"All right," Anna said into her radio, as she rejoined David and Greenlee, "keep me informed then."
"Well?" the frantic Greenlee asked, looking at Anna.
"Leo's been getting beaten up," Anna reported to David and Greenlee's dismay, "but he's still alive. It doesn't look like he's going to go down without a fight."
"Like there was any doubt to that." David smiled, looking towards the cliff and pumping his fist, "Come on, Leo."
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"What in the hell are you two talking about?" Leo asked, looking confused at both Vanessa and Wolfe.
"You don't know?" Wolfe noticed with a smile, "You honestly have no clue? This is better than I had hoped!"
"Marius," Vanessa implored, "please don't."
"You have only yourself and the Count to blame for this, Vanessa." Wolfe replied coldly, turning to Leo, "You see, my dear boy, your parents had been heavily drinking the one night they...well, you know."
Puzzled as to what Wolfe was trying to say, Leo simply stared at the older man for a moment. When he finally realized what it was, the look of confusion was replaced by a look of shock.
"You mean..." Leo stammered, as Wolfe simply smiled at him.
"Yes." Wolfe confirmed with a nod, "You, Leonardo du Pres, were a mistake. A heavily regretted one, I might add."
"You're lying." Leo replied angrily, staring a hole in Wolfe, "You have to be!"
"Believe that, if you want." Wolfe commented nonchalantly, "However, I have spent many years with the Count, and I know for a fact that he wishes that night had never happened. Do you even know how much it affected his relationship with his wife?"
As he felt his initial anger start to change into sadness and confusion, Leo turned suddenly to Vanessa, who was avoiding eye contact with him.
"Mother?" Leo pleaded quietly, "Please tell me he's not telling the truth."
"I…" Vanessa started in a hesitant tone, still not looking at Leo, "I can't do that, Leo. What Marius just said is the truth, and, as much as I wish I could, I cannot deny it."
"No." Leo whispered stunned. In a daze, he silently and slowly walked over to a group of rocks nearby. As he sat down upon them, Leo slowly shifted his gaze towards the ground and put his hand in his hands. It was clear that Vanessa's statement had been the final piece needed to shatter Leo's psyche. Vanessa stepped forward to comfort him, but the amused Wolfe restrained her from doing so.
"Isn't this what you and the boy were best at?" Wolfe whispered to Vanessa, "Using people's weaknesses against them? It's quite hysterical, actually. His so-called loving parents have inflicted more pain on him by your past actions than I could have ever imagined doing myself."
"God damn you, Marius." Vanessa scowled, as Wolfe laughed heartily.
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"Now, I'm concerned." Anna admitted as she turned to David and Greenlee after getting an update on her radio.
"What happened?" Greenlee asked worriedly.
"Leo is sitting by himself at the moment," Anna reported, "and from what the helicopter crew said, it appears as if he's very depressed about something."
"Oh God, Leo." Greenlee said quietly.
"Damn it." David declared, shaking his head, "I've got to go to him!"
"David, no!" Anna said, stepping in his way, "The only thing that will do is get you killed too!"
"Anna," David begged, visibly upset, "from what you just said, Leo is being tortured psychologically now, as well as physically. I can't just stand by and watch that happen! He's my little brother, for crying out loud!"
"I know that, and I care about Leo just as much as you do." Anna assured, putting her hands firmly on David's shoulders, "But there's no telling what Wolfe is capable of. I'm sorry David, but it's just too risky!"
As he sighed heavily, David turned his attention to Greenlee, who was sitting on the hood of Leo's car. Her brown eyes were focused solely on what little she could see of the cliff.
"Leo," Greenlee whispered, "please hang on."
To be Continued....
"Well?" the frantic Greenlee asked, looking at Anna.
"Leo's been getting beaten up," Anna reported to David and Greenlee's dismay, "but he's still alive. It doesn't look like he's going to go down without a fight."
"Like there was any doubt to that." David smiled, looking towards the cliff and pumping his fist, "Come on, Leo."
------------------------------------------------------------------
"What in the hell are you two talking about?" Leo asked, looking confused at both Vanessa and Wolfe.
"You don't know?" Wolfe noticed with a smile, "You honestly have no clue? This is better than I had hoped!"
"Marius," Vanessa implored, "please don't."
"You have only yourself and the Count to blame for this, Vanessa." Wolfe replied coldly, turning to Leo, "You see, my dear boy, your parents had been heavily drinking the one night they...well, you know."
Puzzled as to what Wolfe was trying to say, Leo simply stared at the older man for a moment. When he finally realized what it was, the look of confusion was replaced by a look of shock.
"You mean..." Leo stammered, as Wolfe simply smiled at him.
"Yes." Wolfe confirmed with a nod, "You, Leonardo du Pres, were a mistake. A heavily regretted one, I might add."
"You're lying." Leo replied angrily, staring a hole in Wolfe, "You have to be!"
"Believe that, if you want." Wolfe commented nonchalantly, "However, I have spent many years with the Count, and I know for a fact that he wishes that night had never happened. Do you even know how much it affected his relationship with his wife?"
As he felt his initial anger start to change into sadness and confusion, Leo turned suddenly to Vanessa, who was avoiding eye contact with him.
"Mother?" Leo pleaded quietly, "Please tell me he's not telling the truth."
"I…" Vanessa started in a hesitant tone, still not looking at Leo, "I can't do that, Leo. What Marius just said is the truth, and, as much as I wish I could, I cannot deny it."
"No." Leo whispered stunned. In a daze, he silently and slowly walked over to a group of rocks nearby. As he sat down upon them, Leo slowly shifted his gaze towards the ground and put his hand in his hands. It was clear that Vanessa's statement had been the final piece needed to shatter Leo's psyche. Vanessa stepped forward to comfort him, but the amused Wolfe restrained her from doing so.
"Isn't this what you and the boy were best at?" Wolfe whispered to Vanessa, "Using people's weaknesses against them? It's quite hysterical, actually. His so-called loving parents have inflicted more pain on him by your past actions than I could have ever imagined doing myself."
"God damn you, Marius." Vanessa scowled, as Wolfe laughed heartily.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Now, I'm concerned." Anna admitted as she turned to David and Greenlee after getting an update on her radio.
"What happened?" Greenlee asked worriedly.
"Leo is sitting by himself at the moment," Anna reported, "and from what the helicopter crew said, it appears as if he's very depressed about something."
"Oh God, Leo." Greenlee said quietly.
"Damn it." David declared, shaking his head, "I've got to go to him!"
"David, no!" Anna said, stepping in his way, "The only thing that will do is get you killed too!"
"Anna," David begged, visibly upset, "from what you just said, Leo is being tortured psychologically now, as well as physically. I can't just stand by and watch that happen! He's my little brother, for crying out loud!"
"I know that, and I care about Leo just as much as you do." Anna assured, putting her hands firmly on David's shoulders, "But there's no telling what Wolfe is capable of. I'm sorry David, but it's just too risky!"
As he sighed heavily, David turned his attention to Greenlee, who was sitting on the hood of Leo's car. Her brown eyes were focused solely on what little she could see of the cliff.
"Leo," Greenlee whispered, "please hang on."
To be Continued....