It was nearly eight thirty that morning when Charles pulled into his driveway just ahead of an unexpected rainstorm. A strong wind had kicked up from the south and the trees began to sway overhead. Charles helped the injured Mr.Pruce into his home where he sat him down in a comfortable leather arm chair and gave him a mild pain reliever and a glass of water. Charles examined his eyes with a pen light, his pupils were slightly dilated, he did not appear to have any double vision, complaining only of a headache and nausea, though he never did actually need to regurgitate. Charles started a small fire in the fireplace and left Mr.Pruce to rest there while he hurried to retrieve the paintings before the heavens opened up the rain came pouring down. As he shut his front door he heard his cell phone going off again and he still did not answer it. Who ever it was calling would just have to wait.
Charles unwrapped the parcel of paintings to look at them once more and just as he stood back to take them in he heard a loud clap of thunder followed by the sound of his front door flying open with a crash. He and Mr.Pruce jumped, startled, they had thought it was the raging storm outside but there in the doorway stood Hays, Xation's right hand man, dripping wet carrying the body of an emaciated, unconscious woman whom Charles did not recognize. Then Xation's sister, Serena, came from behind Hays, who towered over the petite brunette, she was in a state of grief and panic she went over to Charles clutching up at the lapels of his jacket on the verge of tears. "Charles! I've been calling all morning, why haven't you answered?"
"It's alright Serena, calm down, I am here for you now. What's going on, who is this?" he asked going over to Hays to check on the woman to see if she was still alive.
"It is all so terrible! Charles you have to help us!" Serena implored with her big black eyes welling with tears. "I am afraid she is not going to make it!"
"Who Serena? Who is she?" Charles asked in a harsh tone.
"Charles, you do not recognize her?" she asked staring up into his eyes.
Charles took the nearly dead,cold body in his arms looking down for any trace of a memory, there was none. Charles shook his head no and Serena began to weep a little. "Let me get her upstairs to bed." he said as Serena followed him with Hays and Mr.Pruce close behind. When Hays and Serena told him what they had done and who this emaciated shell of a woman was, he didn't know if he should be happy or terrified.
"I can't believe it Serena, where did you find her?" Charles asked in shock all the color draining from his face as he suddenly felt ill.
"We tracked her down in a jail outside of Los Angeles, we bailed her out, followed her home to her rat infested apartment and then Hays took her in the middle of the night. We gave her some Nembutal for the plane ride home and now she won't wake up. I am afraid when my brother finds out he will be very angry with me." Serena told him all honesty.
"Are you absolutely positive this Leah, you didn't make a mistake." Charles asked unconvinced that Xation's once gorgeous wife could be the strung out junkie asleep in front of him.
"I am not mistaken, this is Leah and we must help her before my brother finds her like this. It has been five years since we last saw her and you see the toll our absence has taken on her. Now Charles," she said taking him by the hand and squeezing hard saying "you must promise to help her."
"I promise." he replied kissing Serena on the cheek giving her a little hug, as Mr.Pruce sat on the bed next to his dear old friend stroking her hair as she slept, a tear rolling down his cheek when he thought of this beautiful golden angel that had been plucked up from the sewer. Mr.Pruce missed her and he knew he could not tell Xation about this until Charles had a chance to clean her up and nurse her back to health.
"Listen no one can say a word about this to my brother, promise." Serena said and everyone gave their word the would keep quiet. Charles and the others stood around Leah's bedside for a moment as the storm raged outside, wind and rain battering the roof. They heard another loud clap of thunder followed by a bright flash of lightening, then they all heard a familiar, angry voice calling up from downstairs. It was Xation Day and he was yelling his sister's name. The sound of his voice set their hearts racing as they quickly exited the room and all went to the stairs to stop Xation from seeing his estranged wife.
