Absolutely Famulus

"You didn’t say that last night, Deputy…"

I gave the group a wicked smile. "In fact, you couldn’t wait to get your legs on my shoulders..." I was at the front of my cell, holding onto the thick bars.

"Shut up, faggot!” Frank Dekker growled. He chortled uneasily with the other deputies. “He’ll say anything to stir up trouble..." The burly officer turned his back to me and continued to drink his coffee and laugh with his buddies.

I cleared my throat and held up the little laminated photo I took out of his wallet during our encounter. "Missing something, Frank? Does the missus know you like taking it up the ass?"

Dekker wheeled around and blanched. "Lucky thing for you we were all alone last night … I’ll bet your buddies would have been running in with guns a-blazing if they heard all your moaning and screaming..."

Enraged, he rushed at me. Sometimes heavy steel bars are a good thing. The dumb fuck smashed his head into them as I danced back. I chuckled as he staggered with bruises already purpling his forehead.

"Gimme the passkey!" he yelled to the group. He unlocked the door to the cell and approached me with murder in his eyes. "You ain’t gonna live to see a trial, mister."

Maybe I went too far with this cracker. I backed away. I jumped onto the cot and as he rushed me - I bounced over him doing a somersault in the air and grabbed onto the bars. I pulled myself up and braced myself with my feet against the ceiling - I watched the deputy upside-down as he spun around looking for me. Suddenly, something smashed against my hands; I lost my grip and tumbled down onto the hard floor.

In a moment, his heavy booted foot smashed into my chest and I felt something crack. The pain was intense as I curled up. I couldn’t breathe. The other deputies were shouting encouragement. Dekker straddled me and punched me hard in the face. The world went white for a moment and then he started to bash my head against the floor. Multi-hued stars exploded in my head and my vision began to go dark as he wrapped meaty hands around my neck and started to squeeze.

All of a sudden, he was pulled off of me and I heard his body hit the wall. Hard. The jeering of the other men fell suddenly silent. Another voice. "What the FUCK is going on here?"

My eyes were rapidly swelling shut, but with difficulty I opened them to see Captain Cyrus Darner standing in front of me like an avenging angel. His hands were on his hips and he was glaring at Dekker dazed and huddling on the floor. While all of the officers were large (most were that ex-football player beefy type going to fat), the captain was the largest of them all - at 37, he stood 6'1" with 225 pounds of solid ripped muscle and steel-hard determination. His angular profile was thrust out and his azure eyes looked like chips of ice. (Think of Howie Long with a squarer jaw, bluer eyes, shorter crewcut and built like a competitive bodybuilder.)

"You’re suspended for two weeks, Frank. We don’t abuse prisoners here. Ever."

"But … but ... that faggot …"

"Three weeks. Want to go for a month? Keep talking." He turned to one of the deputies in the original gathering. "Marty, get him out of here. Take his gun and badge. Leave it on my desk."

"Yessir." The man hurried to comply.

"Ben? Get the trauma kit. The rest of you, get the hell out of here. I’ll discuss your behavior in this incident with you later." His tone brooked no argument. Ben Jessup had not been in the initial group and must have come in with the commander when they heard the commotion. Ben was about 200 pounds, 5’10”, with a dark buzzcut and deep brown eyes; like the captain, his body was trim, hard and powerfully muscled. He hurried out.

Darner grabbed the pillow from the cot and got down on the floor. I hissed in pain as he laid my head into the pillow on his lap; his hand came back soaked with blood. He swore softly and wiped the sticky fluid onto the pillow, leaving a crimson palm print on the case. Jessup arrived back with the kit and opened it quickly. He moved a small flashlight across my eyes; he then pulled out a stethoscope and delicate fingers probed along my chest. Ben’s dark eyes looked concerned and he shook his head.

"Sounds like a partially collapsed lung, sir." I winced as he felt along my side. "Couple of ribs are cracked and broken, too. That must’ve done it."

Cyrus gently brushed some of my hair back from my forehead. His voice was soft, but exasperated and his blue eyes were worried. "Goddamnit, son … why did you have to bait Frank like that?"

"I wasn’t baiting him, Captain. He asked to get drilled and I’m not exactly in the position to say ‘no’. Particularly at the point of a gun. What I do mind is the hypocrisy I heard this morning. At least I'm open about who and what I am."

Ben and Cyrus exchanged glances. "Let me get this straight … he came into your cell last night and demanded you fuck him at gunpoint?"

I nodded. "Begged me is more like it." I coughed and tasted the salty-iron aftertaste of blood. Damn, it even hurt to breathe.

