"Leonard Speaking"
'Leonard Thinking'
FBI Headquarters, Washington DC
Ron sat in a dark room, looking through a one-way mirror, as he took in the man sitting in the interrogation chair with poise, as he waited for someone to come. Looking at his clean shirt and sharp suit, Ron felt a sense of bewilderment. He turned to his side, where Jenna sat, and asked incredulously, "How the fuck did this guy get a drop on you?"
Jenna turned towards Ron, her lip curled up in displeasure at being reminded of her failure. She still remembered that failure in detail.
Flashback
Jenna slowly came to her senses, her head tilting with lethargy. She turned slightly and looked at her side. Rocco's eyes bore into her, making all the traces of sleep vanish from her eyes. She tried to stand up, but she found herself unable to move. Looking down, she realised that she was tied to a chair. Looking around, her team was tied up in similar ways, each one in various states of sleep.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard in front of her. The man who had captured them had just walked in, carrying small bottles of water. Seeing that Jenna was awake, he smiled, "Good! You are awake now. Here, have some water."
Without opening her restraints, the man twisted the bottle cap off a bottle and turned the rim towards her. Jenna glared at him, not moving towards the bottle in the slightest. The man chuckled, "If you are worried about poison, don't be. I don't need to poison you to kill you, after all, you are already at my mercy."
Rocco answered, "It's protocol. Never eat or drink anything your captors give you."
Leonard considered the answer, before nodding, "Very well. My apologies for this situation, but please try to understand."
Brenda, who had woken up, yelled, "Understand what! You attacked our team, defeated us and captured us. Just wait till I get free. I'll be sure to let you understand how I feel."
The man rubbed the back of his head, before answering, "I know that we got off on the wrong foot…"
Brenda yelled, "The right foot will find itself in your ass."
Jenna yelled, "Brenda—Shut up. Have I taught you nothing about hostile situations."
The man smiled and continued, "Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. This warehouse belongs to me. And for some reason, you and your team decided to break into this warehouse without informing me or identifying yourselves. So, pardon me if I tried to protect myself and my friend."
The team was mostly awake by now, with Liam being the last one to wake, "Uh, why do I feel so heavy?"
Leonard answered, "That would be the sedative gas. It keeps the person unconscious for about an hour, but the body feels lethargic and heavy for two. Even after waking up, most people hit by it would be unable to attack me."
Rocco looked puzzled, "Then why did you tie us up?"
Leonard looked amused, "Well, your friend Brenda here was not hit by the gas. So, she can move and attack. So I had to restrain her. To show that I wasn't playing favourites, I had to tie you up too. But don't worry, these ropes are not actually tight."
With a flourish, Leonard pulled on a single rope securing Rocco, the entire rope unwrapping off the body. Rocco tried to get up, but found himself unable to move. He kept trying to no avail.
Leonard chuckled and held out the bottle for Jenna, who reluctantly took a few gulps of the cool liquid. Pulling another chair, Leonard sat in front of the team and said, "Now, tell me, why did you break into my warehouse, with weapons ready…"
Flashback End
Jenna shuddered as she thought of the incident. For two hours, her team was completely helpless, at Leonard's mercy. Yet, not once did the guy show panic, anger or tension. Luckily, Leonard was not actually a bad guy… at least in her opinion. Suspicious for sure, but not a bad guy.
Suddenly, Leonard glanced at the mirror, yet Jenna felt as if he could see exactly where she was sitting. His head turned to Ron, before flashing him a smile. Ron shuddered, "This guy gives me the creeps. Maybe we should call Agent Starling. She has experience with sickos."
Jenna looked at him oddly, "Why would you assume he is a sicko?"
Ron turned to her, "You don't have first-hand experience dealing with Hannibal Lecter. Back in 89, I was just a rookie. But I saw how that monster escaped custody. I still have nightmares about it."
