Battle the Dark: Chapter 31

Clint was in the process of sobering up a very drunk Jack when Viki found her way down to the library.  "Oh my God," she said, walking over to them, hands on hips.  "Jack Manning."


"What?"


"Never mind, what.  Drink that coffee."  Clint said.  "And in a minute, I'll throw you into a cold shower, if you don't stop with the comments."


Viki said, "Jack, what are you doing?"


"Sitting," he said, sloppily.


"You told your little brother what those men did to Todd?"


Jack swayed, but became serious.  "So?  I'm not like all of you, telling him the fake truth, Dad's coming back, Dad's going to play ball with you.  Sam has to know what's really going to happen.  Not these lies."


Clint said, "You may be right, but why the news about the torture?  What were you thinking?"


Jack sat a moment.  "I guess I wasn't.  I don't know."


"You were too drunk to realize it was wrong, and this has to stop."  Viki said, as Starr came into the room, unannounced. 


"Jack, how could you?  He's waking up screaming from nightmares because of you."


Jack did not respond, but instead, fell over onto the couch.  Clint said, "Let's get him to bed.  We'll deal with him tomorrow."


Starr sat by Viki.  "I'm sorry for how my brother is acting.  He's in pain, he doesn't know how to deal with it, or at least, he forgot.  He's suffering, too."


"I know he is.  This whole thing is so horrible.  If Todd only saw this, he'd feel more guilt-ridden than ever."


"Thank God he's not seeing it.  Jack wouldn't be doing any of this if Dad were here.  He's...he's just afraid."


"You're right, I know.  What do you suggest?"


"Ray Martino.  His therapist, and Dad's.  Jack needs something."


"All right, we'll call in the morning."


"It is morning," Starr said, and they both looked out of the glass doors and saw the sun beginning to peek through.


***


The music was filling his mind and heart with a kind of peace he hadn't experienced in what felt like forever.  She stood, waiting, her hand extended.  Wearing her antique gown, and vintage jewelry, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  He took a step, but did not seem to get closer.  He took several steps, and again, she was out of his reach.  Try as he may, he could not reach her hand, and take it, and touch it, and be with her, in her arms,  his perfect escape.


He closed his eyes, and said aloud, "please let me touch her," and when he opened them, she was still there, but blood was splattered on her dress and a smear of it was on her cheek.  She looked just like she did when he left her, a few nights before,  in the nursery at the penthouse.  He was confused.  Nothing horrible came into this place; not his safe place, not with his Blair.  He said her name.


She put her hand down, not beckoning him any longer.


He said, "I need you.  I need to feel your arms around me."


"You can't.  Not here.  Not anymore."


He felt his tears welling, and a lump was in his throat.  "No, Blair, why?"


"You can't.  You can't have me like this.  Not anymore.  You have to go back.  You have to go back and let me find you."


"I'm afraid."


"I know.  So am I.  But, it's always been us, hasn't it?  Go back.  Don't come here.  This isn't real, Todd.  Go back.  Get free and come back to us.  The kids and I love you and need you. I'm not real, Todd.  I'm just in your mind, remember?"


"No.  You are real.  I always came here.  I always did.  And you held me, and you kept me safe."


She looked at him, pained, "I can't.  Not here.  If you stay here, you'll die."


He attempted to reach for her hand again, and couldn't.  Running, he went to her, and when he reached for her to take her in his arms, she vanished.  He was alone.  The music stopped.  The walls grayed, the sconces went out, except for one shining brightly.  He looked at it, and soon...


"Huh.  You're back with me?"  Leona said.  "That was quick."


Todd focused his eyes on his captor, and realized what had happened.  Overcome with emotion, he turned from him and buried his eyes in his sleeve.  Gaining composure, he turned back.  "What did you do to me?"


"Nothing.  I didn't even have time.  You took off running when you saw that lighter."


"I'm just going to go out on a limb here.  In real life, when I saw that lighter, I knew what came next.  With you, I'm not so sure, but whatever it is, it must scare the life out of me."


"Yeah, I guess it does.  Perfect, isn't it?  At least for me.  The sick one."


Todd swallowed.  He wanted to rush at him and strangle the words out of his too-big grin.  "I know this bears repeating, I am going to kill you.  Whatever it takes."


"Pfft.  You haven't got it in you.  I know how to stop you dead in your tracks.  Forgetting?"


"No, I haven't forgot that fact.  But what if you're wrong?"


"Then, I'm wrong."


"You'll end up dead."


"Then I'll end up dead.  You seem to think I care.  Like I have a future, like I have goals.  Like I have someone to go to outside of here.  The answer to all of those is WRONG."


"So you have nothing to lose, then?"


"Right, except my life, for what it is.  It's not easy being me.  You're the person I've interacted with the longest in my life."


Todd thought about it.  "So, what am I then, your friend?"  He attempted to understand.  


"'Friend' means feelings, emotions, caring.  You're my victim, my object.  The way I get by.  The way my needs are met, however sick they are.  You see?  The pain of someone else just gets me off...nothing more than that."  He smiled his cadaverous smile.


Todd wanted to lunge at him, but feared he'd never get to the ending he needed and wanted to hear.  Stay cool, Manning.  Time for that later.  Now, get it all from him, all you can.


"So now that I'm going to be dead soon, you're able to, cut your losses, pun definitely intended?"


"Yeah.  You might as well know whatever it is you want to know.  I would want to.  Just seems right.  I mean, I do have a streak of fairness in me somewhere.  You've given me hours of pleasure,  the way for me to live how I wanted and needed to, without having to get caught or end up in prison or some mental ward."


"All right.  Then in fairness, what did you do to me that I don't already know about."


He tapped his knife.  "Lots of things.  Where do you want me to start?"


***


Ray cleared his schedule for the morning to be able to see both Jack and Sam.  Starr had Williams bring the car to transport all of them.  She sat between her brothers in the back seat.  On the trip there, Sam said, "Starr, why is Jack mad at me?"


Jack, still feeling hungover and miserable, said, "I'm not mad at you."


"Why are you acting mad?"


"I'm not mad.  I'm...I'm mad, but not at you.  I'm sad.  And I don't feel good."


Sam undid his seatbelt, got up and moved to where his brother was sitting.  Pushing in between him and Starr, he said, "I'm sorry you don't feel good.  You can hold my Spiderman toy? It makes me feel better."  He held out his hand, and the red and blue Spiderman figure, one of the things Todd had bought him via Santa that year, was in his little palm.


Jack looked at his brother, and tears came to him.  "Thanks, Sam.  Really.  But you keep him. He makes you feel better, and I am sorry for what I did to make you feel bad."


"You mean when you told me about the man and the knife?"


Jack was embarrassed for Starr to hear what he had done, even though he knew she already had knowledge of it.  "Yeah.  I shouldn't have said that.  I...was just feeling bad, and I took it out on you."


Sam jumped onto Jack's lap.  "Yeah, but was it true, Jack?  Was it true about the man?"


Jack looked at Starr.  She said, "Sam, I don't want you worrying about that stuff.  That's for the grown-ups to worry about."


Sam said, "But, I'm Dad's kid.  And Mom's, too.  Are they going to be gone forever?"


Jack said, decidedly, "No.  They're not going to be gone forever, Sam."  He wasn't lying to him, as much as telling him what he had decided to grasp onto and never let go of.  "They'll be back.  Both of them."


And, he and Starr both knew he was right.  They'd be back, both of them, dead or alive.


*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.