The Immortal: The Next Generation (PILOT: On going series)
By Summer
Beta read by Achila
Class: Slash AND Het (This story contains homosexual and heterosexual relationships, can’t handle it, bye!) Not sure, what category this would fit into. It’s not a RPS but its not Original fiction either.
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, not in anyway. I wish I did. Loved this tv series. Oh well, but I can play can’t I, at least until someone digs this old series out and makes a new one out of it.
Ratings: For now R (For strong language and sexual content), will announce when it gets a little more NC-17.
Writer’s note: This story is based on the tv series that aired from 1969-71, The Immortal, starring Christopher George as Ben Richards, and Don Knight as Mr. Fletcher. It is based on Bob Specht and James Gunn’s adaptation. Paramount owns the rights and I own nothing. I loved the TV series and for the longest time, I have been wanting to write a continuation of this wonderful, but short-lived series, hopefully also with a breath of fresh air to it as well, introducing new characters, new and old villains and new friends. This story takes place roughly twenty years after The Immortal TV series, therefore, putting us somewhere in the early 1990's. I will, as need dictates, add historical references.
Also, as the writer of The Next Generation, I am putting in some of my own characters (These are mine, please don‘t take them!). As this story is set about twenty years later, I wanted to give Ben Richards a son who goes in search of his father. For some of the characters, I am putting certain actors' names in so as to suggest who I would love to have in the role of that character (and who you should picture when you read this!).
I am giving this story an updated outlook, which also means I am going to add some taboo moments, like issues dealing with nonconsensual relationships and bondage issues. Problem with that? Oh sorry, guess you'd better stop reading and go away now. Thanks for dropping by! As I said, this story is more adult and so anyone under the age of eighteen should go away.
Oh and one last thing. No, I am not a fan who believes that Dom Monaghan and Elijah Wood are gay and secret lovers. I’m not implying this in the story. I simply wanted to write a continuation of The Immortal with these actors playing the roles of these characters that I‘ve created. Ok? This story is not about the real celebrity Elijah Wood or Dominic Monaghan. We clear on this? Good. Enjoy the story!
Feedback: Always love to hear it, I can handle it! Flame me, I delete you. Praise me and let me know I delight you. Want to make some suggestions. I am willing to listen.
Celebrity fun:
Elijah (Richards) Chevalier : Elijah Wood
Fletcher: Don Knight (Who else could play Fletcher)
Dom Fletcher: Dominic Monaghan
Nigel Saxon II: Nigel Bennett
Jean Chevalier: Demi Moore
Vincent Caesar: Adrian Paul
Jericho: Sean Astin
Billy Adams: (Not in pilot, coming soon) Billy Boyd (In the series, Epi 3)
Ben Richards: (Since Chris George passed away in 1983- I selected an actor who could possibly play the role)
Geraint Wyn Davies(As I add more characters: more will be added to each story, think of it as a tv or movie and picture with that character...yeah, now you got it!)
Part One: Graduation Day (Ratings: R for strong language)
Helpless to do anything, Elijah could only hang on and wait for the worst to be over -- the worst being thrown into a garbage dumpster. As soon as the four bullies had gone, Elijah dared to look out from under the lid. He groaned as he felt something wet hit his side. Yuck.
Music could be heard in the background -- Pomp and Circumstances -- announcing the beginning of Graduation. If he didn’t hurry, he would miss it. But staring at his now rumpled and dirty commencement outfit, he wasn’t sure what to do.
A sudden noise caught his attention and Elijah looked to the side to see a slighter taller young man, about a year older then him, lean against the dumpster with a wry smile on his face. The young man had light brown hair and blue-gray eyes, and the appearance of a bit of beard on his face. He was handsome-looking, with a sly and devilish aura about him that made Elijah not sure whether to turn and run or just simply laugh.
Of course, Elijah recognized the young man at once as Dominic Fletcher, THE richest boy in the entire high school. Elijah had known him since freshmen year and never could figure out why Dom came to a public school when his rich daddy could have sent him to a private school in Paris somewhere. Why Dom, who had more friends then homework, seemed to always find his way into his world, he didn't know. Elijah didn’t feel very special and it perplexed him to have a friend like Dom.
His father had died long before he was born, leaving his mother to work very hard just to make a living. Grandpa tried to help as much as he could, but last year, he had fallen ill from cancer and died two months ago. Elijah still remembered the beautiful flower arrangement that was laid beside his grandpa, sent by Dom with heartfelt sympathy. It had been a kind thought, but it confused Elijah.
He and Dom were worlds apart. Dom grew up in the upper class world of boarding schools in England and Scotland while Elijah went to the state-funded district schools. Elijah loved computers and Dom loved parties. Elijah loved nature and saving the animals, and Dom loved to hunt those animals for sport. Elijah loved the old music of the seventies and early eighties, while Dom loved hard rock and roll. Elijah loved and craved the limelight of the stage and the drama of acting, while Dom’s whole life seemed to be one act after another. Elijah was forever trying to get out of trouble, while Dom was forever getting into trouble. One smile, though, and Dom was usually off the hook. Dom had charm, style, and money while Elijah had...well, Elijah didn’t know what he had. He had always been shy and a bit clumsy, and it also seemed that he had really no close friends other then Dom.
Still, after four years of high school together, Elijah found that in his worst moments, Dom always seemed to appear to rescue him. Like now.
Elijah glanced at his gown and sighed, laying out a hand for some help. Dom only shook his head, smiling his usual charming smile.
“Why do you always let those guys do that to you?”
“Because I’m outnumbered and they’re bigger then I am,” was all Elijah could reply.
Dom laughed and helped the handsome young man out of the trash. Collecting himself, Elijah looked once more at Dom, trying to understand why Dom ever bothered with a nobody like him?
. . .
Dom could only grin at the sight set before him. Since the first day he spotted the youth, Dom couldn’t understand why such a diamond in the rough had been so badly ignored. Didn’t Elijah know how beautiful he was? But then, Elijah was even more than that. Strikingly handsome was more like it, from the slim, lithe body, to the pale and unblemished soft skin, to the dark mop of unruly brown curls on his head. The big, blue eyes that seemed capable of popping out at any moment were the most exquisite feature of all. They were like sapphires. And there was also something else. He had a glow that made him stand out, was special in a unique way that left Dom mesmerized like a deer caught in headlights.
Thoughout high school, Elijah had been bypassed or pushed aside. Oh, there were a few girls that looked his way but Dom would make short work of them. Oh no, girls, this one is mine. You can’t have him.
Dom would often flirt with these girls, knowing full well that Elijah was far too shy to do anything about it. Then, once the girls were interested, Dom would drop them like a hot potato. He might feel compassion once in a while and send them flowers, possibly, or give them a few smiles, but that was it. Not that he didn’t like girls. Mind you, he liked them a great deal, but he also privately knew where his sexual preferences also led.
This was Dom's secret, and he cared little who knew. He was bisexual and proud of it. Why shouldn’t he be? He could enjoy both the fair sexes without putting aside one or the other. Dom had made many conquests in his short life and he hoped to have many more to come. He just wished that out of all those conquests, he could figure out why this one, Elijah Chevalier, was the one that not only caught his eye, but never left his heart. It was a hunger that never dissolved. Instead of fading, through the years, it seemed only to deepen and worsen.
Stopping his thoughts right there, Dom laughed again at the tattered remains, of his high school friend.
“You’re a mess.”
“What are you doing?”
An hour later, Elijah stood and hurried to the podium to receive his diploma, followed by Dom, who held it up before the cheering audience. Elijah simply clapped. Laughing, Dom moved to Elijah’s side and pointed into the crowd.
Following the finger, Elijah was relieved to see his mother standing in the back, watching the event with soft, teary eyes. Relieved, Elijah clasped Dom’s hand in congratulations.
Their moment had come.
***
“Mom! You made it!”
The dark haired woman, who seemed to match Elijah’s looks, only with more feminine results, hugged her son and then did the same to Dom, who was standing behind them.
“Miss my son’s graduation? Not a chance. Penny is going to watch the cafe until I get back. Oh Elijah, you look wonderful. I’m so proud of you!”
Promising to see his mother later, Elijah followed Dom out to the parking lot, where a brand new, red Mustang sports car waited.
“Wow, this car is hot!”
It wasn’t long before they were on the highway.
“You can open your eyes now. I’m under a hundred.”
After a short time, Elijah shut off the radio and admired the scenery of the California coastline flashing by them.
“I didn’t see your dad.”
Dom shrugged, and for once, he did not appear upset over the topic. “He’s in London with the Old Saxon, working out a deal with some scientific board. Some kind of project that should add about six zeros to his wallet.”
“Yeah, I know -- your mom needs you.”
Elijah looked away and swallowed. “That too. We barely get by as it is. I couldn’t add to my mom’s burden, even if the scholarships would pay my tuition.”
“Your mom is a cool woman, Elijah. Beautiful too. I wonder why she never remarried.”
“You don’t mean that! I would've given anything to know my dad. To be with him.”
Dom pulled up to a sidewalk and watched as Elijah got out in front of a little seedy bar. The sign blinked "Alex's" in broken neon.
“So, will you come?”
Part Two Memories of the Past (Ratings: R for strong language)
He sipped his champagne -- only the finest vintage -- and then raising his hand, he hit the remote. Once again, the screen came to life.
The scene seemed to be in slow motion. It looked pretty old, perhaps twenty or so years, and showed a building and a man running inside, dressed in jeans and carrying a duffle bag. A moment later, six men chased after him. Just as they reached the entrance, the whole place exploded into flames, followed by the entire building collapsing.
Putting down the drink, the man rewound the tape and played it again. Then again. And again.
“For crying out loud, Fletcher, shut that thing off. Enough already.”
They should be arriving in L.A. shortly. He had hoped to be on time for his son’s graduation, but pressing news had kept him from getting back early enough. One more strike against him towards his son, but it couldn’t be helped. Against his better judgment, Fletcher had allowed Saxon to propose a new project, pitched to a London scientific lab corporation, which turned out to be a total waste of his time.
