There was pain, a sharp stabbing pain accompanied by flashes of light behind his eyes. Gary could feel a cool wet cloth against his face and the hard stone pressed against his back. Where was he? And then it all came back to him.
He didn't want to move…movement brought pain and increased the buzz in his head. The ringing in his ears had subsided but he ached all over from the sudden compression the explosion had caused. Too close, he had been too close to the blast.
He felt fingers pressed against his scalp, someone was holding his head…Chris. Gary opened his eyes and stared up at the vaulted ceiling of the church. The coolness of the stone, he was lying on the floor inside the doors...how had he ended up there?
The pain only came when he moved his head…so stop moving your head, dumbass. His ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. His head was in Chris' lap and the boy leaned down.
"Gary...how do you feel?" Chris asked.
Oh, Thank God...he could still hear. "My head hurts," He replied.
"Father Morales says you probably have a concussion from the explosion, you need to rest."
"Tommy...Eduardo?" Gary asked.
"Tommy is outside packing the cars, Eduardo crewed the boat with me and Oliver. Do you want to see them?"
Gary reached out a hand and touched the boy's face. "You were magnificent, what a sailor."
Chris smiled. "I had a good teacher."
"He should not be moved if at all possible," Father Morales said.
"Hello Father," Gary said. "I'm sorry, so many of your people..."
The priest held up his hand. "No, this is something they brought upon themselves...it is not your fault."
"The girl?" Gary asked.
"She will be fine, you saved her. I will seek her parents, return her to her family." Father Morales smiled and then moved his hands in the sign of the cross, giving Gary a blessing.
"I'm not a Catholic anymore, Father...it was all part of the image I wanted you to see."
The priest laughed. "I think God wanted me to help you, Mr. Lewis. Lives were saved, the church has survived...it is truly a blessing. Maybe someday you will understand true joy and come back to us, it has happened before."
There was a noise at the door and Nate came in carrying a leather bag, heavy by the looks of it. "Uh, Tommy said to bring this to you...said you'd know what to do with it."
"What is it?" Gary asked.
Nate grinned, dropping the bag on the floor. "Spoils of war, we all got some...this is your share." With that he turned and pushed back through the door.
Chris untied the strap and the bag seemed to fall over from its own weight, spilling gold coins on the stone floor.
"Madonna..." Father Morales said.
"It's Ignacio's drug money," Chris said. "They were trying to carry it off and spilled it on the beach. Tommy said the guys carrying it fought hard, they wanted to keep it real bad. But Mark and Nate took them on, that's what got things started."
Gary smiled, nothing like a little motivation to make a man fight. He looked up at the priest. "Father, consider that a donation to the church...I don't need it."
The priest seemed shocked, and then a calm smile lit up his face. "I will pray for you and your family every day. Now we may open the church to the people once again...they will come and pray for you as well."
"Well, thank you, I suppose. None of this would have been possible without your help. Now I think we better get out of here before the army shows up."
Slowly Gary raised his head, waiting for the pain to resume and the priest took his arm. Chris put an arm around his waist and Gary stood, feeling a wave of nausea sweep through his body as the pain resumed. It was all just a thing, he had felt much worse. Slowly they walked to the door and out into the heat of the day.
Gary paused and shook the priest's hand. "Thank you, Padre."
"Go with God, Mr. Lewis." And he turned back to his church.
Chris helped Gary walk towards the gates and suddenly stopped. "The boat...we can't leave it here. I have to sail back to the hotel."
"Then I'll come with you. Where are Eduardo and the boys?"
Chris smiled. "At the cantina, they needed to talk."
Gary looked up at the gates and saw Tommy standing there. And then one by one the team fell in beside him. Nate, Mark, Bobby and Oliver stepped up to stand beside Tommy. There was no sign of Jackson.
Gary tried to square his shoulders, but that brought on pain. He must be terribly bruised across the back and shoulders since that's where the pain was located. Tommy stepped forward with a smile.
"Nate bring you yours?" Tommy asked.
"I gave it to the church."
Tommy shook his head. "Figured you might. Suppose we ought to take the cars back now. Are you riding with us?"
"No, I have a boat to sail. Where's Jackson?"
"He threw his shoulder out when he tossed that ball. Now he's got some pretty lady at the cantina holding an ice pack on it." Tommy shrugged and the guys all laughed. "It was a long throw, right on the money, too. I figure he'll be talkin about that one forever."
"Yes, he should," Gary said. "So, see you back at the hotel?"
"Probably not. Some of the guys think it's best if we skip town, what with all that shiny metal we're carrying. The jet is waiting at the airport and Ricardo left about an hour ago to get our bags from the hotel. He stayed pretty cool during the fight, but I found him hiding on the floor of the limo."
