31

"I know you're still awake" said a small voice in the dark, as if on cue the bedsheets rustled slightly. "So…" There was another rustle, this time as if a hand were trying to pull back. The sheets rustled again and two pale arms appeared under them, followed by a tiny head. It was only about the size of a grapefruit, but its wide face was full of curiosity, with two large round eyes that looked like they belonged on someone much bigger than him."Come here, you silly thing", the figure beneath the blankets said.The boy, whom we'd named Dudley, climbed onto his bedside without a sound and crawled underneath the covers. He stared at his older brother's sleeping face and waited patiently, knowing that he needed to wait until his brother woke up before speaking."What?" said Pedro Henrique, who had been asleep."Did you get my letter?""Yes". "Good". They were quiet again, and then Pedro Henrique turned over on his side facing Dudley and propped himself up on one elbow."You know what I want you to do right?""Not really" answered Dudley, yawning."You need to help me kill those bad guys", whispered Pedro Henrique.He didn't understand, so Dudley asked him to explain more slowly."You've been doing pretty well all things considered", said Pedro Henrique,"but there's something I need you to do, something very important.""What's that?"".This is very important too. But it's not something that anyone else needs to know about. Can you promise me that?".The boy nodded obediently, and after thinking for a moment said "Yes". Pedro Henrique grinned widely."Okay, here it is. In the morning, you need to sneak into the village of Fonseca, and steal from the people living there.""But what do I do when they find out that their money has gone?", asked Dudley, feeling worried. He didn't want to hurt anybody, even though he loved his family very much."Don't worry, they won't see you coming. You can just take the money and leave. Just make sure to tell me where you went and why you left the place. Okay?"Pedro Henrique looked so serious that Dudley couldn't help believing him."Yeah, okay", he replied. Pedro Henrique smiled brightly and gave his brother a hug. He got out of bed and said goodnight to Dudley.When he'd gone into the hallway, Dudley lay down, pulled the covers over his head, and fell asleep.When he awoke the next morning, his brothers and sister were already downstairs. Pedro and Pedro Henrique were playing chess, while Aunt Maria was preparing some breakfast.Dudley's first instinct was to go ask her where she'd gotten the bread, but Pedro saw him staring at it and pointed toward their father's study. So instead of going to look for food, Dudley went straight into the study and knocked on the door to announce his presence."Enter", called Father Pedro. Dudley entered the room. His father sat behind his desk, reading an article he was holding up to light. He put down his paper and gave Dudley a polite nod. Dudley bowed respectfully in response, but before he could say anything Pedro Henrique burst into the room and ran straight into his father."Dad, dad, listen", he cried. "We need your help to rob that house on Fonseca! We've planned a route that will take us through there and past the guards easily and then we have our plans written out! Please, please, please help us! We can't afford to fail!"Pedro Henrique took a deep breath and then spoke again. "Father, you need to come and help us. If we don't complete our tasks, it'll only be because they'l find out and arrest us and I'll never be able to fight alongside my friends because I'll be too afraid to risk being seen as a coward. Come with us, dad!"„Pedro", said Father Pedro, looking stern. „You mustn't use such words. Now stop acting like a child and go and wash yourself and eat something before breakfast gets cold. And remember - if anyone tries to stop you - you have guns!"It had been raining all day long. It had started sometime yesterday evening, so now it looked like the heavens were crying. As everyone walked along the road, their shoes became soaked."Why did you tell Dad he should come along with us?," asked Paulo Henrique as they walked through the rain towards a part of the town where the bandits lived.Pedro shrugged and muttered a few words too low for the other to hear"Hey, don't you mean 'why'd you tell me'?","he said, "or 'why'd you tell me'?""Both," said Pedro. "That's how it works anyway. It's only fair." Paulo sighed and let it go.They found the bandits' house easily, and were surprised to find that it wasn't guarded at all. They decided that the best way to enter was through the front gate, which was closed and locked up tight. They decided to climb over the fence using a pair of heavy ropes. Paulo went ahead, and when he reached the top, he tied a rope around a tree. Then he signaled the others, who came up after him and secured their rope.Once everyone was safely inside the building, Paulo untied his rope, jumped over the wall, and ran off into the distance. After a minute, he was caught up by Pedro Henrique, Pedro's parents, and a guard from the police station."Did you get the money?", Pedro asked the man."Yes, it's at the office". He showed him the money, and Pedro's parents thanked him, giving him extra coins for being a kind person."Now I'm sorry, gentlemen", said the guard. "It seems like you're going to get wet, though"."No problem", Pedro assured him. "As long as nobody complains later, we'll be fine."After the guards had departed, Pedro's mother asked "Who do you think is the leader?". "Probably that guy from earlier today, Pedro", said Paulo. Pedro nodded and turned to their oldest brother. "Let's go."The group sneaked through the building, which was completely empty except for furniture. On the third floor, they came across a bedroom. The window was open, and Pedro went outside to see the view. He heard voices below, but he didn't move until Paulo and his mother joined him.The bandits were all gathered around a table playing cards. Two men stood up immediately, and the three boys hid quickly, waiting until they had gone.Once they were sure they were alone, they crept closer to the table. Pedro looked at each of the bandits, searching their faces carefully; he couldn't help wondering if any of them might look like him, although he wasn't sure how.His family stayed hidden behind a huge chest, peeking out to watch. One of the bandits, with curly black hair, looked up and said "Well, aren't we lucky? Three little thieves running around."

