Who Said Things Were Going To Get Easier?
Disclaimer: The 4400 belong to USA network...
A/n: Since I've only seen the first parts of the second series, this is where it's set. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the rest of the series due to... life, being its usual, annoying, self. If what I'm writing isn't on par with what has happened in the series, forgive me, and consider it AU.
A/n (27 June 2007): Bringing Who said... to a close, simply because I started it so long ago and now it's become dated. I'm going to put the next story up soon, having updated the characters and synchronising it with the current 4400 series. Hope you enjoy the read
"Tell Luthor he'll get the story as soon as we know what it is. I'm not saying a word to any member of the press at this point." Jordan finished, handing one of his assistants the cell phone. His entourage was about eleven strong, some scribbling notes, others trying to field calls, others making calls, and after the morning's incident, body guards. They travelled down the halls of the private hospital, seemingly oblivious the staff and patients that had to duck out of their way as they moved with purpose. They turned the corner on the fourth floor, and their search was ended. Jordan turned to the people behind them and signalled for them to stay where they were. He made his way to Shawn, and though they kept their distance, two wider-set men stepped out from amongst the troop of suites and followed.
Jordan was first: "Talk to me." He said, slapping an arm on Shawn's shoulder and guiding him down the corridor.
"I could talk, but I wouldn't know what to say. One minute we're walking along, having a great time, the next, I've got a bullet through my stomach." Shawn replied, seeming to go through the events in his mind as he did.
"What were you doing there?"
"Having breakfast. Well, we'd finished breakfast at that point, we were on our way somewhere else."
"Where?"
"I don't know, anywhere." His expression suddenly changed. He realised then that Jordan seemed to be pressing for something. "What has any of that got to do with being shot at?'
Jordan let out a strained laugh. "Someone tried to end your life today Shawn. Any question I ask has significance right now! NTAC is already on the case, but as far as I'm concerned, they're looking in the wrong direction." He stroked his beard, pacing the breadth of the wide corridor. "Did she call you?" He looked to the surrogate son he'd almost lost. "Anäis. Did she call you last night to meet?"
"No."
"Then how did you end up spending the night with each other?"
"We met at a coffee shop."
"Did she know you'd be there?"
"No, it was pure chance... and I don't think I like where this is going." Said Shawn, moving away from the wall he had been so comfortable against. "You think she had something to do with this?"
Jordan was silent for a moment. "I don't trust her Shawn. I don't trust her, and neither should you."
"Funny, my uncle said the same thing about you." He left his mentor.
888
The intersection had been taped off, and officers were diverting traffic to the nearest alternate route. There was no keeping this quiet, and there wasn't a doubt in anyone's mind that the story was already been prepped for front pages across the nation. It had been a while since the public had last gotten word of an assassination attempt, and such headlines always upped newspaper sales. Amidst the guided chaos stood Tom and Diana, arms akimbo, minds in deep thought. Tom knelt and tried to picture the shooter from the direction forensics had given them. Diana looked around, scanning the surrounding stores and alleys.
"Over a hundred potential witnesses... and no one saw a thing." She said finally.
"People get too caught up in their day to be really observant. I bet if you asked anyone who'd been here at the time of the shooting, no one could accurately tell you anything about Shawn, even though he's such a public face. What colour shirt he was wearing, blue jeans or pants, the simple things that all go unnoticed."
Diana stared at the dried pool of blood. "I still find it amazing what he can do. It's a gift that not only saved others, but now, it's saved him."
"The woman that he was with, what happened to her?"
"They took her to Reaves Public. The bullet went through Shawn and into her, lodged itself in her side. She's gonna be alright though."
A short woman came to Diana's side. Slightly more robust, she appeared as someone who had been on the job longer than many had been alive. "Agent Skouris, Baldwin. I'm Agent Forbes, I was on the NTAC detail assigned to watch Shawn Ferrell." Her southern accent could not be mistaken
"Didn't work out too well did it?" Tom quipped, getting to his feet.
"The assassin thing kind of caught us off guard, we'll admit it. But our assignment was to keep our distance, and observe his movements... that was it." She shot back.
Tom was unyielding: "I want detailed reports from everyone, on my desk by three 'o clock today."
"Agent Forbes," Diana ignored the woman's cold look to her partner and continued, "can you give us an idea of a timeline from your team's perspective."
"We rotated around five thirty. Followed them through and out of Kinnear park. They carried on walking until they found a diner, Macy's, it's just up the block. That was around seven. They got cozy, ate breakfast, left at about eight fifteen, and walked straight here."
"Where was your team in relation to them?
She blew out her cheeks in thought. "One there." Forbes pointed to the outside window of a nearby delicatessan shop. "One there." She pointed much further down the block. "Two in a sedan and I was a few meters behind them."
"You didn't see anything? Anyone suspicious?" Tom asked. Forbes shook her head, still giving him a rather sour look.
