Another planet...this place...looks like another planet.
That's what Tea thinks as the small motorboat putts along in the dark...black waves with white caps smash into the side of the boat, roughing it up, pushing it back and forth. Teeth chattering from the intense cold and wetness, she glances up at the man at the controls, a stranger to her. He'd met her at the tiny airport where she had finally landed, so many hours after she'd left home with the twins.
Let's see... she thinks. I've changed planes twice, ridden in a car for at least two hours after that, now I'm on this ratty-ass boat...jesus...what the hell was I thinking? she yells to herself, looking around wildly. But there was nothing to see...god only knew what time it was...what day it was. They were in the middle of a large body of water in the middle of the night. That was all there was to know.
Tears form in her eyes for the millionth time, as she lifts the blanket covering the boys' seats, and starts fussing over them, not knowing what else to do. She re-tucks them in, feeling their foreheads with her gloved hands. The boys stir and squirm in the seats, starting to become more and more uncomfortable as time goes on. Tea curses under her breath, knowing this wasn't good for them...traveling for so long, being out in the cold...they were too young and too vulnerable to handle this...
...and she should have known that.
Evan starts to kick, making unhappy noises. The man driving the boat glances over as Tea takes him out of the seat. She clutches him to her chest, wrapping the blanket she's wearing around them both. She shushes him, or tries to...sniffling as she rocks him. The man driving flicks his cigarette out into the water, blowing out the last of the smoke.
"He alright?" he asks...speaking to her for the first time.
Tea looks up at him, surprised...then she sniffs again, her nose starting to run from the cold.
"Not really...it's too cold out here."
"Ahhh," the man says, splitting his attention between her and the water. He adjusts the wheel a touch, effortlessly, it seems.
"...well...pity that."
Tea makes a face at his callous tone. "Umm...look, not to be...nosy, but...where are we going?"
He looks back at her, studying her this time. "We'll be there soon enough...then you can get the poor lads into a nice, heated car."
She rolls her eyes. "Another car...great," she mutters. Then she shushes Evan some more, her heart breaking at his fussy cries ... his discomfort. She looks over at Brendan ... and, as usual, he just sits there in the seat, staring back at her. She almost laughs ... because it was incredible ... ridiculously incredible, how calm he was. Sure, he was squirming, and undoubtedly as uncomfortable as Evan...but he just didn't make a big deal out of it. The look on his face as he stares back at her was almost a 'what're you lookin' at?' Unable to help it, Tea cracks up at him ... and finds herself calming down, as a result. She reaches over, taking his hand, and kisses it.
Just then, she feels the engine downshifting, the steady roar becoming more like an idle. She looks up at the stranger, who looks back at her with a grin, pointing off to the side. Tea looks, and sees lights that seem to have just appeared out of nowhere. She sighs, relieved to at least SEE something. She turns on her little bench-like seat, continuing to rock Evan as the boat comes into shallower water, approaching the docks. She sees a few small buildings, and a couple of similar boats tied to the other docks, listing back and forth. Her nose wrinkles at the strong smell of salt water and dead fish.
Then she looks up...and sees a figure standing on the dock they're about to tie on to. With the light coming from behind, the person is silhouetted...but it doesn't matter. She knows who it is. Her mouth falls open a little...then she swallows, hard. Evan's fussing gets louder, drawing her attention back to him. The boat rocks around as it gets pulled in toward the dock, and Tea quickly grabs onto Brendan's seat to keep him from sliding away. She sees the rope, getting thrown around the pile, wrapped around and tied...then the man steps toward her, immediately going for Brendan's seat.
Instinctively, Tea stops him. "What're you doing??"
The man backs off, hands up. "Whoa...relax, love...just givin' you a hand, that's all."
She hesitates, looking him up and down...and the man actually laughs at her.
"Hey, just thought I'd be a gentleman and offer. But you're more than welcome to try and get yourself AND your little brats up that ladder."
