Fractured (Broken Part 2)

Exit Strategy

Malcolm and I sat in the examination room waiting for our OB/GYN to return to draw blood for the 14 week blood tests we'd opted for.
"Are you okay?" I asked as Malcolm fidgeted with a loose hem on his coat.
"Huh?" He looked up at me.
"Oh! Yeah. I'm fine." He nodded and forced a smile.
"I know when you're lying to me." I sighed.
"I..." He started but was then cut off by Dr. Ann Hamilton returning to the room.
"Quick blood draw and I'll have you on your way." She smiled at us.
My body involuntarily tensed as she eased the needle into my arm. An unfortunate side effect of my captivity with Bryce and Nicholas nearly a year earlier.
"We'll have the results in a week or so." She smiled again as she removed the needle from my arm, either unaware or unconcerned by my tension.
"How sure will we be about the gender when the test comes back?" I asked.
"Around 98.6%. We'll still check for gender at your twenty week ultrasound in five weeks. You've already scheduled it?" She asked and I nodded.
"Wonderful. I'll call you when I have the results and I'll see you both for the ultrasound."
Malcolm and I walked hand in hand back out to the car.
"We should talk." Malcolm sighed sitting down on our bed once we got home.
"About what?" I asked walking over and standing between his legs.
He laid his hands on my hips and looked up at me.
"I've been thinking a lot lately about the baby and my father..." He trailed off looking away from me.
"Malcolm? Baby, tell me what you're thinking?" I pushed gently.
"I think that for our baby's health, for your health, and for my own health that we should step back from him. I don't want his influence anywhere near our relationship or our baby." He looked down at his knees almost as if ashamed by his decision.
"Look at me." I urged touching his face.
"I support you. No matter what. We'll step back. We'll cut him out all together. Whatever you need." I smiled when he looked up at me.
He sighed almost in relief. I leaned down to kiss him.
Gently he pulled me closer to him. He moved expertly to lay me down on our bed. His lips moved to my neck.
"Malcolm." I sighed his name.
"Lily." He moaned softly, touching the skin of my calf.
He dragged his fingertips up my leg the fabric of my dress following them up to my hips.
His lips caught mine effortlessly as we worked to unbutton his shirt.
I ran my hands over his chest before gripping his sides to urge him closer to me.
I tossed my head back as he entered me. I felt him smile against my neck as I ran my fingers through his hair.
A crash in within the mansion woke me later and Malcolm's arm tightened around me carefully yet protectively.
"It could just be Sarah or Mark." I muttered pressing my back against his chest.
"It sounded like it came from the Never Ever Room." He sighed.
"Then it's your mother whom we need to set some ground rules before our baby comes." I sighed.
"Come on. Let's go find out what she wants." He chuckled kissing my temple.
"I'll make the coffee."
We dressed and took the elevator downstairs.
"Is everything okay, Lily?" Mark asked meeting us in the kitchen.
"Yeah. Everything's fine." I chuckled.
"My mother-in-law is rifling through one of the rooms on the second floor."
"You checked it out? You know for sure?" He pushed.
"No, but yes." Malcolm sighed.
"Bright Manor is impenetrable by design. The only people who get through the gate are people on the list." I added.
"And Jackson Humphreys." Mark sighed.
"We've further updated security since the incident with Jackson. Added an automatic locking door to the guard booth which was the problem last time. Jesse accidentally left the door unlocked."
"What would your mother-in-law want that's in here?" Mark continued as I made coffee.
"There was a room upstairs in Malcolm's loft called the Never Ever Room, where they kept things that were his father's." I answered.
"The Surgeon." He nodded.
"Right. She offered up a memoir to the publisher who planned to publish her sister's tell all about her. She probably needs files and such."
Mark nodded and wandered off.
"Good talking to you too." I sighed quietly.
It was so hard for me not knowing what he needed or how to adequately be there for him after being held for nearly ten years.
I watched Malcolm lean against the wall in the foyer from the couch in our living room.
Finally after ten minutes or so I heard Jessica walking down the stairs.
"Morning, Mother." Malcolm said holding the coffee cup I made him.