Cyrus swore softly. "That explains a shitload of things ... A big smile and a hard fuck aren’t always the solution to a problem, son. You’ve got to learn to be … diplomatic. More discreet... Like us."

I looked blearily up at him. The commander reached out to stroke Ben’s neck. The deputy shivered and the two exchanged a brief, but intense kiss. Damn, didn’t see that one coming ... my gaydar must really be out of whack ...

"There could be some internal bleeding, sir. Those steel-toed boots of Frank pack a wallop and he really whaled on Alec here. Pupils aren’t responding uniformly either - I think there could be a concussion too. And a skull fracture. We should get him to Mercy General as soon as possible."

I began to shiver. Maybe I was going into shock. "Don’t worry son, we’ll get you fixed up." Darner sighed. "Then we gotta work on the rest of your problems."

The world started to go black at the edges and I passed out.

* * *

Well, now that you’re at the edge of your seat wondering what happened to me and how the hell did I wind up in jail and being tended to by two gay cops, I figure I should probably introduce myself.

My name is Alec Saldana and I am - or was - a famulus.

A what?

A famulus is a magician’s assistant. Me - and four other guys - were the on-stage helpers to Monica Stallman, one of the biggest names in the Reno circle of illusionists. Monica was the only female performer and I have to admit, she was impressive. A cast-iron, demanding bitch, but impressive nonetheless.

My problem was - I wanted out. I learned a lot from her and frankly, I could become a damn good magician myself -- we designed a number of her best illusions together and I wanted that chance so badly I could taste it. However, we had all signed 4-year contracts and non-disclosure agreements, so I was basically screwed.

I’m just shy of 6 feet tall, with deep blue eyes, dark hair and a five o’clock shadow that starts at 9am. I’ve got a fitness model’s build - I’m a damn gorgeous stud and I have an amazing stage presence.

And if I sound like a vain and cocky sonofabitch - I am.
I also happen to be as queer as a three-dollar bill. Big surprise, right?

Monica was married and thanks to a bit of judicious digging and some none-too-pleasant dumpster diving, I found out that my boss was doing some sleight of hand on her own off-stage - juggling not one, but two husbands. I met with her after the show and showed her the information I uncovered.

She actually took it better than I expected. "What do you want, Alec? More money? You’re already my prime famulus …"

"I want out, Monica. I’m good and I know it. You know it too. I want the chance to become a real magician, not just someone’s helper. I want my contract and my NDA torn up."

"You bastard …" She tried to look angry and almost succeeded. In a moment, I got a rueful smile from her as she pulled out my paperwork and handed it to me.

She paused. "What if I gave you second billing? ‘Stallman and Saldana’ - how does that sound?"

I shook my head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I’m almost 26, Monica - I have to make a name for myself."

She stood up. "You’re a real pain in the ass, Alec - you know that? Now I’m going to have to train Peter with all of your moves and hire a new guy. And I swear to God if he makes one more goddamn 'accidental' move on me during a performance, I’ll slice his fucking balls off!"

I chuckled. "Well, you’ll just have to hire another drop-dead handsome gay guy, then …" I could see a glimmer of moisture in the corner of her eye and I wrapped my arms around her. "Thanks, Monica."

"Alec, you make a lousy, fucking blackmailer …" She sniffled as she returned the embrace. Embarassed at that sign of weakness, she broke off and gave me one of her looks that made the other guys shrivel. "Good luck, Alec. You deserve it. Now get the hell out of my dressing room."

* * *
It was time to celebrate the end of a long week as well as my new-found freedom. I went back to my apartment and got cleaned up for Leather Night at Carl’s Pub. After I showered and shaved (again), I slipped on a thick blue aluminum cockring and stuffed myself into a pair of soft black breeches. I stamped into my field boots, pulled on my t-shirt, jacket and cap and headed out.

Carl’s is a fun place - located right between the Atlantis and Peppermill Hotel/Casinos on South Virginia Street. Lucky for me I was able to find a parking spot right across the establishment. The pub was in full swing already and I got a big smile and wink from Matt as I rolled my jacket up and gave it to him to put behind the bar.

"You look happy tonight, Alec … what’s up?"

"I’m a free man, Matt - and I want to really enjoy myself this evening … anyone up for a nice dinner and a good solid pounding?" I grinned.

"Well, the new sax player is just your type … he’s been watching you ever since you swaggered in the door."

I turned around and looked. Yep, he was right. The musician was almost my height, but not as muscular, with short, dark hair. He was wearing a plaid shirt (unbuttoned), tight jeans riding low on his waist and a pair of dark glasses. He was in that perfect state where guys are velvet skin over supple hard bodies, without an ounce of fat. The musician sported small, hard nips on a well-built chest with a nicely-cut six pack. This guy was special all the way down to his toes. I wanted to know him. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to pull those sunglasses off and feather my lips on his lashes.

