Todd Manning: Enigma, Ch. 9

Chapter 9

          Blair almost stepped on the watch when she entered the bathroom. “That’s strange.” She picked it up and placed it on the counter next to the ring. She looked out at Todd where he stood shedding his shirt, the light in the room picking up the scars on his back. She loved looking at him. His shoulders, broad and strong, cast a shadow on the wall. Muscles from chest to waist, he was still the modest, unassuming man that had trouble hearing he was handsome. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his back. His silky hair was under her cheek and he smelled of musk and ocean breezes. “Mmm, you smell glorious.”

         Todd rubbed her arms, reveling in the feel of her pressed against his back. Blair slipped a hand free and moved his hair to one side and began kissing his shoulders then she began to trail down his back with her lips finding each and every scar and tasting each with her tongue. Blair felt him quiver as his skin reacted to the sensation. Blair moved around to the front, continuing her exploration with his stab wound from Nora. She shoved him gently down on the bed and knelt on the floor in front of him delving lower to the knife wound he had received from Powell.

Todd’s abs rippled in pleasure at the sensuous touch of her tongue. He felt the lightest touch as her hands released his belt and obligingly lifted his hips.

Slowly she lowered the zipper and removed his jeans. His breathing was becoming ragged and her senses, too, were heightening. Her hands fingered and kneaded him as she maneuvered her mouth steadily closer. Slowly, she sucked and rolled her tongue around him, delighting in the feel of it; she neared the tip, drinking his excitement in. Blair alternately blew and caressed, then drew him into her mouth.

Todd could barely contain the feelings raging through his body, instinctively reacting to her mouth and the touch of her lips and tongue. The fire that had started low in his belly now filled him. It reached a fever pitch, threatening to explode at any moment. “God! Blair, what are you doing to me?”

Blair straddled him and began to ride him. Her body arched in pleasure at the feel of him inside her. Together they moved in sync, their breathing increasing. Todd gripped her waist as she undulated above him unable to stop, as all sensations exploded, their shouts mingling together. Blair folded down into his embrace, satisfied and spent. Her breath fluttered across his chest in sweet caresses as Todd stroked her body slowly enjoying the texture of her soft skin under his fingers. He could tell from her breathing when she fell asleep and he carefully laid her next to him on the bed. With one arm still wrapped around her, he let his exhaustion pull him into sleep.

The light was filtering in through the window as Todd rolled over and realized Blair was no longer beside him. He reached over to the nightstand feeling for his ring and remembered he had left it in the bathroom. He made his way across to the bathroom and found it, slipping it on. As his vision cleared he took a good look at himself. He could see the dark circles under his eyes, the scar on his forehead still prominent against his pale skin, he was a mess. Hesitating briefly, Todd picked up his watch and put it on. He took a deep breath as nothing happened and finished getting ready for his day. Thanks to Blair, his night had been dreamless and he hadn’t had to use medication. Michael was right. Blair was his best medicine, and as much as he wanted to keep her tied to his side that wasn’t going to happen. Todd sat down on the edge of the bed and remembered how she had taken charge last night. It was so reminiscent of their first time, he had been reluctant because of his past. The rape of Marty hanging over him, he didn’t trust himself, but Blair was there offering herself to him. That night would always be special to him. Now she was his again, there had been so many troubled years, but they were in the past and he wanted to keep them there. Todd reached down and picked up the clothes she had dropped. Her delicate perfume still clung to them and he breathed it in.

It suddenly occurred to him that the house was unusually quiet. Where the heck was everybody. He looked at his watch and realized it was late morning. Had he really slept all that time without the dream? “Bless you, Blair,” he whispered as he put her clothes down.

“Bless me for what?”

He jumped at her voice and turned to her. “Bless you for being the best sleep medicine I’ve had in a long time.” He walked over and drew her into his arms. “You are the most important person in my life, and I’m lost without you.”

Blair reached up caressing his cheek as he lowered his head his lips finding hers with a gentle kiss. She gazed into his eyes and was relieved to see a steady gaze looking back at her. He was definitely calmer than the previous day. The sleep had indeed done him some good. She linked her arm in his, “I’m glad you’re up. Nora called, the trial is in two days. She’s sending a car for you so she can go over your testimony. Bo said to remind you to wear the vest. They aren’t taking any chances with the shooter still at large.”

