PEG BOY (29 page)

“This young
man from the warehouse wanted to see you, Anthony. I told him he could stay
only a few minutes.”

Bolen nodded,
his eyes large and concerned.

“Charlotte,
would you get us some tea, please? I’m very thirsty.”

She pointed to
a chair and Vincent sat.

“I’ll send
Lizbeth with the tea. Remember young man, only a few minutes! He needs his
rest.”

Once Charlotte
had left the room, Anthony Bolen reached for Vincent’s hand and squeezed it so
hard that it was impossible to tell whether it was a touch of affection or
anger.

“What in hell
are you doing here? Are you crazy?”

“Listen...,”
Vincent leaned closer, whispering as he kissed Bolen’s lips. “Belle sent me.
She wanted you to have this.” He slipped the note to the outstretched hand.
“How are you feeling?”

“Not good. I
was burned badly. I haven’t been sleeping well. Everything hurts. The Doctor
gives me morphine. That helps the pain, but not much. I’ve missed you!”

The touch
became less intense as Bolen stroked the Vincent’s hand.

“I have missed
you too, Anthony. We must make this quick before someone comes. Someone else
has been missing you as well.”

“Belle?”

“No, Santiago!
I saw him today. McIntyre had been pretty rough with him. Some of the boys have
been talking and they say one of the twins disappeared. They say some freak got
too wild and the boy was killed. That’s only a rumor. Anyway..., I promised
Santiago I would ask you if there was anything you could do about getting them
out of there?”

“What does he
expect me to do?”

“I don’t know!

Vincent
quickly pulled his hand away as he heard someone on the other side of the door.
A black maid entered with a tray of tea-things. After she left Vincent poured
two cups and held one to Bolen’s lips as he sipped cautiously.

“Santiago
sends his regards and hopes you are getting better. He is also worried about
the gold and wondered if he might have it.”

“I think that
would be a good idea, but he should not keep it with him. I think Belle would
keep it for him. You can trust her. It would be better that way until he gets
away from McIntyre. Now listen..., Mr. Parsons will be here tomorrow. He
manages the warehouse. He knows the combination to the safe. That’s where I
have it kept. I’ll instruct Parsons to pass it on to you. Be sure you see him!
As for getting Santiago out..., I really don’t know what I can do right now.”

Anthony
Bolen’s speech had become labored. It was obvious he was in pain.

“Can you read
this to me?”

Bolen handed
Belle’s note back to Vincent and the boy unfolded it and began reading...

“Dear Anthony,

That was a very brave thing you did for those people. I am very proud
of you and was sorry to hear you were hurt. I hope it will not keep you away
from us for very long. If you hurry back you will have free use of any boy you
like, for a month. Although I suspect the one you’ll select is the one
delivering this message! That’s why I am sending him with this note. I know he
misses you and you probably are missing him as well. So Anthony, know we all
hope to see you well again.

                                                                                Love,
Belle”

“You know,”
Bolen said softly, his breathing becoming more labored. “There’s more to being
a lady than having cultured ways and a respectable name!”

Vincent rose
and once more took Bolen’s hand.

“What she says
about getting well..., do that! Please, take care off yourself and come back to
me! I
do
miss you, Anthony..., I...., I had better go now.”

Bolen nodded,
his head turning suddenly with a surge of pain.

“I love you,
Vincent! I’m always thinking about you and worry about you...., I guess it
means I love you! Since this accident I’ve come to realize how much you mean to
me. Thank you for coming, and thank Belle for sending you. Tell her I owe her
one!”

Vincent bent
closer and quickly kissed Bolen on the lips again, placing his hand on the
bulge he had noticed beneath the bed-clothing.

“
That
was not damaged and I intend to use it again. Keep yourself ready for me, will
you?”

“I’m always
ready for you, Anthony.”

As Vincent
opened the door to leave he walked into Charlotte Bolen, and had the impression
she had been standing outside the door listening.

“Good day,
ma’am.” He said, as he walked quickly away not waiting for her response.

