Chapter 7---Here's the latest chapter to this FF. Sorry it's been so long as reconstructing it hasn't been easy from a lot of loose pages without page numbers, lol. I hope you enjoy it, thanks for reading and the feedback!
The sun shone down brightly on the mountain trail as the hikers walked up the switchbacks which wound like a snake up its face. Matt looked up at the top of a ridge where a cluster of trees stood. Only about a mile's worth of hiking up the trail until they would reach it.
Despite their lack of experience in the mountains, Fran and Rhonda had kept up pretty well, stopping only to tie shoe laces or to pick leaves off of their clothes. Both appeared to be enjoying themselves. As for C.J., she moved rather deftly up the trail as if she had been doing it her entire life, stopping only to look at a patch of wild flowers or touch the bark of a pine tree.
"It's beautiful up here," she said, "and so peaceful. I never knew a place like this."
Fran snorted.
"You mean you don't remember a place like this," she said.
C.J. nodded.
"I wish I did," she said, "I don't know how I could have forgotten such beauty."
"You'll remember it," Matt said, "You just need some time."
"That's one thing I don't feel like I have," she said, "I feel like it's running out."
"Tomorrow, we're going to go to L.A. and see if we can find some answers," he said.
"I know," she said, "and I just want to enjoy today for what it is, a chance to be surrounded by the beautiful outdoors."
Fran stopped and put her hand on her chest.
"Did you have to pick the toughest trail for us city slickers?"
"Oh stop whining Fran," Rhonda scolded, "Just keep taking some deep breaths. You're not dying or anything."
Fran flashed her an irritated look.
"I think this is way too much fresh air for me," she said, "I'm used to smog."
Rhonda took a deep breath.
"The air is nice, very crisp and clean," she said, "Reminds me of when I was growing up."
Fran rolled her eyes.
"Not another trip down memory lane," she groaned, "I don't know who's worse, you or C.J. and at least she's got an excuse."
They continued up a really arduous switchback.
"Come on ladies," Matt said, "We're almost at the top and the view will be worth it."
They picked up their feet a bit and continued up towards the ridge.
"Is there a spring up there," C.J. asked.
Matt looked at her, surprised.
"Yes there is," he answered, "How did you know?"
She furrowed her brow.
"I just remember something," she said, "A small river…some trees and something else…"
Matt smiled.
"You'll see it when we reach the top."
Rhonda and Fran looked at each other.
"See what," Fran said, "Don't tell me it's a wild animal."
"It's not dangerous," Matt said, "and I haven't seen any bears or mountain lions up here in a while."
Fran rolled her eyes.
"That's reassuring."
Rhonda chuckled.
"How can a girl that prides herself on being a tough mother like you wind up being so scared of a little bit of nature?"
Fran glared at her.
"Do you want to come closer to me and ask that?"
Rhonda shook her head.
"You're so damn touchy," she said, "Some people might say you're too sensitive."
Fran glowered.
"Not to my face they won't."
Matt just watched them, hoping they wouldn't kill each other before they left for L.A. He had hoped that taking the women hiking would allow them to relax a little, something which would be very useful before they went after Butz and his men and that it would help C.J. remember her past. Most of her memories of the time she had spent at his cabin and the surrounding mountains were good ones. The only visit which had marred that history involved her being discovered at his cabin by Dean who had given Matt and a pack of LAPD's finest the slip while they staked out C.J.'s house.
He glanced over at C.J. who walked a little bit ahead, keeping to herself but looking around avidly at the flora around her. Maybe she remembered how much nature always drew her in to paying close attention to everything living around her. She had always loved hiking as much as he did and they both had spent as much time as they could at Pinewood whenever they could escape their busy schedules.
"These flowers are so pretty," she said, looking at him, "like clusters of brilliant color everywhere."
"I'm glad you like them," he said, "You used to pick them in bunches and put them on the table when we ate."
"Maybe I'll pick some on the way down," she said.
They continued upward until they reached the top where Fran just sat on the ground, exhausted but C.J. continued to walk until she heard a soft roar from behind a throng of pine trees.
"Is that what I think it is," she asked.
Matt followed her to where she found a small waterfall which brought a stream cascading down on some rocks in the middle of a small pool. She knelt down and put her fingers in the water.
