**** Here is the Steve/Doris confrontation – I hope you like it ****
"Steve, before we start I need to say something. When Danny and I were in the cellar before you were brought in, he confronted me. He's made me take a good look at myself and he's made me realize that I need to take responsibility for the things I've done to you. I'm going to tell you everything son….no more secrets. I ask that you listen to everything I have to say before you respond and please remember that I love you with all my heart"
"Okay Mom…"
"I had been with the CIA for six years when I was approached about going undercover to infiltrate the Kham crime family in Red China. Lan Kham had risen to power as a major heroin dealer and there was evidence that they were trying to expand into the United States. The plan was for myself and Chinese-born agent Li Yang to go undercover as potential buyers and then offer the suggestion of becomming handlers for them in the United States. Li's undercover name was Yao Zhong and I was known as Sara Shelburne"
Steve said softly, "Shelburne…..okay...go on….."
"We had been under for only a couple of weeks when we became aware that Kham had an equal, 'silent' partner, someone who was the money and brains behind the organization….." Steve shifted restlessly in his chair as she continued, "We smuggled several shipments of heroin into the U.S. over the next couple of months, building up a trust and it was actually Kham who came to us with the idea of a partnership. We insisted on meeting his partner before agreeing to the deal. June 12, 1973 Steve…..."
"What Mom?"
"June 12, 1973 is the day that changed my life forever...…that's the day I met Kham's partner… Feng Wo Fat"
Steve tried not to react but as the name was spoken he felt a twinge and he instinctively brought his hand to his chest.
Doris gasped and reaching out, she grasped his other hand, "Steve, are you alright?"
"Yes Mom, I'm fine…..please don't stop"
Keeping hold of her son's hand, she continued "The meeting was arranged at the Wo Fat home. We arrived before Kham and we were led into the study to wait. Two young boys came running into the room while we waited, beautiful young children. They were Wo Fats two sons, seven year old Cheng and five year old Hu. The boys came over to us and chatted, they were smart and bubbly and full of energy. We stayed at the Wo Fat mansion as their guests for the next week. We discussed business and goals but we also spent a good deal of time socializing and getting to know each other, even the children. When we made our next drug run back to the U.S. we gave our superiors all the info we could on Wo Fat but they needed more time to research him before moving in so we remained undercover. When we returned to China, everything went wrong very quickly…... Wo Fat had hired two new bodyguards, and one of them, Jian Quan was a friend of Li's cousin. The cousin had traveled to the U.S. for Li's wedding several months earlier and he had shown Jian pictures of his American CIA cousin. Jian recognized Li immediately and as soon as he saw us, he pulled his gun. He told Wo Fat that we were CIA and they took us to a remote farmhouse where he and Kham tortured us"
Her voice softened and Steve squeezed her hand lovingly, "Oh Mom…"
"No...everything Steven….."She composed herself and continued, "Li tried to protect me, he kept telling them that he was an agent but that I wasn't. They tied us up in a barn and they beat Li mercifully Steve. Once it got dark, they left a lantern burning and left us for the night. There was one man guarding the door to the barn and the others went to the farmhouse. They had made a huge mistake though…..during the beating, Li's ropes had loosened on his hands and he was able to free himself. He untied my ropes and I was able to sneak up on the guard, killing him with a pitchfork I had found in the barn. There were two men guarding the front of the farmhouse but we had to try to get to a vehicle. We had no idea where we were but we were surrounded by woods. We took the two guns, and a knife from the guard as well as his wallet which contained the equivalent of sixty American dollars. The plan was to sneak up on the vehicles and while I hot-wired a car, Li would stand outside the vehicle with his gun trained on the guards. They were on the porch, smoking and drinking beer and not paying attention to us at all. I had opened the car windows and as soon the engine fired up Li jumped into the back of the vehicle and the guards began firing on us. Both Li and I fired back as I sped away. Wo Fat had come onto the porch and I saw him get hit. One of us had hit him in the head, and I knew he was dead. We were able evade them and we drove forty miles to the nearest large city and abandoned the vehicle in a grocery store parking lot. Thankfully they hadn't taken Li's wallet and we caught a cab, having him drive us two hours away. We checked into a dingy motel and using a payphone at a nearby gas station we called our boss. We then hunkered down in the room and waited for help to arrive"
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Steve's eyes never left his Mother. He listened intently, not saying a word as she continued, "We stayed in the Motel for three days before a team could safely extradite us. We lived on chips, cookies and water from a vending machine outside the Motel room. I did everything I could to keep Li's wounds clean but he developed a severe infection. By the time we got back to the States, he was near death and sepsis had set in. He was in the ICU for ten days and then he was transferred to a private room. I visited him that day and then...…they got him. A hired assassin dressed as an orderly shot and killed Li in his bed that night. The assassin was killed trying to escape and he was identified as Chu Meng, a nephew of Wo Fat. The decision was then made to place me in Witness Protection. I was relocated to San Diego and one of my handlers was Joe White"
Steve quietly said, "Joe?"
"Yes. I had worked with Joe on a mission several months earlier and he had just been transferred to Coronado as a SEAL Instructor. He helped me in so many ways Steve, he was a true friend when I had nobody. He kept me sane…and he introduced me to the person who changed my life and gave me reason to want to live again…...your Father. John and I fell in love fast and we were married six months later. Less than a year after our wedding John was transferred to Honolulu"
"So Dad knew about you being in Witness Protection?"
