Chapter 5
Ryland and Tom escorted Diana's sister and father to the ICU in Virginia Madison Hospital, located 0.22 miles out of Seattle. Ryland and Tom had to get started on Maia's kidnapping so they planned to make sure that they were okay at the hospital before taking off to Homeland Security.
"Dana," Tom began. "Did Diana mention anyone named Maia Rutledge in your correspondence?"
"No. Why?"
"Because a few months after the 4400 landed Diana took in a little girl who was part of the 4400. She had been gone for about sixty years and her parents were dead. For some reason she took a liking to Diana…"
FLASHBACK
Maia is coloring on the table with Tom on the other side. Diana is standing by the window. Maia hands Tom a crayon.
"Thank you," Tom said as he joins Maia with her coloring.
"I didn't mean to scare anyone," Maia said.
"I know you didn't honey. But why did you say those things to Mrs. Kroch about her daughter?"
"Because they're true."
"If I asked you if it was going to rain tomorrow would you know the answer?"
"Maybe," Maia said.
"Okay, the doctors will be by to check you out a bit later," Tom said.
"Will it hurt?"
"No."
"It's going to hurt isn't it?" This time Maia looked to Diana as if she could trust her and not Tom.
"The test they'll be performing may hurt but most of the time it will just be…boring," Diana answered.
"Will you look in on me every once in a while to see if I'm okay?"
"Me?" A surprised expression spread across Diana's face. "Sure."
END FLASHBACK
"…so one day she asked to come stay with her. Diana didn't really want to at first but she ended up taking Maia in. She was kidnapped last night."
"Is the reason why my sister in a coma?"
"No, that's the gunman's fault." Tom said as they entered the ICU and walked towards the room that Diana was in. A nurse has come in to draw blood from Diana's arm.
"Dinah!" Daniel cried.
"No, dad, that's Diana," Dana explained. "Mom, died twenty-six years ago."
"No, that's my wife."
"Daddy, no, that's Diana."
The nurse exited Diana's room. "Excuse me miss, can we go in and see Diana?"
"She's unstable right now so only a few minutes," the nurse advised. "I'll be back in about twenty minutes or so with her doctor."
"Okay," Dana said.
"Will you be okay here?" Ryland asked.
"Yeah, I think we'll be okay," Dana said.
Tom pulled out a piece of scrap paper from his pocket and scribbled down his cell phone number. "Here is my cell phone number. Please, if you need anything give me a call."
"I will, thank you," Dana said.
"We'll stop by later today if you don't mind," Ryland said.
"No, you have to find that little girl any way so go ahead."
The two men left the hospital, their hearts heavy with grief.
"Okay, so to map a kidnapper, you look at one basic trait," Marco began as Ryland and Tom listened intently in The Theory Room. "Enemies."
"Did Diana have any that we know of?" Ryland asked.
"Not off the top of my head," Tom said.
"Basically kidnappers could be anyone in society. I mean, look at Elizabeth Smart, abducted from her home, by a guy that her parents hired to do house work. I recently read the paper a few days ago to hear about a woman in New York who was killed by a guy she met at the farmer's market for criticizing his fruit."
"Well I don't think that Diana has hired any guys off the street to do housework that would be interested in making Maia his wife," Ryland said.
"And I don't think that Diana has ever been to a farmer's market unless she was dragged there because of a case," Marco said.
"Tom what are you thinking," Ryland said as he turned to see that his subordinate had started to stare off into space.
"Lytell." Tom stated. "She hated the guy."
FLASHBACK
Diana and Tom arrive back at the Seattle branch of Homeland Security to see that Warren Lytell was the one that summoned them, not Ryland.
"I know there are a dozen or so agents investigating the 4400 but it seemed like you two were the right place to start." Lytell began.
"Where would you like to start?" Tom asked. "Orson Bailey, Oliver Knox, Carl Morrissey?"
"How 'bout Maia Rutledge."
Diana tensed up at the mention of Maia. "What about her?"
"Well her foster parents brought her back, no reason given, and then there are all these reports about her making predictions. Ones that come true. Next thing you know she's been removed from quarantine by one of our field agents."
"I believe the record says 'for further study," Diana defended.
"But you haven't filed any further reports have you Agent Skouris."
"All this was approved by Ryland, I don't see how this is an issue."
Lytell ignored Diana's statement. "Lets move on to Shawn Farrell."
END FLASHBACK
"For crying out loud, I hated the guy," Ryland said. "But why do you think he would take Maia and shoot Skouris."
"Um…Diana told me of another incident," Tom said.
FLASHBACK
Diana rushes into school to pick up Maia, she is clutching Maia's backpack in hand.
"How nice to see you Ms. Skouris," one the teachers greeted her.
"Hey, is Maia ready?"
"She's sitting by the lake talking with one of your colleagues, I believe he said his name was…Lytell."
"Thank you," Diana said as she rushed off.
At the lake Lytell is in the middle of a conversation with Maia.
"…a lot of things are different, but I like video games," Maia says.
"Well didn't you like the ones at the quarantine center?" Lytell asks.
"Lytell!" Diana yells as she runs up to them.
"We were just having a little chat Diana," Lytell says.
"I want you to stay away from her," Diana commanded.
"That's not really your call Diana," Lytell said before turning to Maia. "We'll talk again soon."
"Okay," Maia answered as Lytell walked away she whispered. "I don't like him and he doesn't like me either."
"You don't have to worry about him," Diana said as she helped the girl put her backpack on. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."
Maia held out her arms and Diana embraced her in a hug.
END FLASHBACK
"I am now convinced," Ryland said. "Run a search on all government databases. If we're lucky we may find where he's from."
"What he didn't tell you?"
"No, he just told me, that he was sent by home sec," Ryland said.
"Okay, lets run a search," Tom said.
TBC