"Is it familiar," Matt asked.
She looked up at him and thought about it for a minute.
"I think so," she said, her face intent in concentration.
"We spent a lot of time up here," he said, "It's why I bought the cabin."
She turned to look at him, her brows raised.
"Really," she said, "when was that?"
He smiled.
"When we first came out to L.A. from Texas to set up a new office," he said, "So we'd have a place to go if the city or work ever got too hectic."
She nodded, looking around her at the rocks and trees surrounding them.
"You picked a good spot."
"Actually you did," he said.
Rhonda and Fran came up to them, breathing quickly.
"Did you really have to push me up that last hill," Fran retorted.
Rhonda flashed an innocent smile.
"How else was I going to get you to move your butt," she said, "We have to go to L.A. tomorrow and if I'd let you set the pace, we'd miss our ride."
Fran scowled and clenched her fist at her side.
"You want to hit me again," Rhonda asked, "You might want to rethink that."
"You're not worth the effort," Fran said, her eyes still glowering, "nor the time."
C.J. walked up to them.
"Isn't it beautiful up here," she said, "Definitely worth the hike wasn't it?"
Rhonda and Fran looked at each other but C.J.'s enthusiasm was contagious.
"Yeah it's really something," Rhonda said, putting her hands on her hips and looking at the waterfall.
"It's not bad," Fran conceded, then she knelt by the small pool and dipped her hands in it, "The water's pretty cold."
"It feels good," Rhonda said, "I might just soak my feet in here after that long hike."
"I remember walking up here," C.J. said, "but I was with someone else."
It had been a day just like this one when she and the man with the devil may care smile and the British accent walked near the same waterfall. They had driven up there to get away from the grind of L.A. for the weekend. It had been their first together as a couple. He stopped by the waterfall and pulled out his camera to take pictures of it and C.J. watched him. You could take your new boyfriend out of the television studio where he worked but you couldn't take the need to document every event that took place out of the man. When he finished, she reached out and took his hand.
"This is one of my favorite places," she told him.
He looked around at the serenity of the trees with their branches rustling in a gentle breeze with the backdrop of water crashing down on the rocks. He smiled broadly at the woman in front of him.
"I can understand why," he said, "Nature never ceases to fascinate me."
He reached out and stroked a fallen twig out of her hair. She had smiled, enjoying the feel of his finger tips brushing her skin.
"C.J., I think these have been the best few weeks of my life," he said, "Coming back here to L.A. and meeting up with you again. How long had it been?"
She thought about it.
"Since college," she said, "When you, Houston and I used to run around together, although we spent most of our time keeping you out of trouble."
His brow rose.
"I only did those stupid things to get your attention," he said, "I think I really was in love with you back then."
C.J.'s eyes narrowed.
"What is this about love," she said, "Are you trying to say…"
He nodded and took her in his arms.
"That's exactly what I'm trying to say, that I love you."
C.J. blinked. Who had that man with the charming smile and the quick wit been? And were they still together? Somehow like in the case of her earlier flashbacks about Carl, she didn't think so. She just hoped this relationship hadn't ended as tragically as her relationship with Carl had.
Matt looked at her and knew she had been thinking about something, perhaps another piece of her fragmented memories.
"What are you thinking about," he asked, walking up to her. She looked at him and smiled.
"I remembered a man I brought up here to see the waterfall," she said, "I don't know his name but he was handsome and very charming."
"Sounds like a dream boat to me," Fran said, sarcastically, "Couldn't have been all that memorable."
Rhonda smacked her arm.
"Could you not be so insensitive," she said, "C.J.'s trying really hard to remember her past."
She turned towards C.J.
"Do you remember anything else about him?"
C.J. concentrated hard but once again, her mind resisted by keeping that memory shielded like the others.
"I don't know," she said, "I don't think we're together now. I just don't know anything about him."
"C.J. you went out with several men since we arrived in L.A.," Matt said, "Most of them were good men. A couple of them weren't but you broke off your relationships with them when you found out."
She frowned again.
"Did this guy try to hurt you?"
He looked at her surprised and knew then the focus of her recent memories.
"Robert Tyler," he said quietly.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Who was he," she said, "Was he the man I just remembered?"
