The Affair

Awake

This was the hardest part of the job so far. He had to be extremely careful…get in…get out…without being seen. So far…no problem. He had that kind of face…he blended into the background…definitely an asset in his line of work. Of course it helped that everyone wore uniforms. He took a deep breath and entered Roman’s office carrying a folder with actual paperwork…just in case someone became curious. The boss was a very thorough man…he left nothing to chance. A quick cursory glance around the office and Roman’s desk told him everything he needed to know. Pretending to place the folder in the middle of a stack of papers, he palmed the handwritten note from Roman and replaced it with another note. In and out…just like the boss planned. It took all of two minutes for him to switch notes and memorize everything in Roman’s office. He stepped into the restroom and casually looked around making sure he was alone. Next he walked over to the trash can, lifted the top off and removed a small duffle bag. A quick change of clothes in a stall and he was on the move once more. No gave him a second glance. If the second part of the job went as smoothly as the first part…he would back in his motel room soon.

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Sitting in a dive, drinking warm beer, waiting for someone to show Roman was beginning to have second thoughts. Besides the bartender there were only two other people in the bar. Neither one looked like they were waiting for someone. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. He should have waited. It was too late now. He was already here. At least he’d had the foresight to leave a note…explaining everything. If no one else showed in the next few minutes he’d leave. He took another sip of his beer. The beer was hot and so was the bar. Sweat popped out along his forehead. That’s it…he was done. As soon as he stood the room began to spin and then nothing.

The two other patrons in the bar, the ones Roman didn’t give a second glance, rushed to his side. The bartender hopped over the counter, ran to the front door and made sure the coast was clear. The two men carried him to the back room and dumped him on the floor. There was no need to tie him up…he had been drugged and would out for hours. One of the men returned to the bar while the other slipped out the back door to move Roman’s car.

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“Don’t try to talk Mr. Borne. Your throat will be sore. As soon as I’m done examining you, you can have some ice chips.” He turned and faced Marlena, “Dr. Evers if you’ll just step outside I’ll be done shortly.”

John began to shake his head violently.

“It might be better if I stay. I’ll move out of your way.”

John’s eyes followed Marlena’s every move.

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He parked behind the bar and slipped in the back door. Roman was lying on the floor unconscious. He threw him over his shoulder, dumped him in the back of the van and drove off. He was almost done. He was so tired that the flea bag of a motel he was staying in seemed like the Taj Mahal.

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The bartender made a phone call. “He’s on his way.” That was the extent of the conversation.

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She answered on the first ring. It was her private line. “Yes.”

“You know what to do.” He hung up. Everything was coming together…better than he imagined. The only unknown variable was whoever shot John. He would know soon enough.

Marlena hadn’t left his side since John opened his eyes; however they hadn’t had a single solitary moment to themselves. Dr. Singer examined him followed by the neurologist. She kept out of the way but always remained in John’s line of sight. While waiting for the doctors to finish, she used the time to call Victor, Shawn and Caroline and inform them of John’s progress. Unable to reach Roman, Bo or Abe she left a message. As word spread about his condition it wasn’t long before there was a group of well wishers waiting their turn to see him.

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He loved days like today…days when everything went according to plan and then….unexpected good news. Well, maybe not good news but the possibility of it turning into good news was there. First, the package had been delivered without a hitch, second, his source at the hospital informed in John Borne was awake and now this…just a whisper in the wind about the shooting. Nothing specific; but at least now there was something to be investigated. A surge of adrenaline coursed through his body. Sleep was the furthest thing on his mind…a quick trip to his motel room to call the boss and change clothes was all he needed.

