Long Talk

As Scarlet stood up, Eli's eyes widened. Really? She was just gonna walk out because...? His eyes quickly turned from surprise to confusion. He knew he was tired and hadn't been careful enough on the phone tonight - was she simply reading him that well to see he was hiding something? Apparently so. She had a talent for reading people...he just hadn't ever had her question his loyalty like this, and it stung. Her words were strong, deepening the sting. All this, just because she assumed he wasn't telling her everything? Was she really going to overreact like this? Apparently so.

Eli stood quickly as Scarlet reached the door, but had to wait to say anything as Ryan entered. Getting into a tiff with his girlfriend wasn't exactly a time he wanted an audience. But seeing Scarlet was now seriously leaving, he knew he had to act fast.

He sidled past Ryan, giving her a strange look. "Okay..." Tal had told him he'd be meeting Ryan tonight. "Didn't Tal find you at the race?" He didn't even let her answer as he continued out the door. "I'll be back." He let the door fall shut loudly behind him as he sprinted down the few steps. "Scarlet!" he hollered. "Hold up!" Reaching her bike, he stopped her by setting a hand on her shoulder. "This is ridiculous. Don't go, please. I'm sorry I'm in a mood and I'm giving mixed signals. I wouldn't ever do anything to jeopardize us, you know that."

He tried to read her eyes, but he was having a hard time tonight. "There is nothing bad going on, and there is nothing wrong. Please, just trust me. If I'm not ready to talk about something, you can't just assume I'm being dishonest and walk away - you should know me better than that." He was frustrated and confused at her reaction, and didn't know what else to say. "I didn't tell you which pair of underwear I chose this morning or that I tried a new kind of toothpaste, but that doesn't mean I'm holding something back from you. This has been a crazy day and all I want is to spend the rest of it with you."


Garret sat on the floor of his cell, barefoot and ignoring the coffee and cinnamon roll that had been sitting on the table for an hour. His hands were back in handcuffs, and his ankles were shackled again. Aside from a headache and exhaustion, Garret felt far better than he had during the last seven days. It had taken longer than he’d anticipated to get through his withdrawal, but finally the worst was over. Yet there was little to be celebrated. Now that he was out of danger, he’d been placed in this holding cell – his own miniature prison. This was not what he’d envisioned…

“..What do you think?” Reese came up beside Justin in the control room and joined him in looking at Garret through the monitor.

Justin folded his arms and shook his head. He’d been watching silently for half an hour after Reese had called him in for an unbiased opinion. “I’ve got a few theories, but it’s gonna take more than this to come up with anything substantial. No one’s talked to him yet?”

“Not since we first brought him in and got his initial story. Today’s the first day he’s been completely lucid.”

“I’d like to observe him under some pressure, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“There’s nothing I’d like more than to get to the bottom of this. I’m sure if I call Carson –”

“Pick someone else. How about Gunner?”

Reese’s eyes narrowed. “He’s got a cog loose himself.”

“Mm-hmm. He’ll be good.”

…It wasn’t much later that Justin stood on one side of the two-way mirror, looking into the interrogation room. Reese’s main concern was whether or not Garret was telling the truth. And though one could never be a hundred percent sure, it was Justin’s job to assess the situation before they would move on.

Garret sat in the chair at one end of the table, hands and ankles still cuffed, feet still bare. His eyes remained disinterested in Gunner or the subject at hand. He’d said all he could about why he was here, and right now he was extremely tired, and just a bit grouchy.

“Come on. There’s more to this, and we know it.” Gunner hopped up to sit on the table and swing his legs, glancing down at the sheet of paper Reese had given him, which listed some specific information he wanted. “We may not know everything about the Agency, but we’re not idiots.”

Silence.

Gunner sighed and rolled his eyes. “So why are you really here?”

“I’ve already answered that question. I would have expected a more creative angle by now.”

“Creative? You want creative?” Gunner slid closer and leaned down to be eye-level with Garret before he grinned. “I can be creative. I was just being nice.”

“That’s the problem with you lot. You’re always too nice.”

“Oh, really?” Gunner slid off the table. “Well, we’ll have to remedy that.” Without even thinking, he swung his foot at the back leg of Garret’s chair.

One would have thought there was little Garret could do, especially with his hands and feet bound. But as his chair toppled over, he tucked and rolled to the side. Using his hands for leverage on the floor, his legs came straight around, taking Gunner’s feet out from under him. It was hard to tell exactly what happened next, but the end result was Gunner flat on his back with a knee in his ribs and the chain of Garret’s handcuff’s across his throat.

