Chapter 10: The Three Doors (Part 2)

Part 1

Saunders walks to the next door over. He opens it to reveal Nico, a notorious crime leader who was apprehended by Saunders and his team. The two of them stare at each other for a moment.

Nico
What do you want, now?

Saunders
You know one of your men survived that night.

Nico
Go to hell.

Saunders pauses and gives a small smirk.

Saunders
We thought we got everyone and burned the place down. We forgot to account for the fact that your men were using the Pod to revive themselves. I’m guessing this individual used it more than the others.

Nico
Kevin.

Saunders laughs.

Saunders
Kevin? Really?

Nico just looks very annoyed with Saunders.

Saunders
No, sorry, Kevin is a nice name for a member of a criminal organization. The point is that Kevin was found the next day. He wasn’t in the best shape, but he was alive. We weren’t the ones who found him.

Nico looks towards Saunders.

Saunders
You can imagine how upset we were. We thought we were in the clear. Then the photo was sent to us. The person who took it was mocking us.

Nico starts to laugh until Saunders starts laughing with him.

Saunders
Yes, it was funny. Then Kevin checked in to a hospital.

Nico stops laughing.

Saunders
Yes. That’s bad news for everyone. Not that I care, but it was the worst news for Kevin. He had basically signed his death warrant by checking in to a hospital. Of course, he kept quiet. That helped delay our problems. So we thought we could take care of it before it went out of hand. We were going to transfer him here. Maybe give you a friend in this dark, dreary cell. We were offering him a chance and it was taken away. By the time we got to him, he was missing.

Saunders shows Nico a picture of Gabriel.

Saunders
This is the man who took him. His name is Daniel Fields. He’s not really the problem, though. It’s his accomplice.

Nico
Accomplice?

Saunders
Lisa Fields.

Nico starts laughing again.

Nico
Lisa Fields is no accomplice to anything. She’s just a simple suburban mother whose family does very well for themselves. You have your information wrong.

Saunders
Oh that’s right. You said you knew something about Lisa Fields, right? It wouldn’t happen to be where she’s hiding is it? Because that information is useless now. She’s gone again.

Nico continues to laugh.

Nico
You really suck at your job.

Saunders
Just tell us how to find her and we promise to locate your friend and bring him back here safely so long as he doesn’t go public with what happened.

Nico
Jason, come closer.

Saunders leans in to see what the man has to say. Unfortunately, after his time in the cell, he smells absolutely rotten. Saunders tries to ignore the smell as he listens to Nico.

Nico
They always mess up once, trust me.

---

2 Days ago

Gabriel is talking to someone as he sits in his car.

Gabriel
I messed up. I shouldn’t have agreed to go back there. I thought I was careful. I’m sorry.

---

20 minutes later

Lisa, Ryan and the Wilson’s are at Bloopers celebrating Ryan’s Birthday. It is an average arcade except it has a dining area . The noise from the machines almost drowns out the off-tune singing.

Everyone (singing)
Happy birthday to you!

Ryan blows out his candles.

Mary
Alright, present time.

Mary takes out some gifts.

Mary
This one’s from all of us.

Ryan opens it. It’s a new model of a popular digital book reader.

Ryan
Cool, thanks!

Mary
Charlotte and Mason picked it out.

Charlotte
I remember you told me you like to read books. We already loaded it with a few books for you. There’s a good chance you might have read these ones but I think they usually start having you read these for high school English classes.

Tom
Oh, I almost forgot. Melissa, my firm is giving you your own tablet so you will be able to work at home if you need to.

Lisa
Really? Well, thank you.

Tom’s phone rings.

Tom
Speaking of work, I have to take this. Excuse me.

Tom leaves to take the call.

Mason
Alright, can we play some games now?

Mary
What about the cake?

Mason
We just ate. We need to work off that meal before we can eat again.

Mary
Alright, fine.

The kids get up and run to some arcade games. Just as Tom walks back.

Tom
Sorry, they need me to come in.

Mary
But we took one car.

Tom
I know. Lisa, could you watch the kids until Mary comes back?

Lisa
Of course. I don’t mind.

Mary
Thank you.

The two of them leave. Lisa looks around for the kids. Mason is challenging Ryan to a basketball toss game. Charlotte is playing an old video game that was popular when Lisa was a kid. She keeps looking around and notices a man with a hat and sunglasses drinking coffee at a table in the corner. When Lisa takes a good look at the man, he takes off his glasses and waves her over. Lisa can’t believe it. She walks over to the table, almost in tears and puts her arms around her father.

Lisa
I thought I’d never see you again.

Joe
I know; me too.

They both sit down and try not to draw any attention.

Lisa
What are you doing here?

Joe
Well I had to be here for my grandson’s birthday.

Lisa looks around.

Lisa
He seems a little pre-occupied.

Joe
Yes, I guess I didn’t fully think this through.

Lisa
I have so many questions. How did you get us new identities? What do you know about Adam?

Joe
I know you have a lot of questions, and I will answer as many as I can in time.

Joe slides Lisa a phone.

Lisa
What is this?

Joe
This is to get a hold of me. Unfortunately, I might not always be able to answer it, so leave a voice mail.

Lisa
Wouldn’t they be tracing your calls?

Joe
Not with this phone.

Lisa
Can you at least tell me if it’s true?

Joe
If what’s true?

Lisa
Is Adam really dead?

Joe
You haven’t seen the news?

Lisa
Well, Dan... er, Gabriel said not to believe everything on the news.

Joe
Well maybe he knows more than I do. I’m sorry, Lisa, I don’t know anything else.

A few more tears slide down her cheek.

