Who knew how much easier it is to write a story you actually enjoy instead of scholarship essays for college? God knows what you all will think of this, but hey, never know until you try amirite? Don't hold back with your reviews, it's the only way to get better :) Thanks for reading!

Pop. Pop. Pop….

The gunshots rang out into the clear, crisp night.

Henry's head immediately swiveled in the direction of the disturbance. Alison's clammy hand had quickly found Jason's in the following seconds as the two turned to each other in utter confusion. Jason could practically touch his sister's fear as he scanned her wide eyes. Both turned when they heard the screech of the kitchen chair across the wooden floors.

"Dad! What're you doing?!" Alison said in a hushed whisper.

"Stay here. Don't. Move." Henry scanned the faces of his children as he slowly backed his way towards the foyer. His mind was racing at an unadulterated pace as panic was creeping in. The uneasy feeling that had accompanied him during dinner had returned and seemed to be more than just harmless worry about his eldest daughter dating the young man who had more baggage than his wife took on a weekend trip back to the farm.

Elizabeth. Henry thought he'd heard the whine of the security door a second time after Stevie and Alexander exited to say their goodbyes. The other of the two DS Agents who hadn't followed his daughter must've gone with Elizabeth to wherever she was. The rest of them? Henry peered into the darkness searching for the usual presence of vehicles in front of the Georgetown home. Something was clearly amiss besides the fact he had heard three gunshots not a minute before.

Against his better judgment, Henry stepped out into the brisk air in search of Elizabeth and Stevie. He had told Alison and Jason to stay put, and he hoped they would follow his commands as he wasn't interested in not knowing the whereabouts of the other two members of his family as well. At the moment, all Henry could think about was finding his wife and eldest amidst the danger that clearly presided.

Slowly, Henry crept down the front steps in order to keep as quiet as physically possible. Upon reaching the final step, Henry nearly slipped but was able to maintain his balance and continue up the sidewalk. Wait.

"No, that can't be right." he suddenly voiced to no one in particular. Henry stopped in his tracks and began retracing his movements to the bottom step that had been so slick before. "We haven't had rain in 3 weeks and it's fall so there's no way the sprinklers could be wate…"

Blood.

Panic was beginning to set in as Henry quickly whirled around and began to sprint. He didn't care who heard him now, he just needed to find the rest of his family.

Not a few hundred yards down the street, Henry knew there was an alley often used as a strategic point by the DS Agents. As he neared the last house before the opening, the faint static of a man's voice could be deciphered.

"201 File collected. I repeat 201 file collected. Proceed to chokepoint."

Henry scoured the dim alleyway for the source of the disturbance. He had immediately recognized the wording as spy terminology, however, he would need Elizabeth's CIA expertise to understand what information could be drawn from the disjointed commands. Lying facedown was a walkie-talkie with branding he didn't recognize. It was unlike anything Matt, Fred, or the rest of his wife's agents had ever owned; but he didn't have time to contemplate its origin. Elizabeth and Stevie took precedence over everything, even if it was intelligence essential to the government. So, Henry padded on through the shadows at a brisk pace.

The alley had led Henry to a tunnel he had been in only once since the family's move to Georgetown. That occasion had been the previous year when they were being stalked, and he had requested the agents map out an escape route in case of an emergency. He hadn't mentioned the tunnel to Elizabeth in fear of her reaction that her usually calm husband was far more spooked about the whole situation than he led on. But that decision seemed to be paying dividends now as he faintly recalled the tunnel's inner workings, and could see the flood of light illuminating the end of the tunnel. He was approaching the slight slope that would lead to open air when…

"Dammit! What the hell?" Henry had hissed as he tripped over something heavy, rendering him face first in the greasy cement below. A jolt of pain coursed through his right wrist which had absorbed the majority of the impact. He picked himself up and peered earthward only to stumble backward in shock.

Alexander Mirnov's, no, Dimitri Petrov's ghost, pallid face stared back at Henry. Dimitri lay face up with blood pooling around his lifeless body. Upon further inspection, Henry could make out a distinct puncture wound in his abdomen. It resembled an injury contrived from some sort of knife or sharp object. This couldn't be happening. Not after everything this kid had been through. After everything HE had been through because of the young Russian. The discovery had made him frantic. He needed to find Elizabeth and Stevie. Now.

He stepped over his former student, only after carefully shutting his eyelids with his trembling hands. Henry once again began advancing towards the street. His heart was pounding with such an intensity he could feel the reverberations throughout his body. His head swam with images of Elizabeth, ones that he quickly attempted to thwart. What if she's dead too? What if Stevie is injured? How am I going to find them?

Just as Henry felt the sensation of fresh air smack his face, he spotted a figure in the distance sprinting towards him at a rapid pace. He began readying himself for a possible attack until he made out the identity of the figure.

"Stevie!" Henry gasped.

"Dad! Dad!" Stevie threw herself into her father's open arms in a desperate hug.

Henry clung to his daughter with relief washing over. She was alive. Breathing. Her heart hammered on his chest while her smell overtook the foul stench of the tunnel. He inhaled the faint trace of sweat and rosemary, the scent originating from her perfume. The perfume she had borrowed from Elizabeth. Elizabeth.

As if Stevie had heard Henry's thoughts, she abruptly pulled back with fear and tears brimming in her eyes.

"Dad, you need to come with me. Now." It was the uncharacteristic tremor in her usually stoic voice that worried Henry the most.

Stevie grasped his hand and led him quickly around a corner. They found themselves on the cul-de-sac he knew to be three blocks from their house. The paved circle was quiet as the four houses surrounding were lifeless as far as Henry could conjecture. Faded leaves rustled in the fall breeze while the clamor of a wind chime could be heard in the distance. It wasn't until he surveyed the parked Escalade on the curb farthest from where they were standing did he spot the unmistakable blond hair splayed out on the pavement.

"Elizabeth!" He sprinted in the direction of his wife, releasing his steely grip on Stevie's hand. It only took him a few seconds to reach her, but Henry couldn't help but dread what he was about to discover when he got to her in those few moments. He nearly toppled over her as he skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees in order to view her face.

"Elizabeth," Henry whispered as the heat of tears began brimming….