Determinant: a gene or other factor that determines the character and development of a cell or group of cells in an organism.

Chapter 36: No Place Like Home - Off to See the Wizard

After receiving startling news, Jamie sets off on a quest to Siberia with an unlikely ally.

The plane was airborne moments after Jamie boarded. It didn't take her long to adjust to the fast takeoff; Trotter had pulled them out of some hairy situations back in the day. Once she was at a good cruising altitude, she laid in a course for the airport that sat thirty miles from her aunt's house. She wasn't sure she wanted to actually go, but it was better than flying aimlessly in circles wasting fuel.

She grabbed her phone and searched through her contacts for anyone who could help her. She scrolled past Allison's name easily - the woman had all but cut ties with Jamie and the others when she'd run for President and lost. There were a few hopeful candidates but none that jumped out at her, so she stowed her phone and made her way to the lower level of the plane.

Mansdale was still huddled on the floor of the cell. He was sporting a new bruise on his right cheek, and as Jamie came into view he scowled.

"Thanks for the warning," he sneered.

"Sorry," Jamie tried to sound contrite but probably just came off as bored. "Listen, I ditched Logan in Guatemala. He wants to take you back to the IADG to face a trial for your crimes, but I have another option for you." He seemed more amused than interested, but Jamie plowed ahead. "First off, I have to ask you a question and I'd like an honest answer."

Mansdale just scoffed. "And why would I cooperate with you? You kidnapped me!"

"Because I don't care about your supposed crimes. Whatever part you played in this horror story, it's over and done. There's no point in punishing you - it won't changed what happened and I'm fairly certain given the chance to do it over again you would." He shrugged affably as if to indicate she was right, then gestured for her to continue. "I need to know if you're the Falcon."

There was a brief moment of surprise, then he laughed. "Of course not. I've played my part. The Falcon is someone you'll never be able to touch."

"So you know who it is?"

"Yes."

"And Mr. Duncan?"

There was a flicker of something that crossed Mansdale's face - Jamie thought it was almost fear - but then it was gone, replaced by that contemptuous sneer. "What about him?"

"I suppose you know who he is, too?"

"Maybe." The shift from certainty to ambiguity told Jamie there was something important here, but before she could question him further he shifted to stand and leaned against the front bars. "I know what you really want, Jamie Campbell. And I'm prepared to help you, if -" he added hastily before she could interrupt " - you help me."

Jamie was prepared to offer him almost anything he wanted if he could help her find Mitch. "What kind of help?"

"Take me somewhere."

"Where?"

"Oh, I don't know...how about Montenegro?"

Jamie sighed. "I supposed the fact that the sovereign state has a strict no-extradition policy where the US is concerned has no bearing here." It didn't really matter - if he really knew where Mitch was then she'd take him anywhere he wanted to go. "Alright," she agreed. "You help me, I'll take you to Montenegro."

He nodded eagerly. "How about some food, too? You guys did interrupt my breakfast."

"Fine." She turned and made her way back upstairs to change their course and raid the kitchen. She paused halfway up, turning her body to glance back at her captive-turned-accomplice. "Oh, and Mansdale? If you're lying to me, if you try to trick me or double cross me, I'll drop you into the Atlantic from cruising altitude. Clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She returned with a plate of sandwiches and the plane tablet. She plotted the course while Mansdale ate, cursing quietly as she realized they were going to fall far short of their destination.

"I can help with that, too," Mansdale said around a mouthful. "I've got contacts in Germany who can get us refueled and back in the air in under an hour. Once we're on the ground there, I can give you the information you want."

"You know where Mitch is?"

"I don't even know if he's alive," Mansdale admitted. "But I've heard rumors. Rumors of a secret facility in Siberia. The whispers began right around the time he went missing."

"How do you know when he went missing?" Jamie demanded sharply.

"We kept tabs on all of you," he told her honestly. "At least, until we started being hunted."

Jamie ignored the jab. "And you think he's being held in this secret facility?"

"I think the IADG thinks he is."

