PART 3
Saturday, June 7
9:06 AM
Sloan is stunned by Mark's words. "Lewis!" She turns to look at Ed then stares at
Walter. "How is that possible, Walter? We saw your men take him away. Your boss was going
to..."
Walter's words from yesterday come to her mind. 'My boss has her own agenda, Sloan.'
"She let him go didn't she, Walter?" She shakes her head in disgust, walks over to Ed's
bed, and sits down slowly.
Mark directs his men to stand guard around the cabin. "Keep me posted on any irregular
activities, do you understand?" His men nod their heads in agreement and follow orders .
"Mr. Peterson, I have some news on the van. Is there some where we can talk...in
private?" Mark says softly while the two men stand at the door. "I don't wish for Dr. Parker to
hear this information."
Ray looks at him in concern, then says, "Sure, let me grab my coat and we can step
outside."
Sloan notices their departure and walks to the door. Mark senses her presence and turns.
"Please excuse us, Dr. Parker. I need to speak with Mr. Peterson alone." The door shuts
abruptly in her face and she turns to glare at Walter and Ed.
"What's that all about?" Both men shrug their shoulders as Sloan opens the door and is
ushered back inside by one of the soldiers. With no other choice available she moves to the
kitchen window to watch them.
Walking beyond the cabin, Mark tells Ray, "My team was unable to find any clues in the
van."
"I tried to tell you that," Ray remarks with a slight tone of apprehension.
Mark stares at Ray for a moment then answers, "Be that as it may, Mr. Peterson, we have
to lead Dr. Parker to believe my team did find something in the van." He looks to the hillside
near the cabin where several of his guards are standing, then continues. "With the threat of
Lewis knowing your location I'm afraid he may also know of my involvement with you and the
members of your team. In turn, he may very well learn about my involvement with the peace
faction. We also have to be concerned with Dr. Attwood's boss learning our location. One of my
guards found this homing device on the back bumper of his vehicle this morning." Mark hands
Ray the bug, which has been deactivated.
"This is just great,' Ray remarks while shaking his head and deposits the bug into his coat
pocket.
Mark hesitates for a moment as his driver seeks his counsel. The men speak quietly for a
moment as Ray patiently waits. "When I left here last night, I learned from my lieutenant that
one of our operatives made contact. This operative is a woman; one of my loyal peace faction
members. But she is also Lewis's adjutant. She has seen Tom at Lewis's compound."
"Why didn't you tell all of us this when you arrived, Ward?" Ray asks in anger.
"I have my reasons, Mr. Peterson. This information must be kept from Dr. Parker.
Despite her good intentions I cannot risk her interference." He pauses and stares at the cabin.
He can see Sloan watching them from the window. He can sense her urgency and knows she
will be difficult to handle.
"My operative, Cassandra, has been ordered to get Tom out of Lewis's compound to a
designated meeting point twenty miles outside the city. My men and I will be there waiting for
contact tonight. I would like you to accompany us, but under false pretenses. I can't stress how
important it is that Dr. Parker not be informed of our plans."
"But, she has to know, Ward," Ray reacts harshly.
"She will be told when the time is right, Mr. Peterson. Given her lack of training I can't
risk our mission because of her inexperience."
"Do you expect me to lie to her?"
"I'm sure you'll do what needs to be done in order to guarantee Tom's safety. Isn't that
right, Mr. Peterson?"
Ray agrees hesitantly, then they return to the cabin.
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Saturday, June 7
9:06 AM
Cassandra did not expect Lewis to come to Tom's room so suddenly. She sensed his
presence a moment before he entered. She hesitates in answering him, then says, "I volunteered
to administer the next phase of Tom's medication. I wanted to make sure his transformation is
complete."
Lewis stares at her for a second. "We will discuss this later. I have an important meeting
to attend right now. Meet me in my office this afternoon at 1 o'clock. Until then make sure you
complete all your duties."
She nods her head in agreement, "Of course, Sir." As he leaves the room, she slowly
turns back to discover Tom sleeping soundly. She relaxes her stance and eases the needle from
inside her shirt sleeve and slides it into a plastic bag for immediate disposal.
Cassandra spends the remainder of the morning performing her duties, then reports to
Lewis's office. Upon entering the hallway, she discovers the triumvirate -- the three highest
ranking men of their people. She has never seen them at the compound before, but she knows
who they are instantly because of the emblems they wear on their shirts. No one else among
their people wear adornments on their clothing; only the triumvirate.
As they exit his office, Lewis introduces her. "Gentlemen, this is Cassandra, my
adjutant." The men stare at her, then nod at Lewis and depart. "Please, come in Cassandra. I
will be with you in a moment."
