A/N: My apologies for the length of time between updates. Real life has been getting in the way of my writing, but hopefully things will slow down soon. Thank you for continuing to read and share your thoughts with me. I appreciate you all so much.
Chapter 19
Johnny was still awake when James returned to the men's dorm. The paramedic had grown accustomed to the other man returning from the sanctuary after midnight. It had been happening ever since Johnny had joined the Unity Family, and he couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection between his initiation and James' new nocturnal behavior. After all, it hadn't happened during the time that Johnny was only visiting the compound, at least, he didn't think so. He recalled how deeply he would sleep after drinking his nightly tea, before his initiation, so he couldn't be sure.
Once Johnny realized that he was being drugged, he had been discreetly disposing of some of his tea, hoping to stay more alert at night. He needed to keep up the façade as long as he could, and that meant that he would have to consume at least some of the drug which he now assumed was a muscle relaxer, a tranquilizer, or perhaps both.
The dorm was cloaked in darkness, the only light being the glow of the oil lamp near James' empty bed. Johnny lay motionless, pretending to be asleep as James walked past his bunk, heading for his own bed. Johnny was lying on his side, his eyes opened in narrow slits to allow him to see what the other man was doing. He watched as James sat on the edge of his bed, removing his sandals. The resting paramedic was surprised to see James hang his head instead of lying down. The older man's shoulders seemed to be carrying the weight of the world, bowing over as he scrubbed his bearded face. Something was wrong, and Johnny's sixth sense, the one that had always served him well on rescues, was kicking into high gear. His anxiety began to tie his stomach in knots, but he didn't think he could approach James, couldn't ask what was worrying him.
By the time dawn broke, Johnny had managed to get a few hours of sleep. He pushed himself into a sitting position, looking around the room at the other men. Ian and James were washing their faces at the far end of the dorm, whispering quietly to each other. Johnny wondered if Ian knew more than he was letting on. Did he know what James was doing after midnight? He decided that if he got the chance to speak to Ian alone, then he would ask him.
E!
Wake-up tones roused the men of station 51 out of a peaceful slumber. There had been no tone outs during the night, not even a run for the squad. Hank picked up the microphone, acknowledging that his crew was awake, alert, and ready to turn the safety of their response area over to the on-coming shift in a couple of hours.
"Station 51, KMG-365," he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Shuffling sounds were heard around the dorm, but when Hank looked over at his second in command, he saw worried blue eyes looking back at him. He pressed his lips together firmly, nodding his head in understanding. The next twenty-four hours would be critical to the unity of 51's A-shift.
"Stoker… DeSoto," he called out, raising his voice when he called out Roy's name, "my office. Lopez, how about getting us some breakfast started? Greene, please make us some coffee, 'cause, Kelly, yours sucks, pal," he said with a snicker.
"Thanks a lot, Cap," Chet commented, stepping into his bunkers and snapping his red suspenders onto his white t-shirt. He knew that his captain was right. He could never seem to get the coffee right, either too weak or too strong.
Roy followed Mike across the apparatus bay, running his hand across the hood of the squad as they headed for the captain's office. He wanted to see his partner sitting beside him on that beige bench seat. He liked Kyle Greene well enough; the young man would make a great partner, but he wasn't the partner Roy wanted. Station 51 had only had one paramedic partnership for A-shift since it had opened, and more than anything else, Roy wanted that partnership to resume. Even more than the partnership, the senior medic wanted his best friend back in his life. He was still haunted by their last encounter, and he was dying to make things right.
"Have a seat, fellas," Hank said, pulling out his rolling chair from the desk.
The two firemen sat down beside the desk, mimicking their captain's posture. "I don't think it's a coincidence that we didn't get a single run last night," he mused, running his fingers through his mussed up hair.
"Providence?" Roy asked.
"Divine intervention," Mike said at the same time.
"You two sound like Mrs. Lopez, but…," he rubbed his chin, staring at the empty desk as he thought about what he needed to say. "Yes, something like that." Hank stretched his neck, looking back at his two men. "Tonight may be difficult. If he says no, then…"
"Then we'll do what we have to do to save them," Roy commented.
"I wish there was another way, Cap," Mike spoke up, "but if there is, I sure don't see it."
"We've all batted this around in our heads for days now," Hank responded, leaning back in his chair. "I don't think there is another way. Rescuing people is what we do for a living. If there was another way, we'd have figured it out by now."
Roy stared at the floor, resting his elbows on his knees. "When I leave here, I'm going by Rampart to see if I can talk to Gretchen. Hopefully, she can give us some inside information, some clues, or something to help us out. I feel like we're going into a burning warehouse without knowing what chemicals may be on the inside."
