The Tortured Soul

by Janet

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Story Plot: Jarrod is kidnapped and kept in a sanitarium to coax him not to testify.

Prologue

A few weeks after Paul Davis’ death, Jarrod’s near-death experience in the desert and Sandra Johanson’s release from jail, a telegram arrived for Sandra in the San Francisco telegraph office. The operator took the message and frowned slightly. The message read:

Miss Johanson,

Would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience. Have something Paul wanted you to have in the event of his death. Please come to Carson City as soon as possible.

Henry Radcliff

The operator stood up from behind the desk in the telegraph office. He folded the paper heading out the door. As he walked down the street to the building that housed Adam Howard's office, he thought about the telegram. He had taken the wire from one of Jarrod Barkley’s brothers telling Adam Howard that Jarrod was alive but he was injured due to being left in the desert to die on the say so of a very wealthy and powerful man, Henry Radcliff. Now, here was a telegram to Adam’s secretary asking her to come to Carson City to meet with the man. It didn’t make any sense.

“I need to say something to Adam about this when I get a chance,” he said as he headed up to the second floor of the building where the office was located. “It’s sounds suspicious to me. No one sends a telegram to a woman who works for a man that was nearly killed at the hands of this Radcliff.”

Sandra was sitting at her desk working on some papers when the telegraph operator walked in. She looked up at him.

“Arnie,” she said as she smiled at him, “Mr. Howard is not in the office at the present moment. But I do expect him here any time. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I didn’t come to see him,” he replied pulling the folded piece of paper from his pocket. “I came to deliver this to you. It arrived a short time ago.”

“I don’t usually get telegrams,” she told him taking the paper. “Do you know who it is from?”

“Yes,” he said still not understanding the meaning of the telegram. “It’s from a man named Henry Radcliff.”

“Henry Radcliff!” she exclaimed as she realized who he was. “He’s the man that wanted to kill Jarrod. What does he want with me?”

“I don’t rightly know,” he replied looking confused. “It wasn’t very clear.”

She opened the paper reading it. She was a little frightened but it probably wasn’t anything to worry about. Then she looked up at him smiling.

“It’s all right Arnie,” she said smiling after she had read it. “He was my fiancée’s employer. He just wants to give me something that belonged to Paul. I think it’s a very sweet gesture. Don’t look so worried.”

“I hope that’s all,” he replied looking at her. “He sounded like a very dangerous man. I took the wire from Jarrod’s brother saying that this man had masterminded Jarrod being left in the desert to die. I don’t like the idea of you going off to meet him alone. Maybe I best have a talk with Adam. At the very least he may want to accompany you.”

“He is only wanting to let me know that he has something that Paul wanted me to have,” she told him trying to ease his mind as well as her own. “I don’t see anything wrong with that. You can’t mention this to either Jarrod or Mr. Howard. You have to promise me Arnie.”

“I suppose not,” he said turning to leave. “I hope you know what you’re doing. Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“I do,” she replied smiling. “Thank you. No, I’m not in any trouble. I just think it would be better if you didn’t tell either of them right now. This man is a very sore subject to both of them and it will only anger them. I can see him, get whatever it is and then after I return I’ll tell them the whole story.”

“You’re sure,” he told her as he looked back at her. “I could still talk to Adam.”

“Yes,” she said smiling. “I’m sure. And no that won’t be necessary. He wouldn’t understand. I can explain it to him.”

“All right,” he replied and walked out the door.

He left the office but he didn’t really buy her story.

“If she doesn’t tell them,” he said as he walked back to the telegraph office, “I will. Something is definitely wrong and Adam needs to know what is going on behind his back. I don’t want to think about it but it’s just possible that his secretary is in cahoots with this man and if she is, Jarrod and Adam both might be in danger.”

Back in the office, Sandra rose from her desk and walked over to the window to look out. It was almost time for Adam and Jarrod to arrive for work. She didn’t want to wait on them to arrive because she was curious to see what Paul had left for her. She didn’t want to have to explain to them about the telegram until she had gone to see the man. She didn’t see either Adam or Jarrod so she decided to leave them a note so she could leave today for Carson City. She knew that Jarrod especially would be angry if he knew who she was going to see so she decided to omit telling them that part in the note she had written. She knew this was for the best. The note read:

Mr. Howard,

I had to go out of town for a couple of days. Nothing to worry about. Be back soon. Tell Jarrod sorry I had to leave during his busiest time. I hope he understands.

Sandra

She folded the note placing it in an envelope and put it on Adam’s desk. At least they would know she would be gone for a couple of days. Now she could go pick up whatever Paul wanted her to have. She could also take her time, maybe buy a new dress. At the thought of a new dress, Sandra’s face showed anger. She hadn’t thought about that in years. Why was it coming to haunt her now? She hadn’t realized that she really needed this. It had been a shock when she first learned that Paul was dead. Now she knew what had happened to him and she was going to see the man who had ordered the murder. She still didn’t know why Radcliff had wanted Paul dead?

“Maybe I should ask him?” she said out loud. “Then again, maybe I shouldn’t. He would probably lie to me. Tell me that he didn’t have a thing to do with it. But I know better”

She didn’t want to think about Paul being dead. She wanted to remember the good times they shared. The lovely candlelight meals that he had the Gosden Inn prepare for her. The late evening talks they had every time he was in San Francisco. The small gifts he brought her on every trip. How she missed those and him. Sandra picked up her handbag and left the office. She went home, put a few clothes together and left. Then she went to the stage depot where she bought a ticket for Carson City.

“I would like a ticket to Carson City please,” she said as she walked up to the ticket counter. “I would also like to have a return ticket also.”

“Sure thing,” the man replied as he took her money and then handed her the ticket. “Stage leaves in an hour. Just show the driver the ticket in Carson City and he’ll bring you back. No questions asked.”

“Thank you,” she told him sitting down to wait for the stage.

As Sandra sat there, she began to think about Paul and what had happened to both her and Jarrod. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this but if he had something of Paul’s, she wanted it to remember him by.

“I hope I’m not making a mistake,” she said as she waited. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Mr. Howard and Jarrod have been very good to me. And I don’t want to ruin that. But Paul was important too. He was the man I was going to marry. Oh Paul, why did you have to die?”

By the time Adam and Jarrod arrived at the office a short time later, she was on her way to meet Henry Radcliff in Carson City.

Adam walked into the empty office somewhat surprised.

“Sandra,” he said as he walked inside. “Sandra.”

Adam went toward his desk when he spotted the note. As he picked it up to read it, Jarrod walked in.

“Adam,” Jarrod said as he walked in, “you all alone. Where is Sandra?”

“I just picked up this note and was getting ready to read it when you walked in,” he replied as he opened the envelope. “The office was empty when I came in. I hope she’s not sick.”

“Probably had to step out for a minute,” Jarrod told him. “She’s never done anything like this before has she?”

“No,” he said reading the note and shaking his head. “According to this note, she has gone out of town for a few days.”

“Out of town?” Jarrod asked not understanding. “What would prompt her to leave? With all the new clients I have, she decides to leave. I know she’s your secretary but I’ve come to trust her as mine also. And now when I’m the busiest she up and leaves. I don’t believe how many people want my services since I freed her of the murder charge. I’ve never been this busy. I won’t have to worry about making a living any longer. Something isn’t right here. Has she ever done anything like this before?”

“I don’t know,” he answered shaking his head. “This is news to me. I thought she didn’t have any family living. But I could be wrong. And you deserve every one of those clients Jarrod. You’re a fine lawyer and some time I’m going to prove that to you. As far as whether or not she’s ever done this before, the answer is no. Let me remind you of something. You work with me and in doing so, my secretary is your secretary. You remember that. Oh, she said to apologize to you for leaving while you are so busy.”

“How much do you know about her?” Jarrod asked wondering. “I mean do you think she might be hiding something? I never said I wasn’t deserving of the clients. I’m just surprised that there are so many after only one case. And I appreciate your offer of Sandra. Well, at least she let me know that she didn’t leave on purpose just to get out of helping me with my new clients. I’ll survive. I’m not sure how but I’ll make it.”

“She has worked for me for the last couple of years,” he answered as he thought about Sandra. “She told me that she didn’t have any family left. I never pressed her about it. I guess maybe I should have. But at the time it didn’t seem necessary. Your first case was very high profile. You made news boy. Listen if you have too much trouble with your new cases, I’ll help. After all I did ask you to come here and work with me. It wouldn’t be fair not to lend a hand to you after all you’ve done to help me.”

“I guess she’s entitled to a life outside of this office,” Jarrod said looking at Adam. “We can get along without her for a few days. And I appreciate the flattery. Thanks Adam. I might just take you up on that.”

“Yeah,” he said nodding. “I don’t need her around here every minute. I can do a few things for myself. You are quite welcome. I knew what I was getting when I hired you. And the smartest thing I did was making you a partner. Only you didn’t believe me.”

“Let’s get to work,” Jarrod replied heading to his own office. “We can find out what this is all about when she returns. I beg your pardon. I did believe you. I was just going to be careful and not jump right in to anything. I know better. That way I won’t fall flat on my face.”

“Right,” he told Jarrod as he went into his own office. “Will you quit worrying so much? I mean you are good at what you do Jarrod. Remember that.”

“I will,” Jarrod said as he went into his own office.

The two men went to work but they were still baffled by Sandra’s sudden disappearance. Neither one of them could concentrate completely on their work but Jarrod made it through the day. He ended up with six new clients and even though he was very calm on the outside, he was thrilled and a bit nervous on the inside.

“Father,” he said as he sat in his empty office, “I hope you will be proud of me. I want to make it on my own without your name helping me and I believe I am on the road to doing just that. I just wish Grandfather could have seen me.”

“Jarrod,” Adam replied as he stuck his head in Jarrod’s office, “I’m sure that Tom is very proud of you. You are doing this on your own. I’m just helping get it started.”

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” he told him looking up. “I guess I never dreamed it would happen this quickly. I know that I can do it. I’ve never doubted that. It’s just that all my life; I have been compared to my father. I’m very proud of everything that father has done but I need to show everyone that Jarrod Barkley can do something on his own just like his father did. I don’t know if that makes sense or not but it’s hard for me to put into words what I want to say. And I wanted to prove to myself as well as to him that I could do something totally on my own without any help from him. If I were to ask him, he would bend over backwards to help. But I wouldn’t learn anything. This way I’m starting out at the bottom and slowly working my way up the ladder of success just like he did. Being the oldest son sometimes is hard. I have to set a good example for my younger brothers and sister and everyone whether they realize it or not mentions to father or mother that I should follow in his footsteps. They don’t mean the ranch. Father has always wanted to go into politics. And they say, ‘that oldest boy of yours should follow you Tom.’ It’s hard to live up to that.”

“You’re doing great,” Adam said smiling as he walked in the office. “You are very bright and energetic. That’s what a good attorney needs to be. You need to be willing to dig to uncover the truth no matter who it hurts. I think you have that inside of you along with being able to reason through a problem. You just remember that and everything will be fine. I heard you mention a grandfather.”

“Yes,” he replied with an expression of guilt on his face. “He’s dead now. I helped to kill him.”

“What do you mean you helped to kill him?” Adam asked very concerned as he walked into the office. You couldn’t kill anyone close to you. It must have been an accident.”

“It happened a long time ago when I was just a boy,” he answered thinking back to that day like it was yesterday. “I had been to visit him and I kept telling him all my problems. You see father and I weren’t getting along very well and he wanted to talk to Grandfather about the problems we were having. I really didn’t want to go but he told me that Nick and I would have fun. Sure we would. Anyway, an incident happened not long after we arrived. I won’t go into it any further. Grandfather was angry when he saw what had happened. I guess he and father had a long talk because when father came back to me, he was very different. I don’t know what grandfather did but whatever it was, it really helped. I didn’t think about his feelings during this time so when he ended up being thrown and killed, I blamed myself so much that I tried to take my own life on the very spot he died. But I wasn’t successful. I lived and I learned something. I still remember his words.”

“You have a destiny to fulfill,” his grandfather had said. “You must fulfill it. You have to.”

“For a long time I didn’t know what that destiny was,” he said as he looked up at Adam. “Now I do. It was law. It had to be. Now that I’m an attorney, I believe he is pleased or at least I hope he is.”

“You really cared for him,” Adam replied as he sat down on Jarrod’s desk. “You must have really been hurt when he died. What made you try to end your own life?”

“Yes I did,” he told him. “I was going through a very rough time and he didn’t give up on me. He told me that everything would be all right. And it was. But I only wish he had been here to enjoy this. I was so hurt and blamed myself. I thought that the only way I could deal with my pain was to die in the same spot. I wanted to go and be with him. But he wouldn’t take me. That’s when he told me that I had a destiny to fulfill. I survived and because of it, I’m a lot stronger than I used to be.”

“I’m sure he knows,” Adam said smiling. “And he is very proud of you. I am.”

Jarrod nodded and smiled.

“I hope so,” he said. “I hope so.”

Adam realized that Jarrod had let him see a small part of his life. He was amazed at Jarrod. Fighting through the loss of a loved one was hard but he had handled it with dignity and grace. Adam was very proud of his partner and he knew that Bob Hodges was too.

Chapter One

Sandra arrived in Carson City late that afternoon. The entire trip all she could think about was what Paul had wanted her to have. She regretted that the last remembrance she had of him was an argument. She never wanted to hurt him. But he had said some things that she didn’t appreciate and so she had told him so. And then the letter opener. She still cringed when she thought about it. But that was behind her. Thanks to Jarrod she was free and she didn’t want to do anything to change that ever again. She went to the only hotel in town where she ran into one of Henry Radcliff’s hired men. The entire town was full of men who were loyal to Radcliff. And they were willing to stop anyone who didn’t treat Radcliff with dignity with their lives. He had them wrapped around his finger.

“I hope you can help me,” she said as she approached the desk. “I’m looking for a Henry Radcliff. I understand he has an office in this town. I am here to meet him.”

“Sure does,” the clerk replied looking at her. “So you got business with him. Don’t surprise me much. He sure knows how to pick pretty ones.”

“I beg your pardon,” she told him not understanding what he had meant. “I am not here for that reason I assure you.”

“His office is down the street on the right,” he said looking at her. “He’s there as far as I know. I don’t mean nothing miss. I just think you are a nice looking woman that’s all.”

“I heard he had some trouble,” she replied starting to leave. “I would prefer to be left alone if you don’t mind. I need to see him and then get back.”

Sandra didn’t dare mention where she was from. She knew it would only cause problems.

“Yep,” he told her smiling. “But he said he didn’t do anything to that young whippersnapper. He just came into this town big as brass spouting off them big words. And he got his too. Might near died in that desert. Would’ve served him right too. Had to be rescued by one of them injuns. All the luck. I know he didn’t cause no one to be left in the desert either. He had no reason to have Mr. Radcliff arrested. Young whelp. Someone ought to teach him some manners. If he ever shows up here again, he’s liable to be taught some manners too.”

“I see,” she said not mentioning that she knew Jarrod. “I didn’t mean to get you stirred up. What happened to the man?”

“He left,” he replied still looking at her. “Said he was going to come back for the trial. We all know that Mr. Radcliff didn’t do anything wrong. He’s a good man. He takes care of this town. That young whelp didn’t know what he was talking about. If he shows up here for the trial, might be the last thing he ever does.”

“I see,” she told him. “You wouldn’t deliberately hurt him would you? I mean he’s just doing what he thinks is right.”

“I wouldn’t hurt him,” he said looking at her. “But I won’t speak for anyone else here. He wouldn’t be welcome that’s for sure.”

“When is the trial?” she asked him.

“Two months from tomorrow,” he answered. “But it’s all a waste of time if you ask me. Everyone knows that Mr. Radcliff didn’t order him taken to the desert. What reason would he have to? He runs a business and that’s all. Ain’t no call to drag him and his name through the mud.”

“I see,” she said looking at him. “I better go meet him.”

Sandra left the hotel heading for Radcliff’s office. She realized that Jarrod was a hated man in this town. So she knew that she couldn’t mention knowing him. As she walked down the street, everyone she met stared at her. It was as if she had a plague or something. Maybe they already knew that she knew Jarrod. Or maybe some of them recognized her from a long time ago. That wasn’t possible though. It had been nearly twenty years since she had walked these streets. But she didn’t see how they would know. She hadn’t told a soul. Whatever the reason, she knew that it wouldn’t be easy for Jarrod to come back here to testify. She finally reached the office and was very relieved to be off the street and away from those wandering eyes that seemed to follow her every move. She walked inside and stopped before a very huge desk. The man behind the desk looked up.

“Yes,” he said as he looked up from his work. “I am a very busy man. If you have business with me please tell me now. Otherwise I will have to ask you to leave.”

“I’m Sandra Johanson,” she replied looking at him. “I am supposed to meet Henry Radcliff to pick up something that Paul Davis left here for me. I don’t mean to bother you sir.”

“Yes young lady,” he told her rising to his feet and taking her hand in his. “I’m Henry Radcliff. I’m so glad you were able to come. Won’t you please sit down?”

He went to his office door turning the sign from open to close along with locking the door. What he had to say was best heard in private just between the two of them. Then he came back to his desk where Sandra had already taken a seat.

“I need to speak to you,” he said as he sat down. “I want you to help me with something. And if you refuse, you will pay the price.”

“Your telegram said that you had something for me from Paul,” she replied as she shifted in the chair. “That’s the reason I came. I don’t know you nor do I wish to. I know what you did to Jarrod Barkley. You had him taken to the desert to kill him because he tried to stand up for what was right. I know Jarrod. In fact, he was my attorney when I was accused of Paul’s murder on your say so. You had no right to hurt Jarrod. He’s just starting out as an attorney. And I believe that he will make a fine one too.”

“I had to get you to come here,” he told her smiling an evil smile. “I need your help on a very important matter.”

“I think I had better leave,” she said as she started to rise.

“If you do,” he replied pulling out some papers from his desk drawer, “I will be forced to send these anonymously to Adam Howard. And I don’t believe your job, as his secretary will be needed any longer. Now are you interested?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked completely in the dark. “I have nothing to hide from anyone lest of all Mr. Howard or Jarrod, who works with him.”

“These papers are from the courthouse right here in Carson City,” he answered waving them in front of her. “It is a criminal record from your past. You spent six months in jail for stealing. You grew up here and when you were caught you spent time in jail. Do you want that to find it’s way to Adam Howard?”

“What are you talking about?” she asked more scared than she had ever been in her life.

“You are a thief,” he answered looking right at her. “I’m sure that boss of yours doesn’t know your past. It would be a shame to tell him so he would fire you. And I’ll do that if you don’t help me.”

“You wouldn’t?” she asked pleadingly. “It was a long time ago. I worked for a very nice lady who ran a dress shop. Some of the money from the cash box disappeared and she accused me. I never stole that money. But unfortunately, I could never prove who did. That’s why I was in jail. But I was saved from a life of crime. Now you want to ruin my life. Why?”

“Yes,” he answered looking at the papers in his hand. “What would your boss say if he was to find out?”