Another one of them, short and round, stood up and glared angrily at the other man. His clothes were torn and his cheeks stained with mud, he had a dirty knife stuck in his belt. "Hey, what do you mean 'two'?", he demanded angrily. "There was two of them. Look at them"."Shut up, Dio", said the first man, waving his hand impatiently. "You're not listening to me. Those idiots are still here, and we have a new addition to our company. Don't you think it's funny? We have another two bandits who think themselves capable of robbing a whole gang without anybody noticing."The second man shook his head disapprovingly. "I don't agree. We can't rely on two thieves. They'll run away or try to escape somehow. Let's get rid of them quickly, before the police catch us."As soon as they finished talking, they rushed over to the corner where Pedro and his family were hiding. Pedro looked back and forth between his parents. His mother's face was white with fear, while his father tried hard to hide his emotions. Pedro wondered why they weren't saying anything about what had just happened. He hoped that they would come to their senses."Stop right there! Put your hands behind your backs", ordered one of them."What are you doing? What did you do to us? Why are you threatening us? Are you robbers?", Pedro's father asked, trying desperately to sound tough and strong. Pedro watched as one of the bandits lifted his father's arm over his shoulder and forced his father down onto the bench on the ground.He knew that no matter what they would do to him, he would always keep silent. He would die with his family first, before he would betray his family."You won't be saying anything anymore, understand? If you do speak up, I'll cut you down where you sit."The man grabbed Pedro's father's wrists, and twisted them behind his back, forcing his fingers open."Please don't hurt him," his father whimpered. The man chuckled coldly. "Don't worry, you're not getting harmed. But we will still make a few small adjustments to his clothing… That's all…. Do you understand?"He nodded slowly.His father looked at him, tears streaming down his face, before looking away from him. His mother, who was kneeling beside his father, also looked away."Good boy," said the first man, who was standing behind Pedro's father.Pedro watched with wide, frightened eyes as he held a knife against Pedro's father's throat. "I'm sorry that this has to happen," said the man quietly, staring into Pedro's father's eyes. His eyes grew cold and merciless as he whispered, "But you will do whatever I say, or I will slice your throat."Pedro wanted to scream at the bandits, to cry and beg for forgiveness. But, he knew that he could only pray for his family's safety.He watched the first man remove the blade from his father's neck and place it next to Pedro's father's left wrist. He moved his arm over to his left, placing the same knife next to his other wrist. Pedro's father winced and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out everything.He looked like he was trying very hard to stop himself from saying or doing something that would cause pain."Just relax. I'm trying to be gentle here…" the man said as he began to pull Pedro's shirt up over his head. Pedro swallowed hard and kept watching his father.He saw his face contort with pain, saw blood seep out of tiny cuts made by the sharp edge of the knives, and saw him bite his lip so that he wouldn't cry out. His father was trembling, struggling to stay calm. He felt his body tense and he tried to push back the tears in his eyes. He wished desperately that he could turn into a monkey and run away, but he knew that such an option was highly unlikely. He felt a tear drop from his eye, and he wiped it away furiously.The first man noticed, and smiled. "Relax! Relax, don't struggle," he said, taking his knife away from Pedro's father's neck and placing it gently into his right hand."Don't worry, we're not gonna harm you," said the man, smiling. "We're just trying to take the clothes off you.""Take them off me, then," Pedro managed to say, his voice quivering slightly with every word."That would ruin the surprise", said the bandit, chuckling darkly. "And it looks like we've already got enough surprises as it is."He pulled Pedro's jacket off and threw it carelessly into the corner. "See? Nothing underneath. There should be enough room, right?" He looked up, checking again that the other men were paying attention. "Okay, you've seen them. Now put your arms down and let us finish this."The bandit took Pedro's hands in his own and examined them carefully."Are those scars?""Of course they are," Pedro replied."From what?""My father died, a few years ago," he replied sadly, averting his gaze and clenching his teeth, trying to hold back the tears. "It's nothing to worry about.""Oh, I'm sorry, kid," said the bandit. "But we have to check these things. You're going to need to have them checked out."Pedro closed his eyes and nodded weakly."Alright."After Pedro's father had been inspected, his bandit friend tied his arms behind his back and took Pedro's jacket. As Pedro tried to free himself, the man shoved him roughly to the ground, then crouched beside him and began undoing his belt buckle.Pedro started struggling again, but the man grabbed his face and forced him to stare straight ahead. "If you move around too much, the wounds will reopen. If you do it too much, your wrists will start bleeding again."He undid the last button of Pedro's trousers, exposing