There was a warm and soft presence pressed against his side, but his mind wouldn't currently allow him to analyze it. The now familiar thick feeling was pushing in, preventing him from a single coherent thought. A groan rattled out from between his lips in frustration as he tried to lift his hand. Just one hand and he couldn't even do that.
He waited, knowing that he didn't have any other choice and tried to be patient. It was hard to be patient. He desperately wanted his faculties back. Besides, he had to pee like a horse.
A few minutes later he tried again. The hand was heavy but it kind of did his bidding. Now let's see about the rest of him.
Gillian startled out of her uneasy doze to find Cal shifting. It appeared as if he was trying to roll his body right off the edge of the bed.
"Cal?" Both hands caught his arm.
"Uh."
"You're going to hurt yourself." She had images of him crashing to the wooden floor. Of course in his rag doll like state, he probably would barely notice. She moved one hand to touch his face.
"Uh."
Watery light leaked in through the dusty window and she guessed it was just after dawn. Nothing could be heard from downstairs or anywhere else. Maybe they liked to sleep in.
Cal tried to roll again and he fought her as she held onto him.
"Cal. It's Gillian. You need to stop."
"Uh." Just a moment later, she caught a sliver of hazel as his unfocused eyes tried to lock on her. "Zjillll."
"Yeah."
"Wherrareweee?
"Wish I knew."
"Havtopee."
She blinked. "Oh." As if she could actually carry him to the bathroom. "Think you can stand?"
"Ummmm…" He tried to push himself up, foundered for a moment before trying again. She quickly moved to the other side of the bed to catch his arm. With a lurch, he pushed himself up and almost knocked her over. She grabbed him in a body hug to keep them both from crashing to the floor but wound up taking more of his weight than she anticipated. In an awkward dance, she took a step back, her body already starting to tremble from strain.
"Please Cal." It came out from between clenched teeth.
"Sorrrryy." He concentrated on just keeping his legs under him and they were still for several moments. "ThinkIcannn…" Taking a step, he felt her arms loosen ever so slightly but not leave. She stayed in step with him as they made their way across the room.
He leaned against the doorjamb, blinking. "Somethin's aman's gotta do for himmmselffff." And he managed a smile. It was dopey but teasing and Gillian felt a little swell in her heart.
Cal disappeared inside and she wandered away, stopping at the door to the hallway, trying the knob, knowing that it was pointless. She listened for a tiny bit before stepping toward the window. A small weed ravaged lawn quickly disappeared into a thick copse of trees. She strained to the left to see more of the same then shifted to the right. Just barely she could make out the back of some kind of SUV parked around the corner and could only presume the road out of here was south. The vehicle had driven over gravel or dirt but the path hadn't been overly rutted, making her believe that they may not be off the beaten track as much as she'd initially thought. Of course she could be wrong too.
(BREAK)
Greg gave a stretch, hearing all the pops and creaks ravage through his body. He was the one that drew the short straw that landed him on the couch while Berk got the other bedroom. Lucky bastard.
He sat up and listened, wondering if their guests were awake, wondering if Berk had already checked in on them. With another grunt, he pushed to his feet and headed toward the kitchen for something to drink. Not much in the fridge. Apparently his partner wasn't much of a shopper. Beer or OJ. With a shrug, he grabbed a beer and headed out the screen door to sit on the steps. He stopped short when he almost ran into Berk.
The big man was sitting on the ancient wooden bench, one foot propped up on the railing. Tendrils of smoke rose around him as he pulled on his cigarette and exhaled. His expression seemed contemplative but strangely troubled and Greg wondered if he really wanted to know what the other man was thinking. On paper, so to speak, this assignment had seemed pretty cut and dried but now he couldn't shake a sense of foreboding. Berkley was currently only adding to the unease.
Greg announced his presence by popping open his beer.
His partner turned his head ever so slightly and gave a nod.
"Was it today or tomorrow?" Greg stretched his neck to the side to relieve himself of one final kink.
"Trial's today."
"Does the old man see any hitches?"
"Don't think so."
They were quiet for a moment. A soft wind rustled through tree limbs, birds could be heard squawking and looking for breakfast and if you listened really really carefully, an occasional car could be heard on the old highway. Fortunately not a lot of people used it anymore after the freeway was built years ago.
"Any changes in the plan?" He meant it to sound casual and he thought he was successful.
Berk grunted and flicked his cigarette over the railing. He immediately lit another. Greg always thought it was funny that a man of medicine could smoke. He himself had given up the habit 7 months ago after smoking for twenty-five years.
"What about the woman?"
The other man didn't answer. Greg felt his stomach twist in upon its self. He didn't take that as a good thing.