"Yeah, he's not the hero type. So, I'll see you in Ft. Lauderdale then. Probably take us a while to get home."
Tommy smiled and then looked down at Chris. "Bye, sailor...until we meet again." And then Tommy stood to attention and snapped off a salute to the boy. Gary saw the smile on the face of every one of the men. Chris stood up straight and saluted back. Yes, he was one of them now.
The cars slowly rolled down the street, stopping only long enough for Tommy to drag Jackson away from a pretty girl...then they were gone. Chris led Gary down to the cantina to find the others.
Eduardo stood as they entered the cool interior of the small canteen. "Gary...you must sit," He said, pulling out a chair.
Gary eased himself down as Eduardo continued to stand looking at Chris.
"Will the Captain be joining us?" Eduardo asked.
"Yes, I will...thank you," Chris said.
Eduardo pulled out another chair and Chris sat down, giving Gary a grin.
"We were just discussing..."Eduardo said, and then he paused. "I am aware now…Chris has told me everything."
Gary looked at the boys and Miguel nodded. "My father knows I am gay...he knows about all of us."
Eduardo smiled. "It is a foolish man who does not see what is right before his very eyes," He said. "I have been that fool. In only a short time I have learned of your devotion to these boys, it shames me."
"There should be no shame, Eduardo, you didn't know. If Miguel could have told you...but that is all past. A man must have love and concern for his children and I know both those qualities are in your heart."
"It is still best if he goes with you, maybe even now," Eduardo said. "My brother will be here soon so I think we had best leave very quickly...there will be too many questions."
Both Jerry and Gary walked with pain down the street towards the steps to the jetty. The townspeople were just returning to the street now that the armed men were gone.
They crossed the battlement and walked through the shattered archway to the beach, and there they saw the horror of battle. Bodies littered the beach and the tide seemed to run red with blood. Just a short distance off the beach sat the blackened shell of the yacht. The only thing left intact was the bow sticking up out of the water.
They stepped around the carnage and walked up onto the jetty, finally reaching the side of the Brass Balls. Gary was helped aboard and went to sit on the stern locker. Eduardo saw the pain on his face.
"I will have my personal physician meet us at the hotel, you must be examined," He said.
"Yes...but Jerry needs to be taped up, those broken ribs are causing all his pain," Gary said.
"This will be attended as well...now you must go lie down and rest, I beg you," Eduardo said.
"Yes, but Chris may need help…"
Eduardo laid a restraining hand on Gary's shoulder. "There is no need…watch."
Miguel cast off the lines and Chris started the engine. Slowly he backed the boat away from the jetty and turned them towards the open sea. The boy had such sure hands, his level of confidence amazing. Gary had to smile. "Well, maybe he doesn't need my help."
"He is a worthy young man...you must be very proud," Eduardo said.
"I am. Someday he will be my son, legally and for all time. I can think of no better moment in my life than when I saw him in command of this boat dashing in to rescue us."
"His mind changed the moment he knew you were in trouble…I saw it happen with my own eyes...he became the captain...our leader. You have chosen well," Eduardo said. They were just about a half mile off shore when Miguel pointed.
"Look towards the town," He cried.
A long line of military trucks was pulling off the highway into the town, they had left not a moment too soon. Eduardo helped Gary to his feet and they slowly managed the companionway ladder. There was one last glimpse back at the cockpit and Gary saw Chris standing tall at the helm, his hands resting comfortably on the wheel. Maybe he should let the boy manage their passage home. A little coaching from the sidelines perhaps but now Chris could deal with it.
Gary settled in the bed and relaxed. He heard the engine cut off and the sound of feet moving forward on the deck. The ratcheting of the winch meant the sail was going up and suddenly Brass Balls grabbed the wind. It made him smile as the boat healed over and the gurgle of water flowing beneath the bows reached his ears.
That was it, no more running around, no more Rambo. He was getting too old for this crap. The responsibilities of raising a son would take all his time, he would sit behind a desk from now on.
There was satisfaction in knowing that he had passed along his love of sailing to Chris. They would both be content with his choice, and now they could raise their sails and fly before the wind to unknown ports and great adventure.
Oh, how he had stared at that cute blond boy on the side of the road. The boy had leaned in the window of the car, his eyes alive and yet full of questions. Most of them had been answered by now and the rest would come in time.
Chris had been looking for something and someone…someone just like Gary. Neither of them had a name for it back then, but they did now. Chris had been after someone to validate his life, someone to explain the feelings he'd been having.