Matt yelped as I tweaked one of his pierced nips. "Thanks for the heads up, bud." I sat down at a table near the stage and stretched out my legs to show off my boots and my bulge. I tipped back my cap to give him a big smile and got a brighter one in return.

* * *

His name was Jai Cortice. After his set I sauntered up to him. "I don’t know what I enjoyed more - the musician or the music." My eyes were shadowed by the visor of my cap, but I had no doubt he could see them bore into him hungrily.

He trailed a hand down my chest and rested on my swollen crotch. He gave it a squeeze. "It’s always great to have appreciative fans." I wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. I crushed my lips onto his. Damn, he felt good. "You ain’t seen nothing yet."

* * *

After a few drinks (and a lot more of us stroking each other) we went back to my apartment. We didn’t have much on to begin with and soon enough, we were both buck naked and exploring every part of our bodies with sensitive fingertips. Jai fingered the metallic blue cockring surrounding my rigid tool and swollen sac.

"Mmmmmmm...."

Our heads tilted towards each other and our lips met. The kiss started out soft and welcoming then heated until we each had our arms wrapped around the other and our bodies pressed tight.

I speared one hand through his hair and with the other, grabbed his ass. Jai tilted his hips so our cocks could grind against each other, and he captured my groan in his mouth. Our tongues dueled back and forth. He tasted of coffee and peppermint.

He snuggled into my embrace. “It feels so damn good to hold you, Alec. God, I love the way your muscles press against me … I love feeling the heat coming off of your skin …”

Our lips separated, and I traced a path across Jai's cheek and down his neck, until I reached the point where it met his shoulder. He tilted his head to give me better access. I latched on to the tender skin at the base of Jai's throat and he moaned as the suction drew the blood close to the surface. I knew there'd be a mark there later, but I didn't care. When I finally let go, he rested his head on my wide shoulders. His arms went around my lean waist, and he closed his eyes for a few seconds savoring the closeness. My arms rubbed up and down his back as we stood there in the middle of my bedroom.

I grabbed him by the waist and lifted him off his feet. He looked surprised as I walked over to the edge of the bed and plopped him down.

"Lean back, stud." I growled.

Jai slouched onto his elbows with the light from the hallway framing his hard, glistening erection.

I started licking around his balls then up and down the turgid stalk but didn’t touch the head. Little whimpers and cries greeted my ears. Jai's hips lifted trying to direct me where to go.

"Please, Alec... Please, suck me."

My lips opened, and I captured the crown. Suckling on the wet tip, I swirled my tongue around the rim and flicked it across the frenulum. The flavor of Jai's skin and precum exploded across my taste buds. I opened wide and swallowed his cock all the way to the base, making sure to squeeze with my throat muscles when I reached as far as I could go.

I sucked up to the crown then slid down the length over and over. Jai panted, and I held his hips still so they wouldn't jerk, forcing the cock I sucked not to move too deep or too quickly into my throat.

He gasped. "I’m gonna explode, Alec!"

I pulled down on Jai's balls and squeezed the base of his cock. "Not yet. I want you to come when I'm buried deep inside you."

I went over to the nightstand and opened the drawer. He watched as I pulled out a bottle of lube and a Trojan. I ripped open the foil packet and unrolled the lubricated condom onto my aching rod.

Seconds later, with his legs over my shoulders, the tip of a lubricated condom pressed against him, I demanded entry. The crown of my cock slipped in and paused. My hands grasped Jai’s hips as I pushed slowly forward. My little fuck-buddy got impatient to feel my long cock buried inside him and pushed back until our pelvises pressed together.

"Jesus, Jai ... You feel amazing. So hot. So tight."

"Fuck me hard, Alec. Really hard. I won't break, I promise."

I pulled back and slammed forward as fast as I could. I swear to God spots danced behind my eyelids - the pleasure of being inside Jai was that good. In and out, I drove his hips. My grunts and his cries of ecstasy filled the bedroom. Sweat bloomed on my forehead, and I leaned over Jai to lick his nips. The shift caused him to make direct contact with his gland and I stayed at that angle, nailing the spot over and over.

I kept up the brutal pace, giving Jai the fucking he'd demanded. His cock was as hard as it had ever been. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. Jai was clawing the blanket, his cock dragging across the surface of my abs with each surge of my hips. It must have been enough stimulation because I felt the muscles in his ass constrict around me, and Jai’s entire body tensed as he yelled out his climax. A gusher of cum erupted between us.

