CH 13
~*~*~*
He stumbled off the steps of the Crane Mansion and landed hard on the concrete ground. His eyes throbbed as he tried to adjust to the darkness of the night. His knees and hands ached. As he struggled to get up, he stared down at his wrists. Large bruises scarred his skin where the tight ropes had held him. His stomach suddenly felt queasy, as he had not eaten for days. His clothes were torn into shreds and different parts of his body still bled from the torment he had received earlier. Off in the distance he heard the faint sound of footsteps. It could have been his imagination, but he was not going to take any chances.
"I have to get out of here." Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald whispered to himself. "I have to get home to me family. If Alistair and his men discover I escaped, they will immediately find me and kill me. I cannot let that happen."
He quickly but carefully wandered off into the night. Strange faces looked back at him as he wandered to and fro. Odd buildings and structures surrounded him, as he fought to recognize the one that resembled his own. He had been held prisoner in that dark cell for so long that everything around him seemed so peculiar, even though he had probably been in that part of Harmony before. He longed to see his family. He missed his wife and children. If anything happened to him, he knew their lives would be in grave danger. The Cranes would make sure of that.
He collapsed in a near by bush as a sudden feeling of nausea came over him.
"Alistair must have slipped something in that glass of water they gave me to drink." He whispered clenching his stomach as he vomited in a pile of leaves.
When he had finally stopped, he weakly braced against a tree, feeling beads of perspiration fall down his face. Everything around him started to spin as he felt his breathing become irregular. The last thing he remembered was the sound of an owl hooting overhead. Then everything went black.
The splash of water on his face had later awoken him. When he opened his eyes a woman peered down at him from above.
"Are you alright there? I've been trying to wake you for a while now."
Martin slowly adjusted his eyes. An attractive young woman dressed in close- fitting leggings, a shirt that showed the top of her bare breasts and high- heels stood before him. She out-stretched her hand to help him to his feet.
"Uh, d-do I know you?" He fumbled still feeling a little dizzy.
"Not yet hun. The name's Edna. What's your name?" she smiled, her ruby lips shining in the moonlight.
"Martin. Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald." He shook her hand.
"Well Martin what are you doing out here all by yourself?"
"I was actually fleeing. A very powerful man and a few of his assistances were holding me prisoner. I haven't had anything to eat and I'm trying to find my family." He shivered from a gust of cool breeze that blew passed him.
"Well I don't know about finding your family but I can probably get you to some place warm where you can have a bite to eat. My house is just around the corner." She offered, pointing up the road.
"That is very kind of you. I would like that very much."
"Great then, let's go."
Martin followed Edna until they came to large house. Once inside, Edna gave him lots to eat and a fresh change of clothes. He wasn't sure where she had gotten the men's clothing but he didn't really care. He was glad to finally have a new change of clothes on his back no matter where they came from.
After they had eaten she motioned for him to sit with her on the couch.
"Thank you once again for the meal and clothes. It was quite kind of you." Martin smiled appreciatively.
"No thanks needed. There's nothing that I like more than to make a handsome man like yourself happy." She lightly touched his chin with the tip of her fingers. "Is there anything else that I can do for you?" She gently placed an inviting hand on his leg.
Immediately feeling uncomfortable he moved her hand away.
"Edna don't get me wrong. I am extremely grateful for everything that you have done. But as I told you earlier I have a wife. I would never think of putting myself with anyone else but her. I love her too much."
"Oh," she gave him a disappointed smile. "Well your wife is very lucky woman. There aren't a lot of men like you around." She winked. "But you must be exhausted. Why don't you rest for a while?"
She tried to unlace his boots, but he resisted.
"I shouldn't." He looked at her.
"Well why not? From what you've told me, it sounds like you've been through a lot. You said yourself that you want to find your family. Right now I don't think you're in any position to do that. Once you rest you'll be fully rejuvenated, and you can begin your search."
I am tired. Martin thought to himself. Maybe some rest will be good for me. That way I can search for my family with a clear mind. I miss them so much. I can't wait to see them again.
"Ok. Maybe you're right." He finally agreed.
"I'm glad you chose to see things my way. You can sleep in my room. It's just around the corner. I'll be out here if you need anything."
Martin got up and went to the room that she had pointed to. It took him a while, but soon he was fast asleep.
After a few hours Edna had heard him call out in his sleep. She immediately ran to her room, finding him drenched in perspiration.
"Pilar!" he called out, his eyes still tightly shut. "Pilar, it's me Martin!"
Edna went over to him and tried to gently wake him.
"Martin, wake up." She whispered. "You're just having a bad dream."
He opened his eyes suddenly and gazed up at her with a blurred expression.
"Oh Pilar," he smiled. "My wife, how I've missed you so."
Pilar? Edna thought to herself. He must still be dreaming. For some reason he thinks I'm his wife.
An immediate smile crept on her face.
"Well if he thinks I'm his wife, why should I let him think otherwise." She whispered quietly.
