ON MY OWN
"What's all the shouting about Dad?" said a slim dark haired girl who emerged from behind
the kitchen cubicle of the diner.
The girl walked closer to her father and saw what looked to be a blond hair young man
unconscious and bleeding on the floor. Her father had a handkerchief to the gash on his
head but it was obvious that the boy needed more than just a cloth to help his injuries.
She looked a little harder at the youth and noticed that apart from the wound on his scalp
he was actually very handsome. She secretly found herself wondering what colour eyes
were underneath those pale closed lids.
"Well come on girl, don't just stand there all bug eyed" her father said sternly rousing the
girl from her pleasant day-dream "Help me by grabbing hold of his legs and feet. We can take him
out to that old couch in the spare room. After we have laid him down we will probably
need some clean cool water, some towels and whatever you else you can find in the medicine
chest out back."
Lucas didn't feel himself being lifted into the strong arms of the man from the diner or the
slim arms of his daughter. They moved awkwardly towards a room in the back. He wasn't
particularly heavy, they noted how painfully thin he looked, but he was tall and his long limbs
made it awkward to pass through the narrow hallway to the spare room.
When the entered the room, they laid the unconscious Lucas on a small checkered couch
that was positioned along one wall. As soon as his legs were lifted onto the couch, Amy
went over to a bed in the same room and retrieved some pillows and placed them underneath
his head as her father moved him gently forward enough to allow this.
"Wonder who he is Dad" Amy now asked as she looked down at the pale face on the couch.
"Where does he come from and what is he doing here this early in the morning with his head
bleeding like that?"
"There will be a time for questions later girl" her father answered "Right now let's just go about
making him more comfortable and getting him patched up a little. Lord knows we probably
fetch a doctor but the nearest one is on the other side of the river and almost a day's drive away.
We will do the best we can for him for the time being and then see how he fair's after that"
Amy went into the kitchen of the Diner and filled a steel basin with cool water and fetched a
linen cloth from the cupboard beside the sinks. She gave the basin of water and cloth to her
father and then went out of the room again in search of the other medical stuff they might need.
The man's name was Howard Sullivan. He was the owner and proprietor of the Sylvia's Diner
Lucas had stumbled into. He and his 16 year old daughter Amy ran the place alone. Amy's
mother Sylvia had died when the girl was only about 6 years old and since then, Howard found
himself being a sole parent to a wilful and rebellious tomboy. She was a good enough girl at
heart and lately as the rebelliousness started to subside, the man found himself partners with a
very likeable teenager who helped him to no end in the Diner. She worked almost as hard as him
some days to make the place work between them. Sometimes it could get very lonely on this long
stretch of road that saw infrequent and few customers, but they had come to like it for what it
offered.
The man dipped the cloth into the cool water and then wrung most of the water out until the
cloth was just damp He then gently started to dab at the gash on Lucas's head to wipe away
some of the dried blood to get a good look at the laceration.
At first there was no response from Lucas about the man's administrations. It wasn't until
the fifth or sixth passing over with the cloth that a small moan escaped the boy's pale lips.
Howard stopped his dabbing and watched carefully to see if the boy was in fact waking up.
Lucas was moving his head from side to side trying to clear his head of the headache that
had invaded his brain. He lifted his hand to his head and tried to open his eyes and survey
his surroundings.
"Welcome back son" Howard said. Lucas was startled a little by the sound of a strange voice
and he immediately opened his eyes to see where the voice had come from. His aching head
was trying to put everything together. He could vaguely remember running from something
then everything went totally dark.
"Whoa take it easy, I'm not going to hurt you" Sullivan said as he saw the frightened look
on the teenager. He was afraid that Lucas might try and dive out of the room so he put
a gentle but restraining hand on the boy's chest to keep him laying down on the couch.
"Where am I" Lucas said in a barely audible whisper. It was then that he remembered
Danny and Biff. He sat up suddenly trying to look around for his two kidnappers. The only
thing that resulted from the sudden movement was a wave of dizziness that threatened to
spill him to the floor and his headache increased ten fold.
"Oohhh that smarts" he said as he winced loudly and put his hand to his head again to
try and ease the pain.
