Dirty Dealings
Part 5
"Abbey?" Jed asked once again. Her voice had boomed out with no warning.
Leo turned to face her and prepared for whatever was in store for him.
"So, what you are telling me" Abbey said with remarkable calm. Lane was alive. Laurie and Leah's father was not dead. She was filled with conflicted feelings. "....is that your brother..." She couldn't even begin to sort them out. "....and my husband.." She noted out of the corner of her eye Jed's reaction to those words. "...is alive and...." She had not killed him and he knew it. Lane knew what she had done. "...back?" She was going to pay for this. Lane would make her pay she knew it. "Is that it?"
Leo took a small step closer to her and then another. "Yes."
"I see." Just what was his plan? "So he wanted you to break up me and Jed?" That really wouldn't have done any good for him?
"Yeah." Leo looked down at the floor.
"Why? There was no reason for that, was there?" Lane was back and already Leo was acting like that scared kid who didn't dare tell his mother that her oldest son was a bully and even more. "He was testing you, wasn't he?"
Having observed them both closely, Jed could see they were keeping something from him. They knew Lane so much better then he ever wanted to. What were they not telling him?
Leo wasn't at all surprised that Abbey would know right away. They were, after all, the two people who had seen Lane's darkest sides. "I guess, yeah."
Abbey nodded slightly. "He is going to make me pay. You know he will, Leo."
"Yeah."
"Pay, for what?" Jed couldn't stay out of the conversation any longer.
Abbey turned slightly to him. "For trying to kill him."
Jed's eyes widened. "You are kidding? You did not try to kill him." "It won't matter to him." Abbey sighed as she turned back to Leo. "So, he wants to throw me in jail, is that it?"
Leo finally sat down after feeling his legs couldn't stand anymore. "What he wants is Laurie and Leah."
Both men could see her tense up.
There was no way she was going to give up her girls. "Never."
"Abbey...." Leo didn't want to say anymore, but he had to.
"No, I am not giving my girls to that..that... I won't do it." The anger she had tried to suppress was threatening to take over her entire body and mind.
"Abbey, if you don't give him the girls he will tell anyone who wants to listen that you tried to kill him. And yes, he'll put you in jail." He knew if Abbey had remained calm and not let her emotions get the best of her, she would have figured it out on her own.
"Like hell he will. Just let him try and I'll show him just what happens if he goes up against the President and The White House."
Leo shook his head. "Jed....."
Jed got up and released Abbey's hand as he did so. He took a few steps towards Leo. "Your brother cannot waltz back in here and expect everyone to do as he says."
Leo rose as well. "Jed, you don't know....."
"Stop it." Abbey's voice was so low neither man heard her. Lane's presence had already pitted two best friends against each other.
By now Jed was practically screaming at Leo. "I don't know what? What is it I don't know? You tell me what I don't know?"
"Stop it!" Abbey screamed at the top of her lungs. When they both turned to her she collected herself once again. "I'd like to be alone."
Jed tried to protest. "Abbey, I'm not leaving you now at a time like this."
"Please, I need to be alone." She looked at Leo. "Leo, when you talk to Lane the next time, tell him I want to see him. His hiding has gone on long enough. And have Jenny check on the girls. I don't want Lane anywhere near them until I talk to him. Got it?"
Leo simply nodded before he started to leave.
"Jed, please?" Abbey was feeling tired and right now she didn't need him to hover over her.
"Well?" Jenny hurried up to Leo as soon as she saw him leave Abbey's room. "I heard screaming in there. Does she know?"
"She knows." Leo sighed heavily, not feeling any better even if the secret was out. "She knows."
Jed shrugged and walked over to her. "OK, but I'll be right outside and I am not going to let you see Lane alone. That's my conditions if you want me to leave now?"
Abbey managed a small smile in spite of everything. "Deal."
Jed's own face lit up in a small smile as he bent down to kiss her.
By pure reaction Abbey responded by bringing her hands to his face to make the kiss last longer. After a few more kisses she brought her hands down, knowing he would never stop their kisses first.
"Get some rest." He kissed her bandaged head before straightening up to leave. Before he did he helped her to lie down and changed the pillow for her. Stroking her cheeks he watched as she seem to fall asleep. He was not about to lose her now. Damn Lane! He was not going to hurt Abbey or Leo ever again.
