Chapter VII
Figlio perduto
Se tu non vieni
Io usero la forza che ho
Lost son
If you don't come to me
I'll use my power
Bison River First Nation, Northwest Territories, Canada
The next day
The snow was no longer merely falling in Bison River. It now blanketed the entire village in large, windswept, relentless flakes.
"I've just got word from Yellowknife," Tina told Alex and David at the clinic. "We're in storm status. That means aircraft are grounded until further notice."
"Even the Medevac?" David asked.
"The helicopters can't fly if they can't see. It would be too risky."
"So no one can get in or out of Bison River?" David asked incredulously.
Tina looked at him, amused. "People here are used to isolation. You think we'll fall apart if the white man can't come and go for a couple of days?"
"A 'couple of days' really?" Alex asked.
"They're predicting the storm will last about 48 hours. If anything, the weather will shorten our line-ups. Only the very sick will bother to come and see us today. We still have some house calls to do though." Tina turned to Alex, "If you need some warmer clothes, let me know, I'll lend you some."
"It's my turn to go with you," David pointed out before Alex had a chance to answer.
Tina snickered. "You're kidding right? Have you looked in the mirror lately? Do you want to scare the elders of Bison River into an early grave?"
David frowned. The weather outside was a mess. Sending Alex out in his place made him feel uncomfortable. "I don't really care what people think about my beat up face. It doesn't affect my capacity as a physician."
"But I care. You're staying here. That's final." Tina's tone was icy, letting him know that the last thing she wanted was to spend an afternoon with him.
David shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Does bossing me around give you some sort of satisfaction?"
Tina glared at him, "Oh don't even start with me, you…"
Alex waved her arms in the air. "Oh, stop it! Both of you. What does it matter who does what? Get the medical bag ready," she told Tina. "I want to look at David's stitches before we head out."
"Why don't you just tell her you're not up to it?" Hayward asked her after Tina left the room.
"What?"
"You're look exhausted and your husband is going to kill me if anything happens to you. Tell Tina that I'm going to go with her. She'll listen to you."
Alex examined the stitches above his left eye pleased to see that they looked better than last night. "The only reason I'm tired is because you keep me up most of the night to play doctor."
David chuckled. "You make it sound so appealing." He looked at the stitches in the mirror, "Nice job, Dr. Marick. Looks like I owe you one."
She sat down next to him and sighed. "One? If you're going to start counting, I'd say for sure we're talking two digit numbers by now."
"Don't push it."
"Besides the stitches healing, tell me how you're feeling."
"Sore," he admitted, massaging his chin with his hand. "But I'll live. You want to tell me why you've been edgy all morning?"
"It's…I don't know. I've got this feeling…" she looked at Hayward, as if debating whether to tell him what she wanted to say. She brushed a strand of hair from her face, deciding against it. "It's nothing."
David put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'm not exactly Dimitri, but we're stuck here. Literally. If something's wrong, tell me what it is. Believe it or not, I have some capacity for understanding, even where you're concerned, Dr. Marick."
"Would you stop calling me that?"
She sounded more defeated than annoyed now, making him feel guilty. "Tell me what's bugging you, Alex."
"It's…probably nothing. I've been trying to call Dimitri and every time I do I get his answering machine. There are so few people that have his number he makes it a point to answer it. Plus it's not like him to not call me. He knows I'd worry. It's odd, David. I've got this nagging feeling that something's wrong."
"Maybe the lines aren't getting through. It's probably because of the storm," he reassured her.
"I guess it's possible…"
It wasn't often that he saw her second-guessing herself and it was odd to see her stripped of the confidence he knew so well. It was like catching a glimpse of the real Alex Marick. And he wasn't entirely sure what to do with it.
"Maybe you just miss Max. You're never away from him for long, right?"
He watched her stare into space.
"I do miss him," she admitted.
"I've never seen him. Do you have a photo?"
She smiled a lopsided smile, "Of course." She pulled a photo out of her wallet. It was obviously taken at Wildwind, on a sunny day. Max was laughing in the sunshine, his arms wrapped around her.
David looked at it, longer than he intended to. "He's going to be a charmer."
Alex smirked. "He takes after his Dad."
"I don't know…" he started, oddly envious of the family she had. "His mom can be charming too. If she wants to be."
She held her heart in shock, "Is that…a compliment?"
"No, an observation. Sometimes I wish I had a child. I do envy you Max," he said, surprised he admitted as much, to Alex of all people.
Alex too looked like she wasn't sure what to say. "I'm sure lots of women would love to call themselves Mrs. Hayward."
"True," he nodded. There was no point in false modesty. "But there aren't a lot of women I'm willing to grace with that title."
"For what it's worth, David; thanks."
He looked at her, puzzled, "For what?"
"For listening."
"Looks like I owe you one less favour."
She smirked, "I knew there had to be an ulterior motive."
"You know me so well."
Tina stepped back into the room, fully dressed, "Are you coming, Alex? Surely you can't be that concerned over David's bruises."
David ignored her, tossing Alex his hat and scarf. "Take these. They're warmer than mine. And try calling Dimitri again when you get back." He flashed Tina a phony smile, "And when you lovely ladies come back I'll have lunch on the table."
Tina's smile was equally fake, "That's a good cardiologist."
Wildwind Estate, Pine Valley, PA
Same day
Erica Kane rushed up to the doors of Wildwind, taking a glance into the window next to the main door and straightening her hair in its reflection, before she knocked on the door.
