The motel rooms were adjoining. Kevin and Austin in one, the other three boys lumped together in another. There was a third room too, but Kevin said not to ask about it. The place had been chosen for proximity to the airport and Austin didn't understand that until Kevin showed him the laptop.
The internal modem revealed they were in a hot spot of wireless activity and in less than an hour Kevin had the site back up and running. He didn't have access to all his files and because of that Austin learned just how big this business really was.
Kevin allowed him to watch as he transacted the business of the Golden Hand. The sales of pornographic images, digitalized video and stills of hundreds of boys, to customers around the world flashed across that screen. Kevin took most of the requests and passed them along to another mailbox.
But Golden Hand was more than just a porn shop, it dealt in live flesh as well. Kevin was a clearing house for a dozen stables of boys across the country. The client requested a boy, gave a time and place, paid in advance and Kevin assigned the task of delivery to someone else.
Austin didn't know how Kevin kept up with it because he seemed to know the names by heart. And he watched as a client was rejected and told not to bother making any further requests.
"Either this guy gave us a bad credit card number or abused one of the boys, I don't remember," Kevin explained. "But I remember his name. Damn, wish I had access to my files."
"You're doing all this from memory?" Austin asked.
"Hmm, yes…pretty fucking amazing, huh?"
Austin laughed. "Used to think I was pretty good with a computer until I met you."
"Don't put yourself down. I've just been at it longer."
Kevin smiled, and turned his head away from the moving data on the screen to give Austin a kiss. "I love you," he said, and then he was back in the flow.
Austin turned on the television and sat back on the bed to watch some silly game show. He almost jumped when the cell phone started vibrating in his pocket. He let it go three times before shutting it off. Kevin didn't seem to notice, he was lost in the net.
So the cop had found the note and called. Now he had to find a time to call back…but when? Maybe after lunch.
"Hey, you want pizza for lunch," Austin asked.
Kevin laughed. "You and your pizza…and you don't even look Italian. Sure, I'd go for that."
"I better be the one to go then. I don't want the kids out on the street in the middle of the day."
They had agreed that Austin was in charge of the kids. Kevin was only too happy in handing over that responsibility. They might be here a week, and the boys were not going to be allowed out of the motel. It was too risky for them to be seen coming and going.
Austin went in the other room and told the boys that he was going for pizza and would be back with their lunch shortly. Of course it was a commercial pizza joint up on the highway, not one of the good mom and pop stores. He kissed Kevin on the neck and grabbed the room key off the top of the television.
"Hurry back," was all Kevin said, his fingers typing away on the keyboard.
Austin shut the door and tested to make sure it locked. They were on a second floor of the motel, chosen because all the doors opened out onto a wide concrete deck. No one could approach without being seen, not even a SWAT team.
He saw the drapes shift slightly on the room next door. Good, the boys were watching as told. They had been assigned sentry duty during the daylight hours, each having one hour on and two hours off in rotating shifts. It kept them busy and was probably totally unnecessary.
The boys had been playing non-stop porn on the pay television since they had arrived. How many times they could jerk off Austin didn't even want to know. He was just glad he wasn't paying the bills.
He could see the roof of the pizza joint up the road, a five minute walk, a thirty minute wait and five back. Kevin would worry if he took any longer. Austin bounced down the stairs to the parking lot and turned up the road. Once he was out of sight he pulled out his cell phone and turned it back on.
He saw Alan's number and hit redial. The man had called forty-five minutes ago, and Austin quickly memorized the number. He would be stupid just to leave it in the phone's memory. Three rings and he got an answer.
"Austin?"
"Yeah…sorry, I had to get away from the others before I could call back."
"Is everything okay with you, nothing bad happen from yesterday's events?" Alan asked.
"Nope, I'm the hero…sorry about that."
"You guys are pretty clever," Alan said. "Is everything still good with Kevin?"
"Um…yeah. Hey, thanks for asking. You remembered how important he is to me."
"Love makes the world go round. So I don't suppose you called to tell me where you are?" Alan chuckled.
