MASK SAGA 5: HARSH REVALATIONS

Chapter 4

The sound of heavy downpour from outside caused Roxanne Trakker to open her eyes. The last place she remembered was a dusty old cabin, now she found herself in a private hospital room with two tubes stuck out of her arm one for blood and the other a standard IV. She felt warm and clean after hours of running to escape Contra World and going into labor, yet something didn't quite feel right. Her one free hand touched her stomach. She could no longer feel the baby inside of her. Annie voice echoed through her head as she told her push harder. It was all so vague like a passing dream. Annie had shown her Conner, but her body given out in defeat that she could hardly remember that innocent face she set her eyes on. Over in the corner looking out the window was Buddy Hawkes staring outside as if he was waiting for something or someone.

"Buddy?" Roxanne voice crackled.

Buddy moved away from the window and approached Roxanne with a forceful half smile. He was happy that she was alive and well, but couldn't hide the brutal reality of the situation. "Your dad is on his way. He'll be taking you home. It's too risky to stay here with all the law enforcement in the area. I promise I'll join you once I get things straight out up here."

He was hiding something she could tell by him avoiding eye contract and avoiding the one question she had aching in the back of her mind, "Buddy, I want to see Connor. Where is he?" She looked around the room and had expected him to be there, but notice she didn't look to be in any maternity ward.

He didn't have to say a word it was written all over his facial expression.

"Where my baby?" She demanded as she started to hyperventilate

"Jon took the child shortly after you gave birth. Annie tried to stop him, but she got shot. I'm sorry Roxy," He apologize as if he wanted nothing more but to give her better news, "We didn't make it in time to stop him from getting away."

"I told Annie to take by child and run and she couldn't even do that!"

"Roxy there was nothing she could have done," Buddy said in Annie defense.

"How the hell would you know? You weren't there were you," She venomously spewed out, "Why are you here!? Shouldn't you be out there looking for OUR SON!? I can't believe your at my bedside knowing that every second you waste Jon takes him further away from us."

"Believe me," Buddy tried to keep a level voice, "I want nothing more, but to bring Conner back to you, but Jon's trail is cold. I got all my contacts looking for information on Jon whereabouts. As soon as I hear something I'll let you know."

"That's not good enough," Roxanne persistently replied, as she threw the covers off the bed to reveal the hospital gown she was wearing and violently yanked out both tubs from her arm.

"What the hell do you think your doing? You lost enough blood as it is and your body is still recuperating."

"I'm getting my son back!" She said with determination, "I am not going to lie in this bed pretending to be helpless little Roxy and have Jon Mayhem make a fool out of me! If your not willing to get off your ass and do something, then I will!"

Buddy felt hurt from her words but knew this was the only way for her to deal with the loss of her child by lashing out uncontrollably, "I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear you say that. Now get your butt back to bed."

Roxanne blew him off and headed out the door into the busy hospital hallway. The nurses and orderlies stopped what they were doing to stare at a woman who had blood dripping down her arm, which was pooling on the floor at her feet.

One of the nurses approached Roxanne, "Let's get you back to bed you pulled out…"

"Don't even touch me," Roxanne said in a cold threatening voice.

"Your just gonna walk right out here and drive all over like a mad woman expecting to run right into Jon Mayhem," Buddy stated coming up behind her with his arms crossed.

"I have sources I can go to."

"Yeah sources," Buddy huffed as if that was amusing, "who want you dead or will betray you the first chance they get."

She turned to look at him directly in the eye, "I don't care about the risk. I'll do what ever it takes to get Connor back." Roxanne turned her back to him and headed down the hallway to the elevators.

"Somebody call security!." One of the nurses stated in a panic.

"I got this. Don't send anybody up," Buddy reassured and pleaded with the nurse as he went after Roxanne. He ran down the hall and just as she was about to get into the elevator he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Stop interfering!"

"You can't do this by yourself. Let me help you."

"That's a joke right? Between you, my dad, Scott, and Annie you all failed me and Connor. I don't need any of you!"

Buddy stepped in front of her stopping her from calling for the elevator again, "I wish I could have done more."

"I wish Annie hadn't forfeited my child over to devil! Out of my way!" She screamed.

"I can't let you go on a wild goose chase," He said firmly standing his ground, "We'll get him back be patient."

"How long are you expecting me to wait?" She stated starting to punch her fist into his chest repeatedly, "A month, a year, a decade. I want my baby in my arms right now!

Buddy didn't resist and let her get all her frustration and anger out. She eventually collapses to her knees exhausted and sobbing uncontrollably, "Connor! Somebody save my baby!" Buddy put his arms around her and tried to offer the only comfort he could, as she buried her head into his chest crying her heart out.

