Disclaimers in Pt. 1.
Chapter 15
Sandoval scowled darkly at the screen.
He, Captain Jardine, Sergeant Chen and Sergeant Ramsey were standing in the Embassy's main security station. As soon as he'd reached the Embassy, Jardine had called him in here with the news that they had discovered how - and when - McKenna had gotten in.
Somehow, the assassin had managed to obtain a copy of the plans that showed the connection between the underground tunnels and the Embassy, and had entered via that route at 2a.m. this morning.
They still weren't certain how McKenna had managed to evade all the security cameras save the one at the entrance from the tunnels, not to mention the roaming patrols, but right now Sandoval didn't care about that. They could always question McKenna about the methods he'd employed once he'd been caught.
The other thing that had been discovered while he'd been on the mothership was the reason that the bomb had not been discovered in the two randomly timed security sweeps that had taken place between 2:00 and 7:30, when he and Liam had arrived. McKenna had apparently wrapped the bomb in a swathe of vaile; a few burnt scraps had been recovered from the ruins of Da'an's office by the forensics team. And why no one had thought to adapt the Embassy's internal security sensors to detect the vaile...
Turning away from the screen, Sandoval looked at Jardine. "Sometime between late Sunday morning and two a.m., McKenna had to get here from Phoenix. I want you to check all records - Portal Authority, airlines, busses - for any departures during that period, and track them all. Take as many teams as you need.
"In addition, McKenna has to have gotten the components for the bomb somewhere, and it is more than likely that that was also done within the past two days. This had to be a spur of the moment plan; bombs aren't his style at all. As soon as the forensics team determines what form of explosive and detonator were used, I want at least two or three teams tracking down where he might have obtained them. Try military and CIA-authorized sources first."
He paused, and met Jardine's eyes. "You are authorized to do whatever is required to find McKenna and bring him in - preferably alive, but that is not a requirement. Whatever is necessary, Captain. I want this bastard."
Jardine nodded solemnly. "We all do, sir," he said. His voice was calm, but there was a glint of steely determination in his eyes.
"Good," Sandoval declared. "I'll be in my office here if you need me. I have a few things to follow up on."
Jardine nodded again, and Sandoval strode out.
He would much rather be on the mothership with Liam - talking to Liam; but he couldn't exactly have disobeyed Zo'or's order, in spite of the fact that he could do just as much, if not more, on the mothership rather than in the Embassy.
Entering the office, Sandoval sat down at his desk with a sigh and opened his global. Time to start calling in some favours.
Liam shifted uncomfortably in Sandoval's chair and glared at the mountain of paperwork on the desk in front of him. Had his father brought up everything from the Embassy as well as what was already here?
He was feeling somewhat better now, since he'd eaten a huge meal in the commissary. Still tired, yes, but not nearly as drained as he'd felt earlier. The food had definitely helped.
Liam had just lifted the first file from the stack - something about security arrangements for another interview Zo'or was giving; hadn't he had a bad enough experience at the last one? - when the door opened and Lt. Cress poked her head in. "Major, Zo'or wants to see you on the bridge," the Volunteer said.
Remembering the events of this morning, Liam felt a frisson of fear go through him. Had Zo'or found out somehow? Had Sandoval told him? "Did he say why?" Liam asked out loud, doing his best to imitate his father's impassive expression.
"No, sir," Lt. Cress replied, shaking her head. "But he does want to see you immediately."
"Of course he wants to see me 'immediately'," Liam muttered under his breath. "What else is new?" He pushed the chair away from the desk and stood up awkwardly. His shoulder was throbbing again, and unfortunately, Sandoval still had his painkillers. This was not going to be a fun afternoon - even if Zo'or's reason for seeing him was completely unrelated to what had happened this morning.
It only took a few minutes to reach the bridge from Sandoval's office, which was probably a very good thing, since Liam was growing more and more apprehensive by the moment. What could Zo'or want him for?
As he stepped onto the bridge, Zo'or turned his command chair around to face him.
"Major Kincaid," Zo'or greeted him. "There are some matters we need to discuss."
So, is this good or bad? Liam wondered. He couldn't tell anything from Zo'or's body language. "About what?" he asked out loud, hoping desperately that Zo'or would not say 'shaqarava'.
Zo'or stood up. "Your advancement to the position of Flight Commander," he replied.
Liam breathed a silent sigh of relief as he followed Zo'or over to the virtual glass windows that looked out towards Earth. So the Synod Leader didn't know. Of course, that still left open the question of whether or not Sandoval knew...
"I realize that you will be on medical leave for the next two weeks, Major, but there are certain things I wish you to be aware of before you take up the duties of your new position," Zo'or continued.
Liam glanced over his shoulder to see that Lt. Cress and Corporal Payton were standing at the entrance to the bridge, and the few Volunteers on duty were all off to one side. It appeared that Zo'or, for whatever reason, wished to speak to him privately. Which was... rather unusual.
He returned his attention to Zo'or.
"First," Zo'or said, turning to face him, "you must understand that in matters concerning your position as Flight Commander, you will not be reporting to Agent Sandoval; you will be reporting directly to me."
Oh, wonderful, was Liam's first thought. Reporting to Sandoval could be bad enough, but reporting directly to Zo'or... about anything...
Then something else occurred to him. "But I thought that Agent Sandoval was in charge of all Volunteers," he said.
"The pilots will be removed from Agent Sandoval's command," Zo'or replied calmly. "He has neither the training nor the knowledge to use them most effectively; you do."
Liam frowned slightly as he thought about that. It really didn't make that much sense for him to be reporting to Zo'or about this one thing, when he reported to Sandoval about everything else...
Then, abruptly, he realized what was going on. The only explanation he could come up with for Zo'or to do something like this would be to diminish Sandoval's power base. Liam had never bothered to hide the fact that he didn't care for Zo'or, and he was fully aware that the feeling was mutual. So the only reason Zo'or would have Liam report directly to him would be to eliminate Sandoval as the middleman. Which also served to explain why Zo'or had sent Sandoval back down to the Embassy to supervise the search for McKenna when he probably could have been more effective up here.
What surprised Liam the most about this wasn't the suggestion of mistrust between Zo'or and Sandoval - he'd been fully aware of the fact that Zo'or hadn't really trusted his father for some time, and this was simply more proof of that fact. No, the surprise was the idea that Zo'or felt that he was trustworthy enough for this! Since when had Zo'or trusted him at all?
Suddenly realizing that Zo'or was looking at him, obviously waiting for a response, Liam nodded slowly. "I understand," he said, letting his expression convey just how much he understood.
Zo'or looked satisfied. "Excellent, Major," he declared. He looked thoughtfully out at the Earth for a moment, and then turned back to Liam. "The second item of concern is the matter of the pilot training program. I believe that Agent Sandoval has informed you of the failure rate?"
"Yes, he has," Liam answered. "I've already begun looking into it."
Zo'or nodded. "Currently, between three and five percent of the Volunteers are pilots, Major. That number is much too low. If Taelons and humans are to stand any chance of defeating the Jaridians, we must have more pilots. Once you have discovered the cause of the failure rate and corrected it, your next task will be to begin a... 'recruitment campaign', I believe, is the human term. We require a minimum of ten percent of all Volunteers to be pilots; preferably close to twenty percent."
Liam could only stare at Zo'or in shock. That was... well, suffice it to say that Renee would probably be doing backflips in delight at the authority this would give him - and at the opportunity to insert some of the Resistance's operatives into the Volunteers. Ten to twenty percent of all Volunteers? "I... see," he managed after a moment.
Once again, Zo'or appeared satisfied. "We will discuss this in greater detail after you have taken up your duties, Major," he said, turning away from the windows and walking back toward his chair. "That will be all."
"Of course, Zo'or," Liam answered automatically, falling back on his father's standard response. He walked slowly off the bridge, for once barely noticing as his Volunteer bodyguard fell into step behind him. His mind was spinning; he would have never in a million years suspected that anything like this was possible. Zo'or had never liked him, never trusted him before... so why now?
Right now, occupying himself with paperwork sounded like a very good idea. Too much had happened, too fast. Doing the paperwork would distract him - for a few hours, at least. That was, Liam decided after a moment's thought, exactly what he needed.