"He was born in England and he had come to the university we both attended as an exchange student from Oxford."
"Did we hang out together?"
Matt nodded.
"A group of us did, including Robert," he said, "but Robert kept getting caught up in all these escapades and we did a lot of bailing him out. We never held it against him, just figured he'd outgrow it."
C.J. sighed.
"I have a feeling he didn't…outgrow it."
"No he didn't," Matt said, "He wound up being a well known television news reporter but he wanted to be an anchor for a major network. He had the smarts and the drive to succeed. He just didn't put either of those to very good use."
"Meaning…"
Matt paused, choosing his words carefully.
"He staged the stories that he wrote about which built his reputation in the industry," he said, "and that included kidnapping and murder."
C.J. ran her hand through her hair.
"And I went out with this guy," she said, "What was I thinking?"
She sat down near the waterfall and he joined her.
"Look C.J., you loved the guy," he said, "You had no idea what he was up to but when you did, you made the right decision to leave him."
"Was that all I did," she asked suddenly.
He gazed at her and saw a troubled look cloud her eyes.
"You helped expose his crimes," he said, "It was one of the hardest things you ever had to do but you did it."
"He must have hated me," she said, softly.
He stroked her hair back with his fingers and she let him.
"He's in prison for the rest of his life," Matt said, "and he brought it on himself. It was nothing no one else did."
Rhonda and Fran walked over.
"This place isn't…bad," Fran said, "Thanks for showing it to us."
Matt smiled.
"You're welcome," he said, "Now let's see if we can eat some lunch under those nice trees over there."
C.J. bit into her sandwich while Matt told the other two women about the flora and wildlife that lived up in the mountains near his cabin. She sensed that he hadn't told her everything about Robert and his relationship with the both of them. She had also detected the discomfort in his voice when he talked about Robert's betrayal. She became more and more aware as her time spent as an amnesiac passed that others might be the keys to finding out more about herself and who she really had been most of her life.
And Matt, the man she barely remembered yet had been close friends most of that life probably knew her better than anyone else. Because of that, he probably held the answers to many of the questions that clouded her mind since she regained consciousness from some car accident, everything a blank slate.
They walked back to the cabin after lunch, with very little in the way of conversation on the way down. Fran and Rhonda were exhausted from their jaunt up in the mountains and C.J. was lost in her thoughts and always hoping for a return of a memory. As for Matt, she noticed that he seemed quieter too but as for what he was thinking about, she could only guess.
After Rhonda and Fran had settled on the couch, C.J. decided to go fishing, hoping to catch something for dinner but mostly to get some time away by herself. Days like these confused her, the quiet companionship in a peaceful place conflicting with the chaotic survival of her first couple of days, not to mention their frantic escape from Piser's last party for the political bigwigs at the state capitol.
Matt watched as she took the fishing gear and left, knowing that the conversation about Robert Tyler had waved heavy on her heart, even if she only remembered fragments of her relationship with the disgraced anchorman and longtime friend. He had never faced quite the situation that she had, having to set up a lover to take a fall and she had played her part very well, disguising herself as a wealthy socialite who was not above blackmailing her former husband's killer. Matt had lost a fiancée to a serial killer and more than a couple of girlfriends to his work. Not too long ago, a former flame, Andrea had been shot and killed while trying to help him clear his name after he was framed for the murder of a woman he barely knew. Of course, C.J. had been shot too while they fled the building but her mind had been on him racing back in there to retrieve what he needed to end his nightmare even if it cost her own life. Matt had seen the blood seeping from her shoulder and had instead raced her off to the hospital to have the bullet removed even risking his own arrest. Even after she had told him she loved him.
It hadn't been all bad. That scary episode of his life reunited him with his Uncle Roy who had decided to leave his life of imposed exile and come back to live in L.A. Once things had settled down after their adventure in Hawaii, life had returned to normal, with C.J.'s admission of her feelings left in the air. Maybe that's why Robert had appealed to her so much when he returned into their lives to take that anchor job in L.A. He had been set to accept an even more lucrative position in New York City hopefully with C.J. at his side, a fantasy he hadn't completely abandoned even after the police slipped the handcuffs on his wrists and dragged him away. The downfall of his friend and his own role in it had saddened Matt but his own moral code couldn't be compromised even if the person who violated the law was a close friend. For C.J., it was much harder because he knew she had really loved him. He remembered the dinner where she had told him that her feelings for Robert scared her because she had feared she would lose him, something which came to pass. A couple of late night dinners at several of her favorite restaurants had paved the way for healing but she still had to deal with it in her own way.
