The door to room 420 was almost closed, so he knocked.
“Come in.”
It was Todd’s voice. John pushed the door open to find Todd standing by a bed dressed in his slacks, pulling off various leads from his chest. He could see Todd’s numerous scars under the light. They were more prominent because Todd still seemed pale after his ordeal the night before. John looked at him. All those scars spoke about the violence in his life, but few people knew about the scars that didn’t show. John could only guess at those, but he was certain they were there and that they had done major damage to the guy in front of him.
“Good to see you up. You gave your family a scare last night. Hell, even I was worried about you,” said John entering the room.
“You? I’m touched. Actually, I probably should thank you, you said something to the paramedic last night, didn’t you?”
“Only that you didn’t look too hot. I think you collapsing in the ER is what really did it.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Todd looked away. A chill had gone down his back as he realized everything could have turned into a disaster if John and Shaun hadn’t found them when they did. He shook his head, pushing the gloomy thoughts away. What could have happened, didn’t. He was alive. Blair was safe and healing, and together they would overcome Mitch. “Why did you come by, John?”
“I needed to talk to you. Brody found something this morning and I felt maybe you could help me out.”
“Please tell me he found Mitch.” Todd pulled the scrub shirt over his head and stared at John intently.
“No. How are you so certain it was Mitch? Did Blair tell you?” She hadn’t been in great shape when they had found them, but maybe by now, she had told Todd everything.
“She didn’t need to tell me. Mitch left me a message. I got it loud and clear. So, tell me. If you didn’t find Mitch, what did you find?” Todd wished that John would get to the point. The man drove him nuts sometimes because he was so by the book. He always thought things through before going in for the kill.
“Brody came across this as he was leaving the compound. Bo woke up Judge Carlson and got a warrant to search all surrounding properties that were close to Dragonheart. Brody hit Carlo’s compound around three something this morning. There was no sign of Mitch, and since we had the warrant, they also looked for Natalie and the missing girls. They came up empty until he spotted this.” John held out the pacifier for Todd to see.
“Okay, it’s a pacifier. What’s it mean?”
“It’s Liam’s. Ryder has a matching one. This tells us Natalie and Liam were in the woods and close to Carlo’s compound. They could have been there all this time.”
“You just told me that Brody found no sign of Natalie, the baby, or the girls. What good does finding the pacifier do you?”
“There’s no way that Mitch just disappeared off that mountain. We’re missing something. I have a question for you and this is just between you and me. Several months ago, when you disappeared to Savannah, we received an anonymous phone call telling us where to find Kipling’s hidden labs and Carlo’s secret hiding place. We were told we would find both Hesser and Kipling. Were you that caller?” John looked at him stoically. He secretly prayed he was right.
Todd sat down on the bed wearily. He had been trying for months to put that night behind him, especially given the fact that Kipling was roaming around free again. “Why are you trying to find the caller, John? Obviously, his information was good. You captured Carlo and Kipling, didn’t you?”
“The caller knew about both locations. I figured he had to have been at them at some time. I’m hoping if I could talk to him he might remember something we didn’t find.”
Todd looked down at his hands. “I’m not sure knowing who the caller was is going to solve your problem.”
John looked at Todd sharply; it was obvious he knew something. “You didn’t answer my question. Did you make that call?”
There he was again, like a dog on the scent of a bone, John wouldn’t let it drop until he got his answer. Todd sat up straight on the bed and said, “No. I didn’t make the call.” He wasn’t lying because Pete made the call. He waited for John’s reaction.
John stared directly into Todd’s eyes and knew he was telling the truth. It was a bit of a blow. Todd said, “John, think about it. I went with you to the compound, when we searched for Mitch and the other two. Believe me, I would have given anything to find them that day.”
John sat down on Blair’s bed opposite Todd. “I was sure you made the call that morning. All along I’ve wondered if you were the one who captured Hesser and Kipling and presented them to us so neatly. I didn’t really blame you, after what you had been through. In fact, I was surprised they were alive.”
God, I want to trust him, but if I do I could end up back in jail.
“Todd, trust him. He’s had your back through a lot of things since we got back. I think the guy is being straight with you. Whatever you tell him, he’s going to keep to himself.” Samuel spoke up. “The man saved your life last night.”
“We have a problem and you know it, Samuel. Pete’s not here anymore. He was the one who found Carlo’s compound, not me.” Todd wasn’t aware of how still he had gotten.
John looked over and realized that he had lost Todd at some point. “Todd?”
Todd jumped at his name and refocused on John. “I’m sorry, I was talking with Samuel. Didn’t mean to space out on you.”
The alters, of course! I completely forgot about them. “I haven’t seen the alters around in a while,” John remarked.
“Well, it hasn’t been necessary to ask for their help lately. Samuel was just giving me some advice. I’m thinking of taking it, but if I do, I’m going out on a limb. How do I know you won’t saw it out from under me?”
