Chapter 22
Trouble Finds Me.
Part 2
Mom and Dad were arguing about what to do with me. If I should go back home or stay here. They went back and forth regarding where I would be safe. I couldn't go to my mother's house because of the vandalism. I couldn't go home with them either and neither could Jake, Billy, and Adam because of the danger we were all in.
The only thing they could agree on was that I and my friends were not safe unless I was somewhere that no one knew about. Stringham said he could only think of one place where no one, not even the devil himself could get in. That was his and Dave's place. Where there was a wall of fortified steel and brick with the best security system money could buy.
Mom and Dad didn't like the idea, but no one else had a better solution other than locking me and my friends inside Bishop Earl's house with the Santaquin and Payson police department barricading the street. Using all the city resources they have, instead of keeping our streets safe. So, Mom and Dad agreed, and so did their parents that the best place for me and my friends to go was to Stringham's well-fortified home.
Stringham acted like it was no big deal as he picked up the phone and started preparations to move me and my friends and their parents to his main house. Until they had better control over the situation.
Dad was about to leave when Stringham said he had sent a chopper to pick up his three boys and his daughter Kerry and her husband, and a car to pick up Arthur and Shawn. Dad's shoulders sagged as he thanked Mr. Stringham for doing this. Once again, he shrugged his shoulders and said. "That's what friends are for."
It didn't matter to him that our small animal friends would also come. He laughed when he said. "I hope they like flying because it is the fastest way to get there." He said our ride would be here in one hour. Which wasn't a lot of time to pack, yet we wouldn't need much.
Dad was on the phone telling Kerry to be ready to leave when the helicopter arrives to pick them up. And to have Shawn and Arthur ready to go the moment a car came to get them. He also made a call to my old employer to pick up the horses and house them until this "mess" was resolved.
My question was will this "mess" ever be resolved? Twice Crawford had eluded the cops and, so far, he seems to be untouchable. Letting the people that followed take the fall for his crimes. I wondered if this was some old film playing itself out like The Godfather. I had suggested that might be best if I helped round up the horses, but the idea was shot down, and told Jake, Adam, and I were going to be the first ones out the moment the helicopter touched down in the field next to us.
The girls sighed as Cindy unlocked Greg's bedroom said. "So much for a night of fun and wild sex." Seeing the room filled with candles and warm relaxing oils for die and go to heaven massage. Stringham smiled and said. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about it, girls. It's not like you were going to go to church in the morning, anyway.
"Tell you what I'll do. All have Landan set up one of the bedrooms of your girl's choice so you can treat the boys to whatever pleasures you had in store for them. But I would suggest a good hot bath and good night sleep first, if you know what I mean?" Stringham gave them a wink and the girls giggled as they looked at us boys and started to lick their lips. Cindy whispered something in Mr. Stringham's ear, and he smiled, giving each of the girls a kiss as they hurried and packed for a quick little retreat.
It was almost five in the morning when we heard that my mother had been found and has been detained trying to leave the State of Utah going after her daughters. After finding out that my father had put them on a bus heading for Nebraska. It was where my mother was born and raised. It was still unclear if my father wasn't also on the bus. It didn't help matters that the bus had at least a twelve-hour head start, according to the Gray Hound Transit Authorities.
It would be at least another three hours before my mother would return. Even longer for my sisters, now that the bus had been notified. That two or three of the occupants were to be returned by a police escort. Once they stopped for quick pit stop, as the police check the bus with the photos and prints of each person. If you remember the schools had the police department visit schools and fingerprint every kid just in case they kidnapped, they could be identified. My father's fingerprints, as well as mine, were on file at Santaquin, and Provo police department and American Fork and Highland just in case I had run away from home. Not only were they in every police department in Utah County, they were in my State file and my picture, which was updated every six months.
Paul had just gotten off the phone with his wife, telling her he and the boys were safe and everything that had happened. He didn't ask. Instead, he invited himself along. Only to have Stringham tell him that it would be best if he went home to his wife and family. I saw the hurt in his eyes, but he said he wanted to go because my mother might need him.
I cringed hearing that, but Stringham said. "No, not without your wife. Am I going to let you come with us?" He clearly said that not a single woman or girl here would allow him to have sex with them without his wife being present. He said. "We do not condone love affairs or mistresses and we do not keep secrets from our spouses or our husbands. We are not going to my home to have wild sex parties, if that is what you are thinking."
He didn't mention the fact he was already keeping my mother's sex life a secret and none of us brought it up. Bishop Earl said he would watch over my brother. Since he wasn't in any danger like the rest of us and gave his permission to let Greg, Cindy, and Chad go with us, but they had to be back by Monday night.
The same went for my new friends, Ben, Sandy, and Heidi. The helicopter only allowed eight passengers per trip, which meant only one helicopter was already taken with Adam, Jake, Billy, and me as well as Adam's two sisters Samantha and Christy, and Jake's sister Fran plus Sparky. Everyone else would either have to ride in the other helicopter or wait for other transportation.