I could barely see the foyer but I saw Jess jump out of her skin dropping a cardboard box she'd been holding.
"Malcolm! What are you doing here?" She gasped.
"In our home? Where we live?" He asked glancing over at me.
"I thought you were sleeping. I didn't hear you scream." She remarked as I got up to join them in the foyer.
"I don't often wake up screaming anymore." He sighed.
Depending on how long she'd been there she might have heard other things.
"What are you doing here and what is all this?" I asked motioning to the mess she made on our foyer floor.
"Oh, I was just... fetching some things from the Never Ever Room. Help me." She sighed motioning to the mess.
Malcolm handed me his coffee cup and moved to help her pick up the files.
"I thought the whole point of the Never Ever Room was to shut away Dad's belongings so you never had to see them again." Malcolm chuckled rejoining me.
"Well, it was. But once I committed to do that book, I'm gonna do it right. Even if that means some PTSD memory orgy." She muttered glancing into the box.
I shook my head to rid me of the image in my head.
"Well, it's funny. You are dredging up the past while we're recommitted to ignoring The Surgeon altogether." Malcolm smiled taking my hand.
"Hallelujah. No wonder you look so rested." She smiled at us.
I lead them into the living room to sit down.
"Well, I can't say going cold turkey has been a pleasant experience. He's been calling... nonstop." Malcolm muttered gently squeezing my hand.
He hadn't told me that.
"Darling, you need a reframe. Your father is not an addiction. You are not cutting out nicotine or, God forbid, benzos. You are cutting out a malignant tumor." She set the box on the coffee table between us and looked directly at her son.
"Got it." Malcolm sighed.
"Aw! This is a good thing. You are freeing yourself to move on with your life, finally give up all this murder nonsense." She smiled until Malcolm raised his eyebrow at her.
"Ah, okay. A mother can dream. But at least you will have more time for your beautiful, pregnant wife. Your number one job right now is to make sure she's happy and healthy." She smiled again.
"That's always been my number one job. I screwed it up once but never again." He promised squeezing my hand again.
Jessica sighed suddenly reaching forward into the box and pulling out a small key.
"Mother? You have that look on your face. What is it?" Malcolm asked.
"It's a bank key. But your father never handled any of our accounts." She looked up at us.
"Well, why did he have it then?" I asked.
"I intend to find out." She said grabbing the box and standing up.
My phone vibrated next to me as she walked out.
"Oh, great. Detective Mom." Malcolm muttered shaking his head.
"She'll be alright. I have something that'll cheer you up." I raised my eyebrow at him.
"We've got a case."
"Wow. The Coronet's looking good." Malcolm called to Gil as we climbed out of the car.
"Oh, no, you stay away. I've had to rebuild her twice... First because of you, then because of your mother. No more Whitlys around my car." Gil shook his finger at my husband.
"How about Tarmels?" JT raised an eyebrow at him.
He glared at him.
"I might trust Lily. Maybe Dani. No one else."
"Come on." I said shaking my head and walking over towards Dani.
"Boys and toys, I swear. Thought we were here to solve a murder?" She smirked at me.
"We are." Malcolm said.
"The victim is Rosalie Howard." Gil sighed as we walked around to find a young woman lying on the staircase.
"Edrisa, what do you got?" I asked.
"Well, I'll tell you what I got. Some major Japandi vibes, that's what. I mean, look at this place. Clean lines, soft minimalism, just a... hint of rustic texture. I wonder where she got that crystal..." She answered rambling.
"This one isn't for sale. It's our murder weapon." Gil sighed.
I'm sure he felt like he was constantly herding cats. I knew I did.
"Yes, yes. Right, murder. Uh, cause of death... blunt force trauma to the back of the skull. Rosalie likely died after one blow. But the killer kept bashing her head in, over and over and over and over." Edrisa explained.
"Overkill speaks to an impulse control disorder. Inability to integrate emotional reactions with consequences. Our killer snapped." Malcolm glanced at me.
"Yeah, but the struggle didn't start till they were in here. I'm guessing Rosalie knew her killer?" Dani looked at my husband.
