BURNING THE PICKET FENCE
Part 36 – Retribution in Blood
Company Headquarters, Hartsdale, NY
January 4th, 1989
"Now Sarah, we have been over this repeatedly!" Linderman scolded the child while site medics intensely worked behind them to infibulate a man lying on the ground. "You must find a way to control your temper. Good teachers are hard to come by and this is the third one you have injured this month alone."
"I didn't mean to do it." She responded agitatedly. "But when I told him that the Triassic period came before the Cretaceous period, he said I was wrong. And then when he didn't believe me when I told him that most dinosaurs became extinct during the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event, I got so mad I almost busted my jaw!"
Linderman shook his head overwhelmed by her words. "I'll never know what you just said. But regardless; this is unacceptable behavior! You are excused now to go to your room where you will remain for the rest of the day."
"But…" She tried to protest.
"Sarah!" Linderman nearly shouted. "Now!"
Sarah gave him an insolent glare, then wrinkling her nose in hatred as she spun around on her heel stomping down the hall to her bedroom; slamming the door as she entered.
Once inside she sat on the edge of her bed slouched forward with her elbows bent against her knees resting her chin in her hands.
Two tears slowly trickled down her face.
Primatech Paper, Odessa Texas
October 11, 1006
"So what exactly you do around here?" Sylar laid back on his cement slap watching Sarah longingly as she brushed her hair away from her face with her hand.
She looked up from her notes smiling softly. "I thought I was supposed to be the one asking the questions. I'm trying to get inside your head; there's no way in hell I'm letting you get into mine; literally or figuratively."
"It's not your head I'm interested in getting into." He smiled slowly. Sarah could feel his eyes penetrating her as she returned his gaze evenly. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Sarah sat forward in her chair. "Do I look like the kind of girl who blushes and hides my face when a man wants me?"
Sylar stared lasciviously at her. "You look like the kind of girl who can get any straight man to do whatever you want him to do."
She looked at him smiling coolly. "What do you say we get back to work; shall we?"
"Why?" He slowly sat up. "Do you think you are going to be able to delve into the deep, dark secrets that dwell within?"
Sarah gave a laugh shaking her head. "I don't think even I could handle what lies inside the unfathomable crevices of your mind."
He leaned back on the block rolling to his side. "Or maybe you'll find I'm not such a bad guy when you get to know me." His eyes traced her body. "You still haven't answered my question."
She cocked her head with interest. "What question would that be?"
"The one where I asked you what you do around here?" He almost whispered.
She closed the file setting it across her lap as she slowly crossed her legs. "Why do you want to know?"
"Because you intrigue me." He sat up again scooting himself toward her. "Not too many people fascinate me, but there is something about you that piques my interest."
Sarah half-smiled staring unflappably for a long moment before answering. "Ok. I'll tell you. We'll start with the obvious" She tugged on her lab coat. "I am a doctor of abnormal psychology. I have a PhD from Columbia. It is my job to evaluate the psychological status of the…special ones such as yourself that are brought in." She stood up and walked to the EEG machine re-aligning the wires as she continued to speak. "When I am not doing that, I am an assassin for the company."
Sylar's face recoiled in shock. "You mean you kill people?"
"When I have to." She replied calmly folding her arms. "See, when you work for this outfit, there is only one way out. We don't offer a gold watch, and there is no retirement plan. But sometimes people decide they want to leave on their own. We have a lot of secrets that we don't want the world to know about and we just can't have people running around knowing our secrets. So when somebody tries to run away, they send me to deal with them."
"So you like to play with guns?" He smiled mischievously.
She slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "What makes you think I use guns?"
"Sarah!" Sylar watched with amusement as Sarah grimaced at the man with the salt and pepper hair standing at the window; his hands on his hips in anger.
She closed her eyes with annoyance as she turned toward Thompson. "What?"
"May I have a word with you?" He asked coldly; his hands placed firmly on his hips.
"Only if I don't have to listen." She replied insolently returning her focus to her work as Sylar smirked; a reaction that clearly angered Thompson.
"Are you forgetting that I am your superior?" He sneered through his teeth.
She scoffed shaking her head as she again looked up at him. "You don't seriously want me to answer that, do you?" Thompson continued to scowl as she rolled her eyes. "Ok, fine!" She snarled slamming down the electrodes. She smiled softly at Sylar. "I'll be back to check on you later. Try to stay out of trouble."
