Days of Darkness

Chapter 28

Can you do it again?" Natalie asked, "Not now I mean, but another day."

"Did you like it?"

"Oh yes," Natalie said with a big smile, "it had horny boy toy written all over it. My insides just melted and all I could think of was dragging you in here. It was completely unfair."

We heard a cadence of 'Juice' coming from the main room. Natalie laughed as she rose from the bed and began to dress. I followed suit, our short tryst now over. "At least, she waited for us to finish arguing," I added.

"Arguing was a lot of fun," Natalie said, then gave me a quick kiss before heading out. I couldn't help but agree. I tried to catalog the feeling I sent. I could always produce the love. The sorrow would be difficult to fake. I would just have to practice at being a jerk every so often.

I was taking a walk the day my mother was to arrive. I was expecting her in a few hours and was nervous as hell. One phone call and I was a kid again, begging for her approval. It was a stupid set of emotions. Natalie was a woman well beyond any my family ever produced. I was the first Donaldson ever to tackle college. I had rescued a small child from a horrible fate and gave her love. How could a mother see anything wrong in that?

I kicked a loose stone into the woods. I was walking toward the bluff, the one that allowed an uninterrupted view of the Missouri River. It was awe inspiring in the morning with the sun rising farther south as winter neared. I needed the vision to get some perspective on the upcoming reunion. I know the desire to call my mother had something to do with the loss of Rose. I was feeling guilty for adopting Rose as a surrogate mother. Now I was trying to fill the void with a real mother.

I laughed at myself when the river came into view. Rose would have loved me reunited with my mother. She was such a rational person when it came to relationships or anything else. Rose would have seen it through my mother's eyes as well as mine. She always looked past transient emotions and saw the deep things that the rest of us missed.

"I miss you, Rose," I shouted to no one. I expected an echo that never came. I hoped it made it to wherever she ended up. If it was only in our memories, then I knew she heard. The water was moving with great force though I was too far away to see its strength. It had flowed well before Rose had been born and would do so well after her death. I wondered how much of it had flowed before, sucked up by the sun, and rained back down to flow again.

A year ago, I was a s**t d**g mule with a drunk for a mother. Now I stood before a majestic river, missing someone I knew was my better. It wasn't long ago when I thought the rest of the world was just luckier. Now I knew it was in us all. Stinky gave me that. She led me to Rose, who had given birth to the most beautiful woman in all the world. If my mother found fault in that miracle, she had best keep it to herself. I was Sam, the father, the lover, the necessary cog in the life of two, soon three, wonderful people.

I took a deep breath and concluded it would be nice if my mother shared my happiness. I would be indifferent and think her a fool if she did not. A family of five would be better than four. I could happily live with four if necessary. I smiled at the thought of making it larger.

Black anguish filled my mind. It came suddenly, blocking out the joy of the view. My chest tightened as the feeling found my extremities, sending a flood of adrenaline through my body. Teegan, no Natalie, no both were stressed beyond limits. Fear flooded my mind, their fear. I turned and ran with speed that threatened to burst my heart.

I had walked too far. The apathy of the quiet months had filled me with thoughts of the future and made me ignore the present. Natalie was in distress; I could feel her acting through Teegan vigorously. I picked up my pace though I hadn't run in years. My muscles were fighting, reporting pain to my brain which I immediately disregarded. Teegan's fear was for Natalie, a mixture of apprehension and the pain she had felt for Rose. I went deep into myself as I ran, strengthening my link and using it to ignore the damage I was doing my body. My speed increased.

I knew I was too late before I arrived. I lost Natalie's mind; her fear and anger just ceased. My baby girl was gone, moving quickly away. Natalie's car tires had been slashed; it sat deeply on its rims. The front door of the cabin swung free, bent in such a way it would obviously not latch easily again. I moved slowly, fearing what I would find inside. I tried not think, just move.

The main room looked as if a hurricane had blown through. End tables overturned, lamps broken on the floor. The couch had shifted a good ten feet; it's cushions all askew. I covered my mouth when I saw the blood on the carpet. I feared whose blood it was, but no body was present. I sped my search, looking in the bedrooms and bathrooms. I noted more blood splattered on the wall near the kitchen. So much blood. Natalie and Teegan were gone. My anger swelled, and I drove my fist into the wall, collapsing the drywall. The two, no three people I loved the most in the world had been taken. I felt my will collapsing as my link began to fade.

