Todd's Saga 16: Rescue

       Todd thanked the truck driver for the lift.  He hadn’t planned on this little excursion, but it had become necessary after the information he had received that morning.  He made his way slowly through the underbrush, steering clear of the boggy areas.  He looked nothing like businessman Tony Butler.  He had pulled out some of Tony Lord’s old clothes for the outing, and now wore a black tee and black jeans. They, along with the heavy work boots, and denim jacket provided him with some protection from the environment.  He had to keep an eye out for snakes and other unsavory inhabitants in the area, including the two-legged variety.

       Todd could hear chatter and slowed down as he broke into a small clearing.  The Compound fence loomed in front of him.  He quickly stepped back into the brush and crouched down.  It was not a moment too soon, as two men on the other side of the fence walked past that same clearing still talking.  Keeping out of sight, he began to walk the perimeter looking for the way in.  He knew one of the avenues was the private airstrip where he had hitched a ride back in 2011, but it was too exposed.  There was another opening, the one McBain had used to get in and capture his mother.  It’s got to be here somewhere.  That loon Alison, wouldn’t think to repair anything, she figures she’s invincible by now.  Yes!   He finally spotted the breach.  Got to hand it to you, McBain.  If I hadn’t been looking for it, I probably wouldn’t have even realized it was there.

Todd remembered back several hours earlier when he had walked into the OTB offices.  Phil was already hard at work. 

       “Good Morning, Mr. Butler.   Did you have a good trip?”

       Todd was taken aback because he hadn’t told Phil about Key West, but then he remembered she was under the impression he had been in South Dakota the whole time. “Yes, Phil, it was a good trip.  Did Sam Vance call while I was away?”

       “No sir.” She noted his frown. “Would you like me to put a call through to her?”

       “Yes, get her on the phone for me.”  He headed into his office and walked over to the window.  He looked over at the mansion.  It had been doubly hard to leave Blair and head back to New Orleans.  After they had dissected Todd’s dreams, Blair had convinced him to take a step back and rethink his current connection to Baker.  After making up his mind about Baker, Todd had informed Blair of his suspicion about Clint.  She had been horrified.

       “Todd, are you sure?  It doesn’t make sense.  Why would someone have removed Clint from the Llanview Hospital?”

       “I know it seems farfetched, but don’t you think this breakdown was rather sudden.  I don’t care what you say, sure he was drinking, but I always thought the Buchanans held their liquor pretty good.  Besides, I never heard of a hospital not permitting family in to see a patient.”

       “Viki said they were told he had gotten violent.  Todd, you didn’t see him that night, he was really out of it.”

       “Look, just do me a favor.  Convince Viki to talk to Bo.  As Police Commissioner, he can make them at least allow him to see Clint.  If I’m wrong I’ll drop it, but if I’m right, then there is more going on with this organization then what they’re doing to Victor and me.”

       It had been twenty-four hours since Blair had boarded her flight in Miami.  He looked at his watch.  Blair had texted him after arriving home and told him she was seeing his sister.  There had been no further word.  Had Viki talked to Bo?   Todd turned from the window as Phil rang in.

       “Mr. Butler, Ms. Vance is on the line. Should I put her through?”

       “Go ahead.” Todd picked up the phone. “I thought you were going to let me know what you found out about Alison’s Brother?..... What do you mean you can’t find him?  Did you at least get a name?.... Great, what is it?    Carl Perkins.…..  So this Carl Perkins just disappeared?   When?.... I see, so he dropped off the earth round about the same time I was born.   Keep your men working on it.  I did some of my own research on Alison Perkins.  There was nothing in her history that indicated she had a brother.  That could mean he’s only a half-brother.  See if she ever had a stepmom.  Maybe we can track down the brother that way.  After you put your men on that, get ready for a trip.  I want you to fly here to New Orleans.  I‘ve got another job just for you.”  He hung up.    He was just sitting down to check the status of some of the new holdings when Phil interrupted him.

      “Mr. Butler, Ms. Cramer is calling.  She says it’s urgent.”

       “Put her through.  Blair, are you all right?  What happened?”

       “You were right.  Bo got a court order allowing him to visit his brother, but when he arrived at the hospital, there was a complete stranger occupying Clint’s room.  He’s furious and Viki is frantic.  No one can explain the mix-up and they have no idea where Clint is.”

       “I knew it.  Alison has him, I just can’t figure out why.  Tell Viki, I’m working on it.  If Alison has both Victor and Clint there is no telling who they’ll go after next.  Tell Sean to get more help, and I don’t want you working late at the club anymore.”

       “I’m fine.  Bo sent some extra men to help out at the club.  He’s still concerned about the drug dealer who overdosed Dani.”

