Chapter 5
Bearing Strange Fruit
Autumn 1976
"Dear heart, why the downcast face? Soren will one day be the leader of the free world and then reach his zenith as the Supreme Eminence of the Organization. Surely you can appreciate that as a legacy This is the dawn of a new era." Michael looked deeply into Anne's eyes and caressed her cheek as he pleaded for her understanding. He had her acquiescence.
Anne covered his hand with hers and leaned into his caress. "You know my feeling on the matter. What more do you want from me? This is a mistake, but I take solace in knowing Demarchelier will be his attaché. You have to promise me two things before we proceed."
"What are those, dear heart?"
"If he ever wants to defect, you cannot stand in his way." Anne ignored the alarm in his expression. "That is his right, Michael."
"He will never do that. He wants this. He is a great debater and master of psychology. He knows how to woo people to his side. I have taught him well."
"And he is only a boy. Promise me." She squeezed his hand.
"I promise. And the other thing you want…?"
"Make more of an effort with the others, especially Ivan and Kirsten. They are the closest in age to Soren. Ivan feels your neglect the most. He really wants your attention, Michael."
"You are right. I will give more of my time to them. Now… let's choose a new name for Soren. I have placed all the first, middle, and last names of our past presidents on slips of paper. We will pull three names. You do the honors first, dear."
Michael pushed the box to Anne. She pulled a slip.
"Fitzgerald…which president is that?"
"JFK…the "F" in JFK," Michael said as he drew a slip. "Thomas…nice…I like that Fitzgerald Thomas. Let's see what his last name will be."
"Grant." Anne arranged the slips in the order they drew them.
"Fitzgerald Thomas Grant" They read the names together.
"I like it. Sounds strong and traditional. Let's add some history. How about making him the 3rd? He can be presented as the 3rd in a long line of Grants. I will get The Organization's Placement Division to work on viable candidates for his family.
When Michael left the room, Anne inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She was filled with worry about Soren's future.
Present Day
A small band of light peaked through the space between the bottom of the door and the floor of the small room. Olivia's eye lids fluttered open. Her breasts felt very tight. She needed to nurse. A deep throb of pain registered on the right side of her head. She lay on her side atop a narrow bed. Her hands and ankles were bound with a rope. She struggled to free herself but this intensified the pounding on the side of her head. The memories of her altercation with Nate came rushing back. She had hit him and escaped into the night in her robe and running shoes. The last thing she remembered were those blinding headlights on the rode. Someone had dressed her because she was now fully clothed.
Olivia thought about her children. She wondered about their safety. Panic filled Olivia at the thought of them being harmed. She thrashed around and strained against the rope. The searing pain did not matter. She sat up and swung her legs around until her feet touched the cold concrete floor. The pain made her dizzy. She stood and steadied herself with a couple of breaths trying to concentrate. She hopped to the door, moaning against the excruciating pain that drew tears from her eyes. Positioning herself such that the doorknob was behind her, she felt for the doorknob and twisted it. She scooted forward, thankful to find that it was unlocked.
When she entered the hallway, she looked around to get a sense of her location. The hallway was long and narrow. She didn't know whether to go right or left. She slid to the concrete floor and worked to remove the rope from her ankles. Lifting her knees, she wiped her face against her thighs. She took a deep breath and laid down to use the wall as leverage. She began to pull her foot out of the tightly bound rope. She grunted softly as she felt the skin on her ankle tear. She bit her lip to stave off the pain. She heard a door slam and a woman's laugh. Adrenaline coursed through her body, causing her to push and pull her legs back and forth. The pain of the lacerations overtook the head throbbing, but she continued until her feet were free. She felt the wetness of the blood. A fragment of rope remained around her left ankle, but she was free. Using the momentum of her freed feet, she pushed herself up and hobbled forward in the opposite direction of the voice. She came to the end of the hall and peeked around the corner into what looked like a warehouse. She saw two figures against a wall. Olivia's slight intake of breath didn't distract them because they were totally engaged in their activity.
