Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 5

Shortly after reading Todd’s news, John showed up. “Cole, you’re looking better than the last time I saw you. I was on my way out of the police station when an official letter arrived. It concerns you.”

Starr grabbed Cole’s hand and held on tight. “They’re not sending him back to Statesville this soon are they?”

John smiled one of his rare smiles. “Actually I am here delivering good news. Bo just read the letter and told me I could pass it on. It seems the Governor heard about you and that you saved a guard at Statesville and has decided to commute your sentence.”

Starr squealed and hugged Cole. “You’re free! You never have to go back to that hateful place.”

Cole hardly felt the hug, he was still in shock. Sure, he had read Todd’s letter, but to actually hear the words from John was amazing. He looked at the man who had put everything in motion. “I don’t know what to say.” Todd didn’t say anything just sort of nodded, Cole got the feeling Todd knew exactly how he felt at that moment.

“You don’t have to say anything, just get better.” replied John.

Cole looked at John and grinned. “I can do that. I have Starr and Hope to get better for.” Once again he glanced at Todd, he was merely holding Hope and listening. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do now, I‘m not even sure I have a place to live. Is Mom’s apartment available?”

“Sorry, Cole. After your mom left so abruptly, the place was put back on the market but we’ll get you situated somewhere,” replied John

Todd thoughts had begun to wander, just after John gave Cole the good news. He recalled the day he had gotten word about his own pardon.

He was trying to be so cool in the face of Zach’s amazement, yet his stomach was doing somersaults. It was almost unbearable. All this waiting to hear if the Governor was going to grant him a pardon. He still couldn’t believe he even had a chance after all the horrible things he had done. He had even considered suicide until the letter from CJ and Sarah arrived. Now, thanks to the kids and their petition along with Ray’s recommendation he might actually be leaving his hell hole. His stomach was churning and his palms were sweaty as he waited for the Governor to enter the room. Ray was standing off to the side and he recognized Dunstall, the man who had come to interview and check on him. It took a moment for him to register what Dunstall was saying.

“Todd Manning, please stand and face the Governor.”

His mouth was suddenly dry. He was face to face with the man who could make or break him. It was hard to concentrate he knew the Governor was talking to him, but he was having trouble taking it all in. “There are a number of people who believe you should be pardoned, but I’m not one of them. Still, I do believe you do deserve a second chance.” As the governor laid down the conditions, he realized was going to be allowed to leave the prison and live outside it. He was going to get out. He was being given a chance to live again.

Todd’s grip on his granddaughter tightened and she squirmed a little letting him know he was holding too tight. She brought him back to the present and he heard Cole and John talking about places to live. “He’s coming to Dragonheart to heal if he chooses.” It just came out of his mouth and he was surprised he had said it.

Three pairs of eyes looked at him.

“What??? I can’t let my granddaughter’s daddy recuperate in some fleabag hotel can I? You want Daddy to come home, don’t you Hope?”

Hope clapped her hands together and squealed. “ Yes Daddy, come home.”

“See,” Todd replied.

John was the first to recover from the shock. Todd had once again surprised him. He still couldn’t figure this guy out. He had had Jake all wrapped up in a neat package shortly after he had met him. He had done his homework back then and he knew everything Todd Manning was, and what he was capable of. Jake had been exactly as expected, but this guy was another story. When he had first walked into Rodi’s and requested help, he had stunned John. Hell, he had stunned a number of people in town. Bo and Nora had had to reassess their opinions of him, and it had taken some doing, but both agreed Todd was a different man than the one who had disappeared in 2003. “There was something else,” John admitted to himself alone. Although the guy could still be a pain in the ass since he was still a lone wolf and played things like that, John found he actually liked the guy. Then the detective came to another realization.

“You knew about this already?”

Todd nodded.

“Damn, not only did you know about it, it was all your doing, wasn’t it?” This time, Todd merely looked at him giving nothing away, one way or the other. John just shook his head. He turned back to Cole and handed him the official document. “There it is in black and white, Cole. Good luck and if you need help finding a place just give me a yell. I think Roxy might be able to help you out.” He turned and started to leave.

“John, wait. Is there any news at all on my mother?”

John looked back and shook his head. “Nothing Cole, she’s just disappeared off the map. You know I’ll let you know anything that comes up.” And at that, he departed.

Cole watched him leave and then stared at the paper resting in his hand. This day had been a strange one. From waking up and hearing Starr’s declaration of love, to finally meeting her real Dad, Cole would have had plenty to digest. But then the real fun had started. He had received a pardon from the Governor and the strangest of all, an invitation to recuperate at Todd Manning’s home with Starr and Hope in residence. He closed his eyes for a moment, picturing what that could mean. He opened them again and turned to talk to Starr. He saw her looking pensively at her father. He could understand that look, he was trying to wrap his head around her dad’s offer, too.

Starr gathered her thoughts together. She was reeling from the offer her dad had just proposed. “Dad, did you mean it? Could Cole come live with us?”

