Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 33

Carlo had been busy working out his plan since the blackout. He had received word from Kipling that Mitch was not dead as reported, but still very much alive. Kipling had in turn also gotten him valuable information regarding various guards at the prison and he had found the one who best fit his needs. Carlo had been an exemplary prisoner since the riot, and as a result of his good behavior, he was assigned light duty in the prison laundry. Today was the day he would make his escape.

Harry walked up to get Carlo and escort him to his daily chores. At first glance, you might have thought they were twins. The only difference between the two was the uniforms they wore. Harry was about Carlo’s height and coloring, with just a few strands of hair lingering around his nearly bald head. His guard hat covered those few strands, even his walk was slow. He was a loner having been on the job at the prison going on twenty years. He had been assigned Carlo when Hesser had been assigned the Laundry.

“Harry, my man, how has your day gone so far?"

“About as expected Hesser, and I ain’t your man.”

“Harry, don’t begrudge me my little idiosyncrasies. It’s just a figure of speech. Are your knees still acting up? I have to tell you, my friend, mine have been hating this damp weather.”

Harry hated that Carlo always wanted to talk. He reluctantly responded “ Yeah, mine too. You got light duty because of your legs, Hesser. Don’t knock it. Now shut up and get to work.” They had arrived at the laundry.

Carlo didn’t say anything but smiled thinly. He knew that Harry’s day was about to take the turn for the worst, but it was a dog eat dog world.

While Harry watched, Carlo started to work.. Shortly before lunch, Carlo appeared to be struggling with a particularly awkward bag of laundry. The rest of the prisoners and their guards had already departed for the lunch room. Suddenly, Carlo went down under the huge bag and Harry shaking his head in disgust, went to help him up. He never saw the makeshift blackjack Carlo hit him with.

Carlo made sure no blood touched the floor and he carefully wrapped Harry’s head. Grabbing a cart, he lifted Harry into it and took him to the far side of the laundry. He pulled him back out of the cart as he reached the vats of lye used to wash down the prison showers monthly. He had chosen that day because it was the day they opened the vats. He undressed Harry and removed his own orange jumpsuit. Dressing Harry in his jumpsuit and shoes, he proceeded to don Harry’s uniform, taking the keys and his hat. Carlo tossed the makeshift blackjack into the vat of lye and watched it sink along with the cloth he had wrapped Harry’s head in. 

Then it was Harry’s turn. After pouring some soapy water on the floor and soaping up Harry’s shoes, Carlo lifted Harry and dropped his hands and upper body over the side of the vat, face-first into the lye. He jumped back as lye splashed over the edge of the vat. It had to look like he, Carlo, had slipped and gone into the lye accidentally. He then walked over to a small area behind the dryers and pulled out a small box. Inside he found the latex pieces he had formed from gloves they gave them to work with. Using a spoon he had commandeered, he had carefully scraped out several bars of soap and used them to make molds. Then with the aid of a lighter smuggled into him, he had carefully managed to meltdown the latex gloves and poured the result into his makeshift molds. Now he carefully applied the molded nose to his face as well as the additional bags and cheekbones under his eyes, using a homemade mixture of flour and water paste. As well as the lighter, Kipling had managed to smuggle in some face powder and Carlo used that to cover and blend the pieces to match the rest of his face. Taking a look at his reflection in the window of the dryer, he made a pretty presentable Harry. He set his hat on his head and walked over to Harry. He finished disposing of the box and soap molds into the vat. Giving one final pat to his victim, “You should have stayed in bed. Harry,” he quickly turned and went to report the incident.

Several guards came to his aid and they removed Harry from the vat or rather what was left of Harry. He wasn’t a pretty sight, his face and hands had been eaten away by the lye, and he was clearly dead. As Harry, Carlo told his story, and soon all were believing that Hesser had had an unfortunate accident. Carlo was pleased that the face and hands were no longer recognizable. His word was accepted that he had gone looking for Hesser when he didn’t come to the door of the laundry for the lunch bell. As soon as he had found the body, he put out the call for help. The prison doctor pronounced Hesser dead at the scene, knowing the lye was still eating away at his brain and through his chest. There would be an inquiry into the death but for now, it certainly looked like an accident.

The warden walked over to Carlo, unsuspecting he was talking to Hesser. “Harry, go home, take some days.” Carlo nodded, he had been waiting for this moment, and he casually left the prison, no one stopping him. Using Harry’s ID and money, he made his way to Harry’s apartment. Once there he made himself at home and pulled out the throwaway phone he had just purchased. He texted Kipling. “I’m out, what’s your status? Call me at this number.”

Ivan was surprised when his phone went off in his pocket as only a few knew of it. He smiled as he read the text. Then he placed the call. “Carlo, so good to hear from you. I trust everything went like clockwork.”

