Battle the Dark: Chapter 10

"I'm not going to any cops," Walnut said.

"Why not, Mr. Walnut?  You have something against the boys in blue?"  she asked, fixing her new blouse.  She still felt strange without her habit.

"Yeah, I got a lot against them.  My brother was shot dead by a cop."

"Oh I can't say as I blame you much then.  I'm so sorry to hear."

"It was a long time ago."  He sat down, and for the first time, she noticed he was very tired.  He sank into his seat as if it were holding him down.

"You know, Mr. Walnut, you could use a good meal and a nap."

He looked up at her with a blend of disgust and appreciation that she'd never seen.  "It's Steven."

"My goodness, now that we're ending this cohabitation, you give me your name.  Pleased to meet ya, Steven."  She extended her hand.

He took it and shook.  Her hand felt warm and softer than most; something else went through him that he could not explain.  

She continued, "You can call me Becky, if you like.  Or Sister.  Whatever suits ya.  Now, let's think this out.  What are you going to do?"

"I'm not going to kill you, that's for sure.  We need another way."

"Ah, you decided to give me more hours on this earth to talk."

"Yeah, I guess I have.  God knows why."  She picked up on his slight attempt at humor, and looking over, realized he was a person in deep pain, not physical, but pain nonetheless.

"All right then, I have an idea.  We can't go to the police, for obvious reasons.  I know something we can do."

"What?"

"I have a friend who can help us.  I am certain of it.  We can go to him, and he can tell us what's next.  I'll tell them all you never meant to hurt me and didn't.  He has connections, and he can probably help us get to the right cop.  I know you don't want to hear it, but we're going to need a policeman at some point."

He just listened.  How it got from him, being her captor, to her, being his pseudo-mother was stunning.  Nevertheless, he listened.

She went on, "Are you with me?"

He looked up, "What else is there to do?  If I kill you, I'm a dead man from the man upstairs.  I'd never live with it.  If I don't, and I just let you go, I'm a dead man from my boss."

"Who is your boss, lad?"

"Carlo Hesser."

"Ah, yes, the little bald gentleman.  Quite a force to be reckoned with.  I suppose it's that diminutive stature that makes him try and prove himself."

He laughed a little.  "Yeah, maybe.  Who's your friend?"

"Todd Manning," she said, matter-of-factly.

It was then something happened she never expected; he let out a large bellow of laughter.  "You've got to be kidding."

"No, I'm not, would I kid ya?"

"He's not going to help me."

"Oh stop, he will.  And he certainly will help me, and helping you is one of my missions."

"I gas lighted the guy."

She stopped, wondering exactly what he meant.  "Do you want to explain that to me, Steven?"

He attempted to explain what he was doing to Manning, but when he tried, he himself didn't even know why he was dressing the way he was, or what the reasons were.  He just knew it had worked.  "I don't even know why I did it, except the money.  And, once you tell Carlo yes about something, you're basically his."

"Then you'll apologize.  That will be first."  

He looked at her with a puzzled expression.  "Apologize?  This isn't fifth grade and I took someone's milk."

She chuckled, "Well, no, but you have to start somewhere.  Now let's get going, I want to catch them home."

***

Todd was sitting at the table by the windows, sipping on coffee and reading mock ups for the morning edition.  Blair, who had just fed Raymond, was coming down the stairs when he stopped to look at her.  Could it be possible that she looked more beautiful than when he'd first seen her come down that same staircase?  He looked at her over his coffee, frozen for a moment.

"Well, he's down for the take.  At least a few hours.  He's so cute, Todd.  I see so much of you in him."

"He's cute because he came from you, Blair.  Nothing cute about me," he was decidedly sour that day, and she could tell something was bothering him. 

"All right," she said, sitting across from him, "what's next, Mr. Manning?"

"I can't get through to Ray on the phone for an appointment, Carlo's out there somewhere, not to mention his handy men, and Sister Rebecca Katherine is still missing."

The door pushed open, and Sister Rebecca Katherine blew in, followed by Walnut and Shaun, who looked perplexed.  "I beg to differ!"  she announced.

