Scott gets a shock

On New Providence Island in the Bahamas, a small, private, supersonic jet touched down in Unity City's main airport. It taxied over to a private hangar and the occupants, a woman and a man, disembarked. Looking like any other travelers, they were dressed in comfortable, casual business clothes. The woman wore a blazer, while the man had a sports coat, and each carried an overnight bag. The woman also had a laptop computer case slung over one shoulder.

The pair walked together to the arrivals gate, and went through customs. Their digital passports looked authentic enough, and a harried customs official waved them through with just a cursory examination and scan of their luggage. Once beyond the terminal, the blond man hailed a cab, and the two got in, giving the driver the name of a mid-priced hotel. They got out at their destination, paid the cabby, and registered at the hotel as Mr. and Mrs. Ian Smythe.

"Oh, I am so tired," the woman said, putting the computer case on a table and her bag down on the floor, then sitting down heavily onto one of the queen-sized beds. "That stopover in Miami seemed to take forever," she remarked as she removed her high heels.

"What did you expect, Liv?" the man asked mildly. "The hired help wanted to make sure they were being paid the agreed upon amount. Hence the rigmarole with the card readers." He put his own bag down carefully on a flat surface. "Of course, what we paid them is a fraction of what we'll get for this disk." Fishing around in his coat pocket, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to her. As she waved her refusal, he slipped one between his lips, lighting it and taking a deep drag on it. He removed the jacket and as he went to hang it up, he called, "So, where is the rendezvous? I don't think you've told me."

She shucked her blazer and hung it over the back of a chair. "No, I haven't and I don't intend to."

He turned from the open closet to find that she was beginning to unbutton her light blue blouse, giving him a sly look and pursing her full lips in a sultry kiss. A grin spread over his face, and he took a last drag on the cigarette before crushing it in an ashtray. Moving over to where she stood, he finished the job with her blouse and began to unfasten the under things beneath. She reciprocated, undoing the buttons on his shirt and smoothing her hands across his tight muscles and tanned skin. He started running his hands through her peroxide blonde hair, kissing her bared skin and making her moan. Between the caresses, he whispered, "Why won't you tell me where the rendezvous is?"

Liv stopped her explorations and pulled back to look at him, her hands on his upper arms. "Because, Franks," she said, her voice husky. "As much as I needed you to pull off the hit, and as much as I like the sex, I just don't trust you."

"Hmm," he replied, his icy blue eyes boring into hers. "Let's see what I can do to change that." With that, he kissed her fiercely and pushed her back down on the bed.

Scott fidgeted in his father's chair. It was ten in the morning on the island, and Scott still hadn't heard from Jeff again. He debated whether or not to call him, or to call Brains, or even to call Alan for an update on the progress of the search. Getting up from behind the desk, he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up one wall of the lounge. Something Jeff had said was stuck in his brain, something he thought was odd, and he was trying to pry it loose.

Virgil entered the lounge to see Scott standing by the windows, arms folded, tapping one foot. "What's up, Scott?"

His brother jumped then turned, startled by Virgil's sudden question. He unfolded his arms and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I don't know. Something weird is going down in the States and I can't put my finger on it."

Virgil opened his piano bench, pulling out a folder and some blank transcription paper, preprinted with musical staff lines. "Something to do with Brains? Or with Dad?" He sat down at the piano, selected a piece of music, and began to play from the faded sheets.

"Both, actually." Scott remembered his father's admonition about not telling anyone where he was going. He had already broken that promise by telling John so he could call and make sure Jeff had arrived at Lou's safely. But this new situation changes everything, he groused internally. If only I knew why Dad wanted Alan to look for flights to the Bahamas... and why he wanted our agents in Unity City put on alert.

The insight he was looking for finally came. He said that he was basing his request on something Lou said, he realized. What could that have been? I wonder if it had anything to do with those files he emailed to me. Quickly, he returned to Jeff's desk and sat down behind it.

Virgil, his eye caught by his brother's sudden movement, stopped playing. "Scott?" he queried.

Scott ignored him for the moment and opened up the password-protected folder where he had stashed the email attachments that Jeff had downloaded. They had been run through the most rigorous anti-virus program that Brains could devise, and had come up clean. He opened the first of the files.

He sat staring for a long moment, then shouted, "Damnation!", sitting back so suddenly that the chair was pushed a least a foot towards the communications console behind him. Virgil got up and hurried to the desk.

"What's the matter, Scott?" he asked, a touch of irritation in his voice.

Scott glanced over at his brother and, without a word, turned the computer screen so Virgil could see. The pianist's mouth dropped open and he murmured, "What the hell...?"

"Exactly," Scott spat out. He lifted his wrist to his mouth and activated his telecomm. "Gordon, John, Tin-Tin! I need you in the lounge right away." John and Gordon's portraits activated, and Tin-Tin's face appeared in the screen on Scott's watch.

