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| IMPOSTER BY MARIQUA |
CHAPTER 87 |
Neither man moved as their eyes blinked to adjust to the blackness surrounding them. Slider's arm shot out to block Sam from moving forward.
"Hold on," he said just above a whisper.
Glancing around furtively, his eyes began to pick out familiar objects, while he listened intently for any noise.
"It's okay. I don't think he's down here."
"Where then?"
Slider eyes followed the upward stretch of the banister. "My guess...upstairs."
Turning his head, his eyes registered on the outline of an opening in the hallway.
"This way, Sam," he said and walked with light steps to the darkened opening.
Following behind him, Sam peered over Slider's shoulder as they walked tentatively through a short foyer leading into a very large front room.
"I had to see this again...this is the room where it all happened," Slider said and his body tingled as his eyes swept over the shadowy room.
Looking sharply at Slider, Sam asked, "What happened?"
"Nick...Nick happened."
"When?"
"One night...a night I was summoned by a strange voice on the phone."
'...I came over here," he continued, "...and I found Todd all huddled up in a corner -- as if he had been... attacked."
"Attacked?" Sam's eyes traveled over the room as well and landed on one spot in the center of the room.
"Yes...only I didn't know anything then, and I couldn't understand why he looked catatonic when I got there."
"Did it...," an illumination of insight hit Sam full force as he managed to speak out the next words. "...did it have something to do with...Peter Manning?"
****
"What do you suppose they're doing?" Viki said nervously as the minutes went by. Already her heart was pounding dully inside her, and she looked over at Tea's face to see if she were experiencing the same anxiety.
"I...I don't know...but, at least we know there are two men in there that we can trust, Viki."
"Sam's told me a little about Slider...and his profession. Thank God there is someone here with some psychological background...and the fact that he was...and I guess, still is, Todd's friend, is even better."
"Slider's a good man," Tea said simply and with no hesitation. "If anyone can help Todd, I would think it would be him."
Viki nodded and then spoke again softly. "Don't forget...we're all here to help him."
****
"Edwards!!" the phone seemed to crackle with an irritating noise as Edwards put his ear to the phone.
"Still here, Chief...what's going on?"
"They just went in...a man I don't recognize and Sam Rappaport. Either the door was open or he had a key. I couldn't tell, but it didn't look like anyone answered the door."
"Where are the ladies?"
"They got out briefly, but got back in their car. Looks like they were told to stay behind."
"Edwards?"
"What?"
"I've got to know what's going on inside that house!"
Edwards cringed slightly, knowing what was coming. "You want me in there?"
"You're quick...yes, I do. Is there any kind of entry from the back?"
"Not really. There's a back door, but it's probably locked. Wait...there i s some kind of cellar trap door. It could be open."
"Try it then...if there's another door opening to the house from there, try to get in...pick the lock or whatever."
Edwards reflected on what he was about to do. "That's breaking and entering without a warrant."
"I guess I know already what it is!" snapped Sykes testily. "You've got the Police Commissioner right here to back you up, and I'm not going to hang you out to dry, Edwards. If we find what we're looking for, you can kiss your middle-class income good-bye in the future."
"Okay...sure," Edwards said. "What do you want me to do once I'm inside?"
"Keep hidden, but find out what's going on...and who's in there. There's a good reason why Rappaport and the others are here...and I think you and I both know the reason."
****
"Peter Manning," Slider repeated the name and felt the distaste of having to speak the name again. "Yes...it had everything to do with Peter Manning."
Shifting his stance, Sam cleared his throat to speak again..
"This room...I stopped by one night, and Todd was on top of Peter Manning...and...he was choking the life out of him."
"That wasn't Todd," Slider said and saw Sam's eyebrows raise.
"Nick?"
"No, actually...it was Pete...a manufactured alter from Nick's mind complete with all the revenge tactics necessary to save Todd."
"Then..." Sam stopped and snapped his fingers. "Pete was the one choking Peter Manning!"
"Yes, but that was probably before you got there. You must have come in right as Nick took over."
"Took over? This gets worse and worse...damn!" Sam broke the eerie quiet in the room, and Slider raised his finger to his lips.
"That boy...that poor, tortured boy, and...the only one who could help him was himself."
"The self that was fractured into two people...yes, Coach."
"Look...stay here," Slider said as he realized that time was going by and he had to face the inevitable.
"Don't do anything rash, Slider," Sam said and put a hand on Slider's arm. "Even I know how very dangerous all this could be."
Slider half smiled and tried to speak reassuringly. "I've been trained to handle special cases, Sam...and if I haven't learned anything from my studies over the years, then I might as well start over."
Sam nodded cautiously. "Even so...I know what Todd is capable of, and I don't know this Nick. Pete was enough to make me question ever getting through to him again. Are you sure you know what you're getting into?"
"Believe me...I know, Sam," Slider said and a cold shudder passed through him as he said it. God help me...I hope I do...
****
Sherry held still as his fingers continued to glide through her hair until finally they had entwined in a fist. Suddenly she felt his grip on her as he clutched the strands and pulled her head back, gazing into her eyes as if he could probe down into their depths.
"You want me," he said through lips pulled back into a garish snarl and the grip tightened even more.
He's strong...too strong...can't fight...
As if drowning and unable to push her way up through tempestuous waters, she heard her own deep, surrendering sigh and then suddenly felt something change. The dominating hold he had her on her relaxed and was suspended momentarily. His hazel eyes shifted, and his head turned a fraction of an inch.
****
Edwards clicked off the phone and shook his head. He'd better make good on his promises...I'm not risking my entire career for nothing...
Moving quietly to the cellar door, he pulled it open and squinted into the darkness. At least it's open from here...
Flashing on a small pocket light, his eyes made out large objects stored in corners and then landed on a small door set back at the end of the storage area. Walking over to it, he pulled out a small vinyl case from inside his coat pocket and selected a particular shiny tool. Okay Commish...I'm taking the plunge...
****
Slider took another look around the room that had been etched in his memory for so many years. A room that had once only been a room had turned into a nightmarish place filled with visual reminders of that bizarre evening.
Leaving Sam standing over in a corner, he walked out of it as if through a portal that left the past behind...only the past was still pervasive throughout the entire house. It's sad, depressing essence snaked into his soul and cut deeply into his emotions. I hate it that Z had to be here...that he had to endure all of this for so long...
His hand rested on the rich wood banister, and he steadied himself as he felt a sharp twinge of warning pass through him. Looking upward along the smooth edge of the banister, Slider saw a figure standing at the head of the stairs -- the face enclosed by the darkness and the body as stiff and immobile as a statue.
