They had been shown to a conference room which was to become their make-shift base and while Lillian established contact with Sea-Dock Gabriel cyber rendered the footage. He walked through, looked at it from different angles but the terrorists were wearing balaclavas and beyond their gender and height nothing else was identifiable. Bodies lay strewn on the ground and he spared a moment to acknowledge the lives that had been lost. Gazing around he caught sight of Riley's mother and he sighed, knowing that there was nothing he could do for her yet he felt a longing to reach out one last time.

"Anything?" Lillian asked abruptly breaking him out of the render.

"How could this happen?" he asked. She recognised the look of grief on his face, similar to when he lost Amelia. That was the only thing that was going to push them to get these guys: their empathy for the victims. It was the one thing that differentiated them from the killers and in the end it would be their triumph.

"We need to stay focused and do everything we can to ensure it doesn't happen again" she replied, her voice strong and re-assuring. Gabriel nodded in reply but out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Riley curled up in the corner, staring out the window at the building. She looked lost and he wondered how to bring her back. She had fallen apart emotionally and wasn't coping. He wondered if she was thinking of her mother or the trauma of her past.

"How could this happen?" he said again, his gaze still on Riley.

"She's strong" Lillian replied, her voice lacking her previous conviction. She was just as worried, even though Riley was one of the strongest people she knew the trauma of her past combined with her loss seemed to be overwhelming her and she didn't know how to help.

"She'll be ok" She didn't believe her own words but saying it aloud seemed to help and Gabriel visibly relaxed, some of the worry draining out of him.

"Your right, she's a fighter. Maybe she just needs to process this" he replied. Even to his own ears the words sounded forced but if Lillian noticed she made no comment and he was oddly relieved.

"Right now we need to focus on getting those hostages out" Gabriel reluctantly agreed casting one last glance in Riley's direction. He saw a look briefly cross her face, something he couldn't quite distinguish but knowing his partner he knew there was more going on than what they were seeing. They just needed to find a way to get through to her and pull her out.

The computer screens in front of them blinked and Nelson appeared, looking slightly less put together than usual. "Any updates?" he asked, his gaze travelling around what was visible of the office space from the webcam. He caught sight of Riley, a look of sympathy crossing his features.

"She looks….like she's not here" he mumbled.

"She's having a hard time" Gabriel replied honestly, sighing as he cast a glance in her direction. She didn't move and he doubted she realised they were talking about her.

"She going to be ok?" Jameson asked, his face appearing on the screen behind Nelson.

"She will be" Lillian said with maybe a little more conviction than was strictly necessary. Gabriel no longer looked convinced and she trusted his instincts but as much as she cared for Riley, they all did there were more lives at stake and they needed to focus. The fallout would come later.

"Nothing new has come up. Anything on your end?" she asked. Nelson shook his head dejectedly. Some fumbling could be heard and Nelson was nudged aside, Dr Cassidy's face filling the screen. He looked rumpled, a worried look appearing on his face when he caught sight of Riley. Before Lillian could interject he asked "How is she?"

Realising that the vague answers she had been giving them were not cutting it she replied truthfully "I don't know."

"Have you tried talking to her?" he asked and Lillian nodded.

"She didn't reply?" she nodded in affirmation again and Cassidy sighed.

"Look I know how important these hostages are and this may not be my place but Riley could be our best hope right now"

"How so?" She gave him a curious look.

"It may not look like it now but her focus is on the people that did this and I can guarantee you that she will do everything she can. The question isn't whether she will act it's at what point will her actions go too far. Keep a close eye on her Lillian, she needs us right now."

"Indeed she does"

With no new information or leads available it had become a waiting game. There had been no demands and the FBI was getting anxious, the overwhelming amount of swat personal beginning to look increasingly trigger-happy. The situation was tense to say the least and it only took a single person losing their cool for the situation to escalate. Blame had begun to fall: first the NSA, then CIA before landing directly on Homeland Security. The truth was that no matter what they did the system would never be perfect however heads would fall, as was the nature of the job. Most people had begun to cover their tracks and they were operating as if the whole world was watching and it was. There were more lives effected than any of them would have thought possible.

"Riley" Gabriel mumbled, kneeling down in front of her. She still hadn't moved from her spot by the window.

"Talk to me?" he asked, keeping his voice gentle and calm. She gave no indication she even heard him. It wasn't until he gently tapped her arm that her eyes met his although she still looked distant.

"Please Riley" he was getting desperate and it came out sounding dangerously close to pleading. It did the trick though and her attention focused on him. Her gaze was heavy and intense, he felt like she was staring into his soul.

"What can I do?" he asked, struggling to get the words out though he could not fully understand why. Her shoulders shrugged in the barest of movements.

"Tell me what you feel" he said gently.

"Like my heart just shattered into a million pieces" her voice was hoarse and he struggled to hear her. His gaze locked with hers and her muscles began to shake. He could sense the tears coming and did his best to comfort her, eventually wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him as the sobs took over her entire body. She shook violently in his arms and it broke his heart. He whispered comforting words in her ear and rocked them gently.

"It will be ok; everything is going to be ok" he whispered.

Eventually her sobs subsided but Gabriel made no move to let go of her. They stayed that way for a while taking comfort in one another.