An annoying, persistent sound reverberated through the dark still bedroom, waking Dean McCall up from his deep sleep. He fumbled blindly in the darkened bedroom as he felt for the telephone. He groggily answered, "Hello."
"I'm sorry to wake you, Dean," Keith Lindstrom's voice said through the earpiece of the phone, "but I'm in serious trouble and I need your help."
Dean shook his head as he switched on his bedside lamp, "Christ, it's two o'clock in the morning, Keith."
"Please," Keith pleaded. "You're the only one I can trust. I'm begging you ... if you don't help me; I'm as good as dead."
"Okay, okay! Cool down, dude. Are you on drugs? Because if you are, I'll beat the shit out of you."
"You know me better than that. I'm not tripping out, this is serious, Dean. I wouldn't be calling you in the middle of the night otherwise."
"Okay ... where are you?"
"I'm home."
"What the hell do you need me for? My God, you have a damn household staff to take care of you. Anyway, where's your watchdog, Bruno?"
"Look, your wasting valuable time. Can I count on you or not?"
"Okay, okay, I'll leave as soon as I can throw some rags on."
"Dean, don't tell anyone where you're headed, not even your folks."
"Who the hell would I tell at two in the morning? Anyway, my folks are out of town."
"One more thing, buddy, the code has been changed. The new code is 1830. Once you're through the gate, come around to the back entrance. I'll unlock the door and turn off the alarm and the flood lights. Dean, I hate to ask you this, but will you use your bike to get here? I'll explain why after you get here; please hurry."
"You don't want much, do you? It'll take twenty minutes longer by bike to get over to your place."
"It can't be helped. Try not to be spotted and keep off the main roads."
"All right, I see you in a half hour."
The mansion looked deserted as Dean approached the main gate to the Lindstrom Plantation. No light was seen through any of the windows. Dean rode his bike around to the back and parked it at the rear entrance. The door was unlocked as Keith said. He took the rear service stairs, two at a time, up to the second floor. The light was shining brightly from the open door to Keith's bedroom suite. Dean noticed four large plastic leaf bags in the hall outside the door.
Dean walked into the sitting room and called out to Keith.
"I'm in the bathroom," Keith answered.
"Holy sweet Jesus," Dean exclaimed when he saw Keith. "What in Christ's name happened to you?!! You look like you went 15 rounds with Mike Tyson?"
Dean was not prepared for what he saw. Keith was completely naked standing in front of the sink. His face bruised and swollen. His back and buttocks were covered with red and blue welts, as if he had been beaten.
"Thanks for coming, Dean. We've got to load up my van and get out of here," Keith said. "I didn't want to get you involve in this, but I'm too weak to make it on my own. Will you please reach into the bottom of that medicine cabinet and take out one of the 6-inch Ace bandages. I tried to do it myself, but I can't bend over. Your going to have to bind my rib cage, I think they broke a couple of my ribs."
Dean found the bandage and wrapped Keith's ribs. When Keith turned to face him, Dean saw the ugly burn marks around his genital area. "Oh my God, Keith, who did this to you? You're in bad shape, buddy. I'm taking you to the emergency room, pronto!"
"No!! You'll find a spray can of Dermoplast and a bottle of pain killers in there," Keith said. "Good, give me two tablets right now and spray the burns in my groin."
Dean did as he was asked. "God that feels better," Keith said. "Now grab several pairs of surgical gloves from the medicine chest and follow me." Keith winced as he walked out of the bathroom.
"Keith, don't you think you should put some clothes on first?"
"Not now, we don't have any time to waste. Anyway, my uncle is the only one in the house and he's out cold until tomorrow." They walked down the hall to his uncle's room. The heavy draperies were drawn. Jeb Lindstrom, Keith's uncle was sprawled out face up on the bed sound asleep. He was dressed in black leather boots, pants and a fancy harness with all kinds of chain and buckles. Dean followed Keith into Jeb's dressing room. The walls were neatly lined with suits, shirts, slacks and racks of shoes. Everything was perfectly in order. Mounted on the wall at the opposite end of the room was a large full-length mirror.
"Dean, put on a pair of those rubber gloves and feel for a button to the right of that fifth shelf, right next to the mirror. Dean found the button and depressed it.
With that, the mirror swung inward revealing a small room. "The light switch is to the right just inside the door," Keith said. One side of the room contained filing cabinets, the other side was lined with all kinds of leather clothes and S&M gear.
Mounted in the center of the back wall was a large steel door to the walk-in safe. To the right of the door was a computer console with two computers, a laptop and a desktop. Keith booted up the computers and copied the files from the desktop to the laptop.
"This won't take long," Keith said. "While that's running, I need to remove the back-up tape copies and some important papers out of the safe."
Keith opened the safe and found the folders and the tapes he wanted and handed them to Dean. "Here put these into one of those plastic bags."
Keith locked the safe and checked the computers. "Good, another ten minutes and the files will be copied." He had Dean open the filing cabinets, remove several file folders, and place them into the plastic bag.
Keith returned to the computers and disconnected his laptop from the host computer. Before turning off the main computer, he formatted the hard drive, zapping the entire hard drive. "Pay back is a bitch, uncle," Keith said as he turned off the computer. They left, closing the safe door and the hidden panel and returned to Keith's suite.
"Dean would you please take all the bags downstairs and set them inside the back entrance?" Keith asked. "When you've finished that, come on back up and help me dress."
When Dean returned, he found Keith was standing with his back against the wall with his eyes shut. "Keith, are you going to make it? I still think I should take you to see a doctor."
Keith opened his eyes with a pained expression on his face. "If you did that, you would be signing my death warrant. I cannot stay in the State of Mississippi. You've got to help me get out tonight. If you don't, you'll never see me again. If you want that on your conscience, than take me to the hospital and kiss me goodbye."
"Okay, Tiger, we'll do it your way."
Keith led out a sigh of relief, "Grab one of the large suitcases in my dressing room and pack it with some underwear, socks, sweat suits and whatever else you think I'll need. One more thing before you close the bag, take the three folders from the middle drawer of my desk and pack them in the bag as well."
Keith slowly and painfully walked to the bathroom and took a clean terrycloth robe from the rack. He filled his shave kit and returned to the bedroom. "Would you help me on with this robe, I can't raise my arms?"
"Jesus, Keith. I can't believe your uncle would allow this to happen to you. Those burns on you testicles and penis are oozing again; I'll give them another shot before we go."
"Thanks, Dean, you're a lifesaver."
After he sprayed him once again, he helped him put the robe on and found a pair of slip-on loafers in the dressing room. "What's next?" he asked.
"My wallet, it's on the night stand. We have one more stop to make, then were out of here. We'll take the elevator to the basement." Keith switched off the light as he left the suite.
They rode the elevator to the basement. Dean followed Keith into the gym and back to the weight lifting room. He opened the door at the back of the room using the touch pad to the right of the door and walked in.
"Holy Christ," Dean said. "This is a damn torture chamber."
The room was complete with ropes and leather hardness dangling from chains from the ceiling. There were leather ankle cuffs bolted into the floor. The same type of restraints were attached to the wall. Directly in the center of the room was a tilt table.
Hanging on the far wall were every type and size of torture device made, from whips, dildos, cock and ball stretchers, tit clamps, electric prods, everything to make a slave's master happy. Dean noticed the fresh blood in the center wooden table. The tilt table had harness straps and special gadgets attached to it. It looked like something from a Frankenstein movie.
"This is where they tortured you, isn't it?" Dean asked.
Keith nodded his head, "We've got to take all the video tapes out of that filing cabinet," Keith said.
Dean filled five bags and carried them out to the elevator. Keith turned off the lights and closed the door. They rode the elevator to the first floor where Dean moved everything to the back door.
Keith pushed the garage door opener and asked Dean to back his van up to the back door and load the van including Dean's bike. After the van was loaded, Keith walked into the garage and returned with a briefcase in his hand. He set the alarm system and closed the back door to the house. Dean helped him into the van. "Where to," Dean asked?
"To the nearest public telephone, then to the airport," Keith said. When they reached the main road, Keith said, "This is the plan. When you find a telephone, I want you to charter an Air Ambulance to fly me to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Ask them to make sure they have a security guard with them as well."
"As soon as that's arranged, you can drive me to the General Aviation terminal at Jackson International Airport. After they load me on the Air Ambulance, you will park this van in the secured parking area and take a cab home.
Tomorrow morning, you can drive back here in your own car and unload the stuff from this van. Take it over to the Airborne Express and have them pack-it up and forward it to me in Atlanta. I am using an alias for now. The name I'm using is Keith Limberg. I've written all the information down for you. Use your name and address as the sender.
After the dust has settled, I would like you to drive the van to Atlanta the first chance you get. This van is special to me and I don't want to leave it around here for my uncle. Will you do this for me?"
"Sure, I'll try to make it this coming weekend. I'll take a couple of days off from Wendy's. Why all the secrecy?"
"My uncle is going to try to find me. He will definitely check out my friends to see if they know anything. He has no clue where I'm headed. That's why I want the van in a safe place until you're ready to drive it to Atlanta."
"After you unload the van, replace Mississippi license plates with the new Georgia plates. They are hidden under the spare tire in the wheel well along with the registration papers. Everything is registered in the name of Keith Limberg. Bury the Mississippi tags, along with the registration papers."
"Look, Dean, there's a telephone in that rest stop up ahead. Pull in there and make the call to the Air Ambulance service. Tell them my blood type is 'O'."
Dean returned after making the call. "You don't look good at all, Keith, I'm really worried about you."
"I'm feeling much better now that you're with me. What did the Air Ambulance people have to say?"
Dean said, "They have a plane standing by and will be ready to take off in thirty minutes. I told them that you wanted to be flown to Atlanta for treatment, and you would need to see a top notch plastic surgeon. They said they would have a doctor and a medic on board that can handle any emergency and provide you with the bodyguard you requested. They'll also arrange to have an ambulance standing by when you land to take you to the hospital. I told them you were going to pay for this with a credit card, Keith."
