Chapter 12d08

Chapter 12 (Draft 08)

"Oh, Robert…."

It was the next morning and Kari was cooing in Robert's arms. He pushed her sweaty hair behind her ears. "You're beautiful, you know that?" She rolled her eyes. "No I mean it, Kari… you really are beautiful."

"You have to say that when I'm wrapped around you like this."

He kissed her deeply and she cooed again. They looked into each other's eyes and he marveled at the tiny flecks of green randomly intermingled within the brown of her iris, invisible except to a lover close enough to look for it. Her eyes fluttered as she held him until his cell started to buzz on the bedside table.

"Shit! Don't answer that!"

Robert already had the phone in his hand and was looking at the incoming number. "It's Dan at Homeland Security. I gotta take this.

"Hey, Dan. No, it's okay. I wasn't… ah… doing anything…. "

Kari glared over at him.

Robert was smiling, his face looking desperately apologetic.

"No… I haven't seen my email yet. Why, did you send me something?"

Kari rolled her eyes in mocked resentment.

Robert grinned and then pulled her hand down to kiss the inside of her palm, but was immediately distracted.

"Oh, you did? That's great! So what did you find?"

Kari smiled back, but there was a glint of something evil in her eye as she leaned forward to kiss his neck and then began sucking on the lobe of his ear opposite the phone. She could feel him shudder.

"Yeah? On three of the pictures?" Robert continued, trying his best to sound professional.

Kari rolled over on top of him and Robert was soundlessly pleading for her to stop. She smiled coyly and then began to kiss his neck again.

"Ohhhh…. Really?" Robert moaned. "Okay, I'll — I'll check it out right away. Thanks, Dan."

Kari was giggling while Robert stammered and then roared as he hung up and tossed the phone to the side.

"You little brat, come here!" he made a grab for her but Kari had already jumped off to get away. She was laughing hysterically.

"You deserved it," she said, pointing at him accusingly. "You shouldn't have answered!" She ran to the other side of the bed as Robert threw a pillow and then leapt up.

"Come back here!"

Kari was laughing hysterically and then screamed before making a dive across the bed to escape. He caught her by the ankle, twisted her around, and threw himself on top of her. She was laughing and slapping his back as his lips dove into her neck. A few seconds later she was softly moaning as he moved around to the other side.

"I thought you had some email you needed to check?" she said derisively.

He began traveling down. "It can wait."

An hour later, Robert was sitting in a wet towel in the living room with his laptop. He opened his email and saw Dan's message on the top of his intray; he clicked on it. He read quickly through the message before opening the first of two attachments. His eyes widened.

"Hey Kari, come here a minute. I want you to see this."

"What's up, lover?" Kari entered the room rubbing her hair with a matching towel.

"I got this message from Dan. He was able to ID three of the four guys who were hanging around Sally's room this week. Looks like Ethan was right — turns out they really are Russian."

"You're kidding?" Kari leaned over his shoulder to see three surly faces staring back at them from the screen. Her face twisted. "Oh my… they're really ugly cusses… ain't they?"

Robert downed the pictures and then opened the pdf file attached to Dan's message. It contained three government documents with information on the men from the Homeland Security database.

"Well now, will you look at that? Hold on." Robert reached over to grab his jacket off the back of the chair. He removed the small notebook from his inside pocket and flipped to the name he wrote outside of Doctor Howard's office. "Yeah, I thought so."

"What is it?"

Robert looked at Kari. "It turns out your Uncle Glad knows the man who hired these guys."

Kari looked affronted. "What? What do you mean?"

"I heard him talking to somebody on the phone outside his office — somebody he called Mr. Bezuhov."

"Somebody from the University, maybe?"

"Yeah, that's what he said, but he wasn't telling me the truth."

Kari frowned at him. "Are you saying Uncle Glad lied to you?"

"He gave me the name of the staff member he said he was talking to, but I distinctly heard him call the man Bezuhov."

"So… who's Bezuhov?"

"I don't know and Dan didn't have anything in the database on him either. That means he's either a U.S. citizen or he's been in the country longer than four years. But if you look at the files on the three Russians at the hospital, you'll see they all came into this country to work for Bezuhov."