Carlo sat back in Harry’s recliner. “It worked like a charm. Report.”

Ivan sighed. With Carlo, it was always business first before pleasure. “We’re still here at your compound. We did have some unwanted visitors a few days ago, but it’s been quiet since. Mitch is beginning to regain his memory, a little more each day, and you’ll be pleased to know, our Ms. Perkins is expecting his child. I’ve also received word from our contact at the hospital that the lovely Mrs. Manning is also pregnant.”

Carlo’s eyes gleamed at this new information. “Excellent, I’ll be making my way to your second lab sometime later today. It wouldn’t be wise for me to linger in this apartment for long. I’ll contact you when I’m settled.” He hung up.

Ivan put the phone down as Mitch entered his lab. 

“Who were you talking to Doctor?” Mitch was becoming increasingly paranoid and he was finding it hard to keep trusting the man. His memories had started returning but they were fragmented. 

Ivan looked at his test subject and noted the edge in Mitch’s tone. “That was an acquaintance of ours. He was letting me know he was free and clear of the problem that had been keeping him from joining us. His name is Carlo Hesser.” Ivan watched to see if Mitch showed any signs the name meant something to him.

A scene flashed through Mitch’s head, of himself, the doctor and another man sitting in a yard. They were in ugly blue shirts and the third man appeared to be in charge. “Would he be a bald man with a hawkish nose?”

“Excellent, Mr. Laurence, that is indeed Mr. Hesser. I’m pleased you’re getting your memory back. Have you had any other memories you would care to share?”

“None I’m going to tell you about. I came down to tell you to keep your inquisitive hands-off Alison. She’s my fiance, not community property.” He turned and left the doctor, sure he had gotten his message across. He was perturbed by the memory of the three of them. As far as he could tell, Kipling was a snake, and couldn’t be trusted, and he sensed Carlo Hesser was equally dangerous. Why had he been associating with them? It was time to get some answers from his fiance.

***

John was in his office when he received the call. “This is McBain. Richard Evans, to what do I owe this call? We’ve been unable to capture either Kipling or Perkins.”

“I have news. I’m calling to let you know Carlo Hesser died this morning.”

John paused. “Did I hear you correctly? Hesser is dead? What happened?”

“He had an accident while working in the prison laundry. He slipped and ended up in a vat of lye. His guard was unable to save him.”

John was disquieted by this news. It was all just a little too cut and dried for his taste. “You’re sure it was Hesser? Remember how Mitch got out.”

“All personnel are accounted for, but Hesser. We’re pretty sure. There will be an inquiry but we anticipate it will verify the original findings, that it was an accident. I thought you might like to know since he created so much havoc in Llanview. Shaun told me that Todd Manning took in Cole Thornhart, and I know that Hesser had an agenda when it came to both of them. I guess he’ll never be able to carry it out now. Anyway, thought you might like to pass the news on to them?”

“Evans, will they do an autopsy?”

“It’s standard procedure, John, but don’t be in a big hurry for results. Accidents get a lower priority behind the regular killings that go on around here.”

“Understood. I’ll be checking in with the coroner. Thanks for the call.” John hung up and sat behind his desk. He thought back to the trial and Kipling and Hesser watching Todd dispassionately as he almost killed himself on the stand. While everyone else in the room could see the pain the man on the stand was in, they had just sat there. Then when he had collapsed, John remembered how his stomach had turned seeing joy on both of their faces. They were scum, both of them, and they hated Todd. John sat back in his chair. He had gotten word from a contact, that Todd had spent another night in the hospital after they had attempted to catch Kipling, Mitch, and Alison. He picked up the phone wondering if he should tell Todd this latest news. The man deserved to hear something good. But if this turned out to be an escape on Hesser’s part, Todd might just end up losing it completely. John put the phone down and stood up, grabbing his jacket. He needed to know now before he told Todd anything. “Fish, I’ll be out of the office for a little bit,” he said as he left the squad room. A few minutes later, he stood outside Nora’s office. He knocked and waited.

“Come in.” Nora looked up, surprised to see John standing there. “What can I do for you, John?”

“Nora, I just got a call from Statesville prison. It seems Carlo Hesser is dead.”

“When did this happen? Who killed him?”

“Nobody, supposedly it was an accident.”

Nora looked at John, “You don’t believe that do you?”

“I don’t know what I believe. What bothers me is the manner of his death. According to the chief of security, Richard Evans, he was found face down in a vat of lye.”

“You talked to Richard. He’s not going to tell you some fake story. But I sense you’re not sure it was Hesser.”

“You’re right. It’s too pat. With the face and hands eaten away by the lye, how do we know for sure it was Carlo?”

“I’m assuming they’ll do an autopsy, we’ll just have to wait for the results.”

