The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
LIES FEARS & LOVE
BY TROG |
CHAPTER
54 |
chapter 54
LLANTANO MOUNTAIN
Todd drove so quickly that the front right tire constantly skidded off the side of the road sending a dust cloud of rocks and dirt flying down the steep incline. RJ grasped the edge of his seat and clenched his jaw tightly as he held on, afraid they’d fall over the edge of the mountain.
“Oh, fuck! Come on, Manning, slow down...you’re going to get us killed!”
Todd didn’t even blink but continued driving at the same speed.
“If anything happens to Tea or my kids, you’re dead anyway, RJ...and so am I...either way we die.”
As they neared the top of the mountain the road cut inland and the terrain began to plateau as RJ checked the map and plot numbers along the side of the road. The setting sun lit the entire area in a dusky glow and the cooling temperature was forming a thick blanket of mist that rose hauntingly off the ground. They continued until they saw a trail of puffy smoke in the sky up ahead of them. As they got closer they spotted a small cabin up ahead and noticed the smoke rising from its chimney and the dark, blue Volvo wagon parked in front.
Todd stopped some distance down the road and quickly jumped out of his car, heading for the cabin.
“Manning...wait,” said RJ getting out. “Blair has a gun, remember?”
Todd stopped and turned to look at him.
“Let’s cut through the woods at the side and see what’s happening inside. In Blair’s current mental state you don’t want to surprise her,” said RJ.
Todd agreed and they started cutting through the woods, making their way toward the smoking cabin. As they got nearby, Todd jumped onto the front porch and inched his way toward one of the two front windows. He looked through the window, but with the fading light it was difficult to see and he focused on the light between the shadows. Finally his eyes adjusted and he saw Starr lying on a cot with Leo in her arms. His heart jumped at their stillness and he continued to watch until finally he saw them stir slightly and he sighed with relief realizing they were asleep. There was a fairly clear view of the large, square room but he couldn’t see anyone else in there. He jumped off the porch and went toward RJ.
“Starr and Leo are sleeping on some bed, but I didn’t see Tea...or Blair. Unless they’re standing by the door, they’re not in there. I’m going in.”
RJ nodded and they both approached the door quietly. Todd turned the knob slowly, felt the lock give way and they both pushed their way in with a loud thud, the noise startling both children. Starr opened her eyes and Leo woke up screaming as Todd looked around quickly before running toward them.
“Daddy....daddy!” screamed Starr jumping up as her father caught her in his arms. He picked Leo up and held them tightly as Starr cried into his chest and Leo cried into his shoulder. It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.
RJ looked around for Tea and Blair, but they were nowhere. He watched Todd with his eyes closed as he rocked his children against him until Starr was calm and Leo stopped crying.
“It’s okay Starr...I’m here. Everything’s gonna be okay...daddy‘s here.”
Finally Starr was calmer and Leo leaned against his father drowsily. Todd caressed her hair adoringly and wiped her tears as she sat by him on the bed. RJ watched him comforting his children with a ferocious, animal devotion and he realized there was a lot about Todd Manning he didn’t know.
“Starr...honey...where’s Tea? Where’s your mother?” asked Todd.
“I don’t know, daddy. They were here when we fell asleep,” she said, hugging her father again. “Daddy...mommy’s being really mean to Tee and I think she hurt Lulu...and...she has a gun...I saw it in her pocket.”
Todd felt sick that Starr had been exposed to this and suddenly got up.
He grabbed Leo’s diaper bag from the floor and grabbed some blankets from the cots.
“Come on, Starr...let’s get out of here,” he said as he headed out the door.
RJ reached down and picked up Starr as Todd held Leo and walked toward the Volvo wagon. Todd looked through his key ring and found the key to the wagon. He unlocked the back door shoved the diaper bag inside and strapped Leo into the back seat.
“Starr, come here.”
RJ set her down and Todd put her in the back seat. He took the blankets and covered both of them and bent down to talk to her.
“Starr, listen to me. I’m going to find Tee and your mother. I want you to stay here and take care of Leo, okay? I want you to lock the door and not come out until I come back, okay? I need you to take care of Leo...cause your the big sister...okay?”
Starr nodded. Todd kissed his children and shut the car door quickly and noticed RJ was looking around near a woodpile.
“Hey, there are some footprints over here.”
