CHAPTER 1

The breeze was cold; somebody had left the window open. Samantha stirred in her bed. She stretched out her arms looking for that one person. She immediately found Martin. She placed her head on his shoulder and his arm around her chest.

"You didn't even open your eyes," Martin said. He was gazing down at her.

Samantha's eyes fluttered open. She looked up and stared at him. "Were you watching me?" she questioned.

"Only for a little while," Martin replied as he ran his hand gently up and down Samantha's arm.

Samantha propped herself up on her elbow so that she could get a better look of Martin. "Well, Mr. Fitzgerald, that is not fair. You cannot stare at me if I'm not even awake to stare at you back." A smile slowly crept across her lips.

Martin began to grin as he jumped up on top of Samantha. His butt rested on her waist, and his knees draped across her body. He brought his hands up and began to tickle Samantha's stomach.

Samantha began to laugh out loud. Her hands ran over Martin's to try to stop them to no avail. Her body began to flail. Her laughter grew louder as her abs began to burn. "Okay, I give up," she screamed between her laughter.

Martin's grin had grown into a full smile from ear to ear. He immediately stopped tickling her. He leaned down so that their faces were inches apart. "Not until you kiss me," he said in a low, tantalizing voice.

Samantha wasn't one for arguing. She locked her lips on Martin's. She wrapped her arms around Martin's neck. As the kiss grew deeper, Martin's cell phone wailed.

With a grunt of disappointment, he rolled off of Samantha and grabbed his cell phone.

Samantha took her rightful position with her head on his shoulder and her arm around his chest. She began caressing his chest with soft circles.

Martin smiled at Samantha before he answered his phone, "Fitzgerald." He paused. "Okay, yeah Samantha's with me." He paused to listen intently to other voice on the line. "We'll be there in an hour."

Samantha's face fell. "We have to go to work?"

Martin slowly maneuvered his way out from underneath Samantha before kissing her softly on the forehead. "That was Jack. There's another MP to find." He grabbed his pants and began putting them on. "How about you go take a shower, and I'll go make breakfast."

Samantha rolled out of bed and gave him a quick kiss. "Sounds wonderful," she said before she headed towards the bathroom.

Within the hour, the couple was at the crime scene: a gas station. The gas station was located on a busy intersection which housed many other businesses and witnesses. Danny, Vivian and Elena were all interviewing potential eye witnesses. They spotted Jack and walked over to him, hand in hand.

"Hey, Jack," Samantha greeted. "What's going on?"

Jack began to walk inside the convenient store. "Follow me," he said.

Samantha and Martin looked at each other with curiosity before getting in step behind their boss.

"Her name is Kyra Johnson. She's 45 years old and married to a Rick Johnson. They have one daughter named Melia. She was at the gas station filling up when somebody snatched her." Jack led the couple into the back room of the gas station.

"We have it on film?" Martin asked as he entered the room.

There were three monitors each belonging to a different camera. The screens were black and white and fuzzy. Video tapes lined the selves that hung on the walls.

"Yes," Jack said. He reached over and pressed the play button.

Samantha and Martin watched as a beautiful woman stood next to her car waiting patiently for the gas to be loaded into the tank. Suddenly, a blue van raced up beside the woman. A man dressed in all black including a ski mask jumped out and grabbed Kyra by the waist, pulling her towards the open door of the van. Kyra screamed and started hitting the masked man, but it was no use. Within seconds, Kyra was trapped inside the van with no means of escape.

"They took her at seven o'clock this morning," Samantha said, thinking aloud. "They must be professional."

Martin leaned towards the monitor to try and get a license plate on the van; it was unreadable. "Or stupid."

"Sam, I want you to go to Kyra's house and talk to her husband and daughter and take Martin with you."

Martin nodded and placed his hand on Samantha's upper back, leading her out to the car.

XxX

Rick sat at the dining room table. He apprehensively held a cigarette in his hand. It wasn't lit, but he was eyeing it. He ran his hand over his blonde hair trying to grasp the news that Martin had just told him.

"I don't understand why anybody would want to take Kyra," Rick said. He looked like he wanted to cry but wouldn't because of the two agents invading his house.

"Now, you own a shopping center called Johnson Center?" Martin asked.

"Yes, Kyra helps me with it."

"Is there anybody that would want harm you or your wife to get back at the two of you? A disgruntled employee or a pissed off shop owner?"

Rick stared at his feet for a second. "Yeah."

-Flashback –

Rick sat his desk in his office paying the bills.

A tall, balding man rushed into the office with fire in his eyes. "How could you kick me out?" he shouted.

"Mr. Robinson, I know this is difficult for you, but you didn't give me the rent. I need to keep food on the table too."

Mr. Robinson stared at the man. "I would have never of made a man close up shop. I don't have any other source of income. My wife can't work."

Rick sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't help you."

Mr. Robinson pointed his finger at Rick. "You're going to pay," he said with a devilish grin as he exited the office.

-End Flashback-

"I felt horrible for not being able to help him, but I have a family too."

"What's his name?"

"Jerry Robinson."

"I'm going to need an address."

XxX

Melia Johnson sat on the couch in the living room as her father was being questioned by Martin in the kitchen. She looked scared. She kept digging at her cubicles and rocking her leg.

Samantha sat across from her on a chair. Her notebook and pen was in her hand. She gave Melia a sympatric look before proceeding. "Can you think of anybody who might have abducted your mom?"

Melia shook her head. "No way."

"Does your mother have any enemies?"

"No."

"Do you know if she's having an affair?"

Melia shot her head up and glared daggers at Samantha. "No, they love each other. I know it," she said adamantly.

Just then, the front door flew open, and a man with blonde hair and blue eyes entered the house. Although the man was wearing loose fitting clothing, Samantha could tell that he was buff and muscular.

"Who are you?" Samantha asked, raising her eyebrow. She crossed her arms and stared at him.

Rick immediately got up from his seat leaving his forgotten cigarette at the table. He ran over to the man and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry," the man wailed. He buried his head in Rick's neck.

Martin walked into the living room and gave Samantha a quizzical look. "Who is this?"

Rick turned to face the agents. "This is my brother, David."

"If there's anything I can do just let me know," David said. His face was soft and gentle. It was obvious that David cared for this family. He went over and hugged Melia. "I would hate for her to be in an awful situation like being forced to rob a bank."

"Come along," Martin said referring to Rick and David. "I have some more questioning to do."

Samantha turned her attention to Melia. She had all the signs that she had been crying.

"I hate him," Melia said.

Samantha was shocked. From David's entrance, she thought that they loved each other. Now she knows that that was just a façade. "Why?" she questioned.

"Because he doesn't like my boyfriend. I'm eighteen; I think that I can take care of myself. I can decide who I date." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Why does he hate your boyfriend?" She was highly curious.

"I don't know," she paused. "He said that Ethan was bad news. According to him, I shouldn't be hanging out with him. My parents don't care so why should my uncle care?" Melia crinkled up her face, and she looked to where her uncle stood. She gave him a dirty look before looking back at Samantha.

"What's his full name?

"Ethan Sanchez."

Before closing her notebook, Samantha scribbled Ethan's name in it. "We'll be in touch."

Once outside, Martin turned to Samantha and said, "I really don't think Rick or David did anything . They both seem to care for Kyra a lot."

"Yeah, Melia is the same way. She was practically crying to whole time."

Martin looked to Samantha. "We're back at square one."