The End of Blame: Chapter 25 (adult)

John, still reeling from the events of the night before, answered his door to see Zeus standing outside it.  He said, "Mr. Zelenko.  What can I do for you?"


"You've already done it.  My life's totally different as of today, John.  It's because of you and Todd.  I want to thank him, but I'm not sure where to find the guy."  John's actions were suspect to Zeus, as he walked about the room, ignoring his comment.  Zeus repeated, "I'd like to thank Todd."


John said, "Todd's in no position to be thanked by anyone right now."


"What's going on?"


"I can't say much, but I will say that if he does not get help soon, he'll lose his mind."


Zeus let the words sink in, before saying, "He's been through hell and more."


"He has.  And it hasn't stopped."


"New developments?"


"Yeah, I guess you could say that.  But let's get back to you.  How was the meeting with your 'Aggie?'"


"It was strange, John, little by little,. everything came back."  The man's expression was one of loss and finding, at the same time.  His eyes watered, "She was my mother."


"Yeah, I guess she was.  Lucky we found her.  It was just a really strange coincidence.  There she was.  Did she tell you any more about Carlo?"  Great, McBain, now you're sounding like Manning.  One track mind.


"She didn't know much about him.  He paid a lot of money, and gave specific directions.  I was not to have visitors, and I was never to be adopted.  He basically kept me there, intentionally.  She said people were interested in adopting me over the years, but they couldn't let me go, because of his payments.  She was glad, since we had become attached to each other.  It changed everything, you know.  I had a mother.  She loved me, taught me, cared for me.  She was my touchstone.  Carlo must have done something to me in brainwashing to make me feel alone.  It was as if he wiped things clean and gave me no childhood.  Truth is, I had one, and for what it was, it was pleasant.  She really loved me, and showed me love."


In his mind, John couldn't help but compare it with Todd's recent revelations.  He said, "Always works.  Mother's love, is the key to life."


"I guess that's true," he agreed.


"What's next, Zeus?"


"About Todd.  I'm not going to push you for information, I just want to help.  I'm satisfied with what I know, but I know he'll want more.  He needs it.  He has to find closure.  It's part of whatever is pulling him apart right now."


Pulling him apart.  That just about describes it.  "All right.  What help?"  John said.


"The name she gave you, it's accurate.  The daughter of the guy is still living.  She lives about ten miles out of Athens.  A small town called Lamia.  She lives there.  I'm sure you'll find her.  Maybe she has more information on her father and Carlo. There's no proof of that, I know, but it's something."  He put out his hand, "John, I have to thank you, again.  This has changed everything for me."


John shook his hand and said, "Just doing my job."


"All right, just doing your job then.  As for Todd, please tell him how grateful I am for everything he did."


"I will."


"I hope he . . . I hope he's well."


Strange choice of words, but so appropriate.  "I will pass along the message."


Zeus, walking to the door, turned once more.  "I'm going to ask Tea to move here, just for a while.  I want to be near my mother and have her meet my family, and see my children."


"That's a beautiful thing."


"And if you're wondering about Sam, don't.  He's better off with Todd.  Todd is Sam's psychological father, and is his, in every sense of the word except biology, and he's definitely Blair's.  I can't give Sam what he needs as a parent.  The way he was conceived is one problem, and the abuse he suffered from me is another.  Before you judge me, realize that letting him go to the parents who want and adore him, is loving him."  And he left.


***


It was close to noon.  Sister Rebecca Katherine had been up and about with the baby, first walking him on the deck in the sun, and serving him breakfast by the sea.  "Ah, little one," she said, "your father has a terrible fight on his hands.  But you are one force to give him strength and I am so glad he did not send ya home."  All morning, she had not disturbed Todd and Blair at all, careful not to make extra noise, and their bedroom door was still closed.


Behind it, Blair was watching him sleep.  She had bandaged his wound, which was pretty substantial, but she was afraid to bring him to the hospital.  One large blister was in the center of his hand, and the rest were small welts and bubbles from the heat.  She let her hand trace over his body, stopping on the dreaded certain rectangle from Leona, and then moved over it, saying to herself, You have to move on, Blair.  You do, and it will help him to do the same.


He stirred, and opened one eye, customarily, and said, "Hey, beautiful."


She smiled at him, "Hi."


He said, "Sorry for what I'm putting you through.  I shouldn't have asked you not to leave.  You can go, if  you want to . . . just please, not forever."


"Go where?  Where is there on or off this earth could I be far enough away to forget you, Todd Manning?"


"I don't know.  Hades?"


She smiled broader.  "I can't leave you.  You know that."


"A sane woman would.  Which makes you crazy.  Which makes us both nuts."


"Okay.  Then we're both nuts."


He reached out to touch her, and his bandaged hand grazed her jawline, running down to her breasts.  Her nipples responded to the slightest brush from his thumb.  He said, "God, after all that, I want you so damn much."


"I'm here," she said,  "I'm yours.  But I put my foot down in one area."


