A Trial of Strength

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - PART 40 By Rob Williams

IN THIS CHAPTER The time has finally come. Jamie, the virile young stud, lies spread-eagled on the bed. Mark, the god-like, uniformed cop, pulls the handcuffs from his belt. Jamie now knows what he wants, but he's scared. And the fear makes his cock hard. "What do you want me to do to you?" the officer asks. Jamie breathes, "Anything, sir. Anything that pleases you. Do anything to me."

As I always say, guys, I welcome your comments and suggestions. They can be very helpful. E-mail me at rw6789@aol.com. Now read on ... and enjoy.

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH - Part 40

Jamie lay naked on his bed, spread eagled, waiting for the beautiful police officer, Mark, to come through the door. He knew what he wanted now. But his feelings for Mark had confused him earlier and he had asked his young friends for advice.

"Do you call him `sir'?" Darius had asked

"Well, yeah, I guess I do, but that doesn't mean ..."

"There you are, then," Darius cut him off. "He's your master."

Jamie refused to accept that. He especially could not surrender his ass to Mark. The mere idea of a cock in his ass terrified him. He asked the boys what it felt like.

"That's not something you can describe in words," Pablo said. It's out of this world. Feels like nothing else. But you have to want it ... really want it ... more than anything."

"It was a trip to the moon," added Darius. He described how, for his first time, Randy had tied him down. "Oh man, you should try it. It feels sensational to be at the mercy of a man like Randy."

But Jamie still recoiled from the idea ... until the morning in the gym where, during stretching exercises, Mark held Jamie's legs and bent over him, the bulge in his shorts rubbing against the boy's ass. That was the moment. As their eyes met, it was a revelation. Jamie and Mark suddenly understood exactly what each of them wanted.

For a few minutes in the gym Jamie had been helpless, totally in the cop's power, and his imagination went wild. Never in his life had he had a real authority figure, never felt the need to be dominated ... never loved or trusted anyone enough. He had always thought of himself as a macho, alpha male, a stud, the top man. But that was before he met Mark.

Which is why he now lay naked on the bed, eyes riveted on the door.

Suddenly the door opened and there he stood. Fresh from work, still in his black uniform, the stunning cop looked down at Jamie, spread eagled and naked, and smiled. "You got it just right, kid." Mark's pale blue eyes bore down on him.

"OK Jamie, you and I both know now what you need ... what you've been wanting all this time." His eyes narrowed and he clenched his jaw. His tone changed, became harder. "Get ready, boy. I'm really gonna enjoy this."

And the cop unhooked the handcuffs from his belt.

Jamie gasped. His eyes followed the muscular officer as he paced back and forth, circling the bed, gazing down at the beautiful, blond young man who was tense with anticipation.

There was a savage tone in Mark's voice. "You know what's gonna happen to you, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," Jamie breathed.

Mark bent down and picked up the T-shirt Jamie had dropped on the floor. He quickly ripped it to shreds. He wound a strip of the shirt round one each of Jamie's wrists. He took one set of handcuffs and clipped one end round one cloth-covered wrist. The other end he looped over the bedpost. Then he did the same with another set of handcuffs on the other wrist. Jamie's arms were spread wide, each handcuffed to a corner of the bed.

Now for the feet. Mark quickly used two more strips of the T-shirt to tie the ankles, one to each of the posts at the foot of the bed. He stood back to admire his work and shook his head in disbelief. He had rarely seen anything as beautiful as the young, naked body spread eagled, helpless, on the bed. He always got off looking at the boy ... but now he wanted more. He wanted to see the body struggle and flex.

"Try to get free," he ordered.

Jamie pulled on his wrists. The cloth under the handcuffs prevented them from cutting his wrists so he was able to pull hard. At the same time he tried to free his legs His naked body writhed and thrashed as he struggled to free himself. His taut young muscles flexed and bulged but he was held fast. Finally the reality of being bound, helpless, hit him for the first time. He had never been in such a desperate situation ... and suddenly he panicked.

"No, sir. Please, sir. I don't want this. I'm scared, sir. I can't get free. Please untie me, sir. I'm scared ..."

