Chapter 14 – Father/Daughter Day
Etta insisted on acquiring a new vehicle. She talked Peter into ditching his rental which he'd used until then, not wanting to take any chances being tracked by Newton and Walternate.
Etta made a swift purchase of an unspectacular car at one of Noyo County's used car dealers, choosing an old but solid 99' Buick. She paid for with one of her credit cards, secure in the knowledge that it could not be traced back to either of them. Peter didn't say a word when she used one of her false aliases to complete the purchase.
New York was their destination. Peter decided he wanted to perform a DNA test on Etta, one he could verify himself and if the results were as she assured him they would be, then it would without doubt prove her claim that she was his daughter. The Big Apple was the obvious choice. A certain company had its headquarters there, with ample resources to perform whatever tests Peter may needed. Besides, the CEO of said company had proven to be a discrete and often useful asset in the past, he hoped he would be able to rely on her discretion and hospitality once again, upon their arrival.
Peter drove. He knew Etta had given him the choice to do so to make him feel more in control. She had told her story over the previous hours and also the reason why she was there. To be honest with himself, Peter shouldn't have been inclined to believe in such a bizarre narrative; Timeline resets, Observers invading, him vanishing from the timeline and being brought back by nothing more than his connection to Olivia, a machine capable of destroying worlds that could be powered only by him. It was all too surreal to believe in.
However the girl seemed to absolutely believe in it and she had told her story with such strength of conviction. Beside her crazy tale, his companion didn't appear to be delusional. Which made everything even stranger.
If the story wasn't true, even if the girl believed in it, what was the purpose behind it all? To lure him into doing something? If that were the case, why come up with such an odd tale? There were far more simple ways to force someone to do things they didn't want to.
But the possibility of the opposite, of her tale being true, was something Peter was having a hard time even considering. If that were the case, the implications of what he had learned from Etta were tremendous, for him personally and the future of mankind as a whole.
Add this to the fact that his biological father had shown up at his motel room, like Etta had predicted, which brought him right back to the painful memory he had been so intent on escaping, that of Walter's betrayal. And that simple fact only made things even more complicated and confusing.
Etta had attempted to explain the reasons behind Walter's actions, but Peter didn't know what to believe any longer. The only thing he knew for sure was that, no matter what discoveries lay ahead, he wasn't ready to forgive the old man yet.
Even running away hadn't worked out as successfully as it used to. It had been something he had previously excelled at; picking up at a moment's notice and just disappearing. But that all changed on the day he met Olivia for the first time, in that hotel lobby in Baghdad.
The mess his life had become was now developing a knack for catching up with him with a vengeance, not to mention bewildering stealth.
He was consumed with the urge to run once more, to leave all of this behind. It was eating him from the inside.
Only one thing was keeping him on this current course; Etta's account of Olivia's ordeal on the Other Side, a fate she insisted he would seal if he allowed himself to take the easiest option out and go with his biological father to the Other Side.
As hurt as he was when it came to Olivia - because she knew the truth about his true origins and opted to hide it from him - the cheer possibility that she would go through hell and back, while he would be playing house for two months with her counterpart in unforgivable ignorance, had been enough to seal his decision. He had to at least verify Etta's tale no matter how quaint it seemed, before deciding his next move.
Peter threw the occasional glance towards the young woman. She leant her head against the window in silence, eyes fixated beyond the dark pane, though it was obvious she wasn't watching the passing landscape. Not that there was much to be seen at that time of the night, not while driving on a secondary road cut through thick forest.
The occasional vehicle passing by would flood the inside of their car with light, giving Peter a chance to better examine the young girl's features. He had to admit that she had a resemblance to Olivia. And it wasn't only because of her long blond hair that framed her beautiful face; the same way Olivia's would on the rare occasion when she let her hair down. It was in her lips and nose; the way she wrinkled it when she spoke. The pleading look, almost desperate, she had given him back in the motel reminded him so much his first meeting with Olivia.
The resemblance was uncanny. So much that the feeling of logging for the blonde FBI Agent he had been trying to bury deep inside of him because of her betrayal, resurfaced with full force.