Tea rolls her eyes at that, glancing over at the makeshift wooden thing he was referring to, nailed to the side of the dock...and not very well at that. She sighs, realizing once again, that she's in very unfamiliar territory...and with a conciliatory face, she lets go of Brendan's seat, allowing him to take it.
"Sorry."
The man nods, picking Brendan up, then gesturing for her to go first. Tea stands up, wobbling with the boat...the man catches her elbow, and gently guides her to the ladder. She looks at it, realizing that she doesn't quite know how to climb it without letting go of Evan. Just then, a shadow falls on her face, cast by the man standing there. He squats down at the top of the ladder, his hands out to her.
"I'll take him," he says, quietly...and Tea is mesmerized for a second, at the sound of the voice. She stares up at his shadowy face for a moment...and then, hands a fussing Evan over to him. She watches as he puts him on his shoulder, then offers her his free hand. A surge of electricity runs through her arm as she takes it...but real or imagined, she doesn't know.
Once she's up on semi-solid ground, the two of them stand there for a moment...surprised to see each other again, even though they knew they would. Tea gets a better look at Dean now, though his face is still covered by the shadow of his baseball cap. Then she sees the two waiting cars behind him, both of them running. He makes a face, something like a smile...then he hands Evan back to her, still crying. She wraps him up in her coat again, watching as Dean goes back and takes Brendan from the other man, who then climbs up with Evan's empty seat and the one bag she'd packed.
All three of them stand there, in an awkward silence...until Evan breaks it, his fussing becoming full-on crying now. Tea tries to shush him, but knows it won't do any good...the poor kid was too cold, too hungry, too uncomfortable. She makes a face at Dean, shrugging a little.
"I'm sorry...but I need to feed them, now."
Dean nods, putting Brendan down for a second, to pull an envelope out of his jacket and hand it to the other man.
"Thanks, man...I'll take it from here."
The man nods at him, then at Tea. "Pleasure doin' business wit'ya," he says, then walks off, toward one of the cars. He jumps in and drives off, quickly disappearing.
Another awkward silence falls between Tea and Dean, but Evan's insistent crying keeps it from going on too long.
"C'mon, let's get them in the car," he says, grabbing both seats and the bag. A whoosh of heat from inside the car hits Tea as Dean opens the back door for her. She gets in, surprised again and taken off-guard by his...thoughtfulness...only a thoughtful person would have made sure the heater was already running. The weirdness of that thought, and the whole situation in general, sends a chill down her back, but she shakes it off, turning her attention back to the boys. Dean places Brendan beside her, before closing the door and getting in front.
They drive around the area, snaking around the abandoned factories. Tea looks around at all the buildings with a sudden, unpleasant sense of déjà vu. It wasn't that long ago that she had been in a similar place, with this same man...but under very different circumstances. It wasn't that long ago that this man had drugged her, tied her up, gagged her and stuffed her in a trunk.
This man that had been her enemy...this man that was still Todd's enemy.
Todd... She feels a stab of pain just thinking his name...and closes her eyes, feeling the urge to cry again. For the millionth time during this awful trip, she regrets what she's done and wishes she were back at home...back with him. Why did I do this again? What the hell was I thinking...?
Then she remembers. She thinks of Starr, her little legs and feet dangling as Todd held her in that death grip, shaking her...scaring her to death. He'd lost sight of everything...everything that was important...and let his rage rule over him again, endangering those nearest and dearest to him. Space ... she thinks ... space and time...that's what he needs right now. That's what *I* need right now ... she says to herself, as she digs a bottle out of the bag on her shoulder. She shakes it up, examining the formula inside, making a face at how cold the bottle is. She sighs, dribbling a little on his lip, to see if Evan will take it. He makes a face...and twists in her arms, obviously displeased. "Sssshhit," she hisses under her breath, cursing at herself as she cuddles him, feeling like the worst mother who ever lived for a moment...before she gets an idea. She glances at Dean's face in the rearview mirror, his eyes seemingly glued to the road. Then as nonchalantly as possible, she shifts around in the seat, lifting up the bulky sweater she's wearing...and with one more glance Dean's way, she reaches in and pulls her undershirt down, exposing her breast to the air. She shuts her eyes, feeling the cold, even in the heated car, as she pulls Evan in to her chest. "God, I hope this works," she mutters, holding her breath as she watches him. She remembers the nurses in the hospital teaching her how to breast-feed, but being the modern mom, she hadn't really stuck to it. Bottles were easier with twins, even the nurses told her that...of course, she'd had the comforts of home then. Now she was improvising, and didn't really know if she had anything in her to give him. But to her surprise, he accepts the nipple immediately, gravitating toward her warmth. She lets out an audible sigh of relief, letting her head drop back, as he finally quiets down and suckles.
