Chapter 10:

Matt Parkman's eyes slowly fluttered opened. His head felt heavy. His body was tingling, and his hands were dry. His tongue was even dry. He had been drugged, but why? Who? It was the nurse, Dale.

He looked over at Bailey. Her bed was empty. He quickly reached over and felt the mattress. It was cold, and she was long gone. How long was he out for, but only one person could answer that. And he hurried out of the room, looking for answers, and walked right into another nurse.

"Excuse me." She glared at him. "Can I help you?" She stared at him for a moment. "I'm sorry, officer. You're the one that was guarding Bailey Winters."

"Protecting," he corrected her. "Where's Dale?"

"Dale? She went home hours ago. Said she wasn't feeling well."

"I bet," he snarled.

"Everything okay?" She peered into the hospital room. "Where's Bailey Winters?"

"Why don't you ask Dale?"

"Dale left alone. Nobody was with her."

"Are you sure about that," and the nurse shook her head. "She got a call, a page. I need that number, and I need to know right now, if anyone else had tried to ask about Bailey."

"As far as I know…"

"What?"

"We only got one phone call regarding Bailey." Matt Parkman stepped closer. "It was a man."

"Who?"

A few hours earlier, Bailey had awoken. Her head hurt. She slowly sat up and looked over at Matt Parkman. He was slouched back in the chair, and she called his name a few times. No response. He was out.

Bailey slowly removed the IV from her arm. She unplugged the wires stuck to her chest. She glanced at Matt, looking for any sign of movement. Moving out of the hospital bed, her feet padded against the floor, and she searched for his pulse. He was alive but out. Dale must have drugged him, and then she remembered what Dale had whispered into her ear.

"You're lucky that Mr. Linderman wants you alive, so when you can, get out of here. And go find him. He'll be waiting for you."

Linderman. Bailey heard stories about that man, and those stories were not pleasant. There was no way in hell that she would go and find him. It was bad enough that she had to deal with HRG and Sylar, but Linderman? That was too much, and the only thing that she could do right now was to run. But run where?

A nurse had mentioned the town that she was in. Lexon. It was a strange name, one that she used to joke about a long time ago with her cousin. Her cousin? That's right. He lived here in this town. Granted, they had grown apart, and he had taken a life that her family disapproved of. But they were still family. She just hoped that he was still living at the last address that she knew of, and she hurried away from Matt Parkman, the hospital, and all those villains that she wanted to escape from.

Not too many people in this town asked questions. Nobody wanted to know anyone's business. She hitched a ride not too far from the hospital. Then, she walked up a few streets. It was like tracing memory lane. He was still here. He liked it here. He liked her. Why had they grown so far apart?

"What do you want!" He held the apartment door half open, glaring at her from inside. "I don't want you here. Why are you here?"

"I'm in trouble, Henry," Bailey cried. "Big trouble."

"You," he laughed. "I thought I was the criminal." She started to cry. "Come on." He now opened the door. "Get inside. Quickly," and he hurried her in. "How can you be in trouble," but she just shrugged in response. "Bailey?

"The serial killer. You know about him?" He slowly nodded. "Well, I killed him." His mouth fell open. "I was his last victim, and I killed him."

"Jesus, Bailey. Here. Sit down," and he led her over to a couch by the wall. "If that's true, then you're a hero."

"I'm no hero, Henry, and there are people looking for me. Bad people."

"Yeah, right." He stood a short distance away. "Bad people. Bad people are looking for you." She nodded. "Like who?"

"Like Linderman," and he almost jumped back in response. "You know him."

"I know of him, and that's not funny, Bailey."

"I'm not laughing."

"Neither am I. Why would Linderman, Mr. Linderman be looking for someone like you?" He pushed a few brown strands of hair out of his face. It was a nervous twitch, and that name, that man made him very nervous. "Does he know that you are here?"

"No," Bailey said.

Just then, Henry's phone rang. It wasn't the landline to the apartment. It wasn't his cell phone. It was the black dead phone that he used to hack into computer systems. Nobody called that number. Nobody had that number, but now that phone rang. And it wasn't stopping.

Henry grew more nervous. His hand shook as he reached for the phone. He glanced at Bailey and held her stare. It was because she was here. She was telling him the truth, no matter how hard it was for him to believe that. How could she kill a man? How could Linderman be looking for her, and why? It couldn't be him. It was a fluke. Nobody would be there, and he answered the call, relaxing and almost sure that nobody would be on the other end of the phone.