Watching in the other room, Reese wasted no time in heading for the door, pausing only to hit the intercom. “Hal!” he barked. “Get in here.”

Justin just rolled his eyes. “That certainly didn’t take long.” He’d imagined Gunner would take a few more minutes than that to rile their subject. He sighed, but despite the extremely short-lived interrogation, he’d already learned a lot.

In the other room, Gunner struggled under Garret’s weight, helpless as he groped at the handcuff chain that was cutting off his air supply. Though he tried to kick Garret off, all his wriggling did was cause Garret’s knee to dig deeper into his ribcage.

Garret glared down at him, completely in control as he put just enough pressure on Gunner’s throat to make it hard for him to breathe. “You call that creative?”

Gunner aimed a fist at Garret’s face, but Garret blocked it with the cuff’s chain, trapped his wrist and brought his own head down to slam into Gunner’s mouth before returning pressure to his throat.

The door burst open, and Garret was yanked off his prey with no mercy by the strong arms of Hal. He gave him a minor struggle, but was shoved against the wall before being manhandled back into his chair. “Sit!” Hal ordered angrily. “One more wrong move and this will be the last room you see. Got it?!”

Garret’s eyes showed no more emotion than earlier, and he didn’t respond.

“Gunner, you alright?” Reese knelt next to him with concern.

“Y…” Gunner cleared his throat, trying to breathe normally again. “Yeah. I think so,” he wheezed.

Hal offered him a hand up. “Here. You need to see Rick?”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Gunner glanced back to Garret and wiped his bloody lip. The whole ordeal had lasted only moments, but it was enough to be just a bit unnerving. He’d been caught totally off guard.

“Alright, my turn.” Justin interrupted the scene, his backpack slung over his shoulder. “C’mon, guys, give a man room to breathe.”

Reese pulled him to the side, very much irritated. “Did you not see what he just did? I don’t think this is the time for a counseling session.”

Though Justin was just a bit offended, he held his temper. “This was Gunner’s fault,” he pointed out quietly. “That man you have there? He can take out anyone he wants any time he wants. Nothing is keeping him here but his own will. Whether I’m in here with him or not is no more risk than if I stayed in the other room.”

Reese’s jaw tightened. “What have you observed that you’re not telling me?”

“Plenty. But you’re gonna have to trust me. I dare say Garret is the most dangerous man who has ever been in this building, and if you want to play it safe, then just put a bullet in his head. Otherwise, let me work like you called me in here to do. I know the risks.”

Though displeased, Reese relented. “Fine. But if you’re gonna try to play interrogator, at least see if you can get him to answer those questions I listed for Gunner.” He turned. “Hal, Gunner – come with me.” They would leave as Justin requested, but they would be right next door. And Reese would not hesitate to use lethal force if Justin got in trouble.

Finally alone in the quiet room, Justin approached the table and sat down, letting his backpack sink to the floor. “Nice moves back there.”

One of Garret’s eyebrows arced. “Thank you?”

Justin grinned. “You might have gone a little far for my tastes, but you looked pretty cool doing it, and Gunner had it coming to him.”

“Oh, I get it. Good cop, bad cop routine.” Garret shook his head. “You guys really aren’t very creative.”

Justin laughed. “Actually, I’m being honest. Acting isn’t my thing and…I’m pretty sure you’d see through it anyway.” It grew quiet as he withdrew a notepad and pen from his bag, along with a protein bar that he shoved in Garret’s direction.

Garret looked at it, then back up at Justin. “What’s this for?”

“You didn’t have any breakfast. That’s all.”

Garret hesitated, but finally unwrapped the bar to eat it.

On the other side of the mirror, Reese smirked. “How’d he know he’d eat that after he’d refused breakfast?”

Inside the interrogation room, silence ruled. Justin jotted down a few notes as Garret finished the bar. Eventually, he set aside his pen and leaned back in his chair to study the prisoner.

Garret met his gaze with no new interest apart from a newly growing curiosity. “I know a lot about your operations here, but I don’t recognize your face.”

“Ah.” Justin shrugged. “I’m just contract labor.”

“I’d hate to think what your job might be.”

“I just wanna know what you want.”

Garret cocked his head. “Shouldn’t that be what I’m supposed to ask? You’re the one who insisted on this particularly enlightening discussion.”

“I don’t like games any more than you do,” Justin stated flatly. He stared Garret in the eye. “You’re unbreakable, and I don’t intend to test that theory just to confirm I’m right. So let’s pretend we just went through the whole routine of feeling each other out and assume we both have a low tolerance for holding this thing up any longer.”

