Sorry I haven't posted in awhile here. I completely forgot. And just a side note, I'm a D/C shipper myself so having Claire/Ed and Darien/Darcy together has been a big step for me. Well, I decided to think outside the box and have some fun. Thanks for giving this weird fic a chance.
And now for something completely different.
Chapter 20
The Lady angrily hung up her phone. She held it so tight in her hand if it were alive she would have squeezed it to death like an anaconda. Dr. Alvarez sat across from her and looked at her quizzically. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she leaned on her desk and glared at nothing in particular in the room. After a moment of intense silence she spoke.
"He let him escape," she said spitefully.
"Who let who escape?"
The Lady straightened her posture, "Walter let Agent Fawkes escape."
Dr. Alvarez stood up, "Does he suspect that Dr. Tate is still alive?"
"Dr. Rhodes was very convincing. I doubt that any of them suspect Dr. Tate is still alive." She sat back down at her desk and looked down for a moment. Dr. Alvarez read her body language and knew she was in deep thought. He sat back down as well.
"I think I might know how to find Agent Fawkes," she said as she broke the silence again.
"How?"
"His partner. I'll have him followed. He might lead us to Agent Fawkes."
Dr. Alvarez nodded in agreement. "What about Dr. Attwood?"
"He's the least of my concerns right now. I'm more concerned about Agent Fawkes and Dr. Tate." She leaned forward on her desk, "How is Dr. Tate?"
"He's secured and my people are cleaning up the mess he made. I have a few tests I want to run and then I'll start the reprogramming."
"How long will that take?"
Dr. Alvarez pressed his lips together as he thought of a time table, "I'd say maybe a week."
The Lady's eyes widened with expectancy, "Really, that short of time?"
"I don't see why not. Even though he showed incredible strength, he's still in a weakened state and with the help of chemicals, he should be ready…" Dr. Alvarez leaned forward, "…and very willing to follow orders."
"Chemicals? What kind of chemicals?"
"That's what the tests are for. You see right now the state he's in is due to a chemical imbalance in his brain from the toxin that causes quicksilver madness. Once I can determine what that imbalance is, I'll know what drugs to use. If I use the wrong one it can cause him to be completely uncontrollable or turn him into a vegetable. I believe it's in our best interest to keep him as is."
The Lady shook her head, "Do what you have to do to insure that Dr. Tate is kept…as is. Keep me up to date on your progress," she stood up. "And I will have Agent Fawkes soon enough," she added.
Dr. Alvarez stood up and smiled, "I'm looking forward to meeting him."
"I'm sure you are," she said as she watched him turn and walk out. She picked up her phone and punched in the code to make another phone call.
~*~
"Fawkes!"
"Hobbes?"
"Hey got some news on that package we thought we lost…oh which reminds me…did you see Dexter's Laboratory last night when he went to China?"
Darien, with a puzzled look said to the phone as Hobbes continued to speak, "What are you talking about?" Tom, Mark and Darcy also had puzzled expressions on their faces.
Hobbes rolled his eyes and thought to himself, 'Come on, kid, get with the game here.'
Darien thought quickly, "I think you mean Japan…"
"Yeah, whatever, anyway back to the package, Alonzo was able to track it down for us, seems like it was delivered intact and not damaged at all. I'm going to go check it out." Hobbes put the phone down and silently prayed that Darien understood what he was trying to say. He knew he was being followed and wasn't sure if they could hear him or not. Better to play it safe then sorry. If Walter's superior had any idea that he knew something was going on, she would move Ed to another location that is, if he was still alive. That was something he didn't want to risk.
Darien stared at the walkie talkie style phone, "Okay, he's lost it…" Darien paused and thought for a moment, "Wait…Alonzo…Eberts pet turtle…"
"Eberts has a pet turtle?" Darcy asked in a surprise tone.
Darien shot her a quick glance, "No…actually he had a pet turtle, it was killed in the line of duty."
Now it was time for Tom and Mark to give each other surprised looks. "Humans…I still don't understand them," retorted Mark. Darcy smiled at Mark.
"Hobbes and I were about to investigate some things about Ed's death that didn't make sense. But that's when Walter came in and told me to run for it. Hobbes decided to go ask Eberts for help. He must have found something out, but what's up with the cartoon…" Darien's voice trailed off as he mentally tried to decipher the odd message from Hobbes.
"So you know that Eberts was able to find out something from what Hobbes said?" Mark asked in a tone that showed he still didn't understand.
"Yeah, see when Hobbes mentioned 'Alonzo' I remembered about Eberts' turtle. If Hobbes knew he was being followed he probably thought that they had bugged the van or something and that's why he mentioned 'Alonzo' when he really meant Eberts." Darien shook his head, "Guess being paranoid has its advantages."
"What do you think he found out?" Darcy asked.
"I don't know, but it must be something big by the tone of his voice. We'll just have to wait and see," Darien noted as he ran his hand through his hair. He stopped suddenly, "Wait…Dexter…China…" a long pause passed before realization sunk in, "Oh crap."
"Darien, what's wrong?" Darcy asked noting the expression of shock on Darien's face.
"Ed's alive…at least Hobbes thinks he is," Darien announced.
~*~
Hobbes had parked his van so it would be visible at all times. He walked inside the tall building and headed for the parking garage. There he met up with Walter. "Anyone follow you?" Walter asked.
"Yeah, just like you said they would. How 'bout you?"
"No, she's not interested in me right now. She wants to find Darien and knows that only you will lead her to him," Walter said as he handed Hobbes a set of keys. "I couldn't get the plane. She has it at the airport in Las Vegas. But I do have a vehicle for you that I'm sure you'll be impressed with…" Walter handed Hobbes a piece of paper, "…It's parked here. Everything you'll need is in it. Eberts even supplied the information you requested. There are uniforms in there for you and Tom along with ID's to get on the base."
"Looks like we're all set," Hobbes said as he looked at Walter. "You know, there's no quarantines here. I'm only going on a hunch."
Walter put his hand on Hobbes shoulder, "Hobbes, I'm well aware of that. Right now, I'm interested in answers. Even if one of those answers is that Ed is dead, at least we'll know for sure."
Hobbes nodded and walked off. Walter stood there and watched the seasoned agent walk away, "I hope you find him."
~*~
Ed was escorted back to the lab. "Ah, home sweet home," he said with a smirk. He was pushed from behind and he let out an exasperated sigh. He was led to the chair and was forced to sit down. "Hey you know, Arnaud gave me a buzz a month ago, I really don't think I need a haircut so soon," Ed retorted as he was secured to the chair. He looked at his wrists and felt the strap tightened around his chest. He leaned his head back and watched as Dr. Alvarez approached him.
Dr. Alvarez studied Ed for a moment and then nodded. Ed's head was secured. He was about to say something when he felt the pressure and then the pain. He became dizzy and passed out. Dr. Alvarez watched as the needle was inserted into Ed's head. The quicksilver flowed into the canisters.
"How much are you going to take?" Tara asked as she checked Ed's vitals.
"As much as I need to run tests. Don't worry, Dr. Marsh, I'm not taking blood, this won't affect him at all." Dr. Alvarez turned the lab tech, "Make sure these are filled up." The lab tech nodded and Dr. Alvarez walked away.