"She wasn't yet fully dressed, but she still let him in. They didn't just know each other. They were intimate." He answered.
"A crime of passion." JT nodded.
In some ways Malcolm's presence was good for opening the team's minds to the psychology of murder.
"Exactly. And the killer didn't have time to clean up. Why?" Malcolm looked at me again.
"Maybe he heard sirens?" I suggested.
"Or someone else came in, interrupted him." Dani nodded.
"Report mentions an anonymous witness called the station from a landline." Gil mentioned.
"Who still has a landline?" JT asked.
"I have a..." Gil started.
"Old people." Dani cut him off before fully processing what he was saying.
"Oh!" He glared at her.
"Nobody shoot. I'll have Aaron run a trace, find the witness." I chuckled standing between them.
"You don't have to. There he is." Malcolm said pointing out the window.
"Let's go." Gil said with one last glare at Dani.
"NYPD. Open up!" JT called knocking on the door.
A crash came from inside the house.
"Sir, what's going on in there?" Gil called.
"Go away, please!" A man's voice called back.
"He's under duress. On three, two..." Gil nodded giving JT the signal to breach the door.
"Hello? Sir?" Dani called out.
"Landline's not the only thing old in this place. Who lives here?" JT asked as we looked around.
"Gerald Morris, you remember him?" Gil looked at Malcolm and I.
"Chess grand master, Gerald Morris. Yeah, he was a famous world champion in the '70s and '80s. Until he disappeared." Malcolm nodded.
"Yeah, looks like he's good at that." Dani sighed.
"Maybe he ran away." JT shrugged.
"These appliances are 30 years old, at least. He may be agoraphobic." Malcolm looked at me.
"He's afraid to leave the house." Dani said.
"It's more than that. Agoraphobia is a crippling anxiety disorder." I explained.
"So Gerald isn't under duress. And we need a warrant to be in here." Gil sighed glancing at me.
"Exactly." I nodded glancing at Malcolm.
He nodded once.
We knew each other effortlessly.
"Okay. Let's move out, folks." Gil called.
As we walked out I made sure to slam the door behind me.
"Lily? What's wrong?" Gil asked once I paused on the doorstep.
"Nothing. Just give it a minute." I answered leaning against the wall next to the door.
"Where's Bright?" Dani asked.
I raised my hand with my index finger up.
"Three... Two... One."
"Lily?" Malcolm said opening the door.
I smirked at Gil and Dani before following Malcolm inside.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Gerald Morris asked me as I walked in.
"Water would be lovely." I smiled at him.
"Mr. Morris, I'm Lilian. We just have some questions for you." I said after Gerald handed me the water glass.
"Did you know Rosalie?" I asked sitting next to Malcolm on the couch as Gerald sat in the chair across from us.
"No, we never met." He answered.
"But you watched her." I stated.
"What else do I have to do? My entire life is that window. What happens out there, it's better than the crap on TV. Well, not that it works." He sighed glancing at an old television.
"So, you watch everyone." I pushed.
"I'm no Peeping Tom, okay? I have a right to look out my damn window." He snapped at me.
Malcolm nearly stepped in but his phone rang.
"Can you turn that off? The noise, it's so sharp. And you, uh, coaster, please." Gerald said with his eyes closed as I moved to set my glass down.
I reached over for a coaster as did Malcolm.
"Sorry." He muttered as our fingers touched.
"Don't worry." I smirked at him.
Our relationship had always been strong but it felt a little more playful without Martin hanging over us.
"I watch people. Rosalie fell in love about six months ago. Tall fellow, brown hair. Uh, a sharp dresser. He always came around late. Uh, too late, if you ask me." Gerald chuckled.
"Did Rosalie's boyfriend come over last night?" I asked.
"I heard a commotion around 11:00. It was all happening so fast, I didn't get a clear look at the man's face, but he was the same height, same hair. He grabbed her, and the... Well, you know the rest." He answered shaking his head as if to rid himself of the memory.
"Do you still play chess, Gerald?" Malcolm asked.
"I don't see how that's relevant." Gerald shook his head.
