Victor glared at him. “That’s it then, you’re just going to keep me tied up. At least have the decency to let me use the bathroom. It’s been over eight hours since Clint helped me out.” He glanced over the side of the bed at a plastic bottle lying on the floor.
Todd chuckled at Clint’s ingenuity. He had forgotten that particular essential problem when he had left Clint and Victor that morning. It looked like Clint had managed to make do.
Victor snarled. “You think it’s so funny. I know for a fact there were times you were unable to help yourself. Shock therapy can do that to a man.”
The smile faded as Victor’s truth hit home. He recalled the embarrassment and indignity he had felt when Kent and another man had cleaned him up after Baker had hit the switch on the electric chair he had been hooked up to. Bile backed up into his mouth over the memory. He swallowed hard, tasting the bitterness and walked over to where he had left the tape the night before. He pulled out his pocket knife and walked to the end of Victor’s bed. Taking the knife, he slashed the tape holding one of Victor’s legs to the bedpost and started to wrap both legs together.
“What the Hell!” Victor immediately jerked his foot loose and attempted to send a kick to Todd’s head.
Todd barely escaped a heavy blow to his head, jerking back as Victor’s shoe scraped across his forehead. “Naughty, Naughty, Victor. You’re not going to take me out that easily.” He grabbed the foot and while Victor continued to struggle, he managed to bind the two feet together. He left the feet apart just enough for Victor to take small steps. “There, that should hobble you.” Before cutting the other foot free from the bed Todd went up to the headboard and uncuffed one of Victor’s hands. He placed a knee on Victor’s chest to keep him from making another attempt to flee as he uncuffed the second hand and proceeded to cuff both hands together.
Victor tried to fling Todd off his chest, struggling to find a means to take him down, but his brother just put more of his weight down on him. “You won’t get away with this Todd. Viki will never let you keep me like this for long.”
Todd stared dispassionately at his brother. “Don’t be too sure of that. She saw what you attempted with Clint and understands probably better than you how important all of this is. Okay, you said you wanted to use the bathroom, so this is how it’s going to work. I’m going to cut your other leg free and we’ll make our way there. No sudden moves Victor. This is your one chance to do something with a little bit of your dignity left intact. You behave and the privilege will continue. Think what the alternative will be.”
Victor stopped fighting and reluctantly nodded.
Todd hopped off of Victor and quickly sliced the tape binding him to the bed, then held onto Victor as he swung his legs off it. He helped Victor get to his feet and they began their strange walk to the bathroom.
Effectively hobbled, Victor let Todd guide him to the room. The whole time Victor was taking in his surroundings. It was clear that the home he was in, was an older structure. The bathroom looked like it dated back to the early 1900s. Unfortunately, the lateness of the hour made it impossible for Victor to see anything outside the window. He still had no idea where he was. Todd stood guard over him, so he was unable to do anything but relieve himself. In his head, a plan formed. If it went as expected, Todd would no longer be a problem and his whereabouts wouldn’t matter. “I’m finished, Todd. Let’s go.” As they made their way back down the hallway, Victor made his move.
Because Victor behaved himself on the way to the bathroom, Todd let his guard down. It was a mistake. He was totally unprepared when Victor suddenly stumbled and toppled to the floor. “Damn It, Victor! Can’t you keep your feet under you?” He reached down to help his brother up.
Victor slammed his two feet into Todd’s gut. As Todd doubled over from the hit, Victor took another swipe at his head, this time connecting and clipping him just under the chin causing his head to snap back.
Todd fell to his knees beside Victor, struggling to stay conscious. He reached for the hall table, sending it crashing to the floor just as Victor wrapped his arms around Todd’s neck, and began to cut off his air with the handcuffs.
Viki heard the crash and rushed into the hallway. “My God, Victor. Stop!”
Todd heard Viki’s voice, but it sounded like it was down a tunnel. He knew Victor had him well and truly caught and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Try as he might he couldn’t break Victor’s hold.
Victor looked at his sister and snarled. “Why?” He continued to apply pressure. Todd’s struggles were getting weaker. “He killed Tea and Dani and just walked away without a scratch.. Hell, he shot me and got away with that. I’m just putting him down like he deserves.”
“Please Victor. He’s your brother and Tea and Dani are fine. They’re alive in Llanview and worried sick about you. Listen to me! I wouldn’t lie to you. Wait. please!” Viki pleaded. “Let me prove it to you.” She saw Victor waver and slacken his hold.
“How?” Victor refused to let Todd go. His brother had passed out and it would be a simple matter to finish the job. Viki had gotten his attention. More than anything Victor wanted Tea to still be waiting for him. “Prove to me that Tea’s alive.”
“Please Victor, let me get my phone. We’ll call her, you can watch me to see I’m not trying to trick you.”
“Go get it. But if you’re trying to fool me, I’ll snap his neck. He might be my brother, but I feel nothing for him.” Victor watched as Viki ran back to her room. He looked at the unconscious man lying in his arms. “You better hope Viki is telling the truth. I swear if this is another trick, I’ll finish what I started and finally be rid of you.”
Viki frantically ran back out into the hall and cautiously knelt next to her two brothers. “Look, Victor, it’s Tea’s number. I’ll dial and when she answers, you’ll know I’m telling the truth.” She sent the number and put the phone to Victor’s ear.
****
Tea turned over in her bed and reached for her phone. Seeing Viki was calling she answered the phone. “Viki, what is it? It’s two in the morning. Are you alright?”
Victor was stunned. His voice was shaky. “Tea, is that you?”