She watches from the doorway as Lewis escorts the triumvirs down the hall. For any
dominant to have the opportunity to meet these men is considered an honor, but Cassandra
senses tension in the air. In the months she was required to follow Tom, she began to understand
the human emotion of unease. As she stepped back into the room and sensed Lewis's return, that
emotion became very strong.
"Cassandra, I asked you to meet with me because I have some very important
assignments for you," Lewis says sternly as he closes the door. He senses her thoughts about the
council men. "The triumvirs have been following your progress while you were under my
direction." She looks at him slowly. "Yes, you can be pleased by that Cassandra. That status is
only given to a select few of our people. However, I am concerned about your presence in Tom's
room. Why were you really there?"
She stares at him for a moment. "Just as I told you, Lewis. I volunteered to administer
Tom's medication. You told me he seemed to respond well to me. The examiners told me he
tended to fight them during his treatments. I thought perhaps he would remain calm if I were
there. It was not my intention to disobey an order."
He stares at her briefly, then tells her she made the right decision. "Tom must be kept on
the schedule prescribed; otherwise his reprogramming will fail. In fact, he should be ready to
complete his assignment very soon. Which brings me to the other reason I asked you to meet
with me. I want you to assist me with Tom's move this evening, and when the time comes, you
will make sure he eliminates the humans."
She looks at him with a puzzled expression, then he continues. "I need someone I can
depend on to oversee Tom. As you said, he does respond well to you. That is mainly due to
your remarkable resemblance to Dr. Parker."
She nods in agreement and remembers Tom's reaction to her earlier. "Yes, he thought I
was Sloan when I gave him his medication this morning."
Lewis smiles briefly then begins to tell her some of his plans. "The humans will be led to
our location by a clue I left at their safe house. It may take Dr. Parker and those scientists some
time to determine the significance, but once they do, they will come and the plan will be
complete. I am depending on you to make sure Tom is ready."
The words seem harsh to her, but she remains stoic. She begins to mask herself so Lewis
will not detect her thoughts. She remembers for a brief second what her contact told her. "Get
Tom out the first opportunity you have. It is imperative you stop the reprogramming."
She hears Lewis say, "Do you understand, Cassandra?"
"Yes, Lewis. I understand completely."
"Good! I must leave the compound. When I return, we will move Tom. I have ordered
the guards to keep all personnel out of his room until this evening. You will not be permitted to
prepare him for transport until 8 PM. Once he is ready to be moved, you must report to Passage
23 to await further orders." She stands at attention as he exits the room. She watches him walk
down the hallway, then begins to formulate a plan to get Tom out.
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Saturday, June 7
1:30 PM
As Tom sleeps in his room, the formula Cassandra gave him begins to take affect. He
struggles restlessly with the blanket on his bed, clenching it with his fists, then tugging it
forcefully from underneath him. The medication in his system is battling for control, but the
counteractive medicine is beginning to win the struggle.
His mind is racing with visions of his childhood and the absence of his mother. The
dream turns frightening as he remembers shooting his mother and turning to find Lewis smiling
at him. Then he has a vision of Lewis holding a gun at him and Sloan in a small room. Abruptly
he sees Sloan in her apartment. She is dressed in a slip and a blue robe, hurrying up the stairs to
her bedroom to dress for the day ahead of them. Only then to see her crying as she releases him
from ropes holding him to pillars in a dark, cold room.
Events since meeting Sloan begin to unfold in his mind but the images appear in confused
patterns. He tosses and turns in his sleep as sweat rolls down his face. The formula administered
by Cassandra begins to purify him by eliminating the stimulus of drugs already in his system.
As he begins to mumble indiscernible words, he quickly rises from bed and shouts,
"Sloan." Despite his actions, he lays back down and continues to sleep.
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Saturday, June 7
1:35 PM
Hours after Mark's arrival, Sloan's emotions are still in upheaval. She stares at Tom's
watch, which she has held tightly in her hand since Mark handed it to her this morning. She
looks over at the table where Mark, Ray and Walter are talking. 'They've been there all morning,'
she thinks. After looking at the watch she discovers the time, 'And afternoon it seems.'
She then glances over to see Ed has fallen asleep. He spent most of the morning trying to
keep her calm, but despite his attempts, she spent most of the day pacing. As she makes another
lap around the cabin, she can hear only snippets of their conversation. Ray's words are clear,
though. "Are you sure this will work, Mark?" The voices are then muffled by her own thoughts
of Tom and...Lewis. 'How can he be free?' she thinks. 'It can't be true.'