“I agree, but I was hoping maybe you could light a fire under the prison coroner, get them to do the autopsy now. Evans said accidents are a low priority there. If Hesser staged all of this and has gotten loose, we can’t let him have any more time to get good and clear of us. You know as well as I do, he’ll go after Todd and Cole if he’s free to do so.”

“You really think Carlo would try for revenge right now?”

“I gave up a while ago trying to figure out what makes Hesser tick. He got loose from Bo and the Interpol agents all those months ago and instead of going back into hiding, he came here and proceeded to play cat and mouse with Samuel. The man is ruthless and now he has even more reason to hate Manning. We’ve already established that Kipling and Perkins hid out in Carlo’s compound while Laurence healed. Now all three of them are running loose out there. If Hesser is alive, you know he’ll be trying to reach them. I can just imagine the terror that could land on Llanview if they’re all working together.”

Nora felt a shiver run through her as she envisioned those monsters banded together. “I’ll call the prison. What are you going to do?’

“I’m headed for the prison, I want to get a look at the body. Thanks, Nora.”

She watched as John left. Then she reached for her phone and made the call to the prison. After talking to John, she had a sinking feeling he was onto something. Hesser had died once before and then had reappeared. Could he have perpetrated a con once again?

Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 32

               Ray stood back and listened. Although he couldn’t help but admire Todd’s bravado in his sarcastic comment to Larry, he too, saw the pain in Todd’s eyes as Todd looked at Blair. Judging by his few words to her, the nightmare had indeed brought up some horrific memory. Ray waited patiently for Larry to do his assessment, he saw Todd’s frustration with the doctor growing and knew Todd wanted the exam over and soon.

               Todd gripped Blair’s hand hard and then he saw her wince. He released his hold a little bit but didn’t let go. He also tried to keep his eyes on her and began to wish Larry would just let him be. His thinking was muddled and he kept getting images of Victor, falling to pieces in front of him; Victor’s skeletal hands grasping his. “I’m never going to sleep again,“ he vowed under his breath. He couldn’t do it anymore. This nightmare was the worst he could remember, and he wished it would fade. The images were sharp in his head. None of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for that bastard, Laurence. He couldn’t even get through one night in peace.

           A shiver surged through Todd as he began to dwell on the dream, and once again his heart rate began to speed up. Larry frowned and ordered some medication to counteract the anxiety attack Todd was beginning to undergo. His breathing and blood pressure both escalated.

           After his initial words to Blair, Todd had been quiet. The pain in his eyes remained and he kept losing focus. When she felt the shiver rip through him, she put her hand on his face trying to bring his attention back to her. “Todd, let it go. It was horrible, but it was a nightmare, it wasn’t real.”

His eyes locked onto hers again. “It won’t go away Blair, it’s all I can see.” He was getting agitated and didn’t even notice the nurse administering something into his IV. He lost focus of Blair as Victor’s laughing grotesque face reappeared and he began reaching toward Todd once more; Todd panicked and reacted to the vision, struggling to catch his breath and shook his head. “Blair, help me!” he tightened his hold on her hand desperate to get rid of the image.

Blair stroked his brow and started talking about Hope and Sam and how she had found them the morning before, pretending to be Sir Dragon and Princess Shorty. “Todd, they were so cute. You should have seen Sam, he was swooping all over the room, supposedly fighting all the evil villagers who wanted to hurt Princess Shorty, and then he actually had Hope get on his back and gave her a piggyback ride. It was adorable.” Blair felt Todd beginning to calm, his grip lessening and his eyes losing the haunted look, as the medication began to take effect. He relaxed back against the pillow and started to smile as she spoke about the two littlest Mannings.

            Little Sam. Just thinking about him was something that brought cheer to Todd. He loved that kid and wanted to make him his son legally. Sam was someone who, through no fault of his own, had lost both his parents. A mother he never knew, and a father who ultimately fell short when it came to giving his son the love he should have. It hadn’t been all Jake’s fault, because of the programming and control that Kipling had had over him, but the little boy had been caught in the fallout. The best thing that had happened for Sam was Blair becoming his adoptive mother. Todd knew what her love meant because it was the one thing that had saved him more times than he could count. Sam had flourished as Blair’s son. He was full of hope and wonder. So much so, that when he was around, Todd felt the weight he carried on his shoulders lessened and he was able to just enjoy life through Sam’s eyes.

           Larry was pleased to see Todd’s stats returning to normal. To ensure the drugs were cleared from Todd’s system, he ordered a second bag of solution to follow the first. “Todd, because of the bad reaction, I’m going to insist you stick around a little longer.”

          Todd was feeling better thanks to the anti-anxiety meds and started to protest. “Larry I’m sick of hospitals.”