RJ walked around following a set of prints that led to one of many trails at the end of the clearing.
“I think they went this way,” he yelled to Todd who came running over and bent down.
“This is them...Tea has no shoes on,” he said reaching out and touching her footprint with his hand as he fought the pain in his chest and stood up quickly. He started running up the path and RJ quickly followed.
They followed the prints for a while till they disappeared as the path became covered with dead leaves and twigs. Finally they came to a fork in the road and they came to a dead stop.
“Which way now?” asked RJ.
“I don’t know...maybe we should split up.”
They nodded as RJ started going up the right path and Todd approached the left. As Todd started up the path something on the ground beside the path glinted and he bent down to examine it. On a rock that was poking out through the leaves was a silver ring. Todd picked it up and recognized the platinum band with turquoise hearts that he had given Tea.
“RJ!” he shouted
RJ came back down the path and ran up to Todd.
“What...what is it?”
He held up the ring to RJ.
“This is Tea’s...she left it for me. It was just lying on that rock.”
RJ looked down at the rock and bent down to touch something on it before standing up with fresh, sticky blood on his fingers. He looked over at Todd with a fearful expression.
“This is blood, man,” he said to Todd.
They looked at each other for a moment when Todd suddenly bolted up the path with RJ right behind him.
LLANTANO MOUNTAIN
Blair looked at Tea in her thin, scanty clothing, torn and caked with dirt from the path. A small, thin trickle of blood ran down the side of her pale face from her forehead as Tea pushed her wild, tangled hair back with swaggering bravado as if preparing to do battle. Her dirty feet were all torn up--bruised and bleeding. She was shivering wildly, but her head was held high and her chin was jutted out as she looked at Blair defiantly.
Blair sneered. She wanted Tea to show fear, to grovel for her life, but she would not. She held up the gun and pointed straight at Tea’s head.
“Now, you die, Tea.”
Tea stared straight into the black hole in the barrel of the gun. Blair’s hand twitched and shook nervously as her sweaty finger began to squeeze the trigger ever so slowly.
“You go ahead and shoot! Go on and kill me, Blair! It won’t matter because Todd will never love you...and he’ll hate you more after he knows what you’ve done to me!” yelled Tea at the top of her lungs.
Blair stopped for a second, anger pumping through her and throwing her slightly off balance. Cocking the gun slightly, she took a few steps closer to Tea.
“Yes he does love me. And he will again,” said Blair, her eyes taking on that faraway expression again.
Tea stood there realizing that reasoning with Blair hadn’t worked but getting her angry, tapping into stronger, more primal emotions had diffused her a bit. She was playing for time and running out of it.
“Todd never loved you, Blair. He told me so,” yelled Tea, continuing to goad her.
Blair’s eyes widened and her face twitched as she again turned the gun on Tea.
“That’s a lie. Todd loves me and the children we have together.”
“You mean child! You only have Starr with Todd. Leo is my baby. He’s mine and Todd’s son...not yours, Blair! You lost your baby...do you hear me, Blair? YOU-LOST-YOUR-BABY!” she screamed, hoping someone would hear her.
“NO! NO! LIAR! LYING BITCH! Get on your knees, Tea!” she yelled, pushing Tea to the ground violently as she shook the gun in her face.
Tea fell to her knees as the gun came down and Blair aimed and squeezed her trigger finger.
“N-O-O-O-O!” yelled Todd, jumping into the clearing.
A shot rang out and Tea felt the bullet whiz by her ear, deafening her for a split second. Blair looked over at the explosive sound of Todd’s voice behind her and she stepped quickly behind Tea, put one arm around her neck as she held the gun to her head with the other. Tea felt dazed as she began shivering, and a clammy sweat covered her entire body as she felt the steel barrel gouge tensely against her bloody temple.
Todd stood there at the edge of the clearing frozen with fear. His body was primed and pumping with adrenaline but he was afraid one move from him might cause Blair to pull that trigger and he was paralyzed by that thought. All he could see were Tea’s terrified eyes burrowing into his in the misty duskiness of the fading light. She looked so tiny and delicate kneeling there, so cold and dirty and he noticed her bruised, bloodied feet and her gashed forehead making her look like something broken and wounded, but in her eyes he saw fire and strength and the indomitable spirit inside her, fighting to stay alive--in her eyes he saw the essence of the woman he loved so much. He looked deep in her eyes and said silently “everything’s okay, I’m here,” and her eyes softened in acknowledgment.
