A Sacrifice Too Far?
Disclaimer: Please see previous chapter.
Thanks for all the reviews. You guys are so good to me. Thanks again to Sam1 for beta reading this, you're the best.
Chapter 7: The Final Showdown.
Alan sat down at the table and glanced around at his family well everyone bar Scott. Tintin and Brains had stayed at the hotel wanting to give the family some alone time. It had taken them hours to get here, as Brains was such a cautious pilot. Alan had more than once thought about pushing him out of the seat but knew it wasn't worth the wrath from his Father. He hadn't learnt about John's collapse until after they had landed which was probably a good thing, as he would have definitely kicked Brains out of the pilot's seat.
"Earth to Alan, are you reading me?" called a voice and Alan turned to see Gordon grinning at him.
"Hmm, what? Did you say something?" he asked.
"Just checking you are still with us," he replied with a slight grin. Now John was feeling better and Scott was on the mend too, Gordon felt able to relax once more.
"Yep, can't get rid of me that easily," retorted Alan with a grin. Gordon always had this way to make him grin whenever he felt down. In fact, he could do it with all of them. There was just something about his water-loving older brother that made people smile.
"Shame," muttered Virgil, lightly. He ducked the piece of bacon that came flying at his head. Jeff glared at Alan who quickly got up and picked up the piece of bacon. Jeff picked up a newspaper from the table and opened it. He then smiled; it was good to see his boys relaxing after the events of the last day. He couldn't help but feel relieved that they were all going to be fine. Scott would need some recovery time, which of course was not going to go down well with the pilot, but it was tough he needed it.
John had caught his Father's grin behind the paper but didn't say anything. He sipped at his drink before tackling the meal in front of him. After three days of not being able to even stomach water, it looked like manna from heaven. He tucked in heartily.
"Is she now?" asked the man, looking down at the young woman.
"Yeah, she is so you can let her go. She isn't the one you want anyway," replied Scott, desperately hoping this man would let her go.
"I could do that," he conceded.
"But, you're not going to," added Kate, sensing that he had no intention of letting her go.
"Clever little thing isn't she?" said the man, grinning at her.
Scott watched Kate shiver as the cold dark eyes stared at her. It was all his fault that she was in this situation. If he had let her go in the first place when she wanted to, then none of this would have happened. "You could still let her go though. I'm the one you want. She has nothing to do with your wife's death."
"Maybe not but if she dies then you will suffer more. After that I will kill you and this time there will be no saving you."
"You won't have long, someone could easily come in here," said Scott, wondering where his family were. They can't have gone too far as they would never leave him all alone here.
"What you mean like that pretty little nurse who was in here? She is all tied up at the mo," he replied with an evil grin. Scott could instantly tell that he meant that literally and it worried him.
"He has family, too and they are here," said Kate, knowing that his family were downstairs. She had only entered his room after seeing them head downstairs and the nurse be paged.
Scott was relieved to know that they were nearby and now he just hoped that they would be back soon. He knew there was no way he could jump out of the bed and attack this guy. He could barely move let alone tackle a guy bigger then he was. His gaze moved over to Kate who though obviously terrified was actually holding herself together well.
"Aww, isn't that sweet. What a shame you'll be dead before they get back up here," the voice dripped with sarcasm and Scott saw Kate shiver.
"Look Mr uh. I don't even know your name," said Scott, trying to get the man to talk to him. Maybe there was some way he could talk this man out of killing them or at least distract him long enough for his family to arrive.
"You'll be dead in a few minutes, what does it matter?"
"It would be nice to know the name of the guy who is going to kill us," muttered Kate, flinching as the blade pressed tight against her neck again.
The guy suddenly grinned and released the pressure of the knife. "Feisty thing isn't she? I'm almost tempted to let her go." He paused as if considering it and the blade pressed tight against her neck again. "I'm not going to." He paused again, "If you must know my name is Mike Richards."
"So why not let her go Mr Richards? How does killing her help you?" asked Scott. There had to be some way to get Kate out of here. All she did was save the life of a stranger, she didn't deserve to die.
"I lost the woman I love and now you will lose the one you love."
"He never said he loved me," replied Kate, her eyes meeting Scott's. He looked back at her in confusion. What the hell was she doing? Was she trying to get herself killed?
"What?" asked the man intent on killing them.
"Scott told you I was his girlfriend; he never said he loved me. You want him to suffer like you are, then killing me won't do it," she explained. If she could escape then she could find help for Scott and maybe his family wouldn't lose him just a day after getting him back.