Robert showed Kari the pdf file. It highlighted the employer's name given for the men. Bezuhov was listed for all three.

Kari straightened. "Maybe they were there for security reasons? Maybe Uncle Glad hired somebody to keep Sally safe. You know… from the public, I mean. You said yourself once the word got out about Sally's condition, there might be a lot of press trying to get to her."

Robert leaned back to think. He didn't believe that, but there was no way to be sure, given the information he had in his possession. "I don't think he would have done that without telling me." He looked at Kari and frowned. "Listen, I know he's your uncle and all, and you know I think the world of him, but let me ask you something: Who around Sally would have benefited by what happened to Ethan?"

Kari was surprised. "What? What are you talking about? Nobody!"

"Think, Kari. Who came out of that attack at little better off than if Ethan had simply taken Sally home that night?"

Kari thought for a moment and then frowned. She stood to glare down at him. "You can't be serious? You think Uncle Glad hurt Ethan Dodge? That's ridiculous!"

"I didn't say he hurt Ethan, only that Glad had something to gain from it. The attack on Ethan kept Sally in the hospital for a few more days, didn't it? And during that time, your uncle was able to continue testing her condition."

"But Robert. I was the one who told Glad about Sally. He didn't know anything about her until I called him."

"I know, I know — but let me ask you something else: who really knows what's truly happening to Sally except him? Only your uncle really understands how significant her case is right now." He looked down at his laptop again and opened his browser.

"What are you doing?"

Robert continued typing and finally hit return. "Looking up this Bezuhov guy." He groaned. "Tolstoy's War and Peace, twenty eight thousand hits. Jesus… I gotta cut this down. How about Bezuhov, Russian." He was typing again. "Hmmm… still two thousand hits, mostly Tolstoy again.

"The files on the Russians show them living in Los Angeles. I'll add that to the search." He continued to type. "That's better. Only forty six hits that time." He scanned down the list. "Okay… let's do a minus Tolstoy and… Pierre." He hit return again. There was only one hit. "Damn — Amazon dot com. Crap! There's nothing here about him." He closed his laptop in frustration.

"I need to find a way to look this guy up."

Sally Carmichael was bringing Ethan some soup on a tray before stopping at the doorway. She frowned. Ethan was sitting in a leather chair looking uncomfortable but asleep; the cast on his broken ankle was propped up on a matching ottoman. His left arm, which was locked in a cast as well, was lying perpendicular across his body. No matter how many times she saw him during the day, Sally was always appalled at seeing him in this state; a spiritually beautiful man, broken and trampled. At least he was able to sleep. A set of books sat beside him under a reading lamp.

Sally straightened, forced a smile, and then entered the room. "Ethan, dear, I've made you some soup."

The man immediately jerked awake at her voice. She could tell he wasn't used to having somebody sharing the space within his townhouse.

"Oh, thank you. You're too good to me, Sally."

He struggled to level himself as she came forward, looking eagerly over the edge of the bowl as she sat the tray on his lap. He looked down and wafted the steam from the broth toward his nose.

"Oh, it smells wonderful." He looked up at her and smiled. He was always amazed by the youthful changes that seemed to be accelerating with each passing day. Still, it was becoming clear he cherished her company for more than the way she looked. He found her disapproving wariness regarding her reforming youth even more appealing than the splendor he saw rising from the darkest caves of time.

She smiled down at him and cupped her hands. "It's just a little soup. I was somewhat limited by the gentleman's pantry in the kitchen," she replied, motioning behind her. "I might have to go out and purchase a few things to improve the taste."

Ethan groaned with pleasure as he took a sip of the soup. He looked up again. "I really don't think it needs anything more. It's truly wonderful."

He caught himself admiring her again. Even within the dated and frumpy clothes she was wearing, he could see the shapelier body trying to hide itself within; it made him frown as he looked down.

"Sally, you really don't have to stay with me like this and I know the extra bed in the guest room is terribly uncomfortable."