Sloan jumps when Grace lightly touches her shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to
startle you." Sloan turns and Grace sees her pale complexion. "Oh, my goodness, Sloan. Are
you okay?"
She moves her head erratically and says softly, "I'm fine, Grace." All the while she is
rubbing her thumb across the face of Tom's watch. Grace pulls Sloan into her arms and hugs her.
"Please sit down, Dear. Have you eaten any thing at all today?" Grace hesitates for a
moment then adds, "You look so pale, Sloan. Please sit down and let me get you something to
eat."
She pulls away suddenly and blurts out. "Leave me alone, Grace. I'm fine. I need to..."
She rushes to the window in the kitchen and stares at the scenery. As Grace stares at her in
confusion, Sloan apologizes.
"It's okay, Sloan. I know you're worried about Tom, but things will work out." Grace
glances over at the table as Ray nods and smiles at her for a brief moment before he returns his
attention to Mark. Grace points to the men at the table and says, "I'm sure they're planning
something."
Sloan nods her head, and continues to stare out the window. She answers in a whisper,
"Yes, you're probably right...I should be with them right now, but I can't get Tom...or Lewis...out
of my mind." She fights back a sob. "Come on, Grace. I need a breath of fresh air. Will you go
outside with me for a minute?"
Grace steps into the bedroom quickly to check on Matt and discovers he is drawing in his
sketch pad. "Maybe for a minute, Sloan. Considering what Mark told us about Lewis and
Walter's boss, I don't think we should be outside for long."
Before they reach the door, Walter suddenly grips Sloan's shoulder. "Sloan, I know
Mark's news was hard for you. It's difficult for all of us." He pauses for a moment as she stares
at him "Would you please join us?"
The room falls silent as Sloan walks to the table. As she sits down, Mark begins to
explain. "My people examined the van last night, Dr. Parker. They found a clue in the side door
panel. It is an encrypted map. Some of my technicians analyzed it last night. Once decoded, the
map details a compound I believe is Lewis's base of operations." He looks to Ray, who stares at
him incredulously, then returns his attention to Sloan.
"You should have told me this earlier, Mark," she reacts in alarm.
"You seemed occupied."
She reluctantly agrees as Mark explains the plan they devised. "Mr. Peterson is going to
accompany my team and me while we check out the location. Some of my men will remain here
to stand guard in case Lewis decides to return."
Sloan reacts, "You mean you expect me to just sit here and do nothing while Lewis has
Tom? I...I can't do that." With a stern expression, she continues, "I won't do that. We need to
find Tom before it..."
Mark stands up and insists. "Dr. Parker, I'm sure you realize the danger you are all in.
Lewis knows you're here. He is in control at the moment. I cannot risk your inexperience in the
field to hinder this mission. But if you will allow me to do my job, we may be able to find Tom
and get him out before it is too late."
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Saturday, June 7
5 PM
Lewis arrives at the meeting spot and awaits her arrival. The sun is edging the horizon
and will begin to set soon. He stares out the door of the warehouse, then glimpses a bright
reflection as it bounces off the windshield of an approaching vehicle. He senses the human
woman in the silver car as it stops before him. Learning recently the limousine, which normally
transports her, was confiscated by Attwood and Peterson, makes him chuckle.
Slowly the window opens and she stares at him intensely. "What are you so happy
about?" she mutters defensively.
He stares at her for a moment, leans his head to the side, and changes his expression to a
stern glare. "Does it really matter?"
She squints her eyes and remains quiet for a moment then asks, "Well, is it complete?"
Lewis smiles slightly then nods.
"He will be prepared to complete his assignment tomorrow. As we planned, Ward's team
found the watch I left at the cabin. I am sure they are formulating a plan to rescue him as we
speak."
The woman smiles and responds, "Then, I will be at the compound as arranged. Make
sure he doesn't fail this time." The window shuts and the vehicle departs. Lewis stands in the
building for a moment and stares at the silver car.
"Yes, Veronica. You will be at the compound, but you won't make it out either."
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Saturday, June 7
5:30 PM
A force like a blunt instrument hits Tom in the stomach and he awakens suddenly. The
pain in his abdomen is excruciating. He cries out in anguish, but the technicians do not enter his
room.
'They normally come,' he thinks to himself, 'when I wake up.' He leans over the side of
the bed, groans, and begins to rock back and forth. He attempts to get up from the bed, but his
body is too weak.
Slowly he sits upright and leans against the wall. The room seems to be spinning and his
mind is unable to focus. Spots form before his eyes, then begin to spiral, pulling him back into
the dreams.
