Scorpio House
Face mashed against the sofa cushion, Maxie woke up half on her stomach and half on her side still attached to the chair. With courage and energy born of desperation, Maxie scooted back until she was further away from the edge. As her eyes darted around the room orienting herself. She flexed her loose feet and hands. Her fingers brushed against an old familiar friend.
"Ahm diph eet!" cried Maxie through her gag.
She took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes. She focused only on her hands and imagining what she wanted them to do. Then she began to feel around her purse. She grunted a few times as she maneuvered the purse into a better position. She managed to unzip the purse. She clutched the phone.
"Smmmah!"
It took three endless tries until she was able to slide her fingers across the screen to activate the phone. She tried to recall the arrangement of icons on her phone's home page. Very deliberately, she used the IPhone's edges to guide her fingers down the screen to where she remembered the panic button. She tapped twice. In seconds, she got a response.
Beep. Beerip.
"Maxie?" came Genji's voice.
"Mah year!"
"I can't hear you. If you can hear me, tap the screen two times."
She tapped once then again.
"Help is on the way. Are you hurt? Tap once for yes and two for no."
WHOORP! WHOORP! WHOORP!
The alarm sounded through the house. Maxie felt the rush of cold air as the front door behind her opened then the kitchen and the study door to her right and left. She sagged in relief. It was the calvary come to rescue her.
Dani's face came into Maxie's view. She felt the medic's gentle hands knowingly probing for injuries and wounds. "Hey! You had everyone worried. Jin, clear out upstairs. Tiny, get this stuff off her." Dani untied the gag.
"Prints?" asked the burly medic in training nicknamed Tiny.
Maxie shook her head, coughed and said, "Had gloves on."
"Okay, no prints then," said Tiny. With Dani's help, he gently put Maxie and the chair upright on the floor.
He made quick work of the duct tape but paused at the tape around her bare arms. "Brace yourself."
"Rip away!" said Maxie.
"Monica, I'm bringing in Maxie for a check up. Will explain when I see you. ETA twenty minutes." Dani deactivated the connection.
"OW! OW!" yelled Maxie as Dani continued checking for injuries while getting some vital statistics combat medic style.
"Doci! Status report!" yelled Genji still connected on Maxie's phone. With the team on site, he changed from using real names to call signs or nicknames.
Dani picked up the phone and replied. "Maxie seems unhurt. Taking to GH. Property is cleared. I'm leaving Jin to sweep the place good.
"Assume continued surveillance, Doc. How's the package?"
"Was well-secured. Chair, duct tape, gag, signs of a blindfold."
"Another professional," said Genji.
"What? Come again, Wings?"
"Fill you in later. Report when you have more details. Commish on his way rerouting to GH. Base out."
Tiny lifted a protesting Maxie in his arms and headed for the door.
"I can walk," protested Maxie.
"Technically, I should have you on a stretcher," answered Tiny.
Jin came down the stairs. A quick nod told Dani that upstairs was cleared. Unwilling to talk too much when there was a possibility of listening devices around, Dani used sign language with pre-established signals to communicate instructions.
"We should get some sort of hospital discount at the rate we're going," commented Dani as she swung out of the door.
Villa Scorpio Monitor Room
On one monitor was displayed Robert and Edgar. Genji made his day's report to both men.
"Dani reports no injuries and the house is clean. No bugs in or out," said Genji. "Which makes motive very interesting."
"Yes, why go through all that?" asked Edgar.
"Maxie's making her statement. She may know something," said Genji. "Tell me if I'm getting paranoid but I don't like having two professional sightings in one day."
"We're not happy about it over here. You're doing everything right," said Edgar. "Play dumb, fool his meters and let him hang himself."
"The Maxie bit is a different matter," said Robert.
"The PCPD is swarming over the house according to Jin," said Genji. "Mac is furious."
"Understandable. No word from Anna?" asked Robert
"Uh, not yet," said Genji. "But she is in town."
"As is Faison."