“Listen,” she said looking at him. “He doesn’t know. I put that episode behind me. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t tell a soul because of the fact that no one would have given me a job or had anything to do with me. No one in San Francisco knows that I grew up here as well as being born here. I decided that was the best way to handle this.”

“All you have to do is help me and I won’t send a copy of this to him,” he replied smiling. “You don’t help me and he’ll get a copy of this record I promise you.”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked even though she knew she wouldn’t like it.

“I want you to have your boss sign this paper,” he said looking at her. “If you don’t help me, I’ll send these court records to Howard and then you won’t have a job along with your reputation being ruined. It’s your choice. And everyone will know what you did.”

“Sir,” she said as she looked up at him with anger in her voice, “I don’t like the fact of you threatening me. Yes I made a mistake when I was fourteen. Just because I was never able to prove myself innocent, it doesn’t give you a right to make my life miserable. You are an evil man.”

“Thank you for the comment,” he replied smiling at her. “It’s not everyday you have a pretty young lady say something nice.”

“I assure you it was not a compliment,” she told him still showing anger. “I don’t like being threatened.”

“Let me put it this way,” he said getting angry himself. “You have two choices. Help me or have Howard learn the truth about your past.”

“Mr. Howard wouldn’t be very understanding if he found out,” she replied realizing that she was caught between a rock and a hard place. “He would probably think that I would do the same thing to him that happened to that dress maker. Just what is that paper anyway?”

“It’s none of your business,” he told her. “I just want you to have Howard sign it. That’s all you have to do. But if you tell anyone about this conversation, you will be sorry.”

“I see what you mean,” she said as she realized that she really didn’t have a choice in this matter. “I would rather not do it but I will because of the embarrassment it will cause if this gets out. I still want you to know that you are an evil man who doesn’t care about anyone.”

“That’s why I’m as successful as I am,” he replied smiling. “No liabilities. If you don’t have people you care about, you can’t be pushed into doing something that you don’t want to do. You remember that don’t you?”

“Unfortunately,” she told him. “I’ll have him sign the paper. Then what do I do?”

“You don’t worry about that,” he said looking at her. “I’ve already taken care of that. You just have him sign it.”

“I understand,” she replied rising from her chair. “If there is nothing else, I believe I need to leave. I am not feeling very well.”

Radcliff handed her the paper and she took it but inside she was not happy. Although she didn’t know what the paper was, she still had a very bad feeling about the whole thing.

“What is going on?” she asked herself. “How did I end up in the middle of all this? I guess that’s the price I have to pay for loving a man with a hidden past.”

“And if you go to the police,” he said to her back drawing her attention back to him, “I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life in there. I can ruin your life by having money disappear from Howard and it point right to you. I can do other things. You just remember that.”

“Understood,” she replied leaving carrying the paper with her

Sandra walked back to the stage depot and caught a late afternoon stage back to San Francisco. She looked out the back of the stage noticing a man on horseback following them. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry. He seemed content to stay a safe distance behind. She wondered who he was and why he appeared to be following the stage. Then another thought came to her. Was he following her?

“Why would anyone be following me?” she asked her self. “I’m not in any kind of trouble as of yet. Not unless Radcliff sends those records to Mr. Howard.”

Sandra decided to take a look at the paper Radcliff had given her to have Adam sign. It was a commitment form for a John Montgomery. He was to be committed to the Mount Gable Sanitarium outside of San Francisco. But that didn’t make any sense.

“Who is John Montgomery?” she asked herself as she sat on the stage. “And why would Henry Radcliff want Mr. Howard to sign a commitment form for him? Must be someone he knows. But it still doesn’t make any sense. He hates Radcliff for what he did to Jarrod. Right now none of this makes any sense.”

After Sandra had left the office, Radcliff motioned for a man to come from the back. He was a tall man with dark hair and eyes. Radcliff told him what he wanted and then the man left.

“Follow her,” Radcliff said looking at the man. “You know what to do.”

“Yes,” he replied holding a roll of money in his right hand. “I sure do. And I’ve been well paid.”

“See that you carry out your part of it,” Radcliff told him slightly angry.

“Nothing to worry about,” he said smiling and left.

After Sandra arrived in San Francisco, she went home. She placed the paper Radcliff had given her in her handbag so she wouldn’t forget to have Adam sign it. It still puzzled her. But she decided to put it out of her mind until the next day. She retired for the night.

But she couldn’t sleep. She kept dreaming about the man.

“Sandra,” Paul said with his chest covered in blood, “you caused my death. Why? I loved you. I thought you loved me.”

“I do love you,” she replied looking at him with an expression of horror. “But you are dead.”

“I have come back to ask you to help Mr. Radcliff,” he told her. “He didn’t kill me. You did. He tried to help me.”

“He did help kill you,” she said trying to reason with a dead man. “He ordered it Paul. You are too involved with the man to see that. I mean you were too involved. This is crazy. You are dead. How can you be talking to me? I must be dreaming.”

“You didn’t care,” he replied sadly. “You never loved me. How could I have made such a tragic mistake?”

“I did love you,” she told him. “You didn’t believe me when I told you that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Sandra,” he said as his image seemed to be fading, “do this. Please. For me.”

Sandra bolted straight up in bed. She was breathing very hard and her heart was pounding in her chest. She looked around her bedroom realizing that it was only a dream.

“But it seemed so real,” she said to herself. “Like Paul was right here in my room.”

Chapter Two

The next morning Sandra was sitting at her desk waiting for Adam to come in. She couldn’t get that nightmare out of her mind. She was also thinking about the meeting with Radcliff, the man possibly following her as well as what she would have Adam do. None of it made sense. Why was this happening to her? She didn’t know but she vowed that somehow she would find out the answers to her questions. She had the commitment paper lying on her desk. She didn’t want to forget to have Adam sign it.

“Morning Sandra,” Jarrod said as he walked inside. “I see you got back from your out of town business. Did everything go well for you?”

“Yes,” she replied a bit nervously. “I hope my being gone didn’t hurt your business. But it was important.”

“I’ve now gotten six new clients,” he told her smiling. “I had a very busy day yesterday,

and I could have used your help but Adam and I managed.”

“I’m happy for you Jarrod but I don’t think I’ll be much help,” she said trying to be kind. “I have a lot to do for Mr. Howard and he really depends on me.”

“That’s all right,” he replied smiling. “Any help will be appreciated.”

She smiled but she was still not sure about the form that Radcliff had given her. It couldn’t have anything to do with Jarrod could it?

“Of course not,” she thought. “Why would he want her to help him hurt Jarrod? No. This is probably someone who needs care. That’s all.”

“Are you all right?” he asked concerned looking at her. “I mean you looked a little pale.”

“Yes,” she answered smiling her beautiful smile. “I’m just a little tired after the trip. I guess I didn’t sleep very well last night.”

She didn’t dare mention the nightmare she had last night. She doubted he would believe her. She doubted anyone would believe her. Jarrod walked into his office carrying his briefcase. The one his grandmother had given him that had belonged to his grandfather. He smiled as he laid it on his desk.

Sandra waited for Adam’s arrival. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get him to sign it. Although, if he did read it, he would know who this John Montgomery was. She was sure of that.

“Sandra,” Adam said as he walked in a few minutes later breaking her out of her thoughts, “I’m glad you’re back. I’ve missed you. I hope nothing was wrong.”

“I sorry about having to leave so suddenly,” she replied trying to come up with a good reason. “But I had some business to attend to.”

She definitely didn’t want to tell him the truth. He wouldn’t be happy if he knew so she decided not to say much at all. Later on after the trial, she would tell both Adam and Jarrod about who she had seen and why. But not right now.

“That’s perfectly all right,” he told her heading for his office. “I’m just glad you’re back.”

“Mr. Howard,” she said as she caught his arm, “I have a form that needs your signature. It’s very important.”

“What kind of form?” he asked curiously. “I thought you filed everything before you left.”

“I forgot about or missed this one,” she answered trying to come up with an answer to his question. “It will only take a moment sir. And then I can put it away.”

She had the same question herself. And not a single answer.

“Oh well,” he said stopping at her desk. “I better take care of it right now. Otherwise, I’ll probably forget about it.”

Adam signed the form without reading it. He was anxious to get started on some documents that needed his attention. He handed it to her and she laid it on the corner of her desk.

Outside the office building, standing in the alley was the man that Radcliff had sent to follow Sandra. He was evidentially waiting for something. He kept out of sight of anyone that passed by him. He didn’t want to be seen. And that was very strange indeed.

“Jarrod,” Sandra said as she stuck her head in his office, “your first appointment is here.”

“Send him in,” he replied as he put away the papers he was working on.

Sandra walked back to her desk and motioned for the older couple to go in.

“Mr. Barkley will see you now,” she said as she showed them the way to Jarrod’s office.

“Thank you so much young lady,” the older man replied smiling as he and his wife walked inside. “We really appreciate it.”

Jarrod stood up walking around the desk as the couple walked inside.

“I’m Jarrod Barkley,” he said as he extended his hand. “How may I help you?”

“Mr. Barkley,” the older man replied as he shook hands, “my wife and I want you to draw up our will. It won’t take a great deal of time but it’s very important to us.”

“Please,” he told them gesturing to a chair, “sit down.”

The couple sat down in the two chairs in front of Jarrod’s desk. He walked around the desk sitting down in his chair.

“All right,” he said looking up after laying out a sheet of paper, “I’m ready any time you are.”

“Sarah and I,” the man replied looking at his wife, “want to leave everything we have to our only son, John. He has a family and lives in Texas at the present time although he has mentioned several times about wanting to come back here.”

“I’m sorry sir,” he told the man, “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Oh,” the man said smiling. “I’m sorry about that. “It’s Sherman. Sherman Potter.”

“All right,” he replied looking down at the paper. “You want to leave everything you have to your son. Is that the house, all the valuables inside, and furniture? Is there any livestock?”

“Yes,” he told Jarrod. “That’s everything you mentioned inside along with the house. And there are two safes in the house also. Only two horses though. The house is in the city. The animals are kept in the livery here in town.”

“Two safes?” he asked somewhat surprised. “Why two? Most people don’t have but one.”

“I have something in one of them I would rather not go into at this time,” the man answered avidly. “It isn’t important young man.”

“Now listen,” he said as he looked at the man’s face, “in order to write up your will precisely, I need to know everything you are leaving to your son. That means the contents of the second safe.”

“I see,” the man replied as he looked over at his wife. “What do you think Sarah?”

“I don’t know,” she told him. “No one has ever asked about it before. Are you sure you couldn’t omit the contents in the will? John will know when he opens the safe. You can leave the key mentioned in the will instead of the safe.”

“No,” he said shaking his head. “I have to know. I’m sorry if it offends you. What you tell me will go no farther than this room. I promise that. But I have to know for the will.”

“Very well,” the man replied nodding. “I have Sarah’s wedding dress and the suit I wore when we were married in there.”

“You what?” he asked not sure he had heard right. “You’re joking right? Why would you keep those items in a safe?”

“No Mr. Barkley,” the man answered looking at him. “That’s what is in the second safe.”

“I don’t understand,” he said shaking his head. “Why would you want to keep clothes in a safe?”

“They are not just clothes,” the man replied smiling. “That was the beginning of our lives together almost fifty years ago. We wanted to preserve that beginning so we put them inside. It’s like the day we were joined together in marriage we were also joined together in our souls. We didn’t want to forget that day. And every year on our anniversary, we put them on again so we don’t forget the love that started that day. That’s the reason young man. You may think it’s funny or a joke but we don’t.”

“I see,” he told them jotting it down. “I’ll make sure your son knows what is inside. It’s not everyday I get to see two people as much in love fifty years later as the day they said their vows. I am truly happy for you both.”

“Thank you for understanding,” she said smiling. “We’ve already tried three other lawyers but they just laughed us right out of their offices. You are the first one who didn’t make fun of us.”

“I’m not in business to make fun of others,” he replied looking at them with sincerity. “I’ll have my secretary write this up for you to sign. If you will leave your address with her, she can deliver it to you for you to read and then sign. I would like to ask that you return the signed document to this office. Another copy will be yours to keep for your own records.”

“Thank you so much young man,” the man told Jarrod as they stood up. “You are so kind and understanding.”

“Thank you,” he said smiling. “If I can ever been of any future service, please let me know.”

“We certainly will,” she replied as they left the office.

Jarrod sat down in his chair and smiled. He couldn’t get the contents of that safe out of his mind.

“I can surely pick some odd people to represent,” he said smiling. “This is one for the books.”

Jarrod turned his attention back to the task of writing the will. Two hours later, Adam opened his office door.

“Jarrod,” Adam said as he stuck his head in the office, “you going to work through lunch?”

“Huh?” he replied looking up from working on the will. “I guess I just lost track of time. Is it lunch time already?”

He pulled his watch from his pocket. It showed that it was almost twelve noon. Jarrod was surprised.

“I guess I’ve had my mind on this unusual will,” he said smiling. “I’m ready to eat if you are partner.”

“Let’s go to the Embassy to eat,” Adam replied smiling. “They’ve got the best steak you’ve ever eaten.”

“I don’t know about that,” he told Adam smiling. “I bet Nick could teach them a thing or two. He can really fix steaks. I wish I knew his secret.”

“I bet he can,” Adam said as he started to leave with Jarrod right behind him.

“He can,” he replied as they walked out by Sandra heading for the door. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Are you two going to lunch now sir?” she asked as they passed her desk.

“Yes,” Adam answered looking over at her. “We’ll be at the Embassy if you were to need us.”

“Yes Mr. Howard,” she said smiling. “Have a nice lunch.”

“We will,” Adam replied as they headed out the door.

The two men headed out of the office to eat.

“Adam,” he said as they walked to the Embassy, “I have to tell you something funny that happened this morning. This older couple wanted me to draw up their will. You can’t breathe a word of this to anyone. I shouldn’t even be telling you but it’s downright funny.”

“I can tell by your expression,” Adam replied looking over at Jarrod. “I promise I won’t say a word.”

“This older couple came in wanting me to make out their will,” he told Adam almost laughing. “This is so funny. Anyway, they told me they had two safes. I thought that was a bit odd.”

“I’ll say it is,” Adam said smiling. “Go on.”

“Well,” he replied, “in one of them was their important papers and other keepsakes. But in the other one was...”

Jarrod started laughing and he couldn’t stop.

“I wish you would tell me what is so funny,” Adam said looking over at him.

Jarrod stopped laughing and continued.

“They have what they wore on their wedding day in the other safe,” he said looking at Adam.

“Are you joking?” Adam asked not believing what he had just heard. “Their wedding clothes.”

“Yes,” he answered trying not to laugh. “Of course, they explained the reason and I understand but it was just funny.”

“It sure it,” Adam said laughing. “Jarrod, you do get interesting clients.”

“I sure do,” he replied laughing too.

Sandra walked out of the office a short time later to eat her own lunch. She usually went home and fixed something. She noticed a man approaching her. She didn’t recognize him. She stopped facing him.

“Did you get the paper signed?” he asked as he came to a stop in front of her.

“How did you know I had a paper that had to be signed?” she wanted to know. “I haven’t told a soul.”

“Never mind that,” he said getting aggravated. “I need that paper.”

“It’s right here in my handbag,” she replied pulling the paper out to show him.

“Good,” he told her taking it from her hands. “Is Barkley going to be working this afternoon?”

“Yes,” she said somewhat confused. “He has several appointments this afternoon. What is so important about whether Jarrod is working this afternoon or not?”

“Never mind,” he replied as he turned and disappeared.

Sandra shook her head. This was certainly turning out to be a strange day.

Jarrod and Adam returned at a quarter till two and went back to work. They were both still laughing about the safe. Sandra didn’t mention seeing or talking to the strange man but she couldn’t get it out of her mind.

“Another client to see you Jarrod,” she said as she opened Jarrod’s office door.

“Send them in,” he replied as he looked up.

A very young man walked in. He was somewhat shy and he wouldn’t look up at Jarrod.

“It’s all right son,” he said as the boy stopped just inside the door. “I won’t bite. Come over here and sit down.”

Jarrod helped him over to one of the chairs where he sat down.

“What can I do for you?” he asked as he sat down himself.

Are you really a lawyer?” the boy wanted to know.

“I certainly am,” he answered smiling. “Do you have a problem?”

“Yes,” the boy said still looking down. “I did something I ain’t proud of.”

“It sounds to me like something you need to be speaking to the police about,” he replied looking at the young man.

“No,” the boy told him. “I can’t. It would hurt my mama. Please you have to help me.”

“Tell me what is wrong and I’ll see what I can do,” he said leaning back in his chair.

“Well,” the boy began, “I come from Fry’s Junction. But couldn’t make any money there so my mama and me we moved here. I got a job at the general store, cleaning up and such. Anyway, a brand new saddle disappeared from the store. Mr. Gilden, the man who owns the store, said I took it but I swear on my papa’s grave that I didn’t take it. Yes I liked it the first time I saw it. But I would never take something that weren’t mine.”

“I see,” he said leaning forward resting his elbows on his desk. You have any idea where the saddle is.”

“No,” the boy replied. “I ain’t seen it for two maybe three days. Mr. Gilden stepped out of the store in the late afternoon to go across the street to the bank. I think that’s when it disappeared. I need help to find it so I won’t end up in jail. It would kill mama. I’m all she has in the world.”

“What’s your name?” he asked looking at the boy.

“Wayne,” the boy answered. “Wayne Simmons.”

“Wayne,” he said looking the boy in the eyes, “don’t you worry none about this. I’ll talk to Mr. Gilden and we’ll straighten all of this out.”

“Oh thank you,” the boy replied smiling. “You done took a load off my mind.”

“You go on home,” he told Wayne. “I’ll talk to your boss and let you know something tomorrow.”

“Yes sir,” Wayne said standing up. “Thanks.”

Jarrod watched the boy leave his office. He felt sorry for Wayne. He made a note to see Josh Gilden in the morning. He had met Gilden at one of the many city meetings and thought he was an understanding man. Jarrod felt sure this could be worked out.

About six o’clock that evening, Sandra put everything away for the day. She rose from her desk and walked to Adam’s office door, tapping on it lightly. Then she opened the door walking in.

“If it’s all right with you Mr. Howard,” she said as she walked into his office, “I’m going to go home. I’m quite tired and I’ve finished everything that you had left for me to do.”

“That’s fine Sandra,” he replied smiling. “I’ll be finished here in about another hour. You go on.”

“Yes sir,” she told him heading out the door.

She picked up her handbag and headed home. Adam left an hour later but Jarrod had a few more things to do.

“Adam,” he said as Adam was heading out, “I’ve got to finish up another document and then I’ll be going home. It’s been quite a day.”

“That’s fine Jarrod,” Adam replied smiling. “Just lock up when you leave.”

“I sure will,” he told Adam going back to work as Adam left.

Two hours later, he looked up. It was starting to get dark so he decided to finish it up in the morning. He was really tired. He turned off the lamp, put on his jacket along with his hat and left the office. As he walked down the stairs to the street and turned to the right close to the alley, he was grabbed from behind. Jarrod tried to struggle but a cloth was placed over his face. It was chloroform and he passed out. The man picked Jarrod up, loading him into a wagon and drove away.

