Author's Note: Here is the next chapter. Work started back up after the holidays and I been busy with other things. Also, this been a hard chapter to write. Maybe because I thought this chapter to be a filler. Maybe because of some elements, like the ending, were difficult because I didn't know how I would have Robert and Gabe properly introduce each other.
Anyways, enjoy! I hope you like the Disney reference I wrote in!
Last Time on "Indomitable Hope"
I suggest you leave right this moment or I WILL shred you to pieces."
Fear and defeat crept into Gabe's eyes. "I guess you win, Tori. I will leave at once. But, mark my words, I will find out what you and your dad are up to and see if it's obstructing the peace of New York City." Gabe turned around and exited the same way he entered.
Gabe walked out of the manor in the same way of how he entered. Once outside, Gabe spotted Tess and her partner near the water fountain. He noticed that Luke was walking particularly funny, perhaps he was injured?
As soon as he saw Luke's condition, Gabe wasted no time as he started to jog towards the pair. "What happened?" he asked in a voice that permeated with concern. He put his arm around Luke's shoulder to help support the other detective better as Gabe's black eyes stared back into the woman's hazel eyes, waiting impatiently for her answer.
Tess looked at him and whispered back loudly, "Well, you should have told me that Mr. Windsor has the abilities to transform into a beast. He has a temper that you don't want to mess with as this unlucky fellow found out."
Gabe mouthed "Oh, I see" as he directed his eyes back on his injured comrade. He wondered how he was doing; if there were any problems. Gabe glanced at his eyes and asked: "Detective Conrad, are you ok?"
The salt-and-pepper hair detective nodded as Gabe lead him to sit down on the ledge of the water fountain. The younger man looked back at the woman as he began to direct her on what they were going to do next. "Ok, good. Tess, I need you to stay with him as I am going to quickly fetch the car. Hopefully, none of the Windsors will come out and harass us anymore today. I will be right back in a few minutes. Stay here."
Gabe ran towards the site where his car was, leaving the other two detectives to stay put for a while.
"So, what exactly happened?"
The black-haired ADA questioned as he placed his forehead on the cool glass window in front of him. Peering through, Gabe looked at the unconscious senior detective lying in a simple bed with white linens in the middle of the hospital room. What could have possibly happened between Conrad and Windsor? Didn't he warn them thoroughly about how to conduct a proper interview with the billionaire?
"Well..." The tall brunette started off with uncertainty vibrating throughout her voice. She didn't know how to put what happened at the Windsor Manor in words that would please Gabe. After a few seconds of trying to find the right words, her unsure hazel eyes met with his defiant black ones.
"We were sticking to your rules questioning Mr. Windsor about the incident. However, your buddy over there decided to go beyond protocol and started to question Windsor about his past. Windsor didn't like Luke's relentless prodding very well and transformed when he got very irritated. Luke, being the stubborn and hard-headed person as he is, didn't back down and Windsor swiped his claws at Luke's side. Aaaand, that is how we ended up here."
Gabe exhaled deeply at the detective's story. This investigate was getting out of control now. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to deal with this anymore. At least, he didn't want to figure it out in the most humane way. He unceasingly wished that he still had his beast-like abilities. He could solve these problems easily if he had them. However, he didn't sadly. It got him down and out about the situation.
He sighed while thinking about the events with Catherine, Luke, and others in the last 24 hours. Maybe it would be wise to take a break from this mess temporarily. Acting on that resolution, the black-haired ADA slowly walked away from the window in a sober motion, looking at the injured male detective for the last time. Gabe then slowly turned his eyes to the tall, brown-haired woman who was looking down at her phone to see if she got any more updates from the office. Maybe he could escape from Luke's room and head towards Catherine's? It has been a while since he since last saw her.
"Hey Tess, I am going to take a short stroll. Just call me if something comes up." He gave her a small wave with his right hand to confirm his plan. The brunette looked up and waved back to give Gabe the a-ok.
The middle-aged ADA strolled the near empty hallways, half-heartedly paying attention to his surroundings. His mind was somewhere else as he thought back to the accident with Luke Conrad, the brave yet un-ruling detective. The ADA then shifted his thoughts to another detective, Catherine Chandler, and her mysterious ordeal. All these thoughts about Luke's and Catherine's accidents led back to one person; Vincent Keller.
