Chapter 2:
The search for Bailey Winters went cold. There were no sightings, no more mysterious deaths, and nothing for a month. It was as if she never existed.
The phone rang, pulling Matt Parkman out of a deep sleep. Fumbling for it in the dark, Matt felt his wife stir next to him. Putting the phone to his ear, Matt turned on the light and for a moment, he was blinded by it. "Yeah?"
"Parkman, turn on your tv."
"What?"
"Turn on your tv!"
"What time is it?" Matt looked at his alarm clock, seeing that it was close to five in the morning. "What's going on?" He heard his FBI friend sigh loudly on the other end of the phone. "Never mind. Hold on a minute."
Climbing out of bed, he walked over to the tv. He put it on and switched to a news station. He waited as the news reporter repeated the breaking story.
"Earlier tonight, the Loft was engulfed by a huge fire, and as you can see, it is completely destroyed. The death toll is now up to twenty, at least. According to sources, the fire only claimed half the dead. The other half died of sudden heart failure. Police are stumped as to how that could be possible, and the C.D.C. has been called in to examine all survivors. No word yet as if this was some kind of biological attack, and I hope not."
"Bailey," Matt whispered, forgetting that he was still holding the phone to his ear.
"Yes. Bailey," she answered back.
"No. She wouldn't…"
"She did. Matt, she did this."
"Why? Why now? Why a month later?"
"Doesn't matter, Parkman! People are dead! Their blood is on our hands!"
A moment passed. Matt swallowed hard, and then said, "What can I do?"
"Nothing. I'll take care of this."
"Wait a damn minute! If she did do this, then it is on me. Let me make it right. Let me find her."
"You haven't found her yet, and if you suddenly did, what then? What would you do, Parkman? Shoot her? You care for her, Matt. I get that, so I can't let you near this investigation. I'm sorry."
"Then, why bother calling me? Why bother waking me up out of a deep sleep? What was the point!"
"You needed to know." A long moment passed. "Fine. You want to be part of this investigation? You're part of it, but you better bring her in, Matt. Or I will!" The call ended.
Matt stared at the phone in his hands. His eyes moved up toward the tv. Shaking his head, he turned the tv off but remained where he was for a few long moments.
Earlier that night, Bailey was at the Loft, having a drink at the bar. She stared at herself in the mirror before looking at those behind her. Her eyes fell on Micha Sanders and his father.
Taking a table near her, the father turned to look at her. He looked at his son and then back at her. Turning his attention to the waitress, he ordered two sodas for his son and for himself.
A man covered in tattoos and piercing approached their table. He pointed at the father, telling him that he was in his seat. Glancing at Micha, he gave him a very unfriendly smile.
"Look, we just want to get our sodas, and then we will give you back your table, okay?"
"I want my table back now. You can stand up and drink your damn sodas."
"I don't want any trouble."
"Then, you shouldn't have taken my table." The guy leaned closer to the father.
"I'm asking you nicely to just let us have our sodas, okay?"
"And I'm tired of being nice to your kind." The man punched the father in the face, knocking him out of his chair.
Just as the father is about to stand up, he notices a strange look on the man's face. The man looked like he was stabbed through the chest. Almost reaching for his heart, the man crashes through the table, dead.
A moment later, the men that had come in with the guy react the same way. They all had that look on their face. Another moment later, they're on the floor, dead.
Noticing a wicked smile across the young woman's face, the father realized that others around them are reacting the same way. He grabbed his son off his chair and ran toward the EXIT. Looking back, he saw more dead bodies on the ground.
"Micha, go outside, and stay there."
"Dad, what are you going to do?"
"Just stay outside no matter what happens."
"But, dad…"
"No butts, Micha! Go!" He pointed outside and watched his son hurry outside.
Rushing over to the young woman, who is still sitting at the bar with a drink in her hand, the father grabbed her. A shock ran through him. Shaking it off, he pulled her out of her seat, knocking the drink to the floor. He hurried her outside. As the air rushed around them, his right arm started to tingle. "What the hell is wrong with you!" Noticing that she was still in a daze, he slapped her across the face. "Snap out of it," and she did.
"Why did you do that?" She rubbed her face. "I was just having a drink." The Loft exploded into flames. "Please, tell me that I didn't do that. Please."
"You did. You killed people in there." She started to cry. "What is wrong with you?"
"I saw you and your son were in trouble, and then, I blanked. I don't remember." She brushed her tears aside and slowly backed away. "I'm not like that. I just wanted to help. It took over."
"It?" He held his son tighter. "You have a double personality too?"
"What? No. My ability took over."
"That's no excuse." Sirens are heard in the distance. He continued to stare at her. "Go. Go!"