"Dean, you don't know how much your help means to me. I have one last favor to ask. It's going to take a while before I'm back to normal and I don't know anyone in Atlanta. I'm asking you to move up to Atlanta and take care of me until you start Georgia Tech in August. If you agree, I'll pick-up all your expenses and pay you a salary."
"I need someone I can trust. For now just tell your folks, and the people at Wendy's, that Tech lost some of your paperwork and you need to run up to Atlanta to straighten things out. You may as well pack all the things you're taking to Tech and load them in my van. Tell your folks you're going to look for a job while you're in Atlanta, since they know you're going to need a part time job anyway."
"I'll be glad to help you out, Keith, and I'd do it for free if I didn't need the money for college."
"That's why I want to pay you a salary. I need you more than Wendy's and the pay will be a hell of a lot better."
"Hey, now you're talking my language, Tiger."
Dean parked in front of the general aviation terminal.
"Open my briefcase," Keith said, "and take out the envelope with your name on it. You'll five thousand dollars in cash in it. That should take care of all your expenses after taking care of the airfreight charges."
"Take the backup tapes I made and forward them to me in Atlanta, by registered mail. Would you please pull out my wallet from the briefcase and find my American Express card? You'll need that to pay the Air Ambulance people. God, I wish you were coming with me."
"So do I," Dean said. "Let me run into the terminal and check on your aircraft."
He left Keith in the van and walked into the terminal. He returned a few minutes with the Air Ambulance people and the bodyguard. After introducing Keith to Tom Blake, the bodyguard, Dean said, "Before you move Mr. Limberg, he would like to have a few words in private with Tom."
Tom got into the driver's side and closed the door. Five minutes later, Tom got out. "Mr. Limberg is ready to be moved," Tom said. They transferred Keith to a stretcher and wheeled him into the terminal.
Dean locked the car up and followed them with Keith's luggage. They wheeled Keith directly to the plane.
The bodyguard took the bags, the computer and briefcase from Dean and stowed them in a small baggage compartment. "I'll take care of everything, Mr. Limberg," Tom said.
They filled out the paperwork and the pilot took the credit card from Dean and left. A few minutes later the pilot returned, and said, "Everything is in order, Mr. Limberg; we'll be taking off momentarily."
Dean opened Keith's briefcase and replaced his card and wallet. He walked over to Keith and patted his hand. Dean said, "Tom make sure the hospital locks up Mr. Limburg's bags when you arrive. I'm sure Emory has a secure place to take care of that."
Keith said, "Thanks for everything, Dean, you're a life saver. I'll see you in Atlanta this weekend."
"Mister McCall, sorry to have kept you waiting, I'm Doctor Peterson, Keith's doctor, we spoke earlier this week. Let's sit in the doctors' lounge and talk."
They found a quite corner and sat. "Keith has listed you as his next of kin," Dr. Peterson said. "How are you related to Keith?"
"We are close friends, I'm not a blood relative," Dean said.
"Before I can tell you anything, I would like to see your identification, Mr. McCall."
Dean pulled out his wallet and showed the doctor his driver's license and his GA Tech identification card.
"Keith is still in the intensive care unit and will be for another few days. He had to have emergency kidney surgery two days ago. This is his third major operation in six days. We feel we have stabilized his condition."
"We had to report this case to the Dekalb County Police Department. The Police filed an incident report to cover the hospital and the County. We're required by law to report all cases like this. Of course, there's nothing the police can do about this since the incident took place outside their jurisdiction. However, the report will be on file with the County if Keith decides to press charges. All Keith told us was he was beaten up and he knows who his attackers were."
"Keith has hired the law firm of Hancock, Graceland, & Hancock to representing him. In fact, John Graceland is his personal attorney. He will not allow anyone to talk to Keith without his permission," Dr. Peterson said.
"Doctor, please fill me in on Keith's condition," Dean asked.
"He is still listed in critical condition. Keith is lucky to be alive. If it was not for the skills of the doctor on the Air Ambulance he would not have made it. Keith was bleeding internally when he arrived here. He had a punctured lung, a broken jaw, two badly bruised and inflamed kidneys and a bladder infection."
"He has an inflamed scrotum, swollen testicles, and multiple cigar burns in his groin area. His rectum was such a mess it took the specialist two hours to sew him up. His entire body, including the soles of his feet were injured from the severe beating he received. The beating was a deliberate act of a sadist who inflicted the beatings over a period of several hours."
"According to my colleagues, this is not the first time Keith had been abused, Mr. McCall. They found scar tissue on his wrists and ankles. He looked like the POW I treated in Viet Nam."
"May I see him?" Dean asked.
"Of course, you can sit with him as long as you want. The staff may chase you out from time to time, but I see no reason why you can't stay with him. It's somewhat difficult for him to speak, so don't encourage him to talk. He needs a familiar face around him about now."
"Don't be alarmed by all the tubes and monitoring equipment that is attached to him. Since your are his next of kin, you have a lot to say about what happens to him, more so then his attorney at this point, don't let Mr. Graceland push you around."
"Don't worry, doctor, Keith is my best friend and if I have anything to say about it, no one is going to hurt him, ever again. This shouldn't have happened to a nice guy like Keith. I can only tell that he had a tough life ever since his parents were wiped out in an automobile accident five years ago. One question, where are his personal effects?"
"There locked up in a vault in our security office."
"Good."
"I'm glad you asked," The doctor said, "Keith asked me to give you this envelope when you arrived."
"Good, now let me take you in to see Keith." He handed Dean the envelope as they left the doctors' lounge.
The doctor painted a darker picture that necessary, Dean thought. Keith looked like hell, but a lot better than he did the last time he saw him. The doctor left him alone with Keith. Dean sat in the chair next to the bed. He reached over and took Keith's hand.
Dean thought to himself, 'I can't believe a guy as nice as Keith could be treated so shamefully. I've always envied him because he had it all; good looks, intelligence, an outgoing personality.'
Even bandaged as he was Keith was still a handsome young man. He was not tall; about five-ten, with blond, curly hair and green eyes. His face was perfect, with fine chiseled features. He had a trim body, broad shouldered with a narrow waist. Keith could have been a tennis pro, if his uncle didn't stop him. He was also a medal-winning swimmer.
That was the odd thing; he never noticed any marks on Keith's body before. Not like the ones the doctor described. But, then again, this past summer they didn't swim that much. Last week was the first time he had seen Keith naked for some time and he was surprised to see that he had no hair on his body.
Keith opened his eyes and tried to smile.
"Hi, Tiger," Dean said. "Don't try to talk, just listen. The doc said you had a rough time, but the worst is over. Sorry it took me so long to get here, but that butt head of an uncle of yours was keeping an eye on me. You were right about him. He came to see me the day you left."
" I'm glad I stuck around the airport after you left. I took the stuff over to the airborne freight. They packed up everything and shipped it to the address you gave me. I didn't bother keeping that rental car either. I rode my bike back home and slept until it was time to go to work."
"Your Uncle Jeb showed up at Wendy's before closing that night. We talked about everything but you. I asked him to tell you that I was working the weekend and couldn't make it to your pool party."
"I went through our cover story about Tech with the folks and Wendy's. I loaded that pile of junk I call a car and drove it to the airport unloaded my stuff in your van. Then I drove my car to the junk yard. They gave me a hundred bucks for the car and a free ride back to the airport, end of story. The doctor gave me this envelope earlier, should I open it?"
Keith nodded his head yes. Dean let go of his hand to open the envelope. It contained two sets of keys. One set for Suite-22 at Colony Square Condos with a parking garage card for Colony Square. The other key was for a locker at the security office of the Emory Hospital. He opened the hand written note.
Dean,
Rent two safety deposit boxes at two different banks. Stow all the papers I took from my uncle's safe. You can drop off my suitcases at our apartment. Remove the hard drive from my laptop and lock it in the small apartment safe. Move all your stuff into the apartment and make yourself at home, because that's where we will be living until we find another place. Sorry, it's a one bedroom suite, but that is all they had available.
Keith.
Dean stuck the envelope in his pocket and took Keith's hand again. "That's fine with me, Tiger," Dean said. "I'm going to stick to you like glue and I'll kill anyone that lay's a hand on you again. I'll take care of everything this morning and be back after lunch."
Keith smiled and squeezed Dean's hand, He whispered, "Thanks." He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Dean finished his errands and returned to in the hospital by three o'clock. He checked with the charge nurse before seeing Keith. She told him they were moving Keith to a private room on the surgical floor tomorrow morning. She suggested he check with the office for the new room assignment. He returned to the intensive care unit to visit with Keith. He took his hand and felt his forehead.
Keith opened his eyes and smiled. "Feeling any better, handsome?" Dean asked.
"Much better," Keith wrote on his note pad.
"I took care of everything you mentioned in your note," Dean said. "I've moved my stuff into the apartment, it's a great place. It must be costing you a bundle."
"I'm glad," Keith wrote. "It's the best I could do over the Internet. Doc said I could go home in a week."
Dean read the note, "Great, then I can start looking for a job," Dean said.
Keith smiled and shook his head, no.
"Don't worry, Keith, I won't start looking until after I take you home. You get some sleep and I'll be back tomorrow to visit you in the morning. We can discuss our future plans when you can talk again."
"The doctor said I can go home tomorrow," Keith said.
"That's great," Dean said. "I'm glad you don't have to keep writing those notes anymore."
"So am I," Keith said, "the doctor said my speech would improve a little every day. It still hurts to move my jaw, but the speech therapist said I'll be back to normal in no time, if I stick with the program."
"Mind if I borrow your newspaper?" Dean said, "It's time to eyeball the want ads."
