---Chapter 11---
Jesse walked into his apartment the next evening.
Max had begun to worry about his sister when she hadn't come home the night before last, but when she hadn't been seen by anyone today, he had come to Jesse's apartment in hopes of finding Isabel here.
When Jesse switched on the light, he found Max sitting there. "Hey…Max?? What are you doing here?"
Max looked at Jesse and saw a bandage on his forehead. Something had happened. He knew it. But he knew he had to play it cool, because another person didn't need to be brought into this.. if he hadn't already.
"Where's Isabel? I haven't seen her lately." Jesse said, asking another question almost immediately.
'What happened to you?" Max asked instead of answering.
Jesse stopped for a moment and then said, "I don't know." As he touched his head lightly, lingeringly. He looked confused. "I woke up in the hospital yesterday. Somebody found me in an alley, unconscious. Seems to have been a robbery or something."
"Is that what happened?" –Max.
"yeah, I guess." Jesse frowned. "It is as strange as hell, though, because I can't remember what happened. The doctor said it was because of the blow to my head, but… man- all I remember is leaving the movie theatre with Isabel." Jesse looked up, just remembering a previous question he had posed.
"Have you se Isabel today?" –Jesse
Max was more than a little worried, now. Jesse had been attacked and Max bet it had something to do with Isabel being missing. Max studied Jesse and discerned that he honestly didn't remember anything. Therefore, Max to intended to keep him out of this further. He made up an excuse, quickly.
"No, she left on a trip yesterday morning- very early." –Max.
"A trip?" –Jesse.
"Yes, something to with college I think. She doesn't tell me everything." –Max.
"Well, how long will she be gone? She didn't even tell me anything." –Jesse.
"She might have, you just can't remember." –Max.
"Oh—yeah." Jesse said, turning around as he touched his still throbbing head. "Well, if you hear from her, tell her---" Jesse started to say.
"I'm sure she'll be in touch with you soon," Max said, standing up and going to the door.
Jesse just remembered to ask Max why he'd come. He turned back around and looked out to see Max already striding down the far end of the hall. Jesse shrugged and closed the door.
[The CrashDown, Thursday Night]
Max, after leaving Jesse's, had gone to assemble an emergency meeting.
That night Michael, Kyle, Maria, and Liz were gathered in a booth at the closed café. Max was the last to come, and when he went over to the group after grabbing a chair to pull up to the full booth, everyone stopped their nervous small talk. They knew for Max to have called a meeting like this, it was important.
'What's going on?" Michael demanded immediately. "And why isn't Isabel here?"
Max looked uncomfortably at them, "That's why I called this meeting… for Isabel."
"Oh my God," Maria said.
Liz looked alarmed. "What's happened?"
Max told them about Jesse and how Isabel hadn't returned home the night before last, how no one had seen her. When he finished talking, he looked up to see everyone staring at him, apprehensively.
Liz looked scared as she said, "Max, what if someone took her…"
"That's exactly what's happened." Michael slammed the table, almost causing everyone to jump. 'Those people who've been following Maxwell. They took Iz."
"We don't know that, right?" –Kyle asked, looking at the two.
"No." Max said.
"Yes we do!" –Michael.
"Calm down, Michael, we don't know who they are or why they've taken her… if they have." Max concluded.
"Well, one thing's for sure/ Let's play their game. They've been watching us, following us- let's do the same to them." –Michael.
Everyone looked to Max for confirmation. He nods his head and they formulate some ideas, talking some more until the early hours of the morning.
Victoria woke up with a start. Sitting up in bed, she looked around to see herself in the now-familiar military base room. Her 'treatment' had been ongoing for a while now. They didn't make her as sick now, but she still felt weak. She had been brought here yesterday morning- so she had not been allowed to go to school. Tomorrow was Friday- and she knew she wouldn't be going then either.
She didn't know what had awakened her, but she felt the need to get out of the room. She slipped out of bed, battling a wave of dizziness at standing and walked to the door. She tested the door, surprised to find it unlocked. Peeking out, she saw the hall unguarded. She crept out barefoot and clothed in the white hospital-like gown that had become familiar to her. She wasn't sure where she was meaning to go, probably nowhere really, but she found herself in another hall.
Victoria walked up to a large glass window where she was a bit surprised to see another person there, but upon closer inspection she noticed it was a girl, too, with hair a bit darker and much shorter than her own. She was still with her eyes closed.
Victoria looked all around her and went to the tiny pass-encoding protected computer that locked the door. She always knew how to get into these things, but getting out was entirely different, most especially when you were guarded around the clock. As the moment neither of the was, though.
She heard a tiny clicking noise- that of the door's locking system. She walked over to the door and opened it. Once inside she walked over to the girl. She noticed restraints upon her wrists and ankles.
~
Isabel opened her eyes, not sure why- but as the artificial light flooded her eyes, the world swam, yet gradually began to come into focus. Standing above her was a girl in white, very long slightly-wavy brown-red hair all around her. The other girl was just looking at Isabel. Maybe she was dreaming, maybe not… but she took the chance of hope and said, "Help me, please."