"Jamie!" The voice was now firm but gentle and made the young man stop struggling. He lay still, looking up at the uniformed police officer, with fear in his eyes.

"Jamie."

"Yes, sir?"

"Look at me."

Jamie focused on Mark. His gaze began at the handsome face, then ran down past the T-shirt at the cop's neck, over the badges on his black uniform shirt, past the belt at the tight, narrow waist, over the pants and down to the shiny, high, black boots. Then he raised his eyes back to Mark's face. The cop was magnificent, a male icon, a Greek god.

"Do you want me, Jamie?"

"Oh, God'" Jamie breathed. "I do, sir. More than anything in the world."

"What do you want me to do to you?"

"Anything, sir. Anything that pleases you. Do anything to me."

"Do you want me to set your free?"

"No, sir," Jamie said loudly. He panicked again, but this time he was not afraid of being bound; he was afraid of being released. "No, sir. Please. I want this sir."

"You know you're completely at my mercy. I'm gonna hurt you, Jamie. What do you say?"

"Thank you, sir. Thank you. Please don't let me go. Please don't leave me." He tugged again at the wrists and this time he loved the feeling of being captive to this man. He looked at the towering cop, struggled again ... and his cock began to get hard.

"That's better," said Mark and smiled at him. "Now listen carefully, Jamie. Here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna do whatever I like to you. I own you now, you're my property, so I'll use you however I want to. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. I really want ..."

"No!" Mark shouted. "It's no longer what you want. It's what I want. Understand?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

Mark came forward and leaned closer to Jamie's face. His tone softened. "Now this is very important, Jamie. Listen carefully. Whatever I say and do, even though I hurt you, and however hard you beg me to stop, I will not stop. Unless ... unless you say my name. As soon as I hear that I'll stop immediately. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"What's my name?"

"Mark, sir."

"OK. That is the last time you say that word unless, and until, you want this to stop. Remember that."

And for the first time, Jamie relaxed. He now knew how to make it all stop, but he was determined never to stop. He wanted to take everything this magnificent man threw at him. He wanted to please him, serve him. He would do anything for him. He loved being his prisoner. He wanted to be his boy.

Mark stood at the foot of the bed and stared down at the handsome young man. Jamie's tousled blond hair fell over his forehead, his perfectly sculpted muscular young body, naturally proportioned but pumped from his hours in the gym, was bound helpless. After the exertion of trying to get free his smooth, tanned skin gleamed with a sheen of sweat. Jamie was his. He owned him.

Jamie tensed for what came next. It was not what he expected. Mark sat down, sprawled in a chair.

Tied to the bed Jamie could only watch. He knew he couldn't speak. He had to wait. He had no power. The cop was in total control.

Mark lounged in the chair and looked pensively at the boy. Not really a boy. In his early twenties he was a young stud, but inexperienced, naïve ... fresh clay waiting to me molded. Yeah, Mark thought, he's a beauty alright. But more than that, he felt for this young man more than he had ever felt for anyone. And now here the boy was, helpless before him. Mark could do whatever he wanted with him, and he intended to. His cocked stirred at the thought.

As a police officer Mark was naturally an authoritarian figure. He was used to people obeying him. He had only to shout one word, "Freeze!" and men became motionless, fearful. He often had to use force and he was used to dominating other men. But here, in this room, this was different. None of his prior captives had ever wanted to be dominated ... (not that he knew of, anyway.) But here, this beautiful boy was surrendering himself willingly.

It was an awesome responsibility but one he welcomed. He wanted to bend this virile young man to his will, to make him endure punishment and beg for more. Sure, he wanted the young stud to be his boy ... but more than that. He wanted to subjugate him, to take control so completely that the boy would become his slave. Mark would be his master. He would own him. Nothing less would do.

Then he realized the full truth. He wanted Jamie to fall helplessly in love with him.