Tara looked down at Ed, 'What are they doing? He doesn't need this much quicksilver to run tests. They must be using it for something else. But what?' She thought to herself as she continued to monitor Ed.
"Dr. Marsh."
She snapped out of her thought and looked at another scientist, "Yes?"
"You can go back to your research, I'll keep an eye on Dr. Tate," the scientist said.
"Okay, thanks," she walked away trying to figure out what they would need quicksilver for. This whole situation was becoming more bizarre and they certainly were not willing to share their plans with her. And she knew why, even though she was working with them, she was still a dominant. The longer she stayed the more dangerous it was becoming for her. Maybe it was time to find out just what their plans were for Ed and the quicksilver they were taking from him.
~*~
"What? Are you sure you understood Hobbes right?" Darcy asked.
"Well, 'Dexter' is the code name we used for Ed for his first meeting with Arnaud. One time we had faked Hobbes' death to flush out the Chinese that were trying to kidnap him. That's why Hobbes mentioned China…he also said the package we thought was lost was actually delivered undamaged…" Darien looked at the three dominants standing in front of him, "I think Hobbes was talking about Ed."
"But why go through all the trouble, why Ed?" Mark asked.
Darien looked at Mark and remembered that he knew something had happened to Ed but he never gave him all the details. Darcy and Tom looked at Darien for any sign that he was going to tell Mark. "Okay, look, Ed was kidnapped about four weeks ago and had a gland implanted in his head..." Darien glanced at Mark, "He can turn invisible too."
Mark shook his head, "What?"
"That's why that night we needed your help to hide Ed. He was in quicksilver madness and Walter's superior had ordered a gland harvesting party if Hobbes and I didn't get back in time with the counteragent," Darien told him.
"We think that the Lady set Ed up and may have been ultimately responsible for Ed's death or maybe now his disappearance," Tom said and then noted his choice of words by cracking a smile.
"You got that right in more ways than one, bro," Darien retorted amusingly.
"But why would she want to set up Ed?" Mark asked.
"Sit down, this is going to take some time to explain," Darien said. Mark sat as Darien began to fill him in on why all this happened to Ed.
~*~
Ed woke up to find himself strapped down on a table again. But this time, the table was cushioned. He saw the nurse scamper off quickly, he smiled as he licked his lips, "Aww…come on back, baby! I have an itch that needs scratchin'!" He chuckled softly to himself and then from the corner of his eye he caught sight of Dr. Alvarez. Ed snarled at him, "What did you do to me?"
"We drained some quicksilver from the gland," he said simply as he prepared for the next round of tests.
Ed raised a brow, "Interesting, I'm not only a lab rat, but a cow as well." Ed paused to glare at Dr. Alvarez, and then replied in a condescending tone, "Moo." Ed let out a sigh, "Okay so, how and why did you do it?"
"With a needle straight into the gland," Dr. Alvarez paused for a moment and then continued, "With your group combining with the Agency we were able to get some pretty valuable information about some of Agent Fawkes' cases, one in particular stood out. The Chinese were able to extract quicksilver from his gland and we just copied the procedure."
"Come on, we both know that that procedure was not in Darien's reports. You got it from the Chinese themselves didn't you?" Ed watched his expression, "Tell me the truth," he said in a tone that his mother used to use on him. "Look, I know that the Chinese are just as interested in this project as anyone else is. But this time, there's a common threat. Dominants. So, what better threat that forces the world to work together." Ed raised his brows, "They shared that bit of info with you didn't they?"
Dr. Alvarez sighed, "We are working together on some things, but the information on the gland remains a top secret for our government."
"Yeah, okay, whatever. What do they want return? Quicksilver?" Ed waited for the answer and didn't get one. He shook his head in disbelief. "So, what'd you do, put the needle through the foramen magnum above the atlas cervical vertebra straight to the gland? Must have been tricky for you, don't want to knick the ol' spinal cord. Or did you just go through the occipital bone?"
Dr. Alvarez stared at Ed for a moment, "Even in stage five you remember all your medical knowledge."
"It's quicksilver madness not Alzheimer's," Ed snapped back.
Dr. Alvarez leaned down towards Ed and pulled off the swimmers goggles to get a good look at Ed's eyes, "And that makes you dangerous…"
"You have no idea," Ed retorted with a malicious look.
"…and that is why we are going to find a way to control your aggressive behavior." The swimmers goggles were placed back on Ed's eyes. "Now, Dr. Tate, I need you to do a favor for me."
Ed lifted his head, "You gotta be kiddin' me," he commented more as a statement rather than a question. He couldn't believe that this scientist would have the nerves to ask him a favor after all he's been through.
GI Joe approached Ed with the baton in his hand. Dr. Alvarez gazed at Ed, "I expect full cooperation from you," then he leaned down to Ed's ear, "I would also love to test your pain threshold in stage five. How much do you think you can handle?" He straightened back up when Ed didn't answer him. "I knew you'd see it my way. I'm going to run some tests and I need you to quicksilver on my command. I'm going to take a series of positron emission tomography scans."
"PET scans? So, I take it you want to study how my brain communicates with the gland, the chemical imbalance…" Ed paused and turned his head to face Dr. Alvarez, "…pin point the possible mutation in the gland?"
Dr. Alvarez smiled, "You do want a cure don't you?"
Ed turned his head again to look up at the ceiling, "Somehow I doubt the cure is for me but for the glands you want to clone." Ed returned his gaze to Dr. Alvarez, "What else are you looking for? Hmm, chemical imbalance…you said you wanted to control my aggressive behavior..."
Dr. Alvarez ignored Ed, "We're ready to begin." He injected Ed with the necessary chemicals for the scans and signaled for the tests to begin. He stood behind the monitor and looked at Ed with a smile as the table was moved inside the imaging machine, "Okay, Dr. Tate, quicksilver your right arm."
~*~
Darien let Hobbes in and took a look at his partner dressed in fatigues, "Whoa...Hobbes…what's with the threads?"
"War my friend," Hobbes said as he patted Darien on the back. Tom, Mark and Darcy came up to greet him as well.
"Okay, so what's the deal?" Darien asked.
"Look, before I say what I'm about to say I just want to say that what I'm about to say is purely speculation…"
Darien's forehead creased with confusion, "Uh, Hobbes, just tell us okay?"
"Okay, I think Ed might be alive." Hobbes watched as the faces in the room turned to total shock.
"That's what I figured from your encrypted phone call. How, I mean, what makes you think that?"
"Look, I'll explain all that later, but we need to get moving." Hobbes looked at Mark and Darcy, "I could use your help too."
"You got it," Darcy said excitedly.
Darien was still trying to let Hobbes words sink in. He stared at Hobbes, "Where're we goin'?"
"Nevada, my friend, Nevada." Hobbes patted Darien on the back, "Come on, it's a long ride."
Darien turned to Darcy, "Nevada?"
"That's what the man said," she hugged Darien, "What if it's true, Darien, what if Ed is still alive?"
Darien ran his hand down the side of her face, "Remember, babe, he said it's only speculation. Don't get your hopes up." Darien remembered all to well the time when he was led to believe that Kevin was still alive only to have his own hopes crushed in the end. He didn't want to go through that again and he didn't want Darcy to experience that either.