She hadn't been here since Alex's return to Pine Valley and truthfully she missed Wildwind. Wildwind had nearly been her home until it was discovered that rumours of Alex's death had been greatly exaggerated. Erica had hoped that even after Alex's return to the land of the living Dimitri might have invited her to the occasional meal at Wildwind. But that hadn't been the case. "Alex probably insisted I stay away," she thought aloud. "Although you'd think she'd show a little gratitude for giving her back the man, who had been ready to marry me and forget about her. Believe me, Alex, if there wasn't a child involved, I would have fought you for him and you would not have won."
Erica wondered whether Dimitri had ever ordered DNA tests on little Maximilian. She remembered how offended he had been when she first suggested it, telling her that one look at the boy was proof enough of his parentage. Erica hadn't agreed with him then and she still didn't agree with him now. Maybe it was because she saw only Alex when she looked at Max.
'Either way, maybe now is a good time to bring up the idea of DNA testing again…' she thought, when Stella finally opened the door.
"Miss Kane, please come in. Mr.Marick is waiting for you in the study."
Erica gave her a polite smile, "Thank you."
She wondered why Dimitri had summoned her here with such urgency, after all these months. 'It had better not have anything to do with Bianca. If she came back from that camping trip with broken limbs, I swear Dimitri; I'll hold you personally responsible. That little boy probably pushed her down a ravine or something. Like mother, like son.'
Erica saw Dimitri step out of the study.
His expression was strangely somber, "Hello, Erica. Thank you for coming so quickly."
She moved up to kiss him on the cheeks, standing on tiptoe as she did, "I've missed your company Dimitri, but you had me worried when you summoned me over here like this. Is everything okay? Is Bianca alright?"
"Please, have a seat."
Suddenly, Erica noticed the bandage on his head. "Dimitri, what happened to you?" His silence panicked her now. "Did you have an accident at the campground? Is Bianca in a hospital? Tell me!"
"Erica, please calm down." He made her sit down. "Something has happened. It's why I needed to see you in person."
He told her what had happened and Erica absorbed his words in disbelief. They made her knees weak and shaky.
Tears fell down her cheeks without her knowledge as he spoke. "You're telling me Charlotte Devane took our children?"
Dimitri was calm as he put his arms around her, "I have no doubts she's behind this. It's her revenge for shooting her and getting away with it seven months ago."
"But how can you be so sure? We're both wealthy, Dimitri, our children could have been taken by anyone wanting a ransom! And if you are certain it's Charlotte then what are the police doing to find her and get them back?" she demanded. "Oh my darling daughter, my sweet baby…"
"I haven't called the police yet," Dimitri told her.
Erica's eyes widened in shock, "You what?"
"Charlotte works above the law. If anything, the police will be purposely misled if we involve them."
"What do you mean 'if we involve them'. What are you trying to do? Protect your wife?" She stared at him angrily. "You're wasting precious time waiting to contact the police!"
Erica moved to his phone to dial 911.
"Erica, please don't…if Charlotte is behind this, the police will be useless. They might even do more damage than good."
"This isn't your call to make!" Erica seethed. "Both of our children's lives are at stake here!"
Dimitri didn't stop her. If she wanted to contact the authorities, he knew it was her right to do so. After all, Bianca was her daughter. Even so, he tried to dissuade her, ''Contacting the police will only mean media involvement. Can you imagine what will happen once the press gets wind of this?''
Erica turned around so as to avoid his eyes. ''I don't care about your precious privacy right now, Dimitri.''
Her voice was shaky when she picked up the receiver. ''This is Erica Kane. I'm reporting a kidnapping...my daughter Bianca, and the son of Dimitri Marick. Yes, send officers right away to the Wildwind Estate!'' She hurriedly gave the operator the address before hanging up the phone.
She saw Dimitri rubbing his temples tiredly, ''I wish you hadn't done that.''
"And I wish I hadn't let Bianca go camping with you!" she shot back angrily. "Where is Alex anyway? Why is she not here?"
"She's in northern Canada. Near the Marick mine. She doesn't know yet," he explained. Erica couldn't remember the last time he'd sounded as defeated as he did right now.
"Why aren't you calling her? What are you waiting for?" she asked incredulously.
"Erica, I don't know how to tell her…over the phone…" he answered, barely loud enough for her to hear.
The only thing Erica could think of was her daughter. As soon as she thought of her gentle Bianca held hostage by some madwoman, the anger rose at the base of her throat again. How much more would she and Dimitri have to suffer because of Alex's association with Charlotte Devane?
"You have to call her! This is her fault!"
"What?" Dimitri looked at her in disbelief.
"Her psychotic mother and her shady past that have caught up with our children! My daughter has nothing to do with Alex's past and yet she's paying the price. When are you going to realize the real cost of having that woman in your life?" Tears ran down her face. Not just for Bianca but for her own loss. "When are you going to realize it's not worth it?"
Dimitri's face was unreadable. "I know you're upset Erica…but blaming Alex for this…it's absurd."
"Even if you think Alex is not to blame, she probably knows where to find Charlotte. You have to call her for that reason alone."
"No," Dimitri shook his head. "Alex has no idea where Charlotte is. In fact, before this happened we were both convinced that she was dead."
Shawn O'Malley entered the study without a sound. "Sir, if you have a moment. I'd like to brief you on the meeting I had with my men."
Dimitri placed his hands on Erica's shoulders, "Are you going to be okay?"
She wiped a tear from her eye, "I'll be okay when we find my daughter."
"We'll find them. I promise." Dimitri stepped out of the study and into the next room with O'Malley.
When he left, Erica noticed Dimitri's cell phone lying on the coffee table. She picked it up and saw the pre-programmed numbers on the screen menu.
With an unsteady hand, she entered the one that corresponded to Alex's name and held the phone next to her ear as it rang on the other end.
"If you're not going to call her, I will," she whispered to herself, waiting for Alex to answer.