She turned to him and looked into his weary eyes.
"Yes, Martin. It's me Pilar." She pulled him into an embrace and kissed him passionately.
As the kiss deepened she let herself slip into complete bliss, with a man that she hardly knew.
~*~*~*
Alistair smiled as he looked over at Ms. Wallace's terrified expression.
"Oh no," She cried, realizing the mistake that she had made.
"Oh yes," Alistair chuckled. "You took advantage of a poor man's sickness and used your cunning ways to get him to have sex with you. Only this wasn't just some man. It was Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald; husband of Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald, and father of Antonio, Luis, Theresa, Miguel and little Paloma.
"Oh, Pilar will be so upset when she finds out that I slept with her long lost husband!" Ms. Wallace sobbed.
"Pilar?" Alistair laughed. "You think Pilar's reaction is all you have to worry about?"
"Well what else could there be?"
"You seemed to have missed the highlight of my story old woman. "Alistair paced around Ms. Wallace grinning from ear to ear. "You see, you may not have taken the time to calculate this since after you slept with Martin, you immediately slept with so many other men. But do you think you can take the time now to recall who was born exactly nine months after that one heated night?"
Ms Wallace's face turned pale as she slowly realized where Alistair was going with all of this.
"Beth," She whispered, unable to believe it herself.
"That's right!" Alistair smirked. "Little Beth Wallace was born. And since you slept with so many other men, that is why you were never able to tell her who her father was. What do you think Beth will do to you when she finds out that the man that she has loved for all eternity is actually her brother?"
"Oh, blessed angels what have I done!" Ms Wallace cried. "Luis is Beth's half brother!"
"Not even the angels in heaven can get you out of this one Edna." Alistair laughed. "The only person who can save you now is yourself. All you have to do is keep whatever you know about Sheridan's kidnapping to yourself. Your secret will never be told and everyone will be happy."
Ms. Wallace shook her head in disappointment. She now knew that she could never reveal Beth for what she had done to Sheridan. If she did, it would be the end of life, as she knew it.
"Well I think my work here is done." Alistair smirked reaching for the door handle. "Have a nice day Edna, and say hello to Precious for me!"
He closed the door behind him and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"If you know what's good for you Edna you will keep your mouth shut. No one must know the part that I played in Sheridan's kidnapping especially Luis!" He peered in through the window and stared at Ms. Wallace. "I will do anything to keep Sheridan from reuniting with her baby. Even if I have to make a poor old woman's life miserable in the process!!"
~*~*~*
He stumbled off the steps of the Crane Mansion and landed hard on the concrete ground. His eyes throbbed as he tried to adjust to the darkness of the night. His knees and hands ached. As he struggled to get up, he stared down at his wrists. Large bruises scarred his skin where the tight ropes had held him. His stomach suddenly felt queasy, as he had not eaten for days. His clothes were torn into shreds and different parts of his body still bled from the torment he had received earlier. Off in the distance he heard the faint sound of footsteps. It could have been his imagination, but he was not going to take any chances.
"I have to get out of here." Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald whispered to himself. "I have to get home to me family. If Alistair and his men discover I escaped, they will immediately find me and kill me. I cannot let that happen."
He quickly but carefully wandered off into the night. Strange faces looked back at him as he wandered to and fro. Odd buildings and structures surrounded him, as he fought to recognize the one that resembled his own. He had been held prisoner in that dark cell for so long that everything around him seemed so peculiar, even though he had probably been in that part of Harmony before. He longed to see his family. He missed his wife and children. If anything happened to him, he knew their lives would be in grave danger. The Cranes would make sure of that.
He collapsed in a near by bush as a sudden feeling of nausea came over him.
"Alistair must have slipped something in that glass of water they gave me to drink." He whispered clenching his stomach as he vomited in a pile of leaves.
When he had finally stopped, he weakly braced against a tree, feeling beads of perspiration fall down his face. Everything around him started to spin as he felt his breathing become irregular. The last thing he remembered was the sound of an owl hooting overhead. Then everything went black.
The splash of water on his face had later awoken him. When he opened his eyes a woman peered down at him from above.
"Are you alright there? I've been trying to wake you for a while now."
Martin slowly adjusted his eyes. An attractive young woman dressed in close- fitting leggings, a shirt that showed the top of her bare breasts and high- heels stood before him. She out-stretched her hand to help him to his feet.
"Uh, d-do I know you?" He fumbled still feeling a little dizzy.
"Not yet hun. The name's Edna. What's your name?" she smiled, her ruby lips shining in the moonlight.
"Martin. Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald." He shook her hand.
"Well Martin what are you doing out here all by yourself?"
"I was actually fleeing. A very powerful man and a few of his assistances were holding me prisoner. I haven't had anything to eat and I'm trying to find my family." He shivered from a gust of cool breeze that blew passed him.
"Well I don't know about finding your family but I can probably get you to some place warm where you can have a bite to eat. My house is just around the corner." She offered, pointing up the road.
