you that I am not going to stand here and try to give you every argument I know to try and convince you to change your minds. You must look at the materials we are about to present to you, digest the data, consider the implications, and decide for yourselves. Let me repeat something I said a few minutes ago: there is no such thing as a secret in a town such as ours. Now, gentlemen, would you please break the seal on your envelope. Do not pull anything out of the envelope and hold it so the open flap is facing you." The governor paused a moment until he saw that everyone had broken the seal and lifted the flap of the envelope.
"If you will lift out the first sheet, please. You do not need to remove the sheet completely from the envelope. In fact, due to the nature of the information, you may prefer to leave the sheet in the envelope. Just in case anyone is curious, I will tell you that the subject matter on the first sheet of each envelope is the same. It is a detailed listing of personal investments. Investments made individually, through partnerships, corporations, and other types of business ventures." Again, the governor paused to let the gentlemen absorb the information.
"Now, if you would pull out the sheet marked 'Part B'. This part is a detailed listing of investments made by the original entities that you invested in. In some cases you will see where the original entity invested in several other entities that invested in several other entities. The tax people call these investments tax screens. In some cases they can be illegal, in others, okay."
"Governor, I must object. This data is highly personal and is protected by law." A Senator had stood and gruffly expressed his dissatisfaction with the proceedings.
"Senator, that may be true as to part of the data for most people. However, I believe I should remind you that, as public servants, we are held to a different standard of disclosure and what you are viewing is all a matter of public record as far as it pertains to us. Some of it is on file with the Secretary of State's office, other parts can be acquired under a federal freedom of information act. I don't believe anyone can pinpoint anywhere that a law has been broken. Now, if the data in your envelope is not accurate, please tell us and I will be glad to apologize." The governor held out both hands, palms up, waiting for an answer. The senator sat down in his chair.
"Governor, I'm afraid I must also protest," another senator stated as he rose from his seat. "This data is highly personal and private. Also, I believe what you are doing here in tantamount to blackmail."
"Senator, for me to blackmail you, you must have done something wrong that you would not want your family, or constituents, to hear about. Have you?" The governor smiled as he waited for an answer he knew would not be forthcoming.
"For some of you, there is a 'Part C' included in your packet. I suggest that you not bring these out for your fellow politicians to see. The data is very personal and could be very embarrassing, even to a politician.
"Now, gentlemen, as I said before, I will neither admit nor deny some of the rumors regarding changes that may be suggested soon in the slavery laws. I will suggest that you review the contents of your packets, understand the contents and the potential ramifications should certain secrets be made public, and re-evaluate your position on parts of our slavery statutes. Now, if there are no questions, I'm sure all of us have full calendars for the afternoon."
The men knew that the governor had just dismissed them. All stood, firmly grasping their envelopes and making sure all papers were concealed inside.
"Oh, gentlemen, please, forgive me; one more thing. New Horizons is having a Fall Festival for the boys in just a few days. Many guests, and public servants, have been invited. You may want to consider attending and, possibly, volunteering some of your time to show your support for the program. Should you have any constituents that might want to show their support, I'm sure New Horizons would welcome any and all donations."
The politicians knew they had just been told that they should volunteer to signal their support for what they all knew the governor would be doing. It was either volunteer, or risk a political 'secret', that had the definite potential of being political ruin, to escape. You could have heard a pin drop on the carpet as the politicians left the chamber.
"I wasn't aware of a Part 'C'," Amos Crawford commented.
"That was part of my department's contribution," Ron Wilson answered with a smile. "Being head of corrections can have some advantages. I contacted a few friends down in Tampa, Naples, Miami and surrounding areas. It seems some of our guests that just left us enjoy frequenting what we politely call underground clubs. 'Part C' was a group of photos. Some just established that our friends had attended such a club, which, of course, could have dire consequences during an election year. Other photos showed some of our fellow public servants in very compromising positions . . .with boys."
"Hey, Thad! Clay! What's up? How come you're still wearin'?"
"Yo, Tanner," Thad called back. "How's it hangin'?"
"Loose, dude, loose." The older boys laughed at the obvious innuendo.
Mary had just arrived back at New Horizons with the four boys. Thad and Clay immediately exited the car and headed for their friends; Marich was right behind them. Jack stayed back, looking uncertain as to whether he should run over to his friends or stay close to Mary.
