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+ + + + + + +
At the ranch, Buck, Vin and JD sat staring at each other. Vin offered to
give up his place to move out to the ranch and manage things until Chris
got back. JD also offered to stay at the ranch. Buck knew that there was
paperwork in a safe box that left him the legal right to manage the affairs
of the property and finances of the ranch in the event that Larabee was unable
to do so. He planned to go and have one of the ATF attorneys go over the
paperwork with him on Monday.
I think Chris would be all right with all of us staying here to take
care of things. We can go by the apartment tomorrow and pack what we need.
Vin, if you want to give up your place, we can bring your stuff up here.
I dont think you would have anything left if you didnt have someone
else living there while you were gone.
The Texan nodded, he had been paying the local gang members to watch over
his place while he was on vacation. It would be easier to give up the apartment
and find another one when Chris got back. Unwilling to be alone, Vin curled
up on the couch and fell asleep. JD soon followed suit and Buck carefully
settled blankets over both young men.
Standing on the deck in back of the house, Buck Wilmington stared into the
sky and shook his head sadly. In his mind he had failed to keep the promise
he had made to Sarah as he stood over her grave with Chris after he got out
of the hospital.
Im sorry, Sarah. We couldnt find the man who killed that
girl. I failed you. Hes up there in that place and I cant protect
him! I dont know what to do! I hope youll watch over him and
help him find his way back from where ever he has gone. Maybe you can succeed
where I failed.
+ + + + + + +
The nurse rolled Chris onto his side and bared his hip for the sedative the
doctor ordered. She swabbed the skin with an alcohol pad and let it dry for
a moment before jabbing the needle into the muscle. Slowly depressing the
plunger, she withdrew the needle and swabbed the puncture before replacing
the pale blue pajama bottoms. Easing the patient onto his back, she tucked
the blanket up under his chin before slipping quietly out of the room.
+ + + + + + +
The three agents spent most of Sunday loading Vins meager belongings
into Bucks truck and moving them to the ranch. They then spent a couple
of hours at the cess pit packing their clothes and computer
equipment. Buck took the master bedroom, as neither of the other two wanted
it. JD took Adams room and Vin took the spare bedroom. Still needing
the comfort of close proximity, though, they slept on the couches again.
+ + + + + + +
Judge Travis was waiting for them when they arrived on Monday. He formally
appointed Buck as leader of the team. Standing at the head of the table in
the conference room, he laid out the plan for the next week.
You are off the schedule for the next two weeks. You may use the time
to run down any leads you have with regard to Chris. All the resources of
the agency are at your disposal for the duration of the week. Monday after
next, you will be put back in the rotation and I will expect you to do the
jobs you were hired to do. Keep me advised.
The men drifted out to their desks and powered up their computers. They reviewed
and cleared their E-mails and disposed of the piles of paperwork that had
accumulated during their absence. JD reviewed the files that his search program
was still bringing him. None of the stories held any useful information.
He almost cancelled the search program but at the last minute, he decided
to leave it for a while longer.
Buck passed the door to Chriss office and shuddered inside. Travis
had appointed him the team leader but he couldnt bear to take the office.
He glanced around the room at the five members of the team. Josiah, Nathan
and JD were busy reviewing information on the computer screens. Vin was staring
disconsolately at his screen without really seeing. Ezra was reading a newspaper
at his desk.
Okay, I want a meeting in the conference room in 15 minutes.
Buck made the announcement and headed for the break room to get another cup
of coffee.
Avoiding the chair at the head of the table, Buck took the chair he regularly
occupied as he waited for the others to arrive. In his mind, he reviewed
the leads they had come up with. There had to be a way to get a blood sample
from Lightners brother. Somehow, they had to find that Cottman fellow.
The team assembled and stared expectantly up at Buck. He took a few minutes
to study their faces. Chris had chosen them carefully. Each one had special
skills that made him a valuable asset to the team. It had taken them a while
to mesh but now they were the best team in the ATF. He had the best team;
he just had to use them to their best advantage.
Okay, I want each of you to make a list of anything you can remember
that we might be able to use to prove Chris is innocent. Any lead that you
might have had that didnt pan out, go back and look at it again. JD,
dig deep and see if you can pull up anything on any of the people the others
come up with. We are going to go over every scrap of evidence until we figure
this out.
In something like an hour, the whiteboard in the room was covered with names
and bits of information. Josiah was doing the writing. He was using three
different colors of marker to indicate solid connections and tentative
connections. JD was printing information on the names and taping them to
the wall beside the board. Nathan was reviewing medical databases with the
bits of DNA evidence that they had collected.