Tea sat upright in bed shocked. It sounded like Victor. Was she imagining this whole thing? She looked again at the phone and it still read Viki’s number. “My God. Wait, I don’t understand. Where are you?” She looked around and suddenly realized it wasn’t safe to say anymore. Like Viki and Blair, she had had the house searched for bugs and several had been located. One was in the bedroom. She jumped from her bed and went into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the water. Then hugging herself, she sat down at the vanity. “Victor, it’s me, I can’t believe I’m talking to you. Oh please tell me you’re alright! I’ve been so frantic since Todd showed me the note saying the Organization had you again.”
Victor loosened his hold around Todd and reached to take the phone from Viki. All that was important in that minute was talking to his wife. “It’s really you. I’m not dreaming. You’re alive.”
Tea’s brow furrowed. Something was wrong. “Victor, of course, I’m alive. I’m talking to you, aren’t I? Where are you? Are you at Viki’s?”
Victor heard the anxiety and tremor in Tea’s voice.“Shh, it’s alright. I don’t know where I am, but I’m not at Viki’s. I am using her phone.”
Tea ran a hand through her hair. “This is all confusing. Why do you have Viki’s phone? Is she with you?” Feeling a little light-headed, Tea wet a cloth with a little bit of water and held it to her forehead. Her heart was racing. Victor was alive and talking to her but he wasn’t making a lot of sense.
Victor looked beside him where Viki was trying to revive Todd. They had been telling the truth. Tea was alive. He turned his attention back to his wife. “It’s rather complicated. Tea, I need to know if Dani is still okay.”
Tea sobbed. “Oh Victor, I’m a terrible mother. I said everything wrong and now Dani’s running around with a man old enough to be her father. She won’t even talk to me anymore. She’s alright though. Victor, how did you get away from the Organization? When Todd left he promised he’d get you back safely but then he disappeared himself. They found his plane in ashes and poor Blair, she loved him so much, it almost destroyed her when she heard the news.”
Listening to Tea, Victor began to wonder if he had totally misjudged his brother. Tea had just confirmed Todd’s promise and she had no idea he was alive and well. Todd had somehow faked his death to get the Organization off his back. Victor glanced again at his sister. Naturally, Todd had kept Viki in the loop. Victor understood why, too. Viki’s love was the one constant they both shared. He knew Blair probably was also involved. In order to keep the secret, they had chosen to keep Tea out of things. “Tea, I can’t say anymore. The Organization is looking for me, again, so I need to stay away from home. I’m sure Viki will tell you everything she can when she sees you again.”
Tea sensed Victor was ending the call. “Wait, don’t hang up! Come home, Victor. Bo will protect you. We’ll get you help. I don’t know what they did to you, but we’ll find a way to fight it.” Tears were streaming down her face. She knew what his answer was going to be and it tore her apart.
Victor closed his eyes as he heard the anguish in her voice. He couldn’t bring her into this whole mess. He looked at Todd beginning to stir in Viki’s arms. In his head, he kept hearing a voice telling him Todd was the source of all his troubles, but suddenly it didn’t ring true. Tea was alive and so was Dani. The Organization had lied to him, not Todd. “Listen, Tea. It’s too dangerous for me to come home. There are things at work here bigger than me or Todd. I love you, just remember that.” Unable to stand the sound of her crying he disconnected the call.
His shoulders sagged as he stared at the phone. Coughing and movement alerted him to the fact that Todd was regaining consciousness. Victor moved away from Todd and Vicki and reached to remove the tape from around his feet. He stopped suddenly when he felt the cold barrel of a gun at the back of his head.
“Hold still, Victor.” Clint stood behind Victor, holding the gun steady. “Viki, is Todd alright?”
When she had pulled Todd’s unconscious body away from Victor, he was so still. She had feared Victor had killed him. She had attempted to wake him and suddenly he had gasped for air. All of her concern had been for Todd as she held him and listened to his labored breathing. Finally, his eyes had fluttered open. Hearing Clint’s question, Viki nodded as Todd rolled onto his side, coughing and wheezing as he took in bigger breaths of air. “Easy, it’s over. Just take it slow.”
For his part, Todd struggled to fill his oxygen-starved lungs with some air. After a few minutes, he felt stronger and attempted to sit up. His eyes finally began to work and he saw Clint holding a gun on Victor. The last thing he remembered was Viki yelling at his brother. “Thanks, Clint. I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me, Todd. Thank Viki. She’s the one who got Victor to stop.”
Todd pulled himself up to a sitting position and turned to his sister. “Viki??...I...How??”
Smiling tremulously, Viki explained. “I had him talk to Tea.”
Alarm bells started going off in his head. He got to his feet unsteadily. “We need to leave. If they’ve been monitoring Tea’s calls, they’ll know where we are now.” He staggered back against the wall, as a wave a dizziness took him.
Viki had gotten up too and now she steadied him. “Todd, it’s alright. I didn’t use a house phone. I used my regular cell. The only thing anyone will be able to tell is that Tea received a call from me.” She glanced over at Victor still sitting on the floor under Clint’s watchful eye. “I think the big question we need to ask is, did it help? Do you believe us now, Victor?”
Todd felt a sense of relief as Viki’s words penetrated the fog still in his head. He couldn’t help but admire his sister even more. She had stopped Victor from killing him and she might very well have finally gotten through to Victor as well. It should have comforted him but at that moment he would have liked nothing better than to see Victor dead. Suddenly the gun went off. He watched as in slow motion, Victor slumped to the floor, a pool of blood spreading out under him. Clint stood above him, his face impassive. Todd was powerless to stop the old man.
Clint said. “The Organization must be protected at all costs.”
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Provide us with feedback, but be courteous in your comments and criticism. Thanks!