Maiocxx

The Reluctant Slaves

A Roger & Doug Story

Chapter 1
Kidnapped

Doug Narrates

It was a deeply disturbing message from an old and esteemed friend. For some years an effort had been underway to relocate the 'Lost Battalion' descendants under pressure from the Saudi government and it had been proceeding rather well, if slowly. Many of the people in the valley could not conceive of living anywhere else.

Until this shock arrived.

As we learned later, the boys were abducted from 'Lost Battalion Village' by an Iranian 'hit' squad and sold to a band of Somali Pirates led by… of all persons… the man we knew as Brother Joshua, perhaps in revenge for being exiled by Bishop Paul.

In all, there were twenty-four white boys, ages eight to twelve, plus Jonathan and Sefu. Where they were taken and for what purpose, we could only guess. The 'where' guesses were wildly wrong but their likely purpose was all too plain.

An immediate search was begun by the allied naval units patrolling the Persian Gulf. A single container ship that had taken on cargo in Bushahr, bound for Singapore, was boarded and searched with no result and it was permitted to continue on. It was the only ship in the area at the time of the abduction. Satellite surveillance of the entire area, likewise, failed to provide a single clue where the boys might have been taken.

"We'll put the Dragonflies on alert," promised the US Naval Area Commander, "but until we know where they have been taken, there's nothing we can do." His offer was much appreciated, but he was quite right. It did not make it any more comforting to us and Sasha.

Chapter 2
An Assignment for Jonathan & Sefu

Jonathan Narrates

As I look back on it now, I guess most people would think we… my boyfriend, Sefu and I… were very fortunate to be adopted by the Emir of Sharif. And they would be right! We got to live with him in his house… a palace, really. We had cool clothes to wear. We got to go to school with other kids our age.

But the thing that was best of all was that Sefu and I could be together. Yes, he was my mount until we had been freed, but we loved each other totally and here in Sharif we could show that love to each other and no one dare tell us it was wrong. Every night we could be in bed together and do what boys do in bed… you know. There was nothing I liked better than the feel of his naked body spooned up against mine… that's the way we always slept. We had both wanted to be mates as soon as we were old enough.

Of course Emir Sasha could not really adopt us… something to do with his nephew Tazeem being next in line… but he did become our guardian and he showed his love to us in many ways.

For our part, we were expected to work hard in school and at the chores he assigned us, be polite and respectful to everyone and be his 'sons' in every way. When it was our turn, we served as 'squires' in his household for six months and had a ball. Small price to just be with this great and good man.

Once or twice he had taken us with him when he visited the village we came from and we got to see our birth parents and all our friends there. We were proud to show everyone how we had grown and how much we learned at school.

One morning, he called us into his office and told us he had something very important for us to do. "I am sure you know," he told us, "that your home village cannot remain where it is much longer." We both nodded as we had heard the water supply was starting to run low and the Saudi government wanted to take over.

"Bishop Paul and I are in agreement that all your people will eventually have to move. I've invited them to come here, but getting everyone to agree is very difficult. He and I have agreed the key to making this happen is educating the young boys… and girls, too, later… so they will be able to make their way as citizens of Sharif. You have a very crucial role to play to make that possible."

We looked at him in astonishment. "Father, we will do anything we can to help," answered Sefu.

Emir Sasha smiled, "I know you will, my sons, and I'm very proud of you. I need the two of you to go to your village and choose forty boys between the ages of nine and twelve who will come here for schooling. You know the boys and they look upon you as heroes… especially the black boys whom you helped to set free. I want the smartest ones you can find and you will have a rather difficult task to persuade their parents to allow them. Bishop Paul will help you, but you must be the ones to make this work."

Wow! He was putting his trust in us! He was giving us a very grown-up task even though we were just thirteen. We were thrilled and vowed we would do our best.

"I know you will," he smiled. "That's why I'm sending you."

We were much welcomed back to our village with a lot of fanfare. Bishop Paul gave us an empty house to live in and made sure we received food from his kitchen, so we could pursue our task without interruption.

Over the next several weeks, we visited many homes and talked to both boys and parents. We didn't have to do much to persuade the boys, but most parents were very reluctant to allow their sons to go. But, finally, we had a group of forty boys… some white, some black… we thought would do well.

And then there was Zachary!

There was no doubt this little guy was the smartest boy in the village. He had lost both his parents and was being cared for by a single man who paid little attention to him, but he had managed to teach himself to read and write when he was only four and had studied hard using the limited internet they now had. But, he was only just eight, younger than Father wanted, so we reluctantly explained to this tearful genius that he could not go with us.

Since horses had been introduced and all the black boys freed, each boy, when he reached eight-and-a-half, was given a horse to train so that, when he was nine, he could ride well. The ones going with us to Sharif would travel by horseback with Sefu and me. But Zach did not have his horse yet and we reminded him of this. "Maybe next time, for sure," we told him.

He was crushed and went away sobbing.

The day came when all were ready to make this momentous journey. All the goodbyes had been said, supplies were packed for the three-day journey and we were set to go at dawn the next day. The boys were all together in the main room of our little house so there would be no last minute delays.

I had made sure they were bedded down… some in pairs, some singly… and was already in our shared bed when Sefu arrived chuckling. "You'll never guess who just came to see me!"