The woman was in a spread eagle stance leaning against the wall while the man was thrusting into her from behind. One of them turned around. "We should check on her," she said.
Before she could control herself, Olivia gasped at the familiar voice. It was Mellie. She saw Olivia.
"Ivan! Look, there she is!" Mellie screamed.
Olivia spun around and ran as fast as she could, but not before seeing the man's face. She thought of Fitz because the man looked a lot like him. Olivia didn't feel any pain as she rode on an adrenaline wave.
"There is no escape for you, Olivia. There is nothing here but woods and this warehouse for 5 miles. The temperature is steadily dropping and you won't make the 5 mile hike barefoot. Be smart. We are your only way back to your family," he said.
Olivia let his words sink in. She had made it to the door and pushed it open with her shoulder. A frigid breeze blew on her sweaty brow. Her hands were still bound behind her back. The pounding and throbbing returned. Olivia leaned against the wall and sobbed. She decided to return to her captors to save her life. She thought she might be able to reason with Mellie. She stood there and waited for them.
"Ivan, we can't let her get away. Fitz can never know I had anything to do with this. We can't let her get away." Mellie smoothed her hair as she observed her face in the compact mirror.
"Shhhhh." Ivan placed his forefinger against his lips. He wanted it quiet to give Olivia time to consider her options.
"She isn't going anywhere." Ivan walked to the door where Olivia waited.
He stood before her and stared at her. Then he finally spoke. "I am sorry for these accommodations and that nasty bump on your head. You must have a terrible headache. Mellie was a overzealous in the woods. She wasn't supposed to clobber you like that. The drugs would have been enough." Ivan stepped back and looked down at her feet. "You really did a number on your ankles, Olivia. You shouldn't have done that."
He reached in his pocket and removed a knife. Pushing a lever, he released the blade cut the rope to release her wrists. When the rope dropped to the floor, he slowly massaged her shoulders to relieve the soreness.
Olivia heard Mellie's high hills click across the concrete. "Stop being so nice to her. We need to move her soon before Fitz gets any leads on our location. Outside of the US would be the best."
"Mellie…Why…Why are you doing this? Let me go. I have two small babies."
Mellie raised her hand to strike Olivia, but Ivan caught her wrist. Mellie snatched her hand from his grip.
"How could you ask me that after you stole my husband, my children…my life?…even your twins should have been mine. I hate you, Olivia…for what you did to me. Now that I know who Fitz really is and what he is about to become…thanks to his brother Ivan…I wasn't going to stand by and let you be at his side. I am glad I have found someone who seems to hate Fitz more than I hate you. Thanks to him, you will never see Fitz or your children again."
Mellie paused to let the weight of her words sink in.
"I am off to make some calls, Ivan. Like I said before, we need to move her and soon." Mellie walked away.
Olivia examined Ivan. "You're Fitz's b-b-brother? I've met all his siblings and I don't re-remember you."
"Yes, we are brothers. He is the oldest and most favored son of Michael and Anne Avenir, but I will the details later. Don't worry about Mellie. I'll take care of her. She is right, though, you will never see Fitz again. Accept that now and things will be better for you. He owes me and I have exacted that payment by taking you. I know he loves you which will make taking you that much sweeter. He gave you our mother's family ring. You can't imagine how much this ring is worth." Ivan touched her check with his palm as he lifted her ring finger and admired the it.
Olivia swayed from exhaustion and pain. Ivan caught her in his arms before she collapsed. "I have you. I'm a trained doctor so I'll take care of all your aches and pain. Then we will move to another location."
"Where are the twins?" Fitz rushed through Mildred's door with Abby following behind him.
"They are asleep! What is wrong with you? Where is Olivia? Why didn't she come to pick them up? Mildred closed the front door looking puzzled but outraged at Fitz.
"Mildred, Olivia is missing and you are to blame. You gave Nate the key to our house to break in and now she is gone!"
