IMPOSTER - PART NINE

Part Nine continued:
Stark terror clawed its way into her heart as she fixated on his leg. This is it! That ankle monitor was my only chance to be rescued from this demon seed spawned by Todd. Now it's up to me to save myself. I don't want to die! She squeezed her eyes shut and thought of her mother who had left so long ago. Why had she left? A lonely, abandoned girl had asked that question over and over. She had never understood until much later that her mother had been unable to fight her own demons and had turned and run from her family. Tea had learned in a cruel way that she must always fend for herself. I don't have the strength that he has, but I still have my wits. I will fight this enemy with what I have or die trying!
Pete continued whistling as he drove -- a look of supreme satisfaction etched on his face. His entire manner seemed to exude confidence in his powers. Along with his newly-found confidence was a shift in his rigid bearing. His long legs loosened up and stretched out and his shoulders slumped down against the seat. Extending his arm leisurely, his hand came to rest on Tea's thigh.
Tea's first reaction was to yell out in protest, but she remembered her promise to herself that she would use her brain to outwit this cunning alter. Maybe I can very subtlely let him think that I'm getting turned on. It had to be the performance of her life because she had tried to bait him before and failed. This had to be timed perfectly. Go ahead, you pervert! I'm going to be one step ahead of you!
Flinching a little, Tea kept her leg perfectly still. His warm fingers began stroking her leg in long, slow, sweeping movements. She remained motionless but as more of his hand touched her flesh, she parted her lips and closed her eyes. She tried to picture in her mind that the fingers touching her did not belong to a crazed, demonic alter but rather were the fingers of the man she had lost her heart to. As the memories of all that she had loved about him rose up again in her consciousness, she imagined that he was here with her and her face flushed with desire. A breath of air escaped her lips as she experienced the intimate touches and was drawn more into her own charade. Pete threw her a sideways look as he deftly felt up her leg. She's always been a hot little number! That dropping-the-robe bit was a big clue to who his darling wife really was. And wasn't she ready, willing and able to throw herself into the priest's bed! Well, this is Pete you're dealing with now, baby, and I'm going to find out what really lights your fire! Time for some fun and games!
His hand remained on her leg in a possessive way as he turned the wheel quickly and headed down a long, narrow secluded road shrouded by trees. Tea had opened her eyes again as she sensed that they were close to their destination. Fervently she prayed that she could so charm her captor that he would be unaware that she would do anything she could to get away from him.

Sykes stared ahead of him in consternation at what he was going to have to do. Damn! He had just found out that the ankle monitor on Todd Manning's leg was no longer there. They had tracked him to a remote farmhouse but any occupants there had vacated the premises. It probably was a front for some small-time illegal operator -- maybe a retiree who knew a thing or two about criminology. His usual dispassionate manner evaporated as he thought about the reason for the current mess. Todd Manning. This Manning was far superior in intellect that he had originally thought and evidently had managed to fool a lot of people with his DID performance. Now all that was left to do was to contact the FBI and that was the last thing he wanted. There was another problem, too. Tea Manning's brother who worked for the FBI was sure to find out about this. The station would be crawling with FBI in no time. Reluctantly he picked up the receiver to make the call.

Viki Carpenter sat like a statue on the sofa in her family room -- waiting. Sam Rappaport had told her that he would call her within the hour with any news of Todd and Tea. She looked at the mantle clock for the hundredth time and as an hour went by and the familiar chime sounded, her faith in a happy ending seemed to be getting weaker. Inside her thoughts were a myriad of feelings -- very intense feelings that wouldn't go away. I love you, my brother, with all my heart and you know that, I think. I've tried to be your comfort and support when everyone else deserted you because I believed in you. I never saw your past as the seal of your fate. We all make our own destinies by the choices we make. But I've failed you, haven't I? I could have helped you understand this dreadful sickness better than I did. I didn't want to believe it could happen to anyone else but me. Why didn't I see it, Todd? Of all people, I should have seen this coming.
The ringing of the phone brought her quickly back from her reverie.
"Hello?"
"Viki, Sam here. Nothing so far. They...they found out he's no longer wearing the monitor." His tone sounded defeated and sad.
"Oh, God, Sam, don't tell me this! I needed good news! What are the police doing now?"
Sam paused and tried to sound businesslike. "They're calling in the FBI, Viki."
Viki's hand covered her eyes with the sting of fresh tears. "Sam, if they catch him, he's as good as finished."
Sam swallowed audibly and realized that she was right. He had been trying to build a defense for him based on the DID, but with the FBI involved, it would almost certainly not go in his favor. Still he had to bolster her spirits somehow because he was worried about her. As close as he was to Todd, he completely understood what she was feeling at this moment. There had always been a fragment of hope that Todd would straighten out and come away from this nightmare a better person. What could he say now? Lying to her isn't going to help her or me in the long run. I have to be honest so that she knows what to expect, but I can remind her of something else.
"Viki, listen. What you said to me in the garage...just keep that with you now. Todd is still there somewhere in that alter's head. Our main focus has to be on that...the rest we can deal with later."
Viki nodded and knew then that she was grateful for Sam's support. "You're right. Thank you, Sam. He could try to contact us in some way. Please don't worry about me. I'm just...well, I love him...I've always loved him ever since I first saw him, I think. He's the only person I've ever been truly honest with in my life, and I don't want to lose him."
"Me either, Viki. Me either. I guess you know what he means to me. In a way, I was hoping to be a father to him. I'm afraid I messed that up."
"No! No, you didn't, Sam! He loves you like a father...I know that!" she said vehemently, wiping her eyes.
"Appreciate that, Viki. Well...I'll call you right away if I hear anything. Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes...yes, I'm fine. I'll be here, Sam...waiting."
As she hung up the phone she looked around her stately but comfortable surroundings and a pang of grief crashed in on her. I have so much to be thankful for, but I want my brother to have a real home, too. God...he's suffered so much. Please don't turn your back on him. Help him!