"Hello, Henry." It was Mr. Linderman, and Henry nearly dropped the phone. "Be a lad, Henry, and put me on speaker."

"Yes, sir," he gasped but then paused. "May I ask as to how you got this number?"

"I know a boy as bright as you, but he can talk to machines."

"I see," and Henry pushed the speaker button on the phone. "You're on speaker, Mr. Linderman," and he watched Bailey's eyes grow wide.

"Linderman," she now gasped.

"Hello, Bailey," his voice rung out. "You are quite predictable." She slowly nodded to herself. "Unfortunately for you, I figured out where you might run off to. Henry, be a lad, and open your door."

"Why," he nervously asked.

"I would do it, Henry. Don't make him wait a moment longer."

"HRG?"

"No, Bailey. He's… He's being detained at the moment. Henry?"

"Yes, sir," and Henry opened the door.

The Haitian walked in. He locked eyes with Bailey, who now jumped up onto the couch. He remained standing by the phone, glancing down at it, and awaiting further instructions. His gaze moved from the phone and back to Bailey.

"Don't be afraid of him, Bailey."

"Afraid? Nathan Petrelli killed me because of him."

"He what," Henry asked, dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry, Henry," Mr. Linderman spoke with profound sadness. "You're out of your league here. Now, Bailey, his fate is up to you."

"What does he mean by that, Bailey?"

"What do you mean, Mr. Linderman? Why his fate up to me?"

"Well, you see, Bailey. You have a choice. Allow my friend here to take you to me, and Henry goes unharmed."

"If I don't go with him?" The Haitian was now holding a tazer in his hand.

"It might take some voltage, but he'll take you down with the tazer or his other ability. And you know what ability that is." Henry inched closer to the Haitian, preparing to attack, but Bailey shook her head at him. "And Henry's mind will be wiped clean." He froze at that. "Completely clean."

"What's he talking about, Bailey? What does that mean," but she continued to stare at the Haitian.

"Okay, Mr. Linderman." She slowly moved away from the couch. "I'll go, but I want my family, my parents and cousin to remain unharmed."

"I promise," his voice boomed from the phone.

The Haitian turned toward Henry and zapped him with the tazer. Henry's body jerked violently, and then he fell to the ground, unconscious. Bailey bolted toward the door, but the Haitian grabbed hold of her, burying a syringe into her neck. Dropping the needle to the ground, he now scooped her up into his arms.

"But… But he promised," she whispered.

"And I will not erase his mind or your family's," the Haitian replied as she passed out. "Mr. Linderman, I have her."

"Bring her to me," and the line went dead.

A few hours later, Matt Parkman stepped into the apartment. He found the door left half open. He stepped inside, stepping on a syringe, and his heart sunk. Bailey was in trouble, and somebody was waiting for her. As he knelt down toward the broken glass under his shoe, someone stepped out from the shadows and swung at him. He ducked and then subdued his attacker. It was Henry.

"What do you want? Why are you all after her?" Matt Parkman released him. "What is he going to do with her?"

"Who," Matt Parkman asked him. "Who are you talking about?"

"Linderman." Matt's mouth fell open. "He has Bailey."

"Linderman. Oh, no."

"Who are you," Henry asked him. "Are you here for her?"

"I'm… I was trying to protect her, but I didn't know that he was involved. Why would he take her?"

"I asked you that." Matt's cell phone began to ring. "Are you going to look for her? Are you going to save her?" Matt stepped back. "Are you going to do anything?"

Matt answered his cell phone. "Hello?"

"Matt?"

"Janice? Where are you?"

"I'm in New York City with your friend. Audrey Hanson."

"No. No. You can't be in New York City right now. It's too dangerous, Janice. It's much too dangerous. Why are you there?"

"Your other friend called me. He said that you were in trouble and that I had to come. Where are you?"

"What other friend, Janice? Who called you?"

"He didn't give a name. I think he had an accent." Matt closed his eyes in response. "Matt, what's going on?"

"Stay where you are, Janice. I'm coming to you. I'm coming to New York City," and he hurried toward the apartment door.

"Hey!" He looked back at Henry. "What about my cousin, Bailey?"

"I'll try to find her. I'll try to save her." He paused for a moment. "If Linderman wanted her dead, she would be dead, and actually so would I. He had his chance, but he didn't take it. She'll be okay. At least, for right now."

"But you'll look for her?"

"I will. I promise," and Matt left the apartment.

"Wait! What's happening in New York City," but Matt was already gone. "Bailey," Henry muttered to himself. "What have you gotten yourself into?"