Through the Darkness, Chapter Seventeen

CHAPTER 17

August, 2013

Despite the years of animosity between Dorian and Viki, every morning, on the porch of La Boulaie, The Banner still appeared.  And so it was the next morning, when Blair opened the door.  She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep and already had a cup of coffee by then.  She knew she’d be heading back to Llanfair soon, hoping to piece together where her husband was and why he’d been targeted in the first place.

The news hadn’t changed much in the past few days, but, thankfully for Viki and her daughters’ sakes, the reports about Clint had moved off the front page and into the gossip section.  As she skimmed the paper, though, something caught her eye.  It was a follow-up report about the Senate investigation into Dorian’s handling of the CIA leaks.  She read the byline and was struck with an idea.

The kids came down for breakfast and Blair informed Sam that his friend Jimmy invited him over for the day.  It wasn’t exactly true, but Blair wanted to keep her youngest son away from the news about Todd.  He still looked up to his uncle and knew that the middle of an investigation wasn’t the place for a small boy.  Jimmy’s mother had been told there was a family emergency and agreed to have Sam over for the day.  Blair also informed her that Shawn Evans would also be around to keep an eye on the eight-year-old.

Once he was dropped off, Blair, Jack and Starr headed over to the Lord estate.  Viki greeted them at the door and Blair pulled her aside when they entered, handing her the paper.  “Wasn’t it this Jeffrey King who broke the story on Dorian in the first place?” she asked.

Viki read over the latest news and nodded.  “He brought the information to me, yes,” she confirmed.

“Viki, this is a long shot, but could that information tie into Todd’s disappearance and Irene’s organization?” she asked again.

Viki looked thoughtful at that.  “It’s possible.  We know that Tomas took Todd because he’d been told that Todd was working with terrorists.”  She looked at the paper again.  “I think I may call Jeffrey and try to, indirectly, ask him about it.  There were flight manifest within the information.”  Viki put her hand on Blair’s arm.  “It’s a good thought.”

As Viki made the call, Blair headed back into the library.  Jessica and Brody were there, drinking coffee and going through the files Nora had brought over the night before.  Jessica looked up and saw Blair.  Getting up, she offered Blair a cup as she said, “Matthew and Dani were leaving this morning for Port Charles.”

That got Starr’s attention.  “Why are they heading up there?” she questioned, a hint of anxiety in her voice.

“Last night after you left, it was mentioned that Todd got the first note up there.  Since there are no addresses on any of them, someone had to have hand delivered them,” Brody explained.

“Yes, I know the third note was slipped under Todd’s hotel room door.  He also told me that the one before it was laid on the wood in the room’s fireplace,” Blair answered.

Jessica nodded.  “Well, someone had to have either given it to the hotel to deliver it to Todd or been around to drop them off themselves,” she said.

“But would they remember that all these months later?” Blair wasn’t so sure about that.  However, when Jessica point out that they needed all the leads they could dig up, Blair agreed with the idea.

“Besides,” Brody added, “From some of the comments I heard from Tea last night, I think anything that gets Dani away from the guy she’s seeing puts Tea at ease.”

“Yeah, the idea of Dani and that guy…” Jack said, making a face.  A shiver went down his spine.  “He’s, like, the same age as Todd and Victor!”

“Who is the Arturo guy anyway?  Dani sent me a few texts about getting to know him, but not much else,” Starr asked.

“He knew the girl who sold Dani the drugs she almost OD’ed on,” Jack explained.  “And she met him at the girl’s funeral.  At least, that’s all I know.”

“Tea also told me he gave her a pair of expensive earrings,” Blair said. 

Natalie arrived and brought Det. Jobek with her.  Viki stepped back into the room and the cop updated them on the investigation back in Chicago.  “They went to the address from the note and found the house empty.  And, there were no signs that anyone had been there for a while.”

“So why give Todd that address if there hadn’t been anyone there anyway?” Jessica asked.

“It could have been just a place to grab him from,” Brody suggested.

“They also asked around the neighborhood and folks there said they had seen an unfamiliar car in the area a few days before Todd was kidnapped from the motel.  They showed his picture and a few residents did say the driver resembled Todd,” Jobek continued.

“Well, Todd is very…distinctive-looking,” Jack, cracked. 

Viki looked to Blair.  “I spoke to Jeffrey.  He’s going to come over and talk to me about the information that was given to him by his source.  There may be something there that could connect all this.”

When Jeffrey arrived, Viki showed him into a small office in the back of the house.  Blair followed them and when they all sat down, Viki began.  “Look, this is not to be reported anywhere.”  She looked to Blair as she continued.  “Two days ago, my brother, Todd, the one you met at the hospital, was kidnapped from a motel in Chicago.”

Jeffrey’s expression morphed into one of sympathy.  “What?” he asked, shock in his voice.  He looked between the two women. 

Blair nodded.  “He was talking to our son and Bo Buchanan and men burst into the room and stun-gunned him.  The police over there are investigating, but we think you may be able to help.”

“Of course, anything I can do, I will,” Jeffrey told them.

Viki smiled.  “The information your source gave you, Blair has a theory that it could tie into Todd.”