Darcy shook her head, "Yeah, I know. But we can still hope, right?"
He put his hands on her shoulders, "Darcy, a long time ago I was hopeful that Kevin was still alive and he wasn't. Until I know for sure, I will believe what we know so far."
"I know, kinda like innocent until proven guilty. Ed is dead until proven alive," she said sadly.
"Yeah, that's it. Babe, I'm sorry, but I know how it feels and I don't want to go through that again." Darien held her close to him.
"I understand and your right, if he is really dead and I build up this hope that he's still alive, it could hurt even more."
Darien let out a sigh. He hated to do that but he had to, for both of them.
~*~
Ed was put back on the metal table and strapped down. He had noticed that there was another table not to far from him, "Hey, expecting company?"
"That's none of your concern," Dr. Alvarez said while he checked Ed's restraints. He had new restraints placed on the table since Ed was able to break out of the other ones that had been worn out from excessive use.
"You either have another lab rat coming or that's for my autopsy," Ed said coldly as he glanced around the room. The other table didn't appear to be for an autopsy so he chose the lab rat theory.
"Behave yourself, Dr. Tate, the nurse here is going to draw some blood," Dr. Alvarez glanced over at GI Joe who stood on the other side of the table with his trusty cattle prod in hand.
Ed glared at him with a smirk, "With that big stick you carry around I'd say you're trying to compensate for something."
The nurse chuckled softly as she prepared the kit to take some blood samples. GI Joe read Dr. Alvarez's body language and knew instantly that he was being ordered not to retaliate. He had been told that no harm should come to Dr. Tate until it was ordered by a superior. Dr. Alvarez had explained that physical punishment on Dr. Tate in the state that he was in would only make him angry and his pain threshold had risen. What hurt him before would not hurt him now. His last words to the guards were, "Don't make him angry."
Dr. Alvarez seeing that GI Joe understood his command walked away to leave the nurse to her duties. He walked over to the Lady who stood nearby and witnessed the exchange.
"How long before you can get him under control?" She asked impatiently.
"This may take longer than I first suspected, he's intelligent and extremely strong willed at this point. I'm beginning to think that he might not be the perfect candidate for this." Dr. Alvarez glanced back at Ed who was saying something to the nurse and it visibly unnerved her. GI Joe had ordered him to shut-up or else they would gag him again. Dr. Alvarez shook his head, "We need to be very careful with this one. Are you sure that putting Agent Fawkes and Dr. Tate in the same room is a smart move?"
"In stage five Dr. Tate has no loyalties but to himself. I'm curious to know if he's really as strong as a dominant. The report said that Dr. Tate had easily overpowered Tom Daniels and that Agent Fawkes failed in the attempt to disrupt his electrical impulses when he arrived back at the Agency, I want to see this for myself," the Lady said as she kept her eye on Ed.
"Okay then, may I suggest that you put them in the padded room where we can watch and contain them at the same time?"
"Yes, I don't want either of them getting out and I also want them both alive. I just want to make sure that Dr. Tate can handle himself on a mission if he were to confront a dominant." The Lady turned and walked out of the lab.
Tara from her side of the lab had watched the conversation, she couldn't hear what they were saying but she felt the emotions. Dr. Alvarez seemed nervous and then cautious. The Lady was calm as usual, like she wasn't fazed at all about being in the same room with a potential psychopathic killer. The nurse attending Ed was definitely frightened. The guard that Ed nicknamed GI Joe was confident and showed no fear at all towards Ed. She knew that was a mistake. By showing no fear the guard was underestimating Ed and his violent potential. But she knew, because she could feel the anger coming from him. It was thick in the air and she also sensed the deep desire for revenge. Getting Ed out was going to be harder now than she thought. She was certainly going to need help and knew what she may have to do.
Seducing Ed would be easier while he's in this state. His commitment to his human mate would not be an issue as right now he had no morals. His conscious was gone. The lid was definitely blown off his id. She knew the dangers and that Ed would have no remorse if he decided to kill her but it was a chance she was willing to take. At least she had some chance of protecting herself being a dominant and a trained Chameleon. But before she could go on with her plan, she needed to get a hold of stage five counteragent and secretly download any information she could get her hands on. Her mission had turned upside down and she was conflicted with loyalties to her father and her species, but something about this man made her think twice. This man was wanted by the High Council and especially by her father. The High Council had wanted Ed killed, but before the Alaska incident, they had changed their minds. Dr. Copeland, who once was Ed's med school advisor and teacher, had successfully argued that Dr. Tate was more valuable to them alive then dead. He had underestimated Ed's ability as a scientist and warned the Council not to do the same. In the end, Dr. Copeland had failed in getting Ed to join him.
The High Council was angry at her father; they blamed him for letting not only Dr. Tate out of his grasp twice, but Darien Fawkes as well. She could redeem her father partly with the Council if she brought Ed to him and he in turn, brought Ed to them. She imagined in her mind her father giving Ed the dominant gene therapy and watched him slowly evolve, but she quickly shook that vision from her mind, 'What am I thinking? I'm so twisted up inside.' She got up to leave the lab to clear her mind. As she walked past Ed she could feel his cold, emotionless eyes on her. She quickly glanced at him and crossed her arms in front of her as a cold shiver went up her spine.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Marsh," replied a scientist as he placed the goggles back on Ed's eyes.
"It's okay, you were examining his eyes, I just walked by at the wrong time," Tara said as she stared into Ed's face. He was smiling and it sent another shiver through her. His smile was that of a predator when they have their prey cornered with no hope of escape. She turned and walked out quickly.
Ed turned to GI Joe, "You know there's a Chinese proverb that goes 'How can you put out a fire set on a cart-load of firewood with only a cup of water?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Ed smiled maliciously, "It means that that stick of yours is a minor solution to the bigger problem that's staring you in the face."
~*~
Tom sat in the passenger seat dressed in his fatigues as Darien, Mark and Darcy remained in the back of the van. They were on a journey that would take nearly five hours to drive to Las Vegas. From there they would head north for the 90 mile drive to Nellis Air Force Range, better known as Area 51.
Darien shook his head, "I can't get over the fact that we're on our way to break into Area 51."
"This is the sort of thing that scifi is made of. I mean, say Ed is still alive, it's a perfect place…in a science fiction sort of way," Darcy commented.
"Yeah, the invisible man meets Klaatu," Hobbes retorted as he drove.
"Well, the fictional invisible man was a scientist," Darcy said as she shrugged her shoulders.
"True, but I doubt we'll find any men from mars…" Darien looked at Darcy sternly, "Don't even say it."
"What? I wasn't going to say a word," Darcy said with a smile.
Darien smiled at her knowing that she was thinking that men are from mars. "So, Hobbes, are we there yet?" He asked.
Hobbes rolled his eyes, "Wise ass."
Darcy chuckled in the back as Mark and Tom looked on with curiosity. Even though they had spent many years in the company of humans, they still didn't understand their behavior at times especially since Darien and Darcy still acted so human. Tom thought back to the time when he was human and for a moment, he was jealous of Darien and Darcy, both dominant and both so human.