Olivia almost always wore her hair pulled back into a ponytail, but Peter recalled each of the few times she had let her hair down. God, she was beautiful. The memory of them chasing after a lead in a Cambridge bar, for one of their earlier cases crossed his mind. It had been the first time he had seen Olivia laugh in such a carefree manner, after he had shown her one of his silly card tricks. In retrospect, maybe it had been that day that things started shifting from friendship to something else, at least for him. Seeing her happy and feeling that he was the reason behind that happiness, had triggered something in him that he simply hadn't been ready to admit back then. But that was in the past, and remembering it only added to his anguish.
Since leaving Boston, Peter had tried very hard to put all that behind him; his feelings for Olivia as well as hers and Walter's betrayal.
But then Etta had showed up and his life had taken another erratic turn.
Peter glanced once more at the young woman. She had a look of such sorrow on her face. Or maybe of longing if Peter were to put his finger on it. If she was telling the truth, then Peter couldn't even begin to imagine how it would feel; leaving everything and everyone she loved behind, never to see them again.
Or maybe he did know.
"I'm going to stop at the next motel we find. I really need to rest after everything that happened today. I think you need a rest too," Peter said giving Etta a gentle smile.
Etta looked back at him returning his smile. "Okay," she turned to the window once more, seemingly that single word as much conversation as she could entertain at the moment.
As much for his own piece of mind as for her, Peter decided to try to lighten the mood. "Those two bags you brought with you, I presume they're from the future also?"
Etta turned to Peter once again and confirmed with only a, "Yes."
"So anything interesting you got there, like a death-ray or a laser gun?"
Etta chuckled and shook her head. "No, nothing like that. Besides the piece of the wave sink machine I told you about, I also have a few devices that could be helpful to my mission. Plus identification; drivers licenses, credit cards and show me cards."
"Show me cards?" Peter frowned.
"It's the ID system they use on the Other Side," she gave a nonchalant shrug, "I brought them with me in case of the eventuality of having to cross over."
Peter was baffled by what Etta said. "And how would you do that?"
She gave another slight shrug, just the raising of her left shoulder. "I have the ability to do so. A talent I inherited from my mother."
Peter stared at her. "Olivia fell into a coma when she crossed over. Isn't that dangerous?"
"Not if you know how to do it correctly. Donald - the Observer I told you about - taught me how to. I can crossover without harm to myself or the people I bring along with me. It's demanding physically, but nothing that I can't handle."
Peter remained silent, the implications of what Etta had just revealed slowly dawning on him. "You said that you inherited from your mother, does it mean you also have Cortexiphan in your system?"
"Yes. According to the tests Donald preformed, my body produces it naturally."
Peter eyes widened. Even knowing that everything the young girl was telling him could be a lie, the sheer possibility that Olivia's offspring could be affected by the Cortexiphan she had in her system, because of Walter's trials, made him feel sick in the stomach.
"So any child Olivia conceives will be affected by the drug," he said more than he asked. "Damned you Walter," he muttered clenching his jaw and gripping the steering wheel harder.
Etta looked at him a bit surprised by his reaction. "I don't know if that's correct. According to Aunt Astrid and Donald, when I was conceived, my mother was being dosed by William Bell with massive doses of Cortexiphan without her knowledge," Etta inclined her head towards him. "It was not Walter's fault."
Peter kept his eyes on the road, but his anger was simmering once more. "Of course not, because conducting trails on Olivia when she was a child has nothing to do with that. It was perfectly okay," he said with a sneering tone. "Not to mention abducting a child from another reality. The man is a saint."
Etta stared at him, a sharp look on her face. "What Walter did to my mother when she was a child was inexcusable. But still, she forgave him. So it's not up to us to judge him for that," she said in a familiarly serious tone, "and as I told you before, he didn't have any intention of abducting you, he crossed over to save you, which he did. If Walter hadn't done that, you would have died. And you know what? I'm glad, because if he hadn't, I wouldn't be here," she shook her head. "I'm the child of parents from different realities. I'm a statistical impossibility, I shouldn't exist. But I do. Because Walter brought you over from the other side and he did that because he couldn't stand to see his son die all over again."
Etta, fixed him with an unwavering stare, hot with defiance. Peter couldn't help but feel the burn of it. He turned his attention back to the road, his attempt at lighten the mood had worked like a charm.