"Jack," Mary called out gently. "Don't you want to go play with your friends?"
"Yes," Jack answered as he spotted Jamie and Kyle running towards him. "But, are you stayin' too?"
"I'm not only staying, I plan on having lunch with you and lots of fun at the festival. Aren't you excited about the festival and having fun with your friends?" Jack just nodded.
"Jack, are you going to introduce me to your friends that came running over here to greet you?"
"Yes, this is Jamie and that's Kyle. We play together a lot."
"Well, I think I know two young gentlemen that would like for you to go play with them now," Mary commented as she began undressing the boy. "Go have fun," she stated as she patted the boy's little butt and kissed him gently on the forehead.
Mary knew what Jack really wanted but hadn't been able to bring himself to say. She knew because she felt the same way about both boys. However, she also knew that she had a minor problem to overcome with Thad. She had overheard Thad talking to Clay and telling him that he thought she only wanted him so she could keep Jack. Mary took a deep breath and headed for the office. At the door, she looked back over her shoulder and saw a small group that included Jeremy, Nigel and some other boys headed towards Thad and Clay. She wished that she could take them all home.
Inside, Mary found Linda and Arthur, Elizabeth, Walt Andrez, Colin, several members of the staff, and what Mary believed to be elected officials.
"Mary, don't stand there, come on in," Linda encouraged.
"I'm sorry, I was just so surprised to see so many people. What's going on?"
"Well, officially," Linda paused to be sure Mary picked up on the sarcasm, "everyone is here to show their support for New Horizons and the boys. Can you imagine it? All these politicians came out here to show how much they approve of privatizing foster care and banning child enslavement." Mary stepped closer to Linda.
"So, the rumors running through all the beauty salons are true," Mary whispered. Linda just smiled.
"Tell me," Linda changed the subject and tone of her voice. "How did the visit with the boys go?"
"Are you kidding? Right now I feel like I'm dealing with polar opposites. Jack just wants to hold on to me and let me love him. Thad acts so distant that I'm not sure what to do. I know the boy would like to have a home, but I think he's afraid of being hurt again. Clay tells me that Thad thinks the only reason I want him is to make sure that I can get Jack. Kids!"
"It's not just that they are kids; it's men in general. They know what they want and you know what they want. You try to give it to them and they want to know why. You practically have to push it down their throats to get them to accept what they wanted in the first place and then they turn around and want to know why it took you so long to give it to them." Both ladies burst into laughter.
"What's going on over here?" Daniel asked as he approached the two ladies. "Seems the two of you are enjoying yourselves."
"It's a lady thing; you wouldn't understand," Linda answered with a conspiratorial look at Mary.
"Daniel," Mary's tone became serious, "I want to talk to you about Thad and Jack. When I return home, I want to take them with me. However, I may need a little help from you with Thad."
"Shall we find some privacy in my office?"
"Hey, Kev, what's with all the new faces?" TJ asked.
"Where've you been?" Kevin responded. "Those are all politicians that have come to show how much they support us. Mark told me that several of them gave Mr. Dan'l some pretty big checks, too."
"Well, guess what," Evan interjected. "I recognize a couple of 'em. You see that bald guy in the red shirt, the one that looks like he's pregnant? Well, more than once he tried to pay somebody at a club to let him whip me. I heard from a couple people that worked the clubs that he's a mean sonofabitch."
"Well, you don't hafta worry 'bout that here," TJ whispered in Evan's ear as he wrapped his arms around his lover's waist and pulled him back to spoon him.
"Mr. Dan'l said we were going to have some mud wrestling contests," Brad added. "If he's one of the judges, maybe I can enter the contest and maybe, like 'accidentally', I can trip him so he falls face first into the mud for ya. How 'bout I try ta stand a couple times and 'accidentally' fall back on top of him?"
All the boys laughed as they each added what they would like to do to the politicians. The antics kept up until they heard the bell clanging to signal it was time for lunch. In the mess hall, the objects of the boys' entertainment didn't change.