Tea's eyes tried to peer into the now blackened landscape as the car eased its way down the road and began slowing to a stop. A small light shone on the front of a cabin-like structure seemingly made of stone. Except that she knew she was an unwilling prisoner of a maniac, she would have felt a certain peacefulness about this place that had almost a quiet, homelike quality. Obviously this was a retreat and from the looks of the architectural lines of the place, it belonged to someone who was quite well off. Whoever owned it must have a caretaker who came around because the shrubbery and flowers lining the house were well cared for and there was no sign of neglect.
Watching her expression, Pete once again congratulated himself for his effortless escape. This was as good a place as any to hide out, and even if the cops somehow figured it out, he would be long gone by then. His eyes lingered on her chest as her head was turned away from him. The gods were indeed smiling on him tonight he thought. She turned back and found him ogling her with such intensity that she thought she would scream out. Calm down, Delgado! Easy. Remember the game!
"What is this place?" she asked him -- trying to keep him occupied with conversation.
"Now, do you really think in that pretty little head of yours that I'm going to tell you that, Delgado? I give you points for trying though!" he said mockingly.
"You know what, Delgado?" he began speaking with a slow, lilting cadence. "You've got one fine mouth on you -- do you know that?" His fingers brushed against her lips as she blinked back at him. His index finger poked and rubbed across her bottom lip and she stared as she saw his tongue run seductively across his teeth. She steeled her resolve once more and tried to appear to be melting with his touch.
"Pete," she said just as slowly -- acting as if she was succumbing to his overpowering sexuality, "I'm getting a cramp from sitting in this car. Can we go inside?"
His finger pulled down on her bottom lip and ran down her chin and slid to the hollow of her throat and even lower toward her chest. It would be so easy to take you in this car, Delgado, but I'm not into close, tight quarters. Lucky for you, right? I've got much better games planned for us tonight -- games that will have you begging for mercy.
His silence startled her as she sat there and his hand rose again from her chest and cupped her chin in his hand with a tender urgency. "Tea, this is Todd! Look at me! I know what he's thinking! Do whatever you have to do! I know you can do this -- you're strong! He bent his head down to hers and she was half afraid that his serious, unfathomable eyes would change again to the eyes of evil. Instead he pulled her face to his and touched her lips with soft intensity -- almost as if he wanted to let her know that he would never leave her. "Tea, you're the one I want. I won't let him hurt you!"
Tea grabbed his hands and pressed tightly -- trying desparately to keep him from going away again. His head drooped for a moment and he raised his eyes to her. He smiled with loving concern as she spoke rapidly, "Todd, just hang on, please! Don't leave me!"
Dropping his head again, his voice spoke out from beneath his hair and she detected him struggling to continue speaking to her. "Tea, he is clever...and will try to fool you again and again. There is something...something that he does that will tell you...it's a way he has of wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Watch him, Tea! His forceful words ended abruptly and his head lifted again.
"Let's go inside now, Tea," he said and she checked his face to see if Pete had returned. He smiled at her and unlocked the door -- all the while giving no indication that anything had changed. She was stunned that nothing had happened -- that Pete and his savagery seemed to have vacated for the time being. She got out of the car and walked with him to the front door with a strange disquiet in her soul. This could all be another game that Pete was playing with her, but she had felt Todd's love for her in that touch of his lips. Pete couldn't fake that!
The paned rustic door opened to a warm, inviting interior decorated casually but with style and grace. It reminded her a lot of someone else's decorating, but she couldn't think of who it was. Country furnishings and colorful throw rugs added to the cozy feeling of the room. It was someone's home away from home -- a place to escape to. Why had Pete chosen this place? Who did he know who owned this? No...who did Todd know?
"Tea, I'm sorry for all that he's put you through. Just believe me when I say that I'll do what I can," he said, his eyes looking from side to side in the room as he talked. She waited expectantly for a sign that she was still in the presence of Pete. This is insane! I have to know who he is from one minute to the next. I can't let my guard down at all if I even think that he might still be Pete.
Tea also surveyed the room -- looking for a phone. There didn't seem to be one. Whoever lived here might carry a cell phone in order to be reached. This haven was meant to be an escape from the world and its pressures.
"Are you thirsty?" he asked her. "I am! Come on. Let's check out the frig!" Leading her over to the open bar kitchen, he reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a leftover can of soda unopened. As he popped the top and lifted the can to his parched lips, he swallowed loudly -- almost gulping down the cold liquid. After guzzling for several seconds, he handed the can to her. With a quick sweep of the back of his hand, he nervously wiped from the side and down across his mouth.

~ TO BE CONTINUED ~