CHAPTER 28: BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS

MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER

NYC

Four hours later, they were still waiting, while alternately pacing and sitting in the hospital waiting room, but mostly worrying about Gus. Upon entry, he was immediately taken in by the trauma unit. After a full examination, where time was of the essence, it was determined that Gus would have to undergo surgery, not only to repair his broken arm, but to assess and repair the damage to numerous internal injuries which were the result of Lindsay’s repeated kicks to his chest and abdominal regions. They were warned in advance that the process was going to be slow-going since it was a surety that some of organs were bleeding profusely and had been for some time. So they were waiting… waiting for word, waiting for Gus’ manifestation of justice by living when Lindsay surely intended to kill him, and praying for an absolution that in their minds would never come.

“Brian, everyone… can I get you all anything?” David asked, the restlessness evident in the rigid set of his shoulders. “There’s a 24-hour coffee shop across the street. The coffee here is for shit.”

If Brian wasn’t so worried, he might have laughed at David’s statement. Aside from rarely ever having heard the man curse, he recognized it as his own saying when talking about the coffee at the Diner on numerous occasions. “Thank you, David, but no. I don’t think I can actually hold anything down until I know that Gus will… Gus…”

Brian looked up into the compassionate eyes of a man, that prior to today, he would never have considered a friend. David recognized that fact for himself, and told him so. “For what it’s worth, Brian, beyond this situation with Gus, I don’t know that we would have ever been able to make our peace. There just wasn’t time or- if I’m more honest with myself- inclination to do so. But if no one else ever tells you, I think you’ve been an amazing example for that young boy in there to follow. I wish you could have heard him standing up for himself and for all of you. I could hear everything he said as if he did it in your voice.”

“But look where it’s gotten him…”

“Ultimately out of the hands of a deranged woman permanently. Believe it or not, Gus has just become the hero to all of you. Despite what Lindsay might try or say, she won’t be able to justify any of her actions, especially in regards to Gus.”

“I keep wondering which of my actions lately sent her so over the deep end that she would intentionally do this to Gus, the child that she begged and pleaded with me to help her make.”

“This is not because of you, but her throwing a tantrum. What she thought, felt, or wanted was no one else’s fault but Lindsay’s. From what I’ve heard while talking to Em and Ted, Lindsay’s been hellbent on keeping you under her thumb for a long time. That wasn’t your malfunction; it was hers! The reason she even nabbed Gus to begin with was due to her belief that she could stop you from doing anything you wanted to do that didn’t include her. Michael did the same thing to you, but you couldn’t see it then either.” David sighed and took the empty seat next to Brian, keeping his hand on the man’s shoulder before speaking again.

“You know, it’s funny now that I think about it, but Michael, even while he was hero-worshipping you, would often mention your tendency to blame yourself for all of HIS shortcomings. I couldn’t see it as anything other than you endearing Michael even further to you at the time, which was my fault. But like I told you earlier, time and distance always brings in a different perspective. It wasn’t you. It wasn’t your shortcomings, or the fact that you wanted a life of your own… it wasn’t any of the things you’ve done, are doing, or will do in the future that caused any of this. Absolutely NONE of this was YOUR fault. So don’t sit here and take Lindsay’s bullshit, or Michael’s idiocy, onto yourself. I’ve been there, even if it was in a different context regarding my son Hank, and I can tell you that it will get you nowhere. Singing the could’ve, should’ve, would’ves to yourself at this juncture doesn’t change facts, and will do nothing but have you unnecessarily second-guessing yourself and your decisions, which if you think about it, is ultimately what Lindsay wanted you to do so that you would know not to step out of her plans for you again. Hurting Gus the way she did was her way of showing you what would happen if you tried it again; it was completely incidental. But again, that was her malfunction to think it would work since now she’ll be in jail where she so obviously belonged a long time ago. So if there was ever a time to cloak yourself in that natural arrogance you have, and have faith in your abilities as a father, it’s right now when your world seems to be falling apart. Gus is fighting to come out of this; so put back on your boxing gloves and fight with him, man.”

Brian folded his lips in, keeping the tears he felt welling up at the back of his eyes at bay. “Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?”