"Only if you read me a bedtime story." He grinned.
"Maybe I'll just do that." She replied coolly as she walked out of his cell to join Thompson leaving him with a smile.
Once they were in the hallway Thompson grabbed her arm slamming her against the wall. "What the fuck was that in there?" He seethed.
Sarah looked up at him wrinkling her nose disdainfully. "You either take your hands off of my arm, or in ten seconds the walls of this facility with be splattered with your blood!"
Thompson hesitated briefly, then released his grasp on her. He folded his arms across his chest angrily. "Sylar is a prisoner! Prisoners do not receive congical visits from pretty girls. Please remember this in the future." He turned and started through the double doors which abruptly flew shut in his face. Staring at the doors for a moment, the slowly turned to face Sarah. "Ok, I guess this conversation isn't over. What would you like to say, Agent Noonan?"
She shook her head with a smirk. "Well I would like to say that you have a small mind and an even smaller dick. But since you reminded me that you are my 'superior', I suppose I should refrain from doing so." She sneered into his face. "I know you have this false sense of heightened power and many of the women in this company are afraid of you." He began to sputter, then choke. "But I am not one of them!" She angrily circled him as his face began to turn purple. "And if you ever fucking try to man-handle me again…" She flung out her hand sending him spiraling into an adjacent wall. He looked up from where he had fallen to the floor in horror as she walked toward him; and angry breeze encircling her. "…I will not hesitate to rip your insides out and send them to your son along with some pictures he might find enlightening." She grabbed him by the hair. "Are we clear on that?" Thompson nodded quickly as she released him. "Good." She walked back toward Sylar's cell. Before turning the corner, she looked back at Thompson. "Oh, and let's get one more thing clear, shall we? If I decide to have sex with him, there is nothing you can do about it! Mr. Linderman assigned me to the Sylar case; and for reasons I do not know, I am Linderman's pet; and he hates you." She crossed her arms in front of her. "You really don't want me to tell him about your…extra curricular activities, do you?" Continuing to scowl at her, Thompson did not respond. Sarah smiled. "Thought so." She turned on her heal walking away.
"You fucking bitch!" Thompson snarled under his breath as he watched her walk away. "Someday you are going to what's coming to you. And I hope I am there to see it."
Sarah's Loft
Not So Distant Future
In sleep, he dreamed.
They kissed, softly with growing passion as she reached under his shirt, her hands traveling up his chest as she rabidly peeled it off of him. He closed his eyes as her lips traced him down to his stomach, her tongue caressing his abdomen as he lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist as their lips found each other. Then falling onto the bed, he lifted his head looking into her eyes before burying his face in her neck. His hands slid inside her underpants peeling them off. She let out a moan as his fingers caressed the inside of her legs then slipping a finger inside of her moving in a circular motion inside her moistness. He felt her arching her back with each movement, closing her eyes as he felt her walls throbbing.
And then he was on top of her. Their lips came together hungrily as she bit his lower lip. Opening her legs she guided him inside of her, moaning together as she wrapped her legs around his moving slowly in rhythm together. Thrusting faster he panted loudly as she began to cry out with pleasure. He could feel her legs tighten around his thighs; her nails digging into his shoulders as her body trembled beneath him screaming with pleasure. He closed his eyes releasing inside her, then collapsing against her bending his head into her shoulder.
They lay together basking in the exhilaration of the moment; their hearts pounding together wildly.
And then he rolled onto his side pulling her into his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder planting soft kisses against his chest as he held her. He pulled back for a moment bending his forehead against hers as he looked into her eyes. They began to kiss softly.
"I love you." He whispered stroking her face as she smiled softly up at him
And then she was gone.
"Sarah?" He whispered as she slowly faded away; her scent still lingering in the air.
"SARAH!" He screamed jolting wide awake panting heavily as he sat up; a cold, clammy sweat covering his body. To his relief he realized he was alone. Sylar closed his eyes catching his breath before flopping back against the bed.
As he lay there, a light tapping on the front door stirred his annoyance. He abruptly sat up then angrily pulling on a sweatshirt over his lounge pangs as the tapping became louder. "Common! I want to get back to my dream!" He muttered stomping to the door. "Shit!" He groaned looking through the peephole to find Elle on the other side. Rolling his eyes, he jerked the door open. "What in the hell do you want?" He seethed.
"Well fuck you too, asshole!" She retorted brushing past him through the door.