T
he
evening had been a long and uneventful one. Both men Santiago had serviced had demanded
little of him. He had only to play a passive role and although they lingered
after the act, it was mainly to fondle and kiss him. Santiago had been
surprised at how similar each client had been in looks, technique and
execution…, they could have been brothers. Perhaps they were, as evidenced by
the physical similarity of size and angle of bend of their penises! Some time
after he had drifted off to sleep when the last man had left, he suddenly woke
with Kim on his mind and aware that he had heard no noise from the boy’s room.
The walls of the building were intentionally thin to take advantage of those whose
excitement was stimulated by eavesdropping on others having sex.

Santiago put
on his pants and sandals and went to Kim’s room. Putting his ear to the door,
he heard a muffled sound. Something about the noise made him uneasy. Then he
heard it again…, a crying out…, a moan. He heard it several times and
recognized Kim’s voice. Santiago tried the door and found it unlocked. He
opened it quietly and in the dim light saw Kim bound and gagged, lying on the
bed. A man was kneeling above him, masturbating as he watched the boy squirm in
pain each time he reached down and brutally pinched Kim’s nipples and various
other parts, taking the flesh between his fingers and twisting until the boy’s
back arched and his legs shot out with each act of torture. The more he showed
pain, the more excited the man became. Kim’s face was filled with terror and
tears.

The door
suddenly swung open, banging against the wall and the motion caught the man off
guard so that he was unable to avoid the boy who leapt from the doorway and
crashed into him, sending them both to the floor. Pummeling fists crushed the
man’s nose and something in his jaw cracked, making the man’s face look
grotesque. Santiago gave the man the final strike, kicking him forcefully in
the groin. When Santiago stood, he was bleeding from the mouth and had a cut
above his eye. He came to Kim and removed the gag then began untying knots. The
boy cried uncontrollably, unable to rid himself of the terror that had filled
him. Seeing Kim covered with bruises, it was obvious the man had been at work
for some while. Santiago threw his arms around Kim and held him. He heard the
door open and saw two men enter. One of them was McIntyre.

“What the hell
is going on here?” the voice was loud and angry. “What the fuck are you doing
here, Cali?”

Santiago
realized that McIntyre had known what was going on and was resenting the interference.
He whipped around with venom in his voice and shouted at McIntyre.

“Just another
case of your pathetic business nearly killing another boy! For the love of God,
do you want to kill him as well?’

Before he
could go on, he was assaulted by a fist in the face that sent him to the floor
and he was surrounded in darkness.

Santiago did
not know how much time had elapsed. He was in a room not his own, a small as a
closet. There were voices on the other side of the door. Through the fog in his
head he recognized one of the voices as McIntyre’s. Careful so as not to make a
sound, Santiago edged toward the door and listened.

“But the kid
won’t eat...,” One of the men was saying. “There may be some broken ribs and
the kid is running a fever.”

“The hell with
the kid,” McIntyre responded viciously. “We’re going to dump him, anyway. I’m
tired of having the little bastard around. Him and his brother have been
nothing but trouble for me since they got here. We should have eliminated him
the day we got rid of the other one. I’m not sure what to do with him yet. The
problem is with the other one, Cali. He’s my biggest draw. But I can’t let him
get into this. He’s already too involved with the kid and likes the kid too
much. I don’t think they’re fucking, and that’s the dangerous part. They’re
really bonded. I thought he would be helpful but it hasn’t turned out that
way.”

Santiago’s
heart began pounding. He could feel the surging impulse to throw open the door
and run, but he knew it would be useless. He listened.

“I don’t want
that kid here. I want him gone by the end of the week. I don’t care what you
do! Try selling him down at the docks. Make sure he gets on a ship that will be
gone a long time. I may as well try getting my investment back. If there’s no
one who wants to buy, use him as you will and then get rid of him. Don’t leave
a trace. I’ll get some kind of paper drawn up that will show we sold him, even
if we haven’t. Doc will want to know what happened to him. After the incident
with his brother, you know the good Doctor has become more resistant to our
methods of doing business. He’s next on our agenda of things to get rid of.”