"And who knows?" he mumbled under his breath. "I might even manage to make a dent in Sandoval's files..."
Just as Sandoval closed his global after a long but ultimately fruitless discussion with the CIA's current Deputy Director of Operations, the door opened and one of the members of the forensics team poked her head in. "Sir?" she queried.
"What is it, Volunteer?" Sandoval demanded, putting his global down on his desk. She was one of the regular Volunteers, not the elite.
"We've finished the analysis of the explosion site, sir," the Volunteer said.
"Excellent. What was the explosive?"
The Volunteer hesitated for a moment. "According to the results of the tests we've run, sir... it was ordinary Semtex, with a remotely controlled detonator made using Taelon technology," she told him.
"Good," Sandoval declared, feeling pleased. Something like that shouldn't be too hard to track down. "Have you informed Captain Jardine yet?"
"Err... no, sir," the Volunteer replied.
Sandoval's expression darkened. "Why not?" he demanded coldly.
"Sir... the force of the blast was much greater than can be explained by the amount of Semtex that was used," she said. "And we haven't found anything else that could account for the additional force."
Sandoval felt himself tense, but managed to keep the sudden worry from his expression. Of course... Liam's shaqarava!
The blast of energy Liam had directed at the explosion had been powerful enough to deflect the force of the explosion completely, and drain him to the point of unconsciousness. Of course it had been powerful enough to add to the damage caused by the explosion!
But he could hardly tell anyone that. Time to find another explanation, Ron... and quickly!
"You said the detonator was made with Taelon technology?" he questioned after a moment.
"Yes, sir. Energy readings from the site of the explosion itself are consistent with Taelon technology."
"Perhaps the combination of the two is responsible for the increased force of the explosion," he suggested, forcing himself to keep his voice casual.
The expression on the Volunteer's face told Sandoval that she hadn't considered that explanation, and also that she thought it was plausible.
Abruptly, he remembered what else she had said. "You mentioned that the detonator was remote-controlled. Do you know how distant the control had to be?"
"Reasonably close, sir. The best estimate is within two blocks."
So McKenna had been in the area! Sandoval fought back a snarl of rage at the thought that the man who had tried to kill his son had been so close, and none of the surveillance teams had had the slightest clue!
"Why didn't you inform Captain Jardine of this immediately?" he demanded, coldly furious. He saw the Volunteer blanch as he glared at her. "Tell him - now!"
"Yes, sir!" she replied, and hurried out, pulling out her global as she did so.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Sandoval closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, taking deep breaths in an effort to regain control of his emotions. He could feel his skrill start to respond to his anger, and forced himself to continue his breathing. He couldn't afford to lose control, not now.
It took over a minute, but finally Sandoval gained enough control to push the rage away for the moment. He was tired, and so much had happened - so much had changed for him - over the past several days... it was no wonder that he was so close to losing control.
And to think that only a week ago he'd been starting to enjoy his first vacation in five years...
Letting out his breath in a sigh, Sandoval opened his eyes and sat back up. It was too late to concern himself over McKenna's presence this morning - although he intended to have a few rather pointed words with the surveillance teams once this was over - what they needed to do was find out where he was right now.
Picking his global back up from where he'd placed it, Sandoval was just about to open it to call General Prescott when it beeped.
Andrew leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head, grinning as he studied the computer screen in front of him.
Got you, you bastard! he thought in satisfaction.
He'd spent all night working on tracking McKenna from Arizona, without much luck. The man was definitely one of the best from Covert Operations; Andrew had only managed to trace him from a portal in Phoenix to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan by the time the eight o'clock news came on.
It was the lead story - the bombing at the Washington Taelon Embassy - that had given him the trace he needed.
According to McKenna's psychological profile, which had been in the records Ron had sent him, the assassin preferred the 'up-close-and-personal' method, using guns or knives - or crossbows, evidently - to deal with his targets. He didn't like using weapons of mass-destruction - like bombs - regarding them as too likely to result in civilian casualties.
The fact that McKenna had apparently used a bomb at the Embassy told Andrew that the man was obviously losing it, becoming obsessed with killing Major Kincaid - or whatever his real name was - by whatever means necessary. That meant that McKenna would most likely be acting irrationally.
Combining that with his psych profile and skill at disguise, Andrew had come to the conclusion that McKenna would most likely have been in the area of the Embassy at the time of the explosion, if only to make sure that it went off as planned. So, acting on a hunch, he'd checked nearby hotels.
His grin widened as he picked up his global and called Ron. McKenna had definitely messed up this time.
"Andrew?" Ron exclaimed, sounding surprised.
"I've found McKenna for you, Ron," Andrew said, grinning triumphantly.
Ron blinked in surprise. "You have?"
Andrew nodded. "He's holed up in the Hotel Grande, about ten blocks away from the Embassy," he told his friend. "He's registered under the name Michael Gray - it's one of his favourite aliases - in room 309. I checked it out, and apparently he's still there. And there are no portals within seven blocks of the hotel; you and the elite should have no problem apprehending him."
Ron smiled - the hard-edged, icy smile of a predator whose prey is within his grasp. "I owe you one, Andrew. Thanks," he added, before closing the connection.
Andrew tapped the keyboard, removing the registry of the Hotel Grande from his screen. He had no doubt that Ron would get McKenna; even if the assassin tried to run, he wouldn't be able to make it to any of the portals before Ron and the Volunteers captured him. It would be no contest.
So, now that the McKenna situation was taken care of, he could get back to what was really puzzling him - the matter of Major Kincaid, and Ron's odd behaviour during their conversation yesterday.
Once Ron had explained the situation with McKenna to him, he hadn't been all that surprised that his friend wanted him to concentrate on finding the assassin, rather than looking into 'Major Kincaid's' background. And what Ron had said about receiving additional information... well, Ron had more sources than he knew of.
No, what had really puzzled him had been the fact that Ron had referred to the Major as 'Liam' several times during their conversation. That wasn't like Ron; he wasn't that informal towards someone unless he knew them very well. Andrew could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times that Ron had decided to use a colleague's first name in the ten years since they'd joined the FBI. It wasn't like Ron at all. Something was up.
He'd better tell me what's going on, and soon, Andrew decided after a moment. If he doesn't, I'm just going to have to continue looking... I am not going to let Ron endanger himself, not again.
Lt. Col. McKenna opened his eyes and stretched, feeling satisfied. It was - he glanced at his watch - just after three-thirty; he'd slept for over five hours. It had been a pleasant - and much-needed - nap.
Even more pleasant was the thought that Kincaid, the traitor, was finally dead. No one could have survived the blast at the Taelon Embassy; especially not if they had actually been in the room at the time of the explosion, which - according to the tiny camera he'd had wired to the bomb - Kincaid had been.
Standing up, he wandered over to the television set and turned it on, switching to the local news channel. By now they should be running the reports of Kincaid's death.
"And in our lead story today," the attractive anchorwoman was saying, as he turned up the volume and sat down in a comfortable chair facing the television, "there was an explosion at the North American Taelon Embassy, in what appears to be the latest in a series of attacks against both Taelons and Taelon personnel. Last Wednesday, Synod Leader Zo'or was the subject of an assassination attempt in which Major Liam Kincaid, Companion-Protector to Da'an, was injured. Thursday, Zo'or's shuttle was attacked in Egypt following a conference with the African premier and Si'al, the Egyptian Companion. On Sunday, there was an assassination attempt on Major Kincaid. And now, this latest outrage.
"For more details, we go to Luke Ferris, live at the Taelon Embassy."
The view switched to a man of average height, with brown hair and dark eyes, standing in front of the main entrance to the Embassy. Over to one side, McKenna could see a hole in the building where the explosion had evidently breached the wall of Da'an's office.
"Thank you, Natasha," the reporter said. "At seven-thirty this morning, everyone in downtown Washington DC was treated to the sight of a huge ball of flames coming out of the Taelon Embassy. The explosion and the flames were quickly contained, but the damage remains." The reporter gestured with one hand toward the hole in the Embassy's outer wall.
"According to information we have received, the bomb was planted somewhere in Da'an's office. Luckily, no one was actually in the office at the time of the explosion, and injuries were limited to cuts and minor burns from assorted flying debris-"
McKenna snarled as he switched the television off with a vicious jab at the remote.