After that they remained silent, each focused on their own thoughts. Twenty minutes passed before they reached a small town. A billboard advertised a motel just beyond the town limits sign. Peter turned the car to the parking lot and they made their way to the reception. They booked two rooms and returned to the car to grab Etta's bags. "Let me help you with that," Peter said grabbing the duffel.
"Thanks," Etta threw the backpack over her shoulder. They walked towards their rooms in silence. "105, I guess this is mine," she said stopping at the door to her room and mustering a tired smile.
"Mine must be further ahead," Peter glanced at his key, the number 117 written on it. He set the duffel on the ground while Etta opened the door. "Good night Etta, sleep well."
"Night…" Etta hesitated briefly, allowing her eyes to slip closed on a lengthened blink, shutting them against the awkwardness of the moment. She wanted to call him dad, but she also understood his struggle and sense of discomfort with all of this. She finished simply with, "Peter."
They stared at each other a bit awkwardly for a few seconds. Peter was about to turn when Etta reached for his arm. "I'm sorry I snapped at you about Walter. You have every right to be mad at him."
Peter gave a slight nod and smiled, "It's okay, Etta. Forget about it."
She maintained the light grip on his arm. She looked down for a few seconds, then she raised her head and met his eyes, "Sometimes people do very stupid things to protect the ones they love. But they do it out of love, not with the intention of harming anyone or because they are bad people."
Peter swallowed heavily and gave another small nod, their cool blue eyes remained locked until she released his arm. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said turning towards her room.
"Night Etta," Peter offered with a wave. She turned back to offer one last smile, then closed the door behind her.
Peter stood rooted to the spot, still looking at the door. The young girl had made quite the impression on him in only a few hours. The idea that she could really be his daughter, still scared him, but he would be lying if he said the thought didn't excite him at the same time. The implications were tremendous. He and Olivia would have a daughter together.
That was one more thing he was going to have to deal with. But for the time being he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. But he might well have to worry about it once they reached New York and preformed the tests.
Peter turned and set off to find his room. He really needed a rest, it had been a very long day.
Etta lay on the bed looking at the ceiling. She had been like that for the past hour, sleep was nowhere to be found. Finally giving up she grabbed her jacket and went outside. Everything was quiet and still, everyone seemed to be asleep.
The motel consisted of three single floor buildings, all facing each other forming a U shape around the parking lot. Her room was in the central building, not far from one of the corners.
She walked to her left, back towards reception. The space between the buildings formed a passageway leading towards the back of the motel, which she had noticed earlier. She turned and walked along it. A few feet ahead of her was a wooden fence separating the motel from a glade and farther ahead lay the vastness of a cedar and pine forest.
Etta sat on the motel's manicured grass with her back against the fence looking up at the sky, bright with stars. Even with a full moon, she couldn't remembered ever seeing so many stars. It was quite beautiful the sight before her. Back in her world it was impossible to witness such a wonderful sky. Even during her stay on the Other Side, she had spent most of her time in Boston and New York, the city lights prevented observation of the stars in their full majesty, not as she was witnessing at that moment.
Etta's thoughts shifted to Eddie and Astrid, wondering what they would be doing. She thought about Donald. Had he made it back to Boston and had Walter managed to help him? She would never know. Etta lost track of time, immersed in her thoughts.
Her stomach grumbled in complaint of being neglected once more, effectively pulling her from her reverie. She should be heading back to her room and on the way she should try to get something to eat. Earlier she had noticed a vending machine, not far from the reception. She decided to make a stop there before going to bed.
Reaching the machine, Etta noticed it was an older model than the one she had used just a few hours ago. No credit cards allowed, only currency, of which she had none.
Etta huffed frustrated and decided to try something she had seen Lincoln do back at Fringe Headquarters on the Other Side. She kicked the machine and gave it a thump on one side. Nothing came out. She tried it again several times, until she decided that it would be better to stop before waking up all the guests in the motel. Etta silently walked away. First thing in the morning, she was going to ask Peter to help her withdraw money from an ATM.
Heading back towards her room, something caught her attention in the motel's parking lot. A navy-blue sedan, just like the one that had been parked near Peter's vehicle back in Noyo County. She checked the license plate as she drew nearer, it matched. This was definitely the same car.