"What! Missing! Nate didn't…Nate wouldn't…he was trying to save Olivia from you. I am sure he had nothing to do with this. When did she go missing? I just spoke with her a couple of hours ago! Oh My God!" Mildred began to cry.
"You have never approved of me and…I understood given the…circumstances. I've endured your harsh looks, snide comments, and attempts to manipulate Olivia against me. You went too far this time! When I find Olivia, we are moving as far away from you as we can. You will never see her or the twins again."
Fitz grabbed both carriers from the bedroom and walked outside to the SUV where Tom sat waiting. Abby grabbed the baby bags and stopped in the door. She walked over and touched Mildred's shoulder. "We will find her, Mildred. Fitz doesn't mean that. He is worried and scared like all of us. I'll be in touch.
Mildred could only shake her head.
Abby hopped inside the SUV as he buckled the babies in the car.
Fitz nuzzled Annelise's cheek with a grief filled expression.
"Mr. President, We'll find her. Huck, Harrison, and I are on it."
He couldn't tell Abby, but he had Demarchelier on it too. Even though Nate got away, it was just a matter of time before he was apprehended. "I don't know how I let this happen."
"Olivia is smart and resourceful. I am sure she is safe." Abby placed her pinky finger in Arthur's little palm.
Fitz's cell phone rang.
"Yes."
"Your father wants to see you," Demarchelier said.
"I don't have time for him right now. Tell him I will make contact in a couple of months. Something has come up."
"He was very adamant that you meet immediately. He wants to meet in the morning. He is flying in from Colorado."
"I will not see him…not when Liv is missing! Tell him…that is the end of it!" Fitz disconnected the line. His phone rang immediately.
"What!"
"Soren, it's your mother. You must meet with your father. He has some information about Olivia's disappearance."
His first thought was of her. When he woke from a fitful sleep, he forgot she was gone. His eyes blinked open and he inhaled her scent on the sheets. "Livy?" he whispered. He extended his arm to reach for her, but the coldness of the sheets crystalized the stark reality. She was gone.
He squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. He could hardly breathe. He needed to see the twins. Where are they? He jumped up and threw on a pair of sweats and his Navy sweatshirt. The cold water he splashed on his face gave him a needed shock. He swished the Listerine in his mouth, too rushed to brush. When he entered the nursery, Abby held Arthur against her shoulder, patting his back. Diane cuddled Annelise to her cheek. He could tell by the empty bottles that they had finished a feeding.
When Diane got in last night on her flight from Cambridge, she brought some calm to the house. When Harrison and Huck had arrived, Fitz attacked Harrison, convinced that Harrison had aided Nate somehow. By the time Huck intervened, Harrison had a black eye. Fitz apologized later.
Aunt Diane been a help to Karen who was not handling the news of Olivia's disappearance well. She sobbed uncontrollably. They had forged a tight bond in those months since moving to Atlanta. Olivia had cared for her in a way she'd never experienced with her own mother.
After Fitz held the twins and looked in on Gerry and Karen, he left the house for a run. Tom and Sam fell in behind him without a word. Even though he hated running, he needed this to clear his head. He had a meeting with his father in a couple of hours. He wondered if he would see his mother. He continued running at a good rate of speed trying to usher in the pain in his lungs and legs. He needed to feel a different kind of pain, one that didn't suffocate him like Olivia's absence. He couldn't get her out of his mind. Scenes from their life together in the last 6 months replayed in his head.
He remembered the first time he discovered her craving for onion rings during the pregnancy. She thought Karen was the first one to find out about her secret addiction to them, but he had been. One day when he passed by the restaurant, he noticed a pregnant woman walking in the front door. He kept staring at her and almost rear-ended the car in front of him. He maneuvered his car in a u-turn and into the restaurant's driveway. By the time he made it inside, he spied her walking out munching on an onion ring with a look of pure bliss on her face. That night he brought an order of onion rings home. "I bought these for Karen, but she said she doesn't like onion rings. What should I do with them, honey?" Fitz said feigning ignorance. "Just put them in the microwave. I'm sure Gerry will eat them." Olivia had responded innocently. Later that night when she thought he was asleep, she had tiptoed in the kitchen and devoured them one by one. He'd snuck in to watch her midnight munching while she rubbed her protruding belly. He'd smiled and tiptoed back into the bedroom. As this memory replayed in Fitz's mind, he ran faster.