They all split driving the van the long distance, stopping to refuel, eat and a much needed bathroom break. Most of the time, they were all quiet letting the past events of the week sink in a bit more and what this particular mission means if they succeed or fail. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into, but they wanted answers. Was Ed still alive? Did Arnaud really take the gland or was it Walter's superior? What was her true agenda? If Ed was dead, Darien wanted to take her down, but he needed proof that she was responsible for his death.
They were each lost in their own thoughts. Mark thought about the future of his species and the world. Tom thought of Sloan. Hobbes thought of how he could protect his best friend, his partner. Darien thought of Darcy and his unborn child. At first when Darcy told him, it frightened him. The responsibility that faced him down the road made him think of his own life. He didn't want to be like his own father that was certain in his mind and in his heart. But facing a future on the run was adding more pressure to him. They would certainly be searching for him; after all, he still had 17 million dollars worth of government property in his head. Being a dominant and the improved senses that he had would give him an added advantage but at what cost? Is it worth the risk to his family, his friends to put them in harms way? He was beginning to think that it might be best to turn himself in. He knew that they would catch up to him eventually and when they did, he couldn't bear to think what would happen if his family was around. But if he left them, then he would be like his father. He quickly shoved that plan out of his mind.
"What you thinking about?" Darcy asked.
Darien blinked several times quickly and took Darcy into his arms, "I love you, babe."
"I love you too. Now are you going to tell me what you were thinking?" Darcy's voice was a little more commanding now.
Darien leaned his head against one of the tables in the back of the van, "Just that I love you and I'll do anything to protect my family."
Darcy swallowed hard, she knew right away what he was thinking, "Please don't leave us."
"I won't leave you, but if push comes to shove and we get cornered I want you to run. I'll distract them cause they'll be more interested in what's inside my head than anything else. I couldn't bear it if they caught you and the baby. No telling what they'll do to you and our child."
Darcy held Darien tight, "We won't let ourselves get in that position."
"Okay, sounds good to me," Darien said to pacify her, but deep down inside he knew he would be caught.
"Okay, Hobbes, once in Las Vegas, we need to take I-15 north to Highway 93 to Alamo and Ash Springs. Then north of Ash Springs, take the turn for Rachel onto Highway 318, then onto Highway 375. It says here that a section of Highway 375 near Area 51 was renamed 'The Extraterrestrial Highway,'" Tom noted as he read the directions that Eberts provided for them.
"It figures, they probably did that for the tourists. Maybe after this they'll call a road 'I-Man Lane'?" Hobbes said as he turned his head to look at Darien with a very visible smirk on his face. "Huh? What'd you think o' that, partner?"
"I think you're nuts, but you knew that already."
Tom smiled as he shook his head. Darien scooted towards the front of the van to look out the window. He needed to stretch legs and bad, but he knew they couldn't waste anytime. The President was supposed to sign the bill the following day and they needed to find some answers before then to hopefully stop him or at least postpone the signing. The President was being duped into following someone else's agenda and they needed concrete evidence to prove that.
"We're near Las Vegas already?" Darien asked.
"About twenty minutes away but we won't be stopping to do any gambling so get that notion out of that troll headed mind of yours," Hobbes retorted as he steered the van towards I-15.
Darien smirked at Hobbes comment, "Come on, Hobbes, easy cash man, just like before."
"Yeah, and look where that got you, my friend, on the last train to Nutsoville."
"You got a point."
"I always have a point."
"That you do."
"You bet I do and don't you forget it."
"Oh believe me, I won't."
"Good, cause I'm the seasoned agent here and my experience is longer than your rap sheet."
"Oh you think so?"
"I don't think so, I know so."
"Who can argue with that?"
Hobbes turned to look at Tom, "See, glad someone acknowledges Bobby Hobbes' superiority in the spook business."
Over an hour later, they noticed that the highway signs had spaceship stickers on them. They were getting close and it was time to get serious, to focus on what they were supposed to accomplish at the base. What they were attempting was dangerous and they could all be shot for trying to break into a military facility. At mile marker 34.5 on Highway 375, Hobbes turned onto Groom Lake Road. He looked at Tom, "You ready?"
Tom put his military cap on and pulled out the fake papers that Walter and Eberts gave them. He signaled to Hobbes that he was ready with a nod.
Hobbes then turned to Darien, "Get ready, I-Man, another thirteen miles and we should start seeing the warning signs."
Darien took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I'm ready, Hobbes."
Hobbes slowly made his way down the dusty road. He came upon the first warning sign and off to the side, were two guards dressed in black. Hobbes turned and looked at Tom, "It's show time."
Tom had nerves of steel but for the first time, he was nervous. He pushed the emotion down and became the keen dominant that Lewis had trained him to be just for this kind of situation. For the first time in a long time, he silently thanked Lewis.
Darien sensed the guards coming up to the van. He placed his hands on Darcy and Mark and turned on the gland in his head. The three were instantly covered in silver and disappeared.
"Whoa…now this is…"
"Shhh…" Darien cut Mark off to silence him and whispered, "They can still hear you."
"Oh."
Hobbes rolled down the window, "Good day, sir."
"Let me see your papers and ID's."
Hobbes took the papers and ID's from Tom and handed them to the guard. He tried to be as natural as he could be, but not too natural. Striking up a conversation by saying 'What a nice day' was not the plan. Just stay quiet and let the guard start any conversations.
The guard looked suspiciously at Hobbes and then at Tom while his partner checked out the van. "So, what are two gentlemen doing here?"
"We're delivering this van to someone who's not here," Hobbes voice sounded a bit annoyed.
The guard again studied Hobbes and then turned his attention back to the papers. A few more seconds passed before he spoke again, "What's in the van that's going to someone who's not here?"
"Take a look for yourself, it's all state of the art surveillance equipment."
Tom shot Hobbes a surprised look. Hobbes waved his hand frantically out of the sight of the guard to tell Tom not to worry. The guard took a quick glance inside from Hobbes window.
"Let me ask you another question. What constellation is visible tonight?"
Hobbes raised a brow, "What constellation is visible tonight?"
Darien's heart skipped a beat. Darcy gripped his hand tighter and she could hear Mark gasped in some way. Darien suddenly shifted and in his mind yelled out, 'Hobbes! Say Perseus!'
"Perseus!" Hobbes said like he was answering a question on a quiz show. It was so sudden and loud that Tom jumped in his seat. Hobbes outburst had startled the guard as well.
The guard handed Hobbes back the papers and ID's. He took a step back from the van and waved them through. Hobbes let out a sigh of relief and then saluted the guard as he drove by.
Tom looked at Hobbes, "Great thinking, Hobbes."
"It wasn't me, it was the Amazing Kreskin back there."
Darien stopped the flow of quicksilver and relaxed, "That was close."
"How did you know…oh wait, never mind," Darcy said.
"It helps having a Jedi Knight around," Hobbes retorted.
"Okay, now where do we go?" Darien asked as he leaned back to rest his head.
"We have another gate to go through and that should be it, we should be on base in about five minutes," Hobbes said with certainty. "This is the easy part, my friend," he said as he glanced at Darien in the rear view mirror, "The hard part is finding out where they might have Ed if he's still alive and then getting out all in one piece."
"What if Ed is dead?" Darcy asked.