The yelling and crying could be heard in another private room across the hall where Scott Trakker quietly watched over Annie Turner. Scott's ears perked up as he realized his sister had awakened to the cold hard reality of the events that had transpired. He got up from his chair to see if Buddy needed any help, but stopped as he began to notice a quiet sobbing noise coming from behind him. He turned his head to find Annie awake with tears in her eyes, mouthing the same set of words over and over: "I'm sorry."

She doesn't need this, Scott found himself thinking on the short walk back to his chair. Jon's bullet had barely missed puncturing several of Annie's vital organs, instead settling itself neatly between all of them. Although the surgery to remove it had been a complete success, Annie was still hooked up to what seemed like a million tubes and monitors. Scott watched the one for heart rate skyrocket toward the alarm zone as he sat back down. He knew Buddy would take care of Roxanne; he needed to be here for Annie.

"Shhhhhh..." He gently wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Scott..." Annie could barely speak. An alarm on one of the monitors sounded. "I'm sor-"

"I know, Annie." Scott took Annie's hand and gently pulled it upright so he could rest his head comfortingly against their intertwined fingers. "But fretting about what happened is making things worse right now. I need you to relax."

As anticipated, one of the nurses immediately popped into the doorway.

"Everything's fine," Scott growled protectively, matching the same nurse who confronted Buddy and Roxy glare for glare, "Shut the door please."

The nurse paused for a moment and then acquiesced, sealing the noise and commotion outside the closed door. Scott turned his attention back to calming a still frantic Annie.

"We shouldn't have left...I tried..." Annie's voice cracked.

"I know you did. Shhhhh...calm down..." Scott soothed, smoothing her hair away from her face, keeping close watch on the heart rate monitor.

"Go..." Scott could feel Annie trying to uselessly pull her hand away from his, "...see her. She needs you... Roxy..."

"Annie, stop." He held on tighter the longer she struggled. "Stop fretting, calm down, and listen to me," His voice commanded, soothed, and reassured all at the same time. She looked up at him out of wide, fearful, glassy eyes, "I promise you that we will fix this, but not right now. Right now the only thing that matters is you. You've always been the only thing that mattered and I'm sorry I didn't see that before."

"I judged everyone so harshly," Annie admitted brokenly, "Even you. But I never...really gave up...on us."

"I never gave up on us either," Scott leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Now I want you to stop worrying and get some sleep. Your dad will be here soon. We'll figure out the next step once he gets here."

The next thing Scott remembered was a gentle hand on his shoulder, shaking him awake. He rubbed his eyes and blinked up at Brad Turner standing stoically in front of him.

"Hey Brad," Scott greeted him sleepily. "I must have fallen asleep, though I don't really remember it."

Brad nodded, stepping closer to the bed. "You been here all night?"

"I haven't left since they brought Annie back from surgery. It didn't...feel right..."

"I appreciate that. I'm glad someone's looking out for her interests. Would have been nice to know what was going on BEFORE she got hurt."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Scott apologized. "I just found out not long ago myself and called you as soon as I could. I would have asked Cody to do it, but he and the Rangers were busy cleaning up the fallout at Cardinal Mine. I'm told they got everyone out safely."

Brad sighed, "That may be, but the Rangers...and Cody out of all of them...should know better than to keep me out of the loop when my daughter's safety is at risk. I should have known the minute Roxanne and Buddy showed up there!"

Scott stood up and took Brad's arm, turning him toward the door and looking back to make sure Annie was still asleep. "Brad, let's step outside and talk. I don't want to wake Annie. I had a hell of a time getting her to go to sleep in the first place."

Brad could barely focus on anything but the sight of his daughter laying in her hospital bed and the blood boiling angrily through his veins, but he could clearly see that the time apart from Annie had changed Scott for the better. He took the younger man's lead and quietly followed him out into the hall, hoping to spit out what was currently on his mind. But the words died quickly on his lips the minute he saw Buddy Hawkes and Matt Trakker standing over a wheelchair bound Roxanne across the way.

"YOU!" Brad hissed angrily at Buddy, crossing the short distance between them in two heated and hobbling strides. "You and your family put my daughter's life at risk and didn't have the common decency to tell me!"

"Brad, nobody knew-" Buddy tried to defend himself.

"Nobody?" Brad cut him off with a dark sneer. "Then explain to me why my baby girl is lying in a hospital bed nearly dead from a gunshot wound!"

"I haven't found the leak..."

Brad was ready to explode. "I could have stopped this! Jon Mayhem would have a bullet through his skull instead of my Annie having one in her stomach! Why the HELL didn't someone tell me what was going on?!"