Todd shifted Hope to his other hip. He knew the spur of the moment offer had been a little disconcerting, given his track record with Marty. But, he wasn’t going to take it back. “Relax Starr it was a genuine offer. It’s still up to Cole to decide if he’ll stay, though.” The ball was now in Cole’s court and Todd wondered how he would play it.

Cole felt a knot in his stomach, he knew what Starr wanted him to say, but could he do it? He looked down at the paper from the Governor, and with shaking hands he opened the document. One line on the document stood out:

By the Power invested in me, I, Ethan Masters, Governor of the State of Pennsylvania, do hereby grant a full and unconditional pardon to Cole Thornhart, thereby commuting any remaining sentence and declaring him free.

It was over, he was free. Now he had to make a decision. He wasn’t in any shape to go to work and he had to find a job if he was going to support himself, Starr and Hope. The invitation to stay at Todd Manning’s house hung in the air. Starr had asked if her father was sure. The guy appeared serious and was leaving it up to him. Hope and Starr were looking eagerly at him. God, if I say yes, I’m going to be living under the roof of the guy who raped my mother. That’s just weird! Why on earth did he even offer? What does he want from me? Starr was right. What was with this guy? He couldn’t answer until he knew why the guy had offered.

“Starr, I know you want an answer this minute and to tell you the truth I can’t give it. Could you let me talk some more with your dad?”

Starr looked disappointed that Cole hadn’t jumped at the offer, but she knew it was his decision to make. She walked over and took Hope from her Dad. “We’ll leave you two to talk.  Say goodbye Hope, we’ll come back later.” Hope waved goodbye to her daddy as Starr left the room.

The silence was deafening. They stared at one another, each trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Todd opted to make the first move. “Long ago, I was pardoned but not before I had to prove myself to the people of this town. You’re lucky in that respect. The people here don’t hate you.” Todd walked to the window. 

“They had a reason not to like you, Mr. Manning.” Cole’s voice was icy. It was all he could do to keep from spitting at the man.

“You’re right kid, they did, but they only knew one part of me. I wasn’t great at letting people know the real me. I hid him behind a lot of bluster, anger, and bravado. Only a few people took the time to get to know me. Those few people saw something they felt was worth saving and I’m grateful they did.”

“You’re trying to say you’ve changed. Yet even after you got your second chance, you still hurt people. Mom told me about what you did to my father. If you changed so much and wanted to make things up to my mom, how come you went after my dad?”

Todd squared his shoulders and turned back to face Cole.

“Rage. I took two bullets in the back for your dad and survived only to come home and find him with my wife. I lost it, Cole. Your dad wasn’t with your mom at the time. I was torn up inside. Anger was all I could feel. I lashed out and your dad became my target.“

Cole watched him as he talked and listened to him. He had come to hear all sorts of stories about rage and anger in his sessions at Statesville, and he sensed a lot of anger in Todd, carefully kept in check. Only someone with a lot of willpower and a strong desire could do that. The man in front of him was stronger than he had thought. He remembered his mother telling him a little more about Todd after he had discovered what the man had done to her.

“I don’t want you going after Todd. It was a long time ago and he’s changed. I don’t hate him anymore, I was angry with him for what he did to your father. But I know where his anger came from, and it wasn’t all his fault.”

“But he raped you, Mom!”

“Yes he did and he acknowledged it. I know he regretted it and he was trying to make things up to me when everything went horribly wrong for him. When your father was shot, I blasted him and saw his face. He had never meant to hurt me like that again, but he had. I just wanted to strike him down when I thought your father was dead. But you know what, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Your dad wasn’t dead and we escaped the people that wanted him dead and were able to live happily for a number of years. None of that would have happened if Todd Manning hadn’t tried to get revenge on your father. The funny thing is Todd suffered the most for his revenge. He lost his wife and his daughter, and he’s been struggling ever since to get them back. One thing I know about Todd Manning from then and even now. The man is a survivor. There is something inside him that’s stronger than even he realizes. That being said, in the long run, I prefer our happy home to his dysfunctional one. Remember that will you?”

Cole now had to admit he and his family had lived happier lives. Todd didn’t seem like a man who gave into his rage anymore so something had happened to change that. He knew some of the stories of what went down the last eight years. He had had the misfortune to meet both Kipling and Hesser. They had managed to intimidate a great number of inmates the moment they arrived at Statesville. It had been disturbing to watch them as they slowly surrounded themselves with the worst the prison had to offer. He had tried very hard to stay off their radar. Seeing them work the prison system, he could well imagine what they had done to Manning and what effect everything had had on him. He knew Starr’s dad was the reason they were in Statesville, they had made no bones about their hatred for him. With the blackout and escape, Kipling was loose and Hesser would find a way to get free. Manning didn’t seem too worried about it. Man, if he had been in Manning’s shoes he would have been finding ways to protect himself. Todd had been watching him quietly since he made his statement. Cole wondered what was going on in his brain, was he as sure of himself as he seemed to be, or was it all an act? “What happened to that rage after my dad was gone?”

