Hope from the Ocean: 16

John explained, "There isn't much to go on.  Marty called me a few days back.  She woke up one morning, he was gone.  She waited and hoped that he would call her, or come back, and he didn't.  After about twenty-four hours, she finally had called me.  She was frantic.  No notice of where he was, no ransom demands.  This made us both think of The Men of 21 right off.  Of course, I've put out feelers everywhere, and no one in Ireland has given us any feedback or even contacted us about the case."

"Hmf.  When Todd was missing in Ireland, I called the authorities there; they didn't help at all," Blair said.  "And when I went to find Todd, they were of no help either.  They were actually part of the cover-up for his disappearance."  Blair added.

"The authorities in Ireland have a blurred line of how they work," Timothy piped up.  "I warned ya when we were there, looking for Todd this last time.  It's not like New York, or even Llanview.  It's very different in The Old Emerald Isle."

"Well, needless to say we're at a standstill.  I'm waiting for clearance from the FBI to take this to another level.  Of course, there are complications.  The CIA wants Americans out of these kinds of things.  I could turn it over to them, but I fear losing track of things, and eventually, losing Thorhart in the crossfire."  John said.

"Are ya talking about going rogue?"  Timothy asked.

"Possibly.  If I have to.  Waiting on the FBI's word before I decide."  McBain sipped his coffee.

"I'm the only one who knows how they operate," Todd said, and Blair sat up, removing her arms from him, "I know these people, how they think.  I was held by them, through Hesser, for eight years."

"I'm not doing this," Blair said, "I know what you're doing, and I'm not doing this."

"Let me finish, Blair."

"No, you are finished."

"Blair . . ."

"John, Todd is not an agent, he's not a cop, right?  He has nothing to do with this and he won't be allowed to do anything, right?"  Blair asked.

"If it's through the FBI, you're right.  Blair, calm down, really.  I can't see how this is good for you," John responded.

"Who else knows how they think?  What they do?  How they treat a man in captivity?"  Todd asked.

Timothy said, "I think I can help.  Somewhat.  I may not know much, but I have a kind of experience."

"It won't be civilian work, unless . . ."  John began.

"Unless you go rogue."  Todd finished.

Blair had already refolded her arms, and stood, enraged, in the center of the room.  "Todd.  Let's go.  We've heard enough.  Let John handle this."

"Manning, it's no place for you, either way.  You have a family now, a life you've worked to get back.  These men play for keeps, and they already have it out for you.  You know that.  We can consult with you, from Llanview."  John said.

"Maybe."

"Maybe," she repeated.   "Maybe?  What are you thinking, that you'll go off again to Ireland with a baby on the way?"

"First, I never said that, and second, I'd be with John, and trained agents.  I'd be fine.  Patrick saved my life, Blair.  There would be no new baby, no us, if he didn't risk his life to save mine."  

If I lived 200 years, I'd still be in the red to you.

"No, Todd," she was becoming anxious.  "No."

John stepped in, "No one has said anything about going anywhere.  Really, Blair, calm down."

"Yes, Bridgette, please.  Y'ar getting y'arself all in a huff for nothing yet,"  Timothy tried.

"You don't know," she said, strangely calm, "what I'm in a huff over.  The only one who does in here, is him," she pointed to Todd, "and he doesn't seem to care much about it.  I'm going home," she said, taking her coat and throwing it over her arm.  

Todd began to get up, and turned, pointing her finger and said, "And you don't come after me," and slammed out.

"Hormones," Todd said, and all three men rolled their eyes and made sounds of understanding.

***

"Eat the rest of mine, will you?"  Jenna asked, almost forcing her sandwich into Jack's face.

"Hey!" he said, playfully, and she decided to stuff it into his mouth and they wrestled playfully in the hallway outside the artroom.  Lunch was almost over.  "Okay, okay!  You win!" he said, opening his mouth and taking a bite of her sandwich.  

"There," she said, "I feel better.  A growing boy."

"Boy?"

"Okay a growing man.  Better?"

"Hmm," he said, chewing.  "I guess."

"Well, then, you listen to me.  You have to grow up big and strong," she teased.

"Oh yeah?  Why?"  he asked.

"Because, then you'll be a strong grown man.  Like your father."

"Hmf, okay.  But what about you, you don't have to eat well?"

"I eat.  I just don't like lunch.  I'd rather talk, and draw and other things."

"Other things, huh?"  he said, and their eyes connected a minute.  The longer they lingered, the more he thought he should kiss her . . .

The bell rang, and she jumped to her feet.  "We have to go to class today!  You promised your parents."

He rolled his eyes, "I know.  We're going to study hall.  Together."

"Yes.  We are," she said, and she took his hand.

As they rounded the corner, a group of kids came toward them and in the commotion, Jack and Jenna got pushed against the wall, facing each other, and her face was tilted upward toward him.  She said, "We're squished, good thing we know each other."

"Yeah," he said, looking into her eyes, and then, closing his as he kissed her lips that were still stained with cranberry juice from lunch.

After a few minutes, the crowd had dissipated, and they were left there, finishing the kiss.  "Mr. Manning?  PDAs, PDAs!"  Mr. Martinez said, walking by and motioning for the hall to clear.

"PDAs,"  Jenna said, looking up and smiling, brightly.  He took her hand and lead her to study hall.

***

"Blair?  Blair!"  Todd called as he came in the house, tossing his keys as usual.

"Up here, Todd!"

"Okay.  Coming up."

"No, don't.  I was just on my way down.  Give me a minute."

Is this the same woman who just about bit my head off earlier today?

She came down the stairs, carrying Ray.  She said, "Hey, Daddy, Ray has something to say."

"All right, what is it, Son?"

"What does the doggie say?  Tell Daddy what the doggie says."