Ever tactful, Genji made no audible reply.
"Hold down the fort. I know you can," said Robert. "Switch me to Andrew's phone, please. Edgar, continue the briefing without me. "
Majestic Theater Radio Station - Andrew's Office
Andrew held his phone and studied his father's face. He was getting good at reading non-verbal signs and cues. But even without that knowledge, he could tell his father was under some strain.
"How are you feeling, son? Any tension?" asked Robert.
"None. I do feel less overwhelmed," admitted Andrew. "Mum was right to exclude me from the day to day operations."
"She's smarter than she gives herself credit for. What we call smarts, she calls instinct. She's right more times than she's wrong. For some people, over time, both become one as it is with some of the best operatives I've known."
"Obviously, it is not the way with me," said Andrew. "I am not field agent material no matter what I try. It's not in me to be one. I should accept that and stick with toy soldiers."
"Right now you're not but that may be different next year. Don't close yourself off to possibilities," advised Robert. "Who's to say that you need to follow in our footsteps. You don't and we don't expect you to. Robin hasn't and ..." His voice trailed off into an uncomfortable silence.
"Has the operation begun?" asked Andrew. "No one tells me anything."
"It begins in a few hours. We're committed now and we can only go forward," said Robert.
"Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?" asked Andrew.
"We are keeping you out of it. You just feel out of the loop," said Robert. "That reminds me. Heloise passed on this bit for you. Marcel, Sandrine and Salim are at Thanos D'Ercy's estate until the operation is finished. She says to send Sandrine's birthday present there."
"They're BOTH with you? On the same mission?" asked Andrew plainly alarmed. "They've never done that before. Or have both of their children out of Paris and school at the same time. How bad is this mission, Father?"
Robert's non-answer was an answer in of itself.
"You're not saying how dangerous it's going to be which means that it will be very dangerous and many things could go wrong."
Robert ignored his son's astute guess. "When you see your mother, tell her to call me. I'll be up most of the night here."
"She's not taking your calls?"
The answer did not come at once. When it came, it was as one word tinged with fear, suspicion, anger and, above all, concern. "No."
"She must have a ... a good reason."
"Hmm, she usually does. Whether I agree with that reason is another matter." Robert looked at his watch. "It's time for me to go. I love you, Andrew. Don't ever forget that."
"I love you, too, Daddyo."
"Daddyo?"
"Blame Belle. She's been teaching me local slang," explained Andrew. "The better to fit in or so she says. I've researched American slang as well."
"Hmm, that's obvious. Uh, daddyo was popular in the fifties I think," said Robert. "Can you find one that's more cool and modern?"
"I'll think on it. Be careful, Father."
Robert grinned on the display. "When you're this good. who needs luck?"
The Book Nook Bookstore
Faison gasped for air as he laid back against the wall. His right leg spurted blood from his thigh and calf. "I don't know his actual location. Believe me, I do not!"
"You arranged his new identity didn't you?"
Faison shook his head in disbelief. "Andrew doesn't know that information. How could YOU?"
"You weren't as good as Sean in the resurrection game. Sloppy and careless," said Anna. "One more thing. I don't believe that you know absolutely nothing about Peter's whereabouts. Try again."
"I do communicate with him rarely but he has ... has never told me where he lives nor ... nor do I ask." Faison loosened his tie. He gulped in air.
"What do you know about his ... work?"
Faison blinked rapidly as if he was trying to clear his vision. "Nothing."
"Liar. Peter worked on carbon disulfide. In fact, he used it heavily in another project. Where could he have gotten it except from you?"
"He did get it from me but-"
"But what?"
"Wh-what he chose to do with it after our agreement is ... is his business."
"What agreement?"
Faison knocked his head against the wall. "We both needed money. He created a new mixture. We sold a license for its use and shared the profit evenly. What ... what do you think financed my new life with Andrew? Hiding from the world is expensive."
"Do you realize how many have been harmed or killed by that drug? Do you?"