Chapter Three

Jarrod woke up sometime later. He had on plain clothes. He didn’t see his own clothes lying anywhere in the room he found himself in. He had a fair sized headache from the chloroform. As he looked around, he noticed that he was in a small, very dark room. It only had a very small cot with a very worn mattress on it. There was no other furniture in the room. Jarrod thought that was somewhat odd. Why wasn’t there a chair or a bureau or chest of drawers or a closet in the room? He didn’t understand any of this. There weren’t any windows and the door to the room was heavy wood with a small door in the middle of the top. It could only be used from the outside and was used to see what was taking place in the room at any given moment. When he tried to leave, he found the door locked.

“Where am I?” he asked as he tried to remember what had happened. “How did I get here where ever here is? I don’t remember.”

Jarrod thought about what had happened earlier. He remembered leaving his office heading for home. He remembered locking the office door and walking down the stairs. Then nothing.

“How did I get here where ever here is?” he asked not understanding any of this. “Who is behind this? What do they want with me?”

He walked over to the door, pounding his fists against it.

“Hey!” he yelled trying to get someone’s attention. “Is anyone out there? Let me out of here!”

The door to his room opened revealing two men. They were pretty good-sized men and Jarrod realized that they meant business from the expressions on their faces. He backed up very leery of them. He hoped that now maybe someone would tell him what was going on.

“Where am I?” he asked as they looked at him. “What is going on? I demand to know.”

They walked into the room, each grabbing one of Jarrod’s arms.

“Let go of me,” he said as they grabbed his arms. “You don’t scare me.”

He tried to fight them off but the one on Jarrod’s left punched him hard in the ribs. Jarrod doubled over from the impact of the blow.

“What was that for?” he asked trying to catch his breath. “I don’t understand any of this. Why have I been brought here? Who are you?”

“You’re only to speak when spoken to,” one of them answered looking at him with anger. “That’s all you need to know for now. The rest of the rules will be told to you later. Now move.”

Jarrod tried to stop them from taking him out of the room but he wasn’t strong enough to overpower either man.

“What’s this all about?” he asked trying to learn all that he could. “There has to be a reason for me being here wherever here is.”

The one on his right this time, punched him hard in the ribs. Again he doubled over as the impact of the punch caused the remaining air in his lungs to expel. Jarrod realized that he would have to play by their rules or end up seriously hurt or possibly dead.

“All right,” he said finally figuring that he had to go along with them. “I’ll go.”

They pulled him out into a long hallway with matching doors all the way down on each side. He was still trying to cradle his ribs, which he knew were badly bruised but they held his arms away from his body forcing him to keep moving. He paid as close attention to his surroundings as he could while still trying to breathe after the two rib shots he had taken.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked as they walked. “What is going on?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” one of them answered as they kept him walking.

Luckily, he didn’t get hit again. But as he walked he noticed that it looked like some kind of prison or something similar.

“This doesn’t look exactly like a prison,” he said looking at the two men. “I want to know what is going on.”

Both of the men punched him hard in the ribs. Jarrod doubled over with pain as he tried to slow his breathing down. He knew now that he couldn’t ask questions or he would definitely have broken ribs and he didn’t think he could handle that right now.

Jarrod was taken to a large room where there was a chair sitting in the middle of it with restraints attached to it. It had several bottles of liquid sitting on a table against one wall. This room also had no windows. He was forced to sit down in that chair where his arms were restrained as well as his legs. He tried to get loose but the two men easily subdued him.

“What are you doing?” he asked trying to stop them from restraining him in the chair. “Let me go.”

The two men easily subdued him and when they were finished, another man walked over to him. He was wearing a white coat and carrying a glass of dark liquid. He had been recently hired to work here and he had requested to have the new patient John Montgomery assigned to him. Jarrod was still trying to fight against the restraints. He wanted to be free but at the moment he wasn’t sure how he could accomplish that. He thought the man was possibly a doctor of some kind but he didn’t know for sure.

“Mr. Montgomery,” he said as he looked down at Jarrod holding the glass of liquid, “I want you to open your mouth. My name is Dr. Powell and you are to obey me.”

Jarrod was very surprised at the man using the name Montgomery. He didn’t have a clue why he was here or why they were using another name.

“What?” Jarrod asked not understanding. “I want to know what is going on. My name is not Montgomery. I’m...”

He never finished the sentence. A swift slap to the face made him close his mouth. He looked up to see another man in front of him. He was looking menacing at Jarrod ready to strike him again.

“You don’t talk without permission,” he remarked looking at Jarrod with a very angry face.

“Open your mouth,” Dr. Powell said as he walked over to the chair where Jarrod could see him.

Powell looked over at the other man who had just spoken to Jarrod.

“Stanley, he needs a little persuasion. He doesn’t want to corporate.”

The man named Stanley, who was a big man, walked behind the chair that Jarrod was secured in. He reached around Jarrod’s head trying to pry open his mouth. Jarrod tried to fight back but with his hands restrained he couldn’t stop him. Then he bit down hard with his teeth on Stanley’s hand. Stanley cried out in pain.

“Why you no good crazy man,” Stanley said slapping Jarrod hard across the face.

Jarrod’s head jerked backwards as he felt the slap. Stanley then was finally able to pry his mouth open. Jarrod’s jaws were in pain as Stanley forced his mouth open the widest it had ever been. He grunted in pain but neither man seemed interested in his health. The man dressed in the white coat poured the glass of dark liquid down Jarrod’s throat. Stanley closed Jarrod’s mouth forcing him to swallow it. It burnt all the way down. He had to close his eyes to the torment of what ever he had been given. Then Stanley released him. Powell came back into view. He had a gold pocket watch dangling in front of him. He stood right in front of Jarrod. This man knew exactly who Jarrod was and why he had been brought here. He looked at the young man sitting before him.

“It won’t be long before your nightmare will begin,” he said to himself. “And you won’t like it one bit.”

He turned his attention back to Jarrod.

“I want you to follow my watch,” he said as he swung the watch back and forth. “Don’t take your eyes off the watch. You see it swinging to and fro. Your eyes are getting very heavy. You cannot hold them open. You have to close them.”

Jarrod was fighting trying to keep his eyes open but they finally slipped closed.

“You will not testify against Henry Radcliff,” the man said as he stood in front of Jarrod.

No one else was in the room. The two of them were all alone.

“Every time you say you will or someone else says you will testify, your body will be ravaged with pain. The pain will be unbearable. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Jarrod replied with his eyes still closed.

“I’m going to wake you up,” he told Jarrod as he looked at Jarrod’s face. “You will remember nothing of this conversation. But you will feel the torment that you will have to endure.”

Jarrod nodded and the man snapped his fingers.

“You will now open your eyes,” he said as Jarrod opened his eyes. “You will now be given another dose of medication.”

“Who are you?” Jarrod asked trying to figure out what was going on. “And what is that stuff?”

“Open your mouth,” the doctor said ignoring Jarrod’s question.

When Jarrod didn’t heed the man’s warning, the doctor looked at Stanley again, who had come back into the room.

“Stanley,” he said as he turned to look at the man, “he needs some more persuasion.”

Stanley again walked behind Jarrod forcing his mouth open. However, this time he warned Jarrod what would happen if he tried to bite him.

“You use those teeth on me again,” Stanley said as he looked at Jarrod, “and I’ll break your jaw. You understand?”

He was able to nod but only barely because he was in agony, as his mouth was forced open very wide. It threatened to lock in the open position but luckily he was able to close it after the liquid was poured down his already irritated throat. However, it was sore when he moved it. He didn’t know what was going on but he knew that he was going to suffer. Jarrod was feeling very funny inside. He was starting to shake but he didn’t know why nor could he stop himself. He wasn’t sure what was happening but he knew it wasn’t good.

“Now,” the man said as he looked at Jarrod, “I am going to send you back to your room. Then in one hour you will be brought here again for more medication. Another doctor will administer the medication to you. But I will see you from time to time. I will also know if you are cooperating. You will have to take two glassfuls every hour. All new patients are given this treatment. It’s to make your stay here less aggravating.”

“At least tell me where I am,” he said looking up at the man trying to hold his head up.

“You are at the Mount Gable Sanitarium outside of San Francisco,” the man replied. “You have been placed here for reconditioning.”

“Sanitarium?” he asked very confused. “Why am I here?”

“So you can be helped,” the man answered with a very wicked smile on his face. “With time and medication, you can be helped. You only have to obey.”

“I’m supposed to testify....” he said but couldn’t finish the sentence as his body was ravaged with pain.

He felt nothing but pain. He closed his eyes to the pain that was inside his body.

“The pain will subside soon,” the doctor said looking down at his new patient. “You will now be released to your room. Do not try to escape or you will suffer the consequences.”

“I don’t understand,” he replied as the pain lessened some. “Who wants me here. And what do you mean by reconditioning?”

“You are not here to understand,” the man told him getting angry with Jarrod. “You are here to be dealt with. You will find out in due time.”

By the time Jarrod was released and taken back to his room the pain had lessened considerably. He wasn’t sure what was going on. But he knew what ever it was; it wasn’t going to be pleasant. He lay down on the small cot in the room trying to rest but he couldn’t because all he thought about was how he was going to get out of here and back to Adam.

“Adam,” he said aloud as he sat up. “Maybe he can find me. I don’t know anymore. I’m starting to have trouble thinking.”

He laid back down because every time he tried to sit up he felt like he was going to be sick.

“Someone will find me I hope,” he said as he laid there. “They have to know I’m missing. They have too.”

An hour later, the door opened and two men pulled him roughly to his feet. A third man Jarrod didn’t recognize walked inside.

“I am Winston Bailey,” he said as he walked up to Jarrod. “I am the director. I wanted to see how you were doing in your new home Mr. Montgomery. You must try to get along with everyone in here and your stay will be pleasant. You don’t and you will be punished.”

“Why am I here?” Jarrod asked trying to get answers. “You have locked me up against my will. There are laws against that you know.”

“You have been committed here for a period of time,” he answered as he looked at Jarrod. “Mr. Montgomery, you have problems that need to be dealt with and they are through medication. If you abide by our rules, you will not be harmed. But if you disobey, you will suffer the consequences. Do you understand?”

Jarrod just stood there digesting what he had been told. He knew someone wanted him here out of the way but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out who.

“The first rule is you will speak when spoken to,” he said with anger in his voice. “I think he needs a lesson don’t you gentlemen?”

He motioned to the two men. One of them took both of Jarrod’s arms and the other one stood in front of him.

“Give him his first lesson,” he said nodding at the man.

“What are you doing?” Jarrod asked not expecting what he received.

The man hit Jarrod so hard in the ribs that he instinctually doubled over. But the man wasn’t finished. He hit Jarrod several more times. All Jarrod was trying to do was catch his breath and cradle his ribs.

“That’s enough Hendricks,” he said as he looked at Jarrod. “I believe Mr. Montgomery knows the rule now.”

Jarrod nodded as he tried to catch his breath. He looked up at the man.

“I understand,” Jarrod said still smarting from the punches. “But at least tell me who is behind this.”

“Good,” he replied smiling. “These two men will now take you back to the lab for more conditioning. Dr. Jordan is your doctor and he will administer your medication.”

“Yes,” Jarrod told him starting to walk out of the room. “I just have one question.”

“Yes,” he said as he looked at Jarrod.

“What reconditioning?” Jarrod asked trying to learn what he could.

“You are to be conditioned to follow commands,” he answered. “If you don’t, you will be punished severely. It’s part of our program here for any new patient. Since you are new, you are to be reconditioned.”

“I see,” Jarrod remarked as he considered what he had been told.

Jarrod knew there was another reason for being brought here other than what this man had just told him. But he had to be careful. He didn’t think his ribs could take any more abuse.

“And Mr. Montgomery,” he said as Jarrod stopped to look at him, “you will do what Dr. Jordan says. Is that understood?”

“Yes,” Jarrod replied as the two men escorted him out of the room. “What happens if I don’t?”

“You won’t like that,” he told Jarrod smiling.

As Jarrod was led down the same hallway, he knew that he had to figure a way to escape. Or he may never get out of here except in a pine box. He was again taken to that room and again restrained in that chair.

“I see you have been introduced to our director,” Jordan said as he walked over to Jarrod.

Jarrod sensed that this doctor was different than the first one he had met. This one seemed to care about his patients. Jarrod thought that maybe he could use that to his advantage.

“You are to be given this medicine as part of your stay here,” the doctor said very calmly. It’s to help you stay calm. I wish you weren’t here but it can’t be helped.”

Jarrod got the impression that the doctor was not a willing party to this. He thought he might have someone who could help him escape but he knew he had to be careful. The man poured another glass of liquid down his throat with the help of his assistant, Stanley prying open his mouth.

“Please,” Jarrod begged as the day wore on. “I don’t understand any of this. Can’t you please stop giving me this stuff? I’m starting to get very sick from it.”

“You don’t need to understand,” the doctor said as he poured another glassful. “You just need to obey. I will try to explain everything later. Just do as you’re told and you won’t be hurt.”

Jarrod nodded but he wouldn’t take the liquid without a fight. He knew something was happening to him but he wasn’t sure what. His thinking capacity was dulled. This went on every hour for the rest of the day. By that evening, Jarrod was beginning to jump every time he heard the door open or he saw a person. He was visibly shaking out of fear. The once self-assured, self-confident, strong-willed man was gone. In his place, was a very frightened man who was afraid of his own shadow. The plan was working magnificently.

“Good,” Powell said as Jarrod was taken back to his room. “He’s jumping at anything or anyone. The plan is working wonderfully. Before I’m through, Mr. Montgomery will be nothing more than a frightened boy. And he won’t be causing any problems to anyone.”

Dr. Jordan had the idea that maybe his new patient wasn’t like the other souls in this place. Montgomery looked like someone who knew things. Things that someone else didn’t want told. But there was no way for him to be sure. The patient wasn’t able now to answer questions so he put the thought out of his mind. However, if he did get the chance he would ask the young man and hopefully he would learn what was going on. He didn’t like the new doctor.

“What was his name?” he asked himself. “Powell, that’s it.”

He didn’t understand why Mr. Bailey would hire someone like him. He was too hard on the patients under his care. He had Montgomery on twice the dosage than he needed to be on. But now it was already too late. The man was addicted to it. There was nothing he could do.

“Stanley,” Jordan said as he looked at his assistant, “I believe it is time for Mr. Montgomery’s next session with me. Go and bring him here to the lab but be gentle with him. We are here to help these poor tortured souls. Remember that.”

“Yes sir,” Stanley replied as he left to get Jarrod.

Stanley didn’t like Jordan’s technique. He thought the man was too soft on the people in here. They were crazy and needed to be dealt with a firm hand. But he had to work with the man so he tried to do what Jordan wanted even though he would rather beat the tar out of some of these idiots.

“Let’s go,” he said as he walked into Jarrod’s room. “It’s time to see the doctor again.”

“No,” Jarrod begged him. “Please they will find me.”

“Let’s go,” he replied pulling Jarrod roughly to his feet.

Jarrod didn’t move fast enough to suit Stanley so he slapped Jarrod hard again across the face. Jarrod tried to pull away but Stanley would not let go. He dragged Jarrod kicking and fighting out into the hall where he called to one of the other men.

“Hawk,” he said as another man walked toward him, “give me a hand with this one. He won’t come without a fight.”

Hawk walked over to Jarrod lifting him up by his hair. Jarrod cried out from the torment.

“Please,” he cried. “It hurts.”

“You do what Stanley says and you won’t get hurt,” Hawk said still holding Jarrod by his hair.

Jarrod nodded and walked between the two men. When they walked into the lab, and Jarrod saw that chair, he tried to escape. Hawk grabbed him hard by his arm pulling him to that chair. Jarrod tried to stop him but another shot to his already damaged ribs caused him to stop fighting. The two men were able to restrain him in the chair.

“See,” Stanley said as he looked down at Jarrod, “you just have to obey.”

“Yes,” he replied but he was so afraid now that all he wanted to do was hide.

Dr. Jordan walked in carrying another glass of medication. Jarrod tried to hide but he was restrained and Stanley was easily able to force him to open his mouth.

“Mr. Montgomery,” Jordan said as he looked down at Jarrod, “all you have to do is take your medication without a fight and you will not be punished.”

“I not like it,” he got out.

“I’m sorry you don’t,” the doctor replied but I have orders to give it to you. “Please take the second dosage without a fight.”

Jarrod nodded and slowly opened his mouth. Jordan poured the second glassful down his throat.

“That was very good,” the doctor said patting Jarrod’s shoulder. “I hope you will remember to do that next time.”

When he was taken back to his room, Jarrod couldn’t trust anyone or anything. He jumped every time he heard any noise. He knew something was wrong but right now he couldn’t dwell on that. All he wanted to do was sit in the corner of his room shaking.

“I won’t trust anyone,” he said as he cowered in the corner of his room all alone.

When Stanley opened the door, walking inside, he could see that Jarrod was very afraid of him.

“Let’s go,” he said as he picked Jarrod up by the left arm. “It’s time to see the doctor.”

Jarrod tried to stop him from taking him but he couldn’t.

“Listen,” he said looking into Jarrod’s frightened face, “you do that again and I’m going to punish you severely. Now let’s go.”

Jarrod finally nodded and went willingly with Stanley to the lab. The reconditioning was beginning to work.

Chapter Four

The next morning, Sandra and Adam both showed up for work. But when Jarrod failed to arrive, Adam became very concerned.

“Sandra,” he said as he walked out of his office, “I wonder where Jarrod is. He’s never been late to work. Do you have any idea where he could be?”

“I don’t know sir,” she replied looking at him. “I haven’t seen or heard from him although he did say something yesterday about seeing Mr. Gilden at the hardware store.”

“What would he be seeing Gilden for?” he asked not understanding what she had meant.

“Mr. Howard,” she answered looking at him, “it has to do with a new client of his. He didn’t go into detail with me about it. Other than that, I have no idea where he is.”

“I’ll go see if he’s at the hardware,” he said as he put his hat on. “I don’t like it.”

Adam walked out of the office and over to the hardware. He walked inside where he saw Gilden behind the counter.

“You seen Jarrod Barkley?” he asked very straightforward.

Adam did not particularly like this man. And Gilden knew it.

“No,” Gilden answered looking at Adam. “He hasn’t been in here Howard.”

“Thanks,” Adam said as he left.

Adam walked over to Jarrod’s apartment to see if perhaps Jarrod was running late. When he walked up to the door, he found it locked. He looked inside through one of the windows. He didn’t see any sign of Jarrod. Adam was now very worried. He went back to the office to figure out what he needed to do now.

“Did you find him?” she asked as he walked in the door.

“No,” he answered as he looked at her and she could see the worry on his face. “I don’t understand this. It’s not like Jarrod to disappear without leaving word.”

“Not unless he was forced to go somewhere,” she said thinking about what she had observed the day before.

“What are you talking about?” he asked not understanding.

“I mean what if he was abducted,” she answered. “It would make sense.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked not understanding.

“I might as well tell you what happened,” she answered him as she considered everything that had happened after she met Radcliff.

“Please do,” he said as he looked at her.

