EPISODE 31
Written by A. Washington-Beeby
Story Consultants: ML Cooks & C. Nathaniel Richardson
Jennifer slams her folders on her desk, seething after her confrontation with Anne. Liam is not far behind her, knocking gently on her door with a concerned look on his face.
LIAM: You alright, Jenn?
Jennifer looks up at Liam as she sits down at her desk. An exhausted, upset look on her face.
JENNIFER: No. I'm not.
LIAM: Well, do you need a...someone to talk to I could just...stay with you a minute, if you liked?
Jennifer smiles slightly, but can only manage a bit of a smile.
JENNIFER: I'd love that, but I think I need a few minutes to myself, or I'm going to explode, and I'd rather you not be here for that.
LIAM: (laughs) Fair enough. Look, if you want to, we can always stop into the Brady Pub for a bit and you can sorta...vent your frustrations. I know that tends to do me a lot of good sometimes.
JENNIFER: Thanks, Liam. I appreciate it. Maybe I'll see you at the Pub for...7?
LIAM: Absolutely.
Jenn opens her office door for Liam and there is JJ in the doorway, surprised, and unpleasantly surprised to see Liam.
JJ: Mom! What's going on?
---
Billie steps into the office where the computer had just turned off. Turning on the light in the room, she begins to inspect the computer. Not finding anything, she pulls out the tower, and inspects the back, stopping when she reaches the USB drive. A small drive that barely looks like more than the size of a thumbtack has been inserted into the drive. Finding this odd, she pulls the key out and looks it over closely.
Billie gets up, putting the USB drive in her pocket. She hastily exits, turning off the light in the room before leaving.
---
Sami is in her office at Countess Wilhelmina, on the phone with a client, when a knock on the door breaks her focus.
SAMI: (into phone) ...And so these figures need to be addressed, ASAP, because we cannot go into fall with an overrun like that...and...
The knocking continues, and Sami struggles to ingore it.
SAMI: (into phone) ...I don't want MadWorld thinking, even for a second, that they've got the edge. You understand? ...I....I gotta call you back. That alright? Okay.
Sami hangs up the phone and marches, angrily, to the door. Opening it brusquely, she finds Kate on the other side. Sami is unimpressed.
SAMI: Kate!
KATE: Well that took you long enough.
SAMI: I was in a call, Kate. You know, doing work, that thing I do when I'm at the office.
KATE: How quaint.
Kate steps into Sami's office without asking permission. She saunters slowly.
KATE: Mind if I come in and ask you something?
SAMI: Why do I have a feeling you won't take 'no' for an answer.
KATE: Because you're smarter than you look?
Sami glowers at Kate, while Kate turns to face Sami, looking her up and down.
KATE: On second thought--
SAMI: ...What do you want, Kate?
KATE: I just want you to hire Gabi to model for you.
Sami looks to Kate, confused.
---
---
Sami looks to Kate, utterly baffled by her idea.
SAMI: Why would I hire Gabi to model for me? And why are YOU suggesting it?
KATE: Well, if we want to elminate Nick Fallon, we need to remove any power he has over Gabi.
SAMI: I really don't think he has much power over Gabi.
Kate rolls her eyes at Sami.
KATE: You know, for a woman who's been on death row, you're probably the most naive person I've ever met.
SAMI: I just don't see it, Kate. Where is all this power he has over her. He's barely associated with her since he got back from downstream.
KATE: Oh come off it, Sami. Nick has been obsessed with getting back with Gabi for months now. Look at what he did to her the night we tried to kill him--
SAMI: SHH!
Kate jumps back at Sami's paranoid jumpiness.
KATE: Stop that! There's no one here.
SAMI: Sorry, I'm just...trying to be careful.
KATE: Well stop it, and start listening. He was after Gabi before, he's after her now. So we need to nip it in the bud before he tries something else. We all know that guys like Nick Fallon don't give up out of nowhere. He's up to something. We need to keep Gabi from being in any way reliant on Nick, and if he does insert himself in Gabi's life again, that we are both in close enough proximity to him to suss him out before he gets too far. Having Gabi working for you works almost like a mouse trap. Lure him in, and nab that bastard.
EJ: Kate's right. We need to do this.
EJ startles Sami with his appearance in her office. Kate seems smugly satisfied by EJ's agreement, but Sami is incredibly uneasy with him.
---
Nicole and Percy stand in the MadWorld lab, looking over to Nick, who is obscuring Nicole's file folder while looking out the window.
NICOLE: Usually when people talk they face each other, Nick.
Nick turns around, still hiding the file folder behind him.
NICK: Alright, Nicole. What's the trouble?
NICOLE: Oh you know damn well, you sniveling little rat. You set me up!
NICK: Oh I did now! How exactly did I do that?
NICOLE: Don't play innocent, Nick. You knew all along that Titan was behind the EnerNext deal. You wanted to make sure that the Titan press coverage was against the news to make them look bad. And you tricked me into playing along.
NICK: Right, Nicole. Because obviously it's not at all up to the person doing the story to maybe...you know....do their research? It took me a whole ten seconds to make the connection between EnerNext and Titan. So what's your excuse?
NICOLE: EnerNext had worked with Titan before, but it was nothing to do with this project. The only publicized reports on their partnership was from at least two years ago, which means the only reason you knew about this connection was because you had an inside track.
Nick approaches Nicole slowly, almost menacingly. Percy stands to one side, cautiously observing the situation.
NICK: And what if I did? I'm trying to help Percy here to keep his home. I'm trying to stop these corporate nutcases from turning the entire town into a toxic waste dump so they can line their pockets a bit more. I'm trying to do the right thing. I know that's really hard for you to conceive of, knowing your history, but I'd think you'd understand someone wanting to change for the better, no? Trying to stand up for what's right?
NICOLE: I do. But you don't get that by deceiving the people that are here to help you out. And that's exactly why I'm not helping you anymore.
Nick isn't at all shocked by Nicole's revelation. Percy is stunned, but Nick clearly has anticipated Nicole's reaction.
NICK: What did you say?
NICOLE: I am dropping this story.
PERCY: But you can't do that!
NICOLE: Just watch me.
NICK: Percy. Don't panic. I knew she was gonna pull something like this.
NICOLE: Ah yes. Mr. Omnipotent. You've got my number. Can't hide anything from you, can I--
NICK: ...You aren't going to drop this story, Nicole. Okay? You're going to keep working on this with us.
NICOLE: Says who?
NICK: I do.
Nicole laughs sarcastically at Nick's assertion. Nick slowly walks over to the window, where the file folder was. As Nicole carries on, he grabs the folder.
NICOLE: Well, now I know you've lost your grip on reality. Seriously, Nick. You have no legs to stand on here. I am suspended from my job, thanks to you. I may be fired. Which means I would have no place to broadcast this story to. I look like a loose cannon as it is, again, thanks to you. And frankly, since you're doing so much good for my reputation right now, I don't think I'd want to work with you, anyway. So, I don't know, Nick. You tell me, why should I keep working on this story?
Nick turns around quickly, the file folder opened.
NICK: Because I don't think that Eric would be too keen on finding out how much you know about...Dr. Chyka, is it?
Nicole is stunned into silence by what Nick's just revealed.
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