How the hell could Kincaid have escaped? It should have been impossible! The Major been in the room when he had set off the explosion!
Standing up, McKenna was just starting to reach for his jacket when the door of his room burst open and two Volunteers, wearing body armour and carrying heavy weapons, entered.
"Freeze!" one of them barked.
McKenna did his best to look innocent. "Hey, what's going on?" he asked, letting a touch of nervousness enter his voice as he started to back up toward the window. "What are you doing?"
"Don't move!"
McKenna took another step back, and then froze as he felt a fist touch the back of his neck.
"I'd listen to him if I were you, McKenna," said FBI Agent Ronald Sandoval's voice from behind him, his tone icy. "They've got itchy trigger fingers... and my orders don't say that I have to bring you in alive."
McKenna obediently stayed still as cuffs were put around his wrists and he was searched for weapons. There had been something in Sandoval's voice that told him that the FBI agent would be only too pleased to present a corpse to his Taelon masters.
Once they'd removed both his guns and his boot knife, Sandoval stepped away from him. "Take him to the shuttle," the agent ordered, his eyes cold as he met McKenna's gaze. "I think it's time that the colonel and I had a little... talk."
"Liam... Liam!" a voice called loudly.
Liam opened his eyes slowly and blinked dazedly at the pile of files in front of his nose. His neck felt stiff, and his shoulder was throbbing... And why is my head lying on the desk?
"Liam, you must wake up!" the voice repeated, and this time Liam was able to recognize it - it was Da'an. The Taelon sounded concerned.
"Da'an?" he mumbled, blinking again. He sat up slowly, trying to remember what might have happened, but had no luck. The last thing he could recall was starting to work on a report concerning the New Zealand Volunteer training camp...
As he straightened up, the pain in his shoulder abruptly changed from a dull throbbing to blazing agony, and for a minute he could do nothing except wait for the wave of agony to subside.
When he once again became aware of his surroundings, Da'an was crouched down next to his chair, his expression openly worried. "Liam, what is wrong?" the Taelon asked.
"My shoulder..." Liam gasped out. The agony was starting to lessen, but it was still quite painful.
"I believe that Agent Sandoval gave your painkillers to one of the Volunteers; I will be right back," Da'an said, and hurried away. It seemed like only a moment before he returned, holding the bottle of painkillers in one hand and a glass of water in the other. "How many do you need?" he asked, putting the glass down on the desk.
It was hard to concentrate, the pain occupying his thoughts almost to the exclusion of all else. "Four," he managed to reply after a minute. That was how many Dr. Park had told him to take after he'd landed on the shuttle floor Thursday morning, and although the pain was worse than that had been, he didn't want to take too many. Actually, the pain was as bad as it had been Sunday night, when he'd woken up from the dream of Ha'gel, but there wasn't any anesthetic here, so the painkillers would have to do.
"Here," Da'an said, holding out his hand. Liam took the pills and then sipped at the water to help him swallow, each movement slow and careful.
Putting the water back down, he turned back to Da'an. The painkillers wouldn't take effect for a little while; better to have something else to distract him from the pain until they did. "What happened?" he asked.
Da'an studied him thoughtfully. "You fell asleep," he replied after a moment. "Three hours ago. When Lieutenant Hartland last checked on you, he said that you looked uncomfortable, but he could not wake you."
I- what? "I fell asleep?" Liam repeated slowly. "How did that happen?" Although, come to think of it... I was starting to feel tired again...
Da'an sighed. "Liam, if you used even a fraction of the energy I sensed from you yesterday to defend yourself and Agent Sandoval, I am surprised that you remained awake for as long as you did."
"I was feeling better after I had something to eat," Liam protested.
"You require more than a meal to recover from that sort of expenditure of energy," Da'an pointed out. "I will contact Corporal Roberts; since Agent Sandoval has captured Lieutenant Colonel McKenna, it should now be safe for you to return home."
WHAT?
Liam leaned forward a bit, forgetting the pain for a moment. "What- when- how?" he blurted out.
Da'an's hands moved in a soothing pattern. "Earlier this afternoon. Agent Sandoval is currently interrogating him," the Taelon replied.
Under ordinary circumstances - or even yesterday, for that matter - Liam would have immediately demanded to join Sandoval. He had his own questions for McKenna - like why the lieutenant colonel had chosen to make him a target.
At the moment, however, he was in a great deal of pain, and now that the shock of McKenna's capture had had a minute or two to fade, he was starting to feel fatigue pull at him. Combined with the thought of finally getting to sleep at home, in his own bed, he found himself agreeing with Da'an's decision.
"All right," he murmured, leaning back in the chair. "I'll let Roberts take me home."
"I am gratified you have decided to be sensible," Da'an commented, his tone ironic.
Liam ignored the gentle taunt, feeling his eyes start to drift closed again. Not even the pain was helping to keep him awake at the moment.
"Liam!" Da'an said sharply.
Liam opened his eyes again and looked blearily at Da'an.
"Do not go back to sleep," Da'an ordered him firmly. "You need to stay awake until you arrive home."
"Right," Liam mumbled. He spent the next several minutes concentrating on keeping his eyes open. It was harder than he'd thought.
Finally, the door opened and Roberts poked his head in. "Ready to go, Major?" the Volunteer pilot asked.
Liam nodded and carefully pushed his chair away from the desk. Da'an extended a hand to help him up, and Liam took it reluctantly. He hated showing any weaknesses... but he had the feeling that he wouldn't be able to stand up at all if he didn't accept Da'an's help.
When they got to Roberts' shuttle, Liam carefully got into his seat and then suffered the indignity of having Da'an fasten the restraints - he was perfectly aware that he most likely wouldn't be able to do it himself, but he didn't have to like it.
He was distantly aware of Da'an giving Roberts what sounded like detailed instructions, but he focused what concentration he had on staying awake.
The trip itself seemed to pass quickly; it appeared to Liam that they'd only just left the mothership when Roberts was landing the shuttle just outside the back of the Flat Planet.
He managed to get the seat restraints off himself, and used his left hand to support him as he stood up. The last thing he wanted at the moment was for Roberts to 'escort' him up to his apartment.
"I can make it from here," Liam told the pilot.
Roberts looked doubtful. "Are you sure, Major?" he asked uncertainly. "If you don't mind me saying so, you look ready to collapse."
Liam nodded as firmly as he could. "I'll be fine. Thank you, Roberts." Getting out of the shuttle, he walked to the door leading to the stairs up to his apartment, and opened it. Once he was in and the door had closed behind him, he heard the shuttle take off.
Climbing the stairs was... interesting - and very slow. He wouldn't have been surprised if it took him half an hour to walk up one flight. Luckily, his door was right by the exit from the stairs, and he stepped in, closed and locked the door, and headed straight for his bedroom. He didn't even bother to take his shoes off before he collapsed into the bed.
Sandoval scowled as he studied McKenna through the virtual glass barrier.
The assassin had refused to answer any questions, except to say that Liam was a traitor and deserved death - which hadn't exactly helped Sandoval keep his temper, though he'd managed it. Barely.
He would have loved to turn McKenna over to the Volunteer 'interrogators', who had become very skilled at extracting the truth from unwilling prisoners. Unfortunately, McKenna was a Covert Ops assassin, which meant that he had extensive training in resisting both interrogation and torture.
If it had been up to him, Sandoval would have just killed McKenna and been done with it. Although the assassin's hatred for the Taelons was something he could understand, by threatening Liam, McKenna had proven that he didn't have a clue about what was really going on, and that made him a serious threat.
The problem with that solution was that they needed to know how McKenna had gotten his information.
First there had been the vaile; Sandoval had no doubt that Doors and Palmer had kept that particular project under the tightest possible security, and yet McKenna had managed to steal it, and in such a way that they hadn't even realized it was missing until three or four days later. Whoever had given McKenna the information about it could prove to be a valuable resource, if properly cultivated.
Then there were the breaches in Taelon security. McKenna had found out about Zo'or's trip to Africa and had been waiting there for Liam. That had been bad enough; but added to that, he had somehow acquired the blueprints of the Washington Taelon Embassy. The Volunteers had found them in his hotel room.
