"Whadda ya have?" The barkeep asked the man as he sat down on a stool at the bar.
"Guinness." The man told him.
"American?" The barkeep nodded as he grabbed the Guinness glass and slipped it under the spout before pulling the tap handle.
"Born and raised." The man smiled.
"What brings you to Newry?" The barkeep asked as he sat the glass down.
"Bit of work and pleasure." The man smiled as he slipped a bill on the bar before lifting the glass.
"Rían." Rían told him as he held out his hand.
"Michael." Michael smiled and shook his hand.
Rían took the money and gave Michael back some change.
"Maybe you can help me. Looking for an old acquaintance. Rory Reid, he used to live around here." Michael asked softly. "Used to have a neck tattoo of a phoenix."
"Common enough name, but no, doesn't ring any bells." Rían told him.
"Well that's going to make my search more difficult." Michael chuckled before taking another drink.
Rían half turned and dropped his cleaning rag.
"Rats, third time today." Rían complained before grabbing it. "Let me know if you want anything else." He told Michael before tossing the rag into a bucket behind the bar and grabbing a new one.
"I would say you got his attention." Nick said over the coms.
"You think?" Michael said quietly.
"Are you going to stay and pretend to get drunk?" Nick asked.
"I think it is the best option. Would seem weird to give him the hotel and room number I'm staying at, especially since he claims he doesn't know him." Michael told him.
"Alright, we got you covered." Nick reminded him.
Michael cozied up with the locals as they started coming in, buying drinks frequently.
"How's he doing?" Rusty asked.
"He's definitely playing the part well. He's "nodding off" just before a new drink comes for him. They take the drink and when they want another they nudge him awake again. He's probably spent close to a grand so far on drinks." Simone said as she watched the surveillance video.
"How's the outside look?" Rusty asked.
"Nothing suspicious yet." Nick told him. "Wait, now this might be something."
Rusty stepped over and they both looked at the monitor and watched the panel van pull up outside and park. No one got out.
"Michael, we think your ride might have pulled up." Nick told him. "There are at least three guys in a van but no one is getting out."
Michael sat back in his chair and blew air out as he pretended to try and get his eyes to focus.
"Who's turn is it?" Michael asked.
"Yours." One of the men laughed. They thought Michael was so drunk he didn't realize he bought the last six rounds.
"Well then, let's get another round, barkeep!" Michael grinned as he held up his hand.
While Simone scrutinized the patrons, Nick and Rusty kept an eye on the van and parking lot.
"Twenty minutes and they haven't gotten out yet, I'd say these are our boys." Nick looked up at Rusty.
Rusty nodded.
"Whenever you are ready Michael." Nick told him.
Michael looked towards the camera and nodded, which caused Simone to pick up her phone.
"Oh man, I bet that's the old ball and chain. Come all the way to Ireland and she's got to bug me." Michael complained as he pulled his phone out. He dropped it twice on the table. The second time after clicking to answer.
"Are you drunk again?" Simone screamed through the phone. It was so loud everyone around the table heard her.
Michael yanked the phone away from his ear.
"Sheesh woman, you could wake up the entire countryside." Michael complained as the men around him laughed.
"Get back here, now! I'm hungry." Simone complained.
"Fine, spoilsport." Michael complained before hanging up. "Looks like I got to get going guys. Been really nice getting to know you."
"We need to call you a hackney?" One of the guys said.
"I think William just pulled up." The barkeep said. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking him home."
"Good ol William." One of them said as they helped Michael to stand.
The barkeep came around and held on to Michael as he walked him over to the door and then out into the lot.
"Showtime." Nick said.
Two guys jumped out of the van when they saw the barkeep and moved over to help. A minute later the barkeep was back inside and Michael was in the van.
"I got to get to the little woman." Michael told them.
"This ain't my hotel." Michael said as they got him out of the van.
"A friend wanted to meet you. Don't worry, we'll make it right with your lady friend." One of the men said.
Michael was thrust into a chair as soon as the door closed behind them.
"Careful there." Michael slurred to them.
"Why are you looking for Rory Reid?" Someone asked.
"He owes me some money." Michael told him.
"Funny, how could I owe you money if I don't recognize you?" Rory asked as he stepped up to the chair.
"Don't owe me, but you kidnap me with twelve other people?" Michael blinked looking about drunkenly.
"Kidnap, that's a strong word." Rory told him.
"Naw, that's not strong." Michael said just before his hand flashed out and struck Rory's throat.
Rory fell to the ground choking as Michael came up out of the chair.
Michael ducked a punch the other guy in front of him threw. He charged into the man's stomach with his shoulder driving him back away from the group of men around the chair.
