Chris looked at the men seated around the conference table. In the three days since Travis talked to him they'd formulated a plan. He knew these men were not going to be pleased with this undercover assignment and he shuddered at the part he was going to play. He looked at the seven identical files in front of him and passed one to each of his men.
"This is a list of employees from Shady Acres. Some of them have been there a long time, while others are newcomers. Study them and make sure you know whether or not you'll be involved with any of them. Josiah, would you mind reading the list of names and what they do at the institution? Just give us a brief outline on them and we can go over them more thoroughly later on"
"Sure, Chris," the ex-preacher said. "Daniel Everett Coburn, age 60, graduated Harvard, was on the Deans Honor list. Worked several years as a missionary before coming to work at Shady Acres. He's been there for over 29 years," Sanchez finished.
"Are we considering Coburn as a suspect, Chris?" Wilmington asked.
"Right now everyone on that list is a suspect. Go on Josiah," Larabee said.
"Carl Sheppard, age 45, financial advisor for Shady Acres. He's been with the institute for ten years. There are a few questionable things in his background..."
"Such as?" Standish asked.
"Gambling mostly. He's lost a lot of money at the tracks," the ex-preacher answered before continuing. "Raymond Kent, age 51, graduated Yale with a full scholarship. Worked in a private institute in New York for several years, but left suddenly, without explanation in '82, resurfaced in '95 when he went to work at Shady Acres."
"We need to find out where Kent disappeared during the 13 years he was missing," Jackson suggested.
"That'll be something for Ezra and JD to work on. I'm sure if there's a record of it they'll find it," Larabee told them confidently.
"Next we have a Doctor Samantha Parker, age 35, graduated from the University of California. Inherited a large amount of money two years ago when her aunt passed away. Worked for several years at the university before being offered the job at Shady Acres. She's been there for two years." He turned the page and looked at the next file before reading from it. "Jenny Lidstrum, age 60, RN, has been a member of Shady Acres staff for nearly 24 years." Sanchez ran down the list of names until the major staff members were known to each man. They went through the medical, office, and cleaning staff until they had some idea of whom they'd be working with.
Larabee stood up and walked to the table that held coffee and donuts. He poured himself a cup and took a sip of the hot, strong brew before turning to his friends. He walked back to the table and pulled out several more files and placed them in front of him. He knew what he was about to suggest went against how their cases were normally handled, but his background was perfect for what they needed.
"Okay, I've got the files here and your new personas. Study them and get to know what your job will be," he said as he passed each man a file. Once they were open and in front of each man he began speaking again.
"JD, you'll be going in as JD Carter. You'll be working in the office and we'll need you to access the computers, but don't do anything that'll make anyone suspicious of you. Study the file carefully as it's gonna be important that you play the part you're assigned. That goes for all of you. I can't stress enough how dangerous this type of assignment is. We're all essentially on our own once we begin."
"I'll be careful, Chris," Dunne told his mentor when he saw the worry in the sea green eyes.
"Buck, you're...
"Buck Chambers," the ladies man finished.
"That's right," Larabee said. "You'll be on the cleaning detail..."
"Lots of pretty female cleaners..."
"Those cleaners are probably just your style, Buck..."
"What's that supposed to mean, Kid?" the scoundrel asked.
"Well, the cleaners at Saint Vincents are all over the hill...Just like..."
"JD, you'd better not finish that sentence!" the ladies man warned.
"Okay, Boys, back to work," Jackson told the two men.
"As I said, Buck. You'll be with the cleaners. Hopefully you'll be assigned a detail or two in the secure facility. Josiah, you're going in as Josiah Arnott, the family spiritual advisor. You won't be involved right away, but I want you to coordinate all the information the others come up with."
"Consider it done, Chris," Sanchez said.
"Nathan, you're now Dr. Nathan Bradley. You're doing an internship at Shady Acres as part of your psychiatric rotation."
"Hey, Doc, you're a doc," Wilmington said, patting the medic on the shoulder.
"It's a good thing I've had plenty of experience with you lot," Jackson said and they all laughed.
Larabee turned to the tracker and knew the younger man could see where things were headed.
"Vin, you're going in as Vince Martin. You'll be playing the part of an orderly and will probably end up assigned in the secure area," Larabee explained, before turning to the gambler.
"That leaves you and Ezra, Chris," Jackson said worriedly.
"Ezra and I are going to be brothers..."
"Oh, hell, who are we supposed to feel sorry for?" Wilmington asked, a hint of humor in his voice.