Vin sat at the far corner of the table, staring at the board. His scowl deepened
as he stared down at the notepad on the table. He had doodled on the paper
until he had obliterated the words he had written there earlier.
Ezra stared at the pad in front of him. He had written the same name over
and over. Johnny Lightner. Somehow the young man was solidly in the middle
of the case. He kept seeing the young man in his minds eye.
The team reviewed the board. At the top of the board was the name Judge Cross.
The man had still not turned up. Below that was Taylor Cottman. Seth Fielder
and Jeff Franklin were also listed on the board. The name of the dead cashier
appeared on the other side of the board. Josiah had also written Suspect
#1 under the cashiers name.
The rest of the afternoon was spent clarifying and defining each potential
suspect. By the time Buck called a break for the night, they had decided
to pursue Seth Fielder as their prime suspect. JD put out a search on anything
he could find about the young man.
Buck put in a call to the hospital to check on Chris.
Devonshire Facility, Gina Young.
I want to check on a patient. I dont know who to talk to.
Which patient?
Larabee, Chris Larabee, he was just
admitted yesterday.
One moment. The line was filled with music for a moment before
another voice picked up the phone. Three east, Nurse Chou.
I wanted to check on a new patient, Chris Larabee?
Are you family?
Yeah.
Mr. Larabee had a good day. He ate well all three meals. He is still
unresponsive verbally but Dr. Long noted that he is showing some nonverbal
responses. Its still early.
Would you just tell him that Buck called? Tell him that were
all thinking about him.
Ill do that, sir.
Thanks. He hung up the phone and looked up the find Vin and JD
standing over him. She said that he ate well today and hes showing
some nonverbal responses.
Both of the young agents nodded before returning to their desks to power
down for the night. Josiah and Nathan had already left and Ezra was still
studying something on his computer screen. Buck walked over to the undercover
agent and touched his shoulder lightly. The agent jumped and cleared the
screen.
Damn, Ezra, I didnt mean to startle you! What was that you were
looking at?
Just running thru some of my leads. If anything of consequence is revealed,
I will share it with all of you.
I want you to share it before it becomes of consequence,
one of us might see something that you missed or it might jog something that
we are already considering. I cant have you hot-dogging on this one,
Ezra, its too important.
Yes sir. A neutral expression was capped off by a two-finger
salute.
+ + + + + + +
Vin saddled his horse and turned him onto one of the paths that ran across
the level field. He nudged the animal into an easy canter on the path. He
wouldnt normally bring the horse out so near dark but he needed to
ride to clear his head. He heard Bucks truck pull up as he was riding
out.
Nathan rubbed his fists against his eyes and stared at the tiny print on
the screen. There was something about the lab reports taken from the dead
cashier that troubled him. He couldnt put his finger on it but somehow
the connection was there if he could only find it.
The smell of candle wax and incense wafted on the air inside the chapel as
Josiah knelt to pray. He felt every single day of his age. His hands tenderly
stroked the rail before him as he folded his hands. He gave up trying to
direct the prayers and just let his mind drift. The images that were most
clear in his mind were those where Chris had been there for him when he had
been injured in the line of duty. He lowered his head onto his hands and
wept.
+ + + + + + +
The orderly steered the patient into the dining room and seated him at a
table. Larabee was compliant with the staff and they handled him gently.
He ate when prompted and stayed where they put him whenever they seated him.
Only in his room did he move independently. When left alone in his room,
Chris would always be found staring out the window toward the road that led
out of the facility.
Dr. Long studied the patient for a moment. He had been sitting on the couch
for half an hour without moving a muscle. They had given him a double dose
of anti-psychotics and still he showed no improvement. The nursing staff
reported that he had stirred during the night when the sedative wore off
and that he had cried out for Sarah and for Vin. He had not been fully awake
at the time, however, and when he was fully awake he retreated into silence.
Mr. Larabee, as long as you refuse to speak we will not be able to
help you. This silent treatment cant go on forever, can it? You spoke
last night, the nurse says you called out for Sarah last night. Would that
be Sarah Larabee? Your wife? Your dead wife?
Only the slightest twitch of his hand gave any clue that the patient heard
him. Fullerton noted that the man had been giving physical cues. He opened
the folder and slid a photo onto the table. The picture was the one of Sarah
and Adam that had been blown up for use at the trial. The next one was of
Wynsome Lightner. The third photo was the ATF release photo for Vin Tanner.