“You remember when I left the note saying that I needed to go out of town on business,” she said looking at him somewhat frightened.

She knew that her past had just caught up to her. There was no way she could keep it a secret any longer. So she steeled herself for the barrage that would follow.

“Yes,” he replied noting her expression. “Sandra, what’s wrong?”

“I went to Carson City,” she told him not looking at him. “You see I was born and raised there.”

“I never knew that,” he said shocked. “Of course, I guess I never asked. And besides it is none of my business.”

“Anyway,” she continued, “I was sent a telegram from someone I never expected to hear from.”

“Who?” he asked a little more forcefully than he meant.

“Henry Radcliff sir,” she answered very frightened knowing what his reaction would be.

“Why in the world would he want to send you a telegram?” he asked shocked. “He’s the one...”

“I know sir,” she said interrupting him. “He said that he had a gift for me from Paul. I needed to put closure to my relationship with Paul. And if he had something that Paul wanted me to have, I needed to go get it. I hope you can understand why I did this.”

“I’ll wait till I hear everything before I say anything more,” he remarked waiting to hear the rest of her story and not believing what he was hearing.

“I agreed to go meet him,” she began. “When I got there, he had lied. He didn’t have anything from Paul to give me. It was all a ruse to get me to come there so he could threaten me. He showed me something from my past and told me that I would lose my job if I didn’t help him.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked completely in the dark.

“I might as well tell you the whole story,” she said as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “When I was fourteen, I got a job working for a dress maker in Carson City. I really liked the older lady and I thought that she liked me. Then one day about six months later, money began to disappear from the cash box she kept behind the counter. She blamed me for the theft. I tried to explain that I didn’t take the money but she somehow convinced the sheriff and he arrested me. I couldn’t find out who the real thief was so I ended up spending about six months behind bars. However, a very nice man and his wife felt sorry for me. After I was released from jail, they asked me to come live with them. They clothed me, fed me, and taught me how to read and write. I decided to put the past behind me but I never forgot about someone setting me up. I had intended to keep trying to prove my innocence but then you came along and I realized I couldn’t tell you about what had happened. You would have thought that I would do the same to you. But I didn’t take that money. Somehow, Radcliff found out and he blackmailed me into having you sign a document committing a John Montgomery to the Mount Gable Sanitarium. He had a copy of the records of my incarceration. I couldn’t let that get out. Not after the new life I had started. But I don’t see how that could be Jarrod except...”

“Wait a minute,” he said as he thought about what she had just said. “What was that about a paper and John Montgomery?”

“Radcliff gave me a paper to have you sign,” she replied looking at him. “He wouldn’t tell me anything about it. On the way back to San Francisco, I looked at it. It was a commitment paper for a John Montgomery to the Mount Gable Sanitarium.”

“I don’t believe this,” he told her as he realized what all this meant. “He used you to get to Jarrod. But how did they kidnap him. Radcliff wouldn’t do it himself.”

“Well,” she comment as she thought about what he had just said, “when I went to lunch yesterday, a man approached me. I had never seen him before. He took the paper from me and then asked if Jarrod was going to work that afternoon in the office. I told him yes. You don’t think...”

“Yes I do,” he said as he came to the same conclusion. “Radcliff has had Jarrod kidnapped and put into a sanitarium. And I signed the papers. I knew I should have read that before I signed it. How could I have been so stupid? This is all my fault.”

“What are we going to do?” she asked very frightened. “And it’s as much my fault as it is yours. More really. I’m the one who had something to hide.”

“I’m going to contact Jarrod’s family and tell them what we think has happened,” he answered looking at her. “Then we’re going to get him out of there if it’s possible before he’s turned into a tortured soul.”

“I just hope you can,” she said hoping that it was a mistake. “What do you think they will do with him?”

“So do I,” he replied. “I don’t know for sure. But I can bet it won’t be pleasant for him. I just hope we’re not too late.”

“Me too,” she told him as he headed out the door.

Adam immediately went to the telegraph office to send a telegram to Jarrod’s brother, Gene Barkley. They had to find him before it was too late.

“Arnie,” he said as he walked into the telegraph office, “I need to send a telegram to Eugene Barkley in Berkeley and another one to Tom and Victoria Barkley in Stockton. This is very important Arnie.”

“Sure thing Adam,” Arnie replied as he got his paper and pencil ready. “Anytime you’re ready.”

“Need you to come to San Francisco immediately,” he told him thinking exactly what he wanted to tell them. “Jarrod missing, possibly abducted. Sure he is in danger. Sign it Adam.”

“You say Jarrod is missing,” Arnie told him knowing that he needed to tell Adam about the telegram. “Adam, I think you should know something.”

“What?” he asked seeing something on Arnie’s face he didn’t like. “I don’t know if I’m ready for any more news. This day is turning into a nightmare. But go ahead.”

“Day before yesterday,” Arnie answered searching for the right words, “I received a telegram for Sandra from Henry Radcliff.”

“It’s all right Arnie,” he said very calmly. “She’s already told me about it. That’s how I know that Jarrod has been abducted. And I know that Radcliff is behind this somehow. I just hope that Jarrod can be found alive and in shape enough to testify.”

“Good,” Arnie said relieved. “”I’m so glad. It sounded strange to me. After all I did take the telegram from Jarrod’s brother about being left out in the desert. What do you mean you hope he is all right to testify? Why wouldn’t he be?”

“Yes,” he replied nodding. “If Jarrod is where I think he is, I’m not so sure. I think he’s been committed to a sanitarium.”

“You’re joking right,” Arnie told him. “You’re not serious.”

“I’m dead serious,” he said nodding his head. “I need to get back to the office so I can figure out the best way to rescue Jarrod.”

“I hope you can find him and he is all right,” Arnie replied smiling.

Thanks Arnie,” he told Arnie. “Please send those two wires.”

“Sure thing,” he told Adam as Adam left the office.

When he walked back into the office late that afternoon, he stopped in front of Sandra’s desk.

“Well,” he said as he stood there, “I’ve sent the wires. All we can do now is wait. I don’t want to go into that sanitarium until his family gets here. They aren’t going to be happy about this. How am I going to explain it to them?”

“I wish there was something we could do to help Jarrod,” she replied looking up at him. “I feel like it’s my fault. If I had been honest from the start, none of this would have happened.”

“That part is behind us now,” he replied smiling at her. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think you are a thief. You’ve worked for me for two years and in that amount of time, you have been around money. You’ve never taken a dime.”

“I’m so happy to hear you say that sir,” she told him smiling. “That was one reason I didn’t tell you when you hired me. You probably wouldn’t have given me the job.”

“No,” he said, “I probably wouldn’t have. But right now we have to concentrate on freeing Jarrod if he is in that sanitarium. When the Barkleys get here, we’re going up there and see for ourselves.”

Chapter Five

Gene Barkley was studying in his room late in the evening when there was a knock on the door. He looked at the clock. It was after eight. He wondered who would be calling on him so late. Rising from his desk, he walked to the door opening it. An older man stood there holding a piece of paper.

“You Eugene Barkley?” he asked looking at Gene.

“Yes I am,” Gene answered wondering who this man was. “What can I help you with?”

“I have a telegram for you,” he said handing Gene the paper, turning and walked away.

Gene closed the door. He sat down in a chair as he opened the telegram. Then he read it. At first, he thought it might be from Jarrod asking him to come to San Francisco for lunch or something else. What he read was a complete shock to him.

Gene,

Get here fast. Jarrod kidnapped. Need your help. See me.

Adam

Gene stood up, crushing the paper in his hand. This couldn’t be happening. Jarrod kidnapped. He didn’t understand but he knew he had to see Adam. Gene hurried to his closet retrieving his jacket along with his hat and flew out the door. He went to the local livery, where he borrowed a horse and rode most of the night to reach San Francisco and his brother.

“How could this have happened again?” he asked as he rode. “Jarrod kidnapped but by who? Who would want to hurt him? It doesn’t make any sense.”

Gene continued on his way to San Francisco and hopefully to find his missing brother, Jarrod.

In Stockton, Tom and Victoria were relaxing in the study of their home when they heard a knock on the door. It had been an extremely long day for Tom and he looked forward to a very quiet evening relaxing.

“I wonder who that is,” she said as she looked up from the book she was reading. “It’s getting late.”

“Silas will take care of it,” he replied as he looked up from reading the Stockton paper. “He’s wonderful at getting rid of late night callers that are not wanted. Besides, I don’t think I’m up to entertaining any guests tonight.”

Silas walked into the room carrying a folded piece of paper.

“This telegram arrived for you,” he said as he handed it to Tom. “The operator said it was urgent.”

“Thank you Silas,” Tom replied taking the paper.

Silas left the room to attend to his other duties. Tom opened the paper reading it. His expression hardened.

“Tom,” she asked when she saw his face, “what is it?”

“According to this wire,” he answered not believing what he had read, “Adam thinks Jarrod has been kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped!” she cried looking frightened. “By who? For what?”

“I don’t know,” he said as he looked at her. “It just says that he needs us to help him find Jarrod. We need to go to San Francisco. Adam wants us there as soon as possible.”

“We need to tell Nick,” she replied as she realized what he would want to do. “He’ll be so hurt. He is so close to his brother.”

“I’ll tell him,” he told her standing up. “He’s still in the barn if I know him. I know he’s going to be both hurt and angry but he has to be told. If we don’t tell him, he’ll be so mad.”

“Tom,” she said looking at him, “The boys are so close. Nick may already know. But even if he does, he needs to go with us. If something has happened to Jarrod, Nick can help. I know he can.”

“You’re right,” he replied smiling slightly. “He loves his brothers and he would want to help find Jarrod wherever he is.”

“I just pray that he is all right,” she told him.

“So do I,” he said and left.

Tom left the study walking out to the barn. Victoria rose from the couch, walking upstairs to put some clothes together. The tears were falling down her face as she thought about Jarrod.

“Why is this happening?” she asked not understanding any of this. “Who would want to hurt Jarrod and why? None of this makes any sense.”

Nick looked up from currying his horse as his father walked into the barn. He could tell something was wrong by his father’s expression.

“Nick,” he said as he came to a stop in front of Nick, “we need to go to San Francisco. Jarrod has been kidnapped.”

“What!” Nick cried as he looked at Tom.

“I don’t know any of the details,” he replied as he stood there. “Adam just wants us there.”

“I had a feeling that something wasn’t right,” Nick told him. “I can’t put my finger on it but it’s just a feeling.”

“You’re feelings are usually right on the money,” he said looking at his son. “We’re going to find Jarrod. I promise.”

“I know that father,” Nick replied laying the brush down. “It’s just that ever since he went to work for Adam Howard, he has disappeared and nearly been killed. Why are they picking on Jarrod? He didn’t do anything to anyone.”

“I can’t answer that son,” he told Nick. “But I am going to find out what is going on and get my son back.”

“I know you will father,” Nick said smiling. “You are not one to stand by and twiddle your thumbs especially when one of your children is in trouble.”

“I’ve pulled you out of some sticky situations,” he replied looking at Nick. “And I’ll do the same for Jarrod. I have been busy keeping you three boys out of trouble but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world. You are very special boys and I’m proud of each and every one of you. You have gone your own way making names for yourselves. You have made a father very happy.”

“I’ll be ready in a minute,” Nick told him as he turned toward his horse so his father wouldn’t see the tears that threatened to fall. “What could have happened? Like I said before I had a feeling something had happened to him. But I couldn’t tell what it was.”

“I don’t know,” he said as the two of them headed for the house. “But I’m going to find out. I should have known you would already know. You two are very close in more ways than one.”

“Yes we are,” Nick replied as they walked. “Father, do you think Jarrod could be hurt in any way?”

“I don’t know son,” he told his son. “I pray to God that the answer is no but I have my doubts.”

Nick nodded understanding what his father meant. If whoever had kidnapped Jarrod knew who he was; his life was more than likely in danger. And if they didn’t, he was still in danger as well. The only thing Nick knew was that they had to find Jarrod quickly.

When they walked inside, Victoria was coming down the stairs carrying an overnight bag.

“We need to go now,” she said as she reached the bottom step. “I need to know what has happened. If Jarrod is already dead, I need to know. If he’s hurt, I need to know. If...”

“He’s not dead,” Nick replied looking at her. “I can feel that. But he’s in considerable discomfort. I can feel that. I’m very worried about him.”

“I surmised as much,” she told him. “Let’s go. We’re going to find him.”

Tom and Nick followed her as Tom took the bag.

“Silas,” he said as the older black gentlemen met them, “have Sam Williams take over while I’m gone. Tell him that Jarrod has been kidnapped and we are going to find him. If he has any problems, he’s to handle them himself.”

“Yes sir,” Silas replied as he watched the family leave. “Kidnapped! That’s terrible. What would they want with Mr. Jarrod?”

“I don’t know right off,” he told Silas. “I’ll let you know what we find.”

“Yes sir,” Silas said. “God Bless Mr. Jarrod.”

The family had one of the hands hitch up the buggy and they headed for Stockton to catch the train for San Francisco to find Jarrod.

Chapter Six

Jarrod was still cowering in the corner of his room. He had gone to the corner trying to hide from the men who would take him back and forth to the lab for his medication. They were very mean to him. It was as if they took turns seeing which one could be the meanest. But he couldn’t hide from them. He was still very frightened any time the door opened. He was still shaking. He had dark circles under both his eyes, which were dulled from whatever he was being given. When he heard the door being opened, his heart skipped a beat. He drew even further back. He began to visibly shake harder as he watched who was coming in.

“Ah,” Dr. Jordan said along with the director of the sanitarium who accompanied him, “there you are. I have some very happy news for you. We’re going to let you go very soon. Would you like that?”

Jarrod just sat there shaking. He couldn’t understand everything that was being said to him but he did recognize the word home. How he wanted to go home but not if he would continue to be frightened. The doctor along with Stanley walked over to him. The director waited just inside the doorway. Jarrod tried to shrink even further against the wall but he didn’t have anywhere to go. Stanley reached down with one hand drawing Jarrod to his feet. Jarrod again tried to cower but Stanley was firm with his grip. He held Jarrod so the doctor could talk to him.

“Open your mouth Mr. Montgomery,” the doctor said holding out another glass. “Or do you want Stanley to hurt you? I wish you would take this medication willingly.”

Jarrod looked at Stanley remembering the torment that he had gone through. He slowly opened his mouth.

“Very good,” the doctor said as he held the glass to Jarrod’s lips. “Drink it. You’re a good boy. Now that wasn’t too bad was it?”

Jarrod did as he was told. The doctor filled the glass again. And Jarrod automatically drank the second glass.

“You have done very well Mr. Montgomery,” he said as he looked at Jarrod. “Would you like to go home?”

Jarrod thought about the question. He couldn’t think. All he wanted to do was hide.

“You can hide from everyone if you want to go home,” the doctor said continuing to watch Jarrod. “Or you can stay here. It’s your choice. If you choose to stay here, you will have to take more medication. Will you be willing to do that without a fight?”

Jarrod nodded yes to both questions. Right now all he wanted to do was get away from people.

“You want to stay here,” the doctor said as he looked at the director who also nodded. “Good. I’ll have more medicine for you in an hour.”

Jarrod nodded and then sat back down in the corner drawing his knees up in front of him. He watched them as they left the room. He was still very frightened but he was even more frightened of leaving here.

As the doctor, Stanley and the director left the room, the doctor said, “You know Stanley, this medicine is slowly making him a coward and until they can isolate what it is, he won’t be much more than a frightened boy. I wish he hadn’t been given twice the dosage required.”

“Yes,” Stanley replied as he locked the door. “I wonder what his family will think if they come to see him. I mean will he even know who they are?”

“We’ll know soon enough,” the doctor told him as they walked back to the lab. “I don’t know if they will come or will want to take him out of here. As to answer your question, I don’t know if he will or not. I know this much for sure. His brain has been affected and he may or may not know. We’ll have to wait to see.”

“True,” Stanley told him. “I wonder what he did to get put in here.”

“I don’t know,” the director said smiling. “I would assume he was brought here to get help. But he does seem to have been a capable person. I don’t understand if he was brought here by mistake. But that’s not possible. All our patients are put here to be helped. What do you mean by twice the dosage?”

“The doctor that started on Montgomery’s case gave him twice the dosage he should have had. I’ve had to keep it up because he’s addicted to it and he will probably injure himself if I don’t.”

“I don’t know,” Bailey commented. “Who was the doctor?”

“A Dr. Powell,” the doctor remarked looking at Bailey. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t remember a Dr. Powell being on staff here,” Bailey said.

That remark shocked the doctor. He just realized that something was seriously wrong but how could it be repaired?

“That’s right sir?” Stanley replied. “But I’ve had to discipline him on several occasions because he forgot about something.”

“It couldn’t be helped,” the doctor answered. “He had to be taught right and wrong. But he is beginning to respond to the medication.”

“You have done very well doctor,” the director said smiling. “I am very pleased.”

“Thank you Mr. Bailey,” the doctor replied looking at Bailey. “I try to help everyone that is brought in here looking for help.”

“I know you have,” Bailey told him as he went back to his office.

The doctor again had the feeling that Montgomery shouldn’t have been brought in here but now it was too late. He was responding well to the medication. And hopefully his family would also be pleased.

Chapter Seven

Gene Barkley walked into Adam’s office the next morning. He decided it was best to face Adam in the morning rather than the middle of the night. So he got a room for the remainder of the night at one of the hotels but he couldn’t rest. All he thought about was Jarrod and where he could be. Sandra looked up at him as he walked in.

“Is Adam in?” he asked as he stopped in front of her desk. “I need to see him. It’s very important.”

“Yes,” she answered. “He’s expecting you. Go right on in.”

Gene walked inside the office. Adam was sitting behind his desk and he looked up when he heard the door open and then close.

“Gene,” he said as he walked over to the younger man, “I’m glad you’re here. I see you got my wire.”

“Adam,” Gene replied turning toward the older man, “I want to know what is going on. What’s happened to Jarrod? Where is he?”

“It all started the day before yesterday,” he told Gene as they walked into his office. “Sandra, my secretary, received a telegram from Henry Radcliff.”

Adam told Gene everything that had happened.

“I suspect that he is being held at the Mount Gable Sanitarium outside of town,” he said as he looked at Gene. “It’s the closest one to San Francisco and according to the commitment form that I signed, it was for a John Montgomery. I’m not even sure that Jarrod is there. That’s what we have to find out.”

“Can we go there now?” Gene asked wanting to find his brother. “I want to know that Jarrod is alive and all right.”

“I also wired your parents,” he answered. “I need to wait until they arrive. I thought they had a right to know.”

“Poor Jarrod,” Gene said as he thought about his brother being locked up in a sanitarium. “I wonder what they are doing to him.”

“I would say probably drugs,” he replied as he considered everything that Sandra had told him. “I have no idea what we are going to find when we get there.”

“What do you mean?” Gene asked as he looked at Adam. “Are you saying there is something wrong with him?”

“Gene,” he answered looking at the younger man, “Jarrod is in a sanitarium. They give drugs to people who have violent tendencies. They have to control the patients and drugs are the simplest way to achieve that.”