"He'll bring it around." I smirked.
"You may not compete anymore, but you still think like a grand master. You were famous for learning your opponents' moves. Their quirks and patterns. I bet you do that with your neighbors, too." Malcolm explained.
"See?"
"I do. Memory was always my gift. I know more about this neighborhood than anyone. Relationships, routines, new jobs, cars. Decades of it, locked inside my head." He nodded.
"So if we asked you what kind of car Rosalie's boyfriend drove..." I asked.
"Um, Porsche. Red. Would you like the, uh, plate number, too?" He looked between us.
I glanced at Malcolm.
"Yeah. That'd be great." He said looking back at Gerald.
I gave the plate and a description of the car to Aaron before I drove Malcolm and I back to the precinct.
"Boyfriend's name is Clayton Fielder. License plate on his Porsche actually says 'cum laude'." I relayed Aaron's information as we all gathered around in the conference room.
"Called a vanity plate for a reason." Dani sighed sitting next to me.
"He graduated Yale with a 3.49 GPA." Malcolm sighed.
"He's rounding up." I shook my head.
"So he's guilty of exaggerating, but is he our guy?" Gil asked.
"The profile fits. Clayton's an investment banker. Working hundred-hour weeks in a high-pressure environment could cause anyone to snap." Malcolm nodded as his phone vibrated.
"That is the fifth Martin call you've declined. What's up?" Dani asked.
"We're doing a serial killer cleanse. He doesn't know that." Malcolm reached over and took my hand.
"I think it agrees with you. Looks like you got some sleep." Gil nodded at him.
"I think we've got a problem. Let's say Clayton did murder Rosalie. Could we even get Gerald to court? And if he did testify, what kind of witness would he be?" JT looked between Malcolm and I.
"A brilliant one. Gerald's a genius." Malcolm said firmly.
"Yeah, but he's messed up, too. Come on, the guy is trapped in his house watching people day in and day out. It's kind of strange." Dani countered.
"Agoraphobia often comes from trauma. He can't erase whatever messed him up." I pointed out.
"I know, but we're trying to build a bulletproof case. That means reliable witnesses, not some guy cursed to never leave his house." Dani sighed.
"He's not cursed. Agoraphobia does not make Gerald an unreliable witness. With his mind, he could be the best witness we ever had." Malcolm almost glared at her as JT's phone cut through the tension.
"Here we go. My buddy in Midtown says Fielder has a standing poker game at the Sutton Social Club tonight." JT told us after reading a text.
"Deal me in." Gil said.
Malcolm grabbed my hand as I went to stand up. I looked down at his phone.
Claremont Psychiatric
"We'll be right behind you." I sighed sitting back down beside my husband
He answered the phone and put it on speaker.
"What?" He asked harshly.
"My boy! Oh, finally. I've been calling and calling. Are you all right? Well, uh... Don't answer that. Look, uh, there is something I desperately need to say to you today." Martin rambled.
"No. Me first. I can't have your voice in my head anymore. The calls, the talks. You aren't good for me, or for Lily, or most importantly for our baby. We need to take a break from you." Malcolm closed his eyes and squeezed my hand, begging for strength.
"Kind of sounds like a cleanse." Martin cleared his throat.
"Well, look, it's never easy to hear that your children are flying the coop, but in a way, it does dovetail quite nicely with my news." Martin sighed.
"I'm not listening to you. We're done." Malcolm hung up the phone and looked at me.
"That felt good." He sighed.
"Good. Let's go catch a killer." I smiled at him.
I waited in the viewing room while Malcolm and Gil interrogated Clayton.
"You can't honestly think Mr. Fielder killed his girlfriend." Clayton's attorney, Al Grimes, said with his arms crossed in front of him.
I didn't like him. Too cocky.
"Rosalie was everything to me. We were in love." Clayton said.
"That doesn't mean you didn't snap. What are those scars from, Clayton?" Malcolm asked.
"A car wreck. Why?" He answered.
A lie. I knew it and so did Malcolm.
"He's wondering if you've been in previous domestic disputes. I am, too." Gil set his hands on the table between them.