In the front seat, Dean glances into the rearview...and his eyes widen, seeing Tea's exposed chest. He immediately looks back at the road, but it isn't long before his eyes dart back to her. Tea sighs again just then, lifting her head back up...and makes eye contact with him in the mirror.
Busted, Dean looks back at the road, clearing his throat...and Tea pulls her coat around Evan, covering herself as best she can. She looks out the window, avoiding him, feeling herself blushing with embarrassment. Then she looks back down at Evan, noticing that he isn't suckling anymore. To her amazement, he's fallen asleep already. She can't help but smile at his peaceful face, and she kisses his forehead. Then she looks over at Brendan, having almost forgotten about him. She has to smile again, when she sees him sleeping too...calmed by the steady vibration of the car. New tears spring to her eyes, as she realizes how well the boys are behaving...how well they're taking it all...how easy they're making things for her. Sniffling, she reaches into the bag and pulls out a cloth diaper. She folds it and places it under Brendan's head, propped up against the side of the seat, making him a little pillow. Then she settles back...and glances back in the mirror.
It's just the two of them now...and Tea finds she has no idea what to say. Nothing she could think of seemed appropriate. She sees Dean looking at her, undoubtedly thinking the same thing...but after another moment, he clears his throat again.
"Uh...they alright?"
Tea stares into the mirror, frozen again. His voice had such a strange affect on her...unsettling and comforting all at the same time. It threw her off, and made her search for her balance. Keeping an eye on him, she eases Evan away from her breast so she can pull her shirt back up.
"Yeah...amazingly enough. They're both asleep."
Dean nods at that, eyes back to the road...and grins, like he was remembering something. "It's the car...works every time."
Tea makes a face, wondering what made him say that. Was he remembering his own childhood...or kidnapping Starr...or kidnapping HER, for that matter? Did she even want to know? She busies herself with Evan again, making sure she doesn't disturb him as she pulls her sweater down, and holds him close again, covering him with her coat.
"So...where are we going?" she asks.
"Well...I got you a place to stay...this little cottage-type thing. It's out of the way, so nobody'll bother you."
She swallows at that, not sure if she should be thanking him for that. Then she rolls her eyes, realizing how petty she's being. Whatever had transpired between them before, the fact was that now, he was helping her. She repeats it in her mind, sighing heavily again, and nods to herself.
"Um...not to be a pain, but...I'm gonna need to get a few things. Y'know, diapers and formula...stuff like that."
He nods, slowing down as they come to an intersection, then turning off the main road. "Yeah, I thought of that...I already picked up some stuff, but if it's not the right thing, y'know, just...jot it down, and I'll go get it."
She stares at him, surprised yet again by his response. He sees her, and shrugs it off.
"Well, it's just that we're kinda off the beaten path, y'know? No such thing as a supermarket out here in ye olde boonies."
The remark actually makes her smile a little, as she looks out the window again. "Yeah...guess not."
Dean grins too, seeing that he's put her at ease...somewhat. They drive the rest of the way in less awkward silence, but silence nonetheless. After another ten miles or so, Dean turns off the road and onto a dirt path. Tea looks out as the trees open up into a clearing, revealing the small house. Dean pulls the car around to the back of the tiny place, parking there and getting out. He opens the back door, offering a hand to her. She takes it, holding Evan closer as she steps back out into the cold. She watches Dean handle Brendan...actually taking his own coat off and putting it over the seat, shielding the baby from the cold. He shuts the door, and locks the car, the beep-beep of the security alarm sounding so loud...booming all over the place, it was that quiet.