The image of the young girl, Cassandra, appears before him. She does not speak to him
rather she seems to be running away from something or someone. 'Is the image real or just more
hallucinations?' he thinks to himself. He can no longer tell what is real.
The medication Cassandra gave him earlier could be part of Lewis's plan to reprogram
him. But, if it was meant to disorient him, why does he recall Cassandra telling him "to fight."
His mind is clouded in confusion and he begins to lay back down on his bed. He reaches to rub
his forehead, then passes out.
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Saturday, June 7
6 PM
After several hours of lengthy conversation and great demands from Sloan to go with
them, Mark, several of his men, and Ray prepare to leave the cabin. He warns Sloan and the rest
of the team not to leave the cabin. "My men will be right outside. They will know if you attempt
to leave. Please, for your sake, stay inside."
Sloan is not pleased by his words, but Ed yells, "I'll make sure she says put, Mark. Just
don't keep us waiting too long. I can't guarantee what she might do if another day goes by."
Mark regards Ed with uncertainty, then leaves. Ray kisses Grace quickly and touches his
son's shoulder. "You take good care of your Mom while I'm gone, okay, Matt?"
"You know it, Dad," he answers with pride.
Ray turns to look at Sloan. His eyes ask for her to cooperate. She doesn't miss his
expression and answers, "Okay, Ray. I'll wait, but I expect you to call and let us know what's
happening. Deal?"
He agrees with a quick nod and runs out the door to join Mark at the car.
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Saturday, June 7
7 PM
After completing her required duties, which had taken the entire afternoon to finish, and
finalizing her escape plan, Cassandra approaches Tom's room. She glances at her watch quickly
and realizes Lewis will return to the compound soon. She knows he left the building because she
followed him to verify his departure. As he drove away, she could sense he was going to meet
with the human again. She has no other choice but to put her plan into motion.
As she scans the hallway for the guards, she can sense they are in the conference room
discussing the contingency plan for Tom's move. The guard stationed at Tom's door is making
his evening rounds of the adjoining hallways, affording her a limited amount of time to remove
Tom from his room.
She has to act now. She has to get Tom out before Lewis returns, before the guard
resumes his post, and before the examiners make their next visit. The third and final phase of
tests on Tom's molecular structure will show signs of the formula she gave him. Except for
Lewis and the examiners, she is the only one who has access to Tom's medication. They will
know immediately what she has done. Both their lives will hang in the balance if she doesn't act
quickly.
The formula, developed by scientists within the peace faction, has had many hours to
counteract his prescribed medication, however, his full strength will not return for another hour.
'I have no choice but to move him now,' she thinks. As she slips into his room, she finds he is
asleep. She sits down beside him, and brushes her hand across his cheek. She has seen Sloan do
this many times, but the emotions she feels are unexpected. "Tom, please wake up," she
whispers.
He opens his eyes slowly, then asks groggily, "What...is happening?" As he struggles to
sit up, she helps him.
"There isn't enough time to explain everything, Tom. You must trust me and follow my
instructions. I need to get you out of here."
"Why are...you doing this?" he questions as he attempts to stand. She braces him with
her body, and helps him to the door. She glances out the window for a moment, then whispers.
"I'm a chameleon, Tom. Just like you were."
She breathes heavily, then continues. "Several months ago, I was ordered by Lewis to
follow you. I...I had no choice." Tom tilts his head and looks at her in silence. "I soon learned
everything about you and the scientists. I began to..." She feels Tom's strength slowly return,
then senses the guard drawing close to the door. "Lie down Tom, and don't move."
The guard enters the room and confronts her. "What are you doing here? Lewis ordered
the prisoner not to be moved for another hour." Before the guard can continue, Cassandra
lunges, and breaks his neck with one movement. His body falls to the floor with a loud thud.
"What have you done?" Tom gasps as he rises from the bed.
His body is getting stronger, and he is beginning to think on his own again. "The formula
is finally beginning to work," she whispers.
"We have to go now, Tom. The other guards will be here any moment. Please trust me."
Tom looks at the dead man lying on the floor, then stares back at Cassandra. "Please Tom, we
must leave."
Reluctantly, he follows her out the door. She leads him down a labyrinth of halls, then
stops in front of a large vent. "Stay here for a minute." She closes her eyes, and scans the
building with her senses. The guards are reaching his room. "They know," she says softly.
She rushes back to Tom and points to the vent. "You can get out here. Follow the vent
until you reach the first division. Continue down the right path about ten yards. You will then
see another vent above you. When you reach that point, remain as quiet as possible. Wait for me
there no more than five minutes. If I don't come, get out and go to this location." She hands him
a sheet of paper.
