Abandoned but Not Alone (33 page)

“
Well if we
’
ve all finished fighting for the moment, maybe
you could finish telling us how you grew up, Jason. Jackson suggested, once
again relaxing back into his seat.

Removing his hands from his hair, Jason rubbed his
shoulders in an attempt to remove the knots that seemed to be a permanent part
of his existence whenever he was in their company. Without opening his eyes he
once again prepared himself to conclude the story of his childhood to his family.
There, he thought to himself, he had actually given them the title '
family
'
but he wasn
’
t ready to voice
it, least of all to them. He needed to mull over what that actually meant for a
while longer, weigh up what it would mean to him, having these men in his life.

“
After I left the institute that was supposed
to help me with my
‘
problem
’
I was enrolled into school, which turned out
to be a huge disappointment. I mean the kids were happy running around dipping
their fingers in paint and drawing blobs on paper saying said blobs were things
like spacemen and dinosaurs. Then when they finished their blob paintings
they'd vie for praise from Mrs Western, who by the way had the most discolored
teeth I have ever seen. Turns out she had a fondness for chewing tobacco and
hashish
…”

“
For goodness sake, Jason
–
how does a five year old know such a thing?
”
Aviva laughed at Jason
’
s outlandish comment.

“
Don
’
t you worry about how I knew; I had my ways of extracting
information, and I was six, not five. But to continue with my story that you so
rudely interrupted,
“
S
chool was a
bit of a let-down.  I now know that I was just bored, playtime was a nightmare,
little girls named fluffy and bumpy pulling my hair and kicking me, and Mrs
Western telling me that was what girls did when they liked a boy. Well I sure
as hell didn
’
t like
them
–
but I
like um now.
”
Jason said
raising his eyebrows up and down giving Aviva a suggestive look.

“
Pack it in you purvey bastard and get on with
it.
”

Jason knew he was stalling; the others probably did as
well. He also knew he had to go on with the disclosure of his formative years,
no matter how painful. He especially wanted Aviva to know what she was getting
into if she decided to stay with him and, at the moment, he wasn
’
t sure she would once he was finished with
what he had to say.

“
My first grade teacher Miss Damon, recognized
I was ahead of the other kids and arranged for an assessment that ultimately
showed that I was pretty advanced for my age. Before I really knew what was
happening I was told I was being moved to another school. It transpires that
the school was in
Massachusetts, nobody asked me if I wanted to go, they
just packed me up and shipped me off on a full scholarship
–
I was six years old.  I suppose the state was
grateful they had one less child to maintain, especially a little shit like me.
”
Jason finished with a self-deprecating laugh
that grated the nerves of everyone who heard it.

At the mention of the location of the school a shroud of
dread swept over Jackson. He already knew the answer, but he had to ask the
question that would surely break his heart. 
“
What was the name of the school, Jason?
”

Jason didn
’
t answer, his eyes fixed on a spot above Jackson
’
s head.  Jackson was about to repeat his
question when Jason spoke. 
“
'The Aldwin
Institute for Gifted Boys, where we shape the minds of our nations
’
future leaders
’”
he recited, scorn dripping from every word.

Jackson rose stiffly to his feet, stumbled, only just
managing to stop himself from falling to the floor.  Holding on to articles of
furnishing, he shuffled his way to the bar and poured himself a drink, with his
back towards the room he threw back the scotch in one gulp, poured another and
drank it just as quickly as the first.

Turing back to face the rest of the room Jackson slammed
the crystal tumbler to the counter. It was now Jason
’
s turn to stand looking out the window with
his back to the others.
“
I
’
m sorry Jason, so sorry I wasn
’
t there to protect you.
”

Jake and Josh, who had both risen to their feet the same
time as their father looked at each other breathing hard, fists clenched so
tight at their sides their knuckles showed white with strain.   Jason's
solitary stance was enough for them to instinctively know what was coming, and
wanted to eradicate the devastation that had been perpetrated against their
brother.

Aviva was confused, the tension in the room had racked up
again, so palpable it felt as if she were wading through a gale force wind,
bent on holding her back. She wanted to offer comfort to a forlorn Jason but
instinctively knew her overtures would be rebuffed.

Jackson's voice floated across the silence of the room.
“
I was approached by the same school soon after
the boys were returned to me. Their school had also tested them and thought
they would benefit from the work of the institute. Once I realized they only
offered a boarding program, their attendance was something I refused to
contemplate. I later read about the atrocities those supposed, shapers of young
minds committed against boys in their care. How long were you there, Jason?
”

“
Two years,
”
he replied in a voice completely devoid of
emotion.

“
When did it start?
”

“
Not '
it
' Jackson, I think your question
should be, when did the sodomizing start
–
ten months in.  By then they were sure I was
the perfect candidate; a ward of the state and they were the sons of our great
nation
’
s leading
philanthropic families; who could stop them.
”

“
What happened to these men, were they brought
to justice?
”
Jake asked, his
mind whirling with intentions of what he would do if even one of them remained
unpunished for their disgusting deeds.