Leaning against the wall so that he couldn't be seen from the cell, Sandoval rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. Getting McKenna to talk looked like it was going to be a long-term project, unfortunately. None of his tricks would work on the man - hell, McKenna had taught him half of them, indirectly!
Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes and slammed his hand against the wall in frustration. This was getting him nowhere!
"Agent Sandoval," said a quiet voice from behind him, and Sandoval took a deep breath in an effort to regain control and turned around to see Da'an approaching.
"Da'an," he replied calmly.
"Has McKenna provided you with any information yet?" Da'an inquired, making no mention of his lapse of control, which was a relief. He really didn't want to have to explain it to the Taelon.
Sandoval shook his head. "No; and it's unlikely that he will anytime soon. He's trained to resist interrogation procedures."
Da'an frowned. "Surely there must be some way to convince him to talk. What about drugs?"
Sandoval shrugged. It was a possibility, but not one that he preferred to use. "I am uncertain whether or not they would be effective. We would need a doctor present if we were to try them." Which was the other reason he would prefer not to use drugs. His preference was to be alone when he was interrogating someone, in case they let slip some information that he would rather the Taelons didn't know about - how McKenna had discovered the vaile, for instance.
However, as he thought about it, he realized that drugs might be the only way to get McKenna to talk.
He sighed. "I can have a doctor who is authorized to administer interrogation drugs here by tomorrow," Sandoval said.
"Excellent," Da'an replied. Then he studied Sandoval for a moment. "You appear fatigued, Agent Sandoval," he commented. "If it will take until tomorrow to get this doctor, perhaps you should get some rest."
Da'an was right, of course. He hadn't gotten any sleep last night - he'd been too preoccupied by the revelation that Ha'gel was Liam's other parent; and then there had been the explosion this morning...
Rubbing the bridge of his nose again, he took a deep breath. "Very well. Is Major Kincaid still in my office?"
Da'an looked puzzled at the question. "Corporal Roberts piloted him home some time ago," he replied. "Now that McKenna has been captured, there was no reason for Major Kincaid to remain on board the mothership."
No reason - except that I automatically assumed that he would be coming back to my apartment with me, Sandoval thought ruefully. Considering Liam's reaction to the idea of staying away from his own apartment for the past five days, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise that he would have seized on the chance go home. "In that case, Da'an, I will see you in the morning," he said, nodding to the Taelon, and headed for the shuttle bay.
Liam looked around, feeling scared. He knew this place; it was the same place where he'd met Ha'gel when he'd gone to rescue Augur and Maiya... but it felt... different. Not like the psychokinetic dimension he'd been in.
Why am I here?
"I'm sorry, Li'am," came a quiet voice from behind him, and Liam turned; and stared at the gleaming being in front of him.
"Ha'gel?" he asked hesitantly. What was going on? And why did he feel so uneasy?
"I'm sorry," the Kimera repeated.
"For what?" Liam asked. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to like this...
"For the burden I've placed on you," Ha'gel replied. "I was the last of my kind..."
No! Liam screamed mentally, knowing what was coming. This isn't real... this is a dream... this isn't real...
"I succumbed to a biological imperative," Ha'gel was continuing...
...Only all of a sudden, it wasn't Ha'gel's voice. It was Sandoval's.
"I'm sorry, Liam," Sandoval - and it was Sandoval this time, not Ha'gel - said, and began moving away.
Leaving him.
"Father!" Liam called desperately. Sandoval didn't turn back. "Father, please! Don't go!" His voice rose to an anguished scream. "Father!"
Liam's eyes snapped open and he stared up at the ceiling for a moment before he realized that he was at home, safe. Alone.
Tears sprang to his eyes as he remembered the dream. It was like the one he'd had both Sunday and Monday nights... except that those times, it had only been Ha'gel in the dream; Sandoval hadn't been there at all - hadn't abandoned him the way Ha'gel had.
But now...
Sandoval had to have seen his shaqarava. There really was no way he couldn't have. And he'd said that they needed to 'talk'.
Shivering, Liam sat up, adjusting his sling to relieve some of the pressure he could feel on his shoulder. At least it wasn't hurting too badly.
Sandoval would demand to know the truth; that was the way he was. And Liam would have to tell him. There would be no more hiding behind surprise gifts and little clues...
But how would his father react?
If his dream was accurate... Sandoval would reject him. Or possibly... turn him over to the Taelons.
It's just a dream. It's just a dream. That's all it is. Liam repeated the mantra over and over, trying to convince himself. It doesn't have that feeling; it's not a vision.
I hope...
Taking a shaky breath, he rubbed his left hand across his eyes, blotting away the tears. Whatever happened, crying wouldn't help.
"And he was looking for me," Liam murmured out loud, in an effort to boost his spirits. Maybe if he actually heard the words, it would help him to believe them. "He wanted to find me."
Except that you don't know that he still wants to. You've been too busy to find out whether he's continued to search since Dr. Curzon told him that his son was a hybrid.
"Stop it!" Liam snapped at himself. He didn't want to think about that. In fact, there was a lot he didn't really want to think about. He needed to do something.
Standing up, he cast a glance at his watch, and blinked in surprise. Nine o'clock? Was it evening... or had he slept the entire night?
Walking into the main room, he pulled the curtains aside for a moment. It was morning.
He could go to the Embassy. He'd have to go anyway - Da'an's office had probably been devastated, which meant that he was going to have to see if anything could be salvaged - and it would definitely serve to keep him occupied.
Sandoval can find you there with no problem, came the thought, but Liam ignored it. If his father wanted to find him, he could do so easily enough; Liam didn't have to be at the Embassy for that. And at least at the Embassy he could distract himself.
And when Sandoval finds you and demands to speak to you? What will you tell him? Do you really think he'll be willing to accept you? He's tried to kill you-
"Stop thinking like that!" Liam said, furious with himself. Grabbing his jacket, he draped it over himself and walked out the door.
Chapter 16
"What?" Sandoval said carefully, staring at Zo'or. He could not believe that he'd really just heard what he thought he had.
Zo'or looked at him. "I thought I had made myself quite clear, Agent Sandoval. I said that you are to take the rest of your vacation, starting today."
"But... Zo'or... Is now really the best time? With Major Kincaid on medical leave for two weeks," Sandoval protested, "that leaves you with no-"
Zo'or waved his hand dismissively. "Si'al has agreed to lend me Colonel Ahmid's services as Protector while you are on vacation, and Ra'am's Protector will be available if need be." He turned away. "Enjoy your vacation, Agent Sandoval," he said dismissively.
Sandoval stared narrowly at Zo'or for a moment before he obediently left the bridge.
He'd arrived on board the mothership two hours ago, had made the arrangements for one of the FBI's doctors to come up to handle the interrogation of McKenna, and then Zo'or had summoned him.
As he walked through the corridors of the mothership, he considered Zo'or's actions carefully. It wasn't like the Taelon to be concerned for the well-being of any Implant, which made the reasons he had given for ordering Sandoval to finish his vacation - namely, that Sandoval looked as though he could use a break - suspicious at best. And added to that, the way Zo'or had insisted that he work from the Washington Embassy yesterday, rather than the mothership...
Sandoval's mouth tightened. It was becoming more and more likely that Zo'or was up to something... something that he wasn't sharing. The question was: what?
He stalked into his office, barely giving Captain Jardine a nod as he passed him. To make things even worse, this also meant that he wouldn't be able to question McKenna about the leak at Doors International.
He sat down in his chair and glowered at his desk. This was not shaping up to be a good day.
Then his eyes fell on the large envelope he'd brought up from his apartment, and he took a deep breath. He'd promised himself that as soon as McKenna was caught, he'd talk to Liam. Well, McKenna was in a cell a few levels away, awaiting the arrival of Dr. Bacon; it was time. He couldn't keep putting this off.
Pulling out his pocket watch, he checked the time; it was almost ten o'clock in Washington DC. Liam should be awake and up and about by now.
Opening his global, he input his son's number, and waited.
Liam sighed as he surveyed the wreckage of Da'an's office. The damage from the bomb had been extensive, and despite the fact that over twenty-four hours had passed, the building still hadn't managed to completely repair itself yet.
