The Last Phoenix

After the concert, the orchestra members left in their bus, and John rode with Tom and Neal R. to the Chicago 'Medieval Times�', where they had dinner. Everyone was excited, and, although their knight, the red and yellow knight, lost, it was still a lot of fun, and very exciting. 

When they returned to the hotel, Mr. Darrah called John and Neal H. to the side. "I am VERY disappointed in you two. Neal, you are responsible for this. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"He hit me! I'm going to sue!"

Mr. Darrah sighed. "You do have that option, but there are quite a few people who saw you poking him and obviously provoking the incident." The teacher turned to John. "What do YOU have to say?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Darrah, that I lost my temper."

"I see. Well, boys, this comes under the heading of a fight. Finally, Mr. Huxley, it is you, and not one of your hangers-on, that gets busted. You are hereby suspended, and will not participate in any further competition performances..."

"Big deal!" Neal H. snorted.

"And you WILL NOT attend any of the other planned events for the rest of the trip, like tomorrow's 'Blue Man Group'� performance. I am going to call your father and ask that he provide transportation home for you."

"You can't do that! I'll sue your fat ass, too!"

"Gee, I'm all a-tremble," Mr. Darrah said, with dripping sarcasm that was totally lost on the twelve year old bully.

Mr. Darrah then pronounced sentence on John. "John, since you were provoked, I am suspending you from the next performance."

"That isn't fair. I got like ten times that!"

Mr. Darrah glared at Neal H. "The reports I have received also indicate that you have assaulted him ten or more times today, and quite a few times in the past. Frankly, you are getting off lightly. I wish there were more I could do."

Right on cue, Tom and Neal returned with three other men. Tom had heard enough to make a quick decision. "How about we put him in police custody?"

"WHAT!? " Mr. Darrah and Neal H. nearly yelled.

Tom grinned. "I'd like to introduce some friends of mine, Mr. Fred Clemets, Mr. Nick Regnad, and SHERIFF Eric Henry."

The men shook hands. Mr. Darrah glared at the two boys. "John, you can go. Try to think of someone that might be able to play your part, if we get called for the semifinals tomorrow. Neal, you wait until I decide just where you are going to sleep tonight."

John and our Neal went off to the elevator. "So, John, what did Mr. Darrah do?" Neal asked, as the elevator started up.

"I'm suspended from the next performance. Huxley is out of the rest of the performances and activities for the trip, and his father is getting called and asked to arrange for him to go home."

"Jeez�. The asshole is getting off easy. Well, unless his dad is like mine. My dad would ground me for so long I'd get retirement benefits. Last time I got caught doin' a prank, I had to clean the toilets, all two hundred fifty-six of them."

"Jeez�, Neal, what did you do?"

"I put a little Ben Gay on everybody's bathroom doorknob."

Both boys were laughing hysterically, when the elevator doors opened. Greg was standing there with a very worried look on his face. "Wha... What happened to him?"

John recovered first, "He's being sent home."

"Oh, God! What about you?"

"I'm suspended from the next performance, if there is one."

"Who's going to play the drums? Who's going to play the bells? Any of our stuff will be flat without either of those."

"Well, Greg, you actually play the drums better than Huxley does. I bet Mr. Darrah will ask you to play. I don't know of anyone else who can play the bells."

Neal spoke up, "I bet I can. I play the glockenspiel in marching band."

Greg asked, "Are you any good?"

"Jeez, how would I know? I mean, I'm only twelve, so I know I'm not great, but everyone says I sound pretty good," Neal replied.

The elevator doors opened, and Tom and Mr. Darrah were there. Mr. Darrah spoke first, "Greg, do you think you know the drum parts well enough to replace Neal?"

"Really?" Greg was grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, sir, I know them by heart."

"If we get a call back, you'll be on. John, any ideas for the concert bells?"

"I found someone who plays the marching glockenspiel. Would that work?"

"Maybe. I wish we had the glockenspiel with us."

Tom grinned at his son. "Think there is a music store in this town that has that model you have been drooling over?"

"Really? Dad, you're the best!" Neal then proceeded to hug the stuffing out of Tom.

Mr. Darrah marveled at Tom's relationship with his son, and left quietly to go and deal with the ever unpleasant Mr. Huxley.

