"I love the future," Wyatt said, "ordering new limbs from a catalogue like you're getting furniture."
"It is kind of cool," Kelly agreed.
Kelly and Wyatt were in Kelly's bedroom, looking through the various catalogues the doctor had given her to choose a prosthetic limb from. Wyatt knew he should be doing anything else, be at work or maybe go home, but he figured the store would be fine without him for one afternoon and today Scarlett was doing her painting with Mona, so. Wyatt turned a page, then plunged his hand into the nearby bowl full of chips and shoveled them into his mouth. Kelly sipped from her soda can, then burped loudly.
"Maybe just get something with, like, a robotic hook at the end, go for the whole cyborg look," Wyatt said.
"It would be pretty cool to be able to scare children," Kelly said, making Wyatt laugh.
Kelly had specifically called Wyatt to ask him to come over and help her choose something, and she was more than thrilled he was here. There was something just so comforting about his presence and she found herself not feeling depressed about her current medical situation just because he was around. Besides, they shared a similar sense of humor, so her jokes always landed, and she liked that he laughed at them. Wyatt turned his catalogue towards her and tapped one. Kelly leaned forward and looked.
"How about that one?" he asked.
"That one's pretty slick," Kelly said, "am I gonna have to wear a shoe with this thing? Is that even possible?"
"That's...actually an excellent question," Wyatt said, "I hadn't considered that."
Truth be told, not that he knew it, but Wyatt had gotten lucky to be doing this because, at the moment, Rachel was dealing with something far more intense.
***
"Why is she here?" Rachel asked as she entered Calvin's kitchen. His parents were both gone for the afternoon, running various errands. Calvin turned from the sink, filling up his water pitcher and looked at Rachel, furrowing his brow in confusion before realizing what she was referencing.
"Oh, Angie? She insists on keeping watch on him, and why should I stop her? Keeps me from having to do it," Calvin said.
Rachel sat down at the kitchen table while Calvin got himself a beer from the fridge, then got Rachel one as well. He handed her her beer, then seated himself as well, unscrewing the top of his beer with his bare hands and taking a long drink. Rachel sipped hers conservatively. Best not to get buzzed in a situation such as this, she figured.
"I walked into the shed, wholly expecting you to be in there, only to come face to face with Wyatt's biggest fan," Rachel said, "did she just show up on her own?"
"Yeah, which is a little unnerving, actually," Calvin said, "kind of wish Wyatt hadn't shown her where I live."
"So she just rolls on up and decides to keep watch?" Rachel asked, and Calvin nodded; Rachel shivered, "creepy."
Calvin snickered and went to the fridge to get some dip before retrieving a bag of chips. He set both on the table and Rachel immediately dug in, Calvin watching with curiosity. Rachel just shrugged.
"I didn't have lunch," she said, "so what's the plan anyway?"
"...actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Calvin said, "...he told me who he's working for."
This information caught Rachels attention. So Calvin explained. He explained how he'd threatened Ricky with the gun, discussed why he'd taken Grudin out to begin with, and everything in between. Then he explained what Ricky told him. About Grudin's wife. And his decision on how to handle it. How, if Grudin took his wife and daughter from him, then Calvin saw no reason to not do the same. And as she listened, absentmindedly eating chips and dip and occasionally sipping on her beer, the only thing Rachel could think was how right Wyatt had actually been. How dangerous Calvin actually was.
And how he had to be stopped.
***
"There was this girl in college," Kelly said, "she had a prosthetic limb as a result of a rollercoaster accident."
"Awesome," Wyatt said, making Kelly chuckle.
"Anyway," she continued, "she ran track, she was like the track star actually, and people were all supportive of her and impressed by her cause, like, here was someone who depended on their limbs moreso than someone usually would, specifically for a career, and she'd overcome the odds of losing one to still be the best track star at the school. When the doctor first told me that I'd need a prosthetic, she was the first thing I thought of. I survived a plane crash, but nobody but you guys thinks I'm impressive for it. And I'm just a weathergirl. My job does not depend on my legs. I guess it just made me feel like...like the absolute worst things could happen to you, and the world still wouldn't really notice or care."
