Ch. 4: No Pain, No Gain
Charlie drove home in deep thought. It was 2:30 in the afternoon, an odd time for him to be coming home. Then again as far as he knew, his wife would be at work until around 5, so he could just write her a note saying not to worry, that he was just going to be away on assignment for the next week or two. She would accept that, as she surprisingly always had. He had been forced to keep things from her because of the nature of his work for so long, that he wasn't bother by being vague at all.
Charlie was, however bothered by the very real possibility that he would have to keep things from Olivia. Olivia was a good close friend. One he could talk about work-related things with and he knew her well enough to know she would not take lightly to him withholding potentially valuable information from her, especially if it wasn't classified by FBI standards. He also sensed it would take one hell of an argument, if he could even come up with one, to convince the Sanctuary Network staff that it would be helpful for him to have a confident outside the Network. "It's worth a shot," Charlie muttered to himself as he pulled into his garage and walked into his house. As he though, his wife was not home and he wrote her a quick note explaining in what little detail he could, why he'd be gone for a week or two. He placed the note on the refrigerator and went into the master bedroom to start packing.
He took out a large duffle bag from the closet and plopped it on the queen size bed. Since he didn't really know how long he would be gone or if he was even returning, he packed most of clothes save his suits and dress clothes. Just as he closed the duffle, his cell phone rang. It was Olivia, again. "You're probably wondering why I'm not in Walter's tank, right?" Charlie asked her, as he threw the duffle over his shoulder.
"When did you start reading minds?" Olivia asked him, half joking.
"Since I started getting to know you," Charlie answered back, also half joking. "Anyways, to answer your question, some people who clearly have more experience with situations like mine showed up and I need to go to one of their facilities in Washington state to get the appropriate tests done," Charlie informed her.
"How much do you know about these people? How do you know they aren't ZFT or the people who abducted you? " Olivia questioned, clearly concerned for a long time friend's safety. "I can look into this, if you want," she offered.
"Thanks 'Liv, but one of them was the guy who dropped me off at the adoption agency. Now, why the hell would ZFT or anyone involved in the trails, drop a kid treated with Cortexiphan off at an adoption agency? It doesn't make sense. Look, what I do know is, I won't get the answers I need if I don't go there, without you or anyone else from intelligence agencies following me or looking into this. I promise I will call you when I get there, informing you and everyone else I'm alright. Please 'Liv, I need you to just trust me on this," Charlie pled his case to Olivia.
"You do realize that your acting this out of character is not helping?" Olivia asked, at the same time wondering where the Charlie she knew was going and what Charlie was replacing him.
"Yes, but do you realize you looking into this could do more harm than good in the long run? Sometimes secrets are best left secrets."
"Fine, I'll hold off for now, but I don't hear from you in the next 48 hours, I will start a full investigation."
"Thank you. Look, I have to get going. I'll be sure to call you when I get there," Charlie said making a mental note to make sure he contacted Olivia once he got to the Sanctuary. After hanging up the phone, Charlie grabbed his gun and badge, and headed out the front door towards the park where he was to meet James and the others. The park was about a ten minute drive from his house and it was 2:45 already, which meant that he had to hurry if he was going to make his rendezvous on time.
Charlie found James, Duncan, and Henry sitting on a bench waiting when he arrived. "I got here as fast as I could. A colleague called asking why I wasn't at the lab. I had to explain, as vaguely as I could how & why my situation changed. Also, I have to contact said colleague within 48 hours or they will start a full investigation," Charlie informed his new allies.
"Agent Olivia Duhman, I suspect?" James asked knowing he was right. He mainly asked the question to study Charlie's response. If his suspicions about Charlie's situation were right, Charlie would more than likely have to give up his position in the US FBI and would need some form of income. Thus it would follow the boy would be offered a position on one of the Sanctuary's staff, and it was more likely to be his than Helen's.
"Who do you think you are, Sherlock Holmes, a psychic?" Charlie asked.
James let out a soft laugh at Charlie's questions. "While I'm not psychic, I do, do my research and answering your other question requires more privacy than we currently have. We should get going anyways. Helen is expecting us by nightfall," James answered. The four of them walked over to the dark blue-green van parked across the street. Charlie go into one of the backseats. James took the seat next to him, while Duncan took the wheel and Henry the front passenger's seat.
"Why don't you drive since you seem to be the boss?" Charlie asked James, wondering how many secrets this man held.
"I generally don't trust much of the newer technologies; things like automobiles, phones, etc.," James answered.
"How do you communicate with your staff at the U.K. Sanctuary when you're here in the U.S.?" Charlie asked again, wondering if he should have taken up Olivia's offer to do some research on these guys.
"Telegrams," James replied truthfully.
"What you're so old-fashion, you live like it's the 1800's?" Charlie questioned, his patience starting to ware thin.
"Henry, would you make sure the modified EM shield is up?"
"I set it up so that it activates automatically once everyone's in the car. No need to worry about the FBI or any other intelligence agency listening in. Even if they tried a wire tap, what said in here, stays in here," Henry reassured his boss.
"Thanks again Henry. Are you familiar with the Ripper case?" James asked Charlie.
"You mean the "Jack the Ripper" case? It was an assignment given to me as a possible connection to some odd reoccurring case we were investing at the Bureau. Why?"
"What you called, "The Pattern", right?"
Charlie gave James another 'how did you know that' look.' "Yes. My instincts tell me that case file got me into this whole mess."