Although Jamie's eyes were riveted on the brooding cop he had no idea what was going through his mind and he became increasingly aroused ... and fearful. Yes, he was still afraid, but a fear that made his cock hard. And it was ... rock hard. It was as if Mark's penetrating gaze alone could bring him to an intense pitch of exhilaration he had never experienced in his life.

The wait was interminable. And then the cop stood up.

As Mark paced the room he spoke. His voice was now quite different from before ... stern, harsh, angry even. Actually, the anger was partly real. He was angry that he had been unable to make this man submit to him before now. His pride was wounded. Worse, his vanity was wounded.

"You little fucker. You've made me wait weeks for this. You told me what a stud you were with the ladies and all the time teased me with that pretty face and body, and the perfect ass you wouldn't let me get near."

"Look at me, asshole! Do I look like the kind of guy who takes that kind of shit? I know how I look. I'm fucking gorgeous, I know that, and I get what I want ... always have. I can have anyone ... anyone except you, apparently. Who the fuck do you think you are, boy, saying no to a guy like me?"

"Sir," Jamie pleaded. "I did try to ... "

"Shut up! Did I give you permission to speak, boy?"

"No, sir.

Jamie was scared by Mark's tone of voice and his glowering look as he circled the bed. Instinctively he pulled at his restraints but realized again that he was totally at the officer's mercy. As he looked at Mark his fear mingled with anticipation. The sight of the powerful, uniformed stud looming over him made Jamie's cock rear up, erect.

Mark's eyes flashed. "Shit ... I've slept with you every night and you refused me your ass. Refused me! Nobody gets away with that. Well, I am gonna fuck you, man. I'm gonna push my dick so far up your ass it'll split you open. But not yet. Oh, no. First you have to pay for stringing me along."

Jamie's head was spinning. He was truly scared of this man, of what was about to happen, but he was thrilled, in a wild delirium of anticipation. His eyes were riveted on the magnificent cop who now paced silently, then stopped at the foot of the bed glaring at him. Again Jamie's instinct was to struggle to get free, but it was hopeless.

There was a long silence. Then suddenly Mark unbuttoned his shirt and, in one move, ripped it off and dropped it on the floor. Jamie gasped. He looked up at the cop, stripped to his white T-shirt that tapered from his broad shoulders, over the mounds of his chest, down to his narrow waist, the short sleeves pushed back by his bulging biceps. His body was heaving, his face glaring.

He bent down and picked up Jamie's discarded jeans. He pulled the leather belt from them and held it up.

"What's this, boy?"

"My belt, sir."

"What d'you think I'm gonna use it for?"

Jamie swallowed hard and stammered, "I ... I don't know, sir?"

Mark jumped on the bed, astride the helpless man, bent down and looped the belt round his neck. He held the other end and stood up straight, pulling Jamie's head forward from the neck. Again Jamie's cock leapt up rigid as he felt himself held tight by the cop towering over him.

"Not such a stud now, kid, are you?"

"No, sir," Jamie croaked.

Mark yanked the belt up harder and Jamie's head jerked higher. "You shouldn't have resisted me all these weeks. You know that now don't you?"

Jamie's eyes began to fill with tears. "Yes, sir. I didn't know, sir. I wasn't sure how ..."

His voice trailed off as the tears began to flow. Deep inside Mark felt an overwhelming sympathy and affection for the young man, but he wasn't about to let him off easy. Not yet.

"Hell, there are guys out there would fall at my feet. I don't know why I'm bothering with an obstinate little shit like you. I should just untie you and kick you out."

Again Jamie panicked. "No, sir. Please, I beg you. I'll do anything you order, sir. Please let me serve you." He began to sob. "I'll be your slave, sir. I want you to be my master. Just so I can be with you sir. I'll do anything ... " and again his voice died in stifling sobs.

"Is that so? Well, we're gonna find out how much you mean that."

Mark bent down and pulled the belt free of Jamie's neck. He got off the bed and began to circle it again, holding the belt in one hand.

"This is it, boy. It's payback time. This is what you need."

With his free hand Mark reached behind his own neck, grabbed the T-shirt and yanked it clear off.

