Vol. 2, Chapter 31: Looking Down The Barrel (Part 1)

Carrie Walsh walks into the loading bay at the back of LifeSource and finds Charlie waiting attentively by the large doors.

Carrie
Hello, Charlie.

Charlie
Miss Walsh. What are you doing down here?

Carrie
Lionel asked me to oversee a shipment we’re receiving.

Charlie
Why is that? I’m right here.

Carrie
I don’t know, you’d have to ask Lionel.

Charlie
Aren’t you a nurse? What is it exactly that you do here, Miss Walsh?

Carrie
Whatever Mr. Sabatelli wants me to do.

Charlie
So I’ve heard.

The doors open and the truck that Felicia is driving comes in.

Charlie
Alright, back it up!

Felicia and Chuck exit the truck and pull out a crate.

Charlie
So what is this thing? It doesn’t look like the normal size crates for a Pod or any of the other equipment we normally get.

Carrie
Lionel wants it in storage. He’s gonna send a crew down later for it to bring it up.

Charlie
That man is truly a weird individual.

Charlie walks away.

Carrie
Alright, you guys have to leave. I’ve been told that the FBI are here.

The two of them get back in the truck and drive away. Carrie can hear some people close by.

Charlie
Yeah, there she is. Down there.

Charlie is talking to agent Thompson and pointing towards Carrie. He starts walking towards her as Charlie leaves through the doors not caring what this is about.

Thompson
Miss Walsh. Not sure I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you yet. I’m agent Thompson, FBI.

Carrie
What can I do for you today?

Thompson
Wondering if I can ask you some questions. Do you have a minute?

Carrie
Absolutely.

---

Adam and Carlie are running tests on Bennett. They have all the information they need for now and let him out of one of the new Pod prototypes.

Adam
Thank you, agent Bennett. That should be enough for now.

Bennett
Thank God. I was getting bored.

Bennett gets up from the Pod where the R&D team were doing an analysis on him and walks into the other room.

General
How goes the experiments, guinea pig?

Bennett
Well I don’t know because I’m not a scientist, but apparently they’re getting what they need.

General
Either that or they’re messing with you to keep you happy.

Bennett
In any case at least I’m doing something and it has the possibility of continuing our research. Where’s Saunders, anyway?

General
I don’t know. I thought he’d be back by now. You there! Where’s Saunders?

Larken points to an FBI agent walking by.

FBI Agent
He sent a team to LifeSource.

Bennett
Why?

FBI Agent
I think they got a tip that Lisa and Daniel Fields were headed there.

Bennett
What? Why didn’t he tell me?

General
And why didn’t he tell me that he received a tip about Daniel Fields?

Bennett
You feel like taking a ride, General?

General
Let’s go.

---

Lisa is in the back of a limo with Jack, a good friend of her father, and two security guards.

Lisa
So how have you been?

Jack
Can’t complain. I’m afraid to ask you the same question.

Lisa
I’m hanging in there.

One of the guards picks up a radio.

Guard
Bravo team, is area secure?

Radio
Area is secure.

Guard
Roger that.

The guard turns off the radio.

Guard
We’ve got a problem.

Lisa
What is it?

Jack
That wasn’t Simmons’ voice.

The guard nods in agreement.

Lisa
What does that mean?

Jack
It means the location has been compromised. We need an extraction team. I’ll call Mr. Tyler.

Lisa
Wait. Let me make a call, first.

Lisa takes out her phone and selects one of her top contacts.

Lisa
Hey, how fast can you get here?

---

Joe Tyler answers his phone at his house.

Joe
Hello?

Lionel
Joe, the FBI are at LifeSource, I think they know about our “meeting”.

Joe
What?

Lionel
I’ve gotta go.

Joe gets another call immediately after Lionel hangs up.

Jack
Sir, it’s time. They’re advancing your daughter’s house.

Joe
Why?

Jack
I don’t know, but the guards have assured me we have an extraction team en route.

Joe
Listen, I was just told that the meeting I was to attend may be postponed, if you know what I mean.

Jack
Understood.

Joe
Keep in touch.

Joe hangs up the phone and looks for the secret one he uses for contacting Lisa. He can’t find it anywhere. He runs to the front door getting ready to leave to his car. He opens the door and Bobby is standing there.

Joe
You!

Bobby
Where are you headed?

Joe takes a swing at Bobby but he blocks the blow.

Bobby
Don’t even try fighting me, old man. You know you can’t win.

Joe
How could you?

Bobby
I didn’t have a choice. Believe me, this is not what I wanted.

Joe
You used to be a great friend but now you’re dead to me. I’m gonna dedicate my life to destroying you. I know a lot more about you than you think, Roberto.

Bobby
I think you’ll find that I’m not familiar with that name, and any association from it would not be admissible in court. I’m just about to start up a legitimate culinary venture. You, on the other hand, willingly aided and abetted a fugitive. I don’t think you can touch me right now.

Joe
Want to bet?

Joe takes another swing at Bobby who again blocks it.

Bobby
Give it up!

Chang drives up and steps out of the car.

Chang
Mr. Tyler, you’re wanted for questioning regarding the whereabouts of your daughter, Lisa Fields.

Joe
This isn’t over.

To be continued...