"Dad?"
"Let her go, son."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, and hope. Hope we never meet again." He moved his son away and toward a parked car. "Get out of here," and a moment later, he drove away.
The next day, Matt stood outside the Loft, examining the devastation. He picked up bits and pieces of thoughts from those that passed by. Turning his attention to his FBI friend, he could tell that she was very furious. "So, what did that guy you interviewed have to say?"
"Just that Bailey Winters was here last night. I told you. She did this."
"We don't know that."
"No? According to the bartender, a fight was breaking out. The guy that started it was the first to drop. His pals dropped afterward. Then, others followed. The whole time, she sat at the bar with a drink in her hand. Some other guy came and pulled her out of there."
"What guy? Did they leave together?"
"Who knows? Nobody knows because the damn place exploded moments later. Let's just find her, Matt before this happens again." She walked past him. "It's bad enough that Sylar is out there, but now we have another one to worry about." Matt stared after her before looking back at what was left of the Loft.
The ringing of the phone pulled Matt out of another sound sleep. His gut tightened, fearing that more people had died. Rubbing his eyes, he reached out and answered the phone. "Hello? Hello?"
"Mr. Parkman?"
"Yes? Hello?"
"I'm sorry that I woke you." Matt realized that it was Bailey. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kill those people."
"Bailey? Bailey, where are you?" He was now sitting up, pressing the phone tighter to his ear.
"Some motel."
"Which motel?"
"I'm not a murderer. I don't know what I am." She started to cry on the other end.
"Just tell me where you are. Bailey, where are you?"
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." The phone went dead.
"Bailey! Damn it!" Matt hung up the phone. "Damn it." He sat on his bed, rubbing his forehead.
"Yeah, that's her. She rented a room a few days ago and checked out early this morning." The renter said as the FBI agent held up a picture of Bailey to him. "She in some kind of trouble?"
"You could say that." The FBI agent put the picture away. "Thanks for your time." She walked outside with Matt. "So, where would she go?" She looked at Matt. "Any ideas on why she called you?"
"No. I don't even know how she got my number." He looked out across the parking lot. "She said she was sorry, though."
"Yeah, that makes a big difference now, Parkman." She stared at him for a moment. "We have to find her."
"But where do we even start?" Matt looked at her and then out at the traffic driving past them.
"Tragedy is something that we are all familiar with. Tragedy is something that we don't want to happen and is something that we will never forget, and tragedy such as what happened at the Loft should never have happened to begin with." Nathan Petrelli listened to the thunderous applause around him as he stood outside the remains of the Loft. "This place should never have burned down to the ground. Those twenty lives should never have been extinguished. If the owner had adhered to those fire codes, then those people and this place would still be here. As your senator, I vow to make every business owner follow their fire codes because if they don't, then they will have to answer to me." Nathan listened to another round of applause. "Now, I would like to open up this press conference to the media, so who wants to be the first to throw in a question?"
"Will the owner be brought up on charges?"
"Not at this time, but there is still an ongoing investigation. Next?"
"Was it arson, or was that ruled out completely?"
"I believe it was ruled out completely and that the fire had begun in the kitchen, which was not up to date on the fire codes."
"According to the Coroner's Office and the CDC, half of the people that died in the fire died from heart failure not smoke inhalation or burns. Should the public be concerned over a new contagion?"
"As of this moment, the CDC had issued a statement that there are no signs of a new contagion…"
"So, you're telling me that ten people just got a heart attack at the same time?" Nathan stared at the reporter. "Is such a thing even possible?"
"I don't know if such a thing is possible, but the survivors of this tragic fire are all in perfect health, showing no signs of a disease of any kind."
"Then, what killed those people?"
"I don't know." Nathan watched the reporter jot something down on his notepad. "I wish I did."
Watching the news conference on tv, Matt noticed someone standing in the crowd. He looked closer at the screen. It was Bailey, staring at Nathan Petrelli.
Later that night, Petrelli's aide knocked on his door. He slowly walked in, watching Petrelli sort through some paperwork. He cleared his throat as Petrelli finally looked at him.
"What?"
"Sorry. You have a visitor, but if you want, I can tell her to come back first thing tomorrow morning."
"Who is it?"
"One of the victims from the fire at the Loft." Petrelli continued to stare at him. "You want me to tell her to come back?"
"No. No. Let her in, but if anyone else comes in, just tell them to come back first thing tomorrow morning."
"Okay." The aide stepped outside and gestured to someone nearby. "Mr. Petrelli, this is Janice." Bailey walked into the room, and the aide closed the door behind her.
