by DJ Manly
“I know he’s young, but I have the experience,” Cory said, placing his hands on his chest.
Gian took Cory’s hands off his chest and went to open the door. “I’m going to ask you this one last time…why did you think I was trying to molest Daniel? Is someone here molesting him?”
Cory backed away. “No. I just thought that…”
Gian shook his head. “I assure you Cory, I am not a child molester. You and Daniel have nothing to fear from me.”
Cory met his gaze. “I just want you to know that I will protect Daniel at all costs and if you’re looking for…you know that kind of thing, then take me. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
“Message received,” Gian said, opened the door and walked out.
* * * *
The night, Cory lay in bed listening to Daniel chatter on about some television show. Finally, he asked him. “Danny, what was that guard doing in here today, you know, the good looking one?”
“I asked him to come and help me get something.”
“What?”
“I asked him if he wanted to put it in me or—”
“Daniel! What would you do that for?” Cory asked him severely, sitting up. “With all the other stuff…all the times I try and stop it, you go and invite—”
“I want to do it with him, and if I do, no one else will dare. He has kind eyes and he’s really big and he wouldn’t let anyone take me away. If I really pleased him, he’d protect me from the other ones.”
Cory sighed. He had tried to protect Danny, but sometimes he couldn’t. “What did he say when you asked him that?”
“He said no. He said I was a little boy and little boys and men didn’t do those things together unless the big men were sick persons.”
Cory let that sink in. “He wasn’t going to molest you then?”
“No. He asked me if someone was doing that and he told me that he would stop them.”
“He did.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t tell, did you…the details because you know what would happen if anyone knew. No one would really do anything for a long time and we’d get beaten up bad.”
“No, honest, Cory, I didn’t tell him anything,” Danny gulped, tears running down his face, “but I wanted to.”
“You must never tell because he could get fired or leave here and we’d be alone. Andy would kill us if he found out. I’ll protect you.”
“But you can’t, Cory, because you too are getting hurt.”
It was quiet and Cory took him into his bed and pulled him close. Tears collected in his eyes. “Shush,” he swallowed.
* * * *
Friday came and Gian had a hard time sleeping in the day. Tonight he would finally meet those bastards and he was more determined than ever to nail them. He just had to play it cool for now.
He was tired when he arrived at seven o’clock for the twelve-hour shift.
The boys were all in the recreation room, watching a movie.
He met Tim Anderson first. He was wearing a big hoop earring. He shook his hand and Gian felt like washing it after.
Gian was surprised when he slid up beside him in the recreation room and said, “You’re a cutie. I heard you were a looker, all that beautiful hair. How long you been growing it?”
Gian pretended to be friendly. “Just haven’t cut it in awhile.”
Tim, who was thinning on top, patted his own head and said, “Inherited from my dad. I’m only twenty-eight. Good thing I’m hairy down where it counts, eh?” he laughed, slapping Gian’s arm.
“Right,” Gian murmured dryly.
“Hey, you got a hell of a bicep there. You work out?”
“When I have time.”
“Nice. Take off your shirt for me later, I’d like to see the rest.”
Gian ignored that.
“Oh, here’s Andy,” he said. “Andy, come meet the new guy.”
Gian gave Andy a contained smile. He was big and fat and damn repulsive. He smelt like stale cigarettes, French fries and sweat.
“Well, well,” he said. “You’re on my watch, eh? Well, you be doing the bed checks tonight. Be sure and tuck in the little ones now.”
Gian met his eyes and nodded.
“Pug is somewhere around here, ain’t he?” Andy Falcon asked Anderson who nudged Gian’s arm.
“He depends on me for everything. I’ll go and find him, boss.”
“Go then. Gian, is it?” Andy glanced at him.
“That’s right.”
“We need to get to know each other. So, how come you’re switching shifts?”
Gian shrugged. “Used to nights, I guess. Thought I’d try them both out. I don’t mind.”
