by DJ Manly
Gian called Sandra on his cell phone a few minutes before lunch. “Hi, it’s me,” he said.
“Me who?” she teased.
“Cute. Look, I’m going to send you the Beaconsfield employment records in a zip file in a few minutes on the mainframe computer. Can you do a thorough check on the three primary suspects for me?”
“The one’s Taylor mentioned in his statement?”
“Those are the ones.”
“How’s it going?”
“I haven’t done anything yet. I’m going to be orientated today by the supervisor on this shift. I won’t call again until I have something to say. Check those out and, if there is anything pressing, leave a message on my machine at home and I’ll get back to you.”
“I love the strong, silent types,” she replied. “Bye, handsome.”
“So long,” he laughed and hung up.
Ronald Collins was a nice man with a pleasant smile. He walked with a slight limp, an injury he’d received when he was in the military. Gian followed him to a supply room. Collins studied him a minute. “You’re not that big around the middle, but you’ve got broad shoulders and big arms. What are you, thirty-four waist?”
“Right on,” Gian smiled.
“And you’re a tall one, aren’t ya?” He looked him up and down. “How tall are you anyway?”
“Six three,” Gian replied.
Ronald, who stood about five ten, whistled. “God, I’d love to be that tall. And all muscle. Ladies must love you.”
Gian smiled faintly.
“Okay, these should be long enough,” he handed him a pair of brown pants. “Sixteen or seventeen collar?”
“Right again.”
He slapped his thigh. “Hot damn, I’m never wrong. You take a medium shirt if the sleeves and shoulders are roomy. I think I’m going to give you a large. These are not the biggest of shirts.” He handed him a matching dark brown shirt with gold buttons and Beaconsfield Security printed on the sleeve.
“Good idea,” Gian took the shirt, glad there were no fashion police around. They were uglier than the police garb he wore back when he was in uniform.
“And shoes, nine or ten?”
“Ten. Rather have them big.”
Ronald slapped him on the back as he handed Gian a pair of brown-laced shoes. “There you go, son. We have hats, but no one wears them. They are ugly mothers. You’ll have to tie that hair back for me, I don’t mind, but will have a coronary.”
Gian grinned. “I’ll tie it back.”
“Good, get yourself outfitted and I’ll get you some equipment. You will need a walkie, a club and a regulation flashlight on the nightshift. We only use the club if we have to and then I just give a tap at the knees, knocks ‘em down, don’t hurt ‘em none.” He shook his head and then grinned at him. “Most the time, I don’t have any problems with these boys here. They aren’t bad boys really.”
“Thanks for the tip.”
“Call me Ron or Ronnie, everyone does. I’ll meet you down the hall. I got to put some fresh batteries in the radios.” He stopped. “You and me, we’re going to get on just fine. The other two on this shift are good boys, too. I’ll introduce you round once I show you the grounds and explain your duties.” He left now, closing the door behind him.
Gian pulled on the pants, straight cut and none too big. The shirt fit great around the torso, but it stretched taunt across his shoulders and he gave up trying to do it up around the neck. He combed his hair and tied it back at the nape. He looked at himself in the mirror and decided that the uniform was rather tight, but what choice did he have?
When he met Ron down the hallway, Ron told him he looked great. So much for taste, he thought. Anyway, he took the radio and fastened it to his belt along with the club. They were so heavy compared to what they issued on the police force now.
Ron made him sign for some keys and showed him the supply room.
There was a desk in there with a clipboard where they had to keep track of their rounds and any problems during the shifts so that the next guy would be informed.
Ron took his job very seriously and Gian knew he was proud of it. He thought Ronald was rather sweet. He was introduced to two other guards who were friendly and welcoming and then Ronald told him that he would take him on his rounds and show him what his duties were.
Gian adjusted the radio on his hip and followed Ron Collins down the corridor.
* * * *
Ace was in a good mood today. He had just received a letter from his father with fifty dollars in it. He was trying to encourage Cory to play cards with him in the recreation room just before lunch.
“No way, are you nuts?” Cory replied with a hoot of laughter. “Only crazy people play blackjack with you. Besides I have no money.”
“Damn,” he said, walking over to the window. “No one will play with me.”
Cory made a face and opened up a magazine. He was about to say something when Ace said, “Well, time for lunch. I hope there’s something good to eat tonight.”
“Spaghetti,” Cory said, standing up. “I like the way the new cook makes it.”
“Well, let’s go get it then, baby,” he said, throwing an arm around him.
They laughed, scampering down the hall to the cafeteria.
After getting their plates, they sat with some other boys. Daniel came in shortly after and sat beside Cory.
Cory grinned at him. “Hey, kid.”
“Hey, Cory,” he said. He didn’t smile back. In fact, he didn’t smile at all lately.
Suddenly Ace nudged him. “Hey, take a look at that over there in the line,” he said. “Maybe I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
There were a lot of boys looking suddenly.
But there were two teachers standing in the way of his view and Cory couldn’t see a thing. “What? I don’t see anything.”
“Wait, he’ll be coming this way with his plate soon. Ooh baby, maybe it’s my birthday.”