"Nope…look, let me call you right back, okay?"
"Sure, just don't forget."
"I won't forget you," Austin said, and he hung up.
He was almost at the door to the pizza place, but he'd seen the big jet take off from O'Hare Airport. It now climbed over his head, the engines screaming as the heavy metal bird clawed its way into the sky. He didn't want Alan to hear the plane, no sense in giving away their location and having to run yet again.
Austin ordered the pizzas and paid for them. Sodas they could get cheaper at the motel. He went back outside and walked around behind the store, looking towards the airport before redialing the number.
"Sorry, I'm out getting us all lunch, I had to order," he explained.
"Oh no, not pizza again…is that all you eat?" Alan laughed.
"Um, mostly. No secrets there…must be a million pizza places around the city."
"You got me on that one. So Austin, why did you want to talk?"
"Well you're pretty smart, you found us yesterday…why do you think I called?"
Alan paused, let the truth be told, he thought. "Well…I think you want a little insurance in case things suddenly go bad…and you like me. Is that fair?"
Austin felt himself blush, Alan was completely right. "Yeah, I like you. Too bad you're a cop."
"Yeah, there is that issue. But I'm a good guy to know when you get in trouble."
"Hmm, I sorta think that too."
"Okay, so we like each other, what does that mean in this situation," Alan asked.
"I can't turn myself in, but I don't know where all this is going. We'll have a new place in a week or so…we're already back in business. But there is some guy I don't know in control of all this….that makes me nervous."
"Any idea who he is?" Alan asked.
"Couldn't tell ya even if I knew. You guys find Bucky yet?"
"No, still looking," Alan admitted.
"I haven't seen him either, the bastard."
"I didn't think you liked him very much when we talked," Alan said.
"He's…well let me just say that he likes to hurt little boys, okay?"
"Hurt? Really badly hurt?"
"I don't know, but he does rape them, especially the new ones…I hate him," Austin said.
"Did he hurt you?"
"Nope, I wouldn't let him touch me…he was afraid to touch me. What will happen if I do turn myself in? Jail, huh?"
"Maybe…maybe not. You'd be in a hospital lockup for a while because they would want to do some medical exams on you I'm sure."
"Lookin up my butt, huh? That's creepy."
"I think they would be worried that you caught some disease from your chosen profession, Austin. It happens you know."
"Nothing goes up my butt without a condom on it, trust me," Austin said. "Not even Kevin." There was a pause and Alan could hear the boy breathing. "I don't believe I just told you that."
"It's okay…I expect when you love someone that everything happens as a sign of that love."
"I do love him…you're the only one I've told. Thanks for being my friend."
"I sure wish there was a way to stop all this and let you have a normal life," Alan said. He had real feelings for this boy.
"Could I live with you?" Austin asked.
And there it was…the crux of the matter. Austin needed security, a home place…a responsible person to look after his needs. What could he tell the boy?
"You'd live with a cop?"
"Yeah, sounds silly doesn't it?"
"No Austin, it doesn't sound silly to me at all."
Silence…a pregnant pause followed…Austin was thinking.
"If I ever lose Kevin…I wanna be with you," Austin said.
"I'll be here for you, sweetie…I mean that," Alan said.
Austin sighed. "Look…you guys do a little research online. The key words are Golden Hand. That's all I can tell you for now, Alan. I have to go. Hey, and don't call me back on this phone, it's gonna be trashed very shortly. I'll call you again, okay? Soon…"
"Remember my number, Austin. I'm willing to meet you halfway if that's what you want."
"I want to believe that."
"Well believe it because I mean it. You need my help then call…I care about you damn it."
"I know you do….thanks. Bye"
Austin leaned against the wall and felt the hot tears on his cheeks. It was so tempting. It would end all this confusion. He took the back cover off the phone and pulled out the battery, digging below it for the sim card. He rubbed the card on the brick wall, scratching the gold foil off the chip and effectively destroying it.
