Voyage Into Manhood Ch. 04

Friday

Alex spent the night tossing and turning, his anxiety making him unable to stay asleep for long. He had spent so long preparing for this retreat, interviewing closeted gay men who had been on Voyage Into Manhood in an effort to find Ezekiel's weak spot and expose it. His editor had been willing to put forth the cost of the retreat, but Alex knew that he needed to have something to deliver by the end of it.

But it was more than just his professional career on the line. Now that he had finally met Ezekiel and seen his ruthlessness and malice up close, he needed to stop him no matter what. That exercise the day before had shown Alex firsthand just how harmful Ezekiel could be. He couldn't bear to think about all of the other men who would suffer under Voyage Into Manhood if he didn't succeed.

Alex lay in bed in the early hours of the morning, having given up on falling back asleep. Jacob lay sleeping next to him. He looked up, his eyes tracing the little bumps along the popcorn ceiling.

"Well, I'm here, God," he thought. "I think we both know I don't really know what I'm doing. I need your help. I know we didn't always have the best relationship, but I think... well, I think you're on my side. At least I hope you are. Please, just help me finish this."

He looked over at Jacob, who lay sleeping on his side as he breathed softly. He reached out and touched Jacob's back, running his fingers down his smooth skin. Jacob breathed in, stretching his back as Alex scooted closer to him.

Alex put his hands around Jacob's waist as he pulled their bodies together. He kissed Jacob's neck as Jacob reached back with his hand and began running his fingers through Alex's hair. Alex was growing hard against Jacob's ass. He rubbed his stiffening cock against Jacob as he continued to kiss and suck his neck.

Suddenly, without turning around, Jacob reached down and grabbed Alex's cock with his hand. Alex moaned as Jacob guided Alex's cock to his hole and lifted his cheek to let Alex in.

Alex pushed forward, his cock gently opening Jacob's hole. He bit down lightly on Jacob's neck, his fingers tensely gripping Jacob's arm as Jacob took more and more of him into his channel.

Jacob kept his head buried in the pillow as he reached back and grabbed Alex's ass, pulling him deeper inside of him. Finally Alex bottomed out inside of Jacob, his lips still kissing up and down Jacob's neck.

Jacob turned his head slightly away from the pillow, freeing his mouth.

"Fuck me," he whispered.

Alex wrapped his arms around Jacob's neck and pulled his cock out, then thrust it quickly back in with a groan. Jacob grabbed onto Jacob's arms and held them with his hands, moaning into the pillow as Alex pumped his cock in and out, in and out.

Alex knew they were being risky--hell, every time they had sex in this place they were taking a risk. If any of the other brothers were to walk in, they would be instantly found out and his chance at catching Ezekiel would be gone. But he knew that, as strong as his motivation was to expose Ezekiel, his attraction to Jacob was stronger.

He didn't know what made him so powerless over this married man. Jacob ticked all the wrong boxes: closeted, self-hating, married. Alex had promised himself years ago that he wouldn't fall for another guy in the closet. It was just too painful.

Yet here he was, his dick sawing away inside a man that he'd fallen for harder and faster than he'd ever fallen before. As he continued to thrust in and out of Jacob's hole, the only thing his brain could comprehend was the love and attraction he felt for this beautiful man.

Alex loved every part of Jacob: his smooth skin, his taut biceps, his tidy haircut and nervous little smile. He even loved how hopelessly religious Jacob was. Although it pained him to see how much it held Jacob back, Jacob's earnestness and sincerity were irresistible. He wrapped both his arms around Jacob and held him close as he felt himself nearing his orgasm.

Jacob grabbed his hands and held him tight as Alex began to cum inside him. Alex bit Jacob's neck again to stifle his groans, their sweaty bodies wrapped together as Alex squirted shot after shot of his cum deep inside his lover.

Alex resumed kissing Jacob's neck as he came down from his orgasm. He reached around and took Jacob's hard cock into his hand and started stroking it. Jacob began to groan as Alex pumped his fist up and down his cock.

Alex pulled out of Jacob and leaned over, taking Jacob's cock into his mouth. He bobbed up and down on Jacob's dick, enjoying the feeling of Jacob's fingers running through his hair as Jacob moaned.

After a minute of devouring Jacob's cock, Jacob's moans began to get higher and higher as he neared orgasm. Alex reached up and stuffed his fingers in Jacob's mouth, quieting his moans as Jacob began to ejaculate inside of Alex's mouth. Alex continued to fellate him, swallowing his cum as he shoved his fingers in and out of Jacob's mouth.