Two things happened at once. I slammed forward several more times and let my orgasm roll through me and the door to my apartment exploded inward. Black-clad men in body armor boiled into my room and I was pulled off Jai and thrown onto the carpet.

"What the fu…" was all I could get out when an armored knee was shoved into my back, forcing me flat onto the floor. My hands were pulled roughly behind me, and a pair of cuffs were fastened brutally around my wrists.

A gravelly voice spoke. "Jai, your daddy’s getting sick and tired of tracking you down and cleaning up after your messes. He’s got a re-election coming up and he can’t have you doin’ anything to give him grief."

"Fuck you, Lieutenant! I’m old enough to do what I wa-"

I twisted my head enough to see the SWAT commander give him a backhanded slap that bounced him off the bed and onto the floor. Another black-clad cop yanked him up.

"You’re seventeen years old and you’ll do what you’re fucking TOLD to do! Understand?" He gave an evil chuckle. "Believe me, your daddy would get a nice boost from the sympathy vote if something unfortunate happened to you! You don’t mean shit to him and you’re nothing but a goddamn embarrassment!"

Oh Christ, he’s jailbait. I’m in deep shit now. I thought.

A new voice. "Abbott, what the fuck are you doing in my jurisdiction?"

I craned my head to see what was going on, but a heavy hand ground my face into the carpet.

The officer holding me down hissed. "Quit twitching, faggot or I’ll break your goddamn back!"

"Well, howdy Captain Darner - we’ve been tracking this guy down for months. Finally caught him with possession of controlled substances with intent to sell. Plus sexual assault, sodomy and assaulting a minor."

The hand and knee that held me down vanished and I was able to roll over onto my side and see the unfurling tableau. A deputy had yanked the SWAT guy off of me like flicking away a piece of lint. Both of the new men were plated with hard muscle that their dark uniforms did nothing to conceal.

“Uh-huh … may I see the evidence?” Despite the bulk of the body armor, the captain towered over the SWAT commander even though they were about the same height.

“Right here.” Abbott gestured to one of his minions who produced two evidence bags. One of them held a large bag filled with white powder, and the other a few smaller glassine packets filled with a similar white substance.

Darner gestured to examine the evidence firsthand. He turned the bags over and peered at them closely. He raised his eyebrows at the SWAT commander.

“I assume that when I dust these bags for fingerprints, I’m going to find his? Or are they going to be squeaky clean and pure as the driven snow?”

Abbott looked panicked, and Darner tossed the evidence to his deputy who caught it in midair.

“Forget trying to plant drugs on ths guy, Abbott. There’s enough scandal swirling around the State Police right now that even your boss couldn’t ignore this one. Lewd and lascivious behavior is my area of responsibility. Get the hell out of here.”

The SWAT commander was full of bravado. “Make me. Who’s gonna believe you when you make these accusations?”

The captain tapped the mike attached to the epaulet of his shirt. “Open mike. Plus recordings. Now fuck off.”

Abbott seemed to know when he was outmaneuvered. He and his thugs left. That left me, Jai and the two policeman in the room. The deputy turned to my naked lover.

“You’d best get dressed, kid -- we’re going to have to take a statement from you later.” Jai swallowed hard and started to look around for his clothing.

Darner strode over to me. “Let me get those cuffs off you, son …” He fished out a key and knelt down to take off the restraints.

“That’s okay, Captain. I can manage.” I sat up and handed him the cuffs. He looked surprised and then noticed my still-erect tool surrounded by the blue cock ring. He sighed.

“Get yourself decent, Mr. Saldana - we’re going down to the station.”

* * *
So now you know how I wound up in jail.

Next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed to the sounds of quietly bleeping machines monitoring my vital signs. I was handcuffed to one of the railings, and Ben was dozing in a chair next to my bedside. I was bandaged up like a mummy.

“B-Ben …??” I croaked. Damn, I sounded like death warmed over. I felt even worse.

The deputy was instantly awake. “Hey Alec, you gave us quite a scare. It was touch and go for a while. Cap and I have been spelling each other here until you woke up.”

“What happened?”

“Three broken ribs, a fractured sternum and a collapsed lung to start with. Broken nose, bruised liver, hairline skull fracture and a bad concussion to top it off.”

“What’s happening with Jai? I swear to God I didn’t know he was underage. I don't do kids.”

He scooted closer. “It’s not good. Jai is the governor’s son and that crooked sonofabitch is calling in all his favors for his reelection campaign. We’re doing everything we can.”

My heart sank. “Oh, shit …”

* * *

I stayed in the hospital for several weeks until I was well enough to shuffle along with the help of either Captain Darner or Deputy Jessup supporting me. I couldn't stand up for any period of time without getting dizzy and collapsing.

