"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 XX…
Three months previously…The street of Mrs. (Dr.) Sadler's house…
The car, several down from the one in which Aldous Leekie awaited any sign of the return of the pearl without price, Kyra Manning, in which Donnie Hendrix had found himself face to face with…
"You're Ally's mother? That's impossible. She has…"
"Genetic mother…As opposed to her birth mother…Donald, I wish we had more time to allow for your confusion to settle but I'm very tired and there's no time. I understand from Mr. Duval, my associate here…" she indicated her driver in the front… "That the ladies have confided a bit of their secret to you at last, correct?"
"How…?"
"I take both a professional and to some extent, maternal interest in my girls' welfare, Mr. Hendrix. It's a weakness but I find it impossible to completely repress my maternal instincts. Suffice it to say…I do whatever is necessary to keep abreast of potential threats to my girls…" tight smile.
"Like Dr. Leekie?"
"Aldous…" somewhat wider smile. "It sometimes surprises even me, his odd mix of devotion and ruthlessness where our daughters are concerned…But then, he's not their father, except in spirit."
"You're…" Donnie stared.
"Dr. Claire Leekie…Principal director of the Dyad Institute and co-creator of Project Leda which may or may not as yet mean anything to you." cool nod. "Nice to meet you. Now, intros done…Shall we proceed to business? You were about to throw your life away needlessly by confronting my husband…Whom I assure you is well able to have you disappear tonight without a trace. Care to explain why…After so many years of close cooperation you should suddenly choose to do so? Especially under such foolhardy conditions?"
"He…He's lied to me, for years…About Ally…Gotten me to betray her."
"And you learned that, after all these years, tonight?...How?"
"Ally…Sarah…"
"I see…Well that explains the little ruckus Olivier here was a party too, via his surveillance. Tell me, Hendrix…Do you love my daughter?"
He frowned… "I don't see how…"
"Let me put it another way… Donnie. Your life depends on how you answer my questions. Does that help or does Mr. Duval need to display one of the several weapons on his person?"
He paused. "I don't care what you do to me…It doesn't matter anymore. Ally hates me…She'll never trust me again. You people…You're monsters…You've ruined my Ally's life…Killed her sisters."
"Yes…" Claire nodded. "I can't deny that."
"So kill me too…Who cares…Though I wouldn't have minded taking Leekie with me."
"Allison cares…In fact she couldn't bear it if anything happened to you and she felt to blame, in any way, even if she believes you failed her. So it seems you must live." Claire eyed him. "And you must have a chance to redeem yourself."
…
Present, the grounds of the retreat where Donnie, supposedly accompanied by Allison, waited to hear…
Simon parking the car in which he, Leekie, Rachel and the currently quite still Olive sat.
"The Hendrixes were booked for the fifth cottages, toward the back." Simon noted.
"So…" Rachel sighed. "Do we just sit and hope my counterpart will come jogging along, minus her heftier half?"
"Ally does like to jog most evenings…" Leekie noted. "But I suspect she'll be putting that off tonight for the benefit of her marriage."
"Charming…Have I noted before how nauseating the thought of what I may have to do, even second-hand, thanks to dear Olive, is…?"
"Donnie's hardly 'nauseating' dear…He's a rather charming fellow if you give him a chance. No great conversationalist and hardly a fancy dancer…" grin. "But the sincere-hearted type…He did cooperate with me strictly for Ally's benefit, as best he knew. I might point out our dear Beth had her own passionate, six-two, eyes of blue, ultra-fit warrior type…"
"Who never cared for her…And whom Beth sensed didn't care…"
"My point exactly…Young Hendrix adores our Ally. Worships the ground she walks on and would happily die for her to win her favor. You tell me? Which is more attractive?" smile.
"Man's a positive oaf, Father…"
"I think thou doth protest overmuch, Rach…" grin. "And I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest to you that if Ally can have fallen for our hefty, as you put it, friend…"
"Oh, please…" Rachel glared… "My sister desperately wanted a stable, humdrum life of security and what passes among the bourgeois as 'domestic bliss'. Lumpen more than fit the bill and was easily malleable."
"Oooh…Ouch …" Leekie grinned. "Such overdramatic 'withering scorn' I've not encountered outside an internet fan-fiction site. I think…You find Mr. Hendrix more appealing than you would ever care to let on."
Rachel sighed, rolling eyes… "I'll grant you I'd take him over poor Beth's worthless Paul…Far easier to kill when time to dispose of the encumbrance, not taking into consideration the difficulty of lugging that sack of guts to the nearest dumpster."
"Well, then…Here is your chance to show me your acting skills, darling…"
"Fine…But again…How do you intend to work this? Stay here, waiting for her until some Godawful hour then finally gas her and the tub of guts?"
