Later that night, I was sitting at a round table playing poker with Adam, Sheriff Hopkins (who was out of uniform), Johanna and a few others.
I was having a lousy night and was down to my last two stacks of chips. I glanced over the top of my latest hand at the other players then slowly laid my hand.
"Read it weep boys and lady, three king's diamonds high," I said, leaning back in my chair, smiling as some of them moaned, throwing their cards down in disgust.
"Hold it right there big boy..." Johanna grinned wickedly as she leaned forward and laid down her cards. "...Full House..." She crowed.
I stared in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me." I said leaning forward to get a closer look.
"Built it with my own two hands." She said pulling the chips toward her.
"Johanna because of you the rest of us are hardly getting any action," Hopkins said dropping a chip in.
"It's just happens to be my lucky night sir, besides, I've got to pay for my college somehow. I am pre-med you know." She smirked at them.
"Must have Irish blood in her." Adam muttered as we fanned our cards out.
"Or else we've got a cheat here," said the hand beside Damon that had been pulled from his horse during the morning roundup and I narrowed my eyes on him as Joanna froze her eye blazing with rage.
"There are no cheats here! And if I hear one more accusation this game is over. Besides I seem to recall that you had lady luck on your side during the last game," Adam said looking at the hand next to Damon.
After glancing at my cards, I studied the others, reading their body language for clues to what they might have in their hands. Glancing down again, I asked for new cards. I spent a few minutes sorting them then returned my attention to the others to see who might have the big guns and who didn't.
I put my cards on the table and slid half my chips into the middle, some whistled, and Johanna arched her eyebrows.
Hopkins leaned against the table looking at me. "You're either bluffing or you have the best hand of the night." He drawled.
I shrugged as he continued to study me then slid the same amount onto the table. "I'll call that bet and raise you everything else you've got and more." He said, sliding the rest on plus a few more stacks of chips. At that move, the others threw down their cards.
I tapped my stack. "I can't cover that bet," I said and he smiled.
"I'll help you." Johanna said, sliding the extra stacks I needed toward mine. I glanced at her in surprise.
She gave me a sly smile under her long lashes. I grinned back and turned my attention back at Hopkins. The others watched us in excitement.
Hopkins and me studied each other for a long moment before he laid his cards down first.
"Straight flush in diamonds."
I held out for a few seconds more staring him in the eyes before tossing my hand down and laughing. He whooped, drawing the chips close to him.
"Like I said a bluff! Now excuse me gents, I must be off." He said jovially as he stood up.
"So soon? At least give me a chance to win my money back. I got hands to pay here." Adam complained, pushing his hat up slightly.
Hopkins shook his head. "No! If I stay any longer then when I finally do leave, I might have a Kara happen to me." He insinuated then left through the front door.
The room went deadly quiet...all eyes turned to Adam who turned white then flushed red with fury. He leapt from his chair and charged for the door. In a flash, me, Joanna, and several other hands were on our feet and grabbing Adam, blocking him from leaving after Hopkins.
"Let me go!" He snarled.
"He's not worth it Adam! Stop fighting us!" I barked him. "If it's ever proven that what happened to your wife and son was not Kara's fault, he'll be eating his words. Don't do something you'll regret!" Slowly he stopped struggling as outside we heard a truck pulling out.
After a moment we let him go then watched him storm out. I looked over to the other hands still sitting at the table. "Let's call it a night guys." I suggested, they nodded their agreement then left, one by one.
When only Johanna and I were left, I went back to my cards and after picking them up, flipped them over one by one revealing an Ace of Spades, King of Spades, Queen of Spades, Jack of Spades, and Ten of Spades.
"A Royal Flush! You bluffed your way to lose?" Johanna asked in surprise.
"I have my reasons." I said quietly, picking up my hat and walking past her.
Outside I breathed deeply and slipped my hat on as I walked down the steps, my boots clinking on the wood. After getting a sleeping bag from the bunks and feeling restless, I walked down to the stable in the moonlight. When I got there, I leaned against the railing looking out at the valley.
I was about to leave when a sound met my ears, I turned. In the moonlight, I saw Kara wheel her chair to The Centere of the ring. I frowned in confusion as I kept my eyes on her. Seconds later, I saw her lift a pistol from her lap.
Dropping my bag, I darted toward her and wrenched the gun from her grasp as she pressed it to her temple.
Her head whipped around to look at me as I glared down at her. "What are you doing?" I said.
"Kind of a silly question now give me back my gun!" She snarled trying to grab it but I held it out of her grasp.
"That's not going to solve anything just make it worse." I said firmly.
She stared at me hotly. "How could it get worse? I almost killed my own son!" She said looking away.