Jarrod is not violent!” Gene cried. “He is a kind and gentle man except when he is riled up. I should know. I’ve riled him up on several occasions.”

“Calm down,” he said trying to remain calm himself. “I’m saying that they give drugs to people to calm them down. So, not knowing what he has been given, we won’t know what we’re gong to find. But one thing is for sure. Your brother won’t be the same man you know.”

“Adam,” Tom asked as he, Victoria and Nick walked in, “where’s Jarrod? What do you know about his disappearance?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to explain to Gene,” he told them. “Jarrod is in the Mount Gable Sanitarium. He most probably has been drugged.”

“I agree with that,” Tom said nodding. “I’ve seen my share of violent people. However, Jarrod is not violent.”

“Tom,” he replied looking at Tom, “when a new patient is brought in, they use drugs to make him or her more susceptible to their rules. That means that he is being given something to make him obey them.”

“I don’t believe this,” Tom told him as he digested everything. “How did all this come about?”

“As I was telling Gene,” he said looking at the Barkley family, “Jarrod was kidnapped by a man Sandra met outside the office. At least we think he had something to do with Jarrod’s disappearance. She said he questioned her about Jarrod.”

“I want my son,” Tom replied angry at the entire situation. “Can we go get him?”

“I believe so,” he told them. “I signed the admission papers.”

“You what!” Tom exploded. “How could you do this to Jarrod? He looked up to you. You are his partner not his parent. That should have been left for me. But I promise you I wouldn’t have signed them. Jarrod is not an angry man.”

“I didn’t know at the time that I had,” he said calmly. “She got me to sign the papers and now it looks like with the name John Montgomery that Jarrod is a relative of mine. I never meant for this to happen and I wouldn’t have signed them had I known what they were for. I sometimes don’t read things before I sign them. It’s a bad habit and something I need to stop doing. She was forced to do this but I’d rather not go into how she was forced. But she explained everything to me.”

“How did she get the paper in the first place?” Victoria asked looking at Adam. “

“She met with Radcliff in Carson City,” he told her. “He had a document that would ruin her life and he used it to force her into getting me to sign the form. Then they changed his name and no one in that place probably knows what is going on. They’re just treating Jarrod as a patient.”

“My poor brother,” Gene said thinking out loud. “Why did he do this?”

“To stop Jarrod from testifying at the upcoming trial,” Tom replied looking at his youngest son. “If Jarrod is not mentally sound, his testimony will be thrown out of court and Radcliff will be free to continue his unlawful ways. He has to be stopped. But right now we have to find Jarrod. We need to know what kind of condition he’s in.””

“Any time you are ready,” he told them.

“We’re ready now,” Tom said for all of them.

The Barkleys and Adam left his office. As they walked past Sandra, she looked at them.

“I hope you can find him and bring him home,” she said looking at them. “I had no idea they were going to do this to Jarrod. He’s a fine young man and a lawyer.”

“Thank you Sandra,” Victoria replied smiling at her. “We don’t blame you for what happened. You are an innocent person in all this.”

Sandra watched them leave. She even said a small prayer that Jarrod would be all right.

“Lord,” she said as she sat behind her desk, “please help Jarrod. Please help his family too. I'm sorry for what I’ve done and I want them to understand. I think the world of Jarrod. Amen.”

The family along with Adam headed for the sanitarium and Jarrod.

Chapter Eight

When they arrived at the sanitarium, Adam was the first one out of the buggy.

“I’ll take care of getting him out of here,” he said as he looked at the others. “Please remember that Jarrod is going to be different. And for another thing his name is John Montgomery.”

“I don’t understand,” Nick replied looking at Adam. “You keep saying that. Why?”

“A few years ago,” Adam told them as they walked toward the door, “I had a very young client. He came to me for help and I failed him. His parents couldn’t deal with his violent temper so they had him committed several months after he had come to me. He wanted to see me so I went to visit him. He was totally different from what I knew. He did exactly what they told him to do. He took the drugs willingly. That’s what I’m afraid has happened to Jarrod. He may not recognize you or even worse.”

“Not recognize us,” Nick said not understanding. “Why wouldn’t he recognize us? We’re his family.”

“Nick,” Tom replied looking at his son, “it’s just possible that Jarrod has been conditioned to follow instructions and he may not know who we are for the moment. But he will recognize us once we get him out of there.”

The group was led to the office of Winston Bailey by one of the men who took patients to and from the lab for treatment. When they walked in, an older, gray haired gentleman rose from behind the desk.

“This is the Barkley family sir,” the man said as he ushered them into the office. “They want to see a patient named John Montgomery. “

“Wait a minute,” Bailey replied looking at the family. “What would the Barkleys want with an unfortunate soul that has been placed here to receive help?”

“It’s all been a mistake,” Tom told him. “I believe that John Montgomery is my son Jarrod. I need to see him.”

“That’s right!” Nick exclaimed. “He is going home with us. Right now.”

“Calm down son,” Tom said putting a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “We know who Jarrod is.”

“I am Winston Bailey,” the man said as he rose from where he was sitting behind the desk “I am the director of the sanitarium.”

“My name is Adam Howard,” Adam answered as he went to the desk. “I would like John Montgomery released to me. He was placed here by mistake. There is nothing wrong with him.”

“Ah yes,” he said as he looked at the group. “He was the young man recently brought in. He has made remarkable progress in a short amount of time. You will be very pleased.”

“Can we see him?” Adam asked. “I want him released. He didn’t need to come here.”

“You will have to remain here,” he answered looking up at Adam. “But the others are more than welcome to see him. The papers were signed and he was admitted. He has responded very nicely to the medication he has been given. Peter, take them to see John Montgomery in the solitary part of the facility.”

“Wait a minute,” Tom said as they started to leave. “What medication? There was nothing wrong with him. Adam is right. He was brought here by mistake. He is not violent and he is not sick. If he is our son.”

“I beg to differ with you sir,” he replied looking at Tom. “He was very violent when he was brought in. He had to be calmed.”

“Listen Mr. Bailey,” she told him. “You are not listening to what we are telling you. Jarrod was brought here against his will. We are his parents and we didn’t sign any papers placing him here.”

“That is not true,” he said looking at her and then pointing at Adam. “The papers were signed by you sir. And his name is John Montgomery.”

“I know they were signed by me,” Adam replied starting to get angry. “But I didn’t know that I was signing Jarrod in here. His name is not John Montgomery. It’s Jarrod Barkley. A man who wanted to ruin Jarrod’s credibility placed him in here. A man who wanted to stop him from testifying. These are his parents and they knew nothing about him being brought here. So I know that Henry Radcliff is behind this. He wanted to shut Jarrod up and keep him from testifying at the upcoming trial.”

“He was admitted and helped,” he told them. “Now if you want to see him, I suggest you go. As far as what you have said sir, you are mistaken. I know of no one named Henry Radcliff. I was not made to bring him here. He was admitted and has been cared for.”

“Yes sir,” Peter said as he led them out of the office.

Adam stood facing the man behind the desk.

“I want to know what you’ve done to him,” he said angry. “I know you’ve given him something. Tell me.”

“All we have done is to give him drugs to make his stay here more enjoyable,” he replied calmly.

“You better not have hurt him,” Adam told him signing the release papers. “Or you’re going to be very sorry.”

“Listen,” Bailey said very calmly, “Montgomery was brought in for treatment and he has been treated.”

As Peter unlocked the door to Jarrod’s room, the family readied themselves for what they would find. They hoped that the man in the room beyond the door was not Jarrod but they knew that it was. They were not prepared for what they saw. Jarrod was sitting in the floor in the back corner of the room. He was visibly shaking. They could tell he was terrified as well as the dark circles under his eyes. Tom knew right away that his son had been drugged. But was there any way to reverse what had been done to him or would he forever be this way? As they walked inside, he tried to withdraw more but the wall prevented him. Victoria was heartbroken. When Peter let the family inside the room, he returned to his duties. The family was alone as they tried to make Jarrod understand who they were and why they were there.

“Jarrod,” she said as calmly as she could, “it’s mother and father. Your brothers are here too. We want to take you out of here. Please honey. We’re not going to hurt you. I promise. We love you and want to help you. Do you understand?”

Jarrod didn’t answer her. He just continued to be deathly afraid of them.

“Honey,” she said as she edged closer to him seeing the dark circles under his dulled eyes, which had been caused by the medication he had been given, “it’s all right. “We’re going to take you home. Do you want to go home?”

Jarrod just looked at her. He didn’t recognize her as he sat there. His face was so drawn from whatever he had had to endure. Her heart went out to him as she watched him shake in the corner of the room.

“This is going to be harder than I thought,” she said as she spoke to the others. “He’s too afraid to realize who we are. I don’t think we can get close to him until he realizes who we are and that we’re not going to hurt him.”

“Let me try,” Nick replied as he slowly approached his brother. “Jarrod, its Nick. You remember me don’t you? We’ve always been close.”

Jarrod looked at Nick and his expression changed. Inside his tortured mind, he knew that name and that voice. He tried to figure out who he was.

“Nick,” he whispered still shaking as he finally realized who Nick was.

“That’s right,” Nick said smiling. “You remember mother, father and Gene don’t you?”

“Yes,” he replied still sitting in the corner as he looked at them.

“We want to take you home,” Nick told him smiling. “Would you like to go home?”

“Not want to,” he said still very frightened. “Stay here where safe.”

Nick looked at his parents and he was visibly shaken.

“What do we do now?” he asked looking at them. “He’s too afraid to leave with us. What have they done to him? Where’s my brother?”

“We have to convince him to trust us,” Tom answered looking at Jarrod. “If we can’t we have lost him forever.”

“Let me try,” Gene said walking to stand beside of Nick. “Jarrod, you want to go to your apartment. I can take you there. We’ll make sure no one can ever hurt you again. I promise.”

“Me stay here,” Jarrod replied again.

“Son,” Tom told him as he looked at his frightened son, “I know you’re scared but we’re not going to hurt you. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” he said looking at Tom as he recognized who he was. “Father.”

“Yes,” Tom replied smiling. “I’m your father and I’ve missed you.”

“You were gone from here,” he told Tom. “I know you were gone. They told me you would never come back.”

“I was at the ranch,” Tom said smiling. “Do you remember the ranch? I didn’t abandon you. I was at home. You work here. They said those things to confuse you. I’m never going to leave you alone ever.”

Jarrod looked at him and then slowly nodded.

“Yes,” he said but he was still very afraid. “I love you father.”

The doctor walked in interrupting any further talking. He looked at the crowd in the room. He had figured that this was the young man’s family but he had to get their attention so they wouldn’t harm Jarrod any further.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked quite upset. “Don’t you know you are scaring him. I had him calm and now look what you’ve done.”

“We’re his family,” Tom answered looking at the man. “If it’s any of your business. We just found out that he has been in here for at least two or three days. He was abducted. He doesn’t belong here. We’ve come to take him home. He wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place. What have you done to him? He’s afraid of us and he shouldn’t be.”

“I’m his doctor,” he said as he walked closer to Jarrod. “It’s time for his medicine.”

Jarrod rose from the floor walking to his bed where he sat down and opened his mouth for the doctor. He walked over to Jarrod and poured the glass of liquid into Jarrod’s mouth.

“One more dose,” he said as he poured another glassful.

Once again Jarrod opened his mouth swallowing the medicine.

“You can go back to your corner,” the doctor said as Jarrod stood up, walked over to the corner and sat down again pulling his knees up in front of him.

Tom and Victoria exchanged glances. They couldn’t believe this was their oldest son. Nick was mad.

“Look,” Nick said very angry with the man, “that’s my brother that you are treating like an animal. “I love him and I’m going to take him out of here. I don’t know what you’ve been giving him but you’re not giving him any more. Do you hear me? He used to be very brave and now he’s afraid of his own shadow. I ought to punch you out for what you’ve done.”

“I assure you it took a long time to get him to take the medication without a fight,” the doctor replied as he looked at Nick. “I finally won him over.”

“You talk about Jarrod like he is just a slab of beef,” Gene told him showing his anger. “He’s a human being who has been altered by that drug. We may never get him back.”

“I’m sorry about that,” the doctor said as he looked at Gene. “But I had to continue what the first doctor had started.”

Jarrod began shaking even harder as he heard the raised voices. Victoria noticed his face.

“Nick,” Tom remarked looking at Nick, “the doctor is trying to help Jarrod. Let’s hear him out.”

“But father,” Nick commented still very angry. “You’re going to trust him.”

“We have no choice,” she pleaded with him. “And I suggest you stop raising your voice Nick. Look at Jarrod. He’s very frightened. Jarrod trusts the doctor and we have to trust him.”

“I didn’t realize that I was scaring him,” Nick said as he looked over at Jarrod. “I’m sorry Jarrod. I won’t do it again.”

“It may already be too late,” she replied. “But we must try to win him over as calmly as possible.”

Nick finally nodded as he realized what his mother had said was the truth.

“All right,” Nick said as he looked at the doctor. “I’ll let you help him doc. But don’t forget I’ll have my eyes on you the whole time. And if you hurt him, I’ll take care of you.”

“He won’t leave with you,” the doctor replied looking at Jarrod. “He knows he is safe here. Out in the big world with all of the people, he would be petrified. I do care about him. But the medication was started before I became involved. I was too late to stop it. But I believe there is a small chance to bring the real Jarrod back.”

“How?,” Nick asked looking at the man. “What can bring him back now?.”

“If the medication can be dropped gradually he might recover,” the doctor said looking at them. “Right now he’s addicted to it. He can’t go without it. It’s supposed to help those tortured souls but some are given the medication to control their minds. That’s what has happened to Jarrod. He is being controlled. He is being made to follow simple commands. He can no longer think for himself. That drug has to be gotten out of his system.”

Nick looked at the doctor and then at Jarrod.

“Controlled” he said very angry, “so he can’t testify. I don’t believe any of this. I want to go to my brother. I believe he will let me come.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” the doctor replied. “We have to pull him to his feet to give him the medication. He is too afraid to realize who anyone is or to know that they will or will not hurt him."

“You don’t know us,” Nick told him looking at Jarrod. “Jarrod, I want to come to you. I want to help you. Will you let me help you?”

Jarrod looked at him then nodded his head. Nick slowly walked over to his brother, helping him to his feet.

“Come on over here and sit down,” Nick said as they walked over to Jarrod’s bed. “That’s a good boy. Sit down.”

Jarrod followed Nick watching every move he made. Tom and Victoria smiled as they saw their second son become a very caring brother. It was almost as if Nick was the older brother looking out for his younger brother, Jarrod. And at this moment Nick was.

“Everything is going to be all right,” Nick said as he sat down beside of Jarrod. “I’m right here and I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”

“Thanks,” Jarrod replied smiling. “Love Nick a lot. Remember Nick cares about me.”

“I do and I also love you,” Nick told him smiling. “I don’t tell you that much but it’s not because I don’t. It’s just my way. You ready to go home? I know you are tired.”

“Yes,” Jarrod said but he was still shaking, “tired but I afraid.”

“Jarrod,” Nick replied looking at his shaking and frightened brother, “do you trust me? If you trust me, you know I won’t let anyone hurt you. I may yell and I may fight but I don’t lie. You know I don’t. Let me take you home where you can be cared for. I promise that nothing bad will happen to you.”

Jarrod thought about the question as he looked at Nick. Then slowly he nodded.

“Yes,” Jarrod said as he nodded.

“Let me take care of you like you like you took care of me when I was younger,” Nick replied smiling.

“Yes,” Jarrod told him laying his head on Nick’s shoulder. “Rest.”

Nick looked at the doctor.

“He trusts me completely now,” he said as he looked at the others. “I told you that he would trust me. We have been very close all our lives and nothing is ever going to change that. I’m not about to let anyone hurt him.”

“Yes,” the doctor replied seeing the trust and bond between Jarrod and Nick. “I know that he completely trusts you. You must have been very close.”

“We still are,” he said looking at his brother.

Jarrod had closed his tired eyes and was sleeping.

“Nick,” she said as she looked at them, “don’t move. He’s asleep.”

“I thought so,” he replied as he looked up at her. “He was so quiet. It’s probably the best rest he’s had since he’s been in here. What are you running? A prison.”

“It’s no wonder with what he’s been through,” Tom told them. “As soon as Adam signs the papers, we’re taking him home where he can rest and hopefully heal.”

“I think there is something you should know,” the doctor said looking at them. “Your son being addicted to the medicine will become very angry if he doesn’t continue to get it. He will more than likely will hurt someone or himself. I hate to say this but he will be better off in here at least for the time being. At least until he can be taken off the medication.”

The news devastated the Barkleys. They weren’t sure what they should do.

“Are you trying to keep him here?” Tom asked with anger. “He’s my son and I am going to take him home.”

“No,” the doctor answered. “I only want you to know what he will go through. Although he would be perfectly fine here now under my care. But that is up to you. If you do decide to take him with you there is a way to help him though all of this.”

“Why are you doing this?” Nick asked looking at the man. “You work in a place like this. Do you really care about the people who are in here? I don’t think the director does.”

“John was brought here to be helped,” he answered looking at them. “Now, he’s like a child. He follows commands without really being able to think about it. I think the world of the patients in here. Most of them are like John. They obey simple commands. He has a lot of knowledge in his brain if you can locate it after what’s been done to him. It’s like that knowledge is locked away and you need a key to open the locked door to retrieve it. He doesn’t know what’s real or imaginary either. He’s very confused. I somehow have gained his trust. I want to help him heal. I want you to know that he may have been hypnotized to endure fierce pain if a certain word is used. I was not the doctor that hypnotized him. But I know it was done. I don’t know if that has any significance or not but I thought you should know. If he’s going to recover, he needs some kind of help. Number one being getting him off of this medication.”

“We appreciate everything that you have done to help him,” she said as she smiled at him. “We had planned to take him to the hospital in San Francisco for help.”

“That wouldn’t be a smart idea,” the doctor replied. “He doesn’t trust. He won’t trust. Your son is never going to trust as long as that medicine is in his system. And the only way you can help him get it out is to get him away from here. But there again he feels safe here so I don’t know what to tell you. His memory before the medication is still inside his brain. You only have to find it if you can. Otherwise, he could spend the rest of his life in this way. Only being able to follow simple commands.”

“I understand what you are saying doctor,” Tom told him. “But we want to take him home where he can begin to heal. Is that too much to ask?”

“No,” the doctor said looking at Jarrod. “But he is in a very vulnerable state right now. If you push too hard, he could remain a tortured soul forever.”

“Doctor,” she said wondering about something, “I was hoping you would continue to treat Jarrod even though he is no longer here. You seem to be a dedicated doctor and the patients in here are very lucky to have someone like you.”

“I think I can do that,” the doctor replied. “But I will have to be careful. If anyone finds out that I’m helping him, it could mean my job and my life.”

“Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated,” Tom told him looking at the man. “Your patients will be tended to and not used for experiments. I have some pull with senators and I will make it a point to point out to them just what is going on in here.”

“I thank you for that,” the doctor said smiling. “It would let me rest better at night. But we must be careful.”

