Chapter 42

Trying once again to call her, AJ got no answer so drove over to her apartment. The windows to her place were dark and there was no answer at her door. Not knowing where else to look for her he headed home, determined to find her the next day. She would not get away with what she had done to Mac.

Arriving home, AJ wasn't surprised to hear Dammit setting up a ruckus. Because he hadn't been home the night before the poor dog had to be starving. Removing his heavy overcoat AJ headed to the mudroom door to let her out and feed her.

Before he could get the door open he sensed movement behind him, unfortunately before he could turn to see who it was, he felt the jab of a needle in his arm. Whatever was in the syringe burned as it entered his system, he heard Vicky's voice say, "I've injected you with a neuro-toxin, it won't kill you it will only paralyze you while leaving you mentally alert."

As he felt his legs weaken and start to give out from under him, she slid his office chair under him. She laughed as he fell into it and the rolled him into the office. He could hear Dammit's barks turn frantic as she sensed something was wrong.

Miles away in a hospital bed, Mac sat up straight gasping AJ's name. Disconnecting the tubes and needles, Mac stiffly got out of bed. Hobbling to the closet with a groan, she dressed as quickly as her injuries allowed her. Her uniform that she had on when she was brought in, was not in the best of shape. It had milk and bloodstains as well as holes and burns, but there was nothing else for her to wear. She was glad to find her shoes were in the closet too.

To say the guard at her door was startled when she opened it and started pass him was an understatement. "Colonel! Where do you think you're going?"

"AJ's in trouble and I'm going to save him," she answered.

"AJ?" the guard questioned.

"Admiral Chegwidden, to you," she replied.

"The Admiral told me not to let you out of my sight and I'm sure he can take care of himself. You should be in bed."

"I'm going to McLean to rescue the Admiral! If you're not supposed to let me out of your sight, then you can drive Private."

Knowing when he was out ranked, the young man followed the Colonel and once they were outside led her to his vehicle. Mac pushed him to break every speed limit between Bethesda and McLean.

Vicky wheeled AJ up behind his desk and he could see that his computer was on. Reading the screen in front of him he realized she had considerately written a suicide note for him. It read:

To whom it may concern,

I, AJ Chegwidden, can no longer live with the shame and remorse of what I did to Louise Tate all those years ago. My callous treatment of her caused her to marry a man who was unworthy of her. Her abuse at his hands, and the men that came after him, was ultimately my fault. I recently learned of her death and was devastated at the loss. However, being the lecherous animal that I am, I couldn't stop myself from seducing her daughter. I can no longer live with the debased human that I have become and therefore have decided to end my life.

AJ Chegwidden

All he could do was shoot her an angry stare. Vicky smiled evilly at him in response, and said, "It is all your fault you know and this will finally give my mother the peace she deserves. Killing her abusive lovers never seemed to be enough."

Seeing the disbelief in his eyes she told him, "The first one really was an accident, I pushed him away from me and he fell and hit his head on the fireplace. The second one, however, wasn't. I slashed Tony's brake lines and because he lived in the hills he made a wonderful crash when he reached the bottom. After that, each successive one became easier. Don was in a drunken stupor one night and I simply lit one of his cigarettes and tossed it in bed with him."

Vicky was pacing the room in front of the desk as she got into her story. "You know yours isn't the first suicide note I've written for someone else, Barry Johnson took a dive, well ok got pushed off, of his high-rise balcony. It didn't take long to write a suicide note and disappear before he was found."

To be continued…..