"Zach," I guessed.

"Yep! And do you know what the little shit tried to do with me?"

There was no doubt Zach was precocious, so I could imagine several scenarios. I wasn't far off the track.

"He asked to kiss me goodbye and then proceeded to put his tongue in my mouth. 'Am I a good kisser?' he wanted to know. And then then he told me, 'I'll be yours and Jonathan's sex toy, if you'll take me along. I'll do anything you want.' I was flabbergasted!"

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him, 'No'. But, I really think we should take him. He is much more mature than many of the others and there is no doubt he is a genius. I'm sure Father would agree with our choice."

I thought for a while. Were we passing up a golden opportunity? "Do you know where he is?"

"Yes, he's sitting right on our doorstep, crying his little heart out. Whatever you decide, I'll support you."

"I'll talk to him and I'll let you know."

I scrambled back into my clothes and went in search of a sad little boy. Sitting down beside him, I took him in my arms. "Zach, I…"

"Please, please, Jonathan," he bawled. "Take me with you. I know what I tried to do with Sefu was bad. He's your lover!" What else had this little boy learned from the internet? "But I'm so lonely. I want to go and learn and be with the others. I know I don't have my horse yet, but I'll walk the whole way." He paused and began to cry once more, "I guess… I guess you won't take me now after what I did."

I held his quaking body next to me "Yes, Zach, what you tried to do was wrong. But I understand, and so does Sefu." He continued to sob and shake in my arms. He sees this as a chance that may never come again and he's probably right, I thought.

After a few hard minutes, I decided. "You may come with us, Zach."

"Really? I can really go with you?" And he threw his arms about my neck and smothered me with kisses… but he did not try to French-kiss.

"Get your things and hurry back. So you don't wake the others, you can sleep with Sefu and me. And you can ride with one of us tomorrow."

We shortly had a little warm body between us as we settled down for the night.

But our sleep was rudely interrupted by the sounds of helicopters, gunfire and screams just as it was starting to get light. I jumped from our blankets and ran to the door. What I saw was enough to scare the shit out of anyone.

Several helicopters had landed, disgorging men in strange battle dress who were methodically destroying the village and massacring everyone. The whole village was in flames and I saw bodies… men, women and children… lying where they had been shot down as they tried to flee.

Before I could even move, our door was battered open and a man pointing an assault rifle at us screamed, "Out!"

All of us stumbled, half-dressed, out into the smoke-filled square where a chilling surprise waited for us. Standing next to a man who was obviously in charge was Brother Joshua!

"Did I not tell you I would assemble a group of boys that would please your client?" he asked. "Behold! The finest boy in all this valley!"

The other man looked us over and then replied. "Yes, you have done well. I am sure my client will be very pleased."

"Then, may I have my reward?" asked Brother Joshua.

"Ah yes! Your reward." And he drew his pistol and drilled Brother Joshua thru the forehead. After the body had been dragged away and thrown into one of the burning houses, he turned to us and barked, "Get in a straight line, all of you!"

He walked down the line, looking at each boy… and me and Sefu… and turned to one of his men and gave several orders in a language I did not understand. Two of the men pulled all the black boys, except Sefu, out of line and herded them off to one side. We later learned they were told to run and then the men used them for target practice. Most were killed, but one of them survived, badly wounded, and it was he who alerted Sharif and told what happened.

One of the men got a strange looking weapon from the 'copter and walked down the line in back of us, shooting a small dart into each boy's rump.

I felt the sting of the dart in my backside.

And everything went black.

Chapter 3
Taken

When I awoke, Sefu had me in his arms. He was crying and said, "I don't know where we are, but I think it is in a ship of some sort." He was right; I could feel the motion of the floor beneath us and hear the throb of the engines.

The boys had started to recover and we busied ourselves making sure they were OK and trying to comfort them in the darkness. We were all scared out of our wits… too frightened to even cry much. But gradually, the awful reality of what we had seen and what had happened became apparent.

For what seemed like days… but only one day, really… we lay there in the dark without water or food. All of us were rapidly descending into mass hysteria… screaming, crying, sobbing uncontrollably… when little Zach rescued us.

"I know a song," he managed to say between sobs. "I heard it on the internet once. I'll sing it for you. It might help"

And his sweet little boy voice trembled and began:

When you walk thru the storm hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm, there's a golden sky
And the sweet, silver song of the lark.

Walk on thru the wind,
Walk on thru the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.

Walk on! Walk on! With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone!

You'll never walk alone!

The silence, when his last quavering note died away, was profound… he had quieted the fears of all of us. Was there nothing this wonder-child could not do? He had given Sefu and me the resolve to go on. We would care for these kids as best we could and we would get thru this nightmare.

And shortly after that, someone evidently decided we needed to be alive when they delivered us to wherever they were taking us and some of the crewmen began to look after us.

We were given water and some sort of porridge… it didn't taste very good but at least it was filling… and they left us enough light that we could see to use the slop bucket in the corner. After a couple of days, they began taking us up on deck in groups of four or five and hosing us down to get the worst of the grime off us.

The last time I was on deck, I saw a smear on the horizon which I was told was land. Before that time there seemed to be nothing but ocean surrounding us. But it must have been our destination, 'cause shortly after that we were all loaded into two of the empty containers that had been fitted with benches to which we were securely shackled.