Corporal Standings, who'd apparently been helping the forensics team yesterday, had said that they believed that the reason there had been so much damage done was that the detonator - which had been made with Taelon technology - had interacted with the Semtex from the bomb, and that that interaction was responsible for the excessive force produced by the bomb's blast.
Liam knew better.
Glancing down at his hands, he winced. The energy he'd used to push the explosion away had added to the damage caused by the bomb - and it had been a lot of energy, which meant that he was partially responsible for the damage.
On the other hand, if he hadn't used his shaqarava, he and Sandoval would most likely have been vaporized; that made the damage by far the lesser of two evils.
Leaning carefully against the wall, he frowned. Yesterday he'd been too out of it to fully consider the implications of his shaqarava being active again - aside from the danger of the fact that Sandoval had seen-
No! Don't think about that!
Shaking his head in an unconscious effort to push the thought away, Liam returned his gaze to the devastation in front of him.
It's a good thing that I don't tend to store anything terribly important in my desk, he reflected ruefully. The explosion had utterly destroyed it; he didn't think there was a piece of the desk larger than a square inch still left in existence.
Da'an's chair and the portal had also been damaged, but not nearly as seriously - after all, it was his desk that had been at the centre of the blast. The portal had been removed, and Volunteers were going to install a new one later today; and Da'an's chair was part of the building, and as a result was already being repaired by the automatic systems. His desk would have to wait a bit longer.
Of course, since McKenna had been caught, he was now officially on medical leave, Liam remembered. For two weeks. So there wouldn't be a huge rush to get it done.
Two weeks. What am I supposed to do for two weeks? Liam thought with a sigh. Aside from avoiding Sandoval and letting Dr. Park run those tests...
Pushing himself away from the wall, Liam was just about to head out of the Embassy when his global beeped. He opened it, and almost groaned when he saw who it was. So much for avoiding him...
"What is it, Sandoval?" he asked, doing his best to keep the apprehension he felt out of his voice.
"I need to see you in my office," Sandoval replied. "There are some things that we need to discuss." His face bore its usual impassive mask, but there was no doubt in Liam's mind as to what the subject of the 'discussion' would be.
Unfortunately, he couldn't exactly run - there was nowhere to go.
"I'll be right up," Liam replied. Closing his global again, he took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm himself down, and went in search of Cpl. Roberts.
Renee leaned forward and rubbed her forehead with one hand.
She'd been working most of yesterday and all last night in an effort to discover exactly what had happened to the emergency portal that had supposedly been sent to the Arctic research facility; and so far, she hadn't found anything. Or to be more precise, she hadn't found anything to explain why the portal had never gotten there.
According to all the records, the portal had been sent to the Arctic, and had arrived there - and had been signed for by Dr. Greenbaum.
Which meant that either Dr. Greenbaum was lying - which was possible, but unlikely, since Renee trusted Jonathan's instincts about his people - or someone had done some expert forgeries, and the portal had actually gone somewhere else.
The emergency portals were outgoing only, and were hardwired to send any authorized users directly to the portal in the basement levels of Doors International's headquarters. Unauthorized users - anyone who wasn't either assigned to the portal's facility or a high-ranking member of DI - simply weren't transported. But if the portal had been in someone's hands long enough for them to program a new selection of 'authorized users' - which it could easily have been, since it had been missing for almost three years - it could be a serious security threat.
And then there was the matter of the vaile... As Dr. Morneaux had pointed out, the only way for McKenna to have known about it was for someone to have told him. Unless he'd discovered it completely by accident, of course... but that was highly unlikely. So that was something else that she had to look into - and soon.
Then there was that venture Jonathan was starting with Reynaud, ibn Muhammad, and Tradden... That was yet another thing she had to work on.
If Liam ever finds out about that, his tantrum over the vaile will probably pale into insignificance by comparison, she thought sourly, continuing to rub her forehead. She was starting to develop a headache. Not that it was much of a surprise, considering what she had to deal with at the moment, and the fact that she hadn't gotten any sleep for the past day and a half... And just what did Jonathan mean when he said that he could deal with Liam if it was needed?
Sighing, she stood up and walked over to the coffee pot she kept in her office for when she had these all-nighters. She just hoped that Liam was having more luck finding McKenna than she was dealing with the security breaches.
Turning around to head back to her desk, she froze as a sudden thought struck her. "Oh, my God..."
Sitting down, she immediately ordered the computer to bring up all security records from the lower levels for - not this past Monday - but the one before it; the day McKenna had broken in. If I'm right...
Liam quietly eased open the door to Sandoval's office and slipped in.
Sandoval was sitting at his desk, his attention fixed on the screen in front of him - probably reading a report of some kind. He didn't look up as Liam entered; instead, he simply instructed, "Lock the door."
Liam hesitated for a moment, uncertain - Why does he want the door locked? he wondered - and then obediently did so. He glanced around the office for a moment, absently noticing that Sandoval's desk was clear except for a single piece of paper, and then slowly sat down in his usual chair. "You... said there were some things we needed to discuss," he started carefully.
Sandoval sighed and leaned back in his chair, flicking off his screen. Turning to face Liam directly, he nodded. "Yes... in fact, there are quite a few things we have to discuss. The first involves McKenna."
Liam blinked, feeling confused and off-balance. He'd expected the first thing Sandoval would do would be to demand an explanation of exactly why he had shaqarava - not to act as though this was an ordinary meeting. "What about him?" he asked, doing his best to keep the confusion out of his voice.
"Da'an informed me that he had told you that McKenna had been captured; did he provide you with any details?"
Liam shook his head. "No..." he replied. He wasn't about to explain to Sandoval that he'd been too out of it yesterday to understand, even if Da'an had tried. It would only raise questions, and if Sandoval wasn't going to mention his shaqarava, he certainly wasn't going to bring them up.
His father nodded. "The detonator for the bomb was remote-controlled, and apparently the remote had to be within a two-block radius of the detonator to be effective," he explained. "We found McKenna lodged in a hotel about ten blocks from the Embassy."
Liam frowned. "Why would he have done that?" he demanded. "It doesn't make sense! He had to know that we would be looking for him!"
"Because he thought that you - or possibly both of us, he hasn't told me which - were dead," said Sandoval. "The forensics technicians found the remains of a miniature camera in the debris from the explosion. The Volunteers found the record from the camera in McKenna's bags. He knew that we were both in the room when he detonated the bomb.
"He probably assumed that the Volunteers would be too distracted to look for him immediately; and he had laid a carefully concealed false trail through the portal system to help throw them off his track, which he activated before doubling back and renting a room under an alias. I wouldn't be surprised if he thought that once they started looking, they wouldn't think to look nearby."
Liam shifted uneasily in his chair. If not for his shaqarava, the bomb would have killed both of them - he had no doubt of that. The question was, did Sandoval realize it?
Then Sandoval met Liam's eyes, his expression intense, but otherwise unreadable. "When were you planning on telling me?" he asked abruptly.
Liam stared at him in complete bewilderment. Where had that come from? He felt almost as though Sandoval had suddenly not only switched subjects, but had also started right in the middle of a conversation. And what had he meant by that? "What are you talking about, Sandoval?" he asked, feeling the apprehension start to return in a rush.
Sandoval studied his face for a long moment, and then pulled open one of his desk drawers. "I suppose, in a way, I should almost be grateful to McKenna," he said reflectively, reaching into the drawer and pulling something out. "Without what happened, I don't know if I'd have ever made the connection."
He put the item he'd taken from the drawer onto his desk, next to the piece of paper Liam had noticed earlier; and Liam froze, feeling his heart rise in his throat, as he recognized it. It was the birthday card he'd given Sandoval with the pictures, the one that had said in writing what he'd wanted to say out loud. He knows...
Sandoval looked at him again, his expression calm, not giving away any hint of what he thought. "Using your left hand to write this was quite a clever idea, actually," he said evenly. "It was only the fact that I compared it to the directions you'd given me to The Happy Greek that made me realize the truth. When were you going to tell me? Or were you waiting for me to figure it out myself?"
He knows! "I-I..." Liam stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. When did he find out? What is he going to do?
"Liam?"
