Chapter Four

Master Plans (With a side order of revelations)

Three floor levels above McRory's Pub – Monday, September 3rd – 2:48 P.M

The group had gathered around the screens and were sitting on the couches and chairs. They all gave Eliot, who was still in a rather touchy mood, a wider berth. Fiona, giving him some more space than was needed, sat down next to him in the middle of the sofa, ignoring the looks from Parker and Hardison.

"So, Fiona," Nate said, sitting down. "I don't usually interview potential candidates for our... services with the whole team present, but this is apparently a special case. So tell us your story."

Fiona nodded and dove right into her story. She told it exactly like she told it to Eliot, but would elaborate if necessary. Which thankfully, wasn't needed very often.

When she finished her tale, Nate was looking at her. "Very well," he said as he just had been told a child' s story. "Start the briefing," he nodded towards Hardison.

"Alright," Hardison said. He was sitting the closest to the screens, a wireless controller in his hand. Using the remote, he brought up a picture on the screen. There was a tall man in the photo with dark hair that was graying on the sides and piercing green eyes. Fiona instantly recognized him to be George Mulligan.

"George Mulligan," Hardison said, pointing the remote at the screen. Pictures of documents appeared on the screen, along with press photos. "Born in Scotland in 1962, lived there all of his childhood until he moved to America at the age of seventeen with his father when his mother died." He flickered through some photos and continued: "He has never married and has no children. His father was a pharmacist, and Mulligan was following in his footsteps by attending and graduating from a pharmacy school. Ten years ago, Mulligan got his big break by becoming the creator and CEO of a company that sells vitamin supplementary pills and all that sort of stuff. But he's been under fire recently because-"

Fiona cut him off. "There have been cases where they don't work. – In fact, they may possibly kill people."

"Right." Hardison said. "Something about an imbalance of vitamins or a too high a concentration of a certain vitamin. But at least two people have died while they were taking these supplements, but-"

"But it may have been a cover-up for a murder that Mulligan most likely committed," Fiona interrupted again.

"Excuse me, but who is holding the remote? Or would you rather run this briefing?" an annoyed Hardison said. "'Cause I can sit down if you want."

Fiona shook her head, her eyes focused on the picture of George Mulligan.

"Thank you," Hardison said. Taking a breath, he continued. "And every time he was under scrutiny or even charged for those murders, he someone managed to prove them false."

"Uh, Hardison," Nate said, "Who were the murder victims?"

Two photos appeared on the screen, both head shots. One was of a woman, maybe in her mid-twenties, with black hair and blue eyes. The photo showed that she was wearing a red shirt with the U.S. Marine logo on it.

The other photo was of a man with blonde hair and piercing green eyes. The photo showed that he was wearing a black shirt with a green vest. Fiona turned her face away quickly and stared out the window. You're fine, Silverman, she told herself. You've been through this a million times.

"Mulligan's first 'supposed' victim was twenty-three year old Danica Princton. She was the newly-wed wife of a Marine soldier until he was killed overseas in January. Mrs. Princton then began taking antidepressants along with some other vitamins that both were from Mulligan's company. Mulligan had personally given the antidepressants and vitamins to Danica and after she died in March of two thousand nine under suspicious circumstances, he was under fire for tampering with the pills' structure."

"So he didn't murder her with a knife or anything?" Parker asked.

Hardison shook his head. "Nope."

"What about the man," Elliot asked, pointing to the picture. "How'd he die?"

"Mulligan killed him himself," Fiona said quietly, saying the words as if she were reciting a dreadful poem. "With a knife. In the back alley behind Mulligan's office building. May eighteenth, two thousand nine."

Everybody looked at Fiona. "What?" Sophie said, confused. "What are you talking about, Fiona?"

"That's how Garrett Quirion died."

"How do you know this?" Nate questioned.

"Yeah," Hardison agreed. "I mean, that's way more information I got concerning his death. Or about him for even that matter, there's practically nothing about this guy."

Fiona just shook her head. She most definitely regretted saying anything about him. "I knew him, that's all," she said in a even quieter voice.

"I'm sorry," Sophie said sympathetically. She was sitting was sitting on the other side of Fiona and she gave the woman a hug.

"Please, just go on," Fiona gently pushed away Sophie's embrace.

Warily, Hardison spoke: "So, Garrett Quirion. He was twenty-two-"

"Twenty-one," Fiona corrected. " He died a week before his birthday."

"Okay... He was twenty-one when he was found dead in a dumpster behind Mulligan's office building. There were knife wounds -"

"Skip it, Hardison," Nate ordered.

Hardison looked away from the screen. His eyes flickered towards Fiona, "Yeah, right," he said, clicking the remote. "I couldn't find much on Quirion, but I did find out (through Mulligan's database, might I add) that he was an employee of Mulligan's as a salesman. A model one, in fact. And even Mulligan said he liked the guy, so nobody could figure out why he would murder Garrett."

"Maybe he found something?" Parker suggested. "Like file with corrupt numbers or something?"

"More like a file that had proof that Mulligan murdered Garrett and had something to do with Danica's death," Fiona said.

"Could you please stop being so mysterious and stuff?" Eliot grumbled. "Just tell us what the heck you're talking about!"

"Well excuse me, Mr. Impatient!" Fiona retorted. "I'm sorry if the sentence I just said didn't make any sense to you what-so-ever!"

"Eliot, calm down," Nate said peacefully. "What is up with you anyways?"

"He got hurt!" Parker piped in, grinning madly.

"Parker, shut up!" Eliot growled.

Nate looked as if he was about to pursue the subject, but then shook his head as if he thought better about it. "I don't even want to know how," he said. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at Fiona and said, "Now what is this about a file?"