"Shut up, Buck," Larabee said, shaking his head as he saw the smile on Standish's face.
"Mr. Larabee, I am honored to find our paternity is no longer in question," the conman said and smiled when the ladies man choked on the Pepsi he'd been drinking.
"Shit, Ez, that ain't funny," Wilmington said.
"Sure it was, Buck, I didn't know you could make the Pepsi come out your nose," the youngest member of the team said.
"Children, can we get back to work here?" Sanchez asked, smiling at the men surrounding the table.
"Yes, Pa," Wilmington said and all eyes turned to Larabee again.
"As I was saying, Ezra and I will be brothers. Chris and Ezra Jacobson of Jacobson Enterprises..."
"Sounds like we're rich," Standish said.
"We are...or should I say I am. I'm afraid you're the brother who drops money at the tracks or casinos and has squandered everything you own."
"Oh, hell, poor Ezra needs to beg his big brother for money. You gonna give him an allowance, Chris?" Wilmington asked.
Larabee raised his eyebrows and shook his head. Buck knew how to relieve tension and he was grateful for it now.
"So what do our cover stories have to do with Shady Acres?" Standish asked.
"Well, as I said you've squandered everything, but you've managed to finagle your way into a top position at Jacobson Enterprises, unfortunately for you I now have the means to remove you as CEO of the corporation."
"Kicked out on your butt, Ez," Dunne said,
"Not quite," Larabee explained. "Before I get a chance to go to the board we'll be making a trip to Shady Acres."
"Why?" Jackson asked, beginning to see where his boss was going and not liking the idea one bit.
"It's all part of Ezra's plan. He's enlisted the help of Susan James..."
"Our Susan James?" Standish asked.
"That's right. She'll be accompanying us to the institution."
"Why?" Wilmington asked, sitting further up in his chair and paying closer attention.
"Ezra is going to have his brother..."
"Committed," Tanner finished for the blond.
"That's right," Larabee answered.
"Chris, I..."
"Ezra, there's no choice. We need to find out what's happening at Shady Acres and that means one of us goes in undercover," Larabee answered.
"Why you?" Jackson asked.
"Because part of the persona of Chris Jacobson is that he's got an anger management problem..."
"I can get angry..."
"I know you can, Vin. I know all of you can, but there's more to it. Jacobson will also have a drinking problem and his family background will be similar to my own."
"Meaning?" Sanchez asked.
"Jacobson's family was murdered and he's been searching for the people who did it. Look, boys, I know you don't like this..."
"You got that right," Tanner snapped sharply.
"There has to be another way, Chris," Jackson tried.
"This is the best way to get in there. We've already done some of the groundwork. Orin and Dr. Coburn..."
"You started this without consulting us?" the tracker asked softly.
"Vin, I hate to say this, but I am in charge here and sometimes decisions have to be made. No matter who we decided to send in, it wouldn't be an easy decision. I talked it over with Orin and this is the best background we could come up with on short notice."
"Chris, you do know what being admitted to an institution like Shady Acres means?" the medic asked.
"I know, Nathan," Larabee answered as he leaned back in his chair.
"Do you? You said Ezra was going to have you committed."
"That's right, Nathan," the blond answered.
"So you'll be committed forcefully, which means orderlies and sedatives..."
"I know," Larabee told him. "I know they'll..."
"They'll pin you to the floor until the doctor injects a sedative into you. Then you'll be placed in a small room until they assess you," Jackson explained.
"Dr. Coburn went through the procedures with me."
"You still think you'll be able to handle it? What if they decide to put you in restraints? That ain't pretty, Chris," the medic stated.
"I know," the blond said. "There's nothing else we can do and we all know that no matter who was going in as a patient there'd be arguments for and against. Ezra study that file, you'll need to know where our offices are located and how much we're supposed to be worth."
"How long do we have before we go in?" Wilmington asked, resigned to the fact that his long time friend would be going undercover as a mental patient.
"Susan James is making an appointment for us to tour the facility next Thursday or Friday. I won't be leaving when Ezra and Susan do," Larabee said and watched as his friends shuffled the papers before them.
"Chris," Tanner said after the others left.
"I know what you're going to say, Vin, but I'm okay with this. I know what I'm doing."
"That's not the problem, Chris, and you know it. Hell, I've seen you go undercover and you're one of the best operatives I've ever seen, but this means confinement, drugs, and probably restraints. It means you won't have control over your own life. We both know how hard that is."