Amy had walked back into the room just as Lucas said this and she was surprised to see
the young man awake. She could see that he was treating his head with tender hands
and knew that he must be experiencing some pain.
"Do you want some aspirin?" Amy now asked Lucas.
Lucas looked up again at the sound of a different voice in the room. This time the voice
was not male at all but came from a young girl. Lucas found himself staring at the petite
and pretty dark haired girl. He tried to stop himself from staring but his gaze became
fixated on the person who looked to be around the same age as himself. It had been quite
a while since he had been in the company of anybody else his own age except for Wolfman
and this girl was definitely better looking than his friend Nick.
Lucas remembered the question she had asked him and nodded his head, not confident in
any verbal reply he might have. His tongue felt like it was tied in knots at this very moment.
Howard looked at the expression on the young man's face. He had seen a similar look on his
daughter when she had spotted the unconscious man on the Diner floor not more than a few
minutes ago.
Amy handed Lucas two shiny white pills and a glass of water and he gratefully swallowed them
and hoped that they would be instantaneous in helping ease his headache. He knew that he would
have to wait though so he laid back down on the pillows and tried to figure out all of the events
that had taken place this morning. Things had happened so quickly that they were kind of like
a haze at the moment. Maybe it was due to the drugs, maybe it was due to him head butting one
of the kidnappers. He didn't really have the answers at this time.
"Can you tell us who you are son?" Howard Sullivan now asked seeing that Lucas was trying to
work things out for himself in his head.
"Lucas, Lucas Smith" he said giving the two new strangers the same false name he had given to
Bob and Sandra Stevens back on the first night at the Service Station.
"Well Lucas Smith" Howard said, at the moment he had nothing to doubt who the boy said he
was, "What brings somebody as young as you way out in these parts on your own. Where is
your family and how did you injure you head?"
Lucas inwardly grumbled at the interrogation he was getting, but he knew it was all part of
the scheme of things. He couldn't just fall down unconscious on somebody's doorstep, get
helped by them and expect them not to ask questions about how he got to be injured in the
first place.
"I'm travelling around looking for a job" Lucas said honestly. He just left out the parts about
running away from his friends and family. That was information that these people didn't need
to know at this time.
"I was walking along the highway the other night when these two guys jumped me and
kidnapped me" he admitted. His head was hurting so much that he lacked the brain power
to think of a good enough excuse for his head wound at the moment.
"Kidnapped" Amy exclaimed loudly. "Why in the world would they do such a horrible
thing like that?"
"I think they thought I could make them a few quick bucks, that's all" Lucas replied "But
they drugged me a couple times so I am still getting over the effects. I was tied up in the
back of their car a short while ago when I managed to escape. I head butted one of them and
that's when I ran in here."
"I'm sorry that I barged in on you like this" Lucas said as he started to push himself into a
standing position. He didn't want to burden these good people again like he had done with
Bob and Sandra Stevens.
Just as Lucas's put his full weight on his left leg, his knee that had troubled before reminded
him that it was still swollen and bruised from his fall. "AAHH" Lucas exclaimed as he fell
back on the couch again and held his knee between his hands and tried to massage away
some of the pain.
"What's the matter?" Howard Sullivan now asked as he watched the boy's handsome face
contort with the spasms of pain that ran up and down the length of his whole leg.
"Oh um I fell the other night before I was taken when a truck side swiped me" Lucas said
sheepishly through his grunts of discomfort. The tissue was still very swollen and his running
from Biff and Danny hadn't helped it any. The pain had been forgotten between now and just
now when he tried to stand again, probably due mostly to the adrenaline rush he had when
running away from his captors.
"You really have had a bad day haven't you" Amy said as she sat down beside him on the
couch and smoothed back his blond hair from his eyes.
"How bout you just rest up here a while and leave the rest to us" Howard Sullivan now
said. He could see the dark rings of fatigue under the boy's eyes and noted the signs
of travelling alone with little rest or good nourishing food had begun to take there toll on
the young man's physical well being.
