

Chapter 38

"And, I'm damned glad that you did," I told him. "I don't

know whether you know it or not, but you're the embodiment of

every gay man's fantasy, young or old. But, you're so much

more than that, 'Pretty Boy'."

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, laughing. "I hope

someday I can get rid of that 'Pretty Boy' image."

"Why fight it? Relax and enjoy what you have. Oh yes, the

package is awesome, but it's the contents that I love more."

"You're embarassing me, you know."

"No, I'm just telling you how I feel."

"I think we're both getting better at that - expressing our

feelings," he said.

"Actually, I'm happy that you've had all of the experiences

that you have. It makes me feel a lot more secure knowing

that you've already checked out what's 'out there', and know

what you want, and, fortunately for me, it appears to be me.

If you hadn't, I'd always be wondering if YOU were wondering

what you might be missing out on."

"That works both ways," he said. "If you were fresh out of

the closet, I'd wonder about you too, whether I'd have to be

watching out for the competition all the time."

"As you said, there IS no competition."

\- - - - -

In the few months that we had been in operation, Lundborg

Rush was doing amazingly well. Warren had jumped in and

taken over. Every month new production records were set, and

the sales effort he had initiated was really paying off.

He wasn't selling price but Service and Security. Orders

were delivered on time, quality control didn't let any

defects get through and our customers were signing long-term

contracts as fast as production slots could be guaranteed.

Security was tight, none of the software was "leaking" out,

largely due to Warren's policy of giving a copy to every

employee who wanted one.

According to Eric, Micron was ecstatic, telling him that

turning over production to us was one of the smartest things

they'd ever done. Seeing our Financial Statements brought a

lot of smiles too since they owned a part of it.

Jeff had arranged another get-together of Milton Plant

Managers in Scottsdale which had been as successful as the

first. Another was planned soon, then, during the summer, he

planned to pull all 39 together to let the groups "cross

pollinate", as he called it.

\- - - - -

Annie came home all smiles and very relaxed. We tried our

damnest to find out the cause of her new mood, but she wasn't

talking. All she'd say, teasing us, was "Wait a couple of

weeks."

About all she'd say about her vacation was that she'd fallen

in love with Sarah, and that she loved the Penthouse. No

details on her activities whatever.

I was curious, of course, but it really didn't matter. The

fact that she was happy was enough. We'd just have to wait

for the unveiling, or whatever that was in a few weeks.

Although we all made frequent trips to the site to check out

progress on the new office building, Tina insisted that we

all go on a formal tour.

The steel skeleton was getting fleshed out. The exterior

looked just about complete. From a distance the coffered

windows looked like rows of dots, but as you got closer,

their size became apparent. In my opinion, it looked better

in reality than in the drawings.

The interior was a work in progress. Partitions were going

up, and Tina led us to what would be my office. It looked

larger than my office downtown and was actually a suite of

several rooms including a bathroom and private dining room.

In another section of the building was Eric's office, a

duplicate of mine, but closer to the area where Lundborg Rush

and the Development Company's offices would be located.

Plants and the Company's art collection would decorate the

wide corridors. When this was mentioned, Annie, with a

twinkle in her eye, told us that we might be receiving some

surprises from Sarah - if we invited her to the Dedication.

That's something I'd forgotten about. We had to have some

kind of Dedication ceremony so all the local politicos could

strut their stuff. God, how I hate those things. According

to Tina, we'd be ready to move in in about 60 days, so we'd

better get started on it soon.

\- - - - -

Eric and I were on the deck, finishing breakfast and getting

started on the Sunday paper. We heard the phone ringing and

assumed that somebody would answer it.

Gabriella came out to announce that there was a "John Bussey"

calling for either one of us.

We both jumped up and ran into the den. Not having heard

anything from John in quite a while, and for him to call on a

Sunday had to mean something. We put him on speakerphone.

"Good, caught you both," He said. "Found something you might

be interested in."

"What?" Eric asked, already excited.

John started chuckling. "I'd rather show you than tell you,"

he said. "Can you get away for a day or two?"

"When?" I asked.

"How about tomorrow?" John asked. "If you can, come early,

it's really gotten hot around here."

"I'm pretty sure we can be there," I said. "Prescott?"

"Yeah," John answered. "No bumpy rides, either, Dave. We'll

meet you with the chopper."

"You know you're being a real asshole, John," Eric told him.

"We'll both be suffering for the next 24 hours."

"You'll understand when you get here," he laughed.

"Well, what do you think?" Eric asked after all the details

had been worked out with John.

"They've found something, I know that, but WHAT is the big

question."

"No point in driving ourselves crazy trying to guess," he

said, "we'll just have to wait."

"We've got a few calls to make," I said, "and we'd better get

our stuff together."

"Since they're always gonna consider us a couple of 'city

dudes', we might as well dress the part," he said. " Let's go

to Banana Republic and load up."

I called Jason to make arrangements for the plane. He

suggested that we leave at 4:30 AM so we could arrive by

six. Eric groaned when he heard this. "Might as well not

even go to bed tonight," he grumbled.

"Just think about tomorrow night," I told him. "Stars and..."

"Oh yeah!" he answered with a gleam in his eye.

Shopping was fun for a change. At Banana Republic, we got

shorts and lightweight khaki shirts. I balked at hats. I

hate 'em, particularly those pith helmet types.

Another stop at the liquor store. We figured there might be a

celebration, so we got a couple of cases of Jack Daniels.

Another stop at the sporting goods store and we were done.

Back home, we got organized and loaded all our gear in Eric's

Jeep.

I don't think either of us slept much, so when we pulled up

to the hangar, we were still bleary eyed. "Got coffee and

breakfast on board," Ron told us.

There was a good sized chopper sitting on the apron, and John

was waving his arms as we landed. We taxied over and started

unloading our stuff. John's face was just about obscured by

the huge grin he had on it.

"Welcome back!" John beamed.

"OK, give," Eric begged. "What'd you find?"

"Keep it in your pants, sonny," he laughed. "You'll see soon

enough."

Our stuff got stowed in the chopper. Seeing the booze, John

asked "What's that for?"

"Thought there might be a celebration," I told him. "If not,

just add it to your stash."

Up and away we went. This sure beat the hell out of bouncing

around in John's old Jeep. The terrain looked a lot

different from the air than it had from ground level. Really

rugged.

We passed over "camp". I recognized it as being the same

place because of the tiny bit of green, the only vegetation

in the area. What had been a few tents before now looked

like a tent city.

We kept on going for several miles, then slowed, hovered, and

settled down on a flat space near the edge of a cliff. As

the blades slowed down, diesel generators could be heard, the

sound coming from all directions.

John got out first, and I saw him motioning to the crews on

the drilling rigs. One by one, the generators were shut

down, and the guys started walking over. There were still a

couple generators running in the distance.

"Hey, it's the Lovebirds!" one of the guys hollered out. We

just smiled at him.

We all walked over to a huge tarp lying on the ground, the

crew forming a circle around it. "How many bodies you got

under there?" smartass Eric asked.

"Just a couple," John grinned. After everyone quieted down,

John started speaking.

"We found something we weren't really looking for," he

started, then motioned to a couple of the guys. They pulled

the top tarp back a little to reveal a line of plastic bags.

"This is the first core we pulled up," John said, squatting

down. "This is the top of the core, starting at 320 feet."

We leaned down for a closer look. He moved down the line of

bags. They all looked pretty much the same, brown rock

fragments swimming in drilling sludge. At the third bag, he

stopped. "This is where it starts to get interesting. See,

this is quartz," he said, holding up the bag so we could see

the whitish pink granules.

He went on down the row, holding up each of the next four,

saying "more quartz" with each one. When he got to the

eighth bag, he held it out to us. Even though the particles

were coated with sludge, they glinted and shined.

"What is it?" Eric asked.

"Gold," John said simply, and rolled the tarp back some

more. "More quartz," he said as he held up the next two

bags, then moved up to the top of the next row of bags. "This

is the next core, starting at 330 feet," he explained.

Three more bags were quartz, then he handed us the fourth.

More glints that caught the sunlight. "Gold again," he said

in a matter-of-fact tone, then stood up.

"What does all this mean?" I asked, not sure of what I was

seeing.

"It looks like we may have found not one but two of the

biggest veins ever found," he said. "One is at least four

inches thick, and our best guess is that the other one is

more than seven inches of damned near pure gold.

"Actually, they're more like 'flows' than veins because they

extend all over the place," he continued, waving his arm in a

circle. "We're still drilling and haven't found the end of

it yet."

Some of the drilling rigs were a couple of hundred feet away,

so this thing spread all over.

"That's only part of it," he said, walking toward the edge of

the cliff. In layman's terms, he explained how the edge of

the cliff was a fault line, and the part where we were

standing had been pushed up by seismic forces. When that had

occurred, the raised part had been sheared off from the

flatter area below, and the "vein" or whatever, continued

down there. How far it went was being determined by the rigs

already drilling below us.

Dumb me. I still didn't grasp the significance. "What does

all this mean?" I asked, showing my ignorance.

"Well, to give you an idea," John explained patiently, "Each

one of those three-quarter inch cores has about three hundred

dollars worth of gold in them."

I got the picture, finally. In my mind, I did some rapid

calculating. That meant that there was more than $50,000

worth of gold in every square foot, and this thing covered

acres for chrissakes!

Eric had been calculating too, and we just stood there and

stared at each other in shock. The rest of the guys standing

around were watching us. As they watched it sink in, they

started giggling, then laughing out loud.

"Jesus H. Christ," Eric murmured, shaking his head.

"Got some more good news," John announced. "From up here,

it's about 280 feet to the bottom, so if we go in from down

there, we only have to go down fifty or sixty feet to get to

it. The rest that's under the flat down there, we're going

to have to work for."

We just stood there in awe of the whole situation.

\- - - - -

After meeting the new guys and saying hello to the ones we'd

met before, the chopper took us back to "camp". All the men

seemed more excited about the find than we were. I guess it

just hadn't sunk in yet.

A lot had changed. In addition to a lot more tents, there

was a greatly expanded cooking area manned by a cook, and the

ring of seats around the campfire was a whole lot bigger.

One tent, though, was off by itself, ours, I assumed.

"We had a little celebration the night we pulled the first

core. Tonight's the big one, though, " John said, taking the

Jack Daniels over to the cooking area.

We hauled our stuff to our tent and pulled the air mattress

out onto the "patio". No need to be shy around this bunch.

No doubt the new men had heard the whole story by now.

John was waiting for us under the awning. He'd been right, it

was HOT! It was a lot quieter since the work going on was so

far away. Only a light hum could be heard. Except for the

heat, it was almost pleasant.

In his drawl, John told us the whole story of the discovery.

Not being too optomistic about finding anything in that area,

only one rig had been taken in. The first core had only gone

down 300 feet, and had hit a lot of hard rock. The second, a

hundred feet from the first had gone down further, and that's

when they'd found the seam. Hoping that it wasn't just a

"pocket", they'd drilled another hole ten feet away, and it

too had shown similar results.

At this point, John had been eager to determine the extent of

the deposit so had moved the rest of the rigs to the area.

So far, wherever they dug, they found the seam continuing.

"It's gotta run out sometime, but we haven't found it yet,"

he said.

After studying the formation, rigs had been moved to the area

below the cliff, and the seam was continuing.

All of the first cores had been maintained intact, none sent

to the usual lab for analysis. Only two samples had been

assayed, and those at a lab in Denver by way of John's

brother who lived there. The results, as expected, were

spectacular.

"Why so secretive?" I asked him.

"As soon as this find leaks out, we'll spend more time

chasing off 'lookers' than we do working. Might as well keep

it quiet as long as we can."

"Isn't this pretty remote?" I asked.

"Noplace is remote when it comes to gold," John answered

seriously.

Eric had been real quiet, but not missing a word. Now he

jumped in.

"I still can't comprehend what's going on," he said. "Now

that we've found it, what do we do to get it out?"

"This is one you should mine yourselves," John told him.

"Until we go after the gold under the flat below the cliff,

it's going to be a piece of cake. Move a little dirt and go

straight in. Tunnel from there."

"Sounds easy enough," Eric agreed. "Who's going to run it?

Would you consider doing it?"

"I'm a prospector, not a miner," he told Eric. "I appreciate

the offer, but I'd prefer looking for more rather than

settling down and runing something. I'd like to recommend

somebody, though.

"I've got an old friend in Phoenix who retired from Asarco a

couple of years ago. For something like this, I'm pretty

sure I could talk him into going back to work. He's got a

degree from the Colorado School of Mines, and ran mining

operations for Asarco for years. He's the best man I know of

for this job."

"You think he might take it for a few years?" Eric asked.

"I'll give Loren a call," he volunteered. "If he's

interested, we can go see him tomorrow on your way home."

\- - - - -

In the late afternoon, the chopper warmed up and took off to

ferry the men back to camp. At eight men per load, it took

three trips.

"We still start at first light," John explained. "With

longer days, we get started earlier, and I don't want to get

the reputation of a slave driver..."

The evening bathing ritual began, then the men disappeared

into their tents. An afternoon nap was a good guess.

As the sun lowered and it cooled off a little, they reemerged.

Many were wearing shorts instead of their usual Levis, their

pale legs contrasting with their deeply tanned torsos.

We weren't regarded as "outsiders" any more, getting kidded

about dressing like "tourists". The Jack Daniels was brought

out, cups were found and we sat in a big circle around the

fire pit. John had a few words to say, then Eric and I each

added a little.

"Have you decided on a name?" somebody asked.

"For what?" I asked.

"The mine. Every mine has a name."

"Didn't know that," I said.

"The boys have come up with a name," John said. "Wait a

minute."

One of the original eight got up and disappeared for a few

minutes. When he came back, he was carrying what looked like

a piece of barn siding about six feet long. When he got to

the circle, he held it horizontal and flipped it over.

Burned into the wood in big letters was "THE LOVEBIRD MINE".

"We wanted to name it for you guys," he said.

I felt my eyes getting misty and glanced over at Eric. He

was having the same reaction. It was an amazing tribute to

the two of us and the love that we had for each other. I

didn't know what to say, but, thankfully, Eric did.

"Thank you. All of you," he said, looking around at all the

smiling faces. "We'll have a little trouble explaining it,

but that's what it'll be." This got a hearty laugh.

The sign was propped up so we could all see it, and we drank

to the new name.

"That board'll hang over the entrance when we actually start

mining," the guy who brought out the sign explained.

We drank and talked for a while, then John had another

announcement. "The guys have something else for you."

This time there was no wait. Another of the original crew

pulled out what looked like a picture frame and brought it

over to us. "We waited until we actually found something to

give this to you," he said.

It was a museum-type mounting of the tiny nugget that had

been the first "color" they'd found. Below the nugget was an

engraved placque stating simply "The Beginning". Below it

was another brass placque with the names of the original

eight and John.

This time, I wasn't tongue-tied. "This will hang proudly in

the lobby of our building," I said, "but only after we let

the world know what you've found."

It was dinnertime. There were now picnic tables so no more

balancing of trays in our laps. Huge steaks were on the menu

along with ice cream for dessert.

Back sitting in a circle, Eric sitting on the ground between

my knees, the conversation turned to what would happen next,

along with speculation on how extensive the mine would turn

out to be. "Only one thing," John said. "I ain't no

tree-hugger, but I'd like to see you put it back the way it

was when it's all mined out."

"We agree with that," Eric said. "That's the way it should

be, not just walk away and leave another scar on the

landscape."

We all talked some more until it became obvious that it was

time to hit the sack. Eric got up and disappeared for a few

minutes, coming back carrying a bag. Starting with the eight

original guys, he started passing out little plastic boxes.

The guys started laughing uproariously. "Wear 'em,

goddamit," he said. "No more bitching about the noise." He

was handing out earplugs.

\- - - - -

Side by side, we looked up at the sky. The moon was full

enough to cast shadows so our naked bodies were clearly

outlined.

"What a day," I murmured.

"It's only just the beginning."

"I know," I said grasping his hand.

He leaned up to look into my face. "We're coming up on two

years together," he said softly, "and it still feels like the

beginning," then leaned over and kissed me before I could

reply.

A tender kiss grew into a passionate embrace, love, not lust

hardened our dicks. His lips found their way to my throat,

then down my chest and stomach. He stopped long enough to

say "Just watch the stars" before taking me into his mouth.

He took me in as far as he could comfortably go. No "special

effects" just loving caresses as he moved up and down, the

warmth of him flowing into me. The stars were in my eyes but

the undescribable feelings of love were in my mind. No

teasing or repeated cliff hangers, I just melted over the

edge. A gentle liftoff, a long, joyful journey, then a

smooth splashdown.

I awoke to find him lying across my chest, holding me. I

felt loved.

When I could, I pretty much repeated the process on him, but

taking him all the way down to the base on each stroke as I

so loved to do. His moans as he climaxed were soft but

definitely loud enough to be heard. I smiled, thinking about

the twenty seven pairs of ears probably straining to listen.

Nestled together, we got the giggles every time we heard a

moan or grunt coming from the tent city.

"I guess we set an example," I whispered.

"Good one, too," he chuckled.

\- - - - -

We got up as soon as we heard activity, joining the crew for

breakfast. There were a lot of sly grins and a few winks

that were all met with a smile from us.

At the first sign of light, the chopper started the delivery

process. After the third load, we climbed aboard and it took

us out to the site again. This time, we landed on the flat

below the cliff.

From below, one could see where the cliff had sluffed off

over time and there was a buildup of rock against the lower

face. The cliff itself ran for at least a mile in either

direction.

John led Eric and me over to the base. "If I were doing it,

I'd dig this rock away and dig a ramp down to the seam," he

said. "I'm not an Engineer, though, and Loren may have other

ideas."

"Have you talked to him yet?" Eric asked.

"We're going to meet him at his home in Phoenix this

evening," he said. "By the way, I really appreciate that

phone you sent me. Worked so well I went out and bought a

couple more."

I looked back from the base of the cliff. The drilling rigs

were at least a thousand feet away. "Are you still finding

the seam way out there?" I asked John.

"They're a couple hundred feet out from the last holes. Just

started them a day or so ago, so don't know yet."

We walked over to the rigs. One had just passed 310 feet,

and was hitting quartz, so there should be an answer in a few

hours.

The chopper flew us up to the top of the cliff. From the

edge, I estimated that the rigs were about 700 feet back.

Just for the hell of it, I paced it off. 240 steps, about

720 feet. The line of rigs stretched at least twice that far

parallel to the cliff. I didn't even attempt to do the

numbers in my head of what potentially lay below us. It was

just too staggering.

I talked with some of the drillers, learning a lot more about

what was going on now that they were more at ease around me.

I also learned that a lot of the crew were Graduate

Geologists. This was surprising, but they told me that this

kind of work was preferable to sitting around in an office,

and that the pay was a lot better. They also had the highest

respect for John.

Eric was moving from rig to rig, laughing and joking with the

crews and probably picking up more information than I was. I

found a rock to perch on and watched.

John and the chopper pilot were collecting core samples and

hauling them back to the chopper. After a while, John

wandered over and took a seat on another rock. "This'll be

our last day here," he said. "No point in wasting any more

time on this one."

I nodded in agreement.

"We've already proven that there's more than a commercial

deposit here, so it's time to go look for something else."

"Where are you going from here?" I asked.

"We'll be splitting up again, four different sites about 20

miles in that direction," he said pointing.

"Do you have all the core samples tested?" I asked.

"No," he chuckled. "If we did, your lab bill would be bigger

than mine. With as many Geologists as we've got, we go over

them and set aside the obvious, shale, sandstone, and others

that we know aren't mineral bearing. Only the 'possibles' go

to the lab, but we keep them all for 'history' in the event

the lab comes up with anything. We're going to need a

warehouse pretty soon."

"I was surprised to find out that so many of your men are

Geologists," I told him.

"We call them 'Field Geologists'. There aren't that many

desk jobs in this field, and most of the younger guys would

rather be out here even if it is hard work. Being part of a

find like this one is an experience of a lifetime."

"It's a real experience for us, too, even if we're only on the

fringe," I told him.

"You're a helluva lot more involved than any owners I've ever

seen. You're not afraid to get out here and see what's going

on. Any other owner who made a find like this would've flown

out, taken a look, then gotten back to the air conditioning.

"Are you aware that the exploration you're doing is probably

the largest effort going on anyplace in the country?" he

asked.

"I didn't know that," I said. "Shows how much I know about

the mining business."

"Think we should be heading down below," he said. "They

should be close by now."

Before we left, I walked the line of drilling rigs and said

goodby to all of the men.

Down below, they were pulling the shaft up. The bottom

section with the core was carefully set aside, the rod

inserted and the core contents emptied, foot by foot. It was

there. We could see the sparkles in the sunlight.

"Maybe not as thick," John commented, "but, like the

Energizer Bunny, it keeps on going."

Back at camp we got our stuff together and gave each other a

quick shower from the stream. As hot as it was, the cold

water felt wonderful.

I personally carried the framed nugget all the way back to

Prescott.

The trip to Phoenix was really short. We got a rental car

and John drove.

Loren Rattner looked awfully young to be retired. Tall,

rangy, and not a gray hair, he greeted us warmly. His home

office was book-lined and cool. Mrs. Rattner brought us iced

tea.

"Sounds like you fellows found something mighty interesting,"

he said.

"Could be," always conservative John answered, then proceeded

to give him a detailed description, ending with "You're the

best man I know of to show Dave and Eric how to get it out."

There was a minute's silence, then Eric asked "Do you think

you might be interested?"

"What would you want me to do?" Loren asked.

"Either advise us on what to do, or run the whole thing for

us, your choice," Eric said.

"To be perfectly honest," he said, "this retirement business

is a bunch of bullshit. I'm bored shitless and have been

thinking about looking for something to do. Your timing

couldn't have been better, as far as I'm concerned. I'd like

to take a firsthand look, though, before I make a decision."

"When would you be available to do that?" I asked.

"I know you're anxious to get going," he said, "would

tomorrow be soon enough?"

"What time do you want us to pick you up?" Eric asked,

smiling.

"Let's leave early. It's a pretty good drive up there."

"We're not driving," Eric said. "We have our plane here, and

John can have his chopper pick us up in Prescott. We'll have

you home by dinnertime."

Loren was beaming. "You guys do things first-class. It

might be fun working for you."

"You'd work 'with' us, not 'for' us," I corrected him.

"Even better," he said.

\- - - - -

We decided to spend the night in Phoenix. I thought we owned

a hotel there, and called Annie to find out which one.

"You own hotels?" John asked.

"Around a hundred and thirty of them at last count," I told

him.

The pilots would meet us at the hotel and bring our gear.

"Any gay hangouts in this town?" Eric asked John.

"I've hear there are a few," John answered, blushing bright

red. "Don't know where, though. In this town I'm a happily

married man."

We all laughed at this. "We'll find 'em," Eric assured him.

Ron and Jason were waiting for us, with all our stuff. John

would pick Loren up in the morning and meet us at the airport.

"A couple of Desert Rats in the Presidential Suite!" Jason

commented in his normal sarcastic way. "Did you guys strike

gold or something."

"Yep, bigtime!" Eric shot back.

"Yeah, right," Jason continued.

"No, seriously," Eric told him.

"No way!"

"Knock it off, guys," I said laughing, "Yes, Jason, we did

strike gold, and in a big way, too. Now get your ass out of

your uniform and go get us a bottle of Scotch. We're going

to celebrate again tonight."

A warm shower felt really good. Eric, in a playful mood

joined me. We lathered then rinsed, a lot of tickling going

on in the process. He wouldn't leave me alone until I was

fully hard, then dropped to his knees and sucked me in.

"Yech," he spat "You're too soapy, rinse off some more, it

tastes terrible."

I was obedient, then enjoyed one of the fastest, most

enthusiastic blow jobs in history.

Jason was there with a bottle and ice. Smartass, he'd called

room service.

"We want to hear all about this gold mine of yours," Jason

said. "This is the first we've heard about it."

"We only found out about it yesterday," I told him.

Eric filled them in on the whole story, from my "quiet" trips

to Phoenix through our watching them pull up cores with gold

in them earlier that day, even giving full details on the

"stick pussy" incident.

"So they all swing both ways?" Jason asked.

"That's the impression we got," Eric told him.

"I can see the Headlines now 'QUEER PROSPECTORS FUCK EACH

OTHER TO DEATH IN ARIZONA DESERT'. Wow, can you imagine 30

horny miners stuck out in the boondocks together!"

"Calm down, babe," Ron said, patting his knee. "This is

fascinating, any chance we could go see the mine with you

tomorrow?"

"There's really not much to see," I told him. "Did you bring

shorts? It's hotter'n hell out there."

"Hell yes," he laughed. "After following you guys around, we

come prepared. Everything from snow gear to bikinis."

"We'll only be there a few hours," I told them. "You're

welcome to come along."

Eric and I discussed who we should tell about this discovery,

settling on just three - Annie, Tina and Bill, and invited

them for dinner at home the following evening. None of them

had a clue what we were up to.

Jason had a Gay Guide, so after dinner the four of us checked

out a few bars. We found a nice piano bar, then a Country

Western where Eric and Jason would have danced all night if

we'd have let them.

4:30 came early enough as it was. Before dressing, Ron made

sure with us that it was OK to wear shorts in the cockpit,

offering to change once we got to Prescott. He's such a

stickler for decorum on the plane, but elsewhere is just as

irreverant as Jason. Of course it was OK.

No traffic that early so we made it to the airport early.

Good thing, John and Loren were early too.

Loren was surprised. "I expected a little one-engine prop

plane," he said, "not a private jet!"

"We have two of 'em," I told him, "and we're getting a third

in a couple of months."

Loren and Eric got into conversation, and John, sitting

nearer to me leaned over and quietly asked "Find any of

'those' places last night?"

"Oh yeah," I told him. "Eric and Jason would still be

dancing if we didn't have to get up so early."

"Who's Jason?"

"One of our pilots?"

"They're....?"

I nodded.

"You really shook me yesterday when you asked about bars," he

said. "I just couldn't imagine you guys looking around for

'strange' stuff."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, John," I told him.

"We don't play around AT ALL, but sometimes it's fun to be

around our 'own kind'."

"That makes me feel a lot better! You two are so obviously

in love that I couldn't believe my ears yesterday, but I got

the whole thing wrong. Sorry."

"It's a shame that so many people think that just because

we're gay, we'll jump anybody's bones. That just isn't the

case in reality," I told him.

"By the way, if it's OK with you, our pilots would like to go

with us today. They won't get in the way," I promised.

"No problem at all," he said.

"I kind of figured that you'd want to show Loren around, then

we can talk to him after he's seen everything."

"That'll work," John said.

We landed in Prescott, and pulled up to the waiting chopper.

The plane was locked up and the chopper took off as soon as

we were all strapped in.

Neither Ron nor Jason ever asked any questions. I figured

that they'd like a little background information on what they

were going to see, so explained that this land was owned by

the Railroad, and we were doing some exploration work to find

out if there was anything of value in 'them thar hills', and

as a result had found the gold deposit.

I also mentioned that this "find" wouldn't be made public for

a while. They understood what that meant.

We set down on top of the cliff. John and Loren headed for

the core samples that were still on the big tarp, Eric and I

led Ron and Jason over to one of the drilling rigs.

Eric introduced them to the drillers. He had a knack with

names, hearing them once then never forgetting them, knowing

every driller by name.

We explained what was going on and what they'd found. They

asked a lot of questions, and surprisingly, we had most of

the answers.

One of the rigs had just pulled a core from the 330 foot

level. We watched as they pushed the core out, and heard the

"Aha!" when the seam of gold showed up where it was supposed

to.

Ron and Jason were fascinated, carefully examining the baggie

with all the glittery stuff in it.

John was waving at us so we went back to the chopper. It

took us to the flat below.

John and Loren went in their own direction. Eric explained

about the seismic slip, and how the seam continued down

there, but was 300 feet below the surface.

The four of us found soft rocks to sit on and waited while

Loren and John looked everything over.

"I've seen everything I need to, for now," Loren said when

they walked up. He turned and stared at the base of the

cliff for a few minutes. "I've made a decision, too. The

wife's going to kill me, but I'd like to be in this with you

all the way."

Eric and I rose to shake his hand. John stood there beaming.

"Do you want to talk here, or go back to Prescott and find a

cool place?" Loren asked.

"Let's go," Eric piped up.

We piled on the chopper again. "Why do you use Prescott?"

Loren asked. "There are several towns a lot closer."

"It's the closest one with a runway that'll handle our

plane," Ron explained.

In Prescott, John offered to return to the hills so Loren

could talk with us, but I insisted he stay. He was very much

a part of this whole thing, and the last thing I wanted was

for him to feel left out.

We took one of the town's few taxis to what the driver swore

was the best restaurant around. Ron and Jason said they had

work to do, politely bowing out.

After ordering, Loren got right to the point. "In my

opinion, John has made one of the major finds of the

century. Of course, that remains to be seen, but I'm

extremely optomistic.

"Now, I have a couple of questions before we go any further.

Do you have the money to develop the mine, and how in hell

did you manage to get hold of that land, and just exactly who

am I dealing with?"

John was chuckling, and Eric responded. "First, you're

dealing with a family company owned by Dave, his two

daughters and me. Second, we got the land through our recent

purchase of the Railroad for roughly $4 billion dollars,

cash, and that should answer the first part of your

question," he said with a grin.

"I didn't know. I've never heard of you guys before," Loren

said.

"That's intentional," I said. "We keep a low profile. If

you want personal or bank references, we'll be happy to

provide them."

"If John thinks you're OK, that's good enough for me. Now

that that's settled, let's talk about what we're going to

have to do. John's idea of digging a ramp down to the seam

is about the best. To get to the rest, we'll have to sink

shafts, which will be expensive, but well worthwhile if we

prove that the other is as rich as we believe it to be.

"Before we can move in heavy equipment, we'll have to have an

Environmental Impact Report prepared and approved by the

proper authorities. The fact that you're willing to return

the site to it's original state will mitigate damages to the

landscape. By the way, I commend you on that.

"Since there is very little rainfall in that area, the danger

of pollution is minimal and shouldn't be a problem.

"That takes care of the Officials, and, depending on how fast

we get the EIR, should get rubber-stamp approval."

"What kind of timeframe?" I asked while he was getting his

breath.

"Sixty to ninety days with a little luck."

"Then, what do you propose?" I asked.

"Dig down to the quartz strata, prove that the gold is

there. After that, we start doing some mining. We blast our

way in, and start taking ore out. The formation above the

quartz is stable, so we won't have to do a lot of shoring.

"OK. Now we have ore. What do we do with it?" He paused to

take a drink of water then continued. "If the cores are

giving us a true picture, it's going to be enormously

high-grade, but even high-grade costs a lot of money to

transport.

"I'd suggest that the primary processing be done on-site, set

up on the flat below the cliff and concentrate it down to

around 80% metal, then take it somewhere else for refining.

At that level, it would probably even be economical to

chopper it out.

"All of the machinery for primary processing is electric, so

we'd have to bring that in. That's going to take time and

money too, but I don't think we should start that until it's

proven. It's a helluva lot cheaper to string a power line

than it is to build roads."

"When do we start?" Eric asked.

"Hold your water there, young feller," Loren told him with a

grin. "That gold isn't going anywhere, and, if my guess is

right, it's going to take at least 20 years of mining to get

it all."

Our lunch was served, so we talked and ate, Loren throwing

out more and more suggestions on how it should be done.

"If you want to do it right, I think you're looking at about

$20 million to get started," Loren said. "It'll take about a

half million to get the report and the ramp dug. By then

we'll know whether to go ahead with everything else."

"And you'd be interested in running it for us?" I asked.

"I think it's time to talk about money," he answered.

"Here's where I leave," John said. "I'll grab a taxi back to

the airport."

Eric and I got up to shake hands and thank him for everything.

We agreed to remain in close touch. He gave Loren his mobile

phone number and warned him not to "gouge" us.

"I think I can do a good job for you," Loren started, "and I

really want this job because I think you've got one of the

most exciting projects that I've ever seen."

He threw out a salary figure which was a lot lower than I

expected. We made a deal on the spot.

"I hear you named it the "Lovebird" Mine," he said.

"We didn't, John's crew did," Eric said.

"I'm not even going to ask for an explanation. No doubt I'll

hear, sooner or later."

Loren's first job would be to arrange for the EIR to be

prepared. After that, he would prepare a detailed report on

the steps he planned to take toward making the mine a

reality, along with cost estimates.

"Remember one thing," he told us, "the minute the EIR is

filed, what we're doing will become public knowledge.

There'll have to be hearings, but since nobody else owns land

close, they'll be for the record only. Chances are that

nobody'll notice, but there's always a chance that it'll

become a big story."

"Just let us know so we can be prepared," I asked.

We took Loren back to Phoenix, then started home. Eric

snuggled up to me. "I don't think anybody in the whole

business world moves as fast as we do," he said. "It's

barely been 48 hours since we learned we even had a mine, and

we're just about ready to start digging."

"Not quite," I chuckled. "Things are happening, though.

We're going to have a lot of fun explaining the name they

gave it."

"I love it," he giggled. "It's true, you know. We ARE

lovebirds, and I hope we stay that way forever."

"It really meant a lot to me. Probably the first time anyone

outside our close friends recognized what we have together.

I got all choked up when they told us."

\- - - - -

"Where the hell have you guys been?" Annie greeted us with a

big smile.

"We'll tell you when Bill and Tina get here," I told her.

When we emerged from showering they were all waiting.

"I couldn't wait for seven o'clock," Bill said. "I know you

guys are up to something."

"Tell us," Tina begged. "Don't make us wait any longer."

"Get a drink, and get comfortable," I suggested. "This is a

long story."

While everybody got settled, I closed the double doors to the

den.

"This must be serious," Bill commented.

"In the beginning..." I started, winking at Eric.

"Oh come on, Dad," Annie groaned.

I was in a playful mood, and they were anxious. "Annie, do

you remember when we were looking into the Railroad's land

holdings?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember that we found a lot of land scattered all

over the Southwest?"

"Vaguely, yes," she answered.

"I don't think any of the rest of you know about it. I

mentioned it to Eric, and he wasn't terribly enthusiastic, so

I said to myself 'to hell with all of you, I'll do it

myself'."

I paused to take a couple of sips from my drink.

"Unbeknownst to any of you, I made a few trips."

"When was this?" Bill asked.

"While we were trying to buy the Railroad," I said, "quite a

while before we actually got it. I made a copy of your

parcel list, Annie, and took it to a Geologist.

"He and his crew went to work on it. None of you may know

this, but the U.S. Geological Survey has made an inventory of

the resources of the entire country. Maps of the Railroad's

property were overlaid over USGS maps to get an idea if any

of it might have any mineral value.

"They concentrated on the State of Arizona. The first thing I

learned was that one of the pieces of land contained a major

deposit of copper that several big mining companies were

salivating over. That one is pretty common knowledge.

"During the time we were bidding against Edgar, he evidently

told one of his partners about it, and they rushed to Arizona

to have it evaluated. The Geologist and I got pretty nervous

over this, thinking that they'd realize the real value there

and push the bidding for the Railroad out of sight, but

instead, they lost interest, thankfully."

I stopped for a few more sips.

"Come on, Dad, pleeeeease..." Tina begged.

I winked at Eric and continued. "About the time that we got

control of the Railroad, I told Eric what I'd been doing.

He's been in on it ever since. We found out that there were

a lot of 'Probable' sites on the land that we now controlled,

and started digging around. That's where Eric and I went the

last time we disappeared. We were camping out in the Arizona

desert.

"At that point, we controlled a majority of the stock in the

Railroad, but we weren't 'in control', so what we were doing,

if you want to split hairs, was trespassing on the Railroad's

land. If Edgar had caught us, there could have been a

helluva stink, but we were lucky."

"Oh come on, get to the point!" Annie said, exasperated.

I nodded to Eric to go from there. "Well," he said, "we got

a call Sunday that they'd found something, not exactly what

they were looking for."

"What ARE you looking for?" Tina asked.

"Copper, zinc, molybdenum, lead, something like that," he

answered.

"Then what did you find?" Bill asked.

"Gold."

"Nuggets? What?" Annie asked.

"Oh, a couple of nuggests. We've got the little one over

there," he said pointing at the frame which was turned toward

the wall. "The other one was too big to bring home."

"How big is it?" Bill asked.

"Oh, about seven inches thick, and it covers about forty

acres," he said dryly.

"You're kidding, of course?" Bill said.

"Nope, and there's another teenie weenie one that's only four

inches thick right above it, about the same size."

Annie and Tina were looking at each other. I could tell the

look. They were wondering if we'd gone off the deep end.

Bill asked the question for all three of them. "Are you guys

on LSD or something like that?"

I started laughing and Eric got a fit of giggles. That

really didn't help our credibility at all. They just stared

at us like one does at unruly children. We laughed harder at

the expressions on their faces.

Eric continued laughing, and I tried to get under control.

"Seriously," I said, "we did find gold."

"But surely not in the quantity that Eric told us," Bill said.

"Maybe more," I told him, dead serious now. "We haven't

determined the full extent of the seam yet. As one of the

Geologists said, 'Like the Energizer Bunny, it keeps on

going'."

"Unbelievable," Bill said shaking his head. "Leave it to you

guys."

\- - - - -

Chapter 39

It took a few days for the reality of the gold mine to sink

in. "I want to let out a war whoop whenever I think about

it," Eric told me. I felt very much the same way. We

restrained ourselves, however, with a great deal of

difficulty.

We both wanted to celebrate, but at the same time, we didn't

want to broadcast the news, so we decided to wait until the

first ore came out. That'd give us time to plan something

rather spectacular.

Loren wasn't wasting any time getting things going. He

wanted to work from home and had put his wife to work as his

secretary. Within days he had all the data collected to get

the Environmental Impact study underway and had contracted

with a firm in Texas to get it done, promising them a bonus

if they could complete it in 60 days or less.

He was also scouting equipment for the processing plant that

we hoped to build at the site. "If we order all new

equipment," he said, "It'll take a year to get, but if we

find some used stuff that's in good shape, we can have it in

a hurry. I'm as anxious as you are to get this thing going."

That was fine with us. He knew what he was doing.

A few days later, Carol buzzed me about a call I had from a

George Mattison. Didn't ring a bell until she said "Big

George from Texas." I knew who that was!

"Howdy there, Dave," he drawled. I knew damned well he could

speak without any trace of an accent, but hell, that was good

'ol folksy Big George.

"Hear one'a mah outfits is doin a little job for ya," he

continued.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Oh, some 'ol EIR over in Arizona." Now, he got serious and

the accent disappeared. "Don't worry, we don't talk. If we

did, we wouldn't stay in business long. But when a

rush-rush, hush-hush job comes along, my boys let me know

about it. You gonna tell me what you got going?"

I liked and trusted Big George, so I gave him the facts. "We

think we've found a pretty good sized gold deposit," I told

him. "We don't know for sure, but we're anxious to find out."

"I'll kick my boys' asses," he promised. "From what they

tell me, they should have it done in four or five weeks."

"We'd appreciate that," I told him.

"Claire's havin' another one'a them hoedowns in a couple'a

weeks for it gets too hot down here, and she wants you and

your young feller to come on down."

"Sounds like fun," I told him.

"She says you got a couple'a daughters, and wants you to

bring them too, no, she insisted on it."

"I'll try," I promised.

He gave me all the details, and we had a nice conversation

about things in general.

Eric came in a few minutes after I hung up. I told him about

the call, then told him "Better get out your dancin' shoes,

big fella, Claire's having another hoedown, and we're

invited. Wanna go? We're supposed to take Annie and Tina,

too."

"Under one condition," he answered, his eyes twinkling.

"What's that?"

"You've got to learn how to Square Dance."

"Oh shit," I groaned, "now you want to torture me. I didn't

think you were into S&M."

He went into a fit of giggles. "You'll have fun if you let

yourself," he promised.

When we mentioned the party to Annie and Tina, they were

eager to go, but both wanted to know if they could bring a

"friend". I knew Tina's escort would be her Architect Rick,

but Annie was still being mysterious.

"We all have to be able to Square Dance," Eric announced.

Tina's eyes lit up, but Annie had the same reaction that I'd

had.

"I'm serious," Eric told us. "I've already talked to an

instructor and we're all going to take lessons. Bring Rick

over, Tina, and we'll all learn together."

"I suppose you're already an expert," Annie snarled.

"Did I hear 'Square Dancing'?" Mary asked as she served our

dessert.

"Sure did," Eric said. "We're all going to learn."

"Maybe we can help you out," she said. "Sam's a Caller and

I've taught before. Our grandson Todd usually works with us.

Want us to teach you?"

"I'm not into pain!" Annie whined.

"It's easy," Mary said. "You don't even need to have good

rhythm, just follow the Caller's instructions. When do you

want to start?"

A date was set. I couldn't believe I'd been roped into

this. I gave Eric the hardest glare I could which made him

start giggling again.

"I'm gonna get you for this," I promised him.

\- - - - -

When Eric had moved in with me, he'd brought his exercise

equipment and installed it in the rooms next to our bedroom.

Originally it had consisted of a padded bench, barbells,

dumbells and a pile of weight plates. Those were gone, now,

replaced with a rather large all-in-one machine.

He was by no means a workout freak, explaining that he was on

a "maintenance" program. He was one of those rare

individuals who had a natural body that had only required a

little work to develop perfect definition, and he had no

interest in "bulking up", something I totally agreed with.

Why try to improve on perfection was my attitude.

"If I bulk up," he'd said, "when I get older it'll sag unless

I spend half my waking hours working out, and I don't plan to

ever have time for that! There're too many other things to

do that're a helluva lot more fun."

When he'd gotten the machine, he'd explained that it would

permit him to get a full body workout in a shorter time. At

that time, I couldn't resist pointing out that there were a

few parts of his body that the machine didn't exercise, but

I'd gladly help him out with those.

I have a personal rule about privacy. At no time do I ever

invade another person's "space". Hell, I've never seen the

inside of Tina's rooms, and Annie's only once when she

dragged me in. Eric's "study" and "gym" got the same

treatment. I never entered unless invited, and ignored

"open" invitations.

At first, he was uncomfortable with this, but he grew to

learn that I was merely showing him the respect I felt he

deserved. We were able to laugh about it now, but my policy

didn't change.

Eric had never tried to "change" me, to get me to work out

with him, or get involved in his routine. "Wanna keep me

company?" was as close as he'd come.

I'd never seen the inside of a gym, the exercise I got was

from swimming and there was no regimen involved. Over the

years, it'd worked pretty well, no pot gut, and I had lots of

energy.

Frequently, I'd taken him up on his invitation to keep him

company, watching his muscles flex and strain while he went

through his routine. His routine was intense and he'd work

up a sweat in a hurry, making his body glisten. Since I'm

not particularly turned on by sweat, the visual effect was

great, but I wasn't particularly aroused or anxious to jump

his bones. All pumped up, and after a shower was a different

matter, however.

A few months ago when I'd accepted his invitation, he'd

sensed my vulnerability to suggestion and asked if I'd like

to give it a try. He promised to lower the tension, and lead

me through a short routine. Not surprisingly, he'd read me

right, and I agreed to try it out.

Even though he set the resistance at less than half of what

he used, it was still a strain for me. If I'd been with

anybody else, I'd have been embarassed. Eric was not only

helpful but understanding.

"You've got a swimmer's build, he commented, and you look

great. But," he continued, "if you do this on a fairly

regular basis, you'll notice how much more energy you'll

have."

"Do I need more?" I asked, leering.

"Definitely not in THAT department, but I think you'll feel

better in general."

One effect the short workout had on me was a noticeable

increase in libido. After a shower, we were both ready for a

major romp.

The next day, I was sore as hell, and, as usual, bitched and

complained a lot. No sympathy whatsoever. "That just means

that you made a little progress," he told me.

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to put myself through this on

a regular basis. Afterall, Eric WAS 20 years younger! Let

him do it.

Once he'd gotten me to try it, he went on a Crusade,

playfully cajoling me to join him again and again.

I weakened, rationalizing that the torture was for my own

good. After only a few more sessions, the pain diminished

and I found myself looking forward to them. In a month, I

noticed a marked difference. I did have more energy, and my

shirts fit a bit tighter and my pants were a lot looser.

Eric was happy as a little kid that he'd been able to "give"

me something I liked, and definitely spurred me on by

commenting that I was getting sexier all the time.

It became routine, I would join him two or three times a

week, and felt better than I had in years.

It also had a positive effect on our sex life, not that it

had been anything to complain about before. No increase in

frequency, but in intensity. Since day one, we'd made love

on almost a daily basis, skipping, by mutual unspoken

agreement when we just felt like holding each other.

My stamina had increased, and Eric matched me. We weren't

necessarily more athletic in our couplings, but instead of

rolling over and going to sleep after one giant orgasm, we

went for seconds, and occasionally, thirds. There was one

thing that didn't change, the love and tenderness that was

the focus of our lovemaking.

My point was proven again, it GETS BETTER as time goes on.

\- - - - -

After dinner that evening, even with the goddamed dance

lessons looming, we spent our hour or so in the gym. After a

shower, we weren't ready to go to bed so we threw on shorts

and went out on the deck to enjoy the cool evening.

I stretched out on a chaise, and instead of taking the one

next to me, Eric straddled my legs and sat facing me. "I

know you're pissed about the dancing thing," he said,

reaching up to play with my nipples.

"Goddamit," I said, trying to be serious, "how the hell do

you expect me to stay pissed when you're doing that?"

He ignored me, and continued tweaking. "Is it that you just

don't like dancing, or is it some sort of hangup?"

"If you really want to know, you're going to have to stop

that," I told him, moving his hands off my chest. He let

them rest on the lounge along my sides.

Now I could concentrate. "Why do you always find my weak

spots and work on them so unmercifully?" I asked.

He leaned forward and gave me a peck on the lips. "Because I

love you," he said, "and I've gotten to know you rather

well," he giggled. "There's no way I'm going to let you sit

on the sidelines and watch me have fun. I want you to have

fun too."

"But you're good at it, I'm not."

"How do you know? Ever tried?"

"A long time ago and it was a disaster. I'm no good at it,

and I'm not in the habit of making a fool of myself."

"A little ego thing?"

"In a way, I guess," I told him, "I try to avoid things that

I don't do well, and this is definitely one of them. I have

an image to uphold!"

"Not with me, you don't," he laughed. "I got ya for better

or worse."

"If it were just you and me, that'd be different, but other

people are involved."

"Since when did you start caring about what other people

thought? That's bullshit and you know it."

He was right, but I wasn't about to admit it, yet. He knew

me too well, which, in a way was kind of frightening. When

I'd put up a barrier, he'd somehow knock it down, something

I'd never permitted another human to do in my entire life.

Bit by bit, he was stripping me bare, clear to the core.

Most of the issues themselves were inconsequential, but the

fact that he found them and brought them to light made me

uncomfortable. It was scary to me to let anyone get so

deeply into me. But, I loved him all the more because he

made the effort. I fought, sure, but he was relentless, and

admittedly, in the end, I felt better for it.

"OK," I admitted, "I can stand just about anything but being

laughed at."

"I can't imagine that happening!" he said.

"You weren't in my Dance Class when I was about 12 years old."

"Traumatic, huh? Tell me about it."

"My Mother thought it appropriate that I join all the other

kids about my age in learning how to dance. She said it

would be 'confidence building'. Boy was she ever wrong. I

went, basically because I had to, but liked the idea of being

hot on the dance floor.

"It was the early 60's and Rock was in, Bill Haley, Fats

Domino, and Little Richard were the rage. Our teacher wasn't

too hip, coming from the 'jitterbug' era, so taught us a

bastardized version of that. I tried, but I couldn't ever

get in sync with the beat. At one session, all the other

kids stopped dancing to watch me in action, laughing their

heads off. That was my last attempt at dancing. I can

follow a line dance enough to keep up, but you wouldn't

believe how difficult it is for me."

"Kids are mean little fuckers," he said. "I can see why you

never tried again."

"That wasn't all," I told him, chuckling. "There was slow

dancing, too. The partner that was picked out for me was a

girl a couple of years older and a foot taller. She also had

the worst case of B.O. I've ever experienced, and here I was

with my nose stuck in her armpit."

Eric erupted in laughter. I joined him.

"Maybe if I hadn't been holding my breath all the time, I'd

have been able to follow the music."

"You poor guy! I promise you this won't be anything like

that."

"I'll give it a try," I promised, giving in to him as usual.

If he only knew how he had me wrapped around his little

finger!

When we stopped laughing, his hands were back on my chest

doing their magic. I didn't protest. Soon, he was lying on

top of me, his tongue everywhere. It was time for the

bedroom.

\- - - - -

Our love life certainly wasn't routine, and neither was the

rest of our lives. About the only constant was that we went

to the office most weekdays, and even that was far from

absolute. I was a master delegater, letting someone else

handle the day-to-day headaches, and Eric was learning fast.

Nancy, my secretary, kept a calendar for both of us. It was

only as good as the information we gave her, and we were

pretty sloppy about it. I was filling her in on upcoming

commitments when I noticed that there was a conflict. April

12th, our Anniversary was the same day as Claire's hoedown.

I asked Eric what he wanted to do. "I don't know of any

parties planned," he said. "Let's go to Claire's party, but

not tell anyone it's a special occasion."

"You really got to me last year," I told him. "That was one

of the most emotional nights of my life."

"I can't wait for our 50th," he said, taking me into his arms.

\- - - - -

Jeff had set up a meeting with Bill, Eric and me. My first

impression was that he was so excited he looked ready to

explode.

"We're through with the small meetings with my managers," he

said, "next, I'd like to get them all together sometime in

June. Will all of you be available?" We nodded.

"I don't know if you've seen the latest sales figures, but

we're taking over the market with the new computer cases.

We've got over a fifty percent market share, and we're

turning down orders because we just don't have any more

capacity. That's a problem."

"A nice problem to have!" Eric commented.

"The question now is," Jeff continued, "whether we grow to

meet demand, or if we let our competitors get their foot in

the door."

"I'll give you the answer to that," Bill said. "We grow.

Metalco has never backed off before, and we're not going to

set a precedent here. What do you need?"

"Over the next year, we could use eight new plants, producing

only that one item, particularly on the West Coast. That

would allow us to give the rest of our plants a little

slack. This seven day a week schedule is getting a little

old."

"Can we build them and get them on-line that fast?" I asked.

"If we build, no. If we buy existing buildings and move in

equiment, we can."

"I suppose you already have them picked out," I chuckled.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Jeff answered, with a big grin.

"Four on the West Coast - Seattle, the San Francisco area,

Los Angeles and Sacramento. One in St. Louis, two in the

Northeast and one in Georgia."

"You've looked at buildings too?" I asked.

"Everything we need's available, buy or lease."

"How about equipment?" I asked, knowing what the answer would

be.

"The orders are ready for signature," he predictably answered.

"How much are we talking about, if we buy the buildings?" I

asked.

"Around a billion one," he said, meaning a billion, one

hundred million.

Turning to Bill, I asked "Can we handle that?"

"Over a year, no problem," he said. "Unless you decide to

buy another railroad."

Then, Jeff threw in the clincher. "We project a three year

payback."

"Optomistic or realistic?" Eric asked.

"Realistic," Jeff answered. "I predict we'll be looking at

even more expansion before these are even up and running."

"Where do I sign?" I asked, watching the expression on Jeff's

face. I'm pretty sure he wasn't prepared for a decision that

fast.

On the way home, I told Eric "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Finding Jeff for us."

"Warren ain't too shabby either," he said.

"I think we put them in the right slots."

"I don't know if it's a slot, but I have something I NEED you

to put something into. Power!"

"That's as good an excuse as any," I told him, laughing.

By the time we got down to it, Eric was so hot he just about

shot while I was loosening him up. I had to back off and

slow down.

Even that wasn't too successful. As soon as I bottomed out

and gave him a few strokes, he stiffened and shot a quart of

cum all over himself. That was only the beginning, however.

Once he settled down, we continued. Long, slow strokes had

him on the edge again in no time. The clenching of his

muscles around my dick just about put me away too, but I

managed to hold on. We both wanted more, and we got it. On

his third explosion I was powerless to hold back. With our

lips locked we rocketed into another world.

