Chapter 10

Union City, Alberta Canada

Thursday, October 9,1924

When Declan and William heard the shot, they started to move towards the door. Daniel stopped them. "Let Lucas play this out. I assure you all is fine." Daniel whispered with an understanding smile.

Balfour froze as he felt the bullet whiz by his head. He had heard that Bouchard was an excellent shot, he had missed on purpose. That bullet did exactly what he wanted it to, Balfour was sure of that. Balfour laughed to himself. Bouchard was just letting him know that the next one would hit its mark, if he wanted it too.

He knew Bouchard was a man of honor and integrity but he also knew that he was a man very much in love with his wife and he would do anything he had to, to keep her and their children safe. If Bouchard believed that Balfour was a threat to them, he wouldn't hesitant to end his life. He knew in that moment he had made a mistake thinking he could come out the winner against Bouchard. Bouchard had one thing that he himself lacked; he cared about someone more than himself.

Balfour lowered his head in defeat. "I heard you were good with a gun. I assume you were just making a point with that warning shot? What do want from me?" Balfour asked quietly.

Lucas gave him his most charismatic smile. "No one wants to go through a long-protracted trial. Let's save everyone time, money and aggravation. Why don't you just sit down and write out the part you played in my attempted murder. I'll wait." Lucas said as he took his seat again.

Balfour lowered himself back into his chair. He stared at Bouchard and then reluctantly started to write. When Balfour was finished, he handed the paper to Lucas. Lucas looked it over.

"Nicely done Bix. I appreciate your cooperation." Lucas said with a satisfied smile. "Daniel, you can come in now." Lucas said loudly as he stood up again and put his gun back into his holster.

Just then three men came through the door. "Balfour, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Daniel Sterling, the director of the CSIS and the RCMP. The top cop in the country if you will. I assume you have heard of me? These other two men are agents who work for the CSIS. We heard everything that was said in here, so if you should get any ideas of pleading anything but guilty…well, let's just say more trouble than you ever thought possible will rain down on you." Daniel said with a hearty laugh. "I guess you never took in to consideration that maybe Lucas also has friends in high places. You didn't count on that did you Bix?" Daniel asked him rhetorically.

"Bix wrote out his part in the plan to eliminate me from the governor's race." Lucas told him as he handed the paper over to Daniel to look at.

Daniel looked over the written confession. "Well-written, this will do nicely. Matches Barker's scenario of events. Murphy cuff our friend." Daniel told the agent.

Balfour stared at Bouchard in utter amazement. "I have to hand it to you Bouchard. I underestimated you. You have such an unassuming, mysterious but straightforward manner about you. Something tells me that very few marks were ever able to figure you out. You must have been one hell of an agent." Balfour told him.

"He was." Daniel told him. "You messed with the wrong man."

Balfour lowered his head knowing he was a fool to have gone up against Bouchard a second time. Declan and William took a hand-cuffed Balfour out of the room to bring him to headquarters.

"Well done, my boy." Daniel said while giving Lucas a pat on the back. "Now go back to the safe house and tell your wife it's over. We will process Balfour and Barker. I assume you will be having a press conference tomorrow to tell Alberta you are back in the land of the living?" Daniel asked with a laugh.

"I have to tell my campaign manager first. He is going to be really annoyed with me." Lucas told him with an uneasy chuckle. "Daniel, thank you for all your help. I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without your help. You are someone I can always count on." Lucas said with great sincerity.

"I have always loved working with you. They don't make many like you anymore. Now go see your beautiful wife and enjoy your evening. Tomorrow will be time enough for the rest of this to play out." Lucas nodded and walked out the door relieved to have his life back.

When Lucas entered the safe house there was a CSIS agent sitting in the living area. "Governor Bouchard, did everything go ok?" The young man asked.

"Yes, we got our man." He said with a huge smile. "I was wondering if you would go over to the Gideon Hotel and get myself and Mrs. Bouchard some dinner? A salmon dinner would fine." Lucas said.

"Sir, I'm the only agent here. I don't think I should leave." The young man said nervously.

Lucas let out in a soft chuckle. "The danger has pasted for now Steven. I'm armed and you will not be gone long. Mrs. Bouchard is expecting a baby and she needs to eat. As a dead man, I can't very well walk into the hotel restaurant and order dinner." He told the young man with a cocky smile.

The young man suppressed a smile. "Yes, sir. I'm on my way." He told him.

"I'm going upstairs to join my wife. Please let me know when you are back and will eat in the kitchen." Lucas told him as the young agent nodded.

MaKayla had been pacing around their room. She was much too nervous to do anything else. Lucas opened the door to their room and upon seeing him all in one piece, MaKayla flew into his arms. "Oh Lucas, I was so worried." She said hugging him tight.

"Everything is fine." He told her hugging her just as tightly. "Balfour confessed and Daniel is booking him and Barker for attempted murder. There will not be a trial, we have both of their signed confessions. They will both go away for a very long, time. That I promise you." He told her. All of sudden MaKayla started crying.

