Book 3: Pointillist 2
Introduction
Chapter 24: Help from home, and a threat abroad.
May 26, 2019
Author's preface:
Just a bit of orientation for those who might want it. This is the third book of a series that began with Saving the Saviors. Think of that one as bookends around Pointillist and this new one, Pointillist 2 (P2).
It jumped back and forth in time between the years 2014 and late 2016. That first book was a way to save the characters from the ending in the TV series, because we loved them too much to let them go like that.
Book 1 imagined a different ending and it showed, instead, what it would take to bring them back from all the losses they'd suffered. Book 1 didn't let them sacrifice themselves in the end. The characters and the show's themes have far more life left in them; there's so much more story we can explore with them. Toward that end, it introduced a few new characters, and brought back some familiar ones from the show – but bent them a bit to the needs of the story.
And then if we backtrack to the beginning of Book 2, we recall that Harold's Team had just returned from Washington D.C. after a foiled attempt to capture Greer. But they returned with a prize for their hard work: they had found and rescued Grace. She'd been a prisoner, held by Greer and his Team in Washington for months. At the start of Pointillist, Harold had brought her back to safety, in New York.
But as the Team began to debrief her, they realized that she had been systematically re-programmed by Greer – to turn her away from Harold.
Greer had made her believe that Harold was the enemy, the one psychologically torturing her each day during her captivity, the one taking her memories away from her.
In Pointillist, Grace was lost to Harold all over again. So much loss in Harold's life. For a man trying to help save others, he had ended up sacrificing the safety of those closest to him.
Greer began a campaign to crush Harold's Team, one by one. He had recruited a person who knew Reese better than anyone else; his ex-partner from the CIA, Kara Stanton. With her knowledge of Reese, and all of her black ops skills, she was the perfect one to pursue him. Finding Reese would lead Greer to the rest of the Team, and ultimately, to Harold and his Machine.
Greer recruited the Zheng, too, members of a violent Chinese street gang who willingly switched their allegiance to him. And Greer had secretly imported a skilled assassin through his contacts in China, a threat that Harold's Machine didn't see coming. In fact, the Machine had certain blind-spots that put the Team at risk again and again, until Harold relented and gave the Machine new powers.
Meanwhile, the Machine had assigned Shaw a new POI, Marco Bruzzese, a researcher in the energy field. He was an American living abroad in Italy when he learned of the chance discovery of a clean, cheap energy source that would quickly replace oil, coal, and nuclear energy all over the world. By publishing the theory of how its chemistry worked, he had stunned scientists everywhere – and made himself a target for those whose wealth and power were threatened by this new discovery. Shaw saved Marco from two attempts on his life in Pointillist. And, of course, there were consequences for Shaw – and for Root.
Reese and his Team had succeeded in planting a spy, Leon Tao, into Greer's organization. But Leon was perhaps just a coin-operated opportunist at best. Which side would have his loyalty? Or none? How far could they really trust him?
And Reese was struggling with his own demons, too, in Book 2. Still reeling from the loss of Joss Carter, and suffering flashbacks from the time he'd spent in Afghanistan and in black ops for the CIA, Reese was not at his best. His life was beginning to unravel.
He and his mayhem twin, Shaw, were captured by the Zheng in Book 2, and this experience would change the relationships among all of the members of the Team. For Reese, though, even in the midst of all the trauma, he found an unexpected moment of relief, of peace. Was there hope for something more?
Finch had finally launched his counter-attack at Samaritan. Using secret information shared with him by his dying friend, Arthur Claypool, creator of Samaritan, Harold had attacked the machine with a sophisticated computer game. It had brought Samaritan to its knees, and crippled Greer's Team.
The street-fight that ensued at the end of Book 2 left both Teams wounded and hurting. Greer and his Team barely escaped; Harold's Team held its ground in the surprise attack but paid a price.
As in the first two books, familiar characters from the show have been brought back in their new roles. New characters introduced in Books 1 and 2 re-appear in Book 3 – as this new story erupts from the confines of Manhattan, to go globe-trotting.
The Machine's true power has been unleashed a little more by Harold – and now Greer won't be able to hide from it, anywhere in the world, for very long. Samaritan is gravely wounded, but not dead. And Greer, the master villain, always seems to have another card up his sleeve to play...