A while later, the ship stopped moving and we could feel the containers being lifted and put on some sort of truck which them moved away on land. After a while, they stopped and then reversed and stopped again. The back of the container opened and we were at some kind of door in a high wall, and our shackles were taken off.

We were herded thru the door into a large room by a huge black man who told us his name was Ahmed. With him were a number of black youths from teen-age to young adult who he informed us were his 'helpers'… that is guards.

On one side of the room were some rough tables and benches and, in one corner, a primitive shower and a toilet pit. Piled in the center was a stack of filthy mats that would be our beds.

"If you wish to keep living, you will do what I and my helpers tell you," he told us. The boys… including Sefu and me… were simply too frightened and exhausted to argue, but then he turned to the two of us and said, "And you will assure they all behave and become good slaves for Master Han Sim."

So Sefu and I were to be in charge of the others.

And we were to be slaves for someone called 'Han Sim'.

Ahmed quickly began to 'break' us. "Remove your clothes," he ordered. Sefu and I complied, but it took some prodding on our part before all the boys stood naked. Ahmed's helpers gathered up our pitiful rags and fed them into a stove set along one wall.

Moving over to the tables, we were served bowls of some kind of gruel… the only kind of food we would receive. There were no spoons so we had to eat with our hands. Following this 'repast' Sefu and I were instructed to scrub each boy clean with soap and scrub brush under the ice cold shower.

While we were showering the boys and ourselves, on the other side of the room, Ahmed's crew were busy setting up a small platform and brought in some kind of electrical tool. It wasn't until we were assembled there that I recognized what it was… an electric branding iron.

"You first," ordered Ahmed, beckoning to Sefu. Determined not to frighten the boys any more than necessary, he lay across the platform while they applied the now red-hot iron to his right buttocks. He almost managed to contain his scream.

I was next and was not so strong. I don't really remember anything but the horrid pain, but Sefu told me later that I screamed like a girl. Still nursing the fiery burn on our posteriors, we were handed a pot of some sort of unguent and told to apply it to ourselves. It deadened the pain somewhat and removed the charred and blistered skin, leaving a red and raw mark that would never fade.

One-by-one, the boys were pulled over the platform to be marked. Their screams of agony shook the room and even though most of the younger boys passed out from the shock, Sefu and I were overwhelmed trying to treat their burned asses and comfort them. I still have nightmares in which I relive that horror.

We were then told to lie on the mats next to our eating space and go to sleep. Every one of us cried throughout this first night. The complete hopelessness of our situation had been aptly demonstrated.

The next morning we awoke to more gruel, another ice cold shower and the beginning of our 'work' for Master Han Sim. We were given huge bails of recently cut grain and had to separate the grain from the chaff… a boring and thoroughly uncomfortable task in the heat and humidity. That would later be replaced by unloading large containers of rocks… some so heavy that it took two or three of the kids to carry them… a task cleverly designed to be sure the boys were exhausted by day's end.

After 'supper' and shower, we were once more sent to bed. Sefu and I took the youngest kids with us and cuddled them in our arms. Our brands still hurt terribly, so, once again, there was little sleep and much crying.

As the days passed the pain from our brands became only an annoying ache. But our seemingly endless work was exacting its toll… it was easy to sink into despair. The boys had been told to choose 'partners' for reasons that alluded Sefu and me. We would understand why much later.

Zach was sort of odd-man-out when partners were chosen. At first, the older, 'more grown-up' boys all saw him as 'a little kid', who should not have been here. So, Sefu and I sort of took him under our wings. That did not endear him to the rest, but his cheerful nature and willingness to help… he was often the third hand when the rock was too heavy to two boys to carry… soon demonstrated his worth to the others. Too small to do much heavy lifting himself, he scurried about carrying water to the others. He even fed some of the older boys who were simply too exhausted to eat at days end. Long after the others had fallen into a painful slumber, he could be found rubbing and massaging overextended limbs before he crawled between me and my lover.

We had been there for several weeks and Sefu and I had managed to get the other boys used to being naked all the time, somewhat accepting of our drudgery, and not quite so terrified at our situation. He and I were still quite frightened, but we tried hard to buck up the spirits of the others and most of the boys had stopped crying all the time… except for a few of the littlest ones who still sobbed their way through the dismal days and dark nights despite our holding and cuddling them. By this time, all the boys, except Zach, had chosen their partners and that helped… there was someone with whom they could hug and share their misery.

But our 'status quo' was rudely shattered one morning when Ahmed had both Sefu and me brought to a cell near his 'office' and forced us to stand at attention on our toes for several hours. He finally released us… we both collapsed to the floor from sheer exhaustion… and he lost no time informing us what new tasks he would demand from us.

"It is time," he told us, "for the slaves to begin their training and you must be their teachers."

"What training?" I asked, full of foreboding.

"They must be made ready to serve Master Han Sim with their bodies," he replied. "If he enjoys them, they will live and so will you."

"But these are still just little boys…" I sputtered.

"And that is how Master prefers them. You must stretch their boy-cunts and teach them how to please a man with their mouths without gagging… to swallow what their master gives them and to enjoy it."