He had felt Alan's sincerity and he wanted to believe that…the guy had called him sweetie. Could he learn to love a cop? He wiped away the tears, hating his emotional release…and then he went in for the pies.
* * * * * *
Austin had given him a piece of the puzzle, Golden Hand…but why? Maybe because he felt it wouldn't hurt Kevin…maybe he wanted it all to end. Mike would track it all down once he came back from lunch.
The fact that Austin hated Bucky was helpful, maybe Kevin did too. Whatever happened, Alan understood that the boy's loyalty lay with his lover, there was no way he would betray that love. And yet it seemed that Austin wanted more, he wanted security. It meant there was still a reachable person under that street-smart exterior.
Alan felt compassion for these boys. Sure it would be good to stop the pictures and the prostitution, return the kids to their parents, but that didn't mean he could just stop being a cop either. The law wouldn't see them as just victims, crimes had been committed. Kevin was in the worst position and Austin knew that. Nothing good comes easy.
By three o'clock Mike had a line on Golden Hand. An arrest for assault in Los Angeles a month ago had produced some computer data with the name attached. During a search of the assailant's home a computer with porn had been seized.
The website they were after was part of that evidence. The perp's records showed that he had used the services of the site to obtain digital images of naked underage boys. It was almost too easy, Alan thought. The key was…did Kevin know the guy was behind bars?
Austin had suggested that they were in temporary quarters for the moment, but the site was up and running. Maybe Kevin wasn't back in full operation, and if his data base wasn't all there…they had a shot anyways.
Mike contacted the detective in Los Angeles case and the guy was most eager to help. Within minutes they had the logon name and a password to use. Mike cracked his knuckles and opened the main page for the site.
"Hmm, look at all this," Mike said.
The multi-colored page was covered in lists for chat rooms, links to sites for new music, movie reviews and fashion tips, all just general teenage stuff.
"Appears to be like any one of a hundred sites that kids visit," Wilson said. "Where's the hook?"
"We haven't logged in yet," Mike said. "I bet the site handles each log in differently. Kids only get to play around while the special members go straight to the hard core stuff."
"Do it," Alan said.
Brett and Wilson looked over Mike's shoulder as he pushed the cursor to the log in window. "Perky Guy" Mike entered for the account name; "1234cutie" was the password.
The screen froze a second and then the image of a golden hand appeared, palm facing outwards. An animated sequence began in which the hand closed, began to rotate ninety degrees, and the thumb pointed upwards. It seems they were in.
Mike sighed as the main screen for the private site loaded. A young boy appeared first and then several other boys popped up beside him, all nude, all smiling…all legal so far. The toolbar listed several categories. Media, Chat Rooms, Merchandise, FAQ, and Contact Us were the five offerings.
"Where do we go from here?" Mike asked.
"Merchandise," Wilson suggested.
"Why not Chat Rooms?" Brett asked.
"Not like they're gonna tell us where they are or who's involved," Wilson replied. "Merchandise…that's gotta be the hot ticket."
Alan nodded. Mike clicked on the button…and was then presented with three more buttons. Toys, Companions and Rules of Play were the choices.
"Damn, they make this pretty easy, don't they," Brett said.
"I suppose their average client isn't much younger than fifty, not much of a computer background either. This has to be user friendly," Wilson said.
"Companions," Alan suggested.
The page revealed a map of the United States. There were little star icons designating a dozen cities all over the map.
"Wow, they do have long arms, don't they," Brett said.
Mike clicked on the star for Los Angeles and grinned. "Well, we're supposed to be in Los Angeles, right?"
"Good thought, but I imagine some of these guys move around and enjoy the services," Wilson said. "There is a star for Chicago."
"Let's not press our luck," Alan said.
Ten little thumbnail photos appeared, each the face of a different boy. "Click to enlarge" were the only words on the page. Mike chose the third from the top and clicked on the boy's photo. A larger image of the kid appeared and then a whole slew of other poses, most of them nudes, peppered the page. And there was a biography of the boy.
