Shattered soul

Kyle takes a deep breath and gives a little nod, his goal to not make Misty feel any worse than she already did. "Well... I want to keep working on us too, but... I'll be honest... I don't wanna be the one lost in the dust here."

A grin still tweaks the corner of his mouth. "But you know that."

He is silent for a few more moments, then glances down at his watch. "How about...we both go back to work...I'll be late the way it is. And... tomorrow I've got double-shift, so free time won't exist, and then... I'll call you Friday."

He gets up from the table, setting his napkin down by his half-full plate, reaching down to run a finger along Misty's cheek. "Don't worry about me, Miss T. You need to do what you want to do and nobody should tell you different."

Kyle bends down to kiss her lightly on the forehead before turning and exiting the restaurant, paying for both their meals. Heading for his truck, he just sits in it for a moment before finally starting the engine and pulling away. Getting back to work, he heads to the hot, busy kitchen.

"Kyle?" Nancy looks at him with question. "You've got a whole forty-five minutes left on your break. What are you doing back here so early?"

Kyle shakes his head and grabs an apron. "Oh, you know how dates go. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you fall flat on your face."

Nancy looks at him with pity. "Aww... that bad?"

"Nah." Kyle jumps right back into work. "Nothing a little pizza grease won't cure. What kind of orders we got?"

"Darin's got the large supreme. You can take the pepperoni one." Nancy moves to answer the phone before coming back. "So you didn't even get to ask her what she thought about that thing with Cryptic?"

"No, but I will. I'll probably see her Friday."

Nancy looks at him skeptically. "Alright. Well...let's get this day over with."


The day seems to go by slowly, time the only factor that weaves everyone together in an unknown plan of the future. Smiles are worn on faces... some genuine, some forced as teeth are gritted to ignore the pain within.

On one side of town, things are warm, factors settling at least for now. Carson finishes out his day at Mom in Pops in time to visit Dani and work things out, then spend some time with Jess at a movie.

Nearby in an apartment, one brother relaxes after work by lounging in front of the television, while Kyle heads for his room where songwriting becomes the ultimate distraction.

On the other side of town, nerves grow more tense as the arrival of a senior TJY agent is anticipated. Unable to concentrate any more, Jason heads from work early to go home. Not wanting to go out, and not wanting to socialize with friends, he gains time with his guitar alone, though even then, the lonely atmosphere isn't a welcomed one.

TJY grows quieter and quieter as one by one, agents leave for the night. Some readily, others reluctantly. Lights are shut down, computers turned off, and desks left until the morning.

Down the hall, the infirmary is left quiet, Scott resting as peacefully as he could. Rick had given him something to help him sleep, even though he'd been in and out of dozing all day. It hadn't been enough to rid him of his exhaustion, or his fear of the dreams that would come, and now as the shadows grow long, and the quietness fills the room, he can't help but pull the blanket up closer and bury his head a little deeper into his pillow...

"Well, hi there, Scott."

Scott turns his head too quickly, sending a pain down the back of his neck. Seeing Austin in the doorway, he raises his eyebrows. It had to have been about a year since Austin had been back here...since he'd been stationed in Texas.

"Hey, welcome back, Austin." Scott's voice is a bit weak and hoarse, but he manages a forced smile.

Austin returns a smile and enters the infirmary, his hands tucked in his pockets. "Thanks. good to be back. Heard about everything that's been going on here. How are you?"

Scott shrugs. "I'm....ok." He pulls himself up so he's sitting up straighter in bed. "Here for just a couple more days then...back home I guess. Heard things were okay in Texas."

Austin nods. "Yeah... Kinda quiet there now, which is good. I'm glad anyway. For them, and for me so I could finally come back. Reese has been taking care of my house, but once I get back there, I can't imagine what I'm going to find."

Scott offers a slight grin. "Get your dust cloth ready."

"No kidding." Austin studies Scott for a minute, seeing the lack of vision in one eye, and seeing all the remnants of cuts and bruises. He was sure he looked better than when they'd first brought him back. "Well, hey listen, um... I've got a friend here with me, and I know technically the office is closed, but he's leaving tonight and we just wanted to chat with you for a couple minutes if it's okay."

Scott can feel himself get just a little on edge. "Who?"

"Oh, he's an agent," Austin assures. "He's been in Utah and met me here."

"Well, what..."

"I promise it will only be a couple minutes." Austin smiles and prompts Scott out of bed. "You alright walking?"

"Um...yeah..." Confused, Scott follows directly lamely. He gets out of bed and teeters for just a moment before finding the strength in his legs to walk, then goes with Austin, being led by an arm.

Heading down the hall, Austin stops by the open interrogation room. A man is outside waiting. He was well-built with dark hair, and seemed friendly enough. But Scott didn't recognize him at all. "What are we..."

"Just come on in and sit down," Austin urges, moving forward again.

Reaching the doorway, Scott's eye sees the interior of the concrete room, and a slight smell of must hits his nose from the damp basement atmosphere. He stops in his tracks, a wave of terror hitting him as his mind suddenly sees images of the cell he'd been chained in. "No...I..."

Austin stops. "What's wrong?"

