[MD2, 3:55PM, Campus Motor Inn]

Kate tossed the car keys to Craig, impressed when he plucked them out of the air with no apparent effort. Years of training allowed her to keep a calm facade and to coolly analyze the situation, even though her baser instincts were calling for action. Damian and Sharlyn could be anywhere, and although her first inclination was to go search for them, that would be a waste of time.

Craig's suggestion to follow up on the drug angle seemed as good an idea as any. But Kate wasn't sure that it felt quite right. By definition, every college campus had some level of drug activity. Tracking down every person who'd had a run in with the law for a drug offense didn't seem likely to get them anywhere, even if they restricted the search to the sororities and possibly the faculty. On the other hand, for the moment she couldn't think of any other way to proceed.

As they got into the car, Kate's cell phone rang. She grabbed it, hoping that it would be Damian or Sharlyn. "Calloway," she answered.

[Agent Calloway, this is Monica Carlson at University Hospital. You asked to be informed if there was any change in William Quinn's condition.]

"Yes," Kate said, barely getting her breath back from the speculations that had flashed through her mind for a moment. "How is he?"

[Mr. Quinn has come out of his catatonic state. He's still having some difficulty communicating, but he has asked to see you.]

"Thank you. We'll be right there." Kate broke the connection as Craig started the car. "Slight change in plans," she said. "Officer Quinn wants to see us. Maybe he can tell us something about what happened to him."

Craig nodded and turned the car toward the hospital.


[MD2, 4:10PM, University Hospital]

By the time they reached the hospital, Kate had already contacted the local sheriff's office and campus security to ask both departments to be on the lookout for Damian and Sharlyn's car, with a request that no one approach the vehicle unless they appeared to be in trouble. There might still be some innocuous why they had turned their phones off, but Kate still doubted it.

Will's room on the fourth floor was dark when they approached it, the blinds closed and the light turned off. A doctor was just coming out and the agents approached him.

"Kate Calloway, FBI. And this is Agent Hermes. What is Officer Quinn's condition?"

The doctor nodded. "I'm Dr. Griffith. He's showing improvement. He's sleeping at the moment, but since he's been asking to see you, you can go in."

"Thank you," Kate said. "Have you discovered the cause of his condition?"

"Not precisely." The doctor led them a few steps down the hallway so as not to disturb Quinn. "When we did the blood work up on him, we discovered a foreign substance. The analysis of the substance was inconclusive, but it gave a reading very similar to heroin."

"Heroin wouldn't produce Quinn's symptoms," Craig said.

"No, it wouldn't. So we ran the analysis a second time and got the same result. It also showed a small peak in the range of a number of hallucinogenic compounds."

Kate glanced at Craig. "Good call," she said.

"However," Dr. Griffith continued, "the patient reports experiencing no hallucinations. In fact, he says that he was alert and aware of everything that was going on around him the whole time, but was unable to move or respond. Determining exactly what he was given is going to require more advanced testing that what we're capable of here. My best guess," the doctor said with a shrug, "is that it was some kind of heroin derivative, combined with… well, something else."

"Keep us informed."

Dr. Griffith nodded and returned to his rounds.

Quinn appeared to be sleeping when Kate and Craig entered the room, but before they said anything, he opened his eyes and smiled. He looked weak and frail and had dark circles under his eyes. When he raised a hand in greeting, it seemed to take his full concentration and all of his strength just to lift his hand a few inches. To Kate's eyes, he looked even younger now than he had the previous night, and it took every bit of restraint to hold back the motherly urge to straighten his hair and fluff his pillow.

"Thanks," he managed to choke out.

"Think nothing of it," Kate said. "How are you?"

"Feel like…" Quinn was unable to finish the sentence, but filling in the blank was easy enough.

"You indicated to me this morning that you didn't see who did this. Can you remember anything?"

"Two men," Quinn said.

"You didn't recognize them," Craig asked.

Quinn shook his head and looked apologetic. "Dark."

"That's okay. But you told them what you'd told me? About Amy?"

Quinn nodded. "Sorry, but…"

"Could one of them have been Mayor Richmond?" That question came from Craig. On hearing the name, Quinn's eyes opened wide with apparent fear.

"Will," Kate said firmly, "you did recognize them, didn't you? One of them was the mayor, wasn't it? And the other one was Dr. Burrell." Quinn looked away from them, but nodded slightly. "Why are you so afraid of them?"

"Can't… Please."

"Kate," Craig said in a harsh whisper and nodded in the direction of the door.

Kate looked up in time to see a shadow retreating from the doorway. "Did you get a look at him?"

"Her," Craig correct, shaking his head. "She was blond, young."

Kate went to the door and peered down the hallway. She spotted the retreating figure near the elevator. "Megan," she called out, recognizing the girl instantly.

Megan turned at the sound of her name, debated her course of action for all of half a second and took off in the direction of the stairs.

"Wait here," Kate told Craig and took off after the girl.

She got to the door before it had swung shut, but Megan was already out of sight. The sound of a door opening below caught Kate attention and she followed in that direction, again managing to catch the door just before it swung shut. As she burst into the hallway, motion to her right caught her attention and spun around to see Megan fumbling to pull a gun out of her purse. A single kick sent purse and gun flying and knocked Megan off her feet.

"That was really stupid," Kate said. She offered a hand to Megan to help her up. Defiant as ever, Megan ignored the gesture and got up on her own.. Kate grabbed her wrist and picked up Megan's things.

"I don't have to say anything to you!"

"No you don't. You're a determined and ambitious young woman, Megan," Kate said. "I can respect that. But how far do you think you're going to get in life with a record that includes assault on a federal agent, accessory to murder, who knows what else?"

Megan laughed. "You can't prove anything."

"Can't I? What do you call this?" Kate indicated Megan's gun.

"You were threatening me," Megan said. "For no reason and I was only trying to defend myself."

"Then why didn't I just shoot you? It would have been much easier. And far more satisfying. Give it up, Megan."

A look of defeat crossed Megan's features for a moment, but only for a moment, and then she smiled. "You don't really want me," she said. "You want Burrell. And I'm the only one who can tell you where he is. But only if you forget about what happened here."

Kate didn't like the deal, but if Megan really knew where Burrell was, it was their best option. "All right. But if you're mixed up in anything else, I can't help you."

Megan held out her free hand to seal the deal. Rather than respond, Kate pulled her toward the stairs and led her back to upstairs to get Craig.


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