Negotiations

Scott just holds Katie without saying any more, and it’s not long before he realizes that she’s drifted to sleep. She must have been exhausted.

Rick reenters the infirmary from his adjoining office, and stops, surprised to see Katie back, not to mention back with Scott.

Scott looks up and pleads with his eyes for Rick not to say anything. Katie needed this.

Rick’s mouth is open to say something, but the look on Scot’s face makes him stop. Instead, he approaches quietly. “Is she okay?” he asks softly.

Scott gives a little shake to his head. “Let her stay.”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Just do me a favor and lay off giving me another shot for now – I don’t want to lose my senses right now, for her sake.”

Rick gives him a little smile. “Alright. If you need anything, holler. I’ll be back in my office.”


“Who doesn’t come here a lot?” Jason shakes his head at Aerith. “I guess you could say I used to be here quite frequently…but I’ve been gone.” His eyes drift across the restaurant as he absentmindedly peels his banana. “Yeah…Herb and Mabel are the best…” He cocks his head slightly, for the moment drawn away from his mind’s depressing wanderings. “Your voice…you’re not from around here, are you?”


Carson is on Nate’s heels, also making it quickly to Reese’s office. What was going on?

Reese is fast behind his desk again, picking up the phone to put a hand over the receiver. “The Agency is on the line.” He looks between Nate and Carson. “I don’t know how they got this number, but apparently someone wants to make a deal.”

Carson lifts an eyebrow. “Ahh, they couldn’t resist, eh?”

“What do you know about this?”

“I’m the one who gave them this number.”

“And you didn’t tell me?!” Reese looks at him with exasperation.

Carson points to the phone. “Reprimand me later. Talk or you’re gonna lose them.”

Reese relents, nodding to both of them. “I wanted you both in on this so it wouldn’t just be me.” Reaching down, he switches the call to speaker phone. “Alright. I’m here with my men. What next?”

A female voice comes across the line. “Good. Now, I want to speak to Carson.”

Carson bristles. He recognized Ashlyn’s voice immediately, and he silently mouths her name to Nate and Reese.

Reese looks to him with question, gesturing if he wants to talk.

Carson finally nods and speaks. “I’m here. What’s the deal?”

“Ahh, Carson…you really are on their side, huh? And just when we thought you’d fallen off the face of the earth. How ya been?”

Carson grits his teeth, folding his arms across his chest as he stands by Reese’s desk. He ignores her question. “What do you want, Ashlynn?”

“Ooh, I think you know the answer to that one.” Her next words cause Carson’s face to turn red in the presence of Nate and Reese, and he struggles to maintain his composure. He couldn’t have been more glad Misty wasn’t with them right now.

Instead of letting Ashlyn indulge in any more seductive speech, Carson cuts her off. “If you still think I’d come back to you, you’re not as smart as I thought. Now let’s cut the crap. What’s the Agency want.”

“You.”

Carson lifts an eyebrow suspiciously. “What do you mean?”

“We want you back, Carson.”

“And…what’s the catch?”

“You don’t come, we kill Michael Henson. That simple.”

Carson swallows hard, looking to Nate and Reese again. He had to keep the negotiation going lest they lose this one. “And if I do?”

“We deal,” Ashlyn states flatly. “We’ve got someone your team wants awfully bad, and we want you back awfully bad. I think it’s a fair trade.”

“So…me for Mick, eh?”

“Glad to see you caught on so quick,” Ashlyn retorts with sarcasm. “What’s the answer?”

“Give me two days,” Carson barters.

“You’ve got two hours.”

“One day.”

“Fine. We’ll be calling back in twenty-four hours. If you haven’t made a decision by then, or will not cooperate, Michael dies. If you’re smart and decide to do what we want, we’ll set up the time and place. You know how it works.” Ashlyn pauses, her tone resuming a sweet, persuasive edge. “And Carson…”

Carson reaches down and hits the button to end the call before she can say anything more to compromise his integrity. His face grim, he takes a moment to think before looking up at the other two again. “Well…now we know. What kind of options do we have?”