Battle the Dark: Chapter 33

"What do you mean?  First off, Zeus, you violated the rules by being outside, hearing a patient's session without their knowledge or permission."


"I know.  I realize that."  He walked into the office, and Ray shut the door, being certain it closed, behind him.


"That's highly inappropriate."


"It is.  But, I saw them.  I saw Starr and Sam outside.  I wanted so bad to talk to them, but I know it's not allowed.  Sam is my son, Ray.  I came down here to talk to you about it, see if the rules could be broken.  I overheard Jack because the door was open.  I wasn't intending to listen in.  Once I heard part of it, I couldn't take myself away.  These were my kids for eight years.  I believed they were mine.  I loved them, all of them, and I still do."


Ray listened, unsure of the next step.  He said, "You did something very wrong."


"Not with intent.  And now that I know, I want to help."


"How do you suggest that?  Blair would never agree to Sam seeing you, not in here and not until you are fully well."


"It's not about that.  Jack already has permission, Starr is an adult.  Once I got down here, and heard him, I realized something else."


"All right, what?"


"I figured out that I can help.  I can call my father."  Zeus said.  


"Your father?  You mean Carlo Hesser?"  Ray seemed interested suddenly.


"Yes.  He gave me a special secret number to call him at.  I never used it.  It was during that Mayor Finn thing and the jail escape.  What if the phone is still operational?"


"I'm surprised that he would do this for someone who he trained to be his offspring."


"Well, there's more to that.  The last time I spoke to him, he hinted that I was actually his son.  Really."


"You didn't find that odd?"


"I did, and I do, but what if he's right?  That means he'd want me to have access to him, and that means, I can turn on Geotagging on a cell phone,  and I can tell where he is."


Ray sat back in his chair.  "For some reason right now, I feel strongly that your overhearing today was not such a bad thing.  This could work.  Shall I call the police?"


"I don't know.  The only one who can be trusted is John McBain.  I don't know the others, and what if they are on Hesser's payroll?"


"McBain is out of town.  Starr said so."


"Then, we have one choice.  You go buy an untraceable cell phone, we download this app I know about, and we track the sonofabitch."


Zeus seemed more sharp and cognizant than Ray remembered.  "Are you doing well, Zeus, or has this episode just gotten you focused."


Zeus looked at his shoes, and back up to Ray.  "The truth is, I was standing in front of my window just last night, fantasizing about diving through it and letting the pieces fall where they may.  That's the truth.  Tea's had the baby, she won't see me or let me see her.  I can't see Daniella, I'm totally alone.  But today, hearing Jack, and knowing I can do something, I mean really do something to make up for....everything...I just felt, worthy, you know?"


Ray said, "I think I'd better call John McBain and ask him what is the best way to proceed.  Are you okay with that?"


"Sure.  He's a good man, I can tell, now that I am not in the spell of Carlo, I can see things a little clearer."  Ray noticed the man was spinning a quarter on the tips of his fingers, and manipulating it in and out of each one until it balanced on his thumb.


Ray dialed.


***


Todd waited.  "The beginning, that would be the perfect place."


Leona stared at him for a moment, "You don't want to know this."


"I do, why would I ask?"


"Well, I'm telling you you don't."


"I'll trade information with you."


Leona seemed interested.  "What information have you got for me?"


"I have the location of the head of RA21."  Todd gambled.  He hoped he would not lose.


"I thought I was sick, Manning.  You seem a bit sick yourself, wanting to trade information for details about your abuse.  Makes no sense to me."


"Maybe I want it over with."  Maybe I want an excuse to gut you like a fish.  You'll never get to use the information that I am giving you.  You'll be dead, because I will kill you.  


"Not my orders."  Tap.  Tap.  Tap.   "My orders are to get you to talk, and give that info to Carlo."


"What will you get for that?"


"Power.  He promised to get me another victim, if I want one.  Or even two."


Todd shuddered.  "Because I'll be dead."


"Yeah, because you'll be dead."


"You can just tell him you got it out of me through torture, but just get it out of me without it. Doesn't that work?"


"No, actually, it doesn't," he said, approaching Todd, the knife glinting.  The last thing Todd heard before blacking out from the pain, was the sound of his own shirt ripping at the bicep, at the mercy of Michael Leona's 'sickness.'


***


They proceeded as John suggested.  Because Zeus had not spoken to Carlo in months, John was sure the man would be alerted, so Zeus would lie, saying he was just let out of Mountainview.  "We have to hope he believes me,"  Zeus said, "If he doesn't, Todd might run out of time."


The cell phone rang, neither of them knowing if Carlo would even pick up, or if the number was still in operation.  They had been told to use an office phone, blocked, so that phone bills and phone towers could trace the location of the call.  John had told Zeus to just keep Carlo on for thirty seconds or longer.  He could not believe that was enough.  The phone rang several times, and right before he looked to Ray as if they had failed, Carlo's voice on the other end said, "Hello?"


"Father?"  Zeus said.


"Zeus, my boy, is that you?"


"Yes, it's me.  I was just let out of Mountainview.  I'm finally free."


"I don't have time for this right now.  Your timing is questionable at best,"  Carlo seemed suspicious.


"I just wanted you to know."


"Why would you call me, of all people?  You were not very receptive to me the last time we spoke."


"I'm better now, and you said something I had to find out about."


"What did I say?"  Carlo was being cool.


"You told me that I might really be your son.  That has been on my mind for a while now."


Ray signaled Zeus that they had reached the thirty second mark.  Zeus kept on, assuring they would have enough time on the line to find him, and hopefully, Todd.


Carlo said, "I don't remember saying that."  He wondered if he had slipped, and told the man the truth.  He thought back to the last conversation.  Going over it in his mind, he could not be one hundred percent sure that he had not slipped a bit of information to the boy. 


"Well, you did.  And if it's true, I want to know about myself.  It will help me."


"I don't have time now, I said.  I will have to call you again.  Where are you?"


"I'm on a payphone.  When I get settled, I will call you again.  Father, where are you?  Maybe I could come there and settle, help you, be one of you."


Ray's eyes showed alarm.  Zeus had deviated from the planned conversation.


"Be one of us?"  Carlo asked.


"Yeah.  I have nothing holding me here."


"Your beloved Tea did not seem to wait for you?"


Zeus closed his eyes, filled with emotion just hearing her name.  "No, she moved on.  She had my daughter and moved on without me."


"Just like your mother."


Zeus' mouth was dry.  Was Carlo believing him?


"I want to know more."


"In time, my boy, in time.  Come to Rialto, and meet me.  I'll find you once you get here.  I have a special place arranged where we can talk, out of sight of the street."


Carlo promptly hung up.  "Rialto!"  Zeus called out, "Rialto. And he said, he had a special place where we could talk, out of sight of the street.  What do you think he meant by that?"  he asked Ray.


"I don't know, but every word of this that we just taped is being played for John McBain."


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