Homeless and hiding from his mother's abusive boyfriend, Davie -- along with his friend Grey -- accept an offer to move to a safe haven called the Encampment. Owned by Slade, and overseen by Maddox, and Ran, it's a well-protected site in the mountains for endangered street kids. Among the present residents is the very taciturn loner, Vin. To everyone's surprise, Davie and Vin become friends of a sort.<br><br>Soon after arriving, Davie discovers there is more to the Encampment than it appears at first glance when Ran, with Vin's help, begins training him in various forms of self-defense.<br><br>Davie finds out why when Slade sends him and Vin on an assignment to stop a vicious gang of slavers preying on homeless teens. From there things get interesting, to say the least, as the two young men try to survive while dealing with their growing attraction for each other.

The Encampment

Tanner obviously got the message. A few minutes later they were on the highway, headed into the city. When Vin explained what he and Davie had in mind, Tanner listened carefully, sometimes nodding, sometimes frowning. After Vin finished talking, Tanner said, “Let me think about it. Basically it should work but…”


“I’ll tell you when we get to the shelter. For the moment—” he gestured, “—we’re going through the area where the majority of the kidnappings, for lack of a better word, happened.”


They were in a rundown part of the city, from what Davie saw. Liquor stores, payday loan businesses, small groceries, bars, low-end apartment buildings, and cheap hotels predominated. The people matched the surroundings, some obviously homeless, others probably out of work as they were lounging in small groups on stoops or against the walls of the various establishments. There were also dealers and kids selling themselves, huddled in the alleys with their clientele.


Chapter 39