Lucas looked at the two new helpers and sighed loudly in defeat and now laid back completely
on the couch and closed his eyes. He told himself that he would rest for just a few hours
as suggested an then be on his way again. A few hours sleep was all he needed to get back
on his feet. The paracetamol in the aspirin was beginning to kick in and the throb in his head
and been reduced to a dull roar.
It didn't take long for sleep to claim the weary teenager and Howard and Amy Sullivan walked
quietly out of the spare room at the back of the Diner and allowed him to get the rest his body
craved.
"Do you think we should call the police Dad?" Amy said as they walked into the kitchen out
of earshot.
Howard Sullivan stole a look around his back door and then out the front of the Diner outside
and then walked back inside to answer his daughter's question. "I think those two hoodlums
are gone for the time being honey. Let's not get too involved in something that we don't know
the full story about just yet. Just let him sleep for a while and we can talk to him later about
it. If he decides that the police are needed, then we will call them. The first people I want
to get in contact for him is his family. I mean to say that a good looking boy like that has no
business travelling around on his own to get himself in so much trouble." He saw the look on
Amy's pretty face and knew that she was still thinking back when he had said "good looking
boy".
Lucas slept well after the clock read twelve noon. Amy was busy in the kitchen with the
television set on in the background for company when she saw some sort of news bulletin
come onto the station.
"Dad, I think you better come see this" Amy said as she wiped her hands on her apron
and turned the volume up on the small television set above the refrigerator.
"What did you say dear" Howard Sullivan said as he walked back into the kitchen from
the front counter. There had been a few customers earlier after Lucas had gone to sleep,
but now even though it was lunch time, the place was now deserted. If trends were correct,
the steady stream of customers would not come back until early evening now.
Amy ducked her head into the spare room just to check that their visitor was still sound
asleep and not able to hear the television broadcast.
The announcer has just begun the same introduction to Lucas's missing person plug that
Bob and Sandra Stevens and Biff and Danny had watched a couple of days ago.
"Ladies and Gentlemen" the silver haired man started "My name is Captain Nathan
Hale Bridger. This is my colleague and close friend Doctor Kristen Westphalen.
We are both members of the United Earth Oceans Naval submarine, the SeaQuest."
Amy and Howard Sullivan gave each other the same shocked and stunned look that
Bob and Sandra Stevens had given each other as they watched the great Captain Nathan
Bridger explain about the missing teenager.
Like the Stevens's they were also surprised to see the same smiling photograph of Lucas
displayed for the viewing population. They heard all about the substantial reward offered
for information leading to finding him and knew now why he had been the target of some
more unscrupulous characters about these here parts.
The broadcast had just ended and returned to normal scheduled programming when silent
footsteps walked up behind the Sullivan's.
"I can't believe it Dad" Amy said as she tried to take in all that she had heard in the broadcast.
"Neither can I honey, but it does begin to explain a few things" Howard said.
"Explains a few things about what" came a voice from behind them both that made the two
of them literally jump out of their skins.
"Don't do that" Amy scolded Lucas as she tried to get herself composed. Neither of them
had heard him from approaching. Thankfully the brief conversation hadn't enlightened the
young man to the fact that they knew all about him and what had happened.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you" Lucas said with a cheeky grin. He walked closer to them
and they both could notice the distinct limp he had from the injured knee.
"That's alright Lucas" Howard said trying to cover their tracks. He had wanted to rush to
the phone and call the people on the TV but he knew that he needed to do that without the
young man knowing or he would be out the door before his family and friends could arrive.
Something told him that the teenager was trying to stay hidden as long as possible. The
kidnaping thing sounded like something that had happened out of someone else's greediness
as they too saw the reward offered.
"You feel like something to eat now your a little bit more awake" Howard asked honestly.
"To tell you the truth, I don't know if I'm that awake at all" Lucas said as he rubbed tiredly
at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "But I won't knock back the offer of something to eat.
I've got money to pay for it."
"Oh no bother" Howard said "You don't need to pay for it Lucas. You're our guest at
the moment no matter how you came to being here" he continued not giving the idea of taking
money from the boy in the slightest.