"Yes, we do, and we've all been through it in one way or another. I know what I'm getting in to and believe me if there was any other way I'd jump at it."
"Me too," the tracker said as he turned to leave. "Ya'd better watch yer back, Larabee?"
"That's going to be your job, Vin," the blond said softly, unaware that the younger man heard him. He walked into his office and sat down at his desk, wishing, not for the first time that the case was over.
Vin shuddered at the thought of being unable to fulfill his promise to watch his best friend's back. Once inside Shady Acres, Larabee would be virtually on his own until the case ended. The tracker prayed things would be easier than it sounded. He walked to his desk and picked up his jacket before heading out. He knew the next few weeks were going to be some of the hardest of his life, yet he vowed to make sure the blond came out of it in one piece.
Time passed quickly as the agents prepared for the upcoming undercover job. Each man understood what was required of him and would make sure he knew what his part would entail. Buck and Vin often wound up at Larabee's ranch as if they could change the events that were about to occur just by being close to their friend.
Chris often felt his men watching him and knew it was their worry over the role he was undertaking. Again and again he tried to reassure his friends that he knew what he was getting into, but two men continued to worry in spite of his constant reassurances.
Buck wasn't sure if he could face the next phase of the assignment. He'd been working as a cleaner at the institution for a little over a week and had seen things he knew were the norm, yet it caused a shiver to run through him. He knew Vin and JD were already in place at Shady Acres and things were set up for Chris Larabee and Ezra Standish. Susan James would be accompanying the two men in an effort to add credibility to the cover story. Any background checks made by Shady Acres would reveal that Chris and Ezra Jacobson were business tycoons with conglomerates across the world.
"Buck, you okay?"
Wilmington turned away from the corral as the sharpshooter returned with two bottles of Budweiser. He accepted one and felt the cold mist run down the side of the bottle.
"Thanks, Vin," he said before taking a healthy swig.
"You okay?" the tracker repeated.
"I'm fine, Vin…just worried about Chris."
"Because of what happened after Sarah and Adam?"
"Yeah, I keep seeing him when we brought him in. Jesus, Chris thinks he remembers everything about that, but we know differently. Don't we?"
"Yeah. I can see it as if it happened yesterday..."
Buck floored the accelerator and took the curve at full speed. He felt the tracker next to him and knew the younger man understood the need for speed. They'd both read the note from Chris Larabee, the words written in the strong hand sent chills through both men.
"Easy, Buck, we won't do him any good if we roll the car," the sharpshooter said as they sped toward a dangerous bend in the road.
"Ain't gonna roll it!" Wilmington snapped impatiently as they rounded the bend. His breath caught in his throat as he spotted the familiar turnoff to the spread Larabee had bought for his family, his dead family, his murdered family. The words tore at his heart as he remembered the soft laughter of Sarah and Adam Larabee, forever silenced to the real world, but always alive in his mind.
"Can you see him, Vin?"
"His truck's there, but I can't see him!" the tracker shouted as they turned onto the gravel drive.
"Fuck!" the ladies' man swore as he pulled the car to a grinding halt in front of the burned out shell of Larabee's ruined home. Tanner was out of the Mustang before it came to a complete stop, shouting for their missing friend.
"Chris!" the tracker shouted, praying they'd find Larabee before it was too late.
"Larabee!" Wilmington's call joined that of the younger man as they moved toward the remnants of the once beautiful home.
"Chris! Answer me or I'll kick yer ass inta next week!" the Texan warned as he searched the broken pieces of what had once been his friend's life.
"Vin, over there!" the scoundrel shouted as he spotted a tuft of blond hair peeking out from under a piece of blackened wood.
"Shit! I got him," the tracker said, moving toward his friend.
"Go easy!" Wilmington warned as he joined the younger man. He knew Tanner was completely recovered from the burns he'd received when he hauled Larabee from the warehouse, but he didn't want to chance him being re-injured.
Tanner moved quickly as he removed piece after piece of debris until the lean form was uncovered. To say that Chris Larabee had lost weight since his family's murder was an understatement and Vin knew it was partially due to the drinking. He didn't blame his friend for that, but he knew it was time to put a stop to it.
"Help me get him out of here, Buck!" the tracker said as he reached for the nearly empty bottle of whiskey clutched tightly in the blond's left hand, ignoring the growl that emanated from the lightly bearded face of his best friend.