Tea follows him around to the front, their feet crunching in the gravel. Dean fumbles with the keys, opening the squeaky, wooden door and stepping aside to let her in. She steps inside, cautiously, looking all around. Everything was dark...and the place seemed almost as cold inside as it was outside. She backs up against the wall, as Dean steps around her and places Brendan's seat on the floor.
"Sorry it's so cold," he says, then goes back outside. Tea picks the seat up, carrying the boys into the living room area. She sits down on the couch, the only piece of furniture except for a coffee table...and looking over at the fireplace that seems so huge in this tiny house, she wonders who was living there before. The place seemed so dead, like no one had lived there in many years...yet the couch and table weren't that old. She sighs again, at her lawyerly curiosity...suddenly realizing that there wasn't much point in finding out. She didn't really want to know...not right then, anyway. She was too exhausted to care.
Dean comes back in just then, with an armload of wood from the pile out back, and her bag. He drops the wood by the fireplace, and her bag on the floor, as he sits down, huffing and puffing a little.
"GodDAMN, it's cold...shit..." he mutters, breathing into his cupped hands. Tea looks up at him, with a tiny, somewhat sympathetic smile. He glances at her, then quickly goes about the business of heating the place. Tea watches him work the fireplace like an expert, making sure he cleans out the ashes and opens the flew before lighting the match. Tea's eyes move over to the flame, spreading ever so slowly over the pieces of wood. The two of them sit there for a moment, mesmerized by the fire...then Dean holds his frozen hands up to it, nodding at the heat coming off.
"Should be warming up now...won't be long," he says, catching her eye again. Tea looks down, once again, busying herself with Evan.
"I don't suppose there's any electricity here," she says, not looking at him.
Dean cracks up at that. "Wouldn't think so, would ya? Actually, there is...there's a little generator out back. No phone, though."
Tea looks up...and both of them finally get up the nerve to look each other in the eye for more than a few seconds. She nods at him, before looking back at the fire. He watches her this time, watches her gaze becoming far away, sad.
"I'm having a hard time figuring out what to say to you," she suddenly says.
Dean cocks an eyebrow at that...then nods, with a slight laugh. "Yeah, well...same here, so."
Tea looks back at him...still not able to see his face all that well. For some reason, the light was always behind him. For a second she wonders if that means anything...then she shakes it off.
"Well...I should thank you, at least. I mean, I'm sure this is throwing a huge monkey wrench in your plans."
He shakes his head. "Nah. I don't look at it that way," he says, standing up. She follows him with her eyes, as he takes a step toward her.
"I owe you this. That's all there is to it."
They hold each other's gaze for a moment...and Tea can feel the connection between them, as strong as ever. Whether that was good or bad, she had no idea...but it was still uncomfortable. She looks away, finally, directing her eyes back to the fire, burning pretty well now. Dean clears his throat again, as he takes his coat back and puts it on.
"Um...I'm gonna go get some more wood...and start that generator, so I don't have to go back out. Be right back."
Tea nods, not wanting to look up until he's gone. She hears the door open and close...then she gets up, lifting Brendan's seat up onto the couch. She places him in the best spot to get some heat, then starts walking around with Evan, still sleeping in her arms. She wanders into the little kitchen area, looking in the bags sitting on the counter. Bottled water, some food...bread, cheese, fruit, that kind of easy, no-hassle stuff...and baby items. With her free arm, she digs through the bag...cans of some kind of instant, powdered formula she didn't recognize. Then she rolls her eyes, remembering she's not even in the same country. She examines the label, making sure it'll be okay for them...then for kicks, she opens the icebox. A big can of coffee and some milk...she touches the bottles, and isn't too surprised to find it's cold enough to keep them chilled without power.