He had seemed so perfect, unbelievably beautiful. Attraction always began from the outside, and for once in his life Gary had made the right choice. Life didn't offer too many opportunities like this and he was determined to hold on to this one.
Growing older had only made him more aware that life was sliding past, and so was his chance at love. All the boys he'd met had loved him to some degree, but he had met their needs and little more. Jerry had been slightly different, his needs more extreme...but even he had love now.
The sound of footsteps in the cabin and Chris peeked in through the doorway.
"You're not asleep?" He asked.
"I'm tired, yes. But I probably shouldn't sleep if it's a concussion, at least not until I see the doctor."
"Eduardo called him, he'll be at the hotel when we arrive," Chris said. "I left him at the helm." Chris came over and sat on the bed, taking Gary's hand. "I got so worried. First the radio goes out and then all that gunfire...I was afraid...afraid you might be hurt."
"But you held it all together, Chris. That's a sure sign of mature thinking...you deserve to be captain."
"It feels good to be in charge, but it's still a little scary."
"Yes, it always will be when you have the lives of others in your hands. That was pretty brave telling Eduardo what you did about us."
Chris smiled. "I got tired of the games, he needed to understand why we were saving Miguel and Jerry...they're family."
Gary patted the bedcovers and Chris lay down in his arms. "I'm going to tell you something...something I've decided because of you." A pause and he kissed Chris on the forehead. "No more Rambo, from now on I am going to be your daddy and nothing else."
Chris gasped aloud, the sudden intake of breath causing his arms to tighten around Gary's chest.
"No more...but why, it's what you do, isn't it?"
"No, I can do other things...less dangerous things. I have a family to take care of now. Tommy can handle the work and we'll help him from a distance. I have a greater responsibility to you."
Their eyes met and Gary could see the realization there, the boy understood what was being offered.
"You...you'd give up everything for me?"
"I have only one passion in my life and he's right here with me all the way to the end. God, I love you."
And gently Chris kissed him, not even sure if that was allowed, but he had to show something in return. And then he sighed. "I never knew someone could love me this much...my heart feels like it's gonna jump out of my chest."
"Yes, that's what love does, I feel it too," Gary said. "But the captain belongs at the helm, young man...you better go steer our boat."
Chris rose to leave but paused at the door, turning back. "Life is gonna be so different, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that's the best part about it."
Four hours later they docked at the hotel marina and Chris shut down the engine. The doctor was on the dock and they all escorted the two wounded passengers into the hotel. Ricardo was overwhelmingly happy at their return and personally led them up to the room.
A cursory exam and the doctor declared it to only be a mild concussion…it seems Gary had a hard head. Ricardo drew a bath and everyone left...everyone except Chris. As expected there were abrasions on Gary's back and shoulders from where it had been slammed against the jetty, but that would heal.
The boy washed him, gentle hands on the areas of pain.
"So...when do we sail home?" Chris asked.
"It depends upon what the Captain decides."
"Me? You want me to decide?"
"No, I want you to plan the trip and be in charge all the way home...Jerry, Miguel and I will be your crew this time," Gary said.
Chris grinned. "You...you think I'm ready?"
"One way to find out, you know how it works and I'll be there...why not?"
"Oh wow...awesome."
"Yes..." Gary said. "Yes you are."
The Yucatan Peninsula finally faded over the horizon as the Brass Balls cut a smooth line through the water, sails stiff in the afternoon breeze causing the boat to lean a dozen degrees to starboard.
Eduardo had kissed them all good bye, Miguel being the last. Father and son stood at the end of the pier to share their final words.
"You listen to Gary…he will give you nothing but good direction in life. Tell me which school you will attend and I will send them your fees." Eduardo paused, the tears filling his eyes. "I have caused you great suffering. Those days are past and I hope you may find a way to forgive me.
"I could not understand your feelings, your choices...I do now. In time we will come together as a family once again, your mother will miss you and I will have much to explain. But be proud of who you are, just as I am proud of you, my son. Now go, your life awaits and this is only the beginning. May God guide you, I will pray for you each and every day."
There was a long hug and then Miguel stepped away, turning to walk down the dock and begin this new life. Gary gave Eduardo a final wave and Chris piloted the boat away from the docks. "Stand by to make sail," He yelled, and they all laughed.
The day seemed brighter and the sky clearer as they sailed north into the Gulf of Mexico. Jerry had spent a good deal of time in bed at the hotel, the pain from his ribs and wrist dulled by the medication the doctor had allowed. Miguel was at his side the whole time and their love grew stronger.