As Tom enters the vent opening he hesitates and asks, "What about you? They will know
it was you who killed the guard. You won't be safe." He grips her arm as she turns to leave.
"Come with me."
"Not yet, Tom. I have to stay here and make sure the..." She senses two guards running
down the hall. She slams Tom inside the vent, warns him with one look to be quiet, and stands
against the wall. Tom retreats into the shadows of the vent and remains silent. Through the
darkness he is able to see only part of her face. She closes her eyes and her body begins to sway.
The guards run past them and continue down the hall. A moment later she stands erect and
slowly opens her eyes.
As he leans out of the vent opening he whispers, "What did you just do? The guards
didn't even sense us." She looks at him for a moment, then pushes him back into the vent.
"There's no time to explain." He stares at her, then they both sense more guards
approaching. "You have got to get to that vent. Go! Now!"
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Saturday, June 7
7:05 PM
As Sloan stands at the window of the kitchen, she begins to shiver and her mind goes
blank for a moment. She opens her eyes and has a vision. Tom is running down a long hallway.
He is breathing heavily and seems to be looking behind him for someone. He stops and looks
above him. As his breathing begins to pound in her mind, she feels a hand grip her elbow.
She reacts by shaking off the hand that touches her, then blinks her eyes several times.
She turns quickly to see Grace standing beside her. "Sloan, is everything all right? You...were
acting rather...strange."
Sloan stares at Grace for a moment, then looks back to the window. "I don't know what's
happening to me Grace. I've had the strangest feelings the last two days...about Tom. Somehow
I think he's trying to reach me. I can't explain it. In fact, Mark couldn't explain it either."
Grace looks at her with concern and places a hand on her shoulder. "I may sound like a
broken record, Sloan, but I'm sure everything is going to be just fine. Maybe you're just having a
bad reaction to your medication or your injuries. Walter and Ray both said you hit your head
really hard on the door of your car. Maybe that explains the strange feelings you're having?"
Sloan glances back at Grace for a moment as she attempts a weak smile. She also looks
at Walter, who walks into the kitchen after hearing Grace speak in concern for Sloan's well
being.
Walter adds softly, "Maybe you need to lie down for a while, Sloan?"
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Saturday, June 7
7:10 PM
Tom runs down the vent, and follows Cassandra's instructions. His mind is finally
responding to the stimulants in the formula, and he begins to fear for her safety. He soon reaches
his destination and begins to wait. 'She said five minutes, but what if she doesn't come?' he
thinks. He can't leave her behind. He can't explain why, but he feels a closeness to her. Perhaps
it's because she reminds him so much of Sloan. Perhaps it's because he knows what the guards
will do to her. And what Lewis will do to her...he doesn't even want to think that thought.
Suddenly he senses someone rushing toward him in the vent. It's Cassandra. "Tom," she
yells breathlessly. "Open the vent! The guards aren't that far behind me. I can only hold them
off for a few minutes. We have to get out of here now." She pushes at him as he climbs the
ladder. He leans down to help her up, then they hear guards shouting from outside the
compound.
"They're over there," shout several of the men. "Move in! Don't let them escape!"
"Cassandra, come on." He pulls her up the ladder with all his strength. She gets to her
feet and points to a stand of trees.
"Over there, Tom. Hurry." They run as fast as possible, and stand behind the trees as
gun shots bounce off the bark. "Stay very still, Tom." She again closes her eyes, and her body
sways. Immediately, one of the guards yells for them to move in the opposite direction and the
forest is temporarily quiet.
Tom stares at her in disbelief. "How do you do that, Cassandra?"
"I can't explain now, Tom. Do you still have the map?" He nods in agreement. "Good!
Follow it exactly and you'll be met by members of the peace faction. They will make sure you
get back to Sloan and your friends. Take this with you, too." She hands him a canvas bag she
had on her back.
He looks at her in concern. "Aren't you coming with me? It isn't safe for you here. You
have to come with..."
"No, Tom." she interrupts. "My job is done. I've succeeded in getting you out. You
must make it the rest of the way on your own. My orders were very clear. You must follow the
map. I must stay behind to make sure Lewis's men don't follow you. Now please, you must go.
I can only distract them for so long, then the guards will learn where we are. Please go!"
He looks at her with deep regard, then touches her arm. "I don't want to leave you
here...but I understand. Please be careful." She senses his thoughts of Sloan.
"I know I remind you of her." He smiles slightly and nods. Cassandra brushes his cheek
with her palm. "Good luck, Tom," she whispers as she runs back toward the compound.
A few minutes later as he heads deeper into the woods he hears gunshots ring out. Then
there is complete silence.
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