They watched Jarrod sleeping with his head on Nick’s shoulder. Nick didn’t dare move because he knew Jarrod probably hadn’t had much rest over the last couple of days and he wanted Jarrod to be able to rest. He reached over and patted Jarrod on the shoulder.

“Rest big brother,” he said as he watched Jarrod. “You need it.”

Chapter Nine

Adam and Mr. Bailey walked into Jarrod’s room after the papers had been signed.

“Dr. Jordan,” Bailey said as he noticed the doctor, “I thought you would have been very busy in the lab administering medication to the patients.”

“I had to give John his hourly medication,” the doctor replied looking at the man. “I am now convinced that he will be able to function out of this place. His family will see to that.”

“I see,” Bailey told him. “Then he is free to leave. But I’m guessing that you’ll be bringing him back here very shortly.”

“I don’t think so,” the doctor said looking at Jarrod. “His brother has taken over and Jarrod trusts him. He will be fine.”

“Suit yourself,” Bailey replied looking at the Barkleys. “Physically, he will be fine but mentally, he will not be able to function away from here. He feels safe in here. Outside, he will be very frightened. I think you should reconsider.”

“Father,” Nick told him looking up at Tom, “maybe he’s right. It could be worse if we take Jarrod out of here. I mean if he feels safe here why try to move him if it will harm him.”

“Son,” Tom said looking at Jarrod, “I am tempted to agree. He’s not ready to leave here. In fact, he may never be. We wouldn’t be able to handle the adjustment that he has to go through when he is taken off this drug.”

“What does that mean?” Gene asked speaking for the first time. “You’re talking about my brother not a slab of beef. You’re also saying that he will never be able to leave here. I would take him home, work with him, care for him until the day he was ready to take care of himself.”

“Gene dear,” she said as she looked at her youngest son, “I appreciate what you’re offering to do. But you have classes to attend. Jarrod is not the same person he was the last time you saw him. He is very sick. I don’t want you to give up your life to take care of him. We will do that if we feel that we can. Right now we are not very sure.”

“You don’t have to sugar coat it mother,” Gene replied looking at her. “I’m a grown man. I know what’s wrong with Jarrod. I know he’s not the same man I once knew. But that man is still inside of him. All we have to do is draw him out. How hard can that be?”

“I believe that Jarrod may be in this condition for the rest of his life,” Tom answered looking at the doctor. “Am I right?”

“It is possible with the amount of drugs he’s been given,” the doctor said looking at the family. “He has been medicated until he is only able to obey simple commands. His thinking capacity has been dulled. He can’t think on his own any longer.”

“Doctor,” Bailey replied looking at the man with anger, “when a new patient is brought in the first thing we do is see if they are violent or not. Your son was very violent when he was admitted. Therefore, we felt it necessary to control that behavior with medicine.”

“You have put him down to being just another tortured soul in this place,” the doctor told them. “And I don’t like that one bit. These people are admitted here to be helped but they aren’t. They are treated like dirt. These are human beings with feelings. To strip their dignity away is not what I call helping them. They need to be understood first and then they can be treated. But you just medicate them until they are no longer the person that was admitted. They are followers not leaders. They don’t understand any longer.”

“You’re treading in dangerous waters doctor,” Bailey said looking at the doctor. “I’m in charge here and these patients are treated very well.”

“Not in my book they’re not,” the doctor replied showing his anger. “I don’t care about anything except helping these unfortunate souls. Just to give you an example, take John here. When he was admitted according to his family, he was an energetic, self-assured, a self-confident person. Now look at him. He’s nothing more than a child. A frightened one at that. And we did this. All of us.”

“And I’ll tell you something else,” Tom said showing his anger. “He was brought here to stop him from testifying against a man who had tried to kill him once all ready. Henry Radcliff doesn’t want him to testify so he had some of his men kidnap Jarrod and bring him here for reconditioning as you call it.”

“Instead, I was ordered to give him twice the medication he should have had which turned him into a simple-minded man without any personality,” the doctor remarked. “He has lost the ability to think for himself. He has lost the ability to choose what he wants to do. All he is capable of doing now is following commands or suffer the consequences. I know the real John Montgomery is locked up inside that body but right now but I have no idea how to release him without hurting him more than he’s already been hurt. And I refuse to do that. He’s suffered enough.”

“I admire you standing up for the patients doctor,” Bailey replied. “But you are wrong. I’m not deliberately hurting any patient. They need to be controlled and this is how they are controlled. What was that about double dosage?”

“I said that he was given twice the dosage of medication that he should have been,” the doctor remarked. “I was ordered to continue it.”

“I see,” Bailey commented as he realized something. “Was there another doctor on his case?”

“Yes,” the doctor said looking at the director. “Why?”

“Because there wasn’t supposed to be,” Bailey replied. “You were the doctor assigned to his case.”

“I was not aware of that,” the doctor said. “There was another doctor in the lab the first day he was brought there. I had never seen him before.”

“Do you recall his name?” Bailey asked trying to find out what was going on.

“Wait a minute,” the doctor answered as he remembered. “Powell. A Dr. Powell.”

“Good,” Bailey said as he nodded. “I’ll find this doctor.”

“I don’t know about any of that,” Tom told them. “All I want is to take my son home. He needs his family around him even if he doesn’t know everything right now. He’s still my son and I am prepared to take care of him until he either gets better or one of us is no longer here.”

“By all means,” she agreed with her husband. “Jarrod needs us. I won’t abandon him.”

“Of course,” Bailey said beginning to recognize Tom’s face. “You’re the famous Tom Barkley. I didn’t realize that we had a celebrity here with us. If this John Montgomery is your son, I’m sorry for the mix up. We were given this patient to help and now we have.”

“His name is not John Montgomery!” Tom replied raising his voice. “It’s Jarrod. Jarrod Barkley.”

“I mean that what has been done to him can cause permanent damage to his mind,” the doctor told him. “He won’t be anything but a mindless child. It’s possible that in time he might retrieve some of his personality. But the real man will be gone. Just a shell of him will remain. I don’t mean to be so blunt but I have to be truthful.”

“I don’t understand any of this,” Nick said coming off the bed and allowing Jarrod to fall to his bed which woke him up. “Why would you do this to a very caring, kind, loving man? He didn’t ask for this. He was brought into it.”

Jarrod rose going over to the corner where he sat down again. Noticing his expression, the doctor went to him.

“Jarrod,” he said very calmly, “I want to help you. Will you let me?”

Jarrod looked up at him and his eyes knew what the man was saying but his mind was having a difficult time understanding.

“Yes,” Jarrod said very low.

“Come with me,” the doctor replied extending his hand toward Jarrod.

“Doctor, I would advise you to be careful,” Bailey told the doctor. “He’s still having difficulties.”

“I wouldn’t worry about me around the patients,” the doctor said looking at Jarrod. “I’m going to try to repair the damage that has been done to him if it can be repaired.”

Dr. Powell, who had been standing in the hallway when the Barkley family was taken to their son’s room, knew he had to stop them from taking the young man out of here. He had Jarrod right where he wanted him to be and he didn’t want any interference from the family or another doctor. So he calmly walked into the room and he went to Jarrod. He knew Jarrod had to be dealt with right then, he pulled Jarrod roughly to his feet and pushed the syringe he had in his right hand into Jarrod’s arm.

“Oh!” Jarrod cried as he felt the medicine in his system.

Jarrod began to sway as the doctor held him in front of him.

“What did you give him?” Tom asked trying to reach his son. “What have you done? And who are you? What do you want with my son?”

“I gave him another kind of medication that will sit dormant in his system for days before it starts to work,” the man answered smiling. “And when it does, you won’t like what you see. I was put in here to stop him anyway I could and now I have.”

“You didn’t!” the doctor cried. “Why? Because I said I didn’t want to hurt him any longer. You are a mad man. You are going to punish that young man because he stood up to that man named Radcliff. You are working for him. I didn’t think I recognized you.”

“You’re right,” the first doctor said smiling. “Henry Radcliff put me in here to deal with Barkley. He set everything up. Now he will go free and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“What do you mean?” Nick asked looking at the doctor.

“I’m not sure what he’s given Jarrod,” Jordan answered. “But whatever it is he’s right about one thing.”

“What’s that?” Tom asked worried about his son.

“Jarrod is going to have some kind of reaction to it,” the doctor answered looking at Jarrod in the first doctor’s grip. “If he’s done what I think he’s done, Jarrod will become very violent.”

“I don’t think you know my son very well,” Tom said looking at the doctor. “He’s never been a violent person.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about,” the doctor replied looking at Tom. “The medication that he’s been given will make him want more. And in order to get more, he will become angry at whoever he feels is standing in his way.”

“Isn’t there anything you can do to stop it?” she asked horrified at the thought.

“No,” the doctor answered looking at the other doctor. “It’s a new drug from overseas and we haven’t had time to test it much. I’m afraid I don’t even know what it will do.”

The family looked at Jarrod realizing that the man they had come to love and admire was now going to be drastically changed forever. In his place stood a frightened man now but what would he be in another week. Nick couldn’t stand it and ran out of the room. He couldn’t deal with the fact that the Jarrod he had come to love and admire was gone and he would never see him again. The other family members followed him trying to help him cope with the situation. They forgot about Jarrod who felt that he had been abandoned. The doctor dropped Jarrod to the floor and left the room too. He disappeared from the sanitarium altogether. Jarrod looked around for Nick and when he couldn’t find him, he stood up and ran face first into the locked door trying to reach Nick.

“Nick!” he cried, “where are you? I need you!”

Then he ran toward the door.

“Owe!” he cried as he was thrown back to the floor unconscious.

Chapter Ten

Once Nick was out in the hallway, he pounded his fist on the closed door.

“Why!” he cried as he hit the door. “Why did it have to be Jarrod? I need him.”

“It’s all right sweetheart,” his mother said as she put her arms around him. “We’ll still love him. He’s still my son. Nothing will ever change that.”

“That’s right son,” Tom replied looking at Nick and then Gene. “He’s still a member of this family. I expect him to be treated as one.”

“Yes of course,” Nick told them. “Oh no. I left Jarrod alone.”

At that moment they heard the cry from his room. Running inside they saw the prone body of Jarrod lying on the hard floor. His forehead had a long gash cut on it and he was unconscious. Nick ran to him cradling his head in his hands.

Jarrod,” he said as he looked down at his brother, “wake up. Please. I didn’t mean to leave you alone. I’m sorry.”

The doctor kneeled down beside of them. When he looked up a short time later, he shook his head.

“He’s got a very serious concussion,” he said as he looked up at them. “I need to get him to the lab. It’s the closest medical facility we have.”

“Will he live?” Tom asked for all of them.

“I don’t know yet,” he answered gesturing for Nick and Gene to pick Jarrod up. “It doesn’t look very good.”

Despite the way Nick felt, he did as the doctor asked. Gently, he picked up Jarrod’s upper body cradling his head. Gene picked up the lower half. They moved him to the lab where he was placed on a small bed. The doctor went to work. First, he cleaned the gash, then applied medicine and finally wrapped Jarrod’s head with a bandage. Then he examined the extent of the injury.

“He definitely has a concussion,” he said as he looked up at the family. “It appears to be a very serious one. I’ll give you the facts. If he does wake up, he could have brain damage or he could be all right with time. If he doesn’t wake up, he could lay like that for years no more than a vegetable. The fact that he has been given drugs to control him could make it ten times worse. I won’t know for sure until he wakes up.”

“I see,” Tom replied speaking for the others. “So he does have a chance to survive.”

“Yes,” the doctor told them. “But at this point with all he’s been through I don’t hold out much hope.”

“Then you don’t know my brother,” Nick said looking at his brother. “He’s a real fighter. He won’t quit. I know he won’t.”

“Take it easy son,” Tom replied trying to help his son. “We know how you feel. No one is blaming you for what happened. You were angry. You reacted.”

“And Jarrod got hurt because of it,” Nick shot back. “I didn’t stop to think about him. I was only thinking about myself. I’m going to blame myself for the rest of my life for what I did to him. He has always warned me about my quick temper and the way I react to things before thinking them through. Well this time, he was right. But have I caused him to never get better?”

Nick walked out of the room. He needed to be alone. How would he be able to cope with things without his reasonable brother? He had no idea. But he knew that he would be angry at himself for the rest of his life for what he had done to Jarrod.

“I wish he wouldn’t punish himself,” she said after Nick left the room. “It’s not his fault.”

“We know that,” Tom replied trying to console his wife. “But right now Nick feels like he has lost a part of himself. And maybe he has to. But what I’m really worried about is whatever the other doctor gave him. What is it going to do to Jarrod if he wakes up?”

“Nick’s right too,” Gene told them. “I don’t know how I’ll go on without him. I know that I haven’t always been the best brother to him but I never got a chance to tell him just how much he means to me.”

“You will son if it’s God’s will,” Tom said looking at his youngest son. “If God decides he needs Jarrod, we’ll have to let him go. I know it won’t be easy but it’s up to God and Jarrod now.”

“Your father is right,” she replied nodding. “The only thing we can do for him is to keep the faith and pray.”

Gene nodded as he stood there looking down at his still brother lying on the bed. He had no idea whether Jarrod would wake up or not but he vowed to never give up hope.

Chapter Eleven

Over the next four days there wasn’t any change in Jarrod’s condition. The family had begun to accept the fact that Jarrod would probably never wake up now.

“I guess the doctor was right,” Nick said as he continued to stay by his brother’s side. “It doesn’t look very promising that Jarrod is going to ever wake up. He’ll never try a case in court or walk through the door or talk to me like we used to or tell me to quit bothering him. God, I miss him.”

“I know it’s hard,” Tom replied looking at his son. “But we can’t give up the faintest hope that a miracle might happen. If he doesn’t, we’ll take him home to stay for however long.”

“I agree,” she told them. “Jarrod will be much happier at home where he can spend his time resting.”

“Mother,” Gene said looking at her, “you talk like he’s going to know where he is. He will be lying just like that forever never knowing what is happening. That’s worse than death.”

“He’s still my son,” she replied looking right at Gene. “And I won’t have you imply that I don’t understand what’s going on. I do. But I refuse to turn my back on him. Mothers just don’t abandon their children because they no longer know anything. I’ll love him until the day I die or he does. And then I will never forget him.”

“I understand now mother,” Gene told her. “And I’m sorry for being so unkind to you and Jarrod.”

“I’m not angry at you Gene,” she said smiling. “I know you love your brother and so does Jarrod.”

The next day a miracle took place. The family was sitting around the bed when they noticed Jarrod’s eyes starting to open. They jumped up from their chairs trying to coax him to wake up.

“Jarrod,” Tom said looking at his son, “come on. You can do it. We’re here for you.”

“Yes honey,” she replied also looking at him. “You wake up. We’re all here waiting for you.”

“I’m here big brother and I need you,” Gene told him.

“Come on Jarrod,” Nick said smiling. “Open your eyes.”

After several tries Jarrod finally succeeded in opening his eyes.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he tried to deal with the severe headache he had. “Where am I?”

“Did you hear that?” Tom wanted to know. “He seems to be back to normal.”

“During the time that Jarrod was unconscious,” the doctor answered, “the medicine cleared out of his system allowing him to start to return to normal. However, he still will have a ways to go. He’ll have a bad headache for a while along with a possibility of some problems with movement or other things.”

“Will you stop acting like I’m not even here?” he asked looking around. “I want to know what’s happened.”

“Boy,” Nick answered smiling, “that’s a very long story.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked trying to turn his head and cringing as he looked at Nick.

“That will have to wait a while,” the doctor said looking at Jarrod. “You have a serious concussion and a large cut on your forehead. You need to rest.”

“Who are you?” he asked not knowing.

“I’m your doctor,” Jordan answered. “Do I have to sedate you to let you rest?”

Jarrod thought about the question.

“No,” he said as he looked at the doctor.

“Son,” Tom replied as he looked down at his son, “we’ll explain everything after you get some much needed rest.”

“That’s right honey,” she told him smiling. “You just do what the doctor says.”

“Doc,” he asked looking up shutting his eyes to the pain coming from his injured head, “do you have anything for this headache?”

“I sure do,” the doctor answered producing a bottle of medicine. “Open your mouth and I’ll fix you right up.”

Jarrod laid there a minute. He couldn’t put his finger on it but he was sure that he had heard that phrase before. He finally opened his mouth and took the medicine. Before long he was resting peacefully.

“I’m so thankful that he’s going to be all right,” she said looking down at her sleeping son. “Doctor, will he be all right?”

“I won’t know until he is up on his feet but he seems to be headed in that direction,” the doctor answered. “I want to keep him here another day at least and then you can take him home to rest. He’ll need at least a good month to heal from this ordeal even if he can’t remember most of it. And that’s not abnormal. He’s been through a lot and he needs time to heal. I need to remind you that that other drug is still in his system and I’m not sure what it will do to him but if you feel that you can take him home then I’m not going to stand in your way.”

“We’ll take him home to the ranch to heal,” Tom said smiling. “And I’m sure we can deal with whatever happens to him.”

“Yeah,” Nick replied looking at his brother. “He won’t have to do a thing. I’ll make sure he enjoys himself.”

“Good,” the doctor told them smiling. “I won’t have to worry any longer except about the medicine but there’s nothing that I can do to counteract it. Dr. Powell is an evil man but I never thought he would do anything like this. He has tied a noose around his own neck to protect a man that should have been locked up long ago.”

“Doc,” Tom said looking at him, “I want to have that other doctor arrested so I’m going to see Senator Bridger. I think he can help. But there is another problem.”

“What father?” Gene asked looking at him.

“If Jarrod can’t remember what happened to him,” Tom answered looking at them all, “I’m not sure how we’re going to get any justice.”

“I’ll be willing to testify to what I know happened,” the doctor said. “And it’s just possible that Bailey would also testify. I’m not sure but it’s worth a try asking him.”

“That would be wonderful,” she replied smiling. “Radcliff has been nothing but a problem for Jarrod. He’s already tried to kill him and now this.”

“After you talk to the senator,” the doctor told Tom, “you can have the police talk to this other doctor to see if he would be willing to testify to what he knows. Although if he refuses you can have him arrested as an accessory. That is if you can find him.”

“What do you mean by that?” she asked.

“The doctor seems to have disappeared completely,” the doctor answered looking at them. “No one has seen him since the day that he injected John with the drug.”

“That’s not good,” Gene said. “What are we going to do now?”

“I don’t know,” Nick replied looking at Jarrod. “But we have to put Radcliff away. Even if we can’t find the other doctor if we can get Radcliff, the others will follow.”

“What do you mean the others will follow?” Gene asked Nick.

“I mean the men who worked for him,” Nick answered looking at his brother. “They might even testify against him. It’s worth a try.”

“Yes,” Tom said nodding his head. “It is worth a try. And we’ll do everything we can to put an end to Jarrod’s suffering at the hands of Henry Radcliff.”

Chapter Twelve

“I’m going to let you go home now,” the doctor said as he looked at Jarrod a couple of days later. “But I want you to take it easy for a while. No working at all, is that understood? You could have some blurred vision and other problems. I’m just not sure the full extent of that concussion.”