One day, as I was finishing the slop that passed for breakfast, Ben walked into my room with a clean change of clothing and a serious look on his young face. “Today’s your court date, Alec - let’s go.” He undid the cuff on my wrist. “I’ll help you get ready.”

* * *

We were met by Captain Darner on the court house steps. He looked even grimmer than his deputy. He laid my arm around his broad shoulder and a powerful arm wrapped carefully around my waist. With his help, I painfully ascended the steps and entered the building.

We moved slowly down the main corridor. “Son, you’re going to hear statements today that are outright lies as well as some things that are going to surprise the hell out of you.”

I looked at him. “It’s going to be bad, isn’t it, sir?”

He let out a deep breath. “Alec, do you trust me?”

I nodded. “You saved my life twice, Captain - if you hadn’t come in when you did, I don’t think I’d still be alive now.”

We stopped for a moment. “Everything will turn out for the best, son. No matter what you hear or think, I swear to God Almighty that I’ll keep you safe.”

* * *

The trial was a farce. The decision on my guilt had already been made before I even entered the courtroom. The public defender had the IQ of a carrot, and the prosecutor was a rabid born-again Christian that was literally foaming at the mouth. A major surprise was Jai’s testimony - I could see that he had been coerced into claiming that I got him drunk, brought him home against his will and raped him. He couldn’t even look at me when he said that; my lawyer didn’t even cross-examine him. I tried to stand up and yell when I heard that, but Ben quickly clamped a hand on my shoulder and held me in my seat.

He looked at me with dark, worried eyes. "Don’t say anything, Alec. Not a word! Please!"

The biggest surprise came from Captain Darner. After all was said and done, I had been found guilty on all charges - sodomy, rape and assaulting a minor. Before the judge passed sentence, the commander stood up.

"Excuse me, Your Honor - may I say something?"

"Of course, Captain … proceed."

"During the course of Mr. Saldana’s custody, I have found him uncooperative, belligerent, and completely unrepentant of his behavior and the unnatural acts perpetrated on Mr. Cortise. I think we need to set an example here. I would ask that the Court consider the longest possible sentence and incarceration at the Thornwood Correctional Facility. We cannot allow men such as this loose in our midst."

I was floored hearing that from Darner. My lawyer finally woke up from his fugue state and stood up.

"I object! Your Honor, Thornwood is a maximum security prison! Mr. Saldana does not deserve to be placed in such an environment for the crime he has been accused of!"

"Overruled!" I saw the maniacal gleam in the old bastard’s eyes. "Alec Saldana, you have been found guilty of heinous acts against an underaged young man, a man who has probably been scarred for life by your treatment of him. You are sentenced to a term of no less than five and no more than ten years at the Thornwood Correctional Facility. This case is closed!"

The gavel slammed down and I wept in my chair. I didn’t even know what was going on around me as Ben supported my weight as we stumbled out of the court room.

* * *

Because of my medical condition, I was allowed to stay in the hospital as opposed to the jail cell. Still, I was handcuffed to the bed. I was still trying to process what had happened to me when I heard a knock on the door. Cyrus came in and pulled a chair up to my bed.

"How you feeling, Alec?"

"I don't know. I may have a problem keeping my dick in my pants, but I'm not a fucking criminal! That damn judge couldn't wait to sentence me to that hellhole! What was going through your head when you said those things?"

"Alec, I had to get you into Thornwood. For several good reasons. One, it's a privately run institution that doesn't owe it's allegiance to the governor. Two, because it's a maximum security prison, it's just as hard to get someone in as it is to break someone out. The guards are all hand-picked and completely trustworthy. Believe me, anywhere else in this state, you would have had an 'accident' sooner or later. Probably sooner."

A chill went through me. I heard the SWAT commander's threats to Jai, and I'm sure that he or one of his minions would have no compunction about doing similar to me.

Darner continued. "Lastly, Ben and I have ... connections ... to the people that run Thornwood. You'll know more about that once you get settled in. A lot goes on there that is completely under the radar." He grasped my hand. "I swore to God that I would keep you safe, Alec - and I have. You have nothing to worry about. Trust me."

* * *

My discharge from Mercy General included a perp-walk with me in handcuffs and leg irons to the patrol car. Ben helped me into the back seat and sat down beside me. He pulled the door shut as the photographers and reporters snapped frenzied pictures of the "gay rapist" being hauled away for his comeuppance. Cyrus floored the gas and we sped away.

After about 20 minutes, Darner pulled over to the side of the highway. "Let's get that crap off of you Alec - the vultures have stopped following us."

