Beyond the Breaking Point - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“What do you want, Finch.

“You failed.”

“What…?”

“Your mission. You failed.”

“I was attacked by a group of Uzi-wielding maniacs.”

“Do you know where Vandal is, his hideout; his resources?”

“No.”

“Then you failed your mission.”

“Is there a consequence for failing a mission I barely made it out of alive?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Another mission.”

“...”

“Finn, before we continue, I should explain something to you.”

“What.”

“We have recently learned that Vandal is the man you know as Elias Smith.”

“My… Father?”

“That’s what I said, Finn.”

“Why didn't you tell me before?”

“We didn't know at the time.”

“I don’t want to have any more to do with this. Finch, I’m done with you and the CIA.”

“Finn, your father is hunting you down.”

“What...?”

“Finn, I made a deal with your father, I would send you to Russia where he would have every chance to deal with you and, in return, he would give me forty-eight hours of ‘cease-fire.’”

“You traded… my life, for... time!”

“Your father wants you dead because he doesn't have access to all of the money from his various businesses while you are still alive. I could explain exactly why, but I doubt you know very much about ‘wills.’”

“You’re saying you purposely sent me to Russia so that I would die and you and Vandal would both get what you want.”

“Yes.”

“Finch, I did what you wanted. I went to Russia to be killed. Now, I want to go home.”

“That wouldn't be a wise decision.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your house was raided again the day after you left. Linda was held at gunpoint.”

“What about Cassie?”

“She has no idea that the thing took place. Linda managed to clean up before she woke up. She is fine. This time.”

“What do you mean ‘this time?’”

“They want you dead Finn. You aren't safe anymore. Vandal has assets that give him incredible power. He knows almost as much as I do. You can’t go home and my friends at the FBI can’t protect you in their safe houses either. Vandal has assets there too.”

“What do I do then?”

“You do what I say.”

“Where am I going.”

“You will be going to Draniver’s mental facility. Your father was secretly sent there a month and a half before he faked his death in the car.”

“Wait, my… Father, killed my brother?”

“Finn, your father went mad almost four months ago. He did a good job of hiding it but he went completely insane. He’s not your father anymore. He is Vandal. You will be going to Daniver’s to retrieve your father’s medical file. It will give us the amount of information sufficient to allow us to launch a coordinated counter-attack.”

“Why will this protect me?”

“Because Vandal believes that after you finished your mission. You will want to be done with me and my people; he thinks you’ll settle back down with Cassie and Linda. If I send you on another ‘top-secret’ mission, even if he does find that you are in fact out on the field, there will be a very limited number of things that he can do, again, assuming he learns information only I and a select few others know.”

“You’re lying.”

“Finn, they’ll kill you if go home. They might even kill Cassie in the process.”

“Finch! You can’t let that happen! You need to protect her. I, guess… I don't care about what you make me do, just...  make sure she is safe.

“For the moment, they have no gain in killing Cassie. Killing Cassie won’t do anything to unlock Vandal’s former funds.”

“When should I leave.”

“Right now. Ms. Hawk will pick you up. The drive takes an hour. And Finn…”

“What.”

“Vandal has given us proof of the severity of the threat. An incident happened about five days ago. Someone left a napkin, the edge of which was carrying the virus, in a subway station. We hadn’t known it was the virus at first, but the doctors have confirmed our worst fears. We’ve managed to hide the whole ordeal but over two thousand died so far. The threat is real. Please hurry.”

***

Finch never ceased to amaze Finn. Finch had manipulated him, taken control of the conversation from the start. Finch knew that he would accept the mission. Ms. Hawk had even pulled up the moment Finch mentioned her.

“I’m sorry... About everything.” Ms. Hawk sat next to Finn in the astoundingly beautiful Corvette Z06. The road seemed to rush at Finn, the car was going almost ninety-five miles an hour down a highway that cut its way through a field, zigzagging in and out of various fields in some places. Apparently people like Ms. Hawk have immunity to common speed limits. Finn turned his head sideways to look at her. He didn't know what to say. “It’s not… right, what he did.” Finch. The man simultaneously killing and saving him. Finn moved his gaze back to the front window. He was amazed by Ms. Hawk’s skill and dexterity at maneuvering the car around the tightest bends without dipping below 50 miles an hour.

Silence filled the car for about twenty minutes. Finn broke it.

“What’s the plan. How am I going to get into an asylum.” Ms. Hawk’s piercing green eyes now softened for Finn. She seemed to honestly feel sympathy for Finn’s terrible circumstances.

