Battle the Dark: Chapter 20

Jessica raced into the emergency room, after receiving a call from the hospital, and ran to the main desk, "Where is he?"

"Where is who, Miss?"

"Devon Kelly, he was brought in for a stab wound."

"He's in emergency surgery right now.  You can wait over there in the waiting area."

She felt lost.  She wandered over to the spot the nurse pointed to, slowly.  Everything seemed dreamlike.  She sat down, and a man approached her.  "You're Jessica Buchanan?  I recognize ya from the photograph."

"I am.  Who are you?"

"I'm Timothy Broderick.   My sister is Sister Rebecca Katherine."

"Oh, pleased to meet you," she said.  "What's wrong with Devon?"

"He's been stabbed, trying to protect The Mannings.  The little babe was almost kidnapped, but his parents weren't having any of it."

"Are they all right?  Todd is my uncle."

He thought better of zooming in to the truth.  Instead, he eased his way around.  "Blair was attacked, she is all right, physically.  Todd came to her aid, and the baby and Blair avoided the near miss of being abducted."

"And what about the boys?"

"They're all fine, from what I hear."

"And Todd?"

"Jessica, your uncle is a brave man, who I have been fortunate to know the last few weeks.  Quite a fellow."

"Is he all right?"

"He went with the kidnapper willingly to save them."

She said nothing, allowing it all to sink in.  "My God.  I should tell my mother."

"I believe she is next to be called."

"What about Devon?"

"I'm not good at lying or making the truth seem pretty and dressed up in a bow.  He's near death.  He was five minutes from bleeding out, they say."

The color drained from her face, and her eyes closed.  When she opened them, they were full of tears.  "I've been the biggest fool."

"How's that?"

"I held a grudge against him, and it was stupid.  I really messed up.  He just wanted a second chance.  Now I might never get one."

"You also might, and I suggest you do some praying and hope for the best."

"Why can't I see him?  What if he dies?  He'll never know that ... that I love him."

"He knows, lass, he told me himself."

She got up, "I have to see him.  I have to."  She pushed past Timothy and headed for the door, and pushing through it before the guards could stop her, she moved into the emergency surgery area, and as she did, two doctors came toward her, and stopped her, saying "You can't go in there, Miss."

Timothy grabbed her from behind, around the waist, and though she fought a bit, he was able to contain her, as she heard the familiar flatline sound of a machine and the hustle and commotion of a code blue.   "We're losing him, he's coding," a man's voice called out.  "Let's get the heart going again.  Nurse, epinephrine."

"Oh my God, Timothy, he's dying."

"Yes, lass."

***

Todd woke up to strange surroundings.  It was very dark, and he looked around him, trying to determine his whereabouts.  Then, he remembered, the last thing he heard was Blair's screams, his name.  This meant she was left behind, and safe.

He closed his eyes with gratitude for the fact of their safety.  He looked around, seeing baby things, and searched with his eyes for Little Ray.  He was not there, not in the crib, not anywhere.  "He only got me," he said aloud.

He was lying on a small cot, and his hands were cuffed behind him.  He felt groggy, and dry.  His legs were also bound at the ankle.  Realizing this, he fought to keep from delving into the memory of being bound and gagged in the tomb next to his father.  "Getting lost in those thoughts isn't going to help," he told himself.  Have to stay awake.  None of this catatonic stuff.   Face it all and get back to Blair and the kids.

The door opened and Michael Leona walked in, pulling a chair up across from Todd, and holding the skinner in his hand.  "Mr. Manning," he greeted Todd, tap tap tap.

"Mr. Leona.  No, too respectful for the likes of you.  The Slice and Dice.  Much better."

"If I were in your shoes, I'd be very careful."

"What do you want from me?"

Tap, tap, tap.  "What do you think?"

"I dunno, recipes using human skin?"

Leona took the blade and whisked it, quickly, over Todd's forearm.  Todd winced.  It cut through the cloth and blood seeped into the material, staining it.  "The boss will want me to get information from you.  Does this remind you of how we operate?"

"I remembered.  No need reminding me.  I live with it, every day, and every night.  And don't mistake that for weakness.  All of what you've done to me has made me stronger than I was before."

"All of what I've done, you don't even remember."