"You go out with Amy here and I will fix you up something good and bring it out in a few
minutes with something to wash it down with" Sullivan said. Amy had barely moved from
the one spot as the two of them had spoken. Howard doubted that she had heard any of the
ongoing conversation. At the moment she only had eyes for the handsome newcomer that
had literally fallen into her lap. Well his lap maybe, but who was counting score.
Amy guided Lucas over to one of the two person tables at the back of the Diner restaurant
and cleared the table in front of them. Partly to clear space for the meal that was due to come
at any moment and partly so that she could continue to gaze into those sky blue eyes with an
unobstructed view.
Lucas made himself more comfortable by elevating his aching knee onto a spare chair beside
him. And then looked for a topic to start the awkward conversation that wasn't coming.
"So tell me about how you come to be stuck out here practically in the middle of nowhere"
Lucas said as he cleared the invisible lump in his throat. He was trying hard not to stare
but it was getting harder and harder not to.
"My story is so boring that it's ridiculous" Amy began with a smile that immediately made
her whole face glow. "My father married my mother right out of high school. Twelve years
after they were married, I was born in a little place no bigger than this. When I was six years
old my mother was diagnosed with cancer and died 3 months later from complications. Ever
since then its just been me and Dad. We bought this place about 5 years ago and have each
other to talk to keep us company.
"Wow, that's such a sad story and a happy story all at one" Lucas said. "You and your Dad
seem to have a great relationship going."
"What about you" Amy asked trying to pry just that little bit more and find out about the
man she had seen on the television set in the kitchen.
"Me, Oh there's even less to tell than you" Lucas lied "I grew up with parents who just
hated one another every moment of their entire lives together. I don't know why they bothered
to get married in the first place. Then I came along and I was just another screw up in their
long list of achievements in their eyes. I moved out about three years ago and thought I had
found some new friends, but then that all turned out to be a lie too and so now I on my own
trying to find out what else there is in life for me."
"That's too bad Lucas" Amy said trying not to let on that she knew more. "I sure that something
worth while will present itself for you soon enough. You just have to believe in yourself
and have a little bit of faith that not everything out there is bad. That's what I keep telling
myself to believe anyway" she said as her cheeks reddened from a sudden rush of embarrassment
at such sentiments.
"I'm sorry but I find it hard to believe in such things. I have learnt from the school of hard
knocks that there is only two kinds of people in this world. The Good and the Dead. At the
moment I don't know which one I am, probably somewhere in the middle. You I thin are
definitely a Good one" Lucas said as he looked at her and flashed his best smile her way.
Before either of them could continue, Amy's father walked over with two plate of food.
Good old teenager junk food Lucas noted with hungry eyes as he saw the hamburger laden
with tomato sauce and the french fries to one side. There was an extra large coke to go with
it all.
"Now you two eat up" Howard said in mock sternness. "I have some things to attend to out
back for a while" he said as he tried to secretly emphasis the importance of Lucas staying out
here to his daughter Amy. She seemed to get the message and gave him a sly wink back in
return.
Lucas was oblivious to the secret gestures going on in front of him. This was the first decent
meal he had come across since Sandra's cooking at the Service Station and he was ashamed
to admit that he was very hungry indeed. The aroma of the food wafted up into his nostrils
and invigorated every raging teenage hormone known about the consumption of junk food.
Howard Sullivan went back into the kitchen and looked back over the saloon type doors that
led to the room and watched the two teenagers interact with one another. It had been some
time since he had seen Amy so relaxed with another person her own age. Not to mention the
fact that she was totally smitten with the young man. Howard secretly thought that Lucas was
also sneaking looks at her when she didn't notice. He just hoped that Amy didn't get too
attached to Lucas. Heaven knew it was about time she started dating, but this young man was
drifting along an unknown road and he didn't want to see Amy's feelings hurt when he left
without saying goodbye. Amy had too much heartache in her young life over the death of her
mother at such an early age that he couldn't bear to be the one to pick up the pieces again
afterwards.
He picked up the telephone in the back corner and started to dial the number he had memorized
from the television broadcast.
