Who's the Real Todd?, Ch. 21

She shook her head, no. All thoughts of hunger were fulfilled by their lovemaking but she nodded yes to the wine, it seemed so decadent to be curling up on the couch drinking wine at such an early hour in the morning.

Todd cleared the food away, joined Blair on the couch, and reached for his laptop. He brought up the Sun site and began looking for old stories written back when Carlo had been masquerading as Poseidon. As he read, Blair moved and snuggled up behind him wrapping her arms around him watching and reading the articles over his shoulder. As he made his way past the articles telling of Carlo's plan to steal millions from the Buchanans, an article suddenly caught his eye. The article talked about Christian Vega's death following an attempt to save Natalie and Jessica from Walker Flynn. Todd realized there were a number of articles about Vega in Hesser's file. He began reading the articles one by one leaning back into Blair's arms.

As Todd leaned back to make himself more comfortable Blair found herself remembering the events that transpired around the time of Christian's death. That was when she found out that Walker supposedly had a twin, or so she thought at the time. She had been so stupid to believe him but he had been so sincere and she had found herself falling for him. Later Walker Flynn would attempt to take Walker's place only to fall victim to a faulty elevator. She started reading the article Todd was reading and it was the one where Christian was accused of being an impostor and an assassin sent to kill someone for Carlo Hesser. It was later discovered that Christian had been brainwashed by Hesser into believing he was an assassin. It had taken months for Chris to break the hold Hesser had on him. Blair remembered that time when Christian had turned up alive, and then everyone had thought he was merely an impostor and a killer and then he had gone to prison. His memory began coming back and he realized he really was Christian Vega. With John McBain's help, Christian was able to get his life back, but Carlo had once again disappeared. Todd didn't move on to the next article and then Blair noticed that his hands had dropped to the side of the laptop. Todd had fallen asleep in her arms.

Blair slipped from behind Todd laying him back against the pillows on the couch and she quickly grabbed the laptop as it started sliding off his lap. She bookmarked the article and set the laptop aside to lift Todd's legs onto the couch and make him more comfortable. It was going on 7:00 a.m. by her watch so she called the Sun and spoke to Kelly's assistant letting him know she would be in at noon, then she headed upstairs to dress for the day. There was something nagging her about that article and she decided to look into it more as Todd slept.

Blair was working quietly sitting across from Todd when Starr and Hope began coming down the stairs. Blair hurriedly put the laptop down and rushed to signal the girls to be quiet. Starr and Hope quickly quieted down and tiptoed to the kitchen when they saw Todd asleep on the couch.

With the girls quietly in the kitchen, Blair got back to the timeline she had begun working on after reading the article again. As she began filling in the events from the moment of Todd's disappearance, she suddenly saw a bigger picture emerging. There had been another victim in Carlo's big plan. Christian had been the recipient of Carlo's project as well. But what didn't make sense was that Walker's conditioning had lasted eight years. Why had Christian’s been different? Blair decided to share what she had found out with Todd when he woke up. She was close friends with Chris and knew bringing up the subject of that time was going to bring back bad memories for him. She set her work down and went in search of some coffee and a little time with Starr and Hope.

Todd was back in that damn chair, he looked out from his bandages afraid to make a move because that would send waves of pain coursing through his body. He tried to say something but nothing came out but a moan. Then 'he' came walking into view. "Ah, you're back. We need to try this again I'm afraid, you haven't been a very cooperative patient. Now I need you to think about your father. Think about what he meant to you." Todd watched as that hand crept toward the lever again. 'Why did they want him thinking of his... No ... He didn't want to go there ... No... not again...he arched in pain screaming, inside his head, it was like something was peeling the thin layer of skin off and exposing the nerves. Todd screamed and jerked, waking abruptly, knocking the wine glass off the table.

Blair and Starr looked at one another as Todd's scream rent the air. Rushing to the living room they found him sitting with his head in his hands. He was so still. Blair rushed to his side. "Todd, what is it? Are you okay?"

Todd ran his hands through his hair and stared at the stain spreading like a pool of blood on the rug. "Damn! What else is he going to ruin?"

Blair looked over at Starr who shrugged, uncertain what Todd was talking about. "Todd, what do you mean?"

Todd looked at her and back at the floor. "The man is going to pay by the time we're through. I will personally take it out of his hide the way he took it out of mine."

Blair realized he was talking about Carlo, and the scream had been because of another nightmare. What had Todd remembered this time? She reached forward and moved his hair from his face saying, "Todd, you're right, we'll get him but perhaps you'd feel better if you got cleaned up. Starr and I have fresh coffee in the kitchen, why don't you go upstairs and  shower, It'll clear the cobwebs and I'll bring you a cup."