Wyatt nodded, finished his soda and crushed the can, then tossed it into the nearby tiny trashcan.
"So, you're saying you're of lesser value just because your prosthetic doesn't impact your life to the degree of your career?" Wyatt asked, "I think you're the lucky one. She probably had so much pressure on her, man. Meanwhile you're able to just...go back to your life. Go back to work. You're kinda lucky, Kelly."
Kelly thought about it, and realized Wyatt had a point. He turned his attention back to the catalogue while she continued, lost in her thought. He wasn't wrong. She was going to be able to get a new leg, go back to work and have her life resume, relatively unscathed more or less by the situation at hand, or, at foot, rather. Wyatt's cell phone rang, but he had it on silent, so it just buzzed endlessly without either of them noticing. This was frustrating, because on the other end of the call, Rachel was desperately trying to contact him.
"Well," Kelly said, shrugging, "regardless, it's cool to know that it's not a big deal and that I won't be, like, gawked at."
"At least not for that," Wyatt said, smirking, making her chuckle.
***
Rachel re-entered the shed, pocketing her cell, annoyed. She shut the door behind her and turned to see Angie sitting backwards on a chair, looking at Ricky, who was sitting staring mindlessly at the wall. Rachel tapped Angie on the shoulder, and she looked up at her, smiling politely.
"Hey, if you wanna take a break that's fine, I'll stay a while," Rachel said, and Angie nodded. She stood up from the chair, stretched and yawned.
"I could use a restroom break," Angie said, "thanks!"
Angie turned and exited the shed. As soon as the door was shut, Rachel went and locked the door, then turned and walked back to Angie's chair and sat down on it, snapping her fingers at Ricky, getting his attention. Ricky turned his face towards her, and for the first time, Rachel could really take in his face. Thin, almost like a teenager, covered in freckles with red hair. Rachel hesitated, then cleared her throat and spoke.
"Here's the deal," Rachel said, "Calvin's going to kill you. He's also going to kill your boss and her kid. But I can stop that. It doesn't have to happen. I don't want it to happen. But I need you to help me, man. I can't do this alone."
"What's it matter at this point," Ricky said, sounding defeated.
"It matters because I have a much bigger story for you than a corrupt politicians murder. You're an investigator, right? You like uncovering stories? Well how's this one for you. The guy they claimed killed Grudin, Oliver Brighton? He was part of an enormous child trafficking ring, and the plane crash? It only happened because his boss happened to be on the plane. That's why Calvin crashed it. As someone who was abused by an older man, I'd like to find the head honcho of this whole thing and bring him down. So work with me, and we both get out of this unscathed, or you can die in this shed. Your choice."
Ricky looked at her, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected there to be such a backstory to the whole thing.
"...I'm listening," Ricky said.
"Wyatt hates Calvin. For many reasons, but he hates him pretty good. Wyatt wouldn't disagree with me in that he needs to be stopped. He's already done so much damage, we can't allow him to make good on his new threat. So I need you to tell me everything you know about this woman, Leslie Grudin, and her child."
"I don't know much, to be honest," Ricky replied, shrugging, "I mean, she's furious about her husbands death, and she's got this developmentally disabled daughter, and-"
"Wait, what?" Rachel asked, interrupting him. That got her attention.
***
"I should get going," Wyatt said, standing up and pulling his jacket on. He tossed the catalogue back towards Kelly, who looked at the ones he'd circled before looking back up at him. He smiled at her and added, "don't worry, I'll come by again tomorrow, we can keep looking."
Kelly looked down at her hands on the bed and wanted to say something, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she just smiled weakly and nodded. Wyatt pocketed his cell phone from the bed and started towards the door, where he stopped, hand on the knob and turned back to Kelly.
"I don't think anyone's said it yet but...I'm really glad you're here, man," Wyatt said, "I...I was so scared. I thought, when you called me from the plane, that that might be the last time I ever heard your voice, and I...I didn't want it to be. You're my friend. I didn't want to lose you."
