Chapter 9

Curt Windsor took the news pretty well that Vincent had been sent to assassinate him. He actually felt bad for Cat and Vincent. Kidnappings, Daddy issues, memory loss. He was impressed by how united a front they presented, given everything they had been through.

"What can I do to help? I owe both of you a debt. I would like to think I that I would not have actually hurt Tori, but truth is, I just don't know. So as far as I am concerned, you saved her life."

Vincent spoke for them.

"We are trying to take down Reynolds…legally."

Glancing at Catherine.

"He works for the FBI but he must work for someone else too. I don't want to believe that the FBI knows about beasts and Murfield."

We need him to incriminate himself, which is the only way this will work. We were hoping to be able to use you to get to him. I know it's a lot to ask…."

"Think nothing of it. So we make him think you accomplished your mission?"

"Not exactly….I want to make him think I failed. That you killed me. He claims there is one more beast after you that needs to be taken down. If he thinks I am dead, we can see what he does next. Does he contact his superiors? Does he have the ability to make another beast, or does he have access to other beasts? If we can get him on tape, trying to coordinate another attack on you, we can take him down."

"Sounds like fun. Do you have a place to hide out Vincent after I kill you?"

Vincent and Catherine exchange looks. That was one detail they had yet to work out.

"I have a cabin outside the city. It's only about 45 min away. Far enough that no one would think to look for you and close enough to get back and forth. You are welcome to use it."

Catherine and Vincent are taken aback by Windsor's generosity.

"Thank you, this is really more than we expected."

"Think nothing of it….you two remind me of my wife and I. We lived a good life and she gave me Tori. If she were here, she would do the same. Good luck and I will see you tomorrow night."

Vincent and Catherine return to the houseboat. They decide not to update JT and Tess on the plan. They need the two of them to genuinely think Vincent is dead in order to sell this. Vincent and Catherine take a moment to reflect on what they are doing.

"Is this the right thing to do?…..Tess and JT are going to be pissed!"

"Yes they will, but if this works and everyone can go back to living a normal life, won't it be worth it? I would rather JT never talk to me again and be free of all this."

"How do we play this with Reynolds?"

"He can't admit that he knows about us. So play it up normal. Use my death as an excuse to get close to him, you talked to him about Murfield already, so tell him a friend was killed by Murfield and you need his help. Also play on the…..you need your Dad while you're grieving and all that. Should make it easier to get close enough to him to bug him."

Catherine rolls her eyes when he says Dad.

"Ugh"

Vincent smiles at her and kisses the top of her head. He stretches out on the couch, bringing her with him.

"It's going to all work out and then we can all be free and start living our lives."

"We deserve that…you deserve that."

The next day Vincent and Catherine act like nothing has changed, Catherine goes to work and actually focuses on police cases for a change. Tess is mildly suspicious but doesn't say anything. Vincent touches base with his handler.

"This is Condor. I am taking another shot at Windsor by tonight it will all be over."

"What happened with Tori?"

"She won't be a problem sir."

Vincent let Reynolds think what he wanted. If he thought he killed Tori, so be it.

"Condor, make sure you check in with me as soon as you accomplish your mission. It's important."

"Yes Sir."

A few hours later and it's time for Vincent to go. Catherine holds him close to her, even though she knows this is all fake, and she trusts Windsor, she is still worried.

"Hey….everything is going to be ok. Meet me up at the cabin as soon as you can. I love you. Don't worry."

Catherine pulls Vincent's face to hers and kisses him hard.

"I can't help it, I will always worry about you. I love you too."

Catherine watches as Vincent walks out the door. Then she waits.

Vincent arrives at Windsor's penthouse. To make it look good, Windsor and Vincent fight just enough to destroy some furniture and give Windsor enough bruises to make it look legit. After thanking Windsor, Vincent takes off to the cabin. Now all he can do is wait.

The next morning, Catherine calls JT.

"JT do you know where Vincent is? He went out last night to deal with Windsor and he hasn't come home, and he is not answering his cell."

JT tells her he has not heard from Vincent. Catherine asks him to check CCTV and see if he can find Vincent.

"Catherine I think you need to come over here right away."