By the second day on the water Gary's head seemed to clear, the dizzy spells were gone and he attributed it to the sea air. They had remained at the hotel for a week, allowing Jerry a chance to heal, and Miguel to assemble the things he would need to move north. Max had already set up an admissions appointment for the boy at the university, and everything in that direction was going smoothly.
Eduardo had given them a report on the investigation going on in Playa del Carmen. The military had been astounded at the bodies and damage they found, and yet no one could really tell them what had happened. The townsfolk had all taken shelter when the gunfire started.
Father Morales was also of little help, having hidden himself away in the church. The general thought another drug cartel had made their way into town and fought their rival. The Morales bunch had been eliminated. Eduardo had told his brother everything…except the truth, and finally they had agreed to forget the whole incident.
Gary crawled out of bed and made his way on deck. A bleary eyed Chris gave him a kiss and they sat in the cockpit together.
"I guess you stood watch alone last night, you must be tired," Gary said.
"It was...it was the most incredible experience of my life," Chris said. "The sky was filled with a billion stars and they seemed to come right down and sit on the ocean. And when the dawn came...Oh My God...it was amazing, the sea seemed to come alive." He smiled. "Now I get it, I know why you sail."
"It makes a man philosophical, doesn't it?" Gary said. "Every single human being should be made to sail at some point in life. All the conflict and strife we inflict on one another means nothing compared to what we can learn out here. Man is a naturally evolving creature, we came from the oceans at the beginning of time...you can almost feel our empathy with the sea."
"If I could experience a dawn like that every morning...it was a better high than any weed I ever smoked," Chris said. There was silence for a few moments. "Thank you, Gary," He said.
"Okay, what did I do to deserve that?"
"You trusted me, you loved me and you kept your promise...you came back," Chris said. "I always found it hard to trust before I met you...people just disappointed me all the time. My mom...the father I never knew. But with you...with you everything is different. There are no lies between us."
Gary smiled. "Everything I am is open to you and there should be no secrets between us."
"I saw what you did for that girl. I was watching through the binoculars…and then that yacht exploded…I was never so scared in my life. I was afraid you were…"
"Hush," Gary said, placing a hand on Chris' cheek. "I've been through worse, I knew what
was going to happen. I'm sorry for scaring you, and that's why I won't do things like that again."
"The moment it happened I spun the wheel for shore…I just had to make sure you were all right." Chris' face showed all the fearful emotion he'd felt and his eyes filled with tears.
Such a wonderful expression of love and Gary held the boy in his arms. It would take a long time to recover from that fear, hopefully a lifetime.
"I think you need to go below and get some rest," Gary said. "I'll take the watch until Jerry and Miguel come up. Then I think we need to talk about the future, our future."
Chris nodded with the smile back on his face. A kiss and he disappeared below decks to catch a nap.
Gary had been thinking. They could leave Miguel and Jerry in Key West for the next few weeks, time enough for Jerry to heal. Miguel would enjoy exploring the island and discovering all the people Max knew. It would allow the boy to focus on his college admission.
He didn't think for one moment that Jerry was going to stay with Max if Miguel was up in Miami, so be it. Max could find them an off campus apartment since even Eduardo would support that. Maybe after watching Miguel study for a semester Jerry would consider going back to school. The boy was bright and eager, they both were and he knew they would do well.
A car, some expense money to augment Eduardo's budget…that would be easy. On the other hand, Chris was going to need schooling as well. There were private tutoring services in Ft. Lauderdale where Gary kept his condo. All that could be arranged after they dealt with the mother. Chris was a legal adult, they really didn't need her blessing, but Gary knew Chris wanted her approval.
Once adopted, Chris would be his to teach. So many times Gary had pondered what it would mean to bring a boy into his life full time and guide him into the future. He wanted to nourish Chris' body, his mind, and of greater importance...his soul.
Gary was a firm believer in self discipline, and he saw the seeds of that commitment in Chris. He would willingly train his mind and body which would allow him to become a worthy son...and eventual heir to everything Gary possessed.
But Chris had to agree to all this and the mother was the only obstacle. Her son was capable of making his own decisions, she had to realize that. But Gary had meant what he said, he didn't want Chris to just walk away and regret it later. No, they would do this the right way.
Miguel appeared on the companionway ladder with two mugs of coffee in hand, one of them for Gary. His hair was a tangled mess and sleep still lay heavily in his eyes.
"Did you steer the boat last night?" Miguel asked.
"No, Chris did, I just sent him down for some much needed sleep."
"How do you feel?"
Gary smiled. "My head feels fine, but my back still hurts. How is Jerry?"
"He sleeps. The doctor said the pain pills would do that to him."