Mr. Stringham made the choice that a person who had family at risk would go first. Everyone else would go home so they could pack what they would need for a one-week stay. While they sorted out this mess, and how to deal with it in the coming days, until the responsible parties were caught.
Just because he and Dave were rich didn't mean a free ride for everyone in the world. He wasn't running a hotel. With all-you-can-eat room service, which was quite understandable. Paul said that he was willing to rent a van if he had to, just so he could look after my mother because my father had refused to. The question was why, and the other question was going to look after my two sisters, because obviously that my father couldn't be trusted with their care.
Stringham said he had a point, but that could be easily taken care of once they arrived back here and stay at their friend's houses. Paul laughed at the idea and said. "Yeah right, like Jim couldn't try again to make sure they stayed there. Twice he had tried to send them far away just so Linda couldn't influence them.
He's already started to file papers to state Linda is a bad mother and have Aaron be placed in foster care and put up for adoption, right under her very nose, as well as have her committed to the mental hospital. Just so Jim could be free of her and his two boys without having to go to court and divorce her. She's already lost one boy already; the second one would be no trouble. While he raises his two daughters on his own and takes everything she has worked for. Over the last two years."
Stringham asked if he had a better idea. He smiled and said. "Leave them with his wife, for now. No one knows where we live, we were not listed in the phone book. The only one that knows where we live is you Mr. Stringham and Bishop Earl, because it's on that damn contract that my wife and I signed to get into your little club in the first place. If my boys and I aren't here, who could we tell if they happen to come back looking for us? Now that they know who I am and who my boys are." I knew it was blackmailing the moment he said it.
Stringham blinked, asking him. "So, you are telling me if I don't take you with us you are going to tell the entire world and where they can find us? Just to make our life more difficult and not only for Bishop Earl and his family but for everyone here."
Paul nodded said. "Yes, that's right … think about it. I know your names, and I know where each of you lives. All I have to do is open a phone book and find the same people who are looking for you. I could drive up to Highland in forty-five minutes and ask for Crawford by name and spill everything. True, I'd be kicked out of your little nudist's club, but I am sure I would be paid for the information once I had contacted the right people."
I said it before anyone else. "Paul, you are such an asshole and a royal pain in my ass. You wonder why people here don't like you and want nothing to do with you." Everyone nodded in agreement and the arguing started all over again.
I remembered something Stringham said to me regarding his large estate and all the work it takes to keep it clean. After all, I have seen some of the bills. So, I whispered in Mr. Stringham's ear about how we could keep the monster's dick in his cage.
Stringham smiled and gave a loud whistle, shushing everyone. He said. "Fine, you want to come that bad. You come as long as I have your wife's permission. But I have some conditions of my own.
"The moment you betray us, your ass will be mine, and may God help you when I come after you. And like everyone else, you pay your own way by working for me, without a single complaint, in return for my services. Everyone here knows I give nothing away for free. But since you are who you are. An asshole, a major dick that nobody here likes and not one of my friends, you won't be getting a discount other than a fair wage for your services.
"I understand you clean carpets for a living. I have thirty-six to fifty sizeable rooms at my estate that could use a good cleaning. I also think in light of the situation that my friends here would love it if you cleaned their carpets as well. Starting with Linda's house, and Bishop Earl's house. I will draw papers the moment we arrive at my estate and you sir will sign them, with no fuss. Or I will prosecute you for trying to blackmail me and my friends here. I have many friends that will make sure your life becomes a living hell.
"So, I will have someone escort you to go pick up everything you have brought with you at Linda's house. And put your two boys onto the helicopter the moment they arrive. While I make arrangements with your wife regarding our arrangement. You have three hours to gather everything you are going to need to do the job I am hiring you to do.
"I'll even provide the transportation to and from the estate once you arrive and I will also provide the help you will need to complete the jobs I am assigning you to do. If you're not back here in three hours. I will withdraw our agreement. I will help your wife file divorce papers and send your ass packing for cheating on her and blackmailing me and my friends."
Stringham wrote down the time the second he left out the door with his escort back to my mother's house and to his own home for the supplies he was going to need. He was willing to pay for the cleaning supplies. To make sure he wasn't going to be cheated by some water-down product, but the equipment would be his own problem, and his work will be checked to make sure he got his money's worth.
The one thing he didn't mention was where on the estate Paul would be staying. All he said was he would be staying on his estate. I watched as Mr. Stringham picked up the phone and called his wife; he told her everything regarding what her husband tried to do, and according to the conversation she agreed to the terms, adding one or two minor details, which was no sex with anyone and that included my mother.
And the second would be Stringham would help find them a good marriage counselor before they file for divorce. Unlike my parents, their marriage still had a chance of working out. None of us had any hope when it came to my father. My mother may be willing to try, but I knew my father. He rather kill her and us or see to it that my mother ended up on some funny farm rather than divorce her.
