The Darker Side Of The Moon
Book 4 of The Black Moon series
Chapter 23: This Is Really Him...

Gary's POV – Tuesday 25 August 2015

Jeremy is on all fours on a punishment bench, all his limbs tightly tied with straps that forbid him to move an inch. I can see his flaccid penis dangling between his thighs, secured in a metal cage. I can't see his face, but my poor boy is crying heavily, his chest heaving with sobs. He seems to be in terrible pain. His entire body is streaked with whipping marks but what catches my attention is the substance oozing from his gaping hole. A mix of white liquid and dark blood. A wave of nausea washes over me, making me throw up anything but bile.

Why can't I reach out to him?

Why can't I touch him and comfort him!

I want to take care of my love and soothe him! I want to protect him! But I just can't! It seems like my feet are embedded in the ground, they just won't allow me to move and close the distance between us! I hate this paralyzed state I am in. Things only worsen when he shows up, smirking and squinting at me with the evilest eyes.

Those pale blue eyes.

"I need another round! See how hard he makes me? Mmm... I'm going to rip his ass off again!" he booms as he turns around and heads toward Jeremy's rear. I scream in fury, but my voice is muffled by something stuck in my mouth.

This is when I wake up with a start in my business class seat, on the plane that is taking me back to Chicago. My back is drenched in a cold sweat that has my shirt sticking to my skin. I can feel a few tears wetting my cheeks, that I quickly wipe with my hands while I try to calm down my heavy breathing.

"Are you alright, Sir?" a stewardess asks with concern, suddenly by my side.

No, I'm not alright. As compassionate and kind as she may look, I cannot tell her why I'm not alright. I cannot tell her about this nightmare I just woke up from.

"Yeah... Sorry. I'm all good..." I reply weakly, peeking around me.

The aircraft is fairly empty and only three other persons are crowding the business class of the Mexico – Chicago flight. Thank God, none of them seems to have noticed my distress, so I guess I didn't really scream in my sleep.

"Would you like a drink or something?" the elegant woman insists.

"A glass of water would be nice, please."

She comes back a minute later with my drink and returns to her occupations, leaving me alone with my gloomy thoughts. One more hour before we land in O'Hare airport. I just can't wait to get home and crash on the couch. The last two days in Mexico have been quite painful, though professionally productive as I got two contracts with new clients and four more with older ones. On a more private side, it's been a bit less exhilarating though.

The investigation on Jeremy's case was stalling but something significant happened a few days ago.

When Noah was rescued over a month ago, and revealed what he knew about his captors, the police and private detective focused their research on southern states. One reason was that Andrei had apparently decided to transfer the boys to Texas, so there were high chances he fled in that direction with Jeremy. The other good reason was the discoveries they made about the owner of the mansion where they were held captive, a certain Fabio Lipia.

Noah reported that this Lipia guy was Andrei's half-brother. There is nothing that proves their genetic bond in the official registers, but this is how they introduced themselves. From what I have read in the police report after Noah's questioning, I know how deep that motherfucker was involved in the slaves' lives and it seems like the two brothers have a lot in common in terms of evilness and sickness of mind. In any case, Fabio Lipia is the rich heir of an Italo-American businessman who lives off his late father's inheritance, and since most of his properties are located in southern states, this is where searches have been concentrated, but sadly, it hasn't yielded any positive result yet.

It was until a few days ago when Fabio Lipia was arrested at the airport of Seattle, about to board on a flight to Canada. Why was he in Washington when he was supposedly visiting his mother in Texas the weekend Noah was saved, this is a good question. Does it have anything to do with Andrei having some business in the Emerald City? And why was he flying to Canada? In any case, he is not as smart as his older brother since he was dumb enough to use his real passport at the customs! Not that I would complain since it allowed his arrest.

Of course, he has been cross-examined and grilled, but he has an army of lawyers supporting him, which makes things a bit more complicated. Unfortunately, this hasn't led the police anywhere yet, and the only information he dropped was about Andrei's ownership being located in Detroit, Chicago, Boston and Seattle, but we already knew that, and all these places have already been searched. The only good point is that his attempt at escaping to Canada opens new leads which I hope will yield better results and that despite his lawyers, this is one bastard rotting in jail since he was denied bail.

