Safe?.... Hardly! (Re-edited for easier reading)

The light was so bright and hot, and close, that Gerard quickly realised that he was being blinded, maybe permanently, and he whimpered at the thought. Of all the things Bert had put him through, taking his sight was possibly the cruellest, because that would mean he couldn't draw. That, of course, was if he even lived through this nightmare.

Shaking from the cold and blind terror, (no pun intended), Gerard tried to think of happier things. His mind drifted automatically to Frankie, to his infectious grin, and his large hazel eyes, that shone and sparkled like diamonds when he smiled. To his warm arms that he would wrap around Gerard's thin body and comfort him when the horrors grew too much. To his tattoos, that Gerard loved to trace with his fingertips after his Frankie had made love to him, each telling a story, and a few, as Gerard had learned, sending secret messages just for him.

But he wouldn't see those eyes, or that grin, or the tattoos again, and somehow he knew this was the end for him. Even if he made it out of here, he'd probably end up killing himself anyway.
Frankie had saved him before, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to again. Gerard thought about the first time he'd saved him, all those years ago, and he couldn't help but smile, just a little...

Why the fuck was this jerk beating him up?
It was his first fucking day, and already he had his own bully.
Fuck, that one really hurt.
Gerard started to see spots, his vision was blurring, and he could taste the metallic flavour of blood in his mouth. On the verge of passing out, he felt himself being hauled up off the ground, and shoved inside a locker, shit, did kids really do that?
As the door was slammed shut, and the bastard banged his hand against the metal, causing Gerard's ears to ring painfully, the injured boy finally slipped into unconsciousness.

Some time later, though he didn't know how long, he woke, to the locker door being opened, and as he was apparently leaning against it... he promptly fell out, right on top of a small boy.

"Woah! Shit dude, what the hell?"

The boy squeaked, pushing Gerard roughly off of his legs, and rubbing the back of his head. Gerard dropped his head and shuffled backwards on his hands and knees, then sat back, pulling his knees up to his thin chest, and burying his face in his arms, shaking, and beginning to cry pitifully.

"Oh...hey, come on, don't cry, I ain't gonna hurt ya"

The boy moved towards him and placed a gentle hand on Gerard's shaking arm.
Gerard shot his head up, and the boy was just staring now, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. The boy cleared his throat, looking down at his hands, before looking back up at him.

"Hi, I'm Frankie."

The boy grinned.
Gerard hesitated a moment, then returned the smile.

"Hi, I'm Gerard"

Tears streamed from his useless eyes, as he prayed for death to take him in its boney black arms. He really couldn't take any more.

Some time later, Bert awoke, relieved and refreshed from his nap, and full of ideas for the day. Standing up off the sofa he'd been sleeping on, he crossed to the camera, and quickly ran through the footage. God, it made him hard just hearing all those screams and cries, and the end part, when he'd set up the light? Ooh, shivers!

Bert started recording again, and walked to Gerard's side.

"Hi"

He whispered in the shaking man's ear, causing him to jolt violently and cry out in terror. Bert giggled.

"Let's play"

Moving to stand behind Gerard, he pushed down the boxers he'd been sleeping in, and licked his lips. Oh, how he loved this part.
Grinning at the camera as he listened to the man beneath him scream and whimper, Bert decided that this second film would probably be his favourite, it was just so much fun to make.

When Bert finished and pulled himself out of the disturbed man below him, he returned to his table of toys, choosing a few items that he knew he'd enjoy.
Boy, it sure was going to be a long night!

Bert "played" all night, then stopped the recording and removed the memory stick, slipping it into an envelope, and writing Frank's details on the front once more. He hoped those kids were as good as there words, and would be in the same place this morning.
Leaving the shaking, twitching man tied to "The Chair", Bert stepped out into the early morning sunlight.

Half hour later, having paid them their agreed fee, Bert watched the same short boy ride off around the corner with the envelope clutched tight in his hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After sleeping in the guest room for several hours, curled up in Gerard's top, Frankie woke up and climbed off the bed, stretching his tired muscles, and listening to his joints pop.

Journals clutched to his chest, he made his way back to the living room, and his friends, who were all now asleep on the sofas, and the detectives, who were currently knelt at the coffee table, going through various notes on the case.

Frank cleared his throat to get their attention, and both the detectives turned his way.

"Guys..."

He began.

"I found these."

He held out the books for detective Blue to take.

"They're Gee's journals, the thin one is from when he was with Bert. I thought there might be something in them that could help"

Blue took the proffered books with a small smile.

"Thank you Frank, we'll go through them now. Don't worry, we won't damage them."

"How ya feelin'?"

Billie asked, observing the exhausted man before him.

"I don't know... I just... Ugh... Why'd this have to happen? Why Gee? What did he do to deserve this shit?... Sorry I just... Ugh..."

Frankie dragged his hands down his tired face, noticing absently, that he could really do with a shave, but knowing that putting a razor in his hand right now would probably not be a good idea.

"Coffee?"

He offered, at least he could be of some use.

Both detectives nodded their acceptance, so Frankie headed off to the kitchen, glancing at the clock on the wall, and blinking rapidly when he realised that it was nearly 8am already. Shit, he'd slept a long time!

As he quietly waited for the coffee to brew, Frankie started to play memories in his head. Memories of that vacation they'd taken a couple months back, when they'd gone to Jamaica, and had to spend most of their trip in bed with heatstroke. It had still been his favourite trip ever, cos it was with Gee.

Tears tracked down his cheeks as it dawned on him for like, the twentieth time since Gee had been taken, that there may be no more memories, no more vacations, no more kisses, no more talking nonsense til the sun came up, no more...anything.

"Frank?"

Billie was at the door.

"Sorry to disturb you, but could you come through? There's someone here."

Then he disappeared back to the living room.
Frankie wiped his eyes and sighed, this better be good.

On entering the room, he wasn't quite sure what he was seeing at first. Everyone was apparently now awake, detective Blue was restraining Bob, while Ray seemed to be sitting on Mikey, and there was a boy he didn't recognise, probably no more than 12 or 13 years old, huddled against the far wall, looking like he was about to cry any minute now.

"Frank?"

Billie spoke, as he stepped over to the boy.

"Frank, do you know him?"

Frank shook his head, no.
Billie grinned, holding up an envelope in his hand.

"I think we just got our first break."

Notes