Jamie felt her world spin for a moment. "What the hell are you talking about? The IADG doesn't know where Mitch is."

"Is that what they told you?" The sneer was back, but there was an undercurrent of sympathy in his tone. "The IADG has one priority right now - stop the hybrids. That they know of, there's only one person who can figure them out, and that's Mitch Morgan. If they know where he is, getting to him is of paramount importance."

"What do you mean 'that they know of?'" It was an odd choice of words, and Mansdale squirmed a little as Jamie pressed forward. "What else do you know?"

"When we land in Germany, I'll tell you everything."

"What's wrong with right now?"

The contempt was back in place, masking whatever detente they'd managed to reach. "Right now, I need a bathroom. Unless you want a mess to clean up?"

Jamie knew she couldn't keep him detained, not if she wanted him to help her. "Okay. I'm going to let you out. Don't make me regret it."

"Hey, so long as you keep up your end of the deal," he brushed the last crumbs from his hands and shifted away from the door so Jamie could open it. "Now, where are the bathrooms?"

The flight to Germany took almost fourteen hours, and they were nearly flying on fumes by the time they landed. Jamie had grabbed a nap on the plane only after Mansdale had agreed to go back into the cell for the duration. He was almost understanding about the whole ordeal, and Jamie felt a small twinge of regret when she'd overslept her alarm and let him out almost two full hours after she said she would.

As they descended the ramp in the small military grade vehicle, Mansdale cracked his neck dramatically. "I hope there's a good masseuse in Montenegro."

"Alright, don't milk it. Where to?"

He took her to a small apartment complex a few miles from the airstrip. With the time difference and more than half a day spent in the air, it was just past eight in the morning when they pulled up to a quaint home tucked behind a grove of trees down a winding driveway. Mansdale greeted the man behind the door with a broad grin and a warm hug. Jamie knew very little German, but from what little she could glean it was clear Mansdale and this man went way back.

Once the men had finished their embrace they turned toward her. The ex-Shepherd extended a hand toward her. "Rami, this is Jamie Campbell."

"Ah!" Rami's face lit up as he reached to hold her smaller hand between his. "The author! I loved your latest novel." His accent was thick but understandable as he raved. "Please, please, come in!"

Jamie snagged Mansdale's shirt as Rami led the way toward the kitchen. "What's -"

"Shh," he silenced her quickly. "Rami's a bit...energetic, but he's got more connections than a seventies switchboard. He'll get us what we need."

Rami's enthusiasm extended well past a cup of tea and some sweets. He served them nearly a three-course meal before Mansdale brought up the subject of the plane.

"Montenegro, eh, Greg?" Rami smiled knowingly. "Well, at least you picked a beautiful spot for your exile."

Jamie's eyes shot up from her plate. "Exile?"

"Greg here is on the run, as you know," Rami explained. "But it's not just the Hunters that want him."

"That's enough," Mansdale grumbled. "Can you help or not?"

"Of course I can," Rami scoffed good-naturedly. "Just give me the address of the airport and the hangar number - I can have the plane refueled in an hour."

Mansdale sighed in relief. "Thank you." Jamie kicked him sharply beneath the table, and he coughed once before going on. "Rami, is your computer still encrypted?"

"Sei nicht so blöd," Rami laughed. "Of course it is."

"Great. Can we use it?"

It only took Mansdale a few minutes to get past the IADG firewall. Once in, he paused with his fingers over the keyboard and glanced at Jamie. "Are you sure you want to know what they know? It might be bad news."

But Jamie had waited long enough. "Either way, I have to know for sure."

Mansdale nodded once, setting his fingers to the keys and accessing the information she wanted. The first few files were reports on Mitch's notes both pre- and post-cure and his work with the AZA. Jamie felt sick to her stomach as she realized that they'd been followed almost every day since Pangaea. Details about their life were contained in those files, details no one any right to. Jamie was tempted to get Mansdale to delete them, but that might alert the IADG to their breach. Instead, she forced herself to move past it and focus on the more recent files.

"What's that one?" Jamie pointed to a folder labeled "Blue Diaspora."