"Janice. Nice to meet you." Nathan reached over his desk and shook her hand. As he did, a small shock raced through him. "Quite a handshake you got there." He rubbed his hand and then gestured for her to take a seat, which she did. "So, what can I do for you?"
Walking into Nathan Petrelli's office, Matt bumped into the aide. "Sorry," he said.
"No problem," but the aide looked annoyed. "Can I help you, officer?"
"I need to speak with Mr. Petrelli."
"I'm sorry. He's with someone, and then he is going home. Can this wait until tomorrow?"
"I guess. Can I ask who he is with?"
"Just one of the victims from the fire at the Loft." The aide stepped away.
"Was it a woman?"
"Yeah." The aide froze mid-step. "Her name was Janice. Why?"
"That's my wife's name."
"I just wanted to thank you for coming out in support of the tragedy at the Loft."
"Well, Janice, it was indeed a tragedy, one that could have been very much avoided. I just wish that there was more that I could do."
"You could have flown to their rescue if you were around late last night."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"I think you should leave." He got up from his desk.
Bailey stood up too. "Why? Because I know you can fly?"
"Get out!"
"Trust me when I say that I didn't want to do this. All you had to do was go with them. Now, I have to bring you to them."
Nathan felt a tightening in his chest. He tried to breathe. Falling to the ground, he could hear his heart echo in his ears.
"Bailey!" She turned around to see Matt standing behind her with his gun drawn. "Let him go!"
"Stay out of this, Matt. This has nothing to do with you."
"I'm not going to ask you again, Bailey. Let him go!" She ignored him, watching the consciousness slip away from Nathan. "Damn it, Bailey!"
A moment later, the sound of Matt's gun echoed throughout the office. Matt looked down at his feet and then toward Bailey. He lowered his gun, shaking his head. "My God." He stared at the bullet lying by Bailey's feet.
Consciousness returned to Nathan, who started to cough. He sat up on the floor, rubbing his chest. He looked from Bailey to Matt and then back at Bailey. "What the hell is she?"
Staring at the bullet by her feet, Bailey's mind went blank. She rubbed her forehead and sat back down in the office chair. Pushing her hair to the side, there was the same symbol on her neck that Matt and Ted have. Matt saw the mark. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"Bailey, where were you for a month?"
"I don't know. I just remember the last few days."
"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on!" Nathan was now on his feet and standing away from Bailey.
"Someone has been abducting people like me and Bailey here…"
"There was a man with thick glasses and a quiet, scary guy that came to my hospital room a month ago. That's all I remember." Nathan stared at Bailey. "They wanted me to get you, but I can't remember where. I feel like my mind just blanked." She continued to rub her forehead.
"I know who she is talking about. They tried to take me once before, but I escaped." Nathan slowly walked over to his chair and sat down. "I guess they haven't forgotten about me." He looked over at Bailey. "You say that they are abducting people. What are they doing to them exactly?" He looked at Matt before looking back at Bailey.
"I'm not sure. I think they are enhancing our abilities somehow." He finally holstered his gun.
"Why would they do that?"
"I don't know."
"And our friend here? Is killing her ability?"
"I don't know." Matt stared at Bailey and then at the bullet still on the floor.
"What about you?" Matt looked at Nathan.
"I can hear people's thoughts. You?"
"Me? I don't have…"
"He can fly."
"And that you remember?" Bailey smiled at him. "Yeah, I can fly, but if either of you let that leak out… I'll let people know about you. Now, take your friend, and get out of my office."
"They'll try to get you, Mr. Petrelli."
"Let me worry about that." He watched Matt grab Bailey by the arm and help her to her feet. "Are you going to look for them, officer?"
"I'm going to try and then find out what they are doing to us."
"Keep me updated." Nathan looked at Bailey.
"I wasn't going to kill you."
"That's hard to believe especially after you murdered all those people at the Loft." Bailey looked away.
"We'll be in touch." Matt pushed her out of the office, closing the door behind him.
Letting out a sigh, Nathan Petrelli rubbed his face. His eyes started to water, but he wouldn't let himself cry. Instead, he opened a desk drawer, pulling out a whiskey cask.
Outside Petrelli's office, Matt handcuffed Bailey's hands behind her back. He read Bailey her rights. Then, he walked her out of the office. "Aren't you going to say anything, Bailey?"
"There's nothing left to say, Mr. Parkman."
Putting her in the backseat of his car, Matt leaned in and looked at her. "You can call me Matt." He closed the door and walked over to the driver's side.
A moment later, the car sped off toward the FBI headquarters. Looking in the rearview mirror, Matt saw tears running down Bailey's face. Sighing, he continued to drive. "It's going to be a long night."