"I don't think what happened was your fault!" I said.
"Ha! That's a laugh, if it wasn't for me he'd be here right now." She choked.
"If it wasn't for you, he would be dead right now." I said.
She whipped her wheelchair around to face me.
"HE PRACTICALLY IS DEAD NOW! THE ONLY THING KEEPING HIM ALIVE ARE TUBES THAT PUMP AIR AND FOOD INTO HIM! I DID THAT TO HIM WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HIM! IT SHOULD BE ME IN THAT HOSPITAL BED!" She screamed.
I stared down at her unhappily for a moment then knelt down to be face to face with her. "You did more than you know for him and people here and in town believe in you. Your family loves you and don't blame you for what happened. But hey, if you want to prove them wrong by all means…" I said leaving the sentence hang as I took her hand and thrust the gun back into it then lifted it to her temple.
She watched me as I straightened and stepped back. "I won't stop you this time." I promised flatly.
Gripping the gun, she met my unwavering gaze. For a solid minute, we didn't move, eyes staring at each other. Then suddenly, she screamed in frustration and hurled the gun away. Tears began to fall as she dropped her face into her hands.
After giving her a moment, I knelt down again and held her hands. She looked at me. "Go home, they need you." I murmured gently. She gave me a sad smile then turned and wheeled away.
It was after midnight, when I flipped over a high wire fence and landed with a rolled in the midst of some wrecked cars. I was dressed all in black and wore a mask over my face. I crept through the salvage yard stacked high with piles of totaled cars, each damaged or with parts missing, the majority being tires.
Every now and then, I would stop to examine one in the moonlight then resume my search. Half an hour I searched until I came near The Centere of the yard. Before me, sitting between a Mercedes Benz and a bulky van, was a truck charred black from fire with the cab slightly caved in. I crept around it and, after checking the license plate in the back, started examining it inch by inch.
When I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to find anything, I froze at one of the back wheels. After running my hand along one spot and feeling a bump, I took out a knife and after a moment of work, I dug something out and it fell into my waiting palm. I held it up to look at it in the moonlight then spun around when I heard something.
I retreated into the shadows, slipping the object into my pocket. I heard something move toward me so I quietly moved away. Hiding behind a pile of cars, I peeked around and saw a shadowy figure bend down to examine the truck, then spring to its feet. It looked around wildly and as I began to move away, I saw it draw a gun.
As I rounded the corner, a cat leapt out through the windshield of a car on the ground and yowled at me. That alerted the person with the gun so I gave up sneaking and ran for the fence. I heard the figure racing after me in the dark as we raced through alleys of wrecked cars until the fence finally came into view. I ran full out toward it, my arms pumping hard then upon reaching it, leapt up and started to soar over it.
BANG!
I stumbled when I landed but quickly got to my feet and was running again. Once behind some cover, I felt safe enough to check for injuries. Reaching a hand to the back of my shoulder, I drew my hand back in the moonlight and saw it was covered in blood. Carefully taking off my shirt to show a black wife beater undershirt, I tore it into several pieces and used it to bandage my shoulder and make a sling. I walked to my car, slipping my mask off on the way.
I quickly drove back to the ranch and was surprised to see a light in the main building still on. After parking, I stumbled out of the car and walked into the kitchen to patch myself up when the other door opened.
I turned and saw Johanna looking at me in shock. "Alex what are…? OH MY GOD! YOU'VE BEEN SHOT!" She cried in fright, running toward me.
"It's ok I'm…" I started to say, stumbling against the counter for support when she pushed me against it to try to see my back.
She steadied me then wrapped an arm around my waist to tug me toward the living room. "You are not fine! You've lost a lot of blood and need to go to the hospital." She said tightly.
I pulled back, refusing to go any further. "No hospital!" I said sharply. Catching my breath, I said more calmly, "If you want to help me then gather the others."
She glared at me then sighed and left the room. Less than ten minutes later, older members of the McCoy's including Kara, arrived.
"What in tarnation is going on...?" Old man McCoy began to demand when he saw me and saw my arm in a sling. "What the heck happened to you?"
Johanna hurried in from the kitchen with warm water and bandages. "Alex had been shot…" She started to say.
"HE'S BEEN WHAT!" Adam yelled.
"He can't stay here he needs a hospital." Kara said wheeling forward.
"I can't explain now, but no hospital," I said shakily.
"Alex I may be pre-med but I can't…" Johanna began to object.
I stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Johanna! I took a guy's appendix out with nothing but a grape spoon. I'll talk you through it, ok. That bullet must be gotten out or it could slip into my bloodstream and I could die or lose my arm." I said grimly.
