"Fringey…"
Summary: Sarah and her sisters see there's an even darker side to Dyad's little cloning-fest…
(Not sure about this one but while I await more details for "Nessun Dorma" I'll play round with this darker one and see how it goes. Afraid you'll have to consider this the Allison-Donnie-friendly corner of the OB multiverse. After all, she can't be veering toward insanity and he can't be a rat in every universe…)
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
Part XVIII…
South Brook Community Hospital…Surgical waiting room…
Allison rising to greet Officer DeAngelis and the Captain…
"Childs…" the Captain eyed her.
"Beth?" Angela stared at her… "Is Art ok?"
"The surgery went fine, he'll be ok." Allison nodded. "Uh, have you spoken to his family? He called them but I haven't…"
"I was on the phone with his wife…" shrug… "She'll be here as soon as she can…"
"Good."
"Pleasantries over, would you care to explain what happened, Childs? And why I had to drag myself down here to see about one of my officers wounded pursuing one of two?...It was two, right?...Suspects I'd heard nothing about, one of whom you supposedly had taken but got away from you?"
"We had a lead, sir...On the Manning/Doe case. It was a bit of a long shot, we traced it here…The suspects…" slight gulp…
Well, it's as plausible as anything else…
"…one of them was Manning's and Obinger's killer, we believe…The other was the man running her…A religious fanatic…"
Stare…
Long stare…Followed by a sigh…
DeAngelis trying to maintain composure and an air of knowing nothing…
"I see…So now we're dealing with a cult?"
"In a way, sir…We think…"
"And the suspect you had in custody…Was your remaining sister, our killer?"
"Helena, yes sir…"
"Helena…Our insane Ukrainian nun?...Which does explain why you went to St. Sophia's…"
"Yes, sir…My sister the insane Ukrainian nun…" Allison nodded…
I been through hell, including a suburban intervention by neighbors and friends, I can do this…
DeAngelis frowning…
God…
"…It seems the other suspect is a philosopher and historian, obsessed with my sister, sir…He somehow got the idea she's some sort of avenging angel and brainwashed her into killing her…My…Sisters. His name is Tomas Paleogolikis, Doctor Tomas Paleogolikis…We've put out an APB for both of them, sir."
The captain, staring a moment, rubbed his face…
"Dear God…" sigh… "Childs? You actually expect me to believe this? You believe this?"
"I imagine you've seen stranger, sir." She noted, surprising herself with her calm.
A sudden chuckle from the captain… "To be honest, not quite…But pretty close…Childs?" revert to grim look…
"How did our suspect escape? You had her in custody?"
"She's an extremely good fighter, sir…She ran while I was bringing her to secure her…I drew but…Missed…"
"Fired with what?" he eyed her.
"Officer Bell gave me his weapon, sir." She pulled out Art's pistol.
"May I?" he extended his hand and she placed the gun there.
"It has been fired." He noted. "Ok…I'll want a full report later…Lets see Officer Bell." He headed on…
DeAngelis eyeing Allison…Who simply stared calmly back, then glanced to suggest they follow the captain.
"Just a sec…" she paused at the first ladies room. "I'll be right along…"
"If you're thinking of running…" Angela hissed, harshly at the door. "Don't…"
"I've no reason to…You should get in there…" Allison insisted.
With careful stare, DeAngelis turned, leaving her to enter the restroom.
Oh…God…Allison gasped, once safely alone at the sink…Suddenly vomiting…
Thank God I thought to fire that damned gun off once…
Wan smile as she looked up from the sink…Wiping her mouth…
I do kinda look nice without the bangs, she noted. But I don't know…The bangs sorta say "I'm Allison and I'm powerful..."
My shields, so to speak…
Still, I'll see what Donnie really thinks…When he's not just trying to reassure me that I can pass as Beth or what…
Dear God, I wish he'd been here…I'd loved for him to see me…
Slight trembling…
Though maybe not just now…Get it in gear, Hendrix…Officer Hendrix…
God, is Mommy gonna have some neat bedtime stories to tell when this is all over…She grinned.
Along a local highway, about 10 miles away from the hospital…
"Please to turn off here…" Helena commanded the young woman driving…Said young woman, a brunette in suit, eyeing the strangely calm, but clearly capable of extreme violence, maniac who'd forced her way into her car and displaying a rather effective-looking knife had persuaded her to drive her wherever she seemed to be heading.
The car turned into a side street…Then at Helena's polite request, another.
"Stop. Ok, give me cell phone, wallet…And leave purse, please…" she eyed the woman.
"You'll let me go now?" the woman, struggling for calm.
"Absolutely…No problem…Just one more thing." Friendly smile. "We change clothes, please?"
"What?"
"No one around, don't worry. Someone comes by, we lesbians making love, ok?"
"You said you wouldn't hurt me…" fearful trembling…
"Just cover story for anyone coming by…Come, change…Sooner we change, sooner you get to finding way home, ok?" smile.
She eyed the open wallet on the car seat…Touching a photo revealed…
"Oh, cute little boy…" she beamed at the woman now hurriedly removing her clothing… "He's your little boy?"
