Mistaken Identity - Part 4
Created | Updated Mar 22, 2007
Chapter 3
NTAC Headquarters, Seattle
Colonel John Sheppard and Dr Elizabeth Weir entered the building. They were told by the receptionist to wait. They were in Seattle to meet a couple of National Threat Assessment agents about the disappearance of their Major Lorne and NTAC's Agent Marc Garrity, who were the spitting image of each other. A man and a woman came over to them.
'Colonel Sheppard and Dr Weir?' The man held out his hand. 'I'm Tom Baldwin and this is Diana Skouris. Thank you for coming,' he said as they all shook hands.
'I understand you were the last person to see our Major Lorne,' said Elizabeth to Diana.
'So I understand,' replied Diana as she explained to them how she had mistaken Lorne for Garrity. Elizabeth, in return, told them about her meeting with Agent Garrity.
A thought struck John Sheppard. 'If you mistook Lorne for Garrity, do you think someone else could have?' he asked. Diana shrugged.
'Maybe. What are you getting at?' she replied.
'Do you think it's possible someone kidnapped Lorne, mistaking him for Garrity, and vice versa? Our sources say your daughter warned Lorne not to stop on the Interstate. What did she mean? Did she know something was going to happen to Lorne?' said John. Diana sighed.
'I don't know what Maia meant. After three years I only tend to pay attention to the important things,' said Diana. John and Elizabeth exchanged looks that Diana noticed.
'Oh, Maia's a 4400. She has precognitive abilities,' she explained.
'A what that has what?' asked John.
'Maia's a 4400. She can see into the future. You must have heard of them,' said Diana.
'We've... ah... been away,' said Elizabeth vaguely.
'Three years ago, a comet brought four thousand, four hundred people thought to have been kidnapped by aliens back, some with enhanced abilities. The whole world's heard of them,' said Tom.
'We really can't tell you,' said Elizabeth, 'but is it possible to speak to your daughter?' Diana nodded and led them out to the car park.
A Trust safehouse somewhere in Washington
'We picked this up on the wires out of Seattle,' said the younger woman, handing over a bunch of papers to a woman known as Bellona, who looked over.
'I owe you an apology, Orcus,' she said. 'It seems he was telling the truth.' She handed over the papers to the two men, who studied them.
'Whoever has Major Lorne obviously wants this Agent Garrity. Make inquiries and let them know we have their man,' said Orcus. The younger woman nodded and went to do their bidding.
Diana's Home
Diana opened her front door and saw her daughter sitting at the table, doing her homework.
'Hi sweetie, this is John and Elizabeth. They want to ask you about what you said to the man at the gas station in Colorado, the one I thought was Agent Garrity,' said Diana.
Maia smiled. 'Okay,' she said. John pulled up a chair and sat next to her.
'Now, this guy your mom thought was Garrity is a friend of mine and he's missing. Do you know what's happened to him?' said John.
Maia shook her head. 'Sorry, I don't' she replied.
'Why did you tell him not to stop on the Interstate?' asked Diana.
'Because Isabel was waiting for him,' said Maia.
'Isabel!' said Tom and Diana.
'Sweetie, why didn't you say anything?' said Diana as Tom pulled out his mobile and dialled.
'Because she doesn't want him,' said Maia.
'Who's Isabel?' asked Elizabeth.
'A 4400 and bad news,' said Diana.
Maia smiled at John. 'Don't worry, when they come you'll know what to do,' she said.
John looked puzzled. 'They?' he asked.
'The vampires,' said Maia.
'Vampires?' said John, trying not to show how surprised he was.
'Yes, when the vampires come to the city the key will unlock itself,' said Maia, and went back to homework. John was dumbfounded. There was no doubt she was talking about Atlantis and the Wraith, but how could she know? Maia looked at Elizabeth and smiled.
'You're going to look so pretty on your wedding day,' she said.
'I'm not getting married,' said Elizabeth in surprise.
'Not yet, but you will soon, and you'll have pink flowers in your bouquet,' said Maia. Elizabeth decided to humour her.
'What kind are they? Roses?' she asked.
'No, he calls them karafiat,' Maia said.
'He? the man I'm going to marry?' asked Elizabeth. Maia nodded. 'I don't suppose you'll tell me who 'he' is?' Maia gave her a look that said 'Duh.'
'You already know who he is.' She pointed to Elizabeth's heart with her pen. 'In there,' she said with a smile and carried on with her homework. Elizabeth got up and went back to Diana and John.
'At least she didn't tell you you were going to marry your sister's boyfriend,' remarked Diana.
'How did she know about the Wraith and Atlantis? All that stuff about vampires and the city, she had to be referring to us,' whispered John. Elizabeth shrugged. Her mind was still reeling after the revelations about her wedding day.
Tom snapped his phone shut. 'I've got people out looking for Isabel, but if she kidnapped Lorne in place of Garrity, then who wanted your man and got Garrity by mistake?' he asked.
'The aliens kidnapped Agent Garrity,' said Maia. All heads turned to look at her.
'What do you mean, sweetie?' asked Diana.
'Aliens have got Agent Garrity,' she said again.
'Do you know what these aliens look like?' asked John. Maia picked up a pencil and began to draw a picture. She turned it to show the adults — it was a picture of a snake-like reptile.
'Goa'uld,' said John and Elizabeth. John pulled out his mobile.
'I'll call Landry and tell him the Trust are behind this,' he said.
'Aliens?' said Tom.
'I can't explain, but Garrity is in danger and we have the means to help him,' said Elizabeth.
'And if Isabel has Lorne and she finds out he's not Garrity, things won't look good for him either,' said Diana.
'I think we should pay Shawn and Richard a visit. If anyone knows what Isabel is up to, it's them,' said Tom.
Haspelcorp, Seattle
Dennis Ryland and Isabel Tyler were in the office waiting for news when his secretary entered and handed over some papers.
'It looks like you're right, Isabel. He is Major Lorne. Some agency in Washington called the Trust has kidnapped Garrity by mistake and is looking for Major Lorne. They are willing to trade Garrity for Lorne,' said Ryland, who nodded to his secretary. 'Tell them we are willing to trade at a neutral location.' She nodded and left.