"That's strange," Mansdale murmured. "That was one of the projects on Pangaea's mainframe as well."

"What was it about?"

"I'm not sure," he told her. "It was need-to-know."

"And you didn't," Jamie finished for him. "Click on it."

The folder contained only a few files. The most recent was a photo extension with an alphanumeric label that meant nothing to either of them. Mansdale clicked on the file and waited for the photo to load.

The image that filled the screen made Jamie's blood freeze. She gasped involuntarily, but it caught against the sob in her throat as she covered her trembling lips with one hand. The picture was grainy - as though captured from an out-of-date security camera - that showed a large laboratory, dark except for the bright blue glow emanating from the cylindrical tank in the center of the screen. Inside the tank a body floated in perfect suspension, arms askew and shoulder length hair fanning out around a bearded face. Jamie had never seen a more perfect picture.

"Mitch…" Her fingers reached out automatically, as though she could touch him through the screen, before she checked the motion and returned her hand to her lap. Her throat tightened with a dozen warring emotions, and with great effort she managed to whisper, "Where is he?"

"Siberia," Mansdale confirmed. "There's another file that gives the coordinates. It looks like they're putting together a mission to retrieve him."

"H-how long?" Jamie felt an ember of fury ignite in her stomach, burning low but steady. "How long have they known he's alive?"

"It's hard to say," Mansdale said. "But there's something else. According to the IADG files, he's only been in the tank for eight months."

Jamie shook her head in disbelief. "No, that can't be right. He's been missing for over nine years." The ember was growing hotter, spreading like a wildfire through her veins. "What the hell is going on?"

"I'm not sure, but I can help you find out."

"Why would you help me?"

"You saved my neck from the chopping block," he shrugged one shoulder casually, though Jamie could see in his eyes just how relieved he was. "Plus, I really want to know what this 'Blue Diaspora' is."

On the long list of odd reluctant allies, Jamie filed Mansdale somewhere between her sixth grade science fair buddy and her college homecoming date. But if he could help her find Mitch, she'd partner with the devil himself.

"Alright. Then I guess we're headed to Siberia." She stood up, her body suddenly buzzing with energy. "How long until the plane is ready?"

"At least another thirty minutes," Mansdale told her.

"I'm...I need to make a call." She stepped out into the hallway and pulled her phone from her pocket. The number was one of only a handful she had memorized. The line rang almost five full times before it connected.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was quiet and slurred, as though still half-asleep.

"Hey Clem, it's me."

Jamie heard a sharp crash of static over the line as the other woman shifted the phone slightly. "Time is it?"

"It's…" Jamie checked the clock on the wall and winced. It was probably still the middle of the night back in the states. "It's late. I'm sorry. Listen, I just…" Her first thought after seeing Mitch in that tank had been one of retribution, but the second had been of her. Clem would be overjoyed to hear that her father wasn't dead. But as the moment came, Jamie found she couldn't get the words past the block in her throat.

"Jamie," Clem sounded more awake now, worry coloring her tone. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Jamie was quick to reassure her but was astounded to realize that it was true. "Nothing's wrong, sweetie. I…" She swallowed thickly and tried to keep her voice as steady as she could. "Clem, I need you to listen to me and don't interrupt until I'm finished, okay?"

"Okay, but Jamie -"

"Please, Clem. Just listen. Please?" Jamie took the girl's silence as acquiescence and took a quick breath before forging ahead. "I've come across some startling information in the IADG databanks about your father. He's not dead, Clem."

"Jamie, no," Clem cut her off. "I can't do this again."

"Clem, I know. I know how difficult this must be. But just listen. He's being held in a secret military facility in Siberia. I'm in Germany right now, but we're leaving in less than an hour. I'm going to get him, Clem."

There was a beat, then the sound of a shuddering breath came over the line. Clem was crying. "Jamie...no. He's gone. You know he's gone. Please...please just stop."