It really annoyed Fletcher to no end that his partner in Fletcher and Saxon Medical Science Institute, seemed to always look for the "next best thing" that would add to their already multi-billion dollar company. Fletcher was slowly losing interest as each project turned out to be more ludicrous then the last. This one was no different.
James Kyle Bates, an old friend of Saxon’s and now the head of the London science board, wanted them to fund a project called PBI, which stood for "Powers Beyond Imagination".
It was known that some humans held true gifts that were abnormal in society. Special beings were often shunned for being different and Bates and Saxon desired to get their hands on these people. Fletcher himself knew of one special man that briefly entered his life and as a result, he had at first held some interest in the proposed deal.
But after meeting Bates, he knew that something was not exactly on the "up and up". Checking on his background, Fletcher was not surprised to find that Bates counted among his friends many influential and powerful politicians and military men.
Keeping his opinions to himself, Fletcher had already decided against the deal. Saxon, however, was not giving up, even after Fletcher informed his partner that he would not go along with it. It would not only present Saxon’s name to some influential world leaders, but also add some new interests to his already rare collection.
That is, of course, how he and Saxon met, almost fifteen years ago. Fletcher had been down on his luck, but had managed to acquire a few valuable commodities that Saxon desired as well. The two had started out as competitors and eventually met on common ground. A year later, they started a corporation that made them both very wealthy men. But over time, as Fletcher's interest slowly faded, Saxon’s interests only increased.
Fletcher knew what had caused him to lose interest, to lose interest in all things. Not the death of his wife, Anna Jovanka. No. The loss of interest in life had been because of Ben Richards vanishing off the face of the planet. All trails lead to dead ends and he could not accept that Ben was dead, despite the evidence.
He was a father now and should have shown more interest in his own personal life, but it didn‘t work out that way. Fletcher had never even wanted a son. Even at Dom’s birth, he had been less then elated about the whole thing. But for Anna’s sake, he had faked his joy, and allowed Anna to show off the child in the inner circles of England and Scotland.
But after her death, Fletcher found himself adrift in contradiction. Not that he hadn't come to love the boy in time, because he did love his son, but he tended to avoid spending any time with him. Dom had turned out to be one disappointment after another. Instead of being a predatory mercenary like his father, the boy was becoming a rich, spoiled kid. Oh, Dom was smart, alright -- if he put his mind to it. But he seemed to continually make bad choices that enraged Fletcher, choices that included the wrong friends, the wrong school -- shit, he had plunked himself down in some ghetto in LA, hadn't he, when he could've been associating with all the right people in a London private school. What would he get in LA besides deadbeats and lowlifes?
Fletcher had washed his hands of the boy two weeks ago when he found out that of all the colleges his son could have gone to, he had chosen some small, community school. Will the boy never grow up? Won't any of his father’s traits come out? Instead of being the ambitious overachiever like him, his son seemed hellbent on being a nothing.
That's it. He had no choice. He would have to talk to him. Convince the boy in some way to go to a better college. And maybe in the end, Fletcher would have to use blackmail. He would threaten to remove his inheritance. Dom would fight and argue and even scream his bloody head off. But eventually he would come around to his father’s way of thinking. Years from now, Dom would thank him.
“Steel!”
“They never found a body.”
“Provided the blood transfusions are given every few months.”
He also knew that Saxon came from a rich family and enjoyed hunting and sports. That was it. Not even where he shopped for his clothes or if he had any heirs, legal or illegal, in this world. Someday, Fletcher vowed he would delve deeper into his partner's past to learn more about this enigma.
“Ben was very adept at hiding. If it wasn’t for this,” Fletcher slammed his hands on the legs that would not move, “I would have continued the chase in person. I would have been there to prevent that explosion and...Ben would be mine.”
“I have already told you. I don’t trust this Bates.”
***
The party was already under way when Dom made his appearance. Sure enough, Elijah had been right. Attending the party were four women about Mrs. Chevalier’s age, talking animatedly about her son going to college and being a computer processor. Elijah, however, remained in the kitchen, looking his usual unhappy self and munching on cold pizza.
On the table were his presents for Graduation.
It was his mother’s gift, however, that had him reduced him to his current state. She had given him a photograph, framed in gold, of his father.
Elijah, who had never met his father or seen any pictures of him, had been brought to tears. His mother had said that while cleaning out some old junk from under her bed, she had stumbled upon it. She thought this would be the ideal time to give it to him. Elijah had been overwhelmed and hugged his mother emotionally before sitting down at the table.
While munching on the remains of the pizza, he stared at the old worn photograph. He could see his father standing in front of a store, dressed in jeans with a duffle bag at his feet, smiling. In his arms was his mom in her younger days. She was looking at his father, appearing to be very much in love.
“So, that's your dad?”
“Nice gifts. Wal-mart gift certificate...cool. Nintendo...oh man, you’re busting!”
“What do you know about him?”
“Not much. My mom met him while she was working as a waitress at Alice’s Diner in San Francisco. She was about twenty at the time. She was saving for college. She said that he had walked in and asked for a hamburger and a piece of chocolate pie. Then he asked her for a walk in the park. She said it was love at first sight. She said that he used to be a car test driver and that he had left it to travel. He got a job working at a construction company and a few months later, he gave her an engagement ring. They were going to be married. Then, then...there was an accident at the construction site and...he died.”
But Dom only smiled at his friend's confusion and pointed out the window, obviously wanting Elijah to look.
There stood the red sports car.
“Oh no.”
***
The ambulances roared to life and hurried away from the scene, taking its passengers to the nearest hospital as fast as possible.
***
Elijah felt the air whip through his hair as he drove down the highway with the radio blasting The Beach Boys "Fun, Fun, Fun". For the first time, he felt on top of the world.
Dom grimaced at the music, but seeing Elijah’s delight, he leaned back and allowed him to kick loose and have some real fun for a change. Elijah had always been too high strung.
As he stared at the young man beside him, Dom thought about everything that mattered in his life and realized that only one thing or person did. Elijah. The problem was, Dom had always found it difficult to share, and Elijah was one of those things. He made certain to shoo the girls away and any guys that tried to befriend him, Dom made certain to drive them off too. No, Elijah was his, and he didn't intend to share him with anyone.
“So what do you intend to do during the summer?” asked Dom.
Smiling widely, Elijah replied, “Drive!”
Elijah laughed and shrugged. “I was going to work at the warehouse downtown.”
***
The following day, Elijah arrived at the cafe to see that many people had arrived and were already donating blood. Filling out the forms, Elijah was more then happy to help out and in the process, got a free meal. Unfortunately, Dom never showed up.
It wasn’t until he was sitting down, eating, that a nearby newspaper caught his attention:
Plane Crash, Billionaire Tycoon Steel Fletcher Not Expected To Live!
Without even a wave to his mother, Elijah left behind his food, leaped into his car and made for the hospital.
***
The packages of blood were loaded onto the truck. One of the men turned to the driver and nodded.
“Better hurry up and get this load to St Regis Hospital -- they're gonna need this soon for the plane crash victims and that bus accident this morning on 1-11.”
***
Elijah hurried through the entrance and ran down the corridor towards the emergency lobby. He wasn’t surprised to see Dom coming out of a room, looking deeply troubled.
“Dom!”
Without a thought, Elijah hugged his friend and Dom more then welcomed it. Even as troubled as he was, he took that moment to smell Elijah’s hair. Freshly washed with...green apple shampoo. Nice. Really nice.
Pulling away, Elijah looked at Dom, not seeing the flushed look on his friend’s face.
Dom sat down in a nearby seat, rubbing his face with his hands. “A thousand times, Elijah. A thousand times I wished he were dead. Now, seeing him in that bed all hooked up with those wires...I would give anything....”
“Dom, your dad?”
After a few moments, Dom got up and headed towards the nearby elevators.
“Come on. Let’s get something to eat.”
Swallowing, Elijah followed.
***
The young doctor finished the orders and the nurses hurried to comply.
In one room, a dying billionaire, deep in a coma, was prepared for a blood transfusion. The pouch read Type O, had been part of the new shipment that had just arrived. In minutes, the blood poured from the tube and into the vein.
One hour later, the same nurse came in to check her patient, only to find something odd about Mr. Fletcher. His face no longer looked pale and if she didn’t know better, she would've said he actually looked much better. Healthy, even. Checking the instruments, she turned and shouted for the doctor.
***
The doctor was just making his last rounds when he was ordered to the private room. He arrived just in time to see that his patient was starting to come out of his coma.
“He’s alive, Doctor, its a miracle!” cried the nurse.
The doctor only looked on at the readings and turned to Fletcher in surprise. Impossible. It was impossible.
***
In the cafeteria, Dom had long since given up eating and now sipped at his coffee. Elijah sat opposite him, staring out the window at the vast city.
“Guess, I’ll be inheriting my dad’s estate sooner then I thought.”
That was all Dom said his eyes never leaving the coffee mug.
Elijah shook his head. “After everything...I mean, if the worst happens, maybe you can come along. Get away from all this?”
Alone, Elijah watched him go, feeling more helpless then ever before.
***
Dom was just about to walk into the room when he heard a loud commotion. Going in, he saw his father sitting up and vehemently shouting at Dr. Stanton and the entire staff, asking where the blood he had received came from.
Dom was not only shocked to see his father awake, but that there was something different about him. If Dom didn’t know any better, he'd think that he actually looked younger. His white hair now had a golden sheen and the wrinkles that lined his face were gone. Instead of a man in his sixties, he looked to be in his late forties.
“Father?”
Dom, feeling more then rebuffed, stormed out.
***
Elijah was just backing up his car when the passenger door opened and a figure got in. Closing the door, Dom put on his seatbelt.
Elijah stared at Dom in confusion.
“My old man appears to have nine lives. Looks like he’s going to live after all. Take me home.”
“What?”
Part Three The Truth is Out There (R rating)
Saxon redressed himself and without getting the nurses' permission, he left his room in search of Fletcher. He found him in a room down the hall, still yelling at Dr. Stanton and several nurses.
“Fletcher, calm down!” Saxon at once took control and putting a gentle hand on Fletcher’s shoulder, confronted the nurses in the room. “Leave, please.”
“Doctor...Dr. Stanton?”