John felt a glimmer of hope as he heard Todd’s words. Todd did know something. You’re an idiot, John. It wasn’t Todd all this time, it was an alter. “I told you earlier this is just between you and me.”
“I told you the truth about the phone call. It wasn’t me. It was Pete. And I know your next question. Yes, it was Pete who found Carlo’s compound.”
“Will you let me talk to Pete?” John asked.
“I can’t do that.”
“Why? I know he’s an alter you don’t like to let out, but he’s got information that could lead us to Natalie and possibly Mitch.”
“He’s gone.”
“I don’t understand. Where did he go? You just told me your alters are still there. Where’s Pete?”
“I guess you could say, we’re integrated. That part of me that was Pete is no longer a separate fragment. The more I got control of my anger, the less I needed Pete. He ceased to be the day of the blackout.”
“But doesn’t that mean you have his memories?”
“I don’t know, I’ve really tried not to remember things that I did as Pete. Surely you know that.” Todd knew what John was asking, but he wasn’t sure if he could find the answer. “I wasn’t with Pete when he found Carlo’s compound. I was asleep. Ever since my return, I started having periods where my alters have come out and I haven’t been aware of what they were doing. The night Pete found the compound was one of those times. That was why I wasn’t aware of anything when we went there several months ago.”
“You have to try and get those memories. There is something we’re missing and Pete’s got the answer. Come on Todd, I know you want a piece of Mitch. Hell, I do too! Think!” John could see a change in Todd at the mention of Mitch’s name. There it was. That deep anger he had seen in the warehouse. Now he understood the changes he had been seeing in Todd since Savannah. As Todd had been coming to terms with his anger and in accepting it, Pete had become superficial.
“Damn it, John, I can’t access memories that weren’t mine. Don’t you think I want to help?” Todd wanted to find Mitch so much he could taste it, but he didn’t know how to go about finding Pete’s memories.
“Todd, wait. You can’t access those memories, but you can remember the memories of the night Pete took Carlo. We were along that night. What did Pete do?” Samuel piped in.
“God, I don’t want to go there, Samuel. Just thinking of that night makes me sick. Because of my lack of control . . .”
“Stop, I know you don’t want to go there, but we don’t have to go that far, just try and remember what happened at the beginning. I remember seeing Pete with some canisters. What were they?”
“Gas. They were gas canisters. Oh my God, how could I have forgotten that?”
Todd had spaced out again, and John figured he was conversing with Samuel once more. He saw Todd pale and feared he might have pushed a little too hard. Clearing his throat, he hoped to bring Todd back to the present moment. “Hey, are you okay?”
“I remember something. Pete had gas canisters. He was intending to use them at the compound and Kipling’s lab.” Todd said, once again meeting John’s eyes.
“I don’t remember seeing anything about gas canisters in the report on the raid at the compound, nor were there any at Kipling’s lab. I should know, I was part of the team that found Carlo and Kipling in the lab.”
“Pete knew you were coming to the lab for Hesser and Kipling, so he cleaned up. If they didn’t find them at the compound, then they missed something. He had a reason for wanting them. Just what did the police find when they raided the compound?”
“They reported finding a number of men milling about the compound who put up a fight when they were raided. They all claimed to know nothing about Hesser, but we were able to bring them all in on charges of illegal weapons.”
“That’s my point, where did all those men come from? There weren’t that many buildings, now that I think about it when we went there. Just how many people belong to that nudist colony and where do they all stay?”
“We’ve been under the impression they were living at the compound. Why else would they put up a fence? But you’re right, where could they be staying? I take it you’ve figured out something, so tell me.”
“Come on, I know you can see it. Pete had the gas because he knew about the men; but your men didn’t find a single canister. I know he used them, but not where they could be seen. Kipling’s Lab was in a sub-basement. What if Hesser had a sub-basement too? That mountain is riddled with underground caves. My sister told me about Eterna on the other side of the mountain. With the resources Hesser had, I wouldn’t put it past him to set things up underground. John, maybe everyone is still in that compound, including Mitch, Alison, and Ivan.” Todd suddenly jumped off the bed. “What are you waiting for? Can’t you go back in and search again?”
“Hold it, we’re only guessing if there is an underground complex there. Now that I know what to look for, we should be able to find something telling us it’s down below. Believe me, if we can get that proof we’ll be in there immediately. I know you’re determined to find Mitch after last night, I’m asking you to step back for now.” John met Todd’s angry eyes and held them.
Todd started to argue, but Blair was suddenly wheeled in. She glanced up and saw the grim look that passed between John and Todd. “What is it? Please, I can’t take any bad news right now.”
“It’s nothing, Blair. John and I just had a difference of opinion. John’s going to check into something and get back with me. Then I’ll decide on my next course of action. The subject is closed for now.”
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