Talk to me, Mr. Larabee. Tell me about these people. Tell me what happened
to them.
Chris focused on the picture of Sarah and Adam. More that anything, he wanted
to take that picture. His hand trembled slightly as sweat broke out on his
forehead. His breathing became labored as his mind fought the wall of safety
he had built so solidly around himself.
The doctor withdrew the picture of Sarah and Adam. He had noticed the reaction
of the patient and wanted to press him as hard as he could.
You want this? You want this picture, dont you, Mr. Larabee?
I can let you have it in your room if you talk to me. Come on, Chris,
talk.
The hazel eyes filled with tears before the blond head dropped and Chris
passed out.
+ + + + + + +
Tuesday morning the team collected in the conference room. Buck prompted
Ezra to give Josiah the name of the man he considered a suspect. JD reviewed
the results of his search program. A womans body had been found in
Hiwassee Lake in Tennessee. The woman had been dead for a couple of weeks.
The thing that had tripped the search program was the fact that the woman
had been strangled.
As he printed the article, JD felt hopeful. Buck contacted the authorities
and requested any information they had on the woman. There was no physical
evidence because the body had been in the water for so long.
Nathan had printed pictures of the suspects on the whiteboard. As soon as
he put up the picture of Johnny Lightner, Buck stared at the black and white
photo. He remembered seeing the young man at the bar the night he and Ezra
had gotten drunk.
Why Johnny Lightner, Ezra? What is it about him that makes you think
of him as a suspect? I remember him from the bar.
On our way back from Knoxville, I saw him at the truck stop where we
got gas. He was so uncomfortable about being seen that night in the bar.
He was limping.
The lights went off in Bucks head! The young man at the bar was limping
just a few days after a suspect was shot trying to rob a diner. But Wynsome
was his sister! Could he really have killed his own sister?
+ + + + + + +
Jeff Franklin opened his eyes in the intensive care unit of the county hospital.
The tube in his throat prevented him from speaking and he panicked. The monitors
and alarms sounded and three nurses rushed to his side. After they had calmed
him down, they removed the breathing tube. A few hours later, a doctor came
in to explain to the young man that his spine was damaged and that he would
never walk again.
+ + + + + + +
Johnny toasted Seth with a mug of beer. The ATF agents were gone and Judge
Cross had not been found. Sheriff Wilhelm had been oddly withdrawn since
the agent had been found guilty. He and the Deputy kept pretty much to
themselves. Maddie Franklin had come from the hospital that afternoon to
tell them that Jeff had regained consciousness.
+ + + + + + +
Buck called the hospital to ask if they would be allowed to see Chris. He
was transferred to Dr. Long. The doctor said that he would prefer that they
wait for a week to see if they could make any headway with him. He reported
that they were beginning to see improvement, that Larabee was beginning to
try to break out of the shell of silence. Wilmington asked that the doctor
tell him that they were eager to see him.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra looked at the brochures that Maude had sent him. He shook his head and
grinned ruefully at the glossy pictures. His mother wanted him to take a
position as a dealer in Atlantic City. It saddened him that she believed
the lies that the FBI had circulated about him. He didnt understand
how it would benefit her for him to be a dealer but he had agreed to do whatever
she wanted. He tossed the brochures into a box with the rest of his office
papers. The whole end of the living room was filled with packing boxes.
+ + + + + + +
JD and Vin rode the horses across the high pasture. The horses had not been
allowed to run free for a while and they were clearly enjoying the exercise.
It helped to relieve the tension in the two young men. By the time they returned
to the barn, the horses were lathered and both men were glistening with sweat.
After they brushed the horses, they headed for the showers. Buck had stopped
by to pick up the mail at his apartment. They sat around in the living room
for a while before retiring to bed.
+ + + + + + +
Wednesday and Thursday passed with no progress on their investigation. Buck
wanted to send Josiah and Nathan back to Knoxville to check some of the leads
again. They had a little over a week. The new leader of the team noticed
that his undercover agent was acting strangely. Ezra had been withdrawn and
quiet all week. Judge Travis had been meeting with Standish everyday. Something
was up and he could just feel it. He picked up the phone and called the
judges secretary to make an appointment.
Judge Travis, is there something going on with Ezra that I should know
about? You two have been seeing an awful lot of each other since we got back
from Spencer. If it has to do with our investigation, I would really like
to know.
Buck, there isnt anything I can tell you right now. I will assure
you that it has nothing to do with your investigation. Agent Standish and
I have just been discussing some things that came up recently. Its
nothing for you to worry about.