"Aaaah!" Jamie couldn't hold back the cry as he looked at the glorious cop, stripped to the waist, his magnificent body flexed and gleaming with sweat. His V-shaped torso narrowed down from broad shoulders, past his bulging pecs and tight abs, to the wide belt of his black uniform pants tucked into shiny black boots. As the square-jawed, chiseled face glared down at him Jamie could hardly breathe. He found himself drowning in the sight of this golden, macho stud.

He didn't hear himself speak. Was unaware of what he was saying. "Whip me, sir. Please, whip my body. Hurt me, sir."

That's what Mark had been waiting to hear. He well knew the power his incredible beauty had on men, and now it had hypnotized this boy. He paused, then raised his arm and brought the belt down on Jamie's chest. Mark's cock leapt in his pants as he saw Jamie's whole body spasm, his muscles flexing as they strained against his restraints.

The cop raised the belt again and thrashed it against Jamie's naked chest. The belt fell again and again, all over his body ... the arms, chest, stomach and thighs ... making the boy gasp, writhe and strain in a futile attempt to avoid the blows. But Mark was the perfect master. He knew exactly how much punishment his prisoner could take. He would take the boy to the edge of his limit ... and then, for a few final seconds, slightly beyond that, before he stopped.

So he held back and applied only a small portion of his strength. He could have ripped the body mercilessly, but that was far from his plan. He knew what he wanted and he knew he was close to his goal.

"Look at me, kid. Watch the beautiful cop thrash you. It's what you deserve. It's what you want. Do you want me to stop?"

"No, sir," Jamie yelled. "Whip me, sir. Whip me harder. I love watching you thrash me. Please don't stop, sir. My body belongs to you, sir. Hurt it, sir."

"Who are you, boy?"

"I'm your slave, sir. Please master. Do anything to me."

"Even fuck your ass, kid?"

"Yes, sir. Fuck me, sir. My ass is yours, sir. Whip me, fuck me, use me. Oh God ... "

"Yes, Jamie?"

"Oh, God. I worship you, sir."

Mark kept whipping him as he looked deep into his eyes.

"Jamie ... do you love me?"

Jamie screamed, "Yes, sir. I love you sir. I love you with all my body and soul." He gazed in awe at the magnificent, shirtless cop thrashing him and he was transported into another world ... a world not of fantasy but of a new reality. This man was his world now, his whole existence.'

Mark's voice was softer now. "Then show me, Jamie. Show me just how much you love me." And now was the moment the master took his slave just over his limit. Now Jamie felt the pain ... it was too much. He couldn't hold on. He pulled frantically with his arms and legs desperately trying to avoid the lash. His body was on fire ... in the furnace of pain, passion and lust.

He looked up at the glorious cop and knew he couldn't take any more. His body shuddered and jolted. The pain, the fire, overwhelmed him and he screamed, "I love you, sir ..."

And his cock exploded. A huge single stream of hot white liquid shot from it, arced high in the air, and splashed down on his face and body. Then he shot again, and again, until his body was soaked with semen. One last heavy blow of the belt seared his chest and he shot one final jet of cum.

Then everything stopped. The whipping stopped, the pain stopped, both men were still. Two beautiful men, master and slave gazed at each other. Their chests heaved, their exhausted bodies poured with sweat, their minds whirled with a confusion of sensations. Finally Mark's face broke into a smile as his blue eyes penetrated the young man's. His voice was soft.

"Jamie ... I love you too, man. Body and soul."

Next door Darius's eyes shone as he looked at Pablo. "This is it, dude. The cop is finally breaking him in."

"Sure sounds like it," Pablo agreed.

"He sure screams loud. I told him Mark was his master but he didn't believe it. Still thinks of himself as a macho stud, a ladies' man."

"Not after tonight, he won't. Jesus I wish I knew what was happening to him. You think Mark will hurt him?"

Darius grinned. "No more than he deserves. No more than he wants. That guy wants to be the cop's slave. Shit, who wouldn't? The man's a fucking god. He could thrash me any day of the week."

"Listen," Pablo said. "Everything's gone quiet. Wonder what's happening now."

