“Helios, baby, please come back to me. I need you so much.”
Madison held his hand and then panicked as the alarms by his bed began going off. Soon, the nurses and the overnight doctor were rushing in, forcing her out of the way.
“Andrew,” Madison cried out.
There was a loud thump and Madison turned to see that Connor had fallen out of his chair. He jumped up to assess what was happening and quickly pulled Madison back and out of the way so the doctors could tend to Andrew. Andrew’s heart rate peaked to a dangerously high level as he started to go into cardiac arrest. Madison wrapped her arms around Connor, holding him tightly, needing comfort and warmth and most importantly, reassurance.
“We’ve got him.”
Madison let go of Connor and saw that the nurses and doctors were now settled. The doctor was writing something in Andrew’s chart while one of the nurses was giving him some type of injection. The doctor walked out without a word to her but the nurse gave her a small smile.
“It’s just a mild sedative.”
Madison nodded and walked over to the recliner again. She rested her head on the bed and looked up at him. She ran her hand over his stomach and breathed out heavily. She wanted desperately to crawl in the bed with him but knew that she would not be allowed to do that. After several minutes, she fell back to sleep holding on to him.
“How is he?” A female voice asked, which woke Madison.
“He had a rough night. He went into cardiac arrest but he has been resting comfortably since then,” the nurse replied. Olivia walked over and touched Madison’s shoulder, rubbing it lightly. “Madison, sweetheart, Aaron and I can take over. Why don’t you go back to the hotel and freshen up?”
Madison looked at her with sleepy eyes. “What time is it?”
“Nine o’clock,” she said as she brushed Madison’s hair out of her face. “Go rest in a bed. You couldn’t have gotten much sleep. It’s okay. We won’t leave him.”
Madison glanced at Connor, who was already out of the chair and stretching. His curly hair all over the place. Madison turned back to Olivia and nodded before standing up. She started to step away from the bed but Olivia pulled her into her arms. She held her tightly for what seemed like hours. Madison didn’t mind as she could have stayed in Olivia’s embrace for an eternity. It was what she had always wanted from Jacqueline but something Jacqueline was unable to give her.
“Go, lie down in your own bed and then come back. If anything happens we will call you. I promise,” Olivia stated sincerely.
Madison sighed but nodded once again. Her and Connor walked slowly out of the room and took a cab back to the Paramount. They didn’t talk. Both were exhausted. The experience last night had been difficult to endure. Madison briefly acknowledged the doorman as she made her way to the room. Once inside, she was overcome with loss. What she had done well at avoiding earlier overpowered her in her weakened state. She fell onto the freshly made bed and hugged the pillow Andrew had been using. It still had his scent on it. She cried into it until she finally succumbed to sleep once again. Something had to give. She couldn’t do this any longer.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Madison jumped up, as did Connor, who had fallen asleep on the small couch in the room. He looked at Madison and raised his finger to his mouth. She nodded and watched him walk slowly to the door. He looked through the peep hole and practically shrieked in laughter, bouncing up and down like a little kid before opening the door.
“Who is it?” Madison asked confused.
“Madison,” Elias said stepping inside.
Madison screamed and jumped out of the bed, rushing towards him. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, practically knocking him over. He laughed as he smiled down at her.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call. Things were insane in California, and after discussing it with Liam, we decided that I would tell you both in person and not on the phone.”
“Tell us what? Because seriously, Elias, I can’t handle any more news.”
He smiled as he took a seat on the couch. “Jayden is awake.”
Madison covered her mouth and nodded. “When?”
“He woke last night.” Madison could see the happiness rolling off of him. “Of course, he was very angry that I wasn’t out here, especially after we told him what happened to Andrew. That crazy kid of mine thought he could check himself out of the hospital and fly to New York,” Elias said shaking his head.
“That sounds like Jay.” Madison couldn’t stop smiling.
“Oh man, he’s okay, this is great news,” Connor said beaming.
“He’s definitely going to be alright. He has a lot of healing he still needs to do but the worst is over. Once I knew things were okay, I booked the first available flight out of California. I got here an hour ago. I stopped by the hospital first but Aaron told me you guys were here so, here I am.”
“I’m so happy right now,” Madison squealed.
“I know you need to go back to the hospital but we have a lot to work out regarding Monday.”
“Yes, we do. None of those attorneys would help me. They don’t want to go against Bowers.”
“I was worried about that,” he said, tapping his legs with his hands. “Okay. Have either of you eaten?” he asked, looking between them. Both shook their heads. “Alright. I will go get us a table in the restaurant. Why don’t you both meet me in an hour and we will figure things out.”
“Sounds like an excellent plan,” Madison stated smiling.
“Good,” Elias said, rising from the couch and walking to the door.
Madison turned to Connor, who was also smiling. “I’m gonna take a really quick shower. Is that okay?” he asked.
“Of course. Go for it.”
