welcome ms24 - your lovely reviews are always appreciated :)
Jack arrived back at Tony and Michelle's house with over a dozen shopping bags. Tony looked up in annoyance but the harsh words died on his lips when he saw Jack's face. Instead he asked, "What's wrong?"
Jack slumped at the kitchen counter and smiled his thanks as Michelle passed him a large mug of coffee. "I went to see the medium, Rosita. She can no longer reach Chase. She says he's gone quiet over the last week, that he's given up. He thinks Kim and Angie are both dead and he's not fighting to stay alive anymore."
Taking a sip of coffee, he stated, "I'm leaving as soon as I get this gear organised. It's about a 7 hour drive, so I'll get some sleep in Tahoe and be on the trail by first light in the morning."
Michelle leaned over and placed the topo map in front of Jack. "Chloe found some old hiking notes on the snowshoe trail to the three sister lakes. The trail to Lake Angela will take two days in snowshoes if conditions are good. The area is seldom visited as there are stories of the lakes being haunted. It's likened to the Bermuda Triangle; you can't get cell phone reception and there are instances of compass failure." Taking up Jack's hand, Michelle pulled his arm slightly to ensure he would look up into her eyes, "Please Jack, let's not rush in -"
"There's still so much we don't know," Tony interjected quietly, "We need more time to-"
"No! Thank you Michelle and Tony but no, we're all out of time. I have to go now."
Michelle sighed. "We made a call to Max at CTU, to see if he knows of Turner. He said he'd ask some shrinks in the military and get back to us. At least wait to hear what he has to say. He knows your voice so you can't talk but if you have any questions, write them down and I'll ask for you."
"Thanks Michelle... for everything. If Max calls in the next 40 minutes I have a question for him, I want to know how Chase could be broken so quickly. He's trained to withstand torture and -" Jack stopped speaking, he could hear the anger in his voice and he hoped he didn't sound accusing.
Michelle said quietly, "But it's Liz here Jack and that will make it all the more personal, especially after the hell she put him through last time."
The ringing of the phone made them all jump and Tony reached across and pushed the speaker phone button. "Yeah?"
"Tony hi, it's Max. I couldn't find out much. Everyone's keeping very hush hush but it seems Turner fled the country just as he was about to be arrested on manslaughter charges. Two young recruits died, no one's sure if it was murder or suicide. His book isn't published in this country, no publisher would touch it, but you can still get a copy from overseas or through the underground booksellers."
"Thanks Max, but what's so controversial about his methods?"
"He uses drugs to break down the subject's sense of reality, then bombards them with images and sound 24 hours a day to modify their thinking. And yes, it can provide impressive results in a very short time span but it's also very brutal to a person's psyche. You potentially end up with the subject having a breakdown or committing suicide... or even going postal with a major massacre.
"It's really ironic that Turner ended up in China as that's where the term 'brainwashing' originated. His book title 'To Cleanse the Mind' is the literal interpretation of the Chinese phrase for brainwashing. It was first used in the 1950's during the Korean War, when the Western POW's were being experimented on to denounce their country."
Jack nudged Michelle and passed over a scribbled question which she read before repeating it aloud, "Max, you might remember Chase Edmunds who was a field agent at CTU a few years ago. We think he's been subjected to this brainwashing but he's had training to withstand it. Could he break?"
"Yes, I remember Chase very well, and no, no amount of training can save you here because it's so invasive. How long has he been subjected to the brainwashing?"
"Possibly 27 days," Tony answered.
"What! Why the hell hasn't he been extracted?" Max's outraged voice thundered over the speaker.
"It's a long story," sighed Michelle. "Believe me, we're trying... is there any way of knowing whether he's been brainwashed or not?"
"You mean will he drool and walk around with zombie eyes?... no, apart from specialised tests, the only way you will know is if he picks up a gun and shoots his family."
"He can be made to do that?"
"I'm afraid so. Look, the biggest myth about brainwashing is that everyone thinks the strong, brave, intelligent soldier should be able to resist, but the reality is just the opposite. It's the dullard who isn't a good candidate; the smart, independent thinker makes exactly the ideal subject."
"Thanks Max, can we call you if we think of anything else?"
"Please do and hey, I want to know how it ends up with Chase. I liked him... it was a shame what happened to his old partner Jack Bauer."
"Yeah, thanks Max." Tony punched the phone off.
"Jack, you heard what he said. Chase could be programmed to kill. You know that twisted bitch is capable of anything."
Ignoring Tony's continued cautions, Jack finished strapping the two sets of snowshoes on his backpack and hefted it. "Thanks Michelle, Tony, I'll call you in the morning before I leave for the trail. I won't be taking my phone as it's just useless weight."
Throwing his pack in the rear of the car, Jack couldn't prevent a cold smile tugging at his lips. Enough of all this talking, it was time to get moving...