Again, I am so sorry for the wait, and thank you all for still sticking with the story! :D

People have been asking for longer chapters, so here we go! This one is mostly expository blabber, but it's necessary to understand the story. I don't have enough time to reply to all the reviews, so this is an all encompassing hug to you guys. I love you, you're the yin to my yang, and all that. Enjoy! :D

By the way, this is NOT proofread. Please point out any mistakes you find.


Frank and Joe just stood there, gaping. He wore an impeccably tailored grey suit on a not-too-thin, not-too-fat frame. He was about Frank's height, with light brown hair graying at the temples. He stared right back at them with steely grey eyes.

They stood that way for a full minute, then Q chuckled. "Well, I would love to do this all day, but unfortunately I don't have the time. Please," he gestured to the table behind him.

Frank nudged Joe and they stumbled into the chairs, not taking their eyes off Q. He didn't know what he had expected, but he certainly hadn't pictured… this.

"So, she was an ATAC agent?" Joe asked, coming back to the present.

"Well," Q smiled. "You could say that."

"Who shot her?"

"That is one of the things I want to discuss with you two." Q leaned forward, clasping his hands together on the table.

"You see, Anna Coleman – the girl – was sent on a mission to Crosby Pharmaceuticals' research headquarters in Davenport, Iowa. She was to gain intelligence on the founder and owner, Nathaniel Crosby. We needed to find a connection to the death of Michael King."

Frank raised an eyebrow. "The businessman?"

"The same."

"But I thought he died of a heart attack?"

"Whoa, whoa," Joe raised his palms. "Back up here. Who's Michael King?"

Frank rolled his eyes. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to read the paper once in a while."

Joe glared at him.

"Mr. King was a very wealthy businessman with a very sick wife," Q began. "Cancer. He had almost lost hope, when Crosby Pharma offered to sell him an experimental drug they were working on. King grabbed the opportunity, and bought it immediately."

"Let me guess," Joe leaned back. "It didn't work."

"Actually," Frank grinned. "It worked really well. She was up and about in under a year."

"But then she relapsed. This time, however, the drug didn't work. She died in a few weeks."

Joe looked from Frank to Q. "So, what's this got to do with King dying? Unless he committed suicide and blamed the company-"

"Quite the opposite." Q cut him off. "He was thankful to the company for giving him another year with his wife. Since he had no sons, and didn't want to marry again, he left all his money to Crosby Pharma in his will."

"But Michael King's cause of death was a heart attack," Frank shook his head. "Natural causes. There was no foul play."

"Ah, but you forgot to mention the most important fact," Q smiled. "Michael King was 29 years old, with a perfectly healthy heart."

He chuckled at their dumbfounded faces. "What, didn't read that in the newspapers?"

"Okay, I see why you would be suspicious." Joe cocked his head. "But why are you telling us all this?"

Q sighed, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"Crosby is a very secretive, paranoid man. He is always watching his back, worried someone might steal his inventions. No electronics are allowed in his research facility. So you can imagine the difficulty Agent Coleman had trying to spy on him. We had to make sure he didn't find out her identity, so we sent her in with only an emergency transmitter, and nothing else.

"But her cover was blown somehow, and she ran for it. She tried contacting us, but couldn't get through." He looked angry. "You know the rest."

Suddenly, Frank understood. "You never got any information from her."

Q nodded earnestly. "Four months of hard work, Frank. And nothing to show for it."

"You want us to go in."

Q nodded. "You two are the best we have. And we can't afford to waste more time. Not after what's happening."

Frank narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Q wordlessly handed over a file that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Frank quickly scanned over its contents, eyes widening. They were all coroners' reports.

Martha White – Cause of death: Brain Aneurism

Recent medical treatment: compound fracture, treated in Crosby Charity Hospital

Jack Montgomery - Cause of death: Multiple organ failiure

Recent medical treatment: Stomach flu, treated at Crosby General Hospital

The list went on and on. He flipped through the pages. There were at least a dozen names, all dead of seemingly natural causes. And all having received treatment at one of Crosby's hospitals recently.

Joe grabbed the file out of his hands and read through the reports. "Michael King wasn't an isolated incident?"

"No. That's why we need you to go in. Find out what's going on before more people die."

"Wait a minute. This has Crosby's name all over it. Why aren't the police investigating?" Joe snapped the file shut.

"On what grounds?" Frank pointed out. "They have no proof that he had anything to do with this."

Q got up, pushing the chair away. "So, boys, what do you say?"

Frank glanced at his brother. Joe nodded.

"Let's do it."

"Fantastic. Let's get you briefed." Q made his way to the door, but turned at the door. "One other thing. Did she say anything to either of you before she died? Agent Coleman, I mean."

Frank opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Joe.

"No. Nothing. She could barely stay awake, let alone talk."

Q looked at him, trying to tell if he was lying. Then, apparently satisfied, he walked out, closing the door behind him with a soft click.


Don't forget to drop in a few words, even if they're mean! :D

And I'll try my hardest to upload sooner. Tata for now!

Over and Out,

Random :)