"Ok, you can stop right there!" He shouted holding up his hand to stop her. "I didn't invite your sorry ass in here! Now get out before I raise and lower you onto the pavement ten stories down!"
"Oh my God!" She laughed. "When my sister isn't around to keep your schlong lubed, you turn into a raging grouch!"
He folded his arms across his chest leaning against the doorframe. "Is there a point to this visit, or can I go back to sleep so I can at least dream about fucking your sister?"
The anger slowly faded from her face taken over by sadness. "Please." She implored him. "I have no one else to talk to." She began to sob. "I have nowhere else to go."
Sylar softened as he saw the tears running down her face. "Ok, fine. Come in." He gestured to the couch. "Have a seat."
Elle folded her arms then walked to the couch flopping down. "Thanks." She blinked back tears.
He held out a box of Kleenex which she gratefully took several. Sylar grimaced as she loudly blew her nose. "You want anything?" He attempted to sound hospitable.
Elle shook her head wadding up the Kleenex. "I'm good." She bit her lower lip quivering as she looked up at him. "You were all right about him. I had to see for my own eyes, but you were so right. My father is a monster."
Sylar took a seat in the adjacent chair. "What happened?" He asked softly.
"He took Maya and the baby." She sniffed. "I saw him lead them away at gunpoint."
"Alejandro." Sylar whispered then quickly stood up. "Where the hell did he take them?"
"I don't know." Elle quickly shook her head.
"Elle, he's my son." He shouted. "Stop protecting your daddy! If you know anything, you need to tell me! Think, Elle Think!"
"I don't know shit, Sylar!" She retorted standing up angrily grabbing her purse. "Look, I didn't have to come here and tell you this! I could have kept this to myself and to hell with toxic tears and the brat!"
Sylar closed his eyes holding his hands over his face. "Ok! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to jump all over you! You did the right thing coming here! But if you know of anywhere he may have taken her…"
"I wish I knew, but I don't." She told him sadly. "He took her to the parking garage, after that I have no idea. I tried to follow them, but I lost them."
"Ok." He nodded. "We have to get over there." He stood up putting on his coat.
"Where are we going?" She asked following behind him.
"To your dad's office." He grabbed his keys heading for the door.
"I'll drive." Elle called after him as they headed out the door.
Somewhere in Africa
"What…the…hell?" Thompson whispered horror struck.
She was dead. Her body blown to bits across that desolate African plane inside a village that was long ago destroyed by flood and famine.
Yet there she stood. Her dark eyes staring back at him with the coldness he had come to hate. The chocolate brown hair he had once fantasized grabbing from behind during a night of spine-shattering sex hung like fine silk cascading over her shoulders. She leered back at him with a taunting hatred raging from every pore in her body as stood in front of them.
He turned to look at Fallon who had served his country in both Gulf Wars facing enemies that would frighten most men to depths of terror unknown by the world they protected. But not Fallon. He had stared those enemies in the eye and walked away with their blood splattered across his body.
But today he stood there; his knees quivering above the puddle of urine surrounding his combat boots. His men behind him also paralyzed with terror.
Finally she spoke. "What the hell indeed." Came her lethal sneer just above the decibel of a deadly whisper. "I bet your thinking oh shit now."
"This can't be fucking happening." Fallon managed a throaty murmur. "You were dead. I killed you myself! Your guts were splattered all over the desert! How can you be standing there?"
Sarah gave a sharp laugh as she flopped down in a seat crossing her legs. "Did you ever see that Terminator movie? The second one where Arnold was the good guy and Robert Patrick played the bad robot who was trying to kill the snot nosed kid who is supposed to be the leader of the new world? Well remember that part where Arnold douses him with liquid nitrogen, then he freezes up and he shoots him and he breaks into a million pieces? But then the rescue crews apply heat and he puddles up and the little puddles start merging back together and he's whole again?" She leaned forward. "It was kind of like that."
Thompson nearly stumbled feeling faint from the shock. "But you're not a regenerist. How…"
Sarah held out her hand as Fallon's pistol flew out of it's holster into her hand. Racking the pistol, she fired it into her knee breaking through the cartilage shattering her knee cap. They all grimaced with horrified amazement as Sarah screamed in pain. To their shock the bullet popped out and the wound began to heal. With a malevolent gleam, she slowly raised her eyes to them.
Thompson's face dropped. "You have never had this ability. How is this possible?"
