Reilly met Zack at the door of room 774. Zack studied the key lock. It'd been shorted out. There were traces of burn residue around it. Reilly spoke,"Looks like they blew the keypad and pried the door open physically. There's some scratches on the door from whatever tool they used. I've got Forensics on the way."
      Zack stepped inside. There were clothes scattered about the room, and jewelry strewn across the bed, next to Jessie's black flight bag. All the drawers in the little dresser and the nightstand were open. "Either this was an amateur operation, or someone was in a hurry," he said. Most professionals would not have left glaring telltale signs like a pried open door and the room a shambles. Unless they were pressed for time."Have forensics go over this place with a fine tooth comb. Try and get some prints. If it was professional, I doubt we'll find some, but check anyway."
      "Gotcha Chief. What about locating the victim?"
      "I already know where she is. She's down in Med Lab, unconscious."
      Reilly was taken aback. "She is? How'd you find out so fast? Is it something to do with the break-in?"
      "No, I don't think so." He waved the other questions aside. The forensics team showed up just then and carried out Zack's orders. Half an hour later they confirmed his suspicions. No prints were found but Jessie's.
      "What'll we do now, Chief?"
      "Seal this place up until we can interview the victim and find out what, if anything, is missing. And just in case this WAS a personal attack, I want a guard on her until she can talk to us. Reilly, get down to Med Lab. I'll let Dr. Franklin know you're coming and why." Reilly obeyed Zack and left promptly.
      Zack was the last one to leave the room before they sealed it up. He quickly walked to the nightstand, picked up a pale pink rosebud, and put it in his jacket with a pat, then strode out.

      Zack filed his report back at the stationhouse and sent a copy straight to Sheridan's office. Along with it he sent his personal information about Jessie and what had happened that night before the break in. He knew he'd be getting a call about it from him in the morning.
      Zack tabbed his comlink. "Allen to Dr. Franklin."
      "Franklin here. Go ahead."
      "How's she doing , Doc?"
      "No change. She's stabilized but still unconscious.We moved her to a private room. Lyta's sleeping on a cot in the room with her and your officer is stationed outside her door. She'll be fine."
      "Good. I'm going to try and get some shut-eye. Tell Reilly I'll relieve him in a few hours."
      "Will do. Franklin out."
      Zack got up and went to the couch in the corner of the office. He took his coat off to use as a blanket and curled up, attempting to shut out the events of the evening. He'd just gotten settled when he heard the familiar chirp of his comlink yet again. He groaned and pulled himself up to acknowledge. "Allen.Go."
      "Zack, it's me again," said Stephen. "I just checked on her. She's awake."

      Zack flew to the Med Lab as if on wings. He had a million questions to ask this girl but first he just wanted to know she was alright. He practically skidded into Franklin and Officer Reilly outside her door.
      "How is she?"
      "She's fine, Zack. Groggy and a little disoriented, but all her tests so far have come up negative. I'd like to keep her another day for observation, then she should be good to go."
      "Great. Can I talk to her?"
      "Yes, she asked for you in fact. Go right in. Lyta's with her. I'll check back in a minute."
      Zack stepped in and saw Lyta sitting in a chair next to Jessie, who was propped up slightly in bed. Lyta looked to be soothing her. "It's alright,this happens to inexperienced and untrained telepaths sometimes. You'll be okay. I know you're afraid but you can trust me. I'm not going to hurt you." Jessie let the tears roll down. She looked terrified. Zack cleared his throat. Her head jerked up. "Zack!" He came to her bedside and touched her shoulder. "Hey, what's with the tears?"
      "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell but I couldn't. Please, don't let them take me!" She looked over at Lyta.
      Zack crouched down to eye level. " Shhhhh. Nobody is taking you anywhere. You're safe here. This is Lyta Alexander. She's not with Psi-Corp anymore. She's here to help you. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you." He wiped her eyes with a hankerchief Lyta handed him.

      Lyta pulled him aside. "She's terribly frightened. She's disoriented from the episode and if she doesn't let me help her she's going to have another one." Zack nodded and turned back to Jessie. "Jessie, I know you're scared but you're also not well. You've got to let Lyta help you or you'll get hurt again. I'll stay right here with you."
      Jessie agreed and let Lyta approach her. "Do you know about building walls?" Lyta asked her. Jessie nodded. "Okay, I'm going to help you build one but you need to let me in. Don't resist it and it won't hurt.
      Take my hand and let me guide you." Lyta took the hand Jessie offered and closed her eyes, mentally talking to her and guiding her through the steps. After Jessie got over the initial shock she marveled at how it felt to share with another telepath. A few moments later Jessie visibly relaxed. "There, how do you feel?"
      "Better, thank you," Jessie said. Lyta smiled at her. "You're welcome." She noticed Zack seemed anxious to talk to Jessie so she excused herself . "I'll let you two talk and come back later."
      When she was gone, he asked Jessie,"Can you tell me what happened?"
      She sighed. "I was having trouble shielding my mind. I haven't been used to being around so many people since I became a telepath."
      "How long have you been one?"
      "About 2 years. My mother wanted me to get some experience with it before we left."
      "Left? Where?"
      "I don't know, anywhere. She said we'd have to keep moving if we wanted to stay ahead of the Corp."
      "Do they know about you?"
      "No. I don't think so. Not yet. That's why we were going to leave. Then she got sick with Melen's disease and she died about a month ago."
      "So you were going to go it alone?"
      "Yes."
      "To where?"
      "I told you, no where in particular. Just away." She could still salvage some of the plan if she avoided questions about her destination.
      Zack didn't need a telepath's scan to tell him she was lying. He knew she was hiding something. He sat in the chair next to her. "Somebody broke into your room tonight while you were out. Do you know anything about that?"
      Jessie got a fearful look on her face. "My room? No. Why would I know about that?"
      "Were you carrying something? Something valuable?"
      "No. Nothing. Just clothes and a few personal belongings."
      Zack handed her a list of everything they found in her room. "Check this and see if anything's missing."
      She quietly read the list, then her eyes widened. Her heart plummeted. "The crystal," she whispered.
      "Crystal? What crystal?" She looked numb. "Jessie! What crystal?"
      She started to cry. "The data crystal," she said softly, between the tears."And the vids! He told me to destroy all the old vids but I couldn't. It was all I had left. I only kept a few. Oh God!" She saw everything crashing around her. It was all over. She knew it had be them.