Kelly had fantasized about this moment a bit. Fantasized about a situation where Wyatt, emotionally, explains how much he cares about her, and then she'd get up and she'd kiss him and he'd kiss her back and that would be that. But she knew how ridiculous that was. He was married. He had a family. What could she really offer him, anyway? Scarlett came with money. A business. A large house. He loved her deeply, and she knew that. But the fantasy was nice, regardless. So instead she swallowed her pride, and she smiled.
"Thanks," she said, "I was terrified. I wasn't ready to go."
Wyatt released the doorknob from his hand and walked back to the bed, standing in front of her. Kelly's breath caught in her chest, as he reached out and touched her face softly. She shut her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. Wyatt then leaned in and hugged her tightly, and she happily hugged him back. After the hug, he promised he'd come back tomorrow, and then he left the room. The moment he was out of the house - she could hear the front door close - she laid down on the bed and, pressing her face into the pillow, cried. Wyatt, however, once in his car, pulled his phone from his pocket and noticed all the texts and missed call from Rachel. He quickly dialed her up.
"Hey, it's me, what's going on?" he asked, starting his car. He pulled out of the driveway and onto the street, then stopped dead, "...he WHAT?"
***
Rachel opened the door to her apartment and allowed Wyatt inside.
Sun Rai was at her parents so it was just the two of them. Wyatt stepped into the apartment, unable to form words. Rachel shut the door behind him as he entered, and finally, Wyatt threw his arms in the arm and laughed loudly.
"I don't even know what to say," Wyatt said, "I'm not surprised. I know I should be, but I'm not, not at this point. How can I be? After the other things he's done, coaxed others into doing? The manipulative piece of shit. So...so what's your plan then?"
"We use Ricky to our advantage," Rachel said, nervously chewing her thumbnail as she leaned against the door while Wyatt paced; she continued, "we strike a deal with him to find out who's running the trafficking ring, and we...we take them down."
"And he's agreed to this?"
"He has, if only because he doesn't want to die in a shed," Rachel said.
"And what about Calvin?" Wyatt asked, and Rachel looked at the ground. Wyatt knew what this meant. It was the thing they'd all been avoiding. The thing Celia had mentioned at the hospital. The thing Rachel had mentioned in Wyatt's bathroom the day of the plane crash. The one nuclear option none of them wanted to even entertain. Wyatt sat on the coffee table and buried his face in his hands.
"We can't," he whispered, "we...we can't."
"There's something else," Rachel said, "um...this woman, Grudin's wife, she has a daughter."
Wyatt looked up at Rachel, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"...a developmentally disabled daughter," Rachel concluded, and that broke him. Wyatt started crying. Rachel came to the table and sat down beside him, rubbing his back. She knew that would get him. Because of Mona, and her ASD, she knew that Wyatt would find a familiarity with Grudin's child. Wyatt must've cried for a solid five minutes before catching his breath and looking around the apartment.
"How then?" he asked, "how do we kill Calvin?"
"I don't know," Rachel said, her voice shaky, on the verge of tears herself, "...I don't...know. I just...I don't think it's right for us to sit here and let him do it all over again. I know Leslie wants justice for her husband, but...but her child shouldn't be in harms way because of that. Calvin is the villain in this situation. He's my friend, but...but he's gotta be stopped. He can't keep being allowed to do these things without any ramifications for his actions. I wasn't happy with Grudin's death, but it was a personal vendetta against a grown man who ruined his life. Killed his family. I understood it. I wasn't happy with the plane crash, but he was killing a producer of illicit pornography, an abuser of children, and Kelly survived so I figured, hey, what's the harm? I understood it. But this? A completely innocent, mentally disabled little girl who just happens to be in the line of fire? No. There's no justifying that."
Wyatt nodded. That being said, despite agreeing with her, he felt like he couldn't do it. How could he? How could he willingly take another life, even if for the greater good, the safety of a child? How could he possibly stomach it, live with himself knowing he killed someone? Grudin was already a sketchy enough grey area, but to outright kill someone he'd called a friend? He couldn't do it. He needed a third party, a disconnected yet willing companion who would do the deed for him. He needed someone with no real remorse for their actions. He needed someone who was happy to help him do something. That's when it hit him.