“Good. Look, we guys have a little party here on the weekends because after the boys are sleeping, we get bored. You could get yourself invited if you play your cards right.” He looked him up and down. “Which door you bang on, handsome?”
“Pardon me?” Gian replied, playing dumb.
“You like it in the back or the front? What team you pitch for, darling?” He insisted. “Sure as hell can’t tell by looking at you. Ah, just a minute,” he said, looking over at the boys.
Before Gian could answer, he was waddling down the aisle telling one the boys to stop throwing stuff. “I’ll get out my club,” he threatened and the boys settled down immediately.
“You got to be tough,” he told Gian when he came back. “Show them who the boss is ‘cause they’ll run the place otherwise.” Again, he ran his gaze over him. “You got quite a package down there.”
What a sleaze, Gian thought. “Thanks.” He made an attempt at a smile.
“It’s going to be a quiet party tonight. How old are you, honey?”
He shuddered inwardly at honey. “Twenty three,” he replied.
“Do you like to have a good time?”
“Sure, I like to have a good time.”
“Well, maybe we might just invite you one of these times.”
He walked off and Gian finally felt like he could breathe again.
The time came for the boys to go to bed. Gian went to do bed check.
When he came to Cory’s and Daniel’s room, he could tell that they were very tense. “You guys all right?” he asked, sticking his head in the door.
Danny shook his head.
“We’re fine,” Cory said.
All the lights went out except the emergency ones in the hallway.
He did the rounds often, three floors, upstairs then down. He waited. Then about midnight he saw Pug wandering the halls. He stopped and stayed in the shadows, waiting to see where he was going. Pug went into Frank’s room and took him out. He had his hand on his shoulder as he led him down to the end of the hallway.
“Who else is coming tonight?” Frank asked.
“I’m going to get Daniel and Cory.”
Gian sucked in some breath. He took the stairs two at a time to the third floor. Quietly he crept into the room where Daniel slept and lifted him out of the bed. He carried him down three flights to the utility room. There was a cot in there. He laid him on the cot.
Daniel opened his eyes and yawned. “What’s going on?”
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “Stay here. I’m going to lock the door. Only I have the key. Go back to sleep.” He covered him with a blanket and left, locking him in. Then he high tailed it back up to the third floor. Pug was there. He had Cory up against the wall.
“Where is he? Where in the hell is Daniel, you little prick!” He pulled down Cory’s pajama bottoms and grabbed his penis hard.
Cory gasped.
Gian came down the hall. “Pug!” he said. “What in fuck are you doing?”
“Daniel has disappeared and this little bastard has hidden him somewhere again.”
“I saw Daniel running outside,” Gian said. “That’s what I came to tell you.”
Pug paused. “Hey, come here,” he said softly in a voice that made Gian quite ill.
“You want
some of this action? I’d love to watch you do it to him.”
Cory looked at him with tear-filled eyes, scrambling to pull up his pants. Gian looked at Pug. “We need to find Daniel?”
“I’ll look for the little prick. Here,” he handed Gian a pair of handcuffs, “it’s better when he’s tied down.”
Gian swallowed. “Better go before he gets away.”
Pug ran down the hall.
Gian took Cory’s arm and led back into the room, the handcuffs dangling in his hands. He laid him down on the bed and put the blanket over him. “Did he hurt you?”
Cory nodded. “No, I’m all right.”
“Go to sleep. No one will bother you tonight.”
* * * *
Cory sat up in bed as he watched him walk to the door. “Aren’t you going to…”
But he was gone.
Cory eventually fell asleep, biting the blanket to quell the pain in his groin. When he woke up, Daniel was asleep in bed beside him. He looked more peaceful than he had ever seen him.