Then he thought about their arguments over her security detail and his continuing surveillance of her.
"Fitz, I don't need security 24 hours a day 365 days a year! It was granted to you as a former president so you should have Tom and Sam. I don't want it and don't need it all the time. Please call it off!" Olivia walked into the bathroom and slammed the door.
"We aren't finished discussing this, Liv. You do need security. My resignation is still fresh. An overzealous reporter could become a problem. Some stalker could come after you. Let's be reasonable about this."
Olivia opened the door and faced Fitz. "This isn't about security. This is about your need to keep me under surveillance. We are a couple now. You don't need to keep tabs on me like you did as President, and don't think I condoned it then. Call it all off. I am your partner, not your possession. Stop treating me like property! Who do you have watching me anyway because you can't order the Secret Service to do your bidding anymore?"
Fitz sat on the bed, placing his head in his hands. "I'm sorry you feel this way. I just…I want you to be safe…"
Olivia walked over to him. "Fitz…I…I know you want me to be safe, especially now with the twins on the way, but…" Fitz grabbed her quickly and flipped her over on the bed.
"You are so sexy when you're mad," Fitz whispered against her neck. "I hear your reservations, and I'll think about it."
"Fitz, if I have a stalker, he is seducing me right now. His name is Fitzge…" Fitz quieted her words with his mouth.
He'd compromised and let her request security when she felt it necessary. As for the surveillance, he never admitted he still used it. However, he did pull back, only asking Demarchelier to use the surveillance when he was out of town.
He thought of the night he'd proposed to her. They had only been settled in their Atlanta home for a month. Fitz had arranged with Diane to get them out of the house for the weekend. They all knew of his plan. He'd even called Mildred in an attempt to extend an olive branch and get her approval. "This is a mistake. Have you even divorced your poor wife yet? How could you resign the presidency of the United States for a woman? Do you know why I don't like you? You remind me of Olivia's foolheaded father. He was a drunk who had no self-control. I divorced him. Don't marry her. When she comes to her senses she'll divorce you too. You can't…" Fitz had looked at the phone with a look of incredulity on his face. "I'm hanging up now," he said before he had disconnected the line. He wished he could have met Olivia's dad before he died. The night of his proposal she thought they were having a simple weekend alone, something they hadn't had in awhile. Olivia walked into the dining room in a baby blue sheath dress. Fitz wore a dark blue suit with a pink tie. They both laughed at the sight of each other.
"Livy, I love your light blue. Are you hoping for a boy? You are absolutely beautiful," he said as he drew her into his arms for a kiss. Olivia pulled back when his hands started to wonder over her body.
"We'll have time for this later. You look handsome, and I love your pink tie. Are you hoping for a girl?"
They'd eaten and talked without interruption. Olitz and Patra snoozed in the corner. During dessert Olivia was engrossed in a funny story about Karen's antics during a visit to the mall. Fitz slid a long rectangular box towards her. She immediately stopped her story.
"What's this?"
"Open it." Fitz rose from his chair and walked to her side while she opened the box.
A watch with a white band lay inside. Diamonds surrounded its face. There were no hour markings, only small minute marks. Their names, Fitzgerald and Olivia, were written in the center in elegant script.
"I…I love it, honey." A puzzled look crossed her face before she smiled and gave him a kiss of thanks.
"I love you for loving my gift even though it looks a little strange. Let me explain. Our union has been so complicated and circumstances prevented us from being together so we had to take our one minute." Fitz lifted the watch and pointed to the face. "This watch only shows the minute marks because in our life every minute is a one minute for us."