When the elevator returned, Sheriff Henry, Fred Clemets and Nick Regnad were there. Neal couldn't wait to tell them how wonderful John had been in decking the other Neal. John just blushed and looked at the floor. Tom asked the adults to join him in his room. Neal, John and Greg went to Neal's room. John got out the music for the call-back performance. Neal's eyes lit up. "I know this! 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' by Dukas! I love this! I can just see Micky Mouse. We had just finished work on it, when all the stuff happened with the school board. Now, I've been working on 'An American in Paris,' by Gershwin."

John grinned from ear to ear. "That's our final number!"

"Don't worry, John, you'll be back to play that," Neal reassured his buddy.

Greg asked, "When will we know if we are semifinalists?"

"Mr. Darrah will probably get a call tonight and let us know at breakfast," John said.

The three boys then found a 'Myth Busters' episode they hadn't seen and settled in for the duration, and to enjoy whatever was going to get blown up.

* * Meanwhile back in Tom's suite * *

Eric began, "We have had a very interesting day. There is actually a child abuse task force that we got to talk with. They were VERY interested in the information we had on Big Daddy. We also solved a murder they had been stumped on for about six months. Little boy who had been missing and was abused, then castrated, and he bled out. They have DNA, but not a match in the system, and not enough to get a warrant. Tomorrow they will go to a judge and see if our information will get a warrant for Big Daddy's DNA. They were able to help us out with some information too. Now we know more about Jacob."

Nick picked up the story. "Jacob Goldman owns a small building that has a delicatessen on the ground floor and apartments on the second and third floors. He lives on the second floor. We thought we would pay him a visit tonight."

"That sounds like a great plan. Let me tell the boys what I'm doing, and I'll go with you," Tom said.

Fred spoke up. "No, Tom, you'd better stay here. We can't leave the boys unchaperoned. We will see if Mr. Goldman can come by and meet with you in the next couple of days."

Tom frowned, but reluctantly agreed. In the end, Fred stayed with Tom, and just Eric and Nick went to pay a visit to Jacob.

* * Back in Neal's room * *

As the explosion was replayed for the third time, a message scrolled across the bottom of the screen, 'Neal, turn off the TV, and turn on your laptop.'

"Jeez�, what does he want now?" Neal got his laptop out, plugged in the power and turned it on. Greg and John were both confused.

Neal, seeing their expressions, explained, "It's 'Philip' from back home. He's like a computer whiz, and he kind of runs things."

The familiar curmudgeon appeared on the screen of Neal's computer. 'Neal, this is important. There are a few things I need to tell you. Your YOUNGER cousin has been up to mischief. I'm not particularly concerned about some of it, since Mr. Clemets has arrived, but I would just like to remind you of a few things...'

An hour later, 'Philip' said his good-nights to the boys, and the screen went blank. Tom was knocking on the door to tell them it was time to go to bed. As Greg left the room, Tom walked along with him. "Mr. Darrah and Neal came up and got his things out of the room. If you are uncomfortable being in a room by yourself, we can see if someone else could join you."

"Oh, no, Mr. Richards, I have my own room at home, so I will be just fine. As a matter of fact, I'm glad he's gone. He really is pushy sometimes, and you don't ever want him mad at you. You, your son, and John are gonna need to watch out. He's planning something bad." Greg looked around, as if he were worried that someone might have heard him warn Mr. Richards. "He always gets even when he thinks somebody's got him outdone."

Tom gave the boy a friendly hug at the door to his room. "Thanks, Greg. I'll be careful."

"Yeah, I hope so. Neal's old man is rich, and throws his weight around. Everyone at home is pretty scared of him. He is always busy at his job and hardly sees Neal. For some reason, he always seems to think people pick on Neal, instead of the other way around."

"I can imagine. But I have a trick or two myself. I need to go to a music store in the morning. Would you be interested in going?" Tom asked.

"Yeah! That would be cool."

"I'll give you a wake-up call. We'll go after breakfast."

Tom and Fred waited up for Eric and Nick to return.

* * Nice segue to a few hours earlier * *

Eric parked their rented car in front of the delicatessen. He and Nick were immediately alert at the smell of gasoline and the sight of movement inside. Eric clipped his badge onto his belt and got his nine millimeter free of its holster. He was relieved to see that Nick had his PI Badge on, and had a similar weapon in hand. They approached the door as if they had been partners for years. Two thugs were headed out the door, and one was getting ready to light a book of matches.

Eric yelled, in his best State Trooper voice, "Freeze! Police! We have you covered and the exits blocked. Raise your hands where I can see them! NOW!"