He nodded and grabbed his duffle bag and headed into the bathroom while Madison walked over to the window. She stood staring at the activity going on in the city and finally felt good. She was starting to believe that things were actually going to work out. She now had Elias and she knew that he would never let her down.
“Helios, everything’s going to be okay. Now all I need is you.”
22 Grand Jury
Madison stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was Monday, the first day of the grand jury. Elias had indicated that this could be resolved within a few days or it could go on for weeks. He explained that the prosecution would present evidence against all parties involved, it would then be the responsibility of the grand jury to determine if there was enough evidence to pursue charges against one or all of them. Elias stated that, although it is recommended, counsel is not required at a grand jury hearing, which is why cases often go to trial. Unfortunately, for Madison, the preliminary hearing in front of the grand jury was set for the afternoon, which meant they would likely not finish today.
“You can do this, Madison,” she said to her reflection.
Over the past two days, Elias had gone over what he had learned about the STES program. It was Bowers’ and Martine’s pet project that, of course, Turner and Crawford were associated with. He stated that they had been skimming money off the top of these agencies and then advising the agencies that they were unsalvageable. They would offer help to some but others they would collect their fee from the government and move on to the next. According to Liam, it appeared that they were helping enough to warrant the continuation of the program and that Nolan and Kurtis were tweaking the numbers to work for them, indicating that the agencies debt was at levels they weren’t in order to gain further assistance. As Madison reviewed the number laden document, she realized how easy it had been for them to steal so much money right from under people’s noses. It didn’t appear that there were any watchful eyes on this project. Madison thought once more about the conversation she had with Elias after learning everything and why he hadn’t brought this information forward.
“Have you reported this?”
“No and I don’t plan too.”
“Why not?” Madison asked
agitated. “This would prove that they are stealing,” she raised the report. “And it would get my head off the chopping block.”
“Madison,” Elias stated with a sigh. He understood her frustration but he himself was in a bind regarding the report. “What you’re holding is an unofficial report. It could be denied very easily. I need further proof before I can pursue this. If I go at him now with only that he will get off scot-free. They won’t charge him based on an unofficial document. I need more.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Madison replied, defeated.
“But, at least, with this we know what they have done and we should be able to anticipate how you might be involved in this mess.”
“I hope so.”
Elias stood and walked to the window of his hotel room. Madison watched him stick his hands in his pockets and stare at the street below. He looked contemplative and somehow, he reminded her of Andrew just a few short days ago. He had had that same pensive look on his face before they left that day, the day their life was changed by Kurtis.
“My friend gave me that report,” Elias stated solemnly, bringing Madison out of her thoughts. “If Bowers found out, I fear he would retaliate. I could try to keep his name out of it but...” he sighed heavily and turned to face her. “Bowers has powerful allies. I’m sure he could narrow it down. So many people have already been hurt by this man. If something happened to my friend as well...” he dropped his head, not finishing his thought.
Madison could see that he was hurt by the mere idea of something else happening to someone he cared about. She didn’t blame him for wanting to be cautious. Bowers was evil. If she wasn’t sure before, she certainly was now. Madison stood and walked over to him, touching his arm lightly. He looked up at her and the strong man that she normally saw was simply a father and friend.
“I don’t want anyone else hurt either.”
Elias nodded. “I know you don’t.” He shook his head and strolled back to the table. “I hate going into a preliminary blind,” he said glancing at her. “Let’s go over possibilities, okay.”
She smiled and then they both laughed as Connor snored loudly on the second bed in Elias’s suite. He didn’t sleep well in the hospital and generally crashed whenever they met Elias since he felt he didn’t need to be on guard duty when Elias was around.
“I better go roll him over so I can hear you,” Madison said, stifling a giggle.
“Yes, you better,” Elias chuckled.
“Madison, you about ready?” Connor asked on the other side of the door.
Madison fluffed up her hair and smeared some lipstick on her lips. There was no amount of makeup, though, that could make her look full of life again. That would only come with Andrew awakening and showing that he was as good as new. He had not improved as much as Madison had hoped. In fact, yesterday had been a particularly difficult day. His heart rate had once again spiked and he went into cardiac arrest for the second time. Olivia and Aaron were with him when it happened, which she was thankful for. She wasn’t sure if she could have witnessed that again. Of course, since Olivia was a nurse, she wasn’t frightened like Connor and Madison had been, although, she did admit later that she was concerned. To their advantage, in her time at the hospital Olivia had talked with and made friends with all the nurses in the ICU, all of which responded to her thoughtful and caring way. Needless to say, Andrew was being treated extremely well.
“Give me a second,” Madison finally stated when she heard another light knock on the door.
Having Connor around had been a godsend. He possessed such tremendous loyalty to her and Andrew. He never let her out of his sight and always seemed to be looking out for her wellbeing. From his appearance, one might see a cute kid that looked like he belonged on the cover of Teen Beat magazine, but she had no doubt that he would lay his life down to protect her. He survived in prison so she knew he could be tough if need be. Madison smiled as she remembered them talking about his time in prison the other day. He had gone into unfiltered detail about prison and the things his cousin did inside. It was odd to hear Connor describe the things he had witnessed because his depictions came off more like a movie of the week then reality. But from his conversations, it was clear that he had been lucky and had come out of prison relatively unscathed. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom.