"But we'll have our lifelines with us, right Cap?" Mike asked, his eyes locked on those of his captain.
"You bet you will, fellas."
E!
As soon as Roy changed into his street clothes, he headed for the hospital. For a moment, he thought about picking up a small vase of flowers, but the memory of his marriage falling apart made him change his mind. Resting his wrist on top of the steering wheel, he shifted his gold Porsche into a higher gear as he made his way down the street. There had been a time when he had been tempted to stray with Gretchen. Both of them had felt the attraction. But that was all behind him now. He and Joanne had reconciled and Gretchen had left the area, presumably to join the same religious sect that Johnny and Lily had joined. Now she was back… And had overdosed on heroin.
The wind whipped through his thinning red hair as he drove past the place where he had picked her up, innocently offering a ride to a young woman who had tripped over a broken place in the sidewalk. A simple act of chivalry had turned into a near disaster for the entire DeSoto family. He and Joanne had been on the brink of divorce when… When Johnny had come to his rescue.
Roy turned into the hospital driveway, his mind returning to the day he had fought with Johnny in his front yard, angry because the younger man seemed to be sticking his nose into Roy's business, and Roy had hated it – hated the feeling of having his partner standing in judgment of him. Yet, that wasn't really what had happened. Johnny had been worried about his surrogate family, worried that Roy was about to make the biggest mistake of his life. And he didn't stand by and let Roy fall. He cared enough to confront him. Now it was Roy's turn to return the favor.
Roy pulled into a vacant parking space, slammed his car door shut then walked through the glass doors of the front entrance. He walked up to the information desk, smiling politely at the women's auxiliary volunteer sitting behind the desk. "Can you tell me which room Gretchen McDowell is in?"
The woman looked through the glasses that were perched on the end of her nose. She flipped through the pages of the patient census. "Ummm, here she is. She's in room #424."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Roy walked to the elevators, pushing the up arrow. When the silver doors opened, he stepped inside, pressing the button that would take him to the fourth floor. He watched as the numbers increased, wondering what condition the former waitress would be in when he visited her. Would she be able to shed any light on the situation with the cult, or had she become just another junkie?
He exited the elevator, walking down the hallway towards the appropriate room. He stood outside the door, momentarily, not wanting to disturb the young woman if she had other visitors. Hearing no sounds coming from inside the hospital room, Roy gently knocked on the wooden door.
"Come in."
Roy heard the muffled sounding voice and slowly pushed through the door. "Gretchen?" he said, sticking his head into the doorway.
The weak woman tried to push herself up in the bed. "Roy? Oh, hi," she smiled, fumbling until she found the button to raise the head of the bed. "How kind of you to stop by."
The paramedic walked across the room, standing beside the hospital bed. She was still pale, but he noticed a hint of color returning to her cheeks. "You're looking better. How do you feel?"
"Well, um," she mumbled, her voice sounding soft. "I'm alive… Amy tells me I have you fellas from 51's to thank for that," she said, her voice growing ragged with emotions.
"I'm glad we could help."
Gretchen picked at the blanket covering her legs. "Um… Roy, I… I didn't do it."
"Didn't do what?" Roy questioned, unsure of what she meant.
"I didn't try to… to kill myself," she said, curling her blonde hair behind her ear. "I'm… I'm not a…" She couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"Suicidal?" he finished for her.
"No… I mean, I'm not that, either, but… I'm not a… a junkie."
In spite of their previous close friendship, Roy didn't reach out to her. He wanted to, but he was afraid of what the memories might do to her… and to him. His heart ached when he saw her nodding her affirmation. Her shoulders began to tremble.
"I know you aren't. But, Gretchen… What happened? There was heroin in your system, a lethal dose from what Amy tells me."
Gretchen began to fidget in her bed, coughing nervously. "Ahua, I… ahua, um…"
"Here," Roy said, pouring her a cup of ice water. "Drink some of this," he said, handing it to her. "Your throat is probably still sore from the vent tube."
After swallowing a couple of refreshing sips, she handed it back to him, refusing to make eye contact. The room was silent for a few long moments, neither of them knowing what to say.
"Um… Roy?" she began, wanting to change the subject. She wasn't sure she could tell him the truth about what had really happened.
"Yea?"
"Johnny's there… Did you know?"
Roy nodded his head; he knew where she meant, and he was glad she had opened the door to the topic he really wanted to discuss with her.
"Yes… And I'm really worried about him."
"I didn't tell Amy 'cause I wanted to talk to you first. You've got to help him. He…," she began to shake uncontrollably. "You've got to get him away from there."
