Truth Out Of Darkness
Chapter 54
John entered Brady's room just as Brady was pulling on the last of his clothing. The doctors had given him scrub bottoms to wear instead of his tight jeans, which would have aggravated his wound. Also, the jeans were covered in his and Chloe's blood and were now being incinerated. Brady rushed over to his father. John enveloped his son in a tight hug, so grateful that his boy was okay.
Brady slowly broke out of his father's embrace. His terrified blue eyes locked onto his father's. "Dad, how is she? Is she okay?" The words flew out of his mouth quickly.
"She is still unconscious, but the doctors say that she will be okay. She had a lot of injuries, but they will heal. As soon as she comes to, we can all leave."
Brady sighed deeply, relief washing over him. His strength fled from his body and he suddenly felt weak. He clutched a chair for support and slowly sank down on it, wincing at the pain from his sore bottom.
"Oh my God." He breathed, as the evening's events settled in his mind. He had been on non-stop adrenaline rush since Chloe turned up missing. It had taken so long just to find out that she had been kidnapped, even longer to find her location. And then, when he first saw her, dead on her feet, battered and beaten; he felt physically ill. He remembered her almost naked state, and a horrible thought came to him. A thought that he had been keeping out of his mind.
He looked up at his father, tears welling in his eyes. "Dad, tell me he didn't…, tell me she wasn't…, Oh, God, please no…"
John grabbed his son's shoulders lightly. "No, he didn't. They examined her, and she wasn't raped. You got there just in time, Brady."
Brady cried, overwhelmed by a million emotions that he had kept tightly bottled up that evening. John threw his arms around him. "Let it out, son. It's okay. You and Chloe have been through the worst kind of Hell tonight, so just let it out. You did it, Brady. You saved her. Dr. Moore is dead, he can't hurt Chloe any longer." John continued to hold his silently weeping son, while he released his pent-up fear, sadness, and joy. Brady shook gently, suffering a type of emotional shock.
Minutes passed and the tide of emotions ebbed. Brady pulled himself together. He thought he would feel weak after his emotional display, but instead he felt stronger. She was okay. He was okay. They were both okay. He smiled at John, feeling himself return to normal. He grimaced in pain.
"I can't believe I got shot. Again. Carl's gonna kill me." Brady grinned, with an attempt at humor.
"And in the butt, too. You just can't keep your ass out of trouble can you?" John grinned, glad to see Brady's humor back.
Brady swatted his father's chest. "Ha. Ha."
"Hey, can we come in?" Bo stood at the slightly open door, Abe and Roman just behind him.
"Yeah, come on in. What's the word with the Chicago boys?" John asked.
"They are putting the finishing touches on the case as we speak. Dr. Moore's death is being ruled as self defense, even though, technically, Roman jumped the gun, so to speak, when he fired before Moore did." Abe replied. "Otherwise, Roman could be facing suspension."
"If he had waited for Moore to fire, then my son would be dead." John argued.
"We know that. Chicago PD knows that. That's why it's being called an act of self-defense. Chicago will back us up on that. The case is pretty much closed." Bo said.
"That's pretty fast." John commented.
"Those officers worked hard to put him in jail years ago, and when he was released; it was for them unfinished business. They needed to close the case quickly, for closure. And that's why they aren't going to question Roman's actions tonight. In fact, most of those men wish that they had been the one to pull the trigger." Abe said.
Brady looked at Roman, who hung back quietly, his face grim. Brady had been so angry with Roman for so long. True, Roman had accidentally shot Brady, but his hatred of Roman actually went before then. He tried to find the reason for his anger, but couldn't. In any case, this man saved his life.
"Roman, I didn't tell you before, but thank you. I owe you." Brady said quietly.
Roman looked at Brady and smiled tenderly. He hoped they could maybe mend their relationship. Roman had always been fond of Brady when he was a child. "Don't mention it. But, truth be told, I didn't do it for you. Hell, I wasn't even thinking of you when I shot Moore."
"Why did you do it?" John asked.
Roman's face darkened visibly. His jaw was hard set, and his eyes lost focus. "I did it for Sami." He said simply.
The men in the room nodded in understanding. Brady, however, was clueless.
Roman continued. "I looked at that sick bastard and saw the punk kid who raped my daughter years ago. I wasn't there for Sami, then. I couldn't save her. But I thought, here, now, I can save Chloe. Maybe I needed closure, too." Roman said with a small smile.
Brady's mind was spinning. Sami was raped? He wondered why no one ever told him. {No wonder she's so screwed up.} He saw Sami in a new light, and began to feel, just a little bit sorry for her.