Etta had stopped believing in coincidences a long time ago. All her senses leapt to full alert, the same way they did when on a mission with the Resistance. Etta cursed herself for leaving her gun back in her room, she could not afford to let her guard down just because there were no more Loyalists or Observers walking around. She would not make the same mistake again.
She quickly moved to her room to grab her weapon. After checking the clip and chambering the first round, she dropped it into her holster. She didn't want to raise any alarms by walking around with a gun in her hand, even if her gut was telling her that something was off.
Just as she was leaving her room, intending to check on Peter, a voice sounded from her left side, "Not so fast, young lady."
She turned towards the voice, finding a man standing behind the gun currently levelled at her face. The same man who had broken into Peter's room earlier, at the Northwest Passage motel.
"Don't even think of going for your gun," Newton warned. "Put your hands behind your head and get inside. Slowly."
Etta did as he said. If he wanted her dead he would have done it by them. "You must be Newton," she said walking back inside.
He tilted his head slightly, an expression of mild surprise effecting his features. Newton gave her an amused smile. "I see that my reputation precedes me."
Etta turned around, looking at him impassive, working hard to keep her expression neutral. "I'm curious, I've never seen a shapeshifter bleed. I've been told that it's quite interesting."
Newton closed the door and took a step towards Etta. "You're still alive because the Secretary is also curious. We have no idea who you are, there is no record of you. He wants to know how you managed to get to his son before us when no one else on this side would have known, let alone been able to do it."
"I'd be happy to tell him that myself. I presume he is in Peter's room."
"You will, but only after we get to our side. Now, stand perfectly still." He took a step closer.
Etta knew she had to act now, before Newton took her weapon. "Oh, you're planning on taking us to your universe? Let me save you the trouble." With that she focused on the light bulb on the ceiling, forcing it, making it explode. As the room was plunged into sudden darkness Newton fired his gun.
Etta crossed over instantaneously, before the bullet could reach her.
On the Other Side, the same room was occupied by a large man in his late forties. He was laying on the bed, wearing only a shirt. He was stroking himself while watching an adult movie. The man was startled by the sudden appearance of the young woman. "What the...!?" he stammered.
"Stay still," Etta said to the man and pulled her gun out.
"Oh shit!" the man's eyes bulged wide at the sight of the weapon. "Did my wife send you? I swear I'm just doing this because I miss her terribly! I was thinking about her! I swear!"
Etta ignored the man and quickly positioned herself in a location that she expected would give her a clear vantage point of Newton once she ported back to her side.
She disappeared, leaving the stunned man staring at the spot where she had been a fraction of a second before, his mouth opened wide in disbelief. "No more masturbating for you mister!" He said to himself while gathering his clothes and getting out of the room as fast as he could.
In the blink of an eye, Etta found herself back in her room. Still immersed in almost total darkness, the dim light coming from the outside not enough to give a clear picture of her surroundings. Etta focused on the frequency responsible for the glimmer emitted by objects and persons from the Alternate Universe, as Donald had taught her. The aura around Newton lit him up like a Christmas tree. Etta smiled.
His back to her, the shapeshifter remained totally unaware of her presence. Etta squeezed off three shots, taking out both his knees and his right shoulder. Newton dropped to the floor, unable to stand. His gun slipped from his hand, unable to hold it.
Etta quickly kicked the weapon out of Newton's reach, then went to the night stand flicking the lamp on. Then she retreated keeping a cautious distance between them.
"You are able to keep track of Peter himself." She said, more a realization than a question. She kept her gun pointed at Newton's head.
The shapeshifter gave her a wry smile. "The Secretary has been tracking his son for quite some time."
"Of course he has."
"You can kill me. It won't make the slightest difference, I'm just a soldi..."
Etta fired before Newton could finish his sentence, one shot right between his eyes. "Yeah right, save me the speech." She reached for the door and headed out into the night.
Peter was woken from his slumber by a knock at the door. He got up wondering what Etta could want at that time of night. Sleep robbing him of caution, he opened the door and found himself taken aback by the man who stood in front of him. An exact replica of Walter. But then again, not quite.
This one was impeccably attired in a very expensive dark suit, something Peter knew this universes' Walter would never wear in a million years.