"Hey, Scott. What's cookin'?" "What's going on, Scott?" "How can I help you, Scott?"

"Just get up here pronto, you three," he answered. "There's something going on that you all should know about."

Various forms of acknowledgement were given, and the portraits went back to normal. Scott tapped a still-stunned Virgil's shoulder. "Get in contact with Alan, will you? Then Penelope. I'm calling Dad."

"S-Sure," Virgil stammered. He took one last look at his own portrait on the computer screen before moving over to the painting of Alan, hung up against the wall. Just as he reached it, he turned and caught Scott's eye. "Whoever did that was one lousy artist. Poor technique."

"Yeah, but it's a hell of a likeness," Scott commented. Virgil rolled his eyes, then stepped over to talk to his youngest brother. Scott shook his head and went back to dialing Jeff's satellite phone.

Brains came out of the electronics store, a medium sized bag dangling from his hand. His conversation with Deirdre had been fruitful; she had some knowledge of the fingerprint security system and was able to give him a few tips on possibly getting around it and into Lou's secret room. Hmm. A hidden room. Sounds intriguing. I wonder how she built it? he mused. I'll be interested to see what she has in this "secret sanctum" of hers.

He unlocked the sedan and opened the door just as his satellite phone rang. Picking up the device, he checked the caller identification and answered the call. Scott's face appeared in the tiny screen.

"Brains! I can't get through to Dad! What's going on over there?"

"W-Wait a moment, Scott." Brains looked in the slide out drawer under the passenger seat. He seemed to remember seeing Jeff's phone there when he pulled out his own. "Uh, Scott? Y-Your father left his phone in my rental c-car. The h-hospital doesn't allow..."

On the Scott's end of the call, Brains could hear exclamations from the other Tracy brothers and Tin-Tin. "What?" "Hospital? What happened?" "What's he doing there?" "Oh my! A hospital?" Scott shushed them and returned to Brains. "Do you have the number of the hospital? And the room?"

By this time, Brains had moved into the driver's seat and had slung his purchases onto the chair next to him. "W-Wait. Let me get it." He pulled out his PDA and quickly found the number, reading it off to Scott. "S-Scott? I-I've seen your father and he's, uh, okay. Just a small a-abrasion on one cheek. Lou, however, was smacked around and d-drugged. The doctors are observing her."

"Okay, Brains. Thanks for the update. Anything else?"

Brains put the phone on hands free, started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "Y-Yes, actually. Lou t-tells us that she, uh, recognized the voice of one of her attackers. We're trying to g-get a description of him for, uh, Lady Penelope and our other a-agents."

Scott paused. "Didn't she tell the police?"

Brains shook his head. "N-No, she didn't. Listen, Scott. This wh-whole thing is very, uh, complicated. You'd do b-better to talk to your, uh, father about it."

"I fully intend to," Scott growled. "Talk to you again soon, Brains. Goodbye." The picture winked out.

Brains sighed. This gets deeper and more twisted with every passing moment. Well, I'd better hurry back and see if I can get into Lou's house.

Jeff didn't know what woke him: the murmur of the doctor, who was talking to Lou, or the ring of the vidphone. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, then stretched, wincing as a slight cramp in his back made itself known.

"I'll get it," he offered, levering himself out of the chair, rubbing his sore and knotted neck muscles, then walking stiffly over to the phone.

"Thanks, Jeff," he heard Lou murmur. He took one look at the caller ID and groaned softly. He picked up the receiver and took the call, allowing for "voice only".

Lou turned her attention back to her doctor. "If this last sample you took comes up clear of the drug, can I please get out of here tonight?" she asked, trying hard not to sound like she was whining.

The doctor shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Ms. Myles. Once we know you're clear of the drug, we want to gradually introduce some pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, watching carefully for bad reactions. Then we'll scan your shoulder again in the morning and see if the internal swelling has gone down any and that everything is settling back into place. If it all looks good, then we'll release you then." He checked the data pad that held her notes. "This drug has got us very puzzled and I'm taking no chances with your medications."

Lou sighed and frowned. "I hate hospitals."

"I don't know of anyone who particularly likes them, Ms. Myles," the doctor said in a commiserating voice. He patted her forearm. "Rest and recuperate. My partner will see you in the morning."

"Okay, Doctor," Lou said with a resigned tone. The doctor left, leaving the door open behind him. She looked over at Jeff, who had been arguing with someone in a low tone. When the doctor departed, Jeff said, "Hold on," and put the receiver down without hanging up. Then he closed the door behind the physician, and went back to the phone.

