Battle the Dark: Chapter 32

Viki called the number that Natalie gave her the night before.  "Hello, John?"


"Viki, hello."  He was alone in the apartment with Timothy, who offered to bunk with him for the night.  Blair and the sister checked in to a local hotel with high security at John's request.  


"Shaun is on his way there, he was quite upset that Blair took off the way she did."  Viki said.


"He is not the only one.  She's here, we've spoken. He just arrived, just called me and is on his way over."


"I see.  Her family is in turmoil, John.  Jack is drinking again, and Sam's been plagued with nightmares."


"She mentioned."


"I just wanted to ask, is there anything you can do, John, to bring my brother home?"


"I'm doing it, Viki.  I am involved in trying to break this case right now."


"I understand.  I did not mean to act as if it were not enough.  The children are devastated."


"I realize."


"Please let Blair know I called?  I am certain that she is aware that her sons went to see Ray Martino today."


"He's a good man, good people.  I'm glad to hear that and I know she will be."


"What she shouldn't hear is that I am very concerned about both of the boys right now, especially Jack.  He's lost without Todd and Blair.  I am concerned what he will do, and my goal is to keep him seeing Ray until...well until things are resolved."


"I know.  She knows.  She just...I suppose she has to do this."


"Yes," Viki said, in spite of her doubts, she understood why Blair had taken this chance.  "Because she left him with these people the last time, and she can't bear it again."


"I thought that was the reason.  All I can do is watch over her."


***


"Hi!"  Sam said, walking into Ray's office.  


"Hi, Sam, how ya' doin?"  Ray said.


"Uh, okay I guess."


"What brings you here today?"


"A limousine."


Ray smiled, "I meant, why did you want to talk to me."


"My mom and dad are missing.  I feel sad.  Jack said there's a man with a knife that wants to cut them up."


"I don't think that Jack really knows what Mommy and Daddy are doing.  Do you?"


"I think he does.  He's older than me.  He knows things I don't."


"What about me, am I older?"


"Yeah, you're a lot older than both of us."


Ray laughed to himself to the cute innocence of the comments.  "Then I must know more, right?"


"Yeah.  That's true.  Dad knows the most.  He's the really oldest."


"Really?  Is Dad older than Mommy?"


"Yes."


"Is Dad older than me?"


"Yeah. He is.  He knows the most of everyone.  He's older than everybody.  Even people with gray hair.  I think Dad's older.  His eyes are."


Ray thought about the implications of what the child said, and added, "Well, I am older than you and Jack, then."


"Yeah, you are."


"And I can tell you that the man does not want to cut Mommy and Daddy up."


Sam thought a minute.  "He doesn't?"


"No.  He doesn't.  Now you have to forget about that.  Jack knows things, but I know more.  All right?"


"Yeah, okay.  Gee, thanks.  That's a relief.  I gotta go now, okay?  I want to go outside.  Starr said she would take me to the pond to see the ducks."


"All right, it was nice talking to you, Sam."


"You too.  Bye!"  He said, going to the door.  Starr opened it and he was standing close enough to fall over if he were leaning.  


"Hey bud, you ready?"  She said.


"Yeah!  Let's go play!"  


Relieved to see him back to himself, she smiled at Ray.  Sam stopped long enough to say, "Jack, too bad you're not as old as Ray, he knows a lot."  And he skipped off, with Starr following behind, requesting his hand.


Jack, standing at the door, hands shoved into his pockets, eyes generally deflected downward, said, "Hey, Ray."


"It's been a while, Jack.  Come on in."


Jack gently pulled the door behind him, and went to his seat, noticing the door was still a bit ajar.  "Should I close it?"


"It's not necessary unless you think so."


"No, I'm straight."


"Meaning 'okay' I'm assuming."


"Yeah, that's what it means, sometimes."


"All right.  Then, what's new?  What's ailing you?"


"You know what it is.  My parents.  My father is missing again.  One of the terrorists has him. The one who made him into a filet."


Ray let a small laugh escape.  "You're so like him.  That wry sense of humor about horrific things."