David Stanton didn’t look up right away, but instead, continued to take readings and check the nearby monitors. Stanton had been in Saxon’s and Fletcher’s employ for the past five years. A reserved and quiet man, he was obedient to his employers in every way. He always did as they bid and always got them what they wanted -- on time and within budget. He was tall and stood almost the same height as Saxon, minus an inch or so, with short, dark brown hair and deep brown eyes that sent a woman’s heart thumping. But he rarely had time for women. He often worked in the labs, and on the side, he was the personal physician to Fletcher and Saxon.
“Just a moment,” Finally, after a long pause, the doctor looked up at the two men. “I don’t understand it. I just don’t understand it. You were dying. Internal bleeding and...it just stopped. There was really nothing we could do....”
“Yes, to try to buy you some time.”
“Find out where that blood came from and who the donor was," he told him. "Make sure the inquiries are made quietly and without getting any attention from the media.”
***
“Wow, this place is fantastic!” Elijah stared with glazed-over eyes.
The Fletcher estate was barred by two huge, black, metal gates, within which were over fifty acres of land. In the center of the estate stood a huge, three-story mansion that reminded Elijah of the movie, "Salem’s Lot". Only, the house was better kept and looked brand new, and yet it still gave an air of uneasiness.
There were several security men and guards with dogs running the perimeter. New cars and limos lined the parking area and Elijah was just getting out of his own car when he spotted the pool.
“Oh man! You have your own pool!”
“Yes, we also have a stable, a tennis court on the west side of the estate as well as a personal gym and target area, not to mention this fine mansion. Let's see. Thirty rooms -- that's twelve bedrooms, two kitchens, one big dining room, two living rooms, ten bathrooms, reading room, playroom and a library. Oh, and did I forget, we also have a Japanese garden in the back of the house?”
“Oh Dom, wow, this is fantastic. Have you always lived here?”
In the gourmet kitchen made of pure marble, Elijah found Dom slicing an apple. He handed Elijah one piece and ate the other for himself.
Elijah spotted an elderly woman nearby, peeling potatoes. “Hi.” He smiled and waved.
The Hispanic woman smiled warmly and then returned to her work. Probably the first time anyone had so much as acknowledged her.
Taking Elijah into the hallway, they by-passed a huge dining room that seated at least ten and had an enormous crystal chandelier dangling above the table. Dom then led him past a spacious living room that had a big screen TV in the wall.
“Holy cow, Dom, you have a 55-inch TV!”
Minutes later they were in Dom’s room. It was huge, just like all the others, and had a king-sized bed with satin sheets. The room itself had a jungle appearance; it was painted in various forest colors and had both statues of animals and real, stuffed animals as decorations. Elijah paused to look at the deer’s head and touched it solemnly. Dom saw the sad look on his friend’s face and remembered that Elijah never liked seeing any creatures hurt. He couldn’t even watch the news when beached whales landed on some coastline somewhere. Dom, however, didn’t feel the same way. Animals were put on this earth for human consumption -- for food and entertainment.
Still, seeing Elijah’s expression, he softly spoke out. “Don’t worry -- that one's fake. I just liked it -- that’s all.”
Relieved, Elijah dropped onto the nearby couch with relish. Dom even had a window view of the Japanese garden.
“This is really awesome. I would be content to stay here for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t even want to go to school.”
“Shit, Elijah, hell no! I would have brought you. I just never knew when the old man would come home and I never...I didn’t want him poisoning you.”
He had heard about such things. Some would have called it lust and perhaps this was a form of it. Dom only knew that whether awake or asleep, his mind always turned to Elijah Chevalier. He knew that Elijah liked girls, or at least he showed interest mostly in women, and that had precluded Dom from revealing his feelings. How would he react? Would Elijah be disgusted? Would he run for his life? Or would he fall deliriously into his arms?
Well, if Elijah didn’t fall into his arms, perhaps he could persuade him to do so. Money? Everyone had a price, didn’t they? That was the one thing he learned from his ever absent father -- that everyone could be bought. You just had to find the right key.
“What are you talking about?”
Finishing his apple, Dom continued his narration. “We also have fifteen servants, ten security officers and five regular guards. My dad even has his own private body guard. A real Samurai Master. No kidding!”
Turning towards it, Elijah finally saw the peeping camera poised at him.
“Eww, that could be unnerving.”
He had tried to drown the feeling in other people. Some girls, some jock testing the waters. He even got into sport hunting. Dom could shoot a robin’s eye with an arrow at 200 feet, was also pretty damn good with a gun, and not too shabby at hand to hand combat. He had thought perhaps some classes might help. Swimming. Cooking. He had even gone to church, a Catholic Church, and he wasn’t even Catholic.
Desperate, Dom finally saw a therapist. Twenty-five thousand dollars later, it didn’t change the fact that he was still very much in love with Elijah. Did that make him bisexual? He thought so, although the therapist diagnosed it as an obsession and a need to control others. The therapist even had the nerve to tell him that he was borderline delusional psychotic and lacked a moral conscience. Dom stopped attending the sessions.
“Gee, I always thought it was kind of fun. I used to get quite a kick undressing in front of it. Give the security guards a little show. What a thrill.”
*Yes, someday you are going to be mine. I will find the key and your price.*
***
A little while later, Dom was lounging in a chair in the back yard, a lemonade by his side on the table, while Elijah borrowed a pair of Dom’s shorts and took a dip in the pool. After twenty or so laps, Elijah climbed out, dripping wet. Dom licked his lips but hid it by sipping his lemonade. God, he looked ravishing. That was exactly what he would like to do, just throw Elijah on the patio and ravish him. Dom took another long gulp of his drink.
Elijah took his drink and joined Dom on the patio, lying in the lounge chair opposite him. “All that’s missing is some girls,” he said casually with a grin, putting on the shades that Dom had brought out earlier. Dom raised an eyebrow at that, then leaned back against the lounge chair, put on his own shades and closed his eyes, enjoying the sun.
“Dom, do you want to talk about it?”
“I didn’t exist. The only attention he ever paid me was when he was demeaning me. What little he could afford to give me, that is. He never even told me, not once, that he loved me.”
“What?”
A few hours later, Elijah headed for home. Alone, Dom headed for the target area. The main guard had already set it up. Taking out his bow, he waited for the right moment and then at two-hundred paces, he nocked an arrow and let it fly. It hit the bullseye of the red target. Taking a few more paces back, Dom reloaded and did the same thing. Again he got it, dead on.
He shot five more times, each time hitting his target, only one straying slightly off its mark. Once done, Dom turned and entered the firing range. Putting on the earmuffs and loading up the hand pistol, he took careful aim and fired repeatedly at the paper form. He hit a deadly mark each time.
Lowering the gun, Dom removed the muffs and nodded.
“In some ways, Father, we are alike. Someday, you’ll see that. I‘ll prove it to you that I am the Son of Fletcher.”
***
Two days later, Monday Morning, Fletcher and Saxon Medical Science Institute
“I approved moving Fletcher to his home sometime later today. Because of all the publicity, I’ve increased security at his home and at the Institute.”
“We have the location and the number of people who gave donations at that Red Cross blood drive in L.A.” David handed him a folder packed with names.
Saxon paused to open it and looked at the list.
“Sixty two people in total. We’re still running background checks on them and should have them for you by the end of the week.”
“What else can you tell me about Ben Richard‘s blood and the blood transfusion given to Fletcher. What will happen when this special blood begins to dilute out of Fletcher’s body? Will he die?” Asked David Stanton. His curiosity had been peeked ever since he had learned about this special blood.
"Well, Fletcher was dying from injuries sustained from the plane crash, internal bleeding, which you and your medical staff couldn't stop. However with this special, unknown, blood it must have somehow allowed Fletcher's system the time it needed to fix itself. Although the special blood he was given will dilute out of his system in three or so months, or so I have been told by Steel, his body will not suddenly start bleeding again. He will however return to normal aging and capable of getting any disease he comes in contact with. To become immortal, he or the one who receives the blood would have to have periodic transfusion's from this individual, essentially, we will be forced to control this immortal’s life permanently."
David rubbed his chin as if deciding whether to mention something else, also of vital importance. Saxon noticed the look and raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Speak.”
“I didn’t know if you wanted me to give you an update on...you know who?”
“...And, he was in a coma for about three months. They labeled him a John Doe. When he woke up, he had no memory of who he was. He stayed there at the hospital for about a month or so. He apparently healed a dying girl from a car accident. They tried to learn more about him and his abilities but he escaped.”
“Do you want the investigator to continue the search for the mysterious John Doe? We can’t be certain if this is him.”
***
“Oh balls, Dom, you didn’t tell me the place WAS the pentagon!”
Elijah removed his shades and whistled. Dom simply laughed.
Seeing the gate guard come over towards them, Dom waved at him. “Hi Kevin.”
“Sorry, we ran into traffic.”
***
“This is Cheryl and of course, this is Sarah, who works for both my dad and Mr. Saxon.”
“A pleasure to meet you. I was beginning to worry about this little rascal. He has never introduced me to his friends.”
“As hard a man as he is, I'm so glad your father is doing well. They mentioned he was being sent home with a private nursing staff.”
“That was Congressmen Powell. Saxon, I guess, needs something done and somebody must have had the nerve to say 'no' to him.”
“I look forward to seeing you every day...you too, handsome.” She batted her eyes at Elijah and it was just then that Dom’s manner changed. Just for a moment, a dangerous glare entered his eyes and then, it was gone.
In control, Dom pulled Elijah along with him. “We'll write these out and then I’ll take you to the computer programming building.”
***
Ordered to stay in bed, Fletcher grudgingly had to obey. Not that he liked it. Bored and unable to get any work done since Saxon refused to let any of his calls through to the Institute, he was forced to at least find something to occupy his mind.
An hour or so later one of his men brought him a black suitcase. Dismissing the man, Fletcher opened the case and poured through its contents. Several photographs were within and a great many files and papers.
