Lucinda
The silence had been deafening, but necessary, as Thane waited to hear from the rescue party. They had been instructed not to break their silence until all of them were safely out from behind enemy lines.
Thane stared continuously at his phone the day the ransom exchange was scheduled to take place. He and Brie were anxious for it to ring even though they knew there was a possibility the news might be devastating.
There had been several occasions over the course of many weeks when he’d lost that internal connection he’d always felt with Durov. At this point, he could not rely on it, because he refused to accept any other reality than that his brother was alive and returning home.
When the phone finally rang and an unfamiliar Russian number popped up on the screen, Thane felt a moment of panic, afraid of what he would learn. But he picked up the phone to answer it, looking at Brie with confidence he did not feel.
He answered in formal Russian, unsure who was on the other end, “Zdravstvuy?”
Durov’s rich voice filled his ear. “Brother!”
Thane momentarily lost the power of speech. He had not anticipated how deeply hearing his friend’s familiar voice would affect him.
“Durov, is that really you?”
Brie cried out, “Is that Rytsar, Sir?”
“It is I, brother,” Durov confirmed.
Thane’s voice faltered, his tone gravelly as he fought to speak through his many emotions. “Oh, hell… I cannot tell you how good it is to hear your voice again.”
“I feel the same, comrade.”
“Where are you now?”
Brie burst out in excitement, “He’s alive. Oh, my God. Rytsar’s alive!”
Thane’s elation was cut short when Durov said, “Wallace has been injured. We are headed to my physician even as we speak.”
“How bad is he?”
“It is bad, moy droog, but…he will live.”
“Thank God. And you?”
“I will recover, as well.”
Thane tried to relay the news to Brie but she was so thrilled, she grabbed the phone and cried, “Come home to us!”
She handed the phone back to him, tears of happiness running down her face.
Thane told Durov, “I would be there if I could.”
“And I would have kicked your ass if you had come. You have Brie and the babe to look after.”
Thane chuckled, but he could not shake the helplessness he felt. “What do you need me to do?”
“Nothing more, comrade. You have orchestrated a miracle. One I never imagined was possible.”
Thane and Brie were forced to wait for a reunion with him because Durov insisted on remaining there. “What they have done to Wallace was gratuitous and cruel. The Koslov organization is no longer stable, brother. Even among the unlawful, there is a set code of conduct. They must be stopped.”
Durov was determined to take out the Koslov brothers, and both Captain and Samantha were staying in Russia to assist him. Wallace, on the other hand, was returning due to the serious injury he’d sustained.
The only information Thane had was that Wallace was stable and able to travel. Thane bore the responsibility of his fate, having knowingly put him in a situation that was potentially dangerous.
Brie cried when Wallace walked through the door with a sterile gauze bandage covering his left eye. Thane felt a lump in his throat, as he greeted the man.
The loss of an eye should have been his to bear, not Wallace’s.
“Tell us what happened.”
Wallace’s voice was calm as he stated matter-of-factly, “Durov is safe. We all made it out alive. He would have died that day if we hadn’t shown up.”
“Oh, my God!” Brie cried, covering her mouth.
“The Koslovs are as crazy as you said they were,” he told Thane. “Someone had to sacrifice, and I knew it needed to be me.”
“Why you?”
“They would have taken Captain’s eye or killed us all. The decision was clear.”
Thane looked at him with both admiration and remorse.
“Sir Davis, I knew two things when I went to Russia—that something significant was going to happen, and I was meant to be there.”
“It should have been me.”
Wallace snorted, laughing lightly. “You don’t know how many times I’ve said that same thing in my own life. But I don’t feel that way anymore.” He seemed almost surprised by it, and shook his head. “Wow…between my recent visit to Trevor’s grave and Durov’s rescue, I am free of that guilt.” He looked at Brie in wonder. “I am free.”
She wrapped her arms around him, smiling through her tears as she embraced him. “I’m glad.”
It would have been an odd response for a man who had just lost his eye if they hadn’t understood his history and the significance of this moment.
Thane shook Wallace’s hand. “I owe you my gratitude, and you have my utmost respect. You are no longer the young man who came to The Center looking for meaning in your life. It is a rare person who can free themselves from a difficult past, but the potential once they do is limitless.”
“That’s exactly how I feel, and I can’t begin to tell you how incredible it is.”