The man in front raised his hands, a gas can in his right hand. The other raised his hands with the matches still in them. "Okay, you with the gas can, step outside... Now, down on the ground, face down, and spread 'em!"

As soon as the thug was down, Nick grabbed the thug's hands and secured his wrists with a plastic tie. He then searched the guy and removed two concealed knives from his possession. Eric got the second man down, handcuffed and searched him, relieving him of a knife, a pistol and a bag of white powder.

Their attention was drawn back to the inside of the deli, by what sounded like a kid giggling. Eric stayed with the prisoners and called the police on his cell phone, while Nick cautiously entered the store. Gasoline fumes were really strong, so he didn't risk a spark by turning on a light. It didn't take long to find the man behind the counter, tied up, gagged and beaten. Nick quickly removed the gag and untied the man. 

"Thank God you got here when you did. They were about to set the fire." Jacob struggled to his feet, and, with Nick's support, made it out the front door. Nick helped Jacob to the car and had him sit inside. Nick looked around, as he heard the giggle again, and what sounded like hooves on the sidewalk, but there was nothing visible. 

Soon there was the sound of sirens, as several police cars and then fire engines pulled up. There was chaos for a while, until someone finally called the task force, and that soon had everything straightened up. The two thugs were singing like opera stars, after making a deal to testify against Big Daddy. Jacob was sent to the hospital to be checked over. Nick told him that they would be by to pick him up as soon as they were finished.

The task force commander came over to them. "Eric, Nick? Would you be interested in going with us to bust Big Daddy? The Judge has finally issued the warrant, and we are on our way."

Eric and Nick had the satisfaction of watching, as Big Daddy was dragged, in handcuffs, from the building, then wedged into the back of a police van and taken to the precinct to be booked. Several boxes of evidence were removed from Big Daddy's apartment. Two officers and a CPS worker waited in the apartment for Big Daddy's boys to return from working. All in all, it was a good night.

While Jacob was waiting in the E.R. for the X-ray results, he was alone in his cubicle. Suddenly there was a boy there with him. "Thank God, you are safe, son. I didn't see you get out of the building."

The boy giggled. "Of course, you didn't. I'm magic, you know. Now, there's one more thing I need to tell you, those men that helped you get out are going to offer to take you with them. Go. You are on the good list and deserve a reward. We'll be watching. Bye." The boy jumped down and disappeared as he left the cubicle.

Jacob was waiting for the strangers to return for him, and, sure enough, they asked if he would join them at their hotel. He accepted, and they took him right back to the hotel with them. He was surprised when his two rescuers took the elevator to the penthouse suite. Once there, they were met by two more men. Eric introduced Tom and Fred to Jacob. Tom asked Jacob to have a seat and make himself comfortable. Once everyone was settled, Tom asked what had happened. 

Jacob began his tale. "I was just about to close for the night, when Leroy and Snake showed up. They were still looking for John, a little black kid that had run away from Big Daddy about a week ago. They roughed me up, trashed my place, and then came back down and trashed the store. They tied me up and threw me behind the counter. There was a kid hiding under the counter, and he told me the Big Guy sent him. I thought at first he meant Big Daddy, but that didn't make sense. Then he told me everything was going to work out just fine. That was about the time I heard these two heroes come to my rescue. The kid appeared again in the hospital and told me to go with you guys, when you asked. Then he disappeared again."

Tom asked, "Let me guess, the kid was like ten years old, brown hair and eyes, smiled a lot and giggled?"

"Yeah! You know him?" Jacob asked incredulously.

"Maybe. Describe him to my son, Neal. He knows him much better than I." Tom replied. Then he looked towards Nick and Eric. "So what happened after you got Jacob to safety?"

Another twenty minutes, and all the details had been shared. Tom insisted that Jacob use one of the empty rooms, and tomorrow the others would take him back to his building to determine if anything had survived the ransacking.

* * *

Tom enjoyed calling Neal and John to wake them up the next morning. Then he called Greg. The three boys had all showered and dressed in jeans and t-shirts, ready for their adventure. They joined the orchestra for breakfast, and, once everyone had been through the buffet line, Mr. Darrah stood and immediately had everyone's attention. "My call last night from the judges was interesting. They were most upset about the incident and wanted to know what was done. I guess my answer was good enough, because we have our call-back at four o'clock this afternoon."

Everyone cheered; they were very excited. It was a really big deal to get a call-back, and they all knew it. The one kid at the chaperons' table just angrily stared across the room to where Tom, Neal, John and Greg were sitting. After breakfast, Tom and the boys set off to find Century Mallet Instrument Service.

