Nodding, Gordy whispered, “I loved her so much.”
“Loved? Did something happen to Maxine?” Gunner asked.
Sniffing and wiping away tears he hadn’t even known were falling, Gordy answered, “My father killed her to get to me.”
“Oh, sweet baby, I’m so sorry.” The dragon gasped, immediately standing and coming to Gordy. Kneeling by his side, Gordy felt it as one of the dragon’s wings wrapped around Gordy, comforting him.
Giving the dragon a small smile, Gordy whispered, “Thank you.” Then continued to explain, “Being a culinary student, you wouldn’t believe how much math is required. We need it for measurements that can get complicated in certain recipes, as well as financial management for where we might be working, or if we are running our own restaurants. I was home for spring break and my mother had made a comment about how she didn’t understand why I would want to be a chef of all things. I told her how much I loved cooking and baking. She told me that I was too much like her mother, and one thing led to another and she let it slip that my grandmother had even written her own cookbook back in the day. It was in my father’s library.”
Gunner got up, saying, “Hold that thought. I’m going to get us some waters. It’s really getting fucking hot in here.”
It didn’t take long for Gunner to go into the kitchen and come out with three bottles of water. One had a straw in it. He handed that bottle to his dragon, and then handed Gordy a bottle after removing the lid. “So I take it you went searching for the cookbook, but found something else?”
Nodding, Gordy took a long drink, then said, “Yeah. Father wasn’t home so I went into the library and started searching. His library is huge… why? I don’t know. I’ve never seen the man read a book in all my years living there. I figured it was more for show or something.” Looking at Gunner, he commented, “You know, for like clients and stuff.”
Gunner only nodded, saying, “I take it you didn’t find the cookbook but something else instead?”
Snorting, Gordy replied, “Oh I found the cookbook. However, inside I found something else with it.”
“Okay, I take it whatever you found wasn’t good.” Gunner’s maharishi said, more as a statement then a question as he pulled a footstool closer and placed his wing back around Gordy.
“I was really excited when I found my grandmother’s cookbook, but I knew if my father found me in his library he would get pissed, and there was nothing worse than having that man’s attention on me, so I grabbed it and went straight to my room, figuring he wouldn’t notice the book gone. I mean, not only because it was a cookbook and my father didn’t even try and boil water for tea, but because there are like a thousand books in the library. Surely he wouldn’t miss one measly book.”
“I take it that it wasn’t a measly book after all?” Gunner asked.
Shaking his head, Gordy said, “The cookbook was just that, however, there was a flash drive inside the cover of the cookbook. When I noticed it, I did what anyone would have done.”
“You looked to see what was on it?” Gunner asked.
Nodding, Gordy said, “There was a bunch of names, numbers, and dollar amounts, and at the end of the book was a computer log in with password. It took me a minute to realize what I was seeing.”
“Your father was a bookie?” Gunner’s dragon asked.
Shaking his head, Gordy felt his voice catch. “N-No. Wo… worse. He is a modern version of a brothel keeper.”
Gunner’s eyes widened. “Say again?”
“You know how women have call girls that they notify when a man… or woman, I guess, wishes to have sexual company?” Gordy asked, showing his discomfort of the subject by looking everywhere but at Gunner or the dragon, and playing with a nonexistent string on his jeans.
Nodding, Gunner replied, “Yes.”
“Well, my father is the male version of that. I don’t know, I think he would be called a pimp, but… but that just doesn’t sound right. The list I found were names of both men and women, ages, cost and client contact numbers. The thing of it is, many of the people on that list were underage and… and the names were some of the most prominent of society. There were even some dignitaries on that list.”
“What did you do with this information?” The maharishi asked.
Snorting, Gordy said, “I didn’t know what to do with it. I mean I know I should have given it back, but seeing the ages of those boys and girls… I just couldn’t. I went to the only person I thought could help me.”
“Maxine.” Gunner said without question.
Nodding, Gordy wiped a tear that fell, roughly saying, “She told me to take the flash drive to the authorities. She said those poor children shouldn’t have to suffer a moment longer.”
“So did you?” The dragon asked.
Shaking his head, Gordy whispered, “I didn’t have a chance to really do anything, but hide it at the time. I knew I couldn’t put it back and forget what I’d read, and Maxine was right. Those poor people shouldn’t have to suffer another day.”
Taking a moment to collect himself as the memory of that day assaulted him, Gordy finally said, “My father had come home and instantly knew I had taken the book. I don’t know how. Maybe because it was a cookbook and I would be the likely person to have taken it. We heard him screaming my name. I’ve never heard him so angry. Maxine opened a drawer, told me to shift and get inside and not to come out for any reason. I did it without question. She tossed her cell phone in with me and I could see it was on record. She left the drawer slightly ajar, I guess so the recording on her phone could pick up the conversation.”
The maharishi rubbed Gordy’s back gently, saying, “Just take your time. Gunner and I are here with you and you’re safe now.”
