RUNAWAY
Jack is sitting in his office. It's early morning and he peers through the glass and notices a few of the team already at their desks. Danny is hovering around Samantha's desk, holding a cup of coffee and chatting. Jack puts his head back down and continues working on the outstanding paperwork of their last case. He is startled when the phone on his desk rings.
"Malone," he answers tiredly.
"Sir, your ex-wife is on the line. She says it's urgent," the receptionist tells him.
"Put her through. Thanks," Jacks replies. "Maria? What's so urgent?" he asks.
"Oh, Jack! Thank God you're there. Is Hanna with you?" Maria asks anxiously.
"No. Why would she be with me? What's going on?" Jack asks, sensing Maria's worry.
"I was just hoping she'd gone to see you," Maria replies, stifling a sob.
"Well she didn't. I haven't spoken with her since last weekend," Jack says curtly.
"She's gone, Jack."
"Gone? Maria, what the hell is going on?" Jack demands.
"She didn't come home yesterday. I've called around her friends. They haven't seen her. They tell me she didn't go to school yesterday either," Maria explains.
"Why the hell did you wait until now to call me?" Jack asks.
"I thought she'd be home by now," Maria replies.
"Okay, don't panic. I'll be on the next flight. I'll call you from the airport," Jack tells her before hanging up. He takes a deep breath, composes himself and then dials Van Doren's office. He explains the situation. She tells him to take whatever time he needs and wishes him the best of luck.
He quickly grabs his overcoat and walks with purpose to the bull pen where Danny and Samantha are sitting.
"I have to go to Chicago for a while. Viv will be in charge while I'm gone," he says coldly.
"Is everything okay?" Sam asks, realising how out of character Jacks actions were.
"I hope so," Jack replies, not divulging anything. He turns and walks away without saying another word.
Sam and Danny look at each other quizzically. Danny shrugs his shoulders and returns to his desk. Sam, on the other hand, feels somewhat put out by Jack's reluctance to share with her whatever was going on. She bit her lip and tried not to seem annoyed.
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Jack swings by his apartment, grabs some overnight gear and then drives from there straight to the airport. An hour later he's on a flight to O'Hare. The flight is uneventful. He spends most of it trying to put images of his injured or dead little girl out of his head. He is grateful when they land and immediately exits arrivals and hails a cab.
The journey was slow, traffic was heavy. It always pained him to visit Maria's new home. She was living their dream, the only problem was he wasn't part of that dream anymore. The house was located in a quiet, leafy suburb, not far from the girl's school. It was a two storey detached property, with large front and rear gardens. Everything he had ever wanted for his family. How he regretted that he couldn't be part of it.
The taxi pulled up outside the house. Jack paid the driver and walked hesitantly up the driveway. He rang the doorbell. A tall, fair-haired man answered the door. This must be Mark, Jack thought to himself. Maria had mentioned her new boyfriend once or twice in conversation. He wasn't what he had expected. He was probably a little older than Jack, tanned and handsome. He was about to introduce himself when Kate, his youngest daughter, pushes past Mark and throws her arms around Jack.
"Daddy!" she shouts, hugging him tightly.
"Hello, Kitten," Jack says, returning the intensity of the hug.
"You must be Jack," Mark says, extending his hand. "Come on in."
Jack shakes his hand and enters the house, his arm around his daughter's shoulder. Maria comes out of the kitchen in to the hallway.
"Thanks for coming," she says awkwardly, not knowing whether to hug Jack or not. She settles on a kiss on the cheek.
"Have you heard from her?" Jack wonders.
Maria shakes her head in a defeated manner. She cannot look Jack in the eye. She blames herself.
"Have you called the police?" Jack asks.
"Yes, they came by earlier. I gave them pictures and any information I thought would help," Maria tells him.
"Good. I have some contacts with Missing Person's here in Chicago. I'll give them a call," he tells her. Then he pauses before asking "Do you think she's runaway?"
"I don't know. Maybe? We've not been seeing eye to eye lately. I was putting it down to teenage rebellion. Now I don't know. She started hanging around with this older boy. I didn't like it and I told her it had to stop."
"And did it?" Jack asks.
"For a while, it looked like it had, but now I don't know," Maria tells him.
"Who is this kid?" Jack enquires.
"Kevin Dillon. He's 17 and he used to go to the same school as Hanna. He quit last semester," Maria explains.
"Seventeen!! Why am I only hearing about this now? She's fourteen years old, for God's sake. I have a right to know about these things," he shouts angrily.
"I'm sorry. I thought I could handle it," Maria replies, trying to hold back the tears. Mark puts his arm around her shoulder.
"Well, you sure handled it, didn't you?" Jack snaps, glaring at Maria.
"Look, Jack, I don't think it's fair to blame Maria for all of this," Mark interjects.
"This has nothing to do with you," Jack retorts.
Maria says nothing. She just looks despairingly at Jack. Mark stops himself from getting into an argument with Jack. Now is not the time.
"I need to talk to Kate for a few minutes, if that's OK," Jack says, lowering his tone and trying to control his temper.
Maria and Mark return to the kitchen, Mark trying to comfort Maria. Jack takes Kate to the living room. He wants to find out if she knows anything about where Hanna might be or to whom she might go.
"Did you hear her talking to Kevin or talking on the phone? Did she ever mention getting out of here, leaving for a bit, even if it sounded like she was joking?" Jack asks.
"No. Not really. I know she misses New York and her friends. So do I. She's always telling her friends here that once she's 18 she's moving back there," Kate tells her Dad.
"If she did go back now, do you have any idea who she might call or stay with?" Jack enquires.
"She always planned going back to you," Kate tells him, looking up at him with her hazel eyes. Jack smiles back at her. How he misses not seeing them every day.
"Any one else?" Jack asks, hoping she knew.
"Maybe Amy Price. They were best friend in school in New York. Daddy, do you think you'll find her?" Kate asks, worried for her big sister.
"Of course I will," he answers, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. He looks vacantly into space, his heart aching at the thought of his little girl, out there somewhere, alone. He prayed she was safe. He hadn't prayed for a long time, but it never hurt to ask for help. He trembled at the thought of what could happen to a young girl alone in the city. He'd seen it all too often. Too many times he had reassured frantic parents that he would find their child. Too often he had returned to them bearing devastating news. And now the tide had turned, he was one of those frantic parents. His stomach churned. This can't be happening, he thought, pulling Kate even closer.