Ben felt a swift fury engulf him as he heard what Clyde informed him of, "Excuse me? Did you just say Orpheus might have her at the moment?"
"Son, I can see you're upset." Clyde tried in vain to try and defend himself, "I had no choice."
"No, choice. I want it out all now Old Man. When you told me that Orpheus let you escape with him and saw me call Doctor Evans, what part of you decided to withhold from me that he was going to kidnap her?" Ben tried to calm his tone, "You know his history with her and John. You know she has been there for me time and time again. You heard me say it. Why? Why, didn't you tell me. What has Orpheus got on you to do his dirty work because something else is coming down."
Clyde put his head in his hands wracked with guilt, "The reason why I teamed with Orpheus was so I could be with you Ollie, during this time. You lost the one person who besides your Mama or Tammy Sue before she went crazy that never failed you. I can't even say lost. She was taken from you and I can't get over the guilt that if it wasn't for me none of this would ever have happened. I was a monster of a Daddy to you and Tammy Sue and you both deserved way better. I'm the reason why Tammy killed your Mama. Everything goes back to me including this. If it wasn't for me terrorizing you, you'd have grown up perfect and none of the killings would have happened. And this Vincent guy wouldn't have gone after you and taken sweet Ciara." His voice started to break.
Ben was silent for a while, "I have mental health problems. I was born that way." He sat on the bed next to Clyde and put his arm around his shoulder, "There was nothing about that you could have done Dad."
Clyde wiped his tears, "Yes, there is. I could have been the father that my father wasn't to me. I could have been the husband he wasn't to my Mama. I used him as an excuse. I used the alcohol as an excuse. You all deserved way better than the man I was. Even if you had your mental illness there was a possibility you would have fought with it but if it weren't for me beating you, your Mama, Tammy constantly then maybe there wouldn't have been a manifestation of the violence that you lashed out with." He saw the surprised look on Ben's face from his words, "I've been going to counseling in the prison to get myself well. Ever since you left Statesville I've been going to see a shrink. I'm not well as well son. You may have gotten your illness from me." he saw his son look differently at him. "My Doctor says I'm getting better but I have a lot of work to do. But I'm going to do it. Seeing you on death row was what I finally needed to try and be a better father to you. I know it's selfish of me but I want to be a part of your life. I know that is going to be difficult with me never seeing the light of day again especially after this. I liked when I first found you when I arrived here in Salem that we were slowing getting to be a real father and son again. You used to confide in me. Share the good as well as the bad. You gave me a second chance and I threw it away. I was selfish as usual. That cost me more than my freedom. It cost me my son."
Ben absorbed every word Clyde had to say and deliberated internally, "I have to admit that there is one stop in my life's journey to better health that I keep avoiding. That's forgiving you. How can I try and put everything about the Neck Tie Killer to rest when I still have that anger and rage in me from you beating me all those years ago? I wanted, want to be a good Dad. But how can I be that to my children when I'm left holding a venomous grudge?"
"You're going to be a fantastic, dad someday Ollie. Ben. You've learned from me what not to do. You and Ciara are going to get it right, where I went wrong." Clyde put his arm around Ben and leaned him towards him and gave him a kiss on the forehead, "I'm going to be proud of you."
"That can only happen if I find her. And I need Doctor Evans to help me Dad." Ben stood up to steel himself, "You need to take me to her."
Before Clyde could answer there was a knock on the door. Both men were startled at the identity of the voice.
"Ben? Doc? It's me everything OK?", John tried to hide his over concern.
Ben and Clyde were not only confused by John's visit by as to why he would think Marlena was there with them. Clyde hid in the bathroom before Ben could open the door.
Ben opened the door trying to remain calm, "John? Is everything Ok?"
"Sorry to interrupt your session, Ben. I was just getting wondering if everything was OK, given the blackout and not hearing from Doc. Thanks for keeping her during this screwed up time."
Ben then tried to reconnect John's initial query, "Why do you think Doctor Evans is here? She left here a couple of hours ago." He felt himself lightheaded knowing that Orpheus was lose and that Clyde saying he most likely had captured her already.
"A couple of hours ago. Did she say where she was going?" John felt his head spinning.
"She said she was going home to you. John what's going on are you saying she never made it home?" Ben's voice was filled with panic.
John was momentarily confused, "Marlena, said she was coming back here to see you. She told me that before I went to bed."
"John, Marlena came back here. I only saw her once tonight. I haven't spoken to her since she left." His mind was engulfed in terror, "I left her a message that Orpheus had escaped from prison. I asked her to call me the minute she got my message." Ben checked his phone wondering if Doctor Evans had called him while he was unconscious. Not seeing any missed calls from her there was only one thing to conclude. Orpheus definitely had her.
"Orpheus! Orpheus escaped from prison! Kid why didn't you tell me the minute I arrived?" John was hysterical.
"I thought you knew." Left with no other alternative Ben ran to the door of the bathroom pushed it open and dragged Clyde out and presented him to John.
John was astounded by who he saw standing in front of him, "Clyde!" he took a minute to gather his thoughts, "Let me guess you and Orpheus and your little reunion." He then turned on Ben, "Unbelievable. You've been hiding him. Lovely. I guess the whole town has been fooled by you again. You haven't changed at all. Poor Ciara, conned into thinking you were some kind of hero and it cost her life. And so help me if because of you Marlena…"
Clyde saw Ben about to tear up and then laid into John, "Now hold a second. Before you continue your self-righteous rant of condemning Ben, he wasn't hiding me. I escaped with Orpheus when I found out about Ciara. I was worried for my son and I wanted desperately to see him and be there for him during his time of sorrow and despair. I hate that man for what his son did to Tammy Sue and for what that bastard did to my boy. However, he presented me with an opportunity to escape to be with Ollie and I took it. I was desperate. For the record Ben wasn't thrilled to see me when I arrived unannounced. And was pissed off when he found out how I got out and with who. The minute he found out he called your wife and tried to warn her about Orpheus."