He left the judges office feeling most definitely not reassured. The
sense that something was wrong regarding Ezra was causing his internal alarms
to go off. As soon as the elevator door opened, he called the southerner
into Chriss office.
Sit down, Ezra. I want to know whats going on between you and
the judge. He gave me a song and dance in his office and I didnt believe
a word of it.
Very well, Mr. Wilmington, I will tell you. I tendered my resignation
to the judge. I will be leaving this weekend. Orin has been attempting to
find another suitable replacement for me. With Mr. Larabees confinement,
I feel that I must move on. As much as I have enjoyed working with all of
you, I find that it is time for me go.
Youre leaving us? Just like that? When were you planning to tell
us? Do you know what this will do to the team? Do you even care?
I dont believe I have to justify myself to you, Mr. Wilmington.
I have already turned in my resignation. My replacement will be here next
week Monday. I was planning to tell you over lunch today.
The door closing caused Buck to lower his head to his hands and try to rub
out the tension that was building behind his eyes. He promised Chris
that he wouldnt run out on him, he never said he wouldnt run
out on the rest of us. With a heavy sigh, he picked up the picture
of the seven of them taken at an awards banquet a few months ago. The sense
of failure was increasing as the team disintegrated around him.
+ + + + + + +
The team gathered in the private room in the back of the bar where Inez worked.
Ezra had invited the team there for lunch on him. Buck had locked himself
away in Chriss office after the southerner had come out earlier. Every
member of the team felt that something was seriously wrong.
After Inez delivered lunch, Ezra stood and asked for their attention. Five
pairs of eyes locked on the southerner as he stood at the head of the table.
I have an announcement to make. Mr. Wilmington already knows but I
asked him to allow me to break the news to you. I have tendered my resignation
from the ATF effective immediately. My darling mother has invited me to join
her in a business venture and I have decided to accept. Judge Travis has
arranged for another undercover agent to join the team.
Four pairs of eyes burned with disbelief and one burned with outright hostility.
JD pushed his chair back from the table and jumped to his feet shouting angrily
as tears stung his eyes.
How can you think of leaving us? Were a team! Ezra, we need you,
we need to stay together. Whats Chris going to say when he gets out
and youre gone?
Im sorry, Mr. Dunne. I have given this a lot of thought. With
the departure of Mr. Larabee, I feel that the time is right for me to move
on. My mother has been after me for some time to join her in business and
I have come to the conclusion that it might be to my advantage. There wont
be anyone shooting at me or trying to kill me, I feel that I will live longer
in another line of business.
Vin jumped to his feet and began to shout.
Youre a coward! Youre running out on Chris when he needs
you most! I am so disappointed in you! You promised that you wouldnt
run out on him again and thats just what youre doing!
Mr. Tanner, I am so sorry to have disappointed you. My promise to Mr.
Larabee was for his benefit only. I have not abandoned our team leader. I
did all that I could to aid him. I can see that my news has upset you and
for that I am also sorry. Ill take my leave of you and have my desk
cleaned out before you finish your repast. Good day.
Ezra was gone before anyone else could respond. Inez slipped into the room
a few minutes later with tears in her eyes. She flung herself into Bucks
arms and wept.
+ + + + + + +
Dr. Fullerton studied the patient sitting before him. Dr. Long had reported
that Mr. Larabee had broken into a sweat the previous afternoon after being
shown the pictures of his family and friend. The nurses reported that he
was highly agitated during the night in spite of the sedative that had been
administered. He had contacted Judge Travis and gotten some other pictures
of Chriss co-workers to use in an attempt to draw him out.
Tell me about them, Chris. Can you tell me about your friends? Who
is this? Can you tell me his name? What about this one? Hmm? You know that
they call about you every night? They want to see you. Im going to
have to put off your visiting privileges unless you begin to communicate
with us in some way. You want to see them dont you?
ADAM! Please let me go! I have to talk to him! Chriss mind
screamed as he fought to answer the man. He had to know what happened to
his men. The last thing he remembered was Ezra telling him that he was leaving.
He had to talk to Buck to tell him not to let the southerner leave. His hands
ached to reach for the pictures on the table but he couldnt make them
move.
Fullerton made note of the brief flashes of anger that appeared in the hazel
eyes as the sweat built up on his forehead and his hands trembled. One by
one the doctor removed the pictures until there were only three left, Buck,
Vin and Ezra. His eyes widened in surprise as one hand reached for the pictures.
He quickly pulled them off of the table and slipped them into a folder.