Michael spun and kicked another guy who was charging at him.
The door burst open as the man standing guard outside crashed through it. Nick and Simone both jumped over the man and engaged some of the others before Rusty came in.
The fight didn't last long. Nick was a little upset he only got to knock two of them out. Simone had three and Rusty had four, counting the doorman and Michael had taken down three as well. Rory had just recovered from the punch to his throat when he saw he was surrounded by the four Americans.
"So these guys were mad that Richard had built that factory down in Callan?" Ralph asked in disbelief.
"That's the crux of it sir." Agent Charles told him. "They felt that they deserved a better life supported by that factory work."
"So it was industrial sabotage disguised as a conspiracy against the US disguised as industrial sabotage?" Veronica asked.
"That sums it up ma'am." Agent Charles told her. "They'd hope to discredit the car and to hurt Richard financially. Also I got the final report from the FBI. Even though they had disengaged the car's computer system so they could carry out this attack. Walter's system overrode what they tried to do."
"What?" Ralph looked at him sharply.
"The computer detected multiple lifeforms in the path of the car through the sensors. Assuming the driver had some kind of medical emergency happening, the computer took over the steering and brakes. The computer quickly calculated the least amount of harm before it steered the car into the SUV which absorbed most of the forward momentum that the brakes couldn't stop. If not for the computer's guidance, computer models show that ten people would have been killed instantly. Mrs O'Brien and agent Todd would have been fine though. Without the computer overriding everything, the car could have entered the building and possibly caused up to six more deaths. Tire marks on the scene confirmed the report. If not for the redundancies that Walter O'Brien had fought for in the system, this attack would have been a lot worse." Agent Charles read before handing the paper to Ralph.
"Well, isn't that something then." Ralph grinned as he read over the paper.
"You always said he was special." Veronica grinned as she hugged Ralph.
Monday, November 7th, 2005:
"So Richard, your car has been found not at fault in the accident in the Cambridge attack. That has to make you feel better." The reporter asked.
"Well first, let me be clear, nothing about that attack could make me feel better. Everyone in my company involved with the cars are grieving at the loss of life. And it was no accident. Despicable people murdered three people and nearly killed a fourth and her unborn baby. And she is the wife of the main system designer. The only positive light about this is the system that controls the car." Richard told him. "Walter O'Brien designed a truly remarkable system, he entrusted his dear friend Happy Dineen to design the sensors to his specifications. Everyone has been complaining about them. They were too sensitive. But Walter refused to back down from his position on them and I supported his decision."
"And now, we have the final reports from the FBI and the National Highway Safety Administration concerning the attack. And this is backed up by forensic data from the scene. Walter's system, while disengaged, still detected what was happening. The system calculated that the driver must have been in a medical emergency. So the system reengaged itself and took over control of the car. There wasn't sufficient space left for the car to stop, so the computer purposely steered into the protection SUV to limit the destructive force these men unleashed. Remember they had the car reinforced to ensure that the impact was as bad as it could be. By the computer models run by the FBI and NHSA, without the car's system doing that, we would have lost between ten to sixteen citizens instead of three." Richard explained as he held up several forms.
"This report has really helped my people in dealing with their feelings over it. Knowing that despite the intention of these vile people, their hard work to make the best product for consumers paid off." Richard explained.
"Do we know yet why these men did this? Why did they target your car?" The reporter asked.
"As was explained to me, the ones who planned this were upset that I didn't build one of my factories in their area." Richard explained.
"When will we be able to speak to Mr O'Brien about this?" The reporter asked.
"Walter's contract with me expired the day after the cars started being sold to the general public. He isn't much for the limelight, especially right now so it is hard to say. He's singularly focused on being the best husband and Father-to-be that he can be. But he is so amazing, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some upcoming event that he might be at that could result in questions being asked." Richard smiled.
"Walter, you don't have to keep pushing me around campus in this wheelchair." Paige complained. "You know the doctor said I could walk.
"No, what he said was you could walk up to fifty feet." Walter reminded her. "None of your classes are within fifty feet of each other."
Paige sighed.
Agents Makle and Adkins both grinned at the young lovers.
"Hey, was I just dreaming last night or did I hear you talking to someone?" Paige asked as she looked over her shoulder at Walter.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I was talking softly enough." Walter told her.
"Who were you talking to?" Paige asked.
"Our baby." Walter told her. To everyone else, they never discussed the fact that they were having a son so they always just said our baby when others could hear them.
"Really?" Paige grinned.