"Scott, I tell you, I can't talk about this here and now. There's too much traffic and I never know who is going to walk in... wait, someone's at the door," he said, a touch of irritation in his voice. He put the receiver down again, and strode back to the door, muttering, "This place is like Grand Central Station." Opening it part way, he peered out, then opened it further to let Brains in, and closed it firmly behind him. The scientist took stock of the situation and sat down where Jeff had been snoozing. Lou had turned the televid on and was flipping through the channels offered, looking for something to watch. Jeff went back to the phone.

"Brains is here, Scott, and the two of us will be going over to Lou's soon. I'll talk to you on the way." A pause. "Yes, I'll tell you everything. All of you, I promise. But we've got to go before the day gets too much later. Lou? No, she's staying here overnight. Yes, I'll tell her. Okay. Goodbye, son." Jeff hung up the phone. "Whew! That was worse than Officer Mason's interrogation. And I can expect more later." He turned to Lou. "The family sends it's greetings and get well wishes. Now, how can we get into your house?"

"Bring me the phone, please. I'll call Jadzia and have her meet you there," Lou replied. Jeff did as she asked and she continued. "She's got to go over to feed the cats some dinner anyway. But don't forget to use the jammer, Jeff. Just because they've got what they want doesn't mean that they're relaxing surveillance."

He frowned. "I don't like leaving you here by yourself, Lou. Those bastards could come back."

She shook her head gingerly. "I don't think so, Jeff. I figure that since they got what they wanted, or what they thought they wanted, they'll high-tail it out of the area and deliver the goods to whoever they're working for." Lou smiled slightly. "I'm sure they don't want to tempt fate by possibly having to deal with you again. I'd say they handled you with kid gloves because they didn't want every law enforcement agency and officer in the country looking for them."

"You think they handled me with kid gloves?" Jeff asked, incredulous. "Lou, they threatened to kill me."

"Jeff, it was a threat, designed to make me do what they wanted. Franks knew it would work; he knows me well enough. What he didn't know is that I was in control. I let them think they had broken me," she replied softly, looking down. After a moment, she raised her head again and spoke more decisively. "Well, let's get you into my house so you can get your people on Franks's trail." Taking the phone, she dialed a number from memory, selected "voice only", and waited for someone to answer the phone. "Hey, Mrs. Mason. Luci here. Me? Oh, I'm looking bad, feeling worse, but actually on the mend."

A pause, then, "No, they're insisting on a overnighter. Right, they eat at seven o'clock. You know where everything is. Listen, could you do me a couple of favors while you're there? Well, one is to put together a bag of clothes for me to come home in tomorrow. Right. Just comfortable stuff and be sure the shirt is button down as I'll have a sling. That's right. Oh, thanks so much! The other is to let Mr. Tracy and his friend into the house. Yes. You did? No, I didn't hear about that. Oh, did he? You really think so?" She chuckled. "Yes, I have to agree with you."

She glanced over at Jeff with her one good eye, a slight smile on her face. "They can stay the night there if they want; Mr. Tracy is still my guest. Pull out my keys and give them the security code. It's not working? Okay, I'll deal with that later. What?" Lou sat back and sighed. "Oh, damn. I should have called her. Don't worry, Jadzia, I'll get in touch with her. Oh, and please give my PDA to Mr. Tracy, if you find it. Yeah. I expect to be making a lot of calls. Six forty-five? Okay. I'll tell him. Talk to you soon. Bye." She turned to Jeff. "Jadzia says she'll be there at six forty-five. You're both welcome to stay at the house for the night."

"Hmm. That gives me a little bit of time. First, who is it you need to call?" Jeff asked as he pulled out his PDA.

Lou shook her head and sighed. "Shelly. She heard about it on television."

"Th-That's how I heard, too," Brains said.

"Go ahead and call her. Then I'll make one more call of my own," Jeff told her.

Lou stared at the vidphone, then picked up the receiver and dialed a number she knew by heart. She again selected 'voice only' and waited for someone to pick up the phone. The phone rang and rang, but no one answered.

"Damn!" Lou said ruefully. "Shelly's not home. I hope this doesn't mean that she's on her way down here to find out what's happening for herself!"

"Might be a good thing for you if she was," Jeff rejoined. He now took his turn at the phone, moving it away from Lou's bed, calling a number from his PDA and selecting "voice and picture". After a few minutes, he hung up, a satisfied look on his face.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence, then Lou turned to Brains and asked, "Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?"

"Y-You can use my, uh, electronic note pad," Brains offered, fishing his PDA out of his jacket pocket.

She wrote something down carefully with the stylus, using her left hand. "This should be the label on the disk you need, or close to it, and the password to get into the files. All the vitals I have on Jim Franks are on it. Feel free to use the computer there; it's as secure as it can be." Brains nodded, and retrieved his PDA from her.