With tears in her eyes, Olivia reached up to take the watch, but he put it back in the box and knelt on one knee in front of her. "I don't want you to wear it until our wedding day because it is a wedding present." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a black velvet orb shaped ring case.
When he opened the case, Olivia gasped at the ring. "I love you, Olivia. You are my truth. I want you by my side as my wife forever. Will you marry me?" Olivia was crying openly. She was speechless so she shook her head in acceptance.
As the scenes of their life flashed before his face, he ran even faster, but nothing took the pain away. The pain of her absence lingered. "Mr. President…Mr. President…please slow down. This terrain is not fit for sprinting!" Fitz heard Tom's voice behind him. He slowed to a jog with Sam and Tom flanking him.
"Mr. President, I know it is not my place, but why haven't we called the police or the FBI?"
"Tom, I know you have the best intentions for asking, but you are correct, it isn't your place" Fitz responded through his labored breathing.
They all sat there waiting. Fitz, Abby, Harrison, and Huck were assembled in the formal living room waiting for their arrival. Fitz had convinced Diane to take Karen and Gerry out for breakfast and a day around town. The twins were sleeping in their nursery. Karen and Gerry couldn't be there when his father arrived. He realized that the time would come for him to reveal his identity to them, but now was not the time.
He didn't know how he would reveal the news to Abby, Harrison, and Huck. He felt that Harrison knew something of his past, probably from Nate. When his father arrived, he planned to let it all unfold on its own.
"Are you a member of The Organization?" Huck said.
"Yes. I was a member. I defected when I resigned the presidency. How did you know?"
"The Organization secretly recruited members out of the CIA. I knew people who joined. They recruited me, but I declined."
Abby and Harrison looked at Huck, surprised at his candor.
"My father is a recruit, but my mother is a legacy. He is the Supreme Eminence. I was supposed to take over after my second term as President. You know the rest of the story. He has wanted to see me for months now, but we are not on the best of terms since he gave me away. He is coming now because he says he has information about Liv's kidnapping. I think my mom might be coming too. You all don't have to stay. I don't know much about the Organization's policies now, but once you know they exist, you either have to join or you'll be under their surveillance for life."
"We just want to find Liv." Abby said.
"Nate thought you were a part of the Illuminati," Harrison said. "It sounded far-fetched, but what you are describing is far-fetched. I know he didn't kidnap Olivia. Despite what it looks like, he really cared about her. He believed she was in danger. Whoever did this used Nate to get close to Liv."
"Nate didn't kidnap her. I think Mellie is involved somehow. Yesterday, the divorce was finalized, but I received a note. It said that I got what I want, but now I will get what I deserve. I've tried to contact Mellie, but her parents say that she hasn't been home in two weeks." Fitz began to pace. He walked to the window and looked out.
Three black sedans and two SUVs snaked down the driveway.
"They are here."
Fitz stood opposite his mother and father. Their entourage of guards circled the room and the perimeter of the house.
"So that is where Arthur gets his red hair," Abby whispered as she looked at Anne's vibrant red mane.
His mother stepped forward first, her arms outstretched.
"Soren, darling, I am so sorry, for everything.
He walked into her arms and let her hold him. After a while, he pulled back and walk to his father. They stood face-to-face.
"Fitzgerald."
"Michael." Fitz gestured for him to sit, but he would not.
"Who are these people? Why are they here?" Michael asked.
"Olivia's family. They know everything and are ready to take the risk to help find her."
"Very well. Ivan behind this." Michael said.
"Ivan? Why would he do this? I haven't seen him in decades."
"Fitzgerald, you should sit for this."
They both sat down.
"When you defected, Ivan came to me about taking your place in The Organization. I said no, but he didn't take the news well. We quarreled, and I said some unfortunate things to him. He disappeared soon after. We discovered that he had been following you all these years. He had a room in his house that was dedicated to every detail of your life when you became Fitzgerald Thomas Grant, III. There were pictures, photos, surveillance reports…He knows everything about you. There were even pictures of you and Ms. Pope. I take full responsibility for this…his fixation on you probably stemmed from all the attention I gave you and the way I neglected…"
Anne took over the explanation as Michael became more distressed. "We think Ivan began planning the kidnapping shortly after Michael denied him. Soren, we don't want to alarm you, but Ivan is mentally unstable. If he has Olivia, he is going to try to take her out of the country, probably to Bavaria."