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His head was pounding, his mouth felt as dry as the Sahara Desert and every time he tried to open his eyes he was greeted with a blinding light. Unable to see he used his hands to feel around…hoping to gain some sense of where he was but it was useless. The only object his hands came into contact with was a glass filled with some kind of liquid. He didn’t want to but he had no choice…he dipped his fingers into the liquid and slowly raised them to his nose hoping he would be able to detect some kind of odor. No such luck…he had no choice but to taste his fingers. It was water. He reached for the glass and drank every bit of the water…praying it would quench his thirst. As soon as he finished he tried to stand but his legs wouldn’t cooperate. He sat there in the dark wondering what happened…he couldn’t remember anything. The last clear memory he had was of him in the police station. It was so confusing…too confusing to think about. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off; never realizing the water he drank was drugged.

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“He is awake.”

“I know, I was just told.”

“You know what to do.”

“It may not be as easy as I thought it would be. I’m running into a little resistance.”

“Listen to me.” He was angry. “I have spent months planning everything and you will not fail. You will find a way to make it work. Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I will make it work…I promise.”

“See that you do.” He hung up without another word.

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Rebecca sat back in her chair. It had been a long day, she was exhausted…but John was awake…she would stop by the hospital to see him on her way home. She was sure Marlena would be there…she was always there. John and Marlena…every night before she closed her eyes the images of them together at the Ball replayed through her mind. And every night she fell asleep desperately wanting John to make love to her. No matter how hard she tried to forget…she saw them. The way he made love to her…the way she gave herself to him freely, the way Marlena moaned in ecstasy each time he moved in and out of her. Rebecca envied her…she wanted to be the one John made love to. After witnessing them together, she wanted John more than ever and somehow she would find a way to have him. It wouldn’t be easy…but then nothing worth having was ever easy. John was the only man for her. She closed her eyes and once again the images of John and Marlena flashed through her mind. The familiar ache she had become accustomed to once again enveloped her body…an ache that only John could satisfy. She had never wanted a man the way she wanted him and sooner or later, he would be hers. Marlena might have him now…but soon…soon he would be hers.

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After investigating another drug overdose, Bo and Abe finally returned to the station. It was the same as the last one.

“He was just a kid…barely eighteen,” said Bo. “This is ridiculous.”

“The last three overdoses were just kids.” Abe sat in his chair. “Don’t they realize how dangerous this new drug is?”

“When you’re eighteen, you think you’re invincible. I remember doing things at that age I would never do now. Death is not something you think about.” He sat across from Abe.

“Still…you’d think after the seeing what this drug does to people, they’d think twice before using it.”

“It will never happen to me…is what they think.”

Abe sighed in frustration, “I guess. I’m just so tired of this. I hate knocking on someone’s door and informing them that their son or daughter is dead. It’s the part of the job I hate the most.”

“Me too. There’s no easy way to say it…and I’m sorry just doesn’t do it.”

They sat together in silence. Each lost in his own thoughts…each afraid to say aloud what they were both thinking. If they didn’t stop this drug soon, there would be a lot more deaths.

Finally Abe looked at the stack of messages on his desk. The one on top caught his eye immediately. It was from Marlena…John was awake. “Bo, Marlena called. John is awake. We need to get over there now.”

“Let’s go.”

“You think Roman is already over there?”

“If he knows John is awake, you can bet your last dollar he’s already there. He’s obsessed with this case.”

“Yeah, I know. Let’s stop by his office just in case. He has a way of not answering his phone or checking his messages if he thinks he’s on to something. Your brother can be stubborn.”

“My brother…your best friend.”

They headed to Roman’s office. A quick knock on the door…no answer. Bo opened the door and peeked in. Roman was no where in sight. Both he and Abe walked over to his desk. Abe picked up the stack of messages and went through them.

“Looks like he wasn’t here when Marlena called.” He held up a message. “She left him the same message.”

“Where the hell is he?” Bo asked. “You don’t think he went out on his own do you?”

Abe continued to look around Roman’s desk. His eyes settled on a message attached to the phone. He picked it up, read it and gave it to Bo. “Well at least he didn’t go off on some wild goose chase.”

“Still…he should have waited for us.”

“Well there’s nothing we can do about it now,” said Abe. “Let’s head over to the hospital. Maybe we can get some answers from John.”