The man in front of him also transpired an air of authority that was almost intimidating. The perfect opposite of the Walter Peter had shared a home and worked with the last two years.
There was no need for introductions, he knew exactly whom this man was.
"Hello son," Walternate gave a slight smile. For the first time in a long while, Peter found himself at a loss for words. "Can I come in?" Peter stared dumbstruck at his biological father.
The man whom, if he was to believe the young girl that was sleeping in a room not so very far away, he should be wary of. But then again this was his real father, the one he had been stolen from as a child. Of everything that had happened that day, of all the things he had heard, this was the only thing he was certain of.
Peter nodded and gestured for Walternate to come inside. "What can I do for you?" Peter asked closing the door.
"I'm here to take you back home son," the older man said still grinning, but the smile hardly reached his eyes, which Peter found most disconcerting.
"If that is your wish of course," Walternate elaborated.
"You're giving me a choice, then?" Peter replied.
"Certainly. I would never dream of forcing you into anything. But I would really like you to come back with me. It would make your mother and myself very happy."
Peter's eyes widened. He hadn't given any thought about the possibility of his biological mother being alive.
"I know your... adoptive mother died a long time ago. I'm sorry for that, I know she had no part in your abduction. But your mother is still alive Peter, and she is so looking forward to meeting you."
Peter sat down on the bed. The possibility of meeting his mother made his heart flutter. But Etta's words kept nagging him and his gut feeling agreed that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
Walternate sat by his side, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I went to great lengths to finally get to you son. I never gave up on finding you."
His father's words made something click in Peter's brain. He turned to Walternate looking him in the eyes. "Newton is with you."
"What?"
"The shapeshifters, you were the one who sent them."
Walternate stared back at Peter, the hint of his smile still lingering, but the eyes were cold. "As I said, I had to go to great lengths to get to you."
No denial. Everything Etta had told him about the shapeshifters was true. Peter felt his insides twist. "And that involves killing innocent people? One of those things... killed a friend of mine, a man who had no part in my kidnapping. Not to mention all the others, they had nothing to do with this mess. For what? To get to me? Why not just use one of those things to contact me? There was no need to kill anyone."
"I'm sorry about your friend Peter, but this is not just about you. Since that man crossed over for the first time, to kidnap you, our side began experiencing destructive events. Vortices opened threatening to tear the very fabric of our universe. Millions of people on our side have died because of him. Entire city blocks are encased in Amber, our last, our only way to contain the vortices. And all of it was triggered by the actions of people on this side."
"So you've decided that payback is in order."
"We have to defend ourselves." Walter said, a note of incredulity creeping into his voice.
Peter gave a wry smile. "That's why you want me to go with you. You need me to activate the machine to destroy this side." And there it was. Walternate flinched; a micro expression visible for only a fraction of a second. He quickly tried to mask it with his faked smile. But it was enough for Peter. Once again, Etta was right.
Peter felt sick to his stomach. What his Walter had done was nothing compared to what this man was apparently capable of.
Olivia. His mind drifted to the blond agent. Etta had been right about his father. That also meant that what she had told him about what would happen to Olivia if he crossed over was true.
He absolutely wouldn't go with his biological father to the Alternate Universe. He could not put Olivia in danger. Peter felt a sudden urge to go back to Boston to see her again, to make sure she was okay.
The older man stood abruptly, bringing Peter back to the situation at hand. "I'm sorry you see things that way son. I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this," Walternate went for his jacket pocket, pulling out a small gun which he pointed it at Peter.
"What..." was all that Peter was able to say before Walternate shot him. Peter looked at his leg astonished, a small dart embedded into the flesh of his left thigh.
Three shots rang out, fairly close by, definitely somewhere within the motel complex. "Etta..." Peter tried hard to stay awake, "what have you..." he managed before the effects of the drug took hold and he slowly slumped onto the bed where he'd been sitting, fully unconscious.
Walternate grabbed Peter by the armpits, lifting him up and keeping him close to his body, supporting his weight in his embrace. He reached for the other pocket taking out a small device.
Another shot rang out. Walternate knew Newton used a suppressor on his weapon, those shots hadn't been fired by him. He had to move quickly.
