Chapter 81

Alan
Chaos.
I've never truly understood the word until now. I've grown up in a house full of people all talking at the same time. I've had over thirty students yelling at the top of their lungs for a sound proof test the school was doing. I've been in a circle of both equal parts nervous and excited football players, preparing themselves for the big game.
I've had noise, I've had excitement, I've had an uncontrolled environment. What I've never had, is chaos.
I get in the car and drive after the ambulance carrying the woman of my dreams. My mind a flurry of thoughts and images of every moment we have ever spent together. I thought when detective Stephanson told me, Laynie and Jared the entire story of Anna's past, that I was heartbroken then, but nothing is compared the pain I feel in this moment.
Thoughts of this morning come rushing back to me as I arrived at Jared's home. Detective Stephanson was there, I had recognized him from when Jared and Laynie were attacked last year in New York. He seemed to remember Anna's last name and now I know why.
"I was there that night. I was undercover, and my goal was to find out where they were going to have a drop."
Children.
They stole children and used them.
Used them for their own personal gain, and it all started with Anna and her bother Jed. Not only did they condition them and train them, but Anna and Jed were given a serum every month from the time they were three until they each turned sixteen. Stephanson thinks it was made from someone with military background.
I hadn't heard anything about Jed in years. Even when Anna and I dated in the past, she never mentioned him. I always assumed they just lost track of each other over the years since she left for college.
According to Stephanson, Jed's serum expands his muscle and cuts off some of his brain nerve receptors. Makes him like a walking machine, only meant to give harm from a single word. Anna's was the opposite; her serum was meant to enhance her brain receptors and make them have more endurance. They jammed information into her and made her read and watch television at all hours of the day. They weren't allowed to be normal, they were only allowed to be trained thieves.
When Stephanson tell us the reason behind the imprisonment for Jed, we lose it. Laynie cries, Jared tries to real in his anger and betrayal, and I place my face into my hands. Kidnapping, child endangerment, those were just two of the eight total charges he was charged with.
"I was the undercover agent, and Craig started getting a little more and more suspicious that someone was watching them. So instead of him going to get the children, instead of him being the one to go through the hassle of it all, he got Jed to do it. Jed was arrested instead of his father and Craig Delula got away."
After we calmed down enough to hear the rest of the story, most of which I already knew because of Anna's admission from earlier that morning, we questioned Stephanson. Why tell us everything? Why tell us about all of this and where Anna will be with her brother today?
Simple.
She would need her friends there after everything was said and done.
As I chase the ambulance in my car, I think twice about what I witnessed in that house. I think about all seventeen of the children I saw in there or how pale and fragile they all looked. Seeing the blood seeping out of Anna the way it was, seeing her eyes get slightly more gentle when she saw me, hearing her words of love as she thought she was dying, I think about it all.
We get to the hospital in less than half an hour. I park my car and run into the emergency entrance where the ambulance was. I know I won't get to see her right away. The blood I noticed coming out of her was coming from her chest, so I know without a doubt she will most likely go straight into surgery, but none of this stops me from running to the nurse's station and yelling her name.
"Sir, she just came in right now. I don't know anything yet, but as soon as I do, I will let you know." I nod my head at the nurse and she squeezes my hand in return. She must see what a mess I am.
I sit in the small enclosed waiting room and await the fate of the woman stronger than anyone I know, fight for her life. An hour and three disgusting cups of coffee later, Jared and Laynie stroll through the doors. Laynie immediately spots me and starts wailing. I stand up to console her, but Jared meets me half way.
"Maybe you should change first man. When Anna wakes up, we don't want to worry her." I look down at my shirt and see blood all over my blue tee shirt. Shit. I'm covered in her blood. Jared throws a shirt at me that he must have stopped and grabbed, and I walk to the nearest restroom.
I only take a few seconds to change. I don't want to miss the nurse coming to inform us of Anna's condition. Once out, Laynie walks over and sits on my lap while she cries silent tears on my new black tee. I hate every second of this and I know she does as well. As soon as Anna is better, I'm going to marry the damn girl. She just has to make it through tonight.
She has to.
Detective Stephanson eventually comes sometime later. It has been hours and we still haven't heard a thing. Laynie fell asleep on Jared and I went and grabbed us some food form the vending machine. He doesn't tell us much, just that everyone there was arrested, Jed as well, but it's just precaution. He speaks with the doctors and gets us a medical report of her injuries.
Anna was shot twice. One bullet went right through her abdomen and one bullet remains near her shoulder. That is the main reason why she is still in surgery. The bullet is lodged at an angle and they are thinking they may have to leave it in. Her news doesn't necessarily make me feel calmer. Knowing she is stable, but still under, has my nerves shot.
It's nearing two in the morning when my eyes start to shut on their own. I dream of soft blonde curls and bright green eyes. I dream of Anna and I's future. Our house close to Jared and Laynie's, her in the kitchen burning her newest batch of some weird concoction while I scarf it down despite the taste. I dream of everything Anna, so that when I am awakened the next morning by the nurse, it takes me a moment to fully understand what she is saying to me.
Anna is in a private room and is asking for me.
I immediately jump up and follow the nurse to the room. I don't wake Jared and Laynie. I know Laynie will kick me in the balls for that later, but right now I want to be selfish. I want Anna all to myself. The nurse, judging by her name badge, is Emily, stops right before a door marked with a red paper laminated that says patient charged. I try not to let it show that the red paper angers me. She's a fucking hero, but I say nothing. The last thing I want is to be kicked out when Anna needs me.
Knocking a few times, she opens the door and leans her head in and whispers a few words. I bounce back and forth on my toes, I almost throw the nurse out of my way and charge inside the room, shutting the world out from Anna and me.
"You can go on in, but please don't take too long. She needs her rest." I nod my head at her and she moves aside so I can enter.
