by John Charles
He was crying and shouting, "Find me daddy. Please find me. I can't do this anymore. Please, I can't do this…" His screams were muffled by one of the men standing in front of him.
The camera moved from Ethan to a shadowed corner of the room where off camera voice could be seen. He looked into the camera and said, "Know this Robert. You will see your son auctioned off to the highest bidder and you will see him taken away in chains. That will be the last time you see or hear from him again."
The video ended with a black screen.
"Oh Shit," came from the speakerphone on the table. His comments echoed by everyone in the room. "We are grabbing that image now. We'll clean it up and run it through the database. I'll contact you as soon as we find something and I'll let you know when we find a location, too." The call ended leaving everyone in the room staring at the silent phone.
"What the hell did he mean when he said our daddy? Was that a slip or does he think Robert is his father?" asked Akerheart. "Robert said he never had sex with Eliana, so how could this guy think Robert is his father?"
No one had an answer, but everyone wondered if Robert had lied to them. Before Declan voiced his thoughts, Hank interrupted saying, "I'll talk with him later and get a feel about this. I don't think Robert lied, but this brings a new complication to the case. Declan, you met with your support people this morning; anything to report?"
"Nothing yet, they have every picture taken over the past two nights. So far, these are just regular people hanging out at weird clubs." He looked at Akerheart, then at Aaron. "I think we need to hit more clubs. This guy has to be advertising his wares someplace."
Akerheart looked at Hank and said, "For a shy boy here, Aaron has been doing quite well. If I didn't know better I'd think he had a secret dom fetish. And Declan certainly fits the sub role quite well, too." Aaron blushed and Declan gave Akerheart the 'I'll get you for that' stare.
"Seriously, I agree with Declan and so does our MI5 support team. We want to hit five clubs tonight and every night until we get some solid leads."
"Okay, you start that tonight. I'll contact Robert with an update. Natalie, please make sure the audios of the past two nights are transcribed."
Akerheart looked at Aaron and said, "You were not in the gym this morning. I know it's tough, but you need to work out every day. Your body is on display and you need to continue to give the image of a strong dom in charge of your boy or the others will not take you seriously. So, I will meet you in the gym at five to help you get a pump for tonight."
Aaron looked from Akerheart to Hank, hoping to get some sympathy. But to his dismay, Hank was smiling and nodding his head in agreement. A snicker was heard from Declan but quickly stopped when met with Aaron's stare.
Hank stood and said, "Five clubs tonight, and every night until we find our Ethan," as he walked to the door.
Chapter 13
Keeping to his threat, Akerheart pulled Aaron and Declan from the lab at five that afternoon. "You two need to keep looking the part. I'm going to work you hard today. Aaron, you especially need to have the pumped up muscle look of a hot dom, so no complaining."
He worked them hard. Aaron enjoyed a good workout and loved when his body showed the results. Declan, though he worked out as much as possible, had a smaller trimmed body. He didn't enjoy the effort that Akerheart's regimen required. "Listen, I'm playing the boy role. I don't need to work this hard," he commented when Akerheart insisted he do another set of bench presses.
Akerheart was not just a teacher. He did as much, if not more, than his coworkers did. "If I can do it, so can you. I'm twice your age and still have a rock solid body. Stop bitching and get to work," he said looking at Declan. He worked Declan as hard as his body would take. When his two students were nearly exhausted, he sent them to the showers.
After his shower, Akerheart made his way to Hank's office. "Can I come in," he asked at the door.
Hank pointed to the chair in front of his desk then said, "I like your thinking about working our boys. How did it go?"
Akerheart laughed and said, "Hank, Aaron loves to work his body hard. He is an amazing young man. Declan, for such a strong person, bitched like hell whenever I had him work. But when I pushed him, he didn't stop. I think he is a natural submissive."
They chatted about the gym and how hard it was for the boys to compete with him. Then he looked at Hank and said, "I'm not here to talk about gym training, really. My gut tells me that there is much more to this then we understand. How can one person pull this off?"
Hank leaned back in his chair, looked at Akerheart and said, "I agree and so do our support people at MI5. Just got off with my former boss who said they were putting some top people on this case. He seems to think it might be gang related."
"That's not normally in their purview, so why are they taking it on and not passing it off to local police?"
"For two reasons actually, one is that I'm involved. The other is that he thinks the gang might have an international undertone, specifically since Robert identified the voice as possibly someone from where he worked at the Saudi oil fields."
As they discussed the ramifications of this being gang related, Aaron and Declan approached the door. Hank looked up and smiled. "Are you two going to fall asleep tonight now that our task master has had his way with you?"
Both men looked tired. Declan smiled and said, "No I won't fall asleep tonight. After all, I am on my knees most of the time. It's Aaron who has to be on top of his game."
Hank looked at Aaron as if waiting for a reply. Aaron leaned on the doorframe and looked at Akerheart for a minute then handed him a sheet of paper with the names of the clubs he wanted to visit that night.
When Akerheart read the list, he almost choked. "Do you know that this one has a naked dance party tonight? The only things you are allowed to wear are your boots," he said to Aaron. Then he saw the smirk on Aaron's face. "You are trying to get revenge, aren't you?"
