Chapter 2 -

It was a beautiful sunny day. A perfect 80 degrees with a cool summer breeze from the east. Jack was finishing some paperwork that he was behind on. Myles and D. were working on paperwork too. Bobby was gliding around the room doing nothing in particular. And Tara was playing Solitaire on her computer. An almost perfect scene… But three members of the team were missing. Lucy, Sue, and Levi (Sue's hearing dog) still hadn't shown up. No one had said anything of course, but the fact that Sue and Lucy's desks were unnaturally still didn't go unnoticed. Jack was walking across the room to get something to drink when Lucy burst into the room and ran straight to Jack. He could see that see was almost in tears.

"Jack, Jack, please please tell me that you have seen Sue today." she begged.

Fear and worry started bubbling in his stomach. Bobby, seeing Lucy distraught, was now by Jack's side.

"No, I'm sorry I haven't seen her since yesterday." he said.

"What's wrong Luce, is Sue ok?" Bobby asked worriedly.

Tara, Myles, and D had stopped what they were doing to and were making their way over to them.

"That's just the problem, Bobby. I don't know! Sue is missing!" she said, while on the verge of tears.

Jack's heart, literally stopped in shock. His stomach dropped all the way down every floor of the FBI building and landed with a most unsettling crunch. At least is felt that way.

Tara moved to pat Lucy on the back. She seemed to calm down a bit.

"Missing? What do you mean by 'missing'?" Myles asked.

"Meaning I don't know where she is!" Lucy exclaimed, her voice getting more and more frantic, "Sue didn't come home last night! This morning I thought that maybe she had come in and left for here while I was still asleep. So I hurried and got here early but she wasn't here. I've been looking for her b everywhere /b !"

A thick Australian accent cut her off "Whoa, hey, calm down sweetheart." Bobby said. "Now, have you tried calling her on her cell?"

The Bureau gave Sue a small portable TTY to use for work a several months ago. It looked a lot like a regular cell phone, so everyone just called it her "cell" or "blackberry".

Lucy took a deep breath and continued slower this time. "Yes, but there was no answer. I've been calling and calling and still nothing!" She turned to Jack, "I'm really worried Jack. It's not like her!"

Lucy speaking directly to him made Jack feel a little uneasy. He swallowed down the lump in his throat. He had to stay focused. There had to be something or someplace Lucy had missed; some reasonable explanation that was over looked.

"What about Todd? She could be having breakfast with Todd." Tara suggested. Todd, Sue's latest boyfriend. David had been out of the picture for a while now, which Jack was not at all unhappy about, but then this new guy suddenly sprang up out of no where. Needless to say, Jack wasn't exactly thrilled when he found out about it a couple months ago.

Jack felt a pang in his heart. He got it anytime Sue's boyfriend was mentioned. He was used to it by now, but it still hurt. He, as usual, hid it, but noticed that Bobby had glanced at him. They all seemed to know how he felt about Sue, though he never let it affect his job, but they just seemed to know.

"No, she wouldn't be with him. They broke up a few weeks ago." Lucy said. "Besides I already called him; he hasn't seen or heard from her since she broke up with him."

Jack heart fluttered with hope. No boyfriend to get in the way of getting closer to Sue. Then he remembered where he was. He felt guilty for thinking about his own selfish desires when Sue was missing! Maybe hurt....

No! He told himself. She's ok, I know she is....she has to be....

"Are you sure that you checked every place she might have gone, every person she might be or talked with?" D asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Lucy answered and added almost gravely, "No one has seen her or Levi."

"Tara, do you think you can locate Sue's cell with a tracer?" Jack asked.

" I'm not sure if it will work her phone, but I will try. I'll also get the last numbers she has called." Tara said as she moved to her computer. He watched their resident techno-genius use her techno-magic.

"Good, now did anyone hear her say anything yesterday that might gives us a clue at where she might be?" Jack asked, and watched them think hard about it and shaking their heads.

"She was going to have lunch with Darcy. " Bobby said. "Darcy told me that this morning when I took her to breakfast."

"Well, that rules out Todd and Darcy." Myles thought out loud. "But, where or who else would she be with?"

"I tried everyone I could think of." Lucy said, she was calmer and less frantic now.

"Weren't you two here until late yesterday?" D asked and looked between Jack and Tara.

"Yes, Jack was working at his desk and I was finishing my report for Ted." Tara informed them.

"Sue was worked on something at her desk too. I think it was a report for the Pendle case." Jack added.

"Right. We all left together" Tara continued, "We walked to the parking garage together and left in our respective vehicles."

"Could she have gone back to get something before she left?" Myles wondered.

"No, I saw her get in her car and turn it on." Jack said. "She pulled out of the garage right behind me"

Tara nodded in agreement, "I was in front of them but it was definitely Sue behind Jack."

"We should put out an APB on her car" D suggested. "I'll do that and I'll talk to the Highway Patrol."

"I'll check with the hospitals in the area, just to make sure...." Myles said.

"Someone should get a hold of her informants that she might have gone to see." Tara contributed.

"I'll do that, but I'll need some help." Jack offered. "Bobby? You feel up to it?"

"Yeah, you bet, Jack" Bobby answered, but Bobby kept his eyes focused on Jack, which made Jack feel even more uncomfortable.

Everyone went off to try and find a clue to the whereabouts of the team's favorite lip-reader and canine companion. Jack and Bobby were the only ones left in the room except for Tara who was pulling Lucy over to the coffee table for a drink that would hopefully help the worried friend.

"Jack," Bobby said, "someone needs to tell Ted."

He nodded in agreement, "I'll do it Bobby, if you'll get the names and other info on Sue's informants."

Bobby moved closer and lowered his voice. "Are you going to be ok?" Bobby asked with concern all over his face.

"I will be when Sue is back here with us, safe and sound." Jack answered, but he almost said "me" instead of "us".

Before Bobby could say anything else Jack gave the tall Aussie and look that said that the conversation was over.

"I'm going to tell Ted." Jack finished. "Meet me at your car in 10?"

"Yeah," Bobby said. "I'll have the information we'll need." With that Bobby turned and walked to his desk. Jack quickly headed for Ted's office.

Well, I think we took that quite well, Jack thought. He was proud of his team. They all kept their heads level and got right to work. Even Lucy had calmed down and was helping Tara on the computer when he had left.

As Jack got to Ted's office and gave the door a nice, firm knock. And prayed very hard to not to let the full effect of Sue's mysterious disappearance to show or overwhelm him.