The same young receptionist as before answered the call and thought that the mystery caller
might be Lucas's kidnapper. She didn't let Howard Sullivan know this but told the stranger
that she would patch him straight through to Captain Nathan Bridger as she had been instructed
to do earlier.
Kristen answered the phone at Bob and Sandra Steven's place when it rang. The piercing noise
made everybody jump at the noise and wonder who was at the other end of the line.
"Hello" Kristen said cautiously with everybody else as her silent audience.
"Kristen, it's me", the girl said in a whisper "I think I have one of the kidnapers on the line again".
"Thank you, just patch him through like we asked, everything will be okay if we just all remain
calm" Kristen said. It was really herself that she was saying these words too. Her nerves were
almost shot to pieces as it was. The thought that Lucas's kidnapers might be on the line right
at this very moment almost tipped her emotions over the edge of no return.
Kristen handed the phone to Kristen and repeated to him what the young receptionist had told
her. Nathan paled a little at first like Kristen but then made himself stand up straight and compose
himself before taking hold of the receiver. He too was having private conversations with himself.
He was telling himself that he needed to be strong for Lucas's sake. He needed to be forceful
but also willing to negotiate for Lucas's life if it came down to that.
"Hello Captain Nathan Bridger speaking" Nathan said as he wiped his free hand on his trousers
to relieve the sweaty palm.
"Captain Bridger, you won't know who I am, but I have somebody here that you will be very
interested in seeing. I can't talk long before or he might walk in and get suspicious." Howard
Sullivan stated.
Bridger's heart was in his mouth as he realised that this person was actually not one of the
kidnappers. The man said he had somebody with him. A he had been mention. He only
prayed to God with everything that he had that the mysterious caller meant Lucas.
"Lucas Smith, one of your young friends, turned up here this morning at my Diner" Sullivan
continued. "He said he was running from some people who meant him harm, and he appeared
to be hurt because he stumbled through the front door and collapsed unconscious in my arms
before I could get too much out of him. Don't worry, he's a little bit better now, but still
limping from a swollen knee. He seems to be reluctant to mention any family who might be
wanting to get in contact with him. That's why I am making this call in secret so he doesn't
find out. I didn't want him running off again before I got a chance to get in contact with you.
My daughter Amy and I saw your broadcast on the television and could scarcely believe our
eyes. Amy is keeping him company at the moment and I think we could manage to persuade
him to stay until dusk, but after that I don't know."
"Don't worry Sir, we will be on our way in a few minutes. Just tell me exactly where you
are and leave the rest to us. Whatever you do, please don't let him leave again before we
get there. I promise I will explain everything once we get there." Bridger said. "I can't
tell you how relieved and grateful Lucas's family and friends are about this news."
Bridger and Sullivan exchanged details for a few more minutes and Bridger promised that
they would be on the road in less than a heart ache. He had told Howard Sullivan that they
expected to be there a little after dark due to the almost three hour journey ahead of them.
"We'll be waiting for you Captain. I hope everything works out for you and him. He seems
like such a likeable young man as my daughter will tell you." Sullivan said as he started to
chuckle and hung up from the call.
Bridger hung up from his end and turned around to see a dozen anxious faces looking at him
for an explanation. He smiled a little and then said "Well, that wasn't the kidnapers at all.
The good news is that Lucas managed somehow to get away from them. He's a little hurt and
worse for wear the caller said, but nothing that we can't fix. In the mean time while we have
been worried sick about him, he has found himself a girlfriend."
Everyone sighed a huge sigh of relief at this information and started to laugh at the idea of
Lucas being with a girl as well.
"Taught him everything he knows" Ben Kreig said with an air of confidence about him.
"Oh that's all he needs right now Krieg" Miguel replied as he rolled his eyes at the thought
of Lucas practicing Krieg famous lines on the unbeknown young lady. Everyone once again
started to laugh until Bridger told them to get ready to leave.
"Do you mind if we travel alone as well Captain?" Bob said as he got the appropriate signal
from Sandra about wanting to see that Lucas was okay for herself. "I'm afraid me and
Sandra have become quite attached to Lucas as well."
"By all means, Bob, you and Sandra are most welcome. You have done more for Lucas
than we could possibly thank you for." Bridger said as he headed out towards the transports.