"Yeah, he's like that.  I guess I take after him, sometimes.  And my mother, she went after him this time.  I was happy at first and now I'm...scared to lose her, too."


"What can I do to help, Jack?  That's why I am here, after all."


"I'm so scared I can't sleep.  I take drinks to get me passed out.  I can't rest.  It goes through my head, over and over.  What if he dies and never comes back?  What will happen to the family, Little Ray, Mom, all of us?"


"You'll go on, Jack.  All of us do.  It will be hard, but we'll pick up the pieces and we'll start again.  Everyone does that.  Death is part of life."


"Not this kind of death.  He's going to be tortured.  He's probably being cut or burned right now, and I can't do a damn thing."


"No, you can't.  You can't do a damn thing.  Neither can I.  Neither can Starr.  Neither can your mother.  If he's being abused, he's being abused.  Inevitability.  Not fair, not right, but not something in your control.  But, what can you control, Jack?"


"What do you mean?"


"What things can you manage, what things can you do?"


"Take care of myself.  Help my mother, with the kids, or something.  In a few months, I can get a job."


"Can you stop drinking?"


"I don't know.  I need it to sleep sometimes."


"I can give you something to help you sleep.  Using alcohol for that is substance abuse.  Alcohol makes you think you're resting but you're not.  I can give you something, or I can teach you how to control your own feelings and be able to rest.  Drinking is not the answer.  It numbs you, but in the long run, you're just escaping for a while.  Your life is the same when you get sober."


Jack thought about the man's words.  "I guess."


"Are you drunk right now?"


"No."


"Is your life the same?"


"Yeah, you know it is."


"Then you have learned first hand that the booze is not the answer.  How would your father feel?  When he comes home, how will he take the fact that you're now drinking again?"


"He'll feel guilty, if I know Dad.  He'll think he did something."


"Right.  So there's your answer.  And what happens next, is up to you, isn't it?"


"Yeah, it is."


"We..straight?"


Jack smirked, "Yeah, we are."


"Something else I can do?"


"Yeah, teach me more of that meditation.  I need to go over it again.  Dad used it, he said it helped."


"I'll be glad to do that."


"But first, can I ask you something?"


"Sure, why not?"


"This guy who has Dad, has he got some kind of sickness or something that makes him into this?"


"Probably.  It's beyond the typical things we hear.  Most likely, he's dealing with some kind of mental illness."


"It scares me.  It grosses me out to think about it.  It makes me anxious thinking about it.  I try not to imagine it, and sometimes it's just there in front of me.  Sometimes I can see it, even though I've never seen it.  Does that mean I am sick, too?"


"No, it doesn't mean that.  Your imagination is getting control of you at that time.  It's best that when this happens, you do something else, or think of something else, or meditate.  Those are disturbing images, and you don't need them in your psyche.  Not healthy.  You should try and remove them."


"And now, I've put them into Sam's."


"Yes, you have, but he's a small child.  He can imagine things over it, he can create things to make it better.  He also is not envisioning what you are.  Your images, I am guessing, are much more graphic."


Jack swallowed, and shifted his feet, "They are.  What do you think he's done to him this time?"


"I don't know.  But he'll tell you.  Todd will tell you when he comes back.  You don't have to imagine it.  He'll tell you, either way, you'll know.  So my suggestion is to stop seeking it now."


Jack felt better, somehow, and he wasn't even sure why.  They finished the session by practicing the meditation and Starr appeared at the door.  "You ready?"


"Where the Hell's Sam?"  


"He's in the car, what do you think, I lost him?  Geesh, let's go."


Jack turned back, "Thanks Ray, I'll be back next week."


"All right, Jack."


As the door closed, again slightly ajar, Ray went to call maintenance to tell them about the faulty hinge, when someone showed up at his door.  Pushing the door open, Zeus peeked into the office.  "Busy?"


"Not really, but you know you have to stick to your appointments, Zeus."


He said, "I heard.  All of it.  Now what are we going to do for Jack and his father?"


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