“My ex-wife, but she’s an ex now so does her opinion really count now,” David answered, snickering.

“Good point,” Brian answered, chuckling. “You know, I think I will take that coffee. As soon as word comes about Gus, I’m going to take Justin over to the police station to give his statement.”

“And where is Justin?”

“Over on the other side of the waiting room with Seven. They are really taking this whole situation hard. As much as I was blaming myself, it’s even worse for them. For some reason they think that Connor and Brandon wouldn’t even know who we are if they hadn’t escaped. But, hey, like you said, you can’t be blamed for other people’s malfunctions. The real people responsible for getting involved with the James Brothers in the first place were their asshole fathers.”

David nodded, then looked over to where Brian said they should be, automatically knowing that something was wrong. “Ah, Brian. I hate to be the one to tell you this but…”

“Brian, the nurse said that Gus just came out of surgery. The surgeon should be out momentarily,” Mel says. “Oh, and Leda is still in critical but stable condition. I just thought you would like to know.”

“Thanks for telling me. Justin!” Brian called out, but there was no answer. “Justin?! Where the fuck…”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you, Brian,” David said. “They aren’t there.”

“They?”

“He AND Seven aren’t there.”

“I’ll call the Commissioner,” Mel said, her finger already scrolling through her phone to find the number she’d saved earlier.

“I’ll call Bethany,” Jennifer interjected. “She’ll light a fire under their asses.”

“Em and Ted, check the restrooms,” Brian ordered as the two of them came back into the waiting room. “What the fuck happened to you two?”

“Connor and a cop nabbed Justin and Seven. When we tried to intervene, this is what we got,” Ted said, holding his hand to his bleeding skull. “Emmett just woke up, but he’s going to need a doctor. The cop butted Em in the temple with the gun.”

“FUCK!!!!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~SLA~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

432 PARK AVENUE

“Lynette, I’m really glad you could make it,” Bethany said as she handed the younger woman a drink.

“I didn’t have much choice but to comply with Diane’s suggestion, but I don’t mind. I needed to get out of Sewickley for a time. I didn’t feel safe there; hell, I don’t feel safe anywhere.”

“You’re safe here, you know?” Bethany questioned quietly.

“I know you won’t hurt me, if that’s what you mean, Bethany. It’s not you, but this fucking City and the certain people in it.”

“I know, but if it makes you feel any better, Craig has been arrested at least.”

“Is that what the commotion at the airport was about?”

“What commotion?” Bethany’s ears perked up at the news. She had been occupied all evening with compiling as much information for the Mayor as she could regarding her nephew’s case, and all those involved.

The more she learned, the more she could see just what a tangled web the whole mess was. It wasn’t just in reference to Justin, but Lynette as well. Having given the order for the immediate confiscation of Craig’s computer and files was one of the best, most strategic moves she had accomplished in her career. Hidden within those files, she’d found records about Russo, and all his connections which allowed him to continually circumvent the law across six states- not just New York and Pennsylvania. Even better was the fact that Roy had been fixing cases even while he was a prosecuting attorney. Sure it meant more work, and plenty of lawsuits that would be coming against the City regarding unlawful detainment, but it also meant that uncovering it would bring about harsh penalties for all those involved. Considering that many of the names linked with Russo’s were also linked to her nephew, it was a definite WIN in Bethany’s book. Nobody fucked with the part of her family she actually loved… NOBODY! And if she could once again rub her parents’ mistakes in their faces, then it was just an added bonus.

“When I arrived, there were police everywhere and a little boy being transported due to some incident on a plane. I didn’t hang around to get the details,” she answered, thinking about the meeting she was already late for upon arrival.

“I know that Craig was arrested at the airport, but I haven’t been able to get in touch with Carlton for awhile. Perhaps, I should call him.”

“Do you think it has anything to do with the network?”

“I don’t know,” Bethany answered, distractedly scrolling through her phone. She nearly jumped out of her skin as it rang in her hand, just as she got ready to press the ‘talk’ button to dial Carlton. She was surprised to find that he was actually calling her. “I was just dialing your number, what’s up?” she asked.