Chris sat in the garden after lunch. In his mind, he was in another place.
In the distance the mountains looked the same as they did from his ranch.
He felt relaxed sitting there. Thru the wrought iron fence he saw a man with
long, dark hair. Coming to his feet, he approached the bars. He snaked his
hand thru the bars and his hand clawed for the man he sought. An orderly
approached him and tried to coax him back to his chair. Larabee resisted
and the orderly called for help.
It took three of them to extricate the patient from the fence. A nurse dropped
to her knees and pumped a sedative into the mans hip. Chris was placed
in a wheelchair and returned to his room. Dr. Fullerton was informed that
Larabee had begun to reach out of his shell.
+ + + + + + +
It didnt take him long to remove his belongings from his desk. Ezra
Standish traveled light. He had moved around so much as a child that he
didnt need anything he couldnt put in his pocket. The only thing
he took that didnt belong to him was the cell phone, Orin had insisted
that he take it. Only one item was deemed unnecessary that he took anyway,
the picture of the team from the award banquet. It was the first time that
Mr. Larabee had admitted that he was proud of the undercover agent. He left
the letter for JD on the kids desk, inside was a check made out to
Mr. Dunne to cover the cost of caring for Chaucer.
+ + + + + + +
Josiah and Nathan left for Knoxville. The other three returned to the ranch.
Their tempers were on edge and had been all afternoon. The letter Ezra had
left asked only that his beloved horse be cared for in the manner that he
was accustomed to. He alluded to the fact that he would either come for or
send for the animal some time later.
+ + + + + + +
Buck was furious. Dr. Fullerton had said that they could not see Chris. He
pleaded and begged but the doctor was firm in his resolve. Fullerton promised
that they were very near to breaking thru the wall of silence that Larabee
was hiding behind. Once that was done, he would encourage them to visit as
part of his therapy.
+ + + + + + +
Maude picked Ezra up at the airport. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at
his rumpled appearance. His clothes looked slept in and he had not shaved
that morning. She allowed him to press his cheek to hers briefly before escorting
him to her car.
Ezra dear, you look a fright! If this is an attempt to get me to let
you out of our little deal, you can just forget it. A deal is a deal and
I intend for you to hold up your end of the bargain.
Never fear, Mother, I will do my duty as I agreed. You will have to
allow me a week or so to finish with some business that I have to attend
to. After that, Im all yours.
Maude took her son to her apartment for the night. She had never seen him
so withdrawn and sullen. He sat on her couch scowling at the television without
speaking. She goaded him into a shower and took him out to supper at the
finest restaurant in Atlantic City.
+ + + + + + +
Agent Kinder picked up Josiah and Nathan at the airport and dropped them
at their hotel. He went over all the information they had gathered on the
girl pulled from the lake. Like the cashier, she had been strangled. The
marks on her neck matched the ones on both of the other dead girls.
+ + + + + + +
Jeff Franklin awoke to the smiling face of his aunt Libby. His mother had
told her sister that the boy was off of his feed and that the doctor was
worrying about him. Since he was a little boy, Jeff had loved his aunts
cooking. She had brought him some of her famous fried chicken and cornbread
muffins. For desert, she brought him baked apples.
Thanks, Aunt Libby, this is really good. The stuff that they cook here
has all the taste of cardboard. Ive really missed your cooking. Will
you tell me whats been going on at home? Mom never tells me anything.
Was that ATF agent okay? I feel really bad about what we tried to do to
him.
He just had a sprained ankle. He was doing all right when they left.
They left? What happened with their boss?
He was found guilty. They had him committed to some mental hospital,
poor thing. He lost his mind when they announced the sentence. I feel so
badly for them, they were so upset. But lets not talk about that anymore.
Tell me what the doctors are doing for you.
+ + + + + + +
Zack Lieder started the big Daewoo excavator and began to level the piles
of trash in the landfill. He raked thru the most recent truckloads and dumped
a couple of buckets of dirt on top of everything. A couple of hours later,
he encountered the beige car.
+ + + + + + +
The three men at the ranch spent the weekend in hard labor. They repaired
the roof of the barn and spent some time on the split-rail fence. Buck got
out the old push-mower and mowed the grass around the house. The noise of
the mower kept him from dwelling on the situation. Every day that he was
kept away from Chris only served to deepen his rage.
+ + + + + + +
They stopped giving him the sedatives at night after the first week. After
the first few nights, the dreams returned. Chris fell into the nightmare
again. He felt Wyn in his arms, he tasted her lips, and he saw himself wrapping
her in his leather jacket after he had made love to her. He felt the cool
air as the door was opened and she was torn away.
