"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 XXIX…
Retreat cottage of the Hendrixes…
Rachel as Olive as Allison frowning instinctively, watching Simon pawing through the closet of Ally's clothes...Unable to repress just a bit of annoyance at the sight.
Shaking herself a little…What? They aren't my things, what?
"Anything wrong?" Leekie, standing by her.
"No…No, Aldous…Just…What's going on here? She obviously was here."
"Unless our boy Hendrix is even more impressive than I could ever have imagined from my profiling and he actually has set us up." Leekie looked round.
"Aldous." Simon called… "Nothing but clothes and shoes here."
"You think Hendrix brought these things just to fool us?" Rachel eyed Leekie.
Slight irrepressible pride…
That's my…
Jesus…? What the f-?
"Lets just look a bit more…But I must say I'm getting more impressed with Donald Hendrix and his wife by the moment. Simon, the fellow may well turn out to be worthy of your steel." Leekie smiled at Simon who nodded.
"No." Rachel gasped…Looking at Olive's stricken face in the mirror of the bureau before her, a drawer open.
"What? Did you find something? Rachel?" Leekie came to her.
"I…I just think, Aldous…Killing Hendrix might be a mistake…" she turned to him. "He probably knows where Allison and my…Her sisters…Are…"
"I never said we'd shoot him as he walked back in…In fact, I meant Simon may have a chance to show off his interrogation skills. Dear, are you sure you're quite all right? The system is probably a strain on you." He gave her a careful look-over.
"Fine…Maybe just a little disoriented…It's been a busy couple of days, Aldous."
"That it has…" he nodded, grinning. "Speaking of which I should call your mother and see…" he began pulling out a cell phone when Simon's call reached them from the living room where he'd made his way.
"Dr. Leekie! Ms. Duncan!"
They hurried over…
"This seems to have been left…For Hendrix…" Simon held up a sheet on which Ally's firm handwriting was visible. Leekie took it from his outstretched hand, reading it hurriedly and passing it to an equally eager Rachel…
"Donnie,
I'm sorry. I really hoped we could work this out here alone and I meant honestly to give it a try. But I can't forgive you for what's been happening with these Dyad people and your role in watching me. I believe you meant no harm but I can't go on living a lie and pretending nothing ever happened. I'll reimburse you as soon as I can for my share of this trip and we'll talk later when you come back to Scarborough. I'll be at Mom's with the kids but please don't come until I say so, ok? I don't hate you but I can't go on like this.
Ally"
"Hmmn…" Leekie looked at Rachel… "Sounds sincere enough…"
"She's left him…Literally here…Before." Rachel folded up the note and handed it back to Leekie.
"But he hasn't seen it yet?" Leekie eyed her.
"Not like he's exactly the sharpest crayon in the box, Aldous."
"All right…" he put the note in his jacket. "It shouldn't be too difficult to see if she's left for home…Simon and I will get back to the car and make a few calls, airport and so on. You settle in here and see what you can get out of our lumpen friend when he returns."
"I suppose…How should I play this, Aldous?"
"Sweetheart…It's Hendrix and you're Ally…Not exactly the most challenging role ever created." Leekie grinned. "Just play it as an Ally who's even more on edge than usual…Husband has betrayed her, all that sort of thing."
"He didn't betray me…Per se…" Rachel, hastily.
"Good…That's very Ally. No matter what, she's always quick to defend family." He grinned.
"Thanks. I'll do my best…Ummn…"
"Disorientation is always a potential problem with the system, Rachel…But you're doing very well. And if you do have any trouble, just excuse yourself and take a walk alone or something. Simon and I will be close by, all right?"
"Sure…Dr. Leekie. What are you doing in my apartment?" wan smile.
"That's the spirit. Well, Simon? Lets be off before Hendrix bumbles his way back in here and we have to kill him. Take care, dear." He patted Rachel.
Bumbles…A moment ago…Rachel frowned, then blinked.
Disorientation…Yes…Right.
…
The police station…
"So Tomas Paleogolikis…Dr. Tomas Paleogolikis…Was a Dyad employee?" Ally stared at the photo.
"That seems to be the case…" Art nodded. "And it was the FBI and our own National Security boys who found the body in New Jersey, just off the interstate, about forty miles from Dyad's home office and lab complex."
"But they won't say more…?" Ally, frowning.
"Classified, pertaining to the investigation of Dyad…But they did give me a nice little pat on the head for our previous efforts and assistance in the investigation."
"Nice…" Ally glared. "But for you…Us…They wouldn't have a clue about this whole thing."
"Wish I did…" DeAngelis eyed her, then Art. "I would like to be brought up to speed here."
"Need to know, Angie…" Art shook his head. "You know enough to help if we need help and little enough to avoid trouble if things go south. Lets leave that way for now."