"He's not gone," Jamie dug her heels in, fighting past tears of her own as she listened to Clem struggling. "We never knew for certain. When we...when I finally stopped looking, I did that for you. I could see how hard things were for you, having to go through losing your father all over again. I realized if I kept up the search - if I tried to keep hope alive any longer - I would lose you, too. So I stopped looking. But I never stopped believing he was out there."

The confession drained her, and Jamie could only wait as she listened for Clem's answer. It was not what Jamie expected.

"I never stopped believing either."

Jamie sank to the floor as a sob burst from her throat, and she clutched the phone tighter as though she could embrace the girl on the other end. Clem was crying again, too, and it was a few moments before they had composed themselves enough to finish their conversation.

"Jamie, are you sure? Is it really him?"

Jamie smiled through her drying tears. "It's him, Clem. Your father is alive."

"Then I want to come with you." There was a firm resolve in Clem's voice that Jamie recognized; there would be no talking her out of it.

"I'm already in Germany, honey. We're leaving soon."

Clem was almost desperate now. "Jamie, please. I need to be there."

"Okay, sweetie, hold on." Jamie placed her other hand over the phone and went in search of Rami and Mansdale. They were chatting quietly in front of the computer screen, but when she entered they stopped to look at her. "Mitch's daughter is coming with us." She phrased it as a statement rather than a question. "I'm putting her on a flight from the states today. Would you mind if we imposed upon your hospitality just a bit longer?"

"Of course not," Rami grinned.

"Jamie," Mansdale warned, but she ignored him.

"Thank you." She lifted the phone back to her ear to speak to Clem. "I'm going to get you a flight and text you the details. Pack for cold weather."

"Thank you, Jamie."

"Be safe, Clem. I love you."

"I love you, too. See you soon."

Jamie booked her on the next available flight and sent her the details before sliding the device back into her pocket.

"This is a bad idea," Mansdale growled. "The longer we stay here, the better the odds of someone finding us."

"Finding you, you mean," Jamie corrected.

"I'm not sure if you remember, but you're the one who ditched your boyfriend in Guatemala. His bosses are probably not terribly happy with you right now."

"He's not my boyfriend," Jamie shot back. "And we are not leaving without Clem." Jamie had control of the tablet - and thereby the plane - and Mansdale knew it. He could probably get to Montenegro from here without her help, but it would riskier.

"Fine," he relented, turning back to the screen. She could see he was still digging through the IADG files, so she creeped a little closer.

"What have you found?"

"I don't know yet," he snapped. "I'm still sorting. I'll let you know if I find something."

Jamie wasn't sure he was being entirely truthful, but she'd pushed him far enough for one day. "Okay." She turned to their host with a friendly smile. "Is there a shower I can use?"

"Of course," he raised his arm in invitation, leading her away from the office and down a narrow hall. "You can use this guest room for the night. There is a bathroom across the hall that should be stocked up. Please make yourself at home."

Jamie flashed him a brighter smile. "Danke." She didn't know much German, but that much she could manage.

Rami grinned. "Gern geschehen, my dear." He patted her on the shoulder and left her standing at the open door. It was a modest room with a double bed and a small four-drawer dresser vanity. The window was framed with gossamer white curtains, tied back by a ribbon. Through it, Jamie could see the expansive backyard, neatly clipped and fenced.

Finally alone with her thoughts, Jamie sank down on the bed. He was alive. Mitch was alive, and they were going to get him. She remembered the tank and the lab and wondered how the hell he'd gotten there. Mansdale said it had been active for less than a year. Where had he been before that? And who was keeping him?

Jamie felt her mind grow heavy with each passing thought, weighed down by grief and anger. She needed to shower and sleep before Clem arrived, and to clear her head before they went to rescue Mitch. Her heart fluttered in her chest as hope - long dormant and forgotten - blossomed within her. She reached up and looped her finger through the chain around her neck, pulling it free from the confines of her collar. Her wedding ring was warm from sitting next to her heart, and as she grasped it in her fist she felt that warmth seep into her cool hands. Jamie closed her eyes as she whispered a hopeful promise into the silence.

"I'm on my way."