They caught a red eye to JFK. John wasn't able to sit still let alone sleep. Jedikiah, watching him twitch, made a decision. "Turn your head."

"What?" John had picked up and thrown down the same magazine three times.

Jedikiah grabbed a napkin and pushed John's head to the side. He used the napkin to pull off the patch.

"Thank you." John's gratitude was sincere. "I thought I was gonna go crazy."

"Talk to me when this happens. I don't read minds."

Jedikiah used the remaining flight time to sleep. John just tried his best to relax. A driver met them at the airport and delivered them to Ultra headquarters.

John separated from Jedikiah at the entrance walking towards his room.

"John!"

He turned to see Jedikiah with his hand out. "What?"

"The license I took back from you after we boarded the plane. I put it in my suit jacket and now it seems to have disappeared. Know anything about that?"

John tried a coaxing smile knowing it was useless to deny he took it. "I wanna keep it. You said I just had to ask if I wanted something."

Jedikiah shook his head, motioning with his fingers to return the license. "No way are we giving you identification. You wanna go somewhere in the city you get a driver or a cab."

John pulled the license from his pocket and slapped it in his boss's outstretched hand. "Right! Just ask for a reward, and you'll get it." He mimicked the Founder getting his stance and voice perfect. "Sure."

Jedikiah didn't waste time debating with him. "Go rest up."

A smile cracked Jedikiah's face once he turned. John had always been amusing with the little tricks he picked up at his various foster homes. He headed home for a shower before he reported back to work.

When John entered his room, he heard the signal indicating that he had an incoming call.

The screen opened to show a pensive Irene.

"Hey Jo . . . Wow! . . . You look hot!" Irene forgot to shut her mouth.

John laughed self-consciously. "I guess you like a guy in a suit."

Her eyes roamed up and down him. "It's not just the suit. It's the everything." She paused. "You look so put together . . . so respectable." She turned thoughtful. "So Ultra."

That wiped the smile off John's face. "Yeah, so Ultra."

He flung himself on the bed, hands behind his head. He kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling while he softly said, "I went on a mission with Jedikiah."

"How was it?" she asked diffidently, making swirls with one finger on the table in front of her.

John snorte.d and raised his head to look at her "It was like old times, Irene. It was so . . . so comfortable . . . so familiar." A twisted grin and he confessed, "And we started to give and take like we used to."

Irene smiled sadly. "We're being seduced, John."

That made John smile. "Are you saying I'm a maiden in a romance novel." He dramatically pressed a hand to his forehead. "No! No! No, you beast! Ah, I mean yes, I want you."

Irene giggled, pressing a hand to her mouth. "Stop being an idiot. You know what I mean."

John sobered up. "Yeah, I do know what you mean."

He sat up frowning. "I killed someone out there. They deserved it, and I had to do it or others would die. Courtesy of Jedikiah, 'Mister the mission comes first, damn all innocents'."

"How did it feel?" Curiosity tinged her voice.

John shrugged. "The usual. They gave me the happy patch, but the dose was way too high." He caught Irene's eyes in the screen. "Jedikiah saw it and took the patch off. And I was grateful."

A little laugh followed. "Not angry that he put the patch on me . . . grateful that he took it off. How's that for twisted?"

Irene sighed. "I know. They're slowly changing my projects. Moving me from the stars to Ultra products and—and I'm fascinated even though I know who it's for, and that it can't possibly be used for anything good."

"What are they having you look at?" Now it was John's turn to be curious.

"Playing with time."

Irene and John both looked worried. Nothing good had ever come to anyone involved in the project.

Irene decided to change the subject. "They still feeding you the slop?"

"Yeah, and it tasted every bit as crappy the last time I swallowed it down as it did the first time."

"Well, I think it's doing you good." Irene ventured to say. "You do look better, and you've put on some weight."

"You calling me fat, girl?" John made it clear he was joking.

"No, its all muscle and you needed it." Irene looked behind her as if something had attracted her attention. "Gotta go, John. Thanks!"

"Thanks?" he asked. "Thanks for what?"

"For being here for me to talk to. When I feel down . . . just seeing you . . . talking to you . . . even when we don't have good news. It helps."

"Yeah. I know what you mean. Bye, Irene."