As she started to get up, he grabbed her hand and looked at her. His gaze was strong as he said. " Make it black." then he gently kissed her palm and stood up. "I'll see you up there." he took the stairs two at a time and disappeared from view.

Blair watched him go and then headed for the kitchen followed by Starr. "Mom, what the heck just happened?" Starr went to let Hope out of the high chair, waiting for an answer from her mom.

Blair grabbed a couple of cups and filled them and turned to Starr. "Your father's been having new nightmare's and they're doozies. He's also having flashbacks to his time in the facility where we think they took his memories. I'm going to take these up and chat with him and then I have to head into the Sun. Are you staying in for a while?   I don't want him dwelling on that dream too much."

Starr nodded and agreed to stick around for the early afternoon until her mom could return from the paper. She knew she and Hope could find some way to distract him.

Blair reached Todd's room as he was buttoning his shirt. She took his coffee to him and stole a moment to caress his chest before he could button all the way up. He smiled at the brief touch and took a sip, then set the cup down to finish dressing. "Hey I thought you were supposed to be running the Sun, who's minding the store while you're here teasing me." he grinned as she settled on the bed.

"For your information Mister, I've been working all morning while you slept. Those articles about Christian got me thinking and I've been putting something together you might find very interesting," she replied.

She looked gorgeous sitting on the bed her skirt high on her thighs showing her long legs. Todd sat down next to her stealing his own caress before reaching down to grab his shoes. "Well tell me, don't keep me in suspense. What is it about Vega that got your attention?"

Blair loved his little gesture but she knew it wasn't time for another roll in the hay. She jumped off the bed and held out her hand. "Come on, everything is downstairs. Believe me, it's an eye-opener."

Todd grabbed her hand, stood up, and said "Let's go. I'll take all the good news I can get."

Once downstairs, Blair grabbed Todd's elbow and steered him over to the chair where she had everything spread out. She sat him down and sat on the floor in front of him and began showing him what she had figured out. Todd was fascinated at the timeline Blair presented starting with his disappearance. He sat back and listened as she talked about how Walker had come to town and rescued Mitch but had later helped them capture Mitch then how he had slowly gotten close to all of them. One by one he made friends including Starr. Then she told how Natalie got involved in playing pool and how a stranger, John McBain entered Natalie and Chris's life encouraging Natalie to enter tournaments.

She told him of following Walker to Atlantic City and meeting a man calling himself Walker Flynn. Walker explained he was living a double life but it was later discovered by Blair that Walker was one man and Walker Flynn was a second. Then she told him about Vegas and how Walker told her Flynn was his twin. They found out Flynn was being watched by the FBI, one of whom turned out to be Flynn's man McBain working undercover, McBain was privy to the information that Walker was supposedly Todd Manning who had bought Walker Flynn's face. To escape the FBI Flynn kidnapped Christian's wife Natalie and Jessica. It was during the ensuing rescue that Christian was lost and feared dead.

Todd began looking intently at her timeline as Blair continued to tell her tale. She went on to tell him of Christian's reappearance and lack of memory and then how suddenly they all thought Christian was an impostor and a killer. She told of Christian going to Statesville but then he started having memory flashes. He was finally remembering who he was. Todd realized Blair had stopped talking and then her words hit home. He looked up to find Blair staring at him intently.

"Do you see it?" She asked

He looked at her timeline and put it together with what she had been saying, "Christian reappeared with memory loss and then thought he was someone else. You're saying he sounds a lot like me and Manning both. What haven't you told me?"

Blair knelt directly at his feet and grabbed his hands. "Todd, Christian was being manipulated by none other than Carlo Hesser. I think he was another experiment, but I've been wondering why Christian's manipulation by Hesser failed. You and Samuel just started having returning memories and Walker also has just started behaving strangely and having his headaches. By many standards, those kinds of results would have indicated a successful project. How come Hesser messed up with Christian? "

Todd pondered what Blair was saying and then a chill came over him.  He took a moment to find the right words because he was afraid it was going to hurt her to hear what he was thinking. "Blair you said Hesser brainwashed or tampered with Christian in such a way, that they made him a killer. I know this is going to bother you but I have to say it. Carlo and Dr. Kipling didn't make those kinds of careless mistakes. I'm afraid they might have allowed Christian to believe he was free of their manipulations. Blair, what if Christian is our mysterious sniper?"