The other girl at seeing Isabel awaken- seemed a bit startled. Isabel glanced around her, seeing no one else, but feeling a terrible pain in her stomach. "Please,…talk to me. Who are you?"
The other girl just stared down at her. She seemed familiar, but… wait! An image flashed from a television screen entered Isabel's mind. Although, older- it was *her*! 'Winthrop." Isabel said to herself. "Victoria Winthrop."
Isabel watched as the girl's eyes widened a fraction.
"How did you know that?" Victoria asked, surprised. Looking at the other girl, she didn't know her, her name- nothing. Something speared the back of her mind, almost a spark of some kind of recognition. But no, she didn't know her. 'Who are you?"
"There's no time, we gotta get out of here." –Isabel.
Victoria continued to look at her. She felt sympathy for the girl wash over her. What had this girl done? Who was she? Why did Adam have her here? She wished she could… But no. She couldn't help the other girl.
"Did you hear me?!" Isabel whispered, panicked. "Nothing makes sense, but help me please- we have to get out of here."
"He'll never let you." –Victoria said.
"Who's 'he'? Is 'he' in charge? Did he do this?" –Isabel.
Isabel didn't know how she knew- but a flash of knowing came into her mind. "The senator… Adam Winthrop. HE… YOU.. Why…"
"I'm sorry." Victoria said, almost a whisper. "I can't help you."
Victoria backed towards the door. Just as she was close to the door, it opened and a hand gripped her arm- pulling her out of the room. She whirled around to face Adam. Next to him, was some strange man- familiar, maybe? She couldn't recall exactly. He stood in a dark suit, dark brown hair and light eyes, early 40's. A strangeness about him… And he looked at her..
"What do you think you are doing?" Adam snapped her attention back to him.
She answered his question with a question. "Who is she, Adam? Why is she here?"
"It's no concern of yours. But she know who you are, I'll warrant." Adam said. "Tell me," he demanded, albeit controlled, gripping her shoulders. 'Does she know who you are? Does she know *anything*?"
Victoria looked at him a long moment and with an inaudible sigh, she admitted, "Yes."
"That will not do. That will just not do at all." –Adam.
"I will not have you appearing incompetent before our guest." Adam continued.
Victoria glanced at the other man again, who had not taken his eyes off her, unreadably.
Adam opened the door again and pushes her inside it. "FIX IT."
She stood a moment inside the door, her feelings disappearing behind a wall. She took a step toward the other girl..
The man watched through the small window in the door…
---End of Chapter 11---
Jesse walked into his apartment the next evening.
Max had begun to worry about his sister when she hadn't come home the night before last, but when she hadn't been seen by anyone today, he had come to Jesse's apartment in hopes of finding Isabel here.
When Jesse switched on the light, he found Max sitting there. "Hey…Max?? What are you doing here?"
Max looked at Jesse and saw a bandage on his forehead. Something had happened. He knew it. But he knew he had to play it cool, because another person didn't need to be brought into this.. if he hadn't already.
"Where's Isabel? I haven't seen her lately." Jesse said, asking another question almost immediately.
'What happened to you?" Max asked instead of answering.
Jesse stopped for a moment and then said, "I don't know." As he touched his head lightly, lingeringly. He looked confused. "I woke up in the hospital yesterday. Somebody found me in an alley, unconscious. Seems to have been a robbery or something."
"Is that what happened?" –Max.
"yeah, I guess." Jesse frowned. "It is as strange as hell, though, because I can't remember what happened. The doctor said it was because of the blow to my head, but… man- all I remember is leaving the movie theatre with Isabel." Jesse looked up, just remembering a previous question he had posed.
"Have you se Isabel today?" –Jesse
Max was more than a little worried, now. Jesse had been attacked and Max bet it had something to do with Isabel being missing. Max studied Jesse and discerned that he honestly didn't remember anything. Therefore, Max to intended to keep him out of this further. He made up an excuse, quickly.
"No, she left on a trip yesterday morning- very early." –Max.
"A trip?" –Jesse.
"Yes, something to with college I think. She doesn't tell me everything." –Max.
"Well, how long will she be gone? She didn't even tell me anything." –Jesse.
"She might have, you just can't remember." –Max.
"Oh—yeah." Jesse said, turning around as he touched his still throbbing head. "Well, if you hear from her, tell her---" Jesse started to say.
"I'm sure she'll be in touch with you soon," Max said, standing up and going to the door.
Jesse just remembered to ask Max why he'd come. He turned back around and looked out to see Max already striding down the far end of the hall. Jesse shrugged and closed the door.
[The CrashDown, Thursday Night]
Max, after leaving Jesse's, had gone to assemble an emergency meeting.
That night Michael, Kyle, Maria, and Liz were gathered in a booth at the closed café. Max was the last to come, and when he went over to the group after grabbing a chair to pull up to the full booth, everyone stopped their nervous small talk. They knew for Max to have called a meeting like this, it was important.
'What's going on?" Michael demanded immediately. "And why isn't Isabel here?"
