After being tortured by Nick and Mia, they'd shot him up with some sort of drug and he had passed out. When he woke up, he was in a hospital in Nevada. After seeing he was conscious, a nurse had given him a sealed manila envelope with his name on it. She said that someone had delivered it the day after he had been admitted and asked her to give it to him when he regained consciousness.
As he looked through the contents of the envelope, his heart sank. In it was enough information to convict him as an accomplice to J.T. Thornbacker in the prison break. As part of the frame-up, his fingerprints were all over 'evidence' that was to be found by the FBI at a location near the Nevada prison where the break out occurred. Never mind that it was all fabricated evidence planted by Nick and company. His career would be ruined in the process of even trying to prove his innocence.
Of the two locations where evidence had been planted, the first had nothing tying Silas to the prison break. The second location, however, did. A note in the envelope said that the FBI had already received information about the first location, proving J.T. Thornbacker and company had planned the escape. It further stated that the information about the existence of the second location would only be turned in to the FBI if Silas decided to pursue Nick Bartonovich, J.T. Thornbacker, or anything related to the Cayman Island heist. The message was clear: leave us alone or we'll destroy what is left of your life.
After reviewing the information from a cop's perspective, he knew his chances of staying out of prison, should the FBI ever receive that second tip, were slim to none. There was enough money in the envelope for him to buy a bus ticket back home to New York. He went home with his tail between his legs, vowing to never gamble again.
His resolve to stop gambling lasted about three months. He kept the losses at a minimum for a while, but one night, he thought he had a chance to score big again, only to end up a thousand dollars underwater. He was tapped out. Maggie had told him that if he lost any more money gambling, that she would leave him, so he couldn't tell her. He needed cash fast. Then, later that week, Silas was cataloging some physical evidence from a small-time drug bust down at the station and he had an epiphany.
Silas and his partner Dave usually took turns taking the evidence down to the evidence locker. Today, his partner had a dentist appointment and had decided to leave before they were done cataloging the evidence. He'd told Silas to sign his name on all the necessary documents, because his tooth was killing him and he had to go to the dentist ASAP. After his partner left, Silas counted fifteen hundred dollars that they had retrieved from the perp when they'd busted him. Silas' partner had no clue how much money was there. Silas could log $500, pocket the rest, and no one would ever know. The perp would figure it out, but since it was drug money and he was a drug dealer, who was going to believe him over a cop?
Silas checked to make sure no one was paying close attention to him as he cataloged the evidence. He pretended to accidentally knock the money onto the floor. When he bent down to pick it up, he put a thousand dollars in his sock as discretely as possible before standing back up.
That was the first of many thefts that Silas began making to cover his gambling habit. He rationalized it in so many ways. It was drug money, so it was no big deal. He deserved it, after all - cops were underpaid and performing a public service. Why should the bad guys make all the money? He was putting these guys behind bars - shouldn't that be rewarded?
One day, Silas and his partner were going to stop at one of their favorite lunch hangouts. Silas parked the car, opened the door, and was about to get out when Dave put a hand on this arm.
"Hey Silas, hold on a minute. I need to talk to you about something."
"Yeah, o.k., what is it?" Silas said as he turned to his partner.
"Shut the door," Dave said, nodding at the open car door.
"Sure, Dave," Silas said, wondering what was up as he shut the door.
"Silas, how long have we been partners?"
"About ten years now, I think," Silas replied, wondering where Dave was headed with this.
"Yeah, that's right, about ten years," Dave echoed. "I don't know how to ask this, Silas, so I'll just come out with it. Are you stealing money from the evidence we turn in?"
Silas felt the blood drain from his face and hoped that it didn't show.
"No, Dave, why would you think that? I would never do that," Silas said, trying to sound indignant.
"Silas," Dave continued, "there was a little over two grand on the perp we arrested on 5th Street about two months ago. I counted it when you went to take the statement from the shop owner. I signed off on the evidence because it was your day to write the log and I didn't check on it too good, so I didn't see that you had only put down about a grand. Later that day, I found a cigarette lighter from the perp on the floor - you know the one with the skull and cross-bones case on it? I went down to check the log to see if we had recorded it and to add it into evidence, and that's when I saw that the money was short."
Silas tried to smile and laugh it off.
"So I maybe miscounted the money?"
"I counted it, Silas. The money's missing."
"Dave, I didn't take the money. There has to be some other explanation," Silas protested.
"Silas, I've been counting the money from the busts we've made ever since, when you weren't looking. Half of the busts we made whenever you were in charge of filling out the evidence logs were short."
Silas slumped back in his chair. He looked down to the floor. He was busted and he knew it.
"What are you going to do, Dave?" he said without looking up.
"I don't want you to get busted, Silas, you've been a good partner and a good cop, but I can't trust you anymore. I'll keep my mouth shut if you resign."
Silas looked up at him in shock.
"Resign? Dave, I'm just a few years from retirement. That would ruin me."
Dave's face remained stern and un-moving.
"You should've thought of that before you went on the take. What you did was wrong, Silas. Once we go there, where's the line get moved to?"
Silas didn't answer; he just continued looking at Dave.