Roy felt his mouth go dry. She did know something about the group, and whatever it was, it wasn't good. "Is he in… in some kind of trouble?"
"No… Not yet, but the longer he stays…" She didn't finish her sentence, fear silencing her.
Roy felt his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to grab the young woman, shake her into telling him what she knew, but he knew he couldn't. It was obvious that she was terrified of something… or someone.
"Gretchen? Talk to me… What will happen to Johnny if he stays there?"
Gretchen pulled her legs up to her chest, rocking in the hospital bed. "No… No, I can't… I… Just… Just get him out, okay?"
Finally, Roy could take the pressure no more. Sitting down on the edge of the hospital bed, he reached out to the trembling young woman, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Sshhh," he crooned, stroking her long blonde hair. "It's okay, Gretchen. You're going to be okay."
"Ca-can't leave… No one can ever REALLY le-leave."
Roy pulled her back away from his shoulder, looking at her red splotched face with narrowed eyes. His pulse rate quickened. "What do you mean?" he asked, worriedly. His blue eyes darted back and forth, searching her face for an answer to his question. Suddenly, he understood exactly what she was too afraid to verbalize, and the bile rose in the back of his throat.
"Ohmygod… Did… Did someone force you to take the drugs?"
The frightened young woman began crying again, her body shaking violently. "I di-didn't do it, Roy… I just… wanted to… come back to… to L.A," she hiccuped.
"Gretchen," he said, cupping her tear-stained face in his hands. He turned her face upwards, forcing her to look at him. "Who? Who made you take the heroin?"
She tried to remove her face from his hands, protesting his inquisition.
"Gretchen, come on… Talk to me."
Unconsciously, she rubbed her bruised wrist, remembering how hard she fought against the strong arms that had restrained her while the poison was being injected into her vein. She closed her eyes, unable to look at the worry-filled face of her friend.
"No one can get to you, here," Roy reassured her. "If someone from the… uh, group," he began, avoiding the word cult, "shot you up with heroin, then… Gretchen, whatever you know that will help me get Johnny home… I need for you to tell me… Please?"
She continued crying, refusing to answer his pleas for help.
"Is…," Roy pressed his lips into a thin line in frustration. "Is Johnny being drugged, too?"
Gretchen gave Roy a barely perceptible nod. She knew that she owed her life to this man, and she couldn't just sit back and let others fall victim to the evils of Hiram Gardner. Even if she was too afraid to go to the authorities herself, she had to do something to help. "Yes… we all are," she whispered hoarsely, unaware that she was still including herself with the group.
"With opiates?"
The young woman shook her head. "No… Well… I'm not sure what kind of drugs, but…"
"But?" Roy inquired, growing frustrated with her hesitation to fully disclose what she knew.
Knowing that she had already said too much, she closed her eyes and forced herself to explain what she had done. "It's… It's all my fault, Roy… I'm s-sorry."
"Hey, don't say that," he soothed, encouraging her to continue. "You just got through saying that you didn't overdose. This isn't your fault."
Gretchen felt her heart rate increase, as if the organ were trying to escape from her chest, just like she was trying to escape from the cult. With a ragged inhalation, she continued. "No, Roy… Johnny joined… because of me."
"What do you mean?" he asked, with a hint of anger in his voice. Was it possible that his partner was in danger because of Gretchen?
"It's a long story, but… " Gretchen looked to her right, reaching for the box of tissue on her bedside table. She placed the box in her lap, removing a couple of the tissues to dry her face. "I'm sorry, Roy. I felt so badly about the lie… that afterwards… I tried to leave the family, and… And that's how I ended up… here."
Roy was stunned by what he was hearing. He stood up, pacing between her bed and the nearby window. "Okay… Wait a minute… Now… I'm not here to blame you, or cause you any more guilt, but you've got to tell me the truth…" He spun around, glaring at her. "About everything… Okay?"
"Umm… Johnny thinks I was pregnant… And that I had a miscarriage. We used the lie to… to guilt him into joining."
Roy ran his hand through his hair, trying his best to sort through the information he had just received. How could a fake pregnancy cause Johnny to… Roy's eyes widened in shock. "Are… Did you and Johnny… Um… Did he think that… he was the… father?"
"No, no… Nothing like that. Johnny and I haven't… you know, but… He thinks that the miscarriage was his fault, because he and Lily broke the rules, and…" She shook her head, hearing how ridiculous the tale sounded to her own ears.
Roy sat in the chair beside the bed, looking bewildered as he thought about what she had just said. So Johnny hadn't really wanted to join the cult? Did that mean he would be willing to leave? But what about Lily?
"So… Let me get this straight. You told Johnny you were pregnant. Then he and Lily broke some kind of rule, or something… And then you told him that you lost the baby because of it?"