When Catherine walks in the Gentleman's club, JT is pacing back and forth and Tess is with him.

"Hey what's going on?"

JT and Tess look at each other. Neither one of them want to break the news to her.

"Seriously guys what is going on, you are scaring me."

JT swallows hard.

"Look, I am not sure of anything but you need to see something and I need you to be prepared. I might have found Vincent and its bad Cat….really bad." JT voice broke as he spoke.

Catherine shakes her head.

"Just show me JT."

JT hits the play button and Catherine watches the video. She sees Vincent enter Windsor's building.

"Ok so we know he went to Windsor's I told you that already."

JT switches video feeds and zooms in on Windsor's penthouse. It's not clear, but it looks like there is some kind of fight going on inside.

JT switches video feeds again, and warns Catherine.

"Here is the part I am worried about."

Catherine sees Windsor's security detail coming out the back of the building with what appears to be a body bag. They dump in into the trunk of a vehicle and take off.

Catherine stands there looking at the tape. She knows it's fake, but seeing it, she can feel the loss of him already.

She looks up at JT her eyes tearing up.

"There is one more."

JT switches feeds one last time to Windsor's balcony. There they see a beat up Windsor comforting his daughter, Tori.

"Cat, Windsor is obviously still alive and we haven't heard from Vincent..." He stops talking.

Catherine hates how much he is hurting, but to keep them safe, she will do anything. So she goes with it. She starts to cry.

"This can't be happening. I just got him back, JT."

She turns into him and he wraps her up in a great big hug. Tess starts to cry as well and he opens his arms up to her as well. All three of them stand there together, holding on to each other, mourning Vincent. Best Friends and Lover.

After some time has passed, Catherine steps back and looks at both of them.

"I don't believe it, it can't end this way. JT, we have to find him, even if it's just his…..can you track that car?"

"I can try."

Catherine wipes her eyes and clears her throat.

"Ok, you do that I am going to see Bob, Vincent had a handler and I want to know who it was. Maybe he can help. I have nothing to lose now in telling him the truth."

Both JT and Tess look at her like she has lost her mind.

"Look, I won't mention you guys at all, but maybe he can help me figure things out."

Catherine headed over to the FBI, she had to stop herself from calling Vincent, and she so badly wanted to hear his voice. Pretending he was dead was painful. She felt terrible for lying to JT and Tess, but it needed to seem real or she didn't think Bob would help her. Besides, just pretending he was dead was bad enough. She is now more than ever determined to end this and free him.

Catherine knocked on Reynolds office door.

"Come in"

Catherine worked up her tears and entered the office.

"Dad", she said tearfully.

Alarmed, Reynolds came around his desk and held out his arms to her.

"She walked into them and sobbed against him."

"What happened? Why are you crying?"

He handed her a tissue. She pulled back from him and wiped her face and blew her nose.

"I think Murfield just killed my boyfriend. I need your help."

Vincent had wanted her to say her friend had been killed, but she decided to go with the truth.

"What!"

Reynolds actually appeared upset.

"Tell me what happened."

"Vincent, that is…was my boyfriend. He worked for Murfield….at least I think he did. He was an operative for them, he went on missions and he had a mission last night and he never came back. I did some checking on my own and saw video of a body bag being taken out of the location he…."

She broke down crying again.

Reynolds pulled Catherine in for another hug. He thinks about what to do with this. If Vincent is really gone then Catherine is finally safe. Maybe now is the time, maybe he should tell her what is really going on?

"Catherine, sit down. I have something I want to tell you."

He helps Catherine into one of his office chairs. He grabs some tissues and offers them to her. Catherine accepts the Kleenex and blows her nose and wipes her eyes.

"Catherine, the other day when we talked, I told you that everything I did was to protect you. Do you remember that?"

Catherine nods her head.

"Of course."

Reynolds takes a deep breath.