Taking out the photos, Fletcher looked them over. They appeared to be quite old and the same man appeared in all of them. One had a picture of him in jeans, holding a duffle bag and running down a street. Another had him in a white uniform, getting on a bus. Another had him inside a car. Fletcher marveled at the handsome man who looked to be in his early forties. He had dark brown hair, deep blue eyes and very white teeth. He was tall and had broad shoulders and a very slim waist. With the hard jaw, he was certainly a masculine man with rugged looks. Not exactly beautiful, but he had an attractive quality that caused a great many women to look his way.
Ben Richards.
Fletcher could still remember his younger days clearly, when, in his own prime, he was racing down those streets in an attempt to capture the Immortal for his clients Braddock, and later, Arthur Maitland. Times had changed since then. He was older now and crippled.
He sighed and still remembered the car crash that had him pinned inside of a burning car. He should have died, and would have if his prey hadn’t come back for him.
Ben was always a caring soul, always so emotional. Ben had pulled him from the wreckage. The explosion hit just as Ben deposited him on the sidewalk.
For a few minutes, he and Ben just stared at the flames and the remains of the car. Then, Ben had gotten to his feet. Fletcher somehow found the courage to take the gun out and point it at his prey.
Ben glowered in anger. “Some thanks.”
“You’re such a bastard, Fletcher.”
It was not their last confrontation. There had been one more, just before Ben’s death. To this day, it still troubled him. Fletcher closed his eyes, sighing painfully. Opening them again, he put the pictures back and then closed the suitcase. So much for keeping his own emotions in check, but then, whenever dealing with Ben Richards, they never did stay neutral. He had truly felt pity for Ben. What a dilemma to find out you're immortal and being chased by greedy, rich men craving eternal life. Ben was so happy before all of this. A fiancee, a career, all the makings of a normal existence. Then life threw in its wench and all the screws came loose.
Fletcher had to smile. How he did miss the chase. But he knew then and he knew now that Ben was still alive and he would find him. In the end, Fletcher would win. Eventually.
***
Coming out of the computer office, Elijah headed to the nearby picnic table. Taking a seat, he paused to glance at the office building, to see a man standing at a window. He was bald and had a beard. Smoking a cigar, he looked at him and Dom for a moment as if in deep contemplation. Elijah couldn’t help but feel as if his blood had turned to ice. The sight of the man unnerved him.
“Who is that guy?”
Seconds later, the red sports car drove past the gates and down the road.
***
Elijah dropped Dom off and with a wave, headed for home. Dom watched his departure with mixed feelings.
“Master Dominic.”
Going over to the figure, he watched as he rose to his feet and did several deadly moves that would block an enemy's blow and kill. Putting the sword down, he bowed to Dom with a smile.
“You are late for your lesson.”
***
“I am so deeply disappointed in you. I can’t believe you're my son! My son. You’re a disgrace.”
Dom moved two feet back and lowered his eyes to the floor. After a moment he mumbled under his breath, “Sorry.”
“I know of your...obsession with that young man. The one you gave that thirty-thousand dollar car to. The young man that you have spent more time with in the past four years than with anyone else, including me.”
“You never acted like one. Why change careers now?”
“That’s right, you lose everything. The cars, the money, the women...the men. All of it! I will write you out of my will and you will be far too old to ever enjoy your trust fund by the time you receive it. Now get out and leave me some peace.”
Once the servant left, closing the door of the study, Dom moved to the doors. Reopening them, he went in, closing the door behind himself. Just to be on the safe side, he locked it from within.
***
Elijah finished packing and once he had his suitcase, he started for the door. His mother was waiting for him. Locking up, she took Elijah’s arm in her own and headed down the stairs and to the waiting cab.
“This is going to be so much fun. A real vacation on a farm. You're just going to love it and my cousin Jane.”
Dom stared at the photos in shock. This man was familiar. After a moment, Dom finally figured out where he had seen him before. The man that was in Elijah’s photograph, given to him by his mother on graduation day. A photo of his father, Ben Richards.
Taking up a folder, Dom opened the file to read the first page of the report:
“4/15/69, Benjamin James Richards, age 43, parents deceased, one sibling named Jason Richards. Orphaned at the age of 12, ran away at 14. Entered the army at 18, served four years in Korea as an army truck dispatcher. Worked for various companies, finally at Jordan Braddock Industries as a test driver....”
“Type O blood, appears to have extradinary healing properties and rejuvenation by blood transfusion. Immune to every disease known to man. Can combat old age.”
Dom put the paper down and with his hand to his mouth, couldn’t hold back the horror on his face as the realization came. Hadn't Elijah donated some blood a few days ago? His father had been dying. No way to survive and then just like that, like a miracle, he comes back from the dead, looking younger and better than he had been in years.
It then dawned on Dom that there were things he always found peculiar about Elijah. Inexplicable things. How he never got sick. No colds, no flu, no stomach ailments. Nothing. He always seemed to be in perfect health. His injuries seemed to heal quickly too. Like the bloody nose incident, when Elijah had walked into a locker pulled open by a junior student. Dom had rushed him to the nurse's office, only for it to stop bleeding half way there.
There was also the time that Elijah had tripped and sprained his ankle in his sophomore year. He was out and walking like nothing happened not even three hours later.
The broken arm in the first semester of Elijah’s senior year healed within a matter of two weeks. At the time, the doctors attributed it to being young and healthy.
Dom started to smile and a second later, he began to laugh uncontrollably. He always knew his little prince was special. Now he knew exactly why. Falling into a chair, Dom continued to laugh, shaking in mirth at the unexpected chain of events, couldn't wait to spring this on the old man. Not yet, of course. Oh no, Dom smiled. You messed up with Ben Richards, father dearest, you are not getting your hands on my Elijah Chevalier. He is mine. All mine.
***
“Elijah honey, are you ok?” His mother reached out and touched his hand, her eyes filled with deep concern.
Elijah turned and smiled at his mother as their plane headed towards the sky. “No, I’m fine. Its just...I don’t know. I feel like...somebody just walked over my grave or something. I‘ll be OK. Don‘t worry, Mom.”
***
Part Four Secrets Revealed (Ratings: R for strong language)
Several days had passed and Elijah was really adjusting to the farm life. His mom’s cousin, Jane, lived on the outskirts of Bangor and her place was one of the best run and most productive farms in the state. She raised not only horses and cows, but she also had hundreds of acres for planting. Jane, being the same age as his mom, had started talking about the good old days. Meaning school and boys. Elijah had liked the loud and perky redhead, but made himself scarce so that they could spend some time together catching up.
Elijah didn’t find himself bored, there was that much to see and enjoy. The hands working for Jane Fielding were friendly and even showed Elijah how to saddle up a horse and to ride. Every morning, Elijah took Dutchess out, wandering the apple orchards in the east part of the farm. Later, after a hearty breakfast, Elijah offered to help the men weed the gardens, put the newly-bought hay into the barns, clean the stables and feed the animals. For Elijah, it may have been hard work, but it was something he was vastly enjoying. He loved the animals, especially the horses, and was fascinated by the tranquil and simple life of Maine.
OK, so they didn’t get cable and there was no electric heat, just two huge wood stoves, but the food and atmosphere more than made up for the things they did without.
Elijah had found Cousin Jane’s pantry a delight. Every meal was not only hearty but tasted so fresh and clean. Nothing like city food, and to their amazement, Elijah often fell into a deep, sound sleep at the early hour of nine o’clock, thoroughly exhausted. The sound of a cock crowing in early morning got him out of that bed and looking forward to another day.
He even had a favorite spot. Every day, he would come to the apple orchard, and climbing up an old tree, he would sit down in the crotch between the two main limbs and look at the world around him. He never felt so at peace. A part of him was being lost and he never wanted to leave.
**
“He seems to be enjoying the farm. You never know with city kids.”
“Actually, he wants to be an actor.”
“You still love him, don’t you? Even after what he did?”
“As much as I hated what Ben Richards did to you, I really didn't like the lies you told Elijah about his father. He should know the truth, Jean. Know that somewhere out there, his father is alive.”
“Easier to lie? Yeah, I guess lying is easy. The truth, however, is hard and sometimes it hurts. He should know he has a father, a father who, for some unknown reason, ran away from you two.”
After a few seconds she looked back up at Jean. “You going to go?”
“Good luck.”
***
Jean patted the horse chewing on apples that Elijah had thrown down for her. Looking up, she saw that her son was nestled comfortably in the tree, so serene and seemingly content.
Sitting down underneath, Jean pulled at the grass absentmindedly. “It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure Jane wouldn’t mind. She really likes you.”
“What about?”
“Life is unfair sometimes, Mom.”
“But then things happened and your dad was gone. You were born and Grandpa, well, he was pretty mad, seeing how I made a mess of my life.”
“After you were born, I couldn’t work and I lost my job. I had no money left. I had nowhere to go but home. Grandpa was so angry. He said if I stayed, I could never see him again and I had to tell you that he was dead.”
“Your father was a construction worker, but he did many things. He traveled alot. San Francisco was just one of those stops. A longer stop than he intended. He was running. I never found out exactly why, just knew that it wasn’t the law or the government. We fell in love and for a while, he dreamed of a life with me, marriage and family. But then they found him and he had to leave. He faked his death at a construction site.”
Not a day has gone by that I don't think of you. I’m sorry it's been so long. If you get this letter, though I doubt you will, like all the rest I sent to you, I’ll be in Lowell, Massachusetts, during the summer of 1993. If you can scrape up the money, catch a flight and meet me at Alden Bookstore.
Love,
Ben.
Elijah looked up at his mother in confusion. “That's this summer.”
“For your father’s safety, I didn’t dare keep them.”
Dutchess running into the fields, disappearing into a grove of trees.
She watched him vanish with tears slowly falling down her face. Wiping at her eyes, she saw a hand reach out and offer her a hanky. She smiled and turned to see that it was Jane.
Opening her arms, Jane waited and Jean went into her cousin's embrace and sobbed bitterly.
***
“Mr. Saxon! I think we found something.”
“What is it?”
Jean Chevalier. 40 years old, Occupation: waitress, Husband left blank, One child, a son, named Elijah Richards Chevalier.
Shaking his head, he turned to the other piece of paper.