"I have a proposition to make you, Dean. The doctor has told me that it will be at least two months before I can do things on my own. Even then, I won't be able to do the marketing, or the ordinary everyday things that must be taken care of. For sure, I can't take a shower unless someone is around to assist me in and out of the tub or shower. If you're willing, I would like to hire you to take care of me until I'm able to take care of myself. I'll pay you three hundred dollars a week, including your room and board. Promise me you will give it some serious thought before giving me your answer?"
"What's to think about, I'll take the job under one condition? If you allow me contribute my fare share of monthly expenses."
"It's a deal," Keith said, "One more thing, it you feel uncomfortable helping me bathe, I'll hire a nursing service to take care of that. I also plan to hire a cleaning service to come in once a week to clean the apartment."
"It doesn't bother me one bit to take care of you. I've had plenty of practice taking care of my younger sister and brother. Furthermore, we don't need a cleaning service either. Save your money. I can take care of that too. That's nothing new to me. I did the same thing at home every week. I'll bet I can do a better job than any cleaning service you'd hire. It's not a big apartment and it will give me something to do around the place. Don't worry, Tiger, I'll take good care of you."
"Thanks, Dean, you're a good friend."
"By the way, your lawyer called me last night. He wants me to drop by and tell him my side of the story. What do you want me to tell him?" Dean asked.
"Tell him the truth."
"Keith, I don't know the truth. I only know what I saw that night. Maybe some day you'll tell me what happened that night."
"I realize I owe you an explanation, and you shall have it one day, but let me do it in my own time."
"Did I mention that the apartment did not come equipped with linens?" Dean said. "I went through every closet and cupboard in that apartment looking for bedding, and guess what? Nada. Luckily, Mom had packed some towels and sheets for me. The other day I stopped by the mall and bought a half dozen sets of matched bed linens, mattress pads, pillows, and bath towels. I don't think it's healthy to use another person's pillows. Since you'll be spending a lot of time in bed, I bought you six queen size pillows."
"I don't understand, they said the place was fully equipped," Keith said. "I thought that would include linens."
"I've keep an expense report and the receipt for the five thousand dollars you gave me. I have $3,200 left. Do you want me to deposit it in your bank account?"
"No, you hold on to it for now. Take $1,200 dollars and open up a checking account in your own name. The $1,200 will be your first month's salary."
"What about my share of the rent?"
"Don't worry about that now. We can work that out later. You'll need to establish credit before you can apply for a credit card. Now that you are working for the King Corporation, you will have an income. In a few months you can apply for a credit card. My accounting department will handle your payroll deductions and your expense account. Next week we'll take care of all the paperwork."
"What, or who is the King Corporation?"
"That is a private corporation that I own that takes care of my business and personal expenses. It's like any other corporation. I have my own administrative staff, my legal eagles, financial consultants, tax experts, actually the whole nine yards. The attorneys that administer my trust set it up for me, when my parents died. It was for my own protection. The corporation is the watch dog over my investments and my estate."
"Look, Dean, I'm asking you to be patient with me until I'm mentally and physically able to cope. My main concern right now it to regain my health. Right now, I feel exhausted and drained. It's an effort to stay awake. I'm putting myself in your hands for now. If you do this for me, I promise you will never regret your decision. Be my friend, or brother, I trust your judgment. Do what ever you think is necessary around the apartment. Don't worry about the cost."
"The pantry is empty at the apartment. Why don't you stock up on the essentials and anything else you think we will need? Buy a case of German Moselle and some imported Merlot wines. You might order a case of Jack Daniels and a couple of bottles of Christian Brother's brandy. We may as well enjoy life while we can."
"I'll take care of everything, Tiger."
"Good, I promise I'll tell you everything," Keith said. "Maybe after you hear my story you won't want to stick around."
"I doubt that, unless you committed murder, or are into drugs. Tell me you're not mixed up in anything like that?"
"Of course not," Keith said.
"Then you have nothing to worry about. You know I don't think much of your uncle. You and I have been friends since you moved into Jackson eight years ago. Granted, I didn't like your choice of friends, but that's your business."
"You never mentioned that before," Keith said. "Who didn't you like?"
Dean said, "Norman Thornton, Ken Grant and Chuck Olson for openers. I could never understand what you saw in them. You're nothing like them. Those three are arrogant, conceited, and down right mean people. You don't know how many times they tried to break-up our friendship.
"You're kidding," Keith said. "How long ago was this?"
"In our freshman year at St. Anthony's Academy," Dean said. "The three of them cornered me one day on my way home from soccer practice. They warned me to stay away from you and proceeded to beat the crap out of me to make their point. That was my first serious warning. Their second warning put me in the hospital for over a week with two broke ribs."
"My folks were afraid that things would get worse if I didn't drop you as a friend. Dad went to the Sheriff's office to make a complaint. The Sheriff told Dad to go ahead and press charges against all three guys, but it wasn't going to do any good. It would be my word against theirs. The Sheriff did question them. The claimed that I got my injuries during practice plays after the school hours."
"After that, Mr. Thornton and Mr. Grant invited Dad out to lunch and told him in a very nice way that their sons may have become too caught up in the game. They apologized for their sons' behavior. They had talked to their sons and assured my father that it wouldn't happen again and hoped my dad and I would forget the incident and not make a case out of this."
"They said they liked to continue working with my dad and hoped that any student rivalry would not jeopardize that relationship. In other words, play ball or you won't get anyone more of our business. Naturally, they knew my father depended on their business."
"So that's the reason you stopped coming around and gave me the cold shoulder in school?" Keith asked.
"Right on, Tiger."
"I never understood why you dropped me like that. I could not for the life of me figure out what went wrong. You really hurt my feelings. Funny thing was when I brought this up to them they claimed they were as mystified as I was about your attitude. Then after what seemed like an eternity, you became friendly once again as if nothing happened. I could never quite understand why you refused to visit the Plantation if the three musketeers were around."
"What changed your mind? After all you went through why did you bother with me again?"
"Because, I finally took care of your friends. Look Keith I valued your friendship, and consider you as my best friend. Yet, at the time I had no choice. It was either your friendship, or my family's well-being that I had to weigh in the balance. I could not allow our friendship to stand in the way of my father making a living."
"Your friends don't fight fair, Keith. If it was between them and me, I would have won in the battle. I could take care of each of them in a fair fight."
"But why didn't you come and tell me, Dean? We could have worked it out together."
"You are wrong, Keith. It would only have gotten worse. Those guys are spoiled rotten and are used to having things go their way. They're sadists really; they enjoyed beating me up, and furthermore, they liked having that control over us. I'm sure they relished the idea of cutting me out of your life. They're cowards really. They can dish it out when they're together, but they're a bunch of wimps when the tables are turned."
"It took me a while, but with the help of a few of my good friends, I got even. We followed them for months until I knew their routine. I caught each of them alone and gave them a dose of their own medicine. They aren't stupid. They got the message all right, but, they couldn't prove it was me and they weren't about to start talking."
Keith smiled, "I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of your hands in a dark alley. You could snap me in two without any effort at all. You're one big dude, Dean. I'm curious, how tall are you anyway?"
"Six-four and 195-pounds of solid muscle," Dean said smiling.
"That's what I figured," Keith said. "One thing I never understood is why you never went out for football?"
"Don't think I didn't want to, however, the risk of a serious injury was too great. My dad went to college on a football scholarship and to this day is still is in pain for the injuries he sustained playing ball. If he doesn't take his medication he can't function."
"My dad is 43 years old and he has had both hips and both knees replaced. You think I want to be like that when I reach his age. That's why I went out for soccer and participated in the Decathlon.
"I've always wanted to try out for the decathlon like you did," Keith said. "But, my uncle wouldn't allow me."
Dean saw that Keith was beginning to tire. He couldn't keep his eyes open. "Look, Tiger, I think you've had enough talking for one day. I'm going to run along now. I'll see you in the morning."
Keith smiled, "Yeah, I'm a little sleepy all of a sudden. Thanks for staying so long."
Dean patted his hand and left.
Dean pulled into the underground parking garage of the Colony Square complex. He pulled over to the elevators and helped Keith out of the van. "You wait here," Dean said, "our parking space is only a few isles over."
He returned with Keith's overnight bag and they took the elevator up to the 22nd floor. "This is a nice apartment," Keith said. "The windows face south, that's great; I've always liked a southern exposure."
"It's really a super apartment," Dean said. "It's very quiet. The manager told me that the walls and floors between apartments are concrete. The only time I've heard any noise at all is when the fire trucks pass by, even then the sirens are hardly noticeable."
Keith looked around and sat very gingerly in one of the club chairs. "This is a lot softer than those hospital chairs," Keith remarked.
"It's almost lunchtime," Dean said. "Is there anything in particular you would like to eat for lunch?"
"Anything you fix for yourself is fine with me," Keith said, "I'm not a fussy eater." He turned on the TV and watched the local news.
Dean set up a snack table in front of Keith and one in front of the chair facing Keith. He was back a few minutes later with a two large trays. He set one on each snack table. He had prepared chicken soup, a club sandwich, chips and ice tea for each of them.
"This looks delicious, I'm starved," Keith said. "I was too excited to eat much for breakfast this morning. I was anxious to get home."
After they ate, Dean took the trays back to the kitchen and cleaned up. He returned to the living room. "Would you like to change into a lounging robe and lie down for a while?" Dean asked.
"Yes, I would," Keith said. He struggled to stand up from the low chair. Dean helped him into the bedroom and made Keith sit on a chair while he undressed him. He shook his head when he was completely naked. "You had the most beautiful body before this, what a crying shame. I can't believe anyone would want to hurt you this much. When will they remove the rest of the stitches?" Dean asked.
"They won't, they are dissolving stitches. A nurse will be by in a couple of days to change the bandage and check on my condition," Keith said. "I'm not allowed to get the bandages wet. I hope you don't mind giving me sponge baths every other day?"
"I don't mind at all," Dean said. "One thing for sure, I'm going to call the beauty salon in the hotel to come up and give a decent hair cut and a pedicure. I'll shave you tomorrow and give you a bath."
