The real truth

"Alec, huh." Reese shakes his head. "I don't know what I'm gonna do with that kid. One minute I want to kiss him and the next I want to throw him in jail. Keep him with you a while longer - at least when he's working with you, he's not getting into trouble."


"It's Chance. We think he's our hacker." Jason's mind had already jumped even further ahead than that, even if Reese hadn't verbalized it yet. Everyone was aware of the murders that were happening lately, and it didn't seem a coincidence that the hacking had started at about the same time. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together - someone was figuring out their pattern and killing people before the Elite could get to them. "And if we catch our hacker, we might have our murderer too."

Stalking down the hall to the supply room, he catches sight of Gunner. "Gunner! With us. Now."

Gunner skids to a halt, his eyes wide as he looks between Jason and Katie. "Alright... where we going?"

"Safe house. Destiny may be in danger. Come on."

Within minutes, two vehicles were flying down the street - Jason in the lead in his truck and Gunner following.


Stopping at the store for some ice cream and a movie, the rest of the ride back to the house was a fairly quiet one, though Chance does a good job at making the mood light after the strange trip they'd had.

Back inside, the bowls are gathered and the movie cued. Chance flops down right next to Destiny so his elbow bumps her on purpose. Giving her a silly grin, he takes a big spoonful of ice cream and leans over to let his head rest against hers for a moment. "Mmm... maybe it really was destiny that led us back here, huh?" His grin widens. "I like the mall but... I like this too."


Still driving, Jason phones back to TJY to have Dalton remotely shut down the security system at the safe house so they can arrive and go in without warning. Reaching their destination, they park alongside the road and the three agents head to the house. Jason already has his gun out, not willing to play any games. If they found out Chance was innocent, so be it, but Jason wasn't willing to take a risk.


Inside, Chance was relaxed on the couch, clueless about the three that were approaching the house. A blinking light in the corner was the only signal that the system had been shut down and his eyes didn't catch it.


"Alright..." Jason's voice was low as he leans against the house beside the door. "Let's surprise him."

So help me... if Chance is our guy, next time I've got a bad feeling about somebody, I'm going straight to Reese.

"In we go." Swinging in front of the door, Jason gives it a swift kick, barging inside. "O'Mally!"

Completely clueless, Chance jumps, his reflexes getting him to his feet and his gun drawn in an instant. "Jason..." His eyes drift wildly between the three, his gun was on Jason, and Jason's gun was on him. "What's going on?"

Jason doesn't lower his gun, but stares at Chance coldly. "One wrong move, and you're dead. Gunner - go check the computer."

Gunner does as he's told, skirting around Jason to head to the corner where the computers were.

Jason continues to stare at Chance. "Put it down. Now."

Chance swallows hard. "Not until I know what's going on." He positions himself between Jason and Destiny in a protective stance.

"What are you afraid of?" Jason questions. "Huh?"

Gunner calls from the computer. "Gambler. It's him."

Chance's face pales. They knew. That's why they were here. Somehow, they'd figured it out. Somehow he'd slipped up and now they knew. They'd traced the hacking back to here and they knew it was him. There was only one option now.

Lowering his gun, he tosses it into the easy chair and lifts his hands to his sides. "Look, there's a perfectly understandable explanation." A smile seeps out. "Come on... I'm on your side." He glances to Destiny, then back to Jason. "There's no need to scare Destiny, right? Come on... put that thing away and we'll talk."

"Not on your life." Jason advances towards him.

Katie, take care of Destiny. Keep her out of the way and make sure she's okay.

Taking Chance by the collar, he slams him back against the wall. "You better talk and you better talk fast," he hisses. "You've been hacking into the Elite system, haven't you?"

Fear races through Chance's eyes as he's pinned, and he knows it's no use trying to fight. "So what? I needed information."

"Why didn't you just ask for it?" Jason tightens his grip.

"Why should I?"

Jason lets go, only to let his hand come back in a swift backhanded slap to Chance's face. "Why?!"

Chance curses at Jason, glaring up at him as he touches his stinging face. "I don't have to answer to you."

Gunner is still at the computer, confirming what they had discovered, but now steps back, keeping an eye on Jason, making sure Katie has a handle on Destiny and staying out of the way.

Jason whips Chance around, punching his gut to knock the wind out of him. "Why did you hack our system?!"

Chance coughs and gasps for air but doesn't answer.

Jason grabs him and throws him face down on the coffee table, sending books and ice cream bowls flying. "Have you been leaking information about the Elite's cases?"

Chance has trouble breathing against the table and still doesn't respond.

Jason yanks him up and gives him an angry punch to the face, making Chance's nose bleed before he slams him back down on the table. "Answer me!"

Chance winces, his whole face throbbing. "Yes!"