I couldn't understand his reaction to this "power" thing, but

I sure as hell wasn't complaining.

\- - - - -

I wondered if Joel was ready for this kind of growth. I knew

he was expanding, but we were dependent on him for matching

monitors. I gave him a call to find out where he stood.

Instead of going over the details on the phone, he suggested

that we get together and talk.

"When?" I asked.

"The sooner the better. Why don't you guys come to Tucson

this Friday and let us return a little of your hospitality."

"Can't promise until I talk with Eric, but I think that'll be

fine."

Joel and Aaron lived in a home on the outskirts of Tucson.

It was more of a sculpture than a "house". Built of Redwood

and stone with sweeping views, it was cantalevered out over a

cliff, even the pool was in midair. It was spectacular.

Beautifully decorated, using a lot of Native American art, it

was warm and comfortable.

Seated with drinks in hand, Joel's first comment was "What in

the hell are you guys going to do with a Railroad?"

Laughing, Eric told them the whole story - except anything

about the mining venture. That'd come later.

Talk turned to computers. Joel had doubled his capacity, and

construction was underway to re-double, which, he felt would

bring him into line with our current production level. "I'm

running so far behind right now," he said, "and now you're

telling me that you're going to build more CPU's. How many

more?"

"Over the next year, we're going to double production," I

told him.

"And you expect me to keep up with you, right?"

"We're hoping you will," I told him.

"We can, but I'm not sure I want to. What happens if the

balloon bursts?"

"We're betting more than a billion that it won't," I said.

"You're diversified," Joel continued, "if the market

collapses, you can switch your plants to other products, I

can't. I'm a one-product company."

"Have you considered branching out? Printers, scanners.

They'll be the next wave," Eric suggested.

"Oh Christ," he groaned, "more headaches. Don't you guys

ever stop?"

"Nope," Eric said. "You wouldn't even believe some of the

stuff we're working on."

"I can only imagine," Joel groaned.

"I want you with us, Joel," I told him, "but I'm not going to

pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. You

understand our position, I'm sure, we're going to need your

product, and I'm sure we can find some middle ground that'll

work for both of us."

From experience, I knew that Joel thoroughly considered

anything before coming to a decision, so let the matter drop

for the time being.

Eric and Aaron got into comparing notes on College. Joel and

I sat by proudly watching.

"How old do you think Joel is?" Eric asked as we were getting

into bed.

"I'd guess mid thirties," I said, "Why?"

"He sure is conservative."

"I dont see him that way," I argued. "He just doesn't make

snap decisions. He's got a good thing going and doesn't want

to jeopardize it. Actually, I kind of admire him."

"I also know how much we need him."

"Yes, we do. If our customers can't get monitors that match,

we're not going to sell CPU's. I don't want to go to

somebody else, but we'll have to if he can't supply us. I

don't have to tell him that, he already knows it, nothing

personl, strictly business.

"Joel's also a very proud man, and won't accept any help

except on his own terms."

"That's a subject I know all too well!" Eric said smiling.

"I grew up, though."

"I think, between us, that we'll come up with a solution. If

we don't, though, and this is something I don't really want

to do, we're going to go into the monitor, printer and

scanner business. From our standpoint now, it's too bad we

didn't do that in the first place."

"Joel's not really in the manufacturing business, is he?

Isn't it more assembly of components he buys from others?"

"I think that's it. I don't think he actually 'makes' any of

the parts," I said.

"Then he doesn't have the huge investment in heavy equipment

that we do. Setting up to do that can't be that expensive."

"It wouldn't be to us, but he may see it differently."

"What's our legal position?" he asked.

"He's got an exclusive as long as he can meet market

requirements, if he can't we have the option of going

elsewhere. We own all the rights to the new designs however

they're used."

"We could, then, literally pull the rug out from under him?"

"That's about it, but I don't want to do that. It'd be a

last resort."

\- - - - -

When we came downstairs in the morning, Aaron was cooking

breakfast, looking mighty chipper.

"You assholes," he kidded, "Joel was up all night working,

and I didn't get any. It's all your fault."

"Sorry about that," Eric kidded back. "Unfortunately, you'd

better get used to it. Business does get in the way

sometimes, but think of all the fun you'll have getting

caught up."

Joel wandered into the kitchen looking like he really had

been up all night. "You cause me to lose more sleep..." he

said, looking straight at me.

"I don't need a decision today," I protested.

"But you'd like one, admit it," he laughed.

"Sure, it'd be nice," I told him.

We sat down at the table. Looking me straight in the eye, he

continued. "I'm in. Not only more Monitors, but printers and

scanners too. Deal?"

I rose to shake his hand. "Deal," I said. "You're not going

to regret it."

"Hey Aaron, drag out some Champagne. We're going to

celebrate. I'll probably go to sleep on you, but what the

hell."

Over toasts to our growing relationship, I kidded Joel

"You're too damned easy, but I'll bet Aaron already knows

that."

Joel and Aaron exchanged glances then burst into laughter.

"God, is he EVER!" Aaron giggled.

"Seriously," Joel mused, "less than a year ago when you

showed up on my doorstep, Dave, I had no idea what was going

to happen. That meeting and what's happened since," he

glanced at Aaron to make his point, "has changed my life."

After Joel napped for a couple of hours, we talked about

details. He would have preferred to keep all his operations

in Tucson, but realized that a Northeastern location would

save him a lot of freight.

"I'm not very creative, and neither is my staff. Can you

give us a little help on printer and scanner design?" he

asked.

"No problem, no charge," I assured him. "If you'll give us

the parameters, we'll design cases that'll fit with

production of them in mind. If we can make the parts more

efficiently, we can save you some money on them."

I had to smile. "I don't think any of our people even gave

any thought to this. I don't know where we're going to have

space to make them. Guess we'll have to build another plant

just to supply you."

"What's another hundred million?" Joel snickered.

The same Asian company that made his flat screens also

produced a line of printers, and he already had talked to

another company about scanner components. I'm pretty sure he

had anticipated our move.

"I can handle most everything by phone and fax," Joel said,

"but we're going to have to make a trip over there pretty

soon."

"Can we go too?" Eric asked in a little boy voice. "We won't

get in the way."

Joel laughed. "Would you guys really like to go along? I

definitely plan on taking Aaron."

Eric looked at me, I nodded. "We've got a new long-range jet

on order, and will be getting it in a couple of months," Eric

said. "Maybe we could break it in."

"Don't you already have your own airline?" Joel asked.

"Only two planes," I chuckled. "Wait'll you see this new

baby, puts the old ones to shame."

\- - - - -

On Monday, I called Jeff in. "We forgot something," I told

him.

"What's that?" he asked, alarmed.

"The Monitors, printers and scanners to go with our CPU

cases."

"I thought Metalco made the components for those," he said.

"They are, for the moment, but that's a Milton product.

Metalco needs that machine time. Joel Robinson makes the

monitors and he's going to gear up to handle the increased

production we're planning, and he's also going to turn out a

line of printers and scanners to match."

"Milton doesn't have any spare capacity, you know that."

"Then build some. Joel's going to be building at least one

more plant. I don't know where, yet, but it might be a good

idea if we set up close to him. He's also going to need some

design help for the printers and monitors. We have the

people to handle that for him. We can design them so they're

easy to make and save both of us a few bucks."

"Should I go to Tucson?"

"Not yet, he only decided to expand over the weekend. Give

him a few weeks to get his plans together. Oh, and one other

thing, Jeff, can you find out what Metalco's margin

percentage is on the stuff we sell to Joel?"

"That's easy enough to find out," he said.

"When you do, I want all new business with Joel to reflect a

50% reduction in our profit margin, and that goes for the new

stuff too."

Jeff whistled. "That's one hell of a sweetheart deal!"

I smiled. "Joel's a little guy, and he's going way out on a

limb for us. Let's make it easy for him for a while. Oh,

and 180 day terms on everything."

By the end of the week, I heard from Joel. "What the hell's

going on," he yelled.

"Relax and enjoy it, stud," I told him.

"Not only are my prices cut 20%, but the terms are 180. Why?"

"Don't worry, we're still making money. I just thought we'd

cut you a little slack. Look out, though, we may sock it to

you later!"

"You asshole," he murmured. "You didn't have to do this, but

it sure is going to help."

"No problem."

"Thank you, Dave."

\- - - - -

The Square Dance lessons weren't as bad as I'd feared. It

helped a lot that our teachers were patient. The first step

was to learn what the Caller's instructions meant. Mary and

Todd demonstrated. God there were a lot of different moves

to remember! Performed separately, they didn't make much

sense, but when put together, they did.

Eric had been right. Mary and Sam's grandson Todd was a

knockout, but oh so shy.

Eric, of course, knew what he was doing, so did Tina. That

left Annie, Rick and me to learn the basics. Annie wasn't any

happier about doing it than I was, and when she got nasty

about it, I pulled her off to one side and told her that if I

had to endure this, she did too, and we'd both be better off

if we quit fighting it. She grinned and got into it.

It was like school. So much to remember and no time to take

notes. I concentrated.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Eric asked when the session was

finally over.

There was no way I was going to admit that I'd enjoyed it

even though, surprisingly, I had. The awkwardness and lack

of coordination I'd experienced at age 12 was not there any

more, thank God.

Annie was honest. "That was fun," she admitted.

"A couple more lessons and all the moves'll become

automatic," Todd said, the first time he'd spoken all

evening. Mary beamed.

"You're a natural," Eric told me when we were alone. "Why

did you feed me that bullshit about not having any rhythm?"

"It wasn't as hard as I expected," I admitted. "It was fun.

OK, I had a good time. Are you satisfied now?"

"No," he giggled.

The lessons continued, the moves and combinations got more

complicated, but I kept up, surprising myself. Todd was

right, they did become automatic.

Eric was pleased, and that made me happy. My whole effort

had been to please him. He asked very little of me, and I

made a decision not to fight him the next time he wanted me

to try something new.

\- - - - -

"What's everybody got planned for this weekend?" Annie asked

us during dinner.

I glanced at Eric, he shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. Why?" I

asked.

"I'm having company," she answered.

"Aha! We finally get to meet the mystery man. Do we have to

be on our best behavior?"

"Not really," she said seriously. "The only time you guys

embarass me is when you do it intentionally."

"OK, give. Tell us about him so we'll know what to expect,"

I asked.

"Andy's just a nice guy. I'm sure you're going to like him."

"Does he know about 'us'," Eric asked, nodding toward me.

"Oh yeah," Annie responded, "No problem, and none with his

family either. I made damned sure of that."

"What've you got planned?" I asked.

"He's getting in Friday afternoon. I thought we could all

have dinner here, then Tina, Rick and I are going to take him

out. We'll play it by ear from there."

It didn't surprise me a bit when Eric called Sarah for

details. He was as protective of my girls as I was.

"Sarah wouldn't say much," he reported, "just that he was a

nice boy from a good family, and that she approved of him.

That's good enough for me."

"I think Sarah's adopted all of you guys - you, Annie, and

Tina too."

"She doesn't have any children herself, you know."

"No, I didn't know that."

"I think she's made us her 'project'. Personally, I love it."

"I hope all of you know how lucky you are. She's a very

remarkable lady and we can all learn a lot from her."

"It's a lot more than that. She's become kind of a second

Mother to all of us. She cares. In fact, Annie has told me

that she wishes Sarah was her real mother."

"Speaking of Georgia," I said. "I wonder what she's up to.

Haven't heard anything about her since last Thanksgiving."

"Personally, I think that's a good thing."

\- - - - -

Andy had already arrived when Eric and I got home from work.

Before meeting him, we got out of our work clothes, but

dressed semi-formal - long pants instead of our usual shorts.

We found them out on the deck, Andy in coat and tie.

Introductions were performed, he had a nice firm handshake,

then Gabriella brought us drinks.

To say that the atmosphere was tense is an understatement.

Poor Andy, wanting to make a good impression, was as nervous

as a whore in church. I understood, hell, I'd damned near

crapped my pants when I went to meet Eric's parents the first

time, and I'm an old fart, not a young swain.

Annie got things going by saing that this was Andy's first

trip to California.

"And you're letting the poor guy sweat with a coat and tie?"

I asked. "We're laid-back here, don't even wear 'em to

work. C'mon Andy, get comfortable."

He wasted no time losing the coat and tie. When he stood,

Eric and I had a good opportunity to size him up. Nice

shoulders, narrow hips and a cute butt. I'd already noticed

his boy-next-door good looks.

"That feels much better, Mr. Rush," he said.

"I'd appreciate if you'd call me Dave, Andy," I told him.

I'm not particularly good at making people comfortable,

particularly not when I know absolutely nothing about them.

I wished that Annie had given us a little background so I

could find some common interests. I certainly wasn't into

the "Where are you from," "What do you do," type of

interrogation.

Eric got things rolling by mentioning the party in Dallas a

few weeks down the road. That broke the ice and it was

easier from then on. The tension gradually dissolved, and

before we went in to dinner, we were all laughing and joking

like old friends.

I quickly got the impression that Andy had lived a rather

sheltered life, worldly in that he'd traveled a bit, but not

too familiar with everyday people. Annie, down to earth as

she was, would change that in a hurry if he stuck around.

He was totally fascinated with Eric's earlier career as a

Lifeguard, and got rather wide-eyed at some of the stories

Eric told him about life at the beach.

Tina and Rick had kept their distance, allowing us to get

acquainted. They showed up after dinner and the four of them

took off.

"Well, what do you think?" Eric asked.

"I like him," I said. "He sure doesn't talk about himself

much, though."

"I noticed that too," he said. "He isn't anything like I

expected. So formal and serious, nothing like Annie, but I

like him too."

Saturday morning, I was sitting on the deck, reading the

paper and having my morning coffee. Andy came out and

politely asked if he could join me.

"I believe I owe you an apology for yesterday," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I assumed that Annie had told you all about me. Last night

I found out differently."

"Never assume anything with that girl," I chuckled.

"I'm learning," he said, then gave me a full biography on

himself.

Eastern aristocrat. Choate, Harvard, ending up with an

M.B.A, and currently working in his family's brokerage firm

on Wall Street, a name I recognized. "I started at the bottom

three years ago and am working my way up," he said.

"I started on the shop floor at Metalco myself," I told him.

"It's a bitch and you hate it, but it'll really pay dividends

later."

"I accept that, but I don't have to like it," he grinned,

showing off his winning smile.

At about that time Eric Joined us. "Am I interrupting?" he

asked.

"Not a bit," I told him.

"Hey Andy, how about a swim? The pool's heated?" Eric

asked. How about you, Babe?"

"Go ahead, I'm not finished with the paper."

Annie soon joined them, and I just watched. Eric left them to

themselves, and that's about all we saw of Andy during the

rest of his stay. Annie kept him busy.

\- - - - -

Sunday, Eric got a call from Greg at Micron. All four of

them would be arriving Monday, and they begged him to meet

with them. According to Eric, Greg sounded desperate, but

wouldn't tell him why.

\- - - - -

Chapter 40

Four rather dejected young men were led into my office. Eric

had demanded that I sit in, and since my office was bigger,

that's where we had waited for them.

"We come on bended knee," Greg, spokesman for the group,

said. "We're desperate, and you, Eric, are our only hope. I

don't want to sound too dramatic, but we're in a life and

death situation here. Micron's future is at stake."

This sounded serious. I got interested real fast because

Lundborg Rush's future could be in jeapordy too.

"Let me fill you in with some background so you'll understand

what's going on," Greg continued. "A couple of weeks ago, we

heard a rumor about something really hot floating around. It

was rumored to be a 'breakthrough' platform that was so

revolutionary that it would open the door to not just the

next generation of software but be a quantum leap ahead.

"Just like everybody else who heard about it, we pooh poohed

it as being too good to be true. Then, one of our

programmers got hold of a copy, but that's another story. We

looked at it, and it WAS true. Using it, the possibilities

are endless, and whoever owns that technology is going to

control the software industry for years to come.

"The copy we had came off the Internet, and we were able to

track down the source. Eventually we found the kid who

developed it. Jerry jumped on the phone and called him, set

up an appointment and flew out to talk to him."

At this point, Jerry jumped in. "Zip, zero, zilch. That's

what I got. He'd barely talk to me, and I made the mistake

of offering him big bucks for it. He threw me out."

"That's where we stand," Greg said. "Now we hear that all

the 'Big Boys' are after him - IBM, Microsoft and everybody

else."

There was a long pause, then Greg continued. "Eric, you're

the only person we know who can find out what the kid wants

and give it to him. The sky's the limit."

All eyes were on Eric, including mine. The wheels were

turning, that was obvious. He didn't make us wait long.

"I'd have to know a whole lot more before I jumped in," he

said.

"We'll tell you everything we know," Jerry promised, "and

there's one more thing. We'll give you $50 million just to

try, and if you're successful, we'll give you $200 million

worth of our stock. If we have that kid's technology, our

stock'll hit outer space."

"I'm not a miracle worker," Eric protested. "Dave would also

have to agree to my taking this on, it could take a lot of

time and we've got a lot going on right now."

"When do you think you could give us an answer?" Greg asked.

"Give me a couple of hours to think about it and talk to

Dave. I think I could give you an answer later this

afternoon."

"We'll be at the Marina Hotel waiting," Greg said. "And

praying."

"Don't be a drama queen, Greg," Eric chuckled. "I'll think

it over and let you know."

"Fair enough," he said. "Call us."

"Well, what do you think?" Eric asked as the door closed.

"I think they've put you in a very difficult position."

"How's that?"

"Without saying anything about it, they realize that you have

a vested interest in their success. Indirectly, Lundborg

Rush could be affected, then they dangle that big carrot at

you."

"I only own 30% of LR, but I sure as hell wouldn't do

anything to jeopardize your family's interest. They're using

that too, maybe not intentionally, but it's there."

"Don't even consider that," I told him seriously, "we'll

survive, and so will LR, even if we lost Micron."

"What do you think I should do?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable with," I told him.

"You're no help, goddamit," he grinned.

"I didn't intend to be, you're a big boy, you make the call.

Don't worry about taking time off, either, I can watch the

store for both of us."

"I figured that," he said. "I don't need the money, that's

for sure, and I don't want to fall on my face either. Shit,

this isn't getting any easier."

"Take your time. You want lunch?" he nodded, then got up

and nabbed a pad off the conference table.

I went out and had Nancy order lunch for us, then detoured to

the mensroom. He was scribbling like crazy when I wandered

back in. I didn't disturb him.

"OK," he said. "I'm going to give it a try, but only if I

have a fighting chance to succeed, and I'll only know that

after I get more information. I also won't take any front

money. If I'm successful, they can give me the whole amount

in stock, plus expenses. What do you think?"

"You have my full support," I told him.

"I already knew that!" he said with a huge grin. "My love,"

he said, putting his arm around me, "I know I can always

depend on you."

During lunch, I was quiet, letting him think out loud. "I

was going to give them a conditional 'yes', but that's

bullshit. I know I'm going to give it a try," he said.

"Hell, I don't even know if I can get to the kid," he

continued, "but I'm starting to get some devious ideas."

We dawdled over lunch, and when we'd cleaned up the mess,

Eric asked Nancy to call the boys and ask them to come back

over.

"I'm enjoying this feeling of power!" he said.

"I'm going to enjoy that feeling tonight," I promised him.

\- - - - -

Four uncertain men, each worth untold billions of dollars,

marched in like a bunch of little boys going to the

Principal's office. Under other circumstances, it would have

been comical.

Eric led them to the conference table, seating them on one

side and he and I on the other.

We sat. And stared. I tried to watch both them and Eric.

"OK guys, I'm going to give it a try," he said.

All four jumped up, high fiving each other like teenagers.

"I feel like giving you a kiss!" Ted exclaimed, the first

we'd heard from him.

"Better not while Dave's here. He gets mean," Eric teased.

"Here's what I propose," Eric continued. "First, no front

money for trying. If I get the job done, I'll gladly accept

the full amount in stock. If I don't, I'm out some time, and

you guys don't have to pay me for it. I will, though, expect

you to pick up my expense tab."

"We'll pick it up regardless," Jerry said.

"Next, I'm going to need every bit of information you have

about this young man. Let's not call him 'the kid' anymore.

What's his name, where does he live, phone numbers, all that."

Jerry and Greg had their briefcases on the table, fishing

through them.

"Here's background data," Greg said, "Jerry's got notes on his

meeting with him."

Eric leaned over to me and asked "Can I use Bob?" I nodded.

"Next," he said to the group, "has this young man taken all

the necessary precautions to protect his rights to this

thing?"

"He's a smart little fucker," Greg said, "he's covered his ass

thoroughly and completely. It's his."

"Good," Eric said. "Then we only have one person to deal

with. Next, I may need somebody who understands this

'platform' and can be here to coach me. They'd have to be

able to explain things to me in layman's terms and also speak

the lingo of our young man. Do you have anybody like that

available."

"We'll have somebody here whenever you want them."

Eric continued with questions and requests for another couple

of hours. Where he came up with some of this stuff was

baffling to me. Eric finally finished, and promised them

progress reports.

"Now, the biggest question of all. How high can I go?" he

asked them.

Without hesitation, Greg answered. "Our board has authorized

us to go up to a billion, stock or cash. We'll go higher if

necessary, but we'd have to dig."

"That gives me something to work with," Eric agreed. "That's

all I have."

"I think I'm going to find a quiet bar and get drunk," Ted

said. "Anybody care to join me?"

"No you're not," I told him. "You're coming out to our house

for dinner, and you can get as drunk as you want there.

We'll have a car pick you up at six... and drive you back

later."

"I bow to reason," Ted said. "Thanks, Dave."

After hugs and handshakes, they paraded out. Tired, but in a

lot better spirits.

"Want me to call Bob for you?" I asked.

"I'd appreciate that."

Bob, Metalco's head of Security took only a few minutes to

get to my office. "Eric's got a project for you," I told him.

"This isn't for Metalco," Eric explained, "so could you keep

track of all hours and expenses so the Company can be

reimbursed?"

I left them alone. I didn't need to know what Eric was

looking for. He'd tell me later, anyway. I called to warn

Mary that we were bringing four guests home for dinner, and

arranged transportation for the Micron four.

\- - - - -

On the way home, Eric was quiet, thinking. I didn't bother

him.

"How old do I look? Honestly," he asked, startling me.

After glancing at him and thinking a minute, "Early 20's, I'd

say. Why?"

"I'm wondering if I could pass as a College student. Just

getting to talk to this guy could be the hardest part. It's

not like a business situation where you make an appointment

or show up at his office."

"I see what you're getting at," I said.

"The direct approach didn't work for Jerry, so I'm looking at

other angles. Do you really think I can pull this off?"

"If anybody can, you can. You're a real charmer, you know."

"I'm not gonna seduce him, for chrissakes," he laughed.

"That's not what I meant," I said. "If you can get to him,

I'm sure you can find out what he wants and give it to him.

But, he's still an unknown quantity."

"If Bob is successful, I'll know a whole lot more."

"You can count on him. If it's there, he'll find it."

Walking into the house, I warned him. "We don't have time

now, but I fully intend to collect on that 'power' thing

later." He just grinned at me.

The Micron boys were a lot more cheerful when they arrived.

The burden had been shifted, and they acted like success was

a certainty.

The cocktail 'hour' turned into several, while they expounded

on the possibilities of what they could do once they had the

new platform. I didn't understand any of the technical

implications, and I don't think Eric did either, but from a

practical, business standpoint, the potential was

unimaginable.

While Eric and I sipped, the four of them gulped. By the

time we got to dinner, they were pretty unsteady on their

feet. Soon after, we packed them up and sent them back to

their hotel.

"It's really, really late," Eric giggled as he snuggled up to

me. "I don't think I could do you justice."

"I agree," I told him. "I got off on watching you in action

today. You handled yourself beautifully, I'm impressed! You

had them in the palm of your hand but you didn't abuse your

position, in fact, you gave them something. That's how real

power is exercised."

"Now you're getting me all hot and bothered," he chuckled.

"That was my intention," I laughed, "but I meant every word I

said."

The kisses were gentle but passionate. That's about all it

took, and he was inside me. Connected, we became one, the

waves sweeping over us. The physical sensations were

secondary, the oneness I felt with this man inside me were

primary, bring me to the edge, then over, again and again.

\- - - - -

"Bob just brought me a report," Eric said when he walked into

my office. "Want details or a summary?"

"Do I really need to know any of this? It's your baby."

"Hell yes," he grinned. "I get my best ideas when I'm

thinking out loud with you. I promise to stick to the

basics."

"OK, let's hear it," I said.

"His name's Spencer Young III, he's 19, lives in Boise, Idaho

with his parents. Dad's an exec at Boise Cascade Corp., good

middle class Mormon family. He's a Sophomore at Albertson

College in Caldwell, about 40 miles from Boise, majoring in

Computer Science, not surprisingly, and minoring in Business.

"He lives on campus during the week but goes home most

weekends. Kind of a loner, few friends, and active in the

church. He's a straight A student, and Bob was even able to

get pictures of him. That's about all I have to work with."

"It's a start," I told him, and looked at the pictures Eric

handed me. There were long shots and closeups, showing a

rather nondescript young man, somebody you'd never notice in

a crowd. It was hard to tell his height because he was alone

in all the pictures without any background to give

perspective.

"What's next?" I asked.

"From Bob's report, it doesn't seem like he's under seige

from the other software companies, so I might be able to

approach him informally. I think I'm going to go up Monday,

look over the situation, and go from there. I'll check out

the campus, and having the pictures, I'll be able to

recognize him if I run into him. I'll go dressed in my

"collegiate" getup and try to blend in."

"Might work," I said, thinking to myself that there was no

way, even with the current baggy style of clothes, that he'd

"blend in". With his body and looks, he'd get noticed, but I

didn't want to discourage him and kept my mouth shut. It

might work.

"I've got a million scenarios running around in my head about

what I'll do when I corner him, and I'll probably come up

with a lot more. I'm beginning to wonder if all this

thinking is a waste of time, and to just ad lib it when the

time comes. The main thing is not to come across as

threatening like Jerry probably did.

"Bob's going to have another report by the weekend, and

Micron's 'whiz' will be here to coach me on Saturday. Guess

I'll be tied up all weekend. I've asked the 'whiz' to stay

with us, is that OK?"

"Sure," I chuckled. "Pick his brains."

\- - - - -

"What's going on with you guys?" Tina asked. "Haven't seen

much of you this week and when I have, you're in another

world."

"Eric's doing a 'Special Project' for Micron," I explained.

"It's pretty intense." This seemed to satisfy her.

When I saw her, Annie was more demanding. "What's Eric up

to?" she asked. "He acts like he's someplace else."

I told her about the project he'd undertaken but gave no

details.

"Doesn't he have enough to do with LR, the Development

Company, and everything else?"

"This is something that they feel he's the man for. It's

really, really big, and he'll make a bundle if he can pull it

off. It won't take long, and he has my blessings to do it."

"Another merger?" she asked.

"Not really, something a lot touchier. How's Andy?" I asked,

trying to get the subject changed.

"He's fine, but will you tell me what this's all about later?"

"Eric will, once it's over," I promised. "Now, tell me about

Andy. You put him in a rather awkward position when he was

here."

"I didn't mean to, and I apologized to him. I wasn't

thinking."

"He handled it nicely. I was impressed," I told her.

"He's such a sweet guy. Kinda naive, though, but I'll change

that!"

"Kinda cute, too," I commented.

"DAD!!!"

"I can look, I'm not dead yet. Look only, though."

"OK then, but you snatched Eric right out from under my nose."

"You forget, my dear, Eric 'snatched' me!"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Is Andy meeting us in Dallas or is he coming here first?" I

asked.

"I'm meeting him there a day before the rest of you guys get

in. We've got several hotels there that I want to look over,

and I'd like a little time with Andy by myself."

"Be good!" I warned.

"I intend to be excellent!" she shot back.

"You shock me, girl!" I laughed.

\- - - - -

It was a very quiet weekend. Eric was closeted in his study

with "the Whiz" and I puttered around and did a little

reading.

"The Stalker," the name I'd given Eric, was on his way Monday

morning. He had no idea when he'd be back.

He called that evening. Nothing much to report. He'd found

the campus and looked it over, even got a glimpse of his

quarry between classes.

Nothing for me to do but wait.

Tuesday night's call was different. "Contact!" he screamed

through the phone. He was excited, that was obvious. "I met

him today and we're talking. He knows who I am and why I'm

here. He's like a little boy looking for a 'big brother'.

It's way too early to tell what's going to happen, but I'm

sure as hell a lot more optomistic today than I was

yesterday. I'm going to save the whole story for when I get

home in a day or two."

"Allright!" I managed to get in.

"I'm seeing him again tomorrow. This is NOT going to happen

overnight, but I'm pretty sure I have the inside track. I

don't know what approach the other guys took, but they scared

him half to death."

"What's he like?" I asked.

"Pretty immature for his age, I think. From Bob's reports

and seeing him, I'd guess he's led a rather sheltered life.

I've been completely honest with him, and plan to let him

lead the way. He's a real lonely kid looking for a friend.

I want to become that friend."

"That makes sense," I said. "What have you told Micron?"

"Nothing yet, and I don't think I'm going to say anything

until after tomorrow's meeting. I'll have a much better idea

where we're heading by then."

We talked some more, drifting to other subjects, mainly us.

The next day, he called in midafternoon. "I'm on my way

home," he said. "I'll tell you everything when I get there."

"Don't you want me to send a plane for you?" I asked.

"That'll take too long. I'm at the airport and a United

flight is taking off in a few minutes. Will you pick me up?

Don't come in, I'll meet you at the curb at around 5:30."

"I'll be there, babe," I told him.

Eric was cheerful when he hopped into the car, but not

anywhere near as excited as I expected him to be.

"Problems?" I asked after a kiss.

"Not really," he smiled at me. "If anybody's going to get

Spence's stuff, it'll be Micron. At least that's where we

stand at the moment."

"Something's bothering you, I can tell."

"Can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"Nope."

"Let's wait until we get home. I'll tell you all about it."

We talked about other things on the ride home. He was

obviously deeply troubled about something, but I'd wait until

he was ready to tell me about it.

We sat in the den with a drink, my arm around him. "I'm

starting to feel pretty bad about what I'm doing," he

started. "I'm trying to manipulate this poor kid, and I

don't feel too good about it."

I gave him a squeeze but didn't say anything.

"Let me start at the beginning so you can see where I'm

coming from," he continued. "Monday, I got familiar with the

campus. It's pretty small, so it wasn't hard to find my way

around. Yesterday, having his class schedule, I was able to

catch him on his way to the dining room. I followed him in.

The place was packed, but he found an empty table. I went

through the line and got lunch, then wandered around looking

for a place to sit, ending up at his table.

"I asked if I could join him, he nodded and I sat, introducing

myself. He was shy and really wary. I didn't attempt to

talk to him. I noticed that he was watching me pretty

closely, though. Eventually, he said 'You're not a student

here, are you?' I shook my head and told him I was there on

business.

"He thought about that for a while, then asked 'Are you THE

Eric Lundborg, the one the papers call the 'Wall Street Whiz

Kid?' I admitted I was. Then he wanted to know what I was

doing there. I told him I was looking for a guy named

Spencer Young, totally innocently. You should have seen his

face. I don't know whether he was scared or elated.

"It took him a while, but he finally asked what I wanted to

see this Spencer Young about. I told him it was a private

matter, and started to get up. 'I'm Spencer Young,' he

admitted, 'what do you want to talk to me about?'

"I sat back down. 'Are you really?' I asked him. 'I've got

ID,' he said reaching for his wallet. 'That's OK,' I said.

"If you're really Spencer Young, you'll know why I want to

talk to you.' 'That program I wrote?' I nodded.

"He wanted to know why I wanted it. I told him that if he'd

read about me, he'd know I worked for Micron. I didn't

mention that that was past tense.

"He seemed to be struggling with the decision of whether to

dismiss me, or to talk. 'I'll talk to you if you don't try

to bully me,' he said. 'I don't use those tactics,' I

assured him. 'I'd just like to talk about the possibilities

with you.'

"I think he believed me, and suggested that we meet there

again today. I waited for him by the dining room. He

actually seemed happy to see me. We got our lunch which, by

the way, was perfectly awful. I don't know how those poor

kids survive on that slop! Anyway, he wanted to hear all

about the mergers I'd worked on. I told him about a few of

them, giving him all the gory details. I actually think

Spence is more interested in business than he is in computers.

"When it was time for him to go back to class, he asked if

I'd be around this weekend, and if I'd be interested in going

fishing with him. I accepted his invitation, and he told me

not to worry about his program. He wouldn't even talk to

anyone else until he heard everything I had to say. We'd

talk about it while we were fishing.

"Well, there you have it," Eric finished.

I thought about it for a few minutes. "Where's the problem?"

I asked.

"You haven't met this kid. He's so damned nice, so

innocent. I feel like I'm leading him down the garden path,

like I'm using him."

"Helping make him a billionaire isn't what I'd call 'using'

him."

"That kind of money would ruin him. At least now. He isn't

mature enough to handle it. He trusts me, and in less than

two hours with him, I've grown to like the kid."

"Better you than those other vultures," I told him. "At

least you're not trying to steal what he has."

"I'm still uncomfortable. Maybe after Sunday, I'll feel

differently."

"Have you said anything to Micron yet?"

"Oh shit, I forgot. I'll go call Greg right now. Come on

over, I'll put it on speaker."

Before he could get up, I grabbed him and pulled him around

to face me. "Before you call them, I have something to say,"

I told him, very seriously. "First of all, the more I see of

you, and how you think, the more I love you. I understand

your concern for Spencer, and love you because you care.

You're a damned fine human being, and I know you'll find a

way to give everybody what they want. Now cheer up, dammit,

and go give them the good news."

Then I pulled him to me. After a few minutes, we disengaged

and he was smiling.

"I'll make it work," he said simply and headed for the phone.

\- - - - -

"I'm a city boy, I've never drowned a worm in my life," Eric

wailed.

"Let him be your big brother for a change and have him teach

you," I suggested. "It'll make him feel good."

"He'll have to. I don't know a damned thing about it."

It was a day trip. Eric left early Sunday morning and came

home late that night. His spirits were vastly improved.

"He's a sharp little fucker," he said laughing. "That

doesn't mean he's not innocent and naive about everything

other than numbers."

"He's got to be brilliant to have come up with whatever it

was that he did," I commented.

"He claims it was an accident," Eric chuckled. "It might

have been, but I doubt it. I just don't think he realized

what he had until the wolves showed up at his door."

"Well, tell me what happened."

"Spence likes to fish. Says it gives him time to think. We

went out to some lake on the Oregon border, a big reservoir,

where he has a little aluminum boat at the marina. It's a

little boat but he's got a bigass outboard on it. We went

all over that goddam lake, he had to show me all his favorite

spots. We fished for bass and crappie and caught a whole

slew of them. I actually enjoyed it.

"When the fish weren't biting, we talked. Thank God I got

briefed by the "whiz" or I wouldn't have understood a word he

was saying. By now, he has a pretty good idea of what his

idea is worth. He also understands that by itself, it isn't

worth anything, but as a base to other programs, it has

enormous value.

"I tried to kid him into telling me how much the others had

offered him, but he wouldn't give me anything, and insisted

that I put my best offer on the table first. No haggling.

When I told him a billion, stock or cash, I expected some

sort of reaction, but all he said was 'That's about what I

figured it was worth. I'll take stock."

"He hedged, though, wouldn't give me a yes or no answer. He

wants to 'think about it'. I'm just about certain we have a

deal, particularly since he didn't want a bidding war.

"When he got around to telling me about the other offers, you

were right. The rest of them tried to rob him. His best

other offer was $10 million. It wasn't so much the amount of

the other offers that turned him off, but the way they were

presented. They treated him like a kid, just about demanding

that he sign the papers they threw at him. One of the really

biggies even threatened him, telling him that if he didn't

sign with them, they'd see that nobody else would touch him.

"Unfortunately, that guy had assaulted him just before Jerry

showed up, and he was in no mood to talk to anyone. To me,

that's rather understandable. He asked me to give Jerry an

apology for him."

"What's the bottom line, then?" I asked.

"He's going to think about it, and since we're going to

Dallas next weekend, I'm going back up the weekend after

that. He suggested I bring the contracts along which, to me,

is a very good sign."

"How do you feel about the whole thing now?" I asked.

"Much better. He told me a lot about himself and his family.

They're not close, and the only reason he's involved with the

Church is because they demand it. I think he'll be OK, and

I'm not going to get his name on the dotted line and forget

him. He needs a friend, and I intend to be there for him."

"I don't know how you can be such a good businessman and such

a nice guy all at the same time, but you are," I told him.

"I know it's late on the East Coast, but I'd better let Greg

know what's going on."

This time I listened in.

\- - - - -

We had one more dance lesson during the week. I felt pretty

confident, and, quite honestly, damned proud of myself.

Maybe this is what Mother had in mind 40 years ago.

We decided to fly to Dallas Friday and come home Sunday. The

party was Saturday night, so that gave us Friday night free.

We left early enough on Friday so that we could take a look

at progress on the new plane.

Everyone was in high spirits. Eric was floating on his

success with Spencer, even though the deal wasn't final yet.

His excitement during the past week had gotten me on a high

too.

Tina was bubbly, Rick was quiet as usual. Even though Rick

had been around us for several months, he was still an

unknown quantity. He always stuck real close to Tina when he

was around us, so neither Eric nor I had had much of an

opportunity to get to know him.

Once we were airborne, Eric went after Rick. It wasn't an

attack, but he separated him from Tina, who came over to talk

to me, and the two of them got to talking. Before long, they

were laughing, seeming to have found common ground.

"Tell Eric 'Thank You'," Tina said softly. "Rick's so shy

that somebody else has to make the first move. I really

think he's still a little intimidated by you two, but that's

only because he doesn't know you."

"Does our being gay bother him?"

"Oh hell no," she answered. "We've talked about it and he

admires both of you for having the guts to be yourselves. He

says that he wishes I'd look at him the way Eric looks at

you," she giggled.

The hotel was waiting for us. There was a two-bedroom suite

for Rick and Andy and another for Annie and Tina. Eric and I

had the Presidential suite, same one we'd had on our last

stay there.

"How long do you think it'll take for them to switch rooms?" I

chuckled to Eric.

A limo was waiting to take us to see the plane. When we got

to the "Completion Center", the plane looked about the same

from the outside, but when we were led inside, progress had

definitely been made.

The interior was a medium brown, the dull finish of the suede

gave the cabin unexpected warmth. "This is the second

version," our guide explained. "Your Designer decided that

the first wallcoverings we installed were too dark, so he had

us replace it with lighter material. By the way," she

continued, "he's really good, and we're going to be sending a

lot of business his way."

None of the seating had been installed, our gal explaining

that they were waiting for FAA approved fabrics. The galley

had been installed at the factory and was awesome, and the

"Crew Quarters" seemed really spacious.

I was more than pleased. Eric was wildly enthusiastic.

"When will you be finished?" he asked.

"The plane was flight tested before we got it, so as soon as

we complete the interior and give the exterior a paint job,

it's yours."

"About when will that be?" he asked.

"Another month, tops," our guide answered.

Back at the hotel, there was a message from Annie to call as

soon as we got in. I called, and she and Andy were on their

way up.

Andy seemed a lot more comfortable, no tie this time.

"I know tomorrow's your anniversary," Annie said, looking at

Eric then at me, "so we're going to celebrate a day early.

We're all taking you out to dinner tonight at our other hotel

here in town."

"That'd be great," Eric said. "No surprises, I hope."

"Nah, just us," Annie answered, but the twinkle in her eye

made me nervous.

We met in the lobby, then out to a waiting limo. At the

other hotel, we took the elevator to the top. Annie's eyes

were sparkling even more than usual, and I started to smell a

rat. When we got off, I was sure that something was up.

Annie turned to Eric and Tina got in front of me.

"The view from up here is so spectacular we want it to hit

you all at once," Annie said, whipping out a scarf. Tina

followed suit, and we both were blindfolded. I knew then

that we'd been had.

We were led forward, seated, then they ripped off the

blindfolds. A cheer went up as I blinked and looked around.

The room was full. Sarah was sitting across the table from

us with an impish grin on her face, Eric's parents were

there, as well as just about all of our closest friends.

Even Claire and Big George and Greg and his wife from New

York.

We both jumped up to go say hello to everyone. It was mostly

male-female couples, but a few male couples too, Jack and

Wayne, Dan and Ted, even Joel and Aaron from Tucson.

Dinner was wonderful, but that wasn't the end of it. I

hadn't noticed the lectern on the side of the room until Bill

got behind it and asked for everybody's attention. "A toast

isn't enough for these two who we all know and love," he

started. "We all have something to say, so I'll start. Dave

and I go back to college days..."

Ohmigawd, it was going to be a "roast".

He told a funny story about an event that I'd totally

forgotten, getting big laughs. Next was Ingrid, Eric's Mom.

Her opening line "I never expected that my daughter-in-law

would have to shave every morning..." set the tone.

The stories were ribald but in good taste. The teasing was

good natured, but nevertheless, both of our faces were red

most of the evening. Claire told about the "dressing"

incident on the cruise ship which got poor Eric really red.

Sarah was last. Her comments were more poignant than

suggestive. It was finally our turn.

Eric went first. He was incredible, responding in kind to

everyone who had spoken, getting more laughs than they had.

"I'm not as quick on my feet as my partner is," I started,

when it was my turn. "It scares me to learn that you all

know us so well." I rattled on a little longer, then grabbed

a glass and proposed a toast "to all our wonderful friends

and particularly to the man who has made my life complete."

"You little shits," I said to Annie and Tina on the way

back. "How long have you been working on this?"

"Quite a while," Tina giggled, "but we had a lot of help,

Claire in particular. She even invited everybody there

tonight to her party tomorrow night. Don't worry," she

added, "There won't be any mention of your anniversary

tomorrow night. Claire has class."

"Did you know anything about this?" I asked Eric when we got

to our room.

"Hell no! I had something else planned," he said, leading me

to the other bedroom. Unlit candles were everywhere. It was

pretty obvious what he'd had in mind.

"Let's not waste it," I suggested. We didn't.

\- - - - -

There was a welcoming committee when we arrived at the

Mattison mansion. All the Texas Widows and their husbands

were waiting. When we got out, they went after us like we

were edible. The kids, particularly Rick and Andy looked on

with stunned expressions on their faces.

They weren't ignored by any means, and en masse, we were led

through the house to the "back yard", and watched while they

were all dragged off in different directions. Eric

disappeared and I was left standing with Big George.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, in private?" he asked. No

trace of a drawl, must be serious.

I nodded and he led me back into the house to his book-lined

study. He poured us a drink then we sat.

"Did you get all the Railroad's land when you bought it?" he

asked, still no drawl.

"Sure did," I told him. "That's what we wanted in the first

place. We didn't really care about the Railroad itself."

He let out a long slow whistle. "You got any idea what

you've got?"

"We're learning," I told him. "We've got a pretty good

handle on the developable land, and we're working on the

rest."

"Forget the development land, you've got a helluva lot more

in your other land. There's a couple of guys here tonight

who'd give both their nuts to have a crack at those copper

deposits you've got."

"We haven't gotten that far yet."

"Wanna meet 'em? I wouldn't say anything unless I had your

permission first," he said.

"Why not?" I answered.

Big George rose, "I'll go get 'em."

"Get Eric too," I said. "He's in this as much as I am."

George turned and looked me straight in the eye. "I'm not

surprised, he's one sharp fella. You're a very lucky man,

Dave."

While I waited, I wandered over to the bookshelves. Quite a

collection. Mining and Petroleum texts, a huge selection of

the classics, and over behind the door, some framed

diplomas. Rice, Colorado School of Mines, and an MBA summa

cum laude from Yale. There was a lot more to Big George than

what he let on.

George came back in, followed by Eric and three other men.

He took care of introductions, and we all sat. Eric looked

at me questioningly, I smiled and nodded at him.

"These here fellas," George announced, indicating Eric and

me, "own them Copper deposits over in Arizona that y'all been

droolin over for the past 20 years. Thought I'd introduce

ya." He was folksy again.

The three of them stared at us, assessing us before saying

anything. By introducing all of them at once, George had

given us the advantage. If they all wanted it, as he'd said,

this had the effect of opening an auction. I liked his

methods!

They were concentrating on me, ignoring Eric. "Are they for

sale?" one of them asked.

I glanced at Eric. "Might be, if the price is right," Eric

said, grinning. "We'd like to look at a joint-venture or a

royalty arrangement too."

"You guys ready to talk turkey?" another of them asked.

"Not tonight," I said, laughing. "We came to party."

The meeting was over. The seeds had been sown and they knew

where to find us.

"Goddam, kid," Big George said, throwing his arm around Eric's

shoulder. "You really know how to handle yourself."

We went back outside to the party. Eric hung around long

enough to ask "What the hell was that all about?"

I explained that they were big in the mining game, and Big

George had set them up for us. Eric giggled then suggested

we eat and then dance our asses off.

There were a lot of familiar faces. My hand got crunched so

many times I was afraid it would go limp. Couldn't have that!

How many ways can you do barbecue? Whoever Claire's caterer

was had a helluva imagination and the food was completely

different from the last time.

I saw Sarah and stopped to give her a peck on the cheek. She

was holding court.

I only got glimpses of my family until the dancing started.

They were all anxious to show off their newly acquired

talents. Me too. One of the Widows drug me onto the floor,

and I surprised both of us by melting right in. It was nice

to actually know what I was doing.

When I took a break, my buddy Bubba was chuckling. "Took some

lessons, I see."

"Not willingly!" I answered.

"Them young 'uns run our lives," he chuckled. How true.

One by one, the three copper guys came over to ask for

meetings. I politely asked them to call me at the office to

set one up. We weren't in a rush but evidently they were.

I found Ingrid and Karl. They appeared to be having a good

time. "Was that you I saw on the dance floor?" Ingrid asked.

"Afraid so," I admitted. "Your damned son forced me to take

lessons."

"You seemed to be having fun," she continued.

"I won't admit it to him, but it is a lot of fun," I laughed.

Back in conversation with the Oil Barons, Claire nailed me.

"I saw you!" she said, "Now y'all just have to dance with me."

I dutifully followed her onto the floor. She was good, but I

kept up. She wasn't the only Widow who'd noticed, and I was

traded around until it was time to eat again. With all that

exercise, I was ravenous.

I ran into Eric in the Chuckwagon line and we sat together to

eat. "Having fun?" he asked.

"No, I hate it!" I shot back, but couldn't help but smile.

Eric went back to the dance floor, I looked for Sarah. Her

"court" had thinned out and I was able to talk to her.

"Thank you for coming," I told her.

"I wouldn'tve missed last night for anything," she said.

"Tonight's not bad either. These Texans entertain a little

differently than we do in New York," she laughed. "Didn't

know what I was missing."

"How do you like Andy?" she continued.

"He seems like a nice boy but I haven't had the opportunity

to get to know him yet."

"You'll have that opportunity, trust me!" We both laughed.

"I'm spoiled now," she said. "No more airlines if your offer

still holds."

"Always," I assured her. "Just call."

\- - - - -

By noon on Monday, all three of the "Copper guys" had called

to set up appointments. Eric and I had already agreed that

we wouldn't talk to them until we'd conferred with John's

Mining Attorneys and knew more about our options, so meetings

were set well down the road. Eric volunteered to check them

out and the companies they represented.

His meeting with Spence was on Sunday, and Eric was anxious

to get it over with. He repeated his desire to remain

Spence's friend, but once the agreement was signed, the

tension would lessen substantially.

When he left Sunday morning, he was in high spirits, telling

me "I'll see you tonight as a rich man." I kissed him godbye

and waited, praying that everything went as planned.

That evening when he walked through the door I could tell that

something was wrong.

"That little bastard threw me a curve," he roared. "He says

he's in love with me and won't sign unless I sleep with him."

LIFEGUARD

Chapter 41

"I'm not a fucking prostitute, not even for a quarter billion

dollars," he raved. "What I have with you is sacred, and no

19 year old asshole is going to fuck it up."

I didn't say a word, but got up and poured him a stiff drink.

"He blindsided me. I didn't see it coming at all. Never

once did I get any warning signals. He's turned into a

control freak and he knows he's got me by the balls."

"Not yet," I commented, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

He grinned suddenly, "You're right, and it ain't ever gonna

happen, either."

"Want to start at the beginning?" I asked pulling him over to

me.

"Give me a minute to calm down," he said, cuddling up to me.

He was so upset he was shaking.

"Sorry about that. Blowing up sure felt good though. I've

been holding that in for about four hours. I just had to get

it out, and here I dump it all on you."

He took a long deep breath.

"He wanted to go fishing again. I don't know what it is with

all this goddam fishing! Anyway, this time he wants to go

stream fishing. Fine for him, a fucking nightmare for me.

On the lake, when you threw out bait, I think that's called

'casting', there isn't much in the way. Along the stream it

was a bit different.

"There's bushes, trees, rocks and my ass for the goddam hook

to get caught on. I got snagged on everything, including my

butt. You'll see the goddam wound I got!

"I tried. I swear to God I tried. I kept my cool, though.

When I couldn't stand it any longer, I just put my pole down

and went over and sat down on the bank.

"He hadn't laughed at my problems, and told me to relax, not

to try so hard.

"I asked if I could just sit and watch, fishing obviously

wasn't my bag.

"He said he'd quit too, and we could talk. I asked him what

he planned to do when he had all that money, assuming it was

a done deal.

"He outlined his plans, which really impressed me. It was his

intention to stay in school another year and get his degree,

hoping that Micron wouldn't make a big deal over the whole

thing until they actually had a product ready to sell, which

he estimated would take at least two years.

"In the meantime, he knew the other software giants would

keep after him, and he intended to tell them his program had

been sold, but not disclose who had bought it. I knew this

would make the Micron boys ecstatic.

"After he graduated, he wanted to spend time working on an

Operating System. He felt that the ones currently available

couldn't do justice to the platform he'd created, and also

wanted to take a swipe at the biggie in the industry because

of the way they'd treated him. They're the ones who had made

the threats.

"Everything that he told me was exactly what I wanted to

hear. He allayed my fears about corrupting and ruining him

with the money, and I knew Micron would be beyond pleased with

the arrangement. It had turned into a win-win situation.

"He tried to steer the conversation to me, but I threw it

back in his direction, keeping him talking about himself.

"The Mormon Church had stifled him, he explained, putting

blinders on him so he couldn't explore the world that he knew

was out there. He wanted to change all that and throw off

the shackles. The money he'd be getting would permit him to

do this, quietly.

"All this had lulled me into a false sense of security. Then

he dropped the bombshell.

'"Are you gay, Eric?' he asked in his little boy voice.

"Coming out of the blue like his question had, literally blew

me away. I want you to understand that during the time I'd

spent with him, there had never been anything to prepare me

for that! No vibes, no gazing at my crotch or anything.

"I'd been honest with him so far, why change now? I nodded

and said, 'Yeah, Spence, I'm gay,' as offhandedly as I could.

"Then he pounced. Not physically but verbally.

"'I'm gay too,' he admitted sheepishly, then paused. 'I'm

also in love with you. I'm a virgin and I want you to change

all that.'

"That made me reel. It didn't take long to realize that I

was in a corner. For many reasons, I didn't want to reject

him, hurt his feelings, but what he was asking me to do was

unthinkable. How could I talk him out of this wild idea

without alienating him?

"'Do you know what you're saying?' I asked.

"'I know exactly what I'm saying. I want to make love to

you, suck your cock, have you fuck me. Is that plain enough?'

"'I don't think that'd work,' I told him. 'I already have a

lover that I love more than I can tell you.'

"He had an answer for everything. 'That's OK, nobody has to

know.'

"'I'll know,' I told him. 'I just can't do it.'

"'Then I'm not going to sign your agreement,' he told me.

"'If that's the way it is, then that's it,' I told him.

"'You can change your mind,' he said.

"'I don't think so," I told him.

"'Maybe we'd better go home,' he said.

"We gathered up our fishing gear and went back to his truck.