the top half of Pedro's thighs. Pedro bit his lip tightly.He was about to protest when he felt the bandit's hands on him, unbuttoning his pants and pulling them down. Pedro flinched when the bandit pushed his boxers down."Don't make a fuss now", said the bandit, tightening his grip on Pedro's face. "Or else I'll break your nose.""Let me go", said Pedro. "This is stupid""Shut up, Pedro. Or else your nose goes as well", the bandit said, laughing coldly. He reached between Pedro's legs, grabbed Pedro's cock and stroked it. Pedro moaned, unable to resist."Good. Good boy", said the bandit, smirking."Look after him, boys", he said to the other bandits."He's pretty easy to handle. Watch yourself, okay?" Pedro's heart sank when the bandit took his cock out of his trousers and put it inside his mouth."Shhh", whispered the bandit, as he started sucking on Pedro's cock. Pedro clenched his fists, gritting his teeth against his screams.He was so embarrassed and angry. It hurt so badly, he thought he might explode right away. "I can't take any more", he mumbled.The bandit laughed and released his cock from his mouth. He wrapped his fingers around Pedro's cock, and started stroking him.Pedro was almost blinded by the pain. 'How could it feel so good at the same time?!' he thought. Pedro groaned as the bandit's cock slipped deeper inside his mouth, his fingers moving faster than ever.The pain was beginning to subside."There, that wasn't so bad, was it?", asked the bandit, pulling his cock out of Pedro's mouth."Why are you doing this to me? Let me go, please," Pedro whispered."No way! You're gonna get exactly what you deserve", the bandit said."But, why? Can't you just...do what you want...? Just leave my family alone. We never meant anything to anyone, except our son.", Pedro begged, tears running down his face uncontrollably, staining his cheeks with salty wetness.The bandit shook his head. "Nah, that wouldn't do, would it? We've got too many witnesses here. Besides, how many times did you try to run away from us? And how many times did we kill people who tried to escape? No, you guys are definitely going to come with us. Your families, the people you love, even your little boy.. He has to pay the price as well."Pedro stared up at him with wide eyes."You won't take my brother or my sister?" The bandits grinned evilly. "They'll join us eventually. They don't live far away. Maybe we should take a little trip to visit them, maybe give them some fun. You know?"The bandits suddenly stopped speaking as soon as they heard footsteps approaching their wagon."What's happening?"said the one who called himself George. "Nothing much," the second bandit lied smoothly. "Nothing important."George furrowed his eyebrows and glanced towards Pedro, his eyes widening when he caught sight of Pedro, who was sitting there, trembling violently."I think you need to take your husband to the house," he said."Right away," agreed the first bandit, helping Pedro to his feet.Pedro could barely keep his balance as they dragged him out of the wagon.

"We'll see you later," said George, walking back towards the wagon."Later"'Yes, I bet you'll see your parents sooner than you expect,' Pedro thought grimly, as they entered the forest."Who's going to look after him?"George questioned as Pedro was dragged away by the two men."Leave it to me," said George confidently."All right," he sighed. "But make sure he gets to the wagon safely, all right? Make sure he isn't harmed. Make sure he gets there in one piece.""Don't worry," Fredo reassured. "He can trust me."The second group headed off immediately to find Pedro's parents.Meanwhile, the first group carried on through the trees, walking slowly and carefully, keeping an eye out for any dangers that might be lurking behind them.A couple minutes later they found themselves standing under the shelter of several large bushes.The two men carrying Pedro dropped him to the ground, leaving him to struggle helplessly for a moment before lying still.The third member of the party, George, turned to the man who'd led him through the forest: "Let's go. Let's get going.""Where are we going?", asked the man. "To the house of a certain gentleman named Emilio," George answered."So it's Emilio's place, is it?""Yeah", said George. "Do you have a problem with that?"The man shrugged."Not really," he responded. "Let's just hurry up and get there.""We're on our way!", yelled George.The three men disappeared into the forest, leaving Pedro all alone.After a while Pedro managed to stand up and stumble towards one of the large boulders near the road.He leaned against it and slid down to the ground, resting his head against the rock. He was shivering and couldn't stop shaking. After a while the shaking seemed to ease a bit, but the tears wouldn't cease falling from his eyes and the feeling of pain was still strong in his abdomen."I wish it didn't have to end like this..." he whispered."Hey, you! What are you doing?", said someone angrily.Pedro turned his head slightly and saw a young girl, dressed in rags."I was lost and I found myself here because of you guys!," Pedro shouted. "So why don't you just leave me alone?," said the girl."We're not supposed to hurt innocent children," she explained. "We're supposed to help them survive.""Just go! Leave me alone. Don't touch me!", Pedro screamed angrily, getting up and turning his back on her.He sat on the ground and buried his face in his knees, hugging them close to him, trying desperately not to fall apart."