"Actually yes and no; two guys we spoke to the other night said this place had a reputation for dom / sub nights. He said they even had a slave night, too. Tonight just happens to be slave night."
"When did you become so confident, Aaron?" asked Akerheart as he re-read the list. "You have this one last. Any reason for that?"
"Yeah, the party doesn't begin until midnight. I went to their site to buy tickets for us and checked out the schedule. It seems that prior to midnight it's just for cruising. At midnight, the slave program begins." He looked at Declan and said, "You okay being naked?"
Declan had a look of fear mixed with interest on his face. "I guess I can get naked since all I've worn so far is my slave collar and that ridiculous leather thong he has me wearing," he said pointing to Akerheart. "The real question is can you get naked considering how shy you are?"
Aaron stayed silent for a few minutes. All eyes on him, he whispered, almost trying to convince himself, "If I have to get naked to find Ethan I will." Aaron blushed as he made that comment, and then turned to Hank. "Anything from our friends?"
"Yes, they seem to agree with you and Akerheart. They suggested this might be gang related, possibly an international one, so be careful tonight. If they suspect we are trying to track them, all hell could break loose." Looking at Akerheart he said, "You think Robins will be okay with that last club? I know you are. What about him?"
Akerheart smiled and smirked at Hank's question. "Robins may seem like a prude, but he has just as much of an inner core as we do. Tell him to get naked to find Ethan and he will have his clothes in a pile before you finish the request. He'll be fine."
"I'm going home to get some sleep. These night jobs are starting to kill me," said Aaron as he turned. "See you at the first club around ten. Let's plan a half hour each, then we can meet up at the "Slave Party" around one." He walked away from Hank's office before Akerheart answered, leaving Declan standing at the door.
"My supervisor said we will have more support starting tonight, especially after seeing the las
t video. He agrees with your former boss, Hank. They spoke before your call." He turned to leave, and then looked back into Hank's office. "I think Aaron is feeling the stress. Knowing him as closely as I now do, I cannot imagine that he is comfortable being naked in public. He seems to be taking this personally."
As planned, Akerheart and Robins were seated at the bar in each club, on Aaron's list, shortly before Aaron and Declan made their appearance. Natalie found she had two new 'helpers' in the van, and several agents played the role of hot, young men cruising the club scene, along with the Andrews team.
Aaron saw some familiar faces at the first club. One dom and his boy approached Aaron and Declan as they stood near the bar. It was too crowded for Declan to kneel by his side, so Aaron kept hold of his leather leash to give the image that he was not up for grabs. The master approached, and ordered a scotch for himself, looked at Aaron with a 'do you want one' look. Aaron signaled he did, so the master made it two.
"I see you and your boy are getting into the scene. You enjoying what we have to offer tonight?" he said looking at the room. "I hear you are in search of a slave. Are the rumors correct?"
Declan kept his head down as he attempted to listen to the conversation over the loud music. He made sure to position his body so the mike in his collar would be in the best position to pick up the conversation. His entire body became alert when he heard the master speaking of a potential slave for sale.
"I think the boy is about twenty four years old. He is just out of a master / sub relationship and decided he wanted to be a slave. You think your client would be interested in him?"
Aaron looked at the people in the room, drank some scotch, and looked at the master by his side. "My client has very specific requirements," he said looking at Declan as he spoke. "Even my boy here is too old for him. His new slave has to be in his upper teens. He certainly would not want a man in his twenties. Thanks for the info though," he said as he looked at the boy standing next to the master. "I bet my client would be interested in a test drive with your boy."
"Well, he is not for sale. At least not right now," said the master as he looked from his boy to Aaron.
Aaron nodded his understanding. "Shame, he would get a great home if he were. My client has the money to make a slave's life extremely comfortable. The next round in on me," he said as he tipped the glass to his lips.
Aaron and Declan made their way to the first four clubs as planned, spending about a half hour in each. On their way to the fifth club, Declan asked Aaron, "You okay with this?"
Aaron looked at Declan and said, "We have not had any luck so far. Your people haven't either. If this is gang related, we need to flesh out someone who knows what's going on. If it's not, we need to find out who wants revenge on Robert. I have no other clues. So what do you want me to do?"
Declan's mobile pinged that he had received a text. It was from Akerheart. It read Aaron is right. We need to figure out if this is gang related or if it's just some nut case.
Declan showed the text to Aaron. "I forgot my mike was still on. Let's get this over with. I'm really tired."
Aaron and Declan entered the Slave Party to find a line of men and their slaves in various levels of undressed. Declan quickly saw the protocol, turned to Aaron and started to remove his leathers. When he had Aaron naked, he stripped, and placed his and Aaron's clothes in the bag provided. Both he and Aaron had small wallets that fit into their boots, and Declan kept his collar on his neck.
As they entered the club, Aaron nearly froze at the door. The room was filled with every imaginable type of man. All were naked and most had their slaves at their feet. He reached behind Declan and led him into the room. Both were definitely out of their comfort zones.