Elijah Richards Chevalier, Occupation: student, Single, no children, Parents Jean Chevalier and Benjamin Richards.
Saxon stood up with a loud cry. He looked at David for confirmation.
“We had the records checked and it seems on his birth certificate, his father’s name was Benjamin Richards. Nineteen years ago, his mother, Jean, was living in San Francisco and working at a cafe right near a construction company. Coincidentally, the same construction company where an employee had a fatal accident. That employee was Ben Richards.”
“Address?”
“Mr. Saxon, these are the completed applications for the open computer position.”
“Yes, yes, I will look at them later.”
“He was in here Monday. Cute little thing. I think he might be a good influence on Dom, maybe straighten him out. His name is cute, too. Elijah Chevalier. Well -- back to work.” With a wave, she walked out.
Hearing the name, Nigel grabbed the applications on the desk and looked at them, throwing Dom’s aside and staring down at the other one. Sure enough. Elijah Chevalier. What were the odds?
Nigel Saxon slowly sat down, chuckling as he did so.
“Well, well, looks like Fletcher’s loser of a son turns out to be quite the fisherman. Locate Dominic and bring him to his father’s estate.” Getting up, Saxon grabbed his coat and made for the door. “And call Fletcher and tell him I’m on the way there with some good news.”
Elijah and Dutchess had been out for hours, and the monotonous clipclop of her hooves soothed the young man, helped him think. But suddenly it was just too much. All too much to handle. Throwing himself from the saddle onto the ground by the side of the road, Elijah didn't know whether to cry or scream in rage. Before his graduation party, he never even knew what his father looked like. Then, within the space of a few days, not only does he get a picture of him, but he also finds out the biggest bombshell of all. His father is alive. He’s alive. Alive?
All these years he thought his father was dead, and he was alive and his mom let him believe....
Covering his face with his hands, he sobbed angrily. So consumed was he by his thoughts, he didn’t see the fast moving convertible flying up the road and abruptly stopping in front of him.
Taking off his shades, Dominic shook his head at the sight. “I know rejection is difficult, but there are other fish in the sea.” But then Dom's sarcasm faded into real concern at his friend's tears. “Hey, it's OK. What’s wrong?” Getting out of the car, Dom moved to Elijah, ignoring the horse's uneasy reaction at his arrival.
“Elijah? Did you get hurt? Did you fall?” Dom bent down and began to examine his friend, only to see Elijah rise and start walking. Dom quickly followed.
“Hey, what’s the matter? Look, I couldn’t get away until last night. I’m sorry and this Wherethefuckareweland didn’t have any swank cars to rent at the airport. I had to wait for one. I’m sorry I took so long to get here.”
“He’s alive and he never came back for us. For me. Hell, he doesn’t even know I exist. Just like your dad treats you! We don’t exist! How ironic is that?!”
But what he said instead was, "Life sucks. Just when you think you've got a handle on it, Elijah, it kicks you right in the arse. I know, I’ve been there.”
Dom also got into the car and waited.
Silence, then finally: “They lied to me...My mom, and Grandpa. I can’t believe it. I always thought I could trust them.”
“Take it from me, Elijah. No one, no one is trustworthy.”
“No, Elijah.” Dom suddenly felt a twinge of something he couldn’t name slash into his heart. Regret?
“Yes, you’ve always been there for me. I never said thank you, did I?”
“Don’t.”
Dom took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Sure.”
Dom remained sitting there for a long time, and then, starting up the car he turned it around and returned to the airport.
“Bloody hell!”
She stared at the clock as it struck midnight. Jane had long since gone to bed. Jean, however, remained awake, was in the kitchen, sitting or occasionally getting up to pace.
Where was Elijah?
It was only moments later that she heard the rustle of hooves in the leaves. She looked out of the window and saw that her son had finally come back and was putting the horse in the stall. Wrapping her robe around herself, she opened the kitchen door and made her way to the barn.
Elijah was just giving the horse water and food when footsteps caused him to turn. His mother stood there at the doorway. For the first time, he saw just how fragile his mother seemed. Setting down the pail, he dove into her arms, weeping uncontrollably.
Smiling in relief, she held her son tightly, refusing to let go. Still her little boy.
***
Fletcher couldn’t believe it. He moved the wheelchair around the study and then looked out the window. He shook his head and stared at the papers before him. Then he turned as a servant came into the room.
“Well, I sent you to fetch Dominic an hour ago. Where is he?”
The screen came to life, revealing two boys in a room, one on the bed, the other in a chair.
The handsome, unknown youth was dressed in rather plain, somewhat worn clothes while his son lay on the bed looking relaxed and dressed in the finest.
***
“Has to be -- it has some valuable stuff in it. My old man has the top of the line security. Say hello to the camera!” Dom waved at the door.
Turning towards it, Elijah finally saw the peeping camera poised at him.
“Eww, that could be unnerving.”
Fletcher shut off the tape and turned back to Saxon.
“Have your men picked up the boy yet?”
“Of course this doesn’t prove your theory that Ben is alive, but it appears that he did manage in his days on the run to make time to have a son. A son that has his own blood. Blood that you received.”
“I want Dominic found. I’m sure that wherever he is, Ben’s son will be right there too.”
Fletcher turned and advanced the film, then pointed at the screen. Saxon saw the study, and on a desk was a black suitcase. Moments later, Dominic entered and they watched as he locked the door and then opened the suitcase, going through the documents.
“I don’t think so. I think my son knows just about everything. Now.”
“This is really cool. I would be content to stay here for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t even have wanted to go to school.”
***
Dom arrived home just after noon and noticed Saxon’s limo in the drive. Narrowing his eyes, he looked up to see Vincent nearby, who seemed to be performing some martial arts moves. Taking out his luggage, he waved and headed inside.
He wasn’t even through the doors when a burly security guard grabbed him by the arm and escorted him to the study. Dom struggled briefly, letting go of his luggage, but in the end, allowed himself to be brought into the room where he was not surprised to see his father and Saxon waiting.
Fletcher whirled the wheelchair around and beamed at his son. “Dominic. How good of you to come back home after your little trip to...?”
“Want to tell me what the bloody hell this is all about?”
“Who?”
“Yeah, really. If this is about me giving him that car, look, I already signed it over to him. Deal with it. Take it out of my allowance if you want.”
Allowing his son a few drags, Fletcher finally spoke, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. “You know, don’t you?”
“Yes. But only a few days ago.”
“I’m not stupid. I may be old, but I still have my wits.”
“I wanted Ben Richards alive. In one piece. I never meant for him to be killed. If I had my way, he would have been living in the lap of luxury with no worries. But he wanted his freedom. Foolish, so foolish. I could have given him everything. Money, power, women...but he was the one man I couldn’t buy.”
“No, he thinks of me as his friend.”
***
Part Five Closing In (NC-17 Rating change, Sexual content)
Elijah had no sooner arrived home with his mom when the blinking red light on the answering machine caught his eye. Hitting the play button, Dom’s voice flooded out into the room.
“Hey Elijah, it’s Dom. Look, I know that by the time you get this, it’ll be late, but I just wanted to invite you and your mom over for dinner tomorrow evening around 7 pm. No ifs, ands or buts. My dad will send the limo, he’s going to have a small private party and I think it's time you got to meet him. Any questions, call me!”
“Oh dear,” Jean put down the luggage and shook her head. “He’s, um, very wealthy, isn’t he?”
Elijah smiled and shook his head. “Mom! Dom is cool. I'm sure he meant to dress casual.”
Not certain, Jean glanced at herself in a mirror. “Oh brother, is there any way I can come up with an excuse not to go to this thing? I mean, he’s your friend, right?”
Heading to his own room, Elijah was just setting his luggage down when he spotted his father’s picture on the stand. That’s funny, I could've sworn I put that on my computer desk. Shaking his head, Elijah picked it up and moved the photo back to its original spot next to his monitor. And then, sitting down, he slowly started to unpack. Afterwards, he removed his shirt and his pants, all the while not knowing he was being scrutinized by a hidden camera high above his bed.
“She’s an innocent, Father. She doesn’t have to be hurt or watched. Whatever we need, we'll get from Ben’s son.”
***
Getting into bed, Elijah covered himself with the sheets and sighed.
For a few moments, Dom watched as Elijah seemed to be eyeing the ceiling and then he noticed a bit of movement under the sheets. He grinned lasciviously, understanding what he was about to see, and wishing with all his might that the sheets could be yanked away.
Dom watched the event and closed his eyes....lost in his fantasy....
He ripped the sheets away. Elijah opened his eyes and gazed up at him in fear and surprise. Smiling, Dom lowered his naked body down towards him, his hands reaching out and gently touching Elijah’s silky, sweetly beckoning skin. Unsure what to do but enjoying the touches, Elijah moaned deep in his throat. Dom took his time and pressed his lips against his neck, feeling the pulse and the warmth of blood flowing underneath his skin.
They laid naked together, experiencing each other’s body for the very first time, want and need replacing all coherent thought. Dom let his hands wander Elijah, wanting to learn where his touch caused the most reaction, to get acquainted with the body that he had always vowed would be his. Dom’s tongue touched those pink lips, begging to enter, and a second later, his tongue was allowed inside to explore leisurely. Hot and moist, with a bit of a mint taste to it. Dom felt his arousal begin to throb and could see Elijah gazing at him. The fear was gone, leaving desire for him, begging Dom to conquer him.
He enfolded his body against Elijah’s, feeling his mate's erection against his leg. Elijah’s hands were trying to bring himself off, but Dom wouldn’t let him. Not yet. He held the hands back and thrust his body down against Elijah’s.
“Ah!”
He hurried to meet him, thrusting hard against the hot, sweaty flesh, the control gone. Arms were wrapped tightly around each other. Fingers clawing against flesh, pushing each body closer together until finally...
Elijah bit his lip and let out a muffled cry. For a long moment, he laid still under the sheets. His face was flushed and his body shook from his orgasm.
After a few moments, Elijah got up unsteadily and headed into the bathroom. Minutes later, he returned and plunged the room into darkness, finally getting back under the cooling sheets. Quickly, he fell into a deep sleep. Even the sound of honking horns in the street outside did not stir him.