       “You and I both know that drug overdose wasn’t an accident, and we also know who orchestrated it.  Bo has no idea how powerful this organization is.  Please, no more nights.   I’m sure Dorian would agree that you shouldn’t be working so late now that you’re farther along in the pregnancy.  If anything happened to you or the baby, I’d lose it.”

       “Alright, I promise to call it an early night, but you need to promise me you won’t do anything rash.  I know you.  Don’t go looking for trouble.”

       Todd closed his eyes for a minute then told Blair what she wanted to hear. “I promise.  Don’t worry I’ve sent for Sam Vance.  I’ll let her handle things.  Look, I’ve got to go.  We shouldn’t even be talking like this.  I...well you know.”

        “I know, me too.” 

         Todd sighed as he put the phone down.  Blair didn’t need any more worries and what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.  “Phil, I’m going to be gone for the rest of the day.  A potential venture has come to my attention.  Send a round trip first-class ticket to Sam Vance from Los Angeles to here.  Leave the return trip date opened.  I want her on the first available plane out here.”

         He walked to his safe and took out the revolver and ammunition and slipped them into his inner jacket pocket.  There was no telling what he was going to encounter where he was headed.

          Back in the present, Todd examined the opening that John had made, and its location.  It was definitely at an out-of-the-way spot in the compound. There were still a few hours until sundown.  If he was going to attempt to find Clint, he would have to wait until dark.  He knew from experience that a lot of the men from the compound were free to leave it at nightfall because that was when they were usually sent out to recruit.  

       Finding a comfortable spot against a tree where he could keep an eye on the opening and stay out sight, Todd pulled out the gun that had been riding tucked behind his back.  It was fully loaded, and he had a spare clip, but if at all possible he wanted to avoid using it.  The memory of shooting his brother flashed into his mind, and he shook his head.  It didn’t happen. Victor’s alive.  It had to be something Irene did to you.  As he looked at the gun, another thought entered his head.  What else did you do to me, Irene?  What did Baker mean by “There was a time you had a future, if only you had returned to the fold?”  Someone turned Victor into a killer.  Did you try and do that to me?  Todd sucked in his breath, as another memory tumbled through his mind.

        Irene was standing across the hall in another cell  “I was not successful in my mission.  You, on the other hand, succeeded in yours.” 

       “My mission.  What’s  my mission?”

       “To kill your own brother.”

        Todd felt sick.  Oh God, it’s true.  You tried to make me kill Victor.  Only I wouldn’t.  You failed.  You couldn’t control me like you could him.  Poor Victor, his mind was weaker and someone else knew that too.  They took him and finished the job you tried with me.   His hand tightened around the grip of the gun.  “It’s a wonder Blair will have anything to do with you, Manning, your parents were real prizes.  Psychos, all of them.”  He sat there rubbing the gun, wishing at that moment his mother was back in his sights again.  A short while later, the sun set and Todd zipped up his jacket as the night temperatures dropped, and the lights of the compound turned on.  

       The activity around it lessened, and he observed a group of men gathering in front of one of the buildings and all piling into a truck.  He could hear faint laughter and knew they were headed out to the bars in the surrounding towns.  Todd got up and made his way to the fence.  McBain had picked a good spot to enter, there were no lights in that area of the compound.   Todd started to slip through the breach, only to have his jacket get hung up in the cut wire.  He shed it and completed climbing through then turned to retrieve it.  It had snagged good, and Todd was forced to rip it free. “Damn it! You owe me a new jacket, Alison.” He plucked the piece of denim off the fence and pocketed it.  After closing the breach, he moved to the closest building and hugged the wall as he contemplated his next move.  

       From his vantage point, he tried to get his bearings.  “Come on Manning, think.   The building they held you in wasn’t that far from the airstrip.”  He could see the front gate from where he stood, that meant the building he was looking for was near the back of the compound.  Staying close to the wall he turned toward the light designating where the airstrip was.  He managed to get past a number of buildings without trouble, but as he neared the area close to the airstrip, he suddenly pulled up.  Exiting from the large facility directly in front of him was Baker and a number of men.  They were loading boxes onto a baggage carrier. “More designer drugs, huh Baker.  Are those headed for Llanview, too?”  Moving in the shadows, Todd slipped closer and hid behind some stacked crates so he could hear what Baker was saying.

        “Be careful with this load. The Director will be very unhappy if we don’t get these to our suppliers.” Baker said as the men loaded one box after the other.  Suddenly one of the men tripped and the box he was carrying dropped to the ground and burst open.  Todd heard the crash of hundreds of vials breaking.  He watched as Baker nodded just once, and the man who had the misfortune to drop the box was suddenly seized by the other men.  Baker walked up to him. “Tsk, Tsk, look what you did.  You know the penalty for incompetence around here.”