Suddenly, she turns her head, hearing an engine starting...then realizes it's the generator. She sighs, bouncing Evan a little as she walks into the other room...a small bedroom, with another smaller fireplace, and a decent-sized bed. She pushes down on the mattress, then sniffs her hand to see how musty the bedding is...surprisingly, it's not. A pile of extra blankets sits on the bed, along with several large packages of diapers.
"God..." she whispers...realizing that she doesn't need anything else. He's taken care of it all, and she didn't even have to ask. She sits down on the bed with Evan, suddenly overwhelmed by that thought...and a horrible, sick feeling in her stomach.
This isn't right...god, what am I DOING here...this is all so fucked up...
She sniffles, starting to cry...knowing exactly why she felt so sick...so empty inside...
...because Todd wasn't there.
*****
With the precision of a deadly tornado, Todd rips apart the penthouse, rifling through everything to find a clue which would tell him into which dark forest of the world his wife and their two precious children have disappeared - because surely, it must be far ... it must be goddamn light years away to escape him ... to escape that consuming anger he treasures. Room by room, he wrecks the perfect decor, tearing down the semblance of a beautiful life that once held so much promise. Grunts and growls can be heard, the fluttering of paper, the slamming closed of drawers, the occasional shattering of something valuable.
Where ... where is she? Tell me ... where she's run to.
RJ follows the path of destruction like the shadow of a setting, cloud-covered sun, reviewing the rejected paperwork, checking and double-checking the discarded and the ignored, ducking sometimes, but following, always following. The previous night, he listened to the phone tapes and had come up empty-handed but for one miniscule section, where a unique rumbling in the background of a Shelton conversation with Tea caught his attention, some noise. Right away, he sent that piece to a computer geek associate to find what the sound could be, hoping it might indicate where Shelton called from. And now ... he's glad he did that because in the end, after exhausting family as Tea's destination, RJ believes - no, he knows Shelton holds the answers. He can remember all too well the look in Tea's eyes at the mention of her kidnapper - the protectiveness there, the flicker of ... comfort. But she's wrong ... she's confused, lost. She should be home with her family - with her husband ... right?
Todd's cool, though, as he tosses and picks and crumples and breaks and reads, his eyes quick, animal-like. The man's facial expressions barely change from the scowl he wears - he's more like a machine, RJ concludes. Gotta job, don't be distracted ... get it done. Read, contemplate, evaluate.
Whatcha gonna do, Toddie-boy, when you get your hands on that Tea of yours? You gonna save her...or are you gonna kill her?
It's done now. The penthouse has been ransacked and nothing has been found to tell Todd where Tea went with the boys. RJ isn't sure it's all bad; he's worried for Tea, wants her someplace safe, yet can't decide what's worse, a jaunt with Shelton or a confrontation with Todd. Can't make up his mind ... at the moment.
"The FUCK did she GO??!!" Todd's voice is gravelly and he collapses onto the couch ... tense. His knee bounces as he restrains that anger, that wildness threatening to break free. It's right there, black and venomous. Then he turns darkened eyes to RJ, renewed accusation brimming. Long hair has fallen into his face, the stringy locks shivering ever so slightly with the tremors running through Todd's tight body.
Shaking his head responsively, RJ grumbles, "You better point those eyes somewhere else, bro. 'Cause this ISN'T MY deal ... I don't have ANYTHING to do with this!"
"What do you know?" Todd jumps to his feet moving closer to RJ, who lifts his chin in defiance, who stands firm, his eyes slimming. He isn't going to take Todd's shit-filled assault. No way.
"Come on, buddy o' mine, old friend, old enemy ... tell me where the hell she is. Where ... where'd you put her??!! WHERE'D YOU PUT MY KIDS??!!" Todd pushes RJ ... pushes him back, hands on RJ's chest until finally RJ tires of Todd's antics, and pushes back hard.
"Give it up, okay??" RJ growls, "... 'cause the more you fight, the LESS motivated I'm gonna be to help you! You get that?! Do you?!"