A moment later, a nurse entered the room and put a paper cup with two pills in it on Lou's bed tray. She poured Lou a cup of water and said, "Your blood test came up clear. This is your first dose of pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. I'm to see that you take it."

Lou picked up the tiny paper container and looked at the pills inside. They looked innocuous enough. She glanced up at the nurse. She had all the proper identification on her and looked innocent enough... but...

Brains came to her rescue. He stepped over to the bed, picked up the little cup, looked inside then asked the nurse, "Wh-What has been prescribed?"

"Naproxen," was her reply.

"Okay. I-It's safe." Brains handed the cup back to Lou. "S-See?" he said softly. "Every dr-drug is identified by its, uh, shape, color, and a number. I c-can tell this is naproxen by th-those three things."

"Thanks for the confirmation, Brains. I've had some training in what features to use in identifying drugs, but I don't have them all memorized." She dumped the pills into her mouth, following them up with a big gulp of water.

The nurse smiled. "You'll feel better very soon, Mrs. Myles," she said as she turned and walked out.

Sighing, Lou laid back against the upraised head of the bed and turned her attention to the televid, which continued to blather on about the World Government and its latest international mandates. Jeff pulled up a chair and joined her, looking frequently at his watch. Brains pulled out his PDA and went over his notes from Deirdre. They sat quietly for a while, Lou half listening to the televid while wondering where her sister was, and Jeff going over in his head what he was going to say to Scott and the rest of the family, while still glancing down at his watch. He shook his head; he was not looking forward to his mother's reaction.

There was a light knock on the door, and Jeff got up to answer it. He smiled when he saw the person on the other side and then opened the door wider to admit them. It was an elderly Asian lady, wrinkled and grey, carrying a purse and a small leather case. She shook Jeff's hand, then he guided her over to introduce her to Lou, who turned off the televid. She noticed that though old, the petite lady was still spry and had a brisk walk that belied her age.

"Lucinda, I'd like you to meet Maru Soo, our agent from over the border in Tennessee. Mrs. Soo, this is my old friend, Lucinda Myles. Mrs. Soo is going to stay with you while Brains and I run our errand," Jeff explained.

The ladies shook hands, and Mrs. Soo turned to Jeff with a frown, asking, "You said 'our agent'. She knows?"

Jeff nodded. "Yes, she does. How she came to know is the reason that she's here in the hospital. The people who put her here are still on the loose and I'm not leaving her alone for any length of time."

"Jeff, you don't..." Lou protested.

"Yes, I do," he retorted in a tone that allowed no argument. "You are not going through that again. Not if I can help it. And I can."

Lou shook her head again slowly, as Mrs. Soo looked from one to the other. Then in a cheery voice, the tiny agent said, "Well, then, Miz Myles. Looks like we're going to be getting to know one another a little bit. Do y'all play Mahjongg?"

Lou chuckled as she heard Mrs. Soo's pronounced Southern drawl. "No, Mrs. Soo, I don't know how to play."

Mrs. Soo smiled, a bright white smile of perfectly aligned teeth. "Good. Then I'll teach you, if you like."

Jeff cleared his throat. "Brains and I have got to go if we're going to meet Mrs. Mason on time. I'll be back as soon as we're finished. C'mon, Brains."

Brains got up, slipped his PDA back in his jacket pocket and headed for the door. "S-See you later."

"Jeff, you don't have to come back, you know. You can stay at the house and get a good night's sleep," Lou said, exasperated.

"No, I'm coming back. You'll be okay, Lou. Mrs. Soo will see to that," Jeff replied, giving her hand a squeeze. He nodded at the agent, then followed Brains out.

Lou sighed. "He is a stubborn one."

Mrs. Soo gazed at her for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yep. That's one of his endearing qualities."

Lou looked back at her and shook her head, laughing slightly. Then she sat up straighter. "So, how do we play Mahjongg?"

"Thought you'd never ask," Mrs. Soo answered as she opened the case, brought out the tiles, and set up the game.

Brains took Jeff out by a different entrance than through the front. "Th-There are, uh, reporters in the main lobby, and I think they're w-waiting for you."

Jeff groaned. "Thanks for thinking of it, Brains. The last thing we need is more publicity." Brains merely nodded, and led him over to the sedan.

Once in the car, Jeff let Brains take the driver's position, opting to keep his mind on what he had to tell the rest of the family instead of splitting it between driving and talking. As soon as they were inside the sedan, he dialed the island. After three rings, Scott answered the phone.

"Scott, it's Jeff."

"It's about time, Dad!" Scott said, his voice angry. "I've told everyone about your visit to Lou, so we're all on the same page as to where you are. And I told them what Brains told me about the home invasion. Now, please explain to us just what happened last night and where the hell you got the files that we've been looking through while waiting for you!"

Jeff took a deep breath and plunged in.