Callan, Ireland, December 9th, 1998:
"Okay Walter, let's go over this again." Agent Gallo told him. "Why did you hack NASA?"
Walter sighed.
"The answer hasn't changed since you last asked me this, this is the sixth time in the last three hours. I wanted the shuttle blueprints, so I could put them on the wall of my bedroom and the loft. For inspiration." Walter told him.
Agent Gallo had started to ask another repeat question when the door of the interrogation room was suddenly thrust open and a man nearly six foot five inches tall stepped into the room.
"What the hell do you think you are doing here agent Gallo?" The man demanded.
Walter had a half smile on his face seeing the man.
"Sir?" Agent Gallo looked at the much larger man as he stood up.
"This interrogation is over. Or are you hell bent on causing a diplomatic problem?" The man told him.
"Sir, this is just an interview to ascertain." Cabe started before the man ripped the notepad out of the hand of the woman who was transcribing the interrogation.
"Interview huh? Since when are minors handcuffed for an interview? You think he is going to overpower you and flee?" The man's eyes read over the lines. "It says here you've asked all of these questions five times in the last three hours. That isn't an interview, that is an interrogation. Where is legal counsel for this young man?" He reached the notepad back out to the woman. "Sorry." He told her.
"Sir, we've had to make sure there was nothing else at play here." Agent Gallo tried to stress.
"You're playing fast and loose with the facts Gallo and I don't like that. I want this young man back home with his Mother before his supper is cold." The man almost yelled.
"Sir the National Security Council has authorized." Agent Gallo started.
"Don't you dare lecture me about authorization. First this young man has rights, even if they aren't quite the same as the US we will still honor US rights. So before you ask him another question, you will burn that notepad, any recording made you will erase it and you will get him competent legal help, he's not even legal age so he can't agree to any interview or interrogation. It is my butt on the line if this goes south." The man said glaring down at Cabe and poking his chest. "I only approved of you finding out who Scorpion was, I did not authorize a breach into an Irish national's home and the arrest of their youngest child. So now I have to go and advise the Ambassador of what you have done and then I've got to call all the local magistrates and apologize on behalf of the Ambassador for your serious lack of ethics. And get those handcuffs off him, now."
With agent Gallo turning to face Walter while pulling his keys out of this pocket the man looked at Walter and winked.
The edges of Walter's mouth curled and his lips moved just enough to mouth "Thank you". The man nodded before he turned and left the room.
Agent Gallo quietly escorted Walter out of the building and led him back to the SUV that brought him to the facility. He opened the door and Walter climbed in before the door was closed and then agent Gallo walked around and climbed into the other side and the SUV took off. The ride was mostly quiet but about ten minutes before they arrived back at his family home agent Gallo half turned in his seat to look at Walter.
"You understand son, I was just doing as I was ordered to do right? I wasn't trying to mess with you. I'm Cabe by the way." Agent Gallo said even as he reached a hand out towards Walter.
"I understand agent Gallo. Your people were worried I might have been involved in part or whole with the IRA. But I promise you, I was solely acting alone and all I wanted were the blueprints to hang up on my wall." Walter told him before he slowly reached out and shook his hand.
"I know son, it was clear to me from the first time that was all that was to it. But my superiors are real horse's butts. I've got something for you." Cabe told him before he opened his trench coat and pulled a manila folder out of an inner pocket. And held it out to Walter.
Walter reached out and took the folder. He looked at Cabe for a moment and then opened it. He found high resolution images of the space shuttle and the blueprints for it. He found official NASA photos of some of the first pilots, designers and crews. Walter looked up at Cabe with a little shock in his eyes.
"I kind of had a hunch." Cabe shrugged one shoulder. "The case didn't rise to a credible threat against the US to me. And then the short briefing I got about you before I talked with you in the, well, interrogation room. I knew I was dealing with someone who was pretty special. I thought maybe these might be of interest to you."
"Thank you, Cabe." Walter said softly as he looked back down at the folder and its contents.
"You're welcome Walter. If you don't mind. I'll be in the country for the next month as I deal with what happened. I'd like the chance to maybe stop in and check up on you? Make sure things are going okay before I have to leave?" Cabe asked softly.
Walter looked back at Cabe and slowly nodded.