I was aghast! Sefu and I were to turn these innocent kids into sex slaves?

"No!" I shouted. "I won't do it! If I must service him, I will do it. But I won't abuse these kids and turn them into sluts."

"You do not understand," he growled. "Master is not interested in you. You are both too old. He likes his sex-boys very young and completely hairless. So, you must prepare them to serve him."

"I will NOT!" I shouted again, fully expecting to be beaten bloody for my actions.

"Very well," replied Ahmed. "Since you will not cooperate, your partner… your lover… will be punished."

And before I could even think of a reply, Sefu was dragged screaming from the cell and I was dragged to another room, gagged and securely fastened to a chair facing a window. Oh God! I thought, they're going to beat him because I refuse to do what they want. That's what the 'partners' is all about. But I would shortly find out that the punishment to be meted out to Sefu would be worse… much worse.

Thru the window, I could see a small platform and, shortly, Sefu was dragged in and made to stand on it while they bound his hands behind his back and fastened his feet together. No! They can't be going to…

But they were! They were going to hang him!

I watched, screaming into my gag, as they placed the noose around Sefu's neck and pulled it snug. Then, they raised it so he had to stand on tip-toes. I could see the tears streaming down his cheeks.

Spying me being forced to watch his execution, he began to shout, "Don't give into them, Jonathan! Don't do their dirty work! It's horrid! Just remember I love… gaaaaaaaa!" His voice turned into a strangled scream as they pulled the platform away and he swung free, kicking.

Chapter 4
Truly Slaves

When I awoke, I was back in the cell. They must have darted me as I couldn't remember anything after I saw Sefu hanging there, his life being choked out of him. For quite a while I simply lay there sobbing. But, finally, I struggled to sit up and I noticed a body lying on the floor a short distance away. I recognized it at once: it was Sefu and they had simply dumped his corpse into the cell.

Somehow, I managed to crawl over and take his lifeless form into my arms. For long minutes I simply held it and cried like I have never cried before. I would never feel his loving touch again… never taste his kiss… never caress his beautiful body again. He was gone! Gone because I had disobeyed our master and he had been punished because of my doing.

But, suddenly, I realized something!

The body in my arms was warm! And I felt a heartbeat. Heard the sound of breathing. "Sefu," I shrieked, "you're alive! Oh my love!"

"And he will remain so, only if you do what you have been told to," said a voice behind me… I hadn't seen Ahmed enter the cell. "If you still refuse, I will take him and finish the job. If you defy me in the future, he will be hanged and there will be no last-minute rescue. You have been warned."

Just then Sefu began to regain consciousness and he croaked, "Let him take me, Jonathan."

"No, my love! I cannot allow you to be hanged." Looking up at our jailor, I whispered, "I will do as you say."

"Excellent! You have made a wise choice. Your task will begin tomorrow." And he withdrew.

Turning back to the boy in my arms… the boy I loved so dearly… I reaffirmed the choice I had made to keep him alive and safe. "Your love and support is the only thing that keeps me from going 'round the bend. Without you, I would die," I sobbed.

He pulled my head down and kissed me. I knew… even though it was painful to both of us… that he accepted my decision and I asked, "How do you feel?"

"Lousy!" he croaked. "My head is pounding and my throat hurts like a bitch!"

I could see the raw gash on his neck where the rope had cut him and my tears flowed. "But, at least you are alive. I could not go on without you."

He sighed and nodded that he understood.

And so he and I became instructors and purveyors of young boy flesh… pimps, if you will.

We began by getting them used to the idea of someone else touching their bodies, particularly their 'secret' places. Except for some of the older boys, this was a quite new experience as this sort of behavior had been frowned upon in their homes. But some of them had practiced this on a somewhat regular basis… it was 'naughty' and that was part of the allure. Gradually all of them agreed how good such 'exploration' felt. Nights were much quieter now except for a sigh or two and Sefu and I practiced our skills as we reluctantly began to prepare our little bed-mate, too.

Getting to allow your partner to put his prick in your mouth was a much greater obstacle, however. Having been taught from an early age that part of your body is 'dirty', made it a huge 'no-no' to overcome. But even the most recalcitrant boy was pulled into line when his partner was threatened with punishment… Ahmed's strategy became clear to us. Besides, that form of sex play felt very, very good and even the liquid offerings from the few older ones who were beginning to sperm were tolerated.

About that time, each boy was made to drink a cup of some mystery juice each day and we quickly noticed it was having an effect on them… they were become sex-starved addicts. Sefu experimented with some and nearly raped me as a result. Surprisingly, it seemed to have little effect on Zach.

We had not yet told our young charges they would be required to practice their new skills on any adult who chose them, but we made sure they were ready by insisting they 'practice' on Sefu and me and a few teen-aged guards who came by to enjoy blow-jobs. Indeed, the boys soon began to have an unnatural and frightening craving for boy-cum.

But the 'fun' part of their training came to a crashing end when Ahmed had them all placed in chastity devices. They were made of plastic and compressed their cocks and balls together and forced them down between their legs so they could not possibly get an erection. Stimulated by the drug they were being given, they were constantly horny as their young pricks painfully tried to escape from confinement. The older boys continually 'leaked' but neither they nor the others had any way to relieve themselves. There was a lot of whining, crying and moaning at night.