Wilmington heard the growl and knew Larabee was starting to come round. He moved behind the fallen man and reached for his arms.
"...lemme...be" Larabee snarled, his breath was foul to the two men helping him.
"I got him, Vin," the ladies man said as he pulled the blond from the rubble.
"Get yer fu...fuckin' 'ands off me!" the blond spat, his slurred words evident of his drunken state.
"Just shut the hell up, Larabee!" Tanner ordered.
"We're gonna help you out!" Wilmington said sharply.
"D...don't nee...yer...fuckin' hep...jesh lemme be!"
"Ain't gonna happen, Larabee. Me and Buck's gonna take ya ta see Dr. James..."
"Don't need to s...see her...gimme my whishky!"
"No!" his two friends shouted as one. They carried the blond out of the rubble and placed him on the ground as his stomach rebelled against the weeks of binge drinking. The fact that none of them had seen this happening to the blond didn't escape their thoughts as the retching continued.
The tracker looked up as Larabee's shoulders finally grew still. He placed a hand on the shivering form and knew the blond would need psychiatric help to get through this. He would need to admit to himself that he had a problem with alcohol before he could let it go.
"Buck, help me get him in the car..."
"A...ain't leavin'!" Larabee spat and struggled to stand up. His body shook with the effort and he sank to his knees in front of his home.
"Chris, ya need help!" Tanner said softly as the blond tried to pull away from them.
Larabee turned maniacal eyes on the young man beside him as he struggled to his feet once more. Weeks of only a diet of whiskey and cigarettes combined to make the world spin around him. He fought against it as he shouted angrily, taking out his grief on the two men closest to him.
"I don't need your help!"
"Chris, you're drinking..."
"Shut the fuck up, Buck! I don't need you! Don't need anyone!"
"Chris, let us help..."
"Not fuckin' likely Buck! Look where your help got me! If you hadn't helped me Sarah and Adam might still be alive!" the blond snarled as angry tears came to his eyes. He didn't see the pain flash across Wilmington's face at his harsh words, didn't see the tears in the blue eyes.
Vin didn't miss either of those things and he knew Larabee was lashing out because of the booze in his system and that he would come to regret those words. He latched onto Larabee's blue shirt as the drunken man tried to stagger away from them.
"Let me GO!" the blond screamed and tried to pull away so he could escape from the tight grip.
"NO!"
Chris lashed out with his left hand, missing the tracker's face by a fraction of an inch before the smaller man's arms wrapped tightly around his chest. "Let me go, Tanner or so help me I'll kill you!"
Wilmington reached out to help restrain his long time friend, knowing it was the alcohol and grief talking.
"Stop this shit, Chris!"
"Fuck you, Buck! Get off me!" Larabee snarled as the two men pinned him to the door of the car.
"Get the door open, Buck!" Tanner hissed as he fought to keep his friend in place.
"Can you hold him if I let go?" Wilmington shouted above the raging tiger known as Chris Larabee.
"Get yer cuffs!" the sharpshooter ordered and waited for the ladies man to reach into the glove compartment of his car.
"Get his arms behind his back!" the ladies' man snapped.
"Don't you fuckin' try it, Tanner!"
"Get them on him, Buck!" the sharpshooter ordered as he shoved Larabee's face onto the top of the car.
"Fuckin' pa...pay...both...of ...you!" Larabee warned as the cuffs clicked into place.
"Yeah, I'm sure you will," Wilmington said as they turned the blond to face them. He was shocked as he got his first real look at Larabee's face. The eyes were sunken deep in his skull, the skin held a gray pallor, and a week's growth of whiskers covered the lower half of his friend's face. The lips and teeth were stained and the rank odor of stale booze and cigarettes turned his stomach.
"Jesus!" the ladies' man swayed as he realized just how far his friend had sunk over the last few weeks.
"Easy, Buck, help me get him inta the back seat!" Tanner ordered.
"Get these fuckin' things off me!" Larabee screamed as the door was opened and he was forced into the back seat.
The two men ignored the irate blond as Buck climbed into the driver's seat and Vin climbed in beside Larabee.
"You'd better call the hospital and let them know we're on the way in, Vin. Tell them it's suspected alcohol poisoning!" Wilmington shouted over Larabee's screams of rage.
Tanner took out his cell phone and dialed the number for Saint Vincents. He spoke rapidly to the ER desk and explained what was going on as Wilmington started the car and drove away from the ruined homestead.