"Buddy was trying to protect Roxanne, Brad," Matt interjected.

"And who was protecting Annie?!" Brad's temper flared as he turned his anger onto Matt. "I should have NEVER let you talk me into introducing Roxanne into her life. Your daughter has been nothing but trouble ever since she showed up! I spent three months undercover and put Annie through hell to get Roxanne away from VENOM and I've yet to see a return on that investment!"

"Brad, calm down," Matt ordered him.

"Annie might have had a normal life if your daughter hadn't interfered! She wouldn't have wanted anything to do with MASK if Roxanne hadn't been taunting her and egging her on all these years!"

Scott finally tuned into the conversation going on around him. "Brad, we both know that's not true."

"You want to know the reality of the situation?" Matt looked directly at Brad and spoke with a level tone, "Your daughter knew the risk this whole time and choose to go this path. You can lecture me all you want about how things could have been differently. Believe me I've been around that block a couple times." Matt could see Brad was still flaring up but continued on with out raising his voice, "You saw the damage Roxanne did first hand turning our assault vehicles against us. Many agents barely escaped with their lives the damage done was devastating."

Brad interjected "None of that would of…"

Matt cut him off, "Imagine if we would have left her to VENOM at a younger age? How many of us do you think would be alive today? Would Annie even have a father to turn too? We made the right decision to help her escape all those VENOM years ago. I admit I haven't been father of the year. I haven't protected her or shielded her as much as I should have. You can point fingers at me, Buddy, it doesn't matter. Your daughter is an agent who is accountable for her own actions. It's time you realize she's not child anymore."

"You...gahh…this is pointless….you don't get it," Brad was lost for words and threw his hands up in defeat. He then turned around and headed back into Annie's hospital room and shut the door behind him.

"That over protective streak of his is exactly why Annie doesn't tell him about these things," Matt added but then turn to Buddy, "Even if he wasn't privy to that information I would of think you would have at least told me."

"Matt…were not getting into this," Buddy grumbled, "I couldn't risk anyone outside the rangers knowing…unfortunately I wish I could take that back had I foreseen this coming."

While Matt Trakker and Buddy Hawkes exchanged words, Roxanne Trakker remained perfectly motionless in a wheelchair. Scott Trakker knelt down to his sister's level and gently touched her hand. For the first time since the rescued he had laid eyes on her. What he saw was a complete lost of hope drain from her. Roxanne head drooped to the floor with her eyes in a trance and she gave no response or indication to acknowledge his presence.

"What's wrong with her? She's sedated right?" Scott stood up and look to his father and Buddy.

"She's," Buddy rubbed Roxanne's shoulders, as if hoping it would do something to stir her awake, "Been like this since I calm her down. It's like she shut her mind off. Nothing I do or say seems to make a difference."

"Roxy," Scott said with confidence in this voice, "Don't give up. We'll find your baby. I promise we'll do everything in our power to find him." Even with those words of encouragement Roxanne did not stir. Scott put his arms around his sister and hugged his sister, "I mean it you've always been a fighter…you can't let Jon win now." Scott sighed as he noticed nothing he could say or do would make a difference in her behavior.

Matt put a reassuring hand on Scott's shoulder, "Well help her through this. I have Julio and Carmen waiting for her at home."

"Is it safe?" Scott questioned.

"Yeah," Buddy nodded, "Jon apparently lost interest in Roxanne. The GI Joes aren't exactly staking the place out either. That doesn't mean we want any former Joe members poking around the mansion."

"That won't be an issue I assure you," Matt said knowing Buddy was referring to both Cross Country and Hi-Tech who chose to stay with MASK, while Chuckles and Falcon both left to rejoin ranks with Gi Joe.

"Dad I need a favor…" Scott glanced over at Annie room.

"No need," Matt smiled knowing his son wanted to be at Annie side, "I can cover for you for awhile. No rush to get back."

"Thanks Dad."

As Buddy and Matt wheeled Roxanne away, Scott tapped lightly on the door to Annie's room to get a still jumpy Brad's attention, then turned the handle and let himself in.

"...just threw Scott out...can't sleep with you two hovering over me..."

"...worried about you, pumpkin..."

"...Dad, I'm getting released tomorrow. Please go home, take a shower, and shave...you haven't left all week..."

Sighing deeply, Brad Turner gave up the fight and shut the door to his daughter's hospital room, vowing to return first thing in the morning.

A few moments later, the door slowly opened again, as though the visitor expected to meet with some kind of resistance. One of the night nurses poked her head through the door and, finding the coast clear, entered completely, closing the door soundlessly behind her. She padded over to the edge of the bed and looked down at the occupant.