In a way nothing was happening; both men were still. Mark still stood by the bed gazing down at the exhausted young body. Jamie's tousled blond hair was wet against his tear-stained face and his body was covered with sweat and deep pools of his own cum. Jamie gazed up at the police officer he had just surrendered to, committed himself to, laid himself utterly bare.

Mark found the bound, exhausted, beaten young man utterly beautiful and arousing. He had broken him, forced the truth out of him. Jamie was truly his slave. He owned him, and the thought caused his dick to get rock hard. He reached down, unzipped his pants and pulled out his rigid cock. He gazed down at his property and began to stroke his long shaft.

"God, you're beautiful," Mark breathed. "Tell me again what you just said."

Jamie's eyes again brimmed with tears. "I love you sir. I am in love with you. I don't deserve you, sir, but I'll do anything to stay with you. I have never been owned by anyone, sir, but now I am."

The sight and the sound were too much for Mark and he knew he had to cum. He could easily shoot his juice over the beautiful body, but he wanted more.

"I need to shoot my load, kid. You gonna help me with that?"

"Oh yes, sir. I'll do anything?"

"Anything?

"Yes, sir."

"Jamie. Did you ever suck another guy's dick?"

Jamie flinched, recoiled. He remembered watching Pablo do that for Darius but the idea always revolted him. He could never let a guy do that to him. But he heard himself say, "I never have, sir, but I want your cock in my mouth sir. That's if you want it, sir."

In reply Mark got on the bed and dropped to his knees astride the frightened boy. The cop's huge dick was rigid in front of Jamie's face.

"You see this, boy?"

"Yes, sir." Wide-eyed Jamie focused on the rigid tool sticking out of the uniform pants. He saw nothing else. He knew that this cock was the embodiment of Mark's manhood. The man himself was a god, and this was the symbol of his virility. And at this moment Jamie wanted it more than anything else in the world.

Jamie opened his mouth wide and Mark eased his hips forward.

"Look at me, Jamie."

Jamie looked up into Mark's penetrating eyes. He glanced down at the huge shaft coming closer, then focused again on the cop's face.

"Don't close your eyes. Here it comes, kid. Take it all ... because you love me."

Jamie felt the head of the cock touch his lips, then enter his mouth. There was a pause, then slowly, very slowly, the iron rod pushed past his lips, all the way to the back of his mouth ... and paused again. Jamie was learning to breathe through his nose and not choke on the huge shaft. Then it moved again, past the back of his mouth and into his throat. It did not stop, but slid slowly down his throat.

As it finally came to rest Jamie felt the rough serge of the uniform fabric press against his face. His master's cock was all the way, deep inside his throat and his face was buried in the cop's pants, in his sweaty crotch. His nose was pressed into the moist, sticky pubic hair. All of his senses were alive .... the pungent taste of the man, the smell of his damp crotch, and the look on his rugged face.

Jamie drifted into a haze of hallucination. He swallowed hard, felt the head of the cock halfway down his throat, even felt the drip of the cop's juice as a few drops began to seep out of him. Instinctively he tightened the muscles of his throat around the meat filling his mouth and watched in awe as the blue eyes closed and the beautiful face fell back with a moan.

"Aaaah! That's it Jamie. Make me feel good. Squeeze my cock with your throat. Now I'm gonna fuck your pretty face, boy. Here it comes."

He pulled back, felt his cock slide almost all the way out, then he plunged it back inside the hot mouth. Jamie was in a delirium of raw sensation as he felt his master's cock slide back and forth in his mouth. He knew from the guttural sounds of the cop that it wouldn't be long.

"Here it comes, Jamie. This is for you. Drink your master's juice."

Mark's cock shuddered and his body went rigid as he felt his hot cum rising from deep in his balls, along the rigid shaft. He yelled as his semen poured into the furnace of the mouth, straight down into the throat of the man he owned, the man he loved.

In his dazed ecstasy Jamie felt every pulse of his master`s cock and gulped as the thick juice began to stream into him. He swallowed hard, again and again, transfixed by the warm, pungent taste of the semen bathing his throat. He did not take his eyes off the face as the cop moaned in the frenzy of release. Their eyes met and the look that flashed between them united them body and soul.