She looked down at her lap. "That's not exactly how it happened, but that's about the gist of it."
"So then… he doesn't know? That you didn't miscarry?"
Gretchen shook her head, swiping the tissues beneath her nose and tossing them into the wastebasket beside her bed. "No… He doesn't know that I was never pregnant. I guess he thinks I left… because I was upset about… about losing the baby. I don't know what Lily told him."
"Why? Why would she tell him anything? Did you lie to her, too?" Roy continued his questions, knowing he was being harsh with her, but he was beginning to have a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Gretchen shook her head, staring down at her lap. "No… She was in on it."
Roy felt as if he had been kicked in the groin. Lily was in on the lie? If what Beverly had suspected was true, that Johnny was in love with Lily, then finding out that she was a part of a scheme to trap him, was going to be devastating to Johnny.
"WHAT?" He nearly shouted, his anger boiling to the surface.
Gretchen sniffled, pushing her words past the lump in her throat. "God, I feel so stupid… See, Roy… Lily knew Johnny when they were kids, and… And seeing him again made her happy… Happier than I've ever seen her. She told me that," Gretchen looked down at her lap, unable to look at Roy's face. "She said that she didn't think that Johnny would join. She thought he was there to convince her to leave, and… And she wanted me to help…"
"By lying to Johnny about being pregnant?" Roy asked.
Gretchen curled her long blonde hair behind her ear. "Two of us had been chosen to…" She stopped, not wanting to tell Roy the truth.
"To…," Roy was growing frustrated by her hesitation. "Come on, Gretchen. This is serious."
She sniffled again, her eyes remaining locked on the blanket covering her. "To have Father Hiram's babies."
Roy felt his stomach roll as he thought of Gretchen being used in such a dreadful way. "But you said you weren't pregnant, right?"
"I wasn't… He had us on a special diet. Said we had to be cleansed and purified before we could carry his heirs."
"So you and Lily just decided to lie about the whole thing? And Hiram agreed to it?"
"Lily and Father Hiram devised the plan… And James was in on it, too… I'm sorry… I wish I could change what I've done. I… "
"James? The guy who found Mike?" Roy asked, feeling his own blood pressure rising as he thought about his friend being manipulated. He had always been somewhat protective of his partner, thinking of him as if he were a younger brother. Hearing that his best friend had been deceived, by people he trusted, was infuriating him. Johnny had always been a trusting person, even with people others didn't believe in at all. Now, his naivety had been exploited, and Roy was incensed.
"Yes… James was going to get promoted… with one more convert. Johnny just happened to be the next man to show up, and… God, I wish they HAD killed me," she wept, sinking back into the bed, her head beginning to throb.
Roy felt torn between feeling sorry for Gretchen for being the victim of a murder attempt, and feeling bitterness and hatred for her part in Johnny's predicament. He knew he should make a disagreeing comment about what she had just said, but he couldn't make himself do it. He was mad, and growing madder by the second.
"If anything happens to him… I'll never forgive myself. And I know that you fellas won't forgive me, either. I don't blame you," she said, sniffling again. "Please… I… I need to be alone."
Roy stood up, unsure of what to say, or do next. He stood beside her bed for a moment, staring at the downcast face of the weeping young woman, then turned to exit the room. As he reached for the door, he heard her call out his name.
"Roy?"
"Yea?" he said, his voice barely a whisper.
"No one else knows."
Roy stood stunned, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "About the… fabricated pregnancy?" he asked.
"About the overdose," she clarified. "Everyone thinks it was an accident… Even Amy."
Roy looked over his shoulder at her. "You mean you didn't report it to the police?" His blue eyes narrowed with concern.
Gretchen shook her head, knowing that Roy would not agree with her decision.
"If someone tried to kill you, then they need to be punished," Roy said, turning back around to face her again, beginning to doubt her story. "If they aren't stopped, then they may try it again… to someone else."
"I wasn't the first," Gretchen said, weakly. She felt the heat of his stare, slowly lifting her face to look at him through swollen eyes. She recalled the mumbled voices of the men in the back of the car who had tried to kill her. She knew she was the tenth person they had done this to, and she shivered. "I was just the first to survive."
"Who?"
Gretchen shot him a quick glance. "Me."
"No, I mean who did this to you? James? Hiram?"
She rapidly shook her head, sinking further into the bed. "Not… Them."
Roy saw her trembling in fear and knew she wasn't going to give him the names of those involved. "Then you need to do the right thing… Gretchen, you've got to stop them. You don't deserve… No one deserves that," he said, waving his hand at the bruises along the back of her wrist. "Murder is a very serious crime. And if they've done it before, then you HAVE to make sure they don't have the chance to try it again… 'Cause the next person probably WON'T survive," he responded with a stern expression, hiding the way his heart was beating frantically against his rib cage.