But the worst was yet to come!

Ahmed appeared one morning with a large selection of dildos, butt-plugs and other devices designed to open up and stretch young boy-cunts.

We began with a little digital manipulation, and that caused great wailing the first time we invaded their little holes. Even manipulating their 'love buttons' didn't do much to make it any more pleasant. After several sessions, the finger was replaced with a small dildo… which they had to leave in place… increasing in size, until they were ready for the peg-boards.

These were a series of benches with ten graduated pegs, the smallest being somewhat larger than my index finger and the largest the size of a well-hung horse. The boy had to straddle the bench and lower himself until he was well impaled on a peg… which was long enough to reach well into his ass, clear up to his prostate… and remain there.

Sefu and I often had to force the screaming boy down on the peg to its full length and he was hand and leg cuffed to remain there most of the day. Every day or so, the boy was expected to move to the next larger peg, often forcing the occupant there to move up. We had to be careful not to tear their colons, but there was often some blood. After a session on the boards, every boy was sore and crying and incredibly aroused, so the nights were, once more, full of moans and sobbing.

At the end of each day, Sefu and I held each other and sobbed, too, unable to forgive ourselves for the horrible treatment we had to mete out to these poor kids. At least we tried to be as gentle as we could… more so than the guards would have been. Mindful of Sefu's 'hanging' we had no choice but to persevere and Ahmed was continually exhorting us to move faster. Evidently Han Sim was growing impatient to try out his new sex-toys.

Once a boy had 'graduated' from the peg board, he was fitted with a huge butt-plug, held firmly in place by his sphincter muscles, which he was not allowed to remove. Either Sefu or I had to remove it once a day so the boy could shit and then reinsert it. Both of us tried to be gentle, but the pain of reinsertion was often accompanied by screams.

Thoroughly stretched and fitted with the pod which covered and compressed his boy parts, forcing his prick downward so he could only pee down his legs, but could not achieve an erection… he was deemed to be ready for 'service'. The older kids had quite a bit of pain when their pricks tried to stand up and all of them hated this latest invasion of their bodies. They were now horny all the time, so their pricks struggled mightily.

As a result… because of drug and the pods and butt-plugs… when a boy was chosen for 'service' he would be unspeakably horny and frantic for release which could only be achieved by an orgasm. Rarely was his pod removed and relief allowed. Most often all he got was a huge, stiff prick thrust painfully up his little ass-hole or down his throat… usually both. They all returned from these sessions exhausted and half asleep… sometimes unconscious… and awoke with sore asses and mouths and still maddeningly horny.

Thanks to the drugs they had been forced to take, most of the boys, even some of the younger ones, were 'liquid' by this time and, despite releasing any pent-up juice from the stimulation of their prostates, they rarely had had any sexual release. All Sefu and I could do was to hold them as they fitfully slept and that wasn't much help. They leaked all the time and that wasn't any release either. With their pricks securely locked up, we could devise no way to stimulate them to orgasm and provide any relief.

Master Han Sim pronounced his pleasure with his new little boy whores by offering their cunts to all the guests… of all ages and both sexes… at his elaborate entertainments. It seemed he got off on little boys crying and screaming.

Enoch, our lone 12-year-old, was chosen one night and sent to please one of Han Sim's flunkies. We had all about settled down to our usual night-time misery, when the door flew open and Enoch was thrown into our midst accompanied by a string of angry profanity. Of all the boys, Enoch was the most rebellious and he had obviously displeased his 'client'.

Sefu and I, and his partner Aaron, quickly went to him and tried to make sense of his blubbering. When he had somewhat calmed down, he managed to gasp, "I bit him! He stuck his prick up my hole and then wanted me to clean my blood and shit off. So, I bit him. He won't be drilling any of us for a while."

We were horrified by his admission!

And paralyzed by fear of what might happen to poor Aaron as a result. When I reminded Enoch that his partner would be the one who was punished, the boy went rigid with remorse and fright.

We didn't have to wait long before my worst fears were confirmed.

The door banged open and Ahmed entered, followed by two guards, one carrying a large wooden block and the other a scimitar. Despite Enoch's pleading, they dragged Aaron over to the block, removed his pod, and held him with his suddenly freed prick out on the surface of the block.

We were all frozen with the horror of what was going to happen to Aaron. Then Enoch tried to reach him and was pushed away by one of the guards. "Please!," he begged. "Please don't! I'll do anything! Take me instead!"

"Do it!" snarled Ahmed and with a flash of the scimitar, it was done.

Aaron was left with a small nub where his prick had been. His shriek reverberated from the walls as the three men withdrew, leaving Sefu and me to stanch the blood and sew up what was left of poor Aaron's boyhood. Sefu's hands shook so badly he could hardly work the needle and thread, but we finally managed to stop the bleeding and preserve what was left of his ureter. I took Aaron into my arms and held the hysterically sobbing boy close as a chorus of wails from the others echoed throughout our prison.

All except Enoch, who had passed out from fright and, I suspected, remorse. But it was too late for remorse, I angrily reminded him after we had revived him. Because of his actions, Aaron was truly maimed. The two of them were in a state of shock for some days and both Sefu and I feared for their sanity… for the sanity of all of us.

