The Way Back: Chapter 42

They followed the directions that The Impostor gave them, and carefully approached the warehouse with discretion.  John said, "We have no idea who is here, or whether or not someone is at all.  Just follow my lead, and stay back, at least ten to twenty feet behind me at all times."

They followed John into the warehouse and to the combination lock door that he was used to opening.  Deftly, The Impostor opened the door, and stood back, letting John go first.  The three of them stepped into the room.  Ray was stunned, voicing that it was an either an exact copy of Todd's cell for the last eight years, or the real thing.  John turned and noticed The Impostor swirling a coin between his fingers and fighting to keep his breathing regulated.  "Hey buddy, you okay?"

He began to hyperventilate.  John called out, "Ray!"

Ray's attention turned to The Impostor, and rushed to his side.  Helping him to the floor, they avoided the chair intentionally, and Ray recited to him the three deep breaths rule.  "Come on, focus, look at my face and focus.  Slow your breathing.  There you go."

"Oh God," he began to cry, "it's all coming back."  Squeezing his eyes, he became overwhelmed with the sights and sounds in his mind.

"It's all right, you're safe.  The bad things, they are not happening right now."

"I know.  It's just.  Oh my God, he made me do things.  Believe things."

John looked at Ray and Ray continued.  "What did he make you do?"

"He made me lie, about who I was.  He made me pretend to love people.  The only thing is, he never counted on me falling for her.  For Tea."

Ray put a hand on his shoulder.  "No, he didn't count on that. Did he?"

He shook his head.  "He made me do other things, too.  He made me into Todd Manning.  And he made me take his life and leave him to die.  He wasn't even my real father,"  he cried. 

John was certain, after hearing this, as to who the "father" was.  He let the man continue as he searched all of the drawers and cabinets in the room.

The Impostor continued, "He adopted me as an adult.  He gave me everything.  I was young, about 25.  I was a drifter and not American-born.  I had nothing, I had no one.  He promised me everything.  He turned my life around, I was wealthy, I was on top.  All I had to do was cooperate, he told me.  And little by little, he was brainwashing me to be his pawn."  he paused, "At first it wasn't all bad, I did small things to take revenge on people who wronged me.  One of them was Todd Manning.  Later, he concocted this huge plan to get back at him for me and for himself,"  he sobbed, "And I fell into it with the help of his drugs, money, and promises.  I never meant to hurt people.  But that's what I did.  I didn't even know what I was doing.  I really believed I was Todd, all those years.  I really did."  He stopped a moment, running his hand over his whole face, "I convinced that little girl.  I made Starr think I was her father.  How could I do that?  I lost my family as a child.  I should have known what it would do to her."

Ray reminded him to breathe deeply, and he obliged for a few moments, reigning in his despair.  After a few moments, he added, "When I fell for Tea, things started to change.  I stopped seeing 'my father' regularly.  I started to become more like myself.  She loved me, and I loved her.  When Todd Manning popped up, he began to summon me more often.  Now I know why."

John, holding a slip of paper he had found, said, "What is his plan?"

"He needs something from Todd.  Not sure what it is.  But his plan is probably to use Blair to get Todd to talk.  After all, he knows how futile it was before trying to torture it out of him.  But Blair, that's everything to Todd.  Everything.  He plans to set them free."

Ray repeated, "Set them free?"

"Kill them."

"I think we're in luck,"  John said.  He held up a delivery slip that had a different address than that of the warehouse.  "Worth a try?"

"You're the cop." Ray said.  "Are you sure you're up to this?" He turned to the third man.

"Yeah.  I have to see it through.  I'm starting to remember who I am, and if I can get all that back, it will be a positive thing for Tea and Me."

Ray put his hand on the man's shoulder.  "You're doing well.  You really are."

"I don't think I was tortured as much as Todd was," he said.  "I remember needles and drugs more, and long conversations and repetitive talk.  I think I was in that chair maybe a total of five times.  Those were the times I spoke against him.  He put me there to control me, dissuade me from having my own thoughts.  I was weak, I gave in.  He did this recently to me, but I just loved Tea too much to go on with it.  And you already know about the face change.  He had me pose as Todd, approach Walker Flynn and make a deal about a face change, and just assume the role, the money, the power...the family."

"Hey, there's no room for self-blame here.  You've beaten the odds and have come out and fought it in the end.  No one will ever forget your help with this case.  People like 'your father' prey on the less fortunate.  Being alone as you were, he played on your emptiness."  He looked to John, "It's cruel, really.  What kind of man is this?"

His face showed another moment of revelation.  "My God, I know who I am!  Finally."  He cried with relief.

John spoke up, "I'm sorry to do this, but we have to get going.  In light of what we just heard, we don't know how much time The Mannings have left."  The three of them got back in the vehicle and followed the clues to the next location.

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