VII. Veil of Ignorance
East Flatbush, New York...11:55PM
"It's the brick faced one," Fusco stated as he pulled up to the curb across the street from Paul Carter's townhouse and threw the gear into park.
"Who lives here?" Joss asked as she looked at the townhouse across the street.
"Your ex-husband Paul and your son Taylor. Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on and why you're alive? Jesus Carter we all thought you were dead! Have you talked to Wonderboy yet? Where the hell have you been?" Fusco rattled off as he tried to turn around in his seat to look her in the face.
Joss swiftly turned her gun around and stuck Fusco across the side of his head, watching as he slumped forward unconscious.
After securing her gun Joss leaned forward removing the cop's handcuffs and securing him to the steering wheel and dropping the keys onto the floor of the back seat.
Joss threw open the car door and stepped out onto the empty quite street. She casually made her way across the street and up the front steps of the townhouse. As she cautiously looked through the unlit windows of the house before rapping her knuckles on the door. Making her way down the steps she stood off to the side of the house as she waited for someone to answer the door.
Glancing up and down the street she silently made her way behind the house, jimmying the back door and walking into the house. As soon as she heard a faint beep she turned her head looking at the security system pad mounted next to the door.
Looking at the small screen above the pad that displayed the words ARMED. She probably only had a few seconds before the alarm went off and the security people notified the police to an intruder.
As she stared at the keypad her hands moved on their own accord.
"08191997," Joss muttered under her breath as her finger punched in an eight digit code.
The keypad made a beep and the words DISARMED illuminated the screen
How'd I know that?, Joss thought to herself.
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York...12:08AM
Harold pulled up to the abandoned warehouse that his colleagues were holding Ms. Stanton at.
Ms. Groves had tried to convince him to stay away, but he had to insure that none of them went too far in their pursuit of getting the truth out of Stanton.
Stepping out of the car, Harold grabbed Bear's leash, guiding him from the car before shutting the door and making his way into the warehouse.
Kara sat bound to a metal chair with plastic zip ties as she watched John and his partners in crime finished placing jugs of water and piles of hand towels on the floor in front of her. Her eyes cut to the far end of the warehouse as she heard a dog bark and the door opened. After a few minutes she watched as a man she knew as Harold came into view holding onto the leash of a rather aggressive looking dog.
Kara smirked "Nice pooch. Does it know any tricks?"
Shaw moved in front of Kara's bound form, balancing both her hands on the chairs arms before leaning in menacingly, "yeah, it's called bit."
Kara smirked "You're not going to get anything out of me."
"We'll see about that." Shaw stated before lightly slapping Kara on the cheek.
"Ms. Stanton I really would prefer that you not under go this type of treatment," Harold began as he moved to stand in front of Kara
Kara locked eyes with Harold "Why not Harold. Can't stand to see a woman water boarded."
Harold narrowed his eyes at the mention of his name, "Not because you are a woman Ms. Stanton, simply because you are a human being and personally I've read up on your background, and given the strife's you've gone through I'd rather not see you suffer anymore."
Kara snorted and looked away from Harold's eyes.
"I don't think you want to be here for this" John said as he touched Harold's shoulder.
"I do believe it's too late for that Mr. Reese," Harold looked at John before glancing back at Kara and stepping out of the way.
John stood behind Kara's chair holding a wet hand towel while Shaw stood next to him with a jug of water "Who do you work for and where is Jocelyn Carter?"
Kara smiled "Rotting in a casket because you failed to save her"
John clenched his teeth as he draped the wet rag over Kara's face. He tilted her chair back and watched as Shaw uncapped the jug of water and began to pour it over the wet rag and Kara's face.
East Flatbush, NY...12:08AM
Joss slowly made her way up the stair case leading to the second floor. Focusing on the door with the poster on it she made her way down the hall and into the room. Turning on the back-light to her phone Joss began examining the room.
The bed was sloppily made with random items of clothes laying a top it. As she moved further into the room she came across a desk. As her eyes scanned the desk they settled on a picture frame placed in front of a triangular folded American flag.