"That was our theory as well, which is why we tried to get to you before the Cabal did, and no "Cabal" is *not* our name for ZFT," James informed him
"My instincts were right! I knew there was no connection between the Ripper case and "The Pattern"! It was just a set-up for my abduction! Of course, that means, creepy ass doctor guy was telling the truth about them not being ZFT."
"No, actually having the Ripper case, as well as your own un-doctored file, was our doing. The Cabal must have moles amongst you & your colleagues whom found out, and thus kidnapped you as a result."
"So you guys were the British intelligence? By the way, I would prefer you refer to my capture as 'abducted' rather than 'kidnapped'."
"Oh, trust me son, you are a child compared to me. Remember you asked if I was Sherlock Holmes?"
"I was joking when I . . ." Charlie trailed off as the insight hit him. "Oh please don't say what I think you're going to," Charlie told James in disbelief.
"While I'm not the literary Sherlock Holmes, the character was based on my superior analytical genius," James informed the man, despite knowing it was exactly what he did not want to hear.
Charlie stared at James again. He knew these people weren't "normal" as most people would define it, but this was insane! This guy had to be either some sort of time traveler or 160 years old! Knots grew in his stomach as the scope of his situation expanded even further.
"You're wondering how that's possible, aren't you. I am one hundred and sixty years old," James said as if he were reading Charlie's mind.
After hearing this, the only question Charlie could muster was "How?"
Just as James was about to answer, Henry informed them they had arrived at the spot in which the helicopter was to meet them, somewhere on the outskirts of Boston. James got out of the van first to talk with a brown-haired young man, telling him to take the van back to the rental place, as they would be no longer needing it. Everyone else followed James' lead and began boarding the helicopter.
Shortly before they were about to take off, Charlie looked out his window, wondering if he would ever return to Boston again. Uncertainty washed over him as he continued to stare at the city where he spent a good part of the last five years of his live. It was then, that he noticed a familiar looking black mini-van parked near the 'copters take off site. 'It can't be Olivia, she promised to wait 48 hours before investigating,' he thought to himself. Charlie moved himself closer to the window in an attempt to get a better view of the vehicle and possibly its occupants. He didn't have to strain much longer as the occupants got out of the mini-van shortly after he'd spotted it. "NO!" Charlie yelled as he saw who the occupants were: That creepy doctor talking to his wife, her imagine so clear, it was undeniable! "Hu-hu-how!?" he stammered out, shutting his eyes, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.
"It's them! We have to leave now!" James ordered the pilot and they took off, heading towards the Sanctuary. 'Poor boy, he's been through enough already,' James thought. It was obvious he knew the woman and she was quite close to Charlie. . He knew it wasn't Agent Duhnam. 'Another close friend, perhaps?' While James knew Charlie was married, he never had found out what Charlie's wife looked like or what her occupation was. 'I suppose the woman could have been her. It would be one of the worst betrayals one could have to deal with and I did see betrayal in both his eyes & body language when he cried out upon seeing her with the Cabal doctor. . . Crap!' James thought as he felt his machinery begin to fail. He knew this might be his last mission; however he had hoped that he would have at least made it to the Sanctuary where Helen could than help Duncan take over. For all his analytical genius, he hadn't planned for the possibility that he might not make it back. As good as the machine was, having kept him alive some eighty years past the norm; it wasn't going to keep him alive forever, no matter how many times it was charged up.
It was Duncan who saw his boss's distress first with Henry busy acting as co-pilot and Charlie too washed over with grief and shock to notice. "Are you alright James?" he asked. "Will you last until we get to the Sanctuary so we can charge the machine?"
"No, I am not alright Duncan. The machine is failing and on its last legs. It won't last much longer. I had hoped to at least make it to the Sanctuary before it started failing for good; then I could have at least said proper goodbyes," James told Duncan, regret in his eyes. "I wish I'd have planned for the possibility that I wouldn't make it back."
"You couldn't have seen this," Duncan said, trying to comfort his boss.
"But I should have!" James exclaimed.
"You know, as much as you may hate to admit it and much like Helen, you are too hard on yourself."
"Well, as hard as Helen will take the news, I fear John will take it even harder," James informed his colleague knowing this conversation would probably be his last.
"Why do you say that?" Duncan asked, wondering if and/or what his boss and closest friend for some time had been keeping from him.
"John only fell in love with Helen because she was a very big exception to the rule of his homosexuality," James explained before taking pause for a breath.
"Wait, are you telling me you two had a relationship? Did Helen know?" Duncan asked.
"Yes to both your questions," James answered.
Being as caught up as they were in the drama of Watson's dying moments, neither of them noticed that Charlie had been quietly listening in on their conversation. It was bad enough that his world have been turned upside down and inside out in a matter of days, now it sounded like he was about to loose one of the few people who could possibly help him understand what he was going through. This person wasn't just anyone either, this was the very man that had promised him answers! Charlie watched as Watson went from middle aged to a fragile old man within a minute. He knew Watson would not make it to the Sanctuary.
James turned to Duncan and said, "You are ready to take my place, you just don't realize it! Get Charlie safely into the Sanctuary and tell Helen & the others goodbye for me." He than turned to face Charlie, and looked directly into his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the Sanctuary with you. Helen and the others will answer your questions."
Both Duncan & Charlie watched as James drew his last breath. Neither could hold the tears they'd been trying to keep in as the dam finally broke and the metaphoric flood had begun. Both men just looked at one another for awhile as they let the tears fall. Their moment of silence was broken when Henry, via the loud speaker announced they had reached their destination.