Blair dropped her mouth to open, and said, "Oh my God," practically running to the woman, she grabbed her into an embrace.  Todd, still at the table, brushed away a small tear of relief before anyone noticed, and then got up, stoically, and went to her.  

She looked into his face and reached up to pat his cheek.  "Todd.  You look like you've seen the banshee of days gone."

He reached down and hugged her, closing his eyes over her shoulder.  "Sister," was all he could manage to say.

She said, "Now how long before I can get out of this terrible outfit and into my habit?"

Todd said, "I may just have an extra one upstairs."

In the midst of the cheeriness, he had barely had time to recognize who she was with.  "Walnut?  Wait..."

"Now stop yourself, Mr. Manning, you're getting hot under the collar.  You've got to wait for me to talk.  He's a victim too, like you, made mistakes but under the spell of that Carlo Hesser man."

Todd's face was filled with anger and hate toward the man.  "He took you, from the church."  Still staring at him, he asked, "Did he hurt you?  In any way?"

"No.  The poor lad doesn't have it in him.  So much for that Carlo's judgement."

Walnut was not speaking.  He was just standing, aside Shaun, waiting to see what Todd would do next.  Promptly, Todd stepped past the nun, and brought back his fist in an unexpected punch.  Walnut went sprawling onto the floor.

Blair said, "Well, he never saw that coming."

"Badass," Jack said, from the stairs.  

"Jack, what are you doing?"  Blair said, interrupting the events of the day.

"Um, going to school.  It's morning, it's a weekday."  His sarcasm woke them all.  "Sam's on his way down."

Todd said, "No, go up and stop your brother.  I don't want either of you near this guy without Shaun."  He looked to him.  "Shaun, go get the boys ready and bring them to school in the car today."

Todd turned to Walnut, who's lip was split open.  Walnut said, "I deserved that."

"And more.  A defenseless nun?  What's next?"  Todd said.

"There's more.  And you had better know it before we go any further with this.  I am the one who gas lighted you."

Blair saw Todd's expression take a dangerous turn.  She'd only seen that face a few times and it was not under pleasant circumstances.   Then she realized she was as angry as he was.  "Get out of our home!" she cried, walking toward the door.

"No, Blair, stop.  I want to hear what he has to say about trying to drive me over the edge."  

She turned back but went directly to her husband's side and snuck under his arm.  He held onto her, and they waited.

"Carlo's idea.  I never even knew why I was doing it, or what it meant.  He just told me what to buy and what to wear, where to be and how to act.  I never knew the reasons or what the outcome could be."

Blair said, "The outcome could have been a catatonic state.  You could have broken him, permanently."

Walnut thought a moment.  "I doubt that.  It's obvious he's a very formidable man.  I'm sorry for what I put you through.  I needed the money, and then once I worked for him, well, he owned me.  Threatened me and my mother."

Todd stopped and waited, "So, why are you here?"

Sister Rebecca Katherine seemed to have just realized she was quiet for more than three minutes, so she added, "He couldn't kill me off, had a problem with that.  We devised a plan to come and ask you for help."

As she spoke, Shaun brought the boys down to bring them to school.  Sam said, "Bye Mom, bye Dad!  I love you."

Todd said, "We love you too, bud.  Jack, thanks, see you later."

The boys exited with Shaun, and the four of them could hear the elevator bell.  Walnut said, "You've got a nice family, Manning."

"And it's going to stay that way, no thanks to you.  I'm calling John McBain.  He'll know what to do.  You're going to need witness protection and a plan to fool Carlo."

Walnut stared, unsure what to say.  "I don't....so that's it?  You're going to help me?"

Todd said, looking up from his cell phone, "Carlo Hesser took away eight years of my life, Cashew, or whatever your name is.  He tortured me or had me tortured every single day of those eight years.  He kept me from my family, my wife, my sanity.  Of course I'm going to help you get the f#cker."

"Told ya, didn't I?"  The nun folded her arms, and got a down-right indignant look on her face.

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