He needed Angie.
"It is kind of cool," Kelly agreed.
Kelly and Wyatt were in Kelly's bedroom, looking through the various catalogues the doctor had given her to choose a prosthetic limb from. Wyatt knew he should be doing anything else, be at work or maybe go home, but he figured the store would be fine without him for one afternoon and today Scarlett was doing her painting with Mona, so. Wyatt turned a page, then plunged his hand into the nearby bowl full of chips and shoveled them into his mouth. Kelly sipped from her soda can, then burped loudly.
"Maybe just get something with, like, a robotic hook at the end, go for the whole cyborg look," Wyatt said.
"It would be pretty cool to be able to scare children," Kelly said, making Wyatt laugh.
Kelly had specifically called Wyatt to ask him to come over and help her choose something, and she was more than thrilled he was here. There was something just so comforting about his presence and she found herself not feeling depressed about her current medical situation just because he was around. Besides, they shared a similar sense of humor, so her jokes always landed, and she liked that he laughed at them. Wyatt turned his catalogue towards her and tapped one. Kelly leaned forward and looked.
"How about that one?" he asked.
"That one's pretty slick," Kelly said, "am I gonna have to wear a shoe with this thing? Is that even possible?"
"That's...actually an excellent question," Wyatt said, "I hadn't considered that."
Truth be told, not that he knew it, but Wyatt had gotten lucky to be doing this because, at the moment, Rachel was dealing with something far more intense.
***
"Why is she here?" Rachel asked as she entered Calvin's kitchen. His parents were both gone for the afternoon, running various errands. Calvin turned from the sink, filling up his water pitcher and looked at Rachel, furrowing his brow in confusion before realizing what she was referencing.
"Oh, Angie? She insists on keeping watch on him, and why should I stop her? Keeps me from having to do it," Calvin said.
Rachel sat down at the kitchen table while Calvin got himself a beer from the fridge, then got Rachel one as well. He handed her her beer, then seated himself as well, unscrewing the top of his beer with his bare hands and taking a long drink. Rachel sipped hers conservatively. Best not to get buzzed in a situation such as this, she figured.
"I walked into the shed, wholly expecting you to be in there, only to come face to face with Wyatt's biggest fan," Rachel said, "did she just show up on her own?"
"Yeah, which is a little unnerving, actually," Calvin said, "kind of wish Wyatt hadn't shown her where I live."
"So she just rolls on up and decides to keep watch?" Rachel asked, and Calvin nodded; Rachel shivered, "creepy."
Calvin snickered and went to the fridge to get some dip before retrieving a bag of chips. He set both on the table and Rachel immediately dug in, Calvin watching with curiosity. Rachel just shrugged.
"I didn't have lunch," she said, "so what's the plan anyway?"
"...actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Calvin said, "...he told me who he's working for."
This information caught Rachels attention. So Calvin explained. He explained how he'd threatened Ricky with the gun, discussed why he'd taken Grudin out to begin with, and everything in between. Then he explained what Ricky told him. About Grudin's wife. And his decision on how to handle it. How, if Grudin took his wife and daughter from him, then Calvin saw no reason to not do the same. And as she listened, absentmindedly eating chips and dip and occasionally sipping on her beer, the only thing Rachel could think was how right Wyatt had actually been. How dangerous Calvin actually was.
And how he had to be stopped.
***
"There was this girl in college," Kelly said, "she had a prosthetic limb as a result of a rollercoaster accident."
"Awesome," Wyatt said, making Kelly chuckle.
"Anyway," she continued, "she ran track, she was like the track star actually, and people were all supportive of her and impressed by her cause, like, here was someone who depended on their limbs moreso than someone usually would, specifically for a career, and she'd overcome the odds of losing one to still be the best track star at the school. When the doctor first told me that I'd need a prosthetic, she was the first thing I thought of. I survived a plane crash, but nobody but you guys thinks I'm impressive for it. And I'm just a weathergirl. My job does not depend on my legs. I guess it just made me feel like...like the absolute worst things could happen to you, and the world still wouldn't really notice or care."