"Awww fuck you!! You're hiding her ... aren't ya? Aren't ya? What ... wanna keep her to yourself? Huh?? Why?? WHY YOU DOING THIS TO ME??!!" Todd wants to hit RJ - he wants to pummel him 'til he doesn't move ... 'til he bleeds with the pain Todd feels ... right now ... right now. He wants to cry suddenly, except it's not tears that come ... it's bile ... and hate. Lots of hate and when hate explodes finally, like shrapnel from a bomb, it's gonna end up hurting the innocents. Todd knows ... he does.
"You let this go!! I am trying to help you, Manning! GET A FUCKIN' GRIP!!"
RJ is angry, both men breathing hard, that fury about to burst ... except they're not sure who to battle. Can't tell who the enemy is anymore, because it's hidden, laughing at them as they bump along in the mirrored fun house with the scary faces, the scary sounds, the darkness. It's there ...
Hahahaha ... fools ... look at you, blind, deaf and dumb..
Taking a deep breath, RJ approaches Todd carefully - who stares back, waiting ...
"Listen ... gonna be honest here. You're scaring the shit outta me. You mad at Tea for leaving?? Huh?? You mad AT her??"
Silence washes through the penthouse, the gentle boom of the elevator way down the hall resonates in a gentle wave. The refrigerator deep in the kitchen kicks on, sending off another nearly soundless wave. The two men stand feet apart regarding one another ... and since they can't catch hold of a visible enemy, they look to each other as an acceptable substitute. Todd doesn't blink ... doesn't move.
He answers softly. "No... not at all mad at her. I just want my wife home...want my kids home."
"So why's she running from you then? You do something OTHER than what happened with Starr ... to scare her? 'Cause ..." RJ sniffs and chews on his lip - takes a breath and smooths out his beard. Glares at Todd. "That ... that wouldn't be cool ... with me."
"I want my wife home."
"What's with you? Take a good look at yourself - look. In that mirror over there ..."
Todd turns, by instinct maybe. He sees his reflection ... with RJ behind him, his silky voice stirring the air. "You look like shit - like someone somebody should be running FROM. That hickey ... it's ugly. You said you didn't get it from any tramp ... so where'd it come from? And ... did your Tea see it?"
"No."
"So where'd you get it?"
"A woman."
"Well, thank god for that."
"I don't know who she is ... but she wasn't real ... or she was."
"What the hell does that mean?"
Todd cranes his neck, rubbing the spot again ... but without panic. He measures its size, its bruised nature. His tongue runs along his lips, leaving a trail of wetness. He looks into his own eyes, seeing how empty they look. Remembers her ... remembers sucking hard on the woman's skin, practically biting, wanting to, nearly drawing blood, except he can't say where on her body he left his own marks - but he can taste her now, he can taste the shimmering sweat on her skin, the saltiness lingering still. Hair, he thinks ... she had long black hair and bony hips he grabbed onto - thinking he could crush her. Even though her physicality differed from Tea's ... there was something about her that made him think of Tea ... oh hell, maybe it was just the act itself - the actual sex. No ... no .... no .... nothing like with his Tea. He breathes in deeply, RJ fading into the background, his own reflection freeing his thoughts. No. That ... woman ... he hadn't made love to her, no ... he had devoured her. They had fought on the ground of the mausoleum like two tigers fighting for territory, growling and clawing and penetrating each others' space - a distinctly nonsexual battle ... about power ... about winning and losing ... about killing the rival.
"Yeah," Todd rumbles, more to himself than RJ who has settled back again ... moving around Todd, studying him ... acting the shadow again. RJ is then on the telephone for some minutes, animated as he talks, a hand waving, demanding. In the mirror Todd sees this happening. Then, once again, RJ tries talking to him...except the words jumble and mix, falling over each other, spitting and hissing and scratching to gain form. Before long, Todd hears comprehensible language ... yes, yes ... he understands what's coming out of his friend's mouth ... and he turns, face to face now. Pays close attention. Sees someone other than RJ ...
"Boy ... little boy ... broken child, can you hear me talking to you ... can you hear me as I hold you tight beneath me?"
"You don't have to shout ... I can hear you," Todd says and the mouth pauses mid-word, brows furrowed. Then the lips begin moving again ... slowly ...
