Chapter 6

Around midday the last trailer was pulled into the empty lot where everything would be set up for that night, but before the supplies could be pulled out a group of five men walked up to the men unloading. One came to Chris and frowned at him.

"Where is your manager, son?"

"He's in there, sir." Chris pointed a trailer, frowning as well.

"Why do you need to talk to him?"

"This is none of your business, son." The men pushed past Chris and to the trailer. One knocked on the door, and Larry came out. He plastered on a smile for the men, and led them inside with one hand. When they came back out a few minutes later, Larry had an evil scowl on his lips, and a piece of paper in his hands.

"Everyone, stop working, right now! We have to leave on to the next city, right now! Apparently we aren't welcome here." He glared at the backs of the men as they left.

"Food's coming out of all of your paychecks today!" He trudged back into his trailer, and everyone gasped.

"That's not fair! I have children to feed!" One man came pounding at Larry's door.

"You can't do that!" Larry didn't open up, and the man ran around the back in a huff. The rest watched him leave and then went back to work, loading the trailer back up.

"We'll eat and then leave. I'll pay for Mike." JC went back to where the other man had run to as the rest of the men sat down in the dirt, talking to each other.

"I hate when Larry's mad. He always takes it out on us."

"He takes it out on everyone. He's like a walking time bomb. He could go off at any time."

"He seems especially mad today. I'm staying in my trailer. I'm telling you guys, we're gonna see some bad stuff tonight."

"Ever since you started going out with a fortune teller, you've been spoutin' shit like that."

"I'm telling you guys, tonight is gonna be the night. Something major is going down right under our noses, and it's inside the that trailer." He pointed toward Larry's trailer and then got up to leave.

~

That night was met with a stroke of thunder and the patter of rain. Most people stayed outside their trailers though. The light rain was welcome after weeks of intense heat.

"So, Jim, where's this bad stuff that was gonna happen tonight, huh?"

"It's coming." Right after his mouth shut, a terrible scream was heard from the back of the line, and all of the men walking around, ran towards it. At first all anyone could see in the dark was a struggling lump lying in the mud, but then it came to life and 'the satyr' rolled away from Larry, dragging himself by his arms. Larry jumped up though and pinned him to the ground.

"Don't you know to knock?!" Justin closed his eyes and attempted to pull away.

"Answer me!" Larry's eyes flamed from within, and then turned away from Justin as a voice was heard from the retreating trailer.

"I'm so sorry, Justin." Lance stood at the open door, with his pants pooled around his ankles, attempting to hide behind the meager molding of the doorway.

"You, get back in there right now!"

"Yes, sir." Lance started to walk back in, but then lost his balance as the wheel hit a stone, sending him tumbling into the mud, his pants still around his ankles. The men all gaped at Lance, and he blushed, as he pulled his knees up to cover his nakedness.

The men's attention was then pulled back to Justin as a punch was swung against his jaw, and he howled out in pain.

"You just never learn, do you?!" Finally the men were pulled out of their daze, when Joey ran up behind them, and yelled into their ears.

"Aren't you going to help them?!" Chris took one look at Justin and then ran to his side, wrapping his arms around Larry's neck, and Joey went to Lance. He helped him up, and then pulled up his pants, buttoning them for him.

"Thank you, Joey." Joey gave him a hug, and then pushed him in the direction of the awe-stricken workers as he ran to Justin. He blushed as they stared at him, and then ran to get JC from his trailer. He hadn't stopped Larry from hurting him again, but he would save Justin. When he left, Joey joined in on the fight to get Justin away from Larry. It was now a giant mass of men grabbing at Larry's neck, trying to force him away from Justin's blood soaked, shivering form.

Once they had Larry successfully subdued, JC walked up with Lance trailing close behind. He walked up to his uncle's side, and looked him straight in the eye, with a fire of his own.

"Larry, I'm getting the police, and I'm showing them the proof that you have been abusing employees when we get to the next town." It was said very slowly and confidently, as if it meant nothing out of the ordinary.

"What proof?"

"Oh, Larry. We have physical evidence up the wazoo. Any doctor can tell you that. We also have all of these witnesses. Will you all agree that he's been abusing employees?" The men glanced at each other and then at Justin skeptically.

"Oh please. You all know how long this has been going on. You've all heard the rumors, the screams at night. It's always been true, and it's true now. You can't deny that." A man stepped forward and raised his hand.

"They're all true? The ones about the beatings, and the ones about the . . . about him?" He jerked a thumb toward Lance, who quickly moved behind a trailer.

"They're all true. Every last one that you've heard . . . Come on, Lance. Stop hiding back there." Lance stepped out of the shadows, and walked over to Justin's side, falling to his knees. He blocked out the prying eyes of the men around him and swallowed hard, trying to compose himself. He looked into Justin's eyes, and then looked back up at JC.

"Is he gonna be okay?"

"We're all going to be okay, now."

Epilogue