“I’m going to be your aunt, the only remaining family member, and your guardian. You're going to pretend to be crazy, and I’m going to bring you to the asylum on ‘doctor’s orders.’ Once inside the asylum, you will have to find your way to the room where they keep the files and take your father’s.’”

“So, I need to act crazy, but like what kind of crazy?”

“Your doctor says…” Ms. Hawk now used only one hand to steer the incredible vehicle as she produced a paper from the glove box in front of Finn. “‘Irregular, uncontrollable and unforeseeable mood swings of steadily increasing violence.” Finn nodded. “Finn, before we get there, I want you to have this. Ms. Hawk handed him a piece of metal about as big as a pencil eraser. If you need help, if you have the file and need to get out... Anything. Just crush this.” Finn put the metal tablet into his pocket. Chances were, he would need it.

***

Ms. Hawk’s heels clicked as she entered the main lobby of Daniver’s mentally facility. Finn followed her, not sure wether to try and look as scared and as nervous as he could or act normal. Ms. Hawk had a quiet conversation with a slightly oversized receptionist as Finn glanced around the room. It was white, but not like Linda’s apartment, that was a modern, grayish or dull white. This room was so white that Finn was sure that if there was more than one light in the room he would be blinded. As Finn looked around, his thoughts wandered to Rei. Where was she? Finn didn't know. He hadn't seen her since he made her run away without him down in the storage maze. That seemed like a bad dream now, one that had happened in real life.

“Finn,” Finn looked up, Ms. Hawk was looking at him with what was supposed to be a concerned look. “The nice doctor is going to take you to your brand new room ok?” Finn nodded, not sure quite how to act and not sure whether it was needed or not. Finn followed the thick-limbed receptionist as she got out of her chair and began to move down a long hallway with a serene picture of nature every ten feet. The shiny tile rolled underneath Finn’s feet as he put a hand to his head, felt the bandage, winced, and put his hand back down again. The receptionist made the pony tail she had in her brown hair a little tighter and stopped in the middle of the hallway. She then reached out and opened a door that was the exact same shade as the wall and just as obnoxious. Finn entered the room. Inside was a desk with a crayon and a coloring book, a bed that seemed to be even smaller than twin size and a dresser. Everything in the room except the crayon was white. From the clothes that lay neatly folded and visible from one of the open drawers of the dresser to the color of the sheet and the bed frame. Finn also noticed that the floor was soft, almost like it was padded. The walls looked to be the same way.

“This is your new room Finn. Now, if you want to meet your new friends we can go do that.” Finn nodded. Again, not sure how to respond.

Finn was then led down the same hallway to a room on the very far end. Inside, a slew of different people were attempting to eat. The one that caught Finn’s eye first was a man that wasn't much bigger than a boy with black framed glasses twice as big as Finn thought they should be. He was sitting at a table, hunched over a piece of gluten free toast, browned gingerly with a tiny bit of butter smeared on top of it. The table he sat at was small, only big enough for the plate to rest on. Finn stopped staring when Boy-man glanced nervously in his direction, eyeing Finn’s larger than average figure and visibly cowering. Behind him sat a woman that seemed to be depressed, staring at the water bottle that dominated the space of her small table and giving deep exhales. Finn didn't have time to take in the other people, there where at least fifteen more of them, scattered throughout the room, each occupying a small table only big enough for their one plate of food. Finn hadn't yet eaten so he, trying to act like the character Hawk had described, timidly shuffled across the room, avoiding people’s glares as he did so. Finn stood in front of the food counter shyly holding out a plate.

“May I have the… pancake... please?” The server of the disgusting food was an old lady, her face so covered in wrinkles that Finn had trouble seeing her eyes.

“Speak up, young ‘un. Pancake? You want a pancake?” Finn nodded. The lady then proceeded to pick up a pancake, until now resting on a stack of other ones, with a pair of tonsils. Finn held his plate out a little more, sticking it under the glass panel that jutted out below Finn chin. The pancake flopped onto Finn’s plate like a dead animal. Finn eyed it cautiously as he made his way to one of the unoccupied tables, only about ten feet away from a woman that couldn't stop twitching. She watched him in between eye twitches as Finn picked up the pancake with his hands -he had been given no silverware- and took as big of a bite as he dared. The pancake tasted dry, dirty, cold and otherwise unappetizing. However, Finn managed to choke the rest of it down. There was limited options at cafeteria counter. A muffin, a pancake, a piece of bread and a brown banana. Finn didn't regret his choice, as bad as it was. Finn gave a long sigh outwards. It was going to be a long day.

