Who's the Real Todd?, Ch. 46

SPECIAL EDITION


New Owner of The Sun, Shot!


Today, Samuel Toddman, the new owner of the Sun was found shot at his estate. Police are being sketchy about details but released a statement that a call for help had come into the station around 2:00 pm. Police were dispatched to the new Estate of Mr. Toddman to check on the validity of the call. Upon arriving, gunfire was reported and the police entered the premises to find Mr. Toddman shot on the floor in his office. It is believed that an unknown assailant shot Mr. Toddman and escape moments before the police entered the house. A manhunt is currently underway.


There is no information regarding Mr. Toddman's condition, although it has been determined a patient is being kept under secure care at Llanview hospital. No word has been released whether he is still alive or not.


In an interesting side note, a source at the police department reported that a suicide note was found on Toddman's computer. Could the police be trying to hide a suicide under the guise of an attack? It was recently revealed that Mr. Toddman was blinded while on his honeymoon. Could the note and the shooting be related? There are definitely some questions that need answering. This paper will stay on top of any developing news."

Carlo folded the paper and set it beside his brandy. He had finally received a call from Kipling stating that a patient, who had been shot, was brought into the hospital that afternoon, but that he was only seen by the few doctors that work with the Police. He was under police protection and only those authorized were allowed in to see him. Kipling said it was so hush-hush, none of his people knew the final condition of the patient. Between the call from Kipling and the Special Edition, Carlo was sure Todd Manning was out of commission for the time being, if not already dead. He was still perturbed that Vega had failed to check in but considering the manhunt maybe Vega had gone to ground. Carlo picked up his brandy and made a toast."To you Todd Manning, May you finally have some peace, I know I will."

Todd made his way back downstairs, it was getting close to dinner and Blair still hadn't arrived back home. He had spent the afternoon talking to Jake and getting details about his scheduled appointment with Kipling. Then they had discussed the special edition that had gone out the night before. The Sun's phones had been ringing off the wall as newspapers around the state wanted more info on Toddman's shooting. Todd had turned the ringers off on the house lines so he wouldn't have to listen to the number of calls coming in trying to get interviews with Blair.

Jake's visit with Kipling was to take place in two days which only gave Pete one day to find Carlo and snag him. Todd paced his office, he had decided as long as Carlo believed he was in the hospital near death's door, he would have to stay out of sight. Blair had left that morning with both implants so it was imperative that nothing prompt Hesser into sending more killers his way. He would be at a definite disadvantage this time and would only be able to rely on his wits since his eyesight was bad.
Todd had researched the properties around his estate and had come up with two possible locations for Hesser's hideout. He sat down in his chair wincing as his side twinged. He leaned back and decided to communicate with Pete while he waited for Blair to get home.

Wandering the halls of his mind he came to the Gym where Pete was beating the stuffing out of a bag. He could tell Pete was really restless,

"Damn Todd tell me you have some good news and you're going to let me out of here. It's frustrating as hell. You took another bullet yesterday. We've got to get that guy before he succeeds in killing us." Pete glared in his direction.

"That's what I came to tell you, I've located two possible sites for Hesser's hideout. If we get the ring, we'll go out tonight and search."
replied Todd

"It's about damn time. I can't wait to get my hands on him, and Kipling too. You swore you would let me handle it, you're not going back on your word, are you? These guys are mine, right? As long as I don't kill them it's no holds barred."

"You have my blessing Pete, and Samuel and I will be cheering you on." Todd heard the front door. "Gotta go, I think Blair just returned." Todd sat back up in his chair and had just started to get up when Blair came into the room.

"I've brought Chinese for dinner. We haven't had any since your accident. but first I think you've waited long enough. Here, sit down." She placed his plate under her picture. "Now I'll be right back."

Todd felt his stomach rumble at the smell of the Chinese food sitting not too far from him. Hopefully, Blair wasn't going to take forever, wherever she went.

She came back and sat on the floor in front of him. "I hope you like these."

Reaching for his wrist she undid his watchband and set the watch down on the table next to him. She snapped the new watch on his wrist and he felt the shock run up his arm giving him a little jolt. He tried to see the design because as he felt it, he realized Blair had designed the whole casing. Then she grabbed his right hand and pushed the ring on his finger, this time the shock was exhilarating as his vision cleared and he looked down at his wife staring up at him happily. "Hi."

" Hi, yourself. Well what do you think?" she watched anxiously and his gaze fell to the two gifts his wife had given him. They were a set, unique in design. The watch casing was of a dragon curled around the watch face the dragon mouth partially opened spewing golden flames that became the band on one side but connected to tail on the other. She had used a smoky crystal that covered the inner workings of the watch which looked like golden pieces of treasure surrounding the digital time. It was beautiful, but the ring was magnificent. A golden dragon encircled a mysterious cache that glowed and sparkled as if alive under its clawed feet. The dragon's tail complete with delicate scales wrapped around the cord of the implant effectively hiding it, with the point of the tail completing its trip around his finger and nestling under the belly of the dragon, Todd looked at the delicate cage that enclosed the glowing mechanism under the dragon's belly, He carefully removed the ring and looked at the underside and marveled at Blair's ingenuity. The implant was held in place by what appeared to be four tiny dragons, but these were simply etched beautifully into the actual gold prongs allowing the implant to touch his finger. Todd replaced the ring, incredibly touched by the care and thoughtfulness that Blair had put into the designs. Now the Master of Dragonheart had a ring of his own.