"Well you boys will have at least six weeks in Key West for him to recover. But it looks like someone needs a bath," Gary chuckled.
Miguel touched his hair and laughed. "I am a mess...I believe I will take your advice."
While Miguel bathed Gary checked the plot on the navigation program. Chris had laid in a course that mimicked their run south, it would not do. The wind and currents would not cooperate for long on this heading, and with what Chris had planned might end up taking them into Cuban waters.
Okay, the boy could sail the boat, the rest he would learn in time. Gary laid in a new course and slowly turned the wheel. The feel of the rudder under his fingertips, the beauty of a fine looking boy bathing…it didn't get much better than this.
They were not on a long get acquainted cruise anymore and Gary was in a hurry to get home. Rather than swing into the Gulf to avoid Cuba as they had on the way down he planned to skirt the Bolodron province at the very tip of Cuba. But he would still give it a wide berth of at least fifty miles.
The wind was not favoring their planned course. Whereas the broad reaches of the Gulf had a particular air flow, the landmass of Cuba made it uncertain. Gary would have to keep his eyes on the radar and hope the naval patrols would ignore them.
They were not out here alone as he could see the occasional yacht and a few small ships sailing across the horizon. Brass Balls would be a low profile craft among many in the area if anyone came looking. Unfortunately, this was also a fast lane for drug runners heading north.
For years the U.S. Coast Guard had maintained patrols on the approaches to Florida, interdicting the drug traffickers whenever they could. If spotted they would be stopped and Gary didn't mind that, it was almost a civic duty to support that kind of activity. It was the Cubans he really didn't want to see.
By noon they were on a tack away from the point of Cuba, Miguel had been of assistance as the other two snored away in relative comfort below. Gary was trying to reach a good distance to port before they had to swing back, and the wind was not cooperating.
The GPS system said they were in good shape and navigating according to plan. The radar showed several other craft within five miles, but Gary already had a visual sighting on them. The drone of a distant aircraft caught his attention and Gary watched as a twin engine propeller driven plane hove into sight and headed their way.
"Who is that?" Miguel asked.
"Looks like a Cuban military plane, we used things like that to spot targets. I don't recognize the configuration; it must be a Russian make."
Gary didn't want to take up his binoculars and stare at the plane, he was sure they were looking down on him. So far all the spotter would see were two naked men standing in a sailboat which shouldn't arouse suspicion. But who knows what they would report.
The plane passed over them at a couple thousand feet and Gary waved, but they gave no sign of seeing him. The navigation system said they were in international waters, but he maintained the port tack far beyond what he wanted just to gain some distance from Cuba. It didn't seem to matter as the radar soon showed a rather large blip heading their way.
Without a doubt this would be a large ship, and from what he could see in the distance it was probably a destroyer. Gary raised his binoculars and then smiled. Now he knew what the Cubans had really been looking at.
"Miguel, go put some pants on and wake the others…this you all have to see," Gary said.
The large gray ship approached and would pass just about a mile away to starboard. Gary pulled on his bathing suit as the boys came hurrying up on deck. Chris looked almost awake, but Jerry and Miguel sat on the stern bench and held hands.
"How do you feel, Jerry?" Gary asked.
"Much better…what's going on?"
Gary pointed. "I just wanted you to see why the U.S. Navy is the proudest service in the world. Chris, I want you to take the wheel."
The ship carried the number 702 across its bow. This was one of the Navy's new guided missile ships, the cream of the crop.
"Okay a little lesson," Gary said. "That is a DDG ship and she carries missiles and the latest Aegis weapons systems. They call these ships the Greyhounds of the Navy, the Arleigh-Burke class…the fastest things afloat."
"How fast?" Chris asked.
Gary smiled. "That information is classified and I'd have to shoot you if you found out. But they have over 100,000 horsepower in that engine room. Let's give them a salute."
Gary moved to the mast as the ship passed them. He lowered and then raised the Navy pennant on the signal ropes, dipping the flag in salute. In the distance the destroyer replied with a whoop-whoop from their massive air horns, and sailed on.
"That was so cool," Chris yelled. "Wow."
By late afternoon they were back in the fishing fleet out of Florida, a welcome sight to all of them. Gary called Max and told him they would be in late if the wind didn't cooperate, but they would not spend another night on the boat.
By nine o'clock they were approaching Sunset Key and Chris ordered the sails down. He fired up the engines and pointed them at the marina. Gary stood beside him, ready to advise, but Chris was doing it carefully, methodically, and they soon docked.
"You did it...I am so proud of you," Gary said.
Chris grinned. "So…when do we sail again?"