NO! Dont hurt her! Please!
The orderly and the nurse ran into the room and firmly restrained the patient.
He fought against them until they put him in restraints. The nurse ran to
call Dr. Long to see if they should try to sedate him. While waiting for
the doctor to call back, Chris struggled in the restraints and sobbed.
Dr. Fullerton raced up the driveway and into the facility. It seemed that
Larabee was finally breaking out of his shell. He ran up the stairs and was
waived thru the security gates. As soon as he reached the third floor east
hall he heard the sobs.
+ + + + + + +
Vin thrashed in his bed. He cried out as his mind was filled with images
of Chris. A loud, anguished scream ripped from his throat as he fought the
blanket that felt like it was binding him to the bed.
Buck and JD ran out of their rooms before the scream had faded. They ran
up the stairs and into Vins bedroom. Turning on the overhead light,
both men stared in confusion at the Texan who struggled in the center of
his bed. His hands lay rigidly at his sides and he tossed his head back and
forth as he moaned softly.
Vin? What is it? Whats wrong? JD sat lightly on the edge
of the bed and reached for Tanners hand. Buck moved around to the other
side of the bed and sat down.
Take it easy, kid. Dont startle him. I dont think this
is your run-of-the-mill nightmare. Vin, can you hear me, son? Its Buck
and JD, you need to wake up now.
The pale blue eyes opened and stared vacantly at the ceiling.
Weve seen that look before, Buck. Its the same look Chris
had at the jail. Fear mixed with awe tinged the kids voice.
+ + + + + + +
Dr. Fullerton landed on the side of the bed cursing and fuming. He ripped
the restraints away from the shuddering form on the bed. Larabee was gasping
for air and drenched in sweat. His eyes were focused on something only he
could see.
Talk to me, Mr. Larabee. Tell me what you see.
+ + + + + + +
Vins voice was a hoarse whisper as he struggled to speak.
There was another man there. He took my gun and my jacket.
Whats he talking about, Buck? Who took his gun and jacket?
Wilmingtons eyes widened in understanding as his hands tightened on
the Texan.
Thats not Vin talking, kid, thats Chris.
+ + + + + + +
Fullerton watched as Larabees lips moved silently. The man was trying
to speak. He finished removing the last of the restraints as Chris swallowed
hard and his eyes closed.
+ + + + + + +
Vins eyes closed and he shuddered under their grasp. Suddenly, the
Texan sprang to life, swinging and fighting as if his life depended upon
it. Both of his friends sprang off of the bed and stood, watching to see
what would happen next. Tanner looked at both of them with a puzzled expression.
What are yall doing in here in the middle of the night? Ya ought
to know better than to grab a guy while hes sleeping sound. I was having
the craziest dream.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra had gotten a lead on Taylor Cottman. The young man was arrested near
Atlanta for attempted robbery of a gas station. He had left his mothers
apartment that morning and headed for the town where the young man was being
held. After some pulled strings, he arranged for the young man to be held
without notifying anyone else for a week or so. He wanted the kid to get
nervous.
+ + + + + + +
Buck and JD explained what they had witnessed of Vins dream. The Texan
sat staring at them as if they had both lost their minds. He had always had
a sense of the blond man but nothing specific. As he looked from one pair
of eyes to the other, he realized that something really unusual had happened.
They decided that they were going to the hospital first thing in the morning.
+ + + + + + +
Sheriff Wilhelm climbed up to the wrecked car and carefully pried open the
trunk. The body of Judge Cross tumbled out and the sheriff leapt away appalled
by the sight and smell of the body. He slipped and tumbled down the pile
of trash, landing in Deputy Daviss grasp.
Its Judge Cross! Hes been dead for a while. Call for the
coroner to pick up the body. Ill go break the news to his wife.
+ + + + + + +
The three men got out of the truck and went to the security desk. They asked
to see Chris and were directed to a lounge to wait. Dr. Fullerton came down
and escorted them to his office.
I told you that I dont want him to have visitors yet, gentlemen.
Im sorry that you drove all the way out here for nothing but
Something happened last night, didnt it? He responded to something.
He was being
restrained somehow. Vin challenged the doctor with
his tone of voice.
The doctors eyes widened as he studied the young agent.
How do you know that?
He had a dream, Chris was restrained. Buck explained.
I thought he was going to speak. His lips moved and I actually thought
that he would talk to me but he just faded away. If you give me a few more
days with him, I think I can break him out of his shell.