Gabe couldn't shake away the vivid memories of what he saw in the basement lab at Windsor's manor. The ADA was positively sure that the man he saw by Tori's side was the same person who Catherine was searching for. However, there were a lot of questions surrounding around what saw. How did this "Vincent" ended up there? What was his connection with Tori Winsor? Did Tori have any ulterior motives that would somehow involve Vincent?
The middle-aged agent of the law stopped in front of a glass window. The other issue at hand was resting well behind the glass pane. How should he tell Catherine that he ran into her former lover? Could he even possibly truthfully tell her what he saw? The black-haired fellow feared at the thought of seeing her reaction when he would tell her what he really saw. Maybe it was best to not tell her. He didn't want to hurt her further with any more heartache. That would break Gabe's heart.
The suave ADA peered through the window and saw that Catherine was asleep soundly on the hospital bed. However, Gabe saw that she wasn't alone as there was an older man with salt-and-pepper hair standing beside her bedside. The ADA didn't have the slightest clue to who this peculiar fellow might be. The guy standing beside Catherine didn't look like somebody from the force, Gabe reckoned silently. Was this guy related to Catherine? Perhaps, maybe he was someone of a threat to her?
What should he do?
Gabe noticed that the perplexing stranger was heading towards the door. It was the perfect chance to corner him and get the truth out between this stranger and Catherine. As soon as the ADA saw that the man was trying to make his exit from the room, Gabe rushed towards the door. Their eyes met instantly when Gabe opened the door at the same time as the visitor placed his hand on the same metal knob.
"Pardon me," Gabe started as he gazed at the dark blue eyes in front of him, "I may be too blunt but, who are you?"
The other man began to speak in an annoyed tone. "It's none of your business. If you excuse me. I have to go." And on cue, the older man tilted his head to the right quickly to indicate that he wanted this irritating ADA to move out of his way.
"'It's none of my business?' What is up with that? Well excuse me but this is my damn business. The patient is a close colleague of mine. She was under my guidance when she was investigating a crime for me. She is my responsibility. As for you, I am going to ask again, who are you? Are you with the NYPD? The government?"
Gabe moved closer to the guy while maintaining his guard of the only door in the room. The younger man examined the other man's features firmly. Those blue eyes, firm mouth, a broad nose, and his pale skin. Gabe swore he saw the face before him once upon a time ago. But, where? When? How? Why? These questions raced throughout his mind as he tried to figure out this stranger's identity. Then something suddenly dawned on him...
'A-ha. I finally figure out who you are. You are... you are..." Gabe stumbled a little bit with his revelation. It was very tough to piece together a long forgotten puzzle from his childhood. "You are Robert Reynolds! I remember when you used to be in Muirfield. What the hell are you doing here?"
"Brilliant deduction, ADA Gabe Lowen. Though, I wouldn't doubt that you of all people would ever forget me. Especially when I was very instrumental in the development of you as Muirfield's project. Nevertheless. I am not here for the chitter chatter about the past. I am only here as I heard about Ms. Chandler's unfortunate encounter with what you call a beast-like creature recently. I need to report on her condition and the facts about the attack to the higher-ups in my organization, the FBI." At the last spoken word, Reynolds took out his credentials from his left breast pocket on his long, black overcoat and flashed it at Gabe.
"How did a corrupt organization like Muirfield get you a position inside the FBI?" Gabe questioned annoyingly as he accepted that the badge in Reynold's hand was indeed an authentic one.
Reynolds replied with a tone that was mixed with arrogance and sarcasm "It's a long tale that we both don't have all the time in the world for. But, all I am going to say is to just know your connections well enough." When he finished speaking, the older man put his badge back in the original location while looking back at the Catherine. "I am going to take my cue and depart swiftly so a certain Prince Charming can spend time with his Snow White. Thanks for the brief reunion. I better be heading off now."
Something wasn't just right with the ex-Muirfield agent. Something about him bugged Gabe A LOT. The black haired ADA took a glance at Catherine's peaceful face and then turn his eyes back at the man in front of him.
Once Gabe figured it out, he started his deduction off with ease. "Wait a minute. Before you go, I have one last qustion. You and Catherine kind of looked like each other. Are you related to her?"