***

Finn had explored for the entire day. He thought he had successfully mapped out the whole complex. There was three stories. The first floor was where the “patients” at Daniver’s slept and did most of their activities. The second floor was where the staff lived and the third floor was where the actual hospital was. Finn hadn't actually been up there, his guide, a kindly black man that served as part of the staff, hadn't thought it would be a good idea. Finn still had to find out how to get up to the third floor without being seen.

Finn was sitting in his room. Most of the other patients were outside doing tai chi or yoga or something. Finn, on the other hand, was using the crayon and coloring book to draw a map of the building. He had almost finished. He still had the listerine patches. But that was it, he had used all of his other gadgets to escape the museum, but still, the listerine patches seemed to be the most useful. Especially if he got caught and handcuffed.

“Finished.” Finn allowed himself a brief moment of pride as he looked down at his crayola drawn blueprints. Finn was about to begin playing with the metal tablet Ms. Hawk had given him when he heard the slight shuffling sound of approaching footsteps. Finn, hurriedly flipped the page over and began coloring a picture of a bluejay. The man that walked into Finn’s room through the open door (as you weren't allowed to close it) smiled warmly. His name was Noah, he was the man that had given Finn a tour of the building.

“Finn, The doctor says you have to get some fresh air, you should go outside for a little bit, it's almost bedtime.” Finn sighed inwardly. Finn hated being treated like this, (he had been notified that “bedtime” was at 7:00 and the “doctor” was a fairy that lived upstairs). Finn got up from his desk and followed Noah out of his room.

***

Finn was left to walk through a massively oversized garden almost ten minutes ago. Noah had gotten paiged and, following Noah’s remarks about going in early, Finn reassured him, saying that his auntie said he was a “good boy” and would come back once he had finished seeing the pretty flowers.

Finn hated this place.

On the good side, the garden was beautiful. Hedges, flowers, wishing wells and great trees whose trunks wound in spirals up to the sky. Yes, the garden was beautiful. Finn got up from the marble bench he had been sitting on and continued to walk down the grass lane. Hedges rose up on either side of him, Finn felt a slight sense of uncomfort. A brief flashback to when he had been trapped in the museum played in Finn’s mind. He hated that place too.

Finn passed a pot of particularly blue flowers on the corner of another grassy lane and instantly backpedalled. Finn turned left and followed the grassy lane to a central area that seemed to be in the middle of the entire complex. A fountain stood in the exact middle of the tiled circle and, much to Finn’s joy, there was someone standing in front of the fountain.

It was Rei.

Finn kept walking forward, almost as if in a trance. The distance between the two collapsed and the next thing Finn knew he was face to face with Rei. Her eyes shone brighter than ever, Finn lost himself in them as his knees seemed to grow weak.

“I thought you were dead.” Finn barely registered the words. Somehow, his mouth moved in a way that a reply came out of it.

“I didn't know if I would ever see you again,” Rei’s eyes shone as if she were crying. Finn could feel himself breaking down too. Rei shut her eyes for just a moment, even though it felt like an eternity. Finn heat raced inside of him. He didn't know what would happen, he didn't do anything. He just stood there, face-to-face with those angelic blue eyes. Rei leaned forward, pressing her lips against Finn’s for just a moment. A kiss. Finn was sure that something had just hit him in the stomach because he couldn't breathe. Rei pulled away. Finn still stood there, watching her. Enjoying her nearness.

“I have to go.” Finn thought he would absolutely break now. Not again. Not this time.

Finn tried to think of something to say, anything, to reel her back as she left, her hand lingering on Finn’s until the last second when she broke free. Finn stood there, entranced, unable to respond or do anything as Rei left.

Finn stood there, in the middle of the garden, still facing the fountain for almost ten minutes while the sun began to dip below the horizon, trying to make sense of what happened. Of why Rei was in America, how she knew english, why she was in Daniver’s mental facility… Why she kissed him.

Noah had come around after twenty minutes since Rei left him, there, Noah found him staring into the eye of someone Noah couldn’t see in front of him.

“C’mon Finn.” Noah gave out a long sigh before continuing. Inwardly he scolded himself for trusting Finn to come back in time. “it’s past your bedtime. You have another exciting day tomorrow.