by DJ Manly
He looked surprised. “I don’t think so. I want someone I can take my frustrations out on. You’re too big,” he laughed.
“Not man enough?” Gian challenged him.
Andy took an interest now in the conversation.
Pug didn’t answer.
“The man asked you a question, Paul,” Andy slapped himself into a chair.
“The question is, are you man enough, Franca?” Pug stood.
Gian walked over to him. “Try me. I’ve got a few frustrations of my own that might require some venting.”
“Well then come on, baby,” he yelled, grabbing his shirt collar.
* * * *
Cory woke up at around three in the morning and looked at his alarm. No one had come to get him and by this time, he felt pretty safe. He sighed with contentment and went back to sleep.
* * * *
When Gian walked into Mason’s office at a little after eleven, his eyes widened. “What in the hell happened to you?”
He had a black eye and a swollen lip. “You should see the other guy. I think you are going to have to call in a replacement tonight.”
“My God,” he whispered. “What can I do for you, besides get you a hospital bed?”
Gian laughed weakly, causing his mouth to sting. “I’ll live. I’ve been worse. Look, I need you to install cameras here.”
“Cameras?”
“Yes, hidden cameras. I want you to draw up an initiative and date it two months ago. In this report, you state your intention of installing hidden cameras to increase security.”
“But you want me to lie?”
“Yes. I want you to lie.” Gian sat, wincing. He didn’t even want to think about last night.
“We don’t have the budget for—”
“Listen, I want you to call someone today and have a camera installed in that room the guards use down in the basement. You can put the others in or not, I don’t care. If anything is said, your response is that you were doing it bit by bit so as not to blow your budget. This is between you and me for now.”
“And why I am doing this?” he asked.
“Because I can get what I need on tape and the lawyers for the defence can’t claim the guys were set up. You didn’t install the cameras for the purpose of catching them doing anything. It was done for security. You understand?”
“I do but I—”
Gian stood. “Listen to me, Mason. You are the fucking director here. You run this hellhole. Anything that happens here is your god damned responsibility. This is a small price to pay. If you don’t do this, I swear to God, when this is all over, you are going down, along with the other snakes.”
Mason saw the flash of anger in those eyes. This was a guy you didn’t want as an enemy. He meant it. He nodded. “All right. I’ll call right now.”
“I’ll wait for him, so I can tell him where I want it,” Gian said. “Oh and I need to use your copy machine.”
“No problem,” Mason said.
* * * *
He went up the stairs to the third floor and walked into Cory’s room. The diary was there, right where he had last seen it. He took it and went back down stairs. He copied every single page, slipped it inside his jacket and went back up to the room. He replaced it and came back downstairs again quickly.
The alarm guy was there waiting for him in front of Mason’s office. Gian led him downstairs to the room and showed him exactly where he wanted him to put the camera.
Then he went home and lay on the sofa. He was sore and exhausted, but satisfied that the camera had been a good idea. He took out the photocopied pages of Cory’s diary and began to read.
* * * *
Ms. Anderson liked his essay on love. She wanted him to read it aloud, but he didn’t want to. “Do you mind if I read it?” she asked.
Cory shrugged. “If you want to.”
“Romantic love is just like any kind of love, but there’s more to it. I think all love means wanting to be around that person, share good times and bad. You would trust that person will all your heart and want to sacrifice for them. That person would always want to make you happy and never hurt you. They would forgive you for anything. Romantic love is the same except that whenever you see the person, your heart skips a beat. You feel dizzy and weak and you want to touch that person. You dream about them and, when they don’t feel the same, it hurts a lot.”
Frank jumped out of his seat and said, “I know who Cory loves, Miss. I know who he’s talking about.”
“Shut up,” Cory threatened, “or I’ll plug you one.”
“Enough. Frank, sit down.”
“Cory loves Gian Franca and he wants to sleep with him.”
Cory got up and went to sock Frank, which caused the teacher to call for security as they rolled around on the floor.
Ronald Collins came immediately and put both Cory and Frank in solitary to think about what they had done.
* * * *
Gian fell asleep reading the diary. He read about nights of torture and agony and Andy Falcon was mentioned everywhere. Tim and Pug too were mentioned, as well as clients with weird tastes and brutal natures. There were other kids talked about, kids that had left the institution. He had just got to the part where he was mentioned, but he couldn’t keep his eyes open anymore. He fell asleep.
Later that afternoon, he made coffee and picked up the diary again. Cory referred to him as the new guy, and as he read the passages while trying to drink his coffee, he felt a little guilty. This was private and it was about him. But it had to be read before he could decide if it would constitute worthwhile evidence.
The descriptions of him were graphic. Apparently he was the topic of conversation among the boys. Cory got into describing him in detail and he wasn’t shy about his choice of words.
As the days went by, Cory wrote more and more about him. He spent two pages describing the way he smiled, an entire page on his voice. He couldn’t help but be touched. At one point, Cory wrote, “I could very well be in love with this guy if he’d give me the time of day. I literally tingle all over when he’s near. There is like this sexual energy that comes from him, maybe it’s in those beautiful brown eyes of his. I swear I’ve never felt like this before. If he touched me, I’d be on my knees in a second.”