Ben fished a key out of his pocket, but I dropped the cuffs and irons into his lap. He looked surprised, but I could see the grin in Cyrus' eyes through the rearview mirror. "I forgot you could do that. Pretty impressive - those were heavy duty Clejuso cuffs."

"I'm good with locks ... those are less complex than some of the restraints I used when performing, Captain." I sighed. "Damn, I should've been a burglar - I would have had better luck."

Ben laughed at that remark. "Be careful what you wish for, Alec!"

We continued on the road to the prison.

* * *
After another hour, the solid and foreboding facility came into view. High walls, razor wire, guard towers - everything you'd imagine a maximum security prison to be. This was going to be my home for at least the next five years - provided I survived that long.

We drove along the access road, passing the main gate and continuing on, leaving the prison behind us. Cyrus stopped at a small road with a chain across it. Ben got out and removed the barrier and after the car passed, reattached it. He got back in the car and we sped on.

"Where are we going, Captain?"

"Remember I said a lot of things at Thornwood fly under the radar? Well, we're taking you to one of those places now. I said we'd protect you, Alec - and I always keep my word."

In a few moments, a mansion came into view. We cruised around the long driveway and pulled up to the front door. In a moment, the door opened and two men stepped out to greet us.

One wore a shirt and tie with a white lab coat over it - he must have been a doctor; the other - well the other must have been prison guard, but nothing like I ever saw or imagined.

The guard was dressed in a pair of black latex leggings and a pair of combat boots. White socks peeked above the top of the boots and I could see every defined muscle highlighted by the skintight rubber. His chest was bare, showing slabbed pecs and etched abs, with the same material covering powerfully muscled arms and ending in skintight gloves. A mask was pulled over his head showing only a pair of sensuous lips. A black web belt was slung low over his trim hips and contained a baton. He was speaking quietly into a mobile phone.

The guard opened the car door and Ben stepped out. The two men embraced. Cyrus left the car and walked up the steps to shake hands with the doctor.

I was thinking that the concussion had worsened and I was hallucinating. The guard bent into the car and gave me a smile. I could just make out the sparkle of his eyes beneath the material.

"Let me help you out, sir. Welcome to Thornwood."

The strong arms gently extricated me from the back of the patrol car. I guess the long ride took it's toll on me; I swayed on my feet and the guard steadied me by grasping my ribs. I bit back a cry as a bolt of pain crashed through me. The doctor called down to the guard.

"Careful, Jimmy. Alec is still in bad shape from all his injuries ... let Deputy Jessup hold him and get a wheelchair, please." The guard trotted back inside. Damn, he's got a nice ass. I leaned against Ben.

"This is a prison?" God, my head was spinning from everything that was going on.

Ben grinned. "Uh-huh. Think of this as an university, and this here's your dorm." He gave me a soft kiss on my ear.

The doctor approached with the guard pushing a wheelchair. He put out his hand.

"Alec, I'm Doctor Bryan Sanger. I'm the chief medical officer here at the Thornwood Institute. If you'll have a seat, we'll take care of those injuries of yours in a few moments. Jimmy will get you prepped and I'll be with you shortly."

The doctor was a handsome young man with dark cinnamon hair and whiskey-brown eyes. He turned to Cyrus and Ben. "Can you two stay for lunch? We've a lot to catch up on."

Jimmy and Ben helped me into the wheelchair and the guard pushed me through the wide oak doors.

* * *
The place looked like a high-end hotel. We passed several more guards dressed like Jimmy and all of them nodded greetings or offered a 'Good morning, sir' as we traveled deeper into the Institute. We also passed quite a number of handsome near-naked young men in shorts or jocks. All of them were as strongly built as my guardian and I got grins and waves from them also.

"Jimmy, what type of prison is this? And what type of guard are you?"

My ebon-clad protector chuckled. "Well, Mr. Saldana - it's not. Like Ben said, this place is more of a training facility. From your background, we think you'd be a good fit with our organization - it's just that you've come in through sort of a strange channel ... but if it goes the way I think it will, I'll be one of your instructors."

"How so?" I was getting intrigued by this. Somehow, I got the impression that this "organization" Jimmy mentioned wasn't exactly legal...

"Ah - we're here!" The sign outside the door said 'TALOS Medlab'. Jimmy dialed in a set of numbers on the keypad next to the door; it hissed open and we entered. The room was warm and inviting, with paneled walls, overstuffed chairs and a small sofa. Potted plants and colorful posters added a warm touch. The only thing that looked out of place was a single wide table in the center of the space and what looked like a gigantic silver spider hanging suspended above it. He wheeled me over to the side of the platform.