Half an hour later Mark was again sprawled in his chair, sipping on a beer. His gazed was fixed on the young stud he had whipped, face-fucked, broken. Jamie was his slave in body, thought and desire.

Still bound to the bed Jamie was in a state of near hypnosis. He still felt the sting of the whip on his chest, still remembered the smell of the cop's crotch, and above all still tasted the rivers of semen that had flowed down his throat. Now he waited again, waited at the pleasure of his master.

Mark drained his beer and stood up. He became matter-of-fact. Jamie watched as the police officer pulled off his boots and socks, unbuckled his belt and let his pants drop. He stepped out of them and his shorts. Jamie gasped as he saw the cop naked for the first time that night. Mark paced a bit, then stopped and looked down at the bound man.

"OK, Jamie. This is it. Do you know what's gonna happen now?"

"Yes, sir."

"And what's that?"

"You're gonna fuck me in the ass, sir."

"Do you want that, Jamie?"

"More than anything in the world, sir."

Jamie remembered what Pablo had told him. "You have to want it, though ... really want it ... more than anything." And Jamie was longing for it.

Mark calmly untied Jamie's legs and knelt before him. He grasped his ankles, pushed his legs in the air and leaned forward, his cock pressing against the boy's ass. Jamie's wrists were still tightly handcuffed as they had been all evening.

Mark smiled. "Remember the gym, Jamie? Remember how it felt? But this time it's real. This time I'm gonna push my dick inside your ass. You ready?"

"Yes, sir." Jamie was scared. He remembered his previous failure when the pain had been too much to bear. But he looked up at the huge, naked torso looming over him, gazed steadily into Mark's eyes, and waited. He felt the head of the cop's dick press against his ass ... and there was the pain again. But this time, instead of clenching his ass defensively, he pushed down on it, opened it up.

Still the pain was intense as the virgin ass was probed by the rigid shaft. Jamie took deep breaths, held his master's gaze, and willed himself not to give up ... but it was too much.

"No, sir. I can't. I want it but it's too big, sir." The pain reached a pitch. "Oh God. No, sir ... I can't. Stop, please!"

Then suddenly the pain stopped. Jamie looked up in alarm and pleaded. "No, sir. I didn't mean it, sir. I'll try again. I'll do it this time. Please, sir. Try again, sir ..."

"Jamie." Mark's voice was deep and firm. "Jamie ... I'm inside you."

Jamie's eyes opened wide and he knew. He felt it. It was the most intense, the warmest, the most unbelievable sensation he had ever experienced. His ass was full ... full of the cock of this glorious man. The cop was inside him, Mark had entered his ass.

All the sexuality, passion and lust of Mark's glorious body now pulsed together in his cock ... and his cock was buried inside Jamie's body. As he clenched his ass Jamie could feel the cop's pulse, his heartbeat. The boy closed his eyes and moaned, letting the incredible heat spread from his ass through his entire body. He was on fire, alive, soaring. When he opened his eyes again he saw Mark smiling down at him.

"I'm inside you, Jamie. We're finally together. Now I'm going to make love to you as you deserve, as nobody has ever loved you." And the cock moved. It pushed deeper, then pulled out, then back in again deeper still.

Jamie's world stood still. All he knew, all he cared about was this man he loved, filling his ass. Pablo had been right ... no words could describe this feeling. "A trip to the moon," Darius had said. And for Jamie the heavens had opened.

"Oh God," he breathed. "I love that. I love you, sir. Please fuck me. Oh God, that's incredible, sir."

Soon their bodies were moving as one, the gentle rhythm increasing, accelerating, as Mark's cock began to pound the young virgin ass for the first time. Jamie raised his hips and offered his ass to the man he worshipped. They were both moaning now.

"I love, you Jamie," Mark breathed. "God I love your ass. It belongs to me now, only to me."

"Yes sir. I belong to you." His eyes pleaded. "Sir ... sir, am I your boy?"