He pressed a few buttons and in seconds white light enveloped the room. When the light dissipated, both men had disappeared.
Etta ran as fast as she could. By now, several guests had been roused from their beds and had come outside unable to suppress their curiosity having heard gunshots. Newton's had a silencer. She cursed for not using one herself. It was then that she realized she was running past everybody with a firearm in hand. "She's got a gun!" Etta heard someone shout.
'Damn it,' she thought, but this was no time to worry about being so overtly conspicuous.
She approached Peter's room, caution thrown to the wind. Just as she was about to kick the door open, a bright light flashed through the room's window.
"Shit!" Etta spat. She froze watching as the light died away much more gradually than it had appeared. A wave of adrenaline coursed through her body, driving her into action. Etta kicked the door open. As she had expected the room was now empty. Out of habit she checked the bathroom and again, there was no one there. She focused and crossed over once again to the Other Side. The room in the Alternate Universe was dark. She reached for the light switch, flicking it on she saw that the room was vacant, it was clear that no one had been there. She went for the door and found it locked. She fumbled with the latch mechanism, unlocked it and ran towards the parking lot in front of the motel.
A few cars were parked there, but she could see nothing moving, everything was silent. She ran towards the road and looked in both directions. There was nothing. No vehicles and no people. Absolutely no sign of Peter.
'No, no, no!'
Etta knelt on the floor and ran her hands through her hair. She knew what had happened. Walternate had successfully crossed with Peter over to his home universe. She remembered what Donald had taught her; that the Other Side's technology not only allowed them to cross between dimensions, but also to simultaneously travel through space. They must have crossed over directly to the DoD headquarters on Liberty Island, New York. Thousands of miles now separated them.
It remained to be seen, however, if Peter had gone willingly.
Donald and Astrid had warned her that Walternate was a very resourceful and driven man. He would not give up until he had Peter with him, to enable him to achieve his goals. The man would take Peter with him no matter what circumstances faced him and he would be more than willing to use force if necessary.
Etta was sure she had got through to Peter. At the very least, placed doubts in his mind about his biological father's intentions. If that didn't do it, she felt certain that the things she had told him that would happen to Olivia if he crossed, would ensure that he wouldn't take that risk. Therefore, there was a possibility that Walternate had taken Peter against his will.
Etta wondered if Olivia would still cross over to the Other Side to get Peter back, and if that would still lead to her capture and the switch with her alternate. Etta's presence in the erased timeline had already slightly changed the chain of events. There was no telling of what could happen next.
She knew that there was only one thing left to do. She had to figure out a way to get Peter back as soon as possible and to make sure Olivia wouldn't go after him.
Etta got up and went once more to the equivalent of her room on that side. She hoped the horny guy would be asleep, or perhaps not there at all after the stunt she'd had pulled a few moments ago. She reached for the door and found it unlocked, the room was now vacant. She closed the door and crossed over again to her home Universe. It was the fifth crossing she'd performed that day and it was starting to take a toll on her body. She had to sit down on her bed, exhaustion taking over.
Etta heard a babble of voices coming from the outside, blue and red lights flashing through the window. She made an effort to get up, almost tripping over Newton's body that was laying on the ground, a pool of liquid mercury still forming around the shapeshifter's head.
Etta peeked through the window. Two vehicles with bars of flashing blue and red lights on the rooves were parked just in front of the reception. A group of people had gathered around the entrance to Peter's room. Among them, four uniformed men, no doubt law-enforcement agents, were talking with the clerk who had checked them in.
Etta looked back at Newton's body. That was going to be hard to explain.
She quickly grabbed her duffel bag and backpack and quietly got out of the room. At pains to act as casually as she could, she approached her car. She made it without attracting attention, unlocking the door and throwing her luggage to the backseat.
"Hey, that's her!" she heard someone shout. All eyes turned to Etta. Without hesitation, she slid into the driver's seat and drove off as fast as she could. She turned right leaving the motel and the small town behind her.
The two law-enforcement vehicles soon came in pursuit. The road leading in and out of town didn't leave many options open to Etta, with sweeping bends curving right then left, always with dense forest on both sides. She had no choice but to keep going.
