Failings of the Fathers: 52

Starr disembarked the car that Blair arranged for her to make her way to Unforgettable.  She had also asked Williams to remain, as to give her a ride to Mountainview.  Starr made her way into the lobby, and was met with a little yell from Ray.  "Starr!"  he said, running to her arms. 

She crouched and hugged him.  "Oh, you're getting so big!  I can't even pick you up anymore!"

"Hope?  Where's Hope?"  he said.

"Hope is not here, she has the flu, so she stayed with Grandma Addie and Auntie Dorian."

"Oh, no," he said, making a sad face.

It almost made Starr laugh, seeing his bottom lip poked out beyond the other.  "It's okay, she will play another day."

Jack came into the room.  "Hey."

"Hey," she said.

Sam came barrelling after him.  "Starr, hi!"  he said, and hugged her.

"Hey Sam, how ya doing?"

"Good.   Mom's leaving to go see Grandma Bitsy at the nuthouse."

"Sam!  I don't think that's really the way to say it, and yes I know.  Jack and I are going to babysit."

"Uh, we are?"  Jack said.

"Yes, you know that, Jack," Blair called from the kitchen.

"Well, I did have other plans.  Jenna's got some kind of art show, and I . . ."

"Forgot to tell me, which leaves you here instead."  Blair finished his sentence.  

Jack didn't respond, he shrugged, and Starr said, "Mom, it's no big deal, with Shaun here, I can handle all the kids."

"That's not really the point.  We made this arrangement so that you all, all the Manning siblings, could spend time together.  Jewel's even staying behind.  Jack, you know everything about caring for her, and I'll only be gone two hours or so."

He didn't answer, he just folded his arms and waited.

Starr said, "Two hours is not that long.  Who needs him?"

He made a face at her, and she returned it.

Blair said, "I'm going to get going.  Jack, you are staying here until I return.  Starr, see you later.  Kids, be good.  Come on and kiss Mommy good-bye."

Ray ran to her legs, and she picked him up and kissed his cheek.  Sam hugged her waist.  She looked at Jack.  "No hug from my big boy?"

He leaned over and pecked her cheek.  "Bye, Mom."

"Bye.  Everyone, be good and have fun!  Be back soon."  She went to the baby's basket and checked her, and handed the basket to Starr.  "Two bottles in the fridge.  As I said, you brother here knows her routine."

Blair left, and Starr put a cartoon on in the family room and said, "Sam, you and Ray watch TV for a minute, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," he said, taking the little boy's hand.

She looked at Jack, "You know, that was dead wrong of you, doing that.  Mom's trying hard to take care of all of you with Dad gone, the least we could do is help out."

"I help out every day, I feed Jewel, even take her in my room at night sometimes so that Mom can be alone with Dad on Skype, or just rest.  Where are you during all that?"

"I have my own kid, Jack."

"Not my problem you had sex too early without protection."

"Jack!"

"What?  It's the truth.  Aside from that, I do a lot around here, and this day is important to Jenna, and me.  And before you say it, don't even think of telling me my family should be more important.  I do a lot to support Mom and the kids, and she would even tell you that."

Starr remembered a recent conversation with her mother about that very thing.  "Fine.  You want to go, go.  Even though Mom said you should stay, I'm not going to stand here and argue with you, especially when you say mean things."

He went to the stairs and turned and said, "Perzno's on the roof, ready to take off in a few.  And since you put it that way, I will be going.  You take your turn with the kids.  Might as well."

She was angry with him, but at the same time, she remembered her mother's phone conversations, just earlier that week, when she told Starr how much help Jack had been.  She decided to let the situation go, and would deal with his smart ass comments later.  Or, maybe she would just tell her father what her brother said.  

That would do it.

Regardless, she went into the family room, with the boys and Jewel, and they all watched cartoons.  It wasn't long before she heard the door slam behind Jack.

***

"Malcolm" looked at the cell phone, the one that actually belonged to Malcolm Carlisle.  "Another call and three texts from that fruitcake at the clinic.  Hmf.  Maybe those two had a 'thing.'"  He quickly typed and sent off a text back, and thumbed through the rest of the log, finding that he had missed an important call.  He'd given the number to only one other person, and expected the call might come in that previous night.  He had crashed to sleep early, working the whole day in the yard, and got some well-earned rest, while catching up on jet lag.  He dialed.  "I'm all set to go with the first part of this.  You have everything ready on your end?  Don't make any mistakes, we can't afford that.  No, no concerns right now.  I'll get my hands on the sons.  It will take some doing, but I'll nab whomever I can."  