"Perhaps not but he will still suffer right, Mr International Rescue?" he queried, turning to look at Scott.
As much as Scott wanted to say that no it would mean nothing to him, he couldn't make himself say those words. His heart wouldn't let him. Every death got to him and this one would be one of the worst. He didn't even know this girl but she was the reason he was here. Out on a rescue, they were at no fault for any deaths but hers would be solely his own fault. He needed to somehow get through to this man to let her go. "Is killing us really going to help you deal with your grief though? ."
Before the man could respond Kate asked, "Why are you doing this?"
Before the man could reply to her question, Scott answered for him. "He blames me for the death of his wife." Even without knowing Scott, Kate could see that he also blamed himself for her death. The haunted look in his eyes told her that his pain went deeper then just her death.
"Exactly. If you had gone in to find her first instead of messing around with the fire then she would still be alive right now," the anger was dripping from his voice now.
Scott knew he had a short time to convince this man to let them go, before long someone would come into the room so he wasn't going to wait for long. The only question was how do you talk to someone so grief stricken they are beyond rational.
Jeff finished the last of his coffee and folded up the newspaper he had been reading. He could see that all of his sons had finished now and were getting restless. He knew they were all desperate to get back to Scott who would hopefully be waking up soon. He stood up and his sons all followed him. They quickly cleared the table up and then headed back towards the bank of elevators that would lead them up to Scott's room. As Virgil pressed the button, they were all distracted by raised voices down the corridor. They turned to see a young man arguing with the receptionist. He was angry and there was no sign of security or anyone to help the young woman. Without saying a word, the family descended on the man harassing the receptionist.
"I want to see my wife now," he yelled at the terrified receptionist.
"I'm sorry but we have no one here by that name," she replied.
The man leant over the counter as if he was going to grab her but before he could, Gordon and Virgil grabbed him, tugging him back. "What the hell?" he said angrily.
"I think it's time you left," said Jeff, calmly.
"No way. Not until I see my wife. Now get your hands off me."
"If you calm down and agree to leave then I'll let you go." Virgil's voice was equally calm but there was a dangerous edge to it.
John turned to the young woman behind the desk asking, "Are you okay?"
She nodded and then stood up, John's eyes were instantly drawn to her stomach and he felt the anger build. He turned on the angry young man. "You were gonna attack a pregnant woman?" he asked in disgust.
The others now all turned to see that the young woman was pregnant and clearly very pregnant. Virgil's grip tightened on the man's shirt. It was then security finally turned up.
"You took your time," muttered Gordon.
"Sorry we had another incident on the fifth floor," replied one of the security guards.
Alan looked at Jeff wondering if that was Scott's floor. He had been so anxious to see his big brother that he couldn't remember what floor they had been on. Jeff just shook his head, knowing exactly what Alan was asking.
"Well, we shall leave this in your hands," said Jeff as security took the man from Virgil and Gordon.
"Before you go, Sir, we will just need a statement. Company Policy, I'm afraid," said a man who was clearly head of security at the hospital.
Jeff nodded reluctantly and began recounting the events of the last few minutes.
Things were becoming desperate in Scott's room. Mike was ready to kill them now and Scott still had no idea how to save them both. "Is this what you really want?" he asked.
"Yes, it is. You deserve to die."
"Maybe I do but she doesn't. Kill me and people could probably understand your reasoning. Killing her would just be murder. You would go from being a grief stricken husband to a cold-blooded murderer. She isn't responsible for your wife's death. She didn't start the fire and she wasn't even there to have helped your wife. You have no reason to want her dead," explained Scott and he saw the barest hint of indecision cross the man's face.
"Isn't your anger seriously misplaced?" queried Kate and gasped when the knife pressed hard against her neck, drawing more blood. "I mean, shouldn't you be trying to find the guy who started the fire instead. He's the one who killed your wife," she added, watching a slow stream of blood trickle onto her top.
"Maybe we could have tried to find your wife first but that fire was out of control. It could have easily swept through the building and killed everyone inside, your wife included. She stood a better chance that way and there is a high chance that your wife died in the initial explosion. I am truly sorry for your loss and if I could go back and find her in time, I would," said Scott, pouring every emotion he had into his words. He wanted to reach out to the man before him and suddenly the right words came to him. "I can't imagine what it is like to lose the woman you love but I do understand loss and the need to blame someone for it." He paused for a moment, noticing that Mike was listening to him and the blade was no longer pressed hard against Kate's neck. "My Mother died in an avalanche a few years ago, the rescue services didn't have the equipment to save her. I blamed them for a long time for not being able to do more. I wanted to hate them and at times I probably wanted to kill them to but it won't stop the pain. It doesn't make the grief go away; it would probably make it worse. Don't become like the guy who set that fire in the first place, he's the cold blooded murderer not you," he stopped and could see that it was working. Mike was giving his words serious thought and the knife was now further away from Kate's neck.
