Chapter 14
The three friends had been flown in from Ohio, Florida and Texas - and housed in separate hotels, unaware of each other's presence so their testimonies couldn't be considered tainted by having conferred with each other. They were given the night to settle in before being questioned in the morning. None of them were told why they were there, other than it was a National Security matter and involved the Kingsley twins.
Strangely, the next morning each one (separately) walked in with the same question on their lips: ''What has Grant done?'' Of course, they weren't told who had done what – if anything – once again to keep their stories 'clean' and their testimonies 'pure' and 'untainted'. Their sworn testimonies, taken before they were sent to view the man in custody, were virtually as identical as the Kingsley twins.
Both had been smart beyond their years - brilliant, really - from a very young age. If forced to make a distinction, Graham was the more 'book smart' and fact-based of the two, while Grant was more focused on his latest 'project' and what it could do or mean for him, personally. As they all grew a little older, it became more obvious that something was 'off' about Grant. When he knocked a little girl down on the playground he never apologized (unless forced to, and then it was never sincere) but would step right over her as though she was a pebble in his path. Once they all reached high school together, Graham retreated into his books and studies with an eye toward the future while Grant was still focused on whatever was directly in front of him. As one friend put it, ''His wants and needs were the only ones that mattered. It was like he thought the rest of us had no feelings - or that we didn't exist in his world until he needed something from us.''
When the twins were sent to college, Graham chose to study in New York and the twins' parents chose Austria for Grant because they simply couldn't deal with him anymore. Graham had told their friends that his parents had tried every avenue available to get their son some help...and failed. The family was afraid that Grant might do something drastic to any or all of them, so the only choice left was to send him away.
Jaime's instincts, it seemed, were right on target. Two of the three friends said they could tell the difference between the twins by their eyes and the third said he could tell simply by looking. So one by one they were taken down to the holding cell to be 'reunited' with their old friend. They were instructed to take as much time as needed to tell who the man was – but not to call him by name. When they were ready, they could nod to Russ, be taken back upstairs - and then they would give their conclusions.
One by one, with each friend removed before the next one was sent in, they entered a small conference room where Oscar and Jack Hansen waited. All three gave the same conclusion: that was Graham Kingsley they were holding in that cell. Two of the three went so far as to speculate that if Graham had done anything wrong, he had probably killed his twin - either to stop him from harming himself...or those around him.
So the results were clear now, from Jaime's ID of the Drill Man in the attic and the man who'd tortured them in the park as being the same man, to the fingerprints on the devices and the fact that Michael's compound had made the story clearer - a story confirmed by three childhood friends who were all positive which twin was in that cell. Arrangements were made for Graham Kingsley to be released.
It was a clear, sunny afternoon, so Jaime and Steve decided to take a loaf of bread down to the pond and feed the ducks. ''I think I may have had a flashback yesterday too,'' Steve admitted as he watched Jaime tossing bread cubes to the bird.
''Oh? Are you okay?''
''Yeah. I heard the thunder and lightning and for just a few minutes it was like I was right there, with the bombs and gunshots going off all around us...''
Jaime wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed the back of his neck ''That must've been awful.''
''Yeah...but it didn't last long. I saw you there but instead of standing next to me, you were on the ground, huddled over and trying to avoid the bullets - so I dove on top of you. When I heard you cry out, it brought me right back to Planet Earth. I'd do anything to keep you safe – anything within my power. You...know that, right?''
Keeping her arms around his neck. Jaime moved from in back to in front of him and gave Steve her most radiant smile. ''There's no one in the world that I'd feel safer with,'' she told him, kissing him for emphasis. ''You know, we still have a wedding to plan! A date to set...who to invite...''
''I think I'll leave that sort of preparing to you, Sweetheart,'' Steve answered. ''All that matters to me is becoming Man and Wife. Everything else is icing on the cake - and this cake is pretty damn fine, all by itself!''
''You're thinking what I'm thinking...aren't you, Colonel?'' Jaime said with a mischievous grin.
Steve winked at her. ''We wouldn't dare...would we..?''