Keith smiled, "Look, Dean I don't expect you to shave me. We can have the barber come in every morning to take care of that."
"What, and pay a barber to shave that peach fuzz of your, better still, I'll buy a pussy cat and put a little sweet cream on your face every morning had have her lick it off. I'm going to earn the salary you're paying me. Anyway, I'd do it for you even if you didn't pay me. I don't consider it a chore to take care of you. As I told you before, if I didn't need the money, I do it for nothing."
"You're all right, Dean. I feel more comfortable having you around than any nurse. The plastic surgeon warned me to be very careful around those incisions. I feel so helpless and down right embarrassed to have you do these things for me. I don't think I'll ever get over the disgusted look on your face when you found me three weeks ago."
"If that's what you thought, you were wrong. Jesus, Keith, I was horrified seeing you like that. I wasn't prepared for that kind of a shock. I was afraid you weren't going to make it. Hell at that point I didn't know what to think. All I wanted to do is get you out of there."
"I'll tell you something, for a runt, you sure got a big pair of balls. I couldn't believe the way you took the time to gather all stuff while your uncle's sound asleep in the bedroom. Anyone else would have passed out from the pain alone. I admire you for that. But, I don't think you're too swift in taking the chances you did. You were dammed lucky that I was home that night. Promise me that you take me into your confidence the next time."
"There will never be a next time," Keith said. "We'll talk about that some other time. I'm not ready to discuss it with you yet."
"I'm as curious as hell about this whole mess," Dean said. "I don't need to know; okay. Just concentrate on getting your health back, screw everything else."
Keith smiled, "Thanks for not pressing me."
After he helped Keith into bed and gave him his medication, he lay on his side of the king-size bed and read his book.
They settled into a regular routine. The nurse came by to check on Keith until the stitches were disolved. After that, he could take regular baths. Keith continued with the same regimen of limited exercise and lots of rest."
"As the weeks passed, they explored the city of Atlanta and learned the points of interest. Keith had recovered well enough to sit through the entrance exam to Georgia Tech. Dean had planned a surprise dinner for Keith's twenty-first birthday.
As a treat, Dean took him to the Halfway House restaurant, one of the new upscale restaurants in Buckhead. It was expensive but well worth the cost."
"After they returned to the apartment, Dean brought out the gifts he had hidden away. Other than two small bottles of cologne, Dean gave him a half-dozen pairs of sexy briefs he ordered from International Male. "I'm tired of seeing you in those goofy boxer shorts you've been wearing. Now that your scars have healed I thought you would enjoy these," Dean said.
"This has been a wonderful birthday," Keith said. "I never expected anything like this; thanks."
"While you're going through your mail, I'm going to change," Dean said, "be back in a few minutes."
Keith was all smiles when Dean returned; he held up a letter and waved it in the air. "I've been accepted by Georgia Tech."
Dean chuckled as he read the letter, "Congratulations, Tiger. This is great, now that we're taking the same classes, we'll be able to help each other. This calls for a nightcap, what will you have birthday-boy?"
"Pour me a brandy, please," Keith said. "I'm going to change while you fix the drinks.
Dean returned with the decanter of brandy and two brandy snifters. He set the tray on the heavy glass coffee table in the living room and loaded up the CD player with his favorite warm jazz CD's. He sat down on his favorite club chair and poured the brandy.
Keith returned and made for the sofa. He had changed to his lounging robe. He opened it and said, "I thought I'd model one of your gifts," Keith said, "I like them."
Dean smiled, "you fill them out perfectly. Next time you take a shower, I'll give you a shave."
Keith laughed as he tied his robe and moved the pillows on the sofa, "I think I might take you up on that offer." He stretched out on the sofa. "Ah, this is glorious." He raised his glass, "To Dean the best friend in the world. "You're a great roommate, I've never been happier. I hope the next four years will be as good as these last two months."
Dean chuckled, "Piece of cake. You're easy to get along with."
"You'll always be my friend no matter what?" Keith asked. "Right?"
"No matter what," Dean answered.
"Now that I'm twenty-one I can tell you what has been going on at Lindstrom Manor and what led up to that incident in my uncle's home the night you found me."
"After my family was killed in that automobile accident, the court appointed Uncle Jeb my legal guardian until I reached my twenty-first birthday."
"That rather bulky envelope that arrived today was from the law firm that handles my estate. They officially notified me that my uncle is no longer my guardian and he is relieved of all legal authority over me. I'm now in complete control of my inheritance and my estate"
"Up to this point, my uncle received two checks every month from my estate, one for my expenses and the other was his fee for being my guardian. Bruno, in reality was my employee as his salary came out of my trust fund. Of course, my uncle uses him more as my jailer. Poor Bruno knew nothing about this until four months ago.
"I was twelve when I moved in with Uncle Jeb. He was my father's younger brother and between them, they owned the Lindstrom Plantation. My uncle was the logical choice as my guardian since my mom's parents were too old to take care of me."
"The Lindstrom Plantation Trust is the parent corporation that controls all the divisions that comprise Lindstrom Industries. Neither my Dad nor uncle Jeb wanted to run the corporation, so they turned the management over to a business-consulting firm that ran the business.
"Uncle Jeb and I jointly own all the stock in the Lindstrom Plantation. Since I am the only surviving member of my family, I inherited my Dad's interest in the company. In addition to the Lindstrom holdings, I inherited my dad's private financial holdings as well, which I might add are considerable. This does not include the seventy-five million dollar insurance settlement I received from the accident.
"The first few years I lived with Uncle Jeb, things went smoothly. He traveled eighty percent of the time. I was in boarding school during that period. When I was of high school age, I move back home. Uncle Jeb hired a full staff to run place and hired Bruno to look after me. As long I stuck by his rules I was fine."
"Of course, as you know I was a computer buff, which was my salvation during the long boring years as a teenager. I loved my family dearly and their deaths were difficult for me to accept."
"Living on the plantation was nice but I wasn't happy. I was lonely and isolated from everyone. My computer and my psychologist helped me make it through that period."
"Besides being a mover and shaker in politics, my Uncle Jeb was always a social animal and likes to entertain at the Plantation. It was at those lavish parties that he made most of his deals. Usually with those unethical and unsavory characters that he could not be seen with in public. The parties were a perfect cover for his wheeling and dealing."
"Naturally, I was expected to attend these parties as well. It was at one of them that I was introduced to other teenagers that were of my same social background. My uncle insisted that I socialize with young people of my own class and discouraged me from bothering with people like you."
"Unfortunately, my uncle considers you, and most teenagers like you, below our social status. It was at one of those gatherings that I met Norman Thornton and Ken Grant. I had seen them in school, but our paths never crossed since they were two years older that me. It was not long after that they transferred to Choate."
"Actually, Chuck Olson was the one that introduced us. You must remember Chuck, he was our age and in several of our classes? Chuck was a nice guy and was acceptable, according to my uncle's standards. He turned out to be a friend and the only one of the group I trusted."
"By the way, Chuck was the only one that stood up for you against Norm and Ken's ugly remarks. He helped me convince my uncle that you were not only a jock, but also one of the top scholars in our school. That was the only reason my uncle relented and allowed me to associate with you."
"I'm glad you never dropped me after everything that happened. Norm and Ken were extremely jealous of you, mainly because you were everything they weren't. You were a jock, intelligent and a hunk. Besides which, you were decent, likable and outgoing, and not afraid of them. You had no idea how much I treasured your friendship. You were the only person I felt that I could depend on in an emergency."
"All I can say is thank God for computers and modems. I know I would have gone crazy if we didn't continue communicating over the Internet. The computer was my only escape from the dark and ugly world that I was slowly being drawn into."
"My uncle saw that I was a wiz on my antiquated computer. So he bought me the latest state-of-the-art PC. It was loaded with games and the best software. He also hired a tutor to teach me how to use the all the different software programs loaded in the computer."
"I thought it strange at the time that he took such an interest in my education. It didn't take me long to master the entire Microsoft Office suite, and a new cost accounting program. He reasoned that my training would come in handy some day."
"I didn't mind really, since it was something to pass the time. Of course, uncle Jeb had a lockout installed on the computer. So I was limited to only educational or informational sites. He also controlled the times and hours I could be online.
"At fifteen, my uncle and his computer guru paid me to enter confidential information onto disks on my new computer, which would be copied into his computer. Of course, I was only given the codes to enter specific information files. I would receive several disks of raw data every week."
"We worked out a data entry system according to date. The codes were mostly initials and job numbers, hours and in some cases, dollar amounts. I developed my database system and created folders to enter the data by code numbers. My uncle would extract the information. It didn't take a genius to figure out exactly what he was up to. I had an inquisitive mind and secretly copied all the files for later use."
"I was careful not to let my uncle, or the tutor know how much I knew about software programming. It was not difficult for me to change several of their programs so they crashed. The guru had to come back each time to fix the program. When he did, I memorized the secret codes he used to access the programs. Then bingo, I had all the codes I needed."
"My uncle thought the educational web sites were safe. However, he did not realize that I could learn how to program from the wealth of free information available on the Internet. Not only did I print hard copies of the text, I also use the chat rooms to ask questions when I was stuck."
"When I was a kid, I never had the chance to get to know my Uncle Jeb that well. Sure, I'd see him on his visits to the old Lindstrom Manor, but that was it. For some reason, I never completely trusted him. After my family was gone, he was my only living relative.""Y
ou know how you have this gut feeling about people. Well that's how I felt about Uncle Jeb. I never understood why it was unnecessary to have a bodyguard like Bruno watching me all the time. I didn't know why he chose my friends and kept me isolated from other teenagers. My parents were not like that. There was too much secrecy and game playing. I couldn't see why he chose me to enter data into his computer either. Why not hire a data entry person to do that for him. That's what prompted me to start my own game playing."
"If my uncle knew how much I knew about his software programs he would have been more careful. After I became a hacker, I created a new identity for myself. That's when I became Keith Limberg."