Max looked uncomfortably at them, "That's why I called this meeting… for Isabel."
"Oh my God," Maria said.
Liz looked alarmed. "What's happened?"
Max told them about Jesse and how Isabel hadn't returned home the night before last, how no one had seen her. When he finished talking, he looked up to see everyone staring at him, apprehensively.
Liz looked scared as she said, "Max, what if someone took her…"
"That's exactly what's happened." Michael slammed the table, almost causing everyone to jump. 'Those people who've been following Maxwell. They took Iz."
"We don't know that, right?" –Kyle asked, looking at the two.
"No." Max said.
"Yes we do!" –Michael.
"Calm down, Michael, we don't know who they are or why they've taken her… if they have." Max concluded.
"Well, one thing's for sure/ Let's play their game. They've been watching us, following us- let's do the same to them." –Michael.
Everyone looked to Max for confirmation. He nods his head and they formulate some ideas, talking some more until the early hours of the morning.
Victoria woke up with a start. Sitting up in bed, she looked around to see herself in the now-familiar military base room. Her 'treatment' had been ongoing for a while now. They didn't make her as sick now, but she still felt weak. She had been brought here yesterday morning- so she had not been allowed to go to school. Tomorrow was Friday- and she knew she wouldn't be going then either.
She didn't know what had awakened her, but she felt the need to get out of the room. She slipped out of bed, battling a wave of dizziness at standing and walked to the door. She tested the door, surprised to find it unlocked. Peeking out, she saw the hall unguarded. She crept out barefoot and clothed in the white hospital-like gown that had become familiar to her. She wasn't sure where she was meaning to go, probably nowhere really, but she found herself in another hall.
Victoria walked up to a large glass window where she was a bit surprised to see another person there, but upon closer inspection she noticed it was a girl, too, with hair a bit darker and much shorter than her own. She was still with her eyes closed.
Victoria looked all around her and went to the tiny pass-encoding protected computer that locked the door. She always knew how to get into these things, but getting out was entirely different, most especially when you were guarded around the clock. As the moment neither of the was, though.
She heard a tiny clicking noise- that of the door's locking system. She walked over to the door and opened it. Once inside she walked over to the girl. She noticed restraints upon her wrists and ankles.
~
Isabel opened her eyes, not sure why- but as the artificial light flooded her eyes, the world swam, yet gradually began to come into focus. Standing above her was a girl in white, very long slightly-wavy brown-red hair all around her. The other girl was just looking at Isabel. Maybe she was dreaming, maybe not… but she took the chance of hope and said, "Help me, please."
The other girl at seeing Isabel awaken- seemed a bit startled. Isabel glanced around her, seeing no one else, but feeling a terrible pain in her stomach. "Please,…talk to me. Who are you?"
The other girl just stared down at her. She seemed familiar, but… wait! An image flashed from a television screen entered Isabel's mind. Although, older- it was *her*! 'Winthrop." Isabel said to herself. "Victoria Winthrop."
Isabel watched as the girl's eyes widened a fraction.
"How did you know that?" Victoria asked, surprised. Looking at the other girl, she didn't know her, her name- nothing. Something speared the back of her mind, almost a spark of some kind of recognition. But no, she didn't know her. 'Who are you?"
"There's no time, we gotta get out of here." –Isabel.
Victoria continued to look at her. She felt sympathy for the girl wash over her. What had this girl done? Who was she? Why did Adam have her here? She wished she could… But no. She couldn't help the other girl.
"Did you hear me?!" Isabel whispered, panicked. "Nothing makes sense, but help me please- we have to get out of here."
"He'll never let you." –Victoria said.
"Who's 'he'? Is 'he' in charge? Did he do this?" –Isabel.
Isabel didn't know how she knew- but a flash of knowing came into her mind. "The senator… Adam Winthrop. HE… YOU.. Why…"
"I'm sorry." Victoria said, almost a whisper. "I can't help you."
Victoria backed towards the door. Just as she was close to the door, it opened and a hand gripped her arm- pulling her out of the room. She whirled around to face Adam. Next to him, was some strange man- familiar, maybe? She couldn't recall exactly. He stood in a dark suit, dark brown hair and light eyes, early 40's. A strangeness about him… And he looked at her..
"What do you think you are doing?" Adam snapped her attention back to him.
She answered his question with a question. "Who is she, Adam? Why is she here?"
"It's no concern of yours. But she know who you are, I'll warrant." Adam said. "Tell me," he demanded, albeit controlled, gripping her shoulders. 'Does she know who you are? Does she know *anything*?"
Victoria looked at him a long moment and with an inaudible sigh, she admitted, "Yes."
"That will not do. That will just not do at all." –Adam.
"I will not have you appearing incompetent before our guest." Adam continued.
Victoria glanced at the other man again, who had not taken his eyes off her, unreadably.
Adam opened the door again and pushes her inside it. "FIX IT."
She stood a moment inside the door, her feelings disappearing behind a wall. She took a step toward the other girl..
The man watched through the small window in the door…
---End of Chapter 11---