Todd came out of his deep thoughts. He hadn’t even realized the conversation had lulled. The kid had a way of bringing up memories Todd liked to keep buried. He shut down the thoughts about Patrick’s “death”, grabbed the nearest chair, and sat down abruptly.

Cole looked at him, he had been a bit intimidated when Todd had first entered the room. Although he had seen pictures, they really hadn’t done the guy justice. When Todd had walked in, he had given off the sense of someone bigger than life. He had worn his confidence like you wore your favorite shirt. He was comfortable and at ease. He had taken charge immediately. Even the ease which he handled Hope had been impressive. He hadn’t been afraid to let Cole see his softer side. But just now, when he sat down some of that sense of power went away. All of a sudden the guy seemed more reachable.

Todd studied his hands for a moment. Hmm, what happened to the rage? Kid if you only knew? He straightened up in the chair, it wasn’t the time to go into all that. “You tell me, Cole? You know what rage is like, you were sent to prison because of it. For me, it ate at me. Every time I tried to get past it, I did something stupid, and when that blew up in my face, I retaliated making matters worse. It’s taken me half my life to find some control and I wouldn’t wish the way that came about on anyone.”

“You’re talking about what Hesser and Kipling did, aren’t you?”

“Smart kid. Yeah, they did a real number on me.” Todd shook his head; he had had enough traveling down memory lane.

“Why did you help me? I know it’s not because you like me, you don’t even know me, Don’t say it was because of Starr, that might be partially true but I think you did it for some other reason. Just what do you want from me?”

“He’s got your number, Todd. You going to let him know it’s because of his mother or are you going to give him some lame excuse about Dorian.”

“That’s just it Samuel, he’ll never believe I did it for his mother.” 

“He might surprise you. Give him a chance. Level with him.” Todd ran his fingers through his hair and lifted his gaze, meeting Cole’s directly. “I don’t want anything from you. I did it for your mother.”

Cole lay there flabbergasted. That was the last thing he had expected to hear.   Manning was serious. There was no embellishment, no attempt to flatter his mother or make Cole think he would do anything for his victim. It had just been a bald statement of fact. Starr’s dad was still trying to make up to his mother for the rape. Cole had never liked Jake because no matter how hard he tried, everything that had come out of his mouth had sounded insincere, but the man sitting next to him meant every word. Cole was trying to find a response to that. but he wasn’t even sure what to say.

Todd had braced himself for the lashing he figured Cole would give him and instead all he got was silence. As the silence stretched on, Todd got antsy and jumped back to his feet.

“Go ahead, Kid. Blast me, tell me what a liar I am, a low life for bringing your mother into the picture! You’re within your rights.“ Todd glared at the boy then turned and walked to the window again, struggling to bring his emotions back under control. You idiot, now you’ve done it. You’ve shown him what you’re really like. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rolled his neck trying to curb the anxiety that had suddenly filled him. He found himself balancing on the balls of his feet, something he had developed a long time ago as a football player as a way to slow the nerves and get back into the game.

Cole gulped. He realized how volatile Manning really was. The passion and tension rolling off the man hit him in waves. Todd’s whole body language had changed; he reminded Cole of a lion pacing, gearing up for what might attack him and getting ready to attack first. For all of his confidence, the guy was actually as vulnerable as the next guy. Todd Manning was human after all.

The tension was broken as the door opened and Starr and Hope came back in.

“Daddy look. Mommy got me a lollipop.” Both men turned their eyes to the little charmer walking towards her father with a big red sticky smile on her face and an equally sticky sucker in her hand. They couldn’t help but grin.

 

Cole looked at Starr’s father and came to a decision. “I’d like to take you up on the offer if it’s still on the table, Mr. Manning.” He waited for a response and was completely taken aback by the one he received.

Todd smiled warmly at the tableau in front of him. He had always been a sucker for family. “The offer is still on the table. As soon as your doctors give us the go-ahead, we’ll get you set up at Dragonheart. “

Starr rushed to her father, flinging her arms around him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

He gathered her into his hug. She would always be his little Starr. Over the top of her head he looked at Cole, he wasn’t entirely sure what had happened to make Cole accept the offer but for his daughter’s sake, he was happy.

“Don’t get too complacent, Todd. You still didn’t tell him the third reason for wanting him at Dragonheart. You and I both know that he’s got a target on his back, right along with you. Hesser might still be in prison, but he won’t be for long, and in or out, he still can cause trouble for Cole.”

“I know Samuel. At least at Dragonheart, Shaun can watch out for him as well as the kids. I’ll let him know the full score when he’s settled.”

Starr left his embrace to talk to Cole and Todd quickly and deftly caught his granddaughter before she attached her lollipop to his suit.