          “I understand Todd but humor me. Not only were we unable to bring you out of your nightmare, but the drugs adversely affected your body. I need to be sure you don’t relapse.”

           Todd was too weary to argue. He had had too many nights recently without sleep and his body was setting the rules. Still, he was fearful to relax in the bed, he didn’t want to drift off into sleep again. He knew his father was just waiting to trap him again. “Blair, help me out. I promise to take it easy, but I need to get up and move. If I stay here, he’ll come back.”

           Blair looked at him bewildered. “Todd, who will come back?”

           “My father, I can feel him lurking.” Todd looked around the room nervously.

           Blair’s eyes met Rays’ and he nodded. Ray moved back into Todd’s line of sight.

           As soon as Todd saw him, he felt a surge of relief. Ray understood. He would help him. “Ray, good to see you. You understand, don’t you? Victor wants me. You need to back up Blair and tell Larry to let me out of here. I’ve got to get back to my life. I won’t let Victor take me.”

           Ray had been listening to everything and knew Larry had made the right decision to keep Todd longer. The drugs still had a grip on Todd’s psyche, and he was in no shape to leave. “Todd, Larry has your best interest at heart. Relax.”

           Blair sat down next to Todd and he focused on her once more. “Todd, it’s all right. Victor isn’t here. Remember? Victor’s dead. You’re just confused because of the medicine. It was all a bad dream.” 

           He frowned. He was trying to clear his thoughts, but it was difficult. “It was a dream?”

           “Yes, Todd. Larry just told you. You had a reaction to the sleep medication he prescribed.”

           “Right.” Todd was skeptical but looked at Larry, wanting confirmation again.

            Larry met his eyes. “Blair’s correct Todd. But tell me, did you take exactly what I prescribed?”

             Medicine for sleep, think Todd . You wanted to not think about Mitch. He remembered opening the bottle and putting one tablet in his hand. No wait. Two. I took two tablets. God, you idiot, Manning You did this to yourself. “I think I took two tablets, Larry, I was hoping to sleep without any dreams at all.”

            That explained a lot of things. Larry wrote something on Todd’s chart and turned back to him. “Todd, we’re still waiting for the results of the blood tests we did when you arrived. But now I have a clearer picture of what happened. One pill probably would have still caused problems. but the additional pill exacerbated the situation. Now, you need to stay here long enough for the second IV to do its work, once it’s finished we’ll check another blood sample and hopefully, the drug will have been diluted enough to allow you to get back to your day. I’m going to leave you alone now. Blair can stay and keep you company. I’ll check back later.” 

           Todd wanted to kick himself. His head was finally starting to clear and he couldn’t believe how stupid he had been. When it came to Mitch, Todd lost all of his good sense. The previous evening was proof of that. He looked again at his friend. “Blair, called you in didn’t she?”

            Ray walked to the side of the bed Larry had vacated. “She did. You should have contacted me sooner.”

           “I know. Damn Ray, I thought I had a handle on things.”

            Ray gave a small smile. “Well I think it’s pretty obvious just who has the handle on things and it isn’t you. Blair told me about your sleepless nights. Todd, this has been escalating for months. This isn’t the time for a talk but when you’re home we need to address this, all three of us. In the meantime, do you still feel your father is hanging around to trap you?”

           Todd was unable to stop himself from taking a quick look around at the mere mention of his father. Realizing just as quickly what he had done, he attempted to gather himself. “I’m seriously fucked up right now.”

            Ray nodded in agreement. “Now the question is, do you believe us when we tell you what’s happening isn’t real and is related to the drug interaction?”

            Todd took a deep breath. He wanted to believe what they were saying so badly. But suddenly Victor was looming, his hands raising and reaching towards Todd, he was directly behind Ray and Todd wanted to run. He turned his eyes away from the horror he was seeing and tried to focus on Blair “I hear you guys, but don’t you see him? He’s right behind you, Ray.” he rubbed his eyes, but Victor remained. “ Am I finally going nuts, Ray?”

            Ray looked around knowing nothing was there, Todd’s hallucinations were a direct cause of the medicine. He needed to reassure Todd. “ No Todd, you’re not. What exactly do you see?”

           “Him, he’s standing there and reaching for me. He said I was dead like him.” Todd felt trapped, nothing seemed right. “ Is any of this real? Is the reason he’s still here because I’m imagining all this? God, that’s it, none of this is real. I really am in hell and it’s just another form of punishment, thinking you’re real.” He looked at Blair afraid and tried to pull free. “You’re not real, let go.”

           Blair did the only thing she could think of to try and get through to him. Before he could push her farther away she grabbed his head and kissed him. Even though he struggled at first, she clung to him refusing to let go until he started responding to her kiss.