"Possibly.  But what I do remember, I don't like much."

Leona studied Todd, using his foot to bring him to a sitting position.  "I was so disappointed you showed up when you did.  I was so looking forward to my handiwork on your wife."

Todd stared directly into the enemy's eyes.  "There will come a time when I will kill you.  I will strangle the life out of you, without batting an eye."

"You'll never have that chance.  But in reality, I can see why you'd want to.  If you were only twenty minutes longer, I would have really been into things, if you get my meaning."  Tap, tap, tap.

"Oh I will kill you.  I'll squeeze your head until it f#cking cracks like an egg."

Leona laughed, "Nice image."  He studied him more,  "One thing does puzzle me."

"Don't let me keep you in the dark."

"You hated what we did to you so much, you went into some kind of trance."

"It wasn't a trance, but yeah, I did."

"And instead of saving yourself, you went with me, basically willing."

"So, what's your point, besides a Gerber Magnum?"

"You're some kind of stupid, that's all I can say.  You knew what you'd be getting if you came with me.  You also know there are things you can't even recall.  You stepped right into it.  What a stupid moron."

Todd didn't feel at all stupid.  He saw the man across from him as less than human as he laughed, not understanding what it felt like to love someone, and to have a child.  Todd said, "You don't have a family, do you?"

Leona answered, "Not that I will talk about myself any more with you after this very second, but no, I don't.  Never did."

"Then you couldn't know."

"Well taken.  As you can see, this abode was meant for your child."

Todd's bitterness was in his eyes, welling.  "He's an infant.  You would have brought that newborn here?  What would you have done?"

"Not into cutting kids, if that is what you are asking.  He was to get you to cooperate.  But, this is actually better."

"You get off on it, don't you?"  Todd said it more like a statement than a question.

"On what?"

"The cutting thing you do, you know, the real one."

"You bet your ass.  I enjoy it.  Yeah, I get off on it."

Todd just blew air out of his mouth.

Leona said, "You have your shit, I have mine."

"I suppose.  But yours is sick.  You're sick."

"Sick?  Whatever."  He got up, leaving the chair behind and went to the door.  "I'll be back later.  I am sure we'll have more to talk about then.  After all, I'm sick.  And you are the object of my transgressions."

***

Shaun had helped Starr get the boys into the areas they had to be, but no one was able to sleep.  Both Jack and Sam, the latter on the older's shoulders, came into the living room at La Boulaie and plopped themselves onto the couch, Sam falling off his brother's shoulders.

"We can't sleep.  Either of us," Jack said.

"Where's Mom?  Where's Dad?"  Sam said.

"I've kinda been wanting to ask the same thing,"  Starr said.  "I can tell something's wrong, Shaun, and you are not telling us."

 Shaun sat down, putting Sam on his knee, who leaned against the big man's chest, and said, "Starr, come here."

Starr moved next to Shaun, and all of them were sitting close, in a huddle.  "Your mom is okay.  Your Dad saved her."

"She's all right?"  Sam asked, "That's good.  I love my mom."

"Shaun, what about Dad?"

"He had to take a short trip, but, I promise you, he will be back."

Sam yawned and said, "Can I go back to bed now, I feel better."

"Sure," Shaun said.  Addie, who was watching from the doorway, took Sam upstairs.

"You're lying, Shaun."  Jack said, "Dad's not on a trip." 

"What happened to him?"  Starr was panicking.

"One of the men who held your father came to the penthouse this evening.  He tried to kidnap Little Ray.  According to your mother, he tried to hurt her, too.  Your Dad came in, and rescued them.  He saved them by offering to go with the man instead."

Starr's eyes widened, and she cried, "No!  No, it can't be! Not again!"

Jack was stunned.  He couldn't say much, there was nothing he could think of to say.

Starr continued, "No, he can't be back there, Shaun, he just can't," she broke down.  Shaun put his arm around her shoulders, and saw Jack swallowing back tears.

"You know your Dad.  Strong man.  He'll get out of this."

Starr said, "It took him so long to get back to us.  Then it took so long for him to start to get over it all.  He's not even healed.  Now this?"

Jack said, "He can't die."

Shaun put his other arm around Jack's shoulders and pulled him in as well.  "He won't die.  He's Todd Manning."

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