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Message: <blockquote data-quote="80&#039;s Cha Cha Cha" data-source="post: 246187" data-attributes="member: 6964">Chapter 5    Mack could not help but be a little suspicious of Karen’s ’trip’ to Dallas.    He had played some basketball with the boys out in the driveway, just so he could keep an eye on things.  That shooting that had happened almost a month ago, still had everyone rattled around here.  Especially Lilimae.    The victim was some woman in Florida that had been coming to stay with her.  A woman and a little boy.  Everyone now knew that the boy, was the fabled ‘Ewing Child’.  Apparently, Ben had not lied about it, not that Mack ever thought he was a liar.  But Mack had thought Ben was chasing a story that could possibly come between him and Val for good.  And it had.    He was curious as to what Lilimae had known this whole time, though.  Had she known that that child was real?  Is that why this woman, this Lute Mae Sanders, had wanted to stay with her?    And yet, if helping to hide the boy’s true identity had been the point, then Lilimae would have been the last person this Miss Sanders, needed to stay with.    Karen and him had been looking in on Lilimae, since Val was living with Gary.  And Mack definitely did not want Val back here with a shooter on the loose.  The police thought that the sniper had been in one of the empty houses up for sale in the community, and shot at the car from an upstairs, bathroom window.  Mack and some of the other neighbors in the community, now made it a point to check the house daily.    He walked into the kitchen to get something to drink, when Karen breezed by him to stir a pot of chili, before heading back out of the kitchen and back upstairs to continue packing.  Mack looked at the chili, picked up the ladle and stirred it, before leaving the kitchen with a bottle of gatorade.  Karen then hurried down the stairs and put something in Olivia’s suitcase, which was open on the living room floor.  Both Olivia and Brian were at school.    “So, Jeff is with the Texas FBI now, isn’t he?”  Mack asked, sipping the gatorade.    “Yes.  He’s the Deputy Director. I think it will be good for the kids to see him again.”    “And Abby agreed to this?”    Karen stopped what she was doing and looked at Mack.    “No.  But since I am staying at Southfork, Jeff lives in Texas and there is a murderer loose around here, I think Olivia and Brian will be safer with him than here.”    “So Abby won’t be expecting to see her children at Southfork?” Mack probed.    “Mack, they won’t be at Southfork! They’ll be at Jeff’s home! I’ll be at Southfork!”    “Instead of a hotel?”    Karen could see that she didn’t sell this whole thing very well.  She closed the distance between herself and her husband.    “Val asked me to look in on Lucy.  I’m only going to be staying overnight.”    “You said your Lotus Point business will be three days? Why not stay at a hotel all three days, Karen?”    Karen pulled on his shirt.    “You know what? You’re right.  And Lucy isn’t that fond of me anyway.  I will call the hotel and see if I can stay there another day.  I’m sure it won’t be a problem.” she said, giving him a quick kiss, before heading back upstairs to finish packing her own clothes.  She walked into her and Mack’s bedroom, closed the door and rummaged through her suitcase.  She brought out a trashy looking piece of lingerie, that she hoped told J.R. Ewing he could look, but not touch.      Karen shoved the lingerie back under her other clothing. She would find out for Val just what the Ewings were up to, with regards to Lucy’s friend, Ann, and if Lucy was being dragged into any schemes as well. Karen suspected she was. And she also was sure that Lucy was not being ‘dragged’ into anything.  Besides, if Lucy and Abby were under the same roof, a referee would definitely be needed!                                                                                                                           ****    DALLAS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL-    Ann awoke to find Joshua sitting in a chair next to her bed.  She stared at him.    “Joshua? Why are you here? Where am I?”    Joshua slowly stood up and walked over to her bed.    “You have pneumonia and Harris Ryland apparently didn’t care if you lived or died.  Tell me you haven’t signed something over to him? Something that would make him try and get rid of you this way?”    That was quite a lot for Ann to take in!    “What? Harris did not try and kill me! He was trying to take care of me.  I had a nurse!”    “Who coincidentally didn’t think you needed to go to a hospital, because Ryland paid her not to take you to one! She’s being held.”    “You’re holding Nurse Atwater?! Joshua, really, that is not what happened! I wanted to stay in my dorm room but Harris thought I needed more care and he was right!”    “Ann, if you had stayed in your dorm room you would have gotten help. Ryland couldn’t afford that.” Joshua said calmly.  “Now I need to talk to you about Dottie.  