Neal and John were soon trying out several different instruments, and Greg was looking at various other percussion instruments. Finally, Tom went over and asked Neal if he had found anything he liked.

"Jeez�, Dad. I love this one that has USMC on, it and look at this set for orchestra!" Neal said, showing them to Tom.

The salesperson came over. "Good morning. Can I help you with anything?"

Tom, who had been looking around, too, asked, "Where is your new instrument showroom?"

The salesman grinned. "Sir, we do not carry inferior percussion instruments. All our stock is quality and has been refurbished to as near new condition as humanly possible and tuned to perfection. We supply the best orchestras in the world."

Neal giggled, "Wow, he told you, Dad. Didn't you read the sign by the door where we came in?"

"I guess I missed it. Jeez�," Tom replied sarcastically.

"This marching glockenspiel you are looking at was custom made for the Marine Corps band, when Sousa was conducting. It is one of the finest ones here. The standard glockenspiel here is from the middle of the last century, and, although not an excellent instrument, it is very good." The salesman smiled at Neal and winked.

"Dad, I really want this one," Neal said, indicating the USMC marching glockenspiel. "And the other one would be nice, too, if we ever get an orchestra at the new school."

Tom knew when he was out-maneuvered. "We'll take both. And mallets, cases, and whatever else you think we should have."

"That would be a considerable amount, Sir," the salesman said.

"No problem, I've got my debit card."

Greg had been walking around and tapping all the cymbals, and one particular ride cymbal caught his attention because of it's mellow, ringing tone. The salesman noticed and approached, "You have an excellent ear. That was part of Buddy Rich's kit."

"Wow!" Greg managed.

Tom joined them and asked, "Greg, do you need the stand too?"

"Huh? I can't afford this." Greg shook his head and sadly walked away.

Tom said quietly to the salesman, "That too, and the stand."

He then followed Greg over to the drumstick display. "Find a set that fits you, and let me get them for you."

"Really? Why?"

"Yes, really. Think of it as a friendship present, okay?" Tom explained.

Greg tried several sets and settled on one. He handed them to Tom. "What about these?" Tom asked, pointing to the brushes.

"I don't have any of those," Greg admitted.

"Well, you do, now."

When all the selections were made, the salesman showed the total to Tom. Tom handed the man his Haven Savings & Loan card that Jason had gotten for him. It had Tom's picture on the front. To the man's surprise, the amount went through without any problem at all. Soon the instruments were in cases and all the gear was loaded in the van. Tom made sure he had a business card for this place, because he felt Lee would need a good source for equipment for the school band and orchestra. Then they were off to join the rest of the students at the Museum of Science and Industry.

To say that the boys were impressed by the real German U-Boat, the U-505, the only U-Boat to be captured intact in World War Two, would be a total understatement. This submarine has been restored to its full glory, and looks ready to go back into service. At one o'clock Mr. Darrah had everyone accounted for, and they were off to lunch, at a sub-shop, naturally, then back to the hotel to change and go for the call-back. Neal had his new glockenspiel and the music John had given him. 

Neal was really nervous, since he had never really performed before. He was all set, and when the music started, he began marching in place to help keep time. Without really knowing what he was doing, he was marching across the back of the orchestra. He went back and forth and back and forth. One of the cornet players saw him and began following. Mr. Darrah, of course, realized he had lost control, but kept acting as if this was planned. Each time Neal made a pass, another student joined him, and, just like the brooms in Fantasia, by the end, most of the brass section and half the reeds were marching behind Neal and his glockenspiel.

Everyone dove for their seats at the end. Neal sheepishly returned to his place. Everyone was grinning, except Mr. Darrah. They left the concert hall and returned to the hotel.

Tom cornered Neal. "I think you'd better go apologize to Mr. Darrah. You kind of went into marching band mode, when that was an orchestra number. I have no idea how that will have affected the judges."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I was just trying to keep time and I sort of marched."

"Don't tell me! Go find Mr. Darrah, and tell him."

Neal went off to find Mr. Darrah.

* * *

Eric, Nick and Jacob went back to his building in the morning. The store seemed to be a total loss, and his apartment had heavy damage to his personal belongings. Nick and Eric helped collect as much as could possibly be saved, and they loaded it into the van they had rented. When they were done, Jacob remarked sadly, "Not much to show for a lifetime, is it?"