"I-I can't… What if…" The rest of her statement remained unspoken, cut off by Roy's hasty remark.
"What if the next victim is Johnny?"
Roy waited for an answer, knowing he wasn't going to get one. He watched as Gretchen closed her eyes, curling onto her side with her back to him. She was shutting him out, ignoring his comments. Their conversation was obviously over.
Roy exited her room without saying goodbye. He was too angry to even speak to her. He sighed, walking briskly down the corridor toward the elevators. He didn't know what to do, but he knew he had to update his shiftmates because the situation was even worse than they thought.
E!
Ronald Crockett sat down behind his desk, seeing the yellow slip of paper beside his phone. Picking it up, he read the message.
'Call Special Agent Adams – ASAP! Urgent!'
He recognized the handwriting as that of the secretary for his division. Sighing, he picked up the telephone, dialing the familiar number.
"Adams, speaking," the disembodied voice on the other end stated.
"Hey, man. This is Crockett. What's up?"
"Thanks for calling me back so quickly. We uh… We've talked to our undercover man again and… We have a situation."
The detective pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to the special agent explain the details of the latest development. He felt his stomach tighten up in knots. How was he going to explain this to the men of 51's… And to Iris.
"Shit!" he cursed into the phone. "I guess we've got to change our tactic."
"We need your help with this, Crockett, but you can't let those firemen know what's going on…"
"Well, that won't be an easy thing to do, Adams. They've got their mind set on this rescue, and…"
"I know, I know, but… You need to be a sort of… Double agent. Go along with what they've got planned, but we've got to add a slight twist to it… And you're the key to making this whole thing work."
Ron pressed his lips into a thin line, realizing that he had no other option. He picked up the yellow pencil that was laying on his desk and began tapping it on the edge of the phone. He didn't like the tone in his friend's voice, but he had known Special Agent Adams for many years. He was a man of integrity, and Ron had always trusted his judgment, but tonight was going to test the bonds of friendship, both with Adams and with the men of 51's. Sighing into the phone, he acquiesced. "Alright… I'll do whatever it takes, man. Whatever it takes."
E!
As soon as Roy got home, he went straight to the telephone in the kitchen. He picked up the receiver, dialing the familiar number just as Joanne walked in from the laundry room.
"Roy?" She asked, propping the laundry basket on her hip. "What's wrong?" She knew he husband well enough to know that something was bothering him.
"Things are worse than we thought with Johnny. Do we have enough food around for the guys to come over for lunch?" he asked, dialing the rotary phone.
"Um, yea… I went to the market yesterday. I've got soup in the freezer and we have lunchmeat and bread. Roy… Is Johnny in danger?"
"Yes… And Lily's a part of the problem…." He heard the phone answered on the other end of the line. "Hey, Cap? It's Roy. We've got to get the guys together again before we head up there. There's been a development that changes everything."
"What kind of development?"
"I'll explain it later. Can you call Mike and Chet? I'll call Marco and Crockett. We can meet here for lunch, alright?"
"Well, sure, Pal… What about Iris and the rest of the ladies?" Hank asked, assuming that Roy had just forgotten to include them in the list of attendees.
"The ladies will be fine, except for Iris; we can't include her in this meeting. I'll explain when you get here. Thanks, Cap."
Roy hung up the phone, seeing the frightened look on Joanne's face. "It's bad, Jo."
"Sounds like it," she responded, embracing him. She rested her head on his chest, appreciating the feel of his arms around her. "So you aren't going to call Iris," she stated, wondering why her former employer was being left out of the group that she had originally gotten together.
"Can't," he responded, pulling back to look into her green eyes. "Lily lied to Johnny to get him to join the cult. I don't know how Iris would feel about that, so I don't want her here."
"What?"
"It's a long story, but I went to Rampart when I got off shift. I wanted to talk to Gretchen, see what she could tell me about the cult."
"Gretchen?" Joanne's voice held a hint of disdain at the sound of the waitress' name. It had not been very long ago that she thought Roy had cheated on her with the younger woman.
"She told me that she..." He waved his hand at her as he turned towards the refrigerator. He hadn't eaten breakfast and was searching for a snack. "I'll explain it all when the fellas get here, but Lily, Gretchen, and James all told a big lie to get Johnny to join that stupid group. Then Gretchen felt guilty about it and tried to leave, but somebody in the group tried to kill her," he said, pulling out the bottle of orange juice, pouring a glassful. "Injected her with heroin."