"Jessie, age 14, loves to skateboard and bike. A naturally beautiful boy, he spends his free time skating and swimming to give him that all over dark tan so admired by our clients. At five foot six, Jessie is a natural blond, uncut and sports a five inch erection at the mere thought of your loving touch. Jessie is available until ten pm weeknights and all night on weekends for an additional fee. Call ahead to reserve your appointment for this perky young stud, guaranteed to make you smile."
"Oh God, what a sales pitch," Wilson groaned.
"What bullshit," Brett added. "I'm surprised they didn't say he was an A student and his momma's pride and joy. Poor fucking kid."
"Go back to the map and highlight Chicago," Alan said.
"You thinking our young escapee will be on there?" Brett asked.
"Bound to be," Alan replied.
Mike returned to the map and clicked on the city. A moment later a sign appeared,
"Site under construction."
"Damn…what a clever kid, now we don't even know what they look like," Alan said. "Okay, Mike you keep poking around, but not too deep, it might alert them somehow. Brett, you and Wilson get on the dispatch sergeant's case, I want the search for this Bucky character intensified.
"He might be off the street, but I bet he lives within walking distance of that arcade. He has to eat, so have them check the fast food joints and grocery stores around there. Show that sketch around, start a buzz and let everyone know we're after him. If he panics we might flush him out of hiding."
"Got it," Brett said, and Wilson started to follow him out of the squad room.
"Wilson, wait up," Alan said. "Where would they buy another set of hardware like the one they abandoned?"
"Hmm, well most high end places, business outlets mostly. Not going to find that stuff at Staples, that's for sure."
"A lot of sources for that stuff here in town?"
"Ahh, maybe a half dozen…you want us to check it out?" Wilson asked.
"Yeah, see if you can grab a couple of uniforms to help out. Maybe Bucky is their gofer boy, be sure and give them a list of the stuff we inventoried. Those drives Kevin pulled need the same kind of hardware interface to be of any use. He probably needs them to get the local site up and running, it's just a thought."
"Good thinking…that's why you're the boss," Wilson grinned.
"Get outta here," Alan laughed.
* * * * * *
The man spilled several items on the counter, dropping a bag of Oreo cookies that had already been opened.
"You're supposed to buy it before you start eating," the cashier said.
"Aw, fuck off, I'm payin ain't I?"
"Watch your mouth, young man."
The cashier bagged the groceries and totaled the sale. A small bell tinkled at the door as someone else came inside. She looked up and smiled, the customer ignoring everything except the handful of cash and change he was using to pay.
"Afternoon, Mrs. Lawson," a voice said.
"And a good afternoon to you, Officer Rollins," she replied.
There were a few seconds of silence, during which the young man stiffened, his eyes shifting from the money in his hand to the shadow of the police uniform that loomed in his peripheral vision. The cashier immediately looked alarmed.
Bucky brought his hands up to the middle of his chest and spun away, elbowing the uniform out of his way as he scrambled for the doorway.
"Hey, watch out…." Rollins started to say.
Bucky made it to the door and slammed it open, breaking the glass in the process. There was a patrol car outside at the curb, so he made a hard right and knocked an elderly man down on the sidewalk.
Rollins was only steps behind him, Bucky could feel the guy giving chase, but he knew better than to look back. Instead he looked up just as a fist slammed into his forehead. He went down, the money in his hands flying all around him, coins and bills scattering on the concrete.
Through blurred vision, he looked up into a face, a very large angry face. "You knocked my Pops down, you asshole. Pops…Pops, are you okay?"
Bucky couldn't move, his head felt like it had split open. The angry face was replaced by another, that of Officer Rollins.
"Goin somewhere, kiddo?" Rollins looked at the paper in his hand and back down at the prone man. "Well, I'll be damned. Frank, we got a hot one here."
Bucky was rolled over, his face numb from the shock of the blow. He felt the handcuffs ratchet down on his wrists before he was hoisted to his feet.
"Let me go, I didn't do nothing," Bucky finally managed to say.
Rollins held the sketch up to Bucky's face. "Tattoo matches, you want to give me your name."
