Casually, Weiss walked into Joe’s diner and sat at his usual booth. The delicious aroma of hamburgers, French fries and many other lunch foods welcomed him. His usual waitress, Cindy, served him a cup of coffee.
Wrapping his fingers over the handle, he brought the mug to his mouth and took a swig from it. He sighed when he felt the warm liquid travel down his throat. As he was about take another sip, Marshall sat across from him.
“Hi,” Marshall said.
“Hey,” Weiss simply replied.
“I’m sorry about yesterday. I’m usually not a violent person.”
“Jealousy makes people do crazy things.”
“I know. Thanks for helping Carrie.”
He shrugged, “Don’t mention it.”
“If it’s ok with you, I’d like to buy you lunch. I mean, you got rid of Ian and I punched you, I at least owe you that.”
“I’ve never been able to turn down a free meal,” he smiled. “But you do know that I’m going to choose the most expensive one.”
“I anticipated it,” Marshall replied.
They laughed.
Cautiously, Jeremy entered Sloane’s offices. Hours before, the CIA had given him an elixir that contained an isotope. In exchange for his cooperation, they placed his family into the waitress protection program.
The sweat on his palms caused him to lose grip on the doorknob to Sloane’s office. He breathed deeply and then opened the door.
“Jeremy,” Sloane said he got out of his chair.
“Mr. Sloane, you called for me?” Jeremy replied as he closed the door.
“I can’t seem to find file on Rambaldi’s biography, could you help me locate it?”
“Of course,” he went over to the other side of the desk.
Without warning, Sloane stuck a tranquilizer into Jeremy’s neck and shoved him to the floor.
“I had one of my men follow you the other day. If there is one that that I do not tolerate, it’s traitors,” Sloane walked over to the door. “As you might have already noticed, you’ve begun to lost all feeling. The tranquilizer is unlike any other, because when the vent behind you releases a poisonous gas, you’ll be completely paralyzed,” he opened the door. “During all of this the door will be unlocked,” he walked out.
A gray gas seeped through the vent behind him. He felt the life being drained out of him.
In silence, they stood in the flirting corner. Vaughn embraced her tightly.
“We’re never going to catch him,” Sydney said.
“Sydney, don’t say that. We will, I know it,” he stroked her hair.
“I’m beginning to lose hope, Vaughn. How many more families is he going to destroy be he gets the journal and the devices?”
“I wish I can answer that.”
“I can’t believe that Kendall wants you to inform Jeremy’s family.”
“I can.”
“I’m going to do it for you.”
“Syd, you really don’t have to.”
“It was bad enough that he made you tell Stephanie. I’m taking this one,” her mind was made up.
“All right,” he continued to hold her.
She buried her face into his chest, and found her haven in his embrace.
Carelessly, Stephanie walked into the kitchen. Busily, Jack stood over the stove stirring. Curiously, she went over to him.
“You can cook?” She said.
“For quite some time now. I maybe out of practice but I’m not deficient,” he replied as he continued to stir the spaghetti sauce.
“I didn’t say you were, I’ve just never seen you in a kitchen before, wearing an apron. And when did you start wearing casual clothes?” She teased.
“Funny. Try this,” he held the wooden ladle to her mouth.
“Mmmm, that’s good!”
“Surprised, I see. I took a few culinary classes in college.”
She began to set the table. “Really? I wonder why my dad never told me that.”
“It must have slipped his mind,” he took her plate and heaped a pile of spaghetti on it.
As handed him her plate, she thought of Josh.
“Jack, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” he sat down and hoped that he could answer it. He couldn’t remember giving Sydney fatherly advice as a teenager.
“I’ve been reading this book on child abuse. The author said that it wasn’t considered abuse during your time, (meaning those who were raised primarily in mid 50’s and 60’s) a parent hitting their child was seen as a form discipline. Is there any truth to this?”
He didn’t respond at first.
“Jack?”
“Yes. It was common for parents to use physical force as discipline. I know this from personal experience.”
“Oh god.”
“My-my father was a perfectionist, to say the least. If I did something the wrong way or made a mistake, I’d pay for it. One time, I received an 80 on an English test…I was sore for weeks. Irina was raised in the same kind of environment. She has the scars to prove it. They saw it as discipline, but I didn’t. I still don’t. A child is not to suppose to fear his or her parents. When Irina and I got married we vowed to never lay hand on our children.”
For the first time, she was speechless. His face was expressionless, but she knew that he fought to keep it that way. She looked into his eyes and knew that she had inadvertently opened up an unhealed wound. She never once heard him open about his past; apart of her regretted asking that question. Now, she knew why he wore a cold exterior. Irina was the partial reason, but his past had molded him.
Josh entered her mind again, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell Jack. Instead, she simply reached out and held his hand.
At first, he just stared at her. Then, he gripped back.
The End