"Yes….he knew"
Steve's mind was racing as he remembered his Dad's last words to him, 'I'm sorry I lied to you son…I love you' He looked his Mother in the eye saying, "Mom…..I need a minute" Without saying anything else, he stood and walking past her he went down to the water's edge. Looking out over the vast blue/green Ocean he crossed his arms across his chest squeezing until it hurt. Steve sobbed….he cried for his Dad, he cried for the man who loved a woman with a violent past. He cried for the man who spent twenty years alone and searching for answers about her 'death'. He cried for the man who died violently because of his love for Doris. And Joe? His Dad's best friend and confidant and HIS surrogate Father figure was behind this deceit? Steve stood staring aimlessly out at the calm water for more than half an hour before he was ready to hear more. He chuckled to himself as he walked back towards the house. 'Ready to hear more', was he really ready? No, but he needed to hear it all…everything was going to be aired out today…everything.
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Doris hadn't moved and as her son sat back down across from her she inquired, "Are you okay Steve?"
"Tell me more Doris"
'Doris' the name cut through her heart. He had called her 'Mom' up until now…..sighing deeply she continued, "I promised to tell you everything…your Father knew I was in Witness Protection and I told him about the China mission but he never knew the names Kham or Wo Fat. He never asked, and I never told him…it was classified"
"CLASSIFIED!" Steve screamed, "CLASSIFIED DORIS? HE WAS YOUR HUSBAND AND YOU KEPT THAT FROM HIM?"
"Yes….I did! I did it to protect him Steve. I loved him dearly and I didn't give him the names to protect him"
Steve ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to control his anger, "Go on…."
"I had finished getting my teaching degree in San Diego and within a year of us moving to Hawaii I was teaching and pregnant with you. Honey, please try to understand. I wasn't trying to deceive your Dad but things were good and we were so unbelievably happy. I found myself thinking less and less about my past life. I truly believed that I had nothing to worry about and I saw no reason to worry him. Those were the happiest years of my life. I was a young Mother and Teacher, life was so good. Then shortly after your sixteenth birthday the CIA told me that during the interrogation of a Kham crime-family member they discovered my undercover name of Shelburne along with notes indicating that they knew I was alive but they thought I was still in San Diego. There was evidence that a Columbian-born hitman, known only as Mangosta had been sent to find me, and kill me and that he had been sent by Wo Fats son, Cheng. It didn't appear that they knew my married name and after discussing my options with the Agency and with Joe, we all felt it best that I disappear. We could not tell your Dad in order to keep you all safe"
Steve was sitting forward, his elbows on the table and his face in his hands as he struggled to remain calm.
Doris continued, "Along with Joe and two other agents, we turned the tables on Wo Fat. We tracked Magosta and we killed him in an explosion in San Diego. Then for twenty years I was on the run. I rarely stayed in one place for more than two weeks at a time. Joe coordinated this all, he kept me alive and he kept an eye on your Dad and you kids for me. I knew what was happening in your lives because of Joe. He did everything he could to keep your Dad from discovering the truth about Wo Fat. Your Dad wouldn't stop though…he thought I was dead and he was determined to find who killed me. By the time your Dad told Joe about his suspicions about Wo Fats connection to me…it was too late. Governor Jameson had learned of his investigation and informed Wo Fat. He recruited the Hess brothers….and your Father's execution was carried out and you became Wo Fats next target in his quest to find me...Shelburne"
Steve threw his head back and said softly, "I have a couple of questions Doris"
"What are they Steve…..anything"
"How did Jameson find out about Dad's investigation?"
"We're not sure…we figure there must have been a mole in the HPD or someone in the Governor's office must have been watching him. Joe's been conducting his own investigation into that, but he has no answers yet"
"When you let Wo Fat go…when you fired those bullets into the floor….I want to know why?"
Doris sighed and responded softly, "That is something I truly regret doing Steve. When I saw him…when I looked into his eyes…..I saw the seven year old boy who I saw in China thirty six years earlier. I hesitated…..and he hesitated. At that moment I knew he recognized me. I had killed his Father, but he had killed my husband. No words were spoken, he simply turned and before I could even react he was out the window. I'm so ashamed...I panicked…..I knew what he had done to you in searching for me….and I had let him go. I didn't know how I could ever explain that to you and I know you may never be able to forgive me….but I fired the gun to cover my actions…..I'm so, so sorry" She then repeated, "Joe and I did everything we could to keep you, Mary and your Dad safe….."
At those words, Steve slammed his hands onto the table and with his voice shaking with emotion he screamed angrily, "NO, NO YOU DIDN'T! NEITHER ONE OF YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TELL US THE TRUTH. YOU DIDN'T TELL ME AND YOU DIDN'T TELL DAD! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH OF THIS BULLSHIT DORIS!"
Holding his bottle of water, he hurled it against the side of the patio and with no further words spoken he stormed into the house.
Doris followed him, sobbing as she called out "Steve…..please stop!"
She grabbed his arm as he reached for his car keys on the kitchen counter. He pulled away from her, "I'm leaving…..I have to think"
"Stay here son…I'll leave"
With tears in his eyes and his voice raw with emotion he said, "No Doris…..Dad's dead…..the house is yours now"
The words hit her like a knife to the heart and she said softly, "Oh Steve…..."
Without looking back, Steve stormed from the house and sped from the driveway.
********* SO ? I have to say with all the rumors afloat that Steve and Wo Fat are half-brothers, I hope to God they don't write the storyline that way. My version may not be perfect, but I think it shows there can be other 'answers' - More to follow but I'd love to hear what you think ! **********