It wasn't long afterward Ahmed announce that Han Sim… pleased with his new boy-whores and wrongly believing it would preserve their youth… had decided to have all the boys nullified… their complete boy-parts cut from their young bodies. "Because you have done well training them," he told me, "you and your lover will only be castrated."

In what had been only the least bit of kindness he had shown any of us since the very first day, he went on, "I will delay as long as I can, but I can't protect you forever. Choose the first boy to be nullified."

Breaking out of his trance, Aaron came forward. "Please take me. I'm not much of a boy anymore."

They returned him several weeks later with just a smooth place with a single line of stitches where his prick and balls had been. A small hole at the bottom allowed him to pee. A week or so later, Enoch, went next and returned in similar condition.

The two of them, after that, were most often called for 'service' and they always returned the next morning strangely calm. But, beneath that calm exterior, both Sefu and I could tell they were rapidly sinking into a fatal depression. And they were not receiving any male hormones, so they would not live long in this fashion.

Once again, it was little Zach who came to our rescue.

"I think I know a way we can signal for help," he told me. I was willing to listen to any idea that held out the slightest hope for rescue.

"When we go outside to unload the rocks, I have seen an airliner overhead almost every time. If we polish the bottom of one of our eating bowls so it is real shiny, I think I could signal to one of the airplanes using the sun. I'll use it like a mirror and signal. I know the code… three short flashes, followed by three long ones and then three more short ones. I learned it on the internet."

Neither Sefu and I understood exactly what he had in mind, but he seemed so sure of himself that we agreed to let him try. What could it hurt?

It took a week of polishing before he was satisfied with his 'mirror'. The next several days were overcast, so he didn't get to try his idea.

But, finally, there was a clear day and, sure enough, there was a commercial jet overhead and he gave his idea a try as the rest of us shielded him from view. We had no idea, of course, whether it would work or whether the crew on the craft would react, but we kept trying every day until he was discovered with the bowl and it was taken away.

Strangely, there was no immediate punishment meted out to his partner. Instead there was an ominous silence… no calls for 'service', no cups of the hated liquid, no loads of rocks to unload.

And no food, either.

For several days, we waited in terror for the explosion that Sefu and I were sure was to come. We were quite prepared to take whatever punishment Han Sin decided to hand out, because we expected it to fall upon us. No one was likely to believe the signal device and its employment could have been the product of an eight-year-old. Right?

Yeah, right! It had to have been Sefu or me!

But we were wrong… punishment would fall on little Zach.

Ahmed came striding into our room one afternoon and confronted me. "You stupid, foolish boys! You have exposed Master Han Sim to public criticism and ridicule. Did you actually think that someone would come to save you? If anyone even attempted to attack us, they would be harshly repelled. Even if they succeeded in breaching our walls, you would all be dead long before they could reach you."

"The little one is your favorite, yes? See how much you love him when Han Sim has finished with him. Consider it a preview of what is going to happen to each of you!" And, seizing Zach by the neck and one arm, he dragged the shrieking boy away.

Sefu and I just looked at each other. "My God! What have we done?" We had sent this dear, sweet little boy to the lowest regions of Hell. That realization was more than either of us could bear and we both collapsed.

The next thing I remember was Aaron cradling my head in his lap, while some of the other boys rubbed my chest. "Please don't die, Jonathan!" he implored. "You and Sefu are all we have!"

I managed to sit up and hugged him. "I'll be all right," I assured him. "But, thank you… all of you… for your help." Sefu was just sitting there with his head in his hands, weeping softly.

Cold terror gripped all of us… and we had no sweet little boy to sing for us this time. We lay there in the dark wondering what atrocities were being visited upon little Zach.

Hours later, Ahmed returned carrying a small body wrapped in a filthy blanket. As he handed it to me, I could actually see tears streaming down his grizzled face. "Slave boy," he choked, "I am truly sorry. When each of you are taken, I will try to make your deaths as quick and painless as possible. May Allah go with the little one!"

And he left.

I sank to my knees with Zach… or what was left of him… in my arms. The blanket dropped away and I nearly collapsed again at what I saw. They had gouged out both eyes, smashed his pelvis and hacked off his boy parts. His skin was in shreds and he was bleeding massively. But he still lived.

"Is that you Jonathan?" he asked in a whisper. All the other boys had crowded about, watching silently.

"Yes, little one." I answered.

"Am I going to die?"

"Yes, little one."

"Did my message get through?"

"I'm sure it must have," I told him, suddenly realizing the cause of Han Sim's ire.

"Then I don't mind dying, 'cause you'll all be free again."

"You will go to a place where there is no pain, no sorrow, only joy," added my lover.

"Sefu, will I see my mom and dad when I get to heaven?"

"I'm sure they are just waiting to wrap you in their love," he answered him.

"Then I will wait to welcome all of you some day." He reached up and stroked my cheek, wet with tears. "I love you Jonathan. Thank you for choosing me to be with the other boys."

I reached up and took his hand. I simply was unable to speak. Shortly, I felt his arm slacken and I gently laid it across his ravaged chest.

Chapter 5
Rescue

"Singapore Tower, Great Circle three-four-seven leaving your airspace," the pilot routinely transmitted as they climbed out over the city.

