Who's the Real Todd?, Ch. 13

Ivan walked into his study. He saw his houseguest put down the phone and begin staring into the fire. "Bad news, Carlo," he asked?

Carlo looked over at Ivan and grimaced. "Those idiots almost got caught. But at least they were able to ascertain that his memory still hasn't returned. I wish she hadn't jumped the gun the other day with the attempt, though. Even though he doesn't have his memory, he's not a stupid man. He doesn't know why he was targeted, but he's going to try and find out. I also was given confirmation the other one is getting better." he reached up and took the cognac being offered and said. "Vega is still operating under orders. He informed me that he met Samuel in his club the other day. He says that Samuel is very enamored with Blair, I'm hoping she can keep him distracted in the upcoming days. We need to do something about Manning. He's recovering from the gunshot, the question is, have they found out about the medication he's been taking. My informant at the hospital said they have been running blood tests on him trying to find out if the coma was drug-induced. How long before the drug in his system is purged"

"If he has awakened then that means his system is almost clear of the drug, Carlo. He's going to start having major issues with his memory now. I expect they'll start noticing a personality change soon. My biggest concern is the hardware. If it has begun to deteriorate, his headaches are going to be off the charts. I've instructed the doctor in his case to start dosing him with pain meds. We can't have them running an MRI looking for a cause to his headaches. So the doctor has orders to suppress them any way he can. Manning's too heavily guarded at the moment to make another attempt to silence him permanently." Ivan took a sip from his drink and continued. "Now let's talk about your situation. I've been in contact with our partners and they're working to cover your tracks and get you back out of the country. Even now, they're laying down a false trail for the feds to follow. Have you figured out how they found you?"

Carlo shook his head, "It was a complete surprise. I'm just lucky I had the stateside agent in place who helped me escape custody. Inform our partners that I'm staying in the states but I can't remain here. I have a hideaway on Llantano Mountain, we just need to get me there and I'll be able to keep monitoring the progress. I want to keep an eye on our subjects as much as you do Ivan. Samuel is proving to be very intelligent and it's interesting that he made his way here and my watchers in Paris didn't know it. I've underestimated Samuel. I should have realized there was more to Samuel when he woke up in Philadelphia. Then he eluded my men and disappeared in Paris. It was a fluke that we discovered his whereabouts. I have to admire Todd Manning, even with amnesia and a fake persona he lives by his wits and has somehow managed to get back home."

"I must admit, your Mr. Manning was indeed a puzzle from the start. To this day, he is the only subject we never fully cracked. I, too, have to admire Mr. Manning, I never saw anyone recover so quickly from our treatments. When you informed me that he woke up and remembered his name I was amazed. But then you informed me he said he was another person entirely, I admit to being baffled. It is possible that Todd Manning was the alias and Samuel Toddman was the true identity all along. Of course, we should have discovered that when we were extracting his memories. But he had incredible willpower and there were areas he wouldn't let us access. Like you, I'm fascinated by our Mr. Toddman." Ivan put down his drink and reached for the phone. "Carlo, you are certain you do not want to leave the country." Carlo nodded. "Very well, I'll inform our partners," he made the call and talked for several minutes then he turned back to Carlo. " The easiest way for you to leave here would be by ambulance. A number of them flow in and out of the facility daily. I'll make the arrangements. We can set up a network when you get settled on the mountain." Ivan downed his drink and left, leaving Carlo alone with his thoughts.

Carlo got up and walked to Kipling's desk. Taking a number of papers from the drawer he began to write. Carlo reached for several envelopes and was sealing them when Ivan reentered the room. "Ivan, if you would see that these get mailed. It is important to get the plan underway. Here is a list of the necessary items I need to take with me to the new location. This has become a new adventure for us, my old friend. Who'll come out victorious, Mr. Toddman or us?"

"Yes, it will definitely be interesting. Something else interesting has been brought to my attention. It appears Mr. Toddman is currently a patient at the hospital. It seems he had delayed shock from the foiled attempt on his life and the previous poisoning attempt wasn't as clear from his system as the doctors had thought. Traces of the poison affected his body and we almost lost our opponent. Like you said earlier it was foolish of her to make the attempt, now Mr. Toddman is on alert. Has she been dealt with?"

"Yes, both of them have been liquidated. It was necessary. Toddman is an artist I'm sure the Police have their likenesses already. Now all they'll find are corpses. Vega has proven to be a very valuable asset to keep around." Carlo turned to his friend, " Although I'm upset about being dragged from my home. I find myself excited about the game of cat and mouse that is beginning. I'm curious if Mr. Toddman will prove to be a worthy opponent or just a flash in the pan. The first round goes to Mr. Toddman, as he has so ably outmaneuvered me and taken control of the Sun. I believe he'll have to concede the second round to me when they find the bodies of his assailants. Now we need to assess where all the players are. If I understand Mr. Toddman at all, he'll be looking for the one behind the attacks on his person. I don't believe he's figured out that the same person who ordered the attack on Manning is the one behind his attacks, therefore, I trust the advantage is mine. As long as Toddman is in the dark about his true identity he will be unable to connect the dots. Ivan, do you trust your doctor on staff at the hospital." Ivan nodded. "Good, then he needs to find a way to keep the current Manning off balance. Let's not let him become too pain-free, an occasional headache and the personality change should keep him in the hospital longer. He can't be allowed to figure out he's not Manning. Now my friend, let's go see what your excellent cook has made for us today. We must keep ourselves fit for the fight ahead."