"The end justifies the means." Faison rubbed at his eyes. "I regret nothing. Please, Anna, an ambulance."
"Where is Peter's laboratory?" Anna shifted the gun upwards to point directly at Faison's chest.
Faison stared at Anna. He said, "I don't know. If ... if I knew, I don't remember now. I'm telling you the truth. Literally at your mercy, would I lie?"
Realization dawned on Anna like a fiery comet arcing across a dark horizon. Anna closed the distance to Faison. She kneeled down on one knee. "You don't remember, do you? You don't recall taking Robin at all."
"I have been honest with you. I do not know Peter's whereabouts or anything about Robin," Faison said. "I thought she had died. I came to offer you and Andrew what comfort I may."
"Did you teach Andrew how to wipe memories away?"
"The theory only. I did not follow my father's example. He made me practice on innocent patients," said Faison. "I vowed to not do the same with my boy."
She looked at his face closely. His face was flushed and perspiring. His eyes were unguarded and dazed. "Do you recall asking Andrew to wipe some specific memories from your mind?"
"I would recall or know that he did."
"How would you know?"
"It is an invasive procedure. I would have dreams and side effects. I have none of those," Faison said. "It is a ... a skill that must be practiced to ... to be mastered. Andrew has not practiced. I had forbidden it."
"He must have practiced behind your back then. He told me he wiped your memories at YOUR request. I also believe that Andrew is so good you wouldn't remember any of it if he didn't want you to," said Anna.
"My request? That's not possible," said Faison. "I was careful in what I taught him."
She turned on her phone then looked at Faison. She initiated a call. "Cesar, why does everything with you have to be messy and complicated?"
Majestic Theater Radio Station - Andrew's Office
Andrew nearly dropped the phone when he saw who was calling. "Yes, Mum?"
Anna's tone was business-like. "Are you at the station? Is Dani available?"
"Yes and maybe."
"Maybe?"
"Dani is at the hospital with Maxie and-"
"What's happened to Maxie? And where's Mac?"
"She was found tied up at the house after she activated her panic button. Dani brought her to hospital but Maxie is fine. No injuries or trauma."
Anna exhaled. "I disappear for a few hours and all hell happens."
"Speaking of disappearing and-"
"Later. Contact Dani and have her send a medic to the Book Nook Bookshop equipped to deal with gunshot wounds," instructed Anna. "And make sure that whoever it is wears the special earplugs all right?"
"You shot Papa?"
"What I did or did not do will be discussed at length later. I have instructions for you," said Anna. "I am temporarily lifting the ban on your involvement in our activities. Do you understand? This is temporary."
"Yes."
"Tell me right now if you can and desire to do the following: put Faison under and restore the memories you removed at his request."
"I could if I knew how."
"You were able to carry out the previous action of removing them and you have no idea at all on how to find or restore them?"
"Not off the top of my head, Mum. It's very specialized. I followed a printed set of documentation step by step. I need to refresh my knowledge of the procedure before attempting it," said Andrew. "I ... I would have to search the Library and SIMON. I've been banned from that, too."
"I see."
Faison's voice could be heard faintly. "I may be able to direct Andrew to the relevant texts in the Library. I remain unconvinced that he removed anything of consequence or was even able to."
Andrew blurted, "You requested it of me and as instructed I left no residue behind."
"My doubts remain. It is a very sophisticated procedure."
"Sophisticated or no, I did so. By all appearances, it was successful," retorted Andrew. "Given the opportunity to refresh my knowledge properly, I know I could it."
Anna looked at her son on the phone display then at Faison. She had evidence of the unsavory data stored in the Library. She also suspected that Andrew's psychological problems most likely began from researching the Krieg's past inside the notorious family's vast electronic archives. Who knew what else was in there? Did she dare a relapse for Andrew sacrificing one child's sanity for another's welfare?
"Mum, what's the word?" asked Andrew.
"I said I would allow for extreme measures to show the ... truth of my words, Anna." Faison hissed in pain and said, "Time is running out. How far will YOU go?"