Dom saw the light switch off and blackness filled the screen. He sighed and slowly released his hand from his own member. He had come at the same time Elijah had. Now he was sticky, cold and wet. Alone. Well, it was time for bed anyway. Rising to his feet and adjusting his pants, he made his way slowly out of the room. Tomorrow was another day. His moment would come, it was all just a matter of time.
***
The next day: 6:30 pm
Jean was still fussing over her JC Penny black dress, when the limo pulled up.
Elijah had changed into some black dress pants and a red silk shirt and was just fixing his hair when he spotted the shiny, black car. “They're here.”
“Oh no, no!” Jean turned and glanced at herself in the mirror, staring at her unruly hair that she thought looked horrible, but in actual fact, looked lovely. “I’m not ready. Oh Elijah, I have never met a multi billionaire before. Never mind, I’m not going.” She shook her head and wrapped her arms around her waist in stubborn determination.
Elijah laughed and tried to soothe his mother’s worries. “Mom, you look beautiful. You put all the other women of this world to shame.”
He'd been there many times before; Elijah could still remember those Friday nights when they would hang out on the couch, watching old B movies and eating junk food into the wee hours of the morning.
“No one can compare to your beauty.” Moving forward, Dom took her hand bowed and kissed it.
Jean giggled. “Dominic Fletcher, you sir, are a charmer. Someday, you’re going to make a lucky woman very happy.”
“Oh, brother!”
“Oh my god! Elijah, you never said he lived in a castle.”
Elijah couldn't help but notice that only one other car --another black stretch limo-- was parked there. Small private party?
“Welcome,” replied the butler. “May I take your coat, madame?”
Fletcher was seated in his wheelchair at the head of the table. Also in the room were Nigel Saxon, along with David Stanton and Vincent Caesar.
“Welcome, I am Steel Fletcher. Mrs. Jean Chevalier, let me introduce to you, Nigel Saxon II. My partner.”
“I’m honored to meet such a vision of beauty.”
Sensing her uneasiness, Dom took control of the situation. “Truly, Mrs. Chevalier, your diamond pales in comparison to your beauty. Don’t you think so, Father?”
“A pleasure to meet you after all this time, Elijah. Dominic has spoken a great deal about his classmate and dearest friend.”
“This is Dr. David Stanton. He works in the company,” cut in Dom, who placed his arm possessively on Elijah’s shoulder.
David bowed his head.
“And this is Vincent Caesar, my Dad’s trusted associate and body guard.”
“Well, let’s eat.”
As the meal progressed, Elijah found the situation rather unnerving. The men in the room kept watching him with the eyes of wolves. Lusting. It made Elijah extremely uncomfortable and he wanted nothing more than to find an excuse to go home.
Elijah shot Dom several helpless looks, but Dom was far too busy eating to take much notice. He didn’t know why he felt so uneasy since everyone was being extremely kind to his mom. They seemed genuinely interested in her career and place of work. Seeing that his mother was starting to relax and look more comfortable in her surroundings, his protective nature backed down a little.
After dinner, Fletcher moved the party into his study.
“That is a lovely ring, Mrs. Chevalier? Did your husband give that to you?”
The room lit up with laughter, while Elijah blushed scarlet.
"Ach, never mind, my boy," Fletcher assured him, beaming with mirth. "You're among friends here."
Nodding, Elijah sat himself in a recliner, and Dom took his place just on the arm of the same chair. Saxon scooted into the seat beside Jean on the couch and David sat in a nearby chair. Fletcher, however, stayed near the fireplace, where above him hung the portrait of his wife.
“You never found anyone else, my dear?” asked Nigel. He seemed to move closer to her and placed a gentle arm on her shoulder.
Flattered by the obvious protective and interested air of the man, Jean shrugged. “No. I just couldn’t. I loved...him so much. Even though we had just a short time together, well, I-I cherish it. No regrets. I've got my baby and that’s all I need.”
“Sorry, Saxon, Mrs. Chevalier is not you. Working on number six, is it?”
“Is that your mother?” Elijah asked Dom, trying to change the subject, and he pointed to the portrait over the fireplace.
“Yes. Her name was Anna Jovanka.”
“Yes. Car accident.”
“Until we meet again, Jean.”
Dom, Saxon and Fletcher watched the hired car disappear into the night.
***
“Well, Mom, you certainly were the belle of the ball.”
Elijah wasn’t so sure. Leaning back in his seat, he also wasn’t sure if he looked forward to working for the company.
***
Dom entered the study to see his father staring at the fireplace in deep thought.
“So now what?”
Dom sat down in the chair and sighed.
“I hope you’re not suddenly having an attack of conscience, are you, my son?”
***
Elijah finished his swim in the pool and then joined Dom back on the patio. He still had a week before he started at the company.
His mom had called that morning, telling him that a large flower arrangement had been sent to her at work by Nigel Saxon II. The entire staff buzzed all about the news that she was dating the multi billionaire. Elijah, slightly annoyed, faked his joy for her and then hung up the phone.
“Dom, do you think I should talk to that Nigel Saxon guy?”
“I wasn’t making a joke. You do want to meet him, don’t you?”
Elijah sighed and stared at his feet. “What if he...doesn’t like me. What if he hates me?”
“I don’t want to take anything else from you, Dom. You’ve done enough.”
“What?”
“Tell me where we're going and I’ll make the arrangements.”
“Come on! Let’s go.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Chevalier I’ll take good care of him for you.”
“What did you forget now? The tickets?”
***
Part Six Lies and Betrayal (R: strong language)
Fletcher watched Vincent as he loaded up his weapons and special devices.
“Now remember, I don’t want any harm to come to Ben Richards. Be careful. He’s dangerous and will even put his life in mortal danger to keep from getting caught.”
"Not to worry. They're a few of my students. Trust worthy. But the kid shouldn’t be difficult to ensnare.”
Alone, Fletcher turned to the fireplace and gazed up at the portrait of his wife. Once again, the memories returned of the last time he saw Ben Richards.
It was a few months before the construction site accident. Dominic was still quite small....
***
Anna was on the way home from the airport after visiting her mother in England. She had Dom sitting securely in his baby seat. Braking at the stop sign, she cautiously inched forward into the intersection. She never saw the truck coming.
The baby was fine, Fletcher was told as he wheeled himself into the emergency room. Ignoring the nurse, clutching the crying baby, he went to his wife who lay on the gurney looking more dead then alive.
She was hooked up to a life support system. The doctors told him it wasn’t good, that they did all they could.
He had wept, holding her hand tightly in his own. Two hours later, they disconnected the machine and set her spirit free.
Fletcher remembered the funeral. His son had been kept home. Sitting in his wheelchair by the newly dug grave, he remained still as stone. Alone, he stared at the burial in deep mourning.
“Fletcher, I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Ben.”
Fletcher nodded.
“You should be grateful for that at least.”
“I would rather he be dead, then my Anna.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“You're hurting and in time, you'll feel differently, I'm sure.”
“That’s completely insane.”
***
The chase had continued a week later, but then the accident happened and for all intents and purposes, the world thought Ben was dead.
Maitland had died from the shock of Ben’s demise, but Fletcher had always felt that Ben was still alive. He would never believe otherwise. And now....Soon, he would see Ben again. Soon. He licked his lips in anticipation.
The phone rang and Fletcher picked it up.
***
Saxon was dining in a fancy restaurant with Jean Chevalier. He smiled at the lovely brunette, who picked at her salad shyly.
“So your son wants to be an actor?”
Then Saxon lowered his glass and lowered his eyes putting on a face of sadness.
“As for me, don’t put me on some high pedestal. My parents were wealthy, but died when I was still in my early teens. I had a brother who died from cancer, and a sister who died in a fire. I’ve gone through five marriages and five divorces. I had a child from my first marriage, but alas, he was stolen from me when he was quite small, and they never found him. I was never blessed with any other children....”
***
After seeing Jean home in a cab, he got in his limo and headed for home.
***
Logan Airport, Boston, Massachusetts
Collecting the luggage, Elijah turned to Dom, who was trying to hail a taxi.
“I booked us a room at the Hilton. Then tomorrow, we'll rent a car and head to Lowell. What’s our destination from there?”
“We'll look in the phone book and check out the listings of Alden Book stores.”
Once in the cab, Dom told the driver, “Hilton Boston Back Bay, and step on it.”
Couldn’t be. Vincent Caesar was back in L.A. Must have just been someone that looked like him. Returning to the present, he hung on as the cab swept out into the streets of Boston, trying to keep calm as he worried fearfully about the reunion with his father.
***
Following Day
Dom propelled the rented Corvette along the highway, heading for Lowell on Route 3.
Elijah was reading the latest news. “Still can’t believe that Waco Incident a few months ago. All those deaths. Children, Dom, small children. I just can’t believe it. Will you look at this, Dom?”
***
Dom looked over Elijah’s shoulder with relish. “Two Alden book stores in the city.”
Leaving in a bit of disgust, Dom started up the car and headed to the next place. Parking, Dom followed Elijah into the spacious store. At the desk stood an average-sized young man with dark brown hair and green eyes. He was well-dressed and clean shaven and looked to be about thirty years old.
“Yes, may I help you?” On his jacket was a badge that read "Jericho".
“Hi, my name is Elijah Chevalier. Do you have a Ben Richards working here?”
“He’s worked here since the place opened, ten years ago. I’m sorry.”
Truly sympathetic, Jericho shrugged helplessly. “If you go get her, I can give it to her.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, but my hands are tied.”
Elijah was desperate now, glancing over at Dom who had his arms wrapped around himself, his head tilted in bemusement. He had no choice. He had to try the truth.
“Look, this Ben Richards is my father. I have reason to believe that he left this book so we'll know where he is. Please, I’ve got to find him. It's very important.”
Smiling, Elijah looked up at the man. “Thank you.”
"Oh my God, Dom -- look at this!" he squealed, finding a piece of paper hidden between the pages. It had two words on it: Jimmy’s Pizza, Dracut.
“Must be somewhere near here,” Dom opined.
“Let’s check the phone directory.”
