The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
Chapter 15
“Dr. Reese is lying. Todd Manning is here.”
Tea jumped up and looked behind her. Tukluk was there.
“What? What did you say?”
“Todd is here. These are dangerous people...their holding him prisoner.”
Tea eyed him suspiciously.
“Who are you?”
“Tukluk.”
“Todd’s here? Todd Manning?”
“Yes.”
“Take me to him.”
Tukluk could see Dr. Reese through the glass doors, hurrying back.
“Leave now...then come back. There’s a red door on the side of the building. I will leave it open for you,” he said, walking away quickly.
Tea’s legs trembled beneath her as she reached out for a chair. Her coffee spilled on the table as her hands shook uncontrollably.
“You’re in luck, Ms. Delgado. Your taxi was just down the road and will be here in a few minutes. Let me walk you out,” he said, handing Taloy’s card back to her. Dr. Reese picked up her bag and offered his arm.
As they walked out of the cafeteria, Tukluk nodded quietly in her direction.
“I hope your trip wasn’t a complete waste, Ms. Delgado.”
“Uh...no...no, it wasn’t. I’ve never been in this part of the world and I find it quite lovely in its own way,” she said, struggling to sound calm and casual as her heart echoed beneath her ribcage with rhythmic terror, sensing an evil presence by her side. It had always been this sort of man that frightened her most, one who wore the mantle of respectability, looked you in the eye and lied about everything with perfect serenity and grace.
“Yes, it is lovely here.”
They walked in silence the rest of the way until they reached the entrance, the building eerily empty. Dr. Reese handed her bag to her and took her hand, kissing it politely.
“It was lovely to meet you, Ms. Delgado...you are a vision...such lovely eyes. I hope we meet again,” he said.
A shiver ran through her as she put on her jacket, noticing that the young receptionist was now gone and they were all alone in this ghostly place.
“Thank you for everything, Dr. Reese. And thanks for the coffee. Next time, I’ll call first,” she said, smiling up at him.
Dr. Reese laughed a little as the taxi drove up and Tea walked out.
Taloy was waiting for her.
“It’s a good thing I stopped nearby,” he said, taking her bag from her. Tea turned around and saw Dr. Reese standing at the door...and there was a woman in a lab coat coming up behind him. Tea got in the taxi and Taloy drove away.
As they headed toward the gate, Tea looked back and noticed that Dr. Reese and the strange woman had gone back inside. They passed through the gate and made their way down the road.
“Taloy...stop!”
“What? Did you forget something?”
“There’s a side entrance to this place with a...a red door. Do you know it?”
Taloy turned around to face her.
“Yes, it’s the entrance to the kitchen. I’ve made deliveries there. Why?”
“I need to get back inside through that entrance.”
“Is your friend in there?”
“Yes, but...I think he’s in trouble. He needs my help.”
Taloy stared at her.
“You know, Miss, I’ve heard stories about this place. Are you sure you want to go back in there?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. There’s a place down there where the fence has been torn away. Some of the prisoners who’ve worked here in the past have used it to sneak out at night and go into town. It leads to the kitchen entrance.”
“Take me there.”
“Okay.”
They got out of the taxi.
“Taloy, I know we’ve only just met but...I’m going to trust you. And I promise...I’ll pay you well.”
“You can trust me.”
“Keep my bag,” she said, removing a few items and stuffing them into her pockets, “and please don’t go too far...stay on this road.”
“Okay...you have my number right?”
“Yes, it’s in my pocket,” she shouted above the wind, which wailed like ghost with a relentless and deafening howl that haunted the whole place.
Tea pulled her hood over her head and around her face as they made their way along the fence, walking over a layer of snow packed so tightly it felt like frozen concrete beneath her feet. They had only gone a few minutes when the frigid wind began to creep into her lungs, slowing her down as she gasped for air. Holding the fur trim of her hood close to her face and over her mouth, they ran along for a few minutes until Taloy finally stopped. Tea looked up but couldn’t even see the building from where they were.
“Here,” he said, showing her a gaping hole in the fence. “It’s about a five minute walk, and there’s no cover but luckily there are no windows on this side of the building so you probably won’t be seen. Keep to the path and you’ll come to the door. I’ll be around.”
“Thanks, Taloy.”
Tea crouched down and lowered her head, easing her body through the large hole and winding up on the other side.
“Be careful...” said Taloy as he watched her disappear behind a tall snow bank.
*****
Tea ran along the bleak path, the cold cutting through her body like a scythe, slashing at her limbs as she struggled to keep moving. Glacial winds coming off the water tugged at her clothing, pushing her backwards with powerful gusts as the cold air blinded her, making her eyes water, the tears freezing instantly as they fell onto her cheeks. Rubbing them quickly with the fur from her hood, she finally saw the building in the distance, the red door blazing against the stark, whiteness while the frigid temperature shocked her body. Pulling the hood completely over her face she ran blindly, running directly into the side of the building. Lifting her gloved hand, her fingers numb inside it, she pounded on the door desperately.
