Vol. 2, Chapter 12: According to Plan (Part 3)

Ryan is walking around the gigantic house that belongs to his grandfather. It seems very empty. He’s walking from room to room.

Ryan
Hello? Anyone? Grandpa, Joe?

Nobody answers. He finally reaches a room that he hears voices coming from. He opens it and finds a bunch of people in suits sitting around a table having a meeting. The man heading the meeting stops talking and addresses Ryan.

Man
Hello, young man. Are you lost?

Ryan
I’m looking for my grandpa. Is he home yet?

Man
Sorry, I believe he’s still out on a business meeting.

Ryan
Then what is this supposed to be? Does he know you’re here?

Man
Aren’t there some video games or a TV you can occupy yourself with?

Ryan
I’ve never really been very interested either of them.

The man turns on the intercom.

Man
Bryce, could you please come here and escort young Mr. Fields away from the conference room, please?

Bruce
I told you sir, my name is Bruce.

Man
Yeah, okay, whatever. Listen, Bryce, we’re on a tight schedule and need this taken care of now.

Ryan
It’s okay, I’ll just leave.

Ryan walks to his room and picks up his digital book reader. He’s already read through most of the books. He looks at his guitar and thinks about the life he was just getting used to and was quickly taken away from him.

---

Joe Tyler enters a room in the secret underground location of the building the FBI operate.

Saunders
Joe! What brings you to my neck of the woods?

Joe
Just one more stop on my busy schedule today.

Saunders
You know, I talked to Bennett. You wouldn’t happen to know about the situation that’s going on in Belmont, would you?

Joe
I honestly don’t care, Jason. I came here to see my son-in-law.

Saunders
He’s busy. Working on the next big thing that will make you rich… well, richer.

Joe
Yeah, I figured as much.

Saunders
Oh, if you’re going to see Lionel at all, he may bring up Carrie Walsh.

Joe
Why?

Saunders
We sort of turned her into a spy at LifeSource and had her mention that you were the one who bailed her out of prison to clear up her story.

Joe
Carrie Walsh is working for you as a spy?

Saunders
Yes.

Joe Tyler bursts out in laughter. Saunders is taken back by this reaction.

Joe
Let me know how that works out for you.

Saunders
Alright. Anything else you need here?

Joe
Well if I can’t see my son, at least let me see him.

Saunders
Why?

Joe
I have my reasons.

---

Gabriel
You have a lot of nerve showing up here.

Joe
I know, but I figured I owed you at least a discussion to try and clear the air between us.

Gabriel
Everything that’s going on here is for you, huh?

Joe
You and I both know that’s not true.

A low buzzing sound comes from Joe’s jacket.

Gabriel
Uh, I think your phone is vibrating.

Joe
Yeah… it’s best if I don’t take that particular call right here.

Gabriel
So the government comes to you and says they want to create a new military weapon from the current Pod technology in preparation of some foreseeable war that will develop over it, and you sign on to make money off it?

Joe
More or less, but I do believe we’re doing good here. Why can’t you see the potential in what we’re trying to do here?

Gabriel
And these FBI agents…

Joe
What about them?

Gabriel
You realize why they’re doing this, don’t you? Breaking laws, focusing so much on hunting your daughter and trying to convince Adam to be a part of this? Why they seem way more interested in this than you do even though you have more at stake?

Joe
What are you getting at?

Gabriel
All they care about is power. They don’t care about this war. They don’t care about making people better or making a world a better place. They want this new machine for themselves so they can be unstoppable.

Joe
Unstoppable against who?

Gabriel
Everyone!

Joe
You’re paranoid.

Gabriel
You better believe it! Tell me you haven’t questioned their motives before.

Joe just sits in silence.

Joe
I’m sorry you feel that way, but even if that’s true that’s not going to happen. There’s too much riding on this and it will make the world a better place.

Gabriel
And it will give you a bigger cheque.

Joe
Well, I hope you change your mind about this. This will happen. I just want to thank you for all you’ve done and I really wish you hadn’t gone through what you did. I’m sure Ryan would have enjoyed having another uncle.

Gabriel
How is Ryan?

Joe
He’s doing fine. He’s a little worried about the FBI trying to capture him but I told him he’s fine with me.

Gabriel
Why does Lisa not want Ryan to stay with you?

Joe
I’m sorry?

Gabriel
Everyone is afraid to talk about this but I’m just too curious for my own good. I want to know why Lisa did not bring Ryan to you in the first place. Adam told me it was because of how you raised her. I’m sure a man like you has no trouble manning up and admitting what happened. So tell me.

Joe is silent for a while in frustration.

Joe
I really wish you hadn’t said that. Don’t push what little respect for you I have left, Gabriel. I love my daughters and I love my grandson. That’s all you need to know. Goodbye.

---

Lisa
It went straight to voicemail. I don’t understand, he said if I needed anything at all to use this phone.

Nathan
That’s alright. I’m sure you’ll be able to reach him. Now that we know your husband is alright, we need to talk about the Protester uprising. It seems they’ve chosen Los Angeles as their central point of operations to begin their new following. This is a repeat of 2012 all over again.

Sean
Except this time we’re expecting these people to go nuts and start annoying the public with nonsense.

Lisa
So what does this mean? We go to Los Angeles?

Hank
Most of us have jobs. We can’t all go. We want people to go inside and infiltrate the Protesters. This would be my kind of mission but someone has to make sure teenagers aren’t loitering…

Sandra
Sean and I will be heading to L.A. if you want to join us, Lisa. We can figure out what’s going on and what they’re planning next. We can slow this down at the start and make it seem insignificant.

Lisa
How do we accomplish that?

Sandra
We won’t know until we do a little recon.

Nathan
You should go. If we have any news on your husband we will let you know.

Lisa
It beats just sitting here doing nothing, I guess.

---

Bennett is driving in the car with Chang.

Chang
What did Saunders say?

Bennett
I guess Mr. Tyler made a visit back at base and talked with Jason. He says to let this situation go.

Chang
It doesn’t seem like the smart option.

Bennett
I’m sure he knows what he’s doing. Right now he wants us back at base. I guess General Larken will be stopping by to see Daniel Fields for some reason.

Chang
Damn. I don’t like Larken. Morale seems to go down to zero whenever he’s around.

Bennett
Well look on the bright side, we might learn a little more about Mr. Fields and why he hates him so much.

Chang
Who cares? We already caught him.

Bennett
Well we’ll find out anyway when we’re back at base.

There is a long pause before Bobby, who has been sitting quietly in the back speaks up.

Bobby
Hey, do you guys mind if we stop for pizza or something first? I’m starving.

 To be continued...