**************************************************************************
Howard Sullivan walked back out into the Diner's main area when he had hung up from talking
to Captain Bridger just to keep up appearances.
He walked over to the two teenagers and sat down beside Amy. Somehow his daughter knew
that it was time to find something else to do while her father had a heart to heart talk to Lucas.
Lucas saw Amy getting up and leaving the room and immediately went on the defensive foot.
"How are you doing Lucas?" Howard said as he started the conversation of gentle like.
He had tried to have a number of these heart to heart talks with his own daughter Amy and
failed on a number of occasions that he would rather forget.
"Fine Mr Sullivan, just fine" Lucas said keeping in line with the questioning.
"Howard" Sullivan said "Just Howard Lucas, you're amongst friends here. Although new
ones that are deeply concerned enough about you." he added. He saw the mask cover over
Lucas's face as soon as he said these words. It was as if Lucas pulled the curtains down
so others could not see in. If they saw in, then Lucas would feel more vulnerable than he
could ever imagine and he would lose that sense of control that came from keeping everything
hidden.
"Can I ask you something Howard" Lucas said as his gaze remained fixated on the table
in front of him. The pattern on the tablecloth immediately became his focus point as he
tried to work things out in his head for himself.
"Sure Lucas, ask away" Howard said a little intrigue at Lucas wanting to open up to a
perfect stranger. Maybe it was the perfect stranger thing that made it easier for the boy
to open up.
"What would you do if ........... " Lucas started and proceeded to tell Howard Sullivan
about his adventures since leaving SeaQuest. He used his friend's Wolfman as the
example when he spoke but both of them knew that he was talking about himself and
his feelings in the whole matter.
He explained about Wolfman overhearing a conversation that was negative towards him.
He told Sullivan of Wolfman's intention to go off along a different path than the one
that was carved out in front of him. To leave his family and friends behind and not
look back to see if he made a mistake.
Howard waited until Lucas had spilled the whole sad story. Of course he left out the
kidnaping part. The raw emotions that came through were from his own experiences
and feelings after hearing his family talking about him.
"You know Lucas," Howard began his reply. He knew that in the back of his mind he
needed to make what he was going to say count. The boy was trying to reach out for
help and Howard Sullivan suddenly found himself thrust in the role of listener and safety
net rolled into one.
"After all that I learned in this life" he started "I got through school by the barest of
margins and when I left I had no idea about what I wanted to do. The next thing I knew
I was married to the one person in the world who understood me completely. I thought
the world was pretty good to me for a while. Even had a daughter to prove it. Then
when I wasn't looking, life dealt me the toughest blow yet and took that one person I
loved with all of my heart away from me. I felt like I had been stripped to the core and
left totally defenseless. Just like you friend Wolfman there."
"For a long time I wandered around aimlessly wondering what to do next. I thought
that I would never love anybody else like I loved Amy's mother. I thought that the
world was no good to me anymore and I didn't need to care about myself anymore.
I was ready to leave the past behind me, maybe forever."
"What did you do" Lucas now asked hanging on Sullivan's every word. He thought he
was about to hear the words he needed know that he wasn't totally losing his mind.
The homesickness and loneliness without his family had never been so strong when he
found himself tied up with Biff and Danny. Now that he was relatively safe again, those
feelings had not decreased in the slightest.
"One day I looked into my little girl's eyes and knew that life held something else out
there for me. I picked myself up and dusted myself off and was determined that no matter
how hard the blow that life dealt, I would beat the depression and find love and understanding
again. True, I haven't found the right woman yet to replace my wife, but I found the love
and understanding in a different place entirely, in my daughter Amy. She's the reason I need
to keep going like I do." Sullivan explained.
"Your friend needs to forget all the hatred and negative feelings he has for his family and
friends. He needs to remember that we all make mistakes sometimes, even the ones that
love him and he should let his pride puddle in his boots like mud because of those mistakes.
If he goes back to them and talks to them, I'm sure he will find that they genuinely still care
for him and love him more than ever." he added hoping that Lucas would read something
into the message.