Joe
Hey, why don’t I take Ryan back with me? He’ll be safe with me. He’s not in trouble at all.

Lisa
I thought about that, dad, but there’s a list of reasons why I can’t do that.

Joe
I know we didn’t really have much of a relationship while you were growing up, but I promise he’ll be my full attention.

Lisa
You know you can’t promise that. Besides, that’s not the only reason.

Joe
Well how about Susan? I’m sure she and Dylan will be happy to take Ryan in.

Lisa
Ryan’s just started a new life here. Maybe if I had the slightest hint of danger I would consider it but that would mean I can’t see him again. The last time I talked to Adam he said he did what he did so that we could still be a family.

Joe
I understand.

Lisa
Why don’t you go to the house and wait for us there? I’m sure Ryan would be happy to see you.

Joe
I would love to but I’m afraid my trip here has to be cut shorter than I expected.

Lisa
You’re leaving already?

Joe
I’m sorry but there are some things that have come to my attention that I need to take care of. Just know that I’ll always be looking out for you and Ryan and that I love you very much.

Lisa
Will I see you again?

Joe
As long as I’m still alive.

---

20 minutes ago

Gabriel
... I’m sorry.

Joe
It’s not your fault.

Gabriel
All this for a guitar.

Joe
Do you know how Ryan got that guitar? His father gave it to him.

Gabriel
I need to go to Lisa’s new place.

Joe
It’s a little dangerous in this car. There are cameras around. I’m sure the FBI will figure out about our discussions if they get a hold of them.

Gabriel shows Joe his camera scrambler.

Gabriel
I believe a subsidiary of your corporation makes these.

Joe
All that does now is leave a footprint of where you’ve been.

Gabriel
At least you’re still safe.

Joe pauses for a moment.

Joe
You told the agents I was up to something, didn’t you?

Gabriel
Maybe. I bet you told someone about me, too.

Joe
It’s funny; even though we’re extended family, regularly see and help each other - especially when it comes to protecting my daughter - we still somehow see each other as enemies.

Gabriel
I guess you could say that. The only thing I have against you is who you associate with and what you’re trying to do.

Joe
What am I trying to do?

Gabriel stays silent.

Joe
Well, I don’t have anything against you. I guess it’s just really convenient to use you to get what I want.

Gabriel
So we really shouldn’t trust each other.

Joe
No. But who else are we going to trust?

Gabriel
I told them about you as a distraction to help get information to keep Lisa safe.

Joe
If you can believe it, so did I.

Gabriel
I need another distraction.

Joe
I know.

Joe opens the door.

Joe
But right now, I’m late for a birthday party.

---

The next day

Thompson
So the plate that was given to us belongs to a Mr. Morgan Casey. We looked it up and it seems that this man has a lot of vehicles.

Saunders
What is he rich? How is that possible?

Thompson
I assume because he owns a dealership; it’s legal on paper but it still looks shifty to me. I looked up licenses of customers he’s sold cars to and half of them don’t have photos in the database, almost like it needs to be updated. Almost all of them are fake names. This guy’s doing something illegal. Should we investigate?

Saunders
Seems more like something for the regular FBI to handle. We’ll contact Jonah and he can handle it, but only tell them after we get the info we need. Look through that database. If Daniel Fields got a car from this guy he’s probably using an alias so look closely at each name on that list. There’s also a chance if he’s staying with Ms. Fields that she also has a fake I.D. from this guy. Look for names that are similar to Lisa, that’s a good start. What was the fake name that this plate got us?

Thompson
It’s not coming up. Security seems tight on a few owners but we’ll crack it.

Chang
Sir! Joe Tyler is back!

Saunders
What?

Chang
He just entered his house now.

Saunders
Call Bennett. Tell him the old man is back. I’ll meet him there.

---

Lisa is in the kitchen as Ryan walks in.

Lisa
Did you enjoy your birthday yesterday?

Ryan
Yes.

Lisa
I’m making a sandwich for you. What do you want?

Ryan
Do we have pickles?

Lisa
Really? The first thing you say when I ask what you want on your sandwich is ‘pickles’?

Ryan
You know I like pickles.

Lisa
There’s other stuff in a sandwich, you know.

Ryan
Where’s uncle... um... I mean, where’s Gabriel?

Lisa
I don’t know. I thought he would be home since he left your guitar here.

Ryan
I can’t believe you had him get my old guitar.

Lisa gives Ryan the jar of pickles.

Lisa
Here. You know I have trouble opening a new jar.

Ryan
I can’t.

Lisa
Why?

Ryan
I was playing my guitar all night and my fingers hurt.

Lisa
I didn’t hear you playing.

Ryan
Well I don’t have an amp.

Lisa
Fine. I’ll try opening it.

Lisa twists off the top like it was nothing.

Ryan
Wow. That seemed really easy.

Lisa is confused but suddenly she starts remembering her visit to her optometrist. First her vision seemed to improve almost overnight, and now she is strong enough to open a new pickle jar without trouble. Maybe Dr. Flemming was right. Maybe there was some kind of evolutionary event that she was going through...

---

Saunders is driving to Joe’s house. He stops behind a minivan The light turns green but the car isn’t moving.

Saunders
Come on, buddy, move!

Saunders looks at the license plate and suddenly realizes what car he’s starring at. The car starts screeching its tires and takes off. Saunders puts on a siren and follows the car as he calls for backup.

---

Bennett is at Joe’s doorstep.

Joe
Where’s Jason?

Bennett
He’ll be here soon. I think I can start the questions.

Joe
I thought you’d come when I got back. Come on in.

To be continued...