"See the guy sitting at the second table? The one with the half bald head and wire glasses, skinny as a rail? Well, he liked to come to the 'gentleman's club' that owned me. Thought he was a real big shit when he was screwin' my ass. We had a nick-name for 'im; we called 'im 'shrimp dick'. Guess why." The boy held out his pinky finger and curved it to look like a shrimp as the boys laughed harder. "He was so small he couldn't even make me gag when he face-fucked me."
Daniel made his customary stroll through the mess hall during meals. He heard what a number of the boys were saying and understood their feelings. Daniel also understood that too much work had gone into planning this festival to allow the boys to create problems. Daniel waited for all of the adults to leave the hall, holding the boys back.
"Boys, all of you should be smart enough to know that I heard what a number of you were saying about our guests. I want you to know that I understand. However, I want to know that you understand how important it is that no one shows any of our guests anything less than the highest level of courtesy. I do not want to hear any of you calling any of these people 'shrimp dick' or any other derogatory name. If anyone does, they will be removed to my office to face me and then, to face a disciplinary board hearing. Does everyone understand what I'm saying?" Daniel looked around the room to be sure no one thought he was kidding.
"Now, that doesn't mean that you can't seek your revenge in other ways. One way might be if one of our guests should volunteer to sit for the dunking tanks. I'm sure there are a number of you that could hit the target with the baseball and cause our guests to get wet. Perhaps one of them might referee one of the mud wrestling events you requested. If mud should happen to splash onto the man, I don't see how anyone could complain. Anything other than along the lines of what I have just suggested is off limits. Assuming we understand one another, I want all of you to have a good time this afternoon."
When the boys walked outside, they were almost dumbfounded at the number of people that had arrived. The boys knew about the festival and had looked forward to the fun and games. The boys had not known that the television crew would be there. In addition, Captain Jackson had arrived with his sons, plus several members of the police department. With the police were several members of the fire department. The boys noticed that the firemen did not all wear the same insignia and thought they must belong to different groups.
"Daniel," Captain Jackson greeted Daniel and the group surrounding him. "Just as we promised, we brought members of the police and fire departments from Orlando and three surrounding communities. Do the boys know what we are doing?"
"Not yet," Daniel answered. "Judging by the looks on their faces at the moment, I think they are more than just a little dumbfounded at what they are seeing. They expected this afternoon to just be some rides and a few games. Maybe I should make an announcement before they decide to get their own wild rumors going around."
"Boys gather 'round please," Daniel called out through a megaphone. "Boys, I'm sure all of you are wondering why all of these people have come here today. Some of these people are politicians, some are policemen, some medics, some firemen. All of them are here today to show their support for you, for New Horizons, and for your futures. Rather than explain the program we have in mind, I'm going to turn the megaphone over to Captain Jackson, who many of you know, and who is primarily responsible for putting this program together."
"Thank you, Daniel," the Captain stated as he took the megaphone. "Boys, I'm not going to bore you with all the details of how we did this, I'd rather tell you what we have done and why. We have obtained permission from the necessary state and local officials to begin a cadet program. The program is designed to allow boys who think they might be interested in being a policeman, or medic, or fireman when they grow up, to get a taste of what it's like now, under the tutelage of a qualified professional.
"The program calls for us to have cadets and junior cadets. Cadets are boys fifteen to seventeen years old. Junior cadets are boys thirteen and fourteen years old. For those who are interested and qualify, you will spend one month with your mentor. Your time will be spent reading some study materials, but you will also work in the field with your mentor. You will live in the same house with your mentor and his family. You will be treated as part of his family." Captain Jackson paused to let the boys absorb what he had told them and then continued.
Daniel watched the looks on the boys' faces as Captain Jackson spoke. Most of the boys knew the man and knew that he and his men were sincere about helping the boys. What the boys were not being told was that the men knew that not everyone wanted to go to college or wanted to be a lawyer or accountant. The options being offered were both rewarding and highly respected. No one could argue that a medic, or policeman, or fireman did not give up a lot to be a contributing member of society.
There was another element the boys were not being told. Every man, every family, that would take in one of the boys, had volunteered and qualified as a foster family. Many had expressed a desire to adopt. Daniel hoped that some of the boys would find more than just a future job.
Daniel spotted Thad in the group of boys. They needed to have a talk.
End Ch 105 To Be Continued
Comments welcome: contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com