The first sign of emotion emerged as a slight curl to Garret’s lips. He leaned forward on the table. “Psychiatrist?”

“Mm, good guess, but I’m afraid I’m too unconventional to pursue psychiatry, not to mention I probably could use a psychiatrist myself half the time.”

“So what is your job here?”

“Let’s just say I’ve been asked to evaluate whether or not you’re worth our time and effort. And I don’t like beating around the bush, so let’s get to it. I have other things I need to get done today.”

“And if I don’t talk?”

Justin shrugged. “I don’t care. I get paid the same. You know we’d like information – there’s no point denying that. But we don’t want it badly enough to sit here all day treating you like an uncontrollable teenager we’re trying to win over with bribes.”

Garret’s eyes darkened. “All I want is safety.”

“You know safety from the Agency can be offered but never guaranteed.”

“The effort is all I want.”

“And in exchange?”

“I’ve been over this ten times. I don’t know who killed Alec Banks, but I can help find out. That, and who’s been in charge of Carson’s case so they can be taken down.”

Justin sighed. “Can you?”

“I have information. I know how to get into the system. I know where the moles exist. I know names and passwords.”

“So? We’ve already got plenty to go on.”

“Yet you’ve gotten nowhere.”

“Can you guarantee you can locate the men who killed Alec?”

“Just as much as you can guarantee my safety.”

Justin quietly studied Garret, taking his time. He glanced at Reese’s list. “Why do you want out of the Agency?”

Garret’s gaze remained stone cold. “My reasons are my own.”

“Then we’re through.” Justin stood, ready to leave.

“What, that’s it?” Garret hadn’t expected that one. “What’ll you do with me now?”

“That’s not my department. But Reese will probably have you sent to prison where you’ll undoubtedly serve a life sentence. You leave him very little choice.”

Justin made it all the way to the door before Garret stopped him. He couldn’t go to prison. He couldn’t lose Victoria forever. “Look, I don’t know what more to give. I’ve told you all the ways I can help you. What else do you want?”

Justin glanced over his shoulder. “I asked you a simple question you refused to answer. If we can’t talk on equal terms, we have no reason to trust you will actually help us.”

Garret’s eyes dropped and he fell quiet again until he heard Justin open the door to leave. “Why shouldn’t I want out of the Agency? Being manipulated by a mad man can be tiring.”

Justin looked back again, keeping silent track of his fast-growing observations. “But why now? You’ve been under his rule for years – although with quite a bit of authority from what I hear.”

More years than Garret cared to remember. And the authority? It only went so far. His answer came out rather quietly. “A man’s soul eventually grows thin, and he has to make a choice between losing it forever, or taking it back. I chose to take it back. I’ll not allow Medridge to steal one more day from my life.”

Justin slowly shut the door and returned to the table, taking his seat once more. “Why not just disappear?”

From the other room, Reese’s wonderment at Justin’s skill grew.

“I could, but…” Garret bit his tongue to keep from saying what his true intentions were. No one could know about Victoria. Not yet. “But why condemn me for wanting to inflict revenge on the one who has made me suffer for so long?”

Justin reopened his notebook and shifted the topic. “Are you alone in your little scheme to defect?”

Garret didn’t blink. “Of course I am. It would be stupid to try and leave the same time as someone else.”

“So you’re alone in your feelings that Medridge has been a dictator?”

It took a little more effort for Garret not to let his eyes betray him as his mind immediately thought of Victoria. “If I’m not, I wouldn’t know. To speak of it would mean instant death.”

“Hmm.” Justin jotted down a note. “You’re obviously a very skilled man, but what would you say your highest talent is?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that.”

“Oh, don’t worry about shocking me.” Justin glanced up at him. “If your talent is breaking men’s necks with your bare hands, then so be it. With your offer to help us, I simply need to know in what capacity we could use your assistance.”

“Hand to hand combat and strategic undercover infiltration.”

“So I could put down that you’re good at getting your way.”

The subtle grin returned to Garret’s lips. “That would most likely cover it.”

“And…your weaknesses?”

“How about difficulty bending to authority?”

It was Justin’s turn to grin. “Now that, I believe. But you can’t be perfect in everything.”

“I am… perfect at nothing.” The only weakness Garret would acknowledge to himself was his love for Victoria. “But I can’t disarm bombs worth a tinker.”