She finally reached a section of the road that extended in a straight line for a few miles. The light of the full moon gave her mild visibility and the chance to spot possible intersections, where she hoped to turn to try to shake her pursuers. The few she had come across were narrow tracks, and had been easy to miss due to the sinuous route.
Etta spotted an intersection ahead. She made a sudden left turn when she reached it. She prayed that there would be another intersection available before the lawmen would be on her tail.
No such luck.
Etta kept driving fast, manically looking for an escape. She spotted what appeared to be a crossroad ahead of her and turned left again. Immediately after, the road made a sharp turn to the right. Etta had to apply all her driving skills to prevent the car from skidding from the road. After the turn, another intersection. This was all that she needed to shake of her tail. She turned the car again to the left, taking the new road.
But luck wanted nothing with her that night. Soon after, she heard the sirens and saw the lights of a chasing police vehicle. At least it appeared that just one of them had made it. She kept her attention on the road, only one more pursuer to shake.
Etta drove a few miles not encountering any other intersections or crossroads, until up ahead she was confronted with a sight that made her blood run cold. Another police vehicle stood straddling the lanes, blocking the road. She had fallen into a trap. With forest on both sides of the road there was no escape.
But then again, maybe there was.
The two deputies blocking the road had their guns directed toward the escaping vehicle. It was approaching them without any hint of slowing down. They adjusted their stances, making ready to fire.
They were about to, when something happened that seemed have to come out of a sci-fi movie. The car disappeared in front of their eyes.
The other police vehicle arrived soon after. The four officers gathered around the spot where Etta's car had been only a few moments before. They looked at each other. They stood silent without comprehending what had just happened in front of their eyes. Deputy McNichol was the first to speak. "What the fuck are we going to write on the report?"
The youngest of them all, Deputy Stevens replied to his colleague "We could say that we were chasing a DeLorean and that it went back to the future."
Walternate blinked rapidly, trying to gather his bearings. His strange perspective of the room told him he was flat on his back and the discomfort suggested he was currently laying on a gurney. He slowly and cautiously looked around, confirming they had successfully crossed over to their destination, and were now at the DoD Headquarters on Liberty Island.
Walternate tried to get up, but the moment he lifted his head, he felt that his insides where about to come out through his mouth. Another sign that they had indeed crossed over to his universe.
"Sir, please you have to remain still," Brandon pleaded, trying to keep the Secretary on his gurney. "You're very week from the crossings."
"You'll attend to me later, Brandon. There are more pressing matters I must take care of immediately." Walternate took a few seconds, breathing deeply to prepare and steady himself, completely ignoring Brandon's protests, he got himself up. Stumbling slightly he leant on his IV stand which he wheeled along with him, immediately making for the gurney where Peter lay, unmoving and still unconscious.
"Wake him up," Walternate ordered the technician just as he finished adjusting the medication in Peter's IV.
"But Sir, that's dangerous..."
"I'm not asking your opinion, I'm ordering you," Walternate interrupted the assistant, leaving no space for further questioning.
The technician exchanged looks with Brandon, who nodded, encouraging him to obey the Secretary. The young man inserted a syringe in Peter's IV. Walternate observed as the liquid made his way through the tube that connected the IV to Peter's arm. "Now give him 10ccs of bimiopental hydrochloride" the Secretary ordered.
The assistant exchanged looks once again with Brandon, but went to get the drug without further comment. He took out a second syringe from the medicine cabinet, drew the requested dose of the drug and flushed it into the IV.
"Leave us," Walternate ordered the assistant. The young man did so at a hurried pace, closing the door behind him.
Brandon stepped closer to Walternate. "Sir, why the need for an obedience drug?"
"I had to bring Peter back unwillingly. He knows about the machine and what we intend to do with it."
"But... that's impossible!"
"Apparently not. We may have an infiltrated agent in our midst. It is of the utmost importance that we learn immediately what the other side knows about our plans and how they learned about it."
At that moment Peter moaned. His eyes fluttered, then opened and he jolted, trying to sit up. Walternate put a hand on his shoulder, making him stay on the gurney.
"Where... where am I?"
"Lay down Son, you need to rest."
"Walter?" Peter stared at the Secretary, blinking several times and squinting his eyes, trying to focus, then in slurred speech he asked, "Where are we?"
