IMPOSTER - PART TWENTY SIX

PREVIOUSLY

The interior walls around the entrance he had chosen seemed rougher and almost crustier than the previous tunnel and had more of a glistening appearance on the rock surface. Gripping the lighter even tighter, he haltingly began walking through -- noting that the air seemed damper but also richer in oxygen content. With relief he filled up his lungs again, but within moments the pleasant sensation disappeared and gave way to a new sensation -- cold terror. Instead of a flickering light illuminating the passageway before him, Todd Manning was suddenly encased in a cocoon of opaque darkness. The flame from the lighter had gone out!

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Standing in pitch-blackness, Todd's entire body inwardly shook as he realized what this meant. He tried the lighter again to reinstate the light, but it must have been low in fluid. Damn that Pete! He couldn't see anything in front or behind him, and there was no way to know what was two steps ahead of him. I'm a blind man with nothing to lead me out of this! Looking down, he moved his hand and saw no sign of it. His fingers grazed the wall near him, and he touched it with trepidation. This is all I have -- these walls to guide me out of here. I have to go very slow...easy, Manning...don't panic...one step at a time. He tried to master his burgeoning emotions, but the outright horror of being trapped in this maze of tunnels going deeper into this mountain with no light anywhere made his facial muscles clench and his heart rate increase rapidly. His long fingers once more tentatively groped for the wall and he cautiously stepped forward as his hand continued to probe the deep wells of the rock.

Tea moaned softly as she saw the very real image of Todd's face appear before her in a dreamlike haze. Jabs of pain tore at her insides as she seemed to experience something which was connecting her to him. A wall of darkness descended over his face and covered him like a thick blanket. She held out her arms -- begging him to come to her. The surreal mist evaporated, and she sat straight up in bed -- her eyes wide open and staring at the blank wall in front of her. She heard her breath come forth in short, quick gasps as she realized she was still lying on the bed in his room.

He's in the dark! He can't see! Her throat tightened as she tried to recover from the dream, but she found no relief in the fact that she was now awake. She wanted to rush back to that field and try to find him since she knew in her gut that her husband was in great danger. Maybe Sam or Viki? No, they can't be involved any more...it's too risky. The police are probably staking out every place they can think of. But what do I do?

Del! If she knew anything about her brother, she knew that he was at the forefront of this manhunt. But he loves me, and has always been in my corner. Maybe I can talk to him and convince him that Todd was not responsible for what happened to me. If anyone can help me find Todd, it would be Del. Rubbing her tired eyes, Tea rose up from the bed. I'll call that number he gave me -- for emergencies. Yes, this is an emergency!

The plump pillows on the back of Sam's sofa were luxuriously soft, and Viki leaned back for a moment as she waited for Sam to reappear from the kitchen. How different it would be to live in a place like this! No large home or grounds to oversee, no servants wandering around -- just a casual place to come home to and plop down and put your feet up. She glanced around and saw a large bookcase in one corner crammed with an impressive number of hardcover copies. Wonder if he's read all of these? Probably. Rising from the sofa, she moved over to the bookcase and scrutinized the selections. War and Peace. Some spy novels -- Ludlum. Dogs of War. Ah!! He's even got Holmes. Science fiction...Asmov, Bradbury, Heinlein. Classics? This is a surprise, Sam! Dickens...Stephen Crane...Shakespeare...Aristotle...Milton. She paused and touched a book that she didn't recognize...A Lawyer of Fortune. Removing the book from the shelf, she leafed through the first couple of pages, and her mouth dropped open. The author was...Samuel Rappaport!

"Uh..I guess you could call that an experiment," Sam spoke behind her in a somewhat embarrassed voice.

"When did you write this?" Viki asked with added astonishment that he had come so close to her without her knowing it.

"Much too long ago," Sam said sheepishly -- trying to think of a way to wrest her attention from the book she was holding.

"May I read it?" Viki asked as politely as she could but determined not to be dissuaded from it by him.

"Well..." he laughed lightly as he saw the interest reflected in her eyes. "It was published, but I can't say that it was any great work. I was something of an aspiring writer, but my life didn't quite take the direction I thought it would when I wrote that."

"So you didn't start out wanting to study law?" Viki asked rather taken aback that there was so much more to this man than she had thought originally.

Sam walked back over to the bar with the ice bucket and began pulling out the glasses for the drinks. For a moment he was quiet as if he were thinking about something. "It was a long time ago...but I remember being happy then in a very naiive way. You see...I was married."

Steady, Manning...this is just a walk in the park...think...think!! His nostrils flared as he picked up a stronger flow of air coming from somewhere, and he decided to go in the direction of it. There was also the smell of heavy dampness which could indicate some water was nearby. Every muscle in his body was tensed and primed for whatever obstacle could be in front of him. He tuned in to pick up the slightest sound. Every sense except his sight was intensified to help him. Suddenly his mind latched onto a memory from his past -- a memory when he had stalked a blind Nora. This is poetic justice. My sins have come back to torture me as always.

The darkness, which had strangled him a few moments before, began to settle into his being -- forcing him to treat it as a familiar yet dangerous enemy and not to take it for granted. The ground beneath him was rocky and very bumpy and he carefully worked his feet around the edges of the jutting stones. Wouldn't Bo and Company chortle with his predicament now if they could see him! He could hear the snide, vindicative comments in his brain as they almost seemed to hover over him like an oppressive cloud. "Serves the bastard right! He caused everyone else so much pain -- only fitting he should end up like that!" Thank God Tea can't see me now! But then again...maybe she knows something is wrong.

Tea punched in the number Del had given her on the phone keypad. She listened to a recorded message which directed her to put in another number code. Her heart beat faster as she nervously waited for the line to be connected.

