Chapter 2
Jack caught a cab in front of the hospital and had it take him to the CIA garage, where he had left his car. He then headed for Sydney's house.
Once there, he found that the street had been blocked off by security. He double parked his car and walked the last block to his daughter's house. As he started to move under the yellow police tape, he was stopped by an LA police officer. "Sorry, sir. You'll have to step back," the officer told him.
Jack didn't want any trouble; he just wanted to get to the house. He informed the officer that the house belonged to his daughter. He also told him that he had thirty seconds to call someone and get clearance for him to pass.
The officer didn't need the thirty seconds. He had already been alerted that Jack was expected. He stepped aside and allowed him to cross under the tape. The officer then radioed his Chief and told him that Jack was on his way.
Jack surveyed the damage as he walked toward the house. There was barely a shell of the structure standing. The closer he got to the house, the stronger the pressure grew inside his head. He entered the house and proceeded directly to Sydney's room. The pressure in his head increased as he took in the sight of the white tape that marked the spot where a body had once laid.
Jack was trying to comprehend the destruction that he was seeing, when he was startled by Marcus Dixon, who had walked up to him and offered his condolences.
Jack responded to Dixon's condolences by asking him, "What do you know about what happened here?"
Dixon recalled the trauma of having lost his wife. He remembered his need to know everything that was available. Out of respect for Jack's professionalism, Dixon told him what he knew. "It appears that the fire was probably ignited by acetonitrile. It was set so that the burn was contained primarily in this room. It did its damage before anyone on the outside even noticed the flames."
While Dixon was talking, Jack headed out of the house to look around. Although it may have appeared that Jack was not listening to what he was saying, Dixon knew that he was. He followed Jack outside and continued with the rundown of what he knew, "Tippin was found in the bathtub. He was stabbed in the gut and has a choke line around his neck. We suspect that whoever started the fire, that they didn't know he was in the house or they didn't care that he was here."
Jack turned to Dixon with a look of confusion, "Are you telling me that whoever stabbed Tippin, isn't the same person who started this fire?"
"Yes. We think it was two different assailants." Dixon wondered how much shocking news Jack was going to be able to handle. He took a deep breath and told him, "Jack, all signs are pointing in the direction that Francine Calfo, is the second double, from Dr. Markovic's Project Helix."
"Francie? What proof do you have?" Jack inquired.
Dixon gave Jack a synopsis of the evidence that they had. He told him, "We found a prescription bottle of Provacillium in the bathroom. We don't know where Francie is, and the police said that Will kept mumbling something that sounded like, 'it's not Francie.'"
The only piece of good news he had to offer was that they found the knife that was used to stab Tippin and there were fingerprints all over it.
Jack walked back in the house and once again surveyed Sydney's room. He told Dixon, "I want a preliminary report from all the investigators on my desk before the end of the day."
"Alright." Dixon replied.
"Where's Vaughn?" Jack inquired.
"They took Sydney's body...."
Jack's look stopped Dixon in mid sentence. He informed him, "We don't know that it's her."
"You're right," Dixon answered, apologetically. He then corrected himself and told Jack, "They took the body to the CIA morgue. Vaughn went with it. They took Tippin to Cedars-Sinai."
Just before leaving his daughters house, Jack noticed what was left of Sydney's jewelry box. He opened it and rummaged through it until he found what he was wanted. He placed the silver earrings in his pocket and left the house.
Jack returned to his car. Before turning on the engine, he closed his eyes and again tried to rub out the pressure that was building in his head. He quickly opened his eyes as he found that closing them only produced images of flames and the sound of someone screaming.
tbc
Jack caught a cab in front of the hospital and had it take him to the CIA garage, where he had left his car. He then headed for Sydney's house.
Once there, he found that the street had been blocked off by security. He double parked his car and walked the last block to his daughter's house. As he started to move under the yellow police tape, he was stopped by an LA police officer. "Sorry, sir. You'll have to step back," the officer told him.
Jack didn't want any trouble; he just wanted to get to the house. He informed the officer that the house belonged to his daughter. He also told him that he had thirty seconds to call someone and get clearance for him to pass.
The officer didn't need the thirty seconds. He had already been alerted that Jack was expected. He stepped aside and allowed him to cross under the tape. The officer then radioed his Chief and told him that Jack was on his way.
Jack surveyed the damage as he walked toward the house. There was barely a shell of the structure standing. The closer he got to the house, the stronger the pressure grew inside his head. He entered the house and proceeded directly to Sydney's room. The pressure in his head increased as he took in the sight of the white tape that marked the spot where a body had once laid.
Jack was trying to comprehend the destruction that he was seeing, when he was startled by Marcus Dixon, who had walked up to him and offered his condolences.
Jack responded to Dixon's condolences by asking him, "What do you know about what happened here?"
Dixon recalled the trauma of having lost his wife. He remembered his need to know everything that was available. Out of respect for Jack's professionalism, Dixon told him what he knew. "It appears that the fire was probably ignited by acetonitrile. It was set so that the burn was contained primarily in this room. It did its damage before anyone on the outside even noticed the flames."
While Dixon was talking, Jack headed out of the house to look around. Although it may have appeared that Jack was not listening to what he was saying, Dixon knew that he was. He followed Jack outside and continued with the rundown of what he knew, "Tippin was found in the bathtub. He was stabbed in the gut and has a choke line around his neck. We suspect that whoever started the fire, that they didn't know he was in the house or they didn't care that he was here."
Jack turned to Dixon with a look of confusion, "Are you telling me that whoever stabbed Tippin, isn't the same person who started this fire?"
"Yes. We think it was two different assailants." Dixon wondered how much shocking news Jack was going to be able to handle. He took a deep breath and told him, "Jack, all signs are pointing in the direction that Francine Calfo, is the second double, from Dr. Markovic's Project Helix."
"Francie? What proof do you have?" Jack inquired.
Dixon gave Jack a synopsis of the evidence that they had. He told him, "We found a prescription bottle of Provacillium in the bathroom. We don't know where Francie is, and the police said that Will kept mumbling something that sounded like, 'it's not Francie.'"
The only piece of good news he had to offer was that they found the knife that was used to stab Tippin and there were fingerprints all over it.
Jack walked back in the house and once again surveyed Sydney's room. He told Dixon, "I want a preliminary report from all the investigators on my desk before the end of the day."
"Alright." Dixon replied.
"Where's Vaughn?" Jack inquired.
"They took Sydney's body...."
Jack's look stopped Dixon in mid sentence. He informed him, "We don't know that it's her."
"You're right," Dixon answered, apologetically. He then corrected himself and told Jack, "They took the body to the CIA morgue. Vaughn went with it. They took Tippin to Cedars-Sinai."
Just before leaving his daughters house, Jack noticed what was left of Sydney's jewelry box. He opened it and rummaged through it until he found what he was wanted. He placed the silver earrings in his pocket and left the house.
Jack returned to his car. Before turning on the engine, he closed his eyes and again tried to rub out the pressure that was building in his head. He quickly opened his eyes as he found that closing them only produced images of flames and the sound of someone screaming.
tbc