Lucas broke himself away from his concentration and knew somehow that Sullivan knew
that he had been talking about himself. He didn't know about Howard making the phone
call to his family however.
"I'll be sure to tell him next time I see him" Lucas said trying to hide himself away again
and quickly put his drink to his mouth to stop the tears that threatened to fall.
Deep down inside he knew that Howard was right. He had been so hell bent on leaving
and angry at his family and friends aboard the SeaQuest that he failed to think that they
still might love him, no matter what he thought he thought he had overheard.
He promised himself that tomorrow he would call home and try to make contact with
the family he had lost and hoped that somehow they would take him back.
*********************************************************************
It was just on dusk now and Lucas decided that he needed to make himself useful to
his new friends for being allowed to stay there and helping him when they barely knew him.
Bob and Sandra Stevens had done the same and this restored his faith in the human
race just that little bit more.
"I'll help you in the kitchen if you like Amy" Lucas offered as he noted that customers
would probably start coming in looking for a bite to eat shortly.
"You don't have to do that, especially with that injured leg of yours Lucas" Amy said
as she made some preparations at the large workbench in the middle of the room.
"How bout I just take the trash outside and then come back inside and talk to you?"
he said and flashed another cheeky smile at her.
There was no way that she could resist that grin "Okay, but just outside to the trash
bins and back, you hear?" he said as he gathered two large black garbage bags in his
hands and started limping towards the back door to the Diner.
It was dark outside now as he made his way to the trash bins. He had failed to notice
the parked car only a few feet away from him in the darkness.
*******************************************************************
"You sure about this Danny" Biff asked as he watched the teenager limp awkwardly to
the trash bins at the back of the Diner. He wasn't so convinced of Danny's latest plan
to snatch the kid.
"I'm sure" Danny said as he too watched his victim make his way outside in the darkness,
oblivious to the threat that lay in wait for him.
"That kid is worth a fortune and I am going to make sure he pays for that little stunt this
morning" Danny snarled as he felt the large welt left on his forehead.
"You gonna use the chloroform again Danny" Biff asked as he recognized the need to
silence the kid quickly once they made their move. The last thing they needed was for
the kid to yell for help from anybody inside and spoil their plan again.
The two of them had left suddenly from the Diner as soon as they were both able to stand
after Lucas's assault and had driven a few kilometres to think about what to do next.
They had seen that the kid was unconscious and hoped that he would remain so until they
could get to him again. They knew that once he was awake, there was a genuine threat
for him to reveal their identities to not only those inside, but to the authorities as well.
They didn't need that. For all they knew now, the kid had already talked and they had
their faces on wanted posters already.
"I've got a different idea this time" Danny said with a grin and withdrew a sherated knife
from the pocket of his trousers. It wasn't very big, but it would serve their immediate
purpose and hopefully scare the kid enough for them to snatch him without much trouble.
They both saw the break they were waiting for when one of the garbage bags that Lucas
had been hauling across the ground break open and spill their contents onto the ground.
"Oh that's just wonderful" Lucas exclaimed with a few more colourful obscenities under
his breath as he tried to contemplate the best way to pick up the actual trash without
getting covered in it or reeking from the smell of it. The last thing he needed at the moment
was to walk back in to the Diner and have Amy smell him like the old refuse tip.
Danny and Biff got out of their vehicle and silently started making their way towards
the unsuspecting teenager.
Lucas had his back turned towards them and so was unaware of the danger he was about
to find himself in.
The next thing Lucas knew he was being gruffly from behind. He managed to turn
his head awkwardly and catch a glimpse of his attackers. He gasped out loud when he
recognized the assailants as Biff and Danny. Biff immediately clamped a hand tightly
over the teenager's mouth to prevent him screaming for help.
Lucas tried to fight his two attackers off as best he could but they were just overwhelming.
He kicked and struggled to the best of his abilities to stop them dragging to the car nearby.
Suddenly there was a gleam of silver in the light of the back door. A knife.
The blade was about 6 inches long and made of stainless steel. Biff made one final attempt to
take a hold of the teenager. Lucas kept struggling, trying desperately to get away from these men
and the knife they held.