Anna is awake when I walk in. Her blonde hair still has a tad bit of blood on it and the thought that I almost lost her comes rushing back to me. It takes everything in me not to run to her, hop in the bed and hold her until they pry us apart. Her eyes are dull and red rimmed, so I know she has been crying. She is no doubt worried for her brother and is confused of what happened after she was escorted into the ambulance.
"Hey stranger." I say to her slowly walking to the side of the bed and sitting. Her small hands are pale, and one has an IV in it.
"Hey." Her voice is raspy and haggard. She looks confused, probably wondering if she thought I was a dream when I came to her back at that mansion. When Stephanson came and told Jared, Laynie and I, what was going on, we knew we wanted to be there for her. We were supposed to stay back no matter what, but when I heard the gunshots, I knew that was the last thing I was capable of.
"How are you feeling?" I ask as I come and sit beside her. I can feel the warmth coming of her body in waves. Anna takes her hand that has the IV in it and places it on my lap.
"I'm tired. But too afraid to go to sleep. I keep seeing those kids faces every time I blink." I can see the tears forming in her eyes and move my hand over to wipe them away.
"The detectives came by to see you yet?" She nods her head and interlocks her fingers with mine. I can feel her shaking, so I bring my other hand over and clasp it on top.
"Alan, I'm so sorry. I couldn't tell you everything, not yet, maybe not ever. I didn't want you to see me differently. I didn't want you to look at me with disgust." I stop her before she could continue. Her tears are flowing heavier now.
"Anna, I could never look at you with disgust. I admit when you told me about your past the other night, I didn't handle it well. But I'm here now, and I promise you, I will never leave you again."
"I saw him Alan. I saw Peter. He looked so scared and worried and when he saw me, their face went from scared to pleading. I couldn't help him Alan. I couldn't help him when him needed me to." She is crying so excessively that some machines start beeping behind her.
"Anna. You had to play the part. He will understand that." I keep trying to calm her down but between the machines going off and her sobs, she can't hear me that well.
A nurse walks in and starts speaking to her but Anna begins screaming and closing her eyes. I look towards the nurse and yell for her to get the doctor. I lean closer to her and gently place my hands on her cheeks. I begin whispering words of love to her. I tell that I love her, that Laynie and Jared are right outside those doors waiting on her, that she is cared for more than she thinks. I tell that I will never leave her, I tell her that everyone is safe and that I know she had no choice. By the time the doctor comes in, I have Anna somewhat calm and looking right into my eyes.
"There is a detective here to see you Miss. Delula." Anna cringes slightly at her surname. I squeeze her hand with mine letting her know that whatever this guy has to say, she isn't alone.
Detective Stephanson strolls through the door seconds later and his face looks haggard and tired. After he came and gave us the leeway for us to get in to see Anna, he had left saying he had a lot of work to catch up on. Judging by his look, I would say he wasn't lying.
"Anna, glad you're awake. I came to tell you everything that transpired after you were whisked away to the hospital. I know Detective Morell was already in here earlier to tell you what your charges would be if we arrest you, but I'm here to assure you that won't happen. Your brother and yourself are completely free to go once you leave the hospital." Anna looks panic stricken for a moment and Stephanson raises his hand up to stop her asking a question.
"He's fine Anna. Once he saw that you had been shot, he went after your father. A cop thought he was one of the bad guys, didn't know he was with me and shot him. Got him in the leg. Just a graze. He will be released in a couple hours." I can feel Anna's tension leave her body at the fact that her brother is alive and well.
"All the children are fine. Some are a little scared and I don't blame them, but none were hurt while they were being held. Some will be going back home while others unfortunately, some will have to go into foster care." My blood raises at the thought of any of those small kids being harmed in anyway. I think back on the few seconds I had to look around at everything back at the mansion. What I saw, I don't think I will ever be able to forget. Anna knows Peter, he was the child in my class here in New York, but she doesn't know of Arnold whom was also there. thank God that Arnold will get to go back home to his family that has truly missed him, but a worried thought pops into my head at what will in turn, happen to Peter.
"I'm sure you know by now that your parents were arrested. Everyone was, Nicholas Cole included, although he was working with us from the start." My mouth gapes open and when I turn to Anna hers is as well. Glad it's not just me.
"What?" Anna chokes out.
"Yes. He was never a fan of your father's, so we staged him to 'escape' the feds watching him. We knew that would lure your father out of the shadows. We still took the precautions of his betrayal, giving Jared a cell phone that would occasionally ring to lure Cole off but once Craig made his presence known, we kept Nicholas in the background. He's still going to prison, will be there a long time, but he never wanted small children affected by all of this. He was our spy."
"So, what now?" Anna asks her voice small.
"Now, you get better and go home, live your life the way you've been wanting to all along Anna. Be happy and healthy." With that detective Stephanson starts to head out. I stop him before he can get far. There is something that has been bothering me since he first appeared at Jared and Laynie's home.
"Stephanson." I call out. I see him halt right at the door and turn to me. "Why you? Why was this case so important that you would follow this family for years?"
Stephanson huffs and blows out a breath. "My niece, the one that is sick? Her older sister was kidnapped when she was seven years old. It wasn't by your father or anyone from the business, but when we got her back, we learned a lot about how this stuff goes. From then on, I made it my life's mission to stop anything like that from happening to any more children."
I look towards Anna whom is smiling at Stephanson. I nod my head towards him and he returns it. Walking out of the room Anna and I are once again left alone.
"Alan?"
"Hmm?"
"You love me, right?" I lean in closer and bring her eyes to mine with my index finger on her chin.
"No. I'm in love you."
"Good. I'm going to hold you to that. Because I need you, and I don't know if I have the strength to let you go."
"Then don't Banana, don't ever let go again."