Broken Wings - XIV -

She smiled to herself as the plane lifted off. Eveything was running according to plan. That was exactly how she like it.

A few rows ahead in the private jet, Jun was curled up in the seat in a deep drug-induced sleep. According to the staff doctor, Jun should be asleep for the entire trip. (He had better be right. If I end up with an enhanced toddler running around this airplane, that doctor will learn where my reputation really came from.)

Dr. Lee was also on the plane. His nose was in a medical journal while his hand furiously scribbled notes on a legal pad. She shook her head. No matter how much they knew, it was never enough. The more they knew, the more questions they asked. The more questions they asked, the more it became clear to them how little they knew. Dr. Lee strived daily to obtain knowledge to reach a whimsical cause. And for what? For nothing. He would never be seeing the outside world again...not after he had worked for her. She wouldn't allow it.

She flipped through the latest batch of surveillance and wire tap reports. Both were tedious and uneventful. She looked again, in fact, they were too uneventful. A slow grin spread across her face. Hitting what would have been a flight attendant call button on a regular flight, a soldier came immediately.

"Yes, sir."

"Please bring Lieutenant Briggs to come see me."

After a minute, he appeared. Closing the folder she was looking at, she patted the seat next to her.

"Please, sit down David."

Caught off guard, he slowly sat down.

"Are you feeling better? That was quite the flu you had last week...came on so suddenly."

He made eye contact with her and replied, "Yes, sir. It was very quick and I am feeling much better now."

"Strange, these things." She said with a quizzical tone.

"Was it a head cold?"

"Yes, my sinuses were bothering me. Was there a reason you sent for me?"

"Yes, I was just wondering how it came to be that a person who was sick would not have one dirty Kleenex in their trash."

"Sir?"

She shook her head at him disapprovingly. "Come, come now David. If I go through the trouble to check all of my staff and backers, don't you think I would check on you too?"

"Yes, sir."

"I must not have emptied my trash barrels. What exactly are you implying?"

"No, there weren't any in your trash barrels in the house. There was no cough medicine in the medicine cabinet. In fact, you have hardly been home much at all? Where have you been David?"

"With my girlfriend."

"And what is her name?"

"Tanya. What is this really about? Don't tell me you are going to try and live vicariously through my life just because you don't have one."

The hesitation hadn't been more than a split second but she caught it.

Again, she shook her head. "Not good David. Not good at all. You must not get defensive. Donald must have taught you that much."

"Donald?"

She sighed. "Ah yes, these games. I would love to play some more but I don't have the time." Her eyes narrowed and she looked at him. "The fact is that there were no tissues because you were not sick. In fact, you were not home. The only call you make from your home phone is once a week to your mother. Why? Because you make your calls from another one. Now, are you going to tell me what was in the surveillance reports that you left out?"

"I didn't leave anything out!" His voice was firm but not desperate. "I don't know what you are trying to do but you are wrong. I have nothing to do with Lydecker. If you are done with your accusations, I have work to get back to."

An icy hand on his arm stopped him. He could feel the steel grip and he heard her voice, almost in a whisper, close to his ear.

"Now, you listen, and you listen well. I know you are the one who has been giving information to Lydecker and I will have it. You can tell me now or you can be made to tell when we get to the facility.

He brought his face inches from hers and matched her tone.

"I have nothing to tell."

Her smile returned. She made a movement with her hand that he couldn't see and then waved her hand in the air as two guards came over. "We shall see...Guards, take Lieutenant Briggs into your custody. I would like him unconscious until we arrive at the facility and then he is to be brought to the interrogation room."

She watched as the two guards took away a silent yet strong Lieutenant Briggs. It would be interesting to see how long he remained that way. Either way, she had found the leak and now, she had other plans for him.