"You've got to the end of the day to turn in your resignation or I take what I know to IAD. I'll take a cab back to the precinct."
Dave got out of the car and shut the door.
Chapter Thirty-Three
It was 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning when Nick's cell phone rang next to his bed. He woke up immediately and reached over for the phone. Calls that came in this early on a weekend were usually important. Since he and Mia had married, he had begun instructing all of his business associates not to call until at least 8:00 a.m. on the weekend.
He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Katrina Byers as he made his way into the bathroom and quietly closed the door so that Mia wouldn't be disturbed. In fact, he knew she was already awake. It was an occupational necessity for her that she was a light sleeper. But Nick liked to provide her with these small courtesies. It felt good to be looking out for someone besides himself these days. It was relatively new ground for Nick Bartonovich.
"Hello," Nick answered after he hit the 'answer call' button.
"Nick, I'm sorry to be calling you so early on the weekend, I know how you hate that," she replied. Katrina Byers was one of Nick's top CPAs, one who worked exclusively for him and was immensely valuable to his organization. If she was calling, it was important.
"What is it? What has happened?" he replied.
Nick listened as Katrina detailed the situation for the next fifteen minutes, asking few questions, just letting Katrina explain in her usual, very detailed way. When they were done talking, Nick said that he would call her back within the hour as he disconnected the call. This was not good news, it was not good news at all. He looked in the mirror, his mind racing, trying to decide what the best response to the situation would be.
He w
alked back into the bedroom and sat down on Mia's side of the bed, then began gently stroking her hair. She opened her eyes and smiled - something she had been doing an increasing amount of during the past year since they had gotten married.
"Mia, darling, we need to talk. Katrina Byers has just called with some bad news and we need to decide how to handle it. I'll make some coffee for us downstairs."
He leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead before leaving to make the coffee.
Downstairs, Nick made the coffee mechanically as he thought about what he had just been told. When the buzzer on the coffee maker alerted him that the brewing cycle was completed, he poured two cups of coffee and took them to the den where Mia was already waiting. He thought about how many times in the past year he had enjoyed their morning coffee. How much he loved making Mia's coffee just the way she liked it - strong, black, freshly ground gourmet coffee that they purchased at the organic co-op. But today was different. Today they had bad news to discuss.
He went into the den area and found Mia sitting on the couch with her feet curled up underneath her, waiting. She took the coffee from him and cradled it in her hands, closing her eyes and inhaling the coffee's aroma. She waited for Nick to sit down in his usual chair before she spoke.
"So what is the matter?" she said at last.
Nick put his own coffee mug down on the side table, not really in the mood to drink it.
"Katrina has gotten considerably worse. The doctors don't think she will make it to the end of the week."
"Oh, my God," Mia exclaimed.
About six months prior, Katrina had been diagnosed with renal disease, a.k.a. kidney failure. She had told Nick about the dialysis treatments she would be taking and how the disease would affect her work hours. She had been put on the kidney transplant list and told she had a good chance of getting a transplant in time, based upon the current stage of the disease.
Once Katrina began going to dialysis, she needed someone to watch her daughter Sasha, who was nine, while Katrina was at the clinic for the lengthy dialysis process. She began making a short list of people that she trusted who could help with this task. She had noticed the radical change in Nick since he had married Mia. He actually smiled in a genuine way now, not in the sly way he had before, as if he was about to close a business deal. She'd noticed that Mia had changed, too. She'd seen them together several times at Nick's office when she would go by to cover the quarterly financial reports with Nick, and she had been impressed with the atmosphere change in the house. It was no longer a hard business atmosphere? there was love there now. She decided to ask Nick and Mia if they would be on the rotation to help watch Sasha a couple of times a month. After Nick and Mia talked it over, they'd agreed to do it on a trial basis.
Sasha and Mia hit it off almost immediately. Sasha was into the latest music, and fashions, like most kids - things Mia was never allowed to participate in when she was Sasha's age. Mia began asking questions and showing a genuine interest in what Sasha was doing. Soon, Mia was downloading the latest music and taking Sasha shopping. Sasha even helped Mia open up a Facebook page and they friended each other. It was as if Mia was re-living her own childhood in a way she had never been allowed to experience before.
Nick's affection for Sasha had grown, as well. He began to accompany Mia and Sasha on some of their shopping trips and they would all eat lunch together. Once, on the spur of the moment, Nick suggested they all go out to the horse farm where Nick and Mia kept their horses, and go for a ride. Sasha's eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. They had a blast and Sasha was continually asking if they could go back. Nick and Mia enjoyed these outings so much that, after three months, they had asked Katrina if they could up the ante and watch Sasha once a week. Katrina had obliged, glad to be able to rely on them for more help without feeling like she was imposing.
They had all known the possibility existed that Katrina wouldn't get a transplant in time, but no one had seriously considered it. Mia put her coffee cup down on the table in front of her.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Mia asked.
"Actually, there is something Katrina asked us to do. She asked us to adopt Sasha," Nick replied.