Wyatt nodded, finished his soda and crushed the can, then tossed it into the nearby tiny trashcan.
"So, you're saying you're of lesser value just because your prosthetic doesn't impact your life to the degree of your career?" Wyatt asked, "I think you're the lucky one. She probably had so much pressure on her, man. Meanwhile you're able to just...go back to your life. Go back to work. You're kinda lucky, Kelly."
Kelly thought about it, and realized Wyatt had a point. He turned his attention back to the catalogue while she continued, lost in her thought. He wasn't wrong. She was going to be able to get a new leg, go back to work and have her life resume, relatively unscathed more or less by the situation at hand, or, at foot, rather. Wyatt's cell phone rang, but he had it on silent, so it just buzzed endlessly without either of them noticing. This was frustrating, because on the other end of the call, Rachel was desperately trying to contact him.
"Well," Kelly said, shrugging, "regardless, it's cool to know that it's not a big deal and that I won't be, like, gawked at."
"At least not for that," Wyatt said, smirking, making her chuckle.
***
Rachel re-entered the shed, pocketing her cell, annoyed. She shut the door behind her and turned to see Angie sitting backwards on a chair, looking at Ricky, who was sitting staring mindlessly at the wall. Rachel tapped Angie on the shoulder, and she looked up at her, smiling politely.
"Hey, if you wanna take a break that's fine, I'll stay a while," Rachel said, and Angie nodded. She stood up from the chair, stretched and yawned.
"I could use a restroom break," Angie said, "thanks!"
Angie turned and exited the shed. As soon as the door was shut, Rachel went and locked the door, then turned and walked back to Angie's chair and sat down on it, snapping her fingers at Ricky, getting his attention. Ricky turned his face towards her, and for the first time, Rachel could really take in his face. Thin, almost like a teenager, covered in freckles with red hair. Rachel hesitated, then cleared her throat and spoke.
"Here's the deal," Rachel said, "Calvin's going to kill you. He's also going to kill your boss and her kid. But I can stop that. It doesn't have to happen. I don't want it to happen. But I need you to help me, man. I can't do this alone."
"What's it matter at this point," Ricky said, sounding defeated.
"It matters because I have a much bigger story for you than a corrupt politicians murder. You're an investigator, right? You like uncovering stories? Well how's this one for you. The guy they claimed killed Grudin, Oliver Brighton? He was part of an enormous child trafficking ring, and the plane crash? It only happened because his boss happened to be on the plane. That's why Calvin crashed it. As someone who was abused by an older man, I'd like to find the head honcho of this whole thing and bring him down. So work with me, and we both get out of this unscathed, or you can die in this shed. Your choice."
Ricky looked at her, his eyes wide. He hadn't expected there to be such a backstory to the whole thing.
"...I'm listening," Ricky said.
"Wyatt hates Calvin. For many reasons, but he hates him pretty good. Wyatt wouldn't disagree with me in that he needs to be stopped. He's already done so much damage, we can't allow him to make good on his new threat. So I need you to tell me everything you know about this woman, Leslie Grudin, and her child."
"I don't know much, to be honest," Ricky replied, shrugging, "I mean, she's furious about her husbands death, and she's got this developmentally disabled daughter, and-"
"Wait, what?" Rachel asked, interrupting him. That got her attention.
***
"I should get going," Wyatt said, standing up and pulling his jacket on. He tossed the catalogue back towards Kelly, who looked at the ones he'd circled before looking back up at him. He smiled at her and added, "don't worry, I'll come by again tomorrow, we can keep looking."
Kelly looked down at her hands on the bed and wanted to say something, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she just smiled weakly and nodded. Wyatt pocketed his cell phone from the bed and started towards the door, where he stopped, hand on the knob and turned back to Kelly.
"I don't think anyone's said it yet but...I'm really glad you're here, man," Wyatt said, "I...I was so scared. I thought, when you called me from the plane, that that might be the last time I ever heard your voice, and I...I didn't want it to be. You're my friend. I didn't want to lose you."
