FALLOUT(Season 4, Episode 10)
Chapter 1
Jack Hansen stormed into Oscar's office at OSI-Los Angeles with a style of fury that was all his own: something akin to a cross between a hurricane, a tornado and a tsunami - and he was aiming all of it at Oscar. ''Goldman! Are you aware that yesterday morning, two of your agents went off and -''
''Good morning, Jack!'' Oscar said with ironic enthusiasm. ''Always great to see you. And what can the OSI assist you with today?''
Hansen scowled. ''Yesterday morning, two of your operatives ran off and got married. Married!''
''Coffee, Jack?'' Oscar offered. (He took his fun where he could get it and this morning, annoying Jack with niceties topped his list.) ''If you're talking about Colonel Austin and his new bride, yes - I'm fully aware of it. But Jaime is not currently on my operative rolls; even if she was, show me anywhere that it's written that they're not allowed to marry like any other two people in love.''
''Well, I don't like it!'' Hansen declared.
Is there anything you do like, Jack, Oscar thought to himself, besides pushing every one of my buttons? ''Thank you so much for the morning update, Jack. Is there anything else?'' he said out loud instead.
''Now that the Kingsley case is wrapping up, I'll be headed back to Washington today,'' Hansen told him. ''What about you?''
''I think I'll be staying here a little longer, just until Russ is fully on his feet again.''
''And who is running your Washington bureau while you're out here in Sunny California?''
''I'm fully capable of overseeing both offices from here...but once again, thank you for your concern. Is there anything else I can do for you, this morning?''
''If I think of anything, I'll be back,'' Hansen promised.
''Always a pleasure, Jack!'' Oscar called as the NSB head finally left his office. He was only alone for a matter of minutes before Mark Conrad (the OSI's PTSD specialist) poked his head in the doorway.
''All clear?'' Mark asked. ''Safe to come in now?'' Mark was making his rounds, checking on each one of his patients - whether they considered themselves patients or not. Grant Kingsley had put everyone through physical and emotional hell for more than two month - and it was Mark's job to make sure the victims were functioning as normally as possible on their personal paths to becoming whole again. He asked Oscar all the usual questions: any trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, any nightmares? Oscar fielded each question patiently and gave all the 'right' answers. Of all of his patients, Mark was least worried about Oscar because even though he'd been held as a hostage at one point by the psychopathic 'genius', he'd been through so many similar situations in his career that handling trauma was almost second nature to him. Still, the PTSD doctor kept a close eye on him, just to be sure.
Each man wondered if the other knew about Jaime and Steve's elopement. They weren't hiding it, exactly...but they weren't announcing it either. Mark had figured it out by the rings on their fingers...and Oscar (of course) found out through his Intelligence sources (as the Austins probably knew that he would, eventually).
''I saw Steve and Jaime last night,'' Mark began, tentatively touching on the subject that was on both of their minds.
Oscar knew that 'last night' would've been after the elopement. ''And how are they doing?'' he asked.
''They seemed...happy.''
Oscar gave the therapist a knowing wink. ''Happier than usual, I'm guessing.''
It was out there, untouched, unsaid...but they both knew. ''Steve's getting his cast changed today for a lighter one, then he and Jaime should be hitting the track at National Medical, if you wanted to see them,'' Mark offered.
''I'll be there.''
Mark gave the OSI boss a conspiratorial grin. ''So will I.'' Both men were wondering the same thing - whether they should congratulate the happy couple...or wring their necks!
Russ admitted to Mark that yes, he was still having flashbacks; they happened almost every morning, when he got ready for the day and placed his weapon inside his suit pocket. His 'trigger' for these flashbacks was clearly the gun itself, similar to the one Russ had used to abduct Oscar when he was under the command of Kingsley's mind control device. He was using Mark's advised coping strategies now, though - turning on loud music, biting a lemon, holding an ice cube - and was managing to keep himself grounded and ward off the worst of what his mind was trying to re-live. For all intents and purposes (especially considering all he'd been through), Russ was on the right track.
Rudy spent the morning in his lab with Graham Kingsley, dissecting the inner workings of his twin's mind control devices. They'd been there together since before dawn, fascinated by the intricate circuitry...and terrified by the madness that had brought these devices to life. Before removing the power pack (that had been stolen from Jaime's leg) from the smaller device, Rudy switched it on, carefully pointed it toward the floor and turned the dial. There appeared to be more than two dozen separate frequencies - one for each person Grant had stolen control from (to use in his personal army of terror). Each frequency elicited only a dull buzz (which Rudy and Graham both hypothesized would mean the 'subject' was no longer under the device's control). Every frequency was the same...except for one. When Rudy turned the dial to '03', the buzz grew louder and the digital indicator flashed the number '03'. Both men looked at each other with wide eyes.
One of 'them' was still out there, under Grant's personal control...and Grant himself was dead!
''Try talking into the speaker,'' Rudy suggested to Graham. ''Tell whoever this '03' is to turn himself in to his or her local police.''
Graham shook his head. ''If I know my brother, this device is tuned so the subjects will listen to his voice alone. We have different accents, different inflections. Doctor Wells, I think we have a big problem on our hands!''