The Way Back: Chapter 30

The meeting place was always the same.  Dark and dank, and set off from the docks a bit, the warehouse was a location that he knew as the only place he could talk to his father.  At times, it felt strange to call him father, since he had only known him less than half of his life, but at the same time, he somehow felt compelled to.

Between stacks of boxes was a discrete door.  He knew it well, memorized it, and knew how to get in it.  Typing the code into the combination lock, he swung it open and waited, sitting in a chair to bide the time.

"Son, you've arrived."  He heard his voice.  He would know it anywhere.

"Yes, Father."

"Come here and greet me!"

He obliged, going to his father and hugging him on both sides of the face with an air kiss audible from both.

"Let me look at you.  Ah, you look just fine, son, just fine."

He beamed.  "Thank you, Father."

"Now, sit, we have a great deal to discuss, don't we?"

***

Back at John's office, Blair felt the stare from the two of them boring a hole through her.  "Oh, What?"

"Tomas could be behind this, to get rid of his rival."  John tipped his head to acknowledge Todd.  

"Tomas and I were done before I reunited with Todd.  I told him so.  I wouldn't put too much stake in him, though..."

John said, "Though what?"

"He is the one who delivered Todd to the kidnappers.  He was ordered to do so."  She looked at Todd, who was shocked at her revelation.  "I'm sorry, I just thought it would be too much to add to what you were going through at first.  I wasn't even sure you didn't know yourself."

Todd sighed.  "He brought me to them?"

"Yes."

"I knew someone did, but I never knew it was him.  Hmm.  Then he couldn't be the one behind it, if he were delivering me, could he?"

John spoke up, "Probably not, but you can press charges against him, if we can prove it."

"I can prove it, I can tell what he told me?"  Blair said.

"His word against yours," John answered.

"No.  I don't want any of this in court.  It would hurt Tea and Dani, and...they are going to have enough to deal with soon."  Todd said.  

Blair looked at John, "Think he knows what he is talking about?"

"Maybe, but does it matter?  This is what he wants.  That leaves one person, actually."  John deducted.

"The Impostor makes more sense to me,"  Blair said, "He has everything Todd had, except his family.  He has the paper, the money, the mansion, the stocks, everything.  And Todd deserves it back; he created the empire that fueled it all, and it is his birthright."

Todd looked at her and smiled.  Water came to his eyes.  I just love this woman so much.  She was not some ditzy blonde, she was his wife.  Since the premier, she had just seemed so much like the woman he had fallen in love with.  Prior to it, as he stalked her, innocently, she seemed vastly different, a little vacant and stagnant with the life of being a single mom.  But, she was back, to her fiery, sharp, cunning self.  Always beautiful, though.  He had to marry her, and soon.

"What do we do next, John?"  Todd asked, walking to Blair's side.

"Wait out the 'results.'  How are things going otherwise, Manning?"

Todd wasn't quite sure how to answer the question.  "I guess all right.  Therapy is going along."

"You still having episodes?"

"Yes.  I had one during the storm.  It...they just feel so real."

John had 'the look' that Blair recognized as suspicion.  "What happened during this one?"

"I saw a figure, as always, this was the...this was the one who I feared most when I was being held captive."  Todd said, Blair intuitively reaching for his hand, and putting her other one onto his forearm and squeezing gently.  "He's..." his voice caught for a moment, "he's hooded.  He sounds like...mechanical, like a robot.  But, there's more."  

Blair whispered, "it's okay."

John interrupted.  "You don't have to say anything that distresses you.  Just, did he do anything specific, like touch you, or anything physical?"

Todd felt nausea coming on, and fought it off, feeling her thumb massaging his hand and the gentle hold she had on his bicep.  "He tried to...he tried to burn me."

John waited.  Blair bit her lip.  She said, "take three deep breaths."

He did.  Then he continued.  "He tried to burn me with a lighter.  I fought him to get it away from him, but the blackness came over me and I was out.  I can't tell you anything else, because once I'm gone, I lose all time and track of what goes on."

"Catatonic?"

"Yes."

Blair chimed in, "When we came in, he was in the chair like a statue.  He was holding the lighter in one hand.  It took me until much later to get it out of his grip.  Ray came, checked him out, talked with him.  He and Jack took him upstairs to the bedroom.  Finally, when he was in our bedroom, he easily let the lighter go."

John said, "Where's the lighter?"

"Next to my side of the bed.  In my nightstand."

"All right, Blair, thank you.  Todd, you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."  He put his hand over hers.  "Let's go Blair, it's almost lunch time."

"Do you do anything but eat?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't want to say that in front of him." He nodded toward McBain.

"Don't go anywhere, don't bring attention to yourselves.  Just lie low.  I've got some thinking to do."  John said.

***

"Now, do you understand the plan, Son?"

"Yes, I do."

"All right, refresh my memory."

"The real threat is Todd Manning.  He must be brought in alive.  Tomas will be immediately eliminated, he knows too much and might blab to Tea.  Todd can be framed for that murder, crime of jealousy because of Blair.  Then Todd will disappear.  He'll be taken and held by your organization and made to talk about the whereabouts of the chip.  Once we have the chip, he will be executed, or..."

"Or?"  he repeated.

"Or turned over to the men who enjoy playing with him so much."

"Perfect!"

"How will you get Todd Manning here, Father?"

"We'll think of something, my Son.  We'll find a way.  You know what he loves best, don't you?"

"Yes,"  he blinked.  "I do."

  

"Now, Son, you know how much your father loves you, don't you?"

"Yes.  You've given me everything.  A new face, a new home, a new life, everything."

"Todd Manning will never know what hit him."

He suddenly turned to his father.  "Nothing will happen to Tea or to Dani?"

"Nothing will ever happen to Ms. Delgado or her daughter, no.  That I promise you."

"They will still love me."

"Yes, they will always love you, just as I do."

"All right.  I understand.  When will Tomas die?"

"That I can't tell you.  I can't have you letting on accidentally what's to come.  Leave it to me, my Son.  You will know soon enough and Todd Manning will be suspected.  Once I contact some of the other Men of 21, everything will begin to roll as planned."

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