She leaned back in the chair folding her arms. "Well, you see, when you have a lover whose hobby is stealing abilities from others there are perks. For now we'll just suffice it to say that we share more than just bodily fluids."
Thompson held up his hands. "Sarah, we were following orders."
"Oh cut the shit Thompson!" She shouted standing up. "You are just like your daddy!"
"Don't you dare talk about my father!" He seethed. "My father was a great man! He was my hero!"
Sarah stared at him incredulously, then began to laugh.
"Just what's so fucking hilarious, Noonan?" He shouted.
She removed something from her pocket. "I had a feeling you would say something like that." She flung a packet at him which he immediately tore open.
Staring at the contents intently, he shook his head in disbelief. "What the hell is this?"
"Oh, your daddy, who was so devoted to you and your mother couldn't keep his cock in his pants." She smiled slumping into a seat. "Everyone in the company knew it, except for you."
"The only way he would have slept with you is if you enticed him, you whore!" He sneered disdainfully at her.
Sarah shifted her eyes around, then shrugged. "You are correct; it was me that made the first gesture…but only to keep him away from Candice." She leaned forward. "See, you are more your daddy's boy than you know. He was intimidating young girls to sleep with him since the day he walked through the front door! I offered myself up to him to keep his hands off the likes of Candice, Elle, Eden…and it lasted for three years." She turned purposefully to Fallon. "But hard as I tried, eventually Candice went to him willingly." She smiled tauntingly. "She had to of used that ability of hers to make him look like George Clooney…that's the only way I can think she would have slept freely with him without being paid or making him put a bag over his head."
"You fucking bitch!" Fallon screamed picking up a an Uzi and firing several rounds at Sarah.
Raising her hand, she stopped the bullets mid air. She gave him a scolding smile shaking her head reproachfully. They stood staring at her horrified. Fallon frightfully dropped the Uzi.
She turned to the Haitian. "You may want to get out of here; this is about to get really bloody."
He nodded and stepped out of the plane.
With an evil gleam in her eye, still holding the bullets at bay, she returned her focus to them. "And just like I promised, this is the part where you are all going to die screaming." They shook with fear as a swirling wind embodied her; levitating her off the ground, her eyes turned pale as the malevolent vortex overpowering them. And then with a whisper which could only be described as demonic, she spoke. "Who wants to be first?"
Somewhere in the distance a family of zebras stopped at a watering hole to quench their thirst. From far away the screams of death alarmed them.
They took off running as all the animals in the surrounding jungle scattered in fear.
"What's his password?" Sylar impatiently asked Elle from behind Bob's computer.
"Midas." Elle replied looking out in the hall to head Bob off. "All in caps. You better hurry. When he's on site, he never stays gone for long."
"I'm in." He told her clicking through screens on the computer shaking his head with frustration. "There's nothing here."
"Shit! He's coming!" Elle whispered loudly as Sylar quickly exited his computer than grabbing Elle's arm they scampered around straightening up his desk before turning out the lights.
Bob walked in flipping on the lights, startled to find Elle and Sylar sitting in his office. "Hello sweetheart." He greeted Elle then turned to Sylar sighing heavily. "We will get to the why of you being in my office later, but you being here saved me the trouble of tracking you down. I'm afraid I have some terrible news."
Sylar's face slowly fell. "What is it?" He asked with dread.
He sat down behind his desk taking off his glasses, folding his hands in front of him. "I received word a short time ago that Sarah was killed in the line of duty. It appears we underestimated the subject she was sent to capture. Evidently he was more of a malevolent force than we had anticipated…"
Bob was interrupted when the glass top on his desk shattered into fragments. He jumped up from his chair staring at Sylar who was immediately upon him grabbing him by the throat. "You lying cocksucker!" He sneered into his face. "She's not dead."
Unable to speak, Bob grasped for air, his arms flailing about.
"Sylar!" Elle shouted. "Let him go!"
"And what about the others?" He hissed into his face as Bob continued to attempt to escape his grasp. "Are they dead too?"
"Dammit Sylar!" Elle screamed at him angrily. "He can't talk if your crushing his throat! Let him go!"
Sylar stared up at Bob then abruptly released him; a move which caused him to fall on the floor holding his throat gasping for air. Sylar kneeled down beside him. "So talk." He leered into his ear.
Bob removed his handkerchief from his pocket blotting his forehead. "Noonan was the only casualty. The other's were able to make their way to safety."