The ride back to town was silent, he dropped me off at my

car, I headed to the airport, and here I am. End of story."

I spoke for the first time. "We both know that's not the end

of it," I told him.

"I know that," he said. "That's what scares me. Maybe I

shouldn't have run. Maybe I should have tried to talk to

him, reason with him. Oh shit!"

"Don't start beating on yourself," I said. "Give yourself

some time to think it over. Right then, you weren't in the

right frame of mind to convince him of anything."

"You're probably right, but having this hanging over me isn't

fun either."

"The door is still open," I told him. "If anybody can make

him see things like they are, you can."

"Maybe, at least there aren't any deadlines."

I thought about the dilemma he was in. I could give him a

way out.

"You could just do what he wants, then it'd be over. I know

it wouldn't mean anything. Afterall, there was that incident

with Brian," I told him.

"You wouldn't care?"

"Of course I'd care, but I'd understand. It wouldn't mean

that you loved me any less."

"That argument won't fly!" he flung back at me. "I'm not that

greedy! What happened between you and Brian was before you

made a commitment to me, so it doesn't count. Even if I

considered doing what he wants, I don't think I could even

get it up for the little bastard. I don't perform on

command. The most important thing is how I'd feel about

myself, and I don't think I could live with THAT.

"I know what you're doing," he continued. "You're trying to

make it easy for me, but that's not going to work. Goddamit,

I love you. I belong to you, body and soul, and nobody else

is going to get even a small piece of me."

"Then," I told him, "you're going to have to do the sales job

of your life, and I'm here to help you in any way I can."

\- - - - -

Eric was normally a very deep sleeper, rarely moving around

much. That night, his tossing and turning woke me several

times, and he woke bleary eyed, unrested. Certainly not the

chipper, eager man with the sparkling eyes that I was used

to.

"Think I'll stay home today and think this over," he said.

"Last night, you cooled me down enough that I think I can

think straight."

"Want me to stay home so you can bounce ideas off me?" I

offered.

"Thanks babe," he said with a smile. "Let me work on this by

myself, but I promise I'll have a lot to bounce off you

tonight. You might come home a little early, though, we

could get 'bouncing' sooner," this said with a big leer.

It wasn't easy to concentrate. My lover had a problem, a big

one at that, so I had a problem too. I would have liked to

beat that damned kid over the head for putting Eric into this

position, but I couldn't.

Best idea was to get busy, not think about it, and give him a

chance to work it out.

By 3:00, it was time to go home. I hadn't accomplished a

damn thing.

Eric was sitting by the pool, notepads surrounding him. When

he looked up, his smile told me that he'd made progress.

"You're going to get in trouble for leaving so early," he

teased.

"I got permission from the boss," I told him. "You look

better."

"I've boiled it down to a few ideas that I think might work.

Gimme a kiss and go get outta them hot duds and I'll tell you

all about it."

"Here goes," he said.

"The first thing I have to do is talk to him. Face to face

would be best, but on neutral ground where he wouldn't feel

threatened. I've got a few ideas on that.

"Next, I'd work on convincing him that the business deal had

to be separated from sex. Use logic. Business is business,

and forced sex isn't any fun. He'll argue that it isn't

separate in this case, and I can counter that it should be,

it's wrong, appeal to the moral values that I'm sure he has.

"I believe this whole sex thing he's come up with is an

afterthought, something he came up with just recently. Damn,

I wish I hadn't been honest with him. If I hadn't admitted I

was gay, this would never have happened.

"He saw an opportunity and went for it. He may be infatuated

with me, but I'll have to convince him I'm not available. He

may be convinced that the stereotype is true, that any gay

man will fuck anything that's available. I'll have to

convince him that that's just not the way it is in reality.

"If he's so hell-bent on losing his virginity, I can help him

out. I know a lot of guys who might go for him, and not just

because he has a lot of money, or soon will, some damned

goodlooking guys, too.

"Then there's the business angle. The fact that the other

software companies low-balled him helps. I gave him our best

shot up front, and can argue from that position, pointing out

that he's in for one hell of a battle getting any of them up

to even close to that level, and that in the process he'd

lose his anonymity and none of his plans would come to pass.

"Trust, too. I think he trusts me, and I can play on that.

I've been honest with him from the get-go, so I'm sure I can

be convincing. I can play up the fact that Micron trusts me

too, and how, with my help, I could help him in the future

with anything else he might come up with.

"Then there's the 'Big Brother' aspect. Actually, I kind of

do feel like a big brother to him. All I have to do is

convince him that I feel that way ONLY, that there aren't any

sexual feelings at all, and that to force me into having sex

with him would change all that. I think he really wants a

friend more than he does a lover at this point in his life.

"Well, what do you think? Start shootin' holes."

I thought a minute. "All good," I told him. "You might

start with the 'Big Brother' thing and make it real clear up

front that you're just not available.

"Not that you or someone like you is unattainable, just that

you happen to be off the market. I know you don't believe

me, but in the eyes of every gay man, you're a walking wet

dream. Spencer no doubt sees you that way and came up with a

way to 'have' you. You're going to have to convince him that

his way won't work, and if you did give in, you'd hate him

afterward.

"Another thing is that you don't know just how infatuated he

really is. If he's serious, tell him that what he's asking

is running you away, and that if you agreed, he wouldn't have

any respect for you afterward."

"Do you think it'll work?" he asked.

"There's no way of knowing," I said. "One other thing.

You've been letting him call the shots, maybe it's time for

you to be a lot more assertive."

"Good idea, firm but gentle."

"What about timing?" I asked.

"He has my cell phone number and I have his. If he doesn't

call by Wednesday, I'm going to call him. I don't want him

to stew too long. Now, how about some of that other

'bouncing' we were talking about?"

\- - - - -

The next two days were harder on me than they seemed to be on

Eric. "Either it works or it won't," he told me. "I've got

a gut feeling that it's gonna work, and I'm going with that."

I wasn't so sure. There were too many if's, but I didn't

share my misgivings.

Spence didn't call which worried me. It didn't seem to

bother Eric at all. Wednesday night arrived, and Eric called

him. I left him alone to do it, but in minutes he found me.

He was beaming. "You were right, assertiveness worked," he

said.

"I got him, said 'Hello', then TOLD him we needed to talk,

man-to-man. He agreed. We're having dinner together

tomorrow night in Boise. That's it."

"How did he sound?" I asked.

"Hard to tell, but I'm guessing he's having second thoughts."

I just grinned at this smooth talker who was the love of my

life.

\- - - - -

Eric's plan was to fly up, have dinner, then fly back,

regardless of the outcome. "I'll be really late, so don't

wait up. I'll wake you with the good news when I get home,"

he'd said on his way out.

Yeah, sure. Like I was going to be able to sleep!

I had dinner alone in the den. There wasn't anything worth

watching on TV, so I tried to read.

Annie wandered in. "Where's Eric?" she wanted to know.

"Out on business," I told her.

"I sure wish you'd tell me what's going on," she said. "I

heard a lot of yelling the other night. Are you and Eric

having problems?"

"Oh, Hell no!" I laughed. "Everything between us is fine!

Sorry if you got that impression. Eric's working on the

biggest deal of his life, and sometimes he gets frustrated.

He was just blowing off steam the other night."

"You had us worried. It must be really really big if it's

bigger than 'Development'."

"Potentially, it's bigger than anything he's worked on so

far. If everything goes well tonight, he'll be able to tell

you about it."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed for him," she said on her way

out.

The wait wasn't as long as I expected. Around 10:30, I heard

him come in. Then I heard voices and laughing. What the

hell?

Eric came in with his arm around a shorter young fellow.

"Babe," he said with a huge smile, "I'd like you to meet

Spence Young." He turned to the boy. "Spence, this is my

lover, Dave Rush."

I stepped forward to shake hands. Spence was giving me a

complete inspection.

"Spence is going to spend the next couple of days with us,"

Eric said, "I kidnapped him."

Eric ushered Spence to a chair facing our couch then gave me

a peck on the cheek and a hug. "We're celebrating tonight,"

Eric announced, "so what would you like to drink, Spence?"

Spence got a shocked look on his face, "I'm a good Mormon

boy, I've never touched alcohol in my life!" he said, then

busted up into a fit of giggles. "I'll leave it up to you,

Eric," he said when he stopped laughing.

I liked the kid immediately. "Eric's told me a lot about you,

Spence," I said, trying to get conversation going.

"Not everything, I hope," he said.

"EVERYTHING, Spence," Eric hollered from the bar. "That's

the way it is when you love someone. You share everything."

"I made a big mistake," Spence said, looking at his lap.

"Forget it," Eric told him as he put a drink in front of

him. "You admitted it, everything's OK now, so let's move

forward."

"Here's to the world's newest Billionaire," Eric toasted,

raising his glass.

We drank, then Eric explained that Spence had signed the

Micron agreement, subject to a few changes. His "rights"

would be exchanged for stock rather than sold, for tax

deferrment purposes.

"Let's hope that the market opens low tomorrow, for your sake,

Spence," Eric said. "That way you'll get more shares. Give

it a couple of years, and I wouldn't be surprised if they go

from $60 a share to $300, particularly after they announce

that they have your technology."

We talked until well after midnight. Eric led Spence off to a

guestroom and I went to bed. When Eric came in, I couldn't

resist teasing him. "I thought you were worried about

corrupting the kid," I said. "First it's money, then booze,

what's next? Sex?"

"Yep," he giggled. "Let's have a pool party Sunday."

"Matchmaker, matchmaker..." I hummed.

"That's me!"

"Are you really sure the kid's gay?" I asked.

"He swears he is. I'm not sure myself, though. I have no

intention of 'Throwing him to the wolves,' just show him that

we're pretty regular people and let him take it from there."

"Now tell me what happened," I asked as he slid into bed.

"He made me sweat, let me go through my whole spiel, then

just said 'OK'. That was it! Later, he apologized for

putting me through all that grief and admitted that the sex

thing was an afterthought that he regretted the minute he

threw it out."

"He's a nice kid, but he looks so young! I'd guess him to be

14 or 15, certainly not 19. What do his parents think about

all this?"

"They don't know a thing."

"You're kidding!" I said.

"No, they don't know anything specific, but they've been

quizzing the hell out of him after all the software people

showed up on their doorstep looking for him. I guess they

really aren't a close family."

"Legally, he's an adult, so I guess he can do what he wants.

Now let's talk about YOU. How does it feel to be really

rich?"

"It's just a bunch of numbers as far as I'm concerned," he

said. "The real thrill is from knowing I'm a part of

something that's going to have such an impact on everything

we do. It's mind boggling."

"Is it really that big?" I asked.

"I didn't realize what's involved until the 'Whiz' explained

it to me. Spence has come up with something that's going to

turn every PC into a Cray."

"What's a Cray?" I asked.

"The Supercomputer."

"Oh!"

"We're in on the 'cutting edge'," he said, snuggling up.

"Let's get some sleep."

\- - - - -

The first thing Eric did when he woke up was call Steve, our

broker. Micron had opened at 58-3/8, which would be the

basis used to pay both him and Spence. That would be a lot

of shares! Four and a quarter million for Eric, more than 17

million for Spence.

"The IRS is gonna love you!" I teased.

"Your tax guys are working on it. Maybe it won't be so bad,"

he answered.

I didn't see Eric and Spence until they burst into my office

that afternoon. They'd been shopping and had toured the

Lundborg Rush facility. Spence was wide eyed.

"It's just beginning to dawn on me - what I can DO now,"

Spence gushed. "I can buy anything I want!"

"Are you going to sell a few shares so you'll have some

spending money?" I asked.

"No," he smiled. "I'm going to take a few shares to the bank

and use them as collateral for a loan as soon as I get home.

Not a lot, though, I don't want to draw any attention to

myself, but I might splurge just a little, and I have to pay

Eric back for all the shopping we did. I'm not going to

'sell' a single share for two years. Micron's paying a token

dividend that'll take care of me until then."

For what looked like a 14 year old kid, he had his act

together. He looked a lot better in his new clothes, not

those baggy things that the kids were wearing. His dirty

blonde hair hung over one eye, giving him a mischevious look

that was reinforced by the twinkle in his eyes.

It was impossible for me to fathom that this little boy was

about to set the world on fire. He sure didn't look the part.

They announced that the were going to Disneyland Saturday and

begged me to go along. No way. I needed a day of peace and

quiet.

\- - - - -

Eric introduced Spence as his "adopted brother" to all the

guys who showed up for the Pool Party. He was kind of

standoffish at first, but the Lifeguards didn't let that last

long. They had him in the pool with them, horsing around, in

no time. He was literally a kid in a candy store and the

center of attention.

"I'll take this brat off your hands anytime, Eric," one of

the young Lifeguards named Jimmy offered.

"Anytime," Eric answered.

"Who're you calling a brat?" Spence wanted to know, attacking

the young Lifeguard from behind.

From then on Spence and Jimmy were inseparable. When they

played "horse", Spence was on Jimmy's broad shoulders, and

when we got around to eating, they paired off again. Before

Jimmy left, I saw them exchanging phone numbers.

Score another one for the matchmaker.

\- - - - -

Loren called in to report on progress. He'd received and

filed the EIR along with all the other applications

required. Our intentions were now public knowledge and he

wanted to warn us.

"I can't believe we got that EIR so fast," Loren commented.

"It got here in about a third of the regular time."

"Big George promised me he was going to 'kick ass'. I guess

he did."

"You know Big George?"

"Sure do. We were at a party at their house only a week

ago. Real fine guy."

"Let me apologise to you for ever questioning your

credentials," Loren said. "Anybody who travels in those

circles has got to be bigtime."

"George introduced us to a couple of guys who are interested

in our Copper deposits, too," I added.

"Let me guess, Ross, Birney and Tom."

"Right. How'd you know?"

"They're the biggest in the business, and would be friends of

Big George. Let me warn you about them, though. Ross likes

a bargain, he's honest but he'll try to beat you down.

Birney's honest too, but slick. Watch him closely. Tom's a

thief. Hide all the silverware before he comes."

"We're not even going to talk to them until we've talked to a

good Mining Attorney."

"Who're you working with?"

"Preston, from Phoenix."

"He's the best. Say 'Hello' for me if you have a chance.

You guys may not know anything about mining, but you sure

ain't dummies. It's going to be fun working with you."

We got back to the Lovebird Mine.

If there weren't any objections from either other property

owners or any Environmental Groups, we would get the green

light to proceed in a couple of weeks. It would take another

week to dig the ramp and expose the seam, and then we'd be

ready to go.

I made Loren promise to notify us the minute the seam was

exposed, and told him that we wanted to be there when the

first charge was set off.

\- - - - -

Eric and I were going over the day's events on the deck, our

version of unwinding, when Mary interrupted us. "There's a

guy out here with a delivery for Eric. Says he has to sign

for it."

Eric followed her back out, but was back in a few minutes

with a huge grin on his face. "Come on, you've gotta see

this!" he said.

I followed him out the front door to the drive. There sat a

shiny black Rolls Royce Corniche. The top was down and a big

silver ribbon was around it, topped by an enormous bow. Eric

picked up the card lying on the driver's seat and handed it

to me.

It said "Dear Eric, Only you can perform the impossible.

Again and again and again... Just a token of our

gratitude." It was signed by the Micron four.

"Once, I said that these were 'Old man's cars'," Eric said,

"but I'm changing my mind REAL FAST."

Naturally, we jumped in and went for a spin. It was like

riding on a cloud. "Let's go by Mom and Dad's," Eric

suggested. "I can't wait to show this baby off."

"It was a gift," Eric explained.

Karl looked at me. "Aren't you spoiling this kid, Dave?"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, I swear," I told him,

throwing up my hands.

"This I gotta hear!" Karl said, and invited us in for a drink.

"I took on this little project, you see," Eric started. "I

did a pretty good job, I guess, because this showed up on our

doorstep a little while ago with a thank you note."

"What he's not telling you," I broke in, "is that he pulled

off one of the coups of the century and that he also made a

buck or two for his efforts."

"They paid you too?" Ingrid asked incredulously.

"Yeah, a quarter billion," he mumbled.

"Then, with the car, you made about a half million dollars

for this little project? Not bad!" she said.

"With a 'B' Mom," he said, his head down so he didn't crack

up.

She stared at him. "Don't play with me, young man," she said

in an ominous tone.

He looked up at her, trying to choke back the laughter. "Two

hundred and fifty million dollars, Mom."

She looked at me. I nodded. She looked like she was going

to pass out. Eric told the whole story, leaving nothing

out. We stayed for dinner.

\- - - - -

It was time to get informed about mining law. With the offer

to send a plane for him, Preston agreed to make a housecall.

Jack, our own Legal Chief sat in with Eric and me.

Derek Preston reminded me a lot of John Bussey, leader of our

exploration efforts. Friendly, knowledgable but serious in a

"down home" way.

Eric outlined our position, what we had, and what we wanted

to do.

Preston was familiar with both of the deposits we were talking

about. "First, let me tell you what's going to be involved,"

he said. "It's not real high-grade ore, but there's a lot of

money to be made. The only economical way to get it out is

open pit. That's the first headache, just getting permission

to mine that way. You can plan on the Environmentalists

getting into the act lobbing lawsuits, injunctions, and every

other delaying tactic they can think of at you. They won't

prevail, but they'll make your life miserable for a few years.

"Next, since it's costly to move ore, particularly low-grade,

you'll have to build a smelter in the area of the mine to

process the ore and extract the metal. Another Environmental

mine field. Chemicals get involved, so it gets more

complicated. Again, you'll prevail, eventually.

"Refineries produce tailings. Now you've got to find a place

to put those that's agreeable with everybody.

"Have I scared you off yet?"

"Not yet," I chuckled, "go on."

"With all that in mind," he continued, "You have four

options, as I see it. First, you can do it all yourselves.

Second you can sell the land with the Mineral Rights, or just

the Mineral Rights and retain the land. Third, you can do a

joint venture with an established mining company, putting up

the land and possibly some capital as your contribution.

Fourth, you can let a mining company develop the mine, and

take a small percentage of the profits.

"The risks, for you, vary from total exposure to virtually

none. How you proceed will depend on your faith in the

deposit, and how much money you want to put up. Rewards, or

losses, are commensurate.

"As you can see, there are a lot of factors involved, and the

more information you have, the better your decision will be.

Since you haven't mentioned it, I'm assuming you haven't had

a complete Economic Analysis prepared."

"What's that?" Eric asked.

"Let me explain," Preston said. "Both of those properties

have been surveyed innumerable times. From a good one, which

I'm sure John Bussey has already done, the actual amount of

copper that lies there can be determined. It won't be exact,

but it will be reasonably close. Then, the cost of

extraction and processing are factored in, and you end up

with a bottom line figure. There's one more thing to

consider, and that's market price, which we all know

fluctuates. There are good firms that specialize in these

analyses."

"That was my next question," I said. "How expensive are they?"

"Quite reasonable when you consider the potential involved

here. Quite frankly, I don't think you should even consider

a decision without one."

"I guess that's the next step," I said.

"I'll fax you a list of the firms I'd work with if I were you

as soon as I get back to my office. It'll be a short list,

and I'll note my preference," Preston said. "When you have

that in hand, I'd like to talk to you further so you can

avoid pitfalls when you're negotiating."

"We need all the help we can get," I told him. "You'll

definitely be hearing from us as soon as we get the analyses."

"Man, are we ever ignorant!" Eric commented when we were

alone. "Those guys would have had us for lunch."

"Maybe," I said, "but we're smart enough to recognize that

and get help. Let's get smart and gobble them up instead!

Let's get busy."

Eric got hold of John on the surveys. He had them, and could

have them available on a day's notice since he had to go to

Phoenix to get them.

Preston's list came in. He wasn't kidding about it being

short, there were only two names on it, one was starred with

a handwritten "best" beside it.

We gave them a call, getting a "Consulting Geologist". He

knew exactly what we wanted, said a face-to-face meeting,

which I'd suggested, wouldn't be necessary until their report

was complete, and told us what they'd need from us in order

to get started. A complete proposal and fee structure would

be overnighted to us.

"We've got to come up with a name for all this," Eric

sighed. "We've got a no-name entity that's about to

explode. We need an identity!"

"I've thought a lot about it," I told him. "I like your idea

of 'Hydra' for the Holding Company, and it'd be good for the

Development Company too, but the Mining Company has me

stumped."

"Maybe we're overlooking the obvious," he said with an impish

grin.

"What are you talking about?"

"Lovebird," he said, then started laughing. "I'm game if you

are."

I thought a minute. "Why not? Most people think we're nuts

anyway!"

"We've already got the 'Lovebird Mine', and I know we're not

going to change that. It means too much to both of us. The

Lovebird Mining Company is just the next step."

"We really don't have to explain anything to anybody," I said,

"let 'em guess. The only ones we have to convince are Annie

and Tina. I don't even think they know about the mine's

name."

"Let me do it," he said. "I'll start working on them at

dinner tonight."

\- - - - -

"Has anybody come with Company names yet?" Eric asked the

table at large.

"Oh shit, I forgot all about that," Annie said.

"Me too," Tina admitted. I just shook my head.

"I've got a couple that I'd like to throw out," he said.

"For the Parent Company, I suggest 'The Hydra Group, Ltd.' I

know that sounds kind of British, but it sounds good to me,

short, snappy and isn't descriptive of what we do." He went

on to tell them what "Hydra" was, and the mythological story.

"I like it," Annie said. "I hope we're indestructible!"

"Under that," Eric went on, "would be the Railroad, no name

change there, the Development Company which could be Hydra

Land or something like that, and the Mining Company. I've

got an idea for the Mining Company, too.

"The gold mine already has a name," he continued, then told

them the story of how it'd been named by the men who had

discovered it. Without going into extreme detail on how it

had come about, he explained that it was named for the two of

us.

"Dave and I agree that the name of the mine is NOT going to be

changed even if we do have a hard time explaining it. That

stays. Now, I propose that we use the same name for the

Mining Company - The Lovebird Mining Company. What do you

think?"

Both girls were giggling. "I think it's wonderful!" Tina said.

"It's great!" Annie agreed. "I know it's not a conventional

name, but we're not a conventional family, either. It's got

my vote."

I smiled. It was settled, and I loved it.

"When are you going to let us see the mine?" Tina asked.

"There isn't much to see yet," I explained. "If everything

goes according to plan, they'll have the seams uncovered in a

few weeks. We're going over then, and you guys can go with

us if you want."

"There's another thing," Annie spoke up, changing the subject.

"You haven't explained what's been going on for the past few

weeks, Eric. Can you tell us about it yet?"

I sat back and listened while Eric told them the whole

story. The only part he left out was that Spence had wanted

Eric to deflower him.

"That explains a lot," Tina commented. "We thought you and

Dad were fighting."

"THAT ain't never gonna happen," he assured them.

"So, what's going to happen next?" Annie asked.

"Spence is back at school, trying to play it cool," Eric told

her. "Micron's in a frenzy. Naturally, they want to

integrate Spence's stuff into all their existing software so

they can get it on the market, but that's going to take a

coupe of years. They're going to keep quiet about even

having the technology until they're a lot closer to releasing

it to the public. Before they do release it, Lundborg Rush

is going to have to expand to meet the demand."

"Let's go buy Micron stock," Annie gleefully suggested to

Tina.

"Please don't," I asked them.

"Why not, Dad?" Tina asked.

"We know things that the general public doesn't. If you

bought now, it could later be construed as 'Insider Trading'

which is a bit illegal. We don't need a scandal."

\- - - - -

I knew that Eric had every intention of maintaining his

friendship with Spence, but I don't think he expected it to

become so involved.

He called Eric almost daily, pouring out all his problems,

seeking advice. In my opinion, he was becoming a pest, but I

didn't tell Eric that.

Spence's school was about to let out for the summer, and Eric

hoped that that would change things. It didn't. Spence

became even more dependant. Now, his problems weren't only

school and his budding romance with Jimmy, but his parents.

His spending habits had changed, and they wanted an

explanation. A confrontation ensued and Spence stonewalled.

To say that they freaked out would be putting it mildly, and

Spence was on his way to see Eric.

Eric was pissed. "I'm not ready for this," he said calmly but

seething inside. "I'm not qualified to give him the advice

he needs, and I don't like being put in the position he's got

me in.

"I know I opened the door, but I didn't expect all this to

happen. What should I do?"

"Listen to him," I suggested.

"I've already taken your position of not giving advice," he

said. "All I do is point out the options open to him and let

him make his own decisions, but it doesn't sound like he's

going to settle for that this time. I feel like I'm being

used."

"I don't envy you," I said, seriously.

"I know this is my problem," he said, "and I know this is an

awful lot to ask, but would you help me out, listen to him

too?"

I'd felt this coming from the start. "Of course I'll listen,"

I told him, "but that's all. No advice. Have you thought

about talking to your Mother? She might be able to give you

some ideas."

"Hadn't thought of that," he said. "Good idea."

Spence's arrival was imminent. He was driving so that gave

us an extra day to prepare, but for what?

He arrived in a brand new Mustang. That, no doubt, had

raised a warning flag with his parents.

Eric got him settled in a guest room then brought him out on

the deck where I was. Looking at him, you couldn't tell that

he had a care in the world.

Eric jumped right in, however. "From what you've been

telling me, Spence, you've got a few problems."

"Can't we talk about them later?" he said, glancing at me.

"If you're afraid of talking in front of Dave, don't be. He

already knows all about this, and we both want to hear all

about what happened."

He was hesitant to get started, but once he did, it all

spilled out.

After moving back home, his parents had cornered him at the

first opportunity. They demanded to know where the money was

coming from. Thinking that the car he'd bought was the

problem, he'd tried to explain that he'd made a small down

payment and would be making monthly payments.

"How come your name is on the title, not the Bank's?" his

father had asked, "and how do you explain this?" he'd said,

tossing Spence's bank statement at him.

Nailed. He had over a hundred thousand in his account.

Hoping to contain the situation, Spence had told them that

he'd sold a program he'd written. That wasn't good enough

for his father who demanded to see proof. Spence refused.

It turned into a full-scale interrogation, Spence refusing to

answer any of the accusations thrown at him.

Then, his father demanded that Spence give him his car keys

and write a check for the full amount in his account, saying

that he wasn't going to enjoy his "ill-gotten gains", that

the money would go to the Church instead.

Spence refused again and tried to leave. His father had

grabbed him, punched him, and threw him back into a chair,

screaming at him.

At this point, Spence snapped, and for the first time, stood

up to his father. "I don't need you. I'm an adult and I can

do what I want," he'd told him.

Then his father started slapping him around. His mother sat

silently and watched.

Tears were streaming down Spence's cheeks as he was telling

us this. Eric moved over to put his arm around him.

"Dad had never hit me before, and he was totally out of

control. I was actually scared for my life," he continued.

"The look in his eyes was enough to scare anybody.

"He remembered all the people who'd come around looking for

me and wanted to know about that too. I wouldn't tell him

anything and he kept on hitting me. When he finally realized

I wasn't going to talk, he locked me in my room, telling me

that I'd stay there until I told him everything he wanted to

know. It's an old house, and my bedroom is on the third

floor."

The poor kid was terrified, understandably. No way out and

no phone. After a while, he'd realized that he did have his

computer and Internet connection. He sent frantic Emails to

everybody he knew who he thought he could trust, begging for

help. None responded all night. I could just imagine the

poor kid's terror!

He heard his parents leave for work the next morning, and

sent out more Emails. He didn't get a response until mid

morning, and it was from a girl he barely knew. She wasn't

willing to help him even though he begged.

In the afternoon, another friend had answered his mail, and

had been willing to help. He'd gotten out, taken his

computer and a few clothes, called Eric, and here he was.

It was a gut wrenching story, but I was a skeptic. A few

things didn't add up.

"Why didn't you try to contact the police?" I asked. "Surely

they have an Email address."

"You don't understand," he said. "Dad's pretty well known.

They might have gotten me out, but I doubt it. Even if they

had, they'd never take my word against his. Even if they

did, they'd turn me right back over to him. You have no idea

of how close Mormons stick together."

"But you're over 18," I said.

"That doesn't matter," he answered. "The father rules."

"Why didn't you tell your parents about selling to Micron

when it happened?" I asked. "Couldn't all of this have been

avoided?"

"You don't know them," he said. "Dad's one of those people

who knows what's best for everybody. He's a controller, and

he'd never be convinced that I was capable of handling that

kind of money. He'd have figured out a way to get it away

from me. I know you doubt my story, maybe this'll show you

I'm telling the truth."

With that, he pulled up his shirt. His stomach and chest were

livid. It was awful. He'd been badly beaten, far more

severely than he'd described. I felt like a fool for

doubting him.

What the hell would we do now? What COULD we do?

Chapter 42

"My God!" Eric shouted. "We need to get you to a doctor!"

"Not tonight," Spence said. "I don't think anything's

broken, but I sure am sore. What I really need is some

sleep. Can I stay here?"

I gingerly put my arms around him, trying not to hurt him.

"Spence, you're always welcome here," I told him.

Together, Eric and I led him off to a guest bedroom. Eric

got his clothes out of his car for him, and we left him to

get some much needed rest. He'd driven nonstop for the last

24 hours.

"I've heard of things like this happening when a father finds

out his son's gay," I told Eric, "but never over money."

"Me too," he answered. "I'd hate to think about what would

have happened if his dad had found out about that too!"

"I'm sorry I put him through another interrogation. He didn't

deserve that."

"I had some doubts myself," he said. "It's hard to imagine

things like that really happening."

In the morning, we agreed that it'd be a good idea for Eric

to stay home and see that Spence got medical attention. He'd

left home in a rush and would probably need to buy a few

things, too.

"We just got home, too," Eric told me when I walked in that

evening. "We've been busy!"

"How's Spence?" I asked.

"Nothing serious," he said. "A couple of cracked ribs which

have been taped up, some pretty bad bruises, but no internal

injuries. The doctor took pictures of him and made out a

full medical report so he'll be prepared if his father tries

anything else."

"Good. Where is he?"

"Changing. He didn't bring many clothes, so we went shopping

too."

"Hi Spence. How're you feeling?" I asked when he wandered in.

"Much better. In a few days I'll be back to normal, or at

least as 'normal' as I'll ever be," he giggled.

He plopped in a chair across from us. "I really appreciate

what you're doing for me," he said. "I didn't have anyplace

else to go."

No response was necessary.

"I realize that I can't stay here forever, and I can't go

home, so it's time for me to get my shit together and make a

life for myself.

This was the first cuss word I'd ever heard from him. "Got

any plans?" I asked.

"I'm working on them," he said. "The first thing I need to

do, before my Dad does anything stupid, is to get an

attorney. I want the attorney to let Dad know that I'm OK,

but that all future communications with me will be through

him. I don't want Dad to know where I am, and I think that

if he has a way to contact me, he'll leave me alone.

"I need to think about school too. I'm determined to get at

least a Bachelor's degree, but there's no way I'm going back

up there to Albertson."

"Maybe I can help you out there," Eric said. "I graduated

last year myself, and I have a few contacts we could use."

"I'd appreciate that," Spence said. "Where'd you go?

"University of California," Eric said.

"If I could get in there, any one of them, it'd be a dream

come true. There's one other thing. Do you remember that I

mentioned an operating system, Eric?" Eric nodded. "I've

been thinking about it a lot. Micron's got the platform, and

it's compatible with existing systems, but it won't reach its

full potential unless it's running on an operating system

specifically designed for it.

"I'd like to spend some time on that now, not wait until I

graduate. I don't intend to even try to write a whole

system, just the foundation, the concept, then turn it over

to somebody like Micron to develop. Think they'd be

interested?"

"Are you kidding?" Eric asked. "They'd give you half the

company for that!"

"If I'm able to do it, and it works, I want you to make all

the arrangements for me, Eric. Might even cut you in."

"Whatever you want, Spence," Eric said, containing his

excitement well, I thought. "That's in the future, what we

need to do now is get you back in school, and get everything

else taken care of. That'll wait."

"One other thing," Spence said timidly, "do you mind if Jimmy

comes over tomorrow to keep me company? He's got the day

off."

\- - - - -

Spence was all smiles when we got home from work. "Bet he

got laid today," Eric said to me, loud enough for him to hear.

"Not yet, but I'm working on it," he told us. "We're going

to wait until this soreness goes away. I want to be able to

enjoy it!"

"Got some news for you," Eric told him. "I called my old

dean at UC this morning. I took the liberty of telling him

all about you. He called me back this afternoon after

talking to the Chancellor, and it's a done deal. Any campus

you want."

Spence was wide eyed. "Just like that? I'm in?"

"Just a few formalities. They faxed me an application which

you'll need to fill out, and you need to have your school in

Idaho fax them your transcript. They want a little money,

too, and, oh yes, the Chancellor wants to meet you -

Tomorrow."

Spence had a lot of questions. "What'd you tell them about

me?"

"That in a couple of years you'll be as famous as Bill

Gates. Don't worry, I asked them to keep it quiet."

"Will you go with me tomorrow?"

"Sure, I've never met the Chancellor myself. Be fun to

accompany a celebrity," he teased him. "Just don't forget

your checkbook."

"Will I have to live on campus?"

"No, they treat students like adults here."

Watching this young man over the last 48 hours had been like

watching several people in the same body. One minute he was

a forlorn child, the next a businesslike super-genius, and

the next, an excited teenager. He'd survive, maybe not

completely unspoiled, but he wouldn't let the celebrity that

was sure to come turn him into an asshole.

I was also pretty proud of MY man for seeing this, helping

him, and, yes, nurturing him.

I learned a lot more about Spence's depth that evening. Out

of nowhere, he announced that he was leaving the Church.

He explained. "A lot of their teachings are good, but to the

Mormons, just about the worst sin is to be homosexual. I

can't accept that. According to them, I'll burn in hell for

just thinking about it, much less doing anything about it.

That's WRONG!

"It also seems to me that they have a very limited

perspective. If it isn't a 'family' thing, they can't have

any fun, and God forbid that anyone strays.

"Because of my family, I'm an elder in the Church. If they

ever learn that I've left the Church, or worse, that I'm gay,

they'll come after me. Luckily, I'll be in a position to

defend myself."

"I don't understand," I commented.

"They'll do just about anything short of kidnapping me, try

to get me to go to Utah to get 'reprogrammed'."

"I've heard horror stories..." Eric said.

"I've heard them too, and I don't think they're just stories,

either."

"What're you guys talking about?" I wanted to know.

"It's forced aversion therapy," Spence explained. "They take

you someplace in Utah, tie you into a chair naked and attach

an electrode to your penis. Then they show you gay porn

videos and if you have any reaction, they shock you so

severely that it throws you into convulsions. This is

supposed to 'straighten you out'."

"That's outright torture!" I said.

"I don't know for sure that it actually happens," Spence said.

"Maybe they started the rumor to 'scare' us straight."

\- - - - -

All Universities, public and private, dote on illustrious

alumni. UC is no exception. Eric had brought good publicity

to the school even while he was a student, and his subsequent

career hadn't hurt either. The idea of catching someone who

was about to set the world on fire wasn't a bad one either.

Of course, with fame and fortune, it was hoped that their

checkbooks would also be open whenever the University came

calling in the future.

According to Eric, they received the royal treatment. Spence

was awed, Eric was interested in results.

It was agreed that Spence wouldn't receive any preferential

treatment, and there wouldn't be any leaks about his

accomplishments until Micron announced them to the world.

Acceptance at any campus was guaranteed, and if Spence chose

any one other than the local one, the Chancellor would handle

it personally.

Spence wanted to switch majors, from Computer Science to

Business, so spent a little time with an advisor working out

a class schedule should he choose the local branch.

I wasn't the least bit surprised when Spence announced that

his preference was the local campus. They had a good

business school, and with all the Hi-tech in the area, I

assumed that their Computer Science curriculum was cutting

edge. Jimmy and Eric also lived here.

About the only thing remaining was housing, and I stayed out

of that one. Let Spence and Eric do the looking.

\- - - - -

The New Hampshire incident hadn't been forgotten. Jack and

his team had been methodically weighing all of our options.

He was ready to move.

First, he had retained a Harvard Professor who specialized in

Constitutional law to represent us in court. The two of them

had worked together to prepare the suit and were now ready to

file it.

Professor Naimann rarely handled court cases, but Jack had

done a sales job on him, and he had agreed. Before they

filed, Jack wanted me to meet the Professor and go over the

details of what we were about to do.

When they came into my office, I was surprised. Dr. Naimann

didn't look like a professor at all. He appeared to be in

his late 30's, serious but with a twinkle in his eye that

showed he had a sense of humor. Eric, Annie and Tina of

course sat in. They were as involved in this as I was.

They got right down to business. Suits against the County

would be filed in Superior Court in New Hampshire. The first,

for Actual damages would seek recovery of the fine we had

paid plus interest, claiming that the statute that required

the payment of fees and penalties was unconstitutional and

discriminatory.

Other suits would be filed for punitive and exemplary

damages, each in the amount of $5 billion dollars citing

interference with interstate trade and commerce and

violations of a whole list of Federal statutes. These would

be filed in Federal Court.

I knew that punitive damages were for the purpose of making

an "example" out of the county, but I had no idea what

exemplary damages were. I asked and Dr. Naimann explained.

"Exemplary damages are intended to make clear that the kind

of behavior engaged in is never again going to be

tolerated." He warmed to the subject. "What they did is

such an affront to the Constitution that the word needs to

get out that nobody, and I mean nobody, should ever attempt

such a travesty again."

The final suit that would be filed was in Annie's behalf. It

would claim detention without authority, and ask actual and

punitive damages of $250 million. Each.

"There are several things that you ought to know,"

Dr. Naimann told us. "We've researched this case very

thoroughly and have, we believe, a pretty much ironclad

case. If we win the first round, they'll no doubt appeal.

If we lose, we'll appeal, all the way to the Supreme Court,

if necessary.

"I believe in this case, and I'm willing to devote whatever

time is necessary to see it through to a favorable

conclusion. In any case, that's not going to happen in a

hurry. I would estimate that it'll take at least five years

before it's settled. And, even then, when you win, you

probably will only be able to collect a fraction of the

damages awarded."

"I'm only interested in getting back the money we paid," I

told him. "If Annie gets anything, that's fine too, but

anything beyond that will go to charity."

"I understand," Dr. Naimann said. "But this kind of crap

can't be allowed to go unpunished."

A few days later the suits were formally filed, and it became

a national media event again. We watched it unfold on the

evening news.

"The American business community let out a big sigh of relief

when West Coast businessmen Eric Lundborg and Dave Rush filed

suit in New Hampshire today over the incident we reported on

several months ago," the network anchorman intoned.

This was followed by clips of the Judge ranting in the

courtroom and Annie being dragged into the courthouse in

handcuffs.

The camera then shifted to the network's "Constitutional

Expert" who outlined the issues involved and why it was so

important that they be decided. He then commented on Dr.

Naimann, who he described as one of the few Constitutional

experts of that caliber to take on a court case. The amount

sought was not mentioned.

A court date hadn't been set yet. Dr. Naimann had warned

that we would be lucky if we only had to wait a few months.

\- - - - -

Spence continued to stay with us while escrow closed on his

new condo. He was in "excited little kid" mode most of the

time, then got serious when realizing that he was moving into

his own home at the age of 19.

When Eric told me about all the security equipment Spence was

having installed, I guess I finally comprehended just how

scared he really was. Although unnoticeable to the casual

observer, the place was impregnable.

Jimmy and Spence were like newlyweds, shopping and shopping

for all the necessities for Spence's condo. The two of them

had gone off by themselves for a weekend, coming home with

permanent smiles on their faces. Spence's only comment had

been "Damn, he's big!"

I hadn't heard anything more about the "Operating System"

that Spence had mentioned earlier until he gave Eric a big

envelope one evening. It was filled with legal looking

documents which Eric read then handed to me. Everyone was

silent while I read it.

In essence it was an agreement granting Eric a 20% interest

in the Operating System should he ever develop it.

When I finished reading, Eric looked at me, then at Spence.

"Why?" he asked Spence.

"Because I trust you," Spence said. "I know you'll be there

for me, and, I also know that you'll get me the best deal."

His eyes were twinkling.

"But I've been working for Micron."

"Quit," he said. "I don't think they'll care as long as they

get the system."

"I've gotta think about this," Eric told him.

"Better think fast," Spence warned. "I've already started

and I'm making good progress. With a little luck, I'll have

something to show them by Christmas."

"Do you realize what this could mean?" Eric asked me later.

"Quite honestly, I haven't a clue," I told him. "Except for

the business part, I don't understand what you two are

talking about."

He explained the ramifications to me. Micron didn't have an

"Operating System" of their own, much less one that was

specifically designed for the revolutionary platform they

already had. It'd amount to a tremendous leap forward,

putting Micron in a premier position in the industry if they

had both.

\- - - - -

As if this wasn't enough excitement, Loren called to say that

they were about to reach the seam, and if we wanted to be

there for the unveiling, we'd better get our butts over there.

Annie and Tina wanted to know what they should wear. "It's

going to be hot, so I'd suggest shorts, but not too short

because there's a bunch of lonely men out there, and I don't

want a riot."

We also asked Bill to go along.

"Do you think there'll be another 'celebration'?" Eric asked

with a gleam in his eye. "We left our sleeping bags there

the last time we went over."

"Why don't you call John and ask?" I suggested.

"We'd better take a change of clothes, and a few other

things," Eric told me. "We're going to be gone overnight."

He was leering and grabbed his crotch for emphasis. "I'll

pick up a few cases of Jack Daniels for them, and a case of

Scotch for us."

It was early afternoon when the chopper landed on the flat

area below the cliff. A lot had changed. Heavy earthmoving

equipment was parked around, and there was a huge pile of

rock and dirt off to one side of the ramp.

The ramp itself was a lot longer than I expected, with a

gradual slope down to the face of the cliff. It looked like

a huge funnel, starting out at least two hundred feet wide,

and narrowing down to about twenty feet at the cliff.

The last 50 feet of the ramp nearest the cliff was "roofed"

with huge steel beams positioned side by side, spanning the

cut. I asked Loren about this, and he explained that it was

for protection from falling rock. When they started

blasting, the rock above might get dislodged and not only

would that be unsafe for the workers, but require constant

"digging out".

Hanging on the face of the cliff above the entrance was the

wooden "Lovebird Mine" sign.

We walked down the long, gradual ramp. At the end, the cliff

face had been exposed, showing the pinkish white quartz. At

about eye level, the band of gold was partially visible. A

few feet lower was the narrower band, also very obvious.

Both were exactly where we expected them to be.

"We got this far yesterday," Loren explained. "The charges

are set for the first blast, but we wanted to have you see

the face before we set them off. By the way, I've already

taken pictures. I'm going to keep two albums, one for you

and one for me."

We were all fascinated and had to touch and feel the rock and

the gold bands. It was there, for sure!

Loren took some more pictures of all of us in front of the

wall, then led us back up the ramp where we joined John and

all of his crew. Loren insisted that we move back further,

as far as we could but still be able to see the rock face at

the bottom of the ramp. When he was satisfied, and we could

all still see it, the "all clear" was sounded then he started

the countdown. "10, 9, 8..."

The blast wasn't as loud as I expected, but the shock wave

that followed made us all step back to regain our footing. A

few rocks started falling from above, small ones, then the

boulders started raining down on the steel beams. One, about

the size of a Volkswagen, hit and bounced, but remained on

the "roof".

The blast created a cloud of dust that came up and out of the

ramp. The falling rock caused a major cloud which took

several minutes to drift off.

Loren, camera in hand, insisted that he be the first to check

everything out before the rest of us walked back down. We

followed at a distance until he motioned us onward.

A roughly rectangular hole had been opened up, more than six

feet into the cliff. Pieces of quartz rubble had been blown

out of the hole. It seemed like every piece had gold on it

someplace. I picked up a small piece that was half quartz

and half gold. It wasn't much bigger than two fists, but

damn, that sucker was heavy!

The upper band of gold, now exposed, extended all the way

around the hole, glistening. We couldn't see the lower one

because of the rubble.

The whole group was babbling, flash cameras were snapping,

and there was definitely an air of excitement. Annie, Tina

and Bill had looks of total disbelief.

Eric was pensive. He took me by the arm and steered me up

the ramp. "I think it's finally hit me," he said. "It's

real!! I feel like jumping up and down and screaming and

yelling."

"Let it rip!"

"Maybe tonight. Here comes the mob. I'll try to control

myself."

"I won't," I said and grabbed him in a big hug.

Annie and Tina both had the same reaction. Shock. "This is

about the only way I can believe it's real," Tina said,

showing the "sample" she had in her hand. "I asked Mr.

Rattner if I could have it."

Annie had a sample too, quite a bit bigger.

Bill was dazed. "From now on, I'm going to believe you," he

said, "regardless of how unbelievable your stories are."

Loren joined us, all smiles. "Now we go to work," he said.

"What's next?" Eric asked.

"We start building fences, first, to keep the riff-raff out,"

he said.

"Who'll know about it?" I asked.

"Look around," he said. "There's more'n 50 people here.

Somebody's going to talk. Count on it."

"After that?" Eric asked.

"The power company will start stringing wire next week. By

the time they get here, we should be ready to plug in the

processing plant. After sneaking a peek yesterday, I gave

everybody the go-ahead. And, to answer your next question,

Eric, we should be pumping out concentrated ore in three

months.

"We won't even think about sinking any shafts and going after

that until we've got a good handle on the easy stuff."

John took over as tour guide, showing the five of us the

extent of the deposit that had been proven by core sampling

so far. We walked the perimeter at the lower, flat level,

then took a chopper ride to the top of the cliff where we did

the same thing. He explained how the deposit below the cliff

would follow the surface contour, gradually sloping downward.

Bill asked if anybody had calculated the surface area of the

proven deposit and figured out just how much gold was down

there.

"Loren and I worked on it," John admitted. "What we came up

with was so utterly fantastic that we tore it up and decided

to just wait and see what actually comes out. I'll go this

far," he said with a big smile, "what you'll pull out of here

will pay for the railroad you bought several times over."

"See!" I kidded Bill, "You've got good collateral."

"I don't understand," John commented.

"Metalco advanced Dave and Eric the money to buy the

Railroad," Bill explained. "It really doesn't matter because

Dave owns Metalco too. We're just keeping them separate."

They'd seen all they wanted to, and it was getting really

hot, so Tina, Annie and Bill hopped on the chopper to go back

to Prescott. The girls were still clutching the "samples"

they'd picked up.

Eric and I wandered back down the ramp. It was cooler, and I

wanted another look. No crowd, so we could take our time.

On closer inspection, there was a lot of quartz without any

gold attached. "I guess they'll put it all through the

crusher," I said to Eric, thinking out loud.

"It'd be too costly to separate," he answered. "It'd have to

be done by hand. It's going to make one hell of a pile of

tailings, though."

We both pocketed small pieces that were all gold as souvenirs.

Eric put his arm around my waist and held me to him. "Even

when I let my imagination run crazy, this is the last place I

ever expected to be," he chuckled. "It's still hard to

believe."

"I know exactly how you feel. It's nothing I ever dreamed of

either."

When we emerged, John cornered us. "How's the copper thing

going?" he asked.

"We pick up the Economic Analysis in Tulsa in a few days,"

Eric told him. "We'll be better prepared to deal with those

vultures after we get it."

"I learned something interesting the other day," John

continued. "One of my 'Field Geologists' used to work for

one of the outfits that does those things. He might be able

to help you understand it better, give you some background."

"We'll take any help we can get," I told him.

"I'll go get him. But don't go stealing my men!" he chuckled.

He came back with Hal whom we'd both met before. "Told Dave

and Eric that you have some experience with Economic Analyses

of Mines," he explained. "They're getting ready to do

something with that copper deposit down South, so thought

maybe you could give them a little help."

"Any way I can," Hal answered. "The whole process is nothing

more than building a big computer model, then plugging in the

numbers."

"Isn't there more to it than that?" I asked.

"Not really, once you have a good model set up, but the

results are only as good as the information you plug in.

Interpreting the results can be kind of tricky, and a tweak

here or there can make the report look any way you want it

to."

"How come you're here instead of still doing that?" I asked.

"The company I was working for was playing games, and I

didn't like it," Hal told us. "They were actually owned by a

big mining company, and they turned out two reports. The

owners who retained them got one report, and the mining

company got the accurate one. I call that fraud, and I won't

have any part of it."

"Have you ever built one of these models?" Eric asked.

"Hell, I built the one my old employer used, and I believe

they're still using it," he answered. "I still have a copy

of it somewhere."

"Would you consider going to work with us, Hal?" I asked,

then turned to John. "Sorry," I told him with a grin.

"We offer air conditioning," Eric added.

"For a while," Hal agreed, "if John'll let me. I still prefer

working outside."

"Come back anytime," John assured him. "There'll always be a

place for you on my crew."

John left us to work out details. I wanted him to get

started as soon as possible, and, since he was single, he

could start right away. All he needed was to pick up his

belongings in Phoenix, then come to the Coast.

He'd be a welcome addition. Obviously he had scruples,

something we were learning wasn't common in the mining game.

Also very decorative. Annie'd approve. About 35, tall, with

rugged good looks. I was interested in his brains, however,

not the impressive package he displayed below his belt.

News traveled fast. In minutes, Loren came over. "Beat me

to him, I see," he commented. "I planned to make Hal an offer

myself. He's damned good. A lot more there than meets the

eye."

I wondered what he meant by that, but didn't ask.

\- - - - -

The chopper got back from Prescott and began ferrying us to

"camp". Eric and I were on the first load along with John and

Loren and as many more as they could fit in. Camp was the

same, a couple more tents, but John explained that the

construction crew commuted, they weren't part of his group.

We put our gear away, noting that we didn't have to drag our

sleeping bag and the air mattress outside. That'd already

been done for us. We cleaned up in the stream just short of a

shower, then joined the crew. Since it hadn't been a

workday, they were full of energy. We broke out the Jack

Daniels, and offered Scotch to anyone who wanted it.

Instead of talking shop with Loren or John, we talked with

the crew. By now, we were one of them, they were relaxed

around us, and I certainly felt comfortable with them. The

educational level of these men was amazing. Almost all had

college degrees but loved working outside. They were rugged,

definitely not desk jockey types.

I got "vibes" from a few, but most I would have pegged as

straight. Their nighttime antics proved otherwise, but who

cared?

We drank and talked. There was an air of excitement, but

there also seemed to be relief. Their hard work had paid

off, the gold was where it was supposed to be, and their job

was done, at least as far as this deposit was concerned.

Dinner was the biggest rock lobster tails I've ever seen.

They were a foot long and had to weigh close to two pounds

apiece. Tin cups of butter went along with each one.

There weren't any speeches, just conversation. Hal got

razzed for taking a "sissy" job. His comeback was "Just

think of all those beautiful bodies on the beach to look at -

and take home." He didn't specify gender which made me smile.

We were congratulated on using the "Lovebird" name for the

whole mining company. There were a lot of laughs about how

we would explain it, but Eric put that to rest. "We don't

plan to explain anything. Let people think whatever they

want. We don't care."

Loren was the first to turn in. I had wondered how he'd fit

in. He clarified that in a hurry by turning to Eric. "Got

any more earplugs? I hear you boys get kind of noisy." Then

burst out laughing at the look on poor Eric's face.

The moon was just a tiny crescent. The stars made up for it,

shining so bright you could almost touch them. Lying side by

side, looking up, Eric murmured "I'm getting to love this

place. Let's build a house out here."

"We don't need one when there's that to look at," I said,

pointing upward. "A roof would ruin it."

We nestled together, touched, and kissed. How I loved this

big guy. About the time I was ready to make a serious move

on him, we heard a giggle from Tent City. We giggled too,

catching the mood. "I know what lobster does to you," I

whispered. "Tonight it's my party."

He was throbbing, dripping. I got the lube, turned, and

without touching him with my hand, started licking the head,

making slow circles around his corona collecting his

delicious precum. When he started groaning, I stopped and

lubed up my hands. "Just watch the stars," I whispered.

\- - - - -

When we got on board the plane, the morning newspapers were

in the cabin. Neither of us looked at them until we were

airborne.

"Oh shit!" Eric roared. "Look at this."