"Mr. Saldana, we need to get you out of those clothes and onto the diagnostic bed. Can you manage getting undressed, or do you need some help?"

Under ordinary circumstances, the offer of a masked rubber-clad stud offering to undress me would have had me hard and leaking; now, I just was looking forward to feeling less sick and disoriented. I still didn't know what the hell was going on.

I nodded. "Call me Alec. I ... I'm going to need some help, Jimmy. I'm sorry to be such a damn pain in the ass ..."

Those beautiful lips grinned. "Hey, no problem at all, sir - you've been through a lot. Don't give it a second thought."

With that he kneeled and untied my sneakers and pulled off the socks. Then he unbuttoned my shirt and had me lean forward as he slowly pulled it off my torso. There was a rushed intake of breath as he saw the huge yellow-green-purple hematomas all over me. His mouth settled into a hard line.

"Goddamnit ... if I get my hands on the fucker that did this to you, he's gonna wish he was dead by the time I finish with him ... put your arms around my neck and I'll help you stand up."

We levered ourselves upright. Jimmy supported me gently with one arm across my back and with the other, undid my pants and pulled down the trunks. They lay in a heap on the floor. His free arm now slid down under my butt and held me softly against his slabbed chest. The effort of stepping out of the remainder of my clothing exhausted me. I laid my head on his muscled shoulder. I felt so damn weak I wanted to cry. Feeling my distress, Jimmy stroked my back and carefully pulled me closer into his embrace. He rocked me slowly as I caught my breath.

"Okay, sir ... up we go ..." He lifted me onto the bed and stretched me out beneath the silvery spider. As I watched, a gossamer web descended from above and wrapped around me.

Jimmy walked over to the couch and stretched himself out. "I'm here if you need me, Alec. I won't leave until Doc Sanger and BODHI get done with you. Just relax."

The diagnostic bed was soft beneath me, and I felt warm and comfortable. I drifted off to sleep.

* * *
I woke up suddenly and found myself in a room with gray stone walls. I was wearing one of my Ajaxx63 t-shirts and a pair of cutoff shorts. And I was sitting in front of a glass-topped desk. I felt great.

"Hi Alec, I'm BODHI -- welcome to Thornwood. I thought this would be a good time for us to speak about your future."

I craned my neck around to see a drop-dead handsome guy come into the room. He looked like a Greek statue come to life. Heavily muscled - but not swollen like a bodybuilder - with smooth, dark golden skin stretched over that incredible physique. He was naked except for a skimpy pair of blue and white briefs that failed to disguise his massive bulge and a pair of sunglasses. He squeezed my shoulders and gave the back of my neck a gentle kiss as he walked around the desk and sat. He took off the sunglasses to show dark brown eyes and gave me a bright white smile.

"How long was I out? I don't even remember getting off that table."

He chuckled. "Well, that's because you're still there. The TALOS system is currently doing a full body nanocellular repair on you. You're in a medically induced coma and I took the opportunity to piggyback into your sensorium thru the neural interface."

He turned the computer monitor on the desk around to face me. Funny, I didn't notice anything on the desk before.

On the screen, I could see myself laying on the table, with a host of silvery arms, tentacles and tubes connecting me to the spider above me. Doctor Sanger was on the side of the room, watching several large screens that appeared to be some type of CAT scan or X-ray. He looked down to type something on a keyboard. BODHI tapped on the screen with his index finger.

"Hey Doc!"

The point of view immediately switched. Sanger looked into the screen and smiled. "Hey BODHI ... didn't expect to see you here - what's up?"

"I'm here with Alec. I'm the designated recruiter today. How's he coming along?"

Sanger seemed completely nonplussed by the turn of events. He turned to look at me. "Hi Alec ... Everything is coming along real well. We'll be done in about 90 minutes." The doctor sighed. "You were in bad shape, buddy- but you'll be fine when you wake up!"

"Thanks doc!" BODHI turned the screen back. "Alec, I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now. Ask away."

I was still freaked out seeing my body on a screen in front of me. "Who are you and what is this place? I mean here - right now - and this Institute?"

"Fair questions." He put his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers. The muscles in his arms, chest and shoulders popped into obscene definition and I found myself getting hard. If this was a dream, it was a damned impressive one.

"I'm a self-aware program that's spread over every computer across the planet. That is, except for a few military installations. Like I said before, we're interacting thru TALOS' neural interfaces and this office ..." he waved to the room around him. "... is my way of talking to you while you're getting well."

He continued. "The Institute is a training facility for Lucio Giambi's soldieri ... do you know who he is?"

I shook my head. BODHI continued.