"Your Mother was involved in genetic research. Specifically DNA research. My company at the time was interested in her work. Eventually we started working together. Vanessa on the research and me on the application of that research. We fell in love. Vanessa was the smartest most beautiful woman I had ever met. But as often happens, our work got in the way of our relationship. We had two different goals. In the beginning it didn't matter so much, but after a while, we started fighting. She didn't agree with what my company wanted to do with her research. We eventually broke up, like I told you before. After several months apart, I saw her again. She was obviously pregnant, but already involved with Thomas. Also like I said earlier, I agreed to make no claim on you. But I kept tabs on you, close tabs after Vanessa was killed."

Catherine was getting frustrated.

"What does this have to do with Vincent?"

"I am getting to that. Even though your Mom and I were no longer together our companies were still working together. About 15 years ago, the project, "Murfield" had come far enough to start human clinical trials. The military agreed to have its soldiers be the guinea pigs, if they could have a first shot at the final product. Then 9/11 happened and the military needed the finished project quickly. Shortcuts were taken and eventually soldiers were experimented on. Your Mom to her credit stayed with the soldiers and tweaked the protocol as the project was ongoing. But something went wrong, violently wrong. The military decided to end the program and again, my company was tasked with terminating anyone who had been involved in the project. Your Mom got away. I don't know how, but they caught up to her eventually. I tried to stop them and protect her, but it had gone higher than me by that time.'

He took her hands.

"I know you know what Vincent is….was. I know that you think you love him, but Catherine he is…was dangerous. I am sorry that you are hurting."

Catherine jerked her hands out of his and quickly stands up. She paces around his office.

"This is crazy, yes I know what and who Vincent is….but he is good. He helps people. He loves me. Someone kidnapped him and erased his memory and still he fought to come back to me. I can't believe what you are telling me. You knew all this time what happened to my Mom? You knew who Vincent was? Do you know who kidnapped him last year? Do you know who was sending him on these missions? "

Reynolds wasn't ready to share everything with Catherine.

"I knew about Vanessa and I knew about Vincent, but I don't know who took him and I don't know who he is working for now."

Catherine leaned against Reynolds desk.

"Will you help me now, can you find out who took Vincent? Can you find out who his handler is?"

"I can try."

Catherine hugged him and told him she would be in touch. She turned and left his office, he did not see her smirk nor did he notice the little blinking light under his desk from the listening device Catherine had planted.

Catherine wanted to take off and see Vincent, she needed to tell him about everything Reynolds had told her. Just enough to make her trust him, but not the whole truth. Cause then he would have to admit that he kidnapped Vincent and was actually his "handler". But she had to deal with JT and Tess first.

JT was "three sheets to the wind" when Cat returned. Scotch and gummy worms had become his new best friends. Tess was watching over him. After hugging Cat, Tess looked at JT.

"I am so sorry Cat, but he is a mess right now. I am just letting him wallow and keeping him safe. Is there anything I can do for you? I am worried about you, it's like before when he was taken, you didn't deal with it, just threw yourself into finding him. You are doing the same thing now. Shutting down and focusing on finding out who is responsible. You can't keep pushing down your emotions. I mean JT is a mess, but at least he is grieving."

Cat closes her eyes and digs deep for strength. Seeing JT in such pain, hurts and it's not hard to turn that into fake grief for Vincent. Feeling like a monster herself for lying to them she starts to cry.

"I can't do this right now….I am sorry, I just need some time alone. You're right I have to deal with this, but I have to do it, my way. I will be in touch, take care of JT….I just need some time alone."

She goes up to JT and hugs him. He blubbers unintelligently about missing his best friend. Walking out on them is one of the hardest things she has done. It's in their best interest, she keeps telling herself as she gets in her car and drives towards Vincent.

Vincent comes out onto the porch as Catherine pulls into the driveway. He can hear her heartbeat and sense the pain she is in. He hates himself in that moment. Hates the pain he is always causing the ones his loves. But that self-hatred doesn't last as Catherine gets out of the car, races up the steps and hurls herself into his arms. Holding her spreads a balm over the self-loathing. He buries his face in her neck, feeling her skin against his lips. He can't be that bad, if someone like her loves him, can he?

She is shaking, crying. Her guilt is eating at her. She holds tight to him, he is alive and safe and somehow, someway they will beat this. Here in his arms, she feels like everything is possible. Tess and JT will forgive them and they will get their happily ever after.