"We'll have to deal with that. But we're also here to find any information we can to change the President's mind about signing that bill," Darien stated as they approached the second gate.
TBC….
And now for something completely different.
Chapter 20
The Lady angrily hung up her phone. She held it so tight in her hand if it were alive she would have squeezed it to death like an anaconda. Dr. Alvarez sat across from her and looked at her quizzically. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she leaned on her desk and glared at nothing in particular in the room. After a moment of intense silence she spoke.
"He let him escape," she said spitefully.
"Who let who escape?"
The Lady straightened her posture, "Walter let Agent Fawkes escape."
Dr. Alvarez stood up, "Does he suspect that Dr. Tate is still alive?"
"Dr. Rhodes was very convincing. I doubt that any of them suspect Dr. Tate is still alive." She sat back down at her desk and looked down for a moment. Dr. Alvarez read her body language and knew she was in deep thought. He sat back down as well.
"I think I might know how to find Agent Fawkes," she said as she broke the silence again.
"How?"
"His partner. I'll have him followed. He might lead us to Agent Fawkes."
Dr. Alvarez nodded in agreement. "What about Dr. Attwood?"
"He's the least of my concerns right now. I'm more concerned about Agent Fawkes and Dr. Tate." She leaned forward on her desk, "How is Dr. Tate?"
"He's secured and my people are cleaning up the mess he made. I have a few tests I want to run and then I'll start the reprogramming."
"How long will that take?"
Dr. Alvarez pressed his lips together as he thought of a time table, "I'd say maybe a week."
The Lady's eyes widened with expectancy, "Really, that short of time?"
"I don't see why not. Even though he showed incredible strength, he's still in a weakened state and with the help of chemicals, he should be ready…" Dr. Alvarez leaned forward, "…and very willing to follow orders."
"Chemicals? What kind of chemicals?"
"That's what the tests are for. You see right now the state he's in is due to a chemical imbalance in his brain from the toxin that causes quicksilver madness. Once I can determine what that imbalance is, I'll know what drugs to use. If I use the wrong one it can cause him to be completely uncontrollable or turn him into a vegetable. I believe it's in our best interest to keep him as is."
The Lady shook her head, "Do what you have to do to insure that Dr. Tate is kept…as is. Keep me up to date on your progress," she stood up. "And I will have Agent Fawkes soon enough," she added.
Dr. Alvarez stood up and smiled, "I'm looking forward to meeting him."
"I'm sure you are," she said as she watched him turn and walk out. She picked up her phone and punched in the code to make another phone call.
~*~
"Fawkes!"
"Hobbes?"
"Hey got some news on that package we thought we lost…oh which reminds me…did you see Dexter's Laboratory last night when he went to China?"
Darien, with a puzzled look said to the phone as Hobbes continued to speak, "What are you talking about?" Tom, Mark and Darcy also had puzzled expressions on their faces.
Hobbes rolled his eyes and thought to himself, 'Come on, kid, get with the game here.'
Darien thought quickly, "I think you mean Japan…"
"Yeah, whatever, anyway back to the package, Alonzo was able to track it down for us, seems like it was delivered intact and not damaged at all. I'm going to go check it out." Hobbes put the phone down and silently prayed that Darien understood what he was trying to say. He knew he was being followed and wasn't sure if they could hear him or not. Better to play it safe then sorry. If Walter's superior had any idea that he knew something was going on, she would move Ed to another location that is, if he was still alive. That was something he didn't want to risk.
Darien stared at the walkie talkie style phone, "Okay, he's lost it…" Darien paused and thought for a moment, "Wait…Alonzo…Eberts pet turtle…"
"Eberts has a pet turtle?" Darcy asked in a surprise tone.
Darien shot her a quick glance, "No…actually he had a pet turtle, it was killed in the line of duty."
Now it was time for Tom and Mark to give each other surprised looks. "Humans…I still don't understand them," retorted Mark. Darcy smiled at Mark.
"Hobbes and I were about to investigate some things about Ed's death that didn't make sense. But that's when Walter came in and told me to run for it. Hobbes decided to go ask Eberts for help. He must have found something out, but what's up with the cartoon…" Darien's voice trailed off as he mentally tried to decipher the odd message from Hobbes.
"So you know that Eberts was able to find out something from what Hobbes said?" Mark asked in a tone that showed he still didn't understand.
"Yeah, see when Hobbes mentioned 'Alonzo' I remembered about Eberts' turtle. If Hobbes knew he was being followed he probably thought that they had bugged the van or something and that's why he mentioned 'Alonzo' when he really meant Eberts." Darien shook his head, "Guess being paranoid has its advantages."
"What do you think he found out?" Darcy asked.
"I don't know, but it must be something big by the tone of his voice. We'll just have to wait and see," Darien noted as he ran his hand through his hair. He stopped suddenly, "Wait…Dexter…China…" a long pause passed before realization sunk in, "Oh crap."
"Darien, what's wrong?" Darcy asked noting the expression of shock on Darien's face.
"Ed's alive…at least Hobbes thinks he is," Darien announced.
~*~
Hobbes had parked his van so it would be visible at all times. He walked inside the tall building and headed for the parking garage. There he met up with Walter. "Anyone follow you?" Walter asked.
"Yeah, just like you said they would. How 'bout you?"
"No, she's not interested in me right now. She wants to find Darien and knows that only you will lead her to him," Walter said as he handed Hobbes a set of keys. "I couldn't get the plane. She has it at the airport in Las Vegas. But I do have a vehicle for you that I'm sure you'll be impressed with…" Walter handed Hobbes a piece of paper, "…It's parked here. Everything you'll need is in it. Eberts even supplied the information you requested. There are uniforms in there for you and Tom along with ID's to get on the base."
"Looks like we're all set," Hobbes said as he looked at Walter. "You know, there's no quarantines here. I'm only going on a hunch."
Walter put his hand on Hobbes shoulder, "Hobbes, I'm well aware of that. Right now, I'm interested in answers. Even if one of those answers is that Ed is dead, at least we'll know for sure."
Hobbes nodded and walked off. Walter stood there and watched the seasoned agent walk away, "I hope you find him."
~*~
Ed was escorted back to the lab. "Ah, home sweet home," he said with a smirk. He was pushed from behind and he let out an exasperated sigh. He was led to the chair and was forced to sit down. "Hey you know, Arnaud gave me a buzz a month ago, I really don't think I need a haircut so soon," Ed retorted as he was secured to the chair. He looked at his wrists and felt the strap tightened around his chest. He leaned his head back and watched as Dr. Alvarez approached him.
Dr. Alvarez studied Ed for a moment and then nodded. Ed's head was secured. He was about to say something when he felt the pressure and then the pain. He became dizzy and passed out. Dr. Alvarez watched as the needle was inserted into Ed's head. The quicksilver flowed into the canisters.
"How much are you going to take?" Tara asked as she checked Ed's vitals.
"As much as I need to run tests. Don't worry, Dr. Marsh, I'm not taking blood, this won't affect him at all." Dr. Alvarez turned the lab tech, "Make sure these are filled up." The lab tech nodded and Dr. Alvarez walked away.
Tara looked down at Ed, 'What are they doing? He doesn't need this much quicksilver to run tests. They must be using it for something else. But what?' She thought to herself as she continued to monitor Ed.
