The 'Cousins'

Chapter 101 (bravo) - Discord in the Camp (contd.)

A/N: The following part-chapter concludes the stand-off between Kyler and Felix Gleitner, late on Friday night.

Discord in the Camp (contd.)

In a microsecond Felix's brain told him, 'If Kyler quits over this, how will you manage the Sunday shoot without him?' He was about to launch himself at the boy, but stopped, straightened his fists and swallowed the invective he was about to deliver.

Gleitner's manner changed and instead of his hands beating the boy, they lifted him into his arms from where Kyler sat on the bed, hunched forwards in his misery. Felix spoke in a fatherly, comforting voice.

"Never mind son and you're right, ... you always deliver and you've never let me down. You did good so far tonight, like you always do, an' it was mostly your organizin' that got the job done. ...We just got ourselves Mickey Stovic left to settle tonight to finish off a great day."

Felix caressed Kyler's head and shoulders with his hand. The youth buried his face into his capo's shoulder and sobbed while the man held the boy tight and continued praising him in a softer, gentler tone of voice. Kyler's arms went around his man to lock them both in a gentle, swaying embrace. The unaccustomed platitudes continued to flow out of Felix.

"I shouldn't tell you this, but you're so good you make me forget you're only eighteen. I been real hard on you, not only tonight, but other times too, an' I wanna apologize."

Kyler looked up at the man in surprise. Felix had never spoken to him or acknowledged his efforts before. For the first time he felt needed, and an important part of the Gleitner enterprise. Its effect took him instantly out of his immediate distress and a wave of affection for Felix washed through the boy to displace the antipathy he had harbored for the man.

"Do you really mean it?" Kyler's voice was firmer, more confident and edged with excitement. The little boy was no longer present in the room.

"Sure I do, I been much too hard on you. I've been expecting too much from you, ... takin' you fer granted 'cos I know you'll always get the job done. Do you want to know why I'm so heavy with you?"

Kyler sniffled, and rubbed his nose on his knuckle. "No, why d'you do it?"

Felix brought a quiver into his voice as he spoke. "It's because every time I look at you, I see the son I never had. If I could've had a son, I'd want him to be just like you, every bit just like you. ... Never mind about you bein' queer an' all. It don't matter to me. B'sides we could use it in the business. That's why I'm hard on you. To me, you're the family I ain't got."

Kyler stepped back to regard the man in shock for a second and then pressed himself into the man's arms, hugging him tight.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Sure I do. And I 'preciate what you do here; this operation'd be nothin' without you. I just don't know how we're gonna keep things goin' here at the Truck Stop when you've gone on to college. I might have to ask you to come over a few nights from Lincoln to help out here."

Kyler chuckled and lightly beat Felix around the shoulders, all vestiges of his distress had vanished.

"You think so Felix. You think I'm that good. But you won't need me here; you'll have the newbie's in the string for next year – Jess and Ethan Cartwright. They'll be doin' the business fer you down here while me, Billie-Joe an' Leon'll be handling it fer you in Lincoln."

Felix came away from the boy, turning half around, his face pinched into a serious expression. "I'm glad we got that sorted out, but it still leaves us in one helluva hole fer tonight with Mickey Stovic. It's him that gets the other drivers to come on here to Bamptonville instead of stopping over at the bigger places on the I-80. If he turns against us, it could be curtains fer our operations here. That's not jist you boys, it's the girls and the women too."