Saturday was lazy day, a time to complete homework or even go outside. Some of the boys had visitors, but Cory never got any. It was just his mother anyway and she was often too high to care about visiting him. She’d basically told him that now that he was an adult, she wasn’t responsible for him anymore. He guessed that meant she didn’t have to visit him anymore either. He wanted to leave this hellhole, to be free of the abuse he’d suffered here, but he didn’t know how he could leave Daniel. What if the authorities didn’t believe him when he got out and Daniel was left here all alone?
Cory kept asking Daniel what had happened to him the night before, but he couldn’t remember. He was fearful about tonight however because Andy was going to be angry that they’d messed up their party. Oh well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it.
He kept thinking about that new guard and how he had led him to bed, laid him down, covered him up and walked away. He didn’t even touch him when they were alone.
“Maybe he’s impotent,” Frank said at suppertime when Cory told him about it in a hushed voice.
“He is not!” Daniel protested hotly. “He’s perfect and he’s not whatever it is you say…im…pot…..or whatever,” he stuttered.
“You don’t even know what it means!” Frank accused, laughing.
“Yes I do and he’s not that!” Daniel stood and raised his fists.
Cory’s eyes widened. “Danny, what’s going on with you?”
“Take it back!” he said to Frank, ignoring Cory.
When Frank cried, “Impotent, impotent,” Daniel threw a punch at him and Frank ducked.
One of the guards came over and demanded to know what was going on as Cory took Daniel’s arm. “Nothing,” Cory said. “They’re just fooling around.”
“Knock it off,” he said and walked off.
“Good thing that was Cartwright,” Cory told Daniel. The nightshift hadn’t come on yet.
“I don’t care,” Daniel said, pouting as Frank walked off. “He doesn’t have to say those things about Gian.”
“Why are you so protective of him for?”
“I like him, that’s all.”
When the nightshift came on, Cory was playing cards with Ace for pennies and losing as usual.
Gian walked into the recreation room at eight o’clock. He looked around and then walked back out.
“There’s my sweetie,” Ace cooed.
“How come he’s your sweetie?” Cory teased.
“He just is.”
“Bull. Maybe he’s mine.”
“Or mine,” Tony piped in over Ace’s shoulder.
“He wouldn’t be interested in you,” Ace scoffed. “You’re too much of a sissy.”
“Fuck off,” Tony threw at him and walked away.
Daniel was sitting in the corner with his head back on the sofa. His eyes were closed. He had been sulking since suppertime and Cory knew why. Saturday nights were the worst for Daniel because that man with the cigar came and he was one sick bastard. He was a high paying client and Andy wouldn’t let Daniel out of his sight until that creep arrived.
Cory threw down his cards. “I give up, take all my pennies, I can’t beat you,” he said. “I even suspect you cheat.”
“Do not,” Ace blubbered. “Come on, who’s next? Come on Frank, Tony?”
They were into a show on television and ignoring him.
Cory went over to sit with Daniel. “What cha doing? Sleeping?”
“No, but I’m not going tonight, Cory.”
Just then Andy came barrelling in. “Daniel, I want to talk to you!” He bellowed.
Daniel was trembling.
Cory stood. “Andy, he’s sick. He’s not feeling well.”
Andy swept Cory out of the way with his hand, causing him to stumble and fall on his knees. He grabbed Daniel by his shirt. “Get up here, you little turd. Where in the hell were you last night? We looked all over for you! Is that what you think we have to waste our time on?”
“I’m sick, Andy, I’m sick,” he started to cry. Andy began dragging him toward the door.
Cory screamed at him, “Leave him alone. Leave him alone!”
The boys in the room were frozen to the spot with fear as Daniel yelled, “I’m sick, Andy, I’m sick.”
Cory jumped on Andy’s back and he threw him off.
Just then Gian came through the door. He looked at Andy and then at Daniel who was dangling at the end of Andy’s fist by his collar. Cory was getting up off the floor.
His first instinct was to grab Daniel away from Andy and then beat the crap out of him, but of course he wouldn’t get anywhere doing that. He had to save Daniel from Andy, but he couldn’t make an enemy of him yet.