Joanne watched her husband drinking his juice, feeling as if he were overlooking the obvious. "Sounds like she's just trying to blame her drug habit on someone else."
"No," Roy shot back. "You weren't there, Jo. You didn't see how upset she got when she was telling me about it. I… I believe her."
"Really?" she questioned, crossing her arms.
"Yes, I do. I'm mad as hell at her for her part in this whole charade, but I DO believe her."
Roy's comment gave Joanne a sense of relief. If he was mad at Gretchen, then he probably wasn't being tempted by her again. She walked to the place where he was standing. "I'm sorry, honey. Let me get the soup started heating up. Go ahead and make those phone calls," she said with a slight smile, fighting to hide the fear that was developing in the pit of her stomach. Was Johnny at risk of a non-consentual heroin injection, too?
"Thanks," he said, kissing her forehead. "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you, too."
E!
The men from 51's arrived within a few minutes of each other; Crockett was the last to drive up, parking on the street in front of the DeSoto residence. Roy watched as the detective slammed his sedan's door shut. Roy could tell that Crockett was stressed, and he could only assume it was because Iris was being left out of this particular meeting. He and Joanne had both noticed the way Ron and Iris had interacted at Iris' house during their first meeting. There was definitely an attraction between them. Roy just hoped that it wouldn't present a problem for Ron when he heard about Lily's part in tricking Johnny.
"Hello," Roy said, opening the door to welcome the detective into his home. "The others are in the kitchen making sandwiches and Joanne has a large pot of soup ready for us. Help yourself," he said, waving his arm in the direction of the kitchen.
"Thanks, man. I could use a little food, but… I've got to ask you… Why is Iris barred from this gathering?" His frustration had been simmering ever since Roy's phone call inviting him over for lunch.
Roy swallowed back the bile creeping into his throat as he heard the iciness in Ron's voice. "It's not that she's barred, Ron. It's just that… You'll understand when I explain what I found out this morning. Get something to eat, and then I'll share what I learned."
One by one, the men made their sandwiches, picked up their soup bowls, and headed out the door to the table on the DeSotos' back deck. Joanne filled glasses with ice, and placed them and a pitcher of tea on a serving tray. When Roy returned inside for the drink tray, he leaned in, giving Joanne a kiss.
"Thanks, Honey. Please fix you a plate and join us. You need to hear this."
"You're welcome," she said, her emerald eyes shining. "Are you sure you want me out there?" she asked, handing him the tray.
"Yes… Please."
"Okay, but the next time we have the guys over, I want Johnny here," she said, reaching for a bowl for her soup.
Roy gave her a pensive look, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Me, too."
Twenty minutes later, the group had full stomachs and worried countenances. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts as Roy relayed the story he had learned from Gretchen. The men were looking at Roy, waiting for him to tell them what to do next, but that didn't happen. Instead, it was Crockett who spoke up.
"This really doesn't change anything, does it?" the detective asked.
"Sure it does," Chet interjected. "If she's a part of the problem, then-"
"She isn't," Marco spoke up, surprising the others.
"Whose side are you on, Marco?" the curly-haired lineman asked in frustration.
"Johnny's… And Lily's," Mike said, looking across the table at Marco. Both men had been thinking the same thing.
"Lily is just as much a victim of Hiram as Johnny. So are Gretchen, James, and all the others who are up there." Marco looked over at the detective. "Do you have any idea how many people are involved in this cult?"
Joanne stood up, removed the empty tea pitcher from the middle of the table, and headed back into the kitchen. "I'll go make some more tea," she announced, growing uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.
"Thanks, Jo."
"Listen fellas, I've got to call this in to the feds when we finish up here. They need to go talk to Gretchen, maybe even post a guard outside her hospital door." The detective reached for his glass of tea, needing a refreshing drink as he considered all that he had heard. Tonight was going to be more difficult than he had initially thought. "To answer your question, Marco… From the intel the feds have gotten, there's at least fifty… maybe more."
Hank let out a long slow whistle. "That's a lot of people in danger, and we don't even know which ones are victims and which ones are… Well, the bad guys," the fire captain stated, wondering how many of the members of the Unity Family were guilty of murder.
"I know," Roy spoke up. "But I don't see how you can put Johnny and Lily in the same category. Johnny was TRICKED into joining by Lily and-"
"Gretchen," Chet shot back. He had aimed his verbal barb at Roy now that Joanne had left the group. He knew that it would be painful for the paramedic.
"They tried to KILL her, Chet!" Roy said in rebuttal. "And I was going to say James, not Gretchen."
"But you aren't pissed off at her for duping Gage into joining. Why does she get a free pass, huh?"