Sylar's face fell for a moment, then he began to laugh. "Oh common!" He shouted. "Sarah…who can kill by batting an eyelash is the only victim while six normals somehow managed to survive!" He continued to laugh. "You had better be prepared to do better than that if you want to convince me that she is dead."
Bob sighed heavily closing his eyes them removed a remote from his desk. As he pressed it's button, a screen emerged displaying a horrifying photo of Sarah's mutilated body.
Sylar stopped laughing as he stared at Sarah's body on the screen. He walked over to it running his fingers along the image. "No." He whispered. "Oh God NO!" He screamed falling to the floor in anguished sobs.
Elle began to cry.
Sylar laid on the floor screaming in torment as Bob turned off the projector. He approached him slowly standing over him. "I offer my condolences. She was like a daughter to me…" Before he could finish he was thrown across the room landing across his chair.
Before he could stand up, Sylar was standing over him. "You killed her, you motherfucker! You did this!"
Bob looked up, blood trickling out of his nose. "Mr. Gray, it was nothing but a horrible accident."
"Bullshit!" He shouted. "You don't understand, she can't die!"
Bob returned his glasses to his face. "What are you talking about?" He asked him perplexedly.
"Sarah!" Sylar shouted. "The only way you could have killed her was if you had your men take her out! How could a dude who turns solid mater into water have done this to her?"
"Leave us!" They all turned to the sound of Angela Petrelli's voice in the doorway. "I would like a moment to speak with Mr. Gray. Get the hell out."
Bob stood up approaching her slowly. "Angela, this is my office."
"Only because nobody has had the good sense to terminate you yet." She replied icily. "Now get the hell out while I talk to Mr. Gray." Bob stared angrily then walked toward the door motioning Elle to follow. "And don't even think about trying to eavesdrop." She turned toward him. "Because I will know if you do and may God help you if you do."
Bob exhaled angrily and walked out of the room slamming the door behind him.
Angela turned to Sylar. "I understand that you are grieving, but you need to shut the hell up now."
"How could she die!" He sobbed agitatedly. "I made her immortal at your insistence! What good was all this if she is dead?"
She approached him placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "There is more at work than even you understand."
He grabbed her arms causing Angela to wince. "Is she alive?" He asked frantically. "If she is alive you better tell me right now, or…"
"Or what?" She snapped. "You'll kill me? If you do you will be destroying your only ally and you are hardly in a position to do so." Sylar released her then slowly walked over to Bob's chair sitting down. Angela approached him slowly. "You must understand that at this moment, rather or not she is alive is immaterial. What is significant is what we have fought to achieve." She leaned forward staring at him austerely. "Do not let her efforts be in vain." Angela stood up picking up her purse and gloves.
"Just tell me…" Sylar asked softly as she began to leave. "Is she alive? I have to know."
Angela lips formed a tight line which softened as he saw the tears glistening in his eyes. "If you search your soul, you will find you already know the answer to your question." She turned and walked out of the room.
Now alone, Sylar pondered her words. He looked down at the remote on Bob's desk pressing the button, recoiling with anguish as the photograph of her maimed body come into view before him. He closed his eyes and began to sob again. Then taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and intrepidly raised his eyes to the picture on the screen. Taking his fingers he stroked the image gently, tears falling down his face at the mutilated state her body. Regaining composure, he studied the image intently. "Common Sarah…talk to me." He whispered.
And then his eyes widened. In realization he stared at the photo for a moment before a slow smile spread across his face.
He closed his eyes and began to laugh exuberantly.
Wearily opening his office door, Bob sighed heavily hesitating before crossing into the dark room. He made his way to his desk, still in a state of disarray after his altercation with Sylar earlier in the day. He turned on the desk lamp before sitting down.
Pulling out his chair he stopped in astonishment finding a square box tied with a red bow; a tag had his name scrolled across it. He cocked his head staring at it curiously as he picked it up examining it. Taking a pair of scissors he carefully cut the tape then slowly removed the lid.
In horror he dropped the box as Adian Thompson's head rolled across the floor. Bob quickly placed his hands over his mouth as he began to vomit into a nearby potted plant.
He was startled as a towel flew across the room, flopping in front of him. He stopped in horror. Looking up slowly he turned to face the darkness behind him.
And from somewhere in the shadows emerged the embodiment of Sarah Jane Noonan. "Hello…Bob."
-END-