All seven of them stood in the hallway of the IAD Facility in Alexandria, Virginia looking into the two different holding cells at the two men. Alex and Jake kept watching Litha for some sign of recognition. If there was, it was so minute that it didn't even register. Wallace had said that she knew these two men.
Footsteps echoing down the hall caused almost everyone but Litha to turn. A shorter man, wire thin with dark red hair and a jovial demeanor came down the hallway towards them with one other man.
"Aaron." Frank put his hand out to shake the man's hand.
"Frank. Good to see you again, even if under such circumstances." He shook the younger man's hand in an iron grip that time and age hadn't faded. In his other hand was a file jacket that he tucked under his arm while talking. "This is your team? Nice, nice... good to put a real face with the name instead of a file photo. I've heard good things coming from above about them." Aaron Dodge was the Chief Director of the Internal Affairs Department and knew everyone in the hallway inside and out. "How is she Frank?"
"She's upright and breathing. Not much else." He turned to look at Litha who still was staring through the glass at one of the men, arms folded around her stomach. She hadn't changed clothing at all, still wearing the black jeans, t-shirt and boots she had on in Brazil. She was apparently oblivious to the fact that everything happened yesterday in Brazil.
"This is William. He'll be helping me with the interview. This man here is Hendricks. We believe him to be the one who actually picked up Angelina."
"Why do you say that Aaron?"
Dodge turned and looked at Frank. "Because he's got kids of his own, and he's got a gentler nature than Burns over in the next cell. Burns is a meat pounder, someone who's there for a physical presence only. Shall we William?"
He and William disappeared into the first man's cell. All of them watched as Aaron dropped the file jacket down and opened it up. Wallace flipped a switch and opened up the speaker so they could hear.
"You do know why you're here, don't you Agent Hendricks?" The man didn't respond. "Funny thing is, you're in so much mud here that it's not funny. Open the file."
The man looked at Dodge. So Dodge opened it for him. One or two of the spectators in the hallway could see Litha's file photo clipped to the top of the paperwork. The man's eyes looked at it, then flicked up to Dodge.
"You do know I'm IAD, right? Chief Director Dodge, just in case you don't know who I am. I see you recognize Agent Sinclair's photo. You know why I'm here, asking you about something involving Litha?" The man's eyes flicked to the glass behind Dodge, then back to Dodge. He sat back, still silent as stone.
Litha moved from the glass with Hendricks and Dodge to the other man, Burns. Everyone watched her as she did. Frank stepped closer to her but not close enough to make her draw away. Slowly he leaned towards the glass and watched her face. Her eyes were flicking back and forth from the man's face to his hands. He could see that her brain was working on some nagging little problem.
All of a sudden she opened the door and stepped inside...
****
Footsteps echoing down the hall caused almost everyone but Litha to turn. A shorter man, wire thin with dark red hair and a jovial demeanor came down the hallway towards them with one other man.
"Aaron." Frank put his hand out to shake the man's hand.
"Frank. Good to see you again, even if under such circumstances." He shook the younger man's hand in an iron grip that time and age hadn't faded. In his other hand was a file jacket that he tucked under his arm while talking. "This is your team? Nice, nice... good to put a real face with the name instead of a file photo. I've heard good things coming from above about them." Aaron Dodge was the Chief Director of the Internal Affairs Department and knew everyone in the hallway inside and out. "How is she Frank?"
"She's upright and breathing. Not much else." He turned to look at Litha who still was staring through the glass at one of the men, arms folded around her stomach. She hadn't changed clothing at all, still wearing the black jeans, t-shirt and boots she had on in Brazil. She was apparently oblivious to the fact that everything happened yesterday in Brazil.
"This is William. He'll be helping me with the interview. This man here is Hendricks. We believe him to be the one who actually picked up Angelina."
"Why do you say that Aaron?"
Dodge turned and looked at Frank. "Because he's got kids of his own, and he's got a gentler nature than Burns over in the next cell. Burns is a meat pounder, someone who's there for a physical presence only. Shall we William?"
He and William disappeared into the first man's cell. All of them watched as Aaron dropped the file jacket down and opened it up. Wallace flipped a switch and opened up the speaker so they could hear.
"You do know why you're here, don't you Agent Hendricks?" The man didn't respond. "Funny thing is, you're in so much mud here that it's not funny. Open the file."
The man looked at Dodge. So Dodge opened it for him. One or two of the spectators in the hallway could see Litha's file photo clipped to the top of the paperwork. The man's eyes looked at it, then flicked up to Dodge.
"You do know I'm IAD, right? Chief Director Dodge, just in case you don't know who I am. I see you recognize Agent Sinclair's photo. You know why I'm here, asking you about something involving Litha?" The man's eyes flicked to the glass behind Dodge, then back to Dodge. He sat back, still silent as stone.
Litha moved from the glass with Hendricks and Dodge to the other man, Burns. Everyone watched her as she did. Frank stepped closer to her but not close enough to make her draw away. Slowly he leaned towards the glass and watched her face. Her eyes were flicking back and forth from the man's face to his hands. He could see that her brain was working on some nagging little problem.
All of a sudden she opened the door and stepped inside...
****