“So what
you’re saying is that you want us to...” One of the men sounded anxious.

“What I’m
saying is that we have a problem on our hands and I expect you to take care of
it. It’s what I pay you to do, take care of my problems. If you think you’re
not up to it then say so and you’ll become a problem, yourself!

“We may even
have to do something about the Peruvian, in there. Check him out, see if he’s
awake.”

Santiago got
back down on the floor and resumed the position he had found himself in when he
had come to. A key sounded in the door and it opened.

“Nothing...,”
he heard the man saying. “He’s still out.”

The door
closed and this time he did not hear it being locked.

“I don’t care
if the kid does have busted ribs,” McIntyre continued. “He’s not seeing the
doctor. I can’t risk it. Doc is not to know about this, hear? Keep the boy
locked in his room and be sure he has enough to eat. Now get downstairs and
help out with lunch.”

Santiago
realized he had been unconscious almost eight hours. Mid-day meal was about to
be served and that was always done at one o’clock in the afternoon. He
remembered the plans he had made to meet with Vincent. The hour was near. He
felt tense and wondered if he could escape his confinement to make his way to
the roof. It was even more important to see him, now!

“Get going!”
he heard McIntyre yelling at his men. “I’ll be down soon. I have things to
attend to here, first.”

The men left
and McIntyre was alone. Santiago listened and heard him moving down the hall to
his office. He heard the draws of McIntyre’s desk being opened and closed many
times. Then he heard the clinking of what he knew was the handle to the safe.
After a few minutes he heard McIntyre leave. Santiago could not believe they
had forgotten to lock the closet door. He opened the door slowly in case
someone had been left behind to guard. No one was in the hallway. He went to McIntyre’s
office and listened, but heard no noise. He entered, and rummaged through the
draws of McIntyre’s desk. In one of the lower draws he found a gun, one small
enough to hide in his pants. Using a piece of ribbon found in another draw, he
tied the weapon to his calf. Confused as to what to do next, he knew he had to
do something! He thought of getting up to the roof to see Vincent. But what
good would Vincent be to him, on the hill? Whatever he did, it would have to do
with rescuing Kim before something happened to him. He had to find him first!
Santiago took the letter-opener from the top draw and slipped it into his
waistband. After listening, he entered the hallway and crept along the darkened
corridor. At this hour almost everyone was in the dining room. A plan was
forming in his head. He knew his decision to escape had already been made.

The sounds of
voices and laughter came from the lower level where the boys had gathered for
lunch. Some were socializing among themselves before the afternoon customers
began arriving. The upper floor was quiet. When he came back to his own room,
he found the door open and the room in total upheaval. As he had expected, Kim’s
room was locked and he assumed one of McIntyre’s men was stationed within. He
thought it best to knock and wait for a sign. The first knock brought no
response. Santiago was unsure as to what he would do if someone answered. He
knocked again and heard no sound. But he knew Kim was in the room, he
felt
it!

Santiago
jammed the letter-opener between the door-frame and latch, and put his weight
against the door. After three attempts, the door flew open. Kim was sitting on
the bed, arms tied behind his back, mouth gagged.

Santiago
closed the door quietly and motioned for the boy not to make noise as he untied
him, his own eyes tearing at the sight of Kim’s condition. The child’s face was
filled with terror. His naked body, frail from loss of weight, was covered with
sores and bruises. Once the child was unbound, Santiago held him and kissed him.

“You must
listen carefully! We are getting out of here. I do not know how we will do it,
but we must try! Neither of us are safe, now. What I want you to do is follow
me to the roof. Bring your bed sheets with you.”

Kim was weak
and had trouble lifting himself from the bed. His walk was erratic and his head
was light. Santiago picked him up and carried him. Although the bruises were
severe, none of the ribs seemed broken.

“Hold onto
your sheet and we’ll get another from my room.”

