Part Eight

The next few days passed quietly. Jimmy had managed to keep his father from finding out about Blair. He was terrified that the constant nightmares the younger boy had would give him away to the senior Parker but Jim began to realize that he was in tune with his friend and was usually able to hear him before the nightmare got bad enough for William to hear.

For his part, Blair was slowly on the mend. Sally's aid and caring soon had the youth regain both his health and his strength. His emotional well-being was another matter all together. He frightened easily, his emotions were so close to the surface that he would breakdown if he even heard Jim's father coming towards the room. He had taken to hiding himself in the closet during the day when Jimmy wasn't home. It was only by coaxing gently that Jimmy was able to extricate his friend from his hiding place.

Stevie had formed an instant bond with the fifteen year old. Blair would shyly tell stories of his travels with his mother, obviously before her drug addiction had landed them with Mike. Jimmy wasn't sure if he was telling the truth or merely spinning wildly imaginative tales about his long lost dreams.

The one thing Jimmy was not looking forward to was college. Summer was beginning after finals in two weeks. Then College was starting in September. He'd been looking forward to it as a way to escape the horrors that were his home life but now between Stevie and Blair he feared what would happen next.

Blair could come with him, that wouldn't be a problem. There was no way that someone with Blair's smarts couldn't get into college. In fact Blair had told him that he'd applied to some college's out west and had a full scholarship to Rainer University in Cascade Washington. That was one school Jimmy was still waiting to hear from.

Rainer was well known for two things. It's anthropology department was the most distinguished schooling in North America. Some of the most brilliant minds in anthropology had gone there including a Dr. Eli Stoddard, whom Blair claimed to be his inspiration. It was because of Blair's love for anthropology that Jimmy knew about Rainer.

Last year when the two had first started hanging out together, Blair had told Jimmy of his plans to be a great anthropologist, maybe even meet his mentor, Dr. Stoddard. It was during those far to infrequent happy times that Jimmy decided to apply to Rainer's second best known department, Law.

Of course Rainer wasn't as good as some other universities but it was a good school, well known for its legal department. Plus it was as far away from his father as he could get. Getting a law degree meant that he could appease his father's desire for a good education that would help the business but it also meant that Jimmy could fulfill his fondest desire… to become a policeman.

His desire… almost a need… to protect people would only be fulfilled by following the creed he knew well… to serve and protect. It was the thought of protecting and helping others that kept him trapped in this house. The need to protect his younger brother who had already suffered so much in his young life and added to that the almost obsessive need to protect Blair from similar threat was what kept him there. Knowing that he walked this fine line between discovery and freedom was wearing his frazzled nerves. It was almost too much for the eighteen year old to cope with.

However, cope he did since for once freedom was just around the corner. For the first time in longer than he could remember, there was hope to get out of this trap, this prison of his father's making. He only waited on the final word from Rainer, and then all his careful planning would go into place.

What his father didn't realize that while he had been preventing Jim from receiving pay from the company, Jim had been squirreling away any small amount he could get his hand on. Sally also gave him a small amount from her shopping monies and Jim did odd jobs around the neighborhood to earn extra money. Plus the weekly allowance he'd received from his father on the very rare occasions that he'd deemed Jim worthy had all been put way. There wasn't much but there was enough to get three bus tickets to Cascade. All they needed was Jim's scholarship which would pay for school. They would figure something out for Stephen and his special needs.

Unfortunately all Jimmy's careful planning came to a head not three days after the dinner. Jimmy was sitting at the dining room table completing the work on one last project due the next day when his father called for him from his study. From the sound of his father's voice, Jimmy knew this would be an unpleasant conversation at best.

"Yes, Dad." Jimmy said as he entered the semi darkened study. The only light came from a small lamp on the heavy desk. Its glow completely focused there and not lending itself to remove the shadows from the rest of the room.

"Come here, boy." His father called, motioning him forward impatiently. "Sit down."

Jimmy complied, his nerves stretched taut, his heart beating at triple time.

"I just wanted you to know that thanks to your presence the deal went through. However there is one last thing you will need to do." William told his son.

"Yes, sir?"

"Mr. Richart will be here in one hour. He is taking you out for dinner and you will play nice for him. If this deal goes sour because he is displeased with you, I will beat the living shit out of you, have you got it?" The almost pleasant tone William Parker had adopted when his son first sat was gone now. In its place was a voice Jimmy knew only too well. It was the one that told of great hurt if disobeyed.

This time however, Jimmy didn't hear it. All he heard was that his father was sending him on a date with a man in order to execute a business deal.

Jimmy stood up abruptly. "You son of a bitch. I can't believe you. You want me to whore myself for your gain? I won't do it."

For a moment William was stunned. His son had never stood up to him before. Ever.

The shock wore off and Jimmy found himself face first into the floor. The blow had come from nowhere and had struck so hard that bells were ringing in his head.

"You defy me? You dare defy me, you miserable, ungrateful, selfish child." A foot lashed out and struck Jimmy hard in the stomach. He gasped as the air left his body in a rush. Black flashed across his vision. Hands gripped his head and pulled him painfully to his feet and he cursed silently at his own impotency at escape.

"I provide for you, give you a home, feed you and still you are thankless. Son of a worthless whore, you aren't worth more than whoring yourself." William lashed out again, catching Jimmy with a hard blow to the face. It knocked the eighteen year old off balance once more and he fell against the desk. The corner of it caught him in the back, digging painfully. He barely managed to catch himself before he fell to the floor. It was always worse if he fell.