"Sammy!" I heard the call from outside. My head whipped toward the door. Pieces fell into place. I forced my body tall and moved forward with an evil intent.

"You told!" I shouted as I burst through the door. I saw an older woman than I remembered. She flinched backward as I came toward her. "How much did they pay you to screw me over? Not satisfied to ruin just me, are you? You have to destroy my family as a bonus." I relished the fear I saw in her eyes. My fingers were digging grooves into my palms as my fists became like stone. I wasn't sure I could stop. I wasn't sure I wanted too.

"Your nose is bleeding," my mother said, tears streaming as she backed away, "God Sammy! Your eyes are bleeding." Pure force was keeping my upright. I had held the link too long.

"Why did you do it?" I sneered, moving closer.

"I didn't do anything," my mother pleaded, "I came to see you, no one knew I was coming. I didn't say a word, just like you told me." There was something honest in her eyes. It had been years since I had seen her sober eyes. I took another, slower step forward then dropped to my knees. Water flooded my eyes, or maybe blood. I closed my eyes and used what I had left to find my girls.

I could hear the blades of the helicopter, dulled by the distance. Teegan was reaching for, and through her eyes I saw, Natalie strapped unconscious to a chair. Her face a mess like mine must be. I forced my mind towards hers and felt her luscious steady heartbeat. I moved with anger toward the arms surrounding our girl. A woman, wearing a yellow suit that covered every inch of her body.

Sammy," I heard in the distance, "what's happening? Oh God, please don't die, baby."

I forced my mind deeper, struggling to the depths of what was possible. The woman was nothing, but the man behind her controlled things. I drove into his mind as my head throbbed. I grabbed what I could, everything that mattered that I could get quickly.

I smiled and sent my love to Teegan, trying to assure her I wasn't giving up. What flooded back was packaged heaven, so much more than I gave. I sucked in my breath and severed the link.

"They tapped your phone," I slurred, looking at my mom's image fading in and out. My head felt like it was full of cement. I tried to stand and found my limbs useless. I fell into something soft, and everything went black.

.19 - Sam

"None...No there's no more. I dumped everything. I swear, there's no more in the house." The voice was pleading and invading my dreams. I had a vague memory of its tone, something familiar I could barely place. My eyes were sluggish and fought the light when I tried to open them.

A person, the voice, was pacing at the foot of my bed. A woman, my mother, was talking on the phone. I closed my eyes when she turned, desperately trying to understand the call.

"Sammy," my mother called to me. My eyes shut too slowly. "I got to go, he's awake," she added before pocketing the phone. "Sammy, please wake up." She moved to the side of the bed and sat down. I felt her warm hand against my face. Memories, pleasant ones, came back to me. I was so much younger the last time I felt that hand's safe embrace.

"Hello," I said, trying to smile. My voice was raspy, and my lips felt chapped.

"Thank God," Mom sighed. She bent over me, hugging me close. It was strange how the past can swim back upstream and invade the present so quickly. I was ten again with a brief desire to never grow older.

"Who was on the phone?" I asked, trying to return to the now. Mom sat up with her sober smile. I had missed its strength. It was so...intentional.

"My sponsor, Pam" mom lost her smile and paused a moment, "I was thinking I needed a drink. She's been calling me every couple of hours." She bit her bottom lip, and her eyes went sad, "I'm still not good at it alone. Pam knows and made me pour out all your liquor." My eyes must have looked confused. "It's the stress," mom added quickly, "I didn't know when you'd wake up. Betty told me that it would be today, but the temptation was there. I'll pay you..."

"Don't worry about the booze," I interrupted, "you look good." Her smile returned, stronger this time. I received another hug that was as enjoyable as the first. "Betty was here?"

"She helped me get you into the house. I was going to call an ambulance, but she seemed to know what had happened." Mom looked at me and tilted her head, "What did happen? I barely understood what Betty was telling me."

It was hard to get started. I knew both my girls were okay for now. Fishing in the man's brain on the helicopter had told me how important their safety was. I also knew I was expendable, now ignorable. The one blessing is they didn't know how strong Teegan had become. They didn't know I could find her anywhere. They had brought Natalie along to limit the number of new people that would bond with Teegan. Natalie would be her 'governess' for lack of a better word. At least, they would have each other until I could get them back. The morons thought me an i***t, a petty criminal. I bet they didn't know where the Magna Carta was enacted.