"An eyewitness saw a man fitting your description kill Rosalie." Gil continued.
"My client was at work all night." Grimes shook his head.
"Your eyewitness, was it that creep across the street? The lurker? He watched her all the time. She hated it." Clayton shot at them.
"Gerald never leaves his house. He's never even met Rosalie." Malcolm chuckled, humorlessly.
"That's a lie. She confronted him a month ago." Clayton looked at my husband.
"What?" Malcolm looked taken aback.
"I wanted to call the cops, but Rosalie ran over there and told him to stop watching." Clayton reiterated
"Kid." Gil nodded at Malcolm.
"Yeah, we'll go." He nodded then his eyes locked with mine even though he couldn't actually see me.
"Why would he lie?" Malcolm asked as we drove back out to Gerald's home.
"We haven't earned his trust yet?" I shrugged.
"We'll figure it out. We always do."
I parked on the street and we walked up to the door.
"We need to talk Gerald." Malcolm said almost sternly.
"Why did you lie to us, Gerald?" Malcolm asked sitting across from him over a chessboard as I leaned against the wall looking out the window.
"And here I thought you just wanted to play a friendly game." I could hear the smirk in his response.
"I do. But you're keeping secrets. About your past. About Rosalie." Malcolm countered.
"As are you. Unless you've told Ms. Lilian how you feel?" Gerald lowered his voice thinking I couldn't hear him.
"Lilian?" Malcolm called my name with a laugh.
"Yeah." I asked turning back to them.
"You know I'm in love with you, right?" He asked, humor still coloring his tone.
"Well, damn. I'd hope so. You told me often enough during our vows." I smiled.
"You're married?" Gerald asked.
"We are. Going on six months now." I nodded.
"Gerald, we need the truth."
I laid my hands on Malcolm's shoulders as I spoke.
"There's nothing to tell." Gerald said making a move on the chessboard.
"You've spent your life mastering a game, Gerald. We've spent ours mastering how people think." Malcolm made his move.
"You lied to us about knowing Rosalie. Who's to say you haven't been lying about your agoraphobia? Maybe it's just a cover for voyeurism." I continued as I watched them trade moves across the board.
"You watched Rosalie. You frightened her."
"Check." Malcolm said after a move.
"Did you kill her?" I finally asked.
"I told you, it's not like that." Gerald looked up at me.
"This is the real world, Gerald! BTK, Bundy. The most notorious serial killers all started as Peeping Toms. You watched her day and night. You were obsessed." Malcolm said drawing his attention away from me.
"Of course I was obsessed, but not with her. With everyone. What I see out that window, it's the only connection I've got." He exclaimed jumping up and storming towards the window.
Malcolm stood up putting himself between us.
"So you did know her." I said.
"She caught me watching. She ran over, furious, shouting into the intercom. But... then she saw the bodega bags, canned corn, soup. And she started bringing me fresh groceries. Rosalie helped... an old grouch, but I couldn't help her. Not over there."  He paused looking out the window.
"Something's wrong. Someone's inside Rosalie's apartment, look." He pointed out the window.
Malcolm rushed over to the window.
"You're right." Malcolm said turning to look at me.
"Wait here." He said.
"Malcolm?" I started.
"Call Gil." He called.
"Malcolm! Dammit!"
I pulled out my phone touching my stomach and rushing over to the window.
"Lily?" Gil answered on the first ring.
"There's someone in Rosalie's apartment. Malcolm ran over there." I said.
"We're on our way." He told me.
I watched Malcolm walk briskly across the road. A man that looked like Clayton Fielder walked passed him without even pausing.
I watched the man drive off in a car before rushing to the front door.
"Malcolm!" I called out to him.
"You're pregnant." Gerald said from behind me.
"14 weeks." I nodded watching Malcolm rush back over.
"You okay?" He asked touching my skin.
"Yeah. Gil's on the way."
I sat on the front steps while Malcolm, Gil, and Dani checked Rosalie's apartment.
I jumped slightly as my phone rang.
Claremont Psychiatric
I sighed.
"What Martin?" I asked.