Dad drove back home to help pack and make sure everything was taken care of. Giving Mom his seat so she could be there if I needed her. In fact, all the fathers did likewise. Except for Bishop Sakes, he told his boys to go and his daughter. Stating he needed to be there for his new ward members, and he had lots of work that needed to be done to get our new ward running like a well-oiled machine. Stringham said he would send two of his best bodyguards to watch over him, in case Crawford or his followers try to harm him in any way. He had already hired several men to watch our neighborhood, and so far, there hadn't been any more vandalism as of yet.
Most likely because they decided to strike here in hopes of putting the fear of God in us if they could kidnap us and hold us for ransom as they torture us. The question on everyone's mind was how did they know that Adam, Jake, and Billy came with me? The only ones that knew about it were their parents and they were all staying at my Rothwell home until they could move back into their own homes. I knew it had to be someone close, but I didn't know who at the time. So, for now, I will leave it a mystery.
I did; however, I had another mystery to solve as Michael and Robert got ready to go. The moment their Dad came back from my mother's house with their belongings. The question I asked was how they were able to get into my room without a key. Considering I had the only key to my room when I was visiting, and that key was around my neck or at the time locked inside Greg's room. Everyone was quiet when I asked the boys, even my brother Aaron I held accountable.
I cringed when Aaron said. "Mom made me a key, so when you weren't home, I had a safe place to go to when my father was in one of his moods," Stringham asked if it was the only key she made, considering she didn't come to his store to make any copies because if she did, he wouldn't have done it. Aaron said he didn't know.
Stringham said. "Well, then I guess we need to change the locks. I was going to anyway after the break-in today. So, after I put you boys onto the helicopter, and I will just quickly go up and do it." Aaron looked hurt because everyone was going, and he wasn't.
Stringham said seeing the hurt in his eyes, asked why he was sad when he was going to have the best weekend ever at his big house. Like me Stringham had a soft spot for him, Aaron's face lit up the second he heard it and gave me the biggest hug. Like me, Aaron had his own little wardrobe here because he spends more time here than he does at home. Mrs. Earl hurried and packed him a little suitcase while the helicopters landed and sent out our luggage first.
I knew what it meant to have my brother come with us. It meant my mother would have to be on a tight leash if she wanted to join us once she returned. I knew Stringham, and I knew my Dad, and I knew without a doubt she was going to get a stern talking-to for leaving us high and dry. When she was supposed to be watching over me, not going on some wild goose chase without telling us.
She could have told us what had happened, and we could have done something about it. After all, she does have friends here. Stringham could have easily sent a helicopter for her and my sisters, but instead, he wanted her to think long and hard about what could have happened once she was told about the break-in and the attempt to kidnap me and my friends. The very people she had promised she would look after.
It didn't matter that she left us here or the fact we were well protected. What was worse was Aaron and the Cranny's could have been harmed when they broke into her house looking for us. She needed a wake-up call and Stringham was going to make damn sure that she got one. When she discovers that I and my brother, as well as my friends who should have been under her protection, are missing. My sisters weren't in danger. They were put on a bus where no harm could come to them.
I quickly retrieved Sparky from the backdoor of the patio as I watched some of the people that Stringham had hired help to set up the party and take down mine and Jake's tent. We could have done it, but we were told not to leave the house for any reason. That way we were altogether not running around taking the chance if someone snuck through and tried to kidnap us.
It was unlikely that it would have happened, but why test fate? We already had one close call, as it was. We were just plain lucky that no one knew that I and my friends were spending the night at Bishop Earl's house. Like I said someone knew about our plans or they wouldn't have shown up at my mother's house looking for us.
It bothered me as I thought about where all that blood came from. I knew it wasn't human blood. So had to come from some defenseless animal. I did ask if they left the slaughtered animals inside my mother's house. Stringham said he and Bishop Earl weren't going to tell me if they did or not.
The way he said it said they did because I knew if it was the same people that vandalized my Rothwell home and my friend's home. I had very little doubt that they did the same to my mother's home or they would have let me go inside and not placed blindfolds on the boy's eyes as they brought them out.
I only prayed it wasn't someone's pet, like their dog or cat. I couldn't live with the fact that I saw the neighbor's dog or cat nailed to my mother's walls and gutted, as I had seen in at my Rothwell home. I hated the fact that my own neighbors were cruel enough to do such a thing.
I questioned how Crawford could live with himself or be a bishop that everyone was supposed to trust enough to come to him in their time of need. Instead, he is nothing more than a man seeking power, forcing himself and others on children and raping them in the name of God seeking true spiritual enlightenment. Instead, he sends them to hell and sells their very souls to get them to do anything he asked them to do or face his cruel justice.
I knew somehow, he would pay for his crimes. All criminals think they are untouchable until they make the one mistake that puts them in prison for the rest of their lives. Eventually, he was going to get caught, and with nowhere to run as they hunted him down. I smiled, thinking about that moment where he found himself trapped, like he had trapped all his victims. Man, I was tired, not just for a very long day of no sleep, but tired of playing his game.