Sally sat on the couch next to his chair. "The bed was fine, Ethan, and I won't see you hopping about this house when you should be healing." She reached out to pat his hand. "Besides, given what Detective Coleman said about my apartment being burglarized, I should be thanking you for allowing me to stay here. Even with Samuel's retirement check, my monthly income won't allow me to stay in a hotel in the city. I'm blessed to have such a generous friend as you."

Ethan smiled back at her. "I'm so glad you're here with me, Sally." His gratitude was broken by a sudden frown.

"Are you in pain again? Do you need another pill?" Sally immediately stood, looking concerned.

"No-no. I'm okay, but… ah…"

"What is it, dear? What do you need?"

He frowned once more as he looked up. "I ah… have to go to the bathroom again."

Sally smiled at his awkwardness. "Oh, is that all. You gave me such a fright. Well… let's get you up then."

Ethan set his tray down and grabbed the crutches to the side while Sally lifted up his leg and slid the footstool out from under his cast. He was surprised at her strength as she helped him to his feet.

"My word, Sally, you're getting stronger every day."

She looked into his eyes and was immediately aware of their closeness. She smiled as she helped him turn toward the bathroom.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right by yourself after I get you through the door?"

"Oh yeah —," he gave a quick wince of pain as he hobbled along. "Once I get inside I should be okay; I won't make you go any farther once I'm there." They looked at each and laughed.

Suddenly, one of Ethan's crutches slipped out from under him. He gave a yelp of pain and immediately began to twist.

"Oh, no-no-no!" Sally cried out, struggling to keep him from dropping. She did what she could, but only managed something of an unhurried collapse as he crashed to the floor. She fell on top of him and one of the crutches swung around to bang into the table. The table tipped over, spilling the books and the lamp over and onto Sally's back.

"Oh my God, Ethan!"

Ethan Dodge rolled over and immediately began to laugh.

"Ethan! Are you all right?"

Pushing the books and lamp off of his rescuer's back, Ethan smiled at Sally struggling to help him. His stiff leg was at an odd angle, hampering her efforts to put him right before she fell on top of him once more.

"Oh God — dear God. Ethan, what can I do? It was all my fault; I should have had a stronger hold. Are you hurt, are you injured again?"

Ethan was still laughing. "I'm dear lady, it wasn't your fault I was born a clumsy oaf."

She moved his splayed arm back to its proper place across his chest, and in that moment Ethan found her closeness too alluring and his actions uncontained. As she fumbled with removing the books from around his shoulders, Ethan moved his good hand up to her face to soothe her.

Sally froze, her eyes widening in shock as she looked down at him. His soothing touch turned into a soft caress upon her cheek and then his hand turned to brush what was left of her gray hair to the side.

"Ethan…" Sally moaned. She closed her eyes as she turned her head into his touch. She couldn't help herself, and when she opened her eyes again she found herself closer to him and his hand roaming across the other side of her face.

"Ethan…"

She could see him lifting his head off the floor to close the remaining space between them. He hesitated for a single breath and then he kissed her. Sally closed her eyes at his touch, their lips reaching longingly for each other. She could feel his hand moving through her hair to the back of her neck and then pulled her down to the floor with him, eager for more. His lips were surprisingly soft and gentle, despite the desperateness of his actions to bring her closer, and it was then that Sally realized she was the one who was desperate, she was the one pushing him down to the floor; she was on top of him. The shock of it made her break away.

"Ethan… we shouldn't." She sat up and looked away, trying to the best to straighten her clothes. He could see she was very embarrassed.

"Sally…"

"What must you think of me?" she said, covering her face with a trembling hand.

Ethan smiled and then raised his hand to her. "Sally, you must know how much I care for you. From the moment I first saw you…"

She finally looked down at him. "But you're…" she hesitated, her hands open before him. "And I'm…" her open fingers cupped themselves to point inward.

"What?" He took her by the hand.

"I'm more than twice your age," she finally said, bewildered. "An old hag — and I shouldn't be… this was a mistake. What was I thinking? I shouldn't be seen in the company of a young man like… like… you. It… it's… so very improper." She rose to her knees to set the fallen table right and then the lamp upon it.

"Sally… you're younger than me now."