There were pages also where Cory cursed his name in every sentence. “He’d rather shove a bat up a fat guy than even touch me. I don’t understand it! Am I that repulsive? I can’t be as repulsive as that fat bastard, Falcon!”
He wrote further on, “I don’t know if he saved Daniel or used him for his own pleasure. I don’t know anything anymore, except God help me, I’m addicted. Instead of dying of torture and abuse in this place, I might just die of heartbreak.”
Gian put down the pages and sighed. He felt like shit, from his violent encounter with Pug last night as well as from reading Cory’s most intimate thoughts. His intention was not to torment some poor kid, but apparently he was doing just that.
Last night he had gotten into it with Pug. Andy had set it up. They would see who would cry chicken first, giving each other abuse until one of them gave up. He completely lost it, getting caught up in the sex and the violence. Pug finally eventually gave in, covered in blood. He could hardly stand up. He put up his hand like a white flag at one point and then lost consciousness on the floor. Andy declared Gian the winner, but he didn’t feel like a winner. He felt like hell. He was sore all over and bleeding himself. But damn, there was a part of him that enjoyed giving that much pain to Pug.
He took a shower and went to Beaconsfield. He was stiff and sore all over. Andy met him in the hall. “We’re a man short tonight,” he told him. “Keep your eyes open. Wow, aren’t we cute,” he laughed. “By the way, you were great last night. What a turn on, so masculine and strong. Bet Pug won’t challenge you again.”
Gian watched him leave. He had won points with Andy that was sure. He walked into the recreation room and three of the boys looked up at him, shocked at what th
ey saw.
Then Cory came in. He looked at him and then let out a gasp. “Holy shit, what happened to you?”
“Fooling around,” he said.
“Um…what’s the other guy look like?” Cory asked.
“He’s taking a sick day.”
Cory grinned. “My hero. Who was it?”
“Never mind.”
“We’ll know anyway,” Frank came over, “who ever doesn’t show up was the one.”
“It was Pug,” Gian said, “now go back to what you were doing.”
There was a round of applause.
Cory still looked concerned. “Why didn’t anyone come for me last night?”
“They were otherwise entertained,” he replied and walked away.
Cory looked at Frank, his eyes misting over, “He did that for me.”
“What? Get real,” Frank laughed.
“No. Pug must have been in his mean mood. He always comes after me when he gets that way. He didn’t come for me last night.”
“Believe what you want, honey,” Frank shook his head. “It’s your fantasy.”
“No, it’s not a fantasy, Frank. I know what he did. He took on Pug, so that he wouldn’t take it out on me. What I don’t understand is why did he do it.” Before Frank could say anything else, Cory left the recreation room and went down the hallway looking for Gian. He found him finally in the little room the guards used to store their equipment.
Gian was just locking it when Cory approached him.
Cory turned him around and took his arm. “Come with me,” he said.
Gian narrowed his eyes. “What? Where?”
Cory led him to the infirmary. “Open the door. I’m going to put something on that lip. It could get infected.”
“Its fine,” Gian protested, but Cory insisted he open the door. Gian complied and Cory led him inside.
“Sit,” he said.
Gian hid a smile. “Yes, boss.”
“Don’t get smart,” Cory told him, searching in the medicine cabinet. He took out alcohol, cotton and ointment. He came close to him and soaked the cotton in alcohol. “Now this is going to sting.”
He pressed the wet cotton to Gian’s lip and he recoiled with a low hissing sound. “Damn, that hurt,” he said.
“Big baby. Of course it hurts, stupid,” Cory shook his head.
Gian again hid a smile. He raised an eyebrow. “Now, what are you planning to do to me?”
“Not finished yet. I have to clean it,” he insisted, wiping the cotton over it again.
Gian winced. Ouch,” he said. “I think it was better when it was infected. It hurt less.”
“Shut up,” he said. Then he looked at his eye. “Damn, he gave you one hell of a black eye. May I ask why?”
“No, you may not,” Gian replied.
“Ice pack, we need an ice pack. It’s really swollen.” He went over to the fridge and pulled out a soft ice pack.
He came back and pressed it against his eye. Gian groaned. “Damn, you are rough.”
“I’m not rough,” Cory laughed. “You know for a big guy, you’d swear you were about five years old. Now, hold that on your eye. While you hold it there, you’re going to tell me why you did that for me last night.”
“Did what for you?” He put down the pack.
Cory picked it up and put it back again. “You know what. You took on Pug so he wouldn’t beat me up. Why?”
“I didn’t do it for you,” Gian told him. “We were having fun.”
“Some fun,” Cory scoffed.
“It was…for awhile,” Gian grinned.
Cory shook his head. “Were you the type of boy who was always getting into fights as a kid?”
“Actually, yes,” he replied, which was true, but there was a reason for that. And although he didn’t like discussing it, he thought it might be the time to tell him why he got into fights.
Cory met his eyes. “Why?”
“Because my uncle was molesting me,” he replied. It was still hard to say.
“How come?”
“My parents died in a car accident when I was ten and he took me in. It started when I was eleven. I never told anyone. I just acted out, got into fights, stole things and took drugs.”