Sensing the presence above her, Annie lashed out, "Dad, I swear to God that if you don't leave, I'm going to call security and have them throw you out."

"I wouldn't recommend that," replied the nurse in a gravelly voice.

"I'm sorry, I thought..."

Realization dawned. Annie snapped on a table lamp and sat up, hissing outwardly at the sharp pain the sudden movement caused, distracting her just enough to let one word roll out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"Mom?"

"Oh please," Vanessa Warfield snorted derisively as she sat down in one of the vacated chairs next to Annie's bed. Even with the traditional white uniform and nurse's hat, her features were unmistakable in the lamp light. "Don't start kidding yourself just because you thought you were at Death's door, Annie. I've never been a mother to you and we both know it."

Something in Vanessa's tone soothed the adrenaline rush, allowing Annie to relax back against her bed pillows and let the pain subside. "What are you doing here?"

Vanessa eyed the door suspiciously. "I would have thought your father would have this place locked down tight."

Annie sighed. "Vanessa, I really don't feel like playing games. You obviously came here for a reason. So please do me a favor and stop deflecting me. What do you want?"

"I wanted a different life for you."

Annie found Vanessa's uncharacteristic openness oddly soothing. She snuggled back into her pillows and pulled the blankets closer. "I'm listening."

"All I ever wanted was a different life for you. As soon as I knew I was pregnant, I knew Contra World would never let me raise you. I couldn't let you become one of their drones like Jon Mayhem. It left me with the choice to fail as a mother or fail as an agent. I decided to fail as a mother and give you up to your father, who would raise you properly and give me some peace of mind."

Vanessa hadn't looked up the entire time she'd been speaking. Her sparkling white nursing shoes seemed to hold her in a trance.

Annie found the ceiling equally interesting. "Dad tried to tell me that. Repeatedly. I could never understand why he kept trying to defend you and told him so. Repeatedly. So he finally gave up and said I'd figure it out someday. I guess someday is today. I'm just sorry it took almost dying to realize it."

The ceiling had lost its charm. So had Vanessa's shoes. Mother and daughter exchanged glances.

"When Roxanne stumbled into my life, I realized the void from losing you was still there. I used her to fill it. She'd already grown up on the streets and knew how to play the game...she was everything you would never be. And I forgot that I was exposing her to all the dangers that I worked so hard to shield you from."

Annie felt some of the old bitterness and anger returning, though not nearly as strong as before. She did her best to shove it aside and focus on the fact that Vanessa had risked capture to come say what she needed to say. This conversation would likely never happen again if she ruined it.

"Finding out she was Trakker's daughter was both a blessing and a curse. Part of me was relieved that she'd be removed from the firing line, but I also felt like I had a second child ripped away from me." Vanessa shook her head as though to clear it, "I should have known karma would bite me in the ass and force you girls to cross paths, especially since you were already far too wrapped up in Trakker's son for my liking."

"That's not going to change," Annie stated with a firmness she hadn't felt in almost two years.

The exchange started to heat up with Vanessa's next words. "I wish you would have settled down with your little Ranger Pal and stayed as far away from Trakker and MASK as possible."

"I wish you and VENOM would have stopped screwing around with Roxanne and left well enough alone."

Aquamarine eyes turned to ice while green eyes lit on fire. After a tense silence of mother/daughter posturing, Annie broke the stalemate.

"Look, I don't want to ruin...whatever this is..." she sighed tiredly, "but I can't help thinking about the bloody irony of our situation. Roxanne dragged me onto that boat in Venice and into your life to impress YOU. By the time she knew better, it was too late-the damage was already done and the vicious cycle started. She managed to circle you right back to the problem you were trying to prevent in the first place and it's partially your fault."

"I know that."

Annie softened her tone. "Honestly Vanessa, I'm not trying to be hostile. I just wanted you to understand that Roxanne was born to the life you chose to give me. She should never have been anywhere near Contraworld in the first place. Why do you think I've risked everything, including my life, to get her and her son away from them?"

"Because you're in love with her brother."

Vanessa's deadpan remark threw Annie into a fit of unexpected laughter. She alternated between laughing hysterically and wincing from the twitches of pain. "Touche."

"I know I failed both my girls. I'm not going to let it happen a third time."

"What do you mean?"

Vanessa stood up and reached into her smock pocket, tossing a piece of paper onto the bed before heading for the door. "That will help you find what you're looking for."

"Vanessa, wait!"

The closing door was Annie's only reply.

"Annie, we don't have to do this right now. I'd rather just take you home. You should be resting."