After
assessing that no one was on the floor, Santiago retrieved his sheets and climbed
the ladder to the roof, supporting Kim in his arms. His grasp was strained by
the weight. Kim’s face was no longer the face Santiago had come to know. It was
sullen, sunken, and without expression. His hair was dirty and matted and the
boy looked utterly defeated. Santiago sensed the effort to escape almost
useless but there was nothing else to do but try. Once on the roof, where would
they go? Yet the roof was better than being captive within the building as
there was no possibility they could have gotten past anyone on the first floor.

Santiago heard
rain falling as he approached the trap-door. The sky was dark and an early
afternoon shower had made puddles everywhere.

“What is going
to happen?” Kim asked, sensing Santiago’s worry. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t
know,” was all Santiago could say. He wrapped Kim in one of the sheets and made
his way to the edge of the roof to look down to the street. He saw only the men
of the waterfront. Santiago walked to the other side of the building where they
had spoken to Vincent the day before. The rain began falling in torrents and
they had difficulty seeing the ledge where Vincent had sat. Vincent was not
there. He would probably not come because of the weather. Santiago ran back to Kim
and removed his sheet to tear it into wide strips.

“Here, tie
these together,” he told him. The boy had seen the excitement in Santiago’s
eyes and some of the hope that he had lost, began to return. He felt less weak
and pulled himself together enough to be of help. They tore and tied strips of
cloth with a frenzy. They were sitting near the open hatch as they worked.
Suddenly there was a gunshot and yelling and they realized they had been
discovered missing.

Santiago
noticed a keg partially filled with roofing nails that had been left from the
construction. The barrel was heavy and Santiago rolled it on its edge to the
hatchway. He closed the hatch and with effort they put the keg on top so that
anyone trying to open it would have difficulty. The rain fell harder. Kim was
naked. Santiago took a portion of the ripped sheets and made him a loin-cloth.
He dragged the makeshift cloth rope to the roof’s edge and looked down to the
alley. The rope was still several feet short of the ground. Santiago felt he
would be able to jump to safety, but was unsure of Kim’s chances.

“Look,”
Santiago pointed to McIntyre’s carriage tied at the rear of the building. “I
will lower you as far as you can go, and you can drop the rest of the way to
the carriage’s roof. It will help break your fall.”

“Santiago...,
look, there!”

Kim was
pointing to the hatch, where someone had managed to roll the keg off it.
Santiago took the pistol he had tied to his leg and went to the opening. One of
McIntyre’s men had just started to climb onto the roof when the boy reached him
and Santiago put the gun to the man’s head and fired. The shot rang out and the
man snapped back with the force of the impact, falling from the ladder and to
the floor below. Santiago replaced the hatch and with Kim’s help, they lifted
the keg back on.

They could
hear the pounding at the hatch as Santiago hurriedly finished tying the sheets
together. He tied one end around Kim’s waist and lowered him down the side of
the building. He heard voices from behind and as he turned he saw McIntyre and
two of his men had already climbed onto the roof. The long hours of practice
with his father too improve his aim with a gun, paid off. The first shot hit McIntyre
between the eyes. As if in slow motion, Santiago watched the man’s head snap
back and the eyes crossed as though he were trying to see the bullet that had
hit him and the hole from which blood flowed profusely. Still McIntyre moved
forward and Santiago put another bullet in his chest. This time McIntyre fell,
his face hitting the roof and his body tripping the other two men who had made
efforts to avoid him while reaching for their own weapons. One of the men who
was looking down at McIntyre, turned on the other man and shot him. Santiago
was so surprised that he stood riveted, not knowing what to do. He could hear Kim
yelling for him, still hanging from the rope, not yet low enough for him to
reach the carriage. The man known as Larson walked up to Santiago and pointed
at his gun.

“Put it down.
Put it down..., you do not need it. You need not be frightened of me. Now get
your ass out of here. There are three others downstairs who will be up here
soon. They may not see this as I do. I won’t be able to do anything to hold
them off. I should have done this to the fucker a long time ago,” he said,
putting his gun to McIntyre’s body and firing another shot.