Driven By Love (16 page)

The clouds in the sky started to look a little bit grim as less and less of the sun peeked through them. It was good that they weren’t going to be outside today. Dean opened the door to the movie set and let Anne inside. Dean’s stomach churned as they walked by the set. The lights and camera equipment around the queen-sized canopy bed reminded him of that dreaded love scene.

As they headed towards her dressing room, Dean bolted in front of Anne and ducked inside the room to do a quick security check. Even with the two checkpoints they’d already passed, he still didn’t want to take any chances.

Tracey the makeup artist was already there and set the makeup on the dresser.

“Hi, Dean.”

“Hello, Tracey,” he muttered and began to check the room and closet until he was sure that it was safe.

He waved to Anne and she walked in and closed the door behind them.

“Hi, Tracey, how are you?” Anne smiled as she placed her purse on the table.

“I’m great. I went to this cute little bar last night and the band there was just awesome!” She reached into her rolling bag and grabbed a few different bottles. “How was your night?”

She tried not to be conspicuous as she casually looked over to Dean and gently licked her lower lip. He felt renewed desire as he remembered her tongue licking him and giving him fiery jolts through his body.

“Last night was pretty quiet.” Her lips curled in a smile.

Oblivious to the secret interlude between Anne and Dean, Tracey grabbed one of the bottles and opened it. “I guess I’m one of those that hates the quiet,” she said as she grabbed a makeup sponge and dipped it in the bottle.

“Me, too,” Anne said with a smile as she sat down in front of the vanity as Tracey started to work on her.

Dean knew the whole dull routine so he sat down on the red plaid couch and pulled out his phone. After checking his email he dialed Keith.

“Your woman driving you nuts so much that you need to hear my soothing voice?” Keith’s voice boomed over the phone after the second ring.

“Very funny, Brinks.” He strolled over to the small table in the corner, grabbed a cup and filled himself some hot coffee from the carafe. “Find anything about our friend?”

“Nothing. He’s laying low real good. Someone out there is hiding him.”

Dean took a swig of the black goodness as he heard everyone outside the door clamoring to get everything ready for the day. There were so many different people running around the set. Was Emelio hiding somewhere in all of that commotion? He opened the door and peeked out at the hallway to ease his mind.

“Let’s just hope we nail the bastard before he tries to hurt Anne or anyone else.”

“You think he’s still somewhere around there?”

As he took another sip of his coffee he lowered his voice, “I wouldn’t doubt it. You should see this, Keith. It’s like being on another planet with so much equipment and people it’s easy for someone to be able to blend in and cause trouble.”

“You’ll have to show me when I get there.”

Dean felt a stab of surprise. “You coming to town?”

“Yeah, I’ve got some time off so I’m coming to help Jeri with the harvest.”

“And Jen is okay with this?”

“She’s on another business trip that will last a few days and I don’t feel like sitting around. Besides, I need the exercise and Jeri needs the help.”

A nagging feeling pricked at Dean. “Keith, I know it’s none of my business…”

“Dean, there’s nothing going on between us. Your sister is a good friend and I’m just helping her out until her farm is big enough to hire more people.”

Somehow that didn’t ease Dean’s mind. If there was something going on between them, he just wanted to be sure that Jeri wouldn’t end up hurt once Keith went back to Jen. Jeri endured so much in her life and another heartbreak would surely throw her over the edge.

“Just don’t hurt her, Keith. She’s just beginning to put herself back together after…”

“I was there, Dean. I know what she went through. I’d kill myself first before I would hurt her.”

His vow eased Dean’s mind a bit. Maybe he was just being the overprotective older brother and was reading too much into their relationship.

“I trust you, Keith. I know that she’s in good hands when she’s with you. I’m just her big brother…”

“I’m a big brother, too, so I know the feeling, man.”

Dean sighed and looked over at Anne, who was now in a terry cloth robe as Tracey blended the makeup into her skin to make her look flawless. Dean couldn’t help but stare at her perfection. There was not a blemish or wrinkle on her skin. She looked just perfect. Maybe too perfect for some people. Was that why Emelio wanted to abduct her?

“You still there, Miller?”

He blinked and turned back to the conversation. “Yeah, I was just thinking, how is your sister doing?”

“Still disappointing our mother.”

Dean snorted at the comment. Ever since he came to know Keith, he and his sister were always doing something that was deemed imperfect in their mother’s eyes. In Keith’s case, it was because he and Jen weren’t married yet.

“What did Rose do now that has made dear Donna upset?”

There was a deep chuckle on the other end of the line. “Can’t you guess? She doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

“Did Donna scare the last one away?” He almost laughed as an image of Donna running after a young man as she screamed at him “Marry her!” flashed through his mind.

