Tough Pill

Once again, Justin noticed Ryan looking past him, and wondered if "Alec" was here with them now. "Finding someone who makes us feel special is a big thing," he responded gently. "It's hard when they're gone...especially if we took them for granted while they were here."

He leaned down to reach in his bag and pulled out a small journal to set it in front of Ryan. "I want you to do me a favor. It might be awkward at first, but that's ok. Not everyone likes to write. But I want you to use this at least twice a day to record how you feel. Whether you're sad or angry or confused. Even if you just put down one word. And if you see or hear from Alec... I want you to put that in here too, and record how that makes you feel." 

His small smile returned. "I'm not going to read it - it's just for you. I want you to get more comfortable expressing how you feel, even if it's just on paper. Sometimes it's surprising how simply admitting something can help us figure out what's making us tick...or what's thrown a monkey wrench into things." He reached out and opened the journal to reveal a handwritten note stuck inside. "This is my cell phone number. If something happens or gets worse, or you just need to talk, call me. Or text. I'd like to meet with you again though, maybe in a couple days, if it's alright with you?"


Heading back down to the holding cell, Garret had a hard time battling his adrenaline. This - being controlled without a fight - went against an entire lifetime of training. And when they reached his cell, all he wanted was to go to Victoria instead. But all he could do was glance at her door before being locked up again. He trusted Nate would do what he could, as promised, but he didn't trust Reese or the Elite system.


Reese was quiet for a few moments mulling over everything he'd witnessed, along with Nate's deduction. He tapped a pen on his desk as he thought, proving his stress level. "I just find this whole thing hard to believe," he finally admitted. "He's certainly acting irrationally enough to be in love...but a top Agency man? Giving in to his emotions? He's got how many years of training, yet he not only runs away, but runs into the arms of the enemy?" He shook his head. "It's a tough pill to swallow."

On the other hand, Reese's passion for his rehabilitation program made him want to see this through. Helping people out of the Agency was where he really felt he was doing the most good. If Garret was telling the truth, how could Reese turn his back?

"As far as Victoria goes, I don't know what to think, and now, apparently, there's another man loose out there. Which reminds me to tell you to watch your back and watch it closely. I don't want the next bullet to take you out for good." 

He sighed deeply. "What if Victoria doesn't want to stay with Garret? How can we not turn her in?"