“Thanks for the heads-up. I’ll wear the vest for you, but I wish it wasn’t necessary.” They walked downstairs and she took him into the breakfast room where he saw she had everything set out. “You sit down and eat. If the policeman arrives, he can wait.” Blair pushed him into a seat, kissed him, and headed out of the room.

“Hey, where are you going?” Todd looked after her.

“Just eat, I’ve got work to do.” With that, she disappeared from sight.

As he started eating, he heard her practicing in her studio. Todd reached over and picked up the Sun.  The headline read. “Manning Murdered.” His reporter had kept it simple and direct. The article spoke about the upcoming trial and how his death might affect the prosecutor’s case. Then it offered queries regarding the police laxness in their protection of key witnesses. Todd knew he’d be hearing back from Bo on that line. Still, it was those kinds of questions that got the people reading. Todd looked at his sister’s paper and saw she had taken the sympathetic route. She expressed deep regrets at the loss of her brother and offered support to his family. He couldn’t fault her going that route. For the longest time, she had considered Jake her brother and she had loved him as such.

It still rankled within him that they had believed in Jake and had had no problem accepting him as Todd. Todd realized they couldn’t have known how all this had happened, and it made his anger toward Carlo and Ivan so much more volatile. He was holding his juice glass when suddenly it shattered in his hand and Todd quickly mopped up the remaining juice taking a cursory glance at the hand. He wasn’t sure if he had reacted in anger or if the hand had spasmed. Todd laid down the wet napkin, testing the hand and it appeared to be cooperating. That was a good sign the implant hadn’t been the cause, but at the same time, it meant his temper had been.

Todd began picking up the pieces of the broken glass. One of the shards cut his finger and he watched fascinated as the blood spread out on the glass. There was something lifelike about it; the crimson sheen, the glossy edges, the darkness of it. He was almost mesmerized until the pain registered, and he quickly wrapped the finger. “Damn it, Todd, what’s the matter with you?” His trance frightened and disturbed him. God. He had never liked pain, taught himself to resist it, and watched as his father Peter had gotten a real kick out of it. In an instant, the plates he held dropped to the floor, crashing around him, but Todd just stood there, hands at his sides, looking down at the shattered pile. I’m laughing at Carlo as Pete digs the implant out of his skull . . .

“Todd, what was that crash?”

Todd shook his head as he heard Blair’s voice. He looked down and saw the mess at his feet. “Nothing Blair, I just got clumsy. Don’t worry about it.” he quickly cleaned it up. Just clean it up, don’t think back, don’t think . . . He kept his mind occupied long enough to bandage his finger and then the doorbell signaled the arrival of his ride to the station. Blair insisted he put the vest on and then his jacket to cover it. After a brief perusal of the area surrounding Dragonheart, he was allowed to enter the car and they proceeded into town.

They arrived at the station and once again Todd waited till they were certain he could get out then he entered and made his way to Nora’s office. He had to admit, it was weird not to be coming before her in handcuffs. He reached her office as she was deep in a conversation with Bo. In the past, he would have just barged in. but now, he knocked and waited patiently for them to finish their business. Samuel was a calming influence on him the last couple of months, even if Pete had other ideas entirely.

Nora looked up in surprise at the knock, then did a double-take. Todd was actually standing there just waiting to be acknowledged; that had to be a first. “Come on in, Todd.”

“Well, you'll be glad to know there were no incidences on the way over here, Bo. Obviously, they decided to back off since they succeeded in getting Todd Manning. The shooter is probably waiting for the chance to take me out right before the trial.”

“Todd, I’m working on bringing you and Jake to the courthouse together and without a lot of fanfare the morning of the trial. All rooftops within shooting distance are going to be checked and double-checked. I’ll leave you two to talk.” Bo looked at Nora as she nodded and he exited.

“Okay, Todd I would like to talk to Samuel, if I may for a few minutes.”

Todd nodded and closed his eyes. “You’re on, Samuel “

Samuel opened his eyes. “How are you this morning Nora, although I guess it’s getting close to 
noon?  What did you wish to know?”