Ron looked at Leonard once again. For a second, he thought about something, before quickly pulling out his phone. He deftly dialed a number and said, "Hello…"
Buffalo, New York
A car pulled up to the Canadian border. Inside, Gustin was nervously tapping the steering wheel, while Natasha, with her red hair tucked beneath a beanie, looked at him with exasperation, "You look like someone about to smuggle a ton of cocaine."
Gustin looked at her with outrage, "Are you trying to get us arrested? I am already nervous without you using the words smuggle and cocaine."
Natasha raised her eyebrow, "Are you that nervous? You'll look very suspicious to the border guard."
Gustin ignored her as his eyes stayed glued to the cars in front of him. As the car got closer to the window, Gustin started to sweat, his nerves stretched thin. Finally, there was just one car in front of him. His heart drummed like it had never before, his eyes started to glaze over, and he looked like he would faint any second. Suddenly, he heard Natasha say, "Hey Gustin."
As Gustin turned towards her, she grabbed him by the ears and pulled him in a breathtaking kiss. The kiss lasted for five seconds, yet Gustin felt it to be as long as a lifetime. Suddenly, the car behind them honked. Gustin subconsciously drove forward, his breath still lost in the kiss. As they reached the window, the guard asked, "Passports?"
Natasha giggled and snatched their passports from Gustin's hands, giving them to the guard, "I am sorry about my boyfriend. He is still catching his breath."
Gustin subconsciously nodded, while the guard smiled at the two. He quickly stamped their passports. As the two drove forward, Gustin turned to her in shock.
Natasha threatened, "Never mention this in front of anyone. Clear?"
Gustin nodded vigorously, as Natasha pulled out her phone and dialed Karen's number, "Hello, we have crossed the border though Buffalo. What about you?"
Karen's voice came, "We are about an hour away from Kingston. You will have to wait for us."
Natasha hummed before saying, "We will meet at Toronto airport then. Be careful."
With a sigh, Natasha hung up, turning to Gustin before saying, "Wipe that befuddled look off your face. Head over to Toronto Airport."
Gustin nodded as the two drove to Toronto, with two metal cubes encapsulating a device that could manipulate time.
Interrogation Room 4, FBI Headquarters, Washington DC
Leonard sat in the interrogation chair calmly, his eyes observing the surroundings. While he was not handcuffed, his phone, cane and gun were confiscated as soon as Team Epsilon found their bearings. Luckily, the backup teams were polite, so he was sure Paige would not suffer mistreatment. He recalled the time, counting on the FBI's response and how long he had been in the room.
'The Chronon containers should be safe by now. I'll have to contact the team as soon as I can.'
A rhythmic clack reached Leonard's ear. He turned towards the door, as a handsome woman entered the room. She looked young for her age. As Leonard took in her form, the woman sat in front of him, calmly adjusting her suit. The woman looked at him gravely before introducing herself, "Good evening Dr. Hofstadter. I am Special Agent Clarice Starling. The FBI has some questions for you, which we would really like answered."
Leonard felt as if the woman was on edge for some reason, with her brows tight, her lips pursed, and a strange tension in her body. He said, "Do I frighten you, Agent Starling?"
Clarice paused at that. Her eyes tried to sense any hint of malice from Leonard. She quickly regained her composure, "No, Dr. Hofstadter, you do not. Are you trying to?"
Leonard smiled, "Not at all. I wouldn't say it was fear, but you seem quite tense."
Clarice faced Leonard with resolute eyes, "You attacked and took down an experienced FBI team, you are calm, and decisive. Yet, even after you took down the team, you did not run. Why?"
Leonard leaned back in the chair, "I have no reason to run. Now, if I may ask, why did your team break into my warehouse, with guns armed and ready, without checking if the place was unoccupied or not."
Clarice smiled, "A misunderstanding I am afraid. Now, why didn't you let the team know you were present?"
Leonard smirked, "The team did not identify themselves. I thought they were simple intruders. Is it so strange to see a man defend his home?"