As he and Diana continued to take in the crime scene, Forbes piped up. "I've never seen any of those 4400 do anything, with my own eyes that is. After seeing this all today, I don't know what to think anymore. It was frightening and amazing at the same time, watching that boy cheat death. Suddenly, it was like the rules of life didn't apply to him anymore. And that light show that the girl pulled. Heat so intense you could imagine the pavement go soft and melt right from underneath them.
888
"Morning, princess." Anäis opened her eyes to the sound of his voice. "You had us a little worried for a while there" Jin had made himself comfortable on one of the hospital chairs in her private room. The blinds had been drawn and the only light that filled the room came from above the instruments monitoring her. The young man walked to the side of the bed and flashed a smile that seemed strained. He looked tired, a look she wasn't used to seeing him with. "How're you feeling?"
"Like I've just been shot." She quipped. With much effort, she tried to sit up, but was forced back down by him.
He shook his head. "Not just yet."
"The damage must be bad if you're this attentive." Talking took a lot out of her, but she felt she needed it.
"No, but it has given me an excuse to take care of you... It'll earn me legendary status at Apollo." She flipped a brow his way. "You're kidding right? Anäis Daaé needing someone to take care of her? Not even on her worst day."
She laughed, much to her disdain. "I've been through worse." Anäis smiled.
"I can believe that. I heard you refused pain killers while they were removing the bullet, that's no mean feat."
With a shrug: "Never liked them, they cloud the mind. Not the best of ideas considering my ability." He tucked her sheets comfortably around her. "You look worse than I feel. What happened, late night partying again?"
"Not quite. But I did get a good twenty minutes sleep before you decided to get shot. No rest for the wicked." He pulled a cell phone from his jacket pocket. "He wants to speak to you." Nodding, Anäis took it, with an expression not entirely filled with glee. Jin leant over and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I'm glad you're okay." With another flash of his playboy smile, he left the room.
888
4400 Center
Shawn leant against the frame of one of the large windows of his office, arm propping him up. Four days had passed since the assassination attempt, and yet still, everything felt surreal somehow. Jordan and the team he'd put in place were handling the press while he recovered. No one he'd ever healed needed recovery time, but Jordan was convinced that, this instance being different, it was something that was very necessary. Shawn had been watching the storm clouds forming in the distance as he thought. Someone had found him enough of a threat to warrant killing him... That was a thought worth chewing over. A flash of Anäis falling with him filled his mind. It was the second time she'd been hurt because of him. He was a dangerous man to be involved with; perhaps that was why she had disappeared from the hospital without a trace, and severed all contact with him.
A sudden comotion drew him out of his thoughts. Tom Baldwin stormed in, followed by Diana and finally a gasping Amy entered. "I'm sorry Mr. Farrell, but they wouldn't listen..."
"It's alright Amy." He smiled. With a nod, she left. "Uncle Tom" They hugged, as honest and sincere as they did before the 4400 ever became a reality.
Tom pulled back and took a good look at Shawn. "Good to see you Shawn." The emotion was caught there in his words.
"Hi Diana." Shawn greeted, gesturing for them to take a seat. "What can I do for you guys?"
"We're building a profile of your shooter. We were hoping you could provide us with a list of possible suspects to work with." Diana answered.
With a laugh: "That list would be a mile long Diana, you guys should know that by now. I have no secret enemies, it's all out in the open."
"No recent threats?" Asked Tom.
"Nothing... this was completely unexpected. Well, I guess most assasinations are." He chuckled, rubbing his hand along his jeans. "Anything else?"
Tom bit his lip for a moment, locking eyes with Shawn. "I don't want Collier taking matters into his own hands. We'll find whoever did this to you Shawn, I promise you that. We just need the time to do our jobs properly."
"Yeah, I get it Uncle Tommy." He stood and held out his hand. "Do what you need to do."
888
Tom looked over to Diana, indicating right as they left the 4400 compound. The soft sounds of the radio drowned out the silence and the gentle drum of rain against the windows."You okay Diana? You were pretty quiet back there?" She looked out of the window, biting her nails as she so rarely did. It was an old habit that she'd kicked as a kid, but every so often, she'd subconsciously slip. "Diana?"
"Huh?" She turned to him, still deep in thought it would seem and began: "Something that Agent Forbes said to us got me thinking: We never solved the Mercantile case... none of the 4400 in our database had the abilities that might be able to cause that kind of damage."
"Okay?"
"Heat so intense it could melt the pavement, or something to that effect... That's what Forbes said. I think that this Anäis could be the 4400 we're looking for."
Tom nodded. "We'll get back to NTAC and see if we can pull up an address."
-In headlines today: The group, previously dubbed 'The Elite', held a press conference earlier today, introducing key figures within the operation now verified as Apollo House. Seemingly overnight press releases about the operation as well as one-on-one interviews with co-directors Michael Potente and Anäis Daaé have hit shelves, and news segments are sweeping the airwaves with the intentions of these 4400. Apollo House has also expressed their desire for transparency to the public and the involvement of 4400 and non-4400 alike.
Diana lowered the volume. "Well, I guess that's going to be easier than we thought."
