Aside from the calm of the moment, only one thought rang in Chris's mind. Who was Dave? Familiarity from Sarah, her boyfriend Mitch, and Cass; shock from Ed and Sloan. Walter was dumbfounded. Who could...
And then the loud knock at the door. "Secret Service." It was a deep voice, ringing with authority. Confusion and normalcy. Excitement. Thrill. And Walter. So tense that Chris felt his head begin to pound despite the asprin induced relief.
"Oh Hell!" came a second new voice, as the door was pushed open. Chris could sense the odd mix of command, nerves and worry from the speaker. "Right," he boomed, his green eyes flashing. Relief and command came through this guy...familiarity from Mitch, Sarah and Cass. More shock from Ed and Sloan, overpowering shock and disbelief from Walter. Chris felt his head pound. "We have to get you guys out of here…"
"Where were you thinking," he heard Walter ask, almost tentatively. Nervous. Chris reached up to rub his temples, trying to act, if not look, invisible. There was something about this guy that made Walter Atwood jump out of his skin, and Chris didn't want to take his chances.
"The one building I can clear at a moment's notice." Chris watched the speaker take a step and move to take an appraising glance of everybody in the room. "What all of you are about to see," he began. Chris watched how easily this guy concealed his nerves, his worries, and his unfamiliarity with the one person in the entire room that he didn't know. "Is classified beyond the normal range of classification. Everything you learn must be kept confidential."
"What about your boss, Walter?" asked Ed, curious. Almost dubious. Chris knew he was wondering about what would happen when the mysterious woman none of them knew anything about, aside from the fact that she rode in limousines, found out what was going on.
"She has no idea," came the response. Chris rubbed his temples as the guy turned on Walter so fast, he could barely even see the motion. The fury, the anger, the threat behind the words were meant for Walter, but Chris couldn't help but shiver. "The less people that know about this the better."
Chris could only watch in awe as Atwood nodded curtly. "Yes…sir… I understand."
Sarah's boyfriend laughed and shook his head in disbelief. The shock that emanated from both Ed and Sloan almost knocked Chris to the wall "Care to explain?" Mitch requested, relaxed as Cass and Sarah exchanged glances filled with amusement. They all, in their own way, wondered, as Chris himself did, exactly what Dave was going to say to answer the question.
"Only you," the dark haired green eyed guy responded with a touch of amusement of his own. "Atwood's research was under a Jurisdiction my dad---President James Allen Forrester--- didn't necessarily pay attention to…it ended up on my desk." He swallowed. As did Chris. That Dave, were the words that came to his mind as all of the information started to fit together . Dave Forrester. He understood Cass's familiarity, as well as Sarah's. And Ed and Sloan's shock now made sense, though didn't pain him any less. "Anyway…we have to get you all out of here. "
"What about Tom?" asked Sloan, tense, wide eyed and full of fear, that, Chris noticed somewhat gratefully, had nothing to do with him.
Tom Daniels. The man scared Chris because he didn't have reason to trust after...what he'd done. He was dangerous and devoted to Sloan, and from what he could tell, she was as devoted to him. "He's ready and waiting to go," Dave replied slowly, breaking into Chris's reverie. " We've apprised him of the situation and he's had some wonderful insight." Chris saw the absolute power and conviction Dave held as he turned to Sloan. "I have absolutely no intentions of harming him. I'd just as soon tear my own arm off…."
Sarah swallowed, and Chris could feel the urgency in her...sense it. She couldn't stay any more. "When do we leave?"
"Now." One word. An order. Tight.
They all walked out of the apartment, slowly, one after the other. And all of a sudden, Chris felt an arm on his shoulder. "You're not going anywhere."
He raised his eyebrows. He wasn't surprised that Dave had taken the action he did, nor it's timing. Forrester had been suspicious of him all evening. "I..." he began.
Forrester cut him off with a curt shake of the head. Nerves were what he sensed. And anger. "Mr. Daniels told me about what had happened," he said, by way of introduction. Chris's mind ran through what he could say to keep himself there...involved. He had to be. To be there to protect...
"Dave...."
The voice and the presence rang through Chris's reverie, and his barely blocked senses. Sarah.
"Sarah." Dave Forrester's voice spoke the name at the same time he thought of her. "You..."
"He's kept me sane through this whole mess. He had every right to leave me by myself. I don't care what he did or what you heard he did." He was almost overwhelmed by the feelings of protection, of friendship that emanated from her. "He's my friend. And..."
He felt the indecision and ache in Dave, compounded by Sarah's want for protection, and plea. Finally, Chris sensed the tension die, and Dave nodded his head, surrendering. Despite something he sensed as Dave's better judgment. "He needs protection. And support." He smiled. "Dave Forrester."
Chris rubbed his temples once more, glanced at Sarah and smiled wanly. "Chris Hewson," he made out as he shook Dave's hand firmly.
And then they left, heading downstairs to the fleet of waiting helicopters. Slowly, one after the other.