"Dr. Marsh."
She snapped out of her thought and looked at another scientist, "Yes?"
"You can go back to your research, I'll keep an eye on Dr. Tate," the scientist said.
"Okay, thanks," she walked away trying to figure out what they would need quicksilver for. This whole situation was becoming more bizarre and they certainly were not willing to share their plans with her. And she knew why, even though she was working with them, she was still a dominant. The longer she stayed the more dangerous it was becoming for her. Maybe it was time to find out just what their plans were for Ed and the quicksilver they were taking from him.
~*~
"What? Are you sure you understood Hobbes right?" Darcy asked.
"Well, 'Dexter' is the code name we used for Ed for his first meeting with Arnaud. One time we had faked Hobbes' death to flush out the Chinese that were trying to kidnap him. That's why Hobbes mentioned China…he also said the package we thought was lost was actually delivered undamaged…" Darien looked at the three dominants standing in front of him, "I think Hobbes was talking about Ed."
"But why go through all the trouble, why Ed?" Mark asked.
Darien looked at Mark and remembered that he knew something had happened to Ed but he never gave him all the details. Darcy and Tom looked at Darien for any sign that he was going to tell Mark. "Okay, look, Ed was kidnapped about four weeks ago and had a gland implanted in his head..." Darien glanced at Mark, "He can turn invisible too."
Mark shook his head, "What?"
"That's why that night we needed your help to hide Ed. He was in quicksilver madness and Walter's superior had ordered a gland harvesting party if Hobbes and I didn't get back in time with the counteragent," Darien told him.
"We think that the Lady set Ed up and may have been ultimately responsible for Ed's death or maybe now his disappearance," Tom said and then noted his choice of words by cracking a smile.
"You got that right in more ways than one, bro," Darien retorted amusingly.
"But why would she want to set up Ed?" Mark asked.
"Sit down, this is going to take some time to explain," Darien said. Mark sat as Darien began to fill him in on why all this happened to Ed.
~*~
Ed woke up to find himself strapped down on a table again. But this time, the table was cushioned. He saw the nurse scamper off quickly, he smiled as he licked his lips, "Aww…come on back, baby! I have an itch that needs scratchin'!" He chuckled softly to himself and then from the corner of his eye he caught sight of Dr. Alvarez. Ed snarled at him, "What did you do to me?"
"We drained some quicksilver from the gland," he said simply as he prepared for the next round of tests.
Ed raised a brow, "Interesting, I'm not only a lab rat, but a cow as well." Ed paused to glare at Dr. Alvarez, and then replied in a condescending tone, "Moo." Ed let out a sigh, "Okay so, how and why did you do it?"
"With a needle straight into the gland," Dr. Alvarez paused for a moment and then continued, "With your group combining with the Agency we were able to get some pretty valuable information about some of Agent Fawkes' cases, one in particular stood out. The Chinese were able to extract quicksilver from his gland and we just copied the procedure."
"Come on, we both know that that procedure was not in Darien's reports. You got it from the Chinese themselves didn't you?" Ed watched his expression, "Tell me the truth," he said in a tone that his mother used to use on him. "Look, I know that the Chinese are just as interested in this project as anyone else is. But this time, there's a common threat. Dominants. So, what better threat that forces the world to work together." Ed raised his brows, "They shared that bit of info with you didn't they?"
Dr. Alvarez sighed, "We are working together on some things, but the information on the gland remains a top secret for our government."
"Yeah, okay, whatever. What do they want return? Quicksilver?" Ed waited for the answer and didn't get one. He shook his head in disbelief. "So, what'd you do, put the needle through the foramen magnum above the atlas cervical vertebra straight to the gland? Must have been tricky for you, don't want to knick the ol' spinal cord. Or did you just go through the occipital bone?"
Dr. Alvarez stared at Ed for a moment, "Even in stage five you remember all your medical knowledge."
"It's quicksilver madness not Alzheimer's," Ed snapped back.
Dr. Alvarez leaned down towards Ed and pulled off the swimmers goggles to get a good look at Ed's eyes, "And that makes you dangerous…"
"You have no idea," Ed retorted with a malicious look.
"…and that is why we are going to find a way to control your aggressive behavior." The swimmers goggles were placed back on Ed's eyes. "Now, Dr. Tate, I need you to do a favor for me."
Ed lifted his head, "You gotta be kiddin' me," he commented more as a statement rather than a question. He couldn't believe that this scientist would have the nerves to ask him a favor after all he's been through.
GI Joe approached Ed with the baton in his hand. Dr. Alvarez gazed at Ed, "I expect full cooperation from you," then he leaned down to Ed's ear, "I would also love to test your pain threshold in stage five. How much do you think you can handle?" He straightened back up when Ed didn't answer him. "I knew you'd see it my way. I'm going to run some tests and I need you to quicksilver on my command. I'm going to take a series of positron emission tomography scans."
"PET scans? So, I take it you want to study how my brain communicates with the gland, the chemical imbalance…" Ed paused and turned his head to face Dr. Alvarez, "…pin point the possible mutation in the gland?"
Dr. Alvarez smiled, "You do want a cure don't you?"
Ed turned his head again to look up at the ceiling, "Somehow I doubt the cure is for me but for the glands you want to clone." Ed returned his gaze to Dr. Alvarez, "What else are you looking for? Hmm, chemical imbalance…you said you wanted to control my aggressive behavior..."
Dr. Alvarez ignored Ed, "We're ready to begin." He injected Ed with the necessary chemicals for the scans and signaled for the tests to begin. He stood behind the monitor and looked at Ed with a smile as the table was moved inside the imaging machine, "Okay, Dr. Tate, quicksilver your right arm."
~*~
Darien let Hobbes in and took a look at his partner dressed in fatigues, "Whoa...Hobbes…what's with the threads?"
"War my friend," Hobbes said as he patted Darien on the back. Tom, Mark and Darcy came up to greet him as well.
"Okay, so what's the deal?" Darien asked.
"Look, before I say what I'm about to say I just want to say that what I'm about to say is purely speculation…"
Darien's forehead creased with confusion, "Uh, Hobbes, just tell us okay?"
"Okay, I think Ed might be alive." Hobbes watched as the faces in the room turned to total shock.
"That's what I figured from your encrypted phone call. How, I mean, what makes you think that?"
"Look, I'll explain all that later, but we need to get moving." Hobbes looked at Mark and Darcy, "I could use your help too."
"You got it," Darcy said excitedly.
Darien was still trying to let Hobbes words sink in. He stared at Hobbes, "Where're we goin'?"
"Nevada, my friend, Nevada." Hobbes patted Darien on the back, "Come on, it's a long ride."
Darien turned to Darcy, "Nevada?"
"That's what the man said," she hugged Darien, "What if it's true, Darien, what if Ed is still alive?"
Darien ran his hand down the side of her face, "Remember, babe, he said it's only speculation. Don't get your hopes up." Darien remembered all to well the time when he was led to believe that Kevin was still alive only to have his own hopes crushed in the end. He didn't want to go through that again and he didn't want Darcy to experience that either.
Darcy shook her head, "Yeah, I know. But we can still hope, right?"