The memory of his nightmare from this morning surfaced, seizing his attention. "I'm sorry, Liam." That was what Sandoval had said, just before he'd walked away. Had it been a vision? He'd never really anticipated that Sandoval would discover the truth before he decided that it would be safe to tell him... not even when he'd figured out that Sandoval was looking for him... What will he do now?
Will he walk away, like in the dream? Is he going to tell Zo'or and the Synod? Liam felt a chill go through him at the thought of being turned over to the Taelon scientists as an 'experiment'. Does he... would he really even want a hybrid son? Ha'gel didn't...
"Liam, look at me!" Sandoval said sharply, interrupting the fears whirling through his mind.
Liam blinked, surprised to find Sandoval standing right next to him. He hadn't even realized that Sandoval had gotten up.
He didn't dare look at Sandoval's face, dreading what he would see there; contempt - or worse, disgust...
"It's all right," Sandoval said firmly.
It took a moment for the words to penetrate Liam's fear. 'It's all right.' Did that mean... Hesitantly, he looked up at his father; really looked.
Sandoval gave his son a tentative smile, hoping to convey his feelings and erase the terrified look from Liam's face.
The minute Liam had figured out what Sandoval was asking, his face had gone as white as a sheet and his expression had become one of absolute terror.
That hadn't been at all what Sandoval had expected. He'd had no idea that Liam would react this way to finding out that he knew.
But it should have, he reflected somberly, as he crouched down in front of his son. Liam is Kimera - which means that if Zo'or and the Synod found out... they'd want him dead, at any cost. They certainly didn't hesitate to order Ha'gel killed. And Liam has to know that.
And considering what I've done for Zo'or before this... what I've done to Liam... No, I shouldn't be surprised he's reacting this way. I should have thought this through better.
"It's all right," he repeated, trying to gentle his tone. That probably wasn't the best way to put it, but at the moment, Sandoval simply couldn't think of anything else to say.
Liam hesitated for a second, and then, to Sandoval's surprise, he suddenly found himself with his arms wrapped around Liam's shoulders as his son clung to him, shaking.
A moment later, Liam pulled away, his face flushed. "I-I'm sorry," he murmured, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the floor just to the side of Sandoval's desk. His voice sounded thick, as though he was close to tears.
"Don't be," Sandoval said firmly. I definitely should have given a lot more thought to how I was going to handle this. "I meant it when I said that it was all right." He reached up to rest one hand on Liam's good shoulder, feeling the minute tremors that still shook his son's frame as he did so.
After a moment, he felt Liam's shivering start to subside. He didn't let go or move away, however; something told him that doing so would be the worst possible move at this point.
They stayed like this - Liam looking down at the floor and Sandoval crouched beside him, watching him - for a few minutes, and Sandoval was relieved to feel Liam relaxing even further. It appeared that this, at least, was the right way to handle things.
"So," Sandoval said finally, judging that Liam was relaxed enough for him to ask, "when were you going to tell me?"
There was a pause, and then, "I don't know," Liam admitted quietly.
He pulled away from Sandoval's hand; Sandoval let him go, but found himself surprised at how hard it was.
"I... I don't know if I was going to tell you," Liam continued after a moment, his eyes still focused on the floor and his voice soft. "I wanted to, especially after..." He hesitated. "After you were... sick, but..." He faltered, and Sandoval could see that he was reluctant to continue.
"I was looking for you," Sandoval said quietly.
Liam's head jerked up at that, and he met Sandoval's eyes for the first time since this conversation had started.
"When Dr. Curzon told me about the blood, told me I had a son..." It was Sandoval's turn to pause, as he remembered the combination of shock and joy he'd felt at the revelation. "More than anything else, I wanted to find him - you. As soon as I got out of the hospital, I started searching. Everywhere.
"In fact," he added, wondering why it was suddenly his voice that sounded thicker, "that was how I'd planned to spend my vacation; looking for you."
Liam blinked, his expression incredulous; and then it faded, to be replaced with hesitation, as something else apparently occurred to him. "W-what else do you know?" he asked, his voice getting even softer; he was obviously nervous, though not as terrified as he had been.
As Liam spoke, Sandoval started to stand up and stretch; he'd been getting a bit stiff from crouching so long. He saw a sudden flash of fear cross Liam's face, and sighed silently. Speaking in a calm, quiet tone, hoping to put his son at ease, he replied, "I know that you're part-Kimera, and that Siobhan was your mother - which explained some things I had been wondering about. I admit, it took me a while to figure it all out, but I did.
"And no," he added, hoping that this would relieve Liam's fear, "I haven't told Zo'or anything; and I don't intend to."
Liam didn't appear to be as concerned about that as he'd expected. Instead, his son asked, "And... you don't mind?" He sounded uncertain, and the fear hadn't left his face.
Don't mind? Don't mind what? Sandoval wondered, puzzled... and then, abruptly, all the pieces started to come together. The pictures and the card... the revelation that his son was a hybrid... Liam's reaction to the fact that he knew the truth...
He's afraid I won't want him!
"Liam... you're my son." It was the first time in this conversation that either of them had mentioned it directly. "Everything else... I won't say it doesn't matter, because it's all part of what makes you who you are, but it doesn't change that one essential fact. You. Are. My. Son. That is what's important to me. That's all that's important to me."
The tension in Liam's slender frame disappeared completely, and Sandoval found himself relaxing as well.
"Now-" he began, about to tell Liam about Zo'or's orders concerning his vacation, when his global abruptly beeped, interrupting him. "Damn it!" he swore. I told Jardine not to disturb me... unless it's important. Damn! "This will just take a minute, Liam," he assured his son, and then headed back to his desk and picked up his global.
Liam leaned back in his chair and let his attention drift as his father answered the call.
He felt almost like a puppet who'd just had its strings cut, so great was the relief he felt. Sandoval - his father - knew about him... and wanted him!
It was a difficult thought to absorb, considering he'd spent the past couple of months worrying about what would happen when Sandoval found out, but he believed it.
Between his father's memories and his own experiences with Sandoval as a colleague, he could recognize when Sandoval was hiding his emotions, and when he was revealing them. Most of the time they remained hidden; in fact, Liam was pretty sure that before this, the only time he'd really gotten an honest look at his father's emotions was the fit of temper Sandoval had had in the hospital when he'd been sick. Before today.
Everything Sandoval had said to him this morning was true. It wasn't just wishful thinking on his part; the emotions behind the words had been honest - and real.
"Liam?"
Liam looked over towards Sandoval's desk to see that his father had finished his conversation, and was looking none too pleased. "What is it?"
His father grimaced. "Colonel Ahmid's here to be briefed on Zo'or's schedule for the next two weeks."
"What?" Liam asked, confused. What was going on?
"I was going to tell you, just before Captain Jardine called, that Zo'or's essentially ordered me to take my vacation - the full two weeks. Since you're going to be on medical leave, Zo'or arranged for Colonel Ahmid to fill in for me."
His father paused, and, not looking at Liam, added carefully, "I was wondering... there's a cabin that the Bureau occasionally uses as a safehouse - or a vacation spot - about three hours drive away from here. It's empty right now..." He hesitated, and then met Liam's eyes directly. "I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."
Liam's eyes widened in surprise at the invitation. "Come with you?" he repeated.
His father looked... uncomfortable, which surprised Liam even more. "You are on medical leave for those same two weeks," he pointed out. "And..." Sandoval hesitated for a moment. "You're my son, Liam. I'd... like to get the chance to know you."
"Yes," Liam declared firmly. He didn't even have to think about it. "Yes, I'll come." He smiled tentatively. "I... I'd like that too."
Sandoval took a deep breath, feeling relief run through him. This wasn't going to be easy, of course. There was a lot of history between the two of them, most of it unpleasant; but he was willing to try, and so was Liam. They'd make it work.
"I've still got some things to do up here - like brief Colonel Ahmid," he said. "And finish making arrangements for the cabin. And you should probably see Dr. Park before we leave. How about I pick you up at your apartment tonight? That will give you the rest of the day to pack and tell whoever you need to."
"All right," Liam replied, just as someone outside chimed for admittance.
Sandoval glared at the door, and then grimaced ruefully. "I'll see you tonight," he told his son.