"Fine." Frown. "But if they do, I get dibs on 'told ya so'." She rose from her seat at Beth's old desk and walked back to her own desk.
"Lets get some air, Beth…" Art suggested quietly, grabbing the folder on Tomas…Ally eyeing him, nodding…
"You don't suspect Officer DeAngelis?" she looked at him after they had descended the steps and were alone on the street.
"What? No…Well, God I hope not…" he sighed. "Though in this crazy affair…Who knows who we can trust."
"Dyad is being shut down…" Ally noted. "It's crawling with FBI, NSA, our people…"
"And some of them have their own agenda to protect the people who started this insane project…" he eyed her clouded face. "I don't mean to say…" he began…
"No, I know…And it was an insane project even if we wouldn't exist without it. Sometimes…" she sighed. "Sometimes I almost think Helena was right to eliminate us…And that maybe we are abominations…"
"No, Beth…" he lifted her chin. "You and your sisters are miracles…It's just the people who took advantage of you and those poor brain-dead girls who are abominations…And we'll see that they're stopped…Permanently. And punished properly."
"Looks like Helena's already seen to Tomas…" she noted wryly.
"If it was Helena who killed him…" Art pondered. "She was his…What, disciple? For years, right?"
"Yeah, but she'd finally caught on to him…Sarah was pretty sure she believed her about him…And she sure seemed off him when we spoke. She would've had good reason to kill him, Art. Especially if she knew he worked for Dyad, led her on all these years."
"That's delightful…They had this guy raise her in God knows what kind of torment and psychological conditioning, and used her to kill off the clones who'd gotten to be a problem through the illnesses Dyad induced?"
"I guess our parents Dr. Leekie and co felt they had plenty of disposable children…Though I suppose we were never anything but test subjects to them." Ally looked across the street at some kids playing in the park there.
"Beth…Ally…" Art sighed. "You're a human being and you have the right to be alive and your own person. Don't ever doubt that. I'm afraid, for a moment, Beth did."
"Art…Why didn't you ever tell Beth how much you loved her?" Ally looked at him.
"She knew, I'm sure, in a way…And she didn't feel the same way." He shrugged. "I wasn't about to let that interfere with our working relationship or our friendship."
"You're wrong. She loved you. I don't want to hurt you but you have to know…I know…She loved you." Ally stared at him. "Paul was in the way, for a long time…She thought she had to see it through, you knew Beth, that was her way…But she did love you."
He didn't look at her, resuming their walk, she following at his side.
"She told you this…" he stated, calmly.
"Yeah…"
"Why didn't she come to me, then? Tell me about all this? I was trying to help her over Maggie Chen, she knew that." He paused, staring intently. Hands trembling…
"She didn't want to put you at risk..And she didn't know who to trust, at the end. Though I don't believe she ever distrusted you. And now, after what Helena told me…I think…I know…They did this to her…Made her kill Maggie Chen. And that's why she killed herself. She couldn't live with the idea she'd lost control of her life…And that they might make her kill other people…Us, you…God knows."
"I see…" he nodded. "Allison? I said I'd keep you safe for Beth's sake. I will do that. And I will find out exactly what they did to Beth so that you and your sisters are freed from it. I promise you that."
…..
Outside the Hendrixes' retreat cottage, front door…
Well…Donnie pondered. Either Plan B worked or…
Well a body bag transport can't be worse than the time Ally had me in the basement…
He knocked. Holding bag and coffee cup in free hand…
"Ally? Allison? I brought you some coffee and bagels?"
"Hey." Rachel in open doorway. "Donnie? Nice breakfast?"
"Pretty good. They've got a nice buffet…I brought everything bagels and the chive cream cheese you like."
"Great. Thanks…Donnie." She nodded.
"Can I…?" he eyed the door.
Hmmn…She seems more nervous than me…Or even Ally…
Well, maybe not more than Ally, but…
"Yes…Sure…Certainly…Come in…Uh, honey."
He followed her in…
"Feeling better?"
"Much…Yeah…Thanks…" she fumbled with straightening her top as he eyed her.
"So…Bagels?" he shook the bag.
"Yeah, yes…Lets…" she turned…
Now, Hendrix…He got hold of himself as the image flashed…
Lets not do this angry…Even if Ally would never have doubted me…And hit me with that club…If it weren't for this imposter and her ilk.
If we do have to club her unconscious at some point lets do it with affection, for Ally and our sisters.
"Coming, Donnie?" she'd turned to face him.
"Right with you, honey…" stepping toward her.
Ah, golf clubs handy in the open closet there…
"We should have these on the porch, it's nice outside, ok?" attempt at lighter tone.
"Sure, honey…It's all good." He nodded…Eyeing clubs…
I think even Ally would see the ironic humor here…
….…..