His father still ranted, fist flying, catching Jimmy several times even as he tried to avoid the blows.

Suddenly the study door burst open and a small body threw itself at William.

"STOP IT DADDY!!!!" a broken voice screamed as tiny, ineffective fists hammered down on the enraged man's back.

Reaching back he grabbed Stephen by the arm and yanked him forward. The child screamed as the arm twisted too far and Jimmy swore he heard it break, even through the ringing still going on in his own head.

William threw the child away from him and rounded into Jimmy again. Stephen once more entered the foray. This time William struck him across the face.

Red covered Jimmy's vision this time and he advanced on his father. The older man was still slapping the little boy's face, hard. Stevie was screaming in pain and crying hard. William never heard his son approaching. He never felt the lamp as it crashed down across his head, never heard Jimmy gather Stevie into his arms and leave the room. He lay where he'd fallen, unconscious and bleeding heavily from the head wound.

Jimmy took Stevie upstairs. He passed Sally but didn't acknowledge her at all. Instead he sat his brother on the bed. Picked up a suitcase from the storage closet in the hallway and began to fill it with Stephen's things. Stevie was still crying although it was more a whimper of pain and it wrenched Jimmy's heart. For the first time he failed to protect him from his father and his guilt welled up from deep inside.

When he'd finished packing the suitcase, he grabbed a larger one for himself. Blair had come from the room and stayed with Stevie, never saying a word, just the look on Jimmy's face was enough to know there was major trouble and that they were leaving.

It took a little longer to pack Jimmy's things. Plus he went to his father's room and opened the safe there. He knew the combination from when his father had sent him to retrieve papers during the summer. He also knew there was a large sum of money kept there and he would need every penny if they were to survive the trip to Cascade. In the safe he also found his and Stevie's passports. Not really thinking why, he took those along with the money he found. He'd count it later when they were far enough away.

He knew he would have to get Blair and Stevie safe and then he would leave the country. He'd just killed his father and sooner or later the cops would come searching for him. But Blair and his brother were most important. Once he was settled he'd get a job and send them money. He wasn't going to ruin Blair's chance at a good education and a good life because of his mistake.

When he was done, he returned to the bedroom. Grabbed both suitcases and took them out through the kitchen to the garage. He put the suitcases into the black truck that his father had bought on a whim. It had rarely been driven except by Jimmy since his father preferred the Jag.

The bags were stowed and a few extra things he'd grabbed from the storage room off the garage, like sleeping bags, the cooler, fishing gear and a few other things he thought they might need were also stowed before the returned to carry Stevie down, Blair followed, still strangely silent.

Sally met him in the kitchen. "Where will you go?"

"Don't ask." Jimmy told her gently. "First we have to get Stevie fixed up. Then I just want out of here. If you don't know then you can't tell the police." He finished getting Stevie settled in the back seat as comfortably as he could. Blair gave him a gentle smile before climbing in back to sit with Stevie.

"If you need anything Jimmy. You call me. Leave a message with Tante Yee. You know the number."

"Yes, thank you." The small woman drew the trembling young man into her arms and hugged him fiercely. Finally she pulled back and Jimmy got into the truck. He started the vehicle and within moments they were off, about to embark on a new life.

Hopefully a much better life.

~*~*~*~

Sally was putting the finishing touches to her own packing when she heard the sounds coming from the study. Quickly she put the evidence of her packing away, putting the filled suitcases into the closet of her room. The two boxes were piled in the corner, like they had always been, only now filled with precious things.

Minutes later she heard William stumble into the kitchen where she found him, pressing a clean wet cloth to his head.

"Where is the shit for brains son of mine?"

"Gone sir. He took the little one and left."

"Goddamn it." William snarled as he threw the cloth into the sink. He moved to the phone.

"Who're you calling?" Sally asked as she moved to make tea.

"The cops. They can find and bring back that no good little piece of shit. I want him charged with attempted murder."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Excuse me?" William turned to face the housekeeper.

"You call the cops, I tell them you were abusing your children. I will tell them everything. You don't want them, so let them go."

William stared in surprise as the tiny Chinese woman stood up to him for the first time ever. It was more than he could take. Twice in one night and his head was killing him. The little bastard had tried to kill him. With a hand on his head, William Parker gave up, for now. The time for revenge against the little prick would come soon enough. After his head stopped aching so badly.

Sally watched as the older man slowly headed upstairs. When he was out of sight she completed her own packing, took the boxes and suitcases to her car. She was ready to leave when a thought crossed her mind. She grabbed two more empty boxes from the pile in the garage and went upstairs. She could hear the loud snores from her boss' room so proceeded into Jimmy's room first.

She packed a few of the items he had left behind. Things she knew he would regret having left behind. The diary his mother had left him. A few mementos that his brother had made and given him and a few other things. Then she did the same for Stevie. His favorite stuffed bear. More clothes also followed. Then she fit those into the car also.

She headed for the hospital. She wanted to try and catch Jimmy before he left, wanted to make sure that Stevie was okay and give them the extra boxes before they disappeared for good. Actually she wanted to go with them. She wanted to take care of them all, not that Jimmy would need it but Stevie would and Jimmy would always worry if someone he trusted wasn't able to care for the little one.

She pulled into the hospital parking lot. A quick search revealed that the black truck was not there. She had missed them. Saddened by this, she left, heading for her own home.

~*~*~*~