“You ready?” Connor asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” Madison replied, walking passed him to grab her purse.
They stepped out of the room and headed out towards the entrance where Elias waited for them in the town car he had rented. Connor opened the door for Madison, who proceeded to slide inside. Elias was impeccably dressed in a sharp black suit, white crisp button-down shirt and red stripped tie. His graying hair was styled back nicely and he bore the attitude of a man with purpose. He looked up from the file he was reading and smiled at them as the car began to move.
“Good afternoon, you two.”
“Wow, you look pretty sharp there, Papa Bad Ass.”
“Connor,” Elias stated crossly which made Connor chuckle lightly.
“Sorry.” He glanced out the window, trying not to laugh harder.
“When we get there, Madison, remember what we discussed.”
Madison nodded. “I will.”
“Do not answer any questions. Until we know what we’re dealing with. I don’t want you to accidentally incriminate yourself.”
“So,” she breathed out heavily, “plead the fifth on everything.”
He smirked, “Yes, plead the fifth. I don’t know what the evidence is that they have against you. Once we find out, we can dispute it. Just look to me. I will nod my head if you can answer with a yes or no. If I shake my head, simply say, ‘I don't know’ or ‘I can’t answer that question at this time.’”
“Won’t that look like I’m guilty?”
“It may be perceived that way, but if you say yes to something and we don’t know what they’re referring to, it may indicate that you were privy to whatever it is Nolan was doing.”
Madison nodded again. “I understand.”
Madison turned toward the window and chanted to herself, I can’t answer that at this time, over and over again. She did this for the entire trip to the courthouse. All the while wondering what was going on with Andrew. He seemed particularly restless last night, and on more than a few occasions, she thought he might actually wake up, but he didn’t.
“Is that them?” Madison heard Connor ask.
“Yes, the man in the charcoal suit is Bowers and the one in the navy suit is Martine. I would assume the other is Mr. Crawford,” Elias said with indifference, but Madison could hear the disdain in his voice.
Madison looked in their direction. “Yes, that’s Nolan.”
“Trust me, Madison. I know what I’m doing,” Elias told her, opening the door and stepping out of the vehicle.
Madison almost laughed because the look on Bowers and Nolan’s face was priceless. They were not happy that Elias was there with her. Connor got out, making sure to eye the three men staring in their direction. He then reached in the car and helped Madison out of the vehicle. Madison gazed up at Elias, seeing that he had locked eyes with Bowers. The two adversaries stared at one another, neither backing down. Bowers broke first, smirking just slightly before turning to say something to Martine while an anxious looking Nolan watched.
“He didn’t expect to see me. He’s nervous,” Elias stated proudly. “That’s good.”
“Papa Bad Ass,” Connor whispered to Madison who smiled.
“Come on,” Elias stated firmly.
They started walking toward the courthouse. Unfortunately, there was no way to avoid walking passed the three men who seemed to be waiting for them. As they passed them, Madison tried her best to control the anxiety forming in the pit of her stomach but it was nearly impossible. She could feel their eyes on her, especially Nolan.
“Elias,” Bowers called. “I’m glad Jayden is doing well.”
Madison looked up at Elias to see if he would stop but he didn’t. Elias’s brow furrowed and his expression hardened but he continued to walk as if Bowers hadn’t said a word. It was clear that they were trying to rattle Elias but he was having none of it.
“I hope he stays that way,” Bowers added casually.
Elias stopped for a moment, closing his eyes. He shook his head slightly and started walking again. Connor didn’t though. He turned and stared at Bowers who was smiling as if he were on top of the world. Bowers said something to Nolan and then cocked his head to the side, waiting for a response. Connor started walking in that direction but was stopped by Elias who yanked him back in place.
“That’s what he wants, Connor.”
“But he just said something about Jayden. He threatened him.”
“I know,” Elias glanced at Connor, there was softness in his eyes. “I won’t let him get to me or us. If you do something, he will press charges against you and have you arrested. I won’t allow you to go to jail over that man.”
Connor’s eyes shifted to the ground and he nodded. He knew that Elias was right but it didn’t stop the fact that he wanted to hurt the man who was so cavalier about the people he cared for. He turned back around and they all started walking again.
“Besides,” Elias stated as they approached the door. “Liam won’t allow anything to happen to Jayden, so he is taken care of. Don’t worry about that.”
The three continued until they were inside the sanctuary of the courthouse. Elias smiled as he entered. There was something about being in a courtroom that made him feel invincible. This was his world, where he shone brightly and fiercely. Bowers would not come out of this ahead. He would make sure of it.
Helios Renewed (The Helios Chronicles #3) Page 24