Finally Jacob fell limp, his body drained of semen and energy. Alex laid back on the pillow next to him, running his fingertips lightly across Jacob's chest. Jacob lay with his eyes closed, breathing deeply as he recovered from his orgasm. Alex stared at his soft face, watching him breathe in and out.

"Where did you come from?" Alex asked. "You always surprise me."

Jacob looked over at him. "Makes sense," he said. "I can't exactly be predictable if I have no idea what I'm doing."

Alex laughed. "You're not the only one."

He leaned over and kissed Jacob on the lips. Jacob slowly opened his lips to accept Alex's tongue, then put his hand out and held Alex's face as the two men shared a sensual post-coital kiss.

Jacob pulled away. He reached over and grabbed Alex's glasses from the dresser and handed them to him.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked.

"I spent all night trying to think of something," said Alex. He got out of the bed and started to dress. "Since we already tried looking on his computer, the best I could come up with is to try and catch him in case he fucks Brad again. But now that he knows who I am, I doubt he'll let his guard down."

"I think I might have an idea," Jacob said. He sat up in bed, clutching the covers against his chest. "Promise you'll at least consider it."

Alex looked at him, raising his eyebrow.

"I got the idea from Brad, actually," he continued. "What if I tried to seduce Ezekiel?"

"Fuck no," Alex said angrily. "There's no way I'm gonna let you have sex with that monster."

"I wouldn't let it get that far," said Jacob. "I would just try and get him to say something incriminating while I recorded it on my phone. Once I had it, I would book it out of there."

"It's too dangerous. What if he figures you out? Or what if, God help me, he forces himself on you when you try to leave? I won't put you in danger."

"It's our only choice. Like you said, if we don't get him now, we won't get him until next year. And there's no way he's letting you into this retreat again, so it'll be just me then anyway," said Jacob.

Alex bit his lip. He thought for a moment. "What if I tried it instead?" he asked.

"He would see right through you. Plus..." Jacob looked away, blushing. "I think he has a thing for me."

"What?" Alex asked.

"I mean, I don't know for sure," said Jacob as he got out of bed. "But it's this feeling I get. When I'm around him, it's like... like he wants to devour me. At first I thought he just thought I was pathetic and weak, but now... I know it's more than that. He wants me, I'm sure of it."

"Well, of course. Everyone wants you, babe," Alex said, pulling the still-naked Jacob into him.

Jacob pushed him away playfully. "Stop it. I'm serious."

Alex held him and kissed him. Jacob felt light in his arms, standing there with his hands on Alex's chest.

"I'm just worried about you," Alex said after he broke off the kiss.

"I know," Jacob said quietly. "But I have to do this. I have to face him."

Alex nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

____________________

Ezekiel had planned a movie for the men the last afternoon of the retreat as a sort of reward for their efforts during the week. Brad had set up Bluetooth screen sharing on his phone so he could display the video on the big screen TV in the parlor for everyone to see. Unfortunately, the movie was some ex-gay propaganda that made Jacob's skin crawl as soon as it started.

"If you want to be close to God, you have to end these same-sex attractions," the man in the video said. He was a pastor, stood in a classroom as he addressed a group of men sitting in desks in front of him. "Saying people are born gay is a cop out. Most of these people were brought into homosexuality. And what people don't realize is that homosexuality is the sexualization of emotional needs and wounds."

Jacob watched as the men in the video nodded along. They looked like zombies, each of them blithely accepting this man's words as facts. It pained Jacob to think that that had been him, that that still might be him.

He was still struggling with his feelings for Alex and the things he'd held to be true for his whole life. But now, sitting here and watching as the men sitting next to him nodded along like the zombies in the video, he knew for sure that whatever this was, he wanted no part of it.

Ezekiel left shortly after starting the video, retreating to his room to work while Brad supervised the men in the parlor. After a few minutes, Jacob looked over at Alex. Alex nodded.

Alex got up and walked over to Brad. "Excuse me," he said.

"Quiet," said Brad. "Sit down and watch the film."

"I'm not feeling well. I think I'm gonna be sick. Can I duck out and go to the bathroom?"

Brad looked at him up and down suspiciously.

"Fine," he said after a moment. "I'll go with you."

Alex smiled and nodded. With Brad's eyes on him, Jacob would be free for his part of the plan.

They walked out of the parlor. Alex smiled at Jacob as he left. Jacob smiled back at him. He took a deep breath and then got out of his seat, stealing out into the hallway as the rest of the men kept their eyes trained on the video.