Mia inhaled slowly, looking away from Nick at a painting of a lone ship in the ocean that was hanging on the wall. She held the breath in as she allowed the words Nick had just spoken to roll around in her head. Then she looked back at Nick.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"I want one of my best accountants and a good friend not to die," Nick replied seriously. Then he added, "I'm almost fifty years old, Mia. I've never brought up having kids with you because I thought I was too old. These past few months spending time with Sasha have been good. She was like the daughter I never thought I would have. And the three of us together have such a good time?." He looked Mia in the eyes. "Look, I don't want to pressure you into anything, but if you want to do this, I'm willing to jump off the ledge with you. You know I like a good rush."
He smiled as he waited for Mia to respond to what he had just said.
Mia looked back at the painting on the wall. The painting reminded her of her own life's journey in many ways. In it, a single ship was out in the ocean with no land in sight. The seas were rough and the crew was struggling to keep the ship afloat. They were struggling for their very lives with somber determination. She continued looking at the painting as she spoke.
"I know what it is like to be on your own, without your parents for support, without anyone you can count on except yourself. It is a hard life with no guarantees that you will make it. We could give Sasha a good life. We could love her and give her all of the things that I never had when I was growing up. I want to protect her. I want to help. Yes," she said, turning back to look at Nick, "I want to do this."
Nick reached over and placed his hand on Mia's, squeezing it gently.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Nick and Mia called Katrina immediately and let her know that they would be happy to adopt Sasha. They visited Katrina later that same day in the hospital. Sasha was at her mother's side when they arrived and was very upset. When Nick and Mia entered the room, she walked over to Mia and hugged her, tears streaming down her face. Nick could tell by the look on Katrina's face that she was in a bad way.
Katrina spoke to Sasha and explained that she would be staying with Nick and Mia while Mommy was in the hospital. After they had visited for a little while, Nick asked Mia if she would take Sasha down to the car, saying that he would be there in a few minutes. Sasha didn't want to go, but Katrina told her that she could come back and see her tomorrow, but that her mother needed the rest right now. Reluctantly, Sasha kissed and hugged her mother goodbye before she left with Mia.
"Have you told her yet that you don't have long?" Nick said when they were alone.
"Not in so many words, but she's a smart kid. She knows," Katrina replied.
"You should tell her yourself. It would be best if she hears it from you, to help her let go and all," Nick continued.
Katrina looked up at Nick with tired eyes. "Thank you."
Nick nodded his head.
Later that day, Katrina's lawyer came by and she changed her will to indicate that she wanted Nick and Mia to be Sasha's legal guardians. She decided not to discuss the matter with Sasha. It would be enough for her to deal with Katrina's impending death. Katrina reasoned that Mia and Nick could tell her when the time was right, after she had some time to grieve. They had decided that Nick and Mia would adopt Sasha as soon as possible after Katrina passed. Katrina dictated a letter to her lawyer to be given to Sasha upon her death, explaining that this was her wish so that Sasha would hear it straight from her.
Once the whole legal process was completed, Katrina felt relieved. Over the next few days, Sasha came by every morning and they spent many hours together. They talked, played cards when Katrina felt able, and
Sasha would read the latest novel she had been reading out loud to her mother. Nick and/or Mia would drop Sasha off, then pick her up for lunch and bring her back by in the evening. These precious days went by so fast for Katrina. She was relishing the time with her daughter, but she was grieving for herself at having to leave Sasha when she was so young.
On the fourth day, Mia had dropped Sasha off and was saying goodbye to Katrina as she prepared to leave, but Katrina asked her to stay. Katrina looked much weaker than she had the day before. She could barely talk and Sasha had to bend her ear down close to her mother's mouth to hear what she had to say. Katrina whispered in her daughter's ear, "I love you, Sasha. I will always love you?."
"I love you, Mommy," Sasha said with tears beginning to flow down her face.
The alarm on Katrina's heart monitor went off and soon the medical staff was rushing in with the crash cart to try and revive Katrina. Mia pulled Sasha back as the doctors and nurses worked, but it was soon clear that Katrina was not coming back. Sasha turned to Mia, who pulled her close while Sasha cried.
The funeral was brief and attended only by a small circle of Katrina's friends, and her younger sister. Her own mother was dead, and her father was in a nursing home and unable to attend. After the service, Nick and Mia took Sasha by her house to pick up some of her things before returning to their house. They simply said that Sasha would be staying with them for a while and Sasha didn't ask why, too overcome by grief to ask any questions of them at the moment.
The hours turned in to days and weeks, and eventually years. Sasha began to move on with her life and acclimate to life in her new family. Nick and Mia officially adopted her on her eleventh birthday.
There were many changes that took place in the Bartonovich household over the next several years. Nick moved his office to the second floor so that Sasha could have a bedroom upstairs next to Nick and Mia's bedroom. They bought Sasha her own horse, which she named Katrina's Pride in honor of her mother. She became quite an accomplished rider and even won some riding competitions. Nick and Mia had to develop new work schedules. Mia began farming out some of her more dangerous activities to other members of their company. Nick even began shifting some of his business activities towards more legitimate enterprises, not wanting Sasha to associate with some of his former colleagues who had frequented the house prior to her arrival. Overall, the addition of Sasha to the Bartonovich household was resulting in a kinder, gentler family atmosphere.