"Good deal then." Cabe smiled and clapped his hand on Walter's knee. He looked up and smiled. "Looks like this is your stop son."
Walter looked up and saw his family home and nodded.
Louise O'Brien stood at the screen door looking out as the SUV pulled up. She ran out the door with a soft "Walter" on her breath as she saw Walter step out of the car.
Walter braced for what he knew was coming and shut his eyes as he felt his Mom take him in her arms and hugged him tightly while crying and kissing his face.
"Are you okay son?" Sean asked as he stepped up with his Mom.
"Yes sir." Walter nodded.
"Get on in the house then boy. Dinner's on the table." Sean told him gruffly as Louise let him go.
Megan was next at the door and grabbed Walter in her arms and cried in the crook of his neck while berating him for causing them so much worry.
Walter just nodded his acknowledgement of his shortcoming as he gave her the time to expel her emotions over the situation.
And then as Megan released him she was there. He knew from the moment that the diplomat entered the interrogation room that she had been involved.
His thoughts drifted back three months and the beginning of the school year. Megan had said her goodbye to him and ran up the stairs to her first period while Walter made his way down the hall towards Father William's math class. He hated his classes being taught by people with such religious viewpoints. They invariably always corrupted the curriculum.
He passed one hall and heard some of the kids making fun of someone and he paused. His head came up and saw a lone girl about his age backed up to the lockers and being harassed because of her accent. And as normal the biggest problem was Thomas as he stood there towering over the girl. Walter was immediately captivated by her. She wasn't quite to tears but her confidence was starting to break and she looked down the hall as Thomas slapped her. Her pleading eyes met Walter's eyes. And his eyes opened wide seeing that slap and then all thought was out of his head.
The next thing Walter knew was he was standing in front of the girl breathing hard and fast. Most of the kids had scattered. Conner was holding his side as he tried to help two other boys pull his unconscious and beaten brother down the hall away from Walter. Blood was running down Conner's face from his nose.
Walter slowly looked down and he saw the blood on his hands. And then a large drop fell from his face and hit his hands. He was vaguely aware of the pain he felt but he looked and saw the girl standing there sniffling but smiling at him and then her arms were around his neck.
She broke down and cried while thanking him for helping her.
Megan ran into the hallway after hearing that her brother was fighting and stood staring, unable to believe it as she watched Walter reach up and hugged the girl back.
"I couldn't let them hurt you." Walter said softly. "I'll always be here for you. I'm sorry they were being so mean to you. You didn't deserve that."
Megan kicked Conner's knee as she ran past him and Thomas and the other two boys, knocking him to the ground where his elbow hit the floor and he cried out in pain. She came to a stop next to the young couple. Megan gasped seeing Walter's face as the young girl broke their hug.
"Walter!" Megan said and grabbed him and forced him to look at her. "Oh my gawd, Walter, what happened to you?"
"I don't recall." Walter looked at her with his left eye mostly swollen shut and his right eye only slightly better. His nose was obviously broken as well. And his lips were both busted.
"We have got to get you to the nurse. They'll probably have to get you to the Dr. Come on, you come too so you can explain what happened." Megan told the girl.
The girl nodded even as she reached out and took Walter's hand and he just held it in his as they began walking.
"Oh, am I hurting your hand Walter?" The girl asked as she saw a grimace on his face.
"It hurts a little but that's okay. I like the feel of your hand." Walter told her.
"You're American?" Megan asked, still completely baffled by her brother's actions and words.
"Yes, my Dad is part of the diplomatic corps. My Mom and I just got to town last night. First day here and I get bullied because of how I talk. I had hoped Ireland would be different. I'm twelve and I've lived in more countries since starting school than the number of years I've been alive. It is so frustrating at times. Dad promised me this would be the last move until college and figures I've got enemies from day one." She sighed.
"I'm Megan O'Brien, Walter's my brother. If you just got to town last night your Dad must be the man that bought part of our Uncle Tobin's property. And then had the new house built." Megan said as they moved on down the hallways.
"Yes, I'm Paige, Paige Dineen. It is nice to meet you both, sorry it wasn't under better circumstances." Paige gave her a weak smile.
"Paige." Walter said softly, almost dreamily.