Nick put his arm around Jacob's shoulder. "You have achieved much more than you even know. We haven't told you yet why we came to see you."

Jacob looked up and searched the men's faces for a clue. "We were sent by a couple of your friends."

"What friends?"

Eric smiled, "A couple of little cuties named John and Peter."

"Oy! John and Peter! They are with you? Please, let's go! I want to see them! I feared they were dead. God be praised; my prayers are answered!"

"Easy, there, Jacob. They are back in Pennsylvania, where we are from," Nick explained.

"How... How did they get there? And Peter disappeared long before John." Jacob looked very confused.

Eric answered, "Peter was sold to a madman, and he was found just short of starving. He was nursed back to health, and, as his story unfolded, we determined we needed to investigate certain people, and we needed to find you, and let you know that he is all right. Then, just before we left, John got off the bus and ran into me."

"Oy vey, he doesn't trust the police."

A big grin covered Eric's face. "Yes, I noticed that. Poor little kid, he kept waiting for the bad things to happen. The final straw was pulling up to the Phoenix House, and he and Peter seeing each other again."

"I wonder if that Phoenix place could use an old Jewish delicatessen owner?" Jacob asked rhetorically.

Nick smiled. "I bet they could. If not, the new school sure could use someone to run the food service. I happen to have an in with the principal."

"What am I going to do with this place?" Jacob asked.

Eric said, "I think I know some people that might have some ideas about that. We can talk to them later. Let's get you back to the hotel. We have an appointment with the D.A. about Peter's aunt."

After returning Jacob to the hotel, Eric and Nick joined Fred, and they went to the District Attorney's office. They were surprised that there were several others in her office. When they were shown in, a very serious looking woman met them. "I'm Shelia Doyle, the District Attorney. This is Walter Jameson from the State Prosecutor's office and Colonel O'Keefe of the State Police."

Eric smiled at Colonel O'Keefe. "Ian, good to see you again." To the others he said, "I am Sheriff Eric Henry, and these are my friends, Nick Regnad, a licensed Private Investigator and Fred Clemets, a lawyer."

Colonel O'Keefe replied, "I think we are all here for the same thing, so let's go and get this done. I have transportation arranged and waiting downstairs."

There were several State vehicles waiting for them. Eric and Nick rode in police cars, and Fred rode in the Limo. It didn't take long for them to pull up to a modest apartment complex. On the second floor, they knocked, and a sour-faced woman answered. "What do you want? I'm NOT buying anything. Go away."

Colonel O'Keefe stepped forward, so the woman could see his uniform. "Marcy Elizabeth Daarligtante, you are under arrest for child endangerment, child abandonment and failure to report a missing child."

"What? Peter, the little shit?" She said in astonishment.

The Colonel continued, "You have the right to remain silent..." After he finished reading her, her rights, two female officers took her into custody. The rest then moved into the apartment to execute the search warrant. They found notes on her laptop about Peter and her efforts to charge the state for his care. She had even claimed him as a dependent on last year's Federal Income Taxes.

When they were finished, they retrieved a few of Peter's belongings that Nick was carrying and, of course, the evidence they had gathered. It had been a good bust, and Aunt Marcy was going to be spending some quality time in jail.

* * *

All the kids were excited at dinner, because they were going to see 'Blue Man Group.' This was especially exciting for the percussion players. Neal, John and Greg could hardly wait to see their heroes in person.

While waiting in line, the three boys were practicing for tomorrow, by playing in the air. What they didn't realize was that they were being watched. As they were entering the building, two Blue Men appeared, pointed at them and indicated that they should follow. Tom went, too. They were led backstage.

A man approached them, "I take it you boys are drummers?"

Neal responded, "Not all of us, Sir. Greg is the drummer, and John plays the concert bells. I play the glockenspiel."

The man's face lit up. "Can you boys sight read?"

They nodded.

"As you know, we only have three Blue Men on stage at a time, and we have a new act they want to try with the 'Red Boys.' Are you three game to try?"

And so, Tom signed the release forms and then returned to the group. Mr. Darrah was understandably curious. Tom quickly explained. Then he took out his satellite phone and called 'Philip'. "Make arrangements to pay royalties for us to get a video of this performance."

'Harrumph! A 'please' would have been nice.'

"Pleeeeaaaassssssseeeeeee!"

'You are as bad as the boys. Harrumph!'