Liam nodded shyly, and then headed for the door as Sandoval schooled his expression back into his typical impassive mask. Unlocking it, Liam nodded to Colonel Ahmid and Captain Jardine, and then disappeared down the hall.
"Thank you, Captain; that will be all," Sandoval said, dismissing Jardine with a slight nod. Then he turned to Colonel Ahmid. "If you'll take a seat, Colonel, we'll get started on Zo'or's itinerary for the next two weeks. He has an interview in Baltimore tomorrow afternoon; security arrangements are already in place, but you will want to review them..."
Doors frowned slightly as he tapped the screen. It flickered and changed, revealing Henri Reynaud's face.
"Henri? Is something wrong?" Doors asked.
"Mais non, mon ami!" Henri replied. "Au contraire; I have some very good news for you, Jonathan."
"Oh?" Doors inquired, leaning forward. "And what news might that be?"
Henri smiled. "I think that we are going to be ready ahead of schedule on that little project we discussed Monday," his friend replied.
Doors smiled, surprised. "That's very good to hear, Henri! The sooner we get this into operation, the better off humanity will be."
"Bien sûr; that is why my people have been working non-stop on the matter of the infrastructure. I look forward to taking you and the lovely Ms. Palmer on a tour."
"I look forward to it as well," Doors said, and then stopped as the door to his office was flung open and the aforementioned Ms. Palmer entered, her expression boding no good. "Henri, I'm afraid I have to go," he told his friend. "I'll call you back a bit later to arrange a time, all right?"
"Certainement," Henri replied, and the channel closed.
Doors looked up as Renee stalked over to his desk and perched on the corner. "All right, Renee, what is it?"
"I think I have an idea as to who snatched the emergency portal," Renee began. "And you're not going to like it, Jonathan."
Doors frowned darkly. "I don't like it already," he snapped. "One of our emergency portals being stolen... it's a potential security nightmare!"
"Well, that nightmare became a reality last week," Renee replied grimly. "Remember we were wondering how McKenna managed to get in and evade all the security cameras and sensors leading to the lower levels?"
Doors' frowned deepened. He didn't like where this was going. "Are you trying to tell me that McKenna used the stolen emergency portal to enter this building?" he demanded.
Renee nodded. "That's exactly what I'm telling you," she confirmed. Leaning over, she tapped a command into his computer, bringing up the security record for the top-secret portal room. The date and time stamp said that it was from last Monday.
There was a flash of light from the portal, and a moment later, McKenna was standing there. A moment after that, the record went blank - like all the other ones on the lower levels.
"The camera re-activated an hour later, just like all the rest," Renee added.
Doors rubbed his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "You know what this implies, don't you?"
Renee nodded solemnly. "Yes, I do. The organization and foresight needed to pull this off..." She trailed off. Neither of them needed to say it out loud.
There was another player in the game.
Dr. Park looked up as the door to her office opened and Liam poked his head in.
"Busy?" he asked.
Dr. Park laughed. "Always," she replied. "But not too busy. Do you want to come in?"
Opening the door wider, Liam slipped in - and Dr. Park frowned. "Where's your escort?" she demanded. "After what happened yesterday morning, I would have thought they'd be sticking to you like glue."
"Oh, Sandoval and the Volunteers got McKenna yesterday afternoon," Liam replied. "He's in a cell on the mothership at the moment, awaiting trial."
As relieved as she was to hear that, Dr. Park couldn't help frowning deeper as she studied the young man. Liam sounded... happy. Happier than he'd been in a long time.
Not that that was a bad thing... in fact, it was nice to see Liam happy for once. But considering the events of the past week, his reaction was... unusual, to say the least.
"What's up?" she asked. "You sound... cheerful."
Liam gave her a faint smile. "I'm taking advantage of those two weeks of medical leave you and Da'an foisted on me," he replied. "I'm going to take a vacation."
"A vacation," Dr. Park repeated slowly.
Liam nodded. "And don't worry; I'll have someone with me," he added. "I just thought I'd better let you know what I'm doing."
"Who are you going with?" she demanded, concerned. "Just in case... something... happens..." Her eyes flickered down to his hands.
Liam met her gaze evenly. "Someone I trust," he replied. Judging from his expression, he didn't intend to give her any more details.
Dr. Park sighed resignedly. "All right, as long as you're sure... So, how are you feeling?" she added, gesturing towards the chair opposite her.
Sitting down, Liam sighed. "My shoulder's hurting a bit, but not too much," he replied. "It's throbbing, but not in agony."
"And," she lowered her voice, "your shaqarava?"
"Oh, right... umm..." Liam hesitated, and then held out his left hand for her to take a look.
Taking it, Dr. Park's eyes opened wide in surprise. The dark red mark was gone; in its place was the light, reddish-tinged diamond shape that Liam had had originally. "What happened?" she demanded.
Liam squirmed slightly in his chair. "I assume you heard about the bombing?" he asked.
Dr. Park glared. "It was on all the news programs, Liam. Of course I heard about it!" Then she noticed the cut on his forehead. "Was that caused by the bomb?" she asked, gesturing to it. The cut appeared to be half-healed, but he definitely hadn't had it Monday afternoon when he'd left the hospital.
"Yes..." Liam began slowly. "But... I would have been dead, if I hadn't managed to activate my shaqarava. When everything was over, they were back to..." he waved his left hand to illustrate.
Frowning thoughtfully, Dr. Park studied him. He was hiding something. It was obvious to her; after all, she'd known him since he was born. But if whatever he was hiding was important, he would have told her.
"All right. How many painkillers do you have left?"
Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle. "Uh... about half of them, I think," he replied, frowning at it.
"I'll write you another prescription. How far away will you be?" she continued.
"The place is apparently a three-hour drive from the city," Liam replied, sticking the bottle back in his pocket.
Dr. Park handed him the new prescription. "If anything happens, you call me, okay?" she said firmly.
Liam grinned at her. "Sure. But I'll be fine. I promise."
"And when you come back, see me about those tests we have to do," she added, as Liam got up and started for the door.
"Will do! I'll talk to you later," Liam added, before disappearing out the door.
Dr. Park looked after him for a few moments, and then got up, locked the door, and returned to her desk. Reaching under it, she tapped a button, and a concealed drawer sprung out.
The only thing in the drawer was a set of medical records. Liam's. The real ones, not the ones that were on file as Major Kincaid's.
Opening the file, she spent over an hour reading through every entry that she - or Dr. Belman - had ever made, from the detailed tests she'd done on Liam just after he was born, to Sunday's scan results. She added a cryptic note to the end of the file about the return of Liam's shaqarava, and then sat back in her chair and thought about what she'd just read.
The problem was that Liam was only a year old; and they simply didn't know enough about the Kimera to determine what sorts of things would be normal for him, and what wouldn't. That was one of the reasons she and Julianne dragged Liam in for extensive medical tests every two months; so that they had as much data as they could get, just in case something did happen.
There was a pattern to the results of the last two sets of tests, but she wasn't entirely certain what it was yet, just that it was definitely there. Something was changing. And she had no idea what it was, or what to do about it - or if anything should be done about it, for that matter!
I'm going to have to speak to Julianne about this, she decided finally. Whatever happened, they were going to have to be prepared.
Da'an looked up as Liam walked into the room that was serving as his office until the Embassy's systems finished the repairs. "Liam," he acknowledged. "You are looking much better today."
The young hybrid grinned. "Thanks, Da'an. I'm sorry about being... so... out of it last night; what happened yesterday morning really drained me."
"As I told you last night, I was not surprised by that," Da'an replied calmly. Then he studied Liam's face for a moment. "Is there something I can help you with, Liam?" he added.
Liam hesitated for a moment, and then forged ahead. "About my medical leave-"
"I will not go against Dr. Park's recommendations in this matter, Liam," Da'an interrupted firmly. "You need the rest. You will take two weeks of medical leave, beginning today."
"Umm... actually, Da'an, I wasn't really coming here to argue about it," Liam admitted, giving him a rueful smile. "I... made some plans, and I wanted to let you know about them."
"Oh?" Da'an inquired. What had changed Liam's mind so firmly? Only two days ago, he had been set against the medical leave, and resentful of the fact that both Dr. Park and Da'an were insisting upon it. What was different now? "What sort of plans?"