Akerheart and Robins as well as three support agents were at various locations in the club. They all saw Aaron and Declan enter. Akerheart wore an attractive leather and chain necklace that he said he never removed. In reality, it was both a miniature camera and microphone. He kept constant eye contact with his boys, as he sipped his drink. Robins leaned against the bar, scanning the club for any obvious danger.
They were not surprised that Aaron and Declan became the focus of several masters in the room. It seemed they wanted to find out as much as possible about the newbies. Natalie and her guests listened in with considerable interest. The men spoke of slave sales, auctions, swapping, and other events. Each man wanted to use Declan, but Aaron made sure he understood Declan was not available "At least not tonight. I may let him loose another time, though," he said as he looked to his boy. "It all depends on how good he is and whether I want to give him a reward."
Natalie choked on her coffee when she heard Aaron's reply. "Oh my God, that boy surprises me every day, now," she said to the man sitting next to her. "Here I thought he was a shy, quiet reserved young man. Wow!" she said as she cleaned the coffee off the windscreen.
Akerheart, having heard the conversation through the miniature earpiece, just smiled and whispered, "That's my boy. Play the role and keep everyone on their toes Aaron."
An hour later with no information in hand, everyone was on their way home. Aaron, Akerheart, Robins and Natalie agreed to meet up the following morning for a debriefing with the MI5 support team. They would do it again each night, unless someone at MI5 had a better idea.
As he lay on his bed, Aaron looked at the ceiling and whispered, "Who hates you so much that he would kidnap and sell your son, Robert?"
Chapter 14
Natalie, Aaron, and Declan sat in the nondescript coffee shop near the office, looking as if they had not slept in days. Natalie stared at the steam rising from her coffee and said, "We've been at this for a week with no leads. I can't do this anymore, so we have to come up with a different plan."
"Have you heard anything about the picture of the guy in the video?" asked Aaron as he cuddled his hot coffee mug in both hands. "That guy was so deliberate as he talked. He wanted Robert to know that Ethan was being sold and that Robert could do nothing about it. Why, what did Robert do to him?"
Declan said, "As soon as they find something they will contact me. They have been checking the criminal as well as the known gang member databases. So far, they haven't turned up anything. It's as if he didn't exist until a week ago."
"I need to talk with Robert again. He has to know who this guy is, or at least why he wants revenge," said Aaron as he gathered his coffee and duffle bag. "I'm going to talk to Hank. Maybe we can corner Robert and pull something from him."
As they were about to leave the coffee shop, a young man approached their table. His head was lowered and he spoke with a gentle, soft voice. "Excuse me sir, I don't mean to interrupt, but may I talk with you?"
Both Declan and Aaron immediately recognized him from The Hoist. He was the boy who asked them to join his master for a drink. "Does your master know you are here?" asked Aaron, immediately stepping into his dom role.
"Yes sir, he does. He has a message for you, and said I must deliver it in private."
"Stay here and be good," he said as he looked at Declan. Standing tall, Aaron took the boy's elbow and led him to the door. "This had better be good. I don't enjoy being disturbed when I'm with a friend."
As they exited the shop, the boy started to kneel, but Aaron pulled him back to his feet and pushed him to the wall. Hand on the boy's chest, he said, "Talk."
The boy didn't seem shaken or concerned that a person was holding him against the wall. "My master said that if I saw you, I was to deliver this message." He stopped and looked at Aaron for direction. Receiving none, he continued," A man came into the Slave Party after you and your boy left. He said he was going to bid on a slave. My master called him a cocky bastard since he was touting his expectations of winning the bid and having a cute young slave to command."
Aaron, maintained his composure though he was about to burst with anticipation. In a low, commanding voice, he said, "How do I find this man? Does you master know him outside the club?"
T
he boy smiled at Aaron's question, and said, "Sir, our community is a tight one. Most of us are friends, or know of the others who share our manner of living. With all due respect, that is why my master asked me to find you."
"Why would your master want to find me?"
"Sir, my master said you have a client who might be looking for a slave. He said this guy seemed to have the type of slave your client wanted, so he told me to keep my eyes open and to approach you if I saw you."
"Thank you boy, I appreciate you doing as you were told. Now, tell me how to contact your master?"
"We'll be at The Hoist tonight," said the boy.
Aaron had no desire to go clubbing again, but needed to contact this man. "I can't be there tonight. Call him and ask him to talk to me."
The boy retrieved his mobile, hit the call button and waited. He told his master that he found Aaron and that he wanted to talk to him. He listened, shook his head, and then offered the phone to Aaron.
Before Aaron could get past hello, the man started talking. "I don't know you other than our brief meeting the other night. As my boy told you, this is a tight community. We know everyone who plays on our team. You appear one night and start asking questions about slaves as if you belong here - you don't. So listen to me carefully."
The man spoke for several minutes during which time Aaron said nothing. When he finished, he told Aaron to give the phone to his boy.
"Yes sir?" the boy questioned. "No, sir I didn't" he responded and remained quiet as if listening to instructions. "Yes sir, I will. And thank you sir," he said as he closed the call.
Aaron looked at the boy, waiting for any further information. "My master said he was pleased that I found you and that I should help you in any way you desire." He paused, looked down and whispered, "Any way, you desire."