           Todd felt her lips on his, at first he tried to get free, filled with terror, thinking she would start to melt away like Victor, but then it registered she wasn’t going anyplace. Those lips were hers, the ones he knew and loved. She was real, he was real. His arms went around her and he kissed her back. They hung on to each other, Todd clinging like never before to his salvation, and Blair determined to let him know he was as real as she was by any means at her disposal.

            Ray had been alarmed at Todd’s sudden turn from reality but had watched as Blair had instinctively reacted to the situation and taken charge. They finally came up for air, separating, and breathless. Todd reluctantly loosened his hold on Blair and held a shaky hand out to Ray. Ray gripped his hand firmly and heard a sigh of relief come from Todd. “It’s okay buddy. You’re real and so are we.” He noticed Todd still looking around.  “Maybe it’s time to turn this talk away from the last few hours. We haven't talked since before the blackout, but I understand you had something to do with getting young Thornhart his pardon. That surprised me, given your history with his mother.”

            Todd released his hand from Ray’s. Victor was nowhere in sight. He levered himself up to a more sitting position then pulled Blair down next to him on the bed, wrapping his free arm tightly around her waist as if holding tightly to a life preserver. He focused on Ray’s statement. “The kid saved a guard’s life and also kept Hesser from getting free. Besides, he’s Hope’s dad. I felt he deserved a second chance. He was supposed to start work at The Sun today, but that’s been shot to hell.” Talking about Cole brought the children to mind. God. what did the kids see? “Blair, the children have to be terrified.” 

              “Relax Todd, the boys and Hope have no idea what transpired last night. Jack and Sam woke up when the helicopter lifted off; I talked to Starr just before you awoke, and she told them the police helicopter made a landing for a quick repair. They both thought it was cool, then returned to bed. Starr said she would just say we wanted some privacy this morning if they wonder why we’re not at breakfast. By the time they get home from school, we’ll be there.”

             “See Todd, Starr’s right on the ball. That’s one smart girl. As Cole’s prison therapist I was notified of his address. Is Cole staying at Dragonheart?” Ray inquired. He wanted to keep Todd”s mind fixed on everyday real problems and situations and he was curious how Marty’s son had ended up under Todd’s roof.

            When Todd didn’t answer, Blair looked at him and gave him a gentle elbow to get his attention back to the question at hand. “Hey Todd, Ray asked if Cole was a resident at Dragonheart.”

            Todd blinked. He had been thinking about the boys and wondered if Jack had really accepted Starr’s explanation when Blair nudged him. He mildly rubbed where Blair had elbowed him, noting Blair’s outraged look as he made it seem like she had hurt him. It felt good to tease her. He then answered. “What? Oh yeah, the kid lives there. We’re all one big family. I mean, what was I supposed to do? He had nowhere to go after he got the pardon, and he was still healing from his wounds. I couldn’t let Hope’s dad end up on the street.”

             Todd’s voice was getting stronger and he was making more and more sense. The IV was definitely beginning to get results. Ray smiled, he hadn’t missed the little interaction that had just taken place between Todd and Blair. Yep, Todd was fast becoming his old self again.  “I think it’s great Todd. Now you say he’s going to start work at the paper. That’s really good.”

             Blair had been surprised to hear about Todd’s job offer but then she recalled what had happened during and after dinner. It had completely slipped her mind that Todd had a conversation with Cole right before dinner. “You forgot to mention the job offer after dinner last night.”

             “Yes well, my mind was thoroughly occupied on other matters at the time.” Todd rubbed a little lower down her belly, his hand headed for some fun. 

              Blair frowned at him and captured his hand. “Todd, Ray’s standing right here.” She was blushing.

             Todd chuckled softly in her ear. “What’s the matter, Daisy Mae? Do you think Ray’s a virgin or something?”


             “Todd!” she protested but couldn’t help laughing. This was the husband she loved and cherished. She had been so afraid for him earlier. The sheer terror on his face at one point that morning alarmed her the most. Todd had lived with his pain for many years, and only a small group of people had full knowledge of the extent of the damage he had sustained. Ray and Vicki were privy to a large quantity of the abuses and misfortunes that had hung over and hounded Todd all his life. They knew the fine line he walked to maintain his sanity. Now several others were becoming aware of the battles he had endured. Starr and surprisingly John McBain had both managed to see beneath Todd’s fragile wall to the man underneath. Blair shook her head and pushed the gloomy thoughts away. Todd had just made her laugh. She marveled at how he was able to do that.

            “Hey, C note for your thoughts. Where did you zone out to?” Todd whispered in her ear and lightly nipped it.

             It tickled and she brushed her hair back causing him to move his head away from her neck for just a moment. “They weren’t worth that much. You seem to be feeling better.”