Kate had also noticed this and whilst Scott was speaking, she began to slowly bring her arm up, ready for any opportunity to grab the knife. She was moved by the words of the injured young man and the real depth of his own pain.
"Your wife wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want you to destroy your life; you have to live on for her. Give her death some meaning. Even if you can't do it for yourself then do it for her," begged Scott. He could see the tears welling in Kate's eyes and could sense that the young woman understood their loss. Her hand was almost to the knife now and it scared him. If Mike realized what she was doing, he could suddenly turn again and it would all be for nothing.
As her hand was about to grab the knife, the door burst open and his family entered. Scott saw Mike's reaction and without a second thought leapt out of his bed, desperate to protect Kate. The minute weight was placed on his leg, it gave way and he fell to the floor. He could only watch in horror as Kate fought to get the knife.
Suddenly, Virgil grabbed the man and wrenched his arm back, forcing him to drop the knife. Freed from his restraint, Kate stepped away from him and then slumped to the floor. Gordon helped Virgil to hold the man who had now begun to fight violently against them. John and Jeff ran to Scott and helped him back onto the bed. Alan had raced out of the door to get security.
"You need any help?" asked John, turning to Virgil and Gordon who were still fighting with the man.
"Nah, we can handle it, just keep an eye on this though," replied Virgil, kicking the knife towards his brother. John grabbed a tissue and carefully picked it up.
The door flew open again and this time it was the Police along with Alan. Mike gave up the struggle and allowed himself to be handcuffed and escorted from the room.
It was then Virgil noticed that the young woman was still sat on the floor. He walked over and crouched down in front of her. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Kate raised her head and nodded at the young man before her. Her eyes then drifted up to where Scott was on the bed. She was relieved to see that he looked okay. Realizing she had been sat on the floor for a while, she made to stand up. Instantly a hand was held out to her and she took it. She could see it belonged to the young man who had just spoken to her and she guessed he was a relation of Scott's.
Virgil smiled at her and then realized his hand felt wet, looking down he saw it was covered in blood. He looked over at Kate to see some blood on her neck and the collar of her shirt but not enough. His eyes dropped lower and he discovered the source of the blood. In the struggle, she had cut her hand with the knife.
"I think this might need stitches," he said, gently lifting her hand so he could get a better look at it.
"Yeah, grabbing hold of the blade probably wasn't the smartest decision," she replied with a slight grin. It then disappeared as she remembered something. "What about the nurse who was looking after Scott, he said she was tied up?"
"She's fine and managed to escape. She raised the alarm, hence the presence of the Police. I think we better get that hand looked at. The police want statements from you all as well," explained Scott's doctor who had entered the room.
Gordon and Alan both groaned simultaneously. Kate nodded at the doctor and quickly left the room.
"Are you okay, Son?" asked Jeff.
"Yeah, I think so. Is Kate okay?" he asked. He hadn't been able to see what was wrong with her but he had seen the blood on Virgil's hand.
"She caught hold of the blade in the struggle and cut her hand," explained Virgil, walking over to his older brother's bed. Scott just nodded in response and Virgil could see that something was bothering his big brother. Before he could answer though the police were back in the room ready to take statements.
All the statements had been taken and the family were alone again once more. Alan finally had the opportunity to hug his big brother. He was so happy to see him awake. Scott smiled at his younger brother and Virgil saw the first genuine smile since Scott had woken up.
There was a gentle tapping at the door and it opened to reveal Kate. "Am I disturbing you?" she asked, softly.
"Not at all, come on in," said Gordon, opening the door wider.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That was some fall you took," she said as she entered the room. She was a little intimidated by his family so stayed near the back.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Are you?" he asked.
Lifting her arm up to reveal a bandaged hand, she smiled at him. "I've had worse." She then noticed Jeff Tracy walking towards her and she froze.
"Are you the person I have to thank for saving my son's life?" he asked, stopping before her.
"Yes, that's me," she replied nervously.