Andrei's businesses have been locked down, and his bank accounts frozen, but it seems like he had several identities and we can't be sure that he is completely destitute. All the same, one of my deepest fears is that he has run out of financial resources and decided to sell Jeremy on the human trafficking market. This would probably end all my hopes to get my love back...

This is why I couldn't help spending last night roaming the streets in the worst areas of Mexico City, almost hoping to see him in one of the gloomy bars or among the prostitutes. This might sound silly, but I couldn't miss the opportunity while I was there. Nothing would surprise me anymore and as far-fetched as it sounds, this is an option that we can't disregard. After what happened, I am expecting just about anything.

To think that over the last year and a half, he was here, only a few miles away from me, so close to reach, and that we never found him, it's just killing me!

I can't believe Andrei was able to hide him so well, never faulting the slightest bit. He was one of the first suspects after Jeremy's disappearance back in April last year. I know now that we had no way to catch him since he used an unofficial relative and he was always extremely cautious whenever he visited the mansion, but I can't resolve not feeling guilty. I should have sensed it. I should have had a detective follow him 24/7.

There is no way I could describe how much I loathe this man right now. He stole my love from me and abused him in ways that are intolerable. If only I could face him now, I would just kill him.

Scratch that.

I would confine him in the basement of my house, invite my sadistic friend Camden over, and we would both torture him endlessly until he dies of old age.

Just thinking about what he must have done with my Jeremy eats me inside. The facts related in the police report keep dancing in my head, barely leaving me any rest, which enhances constant nightmares where I see Jeremy suffer more and more. When I met with Noah, he did tell me how Jer tried to reassure him, saying that their hell could be even worse, but it doesn't help my anxiety. Andrei may have this crazy kink and not abuse his captives on a daily basis, it doesn't alleviate my fears for my sweet love.

Unfortunately, this conversation I had with Noah earlier this month hasn't done me only good, but I can only blame myself. I knew about the sordid things the boys went through in that mansion, because Tony had provided me with some details after Noah's rescue, and then, I also got to read the police report. But stupid as I am, I had to ask questions of which I already knew – or could have guessed – the answers, and hearing them from Camden's boy, his voice strained, was a whole different thing. It was like hearing truths I had denied so far, and it affected me more than the words pronounced by Joshua' head of security or read on a paper.

Ever since then, I have had these fucking nightmares each time I fall asleep. The scenery is not always the same, but the result is similar. All I can see is my love tied one way or another, his body bruised and bleeding. And there's never anything I can do to save him. That's just a reflection of the sad reality, but I just can't stand these nightmares anymore. In this respect, while the police and the private detective try to locate Jeremy, I have been doing what I am the best at. Drown into work. It keeps me busy since I feel so useless. And away from sleep.

Searching Mexico City was probably pointless – obviously, I didn't find Jeremy anywhere – but at least, I don't have any remorse for not trying. The only problem is that it added to my tiredness, physically and mentally, making me unable to fight against sleep when I precisely wanted to avoid that, especially on a plane.

I am in such a state of exhaustion that I really have a hard time staying awake in the cab that is driving me back home now. I know that all this strain I impose on myself is not serious, and I can feel how my body is protesting against the lack of sleep, but I am still trying to resist.

Once inside the house, I drop my suitcase by the staircase and fetch myself a glass of wine. The liquor burns my throat and makes my empty stomach churn, but I don't think I could swallow any food right now. After another glass, I pick up my luggage and head upstairs, to the guest bedroom and directly into the attached bathroom where I take a long and warm shower, hoping to remove some of my tension.

Sadly, I don't feel much better when I get out and pull on some sweatpants. I stop by the bed, sit down and take the little box that is sitting on my nightstand.

I don't open it, though.

I don't need to.

I know exactly what the jewel it holds looks like and I only wish it were around Jeremy's ring finger. But it's not. It's still here in its box. As tears pool in my eyes, I realize that we could have celebrated our first wedding anniversary this summer...

Fuck! I can't let myself get there. I need to stay strong!

Yet, I am so tired.

But I don't want to sleep.

I don't want the nightmare to kick in again.

I put the box back on the bedside table and head back downstairs to crash on the couch, where I let my mind drift back again to this conversation I had with little Noah.