She looked at him in shock. "I most certainly am not! I'm ninety-three years old, Ethan — a very, very old woman."

"Can you help me up?"

"Oh, my God." Sally jumped to her feet. "Here I am going on about me with you still lying on the cold floor. Where is my head?" She helped Ethan to sit up, stand, and then moved him back to his chair again.

"Sally… please, sit next to me. I want to talk to you."

"Ethan, I'm sorry for what happened. I just don't know what came over me. I'm so embarrassed." She laid her forehead into her hands as she sat down. He could see the red in her face blooming bright between her fingers as she rocked back and forth.

"It wasn't you that reached out. It was me, and I'm not sorry I kissed you."

She looked at him. "You're not?"

"No, I'm not." Then he thought. "Well… if I've embarrassed you by showing my affections then I am sorry about that. It was… rude of me to…"

"No — no, Ethan. You were not rude. You were… never rude. It's just that, you're so young and… and I'm so…"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?"

She scoffed. "My physical appearance does not project the person within, Ethan. But that doesn't make me some foolish young girl, somebody suitable for somebody like…" she stopped again to look at him admiringly. He could see her eyes roaming through the features of his face.

"Like me?" Ethan smiled. "My dear, sweet lady; I've always felt a man such as myself would be lucky to have a person like you in his life, regardless of the differences in our age."

There was a diminutive smile even as she struggled to force her response back down. "But having me in your life is far different than what just happened. It isn't right; it wouldn't be proper." She looked away and began to rock back and forth nervously again. The girlishness of her embarrassment made him grin.

Ethan stared at her for the longest time. He could see she was struggling with what she called her mother's values, and it was in that moment of admiration that he realized the most obvious thing within himself.

"Would what happened just now be proper… if I told you… that I love you?"

Sally suddenly looked horrified. "Ethan Dodge — you don't know what you're saying. Of all the silly notions — you're certainly not right in the head! You were the same way in the hospital." She waved him off almost laughingly, but her eyes never left him. Her face looked pleading, desperate for him to stop.

"I know exactly what I'm saying. I'm in love with you, Sally Carmichael."

She gaped at him. "I'm going to get on the telephone right now and call Kari Dietz; you must have hit your head on the floor again. You must have another concussion…"

He leaned forward to take her by the hand. "No… I'm fine. Sally… I do love you, and now I realize that I've been in love with you for a very long time." She tilted her head disbelievingly and then covered her face to look away. He squeezed her hand gently.

"Is love so rare?

"Is love so fleeting that we cannot share it between us?

"Is kindness ever unfair to those who might seek it?

"Is a tender heart now and again hardened against it?

"Love is always present, not rare, not fleeting.

"Love is always kind and trusted to exist even as we look to avoid it.

"Love is in the heart, tender and hard, but ever present.

"For the heart is made from the very thing that created it:

"It is… love."

He squeezed her hand again. "It was a wonderful kiss and I don't regret it. And there was enough in that one kiss to keep me a happy man for the rest of my life. But you should know this: Love is not fleeting for me, Sally. There was love for you in my kiss."

Sally's tears were showing. "You are such a wonderful man, Ethan. But I cannot set a lifetime of values aside, even if I wanted…" she hesitated again as her head dropped to stare into her lap.

"Then for now… we'll set this aside, if that will make you comfortable," he said stoically. "I won't have my feelings making you uneasy or embarrassed." He leaned forward. "But know this:" he squeezed her hand again and she looked up. "As time passes between us, we may never speak of this again, but when you see me smiling at you… always know my love for you is right there. My smile will always be the reminder that I care more deeply for you than any other person I've ever met in my entire life."

Sally tilted her head to the side again and squeezed his hand back, as another tear ran down her softened cheek filled with pink. She couldn't find the words to respond.

"I do have one more favor to ask of you though," he said finally, and Sally looked bewildered. He could see she wanted him to stop.

"I still have to go to the bathroom."

She finally smiled and he laughed as he reached down for his crutches again. She stood and helped him into the bathroom and then closed the door behind him.

"Call me when you're ready to go back," she said through the door. "I'm going to warm your soup again."

"Okay."