"Have you been doing the killings?" Jason tightens his grip, pressing Chance down even harder. "Answer me, or so help me, I'll put a bullet straight through your head."

"No!" Chance shouts. "It wasn't me!"

Then it was true. There was a connection after all and Chance had just walked right into the verbal trap. Jason doesn't relent. "Who, then?"

"I don't know!"

"Are you working for the Agency?" Jason waits, but receives no response. "Yes or no?! Are you working for the Agency?"

Chance cries out as his head is bashed on the table again. "No! I hate them as much as you do!"

"Then who are you working for?!"

"The Elite!"

"Who else?!"

"Nobody!"

"Tell me!"

Chance swallows hard, his eyes closing as his mouth and nose still bleed, bruises starting to form on his cheek. "I'm just a go-between!"

"For who?!"

"The Underground, alright?!"

Jason looks up to Gunner with question, but receives only a blank stare.
What's he talking about? The Underground?
"Who are they?"

Chance can't catch his breath, and his hand grips the edge of the table, still being pinned in place. "Haters of crime."

Jason's eyebrows raise. "A vigilante group?"

"Yeah." Chance cringes in pain again. "They clean up the messes the Elite leaves behind."

"What do you mean?"

"Unfinished business. The Elite has gotten too soft... so the Underground makes sure the scumbags don't get a free ride."

Jason grits his teeth. "You mean by killing them."

"I don't do the killings!" Chance insists. "I only get them the information!"

"Yeah? And how much do you get paid for doing it?"

Chance tries to breathe, but it's nearly impossible. "No less than a thousand a job... ten if it's for someone who's Agency."

"You swine." Jason rips Chance to his feet, staring down into his eyes. "You're no better than a hired hitman."

Chance sniffs as his nose still bleeds, and licks his lip, though it does nothing to stop that blood either. His eyes go to the floor, then swing up and around to Destiny. Everything he'd told her about his phone calls... everything he'd said about what he did... everything he'd told her about his undercover work... it was all a lie. From day one, after she'd caught him in a lie, he'd doubled his efforts in a cover-up and had successfully piled one lie on top of another. He looks back to Jason, knowing he had no way out now. "That's not true."

"Then what would you call it? Whoever this Underground is, they're taking the law into their own hands, and they're hiring you just to point out who should go down. Why did you really come here, Chance? Why are you really a so-called bodyguard here, huh?"

"That was legit," Chance insists. "When Toby said he was sending him here, I got in touch with my other contact and he said it was the perfect opportunity because I'd be close to the Elite headquarters."

"And Destiny? You were just going to risk her getting caught in the middle while you did all this?"

Chance knew if he didn't come clean, it would be worse for him. He knew when to take a gamble and when to fold, and right now he was in the worst predicament he could have ever managed. No matter the consequence, right now he needed to give answers, lest Jason kill him right here.
"She was bait from day one. The underground took out her father since the authorities were ignoring his connection with the Agency - her mother wasn't supposed to go down too but it happened. I was supposed to lure Destiny into a place where the Agency could strike because we knew they'd be after her for information... then we could take them out, or preferably, trace them to their own territory. The funeral wasn't good because there was too much Elite presence. So they wanted me to take her to a more enclosed place, like the mall, after I'd gained her trust so I could get her in a vulnerable spot, but..." Chance shifts his weight but doesn't dare look over to Destiny now. He knew he had betrayed her in the worst way. "...but I couldn't do it. I... I changed my mind."

Jason's anger boils. Chance had known all along about Destiny's father. It hadn't been the Agency. It had been someone he worked for and he had never said a word. And suddenly he'd changed his mind? "Why?"

"I was going to tell them that I'd doubled the price but-"

Jason can't take anymore. Chance had been working for the Elite, but had been selling information to another group that was taking the law into their own hands. Not because he believed in the cause even, but just for the money. And he was even willing to risk innocent lives - Destiny's life. "I can't believe you," he cuts Chance off. As his anger heightens, a nearby lamp suddenly pops and sparks, sending lightbulb fragments in all directions.

Chance flinches and jumps, new fear coursing his gaze. He doesn't have time to react before a forceful backhanded slap hits him once again. He stumbles back and falls to the floor in a heap, beaten, defeated and with no where to run.

Jason stands over him, his hands balled into fists as ire shoots through his veins. Gunner watches carefully, only now willing to step in. "Let it go, Hotshot... he'll get what's coming. We need to take him back in one piece."

Jason continues to glare. He looks to Destiny, then back to Chance. This man had been willing to risk this innocent woman's life all for the name of money.

Gunner grows a little uneasy and looks to Katie. "Get him to back off, Kat," he warns. He did not want to have to step in and physically stop Jason from doing anything stupid.