Boy, this guy is so adorable and attaching! Now I understand why Camden fell for him!

From what Joshua told me a few days ago, their situation is progressively getting better. Their return to the Black Diamond went well, so it seems like their relationship is on a good path and I am sincerely happy about it. Even if they were in some sort of healing phase when I met them, I could tell how much they love each other and Camden's affection for his boy was truly impressive. For sure, my friend was nothing like the Sadist I used to know!

Although I wasn't too much in contact with Camden before the July events, Aaron always kept me updated with the most important information regarding his best friends, so I knew a little about Noah. The Master Dom often told me how these two made a perfect match, fulfilling each other's needs and urges. Obviously, they aren't back to where they were before drama hit them, it might take some time.

Though, I can't be sure. Camden is so deep into the BDSM lifestyle and I heard Noah embraced it very quickly too, so things might go faster than I think. In fact, Aaron believes they need it to get back on their feet, and as much as I think it's too soon, my friend might be right. The young man went through a difficult period of introversion after he was saved, and Camden's dominance apparently helped him to pull out of it, so perhaps it won't take that long before they return to their full Dom/Sub relationship.

Anyway, meeting Noah might have caused me some wrong, but it also soothed some of my worries. Hearing him tell me about Jeremy felt so good! When I showed him one of the last pictures I had of Jer, Noah said he has lost weight, but he assured me that he seemed to be in good health. His affection and worry for Jeremy touched me to the deepest, and I can barely hold my tears as I remember all the things he told me once I had relieved some of his own guilt. Because it was part of the purpose of my visit, and I'm glad I managed that well.

Noah avoided the harshest details of his captivity, which I am grateful for seeing how the little I asked for affected me enough. Hearing how the two boys interacted during these two weeks was hard, but I am so proud of Jeremy and the comfort he was able to provide Noah with. And vice versa.

I guess Jeremy wanted to repeat what he himself experienced with a previous captive...

After Noah's revelations about a certain Timmy whom Jeremy mentioned, the police searched the entire estate and found a tomb further into the woods. They excavated a coffin with the mortal remains of another young man who was there before Jeremy from what he told Noah. Unfortunately, we don't know anything about the poor boy's identity, but the autopsy revealed that he died of natural causes, not from a beating as we feared. I guess we will learn more when Andrei gets caught and questioned. Or from Jeremy when we find him.

Because we will find him. I can't have it any other way!

The ringtone of my phone suddenly pulls me from my thoughts. I am tempted to ignore it, but I still stand up to fish the device from the pocket of my jacket I had left on an armchair. My heart skips a few beats when I see Joshua's name display on the screen, as it always does. He is probably calling to check in on me like he does almost every day. Despite my gloomy spirits, I still answer the call.

"Hi Josh."

"Are you home?" he asks right away.

No greetings...

A voice that holds a lot of concern and tension...

It doesn't sound good and the tears I have been holding so far start spilling from my eyes.

This is it. This is the call I have dreaded the most. The one in which he is going to tell me that Jeremy's dead body has been found.

"Gary, are you home?" he insists softly.

"Yeah..." I manage despite the lump forming in my throat.

"Hey, go sit down if you're standing," he orders with his natural authority and I slump on the armchair beside me as cold shivers wash over me.

"You found him... right? Please tell me he didn't suffer..." I say, with a hoarse voice.

"Gary! He's not dead! He's alive!" he exclaims.

Right then, I break down in tears. I don't know anything yet and he might be in a very poor state, but the simple word alive is enough to give me hope.

Hope that I will be able to see him again.

Hope that I will be able to take care of him and mend the pieces.

As my horrible sobs prevent me from speaking, I hear Joshua's words of comfort while he tries to calm me down.

"Where is he?" I eventually manage to ask.

"He's in Cook, north of Duluth. And he's safe in a hospital."

"How is he doing?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know, Gary, that's the bad news. The doctor refused to give details over the phone, but she promised his life wasn't threatened."

"Thank goodness..." I breathe out before something inappropriately pops in my head, rising the anger within me. "How about that motherfucker of Andrei? Has he been caught? I need to see him! I want to rip his head off and..."