“She may have had something to do with it, although Rose didn’t say much about it, so I don’t know for sure.”

“Dean!” A shriek broke through his thoughts just as he saw Tracey try to catch Anne as she tumbled out of the chair.

He dropped the phone and raced towards her and to grab her before her head hit the floor.

“Anne?” Panic filled him as she mumbled incoherently and her eyes began to roll upwards. “Call 911!” he screamed at Tracey as he held on to Anne and brushed her hair away from her face.

It seemed like an eternity until the paramedics arrived and pushed Dean aside. Dean was taken back by how quickly they got the IV started, placed her onto the backboard and into the ambulance.

“You can meet her at the hospital,” the paramedic told Dean.

“The hell I will!” He pushed him aside, got in beside her and took hold of her hand, which was frightfully cold to the touch.

The paramedic shook his head, jumped in and the door closed behind him.

They drove for what seemed like hours and Dean held Anne’s hand. As he looked toward the front windshield he tried to gauge where they were but a sting in his arm stopped him. He whipped his head around and saw a tranquilizer dart stuck out from his arm as the paramedic grinned and his perception started to dull into a haze.

Anne’s sleeping form was the last thing he saw before the darkness hit him like a brick wall.

The water felt cold as he treaded through the gentle waves of the lake. It was dusk and the orange glow cast a blanket of calm over him. He searched for her presence and felt her arms wrap around him from behind. She leaned over towards him and whispered, “I love you, Dean.” Those simple words tattooed themselves into his heart in gold. He wouldn’t ever let her go…

“Dean!” The piercing scream penetrated his mind as his body began to feel the bitter cold and wetness that surrounded him.

His head turned towards the voice and he willed his eyes to open. He blinked a few times and saw Jeri running towards him with Keith directly behind her.

“Dean! Oh my God!” she yelled as she knelt down in the wet grass as the rain continued to plummet form the sky.

“What? Jeri?” His mind was in dazed confusion. Where was he? What happened?

Keith leaned down and grabbed his friend’s arm and looped it around his shoulder as Jeri did the same on the other side.

“What? Where am I? Where’s Anne? What happened to her?”

“Let’s get you in the car,” Keith told him as Jeri opened the door and hopped in the back seat. Keith helped Dean in, and Jeri grabbed a blanket to wrap around Dean.

“We have to get you to a hospital,” she told him when she wrapped the blanket around him. Keith slammed the door and ran around towards the driver’s side.

Images of Anne falling on the floor and the paramedics taking her flashed back into Dean’s mind. “Is Anne there? Is she okay?”

“We’ll get you to the hospital,” Jeri told him again as Keith floored his SUV.

The cold began to penetrate his senses and he began to shiver. “Jeri, where is Anne?”

“Let’s get you to the hospital first,” she repeated.

He grabbed her hand and looked her straight in the eyes. “Jeri, please. Tell me, where Anne is.”

She avoided her brother’s eyes but eventually relented. “We don’t know, Dean. We’ve been looking for both of you for hours.”

“What!”

“Dean, you both left in an ambulance six hours ago. The ambulance never made it to the hospital, and Keith and I have been driving around the area trying to find you. I was so worried about you.” Tears formed in her eyes as she looked at her older brother. “Nobody knows what happened to you and Anne. You both just disappeared.”

Panic filled his lungs as he tried to continue to breathe. As he closed his eyes, he channeled whatever energy he had and began to track her. There was no energy signature that he could pick up and he opened his eyes and sighed in frustration.

“You can’t track her, can you?”

“No, that means she’s either unconscious or…” He didn’t mention the alternative as he was sure that Jeri didn’t want to hear it.

“She’s got to be alive, Dean. Why else would they have wanted to try and to abduct her before?”

Dean rubbed his eyes. Jeri was right, Anne had to be alive. Whatever happened to Anne on the set was planned. She must have eaten or drank something that caused her to be sick and they waited for her to pass out. He would keep searching until he found her.

“Don’t take me to the hospital,” he barked.

Keith looked back in the rearview mirror at him, “Dean, you’ve been out in this wet rain for at least six hours and you have no idea what they did…”

“I need to find Anne!”

“Well, you won’t be able to do it with pneumonia!” Keith roared at him.

“I won’t get pneumonia if I can just change out of these wet clothes.” He leaned against the back of Keith’s seat and lowered his voice. “What would you do if the roles were reversed and it was someone very close to you that was missing?”

He took his gaze away from the road and glared at Dean in the rearview mirror. Dean knew that he hit a nerve. “Damn you, Miller!” With that he turned around and headed to Jeri’s house.