“Is there anything we can do? Anyway we can help you, Faelan?” Brie asked.
“Just treat me like you normally would.” Wallace pointed to his face. “I don’t want or need your sympathy.” He glanced at Davis. “I’m certain you understand where I’m coming from.”
“I do,” Thane agreed, “but I also know from experience that you will have low moments. We are here when you need us.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Thane was hit with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and struggled to speak. “Wallace, thank you for saving him.”
He nodded. “Family.”
Thane received a letter from Lucinda a few days later. He pulled the folded note out of the envelope and opened it up. The handwriting was in large, child-like print with rainbows drawn all around the borders.
Mr. Davis,
You are my hero.
Can I come see you?
Love, Lucinda
He would have preferred to wait until he was fully recovered, not wanting the child to see him as the invalid he was now. However, Thane was unsure how long recovery would take and didn’t feel it was fair to make her wait because of his pride.
There was another element to it. Although he had been told the little girl was doing well since the crash, he needed to have that personal contact to confirm it for himself. Those last seconds together had haunted his dreams every night since he’d awakened from the coma.
Thane had been disturbed to learn that the stewardess, Viola, who had helped the young girl before takeoff, had not been among the survivors. In order to bring closure for everyone, Thane wanted to invite the family of the young woman to join their private reunion.
Picking up the phone, he made a call to Lucinda.
“Hello, this is Thane Davis. I would like to speak to Miss Jefferys.”
“Oh, Mr. Davis, it is such an honor to hear from you,” Dorothy, her mother, gushed. “Let me get my daughter for you.”
There was excited chatter in the background, and then he heard the girl’s shy voice.
“Hello?”
“Miss Jefferys?”
She giggled. “Yes.”
“This is Thane Davis. I just received your letter.”
“You did?”
“Yes, and I would like it if you and your mother would come for a visit.”
“Yay!” she cried happily.
He heard Lucinda tell her mother. “He said yes, Mommy!”
The little girl told Thane, “I have a picture I made. I saved it for you.”
“I look forward to seeing it. Can you put your mother back on the phone? I would like to talk to her.”
“Okay. See you soon!”
Thane explained to Dorothy his wish to include Viola’s family. “I feel it will help them reconcile her loss by meeting the young lady she assisted.”
“Of course. We owe her for sitting Lucinda next to you so, by all means, invite them to join us.”
“Excellent. I want to assure you that there will be no press allowed in the room, and I have arranged for you and your daughter to be escorted to and from the hospital. Your privacy and well-being are important to me.”
“Thank you, Mr. Davis,” she said. “I deeply appreciate that.”
“I will speak to Viola’s family and make the arrangements, then.”
After he finished with the call, Brie voiced a concern she had. “Sir, you can’t know the outpouring of support and prayers you received from the entire community. While I agree that no one should be present for Lucinda’s visit, would it be possible to give a statement to the press afterward?”
“I do not want Lucinda or either family to feel uncomfortable by fielding questions. That is not what this is about.”
“I completely agree, but what if you were the only one to speak? You wouldn’t have to take any questions, either. Only offer to give them a general statement.”
Thane thought about it for a moment. “It would allow me to preserve the personal aspect of this gathering while acknowledging the help we’ve received.”
“Yes, that sounds perfect. You may not believe this, but I think the community needs closure as well, Sir.”
He nodded to her. “Frankly, I cannot fathom the extent of the community’s involvement in my recovery, but I’m sincerely grateful for it.”
Brie pulled out the huge album she’d created that included every newspaper clipping, card sent, and email message received which she had printed out. “This is the reason I believe it is necessary.”
Thane flipped through the album, scanning each page. He found himself stopping at notes written by children, and the cursive penmanship of older citizens. He was thoroughly overwhelmed by the outpouring of sympathy and well wishes found between the pages.
He closed the book, waiting a few seconds as he took it all in. “I agree with you. It’s important I thank everyone for their concern and prayers.”
Brie took his hand and placed it against her cheek. “I was not alone in helping with your recovery. There was a whole city behind you.”
“You weren’t alone, but…” He grasped the back of her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. “…you were the only one with me every moment.”
“I love you, Sir, and couldn’t bear a life without you.”
