Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 22:25:20 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: Mirror - part 10 Message-ID: Quantum Leap Mirror of Deception by Katherine Freymuth and Gary Marsh Copyright 1998 Part 10 Her face was bloody and purple from the hits she was accepting. "Do it again," she ordered firmly, looking at her abuser with determined eyes. He hesitated. "Listen, lady, I've done enough." She glared at him. "Do you want to see the other half of that five hundred thousand dollars?" "Not if I'm going to go to jail for this," he told her. "You have my written testimony that I hired you for this," Cathy reminded. He frowned at her. "What are you, some kind of sick masochist?" Cathy smiled at him, looking quite insane with her so beaten. "Do it again," she ordered again. "Keep going until I collapse. You'll get the other half later today, same place." He shook his head. "Crazy little...." he muttered before giving her a hard right hook to her jaw. Cathy staggered slightly but regained her balance a moment later. "Again," she ordered. Her voice was beginning to crack from the pain of the blows. He obeyed, beating her until she was on her hands and knees. Finally, she raised her hand to make him stop, coughing up a little blood as she did so. "Geezus," he whispered, seeing the damage he had done to her. She took a deep breath, gaining some strength from the act. "Go," she told him quietly. "It wouldn't be good, especially for you, if we were seen together. Someone might think the wrong thing concerning this." He hesitated. She looked at him and smiled. "Go on," she ordered. "Just be on time for the rest of your payment." He slowly picked up a small satchel and walked away, still very confused about this odd Irish woman, not wanting to ask why she wanted to be abused as she was. Cathy took several breaths to regain her strength before she left the alley herself, covering her new wounds with sunglasses and a scarf. Al entered the office without warning, startling slightly its occupant. "Al," Verbina said with raised eyebrows. She stood up. "What can I do for you?" "Sit down," he ordered as he took something from the inside pocket of his jacket. Verbina obeyed the command, surprised by its firmness. "Is there something wrong?" Al looked at her firmly as he dropped a sealed envelope on Verbina's desk. Verbina frowned slightly, taking the envelope in hand. "What is this?" she asked as she prepared to open it. "My resignation." Verbina dropped the envelope in shock, looking at the Admiral with surprise. "What?" she questioned quietly. "You heard and understood me correctly," he told her. She frowned in confusion. "Why?" Al glared at her slightly. "You're the psychiatrist. You tell me." She shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. Al nodded. "That's the problem." Verbina frowned at him. She shook her head again in confusion. "I don't understand. What are you getting at?" "That's another problem," Al told her. Verbina looked even more perplexed, if it was possible. Al leaned forward, his palms on her desk. "You don't know me. You don't understand me. No one in this god-forsaken complex does. The only person involved in this project who does know me, who does understand me, is seventeen years in the past." "Al..." "I can't handle this anymore, Dr. Beeks," Al continued firmly. "I'm not going to let myself be used as a glorified secretary anymore. I'm tired of allowing others to take the credit for scientific advances because they belong to the scientific clique and I don't." "Al..." Verbina tried again. "There is nothing you can say that will change my mind, Dr. Beeks. My retirement papers are already in the mail to Admiral Fairbanks. I've already informed Sam of my decision and Ziggy is linking Gushie's brainwaves to Sam's." "Al..." she started again. Al waited this time, questioning in his eyes. Verbina exhaled, unsure what to say to her friend. It just didn't make sense. How could he go so quickly from troubles with Tina's engagement to retiring from the Navy and resigning from Project Quantum Leap? She took a breath, placing her hand on the envelope. "Let's talk about this," she suggested. Al looked at her pointedly before turning and heading for the door. She stood up quickly. "I can't accept your resignation, Al." Al stopped and turned around for a moment. "Do whatever the hell you want with it, Beeks, but you won't see me in this complex again." With that, he left the office. Verbina hurried to follow him. She followed him to the garage only to see him drive away in his own silver Ferrari. The red Ferrari that had become know as Al's car, even though it was government property, sat empty in Al's parking space.