Disclaimer still applies *hint*
A/N: My email has decided to screw with me and send all my FF messages to spam even though it never used to *Glares* Go figure. I have thrown a fit at it and now it seems to be agreeing with me again. If any of you have PM me or I was reviewing your story and I have missed chapters could you please let me know.
Also I think I should mention that this story is set sometime in season 1 or 2. You probably got that from the appearance of Jai in the last chapter but just in case.
Final thing: I think this story is going to turn into science-fiction, are you all ok with that or would you prefer I kept it real to CA?
Chapter 2-Behind the Darkness
With no new leads until the mystery woman recovered Joan sent everyone home. Convincing Auggie hadn't been easy and in the end she had threatened to fire him if he didn't (not that she would have but thankfully he was too exhausted to call her bluff.) They all needed to rest and recover, it would do them good. Perhaps they would find something previously overlooked when they came back fresh. With a sigh and final glance at her office Joan turned off the light and closed the door with a soft thunk.
The cup hit the wall, glass shattering instantly with a deathly cracking sound but Auggie ignored it. Anger was simmering through his entire body but behind it was a hopeless sense of despair that was growing with every moment she was out there, threatening to erupt. He refused to let it, holding onto the anger for as long as he could. The last time he had felt this helpless had been after the accident and he couldn't go back to that dark place inside of him, he knew that if he did there was no turning back. With a final cry of defeat he let his body collapse, barely feeling the impact where his head connected with the ground. The tears slowly leaked out of his eyes, only one thought running through his head: Annie. He couldn't lose her, he wouldn't survive the loss.
"Hey Annie" he said as the clicking of heels stopped beside his desk, the sweet smell of grapefruit wafting through his senses.
"Hey yourself" she replied, the desk creaking ever so slightly as she perched on what he had come to think of as her spot. A second or so later the smell of her sweet perfume was overridden by his second favourite scent: coffee.
"Coffee?" he asked, already knowing the answer even before the warmth of the cup brushed the back of his hand.
"It's just the cafeteria stuff" she said but he shook his head.
"Coffee is coffee" especially when it comes from Annie he added in his head.
"True" she replied, her voice taking on a teasing edge and he tilted his head in question.
"You don't smile like that every time someone brings you coffee" she said. Damn, he was so busted.
"Only the hot ones" He replied.
"I didn't know you liked Jai that much" she said, causing him to almost spit out his mouthful of coffee.
"You know what I mean" he said, voice slightly croaky.
"Teasing you is just so much fun through" she replied. He could hear the smile in her voice and could almost imagine the way her eyes lit up.
He tilted his head in confusion as he felt a cold wind rush past him, taking with it her delicious sent. It swirled around him and he felt himself standing, something dry crunching under his feet. Its icy fingers brushed straight through his clothes onto his skin as he called out for Annie but there was no reply, not that he could hear much over the roar of the wind. It seemed to be increasing, whipping into him from all directions. Then he heard it, she called out to him, sounding terrified and he called back desperately but the voice faded into nothing.
He was alone.
His eyelids felt heavy as he struggled with them against the pounding in his head. Reality came shattering back and he groaned when he remembered that he had fallen and probably hit his head. He couldn't bring himself to care much though and it was only the thought of finding Annie that convinced him to get up. He went through the motions of getting ready mechanically, his mind only catching up when he locked the door on his way out. It was still only early but he was determined to get back to finding her.
Meanwhile Joan's night had been equally restless, although it was without the nightmares that had plagued Auggie. She knew that he was right, something else was going on here, something far more dangerous than just espionage. People just didn't disappear like that but how do you find something when you don't know what you're looking for? The few clues they had led to more questions and there was little hope that it would unravel anytime soon. With a sigh she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, mentally preparing herself for the long day ahead.
The first part of the day was uneventful having been spent going over what little they had in the hope that something would shake loose. Many of the team had grown increasingly frustrated as they yielded no results and Auggie snapping at everyone who so much as went within a metre of him didn't help. The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating but simmering underneath it was worry. Everyone wanted to see Annie return safely but they had passed the 48 hour threshold and it was becoming less and less likely. Joan almost smiled at the thought of what Annie would say to that. There was no way any of them were giving up on her.
Pain. Darkness. Nothing.
It all continued in an endless cycle, streaming through her subconscious. The nightmares felt all too real although she had no idea what they meant or even if they meant anything. She remembered the pain though, crisp and sharp as it tore through her body, never settling in the one place. It was white hot and relentlessly searing at every nerve ending. It was all there was: pain and darkness, pain and darkness. It had taken her a long time to realise that the darkness was in fact her eyelids, which had slammed shut as the first waves of pain hit although the area beyond didn't hold much light, it was more like a dreary glow. It beamed off something metallic but her vision was blurred with tears and she couldn't make out more than a fuzzy greyish shape. And then it would happen: the black figure would stand in front of her and look down, watching on as the pain increased, burning her alive as her body fought to stay conscious. Eventually it would all fade into nothing and she relished those few painless moments.
"Oh come on!" Auggie shouted, giving the computer a firm rap with his fist as the results, or rather lack of filled the screen in front of him. He had been running the Mexican thug's (as Stu had dubbed him) phone records looking at the texts an anonymous sender named Jon Doe had sent him, which was very original he had added sarcastically when he first heard it. The phone was a burner, untraceable and there was nothing to identify the sender within the messages, it was just a photo and set of instructions to grab the girl and lock her in the basement level of the facility. The only thing it proved was that they knew about the basement but given how quickly he had figured it out he doubted that it really meant anything.
"You ok boss?" Stu asked, approaching him cautiously as if he would attack.
"Yes" he snapped harshly in reply. Yep, Stu thought, dangerous territory: approach with caution.
"Is there anything I can do?" he said in what he hoped was a soothing tone.
"Find Annie" came the reply, slightly less harsh this time around.
"We all want to find Annie but running yourself ragged isn't going to help" he said gently, easing closer to his boss.
"What else am I supposed to do?" he snapped. Stu flinched and pulled back. He weighed his next words carefully in his head and decided that he needed to hear them.
"Is this what Annie would want?" he said, preparing himself for the onslaught that was bound to follow.
He exploded, three days of nothing but worry and fear consuming him emanated out in a single moment.
"Don't talk about her like she's not coming back, I will find her, I WILL!" he shouted before pushing past Stu and bolting out of the room. Stu sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. This is what he had been before his accident, actually it was worse. The only one who had ever been able to break him out of the dark moods was Annie and with her goneā¦.well she wasn't the only one missing.
The end of the day came and went, no-one really noticing the light fading to darkness outside. A whole day gone and they had nothing. Tempers had reached boiling point as frustration escalated. No-one was willing to go anywhere near Auggie, the Tech-God was positively seething. Joan sighed as she watched him furiously banging away at the computer keys.
"He can't seem to accept it" Stu said as he came to stand beside her.
"I wish there was something we could do for him" she replied, her voice soft and tired. She was the only one willing to brave Auggie and Stu commended her for it.
"Only Annie can help him now" he replied.
"He's going to end up breaking down" Joan said, a hint of regret in her voice. She wanted to help him but she didn't see how. There was no point in giving him a different assignment, he was going to try and find Annie regardless. And she wasn't sure keeping him away from this was the right thing to do.
"All we can do is try" Stu replied sadly, giving her a small smile before he walked away.
"Sometimes trying just isn't enough" she mumbled, casting a glance at his hunched over figure, the artificial light from the screen casting shadows across his face and deepening the dark circles there. Despite his foul mood he looked small and alone, like a lost little boy. No-one had helped her but perhaps she could help him. And that started with finding Annie.