There was a screaming headline on the front page. DAVE RUSH

STRIKES GOLD. Below the headline were pictures, obviously

taken the day before, of the mine entrance, the gold covered

rubble after the first blast, and a closeup of a huge chunk

of gold being held up by two men. The picture didn't show

their faces, just their hands and arms for perspective.

The article that followed started out "Local Industrialist

Dave Rush and his partner Eric Lundborg have found what may

be the largest gold deposit ever discovered." It went on

from there with a lot of details, then background information

on Eric and me.

"We've got a major leak," Eric growled.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," I told him. "It'll

be forgotten by next week."

"I guess," he said. "At least there weren't any pictures of

us."

We went directly to the office. There were two things that I

wanted to do. First, I arranged for title to all the

equipment we'd bought for John Bussey to be transferred to

him. Next, I called Charles, not Charlie, not Chuck to my

office.

I'm going to need some cash," I told him. "I want 2,400

crisp new $100 bills. Can you do that?"

"That many will take me a couple of days," unperturbable

Charles answered. "Which account should I use?"

"It's coming out of Lovebird Mining, but I don't know if they

even have an account yet. If they don't, use my personal

one. We'll work it out later."

As usual, my refusal to go through "regular channels" would

cause our Accounting Department to yank out hair in handfuls.

We had all been pretty busy, and hadn't had an opportunity to

let Annie and Tina in on what was happening with the copper

deposits. They were, after all, partners, and should be

included.

I called the group together. I told Eric why I'd called the

meeting, and he agreed that we'd have to make more of an

effort to see that the girls were fully informed. Neither

one of us even knew if they knew the copper deposits existed.

Eric brought them up to date, from meeting the Copper Barons

in Dallas to our hiring of Hal to help us. "We don't ever

want you to feel left out on any of this," Eric told them.

Tina spoke first. "Don't worry about it. I think I can

speak for both of us on this. We've all got so much going on

that Annie and I don't have time to get into all the

details. Sure, we'd like to know when something big happens,

but you two are having fun with this. Carry on!"

"Has this Hal guy got any management potential?" Annie

asked. "You're going to need somebody to run Lovebird."

"I don't know," I admitted. "He's a geologist, and impresses

me as being a sharp man. That's all I know. By the way,

he'll be a welcome addition to the 'scenery' around here."

"I'll find an office for him across the street," Annie

grinned. "All the engineers that Dean's hiring are such a

bunch of geeks."

"I think we've got a secretary around someplace who's

handling the mining stuff," she added. "I don't know who or

where. Dad, maybe you should make some kind of announcement

so everybody at Metalco and Hydra will know the score."

"Good idea," I said. "Things are getting a bit complicated

these days."

"We're in the process of setting up an Accounting Department

for Hydra," Tina reported, "we're sharing Metalco's

mainframe, and we can include Lovebird."

"What about the Railroad?" I asked.

"They're self-contained," Annie reported. "We're treating

them like an autonomous subsidiary."

Eric and I made a quick trip to Tulsa to pick up the Economic

Analysis and have it explained to us. After hearing Hal's

story, I was suspicious at best.

They handed us each a half-inch thick bound report, then

proceeded to explain everything in excruciating detail.

First was startup cost, the cost of removing and disposing of

an average of 100 feet of overburden \- the useless material

covering the ore itself, then the extraction process

and transportation of the ore to a smelter.

Then the cost of building the smelter, and operating costs

when it was running. On and on they pelted us with

information that I don't think either one of us was able to

fully grasp.

Eventually they reached the bottom line. Their conclusion

was that after 15 years of working both deposits, and after

deducting all costs, the entire project would yield a pretax

net profit of $178 million.

Their recommendation was to sell, if we could find a buyer.

I didn't believe a word of it.

Eric didn't either. "That's peanuts, for chrissakes!" he

said as we were flying home. "We've heard 'billions' thrown

around, and they come up with that pitiful amount. I smell a

rat."

"Me too," I agreed. "I think we're being set up. Let's keep

this to ourselves and turn Hal loose, see what he comes up

with using the same information, then compare."

"Good idea," he said. "I trust Hal, but I think we should

run a very thorough background check on him."

"I hate having to be so distrustful," I commented, "but it

looks like it 'comes with the territory' in the mining game."

\- - - - -

Hal showed up ready and rarin' to go. When wearing something

besides jeans and a t-shirt, he was a spectacular looking

man. He knew how to dress to show off his assets without

being vulgar, and he had a lot going for him. About six

four, brown hair and big brown eyes, and a very well muscled

body. His rugged features made him look like he'd stepped

out of a cigarette ad.

He went to Human Resources to take care of all the paperwork,

then Eric and I took him out to lunch.

He gave us a full rundown on his background - from college

onward. He'd worked in a variety of jobs in various

positions, and had been with John for just over three years.

In fact, he admitted sheepishly, he was John's highest paid

"Field Geologist" because he could do just about anything

that needed to be done.

"I know you majored in Geology, but did you take any business

courses?" I asked him.

"Four years of accounting and every other mining-related

business course they offered," Hal answered.

Maybe this guy had real potential, I thought to myself. I'd

wait to say anything until his background check came back.

I was quite sure he considered this a temporary assignment

and that he'd return to the field as soon as he completed the

Analysis. Maybe we'd have bigger plans for him.

We discussed the project. He'd brought John's survey with

him, so he'd have the same data to work with as we'd given

the consultants in Tulsa. It was his suggestion not to look

at their report until he'd completed his.

"I've got something to say to you guys, and I'm not trying to

butter you up," he said. "I really admire the way you two

don't make any secret about being 'together'."

"We're 'together' in every sense of the word," Eric told him.

"It's pretty obvious. I've never seen two people who looked

at each other the way you do. They got the name right when

they named the mine for you."

"I hope we didn't embarrass anybody by being so open out at

camp," I said.

"No, on the contrary," he said. "You set an example that

most of us had never seen. Most of us considered what WE

were doing to just be a form of release. After seeing you

guys, there was a lot of thinking going on. 'Was that all it

really was?' or was there more involved than we'd admit?

"I sure did a lot of thinking," he admitted. "I finally

admitted to myself that I really prefer men, even though I've

been fighting it all my life, so, you're looking at a fresh

out-of-the-closet gay guy."

"Congratulations!" Eric said with a big smile. "How does it

feel?"

"Like a huge burden's been lifted," he sighed. "I'm still

getting comfortable, and realize that'll take some time, but

I'm finally heading in the direction I really want to go, and

I have you guys to thank for it."

"We're just 'us', whatever that happens to be," I told him.

\- - - - -

"It makes me feel kind of good to know that we've set an

example," Eric told me. "I'm not very fond of the idea of

becoming a role model, though."

"Face it, kiddo," I told him. "You've been a role model for

the past two years, that I know of. All your Lifeguard

buddies are going to school, and several of them have gotten

themselves married off, just like you did! Jim Wilson's

pissing and moaning about all the guys that are leaving him,

and it's all your fault," I laughed.

"I got lucky, real lucky," he said, snuggling up to me.

"Have you ever given any thought to really getting married?

Us, I mean."

"What would that prove?" I asked. "It wouldn't be legal

anyway, and I don't need a ceremony to prove that I'm totally

committed to you. How do you feel about it?"

"I'd like one," he said, almost in a whisper.

"A commitment ceremony?" I asked.

He nodded. "You and I know we're committed to each other,

but I'd like the whole world to know how much I love you."

I chuckled. "I'm sure we wouldn't have any trouble getting

press coverage!"

"Not that," he laughed. "Just in the presence of the people

who are important to us."

I hugged him to me. "If that's what you want, we'll do it."

We sat silently for several minutes, each lost in thought.

"I love you," I whispered.

"It's not that I'm insecure or anything like that," he said.

"Nothing'll really change, I know, but a public expression of

how we feel about each other would make me feel complete."

"Do you want to exchange rings?" I asked.

"Yes. I know you won't wear yours, but I'll wear mine

proudly."

"I might surprise you," I told him.

"Our rings should be made with gold from the Lovebird Mine,

too," he said.

"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?"

"I've been thinking a lot about it lately," he admitted.

"It's symbolic more than anything else, but for me it'll

formalize the wonderful thing we've got going between us.

Make it permanent."

"Do you ever doubt my commitment to you?" I had to ask.

"Never!" he said vehemently. "That's not the point."

I understood. "When do you want to do this?" I asked.

"The building dedication is coming up in a few weeks. All

our friends from around the country will be here. How about

doing it then?"

"You really have given this a lot of thought."

"Let's have it out on the 'back forty' in those beautiful

gardens, at sunset," he suggested.

"That'd really be romantic."

"That's what this is all about," he said, then added with a

twinkle in his eye. "I've been saving that spot for this.

That's why I haven't dragged you out there and raped you

before now!"

I'd walk through hot coals for this man that I loved so

much. Even though I considered this superfluous, it was

nothing. It obviously meant a lot to him, and probably would

to me too, once I thought about it, so I readily agreed.

We started planning. Who, when, the where was already

settled. Eric wanted to make all the arrangements, which I

eagerly agreed to. The only thing that bothered me was what

I'd say at the ceremony.

THE LIFEGUARD

Chapter 43

We worked on the guest list. It quickly became much longer

than I expected.

"We ought to invite Edgar," Eric giggled.

The two nuggets that we'd picked up at the mine as souvenirs

would be melted down for our rings. Eric wanted to handle

that, along with all the other details.

\- - - - -

Spence moved into his condo. I hated to admit it, but I

missed having the little fart around.

He and Eric stayed in close touch, and one night Eric invited

him over for dinner. He came alone, which surprised me. I

expected Jimmy to be with him.

"We've got some business to discuss," he announced. "I'm

moving along on the operating system a lot faster than I

expected. It's looking pretty good, too. I think it's time

we let Micron in on what I'm doing.

"I've been thinking about the trouble Microsoft got into, the

monopoly thing, and if Micron has time to plan ahead, maybe

they can avoid those problems. They'll also need some time

to figure out how they're going to pay us. A billion won't

cut it this time," he snickered.

This kid wasn't just a computer genius, I was quickly

learning. He'd definitely be a force to be reckoned with in

the not too distant future.

"I'll have to work out my own position in all this," Eric

said. "I have a lot of loyalty to Micron, too, so I'll have

to have a heart-to-heart discussion with them."

"You'll handle it," Spence said, "you're so smooooooth!"

This got us all laughing and the subject changed to our

upcoming commitment ceremony. "Can I be the flower girl?"

Spence kidded.

After Spence left, Eric "thought out loud" about the call

he'd have to make to Micron, weighing all the possible

approaches he could take. I listened. He was still

undecided when we went to bed.

"I've decided to wing it, just tell the truth, and see what

happens," he said on the way in to work. "One thing I'm sure

of, and that's that I want you to be there and listen in. I

need your moral support."

"I'm available," I said, patting him on the knee. "Use the

phone in my office, it doesn't sound like you're in a hole

from the other end."

He didn't waste any time, and soon had Greg on the line.

"Dave's here with me," he explained. "I've got something

serious to talk over with you."

"Go ahead," Greg told him.

"It's about Spence," Eric continued. "He's moved down here,

and we've kind of adopted him."

"That's great!" Greg said.

"There's more to it than that. He's been busy, and he's

come up with something else I think you'll be interested in."

"Really? What?"

"There's a problem I need to discuss first before we get into

that. He's given me a piece of it, and that puts me in one

hell of a difficult position."

"Why?" Greg asked. "Now, we won't have to pay you."

"I drive a hard bargain," Eric warned, chuckling. "I'll try

to get the most I can, for both of us."

"Have you talked to anyone else?"

"No, and we don't want to. We both want you to have it."

"OK, what've you got?" Greg asked.

"An operating system to go with the platform you already

have."

There was a long pause. It went on and on. Finally Greg

spoke. "If it's as advanced as what we already have...OH MY

GOD!"

Eric grinned at me. "I wouldn't know, myself, but he tells

me it's a completely different approach from anything on the

market now. He's only planning to come up with the basic

concept then turn it over to someone like you to complete the

package."

Greg groaned. "How far along is he?"

"He tells me it'll be ready before Christmas."

"Has he got anything we can look at now?" Greg asked.

"I don't know," Eric told him.

"Can you find out? We'll be there tomorrow if he does."

"Relax," Eric said. "Are you guys coming out for the

dedication in two weeks?"

"We all plan to be there."

"Come on out a day or two early, you can check it out then.

It's not going anyplace, or to anybody else."

"Oh shit, I don't think I can wait that long," Greg said.

"This is just too fucking hot!"

"Suffer, baby, suffer," Eric laughed.

"Asshole! Do you realize what this could mean..."

"I've got a fair idea. Keep it quiet, will you?" Eric warned

him, jokingly.

"Are you outta your mind? Do you think we'd tell anybody

about this?" Greg shouted.

"Just kidding," Eric told him. "I'll let you know whether

Spence's got anything for you to look at."

"This is going to be the most horrible two weeks of my life,"

Greg groaned.

"Relax and think about the possibilities."

"I already am! That's why I'm going nuts!"

"See you in a couple of weeks," Eric said.

Greg moaned, said goodbye, and they hung up.

"I can picture what's happening in New York right about now,"

Eric giggled. "Greg's screaming for Jerry, Ted and Mike to

get to his office."

\- - - - -

The schedule was set. Metalco and Hydra offices would close

at noon on Friday, and an army of movers would come in to

move everything over the weekend. Monday and Tuesday would

be spent unpacking. The commitment ceremony would be Saturday

evening, and the dedication on Wednesday.

What Eric didn't know was that after the ceremony on Saturday

and the reception afterward, I was whisking him off for a

two-day "honeymoon". We'd take a longer one later. I wanted

that one to be much, much longer, in Egypt.

"Tell me about this commitment ceremony, how it works," I

asked Eric who was perched on my desk in front of me.

"The minister, and he IS a real ordained minister, will

conduct it. We'll exchange rings, then at some point, you

and I will have an opportunity to say something to each

other. That's it."

"Thank God," I groaned, relaxing for the first time in

several days. "For some reason, I got the impression that we

had to write our own vows," I told him.

"You did?" he asked incredulously, then started laughing.

"Now I understand why you've been so tense."

"What a relief! I know you could have done it, but I was

really dreading it."

"Relax babe," he said, leaning forward to give me a light

kiss. "It's not going to be painful afterall. It's just a

simple ceremony."

"How are all your plans coming along?" I asked.

"Looking good! Maurice and his boyfriend will be here to

handle the food for the 'reception', and he's staying on to

supervise the buffet for the party Wednesday night. I'm

sending a plane for him, and Sarah's riding with them. She'll

be staying with us. Just about everybody else we invited has

accepted, so there'll be around sixty people there."

"I want YOUR ring as soon as you get it," I told him.

He grinned, knowing what I had in mind.

\- - - - -

I talked to Annie and Tina about entertaining Sarah while

Eric and I were away on our "honeymoon". About that, they

were delighted, but Annie was a bit skeptical about the

ceremony itself.

"Why are you doing it?" she wanted to know. "It doesn't

really mean anything."

"It does to Eric," I told her. "It's more symbolic than

anything else. A public declaration of the fact that we're

committed to each other. It's not going to be a public

spectacle. Just our friends will be there, so relax."

"I can live with that," she smiled, "if that's what you want."

"I want."

But, did I really? I'd agreed to this "commitment ceremony"

thing to humor Eric. It wasn't that big a deal, and wouldn't

hurt me a damned bit. I did feel it was rather superfluous

and meaningless. I'd made a commitment a long time ago and

fully intended to live by it.

Why did Eric, all of a sudden, feel the need for something

like this? I was pretty sure I hadn't done anything to give

him any doubts about my complete devotion to him. Maybe he

wasn't sure of his own commitment and needed something to

confirm his own feelings. Now that made me nervous. False

fears, I convinced myself. Nothing to worry about, and I

sure as hell wasn't going to quiz him about it. He'd tell me

eventually.

\- - - - -

We were all there to meet the plane. After hugs and pecks on

the cheek all around, Annie and Tina whisked Sarah off. Eric

and I took Maurice and Pierre to their chain's hotel in

town. Maurice would be supervising the catering from there.

Over cocktails, Sarah pulled me aside. "I think what you two

are doing is perfectly marvelous," she said.

"It was Eric's idea," I told her.

"He's such a wonderful romantic! I've never been to one of

these, so it will be a new experience for me."

"Quite frankly, neither have I," I admitted.

"Knowing Eric," she said, "it will be simple and elegant."

The "Back 40" was off limits to me until the ceremony that

evening. The house itself was relatively quiet that

Saturday. All the activity was out there.

Sunset would be at 8:23, so the ceremony would start at 8:15.

As far as I knew, everything was ready. Eric's ring had been

delivered. I'd had a simple inscription engraved on the

inside, "I love you more each day". Not original, but the

truth.

I liked the rings that Eric had had made. They were simple

bands, no ornamentation, not too wide, but definitely

masculine. The gold was slightly off-color because it was

unrefined, but, to me, that made them even more special. I'd

given some serious thought to the idea, and planned to wear

mine at all times. It would take some getting used to, but

I'd make the effort.

It was time to dress. We'd agreed on dark suits, and had

both gotten new ones for the occasion. We showered and

dressed together. Eric was making an effort to contain his

excitement, but it was nevertheless contagious.

We walked around the corner of the house, and walked along

the trees toward a podium where the minister waited. Unseen

strings were playing "More". At that moment it hit me. This

wonderful man walking at my side was mine forever, and I was

his. I got a catch in my throat and my eyes misted over.

Eric heard and looked at me with those loving eyes and I

almost lost my composure.

This reaction caught me completely by surprise. Up until

that moment, I'd had a ho-hum attitude toward the whole

thing. This was it.

We reached the podium and stood facing each other. Eric's

eyes were a little misty too, but he had a huge smile. I

smiled too.

The minister started talking. I tried to pay attention, but

looking into Eric's eyes, concentration was difficult.

He talked about the commitment we were making to each other,

for the rest of our lives. It didn't take long to get to the

ring part. He nodded to me, I took Eric's hand in mine and

slipped it on his finger. I felt a jolt of electricity

coming from the contact. With the ring on his finger, I

looked him in the eye. "Eric, I love you more than life.

You are the focus of my life, the center of my universe. You

are the catalyst that makes good things happen, and I love you

more every day."

I was lucky to get through my little speech without breaking

down. It was Eric's turn.

He took my hand in his and slipped on the ring. Holding my

hand with both of his, he looked up, and in a clear voice

spoke, "David, you ARE my life. Loving you makes my life

complete. You are my inspiration, and best of all, you're my

best friend. I will love you until the day I die."

He let go of my hand and took me into his arms. His lips

were on mine for a gentle kiss, then we just held each

other. When we broke, the minister took us each by the

shoulder and turned us toward the group. "May I present

David and Eric," he said solemnly.

A cheer went up, there was clapping and laughter. For the

first time, I noticed the crowd which soon enveloped us.

Still holding Eric's hand, Annie and Tina were all over me,

hugging and giving me a kiss on the cheek. "That was

beautiful, Dad," Annie said, finally giving her approval.

Eric's mother had him in a hug and his father was waiting his

turn along with a lot of others. I was surrounded too. This

definitely wasn't going to be formal with a "receiving line".

Bill came up to shake my hand, said "Aw hell," and gave me a

big hug.

That's the way it went. Hugs, kisses and handshakes from the

shy. All of a sudden I was overtaken by all the Texas

Widows. Hugs, kisses on the cheek, and tears in their eyes.

Their husbands were standing back, looking a little awkward,

but Big George stepped forward, grabbed my hand, then pulled

me into a bearhug. "Know I'm not supposed to say this," he

said, "but you two make a mighty fine couple and I thoroughly

approve."

I was able to find Eric, and pointed at the horizon. We

watched as the sun dipped below the ocean, and the sky became

filled with wondrous colors. It was perfect.

Torches were lit everywhere and dinner was served. Even

though he was a guest, Maurice flitted around to make sure

that everything went to his satisfaction. The strings

continued to play in the background.

Sarah sat at our table with my two brats and Eric's parents,

sipping her champagne with each of the seemingly hundreds of

toasts. I don't think I had ever felt so happy, content and

loved. It was a night I'll never forget.

\- - - - -

When the party wound down, I said goodnight to the girls and

Sarah, then grabbed Eric. "Say goodnight," I told him. "We

have to go."

He looked at me quizzically, grinned, then together we said

goodnight to all those who were still there.

I led him back to the house, through it and out to the garage.

"As usual, you're full of surprises," he kidded as we got

into the car.

"We gotta have a honeymoon, even though it'll be a short one."

When we got to the hangar, Ron and Jason were waiting. They

had been at the ceremony but had left early.

"Where are we going?" Eric wanted to know.

"Just up the coast for a couple of days," I told him.

On the plane, we snuggled on the sofa during the short ride.

"I know you were pretty skeptical about this," Eric said.

"How do you feel now?"

"I didn't know what to expect, at first," I admitted. "I

thought it was kind of silly, unnecessary, but that all

changed when it actually happened. I didn't ever expect to

get so emotional, but dammit, I love you so much, and this

brought everything together."

"I love you too, just a little," he giggled, and kissed me

gently. "Since we couldn't do anything 'official', this was

the next best thing. I don't know why, but now I feel like I

really belong to you."

We talked about the reaction of some of our guests. Of

course all of them were friends who already knew we were a

'couple' and accepted that, but their support was surprising

to me in its intensity.

"I didn't expect the whole Texas contingent to be there," I

commented. "I thought we only invited Claire and Big George."

"We did, but when the rest found out about it, they insisted

on coming. Claire called me last week and in the chaos, I

guess I forgot to tell you."

"I'll bet they didn't know what to expect," I chuckled. "For

a bunch of supposed 'rednecks' they're a damned nice bunch."

"Do you think they expected a bunch of prancing fairies?"

Eric laughed. "We could have done it that way, you know."

"I'm glad we didn't. Up until the ceremony happened, I

didn't take it too seriously myself, but, as you could see,

all that changed. It was dignified and serious, as it should

have been. You did a great job, my love."

\- - - - -

The resort had a car waiting, and we were whisked off.

It was dark, and the place was pretty quiet. We had a

detached "bungalow" among the trees, private and secluded.

It was late and cooler than we were used to, so we crawled

into bed to continue snuggling. "I hope you threw in some

warm clothes for me," he giggled, moving up next to me for

warmth, "otherwise we can't leave the room."

"That's not a bad idea," I told him, leering. "I think

you'll find everything you need. I packed all MY favorites

for you."

"I can guess! Everything that fits skin tight, you dirty old

man!" he giggled. "Another thing, you cheapskate, you didn't

even buy me a wedding present."

"Was I supposed to?"

"Hell yes!" he continued giggling. "Since I knew you'd

forget, I got something for both of us. You're going to have

to wait a few weeks though, it wasn't ready yet."

"What?" I asked.

"You'll have to wait. It's something really special."

"Asshole," I laughed.

Eric got serious. Even though we had full-body contact, I

could feel his dick limp against my leg. Mine was

surprisingly soft too.

"I just want to hold you tonight," he said, pressing tighter

against me. "I need to 'feel' you and know that all of this

isn't a dream that I'm going to wake up from."

"I feel exactly the same," I told him, holding him in my arms.

We hardly moved all night, and I awoke to him blowing in my

ear. "I love you," I said as I turned to look at his face,

giving him a kiss on the nose.

We held on to each other for a few minutes then stretched.

"What're we going to do today?" he asked.

"First, I think we should consummate our marriage," I told

him, "then we can think about it."

We took turns in the bathroom. Morning unloading and getting

rid of the awful breath that champagne gives you. I stopped

to grab two bottles of lube and handed him one when I crawled

back in bed.

He looked at me with an arched eyebrow. "Why two?" he asked.

"We'll both need some," I answered, shutting him up with a

kiss.

"Age before beauty," I said, rolling him on his back and

flipping the covers off onto the floor. Even though we

usually didn't need it, we always prepared each other before

making love. The head of his dick was in my mouth while I

probed with my fingers. He nodded, and I got into position.

When I was all the way in, he put his heels against my butt

and tried to pull me in further. As I rocked, he'd force me

forward with every downstroke. The rhythm built, faster and

faster, and I couldn't hold out. Neither could he, and with

our lips locked, I gave a final thrust that pushed both of us

over.

Eventually I softened and slipped out. Rolling off of him,

his eyes were glinting. "I love you," he said, choking a

little, then kissed me ever so gently. "God, what you do to

me!"

Lying on our sides, we held one another, glued together by

his cum. "More?" he asked when he felt me hardening. I

nodded.

The sensations of him entering me took my breath away. He

just felt so damned good. This time took a lot longer but

with the same results.

We were recovering when there was a discreet knock on the

door. "Come back later," we yelled in chorus, then broke up

laughing.

"What are we going to do today?" Eric asked again. The

moment was gone.

"They have a full spa here," I told him. "We could take

advantage of that."

"You mean mud baths and all that stuff?"

"Yep, body wraps, facials, and a massage. Want to try it?"

"Sounds like fun, relaxing. Better be a masseur, though,

because I'll get hard, sure as hell."

"Just save it for me," I laughed.

"Do we get breakfast first?"

\- - - - -

The "treatment" took most of the day. We "soaked", were

"wrapped" from head to foot, and had all sorts of weird

looking stuff smeared all over our bodies and faces. It was

relaxing and funny.

The massages went as predicted. The pretentious young hunks

were evidently not used to working on men, and when both of

us unasahamedly got erections, they didn't know how to

react. The results, however, were a feeling of total

relaxation.

The only time where we said "no", was when they wanted to put

makeup on us. I did, however, allow them to "clean up" my

eyebrows that had gotten rather unruly.

Giving me a close inspection, Eric pronounced that I looked

at least ten years younger. He positively glowed, and we

agreed that we'd do this more often. It felt good, and with

results like these...

The resort's dining room had a four star rating, so we had a

leisurely dinner there. We were relaxed but invigorated by

the day's treatment, so decided to explore the local gay

scene. I had a list of bars that Dan had given me, so off we

went.

There wasn't much to choose from. A piano bar, a leather bar

and a country western one. We decided on the country western.

It was large, friendly, and filling up fast, but we were able

to get a booth with a good view of the dance floor.

We watched for a while, then my ego got a tremendous boost

when a gorgeous young green-eyed cowboy asked me to dance.

"No more 'treatments'," Eric kidded. "I can't handle the

competition."

When Eric suggested that we dance together, I surprised him

by quickly agreeing. It was fun. I felt confident and

enjoyed it immensely, much to Eric's delight. There were a

few slow dances that I particularly enjoyed, a first for us

together. Eric let me lead, and it felt so good to have his

body next to mine.

"You guys are GOOD!" a fellow at an adjoining booth commented.

"He's good, I'm learning," I said. This led to conversation

and introductions. They were a friendly local couple and soon

joined us in our booth.

Kent and Ray were witty, funny and fun to be around. When

they learned that we were on our "honeymoon" they kidded us

unmercifully.

\- - - - -

The "Do Not Disturb" sign was heeded and we slept late. We

drove into Carmel to look around and have lunch. There were

a lot of "cutesy" art galleries with stuff in them that I

wouldn't own. Eric was persistent, so we continued. In one,

amid a lot of "cat" paintings was a striking abstract. He

went straight to it, drawn to the first decent thing we'd

seen.

I was surprised when I looked at the price. It was about

half of what they were asking for the goddam cats!

"What do you think?" he asked me.

"If you don't buy it, I will," I told him.

"Let's see if they've got any more."

We wandered over to the little white-haired lady who ran the

store and inquired.

"That awful thing!" she snorted. "If he weren't my nephew, I

wouldn't allow it in here."

"Do you have any more of his work?" Eric asked.

"The back room's full of it," she said. "Nobody in their

right mind will ever buy that stuff."

We asked to see them and she reluctantly led us back through

a draped doorway into the "back room". More of the ghastly

cat pictures were stacked everyplace, but in a back corner

was a stack of unframed canvases leaning against the wall.

"That's them," she said pointing. "Help yourself," she said

in a disgusted tone and left us.

One by one we turned them around to look at. The artist's

style was obviously in transition. There were pure abstracts

and some that were expressive. Bold brushstrokes and

brilliant color were represented throughout. Personally, I

thought they were all very good, possibly great, but I waited

for Eric's reaction.

"I want them all," he said, and started counting them.

"There's 27," he said, "plus the one out in the shop. Can we

take them home with us, or should we have them shipped?"

"If they'll package them with a little protection, we can

take them," I said, pleased at his excitement.

"Let's go see what kind of deal we can make."

The little old lady looked at us like we were some sort of

aliens. When Eric told her that he might be interested in

all of them, she seemed to say "good riddance" to herself.

"I don't take a commission on that stuff," she said, "so I

can give you a good price. I have to ask $500 for the one

that's framed, but $200 apiece for the rest would be

reasonable. I will have to charge you sales tax, though."

"I'll take them all," Eric told her. "Credit card OK, or

would you accept a check?"

"No out-of-town checks," she said, and seeing money, added

"We'll have to charge an extra 5% if you use a credit card."

Eric grinned at me. "How much would you charge to wrap them

up so we can get them home?" he asked her.

"That'll be $20 each," she said.

"Here's my card," he said. "Please wrap them up and we'll be

back in an hour or so to pick them up."

Outside the little shop, Eric couldn't contain his excitement

any longer. "I've never bought a painting before in my

life," he said.

"You're getting off to a roaring start," I told him.

"I really like them, but I'm going to buy one of the 'Cats'

when we go back to hang in our bedroom."

"You wouldn't dare!" I shot back, watching him giggle.

"Those awful things would give me nightmares."

"Just kidding. I'm not into sadism, but I really am pleased

with the ones I bought. What do you think of them?"

"You made a good investment," I told him. "With a little

exposure, that artist could get the recognition he deserves.

The price was certainly right!"

"You know I love a bargain," he laughed.

"What are you going to do with them?" I asked.

"Oh hell, we'll worry about that later."

When we got back to the shop, a wiry young kid was helping

the old lady package the paintings. "This is my nephew, the

one who painted all these," she told us.

That surprised me. Somehow I'd expected someone more mature,

more robust, to have created these works. I had trouble

connecting this kid with the masterful, confident style he'd

demonstrated.

"This is my first sale," he admitted shyly. "Do you collect

new artists?"

"Dave does," Eric said, pointing at me. "All of my collection

is old masters."

"You own an old master?" he asked incredulously.

"I have quite a few in my apartment in New York. Dave here

collects modern artists and impressionists."

"Wow! And to think that you like my work!"

"I want your name and address," Eric told him. "I don't

think we're the only ones who are going to be interested in

your work."

The kid's eyes were about to fall out he was so excited.

We got all of the paintings loaded into the car with the

kid's help. The smaller ones fit in the trunk and the larger

ones in the back seat. We had a load.

Promising him that we'd be in touch, we took off back to the

resort.

Eric was still excited. "I can't wait to get these home so we

can spend some time looking at them," he said. "They're

'ours', you know."

"I know," I laughed, "community property!"

\- - - - -

We got up early to go home, and back to work. It took a

little effort to get all the paintings aboard the plane, but

we finally got them all on. "Shopped til you dropped, I see,"

Jason commented.

"Do you realize that we didn't talk about business once in

two whole days?" Eric asked when we were airborne.

We went directly to the new office from the airport. We both

had unpacking to do. What had been an empty building the

last time I was there was now a beehive of activity, but

nowhere near as chaotic as I expected.

Eric went to his office to get started, I went to mine. As I

passed Nancy's desk, she was smiling broadly. "I finally

have a window!" she said gleefully. "This place is so

wonderful."

I went into my office. All new furniture, pretty much like

the old one, but warmer. Looking around, I saw it. A huge

painting that I'd never seen before dominated one wall. I

walked closer to get a better look, and immediately recognized

it as one of Picasso's masterpieces. Sarah. That's the only

place this could have come from.

I sat and stared at it in awe. Every museum in the world

would kill to have this, even on loan.

The door opened and Eric stuck his head in. "Come here," he

said, his face flushed with excitement.

I followed him, saving my surprise for later. His office was

in the Lundborg Rush and Hydra section. From a distance, I

could see something in the middle of the foyer on a

pedestal. When we got closer, I could see that it was a huge

whitish rock with a dark shiny band running through it.

"It's from the mine," Eric explained. "I'll bet Loren and

John sent it over."

We walked around it. On the far side there was a placque on

the pedestal that said "Ore from the LOVEBIRD MINE", the

date, and a list of all the people involved. The "rock"

itself was irregularly shaped, flat, about three feet in

diameter, with the wide band of gold showing on all sides.

"I wonder how they got that thing in here?" I asked.

"Bet it wasn't easy. Isn't it great though?"

"Rather impressive," I said. "There's a real chunk of money

sitting there."

Eric started calculating in his head. "Nah, that can't be

right, too many zeros." He stood there shaking his head.

"Since you're here, come on, take a look at my office," he

said.

You bet I wanted to be there when he went in. I followed him

in, he turned and swept his hand around then stopped. There

on HIS wall was another Picasso, as huge as mine, but not one

I recognized.

"Oh my God," he said softly, "Sarah's been at it again. It's

fucking awesome!"

That wasn't all. On the other walls were more paintings,

impressionists and expressionists. Not many, but several

spectacular pieces. Eric was still staring at the Picasso

like he was in a trance.

"Better look around," I suggested.

He did, his eyes boggled as he walked over to inspect each

one. "How in hell did she know I didn't have anything for

this place?" he asked.

"I don't know," I confessed. "Don't start feeling

'special'," I kidded him. "I got one too!"

"You did? What?"

"You'll have to see it to believe it," I told him. "Let's go

look."

Out in the foyer, a crew was installing ceiling spotlights to

properly light the rock. They'd already put up a

velvet-rope enclosure around it.

Back in my office, Eric just stood and gaped at the painting

on my wall. "I've seen pictures of that one," he said.

"It's in a lot of art books. I wonder where she's had these

big babies stashed."

We sat and stared at it. That would be something I'd be

doing a lot of.

"I think we ought to find Sarah," Eric said. "Next to you,

she's the most generous person in the world and I want to

give her a big hug."

"Me too," I said.

From home, we learned that she was somewhere with Annie and

Tina. Come to find out, they were all in Annie's office -

somewhere in this building.

Before we left to find them, Eric turned serious. "Before

this, I couldn't wait to show Sarah the paintings we bought,

but now, I'm going to hold off for a day or two. I don't want

ANYTHING to detract from what she's done."

"Very wise," I said, nodding. "The spotlight should be on

Sarah only."

I was lost, but Eric knew the way to Annie's office. I

followed. I'd need a goddam roadmap to find my way around

this damned building!

They were sitting around talking when we walked in. Sarah's

eyes were sparkling more than usual. Eric rushed over and

pulled her to her feet. I hoped that the hug he gave her

didn't crack any ribs.

When he let go, I stepped in. I took both her hands in mine

and looked her straight in the eye. "Thank you," was all I

said, then leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Those poor old things haven't see the light of day for years

and years," she said. "Now somebody can enjoy them."

Looking around, I saw that the kids had made out too. A

painting I recognized hung on the wall. Seeing me look at

it, "It's a Miro," Annie said proudly. "Dontcha love it?"

"Living with all the art we do, I'm going to learn more about

it," Annie announced. "All of you guys know something about

it, but I don't know shit...oops, sorry Sarah."

"Be yourself, dear," Sarah laughed. "That's what I love

about you!"

"Has anyone heard from the Micron guys?" Eric asked,

remembering business.

"They've been calling here, home, everywhere," Tina said.

"They sounded kinda frantic. Maybe somebody ought to give

them a call."

"I totally forgot about them," Eric said. "You're going to

have to excuse me. I'll see you all at dinner."

"Guess I'll be riding home with you guys," I said. "Don't

forget me."

After giving Sarah a hug and another "thank you", I found my

way back to my own office and went to work.

It was getting close to quitting time when my phone rang.

The first time! It was Eric, breathless. "They came, they

saw, but we conquered," he said.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" I asked.

"I took the guys over to Spences'. They took a look at what

he had and fell off their chairs. It's THAT good. Then,

they offered him half of Micron for it." All came tumbling

out in a rush.

"Congratulations, my love," I chuckled. "You did it again!"

"This is cause for celebration!" he roared, then meekly, "I

invited them all over for dinner, is that OK?"

He made me laugh. "You know the answer to that without

asking, asshole," I told him. "Should I fill Tina, Annie and

Sarah in on what's going on?"

When they came to get me, I asked them to sit down for a

minute. Annie and Tina knew about Eric's first dealings with

Spence and Micron, but Sarah didn't, so I started at the

beginning.

When I finished, they were all shaking their heads in

amazement. "I wanted you all to know about this," I

explained, "because Eric is bringing all of them, including

Jimmy, home for dinner. I didn't want you to be left out,

and I know you can all keep this quiet." The only thing I'd

left out was the huge "fee" Eric had received.

"Hell," Sarah said. "I've got a few shares of Micron, and

now, I can't buy any more."

"We can't either," Annie said.

\- - - - -

We were already home when the "boys" came roaring in. Greg

already knew Sarah and introduced his cohorts, then Eric

introduced Spence and Jimmy. Poor Jimmy looked lost in this

setting, but Spence seemed right at home.

They all congregated around the bar while Eric mixed. Spence

and Jimmy had cokes. Seated with drinks in hand, Jerry

proposed a toast. "Here's to the guy who is about to give

the computer world the biggest shove forward since computers

were invented."

The conversation got technical. Greg moved over to sit

closer to Eric and me. "Can we rent more office space from

you guys? It looks like we're going to have a lot more

'presence' on the West Coast than we expected."

"How much do you need?" I asked.

"Hard to tell at this point," Greg answered. "I haven't

talked it over with the others yet, but I'd like to build a

staff here to work with Spence on the basics. We can do the

rest in New York."

"Under one condition," Eric said, smiling. "Spence is going

back to school this fall, and that comes first. He can work

with your people on a consulting basis, but don't expect him

to be available all the time."

"Have you adopted him?" Greg asked with a chuckle.

"You might say so," Eric answered. "Look at him. He's a

sweet innocent kid, and nobody's going to change that. He

needs a chance to grow into his new position gradually, and I

intend to see that it happens that way."

"Fair enough," Greg said. "Just having him available to

answer questions occasionally would speed up the process

enormously. I promise that we won't interfere with his

education."

"Then, you can have all the space you want," Eric laughed.

"If we run out at the new building, the old Metalco building

downtown is available too. Annie's handling that, so talk to

her."

Sarah hadn't missed a word. She was beaming with pride, and

so was I. She looked at me and winked. We were both proud

of Eric.

I didn't find out the real details of what had happened that

afternoon until we went to bed.

"Spence was all ready for us when we got to his condo," Eric

told me. "That kid is fucking amazing! Before he'd show the

Micron guys anything, he insisted they sign a 'Non-disclosure

Agreement' that he had all ready for them. This would

protect him and me, and is something I'd never have thought

of.

"Greg and the gang had no problem with it, and when he had

their names on the dotted line, he fired up his computer.

He's got one of Joel's bigass flat screens so everybody could

see. It looked like a lot of gibberish to me, but everybody

else understood, so I just sat back and watched them.

"They listened and stared at the screen while Spence

explained. After about an hour of this, Greg got up and

motioned for me to follow him out on the deck.

"I admitted to Greg that I was lost, which he understood.

Greg admitted that he was too, but that at first glance, it

looked to him like Spence had jumped over several generations

of computer evolution, and what he had developed was truly a

quantum leap forward. 'We want it, and we'll pay just about

anything to get it,' he told me.

"I told him that I didn't know exactly what Spence wanted,

but that he was fully aware of the potential value of what

he'd created. Greg was really relieved when I told him that

Spence wanted stock, not cash.

"When we went back inside, they were talking about what to do

next. Spence agreed to let them have copies of what he'd

done so far for them to analyze, and Jerry had an option

agreement for Spence and me to sign. That would give Micron

the right to buy Spence's creation at a price we would all

agree on. The figure of 20% of Micron was mentioned."

"Not bad," I commented.

"I won't believe it until it actually happens," Eric said.

"It's just too much to comprehend."

\- - - - -

The dedication ceremony was a big media event. The biggest,

most expensive office structure ever built in our area, with

everybody from the governor on down in attendance.

It was held outside, in front of the main entrance. Bill, as

president of Metalco was our "Front Man" on the podium,

allowing Eric and me to mingle anonymously in the crowd.

The speakers were windy, all hoping that just one sound bite

would make it to the news. Cameras were everywhere and they

pandered to them.

I had a good time talking with people, basically ignoring the

ceremony. When it was finally over and tours of the building

started, we gathered up Sarah and headed home.

"That really IS a beautiful building," Sarah commented on the

way. "So different, and I'm sure you've heard this before,

but it'll be in the design books soon."

The "reception" that evening was by invitation. We expected

about 400 to converge on the "Back 40." All the politicians

were, of necessity included.

I knew about them, and they, no doubt knew about Eric and me,

but neither of us had ever actually met any of them. I've

been apolitical all my life, interested but not involved. I

gave to both parties equally, not taking sides. Now that we

were in the land development business, that would change.

We'd need favors and approvals, so it would be necessary to

be at least cordial.

The party was informal, so we just walked up and introduced

ourselves as they arrived, had a short conversation then left

them to their own devices.

Bars were set up all over, and I noticed that they were

getting a lot of use. Chef Maurice had several lavish

buffets set up, and tables all along the cliff.

While we were eating, the governor couldn't resist, and rose

to make a short speech about how Metalco and Hydra were such

driving forces in the state's economy and other assorted

bullshit. Thank God nobody else decided to speak.

It was over early, thankfully. Sarah and I wandered back to

the house, leaving Eric to handle the stragglers. "We've

never had a chance to talk, just the two of us," Sarah said.

"I know," I said. "That damned boyfriend of mine is always

in the way," I laughed.

"He's a pretty wonderful person, and I love him to death,"

she said. "He idolizes you, you know. He can't stop talking

about you when you're not around."

I smiled. "I care just a little bit about him too," I said.

"I love your daughters too. They're so smart and full of

life. I wish they were mine!"

"There are times when I'd give 'em to you, cheap," I laughed.

"I don't have any of my own, you know," she said wistfully.

"The doctor and I had a very full life together, but as I get

older, I wish that we'd taken the time to have a family.

Until Eric came along, then the girls, I haven't really had

much interest in young people, but the three of them are so

vital that some of it rubs off on me."

"Eric refers to you as his 'second mother' and both the girls

have said that they wish you were their mother instead of

Georgia," I confided.

"I feel honored," she said. "You'll have to bring them both

to France this fall."

"Thanks for stranding me," Eric laughed as he came in.

"Actually, some of the nicest people were the last to leave."

"There were a lot of interesting people here tonight," Sarah

said. "The politicians were a bit overbearing, however."

"Comes with the territory, I guess," I added. "They're

always campaigning."

"I've got something I want to show you tomorrow," Eric said,

changing the subject.

"What, my dear?" Sarah asked him.

"We bought a couple of paintings on our trip, and I would

like your opinion on them," Eric said shyly.

Sarah really perked up. "Why wait until tomorrow? It's

still early."

"I haven't had a chance to unpack them yet," he told her.

"I'll help you," she said, rising, "Where are they?"

We got up and followed him into his study.

"More than a 'couple'," she commented dryly.

Eric got a knife to cut the tape and he and I went to work.

Sarah supervised.

As they got unpacked, Sarah stood them against the walls

without comment. It took a while to get them all opened, and

while we were doing it, Eric told her the story about how we

found them, not leaving out the godawful cats.

"It may surprise you," she said, "but I love abstracts. I

just don't collect them. By the way, Dave, I think you have

a most impressive collection. Now these..." She stopped to

think and choose her words.

I watched Eric fidget while he waited for her verdict.

"At least most of them," she continued, "are some of the best

I've seen in recent years. The artist's emotions come

through so clearly in the colors he uses. He's bold and

confident, and expresses himself so well. I'll bet you

bought them for a song, too."

"Two hundred dollars apiece," Eric said.

"That's theft!" she said. "You ought to be ashamed of

yourselves," she laughed. "Tell me about the artist."

When Eric told her that he was a very young fellow, probably

a teenager, she was as surprised as I'd been.

"Whatever his age, he has a brilliant future," she

pronounced. "All he needs is some exposure."

We left it at that.

Chapter 44

Thursday was a work day.

The new building seemed to be alive with activity. Business

was rapidly returning to normal.

I was sitting, contemplating the Picasso, when Bill walked

in. "Ohmygawd," he commented, "What's that?"

"A loan from Sarah," I told him.

"I don't know anything about art, but I recognize that one."

"It's one of Picasso's masterpieces," I told him. "I'm

really going to enjoy living with it. Have you seen Eric's

office yet?"

"I can just imagine!" he said. "This place is turning into a

museum."

"How does everybody like the new digs?" I asked.

"From what I've heard, everybody loves it here. Lots of

space for a change."

"Is everybody moved in yet?" I asked.

"Lundborg Rush is moving in today. They're the last."

While we were talking, the phone rang. It was Dr. Naimann who

was working on the New Hampshire case.

"I've got some really interesting information for you," he

said. I could sense excitement in his voice.

"Can you either hold for about 5 minutes or let me call you

back so I can get the troops together?" I asked.

"Call me back," he said, and gave me his number.

I called Eric, then Annie and Tina, then Jack, telling them

all to get their asses to my office immediately.

Eric, Jack and Tina were there in minutes. We couldn't find

Annie.

"We had a hearing in state district court yesterday on our

application for a temporary restraining order," Dr. Naimann

said over the speakerphone that we were huddled around.

"The Judge agreed with us and ordered the county to deposit

the amount of the fine they collected from you, $18 million

plus, in the court's registry."

He paused, then continued. "The county refused, saying that

they didn't have that much money, and also said they wouldn't

do it even if they could, citing immunity."

"The judge didn't buy that, and got rather upset. I don't

think it was the legal issue that they raised as much as the

smug way they presented it that set him off. His order

stood, and he gave the county 24 hours to deliver the funds

or face sanctions.

"That was yesterday. Today, the county showed up empty

handed. To say that the judge was upset is an

understatement. He slapped a sanction on them for $8

million, and gave them another 24 hours to come up with the

whole amount."

"What does all this mean?" I asked.

"It means," Dr. Naimann answered, "that if the county doesn't

bring $26 million to court tomorrow, the judge could enter a

default judgment against them. In his present frame of mind,

that wouldn't surprise me a bit.

"If a default judgment is entered, I intend to ask for $50

million in punitive damages and 35% of the total judgment for

attorney's fees. Since it'd be a 'default judgment' the

county can't use any of the immunity defenses that would

otherwise be available to them on appeal."

"Would that be the end of it? No trial?" Eric asked.

"They'd appeal, no doubt, but I don't think any higher courts

will even hear the case. They have no defense. Yes, I think

that'd be the end of the state court case. But, there's more.

"As soon as these suits were filed, we started the discovery

process. So far, there has been zero cooperation from

anybody. They won't let us see any of their records or

minutes of their meetings. We've requested depositions from

the county officials involved, and the judge. These have all

been refused, too. We're having a hearing in federal court

on this on Monday.

"What do you think will happen?" I asked.

"Federal judges don't have much patience with discovery

abuses, and could again impose sanctions. If the county

continues with their cavalier attitude, the judge could

impose what we lawyers call the 'death penalty'. That means

that the county couldn't use any of the evidence they had

refused to give us either at the trial or on appeal."

"Would that be to our advantage?" I asked.

"It'd make our case a slam dunk," Dr. Naimann answered.

"Why are they doing this?" I asked.

"I believe they think they can fall back on their immunity,

regardless of what they do. If worse came to worst, the

county thinks they could file for bankruptcy, and the

judgments would be moot. That would be the case unless we

can prove malice, which I don't think should be very

difficult."

"But, aren't we suing the state too?" I asked. "Wouldn't

they be liable for a judgment if we got one?"

"That's something I don't understand," Dr. Naimann answered.

"So far, the state's stayed completely out of it. They could

be forced to pay if the county defaults. My best guess is

that they're treating the whole thing as a frivolous matter

that'll be thrown out without any intervention by them.

They're grossly underestimating the possible consequences."

"I've never heard of a state declaring bankruptcy," I

chuckled.

"It hasn't happened yet, but there's always a first time,"

Dr. Naimann said. "I'll keep you informed on everything

that's happening. This may all be over a lot faster than we

expected."

Jack was jubilant. "Those idiots! They're making it too

easy for us! If they keep this up, you could own the whole

goddam state!"

"Who'd want it?" Eric commented.

\- - - - -

We went home in midafternoon to spend a little time with

Sarah. She was waiting, grinning. What was she up to?

"I've spent a lot of time looking at the paintings you

bought," she said. "I've decided to take the boy on, be his

sponsor in the artworld."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"First, I want to meet him, talk to him a little and see if

he's serious. Then, I'll need a few of his latest works to

take home with me. Not bragging, but if I sponsor him, he'll

have a one-man show in one of the best galleries in New York

as soon as he's ready."

"Would you like to meet him while you're here on the west

coast?" Eric asked her.

"That would be ideal," she said.

"Got any plans for this evening?" he asked.

"Only dinner with you gentlemen and my two girls," she said.

"Let me see if I can locate him. We can be up there in an

hour or so."

"I love a man of action!" Sarah told me, grinning, while Eric

got on the phone.

Eric came back with a smile. "He'll be waiting for us. I

told him two hours, max. One of the planes is ready, too, so

let's go."

"I'd suggest a coat," I told Sarah. "It's cooler up there."

On the way up, Eric told Sarah about the developments in New

Hampshire. Then I understood why he suggested we go that

evening instead of the next day. He didn't want to miss the

latest news from Dr. Naimann.

A limo was waiting and we went straight to Carmel. Eric

performed introductions, and I learned that his name was Brad

Jacoby.

His studio was a two-car garage. He opened the door for

decent light, he said. He'd propped up several finished

paintings and had several more on easels that were works in

progress.

Sarah looked at them, then got serious.

"You've probably never heard of me..." she started, but Brad

interrupted her.

"I've heard of you, Mrs. Thornton. I know you have one of

the largest private art collections in the world."

Sarah smiled. "I also carry a little clout in New York art

circles," she said, "and I think your work, at least what

Eric and Dave bought, has a lot of merit. I'd like to see

you get the recognition you deserve. That is, if you're

serious about painting."

"I wish I had more time to work," Brad said. "I'm going to

school and hold down a full time job. Actually, the

paintings that Mr. Lundborg bought were my first sale," he

added sheepishly.

"Here's what I'm going to do," she said. "I'd like two of

your paintings to take back to New York with me. I'm going

to advance you $50,000 so that you can quit your job and

paint. I don't want you to neglect your schooling, though,"

she warned.

"I'm not 'buying' these two paintings. They'll go into the

show I'll arrange for you at one of New York's best

galleries. I want you to take pictures of every painting you

complete and send them to me. When I think you have enough

for a show, I'll let you know, and we'll go from there. Is

that acceptable?"

"It's a dream come true," he said.

Sarah dug into her purse and fished out a checkbook. She

handed him the check along with a card. "Call me anytime,"

she said. "I want to know how you're progressing."

She walked around the garage and picked two of his paintings

which he and Eric wrapped up.

\- - - - -

Eric hovered, wanting to be there for Dr. Naimann's call.

Jack was on alert, but neither Annie nor Tina considered it

necessary to be there. They felt we could let them know what

was going on later.

"It went as I expected," Dr. Naimann reported. "The county

showed up, but defied the judge again. No money. The worst

part, for them, was their arrogance. The judge blew sky

high. He ordered a default judgment and tacked on the

punitive damages I requested as well as attorney's fees.

"That all adds up to over $95 million, plus interest on the

$18 million dollar fine."

"Can we collect any of it?" I asked.

"I'm almost positive the county will file for bankruptcy as

fast as they can," Dr. Naimann said. "Unless they already

have everything ready, that's going to take a day or two. If

they do, we'll file a 'Motion to Lift Stay', and have an

opportunity to prove malicious intent in bankruptcy court.

If we can do that, it will keep the judgment from being

discharged in bankruptcy. In the meantime, they have to

answer in federal court Monday. That should be very

interesting!"