She stared at me then over at McCoy. He nodded solemnly and she sighed, surrendering. Moments later, I was sitting on a reversed chair facing the table where the medical supplies were. Adam was holding my hand while Kata and Old man McCoy held up mirrors for me to watch what Johanna was doing. I still wore my undershirt, a couple of old bed sheets were under my chair as I waited for her to return.
Her shaky breath approached me as she said, "Knife is sterile.".
I nodded. "Ok, now you have to cut me just a little...right there..." I said pointing with my other hand at the spot on the mirror as she poured alcohol along the wound.
She stepped forward breathing hard and I felt the edge of the knife waver near my skin. "Relax it's a standard pressure," I said trying to soothe her.
I heard her take a few deep breaths then felt the edge of the knife, more steady this time, cut into my skin lightly. I grunted in pain. "Ok that's enough now… take the clamps… and try to grab it…don't pull it out until you're certain you have it firmly in the clamps." I told her then gripped Adam's hand harder, feeling him wince but not saying anything.
Johanna picked up the clamps and began to push it into the wound. I felt more blood seep down my back then a bolt of pain shot through me as she touched the bullet. I hissed through clenched teeth.
"There it…is… now… remember… don't try to remove it until you've got a firm hold on it," I warned then bared my teeth again as she tried to clamp on it.
It took several tries but finally, I heard and felt a sucking sound as the bullet came out and the pain started to ebb away. "Ok here come the hard part, just remember don't hesitate," I said then placed a wooden spoon in my mouth.
For the next ten minutes, I grunted and groaned as she sewed me up and when she was done everyone sighed in relief.
"Let me see the bullet," I said as Johanna wrapped a bandage around my shoulder.
Adam handed me it. I held it up, examining it. "9mm, hollow point, copper jacket," I muttered standing up when Johanna was done and rolled my shoulder looking at her.
"You did a pretty good job," I said.
She nodded and went into the kitchen to wash her hands.
"Why were you shot?"
I turned facing Kara as she wheeled toward me. "We have a right to know." She demanded.
I looked at her then reached into my pocket and pulled out the object from the salvage yard, holding it up for them to see.
"Is that…" Adam started to say walking forward to get a better look.
"The bullet from a rifle. I got this from the wheel of your truck." I said tossing it on the table looking at Kara.
"And it's the proof that what happened wasn't your fault! That tire didn't blow...it was shot." I said. They looked at each other in stunned shock.
"But why…" One started to say.
"I think I know," Old man McCoy said as Johanna came back into the room, drying her hands.
"In the weeks before the accident, someone's been trying to buy the ranch sending e-mails or letters every other day. I turned him down every single time. Then, the day after the incident, I got another e-mail that said... 'See what happens when I don't get what I want?'..." He choked in anguish, tears beginning to fall from his eyes.
"If anyone is to blame for what happened it's me! If only I had told someone..." He moaned.
"Only what Dad! Sold out! This is our home and livelihood come hell or high water and we're not leaving." Kara said firmly, wheeling over to him.
She took his hands and they looked at each other. "It was his fault and his alone," She said and they embraced.
Adam smiled at the two of them then turned to look at Johanna. "Can you stay with Alex tonight?" He asked and she nodded.
He looked at me. "You've done my family a great favor. I thank you for that; I just hope I'm able to repay you." He said warmly to me then the three of them left leaving Johanna and me alone.
Some hours earlier...
"Miss Parker wake up, please wake up," A soothing voice pleaded, as I lay on something soft.
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I smiled when Sydney came into view. "Hey, easy now." He said as I attempted to push myself up.
"I'm fine Sydney just a headache." I muttered holding my head as it throbbed.
"Just a headache you collapsed back there," he said concern in his voice.
I sighed and gave him a wan look and a rare smile. "I'm fine old man really." I reassured him and he blinked.
"You haven't called me that since…" He said, in a quiet voice but was interrupted when Broots barged in.
"Miss Parker are you…" He began worriedly.
"I'm fine Broots. Is there something you want and where's the notebook I had?" I asked briskly, climbing to my feet.
"You mean this?" Broots asked holding up the black notebook which I snatched from him.
"Could I be talking about any other? Looks like Jared had a change of mind about color," I said looking through the pages again.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a strange look on Syd's face. "Something wrong Syd?" I asked and he jerked and shook his head then left. Leaving me and Broots alone.
"Wonder what's wrong with him?" Broots asked sounding as worried as I felt then I snapped my fingers in front of his face and he jerked back to look at me.
"Is there anything else?" I asked.
"We may have a lead on Jarod," He muttered and I smiled.