He crushed her against his chest, grateful for this second chance he’d been given. His suspended time in his pseudo Hell had changed him. The emotional barriers he’d constructed to protect himself had no place in his new life.
Life was too short to live behind walls.
Extra security was put in place as Lucinda, her mother, and Viola’s parents and siblings, gathered together in a large room located in the center of the hospital.
Thane had asked Brie to shave him before helping him to dress in a white button-down shirt with a tie. Although he was still gaunt and bed-ridden, he wanted, as much as possible, to look like himself for Lucinda.
Viola’s family was the first to arrive. Thane had wanted to speak with them alone before they met Lucinda. He understood there would be justifiable tears when he talked about the crash and wanted to spare the little girl from any discomfort that might cause.
“I’m grateful to meet you all,” Thane told them when the family of five entered the room.
“It is good to meet someone who knew Viola, and was one of the last to see her,” Mr. Horne told him somberly. “It has been difficult for us these past few months.”
“We still can’t accept she’s really gone,” Mrs. Horne said with pain in her eyes.
“That’s why I asked you to come. We’re here to mourn her loss together and celebrate Viola’s good heart.”
Mrs. Horne stared at him, asking with a hint of anguish in her voice, “You said you would tell us about my daughter’s last moments?”
“I’ll tell you everything I remember. But before I begin, I want you to know that although Viola and I were only acquaintances, she stood out as an exceptional young woman and was well respected among our circle of friends.” Thane was unsure if her family knew about Viola’s BDSM lifestyle, so he kept the details general.
When Mrs. Horne started crying, her older daughter grabbed her hand, both women letting the tears fall as they waited for Thane to speak.
One of the young men told him, “Please, go on.”
Thane nodded. “I was unaware that Viola was on the plane until she seated Lucinda next to me.” He looked at Viola’s father with sympathy. “That decision saved Lucinda’s life.”
Thane turned his attention to the mother and sister. “Viola was especially attentive to the child and seemed happy that morning. As for me, it was an unexpected pleasure that she was on my flight to Dubai.”
Thane shook his head, remembering those last frightening moments as the plane went down. “Being a professional, Viola expected a successful emergency landing, as I did.
“I can assure you that the end came quickly. I trust her experience those last few seconds was similar to mine—a calmness that settled over her, followed by acceptance before she blacked out. There would have been minimal suffering, if any.”
Mrs. Horne let out a gasp before she started sobbing on her daughter’s shoulder.
The father nodded his head slowly, taking in Thane’s words.
Thane focused his attention on the two brothers. “She often shared with her friends the pranks you played on each other.”
The two men chuckled sadly, holding in emotions that had yet to see release. It was hard to see the devastation in each of their faces, knowing nothing would ever be the same for this family.
“I am deeply grieved that she did not survive. Viola was an admirable young woman with a lifetime ahead of her.”
Her mother nodded her head vigorously, trying to stifle her sobs in a handkerchief her husband had given her.
“I’m certain Voila would take great comfort in knowing that she had a hand in saving Lucinda’s life. She lives on through the child. I hope you can find solace in that.”
Mrs. Horne sighed deeply as she dried her tears, blowing into the handkerchief several times before speaking. “We do, Mr. Davis. Just as we take comfort in your survival. It is as you say. Part of Viola lives on in both your lives.”
“She does,” he affirmed. “And it means a lot to meet you today, even though the circumstances are tragic.”
“Part of me died that day,” she admitted.
Brie spoke up, her voice quavering. “I understand, Mrs. Horne, and I am so very sorry for your loss.”
The mother only nodded, but Viola’s sister walked over to Brie and gave her a hug. Lightening the heavy moment, she asked, “When is your baby due?”
Brie looked down at her bulging stomach. “We have three more months.”
“I’m glad your child will have a father,” Mr. Horne stated, glancing at Thane.
“Yes, that makes me happy, as well,” the mother agreed, smiling through her tears.
“As you may already know,” Thane explained, “Lucinda walked away from the plane crash with only a broken arm. She does not remember the crash itself and, since the accident, her mother and father are reconciling. I was told he is looking at moving back to the States.”
“That’s seems promising,” Viola’s sister said. Her voice sounded so similar to Viola’s that Thane felt a momentary twinge of pain.
Thankfully, Lucinda and her mother arrived, providing the youthful exuberance they all needed.