Jedikiah took his time showering and shaving, dressing in a fresh suit before heading back to headquarters. No sooner had he opened the door to his office then he was pounced on by the Founder.

"I didn't hear from you."

"No news is good news. There's plenty of time for a status report," Jedikiah calmly replied.

The Founder followed him into the office, sitting in a chair facing the desk, hitching his pants up as he crossed his legs. "So report."

"The offender was a TP and has been dispatched." Jedikiah started off with the outcome.

"How did our young agent behave?"

"Very well. That's an interesting story," Jedikiah replied.

"And I want to hear it, but first what do you think of our leadership on the West Coast?"

"Weak. Without the resolution to win no matter what the cost." Jedikiah replied meeting the Founder's eyes.

"Excellent. No worries about a double cross then?"

"None whatsoever."

The two men exchanged smiles.

"So, fill me in."

"The bombs were set with proximity alarms. Definitely the stench of Killian hanging over everything. John had to disarm all four at the same time."

"Obviously he was successful. How did it affect him?"

"A little wobbly for a few seconds, and then he was back to normal." Jedikiah's lips twitched. "He was bragging within a minute."

"Cocky young pest," the Founder said, but Jedikiah could tell he was pleased. "He's getting stronger. And how was the rogue TP dispatched?"

Jedikiah sniffed. "John took her out. One shot."

The Founder wrinkled his brow. "Really? Why?"

He heard me order the alpha squad to shoot everyone, and he saw an opening." Jedikiah shook his head in reluctant admiration. "Only one in fifty could make that shot, and he took it."

"So he thought he was saving the agents lives?"

Jedikiah nodded. "He did."

"Do we have witnesses to the fact that John can kill?" The Founder asked.

"Of course not, Sir. I drew John's blood immediately and put a patch on him. True to form he started to fuss, nothing that I couldn't handle, but it still gave me a valid excuse to have a suppression cuff slapped on him. I ordered the alpha unit to kill the TP squad in five minutes."

"Excellent. I'm assuming John is not aware?"

"That is correct. I had a car with our suitcases loaded waiting for us. He wouldn't hear their thoughts as they died because of the cuff. I shoved him into the car, and we headed straight for the airport. As far as John knows he saved their lives."

"And the alpha squad?"

"Everything is tidied up. Two of Kane's team came in and resolved the alpha squad. So no one on the west coast knows how John disarmed the bombs or that he killed the TP." Jedikiah folded his arms across his chest. "Everything spick and span."

"Anything else to report?"

Jedikiah nodded. "The TP tried to psychic push me. John intervened."

The Founder's eyebrows rose. "Ah, so it appears he is falling back into his old routine. That is good news."

Jedikiah added, "The TP and alpha teams were their best by the way. This weakens the directors' ability to challenge us, but still leaves them with enough staff to deal with any routine breakouts."

The Founder smiled broadly. "Very efficient. We deal with a very troublesome TP and issue a pointed warning at the same time. They will be wondering how you did what you did and fear of the unknown will keep them in line. I do like it."

"I removed the drug patch on the flight back. It was too strong, and John was way too hyped," Jedikiah added. "I'll file a report with Annex."

"Hmm. No matter what he'll have the outcome in his favor. Let's see, shall we guess? The supplements he's given John have strengthened him so much he doesn't need as much of an upper to counter the depression after a killing. I can hear the man posturing and pounding his chest now." The Founder was not particularly fond of the doctor.

Jedikiah waved a hand. "I know, it's annoying to put up with the ego, but he does get results."

"By the way, there has been some trouble while you were gone." The Founder admitted. "I had hoped we were done with these minor distractions and could get back to our mission schedule, .but now we have another one."

Jedikiah raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"We had an escapee from one of our regional holding and testing areas. A particularly powerful TP. I have our TP squads scouring the city for him so make this be your first priority. We had him, but he was able to escape from our agents. Appears your nephew bungled the capture." The Founder's voice was bland, too bland.

Jedikiah glanced at him sharply, disliking the implication.

"Fix it." The Founder stood, adjusted his suit and left, turning back at the last moment. "Keep John away from this. His rat troupe might get involved, and if it comes down to a choice between his girlfriend and the girls I'm not sure of the outcome. Under no circumstances will I tolerate him escaping from us again."

Jedikiah swore under his breath.