       The man struggled in the arms of his fellow soldiers. “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again. Please, I’ve got a family.”

        “You should have thought of them before you got so clumsy.  What you just destroyed is worth millions.  Take him to the Lab.  The scientists love when they get a new guinea pig.”

         Todd was stunned.  He recognized the man.  It was Sid, one of the guys he used to work with on the road crew.  He must have taken up the organization on their offer because of his kid brother and sister.  Todd watched as they hauled him away. He saw Baker move toward the broken container.

        Baker turned to the rest of the men working.  “One of you see if any vials survived.  The rest of you get back to work.  I need to inform the Director about this.” Baker walked away.

       Todd could hear his friend screaming and made a decision. “No way, Baker, you’re not going to ruin another man’s life.”  He moved back into the shadows and followed the sound of the screams.  He watched as the men entered a building, then he slipped in after them. Spotting a white coat hanging in an empty office to his left, he went and put it on.  Then he walked down the hallway as big as life.  No one paid any attention, he was just another scientist.  He noticed a lab in front of him and looked in.  There was no sign of Sid, but he heard talking coming from another hallway.  He walked down it slowly.

        “Guys come on.  Just let me go.  I won’t say anything about this place.  I’ll take my family and disappear.”

        “Sorry, Sid, you knew what you were getting into when you signed on.  That’s why you got paid so well.  We have our orders.” They shoved him into the cell and locked the door.  Through the door the one guy said.  “Sid, don’t worry.  By this time tomorrow, you won’t care about anything.”  Pushing a button outside the room, he turned to his partner. “The gas will knock him out. Go tell the scientists, they have another subject.  I’ll go back to the warehouse.” 

        Todd hid in a doorway as they walked past and headed out.  Then he moved up to the door.  Luckily, it was a standard lock instead of the fancy ones they had used in his building.  He didn’t have much time. He could hear Sid coughing inside the room and knew it was only a matter of minutes before Sid passed out.  He quickly picked the lock and opened the door. Sid was down on the floor but still conscious.  Todd covered his mouth and walked over and began to help Sid up.

        At first, Sid panicked. “No! Get away from me!”

        “Stop Sid!  It’s me, Tony, I’m here to get you out.”

         Sid looked at the white coat and then the face of the man in front of him. “What? How?”

         Todd coughed, the gas was making him dizzy. “Not now! We need to get out of here.”
He half-carried Sid out of the room.  As they tried to take in some fresh air, Todd closed the door behind him and locked it.  Surprisingly, no one was around as Todd helped Sid outside.  They went to the back of the building and took in deep breaths trying to clear the gas out of their systems.

 Sid was in shock. “Tony Lord, where the hell did you come from?  You walked off the job weeks ago and just disappeared.”

“It’s a long story.  Right now, we need to get someplace where we can talk.  Follow me, and stay close.” Todd took off the lab coat and tucked it under his jacket. Then he led Sid carefully back to the opening in the fence.  Once they were outside the compound, Todd and Sid moved further into the woods.  When they were out of direct view of the compound Todd gestured to Sid to sit down, and he joined him, keeping an eye on the fence. 

Sid looked at the man in front of him.  “Thank you, I owe you.  You have no idea what you just saved me from.”

Todd laughed softly, “You would be surprised what I know.  You do know that you can’t stay around here anymore.  They’ll be looking for you and your family.  I know a friend that can help you get out of the state.”

“I don’t understand, why were you in the compound?  I know you weren’t there for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you helped me but you took a pretty big risk breaking into the place.”

“I’m looking for someone and I have reason to believe he’s there.  The guy’s important to someone  I know.  Oh, what the hell, maybe you can help me.”  Todd reached into his inside pocket and drew out a picture and handed it to Sid. “Have you seen that guy in there?”

Sid studied the picture and shook his head.  “Sorry, I haven’t, but that doesn’t mean he’s not there.  I’ve only worked in the warehouse.  There is a building only a few people are allowed to go into.  Supposedly according to the talk, there is someone important to the Director staying there.  Since Baker became second in command, he’s been spending a lot of time in the building.”  He handed the picture back.  “I’m not sure what I’m going to do now.  The money was good. ”

       After putting the picture away, Todd looked back toward the compound, so far no alarm had been raised.  Maybe they wouldn’t realize Sid was gone until morning.  “Listen, I think I can help you but we need to get away from here.  Sooner or later they're going to find out you're missing.  I guess I’ll have to look for my guy another night.  Let’s head to your place.  You and your family need to leave town tonight.”  He stood up, giving Sid a hand, and they made their way back to the road.

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