We just want to see him! Hes our friend! You cant keep
us from seeing him. JD was all but shouting at the doctor.
Actually, gentlemen, I can. He was committed here by a court order.
I have the right to decide what happens to him for as long as he remains
a patient here.
Buck tried a little more tact.
Can we just look in on him? He doesnt even have to know that
were here. Please? Its been over a week, we just have to see
him.
Fullerton considered for a moment. He was actually terribly curious to see
how Larabee would react to his friends. The intensity of emotion he had witnessed
from the men as they had left their friend was powerful. The way Chris had
responded to the photos of the group made him finally decide to allow them
to see him.
All right, a brief visit. But in the future, you will have to wait
until I feel he is ready for a visit. Okay?
The three agents were led to an outdoor garden area surrounded by a wrought
iron fence. The sight of the mountains in the distance was breathtaking.
They stared out over the scenery as an orderly and Dr. Fullerton brought
Chris to them.
The three of them turned as the doctor cleared his throat. They drank in
the sight of their friend. Chris looked tired and worn. The blank gaze was
still firmly set on his face as he was guided into a chair. The doctor took
a seat across from his patient and waited to see if there was any reaction
to the visitors.
Hey, cowboy! How are you feeling? Listen, Im staying at the ranch
until you get better. You always said you wanted me to get a different place
to live so I
Tanners voice trailed off as he got not response.
Yeah, Chris, we fixed the roof on the barn yesterday. You wont
have to worry about the water getting into the hayloft anymore. Me and the
kid are staying at the ranch, too.
At that, there was finally a response. Chris turned his head and looked back
toward the gate. His gaze was expectant; he was waiting for someone else
to show up. JD spoke softly.
Josiah and Nathan went back to Knoxville. Theyll be back tonight.
There was another girl strangled to death and they went to see if there was
any physical evidence we could use. And Ezra
quit.
Chris came to his feet and walked toward the gate. He stared across the manicured
lawn toward the road. The hands that clenched the gate were trembling. His
shoulders rose and fell as he gasped for breath. Buck slowly crossed to stand
behind his friend. He rested a light hand on Larabees shoulder. Suddenly,
the blond turned and buried his face in Wilmingtons shoulder.
Dr. Fullerton approached and gently tried to separate Chris from Buck. The
arms grasped more tightly as the gasping continued. Larabees hands
clenched the material of Wilmingtons jacket. The ladies man cupped
the face of his friend and tipped it up so he could see his eyes. The eyes
that had been vacant were now burning with emotion and filled with tears.
From where he stood near the fence, Vin suddenly looked up in surprise. JD
caught him as the Texan swayed unsteadily on his feet. The kid guided him
to a bench and sat him down. The look in the blue eyes was confusion mixed
with grief.
Buck? JD called hesitantly for help.
Dragging Chris across the grass, the new leader of Team 7 stared down at
the two young agents. The kid looked scared and Vins eyes mirrored
the hazel eyes of his oldest friend. He dragged Larabee to his knees along
side of the bench as he reached out and shook Tanner.
+ + + + + + +
Claudia Cross fainted when Sheriff Wilhelm informed her that they had found
her husbands body at the landfill. The sheriff stayed with her until
Dr. Flowers arrived to tend to her. He then returned to the landfill to supervise
the removal of the body and the car. He ordered the body to be sealed into
a body bag before he placed the call to the FBI office in Knoxville. If there
was any evidence on the body or the car, he wanted to be sure to get it.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra looked thru the bars at Taylor Cottman. The young man had a cocky smirk
on his face as he answered the questions put to him. He denied knowing anything
about the bank robbery in Knoxville and he denied knowing Wyn Lightner.
+ + + + + + +
Jeff Franklin lay in his hospital bed looking over the newspapers that the
nurses had brought him. He read over the story about the ATF agent being
found guilty. He also read about the other girls who had been killed in a
fashion similar to Wyn. His Aunt Libby had told him about the other agents
and how they had cared for their friend so much. None of his friends had
even come to visit him since he had awakened.
+ + + + + + +
The pale blue eyes focused as soon as Vin was jarred out of his reverie.
He looked at Chris and gasped in shock. He looked at Buck and then at JD.
Sliding off of the bench, Tanner embraced Larabee and rocked him slowly.
After several minutes, he pulled away and studied the hazel eyes.