"That is very kind of you. I would like that very much."
"Great then, let's go."
Martin followed Edna until they came to large house. Once inside, Edna gave him lots to eat and a fresh change of clothes. He wasn't sure where she had gotten the men's clothing but he didn't really care. He was glad to finally have a new change of clothes on his back no matter where they came from.
After they had eaten she motioned for him to sit with her on the couch.
"Thank you once again for the meal and clothes. It was quite kind of you." Martin smiled appreciatively.
"No thanks needed. There's nothing that I like more than to make a handsome man like yourself happy." She lightly touched his chin with the tip of her fingers. "Is there anything else that I can do for you?" She gently placed an inviting hand on his leg.
Immediately feeling uncomfortable he moved her hand away.
"Edna don't get me wrong. I am extremely grateful for everything that you have done. But as I told you earlier I have a wife. I would never think of putting myself with anyone else but her. I love her too much."
"Oh," she gave him a disappointed smile. "Well your wife is very lucky woman. There aren't a lot of men like you around." She winked. "But you must be exhausted. Why don't you rest for a while?"
She tried to unlace his boots, but he resisted.
"I shouldn't." He looked at her.
"Well why not? From what you've told me, it sounds like you've been through a lot. You said yourself that you want to find your family. Right now I don't think you're in any position to do that. Once you rest you'll be fully rejuvenated, and you can begin your search."
I am tired. Martin thought to himself. Maybe some rest will be good for me. That way I can search for my family with a clear mind. I miss them so much. I can't wait to see them again.
"Ok. Maybe you're right." He finally agreed.
"I'm glad you chose to see things my way. You can sleep in my room. It's just around the corner. I'll be out here if you need anything."
Martin got up and went to the room that she had pointed to. It took him a while, but soon he was fast asleep.
After a few hours Edna had heard him call out in his sleep. She immediately ran to her room, finding him drenched in perspiration.
"Pilar!" he called out, his eyes still tightly shut. "Pilar, it's me Martin!"
Edna went over to him and tried to gently wake him.
"Martin, wake up." She whispered. "You're just having a bad dream."
He opened his eyes suddenly and gazed up at her with a blurred expression.
"Oh Pilar," he smiled. "My wife, how I've missed you so."
Pilar? Edna thought to herself. He must still be dreaming. For some reason he thinks I'm his wife.
An immediate smile crept on her face.
"Well if he thinks I'm his wife, why should I let him think otherwise." She whispered quietly.
She turned to him and looked into his weary eyes.
"Yes, Martin. It's me Pilar." She pulled him into an embrace and kissed him passionately.
As the kiss deepened she let herself slip into complete bliss, with a man that she hardly knew.
~*~*~*
Alistair smiled as he looked over at Ms. Wallace's terrified expression.
"Oh no," She cried, realizing the mistake that she had made.
"Oh yes," Alistair chuckled. "You took advantage of a poor man's sickness and used your cunning ways to get him to have sex with you. Only this wasn't just some man. It was Martin Lopez-Fitzgerald; husband of Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald, and father of Antonio, Luis, Theresa, Miguel and little Paloma.
"Oh, Pilar will be so upset when she finds out that I slept with her long lost husband!" Ms. Wallace sobbed.
"Pilar?" Alistair laughed. "You think Pilar's reaction is all you have to worry about?"
"Well what else could there be?"
"You seemed to have missed the highlight of my story old woman. "Alistair paced around Ms. Wallace grinning from ear to ear. "You see, you may not have taken the time to calculate this since after you slept with Martin, you immediately slept with so many other men. But do you think you can take the time now to recall who was born exactly nine months after that one heated night?"
Ms Wallace's face turned pale as she slowly realized where Alistair was going with all of this.
"Beth," She whispered, unable to believe it herself.
"That's right!" Alistair smirked. "Little Beth Wallace was born. And since you slept with so many other men, that is why you were never able to tell her who her father was. What do you think Beth will do to you when she finds out that the man that she has loved for all eternity is actually her brother?"
"Oh, blessed angels what have I done!" Ms Wallace cried. "Luis is Beth's half brother!"
"Not even the angels in heaven can get you out of this one Edna." Alistair laughed. "The only person who can save you now is yourself. All you have to do is keep whatever you know about Sheridan's kidnapping to yourself. Your secret will never be told and everyone will be happy."
Ms. Wallace shook her head in disappointment. She now knew that she could never reveal Beth for what she had done to Sheridan. If she did, it would be the end of life, as she knew it.
"Well I think my work here is done." Alistair smirked reaching for the door handle. "Have a nice day Edna, and say hello to Precious for me!"
He closed the door behind him and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"If you know what's good for you Edna you will keep your mouth shut. No one must know the part that I played in Sheridan's kidnapping especially Luis!" He peered in through the window and stared at Ms. Wallace. "I will do anything to keep Sheridan from reuniting with her baby. Even if I have to make a poor old woman's life miserable in the process!!"