            “I am.” Todd looked around the room, all he saw was the equipment and Ray and Blair. His father’s ghost was nowhere in sight. “You were right. I’m not crazy,” he said meeting Ray’s eyes.

             Ray smiled. “Maybe one of these days, you learn to finally trust your therapist. Until then, as your friend, I’m going to leave you two alone. I think it won’t be long now before Larry lets you out of here. But Todd, we do need to talk.”

            “Thanks, Ray. I’ll call.” Todd leaned back against his pillow after Ray left, and quietly rubbed his hand across Blair’s stomach. “I’ve been given another chance to do things right. I can’t afford any more mistakes like last night. Mitch needs to be found and soon.”

           “He’ll be found and put back where he belongs and then we can devote ourselves to this child and the rest of our family.” A nurse came in and took another blood sample, and then left them alone.  

            A little after nine in the morning, Starr showed up, cleared her throat, and saw the surprise on Todd’s face. “Dad, you okay?”

            Todd opened his free arm and Starr rushed to his side and hugged him. “Shorty, I’m fine. I’m sorry I scared you and your mom last night. I did something stupid. No surprise there, right?”

            Starr smiled, he seemed like himself and she could see her mom was relaxed next to him. She pulled her bag off her shoulder. “I’ve brought you some clothes. I know you want to get out of here as soon as they’ll let you. The boys went to school this morning with Shaun and didn’t have a clue what went down last night.”

            Todd and Blair watched as she pulled a pair of jeans and a t-shirt out of her bag. He couldn’t help smiling, as he gathered he was going home “commando” and then he realized the only thing he was wearing was the stupid hospital gown. “Sheesh Blair, you could have left me with some dignity.” Blair looked at Starr and laughed.

Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 31

               He was struggling for breath, the stench overpowering him and his eyes fixed on the decaying husk of his father. The laughter began and he wanted to cover his ears, but his hands were bound. He tried to scream, but no sound came out. He thrashed around, wanting to be as far from his father and the laughter as he could get.

                Blair woke to Todd’s thrashing and immediately sense he was in trouble. Sweat was pouring off him and he was deathly pale, his breathing was labored and try as she might she couldn’t wake him. “Oh God! Todd wake up! Please, look at me.” He couldn’t hear her. If she couldn’t get him to wake, she feared he would have another heart attack. Blair observed Todd’s hands clasped rigidly in front of him and his arms hugged tightly to his body as if bound to his body. He was attempting to get loose but was unable. He was dreaming. There had to be some way to get him out of his nightmare. His eyes flashed open, focused on something only he could see.


              Todd watched as the knife inched closer and his head was filled with his father’s and Peter’s laughter. Then came the voice over it all, menacing and deadly. “You should have heeded the ’Messenger,’ now you’ll be forever marked as mine.” The knife descended and the blade cut deep. Todd’s scream pierced through the air, sharp, and he ceased all movement.

               The scream reverberated through the upstairs. Down the hall in the Key West suite, Cole and Starr pulled apart as they heard the anguished cry. “Oh my God, that’s my father!” Starr ran out of the room, followed closely by Cole. She burst into her parent’s room to find her mom frantically shaking Todd, trying to bring him around.. “Mom, what happened. Is it his heart?”

              Blair looked over and saw the fear she felt, reflected in Starr’s eyes, she continued to try and get some sort of response from Todd. “I hope not Starr, he’s got a faint pulse. Starr. get on the phone, call 911, let them know we’re on the mountain, and then call Ray.” Blair pulled him into her arms, stroking his damp forehead and talking to him. “Todd, we’re getting help. Baby, don’t leave me, you’re safe. It’s going to be alright.”

            Starr quickly dialed and began explaining the emergency. “Yes, he’s unconscious and unresponsive. He’s had a series of heart attacks in the last year, but I’m uncertain if he’s had one now. Please hurry!” Then to Blair, she said, “Mom they’re on their way. Is there anything we can do?”

             Blair looked up tears in her eyes. “I don’t know, I tried to wake him, but couldn’t. He’s so pale, Starr and I can hardly tell that he’s breathing.” Even as she spoke, his body began to shake and felt colder to her. She grabbed the comforter and wrapped him in it, trying to keep his body temperature from dropping further.  

             “Mom, when you said his worst nightmare, please tell me he wasn’t dreaming of the tomb again?

“I think he was Starr,” She looked down at his still form, “and I know why.”

“Mom, why? Why now?"

“Your father’s been plagued by dreams since the day after the blackout.” Blair hugged him, whispering close to his ear. “Come on, baby, wake up for me,” and kissed his forehead. Both she and Starr prayed for some reaction, but none came. Continuing her thoughts, almost as a way to keep her own panic down, Blair said, “That’s when John told him that Mitch’s body was missing. Yesterday he found out that Mitch is still alive.”