"Gary, Gary... Unfortunately, we still don't know where Andrei is," Joshua interrupts me. "We don't even know what happened exactly, where Jeremy was held or how he escaped. All we know is that he was found in the Superior National Forest by lumberjacks. We have no idea about Andrei's whereabouts, but this is not what matters..."

"Fuck!"

That's all I can think of when realization hits me. Of course this is not what matters! The important is that my love is free and safe! I can't wait to hold him in my arms!

"I need to go there now... I need to see him..."

"Listen, Gary. Tony has just left home and he's on his way to your place to pick you up. My company jet is being prepared at the moment, but the takeoff won't be scheduled before 1:00am for now; we're still waiting for the authorization to land in Cook. Tony is going there with you and another of his guys to watch over Jeremy's safety. So, grab a hold of yourself and go pack up a few things."

I actually have no words to express my gratefulness toward Joshua. They just remain stuck in my throat as I am overwhelmed by such generosity. Josh is a fucking wealthy businessman, much, much more than my father, but he's not one to show it off around every corner. He gives a lot to others, and not necessarily financially speaking. Well, allowing me to use his private jet is finance-wise extremely thoughtful, but letting his security manager accompany me is more than generous.

I bet Tony will want to investigate and see things for himself. He has been so involved in Jeremy's search over the last year and a half that it's only logical. I know how this has been eating him all this time and I have lost count of how many times he told me he was sorry for not finding him.

I eventually manage to pull myself back together and to express my gratitude to Joshua. Once we have agreed that he will contact his other friends to announce the good news, I quickly head back upstairs to pack up a few things and get ready. I try to avoid thinking about which state I'm going to find Jeremy when I get there, and when Tony shows up half an hour later, I am all ready to go. I just send a text to my assistant to cancel all my appointments and meetings for the rest of the week, telling her I will call her tomorrow, and another one to my father.

I'm about to call Philip and Megan Brown as well, Jeremy's parents, but I decide against it. I'd rather see what the situation is exactly before I alert them, and I hope to provide them with good news. The poor couple has had it hard too over the last year and a half, sickening themselves with fear for their son, so I don't want to worsen their worries until I find out how Jeremy is doing. I'll just call them as soon as I've seen him.

Tony has never been a very talkative guy, at least in my presence – quite like an old bear – and he doesn't have anything new to tell me. It appears that a John Doe that matched Jeremy's profile suddenly appeared in the databases yesterday, and the private detective immediately verified his identity, but that's all he tells me. He spends most of the three-hour-and-a-half flight sending emails and working on his laptop, also giving some instructions to Joachim, the guard accompanying us. I participate a bit, asking questions here and there, but I am mostly left brooding over my thoughts, with hundreds of questions filling my head.

What if the John Doe is not Jeremy? Where has he been since Noah was rescued? How has he been treated? Did Andrei take some sort of revenge after the events of last July? Did he beat him down? In what physical state am I going to find him? Physical damage can be repaired, but even worse, in what mental state is he going to be? One year and a half in confinement must have worn its toll on him and I sincerely hope I won't find a broken man.

I just can't wait to see him for real – hold him in my arms – and I swear to myself that I will do just about anything to mend the pieces in any case. But the worst questions that nag my mind are how resentful toward me is he for not saving him? And will he accept that I take care of him or is he going to reject me?

I don't know how I would deal with such a reaction. I could understand it, to be honest, but that would kill me. Jeremy has no idea of how much I have missed him and about all the efforts I have put through to find him, even if it wasn't enough, obviously. All I know is that I will do everything I can to buy myself back. I need to win his love and trust back!

When the jet lands in the small municipal airport of Cook, it hits me that I am only minutes away from seeing the man I love. I am still terribly scared of what I am going to face, but the loud thumps in my chest tell me about how eager I am. I have been waiting for this moment for so long!

A cab is waiting for us at the airport and drives us to the Cook hospital. The ten-minute ride feels like ages to me, only increasing my anxiety. However, as soon as we arrive, I force myself to gather all the strength I have, pulling up the strong dominant in me.

Despite the very early hour, we are ushered into the establishment and I am glad to see that even if it's a small hospital, they seem to have all the necessary ancillary services to deal with heavy traumas. They also have a helicopter air-ambulance to transfer seriously traumatized patients to higher care facilities, so I find reassurance in the fact that if Jeremy is still here, it means that his physical condition isn't too serious.