Justin’s eyebrows rose as he wrote. He hadn’t expected that one. “Dare I ask how you discovered that?”

Garret fiddled with his handcuffs as he recalled the beating he’d received for clipping the wrong wire in the model bomb. He’d been fifteen at the time. But it was a forced smile that covered up his negative emotions. “I’m sure you’re imagining a smoking lab with my face blackened and hair on end.”

Justin chuckled. “Perhaps. Um… Carson indicated you did international work. Do you know any other languages?”

“Yes. I know German, French and Russian.”

“All European. Does that hint where Medridge is?”

“If you want me to tell you his location, I can’t. I’m sure you’ve all suspected he’s based in Europe – that much is true. But other than that, I’m in the dark.”

“You worked that closely with him, yet are unaware of where?”

“You’d be surprised how tightly Medridge runs things. For a man that smart, it’s not hard for him to keep even his highest ranking men in the dark.” Garret shrugged. “Coming and going requires blindfolds and windowless transportation, even for me.”

“What about the drivers?”

“Medridge has two. And as far as I know, they are the only two, other than Medridge himself, who have an inkling about where they actually are. And as such, their lives hang in the balance.”

Justin nodded. “I see. So back to the issue at hand. Surely there are other ways to inflict revenge on Medridge other than joining up with the Elite.”

“Of course. But…the Elite is in the United States, far from Medridge – though not out of his reach, obviously. And the Elite can offer assistance in keeping me alive.”

“Why through Carson? A virtual enemy.”

“Because he’s one of the best. And he knows of me and has the most opportune situation for me to help and prove my genuineness.”

Justin paused his writing and glanced up. “So basically Carson provided the best route into the arms of the Elite, and your being here has nothing to do with what happened with Alec.”

Garret sighed. “I’m resourceful. Yes, Carson was my best bet because he’s running on emotions. But make no mistake – I believe Alec’s death was unjust, not to mention the harm done to Misty. I may have a heart of stone, but I recognize undo violence.”

“As much as you’ve inflicted yourself?”

“Just because I’ve done wrong doesn’t mean I’ve agreed with it, nor does it mean I can’t make different decisions now.” Garret cocked his head. “Or does it?”

Justin played with his pen. “Everyone can change if they want, and everyone has a right to. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, nor does it mean everyone around you will accept or trust a change of heart.”

“But that’s where you come in, isn’t it?”

“How do you mean?”

“You’re the coolest cat in this whole bunch. Your confidence comes from your ability to read people and you do not read me as a threat to yourself. In which case, you’re going to leave here and recommend to Reese that he let me help find Alec’s killers. In turn, others will learn to trust me all because of your word.”

Justin grinned. “Fascinating.”

“That I’m right, or that you actually believe me?”

“That you like to observe almost as much as I do. I can’t guarantee what Reese will allow though. He trusts me, but I can’t sway him if he doesn’t want to be.”

Garret glanced at the mirror, knowing full well he’d been watched this entire time. “That, I believe.”


… “So do you really think I’m going to let him in?”

Justin paused inside the nextdoor room, backpack slung over his shoulder. He cocked his head at Reese’s question before eying the other men. Garret had been left in the interrogation room for now. “I’d rather not answer that since it is entirely up to you.”

“Well, I have to admit, I’m impressed with how much you got him to talk.”

“Eh. It wasn’t me. He was willing, once he knew I wouldn’t jump down his throat.”

“Think we can trust him?”

“Of course not,” Gunner scoffed. “If you do, you’re not as bright as I thought.”

Reese gave him a warning glance. “Your perception is clouded with emotion like everyone else’s – don’t deny it. This requires logic and strategy. If Garret can indeed lend assistance without major fallout, then we’d be foolish not to take advantage of it.”

“And if he’s lying through his teeth?” Gunner shook his head. “If you give him freedom, he could bring us all to ruin.”

“Or just kill us all.” Justin looked between the men innocently. “What? He’s got the capability. There’s nothing but his own choice that’s keeping him in that room. If he’s here to cause ruin, he could have done it by now, I dare say within half an hour of waking up this morning. But he didn’t.”

Gunner licked his now-dried lip. “So you think he’s actually telling the truth?”

“I think he’s got himself in a tough spot and we’re his way out. And as such, he’s willing to help.”

Reese sighed and folded his arms. “He wants safety. Do we have any other leverage?”

“You mean something he’s scared of that we can use as a threat?”

Reese cocked his head at Justin’s unusually sensitive tone. “Perhaps. If you want to put it that way.”