Suddenly Lucas felt a searing pain in his side. He stopped his struggles and held his hand
over the area of pain. He looked at one of his assailants and held his hand up to show it
covered in blood. The knife had penetrated his skin and left a large gash underneath his
ribs.
The two men saw the injury and the blood. The looked at the pained expression on
The teenager's face. They looked at each other briefly and took off the the waiting car.
They left the bloody knife where it lay on the ground.
As all of this was taking place out the back, the U.E.O. transport containing Bridger
and his senior crew together with the vehicle owned by Bob and Sandra Stevens
were parking out the front.
"Are you sure this is the right place Nathan?" Kristen said getting out of the vehicle.
Bridger and the others got out and looked up at the roof and the name written in
neon letters.
Bridger walked through the front doors and approached a middle aged man standing
on the other side of the counter.
"Hello, my name is Captain Bridger, I believer we spoke on the phone earlier today"
Nathan greeted the man.
"Howard Sullivan" came the reply. The man inwardly sighed in relief that Lucas's
family and friends were finally here. He was still a little apprehensive about the reunion
that was about to take place. He could see the same apprehension and maybe just a little
touch of guilt written across the face of the man introducing himself as Captain Bridger.
"He's just taking some trash out the back for Amy" Howard said as he could see all them
craning to catch a glimpse of the face they all yearned to see.
"Can't get him to do that back on SeaQuest" Bridger said with a chuckle. "Have to remember
to have a girl at the ready next time I ask at home." he added hoping that there would be a
next time to ask.
Amy had heard the voices in the Diner and now emerged from the kitchen to introduce
herself. Bridger smiled appreciatively and inwardly noted that there was nothing wrong
with Lucas's sense of taste.
"Remind me to run away from home soon Miguel" Ben said with a whisper as all of
them admired the pretty young girl at the counter.
Lucas stumbled towards the back door of the diner still clutching his side.
He left a trail of red behind him from the trash bins to the back. He had been holding onto
the wall for support as he made his way out to the front counter before he collapsed
from the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him at this very moment. The was a
long bloody smear to show where he had been.
"Here he comes now" Howard said at the sound of footsteps and now turned to wait
for Lucas's appearance. He noted after a few seconds that it was a little slower than he
would have thought, but then maybe the boy was a bit nervous about facing his friends
and family again.
Lucas hadn't been really concentrating on anything in particular when he came into
view. The pain in his side took all of his focus at the moment and his efforts to make
it to help before he lost consciousness.
It wasn't until a split second after they seen the blond head emerge that they noted
something was dreadfully wrong. They all noted the shuffling and remembered that
Lucas apparently had an injured leg. But on closer observation they could see another
cause to the boy's slow progress.
The could see something dripped from Lucas hand that was clutched to his side.
It took a few more seconds to register that what they could see was blood. Blood
dripping from Lucas somewhere.
"Lucas" Bridger yelled with terror as he tried to reach the teenager before he lost his balance
and tumbled to the floor. At the moment he vision was focused only on one person in
the entire room. How could things turn from feeling like they were getting better to being
totally torn apart again in such a short space of time he asked himself.
Lucas's brain seemed to recognize the voice that spoke to him. He looked up in the direction
that the familiar voice had come from and saw Bridger standing there. He gave his Dad the
most pathetic looking smile he could manage before he could no longer stand up due to the
pull of unconsciousness.
Bridger just managed to grab a slim hold on him to prevent a more forceful descent. He eased
the incoherent and bleeding boy to the floor and cradled his head in his lap. He started trying
to take softly to Lucas enough to rouse him. He wiped the beads of sweat away from his
forehead but noticed the unfocused and glazed look in the teenager's blue eyes.
"I'm sorry Dad" came the barely audible whisper as Lucas's eyelids began to close "Please
forgive me" he added and then his head lolled to the side in Bridger's lap as he lost consciousness.
YOU DIDN'T THINK I'D LET YOU SEE THE ENDING JUST YET DID YOU - YOU
DON'T KNOW ME VERY WELL YET IF YOU DID. MORE TO COME YET.
