After making sure that Jamie and Max are okay and learning that Mitch is gone, even though I'm not sure how, we are on a plane thousands of feet in the air, so my hopes are not too high. I head down to help Abe clean up the lab. When I get to the lab Abe is checking on the samples as Dariela walks in. "The tank kept Clem safe."
Abe nods and turns to her. "Somehow the spinal fluid survived. We can still make the cure."
I turn to Dariela and see she has a suitcase, "You're leaving?"
Dariela nods, "Yeah, we are. Me, Abe, and Isaac." Dariela looks over to Abe, "I packed your bag."
I shake my head, "Where is this coming from?"
"Do you even have to ask? Look around you. Look at what I am putting my son through. When those men took our son, we had to watch them drive away with Isaac in a cage, like some animal. That was the worst moment of my life... until today. Today, I thought I was gonna watch my son die because of my decision, because of something I did." Dariela begins to cry, as I step toward her she looks up, "It isn't safe here. We cannot make Isaac part of this."
Abe shakes his head, "What about the cure? We're so close..."
"Let them figure it out. Please, Abe."
"I can't. Kat can't figure this out on her own, even with Mitch."
I clear my throat, "Yeah, I would be alone. Mitch isn't on the plane."
"Dad?" We hear Isaac call out as he walks down the stairs.
Abe turns to him, "Come here." Abe holds out his arms and Isaac jumps off the step into him, "You and Mommy are going to go home first, then I'm going to join you when I can. I want you to make me a promise, that you'll be a good boy and look after your mother."
Isaac nods, "I promise, Daddy."
Abe smiles, "Good boy."
Dariela takes a deep breath and hugs Abe, "Be careful, Abe. We need you back once you're done saving the world."
I smile over to Dariela and then down to Isaac, "Don't worry. I'll make sure he comes back in one piece."
Dariela smiles over to me and hugs me. Once she does Isaac does as well. Dariela tries to hold back tears, "Come on. Let's go."
Once Dariela and Isaac are out of the room Abe turns to me, "You mean you'll come back in one piece if Jackson does."
I shake my head, "I couldn't lose both of you. So you're coming back in one piece either way. Abigail on the other hand, she'd better pay to whatever God she believes in that I never get my hands on her."
Before long we land in Prague, Dariela and Isaac take this chance to get off the plane and get another back to the states. I need to take a break on trying to find Abigail through every face recognizing software I could get my hands on to try and find Jackson. When I head into the computer room to start looking again, Jamie is on one of the computers.
"I don't know where he's going, but I got a hit on his cell phone right before it went dead. Okay, then I need Sat-4 covering West of the Spandauer Forest and Sat-9 watching everything south till Brandenburg. Both running facial recognition. Well, half that and I'll double the pay."
I take a deep breath, getting Jamie's attention, "That's impressive."
"Well, when you spend a decade chasing after people who don't want to be found, you pick up a few things. Have you find anything on Jackson yet?"
I sigh and shake my head, "No. The one time I can't count on him to just show up."
"We'll find him. Mitch, too." We hear Abe from the doorway.
"Will me? All of them?" I turn to Abe. "Clem is floating in a tank. Jackson was kidnapped. Mitch is gone. Dariela wised up and got out of here."
Abe walks toward me and places his hands on my shoulders, "We'll get them back. When Dariela left I could've left with her. In fact, I probably should have. But you know why I didn't? Faith. Faith in our mission. Faith in our team. Faith that we are doing the right thing. And we are the only ones who can."
I take a deep breath, "Oh, but, Abe, I wish I felt that way. I wish I had your conviction. But what if faith isn't enough?"
Jamie takes a deep breath, the both of us fighting back tears, "I'm gonna, uh, keep looking for Jackson and Mitch. I'll let you know if I find anything. You two get some rest."
Abe and I head to our rooms, I don't know about Abe but I can't get much sleep. The bed feels too big and empty without Jackson next to me. The next morning I wake up and head down to the lab to start cleaning up. It isn't long before Abe comes down and starts helping me. About an hour later Logan comes onto the plane, leading a man in cuffs.
"Logan." I look to him, shocked and confused, "What are you doing here?"
"Jamie called in a favor."
"Who is he?"
"This is the Shepherd who's going to help us find Mitch, which will hopefully lead us to Jackson." Jamie walks down the stairs. "Do you know who I am?"
The Shepherd nods, "Jamie Campbell. Got rich selling other people's stories. Now you spend your nights chasing after those that you exploited."
"Sit down. Jared MaCavey, former Shepherd. You ran security for the Applied Science Division. And you've been living in New England since Pangaea fell."
"Alissa Graham. Peter Runge. David Hall. All my friends, all in federal prison because of you."
I chuckle softly, "oddly enough, if you can believe it she doesn't care and neither do we. But we wouldn't have a problem arranging a nice reunion for you guys."
Jamies nods, "Or you can talk to us."
Logan steps toward Jared, "Abigail used to be one of you and then she went rogue. What she's planning with the hybrids it'll undo everything that you Shepherds have been working for. Now, we know that you've been looking for her. We know how to find her."
"How?" Jared looks over to Logan curious.
"One of the bio-drives that you created, Abigail has made a few modifications." Jamie tilts her head for a moment, "She's using one to control my friend, Mitch Morgan."
"You've been hunting us like dogs for a decade. Your boyfriend goes AWOL, you come crawling to me, a Shepherd, praying for help. I hope he ends up like the rest of the bio-drive subjects, choking to death on his own vomit."
Having had enough of this games and tired of the rage running through me because of Abigail and Robert, I punch Jared knocking him out of the chair. Leaning over him and grabbing his collar, "Start talking!"
"Katherine! Katherine! Stop!" I hear Logan call out.
"Stay out of this!"
"That's enough! Katherine!" Logan shouts again, pulling me off of Jared.
"What are you doing?" I hear Abe shout as he runs in.
"Do you really think the other Shepherds are going after Abigail? Who's left?! Who's gonna stop her?" Jamie looks from me to Jared.
Abe nods, "You know, she's right." he looks from Jamie to Logan then down to Jared, "If we're both going to get what we want, we're going to have to start working together."
Jared nods as Logan lets me go and helps him back up into the chair. "Okay. okay. I'll get you the tech stuff you need to-to find Mitch and you'll let me walk free with Abigail. No strings."
Jamie nods, "The priority is Mitch."
I take a deep breath, "If Abigail is there, we get her for a conversation. And then she's all yours."
"Deal" Jared nods.
"Let's go, okay." Abe nods.
Jamie and I stay with Jared, for about an hour or so before one of Logan's men come in to take our place. When I get into the lab I hear Abe, Logan, and Mitch talking. I listen for a moment before walking over to them, "what about anti-pathogenic?"
Abe turns to me, "Max's research is to be believed, this enzyme seems to be able to weaken, if not destroy, all pathogens: bacterial, viral, toxigenic."
Logan looks over to Abe, "What about spores?"
Max nods, "Spores? Yeah, I see no reason why it wouldn't have a similar effect."
Logan nods, "Okay, I need everything that you have on this enzyme ASAP." Logan turns and heads out of the lab as Abe and I look to each other.
"Well, you heard the man." I roll up my sleeves, "Let's get to it."
As I get to work Max chuckles, "You know Katherine, you are a lot like me."
"How so?"
"When I need to keep my mind busy, I keep my hands busy. I focus on something I know I'm good at.