Jacob crept down the hallway towards Ezekiel's room, careful to avoid running into Brad and Alex on their way to the bathroom. When he got to Ezekiel's door, he pulled out his phone. He opened up the Voice Memos app and began to record, putting the phone back in his pocket. He hesitated for a moment before knocking twice.

"Come in," he heard Ezekiel's voice boom from inside.

He opened the door and walked inside, closing it behind him. Ezekiel looked up from his computer, staring at Jacob with a confused look from over his reading glasses.

"Jacob? What are you doing here?" Ezekiel asked as he took off his glasses.

"I wanted to tell you something," Jacob said, walking slowly over to Ezekiel.

"Oh?" said Ezekiel, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"About my confession the other day. I have something new I wanna confess."

Ezekiel frowned at him. "I told you, any more indiscretions here and you'll be sent home. No refund, just living with your own shame. Have you really learned nothing in your time here?"

Jacob approached him, standing right in front of where Ezekiel was seated.

"It's not something I did. It's something I wanna do..." he said quietly.

Ezekiel stood. His face was inches away from Jacob's.

"What's that, boy?"

Jacob gulped. His heart was beating out of his chest. He wasn't sure if this would work. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he wanted it to. But he had to keep going.

"I can't stop thinking about you..." he said softly. Ezekiel stared at him, his expression unreadable. "I know it's wrong, but... I just, I want you... no, I NEED you to fuck me." He looked up at Ezekiel, his eyes wide. "Will you?"

He reached his hand up to Ezekiel's face. Ezekiel grabbed his wrist, holding it tightly.

Jacob's heart seized in terror as Ezekiel held him. Ezekiel leaned in closely to Jacob's face, breathing the younger man in.

Jacob's lips were trembling. He wasn't sure if Ezekiel was going to kiss him or hit him. Ezekiel moved his lips next to Jacob's ear.

"You think I don't know what you're up to?" Ezekiel said icily. "You think I don't know about you and your faggot roommate?"

Jacob tried to pull his hand away from Ezekiel, but Ezekiel held on tightly to him.

"Nothing goes on at this camp that I don't know about. Not Brad fucking his little sluts, not you fornicating with your lying faggot boyfriend, nothing. But if you think you and him are going to bring me down, then you have no idea what I'm capable of."

Jacob stared defiantly into his eyes. "I saw you and Brad yesterday," he said quietly. "I know you're a hypocrite and a liar."

Ezekiel laughed. "So you saw me fucking Brad. So what? No one's gonna believe your word over mine. Clearly you don't have any evidence, or else you wouldn't be in here trying to pull this bullshit. And now," he said, reaching down and pulling Jacob's phone out of his pocket, "you won't have this either."

He stopped the recording on Jacob's phone and deleted it. Jacob's heart sank as Ezekiel shoved it back in his pocket. "Nice try, though," he said, smirking as he let go of Jacob's wrist.

Ezekiel pulled out his phone and began to dial. "Bring him in. Now," he said before quickly hanging up.

"Someone will believe me," Jacob said as he pulled away from Ezekiel. "I don't care how many people I have to tell. I'll shout it from the mountaintops if I have to."

"You try and tell anyone," said Ezekiel, "if you even breathe a word of this, then I won't just tell your wife about you and your faggot boyfriend. I'll tell your pastor, your whole congregation, hell, I'll even tell your boss. I'll expose you as a sinner and a faggot and you'll be left with nothing. Don't try me, boy, I've done it before."

Jacob could feel himself about to cry. He chastised himself internally for being so weak in front of this man.

All of a sudden the door opened and Brad entered, dragging Alex behind him.

"What is this? What are you doing?" Alex asked as Brad pushed him inside and shut the door behind them.

Brad stood in front of the door, guarding it. Ezekiel walked over to Alex, looking him up and down in disgust. "So," he said. "This was your plan, huh? Well, I guess you failed."

"I still have enough to hurt you," Alex said angrily.

Ezekiel nodded at Brad. Brad came up behind Alex and grabbed his arms, restraining him. As Alex struggled, Ezekiel reached his phone into Alex's pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Give that back!" Alex yelled.

"How do you open this thing?" Ezekiel asked.

"It's Touch ID. Put his thumb on the thing," said Brad, still pinning Alex's arms down.

Jacob rushed at Ezekiel as he reached for Alex. He tried to shove the older man, but Ezekiel was built like a brick house. Ezekiel turned and shoved Jacob back, sending him tumbling over onto the ground.

"Jacob! Leave him alone!" Alex yelled.