“So,” Cory asked hesitantly, “how did it stop?”
“I finally got arrested by someone who cared and I told him to lock me up. He wanted to know why I didn’t want to go home and I told him.”
“What happened then?”
“He adopted me.”
Cory’s eyes widened. “Really? What about your uncle?”
“I never saw him again. Didn’t want to either.”
“But now, you don’t feel…I mean, are you over it?”
“After some counselling, yes. It took time.”
Cory reached over and caressed his hair. “Did he hurt you?”
“Sometimes, yes.”
“Were there times you…well you enjoyed it?” Cory looked away.
“Many times. I thought it was me, my fault, but it wasn’t. It never was.”
“I feel like that sometimes, like…I want it, but I don’t want it to be like that or with them. Do you know what I mean?” He moved his hand away from his hair.
Gian got up out of the chair. “I know what you mean. If you told someone, then maybe…I mean, it would stop, not only for you, but for all the other boys in here. Can you just walk away when your time is done and not think about the ones who will come after you? The Daniels…and the Tony’s and—”
“Stop!” Cory snapped. “I’m not responsible for the whole damn world. All my life I’ve been used. No one has ever done anything for me. I don’t owe anyone anything.”
“I didn’t say you did,” Gian replied.
“Anyway, sit. I’m not finished with you.”
Gian sat again. Cory began to put some of the ointment on his lip. “You are supposed to apply the ice often you know.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
Cory grinned. Then he said, “Oh, by the way, thank you.”
“For what?” he asked, raising that eyebrow of his.
“For letting me sleep last night.”
Gian met his eyes. “Did you have sweet dreams?”
“Yes,” he replied, moving away from him. “I was dreaming about you.”
Gian remembered what he had written in his diary. When I’m close to him I feel weak. I actually tremble. Gian got up and crossed the room. It was better to avoid being alone with him, not get too close. “Let’s go. It’s almost bed time.”
Cory went out into the hallway and watched as Gian locked the door.
They walked together down the hall without a word, then Cory went to his room to get ready for bed.
Gian met Ace in the hallway soon after. He gave him a shy smile and continued walking. He knew what the smile was for.
Tim was still angry at him for hauling Ace off to sickbay. When he walked by him, he heard him say, “Asshole,” under his breath.
He was preoccupied with his own thoughts tonight. He knew that anytime the commissioner might decide to pull him out, decide it wasn’t worth the department’s resources. If they did, it would be all over.
He also knew that he was going to have to push the limit, but it was hard. He knew of cases where undercover officers were asked to kill someone or stand by and watch while someone was killed. It wasn’t easy. When you became a cop, you swore to serve and protect. In all good conscience, he couldn’t have sex with minors to provide evidence and yet he couldn’t fake everything because Andy was not a fool. This job required you to do things at times which were unpleasant and even illegal, but you were always walking a tightrope. You could leave yourself open for prosecution, too. Sometimes it was hard to claim you had no choice in the matter and, unless you could prove you had to break the law in the name of justice, internal Affairs would hang you out to dry.
The camera was a good idea, but he had no idea if it would hold up in court. He knew he had stepped in too ma
ny times to protect the boys. He was only prolonging the inevitable. He had to get something on camera that he could convince the D.A. to take to the jury. The audio tapes he was making were good, but not enough.
He needed another week at least. Everyday he expected to hear a message on his answering machine requesting that he come in to the precinct. It hadn’t happened yet, but he knew it was coming.
Andy was standing next to him now, watching the boys streaming down the hall from the bathrooms. “Stop stalling, get moving,” Andy barked.
He was checking out the boys. “There’s a new kid just come in,” Andy said close to his ear. “He’s twelve, a blushing little virgin. Check it out,” he said as a sweet cherub-like blond kid walked past. “I’m putting him in with Cory. Tonight we’ll bring him down for initiation.”
Gian clamped his teeth together.
“Hey, Cory, come here,” Andy motioned to him as he came out of his room.
He steered him around the corner.
Gian stood perfectly straight, thinking of that new little boy. He made his hands into fists and then crossed his arms to keep himself in one place. How he wanted to knock him into next week, the big ugly pig.
Sometime later, Gian was beginning to wonder where Cory was. He wasn’t in his room. He met Tim in the hallway and asked him.
“Probably downstairs,” he gave him a heated look. “I’m not his keeper. Andy is probably fucking him upside down and sideways. I’ve got to get the new kid,” he said, pushing by him.
Tense, Gian finished off his bed checks, turning out the lights. He saw Tim with the new boy. He was dragging him off down the hall. Tonight could be the night he got everything he wanted on that camera, but damn, he couldn’t stand by and watch them hurt that little boy. He was going to have to be there.
When the quiet came, Gian made his way downstairs again. He knew that Cory and Ace were missing, as well as that little boy. The door was locked when he arrived so he banged hard on it. If Andy hadn’t of answered it, he would have knocked it down, case or no case. Andy was completely naked and when Gian stepped inside that room, he was relieved to see the little boy sitting in a chair eating candy. “Who is he?” Gian asked Andy, wondering where the other two boys were, probably in the other room.