Paige blushed at the way Walter said her name while Megan just stared at Walter and shook her head.
"Don't pay him much mind, normally Walter doesn't act like this. I don't know if he took too hard of a blow to his head or what. It isn't like him to hug or hold hands with anyone. He barely tolerates my hugs." Megan told her before they turned into the nurse's office.
The nurse looked up and her eyes went wide.
"Walter O'Brien, who did this to you? As if I couldn't guess." The nurse demanded as she ran forward and began giving him a quick visual inspection.
"I don't really recall Mrs. Riley." Walter told her.
"Let's get you on the table over here." Mrs. Riley told him as she moved back and watched as he tried to climb up but yanked the hand Paige had been holding back after putting it on the table and the resulting pressure against it. "Let me see your hand Walter." Mrs. Riley told him as she went to take his hand in hers.
Paige saw him yank his hand back from Mrs. Riley but then slowly let her touch him after a moment.
"Oh dear, that is at least four broken bones Walter. Where else are you hurting besides the obvious facial wounds." Mrs. Riley asked.
Walter gestured to his ribs and Mrs. Riley gingerly pulled his sweater off slowly and then began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Jesus wept." Mrs. Riley said as her hand came up to her mouth when she swallowed hard seeing the bruising already forming up around his ribs. His face was almost too much but coupled with his ribs, it nearly made her want to vomit.
"I know Conner was helping Billy and Matthew drag Thomas away, Mrs. Riley but I didn't see what happened." Megan told her with tears in her eyes as both her and Paige grimaced at Walter's ribs.
"T-The one she called Thomas was the instigator Mrs. Riley. He and one of the boys dragging him away were picking on me, calling me all kinds of names because of my accent. Walter had just stepped into the intersection of the hallways when Thomas slapped me. And he rushed down to protect me." Paige told her.
"Those two boys are a menace." Mrs. Riley nodded as she pointed at the bed.
"Sit on the edge of the bed Walter, let me get some vitals. But I'll call for an ambulance first. We have got to get you to the hospital. You'll need a lot of x-rays." Mrs. Riley told him.
Megan and Paige helped Walter to step over and sit down and they sat down beside him as Mrs. Riley called for an ambulance. Paige reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys and swallowed as she hit the button she swore she'd never use.
"Where is he? Where is Walter O'Brien!" They heard a loud voice screaming out in the hallway. And then they saw Conner as he stopped outside of the nurse's room and pointed.
"He's in here." Conner yelled.
A moment later Father Flanner flew into the room, his face was beyond red as he began yelling at Walter. Even the sight of Walter's battered face and ribs didn't slow his tirade.
Mrs. Riley jumped between them.
"You stop this nonsense Father, right this minute. You want to be mad at someone then you need to be mad at the perpetrators of it." She yelled at him pointing back at Conner.
"You want to be out of work Mrs. Riley?" Father Flanner yelled at her.
"Don't you threaten me Father. I'll have my husband down here in ten minutes. The school board has been warned about those two hoodlums over and over and I'm not putting up with it anymore." Mrs. Riley told him.
"Ms Dineen." They heard a deep male voice yell along with the sound of a number of running shoes.
"I'm down here." Paige yelled out.
The Father looked at her and then back to the door just as four men in black suits and sunglasses flew into the room.
"Are you okay Ms. Dineen?" The lead man asked, pushing a protesting Father Flanner out of their way.
Paige nodded.
"Thanks to Walter I am agent Todd. Several boys including that one and his brother attacked me. Walter here protected me." Paige told him pointing back at Conner.
Conner's eyes went wide and he took off down the hall with one of the men chasing after him.
Agent Todd looked Walter over and slowly nodded.
"Come on son, let's get you to the hospital. And Ms Dineen, you should have used your panic button before he had to step in to protect you." Agent Todd told her.
"Oh sure, it's my first day at school. So using my panic button is exactly what I want to do. Besides, by the time it had got to the point of using it Walter was already there." Paige told him.
"Ms. Dineen, there are all kinds of elements who could try to hurt you. Some of them could be some of the very kids in this school. Next time, use the damn button before someone has to protect you. Otherwise we'll start escorting you everywhere." Agent Todd told her.
Welcome to Callan! We hope you enjoy your stay!
To the Adventure! -Tim