“Thanks, bro,” he said as he sank back down into the back seat with Jeri and once again reached out to try and find Anne. His heart sank again when nothing came up. Where the hell was she? Who could have taken her?

Marshall Foss clenched the railing at the bottom of the stairs in the lower hold. His knuckles gleamed white from the strain. The ship bobbed up and down with the waves like a toy. With each movement of the ship, his face twisted. It was more than simple sea sickness. Physically, Marshall was fine. Emotionally, on the other hand, he was hurting. He fought to keep out the memories of the last time he was on a boat.

“Are you alright, sir?” Asked one of his men after he saw Marshall turn two shades whiter than normal.

“I've never enjoyed sailing,” he responded as he tried to remain in control of his emotions.

“I never would have guessed, Mr. Foss. I've seen you fly dozens of times. That never bothers you.” He asked as he tried to make conversation with his boss. “Too bad the weather is awful. We probably could have taken the chopper in. There is a small air field on the island.”

“Yes, too bad.” Marshall said through clenched teeth.

It was code for “Mind your own business and keep your mouth shut.” Marshall walked to the bridge to talk to the captain. He turned the moment Marshall entered.

“Good evening, Mr. Foss. I just spoke with Mr. May. Perhaps I could get you something for the anxiety. I know you generally prefer not to sail,” the captain asked as tactfully as he could.

“Thank you for your concern, Captain, but I am fine. I don't need any pills or tonics. Save those for the weak-minded.” Marshall replied wearily. He sat himself down and clung tightly to a table. Marshall had lied about needing pills. He had already taken more than the recommended dose.

The water had always terrified Marshall. His father, Nathan Foss, had seen it as a sign of weakness and never wasted an opportunity to remind Marshall of that fact. Marshall’s father had loved sailing. It was one of his greatest passions, second only to women. He often combined these passions, escorting all manner of attractive women on his impressive yachts.

Marshall had to learn to deal with his fear in order to deal with his father. When his father would send for him, he would almost always force him to travel by boat at some point in the journey. Marshall’s fear of sailing was one of the many disappointments his father felt for him.

The Foss family had a long history with the British Navy. His grandfather, whom he had never met, was a naval officer involved in some top-secret work during World War II. Nathan Foss often spoke of Marshall’s grandfather with reverence and respect. Marshall, too, had come to revere his grandfather's accomplishments as a model for him to follow in his own life.

Nathan, however, had never lived up to the standards of his father nor the standards he set for his own son. Nathan had largely been a playboy, leaving Marshall in the care of their nanny for most of his childhood. Nathan even went so far as to try and seduce his son's favorite nanny, resulting in her dismissal. Nathan had been a disgrace to the family but was largely successful in keeping up appearances.

Marshall was well aware of his father’s failings. Nevertheless, Marshall still craved the approval of his late father. He had been raised believing in the nobility of the Foss family. He wanted to expand the family empire and rebuild the Foss name that had been slowly declining for decades. Discovering the truth about his grandfather and Project Orion was his chance to do just that.

Marshall opened his eyes and lunged for the nearest garbage can and emptied the contents of his stomach. The anxiety and nausea were clearly taking their toll. He thought about Anne. Missy’s accident was the perfect way to bring them closer together. His visits and calls seemed to bring them closer, but it wasn’t enough. The abduction would have thrown her in his arms as he would have found her and rescued her and been her knight in shining armor. Unfortunately, his henchman failed both times, so he had to take matters into his own hands. But that plan was botched too. He used the anger and pain as fuel to fight his fear as the ship tossed and turned on the violent waves.

Marshall fought back the memories of his near-fatal encounter the last time he was aboard a ship. His father had summoned him as he was dying. He had wanted to speak with him one last time. Of course, he sent for him to come by ship. The trip had been much longer than a plane ride would have been.

By the time Marshall arrived to see his father, he had already died. He stayed for several weeks to deal with the funeral and will. Although Marshall was now exclusively in charge of the family fortune, he still felt the sting of his father’s disapproval. In the will, Nathan had taken the opportunity to shame his son's failings and weaknesses one last time. He had ignored his own failings, of course. Finally free from his father’s oversight, he decided to return home. He became used to dealing with his fear of sailing and he decided to endure one last trip. He kept the arrangements that had been made and sailed back on the same vessel that had brought him.

That had proven to be a mistake. A violent storm hit the vessel, which made it capsize. He nearly drowned before he was rescued by the crew. The experience left its mark on him. As he looked at the walls of the boat, he couldn't help but feel like they were closing in. He could feel the water rush in like it had the last time he went sailing.

But a boat was the only way to have his Anne, so he had to fight the fear.