She huddled against the wall trying to protect against the icy blasts of wind, shivering uncontrollably as the cold air clung to her like wet skin and her limbs felt heavy, stiffening as if they’d turned to stone. Again she pounded on the door.
This time door opened instantly and a pair of powerful hands pulled her in and shut the door quickly. Immediately the warm air of the room engulfed her, as if she’d fallen into a warm bath, and she leaned against the wall breathing it in as her hood was being pulled back, away from her face.
Tukluk pushed back the white fur hood and looked at a flawless, natural face with a pair of lovely, soulful dark eyes wearing a fearful expression looking back at him. He smiled.
“You’re Tea, aren’t you?”
Tea pulled away from him.
“How do you know who I am?”
“Because I’ve heard Todd describe you a hundred times in this last year. You’re just as he said...beautiful. A face any man would have a hard time forgetting.”
Tea looked confused.
“A year? That’s impossible...Todd’s only been missing a few months.”
“Todd will explain,” he said quietly, taking her gloved hand and pulling her into the kitchen. Beyond the door she could see the empty cafeteria where she’d had coffee with Dr. Reese.
“Where’s Todd? What’s going on here, Tu...”
“Tukluk. S-s-s-h-h-h, keep your voice down. Todd is in a cell in the basement,” he whispered.
“What? I don’t understand this? Why are they holding him here?”
“I can’t explain it. It’s too complicated and not important, right now. We need to get him out of here as soon as possible. Everyone is gone accept a few of us and I think they’re planning on...on killing Todd.”
Tea gasped, raising her hand to her mouth.
“Killing him! But, why?”
“Because...he knows too much. Please, no questions. You’ll understand soon enough,” he said, pouring her some hot tea and handing it to her.
“Okay...okay. How do we get him out of here?” she asked, bringing the hot liquid to her lips, letting the hot vapors steam her face as she felt the rush of warm blood returning to her extremities.
“First...we wait. The guards are all gone but Dr. Reese and Dr. Crespo haven’t left the basement for more than a few minutes at time. But even they will need to get some sleep soon. We have to wait till they go to the residents hall for the night.”
“Okay. Then what?”
“The keys to the cell are in Dr. Crespo’s office. We need to break in and get them, then go downstairs and get Todd out of here before tomorrow.”
“Why? What happens tomorrow?”
“I overheard part of a conversation between Dr. Crespo and Dr. Reese and they said tomorrow it would all be over. I’m not sure what they meant.”
“Tukluk!” someone shouted from outside the kitchen, a guttural voice with a thick accent.
Tukluk shoved Tea into a nearby pantry and walked out into the cafeteria. Dr. Brunhilde Crespo was standing there, dark circles beneath her swollen, bloodshot eyes. She’d been crying.
“Whom were you talking to?”
“Just myself, doctor. I was planning tomorrow’s menu...talking out loud.”
“There is no need to plan meals for tomorrow, there’s no one here to eat them. Is the tray for the patient ready?”
“Yes, I have it right here,” said Tukluk, picking up a tray with Todd’s dinner.
“I’ll take it to him myself,” she said, taking the tray. “Now, you are free to go, Tukluk. I’ve spoken with your parole officer...you’re free to go. You have fulfilled your work-release requirements. Here’s is your order of release,” she said, handing him an envelope. “Thank you for your service here...you’ve been a loyal worker. Go now. Go tonight. Good luck to you,” she said before walking out quickly.
Tukluk was stunned as he watched her disappear, staring at the letter in his hand.
“I’m free to go? I’m...free.”
For an instant he felt like running, bolting out the front door and forgetting all of this, but...instead...he stuffed the envelope in his pocket and ran back into the kitchen.
“Tea, come with me.”
Tea followed him into a storeroom with tall shelves of canned goods stacked to the ceiling. He laid some blankets on the floor and walked her over.
“Here, get some sleep...you look tired. I’m going to pack some things and keep watch out there until they all go to bed. You’ll be safe here. No one comes in here but me. Get some sleep.”
Tea nodded quietly as he walked away, trusting this complete stranger as she unzipped her jacket, making a pillow out of it. Her body felt fatigued from the grueling trek to this desolate place, but it was the emotional journey, the persistent doubts dogging her every step of the way, that drained her energy as she collapsed to the floor.
Why had the instincts that betrayed her so completely in the past brought her back to Todd? Was she to be his rescuer now, saving him from some mysterious danger, dusting him off and sending him back home to Blair and his children? Was this to become her role, as Del had so cruelly implied, accepting his congenial gratitude in place of his love? Wasn’t she just exacerbating a healing wound, yanking off the scab to feel the pain all over again?
“Is feeling pain better than feeling nothing at all? Have you really come to this, Tea, clinging to this masochism?” she asked herself, laying back and closing her eyes, surrendering to the exhaustion. “Well...it’s a little late for second-guessing, chica...”
*****
2003 Copyright by Trog
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