Colorado...
Johanna helped me to an unused cabin for the night then left me on the sofa to rest and came back with my things. As soon as she walked through the door I climbed to my feet, took my DSA Player from her and put it in the closet.
"Who are you?" She asked curiously. I turned back to her and smiled gently.
"Just a guy trying to figure things out. I've got to drink something. I'll be right back," I told her then went into the bathroom.
After drinking several cups of water, I studied myself in the mirror then untucked my undershirt and slipped it off. I slowly turned to see my back in the mirror and saw the various scars from the supervision of Dr. Rains. I looked away slipping the shirt back on; a tear in my eye hearing his voice in my memory then opened them realizing it wasn't just in my head.
I quietly opened the door and looked out into the living room of the cabin. Johanna was sitting on the couch, my DSA open in front of her. I silently opened the door the rest of the way feeling my anger boil up.
"...if they were to come in here, here, here and here at night they'll meet with minimal resistance, guaranteed they won't be detected and they'll be able to rescue the hostages," I heard myself say. I closed my eyes remembering the simulation.
"Very good Alex we'll send this out at once," I heard Dr. Rains say and my eyes shot open.
"He lied you know," I said suddenly. Johanna jumped up startled and whipped around to look at me.
I returned her gaze. "He did give the plan to the Special Forces Team but then he turned around and sold it to the Iranians...eight members of that team died... and the hostages weren't rescued," I said walking forward. Keeping my eyes on her, I stopped the player, took the disk out and closed the lid.
"What are you?" She asked, hesitantly.
I looked away then back at her. "I'm a Pretender. I can become anything I want to be; a doctor, a lawyer, an astronaut which I might add is not all it's cracked up to be. But I don't know who I am. Those people stole me from my family when I was a small child and for almost twenty years they held me hostage using me like a guinea pig until I escaped," I said and she just stared.
"I'm going to take a shower. I'll try not use all the hot water and I'll change the bandage when I'm done." I said then went back into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, I climbed out and after a small rub down wrapped a towel around my waist. With a second towel, I started drying my hair as I walked out of the bathroom, finding the cabin empty. When I was finished with my hair, I picked up a new bandage that we brought with us and started rewrapping my shoulder.
When I was finished, I whipped around in the other direction and grabbed Johanna's wrist before she could touch my back. "Don't!" I growled looking her in the eye.
She stared back unflinching and slowly she raised the hand I held closer and closer. We stared at each other as her hand inched closer and something in her eyes was making me let it. Finally, her hand touched my cheek. I closed my eyes and reopened them now cupping her hand, my other one slowly reaching up to caress her cheek.
Just as slowly, I leaned down to her and our lips met. After a moment, we broke apart. She looked at me then turned to leave.
As she did, I reached out, grabbed her arm, spun her around and kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around my neck as the kiss deepened. Somehow, we made it to the bedroom and fell on the bed still lip locked.
At last, we parted lips and looked at each other. I ran my palm across her cheek, our breathing coming hard. "You are so beautiful," I whispered, she bushed, smiling. "Johanna I… I…"
She pressed her finger against my lips and said, "Its ok, I don't care," She breathed huskily and rolled us over so she was on top straddling me.
Slowly she sat up on me then reached down and started to remove her shirt, her white lace bra shining in the moonlight. I sat up when her eyes and most of her face was covered and her arms crossed above her head, grabbing them to stop her.
I smiled as she gave a little chuckle, her mouth opened slightly for me and I inched closer and after teasing her a couple of times, our lips met and I slowly released my hold on her arms as she removed her shirt completely, her eyes still closed.
When we separated, she looked at me smiling. "Love me," She coaxed warmly. I smiled as we sank onto the bed.
Later that night as Johanna slept in the crook of my arm, I stared at her then slowly so not waking her slipped out of bed and wrapped the towel around me. I walked back out to the living room of the cabin. Taking out my DSA, I inserted a disk and set it to play.
I watched a younger version of myself walk up to two people in the shadows and sit down.
"How do you know when you're in love?" I had asked and the person chuckled.
"That's very direct," He said.
I shrugged. "We may not have much time," I had said and I saw his shadowed head nod.
"You never really know for sure. You can read about it but the only time you'll truly know is when you are." He said wisely. I nodded.
"Alex."
I turned and watched as Sydney came up to the figure and me. "Come on, we have work to do," He said.
I stopped the DSA and closed the lid.
Sighing, I combed my fingers through my hair then rubbed my face then returned to the bedroom and slipped back into bed. Johanna cuddled closer in her sleep.
As she sighed with content, I brushed her cheek. "I love you." I murmured softly.
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