C.J. walked to the lake, enjoying the feeling of being in such a beautiful place. The surface of the lake reflected the sunlight like a mirror and nary a ripple broke its surface. From her plunge into it, she knew the water was colder than it looked, so she contented herself to sitting on the grassy bank and preparing her fishing line.
She cast her rod and sat back and waited. Birds flew overhead, in and out of the tall trees and she could hear rustling sounds in the bushes as small animals scurried around on the ground.
"So are there really any fish in this lake," a woman asked.
The two of them sat on the bank, dressed in shorts and tee-shirts fishing. As C.J. remembered, she felt a wave of concern about the other woman sitting beside her. Her pale complexion and the bruising around her eyes reminded her that she wasn't well. She remembered her name was Julia and that she couldn't remember a time when they hadn't been friends.
"Sure Houston and I come and fish here many times," C.J. said.
"It's too bad he couldn't come this time," Julia said, "It's been a while since I've seen him."
C.J. watched a couple ripples break the surface of the lake.
"He's visiting his father back in Houston," she said, "It's a special time for them."
"How's Bill doing?"
C.J. took a deep breath.
"He had a minor heart attack a month ago or that's what the doctors are saying," she said, "He's supposed to be taking it easy but he wants to go back to work."
"So Matt's keeping him busy so he won't think about his company," Julia guessed.
C.J. nodded.
"I know what that's like," Julia said, flicking her pole out over the lake again, "Being sick forces you to give up so much including your control over your life."
C.J. frowned.
"But that's all behind you, you're in remission now," she said.
Julia looked at her and then shook her head.
"My latest blood work done last month says I'm officially out," she said, "The cancer's back."
C.J. felt her heart plunge.
"Oh my God," she said, "I'm so sorry."
Julia smiled, trying not to betray her own fears.
"It's not so bad," she said, "The doctor told me I should think about getting a bone marrow transplant."
C.J. embraced her friend tightly, forgetting her fishing pole for a moment.
"I want to help you," she said, "I've got plenty of bone marrow. You can have some of mine."
"You'll have to be a match," Julia said, "and there's still a lot to think about. It's very dangerous, not for you if you donate but for me. They have to kill all my own marrow and when that happens, I can get sick very easily."
"It's going to be okay Julia," C.J. said, "You'll get my marrow, you won't get sick and you'll get all better. You'll see."
Julia struggled to control her tears.
"Thank you so much," she said, "Now I think we'd better pay attention to our fishing poles before the fish swim away with them."
C.J. felt a wave of sadness fill her again surrounding her friend but now she understood why. Julia had been ill with a fatal disease that would kill her unless she got a transplant. She wondered what happened to her friend and whether or not the transplant succeeded. Then she remembered something else.
She woke up inside a hospital room and looked around her to see the bouquets of flowers surrounding her bed. Her body felt stiff and sore and sitting up caused her to wince but she tried again and finally her body cooperated. Her throat ached so she reached for the pitcher of water on the stand next to her bed.
"Here, let me get that for you," she heard a familiar voice say and she looked up to see that Matt had been seated in a chair next to her bed.
"Thanks," she said as he poured a glass and handed it to her.
She sipped slowly. Any movement caused her hip to ache so she tried to remain still. After she finished, Matt took the glass away and she lied down again. He reached to stroke the hair off her face.
"How are you feeling?"
She grimaced.
"Like a truck ran over me," she said, "but it's nothing that I can't handle. Have you heard any word on Julia?"
He paused.
"They gave her your marrow but it will be weeks or longer before they know if it will work."
She knew that the chances of the transplant putting Julia into remission were pretty good, but the question still remained whether she would stay there and even make a full recovery.
"How long until they let me go?"
"They want you to stay overnight just in case there are any complications," Matt said, "but they'll probably spring you loose tomorrow."
She looked around the room.