"What do you think our chances are of proving malicious

intent?" Eric asked.

"I think our chances are excellent," Dr. Naimann answered.

"We have depositions from people who attended the council

meetings that confirm that their intent was to hurt you, and

you alone, and we also have about 60 documented cases where

this statute was NOT enforced. We even have cases where the

council members themselves violated the law."

"What do you think will happen Monday in federal court?" I

asked.

"It's hard to predict, but if the county continues the

arrogant attitude, they could get into even more trouble."

Up until this point, the press hadn't had much to say, but

with the big default judgment against the county, they got

back into the act. The national news picked up the story,

and even had a quote from the county's attorney. "This is

just a minor setback," he arrogantly stated. "We have

immunity from this type of action, a fact that will be proven

as the case is heard by higher courts. Neither Lundborg,

Rush nor Micron are ever going to get a cent."

"Don't be too sure of that," the network's legal expert

commented dryly.

Lundborg Rush had already reimbursed Metalco for the fine

they had paid for us, so Eric wanted to know what we could do

with the money if we did collect.

"I wouldn't spend it yet," I cautioned. "I still think we

should give away everything but the actual amount of our

losses."

"I agree," he said. "I have an idea that I'll tell you about

later. I think you'll like it."

\- - - - -

Sarah, enthusiastic about her "new artist", packed up her

paintings and headed home. Things returned to normal.

"I see you're still wearing your ring," Eric observed. "I'm

surprised."

"I'm getting used to it," I told him. "It's going to stay on

my finger from now on. It means a lot more to me than I ever

thought it would."

"I'm glad," he answered. "It shows that you're officially

'taken'," he giggled.

"So are you, my love."

\- - - - -

Monday, we waited for Dr. Naimann's call. This time everybody

was waiting.

"It was a circus," Dr. Naimann chuckled. "The county was

scrambling for reasons why they'd failed to comply with our

requests, citing immunity again. The state's finally gotten

into the act. A lawyer from the state Attorney General's

office was there to represent the state, but all he could

come up with were lame excuses too."

"What was the outcome?" Jack asked.

"The 'death penalty' was imposed," Dr. Naimann said

gleefully. "Need I say more? The Judge set a trial date for

three weeks from today, and warned both the County and the

State not to try any delaying tactics or he'd enter a default

judgment."

"Does that mean they can't present a defense?" I asked.

"It looks that way," he said. "I'll be able to establish

their malicious intent, so that may not be necessary in

bankruptcy court, if the county or the state decide to take

that route. It should be a short trial."

With this development, the press got really involved. Legal

experts were expounding everywhere. In general, they

couldn't understand the position that the county and state

had taken. Immunity was one thing, but the way they had

literally thrown away their rights was inconceivable.

It was generally agreed that the county, and the state as

well, had lost the case. The damages that would be awarded

would be enormous and fully justified in view of the inept,

downright stupid, actions they'd taken in the case.

They further predicted that the state, as well as the county,

wouldn't find any relief in bankruptcy court either. Proving

malicious conduct was expected to be a certainty, and the

citizens of the entire State would end up paying for the

stupidity of their elected officials.

"Something that could have been stopped by the governor's

intervention in the beginning is going to become a disaster

for the whole state," one commentator predicted. "Not only

will it cause a hike in taxes, but the whole state's credit

and credibility will suffer. The attitude they've expressed

toward business will probably cost them the most in the long

run. Who'd want to do business in THAT state?"

On and on it went. The politicians were gored in the press,

and the attorneys who handled the case were subjected to

ridicule. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"The trial is still crucial," Dr. Naimann told us. "About

all we have to prove is malicious intent, and that has to be

done carefully so that we don't open any doors for them."

Eric and I discussed the fact that it wasn't really a

"victory" but a win by default. It was also far from over,

and would drag through the courts for months, or years.

\- - - - -

In all the recent confusion, we'd pretty much ignored Hal.

He hadn't pestered us about the economic analysis, and when

I'd seen him around the office, he'd seemed busy and happy.

Security had checked him out more thoroughly than the

government usually did for top secret clearance. The only

blemishes were several barroom brawls that had caused him to

spend a few nights in jail. These I attributed to his inner

battle with his sexual identity. Everything they found out

about his character and honesty was clean as a whistle.

A meeting with him was scheduled. Eric and I glanced through

the Tulsa Report in preparation.

We apologised for ignoring him, but he said that didn't

matter. He'd found plenty to do to keep busy. "I took it

upon myself to work as liaison between John, Loren, and the

people here," he said. "I've worked with Annie, and we've

got all the mining operations organized and on computer."

He went on to detail what he'd accomplished. Lovebird Mining

Company was being run like a business.

We got down to the economic analysis. Hal's bottom line was

significantly different from the Tulsa Report. At current

copper prices, he came up with a 25 year net of $1.2

billion. That sounded a LOT better.

"How does that compare with Tulsa?" Hal wanted to know.

"Not even close," Eric snickered.

"Higher or lower?"

"Just a tad higher," I commented dryly, "by over a billion

bucks."

"I find that hard to believe," Hal said. "I checked my

numbers more than once, and I tried to be conservative, if

anything. There's something definitely wrong here. I'd like

to do a comparison, item by item, to see who's off and where."

"That might be interesting," Eric said, and I handed Hal the

Tulsa Report.

"It'll take me a few days," Hal said, "I just can't believe

I'm so far off."

"Take your time," I told him. "We've held those guys off

this long, a few more days isn't going to matter."

"How much did we pay that outfit in Tulsa?" Eric asked.

"$50,000 up front, and we owe then another fifty," I said.

"I don't think they're going to be seeing that other fifty if

Hal proves that they're playing games with us. Are they

idiots enough to believe that we wouldn't get a second

opinion?"

Hal looked pretty serious when we got together again. "I'd

like to show you where I differ from the Tulsa Report point

by point," he said. "There were so many differences that I

called John to verify the numbers on his survey."

He spread out the two reports on his desk, and a third that

compared the two.

"First is the overburden. They say an average of 100 feet

needs to be removed. John's survey says 26 feet. That's a

major up-front item.

"Next is their extraction cost for the ore. I called a buddy

at Kennicott, and used their cost which is comparable because

of the terrain, location and everything else. Their costs

are only 23 percent of what Tulsa used.

"Then there's recovery. Tulsa figured 71% when the industry

average is 94%.

"The smelter. Tulsa must be planning to build a gold-plated

one because they overestimated the cost by over a half

billion. I verified this with the manufacturers. Their

operating costs are also completely out of sight according to

the people who build them.

"The total amount of ore that's economically feasible to take

out is double what Tulsa used.

"Neither one of us put any value on the silver, gold and moly

that will be recovered in smelting. That's gravy.

"Bottom line: My original figures turn out to be very

conservative. Now, I'm coming up with $1.8 billion."

"I wonder who Tulsa's really working for," Eric commented.

"We may find out when we talk with Ross, Birney and Tom," I

said.

"Another thing," Hal added. "I went over all these figures

with Loren, who knows a lot about the copper industry, and he

agrees with everything."

"If we go for a royalty arrangement, what percentage should

we shoot for?" I asked.

"On something this big, I'd go for 30% of the gross or 60% of

the net. Gross is best because you can keep closer tabs on

them, keep them honest."

"How do we do that?" I chuckled. "Sounds to me like it's

going to be a full time job."

"If you base it on net, you'll spend a fortune on audits.

It's kind of like the film industry. They throw in costs

from everyplace. Overhead is a favorite. If you go for

gross, it's a percentage of what they sell. That's easier to

keep track of."

"How do we go about keeping track of what they sell?" Eric

asked.

Hal started laughing. "For us, it'll be a piece of cake.

All the copper will be shipped out by rail, and you own the

railroad."

"I see," Eric said laughing. "We compare outgoing shipments

and weights against what they report, and any discrepancies

would show up. Yeah, gross would be the way to go."

"I think we're ready to talk to Ross, Birney and Tom," I

said. "Let's get a bidding war going!"

"Want to sit in?" Eric asked Hal.

"I'd love to, as an observer," he answered. "I can tell you

afterward where they're trying to screw you. I know those

three, they'll all try!"

Eric set up the meetings, Tom first, but they were all so

eager that Tom would be there the next day with the others

following close behind.

I got hold of Jack and warned him to brush up on mining law,

that we were ready to move on the copper, and that I didn't

trust Preston.

"Are we going to be doing a lot of this?" he asked.

"That'll depend on what John finds for us," I told him, "Why?"

"If we are, I'd like to look around for somebody who knows

mining law to put on staff."

"I doubt that there'll be too many deals like this, but

they'll probably be big ones. Go ahead and get somebody, but

one that can handle other stuff too. Real estate might be a

busy area."

\- - - - -

Tom didn't look like a thief, but appearances can be

misleading. Jovial and folksy, he looked harmless.

"Glad you fellas are ready to talk," he said. "I'd shore

like to work with ya on this."

"Tell us what you have in mind," I said.

"You put a price on it?" he asked.

"No, that's open to negotiation," Eric said, then, with a

smile. "We won't be making any decisions until we talk to

Ross and Birney too."

"I see," he said. "You want bids?"

"We need a starting point," I told him, "you want to make an

offer?"

"I'd like to buy it outright, give you $200 million cash

money."

"We'd like to look at a royalty arrangement too," Eric said.

"I could give you 10% of the net," he said.

"Neither of those figures impress me much," I said honestly.

"How much would it take to impress you?" he asked me.

"A billion cash," Eric said.

"Or 60% of the net," I added. "Maybe we should talk a gross

sales percentage."

"Do you fellows know how much it's gonna cost to get that

copper out?" he asked.

"We have a rough idea," Eric said.

"Have you seen the surveys?" I asked. "We'll be glad to give

you a copy if you haven't."

"No, I've seen 'em," he said.

"Then you know how much the mine's really worth," Eric said.

"It ain't nothin' like you're talkin," he said.

"Maybe you'd better take another look," I suggested. "We did."

"How much of the gross do you want?" he asked.

"How's 30 percent sound," Eric said.

"Pretty high, but I'll go home and work on it," he said.

He agreed to get back in touch with us in a few days and

left. I don't think he got the answers he was looking for.

Hal was shaking his head. "Nobody better underestimate you

two," he said.

Later that afternoon I got a call from Big George. He was

chuckling. "I told old Tom that you two were pretty sharp,

but I guess he didn't believe me," he said.

"What'd he expect? We do our homework," I told him.

"He said dealin' with you guys was like bein' in a tag team

wrestlin' match without a partner," he laughed.

"I don't think we were THAT rough on him," I said.

"You weren't. He just expected a coupla pansy pushovers. I

know better and now he does too! Hope I didn't offend ya."

"Not at all, George," I laughed. "I'll have to remember that.

Actually there were three of us. We've got a damned smart

'pansy' geologist working with us now too."

"Smart idea. This mining game is kinda nasty at times. Pays

to look over your shoulder, but I know you men. Nobody's

gonna get the best of you. How's the gold mine doin'?"

"We'll be crushing ore in a few weeks," I told him. "We're

all pretty excited about it."

"Ya damned well should be. That mine is gonna make you

rich," he chuckled, "Texas rich."

"How's Claire?" I asked.

"She's fine, can't stop talkin' about that ceremony you guys

had. Really impressed the hell out of both of us."

"Me too," I said.

"I noticed," he answered softly. "I'm proud of you, Dave."

I couldn't wait to tell Eric and Hal that we were considered

"pansy pushovers." They both got a big laugh out of it.

Eric's comment was "We may be pansies, but we sure ain't

pushovers."

"Hey, wanna play with a pansy?" he asked me that night.

"You're the butchest 'pansy' I've ever seen," I told him,

"Come on, 'pretty boy', let's fuck."

\- - - - -

Our meetings with the other two copper barons went a lot

differently. They'd been warned. Birney still tried to

low-ball us, but learned we weren't so damn dumb afterall.

Ross was a gentleman all the way. "Please don't put me in

the same category as those two," he asked. "Actually, I've

gotten a lot of laughs out of their stories about dealing

with you two."

"We appreciate your being straight with us," Eric chuckled.

"Let's not beat around the bush," he continued. "I know what

the mine is worth and so do you. How does a third of the

gross sound?"

I smiled at Eric. "Now we're talking!" I told him.

"Tom and Birney may try to outbid me, but I doubt it. I also

think we could work well together."

"I doubt they'll even try," Eric said.

"We haven't talked about the other metals we expect to

recover," he said. "I think we're going to find a lot more

of those than anyone expects. That'll be frosting on the

cake."

"What do you guys think?" I asked Eric and Hal after Ross

left.

"I'd say it's a phenomenal deal," Hal said. "Financially,

Ross is the strongest of the three, too. That helps."

"I'd feel much better about working with Ross," Eric said.

"I'd be nervous working with either of the other two. I just

don't trust them."

"I agree with both of you," I said. "I don't think we should

tell either of them what Ross offered, just ask them for

their best shot, and if neither of them are a LOT higher, I

vote we go with Ross."

Neither of them came even close.

\- - - - -

Lovebird Mining was getting a lot of publicity. Interest in

the gold discovery hadn't lasted long, as I had predicted, but

Ross's Company was publicly held, so after the deal had been

finalized, they issued an announcement.

"BASIC METALS AND LOVEBIRD IN BILLION DOLLAR VENTURE"

screamed the local headline in the Business Section. In

other papers, the story wasn't as prominent, but nevertheless

there.

"Lovebird Mining, part of the Lundborg and Rush Empire has

joined forces with Basic Metals to exploit Lovebird's vast

copper reserves in Arizona..." It went on and on from there,

the usual.

The initiative that Hal had shown in getting Lovebird set up

was impressive. He also had Loren and John's respect, so who

would be better to take over Lovebird than him.

Eric and I took him out to dinner to make our pitch. At

first, he wasn't interested at all, not wanting to become a

"desk jockey" with nothing to do, but we pointed out that in

order to keep on top of things, there'd be a lot of field

work required.

Loren was running the gold mine, but somebody had to set up

transportation for the concentrate, refining, and sale of the

end product. There'd be a lot more work once the copper mine

was running, too.

"And, the 'scenery' is a lot better around here than it is up

in the hills too," Eric put in with a wink.

"So I've noticed," Hal said dryly, "particularly at the

beach."

Eric mentioned the beach where he used to work. "Ever check

that one out?" he asked.

"Oh YESSSS!" he said. "The Lifeguards are enough, not to

mention all the other hot guys I've seen there."

"You're definitely going to have to come to our next pool

party," Eric giggled.

"What do you mean?" Hal asked.

"Just wait and see," Eric said enigmatically.

We gave him a pretty thorough working over, and eventually

arrived at a deal. He'd be a vice president of Hydra with

full responsibility for Lovebird, at double his current

salary, reporting to Eric and me.

\- - - - -

The new plane was ready. It had been flight tested, and the

interior was finally complete. We now had four pilots who

were certified to fly it, but Ron and Jason wanted to be the

first, naturally.

They wanted us to go along when they went to pick it up in

Dallas, but we told them that we'd rather they brought it

home first, then we'd be the first passengers.

"Where do you want to go on our first trip?" I asked Eric.

"Doesn't matter to me, just so it's long enough for us to

fuck our brains out," he giggled.

"Nothing like breaking it in right!" I said. "You think about

it, I really don't care much where we go either."

"Are we going to have a flight attendant?" he asked.

"Not on this flight," I assured him.

"How's this sound?" he said grinning. "We'll leave it up to

the pilots, tell them to go anyplace that's at least two

hours away. We could have an 'appetizer' on the way, stop

for dinner, then 'dessert' on the way home?"

"A veritable feast!" I laughed. "Sounds delicious."

"I'll take care of it," he volunteered.

\- - - - -

We were waiting when Ron and Jason taxied up to the Metalco

hangar. Compared to our other planes, it was huge. Sleek,

with the upturned ends of the wings giving it a rakish

appearance.

The door went up and the stairs slid down. Jason came out

beaming. "Man, flying this baby is like driving a sports

car," he said. "Ready to go for a spin?"

We went on board. Ron was standing at the door to the "crew

quarters". "Take a look at this," he said, motioning us

inside.

There were two leather chairs, each with a table beside

them. Ron sat in one of the chairs and reclined it. "See,

we can get some rest here," he said. "These are the most

comfortable seats I've ever been in, and there's lots of room

to stretch out."

We went on into the cockpit. "This baby's got more

instrumentation than any airliner ever thought of having,"

Ron said proudly. "Just about everything conceivable. I'm

damned glad we were trained on how to use all of it."

That was all nice to know, but my non-technical mind wasn't

interested in details. Ron understood that.

The passenger cabin was spectacular. Gary's color scheme was

warm but gave the illusion of spaciousness. Walking down the

center, I noticed that I could stand erect comfortably.

While Eric explored, I plopped down in one of the chairs.

Damn, they WERE comfortable!

"Check this out, babe!" Eric called. He was stretched out

full-length on the couch near the back, his six-foot frame

fitting comfortably.

"It folds out to a queen size bed," Jason explained.

"Appropriate," I chuckled.

"Even when it's open, you can walk around it to get to the

galley," he said. "It's also already 'made up' with sheets

and blankets."

"Somebody'll be changing those tomorrow," Eric leered.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Ron asked.

"Sure," I said. "Where are we going?"

"Surprise," Eric said. "Wait'll we get there."

The plane moved out onto the runway. "Here we go," Jason

said over the intercom.

As we moved down the runway, we could hear the engines

revving up, but only barely. We cleared the runway and went

into a steep climb. It was so quiet! No vibration, no

sound.

In our other jets, you couldn't hear yourself think on

takeoff. This was a completely different experience. I

looked at Eric with my eyebrows arched. "This is

unbelievable!" he said. "So different, so quiet!"

When we leveled out a little, I got up to explore. I found

the bar in the galley and made us a drink. The galley itself

had everything one could ask for in a full-fledged kitchen,

but it was compact and organized. Hell, I'd even like to

cook in it. One of these days...

I took our drinks and went back to sit with Eric on the

sofa. It was comfortable, just like everything else.

We clinked glasses. "Here's to the new toy," I said. "I

think we're going to love it."

"It's unbelievable," he said with a smile. "You know," he

continued, "I'd like to make love to you, but I'm just not in

the mood. It's just too contrived."

"I understand fully," I chuckled. "I'm not really interested

either. Maybe on the way home."

"Let's check out the gadgets!" he said, relieved.

Each seat had a small, enclosed console with buttons,

switches and dials in it. There was a larger one next to the

couch. We looked them over, but couldn't figure out what did

what. "I've got an idea," I told Eric, "Let's save some time

and get either Ron or Jason to show us how all this stuff

works."

Eric nodded and went to the cockpit, coming back with Ron.

"I thought you guys'd be..." he said.

"Later," Eric told him.

"Does that mean the honeymoon's over?" Ron asked.

"Not at all," I said, grinning. "We're just too excited about

this thing."

Ron showed us how things worked. Each seat had controls for

individual lighting and ventilation. There was a jack for

headphones so each passenger could either watch the TV or

listen to music. The TV was located on the front bulkhead and

with the touch of a button, the paneling disappeared and a

big flat screen was revealed.

The TV was connected to satellite, so there were several

hundred channels available. A program guide would be coming

soon so we'd know what was on, when.

A VCR was below the screen, already stocked, Ron told us,

with movies and even some porn if we were interested.

The sound system consisted of a CD player and could either

fill the whole cabin or be listened to individually on

headphones. The master control was by the sofa where cabin

lighting could be adjusted too.

There were other jacks where laptop computers could be

plugged in for internet access.

Phones, strategically placed, could be used just like the

ones at home. Other communications gear was in the cockpit.

"No reason to ever get bored," Ron commented as he returned

to the cockpit. He acted like he was disappointed that we

weren't fucking our brains out.

We landed in, of all places, Oakland.

A limo was waiting and we were whisked off to Alice Waters'

restaurant in Berkeley.

I'd heard of the place but never eaten there. Reservations

were hard to come by, but Eric, as usual, came through. The

food was as good as I'd heard. There were no choices. We

ate what they prepared.

Full and relaxed, we got back on board. Mozart was playing

throughout the cabin on the fabulous sound system.

I sat on the couch, Eric's head in my lap. "I think my

libido's on vacation," he said. "All I want is to be with

you."

"Funny, I feel the same way," I told him. "We don't have to

be UP all the time."

"I hope it's not the plane," Eric giggled. "It'd be a shame

if we felt like this on every trip."

"As you said earlier, it's too "contrived", and we'd have to

rush. That's no fun."

\- - - - -

"We cranked up the crusher yesterday," Hal reported. "Loren

says it's running like it's supposed to."

"That's great!" Eric said. "Isn't this a little ahead of

schedule?"

"Way ahead," Hal answered. "We got lucky. Everything came

together a lot faster than anybody expected."

"Have you figured out how to get the concentrate out?" I

asked.

"We're working on that," Hal answered. "It looks like it's

going to be cheapest and safest to chopper it out. Since

we're going to be doing this for quite a while, it'd be less

expensive to buy one than to use a charter, but for the time

being we're going to use John's when it's free."

"You mentioned 'safest'. What do you mean by that?" Eric

asked.

"The ore, even concentrated, doesn't have much value, but

some nutcases will no doubt try to get their hands on it. We

want to get it to the refinery with as little risk to our

people as possible."

"How're you going to do that?" Eric asked.

"We bought a few acres in Prescott, and we're going to build

a 'secure' area where the choppers can land and unload

directly into armored cars. We've gotten a variance so the

choppers can land there, but only during daylight hours.

Noise pollution, you know, even though the site is away from

town."

"How far along on this are you?" I asked.

"It'll be ready in about a month," Hal said. "In the

meantime, we're going to use the Prescott airport. Bob's

providing security."

"How are you going to transport the ore?" I asked, "I mean

what are you going to put it in?"

"We'll use canvas bags that hold about 50 pounds. The

refinery will return them and we'll re-use them."

"Sounds to me like you have everything worked out," Eric

commented. "When does all this start?"

"We'll be taking the first loads out tomorrow. The chopper

we'll be using can carry about 800 pounds safely, so we

figure three trips a day. That's about all one armored car

can hold."

"Let us know how it goes," I requested.

Again, Hal had taken the initiative and planned ahead. He'd

already become very valuable to us. Now, all we had to do

was keep him happy.

Chapter 45

Even though we wanted to be there for the trial, Dr. Naimann

advised us to stay away. There was still a bench warrant

outstanding for us that the crusty old judge had issued. No

point in taking any chances, he'd advised. If we were

recognized and arrested, there would be a media frenzy.

Instead, we sent Jack, our own legal eagle, with instructions

to call us with a play-by-play at every opportunity.

The trial was scheduled to start at 9:00 AM eastern time,

6:00 our time, so we went in to the office early.

Jack's first call came an hour after the trial was scheduled

to begin. "It's a fucking circus," he said, laughing.

"First off, the judge had to deal with the media. They

wanted to put cameras in the courtroom, the judge didn't want

them, and the defense wanted them to stay. Naimann stayed

out of it.

"They've got all the big guns here, even the state's attorney

general himself. The defense table is a mob scene.

"Anyway, the attorney general argued with the judge over the

media, acting like a pompous ass and pissing off the Judge.

"The judge got his way, not surprisingly. The cameras got

tossed, but the reporters got to stay.

"That settled, the AG made a motion for dismissal of the case

on 'frivolous' grounds. The judge denied that, and I thought

that things might actually get underway. Wrong. The

county's attorney who screwed up their case in the first

place, commented loud enough for everybody in the courtroom

to hear that 'this is a goddam joke'.

"The judge wasn't happy, to put it mildly, and gave him an

ass chewing that makes me wince even to think about it.

We're on recess while everybody calms down. Naimann, by the

way, hasn't said anything yet. He's letting them bury

themselves."

"Damn, I wish we could be there," I said. "What's next?"

"Opening arguments," Jack said. "That'll no doubt be

interesting too. Since we all agreed to the case being heard

by just the judge, we don't have to go through jury

selection."

"Keep us informed," I requested.

Jack's next report came a couple of hours later. "We're on

the noon recess," he told us. "Things are moving along, but

at a snail's pace.

"Naimann's opening took less than ten minutes. He said that

he'd prove that the statute that the county enacted was

arbitrary and capricious, for the sole purpose of taking

advantage of whoever Micron's successors would be, and from

the start they looked at it as an opportunity to collect

outrageous penalties from you.

"Then he promised to prove that the county had enforced the

law only one time, maliciously and in a discriminatory

manner.

"His final comment was that he'd prove that the judge had

abused his authority in ordering Annie arrested and jailed

with total disregard of the fact that no law existed to give

him or anyone else the power to do so. What he did was a

wanton act of malice with the intent to cause harm and

deprive Annie of her freedom."

"Think he can do it?" Eric asked.

"I've helped with the preparation of this case," Jack

answered. "I KNOW we can prove everything."

"In their opening statement, the state took an entirely

different approach. Their 'show' was put on by a lawyer from

the AG's office. They claim that the county had every right

to pass the law, and that they are immune from our claims for

damages. The judge really smiled at that one!

"The state went on to say that you 'out-of-state big shots'

were attempting to take advantage of a poor little county who

had merely asserted its rights. They tried to make you the

villain, that you're attempting to gouge a bunch of innocent,

naive people.

"I'm giving you a summary of what they said, it took them

over an hour and a half to say it. They haven't got a

defense, they blew that opportunity, and now they're grasping

at straws.

"Naimann's going to start presenting his case as soon as we

go back. I'm really anxious to see him in action."

Jack promised to call again when they adjourned for the day.

"I'd almost be willing to take a chance..." Eric said. "This

is too good to miss."

"It's not worth the risk," I told him. "Unless..."

It turned into one of those days where nothing whatsoever got

accomplished. All our attention was focused on what was

going on in New Hampshire. Other matters would just have to

wait. While we were sitting around, I got up and went out to

talk to Nancy.

When Jack called again, he sounded exasperated. "This isn't

going to be over as fast as I thought," he said. "Naimann's

trying to present his case, but the assholes on the other

side are making a mockery of the whole thing.

"Everytime Naimann opens his mouth, they object, and when a

witness attempts to answer a question, they object. It's

confusing everybody to the point where nothing's getting

accomplished, and really, no evidence has been presented

yet. I can see the judge's point. He wants a fair trial,

knowing full well that whatever the outcome, it's going to be

appealed and he doesn't want his decision to be overturned on

technicalities.

"But, the way things are going, the judge is losing control

over the situation, and I can tell he's not happy about that,

at all! He's in chambers right now with Naimann and the

attorney general. I'm sure he's giving somebody hell, and I

don't think it's Naimann."

"What do you think he'll do?" I asked.

"There's such a mob of attorneys representing the state and

county, and it looks like they aren't organized at all. Half

of them jump up to object to everything, and nobody seems to

be in charge. My guess is that the judge will order them to

appoint a couple of them as 'Lead Counsel' to try the case,

the rest to remain silent, if he even allows them to stay at

the counsel's table. He could also set up a 'blanket'

objection procedure where they could object to the witness

and the witness's testimony, then the judge would decide,

after the witness was heard, whether the evidence would stay

or be thrown out in its entirety. Something like that is

going to have to happen or this thing will take six months."

"How's Naimann doing?" Eric asked.

"He's keeping his cool," Jack answered. "He's got a case and

knows it. The state doesn't and they know that too, but their

disruptive tactics are only going to work for a short time.

The judge is a tough old bird, and he's not going to let this

circus continue. Tomorrow will be different, I almost

guarantee it. Naimann's going to call me later, and I'll let

you know what the judge decided."

"Is the courtroom full?" I asked Jack.

"Overflowing," he said. "The judge's office will be passing

out spectator passes in a little while. Why do you ask?"

"Can you get a few extra passes?" I asked.

"Oh shit, you guys aren't going to try to come here are you?"

"We might," I said, glancing at Eric who was grinning from

ear to ear. "We're not getting anything done here, and this

is just too good to miss."

"You're crazy," he said, chuckling, "but I always knew that!

If they catch you, we can't help you out. Are you ready to

spend ten days in the pokey?"

"Personally, I don't think they'd dare, even if they did

catch us. They're already in enough hot water. Let us know

if you can get passes, and we'll give you all the details

later. Oh yes, how are the spectators dressed?"

"Mostly casual, pretty drab, but a few suits," Jack said.

"Tomorrow might be different, though. The AG will try to

'pack the house', so I'd say there'll be more suits."

Eric was grinning when we hung up. He came over and put his

arms around me. "I'm willing to take the chance if you are,"

he said. "What devious plan have you come up with?"

"It's being arranged," I told him. "Nancy and Ron have been

working on it for several hours. Let's go see what they've

come up with."

Nancy loved working on things like this, and was one of the

most resourceful people I knew. "Are you going to go?" she

asked, her eyes twinkling.

"Why not?" I answered. "The worst that could happen is that

we'd spend a few days in jail, but I don't think anybody'll

be looking for us."

"Here's what I have," she said. "I have a makeup artist

ready to go, and Ron has the new plane all ready to go.

You'll fly to Lawrence, Massachusetts, which is about 30

miles from where the trial is going on. Ron has two cars

waiting there, and we have hotel reservations in Lawrence,

nothing flashy, the Holiday Inn, I think. Ron and Jason want

to drive you, separately, and be there if you need to leave

in a hurry. That's about it."

"Ask the makeup artist to meet us at the airport in an hour,

and to bring everything necessary, including hair stuff.

We'll run home and get clothes, then meet them all there."

"I'll take care of everything," she said. "Have fun, and

stay out of trouble if you can."

We put the private phone line in my office on call forwarding

to Eric's cell phone so we'd be able to stay in touch with

Jack then headed home to pack.

"I was hoping you'd cave in," Eric laughed on the way.

"This is too good to miss. It's risky, sure, but we'll try

to blend into the crowd."

We packed far more than we'd probably need, taking casual

clothes as well as several of our oldest suits. Nothing

flashy, the idea was to be as unobtrusive as possible.

The makeup artist, Laura, was a lady that I'd guess to be in

her forties, toting several suitcases. She was pleasant and

seemed to have a good sense of humor.

We waited until we were at cruising altitude before telling

her what we wanted her to do for us, make us look as

"average" and unrecognizable as possible, but not to look

"made up".

"You're not going to require much," she said to me. "I've

seen your old picture in the paper. You look a lot different

now, and with a few touches, I can make you look even more

different."

"I want to look natural," I told her.

"We can do that," she said. "Now Eric's another matter.

I've seen his pictures too. The blond hair stands out, but

we can fix that with a temporary color job. That alone will

change his appearance considerably. Maybe trim his hair a

little and style it differently. I'm pretty sure I can make

you both look good, but different."

"At least we're not going to try drag," Eric laughed.

"You'd never make it, honey," she laughed. "You're just too

much 'man' to pull it off."

Ron came back from the cockpit to fill us in on logistical

details. We'd be getting in around midnight. He and Jason

would pick up rentals at the terminal just like anybody else,

then come get us at the plane. Our hotel reservations were

in their names, three rooms. In the morning, after our

makeup sessions, they would drive us, separately, to the

Federal Courthouse. We'd work out the timing after Jack

called.

If Jack had been able to get four passes, they would be in

the courtroom with us, but none of us would sit together.

The bar was stocked, and dinner for everybody was in the

galley.

Eric played bartender and we settled down with Laura to talk.

"Is this about the trial?" she asked. "I've been following

it on TV."

"Yes," Eric laughed. "There's a warrant out for our arrest

in New Hampshire, that's why we want to go incognito."

"You mean I'm aiding and abetting..." she laughed.

"We're publicity shy, too," I added, "but we don't want to

miss the circus that's going on. We feel it's worth the

risk."

"I'll make sure you're not recognizable," she said. "I'd

love to be in that courtroom, myself. I could create a

diversion if anybody did spot you guys."

She was really getting into this whole adventure. "We'll see

how many passes we can get. One of our lawyers is working on

it."

"Where are you? You sound different," Jack asked when he

called.

"We're over Colorado, I think," I told him.

"You're going to do it?" he asked incredulously.

"We're on our way," I told him, then filled him in on the

details. He had four passes, so we were set.

"I've already told Naimann that you might be coming," Jack

said. "He thinks you're both nuts, but isn't surprised. He

won't show any recognition when he sees you, and neither will

Jim, who's going to be a witness. We'll get together

tomorrow night, but in Massachusetts." He'd also try to get

an extra pass for the following day.

He suggested that we arrive at the courthouse about twenty

minutes before court convened. He'd give the passes to Ron

or Jason and they could slip them to us.

We arrived in Lawrence a little earlier than expected, and as

soon as we reached the motel, Laura wanted to go to work on

Eric's hair.

She had us come into her room to do it. I sat and watched as

she bent him over the sink to first shampoo him then put on

the coloring. It looked awfully dark to me at first, but

Laura assured me that it would dry much lighter.

"Damn," I said in mock horror, "and here I thought I married

a blonde!"

Laura laughed louder than Eric, who seemed unsure of the

whole thing. "I thought you two were a 'couple', but I

wasn't sure."

After she blow-dried him, she worked on the styling. "I'll

use some gel in the morning," she said. "I'm going for the

conservative rather than the tousled look."

He looked great, but he didn't look like Eric.

"It's like sleeping with a stranger," I kidded him as we

crawled into bed.

"This feel familiar?" he chuckled as he humped my leg with

his hard dick.

"Ooooooh yes!" I told him, and went to work on it.

\- - - - -

We dressed carefully. All bland colors, nothing that would

draw attention. Laura styled Eric's hair, then worked on

mine. My temples were "grayed" and she put gray streaks

through the rest. It looked natural, but it made me look at

least 10 years older.

We all had breakfast together in the coffee shop. Ron gave

Laura some expense money, and we were off. I rode with him,

and Eric went with Jason.

We got our passes and tried to lose ourselves in the crowd

waiting to go in. When they opened the doors, we scattered.

It was a good sized courtroom with room for over a hundred

spectators, and I didn't think any of us stood out.

Dr. Naimann was at one of the counsel tables with two

assistants. There were eight men sitting at the opposing

side's table, still a mob scene. I recognized the judge

who'd sent Annie to the pokey among them.

When the judge came in, he announced that the state and

county had appointed the attorney general and the county's

attorney as lead counsel.

Naimann recalled his witness, an Anna Font.

One of the guys from the other side objected. The judge said

that the objection was noted and would be ruled upon after

the witness completed her testimony, just like Jack had

predicted.

Dr. Naimann established that Ms. Font had been present in the

county council chambers when the statute in question had

first been proposed.

"Who proposed this?" he asked her.

"Kathy McGuire," she answered, "but it wasn't like a

proposal, it was more informal. She just brought up the

subject, saying that Micron had sold out and that the new

owners planned to move the plant to California, and that if

they played their cards right, the county could make a

killing."

"What were her exact words, if you remember?"

"I know she said that they could 'stick it to' the new owners

legally," she said.

"Did she say that they could 'make a killing" in those exact

words?"

"Yes. Then she outlined how they could do it."

"How was that?"

"She said that they could pass a law that called for some

kind of 'moving' fee, and since the new owners probably

wouldn't find out about it, they could tack on a big penalty

too."

"Did any of the other council members object to this idea?"

"No, they all wanted to know more."

"What happened next?" Naimann asked.

"It was a kind of informal discussion, and they came up with

a five percent fee and a ten percent penalty, then they took

a vote."

"Did the vote pass?"

"Every one of them voted for it."

"Was there ever any mention of enforcing this law against

anybody else who moved equipment around?"

"That never came up."

"That's all I have," Naimann told the Judge.

"Mr. Attorney General?" the judge asked.

"Yes, I have a few questions," the attorney general answered.

Where Naimann had been friendly and conversational with the

witness, the AG was condescending. He attacked her

credibility, her memory, and anything else he could think

of but good old Anna wouldn't budge, throwing in a few

comments that didn't help their case at all.

When he finally gave up, the judge dismissed her and

announced that the AG's earlier objection was overruled and

the testimony would stand. The look on the AG's face was

total disbelief.

Naimann put on another witness, a farmer looking type, who

corroborated Anna's testimony almost word for word.

The attorney general had objected when the witness was

called, but didn't ask any questions on cross examination.

The judge again overruled his earlier objection.

Naimann called witnesses to subsequent meetings of the County

Council when the statute had been officially adopted, heard,

advertised, and finally passed into law. The theme that was

dominant in this testimony was the greed of the council.

They saw an opportunity to fill their coffers and were

hellbent to take advantage of the situation. At no time was

there any mention of enforcing the law against anybody else,

in fact it had been stated repeatedly that the new owners

were the only target.

Jim, our attorney, was the last to testify that day. He told

the court that on occasion, he was called on by the council

for help in legal matters. He hadn't been called on

officially in this matter, but had volunteered an opinion to

them anyway.

He detailed how he had warned them that what they were doing

was illegal under existing federal and state laws, and that

they were asking for trouble. Their response to his warning

was that they were immune from prosecution, and that they

just might get away with it.

On cross examination, the attorney general was merciless,

calling Jim a "traitor to his own community" and attempted to

shame him into changing his story. Jim held steadfast

against this assault, and calmly put the AG in his place.

The AG eventually gave up, his face bright red with anger.

The judge recessed for the day after ruling that Jim's

testimony would stand.

We got out of the courtroom and back to Lawrence without

incident.

\- - - - -

Jack brought Jim along when they joined us for dinner.

We talked about what had happened in court that day, with

everyone agreeing that Naimann was doing a masterful job of

presenting our case.

Jim wasn't in the best of spirits, and when I asked why, he

explained that his name was "mud" in that part of the country.

"We've got a place for you if you ever decide to move," Jack

told him. "Dave pays pretty good, too."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jim said, brightening.

Jack proceeded to give Eric and me hell for taking the risks

that we were, but Jim thought we were relatively safe.

"They're so busy trying to save their asses that they won't

be looking for you. That's a local thing, and they'd look

even worse if they tried anything."

"You really don't look like yourselves," Jack commented.

"I'd have trouble recognizing Eric with that hairdo, and you

look so much older, Dave."

\- - - - -

The next morning, the AG wanted to argue about the objection

procedures the Judge had established. He made a few snide

remarks about bias on the Judge's part which didn't go over

well. The Judge took him and Dr. Naiman to his chambers, and

from the look on the AG's face when they came out, he'd

gotten a thorough ass chewing.

Having established that the County Council had targeted us,

Dr. Naimann went to work on proving that the law had not been

enforced against anyone else.

His next witness was a technician from the Gibson Milking

Machine Company.

Naimann established that the guy worked for Gibson in the

capacity of a service person, adjusting and re-installing

milking machine equipment when it was moved.

He had been called to perform that type of job after a large

installation owned by Mr. Sprague, one of the members of the

County Council, had been moved to a new milking barn.

"Did you perform the original installation?" Naimann asked.

"Yes, that was about four years ago," he answered.

"How far is the new barn from the original site?"

"I'd guess it's about four miles. It's on another farm that

Mr. Sprague owns."

"When did this move take place?"

"About a month ago," he answered.

"Are you aware that there's a county ordinance that requires

a fee to be paid if equipment is moved more than 18 inches?"

"Sure, everybody around here knows about it."

"Did you ever discuss this 'moving fee' with Mr. Sprague?"

"Sure did. We joked about it. Mr. Sprague told me that the

law only applied to outsiders, not him."

"No further questions," Naimann said.

The AG tried to show that the conversation in question had

been misinterpreted, but the technician held fast, adding

even more damning details of what had been said.

Next, Naimann called Kathy McGuire, the one who had started

the whole thing. She was definitely a hostile witness.

"What is your occupation?" he asked.

"I'm a seamstress, and I'm a member of the County Council,"

she replied.

"As a seamstress, you work from your home, am I correct?"

"Yes."

At about this time, the AG lost it. He objected to the line

of questioning as irrelevant to the matter at hand. There

was a moment's silence while the judge glared at him, then

calmly said, "Shut up, you idiot, you know the rules."

The AG, certainly not accustomed to being talked to in that

way, puffed up like he was going to explode, then, evidently

thinking better of it, sat down and simmered.

Naimann continued. "Did you recently build an addition to

your home?"

"Yes," Kathy answered.

"Isn't that new room you added where you conduct your sewing

business?"

"Yes," she answered, looking baffled.

"Are your sewing machines located there?"

"Yes."

"Then, you moved them there from another part of your house?"

"Yes, I used to work in my spare bedroom."

"Was the county statute on moving equipment in effect when

you made this move?"

"I'm not sure," she answered.

"I can bring in the contractor who built your addition if you

like..." Naimann told her.

"Yes, the statute was in effect," she said, getting mad now

that she could see where this was leading.

"Did you pay the county the required fee when you moved your

equipment?"

"No," she said.

"Your witness," Naimann told the AG.

The AG didn't bother with cross examination.

Naimann put on a parade of witnesses who had all laughed at

the law. The AG didn't cross examine any of them.

"Pretty dull today, huh," Eric said that evening.

"Dr. Naimann's covering all the bases," Jack commented. "He

wants to prove malice beyond a doubt."

"He did that today," I added.

"About all that's left is the false imprisonment issue.

He'll start that in the morning. I believe he's going to

call the judge. That should be interesting!"

"What do you think the state'll do when it's their turn?"

Eric asked.

"I'm not sure that they can do anything," Jack answered.

"After what they've done, their hands are tied when it comes

to putting on a defense."

"Out of curiosity, what kind of defense could they use if

they hadn't refused to play fair?" I asked.

"They could've admitted their mistake and given you your

money back and that would have been the end of it," Jim

answered with Jack nodding. "Now, they've put themselves in

a corner and if they admit anything, it would be suicidal."

"Maybe offer Annie a little settlement too, but that would be

optional. Jim's right. If they'd just backed off and been

reasonable, they'd still have their immunity," Jack said.

"At the state level, I think the only ones who recognize the

possibility of your winning - and collecting - is the

attorney general's office. Everyone else thinks it's a big

joke that'll go away," Jim added. "The governor should've

stepped in a long time ago."

\- - - - -

Jack was able to get an extra pass so we took Laura along.

She rode up with Ron and me and was really excited about it.

For his first witness, Naimann called Jack. He established

that Jack had been in the courtroom when the judge had

arbitrarly handed out jail sentences to the officers of

Lundborg Rush, ending in Annie's arrest and incarceration.

One of Joel's big screen monitors was wheeled in, hooked up

to a VCR, and a tape was played of the judge's entire

performance. The tape covered the judge's collection of the

fee and fine, and continued through the judge's "Personal

Responsibility" pronouncement, Jack's arrest for using a cell

phone in court, and the issuing of warrants for arrest of

LR's officers.

"Is that a true representation of what happened?" he asked

Jack.

"Yes, that's what happened."

Naimann handed Jack over to the Attorney General.

The AG rose with a wicked look on his face, thought better of

it and sat down. "No questions, Your Honor," he said.

Naimann then called the old judge to the stand.

"Was that an accurate account of the proceedings in your

court," he asked.

"Yes," the Judge said with a smug grin on his face.

Naimann continued asking questions, and the old judge smugly

answered yes or no to every one. After a while, though, the

questions started getting to him, he was getting mad.

"May I ask what law you based your decision on to call for

the arrest of the principals of Lundborg Rush?"

"They had it comin' to them," the Judge answered angrily.

"But you had no basis in law?" Naimann asked him.

"Don't need any," the judge shot back. "They deserved to

spend some time, but the big fish were too slick. They got

away."

"Then this was a 'spur of the moment' call on your part?"

Naimann goaded him.

"No, I thought about it, and it had to be done. Those pig

fuckers needed to be taught a lesson," the Judge roared.

There was silence in the courtroom as the judge's statement

sank in.

"No more questions," Naimann said softly to the Court.

"I don't have any either," the attorney general announced,

anxious to get on to something that might not be so

devastating to his case.

Naimann called the chairman of the County Council.

"Your attorney has stated, on the record, that you don't have

the funds you collected from Lundborg Rush. May I ask what

happened to them?" Naimann said.

"We've spent most of them," he answered.

"What did you spend them on?" Naimann asked.

"We bought all the school bands new uniforms and paid for

their trip to the state marching band competition," he said,

smiling.

"That hardly accounts for eighteen million dollars," Naimann

commented. "What did you do with the rest?"

"We undertook a 'beautification' program for the whole

county." The guy really warmed up to this subject. "Every

road in the county now has trees planted along them, and we

landscaped all the unincorporated areas. The town of

Bedfield isn't incorporated and has lots of history, so we

refurbished every structure in the town."

"Are those privately owned buildings?" Naimann asked.

"Except for the Courthouse, they all are. Even got my own

house spruced up. It's worth twice what it used to be."

"Then you personally profited from this project?" Naimann

asked.

"Not really. Not unless I sell the house."

"How much did this restoration project cost?"

"We spent just over $12 million on it," he answered.

"How many houses are there in Bedfield?"

"About 800, I'd guess."

Naimann thought a minute. "That works out to about $15,000

per home, doesn't it?"

"That's about right. Some more, some less."

Naimann was finished with him, and the AG passed on any

questions.

Naimann called Annie next. This was a total surprise to me.

Nobody had mentioned that she was going to be a witness.

When she was seated in the witness box, she surveyed the

crowd. She spotted me, and did her best not to start

laughing, then looked around to find Eric.

Naimann carefully led her through the events of her arrest

and incarceration. Then he asked about her relationship to

Lundborg Rush.

"I'm a stockholder," she said. "California law requires that

there be three officers, and I was arbitrarily made one of

them. I have no involvement in the business, and, quite

frankly, know very little about it."

"Why were you in New Hampshire?" Naimann asked.

"I'd heard about the problems Dad was having, so, when there

was a plane scheduled to come here, my sister and I came

along to give him moral support."

"Do you conisder yourself a criminal?" he asked.

"Definitely not! I was just a bystander."

"What happened after you served the ten day sentence?"

"I thought I was OK," she said, "but I wasn't. I spent three

months in intensive therapy, and even now I'm afraid of

enclosed spaces. I still see my therapist occasionally for

that."

Naimann was finished and turned her over to the AG.

He thought he'd have a field day with her. He didn't know

Annie. He tried to twist everything she'd said, but she

wasn't having any. When he asked if the sheriffs had been

'nice' to her, she kicked him in the groin.

"If you call being dragged in front of TV cameras in

handcuffs 'nice', I guess so," she said soberly.

Naimann excused her and rested his case. Court was adjourned

for the day.

\- - - - -

Jack brought Annie with him to Lawrence that evening. She

kidded us unmercifully about our disguises. She told me that

I looked "extinguished" with the gray hair and that Eric

looked "cute" as a brunette.

"I really wasn't surprised to see you two," she said. "I

know that you just disappear all the time, and this time it

was logical that you'd be here. Having fun?"

"It's not as exciting as I expected," Eric told her. "No

real fireworks yet, but tomorrow could be a little more

exciting."

"How'd I do on the stand?" she asked.

"You may get a little money out of this," I told her, "maybe

even a lot."

"I don't want the money, I just want to see those bastards

squirm," she said. "If I DO end up with anything, I'm going

to give it away anyway. Is it OK if I stick around for the

rest of this circus? I promise not to 'out' you guys at the

courthouse."

"Sure," I told her. "It might be interesting."

We all went out to dinner together. Ron and Jason were used

to Annie's bombastic personality, but Laura was wide eyed.

"I wish this thing would hurry up and get over," Eric said to

me in bed that night. "It just isn't fair that you sit way

over there and we can't talk or anything all day."

"Do you want to forget the rest of it and go home?" I asked.

"No, let's stick it out. Should only be another day or two.

I don't know what the state's going to do, and I'm curious to

see what they try."

We snuggled, which led to more, a whole lot more!

\- - - - -

The first witness called by the defense was the chairman of

the County Council. After he was sworn in, Naimann objected.

"This witness refused to cooperate with us during pretrial

discovery, your Honor, so, under your earlier ruling, he

should not be allowed to testify," Naimann said.

"Sustained," the judge intoned. "The witness is excused."

"But I only wanted to show that proper procedure had been

followed in enacting the local statute," the attorney general

whined.

"You made your bed," the judge said seriously, "Now, I'm

afraid you're going to have to sleep in it."

The AG attempted to call a whole list of other locals who had

been involved with the incident. All were excused before

testifying because they had refused to talk to Naimann's

people or had refused to give depositions.

Giving up on that, the AG started calling "experts".

The first was an auditor who testified that the county just

didn't have the money to put into the court's registry until

the case was settled. On cross examination, Naimann pointed

out that the state was also named in the suit, and that they,

no doubt, could come up with the funds. The witness claimed

that he didn't know anything about the state's financial

condition. This, however, showed that both the state AND the

county were thumbing their noses at the court.

Another testified that the law had been properly enacted

according to normal legal procedures.

Still another pointed out that there were no other violators

of similar size and impact on whom to enforce the law, and

used the analogy "Cops see and fail to pursue speeders every

single day. That doesn't make speeding legal."

One "expert" testified that the county had an interest in

protecting its tax revenues and employment base, and that the

County had acted to protect its legal interests. To this

Naimann asked how many of the former Micron workers were

unemployed. He couldn't answer, so Naimann told him that

none of them were collecting unemployment insurance. They

had either found other jobs or had decided not to look for

work.

I noticed that the judge seemed bored with this line of

defense. The AG was attempting to address the issues but

wasn't offering anything substantial.

The AG's final two witnesses testified that the law may be

flawed but was legal, and its passing was not malicious or

improper. They said that selective enforcement was

acceptable and that the judge's small criminal sanction on

Annie was within the court's judicial discretion.

The defense rested, and it was time for final arguments.

As usual, Naimann was brief and to-the-point. He outlined

the points he had made and refuted the defense's notion that

they'd done nothing wrong.

The attorney general finally decided to treat the judge with

the respect he deserved, and wasn't condescending for a

change. He turned on the charm and worked the emotional

angle...for hours.

He admitted that the law may be flawed, but that the county's

intentions had been honorable. Then he launched into a

diatribe on how we, the heartless "corporate slime", were

taking advantage of a poor little community for their attempt

to protect themselves. We were the dirty guys, and he even

made a personal attack on Naimann, the "constitutional scholar

who deigned to come down from his ivory tower to try this

case because of the fat fee he might receive."

Finally, he rested.

"Enactment of the law may have been legal and proper,"

Naimann argued in his summation, "but when the content and

intent of that law was to single out and penalize my clients

it becomes illegal in that it restrains interstate trade and

commerce protected under federal statutes.

"Greed is not illegal, but when a governmental body satisfies

their greed by enacting a law to collect great sums of money

from a targeted victim under the guise of 'protecting its tax

revenues', that is neither fair nor legal."

That was it. The case was now in the judge's hands. I had

no idea when we could expect a verdict, and was totally

surprised when the judge spoke up.

"In my career as a judge, I have never seen a case that was so

totally botched by the defense.

"The only way I can describe their action and mostly inaction

is criminal stupid.

"Municipal and state Governments have immunity available to

inception, the government bodies involved have arrogantly

ignored the rules and have thrown away these legitimate

arguments. Consequently, they must pay for their actions.

"A local law was enacted that was in and of itself

discriminatory and clearly targeted the plaintiffs only. No

effort whatsoever was made to enforce this law against anyone

else.

"I find this one enforcement of the law to be malicious

prosecution. The subsequent actions by municipal authorities

were a clear abuse of power.

"The arrest and jailing of Miss Rush is intolerable. Judicial

power was abused with the intent of making someone personally

'pay' for violating a civil ordinance. The punishment did

not fit the crime and never should have been imposed.

"The other arrest warrants issued from the bench for officers

of Lundborg Rush are hereby voided.

"I am awarding the plaintiffs the actual damages they sought -

$18 million plus interest.

"The plaintiffs have asked for punitive damages in the amount

of five billion dollars as well as exemplary damages in the

same amount. Those amounts are awarded."

A loud gasp could be heard in the courtroom.

"In the matter of wrongful arrest and imprisonment of Miss

Rush, damages in the amount of two hundred million dollars

are also awarded."

With a big smile, he announced "Court is adjourned."

Chapter 46

As soon as the Judge left the courtroom, all hell broke loose.

A lot of people that I assumed were reporters scrambled out

of the courtroom, others, in groups, seemed stunned by the

verdict.