Bo decided to lighten the mood. At Brady's expense of course. "So, kid. Shot again, huh? And in such a place." He joked. The men in the room chuckled, glad to shake off their darker emotions, for the moment at least.
Brady groaned and rolled his eyes. "Why did it have to be the butt? Here I am, doing this wonderfully heroic thing and throwing myself in front of Chloe to save her life and where does the bullet enter? Of all the places on my body, it chooses my butt?"
Laughter echoed in the small room. "I'm so glad my pain amuses you."
Roman held up his hands in surrender. "I'm just glad I wasn't the one to shoot you this time."
"Me too." Abe replied, chuckling. "Although, I must say, it is kind of fitting. I mean, you were a pain in the ass for so long, when you first came to town. Maybe it's divine retribution." More laughter as the men teased Brady mercilessly.
"Pain in the ass. That's good. Any one else want to make a crack about my butt wound?" Brady said good-naturedly.
"Crack!" Bo repeated and roared into laughter.
John wiped his eyes. "All right, calm down. My son is tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes." He cracked up in another fit of laughter.
Brady rolled his eyes. {I can't believe I know these people. I can't believe I'm related to some of these people.} He was going to say something when the door opened to reveal Craig in the doorway. And just beyond Craig was…
"Chloe." Brady breathed standing up quickly. Chloe hung back behind Craig, clutching him for moral support. She wanted to go in there, to see Brady, but there were so many men in there. She couldn't be near men, yet after everything she'd been through. Craig was the one exception, because he wasn't a Man. He was her father. Genetics didn't matter. She knew that now.
John saw the fear, the trepidation in Chloe's eyes, and understood. "We'll see you soon, son." And he and the men exited the room. Once the men were a safe distance a way, Chloe went forward a little into the room. She looked back at Craig.
"I'll be right outside, okay, Chloe?" She nodded. Chloe was also dressed in scrubs, her black clothing useless scraps. Brady took in her appearance and once again wanted to cry. She was so heavily bandaged on her face and head. She walked so slowly; it was obvious, that she was in pain.
He went forward to her, but stopped a short distance in front of her, remembering to give her space. They locked eyes for a long time.
Chloe spoke up, her voice small and weak. Tears brimmed her eyes. "Brady, will you… will you hold me?" Tears ran down her cheeks, and she began to shake.
He gently put his arms around her, careful of her cracked ribs, and held her. He rocked her slowly, while she cried. She clutched his back painfully, while she sobbed.
Chapter 54
John entered Brady's room just as Brady was pulling on the last of his clothing. The doctors had given him scrub bottoms to wear instead of his tight jeans, which would have aggravated his wound. Also, the jeans were covered in his and Chloe's blood and were now being incinerated. Brady rushed over to his father. John enveloped his son in a tight hug, so grateful that his boy was okay.
Brady slowly broke out of his father's embrace. His terrified blue eyes locked onto his father's. "Dad, how is she? Is she okay?" The words flew out of his mouth quickly.
"She is still unconscious, but the doctors say that she will be okay. She had a lot of injuries, but they will heal. As soon as she comes to, we can all leave."
Brady sighed deeply, relief washing over him. His strength fled from his body and he suddenly felt weak. He clutched a chair for support and slowly sank down on it, wincing at the pain from his sore bottom.
"Oh my God." He breathed, as the evening's events settled in his mind. He had been on non-stop adrenaline rush since Chloe turned up missing. It had taken so long just to find out that she had been kidnapped, even longer to find her location. And then, when he first saw her, dead on her feet, battered and beaten; he felt physically ill. He remembered her almost naked state, and a horrible thought came to him. A thought that he had been keeping out of his mind.
He looked up at his father, tears welling in his eyes. "Dad, tell me he didn't…, tell me she wasn't…, Oh, God, please no…"
John grabbed his son's shoulders lightly. "No, he didn't. They examined her, and she wasn't raped. You got there just in time, Brady."
Brady cried, overwhelmed by a million emotions that he had kept tightly bottled up that evening. John threw his arms around him. "Let it out, son. It's okay. You and Chloe have been through the worst kind of Hell tonight, so just let it out. You did it, Brady. You saved her. Dr. Moore is dead, he can't hurt Chloe any longer." John continued to hold his silently weeping son, while he released his pent-up fear, sadness, and joy. Brady shook gently, suffering a type of emotional shock.
Minutes passed and the tide of emotions ebbed. Brady pulled himself together. He thought he would feel weak after his emotional display, but instead he felt stronger. She was okay. He was okay. They were both okay. He smiled at John, feeling himself return to normal. He grimaced in pain.
"I can't believe I got shot. Again. Carl's gonna kill me." Brady grinned, with an attempt at humor.
"And in the butt, too. You just can't keep your ass out of trouble can you?" John grinned, glad to see Brady's humor back.
