[CHAPTER III: THE BARROL ROLE]
Nolan dashed into the living in a desperate frantic to escape Tyler's presence. He feared for his safety. He remembered what Tyler had done to him, his ego, and his friends. He was in the grasp of a madman. Seeking a formidable defense, he saw some golf clubs by the poolside door. They were hardly used, but now would be a good chance to test their mettle. He practically leaped to them, snatching the longest one of the litter. He turned and raised it fiercely. Tyler just stood there, bemused by his eccentricity.
"Do you want to make an ace in a hole, Nolan?" Tyler chuckled, approaching him confidently. "Just like old times?"
"You, stay away from me, you damn psycho!" Nolan commanded skittishly.
When Tyler failed to adhere to his wishes, he swung the golf club with all of his might. Tyler caught the metallic shaft with ease with one hand then swiftly revoked the weapon from Nolan s grip with the other. The tech whiz gasped when he found the hood of the club against his face before he could react.
"That was very cute," Tyler commended, tauntingly rubbing the club on his face. "I'm not here to harm you, old friend. I'm here to talk." He suggestively slid the golf hood down along his neck to his chest. He nudged him toward the couch. "Sit. The sooner you listen to me, the sooner I'll out of your hair."
Nolan obeyed and sat down on his sofa. Tyler dropped the club to floor and sat across from him in a lounge chair. "H-How are you even alive?" Nolan questioned, unable to hold back the burning query in his mind. "We all saw your body. You were shot three times!"
"Quite a spectacle, wasn't it?" Tyler winked. "Poor Danny, he had to put a bullet in my chest. How ironic it is that he had to die by the bullet too." He smirked and briefly reminisced about his former college friend. "To answer your question, I'm alive thanks to a very meticulously devised plan by someone whom I'm working with. I'll start from the beginning. You may want to pour yourself a drink for this." He gestured toward the crystalline bottle of scotch on the coffee table. When Nolan did not move, Tyler did it for him, filling up the empty glass beside the bottle.
"Now, when I first came here, I was known as Danny's best friend and roommate from Harvard, right? Then, you had to go poking your nose where it didn t belong. You found out about my family, how they went bankrupt, and how I was servicing a desperate man named Leslie Montgomery." Tyler leaned back into the chair, making himself comfortable. "Raise your glass to that, Nolan. You were very slick. Except you missed a big piece of the puzzle. It's a very large puzzle, I might add. True, I was hustling and managed to land a jackpot john, who paid my way into Harvard, and then some. But, all that was just a stroke of destiny. It was a preliminary set up to a much larger picture.
"You see, I wouldn't have been here if it weren't for being assigned as Danny's roommate. The day I met Danny, my life became so much more than frolicking with some rich men. I was approached by someone who promised to restore my family's wealth if I worked with him. All I had to do was become Danny's best friend and immerse myself in his life. It sounded simple enough. My family was paid discretely and was advised not to make a sudden change in lifestyle. That is why you missed that part of the equation. My family had not been broke for a long time when I came to the Hamptons. My motives here were quite different than what I spelled out to you on that day I decided to...have my way with you."
"You were paid to be Daniel's friend? By whom?" Nolan said, scoffing in disbelief.
"I'll get to that in a moment," Tyler answered. "But first, let me tell you other things that you and your bitch friend, Emily Thorne - I mean, Amanda Clarke - missed about me. Not only was I Danny's best friend, but I was also groomed to join Grayson Global. At first, it was about knowing Danny Grayson, then it turned into learning about his family, and lastly learning about Grayson Global, which Danny was set to inherit. With each year I knew Danny, I was instructed to make myself more compatible to his life beyond Harvard's walls. The man who I was working with taught me everything Grayson Global did business in. He did not say why, not yet. I did not ask questions because I was afraid he would put my family back into the hole of poverty. He revealed things when he saw fit.
"Everything was going according to plan. I was all set to join Daniel here in the Hamptons, to work at his family's company. Then, he had to fall in love with the girl next door. It was very typical of a straight man. He gushed over the first blonde he sees. Got to hand it to our girl, Nolan, she knows how to work it. She's very resourceful. But, remember when you guys ruined Bill Harmon's life by manipulating his hedge fund investments? That came up on my superior's radar. That's when I was sent here prematurely on the night of the barbeque for Senator's Kingsley campaign. I came here to find out what was going on. And what do I find? I saw firsthand Emily's and your handiwork, as the good senator unexpectedly quit his successful campaign. That pregnant lady was just cherry on top.
"My superior quickly connected the dots between Bill Harmon and the Senator: David Clarke. He told me the truth about everything. I knew the truth about David Clarke, the Graysons, and the people using them as puppets, the Initiative. As it turns out, my recruiter was working with a man in the CIA to track down someone who had connections with the Initiative. When Harmon and Kingsley were targeted, they first thought it was the Initiative's work. But then, we found out that Emily Thorne was cellmates with Amanda Clarke. My objective here in the Hamptons was accelerated. I got the job at Grayson Global to get close to Conrad Grayson and uncover anything connected to the Initiative from within the company. I was also instructed to protect Danny from his lover's influence, hence my bold interference in their relationship. Too bad Emily took it personally and decided to throw you in my direction. Well, we all know how that turned out in the end." He imitated a gunshot to his chest.
Nolan was baffled by what he just heard. He took a hefty shot of the scotch and poured himself another glass. It took him a moment to recompose himself. "Wait if you knew the truth, why didn't you work with us?"
