MI AMADO - PART THREE

Awaking; the first thing Todd felt was pain streaking up his arm and into his shoulder. Forcing himself to open his eyes he realized that instead of in the drivers seat, he was now laying face down partially on the hood of the car. Windshield glass was strewn everywhere causing weird maniacal flashes of light to reflect into his eyes. Squinting, and turning his eyes away ,Todd tried to remember what had happened.
When he tried to use his left arm to push himself up into a sitting position pain flooded through him. Looking down at the badly bruised hand he realized that he might have broken a few fingers.
Holding his damaged arm tightly against his body Todd struggled to sit up. Looking over at the tree that the front end of his car was wrapped around Todd suddenly honed in on the events of that night.
The hostage taking at the lodge, Kevin holding a gun to his head, Rachel confessing, Asa's heart attack, Tea- Todd's head snapped over to look at the passenger seat of the car. Empty. Rubbing his head in confusion Todd began to wonder if she had even been with him in the car. Resting his head in his hands Todd tried to calm his spinning brain.
"You haven't quite abused me enough, I want more!" At the sound of Tea's voice ringing between his ears his head slowly moved up. His thoughts flashing back to when they had first gotten into the car at the lodge.
"Don't move! Don't you dare move!"
"I was just putting on my seat belt Todd"
The seat belt hung loosely beside the passenger seat. Panic seemed to overwhelm him as his sat frozen staring at the empty seat and the shattered wind shield glass. Moments seemed to turn into years as he envisioned Tea flying through the windshield...screaming.
"Tea!" Todd bellowed suddenly coming back into himself. Scrambling off the hood of the car Todd stalked around to the passenger side. The pain in his hand exploded as he reached without thinking for the door handle.
Flinching at the sudden streak of pain Todd manoeuvred around to opened the door with his opposite hand. Todd eyes filled with tears when he saw that she wasn't tucked in front of the seat as he had told himself she might be.
"Tea" he barked, refusing to believe that she could be anywhere but inside the car still. Todd opened the back door of the car as he heard the sounds of approaching vehicles. Todd only guessed that it was Skyes or Drew hot on his trial from the lodge. Todd reeled around , panicked, looking at the surrounding wood area.
"Tea, you better not be hiding" Todd said glancing towards the front of the car as he slammed the back door. A chill ran through him as he saw a tuff of dark brown hair shining out a little beyond the tree as it was caught in the rays of the cars head lights.
"Manning!" Todd heard a voice say as Todd stood there frozen.
"No" Todd whimpered suddenly springing into a full run towards Tea's body as it lay crumpled amongst the leaves.
"Freeze!" The voice shouted again.
Todd skidding to a halt on the ground beside Tea. Pressing his fingers to her neck he felt for a pulse, feeling the rhythmic thump underneath his fingers Todd pull his hand away. As he did so he felt the something warm come away with his hand. Looking down at it ,in the flood of the cars headlights, Todd saw his own hand covered with Tea's blood. Todd's head snapped up to see Drew standing in front of him with his gun draw, panic splashed across his face
"Oh my god, Someone call EMS" Drew shouted as both Skyes and Bo suddenly burst into Todd's field of vision. Sam, Vicki and Hank followed soon behind them.
Vicki glanced at Tea and turned away quickly mouthing something to Sam that Todd couldn't hear.
"You have the right to remain silent.." Skyes said as he jerked Todd off the ground and onto his feet. Taking Todd's place beside Tea, Sam got on his knees and started to help Bo in assessing her injuries.
"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law"
Skyes spat pulling Todd away from Tea's collapsed body.
Todd struggled against him. "Sam, she's gonna be alright, right Sam?" Todd said his voice a flood of emotion. When Sam turned to look back at Todd his face was pale.
When Sam shook his head slowly Todd erupted , knocking Skyes backward he bolted back toward Tea's still and unconscious body.
"Tea! Tea!" Todd screamed struggling against his own handcuffs as he fell to his knees beside Sam. Twisting his body around he tried to use his fingers to stroke her hair but the handcuffs restrained him.
Leaning forward Todd rested his head against Tea's shoulder.
"Boomer" Sam started but was cut off when Skyes pulled Todd to his feet again, this time with the help of Drew and another officer.
"Vicki" Todd moaned at Vicki as she stood near Tea's feet. Her hands covering her mouth she stared back at him with a glazed over look.
As Skyes and the other officers struggled to pull Todd toward the police car Sam clicked back into lawyer mode. "Skyes, I want him taken to a hospital. And If he has one cut or bruise that he didn't have when he left here there's going to be hell to pay" Sam shouted at Skyes, who only gave a snort as a response.
As Todd was shoved into that awaiting Police cruiser EMS finally arrived. "you have to let me stay with her" Todd pleaded with Skyes.
Todd face twisted a intense look of pain as he watched EMS attend to Tea. Skyes answered by slamming the cruiser door in Todd's face.
When Skyes slipping into the driver seat Todd pulled against his restrains and kicked the back of the front seat. " I can't just leave her here like this!" Todd shouted. "The best thing I can do for her Manning is make sure that they lock you up and throw away the key" Skyes said turning sideways on his seat to look at Todd "How does it feel to you now? Now that you've finally destroyed her?" Skyes asked rhetorically as he started the cruisers engine.
Todd stopped moving and blanking stared out the cruiser window suddenly swallowed up in his own self loathing. The pain rumbled through him until he was almost unable to stop himself from screaming out under its weight. As the police cruiser pulled away Todd raised his hand to brush away the first tear he had cried in years from his cheek.

TO BE CONTINUED