Lost Too Much

LOST TOO MUCH Chapter 13

Sam punched in the code and entered the boat shed. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Michael look up at him expectantly. It broke his heart knowing they had let him down, in failing to keep his mother safe. He forced himself to walk over to the table and placed the boy's belongings on it. Michael quickly moved over, excited to see some toys of his but stopped short of the table. He studied the large dark skinned man before him and knew something wasn't right. He noticed the bloodied bandage on his left arm.

Bronte looked over at Sam. The look he had given as he entered, forced her stomach to clench tight from fear of what had happened. "Where's G?" Her voice was quiet, fear prevented her from speaking any louder.

Sam looked down at the boy and then over to Bronte. "I thought he would be here." He moved his gaze back to Michael, who had his eyes on him.

"Where's my Mom?" Michael almost squeaked out. His body shook from fear of what had happened. "You're hurt!" He added. Gently touching near the wound. Sam braced himself for the contact, but found the boy soothed him rather than annoy. He was still in pain and if Hetty was around, she would have forced him to the hospital. But Michael had been gentle and purposefully avoided touching too close to the spot that still seared with pain from the hot metal contact of the bullet.

"Michael!" Sam spoke softly to the boy. "I'm sorry. I am so very sorry."

Tears welled up in the boy's eyes, but he crossed his arms over his chest, trying hard to keep them from spilling over. He knew he had to be strong. It was the only way he could deal with what he knew Sam was going to tell him.

"We tried our best. When we arrived at the house, Vasile had tied Kensi and Deeks up and had removed your Mom's bullet proof vest." He omitted the detail of her clothes as well for the boy's sake. The facts were gruesome enough as it was. And he understood the boy needed to know what had happened to his mother.

"Your Dad and I, we tried hard to help your Mom escape, but he shot Deeks in the leg, me in the arm and then your Dad jumped him, trying hard to kill him. To let your Mom escape. But we didn't know he had tied her up with rope to him. I tried as quick as I could to get your Mom free. But he had his legs wrapped around your Dad's neck, he was going blue, so I shot him in the leg." It had all happened so fast. Sam's mind was still reeling the images of all that had happened over and over, trying to make sense of it all.

"Just before your Dad killed him, he managed to get another shot off." Sam paced the room. Telling Michael that his mom was dead was much harder than he had anticipated.

"He shot your Mom, in the chest." The tears flowed freely down Michael's face as he fell to his knees and cried. The only parent he knew was dead. He suddenly felt very alone. Sam moved over to him and knelt beside him while Bronte tried hard to hold herself together. She needed to remain strong for Michael and for Callen.

"I'm so sorry, Michael. Your Dad and I tried hard to save her." He placed his arm around the boy's shoulders to comfort him. "We'll get Bronte to take you home to her house. Your Dad can find you there later."

Michael looked over to Sam and anger replaced the tears. "Why isn't he here now?"

"Your Dad is hurting and in shock. He needs to process all that's happened first." More like punch a sandbag to pulp, Sam thought to himself. Then he realised where his partner had gone to.

"Why is he hurting? He doesn't love us?" Michael struggled to process why his dad, who he didn't know but has met a few times, would be so upset over his mother's death. He needed his dad now and that was all he understood.

"Your Dad did love your Mom once, Michael. You are living proof of that. When he found about about you, it hurt him to think he had missed out on being there for you. He stayed away because of your Mom. He had hurt her so she pushed him away. But she asked him to promise her that he would take good care of you. And he will honour that to your Mom. He does love you. Don't ever doubt that. But it's not been easy on him. He was only five when he saw his own Mom killed. He's spent his whole life alone without any family. You are his only living blood relative. He will do anything to keep you safe."