"Because she's a victim, too!" Roy's ruddy face was growing red in anger.
"Figured you'd say that," Chet grumbled, feeling Marco's elbow connect with his rib cage.
"They're ALL victims, you twits!" Hank said, using his authoritative captain's voice to stop the downward spiral of the conversation.
Ronald Crockett decided that now was the time to jump into the conversation before the men got into an even bigger argument. "Hank's right. Part of the strategy groups like this use is to separate friends and families from their victims. It's the old divide-and-conquer routine… And you fellas are falling right into their trap."
"What do you mean by that?" Roy asked, cutting his eyes at Chet, daring the younger man to say another word.
"Just listen to yourselves." Ron changed his tactic, using an analogy the firemen had used on him on more than one occasion. "How many times have you all told me that you aren't the judge or jury? You help the bad guys along with their victims, giving everyone the same treatment, right? Hell, I've even seen you triage a robber and a cop, and you treated the robber FIRST! But it was because you gave both men the dignity and respect they deserved," he rolled his eyes before he continued. "Even if I didn't agree with you on that one, but if I can't turn off being a cop, then I know you fellas can't turn off being firemen. So stop…," he hesitated, knowing his words were going to sound harsh, but that was what the men of 51's needed. "Stop discriminating against these folks because they happened to be victimized by Hiram BEFORE Johnny was!" He was surprised at how protective he felt of Lily; a young woman he had never actually met.
"I think we all agree that Mike might not be with us today if James hadn't found him," Hank stated.
"You guys are right," Marco spoke up. "Beverly and I have talked about this a lot lately. She's told me about how, um… How pimps look for vulnerable women… play mind games with them. Provide what the women need, financially and emotionally, until they have them in their snare. This is the same thing, I think."
"People are all the same; we all have the same needs and wants," Mike said. "All it takes is one negative event to disrupt our lives, and make us susceptible to the weapons these… these monsters use." The engineer looked around at the gathered group. "It could've been any one of us, but it was Johnny. Maybe hearing about the upcoming trial just brought all that… all that shit from Selma back up in his head," Mike cursed, uncharacteristically. "Maybe that was the trigger, and Lily's presence at the cult was his… His weakness," he said, remembering how he felt about rescuing Lexi from her traffickers. "Cap's right… James saved my life, and so did Chet, Roy, and Johnny. I won't ever turn my back on anyone of you, and that includes Johnny… And James."
"Over this last year, or so, we've all been through a lot of shit, Mike," Chet mumbled in agreement. "I guess it was just Johnny's turn, huh?" he questioned, his own mind reflecting on his life before Caroline and Corrie entered it.
"He was there for me and Becca," Hank added, thinking about the times Johnny had changed Becca's bandages after their kitchen fire.
"Me and Joanne, too," Roy added.
"He stood up for me with you, Cap, even when he probably shouldn't've," Chet stated. "Even after all those times I played jokes on him, planted water bombs, made negative comments about his…," the junior linemen felt the lump forming in his throat, cutting off his words. He had been relentless about Johnny's heritage early in their careers, something he deeply regretted.
Mike snickered as he recalled Johnny's antics with Leonard Hunley. "He straightened ole' Lennie's nose after I broke it."
"He always treated Lexi with kindness. He treated her like a person, not like the object that so many others did," Marco mused. He lifted his eyes, looking at the men who were sitting around the table. "You all did, and… And my family and I will never forget it."
Mike clapped his hand on the back of Marco's neck. "Strange how things work out, sometimes. Chet has Caroline and Corrie, now… You have Beverly because of everything you went through with Lexi… And Lexi, Antonio, and I are, uh, enjoying spending time together, all because I was helping out a friend, a brother," he said, squeezing Marco's neck.
"Sounds like two marriages were saved," Ron added with a soft smile, "and there will be wedding bells ringing real soon," he said with a grin aimed at Chet. "And maybe others, too."
Chet smiled back, his blush coloring the tips of his ears. "Yea… Johnny's made a real difference in all our lives, hasn't he?"
"And we'll make a difference in his," Hank said. "That's what brothers, er, families do," he corrected, remembering all the women and children involved.
Joanne opened the door, returning with a fresh pitcher of iced tea. "Anyone need refills?"
Several men picked up their glasses, offering Joanne wide smiles for her hospitality.
"Sometimes it takes problems to set us on a better path," Ron said.
Roy and Joanne exchanged knowing glances. They're relationship had grown after they had endured their own problem. "Speaking of that," Roy began, nodding in Ron's direction. "Seems you might be on a new pathway, yourself."
Ron drew his eyebrows together. "How so?"
"A certain red-haired florist seems to brighten up whenever you're around," Roy snickered.