"Hello?" a deep, masculine voice with an accent spoke into her ear. "Del?" she asked -- almost afraid that her mind could be playing tricks on her and it wasn't really her brother's voice.

"Te..a!" he said in a louder, rich voice laced with happiness and also wariness.

"I need to talk to you, Del...right now!! It's terribly important...please!"

"You've called me at this number...that must mean it's an emergency...are you all right?"

"You know I am! You're on this Todd manhunt, aren't you? It's not about me..."

"Don't con me, Tea! You'd better be straight with me...it's him, isn't it?"

Tea changed her pleading tone to a demanding one. "I'm not telling you anything until you get here. I'm your sister, for God's sake, Del! Quit interrogating me and get over here quick!"

Del's manner toward her changed and she heard a slight laugh at her boldness.

"Still the lawyer! You're very good, mi hermana, and I will be there. The penthouse, right?"

"Yes! And hurry!" She hung up and hoped she wouldn't regret this decision to talk to him. His loyalty to the Department was strong, and he might have to choose between her and them. Whatever he did, she had to do something. I can't just sit around and not do anything while Todd is in trouble..and the strange thing is...I know it!

The phone rang a second after she had put the receiver down, and she almost jumped. "Hello?" she said -- thinking it might just be Del again.

"Tea, this is John Sykes. I'm relieved to know that you're all right. We need you to come down to the station -- not tonight..tomorrow will be fine...and make a statement."

"Sure, John, but I'm not going to be making the kind of statement you will want to hear."

Sykes's voice flowed with a lilting quality. "Well, we'll cross that bridge tomorrow, Tea. You need to get some rest. I would advise getting checked over by a doctor, too."

Tea bristled slightly with his comment. "I wasn't raped, John."

"Just some advice, Tea. Don't take it personally. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yes," Tea said and didn't bother with goodbye as she almost slammed down the receiver.

Sam turned around holding two full glasses of Scotch on the rocks -- pretending in an unsuccessful way that he had not made any kind of shocking statement.

"To Lindsay?" Viki asked with a suspicion that it was not that ex-wife he was referring to as she walked back to the sofa.

"No...no, Lindsay was my second wife. My first wife's name was Adrienne."

Handing her the double Scotch, he sank down into the sofa next to her -- noticing that she was still cradling his book in her arms. "We met in college -- freshman year. Both of us talked the same language -- writing. Those were the days of deep intellectual discussions, " he said softly. "I thought she was the smartest girl I had ever met."

Viki sipped slowly on her drink and sat listening in fascinated silence. Please go on!

"...we fell madly in love and got married in the university chapel -- committing ourselves to a life of devotion to our future careers as authors. There was nothing I wouldn't have done for her...she was so completely in my every thought. Even writing seemed not quite as important somehow afterward..." He stopped and eyed her as he took a rather large gulp from his glass. "This is going to bore you, Viki...let's just change the subject."

"Not on your life, Sam Rappaport!" Viki tossed back at him with a look that went right through him.

Backing down seemed to be something he was doing a lot of this evening -- especially with this woman, thought Sam reflectively. Well, she's stubborn enough!

Slumping deeper into the cushions, Sam's eyes glazed over in remembrance of another lfe. "I began writing that book three years after we were married...don't know why I picked that subject...must have been prophetic..."

"I think we're led to do certain things, don't you?" Viki said simply as she watched his face take on a sadder countenance.

"We were both still in school...struggling but content. Or so I thought..."

Viki swallowed the blended Scotch and enjoyed the tingling sensation in her throat. Don't stop now, Sam!

Fingering the rim of the glass, Sam's voice got progressively lower as he talked. "I began to notice things...she wasn't acting like the girl I had married. I guess I got suspicious. One day I sank to a pretty low level and began to secretly follow her around campus."

...it wasn't easy to do at first, but I persevered and before too long was rewarded for my efforts..."

Viki's back straightened automatically as she found herself hanging on every word that he said.

"...I followed her to the Fine Arts building where I knew she met friends occasionally. This time the place looked deserted...but it wasn't completely. Someone else was there -- her lover." Why the hell am I telling this to Viki Carpenter of all people? Not even Nora knew about this!

You're going to get out of here! This isn't the end yet! You crossed over into the Land of Second Chances and now this! Todd began talking to himself to quiet his raging thoughts as he moved at a snail's pace through the dark tunnel. When you get out of this mountain, you've got a lot to do -- get yourself cleared of these charges with Tea's help, but you have to be careful. Blair will be gunning for you and try to keep Starr. Fat chance she'll ever get my little girl! You've got to keep her money-grubbing hands off the Sun, too. Tea! You've got to do a ton of damage control in order to make it up to her, but you got a good start on it tonight...don't forget you told her you'd be home for dinner.

He smiled and his blinded eyes softened in the dark as he thought of going home to her and sitting down with her to a nice dinner -- maybe some salsa dish she cooked just for him. A slight throbbing in his head made him pause in his thoughts. And you need to get this headache stuff checked out as soon as possible! Maybe it's left over from the DID. You need to see someone, too...to talk to about what happened...to see if you're all right and...

"OHHHHH!!!!" he screamed out as he felt a piercing slash of pain in his head. His arm shot up to his forehead and simulataneously his foot, which had been precariously wedged between a rock and a deepening hole in the earth, seemed to collapse beneath him. His right knee came crashing down and the rest of his body tumbled awkwardly forward into some unknown abyss. Weightlessness engulfed him as his form rolled over and over and down -- hitting sharp, hardened surfaces as he fell further. Landing with a thud, his large body sprawled out -- his hair strewn over his pale skin. Steady drips of water were the only sounds disturbing the bleak quiet of the cavern, and the limp, unconscious body of Todd Manning lay as if dead in the tomb of the mountain.

~ TO BE CONTINUED ~