“
Yes they were Jake, I remember reading at the
time that the four men responsible were caught and brought to justice.  It was
a huge scandal, tarnishing some of the most prominent families in the
Massachusetts area.
”

“
Now that
’
s where you
’
re wrong, Jackson. It was more like eight men,
not four and to answer your question Jake, they have not all been brought to
justice but they will be
–
my brand of
justice.  After all what
’
s the point of
having this level of smarts and not using it.
”

Jake looked at Josh who nodded once, they then both
turned, staring at Jason's broad back.  Jake spoke for them both.
“
How many are left and how can we help?
”

Turning from the window, Jason looked both his brothers
up and down before answering.
“
It
’
s okay boys, I got this. I don
’
t need your help.
”

“
You've got it though, you can either make it
easy for us by telling us who they are and how we can help, or you can make it
slightly harder, by making us find out for ourselves. How long do you think it
would take Jake?
”

“
Two days tops.
”

“
I already told you both, I've got this. Don
’
t let me have to say it again.
”

“
You might as well tell them Jason, they are
every bit as stubborn as you, and if you don
’
t tell us, Jake will have the information, as
he said, in two days. Furthermore, the Kingdoms always stick together; hurt
one, and you hurt us all.
”

“
You all seem to forget
–
I am not a Kingdom.
”
Jason said through gritted teeth.

“
Oh for God sake Jason, enough of this, even a
blind man can see these are your brothers and I am your father, and from this
moment on, you will start acting like it, do I make myself clear!
”

At Jackson
’
s commanding words, Jason folded his arms across his
chest and braced his legs apart, looking at the other men who had taken up
identical stances. Snorting he told the room at large to fuck off before
stalking out.

“
Well...that went well.
”
Aviva said sarcastically under her breath,
three pairs of annoyed eyes turning to look her way.
“
Sorry, just saying. Maybe I should go and see
if he
’
s okay.
”

“
I thing he probably needs a moment.  I also
think it best we all leave him alone for a while, my dear. We Kingdoms can be
hard to take en masse. He
’
ll be back when
he
’
s had a chance to
cool down. That was difficult for us all... especially so for Jason.
”

~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason went to his office, opening and slamming drawers
and tossing books around the room. He knew he was being as stubborn as Jackson
had accused him of being; he also knew he was being childish but damn it, they
were smothering him with their family unity crap. He wasn
’
t ready, why couldn
’
t they understand that and just back off, it
was too much, just too damn much.

Sitting down at his desk, Jason thought back to what he
had just revealed, his mind wandering to Aviva and how would she now view him,
would she think less of him? Out of all of them, he was glad she knew what had
happened to him when he was a child. If he had been able to play it his own
way, he wouldn
’
t have revealed
that part of his life until she knew him better. Part of the reason he had to
leave the room was because he felt as though he were being backed into a
corner, being pressed to reveal how he had dealt with those bastards. She didn
’
t need to hear what he had done in his quest
for vengeance, what he intended to do to the men that remained to be brought to
his special brand of justice. No-one knew, not even Steve, although he was sure
Steve had his suspicions, but he had never voiced them.

Jason closed his eyes and thought with satisfaction of
the two men he had already destroyed.  He had destroyed them so completely they
would never again hurt another child. It had taken him years of planning and
scheming, but he had done it. Getting to the remaining men was also taking a long
time, too long. He lived in torment each and every day, wondering if they still
had the means and opportunity to hurt other vulnerable children. Sometimes he
awoke; sweat drenching his body at what they had done to him, wondering if they
were still hiding behind their positions in society, using it as a means of
continuing their nefarious acts against the innocent.

Jason snatched his mind back; he knew from past
experience that to continue would lead to blinding fury. He had long ago
realized that the only way he could cope with his memories, was to focus on
their ruin. The psychiatrists helped this time around, by the time he stopped
seeing them he realized he was a victim, he also realized he was too young to
fight those men, but he made himself a promise, they would pay, and pay dearly
for what they had put him and those other boys through.

Pressing against a panel of the wall behind his desk
chair, it slid back to reveal a hidden safe. Keying in the combination, he
withdrew a flash drive and inserted it into his computer. Finding the correct
folder, Jason didn
’
t spare a glance
for the first six names, going directly to the seventh name listed in the
folder and opening it. Malcolm Alexander, the seventh of the eight men who had
been trustees of the institution and had yet to be brought to justice. Looking
at his picture Jason
’
s guts knotted
with such hatred he longed for the ability to reach through the screen and rip
the man
’
s head from his
shoulders. Switching files he did the same to the final man on his list, this
one he had deliberately left for last, Jason wanted him to suffer, as he had
suffered for all these years
–
Forrest
Farnsworth, even his name was a bloody joke.