(BREAK)
Gillian turned from the window at the same moment that the bathroom door was pulled ajar.
Cal took a shaky step forward before stopping and leaning against the frame, staring downward, blinking forcefully.
"Hey." She started toward him as he took another tentative step and proceeded to fall to his knees.
"Cal!" At his side in a heartbeat, she helped pull him to his feet and back toward the bed where he sat heavily, eyes sliding closed before popping open again. She sat next to him
"Ow." His head turned toward her. "This sucks."
Air pushed out of her in a shaky smile. "Yeah."
"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb will probably be up any minute." His eyes were clearing ever so slightly, enough for her to see worry. "What are the odds that this is all about Bainbridge?"
"That was my thought."
"I fucked up." A muscle in his jaw pulsed. "I underestimated the family."
There was nothing she could say to that, so she placed a hand on his shoulder before it slid down and lightly rubbed his back.
"Gillian."
"Hmmm?"
His expression sharpened, eyes serious. "If you get the chance I want you to take it. Get the hell outta here."
Jaw pushing out slightly, she stared back. "No Cal. Both of us or neither one."
He frowned and started to shake his head before wincing slightly and stopping. "They've made me a burden. I would only slow you down. You catch a break and you can bring back the National Guard if you'd like."
"At which point they might just decide to cut their losses and make you disappear for good."
They continued to stare at one another, her expression defiant, his slightly desperate.
"Have you seen or heard anything that might help us?"
"Only what I can get from their voices. The first one is keeping his distance and the second one is trying. I think that one might be a little hesitant about their whole plan. I can hear some guilt although I can't be sure exactly where it's coming from."
"What they've done or what they're planning to do."
"Maybe."
Cal reached over and almost touched her face, stopped for a moment before proceeding. He threaded his fingers into her hair, palm against her cheek and held her face firmly, noting her surprise but also noting she did nothing to pull away. "Listen Gillian. You need to reconsider. If a break comes your way, you have to take it." His eyes were intensely delving into hers but as she watched, the look of command became a look of pleading.
She covered his hand with her own. "It's not negotiable. I'm not leaving you."
Tilting his head he studied her closely but his muddled brain wouldn't give him the answers to a proper read.
"Don't do that Cal. You probably wouldn't be right anyway." For a moment she was afraid he would see something that flickered through her the second he touched her face.
There was sudden banging at the door that made them both jump followed by a raspy voice announcing breakfast.
In that moment she felt his tense muscles go rock hard under her hand.
The door unlocked and both men entered wearing their masks from the previous night.
It seemed silly but if their captors were still hiding their identities, there was still a chance that they might get out of this thing alive. It was a good theory at least.
Cal glanced at them quickly before looking back down, knowing what was in store for him, wondering if it would be worth his while to try to elicit some pain from them. He had managed get some good hits in last night. He felt Gillian looking at him but wouldn't meet her eye.
"Well, we're not a 5 star restaurant or anything but I do make some pretty good eggs if I say so myself."
Gillian could hear a smile behind the raspy voice but it only continued to puzzle her. His voice appeared genuine.
"Toast and juice too."
He slipped forward and placed the food on the bureau. The other man hung back, waiting and watching. He hadn't said a word.
"No insulting the chef. 'Kay?" Greg gave them each a long look. "In other words, you both need to eat."
(BREAK)
Cal didn't fight this time. He faced the situation almost like an accepting prisoner on death row. And it broke Gillian's heart.
As she watched him slump, tears silently coursed down her face. She lifted her gaze to the other two men. "I wish I knew what the point of this is. It's just sick and twisted and it'll be a miracle if you don't inadvertently kill him." Her voice was scalding, eyes flashing up at them.
The point was for him to have very little memory of where he'd been. Bainbridge liked the idea of fusing the perfect scenario together in such a way so the DA would never give Lightman a second look, let alone allow him to be an 'expert witness' ever again. At least that's what the old man wanted. Finn, on the other hand…well, he wanted something a little different. And the jury was still out, relatively speaking. Berkley hadn't come to a real decision yet. What Foster said was not outside the realm of possibilities. Lightman could very well die. But there was still time. A little bit at least. One way or another, everything would be coming to fruition very soon.
Greg stared down at her, guilt and worry nipping at him. The tears continued to flow but she'd spoken around them, strength emanating from her. He was impressed. She was a hell of a woman and very much in love with her partner. Made her angry and not above the point of being dangerous. Give her a weapon and he felt confident that she'd be more than happy to use it on them. He let out a sigh. "I'm sorry Dr. Foster." With that, he followed Berk out of the room.