Ron cleared his throat, knowing he couldn't deny the truth. He did enjoy spending time with Iris, and he had wondered if she felt the same way. Now it seemed that Roy thought she did.
"Ahem, anyway, so are we still on for tonight?" the detective asked the group. He smiled when he heard the chorus of affirmations. Perhaps the lunch gathering had been a good idea after all. He relinquished the negative thoughts he had been having since receiving Roy's phone call. It seemed that the group was willing to give Lily another chance, seeing them as victims instead of perpetrators. Maybe, just maybe, their plan would work… At least, part of it would.
"Alright, men, let's get ourselves geared up for the trip," Hank said, extricating his long legs from the picnic table where he had been sitting. "It's going to be a long night."
E!
Darkness was falling, as well as the temperatures, in the Tehachapi Mountain compound of the Holistic Unity Family. Johnny and Lily sat around one of the many fire pits, enjoying the sounds of Ian playing his wooden flute near the pit nearest them. Johnny closed his eyes, his mind drifting back to the days of his youth when his uncle would play the same type of melodic music while his family sat around a crackling outdoor fire. It was both soothing and haunting to the young man. Slowly, he ran his thumb across the back of Lily's hand, relishing the feel of her petite hand in his larger one. He had missed her more than he had realized.
"More tea?" James asked, walking up to the young couple, his voice sounding as mellow as the soft notes from Ian's instrument.
"Nah, I've had enough. Thanks, man," Johnny spoke up, wanting to remain alert again tonight.
"Oh, come on, Thorn. Just a little more won't hurt you. You're tense, and you said you were still sore," Lily said, shifting her position so that she was kneeling behind him, kneading his shoulders. She gave James a knowing look as she continued to encourage Johnny to consume a little more. "I'll drink a little more with you."
James nodded at her in appreciation. He knew what was going to happen later in the evening, and having Johnny a little groggy might make the plan easier.
"I'll be right back," the young woman offered, standing up and carding her fingers through Johnny's dark hair. She knew he couldn't resist her touch.
James sat down in the spot that she had vacated. "So tell me, Brother John, how are you acclimating to life with us?"
"Fairly well, I think." Johnny stretched out his legs, leaning back on one elbow. He jerked his head in the direction of the fire pit to their left. "Ian's pretty good. Reminds me of the sounds of my childhood," he said with his lopsided grin.
"Music is comforting to the soul. Ian was my first convert. He's thriving here… You will, too," James spoke in a soft, lilting voice.
"Here you go," Lily said, kneeling down beside Johnny so that the paramedic was between her and James. She sipped her own tea, watching to make sure that Johnny drank his, as well.
As Johnny lifted the cup to his mouth, he missed the satisfied look that passed between Lily and James.
Suddenly, a distant clanging of a bell made Johnny sit up straighter. "Uh-oh," he mumbled, knowing that the bell ringing was the same as a doorbell sounding at his apartment back in Los Angeles. It meant that someone was requesting admittance to the compound, or else, someone was lost.
The flute playing abruptly stopped, and Johnny watched as Ian trotted off to the vespa-like vehicle. It was his turn to answer the call. Johnny continued sipping the honey-sweetened tea, enjoying the nights' conversation with his two friends. Momentarily, the cart approached the fire pit where the three had been visiting with each other.
"There's three folks at the gate, James. They said they need to talk to you."
James stood up, brushing the dust off the seat of his pants. "Male or female?"
"Two male, one female," Ian replied.
James sighed, tugging on his long beard. "I see… Do you mind going up there with me? It is probably my brothers and sister, and I do not want to be alone with them."
"I don't think so," Ian answered, remembering the dark eyes and hair of the young woman, contrasted by the light skin and blue eyes of the men. It was doubtful that all three were related to each other, or to James.
"Well, if it is not my family, and if one of them is a female, I would really like to have witnesses with me, especially you, Sister Lily," he said, his eyes pleading for Lily to join them.
"Sure, we'll go," Johnny said standing, swaying slightly. "Whoa."
"Are you okay, Thorn?" Lily asked, grasping his arm.
"Yea… Jus' stood up too fast," Johnny said, offering her his sideways smile.
James looked over at Ian. "Please go tell them that I am on my way. There is not enough room in the cart for all of us to ride so we will walk." He turned to Johnny. "Are you able to walk, now?"
"Oh, yea," the paramedic responded, offering his elbow to Lily. "I'm good."
The three of them began the quarter mile walk to the entrance of the compound, while Ian rode ahead in the small cart. James inhaled deeply, dreading the task that lay ahead of him, but it was something that he had agreed to do, and James was a man of his word.