"Roger three-four-seven, turn right to one-niner-five and contact departure on channel thirty-six passing three-hundred meters."

"Roger, Singapore. Thank you and good day."

"Dan, did you see that?" asked his co-pilot.

"See what?"

"I could swear someone was trying to signal us from that old fortress that's on our flight path. I'm sure I saw an 'SOS'. I was talking to Hans Reisdorf from Lufthansa and they saw something similar on their outbound last week."

"Well, if you're sure, put it in your flight notes," said his partner without much enthusiasm.

Doug Resumes Narration

In due course, the observations from a number of aircrew members filtered their way up the bureaucracy and landed on the desk of the British FSO who had been leading the search for the abducted boys… with no success. Although he doubted it was anything, he did pursue it, even asking his American counterpart if their super 'spy-in-the-sky' satellite could swing by and photograph the area from which the signals seemed to come.

And it was at that point, Sasha, Dad and I were called in.

We both looked at the satellite images and agreed there seemed to be some figures… they looked like boys… unloading trucks in a courtyard in the palatial estate that belonged to one 'Han Sim', a hugely wealthy merchant. It had been rumored for years that he had an appetite for young boys, but he 'owned' almost all the Singapore government so nothing had ever been done. Could these be our boys?

We needed to get a closer view than the satellite afforded, so the pilot of the local traffic-reporter helicopter was suborned, and he made a single pass over the area before the authorities grounded him. But, he managed to get the images to our MI5 contact.

Both Dad and I, as well as Sasha, poured over the pictures and our hearts leaped. We spotted both Jonathan and Sefu! At last we knew where the boys were!

"We'll have to be very careful," the FSO cautioned us, "or we'll simply end up with lots of dead boys. Mr. Sim has already let it be known that he would eliminate any 'servants' who might be 'in the way'."

"Would he really kill all the boys?" asked Sasha, aghast.

"Oh yes!" he answered. "He is quite capable of that and the Singapore government won't lift a finger to stop him. In fact, they would fight on his side if it came to that."

Out of our hopelessness, there was one bright light… the arrival of our old friends Col. Dugan and Sgt. McGuire.

"Well, once again we seem to be asked to rescue some kids of yours," he told Dad as he shook hands with us.

"Not just our kids," Sasha assured him. "My two boys, yes. But twenty-four others whose parents were brutally murdered by Iranian pirates. It is my belief that unless they are rescued, no one will be safe ever again."

"Sasha… I mean, Emir…"

"'Sasha will do fine."

"Sasha, I see you are still the astute young man you were as a teenager and I admire you greatly. You are quite right and we intend to bring about the freedom of all the boys as quickly as we can." Turning to his colleague, he asked, "What do you think, Del? Can we get them out?"

"Well, sir, the question is not 'can we', but 'how'. How can we get to them and free them without endangering them? I've been looking over the photos and there is no way I can land even a Dragonfly in that courtyard. And trying to punch our way in from outside would be a sure death sentence for every one of those kids. Judging from the layout… and those fine plumbing diagrams… they almost certainly have the kids in the large hall next to the courtyard… if they haven't moved them elsewhere."

"What you are telling me is that we need to get someone inside."

McGuire nodded. "I don't think they're hiring just now, so we'll have to sneak someone in. Think we could get the use of a small, well-trained Seal or SAS?"

"What did you have in mind, Del?"

"My Navy friends tell me they have an assault suit that makes a man almost invisible. Something to do with bending light rays. There's a sewer pipe… three and a half feet [1 m]… that could get a small guy in if he was careful and didn't mind swimming in sewage too much. Once inside, if he can pin-point where the kids are, we might be able to get to them quickly enough to prevent……" He trailed off.

"If they're still in the place we think they are and he can improvise some kind of shelter for them, we could punch in the courtyard wall, send a few shock troops down the ropes and haul the kids out in nets. If they're someplace else, it's a new ballgame."

"I guess we won't know until we go look, so let's get on it."

"Right you are, sir. I thought you'd agree so I have 'Little Jimmy'… W/O Jim Nelson, that is… standing by with a rubber raft and his zoot-suit. I sort of 'borrowed' him from Norfolk (Naval Research Facility)."

Col. Dugan had a big grin on his face. "That's what I pay you to do, Sergeant."

The rest of us were somewhat dazzled, but I had every confidence in both these men and I knew Dad did too.

Jonathan resumes

I sat there with Zach's broken body clasped to me and Sefu enveloped us both. All the other boys were piled up against us and I guess we all cried until we had no tears left. This sweet, bright little boy… a genius, no doubt… a true wonder-child… had given his life for what might very well have been a futile attempt to free us. It was quite likely we would all die horrible deaths at the hands of these vermin. Few of us moved for the next two days.

Mid afternoon I was suddenly aware of someone in our space. Were they ready to massacre us?

A voice suddenly spoke, "You can't see me, but you're about to be rescued. You've got to trust me, so get up all of you and move those heavy tables back against the far wall. Turn them over so they make a crude barrier and then everyone get between them and the wall and keep your heads down. There's going to be flying bricks and such in a few seconds.

Was this an hallucination? Was I so completely beaten that my mind had snapped?

"Up, everyone!" I heard Sefu shout, so I knew it was for real. "Grab those tables and get them against the wall on their sides."