I watched the attorney general. He was trying to calm his

troops who were screaming and yelling. When he finally got

their attention, I heard him say "Don't worry, we'll kill

this on appeal."

Now that it was safe to do so, our group got together outside

on the courthouse steps. Eric came over and put his arm

around my shoulders. "Looks like we won that round," he said.

It grew to be quite a crowd, and got larger as Annie and Jack

joined us, then Dr. Naimann came out. He was mobbed by the

press, so we moved away.

"We've gotta celebrate this," Eric said. "How about tomorrow

night in New York?"

There were nods all around, and Jack asked "Should I invite

Dr. Naimann?"

"Absolutely," I said. "Tell him to bring his wife."

We weren't jubilant. We all knew that this was just Round

One, and that the case would drag through the courts for

years. It was a major victory, for sure, but the war wasn't

over.

We all went back to Lawrence for the short trip to New York.

Eric got on the phone and when we got to the penthouse, all

was ready for us, even fresh flowers everywhere.

Laura was still with us, and her eyes almost popped out when

she saw the apartment.

We got settled. Jack wanted to make calls to the West Coast,

Annie planned to go to Sarah's, and would take Laura with her.

Ron and Jason were staying too. They felt it useless to burn

all that gas going home then coming right back.

Eric got on the phone in the den, calling Greg at Micron to

invite all of them and their wives to our celebration.

After dinner, Jack wanted to go back to the apartment to

work, but none of the rest of us were ready to turn in. Eric

hailed a cab and the four of us took off, Eric giving

directions.

"Remember the bar with the 'under the counter' action?" he

whispered in my ear.

I nodded and grinned, knowing that Ron and Jason hadn't been

there.

I think they were surprised that we'd take them to such a

nondescript bar when we knew about more exciting ones. They

didn't say anything, however.

We sat at the bar and ordered. Before long I felt a hand on

my crotch, rubbing, teasing. That was fine, but when whoever

it was reached for my zipper, I put my hand down to stop

them. Eric was watching me. "Just let 'em warm you up for

later," he laughed.

Jason was sitting next to me and I watched his face. First

there was annoyance, then surprise. "Holy shit!" he said,

"somebody's playing with my dick!"

Ron, sitting on the other side of him was grinning from ear

to ear while Eric and I burst out laughing.

"Oh my God," Jason said, spacing his words out. "I do

believe I'm getting a blowjob!"

"Me too, not bad either," Ron commented dryly.

There was a mirror behind the bar and it was impossible not

to watch them. Eric and I did our best to stay serious, but

we weren't too successful. They were obviously enjoying what

was happening, and let it continue to conclusion. Jason

stiffened and groaned. Ron was more active and twice as loud.

"Shit, he's going for seconds!" Jason mumbled.

"Save some for me," Ron warned him.

I felt a hand on my crotch again. I was hard by now, and the

stroking felt good. I saw Eric's grin in the mirror and knew

whose hand it was. I returned the favor.

The bar filled up and we watched several other guys go

through the gyrations of orgasm. Soon there was just about

standing room only behind us.

"Let's give some of these other guys a chance," I suggested.

Everyone agreed, and we decided we'd had enough and got a cab

home. There was no mention of the fact that Eric and I

hadn't participated until we got inside.

"You guys'd better do something for those," Ron said,

pointing at our tented pants. "Don't want to have to take

you to the hospital with busted blood vessels," he chuckled.

"Not a bad idea," Eric winked, and we excused ourselves.

"That was both hot and funny," Eric commented when we were

alone. "Makes me want some myself," he said, patting the

protrusion in my pants.

We undressed each other, something we hadn't done in weeks,

Eric taking the lead.

"Slow and easy tonight," he said, reading my mind.

He slipped over and hit a button that opened the drapes, then

came back and took me in his arms from behind. The lights of

the city were in front of us, and Eric's hard dick was

rubbing the cheeks of my butt. I ground into him while his

hands played with my nipples.

He turned me to face him and gave me a tender kiss. He moved

his head back to look into my eyes. There was so much love

there, then came back for more. This time it wasn't tender

but passionate.

When we came up for air, I could feel him dripping precum

against me. I reached between us and collected as much as I

could on my finger and brought it to my lips. Going back, I

picked up the drips from my own dick and put my finger in his

mouth. It was one of those moments that are not soon

forgotten.

We embraced on the bed, our dicks still rubbing. My hands

roamed over his soft skin, feeling the hardness underneath.

Every place I touched was hard muscle, making my tongue

frantic in his mouth and my dick throb between us.

I couldn't stand it much longer. I HAD to have him in my

mouth. We separated and I climbed between his legs. I

licked his shaven balls, tonguing them then taking them into

my mouth, eliciting moans from above. Moving slowly, I moved

up, inch by inch along the bottom of his throbbing cock.

When I got to the top, I slowed down and concentrated on that

spot behind the head with my tongue.

This made him thrash and moan louder. "Time out!" he said

after a few minutes of this. I looked up at him and grinned,

took a few more swipes with my tongue, then slid up his body

until our lips were locked again.

He rolled me off him, our lips never parting. Reaching down

he took my dick in his hand from the base and stroked

upward. When he reached the top, he gathered my precum, and

using it as a lubricant, gently rubbed the underside of the

head.

The combination of his lips, his tongue and his finger was too

much and it was my turn to call for a "Time out."

We resumed in a 69 position, taking our time, enjoying the

taste and feeling of having dicks in our mouths. We got close

a couple of times, but backed off. "I want you in me," I

told him.

He grinned and reached for the lube.

He entered easily, and when he was all the way in, leaned

forward to look into my eyes. "I love you," he said softly.

On every stroke my prostate sent shock waves through my

body. I felt him expand inside me. That did it.

It was one of those orgasms that seemed to last forever. I

was 'there" but then I wasn't. I felt Eric stiffen and pound

me harder through the blinding impulses that were going

through my brain, eventually flowing to a serene place of

total calm.

We held each other as the throbbing and pulsating subsided.

\- - - - -

The celebration was catered by Chef Maurice. Who else?

The Micron group was jubilant, Sarah was congratulatory, and

I got a big surprise when Dr. Naimann arrived with a

strikingly handsome man with him.

He was introduced as Dr. Naimann's "partner". "I didn't

think you'd mind," he told Eric and me with a wink. Neither

of us had had a clue!

Everyone congratulated Dr. Naimann on his win. He made it

have a lot more meaning when he told us that the presiding

judge had never had one of his cases overturned on appeal.

During cocktails, I noticed Eric and Greg slip off to the

den. They were gone only a few minutes, and Eric came out

trying to suppress a grin. "Tell ya later," he told me under

his breath.

The case was about the only topic of conversation until, over

dinner, Sarah asked "What are you going to do with all that

money?"

"Dave and I are giving our share away," Eric told her. "I'm

going to be coming to you for some help, if we ever collect

any of it."

"Tina and I are planning the same thing," Annie added. "Will

you help us too, Sarah?"

"Of course, my dears," Sarah said.

A case of Dom Perignon was consumed and for a finale Chef

Maurice showed up to create a massive flaming dessert at the

table.

"We can't even get a reservation at his restaurant, and here

he is, serving you himself," Jerry complained. "How do you

do it?"

\- - - - -

"Old Doc Naimann sure surprised me," Eric laughed. "My

gaydar must be busted. I sure never got any vibes from him."

"I didn't either," I admitted. "Hey, what's going on with

Greg?"

"He gave me an offer to take home to Spence."

"Any good?"

"Any good?" he chuckled. "I think it's fucking fabulous!"

"Well, tell me, dammit," I laughed.

"They've been playing with his operating system and I guess

they really like it," he said, toying with me. "How does

twenty percent of the company sound?"

I whistled. "Not bad! Do you think Spence will go for it?"

"No problem. He was hoping for ten percent and will jump at

this."

"How are they going to do it?" I asked.

"They're going to issue more stock. It's already been

approved by their board of directors, and as soon as Spence

agrees, they'll go to the stockholders. That won't be a

problem since the four of them still own around 70%. It'll

cause some dilution, but they figure it's going to be well

worth it."

"When is all this going to happen?" I asked.

"It'll take a couple of months," he answered.

"You realize, of course, that it'll become public knowledge,

don't you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You'll own over 5% of Micron, and that'll have to be

reported in their annual report. That will definitely not go

unnoticed," I chuckled.

"Never thought about that," he said.

\- - - - -

On the ride home, Annie was having fun playing with all the

gadgets on the new plane. Jack, the workaholic, had his

laptop computer out and was working. Laura was reading, and

Eric and I settled on the sofa by the galley. There was

enough room so everyone had privacy.

"You've mentioned that you have plans for the New Hampshire

money, if we ever get any," I told Eric. "Are you ready to

let me in on it?"

"Something happened a couple of months ago that really pissed

me off. I'm going to do something about it if I have to use

my own money," he said.

"What?"

"As you know, Jim's hiring a lot of lifeguards," he said.

"All the old guys are running off to get 'married' like I

did," he snickered. "In the last batch, one of the kids,

fresh out of high school came up HIV positive."

"That happens," I said.

"But it doesn't have to," Eric shot back. "Turns out the kid

didn't know any better. He's straight and never thought it

could happen to him.

"Somewhere along the line, the ball got dropped. All the

education programs that let the kids know about the dangers

of unsafe sex have just about disappeared."

"I didn't know that," I said.

"It's happening," he assured me. "The emphasis is on finding

a cure and prevention has taken a back seat. I want to

change that, get the word out, at least until they do find a

cure."

"How do you intend to do that?" I asked.

"Posters and brochures help, but I think the personal touch

would be the most effective. Have teams that visit schools,

put on assemblies, and present it in a way palatable to even

the Bible thumpers. Who's better to do this than lifeguards?

They're glamorous, looked up to and would get the kids'

attention. Hell, Baywatch is one of the most watched TV

shows in the world!"

"Hunky guys and beautiful girls would get their attention,

that's for sure," I added.

"In a lot of the country, working as a lifeguard is seasonal,

only during the summer. This would provide off-season

employment for a lot of them, and I think a lot would do it

for nothing, but I want to pay them and all their expenses."

"You've given this a lot of thought," I commented.

"I think it'll work, but I'm going to need a lot of help," he

said. "I plan to talk to Sarah about setting it up, and

Mom's agreed to help on the presentations themselves. We'll

need a lot more help than that to make it effective. What do

YOU think about it?"

"I think I married a pretty wonderful, caring guy," I told

him, taking him into my arms. "You can count me in," I

continued. "If we ever get any money out of New Hampshire,

my share goes into the pot too. In the meantime, if you need

any money to get started, just let me know. I think you have

a wonderful idea and I'm behind you a hundred percent."

"I was hoping you'd go along," he said. "Don't forget your

animals, though," he kidded.

"I'll take care of them too," I assured him.

\- - - - -

Eric was pensive for a couple of minutes. "You've used the

term 'married' quite a few times lately," he stated. "Every

time you say that word, I get chills."

"Is that good or bad?" I chuckled.

"Good!" he answered. "I know that you were humoring me when

I came up with the commitment ceremony idea, but I think

you've changed your mind a little. Haven't you?"

"At first, I thought it was silly, meaningless, then, to be

honest, I got scared," I told him. When he looked at me

questioningly, I continued. "It wasn't the commitment that

bothered me, but the thought of making a public spectacle of

myself, of us. As you very well know, I'm a very private

person who has trouble expressing my feelings in private,

much less in public."

"You've gotten so much better at that since I've known you."

"I hope so, I'm trying. When we walked across the lawn that

night, I suddenly realized just how much you really mean to

me, and I wanted to start yelling 'I love you' at the top of

my lungs. I wanted to let the whole world know how I felt.

What really blew me away was knowing that you felt the same

way."

"Have you ever doubted me?" he asked.

"You know all about my insecurities," I told him. "I've

never doubted you, but I've had doubts about myself, wondering

if I could hang onto you."

He was chuckling. "I hate to admit it, but I've had a lot of

those same thoughts. Am I good enough for you, and can I

hang onto YOU for the rest of my life like I want to?"

"I hope that ceremony helped you as much as it did me. I

feel safe and secure and I hope the honeymoon never ends."

"So, do you feel really, truly, 'married' to me now?" he

asked.

"That's just a word," I said. "It has much deeper

significance to me. I may use it facetiously, but I think you

know what I mean."

"That's why I get chills," he answered, holding me tight.

\- - - - -

On our rides back and forth from Lawrence to the Federal

Courthouse, Ron and I had discussed our "airline". With the

growth we'd experienced in the last year, our planes were in

the air constantly. The new one would provide a little relief

but not completely solve the problem, particularly if Eric

and I did a lot of traveling.

Ron estimated that half of the flights were short range,

around the West, and half were transcontinental. The smaller

planes were ideal for the short hops and could land most

anywhere. The big one was best suited to the longer hauls.

He felt that to meet our needs and provide a little

"cushion", another big jet was needed, and since we were

still leasing one of the small jets, he wanted to replace it

with a slightly larger one that had short runway capability.

This sounded reasonable to me and I promised him an answer

real soon.

We also discussed management of flight operations. Currently

we had a secretary handling scheduling and taking care of odd

chores. She wasn't all that knowledgable and there had been

some problems, Ron told me. If we had four planes, it would

be even more necessary to get somebody who knew what they

were doing.

Ron didn't want the job. He wanted to fly, and so did

Jason. He had a prospect, however, a retired Marine pilot

who'd spent his last few years in flight operations.

The guy was qualified, but Ron wasn't sure he'd get along

with all the "fag" pilots we had, since Ron was pretty sure

the guy was straight, in fact, pretty macho.

I'd suggested that Ron call him in for another interview and

give him Bob's "sensitivity evaluation", then, if he passed

that, to confront him with the fact that most of us were gay

and see if he had a problem with that.

Ron agreed to give it a try.

The subject of "stewards" came up too. Ron had been working

with Metalco's Human Resources, and all they could come up

with were guys who couldn't pass the "sensitivity test". Ron

definitely didn't want us to ever be cooped up with a

homophobe.

"Try the airlines," I'd suggested. "Talk to Dan, he may be

able to help you."

In all the excitement of the trial, I hadn't mentioned any of

this to Eric. All the planes were owned by Metalco, so it

was really my decision, but I wanted him to be a part of it.

I told him about what Ron and I had discussed, and that I'd

made up my mind to order two new planes. We'd get another

Gulfstream V, and replace the leased one.

Eric eagerly agreed, wanting to know whether we would get

another GV just like this one, or if we'd get a different

interior. "I love this one," he said. "It's so warm and

comfortable."

"Why don't we use Brucie's design on the next one," I

suggested. "I liked his color scheme too. Since he did such

a good job, we can have Gary do the small one."

Eric just grinned when I mentioned the "steward" problem, but

didn't say anything.

This settled, we wandered up to the cockpit to give Ron the

go-ahead to order the two new planes.

\- - - - -

Driving home, Eric was real antsy. "What's with you?" I

asked. "What're you so excited about?"

"I've got a surprise for you," he said. "The wedding present

that I got for us should be there by now," he giggled.

I'd totally forgotten about that. "Gimme a hint," I coaxed.

"No way! It'll only be a few minutes."

He led me straight to the den. "Sit," he commanded. "I'll

be right back."

I obediently sat and waited.

A few minutes later he returned, his arm around the shoulder

of a shorter man. "Remember this guy?" he asked.

He looked familiar, but it took me a minute to place him.

"Jacques! What are you doing here?" I remembered him from

our Caribbean cruise, he had been our butler.

"He's here to take care of us," Eric explained, grinning like

crazy.

My first thought was that Mary would eat him alive. My

second thought was what the hell do we need with a butler?

Oh hell, I guess I could learn how to be spoiled.

I gave him a big smile and got up to shake his hand.

"Welcome aboard," I told him.

"I'm going to love it here," he said in his highly accented

English. "It's going to be so wonderful to take care of both

of you. Can I make you a cocktail?"

"Sure, I think I could use one," I told him.

Eric came over to sit next to me, still beaming. "You REALLY

surprised me this time," I told him, laughing. "How's Mary

taking it?"

"Don't know for sure," he laughed, "I warned her."

"I'm dying of curiosity," I told him, "I've gotta find out."

I got up and wandered out to the kitchen. Mary was perched

on a stool watching Rene work on dinner. She had a big smile

on her face. "Welcome home," she said. "Have a good trip?"

"Successful," I said. "How's everything around here?"

She started chuckling. "You mean the 'addition', I assume?"

"Him too," I answered, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Eric told me he'd be coming," she said, still smiling.

"When he showed up, I wouldn't let him stay until I called

Bob to see if he'd been checked out. Eric had already taken

care of that."

"Well, what do you think of him?"

"He's amazing. I've never seen anybody with so much energy.

He cooks, he cleans, he answers the door, and does just about

everything else that needs to be done before any of us even

have a chance. He's already an enormous help, and he and I

are getting along real well. He knows who's boss and isn't

pushy."

I was shaking my head. "I was wondering if we'd have to find

something to keep him busy, but I guess I don't have to worry

about that."

"Not him," she said. "He never holds still."

I went back into the den, still shaking my head, but grinning.

"Everything OK?" Eric asked.

I glanced around, Jacques was nowhere in sight. "I can't

believe it," I told him, "Mary thinks he's Mr. Wonderful."

"Somehow, I knew they'd hit it off," he said, then changing

the subject, "I had a long talk with him before I hired

him. He knows the groundrules. He's a horny little fucker,

but he knows you and I are totally off limits. No games."

"Don't you trust me?" I kidded.

"It's HIM I don't trust," he laughed.

I pulled Eric over to me and gave him a kiss. "Thank you,

babe. You really surprised me, and I'm sure we'll both soon

wonder how we survived without him."

"Just remember, he's on MY payroll!"

I grinned and kissed him again.

\- - - - -

The hubub in the news over the verdict in New Hampshire

didn't die down. It was a major topic every night on the

news, getting analyzed from every possible angle. There were

rumors flying that a recall movement was underway in New

Hampshire, targeting everyone involved from the governor on

down.

There was also a lot of speculation about what the state

would do when they had to pay up. All the "experts" had

predicted that the verdict wouldn't be overturned on appeal,

and that they couldn't get away with bankruptcy, so a day of

reckoning loomed. About the best the state could hope for

was that the damages would be reduced.

There was also the earlier default judgment against the

county to be dealt with. Would that also be appealed?

Both Eric and I were bombarded with requests for statements

and interviews. Our secretaries had stock responses. "No

comment," we weren't available, and referred the callers to

Dr. Naimann's office.

\- - - - -

Eric's first priority was go get together with Spence on

Micron's offer. I wasn't involved, this was their baby.

When the two of them came into my office all smiles, I knew

they were going to accept.

"Congratulations!" I told them, not waiting for them to tell

me.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Spence said, grinning.

"This little fart has been busy," Eric said, putting his arm

around Spence's shoulder. "He's been working with some tax

men and has come up with a way for us to do this virtually

tax free, at least until we decide to sell some of the stock."

"I'm going to get a second opinion before we sign anything,"

Spence piped up. "There's just too much involved."

"Good thinking," I commented.

"Spence's going to call it the 'SPY System'," Eric told me.

"Any particular reason for that name?" I asked.

"My initials," Spence grinned. "My middle name doesn't start

with 'P', but I like it. It's catchy!"

We sat and talked about how the transaction would be

handled. Since he'd never been there, Spence wanted to go to

New York to finalize the deal, taking Jimmy too, of course.

With a wink at me, Eric suggested that we all go, "just to

keep you two kids out of trouble," he said.

"How's Jimmy?" I asked.

"He's awesome," Spence said. "I really love him. It took me

a while to get used to that big dick he's got, but now I love

it!" he reported unashamedly.

"Size queen!" Eric teased.

"You betcha," he giggled. "Jimmy's going back to school this

fall too."

"Another lifeguard bites the dust," Eric commented dryly.

"Hey, when are you guys going to have another pool party?"

Spence asked.

"We've been kind of busy," I chuckled.

"I know, I watch the news," Spence said.

"How about Sunday?" Eric asked, looking at me. I nodded.

"You want Jimmy to let the guys at the beach know about it?"

Spence asked.

"That'd be great," Eric said, "save me a bunch of phone

calls."

"Don't forget Hal," I reminded Eric.

\- - - - -

When we got home, shorts, shirts and sandals were on the bed

ready for us to change into.

"Did you tell Jacques?" I asked Eric.

"Nope."

"Then he must have one hell of a crystal ball!" I said.

"It's not going to be hard to get used to this."

Eric just grinned.

Our drinks were served the minute we sat down, and we relaxed

while waiting for Eric's parents to arrive for dinner.

"What sort of mischief have you two been up to lately?" Karl

chuckled.

"Eric pulled off another deal," I ventured.

"Had I better sit down for this?" his mother asked, laughing.

"Maybe you'd better LIE down," I chuckled.

She looked at me to see if I was serious. "OK, I'm ready,"

she said. "How much this time?"

"How's three billion and change sound?" Eric teased.

"Don't spend it all in one place," she said, rolling her eyes

skyward.

"It's true, Mom," he said, then told them the story of how it

had happened. I sat and listened, beaming with pride in My

Man. His parents just shook their heads.

\- - - - -

The pool party got off to its usual start. The tables were

groaning with food and the horseplay was as noisy as ever.

Hal was late, so I waited on a lounge chair for him. When

Jacques led him out, I saw him scanning all the bodies in the

pool and scattered around it, the sight I'd been admiring

myself.

When he reached me, he turned his back to the pool. After a

handshake, he almost whispered "It's him!"

"Who?" I asked.

"The lifeguard I've been drooling over for the past month."

I just grinned. Eric came over. "Come on, Hal, come meet the

gang," he said, dragging him toward the pool.

Hal dropped his wallet and keys on the table and followed.

Eric introduced him around, then they both jumped in. I

decided it was time to join them.

I got splashed, dunked, groped and goosed by the playful

bunch, loving every minute of it. Spence and Jimmy were

particularly persistent, hanging onto me and rubbing their

dicks on my thighs until they both were hard. Jimmy really

was hung like a horse!

Eric joined the fray, groping Spence and making him turn me

loose. "What's this?" Eric said, holding onto Spence's boner.

"Same thing you've got," Spence said, grabbing Eric. "Wow,"

he whistled, then in a quieter tone, "I thought Jimmy was

big!"

They weren't the only ones getting "friendly", the whole

group seemed to be in a rather playful mode.

Eric swam over to me and put his arm around my waist in the

chest deep water. His hand strayed and found my hard dick.

"You too?" he giggled.

"Yeah, me too," I laughed. "It's hard not to with all the

attention I've been getting."

"Do you think things are getting out of control?" he asked

seriously.

"Nah," I said. "Everybody's just having a little fun," and

reached over and grabbed his hard dick.

"We're not setting a very good example," he giggled, as we

continued stroking each other.

I was getting real close when he finally let go. I think he

was too. I was tempted to push him over, then did exactly

that. It was pretty obvious what was happening and we had an

audience. A cheer went up and Eric glared at me.

"I thought that was against the rules," someone commented.

"Can't I tickle him?" I asked as innocently as possible.

Eric decided on a coverup. "I'm real ticklish, guys," he said

with a big smile.

"Yeah, right!"

"No, I really am," he protested, "and Dave knows all the

places that really get me going."

"Like your dick?" someone asked.

"What's that white stuff floating around?" another giggled.

"OK guys, I'm sorry," I said. "I broke the rules."

"And you're gonna pay," somebody said, and the next thing I

knew I was being manhandled with about four hands on my still

stiff dick. It was rough, but I couldn't help myself and

shot a big load in my suit. Eric stood there grinning.

That seemed to defuse the situation, and the play became a

lot less serious.

"I'll get you for this," Eric promised. I grinned at him,

hoping he would.

\- - - - -

Jacques was spoiling us rotten. After our workouts, he gave

us massages, ignoring the boners that always sprung up and

got one himself in the process. He never touched either of

us, though.

When he suggested giving us facials, I was surprised, and

Eric swore he hadn't dropped any hints.

Every morning while we were in the shower, he set out our

clothes for the day, always exactly the appropriate things

for what we had planned. I thought he was psychic until I

learned that he called our secretaries to find out what we

had scheduled.

Somehow, he had the ability to anticipate our "wants",

supplying them almost before we thought of them. All of our

"needs" were taken care of automatically. His talents seemed

endless. The man could do anything.

Neither of us had been so pampered in our lives. Not only

was it easy to become accustomed to, we soon relaxed and just

enjoyed everything he did for us.

His assumption of responsibility for all the small details of

our lives came about gradually. Small tasks that we'd

previously done ourselves were gradually taken over and we

forgot about them easily. In a very short time, Jacques

became indispensable and an integral part of our lives.

\- - - - -

Eric and Spence had worked out all the details on the

transfer of rights to Spence's operating system to Micron.

All that remained was for them to go to New York to sign the

agreements.

We planned to leave on Friday so Spence and Jimmy could spend

the weekend seeing the sights. The signing and a celebration

planned by Micron would happen on Monday.

I wasn't the least bit surprised when Eric told me that

Jacques would be our "steward" on the flight. I knew that

Ron was still having trouble finding people for this position.

There was an air of excitement when we met at the hangar.

Spence was trying to act blase about the whole thing but

wasn't succeeding very well. Eric didn't even try to hide

his feelings.

It isn't every day that one puts together a $15 billion

dollar deal, and they deserved to be on cloud nine.

We got on board, Jacques welcoming us in a new uniform.

Since this was their first time on the new plane, both boys

had to see everything and find out how all the gadgets worked.

Spence was a typical "kid" again.

For takeoff, Eric and I decided to use seats instead of our

usual "perch" on the couch. The kids grabbed the couch,

smiling, giggling and hugging each other.

Once in the air, Jacques served drinks, booze for Eric and

me, sodas for the boys. "What do YOU guys do on this couch

when you're alone?" Jimmy snickered.

"None of your damned business," Eric laughed.

"I can imagine!" Spence piped up.

"If you behave yourselves, maybe someday we'll let you guys

join the 'Five Mile High Club'," Eric offered."

"That'd be awesome!" Jimmy said. "We'll be good," he promised.

"Hell Spence, you can afford one of these yourself," I told

him.

"It'd be nice, but I'm not ready for that. Too much

responsibility. We'll just use yours," he said.

"I'm really looking forward to working with Micron," Spence

continued, getting serious. "I really like Greg, and I

promised him that I'd help them all I can. It's going to be

fun learning how a REAL programmer works."

"Wise ass," Eric teased him.

"How do you guys REALLY feel about this?" I asked them.

"It's a major milestone for both of you."

"Seriously?" Spence quizzed me. "It's more of a feeling of

accomplishment, like I did something really worthwhile. I

owe a lot to Eric, though. Without him, none of this would be

happening. I tried to fuck him, both literally and

figuratively, but he didn't give up, and made me come to my

senses. I'd probably have ended up with a few million for

the platform and the system wouldn't ever have happened.

"I owe you a lot, big brother," he said to Eric.

"You've given ME a lot too - financially and your

friendship," Eric answered.

"Let's not get mushy, guys," Jimmy warned.

I didn't have to ask Eric how he felt. I knew.

\- - - - -

"Hey, are you guys art freaks or what?" Spence asked as he

surveyed the penthouse living room.

"Dave is, and I'm learning," Eric told him.

"Wish I knew more about it. This stuff looks fabulous."

"There's more to life than dollars and computers," Eric told

him. "Give a little thought to taking some other courses to

broaden your horizons."

The boys got dressed up to go out to dinner. Neither one

looked very comfortable in a suit and Eric had to tie their

ties for them.

We went to Chef Maurice's and the boys were served wine even

though they were underage. Maurice insisted.

After dinner, we had our driver take us through the Times

Square area and around the village. They couldn't wait to

come back and explore both places on their own.

Saturday and Sunday they went sightseeing. We gave them the

limo and the driver was their guide.

Saturday night we took them to the Rainbow Room at

Rockefeller Center and Sunday night to Windows on the World

atop the World Trade Center. Touristy, but the boys enjoyed

it immensely. Eric and I had fun too, catching their

enthusiasm for everything.

Monday was the big day. Eric and Spence would formally join

the ranks of the world's super rich. We were to meet in

Jerry's office at 2:00.

To channel their restless energy, Eric took the boys shopping

that morning, coming home loaded down with packages.

If my "boys" had been excited, they couldn't compare to the

Micron four. Jerry and Greg were always hyper, but Mike and

Ted, the usually quiet ones, were just as animated.

After an enthusiastic welcome, we all went to a large

conference room where all of Micron's top executives were

assembled. Jerry introduced Eric and Spence to the group

while Jimmy and I melted into the crowd.

They sat at the conference table to sign the agreements,

passing them back and forth until everybody had signed

everything. Then the speeches.

Spence blushed at all the praise heaped on him. Eric was

called the "catalyst" who brought Spence and Micron

together. From there, it became a pep talk for Micron people.

The whole thing didn't take long. Afterward we were all

invited on a tour of the Micron building. Eric made excuses

for us, and we agreed to meet the boys at home.

"It's really Spence's day," Eric commented on the elevator

down. "I'm just a bystander."

I just smiled at him. "We'll talk about that later," I said.

"Let's find a quiet bar and talk," he suggested. "There's

one around the corner from the apartment that's nice."

The bar was dark, quiet, with only a few customers sitting at

the bar. We found a booth where we could talk undisturbed.

"Feel like celebrating?" I asked him.

"Not really, its not that big a deal," he said.

"Don't underestimate yourself and the part that you played in

all this. Without you, it never would have happened."

"Another case of being in the right place at the right time

and getting lucky," he said. "Making money is getting

meaningless. I already have more than I can spend in my

lifetime, and I don't have even a fraction of what you do.

How do you deal with that?"

"After a while, the money itself becomes meaningless," I told

him. "It's the scorecard, telling you if you're doing

something right. For me it's all an adventure."

This lead to a philosophical discussion that lasted the rest

of the afternoon. Eric's mood changed and we were both

laughing when we found our way back to the penthouse, a

little bit tipsy, too.

There was a gizmo in the oversize shower that turned it into a

steam room. We decided to give it a try and maybe sober up a

little in the process.

It heated up fast as we sat on the little bench. So did we.

I watched as Eric's dick rose to full staff. Mine followed.

We stroked each other gently, kissing deeply. "How do you

want it?" he asked when we broke for air. "Hand or mouth?"

he giggled.

"Like this," I said, standing and straddling him, pointing

his dick at my hole.

"No lube?" he asked.

"Don't need any," I said, lowering myself onto him.

\- - - - -

The boys were dressed and waiting when we emerged.

"Can we have one drink before we go?" Spence asked.

"Is my good little Mormon boy turning into a lush?" Eric

kidded him.

Jacques served us a drink and Spence told us about their

afternoon. He was "like totally" awed at how much effort was

being put into developing his concepts. Hundreds of people

were working on it, and he was excited that he'd been able to

talk to a lot of them. Many of them were moving to the west

coast to continue their work where Spence would be available

if needed.

Dinner with the fearsome foursome started out as a self-

congratulatory love feast. From what I was able to gather,

they expected the new software to literally take over the

market when it was released.

The conversation became more technical, leaving Eric and me

out of it. Greg, however, talked to us in language that we

could understand.

I was surprised to see that Jimmy was fully involved in the

"other" discussion, sounding very knowledgable when he

commented.

"We can't keep quiet about an acquisition this big," Greg

told us. "We have to give our stockholders some clue about

why their stock is being diluted."

"Will our names come out?" Eric wanted to know.

"Not at first," Greg said, "we're just buying 'SPY Systems',

but there'll be a lot of digging around, and somebody's going

to find out who's behind it eventually."

"I guess that's inevitable," Eric said, "but I want Spence to

remain anonymous as long as possible."

"We'll do our best," Greg promised.

\- - - - -

There had been innumerable toasts, and the boys were

"feeling" all the champagne they'd drunk. When we got home,

they headed straight for bed.

The answering machine in the den was blinking. Eric checked

the message. It was Hal, asking us to call him as soon as

possible, leaving several numbers where he could be reached.

Eric called him, and all of a sudden turned very serious,

just listening. "We'll meet you there in the morning," he

said and hung up.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The chopper carrying ore from the mine was shot down," he

said. "The pilot and another guy from the mine were killed

in the crash."

Chapter 46

lg-47

Someone had mentioned that there might be a hijack attempt,

but shooting down a chopper was unbelievable.

"Did Hal have any details?" I asked, slumping into a chair.

"Just that someone found the wreckage earlier this evening."

"Let's get out of here really early in the morning," I

suggested.

"I'll call Ron," Eric volunteered. "What time do you want to

leave?"

"Let's shoot for 5:00 takeoff, that'll put us in Prescott

around 8:00 their time. Oh, ask Ron if there's enough runway

there for this plane, would you?"

While he was calling, I went to alert the boys and Jacques.

"I also called Hal to tell him what time we'd be there, he's

leaving tonight," Eric told me as he handed me a drink.

"I hope he was able to grab one of the other planes," I

muttered.

"He did."

Since there weren't any details, all we could do was

speculate, and Eric sensibly suggested that that was futile.

Everyone was up, packed, and ready to go in the morning. No

traffic that early so we made good time to the airport.

The boys commandeered the couch and were back to sleep before

takeoff. Jacques was busy in the galley. Eric and I took

forward seats to stay out of everyone's way.

I wasn't ready to wake up either, so reclined my seat and

dozed. I woke gradually, opening my eyes to see Eric

grinning at me. "Feel better, babe?" he asked.

Jacques brought me a cup of coffee, and soon served

breakfast, freshly cooked. The galley must have a great

ventilation system because I couldn't smell the cooking in

the cabin.

The boys woke up and joined us. We talked about everything

but what we were soon going to be seeing.

I thought about it, though. My thinking didn't go along the

line of hand wringing and "oh dear me". Instead, I was

thoroughly pissed. How could anybody kill a couple of

innocent men for something of questionable value? If the

local cops couldn't catch the assholes, I'd put Bob on it.

He had more manpower, resources and expertise than a lot of

big city police departments. We'd get 'em.

There was a delegation waiting on the tarmac. Hal, Loren,

and John, and Bob was already there too. All of them looked

pretty grim.

Jacques and the boys decided to stay at the airport, but Ron

and Jason wanted to see what had happened.

The crash site was several miles out of town and accessible

only with 4-wheel drive vehicles. The area was cordoned off,

and swarming with official looking people. Hal took over.

There really wasn't much to see. Debris was scattered over a

wide area, nothing big enough to be recognizable.

Two men separated from the crowd and came over to where we

were standing. Hal told them who we were, and they

introduced themselves - one was an FAA investigator and the

other was from the local Sheriff's office.

The Sheriff told us that someone had seen a fireball and men

from his office had investigated. It had taken them several

hours to find the wreckage, and by that time, all the canvas

bags were gone without a trace. What remained of the bodies

had been removed the night before. Their investigation was

underway.

The FAA guy didn't have anything concrete yet, but said that

their preliminary guess was that some sort of missile had

been used because the chopper, if flying in it's normal

pattern, would have been too high to be brought down by

conventional firearms. Their investigation would take

several days, or weeks, to pinpoint the cause.

Both of them wanted to ask all of us questions, particularly

Loren who was most familiar with the flights. Hal told them

that we'd be at the Hacienda Motel in Prescott.

After our briefing, we were invited to take a closer look.

Only Bob and the two pilots accepted.

The Hacienda was surprising, rustic but quite luxurious, and

even had suites, all of which Hal had booked for us.

Ron and Jason volunteered to go pick up Jacques and the boys

and get our luggage, and the rest of us congregated in Hal

and Bob's suite.

Bob was the first to speak up. "I spent a few hours at the

Sheriff's office last night," he said. "They did everything

they should have, in my opinion. Put up roadblocks in all

directions, but didn't see anything.

"This thing had to be very carefully planned," he continued,

"and my bet is that whoever it was is still in the area,

waiting for the heat to die down, they they'll take their

haul out piecemeal."

"If it was a missile, won't that be relatively easy to trace?"

Eric asked.

"Hell no," Bob grumbled. "You can buy 'em on the Internet."

"What can they do with the ore?" I asked the room at large.

Loren answered. "To make it marketable, they'll have to

refine it, and I don't think there's anyplace here in this

country that'd do it. My guess is that they'll head for

Mexico with it."

"Is anybody watching the border?" I asked innocently.

"Why bother," Bob said. "If they're smart, they'll keep it

in 50 pound lots, and that's easy to stash. It'd be

impossible to check every car going across the border, and

the Mexicans don't pay any attention to what's coming in."

"Then it doesn't look promising?" I commented. There were

lots of shaking heads.

"If they get away with it this time, either the same ones or

others will try it again," I commented. "How can we prevent

that from happening?"

"We can do it," Bob assured me. "It'll take some thought and

a lot of changes, but we can get it done."

The Sheriff joined us. He pretty much concurred with our

speculations. "They didn't just drive in, shoot the plane

down, then disappear," he said. "Somebody did a lot of

preliminary planning, and they had to be here to do it.

Somebody had to notice something, and we're going to find

that somebody. This is a small community and anything out of

the ordinary gets noticed."

He went on to say that it may take time, but eventually

somebody would make a mistake, or had already made one, and

they'd catch the culprits.

Hal and Loren agreed that no more ore concentrate would be

moved out until safety could be assured. Mining operations

would continue, but the ore would be stockpiled, and Bob

would supply additional security at the mine.

There wasn't a whole lot we could do, so I suggested to Eric

that we head on home. He agreed.

On Thursday and Friday, we attended funerals in Phoenix.

\- - - - -

Joel called to see if we still wanted to go to Taiwan with

him and Aaron. Unfortunately, it was the same time as our

get-together with all the Milton Managers, so we had to beg

off.

Jeff briefed us on the meeting schedule. It would be three

days of golf and informal get-togethers at the Greenbriar in

West Virginia. With the new managers and the four of us,

there would be more than fifty, and not all were golfers.

Over Eric's protests, I volunteered to forego the golf and

give the non-golfers some attention.

Jacques was devastated when we wouldn't let him go along. We

did let up a little and agreed that he'd be our steward on

the flight.

I got along real well with the non-golfers. We met for a

later breakfast and then sat around and shot the bull while

the rest were out chasing that little white ball around.

When the golfers came in, they joined us. I noticed that the

first thing Eric did was come over and touch me. It was, I'm

sure, an unconscious move but it seemed like he was "marking

his territory", and made me feel wonderful.

On the third morning, after a night of heavy drinking, only

two of the guys showed up for breakfast. They were obviously

hungover, but were nevertheless cheerful. By now, we were

all pretty familiar with each other. We joked, teased, and

were all just pals.

They were sipping their coffee when one of them looked me

straight in the eye and asked "Is it true that you and Eric

are an 'item'?"

"This answer your question?" I asked holding up my left hand

and rubbing my ring. "Eric wears one just like it."

"I noticed," he said. "That is so neat!"

"Thank you," was all I could say.

"There's been a little speculation going on," he said.

"Nobody really gives a damn, we're just curious."

"Well, now you know," I told him, smiling.

One of the things that came out of the meetings was that many

of the managers wanted to provide an opportunity for their

production people to get together too. They were closer to

the action, and, comparing notes would certainly be

beneficial. If Metalco production people could join them, it

would be even better.

Another, and possibly the most important, had been learning

that all the Managers hated the Union they had to deal with.

It was felt that the Union was a nuisance and stifled

communications between workers and management. This was

definitely food for thought.

\- - - - -

It seemed like we had barely gotten home when it was time to

go to Chicago to the Lundborg family reunion.

We left the day before, going first to San Francisco to pick

up Ryan, Diane, the baby and the nanny, and a ton of luggage.

Jacques took care of us and the baby was quiet the whole trip

in spite of the fact that the grandparents wouldn't leave the

poor kid alone.

That night, we "broke in" another of our hotels. No oil or

candles, but a whole lot of lube got used.

The reunion, which started at noon, was at a park in one of

the suburbs. It was a potluck-picnic sort of affair, very

informal.

When we arrived, there was already a good crowd. "Damn,

never knew I had so many relatives," Eric kidded his mother.

"All blondes, too."

"I think that's a dominant gene in the family," she answered.

When both limos were unloaded, Eric and I were at the tail

end of the procession into the throng. Karl and Ingrid were

followed by Ryan and Diane, then the Nanny, then us. Neither

of us knew a soul.

That didn't last long. We were passed around from group to

group, meeting everyone. The women were all very good

looking, and the men... well, let's just say there were more

hunks than I'd ever seen at one of our pool parties! From

pre-teen to adult, they were blond, square jawed beauties.

They had obviously been prepared for my presence. I was

introduced as Eric's "partner" and not one eyebrow was

raised.

I gravitated toward the older guys, and Eric and Ryan were

engrossed with their cousins of all ages, mostly male.

When it was time to eat, Eric pulled me aside. "Blond isn't

the only gene running through this family," he giggled with

an evil grin on his face.

"What're you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm just about dizzy from all the 'vibes' I'm getting. How

about you?"

"A few," I admitted. "I thought it was my imagination."

"I don't think so," he winked. "Let's stay cool and see what

happens. I get the impression that everybody already knows

about 'us'."

Shortly after we ate, the younger crowd organized a touch

football game. I was most definitely a spectator.

"I'm too old for that stuff," Karl said, sitting down on the

grass next to me.

I laughed and agreed.

The kids played hard, Eric among them. Of course, I had my

eyes on him most of the time. He was truly a natural

athlete. Graceful, agile and fast... and so damned sexy.

There was a lot more to look at too. Big, gorgeous blondes

ranging from, I'd guess, 16 or so, to probably their late

20's. They all had a definite family resemblance, including

Eric, with facial features that any modeling agency would

drool over. Talk about "eye candy"!

The boys played for more than an hour. Sweating profusely,

Eric dropped on the grass beside me, with the rest of his

cousins joining him.

They kidded each other about their game, then wanted to know

about life in California. "It's not this humid," Eric told

them, "and it sure as hell never snows. Think about us when

you're freezing your asses off this winter," he continued

gleefully, rubbing it in.

"We'll do better than that," his cousin Don piped up, "we'll

come see you. Got a place where we can put our sleeping

bags?"

"Hell, we've got a few spare bedrooms," Eric said. "Come on

out, we'd love to have you, you're all invited!"

"Don't be surprised to find a bunch of us on your doorstep,"

Don said.

"Anytime," Eric said seriously.

I was pleased that Eric had extended the invitation without

consulting me. He was finally considering "our" house as

truly OUR house.

When it was time to go, it was pretty clear that a lot of

bonding between Eric and his cousins had taken place. There

were a lot of hugs, several of them giving me one too, and

promises to "keep in touch".

Eric didn't say much on the way back to the hotel, seeming to

be lost in thought, but grinning at me whenever he saw me

looking at him.

"Sorry to be so quiet," he said as we went into our room.

"I've been thinking about what happened today, and didn't

think Mom and Dad were ready to learn that Dad's whole family

is queer," he giggled.

"Do you really think so?" I asked.

"I'm almost positive about most of the cousins," he said,

"and I'm not so sure about a couple of my Uncles. I'm

convinced that being 'this way' is genetic, so it makes

sense."

"Do you think any of them will actually come and visit us?"

"I'll bet on it," he answered, chuckling. "That could be VERY

interesting!"

\- - - - -

Most everything was running smoothly, but there were two

issues that I wanted to look into. The first was what was

being done about the gold shipments and the second was the

Union situation at Milton.

Eric and I wandered over to Hal's office for an update on the

gold. Hal called Bob to join us.

"We've been too predictable," Hal said. "The flights have

been at about the same time every day, flying the same

route. Bob and I agree that that's the first thing we have

to change."

"We also need to know if there's anybody out there waiting

for us," Bob added.

"Any suggestions?" Eric asked.

"We were making several trips a day from the mine to

Prescott," Hal said, "bringing in supplies, parts and other

things, but the last trip of the day was always the ore. All

the trips were from the mine directly to Prescott and back,

following the same route.

"The armored car would arrive in mid afternoon, and that's

also a dead give-away. It wouldn't take much observation to

figure out which flight the ore would be on. That will have

to be changed. The armored car will have to be brought in

early in the day, every day, and not leave until late,

regardless of which flight the ore is on. Some days, we

won't even bring any out, other days, several loads."

"What's to keep 'them' from shooting down the wrong flight?"

I asked.

"We're coming to that," Bob said. "We've got an idea on how

to keep EVERY flight safe."

"It's going to be expensive," Hal said, "but when you

consider that we're bringing out four to five million dollars

worth of ore every day, it's not much."

"We'll need constant surveillance of the flight corridor,"

Bob said. "If we see any activity, we just won't fly,

period."

"How're you going to do that?" I asked. "That's rough

terrain and anybody could hide in those rocks."

"We'll need a second chopper, a small one, to patrol the

corridor," Bob said. "There will be visual observation and

also infrared equipment to detect heat anomalies in the

rocks."

"How does that work?" Eric asked.

"It's the same as the police use when they're following a

suspect. I'm sure you've seen it on TV. The human body

gives off heat at a different temperature than the

surrounding area, and the infrared scans pick up on that,"

Bob explained. "A little two-man chopper will do the job. A

pilot and someone to run the equipment. We'll also change

the route so the transport chopper will fly over terrain that

isn't so rocky."

"Do you think that'll work?" I asked.

"Nothing's a hundred percent sure thing," Bob said. "Both

Hal and I think that this would be the safest route to take.

We're also working with the local sheriff, and if we do spot

anyone, his men will go after them."

"When will this go into effect?" I asked.

"It should all be in place in a couple more weeks," Hal said,

"We're getting a larger transport chopper so we can carry

bigger loads, not have to make as many trips, and the smaller

one is being outfitted right now."

\- - - - -

Eric and I discussed the Milton Union situation. He'd never

had any experience with unions, neither as a member or on the

management side. He did have strong opinions, though. He

thought they'd served their purpose, and were no longer

needed. In his opinion, they were dinosaurs trying to

survive in a world where they were no longer wanted or needed.

In the year or so that Metalco had owned Milton, control of

critical functions had been assumed by Metalco people, but

Milton was still run as a separate business for one

important reason - all Milton plants were unionized, Metalco

was not.

Over the years, some trades within Metalco had opted to be

represented by Unions, but, this had never lasted very long

because our workers soon learned that being represented by

outsiders was superfluous and ineffective. Metalco management

was responsive to problems in the workplace, and our wage

scales were universally higher than those negotiated by

Unions in similar industries and our benefits were much more

generous.

Consequently, no Metalco plant, anyplace, had experienced any

serious Union organizing activity in more than 20 years. Our

employees just weren't interested.

Milton was a different matter. Virtually all shop-floor

workers were represented by the Metal Workers Union, and had

been for at least 40 years. Wage agreements with this Union

would be up for re-negotiation in a few months, with

preliminary talks already underway. Under the Milton

brothers' management, Edward had handled all of this himself.

Personally, I didn't have much use for Unions. I agreed with

Eric, their time had come and gone. The exploitation of

workers was a thing of the past, and the Government oversaw

and audited the activities of virtually every employer.

Not only that, but enlightened employers realized the value of

getting and, more importantly, keeping good people. With the

booming economy, it was definitely a seller's market with

employers actually bidding for the services of the

diminishing supply of available, qualified people.

My main reason for disliking Unions was the fact that so many

of them really weren't interested in the welfare of those

they represented, but in the perpetuation of the institutions

themselves and the high paying positions and political power

they provided to their officials. Most had been proven to be

utterly corrupt too, which I didn't find very appealing.

Quite frankly, I hated Unions. My late father had considered

"union" the dirtiest word in the English language as a result

of some of the battles he'd fought with them.

From past experience, I knew that the only time the National

Labor Relations Board would permit a union de-certification

election was the six months prior to expiration of an

existing contract. I also knew that the effort couldn't be

initiated by management, legally. It had to be started by

the so-called "Rank and File".

The "window" of opportunity was open. Eric and I agreed that

we ought to try a little "Union busting" while we had the

chance.

I set up a meeting with Bill, Jeff and Jack to tell them what

we had in mind. Bill and Jack had been through this before,

and Jack knew every dirty trick in the book.

My decision to move forward wasn't altogether selfish. In

the short term, it would cost us more. Bringing all Milton

employees up to Metalco wage levels would be more expensive

than the levels we could probably negotiate with the Union.

But, in the long run, in my opinion, employee satisfaction

and company loyalty would offset the cost.

In fact, if the Union was as crooked and corrupt as I

understood it to be, for a nominal bribe, we could probably

get by a LOT cheaper, like the Miltons had done. But, we

don't work that way.

When I broached the subject, Bill was in full agreement, and

Jack relished the chance for a good fight. Jeff, however was

hesitant. "Our busiest season is coming up," he said, "do we

really want to make waves right now?"

"Actually, that's to our advantage," Jack told him. "The

Union won't expect it, and to call a strike before Christmas

wouldn't make any points with the workers."

"The managers made it pretty clear that they wanted to get

rid of the Union," Bill observed. "If we don't move now,

it'll be another three years before we can do anything."

We discussed strategy. Since the movement to oust the Union

had to be started by Union members, it was up to individual

managers to plant the seeds among people who would

cooperate. They, in turn, would start the petition process,

getting their fellow workers to sign. Neither the managers

nor other management people could openly support the

movement, but we could help in other ways such as providing

positive information to them on the advantages enjoyed by the

non-union employees of Metalco, and derogutory information

about the Union itself.

So far, Eric and I were the only ones who knew about the

surveillance that had been in place for months on Tony

Rizullo and the Miltons, and we had decided to keep it to

ourselves until later.

Jeff was given the job of contacting all the managers and

getting their cooperation. All of this was to be verbal. No

E-mails, nothing in writing that could be used against us

later.

The Union itself was in a highly vulnerable position. They

were small, independent, and not affiliated with any of the

big organizations. The AFL-CIO considered them renegades and

too crooked to join them, so they were on their own, and

didn't have the organization to fight a major battle like we

planned. But, since Milton employees represented a third of

their total membership, they'd no doubt try to put up a fight.

If decertification efforts got started at all of our 47

plants at the same time, the Union just wouldn't have the

manpower to fight on all those fronts. That's what we'd try

to do, hit them all at once.

Jeff left to start making calls. Jack was grinning. "This

ought to be fun," he said. "I wonder how dirty they'll get?"

"We've been through this before," I chuckled.

"I know, OUR one vulnerable spot is you guys," he said

nodding toward Eric and me. "They will probably try to go

after you personally, so be careful."

The ball was rolling and there wasn't much for Eric and I to

do except watch - until the petitions started circulating and

the Union reacted.

\- - - - -

It was time for the annual "Critters" party at the San Diego

Zoo, a benefit for CRES (Center for the Reproduction of

Endangered Species), my pet charity. Every year, I was one

of the main sponsors of the event but used the name of one of

our Appliance brands instead of mine. It was always a fun

evening, starting with wine tasting put on by all of Southern

California's wineries, then all the restaurants in town had

booths where they dished out their specialties of the house.

This all took place right at the Zoo.

When I told Eric about it, he was eager to go. "Let's take a

couple of days," he suggested. "We can take a look at the

CLP property and just 'play' for a day or two."

That sounded good to me. We also had a hotel or two to check

out.

We left on Wednesday afternoon, driving Eric's Mercedes with

the top down. As usual, I had my hand on his thigh and when

we passed trucks who could look down and see, we got quite a

few toots of their horns and a big thumbs up. A few people

driving those damned SUV's noticed us too. Some gave us the

thumbs up, others glared. I blew kisses at the glarers, male

or female, and that really pissed them off.

We spent all day Thursday at the Zoo. It was Eric's first

time there and he wanted to see everything, particularly the

Giant Pandas. I'd been there many times before, but it was

so much fun to be with someone who was so enthusiastic. He

truly was a "Nature Boy".

The zoo's botanical collection rivaled the animal exhibits,

and we took time to "smell the roses".

Friday, we drove up to the Wild Animal Park north of the

city. This is where the breeding programs for endangered

species were carried out. I'd made arrangements for us to see

the "behind the scenes" activities, so we got to see a lot

that isn't open to the general public. As always, it was

fascinating to me, and Eric didn't miss a thing.