His last words hung over the room, as Blair realized what Todd had just said. Surely Todd was mistaken. She sat down trying to wrap her thoughts around the idea that her dear friend might be the one who shot Walker. She shivered as she recalled how different Chris had become when he had returned from the dead. He had been secretive and angry. Natalie had been unable to get past that anger to the man she had married and by the time Christian remembered who he was, it was too late for them. But Chris wasn't acting differently now. He was the sweet caring man Blair had known for a long time. It just wasn't possible for Chris to be the shooter. "Todd you can't be serious. I know you don't like Christian but you don't really believe he's capable of planning and executing a hit on Walker."

“Blair, listen to me.  Don't you see, sleeper agents always appear perfectly normal to their friends. Everything that happened with Chris happened for a reason. Hesser achieved two goals. At first, he got rid of someone he wanted dead by using Christian as a fall guy and then as planned Chris got his memory back and was allowed to return to his life because he had committed the act while under the influence of another. Now with a few choice words, Hesser merely puts Chris back in action. No one would suspect him. He's an artist and a club owner. A member of this community for a long time. It's a perfect cover." Todd leaned forward and took Blair's face in his hands. "Blair, you'll have to be extra careful around Chris if he's Carlo's man. When you talk about me to Chris, gush about Samuel and the upcoming wedding, and if you get a chance watch and see if he makes any unusual phone calls." Todd knew Blair was upset but he could see in her face that she was beginning to understand what he was talking about. He pulled her close into his arms, "I know this is hurting you. But after all that's happened, we have to accept that Hesser is a master player and his game is huge. Christian is just another pawn caught in it."

Blair clung to Todd. She didn't want to believe it but it began to make sense. Chris really was the perfect assassin. No one would think he was even involved in this mess. She wouldn't have until she started putting the timeline together. She brought Christian into the Timeline but Todd made sense of it. "Todd, can we help Christian, or must I stand by and watch him taken down with Carlo."

"I think that depends on how far Christian has gone for Carlo. The attempt on Manning failed. If he doesn't make another attempt now that Manning is recovering, and we capture Hesser and Kipling before anyone else gets hurt, then Christian can get help like Manning and hopefully get out from under Hesser." Todd stood up, pulling Blair up with him and said. "I need to find Bo, this is a development we didn't see. He might be able to track down something more on Christian. I need to find out what happened, if anything, to my two assailants. You go on into the Sun and check and see if Kelly's reporter in the Facility has any news." As she started to pull away he turned her back to face him. "By the way, thank you for all your work. You've added another piece to our puzzle again. Because of you, we found out Manning's link to Hesser and Kipling and now we've found out that Christian might and probably is another link. You never cease to amaze me." Todd kissed her, letting her know just how much he appreciated her.

Blair gently touched his lips with her hand and then turned to grab her bag and leave. "You keep remembering that," she said as she departed

After she left, Todd gathered up everything she had written and grabbed the phone to see if he could reach Bo. Informing the officer at the other end that he was Samuel Toddman, he was asked to wait.  A voice, he wasn't familiar with, answered.

"Mr. Toddman, this is Detective McBain, is there something I can do for you? The commissioner is out on personal business at the moment." John had taken the call because he was curious to talk to the real Todd Manning. "If you're calling concerning the recent attacks on you, I assure you I've been brought up to speed on the situation. There has been a development I think you would be interested in hearing, I can have the officer who's been keeping an eye on you bring you down here if you wish to talk."

Todd frowned, that last thing he wanted was to be taken to the station by the cops. "Detective, I don't think that would be acceptable at this time perhaps there is a place we could meet that doesn't scream informant or police involvement. Maybe we could meet for a drink someplace and just have an innocent conversation."

John's estimation of Todd Manning went up a few notches as he realized the man knew something about keeping things close to the vest. "I have just the place.   What do you say we meet at Rodi's in half an hour?"

Now that was more like it. Todd's memories of Rodi's were good and it was public enough to take suspicion off any sort of planned meeting. "That will be perfect. How will I know you?"

"Just ask the bartender. He'll point me out. One half-hour then." John hung up and grabbed the file about the two dead assailants. He had only sketchy information so far as to this whole matter and Bo wasn't going to be much help with his son in such serious condition. This was a good distraction to take his mind off of Marty, Natalie, and the baby.

Todd put the phone down and walked into the kitchen where Hope and Starr were playing. "I'm going out for a while. You and Hope don't have to babysit me any longer today. I promise I'll be careful and you know Bo has an officer keeping an eye on me." At Starr's expression, Todd laughed. "I'll be good and not lose him. Okay?" Starr nodded and walked over to give him a quick kiss. Todd smiled and left.