Anthony DeCosmo - Schism

"Yes, um, thank you," Nina and Gordon heard the former council member answer. A solid thud from the closing of the front door followed that reply.

Maple rummaged about in the hallway before walking into the den. The fifty-something physician with a spot of thinning hair on his crown approached the small desk with his attention focused on papers in his hand.

Nina stood and turned on the desk lamp. The sudden illumination did not startle the doctor, it confused him. He did not become startled until he saw the blond woman in soldier's garb. The papers in his hands dropped, as did his mouth. He turned fast to face a bald man with a bushy mustache in a black polo shirt.

"Hello, Doctor Maple."

The new administration's Director of Health and Human Services used an index finger to push his drooping eye glasses higher on his nose. It appeared as if he tried to cry out, but could not find any oxygen.

"Now don't say a word, Doctor," Gordon warned. "I spent the last few days hopping trains, riding in pickup truck beds, and stealing cars. To tell the truth, D.C., puts me in a bad mood to begin with anyway. So let's not have any unpleasantness." Maple mumbled, "It's…it's true." "What's true?" Nina asked. "The President warned us. Some people think that you-um, Mr. Knox-faked your death to, well, um…" Knox's face twisted as he demanded, "To do what? Tell me, Doctor." "Uh, um, to, well, that you are a part of, well, a conspiracy by the military and, um…"

Knox finished for the bumbling man, "A military and intelligence conspiracy to overthrow the civilian government, is that it?"

Maple nodded fast. His glasses nearly slipped off.

"Now isn't that ironic," Knox smiled. "Got to hand it to Evan. He knows that the best way to lie is to hide a lie in a sea of truth."

"So what?" Nina said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He's laying the groundwork. He's going to start seeing who in the government he can trust. Those he has any misgivings about will be investigated for being part of this phantom conspiracy. Very Stalin-like. Good for him."

Maple tried desperately to find courage. "I'm warning you. There are two, um, Internal Security guards outside. Go away before they find you here."

That courage faded when Gordon's eyes met the doctor's. The latter looked to the floor.

Knox said, "Doctor Maple, you should be more worried about those guards than us. Why do you think they're out there? To protect you? Ha!" He leaned close and whispered, "When the time comes that Evan thinks he can get away with it, those two guards are going to drive you to the middle of nowhere and put a bullet in your head, Doctor."

"Nonsense!"

"They will concoct a story about how this 'conspiracy' is killing off members of the new administration. Or maybe they'll say you were a part of that conspiracy. I would not be surprised if Dante Jones meets the same fate, sooner or later. Don't worry, for every murder Evan will find someone to blame."

"You are being, um, foolish. You're just trying to scare me."

"Oh, Doctor, you s hould be scared. You see, you're the weak link in the master plan. Why I'll bet you're the one Evan has the most doubts about. In fact, you would be dead already if not for Evan's hatred for me. He wanted to kill me for spite, but you he needs dead to protect his tracks. Problem for him-and lucky for you-is that so many big names dropping like flies that fast would cause way too many questions; too many questions for even the President's friends to cover up. But give it time, Doctor. Give it time." Maple's head swiveled from Gordon to Nina and back again. "Plan? Master, um, plan? I don't know what you're talking about." "Look me in the eye, Doctor. Yes, that's good. Now tell me, did you have anything to do with Trevor's murder?" The doctor closed his eyes and answered, "Of course not. That is ridiculous."

"Now Doctor, here is another interesting bit about lying. If you're going to tell a lie, don't close your eyes. It's a dead-set giveaway." "You…you're crazy. Trevor was killed by aliens." "That's right. He got blasted at close range by an energy weapon." "Yes, that is correct."

"You did the autopsy yourself, right Doctor? I.S. got hold of you real quick so that maybe you could save him. They brought Trevor right to you. Was he alive when he got to you?"

"No. I wanted to try and, um, save him but he was gone by the time he got to the hospital. There was, you know, nothing I could do." Maple cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses.

"Yes, what a shame," Gordon nodded. "Do you know where the Captain and I were last night? We spent some time at the hospital morgue. Yes, that's right, the place where you personally performed the autopsy. In fact, it took some doing and, well, a little poking around but we caught a glimpse of the autopsy files."

Again, Maple alternated glances between the two intruders. Nina kept her angry blue eyes focused on the little man. Gordon smiled in a vile manner.

"You know, I find it interesting that the autopsy did not contain any tissue samples, no blood samples, nothing. No physical evidence from the body."

"Well, um, that was not, um, necessary because the cause of death was obvious. A, um, direct hit in the chest from an energy-" Gordon spoke over the doctor's explanation as if his guilt had already been established. "Now I'm not saying that you killed Trevor personally, Doctor. I-" "Killed…him? Me?"

"— I really want to give you the benefit of the doubt on this, but it's tough with all the coincidences. How you were in the right place at the exact time Trevor needed medical attention. How you declared the body off-limits until after it was prepared for the memorial service. How the only staff allowed in the operating room while you tried to 'save' Trevor were people with I.S. clearance, none of the hospital's regular staff."

"There were security considerations that-"

"But the real question that the Captain here has been asking is… why?"

Doctor Maple stopped babbling but his face grew red and his hands shook.

"Yes," Gordon went on. "That is a good question. You were with Trevor that first year. You helped Reverend Johnny put together a new health care system. Trevor appointed you to the council. You delivered his son and cared for Ashley during her pregnancy. You were their family doctor for years. Trevor trusted you, completely."

"I…I had nothing to do with it."

"And I look around this place of yours," Gordon cast his eyes around the room. "Nothing pretentious. You could have had a big house filled with all sorts of luxuries. Instead, a small, old townhome. I see a simple desk, your diplomas and accreditations hanging on the wall in boring frames; nothing fancy. You never married, you drive a boring sedan, and you don't seem to go on many vacations. So you didn't do it for personal gain, did you?"

"I did not do anything!"

Gordon's eyes narrowed to daggers. His hands reached out and grabbed Maple's collar. His words became a growl but not merely from anger; Nina heard a shade of disappointment or disgust there, too.

"I know why, Doctor. Evan Godfrey black mailed you. He found out something I found out years ago. He found out that you were going to lose your medical license, that you were facing charges of inappropriate contact with a patient. I believe she was seventeen years old when you put her under anesthesia."

Maple struggled in Gordon's grasp and defended, "No, that's not true!"

"Do you want to know how I know that, Doctor? I know it because it was my job to know these things. Years ago, after I started working for Trevor, I found your legal records. I found that you had been a few weeks away from losing your license before Armageddon came."

"I didn't do it!"

"I told Trevor about it. Do you know what he said? Do you?" Gordon pushed Maple against the desk. "He said the slate is clean. That's what Trevor said. He said whatever you did in the old world didn't matter. The same thing he told me when I let him know that his Chief of Security, Ray Roos, served time for theft and assault or his Director of Industry Brett Stanton had been an alcoholic."