Carter got the lists from each hospital that same evening. Kerry already knew what was going on and got him the information without any questions. Likewise, Gamma's influence produced results just as quickly. Dr. Ross, however, took a little convincing, but, after talking to Carol, he faxed the list two hours later.
Lucy went to work immediately, working well into the night. There were at least thirty names and social security numbers that had to be painstakingly checked.
By two in the morning, Lucy had gone through the list three times without finding anything wrong.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No inconsistencies, no missing data, nothing to show that these people aren't who they say they are." Lucy said.
With a yawn, she locked down her system before going into the kitchen to have some tea.
"Well, it was a long shot. You said it yourself. Besides, it could be another random crime, or a patient." Carter said.
"I know, but two random attacks in one week is too obvious to be missed. They have no choice but to take a more subtle approach." She said.
She drank her tea in silence. After yawning a second time, Carter broke the silence.
"Well, you're not going to find it at two in the morning. So I suggest that we get some sleep and pick this up again tomorrow. " Carter said.
"I'm missing something... I feel like I'm missing something." Lucy said.
She went into the bathroom to change into a t-shirt and boxers before settling on the couch. Carter stopped her.
"Oh no. You're going to bed. It's my turn to take the couch. Doctor's orders." He said.
"Yes Doctor." She said in an amused tone.
She went into the bedroom and slipped under the covers.
"I'm missing something..." she mumbled.
Sleep claimed her quickly.
She found herself in a hospital exam room. It was dark, and there was loud music playing outside, along with the chatter of a party. Looking around the room, Lucy noticed Valentine decorations. Looking down, she saw a heart-shaped card on the floor. Bending down to pick it up, she noticed that is was for her, from Carter. She smiled warmly. Suddenly, she felt a presence in the room. Even though it was a dream, it felt real to her and her training took over.
Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and neck and fell to the floor. She was stabbed with a large knife. She couldn't move, paralyzed with pain and fear, she barely managed to move her eyes, hoping to catch her assailant. He slipped into the corner next to the door and waited, knife still in hand. Then, the door opened and she saw Carter walk in.
"No" she tried to say, but couldn't speak. The pain was so unbearable.
It was too late; the assailant came out from behind the door and brutally stabbed him in the lower back. He, too, fell to the floor just six feet away from her. Their eyes locked for a moment. Blood was pooling around his body. She managed to move her eyes again and catch the face of their attacker... She knew that face...
She screamed.
She shot out of bed. Carter was already at her side, and was holding her. It was morning.
"Carter..." She said.
"Shhhh. It's ok. I'm right here. It was a nightmare." He said.
He held her, stroking her hair, until she calmed down. Their eyes locked for a what felt like a long moment. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. Carter pulled back.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He trailed off.
"It's ok. Oh god. Carter, there's another hospital we didn't check."
Day 4
Lucy had Carter contact Dr. Weaver again, to see if she knew someone that could get the information they needed. Unfortunately, it took most of the morning before they had their information. She had to ask for a favor from Dr. Romano to get the hospital to release the information, but they had the list by noon, and there was only one new employee in the past month, a Psychologist.
His name was Dr. Robert Benson. A background check immediately revealed several inconsistencies. The Social security number belonged to a man who died ten years ago. No other relatives or siblings. Plus, she found that all new information about him was entered into the various mainframes just a week after she went on the run.
A check on her organization's database got a hit. His real name was Alan Namen: famed interrogator and assassin. He had been on their wanted list for a long time. The picture they had on file showed a man in his late forties, with dark, graying hair, brown eyes, and horn-rimmed glasses. He was the epitome of inconspicuousness: calm, middle-aged, and dressed accordingly. But under it all, he was as cruel and cold-blooded as they came.
With the information in hand, and no time to lose, they ran to her car and drove through the streets of Chicago.
"It'll take us seven hours to get there." Carter said.
"We're not driving there Carter" She said.
She slid around the corners, the four-wheel drive Audi barely gripping the road as she dodged around other cars until they reached Midway Airport. After getting through the security gate, she drove past various aircraft and hangars until she found what they needed. She parked her car a discrete distance away before getting out of the car.
"Relax, and follow my lead." She said.
They calmly walked over to the white helicopter with the Illinois State Police "Air One" graphics and got in.
"You can fly a helicopter?" He asked, amazed.
"If you can fly a kite, you can fly anything." She said.
After strapping in and donning headsets, Lucy flipped several switches as she turned on the various electrical systems. After turning on the fuel pumps, the powerful turbine engine came to life. Just then, Carter noticed several security and police officers rushing toward them.
"I suggest that you get this thing off the ground. I don't want to know what the penalty is for stealing a police helicopter." Carter said.
"It's grand larceny, which carries a sentence of one to five years depending on the offense." She said.
"Thanks for telling me." He said.
Working the controls, the single-engined Eurocopter Ecureuil AS 350 B2 lifted off the ground. With a bank to the right, Lucy increased altitude and they were off to Chester.