Westpoint Tales
by Kiwi
Entangled Tales - 68 - Daniel
Daniel went out on Sunday, after ensuring that his aunt would take any messages. He walked out to the beach and sat despondently, on "his" rock for a few minutes, and then he rushed back home in case Tony had rung. He hadn't.
Sunday night and Monday morning he spent contacting everyone he could think of back in Warkworth, including the police and the cottage hospital. No-one had any news of his missing friend. He did get several garbled and conflicting stories about how Tony had been thrown out by his old man. Nobody knew why.
Monday evening, Peter and Jay came looking for him and he reluctantly agreed to go to practice at the Union Hall. The guitar was some solace, but he still couldn't stop thinking and worrying about Tony.
Tuesday, Toddy came looking for him, and he told him to fuck off, in no uncertain terms. So he did, but, after talking with Jay, he came back again on Thursday. They did manage to patch-up their friendship, but the sex part was definitely over.
Daniel was so worried about Tony by then that he had no time to think of anyone else. Toddy, basically one of nature's nice guys, was also genuinely concerned, but didn't what to do to help.
The week dragged on, and then on Sunday, Daniel went out for a walk, alone. He had no idea where he was going, just walking. He soon found himself down by the Square where a noisy, impromptu, game of touch rugby was going on. He couldn't be bothered joining in the fun, and just kept walking past. Lucas came bounding out from the running track and fell into step beside him.
"Hey Guitar-man, how's it going?"
"Hey Lucas. I'm fine, how're you?"
"I'm great, but if this is your happy face, then I'd hate to see you miserable one. What's this about Tones? Have you heard from our boy yet?"
"No, nothing. Not a thing - ing - ing - ing." Like a dam-burst, tears flooded out of him. His shoulders shook as he sobbed and stood in the street and cried.
"Hey, hey, Daniel!" Lucas wrapped his long arms around the crying boy and hugged him to his chest. "Easy, Daniel, easy. It'll be all right."
"It won't! It won't be all right." Daniel sobbed. "His father found out about us. He beat him. He beat him up and threw him out. He threw him down the stairs, and now he's gone and no-one knows where. I can't find him. I can't find him, Lucas! I'm so worried about him and I don't know what to do. I can't find my Tones!"
"Sit down here a minute."
Lucas pulled him down and they sat side-by-side on the edge of the sidewalk, feet in the dry gutter. Daniel continued sobbing as he told Lucas of his fruitless search for his missing best friend. Lucas sat holding him, one arm around his shoulders.
"Tones could be dead. It's been over a week and nobody's seen him. He could be lying in a ditch somewhere and I'll never know. And, it's all my fault!
Why hasn't he rung me? He knows where I am. If I find him and he's not dead - I'll fucking kill him!"
"Well, Dan'l, looks to me like you've done all you can do. This might be a job for - Ta daah! - Superboy."
"Superboy? Justin? No, I can't go bothering him again. He's got enough worries of his own, hasn't he?"
"Superboy's got his worries, yeah. But this might be just the thing to take his mind off his own problems. Come on, Daniel, let's go and see Justin."
Lucas towed him to his feet and he went with him, a bit reluctantly, around to the Adelphi Hotel.
They found Justin in his room, (where else?), and Lucas told him about Tony's disappearance and Daniel's fruitless search for him. Justin sat listening quietly, and then he turned to Daniel.
"Why has it taken you this long to come and see us?"
"I didn't want to bother you; it's not your problem. I don't see what you can do anyway, I've been looking everywhere."
"You shouldn't be carrying this on your own. Haven't you ever heard that two heads are better than one?"
There was a knock on the door and Jonathan's face appeared. "Justin? Oh. Hi guys. Didn't know he had company."
"It's okay, Jonathan. I think that you should hear this too."
"I think I just did actually. I was just coming to talk to you." He opened the door wide and looked back behind him. "Come in here, Kid. Look what Justin's got."
"Has he really?" John rushed in, and then stopped, disappointed.
"John!" Daniel stood up. "What are you doing here?"
"Same thing that you are, I'd say." Jonathan put a hand on John's shoulder, steering him into the room.
"John's just been telling me about how worried he is about his cousin and his cousin's missing boyfriend."
"Did you do that for me?" Daniel queried, touched by his cousin's concern.
"Yeah." John stood looking down at his feet as he mumbled. "You need help, Daniel. You can't do this on your own."
"John!" Daniel stood in front of him and, when he looked up, hugged him. "Thanks, Cuz. Maybe they can do nothing, but thanks for trying."
"'S'Okay, Cuz. Someone's got to do something before you lose it entirely."
"So, Guitar-man," Jonathan asked. "Why has it taken you so long to ask for help?"
"Exactly what I wanted to know," said Justin. "But he's here now, so what are we going to do?"
"I was hoping that you'd tell me that, Brother."
"We could start by going back to Warkworth and knocking a few heads together. How dare they treat our friend like that?"
"Exactly! We'll go and get hold of that father of his and get whatever he knows out of him."
"I don't know about that," said Daniel, pensively. "John Duncan's a really hard man and he's got a foul temper on him."
"Guitar-man," Justin grinned. "You ain't seen nothing yet. Wait 'til John Duncan sees what my Jonathan can do!"
"Amen to that." Jonathan grinned evilly. "And, when we find him, bloody Tony Duncan will be wishing that we hadn't. I'll kick his arse for him too. Stupid little shit can use a telephone, can't he? Why didn't he ring a week ago? He's going to be eating his meals standing up!"
"You fucking will not!" The distraught Daniel flared. "You lay one hand on my Tones and you'll be the one standing to eat - if you've got any teeth left!"
"Whooah, Guitar-man, settle down." Justin grabbed his arm from behind, but Daniel threw him off and swung around and yelled at him too.
"Get your fucking hands off me! We don't need you smug bastards sticking your noses in. I'll deal with Tones myself. Get the fuck out of my way!"
"Okay, okay Daniel. Settle down. Just calm down, we're all your friends here and Tony's friends too." Lucas, a bit shocked at his outburst, stood, hands raised, blocking the door, trying to calm things down.
"Friends? Anyone who lays one finger on Tones will answer to me!"
"I didn't really mean it, Daniel. I just meant that he should have called us - or anyone. Okay? Friends?"
"Okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose it. I'm just really on edge."
"Of course you are, Cousin." John squeezed his arm. "You've got a lot of balls, facing down Superboy and his brother."
"Lot of balls, maybe, but definitely no brains. Sorry Guys."
"It's okay, Guitar-man," Justin said. "You really like this friend of yours don't you?"
"I don't just like him, I love him. Stupid little shit - I'll be the one kicking his arse if we find him. I love him."
Jonathan grinned. "That makes it all worthwhile then, doesn't it? But first, we have to find him."
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