A minute later Sally was in the kitchen, trying to figure out the microwave. After getting it started, she turned to lean against the counter to think. She closed her eyes, reached up to touch her lips, and then smiled.

"I'm ready!"

She opened the oven door to remove the soup and headed back to the living room.

"I'm very disappointed in you, doctor."

Howard was nervously trying to explain. "Mr. Bezuhov, please, you must understand. I couldn't keep her a prisoner at the hospital, and there just wasn't enough time to administer the drug a second time without invalidating the results of the first test. There was no point in…"

"Doctor Howard. I'm not talking about the injections. My disappointment is centered on your apparent lack of urgency. You seem unwilling to understand the significance of the Carmichael case. She is the key to our immediate success, and yet you allowed her to remove herself from your watch and care."

There was a long pause and Howard found himself shaking in fear as he waited for more. He could hear his cell phone buzzing in the background, summoning his attention to another call waiting.

"Nothing to say, doctor? Nothing to explain your reprehensible inaction given my needs?"

"As I said, Mr. Bez…"

"Enough! I'm tired of your excuses, doctor. In addition to permitting Mrs. Carmichael to leave the hospital, your foolishness has allowed the police to connect my name to her case."

"I… I don't understand…"

"Detective Robert Coleman."

Howard was stunned. "Robert? But… what does he have to do with…"

"It would seem your niece's friend has drawn my name and those I employ from the Homeland Security database this morning. That was a mistake the detective will soon regret, but what is more important to me now is how he got my name. How do you think he got my name, doctor?"

"I… I… don't know. I certainly didn't tell him anything about you."

"Your bumbling incompetence is mounting, Doctor Howard, and I am not accustom to those in my employ frustrating my ambitions."

"Please, sir. I've been completely dedicated to our success." Call waiting started buzzing his ear again. "I have set everything in my life aside in order to find the answers we've been searching for, but I need you to understand there are limits to what I can…"

"LIMITS?" Bezuhov shouted. Howard could hear him coughing and when he returned the man's breathing was rattled and filled with fuming hostility. "How dare you concern yourself with any limits outside those given to you by me or those owed my present condition? It is not your job to be concerned with whatever legal or moral restrictions acting as barriers to this work, doctor. You need to seize these realities like they were the keys to heaven's gate and I have ways to insure that you do!"

"Please, sir…" There was other buzz in his ear again.

"It's time you answered your other call, doctor. I believe you'll find it's from the city of Rochester."

Howard's eyes widened. He looked at the number buzzing his phone again. "Benny?

"I have to take this call; it could be from my son."

"Not your son, doctor, but from an administrator at Eastman. It would seem young Benjamin has been absent from his classes lately."

"Not… not showing up?"

"Yes, in fact… I believe they're about to tell you he's missing."

"My God. What?"

"It's time to draw more urgency from your ambitions, doctor. For now, you should know that your son is safe. I have seen to that."

Howard almost dropped the phone in shock. "Am I to believe… that you've taken my son?"

"Taken him? Of course not. I haven't been a bully of young boys for decades, doctor. I can assure you, Benjamin came willingly enough."

"Please — please, I beg you." Howard was desperate. "My son is very gentle — so very delicate. You have no idea what…"

"Oh — but I do, doctor. I do know about his history… and I understand his frailties well. That's why I thought it best he stay with me for a while. I'd like to insure he remains in the best of care while you strive for a more forthright method to our work. I believe you're about to receive another call, doctor. This time… from your wife."

"Please, Mr. Bezuhov… I beg you. Don't hurt my son. I'll do anything you ask, please!"

"I know you will, Doctor Howard. And now I believe you have a clearer understanding of the risks at stake, but you should also know these risks are rather minimal given the fact they are under your control completely.

"You will contact your niece and make the necessary arrangements to gather Mrs. Carmichael in again. You will find that she's been staying at Mr. Dodge's townhouse. I'll expect to see the results of your final tests within the next forty eight hours, doctor." There was a click and Howard hurriedly hit the send button again.

"Elizabeth?" He listened to his wife's voice with trepidation. "Wait-wait-wait, when did you last hear from Benny?"

18