Clarice's smile faded, "Dr. Hofstadter, maybe you don't know me well. I have worked at the FBI since the 90s. I have dealt with cases and criminals that would make people wet their beds in fear. While it is not strange for someone to defend their home, it is your competency that makes us question your motive."
Leonard seemed to catch something as his eyes lit up and a small smile emerged on his face, "You are quite suspicious, aren't you? You might not be afraid, but you are wary for sure. What is it, by the way?"
Outside the Interrogation Room
The team looked at Clarice Starling, a legend in the FBI, interrogating Leonard. Yet, from the start, Leonard held initiative. This unsettled Ron, more than he would want to admit.
Ron cursed, "Damn this guy. He is enjoying it."
Jenna looked at the two with apprehension. Suddenly, the door opened and a beautiful, brown-haired woman entered the room. The woman looked at Jenna, with worry on her face, "Hey Jenna, how is Rocco? I heard he got shot?"
Jenna reassured her, "Relax Angela, your husband is fine. He was hit by a tranquilizer pellet."
Angela sighed in relief, her shoulders sagging as tension drained from her. She asked, "So, who did it? It is not easy to get a drop on your team. How did that happen?"
Jenna groaned, "Why does everyone keep asking that? Whatever it is, we will know soon enough. Agent Starling is interrogating the man."
Angela turned to the see-through mirror, before her eyes widened in shock, "How did Leonard Hofstadter defeat you all?"
Jenna's head snapped towards her. She asked in bewilderment, "You know this guy?"
Angela nodded, "Yeah, I met him a couple of years ago."
Interrogation Room
Clarice pursed her lips in displeasure. She had tried to mask her wariness, but this guy still seemed to catch on. She spoke tersely, "Dr. Hofstadter, I will ask the questions here."
Leonard's face went neutral, "And I will not answer anything until my lawyer is here. We can play this game, or we can be courteous to each other. You may ask your questions and I will ask mine. If you are not receptive to my courtesy, maybe we should end this farce here."
Clarice took a deep breath, pushing down her impatience, "Do you mind if I call you Leonard?"
Leonard looked at her for a moment before shaking his head. Clarice continued, "Leonard, the way things are, you and your friend were in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city, where a gamma spike was detected. While the place is registered as a lab, gamma spikes are usually associated with nuclear research and dirty bombs. Then, we sent a team to investigate, yet they were taken down by someone with elite training. You see what it looks like from our side?"
Leonard stared for a few seconds, before sighing, "Do you know that Paige is a particle physicist and I am an experimental physicist? We are not criminals, yet your team broke into my warehouse, while I was in it, with lethal weapons. Paige was there with me. If any stray bullet had so much as grazed her, I wouldn't be able to look myself in the eye."
Clarice became somber at that, "I apologize for that. The fact that you showed mercy says a lot about your character."
The room grew quiet for a minute, with the two people studying each other.
Outside the Interrogation Room
Jenna and Angela looked at each other unsure of what to say or do in the situation. If the situation was not so tense, Leonard's defense could be considered romantic or heroic. Unfortunately, being on the receiving end was far from pleasant. Yet, if all the facts were considered, the FBI was in the wrong here.
Ron got up from his seat, agitated. He moved swiftly towards a corner. Taking out a pack of Luckies, he lit one for himself, sighing as he blew out smoke. He whispered to the two women, "We should not let go so easily. We should pivot onto difficult questions. He is hiding something for sure."
Jenna nodded, looking through the mirror once again. Clarice had just opened her file.
Interrogation Room
Clarice sighed before opening up a file, "Are you willing to answer my questions now?"
Leonard smiled, "Not in the slightest. As I said, I will not answer any questions before my lawyer comes."
Clarice gritted her teeth, "Then I will arrange a phone call for you. Call him as soon as possible."
Leonard smiled, "Oh, don't worry. I contacted him as soon as I took down your team. And by my calculations, he should be arriving in less than ten minutes."
