"This better be the last goddamn phone I go to," he snarled.

"Temper, temper," Peter chided. "You really oughta calm down son, stress is a big no-no where you're concerned. You just never know who'll come popping out," he joked.

Pete felt an icy clam wash over him. He waited, and said nothing. He wasn't gonna let that fucker bait him or Todd anymore. The silence stretched on a bit.

"You know where a place called Storage Center is?" Peter asked innocently.

Pete gripped the phone. "No, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me."

"It's in San Francisco, on the right hand corner of 110^th street. It's a huge facility, you can't miss it."

"Yeah? What about it?" Pete snapped.

That's where I have Clarice. We're getting to know one another…a lot," he snickered.

"Let her go. She has nothing to do with this. It's me you really want isn't it, Daddy?" Todd said silkily, venom and deep-seated hatred, coloring his voice. He wasn't gonna let Manning to all of the mind fucking. From here on out, he was gonna start holding his own. "I know you've been thinking about it, haven't you? Like the sick animal you are? Like the fucking monster you've always been. Tell me dad…do I still turn you on?"

His stomach churned wildly as nausea threatened to overcome him. Todd Thomas Manning was starting to face his past.

Big time.

He was trembling from head to toe, and felt himself slipping dangerously.

Hold on. You can do it, Todd. I KNOW you hear me. You always could. You know that now, don't you? I am you and you are ME.

There was silence on the other end of the phone. It was ominous and foreboding. "You are going to pay for what you just said to me, boy. Do you understand me?" Peter said in a flat, hard voice. "You're a nothing. A no one. A miserable piece of human waste. You have exactly thirty minutes to get you're ass down here, or I'll kill her. But, I'll make sure I rip her apart first. Do you get me?"

Pete set his jaw. "Which garage are you in?" He said in a low, controlled voice. He was out of his head with black rage. Clarice was the only thing keeping him remotely human.

"Figure it out, asshole."

The connection went dead. Todd calmly replaced the phone and straddled the big bike. "Get ready to die Dad. I'm coming for you."

Peace and Love,

VTW