Through the Darkness, Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER 14

August, 2013

The ringing of a phone broke the spell that had settled over the room.  Jack turned and saw Bo on the phone.  “You got something?” he asked as he and Nora moved off to the side.

Jessica and Natalie came over to their mother.  “Are you alright?” the redhead asked. 

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.  I’m more worried about Blair right now,” Viki replied.

“Should someone call Dorian?” Jessica asked.

Jack shook his head fervently.  “Right now, Aunt Dorian’s in a snit about the fact that Mom’s running The Sun.  And she has no clue that Mom and Dad are back together, much less married.”

“Well, until David breaks the news,” Viki said with a chuckle as Cord and Tina reappeared.  “How is Blair?”

Cord shook his head.  “She’s still out.  We put her in the room that was Todd’s and Starr’s staying with her.”

“She’s so devastated,” Tina said.  “I know I’ve never thought much of her relationship with Todd, but to see her like that…”  She leaned against Cord’s shoulder and he brought his arms around her.

Bo and Nora came back into the room.  “That was the station.  They were finally able to trace the origin point of Todd’s line.  He was in Chicago.  Det. Castillo has contacted the Chicago PD and they’ve connected it to a shots fired report from a motel.  I’m going to fly out there and take control of the scene.  Brody, if you want to, you can come with me.”

Brody nodded and Jack looked at him, then Bo.  “I want to come too,” he said.

“Jack, this is an active criminal investigation…” Bo began.

“Committed on my father,” he said, arms crossed.  “I’ll stay out of the way, but I’m going.” He didn’t wait for an answer and headed up to tell Starr.

She was sitting on the bed hold her mother hand when the door opened and Jack poked his head in.  He looked to Blair and then gestured for Starr to come out in the hallway.  She got off the bed and followed him.

Once outside, he told her, “Bozo finally found where Dad was when he made contact with me.  I’m going to Chicago with him and Brody, see what they can find.”

“Jack, what are the chances that he’s even still there?  That video was, what, from over twelve hours ago.  Whoever has him, they could have moved him out of the country by now!” she exclaimed.

“Or, he could still be there,” Jack retorted.  “Look, it’s the only lead we have.  Bo said the cops there have the crime scene sealed off.  It’s worth a try.  But I may be needed…to identify”  Jack didn’t want to think about what he may have to identify so he came up with “…personal affects.”

Starr could tell her brother was reaching, trying to come up with any excuse to go.  “Chicago was where he grew up,” she said at last.

“Yeah, I know.”  He opened his arms and Starr embraced him.

“Be careful,” she said into his chest.  “Stay out of trouble.  I doubt Bo trusts you, the last few days notwithstanding.”   

Jack nodded silently and went back down the stairs.  Starr slipped back into her mother’s room.  Blair wasn’t awake and Starr envied her a little bit.  Better, she thought, than to have to be around family worrying themselves with the unknown.  She climbed onto the bed and brought her mother’s head onto her stomach.  “He’ll come back, Mom.  He always does.  Even when we think we have him back.”  Starr stroked her mother’s hair, wondering where she was at the moment.

She was back in bed, but the room was definitely different.  Not as airy or bright, an older construction but familiar. 

“I still can’t believe Viki talked us into this,” she heard Todd say.

“What, the renewal of our vows and the wedding reception?” Blair asked.  “I tried to dissuade her, but…”

“Yeah, I remember how Viki gets.  But, well, we got back at her, at least a little bit.”

Blair raised an eyebrow.  “Is that why you suggested we stay here tonight?”  Now the memories were coming back to her.  Todd had asked that they stay at Llanfair.  He used the excuse that the penthouse was under such massive renovation that they couldn’t move around the place.  Technically, Blair was supposed to be in a room down the hall, but Todd snuck her down to his room.  “You know, I think you lost some of your stealth.  You used to sneak into Asa’s mansion better than did getting me in here.”

Todd grimaced.  “Confession:  I never actually did this when I was a teenager,” he said.

“You never snuck girls into your room?” Blair asked, a glint of amusement in her voice.

“Let’s remember the jackass who raised me.  I didn’t want to have friends over, let alone girlfriends.  And he was such a misogynist, he was suspicious of any girl who’s eye I caught,” Todd reminded her.

Blair smiled sadly.  “I’m glad I never got the chance to meet him.  Or the kids.”

“I’m surprised I’m half a good father, what with Nature and Nurture,” Todd spit out.

“You are a wonderful father.  Starr and you were always connected, no matter what and you and Jack are strengthening every day,” Blair told him, playing with his hear.  “And today, they are going to be standing beside us as we say our vow…”

“…again…”

“…in front of our families,” Blair finished.

An evil smile flashed on his face.  “With Dorian there.”  But then, he seemed to think of something else.  “And this is the last time we say them,” he grunted.

Blair brought her lips to his.  They were lost in the moment.  When they parted, Todd said, “You’ve always been so strong.  You need to be for a little while longer.  I’m coming back to you, I swear.  Just hang in there.”

She closed her eyes and nestled on his chest.  “I always do.”

Blair woke up with such a start, Starr nearly jumped off the bed.  “Todd!” she called to him.  Then she looked around and saw her startled daughter.  Blair squinted and saw the room.  It was just like the one in her dream.

“Mom!” Starr cried.

“Starr,” she said, reaching for her daughter.  “Where am I?”

“You passed out.  Cord brought you up here,” her daughter informed her.

“Cord?  No, I was in here, in this room, with your father,” Blair said.  Then she remembered the image she had seen on the screen.  “Todd’s…not here.”

Starr shook her head.  She was near tears as she said, “No.  He’s gone, someone took him.”

Blair grabbed her and held her close.  “He’s coming back to us, Starr.  I swear to you, he is.”

“I know,” Starr said.  She knew then it would ne alright.

**********

He was groggy, bound and blindfolded.  He’s legs were barely working under him and whoever had him was basically dragging him along.  Then, they stopped and he heard the sound of an automatic door as it hissed open.  His hands were untied and the blindfold removed as he was shoved into the room.  He heard the closing of the door from the cell floor. 

Whatever they had zapped him with must have still been effecting him because the room was spinning out of control.  After a few minutes, it finally stopped and he looked around.  The room was about a Spartan as the one he had been locked up in for eight years. 

He eventually made out a bunk bed in the corner.  That was when he saw the figure shifting on the lower bed.  He could see someone sitting up with detached curiosity then getting up for closer examination. 

A pair of blue eyes met his and all he could do was groan.  “Of all the secret military prisons in all the towns in all the world, why did they have to throw me into the same one was you?”  Todd groaned out.

“Happy to see you too, brother,” Victor replied, his expression turning deadly.