In a matter of seconds, the crude barrier was in place and we… I hoped that included the 'invisible' voice, too… were crammed inside it.

The seconds ticked off. And then……

A great explosion shook the building with debris flying everywhere. Fortunately, our barricade kept the airborne masonry from injuring us although we did get a thorough coating of dust and grit all over our sweaty, naked bodies. We simply lay there in shock as a knot of heavily-armed troops came clambering through the hole in the wall and took up positions to keep off any of Han Sim's men that might appear.

A couple of medics came through and shouted, "Up, all of you! Get through the breach and into the nets." And they started pulling the boys toward the hole. Sefu and I made sure no one was left behind before I picked up Zach's body and we climbed through and into the courtyard.

The boys were being rapidly loaded into nets and hauled up into strange aircraft hovering overhead. As one filled, it moved off and another took its place. Soon, Sefu and I were the only ones left and a burly trooper picked us up and threw us into a net… I was still clutching Zach… and we were on our way up.

Several of the strange aircraft were strafing the rooftops of the buildings while another disgorged other soldiers carrying large satchels. Our ship hung about until all the troops were out and aboard… we picked up the last few and headed over the city, skimming the rooftops, and out to sea.

We had been airborne only a short time when I saw our prison… now brightly lit… disappear in a tremendous explosion that lit up the afternoon sky.

"YESSSSS!" I shouted.

And then a great tiredness overtook me and I passed out

The next thing I remember was lying on my back hearing the deep hum of engines and the rocking motion of a ship.

A SHIP! A FUCKING SHIP!

And I screamed, continuing long after I felt a familiar pair of arms around me. I rolled toward him and buried my head in Sefu's chest. "It's OK, Jonathan. We're safe, now!" he whispered over and over, hugging me close.

It took a minute or two for me to grasp the fact I was not aboard the container ship that had carried us into captivity. I was on a bed and there was a needle taped to my arm with a tube that snaked up out of my sight. "Where am I?" I gasped.

"On the US Navy Carrier Lexington," my lover answered. "You're in hospital… they call it 'sick- bay'. They brought us here after the Dragonflies hauled us out of that place."

I was beginning to remember those last frantic moments when our lives hung in a very scary balance. "The boys! Where are the boys? Are they OK?"

"They are in another part of sick-bay," replied another familiar voice, as I looked up to see Sasha bending over me. "You and Sefu kept them safe, you…"

"But we didn't keep them safe," I began to bawl. "We turned them into sex slaves for that monster, Han Sim. They're all hurt, some of them real bad! And poor little Zach!!!!!" I couldn't go on and just lay there sobbing.

Sasha reached down and stroked my cheek, "Yes, Sefu has told us the story. You kept them alive and that is more than any of us could hope for. And all the boys are being treated by the doctors here. The two that had their parts cut off are being given medicine that will keep them developing as boys. When they are older, I will pay for transplants for them."

I was starting to calm down and stopped crying. "Are they going to all right?"

"All the boys will heal physically very soon. But they have been damaged emotionally and will need a long time to heal. And you and Sefu will be part of their healing… leading them out of this darkness and into the light. You and Sefu will need to heal, too."

"Is that why I'm in… sick-bay… that's it?"

"You needed to rest, my brother," answered Sefu. "You slept for three days and you needed medicine in your veins while you slept."

"Three days? But why?"

"Well the doctor said that once you knew everyone was safe, your mind just shut down and relaxed. He said it was a good sign."

"Did you sleep, too?"

"No," he sighed, "I just cried for two days. They had to give me a needle in my arm so I could make more tears."

"The boys will all go to Sharif," continued Sasha. "Already families are clamoring to adopt them… they are the last of 'The Lost Battalion', I'm sorry to tell you and their village is no more. Would you like to visit them? The doctor says you should get out of bed once you wake up. "

A nurse came in to remove the needle… and the catheter in my prick that I had failed to notice… and I swung my legs over the side of the bed and almost fell flat on my ass.

I was a bit shaky but Sefu's strong arm helped me along and I was able hug each boy and cry with those who needed it. The doctors had wisely allowed them to keep their 'partners' and to sleep with them… 'specially the youngest boys. They were even allowed a little 'bed fun'. Getting them to wear clothes again, however, was not an easy task.

We buried little Zach at sea several days later. Sefu and I stood behind his wrapped body, feeling very strange in the crisp, white ensign's uniforms they had found for us. The other boys attended in their current state of dress or undress. The rest of the ship's sailors and officers… the ship's 'company'… were impressive in their dress whites. (Would you believe I was getting to talk just like one of them… Sefu still playfully chides me for that.) Mr. Roger and Mr. Doug and Sasha Mohamed ben Yousef, Emir of Sharif, stood with the Captain

With a crack of a rifle salute, Zach slipped beneath the waves as I spoke from my heart. "He was just a little boy. A sweet little boy who comforted us in our darkest moments. A brave little boy who died a horrible death because he tried to save… he did save… the rest of us. And now he will ride the waves forever. May God receive him and hold him in his arms until we meet again."

"Farewell, little friend," added Sefu. "May the Christ himself welcome you to that far-off land of joy and gladness, where he will watch over us."

The End