"Things were uneventful until I was getting close to my sixteenth birthday. It was then that I was allowed to invite one of the chosen ones to spend the weekends. Of course, I was forbidden to sleep over at a friend's house. In fact I couldn't go anywhere without Bruno. That complicated things somewhat. What family do you know of that would invite a teenager to stay overnight with a bodyguard in tow?
"Up to that time, Chuck was the only guy that I was allowed to invite to sleep over. Chuck was the one that educated me on the finer points of male sex. He taught me well. Anyway, this one weekend Uncle returned home unexpectedly, he caught Chuck and me in bed having sex. I thought he would hit the ceiling and send Chuck home in disgrace. But, he didn't. Instead he laughed it off and made a joke about it."
"The next day, after Chuck left, he asked me if my school had discussed the subject of AIDS. He said it was normal that boys my age experimented with different kinds of sex and he wanted to make sure that I used a condom if I engaged in anal sex."
"I was shocked when he instructed Bruno to buy me assorted boxes of condoms and KY gel. Finally, he asked me if I was having sex with any other boys. Of course I wasn't so that ended our discussion.
"The evening before Uncle Jeb was to leave for an extended trip, we had one of his usual 'do's and don'ts' lectures. Then unexpectedly he said he wouldn't object if I were I to invite some of my friends over to make-out on the weekend, as long as they were on the approved list. Naturally, I was embarrassed. Uncle Jeb doesn't say two words to me most of the time, yet he openly discusses sexual entertainment for the weekend."
"The next day I told Chuck about my uncle's conversation. He said he was not surprised at anything my uncle said, or did for that matter. He didn't elaborate on the subject and I had no reason to question his statement at the time."
"Nevertheless, I was to learn otherwise, much later. Chuck told me that Norm and Ken wanted to get it on with me and would I like to invite them over for a good time? Chuck admitted that they had been having sex together for over three years and they were great in bed."
"It all started out innocently. The four of us got together the following weekend and had a ball. Norm and Ken are wild in bed. I was completely unaware of how enjoyable male sex could be and the many ways you could be satisfied, sexually. At my age I couldn't get enough. After that weekend we had sex as often as we could, and believe me I became an expert and enjoyed every session."
"We all treated sex as a natural thing and never even thought of it as bad or dirty. Certainly, we never considered ourselves as abnormal or as homosexuals. We were sex buddies and that was all. As intimate as our sexual relationship was, we never displayed any affection toward each other whatsoever. We never hugged or kissed of anything like that."
"I remember one time in the heat of passion I kissed Norm and I thought he was going to slug me. You would have thought I did something awful the way he overreacted to something as innocent as that. He became angry and ugly with me after that. He said only faggots and queers acted that way."
"It wasn't long afterwards that Chuck began to find reasons not to join us in our sessions. We remained friends and all, but his visits became sporadic. If he did join us, he only stayed Friday night and took off Saturday morning. He told me he was more interested in girls now. Although, he enjoyed the hot sex when he was horny, he was disenchanted with it as a regular diet, and in particular, any sessions with Norm and Ken."
"I wanted to have one more session with him for old time's sake, and asked him if he would spend a weekend with me alone. He said he would and I could do anything I wanted with him."
"Up to that point, I guess I took Chuck for granted. I had the feeling I was losing a close personal sex partner whom I really liked. I know you don't like Chuck, but he is blond and beautiful with the sexiest smile. He is well built and very gentle."
"I became depressed every time I thought about losing him. This was going to be our special weekend and I wanted to make it a memorable one. Knowing Chuck as I did, I knew he would let me have my way with him. So I planned the weekend with care and knew exactly how I wanted it go."
"It was going to be exotic, but not a hot and heavy weekend that we were so accustomed to with Ken and Norm. I wanted it to be romantic as well. You know I never knew what it felt to make love to another male and I wanted to find out what it was like with Chuck. I never experienced that side of the sexual experience before and I wanted to know."
"I knew exactly what Chuck meant about our sessions. I thought I wanted to have more sex, yet it was not enough. Something was missing. Don't get me wrong, I love having sex, but I found I was less and less satisfied. This is why I planned to have an erotic evening. A rubdown done right can be just as simulating as the sexual act itself."
"I racked my brain to think of all the things that would turn us both on, yet be enjoyable and relaxing as well. We were not going to spend the weekend in my bed. By the time the weekend was set, I had everything arranged. From the casual dinner with wine, to the games we would play, to the movies we would watch."
"After dinner, we retired to my bedroom suite where we snuggled together to watch Maurice. We made out like any couple would and Chuck enjoyed it as much as I did. After the movie was over, I played some music for lovers and we danced. We kissed and held each other close. Then I began undressing Chuck. He did the same to me. When we were completely naked we danced some more until he was completely turned on and wanted to go to bed."
"I had Chuck lie on the bed; I shaved his entire body from the neck down; after which, I took him into the bathroom and gave him a cleansing enema. After we showered together, we returned to bed. I gave him a hot oil rubdown. Chuck was really turned on; he loved the feel of his body without hair."
"Chuck was well endowed, but with no pubic hair, his penis looked enormous. Chuck had a bad experience with anal sex and he would not allow anyone in the back door. I had purchased two inflatable dildos. After I had massaged his anus with oil, I inserted the smaller dildo. I inflated it until he started to react to the pressure."
"While the dildo was stretching his rectum, I continued to arouse him as I kissed and sucked every part of his body until he was moaning and sighing with pleasure. I continued to inflate the dildo until it reached its maximum size. I rotated it, worked it in, and out of his rectum, and rubbing his prostrate, intensifying his sexual arousal until he was rotating his hips."
"His anus had stretched enough to insert the larger dildo. Again, I slowly inflated this one to its maximum size. I took his testicles into my mouth, and kept working the dildo until Chuck was moaning with pleasure again. I slipped a condom on and removed the dildo. I pushed his legs against his chest and entered him. Chuck was moaning with pleasure and wanted the feeling to last."
"I stopped pumping, and leaned forward and kissed him on the neck and nibbled on his ears. He pulled me to him and forced his tongue into my mouth. We climaxed together. It was so powerful and beautiful that I thought I was going to black out. It was an earth-shattering experience. I pulled out of him and fell into his arms. We kissed again and fell asleep in each other's arms."
"Chuck woke me up four hours later and we made love again. The sex that evening was intense and beautiful. We woke up later that morning and showered together and played tennis. We sat around the swimming pool and talked."
"After a long leisurely lunch, we saddled up the horses and rode through the countryside. We talked about everything under the sun. We returned at sunset and showered for dinner. We watched two more movies snuggled together and went to bed after the last movie was over."
"We lay together and talked about our lives and of our sexual relationship. After which we made love and drifted off to sleep satisfied."
"The next morning we showered, dressed, had a hearty breakfast on the patio and read the Sunday morning papers. Chuck had to be home for Sunday dinner with the family so we took a short walk around the grounds. He said that it was the most enjoyable weekend he had ever known and one he would never forget."
"Chuck told me that as much as he loved me at this moment, he was too much of a coward to live life as a gay man. He was at a point in his life where he could go either way, and his shrink said that in the end, it would be better if he remained on the heterosexual path."
"Chuck thought it was fitting that his lovemaking with me was the ending of his male bonding experiences. He asked me to try to understand his feelings and wanted to remain my friend. There were tears in his eyes when he told me he would never forget this beautiful weekend. He took me into his arms and kissed me tenderly. That was the most wonderful weekend and for us both. When we parted, we both discovered the truth within ourselves. He was following the straight path and I knew I was gay."
"Norm and Ken were in Choate by then and I saw them on holidays and during summer vacations. Even though they were dating girls, we still got together for sex. They did introduce me a few of their friends who had the same sexual appetite, so it was not too bad, sex wise."
"After I reached my seventeenth birthday I asked my uncle to help me pick out a college. He said he would bring a book home and we could pick a few that I might like. Well, he never did bring the book home. One night I became annoyed with his evasive answers. I told him if he didn't want to help, I would pick out a college without his help. Uncle Jeb said it was time to discuss my future. He took me into the den and began to play a video. The video was of me having sex with Norm and Ken and Chuck. He said he wanted me to stick around home for a while and help him with some special projects before I took off for college."
"Uncle Jeb said he liked having me around and that he wanted me to concentrate on graduating from prep school and we would talk about college next year. That's when he took me down to show me his playroom. He told me that he was a homosexual and I was welcome to use the room to entertain my friends when he was out of town."
"He was my guardian until I was twenty-one and should I oppose him he would have me committed to a mental institution to cure me of my homosexuality. Sodomy was a felony in Mississippi and he would hate to consider that option. Uncle suggested I think it over and let him know my decision."
"I could not believe my ears. After all, he is the one that encouraged my sexual behavior. Now, he intended to keep me under his thumb. I decided to go along with his game and get even with him."
"It was not until much later that I learned how deeply my uncle was into S&M. Ken let it slip one night that my uncle had the hots for me. That explained why he wanted me to sick around. After I experience every sort of normal sex, I was introduced to S&M. That was a completely different experience that I never knew existed."
"My uncle had initiated Norm and Ken into his little group and they in turn became his disciples. As I said, I became their pupil, but they never forced me to participate in any type of bondage that I did not like. After a while, the thrill wore off and I became disenchanted with the whole scene."
"I don't want you to think that I had sex every weekend; it was only when Norm and Ken were in town, or when I felt the urge. My uncle began to trust me more after I agreed to go along with him and to forget about going away to college."
"He was also pleased that I took an interest in the family businesses and gave me complete access to the corporate records and the minutes of the board of directors meetings. He went as far as introducing me to the man who ran the Lindstrom Corporation and gave me carte blanche to learn anything I wanted to know about the businesses."