Kelly had fantasized about this moment a bit. Fantasized about a situation where Wyatt, emotionally, explains how much he cares about her, and then she'd get up and she'd kiss him and he'd kiss her back and that would be that. But she knew how ridiculous that was. He was married. He had a family. What could she really offer him, anyway? Scarlett came with money. A business. A large house. He loved her deeply, and she knew that. But the fantasy was nice, regardless. So instead she swallowed her pride, and she smiled.
"Thanks," she said, "I was terrified. I wasn't ready to go."
Wyatt released the doorknob from his hand and walked back to the bed, standing in front of her. Kelly's breath caught in her chest, as he reached out and touched her face softly. She shut her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. Wyatt then leaned in and hugged her tightly, and she happily hugged him back. After the hug, he promised he'd come back tomorrow, and then he left the room. The moment he was out of the house - she could hear the front door close - she laid down on the bed and, pressing her face into the pillow, cried. Wyatt, however, once in his car, pulled his phone from his pocket and noticed all the texts and missed call from Rachel. He quickly dialed her up.
"Hey, it's me, what's going on?" he asked, starting his car. He pulled out of the driveway and onto the street, then stopped dead, "...he WHAT?"
***
Rachel opened the door to her apartment and allowed Wyatt inside.
Sun Rai was at her parents so it was just the two of them. Wyatt stepped into the apartment, unable to form words. Rachel shut the door behind him as he entered, and finally, Wyatt threw his arms in the arm and laughed loudly.
"I don't even know what to say," Wyatt said, "I'm not surprised. I know I should be, but I'm not, not at this point. How can I be? After the other things he's done, coaxed others into doing? The manipulative piece of shit. So...so what's your plan then?"
"We use Ricky to our advantage," Rachel said, nervously chewing her thumbnail as she leaned against the door while Wyatt paced; she continued, "we strike a deal with him to find out who's running the trafficking ring, and we...we take them down."
"And he's agreed to this?"
"He has, if only because he doesn't want to die in a shed," Rachel said.
"And what about Calvin?" Wyatt asked, and Rachel looked at the ground. Wyatt knew what this meant. It was the thing they'd all been avoiding. The thing Celia had mentioned at the hospital. The thing Rachel had mentioned in Wyatt's bathroom the day of the plane crash. The one nuclear option none of them wanted to even entertain. Wyatt sat on the coffee table and buried his face in his hands.
"We can't," he whispered, "we...we can't."
"There's something else," Rachel said, "um...this woman, Grudin's wife, she has a daughter."
Wyatt looked up at Rachel, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"...a developmentally disabled daughter," Rachel concluded, and that broke him. Wyatt started crying. Rachel came to the table and sat down beside him, rubbing his back. She knew that would get him. Because of Mona, and her ASD, she knew that Wyatt would find a familiarity with Grudin's child. Wyatt must've cried for a solid five minutes before catching his breath and looking around the apartment.
"How then?" he asked, "how do we kill Calvin?"
"I don't know," Rachel said, her voice shaky, on the verge of tears herself, "...I don't...know. I just...I don't think it's right for us to sit here and let him do it all over again. I know Leslie wants justice for her husband, but...but her child shouldn't be in harms way because of that. Calvin is the villain in this situation. He's my friend, but...but he's gotta be stopped. He can't keep being allowed to do these things without any ramifications for his actions. I wasn't happy with Grudin's death, but it was a personal vendetta against a grown man who ruined his life. Killed his family. I understood it. I wasn't happy with the plane crash, but he was killing a producer of illicit pornography, an abuser of children, and Kelly survived so I figured, hey, what's the harm? I understood it. But this? A completely innocent, mentally disabled little girl who just happens to be in the line of fire? No. There's no justifying that."
Wyatt nodded. That being said, despite agreeing with her, he felt like he couldn't do it. How could he? How could he willingly take another life, even if for the greater good, the safety of a child? How could he possibly stomach it, live with himself knowing he killed someone? Grudin was already a sketchy enough grey area, but to outright kill someone he'd called a friend? He couldn't do it. He needed a third party, a disconnected yet willing companion who would do the deed for him. He needed someone with no real remorse for their actions. He needed someone who was happy to help him do something. That's when it hit him.
He needed Angie.