"Doc, what's the matter." He asked as he put his finger under her chin and lifted her head so that he could look her in the eyes. He wasn't sure what he saw there, fear, relief? He took her hand and slowly walked her over to the bed to sit down.

"I'm really ok. Everything is fine. I'm just…" She told him through her tears as she started to cry harder.

Please tell me what's wrong?" He pleaded with her, unsure what to do.

She laid her head on his chest and continued to cry for a good five minutes. Lucas just held her tight. She finally lifted her head and gazed into his beautiful hazel brown eyes that were full of concern.

"Pregnancy hormones do not go well with life and death situations. I was holding it together all week being strong for Jenny. Not wanting anyone to have to worry about me. But I have you back now and I'm overjoyed that this is finally over. I guess all my pent-up fears just had to come out." She told him sheepishly.

He gently pulled her head to his chest again and head her tight. "I'm just so sorry that I put you through all this, especially when you're expecting our baby." He said in that velvety voice that always calmed her.

"Lucas this is not your fault. You know I'm not a crier by nature. I'm a very strong woman, but even I am sometimes no match for pregnancy hormones. I think you got off easy with my last pregnancy. This one perhaps not so much." She said with a giggle.

Lucas looked at her slightly alarmed not quite sure what the next five months would be like. No matter he thought, he would be there for her just has she had always been there for him. She was his very heart.

"We do have one more thing we need to take care of tonight. We need to make a telephone call to Edwin and get him to Union City. We need to have a press conference tomorrow to declare that I am back among the living and still running for re-election. I am still running for re-election, right? You're still okay with that?" He asked her. "If you want me to pull out I will."

Gazing at the man she loved; she gently cupped his face in her hands. "Lucas, please don't mistake my tears as me wanting you to quit. We decided together you would run to keep Balfour out of office. Technically that hasn't changed. There is still much left for you and I to do as the first family of Alberta. I am still all in." She told him. Lucas smiled at his wife, as long as she was with him nothing else mattered.

MaKayla got up and went to the telephone. "Good evening, Florence, this is MaKayla Bouchard. Would you please connect me to Edwin Mitchell at The Queen of Hearts." She told her.

"Oh MaKayla, let me just tell you how sorry I am about Lucas. I really have no words; his loss will be felt by so many and for many years to come especially by those of us in Hope Valley." Florence said as she became overwhelmed with deep emotion.

"Florence, thank you for your sympathy. I know Lucas would appreciate it as well."

"I'll connect you now." Florence told her through her tears.

Lucas whispered to his wife, "actually we just need to tell Florence and then everyone would know in minutes." MaKayla shot him a wry smile.

"MaKayla, where are you? I went by your house today and you weren't there. Henry left Hope Valley this morning without a word to anyone. Faith told me that you had something that you had to do. Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Edwin asked a little cross with her.

"Edwin, I am so very sorry. I promise I will explain everything to you. Right now, I need you to come to Union City tonight. It is very important. I'm at 13 Main Street. I will see you soon."

"Certainly, MaKayla I'm on my way." Edwin told her as MaKayla hung up the telephone.

There was a knock on the door, "Sir, your dinners are here." Steven told them.

"Thank you, Steven, we will be right down." Lucas looked at MaKayla, "Steven went to the Gideon and brought us back something to eat. Are you ready to go downstairs?" Lucas asked.

"Yes. After Edwin finds out about your little scheme and that you didn't let him in on it, this governor, may indeed be your last meal." MaKayla said with a laugh.

After enjoying their dinner, they waited downstairs for Edwin to come. Finally, at 9:30 p.m. there was a knock at the door. Steven came out of the other room. "I'll answer it sir." The young man told them. Lucas got up and went into the kitchen.

Steven opened the door, "Who are you?" MaKayla could hear Edwin bellow. She got up and immediately went to the door.

"Steven, you can let this gentlemen in. This is who I was expecting this evening." MaKayla told him cordially.

"Edwin, please come in. Sit down. You made good time." MaKayla told him.

"MaKayla, who is that man?" Edwin asked confused by this whole situation.

"He is a CSIS agent. This is a CSIS safe house. It is used by agents who are undercover, things like that." She told him.

"Why are you in a safe house in Union City?" I have to tell you MaKayla I am very confused." He told her perplexed as to what was going on.

"Edwin, please sit down." She told him as she led him into the living room and pointed to the armchair. "I will explain everything to you or at least try to." She told him sweetly. "Edwin, not all things are as they appear. Bixby Balfour wanted to win the election so badly that he had a contract put out on Lucas. His plane crash was not an accident, it was intentional to take Lucas out of the governor's race. And they almost succeed." She told him.

Edwin stared incredulously at the young woman in front of him. Was she so overwhelmed with grief that she suddenly forgot that there was no almost about it? They did succeed in taking Lucas out of the governor's race, he thought.