"Kid, I'm sorry to not have only jumped down your throat like that but for not trusting you. It was wrong of me. Time and time again you have shown Doc and me and this whole town the man you really are." John turned away and rubbed his forehead, "This aneurysm has gotten me all screwed up thinking wise and has me walking in a fog."
"John, you don't owe me an apology. If I were in your shoes, I'd be mad at me too. Doctor Evans means the world to me. She's the reason I got my head together to have a chance of being with Ciara. Knowing she's missing because of me makes feel awful inside." Ben steered John to the bed to try and sit him down.
"She's not in danger because of you, son. Get that out your head now. Orpheus wants to punish me for what happened so many years ago because of what happened to his wife at my hands." John started to analyze, "No different than what Vincent Bellman did to you. Taking away Ciara from you to punish you for Wendy. Orpheus' never ending vendetta to punish me by using Marlena." He then concluded solemnly, "We're a lot alike Ben. Our past hasn't been kind to us but in trying to make amends, to make better men of ourselves the people we love pay the price for our past sins."
Ben looked directly at Clyde, "Dad, if you really meant everything you told me about working hard to be a better man for me, a better father, one that I would consider having back in my life and maybe an actual grandfather to your future grandchildren, you'll tell me what you know about what Orpheus plans to do with Doctor Evans."
Clyde was ready to answer when his phone started to ring in his pants pocket, "I'll tell you everything John, but first we need an agreement here." He saw the look of disdain on both men's faces, "Come on you don't expect an old experienced rattle snake to shed his skin like me to do that, do you?"
Two Hours Later at an Old Abandoned Warehouse
Marlena sat tied to a chair trying to plead with her captor, "You're a monster for doing that. He's innocent. You're the reason Christian went down the road he did because you drove him there. You were so wrapped up in your revenge that you weren't a decent father to your children when they needed you. You blame John for an accident that unfortunately took your wife for your children's misery but it wasn't him it was you."
Orpheus was about to strike Marlena for her unwanted truths but stopped himself, "If I didn't need you I'd definitely…" before he could finish he heard a knock three times at the door, a pause then two more knocks. A signal he was waiting for but not so soon.
"Saved by the knock." He sneered at her.
When he opened the door Clyde was standing there in an electrician's uniform holding a swaddled bundle in his arms.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Is your brain really chicken fried? Why did you bring the kid here still dressed like that?" he shouted at him.
"Ah, cut me some slack will ya? The kid finally stopped crying and my undrunken mind couldn't take anymore." Clyde shot back.
"Little Henry Horton, I assume?" Orpheus had a fiendish expression.
Marlena began to cry softly.
"Yes, Sir here you go." And with that Clyde quickly stepped aside and John jumped through the door and pointed his gun at Orpheus' head.
"Game over Milo!" the agent shouted loudly.
Before Orpheus could turn his attention to Marlena, Ben kicked the back door open and drew his gun on the villain.
"Don't even think about or I'll spill our brains all over this room." He then ran to untie Marlena, when he saw John had subdued Orpheus, completely.
As John tied Orpheus up securely he looked at Clyde, "I'll give you ten-minute head start get out of here!"
Clyde ran over to Ben and grabbed him into a hug.
"Good-bye son, I don't if or when I'll see you again or the family you'll have with Ciara but for what it's worth I love you. I mean it."
Ben hugged his father back, "I know Dad, I know."
Clyde had parting words for Orpheus as he unrolled the empty blanket, "Sorry Milo about breaking our gentlemen's agreement but then I remembered you were never no gentlemen." He then had last words for John and Marlena, "Doctor Evan, John look after our Boy for me. Don't make me come back here." He then disappeared through the door.
With Marlena finally free and John finished tying up Orpheus she ran into his arms, "I knew you'd find me."
"Thank Ben and surprisingly Clyde." He kissed his wife on the cheek.
She walked over to Ben and put her hand on his cheek, "Thank you so much, Ben. I just wish there was some way I could take your pain away about Ciara."
"Actually Doc, we can. I have another agreement to fulfill for Clyde."
Four Hours later at John and Marlena's Home
John was surprised when he opened the door.
"What the hell are you doing here?' he sniped at the guest.
"I called him over here John. Hello Kayla." Marlena closed the door behind Kayla and Steve as they walked in, "I know you two are fighting but a truce is needed right now. Ciara needs to be found and Steve is the only man who can also help."
John looked at his wife then Ben, "She's right. Truce until after we find Ciara."
"Hopefully once she's found you'll remember you are old friends and what you mean to each other and one won't be needed." Marlena stated boldly.
"She's right partner." Steve extended his hand for John to shake and was pleased that he did.
"Wait Ciara is alive?" a shucked Kayla asked.
"You might think it's a long shot, Kayla but more and more by the moment I can feel your niece, my wife is alive." Ben declared confidently.
"And if she is we'll find her and put our family back together." Marlena put her arm around Ben to reassure him.
Meanwhile in a hidden room Ciara cried softly and then lay on the bed on her side.
"Find me Ben. She then put her hand on her stomach protectively. Find us."