In continuing deep love and appreciation for the ground-breaking work of the original show, and all of those who made it so unique. Let's keep going.
July, 2018
Table of Contents
Part 1:
Chapter 1: Introduction, Table of Contents and Works cited
Chapter 2: "What do you want me to do?" (rated T); this is what he'd signed up for (rated T); 9-1-1 (rated T)
Chapter 3: "we've done this dance before." (rated T)
Chapter 4: an army of followers (rated T); never so many on one person (rated T)
Chapter 5: missions; favorite place on earth
Chapter 6: find Finch; "Get used to it"
Chapter 7: find Reese; To her shore
Chapter 8: But not Grace
Chapter 9: didn't fix it (rated T for adult themes)
Chapter 10: high places; I Know I Dream
Chapter 11: They needed this (rated T); poverty
Part 2:
Chapter 12: Four-eyes
Chapter 13: "I have to go."
Chapter 14: For Reese instead; Greer in the middle
Chapter 15: Conflicted?; designated driver; no more
Chapter 16: better sleep; for a price; Location confirmed
Chapter 17: "Mercenaries, mostly" (rated T)
Chapter 18: move on (rated T for adult themes); forty-four; Inside.
Chapter 19: and your enemies closer; Olawale
Chapter 20: Like her (rated T for adult themes); another who could; fire-breathing (rated T for adult themes)
Chapter 21: she still slept (rated T for adult themes)
Chapter 22: hellcat (rated T); legend (rated T); Asset intercepted
Chapter 23: bait (rated T); "take a look at this" (rated T)
Part 3:
Chapter 24: in the middle of it all; "I have something to tell you."
Works Cited
Music and other works important in this story will be cited here, for your own journey. Enjoy.
Chapter 7: In To her shore: Reese is faced with a decision. It should be so easy. Wait for the line across the page to queue this beautiful song, from, of course:
Cook, Jesse."To Your Shore," One World, eOne Music Canada, 2015.
Chapter 8: in But not Grace: Harold has to face his loss, and the choices he's made. Try listening to this singer - wonderful. Especially if you learn her own story.
Gardot, Melody. "Some Lessons," Worrisome Heart, UCJ, 2008.
Chapter 9: in didn't fix it: Root tries to make her stand with Sameen. Listen to this incredible voice, singing the song of Root's heart. If you can listen to this rendition, I think you'll be blown away, too, by the emotion in Gardot's voice. Nobody does it like her.
Gardot, Melody. "So We Meet Again My Heartache," The Absence, Decca, 2012
Chapter 10: in I Know I Dream: Harold delivers a special message to Grace. And his fondest wish for Christmas is held in this lovely song, from Jazz singer:
Kent, Stacey. "I Know I Dream," I Know I Dream, Sony Music, 2017.
Chapter 11: in They needed this: Reese makes his decision. Join him with this beautiful rendition.
Gardot, Melody. "Love Me Like A River Does," Worrisome Heart, UCJ, 2008.
Chapter 11: in poverty: Harold must face the consequences of decisions made. This beautiful, haunting piece captures the feeling of that moment.
Cook, Jesse."Three Days," One World, eOne Music Canada, 2015.
Chapter 15: in no more: Greer and Kara Stanton head East from Senegal to a meeting in Nigeria. Listen to the sounds of Senegal in this heartfelt song from Youssou N'Dour.
N'Dour, Youssou. "No More," 7 Seconds: The Best of Youssou N'Dour, Columbia, Legacy, 2004.
Chapter 20: in Like her: Root is lost and struggling, and this piece from Sarah McLachlan reaches that place:
McLachlan, Sarah."Do What You Have To Do," Mirrorball, Arista, 1999.
And, in fire-breathing: Root meets an exotic woman, and finds her own moment of peace. Listen to this beautiful song, also from Sarah McLachlan:
McLachlan, Sarah."Angel," Mirrorball, Arista, 1999.
Chapter 21: in she still slept: Root doesn't realize that she's in trouble.
Smith, Sam. "Drowning Shadows," In the Lonely Hour (Drowning Shadows Edition) (Disc 2), Sony/ATV Music, 2014.