The Benefit event itself was informal. The objective was to

try to sample the food from every booth, and get thoroughly

stuffed in the process. During the wine tasting, we ran into

a group of zoo and CRES officials who I knew. I introduced

Eric and told them that they'd better go after him during

their next fund-raising drive.

The food was unbelievable. I think every ethnic cuisine

known to man was represented. All you got was a "taste" at

each booth unless you were greedy like I was, going back for

more of the unusual stuff.

Before hitting the dessert section, we took a walk. Most of

the walkways were dimly lighted, and some of the nocturnal

animals were out doing their thing. Not many other people

were wandering, so we strolled with our arms around each

other. Here we were, in the middle of the city with wild

animals all around us, no doubt watching. It was eerily

calm, somehow emphasizing the closeness I felt to the man

brushing along my side. I leaned my head onto his shoulder.

"Just us and the animals," I sighed contentedly.

We stopped, kissed lovingly, and continued. "I just like

being with you," Eric said softly. "When we're together like

this, nothing else matters."

Evidently that was the case with both of us because we were

halfway home when we realized that we'd forgotten to look at

the waterfront property.

\- - - - -

Petitions had been circulating on shop floors in all Milton

plants for a couple of weeks. The only reaction from the

Union had been an abrupt end to contract negotiations that

had started earlier. The Union just canceled all further

meetings.

The first sign of trouble was in New Jersey, not

surprisingly. The trucks that normally hauled our product to

customers failed to show up. Our two plants in New Jersey

required a total of sixty trucks per day, only four showed up

at one plant and none at the other.

This was clearly a secondary boycott, highly illegal. The

trucking companies that we worked with used "Equipment

shortage" as an excuse. Jack, however, was ready, and filed

for an injunction immediately. It was granted, and trucks

started showing up again, but in much smaller numbers than we

needed.

This action spread to other plants in the Northeast,

including Metalco facilities. It spread like a brushfire and

kept Jack and his crew busy in several states.

Jeff and Mike reported that our warehouses would be bulging

in less than two weeks and we'd have to curtail production.

To this, Eric had a suggestion. "How about getting a bunch

of those inflatable buildings? I understand you can put them

up in a few days."

"Good idea," Mike said. "We've used them before."

"We can prioritize shipments," Jeff said. "Most of our stuff

is just going to another warehouse to be held for Christmas

anyway. I'm pretty sure our customers will work with us."

That would defuse the current problem, and give us time to

put pressure on the trucking companies through the courts.

It was time to look over the surveillance reports that Bob

had been collecting. Eric and I picked them up and spent

the weekend going over them.

There wasn't much "meat" in them until we got to the ones

covering the last few weeks. There was, however, a lot of

interesting background information that might come in handy

if things got really nasty.

Tony Rizullo's office, car and phone were all bugged, and we

learned a lot about how the Union operated. The Union

President was a figurehead, Tony actually ran the Union. He

wasn't what you'd call an upstanding citizen, either, closely

linked to the mob and involved in all sorts of criminal

dealings. He was also real chummy with Edward Milton.

Sunday morning, I asked Bob to come over to the house. He

wasn't surprised, and had anticipated my first request.

"I've already passed the word to beef up surveillance on

Marzullo, and to get the reports back to me the next day if

possible," he said, grinning. "He's a nasty SOB, and we need

to know what he's up to."

"You've read the reports yourself?" I asked.

"I've scanned most of them," he answered. "I've been looking

for any references to you or Milton or Metalco. Not much

until the last few weeks."

"We're interested in seeing transcripts of some of those

recent conversations," I told him. "Maybe we'd better have

full transcripts on everything from now on."

He was taking notes, and made a list of the conversations

that Eric and I had marked. "You'll want to keep these

originals," he said. "This is all I'll need to get full

details for you. Does anybody else know about these?"

"Not yet," I told him. "Jack's on his way over and we intend

to show them to him, but not tell him where we got them."

"Jack's OK," Bob said, grinning. "He and I've worked

together for a lot of years, and he doesn't mind 'bending'

the rules if it's in the Company's best interest."

"I'm still not going to tell him that you're involved," I

said.

"That's fine with me. I'll put the daily reports in your car

like I did before, if that's OK." I nodded.

Jack was chuckling when I finished telling him that we'd had

the Miltons and Tony Rizullo under surveillance for the last

several months.

"Dave, nothing you do surprises me," he laughed. "What made

you start doing it?"

"We heard a rumor that the Miltons may try something, and

then when we saw old Edward getting palsy-walsy with Rizullo,

we had him covered too," I said.

"I'm not going to ask how you're getting this stuff.

Afterall, I'm an officer of the Court, and I couldn't

possibly get involved in something like this," he said, then

busted out laughing. "Every advantage helps," he winked at

us.

"We've already requested full transcripts of some of the

recent conversations. They're marked, and if you want any

others, let me know. Reports will be coming in daily, and

I'll pass them on to you. They'll be complete, too, not just

references, but verbatim."

"I won't know what we've got until I read these," he said.

"Dale's working with me on this Union thing, and with your

permission, I'll ask him to read them too...at home. This

stuff isn't going anywhere near the office."

\- - - - -

Bob reported that everything was set up for daily reports.

They'd be e-mailed to an untraceable address, then printed.

The transcripts we'd requested would be in my car by the time

we went home.

In the afternoon, Jack called to request an evening meeting

with us. He would be bringing Dale. I suggested that they

come to our house for dinner.

After they arrived, Jack and Dale scanned the reports that

had come in that day. Eric had read them but I hadn't.

"That Rizullo is pure slime," Dale commented. "There's

enough in those reports to put him away for the rest of his

natural life. The Miltons, too."

"Don't get indignant," Jack chuckled. "We'll worry about

them later. We need them now so we'll know what to expect."

"Well, did you find anything useful?" I asked.

"Since the reports we've seen aren't very current, we don't

have any idea what they're planning to do next. Hopefully,

with daily reports, we'll know more in the next few days.

There is, however, a lot of blackmail material. That's what

we wanted to talk to you guys about.

"What's your point?" Eric asked.

"So far, the fight's been relatively clean," Jack told us.

"Just the usual crap - the truckers, and attempted

intimidation of the membership. That's to be expected, and

we can deal with it.

"It hasn't degenerated to a personal level yet, and I hope it

doesn't, and for that reason, I don't think we should start

it.

"They all know that you, Dave, are behind this 'Union

busting' effort, or at least have given your approval. They

also know that you can stop it. The last thing that I want

to see happen is for either you or Eric to get hurt

personally.

"We already have the advantage, or soon will, by knowing

their next moves. We can counter those, and, I believe, win

this thing without resorting to too many dirty tricks. I

suggest we keep it 'clean' as long as we can."

"What could they do to us?" Eric asked.

"I don't think they'd try anything physical," Dale said, "but

with Tony's mob connections, that can't be ruled out either."

"Bob's increasing your security, but the ones I'm most

concerned about are the rest of the family - Annie and Tina,

and your parents, Eric," Jack added.

"Sounds like it's time for the Lake House again," Eric

chuckled.

"Let's not panic, for chrissakes!" I roared. "Aren't we

blowing this whole thing out of proportion?"

"Not according to Bob," Jack said. "He's really nervous.

Get him over here and he'll tell you so himself."

"I believe you," I said. "Let's keep our shirts on and see

what happens."

"I certainly didn't expect anything like this!" Eric said

when we were alone.

"They're all being overprotective," was my opinion. "But, I

think you ought to talk to your Mom and Dad."

"I will, but they'll laugh at me."

"I'm going to talk to the girls in the morning," I told him.

\- - - - -

Jeff gave us daily reports. At one plant in Ohio more than

50% of the workers had signed decertification petitions,

enough to call for an election, and had filed with the NLRB

to hold one.

At other plants, workers in favor of the Union were causing

disruption and threatening their fellow workers who wanted to

get rid of the Union.

By now, the papers had picked up on the story, and when a

small bomb went off in the trash dumpster of a Metalco plant,

it became a major event.

Bob literally begged us to get out of town, someplace where

he could give us the protection he felt we needed. His

argument was that the Union stood to lose $30 million a year

in dues if Milton pulled out, and that they'd do just about

anything to hang onto it. Most of it was finding it's way

into Tony's pocket, and if he lived up to his reputation,

he'd kill for a helluva lot less.

I still felt that this whole thing was ridiculous. With all

the publicity, the Union, or their buddies, wouldn't dare try

anything. The intelligence we were getting kept Jack one

step ahead of every move the Union made, and we were winning.

Nevertheless, I wanted to be prepared for any eventuality, so

I formulated "Plan B" just in case.

A few days later, my whole attitude changed. I was opening

my mail, a large envelope to be exact. When I pulled out the

contents, there was a snap like a mouse trap makes. Some

sort of device was glued to a piece of cardboard, and below

it was handwritten "BANG, you're dead".

I called Bob immediately, and he must have sprinted to my

office. "It could have been a letter bomb," he pronounced.

"Will you take me seriously now?"

As he was examining the thing, Eric walked in. "Looky what I

got in the mail," he said, holding up a video cassette.

I've never seen a human being move so fast. Bob grabbed the

cassette from Eric's hand and was out the door in a flash.

"What's with him?" Eric asked as Bob flew by.

"He's MORE than nervous," I answered.

"Here's the note that came with it," Eric said, handing me a

folded sheet of paper.

"Back off or this will be on the net and in every newspaper,"

was neatly printed on it.

"Here's something I got in the mail too," I said, handing him

the fake letter bomb. "That's why Bob's so nervous. Have you

seen what's on that video?" I asked.

"Not yet. I hope Bob doesn't destroy it."

"It's only a video tape," Bob said when he came back a half

hour later. "We took it apart and there's nothing in it."

"This came with it," Eric said, handing Bob the letter.

"Let's have a look at the tape," I said, getting up. I had a

VCR and big TV in a cabinet behind my desk.

I popped the cassette in and hit 'play' on the remote. The

three of us were staring at the screen. As the picture came

on, I recognized the sofa in the den in the New York

apartment. I knew what would be next, so I hit the 'stop'

button and turned to Bob.

"If this is what I think it is, maybe you'd better look the

other way," I told him.

Eric hadn't caught on yet, but when I restarted the tape, his

first comment was "Oh shit!"

The tape ran about fifteen minutes. It was good quality,

sharp focus --- of Eric and me trading blow jobs. There was

no sound, but it was clear what was taking place.

"Well?" Bob asked. "Can I turn around now?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Eric said sheepishly, collapsing into a

chair.

"What was it?" Bob asked.

"A home video," I told him, "of Eric and me. Rather explicit

and damned embarassing if it got out."

"I'll need details," he said, taking over.

"It's a video I made at the New York apartment several months

ago," Eric said. "It shows Dave and me making love."

"Is it clear? I mean, is it in focus?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Eric answered.

"Are there others?"

Eric thought a minute. "No, that's the only one in New York."

"Are there others anyplace else?"

"We have a few here," he answered.

"Lock them up, now!" Bob advised, then gazed out the window,

thinking.

"I'm willing to bet that this tape was taken sometime since

the Union thing started," he said. "Who's had access to the

apartment since then?"

Eric looked at me for confirmation. "None of us have been

there since then, just the cleaning service."

"We can check that out easily enough," he said. "I'll have

somebody on it right away. We'll find out who took it, but

that's not really going to help us. By now there's probably

fifty copies floating around."

"Understand one thing, Bob," Eric said, looking him straight

in the eye. "I don't know how Dave feels, but I'm not the

least bit ashamed of what's on that tape. I'm just sorry

that I made it and didn't keep it locked up."

Bob walked over and put his hand on Eric's shoulder,

smiling. "I have to admit something, Eric," he said. "For a

long time after you came on the scene, I didn't like you or

trust you. I thought you were an opportunist, and yes, a

gold digger. As you've noticed, I'm pretty protective of

Dave here, and I didn't want to see him get hurt. You've

proven to me that I was wrong. I've grown to like you and

you've earned my respect.

"We'll do the best we can to protect both of you," he

continued. "Let me get my men together and we'll see what we

can come up with."

"I think we'd better let Jack, Jeff and Bill in on these

developments," I said. "Let's all get together this

afternoon."

"A council of War," Bob chuckled, "I'll be here."

"I feel like such a fool," Eric said.

Chapter 48

"Why?" I asked. "I was as involved as you were."

"Yes, but I should have taken better care of that tape. Kept

it locked up. What're we going to do?"

I got up and led him over to a sofa so we could sit

together. "Absolutely nothing," I said.

"But..." he stammered.

"The worst that can happen is that we're 'outed' and lose a

little of our anonymity," I told him. "Big deal! It'll blow

over. Actually, the death threat concerns me more."

"I'm confident that Bob can handle that."

"I'm proud of you, by the way," I said.

"Why?"

"For what you said to Bob."

"I meant it."

"I know that," I said, "now he knows where you stand too. Do

you have any idea how many people you had to prove yourself

to?"

"I'm learning."

"You did it by just being yourself."

"I love you, David," he said looking into my eyes.

\- - - - -

A team of Bob's men swept my office for bugs before our

meeting. We were on high alert.

Jack brought Dale along, and when we were all seated, I

decided to lay ALL of our cards on the table.

"It appears that the Union has decided to play hardball," I

announced. "This morning, I got a death threat and Eric got

a blackmail attempt."

I looked straight at Jeff. "This is something that we've

never discussed openly, Jeff," I said. "Eric is my lover and

they are trying to use that against us."

"I assumed as much," he said, "but thank you for being open

with me."

"There are a few other things that not all of you know

about," I continued. "I've had the Union under surveillance

for several months. We have the capability of knowing what

they're planning and doing. Jack and Dale are getting this

information and, so far, have been able to counter their

moves.

"We're also watching the Milton brothers. It appears that

they're looking for revenge and are helping the Union as a

means of getting back at us for uncovering their hanky-panky

with Milton before we bought it.

"Bob is eminently capable of handling the death threats, and

Eric and I intend to ignore the blackmail attempts. What we

do from here is up to you guys."

"I was afraid something like this would happen," Jack said.

"If they want to play dirty, we can play just as dirty."

"My boys'll take care of the blackmail too," Bob offered.

"It would be counter-productive to turn over what we know

about the Union scum," Dale said. "If we did that, we'd lose

our advantage of knowing what they're going to do next."

"You must have them thoroughly 'bugged'," Jeff commented.

"We do," I told him. "That's another thing. The methods I'm

using aren't exactly kosher, so none of this discussion is to

leave this room."

"What do you think'll happen when we don't respond to their

blackmail attempt?" Eric asked.

"They may try something more drastic," Bob said. "That's

what has me worried."

"What's the current status of the petition drive?" I asked.

"It's looking pretty good," Jeff said. "All the West Coast

plants are over the 50% mark. The Midwest and South are

close to reaching that level. It's the ones in the Northeast

that are the problem. That's where the Union is applying the

most pressure. They're our biggest plants, and, at the

moment, it isn't looking good."

"Do we need 50% of every plant, or 50% of the total?" I asked.

"It works on a plant-by-plant basis," Jack answered. "We may

end up split - part union, part non-union. That'd be a mess."

"I disagree," Dale said. "We have one contract covering all

plants, so 51% of the total would be all we'll need."

"You may be right," Jack conceded. "That means we can't let

up when we reach 50% at any plant, we need every signature we

can get."

More strategy was discussed, ending up with what they'd do

once this thing was settled, win or lose. "Rizullo will go

to jail for sure," Dale said. "We've got the goods on him,

and, putting that information in the right hands, he'll be

put away permanently."

"Those Miltons turn my stomach," Jack commented. "They're

nothing but a couple of child molesters, and that kiddie porn

they're into is sickening."

"We're gonna win, boss," Jack said on his way out.

Bob stayed. "I want you to know what I'm doing," he said.

"First, all the mail coming in here is going to be scanned,

just like at the airport. Bring any mail you get at home in

for scanning before opening it.

"I don't know exactly what's on that tape, and I don't want

to see it, but the only thing that anybody'd publish is your

faces, even the sleaze rags. Dave, I know there aren't any

current pictures of you in circulation, so I'm afraid you

might see your face all over the place. Eric, there're

pictures of you out there, so it won't be such a big deal.

"I've talked to Jay and Rob in PR, and they don't think the

gay thing will be of much interest. A minor flap, then soon

forgotten. There's not much we can do about either the

pictures or any stories that may be printed.

"The internet's another matter. They can post the whole tape

on some adult site, but we'll be watching for anything like

that. Our 'boys' assure me that if they find it they can

destroy the whole site, and probably the server that's

carrying it.

"Now, we come to YOUR safety. We're upping security here at

the office and at the house. We've also got some new hi-tech

gadgets that I want you all to use, including the girls."

He held out four watches - two mens' and two womens. "These

are beacons that will let us know where you are at all

times. I'd appreciate if you'd wear them all the time except

in the shower, even to bed. These little goodies," he said,

handing us four little devices that looked like the ones we

used to unlock our cars, "are panic buttons. If you feel in

any way threatened, push the button like this," he

demonstrated, "and someone will be there in seconds. Keep

them in your pocket all the time.

"If you want, I'll put men on your parents, Eric. Just say

the word."

"They wouldn't go for it," Eric told him.

\- - - - -

When we got home, Eric made a mad dash for his study. He

came out holding up three tape cassettes. "They're all

here," he said. "Do we have a safe?"

"In our bedroom," I told him.

"Let's look at them tonight and make sure they're the right

ones, THEN put them in the safe," he suggested, leering and

heading for our bedroom.

"How can you think about sex at a time like this?" I teased

him.

"Don't kid me!" he shot back. "I saw that tent in your pants

this morning!"

Annie and Tina were NOT enthused about wearing the beacon

watches and carrying the panic buttons. When I explained the

alternative - a full time bodyguard, they changed their tune.

We told them all about the blackmail attempt. I wanted them

to be prepared if anything actually came of it and to hear

about it from us first. We didn't go into a great amount of

detail, but enough so they'd understand what it was all about.

Annie was thoughtful, then, as usual, came directly to the

point. "Dad, in the back of my mind, I know that you and

Eric have sex together, but to us kids, the concept of our

parents having sex with ANYONE is unbelievable. Parents

just don't have sex!"

Eric started laughing, "Annie, you've just put into words

exactly how I've felt about MY parents all my life."

"Then you agree?" she asked.

"Absolutely," he said, still laughing, "It's something that

we KNOW is happening, but it just isn't real!"

"I agree with both of you," Tina said, giggling. "Can you

picture Mom having sex..."

This got us all laughing. "I don't want to think about it!"

Annie said.

Tina got serious. "I think it's pretty wonderful that we can

have a discussion like this. I want you, Dad, and you, Eric,

to know that I stand behind you, whatever happens."

"Me too," Annie said, getting up and giving both of us a hug.

Tina was next in line.

We crawled into bed to watch the other three videos. Eric

ran them in chronological order, first Denver, then Dallas.

Watching our second orgasms in Dallas, Eric reached down and

took my hand off of his dick. "I'm almost there," he said.

"These are so fucking hot!"

"Think we could make it as porn stars?" I giggled.

After he'd loaded the third video, the one taken there in our

bedroom, he pulled his stop watch out of the nightstand.

"This was one of the longest orgasms you've ever had," he

said. "I want to find out how long it really was."

We watched as I slipped over the brink, the stiffening, then

the thrashing and eventually, the collapse. "Wow! Three

minutes and twelve seconds!" he said. "That's incredible!"

"That's what you do to me," I answered.

"Let's see if I can do it again," he said, switching off the

TV.

"How about you?" I asked.

"Touch me and I'm a goner," he giggled.

I did, with my lips, taking him to the bottom in one gulp.

"Oh God!" he groaned and started cumming, and cumming, and

cumming. I massaged his balls and rubbed his rosebud with my

finger and he started all over again. The aftershocks

produced additional squirts that I greedily swallowed.

"I'm drained," he moaned as I held him in my arms.

As he recovered, he reached for my dick. "Too late," I told

him. "I came when you did."

\- - - - -

The following day, Annie walked into my office with a little

less gusto than usual.

"Hope I didn't embarass you last night," she said.

"You didn't," I assured her. "I'm just glad that we can all

talk about these things."

"It's reality," she said, "even though I have trouble

accepting it sometimes."

"We both really appreciate the support you guys are giving

us," I said.

"Hey, you're our Dad," she said. "I accepted the fact that

you prefer men a long time ago, and I'm so damned glad that

you found somebody like Eric. We love him too, but in a

slightly different way," she giggled.

"I consider myself very fortunate, too. I hope we never

embarass you."

"To be honest, I was pretty nervous about that Commitment

Ceremony you had. I was afraid it'd be kind of sleazy, but I

was completely wrong. When I saw the looks on your faces, I

really realized how much you love each other, and instead of

being embarassed, I was so damned proud of both of you."

"I had my doubts too, you know," I said. "What's going on

with you these days? Haven't heard anything about Andy since

Dallas."

"Distance and lack of interest, I guess," she answered.

"He's a nice guy, but no life. You and Eric have spoiled

me. You guys are so dynamic and adventurous it's hard for

anybody else to measure up."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't be. You set a great example, one I'm following

myself, and I just can't see myself with somebody who doesn't

enjoy life like we do."

"What do you hear from your mother?" I asked, changing the

subject.

"I think that incident last Thanksgiving scared the hell out

of her. Even so, she won't admit that she needs help and is

still blaming you for all her problems.

"We don't hear much from her, only an occasional letter since

we won't take her calls. All she ever does is whine and

wallow in self pity, and I'm not particularly interested in

hearing it."

"She's still your Mother..."

"I know, but I'm not going to let her drag me down to her

level. Tina isn't, either. We have so much more going for us

now that we have you - - and Eric, and Sarah. We know that

we're loved unconditionally, something that Mom never gave

us."

I didn't have a response to that, and the subject turned to

business.

"Hydra's going real well," she reported. "Sales of marginal

property is right on target, and we've already been able to

make a big payment to Metalco. The Silicon Valley project is

moving right along, and we have a couple of other, smaller,

projects under construction. As you already know, the mine is

pumping out cash faster than we can count it."

\- - - - -

Whoever was monitoring Tony Rizullo was really thorough. His

movements were reported as well as just about all of his

conversations. The fool thought that the tape would make us

cave in immediately. Instead, we upped the pressure.

Our managers fed information about Tony's "deals" with the

Miltons to the non-union organizers. Logic prevailed. The

fact that Tony had "sold out" the membership in the past,

didn't go over very well with the Rank and File. Not only

did they want to get rid of the union, they wanted to lynch

Tony for what he'd done to them.

"Somehow", copies of Tony's offshore Bank Statements found

their way to the membership. The amounts on deposit didn't

jibe with his reported $75,000 salary.

The Union's next move was to call strikes at those plants

that sympathized with Management. Jack, being forewarned, was

ready, filing for injunctions almost before the pickets

showed up. Tony didn't catch on. We were careful not to

"leak" anything that would give away our "source".

\- - - - -

Eric had given Bob's men Power of Attorney covering matters

related to the New York apartment. The cleaning service was

shocked to learn that one of their employees had stolen

something and had been real cooperative.

All records regarding the people who'd worked at the

apartment were turned over. Every one of these had been

checked out, given lie detector tests, and all came out clean.

Bob was baffled, but determined to find the culprit. In the

meantime, the locks were changed and an elaborate alarm

system was installed. Needless to say, the cleaning service

was no longer employed.

Neither Bob nor Eric wanted to involve the police. Bob felt

that his own men were as good as any police, and Eric wasn't

interested in having to explain what was missing.

We all wracked our brains trying to think of who else might

have had access. It was a mystery that Bob was determined to

solve.

\- - - - -

Reading the transcripts of his conversations, we learned what

Tony was planning to do with the tape. He was negotiating

with a mob-owned Adult website to have them run it in "movie"

format. He'd also had "stills" made of Eric and me from the

tape and was trying to sell them to the highest bidder among

the sleazy supermarket tabloids, pocketing the money himself,

of course.

There wasn't much we could do about the tabloids. About all

they could print were our faces anyway. Anything more would

be too pornographic even for them. The accompanying "story"

would, no doubt, be lurid and stress the gay angle.

Eric and I had agreed that IF anything was printed, we would

ignore it and refuse to acknowledge its existence. The story

would die of natural causes if we didn't add fuel to the fire.

The adult website was another matter. Bob's "hackers" had

already gained access and were poised to destroy it if

anything got posted.

\- - - - -

Eric was constantly amazed at the loyalty and protection we

received from the people who worked with us. They were

handling this situation calmly and expertly, letting us know

what they were doing, but taking care of everything

themselves.

I urged Eric not to obsess on the turmoil, and to get

involved in other things until it was settled. Following my

own advice, I caught up on other matters myself, involving

Eric wherever I could.

Hal brought us up to date on Lovebird. Ore shipments were

back to normal. The little "patrol" chopper was doing its

job. One guy had been spotted in the rocks and arrested by

the sheriff. He hadn't posed any real threat, having only a

conventional rifle with him which would have been ineffective.

Basic Metals was moving forward on the copper mine. Hal was

acting as liaison between them and our Railroad to build

tracks to the site of the smelter they'd build.

John was still poking holes in the Arizona landscape, but

hadn't found anything significant lately. Hal was on top of

everything going on.

"Even though I had a lot of misgivings about taking a 'desk

job'," Hal admitted, "I'm thoroughly enjoying what I'm doing."

"We're real happy to hear that," Eric spoke for both of us.

"Got yourself a boyfriend yet?"

"I'm working on that," Hal answered, turning a little red in

the face. "Seeing a lot of one of your Lifeguard buddies."

"Which one?" Eric wanted to know.

"Darrel," he answered.

"He's hot!" Eric agreed, and I gave him a playful slug in the

shoulder.

"Besides being gorgeous, he's a helluva nice guy," Hal

added. "We're moving slow, though. I'm still kind of new to

all this."

\- - - - -

Ron and Jason brought their new Flight Operations Director in

to meet us. Just from his appearance I knew he was the

Marine pilot we'd discussed earlier.

Ron didn't mince words. "I was wrong," he admitted. "Old

Sam here doesn't have any problem with us Air Force dropouts."

That was a nice way of putting it, but his meaning was clear

to all of us.

"Sexual orientation is a personal matter," Sam spoke up.

"Some of the best pilots I've ever flown with were gay, and

that's just fine with me."

"With everything that's going on at Milton, we're running at

capacity," Jason reported. "We could sure use another plane

right now."

"We've stationed one of the small planes on the East Coast to

take care of the short hops," Sam said.

"Sam's getting maximum utilization out of the planes we've

got," Jason commented, "much better than we've ever done

before."

"I have a computer scheduling program that makes it easy,"

Sam said.

"We didn't even know such a thing existed," Ron remarked.

"When do we get the other GV?" Eric asked.

"It's going to be another six or seven months," Ron answered.

"We should be getting the replacement for the leased plane a

little sooner."

"Hold a little space for us next month," Eric suggested.

"There'll be one, maybe two trips to Europe."

Oh yes, Sarah's annual party, I remembered.

"As soon as you have the dates, let me know," Sam said.

"I'll work around them."

"We have a close friend and business associate in New York

that you'll be hearing from," I mentioned. "Her name's Sarah

Thornton, and she's to get top priority - even if our own

people have to fly commercial."

Sam was taking notes.

"Found a steward yet?" I asked Ron.

"Sam has," he answered. "Stole a guy from Southwest

Airlines."

"Cute, too," Jason said.

With an arched eyebrow, Sam looked over at Jason. "You're

married, cool it!" he said.

Eric exploded in laughter. "Looks like you've met your

match, asshole," he said to Jason who was laughing too.

"I see I'm working with a rather informal group," Sam

observed.

"In the air, it's strictly business," Ron explained. "On the

ground, Dave and Eric are not only our employers but our good

friends."

"How's the pilot situation?" I asked.

"Sam's bringing in a couple of jarhead dropouts for us to

interview," Ron said.

Damn, it looked like Sam could do anything.

\- - - - -

Until Eric had mentioned it in our meeting with the pilots, I

had totally forgotten Sarah's invitation. I asked Eric about

it that night at dinner.

"It's play all day and party all night for two weeks," he

said.

Both he and Annie provided us with details. The second week

was the "gala" one, evidently the first week was the warmup.

Sarah's friends from all over the world would be there. It

would be one of the world's premier social events of the year.

"I'm hoping we can all get away for the second week," Eric

said, his eyes pleading.

"I don't see why not," I said, and he let out a big sigh of

relief. "Where will we be staying?"

"Annie and Tina are staying with Sarah," he said. "You and I

will be staying someplace else. I'll take care of

everything."

"One night's a masquerade ball," Annie said, "so get a

costume ready."

"Oh shit," I muttered, "here we go again."

"I'll take care of it," Eric volunteered, his eyes sparkling.

"Jacques will take care of our clothes. We'll take him

along, for sure. He speaks French, and just about every

other language." It was pretty clear to me that Eric was

really excited about this.

\- - - - -

"First it's square dancing, now this," I chuckled as we lay

in each other's arms.

"Don't blame me," he said, "you're the one who promised Sarah

we'd be there. Remember?"

"I conveniently forgot that," I told him.

"Leave everything to me," he said. "All you have to do is

show up."

"How come two flights over?" I asked.

"Sarah goes early to supervise preparations," he said. "She

might want to stay longer than two weeks, too."

"No problem," I said. "I was just curious."

\- - - - -

Jeff was jubilant. Out of 48,000 Milton employees, 30,000

had signed petitions calling for a representation election.

The NLRB had been notified, and would soon set the date for

the election, which they would supervise.

"It ain't over yet," Jack warned. "The Union will be

campaigning hard until Election Day, and they're going to do

everything they can to discredit us."

"Like we've been doing to them?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, only they could get real mean," Jack said.

"Do we have any skeletons in our closet - - other than Eric

and me?" I asked.

"Even if everything about you two came out, I don't think it

would affect the election," Jack said. "That's only for the

purpose of intimidating you. Hell, they've been smart enough

not to do anything with that tape. If they did, they'd lose

the advantage they think they have over us."

"What else could they do?" Eric asked.

"Only two things that I can think of," Jack said. "First,

would be the threat that we'll move production overseas,

something we HAVE done in the past, and the other would be

more than just threats, but some real violence."

"The family's well protected," Bob said. "The only thing

that bothers me is Eric's parents."

"I'll talk to them again," Eric promised. "Do you have any

more of those beacons and panic buttons?"

"Sure do," Bob said, "Just say the word."

"When do you think they'll hold the election?" I asked.

"It'll be at least 30 days after they get the petitions,"

Jack said. "We'll be pushing for the earliest date possible."

\- - - - -

"Why don't we take Mom and Dad out to dinner," Eric

suggested. "Between us, I think we can convince them that

it's really no big deal to wear these things."

"You're the charmer, Babe. I'll leave it up to you."

"If I've been able to talk YOU into some of the things I

have, they should be a piece of cake!" he laughed.

"Is this about the bodyguards?" Ingrid asked as soon as we

were seated.

"Well, kinda," Eric answered.

"I suppose you're here to help him convince us?" she said to

me.

I just nodded.

"OK, give us your pitch," she glared at Eric.

"How do you like my new watch?" he asked her.

"Nice. Don't change the subject."

"It's what I wear so I don't have to have a bodyguard," he

ventured.

"How's it work?" Karl spoke for the first time.

"It's a beacon, lets my 'shadow' know where I am all the

time," he said, holding it up. "Along with this," he

continued, holding up his panic button, "I'm fully covered."

"What's that thing?" his mother demanded.

"We call it a 'Panic Button'. If anybody even looks at me

cross-eyed, I just push this button here, and within seconds,

someone will be here to take care of the problem," he

explained.

"Where's your 'shadow' and protector right now?" she asked.

"They're around here someplace," he said, "see, you didn't

even notice them."

"I suppose you're going to ask us to wear these things too?"

Ingrid asked.

"Yes, Mom, I'd like both you and Dad to use them," Eric

pleaded.

"Why? Are we in danger?" she asked.

I winked at Eric and took over. "It's just a precaution," I

said. "We're having a little battle with the Metal Workers

Union, who're not known to be real nice people. We're afraid

that they might try to get at us through you. I'm so sorry

that you're involved, but we just want to make sure that

you're OK, and stay that way."

She still wasn't convinced. "What makes you think that they

might do anything?"

"We've received death threats and blackmail attempts," Eric

told her, exaggerating slightly.

"We take them seriously," I assured her.

We had her attention now. Eric went for the kill. "It's so

easy," he said. "just wear these, nothing to it. I love you

both so much, and if you'd do this for me, I'd feel so much

better."

Ingrid looked at him skeptically. I glanced at Karl, who was

grinning.

"All we do is wear the watches, and if somebody points a gun

at us, we push the panic button, and somebody comes running

to our rescue? Is that right?" she asked.

"That's all there is to it," Eric said.

"Where are these rescuers going to be?" she asked.

"They'll be close to you all the time, but you won't even

notice them," Eric promised.

"Oh hell, Momma, let's do it," Karl said. "How long do you

want us to wear these things?"

"It may be a month or two before things cool off," I told him.

"I'll do it under one condition," Ingrid said, staring at

Eric. "You have to call me every day and let me know that

YOU'RE OK."

"I promise. We'll be in Europe for a week or so next month,

and I'll even call you from there," he said, taking watches

and panic buttons out of his pocket.

"Tell me about your trip," Ingrid said to him, exchanging

watches.

I turned to Karl. "Must be nice to have your own Police

force," he said, chuckling.

"At times like these, it sure is," I agreed.

"What'd you do to piss off the Union?" he asked, still

chuckling.

"When we bought Milton, they were unionized. We're trying to

throw their asses out," I told him.

"That'd do it," he commented. "How many members?"

"Around 48,000," I told him.

He whistled. "That'd get anybody's attention. They playing

rough?"

"They're trying to," I told him. "So far, we've been a step

ahead of anything they've tried."

\- - - - -

We were stuck in a holding pattern. About all we could do

was react to any moves the Union made.

Everyone tried to conduct "business as usual" but there was a

dark cloud hanging over all of us. Eric and I tried to keep

busy.

"When was the last time you were out at the LR plant?" he

asked.

"Right after they moved in," I answered.

"You wouldn't recognize it now, want to take a look?"

I agreed and Eric wanted to take Warren along.

The building looked the same from the outside, but the inside

sure didn't. Originally, the Micron equipment had seemed

"lost" in the cavernous space, now, there wasn't a square

inch of floorspace that wasn't utilized. It was full.

Eric showed me how certain sections of production equipment

were "dedicated" to various customers. My guess was that

only about a third was dedicated to Micron. I pulled Eric

aside. "What're you going to do when Micron introduces

Spence's stuff?"

"We expand," he said innocently.

"Not here, that's for damned sure," I told him. "How soon do

you expect THAT to hit us?"

"The latest I have is that they'll roll it out in about a

year and a half. Warren doesn't know anything about it, yet."

"You'd better start planning now if you're going to be

ready," I warned.

"Why do you think I drug you out here?" he teased me. "I

thought we could tell Warren together."

On the way back to the office, Warren had a surprise of his

own. "We're building quite a reputation," he said. "We

don't have to 'sell' any more, customers are coming to us.

In fact, we're having to turn a lot of them away."

"Software?" I asked.

"A lot of that, but there are two other things that have come

up," Warren said. "Music CD's and DVD's."

"But we don't have the equipment to make those, do we?" Eric

asked.

"Not yet," Warren said, "I've been waiting to talk to you

guys about this."

"Can we make any money at it?" Eric asked.

"Oooooh yeah," Warren said. "I want to show you the numbers

when we get back to the office."

"We've got some news for you, too," Eric told him.

"Let's talk about the CD's and DVD's first," Eric suggested

when we were settled in his office.

"Here's where we stand right now," Warren explained. "One of

the biggest record labels came to us with an offer to turn

over all their CD production to us. They're using somebody

else now, but aren't very happy with them.

"Price isn't the primary consideration, meeting deadlines is.

With our reputation for service, they want to give us a shot

at it. Not all their production at once, but gradually.

Start slow, give us a chance to get the hang of it, then

increase volume as we're able to handle it.

"The production, actually copying, process is very much like

software, but much simpler and much faster."

"Can we make any money at it?" Eric asked again.

"Our production people have checked out the competition and

the equipment they're using, and feel that we can do a lot

better than they're doing. The gross profit per unit is much

lower than software, but the volume's enormous by comparison.

"On the basis of what we feel we can do and the price we're

able to charge, we're looking at a seven month payback on the

equipment investment."

Eric looked at me and nodded. I nodded back.

"What's the projected investment?" I asked.

"We can get a good start with around $12 million," Warren

said. "Over a period of two years, or sooner, just to

completely handle this one account, equipment would run us a

little over $100 million."

"Will the Record Company give us a commitment to cover our

asses?" Eric asked.

"That's what they've already offered," Warren said. "Same

arrangement on the DVD's. The two companies are affiliated.

"There's one more thing," Warren continued, "this is just for

the U.S. They'd really like us to eventually take over

production for them worldwide. The sooner the better. I

look at this as an opportunity to become the kingpins of

'Digital' production - worldwide. This'd also be a hedge

against the possibility of Micron ever leaving us."

"I wouldn't worry about that ever happening," Eric chuckled.

"What I'm going to tell you about Micron, right now, is so

hot it can't leave this room."

"Must be big," Warren commented.

"It's going to be the biggest thing to ever hit the

industry," Eric said. "I can't give you details, mainly

because I don't fully understand them myself, but Micron's

putting the finishing touches on a new operating system

that'll blow everybody else out of the water.

"Release hasn't been scheduled yet, but I'd figure on around

a year and a half from now. We're going to have to at least

double our capacity to handle that, not to mention the

related software that they'll be introducing at the same

time."

Warren looked very pensive, but excited. "May I ask how

you've managed to find out all about this?"

"For now, let's just say that I've been heavily involved in

the project," Eric said evasively.

"Can we rely on this actually happening?" Warren asked.

"With about 95% certainty," Eric told him. "We have a lot of

long range planning to do."

"May I make a suggestion?" I asked.

They both gave me their full attention.

"The CD's and DVD's sound very interesting, and I think we

should pursue that, and I like the idea of getting our 'feet

wet' before we jump in all the way. The first problem I see

is where in the hell are you going to do it? You're outta

space right now, and you're going to need a lot more for

Micron. Why not project your ultimate requirements for

everything and use that as a starting point.

"Work up a timetable so we could build in phases, as needed.

You're also going to have to find some land someplace and

take a hard look at the labor market. This thing could

'snowball'. As soon as we get a little experience, and prove

that we can make a buck, we need to take a hard look at the

rest of the world, not only for CD's but software too."

"I'm certainly agreeable to that," Warren said. "I'll put it

all on paper for you to look at."

"Make it short," Eric laughed. "Dave's got a short attention

span."

\- - - - -

"We'll see about that," I said on the way home.

"What?" Eric asked.

"My attention span. I'll show you 'attention span'. Prepare

to suffer, baby. I won't say what or when, and it'll happen

when you least expect it," I told him gleefully.

\- - - - -

"They never knew what hit 'em," Bob said, telling us about

overnight events.

The mob-owned adult "Megasite" had posted the tape of Eric

and me. Within hours, the whole site had disappeared.

"What'd we do?" Eric wanted to know.

"I don't know the details," Bob said, "and I really don't

want to. You don't need to know either, and it's best if you

don't."

"Can't they rebuild?" Eric asked.

"Oh sure, but it's going to take quite a little bit of time,"

Bob answered. "Our 'boys' threw in a kicker, too, that'll

keep 'em busy for a few weeks," he added with an evil grin.

"They got into the site's membership records and billed all

the members' credit cards. As soon as the money's collected,

it'll be electronically transferred to the American Red

Cross," he chuckled. "They won't even know about it until

it's all done, then they'll have to come up with the money to

make refunds to all their members. It'll be a helluva mess."

"Aren't we playing with fire?" I asked.

"They'll be pissed, no doubt about that," Bob said, "but

what're they going to do? I think it was kind of nice of

them to make such a hefty contribution to such a good cause!

It'll also serve as fair warning to anybody else that they're

'playing with fire', too. In reality, I think they'll go

after Rizullo rather than us."

"Have you found out how the tape got stolen in the first

place?" I asked.

"We can't nail the 'person' who took it, but we know how it

happened," Bob said. "Remember the Florist you use, Eric?

Well, our friend John Milton owns most of the franchises in

New York. Need I say more?"

Eric just shook his head. "Those goddam Miltons are

everyplace!"

"Naturally, they're not very cooperative, but we're almost

positive that's how it happened," Bob added. "We'll never be

able to prove anything, but we'll sure as hell be on guard in

the future. NOBODY goes into that apartment unescorted from

now on."

"How can Sarah be such a wonderful person and those brothers

of hers such pricks?" Eric wondered aloud.

\- - - - -

Bob turned out to be right. From our taps, we learned that

the mob was really unhappy with Rizullo for giving them such a

hot potato, and demanded that he cover their losses on the

credit card scheme that our boys had pulled. Or else.

News traveled fast, and Rizullo's sale of the "stills" from

the tape was called off. Even the sleaze rags were afraid

of retaliation.

Tony was so busy covering his own ass that he neglected Union

business. We'd expected a heavy, nasty campaign before the

election, but it became a half-hearted effort at best. With a

total absence of leadership, Union supporters turned on him.

The mob was putting heavy pressure on Tony, threatening

vigorish at the rate of 10% - per week.

In desperation, Tony turned to Edward Milton.

By now, our surveillance team had one of the waiters from the

restaurant where Tony and Edward met on the payroll. The

waiter seated them at a table that had been bugged, and we

got complete transcripts of their conversation.

From the bugs in Edward's house, we also got insight into

Edward's thinking as a result of his conversations with his

brother.

Chapter 49

At their first meeting, Tony was very businesslike in his

presentation to Edward, changing the facts wherever it suited

his purposes.

He blamed the whole thing on a mix-up, that he hadn't

intended that the tape be posted, that the mob had done it of

their own accord and were now blaming him for the

repurcussions.

Tony went on to ask Edward for a "loan" of the full amount

the mob wanted, promising to repay him in a few months from a

"deal" he was working on.

Edward knew nothing about what had happened, but wasn't

surprised at the ferocity and speed of our retaliation.

"I've warned you, Tony, Dave Rush plays hardball," he told

him.

Tony pleaded and begged, citing the millions he'd saved

Edward by selling out his own Union membership. He also

tried to play on Edward's desire to exact revenge from "that

sonofabitch Rush", something he promised to be able to do as

soon as the Union election was won.

Edward was non-committal, but promised Tony an answer the

following day.

Evidently the minute he got home, Edward called his brother.

"You won't believe what that idiot Ruzillo has done now,"

Edward told John. "He's squandered his one trump card and

wants me to bail him out."

Edward explained what had happened and what Tony wanted from

him.

"It wouldn't be a loan, but a gift to save his hide. He'll

never pay it back, and he's washed up at the Union, so he's

of no further use to us anyway. The election's already lost.

I think it's time for a short vacation. Would you care to

join me?"

\- - - - -

Since we weren't supposed to know about any of this, all we

could do was sit back and watch.

The Union election was set for October, several weeks after

our planned trip to France. When I suggested to Eric that we

go for the full two weeks, he was happy as a little kid. I

had a few surprises for him up my sleeve too.

I made arrangements with "The General", as Sam, our Director

of Flight Operations was now affectionately called, to have

the plane at our disposal for the full two weeks. He wasn't

happy, but I did outrank him.

Eric went to work on preparations for the trip and so did I.

We did NOT compare notes! He spent a lot of time closeted

with Jacques, working on our wardrobe, I assumed. We were

both fitted for new tuxedos as well as white tie outfits.

Hoping to spend some time on the "clothing optional" beaches,

Eric prepared for that too. He wanted to get an all-over

tan, and cajoled me into joining him in the effort. The

parts of our bodies that were normally covered by swimsuits

had never been exposed to the sun, so we took it slowly. The

last thing I wanted was a sunburned dick!

An hour or two a day in the sun was our regimen. At first,

it was hilarious. The minute we'd strip and take a look at

each other, our dicks rose to attention. Eric came up with a

pleasant solution, though. Before applying lotion, he gave

me a quick blowjob, and the same worked on him. Soon we were

relaxed and didn't need them, leaving more energy for our

nighttime romps.

Sarah took off a week before the festivities were to begin,

taking Annie and Tina with her. Tina wasn't too excited

about leaving her boyfriend for three whole weeks, but

revisiting France and having an opportunity to show Annie

around renewed her enthusiasm.

Eric had gotten a party schedule from Sarah, and went over it

with me. "She sends this out so everybody'll know what

clothes to bring," he told me. "She also expects everybody

to let her know which parties they'll be coming to. She's

expecting us for EVERYTHING!" he giggled.

I glanced over the list. There were "theme" dinners, just

plain old "formal dinners", an evening at the casino, an

evening at the Opera, the masquerade ball, and the Grand Ball.

"Jacques and I have all of our clothes ready," Eric told me.

"We're not going to be 'traveling light' on this trip!"

I didn't ask for details. Frankly, I was afraid to.

\- - - - -

Since threats were still coming in, Bob insisted that we take

a Security Detail along with us, suggesting Ricky and Alex.

Eric and I agreed to this after Bob promised us that the boys

would stay as far in the background as possible, just inside

"Panic Button" range.

"I wonder how they'll react to the 'nudie' beaches?" Eric

laughed.

"They'll do whatever it takes to fit in," Bob assured us.

"I'll take extra sun block for them," Eric offered, still

laughing.

It was more like mounting an expedition than taking a

pleasure trip. The mountain of luggage seemed to grow every

day, and we were traveling with a fucking entourage for

chrissakes! Seven in all, including the two pilots.

"Life sure seems to be getting complicated," I commented to

Eric.

"Do you realize what it means, though?" he asked.

"Not a clue," I told him.

"Just to be invited to this event means that we've 'arrived'

socially. It usually takes several generations or a title to

even qualify for an invitation. I know you don't care much

about 'society' as such, but it's sure a heady experience for

me."

I took him in my arms. "For you, my love, I'd endure just

about anything. Hell, who knows, I may even enjoy it."

\- - - - -

We landed in Nice in midmorning, their time. Jacques handled

the immigration officer who came aboard, showing him all of

our passports, which was all that was required.

Annie and Tina were there to meet us, along with a fleet of

Rolls Royce Limos. The girls were all smiles, more animated

than I'd seen them in quite a while.

"Looks like you guys are having fun," I commented.

"Oh, we are," they chorused. "We've spent the whole week

exploring," Annie said. "Tina's a great guide, and her

French is pretty good too which helps. We've been trying to

stay out of Sarah's way."

"The festivities start tonight," Tina said, "a little

'intimate' dinner - for fifty!"

"Looks like you brought everything you own," Annie quipped

while watching the unloading process that Jacques was

directing.

"Not quite," Eric chuckled. "I think I left a couple pairs

of socks at home."

The girls said good by and went off on their own, and the

rest of us headed off to wherever we would be staying.

"We'll need a whole floor with this mob," I said to Eric.

"We're not staying at a hotel," he grinned. I grinned back,

not giving him the satisfaction of begging for information.

Our "convoy" wound through the picturesque town, then down to

the waterfront. We got out at a marina and Jacques led us

over to a waiting runabout, handing all of us aboard. "I'll

be on the next trip with the luggage," he told us.

The driver headed out into the bay where scores of yachts

were lying at anchor. They weren't that far out, and we

pulled alongside one of the larger ones. "This'll be home

for the next two weeks," Eric announced. "Lots of privacy."

"What do you think?" Eric asked when we were shown to our

stateroom.

"I think it's a great idea," I told him, taking him into my

arms and pushing him over onto the king-sized bed. "This is

going to be a lot of fun."

Reluctantly, and half hard, we got up to look around. We

passed Jacques with a gang of crewmen carrying our luggage on

our way to the deck. This yacht wasn't quite as big as the

one we'd had in Greece, and was designed more for comfort.

Ron and Jason were standing at the rail on the aft deck

talking to the Captain. We were introduced, and were told

that he and his crew were at our complete disposal. Since we

weren't sailing anywhere, he said lifeboat drill was

unnecessary, but asked us to locate the life vests that were

in our "cabin".

Stewards were setting up a buffet on deck, and one brought us

drinks. "This boat belongs to some of Sarah's friends," Eric

explained. "They aren't coming to the party this year, so I

was able to rent it from them, with Sarah's help, of course."

After a long leisurely lunch, we all decided to just lay

around for the rest of the day. Ron and Jason were tired and

went to their cabin to get some sleep.

Eric filled Ricky and Alex in on what to expect, at least our

nighttime activities.

Sarah's "villa" looked more like a chateau to me. It was

enormous, the exterior lighted with floodlights that could be

seen as soon as we entered the long drive. We were met by a

butler and ushered into a huge hall that was almost medieval.

We weren't the first to arrive, people were scattered around

the huge room sitting and standing in groups. Sarah spotted

us and came over, giving Eric a hug first. I think she was

genuinely pleased to see us.

"Come on," she said, "I'll introduce you around."

While we were mingling, I saw Annie and Tina come in. They

both looked stunning. I noticed that Annie was wearing the

pearls I'd given her, and Tina was wearing a delicate

necklace of diamonds that I hadn't seen before.

Seeing that we were busy, they joined a group of younger

people, and I turned my attention back to the conversation at

hand. The people we were meeting spoke with a variety of

accents, British, French, Italian and some I couldn't place.

I did recognize some of the names, though. These were the

movers and shakers of the world.

I made an attempt to remember names, but vowed to myself to

stick close to Eric who would remember them all and cue me.

We did run into someone we knew, Tom and Denise, the

Philadelphia bluebloods that had been at one of Eric's

parties in New York.

It appeared that a lot of these people knew a helluva lot

more about us than we did about them. The questions they

asked about the New Hampshire case and our gold mine made

that clear.

When we got around to Tina and Annie's group, I noticed right

away that a very goodlooking guy had his arm around Annie's

waist, very possessively. He dropped it when we came up, but

seemed to do so reluctantly.

Annie was sparkling, and Tina was closely watching my

reaction when we were introduced. His name was Hans

something or other, German.

Dinner was announced and we filed into another enormous

room. This one was long, at least a hundred feet, with a

vaulted ceiling about forty feet up. Four refectory tables

went down the center that would seat at least a hundred.

Only two tables were set for that evening's dinner, and there

were placecards. Not surprisingly, Eric and I were

separated, and the girls were not seated anywhere close to

either of us.

There was no lack of conversation and I jumped right in. The

people around me were friendly, interesting, and a wide range

of subjects came up. Although I was a bit hesitant at first,

since I really didn't know these people, they made me feel

comfortable right away.

I could see that Eric was right in the middle of things too,

but couldn't see either of the girls. I knew they'd be

holding their own, though, too.

After a marvelous dinner, we migrated back to the main hall

where cordials were served from carts. Eric joined me, and

we talked some more with our new-found friends.

"Have fun?" he asked on the way back to the boat.

"Sure did," I told him enthusiastically. "It was a lot less

formal than I expected, and the conversation was sure

stimulating."

"It's downright cold in here," I commented as we slid into

bed. "In my opinion, it's nicer outside. This air

conditioning works too damned well."

"We have choices," Eric giggled. "We can snuggle and keep

warm, or..." He reached over and hit a button and the roof

started silently sliding back. "We can watch the stars," he

continued.

"I'm definitely voting for stars," I told him, lying back so

I could look up, dragging him with me.

"It's not as clear as Arizona," he said.

"It'll sure do, though," I answered.

He rolled onto me for a long and tender kiss. My hands

roamed all over his body, pulling him tighter into me. Our

hard dicks touched and rubbed together, but that wasn't the

primary stimulus. For me, at least, it was mental, the

feeling of oneness with the man in my arms, the love that was

flowing from him.

We rolled, him on top, me on top, back and forth, the

feelings intensifying. It was a whole-body experience and I

didn't want to end it by intentionally moving toward orgasm.

We continued to build, gripping each other tighter and

tighter, the waves of feelings flowing between us. We built

higher and higher, the euphoric pleasure threatening to

explode.

"I need you," he whispered.

I grabbed the lube and with a slick finger began preparing

him. His moans told me that I'd been right, that he wanted

me IN him.