"Lucio is the most powerful organized crime lord on Earth. Thanks to me, he's got access to anything he wants or needs. He likes keeping a modest profile, however. I have to say, though, that he's one of the most honorable men you'd ever meet and he's really a nice guy. He wants you to come work for him."

"Me? But I'm not a criminal!"

The dark haired computer avatar looked sadly at me. "No, Alec - you're not. You never were. But you're a convicted felon."

That shut me up.

He continued. "But that doesn't mean you can't make a name for yourself. Lucio can provide you with the training and resources to be a world-class con man, burglar and art forger. You've got the potential, all you need is the training and experience. We've got experts here from Ken Lay to Alan Golder to Eric Hebborn ... forget about being just a magician - think of the publicity and notoriety you'll have as being a world-class thief - doing jobs that are going to have the authorities scratching their collective heads about how you pulled them off ... and with Lucio's resources behind you - and me, for that matter - you'll never get caught."

BODHI certainly knew how to push my buttons. What did I have to lose? Like he said, my life as an ordinary citizen was over. And I was never one for passing up an opportunity.

He gave me a wicked smile. "Well? Interested?"

I grinned. "You've certainly know what turns my crank, BODHI. Yes. Yes I am. When do I start?"

"Well, when you wake up ... which is going to be in a few minutes. I'll let Lucio know you've accepted his invitation. We'll talk again when you're settled in."

* * *

I woke up in the operating room with Doctor Sanger smiling over me.

"All done, Alec. You're fit as a fiddle now. How do you feel?"

Jimmy stretched out and squeezed his crotch. He licked his lips and gave me a lascivious grin.

God, I was so horny I wanted to mount him right then and there.

I felt normal for the first time in weeks. I sat up on the bed and noticed all the bruising was gone.

Sanger grinned. "Yep - completely healed from the inside out. We also took care of that retina that was about to detach and improved your night vision a bit. Get dressed, bud ... Cyrus and Ben are waiting for you ... and welcome to the organization."

I hopped off the table and began to put on my clothes. As I was finishing, I heard a "Psssst" from behind me. On the large screen was BODHI. He still was bare-chested and gave me a wink and thumbs-up before the screen faded to black.

I followed Dr. Sanger from the room. My stomach growled. Damn, I was hungry ...

* * *
Like fine wine and cheese, some things need to age a bit to reach perfection. Like this entry. Several influences were responsible for bringing this story to light. One was the USA Network show “White Collar” - as you can probably guess, I find Matt Bomer to be a strikingly handsome man, and I love the characters, dialogue and plots that this series has developed.
The series is loosely based on the movie and novel “Catch Me If You Can” - but in my opinion, it does a far better job. Matt Bomer plays Neal Caffrey, an art forger and con man now working for the government. Tim DeKay plays Peter Burke, the sole FBI agent that was able to catch Caffrey and has grown from his nemesis to his keeper to his partner over the course of two (and soon to be three) seasons.

Another influence was a buddy of mine who is bi and is also in law enforcement. Both of us need to keep our proclivities under deep cover, and we each have also respected our privacy enough not to pry too deeply into certain matters. Although the descriptions of Cyrus and Ben portray a physical idealization of “perfect cops”, the compassion and dedication are accurate representations of my buddy and his boyfriend. He’s been off the radar for over a year and I truly miss our correspondence.

This entry was originally conceived to be a showcase for the SlickItUp “Armed Guard” outfit, but I had difficulties in actually developing a deep enough storyline. I always had the idea of Matt Bomer as being involved, but it seemed that too many plot entanglements got in the way. I sometimes have a problem with going too deep into minutiae, or trying to develop over-complicated plot lines. Sometimes it pays to step back, look at the larger picture and take it from there.
When I introduced James Treaty in Ariane’s story arc, the pieces began to fall into place. With the development of Lucio’s own self-aware supercomputer - BODHI - everything clicked.
Lucio’s way of training his soldieri - rotations through his various licit and illicit businesses - provided me an entree for Jimmy to become a prison guard; after all, as Giaan’s protege he is expected to have an in-depth understanding of the various businesses that comprise Giambi’s holdings.
Alec’s character already had a lot of the physical attributes of Neal Caffrey on “White Collar” - suave, romantic, great at sleight of hand and even better at picking locks - that all I felt he needed was a bit more experience in the ins and outs of art forgery, confidence games and audacious (and non-violent) burglary. Alec (like Neal) is basically a non-violent guy, who'd prefer to deal with a difficult situation through guile than force.
Please take some time to check out the bios of the “experts” I listed above - they all *appear* to be deceased, but remember the resources that Lucio has available to him, as well as the fact I don’t write anything without reason …