"We had other objectives besides petty revenge," Tyler scoffed. "Besides, we were not absolutely sure about Emily until I was able to get ahold of that box of hers with David Clarke's journals. Oh, that was when I went psycho. My apologies about that."
"You mean you aren't crazy?" Nolan said, rolling his eyes in doubt, taking another swig of the complacent alcohol.
"No. The meds that Emily found was a fake prescription. They were intended to be an alibi in case Danny asked questions why I harbored animosity toward his fiancée. But, when Emily snatched them, then led me to that video you secretly took of us sexing it up, I was assuming she was trying to drive me mad to come between us. So, I went crazy like she wanted. In the process, I stole your little hidden camera and made a copy for my superior. That was when he decided it was time to wrap up my assignment here in the Hamptons. I blackmailed Conrad Grayson with the footage of Frank Stevens pushing that blonde hussy, Lydia Davis, off the roof. He sure didn't like that. I crashed Danny's birthday party to cut ties with everyone here in the Hamptons. My fake brother, the surgeon you found, was to take me away.
"But, Emily had the gall to plant Frank Steven's wallet in my jacket. That bitch. What a clever girl, framing his murder on me. That set in motion something we did not expect. I ended up on the Initiative's radar, courtesy of Conrad himself. They sent a hitman after me. Totally took us by surprise. But, it actually worked in our favor. We finally got a foothold into the Initiative. So, all that was left to do was pull me off of the Grayson's radar. That's why I came back to break all hell loose on Emily and Danny's engagement party. I stole her box to ensure that we knew she was the real Amanda Clarke. I made sure the fake Amanda witnessed my psychosis at work. I pretended to want payback to set in motion framing Danny for my murder, with the help of Takeda, Emily's master. It was my last act to separate Danny from the claws of Emily. A lot of good that did. He's dead now."
Tyler looked at Nolan with a hint of sorrow in his eyes. Nolan could not believe that he was actually capable of feeling anything at all. All of the duress that he had caused him, tying him up in his own home, battering him a bit in the process. No, it could not be that Tyler had Daniel's best interests at heart. He was so cruel and manipulative. Tyler Barrol, the Hampton's most clever con artist. Evidently, he was too clever, if what he just confessed was true.
"So, how did you fake your death?" Nolan asked direly.
"CIA trade secret, Nolan," Tyler admonished. "Can't indulge you on that. Daniel really did shoot me though. Entirely unplanned. However, it increased the authenticity. Takeda worked with it."
"What about Ashley?" Nolan thought suddenly. "Where did she fit in all of this?"
Ashley Davenport, the Grayson's personal assistance. Tyler met her when he first came to visit Daniel. They plotted against the Grayson together for a time, since Ashley was so devoted to making a name for herself. "Just blending in to the scene. It was only natural that Ashley and I developed interest in one another."
"And what about me?" Nolan demanded, finishing his scotch. "Was I just blending in for you too?"
Tyler sighed and leaned forward, putting his hands together. "I'm sorry, Nolan. That was a way to keep close watch on you. We had some fun, but my priorities lied elsewhere."
"So, what are you doing here now? Back from the dead, so to speak?"
"I'm glad you asked," Tyler snapped his fingers. "All that story telling really got me going. I almost forgot my primary objective here." He cleared his throat. "Malcolm Black. I have no doubt you've heard of him. Ever since David Clarke had his own resurrection, trouble seemed to fall back into the Hamptons. But, Black was just a ruse. He was part of a bigger machine, and David Clarke did not know it. Now, more of that machine is in the Hamptons. My superior and I are after one of the masterminds behind it. We need someone local to help us with the cyberspace. This organization would know if we were using CIA resources. I thought of you, since you're a big tech genius."
"You're asking me for my help?" Nolan laughed incredulously. "What can I do for you? I lost my company to the Graysons. I lost my most valuable technology to the Initiative. As of now, I'm an owner of a damn elite club where rich people spend their days of leisure. As of right now, I'm technologically bankrupt."
"You know that's not true, Nolan," Tyler remanded, coming over to his side. "Technology is a part of you." He put a hand over Nolan's heart. "It's part of your soul."
Nolan backed away from Tyler's touch, uncomfortable with his forwardness. "And why should I help you...and your...superior? How do I know this won't get me killed?"
"You don't, but we'll do everything we can to insure your safety," Tyler replied.
"And if I refuse?" Nolan challenged. "What's to stop me from taking you both down instead?"
"Getting on fiery on me, eh?" Tyler chuckled, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He gave the screen a few taps. "That's okay. I'm pretty sure that you'll cooperate with us gladly. That is, if you still care about this hunk of eye candy you scored last year." He tossed the phone to Nolan's lap.
Nolan hesitantly looked at the screen. In bright HD was a surveillance feed of a small white cell. On the cottage bed in the middle of the cell lied a very familiar face. He was dressed in white garments. His dark blonde hair was matted. His face was writhed with worry. "Patrick," Nolan whispered shakily.
"Yes sir," Tyler said. "It seems like Emily isn't the only one who has a thing for one of Victoria Grayson's sons. He's a very good choice, Nolan. He has more spirit than Danny did. Work for us and Patrick Osborn goes free in you custody." He took the phone away from Nolan's quivering hands and got up. "We'll give you some time to think about this. Next time you see me, your former lover's fate will be in your hands. Think carefully."
Tyler patted him on the shoulder before making his way out of the door. Nolan groaned and poured himself a fourth glass of scotch.