"Uncle Jeb said he rarely read the reports and signed on the line they marked. Why the hell did he have to worry about anything, that's what he was paying the business consultants and his lawyers for. Even though I owned fifty percent of the stock, my uncle controlled my shares until I reached twenty-one. In lieu of college he did agree to hire private teachers from the local university to teach me finance, business law, and the piano.
"I became fascinated with the history of Lindstrom Plantation. It was a good feeling to know that my ancestors build this company and that I was part of all this. I could not understand how my father and my uncle never wanted to be part of this dynamic company."
"In my zeal to learn everything I could about the family history, I discovered my great grandfather's Will. There was a very interesting clause in that Will. That clause would allow me to take over the company. The clause was really an incentive for future generations to become active in the company."
"In essence, it stipulates that any family member that actively participated in the operation of the business would be entitled to an additional five percent of the voting stock. The document went on for many pages setting forth the conditions in detail. That meant if I took an active part in running the business, I could demand and get an additional five percent of the voting stock and squeeze my uncle out of control of the business. There was not a thing he could do to stop me."
"Uncle Jeb handed me the company on a silver platter. I was able to establish a regular dialogue with not only the board of directors, but also with the management group and the presidents of each division. I spent every spare moment reading reports and listening to the tape recordings of the weekly meetings of each division. I found it not only stimulating, but an education in itself."
"The work I did for my uncle was child's play by comparison. By then my uncle felt he didn't have to hide his secret life from me any longer. Many times, he would invite a friend to spend the weekend. You would never suspect these men were gay. They were all macho and in most cases well known. I was never allowed in his playroom when he was entertaining. But, he did allow me to watch the video tapes of some of his sessions. That is how I discovered his extensive library."
"Since I was devoting my spare time to studying, I was less interested in the sessions with Norm and Ken. My weekend with Chuck was a wake up call for me. I realized what part of my life I had been missing. I wanted a loving relationship with a man who would feel the same way toward me. Having sex is great, but it cannot compare with having a sexual experience with someone you love."
"Even though I wasn't "in love" with Chuck, the experience was close enough to make me realize that there was an unselfish desire on my part to please him and to make him happy. Chuck took stock of life and decided on the path he was going to take for the future. He would go to college, find the right girl, get married and raise a family. I plan to do the same thing, only with a man.
"The intimacy Chuck and I had shared unlocked the door to my most guarded thoughts. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that I didn't want to continue down the path my uncle had chosen for me. I was determined to get away from him and make a serious effort to take my rightful place as the head of the Lindstrom Corporation."
"If I was to accomplish that, I knew I had to prepare myself to run a company. My uncle didn't care about my future, or that of the family business. I don't know how many times he told me to enjoy life and forget about working. My trust fund would take care of me handsomely."
Keith smiled as he looked at his watch, "It's after two o'clock, I think we should get some sleep. I didn't realize the time."
"My God, Keith, you have been talking for three hours. I was so engrossed in your story I didn't realize the time," Dean said. "I never had a clue as to what was going on at Lindstrom Manor. It's hard to believe you are gay. I can see why you didn't want to tell what was going on at the Plantation."
"I'll understand if you would rather sleep on the couch," Keith said. "It will take a couple of days to have twin beds delivered."
"Don't be silly, granted I'm surprised to learn you're gay, but I'm not afraid of you. The sleeping arrangements suit me just fine and forget about ordering any twin beds. It's hard to believe that Norm, Ken, and your uncle would treat you the way they did. I can't figure out people like that. I'd like to go back home and beat the crap out of them. I have a million questions to ask you, but they can wait until another time. Come on, let's hit the sack; you need your sleep."
Keith's narrative:
A month has passed since my birthday and Dean never mentioned our talk. Knowing
him as I do, I knew he was mulling it over in his mind and it was going to take
time before he could assimilate everything. I was so relieved to know that he
was not angry with me for not telling him that I was gay when he moved in with
me. He was definitely not homophobic, nor did he treat me any differently after
that night after my revelation.
Dean is a clean-cut guy from a wholesome loving family. Thank God, he was not one of those righteous types who think homosexuals are wicked and should be ostracized by society. I knew Dean would broach the subject again when he was ready.
The first week at Tech was confusing, to put it mildly, as luck would have it, we both were able to take the same classes. By the end of our first month, we settled into a regular routine. Dean landed a part time job as a computer research assistant at one of the law firms in Perimeter Center. At least he was making use of his computer skills and I knew he felt better in knowing that he was earning a salary. Of course, I continued to pay him a salary to take care of me.
My internist gave me a clean bill of health. However, he wanted me to go slow on my usual exercise routine. The Physical Therapist at Emory worked out a program that would gradually bring me back up to where I was before my operation. Fortunately, there was an excellent spa right in the Colony Square complex, which I used every day. Dean would drop me off after our last class each day then take off for his part time job. Since, Dean was working every day, and I was home every afternoon, I cooked dinner and Dean did the washing-up.
After two months, I began to feel my strength returning. The dull pain in back and chest were gone, and for the first time since my beating, I felt good. Up to this time, I had not had the desire to concentrate on my plan to pay back my uncle, and his boys.
Shortly after I was able to speak coherently, I retained the services a top criminal attorney in Atlanta. He advised me on a plan to even the score with Norm, Ken, and my uncle. My uncle had no idea that he would be instrumental in my plan to destroy both Ken, and Norm's families. Although, part of the plan, might be considered illegal in Georgia, it was legal in Mississippi. It was essential that I keep everything legal on the off chance that the Federal Government stepped into the case.
My uncle was the key link in my plan. I wanted to come down on him hard, yet, I couldn't risk a hint of a scandal that would hurt my company, or our family's good name.
My first task was view every S&M porno tape my uncle made. I edited the tapes and removed those portions that would expose some of the people that could be hurt.
It was amazing how many prominent men were on those tapes. They were not important to my case, and I didn't want to make any enemies. It took several weeks to complete the final version.
Finally, I edited the videos my uncle made of me with Norm and Ken and their friends. This editing took the most time, because I did not want to be recognized, in any of the tapes. Satisfied that the tapes were perfect, I made several duplicates and was ready to set my plan in motion.
My next target was Bruno. Bruno was easy to find. He was still working for the same security agency. In spite of what happened, I liked Bruno. I called his boss and had him fly up to Atlanta for a meeting with me and my lawyer.
After I learned he was the one that was responsible for saving my life, I went a little easier on him. Yet, I didn't let him off the hook for letting the beating go on as long as it had.
My attorney laid it out for him and gave him his choices. Either he could cooperate with us, or he would be charged as an accessory to a felony, and for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In addition, he could also be charged with aiding and abetting in the execution of a felony, and aggravated assault.
Bruno was crushed. It was the first time I ever saw him lose his cool. He agreed to cooperate with us and gave my lawyer his statement.
After the meeting, my attorney gave me the go ahead to send my surprise package to my uncle. I waited three days and called my uncle. When he answered the phone, I said, "Did you receive my package, Jeb?"
He spoke very softly, "We've got to talk," Jeb said.
"We are talking," I said. "Jeb, I want you keep your mouth shut and listen to what I have to say. I am only going to say it once. In addition to the tapes and the letter you received, I have a copy of every deal you've made for the last three years.
Not only can I substantiate every deal, but I can link the cash deposits you've made to your offshore banks. In addition, I have telephone records of all the calls you made to the private telephone numbers of your Mafia contacts and their bagmen. I also have witnesses, and proof, that you ordered that little going away party for me."
"Oh my God," Jeb said. "You're going to destroy me; I may as well take a gun and shoot myself." Jeb keep mumbling and crying into the telephone.
"Get control of yourself and listen," Keith said. "I really don't care what you do after I'm finished with you. Now pay attention."
"You are to going to transfer all your shares of the company and the deed to the plantation over to me. I strongly recommend that you leave the country before I take on Ken and Norm. Among the packet of papers is a release my attorneys have prepared for you to sign. In addition, there is an affidavit stating that Ken and Norm were the men responsible for beating me up."
"If my attorneys do not receive the signed documents within ten days, they will take everything to the Federal Attorney in Atlanta and let them deal with you. I know you don't need it, but I don't plan to cheat you out of your inheritance. You will receive fair market value for your forty-five percent of the stock in the company. Of course, you won't get it in a one lump sum. You can work out a payment schedule with our corporate attorneys."
"What do you mean my 45-percent?" Jeb said. "I own 50-percent of the stock."
"Not any more, you don't. I now control 55-percent of the stock of Lindstrom Plantations as of last month. Believe me it was all done honestly according to Great-grandfather's will. You can check that out with our corporate attorneys if you don't believe me."
"Since this is the last time we will ever speak again, I would like to know why you treated me the way you did. For God's sake, I'm your own flesh and blood, and your only surviving relative. What could I possible have done to make you hate me so much? I lost my whole family and needed your guidance and understanding. Instead, I got a cold-hearted sadistic bastard that wanted to see me dead. Well you taught me a valuable lesson, Jeb ... you taught me how to hate."
"I never meant to treat you that way," Jeb said. "I've never hated you in spite of how it turned out. The truth is I loved you, and always have. This S&M thing took control of my mind. I'm a sick man, Keith."
"I don't believe this," Keith said. "If that's how you show your affection, I'd hate to learn what would have happened if you hated me. You're still young enough to have a wholesome life, Jeb. My advice, for what it's worth, is to see a good shrink and work out your problem before someone ends up killing you."
"You should try to be like your brother; he was a great man. I feel sorry for you, but I can never forgive you for what you did to my life. Don't every try to contact me again. Goodbye, Jeb." I hung up the telephone before he could answer.
My campaign to ruin the Thornton's and the Grant's was in the works, but I needed my uncle's cooperation before I could move against them. Both families had relied heavily on Lindstrom Corporations for their survival.
Once I had gained complete control of the corporation, it was an easy matter to destroy them. When my uncle returned the signed papers, I had the advantage I needed to break Ken and Norm. I couldn't wait to tell Dean of this news when he got home.
The telephone rang about six. It was Dean. "What's up?" Keith asked.