"The flowers are really nice," she said.
"Chris and Too-Mean sent some and my father," he said, "And I picked some wildflowers from my father's cabin. I know how much you like their smell."
She smiled.
"They're beautiful," she said, "Look, I'm sorry that I've already missed some work and I'm going to try to find a flight out to L.A. tomorrow."
Matt shook his head.
"No you're not," he said, "You've got a week until you're back to normal and the agency can wait until then."
"But Houston, we just started it and we've got to prove that we can handle the cases…"
He rubbed her shoulder.
"We'll do that but we're going to wait until you're better," he said, "Until then, we'll be staying at my father's ranch. You know how much he enjoys your company."
She nodded.
"That will be nice," she said, then looked at him, "Thank you for being here."
"I wouldn't be anywhere else."
C.J. smiled as she remembered when he had said those words. She couldn't remember anything more but he always seemed to want what was best for her and maybe he occasionally reined her in when she went off in some direction but it was only because he was concerned for her welfare. How different that was from men like Piser and Butz who exploited and hurt the women who had the misfortune to cross paths with them.
She heard the grass rustle behind her as if it had parted and some branches crackle. Her body stiffened and she looked around and saw Matt approaching.
"Mind if I join you?"
She shook her head and sat down.
"Catch anything?"
She smiled.
"Not even a nibble," she said, "Either the fish are sleeping or Fran and Rhonda must have put some real fear in them."
He chuckled.
"They're back at the cabin asleep from that hike this morning," he said, "All this clean mountain air must have gotten to them."
"It is intoxicating if you're not used to it."
"So what's the plan," she asked, "We're heading out early tomorrow right?"
He nodded.
"We need to beat the traffic," he said, "Chris and my uncle will be waiting for us at the office."
"I can't wait to meet…see them," she said, "It's all the same to me right now."
"That's all right," he said, "Maybe being there will help jog some memories."
She stretched her legs out.
"Being here sure has done that," she said, "I just was thinking about Julia."
Matt grew real quiet, enough so that she turned and looked at him.
"What," she asked, "Was it something I said?"
He sighed.
"She was your best friend since the time you were a little girl," he said.
"I remember that, not specific memories just that we were friends," she said, "But I did remember when we came here and sat right in this spot."
"What else do you remember?"
She bit her lip as she concentrated before the images could slip back to where they came from.
"She was sick, really sick enough to believe she was going to die."
"Yeah, she had cancer," Matt said, "She came down with it when you both were at Harvard University."
"She had been in remission for a while and while we were fishing, she said it had come back and her only hope was a bone marrow transplant," C.J. said.
"You donated the marrow and saved her life," Matt said, "You were adamant about it even though some of us tried to talk you out of it."
"Why," she asked, "Why would anyone do such a thing?"
Matt paused.
"Because we were worried about you," he said, "but when you made it clear that this was what you really wanted to do, we supported your choice."
She smiled.
"I know," she said, "When I woke up, you were in my hospital room."
"Everything turned out fine," he said, "You left the hospital and we went back to my daddy's ranch for a few days and he took good care of you."
"So did you."
He continued and his voice changed, just enough for her to detect.
"Julia got better too and the transplant gave her some really good years," he said.
"But…"
"She came out of remission several months ago," he said, "She's back getting chemotherapy but the doctors aren't as hopeful this time around."
"So she could die," C.J. said, softly, "It seems so wrong. I don't remember much about her but I do know she attracted life, not death."
"She's back in Texas with her family," Matt said, "She and her father reconciled."
"That's good I guess," she said, "I hoped they worked out their differences. I never got to know my own father."
Matt narrowed his eyes.
"Do you remember him at all?"
She shrugged.
"Only enough to know he was never part of my life," she said, "I don't know much about him."
"He died when you were a little girl and you lived back East," he said, "That's where you were born."
She smiled.
"You mean I'm not a native born Texan like you are?"
He chuckled.
"No," he said, "Everything you learned, you learned from me."
She nodded.
"I don't remember my mother either," she said, "You think I would if they were really important in my life."
He sighed.
"C.J., your parents passed when you were young," he said, "You were raised by your mother's sister and she really cared about you."
