Nemesis Chapter 23

Nemesis Chapter 23

Nicholas had the cab drop him back off at the hospital.  It was the only place he knew to go where he could be with a team member - even a sick one.

Before going back upstairs to Shannon's room, he decided to stop at the gift shop to buy her a get well gift.  Flowers weren't really her thing, but maybe a stuffed bear or something would be nice.

As he was looking over the selection of small stuffed animals, trying to make up his mind, the local newspaper headline caught his eye:

Helicopter Lost; Four Presumed Dead

Nicholas stopped breathing for a moment, grabbed the paper, and began to read:

A small helicopter owned by Kyle Garcia and used in the rice farming business was lost yesterday somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.  According to a statement issued to the press by Garcia, the helicopter was on its way to the eastern United States to retrieve supplies when the pilot reported mechanical problems.  Besides the pilot and co-pilot, there were two additional men on board, both construction employees.  A preliminary search turned up no evidence of survivors, and no further searches will be conducted.

"Oh, no," Nicholas breathed out loud, and nearly dropped to his knees.  It couldn't be Max and Grant.  They couldn't be....

Immediately, Nicholas' logical mind began to churn.  That would certainly explain the inability to contact Grant's earring transmitter.  And Jim had said that's where they were headed.  On Garcia's chopper.

Despite the newspaper headline, they hadn't actually confirmed that the four occupants were deceased, he thought hopefully.  But if the chopper went down in the Atlantic...and they weren't going to search for survivors...

But maybe the helicopter didn't crash!  Maybe Garcia just lost contact with it because Max was able to gain control.  He was a hell of a pilot, after all, and Grant could hold his own with a chopper if he had to as well. But if there had been mechanical failure, Nicholas wasn't sure what Max could do with that....

His original task forgotten, Nicholas absently put the newspaper back on the shelf and shuffled out of the gift shop.  He kept his face cast downward, not wishing anyone to see the tiny tears that had begun to sting his eyes.

He walked to a nearby waiting area and sat down.  He couldn't face Shannon right now, either.  Even though she was likely still unconscious,  Nicholas couldn't talk to her, didn't trust his voice.

Max and Grant had each been like brothers to him, in their own ways.  Grant was like a mixture of Nicholas and Max; cerebral, but also rugged and muscular.  He and Nicholas often commiserated over the latest gadget he'd designed, which Nicholas frequently got to use.

Besides being highly intelligent, Grant was also quite level-headed.  He had talked Nicholas through some challenging circumstances over the years, and Grant's calm voice could settle the most frazzled of nerves.  Of all the agents, it was Grant whom Nicholas felt knew him best.

Nicholas hadn't worked quite as many missions side by side with Max, given their different roles within the team.  Max had a great sense of humor and was prone to quips and wisecracks that often made him chuckle, but Nicholas knew that he could also be brooding and serious.  He was exactly the kind of man you wanted on your side during a mission.

Nicholas knew that Max's loyalty to the team had been unflinching; he'd  usually taken it upon himself to make sure that his friends were safe.  Nobody ever doubted how Max had felt about each of them.  Without question, Nicholas thought fondly, Max had done all he could to keep that chopper in the air - if not for himself, then at least for his partner.

Nicholas, trying desperately to maintain his composure, wondered if Jim knew about the helicopter, and hated the fact that Jim was alone wherever he was.  At a time like this, the remaining team members needed each other.

Suddenly, Nicholas felt an overwhelming urge to be upstairs with Shannon.  It didn't matter if she was still sedated.  Maybe she couldn't talk to him, but he could be there for her and also take comfort in her presence.  Shannon and Jim - wherever he was - might be all he had left now.

Nicholas entered the elevator, pushed the button, and waited as it traveled to the critical care unit.  Now was the time to summon all of his acting skills; even if she were still unconscious, she might still be able to hear him and discern the sadness in his voice.  He couldn't let Shannon know about Max and Grant right now - not until she was stronger.

As he passed by the various patient rooms on his way to Shannon's, he couldn't keep his eyes from peeking curiously into each one, absently wondering what had brought them here.  He glanced at one as he strolled by - an older gentleman, with a thick head of white hair - and stopped as his heart skipped a beat.

He took two steps backward and looked again, incredulous.  This time he was sure.

It was Jim Phelps.