"I'm going to be staying at a cabin out in the country," Liam explained.
"For the two weeks?" Da'an asked.
His Protector nodded.
"Will you be able to manage, with your shoulder?" Da'an continued.
"Someone's coming with me," Liam replied. "I'll be fine, Da'an. I'll see you in two weeks, okay?"
"Of course," Da'an said calmly, and then watched Liam leave.
He was glad that Liam had reconciled himself to the fact that he needed this medical leave. He only hoped that the young hybrid would have the chance to relax while he was away.
Although... He still couldn't help but wonder; why had Liam changed his mind? And... who was going with him? It wasn't as though Liam had many friends, a fact for which - he reflected guiltily - he was greatly responsible.
Sandoval waited patiently as Dr. Bacon got out of the shuttle, checking his pocket watch as he did so.
Personally, he neither cared for nor trusted the doctor, but the man was good at his job, and knew how to follow orders to the letter, both of which were important. All the more so because Sandoval wasn't going to be there to handle the interrogation and ask the questions himself.
"Doctor," Sandoval greeted him coolly.
"Agent Sandoval," Dr. Bacon responded, equally coolly.
"I have a list of questions for you to ask the prisoner," Sandoval said, gesturing slightly toward the corridor that would lead them to the cells. "The order doesn't matter; use your judgment. Ask them in whichever order you feel will gain us the most information. But all the questions must be answered, completely. We need that information."
"Of course," Bacon replied.
Sandoval took the paper he'd listed the questions on out of his pocket and handed it to the doctor. "There may be some difficulties," he added.
Bacon stopped and turned to study him. "What sort of 'difficulties'?" he demanded.
"Lieutenant Colonel McKenna is a fully-trained professional assassin. He is most resistant to all regular methods of interrogation, which is the reason you were called in," Sandoval replied. "He may be resistant to some of your methods as well. You must be careful; we need him alive. You will be given full access to his medical records; that should be of some help."
"I will need access to records of his training as well," Bacon said curtly, turning away and beginning to walk again.
"Not all of those records are available," Sandoval replied calmly. "Those that are will accompany his medical records."
"Well, I suppose that will have to suffice. It may take several days to get all the answers you require, however," the doctor added.
"That is acceptable. Just make sure we get them. Once he has answered all the questions, give the answers to Captain Jardine." Jardine didn't like Bacon any more than he did, although they'd only met once, but the captain knew how to do his job. And in spite of his dislike, he had a certain grudging respect for the doctor's ability to get information.
Captain Jardine met them at the cells. "Agent Sandoval, your shuttle is ready," he reported. Then he nodded to the doctor. "Dr. Bacon," he acknowledged. "Your patient is in cell 4. He's already been given a light lunch. His files are on the terminal in the security room."
"Very well," Dr. Bacon said, nodding shortly, and headed straight for the security room.
Jardine watched him go, and then sighed. "I hope you have a pleasant vacation, sir," he said.
"Thank you, Captain. And just... do your best to ignore Bacon - at least until he comes up with something," Sandoval advised.
"Yes, sir," Jardine said, sighing again. "I guess I'd better go keep an eye on him for the moment, though; don't want him trying to get into anything he shouldn't."
Sandoval's mouth twitched. "I'll see you in two weeks, Captain," he said calmly, and then turned and headed for the shuttle bay.
Colonel Ahmid had been briefed, Zo'or had been informed, the cabin had been reserved; all that remained was for him to get packed and then pick Liam up this evening.
The next two weeks were going to be an interesting experience, Sandoval suspected... and one that he was looking forward to. Very, very much.
Epilogue
McKenna lay on the ledge in his cell, staring up at the ceiling.
For the past twenty hours, he'd been unable to focus beyond one single thought; This is impossible! Kincaid should be dead!
He had never failed so badly before.
And now, not only had he failed to kill his target, but he'd also been captured by the Taelons. Definitely not a good situation to be in, especially considering what details he'd heard of how the aliens' puppets worked.
With a sigh, he sat up and eyed the tray a Volunteer had brought in half an hour ago. Grimacing at the sight of the food - 'gruel' was the term that sprang to mind - he reached for the spoon that had been provided with it.
McKenna's face twisted in disgust at the taste of the meal, but he finished it. There was still a chance, however slight, that he would manage to escape; and if he did, he would need his strength.
As he went to lift the napkin up, he caught sight of a small, folded piece of paper underneath it.
McKenna put the napkin back down on the tray and stood up. Wandering over to the virtual glass barrier that formed the front wall of his cell, he glanced around, acting as though he was looking for a Volunteer to come get the tray.
There was no one in the corridor; he wouldn't be seen.
Returning to the ledge, he sat back down, and then frowned and picked up the napkin again, this time making sure that he picked the paper up with it.
Bringing the napkin up to his face as if he was going to wipe his mouth - just in case there was surveillance in the cell - he scanned the note.
It was very short, and the contents brought a faint smile to McKenna's face. His slight chance at escape had just increased.
Reading it again, he nodded slowly before replacing the napkin - though not the note, which he slipped by sleight of hand into the collar of the jumpsuit he'd been given - on the tray, and then lay back down on the ledge.
'Death to the traitors'... yes, I may just manage to get out of here with my skin intact.
"And in international news today, the man responsible for the recent attacks on Synod Leader Zo'or, Companion-Protector Major Liam Kincaid, and yesterday's bombing of the Taelon Embassy in Washington has been apprehended by a Volunteer task force. Lieutenant Colonel Gary McKenna, a member of the US Army Rangers, is currently in custody on board the Taelon mothership awaiting trial.
"Neither FBI Special Agent Ronald Sandoval - who was in charge of the task force - nor Major Kincaid were available for comment."
Janine Deere turned the screen off and turned to her friend. "So, what do you think about all that?" she asked.
"All what?" returned Alison McPherson, who was trying her best to look as though she hadn't been paying attention to the CBC noon news broadcast as she dusted the bookshelves by the entrance. It hadn't been very busy so far this morning - only two customers, both of whom knew exactly what they wanted and were in and out within minutes - but, as with all bookstores, Ye Olde Booke Shoppe required constant dusting. It was Ali's pet theory that books - especially old and rare ones - had an almost magnetic attraction for dust.
"The news, Ali, the news!" Janine exclaimed in exasperation. "They've caught the man responsible for yesterday's bombing in Washington!"
Ali shrugged. "You know my feelings about the Taelons, Janey," she replied. "I don't give a damn about them or what happens to them."
Janine sighed. "Whatever you say, Ali," she said. "But you can't deny that the world is a safer place, thanks to the Taelons."
Or so they claim, Ali thought sourly. She knew better. She had experienced first-hand the results of some of what the Taelons had done. Not that she could tell Janine - or anyone, for that matter - about that...
"Oh, I almost forgot," Janine said suddenly. "Grant was in yesterday, looking for you."
"You mean Mr. Fellowes?" Ali asked, focusing her attention on her dusting. Grant Fellowes - and his interest in her - was not a subject she wanted to discuss at the moment. Especially not after the names she'd just heard on the news.
Her eyes went to her left hand, where her wedding band had been. Had been... until Boone had taken it, as proof that she was dead.
"Ali!" Janine's voice interrupted her brooding thoughts. "I know he's told you to call him 'Grant'. I've heard him say it at least a dozen times. He likes you, you know. And you could stand to make more friends," she continued, sitting down on her stool and leaning back against the wall. "Grant's a nice man."
Ali rolled her eyes. "He's a reporter," she enunciated carefully. "I... don't... like... reporters." All she needed was for Grant Fellowes to get a bit too interested in her, and start digging into Alison McPherson's history...
Before Janine could respond to that, the bell over the door dinged as it opened and a customer walked in.
Ali tried to return her attention to her dusting, but the news broadcast had dredged up memories; both old, pleasant ones, and the newer, much more painful ones from the past five years.
When she realized that she'd dusted the same bookshelf four times, she gave up. Heading back to the counter, she gave the customer a nod, murmured to Janine that she was going to take a break, and slipped out the back door of the shop.
She'd take a nice long walk around the district; and hopefully, by the time she arrived back at the store, the memories of Ron would be back where they belonged, buried deep.