Ezekiel grabbed Alex's hand and stuck his thumb on the home button, quickly unlocking the phone.

"Here we go," said Ezekiel as he opened up Alex's videos and pulled up the one he'd taken of Brad and Chris. He deleted it before shoving the phone back into Alex's pocket.

Ezekiel leaned down in front of Alex, saying, "If you try to publish anything about me, anything at all, even a fucking puff piece, then I'll ruin your little boyfriend."

He nodded at Brad, who released Alex's arms.

Alex rushed over to Jacob.

"Jay, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," Jacob said as Alex helped him to his feet. "I just got the wind knocked out of me."

He grabbed Alex's arms, looking in his eyes as he began to tear up. "I'm sorry," he said. "I tried to get it, but he figured me out."

"It's okay, baby," Alex said, cradling Jacob's face in his hands. He kissed him. "It's gonna be okay."

"Get the fuck out of here," Ezekiel said, glaring at them. "Grab your shit and go. You're no longer welcome at Voyage Into Manhood."

Alex ushered Jacob out past Ezekiel and Brad. He led them down the hallway towards their room, opening the door and gesturing him inside.

"What are we gonna do?" Jacob asked, crying. "They know everything, we don't have anything anymore, we don't even have the video of Brad..."

Alex grabbed his face, pulling in close to him. "It's okay, Jacob. I'm just glad you're alright."

He kissed him again, wiping away Jacob's tears.

"Now come on. Pack your things and let's go. I can call us a Lyft to bring us to a hotel."

Alex pulled open a drawer and began to pull out his clothes, shoving them into his suitcase. Jacob sat down on the bed.

"I can't believe he deleted the video of Brad. Now you have nothing to publish," he said, staring sadly at Alex.

"Not necessarily," said Alex.

Jacob looked at him. "What do you mean?"

Alex took out his phone. "He deleted the video, sure. But the phone saves everything you delete for 30 days. I can easily get it back, see?"

He opened up the Recently Deleted folder. There it was, the video! Alex quickly undeleted it before shoving the phone back in his pocket and continuing to pack. Jacob stood, his eyes wide.

"Baby, thank God! Why didn't you say something before?"

Alex stopped. He turned and looked at Jacob. "Because. I can't publish it. Not if he's going to out you and ruin your life."

Jacob stared at him. He walked over to Alex and grabbed his hand.

"You have to. He can't get away with this."

Alex shook his head. "No. It's not worth it to just bring down Brad. Not if it's gonna hurt you. Especially since Ezekiel will just deny he knew anything. I'd need to cut the head off the snake, but without proof, there's no way to bring him down."

Jacob's eyes lit up. He pulled out his phone. "Wait a second!" he said.

"What?" Alex asked, turning to look at him.

"What you said about the phone saving everything you delete--is that true about voice recordings?"

Jacob opened up the voice recordings on his phone. Sure enough, there was a Recently Deleted folder.

"Ha! This is it!"

He undeleted the recording and played it, skipping to the end. He and Alex put their ears up to the phone to listen.

"So you saw me fucking Brad. So what? No one's gonna believe your word over mine," they heard Ezekiel say over the recording.

They let out a cry of joy and hugged each other tightly.

"We did it!" Jacob said.

"You did it, baby. This and the video of Brad and Chris is more than enough to bring this whole thing down."

"Thank God Ezekiel sucks with technology, huh? I'd hate to see him try to figure out Bluetooth," said Jacob.

Alex looked at him, his eyes lighting up. "Bluetooth!" he said.

"We need to go," said Jacob. "Let's get out of here before anything else happens."

Alex smiled at him. "I wanna do something before we go."

____________________

Chris was bored out of his mind. Not only was this video almost two hours long, but none of the guys in it were even cute. Whatever. Hopefully Brad would be in his room tonight when Chris stopped by and he could at least get a good fuck in before going home to his boring fiancé.

His mind began to wander as he imagined getting pounded by Brad. God, that man was so fucking hot.

"Holy shit!" yelled Wesley. He was pointing at the TV in shock.

Chris whipped his head around to look at the screen. Somehow the video had switched from the documentary they were watching to some grainy homemade footage. His jaw dropped when he saw that it was him in the video on his knees sucking Brad's cock.

"You're gonna me feel fucking amazing, faggot. Now get up," said Brad on the video as he pulled Chris to his feet. "Show me that hole, boy."

Chris turned bright red as he watched himself pull his pants down in the video and spread his cheeks for Brad. Everyone in the room turned to look at him.