Baby Love(42)

"Okay baby, let's presume for a moment that your mother - I'm sorry - your aunt - is the absolute master of disguise. What makes you think that you will recognize her?"

"Trey from here on out please refer to her simply as Maggie? I don't want to claim any blood relation. To answer your question, I have instincts Trey. Especially were Preston is concerned. I don't understand how you could not want to be there."

Trey shifted a bit and hesitated before speaking again.

"Well actually baby, I am intending to fly to Wheeling."

"What?" I said a bit louder than intended.

"If you're going than so am I. I mean it Trey, please don't leave me here."

By this time I had teared up not understanding why he would even have considered my not coming along. She belonged to both of us.

Trey was emotional now; torn between telling me something I might want to hear or the truth. He opted for the truth.

"Tylar the reason that I don't want you there is to protect you just in case things are not what they appear to be."

"What do you mean Trey by things are not what they appear to be."

"I am only considering the worst case scenario which is one where this all was a hoax and when we get to the bus station we find out Daniel fabricated it all in an effort to throw us off of her path. Or what if, God forbid, she does show up in Wheeling but Preston is not with her? You heard what he said she told him about not worrying, she would find him at the bus station and that she had covered her risk of being identified."

"But he said that he heard Preston crying while she was talking to him on the pay phone."

"I know baby," his voice cracked.

"But you have to realize that we are dealing with a sociopath here. The most important thing to Maggie is self-preservation."

I didn't want to think about what that meant as far as Preston's well-being. I refused to give up faith that this would turn out alright; I believed that Maggie would be on that bus. I believed that Preston would be with her. It was my turn now to remind Trey that we were in this together.

"Trey? Remember our wedding vows? Remember how I promised you that we would be together during good times and bad? That time is now. I am going to Wheeling and that is that."

Our discussion was interrupted when Tristan knocked on our bedroom door. Trey called out for him to enter.

"Good morning you two," he greeted still in his sweats with his sleep-tousled hair.

"Mom just called to let us know that they just took Dad into surgery."

It had completely slipped my mind and as I looked over at Trey I could see it was the same with him. Shit! So much was going down right now it was difficult to remember what day it was.

"Tristan, would you feel better being in Bristol with your mom?" I questioned softly. "I know that Trey and I have not been as supportive as we should have been due to our situation. . ."

"Hey - no you guys. You are not to worry. Mom and Dad both know what you are going through. I'm going to go ahead and fly home to be with Mom. You two need to continue what you're doing to get 'Chubbers home."

I had to smile knowing that Trey's nickname for Preston had worn off on Tristan and the only way that could have happened is from Trey continuing to talk about her to his older brother. We filled Tristan in on the latest but then found he was reluctant to leave.

"Tristan," Trey said earnestly, "It would ease my conscious knowing that you are there with Mom. I know Dad said this is routine and all and maybe it is, but I know Mom is not convinced of that and she needs one of us there with her. Right now…."

"Say no more," Tristan replied, "I've got this covered. You do what you need to do brother, okay?"

They hugged briefly and then Tristan left to get on his way back to Bristol. I continued packing and Trey didn't stop me. We were in this together. Good or bad.

By eleven o'clock that morning Trey and I were boarding a flight from Atlanta to Wheeling, West Virginia. Trey filled me in during the flight on what exactly would go down.

Apparently, FBI agents had picked Daniel up in Indiana and they flew with him to Wheeling. A couple of agents would be posted in the bus terminal, blending in with the usual patrons. Nothing would stand out as odd. Daniel was wired just in case Maggie's disguise was one that would not be easily detected my seasoned feds. Daniel had been instructed to just go along with it and in fact, a Jeep Cherokee Laredo, the same year and color had been obtained and staged in the parking lot in case the agents did not easily recognize her. If her plan was to actually slide by Daniel because she still had keys to my old Jeep than she would definitely be in for a rude awakening when the key didn't work. There was an additional agent staked out in the terminal parking lot for just that scenario.

Trey and I were to maintain our distance with several local law enforcement officers in their vehicle parked closed by. Trey had promised Tristan that he would call as soon as we could but to not tell Susan anything just in case things went 'awry.' I wasn't comfortable when he said that even though he kept assuring me that everything would be okay.

We had several hours once we got to Wheeling because of the bus's schedule. Maggie had presumed that Daniel would be driving so the fact that everyone had flown in allowed time for preparation and strategic planning. Trey and I had rented a car and booked a room at a hotel planning to stay the night once we got Preston back.