He listened.  "Simple, drugs.  I have enough to tranquilize a horse, and that's what it will take for the big guy.  He's a monster, over six foot four and close to three hundred pounds.  I'd never be able to get him out of the way in any other manner.  He'll be out a few hours.  Once I get my hands on the baby and the little one, the others will do whatever I say.  The eldest?  Whatever.  She's no threat.  Just a woman, and a small one at that.  I've got this under control.  I don't need one of those, but make sure we have one at the house, just in case.  There should be one in the wall safe.  I'll call later."

He hung up, and looked in the mirror, "Well, old boy, you've got it under control.  Lots of money to be made off this one.  He'll give his right arm for these kids, never mind all of his fortune.  Then, the rest will be simple," he said.

***

Miguel was in the solarium, when Tina and Sister Rebecca Katherine made their way in.  "I like this room.  It reminds me of the one at St. Anne's."  Tina said.  She spotted Miguel across the room.  "There's Miguel."

She lead the nun toward Miguel's table.  "Hey," he said, looking up.  "I just . . . I'm sorry, I am reading something on my phone."

His face was confused.  Tina and Sister Rebecca Katherine waited for him to finish.  Then he looked up.  "Strange," he said.

"If you want to tell us, you can," Tina said.

"Well, it's just that Malcolm sent me a text, and I'm having trouble understanding it."

"What do ya mean?"  the nun asked, now curious.

"It said, 'in the states.  I'm fine, stop worrying.'  I never took Malcolm for writing something that abrupt.  He's usually pretty patient, especially with me."

The nun remained quiet, but filed it away for later use, as a small voice recommended she do.  Tina said, "Maybe he's just busy with his new job?"

"Yeah, that's probably it.  You know, I never thought I would miss him as much as I do, but he was an awesome friend.  A great listener."

"Well, he still is your friend, he's just trying to adjust.  Remember, it's going to be tough for him, because he's in the outside world."  Tina added.

"You're right," he said.  "I should have thought of that."

"It's okay.  I understand being worried, the way the world is today."

"I'll say, it's a bit diabolical, it is.  So many troubles and pains,"  the clergywoman said.

"True.  Is Aiden any better, Tina?"

"No, he's much the same.  Thanks for asking.  I'm just keeping hope alive."

"That is what you must do."  Miguel reached out and touched her arm.  

She smiled through tears, and gazed out the window.

***

Sneaking into Shaun's cottage was not as hard as it seemed.  But, once in there, figuring out the best place to put the needle would be a challenge.  And then, it came to him.  In front of the fireplace was a pair of slippers.  They were worn, and in some places, a bit tattered.  He imagined that Shaun would put them on, whenever coming in, and changing out of his work boots.  This was a pretty sure thing, in his mind, because after all, it was March, and the ground was starting to be saturated with water from the thaw.  He'd have to bet on it, and if not, he'd take another, and stab him with it, if necessary.  He'd wait for closer to dinner hour, so Shaun would be returning to his home to make a meal and have a break from the kids.  It seemed a perfect idea.  Of course, there was no telling it would work out as perfectly as he wanted, but he was willing to give it a try.  

He left the cottage, and went to continue his work on the bushes along the side of the house.  Double-checking that no one was looking, he ventured around the side of Unforgettable and continued his work.   He positioned himself so that he would be able to see the large man go back into his abode, and then sneak up to the windows to observe.  Armed with another needle, he would quickly act if he had to, to insure success.  It was a quick-acting tranquilizer, that would render Shaun powerless and unconscious for a few hours.  He'd read up on it, and used illegal means to obtain it from a veterinary supply house.  Of course, he'd had help.  

The next hour passed like a snail in his estimation; when Shaun rounded the corner back toward his lair, his stalker was excited in a strange way that started in the pit of his stomach.  Slowly, he stepped toward the cottage, and sure enough, through an open window, he could view Shaun, slipping his feet into his slippers, exclaiming briefly, "What the heck?" and then falling to the ground, still.

He smiled to himself.  It was too simple.  Perzno was gone, having taken Jack to town.  By the time the pilot returned and even thought about coming to the rescue, he would be long gone with as many of the Manning children as he could coerce.

His ultimate goal was to take the three youngest; that would hurt the hardest and gain the most.  But, however it turned out, he'd take whichever of them he could get.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Your comments are 'payment' for the work of the authors. Our writers like to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment when you read.