Dr. Fullerton and the orderly pulled Chris to his feet and led him back to
his room. The other three agents followed. After settling the patient in
his room, the doctor took them back to his office. He could see that the
one agent, Vin, was profoundly shaken by whatever he had experienced.
Do you want to talk about it?
Hes in anguish! Its like a cage and he cant get out!
Its smothering him!
But he does want out?
Hes worried about something. He expected someone else to be with
us today.
The doctor was amazed by what he had seen and heard. He didnt doubt
that the two men shared some kind of connection. The problem remained of
how to break him out of the self-imposed silence. He left the three men in
his office to go and check on a problem that was happening in one of the
other lounges.
Buck looked at Vin. Hes worried about Ezra, isnt he?
Yeah, I think so. I get the feeling that he knew Ezra was going to
resign.
Damn, I never should have let that stubborn southerner go!
They spent the day at the facility. The doctor let them sit with Chris for
a while and have lunch with him. Larabee constantly looked toward the door
as if expecting someone else to show up. He stared at Buck as if angry with
him. Later in the afternoon, they sat in on his therapy session. The doctor
tried and tried to get him to talk without success.
Mr. Wilmington, when Chris was first admitted here I spoke to your
friend Nathan about ECT as a means of breaking him out of his shell. I would
like to try it and I can without your blessing but I would like you to be
here when he comes out of it.
A deep shudder passed thru Buck as he looked at the doctor. He had seen the
movie A Beautiful Mind and that was the image he had of what
they wanted to do to Chris. He wrung his hands together and looked at the
doctor.
It wont hurt him? You said hed be asleep when you did it?
Its not like in the movies, right? No shaking and drooling.
I assure you, Mr. Wilmington, he wont feel a thing. You can be
in the room with him if you want.
After a few minutes of soul searching, he turned to Vin. What do you
think?
The pale blue eyes were filled with apprehension. If you think its
okay, then Im fine with it. Anything to get our Chris back.
The doctor set up the ECT room and had an orderly bring the patient down.
Buck stayed with him as they put him on the table. The nurse started an IV
and administered the sedation. Buck held Chriss hand until the hazel
eyes closed and he went limp. Wilmington stayed as they attached the restraints.
He felt a stab of pure terror as the electrodes were attached.
He couldnt stay and watch. Retreating to the observation area, he sat
with his face buried in his hands. Vin sat beside him with his arm resting
on the trembling shoulder. JD remained at the window and watched. He saw
no sign of the current being applied to the blond other than a slight twitch
in one of Chriss hands.
+ + + + + + +
Josiah and Nathan returned from Knoxville Sunday afternoon and went straight
to the ranch to talk to Buck. They had arranged for the body of Judge Cross
to be taken to the lab in Washington to be checked for evidence. They were
surprised that there was no one at the ranch when they arrived. Nathan pulled
out his cell phone and called Buck.
The ringing of the cell phone startled Wilmington out of his silence. He
jerked the phone out of his pocket and pressed it to his ear.
Wilmington. Hey Nathan. No were up here at the hospital with
Chris. Theyre doing that ECT thing. Yeah, I gave them permission. No,
why dont you wait there and well fill you in when we get there.
Well probably leave after he wakes up.
Dr. Fullerton stuck his head into the room. Hes coming up
quickly!
Talk to you later, Nathan.
Buck and the others stood over Chris as his eyes fluttered open. He looked
up at the men standing over him and closed his eyes again. The doctor nodded
toward Wilmington and then to the blond.
Chris, can you open your eyes again for me? I need to talk to you.
Come on, cowboy, open up and talk to us. Vin picked up the limp
hand and grasped it tightly in his own.
B-Buck, what happened? The voice was barely a whisper, but he
was speaking. His eyes seemed to struggle to focus.
Easy, cowboy. Take it easy. Vins voice comforted Chris.
Dr. Fullerton moved to the bedside. His presence startled Larabee. He pulled
away from the strange doctor and looked around in panic. This wasnt
the hospital in Denver!
Take it easy, Chris, this is Dr. Fullerton. Hes been taking care
of you.
Where are the others?
Theyre at the ranch, waiting for us.
Mr. Larabee, were going to take you back to your room now. Your
friends will be back to visit you later. Fullertons words were
directed more toward the other three men than his patient.
Buck nodded before clapping his hand on Chriss shoulder. We have
to get back to work. Well see you again later, okay?
They left the facility and drove back to the ranch.
The drive to the ranch was silent. Buck was still burning with the guilt
of allowing the ECT and then with the guilt of waiting as long as he had.
JD and Vin were deeply lost in thought as they stared at the scenery.
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