She heard Starr’s gasp and felt her own heart lurch for the man in her arms. She couldn’t dwell on Mitch; Todd was her first concern. “Cole, will you go turn on the outside lights for the helicopter?” She turned her attention back to Todd. “Samuel, Tom, if any of you can hear me, please give me a sign. Squeeze my hand, anything.” She and Starr watched, hoping for any movement, to indicate Todd might be regaining consciousness. Blair laid him back on the bed and urged Starr to talk to him while she quickly dressed.

Starr sat down on the bed next to her dad and reached for his hand. Her eyes were filled with tears and her lips trembled. “Dad, come on now, you’re scaring us.” She took a moment to feel his pulse and agreed with her mom. It was alarmingly slow. Her father’s eyes were closed, but there was movement behind the lids that told her he was still dreaming. “I’ve got a little brother or sister on the way and you can’t leave that baby without a father. Don’t let Mitch take you from us again. You’re stronger than he is, you can’t quit now.” She squeezed his hand but got no reaction.

Blair wandered over and hugged her daughter. They heard the helicopter landing on the lawn, within minutes the EMTs had followed Cole upstairs and they began checking Todd.

“How long has he been like this?”

“It’s been about twenty minutes since he collapsed. I’ve been unable to wake him,” replied Blair.

“Mr. Manning, can you hear me?” The EMT flashed a light into Todd’s eyes. “His pupils are responsive, get on the phone with Llanview hospital, and tell them to prepare for vitals.” He proceeded to take a blood pressure reading and after listening to Todd’s heart, put leads on his chest to get a readout. “ER, I’ve sent you the readings, the patient has been unresponsive to stimuli and BP is 85 over 50. Pulse is thready. The patient appears to be in shock, but uncertain of the cause.”

Down in the ER, Larry Wolek prepared to read the info coming in. Larry frowned when he saw Todd’s BP and even more alarmed when the reading came in. “You say the patient is unresponsive? What happened before your arrival?”

The EMT turned back to Blair. “Can you give us an idea of the event leading up to this?”

Blair heard Larry’s voice over the speaker and felt relief that he was in the ER. “ My husband was sleeping and then had what appeared to be a bad nightmare, but I was unable to wake him from it. Then he screamed and has been in the state that you now see him.”

The EMT relayed the story to the ER and waited for further instructions.

Todd’s low heartbeat and pulse were a cause for alarm. “Start an IV of Ringer’s Lactate and bring him in immediately.”

“What’s going on, isn’t there something you can do, to make him come out of this state.” Blair was scared, Todd showed no indications that he was waking and now Larry was ordering him brought into the hospital. The EMTs lifted Todd onto a stretcher and carried him down to the waiting helicopter. Blair was allowed to ride to the hospital with them. Cole and Starr said they would watch the boys. Blair looked over at Starr. “Did you call Ray?”

Starr was flustered and dismayed. “I’m sorry. I was so worried, I forgot.”

Blair smiled ruefully, “I understand, but please call him and have him meet me at the hospital. I think your father will need him when he wakes up.” She waved and the helicopter took off for the hospital. She sat there, looking at Todd hooked up to oxygen and the emergency equipment. She couldn’t stop watching the heart monitor. The indicator line seemed so slow and irregular. She wanted to make it speed up and show her the usual spikes and smooth lines but instead, she watched it waver and dip, and then she would see two spikes close together, even her untrained eye knew that wasn’t good. Wanting something, anything to get through to Todd, her hands found her stomach and rubbed as if seeking strength from the new life. She reached and laid Todd’s hand to rest there underneath her hand, hoping the baby would give a kick, even though she knew it still was too early.

As the helicopter left, Cole wrapped his arms around Starr and held her close. “He’s going to be alright. Your father is strong. Starr, what did you mean when you said something about a tomb?”

Starr took Cole’s hand and led him back inside. “I’ll tell you, but first I have to call Ray.” They sat down on the couch by the dying fire. After talking to Ray and explaining the events. She hung up and curled into Cole’s arms.

“Starr, I know what Hesser and Kipling did to your dad. But what is Mitch’s connection to everything? What’s this about a tomb?”

Starr shivered, “I don’t know the complete story. Mom and Dad never told me everything that went on, but I do know that when my father arrived back in town over a year ago, he was trapped inside his head and Samuel was in charge. Samuel told us the only way Todd could get his foothold again was for him to face something. Dad’s Alter, Samuel, felt drawn to my grandfather’s tomb. Mom and I were worried because of his heart, and we followed him to the tomb that night. It seemed to be taking forever and when we saw my Aunt Vicki enter the tomb, we followed. We found Samuel passed out on the floor having had a heart attack and Aunt Vicki said my father was back. Whatever he faced in that tomb was so horrific, it caused a heart attack. The nightmares that followed for my father were debilitating and he only managed to finally find some peace after starting his therapy with Ray.”