"Good morning, I'm Doctor Cawley," a young woman in a white overall greets us when we reach the inpatient department.

"Good morning, Doctor, I'm Gary Campbell, Mr. Brown's boyfriend," I reply before introducing Tony and Joaquim. "How is he doing?" I ask with a voice full of concern.

"Psychologically speaking, it's hard to tell. We've had to keep him sedated ever since he arrived here. Physically speaking, there is nothing too serious and he will recover rather quickly, I believe. I guess you would like to see him now?" she offers kindly.

"Please..." I reply with a strained voice.

Now is the time to see the love of my life for the first time after more than a year, and tears are already prickling my eyes.

"Gary..." Tony calls out softly, resting a hand on my shoulder just as the doctor is about to show us into the bedroom. "I think Joaquim and I are going to wait for a few minutes in the corridor to give you some privacy in this moment. Just call out if you need us. Will you be alright?"

"Yeah..." is all I can answer as a new lump is forming in my throat.

Tony squeezes my shoulder in a paternal gesture before he lets go of me and I turn around to walk into the bedroom.

The intense emotions that submerge me when I catch sight of the young man lying on the bed are hard to describe. I feel completely crushed while I go to stand on the left side of the bed and am unable to repress the heavy sobs that seize me at that moment. Grabbing his bandaged hand between my fingers, I let the overflow swamp me and endless tears flood my cheeks.

This is him.

This is Jeremy.

This is really Jeremy...

I cannot begin to express the huge pain in my chest when I see all the bruises and scratches on the visible parts of his body, and that's only his arms and his face for now. He is still the same, but I can tell that he has lost weight and his facial expression looks so weary and strained, even in his sleep, that it hurts me to the core.

There is no huge medical equipment supporting him. Just an IV planted in his right arm that feeds him from various bags of liquids. No impressive and noisy machines, which reassures me a bit.

There is also a lot of relief. Seeing him alive and touching him for real clearly lightens the heavy burden I have carried all this time. However, these seventeen months of sorrow and worry inevitably crush me and it takes a lot for me not to collapse. It actually takes Tony's hands on my shoulders to keep me from falling apart.

"He's safe now, Gary... Just keep that in mind for the moment," he says softly before he hands me some tissues, and that allows me to gather some courage.

I am grateful that the doctor allowed me this short moment of reunion with my love, standing at the back of the room, but now I need answers. I also realize that Jeremy's body is strapped to the bed with belts that restrain him.

"How much damage is there? And how did he get there exactly?" Tony asks to the doctor after a while. The young woman walks to the other side of the bed and begins to explain.

"This young man was brought to us by two lumberjacks who were on their way to work in the forest and found him wandering in the dark on the road. It was on Tuesday, very early in the morning, and they almost crashed him as he fainted before their eyes. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to talk to Mr. Brown yet, so we don't know what exactly happened to him, but he was barefoot and only wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. He had no ID at all and our first thought was that he had gotten lost in the forest. His exhaustion was such that it also took him over a day to wake for the first time. Then, we thought that someone, maybe his parents or friends, would soon claim him which is why it took us a few days before we reported him to the police."

"Was he wounded?" I ask.

"Like I said, nothing too serious. I don't know how long he wandered in the forest, but quite a few days I would say. He was in a severe exhaustion state and didn't wake up until the second day here like I said. He was also very dehydrated, had a lot of fever, and his body was covered with scratches and bruises, but apart from a sprained ankle, no broken bones or anything like that. The soles of his feet are the most damaged area obviously, but they will heal. Our other source of concern laid in other sorts of marks that we only noticed once the most recent scratches began to fade a bit..."

"What kind of marks?" Tony asks.

"Ropes I would say, around his wrists. And maybe a whip, in his back. Those have really faded and they're barely visible, apart from two discreet scars in his lower back. When we found out, we decided to call the police. We also performed a very strict check of his entire body, but we didn't find anything in particular..."

"Has he been... raped... recently?" I whisper.