Cory made a noise of irritation. “Eat your…” he began taking a bite of his spaghetti, but then paused in mid bite and looked up.
There was a man walking down the aisle between the tables. He was tall and well built with black hair tied back at the neck.
The boys all turned to look at him at the same time. There was some heavy duty whispering which was drowned out by the general noise in the cafeteria and then some wolf whistles.
“That shirt is pretty tight,” Cory said.
“Umm…looks like he could burst right out of it, the pants, too.”
“Oh I could bust him right out of it anytime.” Cory smiled. “Haven’t seen a guy who looked that good…well…can’t remember when.”
“Must be Mark Taylor’s replacement,” Ace said.
Frank leaned over now and looked at Cory. “Christ, that’s a hard on, eh Cory?”
“Say that again,” Cory agreed, turning to look over at the table where Gian sat with Ronald Collins.
Frank was rough trade all the way and not afraid to speak his mind. He sometimes said things that made even Cory blush.
“Leave him to Cory and me,” Frank told Ace. “We know how to treat a man like that, don’t we, Cory?”
Cory turned his eyes back to him. “Yeah, and that’s one hell of a man.”
“I could tie him up and rape him until he begged for more,” Frank jeered.
Ace howled with laughter. “Fuck you, Frank. Did you see the muscles on that guy? And get a load of the size of him, man, he’d blow you over with his little finger.”
Cory couldn’t argue with that. “He’s right, but hey…can’t blame us boys for dreaming.”
They all laughed.
Suddenly got to his feet and called for attention. “Listen up boys, we have a new addition to the staff.” He pointed to Gian who nodded and then went back to his lunch. “Gian Franca is one of our new security men. I trust you will treat him with the same respect as the others.”
Someone yelled out. “I have no problem respect
ing that…I’ll worship at his feet if he wants.”
made a face as all the boys erupted into laughter. Eventually the cafeteria quieted and they went back to eating.
“He’s Italian,” Cory mentioned.
“Are they good lovers?” Daniel said for the first time.
Cory looked at him. “Daniel, you’re too young to—”
“I don’t think I’d mind him so much. He’s really handsome.”
Cory smiled and patted his head. He got up and returned his tray to the front. The day passed quickly. He spent the afternoon in class, ate supper and then sat to do homework. After the homework was done, they were permitted to spend an hour and a half of free time in the recreation room or watching television. They could go out into the yard if they wanted, but it was too cold.
Cory went to his room and started to work on that essay about love. Daniel had his books in front of him, but didn’t seem to be doing anything. He stared off into the distance.
* * * *
Gian walked down the hallway and looked into each room. There were two boys to a room. Most of them said hello. He said, “Hi,” and kept going.
When he came to the last room at the end of the hall, he knocked and walked in.
He knew right away that the older one was Cory. He recognized him suddenly from his picture in the file, nineteen and waiting for a suitable transition house. Taylor had mentioned Cory, a former prostitute and the consistent target of abuse by the guards. He’d been there for a few years. He was Andy Falcon’s favourite and, just by looking at him, he knew why. He was a good-looking guy with dark curly hair and the type of eyes that always seemed flirtatious. He was slim and rather graceful looking and for some reason right now, his face was red as a beat. He stood when he saw Gian.
“Hi,” Gian said.
“Hi,” Cory replied.
“Everything all right in here?”
Daniel looked at him now. “You’re handsome,” he said.
Cory gave him a look of shock. “Daniel! That’s forward.”
Gian smiled at him. “Why thank you and you are quite handsome yourself,” he told him as Daniel came over to stand in front of him. Gian placed a hand on his head. He couldn’t have been more than thirteen years old.
“You’re really tall, too.”
“Daniel,” Cory snapped. “What’s got into you? Sorry,” he looked at Gian.
“Not a problem,” Gian replied. “You’re very red in the face, Cory. Do you have a fever?” He walked over and placed a hand on his forehead.
“No. No. I’m fine,” he stuttered.
Gian backed away. “How do you find it in here?”
“It’s ah…all right.”
“You know if you need anything or…” he paused, “you need to talk to anyone about anything, you can talk to me.”
Daniel was still standing there looking up at him, his eyes wide.
Cory blinked. “About what?”
Gian shrugged. “Anything you like,” he replied, then ruffled Daniel’s hair and walked out.
* * * *
“Daniel,” Cory got off the bed and took his arm, “what’s gotten into you? You’d swear you never saw a man before. You can’t just tell strange men they’re handsome.”
“But he is handsome,” Daniel said. “And if he likes me, maybe he’ll protect me from the others and they won’t hurt me anymore.”
Cory pulled Daniel into his arms and crushed him against him. “Oh, Danny, poor little Danny,” he whispered. “I wish I could make it all go away.”
* * * *
Gian quickly checked his messages when he got home and then turned his answering machine off. He sat in front of the television set and closed his eyes. He would work three more day shifts and then switch to nights where he would finally meet those three guards.
Today had gone pretty well, although his encounter with Daniel had been tough. The kid showed definite signs of being a sexually abused child and he was so young.