Barely changing position, I slowly entered him. I hadn't

thought I could go any higher, but I did. The mental high

continued to grow and was joined by the tactile stimulation

of his flesh encasing mine.

My strokes were slow, loving, and angled so that the rim of

my cock rubbed his prostate on the way in and on the way out.

He didn't push back, letting me provide the stimulation,

going higher and higher but not pressing for climax.

Then it happened. His internal muscles tightened on me, then

began to pulse, pulling me along with him up to and over the

edge. It wasn't as violent as usual. He twitched and

spasmed beneath me, his dick against my stomach pumping his

love between us. Gently we descended to earth, not loosening

our holds on each other, my head next to his.

"That was beautiful," he murmured in my ear. "God, the

things that you do to me."

We basked in the afterglow, allowing the incredible

sensations to subside gradually.

"I've never ever felt your love so strongly," he said, "it

took over my whole body."

\- - - - -

When we emerged in the morning, Tina and Annie were sitting

on deck waiting for us. They both had conspiratorial grins.

I ignored them until a steward had served coffee.

"What's up, guys?" I asked.

Tina giggled and Annie blushed. I waited.

"Annie's got a boyfriend," Tina sang.

"Man, you work fast!" I said to Annie.

"DAD!"

"Well, which one?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Hans," she murmured.

"Is he the one with the cute buns?" Eric asked.

"ERIC!"

By now, all three of us were laughing, Annie was bright red.

"Don't tell me YOU didn't notice," Eric continued.

"Well, sorta," she admitted, "but there's a lot more to him

than that."

"I'll BET!" Eric chuckled.

Annie took a playful swing at him. "I'm trying to be serious!"

"Ok, tell us about him," I said between chuckles.

"He's a nice German boy," she said. "Good family, hell, he's

a real live prince!"

"Will we have to call you 'Your Highness'?" Eric asked, still

giggling.

"NO! And don't you call him that either, he hates it," she

shot back. "He's rich, too," she added defiantly.

"How'd you meet him?" I asked.

"He's another one of Sarah's 'boys'," she said. "See, Eric,

you're not the only one!"

"You really like him?" I asked.

"He's cute, fun, and he has LIFE!" she said. "I also told

him about you two, and he just laughed at how uptight I was.

Europeans have a different attitude."

"That's good. When do we get to meet him - informally?" I

asked.

"I was wondering if you could have us over for lunch

tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me," I said, nodding toward Eric. He nodded

back. "We'll be gone Tuesday," I said, watching Eric's

reaction.

"Where are we going?" he asked me.

"To Rome, shopping," I told him nonchalantly. He just

grinned at me.

"Can we go too?" Tina asked.

"If you want. We're leaving early..." I said.

"What're you guys doing today?" Annie asked.

"We're gonna check out the nudie beaches," Eric giggled.

"Oh God," Annie groaned. "Don't let anyone see you!"

"That's the whole idea," Eric laughed, "let them see it ALL!"

"You guys!" she said, rolling her eyes.

\- - - - -

Sunning in the nude in our own backyard was one thing, being

naked on a public beach was a different matter. Quite

frankly, I had mixed emotions about actually doing it, but

Eric was rarin' to go. I had little choice.

Ricky and Alex, who would accompany us, were excited too, but

fearful of getting their dicks burned. Eric gave them the

sunscreen he'd brought for them.

We waited until we found deck chairs before stripping. Eric

had learned beach etiquette from Jacques.

My biggest fear was that I'd spring a woodie, but looking

around, saw that there wasn't much that'd stimulate me.

It wasn't such a big deal afterall. Being Sunday, there was

quite a crowd strolling the "shingle" beach - pebbles instead

of the sand we were used to, and after much cajoling by Eric,

we joined them. Alex followed us at a discreet distance,

Ricky was in no condition to move, having a roaring hardon

that he covered with a towel.

"See, it's not so bad," Eric said.

"I'm fine as long as I don't look at YOU," I told him.

\- - - - -

Annie and Hans showed up around noon. Eric and I considered

ourselves "on vacation" so we felt it Ok to have a drink or

two. Hans declined the offer of one.

Not only did Hans have cute buns, he was "cute" all over.

Very athletic, and a bundle of energy.

Conversation was easy, Hans confident and self assured. It

seemed that sports were his passion, skin diving, water and

snow skiing, and just about everything else.

I'd had Bob fax me background information on him, not so much

to check him out as to learn more about him. Annie never

gave us anything to work from.

He talked about his work at Koenigsburg, his family's heavy

industry company in Germany. It turned out that they'd sold

us a lot of equipment over the years. Their electronics

company made the copiers that we were buying by the score, in

fact, they'd just gotten a big order from Lundborg Rush.

He didn't have to tell us that he was an aristocrat, that was

way too obvious. His manners were impeccable, and everything

about him shouted education and good breeding.

Annie informed us that Hans was joining us the next day on

our trip to Rome, and that they'd meet us at the airport

early.

On their way out, Annie gave me a hug and whispered "Thank

you" in my ear. Evidently, we had behaved.

\- - - - -

"Well, whaddya think?" I asked Eric.

"Pretty impressive," he said. "He gets my stamp of approval."

"Mine too," I said. "He seems like the type of guy Annie's

been looking for." I told him about my conversation with

Annie a while ago, and how she was looking for somebody with

"life".

"He seems to have a lot of THAT," he agreed. "In fact, the

best word to describe him is "Dashing", kinda like old Errol

Flynn."

"About tomorrow..." I said. Eric hadn't said a word about

the trip after I'd surprised him with the announcement. "My

original intention was that it'd just be the two of us, but

now that we've got a cast of thousands, things have changed a

bit."

"What were you planning?"

"Just fly over, do a little shopping, have a romantic lunch

in the Piazza Navona, then come back here."

"Why can't we still do that? Ricky and Alex will stay out of

the way, and the rest can do their own thing," he said. "Are

we 'shopping' for anything in particular?"

"We have an appointment at Brioni for suits," I told him.

"I've heard of them."

"I've been buying suits from them since the late '60's. None

lately, and I'd like to load up, nothing 'off the rack', but

custom tailored. We'll have to go back for fittings in a

few days, too."

"Sounds like fun. I've never owned a 'custom tailored' suit,"

he said.

"Wait'll you see the fabrics they have. I want at least one

raw silk, and the way they cut them, they can make even my

saggy ass look good. I can only imagine what they'll do with

yours!"

"I like your ass just the way it is," he said seriously.

"Thank you, my love, but I don't think you'll object when you

see what they can do. Hell, I'm vain too, and anything that

is an improvement makes me feel better."

"If it makes you feel better, I'm all for it," he said. "How

many are you planning to get?"

"At least a half dozen, more if I find fabrics I like," I

told him.

\- - - - -

Surprisingly, the kids were already on board when we

arrived. I made sure everybody had their passports, then we

got ready for takeoff.

Hans said all the appropriate things about the plane, and

Eric and I settled in for the short flight, my arm around him.

Hans came over to discuss our plans for the day. "You guys

are on your own," I told him. "We've got some shopping we

want to do, and a few other things, so why don't we meet back

at the airport around 4:00?"

Hans assured us that he "knew" Rome and would show the girls

around. He admitted that Annie had a list of shops that she

wanted to visit, so they'd be shopping too. He didn't seem

to mind, which surprised me a little. He hadn't appeared to

be the "shopping" kind. Annie was getting him trained FAST!

Immigration met the plane, and in what appeared to be perfect

Italian, Hans took care of the formalities.

\- - - - -

There were bolts of fabric spread out everywhere. I looked

over the raw silks and picked a dark charcoal for my first

suit. Eric was looking at the piles pensively, picking up

bolts and looking at them closely, having a hard time

deciding.

"Buy them all," I suggested, "you won't be sorry."

"I just might," he said, starting a pile of the fabrics he

liked.

My pile grew too, I didn't pay any attention to how many.

Then it was time for the tailors to measure us. They had us

strip down to our underwear for this, and Eric got the

giggles. He also got the beginnings of a woody when the guy

measured his inseam with one hand on his balls.

We agreed to come back in a week for fittings then walked to

the Piazza Navona for lunch.

It was sunny and warm, the piazza was populated by tourists,

so we "people watched" and talked.

There were several sights that Eric wanted to see, but except

for the Trevi Fountain, we decided to see them when we came

back for fittings.

We tossed coins over our shoulder at the Fountain with Alex

snapping pictures. It was kind of rushed, but we'd wasted

several hours over lunch.

\- - - - -

Seeing the same people every night for dinner, we got to know

a lot of them fairly well. I won't say that we were the star

attractions, but we did get more than our share of attention.

Sarah's guests were an interesting mixture. Royalty,

business tycoons, politics and the arts were all

represented. They all had three things in common, though,

money, prestige and social position. These were the people

that you "heard about" but didn't see in the papers much.

These were the people who REALLY ran the world.

Business was one of the many topics of discussion, but more

in abstract terms. One did not mention money in these

circles.

I spent some time talking with Count whassisname from the

recently freed country in Northern Europe. He insisted that

I call him by his first name, Karol, which made it much

easier for me. Karol held no official position in his

government, but it was pretty obvious that he had a lot of

influence over what happened there.

He still wanted us to take a look at the possibilities in his

country, but understood our "wait and see" position. His

country, he said, had avoided many of the problems that the

other former Soviet Socialist Republics faced - corruption and

organized crime. Foreign investment was welcome and was

flourishing.

I explained that Metalco's market was totally domestic, that

we'd never ventured into the European market, but, thinking

about LR's entry into the music CD and DVD market, locating

production facilities in his Country might have merit, so

promised him that we very well might be coming to look over

the situation soon. The fact that they were in line to join

the EEC would be a very positive factor.

Both Eric and I made a lot of other potentially valuable

contacts. Who knows when it would be helpful to know someone

somewhere who could either lend a helping hand or open doors

for us. Of course, we would be happy to reciprocate if the

opportunity arose, which I'm sure many of our acquaintences

saw as well. I believe it's called "Networking", but

certainly at an exalted level.

The week's parties had definitely been a "warmup" with the

real festivities to start with the Masquerade Ball on

Saturday night.

Sarah wasn't having a dinner that night, so we invited the

kids to the boat for an early buffet on deck. Tina brought

her escort for the evening along, the son of an Italian auto

mogul.

Everyone was very secretive about the costumes they'd be

wearing. I couldn't spill the beans about what we'd be

wearing because I still didn't know myself.

When it came time to dress, Eric and Jacques got these

devilish grins on their faces.

In our cabin, Eric's first instruction was to "strip".

I obeyed, wondering what in the hell I was getting into, but

Eric also took all of his clothes off. Jacques came in with

a huge armload of stuff.

I stood as directed, and the first thing to go on was a beige

linen wrap-around kilt-like affair that fastened with velcro.

"Hey, no way am I wearing this without jockeys," I told

them. "I'll get a hardon and embarass myself for sure!"

"No you won't," Eric argued. "I'm not planning on wearing

any."

"I guess you think you've got better control," I said, "but I

don't trust myself." I went over and whispered something in

his ear, then stood back to watch his reaction.

His dick slowly started to fill out and lengthen. Seeing

that, my own started to rise.

"I see your point," Eric giggled. "I know you, too, you'd do

that to me at the party, wouldn't you?"

"You can count on it," I told him, laughing.

"You win," he said. "We'll both wear jockeys. Hell, maybe

I'd better wear a jock just to be on the safe side. I know

you'll try to pull something."

"I'll pull this," I said, reaching out to give him a few

playful strokes, getting harder by the minute myself.

"OK, OK, you made your point!"

The next thing to go on was a huge, gold, beaded collar. It

went from shoulder to shoulder and down to my nipples.

"Who the hell am I gonna be when you sadists get through with

me?" I asked.

"A Pharaoh," Eric said while Jacques snickered. "We have to

put on your makeup before the headdress goes on."

"No way!" I protested. "I DON'T wear makeup!"

"Aw, come on, do it for me," Eric said in his little boy

begging voice. "It's just eyeliner and paint your eyebrows

black."

I rolled my eyes heavenward. He could talk me into anything!

"OK," I said, "just don't gob it on."

I sat and Jacques was right there with his makeup kit.

"It'll look authentic," he assured me. "Very masculine at

that time."

I closed my eyes while Jacques ran something along both my

upper and lower eyelids, then started on my eyebrows. "If we

wear masks, won't this shit get smeared all over?" I asked.

"Sarah told me that very few people wear masks," Eric told

me, "so we won't, either."

Next came the false beard. This one was made out of

styrofoam, and painted in blue and gold. "You'll have to

hold still while the glue sets up," Eric warned me. "I

figured that'd be more comfortable than wearing a chin strap."

When it felt like the beard was securely attached, they

slipped the headdress on. It was made of cloth, gold lame

and blue silk with a gold vulture and cobra sticking up at

the front.

I guess I was complete because they let me walk over and take

a look at myself in the mirror. I was impressed! I looked

very much like an older version of King Tut, very authentic,

and, in my opinion, unrecognizable.

"How about shoes?" I asked. "Tennies just won't cut it," I

chuckled.

Eric handed me a pair of gold thongs. "These'll be better,"

he said.

I slipped on a pair of jockeys before I put the shoes on.

It was my turn to watch. Eric got the same makeup treatment

and beard. His costume was identical to mine except wherever

mine was gold, his was silver. He was absolutely stunning.

"Glad we have good tans," he said. "We need them with all

this skin showing."

"Good thing it's warm, too," I added, "or we'd freeze our

asses off."

"You look fabbbbulous, darling," Eric told me in his best

Billy Crystal voice, and gave me a big kiss, almost knocking

my beard off.

"Better put on shorts or I'll play with your bare butt all

night," I warned him.

On deck, Alex took pictures of us, then we were off.

\- - - - -

Sara's villa had an honest-to-God ballroom. It was much

larger than the main hall and was decorated to look like

Venice. The only things missing were the pigeons.

Our entrance was most definitely noticed. Afterall, we were

a bit on the spectacular side, and getting "into" the spirit

of things, I didn't mind a bit.

We stood out from the dozens of Marie Antoinette getups and

knee breeches. Annie and Hans were 'Lil Abner and Daisy

Mae. Hans had the body for the rustic costume with big boots

and Annie was voluptuous enough to really look like Daisy.

Tina and her date were Sultan and harem girl. They looked

pretty spectacular too. At least all of our tribe were

"different" from the predominant French period costumes.

Sarah was Queen Victoria in black, dripping with pearls.

"Your whole family is so imaginative!" she said.

"It's all Eric's fault," I laughed, "for the two of us,

anyway."

"Dance with me," she demanded of Eric, "you're the best

looking man here!"

"Flattery..." he said as he guided her onto the floor,

laughing.

I totally agreed with her, however.

The music was slow, something I could handle if I had to.

Someone cut-in on Eric, and we went to find a table. Even

without masks, I doubt I would've known any of the others at

the table. As usual, friendly Eric knew everyone within

minutes, introducing me as he went.

Masked waiters and waitresses circulated, passing out drinks

and little tidbits to eat. One of the friendlier ladies at

the table asked me to dance. What the hell, I accepted.

It was kind of fun, even though I had to watch it so I didn't

knock my false beard off. "Your lover is a very handsome

man," she commented, shocking me.

"I think so too," I answered, playing it straight.

"Pity those magnificent genes won't be passed along. Is he

smart?"

"Brilliant, actually," I said.

"My God! You must let him be a sperm donor!"

That, thank the Lord, was the end of dance and our

conversation.

Hell, I'd jack him off if he wanted to be a sperm donor. It

was something I'd never thought about before.

I danced another dance with an unknown woman who did more

than a little crotch rubbing. It certainly didn't do

anything for me. The tempo picked up substantially and Eric

and I went out the French doors to the terrace.

"Damn, what a bunch of horny women," he commented.

"You too?" I asked.

"They can't leave us studs alone," he giggled. "I guess

they've got to try for the unattainable."

We danced and talked and drank. I talked, Eric danced. I

guess that's what one does at a "Ball". The mood was light

and there were a lot of sexual undertones. The women were

coming on like gangbusters, and a lot of men, some very

attractive, did some serious cruising too.

I must admit that the attention gave my ego a big boost, but

had no interest in pursuing anything with anybody. Why? Of

course, Eric got more than his share of attention. I watched

the women openly stare, and the men trying to be covert in

their admiration, glancing and licking their lips.

I spent a little time talking with the girls and their

dates. Hans was a real charmer and ever so attentive to

Annie. Eric was right, the only way to describe him was

"dashing".

Although Gianni was obviously smitten by Tina, she was her

light-spirited self just having a good time.

After a very elaborate Midnight Supper, more talking and more

dancing, Eric and I decided it was time to call it a night.

The car reeked of cum. I glanced at Eric but didn't say

anything. Ricky knew and even in the darkness, his red face

was obvious. Alex just had a contented look on his face.

On the way out to the boat Ricky confided in us that that

night was the first time they'd been able to seduce the

driver. "Insatiable, too," he said, "couldn't get enough

cock once he let himself enjoy it."

We all sat on the deck for a nightcap, talking about the

party. After a trip to our cabin, Eric asked the boys if

they'd give us a little privacy which they gladly did, and

said that they'd stay just inside so that we wouldn't be

disturbed.

"It's time for me to take care of MY Pharaoh," Eric said,

holding up the bottle of lube. "I want you standing, just

like I was the very first time."

"Only if I have something to hold onto," I told him.

I didn't have Amun's gold dick to grab, so I found a high

railing that offered something to hang onto.

Eric took off his kilt and his shorts, then undressed me,

leaving the collar and headdress on. Silently, he liberally

lubed both hands then stood in front of me, taking my hard

dick in both his hands. His eyes never left mine as he

gently stroked, working me slowly but forcefully. I tried to

concentrate on the sensations, but the love in his eyes made

focusing difficult.

I managed to let go, stopped trying to channel my thought

processes. It took only seconds before a violent orgasm

overtook me and I was shooting all over him. He milked out

every drop then grabbed my hips to steady me. I was

definitely ready to collapse.

After a long, tender kiss, he led me to a chair, putting his

arm around me, holding me.

I dropped to my knees in front of him, licking off the precum

that was running down his length, and positioned myself so I

could take all of him. I leaned forward and didn't stop

until my lips were on his pubic hair. I didn't know who was

enjoying this more, him or me. The only drawback was that I

couldn't gaze into his eyes. The flood came and I enjoyed

every drop, holding his thighs so he didn't slip off the

chair.

\- - - - -

The party tempo stepped up during the second week. Our night

at the Monte Carlo Casino was the next big event.

After one of Sarah's fabulous dinners, a line of limos

transported us all to Monaco. It was formal, tuxedos and

fancy dresses for the ladies.

Eric and I had pre-arranged for chips and we gave Tina a

purseful, Annie didn't need any, Hans was taking care of that.

This was the first time there for both Eric and me, and we

were both surprised at how different this casino was from Las

Vegas, certainly a lot quieter. It was all table games, no

slot machines and all the noise they made which, to me, made

the atmosphere more serious. Patrons had come to do some

serious gambling!

We were familiar with Blackjack, Craps and Roulette, but

Baccarat was a complete mystery. Watching the players, I

whispered to Eric "Remind you of James Bond?"

We understood blackjack, so that's what we played. To me,

roulette was good for a time killer, and I didn't fully

understand craps. We played cautiously at first. I lost

continuously, Eric won continuously and kept upping his bets,

and it looked like Tina was just breaking even.

I didn't want to break Eric's streak, so continued with

minimum bets. When his luck turned, it turned fast. He lost

three in a row and was ready to leave while he was still

ahead. Tina and I agreed.

We wandered, taking in the opulent surroundings and talked

with some of the other spectators. Stopping for a drink, I

could tell that Eric was itching to get back into the game.

"Go ahead," I told him, "we'll catch up with you in a few

minutes."

He smiled a big "Thank you,", gave me a squeeze on the

shoulder and headed back to the gaming room.

"He's so cute," Tina commented. "At times, he's just like a

big kid."

I grinned at her. We dawdled, having another drink to give

him time. When we found him, his pile of chips looked about

the same as before. "Sit down here and bring me some luck,"

he said, shoving a pile of chips in front of the empty seat

next to him.

I played conservatively, winning a few, losing a few. Eric,

however was dragging in chips by the armload.

Sarah came around to round up her herd, taking us back to her

villa for a late supper. On the way out, Eric whispered in

my ear "Do you think that I might get REALLY lucky tonight?"

I think the grin on my face and the sparkle in my eye gave

him his answer.

\- - - - -

The nights were all glittering affairs, the finale to be the

Grand Ball on Saturday night. During the days, we either

went exploring the countryside or just lazed around. Our

quick trip back to Rome for fittings was long enough to see

the sights that Eric had on his list, and a day trip to

Avignon gave us plenty of time to explore the Palace of the

Popes.

Two weeks is a long time for me to hold still and try to be

relaxed and aimless. We hadn't seen a newspaper, watched TV

or gotten any flashes from home since we arrived. I was

ready to get back to work and up to date on what was going on

in the world. The Grand Ball couldn't be soon enough for me.

I was ready to pack up and go home.

When the night finally arrived, we were, I'd guess about in

the middle of the throng going in. Eric looked absolutely

stunning in his white tie and tails. I noticed that he was

wearing the sapphire studs that I'd given him.

We were ushered, two by two, to the ballroom, then announced

to the room, all extremely formal. The room had been

transformed into a French Palace, with huge crystal

chandeliers and gilt chairs and tables.

Once we got out of traffic, I looked around. I almost lost

my lunch. Standing across the room, very nonchalant but

staring at us was THE EYES.

Chapter 50

Eric must have noticed him at the same time I did. He froze,

then turned to look at me. "What the fuck is that

asshole doing here?" he growled.

I turned my back to him to escape those damned eyes. "I have

no idea who the hell he is or what he's doing here," I said.

"He bothers me."

"I know he does, babe, me too, but we can't let him get to

us. Just ignore him, hell, he's just another face in the

crowd."

"Easy to say," I said. "That guy spooks me!"

We pretended that he wasn't there, making an effort to have a

good time regardless. My success at this was limited. In

paranoid fashion, I felt his eyes on my back, and every time

I looked around, there he was.

I tried to concentrate on other people. I checked out all

the women who were wearing beautiful gowns and drenched in

diamonds. At a quick guess, I'd bet that there was a years'

worth of deBeers production wandering around the dance floor.

Tina and Annie were no exception. "Where'd you get all the

jewelry?" I asked them.

"Sarah arranged for us to borrow it from Harry Winston in New

York before we left," Annie explained. "Aren't they cool?"

"If you want 'em, I'll buy them for both of you," Eric

teased, "and charge 'em to your Dad."

"Get your own girlfriend!" Hans teased him.

The orchestra was playing Strauss waltzes. That was

something else I could handle, if I didn't get too exuberant.

We both danced a couple of waltzes, but it felt like there

was an ominous cloud hanging over the whole evening. At the

next break, Eric motioned for me to follow him out onto the

terrace.

"This is bullshit," he said. "I can tell you're miserable

and I'm not too happy either. It's got to stop."

"What do you suggest?" I asked.

"I think we have two choices. Either we talk to him or we

leave."

"Let's face it, babe, this isn't that guy's problem, it's

ours, mine in particular. The only thing he's ever done is

make that one comment."

"I don't know why either of us are making such a big deal out

of this," he said. "We don't have any secrets, so what's to

be afraid of?"

"It's those eyes," I answered. "They draw me, and at the

same time repel me. I don't feel I have control over myself

and that scares me."

"Looks like our decision's been made for us," he said. "Here

he comes."

"Hello, Gentlemen," the Eyes said. "We seem to meet in the

strangest places! I'm Alan Sloan, Sarah's nephew," he

continued, holding out his hand.

"Eric Lundborg," Eric said, shaking his hand.

"Dave Rush," I said, shaking his hand too.

"I've heard a lot about both of you, but wasn't able to put

your names and faces together until you were announced

tonight," Alan said.

"We try to keep a low profile," Eric offered.

I didn't know what to say. I was in shock. Where had he

come from? He certainly didn't belong to Edward or John, so

there must be other siblings.

I think he sensed our discomfort, so tried to make it easier

for us. "I used to work for Uncle Edward," he said. "He

fired me when he thought I was getting too close to finding

out what he and Uncle John were doing, but I think you know

all about that."

We nodded but didn't comment.

"From what I hear, Milton has taken off like a rocket since

you took over," Alan added, leaving an opening in the

conversation.

"We're doing quite well," I said, "growing pretty fast."

"I'd better get back to my wife," Alan said. "Nice to meet

you both." We'd all recognized that this conversation wasn't

going anyplace, so he was ending it. Before he left,

however, he had a parting shot. "Dave, I still think that

you have the most captivating eyes I've ever seen."

Eric waited until Alan was back inside then burst out

laughing. "Gotcha!"

The tension evaporated. It had been a strange conversation,

more unsaid than said, but at least I had been able to look

him straight in the eye without being affected.

"Feel better?" Eric asked.

I nodded. "Whatever hold he had over me is long gone," I

smiled.

"I agree with him about your eyes," he said. "I get off on

them all the time."

\- - - - -

It was nice to be home. Eric and I decided to ignore the

threat of jet lag and just got back to work.

Bill wanted to see us the minute we came in. He brought Bob

with him, and although he was smiling, something was going on.

"Have you guys seen the papers?" he asked.

"Not since we left," I told him.

"This is quicker than explaining," he said, handing us a

newspaper. "Lower right corner," he directed.

Eric slid closer so he could read too. "ANOTHER GANGLAND

EXECUTION" headlined the article. "The body of Anthony

Rizullo, a gangland figure and Vice President of the United

Metalworkers Union in New Jersey, was found in the marshes of

Long Island with a single bullet wound to the head," was the

first sentence.

That's all I needed to read. "Is this good or bad - for us?"

I asked, noting the date on the paper being several days ago.

"We're not sure yet," Bob said. "Here's what we've been able

to piece together so far: The Miltons took off for Bermuda,

leaving Tony in the lurch, so when Tony couldn't come up with

the money to cover the Website's loss, they took care of him.

"By then, from phone calls to Tony, we knew who in the Mob he

was dealing with and put surveillance on them. Our main

concern was whether or not they'd stop there, or whether

they'd go after you guys too. So far, they seem to be

satisfied with 'offing' Tony, but we'll keep watching them."

"What's happening at the Union?" I asked.

"Total chaos," Bob reported. "Tony was running the whole

show. I know, he wasn't doing much, but he was directing

their feeble efforts. Now, the Union President has decided

to get involved, and has called in the 'Goon Squad' to take

over. Ironically, they're the same ones who did away with

Tony. Don't worry, we have them all 'wired' too."

"The election's only three weeks away," Eric observed, "what

can they do between now and then?"

"About the only thing we can think of is some heavy

intimidation of the membership," Bill said. "That's surely

going to backfire if they try it, just emphasize the Union's

Mob connections."

"Has the Union tried to negotiate with us at all?" I asked.

"Not so far," Bill said. "They'd consider it a sign of

weakness."

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"Just what we've been doing," Bill said, "keeping up the

pressure."

\- - - - -

Preliminary third quarter financials were ready for all our

companies, so we studied them. For the first time, I showed

Metalco's statements to Eric.

He was hesitant to even look at them. "Are you sure?" he'd

asked.

"Go ahead, it's Community Property now," I kidded him.

He pored over the statements, then looked up at me, "I had no

idea," he said softly.

We looked at the reports on Hydra's subsidiaries. The CLP

Railroad was showing marked improvement. Revenues were up

and costs were down. The absence of debt to service helped a

lot and it looked like Wilson was clearing out the dead wood

at the top, probably Edgar's cronies.

"Did anybody ever follow-up on that high-speed train?" Eric

asked.

"Not to my knowledge."

"Mind if I look into it?"

"Go for it," I told him, "they're going to have to do

something with all that cash."

"You know what?" he said, "I've never been on a train. Might

be fun sometime, just the two of us."

"I have, but it was a long, long time ago," I told him.

Development was a drain. I guess that's how it works, you

pump money in for a long time, and eventually it starts

coming back when the projects go on the market.

Sales of marginal properties were going very well. As Eric

commented, "Annie and Tina don't say much, they just get the

job done."

Lovebird was the star performer. If current output could be

maintained, it alone would retire all of Hydra's debt in

three years.

Last came Lundborg Rush. We were both surprised. In the

last quarter we had exceeded even our most optomistic

original projections by almost fifty percent.

"Ready to go Public yet?" Eric laughed.

"Hell no!" I yelled back. "Let's be greedy and wait until

all the new stuff is on line. It'll be worth a helluva lot

more then."

"We don't need the money," Eric chuckled. "YOU sure as hell

don't!" he added, pointing at the Metalco statement.

\- - - - -

After she got caught up, Annie came into my office for a chat.

I did my best not to be nosy, but I was curious about Hans.

At first we discussed the overall festivities and agreed that

two solid weeks of it was just too much. It had been fun

this time, but a week would be more than adequate in the

future.

Finally Hans came up. "What do you think of him?" she wanted

to know.

"I like him," I told her honestly.

"He thinks you and Eric are really neat, too," she said.

"He's got a lot of respect for the way you two act like

yourselves and can't understand why we Americans make such a

big fuss about anyone being gay."

"I think part of it is that we're so damned hung up on

labels," I told her. "Everybody's got to be catalogued and

identified, no ambiguity allowed.

"Now," I continued, "how do you feel about him?"

She thought about her answer for a few seconds. "I like him.

A whole lot. He's caring and considerate, and so much fun to

be around. I haven't laughed that much in a long long time.

He's also got what we talked about - Life! God, he wore me

out!"

"Are you serious about him?"

"I could be, but it's too early to tell. There's a good

possibility, though. The only problem I see is that he's

there and I'm here. You know I'm never going to be just a

hausfrau," she said.

"If it's meant to happen, it will," I told her, "regardless

of obstacles."

\- - - - -

"The Government funding's still available," Eric announced.

"For what?" I asked.

"The high speed train," he said as if I should have been a

mind reader.

I had to chuckle. Most of the time when he'd start in the

middle of something, I would pick up on it, but this was such

an abrupt switch of subjects that he caught me.

"How does it look?" I asked.

"Pretty damned good, Wilson tells me. I'm going up to San

Francisco tomorrow so he can explain the whole thing. Wanna

go?"

"I really shouldn't," I told him. "There've been some

rumblings in New Jersey and I want to keep on top of things.

You go find out everything and tell me."

"You're right. As much as I'd like us to do everything

together, we've both got things that we need to do separately

\- until we can dump them off on somebody else," he giggled.

Within 24 hours the rumbles became roars. In a last ditch

effort, the Union and it's rabid supporters were physically

attacking non-union sympathizers. Full-scale riots broke

out, and the Governor of Connecticut was threatening to call

out the National Guard. As the Union had hoped, the NLRB was

threatening to postpone the election that was only a week

away.

We brought in an army of security people to keep peace on

Company property, but we had no jurisdiction over the

surrounding areas where the battles continued. We were

hoping and praying that the Governors would step in and end

it, but they dawdled.

On the third day of battle, a non-union supporter was

bludgeoned to death. That did it. The National Guard was

called out in Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and

after a day of light skirmishes, things quieted.

There was an armed truce and the NLRB announced plans to go

ahead with the election.

All was relatively quiet until the day of the election. As

the first shift showed up, there was a picket line at the

gate of every Milton facility, coast to coast. It wasn't a

peaceful picket line carrying signs, but a group of thugs

making physical threats and hurling invective.

It was reported that a few refused to cross the picket line,

even though THEY were the ones being picketed.

I'd never heard of anything like this happening before - a

Union picketing its own membership! Metalco had experienced

some pretty nasty Union tactics over the years, but this was

the meanest I'd ever seen.

In the cities where things got overheated, riot police were

called to maintain order. Once the shift was underway,

things calmed down outside the gates and our guards kept

things quiet inside the plants.

During the day, there were attempts to steal ballot boxes and

to scare off the NLRB election supervisors, but our guards

were on their toes.

The whole performance was repeated when workers for the

evening shift arrived. More chaos, but this time everyone

was ready and violence was held to a minimum.

Once the voting was complete, the NLRB took the ballots to

Federal offices for counting under armed guard. We'd have to

wait until noon the next day to learn the results.

\- - - - -

All the troops gathered in my office to await the results.

We were confident that we'd win. By how much was the

question.

Jeff took the call. He was beaming when he hung up. "Eighty

seven percent!" he whooped.

When the cheering died down, Eric asked a sensible question.

"What happens to the thirteen percent who voted against us?"

With a totally straight face, Jack looked straight at Eric.

"We take 'em out and shoot 'em."

A look of disbelief was quickly replaced with a grin, then a

big belly laugh.

"Never thought I could pull one over on YOU!" Jack said, "not

even for a second. Actually, if they run true-to-form, in

six months the ones who were the biggest Union supporters

will be OUR biggest supporters. They're 'followers'."

It was over. As soon as the contract expired, every Milton

employee would see a raise, and as fast as we could, Milton

would be integrated into Metalco.

\- - - - -

The bedroom was dark when Eric slid into bed. "Remember the

talks we've had about how great it'd be if we could fuck each

other at the same time?" he asked innocently.

"Um hmm."

"I've found something that might be real close to that," he

said, brandishing what looked like about a 16" double-ended

dildo.

"How's it work?" I asked.

"One end goes in you, the other end goes in me. Whenever one

of us moves, the other one feels it," he explained.

"And how do you plan to manage that?"

"Lemme show you," he said, reaching for the lube.

He prepped me, then himself. While he was doing this, I held

the dildo. It had a skin-like surface texture and bumpy

veins. It also felt nice and warm. "This thing got a heater

in it?" I asked.

"No," he giggled, "I soaked it in hot water to warm it up."

"Oh."

He carefully lubed up one end of the thing then started

working it into me. It felt pretty damned good. Not as good

as his real cock, but not bad. When he scored a direct hit

on my prostate, I just about jumped off the thing. Eric hung

on and managed to keep it in.

"I'll be more careful," he promised.

"Why?" I chuckled, "that was sensational!"

I watched him lube up the other end. He then positioned

himself between my legs, one of his over one of mine, the

other under. Butt toward butt, holding the dildo, he inched

forward trying to impale himself on it.

It wasn't going in. Instead, he was driving the damned thing

deeper into me.

"You ever used one of these things before?" I asked.

"No, isn't that pretty obvious?" he giggled. "I can't get

hold of the damned thing," he laughed. "It won't go in."

"Get a pair of pliers," I suggested, laughing too. "You

oughta be able to hold it with them."

"I'm gonna try a towel, maybe I can grab it with that."

He got a towel. After several tries, that worked. He was

able to get the end inside himself then slid down on it until

we were butt to butt.

"What do we do now?" I asked, laughing, looking down at our

soft cocks just lying there.

He wiggled his butt. "Wow! Not bad!" I told him, watching

both of our dicks stir.

He grasped my hardenening cock with his lubed hand, moving

his butt again. Now, that REALLY felt good! He held up the

lube, gave me a handful that I rubbed all over his dick and

started stroking.

We got serious in a hurry. Both of our butts were gyrating,

our hands stroking. It was a triple stimulus - the "cock"

moving around in my ass tickling my prostate, Eric's hand

stroking my dick, and his cock in my hand. I'm not sure

which one was the greatest turn-on.

"This ain't a bit bad!" he said gleefully.

"Shut up and wiggle that bootie," I told him, laughing.

We gazed into each other's eyes. It felt good, but we were

wound into such pretzels that there was definitely an element

of humor. The only way I could "get anyplace" was to

concentrate, wiggle and stroke.

We built and blew. All orgasms are good, but on a scale of

one to ten, this was about a five. Usually, we were off the

scale.

"That was FUN!" he said lying there. "I think it'd be more

fun if we took it all a little more seriously, though."

"You'll have to admit, it WAS funny," I told him.

"We'll just have to practice."

\- - - - -

The Railroad had two routes going up the coast. One followed

the coastline wherever possible, the other was inland,

running from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The "bullet

train" would best be suited to the route between San Luis

Obispo and San Diego. That's where most of the commuter

traffic was, and the part where Federal funds were available

for construction.

The project would cost billions and take years to complete

once all the bureaucratic and environmental hurdles were

crossed. It was estimated that our share of the cost could

be capped at between $500 million and $1 billion.

With ongoing Department of Transportation subsidies our

projections showed that a mere five percent increase in

ridership over current levels would make it profitable. Not

much, but beyond break-even. Much larger increases, which all

of the surveys predicted, would make it more than a

worthwhile investment.

Eric had enthusiastically done all of the legwork, and after

many hours of discussion between the two of us, sometimes

Annie and Tina included, we decided to start the ball rolling.

Since we would be dealing with the Government, everything had

to be done "according to the book", including a Railroad

Board resolution before we could even start the paperwork.

With George Wilson's wholehearted support, details of what we

proposed were sent to each of the directors for them to study.

Since we had taken over the Railroad, Quarterly Board Meetings

had been held, usually hour-long sessions where we

rubber-stamped approval of everything Wilson proposed. This

one would be a little more involved.

This Board meeting lasted all day. Eric's knowledge of what

had to be done was unbelievable. He'd done his homework

well, and amazed us all with what he knew.

There was a lot more involved than just filling out some

forms. Politics were involved. Oh shit!

Wilson would handle everything, and I was surprised to learn

how well he was politically "connected". Toward the end of

the meeting, Wilson asked Eric if he would work with him,

occasionally, on negotiations. I considered that a very high

compliment to Eric, indeed.

After the meeting, Eric had something he wanted to show me,

so we split off from the crowd and headed to the South Bay in

a rental. At the Railroad's main "Yard" we were waved right

in. Eric had evidently been there before. We drove around,

dodging switch engines to a far corner of the property.

There, by itself on a piece of track not even connected to

any other rails, sat the most dilapidated looking piece of

rolling stock I'd ever seen.

"Isn't it a beauty?" Eric asked.

"What the hell is it?" I asked, not noticing anything

resembling "beauty" anywhere in the vicinity. Maybe I was

looking at the wrong thing.

"A piece of Railroad History," he said getting out of the car.

"Come look."

We stood and surveyed the thing. It was NOT a pretty sight.

"Over a hundred years ago, this was the Private Car of the

Railroad's President," he explained. "At the time, this one

was considered the ultimate in private transportation. Not

even the Eastern Railroad moguls had anything to match it."

"That was then, this is now," I commented dryly.

"I'm going to restore it," he said, "for us," looking at me

with that twinkle in his eye that I knew so well and using

those words that he knew I couldn't argue with.

"The wheels and suspension will be replaced with modern

stuff, but the carriage itself is sound, and the interior can

be totally restored," he continued. "I have pictures of the

original interior, and I plan to put it back to the way it was

originally, gold fittings, chandeliers and all."

I stood there shaking my head. "You've got a lot of work

ahead of you," I commented.

"I'm not into 'fixer-uppers' myself," he giggled. "There're

people who do this type of thing. Just think, we can go

anyplace where there're rails!"

I put my arm around him and gave him a squeeze. "I married a

nut, but I love every minute of it," I told him.

We peeked into the door that was hanging by one hinge. The

inside was a total disaster, looking like something out of

"Great Expectations" with almost solid cobwebs and inches of

dust and grime.

"That's the 'before' view," he said proudly, "wait'll you see

it when it's restored."

\- - - - -

Jack and Dale wanted to talk to us before doing anything with

all the evidence we'd gathered on the Milton brothers. They

knew that we had become close friends with Sarah so wanted us

to make the decision on how to proceed.

"We've waited long enough after the Union mess so that there

won't be any connection," Jack said. "We can get everything

we have to the New York District Attorney's office

anonymously. They'll never be able to trace where it came

from."

"Why New York and not New Jersey?" I asked.

"Probably both," Dale said.

"What do you have on them?" Eric asked. "I haven't read very

much of the information that's been coming in."

Jack nodded to Dale who jumped right in. "They may seem like

refined, sedate old men, but there's a dark side. Both of

them are into children. Edward likes little boys and John

likes little girls and they've gone a lot further than just

collecting 'kiddie porn' though they do that too."

"How much further?" Eric asked.

"They have an apartment in New York near one of the poorest

sections of the city. They work with street pimps who bring

them a steady supply of victims, poor children eight to

around twelve years old, both little boys and little girls,

occasionally some as young as five.

"The old bastards have sex with these kids, and evidently

take turns videotaping each other while they're doing it.

We've managed to get copies of several of these tapes. Not

all of these kids are willing participants, and John,

particularly, seems to prefer it when the kid is fighting

him. I call that rape!"

"Have you actually seen one of these tapes?" I asked.

"I watched as much of one as I could stand," Dale said. "It

was enough to see both John and Edward in action. Sorry, I

couldn't look at any more. What I did see, though, is enough

to put them both away for the rest of their lives."

"I didn't have the stomach to look at them," Jack said.

"I'll rely on Dale's word."

"How would you handle this?" Eric asked.

"We'd send copies of the tapes, along with a letter

identifying the Miltons, to both D.A.'s. The letter'd also

have the address of the apartment in New York," Jack said.

"We'd also let New York know that New Jersey also got

copies. That way they'd HAVE to act."

"Don't do anything until we have a chance to think this

over," I told them. "We'll let you know."

"Those fucking assholes!" Eric said after Dale and Jack left.

"Puts us in a rather delicate position," I commented.

"I know!" he said. "Neither of us want to hurt Sarah, and if

this came out, she'd be dragged in for sure. On the other

hand, those pricks can't be allowed to continue that shit.

God, it makes me shiver just to think about it."

"Do you think we should look at those tapes to make sure

they're what Dale says they are?" I asked.

"No way in hell! I trust Dale. If I saw them, I'd lose what

little objectivity I still have, and probably try to kill the

old fuckers myself."

We sat, lost in thought, weighing the possibilities.

Child molestation cases always got a lot of press. There

would be even more in this case because of the Milton's

prominence. Sarah, holding the social position that she did,

would, no doubt, be mentioned in everything written or said,

her name dragged through the mud just because she was their

sister.

It wasn't fair to her, but with the knowledge we had,

something had to be done. I can tolerate a lot, but this was

just too much. I also detest self-righteous people who stand

in judgment of others, and here I was, doing just that.

Eric interrupted my thoughts. "I hate to wuss out on this,"

he said, "but the only thing I can think of is to tell Sarah

the whole story and let her decide what to do. I think we

owe her at least a chance."

I weighed that idea for a minute. "That's the humane thing

to do. What do you think she'll do to them?"

"I know I'd cut both their dicks off," he said. "I have no

idea what she'll do, but I'm sure she'll come up with

something just as bad."

"I don't think that what you're proposing is a cop-out," I

told him. "We both love Sarah and don't want to see her get

hurt. I have confidence that she won't let them off the hook

and do it in such a way that it won't be a public scandal and

those assholes will still get the punishment they deserve."

"It'll take a day or two to gather everything up, then I'm

going to New York and give it to her," he said.

"NO!" I said. "WE'RE going to New York together. I'm

involved here too, and I'm going to be with you all the way.

I love Sarah too."

"Thank you," he said, and I could tell he really meant it.

"Let's get to work so we can get this whole thing behind us."

"What do you need?"

"More than just hearsay," he said. "Cold hard facts to back

up what we're going to tell her. I'll get Dale to gather up

everything we'll need."

That evening, Eric told me what he'd asked Dale to do. He

was thorough and we would be well prepared.

The General had found us a slot later in the week, so we had

to wait a few days before we could make the trip. Eric had

alerted Sarah that we were coming to town and wanted to talk

with her.

\- - - - -

We were both dreading the trip, but at the same time wanted

it over with. The whole situation had sickened us both to

the point where our own sex lives had ground to a halt.

Neither of us were interested.

"Do you think we're perverts too?" Eric had asked when we

were talking about it.

"No!" I had answered vehemently. "We're two people who love

each other, and the fact that we're both men has nothing to

do with it."

"Yeah, I know, we're consenting adults and all that, but I

get a twinge of guilt every time I think about it. At the

moment, it just seems wrong."

Selfishly, I was glad that we were dropping the whole problem

in Sarah's lap. Once that was accomplished, I hoped that we

could return to our old lives. Closure, hopefully, and some

laughter and some physical "loving" too.

Jacques took our stuff to the penthouse, and we went straight

to Sarah's. Eric felt that it would be best to break this

news on "her turf" where she would feel less vulnerable.

Neither of us had any idea what her reaction would be.

We were greeted with hugs, and we thanked her profusely for

the great time we'd had in France, then Eric got down to the

nitty gritty.

"Do you remember when you told us that your brothers might be

up to something?" he asked. Sarah nodded. "To be on the

safe side, Dave had them put under surveillance," he

continued. "In the process, we learned some things that we

didn't want to know. They've been doing some pretty awful

things and we wanted to let you know the whole story before

we turned the evidence over to the police."

Dale had prepared a short description of the brothers'

activities, using clinical terms wherever possible. Eric

handed that to her.

I couldn't watch her while she read it. I had a vague idea

of how painful it must have been for her.

"I know you have hard proof of all this or you wouldn't have

brought this to me," she stated.

"Unfortunately, we do," Eric told her. "We have copies of

several tapes for you."

"I don't want to see them!" she said, "but I may need them to

get this matter settled."

"They're yours," Eric said.

"I'm just too old for this kind of thing," she sighed,

looking very tired. "Why do I have to be saddled with such

sick siblings?" she asked, not expecting an answer.

"I know you wanted to protect me," she continued, "but I

almost wish you had taken it directly to the police so I

wouldn't have to deal with it. What they've done this time

is so disgusting that I can't let them get away with it."

We all sat in silence, Sarah deep in thought.

"How long do you plan to be here?" she asked.

"We were planning to go back to the Coast in the morning,"

Eric told her.

"Could you stay a couple of extra days? I can't talk about

this to anybody else, so I really need you."

"Of course, Sarah," I spoke for the first time.

"We'll do anything we can," Eric offered, going over to give

her a hug.

"I need a little time to think," she said, sitting straighter

in her chair. "Can you get me copies of those tapes by

morning?"

"I'll bring them over later myself," Eric said.

"Keep a copy yourselves," she cautioned, "when I corner them,

I believe my brothers will be capable of anything and I want

insurance."

"We've got two copies with us and another at home," Eric said.

We rose to leave. Sarah got up too, and took both of us in

her arms. "Nobody but you two would have given me a chance

to work this out. There is no way to thank you, so I won't

try. Another thing. If you don't like the way I handle

this, you have my blessing to do whatever you feel is right."

"We love you, Sarah," I said.

Wanting to get his "delivery" over with, Eric turned right

around and took the tapes back to her.

When he got back, he was much more cheerful. "That's one

strong lady," he said. "I can't believe how resilient she

is. I think she's already got a plan worked out."

"How do you feel now?" I asked.

"Kinda mixed up," he said. "I'm relieved that we've turned

the whole mess over to her, but sad that we had to hit her

with it. I also think that it's time we got on with our own

lives. We have some catching up to do."

Our first shots were therapeutic, relieving the pressure that

had built up. The volume of Eric's ejaculate was so great

that I gagged for the first time ever. I just couldn't

swallow fast enough. Eric had his problems too. I noticed

him struggling to down my copious spurts.

After the pressure was off, we made love.

\- - - - -

Sarah called in early afternoon, asking us to come over for

an early dinner.

Her eyes were twinkling. She must have gotten her way.

"I've been kind of busy," she grinned. "Would you like to

hear what I did?"

Of course! We were both dying of curiosity, but controlled

ourselves, Eric saying "If you'd like to tell us."

"Edward and John showed up this morning as ordered," she

began. "I sent them into the library to watch the tape.

They came out looking like they'd seen ghosts, but,

unfortunately, chose to go on the offensive. They demanded

that I give them the tapes, which I graciously offered to do

after telling them that there were other copies in existence.

"There were physical threats, then they tried reason - what

would happen to ME if their secrets got out. I pointed out

that I wasn't the one who would be spending my life behind

bars, and that I'd survived worse.

"Then I sat them down and told them what was going to happen."

She rested for a moment, then continued. "Some time ago, I

told you that I had ways of finding out where they had their

money hidden. Well, I did find out, and I know where it is

and how much. I handed them a list, and told them,

truthfully, that all of those accounts were frozen, and that

all of the money would be given to the UN Health Organization

for medicines in the third world. They believed me because

they know I don't bluff.

"For the final humiliation, I told them that they would sign

irrevocable consent forms to receive drug treatments.

"There's a drug, I forget the name of it, that is occasionally

prescribed for violent sex offenders. It eliminates all

sexual desires when taken regularly. They will undergo that

treatment which will render them harmless and remove their

threat to society."

"How can you be sure that they'll continue the treatment?"

Eric asked.

"One of my late husband's associates helped me with that.

He's retired, but his son took over the practice, and can't

be bought, so I trust him. If Edward and John don't come in

for monthly injections, he will notify my attorneys and the

tapes will be turned over. The Doctor's a lot younger than

they are, so will be around long after I'm gone if my

brothers happen to outlive me."

"Have they signed the consent forms?" Eric asked.

"Not yet. They have 24 hours to do so. What do you think of

my solution?"

"Does this drug really work?" I asked.

"I'm told that it's highly effective in suppressing the libido

whenever it's been used," she said. "By no means am I ruling

out the possibility of their eventually being prosecuted. One

slip or slight balk on their part and those tapes get

delivered. I don't care what the consequences are for me,

those men cannot continue to inflict damage on innocent

children."

"We'll keep an eye on them too," Eric assured her.

For now, the subject was closed. The only remaining question

was whether they'd submit to treatment.

\- - - - -

"Are you satisfied?" I asked Eric.

"No," he said candidly. "I don't trust those two SOBs any

further than I can throw a grand piano. I'd still like to

cut their dicks off!"

"We'll keep an eye on them. They're so goddam arrogant that

if they do intend to try anything, they won't waste any

time. If they do, we go straight to the cops."

"I'm afraid that's going to happen," he said. "Soon."

"I'm not so sure that the punishment Sarah's giving them fits

the crime," I commented. "She's probably found the bulk of

their money but by no means ALL of it. It would surprise me

if this causes them the slightest discomfort."

"Probably not," he agreed, "but can you imagine having your

sex drive removed? That's scary!"

"With you around, I don't think any drug would ever work on

me," I kidded him.

"I just thought of something," he said. "If anybody'd know

about that drug, it'd be Mom. I'm gonna give her a call,

it's still early out there."

When he got through talking with her, he was very serious.

"It works, most of the time, but it isn't foolproof.

Different people react to the drug differently. Mom was REAL

curious about why I wanted to know about it."

"What'd you tell her?"

"I gave her some lame excuse," he giggled. "She'll be on my

case until I come up with something a little more believable."

"I'll see if I can help you come up with something," I told

him.

Eric pondered a minute, then burst into hysterical laughter.

"Boy, are we ever in trouble!" he said between laughs.

"How come?"

"I don't think anybody told Mom and Dad that they didn't have

to wear the beacon watches and carry the panic buttons any

longer."

"Oh shit!" I said.

"As soon as we get home, I'm going to make a big deal out of

it. If we don't, they'll never believe me again!" he said.

"Better talk with Bob first," I suggested. "He may have told

them."

"I'll handle it," he said, still laughing.

\- - - - -

We waited to hear from Sarah. We'd promised to stick around

until everything was settled, by now it looked like Edward and

John were dragging their feet.

We were anxious to get home, and neither of us was very good

at waiting. At noon, Eric called Sarah for an update. He

learned that the signed and notarized agreements to undergo

drug treatment were on their way by messenger, and she

expected them to arrive momentarily. She'd call us as soon

as they got there.

We got ready to go home. We'd stop by her apartment on our

way to the airport.

We didn't have much longer to wait.

Sarah seemed relieved. "I hope this whole thing is behind

us," she said, showing us the signed documents.

She insisted on serving tea. We were all tired of talking

about Edward and John, so the conversation wandered.

"We met your nephew at the Grand Ball," Eric said to her,

going off on a new subject.

"I don't have a nephew," Sarah answered.

Eric glanced at me then continued. "He said he was Alan

Sloan, your nephew."

Sarah thought for a moment. "I don't believe I know anyone

by that name," she said.