True to his word, in exactly seven minutes, Mike Ross came into the room. His brow was beaded with sweat, and he was panting. Yet his eyes were sharp and clear. He said, "Good evening Agent Starling. I am Attorney Mike Ross, from Chaldea Legal…"
It took two hours, but Mike handled everything, from answering the questions to completing the formalities. He was meticulous and quick. By the time the sun hid beneath the horizon, Leonard and Paige were out of the headquarters and walking towards their car.
Office, Behavioural Analysis Wing, FBI Headquarters, Washington DC
The team was gathered in Clarice's office, but the room was engulfed in uncomfortable silence.
The team was deep in thought, when suddenly, Ron got up from his seat and yelled, "Did you believe the shit that came out of his mouth? The day we detected the gamma spike, the same day, he completed the experiment and disassembled his collider. All that's left of his team is one female scientist. If any of that was a coincidence, I would start gambling."
Clarice sighed, looking feeble and defeated, "I don't believe them, but I have no choice. Team Epsilon searched the warehouse, didn't they? Did you find anything, Jenna?"
Jenna shook her head, "No devices, no nuclear materials, not even a stray wire. All the warehouse had were those screens, those tiny metal things and his own room, which was unremarkable except for the harp kept there."
Ron muttered, "We should have kept him for at least two days. I knew many methods to make him sing like a canary."
Angela swatted his arm, earning an annoyed grunt from him. She said, "That is highly unethical and illegal. I asked the management department. The papers were ironclad. Besides, he didn't exactly do anything illegal."
Clarice smiled, "He might not have done anything illegal, but he must be involved in something. He was using stalling tactics."
Ron looked surprised at that, "Stalling tactics, why would he use that?"
Clarice laughed, a laugh full of energy, "The why is the answer we are looking for. He was in the loft when Team Epsilon broke in. He could have hidden himself and yelled, making sure the misunderstanding never happened. But he knocked them out for an hour, paralysed them for two, then he cooperated in the search, showing you all the places. It took us two hours to recover from the assault, one hour for him to show us around the lab. How long did you keep him on ice, Ron?"
Ron thought for a moment, "About an hour and a half. Most people would start getting uncomfortable after twenty minutes. That is why I called you to interrogate him."
Clarice looked at Ron, before saying, "You must have thought his demeanour resembles Dr. Lecter, but he is nothing like the guy. Lecter was possessive of people he considered his own, but they were mere playthings to him. Leonard Hofstadter doesn't show these signs. But then again, Dr. Lecter was notoriously manipulative, and Leonard might be manipulating us the same way."
Clarice continued, "When I was interrogating him, he kept trying to push my buttons, derailing the interrogation in the direction of the FBI breaking in, instead of what he was doing at the warehouse. Finally, after his lawyer came, he did not hide most of the things. I'm sure he hid something, but he was honest about others. It took us about two hours to detect the spike and attack his warehouse. So, exactly how long did he stall us?"
Jenna quickly calculated, "About seven hours since we detected the spike. But how did he know that we were coming?"
Ron looked unsure, "You suspect a mole?"
He looked at Angela with suspicion. Angela felt annoyed, "I said I knew him. He was a scientist for Caltech who tried to hit on me, nothing else."
Clarice calmed everyone, "Let's not point fingers yet. Moles are very common in government agencies, it might be someone in the FBI, the CIA, or perhaps, it is a sleeper agent. We don't know yet."
Ron looked defeated, but asked, "So, what should we do now?"
Clarice smiled, "You will do your work, while I will send Dr. Hofstadter's data to the NSA. They will take over the surveillance setup. Leonard is not like Lecter, but he is no typical citizen, and that worries me a bit."
AN: It has been a while since I uploaded. A lot happened between the two chapters. Exams, job and residence changes and a general lack of time. Luckily, I was able to squeeze out time for this chapter. Enjoy!
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