“Oh Andy, look, Daniel is really sick. Look at his face. You have the right idea isolating him from the other boys. It could be contagious.”
Andy didn’t know what to say.
“Come to me, Daniel. I’ll look after you,” Gian demanded, meeting the boy’s eyes. “Daniel,” he snapped, “come over here now.”
Andy loosened his hold for a second and Daniel struggled free, running into Gian’s legs and clinging to his waist.
Gian picked him up and took him out of the room, leaving Andy standing there.
Andy turned around. “Go back doing what you were doing,” he said to the other boys. “There’s nothing to see here.”
Cory sat on the sofa, breathless. He had been so frightened. He wasn’t sure what had just happened.
Later that night as he lay in bed, he heard the familiar footsteps. Daniel had not come back, so he assumed he was in the sickbay. He was relieved.
Pug came to get him. He pulled him out of bed and pushed him along the hall, down the stairs and then down the other long hallway. Cory hated this hallway. The cement was cold on his bare feet and he never knew who he was going to meet at the end of it.
When he walked in, the man with the cigar was there. He was bitching about his little Daniel not being available.
“Won’t Cory do?” Andy said, trying to appeal to him by walking over and pulling down Cory’s pajama bottoms.
“Turn around and bend over,” the man barked, rising and coming over to him. I’m going to see how long it takes you to bleed, boy.”
Hot tears fell on Cory’s cheeks.
* * * *
Everyone froze when Gian walked in with Tim. Gian quickly summed up the scene, trying to figure out how he could spare Cory without making it too obvious. “Tim,” Gian said, looking at him, “I am disappointed.”
“How come?”
“Well, I come in and find this guy here. I’m not interested in watching.”
All the while Gian felt the old guy looking at him. He knew this guy was paying big bucks and they’d let this pervert do whatever he wanted. Gian winked at the guy with the unlit cigar between his teeth. “You like them young, eh? This guy you got there is too old. He’s an adult man.”
“You have a good eye,” he
said. “The younger they are, the better I like them.” He paused. “But a man like you…” he announced, “you could dominate me. You could make me your slave. How about taking off that uniform and showing me if you got anything to offer?”
Gian stifled an urge to retch. “Bet I could fuck you so hard your ass would explode,” Gian told him, knowing exactly what this guy wanted. He liked to terrorize kids, but when there was a man in the equation, he enjoyed being dominated.
The Cigar man smiled. “You’d have to gag me and tie me down. You’d have to rape me and I’d fight you.” His eyes were glossing over.
“All right you demented little piece of shit, but not in a crowd,” Gian told him. That just came out.
Luckily, the cigar man loved the verbal abuse. “In the back room then?”
“That’s fine. Let’s go.”
“But what if I don’t like it?”
“I’m in charge, not you. You’ll like it if I tell you to,” Gian remarked. He took off his club. “I didn’t become a security guard for nothing,” he slapped the club in his hand.
“Hey,” Tim said. “I want to watch.”
“No,” Gian replied. “I’m not interested in an audience and take Cory upstairs, too, or it’s a no go.”
“I’ve been so very, very bad,” the man moaned. “Please master.” He got on his knees.
Andy looked at Tim. “Privacy. The client has needs and Gian here has been nice enough to fulfil them.”
“Crawl into that room, you lowlife,” Gian demanded.
Cory’s eyes widened.
The cigar man crawled into the room.
“You’re really good at that,” Andy grinned. “What an actor.”
Gian looked at Andy, “You owe me. I know you’re getting paid for this.”
“I’ll cut you some.”
“I don’t want money. I want you to take him upstairs,” he said, pointing to Cory. “And later, he’s mine.”
“You want him now?”
“No, when I’m finished with the old guy.” He walked over to Cory. He looked at him for a moment and then wiped the tears off his cheeks. He wanted to take care of him suddenly. He undid his Beaconsfield shirt, took it off and put it around him. “Wait for me in your room.”