He put his hands on her shoulders, "Darcy, a long time ago I was hopeful that Kevin was still alive and he wasn't. Until I know for sure, I will believe what we know so far."
"I know, kinda like innocent until proven guilty. Ed is dead until proven alive," she said sadly.
"Yeah, that's it. Babe, I'm sorry, but I know how it feels and I don't want to go through that again." Darien held her close to him.
"I understand and your right, if he is really dead and I build up this hope that he's still alive, it could hurt even more."
Darien let out a sigh. He hated to do that but he had to, for both of them.
~*~
Ed was put back on the metal table and strapped down. He had noticed that there was another table not to far from him, "Hey, expecting company?"
"That's none of your concern," Dr. Alvarez said while he checked Ed's restraints. He had new restraints placed on the table since Ed was able to break out of the other ones that had been worn out from excessive use.
"You either have another lab rat coming or that's for my autopsy," Ed said coldly as he glanced around the room. The other table didn't appear to be for an autopsy so he chose the lab rat theory.
"Behave yourself, Dr. Tate, the nurse here is going to draw some blood," Dr. Alvarez glanced over at GI Joe who stood on the other side of the table with his trusty cattle prod in hand.
Ed glared at him with a smirk, "With that big stick you carry around I'd say you're trying to compensate for something."
The nurse chuckled softly as she prepared the kit to take some blood samples. GI Joe read Dr. Alvarez's body language and knew instantly that he was being ordered not to retaliate. He had been told that no harm should come to Dr. Tate until it was ordered by a superior. Dr. Alvarez had explained that physical punishment on Dr. Tate in the state that he was in would only make him angry and his pain threshold had risen. What hurt him before would not hurt him now. His last words to the guards were, "Don't make him angry."
Dr. Alvarez seeing that GI Joe understood his command walked away to leave the nurse to her duties. He walked over to the Lady who stood nearby and witnessed the exchange.
"How long before you can get him under control?" She asked impatiently.
"This may take longer than I first suspected, he's intelligent and extremely strong willed at this point. I'm beginning to think that he might not be the perfect candidate for this." Dr. Alvarez glanced back at Ed who was saying something to the nurse and it visibly unnerved her. GI Joe had ordered him to shut-up or else they would gag him again. Dr. Alvarez shook his head, "We need to be very careful with this one. Are you sure that putting Agent Fawkes and Dr. Tate in the same room is a smart move?"
"In stage five Dr. Tate has no loyalties but to himself. I'm curious to know if he's really as strong as a dominant. The report said that Dr. Tate had easily overpowered Tom Daniels and that Agent Fawkes failed in the attempt to disrupt his electrical impulses when he arrived back at the Agency, I want to see this for myself," the Lady said as she kept her eye on Ed.
"Okay then, may I suggest that you put them in the padded room where we can watch and contain them at the same time?"
"Yes, I don't want either of them getting out and I also want them both alive. I just want to make sure that Dr. Tate can handle himself on a mission if he were to confront a dominant." The Lady turned and walked out of the lab.
Tara from her side of the lab had watched the conversation, she couldn't hear what they were saying but she felt the emotions. Dr. Alvarez seemed nervous and then cautious. The Lady was calm as usual, like she wasn't fazed at all about being in the same room with a potential psychopathic killer. The nurse attending Ed was definitely frightened. The guard that Ed nicknamed GI Joe was confident and showed no fear at all towards Ed. She knew that was a mistake. By showing no fear the guard was underestimating Ed and his violent potential. But she knew, because she could feel the anger coming from him. It was thick in the air and she also sensed the deep desire for revenge. Getting Ed out was going to be harder now than she thought. She was certainly going to need help and knew what she may have to do.
Seducing Ed would be easier while he's in this state. His commitment to his human mate would not be an issue as right now he had no morals. His conscious was gone. The lid was definitely blown off his id. She knew the dangers and that Ed would have no remorse if he decided to kill her but it was a chance she was willing to take. At least she had some chance of protecting herself being a dominant and a trained Chameleon. But before she could go on with her plan, she needed to get a hold of stage five counteragent and secretly download any information she could get her hands on. Her mission had turned upside down and she was conflicted with loyalties to her father and her species, but something about this man made her think twice. This man was wanted by the High Council and especially by her father. The High Council had wanted Ed killed, but before the Alaska incident, they had changed their minds. Dr. Copeland, who once was Ed's med school advisor and teacher, had successfully argued that Dr. Tate was more valuable to them alive then dead. He had underestimated Ed's ability as a scientist and warned the Council not to do the same. In the end, Dr. Copeland had failed in getting Ed to join him.
The High Council was angry at her father; they blamed him for letting not only Dr. Tate out of his grasp twice, but Darien Fawkes as well. She could redeem her father partly with the Council if she brought Ed to him and he in turn, brought Ed to them. She imagined in her mind her father giving Ed the dominant gene therapy and watched him slowly evolve, but she quickly shook that vision from her mind, 'What am I thinking? I'm so twisted up inside.' She got up to leave the lab to clear her mind. As she walked past Ed she could feel his cold, emotionless eyes on her. She quickly glanced at him and crossed her arms in front of her as a cold shiver went up her spine.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Marsh," replied a scientist as he placed the goggles back on Ed's eyes.
"It's okay, you were examining his eyes, I just walked by at the wrong time," Tara said as she stared into Ed's face. He was smiling and it sent another shiver through her. His smile was that of a predator when they have their prey cornered with no hope of escape. She turned and walked out quickly.
Ed turned to GI Joe, "You know there's a Chinese proverb that goes 'How can you put out a fire set on a cart-load of firewood with only a cup of water?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Ed smiled maliciously, "It means that that stick of yours is a minor solution to the bigger problem that's staring you in the face."
~*~
Tom sat in the passenger seat dressed in his fatigues as Darien, Mark and Darcy remained in the back of the van. They were on a journey that would take nearly five hours to drive to Las Vegas. From there they would head north for the 90 mile drive to Nellis Air Force Range, better known as Area 51.
Darien shook his head, "I can't get over the fact that we're on our way to break into Area 51."
"This is the sort of thing that scifi is made of. I mean, say Ed is still alive, it's a perfect place…in a science fiction sort of way," Darcy commented.
"Yeah, the invisible man meets Klaatu," Hobbes retorted as he drove.
"Well, the fictional invisible man was a scientist," Darcy said as she shrugged her shoulders.
"True, but I doubt we'll find any men from mars…" Darien looked at Darcy sternly, "Don't even say it."
"What? I wasn't going to say a word," Darcy said with a smile.
Darien smiled at her knowing that she was thinking that men are from mars. "So, Hobbes, are we there yet?" He asked.
Hobbes rolled his eyes, "Wise ass."
Darcy chuckled in the back as Mark and Tom looked on with curiosity. Even though they had spent many years in the company of humans, they still didn't understand their behavior at times especially since Darien and Darcy still acted so human. Tom thought back to the time when he was human and for a moment, he was jealous of Darien and Darcy, both dominant and both so human.