“Too much,” he answered. It wasn’t hard to hear the weariness in his voice. This day had been more than enough for all of them to continue to handle.

Walking over to the bay windows, overlooking the New York Skyline, she softly asked, “What’s happened now?”

“Jim Stockwell is dead.”

‘What? What did you say?”

“You heard me. According to his wife, the doorbell had gone off a total of four times, and each time Stockwell went to answer it. Three of those times, he answered but no one was there. She said that he was expecting a package, and had planned to watch the Taylor-Kinney interview following dinner with their sons. He’d left her and the children to keep up their nightly dinner lessons, now that that boys are almost of age to be included in ‘adult’ dinners at the country club. They were in the dining room at the back of the house, closest to the kitchen as he went to answer the door again. Apparently, the fourth time he’d gone to answer the door was his final time. By the time she and the boys found him, he was laying in the doorway in a puddle of his own blood. I have the coroner processing the body now, but it was the message left that was most disturbing, Bethany.”

“What did it say? Any leads on who did this?”

“Not yet, but the message itself tells me that whoever it is, knows about Stockwell’s secret business dealings. The note on the glass window of his front door said, ‘Revenge and Justice, one down, four to go’. I’ve already alerted Carl Horvath in Pittsburgh of the circumstances happening here when I called in to find out if Connor James had stopped there to see his brother. He agreed to send a squad car to patrol Peterson’s neighborhood.”

“That’s probably best. With Craig in custody, that at least will save his miserable life. Not that he’ll have much of one, considering the charges he’s facing and will be convicted of,” she said.

“It was my pleasure to arrest his ass. That tip you gave us to have his landline tapped came right on time. He was there to meet Lindsay Peterson to hand off Gus to him so they could wait for Connor James. But now we have another major problem. I’ve already dispatched more units to look for Justin and Seven Collins.”

“What the hell do you mean, Carlton? I thought… I thought they were still at the hospital with that poor little boy. He’s not… he’s not dead, is he?”

“No, he isn’t. In fact the surgeon was just getting ready to meet with the family when they discovered that Justin and Seven had been kidnapped from a restroom within Mount Sinai. Justin was taken first, and then when Seven along with Ted Schmidt and Emmett Honeycutt went to look for him, they were accosted by Connor. They said that there was an officer with James who attacked Honeycutt and Schmidt, then took Justin and Seven away from there. Emmett lost consciousness after being butted in the head with a gun, while Ted, who was also hit in the head, watched helplessly while both Seven and Justin were injected with some substance that’s unknown as of yet.”

“Oh shit, Carlton! Justin is allergic to a lot of things…”

“I know, which is why time is of the essence that we find them. The good news- if you can call it that- is that we found a throwaway phone in the drawer within Stockwell’s office, which keeps ringing with an unknown number. Since the calls are steady, but at the same time a bit erratic in timing, it’s hard to know just when the phone is going to ring. The caller rings twice, then hangs up. Minutes later, he calls again.”

“Has Connor James been found yet?”

“No. As far as we knew he was still in Los Angeles before the phone call from Brian. We’ve gone through every roster of the planes both arriving and departing ever since you told us of his phone call to Craig Taylor, but his name hasn’t turned up on any of them.”

“Shit. I’ll call you back as soon as I know something, Carlton. Keep your lines clear since I will need to speak with you directly.”

“What are you thinking?”

“That the only other person who might have information about where Justin and Seven may have been taken might be Brian Taylor-Kinney, only he won’t know it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t explain it, Carlton. Suffice it to say that he knows a lot more about this situation than anyone not connected to this case directly should. Justin may have mentioned something to him in passing. Not only that, but Jennifer is a real estate agent and no doubt will be able to use some of her contacts to find out any hidden property that is connected to Connor and Brandon James. I need to call her!”

“You don’t need to do that,” Lynette said that from the sofa, her legs still tucked beneath her.

Bethany quickly switched the phone onto speaker. “Carlton, Lynette just said that I don’t need to call Jennifer for the information about the James’ hidden holdings. Lynette what do you know?”

“That they all use a house- a mansion- in Venezuela to retrain their sex slaves when they get above themselves. Alex took me there once, when I decided to leave him. It… it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

“Do you know where it is?”