"That's about it…" Leekie nodded. "Though we do have a slight tweek or two to throw into the mix…"
Knock at the car door…Rachel tensing immediately…
"Relax, dear…It's just an old friend…" Leekie pressed his window control, lowering his window…
"Aldous…I'm here…Now, what the devil are we doing here?" Aynsley Norris in neck brace, eyeing Leekie…
"God…" she frowned at Rachel. "Don't tell me after driving all this way, I'm going back to the salt mines with that suburban psycho? Aldous, I have more than done my tour of duty regards this project."
"Aynsley…" Leekie smiled. "As I told you, there's only one final, minor task for you to perform and your record with the project goes away and you can enjoy the blessings it has provided you in peace…Simon?"
Simon emerged from the car, moving to Leekie's side as if to open the door while Aynsley waited. He then pulled out a gun complete with silencer and fired into Aynsley's terrified face, then head twice more.
Rachel, stunned, staring…
"Just drop her by the Hendrixes' cottage back door, would you, Simon?...That should get Allison out and about I'd say." He eyed Rachel's effort at regaining composure… "Just think of it as a bonding experience for the two of you when you have to dispose of the corpse together tomorrow." He beamed.
…
Present…The Dyad Institute…
Currently more the home of lawyers, it seems, than scientists…A host of ever-expanding charges, some anonymous, some made by private individuals, others by law enforcement, including various police departments and the FBI moving ever more relentlessly towards a tipping point at which, as several of the more experienced and financial secure attorneys were pointing out on an increasingly daily basis, the institute must be forced to hand over the records it had been battling to retain and almost certainly close its doors. With a definite likelihood of the senior staff and directors facing criminal charges, despite the efforts of well-placed "friends" of the Institute and its work.
A rather surprisingly pleasant…To those familar with her… young woman of professional appearance entering…Offering her id to a guard…
Id just that day stolen from the home of the supposed bearer, Ms. Rachel Duncan...By the actual bearer, come to seek the Devil and his minion in their lair…
Two junior scientists in the elevator rather floored by Ms. Duncan's polite acknowledgement of their existence…
Almost making them wish they'd hesitated on sending out their resumes…
If the Ice Queen was in a good mood, Dyad could hardly be the sinking ship flying rumors, increasingly backed up by factoids, were claiming.
"Ms. Duncan?" her secretary stared… "I thought you were out this week? Should I let…?"
"Shhhh…" Shake of head…"I am…Hold all calls." Helena, putting a finger to smiling lips…Approximating the voice as best she could remember from her previous trip and Tomas' playing of telephone message recordings…Preparing his protégé for the great final day when the Devil's final minion would at last face the avenging angel of the Original…
Well, had sounded nice when he was constantly reciting it to her, back in the old days…When life is so much simpler and direct…
No complications…No Maggie casting doubts…No murdered mother…No twin sister so angry…No angel niece…
Just abominations to send back to Hell and a Devil named Leekie to fight…
Well, at least the Devil still remained in his Hell…She eyed the picture of Aldous Leekie just above eyelevel on a mantelpiece. Moving over to take it…
"To Rachel… Aldous, 2011…"
The Devil hath charms…She reflected, eyeing Leekie's image…
Hmmn…No minion of Hell at her work…No Dr. Leekie the Devil at his work…
Hell frozen over or what? She eyed the laptop on the desk…Opening…
Typical…All moneys spent on security…Girl forgets to shut off her laptop…
Still…Password required for relog-in…
Hmmn…Try secretary?...She looked to the frosted, sleek glass door.
No…This one would never trust a secretary with password.
But, with an impatient type with name like…What did they call her last time she had come, pretending to be a mere lab assistant with Tomas' provided id? To take survey of Hell for the future, he had said…Ah, yes…Ice Queen…
She eyed her image in the wall glass…
Yeah…Very ice queen…Impatient Ice Queen…She began opening drawers…Ah…Notebook…
And…Passwords…She moved to what seemed like the latest and typed…
Yes. Typical…She rolled eyes…Let impatience run wild, ruins life…And compromises good security…
"Ok…" she eyed the now open laptop screen… "Where are you and your Devil father, Ice Queen? Hell takes a holiday?"
"And where is Mother of mothers…? I must see her, before I die…After I save angel niece and sisters…" she pondered, clicking through the computer files…
"I wonder if little new not-Beth sister here…Somewhere? Like to see her babies…" she eyed the files…
"Sarah?...There you are…Sarah Manning…Daughter…" she scrolled the files… "Ah, my angel…" she sighed, touching the image of Kira Manning…
"Who is Daddy, Sarah? You love him? Or was he little devil? Ah…There…" she paused, pleased.
"Allison Hendrix…" she eyed the file… "Ah, sister…I see you. Oh…Look at my niece and nephew, black like Mama…My angels, oh…I your Auntie Helena, angels…" she touched the images. "Beautiful angels…Little sister, why you go play cop with angels at home who need Mama? Look at that…" she eyed the photo of Donnie with Allison and the kids… "There is my brother…Nice…I have such nice family…" smile…
Hmmn…Wonder when cafeteria opens?…She eyed the elegant wall clock on the mantel.
Bet it's very nice lunch here…
…..