They all split driving the van the long distance, stopping to refuel, eat and a much needed bathroom break. Most of the time, they were all quiet letting the past events of the week sink in a bit more and what this particular mission means if they succeed or fail. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into, but they wanted answers. Was Ed still alive? Did Arnaud really take the gland or was it Walter's superior? What was her true agenda? If Ed was dead, Darien wanted to take her down, but he needed proof that she was responsible for his death.
They were each lost in their own thoughts. Mark thought about the future of his species and the world. Tom thought of Sloan. Hobbes thought of how he could protect his best friend, his partner. Darien thought of Darcy and his unborn child. At first when Darcy told him, it frightened him. The responsibility that faced him down the road made him think of his own life. He didn't want to be like his own father that was certain in his mind and in his heart. But facing a future on the run was adding more pressure to him. They would certainly be searching for him; after all, he still had 17 million dollars worth of government property in his head. Being a dominant and the improved senses that he had would give him an added advantage but at what cost? Is it worth the risk to his family, his friends to put them in harms way? He was beginning to think that it might be best to turn himself in. He knew that they would catch up to him eventually and when they did, he couldn't bear to think what would happen if his family was around. But if he left them, then he would be like his father. He quickly shoved that plan out of his mind.
"What you thinking about?" Darcy asked.
Darien blinked several times quickly and took Darcy into his arms, "I love you, babe."
"I love you too. Now are you going to tell me what you were thinking?" Darcy's voice was a little more commanding now.
Darien leaned his head against one of the tables in the back of the van, "Just that I love you and I'll do anything to protect my family."
Darcy swallowed hard, she knew right away what he was thinking, "Please don't leave us."
"I won't leave you, but if push comes to shove and we get cornered I want you to run. I'll distract them cause they'll be more interested in what's inside my head than anything else. I couldn't bear it if they caught you and the baby. No telling what they'll do to you and our child."
Darcy held Darien tight, "We won't let ourselves get in that position."
"Okay, sounds good to me," Darien said to pacify her, but deep down inside he knew he would be caught.
"Okay, Hobbes, once in Las Vegas, we need to take I-15 north to Highway 93 to Alamo and Ash Springs. Then north of Ash Springs, take the turn for Rachel onto Highway 318, then onto Highway 375. It says here that a section of Highway 375 near Area 51 was renamed 'The Extraterrestrial Highway,'" Tom noted as he read the directions that Eberts provided for them.
"It figures, they probably did that for the tourists. Maybe after this they'll call a road 'I-Man Lane'?" Hobbes said as he turned his head to look at Darien with a very visible smirk on his face. "Huh? What'd you think o' that, partner?"
"I think you're nuts, but you knew that already."
Tom smiled as he shook his head. Darien scooted towards the front of the van to look out the window. He needed to stretch legs and bad, but he knew they couldn't waste anytime. The President was supposed to sign the bill the following day and they needed to find some answers before then to hopefully stop him or at least postpone the signing. The President was being duped into following someone else's agenda and they needed concrete evidence to prove that.
"We're near Las Vegas already?" Darien asked.
"About twenty minutes away but we won't be stopping to do any gambling so get that notion out of that troll headed mind of yours," Hobbes retorted as he steered the van towards I-15.
Darien smirked at Hobbes comment, "Come on, Hobbes, easy cash man, just like before."
"Yeah, and look where that got you, my friend, on the last train to Nutsoville."
"You got a point."
"I always have a point."
"That you do."
"You bet I do and don't you forget it."
"Oh believe me, I won't."
"Good, cause I'm the seasoned agent here and my experience is longer than your rap sheet."
"Oh you think so?"
"I don't think so, I know so."
"Who can argue with that?"
Hobbes turned to look at Tom, "See, glad someone acknowledges Bobby Hobbes' superiority in the spook business."
Over an hour later, they noticed that the highway signs had spaceship stickers on them. They were getting close and it was time to get serious, to focus on what they were supposed to accomplish at the base. What they were attempting was dangerous and they could all be shot for trying to break into a military facility. At mile marker 34.5 on Highway 375, Hobbes turned onto Groom Lake Road. He looked at Tom, "You ready?"
Tom put his military cap on and pulled out the fake papers that Walter and Eberts gave them. He signaled to Hobbes that he was ready with a nod.
Hobbes then turned to Darien, "Get ready, I-Man, another thirteen miles and we should start seeing the warning signs."
Darien took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I'm ready, Hobbes."
Hobbes slowly made his way down the dusty road. He came upon the first warning sign and off to the side, were two guards dressed in black. Hobbes turned and looked at Tom, "It's show time."
Tom had nerves of steel but for the first time, he was nervous. He pushed the emotion down and became the keen dominant that Lewis had trained him to be just for this kind of situation. For the first time in a long time, he silently thanked Lewis.
Darien sensed the guards coming up to the van. He placed his hands on Darcy and Mark and turned on the gland in his head. The three were instantly covered in silver and disappeared.
"Whoa…now this is…"
"Shhh…" Darien cut Mark off to silence him and whispered, "They can still hear you."
"Oh."
Hobbes rolled down the window, "Good day, sir."
"Let me see your papers and ID's."
Hobbes took the papers and ID's from Tom and handed them to the guard. He tried to be as natural as he could be, but not too natural. Striking up a conversation by saying 'What a nice day' was not the plan. Just stay quiet and let the guard start any conversations.
The guard looked suspiciously at Hobbes and then at Tom while his partner checked out the van. "So, what are two gentlemen doing here?"
"We're delivering this van to someone who's not here," Hobbes voice sounded a bit annoyed.
The guard again studied Hobbes and then turned his attention back to the papers. A few more seconds passed before he spoke again, "What's in the van that's going to someone who's not here?"
"Take a look for yourself, it's all state of the art surveillance equipment."
Tom shot Hobbes a surprised look. Hobbes waved his hand frantically out of the sight of the guard to tell Tom not to worry. The guard took a quick glance inside from Hobbes window.
"Let me ask you another question. What constellation is visible tonight?"
Hobbes raised a brow, "What constellation is visible tonight?"
Darien's heart skipped a beat. Darcy gripped his hand tighter and she could hear Mark gasped in some way. Darien suddenly shifted and in his mind yelled out, 'Hobbes! Say Perseus!'
"Perseus!" Hobbes said like he was answering a question on a quiz show. It was so sudden and loud that Tom jumped in his seat. Hobbes outburst had startled the guard as well.
The guard handed Hobbes back the papers and ID's. He took a step back from the van and waved them through. Hobbes let out a sigh of relief and then saluted the guard as he drove by.
Tom looked at Hobbes, "Great thinking, Hobbes."
"It wasn't me, it was the Amazing Kreskin back there."
Darien stopped the flow of quicksilver and relaxed, "That was close."
"How did you know…oh wait, never mind," Darcy said.
"It helps having a Jedi Knight around," Hobbes retorted.
"Okay, now where do we go?" Darien asked as he leaned back to rest his head.
"We have another gate to go through and that should be it, we should be on base in about five minutes," Hobbes said with certainty. "This is the easy part, my friend," he said as he glanced at Darien in the rear view mirror, "The hard part is finding out where they might have Ed if he's still alive and then getting out all in one piece."
"What if Ed is dead?" Darcy asked.
"We'll have to deal with that. But we're also here to find any information we can to change the President's mind about signing that bill," Darien stated as they approached the second gate.
TBC….