"We need to find Mellie and Nate. At some point, Ivan probably spoke to both of them. He deliberately gave Nate misleading information. He probably convinced Mellie to help him kidnap Olivia." Abby reasoned.
"No, I think he knew Mellie's feelings toward Fitz and Olivia. He used that to stoke her resentment so that she would agree to kidnap Olivia. Mellie is probably in danger. He will discard her once she is of no further use." Huck's mind raced as he spoke. " I need a computer. He must have purchased plane tickets and acquired passports."
"I don't think we will have time to do much digging. My gut tells me he is going to try to take Olivia out of the country today. I think we should head to the airport and stake it out. They will probably be in disguise. We don't want to be rushed," Harrison said. He felt the burden of what had happened. Since Nate was his brother, he felt responsible.
Cries came from the other room.
"Soren, are those the twins…my grandchildren? Can I see them?" Anne asked.
"Yes, Mom. Down the hall to the right." Fitz said. He pulled Abby aside. "Diane, Gerry, and Karen will be back home later today. They have no idea about my past as you know. I don't have time to manage that, Abby...telling them about me and my past. Everything is happening so fast. Would you stay here with the twins and my parents and manage their meeting Karen and Gerry. I can't tell you what to say or what not to say. All I can think about now is saving Liv. You'll be safe here with my father and his security."
"Of course, Fitz." Abby squeezed his arm and walked to find Anne.
"I'll have Demarchelier send some people to the airport. Huck and Harrison can go there with me now."
"Fitzgerald, do you want to take some of my men?" Michael asked.
"No. They should stay here."
"Fitzgerald, I am sorry for everything." Michael said.
Fitz didn't respond. He led Huck and Harrison out of the door.
"Olivia…Olivia…Olivia wake up." She heard her name being called from a long distance away. She couldn't open her eyes because her eyelids were so heavy. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw Fitz's face, which made her smile.
"Dear, I am so glad you are awake. Drink this."
Olivia gulped the water. She was so thirsty. She lifted her leaden arms to rub her eyes.
"Fitz…I'm so glad to see you. I've been having the worst dream…" Olivia inhaled deeply and yawned. When she opened her eyes, she got a good look at everything.
"Noooo!" Olivia tried to move but her legs wouldn't budge. "What is wrong with me? I can't move my legs!
"Olivia, please listen to me. Your ability to understand will make this all better for both of us. I love you. We were meant to be together. You will never see him or anyone you know ever again. This is our chance. Don't mess it up by trying to leave me."
"Where is Mellie? Why can't I move my legs? What is happening?"
"We will be leaving for the airport in an hour. This is perfect because we don't need disguises. You are yourself, Olivia Pope, traveling with your fiancé, former President, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant, III to Bavaria for a fall trip. I've taken the liberty of requesting extra security for us at the airport, because there is a crazed lunatic impersonating me. I hope Fitz attempts to rescue you. If he does, he'll be shot. You will be in a wheelchair because you have recently had surgery. In reality, I've given you a strong muscle relaxer so you won't try to run away. By the time, everyone realizes, we will be long gone. As for Millicent, she is still at the warehouse locked in one of the rooms. She is such an unpleasant woman. Any other questions, dear?"
"Why are you doing this? Why do you hate Fitz so much, especially if he is your brother? Please just let me go."
"When you plant seeds, you never know what kind of fruit it will bear. It really depends on how you nurture those seeds. Let's just say that our father didn't nurture us the same. You won't have to worry about that because you won't ever see your twins. Don't worry. We can have our own children. We will be better parents than Michael and Anne."
Olivia turned her head. Ivan's words made no sense to her. She didn't know where she was. By the looks of it, they were in some cheap motel. She closed her eyes and started to plan how she was going to escape.