"I really need to talk to my boy." He said.
"That's between you and Malcolm." I sighed.
"Just tell him it's an emergency." He insisted.
"Are you dying?" I asked.
"No."
"Then it's not an emergency." I sighed.
"He told you that we need space for not only for our health but for the health of our baby. We need you to respect that."
"We need to talk." A woman's voice said over the phone.
"Martin?" I said.
"Vivian, this isn't a good time." Martin said.
"Then make time, Martin. Pete's onto us." She pushed.
"Vivian." Martin tried again.
"How could he know we're sleeping together?" She continued.
"Sounds like you have enough problems, Martin. Do not call me again."
I sighed hanging up in disgust.
"A twin? Really?" Gil sighed as they walked up to where I sat.
"It's the only explanation for what I saw." Malcolm explained.
"Says the man who suffers from chronic sleeplessness, delusions..." Gil countered
"How do you know about my delu... Forget it. Thought you said something else. That's funny." Malcolm chuckled uneasily moving to sit next to me.
"I saw it too, Gil. Malcolm walked right up to him and this guy didn't even acknowledge him.
"Looks like Bright really did see a double. DEA confirms it. Clayton Fielder has got a twin brother named Felix, a known associate of the Morelia drug cartel." JT announced walking over to us.
"Well, look at that." Malcolm smirked at Gil.
"Turns out Clayton fled the cartel ten years ago, changed his name, removed his tattoos, the whole nine. His brother Felix has been after him ever since." Dani added.
"So Felix came looking for Clayton, found Rosalie instead. Of course she let him right in." I nodded.
"When she didn't give up Clayton, he killed her." Gil sighed.
"Brave girl." JT said.
"Looks like Clayton is next. JT, you and Dani find Clayton. Brights, I need you to go back inside."
It wasn't terribly common for Gil to address us by our last name.
"We've got to convince him to..." I started.
"Testify against Felix. Which means he'll have to leave his house." Malcolm sighed looking back at the house.
"If anyone can get through to this guy, it's the two of you."
I sighed looking over at my husband.
"Let's go."
Inside Malcolm challenged Gerald to a chess game while I watched curled up on the couch next to my husband.
"Check." Malcolm said making a move on the chessboard.
"You helped solve a murder, Gerald. You can handle... a little deposition." I said gently.
"Impossible. You know I can't leave." Gerald looked at me.
"Yes, you can. You don't have to be trapped in here. This is your next move." Malcolm said quietly.
"No, it's not. Checkmate." Gerald said making his final move.
Malcolm's phone buzzed once in his pocket.
"Is that your phone?" Gerald sighed.
"That... What did I..."
"I'm sorry, Gerald." Malcolm sighed pulling his phone out.
"I mean..." Gerald looked at me.
"That's a text, which means it's not my father. It's Dani. We have to leave." Malcolm looked at me.
"What? Why?" Gerald exclaimed.
A gunshot rang out as Malcolm pulled me towards him and out of the path of the bullet.
"Are you okay?" He asked me as I pulled my pistol from its holster.
"Yeah. Felix is here?" I looked up at him as he nodded.
Another gunshot rang out.
"What do we do?" Gerald asked.
"Hide." Malcolm pushed me forward carefully towards the staircase.
Yet another gunshot followed us as we hid in the large closet.
The front door slammed open.
"I know what you saw, old man. But don't worry. I'm not gonna do that to you. Not if you come out now." Felix's voice called out.
"This isn't happening." Gerald whispered.
"We can't stay here. We have to evade capture. What's the move, Gerald?" Malcolm whispered.
"The basement." Gerald nodded hopefully.
"We'd be open targets. Try again." I said gently.
"There's a closet. Diagonal across the hall."
"It's not big enough for all of us. Gerald, we're in the endgame. There's only one play for a pawn." Malcolm looked at me.
"Get to the end of the board." I nodded.
"You mean, outside? I can't. I can't." Gerald's eyes pleaded with us.
"It's now or never." I sighed.
"I have to protect my wife, our baby. We need to go." Malcolm pleaded with him.