Brady swatted his father's chest. "Ha. Ha."
"Hey, can we come in?" Bo stood at the slightly open door, Abe and Roman just behind him.
"Yeah, come on in. What's the word with the Chicago boys?" John asked.
"They are putting the finishing touches on the case as we speak. Dr. Moore's death is being ruled as self defense, even though, technically, Roman jumped the gun, so to speak, when he fired before Moore did." Abe replied. "Otherwise, Roman could be facing suspension."
"If he had waited for Moore to fire, then my son would be dead." John argued.
"We know that. Chicago PD knows that. That's why it's being called an act of self-defense. Chicago will back us up on that. The case is pretty much closed." Bo said.
"That's pretty fast." John commented.
"Those officers worked hard to put him in jail years ago, and when he was released; it was for them unfinished business. They needed to close the case quickly, for closure. And that's why they aren't going to question Roman's actions tonight. In fact, most of those men wish that they had been the one to pull the trigger." Abe said.
Brady looked at Roman, who hung back quietly, his face grim. Brady had been so angry with Roman for so long. True, Roman had accidentally shot Brady, but his hatred of Roman actually went before then. He tried to find the reason for his anger, but couldn't. In any case, this man saved his life.
"Roman, I didn't tell you before, but thank you. I owe you." Brady said quietly.
Roman looked at Brady and smiled tenderly. He hoped they could maybe mend their relationship. Roman had always been fond of Brady when he was a child. "Don't mention it. But, truth be told, I didn't do it for you. Hell, I wasn't even thinking of you when I shot Moore."
"Why did you do it?" John asked.
Roman's face darkened visibly. His jaw was hard set, and his eyes lost focus. "I did it for Sami." He said simply.
The men in the room nodded in understanding. Brady, however, was clueless.
Roman continued. "I looked at that sick bastard and saw the punk kid who raped my daughter years ago. I wasn't there for Sami, then. I couldn't save her. But I thought, here, now, I can save Chloe. Maybe I needed closure, too." Roman said with a small smile.
Brady's mind was spinning. Sami was raped? He wondered why no one ever told him. {No wonder she's so screwed up.} He saw Sami in a new light, and began to feel, just a little bit sorry for her.
Bo decided to lighten the mood. At Brady's expense of course. "So, kid. Shot again, huh? And in such a place." He joked. The men in the room chuckled, glad to shake off their darker emotions, for the moment at least.
Brady groaned and rolled his eyes. "Why did it have to be the butt? Here I am, doing this wonderfully heroic thing and throwing myself in front of Chloe to save her life and where does the bullet enter? Of all the places on my body, it chooses my butt?"
Laughter echoed in the small room. "I'm so glad my pain amuses you."
Roman held up his hands in surrender. "I'm just glad I wasn't the one to shoot you this time."
"Me too." Abe replied, chuckling. "Although, I must say, it is kind of fitting. I mean, you were a pain in the ass for so long, when you first came to town. Maybe it's divine retribution." More laughter as the men teased Brady mercilessly.
"Pain in the ass. That's good. Any one else want to make a crack about my butt wound?" Brady said good-naturedly.
"Crack!" Bo repeated and roared into laughter.
John wiped his eyes. "All right, calm down. My son is tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes." He cracked up in another fit of laughter.
Brady rolled his eyes. {I can't believe I know these people. I can't believe I'm related to some of these people.} He was going to say something when the door opened to reveal Craig in the doorway. And just beyond Craig was…
"Chloe." Brady breathed standing up quickly. Chloe hung back behind Craig, clutching him for moral support. She wanted to go in there, to see Brady, but there were so many men in there. She couldn't be near men, yet after everything she'd been through. Craig was the one exception, because he wasn't a Man. He was her father. Genetics didn't matter. She knew that now.
John saw the fear, the trepidation in Chloe's eyes, and understood. "We'll see you soon, son." And he and the men exited the room. Once the men were a safe distance a way, Chloe went forward a little into the room. She looked back at Craig.
"I'll be right outside, okay, Chloe?" She nodded. Chloe was also dressed in scrubs, her black clothing useless scraps. Brady took in her appearance and once again wanted to cry. She was so heavily bandaged on her face and head. She walked so slowly; it was obvious, that she was in pain.
He went forward to her, but stopped a short distance in front of her, remembering to give her space. They locked eyes for a long time.
Chloe spoke up, her voice small and weak. Tears brimmed her eyes. "Brady, will you… will you hold me?" Tears ran down her cheeks, and she began to shake.
He gently put his arms around her, careful of her cracked ribs, and held her. He rocked her slowly, while she cried. She clutched his back painfully, while she sobbed.