Todd reached out to cup his wife's face and they both felt the energy surge through them. "Thank You. These are incredible." he pulled her to him and thanked her till they were both breathless. Coming up for air he said. "That Chinese food smells great. Can we eat?"

Blair laughed and went to get some plates and flatware while Todd examined the watch and ring in more detail. Both dragons were exquisite down to the smallest details. Blair had given them dimension and life in miniature. The implants were so in tune with each other that everything he looked at was sharper and clearer. He knew one thing, he would have to be extremely careful not to lose either one.

"Todd, the jeweler who placed the smaller implant in the ring told me something interesting. He informed me that a small part was missing from the cluster. He wondered what the mechanism was used for and he was surprised it still worked since it was missing a part" she paused and shook her head. "Todd do you think the reason you can see by holding the implant, is because somewhere in your brain is the missing piece."

Todd looked at her. It was a very real possibility. This time he was going to leave it alone. "I don't know Blair, I'm still connected to them so yeah, there could be something that got left behind. The part that was killing me is out. I think I'll leave well enough alone. Right now, thanks to you, I can see again. Let's eat."

Several hours later Pete rolled over in bed and made sure Blair was sound asleep. He shook his head, wishing he had time for her, but he had a chore to do and playing with Todd's wife wasn't it. He dressed in black to blend with the shadows and slipped out the back door and made his way across to the forest. Moving around the perimeter of the property, he found several cameras trained on the front of the house. He knocked each of them down and destroyed them. After making sure, there were no more eyes on the estate Pete went and got the car. He headed in the general direction of the first site Todd had picked out for Carlo.

Pete pulled up to the first property and got out. He would know pretty quickly if it was Carlo's property. A quick look around satisfied him that he could cross that particular property off his list. It appeared to be the location of a hunter's cabin. Pete was all set to leave when he spotted something unusual. He hadn't seen it at first. "Damn Carlo, very clever." he hopped into his car and left before Carlo's men found him.

After a couple miles, he pulled off the road and hid the car. Grabbing up some dirt he rubbed some on his face and hands and reached into the glove compartment getting out Todd's gun. Then he started his walk back to Carlo's property. He slowed down as he neared it and stood in the treeline watching Carlo's men searching the perimeter. One of the men was headed his way and he knew he could use that. He backed away and waited for the guy and knocked him out as he passed him. "You're working for the wrong guy fella." Pete found some zip ties on him and tied him up. Then he took the guy's equipment and hat as well as his badge and joined the rest of the men as they began moving back toward the cabin. He lagged behind until he was the last man entering. He watched as the men walked toward the fireplace and it moved to reveal an elevator. Each man flashed his badge at a scanner by the elevator and then got on.

Pete watched the elevator close and set about studying what options he had and his avenues of escape. He walked back outside and finally saw what he was looking for, the air vents to the facility below. Now he knew what he was going to do. He made his way back to the edge of the perimeter and back to where he had left the guard. He clipped the ties and pocketed them and then put the hat and equipment back on the unconscious guard. "Sorry fella, but I need the badge," he thought to himself. Picking up a large branch he positioned it so the guard would think he had been knocked out by a falling branch. Hopefully, when the guard came to, he would be too confused and not realize he had lost his badge till he returned to the cabin.

Heading back down the road Pete worked out in his mind what Todd would need to do in the morning. He got in the car and headed back to the estate and Blair. Walking into their suite he noted she was still asleep. God, he was wired. He walked to the bathroom and shed his clothes and watch, leaving the ring on. Taking a band-aid from the cabinet he carefully wrapped the ring and turned on the shower. He was soaping up when he heard the door to the shower open. Pete whipped around and found himself face to face with Blair before he even thought about it, he had grabbed her and was devouring her lips, Blair eagerly wrapped herself around him taken aback by the ferocity of his embrace. He couldn't stop, the smell of her and his overcharged senses from the evening mingled and he took her, she was as much his as Todd's, and right now he needed the release. "Woman you have no idea what you're doing to me at this moment," he growled. Blair felt a rush at his words and just went along for the ride. With a wild scream, he found his release and pushed her against the wall of the shower staring down into her eyes. The passion that raged through him was palpable and he began to fondle her admiring the feel of her body slick and smooth against his.

Blair stared into his eyes and saw something smoldering there she had never seen before. She felt a little like she was standing before some magnificent animal waiting to devour her and then she realized she was looking at Pete. Oddly she wasn't scared just more turned on. The animal magnetism that rolled off Pete was intense and her body responded as he caressed her. She relished the feeling and once more reached and pulled his mouth to hers this time doing some devouring of her own.

In the middle of it all, his kisses suddenly changed and Blair knew her husband had returned to claim his wife and she sighed and felt his love for her as the kisses became slow and lingering no longer controlled by his passion but tempered by it. He paused his kisses and looked at her. "Let's finish this in comfort." he turned and stopped the water, took her hand, and led her back to bed.