She snorted at Scott from Thunderhawk's passenger's seat. "You sound like Dad."

"Well he's pretty unhappy with you getting a ride home from the hospital from me," Scott replied as they drove toward the Trakker Mansion. "And he's chewing my ass because he seems to think I'm not doing enough to encourage you to take it easy." Scott paused. "Besides, there's really not a lot of point in talking to Roxanne right now. She's not...all there."

Annie glanced over at him with an intensity he'd never seen before. "Trust me Scott, there's a point. I need to talk to her and I need to do it now."

Something lurked behind Annie's eyes. Scott chose his next words carefully. "Is there...something you're not telling me?"

"Yes, there is."

Her blunt and open honesty both surprised and pleased him. Normally she would have tried to deflect the question. It was a clear testament to the new bridges they were building after their nine months apart.

"Is there...something I can do to help?"

"You can trust me to tell you after I've talked to Roxanne and had a few things checked. Can you do that?"

"Yes Annie, I can."

He reached over and rested his free hand on top of hers, flashing her the boyish smile she loved so much. She twined her fingers around his and smiled warmly through her bright green eyes.

"Thank you."

Once they arrive at Matt Trakker's mansion, Annie and Scott were greeted by Matt on the way up the main staircase.

"Annie…" Matt replied with a hint of surprise despite his tone being more somber, "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"There are more important things on my mind. I need to see Roxanne" She insisted

Matt looked to Scott questionably and then back to Annie, "I'm sure Scott told you…"

"She's not herself," She interrupted, "I get it…When hasn't she been herself?"

"She's catatonic and showing the same symptoms she experience at a younger age when her mother was killed." Matt advised to assure her this wasn't going to be as easy as she assumed.

"She hasn't improved?" Scott asked. Matt replied silently by shaking his head disappointed.

This wasn't going to deter Annie from her objected, "Maybe she just need some motivation."

"Eat something will you," Buddy desperately pleaded holding a spoon full of applesauce to Roxanne lips that refused to budge. She sat motionless in a rocking chair wearing floral printed pajamas, a pink robe, and her hair draped over her face. Her blue eyes stared straight ahead, but they were nothing but empty orbs. She never uttered a sound or moved a muscle since arriving home. As far as Buddy could tell, she shut off all her senses making her blind and deaf to the world around her.

The spoon fell back into the bowl resting on a nearby table. "You can't keep this up. Snap out of it," Buddy cried to her in desperation. "Their going to put you on a feeding tube if you don't start eating again." He touched her hands and kissed her lifeless lips "Please Roxy I love you…"

Annie had slowly opened the door to witness Buddy's breakdown before her. She remembered it was nine months ago in this very room that Annie had overheard Roxanne confession. She was boiling with anger, after she realized how easily Roxanne was manipulated by the enemy that resulted in destroying so many lives. She wanted reassurance that Roxanne was better and asked Julio for his option. He had told her how important family was to help her through all the darkness she had endured. Annie could now see that depression had set in and she was doing exactly was Julio had feared attempting to take her own life.

"Buddy?" Annie asked softly to get his attention.

Buddy rubbed his face to hide a few stray tears that erupted. "Annie what you doing here?"

"Can I have a moment with her?"

"You're not going to get much out of her."

"I.."Annie sighed, "I realize that but I have to try."

"Alright." Buddy replied putting a friendly hand on Annie should for reassurance before leaving the room.

Annie knelt down in front of Roxanne so her downward eyes could only focus on her face. Part of her thought just being here would stir a reaction of old rivalry or some sort emotion, but that was wishful thinking. She reached out to Roxanne's hands and cupped them into hers.

"I'm so sorry I let you down," She said with such humility, "Connor was in my arms one minute the next….I had no control over the situation…forgive me." Annie pleaded as tears drifted down her face. "I know where Connor is…we're going to get him back."

A single tear erupted down Roxanne's stone face as she was trying so hard to believe in what Annie was telling her.

"Our mother wanted to make things right with both her girls." Annie continued seeing her words were making Roxanne come to.

"Mom?" Roxanne lips quiver.

"Yeah…Vanessa." Annie smiled softly for once it felt right to admit it, "I can't do this alone. I need you help…Connor needs our help."

Roxanne blinked more with tears rushing down her face, "Annie I don't…I don't know what to do."

"You can start eating again and get your strength back. I won't take you with me look like that." She said trying to lightly push Roxanne back on track.

Roxanne sniffled and nodded her head in agreement. Annie put her comforting arms around Roxanne, "Everything is going to be alright. You'll see."

"I know." Roxanne smiling said believing her every word.