Chapter 12

"Mr. Collier, what is your relationship to Walter Lindell," Tom asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Jordan asked.

"I mean, why are you sending him letters," Tom asked. "Just for kicks? Do you have money to spare?"

"No, I don't even know anyone named Lindell."

"Really?"

"Honestly."

"You know, we also believed you when you said that you wanted to help the 4400 by putting up that housing complex. Do you really expect us to believe you now?"

"This is the truth," Collier said. "Why are you so interested in this guy anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know?" Tom said leaning back in his chair. "His shot an agent, kidnapped her charge."

"I don't know anything about Maia Rutledge's kidnapped or the shooting of Agent Diana Skouris?" Collier said.

"If you're as innocent as you say than how do you know their names," Tom asked. "They weren't released to the public."

"I have my connections," Collier said.

"No, I don't think that's the case," Tom said.

FLASHBACK

Diana and Tom are at the police station interviewing Orson Bailey about the murder of Adam Kensington.

"Look I've been over and over this with you people," Orson said exasperated.

"We're not the police," Tom said. "We're Homeland Security."

"Well then tell the bozo's out there that I had nothing to do with what happened to Adam."

"Lets just go over your day one more time. You went to see Adam Kensington about a job, and even though your name is still on the company letterhead, he brushed you off, I know how that would make me feel."

"I'll admit I was angry," Orson said. "I went to Adam's house too…I don't know why I went."

"Let me read you an e-mail Kensington sent to his attorney after your visit," Diana said butting into the conversation.

"It's not important," Tom said trying to stop Diana.

"Just a sec." Diana began reading from the e-mail. "Bailey is making desperate claims regarding his financial stake in the company. He actually threatened to sue. I don't think he realizes that there are going to be hundreds of lawsuits involving the 4400. It will take years. The poor bastard, he really is a rather…" Diana's voice trailed off as the coffee pots began to shake and then shattered. Diana looks up to see Orson's nose bleeding as she finishes her sentence. "…pathetic case."

Orson wiped the blood off his nose before responding. "Now, I'm not a lawyer, but I'm not an idiot either. You've had me here for twelve hours. Either charge me with something or let me go."

A few minutes later Tom and Diana where on their way out of the station. Diana is balancing her purse over her shoulder as she follows behind Tom with a jacket in her hand.

"So, we're just going to let him walk after what happened in there?" Diana asked.

"Yeah, it looks like it," Tom said. "And for future reference, if I ever want to play good cop, bad cop, I'll let you know."

"Which one do I get to be?" Diana asked.

"This isn't a joke," Tom said. "There is a time to lean on a guy, and that wasn't it. You shut him down."

"Look, I'm sorry, Bailey admitted he was angry at Kensington," Tom said. "He was at his house."

"I didn't say it was over, did I?"

END FLASHBACK

"I think you were partners with Lindell," Tom raised his voice getting impatient. "I think that that you were an instrument in getting back at Diana."

"Why would I have wanted to get back at Diana," Collier said. "I didn't even know her."

"But you knew Maia," Tom said. "Didn't you?"

"She's one of the 4400," Collier said. "Other than that, I don't know anything about her."

"Hold out your hands please," Tom asked. "Palms up."

Collier held out is hands. "What is this for?"

Tom pulled out some luminal and sprayed it on Colliers hands before pulling out an alternate light source and shining it over Collier's palms. What Tom found made him sigh inside.

"Dammit," Tom said as he came out of the interrogation room. "He tested negative for GSR, even if he was wearing gloves some GSR would have transferred to his hands."

"I know," Ryland said.

"So now what are you thinking?" Tom asked.

"Hired hit?" Ryland posed. "He more than had the resources."

"Maybe that's the case," Tom said. "But then who?"

"Someone within the complex maybe?" Ryland said. "Maybe they're holding Diana here."

"Lets circulate her picture through the complex," Tom said. "See if anyone has seen her there in the last few days."

"It may be a long shot," Ryland said. "But it sounds like a good idea."

"Should we tape his phones?" Tom asked.

"It couldn't hurt," Ryland said. "Hopefully we can catch him doing something incriminating enough to get a warrant for his arrest."

"Alright," Tom said. "I'll stop by Arcadia Homes on my way back to the hospital."

"You're going to see Diana again?" Ryland asked.

"Yes," Tom said.

"Just do her a favor and bring her some real food and save her from having to eat that hospital crap," Ryland said. "I swear that it's made of rubber."

"Will do," Tom said.

Diana awoke later that evening to see Tom sitting at the side of her bed. He was just sitting there, staring at her.

"What are you doing?" Diana asked.

"Staring at you," Tom said with a smile.

"Must be fascinating." Diana covered her mouth as she yawned and tried to sit up. "How's work?"

"Same old, same old," Tom said. "Ryland yells about the media, Marco talks in a language I cannot understand. I get a case, work it, solve it."

"How's Maia's case coming?"

"We think this may have been a conspiracy," Tom said. "I really can't disclose anymore than that."

"It's okay."

"Aside from that," Tom said pulling out a bag clearly labeled 'Quiznos.' "I thought you could use some real food because Ryland swears that food here is made of rubber."

"I wish that they would do an expose on those kinds of things," Diana said as Tom began to unload the bag, handing her a sandwich.

"Yeah," Tom said. "I really don't care about the private life of Britney Spears but I do care what goes through my gastrointestinal tract everyday. Did the doctors say anything about your release?"

"They said I could probably go home tomorrow," Diana said. "Though I'm not entirely sure that I want too."

"Why wouldn't you?" Tom asked. "It would be better than here wouldn't it?"

"I just don't think that I want to go back to an empty apartment," Diana said.

FLASHBACK

Diana walks down the hall at one of the quarantine centers on her way to one of the doctor's offices. She scratched the back of her neck nervously as she approached the glass window to see that the doctors had left Maia to sit on the medical table alone. She walked towards the door and opened it.

At the sound of the door opening the young girl raised her head and rubbed her eyes.

"Hey Maia," Diana said as she entered the exam room. The young girl turned at the sound of her voice. "How long have they left you like this?"

"A while," Maia answered innocently. "I think they all went on their coffee break."

"Oh! Well!" Diana said as she continued walking into the room. "That's pretty dumb of them isn't it?"

"Will you stay until they get back?"

"Of course," Diana nodded. "And when they show up, your doctors and I are going to have a little talk."

"And then can I go home?"

"Home?"

"With you?" Maia asked. "I don't like being here alone."

"You want to stay with me?"

"You don't like being alone either. I can always come back for my checkups. Please?"

"Look, Maia," Diana began. "I'm not even sure that I'm the kind of person that I even want to live with. No, I…eat cold pizza for breakfast…and…"

"That sounds all right to me."

"Yeah. You know, Maia. Just let me think about it."

The little girl put her head back down on her drawn up knees with her head turned away from Diana. Diana rolled let out a silent sigh of guilt as they waited in silence.

END FLASHBACK

"Diana, we're going to find Maia," Tom said. "It's just a matter of time."

"And what if you can't find her?" Diana asked. "What if she is dead?"

"Diana," Tom said as he cupped her cheek in his hand. "I don't want that thought to come into your head again. Okay?" Diana nodded. "Good."

TB C