Dom cried out in horror at the fallen form and raced to Elijah’s side, removing the box. Several bystanders cried out and also hurried over, while the man on the scaffold shrieked his apologies.
Dom stared at the limp form, feeling real terror go through him. No, this wasn’t suppose to happen. *It was just supposed to be a game. Then I was going to sweep you off to my castle and love you for all the rest of our days.*
“Elijah, Elijah! Call an ambulance!” he shouted, panic-stricken.
***
Hearing a commotion outside, Jericho hurried to the door and saw a crowd gathered on the sidewalk. He also vaguely noticed a black van just across the street. Two men were inside, snapping pictures of the store. Reporters? Looking out, he saw what had happened and debated whether to respond or turn away. But his conscience wouldn’t let him, and he opened the door and stepped out.
“Let me help,” he said, reaching towards the two boys.
Dom, seeing the hands approaching, batted them away. “Leave him alone, I can take care of him. He’s mine! Elijah, please open your eyes. Come on, don’t you leave me! Don’t you dare fucking leave me!”
*It can’t end this way, it just can’t.*
“We don’t have much time. I can help!”
Angry and about to tear the stranger apart, Dom paused when he saw Jericho’s eyes flash from deepest forest to kelly green. Looking down, he watched in shock as Elijah stopped bleeding and then slowly started to move. He was regaining consciousness and mumbling under his breath.
The ambulance chose that moment to arrive and two EMTs pushed Dom and Jericho away to examine the victim.
Dom could only stare at Jericho momentarily. “Who the fuck are you?” he whispered, not trusting what his eyes had seen.
Finally, returning to his senses, he watched the medics load Elijah into the vehicle and then climbed in himself.
After they departed, Jericho hit the ground, suddenly completely exhausted. Holding himself, he moaned softly and somehow managed to get back to his feet. Brushing himself off, he hurried down the street.
***
At the hospital, Elijah nervously pushed the nurses' hands away as they touched his still sore head. “I’m all right. Really. I’m fine. Dom, tell her.”
Dom, who was leaning against the door shrugged. “OK, he’s fine.”
“What happened?” asked Elijah.
“A very big, heavy box hit you. And then that weirdo guy in the bookstore came out and put his hands on each side of your head. You were bleeding, half your skull looked beaten in. Now, you're OK.”
A few hours later, against the doctor’s orders, they left the hospital and headed back to the bookstore. Elijah wanted to see Jericho to thank him for whatever he did, however, they were surprised to find that the new clerk had quit and vanished.
“Do you know anything about him?” Elijah asked the manager.
“No, he just started working here a few weeks ago. We gave him a trial period, under the circumstances.”
“You scared me, Elijah. I saw my whole life flash before my eyes.”
“It happened so fast....”
“So now what?”
***
He collected all that he owned, which wasn’t much. Just a duffle bag and a backpack filled with clothes, along with some books. Putting in the last of his belongings -- one small camera -- he looked over his finances one last time. He had about two hundred dollars. It wouldn’t get him far, but at least, perhaps, he could make it out of town, could try one more time to start his life all over again. He shook his head trying to figure out why he was so stupid to give up his new life to help a stranger. But not any stranger. A kid.
Outside, he got on his motorcycle and putting on his helmet, he kicked the bike in gear and headed for the interstate.
***
As Elijah made a phone call and they waited for the pizza, Dom watched as the man came up behind him and whispered into his ear.
“Nothing yet, seems Ben Richards is no fool and is leaving a trail of clues for us to follow.”
“No, I mean that guy.”
“Bookstore worker?”
“Yes, he healed Elijah right in front of my eyes. If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it. A man who can heal with his hands. Elijah should be in a coma somewhere, dying, if not already dead.”
***
“No Mom, I’m fine, really, just a headache. If it wasn’t for some guy...I don’t know. I’m OK, honest. No Mom, I am not cutting my trip short. Look, I’ll call you later. Bye.”
“Mothers! They called her, the people at the hospital. She is not very happy right now. If I weren‘t eighteen, she would've grounded me for life.”
“Is she going to come?”
Dom picked up a piece of pizza and shook his head. “Nope, I’m sticking like glue to you.”
***
Jean got off the phone, feeling a slight headache of her own coming on.
“Now, now, my dear. You must calm yourself. The boy is all right. He said so himself.”
“Here you go.” He held the first glass out to her and smiled. “To a new life and future.”
Taking the ring from her, he took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.
Jean continued to stare, unable to make a coherent sound.
“Say yes.”
“Marry me.” He put his arms around her and laid his head gently on her shoulder. “I need you. I never believed in love at first sight. Now I can’t get you out of my mind. I want you. Marry me.”
“Jean?”
He cupped her face, and gently lowered his head and kissed her.
***
“Here it is, Jimmy’s Pizza. Dracut.” Elijah sat up from his bed and looked at Dom, who was nearly asleep in the second bed of the hotel room.
“Oh great, more pizza,” groaned Dom, still feeling the two slices of pizza from earlier in the day dancing the rumba in his stomach.
Elijah grinned at his friend as he wrote down the address. "Courage, old man."
"Wanker," Dom growled affectionately, reaching over and turning out the light.
***
Once settled in for the night, he looked at the want ads and found the next available job in the area to his liking. Jimmy’s Pizza Restaurant.
***
Part 7 On the Run (the conclusion)
Fletcher was sitting at his desk in front of his laptop, a cell phone up to his ear.
“Fascinating. Did you get any pictures of the man?”
“I saw it with my own eyes, sir. I know that you and Mr. Saxon are starting that PBI project, and thought this might make the top of your list of subjects.”
Fletcher eyed Nigel in curious bafflement. “Very well, capture him, but take no further risks. That was far too close. Elijah Chevalier is too valuable to be put in danger. Forget about allowing them to lead you to Richards. As soon as you have a good lead, pick up the boy and bring him back here. You can follow the lead later.”
“Well, are you going to tell me what that was about? You, who's been sitting back quietly and hasn't said more than two or three words in between wooing Mrs. Chevalier.”
Fletcher watched his departure, very curious at this turn of events. Already, he could feel his body flooded with adrenalin. If only he could walk again. He sighed and stared at his legs. Damn, he hated being a cripple and worse, being forced to remain on the sidelines, while two fascinating immortals were just dangling in front of his face, begging to be hunted and captured.
***
He was just getting off his motorcycle when his eyes caught sight of a familiar Corvette in front of the small restaurant. Tilting his head slightly, he backed away a bit and then saw the two inside, having an early lunch,.
Why had Fate brought them to appear again in his life, and here, of all places?
***
“Ben Richards? Or perhaps a Jean Chevalier?”
“Hang on, I’ll go get my boss.” She disappeared into the back and shortly returned with the smile still on her face and a key in her hand.
“Here you go.”
Watching this, Dom narrowed his eyes at the two love birds and actually thought he was going to vomit.
“Thank you, this' really sweet of you.”
“Oh, come on!” Dom, looking more annoyed, snatched Elijah’s arm, and pulled him towards the back of the restaurant.. Elijah, however, gave the girl one last look and waggled his fingers at her.
“What’s the matter with you? I was just thanking her. Besides she was cute and interested in me.”
Dom really considered punching Elijah in the face in the hopes of knocking some sense in him. Instead, he snatched up the key and stared at the thirty lockers in front of them.
“That’s a lot of lockers to check,” commented Elijah.
“It's six, loverboy,” Dom growled, still annoyed, and revealed the number on the key fob.
“Oh.”
“Nashua Library, NH. Check out book 'Law and Order, Reference 3339, Volume 8'.”
Dom pulled out the map and shrugged. “It’s only a few miles from here, and if we stay on this road, it should take us right into New Hampshire, and to Nashua.”
***
Jericho watched the two boys leave and was about to enter the pizzeria when he spotted a black van with two men in it take off after them. Why does that seem so familiar? he wondered. And then it hit him. A similar black van had mysteriously shown up the other day outside the book store. The day those boys had come in.
Uncertain, he got back on his bike and followed after them.
***
“Law and Order, Reference 3339, Volume 8. Yes, that’s in the back. Not many ask for that one, its very old and most of the laws are outdated. In fact, I don’t think it's been checked out for several months. Anyway, it should be somewhere at the top row in the middle shelf.”
“I feel like we're in a Hardy Boys Mysteries movie.”
“Wow, these are pretty old. 1969. Before I was born.” Looking at one, Elijah read the headlines. Jordan Braddock, multi-billionaire tycoon was in a plane crash. He wasn’t expected to live. Then a few days later, the next clipping proclaimed: "Miracle! Braddock Lives!". Giving them to Dom, Elijah went on to the third clipping. It was a wedding announcement for a Sylvia Cartwright and a Benjamin Richards. From the photo, they looked young and in love. The blonde woman was barely in her twenties while the man looked to be in his mid-thirties. It announced that she worked in a boutique and that Ben Richards was a test driver at Braddock Industries. Giving that to Dom as well, Elijah went on to the last clipping. This one was a death notice. Ben Richards' car was found in a nearby pond. No body was found but death was presumed by drowning.
He handed that to Dom and waited.
Looking up, Dom shrugged. “You said he was on the run. Maybe he faked his death and the men after him had a connection with this Braddock.”
“I don’t get it? What could he have done? He was just a test driver and in love with a woman. His whole future was ahead of him. I don’t get it.”
“Dear Jean,
Its been so long. I want you to know that not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of you. Many times, I thought about coming back to you, to just give up and surrender myself to these bloodhounds, but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t live in a cage. I thought about coming back and taking you with me, but what kind of life would that have been for you? You always told me you wanted a home and a normal life. That was something I couldn’t give you. But how I wanted to.”
“After hearing about your father’s death, I couldn’t help but take a chance. I still love you and I long to see you again. I hope that you will consider it, but not until you know the truth. You have to know and be certain before you give up everything for me. The truth is, many years ago, I donated a pint of blood which was given to a dying Jordan Braddock. Somehow, he made a miraculous recovery. Dr. Matthew Pearce was called in to investigate and found that Braddock was now immune to every disease known to man. He was even getting younger.