888
Anäis closed the door to her office, and made her way to the couch against the wall. She was moving slowly, in pain. "Still haven't managed to get yourself to full capacity? You're slipping." Michael grinned. He had an increasingly disturbing habit of sneaking up on her. Either her keen powers of observation were fading, or he knew every trick in her book well enough to make himself invisible... Either way, it was unnerving.
"With the media circus that you stirred up, I haven't time to myself Michael, you know that. It hasn't even been a week since the shooting." She gently placed herself on the couch, grasping at the arm rest tightly.
"I remember when it would take no more than a few hours." Michael sat at her side, motioning for her to rest on him.
"Then you must also remember the destructive effect I had on my surroundings... jamais encore." Her last words were a whisper as she curled up and rested her head on his chest. "Do you really believe that this will work?"
He nodded to himself. "With everything that I am. I see this world being steered straight into oblivion... and I know that with me at the helm, that won't happen. The free world needs a leader in control, willing to make the sacrifices necessary to ensure our survival, it needs me. We're going to make it happen, I have no doubt about it." Minutes of silence passed as he stroked her hair, lost in his own thoughts. "Anäis?"
She mumbled groggily in response.
"Why Shawn?" She didn't answer, but Michael knew she had heard. "You have admirers at Apollo, many of whom are better suited to you."
"Michael, please drop this."
"Has he even hit puberty yet?"
Anäis got up, arms folded, back turned. "Why do you continue to bring up a subject that I have assured you is in the past."
"Your assurances with regards to this boy mean nothing to me. They're empty words. What ever is happening between the two of you is effecting your judgement, derailing our attempts at remaining scandal free and very nearly got you killed." He stood, moving toward her back. "If it's sex you're after, grab a man, who I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding, and get it out of your system." Anäis turned and slapped him, moving more quickly, with her injuries, than even she anticipated.
Knock. Knock.
A greying man pulled open the double doors and lead in, followed by Tom and Diana. Both Anäis and Michael had no problems appearing as though nothing was amiss, they were used to having to fake their way in and out of new situations. "Agent Baldwin, Agent Skouris, how can we help you?" Michael asked, extending a hand and greeting them both in kind.
"We're just here to ask Anäis a few questions." Diana answered, looking straight over to the woman.
"Very well. Thank you Walter," She smiled, "and Michael... could you please give us a moment?" Though her voice was seemingly submissive, her eyes were not. Perhaps, had they not fought only a minute earlier, he would've ignored her request and sat in on the meeting... but he didn't. He nodded to her and said his goodbyes, leaving with Walter. "Is there something I can get you? Coffee? Tea?"
"No thanks." Smiled Tom.
"Ms. Daaé, as you know we're from NTAC, while we are investgating the shooting that took place earlier this week, we'd just like to ask you a couple of questions that might not seem relevant to you. We'd like to ask you to answer them honestly with as much detail as you can." Diana explained. Anäis seemed comfortable with it, and agreed. "This is a nice place you have here, Apollo House. Who started it?"
"It was largely Michael's doing. I assisted and over time it just seemed the logical thing for him to share the overflow of work with me."
"The group you've assembled hasn't been around for too long, this building even shorter than that." Tom said.
Anäis shrugged. "It made sense. Many of the 4400 who joined us had lost their homes, or were no longer wanted in them. We needed to stay together, and we couldn't have done that without finding a place of our own."
"Where did you, or Mr. Potente, get the money to put this whole thing up?"
"I'm not exactly sure Agent Baldwin. I know that Michael came from money, and that he has friends in high places. I never really found myself involved or even interested in the business side of things." She showed no signs of discomfort, unreadable, even to the seasoned eyes of the two investigators.
"Ms. Daaé, could you please explain to my partner and I, exactly what your ability is?" Asked Diana.
Anäis looked at her curiously. "I can convert energy."
"Into what exactly?"
"Why does it matter?
Tom: "We're just curious."
"No, you're fishing for something." She forced a smile to both of them. "I would be happy to continue this conversation with the presence of a lawyer. No hard feelings, but I'd prefer to be cautious." Anäis shook hands as the agents readied to leave. "Agent Baldwin... may I have a word with you please? In private?"
Tom looked from her to Diana, and gave a short nod. He watched as his partner left the room, closing the door behind her. "What is it you want to talk to me about?"
"Shawn. You're kin, non?" Tom nodded, waiting for her to continue. "Have you seen him since, the incident?"
"I have."
"How is he?"
"Shouldn't you be asking him this?" Tom hadn't meant for the statement to come out as aggresively as it had, he was just curious as to why the apparent couple had not seen each other after a traumatic experience like the shooting. "He's fine." He saw a chance then, a small chip in her armour as she thought on the man in question. "Anäis, if you're in something here that you can't get out of, you can tell me, I can help."
"Thank you, Agent Baldwin." Anäis held open the door. Barely a moment after he left, her office phone rang. "Anäis Daaé." She answered. Her expression turned serious as she listened to the voice on the other end.
End.
Next: Brave Old World