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Olivia couldn't get the old hymn her grandmother used to sing out of her head. She pushed her sorrow deep into herself, knowing that it could jeopardize her ability to focus on her escape. Who is this man who looks so much like my Fitz? She knew she couldn't let him succeed at taking her out of the country. Life for her would change forever because she had a feeling she'd never see anyone she loved again. Ivan thought she was sleeping, but she was planning her escape. She pretended to wake up.
"Ivan."
"You should start calling me, Fitz or Fitzgerald if we are going to pull this off, Olivia."
"I need to use the bathroom. Could you get the chair for me? I can manage on my own from there." Olivia tried to keep her voice even.
"Certainly, my love, but I'll go with you to the restroom. You can count on me for everything." Ivan said.
"No, please. I…It is humiliating for you to watch me. If you loved me you would grant me some dignity, Fit-Fitzgerald."
"My love, I'm sorry. Of course." Ivan helped her into the chair and pushed her to the bathroom. Olivia learned from that exchange. She would have to show him that she accepted him. That would buy her his trust. She would need it to make her escape at the airport. When the door was closed, she heard his phone ring and the muffled tones of a conversation. She quickly took the pen and paper from her pocket and began writing.
"How crazy is your brother? Maybe we can figure out what he is planning." Huck asked. Harrison drove. Fitz was in the back seat.
"There are no degrees of crazy, but…he is younger than me by two years. We were close as children until my father began making a difference in us. It is the classic story. I envied him because he had what I perceived as a normal life. He went to regular school and played sports. He had regular friends. My father treated me like an old man for as long as I could remember. He would make me listen in on the conversations of different dignitaries and officials that would come for dinner. After they left, he would make me sit in each of their chairs and retell their conversations so that I could evaluate their arguments. When I was in school, he ordered me to achieve the third best grade in every class."
"Why the third best? Why not the first?" asked Harrison.
"He said any Neanderthal could get the best grade, but it would take a genius to have the intention of getting the third best. He told me to study everyone in class, determine the second and fourth smartest person. Then I was to situate myself between them academically. He said this would teach me psychology. I know it sounds weird and unusual, but my brother Ivan longed to do these sorts of things. He would eavesdrop on our conversations and then do whatever my father asked. He got better at the instructions than I did, but Father never cared what he did. He just focused on me. I realize he was trying to earn our Father's love. It just drove him mad. He wants to be me in some twisted way."
"Wait! That's it! Doesn't he look like you?" Huck asked.
"Yes."
"That would be the best disguise. We need to be prepared. He is probably going to hide in plain sight as you. He doesn't know that your father knows and has come to warn you so maybe we will have the upper hand." Harrison maneuvered into the parking deck at the airport.
"Are the men you ordered already here?" said Harrison.
"Yes, they are everywhere in plain clothes. Let's do this," Fitz said. They entered the airport. /
Ivan pushed Olivia's wheelchair. He was dressed in a navy blue suit complete with a flag pin. He was doing his best impression of Fitz. Thankfully no one really recognized him. Olivia surveyed the crowd trying to spot she could slide her note. She needed to make a decision before they got through security. She gasped when she caught sight of familiar faces. She saw Fitz, Harrison, and Huck coming around the corner of the ticketing and check out booth. Huck was the first to see her. He placed his forefinger to his mouth to quiet her, but it had been too late. Ivan looked in the direction of her gasp and saw them. Everything happened quickly.
Ivan grabbed Olivia's head and shoulders in an attempt to break her neck. Olivia felt the pressure, but in an instant it was gone. She saw Fitz running to her, and she tried to wheel to him, but something was impeding her path. She looked down and saw Nate struggling on the floor with Ivan. She was surprised because she had not seen him.
Ivan was able to get away from Nate. He rushed to his feet and to the door with Nate and a group of agents following close behind. Fitz lifted Olivia from the wheelchair.
"You are safe now, Livy, I have you."