“Samuel. I need to know just how much you remember now about your time at the Kipling clinic. I don’t want any surprises when Kipling’s lawyers start questioning you."

“Very well but I hope you realize this isn’t easy to talk about, nor is it easy to listen to.”

Samuel began describing the events that took place the first morning he remembered being at the clinic. As he got into the details surrounding the treatments he started experiencing a headache and Todd knew right away what was taking place. Before Todd could take over, a pain shot through the back of his head. Samuel jerked in his seat as a current seemed to run through him from the base of his skull down to his heart and he gasped clutching his chest. His hand had gone to the back of his head at first and the ring had sparked, easing the pain in his head but unable to stop the chest pain. Todd took over, reaching into his pocket for the nitro tablets.

Nora was on her feet as soon as she realized what was occurring and called 911. She stood and watched as Todd slipped a pill under his tongue and leaned back in the chair still in a lot of pain.

“Samuel, I called 911, has this happened before?"

Todd looked up at Nora trying to catch his breath. “Unfortunately too many times to count,” he whispered conserving his oxygen. The pain was starting to ease as the tablet did its work. They were suddenly interrupted by the EMTs and Bo. The next few minutes were spent monitoring him. With the influx of additional oxygen, Todd’s color returned and his heartbeat steadied. “I thought I was through with the pain when they removed my implants, but we discovered the other day I still have a few left in me. I’m sorry Nora, I didn’t know they were going to be a problem.”

“Do you mean to tell me that you had these headaches and chest pains for the last eight years?  My god, it’s a miracle you survived this long.”

Samuel had returned and Todd took a back seat so Samuel could finish his story. “You see Nora that is why I went to Paris. I couldn’t remember my past and every time I tried I would be attacked by pain which in effect cause my heart to start having problems. I was told by the doctors that if I didn’t stop pushing the memories, I would kill myself.”

“I’m worried about this, Todd, it seems you are physically pushing yourself . . . are you certain you are all right?”

He thought about this. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m all right.”

She doubted him. “What’s next then?”

“I told you, they’re guilty and I am positive of that. I’m willing to . . . I’m going to let everyone know.”

“All right, Todd.”

“Nora?”

“Yes.” She maintained her business-like air.

“Can I get a visitor’s pass? I want to . . . I guess I need to go and see them.”

She thought for a long moment. Shuffled some papers. Looked back up, waiting for a crack in the armor. “That’s not the procedure, Todd.”

He waited, then so out of place, he heard his own voice. “Please.”

She looked up from her desk again, pondering his obsession. “I really cannot give you a visitor’s pass. Not under these circumstances.”

He turned to leave. Then he heard, “however, there’s nothing to stop you from going anyway, is there?”

Without looking back, he closed the door to her office and descended the stairs. As he got to the bottom, he made the conscious decision to remove the ring. They were expecting him to be blind.

Bo had followed him down and saw Todd hesitate. He watched as Todd reached carefully for the door in front of him and realized Todd had decided to talk to Hesser and Kipling without his sight. “Hold up, Todd, are you sure you want to do this. What do you think you’ll accomplish? They know you're incapacitated and since you can’t see, what do you hope to gather from this visit?”

Todd turned to face Bo, “I want them to know I’m not scared of them. They sent Christian after me, and I’m still here. Carlo needs to know I found his hideout, and I need to hear Kipling talk. I know you don’t understand, but I have this picture in my head of Kipling. I have to put the picture and voice together. It sounds crazy, but it’s necessary. Can you set it up, Bo?”

Bo opened the door to the cell level and offered his elbow to Todd. “I’ll set it up but I think you’re making a mistake. If you’re having trouble recalling things for Nora, are you sure your heart can take a direct confrontation?”

“I think my heart will be just fine, Bo.  If I can’t face them now, then they’ve beaten me before the trial starts.”

Bo led Todd to a room and got him settled then he arranged for Hesser and Kipling to be brought down. “Todd, there will be a guard here at all times. When you’ve finished, he’ll bring you back to my office.” Todd nodded and prepared to meet his enemies.