“You heard my entire conversation.” Justin shrugged. “It would be hard to find anything to faze him. He’s been trained to control his emotions, which isn’t in our favor when it comes to threats. We don’t know how long he’s been in the Agency, but it was at least as long as Carson was, and you all know they make robots out of everyone – especially the strong ones. If he’s got a weak spot, it’ll be nearly impossible to find. And that’s a big if.”

“Hmm.” Reese looked back into the other room where Garret remained motionless. “ So in other words, we have very little to go on…except what he tells us.”


…It was just a short while later that Justin was back in his truck, heading to his appointment with Mackenzie, then a short visit with Carson, then back home and hopefully dinner with Beth tonight. But even with all that on his mind, something else was bothering him more. He hadn’t lied to Reese. But he hadn’t been completely open either, and he didn’t like it that he’d done that. It wasn’t his norm to run on emotions in these cases, let alone this one, but something had held him back, and he wasn’t even sure why. But it bothered him. It bothered him that he’d taken this type of risk with that dangerous of a man…

…Justin swirled his fork in his spaghetti, playing more than eating. He’d had Beth over to his place tonight for dinner and a movie, and he’d tried his best to be good company, but he felt he wasn’t doing a very good job. 

His eyes drifted up to Beth, and he gave her half a smile. “Ever have one of those days when you have no idea if something you did was right or wrong?”


Aaron thumbed through a magazine with disinterest, even less entertained by the view outside the commercial airliner’s window. He might find enjoyment in the fact that he was wedged in a seat next to Victoria, but her cold shoulder kept any of those thoughts at bay. Collens and Kirk were in separate seats further back in the plane to keep their group split in half and avoid looking too much like they were together. They had a long flight across the ocean that was going to give all four of them tense nerves if they weren’t careful. Once they reached New York, there were two leads – one to Washington, and one to Nevada. Kirk and Collens were to go to Washington, while Aaron and Victoria would go to Nevada. Aaron knew good and well that Victoria had chosen that route because she suspected the Elite’s involvement, and that was a stronger lead. Just as long as they found Garret, Aaron didn’t care how they got there. 

He returned the magazine to the seat pocket and sighed with boredom before flagging down a stewardess and asking for a drink. He might as well enjoy part of this flight.

Disapointed.

Scarlet's eye still searches Eli's face. Was there truth in what he said? She'd never doubted him before, but there was just something that was not right and maybe he wasn't lieing but he wasn't telling her the whole truth either and it bothered her alot.

   "We've always told each other about everything. You know my past, you know my job, you know every little detail about me because the only way this relationship was going to work was being that way, and you new that going into it Eli."

Standing Scarlet just looks at Eli for a long moment. She didn't like how she felt, she didn't want to leave but she had too. She wouldn't put herself through this position again, she refused to no matter what she had to stick to her guns and let Eli know she really mean what she said.

   "I have to get goings. I'm disappointed Eli, I thought this was going to be different because we put everything out on the table. I guess I put to much faith in that. I'm sorry."

Turning Scarlet heads for the door picking up her jacket along the way. Getting there the door opens and Ryan enter. Study's the young girl for a second she just gives her a big hug. She looked tired, sad, and not her normal self. It made Scarlet's hear ache.

   "Hang in there Ryan."

Letting her go she makes her was out the door and down the steps to her bike. It had been a long day already and the night seemed even longer now. Just standing for a long moment Scarlet didn't want to ride yet, she was to upset.

Watching Scarlet leave Ryan looks into the living room where her brother was. That was strange Eli didn't walk her out. Maybe they were having a fight or something. Ryan didn't know other than it was just odd.

   "I'll be in my room if you need me Eli."

Looking up at Ryder Thirteen gives a small nod. Leave it to to make her feel better. He just had that way about him. It was only thing she loved. She felt so safe with him, and even on the darkest days he could make it shine.

   "Thank you Ryder, for always just being you."

Just sitting on the couch Misty was lost in thought. It was so quiet there, so lonely. She use to a long time ago like the quiet, being along, and just having everything to herself. It was a welcomed feeling. But now after having Alec around, having Mac there, Carson or Jason...now she hated it. There was to much time to stew, to much time to think. To much time to miss those she had loved and lost.

Hearing her phone go off Misty slowly picks it up looking at the number. She was thankful it was Carson even if she did show a little emotion. She always did love his poems and right now it was nice to read one.  She didn't think tomorrow night she was busy, and not being in the house alone sounded good.

  Coffee sounds great. Any time if fine. I'll meet you there.