Todd looked up at Blair who looked at him like a frightened, rabid animal, her eyes darting between him and Tea.
“Blair...don’t do this. I’ll do whatever you want me to do...just put the gun down, okay?” asked Todd softly, trying to bring order to this chaos and walking a little closer.
“Todd? Todd...she has to die. She’s trying to steal my babies...and you...she’ll ruin everything, Todd,” said Blair in a gentle voice, almost like a little girl’s.
Todd took a few steps closer when a loud rustling came from behind Blair, causing her to jump nervously.
“What was that?” she said, looking around quickly as her face twitched with fear and anxiety and she held the gun tighter to Tea’s head.
Todd stopped, noting her agitated and unpredictable behavior, her head wired so tightly she was ready to snap.
“Probably just some animal, Blair...you are in the middle of the woods, you know. Blair...you need to let Tea go...or you’ll go to prison. Then we’ll never be a family...like I want.”
Blair looked up at him and smiled through falling tears.
“Is that really what you want, Todd? I knew it was...I told Tea you loved me. You do love me, Todd...don’t you? Tell me you love me, Todd,” she said in that same childish voice.
Todd stood there just staring at her, then he looked down at the gun.
“I...love...you,” he said looking directly at Tea.
“Look at me when you say it, Todd. Look into my eyes like you use to and tell me that you love me?”
Todd raised his head and looked into her demented and deceitful green eyes as an icy shiver ran through him. His mouth opened to say the words when he noticed RJ coming slowly up behind her.
“Blair...I...love...Tea” he said as RJ came up behind her and pushed the arm holding the gun into the air as a shot rang out shattering the peaceful silence. Tea quickly fell to the ground and Todd jumped over her, protecting her with his body, as RJ continued to struggle with Blair.
RJ was a large and powerful man, but Blair in her psychosis, was unyielding and another shot rang out, ricocheting off a nearby tree, as she continued to hold the gun implacably as if her hand was a steel talon. Blair screamed wildly as RJ fought her and she clawed and scratched at his face leaving deep, bloody scratches.
Todd looked up, and raising himself quickly to his feet he lunged at Blair from behind and grabbing the hand which held the gun inexorably, he bashed it against a tree again and again until her fingers surrendered to the pain and the gun dropped out of her hand. Todd grabbed it quickly and turned it on her but she had fallen to the ground in a heap, sobbing hysterically and clutching at the dirt beneath her, her mouth foaming with impotent rage.
RJ stood there panting and touching his bloody face as Todd turned to Tea who was still lying face down on the ground.
“Tea, it’s okay...come on, baby, get up,” said Todd gently as he kneeled beside her.
Tea looked up at him. She sat up slowly, somewhat dazed, her body still tense and tight, alerted to danger, as she looked at Blair crying on the ground and RJ standing beside her. As she turned to Todd she felt his arms circling her back and pulling her into him as she broke down hysterically and finally relaxed, releasing her guard in his embrace.
“Oh...God...” she cried, burying her face in his chest and gripping his shirt in her hands. “What the hell took you so long, Todd Manning...”
Todd closed his eyes and smiled for the first time in 24 hours. Suddenly she pulled away from him.
“Starr and Leo...”
“They’re fine....their in the car waiting for us.”
“And Lourdes...Blair hit her with the gun...”
“She’s okay too,” he said removing his jacket and putting it on her cold, damp body.
Tea jumped into his arms again and they held each other in silence as RJ watched them from a few yards away. Todd let her go and sat beside her and RJ watched with amusement as Todd removed his shoes and socks, then took his socks and placed them gently over Tea’s bruised feet. It was such a plaintive and loving gesture, one he never would have expected from Todd Manning, and, in that moment, RJ realized how deeply he loved her, with the same primal ferocity that he had shown to his children earlier.
Todd slipped his shoes back on and quickly jumped to his feet.
“Can you walk?” asked Todd, giving her his hand and raising her up.
“I think so...but it hurts.”
“Here...put your arms around my neck,” he ordered.
Tea snaked her arms around his neck and he scooped her up in his arms effortlessly. As there faces touched he kissed her forehead lovingly and whispered “I love you,” as she smiled and rested against his neck and closed her eyes.