"You are small on that lonely beach ... sand scratching skin, wind stinging eyes. You've been left behind by your love, by your family ... by your protectors. Child all alone, listen to them wail in pain, in laughter. Taste their blood ... you want to taste it ... your tongue tingles with anticipated relief. I can see it on your face ... your once-dead eyes waken and shine with agonized pleasure at taking souls once more ... at tearing them apart and watching their bodies writhe with the loss of their spirits. Listen to the sounds coming from inside of you ... you're so thankful, so powerful ... again. Kiss me ... love me ... see me in those around you, hurt boy in that man's body. Take her the way you did once before ... try to overpower her ... because it's SHE who has left you. She ... is gone with another. Loving him, praising him. Can you see them bound together in the desolate beyond ... can you see her taking the comfort he offers ... sighing with delight and crying with love? Can you see them together caring for your children, for your little men fighting to live? She's stolen them from you ... and has given away her self to deprive you..,"
"...punishment ... it's all about punishment. It's your turn now."
"Hey!"
RJ's harsh voice brings Todd to his senses, Todd blinking and shaking his head ... clearing the images put there. Familiar feel to the female specter ... to the pictures still playing.
"Answer me!"
"Get the hell outta of my way ..." Todd pushes RJ aside, but RJ quickly grabs him by the arm, stopping him from walking away.
"I asked you a question," RJ repeats, "... you keep talking about betrayal ... what are you going to do with Tea if you find her?"
"I never said anything about 'betrayal.'"
"What?! The fuck is wrong with you, man?! You've said it like fifty times now! You still drunk?!"
"Shut up!!" Todd tries to jerk his arm away except RJ hangs on, his hand firm.
"You're not going anywhere like this. Not until you cool off ... and let me in on your plan. WHAT are you going to do? C'mon, man ... let me help you."
Todd listens, thinks about the offer ... or rather, pretends to think about it because he already has an idea as to what to do. First thing is to search RJ's office - next thing is see the one family member RJ hadn't checked up on ... Roseanne Delgado. Delgado with the long black hair ... and the thin, narrow hips ... but he has to get outta here first ... and has to do it alone. Because later ... later ... when he learns of Tea's whereabouts ... he'd need to talk to her ...talk, talk ... get clarification, get understanding, get a taste of her ...
Suddenly, without warning, Todd raises his closed fist and pounds RJ hard on the side of his head. RJ looks dazed for an instant, as he reaches for his friend ... and then falls in a helpless clump onto the carpeted floor. Todd stands over him, sniffles...and says softly, "Traitor." Spits on the downed man ... because that's what RJ is ... a traitor to Todd and to Tea ... because he probably let her go, probably stood at the airport and waved goodbye to Todd's children, probably kissed Tea on the cheek and congratulated whoever was stealing her away.
"Fuck all of you," he hisses, storming out the door and slamming it behind him.
*****
Roseanne stirs in her sleep, her head tossing about until she finally wakes up. She sits up, slowly...like an old woman, with complaining bones and joints. She wraps a hand around the back of her neck, rubbing it to soothe herself...then she looks at her hand, suddenly noticing how sweaty she is. She looks down at her bedding, touching it...feeling the dampness in the stiff, starched cotton.
"Damn..." she breathes, turning to look for her teacher in the cell across the way. Roseanne glances up and down the hall, listening...making sure the guards aren't nearby, before whispering.
"Oba? You awake?"
No response at first...then Roseanne sees the familiar orange dot of light fading in...Oba's cigarette.
"Of course, cher. What is it?" she replies, from her darkened cell. Roseanne squints ... unable to see her.
"I don't...I dunno..." she starts, rubbing the back of her neck again...god, it was so stiff. She wasn't used to it. Usually, she felt great when she woke up...she couldn't understand why she felt so...different.
"...I don't feel so good," she says, her breathing picking up speed.
Again, Oba takes her time answering...finishing her cigarette before turning on her cot, bringing her face up to the bars, into the dim light.