"Forever, Jamie."

The pounding became more insistent and they both knew the moment was coming. "This is it, Jamie," Mark said. "I'm going to shoot my load deep in your ass. Will you cum with me?"

"Yes, sir. I... I think ... I'm coming sir. I can't stop. My cock's going to ..." And they both exploded at the same time. As he felt his master pour his semen inside his ass Jamie sprayed a jet of white cream up and onto Mark's gleaming body. He shot again and again, until his juice was running down the rugged, sculpted face, the square jaw, and streaming over the bulging muscles of the shuddering body.

Both men were screaming in the delirium, the joy of release, in the explosion of passion that joined them body and soul. Mark fell on top of the exhausted man, drenched in pools of sweat and cum, and they held each other in an endless, tearful embrace. Jamie, the young macho stud, had finally been fucked ... for the first time in his life.

Next door Darius heaved a great sigh. "Wow. Did you hear that! That's it, man, he's fucked him. Now Jamie belongs to him. That gorgeous fucking man has made him his slave. Show's over."

Pablo was starry eyed. "Shit, dude, I'd have given anything to see that. Just the sound of it made me hard."

"Me too, kiddo. What you gonna do about that?" And Pablo fell into Darius's waiting arms.

It was a week later and everyone was gathered round the dinner table. They all knew what had happened. Even for those who hadn't actually heard it, there was no mistaking the way Mark and Jamie looked at each other, the way they spent every free moment in their bedroom. It was official. Jamie was Mark's boy.

As they all ate dinner Bob looked at Randy. "Now it's time for you and Pablo, buddy. Remember? Next Monday you have your day in court to finalize the adoption ... legally become father and son." Pablo's eyes shone as Bob continued, "My buddy in the legal department says it's a slam dunk ... just a formality. However, he does say you should look respectable, wear a jacket and tie."

"A tie?!" Randy growled. He had never worn a tie in his life.

"He was afraid you'd show up fresh off the construction site, in your filthy tank top and cargo pants." Bob laughed. "No sweat, man. I'll lend you a tie ... even tie it for you."

Randy tousled Pablo's hair. "The things I do for you, kid. Well, a tie then ... whatever it takes."

"Thank you, sir.'

Randy grinned at him. "Then we'll celebrate, just you and me. How about we go up to the lake in the forest next weekend? Do some fishing ... you know, some of those father/son things."

Pablo gave his crooked grin. "And maybe a few things fathers and sons don't usually do?"

"You little fucker," Randy laughed.

"Billy too?"

"Of course. You and that dog are joined at the hip. Come on, let's go check out the fishing gear downstairs.

As the two left the table Mark looked at Jamie. "They're not the only ones going on a trip."

"Us too? Jamie asked.

"I was saving this up for you, kiddo. A cop buddy of mine has a shack in the dunes up the coast at Guadalupe. Used to be a ranger station. Furnished, but no electricity, no phone, no cell service. Just the two of us, next weekend. How about it?"

"Does it have a bed, sir?"

"Asshole," Mark laughed. "But since you mention bed ..." They both stood up, Mark threw his arm round Jamie's shoulder and they walked toward the house.

Bob saw that Darius was looking down in the mouth.

"What's up, kid?"

"Oh ... you know. Pablo's got Randy. Jamie's got Mark ..."

"... and you've got me, kiddo." Bob smiled at him and Darius looked up expectantly. "How about we take a little trip, too?"

"Just the two of us? Out of town?" Darius's eyes sparkled.

"The two of us, yes. Out of town, no. I was thinking of somewhere a lot closer."

"But we will go on a trip."

"Oh yeah. Definitely a trip. Body and mind."

"Wow." Darius waited for more.

"Young man, I'm gonna take you somewhere and show you something I've never shown anyone before. And I'm gonna tell you a story that'll send your fantasy meter into overload ... stoke your imagination for years to come."

"Wow," Darius said again.

"And you know the best part? The story's true .... it's all true ... every word."

"Wow!"

TO BE CONTINUED IN "A Trial Of Strength - Part 41"