"Oh really?  What is that?"


"Sleeping.  We're sleeping, from now on, from at least 12 until 8, every day.  We go to bed at 11:45, and we wake up at 8:00.  And we sleep.  End of story."


"Fine by me.  Have you told Peter Manning, Michael Leona, Carlo Hesser and the rest about this?"


"I'm telling them now.  No more of that."


"They're listening.  I guess."


"You'll see," she warned, smiling.


"I love you, Babe."


'I know.  I love you, too."


"I want you."


"Then, take me," she said,


He moved over her instantly, and propping himself on both elbows, began to fondle and kiss her.  She arched her back toward him, and he pulled her gown off her shoulder with his good hand, kissing her upper arm, collarbone, and chest.  He ran his tongue down her cleavage, and sucked her nipples, each in turn.  She felt him, hard against her belly, and slipped her hand under the waistband of his sleep pants.  He was moist at the tip, and his excitement made her wet.  She took his good hand, and said, "Touch me, the way you do, Todd," and placed it inside her panties.


His fingers adeptly moved across her lower abdomen and rested in their place.  His thumb was his instrument of pleasure for her.  He watched her expression turn from avid interest in what he was doing to pure ecstasy as he massaged her in circles, his long, strong finger inside her.  He heard her squeal and felt her muscles squeeze against his middle finger as he rubbed over her in the place he knew would bring her to abandon.  He added a second finger inside, and she moaned in pleasure.  Knowing so well what she liked, he brought her to climax in minutes and she cried out his name and pushed herself onto his hand.  Taking his fingers out of her, he rolled her on top of him, and she said, "Nothing is like us, Todd."


"No, nothing is, Babe."


She worked her way over his body with her hands and mouth, sucking him to full, solid hardness, watching him respond to every touch, and seeing him long for her, deeply, with his eyes and with his body.  He said, "I just want to forget, you know?"


She said, "I know.  You will, just lie back.  You will."


He closed his eyes, and let himself sink into the feeling of her mouth surrounding him.  She used the perfect combination of pressure and tongue to bring him to frenzied want and desire.  Unusual for Todd, she was surprised when he moved her head up and down over him, and then, by the hair, gently moved it again, bringing her mouth to his.  He put his tongue inside her lips, and lifted her and guided her onto him.  Biting her lip slightly, he watched her pull away, and sit up, teasing both of his nipples with her fingers, and pushing herself up and down onto him.  Without warning, he rolled again, and this time, he pulled out of her briefly, setting her onto her stomach, then pushed himself back inside, while crushing down on her with his weight.


She loved the feeling of being smashed between him and the bed.  Meanwhile, she opened her legs wider, to allow him more access to her, and felt him slide his hand around in front of her and fondle her most sensitive spot.  Her sounds brought him close to his end while his sounds kept her making sounds in turn; together, they were a well-oiled machine in which each part knew perfectly how to react with the others to complete the task.  She came in waves, softly saying, "yes" over and over, bringing him to the same place within her, and his body reacted to each cry she made.  She loved hearing him come, and let the sound of it linger in her mind, well after he had finished.  She turned on her side to face him, "You're amazing.  So romantic and tender."


'You're amazing,"  he said, in return.  "but I've warned you about those words and my rep."


"So did it work?"


"Did what work?"


"Did you forget?"


"Forget what?"


She said, "Oh you!" and smacked him with a pillow.


He said, "What?  It's a silly question.  I was just inside you, the most beautiful place in the world.  And you ask did I forget?"  
     
She smiled, "All right, you forgot."


He got serious.  "God, you make me feel."  He said, looking into her soul through her eyes.


She smiled.  She watched him, stroking her hair, then letting his hand just sit against her, and then closing his eyes.


***
John took the information that Zeus left him and went on his search.  Hopefully, it would not be too difficult to find the Cholas family outside of Athens, though it would be quite a distance,  Instead of booking another flight, he took the car Todd had arranged and decided to do some researching on the way.  Todd had given him his tablet to utilize, which had all of his press access and sites linked easily to a set of icons on the desktop.  He began simple, searching through old files, and came across a few articles about the Cholas' purchase of the orphanage fifty some years before.  It also had a detailed report of how, approximately twenty five years ago, it was lost by the Cholas family due to "unforeseen circumstances," and purchased by one Thaddeus Andracus and taken over.


In the history of the Cholas family, he also discovered that the original owner, Dimitri Cholas, as jailed for fraud and racketeering over the years.  This may have lead to the sale of the orphanage; the details were not clear.  At least, John thought, he had information to ask about when meeting the daughter of Dimitri.  Finally, a smaller article about the death of Dimitri Cholas, which dashed his hopes of finding anything new about the man or his meetings with Carlo Hesser.  John began to picture it in his mind; Carlo paying the man huge sums of money to take the child, leave him anonymous and never allow him to be adopted or to leave the orphanage until he was a legal adult.  Cruel.  Sick.  Carlo.