“Very secluded, but it has an ocean view. The problem is that the United States doesn’t have an extradition treaty with that country. So if Connor has Justin and Seven, you can’t force the police there to do anything on their behalf. It’s why they all chose the island to begin with.”

“James has to still be here on this fucking island somewhere!” Bethany yelled.

“I agree, but… Lynette, whose plane was used to take you to Venezuela when you went? I know that several of the members in the network have private planes. They would need to since their public business dealings require them to be available within a few hours should any problems arise.”

“I don’t know whose Alex used, but I know that Taylor had a plane. Originally, it belonged to Stockwell, but I know that there was a deal made for the purchase. As opposed to outright paying cash for it, the only thing Taylor ended up paying for it was the gift taxes. I don’t know if he ever got another one. The original plan was that Stockwell would gift Taylor the plane, but still have access to it when he needed it.”

“Carlton, find out if Stockwell bought another plane and where he keeps it,” Bethany ordered. “Look at everything, including if he has it listed under his business instead of his own name. Get Leslie Lockhart to help you. She’s familiar with some of the case, not only because of her interview with Brian and Justin earlier tonight, but from before when she was dealing with the former senator. I have a feeling that if you find that information, it may direct you to your mystery caller. In the meantime, I’m going to do a little digging of my own.”

“Calling Jennifer?”

“Yes, but not regarding the real estate. Tell me something, has James’ attorney arrived in Pittsburgh as of yet?”

“Not to my knowledge. In fact, Horvath gave orders to call him the moment the man arrived. So far, he’s still at the hospital looking after Melanie Marcus’ lover, who was practically run over by Lindsay Peterson in her quest to get to Gus. Although, I suspect that wasn’t the only reason.”

“No, I don’t imagine it was. My sister is extremely territorial. If she wants you, she’ll do whatever she has to do to get you. In Mel’s case, it would have been okay for her to leave the woman, but the fact that Melanie left Lindsay and went back to Leda would have had Lindsay on a warpath. Brian and Mel were her prized bull and heifer, while Gus was her meal ticket. As far as she’s concerned, no one is fulfilling their roles within her life so they all have to suffer,” Lynette explained. “I want to go to the hospital.”

Bethany nodded. “I’ll take you in a moment and call Jennifer on the way. Carlton, get busy. By the way, who’s on duty tonight that’s missing?”

“I haven’t been at the precinct most of the night, but I’ll find out. Whoever helped James better pray that his colleagues get to him first, because I will kill the fucker where he stands. He doesn’t deserve to wear the badge after this; not sure the person ever did.”

Carlton disconnected the call, while Lynette made a quick trip to the guest bedroom, presumably to change clothes. She’d come in hunting for a shower immediately, which wasn’t unusual since she was a germaphobe, especially when having to take any type of public transportation. It was the one thing Lynette was often fanatical about, and in a way, completely understandable considering that one of Alex’s favorite ways to punish the woman was to have her spend the night in a jail cell with a woman who most obviously had an aversion to regular showering. And because of her asshole father, the poor woman was forced to endure the mistreatment at the senator’s hands for YEARS. Bethany almost hoped that whoever had killed Stockwell would get through whatever barrier Detective Horvath had set up in Pittsburgh and kill Ronald Peterson, too.

Bethany called down to her driver, instructing him of their destination, and once Lynette alighted from the guestroom, they took the elevator 68 floors down to the parking garage. “You ready to face them?” she asked her companion.

Lynette smiled a little wanly. “As ready as I ever will be.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~SLA~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I need to get back to the station, Mr. James, before I’m missed for much longer. Right now, Brown is covering for me,” NYPD Officer Lance Martin advised.

“Just a little while longer. I don’t know why Stockwell’s plane isn’t available yet, but until it gets here, you stay. I can’t take the chance on them waking up before I get them boarded,” he answered, while keeping his gun trained on his two hostages.