"It's not important." Walternate gently patted Peter's shoulder. He knew his son was confused and probably thinking he was speaking with the other Walter. "Tell me son what do you know about the machine?"
"What machine?"
"The machine your biological father is assembling."
"Oh, that machine," Peter said with a sleepy sigh. "Only what Etta told me."
"Who is Etta?"
"My daughter," Peter let out a chuckle.
Walternate and Brandon exchange looks. "These are not the ideal conditions to administer the obedience drug Sir," Brandon whispered. "In combination with the medicine he already received to treat the side effects of crossing over, it's impossible to know if what he is saying is really the truth or if he's simply delusional due to chemical psychosis."
Ignoring him Walternate turned back to Peter and pressed on with his questioning, "What did she tell you about the machine?"
"She told me that my biological father needs me to power it up so he can destroy our side. He is a bad person and not to be trusted." Peter made a disgusted face and waved his index finger in front of him, as if to ward away the spectre of the man he was speaking of.
The Secretary clenched his jaw incensed. "Did Etta say how she knows all of this?"
"Yes. She's from the future. For her, this already happened. Crazy isn't it?" Peter chuckled again. "She seems a nice girl though, guess I'll do a decent job raising her." He gave a goofy grin.
Once again Walternate looked at Brandon who shrugged his shoulders.
Just as the Secretary was about to speak again, a sharp pain struck to the left side of his forehead making him grimace. The pain made him feel nauseous. He bent over supporting himself in Peter's gurney trying hard not to vomit.
"Sir you need to return to your gurney immediately. I have to administer the treatment."
Walternate raised his hand halting Brandon. He took a few deep breaths and raised himself upright, once again he turned to Peter. "Son, who else knows about the machine?"
Peter closed his eyes and grimaced. "Walter I'm tired, let me go to sleep."
"Of course son, just a few more questions, then you can sleep." Walternate said trying hard to control his voice against his own discomfort and irritation. "Now tell me if anyone else knows about the machine?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"I think so, Etta's been with me since she arrived this afternoon. She hasn't talked with anyone else."
"So you only learned about the machine and your biological father's intentions this afternoon through Etta?"
"Yes."
"Very good Son. You can sleep now."
"Thanks Walter." Peter turned his head to the side and closed his eyes once again. Within a few seconds he was unconscious.
The Secretary turned to Brandon, "Give Peter 5ccs of driloxidhe and 2.5ccs of eliothynol then suspend all other treatment for six hours."
"Sir you want him to lose his recent memories? Doing that while in treatment and after taking an obedience drug is..."
"That's why you have to wait for six hours," Walternate said issuing Brandon with a stern look. Having to explain is actions to his subordinates was something he was never fond of, and now his patience was at its very limits. "Monitor him closely during that time. If his vitals remain stable, you can resume his treatment after the six hour period is over. However, you are to resume treatment immediately if he shows any signs of distressed vitals."
Brandon nodded his assent, "Yes, Sir. Now please, I will take care of everything as soon as I have administered your treatment."
"In a moment. There's one more thing I need you to do."
Brandon nodded.
"Contact our agents on the Other Side immediately after you finish here. I'm afraid Newton has been compromised or eliminated. They are to look for the young blond girl in her early twenties who was travelling with my son. Her name his Etta, possibly short for Henrietta, and she is to be considered very dangerous. Detain her at all costs, but I need her alive".
"Yes Sir." Brandon nodded once again, relieved to see that at last, the secretary moved back to his gurney. Brandon prepared the treatment while the Secretary slumped heavily into the mattress, giving into his exhaustion, only now that he'd set his agenda in motion.
After finishing administering the necessary drugs, Brandon went to the medicine cabinet and retrieved the drugs his boss ordered for his son. He pumped them into Peter's IV. "You're in for the surprise of your life when you wake up, pal." Then his mouth formed a malicious smile and he added, "If you wake up at all."
A/N Here it is, the second chapter of the second part. If you found it a bit confusing just drop me a pm or a review.
I'll be glad to clarify any doubts.
Once again it wouldn't have been possible without Crys. Thanks for all your improvements mate.
I have a feeling this season will be the one for LFC, you'll see :)
Hope everyone enjoys it!