"I've been talking to our baby every night when you sleep. I tell our baby about my day. What I've learned. I share how much I love you and our baby. I talk about Happy and Emmett, both of our parents and about Megan, Billy and little Patrick." Walter explained.
"Walter, that's amazing." Paige smiled. "Do you think our baby hears and understands you?"
"Well, I made a special set of headphones that I slip around your belly and talk into a microphone input to them. So my voice should be about as loud as your voice is. And while there is no empirical data to prove it, it helps me feel closer to our baby." Walter explained.
"I'm so proud of you Walter." Paige reached back and squeezed his hand.
"So how are you handling the fact that, if not for your system, agent Todd and Paige wouldn't have been injured in that attack?" Toby asked. He'd been wanting to talk to Walter about it since Happy told him what was discovered.
Walter sat with Toby in Ralph's den after supper for a session. He swallowed hard several times.
"Good and horrible." Walter finally voiced. "I know in no way was it responsible for what had been set in motion. It didn't purposely set out to harm them, it just calculated the best possible outcome in the few seconds it had. Had the car not been reinforced, then the SUV would have completely blunted the force and then no one but agent Makle would have been hurt."
Walter's eyes closed as a tear ran down his cheek.
"But to know, someone I loved was nearly killed, our child could have been lost and that a meaningful friend died because of the decision made…" Walter paused.
"It's okay Walter." Toby told him softly.
"No, it isn't." Walter disagreed.
"Walter. I want to stress something here. The driver was gunning for Paige. Don't forget the laser targeted her so the driver knew who she was. If not for your system, she'd have been killed along with agent Todd and your baby. She was the target these sick sons of bitches went after." Toby told him with heat. "At least three people were going to die, no matter what. Your system ensured that Paige and your baby had a chance."
Walter nodded even as the pain hollowed him out. He knew he was right, but the fact that his system failed to keep everyone safe still ate at him.
"I'm going downstairs to check on Paige." Walter finally said and stood. "Thank you."
Toby nodded as Walter opened the door and left the room.
Ralph watched sadly as Walter walked out of the room and then slipped inside.
"How's he doing?" Ralph asked softly.
Toby watched as Veronica and Happy came in behind him.
"He's hanging in there." Toby said just as quietly. "He still has problems understanding that none of this is his fault. He should be proud of what his system accomplished. Had the car not been modified, no one would have died. He thought he took all the necessary precautions but there just isn't a way to consider every sick and disgusting plan people can come up with to harm people. But the system worked amazingly in the situation. In just a fraction of time, it calculated fifteen variations of what could happen and derived the safest solution with the available data."
"Are you going to be able to help him?" Ralph asked.
"Over time I will. Luckily he knows it did the best thing, it is just the guilt. So it will be easier to get through to him." Toby nodded.
"Good." Ralph sighed in relief. "I was worried he was just putting on a positive face over it."
"Well he is to some degree, but not over the fact that his system worked so well. I think he's kind of proud of it to be honest." Toby smiled.
"Okay, so what about the baby, boy or girl?" Happy said in a demanding way.
Everyone laughed.
"Sorry, Happy…" Toby told her. "Walter and Paige are playing it close to the vest. I'm not able to read them. Walter most often gives me clues it is a girl and Paige it's a boy. But I think that's just what they themselves would prefer."
"As long as the little one is healthy I will be thrilled with either." Veronica sighed.
"Well, we're only a month or so away so we'll find out before long." Ralph reminded them.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! If everything goes well, after this is "finished" at chapter 105, there will be 3 or 4 chapters for "Dark Walter".
LouBe - He is, isn't he? *yikes* Nope, it was code to cover the fact of why he was gone. Thankfully she is well on the way to being mended! LOL Nope and here they are in full action mode! lol Looks like you got your wish on being neatly tied up! This weekend I actually added up the chapters for "Knight's Tale", not counting "Lady Aine", "Lord Ralph" and "Elizabeth of Caranth", there are 129 chapters to the end of "A Knight in Harris". That includes "Megan". I wanted to sync "Knight's Tale" to "Lady Knight" so when I start posting "Lady Knight" over on AO3, they will match up at the end of "A Knight of Crossover".
Railman - He definitely can be when pushed the wrong way! lol Glad you enjoyed Walter's eulogy & the foundation. Yep, that was our Nick helping out and he brought along the rest of the trio to get their men! LOL When I was a teen I had a car cross my foot by accident, not something I'd want to experience again. lol What, you liked it better than the honeymoon snafu? lol Glad you enjoyed it so much.
Pearliegirl - lol Well, at least in this story it is pretty exciting. lol Glad you enjoyed Walter's eulogy!
To the Adventure! -Tim