Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters within this chapter.
Title: Missed Chances 3?
RECAPS: The plane carrying Todd Manning and John McBain went down. Natalie had been waiting for it and quickly rushed to the crime scene as Bo thought about how slim the chances of either of them being alive was. Unbeknownst to them, John was slipping through the woods haunted by the memory of something he had done and his hands covered with blood. He then found a small hotel and booked a room, picking up the phone to call either Natalie or Michael. Natalie's cell phone rang and she recognized the caller…
Previously
He picked it up, his fingers hesitating over the numbers as he tried to decide whom to call first. He shook his head and dialed.
Natalie's cell phone rang and her eyes widened with recognition when she saw the name. "Hello?"
"Darling, I just heard about the crash! Is everything all right? How are you doing?" After a few minutes Natalie convinced Viki that she was perfectly fine, and then she wanted to know if she'd heard anything from Bo. She somberly handed her phone over and listened to Bo try to comfort her mother. After a moment he promised to call Viki with anything new he came up with and handed the phone back to his niece.
Just as she took it the phone rang again. She jumped sharply and then frowned at the unfamiliar number. After a second of debate she flipped her phone open and put it to her ear. "Hello?" "Natalie, it's John." He heard her soft gasp and hurried to add, "Don't say a word. You're at the crash site, aren't you." It was a statement, he knew her well enough to know that's where she would be. "Yeah, I am." "Okay, I need you to get out of everyone's earshot."
Natalie frowned, walking away until she was away from everyone. She glanced around before saying, "Okay, the coast is clear." "I need you to listen carefully. I did something; something pretty damn bad. I'm going to have to lay low for a while but I couldn't let you think I was dead… You, Michael and my mom are the only three who are going to know the truth but you can't tell anyone."
She was feeling frightened and her fear was evident in her voice as she whispered, "John, what did you do?" She heard him sigh. "I can't tell you, Natalie. Not over the phone like this anyway." "Okay, then tell me where you are and I'll come see you. We can figure this thing out together." "Natalie, I can't drag you into this." "You're not dragging me into anything. I'm volunteering. I'm not going to be able to believe that you're okay until I see you, John. Can't you understand that?" "I think I need a friend right now," he said softly and told her where he was staying. She hung up after promising him she was on his way.
Bo watched his niece get into her car, frowning. She had claimed somebody had called her with an emergency and she had to leave right away. He wasn't buying it. His gut was telling him that the emergency had something to do with John McBain, and he knew that if he was right John had to have done something bad. He shook his head and turned around. "Jenkins. I want you to put a tail on Natalie. But stay far behind her—my niece has an eagle eye and I don't want her to know anything about this." Jenkins nodded as he went and climbed into one of their plainclothes cars.
Natalie's eyes went from the address and room number on her hand to the room number on the door. Satisfied that it was the right one she knocked. Her eyes widened and she gasped as the door swung open, revealing a very bruised and half-naked John McBain.
TO BE CONTINUED