Some sexually abused children stood out in that they didn’t know how to deal with sexuality appropriately. The only way they could relate to adults was on a sexual level.
Cory was an adult, but Gian could tell that he was terrified. When he had suggested that he could talk to him, he looked as if he might bolt and run.
He had focused on a couple of the other boys in that unit Mark had mentioned in his statement. There was Frank who was around sixteen years old who said, “Stay awhile and I’ll show you a good time,” when he’d walked in the room. And there was Ace, not quite as bold as Frank, but yet he’d looked at him as if he might devour him whole. Tony was around seventeen and very soft spoken. He got out of bed when he came in and paraded himself totally naked in front of him. When Gian told him to put some clothes on, he acted like he didn’t even realize he was naked.
He wondered if these boys acted out like that to the other guards. Maybe they did, but the guards weren’t trained to see the signs. Some of the counsellors must realize it.
The next day, he was back at Beaconsfield, doing his rounds after lunch right before first period when he smelt smoke. The boys weren’t allowed to smoke in the bathrooms. They could only smoke outside in the designated area.
As he neared the door, he could hear talking. He stood stock-still and listened.
“What is that guy’s name anyway?” one voice asked softly.
“That weird old man who burned Daniel with a cigar?” Another asked.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know, but I sure hope he doesn’t come Friday night. He tied me to the bed once for hours.”
“Pervert. Old bastard,” the other voice replied. His voice was very light and girlish. It sounded like Tony.
“I wouldn’t mind that new guard tying me to a bed,” was the next announcement. That was Cory’s voice or at least someone who sounded a hell of a lot like him. It was deeper, more mature.
“Tell me about it,” the other murmured. “He’s so sweet and what a smile. He’s a hunk and a half. He came to my room for bed check the other night and I walked out in front of him completely naked.”
“No,” Cory laughed. “Are you kidding? What in hell did you do that for? What did he do?”
“He said in that deep masculine voice of his put some clothes on, please I almost came right there. He could give me an orgasm just talking to me.”
They were laughing. Gian decided that before he overheard any more of this, he should interrupt.
“Wonder what it would be like to make love to that,” Cory sighed.
“Wonder what it would be like to make love to what?” He walked in and pushed open the stall with his boot.
They both scrambled off the toilet where they were perched. Cory lifted the lid and threw the cigarette in.
“Hi,” Cory waved at him, coughing a bit. He gave him a lopsided grin.
Tony winked at him. “Hi there, sexy.”
“Wonder what it would be like to make love to whom, Cory?” Gian asked him, raising an eyebrow. He knew he was embarrassing him, but he couldn’t resist. It was punishment for breaking the rules.
“Ah…just how much of that conversation did you hear, sailor?” Tony gave him the softest smile.
“Enough,” he said. “Anyone ever tell you smoking isn’t good for you?”
Cory was red again.
There was dead silence. “Okay, out of here,” Gian motioned, “You know you’re not supposed to smoke in the bathrooms.”
“We needed privacy,” Cory said as he came out of the stall, meeting his gaze.
“For what?” Gian demanded as they all walked out of the bathroom.
“To discuss you,” Tony brushed up against him.
Gian narrowed his eyes. “Bring along a magazine, I’m sure it would make for much more interesting bathroom entertainment.”
With that he walked off. Cory and Tony burst into laughter. “He’s not going to punish us?” Tony said to Cory, surprised.
“No, cause we’d like
it too much,” Cory replied, running a tongue over his lips which made Tony laugh all the more.
“Did you see those big brown eyes?”
“I saw, I saw,” Tony moaned as they went off to class together.
Later that afternoon, Gian felt someone tap him on the arm. He turned around to see Daniel standing there.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi, Daniel. What’s up?”
“Can you come with me to my room?”
“Why?”
“Because there is something I need in the closet and I can’t reach.”
“All right,” Gian looked at him curiously and followed him down the hall.
When they arrived in the room, Daniel said, “Can I do something for you?”
Gian narrowed his eyes. “Do something for me?”
“Yes, would you like to put it in me, or maybe I could smoke your pole.”
He said these like he was asking him if he wanted to play ball or go outside for a walk. Gian swallowed. “Daniel, you’re a child, a little boy. I’m a grown man. Grown men don’t do those things with children unless they are very sick men.”
“But it would be all right if you did it. You would be nice to me.”
“I can be nice to you without doing those things. Who are you afraid of, Daniel? Is there someone you want me to protect you from?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it as Cory came in.
Cory looked from one to another, then grabbed Daniel and pulled him away. “What are you doing in here alone with Daniel?”
“Nothing,” he said. “We were talking.”
“Daniel,” Cory said sharply, “leave us now.”
The little boy walked quickly out of the room.
Cory glared at Gian. “You wanted to talk,” Cory eyed him, “Let’s talk.” He walked over, closed the door and leaned on it. “You’re a big boy and I’m a big boy. I’m all grown up, even legal. Daniel is just a baby.” Cory said. “If you need something, take it from me…not a little boy…if you’re man enough.”
Gian took a step backward as Cory came closer. “You think I wanted to…molest Daniel? Why would you think that?”