The toddler said nothing, just smiled and chewed his hand.

Todd said, "Hey, Big Guy, what does the doggie say?"

"Arf, arf," Ray said, and Todd smiled, taking his son from Blair.  

Todd said, "and what about the duck?"

"Quack, quack!"  Ray said.  "Down, Daddy."

Todd put Ray down, and he ran into the family room.  Todd followed him, "Hey Buddy, come here," and scooped him up.  "He's a running back, Blair.  I can tell."  She smiled.  He said, "I think you might have forgotten the words we had at McCopper's today."

"I guess I can't resist you with your little friend here," she said, taking Ray's hand and shaking it a little.  "You love your Daddy, don't you?"

"No," Ray said.

Todd laughed, and said, "No?  You don't love me?"

"Love you, yeah, Daddy.  Down, Daddy, down."  He kicked his feet.

"Okay, okay, Buddy, but don't run around," he put him down, and Ray took off again, this time into the dining room.  "When did he get like this?  Overnight?"  Todd said, chasing him down.

Blair said, "It seems like it, doesn't it?  He was just a baby and now this.  He's running your sister ragged."

"I'll say.  We need a Nanny just for him, never mind the other kids in this brood."  He tossed Ray up in the air a few times.  The little boy laughed from his belly.

Blair said, "Put him in the pack and play, and let's get a few things done for the art gallery opening.  You game?"

Todd put him into his play area, and he whined and complained at first, then opened his books and started "reading," as they sat across from him and started to talk about ideas for the upcoming event.  She said, "It's exciting, what you're trying to do for your mother, and of course, Jenna, too."

"The proceeds from the gallery go to Jenna's college fund.  She and Lynnette won't accept cash right out."

"Well, it's a beautiful thing you're doing.  That's all."

"You want to talk about earlier, Blair?"

She frowned.  "No.  I don't.  Not now, okay?"

"Okay, I just want to say, I'm sorry for being sort of, well, jealous."

"Sort of?" she said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Okay, really jealous."

"I already accepted your apology for that, and the rest, we'll get to later."

"It's going to come back up, Blair."

"I know, I just . . ."

They were interrupted by a slamming door on the second level, and a rumbling of feet racing toward the stairs and down.  "Mom, Dad, hurry, Sam jumped!"

Blair stood up, "What?"  Mixie was on his feet, circling.

Todd said, "Get Ray, Blair," and grabbed his jacket, following Jack to the kitchen glass doors.  The dog came behind him.

As they went into the yard, Todd could see the foot of his little son, who had plumetted through the top of a pile of snow, and was partially buried inside it.  Without stopping to think, he said, "Jack, go get Shaun, now," and fell to the ground, starting to dig him out with his bare hands.  Mixie circled a bit, then came beside Todd and started digging wildly.  Perzno was lowering the copter to the ground twenty yards from the snow pile, and got out and ran to them to begin to help.

Blair, not far behind Todd, was holding Ray, who was crying, and was crying herself.  "Todd, my God, get him out, Todd, please."  Her cries were frantic, and for a moment, Todd lost his composure when he was overtaken by memories of the same cries when she had lost their daughter.

Shaun was on the scene in minutes, also helping to dig down to retrieve Sam, whose leg, Todd could see, was twisted in an odd fashion.  Shaun said, "Todd, your hands."

He hadn't stop to notice that they were becoming bloody from the ice as he dug desperately for his son.  Blair was near hysterics, and Jack who was at first digging with his father, turned to his mother, who was barefoot in the snow, with no jacket, and said, "Mom, you're pregnant, and you're in the cold.  You have no shoes, you have to go in, now, Mom."

She ignored him, "My God, please.  Don't take my baby, please, God.  Don't take Sam."  She hugged Ray close to her.


Jack turned back and saw Mixie pulling the end of Sam's sneaker, and Todd, blood dripping from his palms, pull Sam out of the snow by one arm and hoist him toward him and hold him close.  

"Mom!"  Jack yelled into her face.  She was startled, and Ray was sobbing.  "You're going to get sick.  Go in the house and get shoes or something!"  For some reason, Jack jumped with surprise as Blair listened to her son and ran inside.

Once she was off the scene, Shaun turned to Jack and said, "Call 911.  He's not breathing."

Todd carried him to a flat area and put him down in the snow, on his back.  His little red knit hat was over his eyes, as it always was, and Todd, reeling, let out a harsh sob.  "No, not Sam, no," and leaned over to breathe into his mouth, while Shaun pushed on his chest with two fingers.  Jack saw his father look toward the sky, and say, "No, don't do this!"  The teen choked back his own tears watching, as Todd leaned over again and shook his little boy gently.  Sam finally stirred, and Blair came tearing through the glass doors, Ray in her arms, her jacket open and shoes on her feet that were half on.  

"Todd, is he breathing?  Todd?"

"He's breathing, Mom," Jack said, tears streaming.  He took Ray from her.  

She went to the ground next to Todd and her son, and her husband noticed that she was only wearing lounge pants.  "Blair, it's cold."

"I'm all right!"  she barked.  "Sam, Sam, it's Mommy, Sam?"

He moaned.  His eyes were closed, and he was extremely still.

"Todd, please, is he going to be all right?"  Blair was panicking, and Todd looked up to see Perzno running back to the copter, and followed suit.

"Let's go.  By the time they get here . . . let's get him in the copter we'll have him there faster if we do."  Todd hiked him up in his arms, and his little hat dropped into the snow.  Todd was up the special staircase in seconds, and the blood from his hands was smeared on Sam's coat.  He and Blair hopped into the cab of the helicopter, Sam over their laps, and Perzno took off.  Shaun, standing near the snowpile, saw Mixie whimpering and circling, and Jack, holding Ray, fell to his knees by Sam's little cap.

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