For the rest of the drive, John perused webcams from Llanview, and called Natalie twice.  Soon, his ride was over.  The car pulled up in front of a small cottage in Lamia.  He hoped that Ms. Cholas was home.


Approaching the front door, John heard some sounds around the side of the bungalow, and went to trace them.  A beautiful forty-something was digging in the garden.  Her long, black tresses glossed burgundy in the sun.  She looked up.  "May I help you?"  She said, tipping back her sun hat and smiling.  She was stunning, with dark, large eyes and a stellar smile.


He said, "Ms. Cholas?"


"Yes, I'm her."


"Detective John McBain, Llanview Police, United States."


Her smile immediately faded and she went back to tending her roses.  "What do you want, Mr. McBain?  I've got a lot of gardening to do."


"I'm sorry, I can tell already you've been bothered quite a bit by people regarding your father's dealings.  Am I right?"  He asked.


She stood back up.  "Yes.  You happen to be right."


"Maybe I won't be so bad.  If I told you it's about a man's life, possibly saving it, or turning it around from the depths of Hell, would you feel better about it?"


She cocked her head in interest.  "Yes, I suppose I would."  She began to pull off her gardening gloves finger by finger, and said, "Come in, please."  She lead him to her front door, but not before he noticed the swing of her hips.  She had a perfect figure, similar to Blair's but more compact, for the woman was only about five foot tall.


She opened the door to the cottage, which was pleasantly decorated and simple.  He said, "Cute place."


"You can dispense with the cordialities they teach you in police school.  I was a cop.  Before all Hell broke loose."


This revelation did take John by surprise.  "Really?  What happened?"


"I lost my job after everything with father came to light.  Of course, I was considered an accomplice, even though I was only twenty-two years old at the time and had nothing to do with it."


"I see.  You weren't a cop for long then?"


"Here, you can become a policeman as young as eighteen.  I went to the academy the day I turned it."


"Ah."


"Loved my work, wanted to be, coincidentally, a detective.  So, what can I do for you and this man?"


"I need to know the circumstances surrounding the orphanage.  A specific patron, who deposited a baby there, about 40 years back, for a large sum of money, with specific directions."


"Join the club.  So do about one hundred other folks."


John was disappointed, but not foiled.  "Please, if you'll hear me.  It involves eight years of brainwash, torture and destruction in the lives of two men and their families."


She winced, "All right, but I don't think I'll have the answers."


"The man was Carlo Hesser."


"I've heard that name.  Somewhere.  Go on, Lieutenant."


He could see her mind working as he spoke.  "He came with a child, we believe was his.  A child with a woman he wanted to punish.  He offered a large sum of money to keep the child in the orphanage, never allow him to be adopted. . ." she turned white as he talked, and he said, "Ms. Cholas, are you all right?"


"Yes, yes I'm fine.  I know who you speak of.  I remember more, because I've read about this, in my father's journal."  She left the room, and returned with a leather, weathered book.  "I really have been waiting for the right story before giivng this away.  As I have explained, many people have come by my home to ask.  This is the first story that pieces of what I have read are making sense with.  I also now know why that name was familiar to me.  My father has several entries about that man and his 'dealings' with him.  Perhaps this book was his confessional; perhaps it was insurance.  Either way, there are things in here that have haunted me.  Tell me, Lieutenant, the men, that were hurt by Carlo Hesser.  Are they living?"


"Yes, one is still here in Greece as we speak.  He's . . . not quite been able to recover yet."


"If this is able to help, then finally it will do some good."  She let it go from her hands cautiously, even though she had offered it willingly.


John said, "I can promise you, it will be returned in the same condition, and soon.  I understand that even in a case like this . . ."


"Family heirlooms are critical to those who call the perpetrators 'family.'  I know.  And it is true.  Whatever my father has done, he still was my father."  Her voice broke.


"Then he is deceased?"  He thought back to the obituary, and had just asked for confirmation, in case there was some kind of cover-up or falsifying of information.


"Yes.  He is.  He died in prison."


John rose, "Ms. Cholas, have you considered moving to the states?  I could possibly help you get that position in the force you have wanted."


"I don't want that anymore, Detective.  I have long given up on that.  But if I change my mind, I'll certainly let you know."


"Here's my card," he said, extending his hand.


Her fingers grazed his, carefully, as she took the card from him.  "Thank you, I appreciate it."  She removed the sunhat, finally, and her hair bounced down out of it, like black silk.


He said, "I'll be going now," and turned to leave.


Just as he reached the door, she said, "Lieutenant, none of that book is easy reading.  There are accountings of very horrible things.  My father was a member of an international terrorist ring, you've possibly heard of it?"  At this, John turned back toward her in utter shock, She continued, "He was with that group since he was in his twenties."


"What group, Ms. Cholas?"  John was almost afraid to hear her answer.


"I assumed you were familiar with it.  He was with The Men of 21."


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