Connor couldn’t believe his luck when he’d arrived at JFK Airport. The agents, who worked the airport, were so preoccupied with trying to contain whatever situation was happening in the Liberty Air Terminal that they hadn’t even spent more than two minutes directing him to baggage claim. Well their inattentiveness was fortuitous for him. As he was leaving the terminal, he noticed quite a bit police activity but didn’t pay attention to it, as he hailed a cab. It wasn’t until they were passing by the unusually busy terminal that he saw both Lindsay Peterson- who had looked like she’d seen better days- and Craig Taylor being put into separate police cars. But what had his heart thumping hard in his chest was the sight of both of his properties following behind two taller men, one of whom he knew instantly on sight, and the other who looked vaguely familiar.

Requesting that the cabby hang back and then follow behind the unmarked SUVs on the tail of the ambulance, Connor knew instantly that this would be his only chance to retrieve Justin, and as a bonus, Seven. Too bad Brandon wasn’t available; they could have had a lot of fun with the two of them. But as soon as they arrived at their vacation home on Margarita Island in Venezuela, Connor would get word back to Brandon to meet him at their hideaway. Their secluded mansion was the perfect place to remind Justin and Seven of their places, and the only reason they were still alive.

“You should try to call him again, then. Shouldn’t your message have reached him by now?” Martin asked.

“Yeah it should have, but he’s probably trying to do damage control with Taylor’s arrest. Look, while they’re still knocked out, why don’t you go get us a couple of coffees from Starbucks. They shouldn’t wake up before you get back.”

“Will do, Boss,” Martin said, and trotted off to do Connor’s bidding.

Connor sighed for what probably must have been the thousandth time since he and Martin had taken care of the assholes in the hospital bathroom. The ones who had tried to intervene while they were retrieving his sex slaves. Nabbing Justin and Seven had gone relatively well, but this waiting was killing him. After telling Martin that he’d arrived in New York, he advised him to meet him at Mount Sinai hospital in the underground parking garage. Upon arrival, they had devised a plan to divide and conquer, but that hadn’t exactly gone as planned. A call had come in for Martin, leaving him to do the reconnaissance of how to retrieve the two of them on his own. The waiting room was undoubtedly teeming with people, even though his only concentration was on the small group on the far end of the emergency room. As it other patients and family members emptied out, Connor had considered just taking Martin’s gun and marching over there, threatening to kill whoever he had to in order for Justin and Seven to come with him. But with so many people still there, it was hard to keep track of who was who, so he’d waited.

About an hour after arrival at the hospital, Connor saw his chance. The large man standing over Brian, apparently trying to comfort him, had blocked Brian’s direct view to Justin. It wasn’t hard to grab him and drag his little blond ass to the bathroom when his companion’s back was turned. He knew that Seven would come looking for Justin, and it worked! But he hadn’t counted on Seven having some fucking followers, who were also searching for the younger of the two blonds. A scuffle, ending with one of the brunet men bleeding from the head while the other brunet was knocked out, Connor and Martin injected both Justin and Seven with enough propofol, that Martin had acquired and brought with him, to sedate them for a few hours, and got the hell out of there. But with Stockwell’s plane not there, Connor knew his time for a clean getaway was running out.

“Where the fuck is Martin? I swear, nothing and no one is where the fuck they’re suppose to be tonight!” Just as Connor finished his rant, he heard the faint grunt of one of the blonds lying on the ground nearest where the plane should be.

Upon closer inspection, he couldn’t tell which one had made the sound. Watching them for several more minutes but with no more movements or sound coming from them, he shrugged and resumed his ranting- only silently this time so he would catch any more rogue noises immediately. Nothing and no one was going to stand in his way of reclaiming HIS blonds. And if they tried, he had something for them… especially for the man who had dared to touch Justin.

Oh yes, Mr. KINNEY! Fuck with me, and you’ll end up in a hospital bed next to your son, or better yet, they will be planning your funeral. Hmm… that will certainly teach Justin just WHO he belongs to. And the first order of business after killing Brian, will be to REALLY marry Justin so he'll never think he can escape me again. Connor couldn’t help as the gleeful, and maniacal laughter bubbled from deep with him at the thought of Brian dying, even as he reclaimed and retrained Justin over and over again. I think it’s time that Martin really earn that half a million, and in the very best way possible. Now only if he would get his ass back here!