"Tell me, cher...tell me what's wrong."
Roseanne finds her hand drifting down from her neck to her shoulder. She feels the bite marks and stops, jumping a little as she does so...which Oba notices immediately.
"You've been favoring that shoulder...it hurts you?" she asks...and then notices Roseanne's complexion, as she moves up to the bars. She was pale...covered in sweat, like she had a fever. Concerned more about Roseanne's abilities than her health, Oba grabs the bars, pulling herself up so she can see her better.
"Oh, child..." she says, sounding as motherly as she can. "...tell me."
Roseanne grips the bars on her side, resting her head on her hand. "I...I didn't tell you everything."
Oba's eyebrow goes up at that. "Oh, cher...I know dat."
Roseanne nods...and half-laughs, feeling more of her energy being sucked away. "He bit me."
Oba lets her head tip back, as she studies her...then she nods as well. "So..." she says, nodding some more. "So...I was right about him."
Roseanne closes her eyes for a second, silently assenting. Then she zones out for a moment, thinking deeply, before looking back at Oba.
"I'm scared, Oba...I don't know what I'm doing. I mean...I thought I did...but...I dunno...I don't know if I can beat him..."
Oba just watches her movements without a word, as Roseanne continues to ramble on, unintelligibly. She starts to become more fidgety, hugging herself and squirming around like she was in pain...which starts to worry Oba, so she concentrates, using all her power to focus...to see into Roseanne's very core...
...and once she sees...her eyes widen. "Oh..." she breathes, backing away from the bars...but not before a stabbing pain hits her right between the eyes. She grabs her forehead, gasping as she falls back onto her cot.
Roseanne gasps too, seeing this. "Oba...Oba??"
Oba keeps backing away...as far away as she can get, which isn't very far...so she sinks down into the corner, still in excruciating pain.
"Roseanne...stop...don't look at me!"
Down the hall, the guards on duty hear the growing noise, and start sprinting for the cells...as Roseanne leaps up into the bars.
"Oba! What's wrong?!"
"Stop looking at me, child!!! STOP LOOKING AT ME!!!!"
Not knowing what else to do, Roseanne whirls around and covers her face. She hears Oba behind her, breathing hard, making soft, pained cries...and the sounds of the guards' footsteps approaching. Roseanne jumps as one of them smacks the bars of her cell with a nightstick.
"The hell's going on down here??!!" the guard demands, and Roseanne swallows hard, pointing across to the other cell.
"Oba...something's wrong with her...I think she needs a doctor."
The guard makes a 'yeah, right' face at her, but looks in to Oba's cell anyway, shining his flashlight in. He sees the woman crumpled up in the corner, looking like she'd just been knocked out cold. The two guards exchange glances, then one radios in as the other opens the cell. Time seems to flash by...and before Roseanne knows it, she's watching them carry Oba out on a stretcher. She cranes her neck to see, as they cart her off to the infirmary. Then she covers her mouth, falling back down onto her cot as she starts to cry.
As she cries for her friend ... as she worries that she's caused her pain ... she can feel it, inside her. She feels ... Oba ... there, inside her ... like she'd just reached in and taken a piece of her mind ... without even knowing it. But then, her insides churn ... changing ... heating up. She can taste the acid in her throat, and curls up in a ball on the cot, racked with pain ... a strange, new pain, different ... different from Oba ... different than anything she'd ever felt before. She moans softly, with the waves as they come and go ...
...feeling her insides ... her very self ... twisting ... transforming. With a gasp, she sits up ... because she hears the whipping wind on the bleak shore, the flapping of a coat's length, and a calm, knowing laugh flying across time and space. Bringing her knees up, she smacks sweating palms against her eyes ... "No ... no," she cries silently.
Little girl, little lost waif, know that I possess your infant self, that I have taken your insignificant soul into my being. You cannot win against me because you are nothing. You spray your mystic powers like sand in a desert, mist in an ocean ... harmless flickers of your wormy tongue wetting my skin. You are nothing ... you are nothing.
To Be Continued...