      Psi-Corp.

      They knew about her and if they had the vids and the data crystal, they knew about her father too, and exactly where to find him. And it was all her fault.
      Zack tried to get her to talk to him again. "Jessie tell me. What crystal?"
      It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered. What the hell. She took a deep breath. "The crystal with the instructions on how and where to meet my father. The one he sent."
      He looked puzzled. "You said your father was dead."
      "Well he isn't, but he probably will be soon, thanks to me," she sobbed.
      "Jessie, who broke into your room?" He asked more forcefully. "Why are they after your father? Are they after you?"
      "I told you I don't know! Leave me alone!" Jessie wished she was still unconscious, so she wouldn't have to deal with any of this.
      Just then Franklin and Lyta walked in and saw Jessie crying and curled up in a ball on the bed. "What's going on?" Franklin asked,concerned.
      "I was trying to ask her some questions about tonight and...."
      "Couldn't you have waited til she was rested? Look at her! I thought you just wanted to see her." Franklin put his foot down. "The interrogation will have to wait until morning. She's been through enough tonight, Zack. I want her to rest."
      Zack hated walking that thin line between his job and his emotions. One side of him wanted to pump her until he got some satisfactory answers. The other just wanted to hold her, and make her, and himself, feel better.
      "Alright," he said. "Alright, I'll go but something is definitely not right here. I'm leaving a man on to guard her until I get some answers. I'll come back in the morning." He watched Franklin administer a sedative to Jessie then walked out with a few words to Lyta. "Watch her."
"Don't worry. I'll stay all night. Get some rest."
He nodded and made his way to his quarters. That's exactly what he intended to do. Things HAD to get better in the morning. He planned to sleep until then.

      Later that night, a hush fell over the usal busy hum that filled Babylon 5. Med Lab was quiet. The lights in the halls had been dimmed to represent the artificial "night" cycle. A lone figure took adavantage of the twilight and quietly crept along the corridors til they arrived at a room marked Lockers. They stole in and helped themselves to full med tech garb and a clipboard for added professionalism ,which now held phony papers attached to it.. Backing out, they acquired a gurney and headed directly for room #8, the number having been acquired thru certain channels.Coming close to the room, they made out the figure of an officer with a PPG at his side standing at the entrance. That had been expected, hence the disguise. They approached the officer and handed him the false papers with a pleasant smile. "Doctor Franklin has ordered another neural scan to compare with the last one. It should only take 20 minutes or so and we'll be bringing her right back." Reilly glanced at the papers. They checked out.. "Okay, go ahead." He stepped aside.
      The false tech wheeled the gurney in quietly and surveyed the room. There she was. The tech's eyes swept over to the other woman nearby, lying on a cot, fast asleep. They'd known of her presence there. She needed to be taken out of the equation. She might wake up and alert the guard too soon. By all rights, the tech thought, we ought to be taking care of this one too. Lyta Alexander was not unknown to them. But she was not their primary concern right now. Only the girl.
      The tech looked behind them thru the window where the guard was visible. He was watching for danger outside, facing away from the room. Perfect. They reached underneath their med tunic and withdrew a syringe. Quickly but silently they went to Lyta's side. In a flash, they placed an iron hand over Lyta's mouth and expertly plunged the syringe into her exposed arm. Lyta's eyes flew open but the stranger's hand put a stop to any attempt to scream. When the serum had been delivered they dropped the syringe from their other hand and restrained Lyta as she briefly struggled. Very briefly, as the strong serum quickly took effect. She was out in seconds.
      The tech checked the guard. He was still facing away from the room. The tech picked up the syringe and replaced it underneath their tunic. They walked up to the girl, concentrating,and gave her a quick surface scan. She was definitely out and likely to remain so for awhile. It looked like the good doctor had already sedated her for them. They took the girl in their arms and slid her over to the gurney. Then they wheeled her into the hall. "We'll be back soon." Reilly nodded acknowledgement. The tech rolled the gurney down the hall and around the corner, out of sight. The night staff was light, there was next to no one in the hallways. No one to stop them or ask questions.
      Jessie was taken thru a maze of corridors and ended up at the dead end of a service hall. The tech removed their stolen costume and produced a pair of jet black leather gloves which they proceeded to put on. They went to an access panel in the wall and removed it, then went back and gathered up Jessie.They put her inside then went in after her, free now to take her anywhere in the station unobserved. All according to plan.

       
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