“So he tracked me down and asked me if I would permit a study done on my blood to find out more about its special properties. I agreed, fool that I was. They learned a great deal, all right. They found out that I was probably the only living immortal. That’s right, I’m immune to old age too. Where I got it, I don’t know. Never thought about it before. I never got colds like other people and brushed it off as being healthy and eating the right foods. Unfortunately, the blood transfusion I gave Braddock didn’t work. Well, it worked but not the way Braddock wanted. You see, my blood cannot regenerate the same immunities in another body. After a few months, the recipient returns to normal, which means that Braddock was growing old again and dying. He was desperate, I understand that now, but it didn’t help me. I wanted to continue to be a test driver, but he thought it was too dangerous. You see, I’m immune and immortal but not invulnerable. So he tried to kidnap me and faked my death. Locked me in a cage. I escaped and I’ve been on the run ever since. I even left my fiancee behind to keep my freedom. I had to sacrifice so much, but it was worth it because if not, I would've never met you. Jean, my love, I want to see you again. If you can take all this in and after all these years, you still love me, please come see me. Find me. I’ll be waiting. Ben.”
Watching this, Dom, leaned against the table looking more then a bit worried.
“Immortal? Dom, this can’t be possible.” Then he paused and looked at Dom quizzically. “I’ve never had a cold, or the flu...not even chicken pox.”
Elijah swallowed. “It’s not, it can’t be true.” Then he stopped and his mouth dropped open. “Dom, I gave blood a few weeks ago. Your dad was dying. Could it be?”
Elijah pocketed the stamp and faced Dom solemnly. “Let’s get something to eat and we'll look this all over again. Maybe we can get some more details.”
***
Jericho remained in the shadows for a second and then he followed Dom. He reached the side entrance and saw Dom speaking to several men, two of whom were familiar. The men from the van. Easing a little closer, he caught a bit of the conversation:
“We should move in now.”
Jericho left the window and hurried to the back of the library.
***
“You ready?” asked Elijah. He rose from his seat and collected all the information from the book, putting it in his small backpack.
“Yeah, let’s go. I saw a Chinese place not too far from here.”
“Don’t move, don’t scream. Just do as I say and head for the black van and you won’t be hurt.”
He knew that voice! His mouth dropped open. "Mr. Caesar? What's going on?!” Elijah turned to his friend with pleading eyes but then saw that he also had a weapon in his hand. "Dom?"
For a brief moment Dom felt a pang of regret but just as quickly, it vanished. Too much was at stake.
“Just do as we say, Elijah. Move.”
Seconds later, he was shoved into the van with Dom and Vincent behind him. Once the doors closed, Vincent banged on the wall, and the van started moving.
Staring at the two of them with their weapons drawn, Elijah shook his head in utter disbelief. “You knew about my blood, about my Dad? Before me?”
Vincent, who was sitting opposite the boys, shrugged, keeping his gun trained on Elijah. “Your blood, you carry your father’s traits, that makes you very valuable. Fletcher and Saxon want to make sure nothing happens to you. Nothing will.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“To take me where?”
“He was the man that my dad mentioned to my mom. Fletcher chased him? Did you always know? Since high school?”
“No, I found out about all this just recently.”
“We were friends, please don’t let them put me in a cage. Dom, PLEASE! You can stop this.”
“I trusted you,” Elijah replied softly. His eyes were filled with pain from this terrible betrayal.
Dom only stared back at him; he couldn’t look at Elijah with any emotion. If he did, Elijah would try to use it. No, he had to be tough now. Unemotional. In control.
“And I told you, not long ago. Don’t trust anyone. Not even me.”
The motorcycle followed behind them, maintaining his distance and keeping pace with the moving van.
***
The van passed through the gates and started for the waiting private plane.
He stopped and watched as the van pulled up along the runway. He could see only a few people in the area. He had to time this just right. He had only one chance and if he blew it, well, it was a nice life. What he remembered of it, that is.
Jericho revved the engine and narrowing his eyes, waited for his moment.
***
“Let’s go.” Vincent opened the doors and with the gun still in hand, he leaped out, keeping the gun pointed at Elijah. Not sure what to do, Elijah turned to Dom to make a last ditch effort.
“Tell me it wasn’t all a lie. All four years in high school?”
Elijah glanced all around the airport hoping for some chance of escape or someone he could call to for help. But the area was strangely vacant.
“Once we get back, you can call your mom. You can tell her that you’ve decided to move in at my place. That you've given it some thought and feel that now you're eighteen, you want to spread your wings and fly.”
Dom laughed, continuing his tirade as they started for the stairs that would lead into the plane. “Just think, you're not even twenty-one and you're already living in a mansion.”
As Vincent turned to shoot, Elijah turned back, swinging as hard as he could into Vincent’s chest. Caught off guard, he fell backwards and into his men. That gave Elijah the opportunity to grab the gun from Vincent’s hand and run down the stairs. Leaping over Dom, Elijah ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards the entrance.
Recovering, Vincent was just getting to his feet when one of his men took out his own weapon and shot at the fleeing captive. Several loud shots whizzed in the air, but missed the target.
Realizing his men were shooting real bullets, Vincent snatched the weapon from his hand.
“No, you idiots! Use the sleep darts only. Mr. Fletcher wants him unharmed!”
Dom rubbed his sore jaw and looking into his eyes, he grinned ferally. So this was what it felt like. The Chase.
***
Elijah dared to look back and saw four men chasing him. One of them was Dominic, who had what appeared to be a mad grin on his face. Reaching the gate, Elijah tried to find someone that he could ask for help but seeing only unoccupied parked cars in the lot, he continued to flee on foot.
***
They were catching up. Elijah hurried past several cars but in his panic, he stumbled badly, falling to the ground. Turning, Elijah saw Dom and Vincent coming straight for him with guns in hand and pointing right at him.
“Want a ride?” A voice came out of nowhere and a familiar man appeared from behind a car. He revved the engine of his motorcycle as he pulled up alongside the teenager. Not even asking any questions, Elijah got to his feet and climbed on board.
“Hang on!” cried Jericho, who spun the bike around and zoomed off down the parking lot and out into the street.
Vincent aimed, but didn’t fire. Pulling the gun up, he turned to Dom who was trying to catch his breath. “Mr. Fletcher is not going to like this, Master Dominic.”
The wind whipped around him and Elijah held on for dear life as the bike headed onto the highway, and started north down Route 3.
“Thank you, whoever you are!” called Elijah.
Turning his head back, Jericho smiled, and realizing who his rescuer was, Elijah shook his head in disbelief. Just then, Elijah spotted a rest area sign ahead and tugged on Jericho's sleeve to get his attention, yelling in his ear, “Pull over there.”
Jericho pulled up alongside a few picnic tables and after hiding the bike behind some bushes, returned to see Elijah leaning his head on the table with head on his arms for support. He looked absolutely pathetic.
“Are you ok?”
“That’s my name, as far as I know.”
“I find out all in one week, that my dad is alive. He is immortal and immune to disease and I have his blood. I find out my best friend was never my friend and now a whole bunch of people are out to put me in a cage. Oh yeah, Jericho, I’m doing just great!” Moaning, Elijah closed his eyes.
Going to a nearby tree, Jericho leaned against it. “Well, at least you know who you are. That’s more than I can say.”
“What happened to you?”
“Then I saw that guy you were with leave and I followed him. He was with those other fellows in the van. Next thing I knew, you were taken and...well, I thought you would need some help.”
“FBI? CIA?”
Jericho shook his head.
“There's got to be somebody that can help us. That can stop them.”
He let the phone ring three times before he picked it up. He knew instinctively who was on the other end.
“Hello, Mr. Chevalier. I can call you 'Elijah', can’t I?”
Taking slow breaths, Elijah tried to regain his emotions before speaking. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“Doing what? Oh, yes -- my men. I wish to apologize about that. They can be over zealous at times. I know that you’re really confused and frightened right now, but I assure you, there is nothing to be afraid of. Now, you just get on the next plane for home and when you arrive at the estate, we'll have a nice long chat. I’ll even send for some pizza. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
“Please! For the love of God, don‘t do this to me!” Elijah sobbed.
“Elijah...Don’t be stupid. You can have anything you want. Money, cars, women, anything you wish. You’ll have all that you desire....Just name your price.”
“Everyone has a price, Elijah. Tell me yours.”
Elijah slammed the phone down on the hook and then fell to the ground on his knees.
A moment later, he covered his face with his hands, and wept.
***
“No matter the cost, no matter the price. Do what ever it takes but find him.”
“Soon, Ben. Very soon, I’ll have your son and then...then I’ll have you!”
Jean sat quietly in the limo and stared sadly out the window. After a few moments, she turned to Nigel Saxon with tears in her eyes.
“What about Elijah? What if he tries to call me?”
“I should never have sent him to look for his father! Never!”
Unable to see his face with her head buried against his shoulder, she did not see the evil smile that played on his lips.
***
“Here's that gun I took from Caesar. It has darts in it. Probably tranquilizers is my guess. I have about $75.00 on me and my mom’s credit card.”
“Hey!”
Looking in his own wallet he shrugged. “All I managed to save was about $200.00. So we have between us $275 and....” Rooting through his pockets, he grinned. “Thirty five cents. That should get us...not very far.”
“Wait. Jane. My mom’s cousin. I could call her and ask her to loan me some money.”
A few hours later, Elijah stepped out of the Western Union store and joined Jericho on the bike.
“Well?”
“Yes, and from what I can figure, that stamp is pointing us to our next destination.”
"New York? But how did you...?"
"The picture of the Statue of Liberty."
“Oh my God -- of course....but Jericho...it’s a pretty big place. Where do we begin?”
“New York City, ready or not, here we come!”
Somewhere on a plane heading for New York...
He sipped his drink and stared out the window. Narrowing his eyes, Dom saw that Vincent was catching up on some much needed rest. Turning away, Dom paused to look at the photo clutched tightly in his hand. It was a picture of his graduation day and beside him stood Elijah. They were laughing and holding their diplomas. Their whole life was just within arm's reach. Frowning, Dom crushed the photo into his fist.
Looking back outside the window, he sipped his drink. He would find Elijah. He would find him. He could wait.
AND SO The Journey Begins.
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