“So, you know about the nightmares, not what’s in them. Why is Mitch involved?” Cole carefully reached and slid a lock of Starr’s hair off her face and put it behind her ear.

“Whatever happened in that tomb, happened because of Mitch. I remember my mother thinking that Mitch had trapped my father there, but when she went to free him there was no sign. Although he won’t tell me, I think that Mitch really did trap him there and later removed him, beating him and slicing his face before leaving him dying on the road.”

“But where could Mitch have trapped him in the mausoleum. I mean the door is open for family access right?”

Starr thought, and then began to cry softly.

“Starr, what’s wrong?”

“Cole, don’t you see. There’s only one place Mitch could have hidden my father in that place. He must have put my father in one of the crypts and the most accessible was my late grandfather’s coffin, who had just died.” The horrible realization came to her. “Oh my God, Mitch buried my father alive.”

***

Todd found himself wandering through an unfamiliar location. There were no walls just gray everywhere he looked, and the silence was deafening. Something wasn’t right. “Hello? Tom, Samuel, Ms. Perkins?” There was no answer. He didn’t feel dead, just cold. The chill seeped clear to his bones. What was going on? He suddenly looked at his hand, for one moment he had the strangest feeling it had been touched. The utter lack of any tangible objects was disconcerting, and why was it so frigid? He started walking, not entirely sure where he was going, but he needed to find a way. He continued walking, wrapping his arms closer about his body in an effort to warm up. He saw something in the distance. His steps slowed as he made out a figure ahead of him, but he suddenly didn’t want to go any farther.

He was unable to stop his forward momentum and instead came to a halt directly in front of the man. The air was freezing and he wanted to turn his eyes away. “You’re dead. What is this place?”

The man raised his head and grinned. “My son, give your father a hug.” He reached out and grabbed at Todd’s arms.

Suddenly, the stench was overwhelming. Todd could hardly breathe and he struggled to break his father’s hold. Even as he fought, he watched the skin begin to fall away from his father’s body, rotten pieces of meat dropping to the floor. “No, this isn’t happening, this is a dream, I need to wake up.”

His father began to cackle, and Todd saw his lower jaw separate from his face, and one side hang like a hinge. “Wake up? Why, son? There is no waking up. This is your home, don’t you remember? You died alongside me. Take a look at yourself.”

The rattling laughter that issued from his throat was abhorrent, and Todd looked down at his arms, or what was left of them...

“Noooooooooooooo!” Todd woke up screaming, protecting his arms by covering them with his hands. Larry and Ray quickly grabbed them to keep him from pulling out his IV. They held him as he tried to get free. It was clear he didn’t know where he was.

Larry said, “Todd, stop! You’re going to hurt yourself, you need to calm down.” The monitors beeped, alarms sounded, and the heart line was skipping. Todd’s heart was racing.

Ray looked over at Blair who was watching, as if in shock. “Blair, talk to him, let him hear your voice.”

Blair moved quickly to Todd’s side. “Todd, it’s Blair, you’re all right,” he continued fighting against the grip of Ray and Larry, “Stop! Listen to me.”

The image in his mind’s eye wouldn’t fade and he began moaning. “No! Not real. I’m not dead. I’m alive.” He clenched his eyes shut, trying desperately to lose the image. Then, he felt her hand touch his shoulder. “Blair?” He refused to open his eyes, he was so afraid of what he would see.

Blair moved closer, her hand cradled his scarred cheek, he calmed and Ray moved out of the way to let Blair have full access to Todd. “It’s me, Todd, you’re safe, it’s over,” he turned his face into her hand breathing slower.

“Blair, he wouldn’t let go. He said I was dead” he broke down sobbing quietly.

Larry shook his head at the nurse, and she put the sedative down. Todd’s stats were coming back to normal and Larry really didn’t want to accidentally send him back into his nightmare. “Todd, open your eyes. It’s Larry, you’re in the hospital. I need to check your pupils. You’ve had a bad reaction to the sleeping pills I prescribed.”

Larry’s words penetrated and Todd suddenly felt an absurd urge to laugh. Bad sleeping pills, are you kidding me? He shivered again as that final image of his father faded and then couldn’t help the sarcastic response. “You think?” Todd said, slowly opening his eyes and looking around, searching for the person he really wanted to see. He flinched at Larry’s light. Ray couldn’t help but crack a smile. After everything Todd had just been through, he still managed to be snarky.

Todd’s eyes rested on Blair and he reached with his now freed hand to take hers. She saw through his attempt to make light of what had happened, seeing the pain very evident in his eyes. She gripped his hand and squeezed, letting him know she understood.