Marshall thought about the good times he and Anne had together before she was taken away. They had met just after her divorce.

He thought about the gala he threw for her. He spent months planning it.  It was a magical night. She was stunning in the blue sparkle dress she wore. She had her personal makeup artist make her look flawless and stunning. She needed to look good for the press, but Marshall knew she really wanted to look good for him.

Marshall invited every A-list Hollywood bigwig he could think of and was careful not to include anyone too close to Anne's ex-husband. She met and mingled and generally had a great time. Marshall, too, had enjoyed the night. It was a celebration of the success of all his hard work. He had spent more than a year working his way into the Hollywood scene. Now he was just what Anne needed, a handsome and well-connected producer. He could give her anything she wanted. He knew she would be totally his in time.

Toward the end of the evening, Marshall had found Anne standing on the balcony looking out at the stars. “There you are, my dear. What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

“I just needed a bit of fresh air,” Anne said.

“Are you feeling all right? If you are feeling too tipsy to drive, I can take you home” offered Marshall.

“No, it's nothing like that. It's just that I've been away from everything ever since… you know… and seeing everyone just kind of brought it all back.”

Marshall put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. “You don't have to worry about anything like that with me,” he said as he tried to comfort her. He wanted more of her, but he didn’t want to seem eager and pushy.

“Do you want to go for a drive?” she asked.

“I'll go with you anywhere you want. Shall we take the Maserati?” he responded with his chippy British accent.

“Heck no, we're taking my car,” she said adamantly.

“I was going to let you drive it,” he said.

“I know. I just prefer my car,” she headed off the balcony and out the door. As they walked to the car, the engine fired up.

“I wouldn't have thought this ‘80s relic would have remote start,” Marshall said as he smiled.

“My baby has a lot of surprises,” she said with a mischievous smile.

And I've never seen a remote-start work without pressing a button,
Marshall thought to himself. She drove nicely enough until she got to a clear spot where she could show off a bit. She started to slide into the turns at speeds that he wasn't even sure his Maserati could take.

“I can see why you do all your own stunts,” Marshall said as he tried to contain the nervousness in his voice. It was an amazing display of driving talent. The combination of fear and excitement exhilarated him. If this was her idea of foreplay, Marshall couldn't wait to find out what the sex was like.

“So, I take it you made a few upgrades from the stock design. Did you find a single genius or did you hire a whole engineering team?” Marshall asked as they slowed and went through a crowded area.

“Neither. I would never let anyone work on my baby.” Anne said as she gently stroked the dashboard.

“So
you
made all those changes? How did you manage to get this old thing to stick to the road like that?” Marshall said skeptically.

“Like I said, my baby is full of surprises,” she reminded him. Soon afterwards, they arrived back at the party. She pulled into the parking lot and parked next to Marshall’s car. They got out of Hawk and she held Marshall’s hand as they stopped at his car's door. He wanted to kiss her, but it might be too soon.

“Marshall, I really enjoyed tonight and your company. This really helped get my mind off of…”

“Shh…” He silenced her lips with his finger. He knew he had to show her that she was not at all like her ex. That would take time and he was willing to invest it in her. “I know dear. Things will get better over time.”

He gently kissed her hand.

“Thanks, Marshall. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?” She walked back to her car.

“Can I follow you home to make sure you get there safe?” Marshall offered.

“Thanks, but I doubt you could keep up,” she smiled and peeled out of the parking lot.

Marshall had been thrilled with how the evening went.

The more he thought about the how the car started without a key fob, and Anne’s incredible--almost symbiotic--driving, the more he realized that Anne was a very special woman. He’d read about people with different talents before in his grandfather’s papers. With someone like her at his side, he could make the Foss family legacy greater than it had ever been.

He was patient with her for months, always sending well wishes, flowers and gifts, only to receive a friendly hug in return. He needed something tragic to bring her towards him in her desperate time of need.

An accident involving her world-famous sister was perfect. He would be there and the world would see his presence and the tabloids would throw out romantic speculations of the two of them, planting a seed in her mind. The plan was perfect, until that annoying bodyguard Bulldog showed up.

“Sir, we are almost at the dock, and not a moment too soon. The weather service says the storm should be on us full force in twenty minutes,” the captain said as he came down to check on Mr. Foss.

“Secure the package. I want to move the minute we hit the dock,” Marshall called back. “Soon, we'll be in our home, and no one will ever take you away from me again,” he whispered to himself. He unlocked the door and gripped the railing tightly as he stumbled down the stairs. He weaved over and kneeled in front of Anne’s unconscious form.

He moved a lock of hair away from her face and gently planted a kiss on her lips.

“Soon, my dear. We will be together at last.”