Jenny paced outside the room, waiting for Jed. When he emerged from Abbey's room she approached him. "Is she OK?"
"Yeah, she needs some rest." Jed looked around. "Where's Leo?"
"He went back to The White House. He wanted to tell the staff about Lane." She didn't like the idea of Leo on his own, but he wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man even though he now was a man in a fragile state.
"Oh." He could clearly see what Jenny was thinking. "I'm having one of the agents follow him just in case Lane makes contact, for his own protection as well as ours."
Jenny felt relieved. "I'm on my way to see Laurie and Leah. You'll stay here?"
"Yeah, I'll be here for a while. I'm having an agent go with you, too. If anything happened to you... I don't even want to think how Leo would react, how we all would." Jed hoped she would understand how much she meant to not only Leo but to him and Abbey. Many times Jenny had been the link between him and Leo when things were awkward or worse between them. Today had been no exception.
Jenny shook her head. "I appreciate that, but I doubt Lane would. He's focused on Abbey and Leo, he always was."
There it was again. Something they all knew except him. "What is it that I don't know?"
Jenny shook her head. "I need to see the kids. I'll talk to you later."
"Jenny, Jen....." This was getting tiresome. He needed answers and the next time he would not back down until he got them.
"Hey!" CJ appeared at Leo's door, coffee in one hand and piece of cream cheese coffee cake in the other. "Toby said he saw you come in. I know you've been at the hospital for hours. Thought you might not have had a chance to eat." She set the food on his desk and watched him shift through a massive stack of phone messages. "Why thank you, CJ; how nice of you to be concerned about me." Getting no response, she sat down in the visitor's chair and covered his hand with hers, stopping him from turning to the next message.
Leo's tired eyes looked up at her. "CJ...did you need something?"
"I want you to eat, Leo, and then from the looks of things, I want you to lie down." CJ rubbed over his hand with her thumb. "How's Abbey?"
"The doctor said she'll be fine. She just has to take it easy for a few days," he answered her. "Jenny is staying with her until she's released."
"Did they get the guy who broke in her house? I'm getting some questions from the press."
"It was Lane, CJ," Leo answered calmly.
CJ's face tensed. "Leo? Are you feeling okay? Lane...he's dead, remember?"
Leo looked down as he shook his head. "He faked his death, CJ. He paid off the right people to disappear into the night."
"Leo, someone stabbed your brother at his home." CJ's voice vas shaking a little.
"No, he's alive. I've seen him," Leo said calmly.
His calm scared her. "Why would he want to disappear? He left Abbey and the girls?" CJ was full of questions.
Leo froze. What should he say? What were they going to tell people?
"Do you want me to get you a glass of water?" CJ was alarmed.
"I just need to get back to work."
"Oh, Leo," CJ breathed. "Does Abbey know? What about the girls?"
"Abbey knows, but not the girls," he answered, wishing she would go away.
"Leo, why would Lane want to hurt Abbey? You said he was the one who hit her, right?" CJ pressed on, wanting to know more.
"Please, CJ, I have to work." Even though it was hard, Leo had to deal with the business of the administration. "I don't know what you want to tell the press. I suppose Ron Butterfield needs to be consulted about that. Toby and Sam can work with him on a statement. Will you tell them what's going on...and Josh?"
"Sure...anything you need," CJ replied. "Where's the President?"
"He's still at the hospital. He'll be back in time for his morning security briefing. I came back now to deal with the bill that's coming up for a vote." Leo went back to thumbing through the messages.
CJ pushed the food further across the desk. "Eat, Leo."
"I will," he mumbled back.
CJ stood. "Charlie called. He'll be back in tomorrow. His fever's down and the doctor said he is no longer contagious."
Leo nodded absently.
"You let me know if you need anything." She waited until he looked up. "I'm a good listener, Leo."
"Thanks, CJ," was all he said.
The door had barely shut before Margaret walked in. "Leo, you have a phone call."
He didn't care who it was and he really didn't care if it was Lane. "Not now, Margaret." "It's The President."