“Yes sir,” he replied looking up at the doctor. “I still have a headache and I feel a little groggy. I still don’t know what is going on but maybe with time it will come back to me."

“That’s to be expected,” the doctor told him. “I want you to take a spoonful of this medicine every four hours as needed for pain. Check with your own doctor when you get home.”

“I will,” he said smiling. “Thanks for everything even if I can’t remember the most of it.”

“I’m the one who is greatful,” the doctor replied. “You have saved the other tortured souls in here any more heartache.”

“I’m not sure what you mean but maybe my family will fill me in,” he told the man. “I still don’t even know how I wound up here in the first place.”

“We’ll explain everything,” Tom said looking at his son. “When you’re ready.”

The family left the sanitarium. Jarrod was thrilled to be outside in the fresh air again. He looked at all the beauty that surrounded him.

“I want you to come back to the ranch,” Tom said as they walked to the buggy. “You can get plenty of rest and be back here in a month.”

“But what about Adam?” he asked looking at Tom. “I need to tell him. He deserves to know what has happened to me even if I can’t remember.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Tom answered smiling at Jarrod. “I have to see Senator Bridger. And he knows what happened to you. He was there when we found you.”

“What for?” he asked not understanding. “I wish I could remember what happened.”

“I’ll tell you later,” Tom answered smiling at his son. “You need to rest before the train trip home. And that’s what I want you to do. No sitting up trying to figure out what happened. Your head has been through a lot over the last few days. Do you understand me?”

“All right,” he said still not understanding. “I promise I’ll rest but I still want to know what happened to me in that sanitarium. I have a feeling it wasn’t a pleasant experience for me.”

“You go back to your apartment and pack,” Tom replied as he climbed into the buggy. “I’ll go talk to the senator and meet you there.”

“Yes,” she told him nodding.

Tom headed over to the senator’s office after he dropped the others off in front of Jarrod’s apartment building.

“Jarrod,” she said after Tom had left, “we’ll explain everything to you once you’re ready to hear it.”

“Mother,” he replied holding his head with his hand, “I think I’m starting to remember little pieces of things. I’m not sure but I think.”

“Honey,” she asked him as she stopped to look at his face, “are you in a lot of pain?”

“Some,” he said but she could tell he wasn’t being entirely honest.

“Let’s get you back to your apartment where you can rest until we leave on the train,” she replied looking at Nick and Gene. “Boys, help me with Jarrod.”

Nick and Gene helped Jarrod make it to his apartment. He almost fell trying to unlock the door before Nick took the key from his shaking hand.

“Gene,” Nick said as he took the key from Jarrod, “hold onto him.”

“I won’t let go,” Gene told him as he held onto Jarrod. “Jarrod, stop fighting me. I’m only trying to help.”

Jarrod not realizing what he was doing was trying to pull away from Gene’s grip. Gene had to hold on tighter with his other hand. Nick finally turned and took hold of Jarrod’s arms.

“Easy boy,” he said as he turned Jarrod to look at him. “You’re with your family.”

Jarrod stopped fighting and looked at Nick.

“I don’t know what come over me,” he said as he looked at his brother. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing,” Nick replied looking at Jarrod. “Let’s go inside and you can rest.”

Jarrod nodded. They finally got Jarrod inside and laid him down on his bed. He was out on his feet. Victoria looked at him worried.

“Boys,” she said as she turned to look at them, “Jarrod doesn’t look very well. He looks like he’s in a lot of pain.”

“Yes he does,” Nick replied as he stood on the other side of the bed. “Don’t you think we need to get him to the hospital?”

“Not yet,” she told Nick. “Let’s let him rest and see how he is when he wakes up. After that episode on the porch, I’m going to keep a very close eye on him. I don’t want to take my eyes off of him and then he turn around hurting someone or even himself.”

“You’re not the only one,” Nick said as he sat down beside the bed. “I’m very worried myself. He’s never acted this way before. True, we’ve been mad at each other before but Jarrod has never tried to hit me.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t know what he’s doing,” she replied looking at her son. “And it’s just possible that other medicine is working on him like the doctor said.”

“I hope not,” Nick told her. “He can’t take too much more.”

As Jarrod laid there, he began to remember bits and pieces of what had been done to him. He was becoming afraid again but he wasn’t sure why. He only knew that he had to be careful or he could wind up dead or worse.

Chapter Thirteen

Tom walked into Senator Bridger’s office. His secretary looked up smiling when she saw who it was.

“Mr. Barkley,” she said as she looked up at him, “it’s nice to see you again.”

“Is the senator in?” he asked being very frank.

“Yes sir,” she answered smiling. “Would you like to see him?”

“Yes,” he said very quickly. “It’s very important.”

“Just a moment,” she replied as she stood up walking into the senator’s office.

The senator walked out a few minutes later with a broad smile on his face.

“Tom,” he said as he shook Tom’s hand, “it’s good to see you again. What can I do for you?”

“I need to speak to you in confidence,” Tom replied as he looked at the man. “It’s a very important matter sir.”

“Certainly,” he told Tom as he led him to his office closing the door.

Once inside, Tom turned to look at the senator.

“I have a problem that you may be able to help,” Tom said as he stood.

“Go ahead,” he replied sitting down at his desk. “I’m all ears.”

“Jarrod has been working here for the past few months,” Tom told him.

Tom laid out the entire event of what had happened with Henry Radcliff. When he was finished the senator looked up at him.

“I don’t believe any of this,” he said in shock. “Who would do such things to a promising young lawyer?”

“A desperate man,” Tom replied nodding his head at the senator. “A man who knows he is facing a prison sentence.”

“I’ll talk to Bailey and the doctor,” he told Tom. “I’m sure they’ll be willing to help put Radcliff away. What about this other doctor that gave him the drug? Have you been able to locate him?”

“Jarrod is my main concern right now,” Tom said still very worried about his son. “I don’t know what is going to happen with him. That drug that the other doctor injected him with could cause problems. I just hope we’re up to whatever happens.”

“Don’t you worry about anything other than helping that son of yours,” he replied looking at Tom. “I’ll take care of the other. And I’ll be in touch when I’m ready to hear Jarrod’s side in all this.”

“All right,” Tom told him getting ready to leave. “Thanks for helping. If he can remember. Right now he can’t but it could come back. At least he’s more like his old self.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” he said smiling. “Tell Jarrod I’m hoping he’ll get well very soon.”

“I will,” Tom replied as he left the office.

He walked over to Adam’s office. When he walked in, he saw Sandra. He was still very angry with the girl but he tried to hold his temper.

“Adam in?” he asked her. “I need to speak with him.”

“Yes he is,” she answered. “Mr. Barkley, I wanted to say just how sorry I am for everything that has happened to Jarrod. I never meant to hurt him. I know it’s hard for you to believe anything I say but I’m very sincere in this. I think the world of Jarrod. Do you want to know how Radcliff convinced me?”

Tom looked at her. He was still angry and in a hurry but he decided to hear her out.

“All right,” he said as looked at her. “I’ll listen.”

“It all started when I was a very young girl,” she replied telling him everything that had happened to her. “So you see, he had the arrest papers. He threatened to give them to Mr. Howard. I couldn’t let that happen. Mr. Howard would never have trusted me again. I’m just sorry that Jarrod had to get hurt in the process.”

“I understand why you did it,” he told her. “But I don’t condone it. You almost cost me my son.”

“I realize that now,” she said not looking at him. “If he wants to prefer charges, I will accept whatever happens to me. I only wanted you and your family to know why I did it and that I am very sorry that I did it.”

“I’ll remember,” he replied.

Tom didn’t wait to hear anymore. He had to talk to Adam and then get back to his son. He walked inside Adam’s office.

“Tom,” Adam asked as he looked up, “how’s Jarrod? Is there any change?”

“We’re going to take him home to heal,” he answered. “He woke up and remembers nothing of what happened to him in the sanitarium. He seemed perfectly fine except that he has a serious concussion. I don’t know what to expect from that other drug in his system. We’ll have to wait and see on it. He needs to be where he won’t think about any of this. With that head injury, he’s going to need time to heal.”

“I agree,” Adam said remembering the sight of Jarrod he had seen. “I’m waiting until Jarrod is up to ask him what he wants to do about Sandra. She has broken the law. But she really didn’t know who was being committed. I signed the paper and I didn’t know who it was either. I guess I’m just as guilty as she is.”

“He’s not up to that yet,” he replied shaking his head. “He still doesn’t remember a whole lot. She told me everything. I don’t condone what she did either but I can see her point. No one wants a past indiscretion to ruin what he or she has built. But in her case, she caused pain to Jarrod. I can’t overlook that fact.”

“I know that,” Adam told him looking at Tom. “I’m just sorry that it all had to happen.”

“That’s all over now,” he said looking at Adam. “I better get back to him. I don’t know what’s going to happen with that other medicine. I’m still worried about that.”

“Tell him I’m thinking about him and looking forward to seeing him very soon,” Adam replied smiling. “And he still has a job if he wants it.”

“I will,” he told him and left.

Chapter Fourteen

Tom walked into Jarrod’s apartment a short time later. Victoria looked up when he came in. She had decided to let Nick sit with his brother and he had promised her he would let her know if Jarrod woke up.

“Where’s Jarrod?” he asked as he looked for his son. “Has anything happened since you got him home?”

“He’s asleep,” she answered not looking up. “He was quite ill when we got here. He tried to fight Gene and Nick. He fell asleep or unconscious as soon as he was laid on the bed. I’m very worried about him.”

“I’ll check on him,” he said as he headed for Jarrod’s bedroom. “I hope it’s not that medicine starting to work on him.”

“Tom,” she asked stopping him, “what did the senator say?”

“He’s going to talk to the doctor and Bailey,” he answered looking at her. “He told me that he would let me know what happened.”

“That’s good to know,” she said looking at how uneasy Tom was. “Go on. We can talk more later.”

“Thanks,” he replied as he headed for Jarrod’s bedroom.

Tom eased the door open, walking inside. He saw Nick sitting beside the bed. Nick looked up as Tom walked in.

“Father,” Nick whispered looking up, “you’re back. How did it go? Did you see the senator?”

“Yes,” he said in a whisper. “He’s going to do everything he can to help. He’s going to talk to both the doctor and Bailey. That’s all I know for now. How is he?”

“He’s still out,” Nick replied looking at his brother. “I’m not sure if he’s asleep or unconscious. He hasn’t moved a muscle since we laid him down.”

“How long has he been in bed?” he asked looking at his son.

“About an hour,” Nick answered as he looked over at his brother. “I guess he was tired. One thing though. He tried to fight Gene and then me. You don’t think...”

“I would say so,” he said as he looked at Nick. “Let’s let him sleep for now. We’ll deal with it when he wakes up. Nick, if he does become violent, we’re going to take him straight to the hospital. They have things they can do to help a violent person. We don’t so I think that would be the best thing to do.”

“I hope he doesn’t,” Nick replied but he knew in his heart that Jarrod would be very angry when he woke up.

Tom walked out of Jarrod’s bedroom and leaned against the wall. He was completely exhausted. But there was no way under the circumstances that he could rest. Not with Jarrod in the condition he was in.

“Tom,” she said as she walked up to him, “I’m afraid...”

“Yes,” he replied not letting her finish. “It’s got to be that medicine that the doctor injected into Jarrod. It’s going to start working on him. We still don’t know what to expect.”

“How do we handle it?” she asked very concerned. “Do we try to be very sweet to him or do we become angry with him?”

“I’m going to the hospital and talk to them about it,” he answered starting to walk away. “If he wakes up and if he becomes violent, tell Nick and Gene to subdue him any way they can. Don’t strike him. That will only make him worse. I’m sure once I can talk to a doctor, we can take care of it and get Jarrod the help that he desperately needs.”

“I hope so,” she said looking up at him. “That’s not my son in there. That’s a complete stranger.”

“Victoria,” he replied turning to look at her, “Jarrod has been through a very horrible experience. Luckily, he doesn’t remember the most of it. But his body does and we have to help him cope with what has happened to him. He doesn’t know what he’s doing right now. One minute he’s scared, the next minute he’s angry.”

“It’s like a door opening and closing,” she told him. “Or two completely different people. One gentle and the other very angry and upset. I hope they can help.”

“Yes,” he said trying to reassure her. “We’re going to try to get our son back. But there is a possibility that we won’t be able to. I don’t know. I’m not a doctor.”

“I know you’re doing the best you can for him,” she replied smiling slightly. “But it’s very hard watching him going through all of this and not knowing what to do to help him. He’s my son and right now he’s more of a stranger than a son.”

“I know,” he told her pulling her into a hug. “But we can’t give up hope. Our Jarrod is in there somewhere. I’m sure of that. We just have to hope that when he gets through this he’ll be back to being himself.”

“I agree,” she said looking at him. “ But what if he doesn’t?”

“I don’t know,” he replied thinking about the question. “I know this much. I’m not going to stop loving him just because he isn’t our Jarrod.”

“I agree,” she told him smiling. “You better go before he does wake up.”

Tom nodded and left. Victoria waited to see which son would wake up.

Chapter Fifteen

Tom walked into the hospital, stopping in front of nurses’ desk. He wanted to see a doctor to see how to handle what Jarrod would be going through but he was also in somewhat of a hurry.

“Can I help you?” she asked looking up at him.

“Yes,” he answered choosing his words very carefully. “Do you have a doctor that can deal with anger one minute and terrified the next? I mean in a grown man. It’s my son and I need to know what to do. He’s been through a lot recently and he’s acting very strangely.”

“I’ll get Dr. Stephens,” she said as she left the desk.

Tom waited but he was still very worried not only for Jarrod but also for the safety of Victoria, Nick and Gene. He worried that Jarrod would attack them. He didn’t want to think about that but he had to. His level headed and rational son was now irrational. It wasn’t Jarrod’s fault and Tom wasn’t about to blame him either.

“I’m Dr. Larry Stephens,” a middle aged man said wearing a white coat. “Can I help you?”

“If you can help someone who is having swings of behavior,” Tom replied looking at the man. “I mean calm one minute and mad the next. Scared one minute and angry the next.”

“Who is it?” he asked looking at Tom very seriously. “And what is the age of the person? Is he young or old?”

“My oldest son,” Tom answered looking at the doctor. “He’s twenty-five almost twenty-six and a lawyer. Does that make a difference? You see, it all started about a month ago. Jarrod was trying to get his partner’s secretary off a murder charge...”

Tom told the doctor everything that had happened to Jarrod since he first came in contact with Henry Radcliff. After he was finished, the doctor considered what he had heard. Tom watched the man to see what kind of expression he had. He realized the doctor really cared for what Jarrod was going through.

“Yes,” he said as he thought about everything. “I agree. He’s going to need to be kept from hurting himself or someone else. I’ll have to restrain him to the bed but it’s for his own good. It will look like I’m being cruel to him but I’m not. It’s to protect him as well as you. He won’t be harmed but I need to discover what he has been given and try to figure a way to counteract it. You won’t be able to go near him once he has been brought in. Even though he will be restrained, he could still get loose and therefore could be injured or injure someone else.”

“I understand doc,” Tom replied as he looked at the doctor. “The doctor at the sanitarium where he was placed said that the drug that was injected into Jarrod was something new from overseas. I’m not sure my wife can stay away from him. She’s always been there any time he has been ill. It’s going to be very hard on her as well as one of my other sons.”

“Yes,” he told Tom. “I’ve heard of that. But I don’t know that much about it at the moment. I don’t want to deprive you of the closeness but for safety sake, you will have to abide by this order. But you can still be where he can see and hear you although he might not be willing to listen to what you have to say. We’ll have to wait and see what he actually does.”

“Then you can’t help him,” Tom said starting to leave. “I’m sorry I bothered you doc. I was hoping someone could help him but I see that I was wrong.”

“Wait a minute,” he replied catching Tom by the arm. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t try to help him. If I can isolate what he’s been given then we can proceed from there. That will be the hard part.”

“Doc,” Tom told him as he turned back to look at the doctor, “it’s been at least a week since he was given this stuff. I don’t know how that drug stayed in his system so long before doing anything. But he may have already started. One of my sons said before he passed out, he was trying to fight him. That’s not my son. He thinks before he reacts.”

“Didn’t you say that for several days he was unconscious?” he asked trying to figure out everything that had happened to Jarrod.

“Yes,” Tom answered nodding. “Four days to be exact. Why?”

“If it’s the drug I’ve heard about, it can lay dormant for as long as a week before it goes to work,” he said thinking. “He can be treated. But it will take time. That’s what you have to remember. Time.”

“I see,” Tom replied turning to leave. “I’ll have him here shortly.”

“We’ll be ready,” he told Tom as Tom left.

Tom headed back to his son’s apartment.

Chapter Sixteen

Jarrod began to wake up. When he opened his eyes, he saw his younger brother sitting next to the bed. Before he realized what was happening, he was sitting up with his fist pulled back. He struck out with it hitting Nick flush on the side of the cheek. Nick’s head bounced back as he felt the blow. Instead of reacting, he stopped himself.

“No I won’t hit you,” he said looking at Jarrod. “It’s not you that’s doing this.”

“I’m getting out of here,” Jarrod replied climbing to his feet.

Nick saw a rage in Jarrod’s face that he had never seen before. For a moment, he was surprised but he quickly realized that Jarrod had to be stopped before he hurt himself or someone else.

“Gene!” he called to his younger brother. “Get in here!”

Gene, who was sitting in the living room with his mother, quickly got to his feet running to Jarrod’s room.

“Mother,” he said as he stood up, “you better stay here. I have a feeling it’s Jarrod.”

When he opened the door, he saw Jarrod stalking Nick. Gene reacted by leaping across the bed knocking Jarrod to the floor. Jarrod pushed Gene off of him and reached out with his hands around Gene’s throat. Nick knew he had to do something.

“Let go Jarrod,” he said as he tried to pull Jarrod off of Gene. “Let him go!”

It took all of Nick’s strength to pull Jarrod off. When he did, Jarrod turned toward him with blind fury. He charged toward Nick, who was able to sidestep him long enough for Gene to regain his feet. The two brothers forced Jarrod to the floor pinning his arms behind him. But Jarrod wouldn’t stop trying to get loose. He tried with his remaining strength to force them off of him.

“Victoria,” Tom said as he walked inside, “I’ve spoken to a doctor at the hospital.”

“Never mind that,” she replied looking at him. “The boys are fighting with Jarrod.”

“What!” Tom cried as they ran to Jarrod’s room.

Tom opened the door to reveal Jarrod down on the floor with Nick and Gene on top of him forcing him to stay down.

“He hit me before I knew what happened,” Nick said as he looked up. “I didn’t have a choice. He tried to strangle Gene.”

“Hold him,” he replied as he walked over to his sons. “Now let him up.”

“Are you sure?” they both asked at the same time. “He’s dangerous.”

“I’m sure,” he answered reading himself for Jarrod’s onslaught.

They let Jarrod up. He turned toward his father. Tom could see the raw rage on his son’s face. He stood his ground as Jarrod came toward him. Tom quickly flipped Jarrod around grabbing his son’s arms and holding them.

“This is not you son,” he said very calmly. “I know it’s not. You need help and I am going to get you to help.”