"Fuck off."
"Ahh, well Mr. Fuck Off, we have a warrant for your arrest. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, and you have the right to an attorney. If you can't afford one…."
"I ain't sayin nothing," Bucky muttered.
Suddenly that large angry face was back and Bucky jerked backwards "My Pops has a cut on his arm from this asshole. I want to press assault charges."
"Well you certainly can do that," Rollins said, "But that will be the least of his worries. Seems he's wanted for child abduction and prostitution of a minor."
Bucky's eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out. Rollins and his partner carried the prone man over to the patrol car and lay him out on the back seat, locking the doors. Rollins turned to look at the large man standing beside his Pops.
"Would you like me to call an ambulance for your father?" he asked politely.
* * * * * *
Alan was stunned as he put down the phone. "A uniform patrol caught Bucky at a corner market six blocks from the arcade this afternoon, now there's a piece of luck."
"Great, now we get a little closer to the organization," Mike said.
"Maybe," Alan said. "But I still think Bucky is just the gofer. He probably delivers the boys to the clients, so at least we may find out where these kids are taken."
"Well I have a bit of news," Mike said. "In searching the Golden Hand site I came up with some interesting information. In Chicago they charge five hundred for a date, eight hundred if the kid spends the night. But in L.A. they double that and in New York….well it starts at two thousand and goes up from there.
"Damn, we are talking some high dollar stuff here," Alan said. "It means they have a lot of cash at their disposal. Any word back on the credit card usage?"
"Not yet. I would bet the charging source changes frequently, mostly dummy accounts. I don't see this kid Kevin doing all that, he must be glued to that computer setup most of the time. That means someone else is doing the paperwork it takes to set up these phony companies."
"Well we know there were at least two adults in that apartment, excluding Bucky." Alan said. "But there has to be someone who does the photos, I can't see Bucky as the photographer. And I bet all the boys were asked to pose in the nude, Austin seems to have enjoyed doing it."
Mike grimaced. "Some of that shit he did was disgusting."
"Yeah," Alan said. But I sure would love to get a private showing out of the boy someday, he thought.
Alan was just hoping that whatever happened between himself and Austin could remain a private affair. The guys on the squad might accept him as a gay man, but they would turn away if he involved himself with a minor. Imagine the shame of being cuffed by his own friends…the boy wasn't worth all that.
"So when are you gonna talk to Bucky?" Mike asked.
"I was planning to let him stew in lockup for a while. They're going to call me if he contacts a lawyer. It will be very interesting to see what kind of counsel they might send him."
"You think this organization will cover for him?"
"If he were my gofer I'd be afraid he might talk," Alan said. "Did you read Rollins' report on the arrest?"
Mike smiled. "Yeah, the guy seems like a real lame brain. One punch and he was out."
"Then you don't know the guy that hit him? Hugo the Terrible they call him, he's a big hit on the pro wrestling circuit. Just Bucky's bad luck I suppose. You mean you don't watch wrestling on Saturday night?"
Mike laughed. "Alan…I have a wife who is six months along and two screaming little ones at home. I get tag-teamed every time I walk in the door…who needs wrestling?"
Alan grinned. "Sorry, I forgot. I'm still the only bachelor on the squad."
Mike mumbled something under his breath as he went back to his workstation. Alan swore it sounded like "lucky bastard." If Mike only knew he probably wouldn't think so.
Wilson called in and he didn't sound happy, no luck on the computer sources. Alan told him about Bucky's arrest and that seemed to cheer the big guy up. But it was coming up on the end of their shift and so Alan told Wilson and Brett to knock off for the day. Mike left shortly after that and Alan sat at his desk.
Austin had been on his mind since their brief conversation. The boy said he would call again…soon had been the word he used. Alan imagined the boy would get himself another phone before he did. He wasn't even gonna bother trying to trace it, the kids were too smart for that.
Smart…yes they were, but they weren't alone in this. He could be sure that there was an older man involved, even Austin had suggested that. But he knew the boy had held back other things as well, who else was he protecting?