****

It had been a rough night, Todd's stats had improved but not fast enough for him. He had never felt anything so debilitating as the effects the poison had left in his system. At one point he had attempted to get out of bed but he hadn't even been able to get his legs to cooperate. All his limbs felt like they were carrying hundred-pound weights. Even breathing was difficult and as a result, he kept drifting off because he just couldn't get enough oxygen to stay alert. Blair and Starr had taken turns keeping him company but he had been pretty cranky because he hated feeling helpless. Todd found himself awake again, the breathing seemed easier. He looked over and noticed both Blair and Starr sleeping. Since the breathing was easier, he decided to see if moving his arms would also be less strenuous. He found he could lift them off the bed but it was like they were being sucked down into molasses, "Damn" he said at the result. It was going to take forever at this rate. Todd knew by the noises or lack thereof in the hospital that it was still very early in the morning.

Since he was virtually a prisoner of his body, Todd decided to check on his family. Closing his eyes, he once again dropped into his mind

It was eerily quiet and he began walking to see where Samuel and his brothers and Ms. Perkins were resting. He then found himself in a hallway much like the house he grew up in and the doors all had names on them. He found the door he was looking for and knocked, it just seemed polite to do it. The voice on the other side responded, "Come in" so Todd entered and found himself standing in Samuel's Paris apartment complete with portraits. It was unbelievable how real it seemed. He looked around wondering where the voice had come from, then he noticed Samuel sitting at the kitchen table carving.  

Samuel looked up and said, " Come on take a load off, why don't you join me." Samuel pushed the chair next to him and set a piece of wood on the table and a carving knife.

Todd walked over and sat down. He picked up the knife and began carving remembering back to the year he carved several items for Rebecca."This is unbelievable. Where did all this come from?" asked Todd

"You gave it to us, the morning you decided that you didn't want to live without us. You wanted us to be comfortable and that mind of yours opened and images of what we loved suddenly became a reality for us. My garret and your bedroom before your mom left, your Mom's bedroom and your prison cell, they were just here. There's even Dorian's penthouse bedroom which Rodd adores." Samuel replied, "We still are able to follow what you are doing but now we can be comfortable. Except perhaps for Pete, he wasn't too happy when he found himself in solitary confinement. I must say you and your memories are really quite something, I still marvel that you want to keep us around."

Todd looked down at the figure he had been carving and realized he had carved a small dragon. He looked over at Samuel. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot yesterday. After everything you've done in the past to keep me going, it was wrong to give up. If you've been keeping up, what do you think Carlo's next move might be now that he knows you're here."

"My guess, Todd, is you're going to have to be extra careful to maintain my persona. He's going to be looking for signs that you have gotten your memory back. In public, you need to be me. That means you'll have to keep your distance from Manning. The two of you can't all of a sudden be seen working together. I bought the paper but you need to remember I'm an artist, don't get too involved in the workings at the paper. That's something you would do, not me. You're going to have to rely on Kelly to keep the link open between you and Manning. Another thing, you have to put your desire to know Dani on hold. I'm just a distant cousin. Carlo knows about Dani and he'll be watching her, to see if she remains close to Manning. Todd, I know you know all this, and I think one of the reasons you've kept us around is because we organize your thoughts for you, that's the way you've coped. You better get back, I think Blair's trying to wake you." Todd nodded and got up to leave. "Hey Todd, apology accepted."

Todd heard Blair talking to him, then felt her hands on his shoulders. She was getting a bit frantic. He opened his eyes and saw the concern on her face. "Hey Blair, It's okay," he said.

Blair looked him over and took a deep breath. He appeared fine. She had been so worried when he wouldn't rouse. "Todd are you sure you're alright. You're not hurting anywhere, are you? You were so still, I could hardly tell if you were breathing. I was getting ready to call the nurse."

Todd reached up to place his fingers on her lips. "Shh, It's alright. I was talking to Samuel." he looked down at his arm realizing he had lifted it without much trouble. "Huh," he began chuckling.

"Why are you laughing? You scared me half to death." Blair said angrily.

"Whoa, I'm not laughing at you. I just realized I could lift my arm again. I was chuckling because I went to see Samuel because I couldn't move anything easily and when I'm there I move around freely. Now I'm back and my movement has improved." In the back of his mind, Samuel said. "You idiot reassure her, tell her what she really wants to hear." Todd looked at Blair and said. "I'm sorry. You were scared. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just getting my thoughts together. Samuel helps. I don't realize how long I'm in there sometimes. Forgive me."

Blair relaxed at his apology. She knew how frustrating the night had been for him. He really hated being incapacitated. She too was relieved to see his arms were responding to his commands. It meant he was finally recovering. "Okay, I forgive you. I just wish there was some way you could let me in on when you're going to go visiting. Leave me a note or something." she said then grinned. His expression was priceless.

Todd looked at her dumbfounded " Oh sure Blair. I'll make a mental note. Leave Blair note when visiting alters." he grinned and she punched him gently on the shoulders. He raised his hand again and stroked her face. "Good morning Blair."

She reached out, running her fingers gently over his scars. "Good Morning Todd." then she leaned in and kissed him.

Starr had been listening to their exchange.  She cleared her throat. " Okay you two, this is a hospital and you're not alone." She stood up and joined her mom next to her dad. "You're obviously feeling better than last night. I'm going to go call and check-in with Grandma. You two behave yourselves." she turned and headed out.

Todd looked at Blair. "You raised her right. Thank you."

Blair smiled, "It wasn't easy, she's very much her father's daughter." She sat down on the bed next to him. " Not to change the subject or anything, but what did you and Samuel discuss."

Todd looked at her and said, "Carlo Hesser's next move."