Joss gazed at the pictures display of her embracing a teenage boy as she picked up the photo, a metal clatter redirected her attention.
Joss reached out and grabbed the metal tags, as the pads of her thumbs traced the raised lettering, her thoughts faded into a foggy memory.
Joss slowly pushed Taylor's bedroom door open to find him sitting on the floor of the room holding her dog tags with a sad expression marring his usually cheery face.
"Taylor sweetie what's wrong?" Joss asked as she sat down next to her son.
"Sweetie, aren't you happy about mommy's new job?" Joss asked as she took hold of his little hand.
Joss let a soft smile adore her face as she watched Taylor nod as he gripped the tags tighter in his small hand.
"Baby boy what's wrong?" Joss asked as she pulled Taylor to sit down in her lap.
"I don't want you to be a policeman." Taylor mumbled.
"Why not?" Joss asked as she turned Taylor around to face her.
Joss felt her heart clench as she watched tears build up in his eyes as his bottom lip began to tremble.
"I heard Grandma talking on the phone, she says you could get hurt like you did when you were at war. I don't want you to get hurt and go away forever!" Taylor sobbed out as he flung his arms around her shoulders and buried his face in her neck.
Joss wrapped her arms around Taylor as she held him until his sobs began to fade to sniffles and hiccups.
"Sweetie I'm not going to lie to you, my new job is going to be dangerous but I promise you that I'll be extra careful. You know your mommy's tough, I can take care of myself plus I'll have my brave little soldier man saying prayers for me. Right? Joss asked as she kissed his cheek.
"Who's that?" Taylor asked as he stood up wiping his tears from his cheeks.
"My brave little soldier man? That's you." Joss said as she removed the dog tags from his hand and put them around his neck.
"So are you going to be my brave little solider man?" Joss asked playful.
"Yes mom!" Taylor replied ecstatically with a smile
Joss let a small laugh out as she watched Taylor salute her with the wrong hand. She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead "Good as long as we have each other, we don't need anyone else."
Joss felt her hand clench around the dog tags as she felt tears rolling down her face. Feeling herself hyperventilating, she replaced the photo and dog tags on the desk and hurriedly made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
As she reached the last step she heard voices outside the front door and the jingling of keys. Joss quickly made her way down the hallway, through the kitchen and out the back door just as the front door opened.
"Thanks for the movie dad it was pretty funny." Taylor said as he followed his dad inside the house.
"Yeah it was a pretty funny movie," Paul agreed as he went to type in the pin to the security panel, stopping as he read the letters DISARMED on the panel screen.
"I could have sworn I armed this thing before we left." Paul pondered out loud.
"Don't you think you're a little young to be going senile Dad?" Taylor replied with a smirk.
"Yeah okay smart ass, we'll see how funny you think it is when I forget to give you your allowance" Paul replied as he shut the front door and re armed the security system.
E 49th St. and Avenue D...12:15AM
Joss whipped the tears from her eyes as she marched down the sidewalk. As the events of the past six hours replayed in her head like a movie.
"It's called the Metempsychosis Project…."You should care. Because you were the governments test subject, your names Jocelyn Carter. Right?" Harris asked frantically…..
"Joss what are you talking about? We're not terrorist. Who told you that?" John asked in a confused tone as he looked into her eyes.
"Joss I don't know who you're getting your information from, but they're lying to you. Don't you remember us? Any of us? You helped us save people. Joss please remember? What about your family? Your son?" John blurted out…
Joss slowed her march to a stumbling pace as her head began to hurt. She leaned her hand against a light pole as she clenched her lower abdomen and emptied the contents of her stomach.
"Oh my Ms. Carter, you don't look so good?"
Joss stumbled backwards and drew her gun as she refocused her vision on the stout older man with greying hair standing in front of her.
"No need for that my dear, I'm simply her to help you." The man replied while he held his hands up in surrender.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" Joss demanded as she leveled her gun at the unknown man's head.
"My name is Doctor Cassidy and I believe my friend Hank wanted me to find and help you." The stout older man replied.