“Let go of me,” Jarrod replied very angry trying to free himself from his father’s grip. “I’m going to kill you when I get loose.”

“No,” he told Jarrod holding tightly. “Nick, Gene, let’s get him to the hospital. They can restrain him so he can’t hurt anyone else.”

The family left the apartment but Tom wouldn’t release his hold on Jarrod. Jarrod was still trying to fight his father.

“Tom,” she said very frightened, “I want my son back.”

“We’re going to try to locate him,” he replied looking at her. “I know he’s in there somewhere.”

When they walked into the hospital, the nurse recognized Tom and summoned two orderlies who took Jarrod away still fighting.

“The doctor will be with you shortly,” she said as she followed them.

The family sat down and relaxed for a moment.

“I can’t believe this,” Gene said looking at Nick. “He was trying to kill me.”

“No son,” he replied looking at his son. “Jarrod wasn’t but the animal inside of him was trying to get loose. You were just in the way.”

“Can they really help him?” Gene asked looking very frightened. “I mean after what I just saw, I wonder if he can be helped.”

“I hope so,” he answered nodding. “I hope so.”

But inside he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t have any idea that Jarrod would be so full of rage that he would try to kill his own brother. He hoped that the doctor could help or would Jarrod be a madman for the rest of his life?

“I can’t believe there are drugs like that out there for anyone to take,” she said as she thought about what Jarrod was going through. “A person would have to be very desperate to take that.”

“Some people would just to see what happens,” he replied. “As long as there are doctors in this world there will be drugs that can hurt. But there are also drugs that can heal. I just hope we can find the latter.”

Victoria nodded.

Chapter Seventeen

The doctor walked in where the two orderlies were trying to hold Jarrod down. He turned to the nurse in the room.

“Get me a sedative,” he said looking at her. “I need him unconscious to examine him. He won’t stay still long enough to get an accurate assessment of his condition.”

Jarrod continued trying to escape. He didn’t know where he was but he knew that he couldn’t trust anyone right now. He had to hide. He had to get away from the enemy.

“Yes doctor,” she replied leaving the room.

“Hold him down,” he told the two men. “He needs to be restrained.”

The nurse walked in with a syringe a short time later, which she handed to the doctor. He walked over to Jarrod and injected the medicine into his arm. Jarrod’s eyes rolled back in his head and he went limp.

“Good,” he said as he looked down at Jarrod. “Now I can examine him.”

The doctor began his examination. Finally, he looked up.

“I want him put in a bed with his feet and arms tied down tightly.” he said looking at the two orderlies. “I don’t want even a chance of him being able to get free. If we’re going to help him, we have to keep him immobilized. I’m going to isolate whatever this is in his system. This way he can’t harm anyone.”

The two orderlies took Jarrod to a room where his hands and feet were tied down to the bed by heavy rope bindings. It looked cruel but in Jarrod’s case it was very necessary. He was still unconscious.

The doctor walked out to the family an hour later.

“How is he?” Tom asked looking at the doctor. “Is he going to be all right?”

“I sedated him so I could examine him,” he answered as he looked at the very concerned family. “I believe I have the drug identified. I’m going to start him on something that will help to expel the drug from his system and then allow him to heal. However, I want him to be left restrained until further notice. He’s still dangerous until I can get this drug out of him.”

“We understand,” Tom said looking at him. “Can we see him?”

“Certainly,” he replied looking at them. “He’s being moved to a room as we speak. A nurse will take you there when he is settled.”

“How long will this take?” she asked looking very concerned. “I need to be with him. I need to know that he is all right under the circumstances.”

“Once we can get the medication in his system you should see a difference in him,” he answered. “I want to keep him for several days to make sure he is going to be fine. He probably won’t remember what he’s done. But he will have a headache along with pulled muscles from all the exertion he’s doing.”

“That’s probably for the best,” she said as she looked at her family. “And we won’t tell him.”

At least for the time being,” he replied nodding. “He needs to concentrate on getting well.”

“We understand,” she told him as he walked away.

“I want us to treat Jarrod normally,” she said looking at the boys. “You are not to mention anything that has happened in the last month. Talk about the ranch or the law but nothing about Radcliff is that understood?”

“Yes,” both Nick and Gene replied nodding.

“Good,” she told them.

A nurse walked out motioning for them to follow her. She led them to a room. It didn’t have any furniture in it except for the bed, which had been placed in the center of the room. Lying on it was Jarrod. His ankles and wrists were tied to the bed. He was very still. Victoria could see bruises on his face and arms caused by his fight with Tom and the boys. She started to walk to the bed.

“I’m sorry,” the nurse said as she stepped in front of Victoria. “You’re not allowed any closer to the patient than right here. He is still very dangerous.”

“He’s my son,” she replied showing anger. “I need to be there with him.”

“It’s the doctor’s orders,” the nurse told her. “I’m sorry.”

“We understand,” he said as he walked up to his wife. “We’ll abide by the rules. He told me that he would have to do this. He said that Jarrod could get loose and cause more danger to us as well as him. We can stand where he can see and hear us.”

“All right but I want him to know that we are here,” she replied.

“He will,” he told her holding her. “He will.”

The nurse nodded and left the room.

“Tom,” she said as she looked at Jarrod, “I don’t know whether I can stay this far away from him. He needs us. I’ve always been there when he’s been sick or hurt. What will he say when I’m not there this time?”

“The doctor knows what he is doing,” he replied looking at Jarrod. “It won’t be for long. Just until he calms down. I know Jarrod will recover from this. I know it.”

“I suppose you are right,” she told him.

The family stood there watching Jarrod. What would happen next?

Chapter Eighteen

As Jarrod started to wake up, he realized that his hands and feet were tied. He began to struggle against the restraints. Tom, Victoria and the boys noticed that he was awake.

“Take it easy Jarrod,” Tom said as he watched his son fight for freedom. “You’re only going to injure yourself.”

“Let me go!” he cried as he continued to struggle. “I’ll get you when I get loose.”

“Honey,” she replied looking at him, “it’s to protect you as well as us. You’ll be free soon. I promise.”

“Liar!” he cried pulling so hard on the rope that they saw the skin being peeled away under the binding. “You’re lying. I’m never going to be free.”

“Sure you are big brother,” Nick told him. “But you have to stop fighting.”

“I’ll never stop,” he said continuing to pull against the ropes. “You are all out to get me.”

Jarrod was pulling even harder. They watched in horror as he possibly broke his right wrist pulling against the bindings. Jarrod didn’t feel anything but rage. He knew he had to escape at all costs. The doctor walked in and when he saw Jarrod, he summoned the nurse.

“I need another dose of the medication,” he said as she walked inside the room. “He’s too violent. There’s still too much of that drug inside of him. We have to counteract it.”

“Yes sir,” the nurse replied as she left the room.

“How long has he been this way?” he asked looking at the family.

“Not too long,” Tom answered continuing to watch his son. “He woke up and started struggling against the restraints. We tried to calm him but it only made him worse.”

“That’s the reason I didn’t want you to go any closer,” he said as he watched Jarrod continuing to fight. “He’s at a very dangerous stage right now. He needs more of the drug but we won’t give it to him. So he’s trying to get free so he can find it.”

“Won’t he be able to break the ropes?” Gene asked as he watched.

“No,” he answered nodding. “They are very strong. He will more than likely break his arm or leg trying to free himself.”

“I think he might have already broken his right wrist,” Tom said looking at Jarrod. “He pulled very hard with it and it looked like it went the wrong way.”

Jarrod continued to fight. He pulled hard again only to cry out in pain coming from his wrist.

“I can examine him thoroughly when he is sedated again,” he said as the nurse walked in handing him the syringe.

The doctor slowly walked over to the bed. Jarrod saw him coming and tried to come at him only to be stopped by the bindings. The doctor grabbed and held one of Jarrod’s arms down injecting the medicine into his system. After a few minutes, Jarrod’s eyes closed and he relaxed.

“Is his arm broken?” Tom asked as he watched.

The doctor examined his patient then looked at the family.

“His right wrist is,” he said when he looked up, “but I’m not going to set it now. He would only break it again. This shouldn’t last too much longer and then I can treat his many injuries.”

Tom nodded.

“I wish this wasn’t happening,” she said as she watched what was happening with her oldest son. “He didn’t ask for any of this. He was just trying to do his job the best way he could.”

“We all know that,” he replied as he stood beside of his wife. “Jarrod will come back to us.”

“Yes he will,” the doctor told them as he continued to examine Jarrod. “But it will be a long and tough road for him. First, he has to come down off this drug which will be very hard on him. Second, he will have to heal from all the injuries he’s sustained so far. Third, we have to treat him for the drug and his many injuries. Fourth, he will need a lot of rest to recover.”

“You keep talking about his injuries,” she replied looking at Jarrod. “Does he have new ones?”

“Yes,” the doctor told her. “He has another concussion, a broken wrist, cuts, abrasions and pulled muscles. You see he’s fighting himself right now. He wants to get back at everyone for what’s been done to him. But he can’t. We won’t let him.”

“That’s for sure,” Nick said speaking for the first time. “Jarrod has never been one for revenge. So it’s hard for me to see him trying to hurt people. He also thinks before he reacts but not now. He has rage inside of him that I’ve never seen before. He’s like a caged animal.”

“Believe it or not that’s exactly what he is,” the doctor replied looking at Nick. “He wants to hurt but he can’t. So he ends up hurting himself.”

“How long will it take?” Gene asked looking at his brother.

“I don’t know exactly,” the doctor answered. “It will depend on how long it takes to clear this drug out of his system. He’s already had one large dose to help. He’s almost ready for the second. You should begin to notice subtle changes in his behavior as time goes on.”

“That’s wonderful doctor,” she said smiling for the first time. “I can’t wait to take him home to rest.”

“That’s what he is going to need,” the doctor replied. “Rest. No exertion. No working. No nothing.”

“He won’t do anything but rest,” she told him. “You can count on it.”

Chapter Nineteen

Over the next two days, Jarrod fought his confinement. He was still venting his rage. By the next day, he was calmer.

“Mother,” he said as he opened his eyes, “father, anyone.”

“We’re here son,” Tom replied moving so Jarrod could see him. “We’ve been here the entire time.”

“I thought I was all alone,” he told them. “What’s going on? Why am I tied?”

“It’s a very long story,” Tom said looking at his wife.

“That’s right,” she replied smiling. “You have been very sick. But you’re slowly getting better.”

“I don’t understand,” he told her very confused. “Why do I feel so rough?”

“You have some injuries that need to heal,” Tom said smiling. “Right now you should rest.”

“Injuries?” he asked trying to remember. “What injuries? How did I get them?”

Before either of his parents could answer, the animal came back. He fought against the bindings pulling with all his might to break free. It was no use. They didn’t give or break. The family watched as he fought. They prayed that Jarrod would somehow make it through this.

“Hang on Jarrod,” Nick said as he watched. “You’re going to be all right.”

“I don’t want you to talk to me,” he replied very angry. “You are the enemy. You have to be stopped. And I’m going to stop you.”

Tom tried something.

“Jarrod,” he said very forcefully, “I want you to stop acting like a wild animal. You know better than to yell at your mother or brothers or me. You are a bad boy.”

“Tom,” she replied not understanding what he was doing, “don’t make him any madder. You’re going to make him hate us more than he already does.”

“I’m not,” he told her. “I’m trying to draw him out. I’m trying to find the real Jarrod and pull him to the surface. I’m tired of waiting. I need my son back.”

“What do you mean?” she asked not understanding.

“Just watch,” he answered turning his attention back to Jarrod.

They watched his face and then they saw it. It wasn’t much but it was a start.

“Yes sir,” Jarrod said as he looked over toward Tom. “I’m sorry father. I didn’t mean to make you angry.”

“You have hurt your mother and your brothers,” he replied still looking at Jarrod. “I’m very ashamed of you.”

Jarrod laid there very quietly. He started to remember.

“What do you see?” Tom asked trying to get him to respond after realizing that he was remembering.

“I remember walking out the door of the office,” he answered as he thought. “I woke up in a small room and all I wanted to do was to escape. But they wouldn’t let me. They took me to a room and put me in a chair. I was given something and then I became very afraid.”

“He’s remembering,” she said looking at Tom. “You did that on purpose.”

“I had to get him to think,” Tom replied nodding. “If he remembers in the process that’s also very good.”

“I remember Nick,” he told them. “He was so kind to me. He took my hand and I stayed close to him. Then he left. I was alone. I wanted to find Nick. I yelled for him and then nothing.”

Is that all you remember?” she asked speaking to him for the first time.

“Yes,” he answered. “I don’t understand it all. What does it all mean?”

“All right son,” he said as he walked over to the bed.

“Tom,” she replied trying to stop him, “we’re not supposed to go near him.”

“Blast the rules,” he told her as he stopped beside of Jarrod. “This is my son and he needs me. Jarrod, I’m going to fill in the blanks for you. Are you ready?”

“Yes father,” Jarrod said as he looked at his father.

“Sandra went to see Radcliff,” he replied as he told Jarrod everything. “She brought back a paper that she had Adam sign that committed you to the sanitarium. He put you in there not us.”

“I don’t believe it,” Jarrod told him. “Why?”

“Henry Radcliff found out something from her past and he held it over her head,” he said looking at his son. “She didn’t have a choice. She told me about it. She was wrong in what she did but as Adam said she had a very good reason.”

“I see,” Jarrod replied as he digested what his father said. “How did I end up in that little room?”

“Someone must have hit you or gave you something,” he told his son. “You were to stay in that sanitarium for an indefinite period of time.”

“Why on earth would I be taken there?” Jarrod asked confused. “I’m not crazy.”

“No,” he answered calmly. “You were taken there to stop you from testifying at the trial. They drugged you. You became afraid of everything and everyone. The director said that he was conditioning you but in fact they were making you a frightened man. In that way you would be too afraid to testify against Henry Radcliff and he would get off scott free.”

“That makes sense,” Jarrod said as he remembered the way he felt. “I was afraid.”

“You were also hypnotized by a doctor that worked directly for Radcliff,” he replied looking at his son. “Any time the word testify was used, you would feel pain. Waves and waves of pain.”

“You can’t be serious,” Jarrod told him. “Why?”

“So you wouldn’t testify,” he said looking at Jarrod. “Radcliff is a desperate man. He was trying to stop you from being able to put him away but you fooled him. You are going to testify against him. You are going to send him to prison.”

“That still doesn’t explain why I’m tied,” Jarrod replied desperate for answers. “Please father, I have to know. What was the reason? Did I do something?”

“All right,” he told his son. “After we came to get you, the doctor that worked for Radcliff gave you a drug that caused you to turn very angry. You even tried to kill Gene. You attacked Nick and even me before we were able to subdue you. It wasn’t really you. It was the drug working inside of you. You wanted more. We wouldn’t give it to you so you tried to get it the only way you could by becoming very angry.”

Jarrod’s bruised face showed his shock. He couldn’t believe he would harm his own brother.

“I don’t remember doing it,” he said as he looked at Tom with tears in his eyes. “You know I would never hurt my family. I would never deliberately try to kill anyone especially a brother.”

“It wasn’t you,” Tom replied as calmly as possible wanting to reach out and hold his son. “It was the animal inside of you caused by the drug.”

“I’m sorry,” he told Tom trying not to cry. “I didn’t mean to hurt Gene. I didn’t. You have to believe me.”

“We know that son,” Tom said smiling. “Gene is not angry.”

“That’s right,” Gene replied coming to stand where Jarrod could see him. “You didn’t really hurt me. You just scared me. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m glad,” he told them. “So that’s why I’m tied. It’s hard to believe that I would actually try to harm someone. I’m not a person who wants revenge.”

“Yes,” Tom said looking into Jarrod’s bruised face. “We know you’re not. How do you feel?”

Jarrod had to think about the question. He still was having difficulty using his brain to think. Tom could tell he was having difficulty thinking.

“It’s all right if you can’t tell us right now,” Tom remarked looking at his son. “You have been through a lot. You need to let your body and mind heal.”

“I hurt everywhere,” he said as he tried to move. “But my right wrist really hurts. And so does my head.”

“The doctor can help you but you have to let him Jarrod,” Tom replied calmly. “He’s had to sedate you in order to examine you. He didn’t want to tend to your injuries only to have you do it again.”

“It’s been that bad,” he told him in shock. “Just what did I say?”

“You threatened to kill us,” Tom said trying to stay neutral. “As well as you were going to get loose and take care of everything. You were also going to hide.”

Jarrod just stared at Tom. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jarrod Barkley, the levelheaded member of the family, the rational one, trying to kill his own family. He couldn’t get that out of his head.

“I can’t believe that I would have said those things,” he said as he considered everything. “Can you ever forgive me?”

“We already have,” Tom replied smiling. “It wasn’t you. It was something that that drug made out of you. You are going to be fine with some rest.”

“I hope so,” he told his father. “But right now all I can feel is shame.”

Victoria walked over to the bed. She looked down at her son. She picked up his head in her hands and held it.

“You don’t need to feel shame,” she said as she held his head. “You weren’t responsible for any of this. Henry Radcliff did this to you. He doesn’t want to go to prison but you’re going to show him.”

“Yes mother I am,” he replied smiling slightly.

Jarrod’s eyes were starting to close.

“You rest,” she said as she eased his head down on the pillow. “We’ll be right here when you wake up.”

Jarrod nodded slipping off in to unconsciousness. She looked over at her husband.

“You performed a miracle Tom Barkley,” she said smiling at him. “You gave us our son back.”

“I only did what I thought needed to be done,” he replied smiling. “The medicine had helped some but he needed a push.”

“I’m glad I married you,” she told him kissing him on the cheek.

“Me too,” he said smiling as he looked down at his son.

Chapter Twenty

A week later, Jarrod was preparing to go back to the ranch for some much-needed rest. His right wrist was in splints and he was wearing a sling. His head was also bandaged but the headache was not as bad as it was when he left the sanitarium. He was just relieved to be back to normal.

“Jarrod,” the doctor said as he stood in the room facing his patient, “I want you to rest for the next month. I don’t want you to do anything. Your body has been through a lot over the past few weeks. It needs a chance to rest and recuperate.”

“I understand sir,” he replied looking at the doctor. “I’m a long way from being up to much. I think I’ll just be lazy and rest.”

“You do that,” the doctor told him. “I’m going to send some medicine home with you. I want you to take it for the next two weeks every six hours. It will help you feel better. If your wrist gives you any trouble you see your family doctor.”

“I will,” he said and turned to leave.

“Thanks for everything doc,” Tom replied shaking hands with the man.

“You’re welcome,” the doctor told him. “Your son is a remarkable young man. He can reason through anything. You showed me that."

The Barkley family left the hospital heading for the train station. Gene bid them goodbye.

“I better get back to class,” he said as he stood at the station. “My professor isn’t going to let me have too much more time.”

“Thanks for all your help son,” Tom replied with his arm around Gene. “You were a big help.”

“I’m just glad that Jarrod is going to be all right,” he told them smiling. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

“Right,” Tom said as Gene walked away.

The family then boarded the train for Stockton and home.

THE END