"Yes…Please let me go home, safe…He needs me." The woman, pleading…
"No problem, no worries…" Helena patted her. "Just help me here…You be fine...I promise. Beautiful boy…I have little girl niece, she's beautiful too…An angel."
The retreat…
Donnie in cottage, watching DVD from the retreat's film collection…
Ms. Gainsbourg reminds me of Ally so much in this one…he thought…So many facets to her character…And that continual sense of new mysteries as yet unrevealed.
Custom cannot stale her infinite variety…
Literally, now…He mused, grinning…
Though Allison Hendrix needs no clone sisters to be of infinite variety…And inability to cloy with feeding…
He eyed his cell phone…
Might be nice of Sarah and co to give me a call…I know Ally can't as Beth but Mr. Hendrix would like to have some word Mrs. Hendrix is ok…
God…Ally the cop…
God protect her, please…
Still…Bad as physically losing her now would be…Nearly losing her trust forever was the one I couldn't have borne…
Thank you, God, in the strangest way, for providing a menacing evil and nearly letting me get killed…Not something I'd like to do all the time…We Hendrixes not quite being of my new sister-in-law Sarah's adventurous, bordering on insane gambling, spirit…But it did save my marriage and soul.
Though not letting the Dyad types find out I'd learned some of what was up was a nice side benefit…Keeping me able to exploit my contact with Leekie and us to turn the tables on these sons-of-bitches.
Three months previous, outside Mrs. Sadler's home…
A forlorn Donald Hendrix, his leave-taking requested by his stunned and betrayed wife, standing on the street, staring up at the house…A light in the window where Sarah's daughter…My niece, the thought occurred to him…Had her bedroom…And where Sarah and Ally were now talking.
Sarah, he noted as he left at Ally's bitter urging, surprisingly making a case to consider hearing Donnie out…Her balance restored by the joyous news of Kira's safety she was able to consider the matter of his connection to Leekie in a calm light.
It sounded barely plausible that Leekie might have used him…Told him nothing and claimed to be an old family friend, one of Ally's child therapists, concerned about his former patient, following her course of treatment at the institute where she'd spent months recovering from depression and medication abuse on learning of her barrenness.
At least, not being the one betrayed, she could consider the matter from a less emotional pov…
How did being willing to do anything to keep that woman safe and happy…And yes, keep her with him…Ever lead to this nightmare?
And now…Not only had this bastard stolen everything from him…Made his life a lie, a stinking one…But he was trying to get control of her, somehow? What was this goddamn "contract" Sarah'd been on about Ally signing? And all this talk of killing her sisters? They were killing them off? Or some nut they'd inspired by creating the clones was?
Try to take his niece? To do more experiments on? Experimenting on Ally, made easier, thanks to him?
Ok…Ok…This smirking bastard thought he was dealing with a stupid fool…A dunderhead who'd take orders and keep quiet, for fear of losing…
Well, now he'd lost everything… He looked up at the window again…
What's to be done, now?
Sudden amusing thought…Well, at least she gave it to that bitch Aynsely…I knew something was up with her.
He looked down the street…Blinking…
Leekie's car…Parked a block away…He dodged behind the corner, hiding in the shadows.
Well, there's a quick solution…Creep up, bang on the window… "Hey, Dr. Leekie, what a neat coincidence to find you here? Now you're gonna die, you son-of-a-bitch!"…
No doubt get shot but maybe a chance of wrapping my hands round the bastard's weedy neck before I die.
Ally might take it as a partial apology…
Now, wait…He's not here for the night air…Following Ally, maybe?
He knows Sarah and Kira live here…And Sarah says they were out to grab Kira tonight…Till Fee?...Whoever "Fee" is, saved the kid…
So…He's looking for Kira…Waiting to grab her?
Maybe a whole team of their goons hanging round? He scanned the street…
A few cars parked, a couple of people walking…
Hmmn…That picture perfect movie couple…The young woman and man, both very fit and just the right age to play parents of a little girl. If I were going to snatch a little girl…? And they seem to be in no hurry, on a street with nothing but homes to interest them…
He edged a bit closer to the corner…As the young woman eyed the house, looking up to the lighted window.
Ok, Sarah said for Fee…Felix, was it?...Not to bring Kira straight back…So…
What if they monitored the call?
Well, no…They'd be right off, right? They're waiting their chance…Either to catch Sarah taking Kira somewhere or catch Fee bringing Kira home.
Hmmn…Sounds like Uncle Donnie ought to do another intervention…He pondered…
Ok, the best way is to see what's up with my ole pal…He moved around the corner, walking briskly…
The young couple, moving slowly down the street, eying him briefly.
Yep, just another dumb lout taking a stroll…That's me…Pay no attention…He moved on, approaching Leekie's car while keeping as much to the side shrouded in darkness as best he could…
"Hey, Doctor, what are you doing here?" he repeated to himself in low whisper, fake beaming grin pasted… "Great to see ya, you son-of-a…"
A parked, dark car door suddenly opened, right next to him…
"In…" a voice commanded…
A female voice…
"There is a gun trained on you and I won't ask again…" stern tone…
To think, a short ago, my big fear really was Ally'd find my porno stash…