"Rosalie was a nice girl. I didn't want to hurt her. All she had to do was tell me where my brother was. Except she said they were in love." Felix called out.
Malcolm left his vibrating phone in the closet and we rushed across to the room at the top of the stairs.
"Where are you, old man?!" Felix's anger palpable in his tone.
Malcolm moved to check for Felix.
"Wait, wait, wait." Gerald grabbed his arm.
"Go."
I lead as we ran down the stairs silently with Gerald directly behind me and Malcolm the last down the stairs.
A door closed at the top of the stairs as we entered the small hallway right in front of the front door.
"Stop." Gerald said his voice shaking.
"Almost there." Malcolm whispered.
"I can't. There are no other moves for me." Gerald looked back at him.
"This isn't chess. It's life. And it's waiting for you outside. Don't you think that's what Rosalie would've wanted for you?" I asked urging him to look at me.
"Yes." Gerald nodded.
"This time, make the right choice." Malcolm nudged him gently.
"What's our strategy?" Gerald forced out after a deep breath.
I glanced up as the floorboards creaked overhead.
"Run." I said firmly pushing Malcolm and Gerald towards the door.
I followed closely as they ran out the door but turned slightly to hide myself beside the stairs.
"Gerald!" Malcolm called out as Felix walked out with his gun drawn.
"FBI. Put the gun down now." I said pressing my pistol to the back of his head.
Felix dropped his pistol as Dani ran up beside me.
"Down on your knees." She said.
She took his hands and arrested him.
"So, how does it feel?" Malcolm asked Gerald as my phone rang.
"Jess." I answered moving away from them.
"Is Malcolm with you?" She asked.
"Yeah. He's right here. What's wrong?" I asked looking at Malcolm.
"The Surgeon escaped." She breathed.
"What? When?"
Malcolm looked over at me and read my expression.
"Lily?" He asked walking towards me.
"An hour ago? Less? I don't know. I need you both here. Now." She said.
"We're on our way. Is Gil with you?" I asked motioning for Malcolm to follow me to the car.
"Yeah. Lily... I just killed a man." I could hear her pain.
"An inmate?" I asked.
"Yes."
"You did what you had to do. We'll be right there." I said as gently as I could before hanging up.
"My mother's at Claremont?" Malcolm asked.
I nodded my response throwing the car in drive.
"Lily? What happened at Claremont?" Malcolm pushed as I flipped on the lights and siren and slammed the gas pedal to the floor.
"Martin... Your father... The Surgeon, he escaped." I glanced over at my husband and watched his heart shatter in that instant.
"Lily? He left a message." He said after a long pause.
"Play it." I instructed gently.
"My boy, um, I had hoped we could speak again, but I don't have much time. There are so many things to say. But there's just one thing I need you to know. I am not the man I used to be. I'm not a killer anymore. Whatever you hear, whoever tries to rattle your faith in me, what I am about to do is not about murder. No. This is about family. Everything I'm doing, everything I've done, it's all for you. For us. I hope you find me, son. You're the only one who can. Because we're the same."
I drew in a sharp breath glancing at my husband once again.
"Malcolm. Listen to me. This is not your fault. Do you understand me?" I pleaded with him.
He nodded but didn't look at me.
"I'm serious, Malcolm. I need you. One hundred percent on this." I pushed as I parked the car.
"I know Lily. I know." He sighed.
"Baby. Look at me." I begged.
"You know I've got you. We are going to find him."
"If something happens to you..." He closed his eyes a single tear rolling down his cheek.
"Martin is not going to hurt me. I'm carrying his grandchild." I insisted wiping his tear.
"Martin wouldn't but The Surgeon might."
"Baby. I need you to remember that they are the same mind right now. Two different sides but they are the same mind."
"We need to go check on my mother." Malcolm steeled himself.
Together we ran through the doors.
"Gil! Where's Jess?" I called as we caught sight of him.
"Malcolm? Lily?" Jessica said our names and rushed up to us.
She almost completely collapsed into my arms.
"Lily? If Martin's free, no one is safe." She looked up into my face then over at her son before laying her head on my shoulder.