Leo looked up. "Thanks." As Margaret walked back out he picked up the receiver. "Sir."
"Leo, I want to see your brother, now!"
Leo didn't hesitate. "Sir, I don't know where he is. He is the one that always contacts me."
"Fine, then when he does you get his ass down here."
He did not like Jed's tone and he particularly didn't like telling Lane what to do. No one ever told Lane what do to. "Sir, I really don't that would be a good idea."
"Leo, let me make this clear. Before I let him anywhere near Abbey I am going to have a little talk with him. Frankly, if you don't help me then I cannot see it in any other way than that you are still helping him and I hate to think that you are."
Leo gripped the receiver tightly. When he didn't answer he heard a long sigh.
"Leo, if you won't do it for me then do it for Abbey."
"It has nothing to do with what I would or wouldn't do for you or Abbey and you know that!" Leo regretted getting angry. He, of all people, had no right to be angry.
"Leo, listen to me. From what I understand you and Abbey have every right to be afraid of him, but I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect you, Abbey, Jenny and the girls from him if I have to."
Leo didn't doubt him for a second, but he wondered if even The President could protect them all from his brother. "I'll do my best."
"Thank you."
Leo loosened his grip on the receiver a little. "Yeah."
"I'm going back to sit with Abbey now."
"Yeah."
"Yeah." Jed hung up. He didn't like putting Leo in this position, but a part of him was still angry at Leo for not saying anything to any of them. It suddenly occurred to him that the girls most likely would want to see their father when they found out he was alive. Could he protect them then? Would they need it? Lane may be dangerous to many people but surely not to his own daughters!
If Lane had friends high up then that meant Jed had enemies high up. He had to be sure who he could trust. He did not want to be involved with anyone who Lane considered a friend. If Lane thought for a moment that Jed would help Abbey in any way, maybe Lane would work against him on other levels. This was one tricky man and they all had to be careful.
Leo looked through the messages quickly and one suddenly caught his eye. "Josephine Franklin." He read out loud. He knew it could only be Lane. No one else would use his mother's maiden name on a telephone message. He picked up the receiver and started to dial.
TBC....
Part 5
"Abbey?" Jed asked once again. Her voice had boomed out with no warning.
Leo turned to face her and prepared for whatever was in store for him.
"So, what you are telling me" Abbey said with remarkable calm. Lane was alive. Laurie and Leah's father was not dead. She was filled with conflicted feelings. "....is that your brother..." She couldn't even begin to sort them out. "....and my husband.." She noted out of the corner of her eye Jed's reaction to those words. "...is alive and...." She had not killed him and he knew it. Lane knew what she had done. "...back?" She was going to pay for this. Lane would make her pay she knew it. "Is that it?"
Leo took a small step closer to her and then another. "Yes."
"I see." Just what was his plan? "So he wanted you to break up me and Jed?" That really wouldn't have done any good for him?
"Yeah." Leo looked down at the floor.
"Why? There was no reason for that, was there?" Lane was back and already Leo was acting like that scared kid who didn't dare tell his mother that her oldest son was a bully and even more. "He was testing you, wasn't he?"
Having observed them both closely, Jed could see they were keeping something from him. They knew Lane so much better then he ever wanted to. What were they not telling him?
Leo wasn't at all surprised that Abbey would know right away. They were, after all, the two people who had seen Lane's darkest sides. "I guess, yeah."
Abbey nodded slightly. "He is going to make me pay. You know he will, Leo."
"Yeah."
"Pay, for what?" Jed couldn't stay out of the conversation any longer.
Abbey turned slightly to him. "For trying to kill him."
Jed's eyes widened. "You are kidding? You did not try to kill him." "It won't matter to him." Abbey sighed as she turned back to Leo. "So, he wants to throw me in jail, is that it?"
Leo finally sat down after feeling his legs couldn't stand anymore. "What he wants is Laurie and Leah."
Both men could see her tense up.
There was no way she was going to give up her girls. "Never."
"Abbey...." Leo didn't want to say anymore, but he had to.
"No, I am not giving my girls to that..that... I won't do it." The anger she had tried to suppress was threatening to take over her entire body and mind.