"I...can we...." Scott swallows hard. "Can we talk somewhere else?"

"In here is fine. It was just convenient. Come on."

"But..." Scott resists the nudge to his arm, planting his bare feet on the floor. "No... it..."

"Come on." Austin's voice grows firmer. "It'll be a lot easier if you just cooperate."

Again, fear surges through Scott's veins. Something wasn't right. "Cooperate? What...what are you talking about?"

Austin ignores the question and looks to his friend. "Jerry, help him inside."

Before Scott can react, Austin has entered the room, and Jerry has approached quickly, pushing Scott in as well. Scott tries to resist, but has no strength to fight, and winds up being shoved toward the table and into a chair, almost falling onto the floor.

His eyes are wide as he looks across the table at Austin, his ears hearing the door being closed. "Austin...what's going on?"

"I'm sorry, Scott, but I need some answers."

"Answers? About...about what?" Scott glances around fearfully, his hands starting to shake. "What...what are you talking about?"

"Who was holding, you, Scott?" Austin's questions are even and cool, his hand hovered over a notepad to take notes.

Scott licks his dry lips. "Well...it was the Agency. But...you knew that."

"I need more than that. I need names."

"I...don't have any."

"Yes you do." Austin looks at him sternly. "You do. You heard and saw things and were told things and that's the information that I need."

"But...but I don't remember."

"Yes you do!" Austin slams a hand down on the table. "Names. Now."

Scott can feel his heartrate quicken. Reese had said he could just write up a report when he felt ready...he hadn't said anything like this would happen. His mind takes him back to a place he doesn't want to go. The voices..the eyes...the rough hands... the beatings.

"Names, Scott!"

Scott jumps. "D...Donovan."

"Who was he?"

"I don't know."

"Who was he?!"

"I don't know! He slapped me around!"

Austin takes a note. "What did they want from you?"

"What do they always want? They wanted to know about TJY."

"What did you tell them?"

"Nothing."

Austin looks up at Scott, a smile curling his lips. "Come now, Scott. We both know you broke. Now what did you tell them?"

Scott's face pales, the shaking of his hands worsening. "I...nothing...." An image flashes through his mind of Donovan screaming at him for answers, then hitting him again. He flinches. "Nothing."

"What did you tell them?!" Austin barks. "I know you gave up information!"

"I did not!" Scott raises his voice, a tear stinging his eye. "Why do you think they beat the crap out of me?!"

"They have ways of making people talk," Austin replies calmly. "They also brainwash their prisoners so they'll continue feeding them information. I want to know who your contact is supposed to be."

Scott's eyes are wide with disbelief and fear. "Nobody...I... it's not true... I didn't..."

A heavy hand is laid onto Scott's shoulder. Jerry speaks quietly but sternly. "You better give him the answers he wants."

Scott jumps under the stranger's hand, and he begins to tremble all over. "They...they tried. But...but I wouldn't give them what they wanted."

"How did they try?"

Scott's voice wavers. "I...don't remmeber."

"Yes you do! How did they try?!"

Scott cringes at the memories being hurled at him. He didn't want to think about them. They terrorized his mind and brought on a fear like not other. "I....no.. they... they hit me and told me...told me they'd hurt my friends..." He swallows hard, a tear running down the side of his face. "It hurt...but I couldn't...."

"What else?"

Scott shakes his head. He didn't want to talk about it.

"Talk!" Austin leans forward across the table. "I want answers, Scott. TJY can't afford a mole."

"I'm not a mole!" Scott shouts back. "It's not true! I didn't rat anybody out!"

"That's impossible with them!" Austin doesn't flinch. "They make people talk, and they made you talk too. Now tell me what you know!"

Scott felt dizzy, and like he was going to throw up. The explosion... being taken... beaten... tortured... beaten again... "No... no..." He shakes his head again. "There's nothing there. I don't remember."

"Yes you do!" Austin's hand comes down hard on the table once more. "By the time we're finished here, you will have told me every single detail that's lodged in that mind of yours. You will tell me how you were taken, you will tell me who was there, and you will tell me what methods of torture they used and how you were able to even escape. It can take ten minutes or it can take all night. It's your pick. But you will answer me...you will tell me..."

Scott looks back at Austin, a fear in his veins that he never wanted to feel again...

...The infirmary was dark and quiet. A small corner light provided a slight warm glow, but the rest of the room was dark. Scott sat on top of the bed, his knees tucked up tightly against his chest, held in place by his arms. His face was buried in knees, and he rocks slowly, trying to erase the memories...trying to erase the words...the pictures...the feelings.

It had taken two hours. Two hours of pure torture, dredging up details... horrific images... terrifying feelings... half of which he hadn't even been able to voice because it hurt too much. All to end up not even being able to give Austin what he wanted. There were things Scott simply couldn't remember... and the things that he did were so painful, they'd had to be pried from him, each and every word tearing at his heart and mind all over again.

And when it was over... he'd been brought back here to be left in the dark... alone... under direct orders to tell no one that he had been interrogated. He felt exposed and betrayed by his own team.

The room was dark... quiet... only if close would someone hear the quiet whimper of a shattered soul.