Chapter 2: Casey's failure

The scene at the Buy More parking lot was a swirling nightmare of smoldering fire and acrid smoke. The rescue workers wore heavy-duty face masks and prepared for the worst, as they picked through the burned out shell. When Casey arrived, hundreds of body bags lined the parking lot, there seemed no end to the discoveries of strewn limbs and fried corpses.

Casey couldn't launch an investigation, not with swarms of firefighters, police, and rescue teams running around. Chaos reigned while his orderly mind tried to process everything as fast as it could. The news crews would be all over him. They circled like greedy vultures, swooping down, pecking questions on anyone within their sight. Was it an act of terrorism or a hidden gas leak? A disgruntled employee with a grudge and dynamite on his hands? There was nothing to be done at the Buy More, so Casey sprinted to the 'Orange Orange' to find Sarah. The place was empty. He slammed the counter and a weary pimpled teenager retreated from the back room. He recognized Casey as a Buy More employee and stared him up and down as if he were a ghost.

"Sarah's not here…she…she had went to the Buy More just before the bombing…she was with friends." He mumbled through tears.

Casey perked up. "Friends? Who?"

"I've never seen them before…a pretty woman and her little daughter. They sat right there and drank Tutti-fruity smoothies. They wanted to see Chuck and I heard the woman say she had a surprise for…uh… John…but that's it…I…I can't talk anymore."

The kid wretched and raced out of the shop, letting his breakfast fly all over the pavement. Casey stood as frozen as the yogurt. It couldn't have been them. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Julia's house number; No answer. He left an urgent message.

"Julia, it's John, when you hear this, call me immediately!"

Casey called her dance studio, a cheery voice answered.

"Silver Steps, how may I help you?"

"Yes, hi, Laura, this John Casey, I'm looking for Julia, is she available?"

His mind begged and screamed for her to come to the phone. Laura hesitated, but then spoke quickly.

"Okay… You weren't supposed to know, but Julia left yesterday to visit Charlotte's father…oh gee! That's you, isn't it? It was meant to be a surprise! Please don't tell her I told you. Mr. Casey?"

Casey's face went ashen and he swallowed the lump about to suffocate him. "No… nooooo…I guess I missed her! I'll find her… I'll find them." His voice cracked just as he clicked off the phone and he grabbed the counter to steady himself.

"Stay in control, Casey! Stay in control…you're the only one left."

He couldn't run outside and make a scene. That was not his style. He punched in the freezer code and stumbled down to the Castle. He buckled onto the table and let out the loudest cry of his life. For a long while he moaned in grief and ignored the blinking VDT. He eventually stretched out his arm and pushed the receiver button.

General Beckman's face appeared, expressionless as ever. "Major Casey, why haven't you reported on the Buy More explosion? What's the status?"

"Dead…dead…all dead." He murmured with his head buried in his arms.

"Sit up and repeat that, Major. I couldn't hear you."

Casey bit his lip, his fury mounted. He turned over and grasped the edges of the screen with such vehemence that Beckman rolled her chair back alarmed.

"I said they're all dead, General! All of them! Chuck, Sarah…Julia…my baby!" He screamed into the monitor.

Beckman's eyes twitched with remorse and she inhaled sharply. "I'm sorry, Major. But this is a dire emergency. The freedom of the United States has been severely compromised now that the Intersect is gone! We must…"

Casey shook the screen until the broadcast disrupted, but quickly restored itself. He at last saw the cruelty in his life's work. He recognized in Beckman, the cold-hearted callousness that he'd harbored and nurtured so long.

"Didn't you hear me? They're dead! My family is dead! You got what you wanted, Chuck is gone! You don't have to keep badgering me about killing him; someone already did it for me! General Beckman, I am through with these missions, it's over, and I'm finished!" He fumed, tears blinding his eyes.

Beckman shook her head saddened. "Major Casey, I can appreciate your grief. It was incidental and tragic that Julia and your daughter arrived today. You must pull yourself together and get on the next plane to Washington for a disaster conference. I just received word from the hospital in your area; they found Chuck's body and we're waiting on confirmation. I'm sending a team down to dismantle the Castle."

Casey gazed at her incensed. "Dismantle, huh? Tell your crew to stay home! I'll dismantle it for you!"

He jumped up, poised to tear the place apart. Agent Beckman raised her hand and hollered sternly.

"That is enough, John! We are investigating and working as fast as we can to find out who's responsible, but you must come back here. That is a direct order!"

"Don't you understand, General? I'm responsible! I was the one sworn to protect Chuck and the Intersect and I failed! I failed my partner…I failed my family! If anyone is going to catch this bastard, it's me! Do you hear that? I'm not coming back until I bring this terrorist down!"

Before Beckman could reply, Casey shut down the feed. He wiped his eyes and stormed from the shop. He ran fast to his vehicle, ducking hordes of reporters and lingering crowds. The families of the slain piled into the parking lot and broke over police barriers. They bawled over the body bags and demanded answers. Casey planned to return at a more convenient time, preferably in the dead of night, when he could focus on sifting for evidence.

There was nothing left to lose. The Intersect mission, and any hope for his future happiness had come to an explosive finish.