Blair continued.  “Over a decade ago, Todd disappeared from Llanview.  He supposedly came back a short time later, but we learned a few years ago, it wasn’t him, but a hitherto unknown twin brother he had.  When Todd returned in 2011, a former CIA agent said that he had been ordered to take Todd into custody because he was told that Todd was connected to terrorist.”  Blair shifted her gaze to Viki.  “Now, you, in uncovering the story about my aunt, Dorian Lord, supposedly holding back on giving information she had received, had manifests of rendition flights.  Were there any names that could be deciphered on those lists?”

Jeffrey looked thoughtful for a minute, but shook his head.  “No.  A lot of the stuff I was given was redacted.  It was more evidence of what was occurring and not who it was happening to.”  Then Jeffrey asked, “Why would the CIA think Todd was committing treason?”

Blair shrugged her shoulders.  “We never learned why, but it seemed more of a cover.  His mother, who everyone believed was dead, had been in hiding for thirty years and was running some rogue intelligence operation.  She believed that Todd possessed something that had information about that group, and she…she tortured him for years to get it back.”

Jeffrey’s shock only grew.  “Yes, supposedly, years ago, Todd came into possession of a chip that had this information and when he returned, she did as well.  I believe there was some confrontation between the two, which ended in Todd being shot in the shoulder and Todd killing his mother,” Viki informed him. 

“This sounds like a fascinating story,” Jeffrey said, his eyes brightening. 

“I want to keep in under wraps.  We haven’t heard anything from the kidnappers and it may be because they intended for Todd to just disappear like he did the last time.  We only know about it because Jack was talking to him just before it happen.  So, please, Jeffrey, I ask for your discretion,” Viki told him.

Jeffrey nodded.  “I understand.  If I find anything, though, I’ll let you know, boss,” he said as he got up.  With that, he left.

Viki turned to Blair.  “It was a good idea, dear.”

Blair grimaced.  “We just don’t know anything and have no real leads anywhere,” she said as they made their way back down the hall.  When they got to the foyer, the doorbell rang and Larry Wolek was standing on the other side.

“Hello Viki,” he said.  Then he noticed Blair and said, “It’s been a long time.  I didn’t expect to find you here.”

“Well, we’re in a bit of a family crisis,” Viki said.  “But it’s very long and involved and I’m sure, not the reason for your visit.  How can I help you?”

“Well,” the doctor began as the three went into the library, “Cord asked me to look at Clint’s medical records from when he was admitted the night of the dinner.  I noticed they did a blood draw but, in looking closely, I didn’t see any signs for his heart medication.”

“Dad wasn’t taking his anti-rejection meds?” Jessica asked, her attention on her uncle.

“That’s what it would indicate,” Larry agreed.

Natalie joined the conversation.  “That doesn’t make sense.  He knows how important they are to him.”

Viki sighed deeply.  “He’s also been drinking an awful lot and he really shouldn’t be.”

Jessica cracked a wry smile.  “Well, a Buchanan man without a drink isn’t much of a Buchanan man.  At least, that’s what Grandpa always said.”

“Well, I was just over at Asa’s mansion and Nigel told me that he hadn’t seen the pills there since they moved back.  Did he maybe leave them here?” Larry asked.

Jessica told him she’d go and check and headed upstairs.  While she was gone, Jack approached Larry.  “Hi,” he said shyly.

“Hey there, Jack.  How are you doing?  You never came back for any more chats,” Larry asked.

“Things have gotten…weird.”  Before he could continue, Jessica came back down.  “No, the pills weren’t upstairs.”

Larry nodded his appreciation.  “Thank you, but I figured it was a long shot.” 

As he headed out, Natalie called to him.  “Check his office at BE.  He may have left them there.  Honestly, I think he’s been spending more time there than anywhere else.” 

“Thank you, Natalie,” Larry said and he left.

Jack looked around.  Um, I think I may go get some coffee.  Does anyone need anything from the shop?” he offered.  There were a lot of appreciative looks, but no takers.  He took his mother’s keys and headed to the car.  He parked it and got out, walking to towards the coffee shop.  It was then he noticed The Banner’s reporter, the one who he’d seen at Llanfair earlier, on the phone.

“Yes, that was what she said though she didn’t elaborate.  But it does sound that, at some point after he returned, he had the chip.  No, she didn’t say what happened to it.  Yes, I will look into that.  No, she doesn’t suspect anything.  But she knows, and I’m guessing the family knows, that Todd has been taken.  It seems Todd was talking to Jack and the police commissioner when it happened.  I’m sorry, I didn’t anticipate him making contact with any of his family.”  At that, there was a long pause.  “Both of them?  And you have them together?  How is that working out?”  Another pause.  “Well, I will keep you informed.  I have to get going.  I will talk with you soon.”  With that, the man ended his conversation and walked away.

Jack didn’t like what he had heard from that end of the call.  He was positive the guy was involved in his father’s, and from the sound of it, uncle’s disappearances.  He wanted to run and tell his mother immediately, but he decided to wait.  If he was connected, Jack thought, it was best to let him dangle there.  It could lead them to Todd and Victor. 

This would require a little information gathering, Jack thought.  And that guy would gather it for him.