Todd started walking back toward the path.
“What about, Blair?” asked RJ.
“Blair can rot in hell,” said Todd as he continued down the path.
RJ sighed and shook his head as he helped Blair to her feet.
“Come on, Blair...can you hear me? We’ve got to get out of here...it’s getting dark.”
Blair got to her feet, but she seemed completely disoriented as she looked around her.
“I’ve got nothing...nobody loves me....” she whimpered.
RJ took her arm and lead her down the trail following Todd and Tea.
As they continued down the path they heard a loud, thunderous sound in the distance that seemed to be getting closer and closer. As they plodded slowly down, hampered by the creeping darkness they began seeing blue lights flashing through the trees and when they finally approached the clearing there were three police cruisers and an emergency rescue vehicle surrounding Todd’s Volvo wagon. In the distance they could hear the thunderous and distinctive sounds of a helicopter.
Upon entering the clearing, Todd handed Tea to a couple of EMTs as Todd ran toward his car, where three police officers and Bo Buchanan were standing. Starr and Leo were still locked inside the car. As soon as Starr saw him she unlocked the door and came running out into her father’s arms. He checked on Leo who was quiet and watching all the lights circling around the place.
“I should’ve known you’d take the law into your own hands, Manning...some things never change,” said Bo with his usual righteous indignation.
Todd turned to Bo.
“Sorry, Bo...but this is my family...and...considering our past...I don’t trust you to do right by me.”
“You don’t trust anybody, do you?” asked Bo.
Todd looked at Starr and then over at Tea who was being treated by an EMT.
“There are a few people I trust....but you’re not one of them.”
“Where’s Blair?” asked Bo, but just as he finished asking the question, he noticed RJ coming out of the woods holding her arm.
Todd looked at her with hatred as they approached and remembering the gun in his pocket he pulled it out and handed it to Bo.
“Here’s the gun she used to try and kill Tea,” he said.
Starr came out of the car and ran toward her mother, but Todd held her back as Blair watched.
“Mommy?”
Blair looked at her and tears flowed down her face but she seemed despondent and didn’t move or say a word. Starr had tears in her eyes as Todd lead her back to the car.
Bo nodded to an officer as they placed Blair in handcuffs and she was read her rights to which she nodded weakly.
Tea watched silently as the officer walked Blair in her direction toward a cruiser that was beside the emergency truck. As an EMT placed a square bandage on the gash on Tea’s forehead, Blair walked by and suddenly stopped in front of Tea and their eyes met. Tea looked into her cold, green eyes, looking for a hint of remorse, but all she saw was contemptuousness and defeat. Todd walked over quickly and placed a protective arm around Tea as Blair was lead into the back seat of the cruiser.
“Are you okay?” asked Todd.
“I’m fine...just a few cuts and bruises. Todd...I want to go home...I want to see Leo and Starr.”
Todd picked her up immediately and carried her over toward his car and placed her on the hood. He opened the door and let Starr out as she ran to Tea and hugged her tightly, then Todd brought Leo out and placed him in her arms. Todd stood nearby watching them as Bo and RJ approached him.
“Todd, maybe we should take Tea to the hospital to get her checked out,” said Bo.
“No, Bo,” said Tea. “I want to go home...please...I’m okay.”
“Okay, Tea...but I’ll need a statement from you first thing tomorrow, okay?”
Tea nodded as she hugged Starr and Leo. Bo turned back to Todd.
“Listen, I have a chopper down the road....why don’t you and Tea and your kids take it back to Llanview. Take your family home, Manning.”
Todd nodded with quiet acceptance, surprised by the generosity of the gesture.
“Uh....thanks...that would be good.”
“Why don’t you give me your car keys and we’ll drive your cars back.”
Todd handed Bo his keys and Bo sent a cruiser over to take them to the helicopter. Before Todd stepped into the cruiser he walked over to RJ.
“So, are we even now, Manning?”
“I guess we’re square...for now,” said Todd, then he got into the cruiser and RJ watched it drive away.
“Why don’t you ride with me RJ,” said Bo, “ and you can fill me in on all the pesky details of this drama.”
RJ rolled his eyes and followed him reluctantly.
2002 Copyright by Trog
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