Lucinda walked in with a huge smile on her face, swinging the picture she’d made in her hand, but as soon as she spotted Thane, she stopped, grabbed her mother’s hand, and hid behind her.
Brie whispered to Thane, “She was shy with me, too, in the beginning.” Thane turned his attention on Dorothy so the child wouldn’t feel pressured and held out his hand to shake hers.
Dorothy moved over to him, ignoring his outstretched hand, choosing to hug him, instead. “Mr. Davis, how can I ever thank you?”
Thane was surprised by the hug but handled it in stride, looking past her at Lucinda to give the little girl a wink.
“I did nothing more than any other person would,” he assured Dorothy.
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “Most men would demand another seat if a child sat next to them—especially on such a long flight.”
Thane gestured to Brie. “As you can see, we will soon be in the family way. I was honored to have Miss Jefferys as a seatmate.”
Lucinda peek her head out, responding to his formal title for her.
Thane glanced at Viola’s family and remembered something. He asked Dorothy, “Does Miss Jefferys still have the airplane pin that the stewardess gave to her?”
“I do!” Lucinda cried out, grinning. “Mommy put it in a special case so it won’t get lost. She’s says it’s my lucky pin.”
Thane could see that Mrs. Horne was holding back her tears as the entire family smiled at the little girl.
When Brie noticed the child staring nervously at the five strangers, she stepped in. “Lucinda, did you know the nice lady who gave you that pin was named Viola? Her mommy came to say hi to you, and so did her daddy, sister, and two brothers.”
Lucinda stared at the five of them but didn’t make a peep.
Brie added with a giggle, “I heard that Viola’s brothers liked to do silly things to make her laugh.”
Lucinda broke into a smile and waved shyly at the two young men.
The entire family waved back, the lightness in their expressions letting Thane know that this arranged meeting was proving beneficial.
Lucinda finally turned to face Thane, looking up at him from the edge of the bed.
He glanced at the paper in her hand and asked, “Is that the picture?”
Her shyness seemed to melt away as she held the picture out to show him and said proudly, “I made this.”
The drawing was of one tiny stick figure with yellow curls and one bigger one with a straight line of brown on top of the head. There was a giant rainbow above them.
Thane tried to keep his emotions at bay, remembering those last seconds when he covered her with his body as the plane went down.
“That looks just like us.”
She thrust out the paper to him. “It’s for you.”
Thane took it from her and looked the drawing over, appreciating the miracle of this picture and the fact they had both survived. “I will put it in a frame and hang it up in my house.”
“Good,” she answered. “I got a pink cast. What did you get?”
Thane gave her a sad look. “I didn’t get a pink cast.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t mind because I got this pretty picture instead.”
Lucinda broke out in delightful giggles that filled the room, providing the healing salve all of their hearts needed.
Afterward, Thane was wheeled back to his hospital room. Once he was ready to give his statement, reporters from various news outlets were invited in. Once the cameras and sound equipment were in place, the lights were turned on. Thane was suddenly blinded, and felt the heat of the lamps on his face.
He nodded that he was prepared to give his statement and gestured Brie over to him, holding her hand.
“I want to take this moment to thank every person who has reached out to me through letters, emails, positive thoughts, and prayers. I fully believe your compassion made a difference in my recovery. But it wasn’t just me that you helped.” Thane kissed Brie’s hand before continuing. “Your support meant the world to my wife, making a difficult time easier for her. I thank you for that.”
He looked directly into the lens of the middle camera. “When tragedy strikes, that’s when the real heroes make themselves known. To all of you out there, we give you our sincerest thanks.”
Brie bowed her head slightly and smiled at the camera. “Thank you, everyone.”
After the lights were turned off, Thane turned Brie’s head and kissed her on the lips. “I love you.”
Unbeknownst to him, one of the cameramen was still recording and caught the moment. Although Thane’s formal statement was played on all the local networks that night, it was that intimate moment afterward that the internet grabbed onto and replayed.
Thane shook his head when Brie showed him the next day. “Remind me to never make a statement again.”
Brie reviewed the ten-second short and smiled. “You know, I will never get tired of seeing you kiss me and tell me you love me.”
“You don’t have to watch it, babygirl. I’m right here.” He grasped her throat and kissed her deeply, enjoying the sound of her stifled moans against his lips.