"Not in the last few days at least, but the signs would have disappeared if it happened more than several days ago. There weren't any anal fissures or bruises. To be fair, I'm expecting some answers from you as well. This young man has been a total mystery for us until yesterday late evening and other than his identity, the police hasn't told us much... I don't know what happened to him exactly, but I have a feeling he's been through a lot and I'm quite concerned by his mental state. Much more than by his physical damages," the doctor says expectantly.

I still have a hard time processing all this information I just heard. I feel like I am on an automatic mode while my brain is registering all the data. I do hear the doctor's question but I'm not sure I am capable of relating anything to her. Tony and I exchange a long silent look and after I have nodded at him, he begins to explain the situation to the doctor. Without going into details, he tells her how Jeremy was abducted a year and a half ago and was held captive all this time, abused sexually by at least three men. Weirdly enough, Jeremy is getting a bit more agitated in his sleep right now and I squeeze his hand a bit tighter in comfort.

"We believe that he recently escaped from them, but we don't have further explanations about that," Tony concludes.

"Dear God..." the horrified doctor whispers. "Now I understand better his... reaction each time he woke up..."

"What do you mean?" I ask, flicking my eyes back to her as Jeremy begins to whimper in his sleep.

"Well, it happened only twice, but each time, it was rather impressive. He woke up screaming and in an extreme state of stress. He was uncontrollable, had pulled on his IV... like in a panic attack. We had to sedate him right away the first time and strap him up so that he wouldn't injure himself the following time. The second time was even worse... We could hear his shrilling screams from other areas of the hospital. We have kept him sleeping since then, but I think it shouldn't be long until the sedative effects fade now. Since we knew you were coming, we didn't add more yesterday evening. Hopefully your presence will reassure him..."

"Jeremy was confined for a year and a half and from what we know, it has involved a lot of... tying...," I say thoughtfully. "Do you really think that the strapping is helping? I would think it rather only adds stress to him and..."

I don't have time to finish my sentence because Jeremy's whimpers suddenly transform into piercing screams that nearly deafen me. My love still has his eyes closed, but he is thrashing within his restraints, shouting unintelligible words. I can see the doctor prepare a new syringe, but I don't want her to put him back to sleep. We need to hear him. I need to speak with him.

"No! Wait!" I shout at her, at the same time beginning to unbuckle the straps restraining Jeremy. Tony hurries to the other side of the bed, understanding what I am trying to do, and frees his other arm. "Jer... Jer... It's me... It's Gary... You're safe, Baby... Please calm down..." I tell him, feeling more tears pool in my eyes.

I just hate seeing him suffer and panic like this, this is such a painful sight that it breaks my heart. A few seconds later, I am able to sit him up a bit and to pull him into a tight hug, but he keeps writhing in my hold, his eyes closed.

"Mr. Campbell... We can't let him get into such a panic attack!" the doctor says with compassion.

"Please let me try!" I insist a bit louder to cover Jeremy's screams, tightening my hold around him. "Please Jer... Baby, that's Gary... You're free now... You made it!" I encourage him, hoping he can hear me through the chaos in his head.

I sense a tiny progression, but his body is far from relaxing for now. I don't know what goes through my own head at that moment, but the words are out before I can think twice.

"Pet! Calm down!" I shout louder and with the strongest authority I can manage.

Fuck!

How could I say that?

How could I call him this after what he has gone through?

The BDSM lifestyle is probably the last thing he wants to experience after seventeen months with a Sadist! Despite all the noisy turmoil in the bedroom, I can hear the doctor's gasp and feel her eyes bore into my skull.

Shit, this is not good!

Published on Tuesday 6 February 2018

Oopsie... Gary messed up a bit here. Hope you still enjoyed the first part of their reunion, because this is such relief for Gary after this year and a half, and it feels good to see our old Tony again. I just love this secondary character too much to let him go.

I'll see you on Saturday morning for the next update in Jeremy's POV. We'll see if things go as you expect... Probably not :p

Quick note on the chronology: Now that we have reached the timeline of the last chapter of Twisted Moon (not including the epilogues of course), I'll put the chronology in a separate chapter that will stay at the end of the book and that I will update as I post new chapters so that you can refer to it if needed. Like I said, The Darker Side Of The Moon ends in April 2016, which means that it crosses over Aaron's second book and Twisted Moon 2, so it might help you see clearer. Don't expect too many spoilers, though. Mostly teasers... ;)