I need to know if there was anything strange going on with her before she was killed?”    But Ann was now more alert!    “Don’t change the subject.  Harris did not try and kill me.  I want you to let that nurse go and leave Harris alone!”    Joshua slowly sat on the edge of her bed and reached for her hand.    “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about who I was.  But there was a reason for that.  I was on a case and it concerned the Ewings. The Ewings and your mother.  You don’t think it’s strange that now that you are related to Ellie Ewing, you suddenly almost die? For all we know the Rylands and the Ewings are working together to get rid of you! Now I need for you to concentrate and tell me about your mother!”    Ann yanked her hand from his!    “You used me. You lied about wanting to become a priest…you…you…used me and then I became pregnant!” Ann sniffed and watched Joshua’s face dissolve into shock!    “Ann! Why didn’t you…”    “Tell you? I lost the baby when my mother told me you were an FBI agent and a user! I don’t know anything about the Ewings or the Rylands! I just know you’re a liar! And Matthew Blaisdel killed my mother so I want you to leave!”    “He has been released on bail and no one knows where he is.” Joshua said calmly, as he tried to process what Ann had just told him.  “And Dottie was one of our informants.  She was helping us with a case and I think she was killed for it.  And not by Matthew Blaisdel! Ann…”    “GET OUT!” Ann suddenly screamed, just as Harris rushed in! He glared at Joshua while enveloping a sobbing Ann into his arms!    “I called your superior and got my nurse freed! You show back up here or anywhere near Annie, and you’re going to find yourself unemployed or dead!”    “You’re threatening an FBI agent?” Joshua asked coolly.    “I’m threatening a stalker of my fiancee! You had no business abducting her from our home! And you can best believe that I made sure your superiors understood that! Now I’m not going to ask you again to leave!”  Harris snapped.  Joshua looked from him, to Annie, who would not look at him.      “Fine.  I’ll leave. For now.” Joshua told them.    Harris let go of Ann and confronted him!    “You’ll leave for good! You don’t think I got a look at your file! I know what you pulled on Annie.  And as far as any of us know, you killed Dottie when she couldn’t be of any use to you anymore!”    Ann gasped and Joshua gritted his teeth!    “Mr. Ryland, you are on thin ice.” Joshua told him. How dare this bastard accuse him of killing Dottie in front of Ann!    “And you’ve already fallen through it.  Get the hell out of here.” Harris said in a low tone and then grinned as Joshua skulked out of the room.  He then turned to Ann, who still looked unwell.  He returned to her bedside.    “Annie,  I am so sorry any of this happened.  You’re safe now.”  he said softly, stroking her hair.  “And I want to continue to protect and love you—for the rest of my life.  Let’s get married.  I have a Justice of the Peace right outside.”    “You have a Justice of the Peace outside?” Ann asked in disbelief.    “Mother is out there as well.  She is very excited for you to become a part of our family.”  Harris told her.  Ann just stared at him.    “Sugar, what is it?” he asked.    “You want to marry me, now that I might be a Southworth?” she asked quietly.  She instantly regretted her words.  The look of shock and pain in Harris’s eyes were not fake!    “Is that what you think of me, Annie? Did your FBI boyfriend put that in your head? That  I’m using you? Does it feel as if I’m using you when we’re together?”    “No, Harris! I’m sorry! I know better.  But I didn’t with him.”    “And I get that, honey, but don’t punish me for his mistakes.  Marry me.  Right now and then we’ll get you well and start our new life.”    Ann nodded and Harris kissed her quickly, before leaving the room.  Judith was outside with someone new that had shown up.  Someone Harris was less than thrilled to see.    “Ben Gibson.  What the hell do you want?” Harris asked.    “Now, now, Harris. He’s writing a story about how the Ewings are trying to rob my daughter-in-law of her rightful due.  And he wants to talk to her.  I told him he could do so after the wedding.”    “I think I’m going to find that Justice of the Peace and get him up here.  You left him in the waiting area over there.” Ben said, walking off.  He didn’t think this ‘marriage’ was an especially good idea for Ann, but he had no proof that Harris Ryland was up to anything.  Actually, it was the FBI agent that interested him.  Why was he here? He had broken into Ann’s townhouse and brought her here because he thought she needed help.  More than the nurse that was taking care of Ann, could provide, obviously.    But Ben sensed something else was going on here. Something personal between the agent and Ann Smith.    Ben found the Justice of the Peace being put into handcuffs by two FBI agents under Agent Rush’s direction! Ben backed away and walked back towards the Ryland’s to inform them that their wedding would probably not take place this evening, and why.                                                                                                                ****    SOUTHFORK-    Night had fallen upon the ranch and several things were taking place.    One, J.R. had went out.  Probably for the night.      Two, Sue Ellen, helpless to stop him, was passed out in her bedroom.  Probably for the night.    Three, Ray and Donna had invited Gary to the Governor’s mansion for dinner.  Abby would have went as well, but with her hair looking messed up, and her being unable to find a wig on such short notice,  she decided to stay in for the night.  Lucy could tell she was pissed off at having to turn down such an invitation.  Gary asked Lucy to come along instead, but she pleaded exhaustion and said she would watch the boys.  Gary smiled at her, grateful that she was babysitting, and left.    Four, John Ross and Leif’s horror movie began and Lucy was glad Sue Ellen was passed out! Good God! The movie was violent and stupid, since Lucy herself could not see anything like that ever happening to her, if it were real. The lights were off in the den except for the TV and the boys were actually lying on the floor, watching it, while jumping at all of the knifings and axes to people’s faces.    And five, Lucy had managed to sneak away and tell Matthew to come up to the house around nine.  She already had an old car ready for Matthew to use, for when he drove Abby over to the Ryland estate.  It was parked very close to the drive-way that connected to the pool.      Lucy slowly got up and told the boys she was getting more popcorn for them.  They said nothing and she could see their eyes were glued to the TV.  One of them would probably have nightmares tonight and she would be blamed.  As long as she wasn’t blamed for Abby’s disappearance, she could care less.    Lucy left the den, set the popcorn bowl down by the phone, then went to unlock the door that would allow Matthew inside.  He was there, waiting, with a black, cloth laundry bag!     “Where is she?” he whispered.    “Upstairs. I’m going with you this time.” Lucy whispered back.    “She’ll know you were involved!”  Matthew warned her.    “And I’ll call her a liar.  Besides, Judith Ryland isn’t about to let a prized whore escape.  Who is she going to tell?”    “You just remember what I want from you after this is over.” Matthew warned her.    “How could I forget? I talked to Harris.  He’s planning everything.  Soon, your darling Constance and you will be able to live happily ever after on the run.” Lucy said sarcastically.    Matthew didn’t care what Lucy thought of him or Constance.  He just wanted out of this dirt world that was the Ewings and the Carringtons.  And he wanted Constance with him. If he had to kill Fielding Carlyle in the process to have her, all the better.    Lucy and Matthew tiptoed towards the staircase and then eased up it.  The hallway was creaky but there were still enough people in the house that that alone would not seem suspicious.    Matthew slowly opened the door to Gary’s room.  The room itself was dark, except for moonlight that lit the bed.  Abby was asleep.  Matthew eased in and reached for her…    And pulled a wig from the pillow!    Before he could react, Abby eased from behind the door to the room and bashed Matthew over the head with a vase! She then turned on a lamp as Matthew crumpled to the floor.      Abby then turned to Lucy, who was standing in the dimly lit hallway, shocked!    “I’m calling the police and telling them that you let this bastard in here to kidnap me—again.” Abby said coolly.    “Go ahead.  I’m going to tell them that I came up here to check on Sue Ellen and heard noises from your room.  I’ll tell them I opened the door and found you in bed with him!” Lucy countered.  “You’re a tramp, I’m a Ewing and no one will believe you.”    “Oh I’m a tramp?  Coming from someone who is pregnant and unmarried? Much like her mother!”  Abby sneered.    “Say something about my mother again! I dare you!” Lucy snapped.    “She’s trash that works very hard not to look and sound like it.  I like Val.  She is very sweet, really.  She babysat my children while I gave your father what she couldn’t.  Passion, excitement…”    Lucy leaped at Abby, grabbing on to the remaining hair that she had not cut off earlier! But Abby proved to be stronger than Lucy anticipated, and she managed to get her hands around Lucy’s throat!    “You are damned well going to get out of our lives, you little bitch!” Abby hissed, squeezing.  Lucy coughed and yelped, before digging her nails into Abby’s hands and drawing blood! Abby’s hands left her throat and Lucy turned to run towards the stairs, just as Abby chased after her and grabbed some of her hair to drag her backwards for another choking!    But something went wrong.    Lucy ended up falling down the stairs—in front of John Ross and Leif—who screamed.      Gary walked in as well and found his pregnant daughter lying unconscious at the bottom of the stairs, while his wife stood near the top, glaring down at her.</blockquote>

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