C.J. thought about her parents for the rest of the day after she and Matt had left the lake and walked back to the cabin. So much confusion surrounded her and what she thought she remembered and what she knew she didn't. She remembered more about Matt than anyone else but she found memories of her ex-boyfriends coming to mind more than those involving the family she grew up in. She didn't know how this amnesia thing worked only that each day she lived under its cloud, frustrated her more. She sat quietly and played with her food during dinner. They hadn't caught any fish so they had to content themselves with steak and baked potatoes. No one had any complaints and the other women dug into their food.
"I could eat like this for weeks," Rhonda sighed, "I spent way too many years eating in greasy diners and those are just the years I can remember."
Fran nodded, spearing a fried onion.
"Butz fed us crap in his jail," she said, "No one there looked forward to going to Piser's ranch but at least the food was decent."
Matt looked at them.
"We're going to head out first thing tomorrow and get to the office so we can use the resources there to help us figure out how to bring down Butz."
Fran nodded.
"How do we know he wont' have his goons waiting for us," she said, "He must be looking for us and by now, for you."
Matt nodded.
"I've been in touch with Chris and my uncle who you'll meet tomorrow and there's no sign of Butz or anyone poking around L.A. And I've got my buddy Too-Mean checking out even below the radar."
Fran chuckled.
"Too Mean," she said, "You sure surround yourself with some interesting sounding people."
He smiled.
"They're all willing to pitch in and help," he said, "All you got to do is let them. Do you think you can do that?"
Fran nodded slowly.
"Maybe," she said, "I'll try. I'll do anything to get Butz for killing those other women."
Rhonda nodded too.
"I'm in."
Matt looked over at C.J. who hadn't eaten very much.
"C.J.?"
Startled, she looked at him.
"That sounds good to me too."
He looked at her but she had already returned her attention to her plate.
Later, he walked out onto the deck and saw her sitting in a chair looking out at the forest.
"What's going on here," he asked.
She looked up at him.
"I guess I'm a little nervous about tomorrow," she said, "I know I should trust your friends."
"They're your friends too," he said.
She rubbed her eyes.
"I know, at least I'm supposed to know, but I'm walking around in this fog and I can't see more than a few feet in front of me."
"I know it's been hard for you," he said, "but it's going to be over with soon, Butz and his men will be in prison where they belong and you'll be back home."
She nodded, taking what he said in but her eyes looked doubtful.
"What if I never remember who I am?"
He sat down in a chair next to her.
"Then we'll help you rebuild your life piece by piece," he said, "We're not going to leave you or not accept you back because you don't remember your life."
"I don't know what to do," she said, "I don't know whether to try to back to the past or just try to figure out a new future for myself."
"You don't have to do that by yourself," he said, "You have friends around you who will help you. I will help you."
She smiled at him and reached for his hand, which he wrapped around her own.
"I know," she said, "I don't know much but I do know that."
With that, they both remained on the deck, sitting back and holding hands for a while, trying to put off thinking about the future for a little while.
Butz picked up the phone to call for a progress report from the men he had hired to hunt down the three missing women and the nosy private investigator who no doubt was hiding them some place in California.
"I have been waiting for a report," he barked into the phone.
A man sighed on the other end.
"Do you want this done rashly or do you want it done thoroughly," the man asked.
"I want it taken care of both thoroughly and quickly," Butz said, "I've got the feds and state police breathing down my neck here in Bannon County."
"Well, I haven't found any trace of the people you wanted me to find yet," the man said, "But I just got to L.A. an hour ago and I think I'll strike gold there."
"You make sure that you do and that you eliminate them and you'd better make damn sure none of your activities get traced back to me," Butz said, "That's what I'm paying all that money to you for."
"Once I find them, I'll kill them," the man said, "You have nothing to worry about. I'm a professional who always gets the job done."
"We'll see about that after it's done," Butz said before hanging up.
He sat back at his desk hoping that his hit man was true to his word and that Matt Houston and the three women would be out of the picture so he could focus on keeping himself out of prison. He had heard that former law enforcement officers didn't last long in prisons and being a sheriff, he would probably last an hour before some inmate would slice his throat.
No, he couldn't allow himself to be dragged off to some cell in some penal institution somewhere. For him, it would be tantamount to a death sentence.