"Abbey, if you don't give him the girls he will tell anyone who wants to listen that you tried to kill him. And yes, he'll put you in jail." He knew if Abbey had remained calm and not let her emotions get the best of her, she would have figured it out on her own.
"Like hell he will. Just let him try and I'll show him just what happens if he goes up against the President and The White House."
Leo shook his head. "Jed....."
Jed got up and released Abbey's hand as he did so. He took a few steps towards Leo. "Your brother cannot waltz back in here and expect everyone to do as he says."
Leo rose as well. "Jed, you don't know....."
"Stop it." Abbey's voice was so low neither man heard her. Lane's presence had already pitted two best friends against each other.
By now Jed was practically screaming at Leo. "I don't know what? What is it I don't know? You tell me what I don't know?"
"Stop it!" Abbey screamed at the top of her lungs. When they both turned to her she collected herself once again. "I'd like to be alone."
Jed tried to protest. "Abbey, I'm not leaving you now at a time like this."
"Please, I need to be alone." She looked at Leo. "Leo, when you talk to Lane the next time, tell him I want to see him. His hiding has gone on long enough. And have Jenny check on the girls. I don't want Lane anywhere near them until I talk to him. Got it?"
Leo simply nodded before he started to leave.
"Jed, please?" Abbey was feeling tired and right now she didn't need him to hover over her.
"Well?" Jenny hurried up to Leo as soon as she saw him leave Abbey's room. "I heard screaming in there. Does she know?"
"She knows." Leo sighed heavily, not feeling any better even if the secret was out. "She knows."
Jed shrugged and walked over to her. "OK, but I'll be right outside and I am not going to let you see Lane alone. That's my conditions if you want me to leave now?"
Abbey managed a small smile in spite of everything. "Deal."
Jed's own face lit up in a small smile as he bent down to kiss her.
By pure reaction Abbey responded by bringing her hands to his face to make the kiss last longer. After a few more kisses she brought her hands down, knowing he would never stop their kisses first.
"Get some rest." He kissed her bandaged head before straightening up to leave. Before he did he helped her to lie down and changed the pillow for her. Stroking her cheeks he watched as she seem to fall asleep. He was not about to lose her now. Damn Lane! He was not going to hurt Abbey or Leo ever again.
Jenny paced outside the room, waiting for Jed. When he emerged from Abbey's room she approached him. "Is she OK?"
"Yeah, she needs some rest." Jed looked around. "Where's Leo?"
"He went back to The White House. He wanted to tell the staff about Lane." She didn't like the idea of Leo on his own, but he wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man even though he now was a man in a fragile state.
"Oh." He could clearly see what Jenny was thinking. "I'm having one of the agents follow him just in case Lane makes contact, for his own protection as well as ours."
Jenny felt relieved. "I'm on my way to see Laurie and Leah. You'll stay here?"
"Yeah, I'll be here for a while. I'm having an agent go with you, too. If anything happened to you... I don't even want to think how Leo would react, how we all would." Jed hoped she would understand how much she meant to not only Leo but to him and Abbey. Many times Jenny had been the link between him and Leo when things were awkward or worse between them. Today had been no exception.
Jenny shook her head. "I appreciate that, but I doubt Lane would. He's focused on Abbey and Leo, he always was."
There it was again. Something they all knew except him. "What is it that I don't know?"
Jenny shook her head. "I need to see the kids. I'll talk to you later."
"Jenny, Jen....." This was getting tiresome. He needed answers and the next time he would not back down until he got them.
"Hey!" CJ appeared at Leo's door, coffee in one hand and piece of cream cheese coffee cake in the other. "Toby said he saw you come in. I know you've been at the hospital for hours. Thought you might not have had a chance to eat." She set the food on his desk and watched him shift through a massive stack of phone messages. "Why thank you, CJ; how nice of you to be concerned about me." Getting no response, she sat down in the visitor's chair and covered his hand with hers, stopping him from turning to the next message.
Leo's tired eyes looked up at her. "CJ...did you need something?"
"I want you to eat, Leo, and then from the looks of things, I want you to lie down." CJ rubbed over his hand with her thumb. "How's Abbey?"
"The doctor said she'll be fine. She just has to take it easy for a few days," he answered her. "Jenny is staying with her until she's released."