Fiona took a deep breath. "There's a file – somewhere in Mulligan's hell of an office - that has information that would prove that he is guilty."
"And how do you know about this?"

Fiona stayed silent. She hadn't told anyone, ever, how she knew about the file. And she wasn't planning on telling now.

"Fiona," Sophie said soothingly, "How do you know?" She placed her hand on Fiona shoulder.

Do not break down now. Not now, not ever. She stared down at her hands, not making eye contact with any of the five people in the room, and most definitely not with Eliot who was staring at her intensely.

"I'd rather not say," she said after a few moments.

"Listen, if you got the information from a source who isn't really on the good side, fine." Nate said. "But if you are trying to take us down and bring us to the authorities, we'll find out. And then we'll have to ship you off to Timbuktu." His voice had become low and dangerous, almost as if he were threatening her.

"Nate, lay off," Eliot said.

"I'm serious! You know what happened the last time someone tried to pull one over our heads," Nate pointedly looked at Sophie.

"It was an accident!" Sophie insisted and Fiona had the feeling than an old argument was beginning to surface.

"An accident that almost got Parker killed!" Nate retorted.

"That two years ago," Eliot said wearily, rubbing his eyes. "Can you please just let it go?"

"Please!" Hardison and Parker said at the same time.

After having a stare-down with Sophie that lasted at least two minutes, Nate finally broke contact and stood up. "Fine," he said and he muttered something unintelligible. "I need a drink."

All eyes turned back to Fiona. "So..." Parker started.

"You people are damn persistent," Fiona swore. She then sighed, she might as well tell them. There is no way that they would help her if they didn't know. About her, or that file.

She took a deep breath, "I'll tell you." By then, Nate had returned with a glass full of... something, Fiona couldn't tell what.

"You will?" Parker said surprised. "Took you long enough."

"Parker," Sophie chided.

"I might as well. With Hardison's computer skills, Eliot's fighting bravado -"

"It ain't bravado," Eliot protested. "People don't know real skill when they see it."

"And with Parker's... quirkiness, you probably would get the truth eventually." Fiona let out a nervous laugh, but quickly sobered. "I only know about the file because of Garrett. He told me about it before..." she stopped quickly with a shaky breath.

"Before what?" Parker inquired.

"Right before he died. Forty minutes before," Fiona paused before continuing. "He called me Forty minutes before Mulligan killed him, he called me. He sounded out of breath and I asked him what he was doing, but he said he just was out for a run. Then he told me to listen closely. He didn't say how, but he told me that he found a file where he worked. A file that had information about a woman who died while using the products the company created and sold. He said that I possibly would have to find that file one day and use it against the company. No matter how many times I asked, he wouldn't tell me why. And he said he had to go and that he loved me. He hung up before I barely registered what he said."

Silence. And then Hardison let out a low whistle. "Man, you definitely are deeper in this than I thought."

Fiona nodded, suddenly feeling lonesome and mournful.

"I'm truly sorry." Nate gave her a sympathetic look. Taking a drink out of his glass, he swallowed and let it down. "Well," he said, "looks like we got no choice but to help."

"We most definitely are!" Sophie said.

"Thank you," Fiona said with a smile.

"So how do we get the file?" Hardison asked.

Nate was quiet for a moment as he pondered. "Do you happen to know where this file is, Fiona?"

Fiona shrugged. "All I know is that it's in his personal office, but that may have changed since last night."

"Okay," Nate said absentmindedly.

"I could go get it right now," Parker said. "Easy."

"It wouldn't work," Hardison said. He pointed the remote at the screen. "Mulligan has a really tight security system in place, so it would take a couple of days to work around it."

"And besides, we need an actual plan, rather than just go in and get the folder," Nate said. "We need to hit Mulligan and we need to hit him hard."

"Just send Eliot in then," Parker said. "He can hit him."

"Parker, that's not helping!" Sophie said.

"I'd rather that nobody gets hurt," Fiona said quickly.

"Relax," Eliot said. "I'm just there mostly for good looks."

Fiona flashed him a look that scream the word LIAR! "So last night was what, running around as Superman? Saving people from possible murder?"

Eliot was about to reply when Nate broke in. "That's it! Mulligan needs to commit another murder."

"What?" the rest of the team, including Fiona said.

"I'll explain later, but I need to think it through some more."

With a sigh, Sophie said, "I don't suppose there is a name for this con?"

"Nope," Nate shook his head.

With an exasperated look, Sophie walked off, muttering about con names and the need of them.

"They're not always necessary!" Nate called after her.

"I like them," Parker said sadly. "They help me keep all of our jobs straight."

Fiona had no clue what they were talking about. And she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.

"So, who is Mulligan going to murder?" Hardison asked.

"I haven't figured that out yet," Nate answered.

Fiona was starting to feel anxious about this whole thing. It's okay, Fiona, she assured herself. They're not crazy... mostly.

"I'll have something figured out soon. Hardison, start getting the building plans, security schematics and a list of all the employees of Mulligan's company," Nate ordered.

With a nod, Hardison shut down the screens and walked over to his computer and began typing.

Nate got up and went up the stairs, leaving Fiona with Parker and Eliot.

Fiona's stomach grumbled and it was then that she realized that she hadn't had anything to eat since that morning.

"Is there anything to eat?" she asked Parker and Eliot.

Parker jumped up and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards to open kitchen area. "Eliot's a great cook! We can help him!"

"Great," Eliot muttered, getting up from the couch, moving towards the kitchen.

Okay, so Nate's a little out-of-character the way I wrote him. Hopefully that will change by his next appearance, and hopefully I'll be able to write in the famous line that he always says.

Read and review, it makes me oh-so delighted. And when I'm delighted, I write more (and better)!

Thanks! :)