"Then there are no words I can use to express my gratitude towards you. You have returned something so important to my family and me. If there is anyway we can thank you?" he said.
"There isn't, just knowing you have him back is good enough and he just saved my life so we are even," she replied, her eyes moving back to Scott.
"No, we're not. I didn't save your life," muttered Scott, miserably.
"Yes, you did, Scott," she said, walking over to him.
"If I had let you go like you wanted then you wouldn't have been hurt," he retorted. The pain and anger in his eyes was evident to everyone in the room.
"Scott, he followed me in. What do you think he would have done if I had met him in the corridor?"
"I don't know," he replied, staring down at the bed cover.
"I do. He would have killed me in that corridor and gone after you. Because you didn't let me leave, you saved me. You were the one who kept him talking. You were the one who made him think about what he was doing and you were the one who convinced him to move that knife. If you hadn't then when they burst through the door, he would have slit my throat. I am alive because of you Scott and no one else."
"Maybe," he replied.
"This runs so much deeper then the last couple of days doesn't it?" she asked, touching his hand so he would look at her. She got no reply but knew she was right.
Virgil came to the other side of the bed. "You're not to blame for his wife's death, Scott," he said, knowing what was bothering his brother now.
"Aren't I? Who says we couldn't have done more. We could have gone in there after them first," he said angrily, turning to his brother.
"It wouldn't have made a difference," said Jeff, moving closer. Scott looked up at his Father. "I spoke to the coroner and she died in the initial explosion. You couldn't have saved her son," he added.
"Perhaps not her but there have been many others," he replied, his head dropping down again.
It was now Jeff realized just how bad his oldest son truly was. His two youngest were stunned but he could see that both John and Virgil weren't. It looked like Virgil wasn't the only one to realize that Scott was struggling. Kate then stood up and turned towards the door.
"Kate?" questioned Scott, sensing her movement.
"I think it's time for me to leave. You guys need to talk and that should be done as a family. I hope you work things out, Scott and remember the true value of what you do." She then walked over to his bed once more. She took his hand and only Virgil saw her place something in it. She then whispered something in his ear, which no one heard and kissed him on the cheek. Standing up she turned to his Father. "It was nice to meet you all and I can assure you Sir, that your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you," he replied with a smile.
Kate looked back at Scott once more and then left the room.
"We need to have a long talk, Scott but I think that had better wait until we get back to the Island. This is not the place," said Jeff, turning back to his oldest son.
"When can we get Scott out of here?" asked Virgil.
"Yeah cos the security is rubbish," added Gordon.
"As we have the facilities on the Island and they cannot provide adequate protection, they are allowing Scott to leave now. We just have to sign some forms but then you can go home, Son," said Jeff smiling at his first-born.
"That's good," muttered Virgil. He couldn't believe how bad the security actually was here. Two incidents had happened virtually within minutes and the Security were nowhere to be found in both occasions.
The doctor re-entered the room armed with all the paperwork they would need to leave. Scott was relieved to finally be going home but he wasn't looking forward to the conversations that would follow. It was going to be a long few days.
Outside the hospital, Mike was being led to a waiting police car. He was handcuffed and being flanked by two Police Officers when suddenly there was a commotion in front of them. It was enough of a distraction for two men to creep up behind the officers. With almost perfect timing both officers were hit over the head and crashed to the floor.
"About time," he muttered as the handcuffs were removed.
"Don't go getting cocky, mate. The boss wants to see you," replied one of the men.
They soon arrived at a large black car. All the windows were tinted so no one could see in. The door slid open and an arm beckoned them in. Mike quickly climbed in and sat down opposite his boss.
"You failed me," said a voice.
"I'm sorry but I was interrupted. I had just convinced him that I was going to surrender. He truly thought that I was just a grief stricken husband, he had no clue who I truly was."
"Your only saving grace," replied his boss. His voice was calm but the anger was still evident.
"I will do it next time," he assured his boss.
"What's to stop you failing again?"
"You have my word that I won't," he said, knowing he had to convince this man to let him try again. He had no idea of his boss's true identity but he knew he didn't tolerate failure.
"It's not good enough. I don't allow second chances. Complete the job," he said turning to the two men who had rescued Mike from the cops.
Before Mike could react, a gun went off and he slumped against the door. The black car began to slowly pull off but not before dumping the lifeless body of Mike out the door.
So Scott is alive and on his way home but will, he let his family in to help him. What about Mike's death and the man in the car? One more chapter to go everyone. Please read and review, thanks.