"Did they get the guy who broke in her house? I'm getting some questions from the press."
"It was Lane, CJ," Leo answered calmly.
CJ's face tensed. "Leo? Are you feeling okay? Lane...he's dead, remember?"
Leo looked down as he shook his head. "He faked his death, CJ. He paid off the right people to disappear into the night."
"Leo, someone stabbed your brother at his home." CJ's voice vas shaking a little.
"No, he's alive. I've seen him," Leo said calmly.
His calm scared her. "Why would he want to disappear? He left Abbey and the girls?" CJ was full of questions.
Leo froze. What should he say? What were they going to tell people?
"Do you want me to get you a glass of water?" CJ was alarmed.
"I just need to get back to work."
"Oh, Leo," CJ breathed. "Does Abbey know? What about the girls?"
"Abbey knows, but not the girls," he answered, wishing she would go away.
"Leo, why would Lane want to hurt Abbey? You said he was the one who hit her, right?" CJ pressed on, wanting to know more.
"Please, CJ, I have to work." Even though it was hard, Leo had to deal with the business of the administration. "I don't know what you want to tell the press. I suppose Ron Butterfield needs to be consulted about that. Toby and Sam can work with him on a statement. Will you tell them what's going on...and Josh?"
"Sure...anything you need," CJ replied. "Where's the President?"
"He's still at the hospital. He'll be back in time for his morning security briefing. I came back now to deal with the bill that's coming up for a vote." Leo went back to thumbing through the messages.
CJ pushed the food further across the desk. "Eat, Leo."
"I will," he mumbled back.
CJ stood. "Charlie called. He'll be back in tomorrow. His fever's down and the doctor said he is no longer contagious."
Leo nodded absently.
"You let me know if you need anything." She waited until he looked up. "I'm a good listener, Leo."
"Thanks, CJ," was all he said.
The door had barely shut before Margaret walked in. "Leo, you have a phone call."
He didn't care who it was and he really didn't care if it was Lane. "Not now, Margaret." "It's The President."
Leo looked up. "Thanks." As Margaret walked back out he picked up the receiver. "Sir."
"Leo, I want to see your brother, now!"
Leo didn't hesitate. "Sir, I don't know where he is. He is the one that always contacts me."
"Fine, then when he does you get his ass down here."
He did not like Jed's tone and he particularly didn't like telling Lane what to do. No one ever told Lane what do to. "Sir, I really don't that would be a good idea."
"Leo, let me make this clear. Before I let him anywhere near Abbey I am going to have a little talk with him. Frankly, if you don't help me then I cannot see it in any other way than that you are still helping him and I hate to think that you are."
Leo gripped the receiver tightly. When he didn't answer he heard a long sigh.
"Leo, if you won't do it for me then do it for Abbey."
"It has nothing to do with what I would or wouldn't do for you or Abbey and you know that!" Leo regretted getting angry. He, of all people, had no right to be angry.
"Leo, listen to me. From what I understand you and Abbey have every right to be afraid of him, but I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect you, Abbey, Jenny and the girls from him if I have to."
Leo didn't doubt him for a second, but he wondered if even The President could protect them all from his brother. "I'll do my best."
"Thank you."
Leo loosened his grip on the receiver a little. "Yeah."
"I'm going back to sit with Abbey now."
"Yeah."
"Yeah." Jed hung up. He didn't like putting Leo in this position, but a part of him was still angry at Leo for not saying anything to any of them. It suddenly occurred to him that the girls most likely would want to see their father when they found out he was alive. Could he protect them then? Would they need it? Lane may be dangerous to many people but surely not to his own daughters!
If Lane had friends high up then that meant Jed had enemies high up. He had to be sure who he could trust. He did not want to be involved with anyone who Lane considered a friend. If Lane thought for a moment that Jed would help Abbey in any way, maybe Lane would work against him on other levels. This was one tricky man and they all had to be careful.
Leo looked through the messages quickly and one suddenly caught his eye. "Josephine Franklin." He read out loud. He knew it could only be Lane. No one else would use his mother's maiden name on a telephone message. He picked up the receiver and started to dial.
TBC....