"Have you started fixing dinner yet?" he asked.
"It's too early," Keith said. "Are you going to have to work longer tonight?"
"No, I have a date," Dean said. "I'll be eating out tonight and I wanted to get to you before you started cooking anything."
"That's fine."
"One more thing, is it all right if I use the van tonight?"
"Sure, I'm not going anywhere; I have a ton of reports to catch up on tonight. Have a good time."
"Are you alright, Keith? You sound disappointed, did you have something planned for tonight? I know how you hate sudden changes."
"I'm fine, have a good time. I'll see you in the morning." I smiled and took a chicken pot pie out of the freezer and popped it into the microwave.
I finished reading the textbook for my assignment. I was not going to get caught again by being unprepared, once is enough. I sat in front of my computer and began downloading the memos from Lindstrom Plantation. Many required my comments, but most were routine. I kept plugging away.
When Dean returned home at eleven, he found Keith sound asleep sitting in front of the computer. He went over to the computer and saved the file Keith was working on and shut down the computer.
He shook Keith to wake him, but he was dead to the world. The shrink kept Keith on special medication to stop the nightmares. He was okay during the day, but if he didn't take them before bedtime he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night.
He carried him into the bedroom and pulled back the covers and striped him. Dean smiled; he noticed Keith was wearing a pair of the briefs that he had given him for his birthday. He removed the briefs and observed that Keith was back to shaving himself again.
The burns scars were still noticeable in his groin area, as were the scars from the kidney operation. The surgeon said that it would take years for that scar to fade, even with all the special lotions the plastic surgeon gave him.
He covered him with a sheet, picked up his clothes, and hung them the dressing room. He undressed and turned off the lights and returned to the living room.
He noticed the red light flashing on the answering machine. There were two messages. He played them back. One was from Keith's Uncle Jeb. "I've taken your advice; the signed and notarized documents are on the way to your lawyers now."
"My attorneys will have the deed for the Plantation ready for your signature tomorrow. I've discharged and paid the staff, so it's your responsibility now. I'll be out of your way and will be out of the country, by Wednesday. Maybe one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I will always love you."
The second message at ten thirty was from Keith's attorney.
"Keith, just got off the phone with your uncle, he has agreed to all your terms and is overnighting the signed documents to me; congratulations."
Dean smiled and shook his head in amazement. He took his book out and began to read. He turned off the lights at 1AM, and slipped into bed next to Keith and fell asleep.
The clock radio went off at 8AM. Dean opened his eyes and heard the shower running in the bathroom. He got up, put his robe on and headed out to the kitchen to make the coffee. He poured two glasses of orange juice and set them on the table. He took out the Canadian bacon, eggs, butter and bread out of the refrigerator. He beat half a dozen eggs in the bowl and heated the frying pan.
"Good morning," Keith said as he walked into the kitchen. "Would you like me to make the toast?"
"Sure," Dean said.
"Thanks for putting me to bed last night."
Dean chuckled, "I can't leave you alone anymore, can I?"
"Sure looks that way. I take it the fair damsel turned you down and didn't put out for the savage beast?"
"What are you, psychic this morning?"
Keith had a broad grin on his face when he answered. "If you had scored, I wouldn't have woken up in your arms this morning. You know I think I'm going to stop taking those sleeping pills, I'm missing out on the fun."
Dean blushed, "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware of that."
"Don't be sorry, I enjoyed it. I must say, you have one fine looking piece of meat there, Dean, I only wish you had gone further. That gal didn't know what she missed."
Dean chuckled, "Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky the next time."
"Promises, promises," Keith said laughing.
"For your information, wise guy, she didn't turn me down. I turned her down. I'll never go on a blind date again. What a wasted evening. I could have had a hooker for a lot less. Not to mention the satisfaction."
Keith smiled, "Look, baby, I'd be happy to take care of you for free. What are buddies for anyway?"
Dean chuckled, "Look out, Keith, I may just jump your bones. One thing's for sure, you're a lot more attractive then the air head I dated last night. I noticed you've taken to shaving from the face down again? I also saw that you nicked yourself in a few places. I told you I would shave you."
Keith blushed, "I couldn't let you do that."
"I don't understand you sometimes," Dean said. "I've been your nurse for five months; what's your problem?"
"If you must know, you would turn me on. It was different when I was recuperating; I hurt so much I didn't care. But, that's all changed now."
Dean raised his eyebrows, "Oh, thanks for telling me," Dean said. "Do you mind me asking how long you've felt this way?"
"For the last two years," Keith said.
Dean smiled and shook his head, "Congratulations on knocking your uncle out of the box. I didn't think it was going to be so easy. You're one smart dude."
"How did you know about that, I only spoke to him yesterday afternoon?" Keith asked.
"I checked the answering machine when I returned last night. Why don't you check it out while I shower and dress?"
After Keith checked his messages, he cleaned up the kitchen and made the bed while Dean was dressing.
"I have a big favor to ask you," Keith said. "Will you fly with me to Jackson early Wednesday morning?"
"Sure, how long will we be gone?"
"About two days, tops. You're a prince, Dean. I'm afraid to walk into that manor house alone. We'll be flying back Thursday night."
"That's cool," Dean said.
"Call your dad and ask him if he's free to meet me Thursday morning? I like to have him take care of some renovations I'm planning. One last thing, do you want to stay with your folks Wednesday night, or share a room with me at the Marriott in Jackson?"
"I'll stay with you at the Marriott," Dean said. "We can have dinner with the folks Wednesday."
"Dean, I'm going to need your help to get rid of all that crap in my uncle's play room before you dad starts his work on the house. I have some special plans for the S&M toys, however. I'm going to have your dad turn that playroom into a storage area."
"We better get a move on, or we're going to be late for our first class," Dean said.
The trip back to the scene of the crime was a nightmare for me. I was a nervous wreck by the time I reached the attorney's office in downtown Jackson. Dean took off in the rental van to see his folks while I sat down with the attorneys. They transferred the deeds of the Lindstrom Plantation, and Jeb's stock over to me.
After finishing with them, I headed over to the Jackson Security Systems office. I needed to sign a new contract with them to guard the plantation. I had discussed the arrangements with them over the phone, Tuesday. They were to install a new state of the art security system in addition to the 24/7 guards. I made sure that Bruno was the man assigned to be responsible for my security. I paid for their Class-A service. It was costing me a bundle, but I felt it was worth every cent.
The mansion had been in the family for generations and it had an outstanding collection of fine art and porcelain. Not to mention the antique furniture collection that my family had collected over the years.
In spite of his misplaced loyalty, I held no ill feelings against Bruno. He said he did his best to protect me in spite of my uncle. Bruno was right; Uncle Jeb was his employer. After signing the papers, Bruno and I left the office and made two more stops.
One was to the Lawn & Landscaping Company to sign a service contract for the maintenance of the Plantation grounds. The other stop was to the House maintenance service. Even though I would not be living in the house, it still had to be maintained. Again, Bruno had to schedule extra guards to watch the maintenance and cleaning staff.
Since Bruno had his car, I called Dean and told him to pickup lunch for the three of us and meet us at the plantation. On the drive over, I explained to Bruno how I wanted him to dispose of the S&M toys.
He was to divide the toys and hide them at Ken, and Norm's homes, in a place were they would not be discover accidentally. He was to make sure there were no prints on the toys.
We would go through my uncle's room to remove his costumes. He was to contact the insurance company for a copy of the current inventory. In addition, Bruno was to arrangement to have a certified appraiser catalogue and appraise everything in the manor house and to videotape every item.
Dean was parked outside the gate waiting for us when we arrived. Bruno opened the gate and we drove around to the kitchen entrance. We ate lunch in the staff dining room. After lunch, we headed down to the basement. Bruno packed up the toys while Dean and I began removing the chains, hooks, and paraphernalia that my uncle had installed. After Bruno finished his task, he worked with Dean to finish the job. I went up to my suite to pack up some clothes that I would need in Atlanta.
I felt a mixture of fear and hate when I stood alone in my bedroom. The original staff was gone, and the house had that feeling of emptiness. I've never felt this alone in my life before. I walked over to my desk and looked at the last family photograph we had taken together.
The tears welled up in my eyes and I began to cry. I missed my family terribly. I often wished I had died with them. Sure, I had won the battle, and taken control the family business, but so what. What did it all mean when my family was gone? I had no one to share my life with. I had no children to leave it to. All this would go to charity one day and I'll end up as another statistic when I died.
I was startled when Dean came up behind me and started rubbing my back and tried to console me. He didn't say a word, he put his arm around me and pulled me to him and handed me his handkerchief.
"Breath deeply, Tiger," Dean said. "You miss your folks, don't you?"
"Yes, I do, that and remembering what happened the last time I was in this room. You know, as stupid as it may sound, the beating I received was not as painful as the thought of being alone once again. That together with the realization that I'm the last of line; there will be no heirs to pass on the family name. I feel I let my family down. This has been bothering me for some time."
"I even considered a marriage of convenience. Yet, that is fraught with all kinds of problems, as you can well imagine. Anyway, I haven't the will or desire to have sex with a woman. I really would want to have children. And even if it were possible, what guarantees would I have that my wife wouldn't leave me and take the children with her. She could demand that I support her and the children, yet not allow me to see the children. A homosexual hasn't a leg to stand on in this society, and particularly in Mississippi."
"Are you absolutely sure you are a homosexual. You sure don't act like one," Dean said. "Have you tried going out with a woman?"
"I know what I am, Dean. I have no interest in the opposite sex at all. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoy the company of women. It's just that I don't have any desire to have sex with them. My shrink tried to help me on that score. I tried dating some lovely women, but I had no desire to pursue them any further"
"I was still getting calls from women inviting me to gatherings and dinner. You know how big my uncle was on me socializing. I suppose that has something to do with my money, but not all of it. After spending that weekend with Chuck, I had no doubts about what I am. Even my shrink had to agree."