They drove steadily, both men trying to ignore the cuffed man who fought against them. Buck drove well above the speed limit until he reached the edge of the city. Once there he slowed down and drove along the streets until he reached the emergency room doors leading into the hospital.
Two orderlies stood on either side of a gurney and the two men were relieved to see Stacey Midland and Susan James standing there as well. Buck was out of the door first and calling the doctors over as Vin tried to hold the raging bull down.
"Doc, it's Chris!" the ladies' man shouted.
"What's wrong with him, Buck?" Midland asked, knowing this was one of only two men who could read Larabee easily.
"Pretty sure it's alcohol. He's been binging for weeks, but none of us saw this coming," the ladies' man explained.
Susan James watched as the irate man was pulled from the car. She was shocked by his appearance, but held it in check. Larabee had been doing so well, but she knew he was in trouble once more. She watched as Tanner and Wilmington helped the orderlies force Chris onto the gurney and strap him down.
"Let's get him into number one!" Midland said as she listened to the angered cries from the blond.
Vin and Buck ran alongside the stretcher, wincing at the vile language and obscenities that left their leader's mouth. Larabee struggled against the bonds holding him down as the words were screamed from his ravaged throat.
"Do you have any idea how much he's had to drink?" Midland asked as the orderlies pushed the gurney into the room.
"He had a bottle of whiskey with him when we found him. The damn thing was nearly empty. There's no telling what else he's had since he left the office last week," Wilmington answered.
"Alright, you two wait here!" the doctor ordered as a second doctor and a nurse rushed into the room.
"Doc is he..."
"Vin, I'll let you know as soon as we know anything!" Midland said as she closed the door behind her, they heard the sound of retching and knew the blond was sick once more.
The two men stood on either side of the door listening as the doctor gave orders for blood tests and an NG tube to be inserted. The door opened and Midland stepped out.
"Who has the keys to the cuffs?" she asked.
"I do," the ladies man answered and pulled the key from his pocket. He handed it to the doctor and she hurried back inside as the door began to close. Wilmington placed his hand on it to stop it from closing completely and watched as his friend received the treatment he needed.
Vin watched as Larabee continued to struggle against the people helping him. As soon as his arms were released he tried to come off the bed only to be stopped by the two orderlies who held him down while Midland and James wrapped the leather straps around his wrists and ankles. He swallowed the painful lump in his throat as he listened to his best friend. Chris Larabee was an enraged animal under the control of alcohol and until it was out of his system he'd need to be restrained. Somehow he knew the fight to get the blond back would not be an easy one. He looked up just in time to meet Wilmington's glance and knew he wasn't alone in his worry for the blond.
The flashback ended as abruptly as it began and Vin shuddered as if the night air had suddenly turned cold. He took a long drink from the beer in his hand as he looked at the ladies' man.
"I remember how he reacted to the restraints when Dr. Midland ordered them."
"Me too, Buck. He hated them and he hated us for bringin' him in and havin' him committed. Jesus, he was like that old tale about the doctor...
"Jekyll and Hyde?"
"Yeah, it was like two people in one body only Chris never seemed to be there. I swore I'd never see him like that again."
"We both did, Vin, but it's Chris' decision."
"What if he remembers, Buck?"
"We'll deal with it if that happens, Vin."
"We will, but what about Chris. Will he be able to handle threatenin' both of us or the fact that he blamed Sarah and Adam's deaths on you?"
"I...Vin...I knew Chris didn't mean those things..."
"Don't matter. At the time it was real and I saw the look on yer face. If Chris ever remembers half the things he said and did durin' that time he's gonna have a hard time forgivin' himself," the tracker said before finishing the last of his beer.
"There's nothing we can do about it until it happens," the ladies man said as he handed over the empty bottle.
"Want another?" the tracker asked.
"Yeah," Wilmington mumbled as he looked out over the land. Larabee's ranch bordered on Tanner's and he sometimes felt jealous of their closeness. Buck knew the two men had a destiny together, one that surpassed his own friendship with Chris Larabee, yet there would always be a place for him in Larabee's life. That was something he would hold on to for the rest of his life. For now he needed to put his worries and fears behind him and pray that Larabee could handle the trials ahead of him.
Vin returned with two more beers and the silence stretched out between them as the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving in it's wake a bleak twilight that mirrored the thoughts running through both their minds.
Tomorrow was a long way off, yet it would arrive too soon for both of them.
TBC
Author's note-thanks for the wonderful reviews. I'm hoping to post at least one part each day...winnie