"MaKayla, I'm sorry. Have you forgotten that Lucas did indeed die in that plane crash, and he is out of the governor's race?" Edwin asked concerned about her.

"But I didn't die in that plane crash. As you can see, I am very much alive." Lucas said as he walked out of the kitchen toward them.

Edwin stared blankly at the man in front of him. He had a gash on his forehead and a black eye, but yes, he did look very much alive. "No, this can't be. I was with MaKayla at the hospital. I saw with my own two eyes." Edwin got up and walked over to Lucas. "Is it really you?" Edwin asked haltingly.

"Yes, Edwin it's really me." Lucas told him with his trademark dimpled grin. Edwin then embraced Lucas.

When he finally let him go, Edwin said. "I've never been so happy to see someone in my life." Then looking at the two of them. "Will someone please explain to me what is going on?" Edwin exclaimed.

"Have a seat and I will explain everything." Lucas told him. Lucas then proceeded to tell him about Balfour and Barker as Edwin kept shaking his head.

"Balfour is a snake and I am relieved he is on his way back to prison. But Lucas, I saw you at the hospital, up close. You certainly looked dead to me. How did you pull that off?" Edwin asked.

"In this case it pays to have a wife who is a doctor. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, I am highly susceptible to the sedation effects of morphine. MaKayla knew the right dosage to give me that would knock me out for a several hours. This allowed Declan and William to throw me over the saddle of the horse, it lowered my respirations, and kept me from having a reaction as MaKayla played the bereaved widow." He told him.

Edwin turned to MaKayla. "You were very convincing. MaKayla, you really should forget about being a doctor and become an actress. So, who else knew about this ruse?" Edwin asked.

"Edwin, I'm sorry we kept you in the dark but since you are our lead with the newspapers, it was important that you were believable. In order for this whole plan to work, everyone had to truly believe I was dead. You did your job well. Everyone bought it especially Balfour and Barker. We got them, Edwin. Balfour will no longer be running for governor. Now I need you to arrange a press conference for tomorrow so I can come back to life publicly." Lucas told him with sincerity.

"OK, we can hold a press conference at the Gideon Hotel. I will tell the press that MaKayla has a statement to make about everything that has happened the past few days. I will go check into the Gideon and make arrangements to use their conference space and start working the phones." Edwin told them.

"Thank you, Edwin, I appreciate everything you have done for me." Lucas told his friend.

"I should be so angry with you Lucas, but right now I am so happy your alive that I can't find it in my heart to be angry with you. I have lots of work to do. I will be back in the morning to discuss our plan. Have a good evening." Edwin said as he got up to leave.

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Union City, Alberta, Canada

Friday October 10, 1924

The sun was streaming through the bedroom window as Lucas gazed over at his sleeping wife. She was so beautiful but more than that she was absolutely everything he could ask for in a life partner. Four years ago this month, he was as broken as any man could be but yet through it all, there she was by his side helping and encouraging him. She gave him back his life literally and figuratively. After Elizabeth, he never believed he could love someone the way he had loved her. But he was so wrong. MaKayla first came into his life as a gentle breeze and then before long she had swept him up and wrapped him in her love and showed him the way out of the darkness. How could he ever give back to her everything she had given him. Loving her was easy, but he felt he owed her so much more than he could ever repay.

Just then MaKayla stirred taking him out of his musing, as she cuddled closer to him putting her head on his chest. "Good morning, my love." Lucas told her.

"To wake up in your arms, is all I need." MaKayla told him.

"That's it. No coffee, pancakes, eggs, bacon." Lucas teased her.

"Ok, maybe I do need some of that. I am eating for two." She said lazily.

"Can I start your day off with anything else?" Lucas asked coyly.

"Oh my, Mr. Bouchard what do you have in mind?" MaKayla asked sweetly as Lucas rolled her over on to her back.

"Well, Mrs. Bouchard, can I interest you in a little love making before breakfast?" He asked as he kissed her shoulder and gently pulled the strap of her nightgown down her arm.

"The whole time you were missing, I dreamed of you doing just that. I am all yours's governor." She said as she kissed him passionately.

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At 10 a.m. Lucas, MaKayla and Daniel made their way over to the Gideon Hotel, going in the back door. Lucas had a hat and the collar to his coat was pulled up around his face. Lucas stayed in the back room as MaKayla and Daniel joined Edwin out front.

"Good morning, Edwin. I assumed everything is all set? Were you able to make a live radio broadcast possible as well?" MaKayla asked.

"Yes, I was. The press knows you are making some kind of announcement about Lucas. Exactly what that will be they are not sure. After the performance you gave at the hospital, this one will be very easy for you." Edwin said with a teasing smile.

Edwin stepped to the podium. "Thank you all for coming this morning. The governor's wife, MaKayla Bouchard would like to make a statement regarding her husband." Edwin stepped back next to Daniel and let MaKayla take center stage.