About fifteen minutes later, the lights dimmed and the fun began. When the fourth number began, three new characters emerged. Red Boy #1 was all wrapped up in PVC pipe and leading the other two, who were looking around as if they had just landed on this planet. Red Boy #1 pointed at the drum set, and Red Boy #2 went and pushed the drummer out of the way and sat down. Red Boy #3 went and pushed one of the Blue Men away from his massive PVC instrument. The drums began, and Greg did a good job and got the rhythm started. Neal was still wandering around the stage wrapped up in the PVC. John joined Greg playing a simple tune on the pipes. One of the Blue Men started following Neal and began playing the back of Neal's pipes. Then Neal began playing, too, and acting as if he were trying to get away, but he was being chased and played. Then a Blue Man stood behind John with longer paddles, and was playing along, too. The third just looked at Greg playing the drums, and then wheeled out a huge set of tubes and began playing. The antics had the crowd really laughing. When the song was over, the Red Boys retreated. After a couple more songs, it was over, and the audience was covered in confetti and streamers. Somewhere in the crowd, a chant began: "Red Boy, Red Boy..." Tom was amazed, because the chant started in a section that wasn't their group. Soon the place was roaring, and the Blue Man Group came back on stage and played an encore; while the Red Boys returned and played catch with various paddles and other objects around the stage. When the number was over the three Blue Men and three Red Boys went into the audience to autograph programs. The autograph was a thumb print of the makeup on their skull caps. The man that had talked to them backstage came and got Tom. He led him back and waited for the three Red Boys to return. They came backstage, and the crew helped them clean up. They were given the black costumes, skull caps and some makeup. Each boy also received an official certificate that said he was an official 'Red Boy.'

When they returned to the hotel, there was a policeman waiting in the lobby with Fred Clemets. Fred signaled Tom to come over. "Tom, this is Officer Mike Davis, Chicago PD."

"Hello, Mr. Richards. I'm here to investigate an allegation that you have molested a young man."

Author's Notes:

Wisely says nothing.

Blue Man Group has never, to my knowledge, used anyone from the audience, as I depicted in this story. They are an extremely talented group, and I meant their inclusion in this chapter to be an expression of their wonderful talent and my awe of it. Besides it was a way to keep Neal quiet for an hour.

Str8mayb

Editor's Notes: 

Now we are getting somewhere. One of the most important things that happened was the rescue of Jacob. I can't imagine that anyone missed who the 'ten year old boy' was, who was hiding under the counter. It looks as though Jacob is on the good list, and, as such, is entitled to some special treatment. I am sure that John and Peter will be happy to see Jacob again. 

I wonder what is going to happen when Neal H's father finds out just what has been going on. I really don't think he will be pleased. Will he believe what Neal H says, or will he actually listen to the people involved, and do something sensible, for a change. Maybe we will find out in the next chapter.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Assistant Editor's Notes:

I'm curious, too, to find out what Neal H's father is going to say and do. He has used his money and his bluster to terrorize a whole town, and his son is growing up to be just like him. What did 'Philip' tell Neal in that hour-long discussion they had? 'Philip' knows something, and we know whose side 'he' is on! And that rotten cliff-hanger at the end! Is this the beginning of evil Neal's revenge? 

Why do I have the feeling that Neal's impromptu performance at the semi-finals was an accidental stroke of genius that will lead, hopefully to the orchestra being in the finals and, we can only hope, winning the championship? It's nice to see the good guys win once in a while, isn't it?

Looks as if Big Daddy and Aunt Marcy are going to get their comeuppance, finally! I, for one, hope they both rot in jail for the rest of their lives for what they have done to these innocent children!

My hat's off to you, Mr. Str8mayb, for this chapter! You've not only got the bad guys on the run, but you've offered Jacob a chance at a new and better life. Nick already has plans to help him get a good job, either at Phoenix House or in the new school. And, best of all, he'll have his little friends, John and Peter with him again, this time with no fear or danger hanging over all of them.

I think we all know who the 'little boy' who was looking out for Jacob is. I just hope that Jacob and the boys get a chance to see him again to thank him and give him big hugs.

More, more, more, please, and soon, soon, SOON!

Aloysius Abercrombie

Fort Chief Editors Musings:

Okay now we know more than we did before or do we really? Hmm Good Neal, Bad Neal talk about split personalities. We have also learned even more information about the mysterious "John Peters", now can anyone answer the $64,000 Question? Who is "John Peters"?

I hope that the Chicago Police Department knows what they are doing by taking on Tom!!

Til the next chapter,

The Story Lover