"That's my point about dating; according to you, Chuck was just as turned on as you were, yet he is not gay?"
"That's true, but not all of us are the same. Chuck happens to be one of those rare men who do not feel threatened by male sex. I'm sure he means what he said about being straight. But, who knows if he'll stay that way. I personally feel he is bisexual, who knows. Whatever he is, I wish him well."
"Look, Keith, I think you should find a shrink in Atlanta and talk to him about your problem. Christ, you're only twenty-one, you're wealthy, and you have your whole life ahead of you. You're an intelligent guy and have a lot going for you and I'm not alone in that opinion."
"You proved to your board of directors and the lawyers that you were intelligent enough to be given control of the Lindstrom Corporation. Do you know how many men would give their right nut to be in your spot right now?"
"You're not alone, Keith, I'll always be here for you and I'm sure Chuck feels the same way. I know were not family, but so what. We're a hell of a lot better than that uncle of yours, and he's gay. You've been through a lot and it's finally catching up to you. I don't want to see you do anything stupid like going off the deep end, or worse. I would really miss you." Dean chuckled, "And I'm not saying this because you're a hunk."
Keith smiled and blew his nose, "you're right. I need to find out what's causing these nightmares. I don't want to keep taking those knock-out pills. Who knows, one night you might take advantage of me when I was asleep and I would miss all the fun. Thanks for the kind words, Dean. Are things presentable enough to have your father in to look at the room?"
"The room looks like any other room now," Dean said. "We've disconnected the hoses and capped the water lines. Believe me, it's fine. Let's see what Bruno has turned up in your uncle's old room."
Bruno had completed the search of Jeb's bedroom suite when they walked in. "Everything is as clean as a whistle, boss, the place is empty."
"That's fine, Bruno," Keith said. "Sometime next week Ms. Whitehall, my interior decorator, will be calling you from Atlanta to make an appointment to see the house. She probably needs a couple of days to look the place over. She said she would be accompanied by some of her assistants to take pictures, and measure."
"I'm also having an architectural firm in from Atlanta to give me a price on restoring this Plantation to it's original condition. I rather like the original classic design my great grandfather intended for the place."
"One last thing, I want you contact a few employment agencies and start interviewing staff people to run this house. I'll need a butler, a housekeeper and a chef. I would like you to screen at least three qualified people for each position. I'm planning to have a big Christmas party this year and I want them in place by then."
"Yes, sir," Bruno said. "Anything else, sir?"
"When we're in public, or around the staff you can address me as Mr. Lindstrom. When we are alone, or I am with Dean, please call me Keith. I'm going to ask you an embarrassing question Bruno, but it's important that you answer it honestly. My uncle used to use you to check out people for him and to run his, shall we say confidential errands, didn't he?"
"Yes, sir, that was part of my job."
"Did he have you check out, Dean?"
"Yes, sir."
"What did you learn about him?"
"Squeaky clean, honor student, outstanding athlete, normal all-American boy, doesn't do drugs or booze, and is active in the community."
"Did my uncle have you check out Chuck, Ken, and Norm as well?"
"Yes, sir, he did."
"What did you learn about them?"
"They all came from old line Mississippi families. But, the Olsen family was the only decent one of the three. Chuck is a nice kid. His parents brought him up properly and made him toe the mark. He had curfews and he stuck to them. He wasn't allowed out on a school night and his folks had to know who his friends were."
"He only got in trouble once and that was because he was with those two spoiled rotten kids, Ken and Norm. They were always getting into trouble. As far as their parents were concerned, they could do no wrong. You know the type. My buddy found out through private sources that they were into kinky sex and you weren't the first guy they did a number on. The police couldn't prove anything, but they think they were responsible for several unsolved cases. That's why your uncle approved of them. He did caution me to keep an eye on them. He didn't want you hurt. Those two can get carried away when they're doing drugs. If anything happened to you or Chuck there would have been hell to pay. You two were considered jail bait until you were sixteen."
"How could you stand to watch those gang-bangs?" Dean asked.
"I've seen much worse in my job. It was not my business to judge you boys. Sure you were jail bait, but you were enjoying yourself. I felt that if I didn't keep an eye on you, your uncle would hire someone else to guard you. Believe me; you were much better off with me. I was glad I was here that night. They were all so high on drugs that I thought they were crazy."
"At the time, I knew that they were beyond caring. I slipped some strong drugs in their drinks and waited until they passed out. I quickly untied you and took you up to your room. Then I carried your uncle up to his room. One by one, I carried the boys out to my van and dumped them on a dirt road out in the country. When I came back to take you to the doctor, you had disappeared. My boss told me to say nothing and leave the house since none of you would remember what happened."
"Your uncle called me late the next day and wanted to know where you were. I told him I had no idea. You see, I had already quit after what they did to you. I suggested he call his two slaves and ask them. I never heard from him again."
"So that's what happened that night," Keith said. "I couldn't sleep the pain was so intense. I could hardly breathe. That's when I called Dean."
"Thank you for saving my life," Bruno. How would you like to work for me?"
"I'm already working for you."
"You're working for the agency, I'm your client. I don't want that kind of an arrangement. I want you to work for me exclusively. I don't want your loyalty to be split between me and your employer. You think about it and let me know before I leave tomorrow."
"I can't leave the agency even if I wanted to, I've signed a three year contract with them," Bruno said.
"That's not a problem; I can buy your contract out. Think about it and let me know your answer tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
"Hire someone to come out here tomorrow and pack up my clothes and airfreight them to Atlanta as well," Keith said. "And let's change that entry code before we leave tonight."
"Yes, sir. Will you need me earlier than eight o'clock tomorrow morning?" Bruno asked.
"No, that's fine," Keith said. "If you need me for anything, I'll be having dinner with the McCall's tonight. After that, you can reach me at the Marriott in town. Oh, before I forget, if you need petty cash, or have any unpaid invoices, take them to my Attorney's office in town. I've authorized them reimburse you for any expenses you have. We'll be leaving you now, see you in the morning, Bruno."
"Good night, sir. Good night, Dean."
They got into the van and drove out the front gate.
"Well, I think we got a lot accomplished today, don't you?"
Dean grinned, "You know, little man, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were crazy."
"What's wrong?"
Dean shook his head, and smiled, "Nothing really, how are you feeling now? Are you over your blue funk?"
"Yes, thank you," Keith laughed, "you made it all better. I thought about what you said and you were right on two points. I have a good friend and I'm wealthy. I plan to make good use of both."
"Mmmmmm, I don't know if I like the sound of that, Tiger. I saw the way you got into Bruno's head today. I don't understand why you just don't leave the arrangements the way they are? This way, if you don't like the way he does something, you can always replace him."
"That's true, but I trust Bruno; he is competent and will take good care of me. He has already proven that. Anyway, he knows all about my family background and me. Bruno will make sure he doesn't make any more mistakes. If he works for me, he will learn the way I want things done. Another thing, he knows my enemies. The important thing is that you two get along. I have a proposition to make you and I want you to give it a lot of thought before you give me your answer."
"This sounds very serious," Dean replied with a grin."
"I want you to continue to live with me until we graduate from college. We both want to get our MBA and now is the time to make the decision. It means carrying a heavy program in the next four years. Now that we've been at it for a while, I think we should consider taking the accelerated program that Tech is offering. We may have to give up our Friday evenings and Saturdays for a while, but I think it is worth the effort. I know we have the marks and the brains to do it."
"Hold is right there, Tiger. Even if I wanted to go along with the program, I can't swing it financially. I can't ask my parents for any more money?"
"I know your financial situation and we'll talk about that in a minute. We are compatible and think alike on most issues. Right now, I need your moral support and companionship. The shrink will help me to straighten out my life again. If you do this for me, I will not only foot your bill at Tech, but I'll pay for your other expenses as well. Since you will be giving up your part time job, my company will send you a paycheck for the same amount you are presently earning. You're not getting a free ride. I want you to work for me and design a new computer system for the Lindstrom Corporation."
"If this works out, and you want to stay with the company, I'll move you into our new Executive training program. After that, you can have pick your career path with the firm. We both have different life styles and I would expect you to do your thing, I will do the same. We can work that out if you agree to live with me. We will continue the petty cash arrangements for the household expenses. If you agree to go along with the arrangements, I'll provide you with a company credit card. That will make the bookkeeping much easier all around, plus we get bonus miles on our airline tickets."
"Jesus, Keith, that's a tempting offer, but I'll feel like I'd loose my independence if I allowed you to support me like that. I don't think this is a good idea knowing how you feel about me. Look, you're only human. Suppose you decide that you don't want me around any more, or you want more from me than I'm willing to give. On the other hand, suppose you meet Mister Right and decide to play house together? Where does that leave me?"
"That's not going to happen," Keith said. "I've been honest with you from the beginning. Sure, I have a thing for you, but that has not affected our friendship. I have never made a pass at you and I never will. I'd certainly never use my position, or money to force you into a compromising situation. I value our friendship too much to allow that to happen. You should know me well enough by now to know that I never go back on my word. I intend to draw up a letter of agreement that will cover all the points you've made and will guarantee that no matter what happens, your education, and subsistance will continue until you receive your MBA."
"Look, you could find the girl of your dreams and leave just as easily. I'm not saying that this is going to be the ideal arrangement, but it's something to strive for. I'm willing to do everything I can to make it work. Look, Dean, there are no guarantees in this life and everything you get comes with a price tag. Look at the price I paid for what I have today. I have more money than I can ever spend in three lifetimes. Yet what good is it to me if it cost the lives of my family."
Dean shook his head and smiled, "Your uncle didn't realize what a treasure he cast aside. You're smooth, Keith, I can see why the board let you have controlling interest in Lindstrom. This is a big decision to make. I need some time to think this through."
"Take all the time you need."
After dinner at the McCall home, they drove back to their motel.
Keith showered first and slipped into his robe. He plugged in his computer and checked his email. He read and answered ten